Almost Totally Committed

My first full time gig out of seminary was as Youth Minister at my home church. Part of the deal that made the job interesting and challenging was that two of my Senior Minister’s sons were a part of the youth group: Ricky and Ralph.

Since I had grown up in the church and the senior minister, Dr. VanNostrand, had at one time been my youth pastor and our families had been close for decades, I knew Rick and Ralph very well. They were great kids who have grown up to be wonderful men. They were fun and intelligent and gifted and just a joy to be around. They were central figures in a youth group that was an amazingly spiritual group. It was working with that youth group that I experienced God in new, meaningful and awe inspiring ways. That group impacted my life and spiritual journey powerfully. It was such an amazing time that, like several of the members told me as adults, it ruined me for church. Plain old, business-as-usual church just didn’t have much to offer after having experienced God is such powerful and intimate ways as we did during those few years together.

A part of my system while doing youth ministry was to have to weekend retreats each year: one in the fall and one in the spring. One of our spring retreats was unusually powerful and impactful. Many of the youth who attended were deeply moved emotionally and spiritually. That Sunday afternoon Ralph looked me up for a talk. The retreat had touched him deeply. That was a good thing because he had rightfully earned the nickname Rotten Ralphy.  I will never forget that conversation. Ralph looked me in the eye and said, “As a result of that retreat, I am almost totally committed.” Really? How can anyone be almost totally anything? My response to Ralph was, “Ralph, being almost totally committed is like being just a little bit pregnant. It can’t be done.”

Thinking about that conversation I wonder if that is not exactly what the church has asked of her church members for the several decades I have been aware of the church. We have asked that church members be almost totally committed. Don’t go overboard. Don’t, for God’s sake, be a fanatic. Keep things in perspective. Be Christian but just a little bit Christian. Don’t let your faith so affect your life that you seem different than others – so that you stick out in the crowd. Such religious fervor may be alright for people who aren’t as intelligent as we, for people of a lower economic class as ours, but it is not for us. We seek to live a sane, balanced life.

My experience informs me that the average, mainline denominational church in North America asks for these commitments from its members:

·       Showing up to worship as often as possible. Three out of five is pretty good. Somehow we feel that filling a pew is doing God a favor.

·       Giving some money to the church. Please don’t say the T word – Tithe. Tithing is just a bit too much to ask. In fact, don’t ask me to pledge, it makes me nervous.

·       Do a little something for someone else every once in a while. Give a few bucks to missions. Spend an afternoon working on a Habitat for Humanity build. Serve supper at a soup kitchen once a year.

·       The deeply committed even join a Sunday School Class or a small group and serve on a committee. I can’t teach but I can be a member of a class.

·       Leadership positions are available but one must be begged before accepting any such position.

Such a depth of commitment has been common place for so long that we see it as normal and acceptable. My question is, when seen in the light of the depth of commitment Jesus called for, how does it look. Honestly, do we really believe this is all God is asking of us?

Here is some of what Jesus had to say on the subject.

·       “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Matthew 19:29-30)

·       Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?” (Matthew 16:24-26)

·       “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

·       Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Matthew 19:21-24)

·       Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:19-22)

·       “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26-27)

·       “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23)

·       “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:34-36)

The list could go on but you get the point. We have to go deeper and further if we have any hope of becoming all that God has for us to be. We must go deeper and further if we are going to have any hope of experiencing the presence and power of God in our lives. We are going to have to go deeper and further if Christianity/the Church has any hope of impacting and changing our world.

If there is going to be a next generation of Christians this generation of believers is going to have to develop faith sharers, mentors, leaders and teachers. Without them it will not happen. Where do you think God is going to find those people?

Copyright © 2013, William T. McConnell, All Rights Reserved