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The Bishop's Journal
February 2000
FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD
In my ministry as a
bishop I am privileged to engage in conversation with a great many people,
pastors and congregations about the nature of Christian ministry. And
although I enjoy these conversations immensely, I am at times somewhat
distressed by our seeming inability to speak of ministry in terms other
than those which relate to the day-to-day activities of congregational
life. Contemporary Christians are quite easily able to enumerate what they
are doing with regard to fulfilling the important liturgical, educational
and physical agendas of congregational ministry, but struggle, it seems,
with identifying and claiming those ministries which are undertaken by
Christian people and Christian communities in and through the world.
It is helpful to remember that we who the Bible calls to be salt spend at
least 95% of our time in solution; that is, in the world. And that is how
it should be! Christianity, properly understood, isn't an institution, but
rather a movement whose missionary focus is always directed outward into
the wider community. As such, the things that we do within our communities
of faith bear significance only insomuch as they serve and support that
outward movement.
Since the time of my ordination I have always been somewhat resistant to
being called "the minister" and have strongly preferred the name
of pastor. Instinctively, I think I was reacting to the implication that
only ministers minister! I was reacting to the unspoken suggestion that
ministry is something that the church hires paid professionals to do on
its behalf.
I believe that it is vitally important for the church to become more
skilled at helping people identify and claim ministries and vocations in
terms that go beyond those specifically connected to congregational life.
We need to help people identify and fulfill the vocational dimensions of
their 95% in solution time. We need to help people understand and explore
the opportunities for ministry that are made present as they fulfill their
vocations as parents, schoolteachers, sons and daughters, factory workers,
farmers, managers or salespeople.
It is somewhat coincidental that I am submitting this article on the day
after having learned that two Eastern Synod members, Walter Hachborn, St.
James, St. Jacobs, ON and Edith Johnson, St. Ansgar, London, ON have been
named as Members of the Order of Canada. It is a delight to hear that such
an honour has been conferred on these two individuals, for I know that
both Walter and Edith would enthusiastically claim a clear sense of being
engaged in ministry. Both exhibit a visible, faith-based vocational
awareness.
Theologian Frederick Buechner suggests that we find our ministry at the
point where our greatest passion encounters the world's greatest need. Put
another way, the work of Christian ministry involves identifying the bad
news that is happening around us and then applying an appropriate word of
good news in response. This is work that each one of us is called to do;
work that in many ways we are already doing.
Earlier last year I was visiting with a congregation of our synod and was
invited to sit in with the adult study group. This particular session was
one in a weekly series where individual members of the congregation were
invited to share their understanding and experience of Christian ministry.
Every seat in the rather spacious meeting room was filled. Several
participants stood around the room. The pastors of the congregation
reported to me that this had been the case each week of the series.
Indeed, they ended up extending the series, that's how eager people were
to participate, either by sharing their own stories or by listening to the
stories of others.
Ministry is truly and properly the work of the whole people of God. All of
us have vocations to which we have been called. My guess is that most of
us understand that reality to some extent. Where we need to work harder,
however, is in the work of claiming and identifying those ministries, and
then training and equipping ourselves to fulfill them more faithfully and
effectively.
So by all means, let us celebrate and give thanks for the ministries done
in support of the day-to-day stuff of congregational life. They are vital
to our identity. We couldn't survive without them. But let us never forget
what end those ministries ultimately serve.
The Christian Gospel is predicated on the fact of God's great love for the
world. So also should our ministry.
The Rev. Michael J. Pryse,
Bishop
