Sermon: "Reflections on a Life of Service"
The Right Reverend Charles G. vonRosenberg
Third Bishop of East Tennessee

[This sermon by Bishop vonRosenberg was delivered using the following notes.]

In this sermon, I want to suggest that Christian servanthood is counter-cultural, in our time and place. That is, our culture values other ways of life much more than that of a servant. Now, I make this observation in the midst of a political campaign season that certainly emphasizes attributes other than service in those we call our "public servants." For instance, we surely would have to use thick lenses to see servanthood in the TV campaign ads these days.

Nevertheless, I put before you today the counter-cultural image of a servant, believing that our Lord calls us to lives of service. On this day that we celebrate the life of your patron saint, it is appropriate to hold up the image of servanthood. Also this day we confirm and receive several people - and all of us reneew our Baptismal Covenant - and it is therefore very appropriate for those reasons to emphasize lives of service. Indeed, in the Gospel reading today, Jesus emphasizes the law of love, in response to the experience of hate. And, further in that vein, Jesus - in word and in deed - bears witness to the life of a servant, rather than that of a master.

One of the terms from the Old Testament that made its way into New Testament use - and which relates to the subject of servanthood - is "the Son of man." At one level, that term refers to an individual, a human being. Yet, as a biblical title, it means more than only that. "Son of Man" indicates a human being sent from God, with precise responsibilities as a servant for God's sake.

Old Testament prophets, like Ezekiel, used the term in describing a particular set of circumstances. And those circumstances involved times that God Himself addressed a certain group of people, the prophets. In fact, the prophet was directed by God to do something, as God's representative. A son of man, therefore, was understood to be someone sent by God to act on God's behalf.

In the Gospels, Jesus takes up this title himself. The human being sent by God to act on God's behalf is precisely Jesus himself. In addition, with this term, Jesus claims more here than his own identity as the "Son of Man." Jesus also presents himself as an example, as one to be followed. Listen to these familiar words from Jesus, and note the connection between his own example and a life of servanthood: "Whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve" (Mk 10: 43-44). Thus, in speaking of himself, Jesus clearly is calling for his disciples - his followers - to follow him in his example.

Do we not realize at some deep level that we, too, came not to be served but to serve? Are we not aware that in serving and in helping others, we find something inside ourselves that is true and real and that gives purpose to life? Have we not experienced those moments of insight that say clearly to us that this is the reason I am here? And are not those moments clear indications for us that life really is not about getting, but about giving? "The Son of Man" - and disciples of the Son of Man - "came not to be served but to serve."

I have made several trips to the terribly poor island of Haiti. I remember vividly some conversations I have had with fellow travelers on those work trips. Remarkable insights about life and its meaning and purpose emerge from conversations like those, shared in a far-away place, absent from our typical day-to-day stresses and obligations. I remember one conversation in particular. A doctor told me that if he did not have a family back in the United States to support, he would spend much more time in Haiti - doing what he was trained to do - providing medical care to those who clearly need it and avoiding all the bureaucracy that gets in the way of his practice … simply serving. That doctor knew what we all realize at such moments of insight and of truth. It is in serving and in giving that we receive a sense of who we are and of what we are meant to do.

Unfortunately, this truth is not something we practice on a regular basis in daily life, nor do we convey it to our children and grandchildren very effectively. Instead of sharing and claiming the truth about giving and serving, are we not guilty of encouraging and seeking the goals of getting and of being served? Further, are not such goals apparently of greater importance in politics these days - and in our society at large - than is the desire to serve?

Acting like a servant is out of style in our day, in addition to being a rather lowly ambition. I thought about this not long ago as I traveled along a road out in the country. There was a deserted and run-down gas station on the side of the road. A sign over the door to the mechanic's shop still was legible, however. It read, "Service is our business." You can imagine that it was easy for me to be cynical about that message because it was clear that the place itself was out of business. "Service is our business", but no business was there. Indeed, acting like a servant is out of style these days. But the One we call "Lord" calls us precisely to such a life.

In a book titled Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life, there is a section called "The Servant God." We may read there of the joy which comes from a life of service, shared with Jesus Christ:

"We see [such joy] in families where parents and children are attentive to one another's needs and spend time together despite many outside pressures. We see it in those who always have room for a stranger, an extra plate for a visitor, time for someone in need. We see it in the students who work with the elderly, and in the many men and women who offer money, time, and energy for those who are hungry, in prison, sick, or dying. We see it in the sisters who work with the poorest of the poor. Wherever we see real service we also see joy, because in the midst of service a divine presence becomes visible and a gift is offered. Therefore, those who serve as followers of Jesus discover that they are receiving more than they are giving" (p32).

My brothers and sisters in Christ, that observation is profoundly true. "Those who serve as followers of Jesus discover that they are receiving more than they are giving." We have known the truth of that reality in our own lives, in our experiences, and in the heart of our faith. That, then, is a life of true joy - a life of service, lived in union with Jesus Christ, who came not to be served but to serve.

Copyright © 2006 The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee