Discipleship

Are we pointing them to Jesus?

/ youthguysteve / Leave a comment

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This weekend I got to spend time doing something I really enjoy.  I spent time at Concordia University Ann Arbor at an event I spent four years serving and investing in to help students grow in faith.  It was a joy to take students to this event this year, but it was probably more special to me because my daughter was able to attend the event as well. This weekend was definitely the high of the week.

The problem with ministry much like life is that it is filled with far too many lows and not nearly enough highs.  You see the whole week leading up to the event is spent in the mundane of meetings, meetings, reading, meetings…did I mention meetings.  It was a long week.  Thankfully, it was a fulfilling time in life and ministry.

I think I discovered why it was so fulfilling based on the Gospel lesson for last Sunday.  John 3:16 is one of those texts that is very powerful and although it gives me great hope I think the important part of the verse is the story leading up to it, John 3:1-15.  The story brings images of the symbol of us living in darkness and Jesus being our light.  I love how Jesus reminds us of the point of this season in the Church year, His cross.

We, as the Church and disciples of God are called to point His people to the cross.  At Tool Time, I got to experience a group of students leading an event dedicated to leading students to that cross (this is not an altar call moment).  What I mean is these students were constantly showing the students I serve, Jesus.  Whether it was small groups, general session speakers, or time in the chapel for offerings, the goal of the weekend was to show them Jesus’ love.  It wasn’t about awesome bands, or great sets, servant events, or funny skits.  All those things were about pointing kids to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

This week reminded me of something so important in my ministry and my life.  It is how I should judge everything I do with students, with my family, and with those I meet.  I should say to myself did I show them Jesus?  Did I point them to the cross?  No matter how you do this, no matter what vocation God has called you to serve in, remember our call as the people of Christ is to point them to Jesus. I want to point them to His life, death, and resurrection so that we might have that eternal life hear on earth and in the life to come.

Are you making the easy or right choice?

/ youthguysteve / Leave a comment

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In Harry Potter 5, “The Order of the Phoenix” Albus Dumbledore has a great line that goes like this:  “Soon, we must all make the choice between what is right and what is easy.” I have said something like this for a long time. Often I think in our lives of faith we forget the importance of the tough choices we have to make everyday of our lives.  It is a lesson I have had to learn over and over again. When you live in a fallen world you have to deal with tough choices all the time.

I have made choices in life that seemed so easy. Once in ministry I tried to let students pick an event for the summer.  I tried to have them take the heat for the decision instead of me. It back fired.  I had a true mess on my hands.  I let the students down. I had parents, students and even the Church mad at me. Instead of just standing up and making the decision, God had called me to that place to make, I tried to take the easy way out and avoid the conflict.  Of course the conflict still came.  The conflict never goes away. You can either deal with it head on quickly and take the heat, or you can let it fester and then you have a mess. I have made some good choices in ministry.  I think I am probably still in the ministry because I am willing to make those hard choices, but I fail far to often.  You would think after 11 years I would stand up for what is right, knowing in the long run it is so much easier. Making that choice helps God’s will to be done. Alas I still fall short in this department. I still take the easy way and then pay for it later.

Acts 26 tells an interesting story about Paul before King Agrippa. He makes a bold proclamation.  They even call him crazy. Paul confronts his accusers.  Now some might say after reading the chapter that Paul shouldn’t have been so bold to request Caesar because he could have been let go and enjoyed the easy life.  Paul and for that matter Jesus had a different, and more important plan.  He wanted Paul to reach Rome.  He wanted him to go and share the Gospel there to change and empire and the world.  I am no Paul, and neither are most of us ever going to be put in this type of situation, but I would hope Jesus would give me the strength to make the right and difficult decision so that his will would be done with me involved.

So what in your life of faith are you thinking about standing up for?  What decision do you know you need to make? What person or situation is God calling you to confront so that his will and grace abound in your life and world?

Have you compelled them to come to the banquet yet?

/ youthguysteve / Leave a comment

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Recently I spent some time with some new and old friends talking about ministry.  We were eating together, as is the case with many church workers.  I enjoy food, but the guys I was eating with seemed to enjoy it just a little bit more… well actually a lot more. They love to share food with each other and enjoy the experience together. It was a great time. I love food and I love how good food can bring about such good conversation. It is a way for many of us to break down walls and really listen. (Mostly the listening comes from stuffing our faces with food.) Good food really does bring about great joy and conversation.

This eating together reminded my of a text of scripture I recently read while preparing some of my students for 30 hour famine. Luke 14:12-24, is one of my favorite texts in scripture. I love how Jesus invited the the lowly.  He calls the crippled and the lame.  The crippled, who in Jesus’ day were the outcasts.  The people who wouldn’t have been allowed in the temple or anywhere God was present, because they were unclean, unworthy to be in God’s presence and grace.  They were unworthy to join in the fellowship because they weren’t good enough.  Jesus in this parable reminds us that we who sit at the table are the lowly beggars the sick and lame. We are not worthy to be in His presence but we are anyway, because of his graciousness.  We give thanks to God for this.

More importantly I was struck by Luke 14:23 after the crippled and lame are invited he was to go out and compel them to come.  I have always been fascinated by this part of the story.  You see as a disciple of Jesus I am asked to be like him.  He compels them to come in.  How am I compelling my neighbor to come and be at the banquet.  I think many of us just drop the invite and throw up are hands when they don’t come.  Here Jesus seems to tell us to go and compel them to come.  Be more forceful.  Sometimes I wonder if when we got the invite and went to His banquet, why don’t I go to my friends, family, even enemies and share with them this awesome place of nourishment we have in Jesus.  This place where we eat and are satisfied. Where we have true fellowship in God.  I pray for myself to have heart of invitation and a want to compel my neighbor, not just selfishness for myself.

So the question remains for all of us. Have you compelled them to come to the banquet yet?