I am a sports fan, and perhaps you are one, too. I don’t follow all sports, but those that I do follow usually involve a team. There is something about a team of individuals coming together for the goal of victory that is compelling. A team is only as good as the sum of all its players. If you have all the right talent at the right positions, great things can happen. What is hard for a fan to watch is a team that has great talent but fails to achieve its goals because some players choose not to give their all to the team. Selfishness, apathy, or immaturity keep some from giving fully of themselves. The hopes and dreams of a team and fan base are dashed even though they had all they needed to be the best.
A parish is a lot like a team. Those in a parish community work together to achieve goals that ultimately lead others to Christ. We come together to give of ourselves to advance the mission of the parish. When we all are committed to fully giving our gifts and talents, fulfilling our position in the Body of Christ, then our hopes and dreams of transforming the world around us can become reality.
However, when we sit out on the sidelines, we hurt our team. When we hold back and choose not to give of ourselves, we diminish what is truly possible for our parish community. I believe God always provides our parishes with what they need to be fruitful and vibrant. His gifts to us exist in each other. If you think your parish could be so much more, than perhaps this week you should call your pastor or other pastoral leader and say, “Put me in coach!”
– Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS