True Ministry (for the masses)

"Don't receive God's grace in vain"

"Now is the time of God's favour, now is the day of salvation"

"Having nothing, and yet possessing everything"

"Open wide your hearts"

I'm loving the current series at church on Sunday mornings - 2 Corinthians. We're simply following the lectionary readings, but it gives a greater sense of purpose knowing we're familiarising ourselves more with some slightly less well-known books of the New Testament. The series is called, 'Making True Disciples'.

Yesterday, 24 June, 3rd Sunday after Trinity, we read 2 Corinthians 6:1-13.

As I approach the passage I think I might have taken a very straightforward approach: God is seeking to be reconciled to each and everyone of us (cf. 2 Cor. 5:17-21). This great grace is on offer now - receive it. Have you received it? If not - receive it. If you have and you've blown cold, why? Step back into God's great plan for you. Perhaps you've encountered hard times - great! That's the moment when we most realise what we have in Christ. Open your hearts to the life God has for you.

Evangelistic and Encouraging - and probably shallow. Sure...these themes are here.

However, I was really rather taken with Phil Arnold's approach (Phil is our curate).

1. URGENCY (vv.1-2)
2. AUTHENTICITY (vv.3-10)
3. VULNERABILITY (vv.11-13)

Paul's purpose in writing is (in part) to justify his apostleship - the church in Corinth (that he helped found) considers him a less than impressive specimen of apostleship in comparison to others. In fact, some might suggest Paul's experiences of hardship are signs he was not a great apostle at all.

[As I write this, I can see how easily even I think this of certain leaders. How quickly I judge a person's success based on the relative ease with which they maintain their ministry]

Phil argued that the passage showed three ways in which Paul's ministry was characterised, and so in turn should mark all Christian ministry.

1. Urgency (vv.1-2)
So often in our lives we use all manner of excuses concerning our service to God. We can't find the time, or make sacrifices...or particular tasks will take too much time.

Or we are easily distracted from a legitimate task: that suddenly urgent chore, or the latest news article about this-or-that celebrity, or a website we've meant to look at for some time, and so the procrastination goes...

Or we are enslaved to the tyranny of the urgent. We are forced to fire-fight, to prioritise the urgent but sadly unimportant...

Paul was NOT a procrastinator, was NOT distracted, nor was he prone to focusing on the unimportant.

GRACE-FAVOUR-SALVATION

This is Paul's focus. Is it ours?

2. Authenticity (vv.3-10)
Real ministry is often done in secret. Either it's the tasks we do that are unseen, or the challenging people we chose to tolerate. Inauthentic ministry is marked by the tendency to put obstacles in other people's way. I was challenged to think that my bitching about another Christian, or work colleague could in fact be a cause of stumbling to another true friend.

I watched Frasier recently (Episode 17, Season 3, 'High Crane Drifter') in which he bemoans perceived rudeness of people around him. Something he says struck a chord, "Your rudeness will in turn cause me to be discourteous to another, and so on..."

Real ministry seeks to stop the chain-reaction of rudeness and discourtesy.

This happens because we see ourselves, always, as SERVANTS of GOD (v.4).

A life of service commends God's grace because real lives are marked by a balance between struggles/challenges and blessings/provisions.

There are, Phil contended, two problems if you see life as either only blessings, or stuggles:
i) if life is ONLY happiness and blessings, well you're either in denial or else likely to be very disappointed, or
ii) if life is ONLY struggles and challenges, well life is nothing but an endless stream of mishaps and soul-destroying battles.

The first is in plain denial of the experiences of every man, woman and child.
The second is in plain denial of the truth of the resurrection. God comes to bring life, joy and peace now.

Christian's are most attractive when they possess both (challenges and blessings)...in balance. I am more able to draw others to God if they see an authentic life... [I LOVED this point by Phil...] How many of us try to hide what God is doing...do we stress the struggles, or do we ignore the pain believing that Christians can't see us in need?? One is a problem about witness, the other is a problem with fellowship.

3. Vulnerability (vv.11-13)
Which is why, perhaps, Paul ends this passage with a reference to his own emotional needs. He is no superhuman, who faces the slings and arrows of life with a mere shrug of the shoulder. We might find his list somewhat intimidating - giving the impression of a hero (vv.4-5; cf. 11:23-27). Instead, Paul says - please love me?!

We may be called to a tough life - but this should weather us - not harden us [great point!]

We never get to the point where we don't need the love of other people.

True ministry involves all three elements: a life or urgency, lived with authenticity, and in relation to others in a spirit of vulnerability.

This is - after all - the life Jesus lived. He strained for the gospel, being with those around him in the good and bad, never pretending to be happy when he wasn't...our great servant King.

Phil's final point was simply to say that in ministry (a task that isn't actually for the professional Christians, but for all) we are commending ourselves to others. When we reach out to others we are saying - Accept me...my life, my message, my love.

For when another accepts me, they are, in fact, accepting Jesus.