By Rev. Heather J. Blais, Rector Life Line Image from Renewal Works, a ministry of Forward Movement Today’s lesson from the Hebrew Scriptures features Jeremiah’s call story. Jeremiah’s ministry as a prophet took place during a uniquely difficult time, which included the fall and destruction of Jerusalem, as well as, a mass deportation of the population into captivity. Including Jeremiah and his scribe, who were forcibly taken hostage in Egypt. Nevertheless, he persisted in his prophetic ministry to the nations. Yet, it didn’t begin so boldly...
Jeremiah writes, “The word of the Lord came to me saying, ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations’” (Jeremiah 1:4-5) God identified a task and commissioned Jeremiah to be God’s agent. However, as often is the case when one is called, Jeremiah had a bunch of excuses as to why he wasn’t the right person for the job: “Then I said, ‘Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy’” (Jeremiah 1:6) Then, God more or less shakes her head and tells Jeremiah to lose the excuses; after all, God will be with him every step of the way: "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'; for you shall go to all to whom I send you, and you shall speak whatever I command you, Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 1:7-8) And then, God put out her hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth. Scholar Anathea Portier Young suggests the word “touch” would be better translated as a “jolt” or a “shock”. It wasn’t a comforting touch, but probably hurt a bit, possibly left a scar or wound; just as Jacob’s hip hurt after he wrestled with God (Genesis 32). The Lord said to Jeremiah, "Now I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant" (Jeremiah 1:10). When God calls Jeremiah and touches his mouth, it forever changes who Jeremiah is and how he understood his role in the world. Because that is what our call stories do. They help us understand who and why we are, and how we are called to live out our lives in the world. Yet call stories are not just for biblical characters. We each have our own call stories, and often more than one. I experienced my call to married life and to motherhood as a truth about myself, that I had always known, as much as I had always known my eyes were blue. My call to ordained ministry was a completely different matter, that felt more like a series of knocks on the door. God would gently knock on the door, I’d peak in and stare in awe for a moment, only to say, “Thanks, but no thanks”. The first time I noticed a knock on the door, I was eleven and entranced with the Eucharist. I wrote a paper on how I wanted to be an Episcopal priest when I grew up. Then I realized my peers mostly wanted to be teachers and doctors, and that maybe I ought to be a JAG lawyer and serve in the Navy like the rest of my family. I heard more knocking at the door when I was sixteen. I felt so strongly a call to spend my life’s work in service to Jesus, whether that be in youth ministry or non profit work. I’d go anywhere God wanted, just not parish ministry--parishes cared too much about buildings and money, and I watched my burned out priest struggle to manage parish dynamics. Ordained ministry felt like the only thing I couldn’t say yes to if God asked. Yet these knocks would show up like black flies in June. Each time I’d politely decline, and say, “Everything but…” . Until finally, when I was twenty-two and led a retreat for young adults on vocational callings, and I heard this beautiful reflection from the dean on his priestly ministry, I realized this thing I kept saying no to, was the very thing God wanted me to explore. And so that time, I said yes, and began the journey of exploration with God, the Commission on Ministry, my parish, my family, and ultimately, it did lead to ordination. We all have these experiences of calling, yet we often don’t use that language to describe them. Many of us have experienced callings to be married or intentionally single; to parenthood; to be teachers, doctors, social works, and a variety of other lay ministries. Yet often, we don’t spend enough time in the Church equipping all of our members with the tools needed to examine and reflect on our own call stories. Last year, our Renewal Works Team, spent some time with a tool that helped us, in a fairly painless way, examine our spiritual journeys, and in turn, take a temperature reading on our relationship with God. It’s an exercise that I would invite each of us to do in the coming month before Lent begins on March 6. I think it will help us reflect on our own call stories, spiritual journeys, and take a pulse on how we are doing in our relationship with God. I’ve prepared handouts (download here) of the life-line exercise, and sometime in the coming weeks, take twenty to thirty minutes and engage in this spiritual inventory. Take some time to think back over your life. Select some key events and people that have had an impact on you, for better or worse, and place a word or symbol for each in the appropriate place on the drawing. Then after you’ve done this, look at the life line again and consider your relationship with God over the course of your life. Afterwards, take a few moments to notice where key events and people in the first line are related to your experience of the nearness or absence of God. How is your life and faith, different than it was five years ago? What are the themes that you notice? No matter how many times you’ve done this or a similar exercise, your life line will never be precisely the same. Because we are always growing and changing in our relationship with God, through both good and difficult times. God wants us to continually be gaining a deeper understanding of who and why we are, and how we are called to live out our lives in the world. God wants us to stay as fresh, as deeply engaged in our spiritual lives, and in our understanding of our callings, as we would in our marriages, parenting, and commitment to our jobs and our communities. As we prepare to do this work, I’d like to close with the prayer of self dedication from the prayer book: Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. The Book of Common Prayer p.832
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Rev. Heather J. Blais, Rector An Irish Sheep: Photo Copyright Red Door Studios, 2018 We have spent much of the last few weeks running around and getting ready. The gifts have been purchased; the meals have been readied; the notes to neighbors have been sent. We have finished our tasks, so that on this holy morning we may slow ourselves down, maybe, even come to a complete stop. Allowing ourselves the experience of a pregnant pause.
