The Mystery of Ministry

Nouwen offers a challenge in the following words that are difficult for most ministers. I believe most of us have an inflated view of ourselves. We see ourselves as the life connection for people, in other words their destination rather than a conduit for their destination of finding the love and grace of God. "laying down your life means making your own faith and doubt, hope and despair, joy and sadness, courage and fear available to others as ways of getting in touch with the Lord of life. We are not the healers, we are not the reconcilers, we are not the givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who need as much care as anyone we care for. The mystery of ministry is that we have been chosen to make our own limited and very conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God."