Be Adventurous: Serve Like Christ

BY BISHOP JOHN R. SCHOL

A friend recently reminded me of a story about a church that was preparing to open a homeless shelter in the church in Conshohocken, a community outside of Philadelphia. They had one more hurdle to cross, approval by the town council. Neighbors had organized against the shelter, had circulated petitions and the council was ready to deny the request.

Visiting and ministering in Philadelphia at the time was Mother Teresa. She heard about the challenge and immediately went to the town council meeting. She arrived at the meeting late and the council was nearing its decision when she requested to speak.

She went before the council, got down on her hands and knees and begged the council to allow the church to minister with the poor. On hands and knees she begged. She humbled herself and begged. She put herself in a situation in which God could minister through her.

The council approved the church's request.

Jesus got down on his hands and knees and washed his disciple's feet. On hands and knees he humbled himself as he washed his disciples' feet. He allowed God to use him to transform the world.

I once saw a picture of Bishop Roy Sano, who was serving the California-Pacific Conference at the time, in an old factory building that was being transformed into a church, on his hands and knees washing a toilet and the bathroom floor.

On hands and knees Bishop Sano was washing a toilet. He humbled himself so that God could use him as a servant leader to help transform the church.

In the Baltimore-Washington Conference, as part of the Discipleship Adventure, we as followers of Jesus Christ have committed to serve like Christ.

Serving like Christ begins by having the heart and mind of Christ deep within ourselves. Having Christ deep within us helps to ensure our actions are motivated to serve God, and not self gratification. When Christ is deep within us, we serve not because goodness is our aim, but because we desire to be like Christ. Goodness is an outgrowth of being like Christ.

We serve to bring honor and glory to our Creator.

Secondly, serving like Christ means humbling ourselves. Humility means that we do not think of ourselves as better, or even more fortunate, than the people we serve. We are just as deprived as those who are in need. Our deprivation is just different.

As servants of Christ, we recognize that we have our own poverty. When we have this attitude, then God has the opportunity to be lifted up.

And serving like Christ means putting ourselves in situations with the greatest potential to serve God by serving others. We do not serve like Christ by isolating ourselves from the people who need God the most.

When we are not close to the situations or do not look for opportunities to be the difference among the poor, the outcast, the immigrant, the hungry, the homeless and those who have not experienced God's redemption and reconciliation, we have lessened our opportunity to be like Christ.

I leave you with these words from the letter to the Romans in the New Testament and invite you to meditate on them as you serve like Christ.

"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all." -Romans 12:9-18

An adventure awaits as we serve one another.

(The photos in this story are by Paul Jeffrey.)