MINISTRY: IMPOSSIBLE
Philippians 1:1-7; 2:12-13
As I was reflecting upon this day and Junior's Ordination to Ministry, I was reminded of a television program I watched some 25-30 years ago: Mission Impossible.
For those of you too young to remember or those of you who chose not to watch it, the program always began with Mr. Phelps -- a secret government operative -- receiving his instructions, or rather the option, for his next assignment. He was always directed to a new site, such as a bus locker, wherein he would find a cassette recorder and a packet of materials. The message on the cassette tape included a greeting, background information on the problem, and an invitation to accept the assignment.
Consider for example, this imaginary assignment dreamed up in the mind of a certain District Pastor:
"Good morning, Mr. Phelps. A wonderful congregation of persons in Northern Indiana has recently lost their pastoral leader. There are within this congregation several groups of persons who have differing understandings of the mission of the congregation and its future direction. Our organization is afraid that the internal conflict within the congregation might so weaken the church that it could fall into enemy hands -- namely the devil himself.
"Your mission, Jim, should you decide to accept it, is to serve as the pastor of this congregation in such a way as to please everyone in the congregation, causing it to grow by leaps and bounds with an abundance of financial and human resources. You will, of course, preach the word of God without compromising while at the same time not offending anyone. You will visit in the homes of all its members faithfully while also maintaining regular offices hours. You will be present for all persons in their times of personal crisis while also providing administrative leadership for the varied congregational programs.
"As always, Jim, should you or any of your associates be criticized or crucified during your efforts, this office will deny any knowledge of knowing you were only one solitary human being. This recording will self-destruct in five seconds. Good Luck, Jim."
By all human measurements, Christian ministry today is simply an impossible calling! Let me be blunt: Anyone who enters upon the calling of ministry, and anybody issuing a call to ministry today, should not expect that calling to succeed.
Robert Faus, writing in the May 1996 issue of Messenger, says: "The stresses in pastoral ministry, for pastors and for pastoral families, have seldom seemed higher. Ministering to the diversity within congregational memberships, trying to meet high expectations for satisfying congregational goals -- like church growth and increased giving -- and serving as lightning rods, if not the focal points, for congregational stresses all take their toll. Too many pastors, effective ones included, leave the pastoral ministry." (1)
By all human measurements, Christian ministry today is simply an impossible calling.
Consider the traditional roles by which Christian ministry has been defined: pastor, priest, and prophet. (2)
What does it mean, for example to be a pastor? Does it not mean to relate the Christian faith to men and women, children and youth, regardless of their present spiritual and secular circumstances? Is it not the pastoral role to stand with persons in times of death and birth, grief and rejoicing, failure and achievement, pain and ecstasy, cowardice and heroism, boredom and excitement, pointlessness and purpose? Is it not our expectation that a pastor will be there for us to provide spiritual care at the critical moments of life? Where, I ask you, is the individual who is sufficient for that?
The demand that a minister exercise competent caring for our many and varied needs, while at the same time maintaining one's own spiritual and emotional balance, would be impossible enough if that were the only role and expectation of a minister. But there is more.
Consider, also, what it means to be a priest. Does it not mean to be the keeper and administrator of God's acts of grace and mercy? Do we not expect the minister to, in some mysterious way, to make God real to us in our lives ... through such things as communion, anointing, baptism, and the Word become real among us? And do we not, at times, expect our priest to be just a bit more God-like than we are? Where, I ask again, is the one who is sufficient for such a role?
And even that is not all, for beyond the pastoral and the priestly roles, there are the demands placed upon a minister to fulfill the role of prophet.
And what does it mean to be a prophet? Does it not mean to proclaim the truth of God even when that truth is not popular? Do we not expect the minister to bring a biblical message that relates to the world in which we live and that is relevant to our daily lives? And is it not true that presenting New Testament values faithfully sometimes puts us at odds with the values of the culture in which we live? Where is the minister who is sufficient for such a role?
Who among us dares really be the prophet: to boldly proclaim to those with whom we are also called to serve as pastor and priest, what is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth of God's Word?
