Sermon for The Celebration of a New Ministry

I had the honor of preaching at The Celebration of New Ministry for St. Peter's Bon Sequor and their new rector, The Rev. J. Scott Trotter, last night. With all the great conversation surrounding Dr. J's sermon (with I think my own jadedness toward the Church as institution thrown in) I thought I would share it as perhaps a kinder and gentler way of challenging the status quo.

Good Evening. For those of you who don't know who I am, allow me just a moment to introduce myself. My name is Steve Pankey and I am the Curate at St. Paul's in Foley, your neighbor to the north. It is a great pleasure and privilege to be asked to offer a word this evening. Thank you Scott for such an honor.
The 1928 Book of Common Prayer had been soaking up the sun, laying on the beach in Gulf Shores, drinking Caronas, and generally enjoying retirement for a few months by the time I was born in January of 1980, and yet I still find myself wrestling with its long, long legacy. Portions of it that are not to be found in the 1979 Book are unfortunately quite familiar to me 28 years later. It is probably fair to say that there are pieces of the legacy from the Prayers Books of 1928 and earlier that will indeed live forever. High on that list is the nomenclature for the service in which we take part this evening. The Celebration of a New Ministry as it is referred to in the 1979 Book is still widely referred to as the Institution (or Installation) of a Rector, which I can only assume is the short form of its official name from every previous American Book of Common Prayer, "An Office of Institution of Ministers into Parishes or Churches." (1) That office, as I read in the 1928 Book seems to make it quite clear that Minister in the parlance of that day means, for all intents and purposes, Rector. So I can see why the short form became The Institution of the Rector.
Not knowing the whys and wherefores of the name change, it strikes me as odd that a good portion of the highly clerical, highly rector/parish oriented Institution service remains in its new incarnation, The Celebration of a New Ministry. As is clear from this great turn out of lay ordered ministers in the pews and the various gifts for ministry that will be given this evening, what we are celebrating here is not the Institution of The Reverend John Scott Trotter as Rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, but a new stage in the life of the church family named St. Peter's, Bon Seqour. Tonight is not about one man, who happens to wear a collared dickie under his polo shirt, but it is about a community of disciples, who tonight make a renewed commitment to minister to the people of Bon Sequor with the passion and love of Jesus Christ. So let us cast out from this place language of Institutions and embrace The Celebration of a New period of Ministry in the life of St. Peter's.
I believe we can do this by stepping beyond the beautiful piece of land in the sleepy fishing village of Bon Sequor, Alabama to get in touch with our Church History. Today, June 11th, we celebrate the Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle. Barnabas was born Joseph to Jewish parents on the Island of Cyprus. He was given the name Barnabas by the Disciples of Jesus when he, according to the Acts of the Apostles, sold his land and laid the proceeds at the feet of the disciples for their ministry. Literally translated from Aramaic, Barnabas means the son of the prophet, but Acts 4.36 gives us insight into what the Apostles really meant by giving Joseph the name Barnabas. It has come into English in various ways, son of comfort, son of exhortation, and most often - son of encouragement. (2)
It seems only fitting as we attempt to shed the outmoded Office of Institution of Ministers into Parishes or Churches this evening by embracing the life and martyrdom of the Son of Encouragement. Having gotten to know Scott in the past several months it seems clear to me that his vision for the role of a rector is to be a Barnabas. He is the chief encourager for the ministers of St. Peter's Church. His position as rector allows him oversight of the various areas of ministry that you already do. You've been ministers here long before Scott Trotter showed up and you will continue that ministry long after he is gone. Ultimately his task is to instill courage into each and everyone of you so that you are encouraged to do the work which God has called you to do. (3) His job is to stand beside the fryers and say, "It is hot, but it is worth it." His job is to stand at this ambo and speak words of courage from the Good News of Jesus Christ. His job is to cherish the past that is represented in the cemetery behind us, while pointing to the future that is bright and ripe with possibility as this sleepy fishing village becomes a vibrant coastal community. His name in this place and time must be Barnabas, son of encouragement.
Yours then shall be Ecclesia, the Church, the body of Christ. As Eugene Peterson so gracefully articulates from Paul's letter to the Romans, "...since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't." (4) Take heart that you are not called to be the chief encourager in this place. Instead, having been instilled with courage be ready to fill the role that has been set for you in this, the St. Peter's Bon Sequor incarnation of the Body of Christ. "Be what you were made to be" - hush puppy fryer, youth ministry director, Sunday school teacher, altar guild member, lector, acolyte, pastoral visitor. Whatever it is that God has called you to do as a member of St. Peter's, recommit yourself to it in this service of The Celebration of New Ministry. Though Scott is the new guy, it is more importantly a new period in the life of St. Peter's that we celebrate tonight and as a member of this body you play an important role.
Paul offers many suggestions of how you might learn to play well with one another as you co-minister to and with one another. This list should, I think, comprise the litany suitable for The Celebration of a New Ministry, or whatever it might be called, in the next Prayer Book should such a thing come to pass.
I wish to end by offering these words of Paul to you as a commission for your co-mission - ministers of Christ in Bon Sequor, Alabama. Would all the members of this parish please rise.
"...If you help, just help, don't take over;
if you teach, stick to your teaching;
...if you're put in charge, don't manipulate;
if you're called to give aid to people in distress, keep your eyes open and be quick to respond;
if you work with the disadvantaged, don't let yourself get irritated with them or depressed by them.
Keep a smile on your face.
Love from the center of who you are; don't fake it.
Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good.
Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.
Don't burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame.
Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant.
Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder.
Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.
Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath.
Laugh with your happy friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down.
Get along with each other; don't be stuck-up.
Make friends with nobodies; don't be the great somebody.
Don't hit back; discover beauty in everyone.
If you've got it in you, get along with everybody."

And Scott, called to be Barnabas, Son of Encouragement, in this parish, to you especially these words of Paul ring true, "When you preach, just preach God's Message, nothing else, and when you give encouraging guidance, be careful that you don't get bossy."

Tonight we celebrate a new phase in the life of St. Peter's. May God bless this new incarnation of the Body of Christ in Bon Sequor. Amen!

(1) http://justus.anglican.org/resources/bcp/1928/Institution.htm
(2) Various sources, mostly common knowledge, also, http://satucket.com/lectionary/Barnabas.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnabas, and http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02300a.htm
(3) http://www.ssje.org/sermons/061207cga.htm(4) Romans 12.6 (The Message)