September 12, 2014
Serving the Gospel
When the greeters of a local
church learned I was visiting their church in order to write an article about
the experience, they stumbled all over themselves to make me welcome, “Come in,
come in. We’ve got the best coffee and food in town.” I laughed and caught them
off guard when I ask, “So, how are you with the Word of God?” They were quick
to tell me the regular pastor was out of town and pleaded with me to come back
in two weeks when he would again be back in the pulpit. I understand where these ladies are coming from since we all want visitors to the
church to experience the best the congregation has to offer. Unfortunately,
many of us are like Martha and more focused on first impressions than we are on
the one thing that is needed. “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you
are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing
is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from
her.” (Luke 10:41-42 NIV)
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I suppose these sisters never thought you might possibly be aware they were giving you their best performance. While we all understand first impressions and best performances, such things remind me of the Ferengi. How can we all take each other so seriously when we all know there’s gotta’ be something hidden. But, I guess it’s more complicated than that.
----On the one hand, gathering with a group of people who are deeply investing themselves into the Lord and His ways should be the perfect place to let your flaws show, and thus be met with edification. I just finished a weekend of foolish endeavor. I could have hidden my idiocy, but I felt something was to gain by exposing it. When I bought my 1980 F150 a few months ago, the seller told me the water pump was weak. So when I drove it home he was sure a new pump was neatly in its box on the seat. After weeks of driving, reading gauges, analyzing engine noises and considering his responses to my questions when I bought it, I decided this was the weekend to replace the water pump.
-----Once I had the front of the engine stripped bare and the old pump in my hand, I could not see how it could be failing to pump water. These things are pretty simple. All the parts were there. None were worn. The bushings were just fine. And the “weep hole” showed no signs of “weeping”. I felt myself entrapped in a situation where I was going to spend a bunch of money and time replacing parts that were fine before finding the problem to be something else. I determined to put the new pump on anyway, and with some classy stainless steel bolts to boot. But these bolts were a tad short. Like an idiot, I tried using them anyway. And like what happens to idiots, the hard stainless steel began stripping threads from one of the bolt-holes. Ladies, you can replace a bolt, but you can’t replace a bolt-hole. And when the bolt-hole is in the most basic part of the engine and holds a part your engine can’t operate without against high pressure water, it’s like I just ruined the frame of your house trying to fix the front door. At least I was smart enough to back off when I felt the threads stripping. But this bolt-hole would always be a weak point on an engine which will have some heavy work to do. So I moped. And I did something unusual. I explained to Char what I did. I didn’t hide my idiocy.
-----She immediately encouraged me to take it apart, again, and do something about the bolt-hole. The next day, after church, she rode all over town with me gathering this and that variety of fastener which I applied that afternoon. When I was finished my pump was attached with a nice, hardened steel stud secured on its back-side with a nut and lock washer, now far stronger than before.
-----I wouldn’t have had the patience and courage to do that without Char’s support. I wouldn’t have had Char’s support if I had put on first impressions and best faces.
-----But on the other hand, I can imagine what’s behind many of those smiling, happy-to-greet, happy-to-serve-you faces at church. There’s a little Ferengi in us all. And if these parts of our inner critters were openly seen, regardless of the New Testament call for edification, nobody would hang around with us. I think the Lord wants us to show our weaknesses and be given encouragement, but we hide them because revulsion is the more real reaction.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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