Humbled with a New Perspective

Today I joined our community connections director at the church where I serve and we went to the Syracuse Rescue Mission to help serve lunch as volunteers.  So many moments already impacted my life from this two-hour event.  I’m trying to grasp them all.  Be patient with me as I highlight them in this post. 

First, in my 21 plus years at Northside, I’ve never been to the Rescue Mission to serve a meal.  I’ve led the church to support the Mission, I’ve participated in chapel, preached there, helped with some special outreach events, and respected their work greatly. 

The Rescue Mission does much more than serve meals, but the reality is they serve more than 700 meals a day.  Scott and I were privileged to help set up, and then we both took spots on the serving line.  I watched over 200 people come through and receive lunch.

I saw young and old, male and female, black and white, as well as other ethnicities.  I saw a staff that is committed to excellence and in a very busy environment serves a quality meal.  I saw faces that needed hope, and many that looked very cold. 

I was deeply moved by those who said ‘thank you’.  I can’t begin to imagine the varied stories represented in that long line.  I also can’t believe that at the age of 56, I never recall a time before when I fed the hungry up close and personal.  Jesus words ‘I was hungry and you fed me’ took on new meaning today. 

I saw a lot of people today who work at the Rescue Mission who call Northside home and call me pastor.  That was humbling and a blessing.  The director of their culinary institute with a 95% placement success rate, calls Northside home and is doing a fantastic job serving the Lord in this wonderful place.  He is one of many. 

As I left, I found myself thinking of the 21^st century church.  I love the church, and I mean no disrespect, but honestly, I struggled today to realize how easy it is to talk the right talk, but not serve and back up those words.  My life was changed today.  I will go back there again, and I hope that is many times.  

The director of the operation has nearly 20 years experience, and she did a remarkable job running the food line.  After the main course, my spot was the soup.  It was my honor to fill more than 200 bowls with soup.  The young man next to me served the salad.  I learned he is from Brooklyn, attends Syracuse University, and comes weekly to volunteer at the mission.  The next generation is rising up to serve and value life in ways that are humbling. 

One last thing:  I grew up thinking that if you do enough good deeds (like I did today), you earn your way to heaven.  Works could never save us.  Only Jesus saves.  That being said, those who follow Him will serve out of love and obedience, not to merit eternal life.  I’m learning again – it’s life’s privilege.