May 24, 2009
Seventh Sunday of Easter
Pastor Caroline Satre
Acts 1:15-17,21-26; John 17:6-19

Leadership in the Church

Today’s first reading is from the book of Acts. The Acts of the Apostles begins rather dramatically with the ascension of the risen Christ into heaven. But then the very next episode is a rather humdrum description of the election of Matthias as a replacement apostle. Do you think that’s a bit odd? Christ ascends up into heaven, and the church responds with a business meeting!

It’s anticlimactic, this ecclesial business session so soon after Christ’s resurrection and ascension. Yet, not matter how dramatic and “spiritual” the event--even a resurrection or ascension--at some time we must touch down on earth. Jesus may be in heaven, but we, servants of Jesus, live here, where there are chores to be done, and jobs to be filled, and someone has to keep things going from day to day.

I think this story is placed here in Acts and at the end of the Easter season just before Pentecost (the birthday of the church and the descent of the Holy Spirit) to remind us that Jesus cares about where we live, how we run the church, and how we get together to do his work. Here is testimony that there is no church without leadership… no people of the Spirit without Spirit-filled leaders. From the first, human beings were needed in order for the church to be faithful to its divine vocation to be “[Christ’s] witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

I know people who say that the church ought not to bother itself with mundane, human matters… that the church is mostly about spiritual, religious matters. They get exasperated with church budgets and church business meetings, politics, election of leaders for the church. “When can we be done with all this and get on to the real business of the church?” they ask.

But there is no way to get on with the spiritual business of the church without taking care of this other business, too. In order to serve Christ, we must become the body of Christ, must be organized, must have form and continuity. Thus God graciously gives the church leaders… leaders like Matthias… to help us to do God’s work in the world.

Imagine how those first apostles felt in the first days of the church. Jesus had ascended. He had left them. Had he left the church to its own devices, leaving the church to fend for itself? Given the current state of affairs, what was to be done now? They prayed,“Lord, show us what to do next.” The election of Matthias was an answer to their prayer.

There are times that I feel very much like I imagine those first apostles felt. There are jobs to be done, positions to be filled, and someone has to keep things going from day to day. Someone has to research copier contracts, sweep the floors, balance the checkbook, polish the bells, and keep five computers humming. Then there are the more complex issues… the things that can’t be accomplished with a mop, a calculator, or Norton Antivirus. There are the kinds of things our council and G5 leaders are dealing with right now… things like…

… 804 North Lewis. Last October the church council recommended and you all voted to put the residential property adjacent to the church up for sale. This was part of the financial solution as we also voted to upgrade the elevator project and in order to address a continuing shortfall in the operating budget. It made perfect sense both at the time it was purchased and at the time we put it on the market… but now… given the current real estate market and the general economic conditions, the council is really wrestling with the issue of stewardship: how are we the best stewards of this property? What is the best use of what God has given us? We continue to evaluate alternatives, ask, wonder, listen, and pray.

Then, there’s the issue of meeting fire inspection codes. As part of our annual fire inspection, we were told that the openings in the stairway railings are too large… they do not meet current codes or standards. Our facilities coordinator, along with our Operations area and some folks on our Construction Management Team are trying to figure out the most acceptable, cost effective solution. This requires asking questions they certainly don’t teach in seminary, like… is the railing made of aluminum or steel? Will coupling bolts work best? Should we use plexiglass or PVC products?

Then there’s the issue of storage space. Where do we put our stuff? Rather than put it where it’s always been or in any empty corner, we’re looking to give some thought to how we might make the best use of our physical space. I know this sounds rather mundane, but trust me, this is about as complicated and controversial as things come! Fortunately, there is one very brave and faithful soul tackling this with hands and heart… with integrity and compassion. Please be honest but kind to her when she comes your way!

Then, just last Thursday, council began discerning the process we’ll use to determine our ministry foci beyond 2010. What’s next? What is God doing in our neck of the woods? How can we be a part of it? Who do we need to talk to? How will we arrive at a decision?

These are the humdrum, day to day things that happen here… and places like this… on a regular basis. They are the kinds of things that take up extraordinary amounts of time and are usually the things that cause heartache and conflict among the body of Christ… which is precisely why they require good leadership.

Of course, not everyone in the congregation is a leader in the church. Yet all in the church have a stake in leadership, all of us have a responsibility to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, all of the church needs leaders who help us to meet the challenges of discipleship in our time and place. We need leaders who are able to…

who can handle conflict of ideas… who are willing to say what they think and believe to be faithful and right, then who can support whatever decision the group makes
who are willing to think creatively, learn from missteps, and change course when
necessary, but who won’t give up too soon, either
who can see the big picture enough to make decisions based on what’s best for the church as a whole, rather than one segment of who we are
who can see this humdrum, brain-busting, heartache of a job as a sacred calling… because it is.

There is no way to get on with the spiritual business of the church without taking care of this other business, too. In order to serve Christ, we must become the body of Christ, must be organized, must have form and continuity. Thus God graciously gives the church leaders… leaders like Matthias… to help us to do God’s work in the world.

From today’s anticlimactic, humdrum first reading, we get the idea that the early church felt its first leadership gap before it was even officially the church… and that, when the remaining disciples prayed,“Lord, show us what to do next. Tell us who ought to lead us,” the election of Matthias was an answer to their prayer. The church was not left bereft of guidance. A new apostle was chosen for a new age.

And so it still goes today. We continue to pray,“Lord, show us what to do next. Tell us who ought to lead us.” Many of you are an answer to that prayer.

To all of you who research copier contracts, sweep the floors, balance the checkbook, polish the bells, and keep five computers humming… to all of you who are wrestling with the church’s property at 804 N. Lewis, meeting fire inspection codes, assigning storage space, and discerning a process for strategic ministry planning, I thank you. WE thank you.

As we bring the Easter season to a close for another year… and as we prepare to enter the season of Pentecost, the season of the Spirit, we ask that the Spirit will continue to provide courageous leaders who are willing to risk, to dream, and to do whatever needs to be done, in the name of Jesus Christ, our risen Lord. Amen.

St. Paul's Lutheran Church § 824 N. Lewis § Waukegan IL