2023-06-06 A Meditation on Ministry of Presence

“10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11 For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Pe 1:10–11 ESV)

Reaching escape velocity, the bargain we make with a servant Spirit, the ways we just show up and let the Spirit protect us; the velocity is enormous, and the sanctuary real. On the front lines, we do well to dare, do well to befriend, do well to make much of our faith and its livelihood.

That is, faith assures that the wild forays and extreme maneuvers are held close and reside peacefully inside our calm demeanor; longing just to be in this hour, here and present, accounted for and conversational, yet it is a tightrope walk par excellence, the step into thin air, then the next step upward as though on invisible staircase. All this, the soldier embraces with hope and promise. All this the soldier inducts and submits unto Heaven Sent camaraderie. We are comrades with our friend and cousin and neighbor. We know of a few things, and they too bring so much to the table; together we shall figure out this thing called Life Together. Together we shall watch intrigued and homely, cozy and expansive, the war being marvelously won by the Spirit who refuses to condemn or to speak to abruptly or in panic mode.

We do not panic; we draw strength from said Spirit. We hear matter-of-fact pain and overcoming, but also hear what we ourselves reveal by the same Spirit: God is for us, and this one’s meager occupation of holy words meets that one’s ministry of encouragement, both suited and ready for untold fruits of plain presence, plain belonging, plain understanding, and plain lift unto the future.