First, I want to say, 鈥淕o Canucks go.鈥�

I am with you all in rooting for the B.C. team鈥檚 first Stanley Cup.

A couple of Sundays ago I went for a walk in the evening during a Canucks game. I was struck by the silence in town. I hardly even saw a car go by.  The whole town was still.

I had heard this silence before in my hometown of Winnipeg but it was not for a hockey game.

In those days, the Lord鈥檚 Day Act made sure that businesses were closed on Sunday.

Many people still went to church in those days but our family never bothered so I would go out and play on Sunday morning.

Our whole neighborhood was silent and the church parking lots were full.

I started to think of our heavenly father.

I long and pray for a day when God鈥檚 people are as excited about gathering together with God as they are about sporting events.

I started to think of what would happen if our town became as silent as those streets in Winnipeg 45 years ago because God鈥檚 people had decided that his word is true and that we should gather together.

Obviously, people who do not believe in Jesus are not likely to join in with the church going crowd, although everyone is welcome and we would be happy to see you.

But what would happen if the many who have known the Lord would renew their commitment to come to church? Our fellowship has been praying for some time for the stay at home crowd who have allowed a personal wrong, disappointment, personality clashes and pure laziness cut them out of the herd as it were.

I sure hope the Canucks win. I hope even more that the many who believe in Jesus but no longer darken the doors of a church would reconsider and obey the logic of gathering.

It will be silent in town during the Stanley Cup finals. Oh, that we would again hear the Sunday morning silence as the people of God pause and join in the fellowship of believers.

Amen.