This weekend Greg hit on one of my hot button topics in his message when he talked about teaching his kids that the church wasn't there to serve them, but rather they were supposed to serve God and the church.
My dad has been an elder and chairman of the board at a small country church for just about all of my life. It's a completely thankless position and one that often finds him in the middle of conflicts he'd rather not be in.
He's often met with complaints about music being too loud, or too fast, or too slow, or too modern, or too traditional. Or the AC is too cold, or not cold enough. And one Sunday school class has nicer chairs than another, and Sunday school is too short anyway, and the messages are too long, etc, etc...
It seems like a lot of people go to church to be catered to.
I think Crossroads, more than a lot of churches, makes an effort to ensure that seekers and people in need walk into a building where the staff and volunteers are striving to make their experience as meaningful and beneficial as possible.
I also think Crossroads works hard to make sure that it's volunteers have a fulfilling experience serving.
But it's still serving. And serving means sacrificing your time, energy, and sometimes, preferences for the good of others. That's one of those lessons I wish some of the folks at my Dad's church would learn (and I say that will a full measure of grace and a realization that I can be just as self-centered at times). I wish they'd figure out that being a member of the body of Christ is about finding out how you're meant to serve - not being waited on hand and foot.
So steering this towards us, how long does someone have to attend Crossroads before they cross that magical, invisible line between seeking and serving? What's involved in that transformation? When do you go from being catered to to actually catering to others?
When did it happen for you? What was the turning point? Has it happened for you? What's holding you back?
Discuss!
Monday, November 5, 2007
who's serving who?
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3 comments:
I think that point for me was when i realized that I wanted to be connected. I use serving as a way to meet people and hang out with the people that i've developed relationships with.
For me seving ends up being more for me then it is for the people that i'm serving.
Growing up in the church "serving" in the church as meant different things to me at different times in my life. I've often looked at the different gifts or talents God's given me and thought how can I best use these to serve or honor Him in the church. I know for me it's when I am in my area of giftedness and using the talents He's given me that I feel He's most honored and that my service truly is most meaningful - to me, to others and most importantly to God.
I felt the tug. There is no other way to describe it. When there was the call for volunteers and all the booths were set up, I couldn't just sit there. I had attended Crossroads for about a year. My husband (boyfriend at the time) was looking for a place to volunteer. I remember thinking "Go for it. Not me." But as I saw everyone else mingling around I couldn't help but to at least look. Peer pressure right? :) I look at it as God pressure. Anyway, I signed up to do photography. The at the more specified meeting they mentioned something called Celebrate Recovery. There was no turning back. God smacked me on the head and said, "Raise your hand, girl." From there I slid right into the Life Hurts God Heals and some days still wish I could do more. Being in recovery myself the 12th step is to take the message of recovery and (my higher power)God to those who still suffer. I am doing my best to honor God by spreading his word. I am grateful to have a church home that allows me to do that.
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