Wear and Tear

"It is finished!" is what they said when the saw was finally still, the hammer put away, the paintbrush cleaned, and the polyurethane dried. (See blog post of February 4.)

The trustees definitely celebrated this accomplishment at their first meeting in February. In addition, they couldn't help but think of Bill Hansen, their head trustee, who did not live to see this. Bill, a man with a servant's heart, had spearheaded much of the work that was done to build this new complex containing a spacious gym and fellowship hall, beautiful new tables, classrooms newly painted, carpeting clean and fresh, bathrooms and fountain polished clean, a shining kitchen filling the air with delicious smells, and most importantly a sanctuary filled with men and women, youth and kids, lifting their voice in praise to the God who gives us life.

I wonder what Bill would say now if he walked around to survey the building and assess its needs. Would he see the the finished brightness or would he be distressed by the obvious "details of trusteeship" and see only the:

• Fresh black heel scuffs on the gym floor?
• The dings in the sheet rock in the hallway?
• The nail hole behind the information center?
• The damaged wall on the left side of the stage?
• The rust on the floor in the far corner of the Cedar room?
• The crayon marks on the table in the nursery?
• The fingerprints on the entrance doors?
• The packed snow on the doorstep of the east entrance?
• The garbage can full of dirty drink cups and paper plates?
• Dust in the sound booth?
• Library books spilling out of the book return basket?
• The empty "candy drawer" at the Information Center?
• The coffee stains at the Welcome Desk?
• Chairs in the sanctuary weaving oddly askew in a none-too-perfect arrangement?
• The refrigerator "packed" to the max?
• The toys scattered in the nursery?
• The water splashes around the drinking fountain?

No, I don't think so, not at all! Bill would see each little mar as a sign that this building is throbbing with life and fulfilling the job it was designed to do.

• The black heel scuffs on the gym floor are proof that Gary's class was having a good time.
• The dings in the hallway are proof that a large crowd was filling the corridor on Sunday morning.
• The nail hole behind the information center was made to hang the deer head during the Northwoods Revue and would soon be used to display something else.
• The damaged wall on the left side of the stage was rubbed raw by the suspenders of our energetic drummer during a performance to a packed house.
• The rust on the far corner of the Cedar room is only proof that Debbie's class had a successful craft and the cleanup mop spilled a bit of moisture under the cabinet. It will wear off.
• The crayon marks on the table in the nursery was made by a happy three year old designing a work of art.
• The fingerprints on the entrance doors were made by the 75 kids racing to catch the bus after Release Time on Wednesday morning.
• The packed snow on the doorstep of the east entrance was tromped down by the 168 entrances and exits in and out of the prayer room during winter snows during a week of prayer.
• A garbage can full of dirty drink cups and paper plates is proof of the expanding youth activities on Wednesday evenings.
• Dust in the sound booth is a result of the magnetic draw to "little particles of nothing" when music and life is pulsing through those electrical wires.
• Library books spilling out of the book-return basket only indicates that someone was reading inspirational literature.
• The empty "candy drawer" at the information center is proof that kids love to be loved.
• The coffee stains at the Welcome Desk were made by the jostling crowd after church, talking, laughing, building a brotherhood and family of believers.
• Chairs in the sanctuary weaving oddly askew in a none-too-perfect arrangement means that each chair was warmed by a worshiper several times this week.
• The refrigerator "packed" to the max with foodstuff is in anticipation for the next youth fundraiser.
• The toys scattered in the nursery are for the "church-of-tomorrow," the little ones who are always welcome.
• The water splashes around the drinking fountain are a symbol of people who are not just thirsting for water, but thirsting for righteousness.

So yeah, of course, the trustees are gratified to see the pulsing signs of life. We will just keep fixing every spot, each scuff, the bumps, those drips. God is definitely using this place, and we will do are best to take care of it.

"Oh no, we are NOT finished! Out comes that hammer, out comes that saw, and let's see, where did they put those paintbrushes?

Contributed by Doris Yoder, trustee

Who Is My God?

We live in a land of endless choices, where we can fashion most things to be the way we want them to be. Just think about how the decisions we make have become more complicated:

• Coffee: It used to be either black, with cream, or with sugar. Then they added decaf. But now, you have to decide what type of coffee "obsidian, java, hawaiian, etc.", what flavor creamer, whether you want a latte or an espresso...
• Television. I won't even mention the different types of TVs, but think about the programming that is available. If you don't like what you are watching, press a button and find something you like. If you want to watch it later, push record and "presto" you can watch it when ever you want.
• Toothbrushes. Why are there so many kinds?

My list could go on, but you know what I am talking about. These choices are created by companies looking to segment the marketplace to make room for their particular product. It gives us, the consumer, a chance to tailor things to exactly how we want them. It's kind of like a mailing I received from a store recently. It was a "flip book" where you could change the hair, face and shirt to find the combination that you liked best.

I think that this flip-book living spills over into our religion sometimes. Instead of searching to discover who God is and developing a relationship with Him as he really is, we fashion our own "god" to meet our preferences and needs. We take a little of this or a little of that and make our own god. It's a little like playing with Mr. Potatohead, only with a halo.

Some people's "god" is like a rich uncle who, if asked in just the right way, might get them out of a jam. For others, "god" is a loving teddy bear who gives everyone a warm feeling. For still others, "god" is a cruel tyrant who allows suffering to run amuck in this world. Some people have the god who only likes classical music, or the god who helps them stay motivated to make money, lose weight, whatever.

Why do we do this? I believe that the heart of it is rebellion against God himself. We would rather be in control of God than have to submit to the fact that He is our maker and we are responsible before him.

I struggle with idols, too. Sometimes in my sermon preparation I am studying a passage that makes me extremely uncomfortable. God has revealed who He is in the Bible, so when that revelation runs contrary to what I desire God to be like, I have a decision to make: I can either submit to who God truly is, or I can form an idol...a caricature of God...that makes me more comfortable.

Over the years, I've discovered two important truths. First, God is good at smashing idols. He refuses to be Mr. Potatohead. When they have formed in my life, God works through my circumstances to demolish them. He wants to be worshiped for who He is. Second, the aspect of God that I "dislike" is actually beautiful. As I begin to see Him more clearly, that facet of his nature becomes incredibly endearing to me.

I've taken to asking God to reveal more of Himself to me, and to point out the smallest of idols in my life that would detract from His glory.

How about you?

The Eye of the Tiger

He sat in my office the other day with a steely determination that brought goosebumps. "Pastor, do you have any idea how many hurting people I know? I'm going to singlehandedly force you to open the door." (The rear of our Sanctuary opens into the Fellowship Hall. The two rooms are divided by a twenty foot high folding door.) There was no hint of pride or arrogance. He understood that salvation is a work of the Holy Spirit. What I saw was a passion for the gospel and a determination to do whatever it takes to reach people for Christ. He would pray, he would build relationships, he would share his testimony, explain the gospel and exercise a holy boldness in order to see people discover a relationship with Christ.

He came close to the words of Paul in Romans 9:1-2. Paul found himself in constant internal agony because of the people he knew who hadn't turned to Christ. He was willing to do anything that people might come to faith in Christ.

Do you have that passion? Where does it come from? How do you develop it? We'll talk about it this Sunday.

What would happen if the whole church had that passion?

The early church did...and they turned their world upside down.