Be aware of the limitations of ministry
Ordinary Sunday 16, 19th July, 2009
Fr Matthew Healy
Assistant Priest, St Peter's, Eastern Hill
In the movies you come across all sorts of images of burnt out, ministry-fatigued priests, but there is one such image that remains firmly fixed in my mind. It is from the film "Priest", which incidentally depicts a number of burnt out priests. The opening scene shows the figure of a late-middle aged Irish priest marching up the street of one of the poorer suburbs of Liverpool in the UK. He is holding a rather large crucifix under his arm. In his face you can see that he is determined, that his march with the crucifix is deliberate, it has a purpose — and sure enough within a few shots you gain a glimpse of his intended destination — the Bishop's house. Once he has climbed over the secured area, he stops, takes the large crucifix, holding it forward like a sword, and then charges the windows of the bishop's study. He drives the crucifix through the lead light glass, the fragments of glass shattering all over the floor of bishop's study, with the whooping big crucifix landing amidst the detritus. You never saw the face of the bishop (which is a shame!) but as the audience we are aware that at the time the bishop was seated in his plush leather chair behind his grand mahogany desk drinking tea from a fine bone china cup. It is clear that the Irish priest is not happy with his bishop!
This same priest appears in another scene sometime later in the film. A younger priest, who is the film's central character, comes to visit the Irish priest so as to obtain some advice. The young priest is struggling with internal tensions revolving around his failure to live his vow of celibacy in a chaste manner and his very conservative theological views — no easy combination! So the young priest pours out his heart to the Irish priest (naturally over a heavy session of whisky!). The young priest states that he has no doubts about his vocation, but he just can't live it celibately. The Irish priest responds by explaining that he personally has never had a problem with celibacy but he knows for sure that he doesn't have a vocation to the priesthood nor does he any longer hold to much of a belief in God. The older priest argues that at this stage of his life it is all too late, for what else can he do? He just has to stick it out and put up with it. It cuts for a very sad, lonely and desperate depiction of ministerial life — but unfortunately for some it's not far off the mark. We have all seen priests come and go — and sometimes sadly because of scandal or loss of faith or sense of vocation. The eyes always give it away. The collar is on, but the 'priest' left years ago.
For both clergy and laity I think that today's gospel is about the need to be aware of the limitations of ministry; I think it is also provides some preventative measures to avoid the pitfalls that will be faced by anyone involved in active ministry — lay or cleric. But the most important underlying truth of this gospel is about whom we rely upon in this ministry — either as priests or as lay ministers or collectively such as a vestry or as a parish. Do we rely upon our strength and willpower for ministry or do we believe and trust that God is working his grace through us, or despite us, for his ministry to his people?
Today's gospel is not about burnt out disciples — though perhaps it does hint at their fatigue — but is about the limitations and the model of ministry. We hear of the disciples having just returned to Jesus after they had fulfilled his commission to them to go out to all, to teach and heal in the power of his name, as heard in the gospel proclaimed last week (6:7-13). In the immediate scene prior to today's gospel we hear of the arrest and beheading of John the Baptist at the order of Herod, a Jewish Roman collaborator — a suitable reading for any overly enthused or reforming cleric. But back to the return of the disciples from their commission — they are excited about the results of their work performed in the name of Jesus. Jesus senses their surprise and like any good novice master knows that at this stage they can't be pushed too far — so, with all the activity and busyness that surrounds the work of Jesus, he invites them to go and get some rest, to take stock of their share in Jesus's ministry. They will need to be rested if they are going to take in the profound revelation of who Jesus is. In the two scenes that follow on from today's gospel we see how Mark makes deliberate parallels with two Old Testament motifs to show that Jesus is indeed the Son of God.
Firstly, the people keep on harassing Jesus and, now also, his disciples, for they have seen the work they have performed. They want more. The people are hungry and thirsty for spiritual and personal direction and fulfilment, having become disillusioned with the empty, unsatisfying diet offered by their religious leaders. So they just keep hanging around. Jesus sees their need and has compassion for them, for they have no shepherd to lead them. The disciples, still exhausted, suggest a very practical solution — send them into town to obtain their own food. This will relieve them of their physical need and it will also get them out of the way of the disciples. Jesus retorts to the disciples: no, you feed them. The first revelation of the reality of Jesus commences. The ever practical disciples suggest that they will go to town and bring food back for all 5,000. But Jesus asks them as to what food they have with them: five loaves of bread and two fish. Now, even the disciples know that the best Parish Ladies Guild couldn't stretch that to meet 5,000 people! But Jesus tells his disciples to put the food before the people. They do and at the end of the gathering they manage to collect 12 full baskets of scraps. Mark is drawing upon the Old Testament image of feeding in two ways: the Exodus tradition which narrates the time the Hebrews grumbled of hunger in the desert of the Sinai peninsula and God gave them quails and manna from heaven; and the model of the Shepherd-King David, who gathered into unity the split kingdoms of the north and south, nourishing his people in a united Kingdom of Israel. So the feeding of the 5,000 is a about a God who gathers and feeds his people — Jesus as the new Moses and new Davidic king.
