Spectrum @ COG: Every Member a Minister

Spectrum, our small group at Covenant of Grace, studied Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller this past Fall and Winter (our study notes). This is one of the quintessential books for studying and understanding diaconal or mercy ministry within your local church and within the community around you. It is brimming over with deeply theological and practical reasons for taking care of your neighbor, no matter who they are or how worthy we deem their needs.

Keller centers his teaching around the Parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10: 25-37 continuously provoking the question, who is my neighbor? From there he encourages us to identify with the ministry of Jesus Christ, who was abundantly gracious, generous, humble and always Kingdom focused. However, there is also a call for balance between giving and keeping, properly stewarding what God has given us, between a ministry to Church and to the world, first taking care of those within our congregations then looking to the outside world, and balance between conditional and unconditional giving, having the proper judgement to know when to let mercy limit mercy. Finally, there must be a balance struck between the ministry of the word and the ministry of deed because the ultimate goal with any mercy ministry is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, so that full restoration can be made. There is a need to take care of the temporal or physical needs, but this must be coupled by caring for the everlasting and spiritual needs of the individual for there to be true mercy ministry. For what would be more merciless then to feed a man today, but then fail to invite him to the magnificent feast at the table of Jesus Christ?

Our study would not be complete without also looking at opportunities to get involved with ministries of mercy happening all around us. With organizations like Samaritans Purse, Helping Up Mission, Center for Student Missions, Hannah More House, Maryland Food Bank and Habitat for Humanity we have opportunities to get involved today and make a difference in the lives of others. And so do you, if you take a moment to stop, look and listen to the cries of your neighbors all around you and become an active minister of mercy.