It is our responsibility to lay such questions before the text. If we take seriously the spiritual principles set forth there, what techniques and tools may also be found in it (or in the biblical witness as a whole) that may help us live by those principles? Talk is also cheap when we Christians read our Bibles, then turn around and tell others how they are to live, but offer no practical method.

This afternoon, the Indianapolis Colts will officially open their training camp. The players will hear plenty of inspirational talk about teamwork and winning football games. But sooner or later, they will have to leave the meeting room and go out into the summer heat, and do their drills on the practice field, working on technique and timing and all things that result in big plays on game day. You and I are in training camp too, for a far more important contest, so we need to work on our skills.

Today’s reading from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians provides a great opportunity for some spiritual coaching. Paul writes, “I…beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called”.

If we were to condense that calling into a few words, we might describe it this way; “To love God and neighbor, and together with others in the Church, to serve the world as ambassadors for Christ.” So what sort of coaching does Paul (or Jesus, or Moses, or the prophets, or the other New Testament letter writers) offer from within the text, or beyond it, that might help us to be worthy of that high calling?

One place to start is with the original language. When Paul speaks of worthiness, he uses the word ἀξίως (ax-i’-os), which means “appropriate”. A more nuanced meaning is “in a manner that is becoming, in a godly way”. So, right away, we understand that to be worthy of a divine calling, we are to live in a way that embodies the qualities of God. From a general reading of scripture, we can begin to form a list of godly qualities; justice, compassion, generosity and creativity, to name a few.

As it happens, Paul (ever the spiritual coach at heart) is kind enough to supply a list of his own. In this case, the qualities he emphasizes are those that are particularly important to the common life of Christians living and working together. As members of the Church, we demonstrate worthiness of our calling when we demonstrate “humility, and gentleness.” 

In the Greek, humility is ταπεινοφροσύνη tap-i-nof-ros-oo’-nay), which means modesty or lowliness of mind. Snoopy, the great beagle theologian, was found typing a manuscript on top of his doghouse, the title of which was Has It Ever Occurred To You That You Might Be Wrong? In this context, humility suggests that we hold our own cherished ideas somewhat lightly, remembering that at present, we see through a glass darkly. Our knowledge of God is far from complete. This makes us more willing to consider the ideas of others.

So, perhaps, one way to demonstrate worthiness of our calling in the Church is to be a little more inclined to listen than to talk (talk is cheap when supply exceeds demand), and more willing to consider preferences in worship, ministry priorities or even interpretations of scripture that might differ from our own. Paul calls for a spirit of gentleness in our dealings with one another. The Greek word πρᾳότης (pra-ot’-es), suggests that gentleness is itself a behavioral consequence of humility.

This suggests that this modesty of mind and openness to others is not to be practiced grudgingly or with passive aggression, but out of genuine regard for them as Brothers and Sisters in Christ, whose own needs must be honored and whose own shortcomings forgiven.

I served a church in New Mexico during the era of women’s ordination and the revision of the Prayer Book and Hymnal. A few people, unhappy with the general state of things in the Episcopal Church, decided to take back “their” Church. The first step was to reverse the trend toward the inclusion of contemporary music at St. James’. They circulated a worship satisfaction survey. When the great majority of the people expressed satisfaction with the worship in general and the music in particular, one of the antagonists snuck into the choir loft, collected all the contemporary music resources and hid them. It seems to me that this behavior was unworthy of our calling because it was grounded in a lack of humility and gentleness.

So, what drill would coach Paul run at such a time? In addition to humility and gentleness, he counsels “patience, bearing with one another in love…” The Greek word for patience is μακροθυμία.

(mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah), which includes the meaning of fortitude…an inner sense of spiritual strength that is not knocked off kilter by new ideas or practices. This μακροθυμία should give us confidence that God is at work amidst the present controversies besetting the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion and that God’s purpose will prevail, even as we sort things out…even that the sorting out is part of God’s purpose. To effectively participate in such a drill might mean that we need to stretch beforehand, developing our own personal sense of trust in God and in the phrase “in God’s good time.”

The word μακροθυμία also contains the sense of “suffering”, as does the word which follows; ἀνέχομαι(an-ekh'-om-ahee), which we translate as “Bearing with one another”. Perhaps Paul is reminding us that another significant divine quality worthy of our imitation is the suffering which Christ endured on the Cross. Practically speaking, the ἀνέχομαι drill means that we are called “to put up with” aspects of our common life we dislike and with individuals who challenge our patience.

Why? Like any good coach, Paul understands that there is no prospect of success if the team does not come together as a unit. He says that we must exercise patience and gentle humility at all costs, “making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The Greek word for “maintain” is τηρέω (tay-reh'-o) which means “to guard” or “to keep ones eye on”. In other words, this unity of the Church is something that requires constant attention. We should be so busy maintaining it that we have no time or energy for anything that would undo it!

And notice, it is not just some human institutional loyalty that Coach Paul demands, it is a divinely ordained unity, rooted in Church’s very existence through the Spirit of Christ and sustained in the bonds of peace. In the Greek, the word for peace is εἰρήνη (i-ra'-nay), which “to set at one again” This is reconciliation. εἰρήνη also holds the meaning of “prosperity”. Only when the Church is truly reconciled, as its members put the purposes of God and the mandate for unity above personal preference or partisan agenda, will it be able to prosper in the calling to which it has been called.

This unity of faith that Paul seeks for the Church is a sign of “maturity” and growth into “the full stature of Christ.” So, we continue our training camp, practicing over and over the simple, yet difficult exercises which strengthen our spiritual muscles and quicken our spiritual reflexes, helping us develop those divine qualities of humility, patience, forbearance, trust, gentleness and love. 

We have to do this as individuals, even as we try to do it as a team. Talk is cheap. The times we live in are full of challenge and will probably become more so, It has never been more important to come together as the Church. Coach Paul wants to know if every player, at every position is willing to do whatever it takes as an individual to contribute to the success of the team? AMEN