“Did I Leave the Ministry?”

On December 3, 1991, God called me to attend seminary. Many people say that was the day God called me into the ministry.

On June 20, 2012, I left the pulpit for health reasons. I quit being the pastor of a church congregation.

But did I leave the ministry?

I will interview myself to explore this question. 

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Q: The ministry has been on your mind a lot lately. Tell us about that.

A: Recently I met a man at church who asked, “Weren't you in the ministry?” It wasn’t an accusation or a judgment. He’d heard I used to be a preacher. He was verifying my background. When we meet someone, one of the first questions we ask is, “What do you do?”

That brief conversation bothered me because of my response: “I used to be.” The man then asked what I do now. “I’m a writer and speaker.”

I regret saying, “I used to be in the ministry.” I don’t like equating the ministry with the specific roles of pastor, chaplain, and missionary.

Q: But that’s how most people define the ministry. Why does it bother you?

A: The can be seen as “most important.” It implies the best service to God and others is performed by a select few specially trained folks like missionaries, chaplains, and pastors.

It implies being salt and light for Jesus in one's home, school, workplace, and community is inferior to the “real” service provided by church employees, usually in a church building.

This viewpoint downplays the vital role of godly parenting in the home. Two hours of Sunday school and worship won't instantly offset a lukewarm or pagan example set by Mom and Dad the other 166 hours a week. Christian values are "caught" far more than they are taught.

Q: Yet there is a difference in function between "clergy" and "laity."

A: There is a difference in function, but not in responsibility. Every Christian is called to serve in the kingdom of God.

In seminary I met a man who said, “I don’t work for the preacher. The preacher works for me.” Sadly, this mindset remains entrenched in many parishioners.

There is no “lay-clergy” distinction in the New Testament. Believers in the early church never said, “We pay Paul and Peter to run around serving on our behalf.” That’s why on the back of my bulletins, I always listed the staff like this:

Ministers: The congregation
Pastor: David Brannock

Q: So the Bible’s view of the ministry focuses on baptism, not ordination?

A: Absolutely. Baptism is every Christian’s official commissioning into ministry. If you are baptized and have made a public profession of faith, Jesus has called you into the ministry of all believers.

Ordination means “set apart” and not “set above.” Missionaries, chaplains, and pastors are called to a special role in the body. But whether your paychecks come from a church, a business, or the government, if you claim the name of Christian, you're expected to be on duty for Christ 24/7/365. 

Q: Are you saying we should be at church every time the doors are open?

A: Of course not. Actually, that’s part of the church’s problem. We spend so much time huddling up inside our little religious silos that we neglect to venture out into the world to be salt and light. No wonder the world largely ignores the church these days.

Christians are never off-duty from living out their faith. Of course we may rest, play, and travel. But those we encounter during the week shouldn’t be shocked that we claim to let Jesus run our life. They shouldn’t raise their eyebrows when they hear we worship God.

Q: Is that why you wish congregants would quit using the word volunteers?

A: Yes! I’m sick of the whiny excuse, “I’m just a volunteer.”

Too often it means, “I want to set the bar of expectation ankle high. I want you to accept whatever I give, whenever I give it, no matter how lousy my efforts may be. And since I don’t get paid like the staff, don’t even think about asking me to step outside my comfort zone.”

Q: What term should baptized Christians use instead?

A: Disciples. Jesus never used the term "volunteer." He called His followers disciples. And if it's good enough for Jesus...

Q: I have a hunch you have a lot more to say about the ministry.

A: Yes. I invite you to come back next week to continue the conversation.

Meanwhile, if you’d like to add your thoughtful ideas to the mix, please do so. The body of Christ needs one another because nobody has it all figured out. 

David

“The Gospel Truth in 20 Seconds”

Shrinking Attention Spans

That night I read 20 verses. But they acted as if I’d read 20 chapters.

It was our church’s preschool Christmas program. Some of the families did not attend a church, so I used the evangelistic opportunity to read Luke 2:1-20. The crowd wasn't opposed to the content, but they sure struggled with the length.

A third of the way into the passage, the audience began to cough and fidget. Two-thirds of the way through, the squirming increased a couple more levels. By the time the shepherds returned from the manger glorifying and praising God, I nearly had to shout into the microphone to be heard over the collective restlessness in the sanctuary.

Luke 2:1-20 can’t be read reverently in less than 20 seconds.

The richness of Luke’s Christmas story can’t be reduced to an Instagram pic, a sound bite, or a Twitter post.

Because of information overload, we scan headlines and glean the top stories. There isn’t time to absorb everything in the news.

So I will try to help you out.

“The Best Story in History"

A Wordless Story

“Show, not tell” ranks near the top of instructions given to writers. Holy Week is the perfect time to take this advice to heart. The cornerstone of the Christian faith is Jesus' death and resurrection.

If we jump right from Palm Sunday to Easter, we'll miss everything in between. All the action on Thursday and Friday makes Palm Sunday and Easter so special. Those two celebrations are bookends to the best story in history.

Instead of me telling it to you, I'll let the following 10 pictures show you. 

“Are You Trapped?”

How Will The Story End?

