“I’m trying to achieve more balance in my ministry,” said a young pastor.
I advised, “Balance is boring. What we call balance is the illusion that we are in control of our lives. When you die, you will at last be centered, balanced, and at peace. You’ll get there soon enough. For now, you are alive, and you’re working with Jesus. Love the ride!”
Toward the end of his long Doctrine of Creation (CD III, 4), Karl Barth notes that part of the power of Sunday is its quality as “interruption,” its “strangeness.” Every week Sunday surprises us by disturbing our placid, tranquil lives with resurrection and the ending of time as we have practiced it. Sunday, in Barth’s view, is not so much a day of rest as a day of pneumatological intervention. “The church must not allow itself to become dull, nor its services dark and gloomy. It must be claimed by, and proclaim the lordship of God…rather than the lordship of the devil or capitalism or communism or human folly and wickedness in general,” says Barth.
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Dullness is of the devil, the antithesis of an Easter faith and a restless, relentless Holy Spirit. This from the man who said, “Christians go to church to make their last stand against God.”
So I heard this sermon last week that began with, “Well, er, let’s get started. I struggled with what to say about our text for this Sunday. Let’s reflect for just a few minutes that…. I think the best way to begin is to say, in a manner of speaking, er….”
Three people keeled over in deadly stupor, hitting their heads on the backs of the pew as they went down. It was ugly, but the only interesting thing that happened during the whole service.
Why do Presbyterians have a Book of Order? It would take a stick of dynamite, or Pentecost, to disorder most Presbyterian congregations.
I’ve just had charges brought against me and some other bishops for allegedly violating some of the United Methodist Discipline’s provisions. The complaint charges that I’ve violated a rule. I say, “Me? Violate the Discipline? That’s preposterous! I love the Discipline! I rigidly obey the Discipline! It’s my most effective protection against the undesired incursions of the Holy Spirit!”
Happy Pentecost. Don’t let the Geist get you.
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William H. Willimon has been thrust by the Spirit to Birmingham, Alabama, where he is being boringly a bishop of the United Methodist Church in North Alabama.
