Too Many Bible Studies

The average Christian attending the average church has an overload of ministries with which to be involved.

I have not been to a church (and I have been to many) that does not have some announcement on stage or in the bulletin pleading for helpers with the children's ministry, the ushering or church maintenance or the greeting team, the witnessing team, the prayer team, or in the office, or organizing some new ministry, or they just need someone to throw out all of the uneaten muffins from Costco that was served in between services.

Not only is there almost always a shortage of people helping out, but there is quite often a deficit in the new building fund, the food bank, and the missionary boxes.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of us attending the Sunday evening Bible study, the midweek study, the men's study or the women's study, or the teacher training class, or the church bbq, church conference, church retreat, or the baby shower for the lady in your midweek group, or the birthday party for your child's friend in Sunday School, and I'm beginning to feel a severe headache coming on so I'm sorry but I won't be able to attend the required church member's meeting tonight.

What has happened to us?

The women's bible study is perhaps the most laborious of all.  There is nothing wrong with women getting together for fellowship or to study the bible, but there are just too many of these groups.  Quite often a church with a very small attendance will be sure to not only offer a midweek morning women's study, but an evening or weekend women's study as well in order to fit in to schedules.

And where is all of this bible studying getting us?

In the Bible we find many examples of women's ministries but of a different sort:  Esther was a patriot and a political representative for her people.  Milcah helped win the right for daughters to inherit their father's land.  Abishag was a nurse.  Deborah was a judge and prophetess.  Dorcas was a seamstress.  Eunice was a bible teacher to her son.  Joanna was a cook and an herbalist.  Lydia was a seller of purple (fabric or the means to make the fabric).  Phebe was a servant of the church.  The Proverbs 31 woman ran an efficient home and a business.

I couldn't find any women's groups studying the bible together, although there was a very small women's prayer group in the New Testament.  Queen Vashti was actually with a group of her women friends when she wrongfully disobeyed her husband and king.

This does not mean that women cannot gather for a bible study or attend a bible college or seminary or teach the bible.  All people are are commended to study God's word and the Bible is full of a wealth of information even for the Non-Christian, which we all need to know.  2 Timothy 2:15 says "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."  In all of our studying however, do we overlook the term "workman"?

The very idea of work might bring a sigh of utter discouragement.  Many women feel overworked and can not find happiness in taking care of their husbands, keeping house and raising children and serving others.  Why is this?  Running a household and contributing to our community contains endless, inexpressible joys for females who were created with strength but also with smaller, gentler hands than men (and with more emotions).

Perhaps our energy is misplaced.  Perhaps we try to do too much.  Maybe we are too involved in too many church activities and this hinders us from discovering that talent we possess that would passionately drive us.

For women, finding our gifts causes our home to come alive as we realize all of the things we can create and design for it.  It would serve to be economical for our families and therefore our society.  It would cause us to give generously and serve our community, whether it be our church, our neighborhood, city, country or the world.

For men, it would bring a healthy pride and accomplishment in his work as he is out crafting, building, thinking, leading and providing for those who need it.  He would be creating and living according to the image of his creator, in confidence and with a feeling of fulfillment.  And this is what it means to further the kingdom of heaven upon earth.

Jesus not only went to church, but he did construction, he taught, he healed people's physical diseases, he fed people, he cried with people, he rebuked people, he told stories, he helped people all the way through the ages to come, and he gave his life for people.  This is how we fulfill our lives as Christians.  This is not a guilt trip for all of the work we are not doing.  Well-intentioned church announcers have already done enough of that.  This is the answer to our personal dilemmas, to our problems, to our emptiness and our confusion as Christians.

The church's purpose is to equip us, to build us up through the preaching and teaching of the word, in order for us go out and minister to others.  The problem is that we are not leaving when most of us should be leaving.  Many of us are still just sitting there, tired from our fruitless ministries to other Christians, as we get fat with inspiration from the bible, the Christian subculture, and the Christian language, while isolating ourselves from and fearing the very place we are truly called - the all encompassing world in which we live.  

Coinciding with the homeschooling and unschooling movement which is breaking away from forced public schooling, I personally think we are going to start seeing a wider range of ministry ideas opening up to church members.  (Another future blog conviction of mine.)  People will realize that there is more to church ministry than just teaching Sunday School or ushering or stacking chairs, much like public school students think their only options are to become a doctor, lawyer, teacher, or slave.  They will happily discover through trial and error that personal, purposeful thing which pulls them out of bed each morning, and it will actually give them rest and ease their burdens, just as Jesus promised us.

Perhaps God will look upon us then, as a whole, and delight in the body of his son, Jesus Christ, the very one that was already sacrificed for us so generously.  Perhaps God will laugh as we discover the joy that he wants us so much to find as we follow his footsteps in this way.  Perhaps the world won't view us with such contempt as we give our lives to them.  This is something I hope to see more and more.