Why Are You Cooking Chili?

Why are you cooking chili?

Rev. Dr. Michael H. Koplitz

Mark 11:15-19

The Temple leaders allowed vendors to set up inside the Temple. A good question for that time would have been why did the Temple authorities allow the money changers and vendors into the outer court. The merchants could have easily set up their tables outside the Temple. A thought is that the Temple was getting a kickback from the vendors. It reminds me of going to a baseball game and seeing the different vendors selling concessions inside the park. There were also vendors set up outside of the park selling concessions. Of course, the baseball team did not get a percentage of the sales outside the park. They certainly did inside the park. Well, the animal sacrifice system created the need for money changers and vendors, just like the need for beer and peanuts (and more) are needed for a baseball game. The requirement was fulfilled by these vendors then and now.

This narrative always reminds me of a story that my candidacy and ordination mentor Brad told me. It is not a perfect match but similar at the same time. Brad was appointed to a church in the York, PA area. Appointments in the United Methodist Church start on July 1. So, Brad went to his new church appointment. Everything was going well until the first weekend in November. A church member came into his office and told him that he was to report to the church’s kitchen at 5:00 AM the following day. Why Brad asked? He said the man looked shocked. He did respond, “to cook the chili for the bazaar.” Brad immediately said, “no.” He explained to the parishioner that cooking chili and the bazaar does not make disciples for Jesus Christ. Therefore, it should not be done. The church had held the bazaar for decades, and the leadership never understood why Brad did not help them cook the chili. The question is, what does the church do that does not make disciples for Christ? Also, why are they doing it?

This narrative begs an answer to the question, “What is the church doing that does not support the mission of making disciples for Christ?” Every church probably has some projects that are not contributing to the making of disciples for Jesus Christ. One church I was appointed to had an annual community invited picnic. The church has had the picnic since 1945. However, the church never gave out information about the Sunday worship nor any other event. Why I asked? I was told that the picnic was not to bring people into the church but rather to raise money for the treasury. The church members did not give a tithe, and the church needed cash. Therefore, the picnic had nothing to do with making disciples for Christ.

A considerable amount of work and money was poured into that yearly event. One year I asked the Finance Chairperson how much did the church earn from the picnic. It turned out to be a small amount of money compared to the amount of money people gave to the event. Let us say the picnic brought in $10,000, but it cost the church $9,000 to make all the purchases and pay for the electricity used. That meant there was a negative cash flow. The church lost money on the picnic when the donations were counted. If the people gave the $9,000 they donated to the picnic directly into the General Fund, they would have been financially better off. In 1945 the picnic did bring in cash. In 2005, it did not.

You are probably wondering why in 2021, that church still holds that annual picnic. The answer is because they have been doing this since 1945. This is not a good reason. In my last year of five at that church, I got the people to allow me to give out flyers about the church and unlock the church doors so that people attending the picnic could see the church. That was a shocker to the leadership. Strangers in the church cried, and they could be using our bathrooms! During the picnic, several outhouses were placed on the grounds. That was not a making disciples for Christ event.

Jesus turned over the money tables and caused a scene to let the religious leaders know that it was not for the LORD but rather for themselves. Every church should examine its entire calendar of events and determine which events are not making disciples for Christ. For each one of them, the event must be changed to bolster the mission of the church. Those events that cannot be changed should be dropped from the church’s calendar.

The shrinking of congregations will continue, thus telling us that the number of souls for Christ is dropping. Folks, it is pouring outside our churches. The idea of waiting for the rainy day is long gone. All the resources of the church must be directed to a common goal of making disciples for Christ. Therefore, examine everything and keep only those things that can make disciples for Jesus Christ.