to serve, not be served.

I was thinking today about our LIT program- the oldest campers who do a lot of "camper" things but also learn about and exercise a little leadership. I was also thinking today about one of the questions we ask on our staff application: "How would you define servant leadership?" I think there is a  lot to serving and a lot to leading and I think that the two often should go hand in hand. But if I had to pick the most important of the two words, I think I would say it's the "servant" part. To serve... to wait on, to assist, to offer, to render services, to help. Why is this so important? I think because scripture points out serving others quite often.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." -1 Peter4:10

"...to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up..." -Ephesians 4:12

" Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others." -Philippians 2:3-4

But perhaps the most humbling and most compelling reason that serving others is an integral part of following Christ is what we read in Matthew 20:28, "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Sometimes when I read that I have to pause and ask myself, "did you catch that?" Jesus came to earth- the Lord of lords- to serve. And that honestly blows my mind... if there is anyone I can think of that most deserves to be served it is Jesus. I strive to serve Him!! And this is how it should be- however we have a Savior who came to first serve us, in fact give his life and die for us. What a great motivation to serve him! And others. As those other Bible verses point out we must, must serve others. And we have a fantastic example in Jesus Christ. 


posted by: Tara

advent: the coming of love.

We are into the second week of Advent. Christmas day is fast approaching! In this week of Advent, as we are excitedly anticipating the birth of Christ, we will focus on:: love.

I can imagine that there were a lot of emotions felt by Mary and Joseph as they awaited the birth of their son... the Son of God, the savior of the world... Jesus. I think that there was probably some fear and trepidation, excitement, wonder, and so much more. But I absolutely think there was love.

I am a sucker for Christmas music- mostly the tried and true hymns that we sing year after year, but even in some of the newer Christmas songs, whenever we sing about Mary and her experience I have to tell you, I get a little weepy. I also have a friend who is a fabulous musician and songwriter. She wrote a beautiful song about Joseph- expresses some of the thoughts and feelings he might have had surrounding the birth of Jesus. The idea that this man and woman were expecting a baby boy, a precious tiny helpless baby who needed the care of a mom and a dad. But not just any baby- again, this is the savior of the world we are talking about! Whoa. So, when I think of the parents of Jesus I can't help but to catch my breath. What emotion they must have felt!

I have never been a parent- but I have parents and I have friends who are parents. I have watched friends as they anxiously await the arrival of their baby. As they worry over every little thing, wanting everything to be perfect. Once the baby comes, how overwhelmed they are with love for this child they have only just met. They watch the baby sleep. They touch its face over and over. It is amazing to see how parents love them some babies!

I imagine Mary and Joseph, as they waited for the arrival of Jesus, were somewhat nervous, wanting everything to be perfect. And I wonder what Mary thought when she looked at the stable, the night she was going to give birth to her baby. I don't know exactly what that stable was like. I have had little manger scenes in my house that depict a hay filled barn. But I have also heard from Biblical scholars that it might have been more like a cut out in the side of a hill- like a shallow cave basically. Either way, not a comfy bed and especially not the maternity ward at your local hospital. And I wonder if this mother wanting everything to be perfect, already loving the baby that she has carried under her heart for months, looked at that stable and offered up a quiet prayer to God saying something like, "anywhere but here Lord. I don't want my precious son, your precious son to have to be born here." I don't know. But I do know that she was faithful and she, in faith, had her baby in that stable that night- her child, the king was born.

And I think Jesus' parents loved him. Just loved him. Here is how I know. I think this might be one of the sweetest, most dear verses to me in scripture: Luke 2:16-19 (as always, the emphasis, is mine)...
^"So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart."

Christ had come! The baby was born and this was really, really great news! It had to be shared, with all (and still does) the Prince of Peace had come to the world and the word needed to be spread! But Mary, the mother, the faithful woman who carried this child and gave birth in a stable, I think, needed a minute. A minute to touch the sweet head of her child. A minute to count each of the toes and fingers on Jesus' body. A minute to kiss his sweet cheeks and tell him she loved him. Maybe, a minute to tell him she would love him forever... and to be thankful that this child who had come, would be the perfecter of love, everlasting.


Love had come. Love has come. Christ was born and he loves you. He loves me. So this week as we continue to prepare for Christmas, we prepare our hearts for the coming of love, Jesus Christ.

posted by: Tara