I'm reading Eugene Peterson's "Under the Unpredictable Plant" and just came across a sentence that made me question my motives in relationships, especially relationships with others in the Church congregation in which I serve.
Eugene brought up a point concerning how we as pastors can often reduce someone's worth to how active they are within the Body. Do they show up on Sundays? That earns them some points. Do they give their tithe? That earns them some more points? Do they devote some time to the ministry of the Church? That will earn them a few more points. Do they actively participate in the work of evangelism, etc...I think you get the point.
I am so very guilty of this. I have judged my brothers and sisters based on their corporate, Church stats. I have done it over and over again. Most other "church" leaders I know have done it also. It's a way of life for church leadership. I guess it's the way we have to monitor a "job well done" or something like that.
Peterson challenged me to take off the blinders that I've placed around my eyes. He challenged me to look at the people I serve beyond their "church" shell and really get to the crux of their creative, passionate, God-given soul...a soul, that sometimes they don't even see themselves...soul that He created...a soul that has worth beyond carrying out the goals and jobs of some egotistical Creative Arts Pastor in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
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I like this post. As a lay person who was heavily involved in church ministry for several years I can say I have been guilty of this before. But when I stopped being so heavily involved in the church, to spend more time in ministry to those outside the church, it became apparent to me that many of the people I thought were not involved were actually in the trenches reaching out to those outise the flock. Isn't that kind of what we're going for in church ministry?...people so well prepared and equipped that they're so busy attending to the needs of those without Christ, that we don't see them at church quite as much?
ReplyDeleteI heart this post. No matter the profession we have an urge to measure and place value on things. The numbers and easily observable things never tell the whole tale. I was upset that the stuff I hated about the ministry followed me to pharmacy. Both jobs are more rewarding and useful when you look at each person as an individual story with different dynamics.
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