Sermon at the Ordination of
Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly
and Dustin Trowbridge
First Things First
by the Rev. Celeste Cox
Saturday, January 9, 2010
photos by Coleman Sellers
Jennifer, Dustin: Here we are on The Big Day, gathered with many of your loved ones, with our Bishop Wayne; your Rectors Ruth & Patty, colleagues and future colleagues gathered with the Beloved People of God in community. You’ve even got folks like me journeying into Delaware’s promised land North of the Canal! I like it up here!
I’ve been a bit overwhelmed by the honor of your invitation to preach today. It was your invitation that led me to read a book just out: This Odd and Wondrous Calling by Lillian Daniel and Martin Copenhaver. I read it as a way to reflect on ordained ministry, and I commend it to you – and to all of my colleagues.
I commend it because – thankfully! — it’s not yet another treatise on How to Grow the Church. .. The book is about what it’s like to do this work. What it’s like to be pastor, priest, teacher. What it’s like to have the privilege of sharing with the people you serve the most significant transitions of their lives – sharing the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries of this Mortal Life. The Baptisms & Betrayals. The Consolations & Conflicts. The Expected but deeply felt Death of the Elder Saints of the church. The Sudden Death of those in the midstream of life. The Tragic Death of a Child. The Birth of a Child. The Birth of a Ministry. A Marriage. A Youth Group. A Homeless Shelter. The Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries – always coming soon, to a parish near you.
Well, the two of you can read the book, but of course the only way to discover for yourself what the work of a priest, a pastor, is like, is to do it. You’ve begun that journey – Dustin here at Trinity, Jennifer at Christ Church Greenville. And we’re all very happy about that, and thankful that God has graced us with two young people who care so deeply about the Joyful & Sorrowful Mysteries who care passionately about building community within the church who care about Radical Hospitality, inviting all people – all! – to the fellowship of the churchwho want to carry out their priestly ministry with an integrity animated by holy love. This is your desire, as I understand it.
It will be important that you both remember three little words of spiritual direction: First Things First. The 16th century Spanish mystic Ignatius of Loyola, at the beginning of his Spiritual Exercises, sets forth what he calls The First Principle and Foundation: First Things First. There are several brief parts to it, and I’ll review paraphrases of them for you – for all of us.
God, who loves us, gave us life. Our own response of love allows God’s life to flow into us without limit. When we love as the holy people of God it’s as though we open the valve to a splendid fountain of Grace & Love, and come alive. It’s WE who open the valve, Dustin and Jennifer, we who cooperate with the Flow of God’s Life into us. God will not coerce. God will persuade teach holy life. Dustin, you’ve served as a teacher – you too, Jennifer — and you know that no one learns anything from the Teacher if he/she isn’t listening, really listening, paying attention. First Things First: Scripture, Reflection, Prayer of a Quiet Heart. Every Day. First Things First.
All the things in this world are gifts of God, presented to us so that we can know God more easily. In other words, the Gifts of God are for the People of God! We have just celebrated the wondrous Feast of the Incarnation and so it is a right and good thing to celebrate flesh and the goodness of the creation. God has entered the world! And so history, the fruits and creatures of the earth like bread and wine; trees; land; puppies; people – it’s all holy because God has touched it. Our deepest life, our calling, is mediated by the physical, by the here-and-now. By caring for and touching others. So, don’t let it get too cerebral, Dustin, Jennifer. The Church is the place to celebrate flesh and the goodness of the creation. First Things First.
But (Ignatius wisely cautions) if any of these gifts become the center of our lives, they displace God and so hinder our growth. It’s possible to want too much of a good thing! Christmas cookies. Praise. Perfect liturgies. Pledging units. One of the dangerous ironies of this odd and wondrous calling is that the Church itself – its calendar and programs, so much of it righteous and good – can displace God as the center. Be on guard, Jennifer, Dustin. You will need to learn to say No to some things. NO can be a good and holy word. And the people of God will need to learn to hear and accept, at times, your NO. First Things First or, as Ignatius would say, we must hold ourselves in balance.
Will Willimon the former Dean of the Chapel at Duke, and now a bishop in the United Methodist Church, has these words of advice for new pastors:
Ministry has a way of coming at you, of jerking you around from here to there, so you need to take charge of your time, prioritize your work, and be sure that you don’t neglect the absolute essentials while you are doing the merely important. If you don’t define your ministry on the basis of your theological commitments, the parish has a way of defining your ministry on the basis of their preoccupations and that is why so many clergy are so harried and tired today. Mind your habits.
Now, I want to point out that our own bishop, Wayne, has done much to help his clergy attend to the absolute essentials. There is no reason – financial or other – that any priest in this Diocese should go it alone when he or she is being crushed body-mind-or-spirit by the myriad merely important matters of parish life. Our Bishop has resources to help. Not to mention regular opportunities for fellowship at our Clergy Days – including the annual 3-day Get-Away Gathering at the Quaker Center, Pendle Hill, coming up later this month.
We must hold ourselves in balance, Jennifer, Dustin, Patty, Ruth, Russ, Juan, Gary, Wayne everyone. We must hold ourselves in balance. We have families beyond the Parish Family. There’s John for Dustin. There’s Scott & Simone for Jennifer. These precious ones will make sacrifices because of your odd and wondrous calling. Part of the pain of your call will be borne by them. So love them. Pay attention to their concerns – and their need of you. Be present to them as you will surely be present to many others, because God has graced your lives with their presence.
First Things First is an encouragement — and admonition — to identify again and again the priorities of your life and calling in Christ Jesus – and then set about living those priorities. If you do that, you’ll be doing a lot to model holy living for the people you serve But keeping First Things First requires spiritual discipline. The discipline of daily silent reflection and prayer. The discipline of a weekly Sabbath Day. The discipline of an annual retreat. The discipline of accountability to a colleague group, spiritual director, clinical supervisor – people who ask good questions. First Things First. .
The Good News, Jennifer & Dustin, on this day of ordination is that when we keep First Things First we can take genuine interest in but not be overly concerned about the Emerging or SUBmerging Church – or the Average Sunday Attendance and Total Number of Pledging Units. We can be JOYFUL in proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus, and looking out into the congregation as we preach the Word! And see one of our beloved flock tapping his watch – (*) – like Brad Hinton is doing right now. You know what that means, right? It always means, "This is so great! Keep going for another 15 minutes! Keep at it!" Or not.
Dustin, Jennifer, it’s time now to bless you. Would you stand while I offer the Anima Christi – the Soul of Christ Prayer of St. Ignatius.
Jesus, may all that is you flow into them.
May your body and blood be their food and drink.
May your passion and death be their strength and life.
Jesus, with you by their side enough has been given.
May the shelter they seek be the shadow of your cross.
Let them not run from the love which you offer,
But hold them safe from the forces of evil.
On each of their dyings shed your light and your love.
Keep calling to them until that day comes,
When, with your saints, they may praise you forever. Amen.
Pictured (L-R) are the Rev. Ruth Kirk (rector of Christ Church, Greenville, where Jennifer serves), Scott Andrews-Weckerly (Jennifer’s husband), Jennifer Andrews-Weckerly, Bishop Wayne Wright, Deacon Patricia Malcolm, Dustin Trowbridge, the Rev. Patty Downing (rector of Trinity Church, Wilmington, where Dustin serves), and John Howell (Dustin’s partner).
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Excerpts from The First Principle and Foundation are paraphrased by David L. Fleming, S.J. The Anima Christi is from the Jesuit publication, Hearts on Fire, (contemporary paraphrase by Fleming). Quote from UMC Bishop Willimon found online dated May 2009.