God Is Ministry

As many of you know, because it's all I've been talking about recently, my friend J.R. Wydra and I have finally gotten the podcast project off the ground (www.elevator-music.tumblr.com). It took a lot of work to get it where it is though.

A lot.

Possibly too much, at least for me. Last night, around 9:00, I realized that all I had done besides working/sleeping/eating, was work on this podcast for the past 48 hours. Even at work we discussed different things regarding the process.

Obsession.

I took some time last night to swap the keyboard and mouse for a guitar and pick, and started worshiping. It felt great. But it reminded me of something.

Often, we can get so wrapped up in the planning and administering of ministry, that we make the ministry the god. We begin to concern ourselves with the ministry more than the God we are doing it for.

God always comes before ministry.

Reading through the Pentateuch, there are a lot of long passages regarding rules and regulations for worship, cleansing, and "ministry" things. Scattered throughout these passages is one recurring phrase. The same phrase throughout the entire Pentateuch.

"I am the LORD your God."

When God was setting up the rules and guidelines for ministry, He constantly reminded us that He is still Lord. Probably because Israel had a problem with idols. This might be a stretch, but maybe He said that so often to remind the priests who would constantly study these scriptures, rituals, and ceremonies that He is God.

Despite the insane amount of work the priests and people had to do for ministry, God is still Lord of all.

Whether the ministry is a small little podcast or a global evangelism project, God is still bigger. He is still more important.

God is ministry.