It rained hard and I discovered so many new leaks in poor Calypso's 24-year old canvas top, I thought it'd be easier to just take a picture of what needing fixing, instead of scribbling down a lengthy list and hoping I hadn't missed anything.
Then I thought, Why keep doing spot treatments and touch-ups for the next month, pretending "Overall, things don't look so grim," then fiddle around a little bit here and maybe a touch-up over there, hoping I didn't miss anything (but dreading the next heavy rain).
Why didn't I just face the situation: This is a big problem because the boat's top is leaking, with holes that can't keep being patched. Band-aid solutions won't be enough anymore?
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When churches become "Fix-ated" on patching, instead of restoring their ministry (unless it's approved and in the budget) and adopt a siege or "Us vs Them" mentality, is it any surprise that their ministry doesn't gain any ground, either?
Stagnant, water-treading churches can too easily look backward and become comfortable with skipping and reminiscing through the glorious past.
Like the glowing morning when the bell was first hung in the steeple, or the Easter Sunday when the choir got new robes donated by a member who wanted the Youth Building Annex named in his honor. Or the business meeting when the congregation agreed the decrepit church bus was too old to maintain, and voted to scrap it.
A church finding itself in such a situation might feel like shutting themselves off completely, arguing "We were on-track 50 years ago, so why should we change now?" ... because the past is so subjective and safe.
When the reality is that people without Christ are lost and it is our responsibility to reach them ... even if that means leaving the pew and Reaching Out.
Instead of reaching in, and holding each others' hands.
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We're facing an enemy willing to use any means available to achieve his goal: to usher as many people into hell as he can.
Remember he's the one who was so arrogant he appeared before Christ, and tried to tempt him with wealth and power? Satan's yet to be faced with a challenge he thought was too big, or took too much time, or cost too much money, or might involve feeling uncomfortable or embarrassed, or needed more votes from a committee before taking action, or required too much help from volunteers to accomplish.
No, sir: the enemy believes in his purpose 24x7x365. So we can't expect he'll ever tire of digging in and putting up a fight to claim just one more soul, either.
Nor can we expect he'll ever get mad and give up, turn off the lights and lock the gates to keep people out because he likes hell real small and cozy and familiar. The kinda place where everybody knows each other.
Shoot, the devil throws his gate open wide and tries his hardest to make sinners feel welcomed and wanted.
Not like some of our churches.