Secondly, a little further on Jesus tells his disciples to board their boat and head back. He stays behind. Once they are out on the deep waters, a storm arises and the disciples are in trouble. They are fearful amidst the powers of the chaos. Then Jesus walks over the watery tumult toward them. They think he is a ghost. He questions their doubt and calms the storm, bringing hope out of their fear. Order is brought to the watery chaos, reminiscent of the Genesis creation story. This is a God who is triumphant over the underworld, who has power over sin and death, of the forces of destruction. It is a mini resurrection parable — Jesus as the Lord of all creation, of life and death.
Now let us return to today's gospel passage. If scholars can interpret Mark to be making bold theological claims about Jesus as being the Son of God, of drawing parallels with the dominant motifs of the Old Testament, then I think we can pursue an interpretation of the 'rest time' offered by Jesus to the disciples as being another Old Testament motif at play within the text: namely the observance of the Sabbath. It is taking time out for recreation, rest, worship, contemplation; the space to put things into their proper perspective. It is here in this Sabbath time that we can stop and just be. Sabbath time is not an optional extra, it is essential for the effective and meaningful ministry of Jesus exercised by those called to such a ministry.
In a book I read some time ago a story is told of a pastor who resigned from her pastorate. She told her parish, "I can no longer meet all the needs of this parish, any more than I can chase down all the cicadas on a hot January night." The author of the book simply asks: who had told her that she could meet all the needs of his parish? In another part of the same book there is the story of a businessman with a lot of influence, who goes bushwalking for a week every year. While he is gone he asks his wife to save all the newspapers delivered during the week. Upon his return he reads every one, and reminds himself that all the news events he read about occurred without him!
People who are caught up in the mystery that is the gospel of Jesus and who are under the sway of his teachings also require this type of reminder. The apostles of today's gospel gained two lessons from Jesus about ministry: that God's power can work through them, and that God can also work without them. When their level of compassion and empathy was low and their capacity to respond was exhausted, the people were fed regardless, as like manna from heaven, as the apostles observed from their boat upon the waters. Dr John Westerhoff, an educationalist and an Episcopalian priest of the TEC in the USA, says that the modern line of atheism can be summed up in one proclamation: "If I don't do it, it won't happen." It's a line I have certainly heard from many a priest and also from many a 'vital' and 'essential for the existence of the parish' parishioner. "If I don't do it, it won't happen." I suspect the real subconscious and unspoken fear is truly: "If I don't do it, someone else may do it better!"
Jesus invites his disciples to "Come away by yourselves to a lonely place, and rest a while." Jesus's thoughtfulness toward the Twelve beckons them to be balanced in their ministerial life. He teaches his disciples, as indeed he now teaches us, that the lifestyle we choose to adopt is to be one modelled upon his life — a balanced life of pastoral care, of mission, of worship, of being in community and of periods of solitude. Being a people that obverse a Sabbath is a necessary and integral aspect of the lifestyle we are called to live as disciples of Jesus.
Henri Nouwen in his book The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and Contemporary Ministry states "In a world that victimises us by its compulsions, we are called to solitude where we can struggle against our anger and greed and let our new self be born in the loving encounter with Jesus Christ. It is in this solitude that we become compassionate people, deeply aware of our solidarity in brokenness with all humanity and ready to reach out to anyone in need."
God convokes the Christian assembly to celebrate the Eucharist, wherein Christ is broken and shared in Word and Bread. Then, having fed his faithful by giving himself to them through Word and Sacrament sends them into the world to announce to the crowds, who wander about lost like sheep without a shepherd, the good news of salvation. In announcing this good news it is hoped that all of us may one day share the same joy and unite ourselves to the thanksgiving of God's children finally gathered in his eternal banquet hall. The call to this ministry is also a call to live balanced lifestyle of Jesus in prayer and reflection. It is a lifestyle of action in ministry for the salvation of all people, trusting and knowing that God will work in us for others, and he will also work for others without us. Solitude and space for reflection are essential aspects of a balanced Christian life. Essential because they remind us that God is at work, and they give us the wisdom not to get in the way of God's work and mission in Jesus Christ.
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