Nell Clark Downum

Servant leadership was a topic that we were familiarized with in seminary. I use the word “familiarize” rather than “learn,” because servant leadership is something that I’m not sure can be learned. I hadn’t heard the term, to my recollection, until I got to seminary many years ago. One can familiarize oneself with the term; learn the definition of servant leadership in a broad context, but to learn how to be a servant leader, I’m not sure is possible at least in a genuine and sincere way.

Bishop emeritus, president of the Servant Leader Institute and author Bennett Sims reflects on the subject of servant leadership as a bishop in the church. He writes, “In actual practice the bishop’s role varies from diocese to diocese, depending on local tradition and the bishop’s personal style, but on the whole he or she must rely on the power of persuasion and example, not on control.”[i]

Bennett Sims does not give a straight definition of servant leadership; you’d have to read an entire chapter to formulate his description of such a person in that role, but in these few words describing his experience as a leader who serves, we find a good sample: “she must rely on the power of persuasion and example, not on control.” A leader who merely makes demands and gives instruction without entering into the work he or she leads is not a servant. But one who leads by example, one who gives direction and follows her own instruction by example and not force, is a servant. And such a servant is a servant-leader. Nell was such a leader.

Nell did not give an instruction that she herself would not follow. As a matter of fact, as an altar guild member in this place since 1960 she not only followed her own instructions, she had already done the task countless times. Nell was a servant leader. We knew what was expected of us and we knew when we fell short of that expectation. It only took a look or maybe just a few words, and you knew where Nell stood on a liturgical practice or an altar guild responsibility or technique. And she never would have you do something in a way that she would not have done herself. A leader, according to Bennett Sims, “must rely on the power of persuasion and example.” Nell led by example. And what an example she set. She not only served on the altar guild for 57 years here, but shaped it and formed it in many ways. Not out of control, but from example.

Now you know that Nell was the consummate Episcopalian; that is, traditional, espousing and expecting the dignity that the liturgical church demands, knowing very well her craft. She shared her knowledge both verbally and by example, but she didn’t necessarily talk about how everything the altar guild does honors Jesus. Even as a devoted thrift shop volunteer, how the thrift shop honored Christ’s presence in the world was not the conversation starter. Perhaps if one did ask how her ministry honored Jesus, she might, just might, have you ask the priest. So that’s what I am going to do. I am going to share with you how Nell’s ministry and the ministry of the altar guild at large, honors Jesus and his Church.

The altar guild in the Episcopal Church is a ministry of the most sacred of things. The vessels, the linens, the cloths, and hangings all work in concert together to honor and give reverence to a man who Christians regard as God with us and among us: Jesus Christ. As the author of John’s Gospel tells us about Jesus, “It is God’s only Son, who is close to the Father’s heart….” “The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”

As Jesus gave his very life for his friends and indeed for the world, the Church has instituted the Sacraments of Christ’s Body and Blood as a result of that sacrifice; instructed by our Lord himself that we remember him in this way. The blessed wine, the blessed bread, the vessels, and containers and linens that hold these precious elements, are cared for by the members of the altar guild. The seamless garment worn by the priest – the chasuble – represents the seamless garment worn by Jesus at his Crucifixion. The altar’s fine linen represents the shroud that enwrapped Jesus’ body at his burial. The veil we see at the altar covering the sacred vessels represents the veil that covered Jesus head at his burial. All these are tended to, cared for, and adorn the sanctuary by the altar guild as visuals of the majesty and holiness of God through the person of Jesus Christ. And to the altar guild, this is serious business. As it should be. And Nell made no question about that.

She, with her fellow guild members, served Jesus in this most intimate way. She showed us the proper and most meaningful way to honor Christ through this ministry. How to fold, iron, stow and display these sacred vessels and elements to honor God and to bring each one of us each Sunday and Wednesday and Holy Day, into the presence of the Divine.

One of our Bishops, Jeff Fisher, who oversees pastoral ministries in our diocese, including the altar guild, writes to members, “You are the preparers and keepers and transmitters of some of the coolest stuff we have in The Episcopal Church.” Bishop Fisher goes on to say, “Tell people that altar guild work is not a job. Tell folks that altar guild work is a ministry, a ministry where you are gifted with a rare window into the majesty and serenity of God. Tell people how you encounter Jesus while touching and preparing holy things. You are evangelists!”

