Focused…

For the past 8 years I have had the privilege to be the public address announcer for Inman High School and Junior High Football games.  I watch the game from the press box, identify the important players in the play, and then announce the result at the end so that everyone in attendance knows what is happening on the field.  For the first seven years, I did this without a spotter.  It was just me, trying to block out the action of the entire field to focus on the ball carrier and tackler.  Sometimes I would misread a number on the jersey, thus announcing the wrong player and hearing about it later from a mom or dad who felt their son was slighted out of having his name announced over the loudspeaker.

This year has been different.  This year I have a spotter to help me.  But it is not just another set of eyes on the field.  My spotter has a pair of binoculars that he watches through.  His view through the binoculars gives him a different perspective on the game.  His view is laser focused.  He is able to see what is far away as if it were closer, undistracted by the activity of the other players on the field.  He is not scanning to see if there was a flag on the play or how many yards the ball carrier ran.  He has one focus, accurately identify who made the tackle.  That information is communicated to me, I share with the crowd…and this year I have yet to have one parent tell me that I missed the call.

Watching a football game in the stadium presents many challenges. There is the immediate action that is taking place on the field in the moment, then there is all the periphery that is taking place that can be a distraction from the game.  All of it is important, it is important to create an atmosphere that gives game night its magic.  The cheerleaders, the band, smells of the concession stand, the angry parents yelling obscenities at the ref or the coach.  So much is happening and everyone sees the game from their own perspective…some don’t even care about the game, they are just there to watch their daughter dance at halftime or play in the band.

The same thing can happen at church.  As we gather on a Sunday morning it is easy to get caught up in all of the activity and periphery of “game day”.  There are rehearsals to run through, tables to be set up, decorations and food to be placed.  There are connections to be made, songs to sing, and sermons to deliver.  Then it’s time to box it up, say our goodbyes, turn out the lights and get ready to go another week.  So much activity, so much distraction.  At the end of the day, I look and wonder, how many steps forward did the follower of Jesus take this week to help him find victory?

It is easy to lose sight of what matters most.  Jesus calls us to “make disciples”.  That is the ball carrier.  That is the progress that will be measured for eternity by our Lord.  Jesus demonstrates in his ministry that making disciples is a process, not a one play event.  Just as the ball carrier must battle for a few short yards at a time trying to reach the end zone, so too must the follower of Jesus battle to keep moving forward in his pursuit of maturity.  The goal of the church is not to score seven points, but rather, to develop fully mature followers of Jesus who are connected and unified in the body of Christ (Eph 4:11-13)

Today is the first of a new column that I will include in Grace Weekly.  This column will serve as the binoculars to focus on the “vision” of our church.  I hope that through these posts you will be able to see what is farther ahead, but make it seem closer.  It will serve the purpose of communicating what is being planned, the direction we are going, or what opportunities are being presented to help you grow in your relationship with Christ and how you can serve your role to help others as well.  I hope that you take the time to look through the binoculars each week so that you can see the church from a different perspective.

In His Service

Pastor Dwight