Having spent some time in the Christian Church (and I still am btw) this is only meant as a critique or something to think about. It is not meant as an indictment. What happens AFTER people consider this is on them…
If you’ve been part of the church for any length of time, and particularly evangelical churches, you know that once a year there is going to be a missions month or something similar. It’s a time when missionally minded churches remind us about missions, often bringing in missionaries from abroad and local community outreach programs to remind us of the greater call to reach out to others.
A faith, any kind, that doesn’t reach to help those around them in need, isn’t much of a faith imo. Now whether or not you are part of a community outreach, or a missionary, you can be doing something to help those around you. Even doing simple things like providing an encouraging word—or lending a hand when there is need—can all be acts of community outreach. There are gazillions of ways to actually live out your faith externally that go well beyond just how you live and into how you love your neighbor.
That’s a pretty darn good sermon if I do say so. Wrap that sucker with a bow and call it next Sunday!
Oh wait….I missed something. There’s the whole fact that as the church we only really acknowledge missions and community outreach.
What do I mean?
Well you just read that, in essence, you are always on mission. You should always be “ready to share the reason for the good news that is inside of you.” The thing is, the only thing that we ACTUALLY value in the walls of the church are formalized community outreach programs and missionaries and, let’s be honest, overseas missionaries. Anything that’s at least a little sexy.
When was the last time you had a Missions Sunday or Missions Month where you celebrated and tried to encourage and raise awareness of the store greeter amongst you? Or the short-order fry cook? Or any of the other of hundreds or perhaps even thousands of jobs amongst your congregation?
Sorry folks it ain’t gonna happen. What you do is not that glamorous or interesting to the church. Get used to it. There’s not going to be a line of shopping carts pushed up to the altar.
