I am an amateur woodworker. Several years ago I began woodworking as a hobby; just for fun. As most amateurs do, I began by taking on a much too adventurous project; I built a blanket chest for my son. I have to say that it turned out well, but it has all of the marks of having been made by an amateur. Over the years my skills have improved. I have built a number of other pieces of furniture, as well as many smaller projects. Most of them have turned out well. Their beauty though is due far more to the quality of the material I had to work with rather than the quality of the workmanship. Each of my projects bears the tell-tale signs of an amateur craftsman; a joint that is not tight, a chip in the wood, a rough edge.
Jesus came into our world to proclaim and establish the Kingdom of God on earth. He entered enemy territory and established a spiritual beachhead. He brought with him all of the raw materials needed to develop the Kingdom of God on earth. For three years he arranged his spiritual workshop; putting the tools in place to create something amazing. Then on Easter he entrusted it to a bunch of amateurs. The master carpenter stepped aside and gave these less than skilled men free run of his workshop. What is even more amazing is that he expected them to create something beautiful and amazing.
There were professionals that he could have enlisted. The priests, scribes and Pharisees were, after all, trained religious practitioners. They had all of the right credentials. Many of them had honed their skills over many years of practice. They knew how things should be done. Yet they were unprepared to receive the new power tools of faith. Their “old wineskins” had no room for the new wine of the gospel. So Jesus turned to the amateurs.
As the church was born and began to develop it bore all of the marks of amateur craftsman. There was much enthusiasm at first. The church exploded with growth beyond expectation. But that rapid growth highlighted the flaws in the craftsmanship. These amateurs made bold moves and bold mistakes. The connections in new relationships were not as tight as they should have been. So the Apostles learned to slow down and divide up the labor. Some tried to take short-cuts and the disciples had to go back and make repairs. Yet they continued to produce something of amazing beauty; something so beautiful that people were added to the church daily. It was not the skill of the craftsmen coming through; it was the beauty of the raw materials entrusted to them. The beauty patiently waited to be revealed through the sometimes clumsy hands of the amateurs.
You would think that as the church developed God would move more in the direction of enlisting professionals. But that is not what He did. He continued to take the beautiful hardwoods of the gospel and make them available to an ever going shop class of amateurs. There were some pros among them, but even they knew that they were being asked to perform way above their skill level. Paul talked about that in his first letter to the Corinthian church. He boldly reminded them that they were all amateurs.
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NIV)
Through the hands of these unskilled workers, God has produced something truly amazing, the Church. The Church has always been its strongest and most beautiful when its members remember they are but amateurs. The Church has gotten into trouble when its members embrace the role of professionals. As professionals pride emerges and disfigures the work of God. Make no mistake; the Church bears all of the marks of amateur craftsmen. Things are not as tight as they should be. There are still many rough edges and chips. Yet in spite of these things God produces a work of beauty that still attracts people from every tribe, tongue and nation.
I have been a pastor for a long time. It is both my occupation and my vocation. I have become skilled at some aspects of ministry and am still learning others. Many people look at what I do and credit me with the skill of a professional craftsman. But make no mistake; I am still an amateur. My skills are rough and unpolished. I make many mistakes along the way. Yet God has entrusted to me such awesome and beautiful raw materials that even in my unskilled hands something of eternal beauty is created. I stand in awe in the midst of the master carpenter’s workshop and marvel that he allows he access to his power tools. I am humbled and delighted to be an amateur in the service of the Master.
Let us never forget that we are all amateurs.
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