Don't Ask Me to Lunch

by Linda Ann Francis

I have become deeply troubled as of late as I realize how much we have turned sanctification, something that was intended to draw others to Christ, into something that keeps them away. Through sanctification we are to be made holy, not for our own good or purposes, but that we might more fully reveal the image of Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions, that others would be drawn to the Savior. Unfortunately, we have sometimes instead used it to separate ourselves, to build a fortress that keeps others out.

I have not always been a pastor, or even a Christian. There was a time when I was really quite far from God. By His grace he brought me out of the depths of sin and the life I was in. I am so grateful to those that were Christlike to me in my early walk. They accepted me just as I was. They smiled at me, encouraged me, and told me if I was saved, even for just one day, then I too had something to offer the body of Christ. They allowed me the privilege of giving back to the church even though I had only been saved a few days. They welcomed me in as an equal. I found a community where there truly was no Jew nor Greek, slave or free.

Too many times this is not what I see. In our interest of preserving what we have, holiness, we sometimes shut out those that are drawn to us. We are so set on preserving what we think we have, we have forgotten that holiness belongs to God and flows freely to all who desire it. It is not, nor has it ever been, our possession to hoard. It was supposed to be a message to be spoken. Our tendency is to keep others out so as not to contaminate the message. After all, God has given us, the Church of the Nazarene, a charge to keep and preserve holiness. But I have to ask myself, when that holiness is used as a means to keep people from Christ, rather than draw them to Him, is it still holiness?

I am grieved over too many board meetings where we talk about reaching people just like us. God may send us an unwed mother or two, or an unmarried couple, or some folks that can't quite get over smoking. But these aren't the people we really want in our church. There may be someone He sends us that is needy and we are quick to give a handout, but we don't want to hear what any of these have to say. Once they accept Christ, we keep them at arms length until they are "real Nazarenes." Until they become like us we don't want to dine with them, and we certainly do not want their input on how to run our church or any ministry they would have to offer. Is it any wonder they don't want to become like us?

As a pastor, I get asked out to lunch regularly, but I must say, "Please, don't ask me to lunch." If you can't ask one of the least of these, don't ask me, because I am the least of these. There are those who boast of becoming free from poverty or from their addictions, but I am not one of those. I am who I am only by the grace of God. I may look, talk, and act like a pastor, but that is not my doing-it is God's.

If you can't accept the unwed mother, you can't accept me. If you can't accept the alcoholic, you can't accept me. If you can't accept the poorest of the poor, you can't accept me. If you can't accept the least of these, you can't accept me.

So please, don't ask me to lunch.

 

Holiness Today

 

< back to Archives