Frustrating Stats

29% of seminary graduates do not go into full time ministry.

79% well trained seminary graduates walk away from ministry.

(I'll go out on a limb and say that 15% of those should walk away, due to insincere hearts or misguided callings or just bad theology they're actually doing a service to the church.)

I must admit I am astonished and upset by these statistics. I know ministry is hard, I've grown up around it. I've been in it. I've been out of it. Life is what is hard. Not ministry itself. Its just a different kind of hard. Its a kind of hard where in full time ministry there is great accountability before the Lord, there is great warfare daily, there are unexpected sacrifices to be made. But that's part of the job. Its part of what one signs up for.

I've got a sneaking supsicion that too often the glories of ministry are paraded around on seminary and bible colleges and not as much the stories of longsuffering ministry or sacrifices that didn't work out for the better as hoped. The years it takes to effect change, discipleship and growth. I wonder if Professors spoke openly about the struggles and hardships of the ministry and students actually got their hands dirty would the numbers turn around? What if they taught to cultivating a heart for ministry as well as having a head for ministry? What good is knowing the Greek meaning and intrepretation of text if you don't know the people you are teaching too?

A part of me is sad. I'm sure some of those 71% are doe eyed, idealistic Christians who think its all alter calls and sitting at a big desk reading the Bible all day and occasional counseling sessions (which of course must work like an episode of Full House where a happy ending comes after 30 minutes). I'm sad because the weight of reality for them probably crushed them. But that's an aspect of full time ministry...learning the reality of it and relying on God so that you are not crushed. With confidence I'd venture to say that if you were to ask any pastor they'd tell you it is not what they expected, it is hard, but in spite of it all it's worth it. Just like any job.

But I am so thankful for the 29% and as I sat in service today I heard God whispering to me, "You obey me. You were not created to be in the 71%." And so I suppose its time for me to stop running and to turn around, to walk with confidence in Christ right back into ministry. To keep plugging along and following the path God has for me. After all I suppose he does know what's best.

Why Celebrate Christmas?

Why do we celebrate Christmas? Seriously, what is the reason behind it. Its not something the Lord ordained for us to celebrate, its not a command, it was not celebrated in the first century. In fact if you look at church history it wasn't celebrated until the fourth century and it was celebrated on the the 25th of December because of the existing pagan holiday. And over the years it has become commericalized and scandalized. The true meaning behind it lost and forgotten, swept away with the excess wrapping paper and bows and pine needles fallen from the brightly light trees.

And far to often we stop our celebration at the nativity scene. We celebrate Christ's birth yes, but do why do we celebrate? Becuase this baby was born to die for us...for you, for me. This cute, cuddly, plump, cooing, drooling baby was born with a death sentence because of my sin nature. Had he not died thirty years later we would have no reason to celebrate, he would've just been another baby. Think about it we don't celebrate Martin Luther King Jr just because he was born, no we celebrate because of the life he lived. We celebrate our presidents for what they've done, not simply because they were born. Likewise, we celebrate Christ's birthday becasue of what he did.

I'm not knocking Christmas, please hear that. I love Christmas, I consider myself to be a Christmas dork of sorts (I wear reindeer antlers at work on Fridays) and I enjoy the fact that all over the world the birth of our savior is being celebrated by all, sure some don't quite get it but they're celebrating him.

I am saying that as I've gotten older Christmas has changed for me. I can no longer look at it as just a time for family and presents and another excuse for stuffing, there is something far deeper. And deeper too than just a baby. It is the life that baby would live and then the death he would suffer...all for me. This, for me, puts Christmas in a whole new light, the way I celebrate this year will be different, my heart will be different. In my heart right now I consider that without Easter there would be no Christmas and without Christmas there would be no Easter...John 3:16 takes on a new shape in this light...

Check out the Relient K song, "i celebrate the day" which sparked these ponderings...