Carrying on the Work

The Church enters into and exercises the servant character and ministry of Christ by identification with, involvement in, and service to the world in the name of Christ. “The Church” says Lewis Smedes, “is Jesus Christ bodily present, bodily committed to, and bodily immersed in the ghetto of human history. The Church, His body, still carries on the work of reconciliation. And it is vulnerable, open to wounds, because it, with Him, is still part of the ghetto. (The Reformed Journal, January 1969)

How should we then live?

In his book Strengthening Your Grip, Chuck Swindoll comments on John 13:15, “Does Christ say I give you an example for you to study, or to form a discussion group on, or to memorize and repeat often?” NO. The verse says, “I gave you an example that you should do as I did.”

Wisdom for life

A wise old rabbi once asked his pupils how they could tell when the night had ended and the day had begun. “Could it be”, asked one of the students, “when you see an animal in the distance and can tell whether it’s a sheep or a dog?” “No,” answered the rabbi. Another asked, “Is it when you can look at a tree in the distance and tell whether it is a fig tree or a peach tree?” “No,” said the rabbi. “Then when is it?” the pupils demanded. “It is when you can look on the face of a man or woman and see that it is your sister or brother. Because if you cannot see this, it is still night (from ministry archives–source unknown).

How do you prevent burn-out?

I am often asked the question, “How can you minister to the broken and brokenhearted without breaking yourself”? The answer is simple (although it took me many years to discover). I minister to honor and please God, never to please other people or even myself. And I serve in his strength alone, not mine. It is really nothing that I do. Actually, ninety percent of ministry is just “showing up” and being used by God. Oh, and one other thing: Don’t be a rescuer. Don’t work harder than the people coming for help.

Quotes from favorite authors

“To worship God is to serve him in imitation of our Savior Jesus who did not come to be served, but to serve (Matt.20:28). I believe that the temporal care of the poor is no less sacred than ecclesiastical activity. While the gathering for worship always takes precedence, the love of our neighbor must be an inevitable corollary. The duties of worship (pietas) and love (caritas) are inseparable.” –John Calvin

“Mercy is not an option or even an addition to being a Christian. Instead, a life poured out in deeds of mercy is the inevitable sign of a life which has experienced the grace of God” (Tim Keller in Training for Deacons).