Thanking God for Christ’s call to serve

Thanking God for Christ’s call to serve
We are truly blessed by God and enriched in our fellowship by the many people of this congregation who volunteer their time and their talent in small and large ways. Their dedication and efforts witness to love and devotion of our Lord and the advancement of the Gospel of Christ in this place.

St. Paul, in his Letter to the Corinthians, tells us that, “there are varieties of gifts and varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone as a manifestation of the Holy Spirit for the common good” (12:4-11), the wonderful variety of gifts reflects the incredible complexity of God’s creation. There is no insignificant work performed here. all efforts--from maintaining our property to cleaning the church to Vestry leadership to visiting the sick to praying for one another in our Parish Family, all are equally received from the God who loves us and calls us to service. When someone responds to God’s call in the name of Jesus Christ, the blessing is twofold. All who receive the gift of their service are enriched in substance and witness and the one called is afforded an intimacy with Christ that can lead to a new depth of relationship and spiritual growth.
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St. Paul also teaches us in 1st Thessalonians to “give thanks in everything; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (5:18). The thanks we are called to express includes the thanksgiving for the service of others, the witness of fidelity, and the stewardship of the Gospel, but it is also thanksgiving for being called in the first place. In the name of Jesus Christ we gather and serve each other and through our dedication and His intervention, our service is elevated beyond the self as a direct result of His companionship. We serve with the heart of Christ and the mind of the Holy Spirit leading us as we are available for God’s glory.

Everyone is called to ministry and services by Christ, time and space are not barriers to God. It is a joy to recognize the work that is done by so many faithful and dedicated people, giving thanks to one another and to Almighty God for making the Spirit manifest among us in such a variety of ways. Where is God calling you to serve and witness in His name?

Let us pray.

Almighty God, you have called us into fellowship as the Church of Jesus Christ in this place, and you have blessed us and enriched our lives through your Holy Word and Sacraments. You strengthen us and inspire us with your Holy Spirit to live lives of mutual love and service in the world. Blessed Lord, we thank you for all the good people of faith that you have raised up among us for the work of the Gospel. Multiply our gifts by your Holy Spirit. Be in our hands and our minds and our words that we might bring your love to the world. And prosper our work to the glory of your Holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

Responding to Christ’s call to serve,
Fr. Bill+