About Joe
For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.
— Mark 10:45
Joe, in England.
Servant of Jesus Christ
I don't like "About" pages. Honestly, I'm uncomfortable with the process of coming up with things to say about myself. I don't like to talk about me. But you may be interested, and if you are, feel free to read on ...
We, as believers, often hold tightly to ideals that we have not yet reached or attainted to - at least not perfectly in practice. One of those ideals that I presently find myself journeying towards is that of humble servanthood. I'm inspired by the apostle Jude's introduction of himself in the New Testament letter bearing his name, simply -
"Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ"
Unassuming. Refreshing. Simple. Without letters or accolades. Unpretentious.
At 59 1/2 years old I took the offer of an unexpected early retirement - after 40 years of working in the technology sector. At 60 years old I had the koine Greek for "servant of Jesus Christ" tattooed on my arm. I guess retirement changes you. It did me. I had never had a tattoo in my life but the theme of humble service to others (and thus to Jesus) was such a prevalent theme the Lord was developing in me that I decided a permanent reminder was worth wearing. So, inspired by Jude 1:1 and the journey that God has me on, I had the Greek for, "servant of Jesus Christ", tattooed onto my arm by my daughter Beth:
Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ δοῦλος
Service is foundational to the growth of the kingdom of God and all of us who are part of his body have God-assigned roles in the building of that kingdom. Peter, apostle of Jesus Christ, wrote these words of wise encouragement for each of us,
Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
— 1 Peter 1:10 (NIV)
I began in my service to the body of Christ over forty years ago, in 1982, playing piano and guitar, serving in music, helping with and leading in worship. I continue to serve in this area to this day. By his faithfulness, I have been enabled to faithfully serve him.
I believe one of the greatest ways we can serve Christ, and his kingdom is in the service of our family. My wife and I have five children together, all of whom serve in some capacity in their churches. (Did I just brag on my kids? Yes, I did!)
My wife and I were not perfect parents, but, to the Lord's credit alone, we instilled in our children by word and example, the importance of serving the body of Christ and living out the Christian life sincerely, even if not perfectly. I am proud of my children and love them not because they are perfect, but because they are mine.
There is great joy in seeing our children walking in the truth.
My wife and I were married in February of 1993. I was blonde, she was brunette. Now we are both grey, although one of my daughter's husbands likes to gain son-in-law creds by describing my hair color as, "platinum blonde".
I'd have to say that one of the greatest joys I share with my wife is ministering together. She is musical and has been bringing a strong and anointed voice to our public worship for over 35 years. What greater gift could God give than a faithful, people-loving, God-fearing wife who is also a fellow servant in his kingdom?
At twelve years old, I wrote my first play, and enlisting my brother and two sisters, performed it for our neighbors (sorry sibs). Since then, I've continued to write music, scripts, devotionals, blogs, teachings, and stories. Call it a passion. Call it a God-given gift. He's creative and we are created in his image, so why wouldn't we be creative whether at work, in our families, or in artistic giftings? The manifold grace of God shows up in so many ways in our lives.
You've read this far!
Well, I think that's enough about me ... but I would like to give credit to someone who has contributed beauty to this site. The artwork you see scattered throughout was painted by my mother, Audrey Furcinitti. She is a talented artist who has painted for many years, and I am very grateful for her gracious permission to use her paintings on this site.
To the right is one of the paintings from my mother's artwork. Just a sample - there are too many beautiful ones to show on one page, so I had to choose one. More are featured in the weekly devotionals viewable from the home page.
And to the left, here I am with the artist who goes by the name of Audrey (LOL).