Fresh Air

I was listening to Terry Gross interview Bradley Cooper in an episode of “Fresh Air” this morning.  Terry was questioning what caused Bradley to want to be an actor.  In response, he described seeing a movie when he was younger that deeply affected him.  In describing that moment he said “I didn’t know anything at that point, I just knew that I wanted to affect people the way I had been affected.”  When I heard this I immediately related that feeling to the way I feel about serving in our church.  The exception would be that I don’t want to be the one to affect people, I want to be a part of creating an atmosphere for people to be affected deeply by the Lord as I have been.  Just being a part of that pivotal moment in someone’s life.  That day that they remember forever as the day things changed.  The day that their lives found meaning, the day that their lives found peace, the day that their lives found healing.

Like many others in our church, my husband and I spend (sometimes) hours thinking about our church, praying for our church, setting lights, working on music, setting up for events, etc.  This can prove to be A LOT of work and very tiring.  The thing about it though is that as tiring as all of the prep work can be, that feeling completely goes away the second someone acknowledges their need for Jesus.  The fact that all of us coming together and performing our respective duties is able to create an atmosphere where people’s hearts are changed makes all of the work worth it.  That’s what keeps us coming back to do that week after week!

I guess all of this is just to give a clear picture to those that have either experienced burn out, or are hesitant to get involved in church in any shape, form, or fashion, the reason behind all of the work.  I feel it’s important to have a “keep your eye on the prize” mindset.  “The prize” being that one (or 50) individuals that will experience Jesus in a real way during the upcoming service.  This is one of the ways I keep my heart in the right place.  You don’t focus on the work, you focus on a changed life.  Period.