Today as I wandered over at 9ish to begin my Monday morning routine, I stumbled upon one of the elders steam cleaning the carpet. Last weekend our boiler melted down and threw out soot-laden steam/smoke. By the grace of God, and after a costly repair, the boiler was functional and the facility was warm for our Sunday activities. The only trouble was the meltdown and subsequent repairs had created a nasty residue in front of the door to the boiler, which is, unfortunately in our fellowship space. On Sunday I hemmed and hawed with a few elders about the mess that was cleaned to the best of our ability, but still inadequate. The end result was inaction on my part.
As I walked in today, however, an elder was cleaning the space with care and grace. No one asked him to do it. No one expected him to do it. He just did what needed to be done. It's those little things like this that matter so much to me as a pastor and encourage me. I am reminded that when I try to be flashy and great, that I have missed the point. It is the simple acts of service that really matter.
Once, when a couple of Jesus' disciples were jockeying for positions of prestige and authority in the Kingdom of God, Jesus responded by saying, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as rules lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:42b-45 NRSV). Sometimes the little things, like steam cleaning a mess, really are the big things.
Posts
