Jump Start # 2086

Ezekiel 3:15 “Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the river Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them.”

The prophet Ezekiel sat with the exiles. He sat where they sat. That’s a profound thought when we consider the impressions we make with visitors. We are continuing some thoughts about becoming a welcoming church. A common expression today is “user friendly.” We want phones that do everything, yet are easy to use. We want technology that is easy to understand. We hate buying something new and along with it comes a user guide that is as thick as the phone book. This gave birth to the series of books entitled, “Dummies.” Cell phones for Dummies. Powerpoint for Dummies. Those books expanded beyond technology to: Golf for Dummies, and even, Parenting for Dummies.

We would do well to follow the lead of Ezekiel and sit where the visitor sits. We may find that our language and our services are not very user friendly. We do things that we all understand, but for the first time visitor, it may seem very odd to him.

We use the expression, “Gospel Meeting.” We understand what that means. A visiting preacher is invited to come and speak for a few days. A lot of publicity is used to promote this. Other congregations are invited. The church is encouraged to invite family and friends. “Come to our Gospel Meeting next week,” we say to a co-worker. We know what we mean by that. He doesn’t. Gospel Meeting? He has meetings at work. They are long and boring. So now, he’s invited to come to a Gospel MEETING? Doesn’t sound so exciting from his standpoint. Maybe a better expression would be “Bible lessons,” or “teachings from the Bible.”

Also, we tend to promote the speaker rather than the topics. For instance, “Come here, Roger preach this week.” You and I may know who Roger is (I think I do), but for your co-worker, he has never heard of him. He doesn’t know anything about him. Wouldn’t it be better to emphasize the topic rather than the speaker? Come here a Bible lesson about “Life, the way it was meant to be.” Or, come here a lesson about, “Heaven– what do you expect?” Interesting. Lesson driven rather than preacher driven.

I sat where they sat. Consider that many people do not know the Bible, especially the order of the books of the Bible. We’ve known the books of the Bible since we were kids. Most don’t. They might get, Matthew-Mark-Luke-John, but don’t be surprised if they are looking around in the Old Testament for Corinthians. So, a visitor comes, and everyone knows where to look, but he doesn’t. It won’t take very long and he will feel like he is in a secret society and he’s an outsider and doesn’t belong. What can be done? If the church uses pew Bibles, page numbers could be referred to. The preacher could help identify where he is at. Someone sitting next to a visitor could help out. Passages could be listed on the screen.

Along with that, there are certain words that most of us know but the visitor may not. A miracle—we understand that a miracle is God suspending the laws of nature. A miracle cannot happen naturally. The visitor doesn’t know that. He hears that word used every day. It’s a miracle he made it to work on time with the traffic the way it was. It was a miracle that his son didn’t miss the bus today. To the visitor, a miracle is just getting something done by the skin of your teeth and it’s an everyday event. He doesn’t understand how rare, special and powerful Biblical miracles are. So, being user friendly, sitting where he sits, the preacher needs to take just a moment to explain words so everyone is on the same page in understanding. Don’t assume that everyone has heard of the flood. Not so. Everyone knows, the preacher thinks, the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. No, they haven’t, and especially the details behind the story. It’s like sitting down and playing a game with some friends. If everyone knows the game, you just begin playing. But if there is one person who has never played before, it’s all foreign to him. You have to explain things and sometimes even have a practice round. You have to sit where he sits to bring him up to understanding.

What all takes place during worship is another thing that most of us are very comfortable with. We know that on Sunday we may start with a song or a prayer. Then a few more songs. Then the Lord’s Supper. A reading of Scriptures, followed by a preacher delivering a sermon. More songs. Announcements. Prayer. We’ve done this for years. It runs very smooth for us. But for the first time visitor, everything is new and strange to him. He doesn’t know what’s coming next. He doesn’t know what to expect. He sees a plate being passed and everyone around him is putting in checks. He didn’t bring his checkbook. What will happen? Will he be sent a bill? Does he have to pay before he leaves? How much is this going to cost? He didn’t think about this. No one told him. He didn’t know about this. You and I laugh at such things, but sitting where he sits, this suddenly becomes very uncomfortable. He notices different men getting up to do things. Some get up and lead a prayer. Some get up and pass the communion. Is he expected to get up and do something? Will he have to speak? Again, what we know is a warm and encouraging experience, could become very frightening for someone who doesn’t know.

Listing the order of services in the bulletin or on the screen might help. Having a friendly face greet him when he enters might help. Having someone explain things might help. Sitting where he sits. User friendly. We’ve forgotten that and taken that for granted.

As the visitor leaves, he notices some literature that seems interesting. There are some sermon CD’s in a rack. He doesn’t know how much they cost nor who he is supposed to pay. He doesn’t know that they are free. He doesn’t know that the church has provided these tools for times such as these. He has visited other places where they charge for the CD’s. Again, signs, ushers, friendly faces can help with all of that.

Take a serious look at your building, your worship, the words being used. Are they understandable to a visitor? Does it make sense to someone who has never been there before? Is it user friendly? Have you sat where they sat and looked at things through their eyes?

It’s wonderful to invite family and friends to our services. But if that’s as far as it goes, and they leave confused, scared and uncertain, there is a good chance that they will never come back. Make it inviting, warm and friendly. You do that by sitting where they sit and seeing things through their eyes.

