Launching a new ministry website is a project I underestimated by a very wide margin.
This isn’t unusual for me at all, I tend to take on many new projects not knowing the entire scope of work that lies ahead of me. This does lead to some bumps along the road, but I try and go about life with a cheerful attitude towards the unexpected.
Ministry was another unexpected endeavor that I took upon myself. When our Rabbi Michael Lohrberg (of blessed memory) passed away in 2016, several members of Adat Eytz Chayim stepped up to fill the great void left behind, myself being one of them.
As the years rolled by, I received great counsel from many within the Messianic Jewish Movement encouraging me in this newfound venture. I was not prepared for it, I received no schooling prior to it, nor did I understand the full scope of the work before I began. Focus is difficult when the sensory input is overwhelming. It would take time for me to see more clearly.
One thing I have acquired recently is a sense of focus.
It’s something I have felt come upon me about a year and a half ago or so. I am not sure if it is something I learned, a side effect of growing older, or a move of the Spirit in my life. Perhaps it’s bits of all three, nevertheless I feel a sense of responsibility to act on my newfound focus. I need to act on this revelation I received and act in faith for the betterment of our community.
It’s not that I (or others) had been delinquent in ministry work prior to this new sense of focus. Adat Eytz Chayim has grown very much and added new aspects along the way. Everyone has been busy sewing into our community for many years.
Personally, I reached a point where I began looking past the short-term goals, something you could describe as “ week to week” or “one year” goals. I was looking out further into the future, wondering what is our path long term? Besides the week-to-week activities, is there something I should be considering that speaks to a loftier goal?
Yeshua’s parable about the talents convicts me.
“For it is like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and handed over his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey…” Matt 25:14-15 TLV
What will we do with the gifts we are entrusted with? The Parable Of The Talents teaches us that we need to take what Hashem has given us and invest that back into His Kingdom. This is something we all can do in various ways, and those who yield to the Spirit and step out in faith are the only ones to bring a profit back to their Master.
His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’ Matt 25:22-23 TLV
This is what we all wish to hear when we meet our Savior and King, and there are those who may not be so fortunate.
I always had some sense of vision.
It is not that I was without any sense of vision, I always have had a general sense of direction since I began this ministry journey. But now my vision has become focused, with clearer direction and consistent aspirations. I feel focused on my place in this ministry, the forward path of our ministry, and some new projects our ministry has lined up for the future. I feel like we are investing the talents given us and am excited to see the return.
The investments I speak of are both individual and collective. It takes individuals to step out and walk, and when we collectively walk in the same direction, we accomplish projects like this new website. Know that everyone at Adat Eytz Chayim had a part in this. Some more than others, some with financial means, some with content editing, others with prayer and encouragement. Every person’s investment, no matter how small or seemingly trivial, was vitally important and necessary to the success of the process.
Let’s Pray.
As with all of our life’s journeys, there will be plenty of bumps along the way, and many unexpected things are bound to happen. Our website development was full of these pleasant little surprises and our future projects will supply many more. The only way to avoid them is to embrace the status quo, close our eyes and bury our talents – may it never be!
I pray that the investments you are making for the Kingdom will be successful, and I hope you will pray the same for us at Adat Eytz Chayim. May we all be in prayer for the Spirit to give us more focus, a clearer understanding of what we can do to better in the service of Him. And may we all stand before Him one day, surrounded by love and His peace, hearing those words of comfort as He brings us into the Kingdom… Well done good and faithful servant!
Amen and amen.
