He Equips the Called…

“God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”

I don’t know who first coined this phrase, but it’s one that scares me and at the same time is my prayer.

Last week I went to a great conference for people in ministry called “Best Practices of the Heartland.” It was good to listen the best practices of leaders in various areas of ministry. But it also created a lot of questions for me about my own call. After the conference I had a conversation with a friend about leadership, during which I realized that I may naturally be a follower.

There is nothing wrong with being a follower. We need followers in order to have leaders. I enjoy following, not carrying the full weight and responsibility that comes with leadership. But I have been placed in a position of leadership.

So, is it possible for someone whose natural bent is to follow to also be a leader?

During a meeting today, I realized once again the big, overwhelming task in front of me…grow a children’s ministry program. In order for that to happen, I have to lead. It’s not going to just come out of thin air or be handed to me, it’s going to take work and leadership…and I’m the person put in place to make it happen.

Other people have confidence in me that I can do it…my college when they handed me my certification, the congregation at my church when they called me to serve with them, and friends & family who have encouraged me along the way.

“God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.”

The writer of Hebrews prayed for just this in Hebrews 13:20-21,

“May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

God equips us as we live our lives for His glory, be it a leadership position or living our day to day lives.

The tasks before me seems daunting and the devil is right there to make me question my confidence. BUT, God is right there too, reminding me to take it day by day and He will be there each step of the way. My confidence is in Him.

I may not be equipped today for what the children’s ministry will look like in our church a year from now, or even a month from now, but He equips me for what I need to do today.

Pain…again…

This past week has proved to be one of many fires and deep pressure.

I’ve known for the past few years that my nerves do not handle heat well, as a result of late stage neurological Lyme disease. This week I’ve learned they also do not like extreme cold temperatures either.

So I’m back to battling what feels like mini fires traveling under my skin and pressure around my heart.

It’s frustrating and I am angry. I thought I was past all of this. In August, I was doing well with very low nerve pain, but apparently the nerve damage in my body is more significant than I realized.

It makes me angry that one little bug, the size of a period in this blog post, caused so much damage in my body and wreaked havoc on my life. I’ve had to realized and accept once again that part of my life has been taken away from me and I can’t get that back. There are days, including this one, that I do not understand it…why God allows the pain, why sin runs rampant throughout the world, and why brokenness continues to plague us.

I feel attacked, not only phsyically, but spiritually as well. The devil comes to kill, steal, and destroy. I am in a place, running hard a race for Christ, one that shares His love with others and proclaims His name. Why wouldn’t the devil want to hinder or destroy that?! And what better way than to attack my phsyical being, as my job requires a lot of physical activity.

It makes sense to me. So, I direct my anger and frustration toward the devil and I cry out to God in the midst of the pain.

I know God is faithful, good, and just. I trust that He allows this pain inside my body for a reason, one that only He knows now and I hope to understand one day. But even if I never find out why, I continue to praise God for His goodness, faithfulness, and justice. He is merciful and while He gives us more than we can handle at times, He never gives us more than HE can handle.

He walks with me in the midst of this battle, just as He walks with each of you in your daily lives too. He never leaves us or forsakes us. He loves us more than we can even begin to imagine. So, my eyes are turned toward Him as I walk this journey and seek to serve Him in all I say and do.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” – Hebrews 12:1-3

Christ, my Brother…

Tonight I had the privilege of watching a mime rehearsal.

Every year the youth of my home congregation put together a Gospel Mime for Easter. It doesn’t sound like much, just a bunch of high schoolers running around with their faces painted and acting out Bible stories to music.

Not much at all, except…it is so. much. more.

They tell the story of Christ from beginning to end in way unlike any other, starting before time on earth even began. As you watch, you travel to the Garden of Eden, Bethlehem, the Jordan River, Jerusalem, and Calvary. The life of Christ comes to life and weaved throughout it is our story of redemption, too.

This year the concept of Christ as my brother hit even closer to home, as my brother is portraying Christ.

Tonight the group worked on the crucifixion scene and I had to hold back the tears, as they beat, whipped and hung Jesus on the cross to die. It was surreal to see my brother struggling to breathe, a spear stuck in his side as thunder rumbled overhead. I had goose bumps and the entire sanctuary was silent.

Christ, my brother, died on that cross. He died for my sins, wrongdoings, and mistakes.

A lot of the time we focus on His resurrection and the Easter celebration. But tonight, Lent became real. There was suffering and fear in the days following His death. It was as necessary as Easter, because without that time Jesus spent defeating the devil, death, and Hell, we wouldn’t have a reason to celebrate His resurrection on Easter morning.

Without death, we wouldn’t have life.

And, by God’s power, mercy, and grace, we do have life – one filled with absolute joy!

So, I challenge you, take a moment and really think about Christ’s death and the impact it has had on your life. How has Christ’s death brought you life?

