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ISM Ministry

Ben

One of the privileges of operating this website is spending time reading websites of different jurisdictions.  You can get a glimpse of what is important to jurisdictions.  Recently, I spent time on The Eldad and Medad Project’s site and the Our Vision AKA "David's Dream" resonated with me.  He contrasts the big church way of doing things with what is realistic for Independent Sacramental Ministry.


I think sometimes we take the ideals of the big church and try to replicate it.  The mainline churches have educational facilities, so we need them.  The mainline churches offer these types of services so we must.  Much of what the mainline churches do is good, and it works for them.  It does not work for us, and we should not try to replicate it.


I remember reading a chapter in one of the Independent Catholic books published by Extraordinary Catholics and it compared churches and jurisdictions with various types of ships.  The article was fascinating as it took the ancient image of the church as ship and looked at the types of ships there are.  Watercraft can vary in size from supertankers to jet skis.  Each has their role, their strengths, and their limitations.


The strategy for mainline churches is to invite people to come.  What if the people do not want to come?  What if the people cannot come?  People may refuse to come for several reasons such as painful church memories.  A dear friend of mine from seminary was alienated by church for many years because of painful experiences that were real and traumatic.  It took him years to step foot in a church.  There are many who cannot come to church – they are institutionalized whether it be in a correctional facility, a care facility, or simply alone at home forgotten.  How can the church be church to them?  It is not a matter of inviting them to come as they physically cannot come.


What did the people do when Jesus was preaching, and a friend was in need?  They took off the roof and lowered the man down to be healed.  Not everyone has those friends to bring them to Jesus.  The church has a mission to go to them.  We cannot simply invite and be upset when no one fills the chairs.  We must do the hard work and go to places where the mainline churches cannot go.  The mainline churches worry about the 99 sheep and keep programs and funding going.  We can go out to the lost sheep who may not even be aware that they are lost.  I say this not in the sense that they are bad people.  Maybe the lost sheep is even more moral than any of us are, but they have not seen the Good News that God has in store for them.  It is not about saving the lost sheep but about sharing in the joys and sorrows of life and showing that God has not abandoned them wherever they find themselves.


The Independent Sacramental Movement has a unique opportunity to connect with people where they are.  We have a unique mission and should not squander the opportunity to go where we are needed.  God, help us to recognize you in the people often forgotten.  Send us to share the Gospel with others so that we can share in their joys and sorrows.  Make us worthy of your coming kingdom.  Amen.

Peace,

Ben

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