Submit

2^nd Sunday of Ordinary Time

Cycle C

IS 62:1-5

1 Cor 12:1-11

Jn 2:1-11

This Thursday will be the 15^th 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 2^nd 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.