After mass this morning, a number of parishioners asked me for a copy of the "10 Ways to Serve" that formed the main portion of my homily. In response to that request I've expanded my text in some ways and tightened it up in others. Here's the result...
The simple point of these
scriptures is that we are called to serve one another - as Jesus served us. That’s
a tall order, especially after having heard service described in the first
reading as being “crushed in infirmity” and in the gospel
as becoming “a servant to others, a
slave to all.”
Sometimes it’s
helpful to work the language scripture uses - not to water it down, not to
dilute it - but to make it more accessible in the hope that we might be able to
find a way to live what the Lord’s word is asking of us.
So, let’s look at
TEN WAYS we might be a servant of others
-- even a slave to all -- in
terms we can grasp and live up to.
(Did he really say TEN ways? How long is this homily going to last?)
Fear not! I’ll make these 10 points briefly - bullet
points.
1) I can serve
others simply by PAYING ATTENTION: by paying attention to their lives, their
circumstances: their pain, their burdens, their joys, their problems and their
fears… by paying attention and letting others know they are seen, they are
heard, they are cared for.
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
needs me to pay
them more attention?
2) I can serve
others with my AFFECTION:
with a warm word,
a hand on a shoulder, a hug, my gentle
presence, a word of praise, a firm handshake, any kind gesture that lets others
know they are noticed, cared for, and loved.
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
needs a share of
my affection?
3) I can serve
others with my COMPASSION:with my reaching
out to someone in trouble, just my “showing up” and being there in someone’s
time of need or loss, with my silence, when my silent
presence might be the most compassionate gift I can offer…
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
is in need of my
compassion?
4) I can serve
others by INCLUDING them: by inviting someone who’s often forgotten, by
including someone who’s often, usually, even intentionally left out, by
reaching out and drawing in someone who’s afraid to approach the group…
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
is waiting to
find, to have, to enjoy a place in my life,
in my circle?
5) I can serve
others with my PATIENCE: with my willingness to wait - without complaining
about waiting, with my calmness in matching the slower pace someone else may be
setting, with my perseverance in helping those
who stumble and make mistakes - often - even over and over again.
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
needs me to serve
them more patiently?
6) I can serve
others with my FORGIVENESS: with my not holding others to standards higher than
I set for myself, with letting go my grudges, hard feelings, anger and
resentments, with my pardoning without punishing…
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
might I serve and set
free
- by forgiving
them?
7) I can serve
others with my GENEROSITY: with my freely giving - even before I’m asked, with
my quietly giving, behind the scenes, with my finding
quiet ways to help those whose resources aren’t as great as my own, with my
giving - until I feel the pinch myself…
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
has wants and
needs my generosity
might answer and
supply?
8) I can serve
others with my UNDERSTANDING:
with my taking
time to really listen, with my listening to others before jumping into what I
have to say, with letting go my prejudice and bias, with my efforts to grasp where
others may be coming from…
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
needs my words and
deeds
to be more
understanding?
9) I can serve
others with my TRUTH: with my speaking honestly when a lie would be much
easier, with my speaking accurately when I’m tempted to exaggerate, with my
speaking face to face and not behind another’s back…
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
deserves a more
honest, accurate,
personal response
from me?
10) I can serve
others with my PRAYER: by praying for others, by praying for
others and letting them know I prayed for them, by inviting others
to join me in prayer…
So I might ask
myself:
who at home, at
work, at school,
who around me,
needs my prayers,
who needs to know
I pray for them,
whom I might invite to join me in prayer?
Ten simple ways for all of us to serve one another as followers of Jesus who served us...
I doubt that in serving others in this way that we’ll find ourselves “crushed in infirmity” or that we’ll feel we’ve been “made a slave to others.”
In fact, serving others in these ways will likely bring us JOY, the joy of giving of ourselves, in love, for others.
In the course of this homily you've heard me ask TEN TIMES: who at home, at work, at school, who around me… And each time I asked that, names and faces, relationships and situations: at home… at work… and at school… popped up in my mind and heart.
I’ll bet you might have had the same experience: names and faces, relationships and situations - popping up in your mind and heart. That’s the Lord’s way nudging us and telling us just who are the folks he wants us to serve tonight, tomorrow, this week…
As the Lord served
us with his
attention and
affection,
his compassion and
inclusion,
his patience and
forgiveness,
his generosity and
understanding,
his truth and his
prayer:
as Jesus served
us,
so let us serve
one another
at home, at work,
at school and all around us.
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