A cup of tea with a friend can be a great way of spending our time! Talking to someone, seeing the reaction on their face as we say something, helps steer the conversation. It is invaluable feedback to deepen the relationship.
As a preacher, or as a worship leader, that same feedback is really important - it helps us steer how we say things, or how many times we can get away with repeating that same chorus while we try to remember what the next song was supposed to be, or how we’d agreed - with the other musicians - to seamlessly get to that next song and continue the worship (that last one might just be an Andy B thing).
We can be easily led by the reactions of people: there are plenty of people saying they are preachers of God’s word, who are saying things that get them a good response. But I’m not talking about that sort of feedback. Of course it is good to have encouragement when we do something from the front of a church. Validation is important, to some extent. But if we aren’t careful that feedback can both help us to speak more clearly or to help us linger on a point we’re making that needs a little more explanation. But, tragically, it can also encourage us to move on away from something people don’t want to hear and on to something a little less challenging, or to simply skip more volatile biblical topics altogether.
As someone who considers themselves a newbie in the blogging world, I often marvel at the skill and penmanship of the many blogs I read from other Christian writers. Some of them can condense their thoughts so wonderfully, and in such a short space, it regularly baffles me!
We must not look at others and let what they do intimidate us away from God’s calling upon our life either. And, as a Christian, we must not be steered by people’s reactions too much, or see what we do as only relevant or ‘good’ if we regularly receive sufficient likes, comments or re-shares: the only face we need to please is God, and His ‘like’ is the only one that matters. Our task is simply to faithfully undertake whatever He has asked us to do, to the very best of our ability, while knowing that He will equip us to do it.
Jesus travelled about a lot, and was wonderful at the one to one ministering we so often read about. But it struck me that He was, and still is, the master at the virtual ministry.
Now, before you try and burn me at the stake, let me explain what I mean! Consider His speaking from a boat, for example, where He literally put a physical barrier in between Himself and the people He was speaking to; Jesus didn’t minister in person to every person who heard Him speak! (Paul on the road to Damascus is another example of this – Jesus spoke to Him, but He didn’t actually turn up physically, although the result of Him certainly was felt physically!).
Andy B
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