Nitpickers and Holier-than-Thous
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
This week has been a whirlwind of work. I've been bogged down with long nights waitressing, the daily demands of family, and a growing "To-do" list for a Faith & Friendship event at church. For the past six months, I've been on a committee of women helping to plan a special evening for women: speaker, special music, appetizers, dessert.
Although I love our church and the women with whom I'm working, there've been some bumps in our ability to agree and get along.
It started off beautifully. . . decisions were arrived at quickly, we seemed to share a vision for what this women's event could be: elegant, relaxing, fun, faith-filled, encouraging. But then there were disagreements about what beverages should be served. And there seemed to be highly charged opinions from two different sides. We revisited discussions about beverage choices for several weeks before one side reluctantly defered to the other. (I realize now that it wasn't without harboring unspoken resentments. . . )
A week or two after this beverage debate, a major rift occurred at church regarding a youth leader's resignation (which many suspected was truly a "firing"). And various responses to the "resignation" triggered a whole slew of emotions from congregants. Discord grew and ultimately some people left the church. Several of these people, unfortunately, were also on our planning committee. And the bumps we had experienced earlier in our planning process were re-visited.
It was terribly sad, and hard for me to be patient--waiting for the mud to settle. (I'm not sure the water is clear even yet.) But ultimately, my heart for the church and the good things going on there, have kept me true to my commitment as a member. (At the same time, I support those friends and families that needed to leave, because I know God speaks to and calls us each differently.)
This week, however, emotions and frustrations related to our event-planning process have once again flared. I'm sure most of it is because we're down to "crunch time," and stress levels are high. I'm trying to keep things in perspective:
Our church, and the church around the world, will always be messy, mixed up, imperfect.
It's the very humanness of people that compels me to both love and "hate" community-life. I'm just hoping that the more I learn to accept people for, and not just in spite of, their "impossibleness" the more I can learn to love myself. . . and even God. Because from my limited perspective, I think there are times God can feel impossible to get along with, too!
There was something I read on the church in Yancey's Disappointment with God. He said, "Look at the people in the pews of any church. Is this what God had in mind?" His point being that God took a huge risk when he decided to send the Holy Spirit to take up residence in us. Because we're so obviously human, and so many times our own faces get in the way of the face of Christ that God wants the world to see.
Yancey goes on to quote Frederick Buechner who "marvels at the folly [of God's plan] 'to choose for his holy work in the world . . .lamebrains and misfits and nitpickers and holier-than-thous and stuffed shirts and odd ducks and egomaniacs and milquetoasts and closet sensualists.'"
I just love this description of the church!! We can all find ourselves in there somewhere, don't you agree? And yet, despite how dorky and dumb and misguided we can be, Yancey reminds us of Paul's words in the Bible. . . . "the foolishness of God is wiser than men." Somehow, even with all of our quirks, questions, failures, and foibles, God's work is still being accomplished!
For the remainder of this egomanic, lamebrain week (and yes I'm referring to MYSELF here) I'll hold on to Paul's words, praying that God's graceful work in my life will prevail!
Although I love our church and the women with whom I'm working, there've been some bumps in our ability to agree and get along.
It started off beautifully. . . decisions were arrived at quickly, we seemed to share a vision for what this women's event could be: elegant, relaxing, fun, faith-filled, encouraging. But then there were disagreements about what beverages should be served. And there seemed to be highly charged opinions from two different sides. We revisited discussions about beverage choices for several weeks before one side reluctantly defered to the other. (I realize now that it wasn't without harboring unspoken resentments. . . )
A week or two after this beverage debate, a major rift occurred at church regarding a youth leader's resignation (which many suspected was truly a "firing"). And various responses to the "resignation" triggered a whole slew of emotions from congregants. Discord grew and ultimately some people left the church. Several of these people, unfortunately, were also on our planning committee. And the bumps we had experienced earlier in our planning process were re-visited.
It was terribly sad, and hard for me to be patient--waiting for the mud to settle. (I'm not sure the water is clear even yet.) But ultimately, my heart for the church and the good things going on there, have kept me true to my commitment as a member. (At the same time, I support those friends and families that needed to leave, because I know God speaks to and calls us each differently.)
This week, however, emotions and frustrations related to our event-planning process have once again flared. I'm sure most of it is because we're down to "crunch time," and stress levels are high. I'm trying to keep things in perspective:
Our church, and the church around the world, will always be messy, mixed up, imperfect.
It's the very humanness of people that compels me to both love and "hate" community-life. I'm just hoping that the more I learn to accept people for, and not just in spite of, their "impossibleness" the more I can learn to love myself. . . and even God. Because from my limited perspective, I think there are times God can feel impossible to get along with, too!
There was something I read on the church in Yancey's Disappointment with God. He said, "Look at the people in the pews of any church. Is this what God had in mind?" His point being that God took a huge risk when he decided to send the Holy Spirit to take up residence in us. Because we're so obviously human, and so many times our own faces get in the way of the face of Christ that God wants the world to see.
Yancey goes on to quote Frederick Buechner who "marvels at the folly [of God's plan] 'to choose for his holy work in the world . . .lamebrains and misfits and nitpickers and holier-than-thous and stuffed shirts and odd ducks and egomaniacs and milquetoasts and closet sensualists.'"
I just love this description of the church!! We can all find ourselves in there somewhere, don't you agree? And yet, despite how dorky and dumb and misguided we can be, Yancey reminds us of Paul's words in the Bible. . . . "the foolishness of God is wiser than men." Somehow, even with all of our quirks, questions, failures, and foibles, God's work is still being accomplished!
For the remainder of this egomanic, lamebrain week (and yes I'm referring to MYSELF here) I'll hold on to Paul's words, praying that God's graceful work in my life will prevail!
