The Wehrles

We’ve been spoiled for years by home with in-sink disposals. Now, with all the food scraps rotting away in the trash, the odor in the kitchen is almost unbearable. As long as you keep the lid on the trash can sealed, all is well. But, once you open it, the whole kitchen is smelly for what seems like the next few hours.

So, when I saw the plumbers working on the new house across the street, I wandered over there to get a price on installing a disposal. The response regarding my inquiry was “You’ll have to call the office.” But, our small talk got us around to another interesting topic - work ethic.

Buying a new home exposes you to all types of workmanship. There is the craftsmanship of the extremely talented finish carpenter who trimmed out our house. We have all types of interesting trim and touches such as the swirly details on the end of the stringer of our steps in the great room. Then, there is the less than satisfactory worksmanship of the folks that paved our driveway. The angle at which it meets the garage floor is so acute that normal vehicles bottom out as they enter and leave the garage. (Our van and mini-sub do fine!)

Anyway… the plumbers… As we continued some very interesting small talk spiced up with select explitives, I asked whether they thought they would finish with the home across the street “today.” The response was “We could have been done yesterday, but we didn’t work. Didn’t feel like it.”

Hmmmm… Work ethic. Here are some guys who are very talented and exprienced at what they do. But, one gets the feeling that they do what they do in order to make money so that they can eat and sleep and be entertained one way or another. Some days they probably do a wonderful job. They get engaged in what they are doing and remember the joy of it. Other days, they probably do questionable work. (Anyone got leaks?) And, still other days, they simply don’t work at all.

Now, consider the painter that we hired to paint our home. This guy was prompt. He put on little booty things when he came in our house. He provided a full color folder of odds and ends - a brochure on how to choose a painter, proof of insurance, reference letters, etc. His very pleasant secretary called us every few days after they provided a bid for the job. He visited us again to spend two hours with us consulting us about color - free of charge. That is work ethic!

So… What’s the deal?

Well, small talk with the painter led to my occupation. “I’m starting a new church,” I said. “Do you think you’ll make a difference?” the painter responds with a sly smile. Well, there’s my queue. So, I launched into my talk about Christians lovingly engaging their neighbors and marketplace colleagues, living every moment as worship and building community. The sly smile became a big smile…

“When I wake up in the morning at about 5:30 or 6:00, I ask the Lord to work a transformation in me. I love what I do. My talents and experience are a gift from God. I ask the Lord to use them to transform others.” THAT was the painter’s reply… Oh… and no explitives either, but rather a giant smile and a whole bunch of joy. There’s joy and peace in living for the Lord.

I believe that God uses Thomas not only to transform home through color… I believe he uses Thomas to transform lives through joyous love - love for his work, love for his God, and love for his neighbor.

I really believe this stuff! Jesus wants to walk with us in every moment of every day. The Holy Spirit shapes who we are and guides us and gifts us and give us experiences that God can use to transform us and to transform others. I believe in a church that is present in the neighborhood as its members reach out to those living right nextdoor. As their work ethic dictates that they must pick up the slack and care for the sick, that they must lovingly and gently engage the father nextdoor who is always screaming at her child, that they must invite the single mom to dinner weekly and open their home to her children so she can catch her breath. I think that is the work ethic of the Kingdom. And there is profound joy in this type of loving! I believe in a church that does more than entertain and feed itself on Sunday morning.

So what’s your work ethic for the Kingdom like? Are you like the plummer or the painter? Do you believe that Jesus can use your every moment today? Do you know the joy that Thomas knows?

I want you to pray for us. I want you to pray that the church Jesus begins through us in Cleveland is all about living every moment for Jesus, that we begin in the neighborhood, that we begin in the workplace. Join us!

“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” - Colossians 3:14 and 17