Asymmetric Ministry

I’m at a conference this week for Bible colleges. The conversation, naturally, includes aspects of preparation for ministers.

There is just one problem: The focus is entirely on traditional models of ministry where they are connected with a church or institutional ministry.

I do get it. They are not part of the asymmetric faith movement. Some of them have EXTREMELY traditional church mindsets. So, they wouldn’t think of working outside of that structure or think about asymmetric faith initiatives. There were conversations in some of the accreditation workshops of how ministry formation (being prepared for ministry) had to be somehow connected with a ministry or church to be valid ministry preparation.

However, when I think of what ministry should be, I see examples of what Jesus did. Certainly, Jesus was asymmetric with the “church” of the time: the Jewish religious leaders who had really rejected God in their practice of faith. Jesus did crazy things like:

• Challenged traditions
• Reached out to people and use people as examples that were despised by the Jews
• Healed people (aka “worked” per the Jewish religious leaders) on the Sabbath (the Jewish day of rest where no work was allowed)
• Taught from the hillside, from a boat on the water, in private dinners with people that just wanted to trap Him into doing or saying something for which they could prosecute Him
• Developed people and challenged their thinking

Most importantly, Jesus fulfilled the law and prophets but did so outside the structure of the religious establishment of the day. His ministry was asymmetric for the times. Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit on how best to impact those around Him.

I remember a story of my mother growing up. She is a music person. She felt led to begin going to nursing homes to play her guitar and sing for the residents. Sometimes we would go with her to visit as well. There are several people that I remember well from those times (Agnes; another lady whose name I don’t recall that was known for biting your hand if you got it close to her ;-D). My mother simply showed the residents love and care. The church we went to at the time heard about what she was doing and wanted to connect her to the church. However, she wasn’t about it being a ministry of the church. She was in asymmetric ministry. She was being led by God to show the love of Jesus to people.

So, as I think about asymmetric ministry, I think of each of us being led by the Holy Spirit to minister outside the confines of the traditional religious structures. It might just be caring for a coworker who eventually asks you what’s different about you. It might be He has you use some specific gift He has placed within you to serve others. The point is that ministry is standing in the place of a Great One (God) to show His love to others. I can’t possibly know all the ways that He has for you to do that. However, showing Jesus’ love to others and leading them to Him is what asymmetric ministry is all about.