March 9, 2016

What do you think of when you hear the word “service”? Do you think of going to church? Does the word service mean “the time in the worship space when you worship your G-d”? Or perhaps, you think about doing a good deed for someone else. For the purpose of our lesson here today, let me share this story. I once read about a pastor who was traveling in the Philippines, when he passed a farmer on his way to the market. The farmer was running along carrying an enormous load of vegetables and produce hanging from a wooden yoke that he carried across his shoulders. The pastor stopped the car he was driving so he could take a picture of the farmer. The farmer then dropped his load to visit. When the pastor asked if the load was heavy to carry any long distance, the farmer replied, “No, it isn’t, because it’s balanced.” “Doesn’t that yoke hurt?” the pastor asked. “At first it did, but I carved and sanded it with a rough stone, and now it fits and is comfortable.” The pastor also noticed that the man had placed a small cloth across his neck to help cushion the shock.

Remember the text from Matthew 11:28-30:

28 “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

It is not uncommon to hear this text used to decry the uneven burden that a few in the congregation carry for the many – or for the burdens that any in the congregation may carry, burdens like sadness, grief, loss, and sickness.

It is true that many congregations operate under the 80/20 rule, where twenty percent of the people do eighty percent of the work. There is a heavy and unmanageable burden that is being carried by too few faithful people, and not enough burden being carried by the many. This unevenness can cause a lot of strain and stress within the body of Christ. The remedy to this uneven burden is to find a way to balance the load, and delegate the responsibilities of ministries and committees so that all can carry the burdens of ministry together. When the work of service in the church is delegated and carried evenly across the members, then the yoke becomes comfortable and easy, as the Lord said it would.

Pastor Dave