Religion: A Pastor Ponders

Lights on!

By Pastor William Jenkins

September 28, 2006

Last Sunday was a bit different at League City United Methodist Church. The Saturday night storm sent a tree falling across the power lines and knocked out the transformer servicing the church building. We had no power. No lights. No air conditioning. The power company said we should probably cancel church because it would be noon or later before power would be restored.

What to do? We had church. We pulled out the candles for Christmas Eve and other occasions and created our own light. The people pulled together and we had one of our more memorable worship experiences … though on the warm side.

I was reminded of a story. Several centuries ago in a mountain village in Europe, a wealthy nobleman wondered what legacy he should leave to the townspeople. He decided to build them a church. No one was permitted to see the plans or the inside of the church until it was finished. At the grand opening the people gathered and marveled at the beauty of the new church. It seemed everything had been thought of and included. It was a masterpiece.

Then someone said, “Wait a minute! Where are the lamps? It is really quite dark in here. How will the church be lighted?” The nobleman pointed to some brackets in the walls, and then he gave each family a lamp, which they were to bring with them when they came to worship.

“Each time you are here”, he said, “the place where you are seated will be lighted. Each time you are not here, that place will be dark. This is to remind you that whenever you fail to come to church, some part of God’s house will be dark; but when you do come some part will be bright.”

There was power and light at the Methodist church in League City last Sunday morning and it was not generated by electricity.

League City United Methodist Church is located at 1411 Main Street (FM 518), one block east of Interstate 45. For information, call the church offices at 281-332-1557 or visit the website at

HYPERLINK - http://www.lcumc.org