Bloom where you are planted:

Bloom where you are planted: (based on Mark: 6:7-13)
Rev.Sajesh Mathews, Dharma Jyoti Seminary, Haryana

Dr.K.Sarah Nageshwari is a missionary doctor at Bishop Memorial Hospital, Anantnag, Kashmir in India. She was born in a staunch Hindu family where her mother became the first convert, who then dedicated Sarah as a missionary. Dr. Sarah’s life in the mission hospital, especially in Kashmir exposes the boundaries of mission. Though she has faced constantly intense situations in Kashmir from the rioters, she challenged their life by proclaiming the love of Christ among the local communities. Now let us raise a basic question before we reflect up on the text. How do we test one’s faith? Is it in a comfortable arena of life or in a challenging situations where we face lot of crises? It is how the diaspora community respond to the gospel wherever they are sent and planted.

The gospel of Mark Chapter 6: 7-13 is the best example of witnessing Christ in the journey of our life. It illustrates how we need to bloom where we are planted. The text begins with Jesus’ response to people of Nazareth. He was rejected by his own community. Mission that is entrusted to disciples was an extension of Jesus Ministry. It was a practical training for the disciples for the future ministry. Verse 8-9 depict the provisions which are required for ministry. Few reflections on the instructions which Jesus gave are given bellow.

a) Sending Two by Two: Partners of Ministry

Jesus sent out the disciples two by two and gave them the power over the unclean spirits. Sending two by two (v.7) was a usual pattern of early Christian missionaries. In those days religious and philosophical ideas were communicated mainly by wandering or traveling missionaries. In Jewish tradition, the disciples of Rabbi were used to travel two by two. This pattern focuses on the team ministry and the fellowship and care which the disciples are supposed to give each other. Self centered and self glorified ministry is questioned here by propagating a team ministry which envisions the partnership in the ministry. No individual or organization or parish can claim for their mission because it is the mission of God. Sometimes we are confined as a sponsoring agency or we are satisfied as a viewer of mission. The text urges us to be a part in God’s ministry.

b) Living with Limited Resources: Walking the Talk

The text portrays the urgency in ministry because the Kingdom of God is near. Sandals were the symbols of freedom. When the slaves become free they were asked to wear sandals. In the story of lost son, he was put new sandals and welcomed to be a part of the family.   Denial of travel kit (verse10) was an invitation to voluntary poverty for wandering prophets or traveling missionaries. They had been taught to trust in the Lord rather than the material blessings. Jesus sent the disciples with the singularity of purpose and their goal is to preach about the kingdom of God. Carrying wealth and other provisions for comfort will always be against the mission of God.  In explaining the provisions on mission, gospel writers have their own slight variations but they all agree that they were to travel light. Staff (v.10) is the symbol of shepherd. Shepherd is the one who guides and leads the sheep in all the stages of their life.

Disciples’ pattern of witnessing was a pattern of wandering prophets. In Palestinian context, hospitality was a part of their Culture. When a stranger entered a village, it was not his duty to search for hospitality but it was the duty of the village to offer it. Because wandering missionaries had no permanent place. Moreover they have to respect and accept the culture of the local community and are supposed to stay with them. It is one way of acclimatizing. Staying in one house for more than two days is demanding comforts. Living with limited clothes also symbolizes the simple living. Shaking the dust of the sandals was custom among the Pharisees when they used to travel in a non Jewish territory. It was commonly used as a symbol of cursing. It is not be interpreted literally because the receptor has the right to accept or reject the gospel. Therefore shaking the dust is not to curse but to remind about repentance. Disciples preached about repentance which was a simple message which Jesus commanded them to share.

“What do we advertise through our life”? asks Rick Warren (Author of Purpose Driven Life). Often we become the ambassadors of the corporate world. But Rick Warren says that we are called to advertise Kingdom of God through our life. Mar Thoma community shares a heritage of mission that every member of the Church is a missionary. The migrated community is called to fulfill God’s mission. Simple living or Living with limited provisions is not generally seen in the world where luxury is appreciated. We don’t carry anything to the grave. During the end of life, people would realize that no possessions are helpful to attain eternal life. When we share our potentials and resources for the mission of God, God’s name  will be glorified. In Luke 10: 17 (the parallel text) warns about the self congratulations. Jesus reminds that never be exited for the good things we do, but our name will be written in heaven.  

