With the advent

of grass cutting season, watering, and all those extra chores, I thought

it would be a good time to point out the differences between church chores

and church work. They are often confused. At home we understand. The son

goes to work called school, does more work called homework; then, Mom

calls out, "Sammy, dear, come do your chores: take out the garbage,

sweep the front walkway, and clean up your room." Of course, "cleaning

one's room" is an eternal chore for all of us. Mom comes home from

work where she puts in 40 hours a week; it's work. She is able to "bring

home the bacon" because she works. She helps pay the mortgage so

the whole family can have a roof, plumbing, and all those wonderful necessities.

Dad comes home

from work and on this day, his wife presents him with a "list of

chores" that have to be tended: repair a light switch, stop the leak

in the toilet, and cut the grass so the neighbors won't start talking.

Webster says a chore is "the regular or daily light work of a household

or farm." Mind you, doing chores does not pay the electric bill.

Doing chores won't let you pass World History. A daughter can be the best

"chorester" in her class, but if she fails in her schoolwork,

one day she might not be able to pay her rent.

Work pays the

bills. For the farmers of yesteryear, work was pulling stumps, breaking

up the soil, planting the crops, and reaping the harvest. In fact, I believe

the positive derivation of the word "redneck" has to do with

hard work. The farmer, in working with the rich, red soil, would get his

hands dirty; in wiping the sweat off his neck, he would color his neck

with a little red pigment from the soil. Thus, he had a redneck. It didn't

mean he was dumb, but a hard worker.

All that to

talk a bit about work and chores in the church. Far too many church members

confuse church chores with church work. Church chores include cleaning

bathrooms, mopping the kitchen after socials, cutting the grass, cleaning

carpets, giving a room a fresh coat of paint, pulling weeds, opening the

door for guests, passing out bulletins, and all those "chores"

necessary just to keep the church running. If someone in my household

never took out the garbage, we would have a stinky house and nobody would

ever want to visit us and in fact, we who live there would not want to

hang around very long. Very important household chore: take out the garbage.

The doing of

chores in a church is of no less important. Just let a toilet go unattended

for about a week especially after a visit or two you,ve got a high level

problem. No one to give out bulletins? Problem! No one to cut the grass?

What kinds of folks go to that church anyway? Don't they care?

Point: every

member of every church should assume responsibility for doing the chores.

But getting the chores done won't get the work of the church done. The

work of the church involves tough, caring ministry to families in crisis,

reaching out to neighbors to invite them to church, accepting a ministry

to bed babies and children, doing the work of an evangelist, visiting

the hospitals and jails, taking food to the poor. That's the work of the

church.

Handing out

bulletins is a chore not a work of ministry. So, as summer fast approaches,

don't just assume the chores will get done. Pitch in and help. Don't make

your pastor do all the chores. I am sure he's cleaned a few dirty diapers

in his day, maybe one on you. But also, during the summer, don't neglect

the work of the church. It's a great time for planting seeds of the Gospel;

inviting pre-Christians over for a cookout, and then so some harvesting

in the fall.

Chores and

work! Hope this sheds a little insight. By the way, thank you for faithfully

reading my column. Many of you stop me and tell me you look forward to

what my brain cooks up week after week. Keep reading and I hope my brains

keep cooking.

The Rev. Dr. John Hatcher is pastor

of River's Edge

Community Church in Fayetteville.

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