Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tin Man

Just a few days ago I returned from Scotland where I attended the British Open golf tournament. Now I'm visiting locations for our community service events on the East coast. I've had a lot of time in planes and cars. Inevitably my mind turns to the church. Sometimes it's personal...like why did I leave church work and should I go back to it. Sometimes it's reflections on what the church does and why.

Over the last couple of weeks I've finished the book Wicked upon which the smash Broadway musical was based. There's a surprising bit of conversation in the book about religion and belief. There's very little about the tin man.

But the story of the tin man is that he didn't have a heart. Have you ever felt empty inside? Purposeless? Today I got to thinking about the role the church plays in dealing with this. Did you know that scripture tells us that the role of church leadership is to equip the saints for ministry? Then I got to thinking that in most churches the leadership hoards the ministry instead of equipping others and giving it away. I finally put the two together. Maybe all those people in the seats on Sundays who are listless and unmotivated aren't being equipped for ministry. Maybe they lack the heart because no one in leadership is uncovering, nurturing and encouraging the gifts God's given them. Maybe we in church leadership aren't following Biblical counsel and are cheating all those people out of the chance of living full and fulfilling lives.

Maybe we're holding on to the tin man's heart and it's time to give it back to him.

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