1. People Will Do What They Want To Do!
I was at the Irish/Italian Parade yesterday (see above pic). Veterans Memorial Blvd in Metairie, LA was 6-7 people deep on both sides of the street where I was standing.
People were throwing beads like at any New Orleans parade. But they mostly threw fruits and vegetables!? That's why I have the baseball glove. I caught potatoes, cabbages, onions, carrots, lemons, and oranges. Kinda crazy, huh!
You can't keep people away from this parade. Thousands of people attend every year. They will plan their lives around this event. It is exciting.
Why are our churches not full of this same kind of excitement? Why do most churches have little excitement about what God is doing in the world? We have the most exciting thing to share in the world - Jesus. Yet, we have gotten so caught up in our traditions, rules, and regulations that most churches repel the world. Following Jesus' mission for saving the world is the most exciting adventure in history.
People will do what they want to do. Could the Church learn any lessons from the Irish/Italian Parade? Just asking.
2. People Will Put Their Efforts Into Something They Think is Important!
People plan all year to ride in this parade. They pay money. They give
their time. This parade has over 50 floats with 100's of riders. A lot
of effort for a good time.
I think we, as Church leaders, are guilty of not making Jesus' mission very compelling. We complain about no one wanting to serve Jesus. We scrounge for volunteers for our ministries. I think we are missing something. When people recognize their part in Jesus' mission, they will give their time and energy for it.
People will put their efforts into something they think is important. When we help believers understand the importance of what they are doing, many more will be willing to give it 100%.
Can we learn some lessons from the Irish/Italian Parade? Let me know in the comments...
I for on think several things can be learned from the view you took about the parade. First, the old way of the church is long gone by this I mean fire and brimstone approach most of us grew up with. The beating the bible into your heads and always only hearing what was wrong with the world and if you to this or that you are living in sin. The fact is we all live in sin it is how we as christians repent of those sins and seek forgivness for them.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I and sure that at that parade there was no one being judged upon hypocracy. I feel weather I am right or wrong the church is full of hypocrits pulling the whole I have to be good on sunday so I can do what I want Monday thru Saturday I am sure the people riding those floats are the same year after year. Just a couple thhoughts
I have been to my share of parades and in the past even bars and different places. I even used to think that I could talk to people easier and be excepted more outside the church than in the church. But then I needed Jesus. I needed what parades and bars and lots of unjudgings friends could not give. I needed Him to exchange His righteousness for my sin. Now when I walk in that church building I do not want the world, I want what I can't find out there. You are right when we find Him we long for Him nothing else satisfies. It is deeply satisfying to talk about Him, to Him and His word. My greatest stress buster is to have a couple of hours to focus on nothing but Him and His word. Oh my that is going to church. Not out of duty but because He lives His life in us and His desires are ours.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your thoughts!
ReplyDelete