A Sacred Partnership

Jan 22nd  |  The Reverend Kevin Scott Fleming |  Ephesians 4:7-13

            If Jethro were around today, he’d be a New York Times best-selling business author.  He’d be giving seminars and acting as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies and making a ton of money.  Jethro’s organizational savvy and motivational skills would serve him well.

            Jethro saw a major problem.  His son-on-law, Moses, was burning the candle at both ends.  There was no time for anything but work.  His home life was nearly non-existent.  His stress level was sky high.  Physically, Moses was wearing down.  And, despite his best efforts, all of the work that he was doing wasn’t making that big of an impact and his to-do list was getting longer every day.  Sound familiar?

            Jethro watched this – spent some time in observation and thought – and then called Moses aside for a little free advice.  “What you are doing is not good.  You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you; you cannot do it alone.”  There was Moses’ annual review.  “You’re working hard, but you’re going to kill yourself in the process.”  Ouch!

            So, what’s a well-intentioned fellow with high expectations to do?  Jethro’s diagnosis was simple: get some help.  Find some people you know to be honest, trustworthy, and principled and let them share some of the work.  Select some gifted helpers and turn them loose.  Do what you uniquely need to do and let them do the rest. That’s million dollar advice. 

            Going all the way back to the days of the Exodus, we see the establishment of the principle of sound ministry.  Realize that no single person can do everything.  Find others who can share the work and insure that the vital work of ministry can move forward. 

            We continue that great tradition today as we ordain and install elders and deacons and recognize trustees to serve in this congregation.  In ordination, we admit that the work of the church is too much for one person to shoulder alone.  We remind ourselves of what we have learned over the course of centuries: that God works through groups of people, as well as through individuals.  In ordination, we affirm that God uses fallible, faulty human beings to accomplish wonderfully effective ministry. 

            We ordain and install elders to oversee the work of this congregation.  It’s an awesome responsibility.  Elders oversee just about everything that happens in the local church.  They are our “board of directors,” but they are much more.  Elders insure that the work of God in and through this place moves forward, meeting the challenges that are unique to our time and place, as well as seeing to it that we continue to challenge ourselves to discovering the undiscovered ministries to which we are being called.

            Deacons take the church’s work of compassion and caring to our members and the world.  Through their attentive work, deacons care for the sick, support the grieving, give aid to those in need, and become the church’s heart at work.  Their ministries of sympathy and kindness call the church to remember its first mandate: to love God and neighbor.

            Trustees insure the church’s financial health.  Through their care and oversight, our financial resources are well-maintained, making certain that the financial resources for ministry are there for future generations of this congregation and its servant-leaders.  Their wisdom and insight allows the church the financial freedom to do its work of sharing the good news and caring for the world.

            Working together, these servant-leaders enable our congregation to be effective in its ministries and mission and, as the letter to the Ephesians puts it: “…for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.”

            But, perhaps the most amazing thing of all, is that God chooses to use us at all.  Let’s face it: humankind’s track record hasn’t always been a stellar one.  Yet, God continues to use each and every one of us for accomplishing the purpose of expanding God’s kingdom of love.  God uses each and every one of us to shine God’s light into the darkened places of the world.  God uses all of us in the work of sharing the good news.

            At my installation at my last congregation, my good friend, Roy Sharpe, reminded the congregation that I was a “lop-sided” pastor.  I have certain “lops” – certain ideas and certain practices – that are just part and parcel of who I am.  But, Roy said, that was okay because that congregation (and all congregations) was a “lop-sided” congregation.  What made it perfect was that, for the most part, our “lops” lined up.  Where I was strong, they needed help.  Where I needed help, they had the gifts and graces to carry the load.

            I remember back to the first congregation I ever served, before being ordained.  There were two elders – Les and Bill.  Les was in the opening stages of Parkinson’s Disease and had developed shaking in his hands.  Bill was a diabetic who had lost a sizeable portion of his foot to the disease.  From my position, facing the congregation, I could see how they handled serving communion.  Les would come forward and serve the bread, because the bread might move around on the plate because of his shaking hands, but that wouldn’t really matter.  He would carry the plate to the back of the church, where Bill was waiting.  Bill had to walk with intentionality and care, making it perfect for him to carry the wine tray.  Their “lops” lined up.

            That’s really the story of shared ministry – ministry the way God intended it.  Each one us is called to ministry.  That’s what we affirm in the wonderful idea from the Reformation that we call “the priesthood of all believers.”  We all have ministry to do and we all have been given gifts and graces to meet that challenge.  None of us is left out.  God partners with all of us to do the work of establishing and expanding God’s kingdom of love. 

            It is to that sacred partnership that we give ourselves this morning.  Each one us renews our commitment to ministry and mission.  Each one of us makes the promise that we will do our part.

            And some will make special promises to do special work among us.  Elders, deacons, and trustees will make additional promises to lead this congregation into God’s vision of who we are to be.  The people God has called, through the voice of this congregation, are strong, gifted, and committed people who will lead us well.

            So, with thanks to God for the calling and equipping us with the gifts for ministry, we embrace the opportunity that is ours.  We enter into a sacred partnership with God and with one another to share God’s good news of love and justice.  We celebrate the truth that God uses people – fallible and flawed people, just like me and just like you – to accomplish great things – things that will stand and share witness to God’s goodness – for now and evermore.  Amen.