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LENT REFLECTION (DAY 4)

Mutuality of ministry is the theme for our reflection. Mutuality is the sharing of a feeling, action, or relationship between two or more parties. Ministry is service to God through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Mutuality of ministry is when a servant of the Lord is dedicated to serving the Lord and members of his or her church respond by reciprocating and sharing a sense of deep enthusiasm, dedication and appreciation for the service being rendered to them through the servant of the Lord. In other words, as the Holy Spirit is working through the servant of the Lord by touching the lives of God’s people,  the people also yearn to receive more of God glory through their enthusiasm. This leads to a situation where the Chapel is always populated during worship services regardless of the day or time of the year.

Mutuality of ministry was demonstrated in Luke 4:42-43, “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”. In other words, Jesus ministered to the people by preaching and delivering them from the oppression and bondage of sicknesses and unclean spirits and the people on the hand, yearned or “sought him from leaving them, would have kept him from leaving”. Mutuality of ministry fails when God is working through His anointed servants yet congregants or members of the church fail to avail themselves. It also fails when the  congregants yearn to experience the presence of God yet the servants of the Lord fail to avail themselves for ministry. Mutuality of ministry has dwindled considerably in many of our churches because there is a preacher to preach yet there are very few congregants to listen. Many Christians of our time are obsessed with money, work, entertainment and would easily give excuses for not dedicating their time and energy to serve God.

Many Christians of our time have become mere Sunday worshippers, they lack daily devotion to God through Bible study and prayer. Our Chapels are virtually empty during mid-week services yet pubs or night clubs are usually filled on Friday nights. In Kofi Kinaata’s song “Things Fall Apart” He wrote that “Friday Chapel all night, Saturday na yɛwɔ club no mu”, this means that many Christians who decide to attend an all night service, may be the same persons at the night club indulging in activities that were preached against at the all night service. This a clear case of a breakdown in mutuality of ministry.  Most Christians are struggling spiritually and morally because their dedication to God and obedience to His Word is abysmal.

Lent season offers us yet another opportunity to revive our mutuality of ministry by dedicating our time and energy to serve God as He continually blesses us through His ministries in the Church. Beloved in the Lord, “… declares the LORD, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments.” Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.” (Joel 2:12-13). Shalom.

PRAYER

Almighty God, revive us through the power of the Holy Spirit to be spiritually and morally awake with deep enthusiasm. Help us to yearn for your glory now and always. Amen.

Jean-Paul Agidi (Rev)

Ewe Version (Audio)