On the Line

Ryan and I saw A Chorus Line in NYC this past weekend...side note...can't believe I've been involved in and supportive of theatre for as long as I can remember and have never seen it. Anyway, it's a show about the dancers that fill the Broadway stages. In the Playbill, I read a blurb about the cast that challenged me:

"They have appeared in 87 different shows in which they have given a total of 31,002 performances. Collectively, they have had 472 years of dance training with 637 teachers-- counting duplications. They spend approximately $6,248 a month on dance lessons."

These are people who do what they do because they love it. They invest a tremendous amount of time, energy, and resources into perfecting their art because it's their passion and their calling.

When I think about my passion and calling-- to preach the Gospel and to help others grow in their relationship with Christ-- I feel convicted that I'm not investing anywhere near enough time, energy, and resources into perfecting the gifts that God has given me. Discipleship is both science and art. Both scientists and artists are required to be life-long learners if they hope to succeed in their fields. How much more should we, as engineers of spiritual growth environments and artists of community, be striving to grow in our gifts?