A day in the south west and I’m challenged again about the sacrifice that people make for mission and ministry. I’m struck by the sheer effort people are putting in, often in dire circumstances with little encouragement or support from ‘local church’.
Today, in the privacy of my car, I have wept for people and it’s quite a sobering experience. I’ve been reminded again of the raw edge of ministry.
Ministry hurts, ministry costs, ministry makes demands in ways nothing else does – it is not good for your health and anyone that thinks ministry gives a status needs to take a fresh look at how Jesus was continually treated alongside his ultimate fate.
Another day which has highlighted amazingly, following my last blog, that ministry costs big time.
The Shiny Headed Prophet 
I find I need to spend half my time tending those wounded by ‘modernity ambush’ in the traditional churches (and occasionally recovering myself), and half the time actually moving us all on to what needs to be done next. A few of us agreed last week that the effect of the tensions between old attitudes and new in the church were doing us so much damage we need to limit contact, watch each others’ backs, and go in where possible in twos and threes! I mean how sad is that? But if we do damage limitation to protect ourselves from our fellow believers, how can we serve? The work to reach younger generations would just stop.
I agree – it would be a shame to have to distance yourself and (although it is easy for me outside the situation to say so) that’s not the style that Jesus adopted.There is a need to support each other as much as possible when involved in ministry. Ministry means pain, I guess, and rather than try to avoid it we need to make plans and get things in place to help us cope and overcome it.It’s tough though.