True and Faithful Service

It can’t have escaped your notice that we are celebrating, as a nation and commonwealth, the Platinum Jubilee of our Queen.  This remarkable achievement is something truly to be celebrated regardless of whether you are a fan of the Royal Family or staunchly republican.  Of course in most cases, 70 years of loyal service to the same employer may be considered verging into the        category of employee abuse; but the Royal Family is different.  Our Queen is not an employee nor is she under any obligation to continue doing what she does day after day – very few people would mind if, at the age of 95, she    started taking things a bit easier.

Over the last 18 months the world of employment has seen a phenomenon taking place called ‘The Great Resignation’.  Record numbers of people have been quitting their jobs.  The reasons for quitting or dropping out of the labour force are quite varied.  They include lack of adequate childcare, low pay,    concerns about Covid, burnout and fatigue.  Some are quitting in search of better work opportunities, self employment or better pay.

This ‘Great Resignation’ has not escaped the Church either.  Many clergy have quit their offices (don’t worry, I’m not planning on quitting just yet)   citing increased workload, lack of respect, stipends not keeping up with the cost of living and fatigue.  But we have also seen ‘The Great Resignation’ impact the Church as volunteers re-assess their priorities and relinquish      their responsibilities with no one ready or prepared to take them on.  More and more tasks are then loaded onto the already overburdened clergy impacting on their levels of desire to keep going.

St Paul implores us to ‘Be devoted to one another in love.  Honour one       another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with the Lord’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality’. (Romans 13.10-13)

At our Baptism, we are signed with the Cross – our badge of office – and    encouraged to fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ against sin, the world and the devil, and remain faithful to Christ to the end of our lives.  We are        encouraged to ‘shine as a light in the world to the glory of God the Father’.

Today, if you are feeling like giving up… take a moment to be renewed by God’s grace; consider God’s calling in your life and carry on.  Unlike our Queen, we may not receive any recognition on earth for our dedicated         service, but we continue serving nevertheless knowing that a greater reward awaits us:  ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’.

With every blessing, Colin Resch