The Forgotten Judge.

Over the years I have attended several different churches. And they have been as varied as they have been numerous, with one extreme being more staunchly Reformed and the other extreme being liberally Pentecostal. All of them had their benefits and all of them had their shortcomings. But all of them had one thing in common. The silent volunteers.

These are the church workers who quietly work away behind the scenes of their respective rolls and never get a single mention or thought of gratitude. I’m thinking of the church administration staff who silently work and ensure that all the church’s paperwork, insurance forms, correspondance, and the paying of bills, etc, is done. While some of these are paid workers there are an awful lot of them that do not get paid at all. They are the silent volunteers.

I think of the Sunday School teachers and youth leaders who sit at home midweek and prepare their lessons for the children. A lot of these volunteers have to buy materials to help them do their work, and they pay for this themselves. Leaders of youth organisations like Boy’s Brigade, Girl’s Brigade, Boy Scouts, Girls Guides, and many more different types all have to go on extra training courses for First Aid, etc. And they do this on their own time.

For a short while I was a bus driver for a couple of christian organisations. And I can tell you that that roll has to be one of the most solitary, lonely rolls for any church worker. The drivers leave home well before a church service starts and go on their bus run. They drop their church members off and then go and park their vehicle. When they get into the church there is no guarantee that they will be sitting with their friends and family so they sit in the nearest free seat.

After the services are over the drivers have to ensure that all the church goers make it home safely before the drivers can even think about going home themselves. And then there is the other work of cleaning out the buses and making sure that it is filled with fuel. All done in the drivers own free time.

And let’s not forget those other church workers who give up of their free time and never get mentioned. Caretakers and cleaners. Youth workers. Musicians and singers. The people who make the tea and wash the cups for the social gatherings. All these things happen in the background but all too often these people are greatly overlooked in the grand scheme of things.

The reason these things came up in my train of thought for this week is that I discovered something when reading my bible about a major biblical character who never got acknowledged for the work he did. I’m talking about Eli.

Most of us have been taught, or have read the popular story about Eli. How, when God called out to Samuel during the night and Samuel had mistakenly thought that it was Eli who had called him, that Eli told Samuel to call out “Speak Lord. For your servant hears you” – 1st Samuel Ch3 v10.

And the rest of Eli’s life-story is told out over the first four chapters of 1st Samuel.

But I came across a little phrase regarding Eli that has totally changed my thinking about him….

1st Samuel Ch4 (18)  ……And he (Eli) had judged Israel forty years.

Eli had ruled and judged Israel for 40 years yet he very seldom gets mentioned in that role.

I have heard many sermons and read several books on the various Judges at various times and I always presumed that there were thirteen Judges over Israel. I even have a little study book on them called “The Thirteen Judges”. And Eli is not even mentioned in it.

But the Bible is filled with godly people who never got anything more than a simple mentioned for their acts of devotion. Luke Ch8 v3 mentions people called Joanna and Susanna but tells us nothing more than their names about them.

Romans ch16 v1-16 mentions Phoebe, Priscilla, Aquilla and a while host of names also. But we know next to nothing about their works in God or how they helped the church.

And the Bible still encourages us to carry on doing whatever task it is in our church, whether it be large or small. Consider these verses…

1st Corinthians Ch10 (31)Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Colossians Ch3 (23)And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men,

Remember that even during Jesus' ministry people were always running about in the background doing all the stuff that was needed for Jesus and His disciples. They were preparing for food and accomodation. They were shepherding the crowds as Jesus spoke. They took care of all the general running of the background details.

So, whatever we do in our church let's do it quietly and think about God while we're doing it. And maybe at some point a little hymn or chorus that you know will start to come to your mind. And you will sing it, think about Jesus, and smile.

I will sing unto the lord as long as I live.
I will sing praise to my god while I have my being.
My meditation of him shall be sweet.
I will be glad, I will be glad in the lord.

Bless thou the lord, oh my soul.
Praise ye the lord.

Psalm 104 v33-34.

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