I am sitting in the middle of my district's Missional Advance weekend. For several months now, I have been asking myself the question, "What does real ministry look like?" The black and white, analyzer side of my personality wants to have a set-in-stone definition of what I need to do as a pastor, leader, and discipler to connect people to Christ and help Christ change my community (Milford, DE). My dissertation research confirmed to me that there is no quick easy answer.
I have been thinking about the ministry of Jesus. I have come to understand that, as a whole, he ministered to one person at a time. When and where he encountered them. It was rarely convenient, often inconvenient. But that was where I see Jesus, one person at a time, one need at a time. He challenges us to do similar, a cup of cold water, a sweater or a listening ear.
Jesus shows me that ministry is having the eyes to see a need and the compassion and the personal resolve to do something about it. It is too easy to be seeing needs and talk about how bad things are and feel pious. No ministry gets done. We often gather in our fellowships and sing songs, hear sermons, and pray prayers and feel like we are doing something. Yet people are still hurting, lonely, frightened, and hungry.
Compassion sees a need and does something about that need. This is the heart of real ministry. What needs are you seeing around you today? How can Jesus use you to meet that need.
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