There is a website for
everything. I am convinced of this after I searched for light bulb jokes (you
know…how many (insert group here) does it take to change a light bulb) and
found that even this has a website dedicated to it. I searched for light bulb jokes
on different denominations of the Christian faith. This is a small sample of
what I found.
How many Charismatics does it take to change a
light bulb?
- Only one since his/her hands
are in the air anyway.
How many Calvinists does it take to change a
light bulb?
- None. God has predestined when
the lights will be on.
How many Pentecostals does it take to change a
light bulb?
- Ten. One to change the bulb
and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness.
How many TV evangelists does it take to change a
light bulb?
- One. But for the message of
light to continue, send in your donation today.
As you can
probably guess there are many, many more light bulb jokes for the Christian
faith, but I figured you got the point already.
So what about
the United Methodists?
How many United
Methodists does it take to change a light bulb?
- 25. Twelve on the church council
to appoint a task force. Five on the task force to investigate different kinds of light bulbs. One to actually
change the light bulb. Two to worry about the ecological
impact and five to talk about how the old one was better and we don’t need to change the light bulb we just need a renewal
movement of said light bulb.
What you may
ask does this have to do with our ministry, life in Tanzania, or ANYTHING of
any significance on planet earth? It is this.
Methodism is
frequently translated into Swahili as “taritibu” which means process or the
order of doing things. While this is not a bad translation and no one will
argue that Methodists don’t like their committees I had a chance this weekend
to teach the church in Mwanza where the name “Methodist” really came from. I
had a chance to teach about our rich history, how the overhead view of England’s
development and challenges at the start of Methodism can be reflected in modern
day Tanzania, and how this new movement used the means of grace, works of piety
and mercy (among other things) to move forward God’s kingdom in a time when it
was badly needed. We discussed how the name Methodist comes not from our love
of the Robert’s Rules of Order, but from the way in which early Methodists
regularly observed prayer, Bible study, confession, fasting, and helping the
poor among their neighbors.
It was
something that came alive for the church in Mwanza. Earlier that day I had
discussed with the church leaders some of their challenges for ministry. They
included women wanting to study the Bible, but not being able to read or write,
the church wanting to come together for a special day of prayer but people not
being able to take a day off of work or risk the income that allowed their
families to eat. Another, obviously painful challenge, included the frustration
of the leaders who confessed to wanting to help the people in their church
family with food or money for a hospital visit, but not having enough money in
their own pockets to give. These challenges were brought to a new light as we
started talking about the two sided coin of works of piety and mercy, of a
faith that followed the laws of loving God and loving neighbor in a way that
sees both the follower and the neighbors transformed. This church wants to
follow God, but they understand that this means also having the means to help
others.
In the end, as
we were finishing up, I issued a challenge to the church that brings together
works of piety and works of mercy in a way that I think pays strong head to our
heritage as Christians and Methodists. It is a challenge that I am taking up
and that I would like you (who are reading this…yes you) to think about as
well.
I asked them to
pick one day a week to fast. Any money they saved on food that day would go to
the church fund for emergencies which they use for food, hospital bills,
funerals, etc. as people have need. I am starting this today and will be
sending the money I save to the various churches we work with who have an
emergency fund. I would like you to consider the same. Send it the money to a
food pantry or some other ministry that helps people without enough. If you don’t
know one you can always send the money over here. I know plenty of people that
can use it.
How much of a testimony
to our heritage would it be if a whole church did this and could help fund a
food pantry from the results of our fasting and prayers?
I hope that our
heritage as Christians is not just a nice trophy to put on the mantle, but a
living, breathing guidance for our lives today.
**In full disclosure I made up the light bulb joke on
United Methodists. Others exists, but I didn’t like them as much.
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