Benched

It would surprise those whom know me for the sports hater I am - that I played tennis, soccer, baseball, football, basketball and volleyball!  Still, I can not stand to watch anyone play!  No fun in that…

When I played two years of varsity tennis, the coach hated me so much he never even told me when the team photographs were taken!  Instead he sent me for towels!  Years later, I got a clue when he was retired for dementia.  I just accepted as fact - little German boy was just not wanted.  Instead, it was not personal.

Most of my high schools’ teams loved me because I could run like there was no tomorrow.  A handy talent in soccer, baseball, football and basketball.  But, as the reigning king of klutz, I had my “issues”…  I often over ran the receivers in soccer, and in football this happened instead of tackling him.  Landing on my butt was just an accepted end of any play in any sport!

In basketball and volleyball, I had an advantage over everyone in the school district – I was 6’3”, the next tallest might have made it to 5’11” – in any district!  Eventually, I was banned from doing layups due to this height advantage, then I could only shoot fouls and finally playing at the net was banned because no one could get past me in volley ball.  Even when I tried out for the 1972 Summer Olympics in volleyball – I was passed over because I was just “too big” at the net.  Yeah, 6’3”, 7’6” reach and all of 110 pounds wet…

So, Kris spent a great deal of time on the bench.  I loved to play but mostly I had to sit out because of “special” rules to make things fair for others.  Yeah.

But life is not like that!  Those special abilities or advantages are what allowed me to succeed where others could not even have a chance for success!  And yet those of lesser talent are often the ones to sideline achievers to the bench – so that everyone appears more or at least equally talented.

What am I thinking of?  Ministry.  I am frustrated because I feel like I am continually on the bench in my church.  I was a strong player for a decade for them, had a winning youth program – and yet the control has been given to someone without the ability to coach or play.  And Kris is benched because younger, more enthusiastic players are on the scene.  So, from numbers in the 40’s our church often has only 8 or less in the youth programs today – and three of those are mine!

Being on the bench is good too.  It gives one time to reflect on what they have done, observe other players, and learn from other’s mistakes.  But you still want to holler, “Coach, coach, send me in, send me in, while there is still time on the clock!”  But, of course the coach is deaf to all but his own voice…

I really wish that the church could be run with its eyes on the clock, using its peoples’ gifts where they are of the most advantage towards the spiritual growth of the membership and the community.  Instead of continuing in blindness, making the same mistakes over and over, never learning.  But, the problem here is that my church COMPLETELY ignores that there are spiritual gifts – and yet this is what God has given for the success of His church!

For instance, imagine not bothering to worry about whether or not someone has the gift of administration – they look good, talk good and have passion.  So, they are brought on and royally make a mess of things – just as their predecessors had done…  Of course this rarely happens because the running of the church is taken seriously by most and those with proven business sense are often called up to perform this important duty.

But, when was the last time you heard of someone with discernment being viewed as anything other than a trouble maker?  Let’s face it - if they are constantly at odds with the church leadership because of their own spiritual blindness – no one wants to even listen much less have them involved!

And so many of the gifts are so politically incorrect!  Tongues are quaint, abused by the Pentecostal types, maybe they have applicability on the mission field but certainly not in the church – just too uncomfortable!  Interpretation of course must only have to do with tongues so it can be ignored as well.  Of course healing can not be, God just does not work that way anymore.  That is what doctors are for, right?

And yet we need teachers with wisdom and knowledge from the Holy Spirit, but the church still belittles gifts it sees no use for.  Naturally prayer and gifts are acknowledged.  Everyone needs to do more of both, preferably for the church of course!

Now how do we get people off the bench……….