Character 3: Looking Foolish

Recently I did something that made me look foolish in the eyes of some.

Intellectually, I have no regrets. It was the right thing to do.

Yet, I feel lingering embarrassment. Why is that?

And why am I reluctant to tell you what I did?

A colleague of mine, Doug, regularly places himself in risky ministry situations. Emotionally risky, that is. Often he comes off looking silly, then laughs at himself.

Maybe it’s not that simple, however. At a seminar this summer, I saw him attempt an unscripted role-play in front of 60 peers. It bombed and Doug felt bad.

I and about 59 others were blessed, however — and challenged, deeply, to follow his example.

******

OK, here’s what I did. You pried it out of me:

At the end of a sermon I gave to a congregation of 700, I fell to my knees and begged them to get involved in the ministries of their own church, and not sit on the sidelines.

No big deal, right?

I know. That’s what I keep telling myself.