Your Calling as a Deacon

Gary Straub

• Publisher: Chalice Press
• Year: 2005
• eBook ISBN: 9780827244184
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Denominations

This resource for individual and group study explores what it means to be a deacon in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Addressing both the leadership and spiritual requirements of the position, Your Calling as a Deacon offers new and seasoned deacons the direction, understanding, and encouragement to serve God and church.

1

Who Me, a Deacon? Why Me?

Trust me—you’re going to get this call. On the far end of the horizon of your cell phone, somebody from the nominating committee wants to know if you will serve as a deacon. Can you hear me now?

After you regain consciousness, you will want to know why they selected you. Maybe their thought process went something like the following:

Someone saw this deacon calling in you. They saw it when you spotted that single mom trying to fill three plates and juggle two kids in the potluck line after church. You found her a high chair, helped her brood get settled at a table, and introduced her around.

Someone noticed how you attend to the details of worship in such an efficient, easy way, smoothing the process and soothing the people.

Someone realized that when you say yes to a commitment in the life of the church, it is as good as done and done well.

Someone figured out that you don’t wait to be asked. You take the initiative and meet the need. No fanfare or thanks needed.

Someone watched the way you led the youth group, including and appreciating each teen for his or her unique contribution to the project.

Obviously this mysterious someone “ratted you out” to the church nominating committee, prompting their call inviting you to consider becoming a deacon.

We’re waiting; and your reaction to the call? That furtive look on your face, that cracked voice, that furrowed brow, that cold sweat; all scream that you are unprepared to respond. Before you launch that bogus spiel about “this is an obvious case of identity theft,” take a ’time out,’ will you?

Before you say no way, this little book welcomes you to consider thoughtfully and prayerfully the ancient and honorable office of Christian deacon. Instead of doing all the talking, take on the task of listening. Take a long look within; live attentively. Pay attention to the silent side of prayer.

Now, I will grant you that some churches just need “warm bodies” to fill deacon slots, complete rosters, present a full slate, and stack committees. In that case your “calling” will consist of frantic activity without much spiritual focus, busy work. In churches trying to fill slots, the invitation to become a deacon may not mean much. But let’s not go there!

Instead, consider deaconing to be your next spiritual adventure, a chance to explore who you are before God and to serve a purpose beyond yourself. Let’s explore this possibility. Spiritual adventures often unfold at “hinge” moments for the soul. Hinge moments happen when we are willing to hold ourselves open to God and deeply listen to what our lives are telling us. In hinge moments the door between time and eternity swings wide open into an unexplored dimension.

I don’t mean to make your calling as a deacon sound like an episode of The Twilight Zone. I was hoping your calling as a deacon might serve as a wake-up call. You are done mushing your way through the mundane. You are off on an adventure with God.

As you hold in your heart the possibility that God is up to something in your life, I invite you into a season of thoughtful discernment. Carve out some intentional moments of reflection. I don’t mean take a thirty-day silent retreat with the Benedictines. You might be surprised at what can happen in fifteen minutes.

Ready or not, plop down in your favorite chair and light a candle to symbolize your desire for illumination. Focus your attention on your breathing and center yourself. Offer to God your intention to become open. Sometimes when the distractions of daily life are distressing you, it requires great effort to still your soul. As you give less energy to the distraction and more energy to being present to Christ, an almost imperceptible shift takes place. You begin to notice moments of God’s presence, power, and love. In this moment, ask God what this invitation to become a deacon means at this point in your life and at this season in your lifelong discipleship. Sometimes new spiritual adventures signal the cutting edge of our growth toward Christ. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, rest at the bottom of your breath and listen to any nuance or nudge the Spirit may be offering you. Lift your gratitude to God for all that it means to even be asked to serve as a deacon. Trust the promise that where God guides, God also provides. Claim the faith that whatever wisdom necessary to make a solid discernment will be yours as you explore this call.

Discernment is about holding your life up to God, offering your gratitude for guidance, and listening as if your life depended on it, because it does! There, now you’ve started. That wasn’t so hard after all!

Attraction to Distraction in Listening for a Call

Dealing with your inward attraction to distraction is not always easy when seeking to listen to God in prayer. The almost magnetic pull toward mind clutter and a noisy heart may be refocused by choosing to intentionally work your way through these fourteen focal factors as you process your own discernment. You may want to use them, one by one, as a resting place for your spirit.

