Ordination

A Sermon delivered to All Saints Anglican Church on April 25, 2010 at St. Mary's Medical Center Convent Chapel based on Numbers 27:12-23

Opening Collect (BCP)
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Joshua to Succeed Moses

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Go up into this mountain of Abarim and see the land that I have given to the people of Israel. 13 When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, 14 because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold me as holy at the waters before their eyes.” (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.) 15 Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 16 “Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation 17 who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”

18 So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay your hand on him. 19 Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. 20 You shall invest him with some of your authority, that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the Lord. At his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the people of Israel with him, the whole congregation.” 22 And Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, 23 and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the Lord directed through Moses. (ESV)

In today's reading from Numbers we see the beginning of what we now call Ordination. "Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and made him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation, and he laid his hands on him and commissioned him as the Lord directed through Moses (vv.22,23).

Let's look at the text in our bulletin and ask some questions.
Why did Moses do that? ..."that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.” v. 17

Why would they be without a shepherd? Because Moses was about to die.

Why was Moses about to die? v. 14: Because he 'rebelled against [God's] word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled, failing to uphold [Him] as holy at the waters before their eyes.”

How did Moses do that?
By striking the rock to bring water out for the people instead of speaking to it. Numbers 20:8:
“Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.”

VERSUS:

11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock.[He had struck the rock previously but this time he was supposed to speak to it. It's a wonder that striking the rock worked. Why didn't it just not work?]

Whose idea was it to pick a successor?
Moses V. 15: Moses spoke to the Lord, saying, 16“Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation...

Who actually picked the successor?: God: v. 18: So the Lord said to Moses, “Take Joshua the son of Nun...

Why was Joshua chosen?
Because he was "a man in whom is the Spirit" v. 18

How was the ordination service to take place? V. Moses was told to "lay your hand on him. 19 Make him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and you shall commission him in their sight. 20You shall invest him with some of your authority,
Why was this done publicly and before the priest? v.20" that all the congregation of the people of Israel may obey."

What would Joshua do? 17 [he] shall go out before them [the congregation] and come in before them, [he] shall lead them out and bring them in..." that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.”

What was Joshua's basic job? To be a shepherd.

The Importance of Shepherding

Joshua's basic job was to be a shepherd - and so it is with all ordained people. Let's look at some words together:

Pastor = Shepherd in Latin.
Greek Synonym: Poimeen = 'Pastor' Eph. 4:11, 1Pet.2:25; 5:1-4, Acts 20:28.

But several other Greek are used in the Scriptures, and these terms are interchangeable:
Episkopos, 'overseer, or bishop': Titus 1:7, Phil. 1:1, Acts 20:28
Presbuterous - presbyter, or 'elder" I Pet. 5:1, Tit. 1:5, Acts 20:17, 1 Tim, 4:14.
And there is the verb "Poisteemi", which means 'to rule" I th. 5:12, 1 Tim 5:17.

We can quickly see that the terms that relate to ordained ministry describe things that Joshua was to do - to lead the people in and out, to exercise authority, and to protect and guide the people.

But something that strikes me about Joshua is that he is a type of Christ. His job description reminds me of Isaiah 40:11: ( I can here the music from the Messiah in my ear)

11 He shall lead his flock like a shepherd...he will gather the lambs in his arms;he will carry them in his bosom,and gently lead those that are with young.

This sounds like John 10:
The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. ... I am the door of the sheep. ... If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture... 11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep...

So although terms like Overseer, Bishop and Ruler are used to describe the ordained, the term Shepherd or Pastor really trumps the others because the overall sense is leading, guiding and protecting, as opposed to Lording it over or exercising power over others.

Unfortunately many of us have experienced Bishops who are less than pastoral. The poet Dante relegated bishops to the lowest level of his Inferno!

I think he did so because the Bishop is supposed to be a pastor first and foremost. However, if a pastor misuses his authority, he betrays the trust placed in him, and he becomes an instrument of the Enemy - and at least according to Dante, subject to damnation.

And here, let me just insert a plug for our leaders in the Anglican Mission. Both Doc Loomis, our Bishop, and Peter Matthews, our network leader are true pastors. Mark and I have interacted with them enough to know their heart attitudes - that they truly care for those entrusted to them. While they're not flawless, being flawless is not part of the job description. If it were, there would be no pastors or network leaders or Bishops. At any rate, we are truly blessed to have leaders who really care about us.

