“You’ll only have to volunteer for a little while.”
You’ve heard that one before, right?
You may have even said it.
It’s not the only lie you’ll hear or tell in church.
For the record, this is not meant to be a “church critique” article. You’ve read enough of those.
Instead, let’s recognize the humor and the consequences of some of our own shortcomings.
For example, have you heard or said any of these lies in church?
- “What a great song she just sang, huh? Bless her heart.”
- “I’d like to share some thoughts with you all for just a few minutes… it won’t take long at all.”
- “What? It’s not what you think. I was just opening my Bible app.”
- “Our services begin and end at…”
- “Honey, I forgot my wallet. Don’t worry, I’ll toss in twice as much next week.”
- “I have just one last thought here before we close…”
- “Isn’t it great when all the kids come into service?”
- “Just close your eyes and raise your hand. Nobody’s looking. This is between you and God.”
- “Your future spouse could be sitting in this room right now.”
- “Of course, the church van is safe.”
Sometimes this is nothing more than our own self-imposed satire. Other times, our lies can become more misleading.
- “The numbers don’t matter… what the numbers represent matters… but how many did we have?”
- “I prayed about it, and here’s what God told me to tell you… so don’t question it.”
- “We hold all sins equal around here… but did you hear about what Bill did?”
- “I’ll be praying for you this week. I won’t forget.”
Again, I don’t mean to go down a jaded road with you. This isn’t about us pointing fingers at other people who misled us.
It’s about holding up a mirror to our own personal inconsistencies.
For the record, I’ve said a variation of all of the above statements at some point in ministry.
For the record, have you?