This is the question Jim Martin hit us with yesterday during our afternoon session of the Waco Alliance. If Jesus were the preacher at Legacy, how would he go about his day? What would his week look like? What would he do that you do? What would he never do that you find yourself doing every day?
Weird question.
Weird, because I can’t imagine Jesus as a preacher at a church. Not a church in the way we do church today.
I look at Jesus in the Gospels and, yes, I definitely see a preacher. “Repent!” he preaches. “The Kingdom of God is near!” Oh, yeah, Jesus was certainly a preacher. And he ministered to people. All kinds of people. He taught Nicodemus. He consoled Mary and Martha. He healed the crippled and blind. He encouraged the outcast. He ate with the sinner. Jesus was a pastor/shepherd. On the road. In the desert. At the lake. In people’s homes. In the temple. At the market place. Jews and Gentiles. Sinners and saints. He preached and ministered. He did all the things I long to do. He is all the things I long to be.
But how would he be the preacher at Legacy?
The preacher at Legacy has an office. Four walls. Book shelves with lots of books. A desk. The preacher at Legacy is expected to be in this place, this preacher space, every day. An office. With a phone. And a computer. A lamp. Paper clips and staples and a printer. Emails and messages and blogs. Writing sermons. Practicing sermons. Re-writing sermons. Pens and paper. Budgets and meetings and meetings about budgets. Lunch at the drive-thru and then back in my space.
I imagine Jesus would not keep regular office hours. He might not have an office at all.
And I sometimes find myself living in this office. Living here.
How would Jesus do my job?
I wrote three more paragraphs here and then, after re-reading them a couple of times, deleted them. I’ve got some soul-searching to do. I’ve got some serious questions to answer. I have to be a disciple of Christ first and a church “preacher” second. The lines are blurred more often than not. I’ve got to figure out if that’s good or bad.
Peace,
Allan
Maybe it’s a matter of perspective. Ministry is a calling, rather than a job (I think I was recently affirmed that fact by you). And so whether it’s occupational or not, ministry is an outpouring of our discipleship. You’re a disciple who happens to preach and teach and counsel. You could very well be a disciple who’s an electrician. Or a disciple who’s a high school principle. Or a disciple who works at Starbucks (well not you, but maybe someone else). We’re disciples first and our ministry (the way we live our lives and impact the lives of others) is made manifest through Christ at work in and through us – in and through the things that we are about.
You said it yourself, “Discipleship first.”
Good stuff!
Thanks for the thoughts.
Glory to God!
Jason
Maybe we should all ask ourselves that question. I’m not sure I want to know the answer. Anyway, I can’t see Jesus working at a secular job. But that’s just me.
He probably wouldn’t be burning copies of the Koran
Really good questions… I think I’m going to go ponder this with David now! 🙂