DEACON UPDATE

OK, this is the way I see it. The office of deacon in the church is an honorable thing. there are many good men in the group. It is a genuine calling of God. For many men it might be the only opportunity to serve. Tonight I went to a deacon's meeting. It wasn't like some of the meeting I went to at the old church. It was not bad and yes they did talk about money. 

So I've made up my mine?............ Well, no. It would be easy to join this group because I know a lot of them and I do want to serve my LORD.  

I'm just going to have to continue to pray and seek God calling and if they can't wait then I will have to say no.

I do want to serve the LORD. I will serve the LORD but maybe not with this group. It is quiet an honor but then it's just an opportunity not a mandate. 

God wants those who will serve and that is a mandate. I want to be known as a "FAT" man for God. Faithful, Available,Trainable. 

Nothing wrong with that.

You really want me to be a what!!

A wise man once told me "never put your foot down where it can't be picked up."

I met some very nice men last night who "presented me an invitation" to become a "deacon." Well, I was nice and didn't asked the questions that I kinda wanted to if for no other reason but to make my point. I figured that there are men that genuinely serve through the position of a deacon as well as the others. I felt that these guys were genuine, the real deal and that they loved the LORD and were serving Him as deacons.

Well, I'm really praying about it but right now I don't feel the calling of God to serve as a deacon. Maybe it's because I don't feel worthy or maybe it's carrying memories of the days when I had to stand up and say what needed to be said but didn't get the results I thought men of God would respond with. It's a sobering thought to see men that settle for second place when first place is within the grabbing.

I'll continue praying for the right answer about serving as a deacon, but for now I think I'll pray for the men that are committed to serving in the honorable position of deacon.

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...??