In my recent ponderings of what service-learning really is and the work of our office, I came up with this somewhat poetic rant that brings to light my recent desire to overemphasize the 'learning' piece of our work:
we are not just 'do-gooders'
we are kingdom-builders who know that we are just a small part of a big, big project that only God can complete
just everyday workers taking part in His big renewal project
we are not just 'doers' and givers
we are learners and takers
we don't go for praise
we don't go just to make ourselves look good
we go to grow and learn
just everyday workers taking part in His big renewal project
we are not just 'doers' and givers
we are learners and takers
we don't go for praise
we don't go just to make ourselves look good
we go to grow and learn
we go to give and see
we go with curiosity and intent to be awakened
to something new, something hard, something broken
we go as an expression of our faith
we go to bring hope and light
After writing this, I realized that all too often we forget to also define service. While trying to emphasize the learning piece that makes service-learning so distinct from volunteering, it became evident that not often enough do we break down what is on BOTH sides of the hyphen. If I were to reason as to why that is, I feel as if it would be because service is something so inherent to many of us. I don't think it unfair to assume that we have all heard the term 'service' before. What's interesting is that our background and understanding of the term might differ from what the person next to us is thinking. That said, think about something for a minute. Think about all the places we hear and use the term/idea of 'service': military service, worship service, customer service, public service, volunteer service, community service, service provider, service center, answering service, public servants, postal service, service professions, table service, funeral service. That's a pretty decent list if you ask me.
we go with curiosity and intent to be awakened
to something new, something hard, something broken
we go as an expression of our faith
we go to bring hope and light
After writing this, I realized that all too often we forget to also define service. While trying to emphasize the learning piece that makes service-learning so distinct from volunteering, it became evident that not often enough do we break down what is on BOTH sides of the hyphen. If I were to reason as to why that is, I feel as if it would be because service is something so inherent to many of us. I don't think it unfair to assume that we have all heard the term 'service' before. What's interesting is that our background and understanding of the term might differ from what the person next to us is thinking. That said, think about something for a minute. Think about all the places we hear and use the term/idea of 'service': military service, worship service, customer service, public service, volunteer service, community service, service provider, service center, answering service, public servants, postal service, service professions, table service, funeral service. That's a pretty decent list if you ask me.
So while we all may have different backgrounds, thoughts, and experiences that define our version of service, the one thing in common is that all these kinds of service involvethinking beyond our selves. It involves doing something for the common good and/or for another person.
And guess what? dictionary.com agrees! This web source defines service/to serve as "to help, to give, to assist, to be useful, to supply with aid or information, duty performed to/for another, to act as a servant, something done for public benefit without regard to personal direct benefit."
Now I know most people (myself included) can think of a point in time when we didn't want (or maybe didn't even know how) to think outside ourselves. We were our own world and that world was the most important one. When that's the case, we needed encouragement and we needed someone brave enough to push us into a situation that could remind us that there is more to this world that 'me' and what 'I want' and what 'I need'. This is why I seriously love our StreetFest and ABSL programs - because they get people started on the journey of living as a true servant of Christ.
This got me thinking about the connection between what contexts we have grown up hearing about service and the way we apply it to how we think about service-learning.
For example, one context some of us may be heavily influenced by is the concept of service as 'community service' - as something that someone on probation must complete in order to be relieved from a more harsh punishment by the judge or as a good work someone does to make up for something bad they've done. When we let this context of service influence our view of service, we fall into the mindset that volunteering is something we do 'because we have to' in order to make up for past wrongs (past sins or past wrong doings to a people group or neighborhood).
Another way we often view service is in the context of worship. We attend worship services at which we engage in communication with other believers and with God. We enter the space and choose to open our hands and hearts to give and receive love and fellowship. When this concept and way of thinking about service is applied to volunteering we begin to see service as an act of worship, rather than a requirement. Serving in this mindset is an expression and outpouring of our faith - we choose to do it. We serve and give of ourselves to others because Christ first gave himself for us. He thought beyond himself and what he wanted and what would be easiest for him to what the world and all of us sinners needed.
'Voluntary service' is yet another term and context we commonly use to think about serving. While I think that many people would argue that 'voluntary service' is an oxymoron of sorts, I am not afraid to disagree. Not all service is voluntary; or rather, not all service is done out of free will. The reality is that sometimes we are forced to give our time and energy. We don't want to do it. We grumble, we complain, we show up and do what we have to do so that we can go home. The mind blowing piece here is that true service - service where we are joyfully engaged and seeking out opportunities to learn and grow and interact - is the real voluntary kind. The rest is just a kick off to the real thing as our hearts become pushed toward change - motivated and humbled to think beyond ourselves.
In summary, I guess the point of all this writing that I'm doing is to remind us that every piece of the phrase 'service-learning' is important and meaningful - the 'service', the 'learning', and the hyphen that joins the image together in a beautiful connection.
Peace and Blessings Always,
Emily
And guess what? dictionary.com agrees! This web source defines service/to serve as "to help, to give, to assist, to be useful, to supply with aid or information, duty performed to/for another, to act as a servant, something done for public benefit without regard to personal direct benefit."
Now I know most people (myself included) can think of a point in time when we didn't want (or maybe didn't even know how) to think outside ourselves. We were our own world and that world was the most important one. When that's the case, we needed encouragement and we needed someone brave enough to push us into a situation that could remind us that there is more to this world that 'me' and what 'I want' and what 'I need'. This is why I seriously love our StreetFest and ABSL programs - because they get people started on the journey of living as a true servant of Christ.
This got me thinking about the connection between what contexts we have grown up hearing about service and the way we apply it to how we think about service-learning.
For example, one context some of us may be heavily influenced by is the concept of service as 'community service' - as something that someone on probation must complete in order to be relieved from a more harsh punishment by the judge or as a good work someone does to make up for something bad they've done. When we let this context of service influence our view of service, we fall into the mindset that volunteering is something we do 'because we have to' in order to make up for past wrongs (past sins or past wrong doings to a people group or neighborhood).
Another way we often view service is in the context of worship. We attend worship services at which we engage in communication with other believers and with God. We enter the space and choose to open our hands and hearts to give and receive love and fellowship. When this concept and way of thinking about service is applied to volunteering we begin to see service as an act of worship, rather than a requirement. Serving in this mindset is an expression and outpouring of our faith - we choose to do it. We serve and give of ourselves to others because Christ first gave himself for us. He thought beyond himself and what he wanted and what would be easiest for him to what the world and all of us sinners needed.
'Voluntary service' is yet another term and context we commonly use to think about serving. While I think that many people would argue that 'voluntary service' is an oxymoron of sorts, I am not afraid to disagree. Not all service is voluntary; or rather, not all service is done out of free will. The reality is that sometimes we are forced to give our time and energy. We don't want to do it. We grumble, we complain, we show up and do what we have to do so that we can go home. The mind blowing piece here is that true service - service where we are joyfully engaged and seeking out opportunities to learn and grow and interact - is the real voluntary kind. The rest is just a kick off to the real thing as our hearts become pushed toward change - motivated and humbled to think beyond ourselves.
In summary, I guess the point of all this writing that I'm doing is to remind us that every piece of the phrase 'service-learning' is important and meaningful - the 'service', the 'learning', and the hyphen that joins the image together in a beautiful connection.
Peace and Blessings Always,
Emily
