Menial Tasks
There are many ways to be of service. One is to feed the hungry.
Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word." What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. - Acts 6:1-7
When I was discerning for my calling, I had an idea which of my skills God was focusing in on.
I loved writing and was sure I would be using that, only I had no idea how.
I had held many jobs in support services roles, from training people in the use of computers to planning and accounting.
Perhaps these skills could be used in my ministry.
I was also learning to create and edit videos. Surely that could be used in helping people discover their own calling.
But it wasn't until I became a deacon that I realized these things are merely tools in the toolbox, and the actual work is something much different.
These first deacons were called to serve meals to widows, and that seems like a menial job, albeit a necessary one.
It is at the heart of what Jesus talked about when he said that the greatest among us will be the one who serves. Washing someone's feet is even more menial than offering them a meal.
In order to create a sustainable structure, the apostles saw the need for a dedicated servant leader, someone who taught the Gospel through action rather than through words alone.
The apostles needed to extend the community of faithful, while the deacons took on the task of building the community in the place where they were.
Today, I am involved in feeding the hungry and building community through food. Wherever there are hungry people, we have people whose job it is to reach them and feed them.
The mission of the first deacons has become my mission and all those tools I had collected along the way, have become the toolkit I draw on to grow this ministry.
Who would have thought?
I guess God did.
More to come...