SERMON
ST. HILARY'S EPISCOPAL
CHURCH
DEACON CYNTHIA MONTOOTH
MAY 28th, 2006
There's
a song from Jesus Christ Superstar that I've always
found fun. It's at the beginning of the Last Supper
scene. The disciples are setting the table for the
Passover meal and they sing, "Always hoped
that I'd be an Apostle. Knew that I could make it
if I tried. Then when we retire, we can write the
Gospels so they'll still talk about us when we died."
Oh my. Ambition in the Church.
Something, to me, seems terribly wrong, either with
the earliest church or, perhaps, the Church of today.
After Judas and Jesus had both died and Jesus had
ascended to heaven, the disciples were left with
a quandary. What were they supposed to do to fill
the vacancy left by Judas' defection?
This wasn't some unimportant, titular position.
The man elected, and yes, contrary to the DaVinci
Code, the Apostles were all men, would be a cornerstone
of what would become the greatest power of social
reform in the world, let alone the Incarnation of
Christ to the World.
They prayed, and then they threw lots. I don't know
what that means. It's another example of words being
translated from a specific language at a specific
time in a specific place. So, who knows. We'd say
it meant tossing dice. Some say that was a method
of voting. I find that a bit hard to swallow. Maybe
they drew straws. I wonder what the Hebrew would
be for "eeney meany miney moe".
They prayed and they trusted that God would help
them make the right decision. They threw dice to
pick an Apostle. We don't read about the "elect
Justus for Apostle" rallies. No word about
Mathias printing up buttons with his name on them.
No counting ballots. Pray and toss.
I have to admit, that process bothers me a bit.
Not that God can't guide us into making the choices
he wills. I do have a problem with the idea that
God fixes the dice. I have no doubt that God spoke
into the hearts of the Apostles that Mathias and
Justus were holy and Godly men. When it came down
to a game of luck, I think that's what it was. I
am equally sure that God would have blessed the
ministry of Justus, and probably did lead Justus
into some other ministry. But, when you toss dice,
someone's got to win and someone's got to lose.
I wish we knew more about Justus. I think he's pretty
special just for allowing his name to be on the
short list. I'm also not sure if after the toss
he didn't think that he actually won. After all,
John is the only Apostle that wasn't murdered in
some horrific way. Who would want to be an Apostle,
Andrew Lloyd Webber not withstanding?
We are nearing the end of the process for choosing
the next Apostle to the People of Southwest Florida.
Of course, we don't call it that. We are choosing
a bishop for this diocese. We believe that our bishops
are the direct descendants of the 12 Apostles. For
me, this is a cosmic level decision. We will elect
a person to be an Apostle to the world.
A part of me wants to ask, who would want to be
an heir of 11 murdered men? Another side of me wonders
if we really want to elect someone who wants the
position.
The election process in this diocese in very capable
and Godly hands. Two of our members are on the nominating
committee - Debby Tripp and Rusty Whitley. I may
be getting myself in hot water, but I'm reasonably
sure that they would welcome your questions. We
will choose our new bishop on December 9. Beginning
today, we will pray for that election process at
every liturgy we have.
I've heard that it has become quite difficult to
get a list of interested candidates for the Episcopate.
Priests are asking themselves, "do I really
want to expose myself to as much scrutiny as is
required to possibly be elected to an office that
is increasingly political and guaranteed to be a
target of someone's anger?"
Sometimes we romanticize the past. We think that
the further back we go in history, the purer and
simpler things become. Not true. Within the first
century after Christ, bishops were debating things
like letting Gentiles in without circumcising the
men. Within the first 3 centuries rival camps exiled
each other's bishops. People were killed in the
name of orthodoxy. Bishops were routinely selected
on the spot by partisan activists. Sometimes there
would be 2 different men claiming the same diocese.
There were even times with 2 opposing popes.
By the 6th century, bishops were often the puppets
of the ruling gentry. In the middle ages, it was
often hard to tell when a bishop ended and a politician
began.
We've come a long way from choosing leaders in the
church by prayer and chance.
What have we done to the Episcopate? What have we
done to the church? It seems that almost any decision
we make in the broader church becomes politicized.
The General Convention of the Episcopal Church begins
in 2 weeks. Ted Tripp is an alternate deputy to
that event in Columbus, Ohio. One of the things
that will happen there, is that the bishops of the
church will elect their presiding bishop. No prayer
and dice there. Prayer, certainly. But the politicking
has begun. A couple of activists still have me on
their list as an alternate deputy from '03.
And of course, the marquee topic will be the Church's
response to the Windsor Report on what it means
to be in communion with the other churches of the
Anglican Communion. Strategies are being formed.
Lines are being drawn in the sand. "Morning
After" strategies are being established. Of
course, this all has to do with the Episcopal Church
consecrating a partnered gay priest bishop of New
Hampshire and the practice in some dioceses of blessing
committed relationships of gays and lesbians.
I have either been very blessed, or very naïve.
This has not been a real divisive issue here. Sure,
many of us have strong opinions. For some of us,
the issue strikes very close to home. Each week,
we have people on diametrically opposed sides of
the issue sitting next to each other and passing
the peace.
I think God is pleased with us. We're talking about
evangelism, spiritual formation and growth and ministry
to the poor and oppressed.
I've told you in the past of my interest in ending
genocide in Uganda. There are those in the broader
church that will not become involved because the
archbishop of Uganda has crossed into the Untied
States and accepted priests and congregations that
have separated from the Episcopal Church to be under
his authority. Even trying to keep people from being
exterminated become politicized. I don't think God
is pleased about that.
If the Episcopal Church is going to survive, it
will be because God has a use for us. As long as
God places on the hearts of some of his children
a love for liturgy, a love for intellectual challenge,
a love for diversity and a love for God's children,
there will be an Episcopal Church. Who it is aligned
with and what it is called may be up for debate.
But the core of what it means to be church to us
will always be a part of God's plan.
God's not going to force us into one mold or another,
just like he doesn't weight one side of the dice.
If we listen with the ears of our soul, we will
hear him and we will know his will. It is up to
us to listen and then to act.
Let us pray:
7. For the Church
Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church.
Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace.
Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error,
direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform
it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is
in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite
it; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior.
Amen.
13. For the Election of a Bishop or other Minister
Almighty God, giver of every good gift: Look graciously
on your Church, and so guide the minds of those
who shall choose a bishop for this Diocese, that
we may receive a faithful pastor, who will care
for your people and equip us for our ministries;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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