This is Good Shepherd Sunday, when we
focus on how lovingly and faithfully Jesus is our Good Shepherd. He cares for
us, guides us, leads us to places of refreshment, rest, and restoration. We are
forever grateful for how Jesus does this, aren’t we?
In many ways, the calling to the
priesthood is one that instructs priests to serve in the same manner as the
Good Shepherd. We are to care for our parishioners, teach them, preach to them,
offer comfort when they are afflicted, encourage them to see their mission as
extending beyond the four walls of the church, speak out for those in
need…well, the list of things we’re supposed to do is lengthy and daunting. And
here’s the challenge for any priest: Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is a hard act to
follow.
And it goes without saying that if we
priests think that we can be the clone of that Good Shepherd, it is inevitable
that we will fail. There is only one, the one who died on the cross for us as the
ultimate gift in shepherding the flock. We cannot be THE Good Shepherd, but we
can aspire to be A good shepherd.
Sara-Scott, that’s good news – nobody
around here expects you to give up your life literally, although on some days,
you may feel like you’re giving up your life metaphorically.
The nature of the work of shepherding
the flock hasn’t really changed much since the time of Christ, at least in a
metaphorical sense. A priest knows that, like a shepherd, she is often on a
hillside or hospital in the middle of the night. A priest knows that, like a
shepherd, she occasionally has to herd the sheep with a little more force than
that sheep might like. A priest knows that, like a shepherd, she may need to go
round up lambs that have gone astray. And in today’s culture, a priest knows
that, like a shepherd, she may not always be respected, despite the
sophistication of her education, the intensity and necessity of her work, and the
personal cost it exacts.
So why would anyone want to be a
priest, to shepherd a flock of souls?
Simply put, when God calls, no matter
how much one may resist, eventually, one answers that call.
And similarly, when a parish calls a
priest to shepherd a particular flock, one cannot help but answer that call.
And so we come to the reason why I am
here today. Sara-Scott Wingo accepted your call three years ago to be your
Priest-in-Charge. That title is an odd one – you’re a shepherd on a timetable,
you’ve got a letter of agreement that is time-limited. Hard to think of a
shepherd who signs on knowing that the time of tending the sheep will end on x
date. But in our tradition, there is a possibility that the relationship may
morph from one where there is a defined end-date – the Priest in Charge model –
to one where you enter into a covenantal relationship which does not have a
defined end-date – the Rector model.
When the relationship morphs in this
way, it’s like a long engagement that results in marriage. Today is the wedding
feast! Sara-Scott is now your rector. Thanks be to God!
Now I’m going to stick with the marriage
metaphor here rather than the one about shepherds because marriage is familiar
to many of us and I doubt we have many real-life shepherds in the crowd. So on to marriage.
Those of you who have been married a
long time know that after the wedding feast ends, the hard work of sustaining
the relationship begins.
Therefore my challenge to you sitting
in the pews today is this: the work of relationship with your rector is just
like the work of relationship with a spouse. Sara-Scott has a particular role,
defined by her ordination vows. She is to proclaim by word and deed the Gospel,
to fashion her life in accordance with its precepts, to love and serve the
people among whom she works, caring alike for young and old, strong and weak,
rich and poor. She is to preach, to declare God’s forgiveness to penitent
sinners, to pronounce God’s blessing, to preside at the sacraments and other
ministrations.
But as in a marital relationship, both
parties have a role and responsibilities. So let’s reflect on your particular
role. Here’s your part of the relationship:
1. Listen. She has much to teach you.
She has much wisdom and learning.
2.
Respect her, even if and when you
disagree with her. No mumbling out in the parking lot or grumbling on facebook.
Just as such actions are harmful in a marital relationship, they are poisonous
in church, and will cause pain to the whole Body of Christ. If you’ve got an
issue with your rector, go to her and talk to her about it. She is a great and
generous listener, and it is a sign of your respect for her that you bring
concerns directly to her.
3.
Show her grace. She will have some
rough days every now and again – everyone does. Be as willing to forgive her
when she fails – and we all of us priests fail on occasion – as you want her to
forgive you when you fail.
4.
Don’t expect your rector to have ESP.
It’s like when your husband forgets your anniversary and you give him the cold
shoulder, and he says “what’s wrong honey?” and you say “Well, if you don’t
know, I’m not going to tell you.” The number of times I’ve talked to
parishioners who say almost exactly the same thing about their rector is
uncountable. And when I say, “Your rector can’t read your mind,” disgruntled
parishioners tell me that of course the rector should know. Here’s the truth:
rectors are not mind-readers. Tell your rector when you’ve got an issue with
her, and give her the space and the grace to work with you. Tell her when you’re
sick and in the hospital. Tell her if you’re having problems. Tell her your
joys as well. She will not know unless you open your mouth and your heart.
5.
It’s not your church. It’s not
Sara-Scott’s church. It’s God’s church. Everything she does with you is to serve
God. Her gifts are at your service, not only for your edification, but for
God’s greater glory. So if she challenges you to stretch out of your comfort
zone, consider it the work of the Holy Spirit, and take a risk. We are called
to take risks – Bishop Michael Curry says we are challenged by God to be “crazy
Christians” who actually believe we can make a real difference in the world. If
Sara-Scott speaks of this challenge from God, don’t immediately dismiss it
because you may not have done this sort of thing before. She is teaching you as
well as challenging you. Take the risk.
Five things. That’s your job
description. Now back to Sara-Scott.
Shepherds have all sorts of jobs in
their care of a flock of sheep. Priests, too, are required to be generalists –
who else has the job description of preacher, teacher, prophet, counselor, liturgist,
administrator, occasional maker of coffee, and rarely (we hope) plunger of
toilets?
Jesus was able to do it all because
he was, well, Jesus. Being divine is a helpful attribute. Sorry, Sara-Scott,
you’re not quite divine, although we will admit that you’re fabulous.
But know that the one thing we all
can do in this complicated, beautiful, difficult, joyful work of being the Body
of Christ, whether we are priest or parishioner, Senior Warden or junior
acolyte, soloist in the choir or hummer of hymns in the pews…the one thing that
we can do that honors this covenantal relationship between Sara-Scott and
Emmanuel Brook Hill is to love and care for each other, as the Good Shepherd
always loves and cares for each of us and desires our love.
We can do no less, in thanksgiving
for the Good Shepherd and in thanksgiving for Sara-Scott’s ministry in this
wonderful place.
Let all of God’s people say “Amen.”
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