They were trapped. A large body of water blocked them from advancing. Behind them the rumble of horses and chariots grew steadily louder as the enemy gained ground.

They couldn’t go forward.

They wouldn’t go back.

How would they possibly escape to freedom?

Conflict is key in any story. Facing huge odds, will the main character(s) find a way to overcome, overpower, outwit? How will the hero or heroine break free? Or will the enemy ultimately triumph?

Conflict is vital to a page-turner. It builds suspense to keep our interest.

Conflict is fun in fiction, but not in real life. When the obstacles and the danger are real, nobody likes to feel trapped.

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The Exodus and the Cross

(A special thanks to Steve Duer for sharing the following image and giving me permission to use it.)

After the Passover, Moses led the Israelites out of captivity in Egypt. But Pharaoh stubbed up yet again and sent his army to capture their former slaves. As the Egyptian army raced closer, the Red Sea halted the advancement of the Israelites toward the Promised Land of Canaan (Exodus 14).

God’s people were trapped.

Before them:  impending death by water.

Behind them:  impending death by soldiers, either to their bodies or their freedom.

Moses lifted his staff and stretched out his hand. God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites crossed on dry ground to the other side. When the Egyptians tried to follow, Moses stretched out his hand again. The waters returned and submerged all the chariots and soldiers.

God provided the path to freedom.

After the disciples celebrated the Passover with their Lord (the Last Supper), Jesus was betrayed, arrested, and tried. He was flogged and nailed to a cross. As the dark forces thundered louder, Jesus’ crucifixion halted the advancement of God's kingdom on earth.

God’s people were trapped.

Before them: impending death of Jesus on the cross.

Behind them: impending death by sin; the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). 

Easter morning, some followers found Jesus' tomb was empty. Christ showed up to confirm the truth of the resurrection. Life returned and submerged sin and death.

God provided the path to freedom.

Making the Impossible Possible

When circumstances leave us trapped, there is always a way out with God. Jesus can make a way where there is no way. Nothing can ultimately triumph against the Holy Spirit.

With God, slavery and death don’t have the last word. Freedom and life do.

What reactions--including hope--does this stir up in you?

David

“Who Is On Your List Of Disciples?”

Not A Trivial Question

Before the Last Supper is celebrated in a couple of weeks during Holy Week, how many of Jesus' 12 disciples can you name? The options are alphabetized.

  

1.   Andrew                                    11. Matthew

2.   Barnabas                                  12. Matthias

3.   Bartholomew                            13. Nathanael

4.   James (son of Alphaeus)             14. Paul

5.   James (son of Zebedee)             15. Philip

6.   John (son of Zebedee)               16. Simon (Peter)

7.   Judas (son of James)                  17. Simon (the Zealot)

8.   Judas Iscariot                            18. Stephen

9.   Luke                                         19. Thaddaeus

10.  Mark                                       20. Thomas

Maybe da Vinci's famous painting will help jog your memory.

To avoid spoiling the challenge, make your selections before you consult the Bible, a Bible scholar, a preacher, or Google.

How confident is your answer?

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How Did You Do?

Did you have fun with this? If you only picked 12 names from the above list, more than one right answer exits. How can that be if Scripture is always true?

First, let’s eliminate the ones who weren’t part of the original 12.

2. Barnabas –     in the book of Acts, went on missionary journeys

9. Luke –           wrote a Gospel and the book of Acts

10. Mark –         wrote the first Gospel

12. Matthias –    in the book of Acts, replaced Judas Iscariot

14. Paul –          in the book of Acts, a missionary and church planter

18. Stephen –    in the book of Acts, the church’s first martyr 

Now that we've narrowed the list of 20 down to 14, the tricky part comes next. Andrew's brother Simon was renamed Peter by Jesus. But Simon Peter wasn’t the only disciple to be known by two names.

3. Bartholomew                     =        13. Nathanael

7. Judas (son of James)          =        19. Thaddaeus

So Who Is The 13th Disciple?

Rembrant's painting “Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee" captures the fear felt by everyone except Jesus as rough waves tossed the boat.

Count the men on board. (You may need to Google this picture to enlarge it enough to see all the people.) Jesus is traveling with 13 people, not just 12.

Look at the man in green at the bottom clutching a rope with his right hand and holding his hat with his left hand. Who is it? Rembrandt. He painted himself into that scene with the other disciples.

By including a baker's dozen with Jesus, this 17^th century Dutch painter invites us to imagine ourselves in the boat with them experiencing that trial.

Christians should know the Twelve, but at least our salvation isn't at stake if we forget some of their names or include the apostle Paul. What matters is this:  are we on Jesus' list of disciples today?  

A disciple is a devoted follower. Disciples don't admire Jesus from a distance. They walk at the Lord's elbow. This often means going places and doing things they otherwise wouldn't on their own.

A disciple is a lifelong learner. Disciples don't just occasionally breathe, eat, or sleep; nor do they pray, read the Bible, or serve others every now and then. They also don't retire from corporate worship when they're still ambulatory. Committed followers keep going and keep growing until the moment they see Jesus face to face.

Rembrandt invites us to consider our relationship with Jesus. What insights or questions does this painting inspire in you as it relates to faithful discipleship?

David