I was going to write a book review, but I think I’ll save that for
tomorrow. In today’s post, I want to mention something that I love
about my church.
One of the churches in which I grew up made a big deal about becoming
a deacon or elder. It was a sign of status. People would make
political moves to become a deacon or elder. The church actually split
because one person was made a deacon, while another was not.
My Dad was rather critical of all these political moves to become
deacons. He said that a deacon is a servant, and he wondered why a
person could not just serve, without the fancy title. Many people,
however, want the glorious title! Just serving is not enough for them.
At the Presbyterian church that I currently attend, it does not seem
to me that people make a big deal about being a deacon or elder. We
have them, but I don’t see people clamoring for the positions. I think
of one guy who was made a deacon, I think it was last year. He cleared
out the snow at church. He did that before he was a deacon. He did
that after he became a deacon. He just served. He didn’t care about
the glory. That seems to me to be the case with other deacons and
elders at my church. They just serve. And I am allowed to serve, too,
without having a fancy title.
Part of the issue, I think, is that many at my church have been
living in the area and going to that church all of their lives. It’s
home for them. People care about their home, and they serve it, without
giving a second thought. People who may not see a place as home,
however, may be more likely to seek acceptance, through high-ranking
positions, for instance.