Hypocritical. Rude. Apathetic. Lazy. Weird.
These are all words that I've heard Christians use (ok, I've probably used them myself...) to describe the Church. When it comes to spotting ways that the church is not very much like it's founder, we're all experts. "The church needs to focus more on missions" "the church doesn't evangelize enough" "the church uses it's money unwisely" "the church is ineffective"
Everybody has their one thing that the church is doing wrong. And honestly, I had one too, until recently when God showed me how prideful I was.
You see, I thought, "If the church would just focus more on God they'd be so much more effective." But did you catch what pronoun I just used? "they" But since when is church anyone other than it's body of believers of which I am a part? Therefore, am I not a very player in the church that I am criticizing? So shouldn't the accusation go more like this, "If I would just focus more on God I would be so much more effective"?
I started to realize that every time I thought the church needed to do something, I should first ask myself, "What am I, as the church, doing?" We cannot disassociate ourselves from the very body of the church when we want to criticize but still receive the prize of being the Bride of Christ.
You see, we're not all separate little Christians who can look at each other and say, "I wish you'd do that better." We're all together being the body saying, "I'm going to do better and encourage you to follow me as I follow Christ" knowing that since we're all connected, if I'm doing better in Christ then the whole body is doing better.
We are the Church. You are my brothers and sisters in Christ. And while I may not agree with what you're doing right now, I need to trust that God is doing a work in and through you and pray he does the same for me. I cannot criticize the church down the road for something and not be criticizing myself because I am a part of the Church of Christ, and I'm connected to the body down the street and the body meeting in Asia in an underground church.
When we criticize the church we are criticizing the very bride of Jesus Christ. While I'll be the first to admit that the church is not perfect and could always be doing something better, we must realize that the church is what God's heart is for. He designed it to glorify Him and to bring the world to his Kingdom. God loves the church and so should I.
To sum it all up, listen to Lecrae say it all better than I did:
The Bride
post script- Do not take this the wrong way. I in no way mean there should be no reflection on how the church could do better, by all means find ways that we can do church better. I simply mean discouragement, rudeness, and anger towards the church should be eliminated and replaced with LOVE which includes discipline at times and speaking the truth in love.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
"Would You Like a Refill, Honey?"
I've asked that question so many times, I'm sure my roommate would tell you I say it in my sleep.
Having been a server and many times felt the brunt of people who don't know how to tip well falling on my section I feel as though this post has been long in coming.
For those of you who have never been a server, it's my personal opinion that you should. I cannot tell you how humbling of an experience it is to wait on a table hand and foot, be yelled at for doing nothing wrong, not be able to defend yourself, and rely solely on people's generosity for your paycheck. While it teaches you humility to be a server, it also teaches you how to treat your server when you go out.
So here it is: How to Make Your Servers Day Better.
While no server should ever complain about their customers (because hey, it's our job, deal with it) there are many many ways that you can make your servers life a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable. I believe as Christians everything we do reflects Christ in us and so how you treat your server is actually important. Just because you're the customer doesn't mean the world revolves around you and your server is the scum of the earth. They're a person, you're a person. Show love.
Always remember: Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind.
First off, don't suggest a table to sit at unless the place is like totally dead. There are these things called sections and your servers rotate as to who gets the next table. When you demand to sit in a certain place you throw off the entire chart and mess up the rotation. Just sit where the nice host tells you too, it will be alright.
Next, be patient. Most people don't realize that on average a server could have from 4-6 other tables that they are also waiting on. They'll get to you as soon as they can. Don't go out to eat if you only have 30 minutes, because you'll be stressed out, your server will be stressed out, and it will not end well. Leave plenty of time to enjoy the experience, and your server should be plenty available.
Be kind. I cannot tell you how many times I got to work in a good mood just trying to please my tables when out of nowhere they're yelling at me and snapping rudely when I did nothing but ask them how their meal was. If you've had a bad day and are going to be rude, go home, take a bubble bath and drink a glass of wine. Stay away from people because your server has probably been on their feet for like the last 8 hours and just wants to go home. Say "please" and "THANK YOU!" Don't be on your phone when they want to take your order. Seriously, how rude. Treat them like you'd want to be treated, it really shouldn't be that hard. They are a person, and Christ died for them too. Act like it.
