Servant Leadership

Servant Leadership

Reading

Mark 9:33-35

They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. They had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest. Then he sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, “If anyone wishes to be first, he shall be the last of all and the servant of all.”

Reflection

The first image that comes to mind is remembering days past when I would look over my shoulder into the back seat of our suburban in response to a growing engagement between my grade school aged sons and ask why they were fighting. When they responded with an explanation which was usually something like who be first in line for something, I would respond that neither would go first and they would have to wait until everyone else had gone first. Today I am not sure what to think when I read about grown men in the immediate proximity of the greatest human to work the earth behaving the same as school boys. The irony is nothing short of delicious but it is also scary. If the disciples can’t get it right how can I? How can we get it right?

Jesus tells us how to get it right. Instead of arguing about who is first or last or greatest or any manifestation of pride we should consider first how to serve rather than be served. His message is not about prideful leadership but rather about leading through humble service. We have an opportunity to practice servant leadership here today. The last shall be served first and the first shall be served last.

My sons are both grown now. They spend much time together even now as adults and I love to watch them interact with each other. Each is kind and gentle with the other and it is almost silly to watch them determine who will be first to grab a piece of steak off a platter even when there is more than enough to share. If one ever dares to reach first without asking the other will strictly rebuke him to mind his manners. As brothers, they serve each other and their way can lead us to understand a new of serving each other as brothers in Christ. I am proud of my sons.

Love

Psalms 139: 1-14

LORD, you have probed me, you know me:You know when I sit and stand; you understand my thoughts from afar. You sift through my travels and my rest; with all my ways you are familiar. Even before a word is on my tongue, LORD, you know it all. Behind and before you encircle me and rest your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, far too lofty for me to reach. Where can I go from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I lie down in Sheol, there you are. If I take the wings of dawn and dwell beyond the sea, Even there your hand guides me; your right hand holds me fast. If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light” Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day. Darkness and light are but one. You formed my inmost being; you knit me in my mother’s womb. I praise you, because I am wonderfully made; wonderful are your works! My very self you know.

Reflection

Is not our greatest desire, our deepest longing to be loved? As we begin to finally settle into last measures of the time we are to spend together, we come see with sparkling clarity this weekend has been about love. We started on Thursday evening by asking you to be willing to know yourself. That can be terrifying because the biggest monster in the closet for almost everyone is that if our true nature were known, we would not be worthy of love. We quake at our certain knowledge no person, not even God, in his greatness, could love us because of our unworthiness. To crack open the closet door and peek inside takes courage and encouragement. It takes faith that what we find will not suck us further into darkness but we hope that what we did not know about ourselves will be drawn into the light and we will still be loved.

We showed you a video that encouraged you to be ok with opening the closet door even more. The message that there is nothing we can do that would make God to love us any less became our cornerstone for the rest of this weekend. Think about what the little boy felt when the reality of his father’s love became clear to him. Now to try wrap around just how the great message is that God has for us is in comparison to that small human act.

This scripture reading was chosen to remind us that we are known by God. He knew us before we were formed. He knows the entirety of each of us. He knows everything that is hidden in our closets and he wants to us to throw open the closet doors so that his light can flood deep into the darkest corners so what we could not see can no longer frighten us. When we live in the light of his love we can just let go. Think about that a minute. We can just let go. We can let out a deep sigh and lean back secure in the knowledge that there is nothing more within in us that is hidden and that we are still loved. Completely. Fully. Without end.

What does God, who knows us yet loves us, ask of us in return? He only asks that we seek to know him and to love him in return. Today is about love.