And so it began. This story from Acts is the source from which I was ordained a deacon. At that time, it’s fair to correlate all the disciples with modern-day bishops or the equivalent. They soon realized that they had too much ‘church management’ to do and were, in fact, neglecting the widows, orphans, and poor, while they tended the flock already gathered. In response, they sought out people to continue the ministry to the people outside the flock already gathered. Seven were gathered, and we hear the most about Stephen, stoned to death for his prophetic pesky messages, and Phillip who converted and was converted by the eunuch.
My own ‘call story’ is one I wouldn’t have believed if it hadn’t happened to me. Back in 1997, we had a new fiery bishop, who’d come to visit our church on her regular rounds of all churches. She stood in the pulpit, and I way in the back in the choir loft. In the middle of her sermon, I saw something that could only be described as a whoosh, coming up the aisle from the pulpit towards me. I looked around, and my fellow singers were blithely listening, oblivious to this thing. As a strong logical, linear thinker, this is not a realm in which I dwell.
I had a meeting with my priest a few days later, that I’d set up weeks before because I was feeling that my spiritual relationship with God was like an old married couple: solid, but a little boring. Upon meeting my priest, he asked about my underwhelming relationship, and all I could do was say, “Um, about that boring bit. . . “ He chuckled and said God’s got a great sense of humor and timing.
I was hoping he’d tell me what it meant, and he said that no, that was my job, to think and pray and wonder about why then, why her, why that. Hmm. I walked around for months feeling like the bird from “Are You My Mother?”, wondering if everything I saw was the reason for something I didn’t understand. I was getting discouraged, with no more theophanies (human experiences of God), and no understanding of why then, why that.
About that time the same bishop was going to return for another visit to our church, and to give kids a chance to ‘confirm’ their baptism, which occurred on their behalf as infants. My son was at the right age for that confirmation, so we signed up for him to be confirmed, and I’d renew my baptismal vows at the same time. So we went to weekly confirmation classes.
It was during one of those classes I figured out why. The priest was explaining the difference between bishops, priests and deacons, explaining that bishops oversaw large areas, priests oversaw smaller areas on behalf of the bishop, and deacons made sure the system continued to worry about and care about and remember the needs of the least, the last and the lost, or the widows, orphans and poor. Deacons care for the people in need, and also encourage and enable the churched folks to get out there and help too. He said if deacons had a motto it would be that they comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. I was immediately lost. Hmm. I can do that. I can do that really well, especially the afflicting part.
It took me several weeks to muster up the courage to again talk with my priest. Um, about that deacon thing. I think I might be called to be a deacon. He smiled, and asked me what took me so long to figure that out. Apparently, I’m thick and need whooshes, and mottos, and decades of life experiences to figure it out. After eight years of prayer, study, and discernment, I was ordained a deacon.
This morning, I’m thinking about all of the unordained deacons out there, people called to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Whether you’re ordained or not, Christian or not, Episcopalian or not, we are all called to serve. And if you have the gift to do so, afflict the comfortable among us, so they can receive the great rewards of serving too.
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