Just over a month ago Jim Smith had walked out from his job for the last time. Finally retired he looked forward to finally having the time to do all the little repairs and changes around the house that he had been aiming to do for years.
He found he could complete these tasks rather quickly when he didn't have to spend 8 to 10 hours a day at work. After the first month all the tasks were done and he found himself trying to create things to do. It only took a couple of days doing meaningless tasks to get rather bored of working just to work.
Desperate for something meaningful to do Jim set up a meeting with his pastor. When the pastor asked Jim his reason for coming Jim explained his boredom and asked the pastor if he had any recommendations. Knowing that Jim was a jack of all trades the pastor immediately suggested that Jim use his talents to do some things around the church.
Anxious for something to do Jim jumped at the opportunity. Starting that very day Jim spent lots of hours at the church. He cleaned. He painted. He fixed things. He built things. Anything that needed to be done at the church Jim was the man.
Nearly every Sunday morning Jims' work was mentioned from the pulpit in some way. Everyone that was part of the church from the staff to the congregation looked at Jim as a model Christian. Jim's Sunday mornings were filled with pats on the back and expressions of thanks for all the work he did around the church.
One night Jim received a knock at his door. He answered to find a woman that lived a few houses down from him. He had seen her several times and waved at her in passing, but didn't really know her. She asked him if he knew anything about repairing leaky pipes. Jim agreed to take a look. Upon inspection the problem was easily fixable. It would just require an hour or two of work.
While working on the problem Jim found that his neighbors name was Jane. She was a single mother barely scraping by on her meager income. As Jim looked around the kitchen he saw several things in need of minor repair. During a break to go the bathroom Jim noticed the whole house was that way. There were little things all around the house that needed to be done.
For the next couple of weeks Jim would leave a little earlier than normal from his work around the church and head to Janes house. Before long Janes house was as good as new. Jim felt really good about being able to help Jane. When Jane realized that Jim had fixed everything she could think of wrong with her house she thanked him profusely and asked how she could repay him. Jim explained he didn't want her to repay him. He had done everything because he wanted to do so. He explained that as a follower of Jesus it was his pleasure to be able to help her.
Jim left that night without knowing the effect his actions and words had on Jane. Starting that very night Jane pulled a Bible from her bookshelf that she had not even thought about in years. She began to read. As she read she also prayed. She prayed that she could find God in the way she saw him in Jim.
It wasn't long before word got around of what Jim had done for Jane. He started to receive lots of request for help from people in situations similar to hers. Eventually Jim found out that not only was Jane now a follower of Christ, but she was reading the Bible and praying with her son every day. Jim found that God was somehow using him through his willingness to help others. Jane and her son were far from the last to have been affected by Jims servant heart.
As Jim began to spend more and more time helping those in need he began to spend less and less time doing things for the church. He didnt' stop doing things for the church completely, but he did far less than before.
The pastor noticed almost immediately that Jim wasn't spending as much time working around the church, but didn't say anything right away thinking perhaps Jim was wearing himself out by doing too much. However, after a few weeks the pastor called and asked Jim to meet with him.
The pastor asked Jim if there was a reason he was spending so little time working at the church the last few weeks. Jim excitedly told the pastor of all the work he had been doing helping out those in need.
Jim would never forget the words his pastor spoke to him in response.
"Jim, it's great that your helping those in need. I applaud you for it, but I think you're priorities are out of order. Shouldn't working here in God's house come before working in someone else's house? You were so excited to be able to do things for God a couple of months ago. What happened?"
Those words caused Jim's heart to break. Not because he felt guilty for putting other things ahead of his church, but because he realized this was no longer his church and the man he was talking to was no longer his pastor.
"Well Pastor, as far as I'm concerned the whole earth is God's house and that makes the ones I have been working in just as much God's house as this one. The people I am helping in those houses are just as much God's children as the ones in here every Sunday. I believe I'm still doing things for God. Are you telling me that God thinks the folks in here every Sunday morning are more important than the ones that aren't? You don't have to actually answer that question because the way I see it you already have. I guess I'll be leaving now. I don't think there's much else to say other than I'll be praying for ya. Have a good evening."
END
- The Lead Heretic
He found he could complete these tasks rather quickly when he didn't have to spend 8 to 10 hours a day at work. After the first month all the tasks were done and he found himself trying to create things to do. It only took a couple of days doing meaningless tasks to get rather bored of working just to work.
Desperate for something meaningful to do Jim set up a meeting with his pastor. When the pastor asked Jim his reason for coming Jim explained his boredom and asked the pastor if he had any recommendations. Knowing that Jim was a jack of all trades the pastor immediately suggested that Jim use his talents to do some things around the church.
Anxious for something to do Jim jumped at the opportunity. Starting that very day Jim spent lots of hours at the church. He cleaned. He painted. He fixed things. He built things. Anything that needed to be done at the church Jim was the man.
Nearly every Sunday morning Jims' work was mentioned from the pulpit in some way. Everyone that was part of the church from the staff to the congregation looked at Jim as a model Christian. Jim's Sunday mornings were filled with pats on the back and expressions of thanks for all the work he did around the church.
