Dear Truro family,
In last week’s Gospel reading (Mark 10:35-45), James and John – two of Jesus’s closest disciples – ask if they can be seated at Jesus’s side when he ascends to glory. Jesus responds by saying that he cannot give them what they ask. He goes on to say that whoever wishes to be a leader must be a servant, and whoever would be first must be a slave. Not only that, he tells them that “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).”
Jesus couldn’t give a position of authority and honor. That was not his to give. What he could give was himself on the cross, as a ransom for the sake of others.
Friends, this is the way of Jesus. In a world of social climbing, his way is the way of downward mobility. In a world that craves power and honor, it is the way of service. In a world that worships personal autonomy, it is the way of becoming as a slave for the sake of others. To be a follower of Jesus is to learn and walk in this way – the way of laying down one’s life for the sake of others.
This Sunday we’re hosting a “ministry fair” in between services on the front lawn/patio. It won’t be as big a production as years past, but we hope it will be a wonderful chance for folks to connect with one another and find places to serve. Even more than that, however, we’ll be packing bags of food for kids at Catherine John Middle School – just down the road from Truro – who don’t have enough to eat. We’ve already collected enough food for 75 such bags, and we would be happy for you to bring more. And as we pack those bags together, perhaps we’ll learn just a little bit more about the way of Jesus as we become servants to a handful of young people in our neighborhood.
Your partner in Christ,
Rev. Mike Seawright