1. Fear Factor
   This is your time to exaggerate and awful-ize. Imagine your worst nightmare about being a deacon. Own up to this anxiety however dreadful, silly, or inappropriate. This is no time for being proper and polite. Know that confessing this fear begins to tame it. Often, courage is just fear that has said its prayers!
2. Unfinished Factor
   New levels of spiritual responsibility have a way of jogging our psyche and surfacing unfinished business that has been buried beneath the busyness. Are there emotional, spiritual, or personal issues so unattended and unaddressed internally as to hinder my ability to effectively serve? Do I have hot button issues that blind, distort, and impair my judgment? Instead of dealing with my own unfinished soul work, do I project internal problems onto others, assuming they have the problem? What must I do to be finished with this past, so I can fully consider God’s preferred future for me? Do I have any earthly idea what a positive resolution would even look like?
3. Scandal Factor
   Could anything in my life create a scandal to the gospel and hand non-Christians a “free pass” to disrespect the church? If I am in the recovery process, am I recognized by my peers as being far enough along to guide others? Is my life in order? Are there any skeletons in my closet that would cause the church embarrassment? Of course we all have some, but this refers to public things like arrests, felonies, lawsuits, violations, and accusations that might negatively impact the church’s witness. How was the matter disposed of? How long ago is “long enough” ago? Is the shadowy side of my life surrendered to the Spirit? Do I need some wise counsel? Whom can I trust to confidentially discuss these matters?
4. Joy Factor
   Can I name the joy that leaps within when I consider this call? Sometimes a collision occurs at the intersection of your deep joy and the world’s great need. This is the kind of cosmic collision that often accompanies a call. After sweeping all the dark corners of our lives for cobwebs, how delightful it is to simply acknowledge the sheer joy of being of any service to our Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer God.
5. Devotion Factor
   Have I sufficiently attended to my inner life and developed habits of the heart and spiritual practices that sustain me in tough times? Do I have anything to offer souls who are fed up, used up, burned up, burned out, and bummed out? Do my practices feed my own soul and provide a wellspring of spiritual strength to draw upon? Do I know how to dwell in Christ? Can I sustain myself and serve others over the long haul?
6. Gift Factor
   Have I discovered my own spiritual gifts? Do I even know what they are? Do I have an inkling of how they operate? Am I willing to work through a process to uncover them so I can offer them effectively in Christ’s service? How might my strengths be teamed with others to complement the ministry needs of the congregation for this season of our life together as a faith community?
7. Fun Factor
   God’s work is not all deadly drudgery! What would make deaconing fun for me? Do opportunities to learn excite me? Does the prospect of spiritual growth sound like fun? Would getting to hang out with people I admire and appreciate strengthen my desire to serve? Where is the fun in this call? If you aren’t drawn to a fun factor, don’t do it; you’ll drag the whole team down!
8. Pastor Factor
   Do I have a positive personal regard for the pastoral staff? Am I open to working closely with them? Is there a sincere spirit of collegiality among us? If not, am I willing to do my part to heal and reconcile this key relationship? We may not have a personal friendship, but do we at least have a solid basis for mutual respect? Can I support my pastor and trust that she or he will support me? Am I willing to lead and be led by my pastor and/or pastoral staff?
9. Example Factor
   Will I be able to deal comfortably with the expectation of being looked up to as a spiritual example in behavior and attitude? If being a role model makes me nervous, can I at least imagine myself growing into this role? Am I able to claim my own Christlikeness without resorting to false piety or lapsing into denial of the power that God has given me to offer others? Am I comfortable with my own spiritual seasoning and maturation? Do I understand the principle that people are only looking through me to Christ?
10. Legacy Factor
    What difference might my service make for the church’s coming generations? What spiritual and material resources can I offer to God in a way that provides a legacy, a gift, for the years beyond my own lifetime? Creating an example of how to move beyond success to spiritual significance for Christ in the generations yet-to-come is a powerful positive motivator. Blazing a trail for others to follow might mean that I will need to be much more intentional about stewarding my resources to maximize future impa...

Table of contents

• Cover
• See Also
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Preface
• Chapter 1 - Who Me, a Deacon? Why Me?
• Chapter 2 - Deacons in the New Testament
• Chapter 3 - The Heart of a Deacon
• Chapter 4 - Discerning our Gifts as Deacons
• Chapter 5 - Finding Your Place in Ministry
• Chapter 6 - Encouragement for Discouraged Deacons
• Appendix: Know Your Gifts