Sermon by Pastor Mike Buttonnn
Give ‘em a Roll
Text: Acts 1: 15-17, 21-26
NRS Acts 1
15In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said,16"Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus--17for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry." 21So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us-- one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection." 23So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. 24Then they prayed and said, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen
25to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."26And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.
May the blessing of the Lord rest and remain upon you always; for the sake of Jesus the Messiah. Amen.
I have a big idea. It also happens to be a biblical idea, which means it could be dangerous, but here it goes.
As you well know, when a pastor leaves his or her congregation, the church then has to go into a call process. And talk about a lot of work! First, the church has to complete a comprehensive self-study. Congregations often spend months just gathering data and getting input from the congregation before they can even start putting pen to paper. Likewise, if a pastor wants to be considered for a call, she or he has to fill out extensive mobility forms. When I updated my mobility forms to be considered for this call to St. Paul’s, it took me a good 20-30 hours. Meanwhile, days are turning into weeks that are turning into months that are eating up the better part of a year. True, good things can happen in that time. In the call process a congregation can take the opportunity to rediscover their sense of mission, and prepare for the arrival of their new pastor. But again, this takes time. Right now in the ELCA the average call process runs about 9 months, or about the same amount of time it takes to have a baby. But now I know that this going to shock you, so hang on to your seats, because sometimes a call takes even longer than that. Now I know you won’t believe this but a congregation can even have to wait years for a new pastor. And in that time, well, stuff can happen. People get discouraged and frustrated and before you know it, there’s all kinds of craziness afoot.
So here’s my big idea. When it’s time to call a pastor, let the congregation consult among themselves and visit with the local bishop. Take a day or two for prayer and reflection, and then in consultation with the bishop’s office, let them settle on a couple of names of upstanding pastors. And then, -- cue image -- roll the dice. Or cut cards, or draw straws, or flip a coin. Then call a pastor.
According to this morning’s First Lesson, that’s exactly how the early church filled the spot left vacant by the traitor Judas. Jesus had called twelve apostles to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth, and to preserve that apostolic order Peter gathered the brothers and sisters, about 120 of them, to settle on a replacement. They apparently talked among themselves and came up with the name of two men who had accompanied the apostles “during the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us.” One was named Joseph, who was also known as Barsabbas and/or Justus, and the other fellow was named Matthias. They had a prayer, and then they rolled dice, with the lot falling to Matthias. Given the way Luke writes up his account in the Book of Acts, I’d guess the whole thing took about 15 minutes, tops. World’s fastest call process ever!
I don’t mean to suggest that these early believers were in any way careless or slipshod. They did the first century equivalent of due diligence. They considered only qualified candidates who had trained alongside them during the time of Jesus’ earthly ministry. Further, they prayed, and asked for the Lord’s guidance. And then in a holy roll of the dice, they let the Lord decide. There’s something we can learn from this.
Of course, this isn’t Jerusalem circa 33 a.d. when the whole church of God could fit in a space the size of our sanctuary. No, we don’t have candidates for ministry who interned under Jesus from his baptism in the Jordan to his ascension to the Father’s right hand. We have to be careful. We have to take it slowly. We have to interview, and run background checks, and cover all the possible bases, if only to make sure we don’t land ourselves in a lawsuit. But when all is said and done, we’re still the church, and the church still runs on faith.
When Peter and his compatriots rolled the dice to choose the 13th apostle, they believed that they were about the business of God. They were diligent, but not anxious, because they had faith that God would see God’s will done through them, one way or another. In that faith they could see something as terrible as Judas’ betrayal as all part of God’s plan to bring the love and mercy of Jesus Christ to the world. They could roll the dice and leave it up to God because they believed that their mission did not rest on their shoulders, but was in the hands of God.
What a message for the church today! At last week’s synod assembly, we heard a repeat of many of the same dismal statistics we heard the year before. Attendance is not trending up. Giving, to the synod at least, is going down. There are churches closing. There’s anxiety all over the place. In conferences, conventions, and assemblies across the country, church leaders, lay and clergy alike, are sweating buckshot over where the church is heading.
Are we going to make it?
Will we have the people and the money and the resources?
Will there be a new generation of servant leaders to carry on the mission?
How do you think those first apostles would answer?
Of course, we’re going to make it.
Of course, we’ll have whatever we need to do God’s work.
Of course, there will be new prophets, pastors, apostles, and servants of God to carry on God’s mission.
Why? Because it’s still God’s mission! We may fritter and fumble and fret ourselves into a frenzy, but the initiative is still with God, as it always has been.
Will the church of tomorrow look the way it does today? I doubt it. Will we still be singing my favorite songs? Maybe. But will the gospel continue to reach hearts, will the cry of justice go forth, will there be voices in the wilderness calling, “Make straight the way of the Lord?” Absolutely.
I don’t expect my big idea to get very far, and for good reason. I know we live in a very different world and a very different church from those first apostles. But what hasn’t changed is the abiding presence of God leading and God guiding God’s church in its God-given mission. That’s not an excuse for tempting the Lord our God and throwing ourselves off the Temple roof. But it is God’s permission for us to: Take heart. Have faith. (The dice are loaded.) God wins!
