To serve

The sermon presented during service at Church of the Holy Rude, delivered by an octogenarian minister to a small, geriatric parish, was remarkably relevant and delivered with surprising passion. The minister (didn’t get his name) referenced his current reading, including a book on the Kennedys, and he built his sermon around the subject of leadership and greatness.

He cited Jesus’s proclamation that he has come not to be served, but to serve. I have always loved that idea, because I believe that is where many of those “in power” often lose sense of their roles. Whether a queen, or pope, or president, or CEO, or state legislator, true greatness in leadership lies in remembering that. As he quoted another source, (my attribution sucks today!) some “great” leaders make themselves look and feel great, while truly great leaders elevate those around them and make them see themselves as great. A worthy person brings those around him/her up, not down. I am struck by Jesus’s humility in his role on earth. It is almost like saying, “It’s not about me; it is about the message.”

Confession #104: Today I was reminded not to stereotype the elderly. I expected this gentleman to drone on and on dispassionately and by rote, since he’s been doing this for ages. Instead, he was well-prepared, well-read, and delivered his message with so much exuberance, reaching across his pulpit to us with obvious conviction in every word he spoke. Age is so immaterial; we can all be zestful children on the inside.