Ministry in this broken world is full of twists and turns. Sometimes it’s straightforward, but more often than not, things occur that aren’t necessarily in the original game plan for the day, week, or month.
Of course, the same is true about all of life. Every life has roadblocks, hiccups, emergencies, and struggles, as well as celebrations, hopes, and small victories. And one of the joys of being community together is our ability to share in all these things – the joys and the sorrows – together. As one body in Christ, we are told when one member of the body suffers, the entire body suffers. When one member rejoices, the whole body rejoices (1 Corinthians 12). So when our regularly planned lives are interrupted by poor health, anxious times, or even true emergencies, we are reminded that we do not struggle alone with these things.
This is sometimes hard for us to believe, because we live in a world where we’re often told that we “shouldn’t burden others with our problems,” or don’t want to be considered inconveniences. Even when we really need help, we often feel guilty asking for that help. And sometimes, we’re all so caught up in the stress and anxiety of whatever is happening in our lives, we don’t even think to ask for help, even when we know it’s on offer.
As the called pastor of Esperanza, I am uniquely tasked with the role of responding to the body of Christ in this community when these struggles occur. We are definitely blessed with a great cloud of witnesses who reach out and care for one another, and I’m glad for the ministry of caring that happens in this place. As we have experienced care as one community together, I encourage you to reach out in case you do have any need. Yes, sometimes the needs of others are “inconvenient,” but Jesus teaches us that we are still called to respond to those in need in these moments.
Emergencies don’t happen according to a specific schedule, so care also doesn’t always happen on a specific schedule. Know that your needs are important, and we’re here to respond in any time of crisis. It’s what we’re all called to do.
Pastor Chris