Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B, February 8, 2015, ANNUAL MEETING

Transcription

1 1 Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year B, February 8, 2015, ANNUAL MEETING St. Alban s Episcopal Church, Bexley, Ohio The Rev. Susan Marie Smith, Ph.D. Isaiah 40:21-31 Psalm 147:1-12, 21c 1 Corinthians 9:16-23 Mark 1:29-39 Set us free, O God, from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Mark 1:29-39 Jesus left the synagogue at Capernaum, and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, "Everyone is searching for you." He answered, "Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do." And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O God. Today is the day of St. Alban s Annual Meeting. Last month I began my fourth year in your midst, and it continues to be such a blessing to be here. Instead of at the meeting itself, I want to give my 4 th rector s address at this sermon time in the context of our worship before God. My annual report, which you have received (or will do so at the meeting) looks back on What I want to do now is to look forward to our next year together. We have such hope in our future together! We can imagine what God may want for us next year largely because of the grace and blessings God has given us last year: for what God has done in the past, God continues to do in the present. Even today s collect asks God to set us free from the bondage of our sins, and give us the liberty of that abundant life which you have made known to us in your Son our Savior Jesus Christ... Abundant life does give us liberty; and it s only in freedom that we can both accept and live the life abundant God intends for us in Christ by the Spirit. When I think of the abundance God gives us at St. Alban s, I reflect upon

2 2 Our people, and their love and generosity. Our building, which ministers to us and to persons in the community, as well. I think of our music and worship, our children, our ministries, and so much more. GOING FORWARD: I want to touch upon three goal areas for 2015: becoming people of the book, ministry, and reconciliation. I. It s time to become People of the Book. A. SCRIPTURES: Many of you know that the stories of Jesus were simply told to friends, and passed down from relative to neighbor, for several decades. Christians would gather for worship and tell stories they had heard from someone who knew someone to whom Peter had told what Jesus did. This is how the Jewish Scriptures were preserved, as well. But eventually they were written down on scrolls. So the first Christians would read from the Jewish Scriptures and then tell what they had heard about Jesus teaching and healing. Eventually, however, the memories of the details of Jesus life and teaching began to fade, and it was so long after the Resurrection that people could no longer be sure that the source of the story was really an eye-witness to Jesus. Then they, too, began to write the stories down. The Gospel according to Mark, which we read this year, Year B, was the earliest, written just after 70 CE. Luke and Matthew were probably written in the 80 s, and John, in the 90 s. As the stories became written down on scrolls, which were read at worship, we became People of the Book as our Jewish ancestors had before us, and as the Muslims would do when Mohammad heard the Koran dictated and wrote it down. B. St. Alban s has operated on ORAL TRADITION for most of its history. At the 75 th anniversary, the Hookers realized that we no longer had access to people who remembered the earliest records, and the people who remembered how Bob Leake did things were finding those memories fading. How glad we are that the Hookers wrote our history so far for this is the written history we relied upon when we wanted to replace the quatrefoil symbol that was misplaced when the speaker rested up there on our cross-beam. When the speaker was raised, who could remember what the symbol looked like? No one. Some had ideas, and these ideas differed. We needed the Book. The written history was a godsend. C. NOW IT S TIME TO PUT TO WRITING OUR TRADITIONS and PROCESSES. In the 1950 s, the oral tradition worked well for the people who created many traditions were still alive, and they could tell you whatever you needed to know. But most of them are not here now. And when new people come, there is no way for them to find out how we do things. Not only that, we don t always remember or, we all remember differently. For example, one of the drawers and cabinets in the china cabinet in the dining room belongs to the Parish Care women who do the funeral receptions. But it wasn t labeled. At one time, probably everybody knew that was their drawer, their shelves. But not now. Sylvia looked one day for a picture frame we needed for a photo of the deceased to go next to the flower

