December 20, 2013
Let Him Serve
Each month our mission’s coordinator highlights
a different local mission for the congregation to support. It’s always been
curious about why the church collects food for the local food bank when everyone
in the community knows the need and many in our congregation are already individual
supporters. When the topic came up during a recent conversation the coordinator
laughed, “Oh, my intention isn’t support for the mission; I’m just trying to
motivate people to serve in the community.” Well, that explains a lot. It’s no
wonder I’ve lacked an emotional connection to the monthly mission focus. Not
that the coordinator’s efforts aren’t well intended, but it just seems like his
efforts to motivate believers to serve is akin to preaching to the choir. Paul
tells us that in the body of Christ there are many members with different
gifts, but not all of us having the same function. “We have different gifts,
according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it
in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is
teaching, let him teach;…” (Ro12:6-7 NIV)
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Gail;
-----I’ve yet to see a choir leave the building before the sermon begins. I think they too have that uncanny urge to hear. Still, “mission day” at church has always gotten my goat. It’s like melding the PBS beg-fest with why I come to church. It has that awful flavor of braggadocio, while it tries to look like humble servitude. And I notice all these things not because they are what “mission day” is, but because my gifts are other than “mission”, so I look for its faults.
-----That admission causes many sucked up gasps of horror. We’re all supposed to be involved in missions. We are all supposed to fall down in awe at the missionary’s feet and count ourselves blessed by the presence of this planter-waterer-harvester of God’s crop. Well. Secretly within I kind of do. I just won’t let anyone know. So, occasionally these PWH types get a couple bucks even from me.
-----I think that’s why the choir hangs around for the sermon. I don’t know much of anything about music, but I suppose the tenor has to learn how to mix well with the baritone, and he with the bass, and all of them with each other. I’m more of an encourager/inspirational type, which I realize is, in a way, being a BS’er. And when I pull a buck or two out of my pocket for the PWH type, I realize the mission coordinator has been a pretty good one, also.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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