Over 100 years ago one of the most famous disasters in human history occurred. On April 14, 1912, signals of distress pierced the dark night of the North Atlantic in all directions from the magnificent but ill-fated ship, the Titanic. The S.S. Californian was the nearest ship to the scene of the accident. It would have required only about one and a half hours for the Californian to have reached the Titanic as it sank. This was later acknowledged by the commanding officer of the Californian. Still the Californian never reached the place where the Titanic sank.

At the investigation of the sinking of the Titanic in Washington, D.C. Senator William Smith of Michigan asked the commanding office why the S.S. Californian didn’t sail immediately to the scene of the accident when the wire reached her.

The officer shifted uncomfortably in the witness chair. Then he explained that they had feared icebergs. So they were lying motionless in the water. Even more importantly, he explained, they had extinguished their fires and had no steam up.

“Such was the explanation given as to why the Californian, which could have reached the Titanic before it sank, never got there and never rescued a single soul. No fire, no power, no one rescued!”

Could that be said about us that we have the form of religion, but not its power? We bear the name of Christ, but we lack the power to be his people in the world today because we have neglected that third person of the Holy Trinity the Holy Spirit. Come into our hearts, Lord Jesus, by the power of your Holy Spirit. In the name of the Spirit, Son, and Father. Amen.