February 01, 2009 Ordination: The Superbowl PreGame

Deuteronomy 18: 15-20
Mark 1: 21-39

Let's face it, regardless of whether we identify this as the 4th Sunday after Epiphany, Ordination Sunday, the Sacrament of Holy Communion or the Day before Ground Hog Day, this is SUPERBOWL SUNDAY. Yet as much emphasis as has been placed on the outcome, for a majority of us, we watch for the Commercials and the Half-time, the GAME is of far less importance than the PRE-GAME as we get everything in place, being certain we have enough Blue Chips and Guacamole, Black/Gold and Red/White to set everything in motion for the kick-off. So let us Claim that the Presbyterians began the PREGAME at 10am, because that is what Ordination is. Before TRAINING, Before the first MEETING, Before COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS or signing up to SERVE, AFTER Election we Ordain with this series of I Dos and I WILLs and a Laying On of Hands. This is the PREGAME for our Ministry as the Church in this time and Place.

When Moses had led the People for Four Decades, Moses established a balance of leadership, King and Judges and Priests, to Govern, for Justice and for Faith; BUT also PROPHETS LIKE MOSES FROM AMONG THE PEOPLE. It is an odd phrase, the point of which, is exactly what has taken place from last Sunday to this. That our Prophets and Leaders are chosen from among us, MINISTERS, ELDERS, DEACONS, and are Ordained to this responsibility. Yesterday, in the meeting of the Presbytery, a woman was introduced, Kathy Dain. Kathy had been a member here for several years, then moved to Florida and returned to become a member of Park Central Presbyterian Church in order to go to Seminary to become a minister of Word & Sacrament. In order to be a Minister, Elder or Deacon, you must first be a member of the local Church, chosen from among the people.

Last evening, I took the Confirmation Class to the Catholic Church to see the similarities and differences in our worship and faith, and these passages were paired with the verse in Corinthians that emphasizes CELIBACY. The Catholic emphasis being that those who are married women and men are too concerned with material things, the feeding of their children, working at a career, while the single are able to devote themselves to prayer and fasting. Whereas the Prophets of the Reformation, instead of celibacy named personal confession of faith, following the Scriptures and Confessions, Service as part of a larger Body and the Laying on of Hands. That rather than our retired leaders sitting quietly as new leaders profess new and different directions then stepping aboard a helicopter to fly away to Texas, we, those who have served would be responsible for passing along wisdom, and guidance and prayer and support to those who would now lead.

Whether Catholic or Protestant, the point being that our ORDAINED are to serve as Prophets among us, teaching, healing, praying and seeing visions of God the rest of us are unwilling/unable to look upon. The Challenge to those being ordained this day, and to the whole priesthood of believers, is what is your prophecy? What vision of the future would you lift up for us to fulfill in faith?

There are a few leftovers from last week's meeting of the congregation which bear answering, so in some sense this is like a STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS.
First is in terms of mission, that the clinic in Sudan has outgrown us. When this first began, we as a church were able to provide for all the administrative costs and decisions, when first I travelled to Sudan in 2005 there was one couple at the Village of Duk Payuel. Last year in January, when John Dau and I each returned to serve there were 1700 people in this place, and when Dr. Connor and Dr. Coville went to serve as Doctors the United Nations seeing what we as a church had provided, relocated 3,000 refugees to this sight, making the population 5,000. This week I was informed that now there are 54,000 people in Duk. A Foundation has been created as this is now far more than what we as a church can do. We prophesied and preached, and that word changed the world.

Someone recently asked, “SO WHAT?” It's not like we are going to replicate creating clinics across the face of Africa, or that anyone else could pick up the pattern of what we have witnessed and do things the same again, there were far too many miracles we could never have planned to replicate. But rather, many of us, locally and around the world have developed AUTHORITY FOR SERVING. We provided the Early Childhood Center, before there was any other Day Care in the Village. We provided for the housing, shelter and food of Seniors. We gave time and talents and resources to work ecumenically at the Food Pantry, and we built a clinic in Africa. And the AUTHORITY we learned, that we take from these experiences to others, are to NEVER GIVE UP. Resources may be HiJacked or Lost, wells may run dry, but we trust God and never give up until the covenant is fulfilled.

It is intriguing to hear this passage from Mark. Because Jesus is described as Teaching with AUTHORITY and all were amazed, but what he taught is not recorded here. There is one with an Evil Spirit who was Convulsed and reacted saying WHAT HAVE YOU TO DO WITH US HOLY ONE OF GOD... Which tends to happen whenever we are challenged with new ideas, we react saying WHY? or NO. The AUTHORITY of Jesus is to persevere.

The healing of Simon's Mother takes a brief explanation, otherwise it appears the Messiah came and healed her only so she could get up to cook and entertain him. Instead, the contrast here is between she who is the first person in Mark to be healed and the disciples. The disciples were running about trying to make sure Jesus has a favorable response, that there were people to listen and be healed, instead she who is first to be healed is the first to serve. OUR CALLING as Disciples is TO SERVE ONE ANOTHER. There is also an ancient interpretation of this text, that Simon's Mother-in-law was not sick with the flu, or Kidney stones, or on her death bed, but that there are times when we are so frustrated and distracted that we are as if with a fever, and it is this fever of distraction that Jesus heals. Would that we could be healed of distractions and frustration!

Following last week's meeting someone emailed with a serious question. I didn't want to put you on the spot during the meeting, but over the last dozen years there have been many TANGIBLE CHANGES, having served this tenure you have developed an authority, what do you perceive are the NON-TANGIBLE CHANGES we have witnessed and what are the NON-TANGIBLE NEEDS of the Church for the future?
Ten years ago, on one of the first weekends in February, I read to the church a three page single spaced list of all the tangible accomplishments we had already witnessed together, but naming that because of past abuses of power, authority and intimacy we needed to work on trust. That morning and for the next three weeks I had a line outside my door of people offering to take out whomever it was that was not trusting others.
We have come a long ways, we now have learned new ways to trust one another.
We also have created policies to safeguard those trusts.

Many have changed from sitting quietly/respectfully, allowing the preacher to pray, to instead claiming a title of prayer-warriors fighting cancers, and circumstance. Several have come to embrace YOGA and REIKI HEALING, and EXERCISE all as being part of our Church.

One of the needs of the Church is that we find a different way to live with who we are.
The awesome joy of this time, is that where churches across the world are closing, cutting budgets and staff, we are boldly reaching out and expanding what we do. Too easily, we take for granted the faith and spirit that are here, that you have worked so hard to build.

The challenge for our ordained leaders is to make of responsibilities acts of faith. So what we do is not teaching a lesson, but inspiring faith. Not singing a difficult piece, so much as praising God. Not spending money, but doing mission. Not being a church unto ourselves, but finding ways to subject ourselves to the needs of others so as to serve the larger body of Christ. But with that we each have responsibility to treat each other more kindly. Imagine what happens to your vision, your faith as an ordained leader, when you come to worship to pray and are asked about CoffeeHour? or ice dripping from the roof?

The on-going challenge for us as a church, is to live in a time of transition. Where many are trying to do new and different ministry, while also maintaining what has been. We are in a time where the Session have available hard copy of reports and have them emailed and we have a Session member who is able to participate VIRTUALLY from the Airbase.

All of which is to say that at this moment in time, the Church is good and healthy because of your commitments and leadership. What will keep us strong is living into the application of Scriptures and Confession in the future. We must use all our Energy, and Intelligence, but even more our Imaginations and our Love.