Churches, Young People, and A Call to Ministry

I have spent the past several days at the annual meeting of the Academy of Parish Clergy, the organization for which I edit the journal Sharing the Practice.   The organization has been around since the late 1960s, born at a time when the church was flush with members and aspiring clergy (mostly male).  The Academy like the church has struggled of late.  But there are signs of hope for the church and for the Academy, but that's really a discussion for another day.

The topic at hand concerns the role of the church in nurturing the call to ministry among youth and young adults.  There was a time when young people heard the call in high school, if not before (see Fred Craddock's wonderful autobiography of his youthful call).  Today it's quite common for people to move into ministry as a second or even third career.  The question is -- where are the young people?  Is God not calling them?

I just started reading a new book called Greenhouses of Hope: Congregations Growing Young Leaders Who Will Change the World, (Alban), edited by Dori Grinenko Baker.  I'm reading the book with a great deal of interest in part because I'm working with a young intern who grew up in our congregation.  This young woman is full of energy, vision, and has heard the call.  The question is -- is the church encouraging the call and in what ways? 

In her opening chapter Baker describes the image of the Greenhouse -- using as an example a set of greenhouses used for growing roses that were abandoned and now have been reclaimed and revitalized for a community garden.  One of the greenhouses has yet to be reclaimed, but there are roses growing in there, untended and unsupported.  Baker writes that this image is an "apt metaphor for God's calling in the lives of young people."  She goes on:

God will call young lives, with or without the help of congregations.  God will bring them bursting through glass ceilings as they grow toward who they are called to be.  But how much better, and how much richer might the journey be if young people were not left to eke out their calling solo, but rather were given the best of their community's resources of attention, love and nourishment toward their vocational calling?  (p. 11)

Baker's question is a good one, one that I'd like to lift up for our discussion.

Proficient and Persistent -- A Sermon

2 Timothy 3:14-4:5

    A moment ago we commissioned two of our own to do the work of the ministry.  We shared together in the commissioning of Alex and Rial to be Stephen Ministers, a ministry of pastoral care and service to this community of faith.  According to information I found on the Stephen Ministries website:

    The Stephen Series is a complete system for training and organizing lay people to provide one-to-one Christian care to hurting people in and around your congregation.

With their commissioning, we have recognized and affirmed the gifts and calling of these two people to take up this caring ministry in the congregation.

    Perhaps it’s providential that this service of commissioning occurred on the day that we begin observing the Week of the Ministry.  Each October our churches observe The Week of the Ministry in order to lift up the call to ministry, both in its lay and clergy forms.  This year, fortuitously, the emphasis is on “Many Gifts, One Spirit.”  The message is simple; although our gifts maybe different, there is but one Spirit who empowers and equips and calls forth the ministries of God’s people. 

    Not only have we commissioned Alex and Rial to be Stephen Ministers, and have begun our observance of the Week of the Ministry, but even the lectionary reading from the Epistles focuses its attention on ministry.  In this second letter to Timothy, a letter that is attributed to Paul, advice is given to a young pastor who is experiencing some troubles in his church.  Although most scholars don’t think Paul wrote this letter, if you go back a few verses, to verse 10, you will find “Paul,” or someone writing in his name,  talking about his own experiences in life and in ministry, and he suggests to his charge, that he should follow this example and heed the teachings that have been handed down to him by his mentor. 

    It’s not surprising that Timothy is having some difficulties – he’s young and not everyone respects his calling to the ministry.  He’s doing his best to preach the gospel, but some in the church are looking elsewhere for answers.  Yes, the mentor pastor notes that there are those in the congregation who have “itching ears” and are looking for teachers who will “suit their own desires.”  Isn’t it good to know that such a thing would never happen here?  I mean, I take great comfort in the knowledge that everyone in this congregation agrees with me 100% on every issue.  Yes, I take great joy in knowing that whatever I say, you believe and will do, without question!!  Okay, you can stop laughing!   But all kidding aside, this passage of scripture has two important points to make that are essential to the way we understand ministry in the church.  Christian ministry requires proficiency and persistence.

