Ministry Journey Blog

Thoughts on Ministry

04 Oct

Marathon

Posted in Uncategorized on 04.10.12 by Merlyn

I am not a runner. Plain and simple, I prefer not to run anywhere at all. I do run sometimes as a part of an exercise routine, but I do not find it enjoyable. I have a family history of bad knees and do not like the risk of running. This is part of the reason that running analogies are lost on me. Yet the scriptures are full of running and race analogies. I am certain in the case of Paul that they fit the culture well. I tend to be a fairly reflective person and lately my reflection around ministry has been centered around the analogy of the marathon. Having been at this now for over 14 years, I can see the value of looking at ministry as a marathon. The freshness, newness and initial energy, while sometimes still a part of ministry life are not at the center any longer. Effectiveness, excitement, creativity etc all seem to come from a long-term perspective instead of a short-term perspective. Patience is not my gift, so this is not without its challenges and yet I find myself enjoying the pace and reality of ministry more than ever. The consistent nature of ministry and the slow and steady pace has now outweighed the radical, short-term, life change that used to characterize ministry. I no longer feel guilty about this, because in the end, building disciples that last must come in running a marathon and not a sprint. It only took me 14 years to accept that.

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