If you’re interested in learning more of this amazing story, join us for the Gospel Mime at King of Kings Lutheran Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Wednesday, April 16^th or Saturday, April 19^th at 7:30pm.

Refiner’s Fire…

If you’ve ever started a fire, you know this only takes one spark to get it going, to get it growing.

Something inside of me was sparked recently, a passion deep inside has begun to grow again. It is something that I can’t explain other than to say it was a “God-thing.”

It is by His power, His grace, and His love that a flame is building inside me.

For so long, the flame of passion to serve and to love has been close to dead. Pain overwhelmed my every thought and all I could do was focus on my physical state and how I could change it.

Focus has shifted and things have changed, but not by my doing.

My eyes are on Him. His calling is great, even if it includes the words “be patient” and “wait.” It captivates my heart.

He is preparing me and stirring the fire once more.

The last two years have been the most challenging in my life. They have also been filled with the greatest blessing and much growth.

“See, I have refined you, but not like silver; I have tested you in the furnace of adversity.” – Isaiah 48:10 (NRSV)

He is refining me.

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,” – 1 Peter 1:6-8 (NIV)

I am not anywhere physically near 100% yet, and I’m going to need to be there in order to fulfill this calling. But God is good and faithful and He will heal me when the time is right.

“But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.” – Psalm 38:15 (NRSV)

I trust Him.

Medications and vitamins, restricted diets and rest are still a very real part of my daily life, as is pain and fatigue. But my focus has changed. My eyes are lifted high. I am seeking Him first.

There is fear that this passion will die down again. That a relapse will happen and I’ll slip. Anxiety the devil is going to try to sneak in and divert my focus, even just in the little things.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10 (NRSV)

God is greater. He is stronger and more powerful. My God will take care of me.

He has built a solid foundation for me to stand firm on. He is growing a passion in my heart in ways I do not understand. I am hungry, yearning for more.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” – Matthew 7:7 (NIV)

I am asking. I am seeking. I am knocking.

He is stirring the fire again.

“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Eyes on Him.

Ministry is like a Puzzle…

You know those gigantic 5,000 piece puzzles, the ones that take A LOT of time to complete?

Well, I think ministry is a lot like trying to put one of those puzzles together.

In the past month, I have seen a lot of things happen in two different congregations. I have been witness to God working on the hearts of people in this place. And I have been blessed to be a leader in getting new ministry programs up and running, with more in the works, and even more that we are dreaming about!

Throughout all of this, I keep coming back to the image of a puzzle.

The way I was taught to do puzzles, was to start with the edge-pieces…the boundaries and structure. Well, in ministry, it is good start to by building a structure or some type of system. It is important to have a solid support system in place before trying to build on top of it. If you do not have the system in place, it’s going to make it that much harder to build on top of it, because you have nothing to guide you.

The next part of the puzzle are the middle pieces. And this is the hard part because when they are all jumbled together in the box, a lot of them look a like. So, if you do puzzles as I do, you go to the picture on the box…and stare at it…for hours! Why does one stare at the picture, so they know where to start or go next. What is the end result we are trying to accomplish here?

In ministry, you to need to know what that “end” result is that you are trying to get to. So, you add more structure in the form of mission statements, purpose statement, and goals. You also spend time in prayer, in the Word, and seeking God’s direction for this ministry. Because, let’s face it, without Him it is pointless to continue. He is going to be the one that gets us to that “end” goal.

Then, after one has sufficiently taken the picture on the box in, you start trying to make sense of all those pieces!

After you have spent time planning and building and talking and praying, you jump in. You get your feet dirty and you start to put all that planning into practice.

But then, you hit a wall. You may have found a pair here or there that fits together, but it’s time to go back to that box and see if you can figure out any specific details to look for in the puzzle pieces you’ve found.

In ministry, too, we hit walls. We go back to that drawing board. We spend time seeking God’s will for this ministry. We evaluate our goals and may even change a few, because sometimes you just have to change your approach in how you’re doing things, especially if they aren’t working!!

Once you have found a few details, you go back to your box of pieces, this time looking for a specific corner’s worth of pieces that are just a little different from all the rest…in color, in pattern or design. You begin to have some more success.

Now that you have re-evaluated everything, you have a new plan of attack in your ministry. You begin to see things fall into place and people begin to get excited. As you continue to seek God in the midst of it, your eyes are opened to new changes that have happened and the way He is working in the midst of what feels like chaos.

After working on the puzzle for this long, you may have a friend come join you. (I always like putting puzzles together friends better than by myself anyway!) Pieces you may not have seen fit together before are found by the friend and the work becomes easier!

More and more people are excited about the ministry and are jumping on board to help! Things start moving even faster. New ideas are coming up and things continue to change and move.

At this point with a 5,000 piece puzzle you may need to step away for a little while. When you stare at it for that long, your head may start to spin! (I know mine does!!)

