| Welcome to the First Baptist Church of Norwich 239 West Main Street Norwich, Connecticut Phone: 860-889-0369 |
Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"Are You A Dabbler or A Doer?"
August 15, 2007
I think she was kidding when she said it. We had just met Tom at the
Lebanon Fair. He was serving up cold drinks from the Baptist Church
booth. I told my wife, Lori, that I knew him from my workouts at World
Gym. She looked at me with a straight face and said, "He goes to the same
gym as you?" I didn't let her smart aleck comment get to me. Tom is in
great shape. I simply replied that "he takes it more seriously than I do."
The truth is that some people dabble in things and other people work hard
to get serious results.
As I walked through the fair grounds I noticed cows and chickens, horses
and all kinds of livestock. Many of them were sporting blue ribbons. They
were raised to compete. These animals were far different from the ones I
grew up with as a boy living in Colchester. We had a small family farm.
My father raised a few cows. We had a couple pigs and a few ducks.
Every year my dad planted a large garden which fed us in the fall and
winter months. I don't think we would have won any blue ribbons. For my
dad it wasn't about winning awards. He simply enjoyed farming and what
it provided for the family.
My dad had a full time job. The farming was something he did on the side.
Although it was hard work some would say he dabbled in it. We knew
other farmers who made a living off the land. They worked hard to
produce. There is nothing wrong with dabbling in something you enjoy. It
adds zest to life. As I walked through one of the buildings at the fair
grounds I noticed several exhibits that had been presented for judging.
Many of them represented the various hobbies people enjoy. These
collections ranged from toy cars to collectible dolls. In another section
there were pies and jams and all kinds of goodies. Sarah Lee would have
been proud. Even dabblers can get pretty good results.
As I returned home the thought hit me that many of us bounce back and
forth between being dabblers and doers in our faith life. Sometimes we live
our faith as if it was a hobby that we enjoy when everything else is done.
We attend worship when it fits into our schedule. We pick up the Bible
when we need a quick hit of spirituality. We pop in to church events when
they are convenient and we get involved in community ministries if they
look fun. Then every once in a while we jump in with both feet. We offer
to teach a Sunday School class. We volunteer to be a greeter at worship.
We join a Bible study group and it seems as though there aren't enough
days in the week to be involved in ministry.
That is how I approach my workouts at the gym. The truth is that in order
to get the maximum blessing in our walk with God, we need to lead a
more balanced faith life. We need to be more than dabblers. Just like my
friend Tom, we need to give our faith a regular work out. Most of us can't
do full time ministry but we can be full time ministers. By that I mean that
we can live our faith every day. We can share the love of God at work, at
school and at home. We can set aside a few minutes every day to pray for
others and to read a chapter or two of the Bible. It is being faithful in the
little things each day that builds our faith and sets us apart from others. So
don't be a dabbler. Be a doer and be a blessing to those you know.
God Bless! See you in church. Cal
August 15, 2007
I think she was kidding when she said it. We had just met Tom at the
Lebanon Fair. He was serving up cold drinks from the Baptist Church
booth. I told my wife, Lori, that I knew him from my workouts at World
Gym. She looked at me with a straight face and said, "He goes to the same
gym as you?" I didn't let her smart aleck comment get to me. Tom is in
great shape. I simply replied that "he takes it more seriously than I do."
The truth is that some people dabble in things and other people work hard
to get serious results.
As I walked through the fair grounds I noticed cows and chickens, horses
and all kinds of livestock. Many of them were sporting blue ribbons. They
were raised to compete. These animals were far different from the ones I
grew up with as a boy living in Colchester. We had a small family farm.
My father raised a few cows. We had a couple pigs and a few ducks.
Every year my dad planted a large garden which fed us in the fall and
winter months. I don't think we would have won any blue ribbons. For my
dad it wasn't about winning awards. He simply enjoyed farming and what
it provided for the family.
My dad had a full time job. The farming was something he did on the side.
Although it was hard work some would say he dabbled in it. We knew
other farmers who made a living off the land. They worked hard to
produce. There is nothing wrong with dabbling in something you enjoy. It
adds zest to life. As I walked through one of the buildings at the fair
grounds I noticed several exhibits that had been presented for judging.
Many of them represented the various hobbies people enjoy. These
collections ranged from toy cars to collectible dolls. In another section
there were pies and jams and all kinds of goodies. Sarah Lee would have
been proud. Even dabblers can get pretty good results.
As I returned home the thought hit me that many of us bounce back and
forth between being dabblers and doers in our faith life. Sometimes we live
our faith as if it was a hobby that we enjoy when everything else is done.
We attend worship when it fits into our schedule. We pick up the Bible
when we need a quick hit of spirituality. We pop in to church events when
they are convenient and we get involved in community ministries if they
look fun. Then every once in a while we jump in with both feet. We offer
to teach a Sunday School class. We volunteer to be a greeter at worship.
We join a Bible study group and it seems as though there aren't enough
days in the week to be involved in ministry.
That is how I approach my workouts at the gym. The truth is that in order
to get the maximum blessing in our walk with God, we need to lead a
more balanced faith life. We need to be more than dabblers. Just like my
friend Tom, we need to give our faith a regular work out. Most of us can't
do full time ministry but we can be full time ministers. By that I mean that
we can live our faith every day. We can share the love of God at work, at
school and at home. We can set aside a few minutes every day to pray for
others and to read a chapter or two of the Bible. It is being faithful in the
little things each day that builds our faith and sets us apart from others. So
don't be a dabbler. Be a doer and be a blessing to those you know.
God Bless! See you in church. Cal
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |