SEPTEMBER 2010
[This sermon was preached on Sunday, August 8 when many of you were away]
Many years ago when both our sons were pre-schoolers, a friend who also had two sons gave us a copy of a recently published book by the children’s author, Judith Viorst. Some of you probably know it. The name of the book is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. From the moment he wakes up with chewing gum stuck in his hair until he goes to bed that night after a too-hot bath with soap in his eyes and forced to wear his train pajamas which he HATES, nothing goes right for Alexander all day long. It’s a funny and endearing story, and I’m guessing that all of us have had days that felt like that…though those kinds of days are seldom funny or endearing when we’re in the midst of them. But like Alexander, we know what it feels like to be miserably helpless and out of control.
Sometimes we have days in which not everything goes wrong, but we end up blind-sided and stunned by one event that colors everything else that happens that day and perhaps for many days afterward. That would describe this Thursday just past for me, and from what I’ve heard for others here as well. Some of you are relatively new to this congregation and to the Diocese of Pennsylvania and some of you may be visiting today for one reason or another. We are very glad you are here, and we hope you’ll understand that something very significant and upsetting to many has happened in our common life. We need to talk about it this morning. First some history.
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Approximately two years and nine months ago our bishop was charged with two counts of “conduct unbecoming a clergyperson.”
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These charges were filed under the laws of the Church not in the civil courts of our nation. At that time he was temporarily prohibited from functioning in any way as an ordained person, including acting as a bishop.
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At the trial in Church court, and in a subsequent appeal, the bishop was found guilty of those charges and was sentenced to be removed permanently from ordained ministry.
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A further appeal occurred in May of this year, and it was this last Thursday that the appeal court’s decision was released.
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The court said that they concur, they agree with the decision of the earlier court that the bishop is guilty on both counts of conduct unbecoming a clergyperson.
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But they also said that because the statute of limitations has run its course, they are compelled to overturn the sentence of being permanently removed from ordained ministry.
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As a result of that ruling, the bishop is immediately able to resume functioning as an ordained person and as the bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania. He has announced his intention to return to his duties on Monday, August 16.
Those are the facts in a nutshell, but facts do little to help most of us deal with our feelings or answer our questions about what the future will be.
I confess that I was and continue to be stunned. There seemed to be no new evidence that would lead to the over tuning of the conviction on these charges, and indeed there was not. What has been lifted is the sentence because of the statute of limitations. I have no idea if or how this factor was a part of earlier deliberations, but I know the question is being asked and I hope it will be addressed soon.
I also confess that I have been a mess these last days. We’ve worked long and hard in this diocese to be the Church these last years in spite of everything that’s happened. These matters have created divisions that are almost beyond description, and incredible energy and spirit have been expended to begin healing those divisions. Although nothing is ever certain until it’s over, we have been in a mindset of looking to and working toward a future of renewed mission and ministry; a future which we assumed would eventually involve the election of a new bishop…and we assumed that would come sooner rather than later.
As I dithered ( I know you can hardly picture me dithering, can you?), but I was dithering around about what is to come and all the possibilities that I cannot yet begin to imagine, my good and wise husband, asked me, “So what are you going to do, just quit like some people have? You need to stay in the present and not get caught up in a future you can’t predict,” he suggested. Has a strangely biblical ring to it doesn’t it?
So I’m going to try and do just that, and I invite you to do the same. I’m going to do it in part because last Thursday was not just a “terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day”. It was, in fact, a great day. It was the culmination of a glorious week spent in the presence of a group of wonderfully bright and funny and thoughtful children trying to teach them how special they are to God and how integral and important children have always been to God’s purposes.
When you and I feel betrayed, hurt and anger are almost inevitable. When we feel wounded, it’s often tempting to run away. When we feel helpless and out of control we sometimes lash out in retaliation. That’s what Alexander, the little boy in the story, wanted to do. He told his mother as she kissed him goodnight after that too-hot bath that he thought he would move to Australia. But that wise mother reminded him that terrible, horrible no good, very bad days happen in Australia, too.
In the scriptures for today Isaiah reminds us that the call of God is to cease doing evil, and learn to be good, to seek justice and rescue the oppressed, to defend the orphan and plead for the widow. In the scriptures for today the writer to the Hebrews reminds us of the history of the faithfulness of many generations as they waited for the promises of God to be realized. They waited it out even though many died before the promises came to fruition. In the scriptures for today we hear Jesus himself encourage his followers not to be afraid because God desires all that is good for us if we will but persevere.
RPM
