Celebration Sunday

Sermon preached by the Rev. Lowell E. Grisham, Rector

St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Fayetteville, Arkansas

October 21, 2012; 21 Pentecost, Proper 24, Year B

Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary

(Mark 10:35-45)  James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to Jesus and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." And he said to them, "What is it you want me to do for you?" And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." But Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They replied, "We are able." Then Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared."

When the ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, "You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

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Today parishioner Jen Lewis and a team of her friends have prepared a wonderful breakfast for us.  Jen is a gourmet cook and runs her own Jen’s Art of Cooking business.  She’s giving St. Paul’s a bit of her talent today, and it is a wonderful gift. 

I’m reminded of a story from a few years ago.  We were recruiting people to help serve a Stewardship Banquet that we were planning.  Someone was telephoning parishioners to get volunteers, and dialed a wrong number.  “Hello, I’m calling from St. Paul’s to see if you would be willing to help us with the upcoming Stewardship Banquet.”  “You are from where?”  “From St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.  I’m recruiting helpers for the Stewardship Banquet.”  There was a pause.  “Well,” came the voice, speaking with a bit of perplexity.  “I’m not a member of your church, but I sure admire St. Paul’s, and I like what you offer to our community.  Yes!  Sure!  I’d be glad to help with the Stewardship Banquet.”  And she did. 

A couple of years ago church consultant Bob Gallagher visited to help us think about addressing some long range planning needs.  He interviewed a number of parishioners, talked to staff members, met with the Vestry.  Near the end of his visit, he said something interesting. 

He reminded us of our heritage from the Church of England.  In England, our denomination is the established church of the nation.  That means a C. of E. church in a particular village has a relationship with everyone in that village, not just with those who are members, or those who belong to our particular denomination.  So if someone dies in that village and needs a funeral, they have a right to be buried from the village church, and the church will serve them regardless of their religious affiliation.  That’s where we get the word “parish.”  A parish is the geographical boundary that is served by a particular church.  Everybody within that boundary is served by the parish church.

Bob said, “St. Paul’s is a ‘Parish Church’ in the traditional sense of the word.  You really do serve the whole community of Fayetteville.  And I get the understanding that the whole town senses that.  They know you have a commitment to the whole community, and the community has a stake in St. Paul’s.” 

So that’s why you’ll see St. Paul’s hosting a candidates’ debate or the Fayetteville High School Chorus’ Madrigal Feast.  You’ll see us welcoming for lunch anyone who needs a meal every Monday and Wednesday, and nurturing friendships with a handful of neighbors each Thursday for families who entrust to us their loved ones living at home with dementia or early Alzheimer’s.  In the recent past, our Parish Hall has been transformed into a Hindu Temple for a beautiful wedding, into a place of prayer and feasting for Muslims breaking their Ramadan fast at sundown, and into the Buddhist community’s inclusive celebration following the Dalai Lama’s visit.  Community non-profits like Lifestyles, OMNI and the Mental Health Association have their annual events in our space, not to mention the plucky Scots who celebrate their unique heritage and loud music at their annual Burns Night.  When a group wanted a place to hold an Interfaith Harmony Day for all of the religious expressions in our area, naturally they asked St. Paul’s to host it.  And, did you know that our local Unitarian congregation holds their annual Stewardship Banquet in our Parish Hall?  Our church is truly a space for the entire geographical “parish”.  We intentionally seek to live as servants of our whole village.

What we do in our corporate ministry, we also intend for individuals in our congregation.  We seek to serve each other.  We connect people with God, in community.  We connect people with God in our prayers, and most profoundly in the mystery of the sacrament of the Eucharist.  We invite everyone to be welcome at the table of God where we feast on divine life and become one – healed within ourselves, united with God and with one another.  We are a holy people committed to the holy things of God.  We receive God’s blessing, and we give God’s blessing.

At St. Paul’s, we believe that everyone has a ministry.  What’s yours?  Our staff exists to help you exercise your ministry, to serve and to grow. 

Most people in our congregation exercise your ministry, your service, in your day-to-day life in the world.  At St. Paul’s, we seek to help you ground that work in God.  We hope to help you find God’s empowerment – the spiritual strength, relationship and nurture to do what you need to do to serve your family, your vocation, your community and the world. 

Some of you exercise some of your ministry, your service, through the church.  That’s why we have so many ministries here.  Someone saw a need and felt a call to respond.  Our cultural norm at St. Paul’s is to say, “Yes” to ministry.  What can we do to empower, resource and connect you to do what you see needs doing? 

I hope you received the mailing this week that listed over 130 ways St. Paul’s people express our ministry and service.  It’s an extravagant list.  We intend to be a church that expresses the extravagant love of God. 

So today we are celebrating.  We’re calling today Celebration Sunday.  It is a day to celebrate the many ways that God is incarnate through the service and ministry of the many members of this church.  We especially chose this day because it is the Sunday when we hear Jesus remind his disciples that we are called to be servants:  “whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all.”  We hope to be a community of servant leaders.

So today we say “thank you.”  Thank you for all of the ways you give and receive the services of this parish church.  And do note, for any act of service to have meaning and significance, there must be a recipient of that service.  So, “Thank you” first to those who willingly receive the gifts and ministries of our congregation.  You complete the generous circle of giving and receiving. 

We also celebrate and give thanks to everyone who gives so generously of your time and your skills to express your ministry though our common life together. 

Today we initiate a season of Stewardship, leading up to our annual Stewardship Sunday on November 11, when we will invite people to pledge their money to underwrite our ministries in the coming year.  We want to begin that season by celebrating today, thanking you for your ministries.

We also want to say “thank you” for your monetary gifts.  Your pledges and contributions are the foundation that supports the extravagant love and service of this congregation.  When you give to St. Paul’s, you are giving to God’s work expressed through our corporate life.  It is good work.  I hope you give gladly and gratefully.  I know you serve gladly and gratefully.  You make this community and its many gifts possible.

Thank you.  Thank you.  Thank you.