But I Work with Them!

I looked around the room tonight and I realized I was having church with my co-workers  Everyone in the room was someone I work with, or the spouse or teenage child of someone with whom I work.

Besides someone whose career is in ministry, who else only goes to church with people they work with?

HOW  WEIRD  IS  THAT?

The sermon from 12 Stone Church was spot on.  A sermon and a topic I have heard many times before but shared tonight in a practical, experiential way vice just the boring story of the Tabernacle (Exodus 25-40).  

But deep down,  I couldn't get the thought out of my head that these were people I WORK WITH, I shouldn't be doing church with them.   Since when does work and religion mix?  I mean, I'm all about living out my faith and encouraging my co-workers who share with me that they too are Christians, but CHURCH TOGETHER.   That's just another story.   Now, I have gone to churches with thousands of people and if a colleague or two go to the same church, no big deal.   Even if I'm standing up helping to usher people into the throne room  of God through worship...not gonna sweat it but when they are the only other people in the room and their sitting right next to me, or across from me - hmmmmm!

They see me in my element.   They see the real me - flaws and all.  On good days and bad days.  With great customers and with difficult ones.   When I'm tired and worn out and when I've just returned from a three week vacation ready to tackle whatever comes my way.   They've seen me frazzled, dazed, frustrated and irritated.   They seen me at my best and at my worst.   And NOW - they see me at church.

I won't kid you - many memories played in my head with just about every one one of them.   Do I really live out my faith without walking around with a sticker on my forehead that says, Hi, my name is Michelle and I am a Christian.   Is my work life an example of my Christian life?  Are they two in one or am I two different people - the one people see at work and one that people see at church.

As the sermon concluded and the Pastor turned the service over to the "campus pastors" (our "campus" just happens to be thousands of miles away from Atlanta) we eventually went into a time of prayer.  As we shared around the room our prayer requests, my heart suddenly no longer cared who these people were to me other than the fact they were fellow believers with real hurts, real struggles and real pain. I knew about some of them because of the nature of my job, but some...some were personal, raw and vulnerable requests.  I realized no one else in the room appeared self-conscience about the fact we were colleagues, instead they shared as though we were brothers and sisters in Christ, because that's what we are.

As I was leaving, one of the ladies was sharing how she had driven 1.5 hours (probably getting a ticket) to make it to "church" tonight.   It was the first time her and her husband were joining us.  She had asked me several weeks ago if I was still attending a local church and I told her that Friday mornings (the start of our weekend over here) was a little too early to be up and at church 45 minutes away so I had started attending a home bible study.   It's been on my heart ever since to invite her but I was nervous she might say no.  Unbeknownst to me, she reached out to the organizer and asked sheepishly if her and her husband could attend.  At the end of the evening, she said it was because of me her and her husband were there.  Had I never mentioned it, she would have struggled the same as me and just not attended anywhere.

FRIENDS - listen to me....INVITE YOUR COLLEAGUES TO CHURCH!  Don't be shy.  Don't wonder if they will reject your invite.  If the Holy Spirit prompts you to invite someone to church...run, don't walk to invite them.  We live in a lost and hurting world.  People are searching, people are crying out for help, but sometimes they aren't sure what that help looks like.   You may be the only Jesus that some will ever meet.  And once you've prayed together.  Once you've bore one another's burdens, you've fulfilled the law of Christ.   Nothing will bind two hearts like praying together.  

Step out in faith.   Trust the Holy Spirit in your life.   You know what His still small voice sounds like.  You feel His gentle nudging in your heart.   Who cares that you work with them...Be Jesus!