Wait ‘til next year…

Being born and raised north of Clark and Addison, I have been a Chicago Cubs fan all my life. I have heard the phrase “Wait ‘til next year” for 30 years. But I’m surprised how many times I hear it while working in ministry. If something’s wrong or needs changes/tweaks, why do we have to “wait?” Why not fix it now?

Something they never told me about in college was the existence of “sacred cows.” What do bovines have to do with ministry, you ask? Depending on your church, they have the potential to tear down the church. These “sacred cows” need to be dealt with very carefully.

My friend Mike never cared for such things. When he arrived at his last church (he passed away during his tenure), he noticed an organ to the side of the stage at the church. The organ was broken beyond repair and hadn’t been played in close to 3 years. But someone was always “going to fix it.” For 6 months, Mike used the organ as a table to place his water/music/really anything he could find. He was told numerous times that he couldn’t do anything with it. The staff lived in fear of the congregational retribution.

Then one day he snapped. I’m not quite sure what triggered it, but he called me into his office. In his hands were a crowbar and an axe. For the next few hours, Mike had a certain look in his eye…the same look that a 3 year old has before he destroys his classmates Lego creation. As he dismantled that organ piece by piece, I could see the replay of that copier scene from the movie Office Space. By the time we were done, you couldn’t tell that it started out as an organ. I have to admit, I had a good time as well. That next Sunday, no one said a word. It was like the organ never even existed. Mike realized that day that some “sacred cows” are meant to be dealt with.

It’s been 10 years since that organ was demolished. I can’t help but think, what if Mike didn’t destroy it that day? Would it still be sitting there…would it still be “untouchable?”

What are some things in your ministry that are “sacred cows?” What are things that are untouchable? What are some things that you want to change?