I’ve been re-assessing my understanding of what “ministry” entails.  The typical understanding of ministry is associated with a calling, a calling that falls only to a specific group of people (think pastors, missionaries, campus ministry workers, etc).  When you’re “called into ministry” it’s usually, in the eyes of many Christians, a holy calling that requires a 3-year masters degree or the equivalent in experience of doing things pastors do.  If that’s the case, are all the other occupations that Christian’s have a less-holier calling, especially if “ministry” is not in their job title? Has “ministry” been pigeonholed to the office of pastor, preacher, teacher (of the Bible), shepherd, prophet, etc? 
In 2 Corinthians 5:17-18, Paul writes to the church in Corinth of how faith in the work of Christ on the cross destroys the old creation and that a new creation is born.  Immediately after, he states in v. 18:
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation
He uses the word “ministry” and the ministry of reconciliation given to believers is a direct result of what Christ did for us.  The few times “ministry” is used in scriptures, whether in Hebrew or in Greek, it is often translated as “service” with no higher or holier definition attached.  Ministry is service to and loving God and people (Matthew 22:36-40), those called into ministry serve, and that seems like a fairly broad statement to all believers.  Furthermore, if ministry of reconciliation (or the service of reconciliation to Christ) is a direct result of Christ’s work, for those who call on Christ for salvation, the ministry is a gift to them – another broad statement to all believers.
Friends, God desires for us to be reconciled through his Son.  He also desires to give us and for us to be a part of the ministry of reconciliation, the job title graciously given to all believers whether your occupation has a holy title or not.  This ministry of reconciliation enables us to share in the joy that the good Father has when people come to the saving knowledge of Jesus.  Simple put, ministry is loving God and loving people and that is a high calling that we all need to be engaged in.
Knowing this, how are you engaged in ministry?  Who are the people in your life that you are serving and loving to point them to Jesus? 
Pray for opportunities wherever you spend your time – with your family, workplace, school… anywhere and everywhere.  That is the heart and call of God for those who know him.

From Pastor Keeyoung’s Heart
May 17, 2015

Moms love unconditionally.
Moms are patient.
Moms know what’s best.
Moms know how to make skinned knees feel better.
Moms have eyes in the back of their head they know what you’re up to before you do.
Moms forgive.
Moms encourage.

I started to make this list of things Moms have a great knack for doing. I know Moms aren’t always perfect but we remember them with fond memories of our childhood of always being there when we needed them the most. Moms have a special relationship with their children more so than Dads I think when it comes to nurturing and caring for their children.  Children will always seem to turn to the Mom. The bond is strong between them whether she’s the traditional stay-at-home Mom or if she works outside of the home. Moms really can do it all. They just seem to find the inner strength to juggle all the roles of mother and homemaker. The children still yearn for the kind of maternal affirmation only a mother can provide. I recall that with my own mother and now see it between my wife and son. And so Moms will always carry that role of providing the emotional support their children need in order to face the challenges of life as they grow older.
The list of things Moms do well for their children may seem to just apply to childhood, especially the part about them having eyes in the back of their head. But as I look at the list I realize the mothering instincts didn’t stop once we grew up. As we grew older and then left the home hopefully we started to appreciate them more for the ways they continually encouraged and supported us. As we matured into adulthood our relationship also matured as we interacted with our Moms as adults and the relationship went from mother/child and became something of a mutual friendship as well. That friendship was a new dimension that I always appreciated with my Mom. She’s always supported and encouraged me even when I haven’t always kept in touch on a regular basis.
But we never want to let go of the nurturing our mothers provide us even as we age. It’s a lesson of grace and love passed down to us that we can strive for ourselves. Amen to that.

From Pastor Mark’s Heart
May 10, 2015