Four Functions: Serve

(part 3 of 5 posts on the Four Functions of Neighborhood Life)

On Labor Day, Discovery Channel aired a marathon of one of my family's favorite shows, "Dirty Jobs." We love watching Mike Rowe attempt the jobs that, in his words, "make civilized life possible for the rest of us." It's a weird idea for a TV show, but a refreshing one--in an entertainment universe that includes Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie, it's nice to see people who actually work for a living get their fifteen minutes of fame and be commended for doing necessary work that most of us would rather avoid. One of the reasons the show works, I think, is that Mike genuinely likes and appreciates people who do dirty jobs. The purpose of the show is to honor them, and that always seems to come across.

Apparently there are about 2 million of us who can't wait to see Mike roughnecking in an oil field or replacing a lift pump at the water treatment plant. Why is the show so popular? In a recent USA Today interview, Rowe gave his take: "People are choking on comfort and starting to develop a suspicion that our lives have become too easy." And while we may not want to spend our days getting filthy, the show capitalizes on white-collar envy of jobs that have an inherent sense of accomplishment. "A ditch digger has a ditch when he's done," Rowe says. "You probably do important work at your desk, but it looks a lot like it did when you started your day."

The Christian faith in America is currently living in a Dirty Jobs dilemma. We are, with a few notable exceptions, desk-job disciples. Our trademark activities are academic and can usually be practiced in dress clothes: study, worship attendance, listening to sermons, etc. Jesus, on the other hand, continually called our attention to the dirty jobs of the Kingdom: washing people's feet, telling us that the greatest among us is the servant, caring for "unclean" people. He grew up in a tradesman's household and injected a blue-collar ethic into a white-collar religious world.

Serving is a cornerstone of Neighborhood Life for a variety of reasons: Jesus lived and commanded it; we sense that our souls need it; a watching world recognizes the disconnect between our message and our lifestyle if we don't serve; and, of course, people in need will benefit from being served. Neighborhood Life puts us in more regular contact with people close to us, who, once we get to know them, inevitably reveal ways we can serve them: the elderly couple, the family with a new baby, and the single mom all live within a stone's throw of each of us (maybe they are us). They also become a great group of people to serve with. Our groups will be helping to build a Habitat for Humanity house together this fall, for instance, and other opportunities to serve in our community will certainly present themselves. For me personally, the most rewarding experiences we've had so far in building the church have been the serving opportunities. And because Neighborhood Life is inter-generational, I've had the opportunity to serve with my wife and kids, an experience I value as a parent and husband. I suspect that few things will match the fulfillment or impact in our community that serving in Christ's name will bring.

Mike Rowe has noticed something different about dirty jobs workers: "The people I meet have a pretty even world view, that quiet knowledge that comes from knowing that even though your contribution may not be understood or appreciated, it matters." We are determined to be about things that matter to people in our community. People who never attend a service at the Springs should still experience service from the Springs. And if they do, we'll have the thrill of being in the middle of God's transformational work where we live.