 Ministerial Agility During Transitions In Life
Throughout the ministry of Jesus, we are showed time and time again how to both live and serve for the Kingdom of the Lord. Jesus’ ability to juggle the responsibilities of a human man’s life, serve in ministry, perform miracles, all the while living a perfect sin-less life are truly remarkable. As a minister who serves while working a full-time public service job, being a husband, and a dad of two, I find these feats to be miraculous in and of itself. Let us take a deeper look into how Jesus handled ”interruptions” during His ministry while maintaining boundaries and connection to the people, the lessons that can be drawn from Jesus’ example and how they apply to my future ministry, and practicing self-care amidst the various seasons of personal and congregational life. How Jesus Handled “Interruptions” During His Ministry While Maintaining Boundaries and Connection To The People Interruptions certainly come easy as a human with small attention spans, but Jesus seemed to handle them effortlessly. Situations such as the one that arose in Matthew 9:20, where Jesus was on his way to perform another healing and was astonished by a woman’s faith and effort to be healed by him enroute to the synagogue leader’s house. There are many other situations where Pharisees and others come against Jesus and tried to trip him up and interrupt His ministry. There are many theories regarding exactly how Jesus handled all the responsibilities of being God and man in the same instance. Some theories even suggest that He was only one or the other. Other theories do not go as far as to suggest that He was neither a man or deity simultaneously, but suggest that some of the deistic or human traits may have been suppressed temporarily. Leon Morris seems to suggest that Jesus was more like a man in this sense as he mentions this in his text: But there is certainly evidence that John saw Jesus as subject to human limitation. For example, he had to “find” the man he had cured of blindness (9:35) after he had heard that he had been put out of the synogogue (he also “found” the man he healed of lameness, 5:14). After the feeding of the multitude, Jesus “came to know” (gnous) that the mob wanted to make a king out of him—apparently he did not know it intuitively.[1] I would like to offer a solution to this question through biblical evidence. Jesus was man and He was certainly also God. While it may be hard for us to know for sure if Jesus had already perceived what would happen in the future, past, and present when He was ministering, we do know that He was convicted heavily by God the Father. Leon Morris even mentions, “John sees Jesus as living closer to the Father than other men do, and as speaking out of the enlightenment that that gave him.”[2] Another solution I see as an answer to the question of handling “interruptions” is that He had the will of the Father constantly on His mind. Morris states, “he has the cross in mind. That is “the hour” to which everything in this Gospel leads up. And in the cross will be seen, not only the glory of the Son by that of the Father too. The two are not to be separated.”[3] There are many ways Jesus also showed boundaries while staying connected with the mankind He served while here. While as our lecture states, “At various time in Jesus’ ministry, he encountered people and situations that required his attention and presence”, He also understood the need for time away and rest.[4] Being perfect and sinless was certainly impossible for man and no small feat, however this allowed Jesus to have certain boundaries that He could not allow to be crossed. When in situations that could cause question to a man’s ethics, He was quick to remove himself. He often moved in crowds and groups of people, rather than independently. This allowed him to both lead by example for His disciples and have a witness as to His actions. Jesus would often go to be alone to rest, get prepared for the next event, or spend time with the Father such as in Luke 5:16. He went into the wilderness and fasted for 40 days in Matthew 4. Lessons That Can Be Drawn From Jesus’ Example and How They Apply to My Future Ministry Many lessons can be learned from the life and example set by Jesus in the New Testament Scripture. One such lesson is that as Jesus did, we must stick close to our heavenly Father who loves us, cares for us, and keeps us. Leon Morris states the relationship as: Jesus’ dependence is seen in his relationships with God (“he who sent me is with me, he has not left me alone”, 8:29) and men (“you will know that I am in the Father and you in me and I in you”, 14:20), and is illustrated by his prayers (chap.17) and by his titles (there are 22 in the Gospel and 1 John, and most imply dependence, e.g., “Son depends on “Father”, “Lamb of God” probably points to “the victim offered by and sent from God’, etc.).[5] If Jesus had to rely upon the Father for guidance and understanding, how much more should we do the same? We should strive daily to connect with God on a personal level so that when we are assembled together in public, others may see His glory glowing within us. Corporate worship and services go much smoother and deeper when everyone present is connected with God on a personal level. As a minister and pastor, I strive for this kind of relationship with God as I encourage the members of the church to do the same. Another lesson that Jesus teaches us all and that we should yell from the mountain tops in this age of false-doctrine is that Jesus is the only way and shows us the correct way of serving the Father. Leon Morris states, “Whatever the leaders might say, John is affirming that person of Jesus is such that he and no other can bring us to the heavenly abode. He is not saying that Jesus shows the way, but that he is the way.”[6] Having faith in Christ and being saved in His name is the only way to get to the Father in Heaven. He also teaches us through the Gospel stories and throughout the New Testament, how to serve God in the correct way. We are to persistently seek the will of the Father. As Jesus found His source of strength and power in the Father, we should seek to do the same while in service to Him. Leon Morris helps point this out saying, “There is sense in which the Son gives life, but there is also a sense in which life belongs to the Father.”