I set records this morning: for the worst attendance of the past year, and I did it in all three
churches individually and combined. Before this week we were averaging 100 per Sunday in all three churches. This
morning we managed 44. Moundville managed 28, which is 56 percent of their average of 50. Bronaugh had 18,
which is about 64 percent of their average of 28. And Sheldon decided to not hold services, so they had zero percent
of their 21. Of course, Sheldon has more steps to climb, and there was no one to clear those steps. Isn’t it amazing
what a few inches of snow will do! Of course, there were temperatures in the single digits, and there was ice on the
roads, but still... The largest factor here was the age of the parishioners. Sheldon’s congregation is the oldest. And I
noted that those most notably absent in the other two churches were the oldest members.

I know that it--the size of the congregation--shouldn’t make any difference in my conduct of the
services, but I think it does. I think I find it difficult to maintain my enthusiasm in my preaching when the number
who are listening are few and far between. Although over the years, I think I’ve learned to put up with the way folks
are seated in the sanctuary for a worship service, but I find myself getting a bit irritated with the manner in which this
plays itself out in the sparsely-populated service. That is, when folks are usually seated toward the back of the
sanctuary, with the back three pews being the most heavily populated, their distance from me is magnified when their
numbers are reduced. In the Bronaugh sanctuary, which seems to be twice as wide as it is deep, folks always seem
to be seated as far off to the side as they can get. This Sunday was no different, even thought the attendance was
tiny.

The text for this morning was Romans 5:1-11, and I titled the sermon “Justified by Faith.”
Actually, I did the whole sermon on the first five verses, which is more than enough material for one sermon. I
especially like the last part of that passage: “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and
character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us.” I had lots of personal experience to apply to that, but I
could probably also have added the conditions of this morning. Does the suffering of preaching to congregations the
size of Sunday School classes produce endurance? Did most of those who stayed home do so in order that they may
not need to suffer snow and ice and cold temperatures? Well, if I am to believe the scripture, this will produce
endurance in me. But I think I already have plenty of that. Over the past fifteen years I’ve preached a couple
thousand times to congregations pretty much this size. I think my overall average has been about 25. I hope this
has built some character.