Playing Grown-Ups

I've had a busy last few months and the next term looks just as full. Now I don't really have a problem with busy - I think anyone who is actively involved in church life will be busy - it's what I've been busy with that concerns me. You see, I find it easy to fill up my time with wider church activities: running music for this conference, speaking at church x's evangelistic event, going to this women's conference, that campus committee...

I've just been invited to join the presbyterian church's committee for ministry training. It seems it would be a good thing to do - I'd get to hang with people I know and like, the group makes decisions that are important for the future of our denomination, and apparently this is the best run committee of the pcq. I can see I'd be a decent person to do the job - they're after a woman and I'm one of the few females in our denomination who know what the CMT is!

So what's the problem?

The problem is what Andrew calls 'playing grown-ups'. Because of our lack of faith, ministry in the local church seems unimpressive. Every week we do the same thing- bible study, church, morning tea, washing up, piano playing... it feels small scale and unimportant. But when I get asked to do something for the denomination or another Christian body? Now I'm playing with the big kids! This is grown-up ministry!

But it's not.

Grown up ministry is the day after day, month after month, year after year, patient teaching of the gospel to those around me. Knowing others. Having others know me. Loving others. Having others love me. I pray that I'll have the faith to remember this and not fill up my diary with ego-boosting other things.