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January 14, 2007: YA GOTTA ACT
Lectionary geeks call the time between Epiphany (which we celebrated last Sunday) and the beginning of Lent, piphany season," as if it's an intentional time, something more than "ordinary." It turns out there are actually three Greek words at the root of "Epiphany" (speaking of geeks!). One root means appearance or manifestation. Another means to give light. Still another means revelation. Three meanings to the season, and the lectionary texts move between wondering "who" Jesus is and "how to be" his disciples. As if they are part and parcel of each other. As if, in order to know Jesus you've got to follow Jesus. You've gotta act. Which is what happens in today's story from John. Mary is the quintessential Jewish Mother. Scholars don't agree on the meaning of Jesus' exchange with his mother after he says his "time has not yet come" and Mary forces his hand ("You're the son of God, do something!"). Or maybe she's being supportive ("I know you can do it, honey") or maybe she's kicking him out of the house ("Time to get on with your mission, dear"). On the other hand, it could be that she's the typical stage mother ("This kid is star quality, just give him a chance"). We don't know what that means, and scholars don't agree. Scholars are just as ambiguous about the meaning of what Jesus does with the water into wine. Many say it's what convinces his disciples of who he is, but if that's the case, they've forgotten again by the post-resurrection meeting in the locked room. Others see this as launching Jesus' ministry, while still others see John's literary device of party lost/party found. I like to see it as God's stand against human stinginess, God's extravagant stand for community. Put this in the context of Epiphany and the meanings deepen. Appearance, light, revealing. Now we see the glory of God shown, illuminated, God's divine nature revealed in Jesus, the abundance of grace, a clear call to discipleship. Whoa! Where'd that come from? Epiphany. Wise men bearing gifts-remember? In its wisdom, the lectionary committee puts Jesus' wedding miracle with Paul's theology of charism. Charism as "gift," not just that we receive but graced, spiritual gifts, received from God. Paul does the charism equivalent of the Sears Roebuck catalogue-Spirit-filled knowledge and faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, discernment, tongues and their interpretation. In other words, if there's anything lacking in the faith community, God supplies it. Abundantly, extravagantly, saving the best for last. Remember the wine steward? There's no point in human stinginess. "That's something Bernice does (so I don't have to)." No reason to hold back or wait to be asked. "I put my name on the list but no one called" or "It didn't look like you needed me." So we don't miss the point, the apostle Paul says these gifts are given for the common good, that everyone benefits. The first I ever heard about what later came to be called "ecology" was what was called "the web of life." We've got mosquitoes because there are dragonflies because there are salmon because there are bear because there are huckleberries because there are mountains because there are volcanoes. You get the picture. The same goes for churches. We've got Adelia because we've got Renate because we've got Kevin because we've got Don because we've got Margaret. You get the picture. We've got each other because we've got to have the gifts of each other. I've seen slogans about "there are no orphans in the church," but there are ought to be no rugged individualists, either. What's the point? In Paul's catalogue of gifts, no one gift is better than any other. No one gift is "enough." As Presbyterians we may be a little more leery of some gifts than others, but Paul would go to the mat on this one. Gifts are because God deems them necessary for the good of the whole. Last week my beloved aunt confessed to me that she felt that her gift in the church had been for many years to serve as the GI tract. The digestive system. This didn't shock her as much as it did me, and we didn't go into detail, except for her to say that there are some things that need to be eliminated. And there are implications for Springwater in this. Not "waste product," but in owning our specific gifts. You have heard me announce next Sunday's annual congregational meeting. We will elect officers and make reports, the whole premise being that we are a priesthood of all believers. Springwater, by its by-laws, is entitled to have nine active elders serving on session at any given time. This is what we had when I first came-nine committees to run, nine elders. Other pastors in the presbytery have told me that's too many for a congregation of our size, and in the last couple of years this has become a self-fulfilling prophecy as we have not elected a full slate of elders or as those elected have been unable to fulfill their full three-year terms. Responding to the Mission Study recommendations and our new Mission Statement, session has re-organized into three ministry clusters-stewardship, faith nurture, and deaconate-instead of nine committees. This new arrangement allows cross-over between various ministries that utilizes people's various gifts without pigeonholing them. This year, as three elders complete their terms, only three elders will continue in office, rather than a standard six. We've nominated one elder and, as always, we will invite nominations from the floor. If only one elder is elected, we will have four active elders on session next year. This makes some people nervous. Already concerned about "so much work, so few people to do it," I've heard some say they're reluctant to serve as an elder because, "It's so much work." Allow me to reframe this. It's only work if it's something you've gotta do. Perhaps a reduced volunteer base is God's invitation to corporate discernment. Perhaps God calls Springwater to examine what is essential in being church. Perhaps God calls individuals to engage in ministry and not "work" to get jobs done. Frederick Buechner says call is "where the world's deepest need and our greatest joy meet." Charism is how you answer call. Charism is a graced gift, not a guilt-induced job. Is the fact of fewer volunteers the message that God is no longer providing the charism? Or is it a call to increase our base-what we call evangelism? Is the message human resistance to the Spirit's prodding? I can't know. Only you can. But it's Epiphany, dagnabit. This is the season of revealing, manifestation of God through Christ. This is the season when we are reminded that the Holy crosses human paths. Really. A reminder that we encounter God in things as ordinary as water, as graced as the ways we cooperate doing the things that make us church with each other. We have what we need, we have who we need, to be everything God dreams of for us as a congregation. We have only to listen for where God calls. We have only to say "yes" when God calls. In that yes-in your yes-is the possibility of encountering God who has already arrived. That's the meaning of Epiphany. God has already come. Even here, even now. The gifts are already given. And the apostle Paul tells us, "Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits." You've only gotta act. |
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