"Whom Shall I Send and Who will go for us?"

Continuing the discussion of the church's ministry in my last blog posting, I offer an addendum to Question 2 on "Whose Ministry is this?".

At the ordination of David Kaden, Associate Pastor at First Congregational UCC, Ithaca, this past Sunday, Catherine Taylor, Interim Senior Pastor of the church, spoke eloquently of God's call to ministry in her sermon. Of course, she spoke of the call to ordained ministry. She also made some fine observations of the ministry of the laity. With her permission I share these with you now.

Question 2a "Whose Ministry is this?: the Ministry of the Laity"

David is being ordained to preach the Word and perform the sacraments, and he is prepared, but you are called and ready, too, and you demonstrate it all the time, whether you know it or not.

If you don’t believe me, ask a church-going child from some other family, one of those kids whose name you know you ought to know, but don’t. Children see better than the rest of us sometimes that things in the church are different from the way things often are in the world.

In church men cook and serve at table. It doesn’t matter if its only once or twice a year.

In church women have places of genuine leadership. In church adults who are aloof and reserved do risky things like make speeches or sing solos or cry sometimes when they sing or pray.

A child can tell you that in church people who don’t appear to bow to anything in life, who run huge farms or do surgery or operate scary equipment or manage the bank lead prayer and bow their heads when they do it, and act as though they believe in something beyond their physical prowess or their education or their money. Believe me, your ministry is visible to someone, somewhere everyday.

Too often in our discussions of the calling to ministry (that is, for those whom the Church "sets apart" for certain tasks within the ministry of the whole community of faith) we neglect to emphasize the ministry of all those that are baptized -- to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and proclaim the year of God's favor. (Luke 4:18-19)

As the whole church, we do have this ministry -- clergy and laity -- to actively work to promote God's peace with justice in our prayers, in our worship, in our fellowship and service, through our advocacy, ministry and mission.

Blessings,

Rick Cowles