3 3 arrangement on the reception table. It was a frame she had acquired just for this purpose, and it was perfect but that day, when we needed it, she opened the drawer as she had so many times before, and the frame was not there. Why would anyone take this? she asked. That drawer had been the purview of funeral receptions forever. However, now the church supports many different groups and committees and growing parish activity. And most of us just don t know the traditions. To keep them, we need to label them, to write them down somewhere where a growing and changing group of volunteers can find the things needed to keep our traditions going. (Now the drawer is labeled, so that anyone can know to leave the contents for funerals, and they know whom to ask if they want to borrow something.) Another simple example is the question, Where do we keep the extension cords? Since my arrival here, the cords have not lived in one mutually-recognized and labeled place. Our flow and efficiency is greater if we don t have to call Jerry Becknell or Brad Swiniarski at home every time we need an extension cord. The cords have to live somewhere, and if we make a place for them with a label, then everyone can know where they are (and, of course, put them back. ). In a third example, this year we wrote a job description for our convention delegates, so they would know what they need to do, and what the time-table is. This meant that at the time they were invited to stand for election, they could be given the calendar with the date and location of the diocesan convention, and they would know exactly how many meetings they were expected to attend. They appreciated it. Now, if you have the same rector for 20 years, or the same administrator for 25 years, or the same delegates year after year, those persons just know. But if you have new members, and the next generation of young people growing up, they don t just know. And they, and we all, are helped, as the candidates for convention delegate were, when we become People of the Book. (This is different from putting things on the computer, which is certainly good: but only one person can access what s on the computer. It s helpful if anyone needing information can come into the office and look it up.) D. Why now? Why, after decades of oral tradition, should we write down our traditions, make labels, and make universally-known places for items to abide? Why now? 1. I believe we need the freedom and empowerment that comes from inscribing our traditions and processes because the activity at St. Alban s is growing (and that s a good thing). 2. And a second reason why now is that church SIZE relates to STRUCTURE or FUNCTIONING: 1. When a church starts out, one family usually gets it going, and a few other families join in. Everybody knows everybody; and the decisions are made by a committee of the whole, with the founding patriarchs having the final word. This is known as a family-sized parish. It works as long as it s tiny. But if the church is blessed and grows, it gets to the point where everybody can t know everybody; and everybody can t talk to everybody every Sunday. Then what?

4 4 2. Then they start to rely on the pastor to communicate to the folks who got missed on Sunday. In this pastoral-style parish, new-comers are no longer vetted by the founding family; they are taken to the pastor, who becomes like the Memphis airport is to FedEx: all the communication goes to the pastor, who re-arranges the packages from the message sender and puts them on the plane to the message receiver. Again, this works as long as there s not much going on so that the pastor can basically speak to pretty much everybody every week. 3. The third size is called program-style parish where there is lots going on, and there are several lay leaders in charge of various parts, like the chair of the altar guild and the chair of social concerns. If you want to know something about an area of ministry, talk to the lay leader and the lay leaders talk regularly with the pastor. This is very efficient for a pretty good sized parish. In my first interview with the search committee in 2011, I asked what size and style St. Alban s was. At that meeting, Dan Fulton said, We like to do programs, but we like to do them as a family. We re a bit eclectic, I heard him say; our intimacy is important to us. We don t want to get so big we can t know each other; but we want to be involved in interesting things. Not only that, belonging is important to us. We want to know we fit in. We like the comfort of feeling like we re in the inner circle, part of the family. In the strategic planning process, Greg Krabacher uncovered another really important part of our character: we value stability. When we re stable, we grow. When we re in transition, we don t. St. Alban s is somewhere between pastoral and program style. The Vestry, on its retreat, has invited Anne Reed from the diocese to speak to us about these sizes and what we can learn from churchly wisdom, to help us know each other better and also have life-giving offerings; so we can have programs but do it as a family. Writing down what we do enables the whole family to have access to our traditions and processes, and enables new people to come on board easily as members of the family, without having to be outsiders because they don t know the family lore. So this year, our goal is to write customaries, to write down our customs and traditions. II. Ministry: A. I used to be the lay ministry project coordinator for this diocese many years ago. The leaders in lay ministry were from the Columbus region: St. Mark s, Arlington; St. Luke s, Granville. We did a series of interviews in the diocesan newspaper with folks as to how their work was their ministry. One guy worked in research and development at Procter and Gamble; it was inspiring to hear how he felt this work used his God-given gifts to contribute to caring for other and helping society. His work was his ministry even though the church did not acknowledge this. B. We tend to think of ministry as what happens when the Body of Christ gathers together on Sundays: things like lay readers and acolytes and Sunday School teachers. And these are certainly ministries. We need them so that we can function as church gathered together. But when we as church are scattered Monday through Saturday, we re still doing ministry.

