Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Authenticity in Leadership Means Nurturing Not Domination

Scriptural Basis

Micah 3: 5-12 (NRSV)

Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets

who lead my people astray,

who cry "Peace"

when they have something to eat,

but declare war against those

who put nothing into their mouths.

Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,

and darkness to you, without revelation.

The sun shall go down upon the prophets,

and the day shall be black over them;

the seers shall be disgraced,

and the diviners put to shame;

they shall all cover their lips,

for there is no answer from God.

But as for me, I am filled with power,

with the spirit of the LORD,

and with justice and might,

to declare to Jacob his transgression

and to Israel his sin.

Hear this, you rulers of the house of Jacob

and chiefs of the house of Israel,

who abhor justice

and pervert all equity,

who build Zion with blood

and Jerusalem with wrong!

Its rulers give judgment for a bribe,

its priests teach for a price,

its prophets give oracles for money;

yet they lean upon the LORD and say,

"Surely the LORD is with us!

No harm shall come upon us."

Therefore because of you

Zion shall be plowed as a field;

Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,

and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

Matthew 23: 1-12

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi. But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students. And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father-- the one in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted."

Blog Reflection

Today's reading from the Prophet Micah is timely.  During the past month and more we have seen the Occupy movements calling for economic equality and justice.  The CEO's of Wall Street and the largest banks in America have seen their profits rise. At the same time so many people have lost their jobs, homes, opportunities for higher education, some kind of future struggle just to survive. 

In an age bombarded with messengers that claim to speak for God, how do we discern messages that are truly life-giving?  With the ancient psalmist and the prophet in Micah 3:5-12, we cry out against the self-interest, greed and fear which corrupt leaders’ motives and rob social relationships of authentic justice. (Out in Scripture).

In America, a land full of technological advances, brilliant doctors, lawyers, financial institutions and more poverty is on the rise.  More individuals are not able to afford health care when they are sick.  The young people who are graduating from college are so in debt because of student loans with very little hope of finding meaningful and gainful employment.  People age 50 and older are losing their jobs that they worked years for their retirement, only to find that their retirement pensions have been eaten up by Wall Street. 

Yet, those who claim to be "speaking for God" in the Christianist organizations for America are on the side of the wealthy and those who discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people. 

What we fail to understand is that when the poor and middle class in any given nation suffers at the hands of those who are not just wealthy, but also greedy for more money and power, entire civilizations and communities including the religious groups collapse. 

Such is what Micah is saying.

In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul is calling people to remember the labor of those who are proclaiming a Christian Faith do not seek "power through domination" but desire to lead through the nurturing of communities of peace, justice and equality.

Many who lead our Christian Faith whether as denominational leaders or sit on individual church councils, eventually fall into the trappings of using their positions to exercise power at the expense of ministry.   Though many gain positions of leadership because of the good work they do, it is sadly not uncommon for them to be elected to leadership because of who they know.   Popularity of name and association at the expense of religious devotion and a desire to work towards authentic change.

The ministry of the Church is one that seeks to break down the walls of division and malice.  The demand for respect for leadership as a Bishop or Priest becomes first, while those who need to be fed or receive good council from the wounds they have endured continue to be ignored. 

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer people who continue to experience the marginalization of who they are and the relationships they create are expected to embrace full monogamy no matter what.  However, the Christian Church has yet to preach and share the Gospel in such a way, so that parents, friends, work places, politicians, schools, businesses etc, do not fear the worst or feel like they were kicked in the stomach when they hear about their dear friend being LGBT.  While monogamy is a beautiful goal to work towards, until the day a  young man can tell his mother and father that he is gay without worrying if he will be homeless after saying so, monogamy is just a restriction and not something they will want to do.  All the shame for being "promiscuous" by many Priests, just sounds like "there goes the Church telling me how to live" when the Church still has not embraced every LGBT person, family, and couple.  

If we are going to call for conversion, then we must be willing to allow the Holy Spirit to convert us.

Jesus's call in today's Gospel is not a slam on the Jewish religion.  This Gospel today has unfortunately been used to justify the worst anti-Semitism.  Such a stance misses what Jesus is calling Christians to do.

Jesus is calling on all who consider themselves "leaders" to remember that they too are to be held accountable.  

We see in this passage an enduring challenge to demand for all leaders to be authentic and accountable for their just or unjust actions.

We also remember that we are all leaders in some way.  The call to authenticity here includes practicing what we preach, purifying our hearts’ motives for public ministry, and living in relationships of mutuality.   When we do these things, we place ourselves in a humble place, remembering that Jesus said “You are all students” (verse 8).  Such is the path that avoids imposing our own burdens and needs upon others for whom we are responsible.  Such is the path to inhabiting Moses’ seat (whatever the leadership role to which we’ve been called) as if we are on the holy ground of the burning bush.  There, we listen anew to the Liberator’s call to be agents of justice-making and need not be anything more or less than ourselves.

We live in a day when “All are Welcome” signs are posted outside so many churches.  Too often, however, the signs are only marketing gimmicks when churches do not truly offer God’s hospitality.  There is such a contrast between the open invitation and the congregation or denomination’s claims in its ordination position or its work for justice.  Where is the authenticity in such self-promotion?  We live in a day when leaders of both church and society may clamor for their own acceptance, status, material gain and popularity, and do or say whatever will gain them such security. Believers who do so cloud their discernment of God’s revelation and risk communal ruin.  Authentic lives, staying power and justice go hand-in-hand. (Out in Scripture).

Christians will never be authentic leaders within their communities, until many of the clouds of prejudice are no longer supported by Christians and our various communities.  The continuing mud slinging towards the Muslims, Jews, Native Americans, immigrants, women, LGBT and so on suggest that Christians are lacking in authenticity in our commitment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus calls on us today not to dominionism, but to nurturing good communities where truth, justice, equality and inclusion are every day celebrations.  

When we work together to help immigrants bring their stories to our communities and make their stories part of our stories, then the Gospel is being authenticated through our actions.  

As LGBT people become ordained as Bishops, Priests, Deacons and lay leaders who help the Church become more inclusive to the point of supporting marriage equality, ending hate crimes and no longer demonizing people on the basis of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity/expression, the Church becomes more authentically part of God's reign. 

When the Church seeks out the protection of the rights of women to no longer be subjected to male privilege legislating their health care, job creation, education  and protection from violence and exploitation, the Church is authentically protecting the vocation of motherhood and the role of women.  

When the Church joins the people on Wall Street in calling on our government leadership to enact laws that defend the poor and middle class, and calls on the rich to ending their desire to dominate all of America, the Church is authentically participating in the mission of God's love and compassion.

God is calling on Christians to authenticate our vocation.  We must live our lives committed to our God and what our Mother the Holy Spirit is empowering us to do.  It is not enough to attend church services and exercise hypocrisy through fake political politeness.  It is important to be part of the call of God the Holy Spirit to embrace the lost, release those captive by political, religious and social oppression and heal society through radical hospitality and reconciliation.

Prayers

Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (Proper 26, Book of Common Prayer, page 235).

Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Catholic Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen.  (Prayer for the Church, Book of Common Prayer, page 816)

Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Prayer for Social Justice, Book of Common Prayer, page 823).