Summer is time for vacations. My family and I just completed a one-week vacation to the Oregon Coast. It was the first time in quite a few years where all five of us were together for six straight days. As a family we’ve made many treks to Lincoln City, so we have lots of great memories. We’ve got our special beaches (D River State Park and Fogerty Beach, south of Salishan). There’s the red-striped candy shop near the Sea Gypsy, the motel/condo we’ve stayed at many times (FYI: The location on the beach can’t be beat, but the rooms are getting a little tired.) We’re all growing to love Tidal Raves, a restaurant in and on the beautiful Depoe Bay. We were blessed with good weather for several of the days, which is always a bonus on the Oregon Coast. Of course, the best part of going to Oregon is reconnecting with family and this past week everyone’s schedule worked to where we were able to see much of our Oregon family.
Everyone together for a week is a good thing, but there are challenges. There are all the decisions which need to be made: what to do next; where and what to eat; what to watch; what game to play; where to shop (remember, I was the only guy) and, of course, everyone has to give their input. I was proud of our crew because we did a good job of decision-making. I think things went as well as they did because we all love each other. With this love comes a level of care, respect and a desire to serve. Things went well because everyone was flexible. There was a willingness to compromise and to go along with what someone else wanted, even when it conflicted with a personal desire.
One of the things about a family vacation, at least in our case last week, was everyone stays together. Literally! We were packed into a one-bedroom condo. One of the benefits of these close quarters is no one can run and hide, or choose to avoid others. When things do become stressful or uncomfortable for some reason, it has to be dealt with immediately. I know we can’t go backwards in history, but one of the downsides of living in our modern world is our mobility. We have so many options available to us to distance ourselves from others. If there’s something or someone we don’t like, or if we’re not getting what we want, or if we get ticked off for some reason, we have the ability and mobility to quickly move away from the source of conflict. If we don’t want to we don’t have to deal with anyone or anything. Reflecting back on the first century, when the New Testament was written, most people lived in a very small world. Without modern transportation and communication technologies, many people lived within walking distance of everyone and everything in their life. When there was tension and conflict you couldn’t run away from it and continue on with your life, you were basically forced to deal with it. It was almost like being on a family vacation.
As I close out today’s blog post, I want to ask a question: What if the church functioned more like a family on a vacation? First of all, I like the idea especially if there’s going to be a greater focus on FUN. It seems like a lot of churches have forgotten how to celebrate and laugh together and enjoy God’s gifts to his children. Second, I like the idea of people being committed to their church family and working through areas of tension and conflict. When people begin to distance themselves from their church family or even quit to attend another fellowship, they’ve missed an opportunity to grow in Christ. I am not so naïve to think they’re aren’t good reasons for someone to switch churches, because there are, but personally I think most of the time the reasons people leave a church are very selfish and even sinful (fleshly). Most of the time it is Satan who is delighted and God the Father who is disappointed to see people leave their church family. Third, if the church functioned more like a family vacation, there would be a greater focus on the “common good”. One of the characteristics of the modern church is its emphasis on the individual. This stands in direct contrast to what we see in the New Testament. In my next blog post I want to explore this phrase, “common good.” Until then, I want to ask that you pray for me as I experience post-vacation re-entry and return to the office today. Grace and Peace!
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