So I work in a church.
If you haven’t learned at least that much about me at this point, you are very new, welcome!
There are so many things about not only working at a church, but being part of a church community I had no idea about. Many of these things are pleasant surprises, others not so much.
Some of the pleasant surprises:
1) How far some people are willing to go to help those in need.
2) How real that pastors can be. (Growing up Catholic, pastors were like aliens)
3) That my boss let me have a 30 gallon fish tank in my office.
And some of the less pleasant surprises:
1) Red Tape (this is a 10 page blog post in itself)
2) When people curse, realize that I’m around and say “oops, I didn’t realize you were here”… Boy would they be surprised to know I’ve even used one of those words before!… once.
3) How helpful some regular church attendees can be, and how destructive others can be. This is the one I want to take a quick moment to talk about.
I’ve been a full-time high-school pastor for a year and a half now. I honestly came into this job somewhat naive. I don’t feel terrible about it though. If you come in to your first full-time ministry position and you haven’t realized you were naive then… maybe you’re still naive? EITHER WAY. I was in a position where I thought that anyone who actually showed up to church each week was growing and building the church up right? Wrong.
The more I go through getting to know Christians (not only at CCV, but all over), the more I am finding that many attendees and volunteers are either part of the problem that we have in all of our churches or part of the solution. Every single church has its problems. Every one. Perhaps this is a new concept to some of you, and if it is, just trust me on this one. No church is perfect. I encounter many people who love to rip any detail they can apart. ”The pastors message this week was aimed at ‘seekers’ and not at me”, “they are spending their money on __________ when __________ isn’t working!”, “I heard that John Doe was told to step down from volunteering… lets talk about it!” (but not to anyone it involves) I am simply saying that many people I have encountered have taken the idea of creating a community that calls us to constantly deny oneself for the good of others and for the expansion of God’s kingdom has turned into something that is all about me, me, ME.
This is a problem.
I want you to think for a second. I want you to ask a couple of questions.
1) Are you part of the problem or the solution?
2) Are you leaving a church because of its problems, or standing firm and being part of making it a place where other people don’t fall into the same trap?
If this is you, it’s never too late to humble down and do what you can to be part of the solution.
23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25 not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
