Each Saturday during Lent, we will take some time as a church family to practice a different spiritual exercise together. Today, we are practicing and learning about service.
Definition:
Service is a way of offering resources, time, treasure, influence, and expertise for the care, protection, justice, and nurture of others. Acts of service give hands to the second greatest commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Isaiah 58:6-7; John 12:26; Matthew 22:37-39).
Reflection Questions:
- What is it like to be loved by someone as he or she loves him- or herself?
- Do you like to be served or to serve? How does this affect the way you live?
- When do you live out of an entitlement mentality rather than love of neighbor?
Spiritual Exercises:
- Serve someone daily. Every morning for the next two weeks, ask your spouse, roommate, or a colleague: “What can I do for you today?” Then do it. Talk to God about what this is like for you. What do you see about yourself?
- Develop an annual service rhythm. Develop a yearly practice of involving yourself in one intentional service, mission, or relief project. Consider which type of project speaks to some of the longings of your own heart.
- Discover your spiritual gifts. Ask those who know you to give you their take on what your spiritual gifts are. Take the SHAPE Assessment found in the Eastbrook App under “myEBC” and learn how you are uniquely gifted to serve others. Plan a way of using your gifts to benefit others in the next week and month.
- Serve your Milwaukee neighbors. Get to know the Eastbrook local outreach ministries (Food Pantry, Bread of Healing Clinic, International Community Center, and Safe Families), or another faith-based organization here in Milwaukee. Find out what they need. Ask them how you could serve. Do something that helps them help others.
- Learn from the good Samaritan. Spend some time meditating on the story of the good Samaritan found in Luke 10:25-37. Become quiet and ask the Lord to speak to you. Give your imagination to God. Read the story slowly and aloud, savoring the words. What stood out to you? Read the passage a second time, imagining you are the Levite. What are your concerns? Why are you in a hurry? Then put yourself in the place of the priest. What are your concerns? Why do you pass by? Imagine you are the Samaritan. Why do you stop to help? How do you feel about incurring all the expenses for another’s care? Who of these three characters do you tend to be like? Who in your life receives your care?
Led by JJ & Kari Stenitzer
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