Working for an Audience of One

Posted by Tarik El-Ansary on February 26, 2011.

It’s 7am Sunday morning—and it’s cold outside. Somehow it’s even colder inside the Swedish American Hall. And it’s also empty. There are no chairs, projectors, sound, lights, carpets, kids toys, coffee or snacks set up for our church gathering. What are we going to do?

Everything we do is an expression of the gospel—so we are being active for Jesus sake and glory. We are ordinary people living ordinary life with gospel intentionality. Paul calls himself a servant of Jesus Christ before anything else. (Romans 1:1) Peter does the same. (2 Peter 1:1) And Jesus himself came not to be served, but to serve. (Mark 10:45)

The hall is now being prepared. Cables are being taped down. People are buzzing around prepping everything from communion and coffee to chairs and the carpets. The band is warming up and so is the hall. We all gather to pray before the service. And now a once cold, empty hall is a sanctuary, a holy space ready for people to meet with God.

We desire to model servanthood. Jesus said that all men will know that we are his disciples by our love for one another. We want people to see that love—to see the gospel-shaped relationships of the Christian community.

The lights dim as the ushers continue to seat people. Prayer. Worship. Gospel-Intentionality is how Jesus calls us to live. It has so much purpose and fits into the rhythms and style of our life.

This is why we serve at Reality—to lift up the name of Jesus and serve others while enjoying community. Sign up to serve here or send me an email at tarik@realitysf.com for more info on how to serve within our church on Sunday.

Reality SF