ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 19, 2026
How many ministers does it take to screw in a lightbulb? The answer is zero. Why? Because a minister first spends time praying about the unlit bulb, and then eventually forms a committee to study the need for a bulb replacement. By the third meeting of the committee, they disband because of an argument over the paint color in the bathroom. And to this day, the bulb waits to be replaced.
I share this because I can so easily get distracted in the work of ministry. There are some professions that are very focused—there is one task and only one task. Around the church, in almost every position, there is the last line of the job description that reads: And whatever else. Sadly, the “whatever else” can often consume more of someone’s time than the main body of the job description. I’m not complaining as some of the “whatever else” is really wonderful. But one of the areas that continues to concern me and consume my thinking is involvement, and specifically the involvement of new people.
At a staff luncheon and meeting yesterday, we talked about community and the need for three. How do we move from not being one deep or two deep in every area of church life to three deep? How do we continue to build community around important ministries and programs in the life of our church? Three people (or more) create energy, and it is said that three or more is the point at which the group becomes more than just the sum of the individual parts. At that point, a new body or entity is formed. I don’t want to get too goofy, but I have watched a small group of passionate people do things that were far beyond what would have been thought possible when just listing the names of the individual members. Suddenly, egos were set aside for the sake of the greater purpose. If left up to the minister, my concern is that the same thing will happens as with the lightbulb.
Creative and Amazing God, your church has done extraordinary things, and because you are the life-energy of all good things, we believe extraordinary things will continue into the future. Yet, where are we hindering the Spirit’s movement? Where are we as a church not fully embracing our potential? Help us to name those places where we are not fully engaged in the fulfillment of your dream for all people. Amen.
