Every few years it’s good to re-evaluate. I remember my first ministry internship at 20 years old sitting down to write a philosophy of ministry. Since then, a lot has changed.
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of reflection in preparation to go before the Board of Ordained Ministry. I’ve been asked in my paper work to identify three values which are I’m portent for me in ministry today.
So as of this season of life, I’d like to share with y’all what my top three values are for doing ministry.
Ministry Value #1 – Courage
Courage has not always been a big value for me. Honestly, I once thought of courage as the juvenile lesson superimposed on Bible stories make them more applicable to young children.
Daniel and The Lion’s Den, David and Goliath, all the most fanciful Bible stories seemed to be about courage. Also, these stories seemed very similar to the fairytales I learned as a kid. I think this made ‘Courage‘ difficult to differentiate as a Christian virtue.
Even as a kid I knew I would never been in danger from literal lions or giants, so I tended to dismiss the idea of courage as something I wouldn’t actually need.
But I have had to be courageous.
I’ve come to know crippling effect of fear on God’s ministry, and I have become frustrated by people too scared to step out in faith. A lot of times that timid person was actually me.
About a year ago, one of my students was responsible for delivering the weekly testimony. She shared her favorite Bible verse, 1 John 4:18 “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear…”
During her testimony, I realized for the first time how much of our political and religious divisiveness was motivated by fear. Every wedge issue, every “us-verse-them” argument is designed to make us afraid, to make us fearful of the unknown and of our neighbor.
But courage is a value intimately close to God’s heart. By some counts, the Bible says to “fear not” more than 100 times. And in nearly every divine encounter the first words spoken by God or God’s messenger is “fear not.”
We are told ” fear not” because Courage, especially that sort of fearless love John talks about, is counter to our nature. We are predisposed to fear. We are all frail, finite mortals afraid of getting hurt, so we structure our societies with walls and boundaries to keep danger, whether real or imagined, at bay.
Courage is counter to our nature as humans, but it is indispensable if we are to be called children of God.
We need courage to be strong leaders, to follow God’s vision, to step out in faith, and event to admit when we’re wrong.
The best way I have found to nourish this value within myself is through being a part of a weekly table. In thoughtful conversations, I am able to emotionally strain out all the fear which heaped upon me by news outlets and through social media. I can breakdown the fearful rhetoric, and begin to faithfully love those who are ‘other.’ And I can quite the persistent voice on fear in my own heart.
There’s strength in numbers, and I best feel the reassurance of my calling to love fearlessly when engaged in a community of believers who actually loves fearlessly.
What about you? How has fear and Courage played a role in how you love others? Do you feel like Courage is important to ministry?
Kena Hawkins Newkirk 