Lets see, why would Jonah not enjoy his ministry. Could it be because he did not want to do it? He did what he could to avoid it? He did not understand it? The story of Jonah is not completed in the book of Jonah, nor anywhere else as far as I can tell. However, the last chapter of the book tells of the experience of Jonah in learning God's love for all mankind. What the book does not tell us is whether Jonah learned the lesson, although it is hard to believe that the book would have been written if he did not come to an understanding of what God was telling him. And I suspect that Jonah, after learning the lesson, went forth with joy in teaching God's love. I don't know what Jonah's attitude was when teaching the folk of N. that the city was going to be destroyed. Maybe he was enthusiastic. He sure was disapointed when it was not destroyed, so he must have been looking forward to the distruction. He also was very miserable when he was not fulfilling his mission, and taking a ride by fish taxi.

I suspect there are times in many ministries that the short term effect is not pleasant. Did Christ have fulfillment in his ministry, yet you know the cry from the cross.

I would stand by my suggestion, that if you are not having "fun" in your activity, you are not engaged in your God given ministry. Your definition of fun may be the key.

One more thought on Jonah. We too often ignore the last chapter of the book. I believe the real lesson of the book is in the last chapter. If we could understand the message from God presented there, we would be a more loving, accepting and inclusive people. We would be less interested in condeming others and less pleased in destroying them with words and actions.

Therefore "go forth" with your ministry, and may your mode of transportation not be by fish, real or otherwise.

Chantale, that's a wonderful thing to do. And particularly with former members. Too often they are forgotten. But God still loves them.

Gerry - how would you follow your suggestions on MSDAOL? And what about those you don't love?

DrD - good response. And I agree about the lesson contained in the last book of Jonah. There is also a lesson in the earlier books. Do you think God keeps dragging us back to the area in which He wants us to minister? I can see a pattern in my working life. I wonder if you and others have a similar experience?

I haven't been here for some weeks and it's funny that this thread has come just when I was thinking about my strange ministry.

Besides being treasurer and playing the organ and teaching adult classes I feel my fun ministries are outside of the church.

I have a special nack of getting people to open up and talk their thoughts, not pry, just show a sincere interest. Through this people have felt free to ask me to pray for them etc.

The other one is a humor ministry. It came in my lap accidentally. When I went on line an acquaintance who had been trying to get me to join a chat, said she would send me a joke each day if it was fit to repeat. Of course, I had to start passing them on and it has opened up a different set of close friends who also feel free to ask me to pray for their needs. It's neat.

I love that God has given each of us such a variety of ministries! Isn't it amazing that He meets everyone's needs using each of us in a different way.

I agree that we need to enjoy our ministries. My God is not a tormenting God and would not force us into a place that we would be miserable in! Jonah, I believe, came to enjoy his ministry, and I think he enjoyed it before. I do not think that his problem was that he didn't enjoy his ministry, but rather that he had a vendetta against Ninevah and knew that if they repented God would not destroy them, he also must have had some experience in knowing that God was effective in the way He wanted Jonah to pass along the message since Jonah seemed to highly suspect that the people of Nineveh would change their ways (since he ran away as he did). Jonah's problem was not necessarily that he did not enjoy his ministry, but rather that he did not like the people God needed him to minister to!

May we remember that sometimes God will call us to minister to people that we do not like but we need to do His work regardless of our own personal feelings - and in fact realize that we are to love all mankind, not just the select few that we get along with!