God’s Will, Our Purpose

By Dr. Sanejo Leonard

Responding to God’s call is not always easy, and there is never a “right” time to do so. Most good decisions requiring action and movement can be a struggle to finally settle, and one of the struggles we have is when to take action. Planning and preparation are always important. As the saying goes, “measure twice, saw once,” so decisions should be carefully evaluated and weighed out. However, our human nature and the second law of thermodynamics tend to work against us in the area of change, shifting direction, and forward movement.

God’s Will

Additionally, there are some decisions that don’t require much thought: show love, kindness, and care to others; love God and pursue spiritual growth; lastly, respond to God’s purpose and intention for your life. The last one becomes harder as it can be difficult to know what God’s purpose is for your life. The essence is that God’s will and calling for your life is to grow into Christ’s likeness so that you can become, through His careful sculpting and transformation of your character, the best version of you that He created you to be. God’s will for your life does not have to be mysterious and something you wait for years to understand. Simply and purposefully grow towards God and develop the personality, gifts, and talents He has given you.

God’s Calling

For some, God has called you to start businesses, create safe and healthy places for people to work and be productive in society. For others, God has called you to be creative and write, design, draw, and share musical and artistic beauty. To some, God has called you to vocational ministry and has equipped you to do so.

I finally embraced my call to ministry after several years of trying to understand how God had uniquely gifted and prepared me for vocational ministry. The calling grew stronger and stronger in my heart and mind in my junior year in college, and after several confirmations by professors who saw in me what I couldn’t as yet see in myself. There were gifts and talents God had given me that I couldn’t manufacture, and I knew at several points along the way that I was in the right place when I ministered to others and I felt a sacred sense of God’s presence that also resonated with the other person; when I preached and felt an unmistakable anointing coming over that I could not create on my own; when I taught my first college course at a Bible college on the importance of theology and Bible study and people were touched connected with the ideas on a deep and profound ways. These gifts came from inside, from the years of preparation as a young person through memorizing scripture and being engaged in my church and youth group, through the talents and personality God created me to have, and the years of education and ministerial training I received.

Our Purpose

Fulfilling our purpose requires preparation, education, training, and embracing the calling God has given to us. Being willing to embrace life’s challenges as part of our preparation, all of the education we have received or need to receive, and understanding our personality, our gifts, and the talents with which God has entrusted us—all are needed to help us step into our calling and purpose.

Our purpose in life is to respond to God’s specific and individual call for each of us, and then to embrace His collective will for all of us to grow into transformational Christlikeness.

I pray that each of you would lean into God’s purpose for your life, your calling, and His will for you.

A Post-Pandemic Passion: A Burning Heart For People!

By Johnny Jernigan

I have always been intrigued by the Prophet Jeremiah. He was just like us. He had a desire to see people turn their lives to God, but, fear, intimidation and ridicule seems to have derailed him more than once. He wanted his message to penetrate the hearts of his audience, but he was mocked, beaten and criticized for what he had to say. So, where did that leave Jeremiah?

In Jeremiah chapter 20, he has a discussion with God. He says in verse 7 of chapter 20 that, “God deceived him.” He asks, why did you send me to talk to this kind of culture? But then he offers a rhetorical statement in verse 9. He says, “but if I say, I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name, his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in.” Then he makes this truly shocking statement: “indeed I cannot.” Wait a minute. He was mocked, ridiculed, beaten, and insulted, and yet, he still wanted to declare God’s heart to these people? Yes, and he did.

That brings me to this pandemic.

I have found in these past several weeks that people are scared, fearful, and searching for meaning in this quarantine. They want to talk. Like Jeremiah, we have a culture that often ridicules, mocks, or even rejects our message. So what do we do? We must ask God for a burning inside of us so that “his burning will force us to speak to this culture.”

How? I am glad you asked. 

People often ask me, how do you talk to people about Jesus so easily? My response is, I just ask kind, loving, and direct questions. As I interact with people, I ask these kinds of questions:

—Are you a Christian? —Can I tell you the greatest thing that has ever happened to me? —Are you a believer? 

This cuts right to the heart of each heart. Are they a follower of Jesus, or some other religious leader? Their response will guide you which way to go from there in the conversation. This allows you to then share your story of salvation or even the Roman’s Road scriptures. It is so exciting where this takes the dialogue with others as the Holy Spirit steps in on the scene.

Let me challenge you to ask direct questions. Ask very loving questions, but also “very direct” heart questions. These questions prompt the heart so that you can speak about what burns in you, “from the inside.” This way, your heart is not burned because you could not get the conversation started. I dare you to try this. It is amazing where things go from there! Questions open the heart and the mind of the listener for open and passionate dialogue.

I dare you, ask someone a Jesus question, NOW! Then, hang on for the ride of your life!!!

