My “illegal” ministry

Logos Hope is not doing ministry at the moment. And by ministry, we mean organised programmes, organised outreach teams, organised presentation teams, organised anything teams. No matter how worthy, noble, compassionate or any other fine-sounded verb the cause may be, we are not doing it.

We are in project phase. Project phase = hard work. I have moved to the project team for five days of my six-day week, and I love it. From using metal working tools, to learning the finesse of proper painting, I have built up my muscles so significantly that I even managed to carry a cabinet which the other boys in my team dropped!

Project phase is never-ending. Periodically they tell us all that it will end, but we know they’re just making optimistic guesses. Meanwhile they stuff us full of encouraging devotional messages each morning and send us down the mines. Like oppressed workers we consolidate our union tactics in the “mess” – the place where dirty people eat – until eventually deciding that as it’s God’s ship and therefore God’s work we had better just persevere.

However, man cannot live on power tools alone. Last week I found myself on my way to a nearby town to take part in an organised programme. My illegal ministry. Fortunately, the acting director of the ship was driving the getaway van, so I felt a little more reassured. We were fulfilling a promise which had been made months ago to a local pastor running a youth camp. We shared a little bit about why we believed in God, what we do on the ship, and then performed a couple of dramas. Then we chilled out, played cards with the teenagers and had a nice meal. Simple, effective and lots of fun.