The people of St Timothy’s do their fair share in
providing leadership for the Diocese of Iowa. Not only can they boast of the
Diocesan Treasurer and Chancellor, they can also lay some claim to our Young
Adult Missioner, Lydia Bucklin, and her replacement as Youth Missioner, Lacey
Howard. I have also ordained five people from St Timothy’s starting with Duncan
Burns, Mitch Smith, Brian McVey, Jeannie Smith and, on the occasion of this
visit, Karen Crawford. Add Tim Goldman and his work for social justice and Mark
Marshall on the Faith and Grace Garden, or Dan Montgomery who worked hard on
the health insurance task force, or Ray Gaebler’s chairing of the Property
Committee as well as the Nzara Companionship, along with the group that has
visited Nzara in South Sudan and their tireless work for that diocese inspired
much by Milton Cole-Duvall’s energy, and you get a sense of Diocesan impact and
indebtedness over the years.
Karen was Senior Warden only a few years ago, but this
weekend was her ordination to the priesthood. She was to have a baptism of fire
in that Rector Mary Cole-Duval was heading for sabbatical at the end of the
Sunday service (or at least the vestry meeting with me which followed it), and
Karen was to assume temporary duties in her place.
Glorious as the ordination was on Saturday evening, it was
not made the only focus of the weekend. The next morning, our emphasis shifted
onto the young people to be confirmed. They had met together for two years
going through the “Confirm not Conform” program. Significantly, the shift was
made tangible by setting up a chair for each confirmand before the altar, facing
the congregation. At the ministry of the Word each confirmand got up to give his
or her signatory scripture passage, telling us why he or she had chosen it. The
range of scriptures covered a wide theological spectrum that truly became a
comprehensive statement of our faith and responsibility. It was probably hubris
of me to add a sermon to the event, pulling in the Gospel of the day, which I
invited the deacon to read at the beginning of my sermon.
Yet, the Gospel was about the cost of discipleship, which is
a topic I often think about for the young people who stand before me for
confirmation. It is probably not a fair comparison, but I reflect on the young
people of a similar age whom I got to know in Romania whose decision to follow
Christ was at least career-threatening if not life-threatening. Coming fast on
the experience of confirming a couple of very young sisters in Dubuque, I
wonder what the ideal time for such affirmation is. A key, I think, is to be
found in the degree we are able to present, or support, opportunities for
service from the earliest of age. People follow Jesus to make a difference in
the world—or to assist the transforming work God seeks to do. Poverty,
homelessness, peace, refugees, economic justice, bullying, and finding ways to
be instruments of God’s love and grace in the face of such things is about our
involvement with people in daily life. We also follow Him because we believe He
has the words that are life giving for every situation. Creating movements out
of confirmation classes is a real challenge.
Establishing, however, how important all this is to the
community of faith is a sound step, and the row of chairs declared that on
Sunday. The messages offered lived up to the significance. I have attended the “Confirm
not Conform” liturgy in other places but often we hold the “teaching moment” at
a service prior to the main Eucharist. I encourage us to rethink this, and to
be bold to incorporate it as the shape of that day’s Eucharist.
Sermon at St Timothy’s, West Des Moines—22 June 2014
During the ministry of the Word, the confirmands came forward to offer
their signatory scriptures to the congregation. These ranged from relating to
God as Creator to aspects of stewardship as a disciple, of Jesus command to
love and His assurance of love. It was an impressive expression of different scriptures,
all chosen by each confirmand and not taken from someone’s pre-selected
offerings. Each confirmand also gave one or two sentences on why this was an
important biblical passage for him or her. I had interviewed the confirmands as
a group earlier for additional reasoning for their choices. The presentation,
however, was expected to replace the readings for the day, which I felt was
unfortunate especially given the Gospel passage on the cost of following Jesus.
That seemed very appropriate for the day, and so I opened my sermon with a
summary of the other two readings, and then, as you see, called on the Deacon
to come forward and read the Gospel.
Let me begin by saying what a marvelous range of personal
and yet theological beliefs have just been expressed through the sharing of
signatory scriptures by those to be confirmed. The spectrum covered is almost
comprehensive when you think of the things most important and, as we say,
“necessary for salvation.” I could easily move us along in the service to the
Creed.
Lest however it be said we take the easy road on a Sunday
when the lectionary lessons offer us little comfort and much in the way of
heeding the weightiness of accountability that comes with deciding to follow
Jesus and do God’s will, I feel obliged to add a summary of the essence of the
lessons for this second Sunday after Pentecost.
I believe that they fit well into today’s celebration, and
with yesterday’s ordination here. The question we pose as we stand ready to
serve as priest in Karen’s instance or as empowered confirmers of faith is
“What next, Lord?” or perhaps “What else do we need to do?” Nor could the
rhythm of the liturgy be more suitable as we have just heard from these young
people what it is that draws them into discipleship and into relationship with
God. We have asked them “Do you embrace this growing freedom responsibly with a
renewed commitment to Christ and the work of His Church on earth? To which they
have all given us a resounding “We do.”
