Faithful Service

"Your faithful service is an offering to God." - Philippians 2:18

Nice statement.  I think the outside world - the world outside "the church" - and ironically "the church" views this term with the same lens.  You work for God.  He recieves it.  Master to slave symbiotic relationship.

However, take a look at all the yummy goodness that Paul (in Philippians) talked to his friends about BEFORE he said the above quote (Phil 2:18):

living by and being filled by the Holy Spirit, living as a citizen of heaven, being humble and imitating Christ, knowing that God is working IN you to produce good character.

These are far from what "the church" calls faithful service.  In fact, as a former follower of "the church", let's take a look at what I felt were highly valued as faithful service:

Singing in a choir, working in the nursery, coming to church regularly (no points for hit and miss attendance), bringing food for a potluck, missing an important event in order to come to a church event, wearing church appropriate clothes, hugging old people, making coffee, bringing a visitor to church or church-related event, saying a prayer in the service, staying awake in a service, being one of the last ones to leave a service, enjoying a service ... And the list goes on to infinity and beyond.

Clarification.  "The church" is different from "the Church".  The "C" makes all the difference.  If we are talking about the man-made religion thing, we are talking "the church".  However, if we are talking about what Paul describes as those living as Christ, who are not conformed to a man-made religion nor need a building to identify themselves, that's "the Church".

My faithful service looks vastly different than what I would get points for in "the church".  Today, it means having the sail of my boat be directed by the wind of the Holy Spirit.  That looks like:

• feeding a beggar when my first thought is to avoid the smell and dirt or have a sneaking suspicious they are just out for the money or being synical that my coins will make little to no impact on this one soul out on the street.
• being patient with my 12 year-old when she's told me that she really doesn't have "a whole lot of homework" only to discover her idea of "a whole lot of homework" and my idea of "a whole lot of homework" look like polar opposites.  And, by her having homework, means I have homework because if I don't sit next to her or am available to her this work just ain't gettin' done!
• folding my teenagers socks - knowing full well they are going into a bin that will eventually be worn with another sock that has no matching pattern because just having two socks is the goal and there is no consideration for having two socks that match - so why bother - but in the end - I want her to know I took the time to fold her socks - because I love her.