Serving Without Sinking (Review)
When we consider “serving” the Lord, our broad-brush theology can be summed up by two lines of the same hymn. “When I survey the wondrous cross…” and ends “demands my soul, my life, my all.” But in his book Serving Without Sinking John Hindley draws our attention to the small print. Though the whole message of the Gospel, especially the mercy and grace of God, and His revelation to us in special ways, drives and empowers our service, we do miss out if we do not pause to consider the issues of service in a more forensic way, noting the nuances of our motives and the subtle features of our weak humanity as we respond to a heavenly calling. This is why I found John’s book a stimulating read.
Broad is the ill-considered way of service that leads to self-destruction; narrow is the path that leads to truly God-honouring service. You will probably have heard the story of the two woodsmen. They both chopped trees down all day. One got to it – giving heart and soul to the job. The other rested for 15 minutes in every hour. At the end of the day, the one who was most productive was the one who had done less direct labour. Not only had he rested in the 15 minutes but also sharpened his axe. The truth is, we are all ‘doers’, aren’t we? You can’t be in rural ministry and not be busy – and especially if you are a tentmaker too! The concept of any un-busy navel-gazing is obnoxious. I like John’s confession right at the beginning of Chapter 5’ “I don’t like looking at myself in the mirror very much. I particularly don’t like looking close-up in the mirror.” I concur. We concur. However, I would suggest that John’s book facilitates just that – and it is a very good iron-sharpening tool.
In Serving Without Sinking John provides a commentary on our acts of service – which call out the secret attitudes and human motivations that we can find ourselves trading in. Wrong attitudes can take root between the paving slabs of everything we get right and if we are not attentive, they can grow and flower and seed before we realise it.
John helps us reframe a more refined picture of service by showing the negative first. Our faulty service springs from normal human responses and needs, but can also remain such because of our lack of clarity on the God that we serve. He is Lord, not an “overlord”. We don’t serve to pay Him back for His grace or earn His favour. Then, John directs us to look to Christ, and how He loved, and how He served and is still serving, which is John’s focus. We don’t serve Him as a boss, He is serving us. John reminds us that we serve as sons not as servants. We serve as friends and Co-workers not Contract workers.
Many of us work in rural communities. We are privileged to witness the resilience of Britain’s farming communities battle against the elements, harnessing ingenuity and machinery to sow in hope of bounteous crops. Right now, they are preparing for the end of the farming year and the beginning of the next. They will be servicing combines and at the same time sharpening plough blades. I commend Serving Without Sinking. It will help us to continue to break new ground, to continue sowing in hope of a glorious harvest and to be found faithful in our reaping.
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