Defending Your Faith

So I'm still unemployed. Still trying to figure out what to do with myself. The job market is pretty sucky and with a nine year old, my time is kind of limited because I refuse to let him stay home alone on his three-week track outs due to year-round school. I know that when I was his age I was coming home alone, but we were living in a different world then.

I ran in to a gal from church while at the library a couple of weeks ago and we stopped and chatted and she told me of an opening in a ministry at church that I was part of for around ten years. It is a ministry that is very near and dear to me and I figured if I am going to be out of work, I should at least try and find something purposeful to do with myself.

I called the woman I was told to and we set up an appointment to get together and talk. I have to admit, I was kind of unprepared for what would transpire - not because it was so horrible but basically because of my own pride. I was asked to defend my faith, so to speak. How did I become a Christian? What have I been doing with myself to stay in the word? What book of the bible am I reading? What studies am I involved in? What can I bring to the table of this ministry? I mean, I worked in it for TEN YEARS!! Anyone at the church who knows me, KNOWS that I was deeply involved in the ministry. I kind of felt like it was redundant to ask things like that. Now, I know the woman who is essentially interviewing me and although she kept saying things like "I know, but I have to ask..." I still had to answer. When she asked where I had been going to church...well, I had only just started going back to this church a couple of months ago and before that I had taken two years off from going to church.

Okay, here's my problem with that whole line of questioning: First, I was very honest with her in my telling of how I took two years off. I mean, if I am going to work in a ministry that I want God to bless, doesn't it make sense to not start off by lying? She appreciated my honesty but said that others might have a problem with my being out of church for so long. Okay that brings me to the second point: There are TONS of people in churches everywhere, every Sunday, that are NOT there because of their love of God or their need to grow closer to Him. They are there to be seen by others so that no one can say "Hey, I didn't see you on Sunday..." blah, blah, blah. Just because a person is IN the church building does not make them a good Christian. There are many people who come in, stand when they are supposed to, sing when they are supposed to, place their offering in the basket when it comes around, and then go home and beat their families. Or drink until they pass out. Or try and steal from innocent people while on the job. So I'm not seeing why my NOT being in church should count against me. But possibly it will.

I have to admit, I have very strong opinions on that topic because my husband was taken advantage of by MANY "higher ups" in the church. The type of people who stand at the front of the church and LEAD on Sunday mornings and then on Monday are trying to rob from the little guy who is just trying to make a living - and they do it all with a smile on their face. So yes, I have issues. I try not to judge others faith based on Sunday mornings because that all means nothing. How are they living their lives? What is their family like? If you saw them on two separate days of the week, would you see the same person? THAT'S what should be looked at, not where they are on Sunday morning. Anyone can walk in to a building, smile and look like the other hundred people in the room. We should be looking at who they are when they are not in the building.

I'm just saying...

So now I have a book to read, questions to answer and have to get back in to some sort of study so that I can show consistency. I don't totally agree with what they're saying, but it's nothing that is going to hurt me. I mean, really, I enjoy a good bible study. I enjoy growing in my Christian walk. All I ask is that you look at who I am - Stace. This is who I am on Sunday morning, Tuesday afternoon, Thursday Evening, etc. Any time you see me, this is who you get. I am a woman who loves the Lord, who loves my husband, who loves my children. I'm not looking to steal from you, I'm not looking to lie to you. If you tick me off, you're going to know about it. I love my friends and if there is something that I can do to help you, you can rest assure that I will do it.

All Stace, All the Time.