Atom“The Delight of Serving”
“For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…” 2 Corinthians 2.15
When I came into the church this morning (Monday) I could smell coffee brewing. Naturally I followed my nose…and found my way to the kitchen where coffee was in fact being prepared for those already hard at work in the “Rec Room.” Sometimes I think “Rec Room” might be a misnomer for this gathering space. Although the Pre-School does use it for some active games and the Tae Kwando group meets in this room regularly to practice their art, it is much more of a “Ministry Room” in my mind. It is the hub of a variety of ministries carried on by members of First Lutheran and their friends.
On Tuesday mornings, the smell of coffee signals that the quilters have gathered in the “Rec Room” for the weekly assembly of warm and colorful quilts – quilts that will eventually make their way into our community and into our world, bringing warmth and the love of Christ to those in need of hope and the reassurance that God cares. From September through May, these quilters are a well-oiled machine: from the careful gathering of cast-off and on-sale fabrics…to the cutting of this fabric into squares…to the stitching of seams…to the stuffing of insulation…to the tying off with yarn…to the final hemming of their creations. If you want to see teamwork that rivals any of our local sports teams, stop by some Tuesday morning and see these women at work. The aroma of coffee and the colorful plates of soon-to-be shared cookies and bars waiting in the kitchen (for “lunch”) are a sign that there is work being done here for the Lord Jesus.
But on this particular Monday morning it was Lutheran World Relief “Packing Day” and the aroma of coffee signaled that a dozen or so had gathered to pack not only quilts but also “health supplies” and “school supplies” into boxes to be shipped and distributed to places where they are sorely needed. Those gathered were busily cutting boxes and stuffing supplies and taping seams, and of course laughing and visiting and encouraging each other and “delighting” in the fact that they were able to do some work, to give some gift to make a difference, to be the “aroma of Christ” to someone who needed the sweet perfume of hope. Remember when we talked of the “delight of giving a couple of weeks ago in worship. It was easy to see “delight” here. “How long have you been doing this?” I asked one as they finally paused for coffee. “Since I was a little girl, helping my mother…so I guess about 90 years.” I think she was exaggerating, but as I looked around the room at those now raising coffee cups in celebration of shared ministry, I recognized that there were many others who had probably been doing this ministry for over fifty years.
I share this with you in celebration and thanksgiving for such dedicated service in Christ’s name and to invite all to consider our own place of “delightful service” for the sake of the world. I have a hunch that some of these servants would love to mentor some of our younger members even as their mothers mentored them. And where two or three or twelve gather together for such service there will be the aroma of Christ…and the aroma of coffee.
Serving with you,
Pastor Wade
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