April 22, 2001

I ask your indulgence this morning for a different topic than the Gospel. On Saturday of this week, I will be in Washington D.C. for the 25th anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood, and I plan to be at the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Wall as the celebration of that day. This
morning, I want to talk a little bit about promises and vows, particularly in regard to the promises and vows we make in buildings like this across the country and around the world.

Throughout salvation history, some few of us, some very few of God's people have been called out to lead, admonish, correct and intercede for the many. It began with Abram, the calling out of one person, and Abram responded to God without question. Years later, with Moses it was a little bit different. Moses argues with God's bidding, but still eventually responds and does what he is told. Elijah does God's bidding, but he sits whining that no one else does it, and that he is all alone. Jeremiah protests that he's too young, a mere child when God calls him to be a great prophet. Isaiah is terrified at speaking God's words because he knows himself to be a man of unclean lips, but then he eagerly volunteers to go and to speak or at least, he finally accepts God's call. In the Gospel today, Thomas wants assurance before he will proclaim that Christ is risen, but when he lays eyes on Jesus, he realizes that he doesn't need that assurance at all. He never touches the wounds; he simply sees and believes.

The list goes on and on through all the judges, prophets and heroes of the faith. The list goes on and on through the clergy who simply serve God in various churches around the world — the ones are set aside for the benefit of many. The whole people of God are set apart from Isaiah onward, to be a light for the nations, not just a leader, but the whole nation to be a light to all other nations. The whole people of God are set apart to represent God in the world; all of us are to bear the love of Christ to the unlovable. Everyone of us in our baptisms are charged with bringing the world into union with Jesus Christ.

As the church seeks to be the body of Christ in the world, it continues to set apart some to special ministry in the historic sacred orders of bishop, priest and deacon. The ministry of the priest is outlined in the Ordinal, in the Book of Common Prayer. It speaks of trust and responsibility, of teamwork and obedience. It speaks of study and prayer, of preaching and reconciliation. It speaks of fidelity and hard work, and it speaks of setting a wholesome example for the flock.

We expect a lot of our leaders, whether clergy or statesmen, military leaders or CEO's. In the church especially, we all too often set our leaders on a pedestal, and then labor to chop it out from under them. Sometimes, our leaders are not worthy of our trust and live among us as wolves in sheep's clothing. Just as often, the church fails in its promise — rather than upholding its clergy, it picks that person apart. On the other hand, it is so unfaithful that it provides a foundation of sand, rather than of stone, on which the church is built.

Twenty-five years ago, the people of God found me both worthy and fit for the ministry of a priest. They expressed their will that I be ordained as a priest in and for the entire church. They promised there, before Jesus Christ, to uphold me in this ministry, and they took that vow on behalf of you and the entire church. As you uphold any priest in this ministry, we are not on a pedestal unless you, the people of God, are that pedestal.

You, the people of God, are the foundation upon which we stand. You must keep that pedestal strong by fulfilling your vows. We live in a world, however, that does a very, very spotty job of honoring promises and vows. We expect our priests not to be that way because the church must not be that way either. You know what it is to be hurt; you know that hurt comes when vows are broken; you know the disappointment when promises are not kept; you know suffering when expectations are not met.

If the church is to learn to keep its promises, it must have clergy who keep theirs, ....and not all do. If the church is to be a light to the nations, then our priests must be lights in the church. We have all made a variety of promises before God in his church. You must keep all that you have made. Keep your baptismal promises so that the people around us will have an example of Christian discipleship. Robbie and I stood with our children when they were baptized and made promises in their behalf. We have tried to keep those promises in their behalf until they reached the age when they came to confirmation and took those promises on themselves.

Keep you confirmation promises, that people will know about maturity in Christianity. While we were at seminary, I can remember standing beside Robbie when she was confirmed. We stood together then, and thanks be to God, we continue to be able to stand together now.

Keep your marriage promises, that the church will know how Jesus Christ loves us, rejoices in our presence and forgives us when we fail. Robbie and I stood together 29 years ago this next month — made those promises together, and have strived to fulfill them.

For those of us who have been ordained into the sacred order, we must always keep our deaconal promises so that the people of God will know how to live as servants to the suffering and estranged. When I was ordained deacon almost 26 years ago, Charles Burgreen was present. He was not a bishop then; he was executive assistant to the Bishop for the Armed Forces. That Bishop preached the sermon and, Charles participated in my ordination to the deaconate.

For those of us who have been ordained priests, we must keep our priestly promises so that the church may be strengthened to make Christ known in the world. One day, in a little church in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, Robbie stood by me and she has stood by me in ministry now for 25 years.

And Bishop Burgreen, those of you who have been ordained as bishops must keep your Episcopal promises so that the faith, unity and discipline of the church may be safeguarded.

A lot more is expected of the ordained. We don't live as our people. We are held to a different standard, as it should be. If you hold us to that standard and support us in this ministry, then we will be able to uphold the ministry a lot better than we could without your support. By living all of our vows, all the ones we have ever made, we come to know Christ more perfectly in ourselves. By living our vows, we come to make him known more clearly in the world about us. Thanks be to God! AMEN

The Rev. Dr. Robert Certain
rgcertain@stmargarets.org
22 April 2001