Minstry- thoughts I wrote last year but never posted

For so long I've held it in my mind that people work a job so they can pay the bills and then they do "ministry" or stuff for God on the side- unless they are missionaries or pastors who have dedicated their WHOLE life to doing stuff for God. It often seemed that by the time you put together ministry, job, family, and life stuff, there was no room left for your passions or gifts. Oh, there were always a few people who got a job doing what they loved, or maybe they grew up wanting to be a pastor or missionary, but those people seemed few and far between. So, I felt that if I was going to properly server God I had to fill my life up with ministry and missions. When I would daydream about having a racehorse farm I would always add on that I witnessed to people in the profession. Or if I daydreamed about being in a band, I always had to make it a christian/worship band. Now, neither of those dreams are bad in and of themselves. However, I know my reasoning was off. My focus was on making sure God got put in there somewhere. You see, I realize now that I felt like perhaps those two passions were regular life professions and not "God professions". They weren't "ministry" so I had to MAKE them ministry. I had to justify NOT doing "ministry" by putting God into my passions. That is messed up thinking.

Thing is, God GAVE me those passions for a reason. He WANTS me to use them and delight in them. He loves to see me happy and delighting in His gifts. He wants me to stop focusing on DOING and just be His. He's gonna show me the rest.

When I realized this, I was suddenly free to pursue my passions without anything holding me back. I am going to music school and I couldn't be more excited. The love of music is a part of me-- a passion and gift the Lord has given me. Making use of that gift and delighting in it gives me life. It make's my Father in heaven happy too. So I've come to this conclusion...

Ministry should not be a part of your life. Ministry should not be your life.

Your life should be your ministry.
Basically, I feel like we often put the emphasis on "ministry." Thus making the specific time we spend doing "things for God" a separate part of our lives. We have our job, our family, our social life, and our ministry. Perhaps we should take ministry out of there and make our job, our family, and our social life- basically our LIFE- our "ministry." Quit focusing on DOING and start focusing on BEING. Live your life, the life God has given you, to the fullest and BE HIS. He'll take care of the rest.
Whatever path God has chosen for you to walk is unique for you and walking that path is the best thing you can do. God has given each of us different gifts and passions. Using those passions will bring Him glory. He has a plan for you in his great commission using the gifts He's given you. Master those gifts and love them. Thats why He gave them to you.

Thoughts?
~MJ~

Questions

Just a few questions regarding the relationship between family and the church community. I would love to hear peoples answers....

1. Definition of healthy community




2. Definition of healthy family




3. Can you have healthy family without healthy community?





4. Can you have healthy community without healthy family?





5. Why do believers need community?

All the Little People

My dad told me about this blog called The Assembling of the Church and I read it from time to time. Anyway, the most recent post, Building Something that Lasts, talked about how the church should "focus on building into the lives of people" rather than it making sure the organization lasts. One line from the post stood out to me:

"many believers and churches are spending time, energy, and resources to make sure that the organization (whatever they call themselves, however they are organized, whatever their creed or confession, wherever they meet) continues after the people are gone. They are building into an organization"

The focus is often on making sure that building with the stained-glass windows is full of people. It doesn't matter who the people are cause people are gonna come and go, just as long as the pews are full. That could be one reason why so many churches advertise so much. That way their name can "continue to exist." hmmm....

That may be a little harsh... but it sure makes you think.

I really like what this guy said at the end of his post, about how the church continues to exist through the lives of PEOPLE, not through organizations.

The church is about relationships.

Just thinking out loud....
~MJ~

Scripts are for Movies

Have you ever noticed how we Christians often write out a script for so much of what we do? Most church services are completely planned out, many down to the minute. "This is the part of our service when we do this..." Worship time, greeting time, preaching time, prayer time, closing song.. etc. Sermons are almost always drafted in advance. The worship songs are picked out in advance. Heck, we even script out our salvation prayers! "Repeat after me..." Where in the Bible does it say you have to pray a prayer to be saved? It just says people "believed." I doubt Paul led them in a special salvation prayer. :)

Where did we get all of this? When did we change from a "spirit-led body" to a "scripted out program"? Why?