Matthew 9:35-38 -- A prayer answered

Cornelius, a snowstorm would not keep us away from this event. Not even an Eagles’ playoff game could keep us away! We have waited too long for this: the day of your ordination. You are a prayer answered.

Congratulations to Emanuel congregation on this wonderful day, congratulations to the SEPA Synod on this wonderful day for the continuing celebration from the ordination of Carlton Rodgers last Sunday. Congratulations and thanks to Pastor Bill Erat and Lutheran Children and Family Services (now Liberty) for your faithfulness. On behalf of the Faculty and students of LTSP, please let me assure you that we too rejoice on this day. Neely, this is a great day for the ELCA -- for the whole Church.

As I stand here and look out on this dear assembly of saints, I cannot help but proclaim that the Scriptures that we heard read are fulfilled in your hearing and witness today. As I understand from Pastor Susan Ericsson and Bishop Almquist with your ordination, Neely, all the Lutheran congregations in this Conference have pastors. In a plentiful harvest you are a prayer answered. The harvest is great and God has provided the laborers to go out into Philadelphia. In this Epiphany season in which we move from the celebration of God With Us to proclaiming the Messiah in Word and Deed, we can proclaim that God is acting through the spirit among us.

The retirement of the mission investment fund loan certainly is a wonderful demonstration that here in SEPA we operate as the body of Christ. A Social Ministry Organization, a Synod, and Congregation. The generosity of so many has retired a debt that hung over the heads of this congregation for too long. Now we can look forward to renovation and growing into this building and I hope, dear Bishop, that the same generosity pertains. This is a big building and the Gospel needs to fill it. I for one feel that that we need one or two Lutheran tall-steeple churches in Philadelphia. As Dr. Jeremiah Wright said recently at a conference, "Such churches are not only a statement from the past or an expression of grandeur but a public witness that Lutherans (my addition) are in the heart of the city and humanity to stay," and I would add that we are one body from the rural areas to the suburbs--from highway 95 to 676 -- to 76 and 476 -- to 176 -- from South Street to Springfield Avenue to Main Street. We Lutherans do not hide all our churches in cul-de-sacs and side streets and on hills. We don’t cocoon from the public issues, from the ills of society, and urban challenges. Churches like Emanuel must rise like butterflies. To some extent they belong to the whole body and are everyone’s responsibility -- not one, but seventy. This is why we are all here around you, Neely. Bishop Almquist, this synod has been faithful and a leader in mission in the City. You have hung in there. (Susan, will you stand up and accept our thanks). Today’s service is a kind of crown for your faithfulness and the Bishop’s wisdom. We have made our mistakes, but why should we be any different than the 12 disciples or the seventy who came back to Jesus confessing their victories and failures? The important thing is that we learn, Neely, with prayer and fasting that it is the Devil and not Emanuel’s steeple that we will see falling like lightning.

Praise be to God! We have a historic congregation within a stone’s throw of Independence Hall so that the sound of justification -- the Good News -- may ring forth along with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness to all of Philadelphia and the suburbs and towns that surround it. Like Old Zion, Holy Communion, Trinity Germantown and Independence Hall, we have roots so that the missions of all our churches are rooted and hark back to these mother churches -- daughters of our founders. To all other churches Emanuel stands for hope. How often when I fly back home to Philadelphia have I looked out the plane window for Emanuel’s steeple? You can see it by air. You can see it by land from the highways. You can see it by sea from the river, and many seafarers set their sights on it in times past.

We all lose a part of the body and drift with fear and uncertainty when urban churches do not prosper, because we know that the future will be just as unkind everywhere if we do not learn how to do mission in the City. There is a kind of historic authority—similar to the authority Jesus gives to the disciples -- similar to the authority that the Church bestows on you today, Neely, to preach the Good News of the Kingdom and heal people from every kind of disease and sickness. Not that we expect miracles from you, Neely, well maybe we do. We do know that the faithful proclamation of the Word in community and the administration of the sacraments, and pastoral care do heal people -- they serve as medicines for eternity.

Neely, you have a great spirit: you are a strong biblical preacher, a proclaimer of the Word. After Pastor Gilbert heard you preach on New Year’s Eve, he called me to accuse me of hiding you from the Church. Now the secret's out and you will soon be publicly ordained. May God take some of the spirit on you and put it on those you serve to bear the burdens along with you that you will not bear it all by yourself. You have all the marks of a wonderful pastor: a spiritual life, a compassionate heart and imagination, graciousness in relating to people, the ability to be collegial and depend on others for support. (I want to make one small addition to your biography in the program to note that it was Pastor Louisa Groce who helped to identify you with Martha [Thomas] and me as a future leader, as you yourself led from the pew). You shifted beautifully from one mentoring pastor to another learning from us both. You have a great family. You have competed the TEEM program and here we are.

But there will be times when you will like Moses cry to the Lord, "I am not able to carry all this people alone, for they are too heavy for me." First, please know that in part the seventy is all of us. More than seventy churches in the body. The city and a region. A pastor in a conference, a congregation in a synod, a synod in a Church. Second, you must continue to raise up leaders in the congregation who will help to bear the many administrative and pastoral burdens. Resist the temptation to do it all yourself. Who are these laborers? The texts are clear -- it cannot just be the pastors. You have many gifts, Neely, but not all of them.

The harvest is abundant: Jesus turns the problem into an opportunity, writes one scholar. The Laborers are few. "This is so necessarily and permanently, because pastoral work is psychically straining even when it is not physically demanding." Therefore pray, Neely: Only a community that nourishes its faith through powerful prayer is apt to receive and to generate more pastoral workers. Pray the Lord of the harvest to send you leaders from the congregation to gather many worshippers and workers here for God’s reign. Know that the Lord’s power is not limited.

In closing let me say, Neely, that as you preach the Gospel of forgiveness and administer the sacraments, please know that they are also given for you. Here the word of grace and forgiveness for you. Know that God’s Church surrounds you, and we are here for you. As you are a prayer answered, we will be praying for you and this congregation, hoping for you, encouraging you, and praising God for you.

Amen.

The Rev. Dr. Philip D. W. Krey, President
The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia
Preached at the ordination service of Cornelius D. Eaddy, January 19, 2002 at Emanuel, Philadelphia.