I keep showing up at White Rock Lake in Dallas early on Saturday mornings. I do this to jog my long runs as I train for my marathon. In Texas its a good idea to begin a long jog before the sun comes up because of the heat. Early means 5:45 or 6:00 am. It seems I can't leave the house until 6:00. I think its my laziness, or maybe its that my wife is soft and warm and my pillows are fluffy. I tend to show up at the lake after normal people who are training for a marathon (if there is in fact a normal person training for a marathon) are finished. I show up apparently when every model, trainer, professional athlete, and pretty person with a six pack (and not the good kind but the stomach kind) has shown up to run around the lake. It strangely seems that I am the most unattractive and most un-athletic person out there.
These people, if you can call them people, run at sub 7 minute miles, whole blobs of them, huge groups of super jogging people whose bodies look like they purchased them out of a magazine. Sub 7 minute miles, over long distances, more than 10 miles. When I first went out there I tried to keep up with them and learned quickly this will never happen. It looks like we are doing the same thing but really, i mean really, we are not. Its obvious to me that even though our stride looks similar and our pace looks similar, they are doing something I can't, but it looks the same. Well, the mechanics look the same anyway. I plod along at my 9:30 second pace over the 10 miles and come in sweating and woozy. Woozy isn't in their vocabulary. I carry water on a belt and carbohydrate goo to keep me going, I think many of them could do this whole thing while smoking and eating a turkey sandwhich. It just doesn't seem fair.
So where am I going with this? Its not about my average looks and my average jogging ability. Its about people who are passionate about things being able to live that out. If these passionate runners want to run a marathon in less than 3 hours, man they should be encouraged to do so. Why would I tell them (if I could) they should really walk instead? Or that I should tell them to stop running and pick up leaves? Should I ask them to ride skate boards instead? Are you still reading? I'm surprised, but I'm getting there quickly. Why then do churches put such constraints on the people who are in their congregation? Often churches preach about service but really just want people to greet new members in the parking lot or serve in children's classes. Great, if that is what you want to do, or if that is what you do in connection with other things you are passionate about. But, this isn't the case, often the passion you have to serve is squelched.
There are current churches who have this stigma, if you aren't a seminary student or graduate then you can't teach. You certainly can't lead marriage, men's or women's retreats, nor can you teach on Sunday. But, if I were so inclined, I could greet people at the door. I could setup tables during special events. I could even, hold your breath, clean up after Wednesday dinner. Look, I'm not suggesting that I won't and shouldn't be asked to do these things, but to be given these in exclusivity of my giftings? I think there is a control freak mentality that doesn't smell like the gospel to me. It doesn't look like Jesus. Peter was a DISASTER, but Jesus continually moved into his life and asked him to do things. Churches need to wake up, encourage their members to find something they are passionate about and partner with them. This is why our churches ARE DYING! We are choking our congregations to death, many of us sit in the pews slightly more aroused than passed out every Sunday. Wake up churches, your pews are full of people who are brilliantly moved to do brilliant things in the name of God.
I know a woman on twitter who has an amazing story of physical loss and a story of how God moved into that to give her a different view of life. She HAS A STORY to tell and it is full of hope! I asked her what she does to serve at church (thinking it is a forgone conclusion) and she floored me when she said "My church never lets me serve in ways I want, I've been told I can teach a ladies small group, but never in ways I would love to serve." Really?!?!?! Why? Who says that she needs to serve in some small group with some prescribed book with a prescribed set of questions with a prescribed outcome of answers? Why is this her church fate? She has a story to tell, one of depth, suffering, loss, pain, and REDEMPTION! So the very community that is to help her live out what God has for her chokes the spiritual life right out of her. Let her run a marathon in under 3 hours (spiritually speaking)! God might ACTUALLY begin to move in your churches if you do!
Great post man...my question to you is this: How do we get people to stop coming just to check the box and not serve? They would rather be fed and get fat sitting in their chairs. They have the fire insurance and ticket but they just don't get the serving part. Makes you question their heart. Our church is starving for people to serve! I guess we have the opposite of what you are talking about!
ReplyDeleteThis such an awesome post! Jesus isn't looking for seat warmers who go to church every Sunday without utlizing their God-given talents,their stories, and their testimonies. Faith without deeds is DEAD. Churches should allow its members to act out on what makes them passionate. And as the above comment also states, we should be willing and thirsty to serve! See, it's a two way steak--God doesn't just want us to believe--He wants us to act out that belief in faith! As you said look at Peter's story, look at David, look at Moses, look at Noah! These weren't bibilical scholars, they were ordinary men who allowed God to do extraordinary things through them. The church needs to realize that inhibiting people from truly serving is going against the very teaching of Christ and we need to realize that living a passionate-free life is not living life at all!
ReplyDeleteps..you so would beat me in any marathon ;)