Acts 6

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.