Hmmmmmm . . .

This morning I've been pondering. For me, that's a common occurrence. I'm a deep thinker, a contemplative, an introvert, introspective, shy, a bookworm. My motto has always been, 'you learn more by listening than by talking'. So here's what I've been pondering this morning:

I used to think there was one right way to do church and my church did it. Probably every church goer has had the same thought, that's why they were there. It was kind of an 80's model, corporate, which was good, because at the time I worked for a corporation so everything fit together. But recently I've come to realize that just as the body of Christ within one church is made up of a variety of people, who all fit together with their gifts and personalities, each church has it's own focus and personality to minister to different segments of society, according to what God has called them to do. Some churches are very missions oriented, some are very fellowship oriented, etc. It's their focus and they attract people looking for that.

But recently as I've been reading books that have challenged me a great deal in who I minister to, it seems there is a trend for churches to get back to the grassroots of the faith. Pastors are going back to read Acts 2, they're preaching on it and writing books on it. They're stripping away superfluous ministries, they're doing the things that bring the most transformational changes in people. Books are being written on the nitty-gritty of ministry, like Messy Spirituality, and being In A Pit With A Lyon On A Snowy Day, and The Unstoppable Force. People are being encouraged and stretched to minister to those who are not like them. God is no respecter of persons. He ministers and loves everyone equally. Why don't we?

Look around you. Is everyone you work with and interact with each day like you? Look at my life for example. I'm a middle-class baby boomer, homeowner, with 2 kids, 2 dogs, a cat and a fish, 2 cars and a college education. I work with similar people. My neighbors are similar people. Our kids' friends' parents are similar people. The people in our church are similar people. So I ask myself, how is that stretching me? It's not. It's easy. It's comfortable. It's status quo and keeps me in my soft, puffy world. Is that what God wants for me? If everyone ministers only to people like themselves, we have segregation. Even our society woke up to the negative aspects of that in the 50's.

So here's my challenge to me and to you. Look around you. Whether you know them or not, how can you bless someone who is not like you? Maybe they're richer than you, poorer than you, smarter than you, less educated than you, older than you, younger than you, addicted to chemicals or emotional habits, haven't showered in weeks, handicapped, sad, homeless, hungry, angry, been in prison, been in jail, sick, the list goes on. Jesus would talk to and minister to them all. Why don't we? Is it uncomfortable? Yes. Will you get dirty? Possibly. Will you be blessed as you bless them? Definitely.

I think the time of staying in the glass houses of our churches and only ministering to fellow believers one or two days a week is over. It's time to step outside the doors and into the sunshine of God's love and be a conduit of generosity to those who are really in need. Then, yes, bring them in, love them, heal them, train them, and release them to do likewise. That's the call. Are you up for it?