(Began with funny story about former Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie.)
How many of you remember the story of the Wizard of Oz? Toward the end of the story, Dorothy and the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow and the Lion and Dorothy’s little dog Toto, have their second audience with the great and powerful wizard. They have just accomplished their impossible task—they have brought back the broomstick of the wicked Witch of the West, as the Wizard had demanded, and they have come to ask the Wizard to make good on his promises: a heart for the Tin Man, brains for the Scarecrow, and courage for the Lion, and to return Dorothy and Toto to their home in Kansas. But instead of fulfilling these promises, the Wizard puts on a mighty display of smoke and thunder and lightning, and booms in a loud voice to go away and come back later! In the midst of this terrifying display, Toto pulls aside a curtain at the side of the audience hall and reveals the Wizard for who he really is: merely a man who was stranded in Oz when his hot air balloon drifted off course, and of course, not really a wizard at all.
That scene from the Wizard of Oz is almost exactly the reverse of the story of Jesus’ Transfiguration found in today’s reading from Matthew. Peter, John and James go with Jesus up a high mountain. Blustering Peter, the cowardly Lion; John, the disciple with the big heart; and James, the practical brains of the group. There on the mountain they witness an awesome display of power; the veil is pulled aside, revealing Jesus as he really is—not merely the man they knew as teacher and rabbi—but the Chosen of God, his face shining like the sun, explaining to Moses and Elijah how he would now fulfill God’s promise of salvation.
And a moment later, the bright cloud had passed, and the dazzling display had ended, and Jesus was alone with the disciples, as before. And they went down the mountain to do the work they had been called to do. This story is a powerful reminder for us, on the week after our Annual Meeting, that things are not always what they seem. In fact, if these words sound familiar to you, it’s because most of them were part of my address at last year’s Annual Meeting, which fell on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany, the Sunday when we always hear about Jesus’ transfiguration. I built this year’s theme “Called to Serve God’s People” on last year’s theme, so these words bear repeating.
God’s ways are not our ways. God is a lot closer, a lot more caring, and a lot more demanding than we usually allow ourselves to admit. We prefer a comfortable God, but when God starts acting like a deity—in dazzling displays and mountain-top experiences—we’d just as soon have Moses or Elijah, or our clergy or our Wardens and Vestry, go up the mountain to see what’s on God’s mind! We often find it easier to look to our leaders than to look within for the brains, and the heart and the courage it takes to do battle with the forces of evil and indifference that threaten our world and our life together in Christ.
God, however, has other plans for us. There are no second-class citizens in the Body of Christ. We are all called to a life of holiness, all called to serve God’s people, all called to go fishing with Jesus. We are one in our ministry; we simply have different gifts. Being ordained or elected to vestry doesn’t provide brains or heart or courage. It doesn’t give any special piety, administrative competence, visionary gifts, or pastoral sensitivity. To be sure, where these characteristics are already or potentially present, they might grow stronger. But there is no magic here to provide what God has not given. No magic, “just” the gift of God’s Holy Spirit.
The good news for those of us in charge is that God doesn’t require any more brains, or heart, or courage of us than is required of the rest of you. In our saner moments we know that vestry and clergy, even bishops, are just people, yet we all expect, consciously or unconsciously, something extra, something special. We just can’t help it, because we all long for the vision of holiness that God has planted in our hearts. It is as right for us to have shiny hopes and far-reaching expectations as it was for Peter, John and James. To dream of a church renewed and a world redeemed is a mountaintop experience, in which the veil is pulled aside for a moment, and we catch a glimpse of what our life together really is, really can be, behind the veil of buildings and grounds, church politics and finances. Of course, the point of a mountain top experience is not to stay on the mountain, as Peter discovered. The point is to return to our everyday world with a renewed vision, perspective and hope, ready to again serve God’s people.
St. Andrew’s is a wonderful church and I am so glad we are working side by side, using our brains, and heart and courage. Last week at our one service of worship for the whole church family, we renewed our Baptismal Covenant. Then, at the meeting I commissioned everyone for ministry and gave a St. Andrew’s Cross as a token of our ministry. Today we need to be sure that everyone is included in our one Fellowship of St. Andrew’s. Please stand if you were not commissioned last week. You might have been ill, away, or in the kitchen. It doesn’t matter. What matters is that you now take your place as part of St. Andrew’s. Every one of you has a ministry. It may be here or away from the church, with your family, as part of your job, or in some other capacity. (Wait for all to stand.)
If you are ready to reaffirm your faith as a follower of Jesus and fulfill your calling as a disciple, wherever and in whatever way you may find yourself serving God’s people, please respond now by saying “I will.”
In the name of God and of this congregation, I commission you as a member of the Fellowship of St. Andrew’s, and give you this St. Andrew’s Cross as a token of your ministry. (Pass out the crosses.) Please take one as the baskets passes and either affix it to your name tag so you’ll always have it here, or take it with you to wear as a sign and reminder of your ministry wherever you go. (Describe the cross and its symbols—loaves and fishes, etc.)
Together we are The Fellowship of St. Andrew’s—the Body of Christ here and now. It is time to go forward in trust and faith, believing that God really has given us the brains and heart and courage we need. We are not wizards, just people called together to serve God’s people. If we are faithful, God will give us all the heart and brains and courage we need. Amen.