Flow-Through Ministry
by Keri Wyatt Kent
posted 10/03/2008
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Nouwen says, "Why is it so important that solitude come before community? If we do not know we are the beloved sons and daughters of God, we're going to expect someone in the community to make us feel that way. They cannot. We'll expect someone to give us that perfect, unconditional love. But community is not loneliness grabbing onto loneliness: 'I'm so lonely, and you're so lonely.' It's solitude grabbing onto solitude: 'I am the beloved; you are the beloved; together we can build a home.'"
These two building blocks, Nouwen wrote (and I have found his observations to be accurate in my own life), are necessary prerequisites to true ministry. He writes: "All the disciples of Jesus are called to ministry. Ministry is not, first of all, something that you do (although it calls you to do many things). Ministry is something that you have to trust. If you know you are the beloved, and if you keep forgiving those with whom you form community and celebrate their gifts, you cannot do other than minister. Healing ministry can be expressed in two words: gratitude and compassion."
So what does ministry look like, when it flows out of solitude and community?
Nouwen writes of "healing ministry." You may think your ministry to children is simply about providing care, or teaching them truth. You may not see it as healing. But think about the children you minister to. They live in a stressful world, full of dangers and uncertainties. They get teased or ridiculed in school, maybe criticized by teachers or even parents. Some of them come to you rather wounded. You may not know what struggles they face, but your hour or two with them each week can be a chance to offer the healing touch of God's love, the reassurance that your room is a safe place. While you may be teaching them Bible stories or trying to impart wisdom about morality and theology, you also communicate God's love to them. Be mindful of the fact that the goal of your ministry to children is to let God's love flow through you. To show them, in human form, what it looks like to be gracious, compassionate, slow to anger, rich in love. The children in your care need the healing touch of God. But you cannot give away what you do not have.
And ministry, if it flows out of solitude and community, can be something that is healing to us—especially when it is freed from our expectations. We don't look to our ministry to provide meaning or importance; we've found that in solitude with God. But loving others often heals our wounds as well as theirs.
How do you approach your ministry? Rather than focusing on tasks, could you ask God to show you how to express gratitude and compassion? If we have spent time in solitude, letting God love us, we'll be grateful. If we are part of community where we have been shown compassion, we'll be better able to pass that compassion on to those we minister to.
We often get so caught up in effectiveness, in tasks, in results. We want to achieve. But healing ministry is not about your achievements. It is the overflow of a heart filled with the love of God, and supported in loving community.
Keri Wyatt Kent is the author of several books, and a popular retreat leader and speaker. Learn more at www.keriwyattkent.com
©2008 Keri Wyatt Kent
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