It's not ideal - it's ministry

(Some sort of formatting glitch prevented my first attempt from being legible so here is a second try- God Bless)
The church is not, ideally, a group of people who gather together to be served.  The church is a group of servants who gather together to be encouraged and find opportunity to serve. The church is not, ideally, a group of students gathering together to learn. The church is a group of teachers who gather together to clarify the message and inspire one another to teach. The church is not, ideally, a gathering of victims seeking advocacy and aid, but a group of ransomed captives seeking to build each other up in the ways of freedom. The church is not, ideally, an accountability group, rather it is a group of people who acknowledging their accountability before God, encourage and help one another to stand before Him. The church is, ideally, not a (conventional) charity. Charities are groups who minister out of dependence on human aid. Churches should see themselves as stewards of abundant God-given resources.

Of course the church we attend is not ideal.  All people come to church in deep human need, which is why a gathering of servants is also a place of service. We should understand that we are indeed the means by which God intends to minister to the needs of those assembled. All people come to church ignorant in some way of the truth. Which is why a gathering of teachers, is also the primary place of education. We should aspire to be the means that God uses to help someone else see the truth more clearly. All people come to church wounded, and sinful. Which is why a gathering of the redeemed is also commanded by God to aid victims in their distress, and to advocate for them before the Father. All people come to church rightly ashamed of their sin. Which is why a gathering of people who know that they stand ultimately before a holy God, is the ordained place to graciously shine the light of God’s truth into sinful lives. All people come to church dependant on God, and yet each part of the body is uniquely equipped and provided by God to administer the Grace of God. So the gathering of God’s people is a celebration of God’s great provision.

And that is why in the development of ministry philosophy and the practice of ministry, we must prioritize, not serving, but servants; not teaching but teachers; not social justice, but lovers of justice; not recovery groups, but counselors, not benevolence programs, but philanthropists.

So that speaking the truth in love, we [may all] grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, [will make] the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

(Ephesians 4:15-16)

Hurting parents, and a great God

A good friend from years ago lost a baby this week, a day after giving birth. A father in my church lost his oldest son (an adult) to cancer this week. A mother asked me for advice on how to encourage a daughter in a marriage she was warned against, and is now headed in a dangerous direction. A father I spoke with this week is still emotionally raw from his son's suicide two years ago.

That was one weeks worth of parental anguish.

There are no human answers to some of that pain, but God is faithful. This morning I read through Phillippians for the people in church, for many it was the first time in their lives they heared more than a few verses. The flow of hope in pain, purpose in suffering and joy under pressure is easy to miss when out of context. What is meant to bring hope can be turned to guilt and shame, but this morning we saw pure joy shining from a man who did not know if he was going to live or die, who knew physical pain personal betrayal and intense physical need. And yet he knew it was God who was going to bring it to completion for the glory of God.

As I think about the parents in pain this week, I am relieved by the knowledge that it is God who works all things out, not me. I do not carry people's burdens God does. I am not the one who finds answers to people's problems. I am merely the vessel God is the one who does the saving. So I can minister to people with hope and confidence, not in my answers, but in God's.