Now I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose. For Christ did not send me to baptize but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom, so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power. For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. In the Name of God: +Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Amen. It is an extraordinary privilege to be called by God. It is an honor, and often a challenge, to proclaim the gospel in our culture. But it is all of this and more to have that gospel change your life. Believe me when I say that the Cricket Park who stands before you right now is not the same Cricket Park who would have stood here 20 years ago. That Cricket was in her late 30s, a wife, a mother, a full-time nonprofit executive, and a deacon who s ministry centered around disability rights and pastoral care for people living with HIV/AIDS. I was underpaid. I was overcommitted. I was overwhelmed. I was in conflict with the priest I d been assigned to. And, I was furious. 1
It seemed that every time I would turn around, something highly unfair, unjust, or unhappy would rear its ugly head. I felt betrayed by the church, I felt inadequate as a business owner, I saw only injustice whenever I looked around. The longer I lived, the angrier and angrier I got. My husband knew it, my friends knew it. The bishop who supported me (not my diocesan at the time) even said to me Cricket, why are you so angry? It s working against you. But, instead of taking his counsel, I just growled deeper and louder. It wasn t until I was in tears and despair, sobbing in a hotel room, that I let a small crack open for the wise light of my best friend to seep into my soul. She put her arm around me and said, Cricket, when are you going realize that you are supposed to be a priest? WHAT! Oh, yeah, that s just what I needed. I said something I dare not repeat and then went into the bathroom, turned on the water faucets, put my fingers in my ears, and said La la la I can t hear you. 2
Over the next six months, my friend wouldn t let up. What are you so afraid of? she would ask. If I do this, I ll lose everything. I ll have to close my business. I ll have to take on a bunch of debt. My husband will divorce me. My son will stop talking to me. I ll lose everything. I was wrong. I didn t lose everything. I gained everything. My bishop didn t flinch when I told him that I thought God was calling me to priesthood. You ve been doing the job for the last four years, Cricket. It s time to make it real. I did close my business, but not until I was out of school. I did take on some debt, but it wasn t overwhelming. My husband didn t divorce me and my son doesn t think I m any weirder than I ever was. I was able to apprentice under one of the best priests I ve ever met and who I still consider to be one of my best friends. I ve become the person and am becoming the priest God wants me to be. Oh, I m sorry. I did lose one thing. 3
While I admit that some things still really honk me off, I m not in that place of constant anger anymore. I remember having lunch with a diocesan staff member not long after my ordination to the priesthood and her saying Cricket, who are you? You re not the same angry deacon I m used to. No, I wasn t. The angry deacon died. In her place rose a thankful priest who experienced transformation by the power of the gospel and the call of the Spirit. That doesn t mean that I don t get angry on occasion. I ve found that it s important for me to be silent, to listen and process things before I react. It s best because, believe me, you won t like it when I m angry. My transformation helped me see the ongoing purpose of the Christian community, which is to share the Gospel of Christ. In sharing this story, and in sharing our own experience with this story, we invite people into that transforming power that helps us allow those things that make us afraid to die so that we can live into the life God wants for us. The Church s existence is not for its own self, but for the telling of the Gospel. The institution is a tool for the communication of the Good News, it is not the good news itself. It is here that we learn the stories of salvation. It is in scripture that we hear the words don t be afraid again and again. It is in Christian community that we learn that our value is in our identity as children of God, not in how much we can produce for profit. 4
The Apostle Paul understood that. Confronted by the Risen Christ, his worldview did a 180, and he was transformed from a persecutor of the church to being the most important evangelist of the Gospel message. The Twelve understood as well. They were so transformed by Jesus and the message he brought to them that they were willing to be imprisoned and martyred for it. The mission of the church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other through Christ. It pursues its mission as it prays and worships, proclaims the Gospel, and promotes justice, peace, and love. Through this purpose we have hope the ability to live knowing, as Paul said in another letter to another church, that nothing, not even death, shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Today I invite you into the same mind and purpose. Read, mark, and inwardly digest the Gospel of Christ. Give yourself over to it. Allow yourself to be transformed by it. You can live in hope and not in fear. Amen. 5