Paula, a little over four years ago, we gathered in the Nave of the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields to ordain you a Priest. Because of the pandemic, only a handful of worshipers were present. I had the honor of serving as Preacher for that service. I’ll never forget the neck-snapping reaction of Bishop Mayer when I cited Jerry Garcia’s summary of the feelings just about everyone God has ever called. Jerry said, “Somebody has to do something. It is a pathetic thing that it has to be us.”

That sermon was mostly about your vocation and the work of a Priest. Today, since you have again honored me again and invited me to preach, I want to take that thought to another level and focus on the ministry you share with those given into your care. The readings appointed for the celebration of your ministry as Vicar of St. Christopher’s call for that.

In the record of God’s Commission to Joshua, his adherence to God’s call and God’s ways are intended to advance God’s purpose for God’s people as they prepare to enter a new era in a new land with a new leader. It should not surprise us that God chose Joshua to succeed Moses. When God commanded Moses to enter the promised land, Moses sent out 12 spies on a recognizance mission. When the spies returned, ten of them reported that the land was indeed fruitful but that the people were big and strong, and their cities were well fortified. Joshua and Caleb gave the minority report and urged the people to do as God had commanded. The people said the report of the ten had discouraged their hearts. Moses bent to the people’s lack of faith and faltered in his leadership. As a result, Moses and an entire generation wandered in the wilderness until they died. Of that generation, only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter the promise. And God called Joshua to lead them when the time came.

God’s call to Joshua was not to be a nice guy. God’s call to Joshua was a lead the people. For that purpose and for the sake of the people, God equipped and commissioned Joshua. The same God still has a purpose for us and this particular people has a Vicar whom God has equipped and commissioned to lead them in God’s mission. It may be a pathetic thing that it has to be you, Paula, but today we whole-heartedly agree with God that it is you. So, “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul expands upon the work of the leader of a faith community. He writes, “The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ. (Ephesians 4:11-12)” Sadly for the Church, some of our colleagues and some of our laity think the leader’s role is to do the work of ministry themselves rather than to equip the saints to do it. It’s also sad for the clergy who understand their role in that way because they miss the joy of seeing the fruit born of the collaborative labor of God’s Spirit-filled people.

For me, that has been the greatest reward of ordained ministry. Sometimes, I feel like John Hannibal Smith, the character played by George Peppard in the TV series The A-Team. The series ran for 98 episodes in five seasons. In every episode, toward the completion of their mission, Hannibal would chomp down on his cigar, look into the camera, and say, “I love it when a plan comes together.” I do! I love it when, with a little bit or a lot of guidance from me, the People of God develop a plan, execute the plan, and experience the satisfaction of seeing it come together for the glory of God and the sake of those who need it. It is especially gratifying when everybody knows going into it that we’re not entirely sure we have what it takes to accomplish what God is calling us to do. Like in the Baptismal Covenant when we are asked, “Will you…” and the answer is not, “Yes” but instead, “I will, with God’s help.” After all, God never calls us to do holy work by ourselves. It may be a pathetic thing that it has to be you and the people of St. Christopher’s, Paula, but today we whole-heartedly agree with God that it is. So, “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

According to the teachings of our Church, there is no such thing as a solitary Christian. God’s primary call is to faithful living in communion with others. We are on a journey and a journey is always better when it is shared with others. As we travel together, we grow in our experience of God. We learn to trust God. We learn to be loved by God and thus to love others whom God loves. Perhaps that is why St. Christopher’s logo includes the invitation, “Walk with us.”

Our Gospel reading recounts a portion of the story of Jesus sending out “the seventy” in their mission. I encourage you to read the entire chapter when you have a few moments. Several things strike me about the seventy and the story they told upon their return. 

Firstly, they are not sent out alone. Jesus sent them out in pairs. Maybe workers are more diligent and accountable in pairs. Often, we are safer, less vulnerable, when we have someone with whom to travel. There is wisdom in sending pairs with diverse gifts. Perhaps the mission of the wider Church today would be better served by seeing how we can “pair” ourselves in ministry and in mission.

Secondly, the seventy are likely not trained religious leaders. The seventy embody God's reign, with the many accompanying signs and wonders helping them to reveal it. The sharing of God's peace, the curing of the sick, the casting out of demons are all signs of the breaking in of God's future reign into our present world and reality. All of us are called to this ministry, and we carry it out in any number of ways.

Thirdly, the seventy are wildly successful, or so they think. They come back amazed. But Jesus is not surprized. He knows that they will do these things and more. But he also knows that it is not the seventy that do these things. It is the work of the Holy Spirit. It is not about us. It is always about God and what God is up to. That God chooses to use flawed, fallible human beings as witnesses to God's reign is testimony to God's power, God's vulnerability, and the risks God takes for the sake of the world God loves. It may be a pathetic thing, but in God’s administrative policy, it has to be us.

This installation is another moment of transition for all of us gathered here. My ministry during the past decade or so has been leading churches through transitions in leadership. One of the things I have learned is that all churches are in some kind of transition most of the time. Sometimes, those transitions are wonderful and sometimes they are horrible. Sometimes the transitions are transformative and sometimes they are traumatic. In every case, it seems to me that we are called together to engage in a continuous missionary enterprise in which we and others can find the way into the life of God.

In Anne Lamott’s book Traveling Mercies, she tells the story of a little girl who decided one day she was going to see what’s out there in the world. She went downtown and saw the lights and heard the horns blaring and all the people. She was amazed by it all until she realized she didn’t know how to get home. A police officer drove up and saw her, and said, “Are you all right?” She said, “I’m lost, and I don’t know how to get back home.” He said, “Get in and we’ll drive around and see if you see anything that looks familiar.” So, he drove her around until suddenly she cried out, “Stop! There’s my church. I can always find my way home from there.”

The people of St. Christopher’s underwent the trauma of being tossed out of your church building not so long ago. But God gave you the grace to turn your scars into stars. You were welcomed and given a place to gather by St. Matthew’s. The Episcopal Church stood alongside you. Paula was sent to you. In response to your request, Bishop Doyle has made her your Vicar. He has sent Bishop Seage to provide even more oversight and support in the work you are called to do. You have become a stronger and even more outward-focused community. And you have learned that the Church is not a building but a beacon, a light-bearing people helping others find the way to all the things that mean “home.” So, people of St. Christopher’s and Paula your Vicar, our prayer for you today is that you may continue that journey together, learning from the past, embracing the present, reaching in hope for what lies ahead, and with each step proclaiming the nearness of God’s reign.

Our theologian du jour Jerry Garcia once said, “If you’re able to enjoy something, to devote your life to it or a reasonable amount of time and energy, it will work out for you.” Or, as God said to Joshua at his installation as Vicar of the Israelites, “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” For that, we are grateful.