Frontline Devotion for Wednesday, March 29, 2006 by Penny Risen
Reprinted from March 10, 2004

Romans 12:1-8

Some tutor beginning readers, folding their lanky teenage frames into tiny classroom chairs.

Others carry food trays to retirement home residents, who wrap their wrinkled hands around theirs in thanks.

Many sing, play, act and dance a bit of joy into lives of their neighbors in amateur productions and concerts.

These are the kids of my county’s public schools --- servants all!

When my oldest son started middle school, I wasn’t very sure that the new SSL program --- Student Service Learning --- would fly.  At home, we tried to encourage charity, giving and outreach to those in need, but enforcing a school program to do the same seemed iffy.

Would kids really find volunteer jobs on spare afternoons and weekends to fulfill the 60 hours required for high school graduation?

Would parents of teens ferry their kids around to be servants for others? (Well, they did it for countless sports, rehearsals, lessons and clubs, didn’t they?)

Can you really teach people to joyfully give of themselves?

The answer is yes, and many students exceed their 60 hours of service. Those teens earn special honors upon graduation for hundreds of hours served. On their gowns at high school commencement, they wear colored cords to recognize them as extraordinary servants, as those who sacrificed their time and talents for others --- and connected! They proudly list this accomplishment on college applications, too.

The wording about how to approach giving of yourself, as listed in schools’ SSL information flyers, is encouraging for parents. It says something that we often forget to tell our kids:  ”Follow your heart when choosing opportunities. Ask ‘where are my passions?’ “

The apostle Paul asked much the same thing of Christian servants in Romans 12.

“I appeal to you brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice …”  He detailed how we all have different things to give, as one body in Christ: “We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion of faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.”

During Lent, many congregations focus on discipleship, not just membership, as a body of believers. Paul’s words remind us that we all can serve in ways large and small, and only need to exercise our “heart muscles” to learn to give joyfully of ourselves.

Happily, county schools allow a wide variety of non-profit activities for SSL hours, including many hours spent serving with church groups and religiously affiliated community outreach programs. One cold winter, my son served in a mobile soup kitchen in downtown Washington with other kids from our church youth group. His job was to ladle out soup into large foam cups and hand them to another teen, who passed the cups out the door of the van to the homeless lined up at the curb.  He came home with soup crusted on his Nikes, explaining:  “Mom, most of the soup made it into the cups, really.” As he peeled off the trainers, he told stories about how grateful the men and women were when served the simple meal.  He and many of the teens also came home nights without hats, gloves and scarves, having given them away.

Discipleship can be learned and its practice can become a lifelong joy, when we find where our passion lies in giving to others.

Prayer for the Day: Dear Lord, help me to remember that I am but one in a body of servants called to do Your work. You have given me many gifts that I want to share with joy and passion. Thank you for making me Your disciple.  Amen.

All are welcome to join and share in our Devotional Ministry on the "Frontlines" of the world.  Frontline Devotions are sent via email daily.  Sign up by clicking on the box to the left. Pastor Dave welcomes feedback.  Contact him at pastordave@goodshepherdonline.org.

Visit the Frontline Devotions Archives