Does all the counting add up?

I think there are times when rather than exerting effort to be in mission, we become preoccupied with an urge to do something. The urge may express itself in any number of ways. We need to have something to show for our investment in the ministry. We need to show the number of mission workers in the field. We need to count the number of dollars given for disasters compared to dollars given for everyday needs.

We need to count the number of new church developments (or new starts). We spend time counting the number of members working for positive change in local, regional, national, or world contexts in the name of Jesus Christ, or at least in the name of our congregation, or maybe in the name of the PC(USA). We can become preoccupied with counting.

I understand the need to count; I have the need to count heads every time the church bus stops on a trip. This counting gives current meaning to the one lost sheep being the shepherd’s primary concern. For the shepherd the number one is most important, as each individual is equally valued.

I am not advocating that we stop doing ministry. I am making the observation that we are too often preoccupied with being busy and take for granted the invitation to be. If we are preoccupied with counting heads, counting projects, counting dollars, and adding up the balance sheet to show how successful we are as a church, we are at risk of taking for granted the very foundation of faith that enables the church to be the church. How do you count the realization that you are loved by God and that the meaning of your life comes from the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ?

We don’t count the realizations that give shape to our lives as Christians, we share them. To be Christian is to be a part of the sharing community. The community wants to be together to share in worshiping God. The community wants to discover and use the best ways to share who we are and whose we are with everyone.

My observation that we are so busy being busy is both a judgment and a challenge. I’ve been counting the times when our actions show we have taken for granted not only whose we are, but also what it is to be a Presbyterian Christian.

So before we decide what we should do in worship that will make worship appealing to attendees and potential attendees, we should be clear about what it means to be in worship. Before we decide what to do in our ministry of Christian education, we should have some idea of what it means to become a mature Christian. Before we witness in the world through the ministries and mission work that we do, it behooves us to know what we are inviting people of the world to become.

Still need to count? Count the blessings that have helped you grow as a follower of Jesus Christ. Don’t be surprised when you look at the numbers. Accepting Christ’s invitation to be a follower means a shared life of becoming what we were created to be. This shared being leads to a life of shared doing. Count on it!