2nd
Sunday of Ordinary Time
Cycle
C
IS 62:1-5
1 Cor 12:1-11
Jn 2:1-11
This
Thursday will be the 15th anniversary of my ordination as a deacon.
That means, including the five years of formation that preceded it, I have been
involved in this ministry for 20 years. And, as you may know, because the
Sunday readings are on a three year cycle, these readings today are the first
readings I preached on as a deacon, from this ambo. And I think the second
reading from St. Paul is all about the diaconate – service – not just the
ordained ministry but for all Christians.
So
much has changed in those years. The White Pine Canyon Church had just been
dedicated when I was ordained. I’m on my third pastor. I’m a bit grayer and a
bit heavier. And I hope that I have grown and mellowed as I’ve aged.
I’ve
changed. And you’re the ones who’ve changed me.
Every
year around this time I try to stop and take stock of my faith life and my role
as a deacon. It is so easy to get caught up in all the activities and stuff to
do. It is hard to continue to focus on the calling I have been given, on the
Spirit of God working in my life, and how I can better use the gifts he has
given me to bring people closer to Him.
I
have found the diaconate to be an extremely humbling experience. People tend to
put priests and bishops on pedestals, but deacons are a bit different. Many of
you knew me before I was ordained, and so we have a familiarity with one
another, a casualness in our relationships that I don’t know that many priests
and bishops experience very often. I have been humbled by the amazing faith I
have witnessed in you, the people of St. Marys. I have shared your highest joys
and your deepest sorrows. I have seen you live the wonderful gifts the Holy
Spirit has bestowed upon you, and you have been my role models in so many ways.
So many of you are so much better at this deaconing thing than I am. And the
most humbling experiences have been when I have made some terrible misstep and
have had to try to make amends.
But
the word deacon – diaconos – literally means servant, and it is that viewpoint
and self-knowledge that truly should be what drives me and inspires me to
continue. It is the concept that St. Paul is trying to convey in today’s second
reading. It is the idea of the servant leader, and it should drive and inspire
all of us.
St.
Paul gives a list of the spiritual gifts. And he links them with the one Spirit
that gives them purpose. These are gifts, not rights, and everyone receives
them. We are called to be stewards of those gifts, realizing that we have them
through no merit of our own, and must use them for the benefit of the whole and
the glory of God. They are supposed to be a unifying force, because they all
radiate from the unity of the Holy Trinity so that we can be of one mind and
purpose.
We
must decrease and Christ must increase.
It
is not so much an aptitude as an attitude. Think of some of the best
professionals you know. The best doctors, or teachers, or managers. They have
developed great capabilities and skills, but what sets them apart is how they
view themselves and the people they interact with. They are true servant
leaders who do not focus on their degrees or titles or authority. They do not
make their authority felt nor do they feel superior. They instead focus on the
other. They did not choose their professions because they wanted status or
power or money. They wanted to make a difference in the world. They wanted to
help other people.
Those
are the people who most greatly affect our lives. A skilled surgeon may heal
you physically. A great doctor will make you want to change your life.
We
cannot hear today’s 2nd reading without also understanding the
passage that immediately follows it: the famous Body of Christ analogy.
We
are all given roles in the Body of Christ. God has a plan for his Church, and
in order for the Body of Christ to function and serve as deacon to the world,
with the ultimate goal of the salvation of souls, many parts must work in
harmony with one another. It is not about power. It is not about prestige or
honor or even responsibility. It is about serving the world. Or at least it
should be.
The human body is not governed by democratic principles. The hands do not choose to
become hands in the womb. The mouth, eyes and ears don’t get a choice either.
Each is given its place, and its role, in the body by their creator. It is not
a question of fairness nor equality nor diversity, it just is. Just as it is
with the human body, it is the same with the Body of Christ.
We
get so hung up on who does what in the Church. Instead, rejoice in the
wonderfulness of the Spirit of God that directs everything we do. The Spirit
does not divide, He unifies. Everyone is given his or her specific gifts, and
is called to use and express those gifts for the benefit of the entire Church.
We get so worried and concerned about roles and titles and prestige, honor and
power, on who has it and who doesn’t, and in doing so we get in the way of
God’s plan for us and the world.
Remember
that even the apostles argued amongst themselves about who was the greatest.
Jesus admonished them that the greatest should be the least among them, the
servants of the rest. Instead of jostling and positioning for the best seats at
the banquet they should be fighting over the lowest. Instead of worrying and
complaining that I am being discriminated against because this person can do
this or that thing and I can’t, I should be rejoicing that God has chosen
someone to do it, for the good of the Church, and she is doing it so well.
We
are each called to submit to the needs of others. That is what humility is.
Humbling ourselves and offering the unique spiritual and temporal gifts to one
another should be how we compete. Who can be the kindest? Who can be the best
stewards of the gifts that God has given us? Who can most closely model Jesus?
Our
wants and desires oftentimes have nothing to do with what we are called to do
and who we are called to be. Just because you would like to become a doctor
does not mean you have what it takes to study, prepare, and practice medicine.
I know I couldn’t do that. I don’t have the right to be a doctor just because I
think I should be one. I remember Bishop Neiderauer telling my formation class
that we should have such a submissive attitude that if he came to us six months
before ordination and told us that he had discerned that we were not being
called to the diaconate we should be disappointed but not crushed by the news.
I
believe that we should be constantly discerning God’s will and plan for us in
all our roles. Are you called to marriage or the single life? Are you called to
the priesthood or diaconate? Are you called to be a parent? What career should
you choose? Should you change jobs at this stage in your career and why or why
not? Should you move to another state or country? So often we spend more time
working on our resumes than we do trying to discern our true calling in the
world. It would be so much easier if we relinquished control.
We
are such take-charge people, aren’t we? We like to plan out everything in our
lives. We plan our vacations to the nth degree. We sock away our retirement
funds for the future. We post our profiles on online dating services so that
algorithms can find the perfect match for us. God laughs at our plans, doesn’t
he? His plan for you is probably not what you had in mind. We see the greatest
goal in life as our own personal happiness, and we think we know what will make
us happy. But unhappiness and unfulfillment and lack of joy comes when we try
to live according to our plan, not His.
The
only way we can be happy, truly happy, is if we submit. Every member of the
body is necessary for its proper functioning. There is no insignificant part. Find
your role, accept your role, and embrace your role. You’ll never deserve it,
but you are called by Christ to do it. That’s what it means to be a disciple.
First,
understand and accept that you have been given these gifts. St. Paul says
everyone has them. Then, pray. Make prayer a central part of your life.
Actively pray, fervently pray for guidance and support. Actively discern your
gifts, then cultivate and grow them. Ask others what they think you are being
called to. Use your gifts with all your enthusiasm and energy. Live an attitude
of diaconia. See yourself as a humble steward of those gifts, and always focus
on other people. Be a true servant leader.
If
you do these things, you will find your place in the Church and in the world. There
is so much at stake. Your own personal salvation and the renewal of the face of
the Earth. For us Christians, this is not optional. God has a plan for each and
every one of us, and I truly believe that until we find that place and then
submit completely to it we will never be happy. We will be fighting our own
natures and fighting against God.
That’s
a battle we cannot win.
