Someone opened a new barbershop next to my donut place. One of the great thrills of my life is Wednesday mornings when my grandson and I go out for donuts ( our "special time" as he calls it).
Today I visited the new barbershop and discovered it was a split from another barbershop in town (and here I thought only churches split!). It was interesting to hear their conversations with longtime customers who had followed them from the "other place" to their new business. To say the least, relations were still strained though the new owner said that she had forgiven them but there would be no "making amends". Meaning - I forgave them but I'm not letting go of the hurt they caused me.
This sounds like a lot of churches I know. We may forgive (on the surface) but we're not about to forget (what happens internally). I have a good idea how this will work out. They will continue to fester inside untill the poison eats away any joy or fulfillment in starting over.
During this conversation the question came around to what I do - consult with churches about community missions. The other barber said that she had decided that she wants to do ministry. As we talked I realized she believed that this was the role of the "professional cergy" and that she was taking courses at her church in witnessing. She also confided that she was rebuffed at her church because she was divorced and not 100% faithful in attending church every Sunday!
As we talked I had the opportunity to talk about Ephesians 4 and the task of church leadership to equip the people of God to do the work of God. Boy, did her eyes open and interest perk up. She had never heard this before. The idea that the Bible might suggest that she could actually be involved in ministry was a real surprise.
This lead to an opportunity to talk about our purpose in life and our relationship to God in Christ Jesus. To talk about meaning and purpose as a result of relationships and how we treat each other. If we are all ministers then our task is to love one another and to seek the best for each other. I guess we talked about broken relationships and reconciliation without really using those words. I have to trust the Holy Spirits will use this "ministry" to help them at their point of need.
How is the shalom (well-being) of the community enhanced if all of our relations are strained and/or broken. Well, I know the conversation helped me!
