For what will it
profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? --Matthew 16:26
A church is not a business.
In the last week or so, I have spent more time than I would
have liked dealing with businesses. Big
businesses. Corporations. It hasn’t been pretty. These are organizations that claim to care
for people. But, in truth, the bottom
line for them is not people, but profits.
They are cold, calculating profit machines. Their job is to make money for their
stockholders and those at the top of their management hierarchies. Nothing more.
A church is not a business.
And I, for one, am glad for that.
The church is not profit driven. Though, I have seen too many churches that
seem to think they are. They seem to
worry most about their offerings (revenues), and about how many members (customers?)
they have (or don’t have). This bottom
line drives decisions about what they do or don’t do as a congregation. A lot of church conflicts emerge from this
view of church life and the anxiety it produces. And why wouldn’t it, when so much of the
world around us lives in the anxious, profit driven grind of the business
world?
But the church is not a business.
It is driven by something quite different than profit. Or should be.
It is driven by the cross.
Like Peter before us, we can and often do, let the
expectations of the world around us
define our understanding of Jesus and Jesus’ mission in the world. Like Peter before us, we can say the right
words but then balk at the implications of those words when Jesus spells them
out. The point of the church is not
profit, but loss. Extravagant,
sacrificial, loss. The point of the
church is not to build up reserves but to give it all away in acts of love,
compassion, caring, service, and
mercy. Just like Jesus did. The point of the church is to open our
hearts to the world, not to sit in our buildings wondering why the customers
are not coming.
The truth is, if the church were a business, and were judged
on strict business principals, it would have closed down a long time ago!
But it hasn’t. And it
won’t.
Why?
Because, the funny thing about following the Way of Jesus is
that when you give your life away you find it.
Resurrection follows the cross.
Life springs from death. Joy from
sorrow. The jar of meal is not emptied,
neither does the jug of oil fail. (1 Kings 17:14) Five loaves and two fish feed a
multitude. (Matthew 14:13-21). Lazarus emerges from the tomb. (John 11:44).
The murderous Saul becomes Paul.
(Acts 9:1-19). You and I
experience the fruits of Christ’s abundant and eternal life.
At its best, the Church is a community of the cross.
It gives life away without counting the cost, or worrying
about the profit.
And that’s a way of life worth taking up and following.
In Jesus’ Name,
Bishop Mike
Join me in praying for our brothers and sisters in need
along the Gulf Coast. Share what you can
to help them out. Donating to Lutheran
Disaster Response is just one way. Check
with your local church for others!
Thanks.
Thank-you for reading.
No comments:
Post a Comment