It struck me yesterday - as I was sitting in a hospital room with a friend - that this was almost like old times. A few weeks ago I made somewhat regular visits to another friend as he was recouping from a motorcycle accident. Then yesterday I found a co-worker unconscious. I called 911 and followed the ambulance to the hospital. I spent 5 or 6 hours in the hospital with her. There was no one else to be with her, and it wasn't something I was obligated to do, but I felt I needed to do. Didn't mind at all.
So it struck me also how ignorant some people can be who think that church is nothing but a Sunday show... They think you need someone to do the music, someone to present a "talk," and someone to take care of the maintenance of the building. These assholes are oblivious to the need for someone to pray for people, someone to visit with people, someone to give a shit, and commune and listen to God, and clean the toilets, and pray over places and events, and... well the list could go on. It just irritates me when people think "church" is a simple list of things to do. It requires so much more, but it starts with someone committed to living a simple life, and attending to the needs at hand. The needs of people.
Yes, it would be great if we could do it organically, or share the burden, but let's face it... Most of the time it doesn't happen. Everyone thinks someone else will do it, or that it's not really necessary. But it is, dammit.
I still want to believe in the church, but I'm losing faith (in the church). It's not an event, or a business (non-profit, at that). It's difficult work, it's tedious work, it's time-consuming, and it's something that some people will never understand.
That's all. Rant over.
4 comments:
You are coming in quite handy since you've been released into the wild! Good save! I hope your coworker just had low blood sugar or something easy to fix.
I'm with you on the "church" that has been recreated in its own image by the Shepherd Mafia. But, the church Jesus has built? I'm all for her!!!!
Keep on truck in, bubba. You'll find her.
I could go back and comment on several of your recent posts, but I'll just put it all into this one.
I do still believe in the church and friendships - even though this past year it has been somewhat hard. I think the worst part of the whole church situation is thinking that you have found a common understanding with four or five people where you want the church to really try to reflect what you believe God intended the church to be. You know where you live life in such a way that you can depend on one another, you can share in the struggles as well as the joys. You can be honest about the problems in your marriage, how your kids have maybe messed up or made decisions that you don't understand. How you struggle with doing what you know is wrong but you just don't have the strength to stop...or start...or whatever the case may be. How when people are at their lowest, you don't let them down. And of course, when we all fail at those things at some point, you help each other work through it all in an attempt to bring healing and to show the world...this is why the church is different. Maybe that group of people has found all of that without us - and if so - well, good for them. But as far as we are concerned, when we were at a low point, they let us down. I understand that when someone is drowning, you have to wait for them to stop struggling before you can pull them out. I guess they waited for the struggle to stop and then decided to walk away. That second, key part of the equation never happened. I suppose it was all less messy though...at least for them.
It's funny how people want to claim credit for their influence when everthing turns out well. No one wants to take responsibility for their influence when it doesn't. I will be the first to admit that we all do have to take responsibilities for our own thoughts, actions, beliefs. But if that's all we're responsibile for, then I don't understand anything at all.
Okay - I've shared my thoughts. Back to work.
Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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