On a Friday morning seven weeks ago, I sat down at my computer to log onto my WAMU banking site and do some routine business. The site didn’t recognize my password, so I tried again. And again. And again. That last time locked me out of the system, so I entered a more rigorous process of verifying who I am and, ultimately, I had access to my money. My bank had just been acquired by Chase, so I chalked the experience up to transition difficulties and was glad it was now resolved. The following Friday, I attempted to log in and had an instant replay of the previous week. I finally re-established access and thought to myself that some transitions are more difficult than others. The next Friday, I was again denied access. I was not happy, but I figured there must be a major system problem, so I went to the branch a few blocks from my house. After telling my story to several people, I fell into the hands of Richard Parker, the VP for Business, who immediately recognized that there was a mess somewhere and began the work of untangling it. I left the bank without online access but with his promise that the problem would be resolved in a few days. He called the next week to tell me that the problem wasn’t completely resolved but should be taken care of shortly, and I felt comfortable that good stuff was just around the bend.
In the last couple of weeks, I didn’t hear anything, and I didn’t attempt to log on to my account. Then, yesterday, I received an email saying all is well, use this temporary password and welcome to WAMU Online. I followed the instructions, and the site didn’t recognize me or my password—my shiny new, guaranteed-to-work password. I tried again, just to make sure it wasn’t my error. It wasn’t. Within seconds I was in my car. I was very glad that I had already put on clothes. I don’t really remember my drive to the bank. All I remember is my firm resolve to leave the bank with reliable online access or with my money. At that point, I didn’t really care which way it turned out. I was way past cranky and firmly into righteous fury. It’s been a long time since I felt that much rage. As I walked into the bank, I struggled to calm myself and to remember that the problem had nothing to do with the people in the bank. Mr. Parker is a tall man, and I could see his head over his cubicle, so I made a bee-line for his desk. He looked up as I entered his cubicle. I told the story of the day and expressed my anger. I think I neglected to say good afternoon, how are you, and I’m not proud of that, but on the other hand, I’m grateful that I did not cuss or raise my voice or throw a chair through a window. Mr. Parker calmly moved into problem-solving mode and, within ten minutes, I had access to my account. I did remember to thank him on my way out.
As I walked back to my car, I began trying to sort out the events of the previous 30 minutes and my response to those events. I identified my thoughts and feelings and began searching for an image that would help me explore why I was so angry, lead me into identifying a new understanding of my life in relation to the reign of God, help me see where God was acting in all this mess, and prepare me to meet the next glitch in my life with less rage and more grace. As I reflected, I thought, Where’s an EfM group when you really need one?
EfM is the name commonly used for the Education for Ministry program. The program is a four year course of study developed by the University of the South at Sewanee, Tennessee. The intent of the program is to equip people for their ministries as baptized Christians—members of the laity—people of God. To accomplish this, the program focuses on three goals:
These goals are accomplished by study of scripture, theology and church history, by building a small group community where trust can grow, by faithful worship and prayer, and by learning a process of theological reflection. Theological reflection is a formal term for considering life events through the lens of faith and through seeking a deeper knowledge of God and God’s action in our lives. The practice of theological reflection in the context of a trusting, caring and accepting community plants new seeds of the reign of God in the hearts and minds of participants. Those seeds continue to grow long after the course of study is completed, helping people strengthen their faith, their understanding of the Holy in their lives and their relationship with the other children of God as the years progress.
Today we are honoring four St. Marksians as they complete their four years of study. Jennifer Armstrong, Margie Fait, Kate Mikami and Jani Wild embarked on this journey of faith exploration four years ago, and we are grateful for the work they have done because it enriches the life of this community as well as their own lives and faith. We also are recognizing the mentors who have supported the group over these years: Jani Wild and Shari Corbett, whose question to me about EfM at St. Mark’s was the catalyst for the implementation of the program here and who graduated two years ago. Mentors don’t teach the course. Instead, they are guides by the side, helping hold the framework of the course, support group interaction and communication, and do all the administrative chores, even as they do the same course work as the rest of the group.
We are blessed by having this opportunity for growth in ministry available to us at St. Mark’s, and I encourage you all to consider signing up for the new season beginning in the fall. Although it’s a four years course, each year stands alone, so the commitment is for a weekly meeting during one academic year. The title of the course sometimes gives folks some trepidation, but the purpose is not to create an elite cadre of folks who are holier than thou or to qualify people for letter jackets with Minister written across the back in big letters. The laughter that comes from the Chapel on EfM night would dispel concerns anyone might have about its being a staid and stodgy undertaking. The purpose of EfM is simply to help people figure out what they believe and how they are called to live their belief in the world, and that can be a very exciting experience.
The seeds that have been scattered on the ground here during the last four years have sprouted and are growing, and I want to say how grateful I am for the new life that has come from this group—and how grateful I am for our mentors, graduates and continuing students. The Reign of God, in all its abundance, is right here, right now.
Thanks be to God!