Thinking about different ministries.
None in particular, just how they look at themselves and each other.
Let me explain…
I spent the past week at Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp. They do a lot of the same things that Riverside (where I used to work) does. So similar, in fact, that I often found myself comparing the two.
Time after time, I decided that one was far superior to the other.
THIS IS A HORRIBLE, DANGEROUS TRAP TO FALL INTO!!!
Ministry is not about us. Ministry is about God. Period.
When we start rating ministries, deciding we like this one and dislike that one, we’re forgetting that it isn’t about us.
It’s kind of like sitting in church Sunday morning and, instead of worshiping, critiquing each element of the service.
“The sermon was long and not very exciting. The music was very well done, but did you see what that singer was wearing?!?”
I think know that Satan uses this to take our minds off of Christ.
Also, let us not forget that we are all a part of one Church. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 12:11-12 (NRSV) “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and we were all made to drink of one spirit.”
Paul goes on to say “God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”
1 Corinthians 12:18-20 (NIV)
So, we will always do things differently. Some people will minister this way, other people will minister that way. Some people will worship this way, other people will worship that way.
One is not better than another, so long we focus on the Lord.
After much prayer and reflection, I realized there are things about each Riverside and Okoboji that I think are really cool. I spent two summers (and a handful of spring months) working at Riverside, and have been going to Okoboji for family camp sense 1993. I know both camps well.
I can say with conviction that both camps are totally Christ-centered.
Both camps have amazing counselors on staff that love to reflect Christ to the world.
Each camp has many things that make it totally unique.
Neither one is better than the other.
It is counter-productive to judge or rate a ministry. Instead, we need to pray that the Gospel would be proclaimed.