what’s next?
Rev. Nancy Gammill, Special to The Gazette
Friday, April 17, 2009
What does one say the Sunday after Easter when all the hoopla is over, and the same ol’, same ol’ sets in again?
What a sad commentary it is to even have to ask that question! Because it means our lives weren’t changed by the Easter experience. It means that it makes no difference to us at all that Christ took our sins upon his back so that we would be free to live in a new way. It means that we are so inward oriented, so me oriented, that perhaps we can’t even see where we need to change, to repent of where we have been or who we have been, and to move forward in our relationship with God and with each other.
This is the time of year in the United Methodist Church when pastors begin to think about moving forward, or at least moving! Everyone gets a little nervous round about now, because our appointment to a church is only for a year at a time, so it’s always possible that the Bishop and his Cabinet might decide it’s time for us to move on, or we might decide that, or the congregation might decide that for us! At any rate, the tension is always a little higher in the spring season of the year, as we wait to see what will happen. When I served as a member of the Bishop’s cabinet for several years, I found myself on the “other side of the table” so to speak, one of the ones praying about and making those decisions about the pastors. It was very difficult work and took a great deal of time and effort and prayer to hopefully make decisions that were good for pastors and congregations as well. One of the criteria which we began to take very seriously about pastors and that applies to all of us, as well, was how “self aware” people were. The question often came down to, is this pastor even aware of his/her strengths and weaknesses? Is he/she able to verbalize those things, able to be vulnerable about where they need to grow in an area, or let go of something that is getting in the way of their ministry, often on a repetitive basis?
Too often, the answer was “no”, this is not a pastor who recognizes the places in his/her life where change needs to happen, and often that inability arises out of a great deal of insecurity resulting from difficult situations in their lives that they have been afraid to deal with. We all have those places in our lives; we all have those insecurities or fears or anxieties or places of guilt that tend to overwhelm all the good things that have the potential to happen for us in our families, our work, or any of the relationships we live in on a day to day basis. We all need to become “self aware” of those things that are blocking the reconciliation or restoration of relationships that are important to us. Of course, that is easier said than done, and I’m not sure it can happen unless we let the grace of God in the Risen Christ be at work in those things. To do that, we have to “let go and let God” as we’ve heard it said. We have to get out of the way, quit trying to control the outcome to every single thing in our lives, and let God’s grace do the wonderful transforming work it can do. If pastors in our denomination, at least, could trust that in the moving process, not only are the Bishop and the Cabinet hard at work, but more importantly, God’s grace is at work in those decisions, I think we would all rest easier at night.
As the Easter season progresses, let us each try to open ourselves up to that grace. Let’s all try to become more self aware, more open, more vulnerable to one another, to each other, to our children, for example. What power there is in a parent who is able to ask for forgiveness from a child, or to say “I’m sorry” when something inappropriate or rash has been said! Or to offer forgiveness rather than punishment or harsh judgment when a little one has failed to make the grade. What a model for a life lived in Christ will that child receive! That kind of living is “Easter living”.
As a congregation, our mission statement has basically been shortcutted to read “Know Christ. Live Christ.” It is based on the scripture from Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi, where he writes, “”Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” And then in a nutshell, he brings the message home, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 2: 3-5). Live with the mind and the Spirit of Christ within you, and you will discover that you are living with Easter all year around!
• “Sunday Sermon” is a forum for Emporia area ministers to share their sermons, thoughts and observations. This week’s sermon is from the Rev. Nancy Gammill of First United Methodist Church in Emporia.