Serving, Serving, Serving.

Yesterday I heard three quotes about serving…

…Listening to Bob Dylan songs including ‘You’ve got to serve somebody’:

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You might be a socialite with a long string of pearls

But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed
You’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody…

Dylan repeatedly says that even the most powerful must serve somebody.

…Reminded by several folk of the quote attributed to Pope Francis: ‘Rivers do not drink their own water; trees do not eat their own fruit; the sun does not shine on itself and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We are all born to help each other. No matter how difficult it is…’

Our very nature is to help, support, serve. It’s not that we must serve, but that we’re made to serve; we’re at our best when we serve.

…Reflecting with a few friends on Mark’s Sunday sermon: Joshua has led the Children of Israel into their Promised Land, but now he’s dying. Joshua assembles the national leaders and reminds them of their history and the God who has provided for them and led them:

‘Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshipped beyond the River Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.’

Serving others, serving God… Got to serve… made to serve… choose to serve.