So much for what I wanted to say.

Back to my "talk".

What I wanted to talk about...what I had planned and taken notes to talk about.......all thrown out as soon as we walked in and saw these folks.  So much for being prepared.  It became extremely obvious that I had written what I wanted to say, and not what God wanted them to hear.  I am just hoping that, in the end, what I delivered was the latter. 

It has been on my mind (and heart) a lot lately that churchs are operating in default mode.  We have, within almost any church in America, small sub-categories of the church where people "get involved".  Things like Sunday school, choir, committees, circles, etc.  They aren't bad, and I am not questioning them at all.  People use the things to be "active" in the church.  We hear "He's active in his Sunday school" or "She's active in her women's circle", or "They are active in the choir".  Great, everyone needs a place to fit in, like pieces of a puzzle, and I am happy we have those things.  But ultimately, unless the group is focused on a goal, or has a mission in mind, were just a social club.  Right?  

So the question is not about the activity, but about the purpose.   

Are we more concerned with being involved than being effective?  Is the circle or class your in giving you the opportunity to get in the game, or is it just giving you a comfortable seat to watch from?  Are you giving yourself the opportunity to be used the way God intended?

This was the premise for what I wanted to discuss.  I ended up talking about something else, and I honestly cant remember much about what I said.  If I am lucky,  though,  they heard exactly what they were supposed to.