Up Close

Ellis’s was one of the restaurants I used to call on in Spartanburg when I worked for Southern Wines & Spirits. It just so happened that this particular account was one of my favorites. In 2001, Mitchell, the chef and owner, said he had received two free passes from a client for the final round of the Master’s Golf Tournament. Mitchell went on to explain that he knew I played golf and would probably be interested in attending the tournament with him, so he offered me one of the passes. However, there was a caveat. I needed to let him know at that moment if I could attend. I placed the all important phone call home and said “This is not open for debate. I will not be in church on Sunday. I have been offered a pass to attend the final round of the Master’s. I will be in Augusta.” This was a once in a lifetime opportunity. Upon passing through the gates of Augusta National I realized I was not in Kansas anymore. Excitement filled the air as people anticipated seeing their favorite golfer. I noticed a couple of things on this day. First, you can tell how popular a golfer is by the size of the crowd following him. I was standing against the ropes of the 16th tee box when Fred Couples walked up and prepared to make his tee shot. All of a sudden the air around me stopped moving, it got hot, and I felt enclosed. I turned around to see what was happening, and the massive crowd engulfed my position. After Fred Couples made his tee shot the wind started blowing again and I could breathe. The second thing very noticeable was how people arrived early to find a location close to the 18th green. There the people sat, and anticipated the action that was at least four to six hours away. All in all, people were excited to be there and wanted to get as close to the action as possible so they could, through their presence, participate in the action.




Not quite the same in the church as it is at a sporting event, or any other type of event that sparks an interest inside us. It is actually interesting to watch a congregation filter in prior to a worship service on a Sunday morning. Mind you this is not reflective of all churches, nor the Church of the Palms. The crowd differs from that of the Master’s because people try to find a seat as far away from the front as possible. Even more amusing is the couple that arrives late and stands at the back looking for a seat and seeing the wife whisper to her husband saying, “I told you we should have left sooner. Now we have to sit up front”. We take our assigned seating in the church very seriously. These are seats that are passed from generation to generation in the same way that season ticket holders for the Greenbay Packers do. Then, if the seats should become available those next in line on the waiting list are given the seats. Why are we afraid to sit so close to the front? Are we scared the pastor is going to ask us to serve? Are we fearful that Jesus might actually reach out and touch us?



God has not called us to a passive faith. In Matthew 10 Jesus sends the disciples out to cure the sick, raise the dead, cure the lepers, and cast out demons. Jesus did not say “Sit here and wait on me. This won’t take long”. Jesus did not send a text or IM to his disciples saying “brb”. Jesus has asked us to sit as close to the 18th green as possible. To get as close to the front as possible so we can be a part of the action. Jesus tells the disciples, including us, we have been given authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, to cure every disease and every sickness. In other words, we are to carry the good news of Christ throughout the world. We are the arms, legs, and feet who physically take care of others. We are the voice of Christ that soothes and comforts others. We are the Body of Christ that is present in the brokenness of the world, showing it that the Kingdom of God is near. Through our outreach in missions others are able to experience the beginnings of eternal life, knowing and anticipating the second advent of Christ. October is mission’s emphasis month for us at the Church of the Palms. Let us show the world how popular Jesus is by the size of the crowd that follows him. Jesus will lead us to where we need to be. There are many opportunities for mission’s work and outreach for us on a local, regional, and global level. I encourage you to seek out those opportunities.