Options

I am torn between possibilities, distracted by opportunities.  There are so many avenues and areas of ministry that I might pursue that I have trouble settling on one.  I have been blessed with so much time to pursue my dreams that I don't know what to do with myself and worry that I am wasting my gift.  When I run into a roadblock or a project loses its novelty I am assaulted by so many other projects, causes, and ministries calling for my attention that I easily turn from the task at hand.  Focus comes hard.  Setting priorities is a challenge when all of the work is good.  Again, my abundance of time asks whether I need even to choose, or whether a more diligent use of time would make addressing all areas possible.  

Possibility:

 Youth Pastor

Passions: 

Care for young people, helping them seize opportunities and realize the richness of life.

Tasks: 

-Presence in youth programs (Sunday School, Confirmation, Puppets, Reel to Real, Youth Group, lock-in's, mission trip)

-Presence with youth members (at school events, sporting events, in one-on-one interaction)

-Leadership development (recruiting, resourcing and supporting adult volunteers)

Time Commitment:

10+ hours/week

Possibility:

Evangelist

Passions: 

Sharing the good news of God's grace with those who have not heard.

Tasks:

-Leave the office to spend time with non-members.

-Initiate conversation, build relationship with new people.

-Learn needs, share compassion, explore possibilities.

Time Commitment:

10+ hours/week

Possibility:

Preacher

Passions:

Preach the good news of the kingdom of God, encourage those who have chosen to follow Christ.

Tasks:

-Scripture study

-Sermon writing

-Develop skills for preaching

-Preach in worship (elsewhere?)

Time Commitment:

10+ hours/week

Possibility:

Church leader

Passions: 

Unite Christians in their common cause, unlock potential for common ministry

Tasks:

-Learn talents and passions of members

-Leadership development

-Connect members with others, opportunities, resources.

-Facilitate communication

Time Commitment:

10+ hours/week

Possibility:

Teacher

Passions: 

Share love of Scripture and of God, lead others to deeper knowledge and relationship.

Tasks:

-Develop/learn curriculum

-Advertise/recruit for classes

-Lead classes at various times through the week (esp. Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday)

Time Commitment

5+ hours/week

Ok, I am beginning to again feel overwhelmed. At the very minimum, I have identified 45 hours per week of ministry opportunities.  However, to do any of these things well would require a greater investment of time.  It seems that my worry that I have more time than I need is not borne out, and should be released.  

Next however is the question of priorities.  Each of these opportunities is good, and to focus on one means to release another, at least for the time being.  How do I determine which I am called to?

Hope for the future?

Hey all you faithful readers! (I'll be surprised if you haven't given up on me) I have a plan to post to this crazy thing ... weekly? I've gotten into the swing of writing monthly newsletter articles for the church bulletin, so that might be the first step toward maintaining a blog - it will at least provide me with "from the archives" filler for a few weeks while I establish a habit. So check back here in a week, and I'll try to have some sort of musings (or year old news from the church) for your reading pleasure.

First Post!

So, this is my first blog post ... ummm ... ever? maybe not, but it's the first in a long time, anyway. I would like to add some content, so i'll try to paste in a short conversation from another forum.

My classmate wrote:
"In Hebrews 4:14-5:10, the author again picks up the theme, first introduced in2:17-18, that Jesus is like a high priest. In Chapter 2, it was just a passing observation. Now the author unfolds that theory in greater detail, spelling out for us just HOW Jesus is like a high priest. Later, in Chapter 7, we’ll begin to see how Jesus is different from the Levitical high priest, but for now, the author is building a case for similarities, not contrasts.

Long and Koester approach this section slightly differently, but both lay out a chiastic structure that shows how Jesus does all the things a high priest should do, and possesses the characteristics that a high priest should possess.

Chief among these characteristics is empathy for the weak. Nobody knows suffering better than Jesus. And through his suffering, he learned obedience. Koester points out that in the theology of Hebrews, sinlessness = obedience in suffering, a concept not found in prior Levitical literature.

Question: Jesus was obedient in suffering. Hmmmm. And Hebrews certainly seems to be preparing its audience to expect suffering in this life. Obedience is learned through suffering and obedience is expected of Christ’s followers. Does our faith really call for us to be as self-sacrificing as Christ? Is there really merit in suffering? Do we really want to preach this theology to, say, a woman being abused by her husband? How do we get out of the theological minefield being laid for us in this section of Hebrews?"

and I responded:
"Are we really called to follow Jesus?"
As I read it, Hebrews says that in his suffering of Jesus learned obedience, and now is the source of salvation for all who obey. I think this does two things for the audience. First, it calls them to obey Jesus. What that means is unclear, it could be to obey a collection of Jesus' teachings that the community knows, it could be to obey their leaders who speak with Jesus authority, or something else. Second, I think the author assumes that the community is suffering becuase of its Jesus-following identity. The suffering is taken for granted, and the author wants them to remain firm in their faith.

So how do we read this as secure, not suffering Christians? I think the first message is clear, obey Jesus. Second, when suffering arises from obeying Jesus, remain firm in faith. My hope is that this releases the abused woman, but I will leave it to her prayerful discernment in Christian community to understand what obediance to Jesus demands. While I don't beleive suffering is inherent meritourious, i do think that it sometimes comes with working for the reign of God.

Shane Claiborne writes "And that’s when things get messy. When people begin moving beyond charity and toward justice and solidarity with the poor and oppressed, as Jesus did, they get in trouble. Once we are actually friends with the folks in struggle, we start to ask why people are poor, which is never as popular as giving to charity. One of my friends has a shirt marked with the words of late Catholic bishop Dom Helder Camara: “When I fed the hungry, they called me a saint. When I asked why people are hungry, they called me a communist.” Charity wins awards and applause but joining the poor gets you killed. People do not get crucified for living out of love that disrupts the social order that calls forth a new world. People are not crucified for helping poor people. People are crucified for joining them."