The Waving of the Red Flags
We were sitting outside at Starbucks (no big surprise there!) We both were sipping on the Autumn delight of Spice Pumpkin latte...ahhh.... It had been nearly a year since we had purposed to invest time in one another...too long, but oh, so good to see this friend again.
Her life over the past several years had been invested in a position at a local church. Her intentions were honorable: to 'work for the Lord' helping here, organizing there, lining up volunteers for this and that, and earning a bit of 'extra' finances as well! However, what had begun as "part-time" had slowly, steadily overtaken her life to the point that her husband and family didn't want anything to do with "that place" or "those people" any longer. They were being replaced by church obligation and activity and they didn't like it.
Unique? Isolated? No, not really. Most humans enter into positions, responsibility within a church-body with the best of intentions: to help out; to become involved; to be active; to give back. However, when the "doing" overtakes the "being," spiritual red flags begin waving all over, but are rarely, if ever, acknowledged. How come? Those 'leading the charge' are caught up in the 'doing' even more than the followers! When those in position of leadership become enamored with 'growth', 'programs', 'staff' and finances to support what they've built rather than prayer, meditation, fasting, personal time in the Living Word, it's time to ask some clarifying questions. Harsh? Unreasonable? Heresy?
What was Jesus' example?
What occupied His time? His life?
In how many did He invest Himself?
What did He teach?
In what was His significance?
If "more", "new", "big" were the keys to spiritual growth, we would be living in a land of spiritual giants....
Observing the waving of the red flags,
Ele
posted by Transforming Together @ 11:15 AM
2 Comments:
And from what I see in my church, the 'morer', the bigger and the 'newer', the less spiritually alive. We become a church of doers. Our churches raise up a generation of 'rich young rulers' who did everything right but miss that one thing. We call it Salvation by Good Works. There is grave danger in it all. The closer we get to the Saviour the more we will do 'good things' from out of the abundance of our heart, the way HE intended.
But where is the line? For I suppose our churched still need someone to do all the work in keeping programs running, etc. Or DO churches need all these extra's?
Our example is found in the Living Word of God. Check out Acts/the Epistles...what values emerge? how are we encouraged to invest our time? What programs are there? Remember, WE are the church......happy exploring!!
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