Servanthood: Cursillo Weekend Theme

It is with great joy and humility that I introduce myself as the Rectora of the upcoming Cursillo #153 Weekend that will be held at Whispering Winds Catholic Convention Center on February 18-2, 2027. As a first step in preparations  to serve as a Rector or Rectora, the chosen person selects a theme, a Bible verse, and a song for the spiritual  journey with our Lord, Jesus Christ on the Weekend. My chosen theme for Cursillo #153 is Servanthood. My Bible verse is Ephesians 2:10: For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. My chosen song is “The Servant Song.”

Historically, the Letter to the Ephesians is traditionally attributed to St. Paul and associated with his imprisonment, probably around A.D. 60–62. Many contemporary scholars believe it may have been written somewhat later by a disciple working within the Pauline tradition. It appears to address predominantly Gentile Christians in Ephesus and perhaps other congregations in Asia Minor. Its great themes are reconciliation, unity in Christ, and the formation of a new Christian community across previous religious and cultural divisions. The letter presents the Church as a body, a household, and a holy temple composed of people who once were separated but have now been brought together in Christ.

Several words in Ephesians 2:10 are especially meaningful for the Cursillo #153 theme. “Workmanship” translates the Greek word poiēma, meaning something made or fashioned. We are God’s creation—still being formed by God’s grace—before we become the makers or doers of anything ourselves. “Created in Christ Jesus” describes more than our original creation as human beings. It refers to a new creation: a life reshaped through our relationship with Christ. “Good works” are not merely isolated acts of kindness. Within Ephesians, they belong to an entire way of living characterized by love, reconciliation, unity, compassion, and service. “As our way of life” is particularly evocative. The underlying Greek expression literally conveys the idea that we should “walk in” the works God has prepared. The verse therefore contains its own journey metaphor: God has prepared a path, and we are called to walk it.

The Servant Song gives this calling vivid symbolic expression. We are pictured as pilgrims traveling together, helping one another walk the mile and bear the load. The Christ-light held in the darkness represents the hope we can offer when another person is afraid or uncertain. An outstretched hand, a word of peace, shared tears, and shared laughter all become signs of Christ’s presence among us. Even the song’s final image of harmony suggests that our individual lives and experiences can be brought together into something larger through the love of Christ. We need God’s grace both to serve and to accept the service of others.

The words of Ephesians 2:10 create an even stronger connection with The Servant Song. Its pilgrims and travelers are not simply going somewhere together; they are walking in the way of life for which God created them. They bear one another’s burdens, hold the Christ-light for one another, and share joy and sorrow along the road. Their service is the visible form that God’s workmanship takes in human relationships. the verse also resonates beautifully with the Baptismal Covenant: we promise to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” and to continue in fellowship, prayer, repentance, proclamation, and loving action. The Cursillo Weekend can thus be understood as both a celebration of grace and a preparation for the walk that follows—a community being formed anew in Christ so that its members may recognize and undertake the good works God has already set before them. Most of all, the song reminds us that we must have the grace to let ourselves be served, as well as to serve others, and in doing so, through Christ’s love, to find harmony and unity.

As Rectora, I hope and pray that Christians in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego will join us in person, if possible and in prayer on the Cursillo #153 Weekend. Please consider sponsoring members of your congregation whose lives may be transformed through this walk with Christ. If feasible, also prayerfully consider accepting the grace to be a Servidor on the Cursillo Weekend #153 Team, in whatever capacity God may call you to serve. I thank God for the blessing of being called as Rectora. “Let me be as Christ to you.”

Find out more at cursillosd.org