I was visiting somebody today and we began to talk about church. On that subject he said, “I don’t need a place to go on Sunday, I need a place to work.”
My immediate thought was, “Yes! That is exactly what we should all be saying.” It’s not that this guy wouldn’t attend worship on a Sunday morning, in fact I know he would and that is part of what he’s looking for, but that he’s got a different idea of what that looks like for him. Since our conversation this afternoon I’ve been doing some thinking about this statement and what the church is to be.
First, I do agree with him. As far as a place to be – there are lots of places to be on a Sunday morning and if my faith wasn’t important to me, then I would probably “be” in my bed on a Sunday morning. On the other hand, my dog would probably make me get up – at which point I would be sitting on the couch, drinking coffee and reading the paper. So why would any of us show up at worship on a Sunday morning if it were only a place to be?
So then that brings us back to the work aspect of the comment. Our faith has transformed us and as Jesus came to serve, not to be served, we are called to do the same. So church – the people, not the building – is to be people who work. People who tell the story, who spread the Gospel. People are in service to the world, being God’s hands and feet. This happens even in worship – Liturgy, that order of service we Lutherans and other Liturgical churches follow in worship, means ‘work of the people.’ Worship is work! So why do we sometimes act like church is a place to show up rather than a place to work and be involved?
But then I began to think a bit – what if I’m the one who needs to be served? What if I’m not in a position to serve yet – not in a place to work? Am I part of the church too? And if I am, what does that mean? And if I’m not, then is that really such a bad thing?
Thoughts?
