The Pastor is IN
Session II
Thank you to all of you who are learning the meaning of sacrifice and discovering that the fulfillment and contentment in life you seek is usually at the end of that rainbow (with the slower leprechaun) rather than the one with the pseudo pot of gold (complete with smoke and mirrors and a laser quick leprechaun the size of the incredible hulk!). Jesus told us in the simplest of terms that serving is where it’s at…not getting. And serving by its very nature is sacrificial.
As the next BIG weekend approaches (March 10th and 11th) a couple of you have expressed concerns about moving to one of the alternate services — here’s a small token of what I’ve heard:
My teens need to be at the 10:00 youth deal, I serve at the 8:30 and need to attend the 10:00, I like the ‘feel’ of the 10:00 in the main best [yes, I actually heard that one — more than once], the best cafe time is already full…yada, yada, yada.
Friends, at the risk of sounding redundant, we’re here to SERVE, and serving runs the very frightening possibility of being inconvenient (see my posts on inconvenience dated Nov. 16, 06′) . But, alas, some confusion still lingers so, I thought I’d do a brief ‘cost vs. benefits’ analysis for you all.
COSTS OF SWITCHING SERVICES:
1. If you go from 10:00 or 11:30 to 8:30 you have to get up earlier.
2. If you switch to Saturday night you get to sleep in on…oh wait, that’s…gooood!
3. If you switch from 10:00 and you have teens who go to youth, you might have to serve during that time and attend either 8:30 or at the 11:30 cafe.
4. If you switch to the 8:30 cafe you might have to walk right in at the restaurants for lunch instead of bonding with 100,000 other ‘church people’ getting out at 12:00.
5. If you switch to Saturday night and serve in one of the weekend ministries, you have to return on Sunday just to serve.
6. If you switch to the 8:30 cafe or Saturday night one of those obnoxious hellbounders might get your favorite seat!
BENEFITS OF SWITCHING SERVICES:
1. MORE UNCHURCHED SHOW UP AT THE PRIME TIMES AND MORE PEOPLE COME TO KNOW JESUS!
There are many, many more benefits, but how do you top that one?
All joking and sarcasm aside, let me just end by offering some quick solutions.
Getting up early is good for you. Benjamin Franklin said, early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise (actually God gave us this principle way before Ben —“A lazy life is an empty life, but “early to rise” gets the job done.” Proverbs 12:27 [the Message]) . Most people who have switched to the 8:30 would never go back. Try it, you might like it!
If the above simply horrifies you than switch to Saturday night. You still get to sleep in AND you’ve made your seat available for someone who does not know Jesus.
#3 We are working on this one. For now, would it be so bad if your teens went to youth group AND church? They could attend the 8:30 early service and then go to youth. Or, you could all come to church on Saturday night and while they attend youth on Sunday, you parents could serve others then go home. Once again, I understand that this is less than ideal and once again, the only answer I have Better solutions are coming for this, but, if I may be blunt, we are simply out of time to just wait and attend wherever is most convenient. People who do not know Christ as Lord and Savior do not have this same luxury of time.
It really is as simple as this, THIS IS YOUR TIME! God is bringing a TIDAL WAVE of people to SCC right now and we are called to be good stewards of every opportunity He gives us.
So…that said, there IS a beneficial way for regulars to get into the 10:00 and 11:30 and FELL GOOD ABOUT IT. I’m totally serious.
All you will need is a ticket.
And where do you get these tickets you ask?
That unchurched, lost friend, neighbor, co-worker or family member is your ticket in! Seriously, we understand that they feel a lot more comfortable if you attend the first few times with them.
And as far as that goes…I’m all for it!!
So cheer up service swappers! In the end I promise you it will all be worth it!