You Want me to be a WHAT!!!!!!

Every now and then we are asked to be apart of a group or an organization that is really an honor but maybe it just doesn't feel that way.

Soon after Christ went to be with the Father and the local churches began to develop there arose a need for some members to assist the pastors with stuff around the church. Stuff like cutting the grass, cleaning up after the Bar-B-Que chicken fund raiser dinner, draining the baptising pool... stuff like that. So they came up with this "position" known as the "deacon." It was a fine thing to be a part of and a great opportunity to serve our LORD. As years went by the position became "modified." It began to take on certain tasks like money management, personnel appointment, policy making, and other stuff for which it was never meant to do. Some people began to call the church the "poor man's country club." We had our services, out reach programs (softball teams), family life centers (gyms), and the church's social standings. At the top of the social standings stood the chairman of the deacons who assured that the traditions would continue. Now don't take me wrong the Bible teaches the importance of the position of "deacon" but the service of the deacon today is way far from what it was in the days of the true church, the early church.

I have served in this position before at the last church I was worshiping at, or should say attended. I turned the position down for several years when offered because I didn't feel I was worthy of the position, but as I began to see what the deacon's role was at that church I felt forced to take the role to provide some political stability for the pastor. It didn't take me long to see that the older deacons, those of greater tenure, were serious about running the church. These older men had left the Bible's teaching of the role of the Deacon out or had watered it down so much that God was mentioned only twice in meeting and that was the opening and closing prayer. Now don't take me wrong there were some fine Christian men in this group but the majority of these men were the ones that walked the halls during worship time and talked about the negative things that were happening mostly because of lack of Christ centered programing or "support" from the deacon body.

OK, I've again been asked to be a deacon in one of the largest churches in the entire state. Tough call for me. I'm not going to be a part of a group of professing Christians with a mission that is not Christ centered, Christ Purposed, or Christ driven. Just don't want to be in politics again. No way. Now, don't take me wrong I will stand up when necessary to make the mission clear but most of the time "it just don't make any difference." I've found that it's a personal thing, Christianity is, it's between you and the LORD as to how much you serve and how you'll do it.

After all, think of it this way, if I was a deacon, we'd all have Deacon badges and Deacon jackets and we'd have a special Deacon hand shake that only the deacons knew. We'd have a special parking area of the Deacon's wives and we'd get free wednesday night dinner. No wait .... that Shriners or Masons or something like that...opps!

It is an honor to be a"deacon" or to just be asked to be one but maybe not something for me. After all, we all can't be deacons. I'll pray about it and pray for the present serving deacons, but as for God calling me to be a deacon... well, what was that God... huh... what...??