"In Appreciation"
Standing over the table of the Lord’s Supper, having just shared his reflection for the day, Archbishop Oscar Romero was assassinated in his church by a military sharp-shooter.
An amazing man of courage and faith he shared on one occasion the following brief reflection.
Asking the right question is the most helpful thing anyone can do. It requires the other party to get involved, to contribute mentally and to engage their own stuff at a gut level.
We assume that he must have wanted to be well. Who wouldn’t? But it is not an easy question. To be well would certainly mean change. It would mean a whole new way of relating to the world.
In the case of this man at the pool of Bethesda he did indeed want to be made well and a little later on in the passage we discover that indeed he was made well.
Do we want to be made well?
I believe we do. Sometimes that can be a painful thing, sometimes not, but I believe that we all at some level want to be made well and I also believe that wellness requires change.
I remember during the interview process as part of my journey of faith toward ordered ministry I was being asked some questions by a group of people. I was nervous and one of the people asking me the questions had, at another time, been rather rude to me so I was more than a little bit anxious to be interviewed by this person.
My response was to retreat from any place of vulnerability and to offer academic answers and to avoid sharing very much of my real feelings in response to the questions.
Did the interviewing committee pick up on that… oh ya! In a big way… as they should have.
Their response was to invite me to do some work on those feelings, consider why I might have preferred to avoid being vulnerable rather than just dealing with the questions head-on.
They also invited me to come back for another interview at a later date. Was I happy about that?
Not at all.
But in time I was able to experience wellness around that issue and to actually enjoy the interview by the time we were together.
The church had done its job, I had done my work and I believe the process strengthened us both.
Wellness isn’t always easy… in the months between the first and second interviews I had to do a great deal of soul searching. As hard as it was it was a good exercise for me and I know I am a more open person and a better minister for having gone through the process.
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Not one of knows how any given day will turn out. But each of us has a responsibility to live that day as a gift from God.
Part of that responsibility is to do all that we can to keep the gift from being wasted. We need to make it our life’s work to honour the gift giver by never taking the gift for granted and by doing all that we can to be the best we can for the gift giver.
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In today’s service we recognize the contribution made by all the volunteers of the church. The church is primarily volunteers and the work that the volunteers do is the backbone of the church and always has been.
I know that I have not always felt appreciated as a volunteer and I suspect that others have had that feeling to. It is like the mountain of work done by that mom to prepare for her many guests and because of the pressures of family life and the things that can and often do go wrong when we are in the middle of our preparations, it is easy not to feel very appreciative at the time.
It is only later that we can be thankful for the effort made to bring people together to celebrate a slice of life with them.
I certainly appreciate the work of the countless groups within this church who do so much to make this slice of life that we all share an important part of who we are.
I would like to name some of the groups that share in the life of the church.
The choir... these folks are here twice a week for most of the year. They practice and sing to God’s glory and to our edification and I for one, am very glad and appreciative that they do.
The UCW who for years have worked tirelessly to support the work and mission of the church as again they did yesterday with their annual Blossom Time Tea. Their work is very appreciated and their leadership is an integral part of the life and work of Westminster United Church.
Those who sit on committees and the board who give many evenings of their lives to make life a little better for folks in our community--across the globe and right here at Westminster … thank you!
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To those who head up special projects like suppers, brunches, theatre events, and fund-raising endeavours…your contribution is crucial to the ongoing life of the church and is very much appreciated.
To those who co-ordinate activities on an ongoing basis like finding folks to greet on Sunday morning, or finding folks to read scriptures or to share in special music or to decorate the church or serve communion or find folks to work in the nursery or paint murals or carry out work projects within the church… to all of you, many thanks and God bless you.
Thank you, too, to those who help with the sound-system, the churchyard, the church camp, and all the other commitments that people make so willingly like helping with the office duties of counting the offering or giving your time to answer the phone on occasion. Thank you!
And to those of you who visit on behalf of the church and deliver newsletters and those who share in the common ministry by hosting events here at the church and finding ways to bring the community into our building to share our common vision of life and wholeness for all people, to each and every one of you, I give you thanks on behalf of this community.
And to all who attend Sunday by Sunday and support the mission and outreach of Westminster United Church with your gifts and your presence and your willingness to be a part of this community, thank you and please know that you are the backbone of the work that we do as a community of faith and as a church family.
And to anyone who may not feel that I have mentioned your contribution by category I offer my apology I ask your forgiveness and your understanding as I say “thank you” for the unspoken contribution you make to our life and work.
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As a church family, next Sunday we will gather to share in our communion service for the season of Pentecost and as we celebrate the contribution of all who make up the congregation of Westminster United church we will gather for a common meal to give thanks for yet another gift, the gift of the life and love of Jesus Christ and the dedication of the two young persons who will, next week be confirmed.
It is something we share with one another as part of the body of Christ and for that too, we can be very appreciative.
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In the church we hope that everyone will share in the refreshments.
That is God's plan… God's gift. Wellness, also a gift from God, often requires that we hear the voice asking if we wish wellness and responding with every fibre of the life-gift within us.
As you celebrate today your own appreciation for the gift of life I hope you will find renewed energy for appreciating the life you share with others through Jesus Christ even as through Jesus Christ you are appreciated! Amen.