In the sixth chapter of Acts, it is brought to the attention
of the disciples that some of their responsibilities are falling through the cracks-the
widows are being neglected in daily distribution of food. In order that they may focus on “prayer and
the ministry of the word”, they set apart seven disciples to “wait on tables”. This story is often referenced when
discussing the roots of the Diaconate- which is convenient since I actually
enjoy waiting on tables. But it wasn’t
until a few days ago that the depth and meaning of that story came to life for
me.
It was Day 1 of the Theological Conference. In my role as the Diaconal Ministry Intern at
the Office of the Bishop, I had one week to help my supervisor move the entire
conference from a flooded Estes Park to the suburbs of Denver. With a little bit of luck and a LOT of help
and generosity from a local congregation, it had come together and we were
moving through the schedule of events. As
the event began, I found myself looking forward to meeting and connecting with
pastors and other leaders from around our synod. But while some were attending a pre-session
gathering and others were trickling in to register, I was in the kitchen
setting up for the Welcome Reception.
While they were meeting in their conferences, I was working with the
caterer to prepare for dinner. And as
they headed into opening worship, I was working with the wonderful volunteers
to clean-up from dinner.
And then as I was pushing the cart filled with dirty coffee
cups, the light bulb came. It was less
of an “ah ha”, and more of a “Holy sh*t” sort of impact- I was stopped in my
tracks. The words from the story in Acts
6 came rushing over me “let us set apart…whom we may appoint to this task”. It was more than just making sure the coffee
was full (though now I am a percolator expert!), it was about creating an
experience for those who came to retreat, it was about developing relationships
with those behind the scenes, and it was about the conversations with the
volunteer who recognized the challenges of the Church, with the teenage girl who
had a passion for ministry, and with the young man who was dreaming big. It was about recognizing my call to something
different- my call to Diaconal Ministry.
