Earlier today, I received a notice about a church having a rummage sale. That happens all the time. But, this one caught my attention because of the items being sold.

On the list of items: a baptismal, a cross, chancel furniture, hymnals, kitchen equipment, lots of table service items (plates, bowls, cups, silverware). It pretty much seems like they are cleaning house.

A few thoughts crossed my mind:

1. They have received a significant donation and are purchasing all new equipment.

2. They are shifting their focus and moving towards a seeker-sensitive approach to worship and outreach.

3. They have given up and have decided to sell every thing but the pews in order to extend the life of their congregation for a few more weeks.

In all honesty, I’m pretty sure thoughts 1 and 2 are far fetched. I suppose someone could have won the lottery and shared the winnings with the congregation. Or a sweet little old lady could have passed and left everything to the church. And, maybe the pastor was able to light a fire in the heart of the congregation and they are ready to try something new.

However, I’ve come to find that these sorts of things just don’t happen too often in churches of less than 20. It is unfortunate, but it is also realistic.

Sometimes, I look at congregations around Muncie and I wonder when they decided to throw in the towel. I wonder when they decided to forget about their communities. I wonder when they decided to give up on reaching out and make themselves the overall focus of the church. And, it serves as a reminder that every church faces the potential danger of dying out when we become internally focused. All churches face the danger of just selling stuff off so we can pay  our electric bill for another month.

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. (Hebrews 12:1-3)

Sometimes, in the life of a church, you have to deal with items that are stressful. In the midst of the stress, the ultimate goal is to find unity. While we may disagree with one another, in the end, we have to find a way to bring about peace and unity.

One of the ways that I believe we experienced that this evening was in bringing together our leaders and allowing everyone who wanted to share speak their minds. Respectfully listening to and considering the thoughts and opinions of others is crucial. Why? Because often times, people just want to know that they are being heard.

Even when we don’t receive the results we desire, we have to respect the process that ultimately led to a final decision. It’s sort of like the Presidential election. Some folks didn’t vote for Barack Obama. But, you have to feel pretty good that we have the right to vote…to contribute to the process.

This evening, we dealt with an issue. Everyone in the room shared their thoughts. We voted. We accepted the results. And, now, we join together to move forward. We join together to “help others take their next step towards Christ…together.” We unite to do all we can to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” We can now put this behind us and begin to focus on our next project.

 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 15:5-6)

This morning, I am deeply troubled by events that will transpire later this evening. In the midst of tumbling stock markets, job losses, failing marriages, people losing their homes, massive poverty throughout the world, and people dying of treatable illnesses we will be spending time and energy on a minor, non-Kingdom issue. It is an improper focus. Unfortunately, because a minor issue has spiraled out of control, we have to take the time to address it.

I have been accused of taking the issue too lightly. I have been informed this is a very important issue that has a major impact on the ability of the church to function. And, I absolutely, whole-heartedly disagree!

The issue that is stealing our focus has absolutely nothing to do with making disciples for Jesus Christ. We could try and twist the issue in a manner to justify that it is about Jesus…but it would be quite a stretch. Our goals as a congregation are to increase our efforts and become faithful with our stewardship, outreach, and evangelism ministries. The issue we will be addressing this evening has nothing to do with these three areas. Again, we could try and twist it to justify that it is about stewardship, outreach, and evangelism. But, again, that would be some stretch.

What is disappointing and discouraging to me is that this non-Kingdom of God issue is interfering with our ability to focus on Kingdom of God issues. Tonight, while we will be spending our time discussing an issue that is entirely about personal preferences, people will die, people will receive foreclosure notices, people will receive pink slips, children will go to bed hungry…and we will be focusing on our personal preferences. People in our community and world are in desperate need to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. And rather than discussing how we can get that message out, we will be focusing on ourselves…on our desires…on our felt needs (felt needs are things we’ve convinced ourselves are needs, but they aren’t).

Late last night, I received an e-mail that originated from a friend, mentor, and former pastor. In it, he encouraged people to open our eyes and realize when we are majoring in the minors. It’s in those moments when we major on the minors that we miss what God is truly calling us to. He warned us of investing our time and energy into the minors because it steals our time, energy, and focus from the things that truly matter…making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. He said that we stir up a lot of “sound and fury” that amounts to “simply nothing.” He said in majoring in the minors, we are “spending ourselves in debates that seem to have precious little to do with disciple making (Matthew 28) or feeding the hungry and clothing the naked (Matthew 25)”. I could not agree more!

He ended his e-mail with these words that I think we should all embrace, “Let’s invest ourselves in discussions that build up the Body of Christ, and point us beyond ourselves to a world hungry for the grace and truth Jesus Christ has to offer.”

When we think of it in this manner, we begin to realize how selfish and inwardly focused we can be. Certainly we can move “beyond ourselves.”

There was a time in which congregations looked to the pastoral leaders of the church for leadership and guidance. It was often believed that when it came to matters of the church that the pastors knew best…after all, it is their job. Church members entrusted the vision, mission, and purpose of the church to their spiritual leaders. They expected the pastors to make wise decisions that were considered to be the best for the congregation…and they respected those decisions.

Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

It seems like this concept is all but lost in todays church. With the rise of our individualistic society, many have become convinced that they know what is best for the church (it’s not just the church either…they believe they know what is best for every single thing in the world). I mean, what could a pastor know about ministry? While these folks have other jobs that consume the majority of their time, some congregational members believe that they possess all of the keys to church success.

I do believe that pastoral leaders should listen to, consult with, and consider what congregational members bring to their attention. However, I believe that pastors should shepherd. They should guide. They should correct and rebuke. After all, they are the ones who will be held accountable for what happens within the church. Pastors are not called to compromise and give in to whatever any one brings to them. Pastors need to stand up and lead. And, I believe that those in the congregation should trust, respect, and submit to the authority of their leaders.