A Homily delivered by our deacons.
Discipleship is about following Jesus Christ. It’s a journey. And every journey is made up of steps. That’s what our current homily series is all about: the simple steps of discipleship. Because, it turns out, successful discipleship all comes down to simple steps. They may not be easy, but they are entirely simple. The steps we’re talking about are aimed at simplifying not complicating your life.
As a review, STEPS (S-T-E-P-S) is an acronym.
- S is about service in the ministry and/or on missions. Jesus called himself a servant, and that’s what he wants his followers to be.
- T is about tithing and giving. God is generous. God is a giver, and we can use our money to become more like him.
- E is engage which is about small groups. Faith is personal, not private. We are a people of God, and our faith needs to be lived out in a community of people.
- P is the practice of prayer and the sacraments.
- S Lastly we talk about sharing our faith. Our faith actually grows as we share this message with others.
Each week of this series we’re looking at another step. Two weeks ago Fr. Doug introduced the next STEPS series, and last week he presented Prayer and the Sacraments. The step we’re looking at this weekend is at the foundation of discipleship--Missions and Ministry.
Missions deals with service beyond our parish. In the Book of Acts, Jesus charges his disciples, “Be my witnesses in Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) For us, Judea might mean service right here in Fort Walton Beach; Samaria could be about serving elsewhere in our country; and the ends of the earth is service out there in the wider world. Often we fulfill our missions to “Samaria and the ends of the earth” financially and through prayer. But most of us can’t go to third-world countries or those places where the needs may be great but are outside the possibilities open to us.
Ministry, on the other hand, refers to serving our own church family. That’s what I want to invite you to consider today.
In the reading from the Book of Numbers, God calls seventy individuals to a special ministry of prophesy. They were given the singular grace to be signs to the people of Israel of the care and benevolence of God for His people. But some of the people tried to put God in a box, saying that unless two men, Eldad and Medad, were present at the gathering, God's grace did not come upon them.
Likewise in the Gospel, John is upset because he saw someone, who was not one of the chosen disciples, driving out demons in the name of Jesus.
In both cases, St. John and the Israelites try to limit the power of God and restrict God's power to a special group. Jesus and Moses admonish them, as Jesus says, "For whoever is not against us is for us."
Nothing really changes does it? We often lose sight of what ministry really calls us to do—God’s work. He does not limit who He calls to do that ministry or how they are to do it. Jesus told his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Mt 9:38) He calls each of us at our baptism to perform ministry, and it is our duty to carry that out in our lives. Together we advance the Kingdom of God on earth. And remember what Jesus said today about the one who serves—such a one “will surely not lose his reward.” (Mk 9:48) And, of course, we know that Jesus came to serve, not to be served. As disciples are we above our Master?
We should ask ourselves: What ministry is God calling me personally to do? Where in my life am I serving another in Christian love?
There are any number of ministries for you right here in your parish that take place while you’re here at Mass. There are three I’ll mention. Each of these can use some helpers: usher or hospitality minister, sacristan, and Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. We all come to church every Sunday, and these three are basically performed when you’d be here anyway but which can enhance your experience of the liturgy as sacred moments.
Ushers provide a smile and a welcome to all who enter here and perform several other tasks during Mass. Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion assist our priest in distributing the Eucharist to the rest of our parish family. If we are one day to be able to offer Communion as both the Body and Blood of Christ, we will need more Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion to serve as ministers of the cup. Sacristans come a little earlier and stay a little later, setting up for Mass, ensuring that all is prepared for the rest of us to joyfully celebrate the Lord’s Supper. You can see the ushers and Extraordinary Ministers and know who they are but the sacristans work behind the scenes.
Not one of these ministries is complicated, would you say? Yet in performing one, you respond to Christ’s personal call for you to minister to others. It might be uncomfortable for you to step out of the pew but once you do, you’ll never want to go back to just sitting there.
Missions and ministry are paths to genuine discipleship. All you need to do to get started is either call the office or, better yet, sign up today right after Mass. There are people waiting to take your contact information right at the front of the church. Please take this next step now. You folks sitting in the transepts, won’t you also go to the front to sign up? It will take only a minute for you do that. We’ll take it from there. How simple is that?
Remember the parable of the talents? To whom much is given, much is expected…and still more will be given. Remember also that Jesus told his disciples that the last will be first but the servant of all. Put another way, no matter how small our role, if we do it for the sake of His name, we will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life. (Mt 19:29-30) No matter how you look at it, that’s a really good deal.
Won’t you take this small step this morning? Won’t you respond to this personal invitation to ministry? Won’t you answer the call to discipleship TODAY? Father and I are looking forward to working with you in building a parish that is more amazing than we already are.
Discipleship is simply following the Lord, step by step…a little bit more today than yesterday; a little bit more tomorrow than today. And in the process discovering a more fruitful and successful life step by step.
Here is a link to the audio version by Deacon Dan:
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