In Ministry Mulligan, Jack Connell looks back at his ministry after retiring and writes about what he would have done over, if he had the chance. He spoke of collaboration with other ministries, the importance of friendship, and rest and though I found this article serving as a reminder of what is important it also was a warning against failure. Jack had realized too late that he had concentrated on achieving a large congregation instead of pastoring a congregation. He had spent himself rushing around and achieving at the expense of his time and energy, and had resisted true friendship. In the end, Jack ended up hating his job and retiring. This was not a story of looking at his life and changing the situation. It was a story of burning out.
I don’t want to have a story like this. I want a story of starting out right and constantly revisiting my ministry model. I want a story of growth, not a story of becoming spent. Collaboration with other ministries within my community has already been something that I find invigorating and exciting. I look forward to the community being changed by the church (God’s body) not our numbers being large. I recognize the value of rest and do not have a problem carving time out for that. What I must continually be pursuing however is friendship. Without being truly known I will never be able to see when these ‘change’ moments happen. These moments that will define whether I grow or like Jack, burn out.
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ReplyDeleteLike you, I do not want to realize the things that Jack Connell did too late. How true this is of people in many professions, who finish their life wishing things could have been better, that they had lived differently. Although not solely in ministry roles, I have recognized all too late that something was significantly wrong with the way I was living. There have been seasons in which I was doing a lot, but accomplishing little in the big picture. In the process, I was burning myself out and neglecting what was truly important – rest and my relationship with God, family, and friends. Even when I have taken a step back and restructured things, I tend to drift back into old patterns and behaviors, ending up in the same frustrating place. This is not good in any field, but especially for those serving in vocational ministry. God has entrusted to us the care of souls, and calls us to live a balanced, healthy lifestyle that values what He values and focuses on what’s important. He’s gracious to put us back on course when we stray, but we need to constantly be aware of our tendencies and take the necessary steps to live right - now, not later.
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