Black Friday

Each year, on the day after Thanksgiving, thousands of people wake up early and wait in long lines in the cold outside major retail stores just hoping to get a deal on a flat screen TV or a Tickle-Me-Elmo or whatever that year’s must-have gift is.

Several stores opened at 4:00 a.m. this year and Toys-R-Us opened its doors at midnight. The Twitterati reported that there were 1,500 people in line at our local Toys-R-Us store…waiting for toys! If you’ve ever taken part in the Black Friday ritual, you know how passionate people are about this experience.

Part of my responsibilities as a media minister includes arriving at church early each Sunday morning to setup for our four worship services. When I pull in, typically before 6:00 a.m., the only people who are there are the pastor (studying and praying), 1 or 2 of the facilities staff (unlocking doors and turning on lights) and one elderly gentleman who always meets me at the door (gotta get that coffee brewing before the masses arrive!).

I wonder what it would be like to pull into church at 6:00 a.m. this Sunday, Bible and Starbucks in hand, and see 1,500 people waiting in line to get in…waiting to get a gift that isn’t a passing fad and doesn’t need an extended warranty…the most valuable gift ever…Jesus Christ.

Maybe it’s time for us to re-examine our priorities.