A young minister went to his first church with eager enthusiasm. To his disappointment, he found the worship services poorly attended and the spiritual life of the congregation at low ebb.
He called from house to house seeking renewed interest, but several people said the church was so dead that they did not care to attend. He discussed the situation with his church board and they agreed that the criticism was probably justified.
The pastor announced that since the church was considered dead, he would conduct its funeral the following Sunday.
The church was crowded that day. In front of the pulpit was a coffin. The minister eulogized the deceased. He told how much the church had accomplished in the past and expressed his sorrow over its untimely demise.
Then he invited the congregation to go forward and view the corpse. One by one the people looked into the casket; each was amazed to see his own face reflected from a mirror in the bottom of the coffin. Many were shocked and indignant, but then each member began to realize that his or her own spiritual indifference was the reason the church was dead.
