19 March, 2024

Taking Time

by | 9 December, 2014 | 1 comment

By Mark A. Taylor

Too many in the developed, Western world feel trapped in the treadmill of now.

They work for companies whose investors demand profit growth this quarter, not next year.

They go to doctors and expect a drug to cure their aches and pains today.

They rush from work to meetings, sports events, or kids activities with hardly time to eat. So they grab fast food, quick take-out, or an instant dinner from the grocery store shelves full of them.

And church leaders are not immune. We expect to see higher giving after a 12-week class, or more group leaders from one weekend training session.

Dec9_MT_JNBut when we take a breath to look at real life and the natural order of things, we realize that lasting results often don”t come quickly.

The athlete develops her strength and skill through year after year of a strict training regimen.

Professional musicians practice every day, some of them long after they”ve become celebrities.

Parents live through their children”s turbulent adolescence because they know the turmoil of immaturity won”t last forever.

The farmer plants his crops and then he waits.

I was speaking with folks seeking to address the problems caused by poverty in their communities. One thread connecting all their experience and advice was, “Don”t hurry.”

Becky Ahlberg spent a year talking with community leaders before choosing a strategy for addressing problems around First Christian Church in Anaheim, California. She began with only six women six years ago, but soon she will have more than 80 graduates of a program that teaches inner-city mothers the mothering skills often missing in the midst of generational poverty.

“A group that size can have a leavening influence on a whole community,” she said.

Chris Smith recounted Englewood Christian Church”s decision not to abandon the center of Indianapolis just because many members had fled to the suburbs. “For many years we did the traditional sort of ministry to the poor around us,” he said, initiatives like clothes closets and food pantries.

But eventually the church abandoned all that and just began working week-by-week with their community to help their community solve their community”s problems. The church creates garden plots for local residents. They sponsor a food co-op to relieve hunger, and building or rehab projects to address homelessness. Residents are working to help themselves make a better life. And it has taken time.

Aaron Wymer described the first project attempted by Grandview Christian Church in Johnson City, Tennessee, where he serves. It failed because the church tried to do too much too soon and overwhelmed the agency they were serving with volunteers.

He started over, spending many months leading his congregation to discover needs and match them to church members” abilities and passions. At last, they”re beginning to see that they”re making a difference.

All these experiences remind us that looking at the long haul is the best way to make the journey.

How will my investment in a few today develop leaders for many others in the coming years?

What small steps can I begin today to become the person I”d like to be?

What prayer can I resume about a need that hasn”t gone away””and am I willing to keep praying that prayer every day until it”s answered?

“In the fullness of time” Jesus finally came to earth, fulfilling all those prophecies from centuries earlier. How willing am I to slow down and allow the time that nature requires or God has ordained in order to solve the problems I”m seeing today?

Listen to the whole interview with Ahlberg, Smith, and Wymer, titled “Good News to the Poor,” here.

Learn more about Chris Smith”s book, Slow Church: Cultivating Community in the Way of Jesus, written with John Pattison, here.

1 Comment

  1. Patricia

    “What prayer can I resume about a need that hasn’t gone away – and am I willing to keep praying that prayer every day until it’s answered?”

    And even if its not answered on this earth, I thank you for the prompting to resume that prayer.

    Thank you for your article.

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Articles

Ministry Help Wanted

Recent postings: Impact Christian Church (Moon Township, Pa.) is seeking an executive pastor. The Christian Campus Foundation (CCF) at the University of Illinois is seeking a full-time director of campus ministry. New Brighton (Minn.) Christian Church needs a new senior minister. Summit Christian College (Gering, Neb.) is accepting applications for the position of academic dean. And more . . .

Stories

By taking these symbols of Jesus’ body and blood, we announce we believe there really was a Jesus, and he really did die for us and carried all our sins down to a grave . . .

Documentary Highlights Christian Response to Pandemics

Southeast Christian Church’s “Purpose in Pandemics” is a documentary that follows the response of the church to pandemics throughout history. The “Purpose in Pandemics” website also includes a study guide for small groups and individuals.

Used of God

I soaked up Sam Stone’s wit and wisdom during our lunches together. Afterward, I’d take notes about our conversations. After hearing of his passing, inspired by his wordsmithing, I felt compelled to share just a small part of his story.

Sam E. Stone: ‘He Tried to Speak the Truth in Love’

In memory and appreciation of our former editor, Sam E. Stone, who died early this week, we share this 2011 column from Christian Standard’s archives in which Sam discussed four Scripture verses significant to his life.

Elliott Library ‘Cornerstone’ Laid

Three Bibles of historical significance to Cincinnati Christian University were the first books place on the shelves during relocation of the George Mark Elliott Library.

The Death of Evil

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. saw in minority groups’ struggles for social equality in America a parallel with Israel’s bondage in Egypt. King envisioned God’s goodness would deliver the U.S. from the evil of segregation.

Mark Scott’s Greatest Kingdom Impact

Since I first enrolled at Ozark Christian College, Mark Scott has been my kingdom hero, and I’m not the only young preacher Mark has shaped. Over his 35 years at OCC, Mark has inspired generations of students.

‘Have We Plans for 1921?’

“All the Standard asks is the opportunity to serve, and it yearns to render in 1921 the greatest, finest, and best service of its history. . . .”

News Briefs for Dec. 9

Items from Timber Lake Christian Church (Moberly, Mo.), Choateville Christian Church (Frankfort, Ky.), Johnson University, and more.

My Counsel for Young Preachers

If I were counseling an aspiring young preacher fresh out of Bible college or seminary, champing at the bit to lead in the church, I would offer these three bits of advice.

My Memories of Marshall Leggett

By Ben Merold
As I think about Marshall Leggett, who passed away on March 2 at age 90, two personal experiences keep coming to my mind . . .

Powell Quintuplets Graduating from High School

When the Powell quintuplets were born in 2001, all of Kentucky celebrated, including Southeast Christian Church, where the Powells are longtime members. Now the quints are 18 and are all headed to the same university.

Reentry: It May Be Harder Than We Think

When the COVID-19 crisis eases, I anticipate that reentry is going to be harder than some people think. Churches, especially, need to prepare for this.

March 24 Lesson | Communion

A secular proverb says, “When all else fails, read the directions.” The Corinthian church had trouble following directions . . .

March 24 Application | ‘Communion: More Than a Routine’

Throughout history, Christ’s followers have placed high value on the Lord’s Supper. Whatever else takes place in our weekly worship gatherings, the bread and the cup focus attention on the central facts of our faith: the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. . . .

March 24 | Discovery Questions

These Discovery Questions are for use with this week’s Lookout Bible Lesson, “Communion” (1 Corinthians 11:17-34), by Mark Scott.

The Good Stuff

In the moment, it was hard to see that some “good stuff” was happening . . .

How to Tell Your Church Is ‘Tanking’—and What to Do

How do elders or pastors know their churches are sliding toward closure?  Christian Standard posed that question to Stan Granberg, vice chairman of Heritage 21, which specializes in helping noninstrumental Churches of Christ that are facing closure. . . .

Follow Us