April 12, 2007
How Does God Say Do It?
Posted in Profundity Abounds
Apparently efficiency has no relevance anymore. Effectiveness as well, has left the building.The concept that the Lord has methods rather than just loosely defined principles is no longer accepted, either. From all appearances they have gone to the far country, never to return. They have been replaced by a new creature called simply, "ministry".
Let's think this through a bit with a few real life examples that I have experienced.
A single Mom I knew needed clothes for her children, a saving relationship with Jesus, and similarly, a friend and mentor. Four women discussed her situation gossiped, decided to clean out their attics, sell their kids clothes at a yard sale, donate the proceeds to their church, then have the church cut the woman a check so that she could "buy her kids clothes". In this process, four separate women spent four days each cleaning out kids clothes, pricing items, making signs, and having a yard sale. By the end, they were exhausted, their families missed them, and they had pizza delivered because they were too busy "doing ministry" to make dinner. Since the church mailed the check, there was no interaction, no gospel, no encouragement for a weary Mom, no friend, no mentor. The surprise about why the Mom didn't come visit the church "after all they'd done for her" was shocking.
May I submit that if the Lord's methods were employed, efficiency and effectiveness would have gone hand in hand? Might I suggest that we just pack up the clothes, take some cookies and coffee over to the Mom, and share with her not only the clothes we have, but our relationship with our Lord? Perhaps I am being too simplistic?
How about this one? (Please forgive me if I rant.) Say the Lord gives you a heart to help young women with eating disorders. And say you have a friend that, after adopting a child from an unwed mother, desires to help unwed mothers. Following the world's plan for "ministry", the next logical step would be to enlist a board of directors, start a non-profit corporation, buy a 1.3 million dollar 49 acre, 9500 square foot property, and begin to drum up funds to "start a ministry". Buying high-dollar designer clothing and jewelery at wholesale to resell would be a great way to make money for your ministry. Encourage donors that their names would be printed in "all appropriate literature", and engraved on the obligatory brick to line the front Gratitude Walkway. When the funds are ready, acquire a full-time staff to include round-the-clock doctors and counselors, and the necessary food service, cleaning , grounds maintenance and administrative staff. With the whole 9500 square feet, you would be able to maintain a 12 bed facility. Think of it: twelve young women at one time would be "ministered to". All this for only 50 billion man-hours and a multi-million dollar budget each year. Incredible. This must be God.
While I remove my tongue from my cheek, please consider whether there might be a better way. Has anyone ever heard of, "He setteth the solitary in families"? Someone dear to me recently shared about this new ministry started by some mutual acquaintances and was perplexed over my quizzical stare. I was dumbfounded, and still am.
Is it just the uneducated side of me that thinks that these situations could be more lovingly and effectively handled within the context of a family taking in an unwed mother, allowing her to share in family life, learning about how healthy families relate, learning child care...being loved? I understand that the average family may not know how to handle eating disorders and counseling ~ but they could drive her somewhere, and they could listen. Simpler is better. God is not the author of bureaucracy. When the Lord gives us a burden for something, perhaps He wants us to personally do something about it.
That is, if we aren't too busy doing ministry.
[End of rant. We will now return to the regularly scheduled (but not regularly updated) blog.]
|
|
•
Post A Comment!
• Send to a Friend!
|
Comments
April 12, 2007 - Untitled Comment
 Posted by AcceptanceWithJoy
|
|
[Four women discussed her situation] Sounds like a prayer meeting. Sorry... gossip in the form of prayer requests is my pet peeve.
I agree with you 100%. Our churches have abdicated their responsibility to parachurch organizations. The Body of Christ has abdicated its responsibility to go ye therefore... to the church. And we are all spending way to much money for God to worry about taking care of the needs of others.
I linked over from Following the Ancient Path... we have the same first name... and the same stellar Internet Service Provider.
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 12, 2007 - Amen!
 Posted by Aligirl
|
|
I agree with you wholeheartedly. We have come across similar situations with the modern day 'ministry'. To me it almost seems like alot of the ministry that goes on now days caters to self image. So and so church will look better to the community if they do such and such ministry. The state of the modern day church, as hard as it is to say, is in a sad state. I am with you on your assessments!
