We walked and did random exercises on Gastone’s hill
Day: April 1, 2021
A devotion on Servant Leadership from Bible App You Version (Theology of Work)
Jesus Teaches about Serving Others – Mark 10:35-45 NLT
35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do us a favor.”
36 “What is your request?” he asked.
37 They replied, “When you sit on your glorious throne, we want to sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
38 But Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink? Are you able to be baptized with the baptism of suffering I must be baptized with?”
39 “Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
41 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Then Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup and be baptized with my baptism of suffering. 40 But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. God has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
Leaders Must Be Servants
In the book of Mark, chapter 10, we see James and John asking Jesus to share in his glory by sitting at his right and left hand. In such positions, they would receive both honor and exceptional authority. Jesus seized this teachable moment to reveal something radical about his style of leadership. He explained that Gentile leaders “lord it over their people” and “flaunt their authority.” But followers of Jesus must walk a different path.
“Whoever wants to be a leader among you,” Jesus said, “must be your servant.” The Greek original of this reads more literally, “Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.” The word translated here as “servant” is diakonos (the word sometimes used to refer to a table waiter). A diakonos cared for the needs of others rather than his or her own needs. It denotes a person who serves in some subservient and humble role.
Jesus’s vision of leadership must have shocked his disciples. How can a leader also be a servant? This question continues to unsettle followers of Jesus today. All people tend to seek position and power rather than opportunities for humble service.
Servant leadership is as countercultural today as it was in the time of Jesus. Yet when we are in charge of people, we are called to be their servant. We must treat others with respect, care for their human needs and seek what is best for them, even as we seek the best for the organization in which we are a leader. Following Jesus’s leadership is not easy, but it is our calling as Christians who seek to obey and imitate Jesus.
Reflection
When you hear the phrase “servant leadership,” what or who comes to mind? Have you ever experienced this kind of leadership from one of your leaders?
Prayer
Dear Lord, I am challenged by your vision of servant leadership. This sort of thing doesn’t come naturally to me. Lord, transform my thinking and my attitudes. Help me to see the needs of my coworkers and reach out to care for them.
May I lift up those who are officially below me, seeking to honor them and acknowledge their contributions. Help me to exercise the authority given to me with humility, always seeing myself first and foremost as your servant, and therefore the servant of others. Amen.
Started off with the usual OOMPA in cadence set of warm up exercises on April Fools Day.
Grab the football and mosey to the bottom parking lot where YHC had previously placed cones and signs.
PAX played a horrible mish-mash of ultimate frisbee football, touchdown beatdown, Canadian Football League 3 downs only to pass the line of gain to keep possession, at 0540, in the dark, with a black football, both teams wearing the same black shirts, on Folsom quality pavement with the best group of HIMS you could find.
Appointed Hacksaw and Sarlacc as captains and let them pick sides. TEAM Sarlacc YHC, Beetle Bailey, Slaw, Tater Hole and Wirenut. TEAM Hacksaw, Stogie, Big Pappy, Bedpan, Wichita, Ball Joint.
Then Sarlacc told the old guy that his team could have the ball first. Thought a WOOO was going to come out!
YHC gave bad instructions on rules and how to play the game, and it was discovered that YHC laid out the playing field as crooked as Tammany Hall. Accusations of cheating against the two guys wearing Dallas Cowboys gear that just happened to be on the same team.
Rules were ignored, changed and just flat out broken. Names were called, trash was talked, multiple sets of ten repetitions were performed up and down the field by both teams. Highlights were great throws, amazing catches, awful drops, “not in my house” defense, smiles, laughs and 70 burpees too.
All that matters is that TEAM Sarlacc won and TEAM Hacksaw went down to a bitter defeat on the last play of the game when Sarlecc channeled his inner Jason Witten and caught the game winning pass.
No injuries to report. Nothing hurt other than Hacksaw’s itty-bitty feelings.
Pick up the football, signs and cones, then fellowship mosey back to Flag.
Pledge.
Prayer Requests: Stogie’s dad, Sister Act’s family, Big Pappy’s family, Medicine Woman, Huckleberry, Ballard family, Tater Hole selling his house, Oompa’s M starting a new job today, Sarlacc’s leg, Hacksaw’s leg, our country. If I forgot something please let me know.
Thanks!