Carpe Diem

Reaching Kansas City During a Pandemic

By Dr. Paul Fishell

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18-19).

No one expected the country to be shut down. “Ministry During a Pandemic” was not one of the courses that Pastor Adam Brown took at SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary. So what does one do in ministry during a pandemic? To answer this question, let us look at the ministry of Reach KC.

Standing in line at a gas station, Brown is asked about his “Transformed” shirt by the clerk. “My father died of HIV from drug use when I was three years old. I grew up fatherless and fell into the drug lifestyle. In prison, I cried out to God. My life has been transformed by Jesus. I completed bible college and now I am a pastor.” His 30 second testimony leads to a conversation about his church. People identify with Brown’s story and come to Reach KC to see their own lives transformed.

Upon graduating from SUM in 2017, Brown aligned himself with Reach Missouri to plant a church. City Reach Kansas City was launched September 17, 2017. After one year, the congregation had to move. Through a series of miraculous events, an agreement was reached and the congregation moved to the Blue Valley neighborhood on the Eastside.

Operating as Reach KC, the church has always had a vision to “Reach the One.” The church hosts “Stop the Violence” and “Pray for our Hood” events in the community parks. The church has adopted a local elementary school giving gifts,volunteering, and mentoring. In the summer of 2019, Reach KC joined with the USDA to provide a summer lunch feeding program for school age students. The church uses its Youtube channel and Facebook to maintain presence online. The church promotes HobMob and CABB Musik concerts in Kansas City. Whatever it takes…the mission is to reach Kansas City.

So how does one minister during a pandemic? The same way, with some modifications. Reach KC has to reach Kansas City. In Missouri, “stay at home” orders have made allowances for essential personnel to be out in the community. Reach KC has made itself essential. It immediately started its summer feeding program when schools shut down. Serving Monday through Saturday, lunch sacks are prepared and distributed to the community. Statistics show our neighborhood’s need: 47% of the Blue Valley neighborhood is below the poverty level, 37% of the neighborhood are school aged children, 23% are single mother families, and the average size of a household is 8.7 persons per home. Reach KC is 1 essential in our community. We feed the many children in our neighborhood. At this point, the church has been giving away between 250-300 lunches per day. This practical expression of the love of Jesus and Reach KC has touched the hearts of the community.

The presence in the digital world has expanded. Reach KC began to use Sling Studio to live broadcast entire services on their Youtube channel. Devotions continued on Facebook lives. ZOOM meetings for leadership and small group Bible studies moved to this platform. Reach KC’s internet presence is seen daily.

As talk of opening the country begins, the question shifts to: How do we do ministry after the Covid shut down? We keep reaching. Reach KC is planning to “relaunch” the church.

One real set back of the shut down has been the lack of community. About 90% of Reach KC has struggled with addictions. Shut down has been hard on the congregation of Reach KC. Isolation leads to depression. Depression leads to relapses. Therefore, Reach KC needs to be together. They need to work side by side in outreaches and feeding programs. They need to smile and enjoy good Hip Hop music. Reach KC needs to reach the one and hold them accountable. During this pandemic, too many phone calls and text messages have gone unanswered… Reach KC needs to be called home.

While Brown did not take “Ministry During a Pandemic,” he caught a vision to reach the one. Brown often references Luke 4:18-19 as the ministry of Jesus. “If that is his ministry, it should be ours.” Preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Set captives free. Reach the one!

The Nature of Christian Ministry

By Dr. Gary Munson

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. (Colossians 1:24-28 ESV)

This passage from Paul’s letter to the Colossians explains the nature of Christian ministry. Here are some of the main points:

1. There is sacrifice involved: Christ suffered for the sake of His body and as ministers, we will also participate in that suffering. Does that mean there was something lacking in the work of Christ? Not at all, only that He left a portion of His work to be completed by the church, His body.
2. Paul describes ministry as “stewardship” which means we don’t own our ministry or calling, God is the owner. We are called to faithful participation with Christ in fulfilling that calling.
3. Ministry is given by God: I don’t choose ministry, God chooses us and our part is to respond to His choosing.
4. Ministry is not for me, it is for others.
5. Our ministry is to make God’s word fully know. Ministers are to teach and preach the whole counsel of God, not just the popular verses that get a lot of “Amens” from the crowd.
6. Making God’s word fully known involves revealing a mystery that was hidden by God but revealed through Christ. That mystery is revealed to His holy ones, not generally, and they in turn make the mystery known among the Gentiles. The meaning of the mystery is found in Christ.
7. The mystery is very valuable, in fact I would suggest, the most valuable thing anywhere, anytime.
8. The mystery is the meaning of “Christ in you.” Ministry is not about me, it is about Christ in me (us). (see John 15 about abiding in the vine)
9. The hope of glory: from the human point of view this glory is often understood as heaven, or the return of Christ, His millennial kingdom, or the new heaven and new earth promised in the Apocalypse. But this passage is talking about God’s purpose and His mystery, so if we ask, “what is the hoped-for glory from God’s perspective?” I suggest that it is the fulness of Christ in us. The character of Christ, the dedication of Christ to God’s purpose, the absolute surrender to the will of God, the power of God that reveals His kingdom, and the full manifestation of what it means to be a child of God.
10. How will this purpose come about? Through our proclamation (preaching), warning (prophecy), and teaching.
11. The final statement in this passage points to God’s purpose indicated in Greek by “ ἵνα παραστήσωμεν πάντα ἄνθρωπον τέλειον ἐν Χριστῷ. In order to present all people mature in Christ. Present to whom? God at the end of the age. Present whom? All peoples of all nations. What is meant by “mature?” this comes from the word τέλειον in Greek which means to attain one’s purpose.

