Implications if all Christians viewed themselves as Full-Time Ministers*

Jesus said to his followers 'you are the light of the world' (Matt 5.14). Note he didn't say, 'should be', 'were to be', 'better be', 'could be' but are.  

Christians are now the light of the world (Phil 2.15) because they are in Christ who is The Light of the world (Jn 8.12). The Christ who is within all Christians by the Holy Spirit's presence ensures that Christians everywhere shine as light in the world.

They shine not only in 'churches' on Sunday but in every area of life where legitimate human endeavour takes place all through the week. They do that in marriages, families, 'para-church' organisations, neighbourhood groups, art groups, businesses, scientific research, professions and trades of every kind, farming, recreation, entertainment, and in all other activities 'too numerous to mention'.

Implications

The main point is that the LDc should do its job to prepare all the saints for the work of ministry (Eph 4.11) out in the world in all the various areas that I have listed above and more. Correlatively, the LDc should not try to be a political group, or run a business, or imagine it is a family, or indulge in too much entertainment. It's main focus is Word and Sacrament so that the saints are empowered for ministry (service) in all non-church areas during the week.

This thought is implicitly in the people's words after Communion in the Anglican** church's liturgy:

'Father, we offer ourselves to you
as a living sacrifice
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Send us out in the power of your Spirit
to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen. (emphasis mine)'

Second, it should restrain itself from grabbing all the saints' time so that they have the opportunity to pursue the Lord's business outside the confines of the church's ambit. Some churches even boast how they have a meeting every day or evening! No wonder the Body has so little impact on societies in which they live!

Perhaps some church ministers should work part-time in the church and part-time outside so that they remember what the church is actually there for.

Third, the congregational-structure ought to consider itself as an institution alongside other Christian associations working in the same vineyard. Being so, it should not suck up all the best talent found in the wider Christian community on the basis that 'the Lord should have the best available'! Of course, the Lord should but this comment is under-girded by a division of the world into sacred and secular. It understands the church to be in the sacred realm and therefore to be the realm along with missions deserving of the best. 

However, any realm can be sanctified by the presence of God's people unless certain civil societies make that impossible. In some societies the possibility also exists to develop separate structures*** to form Christian schools, or Christian home-schooling, universities, political groups, labour organisations, and etc.

I tend to favour the formation of separate associations in some cases (particularly in schooling). Such associations force our present society to reckon with the fact that Christian witness in the wider sense is public and not just private.

*I do realise that my title's aspiration will have varied applications for Christians depending on the country and political system they live within.
**The pity is one doesn't hear this emphasised in the Anglican Church.
***The Netherlands, at the beginning of the 20thC is an outstanding example of where this societal development took place. Unfortunately it didn't save this society from a severe deviation from the Word of God with respect to same-sex 'marriage' and other matters. However, I don't believe that its societal structure as such led to that deformation.

Are You A Full-Time Minister Or A Part-Time One?

*The denomination that I am a part of seems wedded to the idea that full-time ministers of Christ only exist within the congregational structure. Therefore, it clearly implies that all the work done by the 'laity' (an abominable term btw) is outside the ambit of the Body of Christ.

Just to make myself clear: I am NOT talking about involving the non-ordained 'laity' in congregational work such as song-leading, worship-leading, taking up the collection or dispensing the elements for Holy Communion. All of these tasks need to be done but the 'laity' spends most of its time outside the confines of the congregation.


The Body of Christ (the capital 'C' Church Universal) is not identical with the variously named institutional-congregations that provide corporate celebration of the Word and Sacrament within the Body of Christ. That's the distinction I am aiming for you to consider.

If you are a husband/wife, father/mother, family member, and have any other vocation of any legitimate sort then each of these callings is 'holy' work because the LORD is Lord of every sphere of life: marriage, family, vocation, schooling, politics, etc. and the Christian congregation too.

The latter is no more 'holy' or 'spiritual' than any of the other spheres. However, it is different because it is a central hub of the Church Universal.

What the congregation and its ministry chiefly do is to equip the 'laity' for its 'ministry' (Eph 4.12) outside the congregation in its daily callings. And I don't just mean only devotions and testifying either, although these are part of it obviously. 

Their work of ministry embraces any edifying sphere of human life for which each member (or members) has the calling and gifts. Christians are called to present their bodies (whole selves) as 'living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to God, which is their spiritual worship or service' (Rom 12.1).

In Romans 12.4-8, we have a list of functions or gifts that members of the Body of Christ might have. We are told to exercise these gifts for the common good (1 Cor 12.7) which can be interpreted in the first instance towards other believers that we meet in the congregation but it doesn't stop there. We have a particular responsibility towards any Christian believer we meet who is in need. Moreover, our responsibility is also towards those who are not yet believers.

Do we not know that the Father sends the rain on the just and the unjust (Matt 5.45)? Do we know remember that God is also declared by the apostle Paul to be, 'the saviour of all** mankind, especially of those who believe' (1 Tim 4.10)? If so, how much more shouldn't we be prepared to serve our neighbour in daily life with any gifts we have been given by God.

Martin Luther puts the above issue graphically in the following: 'God is milking the cows through the vocation of the milkmaid'.

*I've delayed my projected post on the topic of the 'implications of the Reformation's discovery' by expounding more fully on what the discovery was.
**I don't believe in universal salvation -- in fact this verse suggests a decided difference between believers and nonbelievers -- but that God's 'saving' expressed in this verse points to God grace showered on all indiscriminately in blessings that sustain life.