Spring fever is everywhere. Swings and slides are full at area parks. Bicycles and sports equipment have migrated back into the yard. Co-workers spend part of their lunch outside and then look for any excuse to blow out of the office early.
Nowhere is the itch of the season more pronounced than when you talk to a teacher. Students and teachers alike are counting down the days to the end of the school year. Final projects and papers are in the queue. Field Days are scheduled, not to mention year-end parties and graduation celebrations. Both children and adults lost focus weeks ago and they are marking time until summer release.
Just because class will be in recess doesn’t mean that learning will cease. Often, our greatest lessons come from beyond the traditional classroom.
We have a miniature chalkboard on our kitchen counter where we leave inspiring quotes, Bible verses, and notes for each other. This week, our 6th grader wanted a turn sharing some wisdom, so he grabbed a chunk of sidewalk chalk and scribbled,
“Thinking is not doing.”
BAM! What a word of challenge! I’m really good at thinking and contemplating. I’m a pro at praying and making plans. But too often that is where my response ends.
We’ve seen the backlash around these kind of impotent well wishes. When disaster strikes, some send “thoughts and prayers,” but are unwilling to send assistance or work for reform.
Jesus spent much of his time in thought and prayer. He was frequently found praying and connecting with God in quiet moments, but that was only part of his formula for loving. Equally as often, Jesus was in motion. He talked, healed, comforted, accompanied, led, equipped, and taught.
He even told one follower the importance of a holistic approach to ministry. Jesus said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39).
What if this summer, in addition to thinking about doing something, you would actually do something? What if you tapped into your passions and put something in motion?
We’re doing it at church. We aren’t just thinking about loving and serving God, but we’re leveraging dollars, muscle, and prayers for what God is up to in our corner of the world. We’re not only thinking about being drawn into a deeper relationship with God, but we make the effort to get out of bed and make worship a priority in our busy lives. We’re not only thinking about making our campus more welcoming and hospitable, but we’re committing three year pledges to a capital campaign for renewal and expansion. We’re not only thinking about making a difference for those with food insecurity, but we’re planting, watering, weeding, and harvesting vegetables for those who would otherwise go without. We’re not only thinking about helping the homeless population in Butler County, but we’re making beds, preparing meals, and spending the night with new friends. We’re not only thinking about the importance of equality, but we’re marching as allies with the LGBTQ community in the Cincinnati Pride Parade. We’re not only thinking about making disciples, but we’re sending twenty people to Houston for a transformational week of serving and learning.
For more than a month, now, we’ve been praying, “Lord, what do you want to do through me?” It’s time. Let’s step forward in faith and join Jesus in the restoration of the world.
Pastor Lowell