Acolyte Festival Sermon

Let us pray. Open our eyes to your presence. Open our ears to your call. Open our hearts to your love. Amen.

Well, good morning, everyone. Good morning, Servants of God. That procession was an absolutely glorious sight in this cathedral. The colorful streamers, skilled thurifers, and some of the smallest thurifers I’ve ever seen. The pageantry of crosses and torches, the banners, the music, all reflecting the joy as we gather together for the glory of God. Whether this is your first time at this festival or if you’ve been here year after year, you should know that all of us here at Washington National Cathedral look forward to this service to celebrate your ministry, and this year is no different. Now, full disclosure, this service has deep personal meaning for me. Like Dean Hollerith, I am a proud former acolyte. And just so that you know how many of us are around, I’m gonna ask my colleagues on the platform and my clergy siblings across this nave to stand if you are a former acolyte. Just to let you know, acolytes, this could happen to you. From Deacon to Priest to Bishop.

Having grown up here in Washington, I was here in 1979, 45 years ago, for the very first National Cathedral Acolyte Festival with my fellow acolytes from St. George’s, DC where I grew up. St. George’s, where are you? I know I’m shameless. Now, it may be hard for some of you here today to believe or even imagine, but many of us grew up in congregations where only boys and young men could be acolytes, servers, lay readers, and there were no women priests. Growing up in the church and watching the acolytes, week by week, year by year, when I was seven years old, I decided that I wanted to be an acolyte. The request was not granted. So, the closest thing I was able to do was to work with my mother, who was the head of the Altar Guild. The desire to become an acolyte did not go away, and I would eventually become an acolyte at age 16, joining the order of St. Vincent. And this was two years after the first 11 women were ordained priests in the Episcopal Church in 1974, the 50th anniversary we celebrate this year.

Being an acolyte was a major portion of my formation, but I must admit that if I had not followed the path to priesthood, I believe that I would still be serving as an acolyte. Although with older knees, my genuflecting is a bit shaky. You see, acolytes, your service is a vital part of worship in the life of your congregations. As you know, the word acolyte is derived from the Greek meaning companion, attendant, follower, server, helper. You are part of the worship team with the clergy, choir, musicians, vergers, eucharistic ministers, readers, and intercessors, who together with the entire congregation join in worshiping our loving God. Together, we hear and receive God’s word and sacraments. You see, acolytes, you add dignity and help to bring order to the service working together. In many ways, this form of working together reminds me of a jazz ensemble. Jazz musicians often have role models, those they emulate in a particular style. Acolyte Masters often fill this role, and for many of us at St. George’s, it was James Ross who started serving at age four and continuously served at God’s altar for 72 years. He taught us much about sacred service and abiding faith in Jesus Christ.

Now, to play jazz well means having the discipline to learn the rules of theory, chord inversions and progressions, transposition and harmony, and to practice. It is only when all these things are second nature, that the musician has the freedom to improvise. The same is true for acolytes, learning and practicing the fundamentals of your ministry. When jazz is at its best, it’s like a perfect community of people coming to work together regardless of background or status. It only works when the ego is left at the door, and you depend on one another and you pay attention. The best jazz musicians know this, and therefore they view themselves as just a small part of the big picture. The jazz greats are great because they are experts at making everyone around them sound good. And if you have ever attended a jam session, you can see the joy in their faces as they are making music together.

Acolytes do the same thing in helping one another to offer their best service to God. And let’s face it, there will be times when things don’t go as planned, and that is when we must be creative to find a solution. One of my mentors, the Reverend Vincent Harris, here today, often said, ‘Be ready to adapt, adjust, and improvise. Sometimes it just means keeping your cool’.

Has anyone forgotten to light the pascal candle at a funeral and not realized it until the procession is about to begin? How about having that one altar candle that just won’t light before the service, or the one that you can’t extinguish at the end of the service as the entire congregation stands waiting? Or the embarrassing mistake of grabbing the wrong silver cruet only to wash the celebrant’s hands with wine? Things happen, but we learn from each other and each experience together. Being a good acolyte, like a jazz musician, means being relational. Our reading from Colossians tells us the qualities that we should embody; compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, and how we interact with each other.

This is not just when we are serving in church, but it should be in every aspect of our daily lives because we are chosen by God, holy and beloved, set apart for God’s purposes. And in our gospel, we hear Jesus preparing to commission his apostles to continue the work He started. Matthew notes that the very work of teaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and ministering to the needs of others. As I look out at all of you, I see many faithful laborers this morning. The opportunity to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom comes to us today and acolytes you share the gospel in unexpected ways. Your responsibilities as acolytes, those seemingly minor on the surface, for the casual observer are essential in setting the tone for reverence and contributing to the overall worship experience. There is symbolism and meaning associated with everything you do.

For example, when the thurible is swung, as the smoke rises to God, it takes our prayer and praise with it. And as the smell is sweet to us, our hope is that it will be pleasing to God and that smoke reminds us of the mystery of God. We cannot fully see God because our minds cannot grasp the complexity of God. The crucifer lifts high the great symbol of faith. Joined by torches, they carry forward the light of faith that with the challenge to all they pass, to be a beacon of light in a darkened world. Banners, originally a symbol of victory, often reflect the identity, history, and origin of our congregations. Week by week, you are serving God and creating a beautiful service where people may worship, pray, and give praise to our Lord Jesus Christ. And as you do all these things, serve with joy. Serve with joy. Today I hope you remember that you are God’s chosen, holy and beloved, and know just how much the broader church and your congregations appreciate your service as acolytes. Whether you are an 8-year-old acolyte or an 80-year-old acolyte, or anywhere in between, thank you. Thank you. May the essential values instilled by being an acolyte, discipline, respect, commitment, fellowship, faith and joy, serve you well all of your life. Amen.