SERMON DELIVERED AT ENTHRONEMENT

PAUL) AT THE CATHEDRAL, SPANISH TOWN

"Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not fail or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth."
Isaiah 42:l-4

Against the background of the first of the four SERVANT SONGS of Second Isaiah and of the Apostolic Ministry of St. Paul whose Conversion we celebrate today, I invite you to meditate with me on the issues of "VALUES"

"LEADERSHIP" and

"AUTHORITY"

in a world of rapid and radical "CHANGE".

The earliest Christian witness saw in Jesus and His Ministry, the fulfilment of these "Servant Songs and the Christian Ministry" as a continuation of Jesus’ Ministry. Isaiah begins by pointing to God’s chosen in whom God’s soul delights. The idea of a chosen people and even more of a chosen person has, in the course of history led to some very bizzare distortions including some terrible forms of racism, classism and elitism. However, if we stick as closely

as we should to the Biblical Text, it will conjure up an awesome picture of being chosen for service and sacrifice or, should I say Service in the form of Sacrifice.

No doubt it is a tremendous honour conferred on any sheep the shepherd picks out as a sacrificial victim, but as St. Paul would ask "Who is sufficient for these things?" (ii Cor.2:l6).

This is why The Russian Jew Tevye in the film " Fiddler on the Roof" in considering the unrelenting ordeal of his people in exile (or even at home for that matter) lifts up his eyes to the heavens and says to God: "So we are the chosen people eh! Well why didn’t You choose someone else?" "My chosen in whom my soul delights." in Scripture usually occurs in the context of sacrificial consecration as in Genesis 22:2 where God says to Abraham "Take now your son, your only son, Isaac, in whom your soul delights and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering".

"You did not choose me but I chose you" Jesus says in John 15:16 "and ordained you". But to be chosen by God is a serious matter which one accepts in awe an wonder, even in fear and trembling. What an honour, what glory – yes! As long as we realize that the glory to which we are called is the splendour of sacrifice.

NO LESS AWESOME is the conviction that the Great and Holy God counts me as HIS BELOVED, in spite of all my faults and failings. When I think how God has been good to me all these years I cannot but rejoice in this Blessed assurance "You are my chosen, my beloved in whom my soul delights". The consciousness of this unceasing redeeming love of the Eternally

self-giving God evokes in us the Spirit of Service and Sacrifice; creates a response that says "NO SACRIFICE IS TOO GREAT IN THE SERVICE OF A LOVE SO AMAZING SO DIVINE"

Christian love and service arise out of a sense of that Amazing Grace by which God chooses people like you and me to be His partner and co-workers in the fulfilment of His Eternal purpose.

When all Thy mercies O my God

My rising soul surveys

Transported with the view I’m lost

In wonder, love and praise.

A good Text for what the Collect calls "The wonderful Conversion of St. Paul" is in Acts Chapter 9 where God commands one Annanias of Damascus to go and baptize the recently converted Saul who had left Jerusalem "still breathing threats and murders against the disciples".

Annanias, as a typical defensive Christian demurs but God says to him in Acts 9:15 "…Go, for He is a chosen instrument of mine…" and then, in Verse 16, God adds the line that naturally goes with chosen-ness "….for I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name’s sake" Don’t tell him that he will be the founder of Churches that would last two thousand years; don’t tell him about the epistles he would write or the fact that almost single handedly he would transform an obscure Jewish sect into a worldwide Church. Just show him how much he must suffer because the possibility of all these things relate directly to his capacity for sacrifice in God’s service. The fact that Paul is God’s "chosen instrument" does not lead to elitism, whether of race, class or religion but to a deepened HUMILITY that could only acknowledge that the greatest treasure imaginable – in fact a treasure beyond imagination – the unsearchable rules of Christ has been deposited in the clay jars or broken vessels of our humanity. It therefore led him to boast not of his abilities or achievements but about THE MIRACLE OF GOD’S OMNIPOTENCE MANIFEST IN OUR WEAKNESS.

This is the background against which we understand the issues of VALUE, LEADERSHIP AND AUTHORITY.

In our unstable world we have come to accept a system of Changing values, of relative value of devaluation and need now to be reminded of eternal and unchanging value. For us as Christians there can be no higher value than God and if we allow ourselves to be caught up in the spirit of this materialistic and hedonistic age, exalting money, power and pleasure as our priorities in life, we are, in fact, worshipping at the wrong shrine. That is the idolatry of our time.

If God is the supreme value then the greatest value on this earthly plane must be HUMAN BEINGS persons created in the image and likeness of God. And so, respect is due not in anyway relative to a person’s status or wealth, but for no other reason than the fact that they are human beings. And so the great commandment in the law is to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbour as yourself.

