Amazing Grace

Our senior pastor was recently on a mission trip to Cuba. So this Sunday we had one of our retired pastors preach. I always look forward to hearing this man preach because he seems to have such wisdom when it comes to spiritual things after over 50 years of experience in ministry. This Sunday was no disappointment. He spoke on four pillars of amazing grace. He set up his discussion of grace by talking about seeking. He really caused us to ponder whether we really seek God or does he seek us? Of course, Wesley's prevenient grace is all about God's seeking us before we were even in the womb. God is constantly seeking us.

As I pondered this, I really thought about what this means for me in my position of ministry. For me, this has always been one of the concepts that I have loved most. But, I constantly need to remind myself that the way God has always sought a relationship with me, He is also passionately seeking my students. It is not my job to get them to seek God, or push them into a relationship with God. Jesus never did this, Jesus didn't need programs, or trips, or flashy curriculum to reach those He encountered. Instead, He showed people a new way of life and invited them to this life, to really live. This is my calling. To do my best to live an honest and authentic life in a world of pretending. To lead a deep, connectional life desiring to reach out to God in the midst of cynicism, materialism, and despair. This is my Creator's desire for me, and His desire for my students. The longer I am in ministry the more I realize that my job is about service and relationships.

I worry that sometimes we over-program and worry too much about musicians, media, games, and food and not enough about offering an environment of experience with God. The truth is that I really want God to lead our ministry in my heart, yet I seem to many times find myself getting in the way.

I was reflecting with Carson today about our recent retreat where many walls came down and our group really bonded. I told our group that I believe that the retreat was less of a mountaintop experience and more of a jump on the incline that we have been on since the beginning of this year. At this retreat, I have to say that I feel really, really good about the way we programmed. Our adult team came together and made some things happen that none of us thought possible. Still though, as Carson and I talked, we felt that much of the way God moved during the weekend was more in the cabins and free time than in the programmed times.

I think it is time for us to sit in the presence of God with a clean sheet in front of us and let God lead how we program so that we are making sure there is room for Him to take us in a different direction. Don't know what this might mean, but I'll keep you posted.