Throughout the history of God’s people, God has accomplished God’s mission by moving people from land to land. According to the  Bible, the Nature of God,  is that of one who dwells among the people and also one who travels with his people. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and Moses are a few with whom God travelled in their journey of life. The History of Israel in Old Testament testifies that God works among the migrating generation.  In the New Testament, Jesus promised that His church was to be His witness in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (ref. Acts 1:8). The first believers migrated and were scattered because of the persecution against the church in Jerusalem. So, “those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went” (ref.Acts 8:4). Philip went to Samaria, and there are many oral traditions that record the apostles traveling to faraway places to preach the word (Thomas to India, Barnabas back to Cyprus, etc.).

     The exponential growth of the Early Church depended on scattered believers reaching out to pockets of immigrant population around the ancient world. Many of the apostles focused their ministry among pockets of migrant Jews throughout Asia Minor and Rome. Paul’s strategy in Asia Minor, while intended to target the Gentiles, started at the synagogues of the immigrant Jews in places like Derbe, Thessalonica, Athens, and Corinth (ref.Acts 16-18).

In Europe alone, several works have been started because of immigrants who, having received Christ and His message of holiness in their homeland, have taken the message to the new lands in which they have been planted. Examples abound: In Portugal, the church was started with and by immigrants from Cape Verde; in France, the church was started by immigrants from Martinique, Haiti, and Egypt; in Spain, the core of the Church of the Nazarene today is composed primarily of immigrants from Latin America. In those cases Nazarenes from mature mission fields have migrated to other parts of the world and they have taken the message and the doctrine along. This is also true for the church in America. Global migration therefore is not a new phenomenon. Most successful missionary movements have included a migratory element. Several conclusions can be drawn from Scripture, history, and the recent global realities of cross-migration. The most important one is that God has chosen the mobility of people as one of the ways to accomplish.

EFFECTIVE MINISTRY IN MODERN TIMES Rev. Sajesh Mathews, Dharma Jyoti Vidya Peeth, Faridabad, Haryana

EFFECTIVE MINISTRY IN MODERN TIMES

Rev. Sajesh Mathews, Dharma Jyoti Vidya Peeth, Faridabad, Haryana

Celebrated Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl remains best-known for his indispensable 1946 psychological memoir Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl introduces his concept on ‘Existential Vacuum’ or meaninglessness or emptiness. He uses the term ‘existential’ in three ways. Firstly the term refers to existence itself, which is specifically human mode of being. Secondly it refers to the meaning of existence. Thirdly it refers to the striving to find meaning in personal existence. Emptiness is not an experience of those who are lonely but it is for all those who failed to find meaning in their life. For Frankl, it is an experience where people think that their life has no purpose, no challenge and no obligation. People who go through this vacuum try to fill with material things, pleasure, sex, power or job.  The quest for meaning or question about one’s own existence in the world is significant in relation with ministry. Why am I living for? What is the purpose of my life? These are pertinent questions which everyone has to ask himself or herself.  

Ministry from Biblical and Theological Perspectives

The word Ministry has come from the Greek word diakoneo, meaning "to serve" or douleuo, meaning "to serve as a slave." In the New Testament, ministry is seen as service to God and to other people in His name. Jesus provided the pattern for Christian ministry. “For the son of man also came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many”- Mark 10:45. This is the fundamental basis of Christian ministry. Ministry is a service to others without expecting any reward. Jesus is the model of a suffering servant who emptied and denied himself to serve the world and to redeem the world. Jesus ministry was to transform humanity. He recognized their worth and dignity and taught them to serve others. He healed their physical infirmities and he opened their eyes to see spiritual realities. He fed the hungry and released those who were in bondages. The central purpose of his ministry is found in Luke 4: 18-19, often called as the Nazareth Manifesto. Jesus has quoted prophet Isaiah’s words to declare the task of his ministry saying, ‘to bind the broken, liberate the captives, release the imprisoned and comfort those who mourn’.   

