Called to Serve--Anyone, Anywhere

             "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God" (I Corinthians 4:1)
 
In church this morning, we were treated to a special speaker. Our friend and neighbor John Gray shared his work with us as a Gideon. For anyone not familiar with the Gideons, all one needs to do is check the nightstand at the next hotel where a Gideon Bible will be found. Over two billion of these Bibles (including millions of New Testaments distributed throughout the world at schools, events, and within the military) are available to anyone, anywhere at no cost.

And the Gideons? Just regular guys with regular families...called to serve and answering that call to be "stewards of the mysteries of God".

We are all called--but do we answer? Who are the daily servants of Christ? How is one a steward of the mysteries of God?

Just look around...these good folks are everywhere.

And you're probably one of them, too.

Every time we do something for our family, our neighbors, or our friends--no matter how small the deed--and do it in stewardship to God, as a servant of Christ, we are putting into practice the call. No matter what the deed, we are following the instruction of our Lord and increasing the Kingdom of God on earth.

Peace be with you.

The Gift of Stewardhip

Stewardship. Sounds like a fancy word for work, doesn't it? Even the dictionary would agree. Among the various definitions, the words responsibility, duty, "put in charge", and even moral responsibility are listed to describe this word.

So how on earth can stewardship ever be described as a gift? How is work, responsibility, or duty a gift?

Well, for one thing, having responsibility makes us humble. Being "put in charge" can be a bit daunting. Our performance is in the spotlight; it is certainly not an opportunity to boast, but rather to keep our proverbial noses to that proverbial grindstone. And, believe it or not, that is truly a gift we are given.

How so?

In the book of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples that "therefore anyone who humbles himself as [this] little child is the greatest in the kingdom of Heaven" (18:4). In our daily lives we are not often given chances to act with pure humbleness and humility. Our egos many times get into the way. We play out the "I'm in charge" aspect of Stewardship, but we are missing the point. Anyone can say he or she is in charge of a situation, a group of people, or an event. But a true steward purposely takes the back seat and becomes the humble servant, assuming grave responsibility for the task or the group with whom he or she has been entrusted . It truly teaches us the lesson Christ gives us of being as humble as a child.

It's a new month, and a new week--what better time for us to practice afresh the true meaning of stewardship? We'll discover anew this precious gift.

Peace be with you.

A Voice in the Desert

Readings: Isaiah 40:1-8; I Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 11:2-10


Ever feel like you're just not being heard no matter how hard you try? You see a situation rising where someone near and dear to you will be hurt. You try and try to help him/her see how things will turn out, yet it falls on deaf ears. Frustrating?
Absolutely.
Unique?
Hardly.


John the Baptist was that voice in the desert. He shared, he preached, he warned, he pronounced the coming of Christ to mankind's less than pristine world. Did many listen?
Nope.
Later, (in Matthew) when asked about John the Baptist, Jesus himself referred to John as one of the most blessed; that seems like a true definer of credibility. Did many listen to Jesus about John?
Nope.
Still later, when Paul was giving the Corinthians a good tongue-lashing, he was--more or less--just another voice in the desert. 
Few listened.


Why do we not listen? Because we're human. Human=fallible. We get to a certain point in our lives and we think we're there...we've arrived. Our consciences couldn't be clearer; we're good people.
Think again...that was God's, John's, Jesus', and Paul's suggestion--to think again, that is.
Is the conscience clear or is it full of self-righteousness?
Remember? Fallible?
Maybe we do need to listen just a bit.


On the other side of the row, what makes these people then and people yet today try and try and try again even though they themselves realize they're just talking into the wind?


Stewardship...pure and simple. We are all called to be stewards; few heed the call. Fewer still are willing to carry on through the suspicious or incredulous looks, the push-back, and the basic dislike received for being a good steward of God. Face it, you're not going to win any popularity contests. You can't be liked at all times by everyone and be a good and aggressive steward...just doesn't work that way.
John the Baptist literally lost his head for it.
Paul spent a load of time in prison for it.
Christ gave his life for it.
Not an easy job.
But we still can't give up...it's too important to others.


And, there's that secret. With more and deeper knowledge of God's plan, comes greater insight to that secret--that wisdom.
It's also our duty; our destiny.


Being good is great--being self-righteous can be time-consuming for everyone involved.
A little humility goes a long way. God's gives us reason for a bit of humility in Isaiah 40:8: "The grass [mankind] withers, and the flower [mankind's glory] falls, but the word of our God stands forever."
His word also speaks of the humbling of the mighty, the self-righteous, the judgmental: "Every valley shall be raised up--every mountain and hill made low--the rough ground will be made level and rugged places a plain" (Isaiah 40:4-5)
We're all on even ground; we're all called to be stewards to one another.


Let's get hopping on that. Let's join our voices together in this desert. Let's learn more of the glorious secret of eternal life.


Peace be with you.