One day as Jesus and his disciples were walking along the road to Jerusalem two of Jesus's disciples decided to make a very awkward request. James and John were Zebedee's boys and they very likely had a brotherly rivalry their entire lives. This day they took it to an extreme. They asked Jesus if they could sit on Jesus' right and left when he entered his Kingdom. It was obvious to Jesus that they had been arguing with each other about which one of them was the greatest.
Jesus told them that if they wanted to be the greatest in his Kingdom they would need to first learn how to be the best servant. This is a concept that probably didn't sit very well with the disciples. Jesus continued throughout his ministry to demonstrate that he came to serve and not to be served. Even at the last meal that he had with his disciples he took the servant's role and cleaned off the feet of his dirty dozen.
As a technical director it can be easy to think that we are pretty important. After all, what would the church be like without us twisting knobs and tweaking settings? We wield a great deal of power and responsibility to make the service be a success or an embarrassment. We are the gurus of gear, the titans of technology, and the sultans of the systems! Who dares to challenge our vast wisdom and knowledge?
It can be easy to slip into this kind of mindset. However, this is not the way that Jesus wants us to lead. The organizational structure of a church or any organization that follows the teachings of Christ should be upside-down. Organizational structures usually look like a pyramid with the most powerful person at the top and it filters down to everyone else. Our structure should flip that structure upside-down. The greatest leader should be the greatest servant.
As a technical director you are called to serve many different people. You may need to serve the senior pastor, the worship pastor, and various ministry leaders, and they many not always approach you with the dignity that we think we deserve. Our job is to serve them. Even if your position is higher than theirs, your job is one of service.
We are called to serve the congregation that gathers together in our churches. That doesn't mean that we do every little thing that they ask us, but it is important for us to remember that our job it to serve them. If we are doing our job properly they will be able to hear God's Word in a powerful way.
Unfortunately technical directors are often behind the scenes and can feel under-appreciated. It is easy to feel like the only time anyone notices us is when something goes horribly wrong. “What about all the times that nothing went wrong and everything ran smoothly?” we ask.
It is in these times that we especially need to remember the words Jesus spoke in Mark 10:43:
“But it is not this way among you. Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be
your servant.”
No matter your position, title or role remember that you are called to be a servant. God is most impressed with you when you are serving the needs of those around you. When we are thinking about their needs instead of your own.
Be a servant. Offer kind words to those that have performed well, even if you don't get those kind words in return. Treat others the way Christ would. Serve them.
