Meeting The Moment

There's a tension in ministry. On the one hand, we need to communicate God's message in ways the world can understand. On the other hand, we must resist conforming to the world. We should always feel this tension. It's not helpful to seek a 'sweet spot' on some godly-worldly scale. Instead, we should imagine what it looks like to be a holy, distinct, worshiping, Jesus-like community in our corner of the world, in our moment. Not in some abstract location. Not in the first century. Not in the 1600s. Not in the 1950s. Here, today.

Shaken, Not Stirred

This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. — 1 Timothy 2:3-4

What is so good? Paul says, peaceful and quiet lives in godliness and holiness (v2). Too often, depictions of God are designed to make us cower, to shake. These only reinforce a natural response to God's greatness. But the Father's words to us are, "Do not be afraid." He would rather that we be stirred by his goodness and love, that we would know reality and experience peace and quiet in his presence.

Catch and Release

And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” — Matthew 4:19

In our encounters with God, we are formed by him, and we make disciples of him. Here, Jesus relates evangelism to fishing. In Jesus's time, fish were gathered in nets and held. Today, sport-fishing rewards catch and release. Jesus' commission to make disciples assumed his followers would gather people and hold them in Christian community. We moderns must strive for the same. We shouldn't be satisfied with catch-and-release methods.