                 There are three distinct ministries in the Old Testament namely, the prophetic, the priestly, and the kingly. These three are essential within the covenantal relation between Yahweh and Israel. Israel was a called out community which engaged with other communities and proclaimed their faith in the living God. The election and call of Israel is the foundation of the service of Israel to God. Prophets, priests, kings were the chosen people who shared God’s vision. In the New Testament the ministries of prophets, priests and kings come to fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is himself the Prophet, Priest, and King. Jesus continued his ministry through apostles. The Twelve were chosen, appointed, ordained, and sent by Jesus Christ himself. They shared the vision of ministry in their life and later the church continued the ministry of healing, redemption through her communion with Christ.  Apostles were the eyewitnesses of the resurrection. Their testimony is the living foundation of New Testament church and its ministry.

            Theological foundation of ministry is based on the image of Christ. Church manifests the image through her life in the world. According to Bernard Haring, Church is meant to be a faithful image of Christ whose redeeming presence is therapeutic, liberating and healing. Church is not only a community that worships together but church is called to continue God’s ministry in the world. Etymologically, the term community refers to the obligations, gifts or services that persons bring to one another; thus, what they have, they have partly “in common”. Church is a faithful community which should not experience themselves as immunities form, but as resources for persons. The Indian Christian Theologian, Dr. M.M Thomas envisioned a church which participates in the humanization of the world and enters into the dialogue with other religions and secular movements. For him, church is an open community which is a Christ centered openness and it is not exclusive but rather the most inclusive. Therefore church is not an exclusive community that satisfies itself but church is responsible to participate in the struggles of the entire creation.  Church should be an ethical, alternative model for a community life.

The laity and ministry

We have a ministry for the laity. The laity is the people of God. Laity represents varied culture, education, social status and frame of mind. The participation of the laity is seen from the very beginning. The laity are not the resources we pool for the projects. But laity is also involved in the ministry of the church. They are simply not laborers who work in the vineyard but they are being part of it; they do not only belong to the church but of being the church. The leadership and presence of laity in every ministerial endeavors make the God’s ministry relevant to the community around us. It is the laity who continued the ministry of Jesus from the beginning of Christianity. The whole church is invited to continue God’s ministry. As we read in Peter 2:9, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people” and it implies the church as a whole as the people of God has a ministry and priesthood. Every member of the church is a called minister, not only the ordained ministers. In Sister Dr.Mary Sruti Joseph’s view the lay faithful are personally called by God and receive a ministry and mission on behalf of the church and the world.

Challenges of ministry in late modernity

Ministry for the diaspora community….We need to redefine the methodology of ministry in a multi religious, multi-ethnic and globalized context. It is a fact that ministry is formed due to the challenges in the diaspora context. From sociologists’ perspective, the first generation of the migrated community live with a nostalgia about their homeland. They glorify their past and try to follow what they have followed, practiced and learned in the past. They would try to render the same in to the next generation. The second generation has a legacy to continue but they live in the present context where the nostalgia of the homeland is not relevant to them. They relate with the new context in which they have been living. They love the tradition, roots, faith of their parents but would also love to follow what they see as the best in their context. The third generation of the migrated would integrate the values of their grandparents and parents. The second and third generation experiences tremendous exposure in culture, religion and life. The ministry of the church is located in this particular sociological and religious context.     

Ministry for the multi-ethnic group..It is fact that Church shares varied cultural diversities. Present day church is not a community of same ethnic group. Church has widened its boundaries to other communities. It may be through our evangelistic works or through our communal, marital relationships. Church has been traveling from its traditional, exclusive ethnic identity to multi-cultural identity.  Therefore we need to accommodate and appreciate people who belong to various linguistic, cultural back grounds. Church cannot be fixed its ministry for one area or for one community. She needs to serve the communities or identities where it is rooted.  The new initiatives of the church to reach out people who belong to different cultural back ground are the best examples for the effective ministry. The diversified nature of church and its ministry is a challenge we face in the globalized era.    

