keeping the major things major

I had a friend named Tammy that worked with me at a local retail store a few years back. She was awesome at her job, she was funny, straight forward, she cared for those around her, she was just an all round amazing employee.

One day she ran late for work and it startled me. I was shocked that such a fine employee would be late. But what was more amazing to me was that she didn’t let being late bother her; she came in and started back to doing her job the way she always did it. I remember her kind of shrugging her shoulders as if to say, “yeah, I’m late so what.” This incident has shaped my thinking in some kind of odd way. It affected me.

In recent years I’ve found myself in the midst of a group of Christians that are not happy with the state of the American Church. If your in a “good” church you might have no idea that a group like this exist. That’s okay. If your here and reading this blog I’m sure you’ve gotten a taste of some of the other perspective, even if it doesn’t pertain to “your” church.

So, I’ve most always been bothered by this group of people who find such fault in the American church. Partly because I’m the most likely to participate, and partly because I know that even the earliest disciples where adulterers, tax collectors, fishermen, and zealots who were bound to get it wrong.

But, today when reflecting about Tammy I’ve realized what makes it so hard for me to hang out with these “anti-american church” folks. It’s as if they that they have a tendency to worry too much about minor details of the faith. It’s like most of the workers in a corporation who try so very hard to do all the rules of the employer, walking on pins and needles stressed to the gills.

See but I’ve known Tammy.  She is awesome at her job thriving in the things that are key to the company’s success, she does amazing job most all the time, and on occasion she might come in late or make some kind of other mistake. But then she just shrugs her shoulders and keep on moving.

That’s the kind of focus I want to keep on the ministry that lies before me. Not overly concerned about every peripheral detail, while walking on pens and needles. But I want to bust down the seems of what is true and right, like a good running back with the football, making the minor things blow right out of the way of the major things.

The gospel really isn’t that complicated. In fact, it’s simple.