Life Saving Station

It has been said that along a dangerous coast there was a life-saving station. Many lives were lost in an area of rough and dangerous seas. Because of that a group of people decided that a life-saving saving station was needed. Many volunteers joined the mission and many lives were saved.

Whenever a distess call came in life-boats and people were dispatched to bring people to the safety and medical attention by the rescuers. Over time many people were rescued and many were brought to health through the efforts of people dedicated to saving lives.

Then one day, the leaders of the life-saving station thought up the idea of building a new life-saving station just down the coast. Everyone voted to do it and that is what they did. It was amazing how everyone got together and chipped in to work at building the best life-saving station along the coast. And that is what they did. They spared no expense to put the very best materials and features from marble to tile floors and the best carpet money could buy. They put in the very best life-saving equipment available on the market.

Before long and because the life-saving station was so nice that the sea rescuers began to meet in the station for parties and gatherings and fun for all. They had the best of parties and events for themselves and their families and friends.

Over time there were fewer life rescues and less concern about those dying in the sea on the dangerous coastline. Many many more lives were lost as rescuers became less and less concerned about the rescue operations that required sacrifice and invloved the danger of losing their own lives.

Then there was this huge storm and there were many distress calls. Very few rescuers responded except for a very few people still committed to the original mission of the life-saving station. As the (very few) rescuers went out they brought back the wounded and battered and bruised and bleeding who needed to be saved. As they were brought into the life-saving station they also tracked in salt water, mud and the carpets were stained and things were all over the place. You can imagine what the neat life-saving station looked like.

After that mess the board decided there would be no more messy rescues that mess up the new life-saving station. From then on, everything turned even more for themselves. The parties got better and better and the programs offered were better and better for themselves..

The saddest part of all was the fact that no more lives were rescued from the raging storms along the dangerous coastline.

The life-saving members loved their new life-saving station and all it had to offer them.
The original mission was no longer part of their existence. And you know the rest of the story.

The sad thing is that way to many churches in America have lost their original purpose and instead of people going out to save lives with passion -we now like to meet for ourselves in the life-saving station. Before long we like to convince ourselves that we are still living out our original mission. But fewer and fewer lives are being saved...and in some cases no lives are being saved.

Give me your thoughts.