“Bearing the Cross of Service”

Rally Day 2008

Luke 14:25-33

              Esther was a woman I got to know years ago when I was on internship in North Dakota.  Esther was a kind woman whose home was like walking into a Norwegian museum, Norwegian plates and painting on the walls and fancy lamps in her living room.  I would go over to her house occasionally for coffee and listen to her tell many stories about her life’s experiences.  She had worked as the head postmaster in the small town of Kathryn for 37 years, so she had many stories to tell.

            Esther had cancer, and as time went by it got worse.  Little by little, this strong woman lost her strength and became very weak.  I remember one day going over to see Esther in the hospital.  She was not at all well.  She was in obvious pain.  Her breathing was heavy and infrequent.  I sat down beside Esther’s bed and touched her hand.  She opened her eyes and said “hi.”  I asked if I could read for her a passage from scripture.  She nodded her head and I read Psalm 23 and said a short prayer.  When Esther didn’t respond, I thought I should leave so she could be alone.  But when I got up to leave, Esther held my hand tight and asked if I could stay.  So I sat down and stayed for awhile longer, holding her hand, neither of us saying anything, but just being there together.

            This is a scene that gets played out over and over again, giving of ourselves for the sake of another.  It’s called being a servant.  It is what Jesus calls us to be and do as his disciples in the world.  Today is Rally Day and we are rallying around the theme of Servants of Jesus: His Hands and Feet in the World.  We serve Jesus by being of service to our neighbors.  As we serve others, we open doors for sharing our faith, letting others know who we are as Christians.

            I read a story about a transitional home set up by Lutheran Social Services in Philadelphia to take care of children who have come to America from Southeast Asia without any parents.  In this home, there is a set of “house parents” whose job it is to take care of the six or seven children that live there.  These house parents, who themselves are from Southeast Asia, try to meet all the needs these children have.  They cook their meals and wash their clothes.  They help them with their homework and see that the children all get to school and their English tutoring classes.  But perhaps most important of all, this special couple listens daily to the moving stories the children tell.  They listen to their stories of leaving behind the violence in their homeland and their parents and the way of life they knew so well, and the courage it took to come to a strange country to begin life all over again.  Their stories were filled with sorrow and pain, because they may never see their families or friends again.  These house parents listened to their stories, and from their own experience, shared in the children’s tears.  When asked why these house parents do what they do when they could be working at other jobs that paid more and were not so painful, their answer was simple, “It is because we are Christians.”

            As Christians, we bear the cross of Jesus in service.  It’s not always an easy thing to do.  In fact, bearing the cross of Jesus in service can be very hard, causing us to suffer pain and hardship.  But it is the cost of discipleship and following Jesus.  Jesus says, “Whoever does not carry the cross can not be my disciple.”  Actually, Jesus says this three times in our text for this morning, making it seem as though it were impossible to be a disciple.  But what is impossible for us is possible for God.  What enables us to be a disciple and of service to others is knowing what Jesus has done to be of service to us and receiving the gifts of grace that come from his act of service.  Jesus took upon himself the sins of the world, your sins, my sins, and put them to death as he died on the cross, freeing us from guilt and shame through his forgiveness.  Jesus was then raised from the dead by the power of God, breaking death’s fearsome hold on us, giving to us a new life now, as we live, and hope for everlasting life when we die.  The cross and the nails which pierced Jesus’ hands and feet is the symbol of his service to us which gives and transforms life.  As cared-for people, we are sent out to be caring people, serving the needs of those around us.  As servants of Jesus, we become his hand and feet, bearing the marks of his death and resurrection, bringing healing and hope, comfort and peace to a hurting world.  The cross of Jesus is the symbol of God’s love, “for God so loved the world that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.”  Bearing the cross of Jesus in service is sharing God’s love for the world.  Our service is for others is God’s love in action.

            C. Neal Strait says, “Love is the ingredient that makes every relationship in life, whatever it is, a little better.  Love has the capacity to mend the broken, heal the hurting and inspire the despairing.  Love that reaches beyond the misunderstandings and the failures is a love that unites and encourages.  Such a love is one of our world’s greatest needs.”

            Here at United, we place great value on service.  In fact, service was added as one of our CORE Values which is on display up front.  It reads: “As disciples of Jesus Christ, we experience the vitality of living out our faith in joyful service to others.”  This emphasis has always been part of our mission statement of One Family in Christ: Believes in God’s gracious Word – Hopes in the power of the resurrection – Lives out our faith joyfully serving others. 

            I don’t have to look around to long to find good examples of serving.  They are so much apart of the ministry of this congregation and you, the people who make up this fellowship.  There is Bert who made weekly friendly visits as a Faith in Action volunteer with an elderly woman who was home-bound.  There is MaryAnn who has worked at the Food Shelf for many years, helping to coordinate other volunteers who stock the shelves and give out food baskets to needy families.  There is Bill who is a welcome site as he delivers meals-on-wheels to people in their homes so that they can have a nutritious meal once a day.  There is Hannah, who as a high school student, volunteered a couple of nights a week with the Abused Children’s program, a program that continues to grow in numbers.  There is Jamie who flies under the radar screen as he visits and elderly man, taking him to the grocery store and to the clinic.  This past August, twenty eight middle school youth participated “Sun and Serve” as part of our Vacation Bible School, doing things for other people, learning what it means to serve.  Our Men In Mission group goes up to Camp Wapogasset several times a year to do work projects and help the camp get ready for the kids and adults who use the camp.  The women of the congregation visit members who are in the nursing homes and help as chaplain assistants at the Seminary Home.  In a few weeks, sixteen United members will be going to Biloxi, MS to help rebuild homes destroyed by Hurricane Katrina more than two years ago.

            Our goal at United for serving is that every member find at least one way to serve here at the church in support of our ministry program, but, more importantly, that every member find one way to serve out in the community of Red Wing.  The options and opportunities are many.  For many of you, the opportunity to serve may find you.  Jesus invites us….no, I think its stronger than that….Jesus commands us to be servants.  As the One who served us, being obedient even unto death, Jesus gives us the example to follow and the strength and ability to carry the cross through his Holy Spirit.  Jesus is with us all along the way.  May we find ourselves counted among those who are called disciples.  Amen.