Category: Doormat Christianity

Guide to Being a Doormat — Part Two

A March for Jesus
A March for Jesus (Photo credit: lyan_cruz)

A doormat is like clothing; it takes a while to get broken in right. I ordered a hat early 2006 that commemorates the Asusa Street Revival. If you don’t know about that bit of Church history, here’s a highlight from Wikipedea:

“The Azusa Street Revival was a historic Pentecostal revival meeting that took place in Los Angeles, California and is the origin of the Pentecostal movement. It was led by William J. Seymour, an African American preacher. It began with a meeting on April 14, 1906, and continued until roughly 1915. The revival was characterized by ecstatic spiritual experiences accompanied by miracles, dramatic worship services, speaking in tongues, and inter-racial mingling. The participants were criticized by the secular media and Christian theologians for behaviors considered to be outrageous and unorthodox, especially at the time. Today, the revival is considered by historians to be the primary catalyst for the spread of Pentecostalism in the 20th century.”

Back on task. This hat was stiff, and sat a bit uncomfortably on my head. But I really liked it, and wore it anyway. Despite being really old, as my kids’ say, I missed the Azusa Street Revival and the Centennial celebration. But at least I could wear the hat. I wore it in the rain a lot and it softened up some. I wore it while driving truck, while putting tarps over loads. My sweat soaked into the head band and softened that part nicely. The top flattened out after it got squashed too many times, yet it looked much better, really. Being black, and made from cotton, it faded slowly over time. Sweat eventually soaked through the band to the hat’s material, staining it in jagged lines of salt. It’s still a favorite hat of mine, but sits not-so prominently displayed, beneath a few other hats in my closet. It is still a favorite, as it shall be always.

The thing is, usage is part of life, and has a way of breaking things in, whether it is a hat or a doormat or even a person. Use makes things better–before it wears them out. There’s a story about two opera critics speaking about a particular singer. One comments that the woman’s voice is exquisite. The other agrees, but qualifies that saying there is something lacking, too. The first critic thinks about it and agrees, saying that in time, with sorrow and pain, that missing quality will be found, and then she will be flawless, divine.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?

Romans 8:35

So. After all the abuse, all the issues, all the problems associated with the ministry of a being a Doormat Christian, we will still be like the wise virgin who is allowed to enter the Wedding Feast and celebrate with the Groom. There shall always be some oil left in us.

But. But when a wife is told by her pastor she is to obey her husband in all things, that this is scriptural, must she do so always? Regardless? Children are to obey their parents, but must they suffer abuse? Husbands are to love their wives, but in all things? Does love mean unequivocal obedience? These are questions about limits. I have questions about limits. According to scripture, we must obey the legal, political leadership in a country, and as lots of pastors will preach it, these powers are selected by G-d. Yet we all know that Daniel refused to bow to an Earthly king, and his refusal to do so is now scripture, too.

It occurs to me that Daniel’s insubordination is taught in Sunday School as a good thing, while the sermons we often hear as adults tell us how we must be in total submission.

Gotta Go!

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Guide to Being a Dormat – Part One

Doormat made of coconuts fibre.

A doormat holds a very important place in a household. Doormats come in a variety of styles, yet all serve two primary purposes.

First, doormats are the first line of welcoming, greeting, guests approaching the home. As you walk toward a home, regardless of size, one generally approaches a doorway of some sort. The doormat lays inconspicuously before that door. You don’t see it from afar. It’s not a signal, yet to enter one must first step upon the doormat. We look before we step, or probably should, so we see the doormat. It welcomes. Some even say so, having “WELCOME” emblazoned upon them. Others have the household owner’s surname printed on it, which I suppose is to imply the family greets you.

Second, doormats provide a valuable service of cleaning the feet of those who would continue into the home. Some are small, thin, with many different colored pieces of cotton rags tied together that easily collect dirt as feet are swiped across. Some are bristled to more easily scrap mud off of boots. Others lay flat, but are soft enough to care for even tender bare feet of those who remove their shoes before entering.

Doormats are also symbols that allow us to silently perform our scriptural responsibilities.

Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

1 Peter 5:14

If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.

John 13:14

So. Within the Church we add Doormats to five-fold ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds (pastors) and teachers that enable the Saints for the work of Messiah. (See Ephesians 4:11) We provide a valuable service as human doormats, Christian doormats. We go to Church with warm smiles on our faces, singing hymns, listening to the preach tell us how much more we can do, we can endure, for the sake of the Church. We encourage of neighbors. We feel badly when we make a mistake. We try hard to please. We always seem to have a great day. We are always blue sky and sunshine.

As good doormats we smile warmly as we allow people to step all over us, wiping upon us their mud and muck. This is our purpose in life. We quietly refrain from complaint. If we are injured, we simply suck it up, smile, and accept lots more. We take emotional abuse from any and all, and say we are dying to self by not complaining, by not fighting back. The verbal poison people spew out, we gladly accept. If we pray hard, we will be rewarded in the end. We turn the other cheek seventy time seven times every year, year in year out. We internalize the abuse until our bodies rebel and we become ill, disease. And then we suffer in silence because we are doormats and doormats remain quiet.

And when we hear the Groom finally arriving for the wedding celebration, we give our extra oil to the foolish ones who’ve not come prepared. We help them light their lamps. We help them rise up from their sleep. And finally we turn our own lamps up and rise so that we might at last enter the Wedding Celebration.

Will we have enough oil in our lamps?