What is Ministry?
Rev. Paul Beckel
First Universalist Unitarian Church ~
www.uuwausau.org
October 17, 2004
Those who have a Why to live for can bear
almost any How.
Friedrich Nietzsche
In this world, hatred never yet dispelled hatred.
Only love dispels hatred.
That is the law,
Ancient and inexhaustible.
The
Buddha
I am good to people who are good.
I am also good to people who are not good.
Because Virtue is goodness.
I have faith in people who are faithful.
I also have faith in people who are not faithful.
Because Virtue is faithfulness.
Last week we talked about being a
teaching congregation. We welcomed our new Director of Religious Education,
Samantha Masterton, our new nursery caregiver, Keri Steger, and our Ministerial
intern for this church year, Julie Stoneberg. It’s good that we’ve taken some
time to think about HOW to be a teaching congregation. It’s also important to ask our selves WHAT it
is that we teach. For our intern it may be clear that WHAT we should teach is
ministry. I would suggest that we are also teaching ministry to our children,
to one another as adults, and to the larger world in which we live.
Julie’s not here today. This week she
went away to the Central Midwest UU Minister’s Association fall retreat. So
we’ll have a chance to conspire together and try to figure out “What IS
ministry?”...so we can get our story straight before she gets back.
GATHERING HYMN
Wake Now My Senses #298
CHILDREN’S FOCUS in celebration of Dia de la Raza: Harvesting
Hope, by Kathleen Krull
Summary: The story of Cesar Chavez.
Chavez grew up on a ranch his family owned in Arizona. During the dust bowl
years the family lost the farm and became migrant workers in California. During
this time he felt belittled in the schools and misused in the fields, but had a
hard time gathering courage to stand up to the all-powerful land owners. But he had grown up with independence and
self-respect. So he knew that it didn’t have to be this way. He began organizing laborers into the National
Farm Workers Association. Their first strike began in 1965, and expanded into a
300 mile march on the state capitol. Pushing through reactions of suspicion and
fear, with courage and supreme effort, and with a rallying cry of “Si, se
puede!” the marchers gradually gained support and won a new contract from
the grape growers. Forty five minutes
later, Chavez began organizing lettuce pickers.
From You I Receive, to you I give,
together we share, and from this we
live.
READING from
A Return to Love Marianne
Williamson
No matter what we do, we can make it our
ministry. No matter what form our job or activity takes, the content is the
same as everyone else’s: we are here to minister to human hearts. If we talk to
anyone, or see anyone, or even think of anyone, then we have the opportunity to
bring more love into the universe. From a waitress to the head of a movie
studio, from an elevator operator to the president of a nation, there is no one
whose job is unimportant to God.
When the Marathon County suicide rate was
found to be abnormally high, a suicide-prevention task force was formed. I joined a group which includes emergency
services providers, therapists, cops, funeral directors, public health people,
the coroner, family survivors, etc. We’ve all been in touch with suicide in our
own way, but none of us could be called experts on the subject.
We got money to help us spread our
message. This raised two pretty sharp questions: #1: What is our message? And
#2: How are we going to spread it? Well a dozen people can’t do this by
themselves. So we created flyers to encourage health care providers, teachers,
family, friends... everyone, really, to be aware of the risk factors for
suicide... and to get themselves help, and get others help, as needed.
But knowing the risk factors, and the
awful statistics about suicide...this isn’t enough. Somehow we need to help
people to find the words, and the courage, to
talk about a subject that is very difficult to talk about.
So we brought in a specialist in
suicidology. Yep, that’s really what it’s called. And we made an agreement with
40 people from around the community: people who work in the schools, in law
enforcement, in churches, in social services, etc... the deal was: you get this
all-day continuing education workshop free if you agree to teach a 90 minute
suicide prevention course to 20 other people. So now we’ve gone from a dozen
helpers, to 800. It’s a good start.
I have to live up to the deal myself, so
I’ll be offering a course to you and to the larger community within the next
few months. I’m not planning to talk a lot about suicide prevention today, but
some of this is relevant both to teaching and to ministry.
None of those who attended this workshop
were experts in suicide prevention. And yet, we learned some things that are
worth sharing. We kind-of learned on
Wednesday. We’ll REALLY learn when we prepare to teach what we’ve learned.
