Service

Dear brothers and sisters,

The search for meaning and significance is a quest that people embark on in so many different ways. The quest can be seen in major life decisions, or in small matters, be it the things said, food ordered or clothes worn in a desire to fit in and be accepted. For so many this search for meaning and significance leaves them feeling empty, there is something they are grasping after that they can never quite take a hold of. I wonder if that might be because the wrong questions are being asked? So often in life we ask questions that start with ourselves, who do I want to be? Where is my life heading What are my goals, my ambitions? Where do I see myself in the future? This kinds of questions follow us, flow around us, and come with us as we are part of a church, and it is easy to come to church asking “what will I get from this? Is this how I like things to be? Who is looking after me?”

Sometimes, when things don’t go the way we want, and we feel our needs aren’t being met, we can resort to childlike behaviours, temper tantrums, judgemental thoughts of others, closed mindedness to the opinions of others.

If only Jesus had something to say on the matter!But, of course, he does. Jesus gives us a wonderful framework in this area of life; which helps us as we think about what church looks like, but also gives us clarity as we search for meaning and significance in life. When thinking about church, perhaps this framework can be summed up in a few words: we come to serve others.

We don’t exist for our own fulfilment, God made us for a greater purpose, and Jesus tells us that if we are to be great, then we must serve. The first should be last. This may seem paradoxical until we see Jesus demonstrate this in the ultimate fashion. He lays down his life for our sake, that we might be forgiven. Not claiming all that is rightly his, but humbling himself in service of others (Php 2:5-11). Jesus came not to be served but to serve, and he calls us to follow him.

Thinking about church, and the search for meaning in life, adopting the posture of “we come to serve others” brings great freedom from introspection, and satisfaction that one must experience to understand. Perspective on life comes from continually asking “what can I do for others”?

In Christ’s Love, Craig Olliffe, Senior minister