Job 38:1-7; Hebrews 5:1-10; Mark 10:35-45
The Reverend Paul D. Allick, St. George’s Episcopal Church, October 18, 2009

This week our candidates for Bishop of Minnesota will begin touring the diocese. Each day will begin with an Eucharist. I’ve been invited to preach at the one on Tuesday morning. As I have been planning the homily, doing my own discerning, and listening to others a revelation came to me. We are choosing our next bishop out of sin. Huh? We say it all the time, “We’re all sinners so don’t judge.” If this be true, then a whole diocese of sinners is choosing a bishop come October 31st. We will meet these folks, read about them, express our opinions all out of our sinfulness.

Everyone of us lives each day out our sinfulness. To truly understand this we have to understand what sin really is. We tend to think of sin as little naughty things we do. When we speak of sin we automatically think of sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. Oh, if it were only that simple the world would be better off. But sin is much more devious than that. The things we call “sins” are just symptoms of the disease. Sin is a condition that we all have. It lives in our minds and our hearts and it wreaks havoc all over our lives each day…if we let it and if we ignore what it really is.

Let’s review the Catechism. Sin is the seeking or our own will instead of the will of God. That’s what leads to brokenness in the world. Each of us wants to be God. We want to be the final judge over ourselves, over others and in the end over God Himself. This distorts our relationships. So we size each other up, we make assumptions based on our past experiences. Then we react instead of respond. We hurt each other. We try to control each other. We assume we know every intention of each other and of God. And then we make decisions. (Book of Common Prayer, p.848)

This is a dangerous game we are involved in. This is why God is setting Job straight. God says, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?” In other words, you are making judgments about yourself, others and God without reflecting, without prayer, without submission to God’s wisdom.

We have a way out of this dangerous game. We have Jesus. The Catechism teaches us that the Messiah was sent to set us free from the power of sin so that we could live in harmony with God, within ourselves, with each other and all creation. We have a way out of this dangerous game if we choose to submit our wills to God. (Book of Common Prayer, p. 849)

James and John want Jesus to appoint them to a place of honor in His kingdom. Jesus tells them, “You don’t have any idea what you are asking for. You are thinking of self promotion and of getting things your way. Can you drink the cup of suffering that I will drink? Can you endure the baptism of fire that I will endure?”

Jesus shows us the way out: submit completely to God’s will. Live as a servant to all. Listen before you speak. Pray before you decide.

St. George’s parish is getting closer and closer to deciding about your next rector just as our diocese is getting set to choose its next bishop. Be very aware of the dangerous game we are playing. Sin is all around us and within our minds and hearts. Be sure we are choosing out of prayer and listening not out of agendas and assumptions. Turn to Jesus and pray that we can all learn how to serve each other; pray for the strength to not let our own brokenness get in the way of what God is calling us to do.

We are tempted to think in earthly terms. We are tempted to approach our decisions out of business model instead of a Church model. For example, in our diocese, we aren’t doing a professional secular search for a competent chief executive officer. We are discerning a shepherd who will serve all of us by teaching us the faith and preserving unity among us.

In the letter to the Hebrews we hear that each high priest is called by God they do not claim the honor. They are chosen among mortals and
put in charge of the mysteries of God on your behalf. In the choosing it matters more who the choosers are than the chosen. We choosers have to be repenting and fasting; we have to be praying like Jesus prayed for us in the flesh, with tears and loud cries.

Escaping our own willfulness is a painful process. Almost as painful as being crucified. Our wills die inside of us. We can do this as individuals and we can do this as a parish or a diocese. Whatever the case it is a cup of suffering and a baptism with fire if are really searching for God’s will. After the suffering we live again in Christ; we are more powerful and peaceful.

If we are searching for our own will then it is easy. We push our agendas. We build support for our ideas. We fuss and fight and get our way or we fuss and fight and don’t get our way and get angry and resentful. That’s the dangerous game we are being called away from.

Jesus was made perfect by perfectly following God’s will. As he says to John and James, “Who gets to sit where is not up to me.” Jesus could have made his kingdom on earth. He could have served his human nature and lived quite comfortably and powerfully for a time. But because he fought within himself to serve his divine nature he lives utterly comfortable and ultimately powerful for eternity.

He is inviting each of us to do the same. We can assert our wills and experience some power over persons and systems for a time or we can discern God’s will and experience peaceful love and bliss for eternity.