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Life on the Bench
Posted by Bowden McElroy in Bible & Theology
I live a sedentary life. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I sit in my office from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm and talk to people. The most exercise I get is refilling my coffee cup between counseling appointments. Mondays and Wednesdays are a little better: I stand in front of a classroom occasionally wandering between rows of desks as I challenge college students to think critically about what they were supposed to have read in their psychology textbooks.
I sit while I talk. I stand while I talk. Every now and then I really go wild and I pace while I talk.
And I listen. My life consists of lots and lots of sitting and listening.
I enjoy the status implied in my sedentary lifestyle. I must have something good to say if people are so willing to listen to me. I work hard to stay focused on the Word, centered on Christ: I take seriously the challenge to be a mental health professional completely grounded in a Christian world view. If I am not yet one of the wise old men of my tribe I appear to be on my way. My practice is full, pastors I respect trust me with their church members, and the colleges where I teach came looking for me. I believe I can objectively say I’m a fairly big fish in a reasonably small pond. I ought to feel good about that. But I don’t.
There is something inside me that wants to do, not merely talk. I want to run and jump and move and sweat, not simply sit. I want to engage people on issues of value to them, not fussily adhere to my carefully crafted syllabi.
And I do not, Do Not, DO NOT want to sit in another church Missions Team meeting and talk about missions. Had I known three years ago that I would spend hours of my life talking about budgets and funding and what was fair or reasonable or practical or achievable I would have politely said no. We’ve done good things. We’ve sent people out. People are responding to the Good News. Others are going. Just not me; I sit.
I sit. And talk. And plan. And budget. I listen to what God is doing in places near and far. I listen to my friends and neighbors – brothers and sisters in Christ, members of the same body of which I am a part – describe amazing and wonderful events. I am thankful I am a part of a generous church, a thoughtful church, a church that is intentional and deliberate in fulfilling the tasks given us: a Great Commission Church. When I remember to relax and breathe, I’m honored I have been entrusted with a job that – if not active or important – is necessary.
I’m just done sitting.
Put me in Coach, I wanna play.
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There is a place of service for every believer.
Each believer has specific gifts given to Him by the Holy Spirit, which is necessary for the ongoing of the local assembly.
Not all believers have the same gift. So don’t be jealous of another’s gift. Each gift is important.So be encouraged.
Each gift requires the filling of The Spirit to operate fully.
Dr. Paul,
Thank you for the encouragement. I’m going to think about jealousy. I don’t think I’m jealous. It’s less a wanting of what others have and more of a desire for increased action and less talk.
For example, our team spent several meetings discussing the building of boxes to place around our church to collect people’s pocket change for missions activities. That decision should have taken a few minutes to make and a couple of weeks to implement.
Or the hours our Team leader spent discussing (with our church financial secretary) which cost center of our budget the money to send church members to Africa should come out of. The trip was a success and our congregation had given generously… but our team had to spend much time (and our leader hours more) to make an accounting decision.
That’s not service. That’s a waste.
Dear Brother Bowden,
The Lord’s work does require planning ahead.
Allow me to make a suggestion, Get some empty Water bottles, you know water cooler size, put them in front of the Auditorium, and after the offering is received, allow the children, to go through the congregation, get the change and then put into the bottle. This teaches the children how to give, and as well gets the loose change.
Dr. Paul,
I think you’ve just made my point: you came up with a workable solution in a matter of minutes that would be easy to implement. No need to sit and talk ad nauseum.
Don’t overlook the fact that our real task as believers is to determine our area of giftedness and then get to work, in the Body, in that area. Sounds like you’re doing that, now.
Now, for a little recreation, find a church that’s having a mission trip and go along. Teach 10-year-olds sitting on a dirt floor. Spray bleach on mold in a flooded house. Dig some dirt and pour a sidewalk for a little church that can’t afford one.
Or in my case, drive around Kingston, Jamaica in a right-hand-drive diesel Nissan van. getting plywood or nails or whatever for the guys I dropped off
at Red Hills Bc.aptist to do the actual work.
