Ahhh, the good ol' summertime! Nothing to do but relax, maybe take a trip or two. Last week I wrote that the church does not indulge in a summer hiatus. In fact, ministry takes no respite either. The work of ministry is ongoing. It can come almost as a deluge, while at other times it may be like a light sprinkle. And, just like Texas weather, that might happen on the same day!
In my time in the church, I've found that ministry knows no seasons. It has no appointed times or schedules. And certainly it doesn't occur on our schedules! Oh, that it would! We could make better plans, couldn't we? But it doesn't happen that way. For Jesus, ministry could not be planned. He was engaged wherever he was. Take the woman at the well (see John 4). Her midday trip to the village well became an opportunity for him to declare the good news of God.
Or how about the woman who had suffered from a 12-year blood flow. As Jesus was stopped by Jairus, one of the leaders of the synagogue as Mark records (Mark 5:21-43), she pushed her way through the crowd surrounding Jesus just to touch his cloak. These and many other examples in the scripture tell us that ministry often is a by-chance occurrence. I doubt that Jesus took his Day Planner that morning and wrote 'Jairus' and 'woman with the hemorrhage' in it.
Robert Burns, in his poem 'To a Mouse' (1785), wrote, 'The best laid schemes o'/Mice an' Men,/Gang aft agley,' more familiarly remembered as 'The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.' Of course, we can plan ministry, but that doesn't mean it will happen as it was planned. Planning, however, is an integral part of the act of ministry. We plan for mission trips. We plan for outreach in certain ways. But, as the recent severe flooding reminded us, ministry can arise as a reaction to some devastating natural occurrence.
I believe in planning. It's important. But if Jesus had look at his schedule (which probably he didn't have!), he wouldn't have seen Jairus, the woman with the 12-year blood flow, or the woman by the well on it. Would he have said, 'No can do, as you're not on my schedule'? No. As it says, he acted. And that's the nature of ministry. The best laid plans can get interrupted. And the need for engagement in ministry can occur when we least expect it. So, we have to be ready.
Where have you been in unplanned ministry this week? Where have you been the hands and feet of Christ? A word to the wise: We must keep our eyes - and especially, our hearts - open to the summons to ministry whenever or wherever it may crop up. We don't have to look for it all the time, as it will find us. So be prepared. God is calling us into ministry at all times, not just when we feel the urge. See you on the journey of discipleship and ministry.
Grace and peace,
Mike
July 19, 2015