A Glimpse into a Part of
the Work of Country Road Ministries
Read Matthew
18:10-14
How many of us know at
least one person who has wandered from the flock? How many know others who have
chosen not to be a part of a flock? And how many know still others who do not
even know there is a flock, much less the Holy One who is its very center?
Without question, these realities are common to us all. At a part of the core of CRM
is our commitment to care for those in crisis and transition. Its ministry
assists those with a variety of problems and difficulties. We care for the poor,
the homeless, the lonely, the elderly and those on the fringes of society, and
do our best to serve them as Jesus served these dear ones before us (Matthew
25:34-40).
As this well-known
parable in Matthew 18:10-14 illustrates, CRM is not just concerned with those
who are safely in the fold; but, with that one lost sheep; that is, that
one individual who is just as precious in God’s sight. For example, if we can
keep one innocent child off the streets, one couple together considering
divorce, or gently cradle that precious one who is about to die, we are
accomplishing another part of what God has called us to do. As I have reflected
on this, such work has certain parallels to the ministry of John the
Baptist.
It is a solitary
work at times as we care for those in the communities where we live and as we
travel, seeking those who have fallen through the cracks, helping others,
one person at a time. Since it honors confidentiality with those to whom
God has entrusted to us, it is not a miraculous, visible ministry. At the
beginning Mark's Gospel, he says John the Baptist was the one who would prepare
the way of the Lord, fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah (Mark 1:1-3). And, it is
within this tradition that we find ourselves a good deal of the time.
As we briefly consider
John's life within the context of CRM, the people indicated that he did no
miracles (John 10:41). He was not to be a part of the joy and excitement that the
ministry of Jesus was about to bring. To be honest, I struggled with
this initially after serving as a pastor in the local Church for ten years when
the Lord asked me to respond to this "call within a call." I was raised in
a strong evangelical community, where conversions, recommitments
and deeper commitments to Christ were the visible norm. To be sure, there are
few greater joys in life than to witness or be a part of these life-changing
experiences.
It was in the midst of
this desert the Lord led me to 1 Corinthians 3:1-9. The Church
at Corinth as most know was not the model Church. There were divisions among them and one of
the things the apostle Paul had heard was there were some, who were arguing about whom they should follow.
Should they follow him? Should they follow Apollos? But, Paul placed this
controversy into its overall context when he wrote and said, "One plants, one waters, but God makes it
grow." Essentially, what he was saying was that it doesn't matter who
contributes to our spiritual formation; for the Lord is the source of any growth
in that process and this began to place things into perspective for me; more, however, on this
in a moment.
Parenthetically, I
believe Paul was having "a senior moment" when he wrote this. You young young folks haven't had such a moment like this, but trust me; you will. Now, what was I going
to say!? Here's the point. When I was a boy, most of my friends were farmers and
I helped them work the fields and I think Paul was, indeed, having one of those
moments by the way he responded. For don't you have to till the ground before
you plant the seed, much less water it?
Seriously, this is where
a good portion of our ministry is done, just tilling the ground. Like John the
Baptist, I have not had much of an opportunity to witness those dramatic moments
and life-changing experiences anymore as I did in the past. As the Lord began to
encourage me to abandon myself to divine providence, I came to the realization that
it no longer matters where God places me in the economy of salvation as I assist others where ever they may
find themselves. In fact, I'm humbled just to be a part of any of
this process.
There's a quote by
Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta which has assisted me greatly over these
years. I hope you find it just as helpful: "To be holy doesn't mean to do extraordinary
things, to understand big things; but, it is a simple acceptance, because I've
given myself to God, because I belong to Him, my total surrender. He could put
me here. He could put me there. He can use me. He can choose not to use me. It doesn't matter, because I belong so totally to Him that He can do with
me just what He wants to do." (emphasis added). As
an old Gospel song puts it: Where He Leads Me I Will Follow-- even to
the center of the Garden alone.
St. Teresa of Avila put it this way: "All that matters is that we do God's will" at the present moment, where ever He has placed us, and
in whatever capacity, to prepare the way of the Lord. Others, for the most part,
are given the responsibility to enter the field of souls, as the Holy Spirit
leads us to other arid and hardened places of the heart. Someone else once said, "Let us embrace the suffering of others to
become one with them, so the way can be seen through our actions to introduce
God into the lives of others as we lead them to Him."
Outside of my counseling, teaching
and preaching, it is important to know that a good portion of the work I do
is done by example, not words. I saw this printed on a tee shirt years ago that
is most appropriate here: "Preach the Gospel, use words when
necessary." This doesn't diminish the
spoken word as Peter reminds us: "Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you for the reason for the hope you possess" (1 Pet.
3:15). However, in my judgment, it is the way we live outside the walls of our
local Churches and para-Church organizations in our communities which also silently
speak volumes to a lost and broken world.
Admittedly, it has
been difficult for me at times to carry the burdens of those with whom I come
into contact (Galations 6:2). Our human inclination, of course, is to seek
pleasure, rather than possess a willingness to enter one's pain. Yet, one can
almost hear the prophet Ezekiel lamenting the fact he could find no one to stand
in the gap to assist the poor, the needy and those being abused (Ezekiel
22:29-30). Consequently, this is part of the call to which CRM has
responded. Like John the Baptist, we've done no miracles. Like John the Baptist,
we're simply tilling the ground and planting and watering a few seeds. Like John
the Baptist, we're doing our best to prepare the way.
I like the way George
Matheson summarizes this for us: "Those who come to Christ will refer to this time of
preparation in their lives as the first things that started them thinking about
Christ. In terms of what influence I may have had upon their hearts, I shall be
satisfied if no mausoleum is raised over my grave, but souls will gather around
there when I am gone and say, "He was a good man; he did no miracles, but he
prepared the way which led me to meet Christ for myself."
Mark A. Rains, Executive Director
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