Icebreakers

In Canada, months go by with minus zero weather. The lakes freeze over so hard that you can easily drive a truck across them without any danger. For this reason, a fleet of "icebreakers" keeps the flow of traffic moving through rivers and across the Great Lakes, no matter how frigid the temperature.

The work of these icebreaking ships consists of continually plowing through the ice in the waterways to make sure that it doesn't form a solid mass and thus obstruct the passage of ships. I mention this because there is a certain parallel between icebreakers and church attendance.

Regular worship does for the heart what icebreakers do for a frozen lake. The ships don't get rid of the ice, they merely prevent the ice from forming a mass. In the same way, regular worship doesn't eliminate sin or worldliness from our lives, but it does prevent these things from forming a solid cover over our hearts which can immobilize our faith and obstruct the traffic of our good works.

Many do not see the purpose of Wednesday services, or the need to be present on Sunday evening. It's ironic that many times the very reason they fail to recognize the importance of consistent attendance is that they are themselves bogged down in worldliness and the struggle with sin. Ships frozen in the ice usually come to a very slow stop, not recognizing that they're immobile until it's too late.

Let's keep the pathway of our Christian walk free and clear. The best way to assure our constant mobility is by regular attendance. This habit may seem repetitious and unnecessary at times but like the icebreakers, it is necessary to guarantee that despite life's bad weather, we can complete our spiritual journey home.