How is making tacos God’s work? God is pleased when we service others, which ignites passion deep within our hearts.
Everyone who knows me knows my favorite fast-food restaurant. Bonnie, who works there, is someone I see almost daily. She makes tacos, serves tacos, and, when I pull up to the window, she says, “I already know what you want. Just pull up.” Bonnie makes the choice to greet people with a smile and ask about their lives.
A New Position
In the early church, we learn that the number of disciples was increasing, causing the Hellenistic Jews to complain that their widows were being overlooked in the daily food distribution in favor of the Hebraic Jews. (Notice that the church was only serving Jews at this point in time.) This conflict resulted in the creation of a new position in the church: deacon (Acts 6: 2-3).
The new position was a service position. While the United States is moving toward a service economy, the economy of the church has always been based on service. To be the body, we must serve. Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be the servant of all.” Philip, chosen to be one of the first deacons, started his career as a server. In Acts 8, however, we learn that Philip’s vocation changed when he was called to baptize the Ethiopian Eunuch (Acts 8:26-31).
So, what is vocation? Vocation is most commonly named as a job, profession, or career. However, I like author Frederick Buechner’s beautiful definition of vocation: “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”
Vocation
The example of Philip’s change in vocation illustrates this collision of great hunger and deep gladness. Philip’s commission was to be a deacon or server, like serving tacos. I can imagine that Philip brought gladness to his job, knowing that it was an important one.
Vocation describes not only the work we do, but what we feel most called to: including family, neighborhoods, community, the environment, those in need and so on. I’ve always felt that my family is my number one vocation. Sometimes, vocation may come to us as we are called to do the unexpected. Circumstance may lead us to recognize a new depth of the world’s hunger or a well-spring of our own deep gladness. Where these two forces meet, we find the greatest passion.
But, the Holy Spirit had other plans and Philip listened. My guess is that he had practiced listening to the Holy Spirit. You should listen to God’s voice even when and especially when your work is making tacos. God put Phillip in the path of a man who was searching, reading the scriptures looking for an answer. The Holy Spirit said go up close to him so you can hear what he is reading. The Spirit will call us to get close to people. As you are washing cars, you might notice a Bible in the seat, giving you the chance to start a conversation.
9/11 Heros
Can you remember where you were and how you responded on 9/11? For those of us who lived it, 9/11 is one of the events etched into our memories. As a pastor, in Washington DC, Dave Milam ended up watching the events of 9/11 on a little TV brought into church by Jerry, who had come to do some painting. As Jerry and Dave watched the horror of the tragedy, Dave decided to host a community prayer vigil. After the sadness of the morning, the afternoon was spent planning the service and inviting other churches to join in. Then, a different kind of Ethiopian eunuch appeared at the door.
The doors of Dave’s church are always open for anyone to visit the sanctuary for prayer. An inebriated (drunken) man came in wanting to talk. He had been at a bar, drinking while watching the news. He had joined in the banter “cursing Muslims.” Then, he came to himself: “I’m a Christian and I’m not supposed to hate.” “Also, I’ve never been baptized.” Dave hesitated, thinking, should I really baptize this drunken man. Then, Dave heard the words of the Ethiopian eunuch in his heart, “There’s Water: What’s to prevent us from…” Dave baptized the drunken man with deep gladness. Even in the darkness of that day, the Holy Spirit was calling, connecting Dave’s vocation to deep passion and meeting the world’s great need.
Passion at Work
It is easy for us to recognize the heroic service of the first responders on September 11th. We ought also to recognize the joy in the work of a librarian, teacher, social worker, town planner, minister, nurse, doctor, business person, as well as in the farm worker who picks our food, the trucker who brings it to our town, and the server at Taco Bell who makes and brings us our food.
We are all called to service as the body of Christ inside and outside the four walls of the church building. Ask yourself these four vocational questions:
- Is this the place I belong? (Then affirm it.)
- Who has my heart? (Our call must be ordered by God.)
- What can I offer? (Do you have a surprising gift to offer?)
- What do I want to do? (God will put joy in your heart for what he wants you to do.)
If you cannot answer these questions with deep gladness, then, I challenge you to begin a new journey. Pray and ask God for the answers. They may require you to do some exploration, get some training, or take a risk. Ask that God shows you the first step and gives you the courage to take it. I know that God will answer. He did in my life. Today, I pray for passion as you prepare to meet the world’s deepest hunger.
Copyright 2019 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Joy and Gratitude.