What Ministry Really Is

As a ministry we are reminded constantly that we need to stay on course, stick to our defined mission, and keep doing what we do best.  In a normal world, in a normal time, I couldn’t agree more. But what do you do when, all of a sudden, “what you do” simply can’t be done?  I suppose you could throw up your hands in frustration, or maybe you could go on vacation.  But what COVID-19 has taught us is that ministry is not really about what we do, although we are called to do specific tasks, and to do them to the very best of our abilities.  No, ministry is about who we do it for, and more importantly, Who we serve.

Back in March we quickly learned that our normal outreach to families through home visits, school visits, Bible clubs and the like just wasn’t going to happen. So we asked the simple but dangerous question, “what do you actually need?”  It was at that point that we realized that what they needed was food, and that they needed it soon.  So we got to work, stopping our normal activities, and putting our efforts into raising funds for food and distributing that food to our kids and their families.  By doing so, we met an immediate need, and at the same time continued to carry out our mission of bringing hope.

What we've learned during this pandemic is that our mandate to serve and bring hope can and will take various forms depending on need.  Our continued mission is to bring hope to the hopeless in every situation, by whatever means necessary, so that all may experience the love and grace of God. Our ultimate calling is to bring hope through service to others, and more importantly, to grow God's Kingdom through service to Him.

Come Now, Let's Settle This

Come now, let us reason together.... Is. 1:18 (ASV)

My first job out of college was as a teacher in an inner-city school.  During my first year I was introduced to what was, for me, a totally new concept: the celebration of Black History Month.  Every year I learned something new about black history, and to this day things come to mind that help me understand the African American culture.  It is safe to say that without that experience, my understanding of African American culture, as limited as it still is, would be far less.

There is something really important about coming together to openly and honestly discuss issues that divide us.  It all begins with listening to each other (really listening) so that we can begin to understand each other, which leads ultimately (with a lot of hard work) to reconciliation.  As a ministry, we always focus on listening to those whom we believe God has called us to help, those individuals who find themselves in very vulnerable situations, for whatever reason.  By listening, we begin to understand their situation, what led them to the place they are in, and how we might be able to help.  When we understand them (and how they think), we can do a much better job of providing what is really needed, and not just what we think is needed.  Forcefully sharing our perspective is never the best way to do ministry, nor is it the best way to mend relationships.  

In the midst of all the turmoil in our country, what's needed most, on every side, is humility.  Putting aside our needs so that we can actually listen to our hurting brothers and sisters requires us to take our eyes off ourselves.  It is my prayer, and the prayer of our ministry, that we can all put our own needs (and even our opinions) aside and help others with significant needs, whether they are living next door, on the other side of town, or on the other side of the world.  Please join with us in prayer for our country and for the children and families we serve in Africa.

Isaiah 1:18 reads a little differently in the New Living Translation than it does in the translation above, but I think it says what we all need to hear: Come now, let’s settle this.  As the body of Christ, we have no other options.

The Bare Necessities

Recently in a neighboring state, an unsuspecting Walmart manager caused an uproar by deciding that baby strollers were not essential.  Perhaps he didn't need a stroller, a baby monitor, or a crib, but let me tell you, some people absolutely do.  And boy, did he ever hear about it....

At the same time, I was asking one of ECM's country directors about the hardships faced by those in his country, and about the items that were most necessary during this difficult time.  Funny, he didn't mention baby strollers, or a lot of other things that we might have mentioned, for that matter.

He said food.  His people needed food.

Now, I know that food is not the only thing that people need, but his answer sure did highlight for me a stark difference between our countries.  No one in America would say that we don't need food. Of course we do.  It's just that we always have food.  It's just a given to most Americans, even during this pandemic.  It's like saying that oxygen is essential to life.  It's true of course, but really, when was the last time there wasn't any?

His answer also highlights an important aspect of ministry to the human race: meeting physical needs.  When he expressed to me the need for food, he wasn't saying that spiritual needs were not important, and he wasn't even implying that they are not most important.  He was just saying that right now, food is more important than Bibles or sermons, neither of which you can eat.

Don't get hung up on trying to figure out what the necessities of life are, and which are most important.  I for one would not like to be a Walmart manager trying to decide what is essential for an ever more aggravated US population! As Christians, we are called to meet needs when and where we see them.  See a hungry person, feed them.  See a poor person, clothe them.  See a person hungry for truth, tell them about Jesus.  When you meet these needs and countless others, you are sharing the good news of Jesus with a world in need.  And that, my friends, is essential.

It's Good Friday. So What?

"God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8 NIV)

The calendar says it's Good Friday, and that Easter is just two days away.  But all I hear on the news is COVID-19 this, coronavirus that.  Wear a mask, don't wear a mask; don't shake hands with anyone; and by all means, stay six feet away from everyone.  And please, please stay inside (unless what you've got to do is really, really important, like buying mulch for landscaping your yard, or running to the store to get that chocolate bar you've been craving, or getting take-out for dinner from your favorite restaurant).  Yet we are supposed to remember that today is Good Friday, the day Jesus died.

