Pentecost 2

May my words and my thoughts be acceptable to you, O Lord, my refuge and my redeemer. (Psalm 19:14)

SEASON: Pentecost 2
PROPER: 4A
PLACE: St. John’s Episcopal Church, Kingsville
DATE: June 2, 2002

INSTALLATION OF THE PARISH VESTRY
AND DISCUSSION OF DIOCESAN CONVENTION 2002 ON SEXUAL ISSUES.

TEXT: Matthew 7:21-27 – “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” . . . . . . “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on a rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.”

ISSUE: The presentation deals with two issues: the installation of the new vestry along with the issues important to being a vestry member, and sexual issues that have been dealt with by the Diocese of Maryland at conventions in recent years. The issues facing the Vestry, while often thought of as maintenance issues are really spiritual issues in bringing people to the loving presence of the Lord. Convention issues have dealt with keeping the church united in the face of very different points of view. Being solid in our commitment to Christ and devoted to loving one another in a complex world is foremost in keeping the church on solid ground.
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There are two issues that I want to address in my presentation this morning. The first is to speak about the importance of what it means to be on the parish vestry. Secondly, I want to say a few things about the Diocesan Convention that was held in May, regarding the Resolutions passed: On Human Sexuality and Continuing and Enhancing the Dialog Regarding Human Sexuality.
PART 1 – The Vestry and Officers
First in respect to the parish Vestry: Today we are installing our new vestry members and officers. The vestry is the governing board of the parish church. The Rector presides over the meetings of the vestry. While the titles may seem dated, and someone has said it sounds a little bit like a prison rather than a church, there are two “wardens.” (Warden actually means a guardian or high government official, and has been used in the Anglican tradition for centuries.) The Senior Warden, traditionally, is often thought of as the Rector’s Warden, who assists the Rector and has a close working relationship, and here at St. John’s has often played a significant part in dealing with financial issues facing the administration of the parish. Senior Warden also presides over the Vestry in the absence of the Rector. The Junior Warden has been known as the people’s Warden, having a special relationship with the congregation and being the overseer of the properties and grounds of the parish church. (Our wardens have a one-year term but may be elected to succeed themselves for five years.) The Vestry’s eight members, elected for staggered two-year terms act in a leadership and advisory capacity, working in a trusting relationship with the rector and the wardens for the overall good of the parish.
Vestries are often seen as being like a Board of Directors or management team. When they deal so often with financial issues, insurance issues, parish policy making, it may seem that they are a management board, but that is really only a part of what a vestry does. The vestry is really intended to be the spiritual heart of the parish. Vestry members, Rector, and officers included need to be spiritual people. They are people who need to have prayerful lives attempting to discern with one another what it is that God is calling the parish church to be and to become. They are expected to be involved not just in the tradition and maintenance of the church, but more importantly involved in the mission of the church. The church is an institution of reconciliation. Reconcile means to make friendly, to win over. The ministry of Jesus was a ministry of reconciliation. Jesus sought to renew the friendship between God and the people of God, and to call the people of God to love one another. The vestry, of course, has the concerns of the parish members at heart, but its greater calling is to make the parish a welcoming place that is open to bring new people into the fellowship of God, and be striving for justice. Sometimes a vestry has to make hard and unpopular decisions to be true to its mission in this world.
Discerning what God would have us do and be is not always easy. It requires patient prayer, regularity in worship, and a clear knowledge of the ways and teachings of Jesus, which were not always popular in Jesus’ own time. But the vestry in its spiritual relationship with God seeks out the appropriate vision for the congregation and keeps it before the congregation. Over the years, I’ve heard various vestry persons indicate their reluctance (and sometime refusal) to participate actively in the annual Stewardship campaign. However, sacrificial and regular pledged giving is an important part, a necessary part, of any congregations life if it is to be a vital mission of Christ in the world, and all vestry persons need to be involved in that effort. Vestries can be timid and afraid they will “up set” some of the congregations’ members by making or taking bold actions on certain issues. Yet true leadership is meant to be bold and avant-garde. God created the church and gave the Holy Spirit to it to carry on the mission with vitality and energy. Once again I remind you that when Jesus breathed upon his disciples, he said to them “Receive, the Holy Spirit . . .”, which can and does also mean “take hold of,” “grasp” the Holy Spirit. “As the Father has sent me, now I send you.”
To be a member of the Vestry of a Parish is a time consuming responsibility. This responsibility is hard to accept in a busy world. But to the new vestry, it is important, given the size of this congregation and its required management, we all must be diligent in our responsibility: spiritually prayerful, discerning what God is calling us to do, and being present and actively involved in regular and special meetings. Unlike any other organization, institution, club, or society, the church is of God’s making and we are given the high esteem to be called to God’s special service in the church.
PART 2 – Resolutions on Human Sexuality