Ali
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
April 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
 Posted by ApplesofGold
|
|
I agree with you on this post-totally. It makes such perfect sense and I can't understand why it doesn't make sense to everyone. I guess I'm "simplistic", too. And thanks for that link. Holly
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 13, 2007 - I concur
 Posted by Anonymous
|
|
I have even been told not to complain if my husband is out "doing ministry" intsead of being home (to the point of neglect) with his family. I have also been encouraged to do "more" than what I do for the Lord. Loving my husband, my children, my neighbors (knocking on their door with cookies, showing up at the hospital when they are sick, sharing the gospel) isn't enough. After I do all that the Lord has commanded me to do I have very little time to do what others have called "ministry". Whether therefore we eat or drink or whatsoever we do we should do it all to the glory of God. Everything we do is for the Lord, even giving a cup of cold water in His name. No, my dear Julie, what you have said is not an uneducated rant, but a truly a balanced view toward ministry and I thank you for shedding a little light on the subject.
Debagain
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 13, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous |
|
Love it, love it, love it. I'm linking here later today!
Preach it, girl! :)
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 14, 2007 - Untitled Comment
 Posted by sunydazy
|
|
Amen! I have shouted this very thing from the rooftop a few times! My pet peeve is all the single adults who get saved in late teen or college years and then have no mentor to train them in family life AND teach them that marriage is a good thing from God!
Simplicity and authenticity...
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 14, 2007 - Amen
Posted by Anonymous |
|
Yeah, well you got it, if I hear "build meaningful relationships" and "give to the church so we can do ministry" in the same paragraph again I might grab my ears and run around screaming (not so gracious of a response as you have made here). It just doesn't make sense to me either.
I am going to link you, and I got here via Seeking Faithfulness.
Blessings,
Amie Lober
www.nomountian.blogspot.com
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 14, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous |
|
A very good reminder. I have been feeling many of the same frustrations lately with our church "programs".
Sometimes just living life is easier.
Lindsey @ enjoythejourney
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 15, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by ReneeM |
|
This is such a wonderful wonderful post...
As a tiny house church, we have been discussing this topic... what is our ministry? Each of us? And do we need a 'program' (the answer being no)
Our ministry is WHEREVER we are each day... our neighbors, our families, our coworkers... Hands and feet, eyes and ears, mouths and hearts doing Jesus' kingdom work...
AWESOME!!!
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 17, 2007 - Solitary in Families
Posted by Anonymous |
|
Your quote of the verse about God setting the solitary in families stood out to me the most. I came from an interesting family background and was very much on my own for a number of years. Throughout college, I lived with 7 families who did become "my" for the time I was with them and many of those families are still very close to me today. It's a huge sacrifice to give emotionally to someone staying in your home and it wasn't always easy, but I do believe that ministry begins in the home.
The whole idea of giving is as your post has illustrated, quite impersonal, expensive, and inefficient.
A close friend had lunch with us last week and mentioned he had arranged a foot massage at a spa for his wife's return from a mission trip in Vietnam. I jokingly quipped back at him, "so is this the modern day "washing of the saints feet?"
Ahh. America.
|
• Permanent Link
|
April 17, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Anonymous |
|
oh, i love, love, love your thinking! may god bless us all in living as jesus did! doing the hands on nitty-gritty, stuff that he did! loving people to his side.
I also think that as the body of christ, without any denominational barriers, also the job of the body to make sure that the leaders needs are met... i mean the food, the shelter, the clothes on his families backs...not the jaguar, the 4,000 sq ft gold-leaf encrusted home with the fountain in the foyer. The church is Gods means scripturally for meeting the provisions of the church leader. but on the other hand, i believe that god calls us all to live simply and to make provisions for the unexpected needs that arise. the man holding the sign: Will work for food, the woman yelling at her children, the kids in the neighborhood when you are passing out popsicles on a hot day, etc...
i think you are right on!
|
• Permanent Link
|
May 1, 2007 - I love this post!
Posted by Anonymous |
|
Thank you so much for posting this!! It is soooo true!!
God bless you,
Sallie
http://www.angelfire.com/sc/anderklan/blahblahblog
|
• Permanent Link
|
May 1, 2007 - Amen!
Posted by Anonymous |
|
Oh, how this brings back memories and fuels appreciation for my non-segregated, non-ministerial, non-corporate church!
Mrs. L
http://www.remnantsofmylife.blogspot.com/
|
• Permanent Link
|
Posted by