Last night, I awakened several times to rain pounding on the roof. Early this morning, unable to sleep, I went to the basement to check on things. Thankfully, the sump pump still worked well. But the patio drain just outside the back door had become clogged with leaves. I waded into the two-inch deep water in the bottom of the outdoor stairwell and cleared the leaves and muck, which allowed the water to quickly drain.
I felt thankful for a sump pump that works. I could hear it run, sending water from below our home’s foundation out, away from the house. I’m also glad we have a battery powered backup for that pump, because sometimes storms knock out electrical power. We didn’t have to use it, but it’s important that it is there. Some areas near us got five inches of rain overnight. Many roads and basements were flooded.
Our house, again thankfully, is built on a strong foundation. It has a source for electrical power to run the pump and clear out the water, and a backup system in place. But what about my spiritual home?
So often, when storms come, figuratively, into our spiritual lives, we’re shocked. And even though it’s happened before, we’re unprepared. We realize that our foundation is weak, or that we’re unable to keep the flood waters at bay, or even that the backup we’d hoped to put in place is not there. The resulting damage surprises and dismays us.
For many, a new ministry season is coming. Both sunshine and storms are to be expected. Are you prepared?
Lesson plans are essential. Creative programming ideas will help. Enthusiastic volunteers will help you care for and lead children. But is your soul prepared? Your own walk with God is the foundation of your ministry.
Jesus told a story of two homes, one built on a rock, and another on sand. (Matthew 7:24-27)
When I was a kid, we sang a song in Sunday School about that story, complete with motions (pounding a fist on our other open palm): “The wise man built his house upon the rock…and the house on the rock stood firm!”
But how do you build that house? Is “building your house on the rock” simply mean trusting Jesus for your salvation? Is it about the hereafter, or the now? Is it about accumulating knowledge about God?
According to Jesus, it’s about hearing the gospel, and then, putting it into practice. It’s not just knowing your should love God and love your neighbor, it’s doing it.
The Bible also says, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain…” (Psalms 127:1)
So maybe building your house is not about hard work, but about inviting the master renovator in to see what’s needed and do it. And letting him guide our actions, letting him teach us how to practice our faith, and then living out what’s in our hearts.
So often we fall into the trap of thinking that more ministry activity or training will be the best foundation. Or that having other people who hold us accountable will be enough to sustain our work for God. We’re trying to find time for all the things we need to get done in ministry, when what we need is to find space—space for God. And that is what spiritual practices give us—space for God to show up and minister to us. To build the house.
Henri Nouwen wrote that the foundation for all ministry is not additional ministry, or even community, although those are both important. But the place to begin our ministry is alone with God, in solitude. Jesus said we should love God and love others. So often, especially if we are in full-time ministry, we say we love God but we neglect that relationship so that we can do stuff for God.
If you want to build your spiritual house upon the rock, begin by going to God alone. While it’s popular these days to talk about spiritual practices like solitude, the truth is, few Christians—even those in ministry—do the hard work of actually practicing solitude. But just talking about it won’t do anything. It’s like talking about a sump pump, maybe even buying one and sticking it in the basement, but never installing it, or perhaps never plugging it in.
In solitude, we will pray—perhaps with only a few words and a lot of listening. We may journal, reflect on Scripture, or simply rest in God’s presence. But we will spend time with the One who calls us beloved.
In a classic article from Leadership Journal (Spring 1995), Henri wrote about Jesus’ example about how to do ministry. He cited Luke 6:12-19, where Jesus prayed before choosing the twelve disciples. Take a moment to click on the link and read the passage, then read part of Henri’s reflection on it:
This is a beautiful story that moves from night to morning to afternoon. Jesus spent the night in solitude with God. In the morning, he gathered his apostles around him and formed community. In the afternoon, with his apostles, he went out and preached the Word and healed the sick.
Notice the order—from solitude to community to ministry. The night is for solitude; the morning for community; the afternoon for ministry.
So often in ministry, I have wanted to do it by myself. If it didn’t work, I went to others and said, “Please!” searching for a community to help me. If that didn’t work, maybe I’d start praying.
But the order that Jesus teaches us is the reverse. It begins by being with God in solitude; then it creates a fellowship, a community of people with whom the mission is being lived; and finally this community goes out together to heal and to proclaim good news.
I believe you can look at solitude, community, and ministry as three disciplines by which we create space for God. If we create space in which God can act and speak, something surprising will happen. You and I are called to these disciplines if we want to be disciples.
Hold that last thought for a moment: “If we want to be disciples.”
Often in ministry, we focus on discipling others or on being ministers. Yet even as we serve families, teach their children, encourage those we lead and serve beside, we must not lose sight of our role as disciples. For our own relationship with Jesus, as his disciples, is the rock we build our lives upon. Certainly, if building a house, we don’t stop at the foundation—we move from solitude to community; and from there to ministry. But if the foundation is weak (or missing) the house will not stand.
If we want to build our ministry upon a solid foundation, and be sure that foundation is not washed away, solitude must be our first and foremost practice. It is there that we find the tools that equip us, the power that sustains us, and our backup for times when we fail. From there, filled with Jesus’ love, we move into community where we give and receive the love of others. Our ministry is built on nothing less.
Keri Wyatt Kent is an author, speaker, and children’s ministry volunteer. Learn more at www.keriwyattkent.com.
Copyright © 2007 Promiseland.