What we learned is called QPR. It’s kind
of like CPR, except for a different kind of life-threatening crisis. QPR stands
for Question, Persuade, Refer. A lot of us here, including many who are NOT
health professionals, have had training in CPR. Some have taken the training
over and over to keep it fresh. The odds of us having to practice CPR are slim.
But many lives are saved because millions of people across the country have
been empowered by this training. Like CPR, QPR is a set of very basic things to
do until professional treatment can be secured. And even though it does not
save everyone, it saves lives.
What does this have to do with ministry?
That depends on whether we assume that every person’s fate is sealed... or
whether we believe that it’s possible to make a difference in each others’
lives. If we believe that it has already been decided who will die, and when,
from heart failure or suicide... then there’s no point in trying to intervene.
But it’s different if you believe that humans have free will, that we can make
meaningful choices about our destinies. It’s different if you believe that
people and history can be influenced, and that you have the ability to influence others for good or ill.
I certainly don’t believe that we can
save everyone. Not with our good intentions; not with our technical expertise. But it’s worth a try... to make a difference
where we can. So QPR and CPR are relevant to ministry because, while they
acknowledge that there are some things we cannot change, they still offer us
courage to change what we can.
You don’t need a PhD to do CPR or QPR.
What you need is the capacity to care, and the courage to act. The training is
important, and practice is useful, but the caring is essential. QPR, like ministry, is too important to be
left to the professionals.
Question, Persuade, Refer. It’s about
listening, and acting. No matter what mental state someone is in, this can be a
useful process for your ministry to them. It’s not about judging or diagnosing.
It’s about assuring others that, while their situation may be difficult, it’s
not hopeless.
Question, Persuade, Refer: these are
basic elements of ministry, whether conducted by an ordained minister or by a
lay person. These are basic elements of ministry for the well-being of an
individual, or for the well-being of a congregation.
Ministry to an individual is helping them
to discover what makes them come alive, and encouraging them to go do it.
Ministry to a congregation is helping them to discover what makes them come
alive, and encouraging them to go do it. Si, se puede. Yes, it can be
done.
In the liberal religious tradition,
ministry is helping individuals or congregations to determine for themselves what makes them come
alive. Helping them to determine for themselves their own WHY of living. As Nietzsche reminds us, if we only have a
WHY, we can make do with almost any HOW.
The WHY of our lives, whether individual
or congregational, could be called our mission, our purpose in life. Once we
discover our mission (and it changes, so that’s not easy), then ministry is all
that we do to fulfill that mission. In a congregation, ministry is all that we
do together... everything that we do that in any way supports our shared
purposes.
Ministry is not just what we do when we
are here. And not even what we do in the name of the church. It is what we
carry into our offices and our neighborhoods... it is the agency of our
votes... the paying of taxes... the picking up of litter... the holding a
door... the blowing a whistle on wrongdoing.
Ministry is the enrichment of our
community by caring for the person in the next cubicle, by caring for the
person whose hair we cut, by caring for the person who cuts us off on the
freeway, by caring for our bosses and our subordinates and our babysitters and
our lawyers.
Love is the spirit of this church—not a
parochial love among ourselves but a love strengthened here in order to be
carried out into the world. Josie’s work with Ameri-corps, the music of Steve
Rhyner and Dan Larson, whether hobby or profession, is ministry.
Our work is love made visible. In
everything we do—with singular courage or in collaboration with others—we are
co-creating with God.
***
A minister, writing about his training,
tells of how he was chastised by a superior for touching a parishioner in the
hospital rather than relying on comforting words and ritual blessings. That’s
sad, for touching is ministry. But comforting words can be ministry too.
Krishnamurti said: to give comfort to a dying friend, tell them that in their
death a part of you dies and goes with
them. Wherever they go, you go also...they will never be alone.
And ritual blessings are certainly part
of ministry. I needed your blessing to begin my work here. Julie and Samantha
and Keri needed your blessing to begin their work here. The same is true of
volunteers. The blessing, the charge, the confidence, the hope must be given from one generation and received by the next. And for the
blessing to really take—I think—both the giving and the receiving must be
explicit.
Let’s turn on its head the presumption
that it is the role of the minister to do ministry... and it’s the role of the
congregation to receive ministry...and to do all the scut work. In my opinion,
the purpose of your ordained minister and paid staff should be to create the
conditions in which the entire congregation can participate in the ministry.
