On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur there was a once a crude little life-saving station. The building was just a hut, and there was only one boat, but the few devoted members kept a constant watch over the sea, and with no thought for themselves, they went out day or night tirelessly searching for the lost. Many lives were saved by this wonderful little station, so that it became famous. Some of those who were saved, and various others in the surrounding areas, wanted to become associated with the station and give of their time and money and effort for the support of its work. New boats were bought and new crews were trained. The little life-saving station grew.
Some of the new members of the life-saving station were unhappy that the building was so crude and so poorly equipped. They felt that a more comfortable place should be provided as the first refuge of those saved from the sea. So they replaced the emergency cots with beds and put better furniture in an enlarged building. Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members, and they re-decorated it beautifully and furnished it as a sort of club.
Less of the members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired life boat crews to do this work. The mission of life-saving was still given lip-service but most were too busy or lacked the necessary commitment to take part in the life-saving activities personally.
About this time a large ship was wrecked off the coast, and the hired crews brought in boat loads of cold, wet, and half-drowned people. They were dirty and sick. The beautiful new club was considerably messed up. So the property committee immediately had a shower house built outside the club where victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.
At the next meeting, there was a split in the club membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club's life-saving activities as being unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal life pattern of the club. But some members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the life of all the various kinds of people who were shipwrecked in those waters, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. They did.
As the years went by, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. They evolved into a club and yet another life-saving station was founded. If you visit the seacoast today you will find a number of exclusive clubs along that shore. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, only now most of the people just drown.
Does this sound uncomfortably familiar?
Sometimes Dan and I plan things out and sometimes they just happen. A few Sundays ago, one of Dan’s points was something that I’ve been thinking about for a while now and it also went with my insert that Sunday, the story above. The third point, as we all know is the important one, was “The Mission is more important than your comfort.”
Not many of us would say that we are more important than the Mission of Christ…but how far are we willing to take this statement? It is easy to give lip service to an idea but hard to let it play out in our lives. I have to admit that I’m one that grows comfortable where I am. I am not a huge fan of someone imposing things on me that make me uncomfortable. Ever been in a place where you were the only one that was “different”? Worn a tux when everyone else was dressed down? Worn shorts to a play where everyone was in their best? Be the only kid at a punk show wearing a polo shirt?
I don’t want to go too far with this, but some things that make us comfortable we try to protect with scripture. I’m not looking at getting into debate about these things but we are to be about the Mission of Christ. We are to be about chasing after those whom Jesus misses. “The gospels record 132 contacts Jesus had with people. Six were in the temple, four in the synagogues, and 122 were out with the people in the mainstream of life.” – Missio Dei, by Fred Peatross.
Jesus spent most of His time talking to people in situation that would be “uncomfortable” for any good Jewish Rabbi. This also shows that He didn’t spend His time at “church” but out where the people are. That is uncomfortable. I wonder if Jesus would sit in the smoking section...anywho.
Inviting people to “church” is good, and we do a really good job at it. Will we advance the Gospel more if we took the church to where the people are? When we make the Mission of Christ the focus of our lives, whether we are minister, teachers, lawyers, accountants, etc., we start doing what seem to be uncomfortable things.
Continuing the thoughts from the story above…lets make sure that we aren’t getting comfortable in our life saving station but constantly finding ways to go out and save those whom Jesus misses.
