TRANSCRIPT:

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of all our hearts be pleasing in your sight, O God, my Rock and my Redeemer – Amen.

I feel like I have been saying this a lot to you in the past few weeks, but I’ll say it again: I’m glad to be with you…I’m just sorry it’s under these circumstances.

Later today, family, friends and this community (global community, turns out) will hold a memorial service on Zoom for the Rev. Vickey Gibbs.  

I knew Rev. Vickey.  As I’ve shared many of you, she was one of the 1st friends I made when I moved to Houston 4 years ago.  I loved hearing Vickey preach, learning from her, receiving communion from her and (like many of you) being asked and tasked with new opportunities for service and growth.  

Which is why it does not surprise me that I’m back in a pulpit for the first time since graduating seminary in 2000.  It does not surprise me because Vickey was always pushing me (subtly and not so subtly) to embrace my ministry, my call.  As I’ve met with some in small groups on Zoom, I’ve learned that Rev. Vickey pushed, pulled, inspired, empowered and “manipulated” (for good, not evil)  you too.  

Since her passing, you’ve shared stories about having an idea and running it to Rev. Vickey.  She met your excitement then gave it back to you with great joy – empowering you to “go for it!” and “have at it”.  Some of you even wondered how she “convinced you to ____” [head up that project, join that committee, organize that team, lead that study or sing that song].  

I’ve heard many of you wonder: “Who will fill Vickey’s shoes now?”  The answer is simple: YOU.  Don’t take my word for it.  We hear the words in the scripture reading today.  Paul writes: YOU are Christ’s body.  

Sometimes, when I read the Bible, I like to notice what the writer didn’t say, as much as what he did say… Here, Paul doesn’t say: YOU – the one in good standing, YOU – the one went to seminary, YOU – the clean cut,well-spoken, the ONE right out of  Central Casting…(where have I heard those words before…?)  Paul doesn’t create categories or make distinctions here – he simply says: YOU, You are Christ’s body.  

In that, I hear Jesus in the upper room, say to his disciples / his friends: THIS is my body.  With the words of Paul, I now hear: “YOU are His body…” .    

Ah – the pressure to fill Vickey’s shoes –  IT’S ALL UP TO ME…IF I DON’T, WHO WILL?  IF I DON’T…THEN IT WON’T GET DONE RIGHT…  Have you ever had these (unhealthy) thoughts?  Assuming responsibility – picking up something that doesn’t belong to you, start fixing something that no one else deems “broken” and then getting upset b/c they don’t appreciate your hard work.  

Thank goodness Paul says, “nope…it’s not all up to you…”  You are PART of the WHOLE.  It’s not ALL up to you.  It doesn’t rest ALL on your shoulders.  I’m a part, you’re a part, he / she / they / them all parts making up the WHOLE body.

“Yeah…but my part’s better right?”  Have you ever had that (unhealthy) thought? Comparing parts (as it were).  Who’s bigger?  Competing for greatness – Who’s Better?  More important?  

Thank goodness, Paul doesn’t play here either.  I love the way The Message translation puts it: “You’ve heard of positions like apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle-workers, healers, prayer-warriors, interpreters and so on…It’s obvious by now that Christ’s church is a complete Body and not one part better than another…it’s not all apostle, it’s not all prophet,  it’s not all healer…and yet, you keep competing for so-called important parts.”

The body isn’t just the head…the body is just the eye…the body isn’t just the stomach or knee…the body must assemble and function together to work!

There was a time, not too long ago, that I didn’t feel much like part of the body of Christ.  Not because I didn’t want to be – I grew up a preacher’s kid and I was a good one.  I loved going to church, Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, GA’s, choir, camp – NOT handbells, really hated handbells – but other than that, I loved being part of the body of Christ.  

Then, one day, I realized I was gay and I believed (maybe I was told, maybe I overheard) but I got the message loud and clear: I could not be part of the body of Christ.  So I left.  I walked away.  For 15 years+ I was on my own – body of Christ be damned.  Church people are the worst.  Just like that, I went from being the dutiful older brother proudly at his father’s side to the prodigal child making up for lost time.  I went to bars, walked down Bourbon street, played roulette in Vegas, drank an entire bottle of Riesling at an oyster roast – which I later puked an entire bottle of Riesling and several dozen oysters.  I even tried being an atheist (but I was too chicken).  In the midst of all of my party’n and all my pain – feeling rejected, abandoned and sorry for myself – I could still hear God calling: Come Home, Come Home, ye who are weary, come home…

It was people like Rev Vickey that reminded me: YOU are the body of Christ and NO ONE can take that from you.  You are not more important or less important – you are oh so important.   You are not more valuable or less valuable – you are oh so valuable.

So I came home – just like the Prodigal Child, The father received me with great joy.  

But, not long after – the call to Come Home turned into the call to Get Busy.  Get in the game.  You have a part to play and we’re missing it when you’re not playing it.  

By losing Vickey, we lost a heavy-hitter, play-maker, a huge part of our Body.  Is this what the disciples felt after losing Jesus?  We listened to her.  We counted on her.  We followed her like little ducks waddling around.  And when she determined it was time to cross an uncomfortable and controversial “street” – we followed right behind.  She taught us.  Fed us.  Walked with us.  Blessed us.  And now she’s gone…what now?  

After Jesus died, the disciples returned to the upper room where just last night, Jesus broke bread with them and said, “This is my body” and now his body, his life, is buried.  

Feeling so abandoned.  So alone.  Directionless.  

Two things the disciples didn’t know then and we know now: (1) for every Good Friday there is an Easter Sunday.  We serve a God of Resurrection and Life – the “Come Back Kid”.  So whatever horrible, awful, unacceptable event that occurs in our lives – it is not the end – it’s for now / not forever.  We are a rise up people.  

and (2) God and Jesus gave us God-self in the form of a spirit, a Holy Spirit.  Unlike Jesus who chose to obey most of the laws of physics…the spirit of God is limitless, given to you, whispering, inspiring, comforting and challenging.  The very presence of God, present with you always.  

In John 14, Jesus tells his disciples: “I’m not going to leave you the way you’re used to being left…feeling abandoned and alone, hopeless and in despair.  I’m leaving behind a spirit to keep teaching you and reminding you of our time together…”

Even with the Spirit’s help, it’s not easy to be a people of Resurrection when we can’t even be in the same room, consoling each other – hugging, touching and reconnecting our parts to feel whole again.

In tough times like these, it’s easier to disconnect and leave.  Many of Jesus’s disciples did that early on in his ministry.  John 6 tells us that Jesus had more than just the 12 with him.  And one day he was saying some pretty tough to hear and, “…because of this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer went with him…”  So Jesus asks the remaining 12: You want to go too?  And Peter answers Jesus with a question (one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible): Where would we go…?  You have the answers to life itself.  

When I’m confused, I sit with you and I feel reassured.  When I’m angry, I sit with you and I feel compassion.  When I’m hungry, I sit with you and I feel full.  When I’m in despair, I sit with you and I feel hopeful.  Where else could I go to feel this complete, this connected, this WHOLE?  

Vickey is with Jesus now. … and so are we.  We’re all still connected.  Joining together, our parts made WHOLE. 

Amen.