Ministry like that Theater Stuff

It was just past Y2K, when I attended service at my church. It was the 'contemporary' service which had music that wasn't in the hymnal and was lead by a woman who was an ordained Deacon in the church. She did the preaching that morning as well as lead the music during the worship time and I had an overwhelming feeling that I could be doing what she was doing that morning. Shortly after that, she was moving on from that position and they were looking for people to lead the contemporary worship service on a team. My parents encouraged me to join worship team because 'it's like that theater stuff you did in high school.' So my journey into ministry began.

Here I am 11 years later and I still don't feel that I am doing what I saw that Deacon doing back in that church. I am trying to find a ministry where I can integrate my love of theater with learning about God. I think that is my calling... portraying Christianity in a way that truly touches people.

A friend of mine recently said that 'Good theater makes people think'... Good ministry also should make people think. Somehow couldn't the two work hand in hand?

Living in the Moment

On May 17th just before 5:00 PM... my life stood still. I was in involved in a rollover car accident where my car was hit by a runaway trailer. A complete accident but by all accounts we were extremely lucky to be alive.

So, for the past couple of months I have been in recovery... and slowly I am physically returning to a pre-accident state. But I have noticed a distinct difference in my spiritual journey since the accident.

At the moment of the accident... I prayed... I prayed wondering if this was the end of my days... I prayed to make some sense of it all... and from this prayer I had a sudden peace that none of the 'debates' that occur in the church matter. They are created by humans to keep people in an us vs. them mentality. Our differences in the Christian church really don't matter... in the end God loves all of us and we are asked to love God in return. It's simple really... Love God and Love Each Other...

I have a better sense of clarity of where my passion lies. In seminary they said over and over again that God will call you into your passion. For me, that passion is theater... and know that that is what I am called to be doing. For the first time in a long time I feel that I am EXACTLY where I have been called to be... now if I could only discover how to make a living at it.

I also have a sense that I need to be living in the moment... the past is a memory and the future hasn't been written. But there is life to be lived right now... and you need to be living in your passion.

So these are the lessons from my accident... and I hope that they may help you as well:

• Church differences really don't matter to God... mostly created by people
  
• God want us to Love God and Each Other
• Live for your passion
• Live in the moment