Do Something Nice for Your Staff

By any standards it was an unusual friendship. He was the church organist; I was a sixteen-year-old high school student who lived on the margins of the church. He was at home in the world of Bach and Beethoven; I was at home in the world of basketball and baseball. He was the consummate dresser, always looking dapper with expensive ties and complementing handkerchiefs; I wore jeans and wrinkled polos. He was always appropriate; I enjoyed being a bit “off the wall.” He had a reverence in worship and life; I had an unmistakable irreverence about nearly everything except sports. And yet, we were friends.

I observed him early on from afar. I was in the youth choir, ostensibly to placate my mother. However, the truth was that I enjoyed the music and the fellowship I found there. I watched him as he patiently played through rehearsals; I watched him as he took direction from several different sources – the Minister of Music, all sorts of soloists, and, of course, the Pastor. I was amazed at his ability to make worship flow smoothly. Sometimes, he would merely catch a subtle nod of the head by the Pastor, who wanted to extend an invitation; sometimes it would be an unnoticeable glance by the Minister of Music to speed up or slow down, and sometimes he would cover a soloist’s gaffe in his/her singing by simply improvising a chord or two to get them back on pace and pitch.

Looking back, I find it strange that we became friends. It would have seemed that the last person in the world I would have wanted to be associated with would have been the church organist. I ran in a pretty fast crowd, known for its rough and tumble nature, always a bit too bawdy, and most certainly conscious about fitting in with the rugged independence of West Texas. And yet, he became my minister. I tested him early on, sharing with him some raw descriptions of life in high school. He didn’t blanche at some of my statements, nor was he judgmental. He just listened. I had to push him for his thoughts. And when he shared them, he had a sensitive wisdom that allowed me to consider his ideas on my own. Over the final years of high school I found myself going to him on a regular basis for insights and guidance. He was, in essence, my pastor.

Over the years I have observed how different people are drawn to different ministers on a church staff. Some gravitate toward the Pastor, but some are drawn to other ministers. I have always thought that to be a gift of genius from our magnanimous God. Different personality types require special attention and spiritual guidance. Isn’t it good to know that one person doesn’t have to be all things to all people?

My initial encounters with our UBC church staff have been good ones. Each member of our ministerial team has unique spiritual gifts and a winsome personality. I am quite taken by their sense of calling in wanting to flesh out the character inherent in a Christian community. However, my hunch is that we often take our staff for granted, simply nodding our approvals at their work and worship. Let me offer you a gift. Take some time today and pray for a person on staff. Better yet, go out of your way to do something nice for her/him. It will make a world of difference. Most good ministers I know will tell you that one little “atta-boy” or “atta-girl” can fuel a week of ministry with grace. And here’s the gift: your small act of kindness will be multiplied on staff to dozens of acts of grace, the kind of grace that is truly amazing.