Once We are Done High-Fiving, What are We Going to Do?
The Most Reverend Michael Curry’s sermon at the royal wedding Saturday was extraordinary. He was the only person on the planet that could have done it. It was fun to see the world’s reaction to it, my favorite being Kenan Thompson’s portrayal on Saturday Night Live. “Love is what makes a Subaru and Subaru!” Doggone right.
If my social media feeds were any indication, the reaction of The Episcopal Church was one of slothful exuberance. Methinks some introspection is in order. Rather than checking our Curry sermon bingo cards, what if we took this God-given opportunity as a call to action? In our listening to Bishop Curry, we failed to hear him. Here’s what I mean.
The sermon is a call for us to go to the people, not for the people to come to us. Facebook and Twitter feeds lit up happy, hopeful posts Saturday— “let’s track how many more people come to church!”, “people will Google ‘Episcopal’ find us, and come!”, “we better print more bulletins!” Love ya, but wrong. That God gave our good Bishop this incredible platform is not a license for us to remain in our pews, knecks craned wistfully at the front door. What if we took the incredible words he shared to heart and allowed it to birth new ministries?
Curry exhorted us to build “A movement grounded in the unconditional love of God for the world — and a movement mandating people to live that love, and in so doing to change not only their lives but the very life of the world itself. I’m talking about power. Real power. Power to change the world.” Is our response truly to be one of brewing more coffee and printing more bulletins? Is it to be one where we huddle up in the parish hall to talk about how great it was? Beloved, once we are done high fiving, what is it that we are going to do?
A movement involves movement. How will the church take this “real power” outside of our doors? Who needs to hear of this love? How will you share it with them? Do we really want to “make of this old world a new world”, or do we just really like hearing Michael talk about it? If we do, we can’t stay home.
The sermon illustrates how easy and powerful new things can be. I so enjoyed watching the establishment scratch their collective heads about the wedding. The sermon length. The gospel choir. The diversity in the participants and invitees. While the ceremony was traditional, even old, it was also contemporary and new. Just yesterday I celebrated the one year anniversary of Table 229 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Led by The Rev. Jennifer McNally, this faithful group is taking powerful love to a groovy riverside restaurant. We heard the story of Pentecost and talked about it, we sung and took bread and wine. It was easy, natural and intentionally away from the red doors of the church.
This is why I believe so much in the new ministries we are starting in The Episcopal Church. What we witnessed at St. George’s Chapel — the way it refreshed western Christianity — is available to you! Our new ministries are showing us the way, expressing the love of God in new and creative ways, crafted uniquely for the mission field. Meghan and Harry said something in that worship service. What is your church saying? How can it say something new?
The days that we should expect the world to Google us and come are gone. May this weekend be the final demonstration of this fact and set us free! Our task is not to be a branch in the Curry movement — where we passively (and enthusiastically) receive his fans. He’d be the first to tell us that we are to be branches in the Jesus movement — leaving our four walls, trying new things and birthing new ministries. The old way is not the way. While it worked, arguably, for generations past, it’s just not going to work any longer. The new way is the way of love. Watch the sermon again and ask, what is Jesus asking me to change? to start? Who is Jesus asking me to reach? how can I do that? Because, you see, “When love is the way, there’s plenty good room — plenty good room — for all of God’s children.”
