What comes next?

 I just finished watching The West Wing episode where CJ is trying to decide what to do after the White House.  Does she stay on?  Does she work on a Board of Directions?  Does she take ten billion dollars and go fix the world?  Does she play Donna Reed to Danny?

She’s worked herself up into a state of mind where she feels she can’t turn down the President-Elect.  High office in her government.  You can’t turn that down!  He is the President of the United States of America.  You don’t say no to him.  But its not actually what she wants to do.  Could you say no to that?

Now imagine instead of the President, it was the Creator of the Universe asking.  I don’t care what religion or god you believe in, that is not entirely the point.  The Creator of All Things, the Giver of Life has asked you to serve.  Can you turn it down?

This is where the CRC denomination starts to run itself off the rails.  Because its not The Creator of the Universe always asking.  Sometimes its po-dunk, little bitty church in po-dunk, ass-backwards town asking.  It is dangerous to confuse the two, in either direction.  Its dangerous to mistake that little bitty church for the Lord of Life.  But its just as dangerous to mistake the Almighty God for that little bitty church.  The CRC seems to me that it always leans towards the first.  I’m not sure its intentional, but if you have a gift or talent that can serve the church – why are you not doing it full-time all the time and perfectly?  What could be more important, more amazing than serving in the Church?

Except sometimes we mistake serving the church for serving the Church.  I can serve the Church in smaller ways when I’m not actually serving the church on that road in that town.  I can serve the Church by watching a baby while his parents go for a much deserved spa treatment.  I can serve the Church by driving a friend to the airport.  I can serve the Church by doing the dishes for my aunt.  In a million little ways, I can serve the Church but not serve the church.

Just like CJ can serve her county by taking ten billion dollars and building roads in Africa.  No, she’s not in office at the White House and no, she’s not making headlines across the country.  But building a stable African infrastructure could do more to serve her country and the world than all the hours in the White House and all the headline-making.

And so maybe its okay to take a moment and figure out what I want to do.  To stop just going where I’m pushed, answering to whatever calls my name.  That should be simple.  It should be easy.  But its proven to be the hardest thing I’ve ever had to decide.

What comes next?