Well, it is true that we have been hearing a lot about death lately.  Mortality rates, death counts in every country under the sun, and fear that only comes when people begin to consider the possibility that they might be next.  We are certainly afraid of death.

So the question comes to my mind: why did Jesus actually have to die?  I certainly know people who are uncomfortable with the idea.  Frankly, I am uncomfortable with the idea. I also know people who outright reject the notion that God requiring Jesus to die for us is like, the best plan?  Really? Surely God could have come up with a better idea.  Couldn't he have just said, "OK, it's all good.  No, really, I've got this taken care of.  You're all in!"  It sounds good, and there are many days I wish it were true, especially when I spend time with really nice people who won't accept the message of forgiveness and salvation through Christ.  But the problem is, it just doesn't match with what the Bible says about God.  He is loving, yes, but he is also just.  He is holy and righteous and cannot just ignore sin.  So, as much as I would like that to be different, I can't change who God is, at least not without changing what Scripture says about Him.   

I'm no theologian, but it's pretty clear to me what the Bible is saying.  By ourselves, we just don't make the grade. (You can read for yourself in passages like: Leviticus 11:44-45, Isaiah 6:3-5, Leviticus 17:11, and Romans 3:23-26.)  But what is also clear to me is that God loves me and has made a way (see Romans 5:8) for me to be saved.  It's not really my place to question his methods, as much as I might wish for other options.

So today is Good Friday.  Jesus had to die because God required it, based on who He is.  But the key here is that God did make a way for us.  It's there for the taking.  In the midst of COVID-19, when fear is the emotion of the day, we can find peace because someone else died for us.  So when we die (and we will die, if Christ doesn't return first), we have nothing to fear. Because of Christ, this is a very, very good day, indeed.

Lord, We Want Our Sight

As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

“Lord,” they answered, “we want our sight.”

Matthew 20:29-33

What comes next in this story is critical for followers of Christ.  Let me start by telling you what does not come next:

Jesus looked at the men with great indignation and told them, "Oh foolish men! Why are you so short-sighted? I have come to bring you hope for eternity, so cast your vision for what is to come, not on what you may see today!"

And the men rejoiced as they continued in their blindness, knowing that someday they too would see.

Could Jesus have said that?  Yes, he had the right to say it, and there are certainly places in Scripture where he points people away from today and toward eternity. But his response in this situation (and in many situations in Scripture) was very different.  Instead of ignoring the men or downplaying their need, Matthew tells us that Jesus

"...had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him."

Jesus cared about those with physical needs and almost always did something about it.  He didn't preach to the men, he just healed them.  But don't miss what came next: they followed him.  That's what often happens when we consistently do good things for others in the name of Jesus.  They follow him.  And isn't that the ultimate goal?

When God Says No

"...having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word."

Acts 16:6

Why would God keep anyone from doing something good? From doing even what he has commanded us to do?   From doing something as important as sharing the good news in a hurting world?  Let's be honest, that doesn't seem to make much sense.

I suppose the easy answer is, "God's ways are mysterious, and we cannot understand them." I'll be the first to say I can't argue with that.  But there is, of course, a better explanation.  God has a plan much bigger than our "moment in time."  While something might seem good, it may not be best.  It may not even be close.  With our limited sight, however, we don't see what is around the corner, or what may come tomorrow.  

There are three things we can take from this truth that will help guide us in decision making:

• Right thing, wrong time.  Timing is critical for the effective leader.  Pushing forward with the "right thing" when the timing is wrong will lead to disasterous results.  Be patient, seek God's leading, and be willing to wait for something better than you could have imagined.
• Doing that "right thing" may not actually be worth the effort, time, and funds.  Some things might be right and good, but not part of your organization's overall plan and vision.  "Stay in your lane" at all times. Easier said than done, but vitally important in the long run.
• God may very well have something even better than you could imagine.  If he is telling you not to do something that may to most seem good and right, you would be wise to listen.

In Acts 16, God wanted the team to avoid preaching in one area because of a greater need elsewhere (v.9).  They responded to the need unhesitantly.  The rest, as they say, is history.  What will your history look like?

The Other 5%

It's been said that 95% of what you do today will be good and right.  Congratulations.

Now, what can you do to fix the other 5%?

That may seem a little harsh to some of you.  After all, anyone who is getting it right 95% of the time is beyond successful!  But this statement is not about achievement, it is about improvement and growth.  A person who not only wants to succeed but also wants to be their very best can never rest on prior accomplishments.  There is always another mountain to climb or sea to cross.

We are called to grow in our faith, and while our works don't save us, we understand that what we accomplish in our works subtly corresponds in some way to the level of our faith.  The greater the faith, the more we should be able to accomplish through it.  As we grow in our faith, our faith should be more and more evident through our works.

And so we strive to accomplish more, to get better at what we do, to improve, not for the sake of our own glory or fame, but because our growing faith demands it.

When things are going well and 95% of the time you do the right thing, you will be tempted to congratulate yourself and take a break.  As a leader of others and a follower of Christ, don't give in to that temptation.  Instead, think about what you can do better, not out of pride or a desire to impress others, but out of a burning desire to use your talents to the fullest for his glory and the growth of His Kingdom.