PASTOR DAVE’S MUSINGS FROM THE HEARTLAND

September 11, 2022

DO IT WELL

Several weeks ago Diane and I attended a “Meet and Greet” with the new pastor of the church we attend.  The gathering began with each of us sharing some of our own story, our involvement with the church, and our expectations of a spiritual leader.  Then Pastor Lauren shared some of her story as well as her impression, expectations, and goals for the church.

Pastor Lauren has a clear approach as to how to address the strengths, issues, and possibilities for the churches.  She is starting with those areas with which she feels the most comfortable and can make the quickest impact.  Here the focus is on present programs, groups, and activities.  The goal is to see how well they are going and how they can be improved.

Many years ago I was a part of a support group of ministers of the conference who were serving similar sized church.  The group sponsored a workshop which was held at the First United Methodist Church in Plymouth, Indiana.  We invited a pastor from a downtown church in Michigan whose church had bucked the trend and was showing new growth and vitality.  One of the issues that came up was music: traditional or contemporary.  His church had traditional.  The advice he gave us is whatever kind of music we have we do it well.

The English Standard Version translates Colossians 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”  Howard B. Grose picks up on this theme in his hymn “Give of Your Best to the Master.”  The first half of the second verse of the hymn goes “Give of your best of to the master, Give Him first place in your heart, Give Him first place in your service, consecrate every part.”  The idea would seem to be that if we do all things as if we were doing them for the Lord, then we would strive to do our best to please Him.

Doing something well has three dimensions: effort, ability, and resources.  The text from Colossians and the hymn “Give of Your Best to the Master” have to do with effort.  Unfortunately, giving our best does not ensure doing something well.  We may not have the ability to do something well.  No matter how much effort persons with little musical talent try, they will never be able to produce good music.

For most projects or activities there are a minimum amount of resources that are necessary if there is any possibility of doing them well.  It is true that extraordinary achievements can be accomplished with limited resources; nevertheless, it is almost impossible to produce something out of nothing.

A part of the Boy Scout Oath begins, “On my honor, I will do my best.”  This is a good motto for all of us.  We need to be the best that we can be, not only for our own sake, but for the sake of others, and more especially for the Lord. None of us has arrived at perfection.  We can also use some improvement to help us be the best that we can be.  Pastor Lauren sees as one of her goals to help the Plymouth First United Methodist Church to be the best church it can be.