In the restaurant industry employees should never use the word "no" to a customer. No matter how annoying or difficult it would be to complete their request you must comply; with a smile. If a customer asks for something completely unreasonable you simply have to explain that you are very sorry, but there isn't any possibility of completing their request.
For those of you in ministry I'm sure you are aware that you cannot simply comply with every request that is made of you, especially when requests for different people conflict. If every request for a new ministry, change (or reversion) of musical style, and special treatment of one child would be accommodated ministers would find themselves without time to develop themselves spiritually; let alone find time to be with their families. I suppose the greatest difference between the ministry scenario and my current position is that in the restaurant industry you are trying to please individuals, whereas in ministry you are in the business of pleasing God.
It would seem that today we have the idea that everything should be about us, and what we want. This viewpoint seems to have spilled over into our ideas about Christianity. Sometimes we are tempted to view the church in a product/consumer mentality. The ministers are the suppliers of a service that the parishioner consumes, and the suppliers are then compensated by the consumers through "charitable donation". This view is grossly misguided and dangerous to the spiritual health of everyone involved.
What do you think about this? Has consumerism crept into the church? What are some of the repercussions of this thinking?
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