Years ago, I chose to write my graduation thesis on a sociological study of the Anabaptist communities in Case County, Kentucky. There were three distinct Anabaptist communities within the county . . . the Old Order Mennonites, the Old Order Amish, and the Beachy Amish. Two of the communities were buggy settlements and one was more modern using conveniences like electricity and driving cars. Though similar, they were different and kept to themselves. Someone once described the Anabaptists--especially the old order sects—as “peculiar people”.
My goal, through my studies and research, was to explain those differences. Those differences came down to interpretation. Each group interpreted the exact same tenets of belief and faith differently even though they were word for word the same. One community interpreted a tenet one way, while the other did it another way. For example, the Old Order Mennonites would use electricity to power their shop machinery, but not have it in their homes. The Old Order Amish would not use electricity anywhere for home or work. The Old Order Mennonites would state that it was okay with God in order to accomplish the things they needed to do. The Amish, on the other hand, said that any use of electricity was of the world and God calls them to not be of the world. Whereas the Beachy Amish had electricity everywhere . . . they would say that God would want them to be comfortable.
As I said, they are “peculiar people”.
During the time that I was studying the various communities, the Old Order Mennonite community was in the “search and call” process of getting a new minister. At the worship service I attend I got to witness the process. Six Bibles sat on a table before the congregation. Five male candidates stood to the left of the table waiting to be instructed to go to the table, pick a Bible, and return to their spot. This was done until all five had chosen a Bible and one was left on the table. Then they were told to open their Bibles. If they discovered a bookmark in their Bible . . . well, they were the new minister.
The leadership of the church was chosen through the lottery system. The one with the bookmark would be confirmed as the minister as chosen by God . . . that it was God’s will. On that day, God mustn’t have been too impressed with any of the candidates as none of them chose the Bible with the bookmark. The congregation would try again the next time they gathered for worship.
Now the reason I am sharing this is because I would like to take next Sunday off. For me to take next Sunday off I need someone to fill the pulpit and act as the minister while I am gone. Typically, we would ask one of the elders of the church to step in and fill that role. But after reading our scripture lesson for this morning I was inspired to let God chose who should fill the pulpit while I am gone. According to our reading the lottery is biblical at getting at what God wants.
So, I want everyone to look at their bulletin this morning. Look to see if you can find a handwritten star on your bulletin. Go ahead, look. Did anyone find the star? If so, I want to congratulate you in the knowledge that God has chosen you to be the guest minister next Sunday. Good luck!
The truth of the matter is that I am not taking next Sunday off. No one has to fill the pulpit whether by choice or God’s will. Everyone can take a deep breath and relax. And, as you are doing that, what were you feeling? A little anxiety . . . nervousness . . . fear . . . maybe even a little anger. Now imagine what those two men—Barsabbas and Matthias—must have been feeling.
Think about it . . . it was all in the hands of God. Whether they wanted the job of replacing the disgraced Judas as one of the apostles or not, if they got lucky and drew the straw . . . hey, they were in! It was God’s choice as they saw it . . . or was it a matter of dumb luck?
In all honesty, I have never served a congregation that made decisions about ministers, church leadership, or even church business using a lottery. Of course, the argument could be made that that was then, and this is now . . . that the times have changed. That we do things differently now. But biblical is biblical. The early church used the lottery to make decisions. We just read it. Yet, I don’t think many of us would jump in with two feet to use the lottery to make decisions within the church or even our own lives. There is too much risk that something might turn out wrong.
After witnessing the Old Order Mennonites fail at finding a minister through the lottery, I asked the elder who was my host what would happen if the person who had been selected by God turned out to be all wrong for leading the community’s faith? He said that if that was the case, then that was a sign from God that the individual was all wrong and they would do the process again.
Of course, that did not make sense to me. If the lottery winner was God’s choice, then come rain or shine that person was the minister no matter how good or bad he was. But, if the competence of the individual demonstrated otherwise . . . I wondered, was God wrong? Did God make a mistake? Is that the way the “will” of God works? Think about it.
Too often we use that phrase—“the will of God”—as a cop out. We look around the world and see things like poverty, hunger, and war . . . and, we declare that that is just way things are . . . that it is the “will of God”. If you ask those people stuck in the middle of poverty, hunger, or war . . . they wouldn’t care too much for that explanation. That it is the “will of God” wouldn’t make them too excited to want to jump in and join the club if they were poor, hungry, or at war. Even if it was the “will of God” I doubt any of us would abandon our lives and join these unfortunate folks.
I think the “will of God” would be that there be no poverty, no hunger, no war, no injustice. That those who are numbered among the faithful . . . the followers of Jesus . . . would be working towards ending those problems in the world. Working to end poverty. Working to end hunger. Working to end war. Working to end injustice. In that work . . . in loving others . . . the faithful—the followers of Jesus—demonstrate their love for God. Demonstrate it through how they love others.
God does not choose calamity and misfortune as God’s will in our lives. No, it is the luck of the draw. As they say in Alcoholic Anonymous, “Poop happens!” Nor does God choose to bring good fortune our way . . . again, it is the luck of the draw. It is not God’s choice. It just happens. Too often though, instead of facing reality and dealing with it to solve it, we fall back on the phrase, “It is God’s will.” It is in God’s hands.
Yes, our lives are in the hands of God . . . but not in the way we think. God holds our lives in the palm of God’s hands but does not force the issue. No, God allows us to live our lives . . . to make choices . . . to choose directions . . . to go where the adventure leads us. God does not choose for us. God allows us to choose. Yet through it all, God is with us every step of the way . . . hoping that we make the right choices, that we strive to become who we were created to be, that we change the world, and that we love. That we love God and one another.
In the hands of God . . . in the presence of God . . . God rejoices when the good happens, cries when the bad occurs. God is there in the mundane. For richer or poorer. In sickness and in health. God is always with us. Always.
When we stop and consider our reading this morning, it really wasn’t much of a gamble on the part of the apostles and the early church. We are told that the two men participating in the lottery were individuals who had been with them from the beginning . . . from the baptism to witnessing Jesus’ resurrection. Everything the apostles had experience, learned, and embrace . . . Barsabbas and Matthias were there and a part of it all. Either one would have been fine. Also, the decision was blanketed in prayer. They prayed before making the decision. So, there actually was a period of discernment, a period of prayer before the decision was made. Either one would have made a fine replacement for Judas. It was a win-win situation.
But whatever happened . . . it was still in the hands of God. God would be with them. And, God is with us. God is with us no matter what life throws at us. “God’s will” is in how we respond to those situations in life . . . will it be in love? God’s will is love . . . and, God’s love is in our hands. What an awesome responsibility. What are we going to do? Amen.
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