The Rev. Natasha Brubaker
Sermon for June 30 and July 1, 2007
Luke 9:51-62
When I read the Gospel assigned for today I had to laugh. You see, this passage is one of those that you learn a lot about in seminary—the pivotal moment in the Gospel of Luke. This is probably one of the few chapter and verse citations I can pull out of my hat and it’s all thanks to Dr. Deirdre Good. Luke 9:51, the turning point in the Gospel and in Jesus’ ministry for he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And I had to laugh as well for it seems so very apropos to my situation. Time and events have come together so that, as we jokingly said in a meeting this week, my face is set to go to Ann Arbor. There is no turning back; there is no other path that God would have us on. The time has come for me to let go of my ministry here and to discover what God would have me see next.
I must admit part of it is exciting. During my time here I have discovered areas of ministry I would like to experience more, such as serving as a teacher and chaplain at the city jail. There are things I love passionately, such as work for economic justice both locally and globally, that have needed to be on the back burner for a time and that’s okay. I am eager to see how God will use all these in this next stopping place. I am terribly happy for my husband and the galvanizing reason we are heading off to the cold wilds of Michigan—the chance to study the art of creative writing.
I must admit part of it is heart-breaking. During my time here you have loved me and welcomed me into this place. I have been able to do much and learn much, make mistakes and have them responded to with grace, and been trusted to walk this way of Christ with you. Little did I know when I was handed the job description that had been faxed to General which had somehow ended up in the wrong place and asked to pass it on to the right person that I was holding in my very hands the call God had intended. It looked interesting, but the hardest part was to let go of my desire to get back to the West Coast or at least closer to my family—the need to say farewell to those at home—and say well, let’s see where it goes. And we all know what happened next.
As I thought about what to say today the temptation was to try to preach my best sermon ever possible—a swan song for the ages, a tour de force of theological brilliance—or at least my pretensions to it. But that really isn’t the point—not in this type of moment or ever. Sermons at their best remind of us of who we are in God’s eyes and who we are called to be. They proclaim the good news with the assurance of love and the challenge to be recreated into the image of Jesus Christ communally and particularly. Sometimes they need to be lofty and erudite and other times they need to be simple and direct. This is simple and direct time. See, mostly what I need to say is thank you. Thank you for being who you are and for being that living place where God could work in me and on me to become more who God intends me to be. Thank you for reminding me in so many ways of my call and our call in the world. Thank you for receiving my presence and ideas and work. Thank you to the most wonderful ministry staff ever. It is a rare day when co-workers become your best friends. Thank you for being the generous and open-hearted people that you are. There is nothing quite so wonderful as coming into a new place and sensing that truly people are greeting you with open arms, not waiting to see if you pass muster. Thank you for greeting me that way. Thank you for listening to God’s call and stepping out in faith to try new things, to move deeper into the life of faith, and to be the Church here in this place. Thank you to all my confirmands who have let me travel with them a ways and showed me much about teaching. Confirmation has been one of my greatest joys here—an unexpected gift—for which I will always be grateful. Thank you to all those with whom I worked closely in those ministry areas entrusted to me for staff support and for the mentoring given by many Christians wiser than I.
It has been my joy to watch ministries unfold here. Lay pastoral care has grown and thrived due to the gifted leadership of so many, too many to list here. Their ministry of prayer, healing prayer, shawls, BeFriending, small groups, Helping Hands, Lay Eucharistic Ministers, and so much more will continue to reach out and touch so many lives. Those who serve in this ministry are talented, compassionate, wonderful men and women who embody Christ’s love in myriad ways. Outreach has honed its vision and ministry through Rebuilding Richmond, Habitat, CARITAS, Comfort Zone Camp, supporting other groups and organizations with significant financial donations, and partnering with St. John’s in Pascagoula to continue the painstakingly slow process of building anew after Katrina. New ideas are in the works so look for more opportunities to come. Our willingness to reach out with gentleness and in a way that truly invites people in has not gone unnoticed. Comfort Zone Camp says we are the best place to do trainings for it is here that they have felt most comfortable and most welcomed. Our CARITAS guests feel free to come and join us in worship, knowing that no one will give them a questioning look but rather greet them warmly. Our friends in Pascagoula know that we are not forgetting them, but holding them in constant prayer. What a legacy to build from! For me the best gift is to know that all these things will not dissolve, but remain and grow strong under the leadership and participation of so many.
