Monday, September 24, 2012

Are You a Minister?

One day during a church fund raising event I asked someone to help me who was not doing anything and they responded, "that was not their ministry".  Yes, that's right, not their ministry.  One of the fallacies of the church today is that people say that they are "called" to such and such place or they are "called" to a particular type of ministry.  With much wisdom and experience my spiritual father would tell me my "calling" was always first and foremost to God and my assignment was wherever I was serving.  In other words, the church did not call me to pastor a particular church but God assigned me to that local body until the assignment was done.  Doesn't it make you wonder how the Father could make so many mistakes when people say that they are "called" to a ministry but a short time later it does not work out and they are moving on to their next "calling".  During a camp meeting Bill Wilson of Metro Ministries in New York said he was constantly being asked if was he called to New York and his response was no.  Wilson saw a need and responded to the need, now that is ministry.  This is really an important point for pastors and churches to get.  If God assigns a pastor to a church rather than one being 'called" by a church then the pastor works for and is responsible to the head of the church, Jesus Christ, rather than a church board or a congregation.  I would agree that there is always accountability to a church board but at the end of the day the senior pastor is first and foremost being held accountable to the Father.  This view diminishes the pressure to please men rather than seeking to please God.  Nearly 85% of pastors feel a disconnect from their congregations because what is expected of the pastor by the congregation is not the same expectations of the pastor leading to frustration by both parties. 

So what is ministry?  Since all believers are part of a royal priesthood, ministry has nothing to do with the recognition of status through man inspired traditions such as clergy or ordination; but rather ministry is about serving others as there is a need.  Some examples of ministry would include: giving someone an encouraging word, a hug, handing out water, vacuuming a church building, cleaning toilets, teaching, singing, preaching, answering the phone, opening a door, and my all time favorite-praying with someone.  What is so wonderful is that none of these ministry opportunities require a certificate or special training, anybody can do these things.  Jesus never meant there to be a divide in who does ministry, it is for all of us.  We may not be called to any of these things we just see the need and we respond.  One day I was in the same room with a woman who was homeless and I struck up a conversation with her.  As I talked with her about her she began to open up and shared with me her story and that she had HIV and no place to stay.  (Everyone has a story so our job is to ask them their story.)  I asked her if I could pray for her and she allowed me to hold her hand and pray.  For me this was just part of my regular day and I did not think twice about it.  Later I learned what this simple act of ministry meant to her.  She could not get over the fact that someone would take the time to talk to her then hold her hand and pray.  Three months later she is still talking about that simple act of ministry-to God be the glory. 

Every day I have the blessing of being able to minister to others not because I am called but because I see the need and respond.  At the same time I have been the beneficiary of ministry that others have provided to me by praying for me, listening to me, and caring enough to ask me how I am really doing, not being afraid of how I might answer.  You have the same opportunity to minister every day.  Pray as I pray each day, Father give me the opportunity to minister to at least one person today.  In the last nine months I have had the privilege of ministering to someone with a need each day. 

Go and be blessed, be a minister to someone today.