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Theology of Ministry
As I begin to ponder over my theology of ministry, I am drawn to reflect upon what I define ministry or the call to ministry to be. Most commonly, many clergymen perceives ministry as receiving the commission of the the Lord to only spread the gospel through the preached word. It is in keeping with scripture to "preach the word to every living creature", however the call to do ministry has to be about more than only preaching. That is to say, not just what is done in the pulpit but what is done outside of the pulpit. It is the ideal of this preacher that ministry begins after the preaching event. A great scholar once said that "a sermon lived is better than a sermon preached any day." Ministry that is felt and shared is far more effective than soothing words that may only tickle our ears. The call to do ministry most assuredly is about more as was exhibited by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus was the greatest minister that ever lived and he showed us how it ought to be done. He challenged us to think beyond just the scope of the four walls-the church building. Also he exemplified that true ministry for the Christian is reaching outside of one's self and even our familiar surroundings to impact people's lives. Jesus showed us that the best way to do that is to get in the midst of their struggle, to share their pain, to sit and eat with those that are sick - lost. He very passionately stated that He came "to seek and to save that which was lost." In recent times, the acronym W.D.J.D. has emerged and ask a very profound question-What Did Jesus Do? It is the opinion of this theologian that the question posed speaks to and even helped to shape my theology of ministry. My theology of ministry is doing what Jesus did, reaching outside of myself and my comfort zone into areas that others are not willing to go, to reach out to people that others see as unreachable, undesirables and even persons of ill-repute, and to show them that the love of Christ that lives in us is extended to them and wishes to change their life and their soul. Our greatest witnessing opportunity to win their soul is to first win their heart.
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