How to Serve

So it's one of my favorite times of year.  It's early September, and autumn is just around the corner.  Here in Asheville, we're getting a taste of it this week.  The air is cool in the mornings, and the shadows are crisp and dark during the day, letting us know that the humidity is low.  And, the final tennis Grand Slam of the year is now taking place - The U.S. Open.  I sooooo enjoy watching the great plays, and even the frustrating ones - when my favorites aren't doing so well.  I guess I dream a little bit about being a player on the courts in Flushing Meadows serving at a blistering 22 miles per hour to my unsuspecting opponents.  Ahhhhhh...what a great life!

But, alas, 22 miles per hour won't get the job done at Flushing Meadows.  Because that's not how one serves in the world of tennis.  In order to serve effectively, one must imitate a master-server.  And that got me thinking about how we as Christ-followers are to serve in this world.  Are we imitating our master-server?  Jesus truly showed us the way by becoming one of us, by humbling himself, by being concerned about our interests, by spending time with us, and not seeking recognition or fame.

And although service is something we do, it really is about a way of life.  We're not to view serving as something we do for or to people, but rather, we serve with people.  We serve with those in need, because all of us are in need of something.  None of us are better or worse than anyone else - even though we do our best to label people.  Humility, like Jesus.  We look out for what's good for everyone, not just our self-interests.  That also means we serve without expecting to get anything in return - like a thank you.  Because, if we expect to get a thank you for something "good" we did, that means we really are more concerned about ourselves than others.  It means that we're not quite willing to meet people where they are, but expect them to meet us on our level.  That's not what Jesus did.  He meets us where we are, but helps us get to where he is.  And he does this by serving us.  Wow!

And serving others comes in countless packages.  We church folk sometimes get tunnel-vision, and view serving others as a project, or an outreach, or a free meal.  Although these can be heartfelt areas of service, let's not limit what God wishes for this world.  What if serving others meant we take a Thursday afternoon to help create a community gathering space? (Thanks for this idea, Carly!)  Serving others comes from listening to each others' hopes, dreams, and concerns.  Serving others is something we do together, because we all need a helping hand every now and then.

So let's be creative in the ways we serve one another.  Because God is creative and cares about the diversity within Creation.  Let's imitate our master-server.