There is such power in ministering to one
another, to ourselves, and to the world.
Learning from one another. Being present to one another. Tapping into
the synergy of our common purpose. Si,
se puede.
I urge you to minister to one another
simply by showing up. In our tradition
we’re not shamed into attending worship.
So I would suggest another motivation for showing up, not just at
worship, but at social events, at new member gatherings, and especially in covenant
groups. I suggest that you show up not
because you need to be there, but
because others need you there. You’re needed not necessarily to do the dishes
(though that’s a fabulous form of hospitality-ministry) but to pass on the
heritage, the care, the wisdom, and the blessing that you received from those
who came before you.
***
This week we honor three who have died
from among our midst: Betty Foster, Jacques Derrida, and Superman. You may know
that Superman, Christopher Reeve, was a UU. I’m not suggesting therefore that
Unitarian Universalism is supreme. But this is a good chance to put to rest the
suggestion that a religion without certainty cannot offer hope to people who go
through serious difficulties such as Reeve’s quadriplegia. In his autobiography,
affirming his UU identity, Reeve quotes Abraham Lincoln: “When I do good I feel
good, when I do bad I feel bad, and that’s my religion.”
Betty Foster was member of this church
since 1924. Betty did not want to be memorialized but wanted her work to stand
for itself. For example, she did tremendous work in support of local arts
institutions. Her ministry was also what she stood for. For example, she wrote
a living-will type statement long before there were living wills. She offers us
a good reminder that ministry is not just the time, talents and treasure that
you give to the church... but everything about yourself that you share with the
world: your attitudes, personality, values, life experience, and interests...
your body, your weaknesses, leadership style, needs, hopes, stories, memories,
feelings, knowledge, energy, imagination, religious heritage, your
relationships within and outside of the congregation.
Yes, one of those elements of ministry is
our “needs.” Each of us have many needs: physical, safety, social, self-esteem,
and self actualization needs. And
there’s nothing shameful about being motivated by our needs. Perhaps ministry
is God working through our motivations.
Another death this week: probably the
world’s most widely respected contemporary philosopher, Jacque Derrida, of whom
The New York Times said: “Mr. Derrida ...understood that religion is
impossible without uncertainty. Whether conceived of as Yahweh, as the father
of Jesus Christ, or as Allah, God can never be fully known or adequately
represented by imperfect human beings. And yet, we live in an age when major
conflicts are shaped by people who claim to know, for certain, that God is on
their side. Mr. Derrida reminded us that religion does not always give clear
meaning, purpose and certainty by providing secure foundations. To the
contrary, the great religious traditions are profoundly disturbing because they
all call certainty and security into question. Belief not tempered by doubt
poses a mortal danger.”
***
One of the many sources from which we
draw inspiration are the Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which
challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice,
compassion, and the transforming power of love.
The Cesar Chavez story is an excellent
example of such social ministry. But one does not need to be up against such
terrible odds to do ministry. There were a couple of other children’s stories
that I considered reading today: “All by myself” is about a little elephant who
wants to be independent. His mom figures out that the way to help him become
independent is to lift him up so that he can grab the succulent leaves from
high in a tree “all by himself.”
In another story, Badger’s Bring
Something Party, everyone brings something to a party to share, but mole
only brings himself. Then he finds himself embarrassed, and grumpy. But Badger
helps mole to see that by bringing himself he has brought the best thing
possible. But Badger clarifies: “Look old chap, I know I said it was alright
not to bring anything but yourself, but I didn’t mean your miserable,
stand-in-a-corner-and-feel-sorry-for-yourself-self. I meant your usual self.
Your INTERESTING self.” A light flashed
in mole’s head. “Oh, THAT self,” said mole. “Then everything’s alright. Because
as it happens, I did bring my interesting self. I’ve got it right here.”
***
Another example I found of ministry this
week was in the newsletter of the Southern Poverty Law Center. There was a
letter from a young man who had been a neo-Nazi. He writes that he had attended
a trial held against some of his friends... “Mr. Dees, you were brilliant in
that trial. [Saying]... that we’re all human beings and deserving of equal
value.... I videotaped your closing argument, and later, when I would sort of backslide
into racism again, I would watch it.... It has taken many years, but I am
finally free of racism and neo-Nazism. [I’ve] unlearn[ed] the harmful,
prejudiced outlooks that can be so appealing to people in trouble like I was.