Roger

Jump Start # 1835

Ezekiel 3:15 “Then I came to the exiles who lived beside the rive Chebar at Tel-abib, and I sat there seven days where they were living, causing consternation among them.”

The people of God were in Babylon. This wasn’t their choice but the consequence of their sin and rebellion against God. They were now exiles, living in a foreign land. Their beloved Jerusalem had been ransacked by the enemy. The temple was burned and looted. The walls around the city were now in rubble. The best among them were exiled. Many had been killed. The poor, like Jeremiah, were left to deal with a broken city. Ezekiel is written to the exiled people. God had not cut them off. God had not forgotten them. In fact, God sent a prophet among them.

Our passage states that Ezekiel came to some of the exiles and sat with them for seven days. He sat among them. There is something powerful about that expression. It reminds us of the three friends of Job that sat with the hurting Job for a week and never said a word. It reminds us of our Lord who sat down and taught the sermon on the mount. Sitting among the exiles. There is something to be learned from that.

It would help us to “sit among the visitors.” It’s been so long since we have thought what it’s like to be a visitor that we have forgotten. So many of our church buildings are not visitor friendly. Certainly we are used to everything, but what about a visitor. He walks in the door for the first time, does he know where to go? Does he know where the bathrooms are or the nursery to take a child? Does he know what is going to happen in worship? Have we forgotten to “sit among the visitors?” Take a moment and visit a major retail store, like Target. Walk in the doors and stand there for a moment and look around. Notice how bright things are. Notice signs that tell you what you need to know. Notice staff who is there to help you. Now, go back to our church buildings. Dark. Dusty. Trashy. And we wonder why we can’t get anyone to come in? Put up some signs. Put in some brighter lights. Paint the place. Get some people to be greeters. Make announcements professional, pointed and visitor friendly. See things through the eyes of a visitor.

It would help to sit where the teenagers sits. Do you know what’s going on in their world? It’s different than when you were in high school. Do you know what bothers them? Do you know what they struggle with? Do you know where they are at Biblically? Do you know that they have a great heart and are willing to do things if you will let them. I sat where they sat. It would be great if the elders actually did that one Sunday. Just sit right among them.

It would help to sit with the senior citizens in the congregation. Their world is much different than that of the teenagers. They move slower. Many have buried a mate. Their day begins and ends with taking pills. They worry about having enough money to last. They wonder if they will have to go to assisted living. They see a world that is moving so fast. They are the backbone of a congregation. Offer some classes during the week, and these folks will be there. Have a Gospel Meeting, and they will come. They have strong faith, even if their backs are not any longer. They have stories but so often there is no one who is interested in hearing them. Loneliness is a regular part of their day. Often they have the TV on all day, just for some noise around the house. Have you sat where they sat?

It would help to sit where the young families sit. Now, this is a busy place. This is where my kids are now. They have little ones and they are busy. Work, raising kids, taking care of a place—and these parents are always tired. A dream vacation for them would be a week of rest. The demands of work, the demands of a young family and the demands of trying to walk with the Lord is hard. Many of these young dads are deacons and that just adds to the work that they are expected to do. Have a Gospel Meeting and these young families will be there. Older folks have forgotten how tiring a week of preaching can be on little ones. Sit where they sit. Make some adjustments in the length of meetings. Take a long look at what these families are going through and what they need spiritually.

It would help to sit where the strong sit. There are specific choices that people make that enables them to be strong spiritually. It doesn’t happen by accident. They have made sacrifices and put forth effort. These are the ones who teach the classes. These are the ones chosen to lead the congregation. Have you ever noticed what makes them strong? Sit among them. Find out. Learn from them.

I sat where they sat. This reminds us that we do not all sit in the same place in life. We do not all struggle with the same things in life. We are not all going through the same things in life. The quietness of the world of a senior citizen can be frightening. To a young mother, it seems inviting.

Sitting where others sit, not literally, but understanding each other, helps us be more compassionate and less judgmental. You see those young parents leaving services and it looks like they have just backpacked across America. There are so many bags, books and stuff they carry. They look frazzled and worn out. They wonder and you wonder if they got much out of services. But there they are—setting examples. Showing the little ones that God is important. Rather than rolling our eyes at them, help them carry things out to the car. It’s a blessing that they are there.

Sitting where others sit helps shepherds to understand what needs to be taught in a congregation. Rather than just marching through the books of the Bible as they appear in the English translations, maybe some serious lessons and classes out to be addressed to senior citizens, or teenagers, or young families. Understanding these worlds will help with those decisions. It helps in measuring how long classes, Gospel meetings and other teaching events should be. Just because you can sit through an hour sermon, following a 40 minute Bible class, doesn’t mean the senior citizen or the young family can. Be mindful and make adjustments. Sit where others sit.

It would help for all of us to sit where the elders sit. Understanding what they go through, the tough calls that they have to make. It’s hard to know when discipline needs to be enacted. It’s hard to know how long to give someone the opportunity to make up their mind if they are walking with the Lord or walking with the world. It’s hard to know when to change preachers. That’s not an easy call. It’s hard to keep things moving in a positive direction, especially when some are content to just stay and become stagnate. God bless those who serve as shepherds in God’s kingdom. It’s a work that few will ever understand. Sit where they sit. Pray for them. Honor them. Understand they are trying all that they can to get you to Heaven.

I sat where you sat…give that a try!

Roger