The Scriptures teach that when we first come into right relationship with G-d through our faith in Messiah Yeshua, we receive the immediate indwelling and the complete fullness of G-d’s Spirit of Holiness as a sign and seal of our relationship with G-d. We did not do anything in order to earn or gain our relationship with G-d, so neither did we take in G-d’s Spirit by our own action or effort. Yet coming into a relationship with G-d, like all relationships, naturally costs the true believer: time, resources, life itself. The Scriptures are filled with the testimonies of those who after coming into relationship with G-d were “tapped” by G-d for roles and responsibilities of service for him. As I have said before, “You cannot walk with G-d and not expect to be doing work for G-d.” It’s important to remember that roles and responsibilities that we take on for G-d, regardless of what they are, are never secular in nature, but are spiritual service.
Communities of faith cannot function unless the individuals within that community of faith are willing to assume roles of spiritual service. The following is a listing of service roles required for Devar Emet to conduct a regular weekly Shabbat morning service; we need a chazzan, a Gabbai, a minyan of ten Jewish men, four readers, the Drash speaker, the Sermon speaker, the music leader and hopefully at least one other musician, a person to handle sound, Zoom and the PowerPoint, a greeter, at least one nursery worker but ideally two, a Shabbat school teacher for the younger kids, and an oneg leader plus their team of hopefully at least three other people so we can all spend time hanging out together over a meal. That’s a dozen people! I am sure your own congregation has a service list like this as well. Every one of these “tasks” are important Roles of Spiritual Service! They are critical and valuable in order for us to effectively gather together for a mikra kodesh, a Scripturally commanded time of corporate worship. By the way, the list of spiritual service roles is innumerable, and goes way beyond just the main weekly worship service.
Hopefully you are actively involved in a community with other followers of Messiah Yeshua. Hopefully you’re already following G-d’s “tap” to assume a role of spiritual service within your faith community. Doing so validates both our faith as individual believers and the quality of our usefulness for G-d’s purposes as a faith community. The value you place on serving in spiritual community with others is a sign of your spiritual maturity and of your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading in your life!
Forward for Messiah!
Kirk Gliebe
Rabbi &
Director