Now back to Moses and Joshua:
So... Moses ordained Joshua. If you've been following closely, however, you'll notice that Joshua was not ordained to priestly ministry, but to governmental, civic, and military leadership. Priests were chosen from among the Levites- they inherited their position through birth. But Joshua - and Moses were called out specially by God for their particular tasks.

The Notion of Calling.
Time doesn't permit us to go into a complete study of God's calling. But just think back to Moses and the burning bush. God spoke to Moses through the bush and called him to go down to Egypt and deliver his people. (Exodus 3).

Moses was given cool superpowers, a staff of office (a crozier if you will) and even an assistant, his brother Aaron, to validate his calling and authority.
The initial call happened in private, but there were signs to go with the calling, which signified that Moses was truly God's representative.

And this is essentially what Moses did for Joshua by calling him out publicly, having him stand before the priest, and laying hands on Joshua. His ministry was being confirmed before the people.

The Three Orders of Ordained Ministry
In our episcopal style of church governance there are the three orders:
Deacon, from Diakonos, meaning servant or minister.
Priest, from Presbuteros, meaning elder or presiding officer.
Bishop, from Episkopos, meaning overseer.

While they all have their own particular spheres of activity, yet the overall purpose for these orders is to shepherd the people. Without this 'care of souls' aspect, the orders are reduced to simple power-mongering over others.

Serving as a Deacon, Priest or Bishop is a sacred trust, one that can be thought of as sacramental. In the Anglican tradition, Ordination is not a Sacrament per se, but a 'sacramental rite'.

On the Nature of Ordination:
William Wake was the Archbishop of Canterbury between 1657 and 1737.
Here is what he said about the the nature of ordination:

The imposition of hands in Holy Orders, being accompanied with a blessing of the Holy Spirit, may perhaps upon that account be called a kind of particular Sacrament. Yet since that grace which is thereby conferred, whatever it be, is not common to all Christians, nor by consequence any part of that federal blessing which Our Blessed Saviour has purchased for us, but only a separation of him who receives it to a special employ, we think it ought not to be esteemed a common Sacrament of the whole Church, as Baptism and the Lords' Supper are. (William Wake, An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England, Article XV, pp. 45ff.).

In other words, Ordination is sacramental, but it is not for all Christians and therefore is not on the same level as Baptism and Communion. So there's the basic outline of the meaning and purpose of ordination. If there had been news reporters around in the days of Joshua's ordination, they would have undoubtedly crowded around him and asked, "Joshua, how do you feel?"

While it's impossible for us to really know that, I do think it's possible to guess how Joshua might have felt. As someone who has been through this process personally, I can tell you that there is probably no experience that is as disconcerting, humbling or exciting as discerning a call to ministry and then being tested and finally ordained.

For many people, the call to ministry is deeply embedded in who they are as a person. Like the prophet, Samuel, they hear the call to ministry early in life and this calling becomes an essential life-long identity. Usually in this case, public acknowledgment through ordination is universally recognized by others and accepted as a 'fait acompli'. For someone like this, it's almost a relief to be ordained.

In other cases, the calling to ministry comes right in the midst of doing something else. Gideon was busy threshing wheat when God called him to deliver Israel from the Philistines. And remember that Moses was occupied with tending sheep on the backside of the desert when God called him.

Fr. Mark and I are species of the latter type. We were minding our own business as professional counselors when the Lord began to place within us a conviction that we were supposed to do something else.

For me, Fr. George Landry from Sparta, Tennessee was God's vehicle of calling. On January 1, 2001, Cindy and I were visiting with friends in St. Albans - folks we had come to know through the 8th Day Life Center ministry. Fr. George was also a guest and during our conversation about the 8th Day work, Fr. George pointed out that I really needed to have the sacramental aspect available in my ministry and that I should consider 'reading for holy orders.'

At that moment, what appealed to me about ordination was celebrating the Eucharist and pronouncing absolution during confessions. Church planting, preaching and administration were definitely not on my radar screen in 2001. But in 2006, as you well know, something happened. We were suddenly thrust together into formation of All Saints Anglican Church. And not only do I get the joy of celebrating the Eucharist, but all the joys and challenges of church leadership as well.

To paraphrase Winston Churchill, "Never have I been so wrong, so often, about so many things, in the sight of so many, since I became a minister."

Part of this I accept as going along with the turf, and part of it terrifies me.
Moses was not allowed to see the promised land because of one impulsive thing he did - striking the rock instead of speaking to it. Nothing is easier than to fail as a minister. Nothing is harder than to constantly face up to your weaknesses and to fix your mistakes.

