New Deacon

While growing up, I often heard these words, "Those Darn Deacons" from my father! Dad was one of the most devout church attenders in history and also one of the most critical. In his frequent capacity as a part-time minister of music in various churches, Dad found himself at odds with the local deacons of the church. Discussions on purchasing a pipe organ or timpani or handbells were common and any irritation was exacerbated by the inevitable deacon's meeting during choir practice. The result was a rather antagonistic relationship between my outspoken father and the leaders of the church. Therefore, I grew up with the view that deacons are the enemy and are not to be trusted.

It has never been a personal ambition of mine to be a deacon. My busy schedule, my continued commitment to my family, and my efforts to be successful in my new position as Dean, leave little room for any additional experiences. But as I type these words, I know that when God calls you to serve, you are wiser to say yes than no!

So it came as a great surprise when I found myself being ordained as a deacon. I experienced a wide variety of emotions during this service with the prevailing emotion being that of great humility. I am now among men who are giants in the church. Men whose devotion to spiritual matters is only excelled by their commitment to ministering to the needs of the people. How can I, with my many flaws, walk among them and be a Christian leader in the church?

It is ironic how quickly I embrace leadership opportunities in music and even in other capacities but experience fright and insecurity at being a deacon. God has now called me to serve outside of my comfort zone and to be a part of a ruling body and to make decisions that uphold His will in all situations. Am I truly up to the task? I think not, but I also recognize that God gives us the strength and the ability to accomplish more than our human frailty and inherent natures would normally allow. I suppose it is time to "step up to the plate" and be one of those "darn deacons" and to become the Christian man that God demands from me.

So I humbly submit myself to His will, and I seek his guidance and his leadership as I take on this new endeavor. While I remain very humble, and somewhat fearful of this new role, I also know that I can do "all things through Christ who strengthens me." I will fail on my own--as is always true--but will succeed through Christ. It also won't hurt to have a few friends help along the way! But it is time for my deaconship to be about serving others and not myself. I now work to toss my natural selfishness aside and instead focus on ministering to others. Praise be to God for this great opportunity.