This is Not What I Signed Up For
by Dr. Ircel Harrison
“As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.” --Matthew 9:9, NIV
If you are a Christian minister, at some point you experienced a “call” to Christian ministry. Although many in my Baptist tradition think of this as strictly a matter between an individual and God, we come to a point in our pilgrimage where we understand that the call is affirmed by a faith community. Even so, the call is what got us started down that road and the call keeps us there.
In these days when the role of the minister has been unraveling, the motivation that caused each of us to enter the ministry is still there. Perhaps it was an awareness of the mystery of faith that enticed you. For some the call came from falling in love with the Word of God and the desire to preach and teach the Bible. Others became aware of a passion to share the Good News so that everyone might have a full and fruitful life. The opportunity to support and encourage others in times of crisis or growth may have provided a “pull” to ministry. Many of us perceived human need and wanted to touch, heal, and love as Jesus did.
If you are like me, your call has led you onto a path that you did not perceive when you began. Our ministries evolve, change, and are redefined. You may find yourself in a church placement that you never expected. There are some who give up a compensated position in a church or denomination in order to minister outside the walls. Others find that ministry for them now happens in the hospital, the classroom, or the marketplace. Even so, the call is still there, central to our identity as ministers.
As we experience the COVID-19 pandemic and become frustrated at the volatility and uncertainty it creates, there is a temptation to say, “This is not what I signed up for!” Worship is truncated, preaching and teaching are virtual, relationships are limited, and pastoral care for the living and those who grieve is stifled. How can we do ministry with our hands tied behind our backs?
How can we do ministry in this context? I suggest that we do ministry by going back to what led us onto this path at the beginning. Things have changed. The context has changed. We live in an environment that we did not sign up for; however, we find ourselves in good company. As we review the Scriptures, we find any number of individuals who accepted the call of God on faith and ended up in unexpected places.
As Jesus called his disciples, he gave few details about the enterprise into which he invited them. When God chose Mary to bear the Christ, God did not show her the confusion and heartbreak this would cause her. For most of us, not knowing what the journey would be like was probably a blessing! Even so, the God who called us continues to walk with us through these days of disorientation, confusion, and struggle. Perhaps it is time to remind ourselves not only of how God worked in our lives then, but to celebrate God’s presence with us today. The pathway may be more difficult to discern, but it is still there. And we are not alone on the journey. Thanks be to God!