Mary vs. Martha

I was having a serious Mary vs. Martha moment yesterday morning.

We had our quarterly One Service Sunday at church which means that instead of two services, we only have one in order to bring the congregation together. The major disadvantage of having two services is that people are generally loyal to one service. Many people, including myself, even tend to sit in the same pew each Sunday. At least I did until I started running the power points and now I sit in the balcony. Although, technically speaking I am sitting in the same spot each Sunday but it is more out of necessity then idiosyncrasy. But I digress.

The first One Service Sunday was about a year and a half ago and it was so successful, we decided to have another one, than another one and now we are going to have them once a quarter. Yesterday was the one for the spring quarter.

One of the highlights of One Service Sunday is that we always have a meal after the service. This way people can really visit with each other as one church family. The meal yesterday was chicken ala king and it was delicious.

I’m not on the committee that runs these meals although I do help out as much as I can. I am involved in so many activities at church that it just doesn’t seem feasible for me to actually join the committee. But anytime they do anything, they know I am available to assist.

This Sunday they had more than enough people to help out with preparing the meal. I did bake the cake (see previous post) but that was all they asked me to do. I did volunteer to help when I first arrived at church but I was told I wasn’t needed. So I decided to attend Bible Class instead.

Unfortunately the Bible Class was in the fellowship hall adjacent to the kitchen where they were working on the meal. Not to mention they were setting up tables in the part of the fellowship hall where we were having the Bible Class.

This is where the Mary vs. Martha moment comes in. Do you know the story?

Jesus went to visit his friends Mary, Martha and Lazarus (the one he eventually raised from the dead – one of his very impressive miracles). Martha was hustling around preparing food for everyone while Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to what he was saying. Martha noticed this and it started to bug her. At first she didn’t say anything but finally it really started to bother her. So she told Jesus that Mary should be helping her and that he needed to tell her that. Jesus told Martha that Mary had picked the right choice. That sitting and listening to him was far more important than fixing dinner.

“”Martha, dear Martha, you’re fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it’s the main course, and won’t be taken from her.” Luke 10:41-42 (The Message Bible)

Well for me, sitting at the table attending Bible Class was what Mary would have chosen. But the “Martha” in me wanted to be helping with the meal. I tried to pay attention but I kept listening to the hustling and bustling going on in the kitchen and watching the people setting up the tables and I wanted to help. But I was doing the essential thing. The important thing. The thing that will last far after the lunch was done and cleaned up.

It was a major Mary vs. Martha moment. I was really torn. The only reason I even thought of the Mary and Martha connection was because my Pastor pointed out that I could be Mary for once and not Martha when I mentioned that I wanted to be in the kitchen helping. And once he said it, I recognized the dilemma I was facing.

I value Bible Classes and Bible study. I certainly commit a great deal of my time to it. It is important to my life in many ways.

But I also enjoy helping people and serving. I am always willing to assist when I am available to do so.

I guess that is the point right there. I really wasn’t available to do so. I was doing the essential thing. The thing that would benefit me the most. I just needed to relax and accept this.

Did I? Did I relax and accept this. Somewhat. But it certainly was distracting having people work in the same place we were having class.

With this in mind, I am going to recommend that we don’t have Bible Class in the fellowship hall on One Service Sundays. It just doesn’t work…especially for those of us who have Mary vs. Martha complexes.