We live in the age of the instant. We want to know what works and we want it now.
In our scientific and rationalistic world, we often attempt to make ministry a science. Such is not always the case. It is not that definite.
We co-labor with a dynamic Spirit. The unexpected is to be expected.
We co-labor with sinful people, filled with the dynamic Spirit, not robots who respond with 100% predictability. Remember the last time we said, “I can’t believe he did that.” “Wow! That is unbelievable!” “No way!” What should surprise us is our surprised reaction, not the person’s action. Over the past twenty years, I have observed that even the most predictable people are unpredictable at times (sometimes for the good, sometimes for the bad).
While the Lord has established the channel in which the river of living runs, those river banks are wide. There is much room for the unpredictable. The unexpected. The circumstances that cause us to adjust our strategies, within the divine boundaries.
When we realize the nature of the task to which we are wonderfully called, we recognize that there is a great deal of art present. Even as we rightly call people to imitate us as we imitate Christ (1 Cor 11:1), we labor to lead them to contextualization and application of biblical truth to life. This is an artistic expression. This should not surprise us, knowing the creativity of our Father. Even His Word is filled with a great deal of poetry.
Art cannot be taught. Sure we can teach the scientific (predictable) aspects of art–brush strokes, mixing of colors, shading, depth, blending of colors, and texture. But real art comes when the student applies what has been taught to create something from nothing.
Art cannot be taught. Sure, I used to teach guitar students guitar science–triads, pentatonic scales, theory, improvisation, and shredding. 🙂 Real art, however, comes when the student applies what has been taught and refrains from mimicking his teacher. Robots mimic, at least for now.
How are you equipping your people? In your church? Classroom? Small group? At home? Are you trying to program robots or note the divinely-set river banks and teach them how to apply biblical truth to the river of life? The former approaches ministry as a pure science; the latter recognizes the constants but understands the unpredictable. The former approach is fine with the generally predictable circumstance, but freezes when confronted with many exceptions to the predictable. An automaton will always respond correctly in a select number of circumstances, but difficulties arise when the present reality changes.
And reality changes.
Equip. Don’t program. Don’t clone. Don’t just teach the science.
Equip for application.
(image credit: Microsoft Office)
