 St Alban’s Episcopal Church Bolivar, Missouri Wednesday, April 13, 2022 Renewal of Ordination Vows Wednesday in Holy Week John 13:21-32   Wednesday in Holy Week John 13:21-32 Jesus was troubled in spirit, and declared, “Very truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of who he was speaking. One of the disciples – the one whom Jesus loved – was reclining next to him; Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So, while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I give this piece of bread when I have dipped it into the dish.” So when he had dipped the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas, son of Simon Iscariot. After he received the piece of bread, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “Do quickly what you are going to do.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the common purse, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the festival”; or, that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the piece of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night. When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.”  What about this? Notice that Jesus’ friends did not know that their friend and fellow disciple, Judas, was about to betray Jesus. He was not recognized as a “bad guy.” He didn’t stand out. He did what they all did – preaching, teaching, healing, living with Jesus and learning from him. And Peter, more honest than the rest, and maybe more anxious, knowing his own weakness, wanted to know who would do that. So John, the favorite, asked. And Jesus answered.But they still didn’t know.And the truth is, when push came to hove, they all fled – and before the night was over, Peter did also betray Jesus. Three times. It is easy to blame Judas alone. But that’s not the truth. He loved Jesus. But he loved his country more, it seems, and hated the Romans and was eager for Jesus, the Messiah, to set Israel, Jerusalem, free once and for all. But Jesus didn’t. Maybe Judas thought he could goad him into “doing something” by having him arrested. Maybe he had given up and decided Jesus was, after all, a false Messiah. And deciding that, makes it easy for the “temptor” to “enter in to us.” That voce that suggests that we are right – that we have been “taken in.” And leads us to do stupid things. And having betrayed Jesus, he – and sometimes we – find it hard to repent and tell the truth and trust God again. That is the only difference between Peter and Judas. Judas despaired. Peter wept and returned. We are all prone to both of those attitudes – if we are honest: We want to “make” Jesus DO SOMETHING in the face of injustice and cruelty and sickness, war, poverty and death. And we are easily shaken by what we see as Jesus’ mysterious behavior – maybe God isn’t exactly who we thought God was, and maybe Jesus was a fraud – maybe weare. Half of what’s in Paul’s letters are reassurances that God was in Christ Jesus after all – that we are not mistaken, not abandoned. But see this too – knowing what is about to happen, Jesus still talks about God and about glory. Renewal of Ordination Vows You know that every year, and every time we baptize anyone, the whole congregation renews our own baptismal vows. It matters to do that. We remind ourselves of who we are when we do – and what we have promised. But you might not know that when people are ordained to the diaconate, to the priesthood or to the episcopate – they also make specific vows. And so deacons, priests and bishops also renew their ordination vows every year. Sometimes it feels perfunctory, sometimes the liturgy isn’t all that special, but always it matters to repeat those vows we once made. For priests, they include these words: “Will you respect and be guided by the pastoral direction and leadership of your bishop?” “Will you be diligent in the reading and study of the Holy Scriptures, and in seeking the knowledge of such things as may make you a stronger and more able minister of Christ?” “Will you endeavor so to minister the Word of God and the sacraments of the New Covenant, that the reconciling love of Christ may be known and received?” “Will you seek to be a faithful pastor to all whom you are called to serve, laboring together with them and with your fellow ministers to build up the family of God?” “Will you persevere in prayer, both inn public and in private, asking God’s grace, both for yourself and for others, offering all your labors to God, through the mediation of Jesus Christ and the sanctification of the Holy Spirit?” It matters very much to me to hear those questions asked again and again, year after year, and to answer them in the company of my friends and fellow clergy. It is too easy to forget who we are, what we do and why we do it. But it was also profoundly moving to see +Diane Bruce come down to the floor among us, and to hear Shirley Bolden, the chair of the Standing Committee of the diocese, ask her questions specific to her office – and to see her renew her vows as our bishop. And I knew as well that Father Jos Tharakan, now at St James in Springfield, but soon to be consecrated bishop of Idaho, was hearing those questions differently yesterday – and then we saw +Diane ask us all to surround him, to pray for him, and to bless him as he goes. It was wonderful. A bishop is asked, among other things: “As a chief priest and pastor, will you encourage and support all baptized people in their gifts and ministries, nourish them from the riches of God’s word, pray for them without ceasing, and celebrate with them the sacraments of our redemption?” To the question,”Will you guard the faith, unity and discipline of this Church?”+Diane answered, “Absolutely!” instead of the expected, and formal, “I will.” And we loved her for it. “Will you share with your fellow bishops in the government of the whole Church; will you sustain your fellow presbyters (priests) and take counsel with them; will you guide and strengthen the deacons and all other who minister in the Church?” It was sheer joy to see her answer with such gracefulness and joy. She does do those things for us, and with us. Nobody has a better bishop than we do in West Missouri. Nobody. But Idaho is about to get one just as amazing!  |
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