Last week I stopped in to our local hospital to make some pastoral visits. I had barely stepped though the door when strobe lights flashed, alarms went off and I heard an announcement about code red. Doors were being shut and people were gathering in the lobby. I asked the reception about this and she said , "Have a seat, you cant use the elevators or go walking around." It was the third such event that day. The head of the chaplaincy department soon sat down near me in the lobby and said this is the third drill today. They had a child abduction drill, now this fire drill, and apparently, they had a real incident "alarm"of a person falling just outside the entrance.
I know that drills are a routine part of hospital training. But maybe we need to have some drills in the life of the church. I am not talking about fire or tornado drills or even intruder alerts. Drills are about preparedness so that when critical incidents happen people know what to do and are less likely to be panicked, confused or disorganized.
What drills would we need for the church? Do we have ready responses and procedures in place if someone asks for prayers. (Most of us do have "prayer chains.") Do we have procedures in place to offer hospitality to all kinds of people? Do we know the drill if someone asked about beginning a faith journey or inviting Christ into to their lives. When someone asks for help, do we have resources at our finger tips? I am sure some of you more creative readers could come up with examples and scenarios for the church. Do we know the drill?
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Perfect! We absolutely need the following drills:
Someone asks to pray with you.
Someone says "Who is God?"
A youth says they think the Holy Spirit came into them.
Your testimony to a stranger.
Your testimony to a friend.
But this is all just descriptive. What drills can bear out the transformative power of Christ in our lives St. Francis-style?
Your car gets rear-ended.
A homeless person asks for change.
Someone tries to start a fight with you or mug you.
People around you celebrate news about other people dying.
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