Law & Sausage

There's an old saying in the USA, particularly popular among lawyers and butchers (no jokes about how they're one in the same!), and it goes like this: "If you like law or sausage, don't watch either one being made."

I've worked as a lawyer and I've visited various slaughterhouses. I've watched both law and sausage being made. The old saying is a true one. It can be a very messy process to watch either law or sausage being made, but we generally like the end product.

I've decided that ministry is the same way, too, particularly after our Mary/Martha time last weekend. After the Sunday services were over, several people came up to me and told me how much they had enjoyed the music, the teaching, the Christmas decorations, etc. They had no idea how much sweat equity had gone into putting it all together early on Sunday morning. They didn't see the "messiness" that went into "making" the Sunday services, but they did like the end product. A lot. Just like law or sausage.

It's probably unlikely that you will ever fully avoid Mary/Martha moments in your ministry. It's probably unlikely that you will ever fully avoid law/sausage moments in your ministry. But even as you wallow in the messiness of it all, remember that there are still a lot of people who are going to enjoy, and be blessed by, your end product.