Reflection This Week
SERVANTS’ ENTRANCE

   As Christians, as I mentioned last week, I believe it to be true that we are to live our lives on a constant fishing expedition. All that we think and say and do should reflect our desire to see and seek and serve the Jesus we see in every person we meet wherever we are. If we do that, we will “catch” lots of fish – those who do not know Jesus or who know him so poorly that they truly have no idea who he is or what he will mean for them once they get to know him on intimate terms.

   Fishing for people, to use Jesus’ analogy, is never easy because the “prey” usually does not want to get caught; and when they are, it usually takes them quite a while to realize that they have been hooked, hooked on Jesus, if you will. Adding to that already-heavy burden is the truth that we fisher folk not only resist going fishing for others, we often act as if we have not been caught ourselves. At times we behave just like those for whom we are supposed to fish.

   Fishing is servant ministry, no more and no less. As Jesus came among as one who serves (Luke 22:27), so we are to go among others as their servants. Given our understanding and mind-picture of servanthood and servants, we tend to automatically rebel against such a notion even as we know it to be our calling as Christians. To be reminded of that servant ministry is something we would like to avoid – as if that would make our responsibility any less!

   There is a small Roman Catholic Church in Spokane that has a sign posted over every door that reads “Servants’ Entrance”. For first-time visitors reading those words has to come as a shock. They might even be tempted to look for another entrance given the mindset those two words automatically convey. On the other hand, I would hope that for the members of that parish the sign remains both a shock and a reminder and never becomes blasé or taken for granted.

   Yet, there is so much truth in those two words that their meaning will always come as a shock no matter how many times they are read because the responsibility that follows can never be diminished. In fact, it can only be enhanced as one comes to understand more and more what it means to be a servant in the manner in which Jesus modeled and mandated that ministry.

   The reason why we servants approach and enter those doors again and again and again is to come to the place where we receive whatever nourishment we need to go back out again and do some more fishing. We come to our church to be fed in the Eucharist, nurtured through education and fellowship, enlivened through worship and sent back out renewed and strengthened to fulfill our servant ministry. That ministry, again, is to fish for those who have not heard what we have heard, not seen what we have seen, not experienced what we have experienced as Christians and as members of this parish family.

   The more we realize what it means to be constant fishers and dedicated servants, the more we will feel the need to come back to this place on a regular basis and the more willing we will be to be even more diligent fisher folk. WJP