Difficulties and Help with Ministry

The main difficulty in ministry is offering not what Job's three friends do, which is "ashy maxims," but rather really listening and facilitating honest conversations. Some thing I learned from Michael Howard is the importance of beginning with a close reading of Scripture and then facilitating a discussion where the Word of God can be applied by individuals to their experiences. In this Bible study, Michael is modeling this approach. I also learned a lot from my former principal, a Sister of Mercy, who showed me how wisdom and inspiration can be found in mantras. One that I use, and share with others, that I learned from her is "Be good, Do good, Be a power for good."