Serving Without Notoriety

 In churches, schools, businesses, and even sports arenas, we all notice those who are on the stage. We don’t always see the Martha’s. They are the ones that do the small tasks that no one wants to do, but everyone gets to benefit. They are the first ones to arrive and the last ones to leave. We may not always see what they do, but when they are gone, we realize how valuable their service is. 

Many people misunderstand the passage when Jesus speaks to Martha about serving and her complaining that Mary is just sitting at his feet. He wasn’t chastising Martha for her serving, but for her attitude. She needed to understand that she could worship with service, so her sister could worship at Jesus’s feet. Neither one was better in Jesus’s eyes, but the attitude of one was better. When we serve with the attitude that we are serving to make the experience for someone to worship at Jesus’s feet, and we then can worship at his feet, then we get it. 

At my church, I had a friend who served in ways that most people did not see. If you sat in a chair at Mosaic, he set it up. If you danced on the floor on the stage, he laid it down and made sure it was safe. If your children enjoyed the worship in their ministry, he was behind the scenes making sure that it was done well. Most importantly, if you connected to others because you had a meal with them after a service, he was the reason because he made sure that those lunches and dinners existed and that they existed to connect new people at church with those of us who were members. 

Losing a friend is difficult. We may not always appreciate or see the value of the friendship until someone is gone, but this is a friendship that I never took for granted. I came to Mosaic with such disdain for the church, that I wondered if anyone would even speak to me. My friend who served behind the scenes knew the value of connecting people with Jesus because they were hurt. Even though I may have more knowledge than he did on the Bible, he understood a relationship with Jesus is more than Bible knowledge, but actual application of sharing the love of Jesus with others, even if they do not always see it was true Christianity. He helped me see the love of Jesus. 

This last week, my friend left this life on earth and entered the presence of Jesus. We never know when our last day on earth will be. We just need to live each day as if it were our last and share the love of Jesus with others. I know I will see Phil Cambre again when I leave this earth. I know I’ll have to look in the quiet corners of heaven surrounded by all the people he influenced. This last week, I reminded myself every day that how I treat people, how I serve is what is valuable. May we all live our lives with that value.