Proper 8 C We’re It!
Proper 8 C We’re It!June 28, 1998By Rev. Ernest F. Campbell
If we are not His disciples then where else would we think to look to find people committed to being extensions of the incarnation…. To work, pray and give so that the cause of Christ may extend eventually to the ends of the earth and beyond? In our Catechism (on page 855 of the Book of Common Prayer) it asks:
Q. Who are the ministers of the Church?
A. The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priest, and deacons.
Q. What is the ministry of the laity?
A. The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and His Church; to bear witness to Him wherever they may be; and according to work the gifts given them, to carry on Christ’s work of reconciliation in the world; and to take their place in the life, worship, and governance of the Church.
Q. What is the duty of all Christians?
A. The duty of all Christians is to follow Christ; to come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God.
Can you think of any other group of people or any other institution that would be interested in proclaiming the good news of God’s love through Jesus Christ?
I’ll wait…………… times up. We’re it!
Because of Christ, we take up the cause of Christ. That is to be extensions of God’s love for the poor, the oppressed, the sick, and lonely people within our reach. Our job as Christians is to be extensions of the incarnation. When it comes to being Christ’s hands and feet on earth……. We’re it!
If Our Lord could speak to each of us personally, I think He would say, “Please, I need your help! Follow me.”
I think most all human beings have heard that invitation in one way or another. If we have even an ounce of compassion in our hearts, we are moved to respond when we hear a child cry out in pain. Perhaps we are more ready to open our arms to a crying child because we remember how we felt as children when we were in pain. How important and necessary help was to us when we were children. Certainly, we would not expect any reward or honors for our trouble. It would be enough simply to see the tears stop and perhaps see a little smile. The smile, not so much as “payment’ but as assurance that the pain had subsided. That’s what Christ’s call, to care for His people, is all about. Love like God’s has no hidden agendas.
One of the more challenging responsibilities of the Church is to discover if someone who expresses a desire to enter the ministry has a true vocation or calling. The Church is tasked to help its ministers (including lay ministers) sort through their motives for wanting to join Christ’s team.
The process for determining a genuine call to the ordained ministry has been revised many times, but it still is by no means fool proof. The difficulty is trying to discern inner motivation. Some times that inner motivation is not even known or understood consciously by the candidates themselves.
The hurdles to be cleared on the way to ordination include; the Rector, Vestry, Bishop, Commission on Ministry, the Standing Committee, Seminary, medical and psychological exams and then to find a congregation that wants you as their priest. But, even after all of that, it’s possible to miss the real reason for a person wanting to be a pastor.
Example) I once heard the Bishop of Chicago say, “Don’t send me any more of those “Sacristy Rats” who love how they look in lace.”
I’m sure that everyone who looks at the job of a minister would see something different. It would no doubt appeal to some because ministers get to be “up front.” At least, that’s how it looks on Sunday mornings, or at the annual meeting, or in a confirmation class. Others may see the ministry as an escape from the crossfire of our dog-eat-dog, win at any cost, world we live in. People generally are nicer around ministers. It has been said that ministers see people at their best, lawyers see people at their worst and doctors see people as they really are. But, if you think the ministry is all nice, the crucifix should serve as a warning.
Some people may see ministers as having the luxury of uninterrupted study time and contemplation. I once complained to the bishop that my sermons could be a lot better if I could find a few more hours to work on them. The bishop said, “I’m sorry, the ministry is dealing with interruption.”
Forty-nine years ago, I was required to write a letter giving reasons why I wanted to enter the ministry. It took me a page and a half to say that I wanted to make this troubled and hurting world a better place to live. I wonder why they let me in. I know what I wrote sounds good, but it lands awfully close to the “Daddy-will-fix-it” syndrome…. which is the jumping off platform for burnout.
Example) Fritz Kramer: After a year in the Indian mission field, came to realize that when scripture says, “I have come that you might have life in abundance.” That he was not the “I” in the sentence.
I think you can see the problem. It is not easy to test for vocation. It is not easy to analyze and evaluate an individual’s “Calling.” Then, to make matters worse, the church (in its rush to support the noble enterprise of getting more help) is guilty of painting a picture of half-truths about the realities of ministry, and sometimes reluctant to say no to their inspired candidates. The result, unfortunately, somewhere down the line, is to discover that phony agendas don’t cut it. If other ministers are like me, we have had to struggle through a number of conversions.
Jesus was not blind to our human failings. He could see those ‘hidden agendas” like the nose on our face. In today’s Gospel Our Lord gives His “Wanna Be” followers a commitment reality check. He is painfully honest and to the point about His expectations of discipleship for his team.
In seeking hospitality with the despised Samaritans, He is demonstrating to His followers that they will need to be ready to offer loving tolerance to those who differ with them.
Example) The biblical scholar, William Barclay, writes in his commentary that the Jews and Samaritans were a people split apart by the historic Assyrian conquest. This led to differences in their religious practice and resulted in prejudice and hostility.
Do you want to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? Then be prepared to meet and love some people you don’t like. You don’t have to like people to love them. We might all want to question our vocation if loving tolerance is a problem for us.
A man comes up to our Lord and says, “I will follow you wherever you go.” We don’t know we exactly why Our Lord said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds have their nests, but the Son of Man has no where to lay His head.” Perhaps Our Lord could see this man’s real agenda, which was to have a carpeted office with a view in God’s new order. (To be a man with power, with a nice home in the suburbs of Jerusalem.) Jesus was not saying no to this man, but simply getting him to look at reality.
A second man is recruited by Our Lord, who then asks if he can first go and bury his father. This seems like a reasonable request, but Our Lord says to him, “Let the dead bury the dead.” Was Jesus, we wonder, really that unsympathetic?” Some scholars have suggested that the man’s father wasn’t dead, and what was being asked was time to get all the loose ends of his life together and then join the disciples. To get the home paid for, the kids through college, a secure nest egg in the bank, my father buried and my inheritance in hand…... then I’ll be ready to commit.
The trouble is we need teachers, healers, and reconcilers NOW! Later, more often-than-not, turns out to be never.
Example) I had a parishioner who told me she wanted to work with the youth of the church, but only after she had mastered the Bible. I thought to myself, she will never do either. Turns out I was right.
Still another man wants to be a disciple but he first wants to go home and spend a little more time with the old gang. Nothing wrong with that, but it’s a potential hang up. That is always dangerous because the “old gang” always has one more story, or one more song, or one more good-time which can get us off the track. Don’t go forward until everyone is happy, is another way of saying let’s not go forward at all.
Example) My mother said she wouldn’t mind it if I lived anywhere in the world….as long as it was next door.
Example) If you wait until the whole family is ready…...the wait can be…. endless!
So, do you want to be a disciple of Christ?
Then: According to the Gospel: Count the cost -- Now is the time -- Don’t look back -- And don’t be surprised that you will be making this journey with people that differ with you from time to time along the way.
The call is out. The Lord needs our help. He needs us now……we’re it!
Comments
Post a Comment