eBay AND MY ELDERS

eBay had a radical idea.  It allowed plain people to sell and trade with no inventory.  Today the world shops eBay.  In general there was never a need to control the shoppers or the sellers.

Why?

One fundamental notion became their model; We believe people are basically good.  We believe everyone has something to contribute.  We believe that an honest and open environment can bring out the best in people.

When I read this quote my thoughts went immediately to Memorial's elders.  This is more than their motto; it is their shepherding philosophy.  When this is practiced--and it does work--one can understand their motto of stay out of the way.  When the elders' role is to stay out of the way of the people, weird and wonderful things happen.

People become creative.  Members seem to lose their fear factor of not doing things good enough.  The results have been our people find reluctance replaced by willing effort.

Long ago Ethel Maynard, Tommie Weaver, and Virginia Cameron thought it necessary to provide food for funeral families.  They have been at this special service for a looong time now.

Norm and Merilyn Herron had an idea.  They began a Food Pantry years ago.  It flourishes involving a host of Memorial's members plus volunteers from the community who want to pitch in.  We didn't see the latter coming.

Michelle Bowers had an idea of beginning a clothing drive once a month for those standing in line to get food.  Success.  Success.  I doubt the elders made a decision on this.  Rather, they were as encouraged as anyone that this work would begin!

Ethelen Magnusson and Ellie Miller directed our Resource Room for teachers for decades.  Today Trish Jones and JoDelene Hutchison have taken the organizing baton and run with it.  I'm sure the elders learned of this responsible and productive transition the way the rest of us did.  They saw them working.

And then there're Eric and Jenny Connel who began Project Tulsa to take food and water to the homeless.  Aaron and Lea Henley, simultaneously, started Imgonna which reaches to a nearby apartment complex filled with kids. 

Pam White and Mindy Willman recently designed a new Prayer Room of meditation and prayer.

Memorial Drive is made up of people who believe in people.  It is a robust place.  We inherit this ability to serve from our elders.  These guys are not permission givers and would be irritated if they thought we thought so.  Rather, these four are just as eager and just as enthused as the rest of us to find out new ways the team is approaching the Tulsa community and the whole world.

I doubt Clint Davis and Janyt May sought the elders' permission before they each tackled Uganda.  It isn't that our shepherds are against being in on exciting plans, etc.  And, they are surely interested when guidance would be sought.  It is just that they believe in the flock.  They behave as if they think we can get stuff done.

AA meets here Tuesdays and Fridays.  It was the calendar that allowed that to happen.

Oh yes, this week we learned the Cubs Scouts are using our building on Monday nights beginning in October.  There's more.  We are grateful.

This eBay concept of believing in people originated with God's call to each of us.