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Jeremiah 17:7-8, Psalm 146, Romans 12:1-18, Mark 10:35-45
The Church of the Resurrection, Centerville, UT
The Rev'd W. Lee Shaw
It is such a pleasure and honor be here this evening with Lyn and all of you. I have been an observer of this parish over the years. I worshipped a couple of times with you in the "bank church." I remember thinking, how clever to have a walk in safe in a church! I was here when you broke ground for this beautiful building. I was privileged to be invited to preside and preach in your first regular service in this building on Pentecost Sunday following the departure of Lee Lowery. And it is so wonderful to be here with you on this evening of A Celebration of New Ministry with Lyn.
I am humbled to be invited to preach this evening. I have known Lyn for too many years to be honest about. I have always been impressed with her integrity, spirituality and easy laugh. You have chosen a wonderful priest to be your rector. Congratulations!
As I read through the propers chosen by Lyn I was especially moved by the Epistle to the Romans. As I read it over and over I felt this is something that should be done in calligraphy and given to every new rector. Lyn, this is very much a pastor's prayer for a parish.
The reading from the prophet Jeremiah holds up for us the absolute trust in God. There is wisdom and power in these words. There is no fear when you truly trust in God. Truly trust in God. Remember that Lyn, even before Vestry meetings, fear not, trust in God.
The reading from St. Mark's Gospel passage brought back recent memories. We had this reading a few weeks ago on Sunday: James and John asking Jesus for a place with him in glory. At St. Stephen's we often do Bible study during our Worship on Wednesday. These folks are really my "kitchen cabinet" as to insights into the scriptures. That evening one person noted, well, we never really know what we are asking for in our prayers. We just don't know how God will answer them. Such was the case with James and John and with us. We never know how our prayers will be realized in the wisdom and grace of God. We never know how our ministry will play out at any given time. More times than not I believe our God is a God of surprises. So I offer a couple of stories and reflections on ministry as you begin your ministries together in this place.
Last year I was on a Celtic Pilgrimage with the Rev. Herbert O'Driscoll, Canadian Anglican priest and author. It was marvelous. We spent several days at Holy Island on the North East coast of England, the home of much of Celtic spirituality with the likes of St. Aiden, St. Cuthbert and, of course, St. Chad. We also spent a long day in Durham Cathedral with a private prayer service at the shrine of St. Cuthbert. But most of our time was spent on the Isle of Iona off the Scottish coast. Iona is truly a thin place: heaven and earth kiss here like few places on earth. This is holy ground. It is here that Christian missionaries made their home base for work in the British Isles and Europe over 1,400 years ago.
One day a group of us, about 15, hiked to the place where St. Columba, a dominant figure in Celtic spirituality and Christian missionary efforts, came ashore from Ireland over 1,400 years ago. We walked through the village and farms, a golf course - also doubling as a pasture for a lot of sheep and some cattle, over mossy, damp bogs and finally we came to the place where tradition says St. Columba landed. As my fellow pilgrims explored the rocky inlet, I went inland a bit to see what else there was besides rocks and tidewaters. That is when I found it, a gift from earlier pilgrims: a labyrinth made from the rocks and stones of St. Columba's Beach. It was a gift from unknown pilgrims to all who would follow.
So, I began to walk the labyrinth alone. I did so silently in prayer and humility being in this thin spiritual place, alone with my God. Soon I realized I was not really alone. Others had been here before me. Others had been here and left their mark on this labyrinth. Yes, sheep shit. Little piles of it everywhere! No matter how hard I tried to meditate and pray as I walked, I had to keep a careful eye as to where I put my feet. And I was trying to be so "holy and prayerful!"
I see in this a very real metaphor for the ministry of a rector. Keep your mind and thoughts on God, but do not neglect to watch where you put your feet. You need to do "both/and" as rector. Lyn: Walk with care. Pray with compassion.
Finally, I want to share a parable which has served me well for many years to help me keep things in perspective. It is a parable set in a dream, a dream of judgment - my judgment following my death. I find myself standing before the judgment seat of Christ, a rather simple wooden chair actually, in a great marble hall in heaven. Jesus is looking at a book that I know is the book of my life; in which I am sure there are some gold stars, quite a number of red checks, and not a few question marks. I feel a great need to explain myself and offer an explanation for my life on earth. So before Jesus can say anything, I start to explain myself. But it actually comes out more like excuses of "if only" and "could have" and "should have" and "but if" and other excuses for what I know are recorded in my book of life. One by one my excuses start to fall about me as great globs of mud until when I am finished I am literally standing in a pool of dirty, wet, thick mud. I have made a mess of the glorious halls of heaven as I have made a mess of my life on earth.
Jesus looks at me with a sadness in his eyes that I cannot bear. I tell myself that if he says one word - anything - I will just flee from his presence and never ever return. Never return! Silently he stands, comes to me and hands me the book. Then he kneels at my feet and begins to clean up the mess I have made of heaven's floor and of my life on earth.
So I look at the book. It is not the book of my life; it is just the old Bible from my study. I read the page from St. John's Gospel he had turned to: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love...I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my father..." (John 15:9-15)
Then Jesus stands. He embraces me in his strong arms and I feel grace and love flow from him. He gently says: "Welcome home my friend."
Lyn, one of the blessings of being a rector is to be the voice that says to people either faithful and religious or confused and unsure, "Welcome home my friend." You have the blessing of welcoming and receiving in the name of Christ all who come through these doors.
So blessings on you and on the good people of the Church of the Resurrection as you welcome people into this community in the name of Christ. And blessings on you Lyn as you enter into your new call and new pastoral responsibilities. May you always be open to the Holy Spirit to welcome and assure men, women and children that they are beloved of God, chosen of God, and blessed of God. And then to welcome them home into the household of faith found here in the Church of the Resurrection.
Welcome home my friend.
Amen. +