"Not it!" a.k.a. "We"

"1, 2, 3, Not it!"

We started many a game of hide-and-seek this way. Everyone wanted to play but everyone also wanted to hide and not seek so we counted to three and the last person to say "Not it!" was, indeed, "it." The rest of us would hide while the unlucky, slow soul would count to twenty then come and look for us.

In college we graduated to the "nose game." A pile of dishes in the sink, a beer run, laundry, all waited patiently for us to play. One of us subtly placed a finger on her nose. The others would slowly catch on and wordlessly do the same. The last one to notice would be the one stuck with the chore. In groups of clergy we sometimes still play this game when asked who will pray before a meeting.

Before you laugh and reminisce, thinking, "Ah. Those were the good old days." the game of "Not it!" is very much alive and well among adults. Countless times I have had church members email or visit to tell me a new ministry that "we" should be doing: "WE need to start a program for children;" "WE need to offer a Saturday afternoon service;" "WE need to start a capital campaign to build the tennis courts WE so obviously badly need."

Adults love the game of "Not it!" as much as any kid. We approach one another with a great idea (we're sure of it!) and proclaim that this is something "we" should be doing. The remarkable rule to this seems to be that if you're the one to first proclaim, "WE," then you're part of the job is somehow complete and the project now has become someone else's responsibility. The very word "WE" translates to "Not it!" or "Tag, you're it!" as we slowly back out of the room.

Back in the day as a fresh priest, I was eager to serve and made another mistake that echoes from childhood. I thought I had to do it all by myself. Like the toddler in the car seat, I wanted to prove that I could do this ministry thing "all-by-myself!" by donning my crisp white clergy collar and going into the world. If you came to me then, I was more than happy to claim your "we" as my "me." A member came with an idea for the church and I ran with it because, obviously, the priest is the sole person responsible for the execution of ministry.

Now that I've finished laughing OUT LOUD at my old self as described by that last paragraph, allow me to continue. Praise Jesus, enough people kept reinforcing for me that the ministry of the church is mostly the work of the laity. It takes the work of every baptized (and many non-baptized!) person on the planet to make the kingdom of God manifest, even for just one hot minute.

It took nearly a decade of being a priest for me to catch on to this adult version of "Not it!" and learn how to stop it before someone got hurt. Now, when someone comes to me with the grand "We," I make sure they understand it in the plural, not the singular sense. Usually my response begins with, "That sounds really interesting! What are YOUR next steps? How can I help YOU? May I make some recommendations for people YOU can ask to work with YOU?"

We're all on the hook for this one, friends. There's way more work to be done than people energized to do it. We can't sit around and wait for someone else to take our big idea and run with it.

That leads me to the next truth: It was YOUR idea! Don't be afraid of it or reluctant to do the work. No, not every idea that pops into your brain is golden. But taking the lead to explore it with some friends and fellow disciples will discern its worth and allow it to develop. If it's something you really believe in and you're team is on board and energized, then it's worth the work! Don't take yourself out of the game by playing the "we" card. You've got gifts of the Spirit that make you a great person to be first in line to join that "we" you just recommended.

I still love a good game of "Not it!" Our kids are starting to get older and capable of clearing the table and putting up clothes. Pretty soon we'll hear "Not it!" ringing through our house. There are plenty of things I don't want to do and I'm ecstatic that I'm about to be able to farm some of this out to my kiddos under the guise of "teaching responsibility." Already I'm catching myself saying "WE need to. . ." I, too, need to break the habit.

There's no handing off the big work, friends. There's only being honest and empowered by our "we need to. . ." "We" shouldn't equate shouting, "Not it!" and walking away. Instead, the world needs the "we" to be a genuine invitation to join in good and powerful work. We do need a world renewed and transformed by your leadership into whatever it is God has called you to do.