To breathe in the joy, wonder, and mystery of the day everything changed, and then to breathe out love in new and transformational ways. Christina Rossetti captured the meaning of this moment in her Christmas hymn: Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, Love divine; Love was born at Christmas; star and angels gave the sign. Worship we the Godhead, Love incarnate, Love divine; worship we our Jesus, but wherewith for sacred sign? Love shall be our token, love be yours and love be mine; love to God and others, love for plea and gift and sign. It’s no mistake that we witness the story of love through rather ordinary folk: shepherds and their faithful sheep. On the night Jesus was born, shepherds were guarding their flock, when suddenly an angel, a creature of light, stood before them in the night sky. They were terrified. What was happening? “But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see-- I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10-12). For a few brief moments after, the night sky lit up, and it was as if all the heavens were singing God’s praises, while the shepherds stood awestruck in the fields. When it was over, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to go and see this child, God’s love in human form. It’s curious to imagine what it looked like as the shepherds made their way to see Jesus. Did the shepherds leave their flock behind? While a shepherd might circle a route, leaving a flock untended for a short while, this trip to the village would have taken them away for an extended period. It would mean prey could attack the flock, risking the shepherd’s very livelihood. Though, maybe this was a bit of foreshadowing. Maybe the shepherds had to leave their flock behind in this story, in order to remind us of the sacrifice that is expected of us if we choose to follow Jesus. Maybe the shepherds are hinting at what will happen in thirty years, as a man invites some fishermen to follow him and learn how to fish for people instead. Or maybe, the shepherds brought their flock with them, and overwhelmed the narrow streets of the small village. If the shepherds and their flock all knelt down before Jesus, in and surrounding the manger, then maybe the story is reminding us that God did not just come for all of humanity, but rather for all of creation? Showing us that not only did the angel proclaim good news to the most ordinary of people, but the animals they tended as well. With or without their sheep, the shepherds were not coming from the next field over. They traversed rocky terrain, from the mountainside and down into the village. The journey, whether short or long, would have tired out their flock. Yet any weary feet or hooves were forgotten by the mere presence of the child lying in the manger. As the shepherds and their flock returned back into the fields, they were “...glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen…”(Luke 2:20). The shepherds and their flocks were changed by God becoming flesh, by experiencing a radical and unconditional love and human form. And if you have come here today to meet the Christ-child, you too, will leave changed. Because the greatest gift of all is not what is under our Christmas tree, but rather the gift of our God, the God of all creation, choosing to become incarnate; choosing to become flesh; choosing to become “Emmanuel” or rather, God with us. Emmanuel was born to show all of creation just how much God loves us, to show us that even in our darkest moments, the light of Christ is always with us. In a world overrun in a negative news cycle which grapples with hunger, poverty, and violence against one another and creation… On a continent where a caravan of refugees have been cast aside again and again… In a country whose leaders are boasting of America’s greatness and glory above loving our neighbors…. In a region where our children and grandchildren are dying, not of polio or measles, but from diseases of despair, such as opioid overdoses and suicide... In families that often get caught up in hurts and misunderstandings...In our own lives, where we sometimes forget that the opposite of love is not hate, but rather selfishness, as Presiding Bishop Curry preached at the revival. Yet no matter how bad things may seem at any given moment, no matter how badly we may screw up our lives--love came down at Christmas. Emmanuel; God is with us. God chose to give creation the gift of unconditional love, mercy, and grace by meeting us as one of us, by taking on human form to show us what it means to truly live and love. This is the greatest, most unimaginable gift. This gift of love has turned our world upside down, and is working to make things right again. In the quiet of this morning, as we take in the joy, wonder, and mystery of this day, I invite you to wonder…How is God working in your life? How is God inviting you into a deeper awareness of God’s presence in you and your life?How might you share this Christmas gift of love with others this year? Amen. By Rev. Heather J. Blais, RectorWith thanks to Molly, who was willing to have these pieces of her story shared...  Rev. Dr. Molly Scherm (top left), The Philadelphia Eleven (top right), John the Baptist (bottom left); Florence Li (bottom right). What do these four have in common? They were servants of God filled with a burning passion to share a message about the transformative power of God's love. Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us…
These words from today’s collect help us to understand that our God, is a God who is on the move and living among us. While God’s movement is clear in all of today’s lessons, it is particularly noticeable in the gospel lesson (Luke 3: 7-18). John the Baptist was not unlike Presiding Bishop Michael B. Curry. Just as we flocked to Worcester and Pittsfield to hear the royal wedding preacher, large crowds of people were flocking to the region around the Jordan to hear John’s radical message. People were curious about John, some even wondered if he might be the Messiah. Yet John knew he was a servant of God, filled with a burning passion to share a message about the transformative power of God’s love. He felt called to help people realize God was on the move and would soon be coming among them in new ways. His message was threefold: (1) Repent, the Kingdom of God is drawing near, and we must be ready for the world as we know it to change forever. (2) Therefore, we must be intentional and honorable in the way we live our lives. (3) The Messiah is coming; don’t confuse my message with the Christ’s. I