There are a number of ways by which each member of the church of Christ can be part of the ministry of God. The ministry of laity is significant in the church because many important services are fulfilled by the laity and also because as given in 1 Corinthians 12 everyone should be part of the ministry of God. All are being called to work in the vineyard at all times (Matthew 20:1-7). Nobody can stand aside on the pretext that they don’t have the call of God. Rather than just preaching, being able to testify God through one’s day to day activities holds a pertinent role when it comes to the ministry of laity.

1. Ministry that Generates Peace ( 1 Samuel 25: 14- 28)
This Bible portion depicts an incident that involves Nabal and Abigail. Nabal was a wealthy man who resided in Maon. Hearing that Nabal was shearing his sheep, David sent ten young men to Carmel to meet him. They greeted him in peace and sought his aid but Nabal in turn spited David and let them go empty- handed. One of the servants informed this to Nabal’s wife Abigail. Without losing any time she packed ample provisions and send them through the servants and she went after them quickly so that David’s annoyance might subside. She bowed down before David with her face to the ground and asked for his forgiveness. David, whose anger had calmed down by then, praised the God who sent Abigail to see him. A woman’s timely, wise intervention brought peace to a whole land. Like Abigail creating peace is a service to God. Jesus also teaches likewise- “Blessed are the peacemakers...” (Matthew 5:9) . Generating peace in the church and society is something that can be done by any layperson.

2. Ministry through Deeds (1 Thessalonians 4: 1-12)
Being able to bear witness to God through good conduct is also a service. Paul advices in 1 Thessalonians 4: 11 and 12 to work with one’s own hands so as to gain the respect of others in one’s daily life. You should love one another, walk properly with outsiders, pay attention to family matters, and because you are called for purity walk in purity. It is the will of God that we be sanctified(1 Thessalonians 4:3; Hebrews 12:14).We are all letters of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:3). A person who does not know Christ is to know Him by reading Christ’s letter which in turn is our life (Matthew 5:16).

3. A Noble Ministry of Laity- Be a good Neighbor (Luke 10: 25- 37)
What the Samaritan did was something that the priest and the Levite didn’t do. The question of the expert in the law was this- who is my neighbor? The answer that Christ gives is very clear. The neighbor that Christ portrays- a stranger lying in the wayside half-dead, naked and bruised- is not a neighbor according to geographical terms. The neighbor that Christ paints is the one in the mind. These are the qualities of the neighbor that He describes- there is no clarity about his name or his possessions; he was victimized for a crime that he did not commit; one who was cheated; one who was abandoned. The piety that we should possess is one that enables us to come forward to save a neighbor like this. Through this, Christ prompts us to show mercy on those in need (Luke 10: 37). Our model here is Christ himself- the good Samaritan who came riding on a donkey; the one who binds all the wounds of the world; the synonym of love and mercy, the synonym of the ministry of laity also.

Prayer
Gracious God, you call people to be channels of your power and presence, ever so compassionate to all of your creation, give us the eyes to see all those who are afflicted, give us ears to hear the groaning of the suffering, give us a heart to respond to every situation of need and proclaim the gospel of peace and reconciliation, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Quotes
Because of this, evangelism cannot be divorced from the preaching and practicing of justice. This is the flaw in the view according to which evangelism is given absolute priority over social involvement, or where evangelism is separated from justice, even if it is maintained that, together with social justice, it constitutes “mission.”- David J. Bosch

Separation of church from mission is theologically indefensible- LesslieNewbigin

Translation : Neena Kishor, Ph.D Scholar, Department of English, University of Kerala