Seventh Sunday of Easter 2021

 

Seventh Sunday of Easter 2021

In those days Peter stood up among the believers [Greek: ‘brothers’] (together the crowd numbered about one hundred and twenty people) and said, ‘Friends, [Greek: ‘men, brothers’] the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus—for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.’

So one of the men who have accompanied us throughout the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.’ So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, ‘Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.’ And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

 

‘I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

John 17:6-19

 

This coming Wednesday is our Annual Church Parochial Meeting, at which, among other things, we reflect on the past year and elect people to certain oversight roles, to serve as Church Wardens or as members of the Parochial Church Council (PCC). Such roles are important to the healthy functioning of the local church—of this local church. Just as our participation in Holy Communion, to serve in such a way is, or should be, a duty and a joy. It matters, how we go about this business. And so, today, I want to reflect on how our readings, from Acts and from John, might help us.

Jesus had appointed twelve of his followers to be his ekklesia, his council of representatives. Although his disciples included both women and men, these were all men, it would appear echoing the twelve sons of Jacob, symbolising the ordering of a new or renewed people of God. They had served together for three years, with some notable highpoints and low points, perceived successes, and devastating failures. And in time, it came to light that the treasurer had been embezzling, and, perhaps in greed or desperation or disillusion, had betrayed Jesus and then, perhaps in remorse, had taken his own life. Hardly the news one would want to bring in the Annual Report. And yet, these twelve or so men formed the council members Jesus had worked with, without whom—including Judas and the role he played in how he fulfilled his role—God’s will would not have been done on earth as in heaven.

But now, Judas’ place was vacant, and needed to be filled. As we, also, need to fill some places, albeit for happier reasons. One of our Wardens, Christine, is stepping down this year, because she has served, wonderfully, for quite some time, and together with her we have discerned that it is right that, for now at least, she should lay down that role, allowing for someone else to take it up—and, indeed, for Christine herself to take up other ways of serving, of being a blessing.

There was a place of oversight within the church that needed filling. And so, the church gathered together, and prayed about who should fill that role. And after prayerful deliberation, Peter proposed that it should be someone who had been with Jesus from the beginning, who had shared in his ministry and been a witness to the resurrection. They prayed some more, and two names were put forward. It is interesting to note that, in the four Gospels, or proclamations of the good news of Jesus Christ, we have never come across either of these candidates. They have been there for quite some time, but quietly, on the edges perhaps. And now one of them, at least, will be asked to step up, to step into a new-to-them role.

I want to say that I think Peter got it wrong when he determined that it had to be a man. I appreciate the symbolic reasons why Jesus appointed twelve men, looking back to the sons of Jacob, the heads of the tribes of Israel. But Jesus appointed Mary Magdalene to be the apostle to the apostles, the first witness to the resurrection. Mary the mother of Jesus had been with him even longer, from the very beginning, and both Marys were part of the church. As the church grew, and expanded to embrace Gentiles, a great many women were included in oversight roles in local churches, and in apostolic teams working across churches: women such as Phoebe and Prisca and Junia; Tryphena and Tryphosa and Persis; Euodia and Syntyche; Apphia and Nympha. The church in Jerusalem, however, remained a more strongly, narrowly, Jewish male-led environment. I do believe that Peter got that wrong, and I lament the impact it has had on the valuing of women in the church ever since. And yet, I am cautiously glad that God chose to work with their partial and compromised discernment, allowing other opportunities to arise in other places, because I know that all our prayerful deliberations will also be partial and compromised. God does not wait until we get it all right, but works with us where we are, to move us on. We need to see the whole church freed to serve, in ways that allow expression for their gifting and personality, bringing the resources of the full family of God to address the challenges we face.

So, it seemed good to the church to hold an election, and trust that God would work with and through whatever the outcome, just as God had done through Judas, despite everything, despite the obvious compromise. A ballot is held, and one candidate is selected. I wonder how he felt? The other candidate is not selected. I wonder how he felt? It seems to do with their hearts. I think it fair to say that either candidate was an appropriate candidate—it was not that one was pure of heart and the other harboured some secret sin they need God to reveal—but that taking up this particular role would, in some way, bring fulfilment to the person Matthias was made to be, and not the person Justus was made to be. I hope both felt relieved at the outcome, at the very least. We are not called to serve others in self-serving ways, but, if we offer ourselves to serve the needs of the church, and together we pray for discernment, our prayer is that each might serve in ways that are fulfilling for them—that are not only a duty but also a joy, made more complete.

 

There are opportunities, here, to serve in a variety of ways: as Church Wardens and deputy wardens; as PCC members, including deanery representatives, secretary, and, potentially, treasurer; but, also, as voices to read the scriptures aloud, or lead us in our prayers of intercession when we come together. And then, there are the ways to serve as our Care and Share lunches, our afternoon teas, and other ways of blessing the wider community start up again after the long disruption of the pandemic. For a variety of reasons, it will be right that some people who have served in particular ways need to step back or stand aside, and that others should step into the vacated space. And it may be that there are entirely new things that God the Holy Spirit wills to do in and through us, in this new season as our communities emerge from lockdown, calling some to roles we have not needed before. But in all this, our discernment should be prayerful; and corporate; and expectant that, in the very real challenges we face, God will continue to save and protect us from the evil one, will continue to call us deeper into holiness, and will continue to send us out into the world with joy.

And so, I commend the process of the APCM to you, inviting us all to prayerfully consider our hearts, and God’s call on our lives. Amen.