Yesterday in worship we discussed Romans 12:1-8 and how laying down our ego is the first part of being a disciple and having our minds and lives transformed by God’s grace, akin to a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. As Paul exhorted the people in the Roman church to lay down their egos, he stripped the church of any hierarchy which had apparently formed in the form of debating which spiritual gifts were greatest.
In explaining how the gifts and the gifted people are all part of one body, Paul writes:
“For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.”
The gift that stands out to me here is “ministry, in ministering.” No. Not because I am a pastor. We are all ministers in this priesthood of believers we call a church. And not because I think it actually ranks higher than the others. It is because the Greek here really translates better, “service, in serving.” And I know while the people of CHUMC have missed in-person worship, they have missed serving their community and neighbors to a much greater degree during this pandemic.
However, the opportunity to do just that is just around the bend. Project Transformation After School starts on September 8. It is going to be virtual, like the Summer program, at least in the Fall with the exceptions of monthly food and supplies distribution. And you will still need to be under age 65 to serve in-person. However, the after-school program has ways you can serve if you are over age 65 via Zoom, including reading to children and providing homework help. I know many of you have so graciously and persistently learned to use Zoom so we can stay connected in some way. Now, we can use our newfound skills to serve our community. If you are interested, please let Melanie Willhite know by email at melaniewillhite@hotmail.com or by phone at (214) 335-3365.
Grace and peace,
Rev. J.D. Allen
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