In 1981 James Fowler, a Christian theologian, published a groundbreaking book on the subject of human spiritual growth. The book is entitled Stages of Faith: the Psychology of Human Development and the Quest for Meaning. Fowler suggests seven stages of faith, starting with that of the newborn and ending with that of the fully spiritually developed adult, someone who sees God in everyone and everything (a place very few ever reach).
“One of the marvelous things about community is that it enables us to welcome and help people in a way we couldn't as individuals. When we pool our strength and share the work and responsibility, we can welcome many people, even those in deep distress, and perhaps help them find self-confidence and inner healing.” ― Jean Vanier
Mark 3:31-35
Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”
In my 29 years of ordained ministry the highest compliment any church volunteer could receive was “s/he is a real doer!” But while what we offer to one another, what we offer to God, is of utmost importance, what is often missed is the why and the whom. Why are you doing what you are doing and for whom are you doing it? Despite the rather insecure suspicion that some may be doing things for “show” my experience is that is almost never the case. Rather, the concern I raise is less about that level of insecurity and more about reciprocity. Jesus repeatedly warns us (Luke 14) that doing for others because they do for us is not deep love, it is a kind of “tit for tat”, trying to do for those who do for us. Jesus called us to do for those who can’t return the favor, he says when we do that we are in essence doing things for Jesus (this is repeated many times in the Gospel).
Many of you know Glen the volunteer; looking after the sound (he could use an assistant…), Chair of the Board of Managers, the point person in the office who first engages our renters, the person you are likely to see as you walk in the door at 10 am and if you return later find him still here at 5 pm. Glen is relentless. And he manages to maintain a smile, a warmth, no matter what. Glen “is a real doer”.
But that is NOT why I admire Glen so much. Glen has a universal feeling about the other, he sees the face of God in everyone he meets. We have renters who attend Bethany because Glen treated them like family the first time he met them. We have groups who use the church who belong to different religions, Glen is always keen to learn more about them. And when people present themselves as unique, offering to be part of our community, Glen finds a way they can contribute and affirms them as they do so. At lunch time Glen shepherds those he can find around the building and puts them in his Honda Civic Odyssey (he and Carol call it “Homer”) and heads off for lunch. And if you really want to see Glen smile ask him about the Strum group that practice their guitar skills (he loves newcomers).
Glen works hard at the church and he does so without fanfare or need for praise. His salary of $0 will need to be adjusted for inflation.
If you are reading this and asking “why isn’t Kevin mentioning what others do, what I do” you may need to go back and read the first three paragraphs. It is not about you, me or Glen. It is about the Jesus we find in the other, and when we find people who offer this welcome, this affirmation, this openness to the Other we need to celebrate it. I learn from Glen’s witness each and every day (although he prefers more details than I do).
Two final things. 1) One day Glen asked Hedley where his mom was buried. Hedley explained that while he knew the name of the place he did not know where it was, Hedley had no way of ever getting there. Glen did his research. So on Friday Glen drove Hedley and his sister Julia out to see their mother’s grave. And Glen went a step further, he brought a brush and some soapy water to clean the headstone, it has been there for five years. I watched as Glen did this work of love as Hedley and Julia reminisced about their dear mom. After I took this photo of the three of them, this holy family of faith, we held hands and offered a prayer of gratitude. 2) Today, Saturday August 24th is Glen’s 70th birthday. As a member of Glen’s family please offer a prayer of thanksgiving for his ministry with and to us.
I know I have left something out or made some mistake. My aim here is not perfection, mine in writing this or Glen as a disciple, but rather to lift up someone who sees the universal love of God in the other, not just his own kin, his own friends, his own church or people who think like him. Glen sees the love of God in the other and we see the love of God in Glen. That is enough. And I am grateful for that. Amen.