Bobby was a farm kid who went into town to see the circus. His father gave him a dollar with instructions to spend it wisely.

Bobby ran to town, found a roadside spot, and watched amazed as the parade passed before him. As the last clown brought up the end of the parade, Bobby rushed forward, handed the clown his dollar, and raced home to tell everyone about the circus.

But Bobby hadn’t seen the circus, he’d only seen the parade!

That’s how it is sometimes with church. We go. We feel good about going. We think we’ve seen or heard it all. But we’ve only seen the parade. The big show happens when we go home and live it out for the rest of the week.

This is Howard Butt Jr. of Laity Lodge. Church isn’t just some place to go, it’s something you are—something you are seven days a week. And that is the high calling of our daily work.

“He said, ‘Go and tell this people: Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’ “— Isaiah 6:9