What Would Phoebe Do?
What does a deacon do?
It wasn't too long ago that I didn't know the answer to that question.
The simple answer is that deacons work to grow the servant ministry of the church. How they do that is as varied as the personalities and gifts of the individuals called to this ministry. In other words, we do the same things, but not necessarily the same way.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church at Cenchreae, so that you may welcome her in the Lord as is fitting for the saints, and help her in whatever she may require from you, for she has been a benefactor of many and of myself as well. - Romans 16:1-2
Deacons have been around a long time, even before priests. Paul mentions Phoebe, a deacon from Corinth, in his letter to the Romans, seeking to serve as an introduction and recommendation or referral for her.
When I researched Phoebe, I came across blog entries and articles that focused on the role of women in the church, rather than on the role of deacons.
Does it matter that Phoebe was a woman?
From Paul's perspective, the title of deacon was understood to be a devoted servant of the church, and the fact that Phoebe was a woman would not have raised any eyebrows at the time. Many women served in the church and that made sense, since a man would probably not baptize a woman without a woman to help him. Chances are female deacons performed those baptisms.
In the Episcopal Church, at least here in New York, more women answer the call to serve as priests and deacons than men. We understand that all denominations don't see ministry the same way, and that is a shame, since it puts too much importance on the ordination, rather than on the service.
The key to understanding the role of deacon is to focus on the need to be in service to the people of the community, the greater church, not on the wearing of a collar or the performance of sacramental duties alone.
It goes all the way back to Jesus telling his disciples to go and serve the poor, the naked, the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned.
As a deacon, I spend most of my time in the world. I have a business to run and I have a commitment to serve the church community as a deacon. People always ask me how I juggle the two, but it is not really a juggling act, nor a balancing act either. It is a blending of the two.
Many ministries that individuals hold are exactly that, a blending of their gifts, talents and strengths with the needs of those around them, and that devotion to service spills over into their work life.
Whenever we get a group of deacons together to talk about our ministries and answer questions, we draw a big crowd. People are curious and they are questioning their own gifts and calls.
We need to do that more often, to talk about what we do, and how we do it, to demystify it. Imagine doing what you love to do and finding a way to serve others in the process, whether that is teaching, assisting, or just listening. To be a deacon and not reach out to others to ask their help in serving those in need is to fail to serve the ministry to which I am called, so I ask. Will you join me in serving others?
Think about it. What would Phoebe do?
More to come...
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