Who is Doing the Lord’s Work?

Today, I came across Laura Leigh Parker’s missionary blog where she apologizes on behalf of missionaries and chastises them for how often there is a subtle (or sometimes not so) message in their communications “back home” about how they are ‘finally’ being the hands and feet of Christ now that they’ve left their secular job to enter the world of the full time Christian worker.

Parker expresses her regret at how such messages are self-elevating and in effect put down everyone holding down the fort and supporting those self same missionaries. To her, I express my deep, heartfelt thanks for her awareness, her humility to admit the issue exists, and boldness to confront it. Such an address best comes from someone in her shoes.

Sadly, I have been aware of the tendency since college. There, I was heavily involved in an excellent parachurch campus group throughout my studies. Yet, an integral part of my life story is a bit of rebellion and even resentment over the constant and not-so subtle pressure put on by the staff members for us to all go, or at least consider going into “full time Christian work.”

My actual, literal thoughts in those days were, “If all Christians went into full-time Christian work, who would run the post office?” It made me bound and determined not to go into full time Christian work, but to engage in such “FTCW” in the context of my secular, academic career.

Following Which Design Plan?

Part of my wing of the chemistry building is nearing the completion of a year-long renovation project. As my teaching lab is moving to the ‘new’ space, I gave the architects detailed plans for how I wanted the space built out, to scale, using industry standard design software, and gave them both hard and electronic copies of the design. You know where this is heading.

Diversity

Oh, that magical word. So much in this world is done in its name. Pursuing it and maintaining it is nearly a religion to many in this country, on our campuses. It is a key to winning favor among the elite of our culture. Yet many in the Body of Christ shudder at its utterance.

They needn’t.

Many Christians look askance at the word because of its political associations. Here’s the secret—diversity is in the marrow of the Church. As it happens, ironically, that is exactly why it is such a powerful word in our culture.

Wait a minute, you say. Sunday morning is the most segregated time in our country. Christians are so intolerant of others, so narrow-minded.

Going the Distance

Christ’s Great Commission is to “Go into the world, making disciples of all nations…” Many Christians rightly take this commission with all the seriousness and passion it deserves…yet not all of the discernment.

They are right to see the eternal ramifications of people’s choice about Christ. They are right to love them enough to engage them on the most important question they can ever address. The problem arises when they try for an instant conversion.

It’s like meeting a girl on the street, saying, “Hi, my name is Frank. Here’s a church. Let’s get married.” Tends to frighten the poor gal off, and rightfully so.

Matchmaker, Matchmaker

Tonight, I found out a friend of mine is working towards starting her own matchmaking business. It is in the very earliest stages, and she is starting by interviewing friends of both genders, asking them what they want in a spouse, personality-wise and physically. She then will name several mutual friends and ask the interviewee what is/is not attractive about them. A bit risky, but I can definitely see how that helps create a picture with which she can make comparisons. I’m interested to see how this would work on a larger scale.

I have long thought that evangelism is like matchmaking. We know Christ personally, and we introduce Him to others and try to tell them the things about Christ that we think are most appealing to the other person. Then we tend to step out of the way and let the relationship go its own way from there, though we are available for ‘consults’ when needed. We do it, not just because Christ calls us to in the Great Commission, but because we see it as a good fit for the other person.

Yes, there are some differences, but there are some key similarities. It is not the matchmaker’s fault if the couple doesn’t click. It is still a relationship between Christ and the other person—our job is just to make the introductions. Christ is perfectly capable of wooing His own. We can help, but it isn’t up to us to make it work, and to me, that takes a lot of the pressure and fear off of sharing my faith. We don’t save people, Christ does. He honors us by involving us and yet takes our meager efforts and does wonders with them.

What an idea—we have the opportunity to set God up with folks and to set people up with God. Not a bad gig.

SDG