| “Thank you for serving the table” One counselee recently said, “Yesterday, my husband and I were invited to host the table of bread and blood at church. Communion is a special, tangible reminder of Jesus’ body, the Word of God, broken for us so that our bodies, mind, emotions could be healed. He purifies us with his word. Eating that bread in his name is a ritual, so our bodies remember what is true.” As she continued reflecting on the mystery and symbol of the Lord’s table, she turned her attention to me and said, “Thank you for serving the table, Emily.” By leading her in prayer counseling, she recognized that I had the privilege of facilitating an encounter with her Lord and Savior, much like she and her husband had when they served their brothers and sisters the bread and wine at church. Sometimes our work counseling is very heavy. We hear incredibly hard stories. We meet with people who have little hope for change in themselves or their relationships. We see our inability to produce long-lasting, life-transforming, heart-change in anyone. We feel inadequate: what do we possibly have in ourselves that could truly satisfy the needs and “hunger” these people bring? We can so easily fall into a false sense of responsibility for their wellbeing. In meditating on the stories of Martha and Mary recently, I had a few glimpses of what our role is designed to be: Martha, serving the table joyfully, where Jesus is the host and provides the meal to his followers. Mary, reclining at his feet to receive, or inclining herself at his feet to bless and minister to him, pouring out perfume. Both women learned that they were not the central figure in the room. (See John 12:2-3 and Luke 10:39) We, like all of Jesus’ followers (that’s you, too!) get to minister to the Lord, receive from him, then serve others so they can also know him and receive from him! It’s his body and blood that we partake of, that heals us, that purifies us. He is the meal, and he alone satisfies. The weight of false responsibility lifts when we remember this. What false responsibility are you bearing? How can you pour that out and receive from Jesus, so you can joyfully serve others? |
Earthquake updates (Venezuela and Colombia)
If you want to donate to support the Colombian earthquake victims, you can do so through this link:https://give.y360.org/give/helpcolombia
Our missionary friends there will help administer those funds to aid those in need.