am not even worthy of untying his sandals. Be ready. John’s message was a powerful wake up call to a people stuck in the mundane routine of their everyday lives. John’s message is what can happen when God’s people pray… Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us… It is earth shattering what can happen when we pray for God to be among us. The church as the world knew it, changed forever in 1941 when Florence Li Tim-Oi was ordained a deaconess in Macao. Some months later, when Hong Kong fell to Japanese invaders, priests could not travel back and forth to Macao to celebrate the Eucharist. According to A Great Cloud of Witnesses, “Despite this setback, Florence continued her ministry. Her work came to the attention of Bishop Ronald Hall of Hong Kong, who decided that, ‘God’s work would reap better results if she had the proper title’ of priest” (Jan 24). On January 25, 1944 Bishop Hall ordained Florence, making her the first woman priest in the Anglican Communion. Following WWII, Florence endured a bit of controversy and waited to exercise her ministry until her priesthood was acknowledged by the wider Anglican Communion, and then was appointed to serve as rector of a church. Florence endured more hardship during the Cultural Revolution, when all the churches were closed and she was perceived as a counter-revolutionary. She was forced to undergo political re-education, work on a farm and in a factory. When churches reopened in 1979 she was able to resume her public ministry, and in 1981 she was licensed to serve in Canada where she served until her death in 1992. The ordination of the first woman in the Anglican Communion is what can happen when God’s people pray… Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us… For many women who grew up in the Episcopal Church, women were only seen near the altar if they belonged to the altar guild and were setting up for worship. Women could not serve as acolytes, let alone dare dream of the priesthood. One Sunday, when Molly was a teenager, another parishioner from her church, a Chinese woman married to an American, approached her. This woman, who knew what was already possible in China thanks to Florence Li, turned to Molly and said, you need to be a priest. Something about that exchange, coupled with the mystery of the Eucharist itself, stayed with Molly. Despite the fact that there were no role models…Despite the fact that much of the established leadership within the Episcopal Church did not want to see women’s ordination, Molly followed a calling anyway. Why follow this calling? Because that is what happens when God’s people pray… Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us… In July 1974, eleven women deacons were ordained to the priesthood in Philadelphia and became known as the Philadelphia Eleven. In a public statement given by the ordinands, the women said, “We are certain that the Church needs women in priesthood to be true to the gospel understanding of human unity in Christ” (A Great Cloud of Witnesses, July 29). After much controversy and conversation, in September 1976, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church voted to amend the canons to stipulate that both women and men were eligible for ordination (A Great Cloud of Witnesses, July 29). Then on December 31, 1978, only two years after the canons were changed, a young Molly Scherm was ordained a priest in the Episcopal Church. Women like Florence Li, the Philadelphia 11, and Molly, alongside their male allies, helped change the Anglican Communion for the better, all because they were open to the ways God was working and moving among God’s people. This is not to say it was easy, or without enduring a great deal of sexism. One of the stories that has stuck with me since meeting Molly, is how a former St. James’ Rector handled receiving an invitation to the service where Molly would be ordained a priest. Molly had been working at former St. James’ as a transitional deacon, by setting the table at the Saturday 5:30 p.m. and Sunday 8 a.m. services. Yet when the invitation arrived, the Rector instructed Molly she would no longer be able to practice ministry at St. James’. Several years later, another Rector of former St. James’, would welcome Molly’s involvement with a group of women who met on Sunday evenings for an alternative feminist liturgy and celebration of the Eucharist. Yet he would not welcome her to celebrate at the main service, primarily out of fear of how the congregation would handle it. Over the last several decades, there have been times when leadership has allowed fear of losing parishioners and pledges to override a basic justice issue in the church. But look at what happens when God’s people pray... Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us… Something has broken open across the Church. Here at SsJA, our merger has brought us full circle. Molly, who was once uninvited from former St. James’ upon her ordination to the priesthood, now serves SsJA as our Associate Rector. Even more horrifying than that, something that surely must keep you up at night with worry, is that for a season, God has called an all female clergy team to serve SsJA. Molly would have preferred I ignore this 40th anniversary. But I couldn’t do that. Nor should we. We must give pause and acknowledge that God has been working in and amongst women like Florence Li, the Philadelphia 11, and Molly. They have changed us for the better. They have helped us to come to know God in different and wonderful ways. Personally, their work is what brought me here today. In sixth grade, I wrote a paper about why I wanted to be a priest when I grew up, and I had no idea there was a time that wouldn’t have been possible. And the only reason it is possible is because of women like Florence Li, the Philadelphia 11, and Molly. Because that is what happens when God’s people pray… Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us… So Molly, forgive the fuss, but know that women like you have made a difference during your forty years of ordained ministry, serving both in the church and at the schools you served. You keep us on our toes, you hold us accountable to God’s dream, all because you believe in the transformative power of God’s love with the same conviction we witness from John the Baptist in Luke’s gospel. I wonder, what else God might be up to, if we keep praying together... Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us…Amen. To learn more about women’s ordination, check out this timeline. |
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