Vows: Service
Acts 6:1–7
My church in Seattle had a very traditional parlor in the building. It had thick carpet, well-maintained antique furniture, and hand-made drapes to complement the furnishings. Off to the side, there was an entrance to a small kitchen. In that kitchen, several ladies spent hours before the worship service arranging snacks on trays and getting the coffee pots ready to brew about 10 minutes before the end of the service. After worship, most people would file into the parlor for a cup of coffee and a snack. Some lingered. Some just grabbed something quickly and headed out for the day. But those ladies were there every Sunday, making sure we had snacks and coffee for post-worship fellowship. If the pastor had asked any one of those ladies to read scripture in worship or serve communion, they would’ve refused. They didn’t want to be in front of others. They just wanted to serve behind the scenes.
There were a few times when there was some conflict, especially when some younger folks volunteered to help and didn’t do everything the way the ladies had always done it. Some said that the ladies were controlling. Some said they had been doing it so long that they knew the best way to do things. I think it may have been a combination of both. However, what was not up for debate was their commitment to serve. While some may think that coffee and snack time after worship was not a very important way to serve, given the many opportunities to bring relief in a hurting world, I believe that their service—and every act of service done in the name of God—is worthwhile and faithful. After all, those coffee hours allowed people to get to know each other better, enabled members to invite guests into a smaller, more conversational context, and built a sense of community for everyone involved.
Service has always been a core practice of our faith, even since the early church. In today’s scripture, the apostles realize that they cannot do everything themselves. They need co-workers in this enterprise of spreading the gospel and tending to the needs of the least, the last, and the lost. So they open service opportunities to other followers of Christ—people who are faithful and wise—to care for the daily needs of others. As the church steps into a model of shared service, “the word of God continued to spread” (Acts 6:7a, NRSVUE).
When we pledge to support the church and the kingdom of God through our service, we live into our call to both help spread the Gospel and provide relief to those who are hurt and in need. What ways can your service help St. Andrew UMC spread the Gospel to a hurting world that desperately needs abundant life? When we promise to support the church through our service, we are saying yes to being part of God’s solution—yes to noticing needs, yes to using our gifts, yes to strengthening the body of Christ. Our service may happen behind the scenes or out front, in quiet acts of care or visible leadership, but all of it matters.
Prayer
Gracious God, thank you for calling us into your church and trusting us with your work. Help us to honor our vows by serving with humility, wisdom, and love. Use our service to build up your people and to spread your good news. Amen.
Rev. Dana Ezell
