2022.02.05/06
From the Pastor’s Desk:Rev. Simon Lee

 Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

The latest Omicron variant of COVID has taken a toll on many of us. First, it is really hitting home. My own family (of 17) has been impacted by COVID in the past months in many ways, including one being tested positive for COVID and must be quarantined. But the more devastating thing was that some members were developing COVID-like (flu-like?) symptoms but could not even be tested, told to stay home, and assumed they had COVID, therefore living in the fear of spreading the virus to our contacts, including other family members. I personally have had to cancel some important appointments because of “possible contact with people with COVID symptoms.”

Ministry-wise, in our Church with 5 different congregations, I and all our staff all struggle to find the best way for everybody to “keep safe.” My prayer has been, “Lord, I need desperately the wisdom of Solomon! I need the Spirit to give me discernment as to how I can persevere and how we can all persevere when we live in uncertainty and the threat of the virus, now for over 2 long years.”

The Spirit reminded me again of how Paul persevered, though under different circumstances, and I like to share what I have just re-discovered in 2 Corinthians 4. I am applying this first to all in ministry and then all in physical trials (next article). Paul uses the phrase “do not lose heart” twice in 2 Corinthians 4, once in 4:1 and again in 4:16. Let us look at each occurrence in context.

Do not be discouraged (1): Remember we are doing the Spirit’s ministry (4:1-6)

“Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” (4:1)

What an honour it is to serve God in such a glorious ministry (as described in Ch. 3). Therefore, we do not lose heart or quit easily. This ministry is in fact a gift that we receive from God Himself, in His mercy, even though we are so unworthy.  First Paul declared he was not a quitter. In applying this to our present challenge, all of us, including all pastors and lay-leaders, must remember the privilege of being called the children of God, Christ’s ambassadors and His “bondservants.” We are therefore to be a witness to the world that is under the cloud of COVID, that amidst the challenges we are also facing, we are not discouraged, because of God’s mercy to us.

Paul in exhorting Timothy says these words: “I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, 13 though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, 14 and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus…” (I Tim. 1:12-17) Paul’s encouragement here has guided me through many trials in over 40 years of ministry and I am being reminded of this truth even right now. To be honest, there were many times I have become discouraged and almost at the point of wanting to quit, because I said to myself, this is not what I bargained for when I committed myself to living for and serving Christ. Then I hear Paul encouraging me by saying, “But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost (chief of all sinners), Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. (I Tim 1:16) I am running out of patience, may His patience come through me!

Our ministry is “the Spirit’s ministry” seems so obvious and those of us who are committed to serving God all think almost automatically that we are doing just that – “the Spirit’s ministry.” I need constantly to remind myself so that I am not deceiving myself while I am really doing MY ministry instead. Paul elaborates by pointing to how we can all fall into the same trap by: “shameful hidden deeds,” ‘behaving with deceptiveness,” or “distorting (knowingly or unknowingly) the word of God.” (4:2a) The source of discouragement for Paul was the false prophets in the Corinthian church. Paul was facing very sharp accusations for his apostleship by being accused of using the gospel deceitfully to serve himself. Then Paul declared he was not a deceiver. Paul both strongly denied the accusations against him and stated he boldly proclaims only the truth of God.

While Paul was addressing a different audience and dealing with different challenges than ours today, nevertheless all these failures refer to doing ministry in MY ways, instead of the Spirit’s way.  The difficulty I see in applying this to myself is distinguishing the Spirit’s way and MY ways, it is indeed easier said than done. I find in myself and in pastors whom I have helped over the years, that the longer we are in ministry and the more set we are in our ways, we often lack the humility to recognize that we may and can be wrong. Paul reminds us of the way out of that is by focusing on God’s truth (not our truth): “by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.” (4:2b)

The litmus test of whether our ministry is God-centred or self-centred is found in Paul’s statement of his ministry. Paul further restated that by these words: “For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake.” (4:5) Finally Paul declared that he was not a self-promoter. What strikes me about this statement is two-fold: 1. Proclaiming Christ as Lord; 2. Serving the Christians in the Church of Christ as “slaves for Jesus’ sake.”

The question I must ask myself is whether I am truly proclaiming Christ and his truth and whether I am truly submitted to Him as Lord. It has been said, “If Christ is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.” I often ask myself the question in all my decisions and actions, am I truly submissive to God. In so many instances in my life, I have found that challenging. To be honest, I am still learning this true lesson of humility and surrender to God. I am amazed to rediscover that found here is one secret of not being discouraged, that is, to use the cliché “Let go and let God.” We all feel the need to be in control, but if Christ is really Lord, HE is in control. Again, I find that to be hard, to give up “the locus of control,” especially when we so desperately need certainty amidst the uncertainty that we are in.

Paul is also declaring that because Christ is His Lord, therefore he was slaves (to Christ’s Church) for Jesus’ sake.” True submission to the Lordship of Christ is demonstrated in being a true servant who serves at the will of the master, the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and therefore the people of God. We yield to God’s way that is shown to us and not insist on our way. We all know this to be true, but what does it mean when there are differences of views among brothers and sisters. It is hard, and we all need to come humbly before God and ask for His guidance. Ultimately, it reflects whether we are truly yielding to the Lordship of Christ, as in this hymn:

Make me a servant
Humble and meek
Lord let me lift up
Those who are weak
And may the prayer
Of my heart always be
Make me a servant
Make me a servant
Make me a servant today.

Your servant in Christ
Pastor Simon Lee