In favor of small-ness

Most of us cringe over the idea of “Big Government”. We recognize that the bigger the organization, the more impersonal it becomes. Is not the same true of a church?
Do you actually believe that people who do not know the particulars of your personal life can honestly help you when you are facing a big life challenge? If so, think again.

When my wife’s mom was dying with cancer, our small group was amazing. They knew the right questions to ask, the right meals to prepare, they knew how to pray for us. They know how to love us. They could tell when Ann or I were having a bad day. They offered their presence with helping hands, open ears, tearful eyes and traveling feet. . .feet that trod all the way down to Minneapolis to comfort Ann, both before and after her mom’s death. Our small group was the Body of Christ ministering to us in day to day particulars of our lives!

During this time, the church at large offered a significant thing too. They offered their condolences and sent beautiful sympathy cards. They offered help from a distance. And, for this I am eternally grateful. But, the reality is that the church at large could never begin to know, understand or share the particulars of our personal crisis. And, the reality is that without a small group, all aspects of the personal and particular would have gone largely unmet. But, thanks to our small group, the Body of Christ at Hayward Wesleyan Church was able to find its way deeply into the specific needs of personal loss.

Big governments and big churches do some things extremely well. But, the personal and particular issues pertaining to everyday life can only be adequately met through small-ness. There’s no other way. In relational matters, smaller is always better.

Instead of fussing over big-government or mega-churches, be proactive and embrace small-ness within those larger contexts. Immerse yourself in a community and begin making a difference.