Pet owners are volunteers. They not only volunteer to have a pet, but they volunteer to do all that it takes to care for the pet. That's a load. For starters, each of us has to be a cook, a plumber, a chauffeur, a personal shopper and a nanny. We feed our furry friends, clean up from the daily bathroom routine, walk or drive them to various appointments, buy toys and treats according to their preferences, and train and educate them in the practices of civility to make living together pleasant. We do all of this without getting a dime for our services. We love our pets. That's why we do what we do for them. I wouldn't think of billing Baxter for my services. (I wouldn't have much luck collecting my fee anyway.)
We expect to offer service for those we love, but with one exception. We love God, and we love the Church God gave us to carry on His work in the world. But volunteering to do God's work in the Church is another matter. We are all so busy. We have our work, our families, our children's and grandchildren's sports and performances, our social life, and our own interests. How can we find time for more? We go to Church each Sunday. What more can anyone ask?
The Church depends on the good will of its members to carry out its mission. This mission is very broad and diversified. It involves service at the altar, care for the sick and less fortunate, formation and education of the young, and special attention to the needs of the elderly. It calls for help with larger community efforts beyond the boundaries of Church membership, and the Church needs to support itself financially in all these efforts like any nonprofit organization--paying staff, utilities, maintenance and repairs, and the cost of materials to execute its programs. For all of this, volunteers are the backbone of the Body of Christ. They hold it together and keep it moving forward in its mission to announce and witness to what God has done for all humanity in Jesus' life, death and resurrection.
Baxter usually doesn't ask for the services he desires (with the exception of more food). I just provide them knowing his needs. But it can't work that way in the Church. We can only do all that the Church is called to do if we each and all do our part. After all, the Body though one has many members, and each member, Saint Paul reminds us, is part of the one Body. So we are connected. We can't pretend our contributions don't matter. We either do our part, or a part will be missing from the work of the Body. We are needed, and we need to take our part seriously and offer our service freely, generously and cooperatively. Ours is a common effort with separate parts. So we work together, but with each one's different talents and gifts contributing to the overall project. There is no room for competition or one-up-manship in the Church. Like the pet owner's service to his or her charge, we do it out of love, not counting the cost.
The Church needs this kind of volunteer just as your pet does to survive. Sure it's a burden and effort at times, but it is also a joy and blessing, knowing that we are doing something good, not expecting to be rewarded except with the love we generate in serving others. We do it for our pets. Won't we also do it for our God who loves us and lives in His people, the Church?
