On June 1 we completed one year in full-time ministry. Well, how was it?
I wish I knew the answer to that question. Ministry is such a joy but such a burden. As Frodo would say as he carried the ring in the Lord of the Rings, "It is such a burden. I feel its weight." There are so many joys about ministry. A joy to be used of God in such a tremendous way. A joy to see new life in young child's soul. A joy to be a comfort to a family dealing with the physical effects of cancer and watching a loved one being destroyed by it.
Ministry is a burden for many reasons. No matter how great the congregation is, you are dealing with people and sometimes people are just nasty. We have all seen and heard about it. But on a much deeper level, the church in many ways hangs on the shoulders of the pastor. The pastor must examine his church and see where they stand. He must seek God for where they should be. He must patiently wait on God's work in the hearts of the people to get them to that point. The ministry is a spiritual work often being forced by man-made means. How does a pastor convince the church that their ideas are tradition and not biblical? How does a pastor convince a church that there is a specific mission for the church, but how that is accomplished may differ from community to community? I wish I knew the answers but those are my questions.
There have been opportunities for joy over the past year. April 6 2006 will be a day to remember. I am still adjusting to the rural life. I miss my short drives to Wal-Mart, the bookstore, Starbucks, pretty much a short drive to anything! Everything beyond the necessities are at least 30 minutes of driving or more. Richmond is about 1 and 1/2 hrs. away. Back to April 6, Heather had her 8 month check-up for her pregnancy with Brennan. She was already significantly dialated. History of quick delivery with Connor and now we are over an hour from the hospital and she is 4 weeks from full term. I was a nervous wreck the rest of the day. Brennan was born the next day. Less than an hour of labor when her water was broke.
I have had the chance to meet many new friends in ministry. Local pastors, pastors in Illinois. And we have reestablished friendships. The Greenwich family are friends from college at Ouachita Baptist University. A couple who were great encouragers to Heather and me.
All of this to say, pray for your pastor. Pray for his spiritual, emotional and physical strength. Pray that he will be encouraged at the most difficult times and day-to-day. Encourage your pastor by supporting his leadership. We may never see the fruits of our labors and consequently ministry is difficult. Be courageous in your walk with the Lord. Attempt great things for God, Expect great things from God.
To God be the glory, great things He hath done.
So loved He the world, that He gave us His Son.
Who yielded His life, an atonement for sin.
In Christ Alone.
Aaron
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Aaron,
I find myself in a place similar to what I have sensed you are currently feeling (from reading your blogs...I may be wrong on how I think you may be feeling, but if I am please let me know...)in the sense of ministry being overwhelming yet at the same time it being a true joy...I find myself at that point in my own ministry though I am just at the beginning stages of being a missionary...after I read this blog you have posted something you wrote caught my attention: "Attempt great things for God, Expect great things from God." this is because at times I have truely questioned the whole ministry thing for myself and wondered where do I really fit? Why do I feel the calling on my life? When I read that statement it hit me...that it is truely what God wants me to do and that statement actually is encouraging to me...I hope this all makes sense and I just thought you would like to know that you truely are not alone in this!
Allison
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