Every Family Has Chores

Last updated on: October 5, 2018 at 12:29 am by Scot McKnight

Every Family Has Chores 2018-10-04T12:30:48-05:00 Scot McKnight

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

By Mike Glenn

When I was young, I couldn’t wait until I grew up. When I grew up, I told myself, no one was going to make me do chores ever again. When I was big, I wouldn’t have to mow the grass before I went out to play, or empty the trash before meeting my friends for pizza. When I was grown and on my own, I’d never have to clean up my room or make my bed.

Boy, was I ever wrong. Well, not totally wrong. I mean, if I didn’t want to empty the garbage, I didn’t have to. If I didn’t want to clean my room, no one would yell at me. Nothing would get done, but no one would yell at me. I found out what everyone who grows up finds out – you still have to do chores. The only difference is when you’re grown and don’t do you chores your mom doesn’t bail you out.

It’s a hard lesson, but one that everyone must learn. Life has chores. Period. They aren’t fun. They aren’t sexy, but they have to be done nonetheless. You can only mash down the garbage in the can so many times before you create an even bigger mess. You can only wear the same pair of socks for so long before you have to break down and wash your clothes.

Chores. They’re just part of life.

In trying to find words to describe life together in the church, Jesus chose the image of family. The terms “brother” and “sister” carried a very deep meaning for Jesus. In Him, people from all over the world – from every tongue, ethnicity and social strata – became family. In our world of fractured families, we’re rediscovering the value of church as family. Every week, I get to see this miracle happen in my congregation. Children find new grandparents in the senior adults of our church. Solitary individuals find friends who become brothers and sisters – family. One of the great mundane miracles of the faith is Jesus will restore to His children the family they need.

Another reason Jesus used the image of family is every family has chores. If you’re a guest, you don’t have to do chores. No one will ask you to help clear the table or wash dishes. No one will expect a guest to wash the linen they used or the towels they got all wet. No, if you’re a guest, you don’t do chores.

But if you’re a member of the family, you’re going to have to pull your weight. Now, your particular chores may vary – some are inside and some are outside – but everyone will have at least one. The rest of the family will count on you to do your chores, and if they don’t get done, the whole family suffers. In fact, it’s an insult as a member of the family not to have to do any chores. It either means: a. you’re not family; b. you can’t be trusted; or c. you’re incapable of doing anything the family needs to have done.

This is the other reason I think Jesus chose the image of family to talk about life in the church. Families have chores. The church has chores. If you’re a member of the family, then as a member of the church, you’re going to have chores to do. Why? Because the church family needs these things done.

In today’s churches, we talk a lot about spiritual gifts. We believe every person in Christ has been given certain abilities, talents, and resources necessary for the church to achieve the kingdom mission. The problem with our emphasis on spiritual gifts is that people, once they understand their spiritual gifts and its application, assume they can ONLY work in areas where their spiritual gifts apply.

So, if someone is needed in the nursery, people assume because they don’t have the gift of teaching or the passion for pre-school, then they don’t need to help.

Sorry, but no one has the spiritual gift for chores. If you’re a member of the family and you see something that needs to be done, you do it. Sure, it would be nice if that was your spiritual gift, but it’s not necessary.

Most of us are familiar with the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet in John 13. The story is usually told to emphasize the humility of Jesus, and following, the needed humility of all of the leaders in the church. True, but there’s also the humble reality of knowing that washing the dirty feet of the disciples would be necessary for the disciples to relax and focus on their meal together.

Washing the disciples’ feet was the next thing that needed to be done. So, Jesus did it. When the disciples saw Jesus taking on the role of the servant, they learned a lesson that would later come to define leadership in the church. Leaders do what needs to be done, regardless of their rank.

Every church I know complains of needing volunteers. Don’t let your church be one of those. If you see something that needs to be done, you don’t have to form a committee, just get it done. Pick up the discarded bulletins, rock a child in the nursery, take a meal to one of your shut-ins.

Yeah, I know it’s not fun. It’s not sexy…it’s a chore, and every family has them.

And if you’re a member of the family, you’ve got them, too.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 4, 2018

Who is this Jesus? (RJS)

Next Post

October 6, 2018 Weekly Meanderings, 6 October 2018

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Acts of the Apostles Adam Advent Anabaptism Angels Anglican Apologetics Atonement Baptism BCP Prayers Bible Biblical Studies Birds Blogging Bloglossary Bonhoeffer Books Calvinism Christianity Church Church History Coffee Colossians Commentary Recs Conversion Creation Creeds Culture Death Ecclesiastes Economics Education Embracing Grace Emergent Emerging Movement Eschatology Essays Ethics Eucharist Evangelicalism Family Fasting Fathers Fellowship of Differents Footsteps Tour Fun and Whimsical Gospel Grace Happiness Heaven Hell Holy Spirit Irenaeus James Jesus Jesus Creed Job Justification Kingdom of God Law Lectures Lent Liberalism Love and Marriage Mabanteneni Manhood Mary Miracles Missio Alliance MissioLife Missional Missional Jesus Movies and Film New Perspective Northern Seminary OneLife Origins Project Orthodox Parables Pastor's Spouse Pastoring and Leading Pastoring and Preaching Patristics Paul Paul-John Tour Pharisees Pietism Political Theology Prayer and Formation Preaching Problems for Faith Psalm 119 Psalms Public Issues Purgatory Religions Resurrection Revelation Romans Rule of JCreed Science and Faith Sermon on the Mount Sports Ten Commandments Theology Third Way Top Ten Lists Translations Uncategorized Universalism University Ministry Way Out Weekly Meanderings Wisdom Women and Ministry Work Worship Writing & Blogging Youth Ministry

Select a Month July 2021 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 0000

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Multitudes of locusts came in waves—the cutting, swarming, hopping, and destroying locusts. What did this plague foreshadow?

Select your answer to see how you score.

An invasion God's wrath The day of the Lord A famine