Whether we support the Southern Poverty
Law Center from a distance with our money, or support local groups with our
presence on governing boards, or in rallies or in the way we treat our
neighbors... this is a good reminder about ministry: people don’t change
overnight. So our ministry must be oriented not only toward those who are
already converted... but even toward those who mean us harm.
***
The 19th century
transcendentalist movement suggested that god is everywhere, accessible to
everyone. So you don’t need someone else to conduct rituals for you. You don’t
need someone else to interpret scripture for you. Heck you don’t even need
scripture as an intermediary between you and god—it’s all laid out in the
leaves of grass, in the rippling streams, in every grain of sand.
If this is true, then what is purpose of
ministry? If every one of us has direct access to the Holy, then why would we
need one another? I do affirm with the transcendentalists that every one of us
has a direct line to the oversoul. And yet, it is often difficult to recognize
the access line. And we often lose the courage to tap into it.
Emily Dickinson wrote, “The soul should
always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.” In my view
standing with one’s soul ajar benefits not only oneself, but benefits anyone
who might see this disposition as a model for living.
***
Ordination in the Unitarian Universalist
ministry is not presented by a hierarchy but by a congregation. It can be
offered to anyone who the congregation sees fit, regardless of their
credentials. These days, professional credentials are important, but it is
still the congregation, not the association, which decides who to ordain, and
who to call as their minister.
I was ordained by my internship
congregation. You may wish to offer this gift, this empowerment, to Julie
Stoneberg if you see a ministerial presence in her work. We will continue to talk about the meaning of
ordination and professional ministry if that is something you wish to do.
She’s only been gone a few days, and she’s
coming back, but I miss her already.
It’s been great to work with Julie.
Having more explicit ministry in the house makes me feel motivated to
work toward some long range goals of developing lay ministry teams. Training
members of the congregation to conduct weddings, to do pastoral care, to lead
worship... to mentor couples getting married.
Another more formal bit of ministry I’d
like us to work together toward is a rigorous “Coming of age” program for
youth, with mentors helping our youth through a serious process of
investigation of their abilities and beliefs... their place in the world, and
helping them to find a loving connection with all that is beyond their own skin
and beyond their own perceptions. That is, helping them to come of age into their
own ministry. Every day I speak with you
and see your work I see new possibilities for ministry among us.
My short term agenda includes supporting
an successful pledge drive. So I’m doing loom ministry... weaving a rag rug for
anyone who raises their pledge by $300.
If you haven’t turned in your pledge yet, please do so today. If you
have, please go back and increase it by $300. I’ve got rugs in my office right
now eager for new homes. Please come take a look.
***
Ministry is not for the faint hearted. It is for those who will bear witness to the
saving power of love which has blown thru this congregation for 134 years.
Ministry is all you do in recognizing the extraordinary, and celebrating the
ordinary. And ministry is what you do for yourselves when you take care of
yourselves. When you take a Sabbath. When you allow for a fallow time following
the harvest. Si, se puede. Yes, it can be done.
As we sing our sending hymn today, For
all the Saints, I encourage you to sing in honor of generations past, or
generations to come. Acknowledge all that has been done, and all that may yet
be done with your blessing.
Your gifts—whatever you discover them to
be—
can be used to bless or to curse the
world.
The
mind's power,
the
strength of the hands, the reaches of the heart,
the
gift of speaking, listening, imagining, seeing,
waiting
any
of these can serve to feed the hungry,
bind
up wounds, welcome the stranger,
praise
what is sacred, do the work of justice, or offer love.
Any of these can draw down the prison
door,
hoard bread, abandon the poor, obscure
what is holy,
comply with injustice, or withhold love.
You
must answer this question:
What
will you do with your gifts?
Choose to bless the world.
The
choice to bless the world can take you into solitude
to
search for the sources of power and grace;
native
wisdom, healing and liberation.
More, the choice will draw you into
community,
the endeavor shared, the heritage passed
on,
the companionship of struggle,
the importance of keeping faith,
the life of ritual and praise, the
comfort of human friendship,
the company of earth, its chorus of life
welcoming you.
None
of us alone can save the world.
Together—that
is another possibility, waiting..