“What should we do? Jesus is not here. He rose from the dead and He is not with us (John 21). We should do what we know. Our former work was not so bad…everybody honors fishermen for their honest and hard work.” Except that everything had changed…
The Bible story about the fishermen is very clear. The disciples couldn’t go back to just being fishermen after Jesus touched their lives. What changed aver working with Jesus? Did the disciples forget the right way to fish? Were their fishing nets or boats different, or were the fish more crafty? No. The apostles were the ones who had changed, although they probably didn’t understand what was going on or what was happening with them.
We have a new mission! Fishermen are still around. They provide food for the body, but Christ’s disciples must follow their Teacher. He wants to show us how to remain true to our calling—to be fishers of men to all people of every nation.
We wonder about the slowness of the apostles sometimes. But their situation was different than ours is today. Jesus was with them for three years, and then suddenly, he was gone. In many ways, we have it easier because we know that Christ is with us from the first moment. Christ, Who conquered death, is for us. Therefore, we should not be shocked by defeat or death, though we sometimes still experience doubt or disappointment in our daily lives.
Because of this, we rejoice all the more that college-aged students from the Bible School can be part of mission experiences during their studies. Missions students work with children and adults, and students in Religious Studies can experience mission ministry in Martin. Each group has an active ministry in God’s kingdom. This is an exciting way to see how the body of Jesus Christ functions and how God can use us to make a difference in the lives of others.
The Center for Christian Education wouldn’t exist without ministry. Being part of ministry is a great opportunity to grow in faith and in our relationships with others. It is amazing what God can do through people who are devoted to following Him. Through them, He builds up His Church throughout the world.
