Underutilized

This morning I sat in our up and coming megachurch, waiting for Trev from our Hungary team to get up on stage and tell everyone what an incredible trip we had and it occurred to me: one of the issues in big churches is that we underutilize people. Every week it's the same people up on stage doing music and worship, the same people running the kidzone, the same people making announcements, the same people on the Greeting team, the Parking Lot team, the Information Desk team..... and honestly, if I didn't know any better I'd think that this church didn't need me at all. I could come every week, never sign up to do anything that I wanted or even thought about trying because I'm just not necessary.

I would love to be part of a church that said, "We want everyone here to have a chance at doing something for God, whether they are good or bad at it, just because they want to worship him in that way. We don't care if you can't sing, we'll hand you a mic. We don't care if you have never babysat before or don't have kids, we'll give you a morning of joy with 3 year olds! It's OK if none of our reflective vests fit you, come wave hello to everyone coming to church and help people cross the street." Instead, we make people discover only the things they are good at and fit them in where they can best be utilized so nobody has to listen to someone sing off key, or direct cars the wrong way down a one way street or discover that kids can be fun even if you don't understand what they are saying.

I'm sitting in church today, listening to 4 people share how God did something for them this summer out in the world not here. God taught them that He provides all that we need and more, that He will guide us to His intended destination in ways we can't even research or dream up on our own, that joy doesn't come in material things, that worship is the best way to start each day.... and why can't we learn these things here? Because we don't need to, and no one needs us to. Isn't is a wonder that God has to take us far away to teach us how much we are needed? I think it's really sad.