All Things To All People?

“For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them.  To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23, NRSV)

 While this section of the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthian Church focuses on his liberty from narrowly defined religious constraints, many individuals and congregations seem to have unconsciously repurposed his words as a blueprint of how to serve their local communities. This Swiss Army Knife approach to ministry often results in limited resources being spread too thin, high volunteer burnout and turnover rates, and a tendency to be mediocre at a myriad of tasks. These characteristics can leave individuals and groups feeling defeated as they try to stem the seemingly endless tide of need in their communities.

For a fresh way of looking at ministry, let us again turn to the words of Paul:

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, NRSV)

Seeing themselves as part of the larger Body of Christ can give congregations the ability and permission to narrow their ministry focus to areas most compatible with their unique giftedness and passions. For example, congregations that serve communities with high rates of homelessness and limited affordable housing will probably focus more on providing access to basic necessities such as emergency housing, meals, and transportation. However, their congregational counterparts that serve communities where housing access is not a major issue, can expend their energy towards enacting public policies which address the root causes of homelessness.  These two congregations would periodically come together during joint worship services or convention annual gatherings and be reminded of and inform each other’s work. This periodic coming together of the larger Body, would also tamp down the temptation to take on the entirety of the housing crisis alone and enable a keener focus on answering God’s call to service in ways best suited to their unique context and capabilities.

What are the implications for you and your church? While the answer(s) are different for each us, we all can rest in the assurance that, through the power of the Spirit, our individual and collective answering God’s call to service is a vital piece of God’s redemptive plan. I encourage each of you to periodically pause, listen, and (re)discover how you can partner with God, other congregations, and community partners in ways that honor and leverage your uniqueness.

Called To Act

 Societal priorities are most clearly expressed during times of scarcity. Whether it’s war, famine, or national disaster, unexpected jolts to the system causes us to move past aspirational pretenses and rally around the things we truly value. A recent example of this is the hard choices that were made during our most recent series of snow storms and subfreezing temperatures. Which streets would be plowed? Which would be neglected? Can we afford to open more homeless shelters and warming stations? Can we afford not to?

Whether it was waiting for a snow plow to liberate you from your neighborhood or feeling a pang of sympathy or guilt while driving past a homeless person battling the bitter cold, most of us have thought “there has to be a better way.” Jesus’s words, as recorded in the Gospel of John, allude to this “better way” for which most of us intrinsically yearn.

 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”  (John 14:15-17)

From these words we can deduct two points. The first is that Jesus considered himself an Advocate (one who helps and/or comforts), hence his reference to the coming Holy Spirit as another Advocate. Secondly, we are all called to keep Jesus’s commandments in part by emulating his identifying with and acting on behalf of the marginalized, dispossessed, and oppressed among us. However, the cross reminds us that of the very real cost often required of those seeking to be like Jesus. Thankfully, Easter morning combined with the continued existence of Christ’s Church, vindicates Jesus’ worldview and gives us the faith to follow the way of the cross.

So what does Jesus’ call to advocacy look like in practical terms?  It can be as simple as assisting a neighbor with confusing paperwork, championing policies that help our Hypothermia guests obtain permanent housing, reforming the debt trap of Payday Lending, or restructuring society so student backpack feeding programs are no longer needed. Regardless of where you choose to start, remember that you are not alone. Organizations like the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, Bread for the World, and the Evangelical Immigration Table have a wealth of resources to help inform and empower your work, regardless of where you passion lies.

Throughout human history God has sent advocates to help implement God's redemptive plan; the Prophets of old, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and now, you.