Want a New Rector? Ask a New Question!

Today was a great day to visit a parish and drop off a list of candidates for the Search Committee. The OT reading 1 Samuel 16:1-13 was especially helpful. Poor Samuel just could not get over Saul's bankrupt leadership. The Lord "compels" him to get going to Bethlehem. Jesse and sons await the visit where an anointing is to take place and a new kingship begun. Samuel goes from son to son without success. Seven of them.

Had Samuel acted like the typical Search Committee at this point, there would be trouble. It is not easy to be a Search Committee. There is pressure to get the job done right and quickly. People are watching. What a temptation to rationalize! Many a Call gets botched by assuming that all the candidates are in the room. This in turn leads to the cardinal error of comparing the candidates to one another, a practice unwarranted in Scripture, whether we talk about David, Stephen, Matthias or anyone else in the Bible. Having seen the seventh son and having heard seven times to withhold the anointing, Samuel asks a question:

"Are all your sons here?"

Good question! The seven sons of Jesse simply did not compare to God's criteria-- the right heart.

I hope this particular Search Committee is able to do its work without having to go outside the room. But should they come up short, my prayer for them is for the courage to ask God the same question that Samuel put to Jesse.

The Three Temptations of a New Ministry

I preached at a parish-in-transition last Sunday, the First Sunday in Lent. A newly-called priest will arrive there soon. As the First Sunday in Lent begins with a consideration of the three temptations of Christ, I spoke about three temptations that could be encountered by clergy and congregations as they move toward one another in a new ministry.

The first temptation: Perfectionism. At its best, the search process is two liars talking about the future. A more charitable way of putting it is to say that we tend toward idealism as we envision a new ministry. In this idealized ether, perfectionism is a real possibility.

A survey is a part of any transition. Inevitably, the congregation's leadership needs to deal with survey results. And inevitably, an averaging of the results will sound something like, "The Rector should be able to preach with conviction without offending anyone" or "The Rector should be 30 years of age with 20 years of experience". The smart Interim (serving by whatever title) will work to lead the congregation away from such craziness.

Clergy are just as capable of such wild projections, lost in fond daydreams of the perfect congregation where all tithe and the only problem is sorting out all the volunteers for election at the Annual Meeting. Clergy as well as congregations will be well-advised to consider Jesus, hungry in the desert, disabused of any notions of perfectionism.

The second Temptation: Isolation. An effective transition will find leaders opening out into the larger community for help, whether this is the congregation next door, the Diocese, or whatever. Our Diocese uses a program called Fresh Start where leaders on a Saturday have an opportunity to gather and to share with one another. It is consistently reported that this sharing is a very important part of a good transition. Likewise, clergy new to our Diocese have an opportunity to meet with one another in order to get to know one another and to share their experiences regarding their new parish.

Isolation is backdrop par excellence for any temptation, whether those of Jesus or those that might come our way through a timeshare "vacation" offer. The congregation and the new rector need the courage to stay open to the Convocation, Diocesan Convention, Clericus meetings and other gatherings. Just as angels administered to Jesus, the tempted Christian Community will find itself administered as it works against the temptation to cut itself off from other members of the Body.

The third Temptation: Narcissism. Once the Celebration of New Ministry is part of the past, the new rector and congregation need to be very aware of the temptation of falling in love with themselves. Self-preoccupation not only leads to the isolation as listed above. Left unnoticed, corporate narcissism corrupts the very mission of a parish. Once corrupted, all ministry tends to be ministry to its members, all service tends to benefit givers, and deacons are expected to be behind the Altar rail, and not leading the community into servant ministry to the world.

I recall a time where I helped to preside over the closing of a parish church. On the last day of that parish, as we we were walking out to our cars, we encountered over 40 young people playing soccer in the churchyard. Those whose parish just died shook their heads in contempt, a tragic commentary on the deadliness of self-preoccupation.

The 40 days of Lent are an excellent time for any congregation to do a temptation audit! How is Perfection, Isolation and Narcissism affecting your temptation PIN number?

A Pink Jesse Tree for Advent

Last year, my side yard was full of bright, pink hibiscus plants - imagine a row of these flowers running in a 50-foot line. Last year's hard frost killed the whole row, leaving behind nothing but a long gray line of deadness and some fond memories. Being the kind of person who would rather do something myself than pay someone to do it, I began trimming this long gray line and pulling up the roots.

Hibiscus does uproot lightly. Their roots are deep and wide and they cling to the earth with tenacity. Providentially, the local arborist was driving by and he stopped by long enough to give some expert advice: "The life is in the roots- you'd be a fool to dig all this up. Let me trim the branches. Then wait for better weather."

30 minutes and two-hundred dollars later, Advent happened. With no visible reason to believe otherwise, I awaited beneficial rains and warmer weather and in time, a leaf or two assured me that my beloved pink hibuscus would return.

The second Sunday of Advent, with its image of the shoot springing forth from the root of Jesse, bears a blessing whether we await Christmas, welcome a new priest, or say goodbye to a beloved pastor. We are called by God to work hard at putting the past into the past so that we might greet emerging growth with generosity and joy.