A Case for Bar Ministry

God is sneaky. Often, when I am sitting with my students in youth group, trying to do my job, trying everything possible to communicate the gospel to them, I fail. Miserably. I try to use videos and games and everything else, but when it comes down to it- I freeze. I worry so much about what I'm saying that it comes out staged or rehearsed or it's just not enough. I know that God has called me to proclaim the gospel, but most of the time it doesn't feel that way.

So, God uses bars (the drinking kind- not the playground kind) to remind me of my call. This weekend one of Joe's friends from college got married. It was a big to-do and lots of our old friends were there. I was especially excited because our friends, a couple from North Carolina had come into town. So, after the wedding and reception, we went out (to a bar) with all our old friends. I end up sitting next to the husband of this couple and he starts asking me whether or not I think that people will do the right thing when left to their own devices. Honestly, when we started talking I was annoyed because I thought it was going to be a conversation about health care and I dislike talking to people about health care. But, actually when it came down to it- he was concerned about the state of his soul. He respects Jesus as a moral teacher and he was wondering if that was enough (He didn't SAY that, but that was the underlying theme). He and his wife have different denominational backgrounds, which makes it all difficult. He has some issues with the church and with choosing Jesus as the only way to God (don't we all.)

I spent most of our conversation listening but, when I did speak, all I could say, over and over is that morality is not enough- that trusting in Jesus and leaning on God for everything is the way to a good life and life eternal. I repeated over and over that Jesus was the most clear revelation of God's love for us. It just flowed our my mouth. It was not planned, rehearsed, or scripted. It was not the 10 steps to salvation. I was simply telling him about my love and joy for Jesus Christ- who is enough, even when we are not.

I knew I wasn't going to "win" this conversation. He was not going to get down on his knees in the middle of the bar and give his life to Jesus Christ. As I look back I could probably have said some things differently, but, I was able to encourage him to experience God for himself- to find a church and let God work. I proclaimed that no this world is not good enough, we are not good enough- but God is!!

It was not a sermon. It was not planned. It was the gospel.

Now, you might think that this is a drunken fluke. People do like to have religious conversations while they are drunk or high. But, when we met this friend for the weekend- he said to me "Great! Now we can have a philosophical conversation." God was already bringing these things to his heart and me to this place of ministry. This is not the first time God has brought this to me.

A few months before I left for seminary, I went to a party. My friends were teasing me about going into ministry and a guy freaked out because I was at this party. Eventually we sat down and I was honest with him about my disappointments in life and how I was freaking our about my family and my call. Because of my honesty, I was able to share the gospel with him and comfort him about things in his life. This has defined my call. If I can proclaim the gospel, when I am struggling and in this unique kind of situation- then God can move anywhere.

I may get discouraged that I am not doing my "job" well- my youth aren't coming to me with their problems, that I have little opportunity to pray with them, and they only hear about two awkward sentences of the gospel. I worry a lot about my "job" since I have a different kind of set-up. But, if I can share the love of Jesus with my friends in a bar- then my ministry is complete.