Sermon by the Rev. Carlyle Gill:
Prophetic Ministry
2008 Episcopal Church Women's Annual Gathering, Diocese of Delaware
Today is the feast day of St. Luke, the annual gathering of the Episcopal Church Women of the Diocese of Delaware, and a day of special emphasis on the third Millennium Goal: the Empowerment of Women. Quite a day! These are not disparate events but profoundly related. My sermon will be about how they are related – how the Spirit is at work knitting them together.
In Luke’s gospel, Jesus’ first sermon in his home town synagogue is based on a text from the prophet Isaiah. It is Luke’s intention to show us that Jesus embodies these prophetic words: that Jesus is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words, that Jesus is anointed to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. This, Luke wants us to know, is Jesus’ ministry, his mission statement, as it were. This ministry is prophetic ministry.
Prophetic ministry has a long and glorious history beginning with Moses and Miriam, his sister. Moses stood up to Pharaoh and said, “Let my people go!” Miriam celebrated the miraculous crossing of the Reed Sea with her song, “Sing to the Lord a new song…!”
When Israel had succumbed to another oppressive monarchy of its own making, prophets arose to challenge the regime and warn of impending doom if things did not change. These were people faith and passion. But the rulers did not listen and Israel fell to the Babylonians. Isaiah and others were prophets of hope telling the people that even in exile, even when all seemed lost, God had not forsaken them. hat they, now captive and oppressed would be set free.
Years later another Miriam, known to us as Mary the mother of our Lord, spoke to the Israelites with an impassioned and hopeful voice as they endured oppression under Roman rule. You remember what she said, “He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty….”
Passionate, faithful, hope filled, courageous people willing to give voice to their faith, willing to speak the truth no matter what it cost, willing to speak of hope when everything around them spoke of death.
But this ministry, this prophetic ministry is also ours by baptism. By baptism we are members of the Body of Christ, incorporated into his ministry. We are Christ’s voice in the world.
Oh, but you might ask, prophetic ministry, us? A prophet, me? I don’t know about you, but I didn’t wake up this morning, look in the mirror and say, “Hmmm prophet…How shall I release the captives and let the oppressed go free today?”
What a voice that would take! Many of us were raised in a time when women’s voices were supposed to be soft, gentle, not assertive, never direct, definitely not anything close to prophetic. Our ministry was to help Jesus in the background. One of my mother’s favorite admonishments was, “Carlyle, be a lady!” That was code for be good, be quiet, be coy.
But that is not the voice of baptism, the voice of those incorporated into Christ’s Body, the voice of Christ in the world, the voice of those joined with Jesus Christ in bringing in the Kingdom, those joined with Jesus Christ in the ministry of justice and compassion to those who have neither. Millennium Development Goal Three, The Empowerment of Women, is not about some people (often men) empowering women, finally giving women something, but about all women – you and I – claiming our voices, claiming our baptism voices in order to proclaim, to bring about:
Good news to the poor;
Release to the captives;
Recovery of sight to the blind;
Freedom for the oppressed;
The year of the Lord’s favor.
I have seen this prophetic ministry, this baptism voice at work and I am one of its beneficiaries. The Women’s Triennial at three successive General Conventions in 1970, 1973, and 1976 threw their resources and influence behind the debate and final change of the canon that allows women to be ordained to the priesthood and episcopate. I remember hearing an impassioned Episcopal Church Woman at one of the ordination debate open hearings quote another Isaiah passage when she said, “Behold, I am doing a new thing. Do you not perceive it?”
The United Thank Offering begun by Episcopal Church Women in 1889 is one of the most practical and successful ministries that proclaims good news to the poor all around the world. There are women all over this diocese, sitting in St. Peter’s Church right now who are engaged in Christ’s ministry, engaged in this prophetic ministry.
Imagine if women all over the world joined together with their empowered, prophetic voice. I believe we could end hunger. I believe we could drastically reduce malaria deaths. I believe we could bring much needed help to those suffering from HIV/AIDS. I believe we could end the oppression of women, the oppression of people in all minorities.
Oh, Carlyle, you may be saying to yourself, it’s not that easy. These problems are so complex and they can’t be solved just because women stand up to them. But I want to say that speech is very important and can make a huge difference. We know what silence can do. We have seen that in many places, including Nazi Germany. The Civil Rights Movement started with speech, with words of passion and hope. Our voice, our voice as baptized members of the Body of Christ, our prophetic voice can make a difference.
So think about this when you look in the mirror next time:
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me.
She has anointed me to bring good news to the poor,
She has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
Think about this prophetic ministry at your next ECW Meeting. Our voice matters, for we are Christ’s voice in the world.