I am grateful to God for the opportunity to serve at CGST. I want to thank our M. Div. graduating students. I have enjoyed our time together, and am reluctant to say good-bye. I understand their feelings as they enter into full-time ministry – excitement on one hand and fear on the other. I trust they will inadvertently ask: "Is it really me? Am I really ready and prepared?" These questions remind me of the miraculous feeding of the five thousand in Mark 6.

"You give them something to eat." (v.36) Imagine how the disciples felt when they heard such an instruction from Jesus. I would definitely have felt that Jesus had purposefully given me an impossible challenge. "Why me? Why such challenging task?" Questions like these make me realize that I am no different from many other believers, all we want from God is His protection and blessings so we can enjoy a smooth and peaceful life. "Yes!" We certainly want the Lord who can calm the storms, but "No thanks!" we rather live without any storms.

Jesus often will allow frightening storms to come our way. If there were no overwhelming challenges, how can we ever experience firsthand His power, grace and miracles? The first lesson in ministry is to recognize that ministry in itself is challenging. God trains and stretches us to our limits, forcing us to change.

"How many loaves do you have?" (v.38) Can you imagine how the disciplines must have felt when they replied that there were only "five loaves and two fishes"? The need is so great but resources are so little. When our graduating students go for interviews at churches, church leaders might well ask "How many sermons have you preached? Which leadership positions have you held in church?" We might similarly feel troubled and defeated. But this is precisely the crux of the lesson of ministry: troubles and inadequacy force us to change: to turn from relying on ourselves, to complete reliance upon God. When we do that, we talk a step of faith.

As we read this miracle, we often pay attention to the difference in quantity between the food and the number of people, and how amazing the miracle was. But do you note how much detail Mark gave in describing the process (vv.39-40) Note how Jesus organized the whole event – it takes good organization and teamwork.

Often, the biggest problem in pastoral ministry is conflict between team members, when each emphasizes their own view more than our Lord Jesus' instruction. We become critical and begin to look for the ideal pastor and the ideal church. We fail to understand that community is a precious gift from God, allowing us to step onto the journey of growth through cooperation with others. Teamwork often requires that we put aside our own selves and our views, not insist on our own way, and forgive in our hurts. In so doing, we are practically following the heart of Jesus' teachings. This is perhaps the most important daily lesson of discipleship.

Ministry is not only doing service for the Lord. More importantly, it is experiencing God in service. Through ministry, the eyes of our souls become more and more sensitive to recognizing the work of our Lord. In the process, we learn to be humble, and to focus our attention upon God's involvement above all else.

The miracle of the "five loaves and two fishes" must have left a deep impression on the disciples. If they had not been faced with such a huge and problematic challenge, they might not have such a memorable experience. So next time you encounter a heart-stopping "mission impossible" type of ministry situation, let us be encouraged that it may just well be the prelude of another eye-popping miracle.