Rector’s Ramblings – November 14, 2024

On Monday, a group of about twenty Christ Church folks made the trip down to Orlando for Mother Ashton’s father’s service. The funeral was moving, highlighting the best of what Episcopal worship has to offer. Our burial liturgy is beautiful and comforting and provided a meaningful way to honor and celebrate the life of Bishop Dabney Smith. The Dioceses of Central Florida and Southwest Florida came together with others from around the Church to remember Bishop Smith and support his family, including Mother Ashton. It was a fitting ceremony that Bishop Smith would have appreciated, and I know Mother Ashton’s family found the entire day to be a comforting part of their grief process.

Bishop Smith was remembered for his gifts in pastoral care and leadership, and also for his personal traits like his sense of humor and being an accomplished musician. It is near impossible to capture an entire life in a funeral service, and yet with that assembly of persons from each portion of Bishop Smith’s life, I think we all – even those of us with limited knowledge of him – got a sense of the breadth of his life and the depth of his relationships. Above all, his choice to center his life on Christ and live the way of love as best he could was at the center of the celebration.

The funeral happened to be held on Veteran’s Day, a day we remember and celebrate all those who have served our country in its armed forces. Many men and women have served their country by enlisting in one of the branches and tackling whatever job they were assigned. Some saw combat and took up arms. Among those, they still bear wounds, seen and unseen from their tours of duty. Many others were spared that experience, serving in peacetime or out of harm’s way, but were prepared to do so in defense of the Constitution of this nation and its people if called upon. 

Although ministry may feel like a battlefield on its worst days, I realize that it is a very different vocation than military service, although there are some parallels. Soldiers and priests both devote their lives to something greater than them – a supreme authority. That service often comes with some level of sacrifice, including discipline that many others do not need to submit to. Service to the church or to the public also tends to come with less compensation than what might be found in the private sector for similar skillsets and training. And yet, those who serve, are not typically resentful about their service. They are proud to devote their lives to the benefit of others. Again – I know these are different ways of serving, and we shouldn’t draw too many lines of comparison, but the overlap did not escape me on Monday.

Bishops have a very challenging vocation. They get to do a lot of problem solving, as any problem of note within their diocese will likely come across their desk at some point. No matter what they do, bishops are often the recipients of criticism from some corner of their diocese as they address those problems. As Bishop Lee said in opening his homily, the advice Bishop Smith was given at his consecration included three things: “Love God, love your people, and don’t read your press clippings.” Ministry is about loving as best we can and making decisions. Not everyone will agree with those decisions, of course, but we do the best we can as servants, and that is what we heard described as Bishop Smith was honored.

I am so grateful for his ministry to the Church, even though he was never “my” bishop. I know full well what his ministry required of him and his family, and I thank him (and them) for his decades of service to something greater than himself. I also remain grateful for all the veterans who have served our country. I did not enlist and did not serve in that capacity, and yet I also know what that service required of them. For too many, the burden they carried on our behalf has remained their burden to bear no matter how long it’s been since their discharge. They each deserve our appreciation and understanding.

Jesus calls each of us to be servants, and we answer that call in different ways. If we are attuned to God, service is not an option we’re given. It’s an imperative. Once we hear it, we respond in faith. One day, we can all hope to hear the assurance: “Well done, good and faithful servant,” as I know Bishop Smith did.

Tom+

I failed to offer this prayer at all services this past weekend, so I will offer it now, for Veterans Day:

We pray for those who have served our nation and laid down their lives to protect and defend our freedom, asking that we remember their sacrifice and make right use of our liberty.

We pray for those who still bear the scars of their service, asking for healing for them in mind, body, and spirit.

We pray for those who serve us now, especially for those in harm’s way, asking that you shield them from danger and bring them home in safety.

We pray for all those who govern, asking that you turn their hearts and minds to the work of establishing a peace born of justice and equity.

We pray for all those who are caught up in conflict around the globe this day, civilians and peace-keepers and the poor who have no escape, asking that we have the courage to defend the defenseless, make room for those who flee for safety, and look to that day when we will train for war no more.

May the peace you gave us, the peace that passes all human understanding, be the peace that guides and sustains us. For it is in Jesus’ name that we pray. Amen. (David Lose)