At this point with ministry too, you may need a break. There are others who have stepped in and can carry it without you needing to be there. You may need to be refreshed…to rest. This may happen through a significant time away doing something else. It may be a weekend ministry conference. It might be a night off and conversation with a friend. It may be a personal retreat spent alone with your Father. It will include, however, God filling you in some way.

After your break (and maybe a snack), you are able to come back to your puzzle with new eyes. You see things fit together. The big picture is forming and you are excited to dive back in and finish it!

After some rest, you are able to come back to ministry with new eyes too. You also may see the big picture forming and changing and building and growing. This is exciting!

And now the puzzle is finished! All 5,000 tiny pieces are in place! And you celebrate!

Here is where the analogy slightly differs…while a specific aspect of the ministry you are involved with may be completed, ministry is never finished. We are to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19) until Christ returns! But, we do get to celebrate the ministry that is happening and it is good to do so!

Finally, why would one do a puzzle that is 5,000 pieces to begin with? Honestly, I don’t know. Possibly because they enjoy the challenge or seeing the finished product.

But, why does one do ministry? Because we are called and commanded by God to do so! He knows the “big picture” for this life and we, as Christians, are to serve and obey Him in all that we do.

The Tale of DCE’s…

While going through some old folders today in an attempt to start packing for the end of the year, I came across the following poem that a few fellow DCE students and I wrote last year on our way to the annual DCE retreat. In honor of the fact that in one week the 6 DCE interns (including myself) from CUNE for next year will know where we will be serving on internship, I want to share it with you today! 🙂

The Tale of DCE’s
Inspired by Dr. Seuss
Written by: Paige, Bethany, Tyler, and JD

Some DCEs drink coffee.
Some DCEs drink tea.
And DCEs drink Mt. Dew
until they really have to pee.

Some DCEs are bald.
Some DCEs have a full head of hair.
And DCEs are in between
as their scalp begins to bare.

Some DCEs play guitar.
Some DCEs can dance.
And some DCEs try to learn both,
but they don’t have a chance.

Some DCEs wear flip-flops.
Some DCEs love Birkenstocks.
And some DCEs rock the sandals with socks.

When faced with stress and short on time,
all DCEs are fine.
While other people with their jobs
would run away or whine.

Some say that DCEs sleep all day,
that’s what some protest.
Some realize they can’t do it all,
because ultimately God knows best.

Some say that DCEs only work once a week,
that is such a lie.
Their work for God never stops,
that no one can deny.

Some DCEs play Sardines.
Some DCEs frown at that.
Because purpling goes on in closed dark spaces
and God’s not down with that.

All DCEs are called to serve,
this is most certainly true.
That’s why God extended a call,
a call to me and you!

A Day in the Life of Ministry Impact

Well, now that I have been here at camp for 2 weeks, I want to share some of the adventures I have had as a Ministry Impact worker. The first thing you should know is that every day is dIfFeReNt! So, here are a few pictures to narrate my last couple of weeks…

Russell and I can tend to be assigned some random tasks, along with our normal list of things to work on throughout the year. This day we were asked to wash and roll all of the blindfolds at camp! It took us around 2 hours to roll all of them. Other things I do during the day in the office include creating schedules, answering phones, laughing a lot at each other, organize, random computer tasks from Tim or Celine, cleaning up camp, sweeping the dock, helping in the kitchen, planning for upcoming Outdoor Education programming, leading programming, and the list can go on and on…

This last weekend, the girls on staff decided to go on a “camping adventure in the wilderness.” Now, while we fake-camped and then real/fake-camped, we still had a lot of fun and there was definately adventure involved. Some words or phrases to sum up the trip would include “3 states in 2 days,” Michigan’s giant fire rings, “my 33.3%,” Psalm 139 and Romans 7-8, “what would you do if we went to jail…teach the inmates camp games, of course!” ordering off a real menu, REI, racoons jumping and falling, and much laughter! One thing I have been learning a lot in the last couple weeks is how to have fun and really enjoy life – every moment of it!

A common occurrance in my life and the lives of a few others at night is cooking and games. With a small community on staff, it is fun to spend time cooking together (last night we made pizza) and playing many games, like Bananagrams, Skip-Bo, and Parchizzi! I am loving living in this community…the conversation, the practical jokes, spending time together talking about God, making delicious meals, and simply living this life.

Finally, here is a picture of me and my partner-in-crime for the next few months, Russell. This is the picture we took for the camp newsletter as ministry impact workers, but I think it also gives you a little insight into both of our personalities and the fun we will have while working.

I am really excited to continue living this journey that God has placed me on and the path that it is taking me on. Each day is a new adventure and one that I am excited to wake up and live. There is always a blessing, no matter what is going on. I am truely blessed to be where I am, learning and growing in new ways, and seeing God in a new way for the first time. As this year goes on, I will keep you updated on the learnings, along with the schenanigins that may happen. 🙂