Interim Pope?

Today, as you know, Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation effective at the end of February. There are many different responses to this act of stepping down, including questions about whether he always intended to be an "Interim Pope."

Source: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/index.htm

For my money, I don't think Pope Benedict XVI saw his calling to that position as an interim one. I ran across this blogpost on Facebook shortly after I heard the news. The post posits that stepping down was the act of a faithful man who recognizes that he can no longer faithfully execute his ministry, and that perhaps we can also be called to step down from what has been a long and fruitful calling as well.

I've been working with St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church since May of 2012, and we've been going through a visioning process the last month or so to figure out where the church should go next. One of the discussions we had was of expanding our ministry with older adults, the saints of the church who have been leaders for decades.

If we move forward with that ministry, I think part of it needs to be teaching the kind of faith exhibited by Pope Benedict XVI in his willingness to step down. Because if we hold on to our past we never give the future an opportunity to develop.

As we move forward, we have to honor the contributions of those who have been active leaders, but we also have to teach those leaders how to pass on the torch so that their organization can continue to grow with each new generation, and not be tied to one group.

It's easy for a young person to say, and maybe I'll feel differently when I'm on the other end of this equation, but at some point the baton has to be passed so that the race may continue. Giving up that control is scary, because sometimes it won't get picked up, and frequently won't get picked up in the same way.

But remember the truth of the resurrection. Death is not something we need to fear, neither is the decline that leads to it. Because that death is not the end of our story. As programs die, new ones spring up to do different work, the needs of the community shift, and to hold on to old solutions when they no longer fit doesn't make sense.

So Pope Benedict XVI, this protestant hopes that your example rings throughout the universal Church, and that we examine if we are called to a specific ministry, or if we are called to step down from our positions and trust God to act through others.

What do y'all think? Is his resignation an act of faith or a cop-out? An example to follow or an illustration of the ailing of the church as an illustration? Let me know in the comments!

Changes

Hey folks, time to update your bookmarks. I've changed both the title and address of my blog. The "Russel(l) eats poo" moniker has served me well, but as I approach the realm of ordered ministry, I decided to frame the blog more theologically, to reflect what is increasingly becoming my reality. The new title, as you can see, is "One Short Sleep Past" and the new web address is http://wewakeeternally.blogspot.com/

The REP name was a reference to my Freshman dorm room, which had been "decorated" with a permanent marker by a previous occupant. Of the things that could have been added to a door in a Freshman Dorm, "Russel eats poo" was on the tame side. It became a kind of a battle cry for me and my roommate. However, a couple of folks have indicated that the name might be a barrier to those who might otherwise enjoy my contributions.

This is not a sanitation, but a reframing. I still enjoy slightly off-color humor and that will still pop up on this site from time to time. The new title and website are taken from John Donne's Holy Sonnet X, which I've added below.

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for, thou art not so,
For, those whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
From rest and sleep, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do go,
Rest of their bones, and souls delivery.
Thou are slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,
And dost with poison, war, and sickness dwell,
And poppie, or charms can make us sleep as well,
And better than thy stroke, why swell'st thou then?
One short sleep past, we wake eternally
And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

This is a short post, but I'm preaching this weekend on Jeremiah 31:31-37, so a new sermon is forthcoming.