My purpose is God’s purpose for me. All living things are intended to reach maturity but in this case, we need to ask what would God mean by that as opposed to a human understanding of “maturity.” Ephesians 4:11-13 explains God’s purpose as ministry working until all come to “maturity” which is then defined as, “attaining the fullness of Christ.”

I suggest that this purpose of God remains largely a mystery today. The church has most often translated God’s message, His purpose, into human terms and it has come out as “me going to heaven”, or “me being blessed,” or “me being powerful.” Those things can be good and God certainly does bless us, followers of Christ are certainly going to heaven and we absolutely can participate in His power. But if those concepts are viewed from within a purely human paradigm, they become selfish, ambitious, and lack the character of Christ revealed through suffering and sacrifice.

As Christian ministers it is our role to proclaim, warn and teach these things until all come to the fullness of Christ that is found in Him and is the meaning of the mystery, “Christ in you.” We have received a responsibility (stewardship) from God and He has chosen to fulfill His purpose through us.

Virtual Pastoring in a Multi-Generational Rural Church

By Dr. Danny Davis

Well, our world turned upside down! The last couple of months have been a whirlwind of discernment and decisions. Thankfully I am not walking through this alone. I have a wonderful small team of elders helping me pray and do what is best for our congregation.

Not being able to gather on Sundays has reminded me of Paul’s heartfelt words to the Philippians: “God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:8). As a pastor, I miss my people and want to see them again.

I pastor a small, rural, multi-generational church. The oldest member is 89 and the youngest is four. Some of them have the internet, some don’t. Some have flip phones, while others have iPhones. Some are connected to Facebook (a surprising number actually), but many do not (and will not connect even if they could).

While other churches were talking about “going online” like it was some kind of easy thing, we were wondering how to shepherd the digitally connected and unconnected. Here is what we’ve decided to do.

A Weekly Paper Newsletter. Each Sunday I write a short devotional and outline our plan for the next week. I print them. I print address labels. Then I put everything on a table in the church office. On Monday a team member comes and stuffs, labels, and stamps the envelopes then drops them at the drive-thru post box.

A Weekly Phone Call from an Elder. We’ve taken our church member directory, divided it into thirds, and assigned each third to an elder. On Sunday afternoons, the elders make phone calls, check on our people, listen for prayer requests, answer questions, and generally be a voice of positivity.

A Weekly Conference Call. We have subscribed to a conference call service to help us gather together. On Wednesday evenings (starting March 25, 2020) our folks can dial in on any phone. I will teach a short lesson from Scripture, take prayer requests, and have a time of prayer.

A Daily Encouraging Text. Our church already used a texting service to make announcements and keep people up-to-date. Each day a text with Scriptural encouragement is sent to those in our database.

A Weekly Virtual Gathering. My church already live-streamed our Sunday gatherings on Facebook live. We are expanding that to other platforms that do not require people to have an FB account to watch. The videos of the services are posted on our Youtube channel as always.

This strategy is in its infancy and we will make changes along the way. However, I believe we are doing our best to shepherd people in the most unusual circumstances.

Reflections of a Military Chaplain in COVID-19 Duties

By Dr. Page Brooks

I received a call that Mr. Norman had passed away. Mr. Norman was a Marine Corps veteran, Purple Heart recipient, and had fought on Iwo Jima during World War II.  He was 96 years old and passed away of COVID-19 complications in his nursing home. The problem was that because of COVID-19, no honor guard was going to be available to honor him at his funeral.

I have served for over 18 years as a chaplain in the Louisiana National Guard. I enjoy chaplaincy ministry because it is one of the ways I am able to get outside of the four walls of the church and do ministry in the community. Chaplaincy ministry is primarily based upon what is called “ministry of presence.” The phrase means that our ministry is primarily relational. We might go around and visit at a location or an institution where we serve as a chaplain and simply build relationships. In such a way, when something happens in their life, hopefully there is an open door for them to come to us for help.

