Saturday, August 17, 2024  

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Today's Scripture
Acts 6:1–15

Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables. Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task, while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word.” What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. The word of God continued to spread; the number of the disciples increased greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. (NRSV)

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Reflection

The early church faced a problem: growth. I know what you are thinking: “What a great problem to have!” But the growth was too much in a short period of time. They went from start-up to enterprise in a matter of weeks.

The original merry band of twelve couldn’t keep up. The apostles were dedicated to their gifts of prayer and preaching, but as the number of faithful grew, so did their practical needs. In this case, they struggled with the distribution of food to widows in their community.

The apostles, in their wisdom, didn’t try to do it all. They recognized the importance of their primary calling — prayer and the ministry of the Word. But they also understood the equal importance of service to the world around them. So they delegated the task of serving tables to qualified others.

This was not about superiority or inferiority. The Greek word translated as both “wait on tables” and “serve the Word” is diakoneo. It speaks of service, pure and simple. Both roles were vital to the health of the early church. They laid hands on them. The definition of ministry was expanded. And when they embraced it, the word of God spread.

We often assume that the church’s work is solely the responsibility of clergy. While preaching and teaching the Word are undeniably core to our Christian life, they represent just one facet of our church’s mission. In truth, we are all called to serve, each in our unique way.

Whether it’s through preaching, teaching, volunteering, or acts of compassion, God invites us to discover our individual ministries. By embracing our callings and serving together, we become the living embodiment of the church.

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Prayer
O God, I seek to live a life devoted to you and to your purposes. Help me to go beyond my comfort zones to embrace a life of service and Good News. Amen.

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Written by Shawn Fiedler, Major Gift Officer

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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