Thursday, January 2, 2014

Maureen Carey-Back
Lay Pastoral Assistant, Postulant for Holy Orders

Ephesians 4:1-16

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.

7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore it is said, ‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people.’

9 (When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended* into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) 11 The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. 14 We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. 15 But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

Devotional

I, Maureen Carey-Back, am a disciple of Jesus. I committed myself to this way of life in 1968 when I was in second grade. I recall it like it was yesterday. It was a beautiful crisp fall afternoon at St. Frances Cabrini School in Piscataway. I was in our little church. It was after first Friday Penance as I kneeled and prayed that I heard “follow me” for the first time. It was almost immediately I sensed the particular and peculiar calling that God had in store for me. Follow me was clear. I did not know what specifically it meant but all I knew in my heart was I was to follow. This was not something I could escape, even if I had wanted to; even those times that I tried. That does not mean that I try to live my calling as a duty or an obligation. Nor was it simply a choice of career or profession. For me, this path of discipleship has become a way to fill my life with meaning and blessing. It is, for me, the presence, the power, and the glory of God working in me, in His way, in His timing. There are joys and there are trials. There are tears and there is laughter. Something has captured me.

I feel that my story is part of what we hear in the opening verses of Ephesians 4:

“I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness.”

There is something in that “prisoner of the Lord” bit. I think this comes close to what the prophet Jeremiah talked about when he referred to the “fire in his bones” and his experience that he could do nothing other than what God had called him to do.

There was a book I read years ago, “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson. For me it is one of those life-changing books. I knew when I was reading it that it had deeper meaning for my life that I would come to understand. There is a quote from that book that speaks to my soul, like the prophet Jeremiah but in mere mortal words: "There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled.” For me this is exactly what I began to feel. I could not escape it no matter how hard I tried. Believe me I tried!

Not all of us are called to ordained ministry. We are all called to be disciples – lay ministers to contribute in some way to the building up of the body of Christ. We are each filled with the Spirit and empowered with certain gifts. We are reminded in today’s reading:

“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.”

The calling to which we have all been called is to be the Christ to all the world. We cannot be the Christ—God’s visible presence on the earth—if people do not see us and experience us living the gospel in what we say and do. What the world should see is a diverse group of people who are connected through love and peace. As this love and peace overflows, it takes in more and more people, touching more and more lives, so that those around cannot help but take notice and they too feel this love. What they end up seeing is God’s Spirit radiating through us. This is the incarnation.

Our calling is also not limited to what occurs within the walls of the church, or through the programs of our community, or the activities covered by our annual budget. You live out your calling every day in your home, your school, your neighborhood, your workplace, that community organization you volunteer for, that person that you encounter in the store and the homeless person on the street corner here in Ashburn—and yes, even in our schools.

At Christmas we rejoice in the birth of Jesus. What does that mean for us today?

The incarnation is the presence of Jesus in our joyous and wounded world. Jesus is born into our lives too. Each year as we are reminded of his birth, we are reminded of new life. Jesus born in us also brings promises of new life in the spirit of healing of wounds and love, despite suspicion or hatred and compassion instead of impatience, and joy where there is sadness.

Jesus born in the world brings promises of faith that turns into action—living the gospel with gentleness and truth born into our leaders; compassion and justice for the poor and oppressed.

What is your calling?
What is that thing which holds you prisoner with a joy that you cannot escape?
What is the fire in your bones that has been rekindled Christmas?

Go forth and bring your light to the world. Let it sparkle!

Additional Readings

Psalm 34; 1 Kings 19:1-8; John 6:1-14