As chaplains, we serve as a reminder of God’s love and presence to people during times of victory and trials. We are there to celebrate with them when things are going well, but also to be a presence when hard times come. Sometimes simply being present in a hospital room, saying nothing at all, but being a gentle reminder of God’s presence, can be just as powerful.

Chaplains are often able to go and do ministry where others are usually not. This is especially true in ministry contexts like the military. I have had wonderful adventures while serving in the Army National Guard but also walked through some very trying times with soldiers. I rode with “my guys” in convoy operations in Iraq. I have waded in water that was waste deep to pile sand bangs on levees during hurricanes in Louisiana. I sweated with them going through tactical operations in the woods. And I have provided comfort when we lost soldiers to suicide.

Most recently, during COVID-19, I have walked with my soldiers providing care to sick patients in the New Orleans Convention Center. My duties have involved making site visits to soldiers at the testing sites where members of the community may come to be tested. Some soldiers are packaging meals at area food banks to ensure individuals and families have food. I will usually provide a “word of the day” that I can share in about 45 seconds when soldiers gather around to be quickly encouraged. But I also conduct worship services on the weekend because soldiers, most of the time, are not able to go home. Sermons usually involve sharing a word of hope during long hours of duty, helping to provide a sense to them that in small ways they are making a difference in the community.

My chaplaincy ministry has taught me a great deal in the civilian pastorate as well. Chaplaincy has taught me to see my community as my “parish” just as I might see an institution as my “place of ministry” in chaplaincy. Chaplaincy has taught me to be quiet and listen when often, as a preacher, I just want to talk. I have learned that ministry by presence and action is just as important as ministry through words and preaching.

Serving at the funeral of Mr. Norman was an honor and privilege. I also play the bagpipes and have played Amazing Grace more times than I can remember. So, my way of honoring Mr. Norman was to show up in military uniform, play Amazing Grace on the bagpipes, and render the salute he was due when no one else was able to do it. But that action sums up what chaplaincy is all about. We are there to minister in the toughest of situations, providing a reminder of God’s love and comfort.

Mr. Norman, as a Purple Heart recipient and Iwo Jima veteran, deserved to be honored. But in this situation, the honor was all mine.

Abiding in Christ in the Midst of COVID-19

By Dr. Sanejo Leonard

The past few weeks I have been meditating and practicing lectio divina on a familiar passage in Luke 13, the one where Jesus cries over Jerusalem in his desire to draw the city and its people back to himself. In reflecting upon that scripture, I was drawn to the start of the passage where Pharisees come to him and urge him to leave because Herod wants to kill him. Luke, ever the detailed writer, tips us off in dramatic fashion to the urgency in the narrative by writing “At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you [italics added]” (Lk. 13:31, NRSV).

Whether the Pharisees were trying to help Jesus, or this was a ploy to get him out of their city (probably the latter), the sense of urgency would cause any normal person to react: someone is trying to kill you, do something about it! Yet, Jesus was no “normal” person. While Jesus was both human and divine and struggled with many of the same human emotions we deal with, there was also a sense of calm deep within him, showing his ability to remain at peace despite the fear and anxiety that swirled around him (e.g., remember the story of Jesus asleep on the boat in the midst of the storm in Luke 8:23-25). Jesus’ frequent time spent with the Father in prayer (Lk. 5:16) seems to have contributed to his ability to respond to life’s challenges with a sense of calm rather than the temptation to react. Knee-jerk reactions often reflect ingrained habits, habits and parts of our character that have yet to be transformed into Christ’s likeness and Christ’s character.

Instead of reacting to the Pharisees and their attempt to cause fear, Jesus brings the focus back around to his mission and to others. It is from there that Jesus proceeds to express his sorrow over Jerusalem, desiring to gather her children together in a protective manner (Lk. 13:34), and as such, letting everyone know that his life was not his own; his life was meant to be lived and to die for others.

Jesus’ example shows us that our ability to weather our current storm of a global crisis is in our daily and frequent connection with God our loving Father, and the deep and abiding peace we will find from that relationship. As we grow in our ability to remain or abide in Jesus and his love, the fruit from that abiding will be our ability to love others (Jn. 15:5-12). The fruit will be our ability to respond from a well of peace rather than react from a shallow point of fear and anxiety. Our fruit will be responding with hope that only comes from a God who is bigger than our current crisis than a trust in human ability alone to fight this crisis. It is only when we learn to abide in Christ that our reactions change to thoughtful and peaceful responses because we are deeply rooted in Christ and his love (Eph. 3:17-18). Being the self-proclaimed “fraidy-cat” that I am, I need to remind myself of this practice as much as anyone.

May we this day, this week, and in this crisis learn to abide in Christ and find peace and calm there, and in turn, love and care for others to bring God’s light in the midst of this darkness.

Amen.