Participate..join in

So today I was making good on my goal of reading more and happened to be reading Andrew Roots new book (well one of them) about theology and student ministry.  Here he made a really great point about what the point of youth ministry is.  I would say that this conversation would just about be a 1:1 correlation to ministry in general. 
Here he talks about the desire of well minded ministers and youth workers to want to be everything for their congregation.  That the personal taking on the pastoral roll has a tendency to think that it is up to them to change the person. 
Root then reminds the readers that when we try and rush God’s will and forget that God has a hand in all of this too (in fact God has been moving before we even got involved). Then we should be willing to understand that we are not called to change, convert, or mold the congregation, but rather participate in what God is already doing.  So think about Abraham for a little bit.  He tries to rush things and knocks up Hagar to have Ishmael.  The thinking was Abraham and Sarah were too old and God better speed things up.  Then Isaac comes along and they realize that it is in our brokenness, meekness, or our “it’s not Me-ness” (humility for you church people playing at home) that God acts.  This is to perhaps remind us that God is God and we don’t have to be.  What we do have to be is willing to accept the invitation to be in relationship and partner with God in bringing about the kingdom. 
This weekend I am preaching on sharing our faith.  WE are called to partner with what God has been doing for thousands of years and tell our little piece of the story and how we fit into the bigger story.  When we find ways to tell the story we invite others to see the awesome way God convicts, and transforms us into those people we were made to be.  It isn’t about us and how well we debate, argue or bludgeon others to see it our way, rather it is about how well we invite others into the story that we are enfolded in to.