1.  Proficient   

    In this passage proficiency has to do with proper preparation for ministry, and the mentor pastor asks Timothy to remember who it was who taught him the scriptures and prepared him to live according to these scriptures.  I wonder, can you picture in your mind who it was who introduced you to the Christian faith?  Maybe it was your mother or father who shared with you the basic message of the Christian faith.  Or maybe it was a Sunday school teacher, who was there for you, Sunday after Sunday, teaching in both word and deed the good news of Jesus. 

    I can’t remember when I first heard the message, after all I’ve been the church all my life.  But I can picture two men who exemplified for me the Christian faith, and both were at one point or another my Sunday School teachers – Paul Sabo and John Harmon.  I can’t remember exactly what they taught me, but I remember that they modeled what being a Christian was like.  I also remember that they stood with me, even after I left the Episcopal Church.  They loved me and cared about me.  John even surprised me by flying down to LA to be at our wedding.  I also remember my youth ministers at the church I attended during most of my high school years – Steve, Del, and Ray.  Although I may look at the scriptures today in a very different way from what they taught me, I can say that they cemented within me a love for the Scriptures that continues to this very day.  I could go on and name my teachers in college and seminary, who helped me understand more fully the Christian faith and the Scriptures that stand at the heart of this faith, people like Herb Works, Dennis Helsabeck, Jim Butler, Scott Bartchy, Colin Brown, and Jim Bradley.  Each of these teachers helped prepare me for the journey that I have taken to this point. 

    The message of this passage reminds us to pay close attention to the things that were passed down to us. Remember what you were taught, because, as the New Living Translation renders verse 14 – “You know you can trust those who taught you.”   There is, the author reminds us, a relational component to the way in which we experience the teachings of our faith.  

    Deeply rooted in this passage is a reminder that if our faith is to have any impact on our lives and the lives of others, we must be fully instructed in the substance of our faith – and not just doctrinally, but also in terms of the foundational Christian practices, including loving God and loving our neighbor.  It might be instructive to remember that Alex and Rial didn’t just decide one day to be Stephen Ministers and then the next day received their badges and authorization in the mail!  No, they went through lengthy and rigorous training.  Right now Alex is also beginning her seminary training, which is a reminder that the call to pastoral ministry requires lengthy training as well. 

    In this text we discover that  the foundation for every form of ministry is a proper grounding in the Scriptures.  The mentor pastor commends Timothy for his commitment to understand and live out the teachings of the Scriptures, which in his case would have been what we call the Old Testament.  According to this letter, Scripture is inspired by God and useful for the purposes of God.  Yes, these sacred writings are theopneusto.  That is, they are, as the Greek makes very clear, God-breathed.  That doesn’t mean that God verbally dictated the words of Scripture, nor does it mean that they are necessarily inerrant or infallible.  But this passage does suggest that when we attend to the words of Scripture, when we wrestle with them, and seek to understand and live out the message that is found in these words, God promises to be in them and with them, so that we might be taught, corrected, and trained in righteousness.  As you hear this litany of possible uses, it’s clear that the author has in mind the full body of a person.  The Scriptures are useful to instruct our minds, but they also help form the way we live in the world, and that is because the Spirit is present in them and with them as well as being in us and with us. 

2.  Persistent   

    Therefore, being proficient in the things of God, we are ready to proclaim the message of God to the world.  But, this will take persistence, which isn’t the same thing as stubbornness.  I know first hand about stubbornness, for I have been known to be stubborn!  So, persistence doesn’t mean doing the same thing year after year, even though all the evidence suggests that it might be time to try something new, which might work a lot better!  It’s good to remember that church leaders sometimes get a burr under the saddle and can’t seem to get rid of it, and so they beat that old proverbial horse until it can’t move any further.

