Anytime, Anywhere For God

"You know, during the early 70's, there really was no CCM industry.. There were no Dove Awards, no Christian top 40. In the early days of Maranatha Music, we didn't even have contracts. We actually thought of putting any royalties from all the group sales combined into a big pot and whoever needed rent money that month could be helped. It wasn't a record company business. It was a fellowship and a ministry.

In the early 70's our role models for ministry were Pastor Chuck Smith and all he had to say and teach, Love Song and some of the other groups, but mainly the book of Acts and the rest of the Word. In Acts the thirteenth chapter it says that as Paul and Barnabas ministered unto the Lord and fasted that the Holy Spirit spoke to them and they were sent out on a missionary journey. They didn't go to get exposure or because they put out a new C.D., or had one good paying gig and wanted to fill in the calendar with more paying gigs. No, they went because the Holy Spirit led them. Paul said that the love of Christ constrained him. It was this love that motivated his activity. Not selfish ambition. Or trying to build some sort of career. I could go on, but I think you get the idea." ~ John Wickham (On left in the above photo of "The Way")

"Those were the best years in Contemporary Christian Music. There was an innocence then that is not there now. No record companies, no charts, no big bucks contracts, just music, ministry, and Jesus. Your motives for being in it were tested just by the fact that there was no money in it. You were in it for God or you weren't in it. We (the group Love Song) didn't know we could say no. If the phone rang with an invitation to play somewhere, we felt it must be God. We would sometimes play 2-3 times a DAY in those days. We would just get in our vans and take off, we never knew what we were getting paid, or how big the crowd would be, it was just an opportunity to preach the gospel. The glue that held the group together was our drive to see souls saved. Man, it was good." ~ Chuck Girard (Second from right in the above photo of "Love Song")

Wow, aren't those quotes good? Yeah, they may be a little cutting on the modern music "scene", but they're good nonetheless.

You think about it though, and it really is cutting when focused at the music industry of their day too. There were labels, record deals, money, concerts, the works. Yet, despite the fact that they didn't work like that at all, they were wildly popular bands. They packed out almost every large arena in southern California and hundreds of similar ones across the country. Can we get a little praise to the Spirit for that one? Yeah, that's pretty fantastic.

But you know, there's another way that it's cutting; and cutting a little closer to home. John and Chuck hit on something in these quotes. They hit on an attitude of ministry. The word "missional" has been bouncing around Christian circles recently, and I like it, but I think that too many people are trying to over complicate something that's really simple.

We're supposed to have an attitude of ministry in everything we do. We're supposed to look at everything from the perspective of how we can further the kingdom in this particular situation at this particular moment. Ever single time we interact with another person is an opportunity to minister and we should look at it as such.

There's two points in particular that I were made in the quotes that I think are particularly important to note. The first one was from John's.

When we're ministering, that should be it. It shouldn't be for the money. It shouldn't be for the fame. It shouldn't be because it's fun (though often it is, God's just like that), it should be because it's what we're on this earth to do. We shouldn't do our will in ministry, but the will of our Father. It shouldn't be what "works best" that dictates how and when we minister, but the leading of the Spirit that tells us the work God has for us each day.

The second one, and arguable the more important and more difficult one, was made by Chuck. The size of the crowd doesn't matter. Who it is doesn't matter. What matters is that it's an opportunity to minister for the Kingdom. How can we pass up something like that? We shouldn't be looking at who it is, how it will look, or what we or others will think of it, we should just jump in and minister anytime the door is open. Jesus took the time to play with children and talk with prostitutes, drunks, and the thieves. Those weren't exactly the popular crowds. Nor was it glamorous. And yeah, he took a lot of flack for it. He still does, as a matter of fact. But you know what? He was doing the work of the father. How can we do any less?

Now this is hard. I'm not going to pretend otherwise. You know something else? I'm pathetic at it. I really am. But you know what? I'm striving to be better about it and by God's grace, I am growing closer to Him. That's the key, right there.

No, this "missional" concept really isn't new at all. It wasn't even new in the 70's. It all start way back about two thousand years ago. We just need a little refresher course every now and then.