Ministry Journey Blog

Thoughts on Ministry

26 Sep

Authenticity

Posted in Uncategorized on 26.09.09 by Merlyn

I have been thinking a lot about authenticity lately. There is no question that authenticity is critical to ministry, especially in today’s American church and the postmodern/hyper postmodern culture. There is also no question that authenticity cannot be created or faked, it is borne out of who you really are and your relationship with God. Authenticity is dangerous. Too much or too little can break a person or a ministry. What is most interesting to me as I look at the makeup and leadership of suburban churches today, I notice that the things that the boomer generation wants and needs the most out of their leaders is authenticity. At the same time they are afraid to offer that authenticity themselves; often stuck in a corporate approach to church. What is the right balance of authenticity in ministry?


 

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23 Sep

Ministry of Absence

Posted in Uncategorized on 23.09.09 by Merlyn

Its been a while since I wrote in this blog.  When I did this eight days ago I never thought I was about to be fired from my ministry position. It has been an interesting week and I have had a lot of ministry reflections but no time to write them. One of the things I really need to work on is writing my thoughts more often, it will be a critical piece for me. I have doubted and questioned my ministry and I have thought a lot about what is next and where to go with things. I see my call and know God has something huge in store for me. I am hurting and need a break.

I am auditing a Fuller course on Henri Nouwen. I did not think I was going to be able to do the reading, but now that I am out of work I can. I am looking forward to the course and the retreat that will start it off. I was reading his book, The Living Reminder which is short and powerful. It is something that I think every minister needs to read. One of the things that he talks about is the ministry of absence. We focus so much on presence and the expectation of ministers in terms of presence is high. I never even thought that absence is a ministry or a reality or even a good or acceptable idea. Now I am thinking hard about what the ministry of absence looks like and means especially in a postmodern culture and as churches get older and are controlled by a boomer generation with such high expectations. “Therefore , ministers do not fulfill their whole task when they only witness to God’s presence and do not tolerate the experience of his absence.” pg 44.  I do not think that God is ever absent, but I do think that it can feel like God is absent, and surely in all of our relationships with God and others we experience absence.  Should we embrace a ministry of absence? What does that look like in today’s church?

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14 Sep

Why This Blog

Posted in Uncategorized on 14.09.09 by Merlyn

Here I go with another blog.  I have four now plus all of those social networking sites.  Then there is my website, our family website, and the section of the church website I am responsible for.  I have found however that I have a lot on my mind and like other men; I am a waffle and things are in compartments and so it goes with blogs. I have been in ministry since accepting the call to follow Jesus. The experiences have been wide and deep. The journey continues. This blog will represent my thoughts, experiences, and reflections directly related to ministry calling and vocation.  So, here we go…

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