The Kids' Table

As Thanksgiving approaches, I have an image of the ministry of our churches in the city. I wonder how welcoming we really are to our neighbors. I mean, I know we are welcoming, but what do the people around us think? I remember a perception we fought when I was at the Cathedral. People thought they needed to buy tickets to come to church. Of course that was not true, but people thought that.

So, this year, this week, TODAY, I am trying to think about all of the people who look at their relationship with our church like they have been asked to sit at ...

“The Kids’ Table”

In every other setting

They want to hear

And understand the me

But not here at the kids’ table.

I thought this was the year

When a place would be set

With the other adults

With the real linen napkins.

Instead, I am back down

At the blue card table

With the jankity leg

And the taped up vinyl top.

It seems innocent to them

To sit me here with kids

Who toss the rolls

And feed the dog their peas.

But I am left out

I miss the conversation

And the warm gravy

And the brilliant centerpiece.

And by the time my place

Is finally earned, I’m gone,

Moved away to a table

Set with me as head.

You all missed it,

Never knew who I’d become

Because you put me down

Apart from who you were.

All for lack of space

At your special table there.

But even if there was no other way

There was another way.

Could you not have asked

Another to move down

And honor me with a place

That said you valued me?

Or lacking that, join me,

Come down and share

How this lower place affects

Perceptions of you sitting there.

Now we’ll never know.

And great, you have an extra place

To try to fill instead

Of keeping guests you already had

Goodbye jankity table

Goodbye disrespect

Goodbye jaded banquet

Good but not goodbye!

Succeeding slowly

It has been an interesting time, here in a revitalization ministry. Faith Church (where I am pastor) is a church very much like the church in which I grew up.

Then seminary and all of the things we used to do to get ready for ministry and suddenly, I was in staff ministries that were larger than the entire membership of the church I serve in now.

And when I was in those large churches, I really felt successful! But actually, those churches did not need me, because anyone would go there. I equated size with blessing and notoriaty with ministry acumen. 

Okay, so I was wrong! Size is wonderful and God bless the megachurch! But here we are, a little tiny flower in the wilderness of eastern LA County. God blesses! I hope to share how in the coming days, and hope to get ideas how to do this better.

Blessings!

Ron Spence

Thinking of Blogging

Here we go!

I have never blogged, so I may get this wrong, but I guess that might be the point. To begin with, I have to warn anyone reading that I might break into spontaneous poetry at any time, for no obvious reason. Sometimes for me, this is a more economical way of sharing my thoughts. In any event, let's begin there.

So, here I am...

thinking of thinking

I am thinking of thinking

A thought about thinking

A thought about thinking

What I should do now.

And pausing to pause

While I consider considering

Acting on action

A plan put in place.

Maybe by waiting

And gazing at options

The problem will vanish

At least for a while.

But while I procrastinate

That thing is growing

And while I am fiddling

My Rome is in flames.

So now that I’ve thought

I think I will do it

And least moving forward

With some sort of plan.

And maybe I won’t be

The perfect solution

But at least I will know

That I gave it my all.

While cowards hope someone

Will finally do something

The heroes are in there

And giving their all.

And when it is over

the smoke barely clearing

the victims and victors

emerge from the fray.

And who are the ones

Who regretless are standing?

The ones who turned thinking

to doing, and more! 

let me know what you are thinking, I will do my best to do the same.

RG