LOVE ON THIS UNIVERSAL SCALE cannot be reduced to sentimentality or warm feelings about individuals who are close to you. Isaiah 42 consistent with the whole Bible expresses it in terms of JUSTICE which demands that I seek the good of every person regardless of whether I know and like them or not. It is a divine decree that I seek after my own personal and private interests ALWAYS AND ONLY WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE COMMON GOOD. All our policies, planning and actions stand under the judgment of this value system which is immutable.

In this as in any other situation, he must speak truth and defend right – even if unpopular – and while growing in love he must have no need to win friends and influence people by saying what they want to hear.

LEADERSHIP IS A LONELY VOCATION not because alienated persons are in any way suitable people to occupy such a position. Certainly not to cultivate the artificial mystique of leadership or the so-called "creative distance" which characterized the colonial style.

Leadership is lonely because one has to lead from the front. One has to dare and do, hope and adventure on behalf of people who are too often persuaded that they dare not let go of the false securities by which they live. By taking the right risks even in the absence of moral support, the leader seeks to explode the lie that there is no alternative.

Such vocation requires maturity and serenity which is not the same thing as security. It calls for the ability to take responsibility for one’s own decisions without the cowardice of scape-goating. In the words of James Fenhagen "maturity is when one has moved from paranoia to metansia." I am reminded of the motto on the desk of Harry Truman "the buck stops here" but even more a remark made by Bishop James Moodie when he first assumed the mantle of leadership in the Diocese of Ohio : " a Bishop’s job is what he says it is and if he does not know what to do there are hundreds of people willing to tell him". To put it in Jamaican language, they will haul and pull him in a hundred different directions. This is what happens to a person who tries to please everybody. He is eventually torn to pieces.

But a leader who tries to please no one would be just as bad. All true leaders are genuine servants aand so the Bible sees no contradiction between strong leadership and it emphasizes the "kinonia" the fellowship, the unity which is the essence and strength of the church or between the singleminded leadership and the collegiality and mutual ministry by which the church marshalls all the various gifts of the spirit in carrying out Christ’s mission in the world. The servant song of Isaiah 42 highlights the miraculous combination of uncompromising integrity and personal freedom with openness to others and gracious patience in the never-ending battle for justice. Isaiah speaks of the "indiscouragability" of the suffering servant. His refusal to be intimidated, diverted or deflected from his unwavering commitment to the Father’s will.

SINGLEMINDEDNESS, sometimes called Purity of heart, often leads to narrowness, bigotry and stridency BUT NOT IN THIS CASE. Verse 2 says " he will not shout or cry out or raise his voice in the streets". Singlemindedness often leads to an intolerant, judgmental attidude – but not in this case – verse 3 says " a bruised reed he will not break and a smouldering wick he will not snuff out". From Isaiah, from St. Paul, and indeed from Jesus, we learn that effective leadership has nothing to do with bullheadedness and blunter and braggadocio. The leader is indiscouragable, not because he is mighty and invincible, but precisely because he shares the vulnerablity of his people, - and really, if he has any real strength, it is the strength to embrace his own powerlessness as a representative of the poor, the weak, the simple, the outcast and those who daily cry out for justice.

There is a great deal of talk about "justice" from some very unlikely quarters in Jamaica today. So, lest I be misinterpreted let me make it clear that I take my stand for justice, not with those who seek to villify the police and even the courts because the judicial system can no longer protect their interests. Rather I take my stand with the good prophets of the Bible whose focus is on the injustice and inequity of an economic and social system designed to guarantee the dominance of the minority over the people as a whole.

The one thing a leader should never do, is separate from the community and pretend to lead in a vacuum. It is a great tragedy when leadership becomes a barrier to communion and sharing . St. Paul was obviously a strong leader but he does not hesitate to address even the most difficult people such as those in Corinth as "beloved" or "my beloved". Particularly in 2 Cor. It is striking how much of the language of love, affection, intimacy and warmth – both in pain and joy – is used often incidentally and always naturally. His epistles abound in the family language of children, brothers, sisters, the imagery of betrothal and marriage "You are in our hearts" he wrote.We are fellow workers and the constant use of "you", "us", "we" and "all" I a sign of the mutuality and solidarity which is the hallmark of a truly Christian Community. And it is not just talk but suffering together, giving money, hospitality and time an, above all, overcoming the spirit of factionalism, disputes, slanders,rebellion and of greeting one another with a holy kiss – l2:20; l3:12.

