Sometimes as a Youth Worker I am asked when I will grow up.
OK.
I admit I am asked this a lot, if you know me you know this to be very true.
All joking aside, sometimes I am asked this in regards to my career choice and no I am not referring generally to the ministry career, because that is many things.
What I am referring to is youth ministry.
“Brad, when are you going to grow up and do real ministry?”
This begs a question.
What is real ministry?
Sometimes I can take this personally that sometimes we think youth ministry is just a social group of crazy teenagers and insane adults who willingly hang out with these crazy teenagers.
But I ask again what is real ministry?
Isn’t real ministry where we talk about being disciples and following the life that Jesus laid out his life for us to live? I think Jesus says it best when he says that a true friend lays down his life. This does not necessarily mean physically dying, but willingly hanging and be present with a certain group of people that may try and even kill your patience.
Because here is the thing.
As much as my teens sometimes get on my nerves I know that Jesus died for them and they deserve to have someone be present with them and love them as they are and accept them as Christ has accepted them. His grace tells us that no matter what we do in our life His grace is always here for us.
So I pray that today we realize that we all need Christ’s love and caring and that a part of that commitment we take on as His disciples is extending that love and grace to all that we come into contact with. My students at St. Philip’s deserve to have someone say to them:
Jesus loves you, and I love you and I am here.
That’s real ministry.
Amen.