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Solidarity,
Sacrifice and Servanthood
In our New Testament lesson we read the familiar story of Jesus calling the first disciples. As he walks along the beach he sees these fisherman who are totally innocent, and he says to them, "Follow me." We're told that they rose up and followed him, with no negotiation. There were no questions, such as: Where is it we're going? Where are you leading us? Where will this whole thing take us? No, they rose up and followed him immediately.... We're called to follow, that's why it's called the Christian faith. It's not called the Christian roadmap. It's not called the Christian little black bag of answers. It's not called the solutions to life's problems. It's called the Christian faith. We follow because we believe. And we trust that God will lead us where we need to be and provide us with the resources to do what needs to be done. Yet having said all of that, it's important that we have enough light to walk by. We can't simply stumble along in the darkness. And so God has given us some clues--a kind of roadmap, if you will--and it says that where we're being asked to follow is to an intersection. It's the intersection of three streets--three ways--that are clearly marked. Our calling is to follow those pathways where we know that our Lord has gone before. The three ways--those paths or streets--have names, and I would make bold to identify them this morning. They are the path of solidarity, the path of sacrifice and the path of servanthood. I want to talk to you a little bit about each one of those to give you enough light so that you will know when you are on those paths, and when you might have strayed from them. First, the path of solidarity. To be an Episcopalian is, in many ways, to be an oddity in the world. I realize that, but no more clearly than when we are gathered for liturgy. We say things like: We have sinned and fallen short. We ask your forgiveness. We commit ourselves. We believe in God, the Father. It is a corporate faith. It's not a case of me and my God. (How lucky for God! He has a few great people like me.) When I go into the supermarkets, I see a whole rack of things that say, "Getting right with God." "Losing weight through Jesus." "Finding satisfaction through the faith." Is that what it's about, me and my God? Good old Jesus? I think it's about the fact that God has families; God has communities. God is calling us together to move toward salvation with a strong sense of corporateness, with a strong sense of inclusiveness and of solidarity, and with a sense that God cares about all people. Not just some especially holy people, but everybody. ... The path hasn't changed. If we would follow Christ, we must walk the road of solidarity. "Follow me," says Jesus. "There is much, much to be done." If the world is to believe, if the world is to hear the gospel, then we have to address the separations, the divisions that keep us from solidarity. As long as Sunday morning remains, throughout the world, the most segregated morning of the week, the world cannot believe. "Follow me. There is much to be done." I don't know how we walk that road of solidarity. But, I know that we must. The second pathway we are called to follow is the road of sacrifice. We are in grave danger of turning religion into some sort of self-help enterprise in which our needs are being met. We go for comfort when the gospel tells us, "We are gathered to be strengthened to go out into the world." Religion isn't for us. It is for those who are in need or at risk. I have said before, and I continue to be impressed--the church is the only institution on the face of this planet that exists primarily for those who don't belong to it. It's hard for us to keep that in mind. We have such a need ourselves, and it's important to have that need filled, but we remember that it is simply the means. We are nurtured and inspired as we come to worship. We are equipped, but the important thing is to go out and empty ourselves for those who need us. That is the road of sacrifice we are called to walk. ... The third pathway is the road of servanthood....We are people who are gathered to do ministry, and it's not a case of whether. It's which. ...God wants you to exercise servanthood--to find the place where you can make your contribution. "Follow me," says Christ. "There is so much to be done." Somewhere at that intersection of solidarity, sacrifice and servanthood is the road we're called to follow. I believe that today and in the years to come, as long as we're clear about that, everything else will be given to us. We will know the way, and we will know when we have arrived at the place where God wants us to be. It's the Christian faith, not Christian answers. Someone gave
me a copy of a short prayer that I love. I wish it were inscribed out
there in front of this church. It's attributed to the Archbishop of Ireland.
It says:
I am going
to ask you now to join me in a prayer found in the great, unexplored part
of The Book of Common Prayer, page 832, number 58. Please join
me as we say together:
Copyright 2003 Calvary Episcopal ChurchCalvary Episcopal Church From a sermon preached at Calvary Episcopal Church, Memphis, TN, January 26, 2003. Gospel: Mark 1:14-20 |
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