This week in our daily devotional time for, "Imagine... the fully devoted life," we are imagining a life that shares God openly. This is the task of every church member and the underlying goal of every ministry. With this in mind, allow me to share a story with you that powerfully illustrates the attitude of many congregations.
In his book Doing Church as a Team (Regal), Wayne Cordeiro writes: "Some time ago, our church "adopted" the USS Reuben James, a frigate deployed to the Persian Gulf. We agreed to pray daily for the crew and provide the sailors with tapes and books. We also sent them copies of our weekend services so that they could televise them over their internal system on Sunday mornings while at sea. At the completion of her Gulf tour, the Reuben James docked in Pearl Harbor. I received an invitation to become the crew's guest on a short excursion into the Pacific.
"After a thorough tour of the quarters and decks, I took my place by the captain as we pulled anchor and sailed into the deep blue with a crew of 800. At a safe distance from land, the gunnery detail fired a few rounds from the ship's massive cannons. As every sailor scurried back and forth, I noticed something. Everyone knew exactly what his or her role was. Each person on that ship had a job, a function, a responsibility and a purpose for being there — everyone except me, that is. I was the only one tagging along for the ride.
"By contrast, some months later, my wife, Anna, and I took a three-day cruise around the islands for some R&R. On deck, I noticed 400 lazy, sun-ripened human beings lounging around the pool with 40 uniform-clad workers scurrying around trying to keep them happy. In a moment of reflection I heard the Lord say to me, 'My church must be a battleship, not a cruise liner. If you are to pierce the darkness and rescue souls lost on the scratch, you cannot be a ship of spectators. Everyone must know why they are on board.'"
Matthew 28:19-20 (NKJV) {19} Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Amen.
John 20:21 (NKJV) {21} So Jesus said to them again, "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you."