The value of having church be the star of Sunday

Right now, at around 4:45pm on a Sunday afternoon, I’m doing nothing of note.

Neither is my wife.

Nor are the kids.

We aren’t lazy.

Just nothing is on.

Nothing has been planned.

There’s no birthday parties or sports events to attend.

The weather is also kinda miserable.

So we’re all inside. Doing nothing.

While we did things in the heat of the Sun yesterday, today is quite the opposite.

But, we did go to church this morning.

I lead the kids program. My wife was a rostered helper.

My youngest was with me while my eldest was in the teens program, apparently, doing something which involved shooting nerf bullets at people.

Frankly, church has been the highlight of the day.

Which, for a Sunday, should be the point.

Maybe, church should be the highlight of most Sabbaths.

Perhaps… and hear me out for a moment… that’s exactly the point!

But, in the modern world, we cram so much into the weekend that, now, church attendance can get obscured.

What should be the highlight of the weekend - or at least Sunday - now gets overwhelmed in the list of things to accomplish.

So, is intentional Sabbath inactivity a positive thing?

For some, it may sound like a nightmare.

Doing nothing.

Or at least nothing of consequence.

Reading a book.

Watching a movie.

Doing chores.

But, these mundane activities actually open the door for productive conversations on the Monday.

For, if you’re asked about what you did yesterday, now the plethora of noteworthy items is far lower.

“I just went to church” can be, legitimately, your response.

And, this can allow for further fruitful discussion.

Now, I’m not advocating that all Christians should be a hermit aside from church attendance. Not at all. 

Enjoy the outside.

Actually have a social life.

Do things of meaning.

Make memories.

But, on occasions, doing nothing isn’t the evil that it’s sometimes portrayed as.

In fact, it can be a positive thing.

Does being mindful that your in the middle of a biographical sub-point affect you?

Everybody’s life has stuff.

Turbulent stuff.

Traumatic stuff.

Jubilant stuff.

Mundane stuff.

I have.

You have.

We all have.

I had a fantastic childhood.

But there was stuff.

Unprocessed stuff.

Unspoken stuff.

I enjoyed high school.

But there was stuff.

Stuff I’m still living in the consequences of.

I drifted for years after high school.

But, again, there was stuff.

Immature stuff.

Foolish stuff.

Enjoyable stuff.

I fell into ministry.

But there was stuff.

Insecurity.

Mistakes.

Inexperience.

I got married.

But there was stuff…

And I was out of ministry for 18 months.

Which uncovered stuff…

Which, birthed a blog to process/unload some of that stuff…

And my dad died.

Which gives you stuff…

And we had multiple miscarriages.

Which piles up a lot of stuff…

And then returned to ministry across multiple churches.

Which exposed more stuff…

And then started our family.

Which added incredible stuff into my life…

Then I started my last ministry position.

Which dished up A LOT of stuff…

Then I was out of that position.

Which delivered more stuff…

Then my marriage dissolved.

Which threw all the stuff of my life into disorder…

Then I started dating again.

Which re-emerged stuff…

Then I transitioned into a new teaching career.

Which presented new stuff…

Then I got married again.

Which provided some new and some familiar stuff…

Then I started actively teaching.

Which comes with its own stuff…

And on… 

And on…

Life will happen.

Stuff will keep coming.

In fact, you can trace my wrestling with some of the above stuff over the last 18 years.

Possibly, you’ll be able to read my Ramblings about the upcoming stuff well into the future.

But, as I outline the life-and-times of my life…

Triumphs are single sentences.

Tragedies are single sentences.

Life transitions are now new sentence starters.

But, at the time, they were/will be wild rides.

Full of highs and lows.

Sleepless nights.

Tears.

Laughter.

Milestones.

Now, they are footnotes.

The vast majority of the events we go through will end up this way.

A footnote.

A transition.

Maybe a sentence of the larger story.

But, at the time, you’re riding the wave.

In the middle of the highs and lows.

Going through the sleepless nights.

Bearing the tears and laughter.

Navigating the milestones in real time.

I wonder how a little perspective would change the way we navigate the tribulations of our lives?

Would we have a healthier perspective?

Would we have more patience?

Would we be willing to remain in our current position a little longer or would we be willing to take more risks?

No matter what you’re in the middle of right now, chances are, in the end it will just become a sub point in your life-story in a decade from now.

Do you have a maintenance or aspirational budget?

Church budgeting is hard.

It can be tricky to remain within the confines of a healthy church budget.

The pressure revolves around three elements: unpredictable income, which is based on the generosity of others, which is used for a bottom-less genuinely good and needy cause.

These elements raise the stress levels.

This is why church treasurers must be some of the most faithful people within the congregation.

But, there’s a tension which must be negotiated.

Maintenance or Aspiration?

Do you budget to keep things going or do you budget for growth?

This matters for both sides of the bookkeeping ledger.

Do you budget for a similar amount to come in or do you plan for income to increase?

Do you plan to spend a similar amount or do you hope to spend more than the last financial year?

This question of expenditure is the query which must keep treasurers up at night.

Do they plan for growth? If so, how much?

Will they invest the necessary funds required to enable growth?

Or, will they just plan for the safety of the plateau?

This is the tension that may result in the decision to diversify some of the churches income streams beyond just congregational offerings. But, of course, these kids of levers can only be pulled so many times.

Eventually, a difficult decision must be made between budgeting maintenance and aspiration.

Ultimately, this results in as much a decision of money as it does a determination of ministry.

How to know if your gospel presentation is associated more with death or life

What would be the key word associated with your gospel presentation?

Of course, the answer should be Jesus.

But, what other words would be attached to your gospel message?

If given the options, would someone attach the term life or death first?

Ultimately, both should be included.

You are alive now.

You will die.

Then you will be judged.

Then eternal life could be your reward.

Jesus offers you this life.

This could be your… albeit not great… gospel presentation.

For some, this is the message they hear.

And, if this is the messaging, then clinging life or death to the message is perfectly understandable.

But, if your gospel message is mainly about death, then this will have a tragic outcome.

It can be postponed.

For, I’m not planning on dying for decades.

I can put off thinking about religion until I’m sick.

Or old.

I can, if I play my cards right, make a deathbed conversion and “game the system.”

Or… my gospel message can be focussed on life.

Life eternal. 

Starting now.

Life with Jesus.

Life guided by the Holy Spirit.

Life in community.

If this is central to your message, then a response should be made while you have a lot more living to do.

It doesn’t get postponed.

In fact, delaying the decision, results in you missing out.

Instead of indulging yourself until the last moment, you’ll see that life under The Great Shepherd is actually “life to the full.”

This is what the gospel truely offers.

Life. From now.

Not just life insurance to be cashed in once you die.

Framing the difficult conversation up front

This is going to be a hard conversation.

It will be hard for you to hear.

It will be hard for me to say.

Here it goes…

This is how a difficult conversation should start.

No early pandering.

No bait-and-switch.

No blindsiding.

No matter if the conversation is about a breaking up, losing a job, a medical update or missing out on an opportunity, any discussion which will involve hurt, disappointment or sadness should open with honesty.

This way, everyone has a good idea what the conversation will entail.

No false dawns.

No mistaken hopes.

The truth.

A hard conversation is coming.

Be prepared.

It’s understood by everyone that this won’t be easy…