    But, as the author of this letter makes quite clear, the call to ministry isn’t always a bed of roses.  This young pastor, as I mentioned earlier seems to be feeling abandoned by his people, who are chasing after the latest spiritual fads.  Although Paul is probably not the author of this letter, he would have understood what Timothy is going through, because when we read his undisputed letters, we discover that he faced untold difficulties with the churches he planted.  Paul told the Corinthians, for instance, to bear for a moment with his jealousy for them, because he was perturbed by their willingness to entertain views of God that were contrary to his teachings, which led him give a litany of his own sufferings for the Lord.  After all, he’d been imprisoned, flogged, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, and set adrift at sea, along with facing the dangers of bandits and floods (2 Corinthians 11).  Despite the odds, Paul remained faithful.  That is, he was persistent in his calling.

    And if you need a more contemporary lesson in persistence, just think about the thirty-three Chilean miners who spent nearly ten weeks underground.  What a joy it was to watch them emerge from the mine the other day. But that moment came only because the people involved were persistent.  The miners decided that they would survive, and so they worked together to accomplish this goal, while above ground a team of people – engineers, psychologists, physicians, miners, and more -- joined forces to not only bore a hole in the ground so that the trapped miners could be pulled to safety, but they continued to provide words of inspiration and encouragement to them, much like this pastor did for Timothy.

    With the examples of Paul and the Chilean miners in our minds, like Timothy, we hear a call to remain true to our gifts and calling, which God’s Spirit has poured out on the church of Jesus Christ.  Some are teachers and some are prophets, some assist those in need, and others listen attentively to the concerns of others.  Some give financially beyond measure so that the ministry of the church can proceed and God’s name might be proclaimed.  Yes, we are being encouraged to stay true to our calling, even when things get difficult and we feel abandoned.  The reason we can do this is that God remains faithful.  Even when we feel alone, we can take heart in the promise that God remains present with us in season and out.   So, be persistent in your ministry – convince, rebuke, encourage others with utmost patience.  And, perhaps, like Timothy, you will hear a reminder to do the work of an evangelist.  But, whatever your calling, be proficient and persistent in carrying out your ministry in its fullness.    

Preached by:

Dr. Robert D. Cornwall

Pastor, Central Woodward Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

Troy, Michigan

October 17th

Ministry Sunday

Staying True to the Call-- Lectionary Reflection

Reposted from [D]mergent, a weekly lectionary meditation.

2 Kings 2:1-14

Galatians 5:1, 13-25

Luke 9:51-62

Staying True to the Call

It may be a truism, with lots of qualifications and nuances, but it seems apparent that to be successful in life (unless we’re born with a silver spoon), you’ll have to be persistent as well as be willing to persevere through difficult times and obstacles. At every juncture there will be the temptation to look back and retreat to safety. Both Elijah and Jesus were tempted to take the easy way out, to turn back from their appointed tasks, but both remained steadfast and fulfilled their tasks.

In these two passages, one from the Hebrew Bible and the other from the Gospel of Luke, there is a common theme. The question that is raised in these texts concerns our willingness and ability to remain true to our calling. Are we ready to take up the mantle of the Master? Elijah understands that his day of departure is at hand. Elisha is his disciple, but the question that is present in the text is whether Elisha is ready and willing to continue the ministry of Elijah. The two are journeying from Gilgal to Bethel, and Elisha pledges his loyalty, such that he won’t leave Elijah. Where you go, I will go. Even when the Company of Prophets reminds him that it’s Elijah’s time to depart, he won’t leave his master. They go to the river, go through the river, and each time they stop, giving Elisha the opportunity to turn back, he pledges his loyalty to Elijah. Finally, having crossed the river, which Elijah parts by hitting the water with his rolled up mantle, Elijah asks of his student – what would you ask of me? And Elisha asks that he might have a double portion of his master’s spirit. Such a request is rather bold, for in making this request, Elisha not only pledges to continue his master’s work, but to expand it as well. Elijah says to Elisha: So be it, this will come to pass for you, if you’re able to watch me depart from this life. That is, such will happen if you are able to continue with me to the very end. It is after this, as they walked that a Chariot of Fire came and took Elijah from the earth, and Elisha continued focused on his master crying out to him as he departed. When the chariot was gone, Elisha looked down and saw that Elijah had left his mantle. Elisha picked it up, went to the Jordan, and struck it with the mantle, calling out, “Where is the God of Elijah.” At that the waters parted and Elisha, who had persevered to the end, crossed back over to the other side, knowing that he returned home to continue the ministry of his master, full of the Spirit that had indwelt Elijah.