So while I do not intend to beg or bargain for support or co-operation, I want to assure everyone

who is ready for the work that they can always depend on my support in the furtherance of the Gospel. It is not the role of a leader to seek support for himself, but to give support to the people he leads and that is what I am offering to do.

In order to effectively lead one must have

AUTHORITY

"The cognate word Authority is but one manifestation of the most effective form of power" – (Pobee) . The question of authority was an issue from the beginning. We remember the constant challenge of Moses’ authority. We remember the question posed to Jesus Himself – "By what authority are You doing these things?" The letters of Paul to the Corinthians were probably occasioned by the fact of his authority as an Apostle was under attack by his rivals.

The first thing that we learn is that such attacks and questions actually reinforce rather than undermine genuine authority. In fact, the verdict of the people on Jesus is that He spoke with authority and not as the Scribes and Pharisees who had been questioning His authority. Jesus did not even bother to answer "Neither do I tell you . . ." Genuine authority is a grace and a gift that is given by God to those with the least concern about their own prestige and power. Quite often the people who have to defend their authority are the very ones who don’t have it.

You see – THE REAL ISSUE is not my authority of that of any Bishop or Priest, but His. Like St. Paul, we are ambassadors of Christ, but the difference between us and a modern ambassador who is highly regarded is that we represent a King Whose authority is not yet acknowledged by the world in which we represent Him. IT IS HIS AUTHORITY THAT WE MUST BE CONCERNED ABOUT, NOT OUR OWN an we must work and pray and never cease till "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord".

For ourselves let us be less concerned about the outward trappings of power and designated authority and more concerned with the moral and spiritual authority that comes with Character and Commitment. Let us join the company of those who make a difference mainly by who they are. In the meantime, there is a tragic contradiction inherent in the idea of a Church insisting on its Apostolic Authority, its majesterium its rights and privileges, within an immoral and unjust

World order. From the time of Constantine to the high middle ages, the Church acquired enormous authority over the lives of people and exercised that authority through the State, many of whose Laws are designed to enforce so-called Christian Morality. One of the great changes for the better is the disappearance of this kind of authority and the recognition that the Church and its Ministers must now win the loyalty, respect and support of the community on the basis of the philanthropy, hand outs or "let off". These things are necessary as emergency measures, but the ultimate aim is to dignify and empower the person - "powerize" seems to be a word coined by the late Bishop Swaby - (powerize instead of pauperize) (powerize not patronize) (powerize the paralysed) or in the words of the Blessed Mother to "exalt the humble and meek".

We are not here to jack up an unjust world order by alleviating its worse effects but to support the struggle of those who are working to change the world or even – in the words of Christ – to "overcome the world". We must work to phase ourselves out as "lady bountiful" by a ministry of intentional upliftment and empowerment. For this reason, the Church, its Clergy, its Theologians and Office Holders, as well as its Faithful Members who are well placed in this world must NEVER allow themselves to be co-opted in defence of things as they are or provide the ideology to justify the existing order.

I have no hesitation in supporting the passionate calls for change in our Church and Society. Only those who have sold their souls to the present world order, or the very naïve could be satisfied with things are they are. I do not, however, promise to lend support or that of the Diocese to certain specific changes which would have the effect of aligning our Church with the worse conservative elements aptly described in the Epistle to the Ephesians as" the Rulers of the darkness of this world". To be an agent of change is a much more serious matter than semantics or tinkering with the liturgy.

I commit myself to CONTINUE to participate in the building of a people’s Church in the Caribbean. Not just a Church for the people but a Church of the people. A Church whose life and liturgy reflects and offers back to God, the gift and talents that He has given us. A CHURCH THAT AFFIRMS THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY PRECISELY BY MAKING A REAL JAMAICAN AND CARIBBEAN CONTRIBUTION TO THE FULLNESS AND RICHNESS OF THE WHOLE CHURCH.

In a society where salvation by alienation is the prevailing orthodoxy ad where foreign interests predominate, this is necessarily a slow process. It is also one that must be prepared to meet with resistance of the most violent and virulent types. But as a people who have conquered slavery and are now working to overcome the colonial mentality, we must remain true to our God and true to ourselves. He who has overcome the world is the pilot of this ship, which will stay on course as far as I have anything to do with it.

From among the letters of congratulations an encouragement I have received I would like to chare with you some words from one of them. My friend wrote:

"It is of vital importance that leaders of key Jamaican institutions be able and willing to connect those institutions with the major artery of our people’s lives, hopes and struggles .. . . I heartily pray . . . that the tributary of your own life may now encounter that artery of our people’s lives and in the giving and receiving enhance our experience of life. May your time as Diocesan strengthen us as a people in our response to the call to make history."