Faithful Servant
Table Talk
Setting the Table
You are welcome here. The Spirit of God is gifting you great joys in little things. Take a couple deep breaths, grab yourself a cup of coffee, light a candle, do something that brings you comfort. May your eyes and your body soften for a few moments to receive the wonders of being fully present.
Imagine leaving a legacy of faithfully serving others. What would that require of you and of your life now?
“Make me a servant,
humble and meek.
Lord, let me lift up
those who are weak.
And may the prayer
of my heart always be
make me a servant,
make me a servant,
make me a servant today.”
- “Make Me A Servant” by Kelly Willard
Colossians 1:7-8
You learned about the Good News from Epaphras, our beloved co-worker. He is Christ’s faithful servant, and he is helping us on your behalf. He has told us about the love for others that the Holy Spirit has given you.
Food for Thought
This past year my father passed away, and in the face of his death my sister and I were required to make a lot of decisions as we planned his funeral and burial. One question that caught us off-guard was, “What do you want on his nameplate?” Is there an epitaph that represents his life? We thought for a while – what would be forever etched about my dad in the world? And then the phrase “Faithful Servant” came to me almost like an epiphany. That was it! We all agreed this was a wonderful epitaph for a man who really did spend his life in the service of God and in the service of others.
From my earliest memories, my dad was always serving in the church. As a child, I remember sitting on the front row of the church while my dad directed choir practice. Throughout my childhood, he also taught Sunday School, served in the men’s ministry, and was always ready to go on our church mission trips. Later in life, he served as a greeter and prided himself on remembering everyone’s name. One of the joys I had while serving on staff at a church in Kentucky was that my dad was a member of our church. We had many wonderful memories of faithfully serving God together.
The phrase “faithful servant” is also used to describe Epaphras, a faithful servant of Christ and a bold witness to the Good News about Jesus for the early church in Colossae. Epaphras was discipled and trained to be an evangelist and church planter by the apostle Paul. Epaphras’ name appears three times in scripture, twice in Colossians and once in Philemon, where he finds himself in prison with Paul. As Paul begins his letter to this church, he takes the opportunity to give a word of encouragement regarding the faithful work of Epaphras.
The significance of this faithful servant lies in how influential the early church was to the movement of Christ in this region; however, this new church launch was filled with humble beginnings. To most of their neighbors in Colossae, the little cluster of Christ followers gathered by Epaphras would probably have looked rather pathetic. They had no temple, no priests, not even a proper meeting place – just a rag-tag group of misfits caught up in a new-found Jewish religion they had learned second-hand. But here they were… invited to imagine their place in the world quite differently, and to imagine the beginning of something life-changing.
We are also invited to step into the story by considering what being a faithful servant might look like. When we die, what might be etched about us after we are gone? What legacies of love and faithfulness are we etching in the world around us?
During this season of Lent, take some time to see how your life is moving in the direction of faithfulness. Read Colossians 3:1-17 and see how Paul’s encouragement to the faithful servants in Colossae can inspire us to remove some of our earthly propensities, and to instead clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, and love.
Today, may we be found faithful, open to the Holy Spirit to guide whatever we do or say, always giving thanks to God!
How can you practice being a faithful servant today? Do you have a neighbor who could use a little extra help with chores? Could you volunteer your time and efforts toward an organization in your community? Or could you simply sit in prayer and ask God to guide you as to how you can best be a servant today.
Our “Faithful Servant” Journaling Page provides seven daily thoughts of reflection and journaling prompts that tie back into this week’s story. You can print it, forward it to a friend, use it as inspiration for your own journaling practice (or group conversations), or maybe just use it as food for thought in your own quiet time!
For a printable version of today's reflection Click Here!
Blessing
Gracious God, thank you for the faithful servants who have inspired the church and inspired my life. Grant me grace to see your faithfulness in my life, loving myself as Your child. May your Spirit inspire me to be faithful with compassion and kindness, humility and gentleness, and over all of these clothe me in Your love.
A little Table Talk for your table...
Take a moment and consider what you would want your epitaph to say. Share how you would want to be remembered.
Discuss with a friend what you think it means to be a “faithful servant”.
Sometimes, being a faithful servant means moving toward uncertainty or the seemingly absurd. Share about a time when you felt called to pursue something that required a lot of faith and imagination.
Try taking it to the Kids Table...
Talk to your kiddo about what it means to be a faithful servant.
Who in their life have they seen being a faithful servant?
In what ways can you practice being faithful servants together, at home and in your community?
Meet Our Welcoming Voice!
Dr. Mark Slaughter is an Associate Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation with extensive training in individual and team coaching. He specializes in the areas of worship, spiritual formation, and leadership. In addition to his 35-plus years of ministry, he received a Doctor of Ministry from Fuller Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity and Church Music from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and a Bachelor of Music from Belmont University. He identifies himself as a calculated adventurist that loves to have his eyes wide open, and his mind filled with new experiences. Mary Jo (Jody) Slaughter has been his partner in most of these ventures and his wife for 31 years, and they have two young adult children, Wesley, and Mary Katherine.
To hear more from Mark throughout the week, follow along on our Instagram!
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