The period of intentional interim ministry is often compared to the story of the Exodus. The people are residing in Egypt- and yes, life has become much harder than it used to be when the Pharaoh remembered who Moses was- his trusted advisor, the one who foretold the famine following the seven years of feast, the one who caused grain and other foodstuffs to be stored to carry the people through those years of famine.
St. Andrew’s had many years of leadership with Bill Wieland as Rector. There were years when St. Andrew’s flourished and was widely known in Greencastle and throughout Putnam County in part through Bill’s visible presence in this area. The time came, though, for Bill to retire as rector. He served nearly 25 years as Rector of St. Andrew’s. But like it is for all of us, the seasons pass and the season comes when retirement is appropriate.
For those Israelites, the time of the good life in Egypt had been replaced with hard work and harsh taskmasters. They cried out for deliverance – and the Lord delivered those who listened to his voice, through Moses. God ordered them to put blood on the lintels of their door posts. The angel of death passed over the marked doorposts and those inside were given a new mission and a new place. But before they reached the Promised Land, they had to travel through the desert. And as we are all wont to do, they grumbled and complained when the road got rough. When life wasn’t as easy as they remembered it to be back in Egypt. “Why did you take us out of Egypt”, they cry. “Did you bring us out of that life only to have us die in the desert?” they ask. Frustrated with hardship and with no certainty about when they will in fact reach the Promised Land, the people turn away from God.
The people are impatient. They want a quick fix. Just like some people keep asking “when will the search committee be formed?” or “when will the new rector be called.” Impatience. I want what I want –when I want it. My time, not God’s time. In our anxiety about an unknown future, we strike out at others, impatient to get to the end. God is working in this place- and our times are in God’s hands. But we are also working in God’s times- not our times. God is not impatient even when we are.
Moses, their leader who led them through the sea, who brought forth water by striking his staff against the rock, Moses has gone up on the mountain to talk to God. Today we might say that our leadership has gone on retreat. “How dare they leave us alone!” cry the people. And in their frustration and their desire for a quick fix, the people ask Aaron, the brother of Moses and the chief priest, to make for them an idol – a golden calf. They give Aaron all their wealth- the gold jewelry to be melted down to make the golden calf. A visible, tangible symbol of the gods of the people around them. But God is watching and appalled at the impatience and the frustration of the people. “Go down at once”, God tells Moses. “The people have been quick to turn aside from the way that God commanded them.” God must have been terribly hurt and frustrated for God then says to Moses, “now let me alone so that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them.” Moses, like Abraham before him, challenges God begging God to “change your mind and do not bring disaster upon them. Remember your promises, God, to Abraham and Isaac and Israel, your servants.”
The interim period is a lot like the story of the Exodus. There has been good in the time that Bill was rector. But now it is time for a change and new leadership to be called. It is time to let Bill go – to let him live into the new season of his life. The period of grieving the past and living in the interim can be a wilderness experience. The future is not known. There are lots of variables. There may well be some rough – indeed some very rough- patches. There may well be times when it’s hard to love your neighbor who sees the possible future for St. Andrew’s in very different ways than you or I do. There may be time when God shakes his head and gnashes his teeth at our stubbornness or our unwillingness to let go of the past. The past is comfortable. The future not so much – or at least not yet because there are so many variables yet to be determined.
The story of the golden calf tells us a few things we ought to keep in mind while we are on this journey. Impatience is not helpful. Anxiety is not helpful. It’s normal – but it’s not helpful. When we get anxious because the future is unknown – that is Moses is delayed on the mountain- we need to take some deep
breaths – both literally and figuratively- and remember that God, through the Holy Spirit- is with us. Whether we see the Holy Spirit or whether we don’t, we can have faith that God is present and working in this place and for the benefit of St. Andrew’s. A quick-fix solution too often leads to disaster. Calling a new rector too soon may mean that St. Andrew’s has not taken the time to really come to terms with its past- the good and the challenging. Calling a new rector too soon may mean that St. Andrew’s hasn’t taken sufficient time to reflect upon its vision for the future. This is not the same church it was when Bill was called to be rector. The world has changed. Greencastle has changed. Some ministries have been put to bed and new ones have come to be. Maybe there are even more ministries yet to be birthed. So taking an appropriate amount of time to figure out where St. Andrew’s has been and where God is calling St. Andrew’s to go will inform the profile, will inform the gifts sought in the new rector, and will, if we let it, enrich the life that is yet possible in this place. Yes, it is important to acknowledge the leadership and faithfulness of Bill. Just as it was important for the people of Israel to acknowledge Moses. But Moses didn’t get to go with the people into the Promised Land. Just as I will not go with you into the future once a new rector is called. A new leader was raised up for that part of the journey for the Israelites – Joshua. Saying goodbye to Moses –or to Bill – doesn’t mean Moses – or Bill – is forgotten. But it is to say that retirement is a natural part of life. And new leaders are required for new times.
The golden calf came to be because the people were impatient and anxious. That led them astray – away from God, who was the true source of life and blessings – the true source of their journey from slavery to freedom. The golden calf represented the fears of the people – the desire for a tangible “thing” rather than the intangible God of their ancestors. When we can acknowledge and deal with our fears, we no longer need a golden calf. We can trust that God, through the Holy Spirit, has our best interests at heart. That God will lead us to that land of milk and honey if we put our trust – our faith – in the God who has called us out of the chaos of creation into a relationship of love. The golden calf came to be because the people felt stuck. They did not want to let the past be the past: cherished for the good times but recognized as the past. They were afraid of the future because so much was yet unknown. When we keep our focus on God, then we don’t need a golden calf.
We’re not the only ones in an interim period. The death of Steve Jobs leaves a huge hole in the company he founded. The business world is different from the church in many respects. But there are similarities. Some people are saying Apple will fail or at least decline without the vision of Steve Jobs at the helm. Others are saying that the succession plan put in place is a good plan and the new leadership will keep Apple going to better and better heights. Only time will tell. But remember that there was a time where Steve Jobs was ousted from Apple. There was a time when under his leadership the company faltered and nearly went bankrupt. Too much focus on any one person can be fatal to the enterprise. The enterprise- St. Andrew’s if you will – is bigger and more than any one leader, be it Bill or me or any priest. This is the church of the Lord, not the church of Bill or Jan or whoever the new rector is. This is God’s church – God’s table, not mine. We can, perhaps, take a page from Apple’s experience. Among the things that Apple has done is to create “Apple University” where up and coming employees can learn about Apple’s culture, decision-making process and be molded into the type of leadership that Apple believes it will need in the era following the death of Steve Jobs.
Part of what we’re about here at St. Andrew’s during this interim period is similar to what’s happening at Apple. This is a time for us to raise up new leaders- to give our existing leaders a chance to reflect on their ministry past, present and future. Maybe some of them would like to take a breather. Maybe some of them would like to let one ministry they’ve led “forever” go and investigate a new one that has caught their eye. But make no mistake- this is not the time for a golden calf. This is a time to keep our eyes and hearts fully focused on God. “Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” – whine the children from the back seat of the car. “Not yet”, answers the driver- “not yet.” “How much longer?” And if the driver is truthful – the answer may well be “I don’t know but we’ll get there.
Be patient. Trust in the Lord.” Or taking a bit from Paul: “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice…. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:1-9). Do not worry about anything. Pray and make your cares and concerns known to God. God hears. God’s peace will fill your heart if you will let it. Rejoice. Our God is a God who walks with us even when we are most impatient and anxious. Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice.
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