Be clear. Don't order one thing, change your mind, order something else, and then order the first thing again. You're gonna end up with the wrong meal and you're going to be annoyed, and your server's going to be annoyed. Just be very clear about what you want. Your server isn't a mind reader, tell them clearly and plainly what you want, and say it kindly. Also, don't add and subtract a million things from a place, if it's not on the menu, we don't make it. This isn't a specialty food shop and if you don't like what's on the menu you should have gone somewhere else.
OK, tipping. This is probably the most important as our money follows where our heart is. If your heart is for your server, then tipping should be easy. But if your heart is where your wallet is, then don't go out to eat.
Let me start by saying this (and I was shocked that most people don't know this) minimum tipping wage is $2.13 which means that your server really doesn't make any money other than tips because that 2 dollars an hour goes straight to taxes most weeks. If you don't have enough money to go out to eat, get what you want, and still leave a tip, then don't go to a place with a server because you're creating a big problem for your server when you don't tip (like an "I can't pay rent this week" kind of problem). Tipping is also a big reason I think everyone should be a server at some point in their life. 20% is good, but honestly I think 25% is better. Like I said earlier, if you don't have enough money to go out and leave a nice tip, go to a self-serve place. Never leave less than $2, even if your bill is somehow like 8 or 9 bucks. If you were a difficult table (which I told you not to be) leave an even nicer tip, bigger group? bigger tip. Waiting on a large group is super time-consuming and your server seriously deserves a nice tip for putting up with you. (side-note: call ahead if you're a group larger than 10. It's just really nice).
There are many other things that I could mention, but really if you just start to think of your server as a person that God loves and so should you, then you should be fine. Ask them how their day is going, pray for them when you pray for your food. Leave them a nice note saying how awesome they were. Lift people up. "Some people go to beautiful places, other people make a place beautiful." Be the kind of person that makes a place beautiful with the way you treat others.
PS- Never ever ever ever ever leave a tract AS a tip. I've seen that turn away so many people from Christ and it seriously makes me very angry. If you're going to leave a tract you better leave a really nice tip to show that you're legit.
Having been a server and many times felt the brunt of people who don't know how to tip well falling on my section I feel as though this post has been long in coming.
For those of you who have never been a server, it's my personal opinion that you should. I cannot tell you how humbling of an experience it is to wait on a table hand and foot, be yelled at for doing nothing wrong, not be able to defend yourself, and rely solely on people's generosity for your paycheck. While it teaches you humility to be a server, it also teaches you how to treat your server when you go out.
So here it is: How to Make Your Servers Day Better.
While no server should ever complain about their customers (because hey, it's our job, deal with it) there are many many ways that you can make your servers life a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable. I believe as Christians everything we do reflects Christ in us and so how you treat your server is actually important. Just because you're the customer doesn't mean the world revolves around you and your server is the scum of the earth. They're a person, you're a person. Show love.
Always remember: Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind.
First off, don't suggest a table to sit at unless the place is like totally dead. There are these things called sections and your servers rotate as to who gets the next table. When you demand to sit in a certain place you throw off the entire chart and mess up the rotation. Just sit where the nice host tells you too, it will be alright.
Next, be patient. Most people don't realize that on average a server could have from 4-6 other tables that they are also waiting on. They'll get to you as soon as they can. Don't go out to eat if you only have 30 minutes, because you'll be stressed out, your server will be stressed out, and it will not end well. Leave plenty of time to enjoy the experience, and your server should be plenty available.
Be kind. I cannot tell you how many times I got to work in a good mood just trying to please my tables when out of nowhere they're yelling at me and snapping rudely when I did nothing but ask them how their meal was. If you've had a bad day and are going to be rude, go home, take a bubble bath and drink a glass of wine. Stay away from people because your server has probably been on their feet for like the last 8 hours and just wants to go home. Say "please" and "THANK YOU!" Don't be on your phone when they want to take your order. Seriously, how rude. Treat them like you'd want to be treated, it really shouldn't be that hard. They are a person, and Christ died for them too. Act like it.
