In the process of seeking your area of servanthood, strive to render service in hidden ways. A number of years ago, I chaired the planning committee for a church convention. It involved 200 churches. It turned out to be an extraordinary event. People left excited. The positive feedback was almost un...

[This was shared during Midweek Lenten Worship in the sanctuary of Saint Matthew Lutheran Church in Logan, Ohio, this evening. It was presented as part of the congregation's '40-Days to Servanthood' emphasis.] Acts 9:36-43 Occasionally, I receive emails from Wesley Paul, an evangelist who lives in L...

Trial, error, and success are the steps to finding your unique brand of servanthood. While following Jesus Christ always means becoming more Christ-like, as well as being part of Christ’s community of faith, the Church, God never intended for any two Christians to be exactly alike. Paul writes, â€...

You can cultivate servanthood as a way of life. If you’ve gotten this far in these readings, you’ve become aware of a paradox. A paradox, according to one dictionary, is a “seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true: [for example:] the paradox that standing is more tiring t...

Servants serve on purpose. I once met some remarkable high school seniors. The local chapter of The Ohio State University alumni group to which I belonged in my former community annually gives a scholarship to an area freshman heading to OSU. The job of a committee on which I served was to interview...

[This was shared during worship with the people of Saint Matthew Lutheran Church in Logan, Ohio, earlier today.] Mark 8:31-38 At the Summer Olympic Games in Mexico City in 1968, a runner named John Stephen Aquara ran in the marathon, representing Tanzania. Shortly after the race began, Aquara fell, ...

Servants are interruptible. Imagine that just before you leave for a long-planned vacation, the telephone rings. It’s your neighbor. He and his wife need to run to the hospital, where his mother has just been taken unexpectedly. They wonder if you can look after the kids for awhile. For a moment, ...

Servanthood is the response of a grateful person. On entering a village between Samaria and His home country of Judea one day, Jesus was met by ten lepers, all begging for Jesus’ pity. In those days, leprosy was seen as a curse. The leprous person was “unclean.� Because of that, the leper coul...

[This was shared with mourners at a funeral for Goldie, a 100 year-old. The funeral was held earlier today.] Psalm 46 John 3:1-18 When Goldie Flood was born on May 26, 1908, Theodore Roosevelt still had ten months remaining in his term of office as president. The Wright Brothers had taken their firs...

[These words were shared with the family and friends of Zerna, a ninety-three year old member of our congregation who passed away on February 26. Her funeral was held on March 2 .] John 11:17-27 I know that today, Zerna’s family and friends have three prevalent feelings. One is relief that Zernaâ€...