The parson was standing at the cashier’s counter of a local BBQ establishment and talking with the owner, when he saw a friend from long ago coming toward him.
“Ralph, Ralph George, how in the world are you?” the parson exclaimed.
“Wonderful, Parson, wonderful,” exclaimed an old friend of the parson’s from a couple of decades before. They had not seen each other in that amount of time. “How in the world are you?”
“I’m really doing great, Ralph. Are you coming in to eat?”
“I am. I’m on my way to Chattanooga, and stopped by to get some BBQ.”
“Well, come on back; lets find a good table.” The parson looked toward the owner who signaled his permission for the parson to select the table of his choice.
Ralph and the parson spent a good thirty minutes talking and catching up on things. Ralph had known the parson off and on since he began his ministry, but the friendship had become intense when the parson served a church that was central to the community in which Ralph lived. Ralph had never joined - Ralph would never join any church - but he was a consistent supporter of the parson’s church.
They talked of mutual friends. Ralph gave a critique of the church’s history since the parson left. The parson asked questions about different characters who had inhabited the neighborhood when he was there.
After the two had consumed an unforgivable amount of BBQ and downed a considerable but still respectable amount of the establishment’s recommended beverage, each pushed their body back from the table.
“So, tell me, Parson,” said Ralph, “I know you’re retired and you’re just supplying this little church, but it must be a bit of a comedown to pastor such a small congregation after your past experience.”
The parson smiled, “You know, Ralph,” he said, “there’s a big part of me that wants to bite your head off right now.”
“Why’s that?” asked Ralph.
“It’s because you’re reflecting the typical attitude of the church.”
“What do you mean?” asked Ralph.
“When you use the word ‘comedown’ in comparing the little church I’m serving now with the larger ones I served in the past, you reflect that idea that only a larger congregation is successful.”
The parson took a sip of his beverage and continued, “We need to learn to evaluate churches not on terms of size, how much and how many, but on what is being done for the community in which they live..
The parson paused and thought a moment, “Ralph, you know, the little church I serve now could not approach the amount of money spent by those other churches I served, they could not come near being what is normally considered “essential’ to the work of the denomination, but when this little church becomes involved everybody in the congregation is involved. They don’t delegate ministry. They are the ministry. It’s a big difference.”
Ralph smiled at his old friend. “So,” he said, “you don’t want me to send a check; you want me to come and get involved?”
“That’s a plan, Ralph. That’s a plan.
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