Wednesday Wonder

“What is the one thing you could do to bring a spark to your ministry?”

This question has come up recently at some meetings. It has caused some thinking and discussion among my colleagues. What does it mean? And, more importantly, what would that spark be?

I don’t think this is a question just for the clergy. All of us have a ministry. Some may know what it is, others may not. Some may view what they do as ministry, others may not.

This ‘doing’ ministry may feel like one more thing to add to the to do list each day. One more thing that needs to be checked off before I can fall into bed exhausted once again from the constant demands on my time. And some days, we all feel that way no matter whether we think of ministry or not.

As I said on Sunday, anything, when done in the spirit of service to God, can be ministry. Brother Benedict came to this conclusion when he had to spend his days scrubbing pots in the monastery’s kitchen. When he did it deliberately, intentionally, prayerfully and offered it as his service to God, he then saw it as a ministry. It was in service to others. His brothers needed those clean dishes to prepare and eat their meals. Ministry of the kitchen, if you want to give it a title.

There is that old adage that says if you love what you work at then you never do a day of work in your life. There is a touch of this in doing ministry. If you enjoy sharing of yourself then ministry isn’t work.

You want to help your family to enjoy delicious meals, then you don’t feel like the ministry of cooking is an extra demand. Full disclosure: I do not like to cook and while I want to fuel my body well, and provide the same for my spouse, I will never feel cooking is anything more than a chore. I try, but haven’t changed my mindset there yet.

You like to spend time sitting with a friend, maybe over a cup of tea or coffee. No agenda, just time spent together. That is ministry of presence and not another thing to check off the list.

You have a hobby that allows you to share the finished product with others and those others appreciate, can use and feel special because they receive it. That is ministry of creativity. I am pretty sure you don’t feel it is work either.

The list could go on. When we do for others without thought of what we receive in turn, it becomes ministry. We each have something that does not feel like more work in our day. Even things we do for ourselves is ministry. Yes, there is the ministry of self care. We cannot minister to others with an empty cup.

If you are a list maker like me, then you may add to your list those things that are your ministry alongside all the work things you need to get done. When I do, it seems that the ministry type things get done before the things that feel like work.

For ministry has its own rewards. Jesus told the disciples they would learn to fish for people. While they were fishermen to begin with, this fishing for people was going to be very different. The results would feel very different from the usual satisfaction of a good catch of fish. Ministry brings a feeling of not only giving but receiving. Sharing God’s love and receiving it as well.

We often hear, or say, that “I feel like I got more out of that than the person I did it for.” That is ministry.

Before the February blahs hit in the next few weeks perhaps you can find what might spark your ministry. Fair warning Kingsview: If I find something to spark my ministry among you or that I think might spark us all together, we might just start a fire!