Hey everyone!
Ministry can be a loaded and even scary term.
Many folks view ministry as something only church professionals do, the function seeming to be a learned and perhaps divinely imparted skill. Others hear the term and mentally or spiritually go to dark and heated places of doctrinal judgy-ness or bully pulpit rhetoric.
I offer a different—less daunting—take. We are all called to discern what our talents and gifts are, those traits and facets of personality and capability that help define who we are and how we show up in the world. And while certain talents or gifts may be shared among many, I contend that each of us is unique in the combination of talents and gifts we have. No one else ever has or ever will possess the exact toolbox of tools you possess.
But what does this have to do with ministry? I believe that when we discern and deploy our unique bundle of talents and gifts, and we do so in the name of helping others to further the common good, we are in ministry. We are literally ministers . . . not from an altar or a pew, but in a living room or a coffee shop, on a phone call or a zoom meeting, standing on a street corner or riding in a car.
I came across a quote a few years ago that speaks to this form of ministry:
”Our gospel calling is not to be Jesus. Our gospel calling is to be who Jesus would be if Jesus were me.”
Of course, none of us is Jesus, with his divinely limitless array of skills, perspectives, and personas. But how would Jesus show up in the world if he had only my (limited) bundle of talents & gifts? That, my friends, is what we are called to do—use our stuff to serve others. It’s that simple! You, the minister, have been here the whole time, hiding in plain sight!
I had the chance to talk about this everyday form of ministry, among other topics about serving God by serving others, on a recent episode of The New Evangelicals Podcast which you can listen to by clicking the link below.
So what about you? Who would Jesus be if Jesus were you? What are your talents and gifts? What does your ministry look like? I’d love to hear from you!
With Peace and Gratitude,
Bill
PS: You can listen to my convo with Tim on The New Evangelicals below!