Jesus Said, "Follow Me": I Had No Idea Where That Would Take Me

By Ted Martin

A fun read that captures the adventures and misadventures of doing ministry. Martin lets the reader jump into the life of a pastor and experience the joy, camaraderie and compassion that surrounds this calling.
"Perhaps you've given up on mainline churches; by bringing the gospel down to earth, Martin invites you to reconsider. He points to finding God in the ordinary vocation of God's people being the church, messy and interesting and full of life." Writes Byron Borger of Hearts and Minds Bookstore

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jun 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781329183704

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Jesus Said, "Follow Me": I Had No Idea Where That Would Take Me

Jesus said, Follow me. 

I Had No Idea

Where That Would Take Me

Ted Martin

Lulu

2014

First published in the United States in 2014 by Ted Martin

Copyright ©2014 by Ted Martin

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the author.  For information contact the author [e-mail]

Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from the English Standard Version of the Bible  copyright 2001 by Crossway publishing; a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

ISBN: 978-1-329-18370-4

Printed in the United States of America

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all the church secretaries that have covered my tail more times than I can count!  These same women have been faithful servants before God working tirelessly to secure the integrity of the church’s ministry on a regular basis.  They know more stories than I could ever capture in the pages of hundreds of books regarding the church.  They are the ones who know the people more completely than any pastor could ever hope to know.  If Jesus is the door, then the church secretary is the hinge pin.

The list of thanks must include the senior pastors who put up with my shenanigans.  These pastors gave space for creativity to be expressed, and they fanned the flame for the joy of ministry serving in partnership with them.

Finally, my family and close friends: Thanks.

Introduction

A brief introduction before entering into the world of anecdote: there are shelves upon shelves of books about how to be a better Christian, what to do about a person who wears a bow tie to a small group ministry picnic, and of course about theology and worship.  These scores of words fill us with advice and guidance.  Some try to give us the silver bullet to bag that great ministry pizzazz. 

Honestly, this book is just a bunch of random thoughts and experiences that reflect the fun of ministry.  There are some things that have happened over the years of following a merciful and loving God that are just too precious to forget, and I think Jesus loved to share a good laugh.  So, I’ve rifled through some of the more memorable and inspirational stories that have happened so far.  Each of the people identified in these stories reflects the splendor of God’s creative genius.  I probably should’ve changed the names.  Yet, even if I did, the people who know the stories could easily identify who’s who, and those of you who have no idea, well, what difference does it make?  Alas, I have enjoyed being with these people in the stories.  They have given depth, color and meaning to what God desires of us when he calls us to live in community with each other.

As a teenager, I had a poster that hung on my wall.  It had a quote of Helen Keller’s superimposed upon a skier.  This poster still inspires me to this day (although, my wife won’t allow our house to look like a college dorm room; go figure!).  The challenge that greeted me each day is:  Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.

I believe Jesus calls us to this kind of living.  Not in a foolhardy Truth or Dare kind of fashion does he call us.  But Jesus calls us to step outside of what is predictable and comfortable.  Throughout the Bible, we encounter this with nearly every main character.  Even Jesus emptied himself and took on the form of a servant.  Has God called out to you to embrace something a bit daring?  If He has, then you know for sure he is not going to allow you to be embarrassed by it or left to struggle in some godforsaken place.  Sure, the world may see you as a fool, but like Paul… we are not ashamed of the gospel.

In my years of ministry thus far, it is my hope and aspiration to present the gospel in as clear a fashion as possible and to create positive lasting memories.  These are my two guiding principles.  Paul had a similar thought, I remain for your progress and joy in the faith (Phil. 1:25).

The chapters ahead are just some of the more notable experiences that I have had following a savior that calls us to live life in trust of his provision.  May you find joy in these pages and affirmation of the Holy Spirit's work in the ministry the Lord has placed before you.  Christ came to give us life.  Drink deep from the fountain of the River of Life!

Chapter One:  Ow!  Whaddicha do that for!?

There is something refreshing and dynamic about the group process and the democratic execution of a process.  As Americans, we have the concept of the democratic process subtly infused into the very fabric of our being from the moment one clambers out of the womb.

As we are swaddled and sponged in those nascent minutes of life, there is echoing in our young ears the heartbeat of American culture...the vote.  Aunt Barb declares, I believe the little angel has her mother's nose.   Well, I'm not so sure comes the reply from another relative.  With the room filled with relations and friends, the house is called to order by Aunt Barb with the proclamation, Let's have a vote!"

Time marches on and the process becomes more ingrained into the core of our reasoning.  It reaches a feverish pitch by the time we reach early adolescence.  Our desire to have voice and vote nearly boils over from the heat of independence that has been churning deep in our souls and fed by a highly combustible fuel known as hormones.  When the hormones kick in, it's like rocket fuel to the soul.  It generates more forward progress than all the barrels of oil that can be extracted from the earth.  A young teenager juiced with this free radical expresses such a deep passion for his cause that he can’t contain himself.  He seeks affirmation that his voice has been heard.  We have models before us from founding fathers to popular culture:  We, the people, of these United States.... I am someone!  I am woman; hear me roar!  It's democracy and we love it!

It was my very first Sunday night as a professional youth leader.   And the exclamation pierced through the cool evening air of the third floor youth room, Oww, whaddicha do that for!?  It became a defining moment.  It was a phrase that seemed to reach into the future.  It was a declaration that packed a premonition.  Oh yes, this particular phrase was sure to be repeated.  Maybe not in the exact words stated, but certainly in sentiment expressed.

On this particular night, after years of volunteer youth ministry and assisting with after school programs, this was my first official paid position.  I was a professional now!  This was a night that I was groomed to embrace.  Tonight was going to set the bar for years to come.  It was the gala debut and I was ready!

The Junior Highers streamed into the room.  We had activities and a study.  Then, wanting the kids to feel every ounce of ownership to the youth group, I figured the very thing I had been steeped in myself would solidify allegiance for years to come.   We would have a vote!

It was a simple enough process.  Listen to the voices, gather the data, and place it before the masses for a decision.  If only democracy was really that simple!  There are variables that one has to look out for.  They come in all shapes and sizes and can never be fully anticipated.

Alas, a Junior Higher is filled with variables.  His very body is a teeming mass of variables.  Even if a child between the ages of 12 and 14 could really control their bodies, I don't think he is physically or mentally capable of doing so.  She is a caldron of emotions.  He is a pulsating neutron that cannot be captured.

In the heavens somewhere, Piaget looks down with a twinkle in his eye.  This concept of Junior High Youth Ministry is something he wishes he thought of.  It is the Frankenstein of child psychology and sociology.  In mythic proportions, this age group is a labor of love that cannot be restrained.  Their brains have been harvested from some foreign body that has a stream of logic that is still yet to be defined and comprehended, and the body of this species is gangly and disproportionately stitched together. Boris Karloff would be envious.

Cast together as one, there is an overwhelming sense of awe when you take in the aura of the Junior Higher’s presence.  For those who are new to the exposure, it leaves one breathless.  Words stutter from one’s mouth trying to comprehend what it is that is before him.  Eyes stare as if caught in a tractor beam.  One is pulled into an encounter that logic would deem unsafe.

Stepping into the arena, I, like Steve the crocodile hunter, look over my