The Proclaimed Word
Preached by the Right Reverend Grant Lynn Ford at
the Sunshine Cathedral on Reformation Sunday, October 28, 2007.
Recently in Italy I saw a bishop, a priest, and a peasant in one of the
great cathedrals. I watched as the bishop approached the altar rail, beat
on his chest and declared, “I am nothing! I am nothing!” Then the priest
approached the altar rail, beat on his chest and declared, “I am nothing!
I am nothing!”
I was amazed by this display of humility when the humble peasant was moved
to imitate the bishop and the priest, so he approached the altar rail, beat
on his chest and declared, “I am nothing! I am nothing!”
That’s when I heard the priest turned furiously and hissed into the
bishop’s ear, “Who in the world does he think he is?”
Well, maybe it didn’t quite happen like that. But it could have if I’d been
there at the right time. Maybe…
But it does remind us of the Jesus story today, with some slight
differences. In this story the religious leader “postured before God,
shouting out: ‘Look at me! I’m no crook. I don’t cheat on my spouse.” And
I’m sure if he was alive today, he would have added: “I’m such a good
Christian!”
Reminds me of a fascinating website called
www.bettybowers.com,
where Betty’s guidance, as the site says, is “probably the only thing
standing between her readers and the sulfurous pits of an everlasting Hell.”
As she says, “Betty Bowers is a better Christian than you are.” Pride is not
a pretty thing! Even when we take pride in being super-spiritual!
Now I’m not talking about being proud of your church. I’ve served this
church for more than 21 years now, and I’m rightfully proud of all we have
accomplished.
I’m proud of all of you who have given of your time, talent and treasure to
make it happen.
Now at the end of that 21 years, I’m proud to be part of the transition we
are going through. This next Saturday we will install a new Canon Pastor. We
searched for over five years to find the right candidate, and I believe we
selected the absolutely best person in the Reverend Durrell Watkins. He will
take this church to places that I could never have done.
And I’m proud of all of you who have reached out to Durrell and Robert, to
welcome them not only into this church, but into your hearts. It’s not
always easy to change pastors, but we believed that we could create a new
model for transition of responsibilities, and I believe its working.
And you have continued to love Todd, Ed, Marian, all those in the Canon
Circle, as well as other leaders in the Cathedral and our Foundation. I’m
pleased with our new Pastoral Intern. I want you to know that I lit candles
for all of you in many churches all over Italy. I lit those candles and I
prayed for you.
Right now I admit to feeling a bit like Moses who was standing on the
mountain addressing the Israelites as he was about to hand over leadership
to Joshua. But unlike Moses, who was then going to go up the mountain and
dig his grave, I’m planning on going into the Promised Land with all of you.
Too many wonderful things are about to happen, and I’m not going to miss out
on all the fun.
Next week you’ll hear Durrell give us his vision for our future, and I’m
excited as Dean of the Cathedral to support that vision and to work with him
to make it a reality. In a year or two people will be amazed by our outreach
into South Florida and the Caribbean.
I’m proud that the Canon Circle is becoming a real Senior Ministry Team,
working together to provide leadership and pastoral care.
I’m proud that the Cathedral Chapter is coming into its own, and that our
various Boards of Directors are taking their responsibilities seriously,
with both commitment and concern.
I’m proud that we are finally beginning to really understand and practice
extravagant hospitality: welcoming our guests as we would welcome them in
our own homes. Another old-fashioned name for this is evangelism: sharing
good news with good people and especially with people not always thought to
be so good.
Our Gospel reading this morning reminds us that good news if for the rich
and the poor, the high-brow and the low-brow!
With all this talk about being proud, I never forget that all this was
accomplished not by you and me, but by God working in, through and
as
you and me. I love what the Apostle Paul says: “Work out your own
wholeness with reverence and awe…for it is God who is energizing in you the
power and the will — the want-to and the how-to — to accomplish all this
Good.” [Philippians 2:12-13]
That’s where the religious leader went wrong, when he took such great pride
in his personal spirituality while looking down his nose at the lowly tax
collector, a man despised as a Roman collaborator in Jesus’ time.
We must never look down on those that Jesus identified with: the poor, the
broken, the needy, those called “the lowly and outcast”. We must never think
ourselves better than others.
During the American Revolution an officer in civilian clothes rode past a
group of soldiers busy repairing a small redoubt. Their commander was
shouting instructions, but was making no attempt to help them. Asked why, he
replied with great dignity, “Sir, I am a Corporal!”
The stranger apologized, dismounted, and proceeded to help the exhausted
soldiers himself.
When the job was completed he turned to the corporal and said “Mr.
Corporal, next time you have a job like this, and not enough men to do it,
go to your commander in chief, and I will come and help you again.”
Too late, the corporal realized that the man speaking to him was General
Washington.
We can get all caught up in a fine new Cathedral, now under construction.
We can get carried away with our own grandeur and even the size of our
church. Or we can be humbled by recognizing the blessings that have been
poured out on us.
And with humble gratitude we can always remember past blessings — Lord God
of Hosts, be with us yet, lest we forget, lest we forget — while reaching
out to our future, becoming the very persons and the very church God made us
to be.
Humility is not the opposite of pride; it is the modifier of pride. Having
pride in ourselves, in our service, in our generosity, is a good thing… when
modified by the humble recognition that it is God working in and through us
all.
With that kind of pride, and that kind of humility, we can all stretch and
grow and fulfill God’s dream for each of us and for all of us as the
Sunshine Cathedral. And that’s the truth!