Jesus, however, would not have us aware of the cost of what
lies before us, and so I call on the Deacon to bring us the Gospel.
(Matthew 10: 24-39 is
read)
First, Jesus says to us “It is enough for the disciple to be
like the teacher”—if they malign me and say I am of the devil—how much so you.
Jesus brings light wherever he goes. He reveals what is true and He exposes
that which requires darkness and secrecy to contain its power. He knows that
people don’t tend to have courage to live life in the open, and be transparent
in their dealings with each other. Yet God sees and uncovers. “What you hear
whispered…proclaim from the housetops.”
Is it possible that we are being called to uncover darkness
and its malignant destructive forces? Are we being asked to be God’s
whistleblowers within society? To bring things into the light in such a way
that people will know that when we are around, people know where they stand. It
is hardly a popular role in society. But think of why Jesus died in the human
terms of what got the authorities angry. He knew that He would incite the
authorities because He revealed the true nature of their religious character
simply by His own commitment to love and to the cause of all people as being
treated a Children of God. He threatened their power base, their sense of being
needed, and their entire system. It is also a system that we have been tempted
over the centuries to replace, and we have yielded to that temptation.
My question to you is this: Are you part of God’s new
prophetic vision? I encourage you to have confidence in what you confront or
simply come across which runs contrary to your understanding of what it means
to be a follower of Christ. Be instruments of transparency in our midst; and in
society at large. Ask the simple and obvious question that probes to the heart
of things. This is Jesus working in you.
Second, Jesus knows that such a prophetic role will require
much courage. “Be not afraid,” Jesus says, for He wants you to know that God
treasurers you. You are of more value than the sparrows. Think about that—“you
are of more value”—more value than you might value yourself; more value than
others might value you; more value because it is how much God values you in love
that is important. In such a self-understanding, you are invited to not be
afraid.
Third, Jesus brings a sword to the table. This is not to kil,l
but to discern, to make clear the purity of your primary relationship and
loyalty to God and God’s cause. Not even your most beloved family members and
friends can be allowed to get in the way. Jesus challenges our most precious
relationships, for resistance will come from all sides. Jesus knew this in His
own life. At times it was His very family including His blessed mother that
tried to stand in his way. They feared that He was insane at times.
As I said, this is not a sword with which to kill, but more
like a surgeon’s knife. For, Jesus calls us to sort things out and to be free
to stand wherever His love leads us. This is what it means to take up the cross
and to assume the purpose which will require the offering of our whole life’s
direction.
And what is that purpose? What is it really to follow Jesus?
It is to desire the transformation of this world into something that reflects
the true character of the reign of God, where the gifts and fruits of the
Spirit are harvested among the entire human race; where God’s love rules.
Achieving this is a full life’s work. Karen is called to do this now as a priest;
the rest of you have the breadth of human vocation in your daily lives to carry
this purpose out.
Finally, our task in the twenty-first century moving forward
is broader than anything the disciples could have imagined. Their world was
small—the Mediterranean at the most. It was also compact. Rome ruled and
loyalty was expected in that direction. Religions were tolerated but only as
long as they did not threaten or impinge on the imperial rulers. Rome ruled
like every other human empire has ruled and rules today (whether through
governments or corporations or commerce or the military or even terror)—by
oversimplification, by uniform expectations, by indiscriminate power, by
separating peoples across class, economic, racial, ethnic, religious
divides. As much as a ruler can distract
subjects by casting their worries and fears upon other ruled subjects, the less
enforcement is needed from the top. It is all ruled by backroom politics. Those
with power silence and intimidate potential competitors; or buy their way to
manipulation. We see why Jesus called us to be children of light, proclaimers
of truth, discerners of good and love?
Jesus came to broadcast whispers into the full light of day—for
things to be seen for what they were. Jesus came to expose status and value
systems that required idolatrous allegiance while declaring the utter value of
every human being before God’s eyes. Jesus came to preach and offer a freedom
to a social system where everyone has their place and is invited to flourish.
And He was removed for His efforts. But God valued Him more
and His end was not the End but a transformation to New Life. In fact His death
became an End into which we could all fit and find release from our old
self-obsessed lives into a new life of grace and love and self-offering. Did
you hear those words as we baptized today?
When we live for the security of our own system—be it
personal, religious, economic or more broadly social—we are not following
Christ. His values are taking a back seat or a secondary place in our values.
To love and value anything, anyone, more than Me, says Jesus, is to be not
worthy of Me.
So what IS next? Well, living this out is what is next.
Transparency, discerning spirits, being consciously loving, courageous and bold,
single-minded devotion and service where God is concerned, acquiring a love of life
for God’s sake—these are the things that come next. And they are a lifetime’s
work.
At every exposure of humanity’s darker elements, the Church—even
when other parts of its life have been or are still deeply embedded within that
darkness—manages to be there, shining light into dark places, upsetting places
of privilege that are built on the disregard of others. We will never stop
doing this or from being called to this. So what is next? The rest of your life is next. Engage this
life, bring Christ into its deepest corners, reveal truth, and be brave to tell
us all what’s next.
Amen