Because there are so many things I am thankful and grateful for here, it makes it hard to say farewell. If parting were easy it would mean that the relationship really hadn’t taken root, was more or less superficial. So while it hurts to say goodbye, the hurt is a sign of the joy and the connections that have grown. To have no sorrow might be more comfortable at first, but how much more sorrowful to not have anything to grieve! With the sadness comes the gift of many memories that will continue to guide and teach me all my life. With saying goodbye comes the realization that you will always be family to me even across the miles. And that is a good thing. That is the communion of saints. That is the Body of Christ.
All that said, indulge me to say a few comments on this difficult and rich story of Jesus. There are many things this passage we heard today speaks to. But one of them is clear—following Jesus with whole-hearted commitment. This is not to say we don’t get it wrong, like the disciples do with their desire to violently destroy the Samaritans in a fit of self-righteous indignation, we do. This is not to say that the particular details of how we are to follow are often clear, for very often we are given only a vague and general sense whose details only become clear in the doing. This is not to say that we are never unsure of what we must give up or take on to grow more fully into persons filled with the love of God, for we often are unsure.
It is to say that when we accept the truth that Jesus is the embodiment of the divine fully revealed in the world, then we accept that his truth will change us forever and profoundly. It is an acceptance of a radical change in our hearts about how we see and live with one another, not rejecting the goodness of this world, but standing in the midst of the world’s pain and brokenness to point to deeper truths that can only be found within ourselves and between each other through the grace of God. It is an acceptance that challenges us to not do business as usual , but to imitate Christ who teaches us how to think in ways that break through our accepted behavioral conventions. It is neither a polly anna view nor one that ignores the hard and cruel realities that we encounter, but one that stands in the midst of them offering hope and helping find new ways to live with each other, recognizing that sometimes we are caught in areas that are mostly gray and we do the best we can to have Gospel principles guide the hard and imperfect decisions we must make.
Jesus is pointing to all of this in his hard words. To follow Jesus means to choose a different path than the one offered by much of the world. It involves challenging what is with a vision of what could be and sticking to it even when the odds seem to be impossible. It means trusting that with God we are safe, but the kingdom invites us to let go of security for the greater gift of an open-hearted, open-handed life, a joy-filled life. One of the ways we see it most starkly in our own lives is in moments of transition. Then it is literally thrust upon us. We are leaving, or letting go. But the lesson of those times prepares us to hear the more demanding call of Christ. I know for me the desire to stay and the comfort of staying here has beckoned to me. But even more I know you have prepared me to continue to step out on the harder path of following Jesus. That is a true blessing.
Continue in your good work. Continue to reach out and reach deep to love and serve God and each other. Name and celebrate how wonderful you are and trust in the dreams and visions you have for this place now and for what it can be. Look forward to who will come to serve you as an assistant. And don’t forget to tell the candidates—if they are single and interested in getting hitched—that so far you are batting 1000 on that score! Just kidding. Check with Hillary first ‘cause you certainly don’t want to be accused of sexual misconduct in the interview process. How embarrassing that would be! And remember that you will remain in my prayers and in my heart with much love and joy. I’ll look forward to hearing your news and I will look forward to visiting again sometime soon.
But mostly remember and receive the love of God to change, sustain, and transform you and the world. It’s why we are here and it’s what we are for. It is our purpose and our end. Seek the fire and the dynamis of God. Seek the presence of Christ within you and among you. Seek the call to be ignited to serve the world and take the risk to love and let go and lose and gain eternal life. Let divine love light your path, ready to follow Christ with your whole heart. And until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand. |
