Ministry round table

Agent S invited me to a 'round table discussion' event at Hardin Simmons University. It was a luncheon/discussion with four area ministers within the benevolent arena talking about their ministries to a crowd of students from the Logsdon School of Theology. Initially I feared going - on the assumption that I'd be listening to a bunch of do-gooder talk laced with buzz words I shun. Words like social-ministry, high-needs, benevolence, and programs. Much to my surprise, those words were used, but only few and far between. And I think they were used due to lack of any better words and not out of sterile hearts. The overall message was great. And I now truly feel that the new vibe of the church culture is to get off its ass, look at the neighborhood around them, and serve those who live in that neighborhood. This is such a good thing for me as I was beginning to think that nothing good could come from church culture. So much for absolutes.

I feel like such a weird ass. I'm not wanting to paint words about myself nor place myself on a pedestal. But sometimes I feel like some sort of John the Baptist-type, eating my bugs and wearing what's practical and comfortable regardless how freak-a-zoid that is to much of my society. Yet sometimes there's need to relate to the anti-Johns, churchy, and student types. As if any of us are perfect. I can remember when I was a kid and some local family at our church would return from the mission field in Africa. Man, they were like aliens. Their clothes were out of date/style, their kids were freaks, and they didn't know how to relate to our pop-culture referenced communication. I felt like those African missionaries today...walking into a culture I once identified with but can't no more. But everyone there went way out of their way to make me (one of the 3 "invited guests") feel more than welcome. As I walked in a guy at the door ushered me to the front of the food line and had me cut in front of the students, to which I totally felt uneasy about but the students were good sports.

Then Agent S allowed me to sit at the table reserved for the speakers & host. The host talked to me, asked who I was, etc. Then he made a comment if I wanted to say anything to the room of 75-100 folks. Hell no. I'm undercover. I'm a horrible public speaker. And I always find some sort of way to insert a cuss word in disguise. And THIS wasn't the kind of crowd that would find a cuss word funny. They were like - wearing ties and skirts and all. And I'm thankful I had enough sense to wear my one and only button-down shirt with a collar as opposed to the usual ragged T-shirt. There's only ONE time in my entire existence where I was TOLD BY GOD (and I mean that literally) to address a crowd. It was my last church (charismatic club) where the members were constantly helping themselves to our food pantry to the poor that I was operating. And all were helping themselves out of inconvienence (too lazy & cheap to walk to the store across the street), not out of poverty or humbleness. The pastor of izzy tried getting this situation fixed with the pastor of the church a few years back...to no avail. Yet we kept having large, expensive quantities of food go missing before we'd open up to the izzy family. So...the CEO makes it clear for ME to publically address this and how to handle it, etc. And hating to speak, I performed my best Jonah immitation and RAN LIKE HELL. But some sort of fish appeared in my life and forced my brain on the right track. I made my speech...with directness and love. And all went well...so mission accomplished. And I made the comment of "sometimes we all need a good Balaam's Ass-whipping". And I've never been invited to speak since.

The weirdest encounter of the whole meeting was that sitting with me at the table was one of the other two invited guests - a man that I recognized as Obi-Wan's pastor. Obi-Wan has spoke many critical words about this young gentleman. And I, not wanting to join anyone's negative crusade rant, have defended this pastor - generally giving the guy the benefit of the doubt. To which Obi-Wan insists the guy is lousy. After meeting this pastor briefly I'm not so sure that Obi-Wan's claim is incorrect. But I won't get involved in that. Ahh...the soap opera of a small town like the mother city...If this guy only knew how many times I've defended him.

Along with Agent S, the board panel featured Dave Terrace, director of the largest, most well known ministry to poor people in the mother city, L&C. We have a history together. A brief and probably unresolved one. Three years ago izzy was supposed to merge with L&C. A merge I was never excited about and I'm glad never happened. It was obvious that once we merged that izzy was to be completely disolved and The Bossman, Agent Wife, myself, and a few others were expected to be nothing more than 'employees' of this new super ministry. Our hearts,dreams, and desires were to become L&C's. The Bossman finally saw the light and decided at the last minute to not merge - a decision that's given us a black mark in the mother city or so I feel. The soap opera continues...

Overall, I was very glad to be there if anything, to support S. But as it turned out, my eyes were opened to the changing heart of the church culture by and large. I'm sure there are still subtle territorial agendas within individual ministries across the mother city, but those territorial boundaries are slowly being erased.