And so I would suggest to you again that the task of ministry, by its classical definition as pastor, priest, and prophet, is an impossible calling. And anyone who enters upon a calling to ministry, or anybody that issues a call to ministry, should not expect that calling to succeed.
Let me say one more time that, by all human measurements, Christian ministry today is simply an impossible calling!
And now, as they would say, for the BAD NEWS! No matter how impossible or frustrating ministry may be, it is nonetheless an absolute imperative calling. Nothing in our world today is more important -- nothing! Nothing is more important than the task of a pastor to stand with people in their moments of grief and joy and to provide spiritual care in the critical moments of life. Nothing is more important than the task of being the priest who administers the ordinances of the church. Nothing is more important in this age and culture than the task of telling the truth -- speaking God's truth to a world and people that desperately needs to hear that word.
So, while Christian ministry today may be an impossible calling; it is an absolutely imperative calling of primary importance. But why, then, would anyone in their right mind choose to do this impossible ministry? The answer, of course, is that no one chooses ministry; rather, some are chosen for this ministry.
How then, are those who are chosen and who accept the call, to do the impossible tasks of ministry?
1) First, recognize that ministry is not ours, but God's.
As the Apostle Paul reminds the Philippians, "...it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (2:13)
2) Secondly, for those called to this impossible task of ministry, it takes a certain kind of confidence. Confidence to allow God to work in God's own way and time.
Ministry becomes possible only for those who have confidence in the importance of those pastoral, priestly, and prophetic roles, whatever the evidence at the end of the day brings forth. Without that confidence, indeed ministry will seem impossible. As Paul writes: "I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ." (1:6)
3) Finally, there is a certain small miracle that makes it possible for us to do the impossible. Frederick Buechner tells us that there was a time earlier in his own ministry when he thought his faith could be secure only if God would perform at least one small miracle. So he prayed for it. But now, he writes:
I believe without the miracles I have prayed for ... I believe because certain uncertain things have happened, dim half-miracles, sermons and silences and what not. Perhaps it is my believing itself that is the miracle of my life; that I, who might so easily not have been, am; who might so easily at any moment, even now, give the whole thing up, nonetheless by God's grace do not give it up and am not given up by it. (3)
The Apostle Paul begins his letter to the Philippians with words of appreciation to the church "because you hold me in your heart, for all of you share in God's grace with me...." (1:7)
Paul's words to the Philippian church are echoed by all who are called to set-apart ministry, for without the support of the church holding us in your heart and sharing with us in ministry, we could do nothing.
By all human measurements, Christian ministry today is an impossible calling; but what makes MINISTRY IMPOSSIBLE, possible, "is God at work in us enabling us both to will and to work for God's good pleasure."
This afternoon, we gather as friends and family, to celebrate the ordination of Junior Blough. Junior, it has been a long journey to this moment: Six years as a licensed minister, 4-1/2 years as pastor of this congregation, 3 years of ministry training in the EFSM program.
Junior, you have already experiences both the joys and the frustrations of ministry. You understand how impossible ministry can seem at times and perhaps the frustration of not knowing if you have been successful in your efforts. But you have also experienced the love and support and encouragement of these friends and family, and the shared ministry of this congregation.
Even more, I believe, Junior has experienced God at work within him enabling him for this ministry which God will bring to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.
Junior, today we come to the moment of Ordination. Your mission, should you decide to accept it ... is a lifetime of continued ministry within the church. Good luck and God bless you. Amen.
Ordination Sermon by Herman Kauffman
Syracuse Church of the Brethren
September 24, 2000
1. "Who will fill our pulpits?" by Robert Faus, Messenger, May 1996, pp. 10-13.
2. Parts of the outline for this sermon have been borrowed from a sermon by Lloyd G. Averill in Best Sermons 6 edited by James W. Cox @ 1993 by HarperCollins, Publ.
3. Frederick Buechner, The Alphabet of Grace (New York: Seabury Press, 1970) p. 49.