Don't (Just) Blame the Goalie

            Last night was not a great night for watching the hockey game. Normally, I’m chatting with friends about goals and shots and saves and footwork and strategy and all manner of the game. Last night, however, our comments were along the line of “Good grief” and “you’ve GOT to be kidding!” – as goal after goal was made against our team. 
            When the score was 4-0 for the other team, our goalie was taken out and replaced… and almost immediately another goal was scored. “UGH” was the next text! And then came… “the goalie deserves better than that.”
            How true… the goalie is the last stage of defence in a hockey game! The offense should keep the puck at the other end, the defence should defer the approach. Yet, despite these 5 other players on ice for the team, the blame often lies solely on the goalie. 
            While we know that the responsibility for a good game lies with the entirety of the team, we also know that the responsibility for good ministry lies with the entire church. It is not just the clergy, or the leaders of the particular groups or committees, who are holding responsibility: we all have a part to play, we all have a role and a calling to be a part of the community. Sometimes we do this in creative and innovative expressions of grace, sometimes we do it by preventing hurtful outbursts of non-Christian behaviour. 

            And following the hockey team analogy, in the church we know there’s a captain, and there’s coaching, for the decisions do need to be made. Yet we also know that there are companions on the journey, and helpers in the role, and the skill to build one another up in the work that we do. 
            However we see ourselves, we know that we are in this together: on our good days and on our less-than-great days. Because God calls for us to be together, to work collaboratively, to live in the community of the faithful.