2014 Bishop’s Homily

You Gotta Serve Somebody.

This is both a statement of fact and the title of a 70's folk song. Written and sung by Bob Dylan in 1979, his performance of this song won him a Grammy that year for Best Male Rock Vocal.

Thinking back about Bob Dylan, I recall that I was a bit young for the first phase of his music and then, in the seventies, I was more of a Carole King and James Taylor kind of guy. With a little research though, I learned that Mr. Dylan had written the song as part of an album that was dedicated to a religious conversion. The lyrics are simplistic, but it is the refrain that catches my attention:

"You may be an ambassador to England or France You may like to gamble, you might like to dance You may be the heavyweight champion of the world You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls.

But you're gonna have to serve somebody. Yes, indeed, you're gonna have to serve somebody, It may be the devil or it may be the Lord But you're gonna have to serve somebody."

Two things strike me about the chorus of this song: the observation that everyone ends up serving someone and the assertion that if we aren't sure we are serving the Lord, our service might be at cross purposes with God's desires -serving the devil, if you will.

After two-plus decades as a priest, six years a bishop, and fifty-eight years as a human being, I remain convinced that the most basic human need is to believe that we have value in this world. Theologically, we know the truth -

We are beloved children of the Creator of the universe, Our goodness comes from God's goodness, and we are the objects of Jesus' resurrection love.

Yet, as chronic self-doubters, most of us find it impossible to accept the wonderful truth of it all, inhibited further by the slings and arrows of outrageous humanity which dampen our ability to perceive worth in any form.

Over the years, many of us have found sources of value in the institutions we belonged to and supported. Both secular and religious, these chosen communities fed us emotionally and spiritually. And, straight-forwardly, by helping them be valuable institutions, we gleaned value for ourselves.

Yet, as Bob Dylan sang elsewhere, The Times They Are A-Changin’. Our congregational experiences are changing. In some places, we no longer host a critical mass of people to accomplish even the traditional and familiar tasks of inside-the-doors ministry. In others, we are finding that new members, while gaining nurture from the worshipping body, are seeking opportunities outside the parish to make a difference in the world.

I've come to believe that our changing congregational energies may be leading us to a more profound realization of where it is we will find value and meaning. Simply put, we gotta serve somebody.

It comes down to prophet Bob Dylan's poetic truth: it is our nature to serve, but that service must pull us beyond our usual calculations. God-focused service should require us to take emotional risks. Maybe financial ones, too. Certainly, we'll have to give up more preconceptions that we thought necessary.

This is how it will work: with clearer vision and hearts broken open, we will look into the faces of those we serve and see the face of Christ looking back at us. When our eyes meet, we will find the meaning and value that no amount of time in a pew can give us.

For our greater good and God's greater glory.

Amen.