GOSPEL MESSAGE & RECORDING
The Apostle Paul in his epistle today, taken from 1 Cor. 1: 21 says, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” Before we enter into understanding the text, we must identify the word called or calling. Calling is considered, in the Biblical sense, to be the direction given by God to a person to enter into the ministry of the Church. Calling is essentially directed toward the three-fold ministry -- Bishop, Priest and Deacon. However, it is more than that. “Calling” or “one who is called” can be a non-clerical position. For example, Sunday school teacher, Director of Minister or small group leader, just to name a few. Whatever it might be, clerical or non-clerical, the idea is the same, that people who minister in the Church in various capacities are called from diverse backgrounds that might not be suitable in the eyes of many. This is so because in the corporate world there are specific requirements that a person must have in order to attain a job or advance in their career. It’s not to say that such requirements are not there in the church. But rather, that what is typical in the world is not so typical in the Church. For example, God called, St. Paul to the ministry, eventhough he was involved in the murder of Christians. God called the Apostles, who for the most part were fishermen. The Apostles were not the highly esteemed Jewish elite but were from among the common man. Everyone basically came from a humble background.
If someone is called it does not mean they have their path paved for them by God. A calling simply means that God gave us the privilege to serve Him. We can and may reject it by our actions. So, there is a human response that is required for a “calling” from God.
Another factor that has to be considered since we are on the subject of those who are “called by God” is that because there was this idea of everyone coming from an ordinary background -- not might, not noble, not wise according to the flesh, there was a sense of equality among the leaders and the people of the Church. I have to make a distinction here: honor vs. exalt
Honor: honoring someone is to give them respect and love that they deserve. It might be that they did something exceptional or accomplished something extraordinary and so we honor them. Honor can also simply come with age. We honor those who are older than us. We honor service persons in the military. During COVID-19 we honored the doctors, nurses, therapists and hospital workers. Honoring others is health for a good society. Likewise, in the Church, we honor our Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Monks, Nuns and Theologians and certain Lay Leaders, to mention a few. So, honoring others is a good thing and should continue. However, exalting others is not healthy.
Exalt: exalting someone means that we place them on a pedestal - high and mighty, above and beyond the attention that is necessary. Often this type of exalting is not only unhealthy for those who are doing the exalting but also for those receiving the exalting. It can be a soul destroyer for some people, because it builds up pride and egotism. The only person that should be exalted is Jesus Christ and Him alone. We should not even exalt the saints. They have made mistakes and could cause us to be disappointed. For example, St. Gregorious of Parumala was known for his anger, especially at his priest. For some of us, this might be a deal-breaking for sainthood; but again, no one is perfect, except Jesus Christ. St. Cyril of Alexander is nicknamed the “gangster among the saints.” No one in the See of Alexander messed with St. Cyril. He was a harsh ruler during his time. Though he had that side of him, he was a great theologian and defender of the faith. So, for those reasons, we honor him and consider him a saint.
All Are Equal:
Since we honor and don’t exalt, all are equal in the eyes of God and within His Church. A Bishop is equal to a Priest and a Priest is equal to a Deacon and others working in ministry. No one is greater than the other. All are on the same plane. This is hard for us to accept, because in our Church we do a lot of exalting. We should all work together as one team.
Humility Is Key:
Humility is the key to faithfulness in ministry. Our Lord was the perfect example. Our intelligence, organizing skills, speaking skills, teaching skills, chanting skills and singing skills, without humility, will end up in failure. A car that needs unleaded gas cannot run on diesel. It will eventually destroy the car. Likewise, those in ministry, who are called.
Let the Compliments Role Off:
Being in any role in the ministries of the church we are bound to receive a compliment. We have to be able to let the compliments role off our shoulders. If we leave it there, it can become a tool that the evil one uses to build our ego and pride. Compliments are nice. And in my opinion, it is necessary for a healthy society, because we need to acknowledge others for their hard work and dedication. But for the one receiving the compliment it is necessary that he or she say thank you, and not reject it, or try to deflect it. In the end, a compliment is a way for someone to be thankful to God and not to themselves.