“…so I was afraid, and I
went and hid your talent in the ground…”
Matthew 25:25
I have spent most of my years as a pastor around small
ministries. Small campus
ministries. Small congregations. Small synods.
In a culture that promotes “bigger is better” and a consumerist
mentality that always yearns for more, “small” is often deemed a shortcoming,
an impediment, something of lesser value.
Certainly, small ministries have their challenges. Money is often one of them. People in small ministries often feel like
they don’t have the assets to do anything.
The constant threat is to turn inward and succumb to a fear-driven survival
mentality that shackles imagination and creativity. The temptation is to do what the man in
Jesus’ parable with one talent did… bury
what little we have in the ground. Last
one out turn out the lights. But small
ministries also have some advantages.
They are capable of close, intimate relationships of caring and
compassion. They can be very nimble,
make decisions quickly and carry out actions swiftly, unfettered by complicated
bureaucracies. They can involve everyone
in the ministry and can be very creative with the limited gifts they have. I know and have known small ministries that
are vital, alive and engaged. “Scrappy”
little ministries (as a friend puts it) that take their one talent and squeeze
everything they can out of it for the sake of the Gospel.
The story of scripture is not a story of the strong, the
mighty and the huge. It is the story of
Abram and Sarai who God took and used to bless the world. It is the story of a little nation of refugees
and exiles who, in spite of their challenges, mistakes, miscues and disasters
managed to trust that God was with them.
It is the story of a child named Jesus who was born in a barn, called and
equipped twelve guys and a handful of women and sent them out to change the
world. It is the story of a tentmaker named
Paul who built a church in spite of a mountain of obstacles. The common thread in all these stories is not
the great assets these people possessed (usually quite the opposite), but the
God of steadfast love, endless compassion and patience, and bottomless grace
and mercy who walked with them every step of the way – even through death
itself. A God who sets fear-driven,
survival shackled, asset challenged, small people like us free from the
darkness where we weep and gnash our teeth and uses us to do amazing things.
Large ministry or small, our faithful God is and always will
be the greatest asset God’s Church has.
We can trust that. Perhaps, small
ministries have some advantage in seeing that – because, sometimes, it seems,
that’s all we got.
Peace,
Bishop Mike
Blessings on you wherever you carry out your ministry! This Thanksgiving, I am grateful for each
one of you. Thanks for reading. (I’ll be on vacation next week… so “On the Way” will be back in two
weeks. Have a blessed Thanksgiving!)
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