Here is my first sermon for my homiletics [teach me to preach] class. I’m glad to report it was well received. Father Serge, my professor, doesn’t require citations but I was inspired by online sources that led me to this quote from Blessed Mother Teresa “God doesn’t ask that we succeed in everything, but that we are faithful. However beautiful our work may be, let us not become attached to it. Always remain prepared to give it up, without losing your peace.”
Follwoing is the text for my sermon, which I am required to proclaim before I preach. Proclamation has special meaning to Father Serge. He believes that our sacred texts hold the word of God and since Jesus is the Living Word of God, it somehow holds Jesus, too. In addition, we perform a sacramental act when we speak God’s words; we need to make them come alive. It is an invitation for Jesus’ real presence as we remember that when two or three are gathered in his name, he will be with us. Father Serge should teach “Proclamation” classes for the whole church! Sunday mornings would be livelier.
A reading from the letter by Paul to the community at Corinth 2 Corinthians 6.1-10
As we work together with Jesus, we urge you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. For he says, ‘At an acceptable time I have listened to you, and on a day of salvation I have helped you.’
See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of salvation!
We are putting no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God, we have commended ourselves in every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;
by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love,
truthful speech, and the power of God;
with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;
in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute.
We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet are well known; as dying, and see—we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
“Faithfulness, not success” reads the plaque in my spiritual director’s office.
Not long ago while working with Donna, the treasurer in my parish, I offended her. Donna was brave enough to tell me I had hurt her feelings. I apologized and acknowledged that I done just that. At the end of our conversation, Donna said that I apologized rather well. I confessed that this wasn’t the first time I had occasion to apologize and with all the experience I had, I was glad to learn that I was acquiring some skill. Through our conversation, we experienced the grace of God’s love and became even closer friends. That was the acceptable time; that was a day of salvation!
On another occasion, I was serving as the senior warden of our vestry. In my tradition, this is the chair of the church’s governing lay board. The vestry was dealing with sensitive personnel issues and we had a group agreement of confidentially; what’s said in the executive sessions stays in the executive sessions. One of our members broke the group agreement of confidentially. I discussed this openly and directly with her during one of the meetings. This was not successful. I hurt her and I think I damaged the group even as I was trying to strengthen our commitment to each other and to the work God had given us to do. This member left the community. No effort of my part has yet created reconciliation between us. A time for me of dishonor and ill repute.
“Faithfulness, not success.” Oh, but reconciliation is so very sweet! It is as refreshing as the morning dew. I know you can hear the regret that I still have for my failure.
Paul calls us to faithfulness in our work as God’s servants. Paul begs us to show we possess worthwhile qualities—the qualities of endurance, knowledge, patience, kindness, and genuine love—all through the power of God. These are the core qualities of faithfulness.
“Faithfulness, not success.” Whether we succeed or fail on a particular task is often out of our control. That’s why, no matter how much we succeed, there is ultimately no peace in it. It’s never quite enough. In fact, often with great success we are less peaceful and less faithful. We come to rely on our success so much that we live in fear of failure and loosing the trappings of success. And what about the times when we can’t see success; when we don’t even know what success might be under the difficulties we face?
On the other hand, our faithfulness is under our control. No matter what happens in this world – who becomes Governor of California, whether or not I have a job, if I lose my savings, if I'm never ordained as a priest, if no community ever calls me to be their priest, – I can still pray to remain faithful. That is always under my control.
We know what it means to be faithful. Paul tells us as servants of God, we can give ourselves in every way to purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, and holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left.
And this is what God asks. Faithfulness and not success. This is the ultimate peace in life; the peace that passes understanding. When we are immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; when we are poor, yet making many rich; when we have nothing, and yet have it all. This is what we were made to do. Alleluia!
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