Our recent paper had this to say about someone chosen to serve our local government:
“The retired Infantry Captain with the Indiana National Guard was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for service in combat in Iraq and received four Meritorious Service Medals, six Army Commendation Medals, five Army Achievement Medals, and was awarded the Order of St.Maurice by the National Infantry Association. Airborne qualified (name) served as company commander in Iraq, responsible for 131 men and $38 million in government property for one year. His background also includes serving as a human resource officer for 700 soldiers and he managed three unit bank accounts.”
That is some commendation and list of commendations! And I have absolutely no problem with that.
My problem comes when we make a big deal of things in the church. You know…our own pews, our own chairs, name plates on communion trays or offering plates, naming buildings after people. Somehow I have trouble seeing Paul wanting the church addition honored in his name. 🙂
One of the problems the American church has (and probably all really) is believing-or at least practicing-that one person does all the work. The pastor or youth pastor or whomever is looked up to as the Grand Pooh-Pah of all things holy in the local church. Dangerous business if you ask me. It takes more than one or two individuals to make a church “work.” It takes a team.
That is the theme for this Sunday’s message from Galatians 2:1-10. Your church needs YOU!
I agree. It should be all about Jesus, not celebrity pastors and all the crap that goes with them and their egos and their talk of their church “brand”. Ugh.
I now whereof you speak Daniel. I agree, of course. Thanks.
I can’t hear as well if I’m not in my pew…..wait a minute, we don’t have pews.
😛 Neither do we.
The thing is, you can have all the medals, status, titles, places named for you, etc and still be spiritually bankrupt. Lets just say I know a guy who was. It took leaving those things behind to find real value.
And that is one of my points Andy. All that stuff means nothing in what really matters.
Yes, Bill, we need to realize that every one of us in the church are on Team Jesus and we all have important roles to play in our church and in the community.
Blessings!
You are right Martha. The “Old Ones” worked as a team in the Glade. We have to learn that same thing in real life.
Thank you, Bill, for mentioning those characters from my novels. They do understand how working together is so important, and it becomes even more obvious in the novels to come. Thank you for all your support and know I’m lifting you in prayer for the Sunday message!
Since it’s inception, the Grand Pooh-Pah at OVCF has been Jesus. If not, I wouldn’t be there! (Sorry Bill, at best you get 2nd place)
I’m all too happy to take 2nd place Karen. Or even third. Or fourth. Or fifth….
What you say is absolutely Biblical (which is the only true test of truth). I have seen so many instances where you’ll pull one person away (a pastor usually) and the church organization dissolves/crumbles/”struggles.” The only person that the church should not be able to survive without is Jesus.
Can’t say it any better or stronger than the way you have Steve. Totally, totally agree.
One thing we learned during our training in New Tribes was team work will reach a group of people in a remote locations. From the church that sends them, to the mission organization that trains them to the team in the country they serve in to even the people in the villages who help the missionary in language and culture learning. In between all those groups of people are countless others who pray, give, encourage. It’s the model you want to teach a people group so they can after salvation go into another village and repeat the process. And in that process there will always be people who want to be lifted up as the most important person in the process, them instead of Jesus as the core, leader of the whole team. Pride (sin) is the one thing that will hinder this from working effectively. It’s the very tool satan uses to destroy the work of God, he has no new tools. One person wanting to stand above others, or a group of people lifting up one person besides Jesus will bring disharmony in the work of God. The enemy tool is to distract us with ourselves or others. But one person in this mix getting their heart right and stepping out of their pride can bring glory to the whole thing and teach others how to make it all count.
Praying for you my brother, praying for the folks who listen to you, praying they will catch the vision of team work.
Pride is an ugly thing Betty. it sinks its fangs into people’s hearts and does untold ruin. Thanks for your prayers.
I agree.. we fall too much into celebrity worship in our own ways in the church.. I think it’s very much an American culture thing… – http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com