the late you have with you always
Long long ago Jesus said to his disciples, “The poor you have with you always…” Today he would just as well have said of the modern church, “…the late you have with you always.” Many churches are plagued with this chronic condition.
Recently I had this idea of arresting impunctuality by locking up the worship hall 15 minutes after the worship service begins. It was a “crossing frontier” idea; a suicidal idea; an incitement sure to cook up a storm and perhaps lead to the first lynching of a local pastor.
Concerts do it. Latecomers curse the management, blame themselves, the traffic and whatever else - but never the artistes -when they are locked out. They know its done out of respect for the performers and the paying customers, but it still rankles them. Somehow you get the feeling that in church it will be different: they will get hot under the collar and raise an uproar with the leadership or just move to another church.
I tested the idea with my colleagues and yes it doesn’t deal with the root problem. Yes some members will get angry, and some will move to other churches. Yes it may be better to educate the people and have a talk with the habitually late.
But I was thinking maybe such a drastic action will jerk the habitual latecomers to some behavioral change.
Are we barking up the wrong tree? Is punctuality such a big deal compared to the seven deadly sins, or the purity of the gospel, and the mission of the church? Is it a “main thing” or just a “peripheral” issue of discipleship and Christian maturity? Or should we just resign to the fact that “the late you have with you always”?
21 comments February 18th, 2008
