Ok, so I'm running late...

but we're in the stretch run of a missions trip to India, so that's how it goes right now, ha.

About 2 weeks ago Bill posted a blog speaking on the topic of teaching/discipling/etc. and I loved the example he gave. (I won't go over it, if you haven't read it click on the title of this blog to be taken there) I think we as christians have done a poor job of this in the past. And yes I put myself right in the middle of that grouping. Where did we ever get the idea that being a church simply means showing up on Sunday to hear one or two people do everything? We certainly didn't get that example from Christ. Sure he did a lot himself (he was the Son of God ya know). But didn't he send out the twelve during his ministry, and send out the 72 after that? Who fed the 5000? Did Jesus walk around with the basket? And while some may use that to show elder/deacon ministries and argue that Christ did all the "teaching" he only did it for 3 years before turning it over to the twelve right? And it's not because that's when the religious leaders finally had enough and killed him, but because it was God's timing to hand that over to them. Now I'm not saying every pastor/leader should step down after 3 years, please don't misunderstand me. But I don't think it's a model for showing up one day a week and having one person do everything. Fault can be found on both sides of the set-up. Church goers who believe showing up once a week fulfills their call while ignoring the Great Commision, and pastors missing the giftings/callings of their flock while trying to fulfill the "call to ministry" on their own lives.

Now please don't take the previous statements as a rant against the church, it's not. It's more of just and observation. I say those things with no animosity or bitterness, but with love and care. And I don't want to be the type of person who proclaims all the "faults" of others with no offering of an alternative. So here is that alternative. What if we view ministry as more of a parenting model than a ceo type. A ceo has to maintain everything and be the head of whatever organization he/she is heading. A parent raises a child by nurturing, protecting, loving and teaching. A parent takes a child and teaches as they grow, they love and give discipline when needed, as the child grows in understanding and ability the parent allows the child to try things, to gain more responsibility... if the parent doesn't then you end up with a spoiled, misguided child who can do nothing for themselves. An adult in body only. I know a woman who has two boys who are both in college, and she STILL cuts their meat for them. Even at restaurants, in fact they wait for her to do it for them. These aren't your usual wimpy type of man you might expect, both were all-state football players and considered manly men by the community. How sad is that? As they grew older, they should have been able to try and cut their own food. The church has done the same thing. I know a number of guys I went to bible college with who have strong calls on their lives to teach and preach, but have yet to be given an opportunity to do just that in the churches they work in. Sure some have gravitated toward youth ministry because there is an opportunity there, but many feel called to be senior pastors and unless they choose to plant a church or the senior pastor leaves, they won't get that chance. Why is that? Because so many leaders feel that call to ministry, and in order to follow that call they feel they need to start a ministry, build it and then lead it until the end of their days. That is how we measure success in the natural. I am guilty of that myself, I so desperately want to validate who I am and my ministry that the thought of letting someone else do it is difficult.

However, I am blessed to be part of a local body that allows that. I have spoken countless times at all services and been allowed to find who I am in ministry in God. I look back at who I was the first few times I spoke and cringe. There wasn't anything inherently wrong with those times, in fact I spoke just like I was taught at school. The method and set up were textbook... but it's just not me. Now I have found the strengths (and weaknesses) that God saw fit to give me and when I speak I am comfortable with those giftings. And I can't express how wonderful it was to be given the opportunity to find those things out in a safe environment with people who loved me. Should it be any different with anyone who is called to any type of ministry? Instead of viewing Sunday as the point and purpose of our Chrisitan lives, shouldn't it be the jumping off point for going out and affecting the world around us? Perhaps we should redefine our "ministries" as preaching the gospel to save the lost and then raising up and teaching those that are saved to go do that which we did in the first place. When asking my dad about his views on ministry he tends to come back to the phrase "We should be constantly trying to work ourselves out of a job". How scary is that? If I work myself out of a job how will I provide for my family? I mean I'm supported (in part at least) by my salary at the church, if I truly work myself out of a job, what then? At which point, that small still voice says "Don't you trust that I will take care of you? I've called you to this, you don't think I have a plan for this?" Touche.

Ok, those are my thoughts. Hope they made sense. Feel free to share thoughts/concerns/disagreements/etc. And as always be sure to read Bill's blog regularly. God bless.