Being a Servant

Richard Foster, in his book, Celebration of Discipline writes:

"More than any other single way the grace of humility is worked into our lives through the Discipline of service...Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness.  The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service.  It strains and pulls for honor and recognition."

In Matthew 20, Jesus addresses the benefits of being a servant when he says to his disciples:

"Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave--just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."  Matthew 20:26-28

In making this statement, Jesus was revealing who God is.  "Jesus did not come as a servant in spite of the fact that he is God; he came precisely because of the fact that he is God."  (John Ortberg)

Today's culture doesn't resent people who serve others and seek nothing in return, but neither does it reward selfless servanthood.  The way to climb the corporate ladder is to get noticed, take high-profile risks, and downplay one's failures.

God's kingdom, however, works differently.  Jesus turned corporate ladder upside down to declare, in effect, "The way up in My kingdom is to descend to the lowest rung and become the servant of all."

This Sunday at 9:30am, we will continue our three week series called, Blueprints for the church.  In this series, we are pulling back the curtain and looking at how the New Testament church handled church polity (structure).  This week, we will focus on the office of deacon.  As we will see in Acts 6, the deacons are to be the lead servants of the church.  They are to model for the church what it looks like to serve Jesus and others.  They should be faithful, available, and teachable, ready to jump in and serve where needed.  Of the three biblical roles in the early church, it is really the most Christlike.  Join us this Sunday at 9:30am as we gather to Worship God Passionately, through singing, prayer, giving of our offering, the Lord's Supper, and the study of God's Word.  I hope you will make time to join us!

Calvary Parkside Membership Class begins this Sunday, February 19th at 11:00am.  This class is designed for both current members and those new to our church.  During this class, we will unpack our vision and mission, what we believe, how we function, and what it means to be a member of Calvary Parkside. 

Upcoming Events:
1.  Calvary Parkside Membership Class Part 2.  Sunday, March 5th at 11:00am.  This class is designed for both current members and those new to our church.  During this class, we will unpack our vision and mission, what we believe, how we function, and what it means to be a member of Calvary Parkside.

2.  Annual Membership Meeting.  Sunday, February 26th at 11:00am.  During this meeting, our church council will present the 2023 budget for  your approval.  We will also provide an update on the transition to Calvary Parkside.  The 2023 budget will be available beginning Sunday, February 19th.

Praying through this list is a great way to begin "Connecting with one another authentically".

See you Sunday.

Doug