Leaving pt. 1

Im leaving a job. Yea I know thats not a big deal, but its a new deal for me. Why you might ask? Because I am leaving a Ministry Job. I know this may sound like a cliche, but this is different than leaving a regular job. For one its different because its happening to me. Two its different because Ministry is different than your regular 9-5. Ministry is about being involved in the lives of others and helping them, guiding them, correcting them, teaching them, loving them, being frustrated with them, laughing with them and crying with them. In ministry your job does not rotate around the time clock, it rotates around others time, its a 24/7 job. Add to that the fact that you are always around the church, always around church people and always doing church things, thats what makes it a big deal. Leaving a ministry in a way is like leaving a family. Some family members you cant wait to leave and some you love so dear that it breaks your heart to leave. This is a new process and as some have said, "a new chapter" in my life. One that a friend said I should blog about. I can post articles on my website and you can read them, but in this forum you can respond. Cry with me, laugh at me (probably a lot), be angry with me (for some bonehead choice) and hopefully being encouraged by the entire process.

With that said lets start right there, "Process". Thats the word du jour for sure. Process is a systematic series of actions directed to some end. That about sums it up. Series of actions to and end, my leaving a ministry position, thats the end. But where did it begin? In January 09 I was posed with the request of changing the way I teach in my ministry. I am what you would call and expositor. I start at the bible, I study the text, I stand on the shoulders of men who came before me, I dig into what God is saying, I use other texts to sustantiate the texts and I end with scripture. Its a real simple process really, one that many people practice and one that many people could define better than I. My firm belief is that God made it clear in His Word that "all of scripture is profitable" not just the parts that we like best. Jesus told the remaining 11 disciples in the Great Commission to "Teach all that I have commanded you", again not just the good or fun parts of Gods Word, but "all" of it. Paul told the elders at Ephesus that "I have declared the whole counsel of God to you", again not just the good parts but the "whole" counsel of God. The best way to do that is to begin in a book, go through that entire book and end the book, moving on to the next book. If we do that we lessen the chances of things getting missed, or overlooked or even ignored. We dont get to decide that this passage is not important, as far as I am concerned if God "breathed out" His word then its all important, again "All".

The other method to teaching (and there could be lots more) is what many of us call Topical. That is when someone takes a particular topic and applies it to the scriptures. A good example would be if someone were to teach on Jesus's Birth around Christmas, going to Luke 1-2 and telling that story. A bad example would be when someone talks about prayer and says "when two or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am", why is that bad? Because that is not what Jesus is talking about at all. Its called context and the problem with Topical type teaching is that you can easily miss the context. Im my opinion you dont apply topics to scripture, you instead draw God's teaching out and expose God's intent to others.

As you can see from this I am very passionate about God's Word and the communication of it. I so firmly believe in it that when asked to change I said "no". From what I know of scripture and my own convictions I could not do something that did not agree with Scripture, "Unless I am convinced by Sacred Scriptures or by evident reason, I will not recant. My conscience is held captive by the Word of God and to act against conscience is neither right nor safe" Martin Luther. I know Luther faced a greater reckoning than I, but scripture nor reason were telling me to waver on my beliefs. Actually quite the opposite, scripture and reason kept confirming my decision.

So with that said I resigned my position and began the process of exiting this church.

Look for the next blog and the next step in this series of actions.