Be clear. Don't order one thing, change your mind, order something else, and then order the first thing again. You're gonna end up with the wrong meal and you're going to be annoyed, and your server's going to be annoyed. Just be very clear about what you want. Your server isn't a mind reader, tell them clearly and plainly what you want, and say it kindly. Also, don't add and subtract a million things from a place, if it's not on the menu, we don't make it. This isn't a specialty food shop and if you don't like what's on the menu you should have gone somewhere else.
OK, tipping. This is probably the most important as our money follows where our heart is. If your heart is for your server, then tipping should be easy. But if your heart is where your wallet is, then don't go out to eat.
Let me start by saying this (and I was shocked that most people don't know this) minimum tipping wage is $2.13 which means that your server really doesn't make any money other than tips because that 2 dollars an hour goes straight to taxes most weeks. If you don't have enough money to go out to eat, get what you want, and still leave a tip, then don't go to a place with a server because you're creating a big problem for your server when you don't tip (like an "I can't pay rent this week" kind of problem). Tipping is also a big reason I think everyone should be a server at some point in their life. 20% is good, but honestly I think 25% is better. Like I said earlier, if you don't have enough money to go out and leave a nice tip, go to a self-serve place. Never leave less than $2, even if your bill is somehow like 8 or 9 bucks. If you were a difficult table (which I told you not to be) leave an even nicer tip, bigger group? bigger tip. Waiting on a large group is super time-consuming and your server seriously deserves a nice tip for putting up with you. (side-note: call ahead if you're a group larger than 10. It's just really nice).
There are many other things that I could mention, but really if you just start to think of your server as a person that God loves and so should you, then you should be fine. Ask them how their day is going, pray for them when you pray for your food. Leave them a nice note saying how awesome they were. Lift people up. "Some people go to beautiful places, other people make a place beautiful." Be the kind of person that makes a place beautiful with the way you treat others.
PS- Never ever ever ever ever leave a tract AS a tip. I've seen that turn away so many people from Christ and it seriously makes me very angry. If you're going to leave a tract you better leave a really nice tip to show that you're legit.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Actions Speak Louder Than Words. Especially When You Aren't Saying Anything.
Today, as I came home from work my heart was a little bit heavier.
You see, today I met a woman while I was sweeping up the dining room at CiCi's. She and her son were the only people left in there and so I was in the process of flipping chairs and sweeping away the day when she walks by and says, "You're working hard, I hope those Liberty kids don't come in here and ruin it for you." I chuckled thinking she was exaggerating and hoping/praying/begging that she was a Christian and didn't really dislike LU. After all that our conversation went like this:
Me: "Yeah, that would be unfortunate. I don't think they'd mess it up though."
Her: "Oh, honey, those are the most inconsiderate group of college kids I've ever encountered they'd probably take down your chairs and dirty your clean floors."
Me: " Well some of them maybe, but I don't know that they're all that bad. Some of them are pretty nice, don't you think?"
Her: "Nope. I have never once met a Liberty student that wasn't rude."
Me *dumbfounded* *goes back to sweeping while trying not to cry because this woman hasn't experienced Christ's love through his very body that lives next door to her. A body that should be 12,000 strong loving on her showing her she's valuable, and yet she has been left with a bad taste in her mouth that may never be changed.
Dearest fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not how it should be! To echo Paul's words to the Ephesians (4:20-24) "But that is not how you learned Christ! assuming you were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off the old self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." When we're found in Christ we must leave behind our old selves, things such as pride, lust, lies, selfishness, greed, all these things are to no longer be a part of who we are. We should be new creations in him, full of love and ready to give that love to others no matter what the cost. And this type of love should be what comes across to people in every single action that we take. I bet the LU students that left a bad taste in her mouth have no idea that whatever they were doing was causing a stumbling block for this woman, because I doubt they were making a conscious effort to do everything they did for the glory of the Lord. But everything we do, every action we make, someone sees it and is impacted by it- either for God's glory or not. Now, I also would bet that this woman HAS encountered many a good Christian LU student, BUT she didn't know it. Why? Because we keep our mouths shut. I'll do something nice for you, but I won't tell you I did it in Christ's name and because God loves you and I wanted to show you that. Yeah, I'll buy the coffee for the person behind me in line, but I won't tell her it's because God has blessed me and I want to pass it on to her and that God loves her too. You see, when we keep our mouths shut we miss out on a huge opportunity to show people that our God is not only worth sacrificing for, but he's worth speaking up about.
