Gifts, Service & Welcome
Proper 20B
Prov. 31:10-31; Mark 9:30-37
9/20/09
Lorraine Ljunggren

If those of you who have known me for awhile were to guess which of our Bible readings today would catch my attention, which one might you guess?

Well, for those who think Proverbs, you're correct. But, if you think Psalm 1 or James or the Gospel of Mark, you're also correct. This is one of those Sundays when our lectionary – the ways our readings are set forth – gives us bits of wisdom that are so important as we try to figure out how to be people of faith.

But, the competent woman of Proverbs does stand out because four days and thirty-three years ago, on September 16, 1976, the General Convention of the Episcopal Church adopted a resolution changing our canons – one of our church governing documents – changing our canons to include women as eligible for ordination to the priesthood and episcopacy. Some of the women and men who worked diligently to help bring about this change are members of St. Mark's.

The struggle for the ordination of women in the Episcopal Church began in the 1850's. It was at the beginning of that decade, in 1851, when former slave Sojourner Truth made her famous “Arn't I a woman?” speech. She asked to speak to those gathered in Akron, Ohio, for the Women's Rights Convention. "I want to say a few words about this matter," she said. "I have as much muscle as any man, and can do as much work as any man. I have plowed and reaped and husked and chopped and mowed, and can any man do more than that? And arn't I a woman? I can carry as much as any man, and can eat as much too, if I can get it. Arn't I a woman? ... The poor men here seems to be all in confusion, and don't know what to do. Why children, if you have woman's rights, then give them to her and you will feel better." (quoted by Yvonne Delk, Sojourners Magazine, Sep-Oct 2001)

Sojourner Truth was one of those women – one of those people who connected the dots between racism and sexism, and my guess is, if she were still with us today, she'd connect the dots between all the 'isms' which inflict us. If she were still here in person, my guess is she'd be marching on the streets or testifying before Congress about the need for health care reform or about the need for affordable housing or about educational opportunities being truly equal for all children. She'd be saying loud and clear women should be paid the same wages for the same work as men and she's speak a word on behalf of immigrants I think.

So, the woman, the wife, described in the poem found in Proverbs today, does catch my attention. She is a shining example in the biblical narrative of a CEO if I ever saw one. She's smart and discerning. She's involved in commerce and agriculture, in textiles and food production. She cares for the creation. She is clothed in strength and dignity and is so without fear that she laughs at the time to come. She speaks with wisdom and, while she teaches kindness, she lives it as well by opening her hands to the poor and reaching out to the needy. In all this she is amazing enough, but what we need most to admire about her is that she is in awe of the Lord. She is a person of faith deriving her energy and enthusiasm from her relationship with God.

What also stands out for me is the way in which she uses every gift God gives her – intelligence, the ability to communicate, skills in negotiating, talent for making things, financial smarts, wisdom, a caring heart, and compassion for those in need. When it is all boiled down to the essentials, she is a faithful steward.

Contrast this picture with the disciples as they trail along behind Jesus through Galilee. They are like a bunch of kids or teens or adults following a hero or a celebrity, elbowing one another to get the closest and arguing over who is number one! You would think that after all they have seen and been through with
Jesus that they would connect the dots. You'd think they would understand something about the dream of God for God's creation and for the people and creatures part of it. But, instead, they act like most of us human beings act from time to time. Most of us would really like to be successful and to be number one in whatever we do. Most of us would like to have lots of money – now, most of us would do some really good things with it – but we'd probably also end up acquiring more stuff. Most of us would have a hard time with our egos if crowds of people followed us all around making us feel important. God knows we are human, aren't we?

But, Jesus makes it clear that “[t]he way [we] treat those who cannot 'lord it over' [us] is the way in which [our] true greatness is measured.” (Don Armentrout,
ibid.) “'Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of all. And [Jesus] took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” (Mk. 9:35b-37)

All this made me wonder, if I were to gather some concrete examples of how we at St. Mark's attempt to use the gifts God gives us, like the woman in Proverbs, and how we live into Jesus' call to serve and to welcome, what would I use? These are the things which came to mind:

First, The Bible, because in it we begin to experience God through the stories, poetry, and songs of others of God's people who put their experiences in writing.

The Book of Common Prayer and Hymnal, because having these prayers and songs gives us a framework – a way of coming together from all our different lives and being able to pray and sing the same words which, I believe, helps us to become a community of prayer.

Then on my list is our parish “Purpose Statement,” what some would call a mission statement, which reads, “Our purpose is to help each other experience and worship God, openly share the Good News of Jesus Christ, and respond in love to the needs of our neighbors.”

Next there's our 'Welcome Statement,' which many of you have read on our website, part of which reads: We believe the Christ calls us to be nothing less than global citizens, that the social expression of love is justice, and that spiritual concerns are inseparable from commitment to the natural world… [It goes on,] We strive to create a more open and embracing community of faith to nurture the spirit of all who are a part of this community: women and men, children and youth…”

I think of our Parish Survey which we're hoping everyone old enough to read and write will complete either on a computer or using a paper copy. The survey asks us to prayerfully consider how we value those aspects of who we believe we are and the activities in which we participate. This survey and times in which we can talk as an entire community, as we will after the 10:30 service today, or gathered in small groups next Sunday and the following Wednesday – these are all important ways for us to give voice to the qualities of our common life closest to our hearts, as well as our dreams for the future. These are all means for visioning what is most important as we live into our call as people baptized into Christ Jesus. In fact, welcome to Beth Bordeaux who will be facilitating our conversation after church today!

I also think of our Pledge Card. It asks us in concrete terms to prayerfully consider how we will put into action our God given gifts, talents, and time both in our parish and in the world outside our doors. It asks us in concrete terms to prayerfully consider giving a percentage of our income to St. Mark's because, as Linda Martin said last week, the existence of this particular parish church makes a difference in both the Episcopal Church and in the world.

I think of the persons who have taken the loving risk of saying 'yes' to the call to be Canvassers in our fall Stewardship Campaign. In a few minutes we'll commission them and make a commitment ourselves to open our hearts and doors to them for the purpose of building up this part of the Body of Christ we call St.
Mark's. If anyone has never had the opportunity of experiencing an Every Member Canvass call, know that it is another way to help us vision the future and a great way to get to know other people at St. Mark's. I was nervous the first time I welcomed a canvasser into my apartment, my home back in West Palm Beach – but I'll bet they were more nervous than I was! When the dust settled, it was a great experience and it helped me begin to overcome the tight grip money had on me.

And, finally, connecting all the dots, thinking about what is foundational to all these other concrete ways of thinking of God's gifts and serving and welcoming God's people, I think of each of you. We are who we are as a parish church because of everyone God has called to this place at this time. May all these concrete examples of giftedness, service, and welcome, be blessed by God today and every day. Amen.

©2009 Lorraine Ljunggren