There are differences between this first story and the Gospel, but both have at their heart the question of staying true to one’s calling. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, where he will depart from this life. Luke says that he “set his face to go to Jerusalem.” There is, in that statement, a resoluteness that suggests that he will not turn back, no matter what may come his way.   (To continue reading, click here). 

An Anniversary Reflection on Ordination to Representative Ministry

June 9, 1985, Ordination participants

It was twenty-five years ago today that hands were laid upon me in a service of ordination at Temple City Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) [June 9, 1985]. Among those participating in that service were members of the Temple City church, it’s interim pastor, Tom Toler, the Regional Minister Charles Mallotte, a local Lutheran pastor, Margaret Duttera, and Ed Linberg, who offered the sermon. Ed had started out as supervisor of my internship, but was called part way through to another ministry. Tom finished out the year (though John Hull and I carried for a few months a lions share of the load – both of us serving as Assistant Pastors). This action of ordination took place a day after I received my M.Div. from Fuller Theological Seminary. It was an important event in my life, perhaps more important than I realized at the time. Twenty-five years ago I had in mind a ministry in the academic world – teaching church history – not serving as the pastor of a local congregation. Yet, for the past twelve years I have served as the pastor of three local congregations.

As I consider my ordination on this anniversary day, I thought I might reflect a bit upon what it means for me and for the church at large. For, if as I believe, we are all, as baptized Christians, all priests of God called to engage in the ministry of God, with Jesus as our high priest, then pastoral ministry might best be defined as representative ministry. The pastor could be seen as the bearer of the call to ministry that all Christians participate in. Standing in the pulpit or at the table, the pastor is not only a representative of God (as one who inspired by the Spirit speaks for God) but also as the representative of the people, sharing a message in word and sacrament that emerges from within the community itself.

By thinking of pastoral ministry as representative ministry, we start with the premise that all ministry is important. No Christian is by virtue of their office holier than any other. There maybe a difference in roles and even charism, but not importance to the health of the body. The calling of the pastoral leadership is not to do ministry for God’s people but to equip and encourage the congregation in its ministries (Eph. 4:11-13). The goal of pastoral ministry is to help God’s people reach maturity in Spirit, and that maturity leads to acts of service – the good works prepared for us by God.

Our ordination to ministry occurs in our baptisms, an act of grace that sets us apart for service to Jesus Christ. Ordination, on the other hand, orders the lives of some for specific areas of service. It is the public recognition that some from among the body are called to representative ministry of preaching, teaching, sacrament, and pastoral care. Although God calls people to this ministry, the church has the responsibility to affirm this call and publicly confer on this person the authority of this office.

In ordaining a candidate the church also promises to hold the ordinand accountable to this calling. Although there are no double standards in Christian ministry, the church should expect that the ones upon whom they confer this title of pastor will hold themselves to the highest standards of behavior, that they will seek to understand the faith in such a way that they may might teach and equip others (making it imperative that those called to ordained ministry pursue some form of education/training such as the traditional M.Div. programs). Having had hands laid upon them, ordained pastors (my preferred title) stand as representatives of the church they serve and lead By extending the hands of ordination on candidates, the church declares to the broader church and the community at large, that this woman or man has been found to have the requisite gifts and calling to serve the church at large as pastors and teachers.

Though many clergy claim to have felt God's leading, God's call on their lives, without the discerning affirmation of the church that sense of calling may be little more than a delusion. The church is charged with discerning both gifts and calling, and then supporting those called and gifted to fulfill this calling. I stand here today the product of a community of communities who saw in me gifts and encouraged their development and usage. Thanks be to God!