A church that has a vacancy can often cause worry to its members especially nowadays as we search for the right person to come and fill the vacancy. In the days of old, it used to be a whole lot easier to fill a vacant pulpit; we went to the Union and asked them who they had available? Who would be interested in a move or were there any students ready? In some ways it was almost like going to the supermarket and picking them of the shelves. “I fancy that one, he is handsome, I quite like him, he has a nice voice, or she seems very approachable – we’ll have that one.’
Unfortunately we are no longer in that position, our clergy supermarket – the Congregational College is closed to us and we now tend to move people around from church to church, trying in some ways to entice people we think would be good for us. Meanwhile in some instances the church waits worrying that no one likes them enough to apply, worrying that no one loves them. It can be a very difficult time for a church in a prolonged vacancy, with some being vacant for years. One only has to look through Life and Work the Church of Scotland’s magazine and then look online at that denominations website and there are long term vacant churches that one wonders if they will ever call a minister.
I don’t believe we are going to be in that position here at Ebenezer; indeed I am quietly hopeful that it will not be case but in the meantime, what can we do as a church to attract the cream of the crop?
Firstly we must be united in our decision making, we must put aside issues that are personal to us and think of the whole church. In Matthew’s Gospel, we see an example of how to discipline the wayward church member but is it the wayward member – singular or is Matthew actually appealing to the whole church? This is the behaviour that is expected from all Christians, if one does not comply, this is what to do – approach them, point out the error of their ways, if this fails, go with another member and speak with the errant follower, if all else fails treat the person as a Gentile or Tax Collector.
Now perhaps you have read this many times, perhaps you know where I am heading with this but I found that statement the most astonishing part of that passage. “If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
This is surely one of those times, when the bible truly baffles non believers and confuses those who follow on. It’s almost as if this passage is telling us to ‘excommunicate’ the errant member but look again. Gentiles and Tax Collectors – which disciple was it that was a tax collector?
So even the most errant or wayward Christian is to be included, more so they are to be loved. Indeed the evidence is there in Paul’s letter to the Church at Rome; 13:9 The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet"; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, "Love your neighbour as yourself." 13:10 Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law. Kind of reminds you of the wedding verse from 1st Corinthians 13, love is the greatest gift of all!
I really like the passage of Romans and the way it correlates with that of Matthew’s Gospel. We often seek perfection in people, we are often ready to judge and serve as jury, but throughout the New Testament – we are being asked to take our human emotions and lay them aside, we are being asked to put on our Christian armour of light and leave the bad side of our nature where it belongs, ‘in darkness.’
It is hard at times to turn the other cheek, it is hard at times to forgive when there are injustices done against us, but then we are only human and it is only our human life that we mirror. We try hard to be like Christ, but there are times, situations and people that can bring our darkness to the surface and darkness covers our humanity, instead of Christ. The letter to the Romans is telling us along with Matthew’s Gospel to rise above these temptations and be at one with Christ.
I don’t know about you, but I for one find it quite difficult to do that all the time. I always cover myself with the codicil that the Lord says, “Love thy neighbour, but it doesn’t say anything about having to like them.” Strange that, but I do believe in that term. I find it possible to love people that I don’t like, now don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t care to socialise with them, bring them home to meet the family or have a meal with them, but as a Christian, I find it easy to look upon the most obnoxious and difficult individual or group of people and find love for them in my heart – but I still wouldn’t want to hang around with them.
It makes me wonder if Jesus actually liked all his Disciples. Have you ever thought about that? Do you think he liked them all? I wonder if Matthew irritated him from time to time, we do know that he rebuked Matthew for trying to tempt him from meeting his destiny. I wonder if Jesus had some idea right from the start that Judas would betray him.
I often wonder if Jesus looked at his disciples and thought inwardly, ‘what a motley crew’ but nevertheless Jesus knew that these very disciples represented you and me. Perhaps he was like the very ministers we call to our churches. We go over them with a fine tooth comb, we interrogate them and have great expectation of them and then you get to choose your minister. Let me put this to you, whilst you have the opportunity to make a decision based on some questions thrown around and their skills of preaching on the one or two services.
Have you taken the time to think of what the person you call may think about you? Not just you as an individual, but as a Church? So I ask you this next question, do you all like and agree with each other all the time? Do you expect your new minister to like and agree with you all the time?
And so I come to our final Gospel lesson from Matthew’s Gospel and that one startling point that Jesus tells his Disciples, indeed we are reminded earlier in the Gospel of ‘where two or three are together, there I shall always be’ now Jesus is multiplying that number, in the Great Commission and in doing so, he is reminding us that we don’t embark on challenges alone – we do it together, all on the same side, all for the same reason, not for individual reasons but for the love of God, to spread his word, to the Jew, the Gentile, the tax collector, to everyone who has ears, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations”, he is not saying go to just members of Ebenezer or Coatdyke, not just folks like us, but folks you don’t like as well, go and make them disciples, go and work with them, put on the armour of light and work as a team, increase your numbers and honour the commandments, love thy neighbour, even if you don’t like him or her, love them and be assured that Jesus is with you always till the end of time!
So when you come to choose your next minister, remember you have a duty not just to him or her, but to the very Lord Jesus, Saviour and Redeemer that you profess you love, follow his example and become a beacon of hope in a world, at times full of darkness.
You have it in you to succeed, don’t deny your potential, for in doing so, you deny God’s love for all. Don’t look at a person’s inabilities, but look at their abilities, look at how you will fit into the jigsaw and play your part. Finally, before I finish, don’t use age as an excuse, don’t claim to be too old or too infirm, that don’t wash – you are all young, you are all beautiful, you are all valuable and you are all loved quite simply because you are all God’s children! Amen.
