Learning To Rest in the Storms of Ministry

For background read the story: Luke 8:22; Matt 8:23; Mark 4:37
The Commandment to Keep the Sabbath is one of the few commandments on which Jesus specifically comments. During one of his debates with the Pharisees he says, “The Sabbath was made for Man, and not man for the Sabbath.” [Mark 2:27 NKJV] One point we can draw from this comment is that there is a beneficial aspect in keeping the Sabbath.Often, however, we don’t think about the beneficial aspect of Sabbath keeping. If we know anything about the Sabbath it is usually the negative side of the legalism that so easily surrounds Sabbath. There is a wonderful story of Jesus that highlights one of the beneficial aspects of Sabbath keeping. It is the story of Jesus asleep in a boat in the middle of a storm. Matthew, Luke and Mark all tell the same story. Jesus and the disciples are together, and He is busy teaching and ministering to the crowds. The day ends and they all get into one of the boats and head for the other side of Lake Galilee. Jesus goes to the back of the boat, lies down and goes to sleep. A storm comes, and soon the disciples find themselves desperately trying to keep the boat afloat. They realize that Jesus isn’t helping and so they go to Him and ask for help in this desperate situation. Mark has a statement by the disciples that Matthew and Luke don’t include in their telling of the story. Mark shows us the desperate situation in the eyes of the disciples, when he has them speak to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?"There is one other time that Jesus is asked this same question. This time the story concerns two women, and is told by Luke. There is no immediate danger but there is work and commotion and quiet. Luke tells us of the time that Mary is setting at Jesus’ feet and Martha is busy about many things, caring and burdened in her ministry to Jesus. Then she sees Mary quietly setting at Jesus feet. Martha comes to Jesus, and says, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone?”There are two things that I find instructive for ministry in our modern world in these two stories. One, in the midst of storms, or in the midst of ministry we can become over burdened or in Luke’s term over caring. When that happens we can begin to loose perspective on the important things of life and ministry. Then we can find ourselves in a place that we begin trusting on our own abilities rather than resting in the strength of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. In the case of storms, we can “loose” our faith as the disciples were in danger of doing, as the storm threatened to overwhelm them. In pastoral ministry our faith can be destroyed or threatened when the waves and winds mount up and all our feeble efforts come to nothing. In the case of serving we can think that we ‘need’ all these things for a successful ministry and life and thus be so over concerned with them, that they take on a life of their own. A life that can overwhelm us just as surely as waves and wind.Jesus shows us a different way: A way of confident trust, of faith in a God who is bigger than the storms. He teaches us of one who is content even in the midst of busy ministry for ‘one thing’ that will minister to his needs.We are all familiar with the idea of taking time to sit at the feet of Jesus and be like Mary, although most of us males don’t like to consider that a woman sets a better example of devotion to Jesus than we do! But are we as comfortable sleeping in the back of the boat with Jesus? Can we take time out for ourselves, even in the midst of the storm and sleep?In a great little book, Rest in the Storm, Kirk Byron Jones speaks of our needing to be more like Jesus in savoring the sacred pace of life that he lived. [1]Jones writes, “I think the sacred pace of Jesus is a much-needed contrast to the prevailing ministry style that has us (1) doing too much, (2) doing too much at one time, and (3) doing too much as fast as we can. This three-headed demon is driving many ministers and their spouses to early graves – emotionally and physically. We can be liberated by internalizing the peace, patience, and attentiveness demonstrated by Jesus.” As pastors we need to learn the lesson of Mary, and of Jesus. When the storms of life are raging, when the demands of ministry are pressing, we need to be able to sit and rest or maybe even better be able to sleep in the back of the boat. As we work at ministry, quiet and rest are as important as work and productivity. I need to constantly remind myself that the pressures of ministry, and the pressures of building a successful ministry are not unlike the storms on the Lake of Galilee. They can come at the most unexpected times and then threaten to take us out of ministry. But there is a place of quiet rest in the midst of the storms of ministry. The back of the boat, sleeping with Jesus.
[1] Page 51. Rest in the Storm: Self-Care Strategies for Clergy and Other Caregivers; Kirk Byron Jones, pub Judson Press, Valley Forge, PA, 2001.