Toolbox For Faith

Standing committees are designed for ongoing programs that have already been developed but new ideas require a champion or a task team led by a champion to develop. Committees have their hands full doing what they have accepted as responsibilities which means that when a new idea is presented, most often the new idea is put on the back burner.

A new idea prospers when one person or a small group of people take responsibility for making sure that the new idea becomes reality. The next step is to form a task team that has a specific responsibility and a shorter, limited term of service. The limited term of service is especially important since around 85% of all people do not want to be involved in a long term commitment of time which is how most committees function. The same people who do not want the long term committee will volunteer for a short term project in which they are interested.

Most people tend to look at weaknesses rather than strengths. When your strengths become stronger, your weaknesses are less apparent. When you attempt to solve weaknesses, the strengths that you had grow weaker.

When the Chicago Bulls were beginning to challenge the Detroit Pistons for dominance in basketball, they had a playoff game in Chicago. With around three seconds left, the Bulls got a rebound and called a time out. After the time out, the Bulls were going to take the ball out of bounds at mid court, behind by one. During the timeout, the radio announcers were discussing what to do when one said, “If they do not get the ball to Michael Jordan, they should fire the coach.” They got the ball to Jordan who hit a 3 point shot and the Bulls won by 2. They went with their best player.

In the church, we call a timeout which is a board or committee meeting and most often give the ball to the water boy—the area where we are weakest.

Go with your strengths. Do even better what you are already doing the best.

Like many other congregations, St. Michael orders palm crosses or branches each year for use on Palm Sunday/Sunday of the Passion. Certainly these worship supplies can be ordered from local florists or large supply houses, but you might consider ordering from ecopalms.org or African Palms USA. Ecopalms is an ecumenical partnership that focuses on providing palm branches in a way that is sustainable and helpful to the local economy. African Palms USA is a ministry sponsored by St. John’s Church, Olney, Maryland that produces palm crosses in Africa and then uses the proceeds for African ministries. I have ordered from African Palms USA several times and this year, after seeing a flyer from Lutheran World Relief, will be trying ecopalms.org for the first time.

I had a wonderful fourth Sunday in Advent children’s message that involved our children lighting the four candles on the Advent Wreath. When I went to invite the children forward to sit on the steps of the chancel with me, I suddenly had a horrible, sinking feeling. I had forgotten! I had forgotten that on the third Sunday at the church I am serving, they have children’s church and none of the children were in church. It was an excellent mistake.

As I looked around pondering what to do next, I noticed the top of the head of Jonathan, age two, in the back of the church. For some reason, he had stayed with his mother and father rather than going to Children’s Church. Abandoning all my plans, I asked Jonathan to come forward and help me light the candles while the congregation sang all four verses of the hymn we sing while lighting the wreath.. Jonathan and his mother came to the wreath. I took the acolyte’s stick, lit it from the altar candles and picked up Jonathan. Together, we lit all four candles.

When lighting the candles, his eyes were wide, wide open with one of the biggest smiles I have ever seen. When I put him down, he was jumping up and down, up and down. When he finally stopped, he gave me a high five and got his mother’s hand and danced up the aisle, pausing occasionally to wave at me. As he walked, he told everyone next to the aisle, “I lighted the candles, I lighted the candles.” I could see the smiles on the faces of all in the congregation. This was a powerful moment.

What a great lesson! God helps us at all times of life, even when we completely goof. God provided a little child to save me. That’s what Christmas is all about—a small child shall save us.