Just the other night, my family and I stopped by the drive-thru window at one of the few fast-food restaurants in my small town. In order to protect the innocent, I won’t mention which one. So let’s just note that all we wanted was a refreshing dairy treat to perk us up after a tiring evening of running errands.
Now I “did my time” in the fast food industry as a high school and college student, and I know first-hand some of the challenges that these frequently underpaid workers face. But, on this evening (and, alas, on far too many visits to this particular establishment) the staff didn’t appear to be overwhelmed with customers…nor did they appear to be all that interested in offering prompt and courteous service. I waited at the “Order Here” speaker for a full 5 minutes without so much as a “I’ll be with you in a minute.” So I got frustrated…and I left in a huff.
[Thank goodness I didn't make any 'un-pastor-like' comments into the speaker before I drove off. In a small town like mine, news like that would probably get around fast...]
Later that evening, I had a few moments to reflect on the experience, and I found myself thinking: How many people might say that they got similar treatment at my church?
I don’t typically like to think of members of the congregation or visitors to the church as “customers.” Many commentators far more eloquent than I have described the unfortunate results of bringing a consumer mindset into the life of a spiritual community. Nevertheless, it’s probably not too far a stretch to observe that most people show up at our door looking for something (and often something fairly simple): a listening ear, a practical bit of godly wisdom, a friend, a connection to something sacred.
Of course, I’d like to think that we serve all these folks attentively and with grace. But if I’m honest, I know that it doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes we’re preoccupied. Sometimes the place really is busier than it looks. Sometimes we don’t care as much as our Manager wishes we would.
In the end, I was given one more reason to pray for more patience with the person operating the cash register. Who knows, I may be praying that he or she will be patient with me one day. And along with that, I can pray that me and my church will always offer service–humble, Christ-like service–with a smile. I’d hate to think that anyone came through our door and got a “Frosty” shoulder.
