Monday, December 18, 2006

My YouTube Debut

Saturday, December 09, 2006

Things I wish they told me about life in Ministry
I wish they (meaning anyone) would have told me that people will kick you in the spiritual nuts. I wish they would have said that people will be lame and totally judgmental. I wish they would have mentioned that sometimes the decisions you make, whether good or bad, will cause people to leave the church. That wasn't a possibility I ever really considered before these past few months. I could never imagine someone saying to me, "You're the reason I'm not coming back." But it has happened to several times. Their reasons were no specific sin. I'm not cheating on my wife, addicted to coke, or running an illegal gambling racket. It's just me and the way I do things. This week, it was because I don't do a ski trip or that I'm not fun enough. Honestly, can people say the words, "church isn't fun enough" without realizing how ridiculous they sound? So, their moving to the big church 30 minutes away with the budget, programs, and of course $1200 ski trips.

So, I quit. If I am driving people away from the church, then the Christian thing for me to do is to leave the church right? Thankfully, I am not dumb enough to send my boss this letter. Thankfully, I am writing this about 2 days after I actually felt this way.

It hurts me to think that people do not value the relationships in the church or the heart of a church more than the "products" of the church. "What's in it for me?" Is never a question someone could have asked Jesus and gotten away with. He would have kicked them in their spiritual nuts and they would have loved Him for it...eventually.