Pilgrim Place

Too many churches have a lack of direction. They simply don’t know who they are or where they are going. They continue to do the same old thing because that’s what they’ve always done (and probably always will).

It’s okay to do the same old thing if you know why you’re doing it and if those reasons still make sense. Otherwise, it’s like… well, like this story.

The family had gathered together for the big dinner. The main course was ham, as it always was. As husband John’s role was to cut ten inches off the end of the ham before his wife, Edna, put it into the roaster.

He stopped and did something he didn’t do much: questioned why. “Edna,” he asked, “why do we always cut ten inches off the end of the ham?”

“I don’t know,” she answered. “Your mother did it when we ate at your house and I just followed her way. Why don’t you ask her?”

So he did. His mom, Louise, said, “That’s the way your father’s mother taught me. Go ask grandma,” she continued. “She should know.”

So he did. Grandma smiled at his question. “Oh, that’s easy,” she replied. “Our roaster pan was always too small so I had to cut off about ten inches so the ham would fit in the pan.”

John smiled. ‘It made sense to cut off the ten inches when there’s no room in the pan,’ he thought to himself. ‘But we have plenty of room in our pan. I won’t cut it off any longer.’

Tradition for the sake of tradition misses the original point. It shows a lack of direction. We need to know who we are and where we’re going.

Or, to put it in the words of the great philosopher Dolly Parton (okay, no one ever called her that before; perhaps we should), “Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”

Church, find out who you are and do it on purpose — not by default. Makes sense to me!

Regards, in Christ,
PJKreft