September 25, 2009
Surrogate
My cousin belongs to a Baptist church and one of the responsibilities of deacons is to call on members of the congregation. Laura has been her congregation for over 25 years and never had a deacon visit. When she mentioned this fact to her current deacon he said, “Oh, we’ve hired someone else to do that.” I have to admit that when I learned the church paid a retired pastor $400 a month to do all the calling I felt a twinge of indignation. Really, I don’t know why you’d want to be a deacon if you’re going to pay someone else to do your job. It didn’t take long before I had a ‘plank in the eye experience’. I was reminded that just a couple weeks ago I offered to buy the all ingredients for a potluck side-dish if one of the other ladies in the church would just please make the dish. I wound up making a dish myself…and I’m glad that I didn’t forfeit the rewards for my labor.
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Gail;
-----The role of the deacon emerged from troubles the Jerusalem church encountered in rightfully distributing supplies to those who had real needs. It was simply a response to an actual situation that seven upstanding people were selected to perform a specific task, and it was by necessity that they were given the title of deacon. Then over the centuries the title became an office more about the performance of defined duties than the responses to actual situations, until the simplicity of its function became lost in the cracks of the organization of the church.
-----In our land, the struggle for survival is easy enough that we struggle more for comfort. That is not to say there is no hunger and want for clothing and shelter, but that these are not here as massive as they were in the early Jerusalem church. So clothes closets and food banks are common amongst our churches, and those who organize them practice the true nature of deacon, while the bearers of that title safeguard church assets, escort church visitors to empty seats, go calling on church members, and enjoy the prestige of holding office.
----- It is rather a chuckle how good efforts over a short duration of time solidify into stone. But it is not so funny what the weight of the stone does to the life of the fellowship.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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