Yep
Ministry has always been relational. God called Abram to be a blessing to the whole world. The people of Israel (in Isaiah, but elsewhere) were to be a light to all the world.
Jesus ate with the sinners - heck, he PARTIED with them. Paul wrote some very personal letters to people he had obviously spent years in ministry with.
When did ministry become something we DO instead of being something we ARE? When did it become work instead of relationship?
I remember joining the local tavern pool league at my last church. It was great. I got to be around guys who have never been to church doing something that I love doing. I never once had to invite them to church, I never even had to talk "religious talk." They still swore when I was there, they drank and smoked and carried on.
I ended up having to quit because I can't take rooms full of cigarette smoke - it literally makes me sick for days...
I used to go to breakfast every Thursday morning with a half dozen guys from the church. After about three years, other guys from the restaurant would stop by our table, hang out for a while, chat - sometimes share their problems or tell us about the great things that were going on in their lives. Guys I would never have met if I didn't "waste" all that time eating breakfast and hanging out at the restaurant every Thursday.
I have the youth Bible study for our aftershool program and I love that we can just get together every week and hang out and talk about what's going on and, eventually, I can steer it toward the lesson - but the most important thing about the study time is the relationships that are building... They've asked questions that have made me blush - but they were afraid to ask anybody else and they know that I'll always be honest with them and that I'll never hold anything against them. I may give them an answer they don't like, or don't want to hear, but it's always honestly who I am - and I try to reflect the love of God in it...
So, yeah, ministry is relational. Being a pastor doesn't necessarily mean you are ministering - being a missionary doesn't mean that you are ministering - it's not about titles and positions, it's about openness and presence...
Jesus ate with the sinners - heck, he PARTIED with them. Paul wrote some very personal letters to people he had obviously spent years in ministry with.
When did ministry become something we DO instead of being something we ARE? When did it become work instead of relationship?
I remember joining the local tavern pool league at my last church. It was great. I got to be around guys who have never been to church doing something that I love doing. I never once had to invite them to church, I never even had to talk "religious talk." They still swore when I was there, they drank and smoked and carried on.
I ended up having to quit because I can't take rooms full of cigarette smoke - it literally makes me sick for days...
I used to go to breakfast every Thursday morning with a half dozen guys from the church. After about three years, other guys from the restaurant would stop by our table, hang out for a while, chat - sometimes share their problems or tell us about the great things that were going on in their lives. Guys I would never have met if I didn't "waste" all that time eating breakfast and hanging out at the restaurant every Thursday.
I have the youth Bible study for our aftershool program and I love that we can just get together every week and hang out and talk about what's going on and, eventually, I can steer it toward the lesson - but the most important thing about the study time is the relationships that are building... They've asked questions that have made me blush - but they were afraid to ask anybody else and they know that I'll always be honest with them and that I'll never hold anything against them. I may give them an answer they don't like, or don't want to hear, but it's always honestly who I am - and I try to reflect the love of God in it...
So, yeah, ministry is relational. Being a pastor doesn't necessarily mean you are ministering - being a missionary doesn't mean that you are ministering - it's not about titles and positions, it's about openness and presence...
posted by Pastor Bill at 7:51 AM
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