It is amazing how generous people in the church can be with their time. Sometimes I feel awkward asking someone to do something, and am surprised by how willing they are to give of their time and talents.

Weekly I am surrounded by people who volunteer hours of their time to help provide music for worship. For example, a choir member gives an hour and a half each week for rehearsal and another hour and a half for worship. The gifts of time quickly add up when one consider how others serve through ringing handbells, being on committees, or helping run other church programs. And I never hear grumbles.

Jesus talked a lot about money, and we are called to be generous with it. But we are also called to generous with our time, and often it’s not a chore. When the Spirit dwells within us, we want to give our time to make our worship meaningful, make our church run smoothly, or feed our neighbors.

Strictly theoretically, if I were assigned a sentence of community service by a court of law, it wouldn’t be that bad of a sentence. There is great joy in giving of oneself wholly to the service of someone else.

Prayer

Lord, Here I am. Use me. Amen.