Dare Greatly - July 29, 2024
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 56, 57, [58]; Joshua 24:16-33; Rom. 16:1-16; Matt. 27:24-31
Today the church lectionary honors Mary and Martha, the two sisters of Lazarus from Bethany and friends of Jesus. It’s also the 50th anniversary of the ordination of the Philadelphia 11. The first eleven women who were ordained priest in the Episcopal church prior to the approval of the ordination of women. Their story existed under the radar for decades until it was told through a documentary. The director, Margo Guernsey, wrote that their story is one of how to break down barriers with grace and be true to oneself in the process. Something that’s important for us all to embrace. It’s also about standing up to institutions that don’t allow people to be who they are created to be. Their vision of the world included a vision in which every human being received the love they deserved, loved just as they are. Their story calls all serious listeners to examine the hierarchies we have inherited and challenge one another to envision new structures that allow equal treatment for all races, sexes, and genders. A radical inclusivity that is only a little more than 2000 years old, begun by an itinerant preacher, some called a rabbi, and others called the Messiah, their Lord. Our church honors these strong women, two from Bethany and eleven who made their mark in Philadelphia, women who in many ways were exceptional for their time and who ventured out of their comfort zone, allowing themselves to be vulnerable in order to be who they were created by God to be.
In the gospel for today from Matthew, Pilate succumbs to the pressures of the crowds in the streets. He hears their cries for a crucifixion and rather than release an innocent man he condemns him to die. His fears of the crowd, his peers, the religious authority, all create an inescapable dilemma – he finds himself between a rock and a hard place. Rather than choosing grace he chooses to succumb to the pressures surrounding him. I find it a bit ironic that on this day we have such stark examples of leadership. On one hand someone who was a powerful government official, with more power than most, and on the other, we have two women who in ancient Israel had few if any rights however stuck their necks out for a scandalous rabbi. Such close friends that they are considered among his first disciples. Then another group of eleven women who centuries later, in part following the examples of Mary and Martha, choose to demand their rightful place in God’s church rather than succumb to the religious authorities of the day.
Brene’ Brown in her book Dare to Lead, quotes Theodore Roosevelt who said, “The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena . . . who errs, who comes short again and again . . . and who at the worst, at least fails while daring greatly.” Something Brene’ discovered in her years of research is that those who dare greatly, who exhibit courage and bravery, all experience fear, gut wrenching fear. Fear that they will fail or worst humiliate themselves. What Mary and Martha, and the Philadelphia II don’t have in common with people like Pilate is that their fear created in them a sense of vulnerability that they allowed to surface. Rather than allow their fear to create a suit of armor like Goliath, they relied on what they knew to be right and true, they worked through their vulnerability and exposing their rawest most important values and emotions they pledged their lives to doing what was right and true even knowing they could fail.
Jesus set the mark, an impossibly high standard for daring greatly but there’s nothing that says we can’t try to emulate him in our daily lives, daring to be great, even in the face of potential failure.
Faithfully,
Sally+
Questions for Self-Reflection: When was the last time you allowed yourself to be truly vulnerable, stuck your neck out for what you knew was right even when you knew you could fail?