the inefficient church
In recent years I have been hearing a lot about efficiency.
ef⋅fi⋅cien⋅cy [i-fish-uhn-see]: Accomplishment of or ability to accomplish a job with a minimum expenditure of time and effort.
There is nothing at all wrong efficiency whatsoever. But many of the conversations to which I have been privy have dealt specifically with efficiency within the Church. I must say I find this a tad confusing. The Church by nature may be one of the most inefficient things out there.
You may, in reading that last statement, have one of a few thoughts:
1. Absolutely it is! I can’t ever get anything done at my church!
2. Good thought, but my church runs with unbelievable efficiency.
3. The idea of efficiency within the church makes me sick.
In interacting with those thoughts, it does seem that the first two speak not toward the Church, but to an institutional system in which a group of people who follow Jesus decide to organize themselves. Within this organization there are hierarchies, policies, procedures, by-laws, articles of incorporation, websites, buildings, structures, and the list could go on. With all these moving parts it is now wonder people want to know and learn about the efficiency in the church.
However, none of those systems and structures are the Church. The Church is the full body of Jesus that exists for the benefit of our world and the worship of our Creator. The Church is people. By nature this makes the Church inefficient.
I know a group of men and women who served one family in need for years … and the family never joined the Church. Those who have served were not upset or discouraged. They recognized their call to serve (end of sentence). How inefficient is that? Could they not have put time, energy, and effort into something else?
A friend I know goes to Retirement Homes and sit with the elderly who had no visitors. He would learn what their favorite books were and read to them for hours. On the occasion that one of them would pass, he would always be sure to see that they received a proper funeral. Sometimes he was the only one around. How inefficient is that? Could he not put his time, energy, and effort into something else?
I know a fellow who fell into drug addiction. He moved away from home and left everything he knew. One day he heard a knock at his door. He looked outside and saw the one friend who had never given up on him. This friend used to call once a week and always tell him “Whatever you need I am good for it.” He did this for years. My friend who was addicted to drugs ignored the knocking. But he kept knocking and knocking and knocking … for three hours. My friend who was formerly addicted to drugs tells that story as the thing that changed his life. Years of persistence. Hours of knocking. How inefficient is that? Could he not put his time, energy, and effort into something else?
Some people at our church have begun meeting face to face with those who call DCC home to help them connect relationally. Some have said, "How long is it going to take to do this?" Others have suggested email, web-based sign-ups, etc. The response from the team has been to point out that every person is valuable, and at the very least deserves another person spending time with them to remind them they are cared for. How inefficient is that? Could they not put his time, energy, and effort into something else?
The Church is about relationships, and these may be the most inefficient of all things. Relationships do not cooperate with our best-laid plans. Spiritual formation is not something we can track, rather it is only something to be observed over a long period of time. Healing and wholeness are a life-long pursuit. Walking with a friend who is hurting, depressed, or disillusioned is not something on which we put a mission statement. Living as the embodiment of Jesus for the healing of our world defies the one, three and five year plan.
All of these things are inefficient. When we make efficiency the goal, we are left with a well-oiled machine, but no soul. And as one prophet once said, “The goal is soul.” Systems, structure, policies, procedures, hierarchies, and everything else too often become the focus, and we lose sight of what ultimately matters. So let’s be more efficiently inefficient, and may healing, wholeness, and hope come with it.
ef⋅fi⋅cien⋅cy [i-fish-uhn-see]: Accomplishment of or ability to accomplish a job with a minimum expenditure of time and effort.
There is nothing at all wrong efficiency whatsoever. But many of the conversations to which I have been privy have dealt specifically with efficiency within the Church. I must say I find this a tad confusing. The Church by nature may be one of the most inefficient things out there.
You may, in reading that last statement, have one of a few thoughts:
1. Absolutely it is! I can’t ever get anything done at my church!
2. Good thought, but my church runs with unbelievable efficiency.
3. The idea of efficiency within the church makes me sick.
In interacting with those thoughts, it does seem that the first two speak not toward the Church, but to an institutional system in which a group of people who follow Jesus decide to organize themselves. Within this organization there are hierarchies, policies, procedures, by-laws, articles of incorporation, websites, buildings, structures, and the list could go on. With all these moving parts it is now wonder people want to know and learn about the efficiency in the church.
However, none of those systems and structures are the Church. The Church is the full body of Jesus that exists for the benefit of our world and the worship of our Creator. The Church is people. By nature this makes the Church inefficient.
I know a group of men and women who served one family in need for years … and the family never joined the Church. Those who have served were not upset or discouraged. They recognized their call to serve (end of sentence). How inefficient is that? Could they not have put time, energy, and effort into something else?
A friend I know goes to Retirement Homes and sit with the elderly who had no visitors. He would learn what their favorite books were and read to them for hours. On the occasion that one of them would pass, he would always be sure to see that they received a proper funeral. Sometimes he was the only one around. How inefficient is that? Could he not put his time, energy, and effort into something else?
I know a fellow who fell into drug addiction. He moved away from home and left everything he knew. One day he heard a knock at his door. He looked outside and saw the one friend who had never given up on him. This friend used to call once a week and always tell him “Whatever you need I am good for it.” He did this for years. My friend who was addicted to drugs ignored the knocking. But he kept knocking and knocking and knocking … for three hours. My friend who was formerly addicted to drugs tells that story as the thing that changed his life. Years of persistence. Hours of knocking. How inefficient is that? Could he not put his time, energy, and effort into something else?
Some people at our church have begun meeting face to face with those who call DCC home to help them connect relationally. Some have said, "How long is it going to take to do this?" Others have suggested email, web-based sign-ups, etc. The response from the team has been to point out that every person is valuable, and at the very least deserves another person spending time with them to remind them they are cared for. How inefficient is that? Could they not put his time, energy, and effort into something else?
The Church is about relationships, and these may be the most inefficient of all things. Relationships do not cooperate with our best-laid plans. Spiritual formation is not something we can track, rather it is only something to be observed over a long period of time. Healing and wholeness are a life-long pursuit. Walking with a friend who is hurting, depressed, or disillusioned is not something on which we put a mission statement. Living as the embodiment of Jesus for the healing of our world defies the one, three and five year plan.
All of these things are inefficient. When we make efficiency the goal, we are left with a well-oiled machine, but no soul. And as one prophet once said, “The goal is soul.” Systems, structure, policies, procedures, hierarchies, and everything else too often become the focus, and we lose sight of what ultimately matters. So let’s be more efficiently inefficient, and may healing, wholeness, and hope come with it.