Just Give Me Something to Eat

This might just be the rotten mood* that I am in, or my stage in life, or my generation, or my personality, or the books that I am reading...but increasingly, I just want a congregation that will feed me. I want to gather and be fed for service outside the congregation. I want a harbor in the storm. I want my time within my congregation to feel distinctively different than my life outside of it.

But for me, it seems congregational life just creates more work . More of the same concerns I have in other arenas. More meetings and circular conversations. More gossip and idle chitchat. More 'to do' lists that seem pointless.  More "stuff" for me to feel like I am inadequately completing.

There is already so much that I don't do in a day...and my congregation just adds things to that list, with the added perk of spiritual guilt.

For the record, I know many of these parties, celebrations, studies, service projects, etc. are very important to others. I get it. I even value it and uphold it. I know they serve a very important role in many people's lives.

Just not mine.

I don't care if our silverware doesn't match in the kitchen, I don't think the annual seasonal brunch is that vital to missional work of serving Christ, I don't want to bake things for another event...

Now it may just be that I want to yell, "I don't want to." at the top of my lungs.

Or it may be that we need to have a huge garage sale on our congregational practices and sell a bunch of parties, goals, priorities, events and expectations. Because they just don't get the actual job done. The work is out there. (picture me pointing out the doors of a traditional church building.)

God needs us to be Jesus, on the streets, in our car, with the clerks and servers, with our kids and family...out there. (my hands are now on my hips.)

I need my congregation to give me some food so I can do this. I'm hungry and baking more %$#@#@ cookies for a bake sale isn't going to fill me up.  Trust me, I am full up on carbs and empty calories.


*I have a cold.  I have a sermon to preach on Luke 12:13-21.  I have kids that are under the weather.