Servant Ministry II

My previous post on servant ministry generated some discussion on Facebook. Thanks for that! Maybe we can go a little deeper on the topic of servant ministry.

First, I would concede that “servant ministry” and “ministry” are probably just synonyms. I like to use the phrase “servant ministry” because it keeps me honest. By intentionally using the word “servant,” I can keep that aspect of ministry always in my mind.

Second, I was asked to give examples of servant ministers. First and foremost, Jesus is an example of a servant minister who people followed. Often Jesus' ministry leads Jesus to give something of himself away. Sometimes Jesus gives himself away figuratively, as he does when he honors those society deems least. Sometimes Jesus gives himself away more literally, as he does when he heals. Sometimes Jesus gives himself away quite literally, as he does on the cross or when he says to his disciples, “Take, eat. This is my body.” Even in this eucharistic action, Jesus is serving.

Beyond Jesus, any servant-ministers I could tell you about would be tied to our context at Southside Abbey. The activities to which the Spirit calls us give able opportunity for servant ministry. Following the last church year, we have had:

• Advent: parade-float-decorators, candy-makers, baggie-stuffers, carol-singers, cider-makers, treat-suppliers, Advent-spiral-arrangers, compline-prayers, community-collaborators, partnership-makers

• Christmas: Lutheran-liasons, present-wrappers, omelette-makers, Christmas-storytellers, basketball-pumpers, cookie-bakers, food-sharers

• Epiphany: Pickle-picklers, pickle-sharers, neighborhood-walkers, theology-on-tube[television]-discussers, sunday-supperer

• Lent: Spanish-speakers, soup-crafters, soup-sharers, bible-studiers, yard-salers, shoe-drivers, relationship-builders

• Holy Week: palm-weavers, vow-renewers, confirmands, shoe-deliverers, sock-wranglers, online-vigil-keepers

• Easter: lamb-roasters, jubilee-bag-stuffers

• Pentecost: tongues-of-fire-chili-cookers, chili-tasters, chili-judgers, neighborhood-sharers, motel-bridge-builders

• Ordinary Time: extraOrdinary-jam-makers, parish-bridge-builders, neighborhood-cleaners, apartment-painters, road-show-music-makers, breakfast-coordinators, book-studiers, language-instituters, Spanish-speakers, Arabic-speakers, motel-birthday-partiers, Oktoberfesters, pub-theologizers, Education-for-Ministriers

And the list could go on and on – as it could in many places – not just ours. If the Church can provide space for people to serve well, there is room for everyone: whatever their gifts, passions, or abilities. I would never have dreamed up that we would have or need pickle-picklers (or that I would ask people to pickle pickles with me), but because that is where we were called, that is where we engaged in servant ministry . . .

But that is our context. Yours is probably going to look different. Whatever the context, servant ministers are people who do what they do not for accolades, but because Jesus asks them to. And Jesus doesn't just ask us to serve, he shows us how. Servant ministers lead by example, by serving. Jesus bids us follow him in the same way. We, as that Body of Christ that is so freely given away, are called to give ourselves away too.

This post was originally published on the Episcopal Church Foundation's Vital Practices Vital Posts blog on February 19, 2014. It has been reprinted here with permission.

Valentine's Day Dinner

From this week's Newsletter:

Beloved Community,

Our worship this Friday happens to fall on Valentine’s Day – also known as the Feast of St Valentine. 

So, who was St Valentine? 

Well, the short answer is, we don’t really know.  Sure – there are a few facts that have made their way down to us through the centuries.  Valentine was a priest . . . or a bishop (or there was a priest named Valentine and a bishop named Valentine whose stories got combined).  And he probably lived in the in 3^rd or 4^th Century.  And he was martyred.  But that’s all that history preserves about the mysterious saint.

Still, the story of a human life yearns to be told, and so St Valentine’s life grew in the telling, becoming legend.  Especially told and retold is the story of that part of a martyr’s life leading up to their death, which is called their passion – (from the Latin word for suffering).  St Valentine’s passion includes the legend of his friendship with his jailor’s daughter, a friendship that led to her conversion to the way of Jesus.  And according to the legend, the condemned priest signed his final note to his friend as “Your Valentine.”

Now, I’m not sure what all of that has to do with flowers, chocolates, and secret admirers, but as Bob likes to say, “What better way to memorialize the life of a celibate priest than to celebrate romantic love?” 

So, definitely make Valentine’s Day plans, definitely take your special-someone out this Friday evening . . . but start the night off with Southside Abbey dinner, prayer, and fellowship first.  It’s what St Valentine would have done.  And what can be more romantic than that?

The wrong kind of Shoes.....

Jim told me that’s Neil’s shoes were tattered and full of holes. To be honest, I was embarrassed that I didn’t notice myself. It’s winter and raining a lot. How could I not notice? A few days later we went to see Neil with a pair of new shoes.

read the rest here!

Servant Ministry

In a world where freedom is often touted as the ultimate ideal, as Christians, we come before that same world to serve in the name of Jesus. That's right, we are servants; not terribly glamorous, is it?

To be brutally honest, servant ministry is a tough sell to our consumerist culture. Nevertheless, it’s been something I’ve been spending a lot of time with in light of recent lectionary readings: Peter, Andrew, James, and John leave everything to follow Jesus. They freely leave their family, their stuff, and even their freedom, to serve. What a friend and model for servant ministry we have in Jesus! Notice how often Jesus tries to keep the attention on those he is serving and off of himself.

When I reflect on servant ministry, shadows of my past can creep in. I used to make my living (such as it was) playing the string and electric bass. Why in the world might I mention this fact? Well, here is the secret you don't know about most of the music you love: it is led by the bass (or whatever instrument functioning in the bass role). The bass is the harmonic time-keeper, responsible for outlining the chord-changes and holding a tempo. And exactly how many bass-players can you name? Probably not too many. Bass-players are servant leaders. The do the heavy lifting and get little of the credit.

If there is a match to freedom as an ideal in our world, it is celebrity. Too often the call of celebrity can overshadow our call to serve. But . . . we are called to serve, and moreover, we often serve in anonymity. The community following Jesus is just that, a community. Our true leaders act like servants and they only do so through the support of the community.

As one who has a platform such as this blog to reach servant leaders who may be toiling in obscurity, I want to take this opportunity to say thanks. So, thanks. Thank you for all that you do. Thank you for freely choosing a life of servitude. You may not hear it enough, but the Church would not be the Church without you. Your work does not go unnoticed and your work is important.

Now might be an excellent time for you to grab one of your favorite records (in my case, Herbie Hancock's Flood, featuring Paul Jackson on the bass), listen for the bass, and know that in that pulsating undercurrent of rhythm and harmony you are right there, represented. You go, servant leader! Know that you are the one making everyone dance.

This post was originally published on the Episcopal Church Foundation's Vital Practices Vital Posts blog, on February 5, 2014. It has been reprinted here with permission.