We can imagine that she preaches like Peter, evangelizes like Paul, and gives pastoral care like Mother Teresa. Today we can imagine that Marie is the most perfect pastor who has ever pastored. It is easy on a day like today to get confused about that, since today everything seems all shiny and bright and new. The message is that, in the midst of our celebrating, we should remember that we ourselves are not the treasure to be celebrated. Paul’s words provide an important context for a day like today, when we celebrate this new pastoral relationship. For while we live, we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be made visible in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. We have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed perplexed, but not driven to despair persecuted, but not forsaken struck down, but not destroyed always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. Speaking to the church in Corinth Paul says, He says that doing the work of the Gospel is like carrying around the death of Jesus in our bodies. While I say this half in jest, I do note that in today’s scripture from Second Corinthians, the apostle Paul explicitly compares his own time of ministry to the crucifixion of Jesus. Like today, it was a special day of celebration indeed!īut of course, by Friday, they had crucified him. Like today, the people welcomed him with shouts of acclamation and joy! Like today, they rolled out the red carpet for him, albeit a makeshift one made of cloaks and palm branches. Like our installation service today, the original Palm Sunday celebrated a triumphal arrival in a new town, as Jesus arrived for the first time in Jerusalem. Yet it should probably give us at least a moment of pause that we are celebrating this installation on the afternoon of Palm Sunday. It’s a great day for the Presbytery of Arkansas as we celebrate with you this new moment in our ongoing ministry together. It’s a great day for Marie Mainard O’Connell, as she joins Park Hill in your the long history of faithful witness to North Little Rock and to the world. It’s a great day for Park Hill Presbyterian Church, as you officially install one of the most committed and talented pastors I have ever known as your new minister. Marie Mainard O’Connell as pastor of Park Hill Presbyterian Church in North Little Rock, Arkansas, March 25, 2018. Sermon preached for the installation of Rev.
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