Tag Archives: service

No Place #Advent

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There is no place
for pride
or arrogance
here.
There is no place for rebellion,
rejecting the better way.
No room for those
who think they know better,
or are better.

Corruption must go,
haughtiness be brought down,
lawlessness corrected.

Only service belongs here,
in and through God,
lived in humility,
truth,
hope
and love.

That is God’s way.

May it be my way

The theme of the first week in Advent is The Day of the Lord.  We look forward to the coming of that day.

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13  (CEV)

Sinful Jerusalem

3 Too bad for that disgusting,
    corrupt, and lawless city!
2 Forever rebellious
    and rejecting correction,
Jerusalem refuses to trust
    or obey the Lord God.

9 I will purify each language
and make those languages
    acceptable for praising me.
Then, with hearts united,
everyone will serve
    only me, the Lord.
10 From across the rivers
    of Ethiopia,
my scattered people,
my true worshipers,
    will bring offerings to me.

11 When that time comes,
you won’t rebel against me
    and be put to shame.
I’ll do away with those
    who are proud and arrogant.
Never will any of them
strut around
    on my holy mountain.
12 But I, the Lord, won’t destroy
    any of your people
who are truly humble
    and turn to me for safety.
13 The people of Israel who survive
will live right
    and refuse to tell lies.
They will eat and rest
    with nothing to fear.

I Want to Serve the Purpose of God

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All About Me

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It’s all about me,
what I can get,
what I want,
how far I can get –
what’s in it for me?

You called me
and I came,
but now I want more.

I want some guarantees,
some certainty
that what I have given up will be worth it,
and yes,
if I’m honest,
a little bit of glory,
some respect,
recognition,
people to know
how important I am to you.

But that’s not how it works.
I sit alongside you
by doing as you do,
sharing in your life and work,
it’s about giving,
not getting
and I’ve missed that point.

Forgive me Lord,
when I have got it wrong;
looked at results
not actions;
when I have worried about me
not you and your way;
when all I have done
has been about being seen,
noticed,
valued
and praised,
not sacrifice
and giving.

Lord teach me the way of giving
for I long to work with you,
to live for you
and work alongside you
may that be my sole motivation.

May I drink the cup you drink.

Let is not be all about me,
but all about you
and those you call me to serve

Mark 10:35-45 (CEV)

The Request of James and John

35 James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, will you do us a favor?”

36 Jesus asked them what they wanted, 37 and they answered, “When you come into your glory, please let one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left.”

38 Jesus told them, “You don’t really know what you’re asking! Are you able to drink from the cup that I must soon drink from or be baptized as I must be baptized?”

39 “Yes, we are!” James and John answered.

Then Jesus replied, “You certainly will drink from the cup from which I must drink. And you will be baptized just as I must! 40 But it isn’t for me to say who will sit at my right side and at my left. That is for God to decide.”

41 When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with James and John. 42 But Jesus called the disciples together and said:

You know that those foreigners who call themselves kings like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over the people they rule. 43 But don’t act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. 44 And if you want to be first, you must be everyone’s slave. 45 The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue many people.

Sacrifice not Self-Seeking

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Such concern
about who is the best,
the greatest,
the most important;
which one
deserves most praise
and glory.

How can this be the focus
in the presence of you?
The one who truly is
the Great One.

Such failure to grasp
what this is all about,
what really matters.

This is not about getting,
but giving.
The concern
should be living
and loving.

Until we get that,
the cross is an anathema,
a mystery,
incomprehensible.

When we get it,
we see what giving
and serving truly are.

Lord,
may I seek the way of love
and sacrifice,
not glory
and the appreciation
of those around me.

May I live your way.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross

Mark 9:30-37 (CEV)

Jesus Again Speaks about His Death

30 Jesus left with his disciples and started through Galilee. He did not want anyone to know about it, 31 because he was teaching the disciples that the Son of Man would be handed over to people who would kill him. But three days later he would rise to life. 32 The disciples did not understand what Jesus meant, and they were afraid to ask.

Who Is the Greatest?

33 Jesus and his disciples went to his home in Capernaum. After they were inside the house, Jesus asked them, “What were you arguing about along the way?” 34 They had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest, and so they did not answer.

35 After Jesus sat down and told the twelve disciples to gather around him, he said, “If you want the place of honor, you must become a slave and serve others!”

36 Then Jesus had a child stand near him. He put his arm around the child and said, 37 “When you welcome even a child because of me, you welcome me. And when you welcome me, you welcome the one who sent me.”