Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.” Matthew 9:37-38
Last month, I was fortunate to spend time at Day of Discovery with good people across the North Carolina Conference, hosted by Laity Ministries. This was a day to help explore how God is calling individuals to serve as laypersons. During my time with this incredible group of people, I asked them to name their vocation so we could learn about the many occupations represented in the room, and their responses are captured in the graphic above.
As we discovered, people from all vocations are experiencing a stirring within their hearts, a movement of the Holy Spirit, or a wonderment of what could be, as they leaned into holy conversations about the pathways they could pursue to become lay servants, lay speakers, or certified lay ministers. It was such a hopeful and refreshing experience to hear the stories shared around the tables and the excitement of folks who desired more as they discerned the Spirit’s direction.
In whatever vocation we find ourselves, perhaps we can all agree that good laborers are folks who have been mentored and trained. Folks who learn by doing and learn by watching. Folks who become better at what they do through helpful correction and feedback. Folks who apply new awareness and understanding to become more effective and efficient in their work.
Mr. Pete was my boss when I worked on a summer custodial crew at my high school. Mr. Pete taught me how to mop floors, paint walls, and repair broken desks, all while impressing upon me the value of good work and taking pride in my efforts each day. He took the time to explain the why of a particular task, identified the tools I needed, cautioned me about cleaner solutions that could be harmful if not used correctly, showed me how he did a task, watched me perform it, and then affirmed/corrected as needed. He inspired me to find joy in the work, get along with other crew members, and realize that my efforts made a difference. Not only was Mr. Pete a great boss, he was a great teacher of life lessons for me that summer.
In Matthew 9, Jesus was certainly showing the disciples what it looked like to teach and proclaim the good news of the kingdom and cure those who were sick. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. I wonder if the disciples lingered on that word, helpless? Seems like that’s where many of us have lingered ourselves, in a place where we felt or are feeling helpless.
Yet Jesus does not end with helpless, he offers hope. There is a plentiful harvest, and there is a need for more laborers. Ask, Jesus says. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. This is a request for prayer, asking that the Lord provide the laborers for his harvest.
I thank God for the privilege to be among those laborers last month.
Blessings,
David
Graphic credit: Word Picture: David Blackman with a little help from AI & Day of Discovery logo: NCCUMC Lay Servant Ministries