We’re expecting to get 5 or more inches of snow late Wednesday night into Thursday. Last night the local TV station says one computer estimate is for much, much more than 5 inches. We’re already complaining about it. We’re complaining that we still have 6 inches frozen on the ground in some places. We’re complaining that our driveways are still icy and more snow is coming. We’re complaining about a record cold winter. And I’m not blaming anyone for complaining about it. I’m pretty sick of shoveling the driveway. Yet, I know March is only 17 days away. March 1 has always been my “Haha winter, we’ve got you whupped” day. Anything we get in March will be short lived. Crocuses will begin blooming, followed by daffodils, followed by the buds and early leaves that produce Diane’s favorite color of green on the trees. I also don’t think there’s been as much sickness this winter as usual. Whatever your outlook on winter, complaining about it changes nothing. And hear me again, I am not slamming anyone who has been complaining about the weather. I want to get to the point of today’s blog.
We complain about lots of things. You may think today’s blog post is just me complaining about people complaining. If you see it that way, don’t complain about that or we’d have you complaining about me complaining about you complaining. And that game gets too confusing.
Change usually brings about some complaining, too. To their credit, the people of Wesley Chapel have taken the changes so far pretty well. But what’s the alternative? Complain? That doesn’t accomplish anything. There are more changes coming. We’re going to begin a third service, a 9:30 worship in the community room (aka the social hall). I’m not sure how it’s going to work, but it’s going to overlap the 8:30 worship by 10-15 minutes. 8:30 is usually over by 9:45. It’s going to create even more parking issues. This past Sunday our overflow parking lot was unusable due to snow (that *&%#@% snow) and we had to park people in the ‘no parking’ areas in front of both entrances. Now when we face the parking issues in the future, we have two choices. Address the problem and come up with a solution or complain about it.
You can keep complaining about the weather. What I’m addressing here is much more important than the weather. When your church begins a new ministry, I don’t think the Christian thing to do is complain about it. New ministries reach new people. If you aren’t called to be involved in it, then don’t be involved in it. If it inconveniences you a little bit, what’s the Christian thing to do? Paul says in Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think…” When we are complaining, it can look like we think we are more important than we are – and that we should never be inconvenienced.
(And once again, this isn’t a topic directed at the folks of Wesley Chapel, it’s for all of us. I am grateful for faithful readers from at least a half dozen different churches that I know of. Yet if this post bothers you, some might call that conviction.)
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Scott Knowlton's Blog 