THE ELEGANT SIMPLICITY OF IT ALL

I cannot wait for Sunday morning. That’s when I have the distinct privilege of teaching my little New Hope Christian Fellowship flock some of the wonders of God’s Word.

While I am always eager to get there and to worship with the amazing people who make up the NH family, I am especially energized by the topic of this Sunday morning.

We have been working our way through the marvelous Gospel According to Matthew. This Sunday, we will be completing the 10^th chapter, Jesus’ instruction manual that He taught His men on the eve of sending them out into the world. The entire chapter is a masterpiece, as we have discovered together over the last several weeks. But Jesus’ concluding statement is breathtaking – the essence of elegance in its simplicity.

After Jesus detailed for His men where they should go, to whom they should speak, what they should do, how they should do it, He ended His seminar by the sea (as in the Sea of Galilee) by saying this (And the “this” perfectly defines the hopeful heart of this happy pastor!) --

“And if you give even a cup of cold water to one of the least of my followers, you will surely be rewarded” (Matthew 10:42 New Living Translation).

That’s pastoral ministry in a nutshell. That’s personal ministry in a nutshell. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that's your ministry in a nutshell. (You certainly don’t have to be a pastor to hand out a cup of cold water!)

I have been intimately involved in local church ministry for more than 30 years. And I have been amazed, and not a little amused, at how utterly complicated we can make it. At New Hope, I have had the distinct privilege, along with our leadership team, of laying the foundation of an unpretentious, no-frills, not-that-complicated, simple and sincere ministry model in which we simply – yet profoundly – LOVE the people. And count it the highest of honors and the pinnacle of privileges to SERVE them in any way we can. To give cups of cold water to thirsty people. THAT’S what the ministry is all about.

It’s not about running an organization. It’s not about the pastor as the CEO of a non-profit corporation. It’s not about plans and programs, strategy sessions and implementing the latest and greatest church growth techniques. (We decided at the very beginning that Jesus said He would build His Church, and we don’t want to compete with Him.) Our church rests on three pillars, three legs to the stool: We love God; we love His Word; and we love each other. That’s it. Period. Paragraph.

In short, we’re just a bunch of thirsty souls handing out cups of cold water to each other, and to every parched parishioner who darkens our doors.

So three cheers for sheer simplicity. Thank you, Jesus, for making it so simple. Forgive us for sometimes making it so complicated. Help us never to forget that in the end, it’s just about giving out cups of cold water.

Which begs the question, To whom will you give a cup of cold water today?