Now I want to turn to the second issue. Ever since the late 1960’s, our annual Diocesan Conventions and the National Convention of the Episcopal Church, meeting tri-annually, have attempted to deal with the issues of human sexuality, in particular, the place of gay and lesbian persons and gay and lesbian sexuality within the church. The debates on these issues, some of them quite heated, have gone on and on until the present. About two years ago, Bishop Ihloff of our Diocese asked that the issue not be debated at Convention, but that an entire year be given to sacred conversations on the issue. This past year there were three all day Saturdays set aside for continuing debate among clergy, laity, and visiting theologians. At the conclusion of all this debate, many people are far better informed on these issues, but there has been no clear break through of consensus that would indicate a clear overall understanding of these issues.
People who argue from the Bible about the sinfulness of homosexuality are met with other scholars who can refute or argue that the most quoted scripture references are in fact not really talking about homosexuality. In fact it is argued that there is not even a word for homosexuality in the Bible. While the heterosexual community often condemns homosexuals as sinners, the homosexual community has not always seen the best of relationships and behavior in the heterosexual community. We are all in agreement that there have been gay and lesbian couples who have been actively and faithfully involved in the Christian Church, and in its ordained ministry and in its mission for centuries. (These relationships have simply been don’t ask, don’t tell situations.) And so the debate and heated debates go on and on, using up valuable church time, when there are other important issues being neglected.
What have we resolved up to this point? By and large our decision as a Diocese up to this point is to agree to be able to disagree. We realize there are both strong feelings and arguments on both sides of the issue. We can vote and make one or the other group losers, and thereby make them feel as though they do not belong in God’s Church, or take the alternative of dividing Christ’s Church once again into more factions. The more we divide, the more we weaken the church and its place in the world. We have therefore decided to live with one another in respect and love in spite of our differences up to this point. We resolved that the debate must and should go on, but up to this point there is no clear guidance for our church from the Holy Spirit of God. There seems to be no clear decisiveness, nor final resolution about this issue.
For the present time we affirm the Resolution (DO39) of the 73rd National Church Convention as passed in 2000. Let me summarize:
1. This church will provide a safe and just structure in which all can utilize their gifts and creative energies for mission.
2. We recognize that there are couples in the Body of Christ and in this Church living together in marriage and couples who are living in other life-long committed relationships.
3. We expect all such relationships to be characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enable them to see in each other the image of God.
4. We denounce promiscuity, exploitation and abusiveness in the relationship of any of our members.
5. We hold all members accountable to these values, and will provide prayerful support, encouragement and pastoral care necessary to live faithfully by them.
6. We recognize that some persons acting in good conscience, who disagree with the traditional teaching of the church on human sexuality, will act in contradiction to that position.
7. We affirm that those on various sides of controversial issues share a place in the Church; and we reaffirm the imperative to promote conversation between persons of differing experiences and perspectives, while acknowledging the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of marriage.
Sometimes, my good people, we have to learn to live with and love the questions and uncertainties of life over knowing all the answers. It speaks very well of this church, that its people can live together in unity, in spite of our differences. God knows we need no more division. But we shall continue, Vestry, officers, and members, to keep this Church built strong on the Rock of Christ, who prayed that we all should be one, as he and the Father are one.
For the present time we affirm the Resolution (DO39) of the 73rd National Church Convention as passed in 2000. Let me summarize:
1. This church will provide a safe and just structure in which all can utilize their gifts and creative energies for mission.
2. We recognize that there are couples in the Body of Christ and in this Church living together in marriage and couples who are living in other life-long committed relationships.
3. We expect all such relationships to be characterized by fidelity, monogamy, mutual affection and respect, careful, honest communication, and the holy love which enable them to see in each other the image of God.
4. We denounce promiscuity, exploitation and abusiveness in the relationship of any of our members.
5. We hold all members accountable to these values, and will provide prayerful support, encouragement and pastoral care necessary to live faithfully by them.
6. We recognize that some persons acting in good conscience, who disagree with the traditional teaching of the church on human sexuality, will act in contradiction to that position.
7. We affirm that those on various sides of controversial issues share a place in the Church; and we reaffirm the imperative to promote conversation between persons of differing experiences and perspectives, while acknowledging the Church’s teaching on the sanctity of marriage.
Sometimes, my good people, we have to learn to live with and love the questions and uncertainties of life over knowing all the answers. It speaks very well of this church, that its people can live together in unity, in spite of our differences. God knows we need no more division. But we shall continue, Vestry, officers, and members, to keep this Church built strong on the Rock of Christ, who prayed that we all should be one, as he and the Father are one.