Help Wanted

Usually when I get the weekend Bangor Daily News on Saturday there are great heaps of it that I toss immediately into the recycle tub without a second glance. All of those pages and pages of car ads, for example. And the two absolutely identical grocery store circulars, one from Shop ‘n Save and one from Paradis’. Usually I also toss the classifieds, but yesterday I decided to browse the Help Wanted ads. Not because I’m looking for a job. I just wanted to see what was there and to look at how the ads are written.

Some of the ads are very brief, of course. "Experienced metal stud framers needed." "Cook. Great environment, benefits, good hours." "A1 Taxi needs drivers." The one element that is present in absolutely every single Help Wanted ad, of course, is a statement of what sort of work the applicant will be expected to do. Every ad states the role, the responsibilities of the person who is being sought for the position. Every job comes with the expectation that the employee will do the work of that job. If you apply for a job as a taxi driver, you may expect to be asked to drive a taxi. Some ads spell out the role of the potential employee quite specifically, like this ad for a Pharmacy Manager:

"Responsible for daily pharmacy operations, supervision of pharmacy and supportive staff, and compliance with all regulatory agencies; share responsibility for sales growth, P&L, revenue qualification and inventory management; in conjunction with branch nursing leadership, ensure a collaborative approach to quality patient care." This is what Apria Healthcare expects their pharmacy manager to do.

Here’s another description of job responsibilities that might appear in a help wanted ad. This is what someone in this position will do. "Be a light to the nations, open the eyes that are blind, bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. Faithfully bring forth justice, justice to the nations." The Acts of the Apostles puts the job expectations somewhat differently: "He will go about doing good and healing all who are oppressed by the devil."

It is not by chance that we have these readings from Isaiah and Acts on the Sunday that we commemorate the Baptism of Jesus. Jesus’ baptism marks the beginning of his public ministry. We have known since the annunciation and birth, of course, that Jesus is not just any child. We have known who he is. Today, with his baptism, we are told what he is to do. In fact, very soon after his baptism, Jesus himself will read a very similar passage from Isaiah in the synagogue in Nazareth, and he will tell the people: "This is my job description." He doesn’t tell them who he is; he doesn’t tell them what he believes; he tells them what he is doing. Christ defines himself, proclaims himself, by what he does. Jesus takes the prophecy of Isaiah and makes it very specific. He claims it as his role in the world: to bring sight to the blind, freedom to the captive, healing to the oppressed, and justice to the nations. This is his job, his life’s work. And the day of his baptism was his first day on the job.

When we are baptized we become part of the Body of Christ. That is what baptism means. We are baptized into the Body of Christ. To continue my somewhat crude analogy… when we are baptized, God accepts our job application and gives us a position within the Body of Christ in the world today. Our baptism is our first day on the job. The role and job responsibilities are the same today as they were 2000 years ago. We are to do what Christ did. And just as Christ defined himself by what he did, if we are to be the Body of Christ, we must do what Christians do.

As I looked over those Help Wanted ads in the newspaper (with my thoughts on this sermon) I couldn’t help but notice a few more things. I didn’t see any jobs where just calling yourself a professional would get you the job. Saying you’re an electrician doesn’t make you an electrician. To be employed as an electrician you have to do electrical work. Thinking of yourself as generally the sort of person who might be a nurse won’t get you a job as a nurse. Caring for the sick makes you a nurse.

Nor did any of the job advertisements indicate that the successful applicant would only be expected to show up occasionally, when it wasn’t too inconvenient or nothing else was planned. Nor did any of the ads say: "To fill this job, just your presence is enough. We’d love to see you if you can stop by the plant from time to time. Sit. Watch. Listen. Others will do the work."

You get my point.

Not having spent a lot of time reading want ads, however, one thing did surprise me. I was surprised to see how many of them began something like… "We are seeking a highly motivated person…" Highly motivated. Well, duh… They want someone who wants the job. When they’re paying in these ads by the word, they still feel they need to stress that they want motivated people? Surely that goes without saying. Surely for Christians that goes without saying.

Please open your prayer books to page 304. You’re going to need to find this spot right after the sermon anyway, so keep your finger in the place. On this day when we remember Jesus’ baptism, instead of saying the Nicene Creed as we traditionally do after the sermon, we’ll renew our own baptismal covenant. Notice that it’s called a covenant. This is not the time for a full treatise on what the church means by covenant, but clearly a covenant is all about doing. And baptism and making a covenant go together. In baptism we take on a role, not just a name or an identity, but a role, an active role with responsibilities. The baptismal covenant begins with a statement of belief modeled upon the Apostle’s Creed, but that’s just the beginning. Based upon our faith, beginning with our faith, we vow to fulfill the role of a Christian, to do what Christians do.

We’ll say the formal words in just a bit, but you’ll see that part of what we are committed to do is to continue in the apostles’ fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in the prayers. That means we are to actively participate in the liturgy of Holy Eucharist with one another every Sunday. And to pray without ceasing. I’ve recently had this idea that when someone asks to place a name on the parish prayer list, they should also sign a pledge that they will pray personally for that person every day, and for every person on the prayer list. I would never actually require that, of course. Really, we all should be doing it anyway as part of our baptismal commitment.

We are also committed to resist evil, and we are to strive for justice and peace for all. That means making specific repentance in our own lives for the evil and sin we have committed. Either through private confession (which is available) or through the general confession we say on Sundays. That pause, that silence, before we begin the general confession is not there to give you time to find the page. It is there so that we can specifically call to mind before God those things for which we seek forgiveness.

This part of our baptismal covenant also calls us to actively promote peace and justice in the world. At a bare minimum we are required to vote, and to vote thoughtfully as Christians. And to write letters or make phone calls to elected officials on issues of justice and peace. Those are the minimum job requirements of our baptismal covenant.

We are also to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. That means being unashamedly Christian in the midst of a secular world. It also means taking an active role in the life and ministry of this parish. Proclaim by example. Put your hands, your time, into the proclamation of the gospel through the mission of this parish. I don’t know how often someone comes up to me and says, "Whose job is it here to…"  It’s your job.

I noticed one more thing as I looked through the Help Wanted ads in the paper. A lot of them were not just advertising a position. They were recruiting. Come join us. We’re growing. We’re doing things. We are a dynamic, imaginative company. We are a place where you can contribute. Join our team. It will be challenging and rewarding and fulfilling for you to work here. These are the things that make a company attractive to a potential employee. Not only do we need you; you need us.

It makes you think doesn’t it? Throughout the United States the Episcopal Church advertises itself with small, tasteful, familiar red and blue signs that say, "The Episcopal Church Welcomes You. Services at 8 & 10." What if they said:  Help wanted. Positions open. We need your help. We are an active, imaginative group working to bring forth justice, to free the world from evil and sin, to bring light into the darkness, to offer healing and hope to everyone who is in need, to proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ. No experience necessary. Training and continuing education will be provided. Unlimited opportunity to contribute. Rewards and fulfillment beyond measure. You can be a part of making God’s kingdom grow.

Our message to people on the street and to one another should be: We are engaged in a marvelous endeavor.  We need your help. And you need this job. In fact, your life depends upon it…

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