[7] This subject brings to mind another example that Jesus brings with his life example. That lesson is that as everlasting life was given freely, we should offer this life-saving Gospel to others freely as God has done for us. I can relate to Leon Morris’ words as he states, “The importance of faith is emphasized in the simple statement (prefixed with the solemn “Truly, truly”), “he who believes has life eternal” (6:47). Nothing could show more clearly that we bring nothing to merit the gift. We come believing, and that is all. Believers have life eternal.”[8] We have nothing to offer but our hearts, so let us seek others and share this free, but most-valuable life giving Gospel. Practicing Self-Care Amidst The Various Seasons of Personal and Congregational Life The first step to practicing self-care amidst the various seasons of personal and congregational life is to understand that those seasons are not only coming, but also how to prepare for them. Our topic four lecture states, “When faced with congregational dynamics, it is important to remember that change, loss, and growth are integral part of congregational life. A ministry leader does not stand above the fray; rather, he or she is embedded in the life cycle of a community as both leader and fellow disciple.”[9] Even though we are “embedded in the life cycles”, we should not allow them to consume or distract us from the will of our Father. We also have to be willing to serve in the midst of circumstance in personal life and ministry. Many times, this will be as I mentioned before as a “juggling act” of balancing life and ministry. I will say that from observation, experience, and advice, no minister should ever allow the ministry to supercede their family. I have watched ministers crash and burn later in ministry due to the after effects of placing ministry before family. I would rather be invested in the long haul by taking care of my family (Hebrews 12:1; 2 Timothy 4:7-9). Wives have mental breakdowns from all the pressure they are under and responsibilities on their shoulders, children begin to rebel, and the pastor’s health is even sometimes an issue. If that family has been put off while the minister has consistently placed the ministry ahead, how will he then be cared for by that same family? These are all situations that can arise from neglecting our relationship with God as well as our families. The Scripture is clear in texts such as Ephesians 5:22,25; Proverbs 22:6; and most importantly 1 Timothy 5:8. Ministers should take time to minister to their families which is even more essential than ministering to the church. While it is difficult and like adding more balls to an already difficult juggling session, performing service while maintaining boundaries is also essential to our self-care during the various seasons. Our lecture states, “When faced with seasons of celebration, pain, suffering, confusion, and despair, a ministry leader would do well to enter into such spaces with an understanding that such moments are sacred and equally potential pitfalls.”[10] It is imperative that in these moments that we seek God as aggressively as we can. Whatever we have to do in order to ride out the storms and pray through our situations, this includes what I call “seeking the face of God.” We must reverence His Spirit and conviction and embrace His presence. Eventually whether it be through Word, prayer, or confirmation through others, He will speak to us on how to handle situations. We must sometimes take this time out away from others regardless of the sacrifice because ministry can get us into a rut of “spinning our wheels.” In these moments being busy is not always best as we are easily confused and our fleshly emotions begin to take hold. “By adhereing to a code of ethics, a ministry leader is empowered to provide counsel, comfort, and correction to the community he or she is called to lead.”[11] Having boundaries both public and private allow us to avoid such pitfalls (Proverbs 22:3). We do not earn our way to heaven with works, but are saved by the same grace and mercy as everyone else. So, let us not be rushed by the hurries of work and life, but take our time moving in the conviction of the Lord (John 7:30). Conclusion It is my prayer that through the reading of these conclusions, that others are empowered to have the sufficient evidence that shows the need for ministerial agility during transitions in their life as it has provided for me. By understanding how Jesus handled ”interruptions” during His ministry while maitianing boundaries and connection to the people, the lessons that can be drawn from Jesus’ example and how they apply to my future ministry, and practicing self-care amidst the various seasons of personal and congregational life; we can better equip ourselves for situations in both ministry and life. If we love, live, and remain servants as Jesus did despite the trials, we will be well on our way to being the true body of Christ as we were called to be. [1] Leon Morris, Jesus Is The Christ: Studies In The Theology of John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989), 50. [2] Leon Morris, Jesus Is The Christ: Studies In The Theology of John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989), 50-51. [3] Leon Morris, Jesus Is The Christ: Studies In The Theology of John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989), 57. [4] Grand Canyon University, “Celebration, Comfort, Counsel, and Correction: Ethical Ecclesial Ministry” (lecture 4, Ministerial Ethics, Grand Canyon University, 2016). https://lc.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html [5] Leon Morris, Jesus Is The Christ: Studies In The Theology of John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989), 62. [6] Leon Morris, Jesus Is The Christ: Studies In The Theology of John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989), 118-119. [7] Leon Morris, Jesus Is The Christ: Studies In The Theology of John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989), 195. [8] Leon Morris, Jesus Is The Christ: Studies In The Theology of John (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1989), 202-203. [9] Grand Canyon University, “Celebration, Comfort, Counsel, and Correction: Ethical Ecclesial Ministry” (lecture 4, Ministerial Ethics, Grand Canyon University, 2016). https://lc.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html [10] Grand Canyon University, “Celebration, Comfort, Counsel, and Correction: Ethical Ecclesial Ministry” (lecture 4, Ministerial Ethics, Grand Canyon University, 2016). https://lc.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html [11] Grand Canyon University, “Celebration, Comfort, Counsel, and Correction: Ethical Ecclesial Ministry” (lecture 4, Ministerial Ethics, Grand Canyon University, 2016). https://lc.gcu.edu/learningPlatform/user/users.html
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