Sermons
"The Bleeding Woman and the Carrot"
O Gracious God-Bless us-bless this night-and most of all --on this night--
bless your
servant Andrea-in your Holy name we pray--Amen.
(Please be seated.)
Good Evening!
1. A biennial plant of the parsley family,
with fernlike leaves and umbels of white flowers;
2. The fleshy,
orange-red root
of cultivated strains,
eaten as a vegetable
-in Latin: Daucus carota.
A root vegetable
-green on top
-orange on the bottom;
bound to the earth-
known and loved
for all that is below the surface
-the carrot.
Who knew
that our secretary Leslie's
reworking of the
traditional British title of Curate
-to Carrot-
would have iconic possibilities?
The Carrot-
known and loved for what is underground
-below the surface.
***** ***** *******
For twelve long years
the woman bled-
not monthly but daily.
She breathed and she bled.
Ritually unclean-
liturgically outcast
socially unwanted.
All her money
she spent on doctors
but to no avail
-no potion,
no herb,
no prayer could staunch the flow.
For twelve years she bled.
She lived her life
-on the edge
-persona non grata
to those who knew-
and fearful of those
had yet to find out.
From the surface she looked
as you and I
but underneath she held her secret.
Then came the day-
the day Jesus came to town.
She had heard talk
of his ability to heal-
to cure-
she had heard them say
that he just might be
something more
than a wonder worker,
more than a prophet.
That he-
might be-
the One-
the Holy One.
And so-in the crowd
with hundreds around
-she pushes her way through-
willfully violating
the laws and customs of the day
-touching others,
rubbing her garments against theirs
making countless ones
ritually unclean-
and still she pushes on
-until the hem of his robe
-the edge of his garment
is within her grasp.
She reaches,
she touches,
she pulls, and
then she stops.
In that instant,
that tangible moment she stops-
she ceases to bleed-
it ceases to flow.
Oh the risk-
the risk she takes to heal
what is underneath-
concealed below her cloak.
Jesus says,
"Who is it-who is it
who has touched me?"
The apostles-jostled about
by the sea of humanity all around
-roll their eyeballs in disbelief
-"Master-look around
there are hundreds
-who knows who has touched you."
But Jesus ever insistent
-longing to recognize
the one who took the risk
-the one who has claimed
some of his power
says again,
"Who is it who touched me?"
The woman
realizing
that no more can she be hidden
-kneels before him-
for all to see and tells her story
-for all to hear-
and ends-by declaring
-with tears of relief in her eyes
"But now-I bleed no more."
Their eyes connect
and he commends her
for the risk she took,
"Your faith-the risk you took-
has made you well.
Go in Peace."
This woman takes a risk
-the biggest risk of all
-to go below
the surface appearances of her life
and in front of hundreds of people
she seeks healing and wholeness.
To do this she risks shame
and public humiliation.
She risks it all
to be healed and to encounter holiness.
In that moment of risk-
she embodies the essence of priesthood.
To claim our vulnerabilities
and move toward health-
to name our wounds and
publicly-openly
seek God's healing holiness.
Henri Nouwen once said,
"Ministry means
the ongoing attempt
to put one's own search for God,
with all the moments of
pain and joy,
despair and hope,
at the disposal of those
who want to join this search but do not know how." (Creative Ministry)
To put one's own search for God,
with all the moments of pain and joy,
despair and hope
at the disposal of those
who want to join the search but do not know how.
This woman
from oh so long ago-
leads by embracing her vulnerabilities
and publicly seeking and reaching for God.
As this woman from long ago shows us
Minsistry-priesthood
is above all not a private event
-it is a coming forth-- a coming out
--before everyone
Jesus calls her forth-
and out in front of all those people
-she asserts her faith
and
affirms her healing
and he blesses her.
Nothing under the cover of darkness
-that which is below the ground-
buried deep--is now above ground-
for all to see.
Ministry-priesthood
is about digging down below the surface
and bringing forth
that which what is buried,
rooted deep within our souls--
Taking the risk of doing this publicly
so that others might do the same.
Here is woman-
who risks before the community-
- who risks going deep-
- below the surface-
- to the meat and essence of who she is
embracing the her scars and wounds
and then seeking health and holiness.
Priesthood, Andrea-is about taking risks
-public risks-
so that you and the community
might continually move toward
the love of Jesus Christ.
Priesthood-is about
naming your own pain,
owning your own doubts,
claiming your own fears and
setting them before God
so that others may see you
and do the same.
Priesthood ---is
leading by doing
so that others may have the courage
to do the same.
Andrea-stand with me-
Andrea-you are much beloved in this community
by me and by this
great cloud of witnesses
gathered here this evening.
You are a grounded rooted leader.
We easily see your delight in life,
Your eloquence in preaching,
Your gracefulness in liturgy,
Your competency with all things financial,
and your compassion for all of us
-particularly for the teenagers among us-
this we know-this we see.
I believe these talents
are the green tendrils waving above the surface
gifts that will no doubt
be a vital to your ministry.
But there's more.
The gifts that lie below the surface
-gifts you may see
as vulnerabilities or liabilities.
Like
the fear you have
that we'll all figure out
that you are frequently scared to death.
Or--
That nagging sensation
that you may
somehow be unworthy
to stand at the table
and bless the bread and wine.
The worry that this life
you and God have constructed
will suddenly come tumbling down
To this I say-claim these fears
and honor them as gifts.
Remember the unclean woman and have courage.
Emulate her-
embrace your vulnerabilities, liabilities
- for your ability to embrace
- them will enable us to embrace our own.
This night Andrea
you are being ordained a priest
-to take risks
to go below the surface
to go to the root and essence of your life
so that we might do the same.
This night Andrea
you are being ordained a priest
-so that you might show us
how to take risks
-to show us how to risk
reaching for the saving power of Jesus Christ.
This night Andrea,
you are being ordained a priest-
and to this we say-Thanks be to God-
Amen.