Waiting in the narrative

Noah took years to build the boat...
Abraham and Sarah lived decades with infertility...
Jacob toiled years for Laban...
Decades passed while Joseph worked his way up Potiphar's domestic food-chain and got stuck in prison...
Moses lived in the wilderness before seeing the burning bush...
Joshua journeyed to the Promised Land...
David watched over the sheep...

Plenty of people in the bible had to work and wait.

One of the beautiful things about the narratives in the bible is that you get to see the whole story play out. What might only take you a few verses to read may describe decades in chronological time.

Do you ever wonder what happens in those moments, days, months, years or decades?
Do you ever wonder what the people did during those times?
Do you wonder what they thought while they worked and waited?

Do you ever think that you may be in one of those working or waiting times?

Inevitably, life is made up of in-between times; when life is in a segment of non-noteworthy-narrative.

We might just need to keep that in mind when we feel that we are floating in times of working and waiting...

"Second Chances" starring Graham

A few weeks back I watched the Star Trek episode "Second Chances" and, not for the first time, wondered if I would like me...

Would I like me if I were my boss?
Would I like me as a workmate?
Would I like me as a member of my church?
Would I like me as a leader in my church?
Would I like me socially?

In short, I'm not exactly sure.

I'm not sure because I both put on a pretty good masquerade, but I'm also intimately aware of my many shortcomings.

Now, as you might be able to tell from the sentence above, this isn't exactly fair since I have a perspective within myself that no one else has.

But, I think the thought exercise is an important one.

Because, what if you wouldn't like you?

How would you view yourself?

What would you notice first?

What would annoy you?

Would you be threatened by yourself?

What should you change?

On a more positive slant, what value would you add?

Would you recognise it?

Would you allow it to be exercised?

Pushing beyond FU

In ministry church life you'll hit multiple moments when you'll have an interaction with someone where one of you'll want to tell the other to "go f#*k yourself."

When this happens you have the option to leave it there. You can allow the hostility to endure and infect every activity you have with that person forever.

Or... You can push through "go f#*k yourself."

Depending which side of the conversation you're on, you can choose to lay the brunt of your feelings aside or you could face up to the hostile party and see if you can move forward.

Either way, you have the choice to sit with the hostility or try to push beyond.

Most often, the only way to reconciliation or healing requires that you dare to push through "go f#*k yourself."

Of course, just like Louis Theroux does in My Scientology Movie, when confronted with the immortal phrase "go f#*k yourself" retorts "I'll consider myself f#*ked."

But, while funny, this doesn't help restore the relationship...

Prayers of the people hacks

One of the most important parts of the church service is the 'prayers of the people.' If you're unfamiliar, these prayers are said by members of the congregation.

Ideally, the prayers are also composed by the one saying the prayer.

I say ideally, because this isn't always the case.

In some cases, the minister composes the prayers and the person just recites it.

I think this is a massive cop out.

First, it usually sounds completely false, or at least heavily manufactured, in the mouth of another.
Second, it undermines the confidence of the congregation in using and sharing their own spiritual gifts.
Third, it makes the prayers sound way more intimidating than they may be otherwise.

As a result, when faced with someone who might be hesitant to do the prayers, here's the hacks that might ease their fears.

To start, the biggest secret is to watch the news before coming to church. It would suck to omit a massive world event because you didn't turn on the tv.

Furthermore, you should scan the church newsletter and keep an attentive ear on the church notices in order to add anything relative, such as big events or people who are sick.

While you're actively listening to elements of the service, it could be handy to look for connections which you could use in the bible readings or sermon.

As a general rule, the structure of the prayer glows through concentric circles. World. Country. Local. Church.

If you stick to these locations, touching on issues in all four, then you'll should be on a winner.

Additionally, the end of the prayer is usually the communal reciting of the Lord's Prayer, so the pressure is off for the conclusion.

Most of all, the person invited to pray should be given permission to pray for what they believe God wants them to pray. 
This is the empowerment of the invitation.
This is the example you want the congregation to see.

How should you say that the church office is closed?

Right now a lot of church offices will be, and have been since Christmas day, closed.

This is understandable. People like holidays. Especially ministers directly after Christmas.

But, I wonder about the importance of this closure being communicated to the congregation and wider community.

Usually, a message similar to "The church office will be closed from Christmas Eve. If you leave a message then they will not be promptly returned, if at all. We will reopen on xyz."

But, I think this can be vastly improved.

At minimum, you should say that someone will be checking the messages every other day and that someone will be in touch promptly. To say that no one will return calls or enquiries is unacceptable.

Further, you should say that there will be a recorded message which will say the times of the services, especially on Christmas eve/day and over New Year's since your church isn't shutting down and people, locals or those on holidays, might want to know when you're services are on.

For those within the congregation, there should be a clearly defined method of receiving pastoral care with the point person's telephone number easily findable. Just because it's summer, doesn't mean that people don't get sick or die.

The way the office sabbatical is communicated matters is because you desperately want to avoid the message that your church is completely closed or, if someone does get in touch, that they would be calling a vacuum.

It would be a dire message to send to your congregation and those outside the church that for a two week period (if not the majority of January) that the mission of the church ceases or that you stop caring about people.