If you’ve had trouble finding your ministry in the church, what about “The Ministry of Holding Your Tongue”?! In Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book Life Together, he lists some “ministries” in the church body that you may not have considered.
Due to my current illness, I have not been able to do much “heavy” reading the past few weeks. But I have greatly profited from reading snippets as I have been able from Bonhoeffer’s classic little book (122 pages) on church life. And in his chapter on ministries in the church, one finds some “ministries” that vary from the typical “preaching”, “song-leading”, etc. that one might expect. Indeed, the titles of some the ministries themselves are cause for raised eyebrows, including the above-mentioned “Ministry of Holding Your Tongue”; also “The Ministry of Listening” and “The Ministry of Helpfulness”, and more. Following are some highlights:
“The Ministry of Holding One’s Tongue”
“To speak about a brother covertly is forbidden” in the church, Bonhoeffer rightly asserts, and one of the most important “ministries” we can have in the church is to refrain from sharing criticism about others – even if we feel they deserve it. There are plenty of scriptural admonitions to support this, of course, from James 3 & 4, and Ephesians 4:29. But the esteemed German pastor says that if we are committed not speak ill of a brother or sister, it will aid us in not passing judgment on them, and instead allowing God and His grace to work in their lives how and at the pace that He sees fit. And you can best let that happen by practicing this ministry of holding your tongue about them in the mean time!
“The Ministry of Meekness”
Another seemingly strange “ministry” to many of us, “the ministry of meekness” is vital to a healthy church body life. Quoting Romans 12:3, that we are not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, Bonhoeffer postulates that the one practicing this ministry gives up thinking so highly of himself that HIS own plans and ideas for the church must be the correct ones. Because he has a scriptural view of himself as a sinner in need of grace, “he will also have no high opinion of his schemes and plans.” Thus “what does it matter if our own plans are frustrated? Is it not better to serve our neighbor than to have our own way?” (p. 95) How many church conflicts would be nipped in the bud if more of us practiced this “ministry of meekness”!
“The Ministry of Listening”
The importance of this ministry is expressed in the opening sentence of this section: “The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them.” So many times Christians wonder what we will SAY in ministry contexts, but Bonhoeffer downplays this: “Christians, especially ministers, so often think they must always contribute something when they are in the company of others … they forget that listening can be a greater service than speaking.” (p.97) He also gives the warning: “There is a kind of listening with half an ear that presumes already to know what the other person has to say … only waiting for a chance to speak …”. How many times have we experienced – or BEEN?! – that type of genuinely inattentive person? But one of the greatest needs that hurting individuals in the church have is for someone just to listen to them. What a shame, the author says, when so many have to go outside the church to find it!
“The Ministry of Helpfulness”
His sentence: “Nobody is too good for the meanest service” might be the thesis of this section – and if we think too highly of ourselves to “stoop” to service, we probably think way too highly of ourselves! In fact, Bonhoeffer says, “We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and cancelling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions” – we are not to seek to excuse ourselves from these people, but instead to see them as sent by Him.
(This is one of several sections of the chapter I think one might need to keep in balance. Is a pastor to leave his study for EVERY single person who would claim a moment of his time? What about the commitment to study the word of God which must feed the entire congregation that coming Sunday? I agree that many of us need to make sure that we do not fall prey to the philosophy that “they will allow nothing to disturb them” and become like the priest and Levite of the story of the Good Samaritan. But I think there is also a balance we must strive to keep here as well, though Bonhoeffer’s point is definitely well-taken.)
“The Ministry of Bearing”
“Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Jesus bore our burdens on the cross – and now we as His people must share in this law, by bearing with our brethren. This includes, Bonhoeffer says, bearing with them in their sins – just as Jesus does with us in ours. In a striking sentence, he asserts: “When does sin ever occur in the community that he must not examine and blame himself for his own unfaithfulness in prayer and intercession, his lack of brotherly service, of fraternal reproof and encouragement …?” Adopting that kind of attitude would eliminate judging and the odious “holier than thou” attitude that festers in many fellowships. But it not only regarding sin that Christians should bear with each other. “It also includes his weaknesses and oddities, which are such a trial to our patience, everything that produces frictions, conflicts and collisions among us … to break through to the point where we take joy in it.” For many of us, that would be quite a breakthrough indeed!
Bonhoeffer lists a couple of other ministries as well – more “typical” ones of preaching and leading, but we will leave consideration of those for another time. In my view, there is plenty to consider in these we have already addressed!
So, having given a short perusal to Bonhoeffer’s “ministries” in the church … what about YOU? If you’ve been looking for what God wants you to do in the church and have just not been able to pinpoint it, maybe it is not what you’ve been considering. Maybe He’s not leading you to teach an adult Bible class or lead TeamKid. Maybe He’s calling you to the vital ministry of listening to people who desperately need it. Or the very rare ministry of holding your tongue!
shawnethomas 
Love it, though I’ll admit I’m partial to the Ministry of Listening, as listening is something I’ve seen God make an emphasis in my life (though with a slightly different emphasis – you might call it listening well, or listening accurately – essentially, learning to listen in such a way that what you hear actually bears a resemblance to what the speaker intended to say – something that’s a lot less common than most people assume).
I think you are exactly right on how uncommon listening with accuracy is — good emphasis! And thanks for that Newton quote — as he was a Calvinist himself, it encourages a humble and balanced listening like you referred to, among those who are addressing those issues today.
Oh, and on balance in the Ministry of Helpfulness: Would it be helpful to make a distinction between avoiding the attitude of ‘that is below me’, and setting priorities between ministries? Essentially, distinguishing between “*I* am too important for that”, and “This other ministry is too important to be neglected”. E.g., I don’t think the apostles considered themselves above waiting tables, if necessary, but they did consider ‘prayer and the ministry of the word’ to be too important to be neglected in favor of waiting on tables. OTOH, they didn’t just say “we don’t have time for that” and leave the need for ‘waiting on tables’ hanging in the wind. They arranged for that need to be met in a way that didn’t require neglect of the ministry of the word.
I think your observation is right on target. It fits right in with Bonhoeffer’s “nobody is too good for the meanest service” — we should be willing to do anything (and from time to time demonstrate that in actual fact!) while knowing that at a given moment there is something else that God has called us to do. And great example re the apostles and the waiting of tables!