I hate 'bandwagon things.' I hate bandwagon baseball teams (Braves in the 90's), bandwagon basketball teams and players-though its nothing personal-(Chicago Bulls in the 90's and Michael Jordan). But sometimes I succumb. For instance, like a bagillion other folks, I got a 'facebook.' If you don't know what that is, ask someone that is in between the ages of 15-29.But in case you're too stubborn to do so, Facebook is an online way to post things, activities, pictures about yourself in a way that is easy to network, find, and keep up with others doing the same thing.
As I clicked on one of my former youth (during the dog days of Clinton, SC 99-02), I noticed several of his 'friends' pictures and profiles (or contacts to the laymen). One girl was dressed provocatively like "Catwoman." Just a picture, but a picture is often worth more than a 1000 words. Pictures of people partying or scantily dressed usually reveals something much deeper: a lifestyle in search of something outside Christ.
In addition, I thought about some other things that were posted on a few other of my former youth's profiles and I began to wonder. Did I totally waste my time there? After all, I had a molester, a killer (though in self defense, after I left), and several who professed faith and then turned away. And I didn't have a large group.
Certainly I wasn't perfect there. I should have probably been fired for attempting the live mouse toss, and for several (that's being conservative) other things.
But I guess with all ministry (not just youth) one has to go back to Jesus' parable of the Seed and the Sower (Matt 13). Not all seed grows up to produce fruit. Some receive the message with joy but fall away due to tribulation or love of the world. But some seed does fall on good soil and produces fruit.
My responsibility lies in sowing. I can't produce fruit for myself, much less someone else!
I did sow there. Not perfectly, but I did sow.
As I look back, some seed did produce fruit; others didn't. At least for the time being. But all may not be lost. They may return one day. Hopefully.
2 comments:
Would you say that we are the seed, the sower, or the soil?
Anonymous,
In the parable, the message of the gospel, it would appear, is the seed. Christ sows that seed, and we are the soil.
However, Paul describes his mission as one who plants (I Cor 3). Our mission is to continue Christ's work. He uses those who labor to plant and to water. Christ determines the growth. That is why I can be confident in my responsibility to labor and pray, and trust that God will make those who are HIS grow up and bear fruit.
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