March was a month that saw two weddings, a vacation down to Los Angeles, and finally being able to slow down a little bit in my pace of life. It also gave me space for some much-needed and long-overdue reflection. Let’s dive in.
Life
At the beginning of the month, two of my very good friends got married, and I had the pleasure of being in both of their weddings as a groomsman. The weddings were literally a day apart over the course of March 5-6, so I had a pretty busy weekend!
The first wedding was for one of my best friends, Willy. I’ve known Willy for over a decade, and have slept on his couch in Santa Cruz probably more times than I can count. Some of the things that stick out the most to me about my brother Willy are his genuine heart, his wisdom, and his fast friendship. Willy found a wonderful life partner in Maureen, and they were joined together in the covenant of marriage on March 5th, 2022 in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains. Getting to stand beside him during his big day was a huge honor, and I’m grateful :’)
After the wedding festivities of March 5th, I woke up the next morning and immediately zipped back home to Sacramento to be at my friend and (now former) roommate’s wedding, Caleb. This wedding was definitely huge, with almost 300 people in attendance! The size of the wedding goes to show how well loved and supported Caleb and Jessica really are. Getting to witness their union and stand beside Caleb as his groomsman was yet another great honor, and I was psyched to see him join with Jessica in the covenant of marriage.
After the weddings, I got a chance to take a short vacation down to Los Angeles, which was both fun and refreshing. I shot the engagement of my good friend Drewber, who popped the question to his girlfriend Meghan (who emphatically said yes). The vacation also allowed my mind and soul to decompress a bit after the sprint of ministry which had been taking place since the beginning of the year. I enjoyed myself thoroughly.
Aside from weddings and vacations, I’m thankful that the latter half of March has been characterized by a slower pace in general. I’ve gotten to have a few weekends of uninterrupted Sabbaths, which I have been extremely grateful for. I’ve realized just how stressed I really was these past couple of months, and I’m thankful for a short season of abiding in the storm of responsibilities and ministry.
Ministry
A few weeks ago, we wrapped up our series on Covenants at Kaleo, the college and young adult ministry I lead. This series challenged a lot of the students spiritually and intellectually, but it was a joy to see them rise to the occasion. At the moment, we are on a pause between sermon series, and have had the chance to do a few fun events like a Smash & Game Night (where we had a Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament, plenty of board games, and lots of food) and a Backyard Hangout at the home of a church family. The next series we are doing is on (wait for it)….Song of Solomon! I’m both nervous and excited about looking at this book of the Bible with the college students and am curious to see how God will speak to each of us in the coming weeks.
Aside from the programming aspects, much of my ministry these past few weeks has consisted of meetings and one-on-ones with leaders, mentors, and students. This has honestly been so refreshing. Throughout almost all of January and February, I didn’t get the chance to really sit down with any of the student leaders or mentors in the ministry on a one-on-one basis, due to the pace of life and the busyness of my schedule. But meeting with each leader throughout the past few weeks has been a reminder to me of why I love ministry – at its core, it is all about life on life discipleship with Christ as the highest aim. Each of the leaders has really encouraged me in each conversation I have had, and I want to make sure I am continuing to prioritize time with each of them moving forward.
Soul
Recently, I got to sit down and have lunch with my former college pastor Phil. Phil discipled me for a long time in my formative years as a college student/young adult; in many ways, I owe much of my ministry perspective and training to him. Talking with Phil was both encouraging and challenging, as it often is with him.
A question he asked during our meeting together has continued to stick with me throughout the past couple of weeks: “How do you define and measure long-term fruitfulness for the people you are shepherding?”
Phil went on to say that the ways in which one defines and measures long-term fruitfulness will ultimately determine what actions you take and what strategies you set today. His point was that many people don’t take the time to think through what they are actually trying to work toward or accomplish in their discipleship, and so the fruit that is often produced over the long haul is sour, bitter, or even downright poisonous.
In other words, only clearly defined and clearly articulated kingdom goals will determine whether or not you commit yourself to kingdom priorities.
My conversation with Phil has really caused me to return to the very basic but important question, “What am I actually trying to accomplish with my life and ministry?”
Is it to move up the ladder in ministry the way an associate would at a corporation?
Is it to create a college ministry program with an amazing brand and cool merch?
Is it to make sure college students and young adults feel like they have a place to belong for the current moment – yet I neglect to give any heed to their future long-term discipleship or life trajectory?
At the end of the Bible, Revelation 20:11-14 says:
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The Scriptures remind us that all of us have a common destination – to stand before the Great White Throne. The destinations may vary after the Great White Throne, but all of us must necessarily pass through the threshold of standing before Jesus. And if that is the destination, then everything we do today (and tomorrow, and the day after, etc.) must be to prepare us for that coming moment.
Ultimately, the answer to the question of what I am trying to accomplish in my ministry and life is to prepare myself and others for the inevitable moment that we stand before Christ in His glory on the last day. And on that day, I hope the people I met and shepherded along the way in this life will be able to testify that I helped them to stand in confidence before the throne of Jesus, because I never shied away from proclaiming the gospel or telling the truth.
The destination is clear, friends. And the road may be long – but thankfully, we don’t have to walk it alone. We have each other, and we have God Himself to guide us along the way. 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 reminds us, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.”
May Christ guide us safely home. He is forever faithful.
Sola Dei Gloria.
Prodigal Musings 