In The Game
Last night Bryant Sabandal spoke at Uturn. I was really encouraged. The main point was that as a Christian we are in ministry. There are no ifs ands or buts about it...if you call yourself a Christian you are in the ministry. And that ministry is to do good works. We were created to do good works, equipped to do good works, called to do good works, encouraged when good works even when they don't seem to pay off, and encouraged to get in the game because workers are few but the harvest is huge. The pictures he showed of his work in New Orleans were shocking. He walks the talk.His words brought a couple questions to my mind that I would love to talk about. 1) 70% of Americans say they are Christian. What is a Christian? And 2) Less than 30% of American attend a church service and an overwhelming majority of those (about 65%) are Catholic. It's my experience that most people who have given up on church service attendence have also given up on other practicals of faith (ie. Bible, prayer, purity, generosity, worship, evangelism, etc.) Bryant said that if you are not doing ministry you are not being a Christian. True? False? What do you think?
posted by Tim Oas @ 9:38 AM
7 Comments:
interesting questions, Tim. perhaps I should make a confession...i am a minister. just don't tell anyone :)
I hope that my faith is reflected in my interest and practical love for those whom I come into contact in a typical day.
you know that I fit those statistics fairly well. I don't go to church and the way in which I hold onto the practicals of faith are probably somewhat different than the typical church attender.
I do do (meager) good works. I minister in that sense. however, I am not sure that I do the good works with which many churches use to take attendence (mission trips, evangelism outings, large service projects, etc.). In that sense, I may not be 'in the game.'
well...it appears that I am rambling, but if Sabandal's def. of good works is as broad as it appears to be, then i am indeed a minister...and my faith won't let me be anything else.
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Jerry Cook defines ministry as "meeting needs in Jesus name". At our church we also say "every believer is a minister." If love for others is the mark of the Christian life, than that love will find expression in action. I think that will make us all ministers.
Kierkegaard also says that our faith is a restless one. It cannot sit still. I compels itself to act upon itself.
Paul also said that he was compelled to preach. I'm compelled to do some things sometimes. But also like Paul,I do the things that I don't want to and don't do the things I do want to do. Very restless.
true. as Christians, we are called to serve our Lord.
when you are talkin the talk, but not walking the walk you aren't a Christian because you have ignored all of the things we are called to do.
"Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:24-26
Church attendance and participation is something that is definitely encouraged and endorsed in Gods word. Being in accountable relationships with other believers is crucial to our walk of faith in Jesus. As is using all of our physical being as a witness to the faith that we proclaim. I absolutely believe that you are in "the ministry" when you identify yourself as a Christian. How could you not want to share with others after receiving the incredible grace, mercy, and forgiveness that Jesus provided for you on the cross of Calvary? I think that what that sharing looks like can come in many forms. Every believer has "mission fields" that Jesus will call them to. But I believe it starts with our own families before we go half way across the globe.
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