That sort of diversion has a way, for me, of refreshing what I do every Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, et
Thanks, Bob.
Brother Bowden,
I coordinate and/or lead around eight trips to Muslim countries a year. While I know this is not quite the same (our organization is pretty streamlined when it comes to decision making), planning is without a doubt the most frustrating part.
I love serving Muslims and I love speaking with brothers and sisters (both individually and with entire congregations) here in the States about Muslim ministry. The part of my job that I really don’t like doing is dealing with logistics. While it is necessary, it sucks the energy right out of me. But when we land and God uses us to demonstrate His great love to others, it is utterly satisfying!
Not quite the same as what you are saying, but my contribution to this conversation nonetheless.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
[...] You can read the whole thing here. [...]
FTME,
In an earlier post (An Interview with Dr. Johnny Hunt) Dave asked Dr. Hunt how he knew it was God’s will for him to run for President. His response was “I really sensed it…”
I’ve found that God’s calling/sending for me often begins with a vague sense of being ill at ease; a dissatisfaction with the status quo. I think Bob may be on to something. It may be time for me to do a short-term mission trip instead of helping others to do so.
Or maybe I need to get back in and serve as a Transitional Pastor. I took a much needed break for the last few years and the sense of being uneasy may be related to that.
Or maybe I just need to get to the gym and run and sweat more often.
Or maybe all of the above.
Brother Bowden,
I have found that God uses a variety of means in getting me into His Will.
He may use uneasiness, but you have to be real careful here. I have a friend who felt that he had done all that he could, at a church, so he resigned it. and for the past ten years, he wanted to pastor, but being now 70, no church will have him. Prayer and fasting is the way to go. You fast until the burden has been lifted.
In His Grace,
Paul W. Foltz
Brother Bowden,
With you now. This is completely different than what I was describing. On a few occasions, both my wife and I have gone through/felt the same.
One thing you said really caught my attention:
What an accurate way to express the sense that God is moving you in a different/new direction. At any rate, I commit to praying for you as you listen to what He has for you. Please keep us up on how that is going.
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East
Bowden,
Ideally of course, you would be able to fuse your giftedness for counseling with your passion for missions. I seem to recall in the depths of my memories as a summer missionary to Brazil a few decades ago that from time to time, the FMB would send counselors throughout the region to check on the well being of the missionaries. Perhaps you could investigate how the IMB (or another missions organization) maintains the psychological well being of their missionaries and use your abilities in that context.
Or perhaps you should simply consider a change from your doughnut diet.
Taran,
Great idea!
And… the doughnut diet has been gone for a while. I’ve been hitting the gym a few times each week, but need to be more consistent. I’ve lost a few pounds and, more importantly, brought my blood pressure down enough to avoid anti-hypertension medication.
I am, though, grieving Krispy Kremes.
Bowden-
Although all the above responses are insightful, I am “sensing” the real solution to your spiritual restlessness: (esp. when I saw that you’re an O-State grad in T Town…) grab the wife and kids, a BIG box of Krispy Kremes, a dozen Joe’s cups (and maybe a Sonic Route 44 Diet Cherry LimeAid)and come spend a couple of weeks missioning with us here in Bogota, Colombia… we’ll hike up some mountains to take medicine and Stories to some indian folks and just in genereal avoid the bad guys… and of course there’s plenty of half crazed missys (from a variety of orgs) that you use you counseling abilities on …pray about it…
(btw, have you tried to unravel my “getting older” mind (in a professional capacity)?your photo looks familiar…)
The Florida panhandle is a wide open mission field, come visit us at Grace Baptist, in Ponce De Leon. Personally, I prefer RC colas, Moon pies, Vienna Sausage and longhorn cheese.
Brother Bowden,
Since everyone else is plugging their respective ministries…
We’d love to have you join us on a short-term team to love on some folks from the most unreached people groups in the world. There’s nothing like looking into someone’s eyes as they hear the Story of Jesus for the first time – then again, I’m just a little biased!
Peace to you brother,
From the Middle East