Ministry

What are you good at? 

A long time ago I wasn’t too bad at cricket. At least, at club cricket. I’m not so great at that any more. 

Part of my fragile male ego in playing cricket is hating being beaten by someone who is better than me. Even if they clearly were better than me, I always had an excuse as to why they got me out, or why they hit me for 6. 

Well, on Monday night I played a game of indoor cricket, against someone who was clearly better than me. And quite frankly, I didn’t mind at all. In fact, it was a privilege to play cricket against someone so good. 

Amanda Jade-Wellington, who plays for the Adelaide Strikers in the WBBL and was part of the squad for the Women’s World Cup earlier this year, was in the team we played against. 

It was clear pretty quickly that she was more than just a class above every single other person playing that game. She hit all of our bowlers (including me) wherever she wanted. Her bowling bamboozled the lot of us and the whole time it didn’t even look like she was trying. 

Now, the rest of her team obviously weren’t as good as her but they all looked pretty confident and relaxed knowing they had a superstar on their team. And I assume they all played better as a result. Needless to say, they won. By a lot. 

Every year when we install new staff we read this passage: “Each one of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. Whoever speaks must do so as one speaking the very word of God; whoever serves must do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” 

Every person at Endeavour, both staff and students, have gifts and abilities that set them apart in our community, and as they use them to serve others, it gives confidence to everyone around them.  

We pray that every one of us knows the joy that comes from using our gifts to serve others, giving them confidence to use their own gifts with freedom and joy. 

God bless you today.

Chris Mann

College Pastor