Selah in the Park [May 08]

We grilled 80 hot dogs and I only dropped one of them on the ground.

On most blogging occasions, that would be good enough. I could stop right there. If anyone has every seen me try to pass the grilled, simmering hot dog from the grill to the bun, you know what I mean.

Suffice it to say, 79 out of 80 is really really good.

There are a few things that concern me. Please do not misunderstand. A lot of good happened this weekend. We fed a lot of people, most of whom were homeless or at least struggling to make ends meet.

My biggest concern is that a lot of people missed out on being Jesus' hands and feet that day.
A lot of people had a great time.
A relaxing time.
A selfish time?

Maybe I am too cynical.
Maybe I am too judgmental.
Maybe I expect too much from people.
Maybe...no...certainly, I expect more from a Christian than I do from anyone else, especially one who "knows" better.

Selah in the Park started off as an opportunity to serve our community. It began as a scheduled event we were to use to intentionally get out of our comfort zones, out of our gray chairs, out of the four-walled, safe confines of our church.

It appears to me that we have become really good at just moving our whole comfort zone.
I think we should all attach a "WIDE LOAD" sign to our backs, like those semis who move whole houses down the interstate.

What began as a chance to display our love for others has turned into a chance to display our love for ourselves.

It is scary to notice that no matter where we are, the same people sit with the same people on the same side of the room/park/van. Have we become that good at being comfortable that we can "make ourselves at home" everywhere?

At one point there was a line of homeless men waiting for the hot dogs to come off the grill.
...
...
...And ONE WOMAN serving them drinks and preparing their plates.

While everyone else stayed in their seats, next to the same people, comfortably eating and drinking food that was made for them.

And we wonder why our churches aren't growing.
We wonder why people are turned off by church.
We wonder why Christians are looked down upon.
We wonder...and wonder...and wonder...
...in our same seats, next to the same people, comfortably consuming what was prepared for us.

I wish I could say we are different. I wish I could say that Saturday was an aberration. I wish I could say we were all just tired from a long week. I wish I could say that is a poor reflection of our ministry.

But...
It may be the truest reflection of us, all.

On a typical Wednesday night,
we sit in our same seats, next to the same people, comfortably consuming what was prepared for us.

We sit. We may stand to sing. Because if we didn't while everyone else did, that would be just too uncomfortable.
We sit by the same people. Because if we sat anywhere else, we wouldn't be comfortable.
We consume. Because we need to be filled to be comfortable.

While a line grows...and grows...and grows...
But we just sit, next to the same people, consuming what was prepared for us.