Why is Everything Ministry?

Sometimes I think American Evangelical Culture tries too hard. Okay, pretty much ALWAYS I think that. Not just in the ways that they try to make worship like a rock concert, follow fashion trends (even if they are a few years behind), or talk in supposedly "relatable" language. I think they try too hard in the manner that they try to make everything into an excessively spiritual endeavor.

Basically anything you could ever possibly volunteer to do in a church will likely be labeled a "ministry." Raking leaves on the property? Lawncare Ministry. Baking bars or cookies for coffee hour? Hospitality Ministry. Helping pick up the bulletins people left in the pews after service?  Pew Cleaning Ministry. Answering phones at the front desk? Welcoming Ministry. Taking photos of kids at VBS for the church newsletter? Photography Ministry. Poking the people around you every time they start to nod off during the service? Alertness Ministry. (Okay, so maybe I made the last one up, but it seriously would not surprise me.)

It's not that any of these are bad things, but should they be labeled a ministry? Is the term used so flippantly that we don't really know what it means anymore?  Technically speaking, the early model of "ministry" in denominations encompassed only the official functions of the church or religion. The services of a religion were ministries. This is the definition that is still used to define the services churches offer; such as soup kitchen ministry, community service ministry, etc. But I  notice that in many instances, it is now used to define the services rendered not through the church to others, but to the church itself.  These are the "ministries" that do not directly benefit anyone but the actual church or organization the person is working/volunteering for. What I mean are things such as cleaning the building, scrapbooking photos from events, mowing the lawn. There is nothing wrong with any of those things, but should they be labeled as a "ministry?"

I've heard the claim that "our entire lives are ministry." In some senses, that is true. If our lives vary greatly from the way we behave at church functions and in our personal live that raises some questions about the authenticity of both. However, does that mean we have give everything the title "ministry?" It would be ridiculous for Christians to walk around saying "I'm just about to leave to meet up with you. I just need to finish my tooth brushing ministry duties." Although I'm sure everyone you meet in a given day is grateful that you brush your teeth every morning, doing so isn't a service to them.

In the worst case scenarios, such overly spiritual titles can come across as a cover to try to manipulate people into doing mundane or difficult jobs with no compensation by making them feel more important for doing so.  I can't even begin to imagine how absurd some of these titles look to people who are unfamiliar with church or religion.

I don't have any answers for this. In fact I think there is a lot of gray area here and no clear way to figure out where to draw these lines. I've been thinking about this a lot, after a conversation with my sister that was sparked after seeing a listing for "pew cleaning ministry." I just worry that it is like all things, the more you use the term, the less meaning it will have to people. When everything is a "ministry," it starts to seem like nothing really is.

In the end, it's easier to call everything a ministry than it is to engage with the struggle to figure out what it actually looks like to live like Jesus. It's easier to keep doing things that require those in need to come to you than to figure out how to break down barriers and actually build authentic relationships with them. It's easier to run things by your business models, requesting "ministry" volunteers than it is to wrestle with Jesus' examples of inclusiveness, simplicity, compassion, self-sacrifice, and humility.

Now if you'll excuse me, it's time for my morning dog walking ministry.

Forcing People to Choose Between Trees and the Man Who Died Upon a Tree

Today I was reminded of a major reason why I felt as if I could not be a part of American Evangelical Culture and still seek to follow Jesus: culture wars. Oh how I hate culture wars! Why do we spend so much time obsessing over things that are barely (or not at all) mentioned in the Bible or in Christ's ministry? Why? It makes me completely understand why people don't like Christians.  American Evangelical Culture takes these completely minor issues and declare them at odds with a life of faith.

I was reminded of this today after seeing a number of Facebook posts declaring that tomorrow that person will spend "Earth Day" (quotations theirs) celebrating what Jesus did for us because "without Easter this EARTH has no hope." (emphasis theirs) I sadly predicted would happen earlier this week after noticing that the holidays fall on the same date this year. Really?!?? Really!?? We have to choose? Either you celebrate the sacrificial redemptive work of Jesus on the cross or you care about caring for our planet? You really want to declare that an either/or situation??? You really want to leave people with the impression that one comes at the expense of the other? Does that give us license to just trash this planet because all that matters is that we're going to Heaven? Where does this idea of stewardship and personal responsibility come in? What about the countless studies that show how pollutants and toxins we've put into our environment can negatively health, especially pregnant women and children? Does God not care about any of that? Is that excluded from the list of things we'll be held accountable for? More importantly, do you really want someone to feel unwelcome in your church over this??

For the record, I think it's a terrible reason to exclude people from your congregations or to question their faith. I think caring for the Earth is a completely Biblical concept and one that should be even more important to us as Christians. I have great respect for the Christian organizations that have taken up the mantle of encouraging people to actively engage in that work. Just because God created a world that would provide for life doesn't mean that he'll save us from the consequences of taking it for granted and indulging overconsumption with no regard to the consequences. And I seriously doubt he is asking us to choose between the two observances.

The Language Barrier & Shameless Self Promotion

When I arrived at Conservative Christian College my freshman year, one thing was immediately clear. About 40% of the time I had no clue what these people were talking about. It was as if they had their own language. And because they had all been raised using it, they seemed to be oblivious to the fact that the rest of the world did not understand such language. Their conversations were peppered with terms such as "quiet time," "four spiritual laws," "love on," "courtship," "stronghold," "PK," "MK," "slippery slope," "pressing in," etc. The only thing more embarrassing than not being able to understand what they were talking about would have been admitting that to them.

I almost wished that someone had provided me with an Evangelical to English dictionary. That's part of the reason I have a "Helpful Definitions" tab on this blog. I don't take for granted that people will understand these words and phrases. But as I considered all the terms I've heard over the years, I began to realize two things.
1. A single tab cannot contain them.
2. It was really fun to try to define them for people.

For those reasons, I started a second blog that is dedicated solely to the language of American Evangelical Culture. Feel free to check it out here:
Evangelical to English

I hope you have as much fun reading it as I have writing it. Let me know if there are any terms I need to be sure to post.

Drive By Evangelism...Literally

Today as I was driving home, I was stopped at a stoplight behind a truck with vanity plates that read "GODRULZ." Although I found the owner's public display of faith far more classy than the approach many others have taken with their vehicles, it brought one major question to my mind.

"Why?"

I mean, besides the owner's obvious enthusiasm for his/her faith, what do they think this will accomplish? Do they think some lost soul will be stopped behind them at a stoplight and suddenly think "Huh. You know, maybe God does rule."? Is it some needed reminder of God's sovereignty as they head out for their morning commute? How many people just look at it bewildered thinking "Go drools?"