Barrow, AK 2008: Nestled along the floating icebergs of the Arctic Ocean, the city of Barrow enjoys a one-of-a-kind football field that withstands the brutal elements. Isaiah and Arianna walked the field as new fans. Below, Trent Ling likens his role in the ministry to that of a specific player on a large football team. Follow the ball, come along, and better understand the madness of it all.
From Trent Ling
“But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.” 1 Corinthians 12:18-20.
I am the Mad Bomber of the ministry. I’m not the potluck coordinator, or the babysitting arranger, or any part of middle management. Rather, as an evangelist, I stretch the ministry, enlarge it, stake it beyond its bounds, and lead it into uncharted spiritual and physical territories. Internally, I goad, stimulate, prompt, implore, test, and challenge. I am the quarterback put in the game to throw the ball sixty yards down the field toward a new frontier and/or sixty yards deep into the unknown crevices and caverns of your heart and your life. If you want to run screen passes, hand-off to the running back, play nice and feel out the opponent, that’s fine. Just leave me on the bench and use someone adept at that type of finesse effort. I am the Mad Bomber. It’s what I am supposed to be. Make no mistake, we all benefit eventually from the unrelenting barrage.
This letter comes about as many, even in this ministry, shake their heads at me and wonder…
“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given us.” Romans 12:4-6.
Oftentimes, the head-shakers would prefer that I temper my remarks, calm my passions, scale back my ambitions, defer my urgencies, subdue my boldness, and recalibrate my calling accordingly. Phooey!
As usual, the Bible has much better ideas. Don’t begrudge my efforts. Don’t interfere with my message. Don’t tinker with my calling. Rather, serve as a real body part yourself! Stop neglecting your gift! Retrieve your own discarded role out of the dingy basement and put it to use! In no time, you’ll find our parts beautifully complementary, harmonious, and mutually requisite.
In life, in preaching, in writing, and in teaching, I spray the field with the ball. Seemingly, the ball is always in the air. If my passes seem over your head, perhaps you’re not the intended receiver today. Is that okay? Don’t complain or sulk. Applaud the deep-route runners. Do some lining up, some blocking, and some learning. In any case, get in the game, be part of the overall game plan, and stop messing with the crazy things God has me doing.
As you know, I don’t play every down. But, when I do, it’d be fair for all to go deep even while maintaining their own obligations and roles. Yes, I’d love to lie in a hammock in Cancun with Boo Mama all-day, every day doing nothing but showing mercy to all far and wide. But in this current season, quite unfortunately, such is not my calling. Maybe one day, but not today.
Ready. Break.
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