Effeciency - The Plastic Ware of Christanity

Efficiency. I like efficiency. I take pride in bathing my daughter, editing sermon audio, and text messaging at the same time -- gotta watch for the random splashes of bathwater from my three year old.

Efficiency is critical to production. But it detrimental to relationships -- to discipleship.

One of the most inefficient activities my wife and I devote ourselves to is what we call a New Comer's Lunch. My wife spends roughly 30-40 hours preparing for these meals with new friends attending our church. Today we hosted 28 adults and 10 kids in our home.

There's hardly a thread of efficiency to be found in the event. No pizzas, cans of coke, or plastic forks for our guests. Today we set, served, and washed 28 plates, 28 glasses, and 84 pieces of silverware. There were four courses to prepare, serve, and eat. The New Comer's lunch is as inefficient as relationships. They are slow and costly yet worth every moment and every dollar.

We're often asked if we'll make the lunch more efficient. I don't think we will -- at least not for the foreseeable future. Efficiency is simply not the goal. There will be no plastic ware at our dinners!

I wonder how often I settle for plastic ware relationships and discipleship. A quick examination of my schedule convicts me. One hour for this person. Half and hour for that one. Quick! Get off the phone, I've got email to reply to! Relationships are often handed plastic forks.

I need to learn a lesson from my wife's dinners. No plastic forks allowed when it comes to discipleship...