I have an embarrassing confession. I remember a time as a member of this church when I honestly thought there was a “they”. I’m not sure exactly who I thought they were, but I knew they were out there, and I knew there was stuff they needed to be doing. Once, when we were having a meal in the PAC, (and I was a new, sleep–deprived mother, that is my excuse!) I actually thought, “Why don’t they have highchairs down here!? We have babies, why didn’t they think about that!” I was immediately embarrassed to realize the absurdity of my line of thinking and went to get a highchair myself!
But it was the beginning of an awakening around my assumptions about the life of Central UMC. Had I assumed that because our congregation is large there had to be a they out there somewhere? Was the they our paid staff, (all five of them for 250+ people?!?) Were they those that had more time, talents, knowledge, seniority?
Traditionally one might consider passages on the body of Christ and importance of using our spiritual gifts here, all good stuff. But the passage brought to my mind is the fourth chapter of Jonah. (If you’ve never read the whole book, go past the whale- the last chapter is the best!) It is a rich chapter full of too much wisdom to dissect here, but God’s question to Jonah pierces right to the heart of our human tendencies, “Is it right for you to be angry about this _____, though you did not tend it or make it grow?”
As I get more involved in the life of our church, I am amazed at how many are tending and helping us grow. From worship, to education, to service, too many to list, there are so many dedicated servants working behind the scenes to help our church live. I’m not suggesting we sign up for every committee or project that comes along. But the next time you find yourself wondering “Why don’t they…” consider that there is no they here at Central UMC, but there is a church family- there is Us!
Written by Jessica Talbert
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