The Servant of the Lord

Advent Day 22

Fourth Sunday in Advent

December 18, 2011

Reading: Luke 1:38 (NRSV)

³⁸ Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Theme: The Servant of the Lord

Reflection:

How many of us have heard Mary’s words: “Here I am the servant of the Lord” and wondered at her faith. She has just been given ‘mission impossible’ by the Angel Gabriel—the task of carrying God’s son—as an unmarried teenager. Her amazing response is: “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” Her faith is so strong that she willing submits to the role that God asks of her.

I don’t know that I could respond in the way Mary does. I think that I would be tempted to don my size 7.5 ASICS running shoes to get out of town. “Not me God, I’m not up to this; I have other plans for my life. My dream wedding is coming up, and I don’t want to be pregnant for it. Can’t you find some other Mary, one who is willing to do this. I know someone, maybe I could fix you up with her.”

And so it goes with many of us. When God calls you to do something, whether it is to teach Sunday School, to write a devotion, to sing in the choir or to serve on the Church Council, do you find yourself looking over your shoulder to see if maybe, just maybe, you overheard the call intended for someone else. Do you find all kinds of excuses why you’re not the right person. If Mary is a typical example, God often calls us to do things that are far out of our comfort zones. God often sees things in us that we don’t see in ourselves. God also supports and guides us when we do reach beyond our self-imposed boundaries to do God’s work.

Pray that when you hear God’s call to action, you, too, can answer: “Here I am, the servant of the Lord.”

Prayer: Challenging God, when I hear your call to service, help me to see myself in the ways that you see me. Help me to realize that you will be there to “bear me up” when I meet challenges in your service. In your son Jesus’ name I pray. Amen

Lent Day 29: April 11

This morning we welcome guest blogger Susan Van Abs, who shares her thoughts about service in the context of Christian faith.

Lenten Reflection for Day 29

Date: Monday April 11, 2011

Author: Susan Van Abs

Bible Passage:

Galatians 6:9–10 (NRSV)

⁹ So let us not grow weary in doing what is right, for we will reap at harvest time, if we do not give up. ¹⁰ So then, whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all, and especially for those of the family of faith.

Reflection:

Have you ever done something for someone that went unappreciated? Have you ever felt weary serving others and maybe even about serving and worshipping God?

Galatians 6:9 gives us hope! If we stay the course by relying on faith and do not give up, we will reap a harvest. That harvest is the Kingdom of God! It is easy to feel down when we get involved in the community and church work and we feel unappreciated or even alone. Yet if we remember our faith in God and the reasons we are helping others, we might go about what we do with a less weary heart. Our works alone will not get us to heaven, but having faith in God and worshipping and glorifying him, will help us to reap the harvest, our final reward with our Lord Jesus.

Does Galatians 6:10 imply that “charity begins at home?” Absolutely not! Our family of faith is our team. As a Christian, faith-based community, we are stronger with a team of faith-equipped members going out and sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ than doing it solely by ourselves. With this faith-based community, our works multiply and we are able to share the goodness and love of Christ to those with no faith. Lifting those in our faith-based community helps us to reach out together to “work for the good of all.”

Martin Luther wrote “But works, being inanimate things, cannot glorify God, although they can if faith is present, be done to the Glory of God.” [1]

So the next time you feel “weary” or “unappreciated”, lean on your faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Prayer:

Dear God, my Lord and Savior, help me to remember that any works I do for others is in vain if I do not have faith in you. Please help me to keep faith when things do not seem to be going well, so that I do not get weary and lose sight of your will. Through Jesus Christ, Your Son, Our Lord. AMEN

[1] p. 398 Martin Luther’s Theological Writings, Second Edition. Martin Luther, Timothy Lull, and William Russell. Fortress Press, 2005.