For the last few weeks, my friends have put up with my peppering our conversations with one liners from Tea Leoni, the star of the television series Madame Secretary. She plays the character of Elizabeth McCord, a former CIA analyst and political science professor who becomes the US Secretary of State and later the first female president. If you have not seen this series, you can find it on Netflix. But be prepared. Like West Wing, it is a show where the players make decisions based on ethics and not on power or ego. Imagine that!
In one of the last shows of the series, when President McCord is being investigated for impeachment, she is called out of the proceedings to handle a crisis with China. China was posturing to move its ships with huge missiles into a restricted area thereby being in position to be able to reach not only our country but also other countries that are our allies. She is told that the Chinese President is embarrassed and worried of losing face because one of his naval officers had gone rogue and attacked an American ship killing 25 American soldiers. He did not want to look weak by admitting that mistake publicly and by not moving forward with this hostile move. Especially in lieu that McCord was a woman. Here are her exact words: So he'd rather blow up the world than bow to a girl?
Faced with the possibility of starting a nuclear war, McCord looks for a compromise…. And she found one. She will withdraw the American ships blocking the China military from crossing into the coastal territory that the Chinese president plans to inhabit… if he will redirect his ships with the statement that she blinked first. She shows weakness by allowing him to save face… among his people and the world. But in her actions that maybe to China she shows weakness, she makes a power move that saves the world from war.
In his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul is making the same kind of nod towards using weakness. He is obviously responding to some type of conflict with the church in Corinth .. we are not privy to the issue he is having with them and only get to read his response to the problem. But from his response, probably some new people have come to Corinth and are questioning Paul’s legitimacy of leadership…. and are justifying their own leadership based in their charismatic experience. His answer, then, is to re-establish his legitimacy with them.
Paul is saying to them: OK guys. You say that you have seen all of these signs.. and revelations which make you feel powerful and important. I get it. I can boast that I have too. I have seen things that no mortal is even allowed to repeat! But this is not what makes a leader of the church. This is not what is important, getting caught up in ego and self importance.
For in being caught up in our own self-importance, we loose sight of the real truth and power. I think it is a bit ironic to speak about this on the day that we celebrate our beginning of the great experiment of this country… a government based on independent thinking and freedom and self reliance. All which are very important. Yet, we cannot forget that none of this would be possible if not for God and grace.
Paul gives us a beautiful metaphor of being mindful of this gift of grace. Whenever he becomes too elated and his ego takes over, the thorn in his side reminds him of his humanity. And when he prays to God to remove it… that it is becoming a nuisance, God says no. The thorn stays. The thorn stays so that you will remember who is truly the powerful. The thorn stays in the form of weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. It is a reminder that these things do not matter. For it is through weakness that power is made perfect. It is through the reminder of our humanity, that we remain humble and remember that all that we have and all that we do is through the power and grace of God.
Power is made perfect in weakness. Think about that. I asked a priest who has successfully led a congregation down in Savannah for 40 years what he attributes his success to. Being vulnerable, he said. He does not try to hide his weaknesses. He is not trying to be perfect…. But he strives to always honor God so that the power of God may dwell in him so that he can better serve.
God does not give us superpowers, even though I do love to wear my shirt that has all of the super heroes on it and Jesus telling them how HE saved the world!
Your priests don’t have super powers… your vestry members do not have super powers….not even Deacon John. And I am sorry to tell you… but none of you do either. But what this church does have… is a group of people who offers their best… our best, recognizing that God works through us. That is what makes us powerful and successful. Our success does not come from our own power but from God being active in our lives.
We will not back away from effort and expect God to do all of the work. But we will step forward and do all that we can trusting that God’s grace is sufficient … and knowing that God’s power will do its work even in the midst of our weakness.
I know that we all want our lives to get back to some semblance of the way things were PC… pre-Covid. But maybe this is how God wants us to be. Maybe we need to embrace the fact that church will never be the same and that maybe now we throw ourselves upon the power of God and say, this is who we are. We may not be the richest church nor the largest… yet…. But we are a group that gathers around God’s work and sacraments and seeks to do God’s will. We will continue to be a force in this community with God’s grace working within us.
And today, we gather to celebrate the two main sacraments of the church: Baptism and the Eucharist. Each is an outward sign of God’s grace that empowers us to continue to do Kingdom work.
When praying through the scriptures this week, I thought how perfect Paul’s words are for our baptism today of Liam. Baby Liam, a small, fragile child of God, whose parents are giving back to God their gift from Him: And all here today will be witnesses and take part in the commitment to bring Liam up in the Church… to raise him to know God’s promise. And to learn that our strength and power comes not from our pride or ego but from community … this community….and God’s grace.
He is our future. Amazing that one so small and vulnerable can carry such an important call. And it is ours to be sure he is raised in this community, understanding that his gifts come not from his hard work but from God. Liam is still vulnerable and weak, depending on his parents to keep him safe and to provide for him. Just as the 12 depended on God when sent out among the people to share the gospel. Jesus sent them out with great authority over the unclean spirits with only the most basic supplies: a change of clothes and a pair of sandals… no bag, no bread, and no money so that they would therefore depend on the kindness of others and the province of God. Because we are told today with weakness and humility, there is power in God.
Welcome, Liam, to this wonderful, weak, powerful community of faith. Amen.
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