5 5 C. Ministry is much broader than ministries in the church-house. When you raise your children, or care for your grandchildren, this is ministry. Does not the Lord want us to love one another in particular, every day? Managing the needs of spouses and multiple children and jobs this counts. This is ministry at its finest. The Church has not always done a great job of acknowledging ministries in the world, nor of supporting them. I would love us to do better. Think about whether you feel that God has called you into the work that you do. Is it your profession is it what you profess? Would you do it for free if you had enough to eat? Which of the many things that take your time day by day, at home, in the community, at work, feed your soul? Which might you see as a gift from God to you that you are giving back to the world on behalf of God? On behalf of the Body of Christ? D. Not everyone has the time or energy to do ministries inside the church every year. This is why it s so important to understand that we act on each others behalf. When some are tutoring youngsters after school, we can t all be there we don t have the time, or the gift but among us, we can rejoice that it is being done since some of us are doing this. Some of us are teaching the children of this community. Some of us are present with people during crises, making sure they get the help their insurance makes available to them. Some are bringing all our care and ethics and wisdom to enable folks funds to provide for them and their offspring through retirement. Some make art or in other ways bring beauty. It s all ministry. E. SO WE MUST NEVER FEEL BAD IF WE CANNOT BE HERE for every activity. It takes all of us, doing what we do, offering what we can. F. I would like us to set a priority to help people find their ministry. For example, Ernestine is completing a 3-year program that has helped her deepen her relationship with God and opened up an area of ministry that will help many, as a spiritual companion. She will graduate May 6. Her ministry gives fulfillment not just for her, but for all of us, and for the Reign of God. We re all enhanced by each other s ministries, whether obvious or quiet. It s helpful to recognize each other s ministries, and our own and encourage each other, and thank each other. For example, PASTORAL VISITORS visit those who cannot come to church. So we take church to them. OUTREACH AND MISSION has a tremendous influence on character of St. Alban s. We are so blessed by the social concerns committee. Churches that don t reach out beyond themselves become self-absorbed and die. When we use our gifts and do Church well, as a symbol of Jesus Christ, many are blessed. I want to read you a letter I received from a parishioner in Florida whose wife died last year, and we did her funeral. It is dated January 10, 2015; Dear Susan, It has been 8 ½ months since Connie s memorial service and frequently I think back to the wonderful way you and your associates gave my family and friends such peace at a very difficult time.

6 6 I have thought about you many times and remember the joy and satisfaction you get being the rector of such a fine small church in Bexley. I would like to send you an additional check to help St. Alban s in whatever way you see fit. Today would be Connie s 89 th birthday and her spirit joins mine in wishing you Happy New Year and very best wishes for the future. Sincerely, Jerry G. Becoming people of the book so that anyone can find out where things are and how to participate supports the sense of empowerment and involvement befitting ministers of God. And whether in the church-house or in the world, we seek to minister in Christ, and on each other s behalf. III. Reconciliation Third and finally, Reconciliation. I have learned since coming here that, like any family, we have a few skeletons in the closet, a couple of sensitive areas that have never been healed. In our association with Healthy Congregations, a professional group that supports parishes, of which Rev. Michael Jupin is one of the consultants, we have learned that there are ways to heal parishes and to help us learn the full richness of our history. Reconciliation is normal. It s what every Eucharistic meal prepares us for: we drink the cup of the new covenant in Christ s blood for the forgiveness of sins, so that we can be renewed as one body, the Body of Christ. Christ s ministry was one of reconciliation; and it is his ministry to which we are ultimately called. Reconciliation includes people and situations of the past; it also includes ongoing tending of our relationships with each other in the present. For some reason, it can be easy to react to things we do not understand, to impute motives to others that actually have nothing to do with their actual motives. As we are just scratching the surface of learning from our recent parish film series, we can find ourselves reacting to someone in the present the way someone else, from a different era or different town altogether reacted to us. 1 And when we do, we hurt each other. We don t intend to; we are just unconscious of what we say or do, and how this affects this person. In today s Gospel, we hear yet another one of Jesus healing stories. He started by healing the family of his disciples. This is the place where we know that Peter was married, because Jesus heals his mother-in-law. Then he continues, healing neighbors and strangers. And they cast out demons. Demons? What would we consider demons today? I think the judgments we make about another person, which locks them in and doesn t give us room to notice when they change, may be a demon. I think fear for our future is a demon, as is lack of trust in God or each other. But trust requires that we be vigilantly trust-worthy; and when we get lazy in our relationships, that can be a demon, too. The point is healing. Reconciling. Making whole. And that, above all, is my hope for us in the year to come. May God bless us, every one. Amen. 1 Mimetic theory. See René Girard and James Alison.