"The actions of ministry and service are not done for notoriety, position, power, or personal gain, but to make Christ present in the Church in a real and credible way."
I was quite moved at a church service I attended recently when the speaker spoke about ministry and service. He said that the actions of ministry and service to the people of faith are not done for notoriety, position, power, or personal gain, but to make Christ present in the Church in a real and credible way. This speaker also challenged the Deacons to look on their ministry of service in this way.
The four Gospels describe the teachings and actions Jesus when He was approximately thirty to thirty-three years of age. This would have been my age when I was going through Diaconate formation. In thinking back, it is interesting to note how much of my life seemed somewhat compartmentalized at that time. On one hand, I was experiencing a call to the ministry of service (doing God's will) but on the other hand, I had my own plans for my life; my marriage, family, career; things I wanted to do. It was as if this ministry of service would be something to supplement my other activities, often, when it was convenient.
Perhaps this is somewhat similar to the situation Peter found himself in, pledging to lay down his life for Christ at one moment, but then denying Christ when the sacrifice became too great. I don't say this out of a sense of guilt, but to acknowledge the fact that we often view ministry and service in this way. In fact, ministry and service are often avoided by many because it is perceived as an inconvenience or interfering with what we may otherwise would want to do.
The example of Christ shows us something that is radically different from this. Ministry and service to Him was His life. Jesus was the freest of all persons because He was not divided between what He wanted to do for Himself, and God's will. Personal ambition, or this separate existence from God's will was not part of His makeup.
One of the questions that arises from the Gospels is why did Judas, one of Christ's disciples, betray His teacher and master? What motivated him to reject all that he saw, heard, and experience during his time with Christ? Of course, we can only speculate, but could it be that he was unable to align his plans of how he thought things should go with those of Jesus? Could it be that he was unable to see the healing and transformation that was possible through the way of life advocated by Christ and His teachings? As a result, he sold Him out for twenty pieces of silver.
To align one's vision with Christ's vision is not an easy thing. In fact, I don't think it is possible by our own strength. But it is possible through the power of Grace, through the power of the Spirit, that heals and transforms the distortions in our own vision, and brings it into harmony with that of Christ. Our own personal transformation and healing provides for us that experiential witness of Christ's saving power in our own lives.
Ministry and service is then no longer seen as something to supplement the other aspects of our lives, but a way of life that we wish to adopt in order to lead to further change, not only to ourselves, but to others.
Repeating again what is said above in my opening remarks: "The actions of ministry and service are not done for notoriety, position, power, or personal gain, but to make Christ present in the Church in a real and credible way".
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