Instant vs. Slow Drip.

Anyone ever had instant coffee? As a kid, my parents had it when camping. I tried it one day. It is disgusting! And why? It is INSTANT, and anything mix-and-serve is never a good idea.

So then...Have you ever noticed the difference between a cup of coffee from a slow drip brewer vs. a cup from an quick drip? With the schedules and meetings and rush, there is rarely time for a slow drip machine these days. And to be honest, the quick drip machine can give you some pretty good coffee!

But...There is something unmistakable when it comes to the slow drip. It gives the water and grounds time to really mix and blend. It allows more time for the aroma and flavor to mature and come alive. There is just something so much better when it comes to the slow drip process. The result is unmistakable.

Now lets look at church today.

We want things our way, in our time and QUICK!

When it comes to growing a ministry or congregation, we want to see it explode with growth and be able to reap the rewards right away. Really, if you talk with anyone in ministry, (despite what they might say) that is the deep down desire.

We want to sound super-spiritual and say "We are willing to do what it takes to insure the depth and deep roots necessary to make this ministry what God has destined it to be!" (Actually, that is the rhetoric of pastors and ministry people that have fledgling ministries or congregations to make is sound good. ;-)

But what is the reality? There are those rare (and let me emphasize rare) ministries that explode with growth and get all the attention. They are asked to speak at all the conferences and events and are the poster children to how it can be done. The reality is, most of us will never, ever see that.

Here is my revelation:

For most of us, me included, what God desires is a slow drip ministry. He could allow us to have fast growing ministries with lots of people, but what would happen in time? What kind of roots are there? How deep are they? What happens when the conditions get rough, is the ministry able to go to the deep reservoirs of water with the deeply embedded roots to find the life sustenance needed? Or would the roots be shallow and wide and dry up when hard times hit?

Unfortunately I see this often. A mile wide and inch deep.

God has not called us to this kind of community. He has called us to a community of depth and vibrancy, deep roots and rich flavor. We can settle for instant community, or we can take the long, slow road of investment and time..bucking the nagging voices to do it quick and stay the course of methodical investment.

I have not had the fortunate experience to see Re:Wired be one of those ministries that just shot off and became an instant success. It has been a hard, long road. But the stories I hear and the methodical God that keeps drawing new people in one by one to be added to our community.

Slow enough for them to be known, invested in and become a part of our family.

Then the roots grow.

The right elements mix, and it becomes strong and rich. The process never ends,

but the flavor is unmistakable.

It is the flavor of our transforming God!