It is only natural that a pastor as passionate as Allen Cooney would lead us to understand the deadliness of spiritual torpor. A typical definition for torpor would be "a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility," but in the animal world, it also refers to hibernation.
In a spiritual sense, it is the indifference that Elie Weizel was railing against in Night (see yesterday's quotes). It is also (which is why it was in the sermon) the state of mind out of which Old Testament prophets such as Micah were constantly calling the people of Israel.
Surely no one would argue that we don't need prophets today. Thank God for Pastor Allen calling us out of our torpor! The Lenten season is a great time to reflect on the areas of indifference in our lives...and to repent! Practicing those spiritual disciplines that Elder Dave Bowen preached about four weeks ago will help keep both out minds and spiritual sensitivities awake and alert!
And thanks, as always, to Steve Johnson for his lively illustrations, as pictured above. I always say that the children's message is really for us as adults - we need those visual lessons as much as the children!
N.B. If the photo is not easily comprehensible to those who were not there, Steve is wrapping sweet Jenna Van Stelle in plastic refrigerator wrap to represent the way a state of torpor shields us from penetration by the Holy Spirit (represented by a squeezed water bottle). I think you can picture the results.
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