Danger of spiritual death

In my reading I came across some remarks made by Dr. William Barclay concerning the church.
"A church is in danger of death when it begins to worship its own past.... when it is more concerned with forms than with life.... when it loves systems more than it loves Jesus Christ....when it is more concerned with material than spiritual things."

Pastors, church elders, missionaries, church board members and certainly all Salvation Army officers, take note. The danger signals are there.

I recall my school days studying the poem "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Samuel Taylor  Coleridge. Scary picture of corpses rising to man the ship, pull oars, hoist the sails and steer the vessel.

I pray that the church that I belong to does not become like that. We can go through the motions, but lacking in one thing - spiritual life. It's time to examine ourselves.

My prayer on this Monday evening as I pen these thoughts

Search me, O God, and know my heart today,
Try me, O Savior, know my thoughts, I pray;
See if there be some wicked way in me;
Cleanse me from every sin, and set me free.

 

I praise Thee, Lord, for cleansing me from sin;
Fulfill Thy word and make me pure within;
Fill me with fire, where once I burned with shame;
Grant my desire to magnify Thy name.

 

Lord, take my life, and make it wholly Thine;
Fill my poor heart with Thy great love divine;
Take all my will, my passion, self and pride;
I now surrender, Lord, in me abide.

 

O Holy Ghost, revival comes from Thee;
Send a revival, start the work in me;
Thy Word declares Thou wilt supply our need;
For blessings now, O Lord, I humbly plead. (James E Orr)