One night Jim received a knock at his door. He answered to find a woman that lived a few houses down from him. He had seen her several times and waved at her in passing, but didn't really know her. She asked him if he knew anything about repairing leaky pipes. Jim agreed to take a look. Upon inspection the problem was easily fixable. It would just require an hour or two of work.
While working on the problem Jim found that his neighbors name was Jane. She was a single mother barely scraping by on her meager income. As Jim looked around the kitchen he saw several things in need of minor repair. During a break to go the bathroom Jim noticed the whole house was that way. There were little things all around the house that needed to be done.
For the next couple of weeks Jim would leave a little earlier than normal from his work around the church and head to Janes house. Before long Janes house was as good as new. Jim felt really good about being able to help Jane. When Jane realized that Jim had fixed everything she could think of wrong with her house she thanked him profusely and asked how she could repay him. Jim explained he didn't want her to repay him. He had done everything because he wanted to do so. He explained that as a follower of Jesus it was his pleasure to be able to help her.
Jim left that night without knowing the effect his actions and words had on Jane. Starting that very night Jane pulled a Bible from her bookshelf that she had not even thought about in years. She began to read. As she read she also prayed. She prayed that she could find God in the way she saw him in Jim.
It wasn't long before word got around of what Jim had done for Jane. He started to receive lots of request for help from people in situations similar to hers. Eventually Jim found out that not only was Jane now a follower of Christ, but she was reading the Bible and praying with her son every day. Jim found that God was somehow using him through his willingness to help others. Jane and her son were far from the last to have been affected by Jims servant heart.
As Jim began to spend more and more time helping those in need he began to spend less and less time doing things for the church. He didnt' stop doing things for the church completely, but he did far less than before.
The pastor noticed almost immediately that Jim wasn't spending as much time working around the church, but didn't say anything right away thinking perhaps Jim was wearing himself out by doing too much. However, after a few weeks the pastor called and asked Jim to meet with him.
The pastor asked Jim if there was a reason he was spending so little time working at the church the last few weeks. Jim excitedly told the pastor of all the work he had been doing helping out those in need.
Jim would never forget the words his pastor spoke to him in response.
"Jim, it's great that your helping those in need. I applaud you for it, but I think you're priorities are out of order. Shouldn't working here in God's house come before working in someone else's house? You were so excited to be able to do things for God a couple of months ago. What happened?"
Those words caused Jim's heart to break. Not because he felt guilty for putting other things ahead of his church, but because he realized this was no longer his church and the man he was talking to was no longer his pastor.
"Well Pastor, as far as I'm concerned the whole earth is God's house and that makes the ones I have been working in just as much God's house as this one. The people I am helping in those houses are just as much God's children as the ones in here every Sunday. I believe I'm still doing things for God. Are you telling me that God thinks the folks in here every Sunday morning are more important than the ones that aren't? You don't have to actually answer that question because the way I see it you already have. I guess I'll be leaving now. I don't think there's much else to say other than I'll be praying for ya. Have a good evening."
END
- The Lead Heretic
October 4, 2009 2:05 PM
This is a good message. The responsibility really lies with the body for the body of Christ are becoming self-centered. It's not just the leaders but the body as well. The character, Jim, in your story was a lone person who held the leader and his congregation accountable. If more of the body were to hold their congregations accountable, then the churches would not be where they are at now.
In my experience, there really are good churches out there. They just are not as many as they used to be in days gone by.
October 4, 2009 7:00 PM
Great story.. do you have Jim's phone number.. I got a few things I need him to do :)
October 4, 2009 7:26 PM
tishrei - I agree. The blame for this lies with both the leadership and the body. Though I think for the most part neither one sees this attitude as a problem. It's actually one both sides want.
I debated whether or not to continue this story. I would have talked about how those in Jim's former church considered him a backslider and tried to convince him to come back and be part of God's people again.
I wish my experience had been like yours. Cause I know there are some good churches out there. I just think they are few and far between.
October 4, 2009 7:29 PM
Bob - glad you liked it. Actually, I do have have his number. This story is based on very real events and a very real person. Though I changed his name. Not that you really wanted it. Good to see you here.
October 4, 2009 10:41 PM
OH ... my bad, I thought it was a fictional story to illustrate a point. Even more sad that this is real though not surprising.
October 4, 2009 10:55 PM
tishrei - other than the fact that Jim and Jane are not real names this story is indeed mostly true. I changed a thing or two so no one can say for sure who I was talking about, but the basic elements remain true and the message of this story is not affected.
However, I don't think it's really important whether or not this was a true story. The whole point for me is the two words that ended your comment. "Not surprising".
It is my hope that people will read this and a seed will be planted. A seed of doubt about the status quo in American Christianity. I think a lot of doubt is needed right now. I think lots of questions need to be asked. As I said in one of my previous posts. Sometimes I think the questions are more important than the answers. In my opinion this is one of those times for the American church.
October 5, 2009 12:03 PM
I wonder if the pastor in the story would have been interested in Jim's gifts if they were of a different sort.. like visiting the sick or home-bound folks?
October 5, 2009 9:13 PM
My guess would be that he would only be interested as long as Jim was helping those who were part of the church or at least used to be (homebound).
October 6, 2009 6:59 AM
Interesting that volunteers never end up doing things the pastor really wants to do.. of course.. besides teaching and preaching.. what do pastors really want to do :)
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