Big Crowds..

Preachers are often conditioned to think that big crowds are a validation of worth and significance. We go to meetings and get asked the question , "How's it going?" That is code for "how big is your church," or "are you on the rise or decline", or "are your offerings up or down, "and are the people behind you or are you getting creamed by some hypercritical person or persons.

The answer is usually, "Things are good." We try to be as vague as possible. If we are growing and things are going great, we don't want to sound egotistical. If things are going bad, we don't want to whine.

But it goes beyond Sunday morning attendance. For instance, today, I spoke at two events that were not well attended. One was the Tulsa area Ministers Fellowship. We combine with the local Church of Christ preachers for lunch once a month. One of the guys asked me to talk about the stroke and some lessons that I had picked up through this last year or so. So I showed up. Problem was that most of the guys that attend it did not. There were only 3-4 guys from Christian Churches and about 10 from the Cof C. That is a pretty low crowd. We ate, someone lamented about the lack of attendance ( after all, we are all preachers), and then they turned it over to me. I talked for about 30 minutes. Then we did something special. They put me in the middle of a circle,laid hands on me and prayed. It was a very powerful moment for me. And so meaningful. Most of the guys I did not know, but the encouragement of those moments were very important to me.

Then I had to scoot to a graveside service in Tulsa. I did not know what to expect. I did not know the lady, but her sister, who I had not seen in 10 years or so, called me and asked me to do the service. Davida was 90 years old. Never married. She has two sisters, one in her mid 80's, whose husband passed away 25 years ago ( no children), and another sister in her early 80's who has never been married. They did not live here, but in the OKC area. But she wanted to be buried in Tulsa.

So I went not knowing what to expect. It was the smallest service I have ever done. There were 4 people there. 2 sisters, one cousion and a sorority sister of Davida's.

Prayer, scripture, obituary, remarks and prayer. Took about 15 minutes ( that was me stretching it a bit). But then what happened after was so cool. The two sisters and the cousion and sorority sister started telling stories. That went on for 30 minutes. Then as we left the younger sister said, "That was a great service... I hope you stick around so you can do mine some day." ( I hope so too.)

I thought about both those events on the way home. Both were small in numbers, but powerful in impact. They were personal. They were spiritual moments of encouragement . They were both uplifting. And they both were important.

Sometimes its not the big gatherings that produce the most important moments. I like that about God.... What did Jesus say? "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I will be also."

I like that about God. He wants everyone to be saved... He would love Heaven to be populated with people from every nation, tribe and tongue. But it is not the number that counts. It's the soul.

Good lesson for me to remember as well.