Something that has become ever so prevalient in todays' churchs, or even in Society is the need for volunteers, to clean up the messes, teach Sunday School, run kick off Carnivals, greet people, etc. Somehow though there never seems to be enough people to go around. How is that? I mean with the amount of people in today's churches you would think that there would be ample people to help, and yet morning after morning, church after church, you hear the cry from the pulpit for volunteers, sometimes its just a call out to people who might have time to help, sometimes a creative sermon about how God calls us to be active in his church, and yet other times its a "lecture" about how badly the church needs volunteeres.
Ben and I have been seeing many calls for these volunteers as we've church shopped, and I'm sure they wont stop. It's been the topic of discussion around the coffee table or kitchen table as we talk with friends, and I know that those wont stop either.
As I was reading my bible the other night I came across a passage the seemed to sum up what people have been telling me, and one that I'm sure many of you are familiar with. Its Matthew 9:36-38. Jesus is walking and preaching and healing, and feels compassion for the people he is meeting because they are like lost sheep without a shepherd (it seems even they had issues having people volunteer with leading things back in the day) and Jesus makes an interesting yet very obvious observation, he says :the harvest is plenty, but the workers are few.
How many churches can relate? They start community outreaches, their kids, youth and other ministries sky rocket with people in attendance and yet, they have few volunteers to help out with planning and organizing and even executing these events. Sunday after Sunday, they call from the pulpit: WE NEED VOLUNTEERS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN, and yet no one really seems moved to get up and help and its the same way the next sunday as well. Its interesting to see that we haven't changed a bit since Jesus' day. We're still too busy to help, in some ways maybe too caught up in ourselves to have a moment to spare . We're too afraid to commit in case something comes up, we place our children in every sport and activity imaginable to help them stay out of trouble, and thus we no time. Maybe we don't feel qualified, so we don't even give it a thought. We leave people sweating at the last moment, praying that enough people show up and help so that this event or activity can be done. Why? what if we were to commit to that one morning a week, to teach Sunday school, instead of sleeping in how would our life change?
Going back to that verse, its the last part that stands out to me. Jesus, continues after his observation by saying: "Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore to send out workers into his harvest field." this parts got me. what is Jesus saying? I mean he did not say "Preach it brother, and get more people helping." but he also didn't say" its ok, everything is going to be ok." He said Ask God for the workers." could Jesus be speaking to something that we are unaware of. Perhaps its the continuous call from the pulpit that have people immune to hearing the cry for volunteers. Now I know that many people already involved with ministry will say, we do pray, and I'm not denying that or even saying you don't. God always comes through when you do, I've seen it and I know you have, but I guess what I'm trying to get at is that maybe we need to take a step back and look at our lives, how can they be altered to fit in a moment of volunteering, committing one night a week to something that will benefit God's kingdom in oppose to our own lives. I've learned that while volunteering you are giving a part of yourself, its never a one way street and you almost always come out of it, with some sort of experience that changes your life.
Also, if anyone has thoughts on the verse 38, I would love to hear them.
I think sometimes we are so busy praying for the harvestors, to stop and take a look at the answer that stares us back in the mirror every morning. I am not saying burn yourself out if you are already involved in ministry. What I propose is that we thoughtfully and prayerfully consider where to serve, where God has gifted us and serve using our gifts, and where God has placed or called us to serve. BUT not to spend umpteen days "considering" or "praying" where to serve. If we are lost where to start, then jump in. If we are available, jump in. Make ourselves available. Prioritize, make time, and love thy neighbour. If a mother of however many has time to do all that she does, we all can make a little time for nursery, greeting, youth, ect ect ect... Jesus laid it all down on the cross. All of it, and all of our lives is HIS and HIS glory. So I often ask myself, am I willing to give MY all.
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