The other day, after my graduation ceremony, Kati (my wife) was waiting in a line outside of a bathroom. She started talking to the wife of another person who had graduated and was asked, “Where are y’all serving?”
More recently, Kati was asked “what our ministry was going to be?”
My wife, who is a wonderful person, has had to deal with me questioning everything for the past couple of years, and continues to show me the grace in dealing with me questioning everything still. I once thought I was called to be a full-time vocational pastor but now much has changed. So, she often answers these questions with a simple, “He wants to teach.”
I share her frustration with having to answer this question because we both know that the question itself is loaded and it is loaded in more than one way. Plus, most people do not care to hear a long diatribe.
So my question is this… If someone asked you what your ministry was, what do you think would be the best (i.e. most Biblical) answer?
Lew,
We usually answer the same way that Kati answered: “teaching”.
You question raises a bigger question. How far do we go in answering people’s questions? For example, when people ask me, “Are you a pastor?” I honestly do not know how to answer them. I mean, yes, I am a pastor, but not in the way they mean.
I guess my answer would depend on how well I know the person, and how much time we have to talk.
-Alan
Alan,
Thanks for the comment. It is a hard question to answer. A lot of discussions I end up having with people about these issues end up with them agree with what I am saying, but they are using their own definitions. It can be very frustrating, I guess I just need to lean on the Holy Spirit and hope that he will open their eyes to a new understanding.
God’s Glory,
Lew
Sorry this is a couple of days late… I have to say that I also share your frustration. I hate the question, “What do you want to do after you graduate?”. It doesn’t go over very well to say that I want to be a biblical Christian.
I suppose the real problem comes down to the fact that most people are asking me about vocation, and that’s just something that I grow less and less concerned with. I mean, I want to have decent job so I can meet the needs of my family, but I don’t really care what that job is as long as I enjoy doing it.
As far as what is my ministry? The best answer I can think of is to be a disciple of Jesus (in the truest sense of the word) and help others become disciples.
Drew,
Better late than never. Great comment, very well thought out and edifying. Great answer.
God’s Glory,
Lew
Teaching would be my answer also. I add to that, that God has called me to continue teaching at the college level and in the church. Often that is followed by you teach in church? What do you teach? That is when I seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance on how much to say …
Lew, I was plundering around on your site and dug up this old post. I applogize for bringing up something so old but I thought this was an interesting question.
For all believers we have the same mission. Go and make disciples. Now the manner in which we do that varies for sure. Although we’re not all called into full time ministry or to be bonified missionaries, I like to look at it like we are all missionaries disguised as _________ (whatever you do). Teacher, construction worker, trash man, waiter, doctor, administrator; whatever you do, you are to serve God where he has put you. I feel that anyone doing anything outside of this is being disobedient.
Too many “christians” (I hate that word) feel like it’s the pastor’s job to win people to Christ and the church’s job to disciple them.
Well I could really go on about this but you get the idea.