Someone once said, "Proclaim the gospel, and if necessary use words." And while I totally agree with this statement's point that we should proclaim the gospel by the way that we live, I think it misses the mark when it says only use words if necessary, because that's like telling a newscaster to tell the news without using words. Words are powerful and when our actions back them up they're even more powerful.
You hold more influence in people's lives than you probably realize, and if you wear the name of Christ, people will be watching the way you walk. "Be careful then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the most use of the time for the days are evil."(Eph 5:15-16) Put thought into how you will show Christ today, think about how your actions impact others for Christ. Be aware that everything you do reflects the God you serve and be willing to answer for why you live that way. Don't hide it and wait for someone to ask why you just bought them lunch, or held the door for them, or smiled at them; tell them! Bless them in God's name. Don't let people just think that you're a normal good person, let them know that you're a sinner changed by the amazing grace of God!
Let your actions and words speak loudly for the God who gave his Son to save us!
You see, today I met a woman while I was sweeping up the dining room at CiCi's. She and her son were the only people left in there and so I was in the process of flipping chairs and sweeping away the day when she walks by and says, "You're working hard, I hope those Liberty kids don't come in here and ruin it for you." I chuckled thinking she was exaggerating and hoping/praying/begging that she was a Christian and didn't really dislike LU. After all that our conversation went like this:
Me: "Yeah, that would be unfortunate. I don't think they'd mess it up though."
Her: "Oh, honey, those are the most inconsiderate group of college kids I've ever encountered they'd probably take down your chairs and dirty your clean floors."
Me: " Well some of them maybe, but I don't know that they're all that bad. Some of them are pretty nice, don't you think?"
Her: "Nope. I have never once met a Liberty student that wasn't rude."
Me *dumbfounded* *goes back to sweeping while trying not to cry because this woman hasn't experienced Christ's love through his very body that lives next door to her. A body that should be 12,000 strong loving on her showing her she's valuable, and yet she has been left with a bad taste in her mouth that may never be changed.
Dearest fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, this is not how it should be! To echo Paul's words to the Ephesians (4:20-24) "But that is not how you learned Christ! assuming you were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off the old self which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." When we're found in Christ we must leave behind our old selves, things such as pride, lust, lies, selfishness, greed, all these things are to no longer be a part of who we are. We should be new creations in him, full of love and ready to give that love to others no matter what the cost. And this type of love should be what comes across to people in every single action that we take. I bet the LU students that left a bad taste in her mouth have no idea that whatever they were doing was causing a stumbling block for this woman, because I doubt they were making a conscious effort to do everything they did for the glory of the Lord. But everything we do, every action we make, someone sees it and is impacted by it- either for God's glory or not. Now, I also would bet that this woman HAS encountered many a good Christian LU student, BUT she didn't know it. Why? Because we keep our mouths shut. I'll do something nice for you, but I won't tell you I did it in Christ's name and because God loves you and I wanted to show you that. Yeah, I'll buy the coffee for the person behind me in line, but I won't tell her it's because God has blessed me and I want to pass it on to her and that God loves her too. You see, when we keep our mouths shut we miss out on a huge opportunity to show people that our God is not only worth sacrificing for, but he's worth speaking up about.
Someone once said, "Proclaim the gospel, and if necessary use words." And while I totally agree with this statement's point that we should proclaim the gospel by the way that we live, I think it misses the mark when it says only use words if necessary, because that's like telling a newscaster to tell the news without using words. Words are powerful and when our actions back them up they're even more powerful.
You hold more influence in people's lives than you probably realize, and if you wear the name of Christ, people will be watching the way you walk. "Be careful then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the most use of the time for the days are evil."(Eph 5:15-16) Put thought into how you will show Christ today, think about how your actions impact others for Christ. Be aware that everything you do reflects the God you serve and be willing to answer for why you live that way. Don't hide it and wait for someone to ask why you just bought them lunch, or held the door for them, or smiled at them; tell them! Bless them in God's name. Don't let people just think that you're a normal good person, let them know that you're a sinner changed by the amazing grace of God!
Let your actions and words speak loudly for the God who gave his Son to save us!
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