On the other hand, nothing is cooler than to participate in what God is doing in the life of a congregation and a community. Do you think Joshua didn't have a Miller Time moment after the Battle of Jericho - oh yeah! And after he succeeded in bringing Israel into the land and settling them successfully, do you think he looked back with satisfaction on his life's work? I'm sure he did. Ordained ministry carries with it deep resposibility pain and even suffering, but deep, deep reward as well. And that's why it's so important to actually be ordained publicly.

Here are five things that happen during ordination according theologian Martin Chemnitz:

1) Public Testimony: ...the rite of ordination is nothing else than the kind of public testimony by which the call of that person who is ordained is declared before God and in His name to be regular, pious, legitimate, and divine.

2) Commitment of Ministry: By that rite, as by a public designation of declaration, the ministry is committed in the name of God and of the church to him who has been called.

3) Solemn Vow: By this very thing also, as by a solemn vow, he who has been called becomes obligated to the church in the sight of God to render the faithfulness in the ministry that the Lord requires in His stewards, regarding which He will also judge them. (I Cor. 4:2)

4) Authorization to Teach: The church is reminded that it is to recognize that this pastor has divine authority to teach, and to hear him in the name and place of God.

5) Church's Intercession: ...and this is the most important: That rite is to be observed for this reason, that the whole church might, by common and earnest prayers, commit to God the ministry of him who is called, that He, by his Holy Spirit, divine grace, and blessing, might be with his ministry. ( Chemnitz, MWS, Sec. 29, p. 136.)

This is, in essence, why Joshua had to be ordained before all the people. Again, even though his was not to be a priestly ministry, he needed all these five elements so that he could be effective. And you'll notice, if you study his life, that Joshua was one of the few leaders in the Bible who had no blot or stain on his ministry record. From first to last he was completely faithful. This I think points again to his role as a type of Christ, but I also find it encouraging to think that one can indeed faithfully discharge their duty as a minister over the course of a lifelong work. Billy Graham would be an example of long-term faithfulness in our own day.

Now, just a word about Women's Ordination. This comes out of the policy and resource notebook from the Anglican Mission and can also be found on the website. Here it is verbatim:

Summary of AM position on Women's Ordination:
"Based on a careful study undertaken by the Rt. Rev. Dr. John Rodgers, the Anglican Mission in America determined that the most faithful response to the witness of Scripture and its teaching on headship would dictate that women be ordained only to the diaconate. While recognizing that the Church is presently seeking further clarity in this matter, the important concept of "headship" proved to be the most critical issue for us as we developed our policy on the issue of women's ordination.

In 2007, the Anglican Mission expanded its structure at the request of Archbishop Kolini by creating the Anglican Mission in the Americas, an umbrella organization made up of three entities: The Anglican Mission in America (AMiA), the Anglican Coalition in Canada (ACiC) and the Anglican Coalition in America (ACiA). The Anglican Misson's umbrella organization embraces two countries (the US and Canada) as well as two positions on the ordination of women. The ACiC and the ACIA ordain women to the priesthood, as does the Province of Rwanda, while the AMiA maintains its policy of ordaining women only to the diaconate." ( AM website)

Again, all this relates back to the basic job of the ordained person: to shepherd the flock of God.
When the apostle Paul was traveling to Jerusalem for the last time, he stopped in Ephesus to say goodbye to the church (Acts 20:17-36). He describes is part his ministry among them:
"“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20 how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. ... 27 for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God." ...and then he admonishes them for the last time:

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood..."
It is my fervent hope that I and Mark and all who are called to ordained ministry within our church may live up to this high calling in Christ.

I'd like to end with an ordination prayer by an early church father, Clementina: (Clementina, Homilies, Hom. III. Ch. LXXII, ANF VII, p. 251).

O Thou Ruler and Lord of all, Father and God, do thou guard the shepherd with the flock. Thou art the Cause, Thou the Power. We are that which is helped; Thou the helper, the physician, the savior, the wall, the life, the hope , the refuge, the joy, the expectation, the rest, in a word, thou art all things to us. In order that we may attain eternal salvation, do thou co-operate, preserve, protect. Thou canst do all things. For thou art the Ruler of rulers, the Lord of lords, the Governor of kings. Do thou give power to the president to loose what ought to be loosed, to bind what ought to be bound. Do Thou make him wise. Do Thou, as by his name, protect the Church of Thy Christ as a fair bride. For thine is eternal glory. Praise to the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost to all ages. Amen.