Ministry in a changing trends…Globalized world provides various trends and exposure in the area of spirituality and religion. People are exposed with new contemporary movements. The tradional church goers are influenced by the trends. The contemperory spiritual movements cater secularized people. They use powerful mediums and enterainment icons to promote their ideology. They make use of diinterested people in the traditional way of worshipping. Apatheism is a major challenge in today’s world. Apathy means lack of interest or concern. There is a growing number of indiviudals that have become apathetic. Apatheists are just disinterested in issues pertaining to God. They are satisfied with monotonous activities in the church. Those people are vulnerable in nature and are fragile. They may be misguided or misled. The challenge for the church is to minister among the people who move away from the church for various reasons.

Ministry through media.. We need to be aware of media explosion and we need to effectively use the media. We cannot neglect the influence of media in our life. Social networking has become very common in every society. There are advatages and disadvantages for social networking. Many are addicted to internet and living in the virtual world. But We have a ministry for the online communities. We must have new avenues to communicate through visual and print media. We need to seriuosly think about e-mentoring to cater  and to reach out the present generation.    

Ministry for the youths…Recent studies have shown that young adults leave the church when they leave for college. This is labelled as youth exodus, which true in all over the world. There may be many reasons for their detachment from the church. But the question is whether we are able to satisfy the changing demands of the younger generation. We need to be aware of ministerial demands. Demands are determined by the change with times. We live in a late modernity or postmodern world. Younger generations are post traditional in general. Post tradional attitudes arise when tradition dominates. Tradition has its own significance but sometimes it is described that choices are already prescribed by the traditions and customs. Younger generation who live in post-traditional times don't really worry about the precedents set by previous generations, and options. A society can't be fully modern if attitudes, actions or institutions are significantly influenced by traditions, because deference to tradition - doing things just because people did them in the past - is the opposite of modern reflexivity. We need to be open with the recent developments in the society and the present day challenges that our youths face. The message of the gospel never changes, but the methodologies used to reach individuals for Christ must change because we live in a fast-paced world. Church needs to extend its hands to reach out the younger generation with all the means.

Ministry for the Families…We’re in a crisis at the moment. Our world is turning towards an idea of marriage and we hardly reflect about marriage but talk more about relationship which may be the influences of globalized culture which does not focus about marriage because of the divorces and broken relationship within their communities. There are an increasing number of gay marriages and open marriages, broken marriages and sex outside of marriage that challenge the real family system in our society. As we celebrate family Sunday in our church we should not forget the fact that the Church consists with widows, orphans, divorced and divorcee who are the victims of family problems, who must be catered in our broader family relationship. That’s why today it’s more important than ever to be turning back to the Bible and reminding ourselves of how God intended marriage to be. Whether you’re a husband, a wife, single, married, a widower, a mother, a father, a friend or a child, we all should understand not just more about marriage, but understand more about God and his relationship with us.

The issue of marriage has become a serious discussion in recent days. Marriage is being re-defined by organizations like the LGBT and GLAAD organizations. However, the issue of homosexual marriage is not the only issue where marriage is being redefined. The church must define the biblical roots of marriage and where it stands on these issues. The church must ask such questions as: What is marriage? Why is there a marriage covenant? What is this church going to recognize as marriage? It is high time to minister the families who are undergoing various challenges in life.  

Church and its effective ministry

How do we deal with the persecution against church all over the world. Christians are being persecuted in Kenya, Egypt, Syria, and Iraq. In india, the idelolgy of becoming one religion, one culture, and one language is becoming very strong. Churches are being attacked in various places. We cannot be passive obeservers as these atrocities occur. The role of the church is not to be silent against the injustice, oppression and violence but to be a channel of peace, healing and liberation. Church cannot be confined with the structure  but the church needs to share its presence in the world. Church is called to minister for the most vulnerable, oppressed and silenced in the society. Dr. George Zachariah in his article, “Church without walls: Church happening in the street” introduces the ‘Night Ministry’ which is an ecumenical ministry of various churches in the city of Chicago. A group of volunteers, consisting of nurses, paramedics, social workers and counselors under the leadership of a pastor travels through the byways and alleys of the inner city from 10pm to 4am. They meet the homeless in the street and provide them food and clothes. The bus has all the fecilities to provide the needy for the medical advices. The night ministry envisions a church happening in the street. People who are in the street experiences church in their life. We demand the needy to be present in the church but we are called to stretch our hands to the needy. This is called effective ministry.