The last thing Nell Downum would have thought of herself as is an evangelist. But our own bishop would beg to differ. Her witness and example of teaching and forming those who perform liturgical ministries (which includes me!); and her service – faithful service at the thrift shop where she knew the importance of that ministry to our community, made her one great evangelist. Maybe not always in word, but certainly in deed, she was an evangelist – one who shared the Good News of God in Christ.

If we ever wonder what it means to be a Christian, I’d say we can look to Nell Downum and get a really good idea of what a Christian is. She loved her family. She loved her church. She loved her church family. And she loved serving God in his Church. She did what Christians are supposed to do: she loved and she served. It’s what Jesus calls us all to do. She gave of herself like the good and faithful servant Jesus called her to be. She was a steward of God’s blessings on her life, as she was a blessing to all who knew and loved her. As she herself experienced many seasons in life, her life remained a season of faithfulness and dedication to her Lord; literally until the day she went to her eternal home. In the midst of our grief and sorrow, there is hope and joy, as she takes her place among the saints, shining brighter than ever in Christ’s Resurrection light.

(From the National Altar Guild – the Chalice prayer) Let us pray.

Father, to you I raise my whole being — a vessel emptied of self. Accept, O Lord, this my emptiness, and so fill me with yourself — your Light, your Love, your Life — that these your precious Gifts may radiate through me and overflow the chalice of my heart into the hearts of all with whom I come into contact this day, revealing to them the beauty of your joy and wholeness and the serenity of your peace which nothing can destroy. Amen.

Nell Clark Downum | 1927- 2017 

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[i] Sims, Bennett J. (1997) Servanthood. Boston, MA: Cowley Publications

Rose Farrell Taylor

The Camino de Santiago, also known in English as the Way of St. James, or the Route of Santiago de Compostela, is the name of any of the pilgrimage routes, to the shrine of the apostle St. James the Greater, who is James, son of Zebedee, in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain. The pilgrimage takes place from various starting points across Europe and people travel very long distances to reach the shrine. Tradition has it that the remains of the saint are buried there.

Many follow these pilgrim routes to the cathedral as a form of spiritual path or retreat for their spiritual growth. The Way of St. James can take one of dozens of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. Traditionally, as with most pilgrimages, the Way of Saint James began at one's home and ended at the pilgrimage site.

Something interesting about the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage, in addition to the pilgrimage itself, is that people of any faith or no faith at all find it an inspiring journey; some even say life-changing. Today, hundreds of thousands of Christian pilgrims and many others set out each year from their front doorsteps or from popular starting points across Europe, to make their way to Santiago de Compostela. Most travel by foot, some by bicycle, and a few travel as some of their medieval counterparts did, on horseback or by donkey. In addition to those embarking on a religious pilgrimage, many are hikers who walk the route for other reasons: travel, sport, or simply the challenge of weeks of walking in a foreign land. But many consider the experience a spiritual adventure to remove themselves from the bustle of modern life as it serves as a retreat for many modern "pilgrims.” But perhaps the most interesting part of this pilgrimage experience, is that while the sojourn ends at the cathedral site, many regard their arrival as the beginning of a new pilgrimage. One that brings the pilgrim closer to God in new and unexpected ways (as a side note, Emilio Estevez wrote and directed the movie “The Way”, based on this pilgrimage. You can stream it on Netflix). 

Some regard the life of a Christian to be as a pilgrim’s journey. A pilgrimage, after all, is not just a long walk, but a journey filled with meaningful experiences; experiences that include the presence of God and for the Christian, one with Jesus. Now, for the purposes of this homily, I will call our beloved grandmother, Rose; as some of us call her Mema and the younger generation call her Mimi; which spell check seems to prefer. Either way, we know calling her the “g” word would probably get you killed.

Rose walked the pilgrim’s way. My earliest memories include seeing Rose singing in the choir at Holy Cross in Miami. As a young adult I attended with her quite often at Holy Sacrament in Pembroke Pines where she attended because the rector made her laugh. That was a litmus test. And of course, moving to Lady Lake, it didn’t take her long to call St. George’s her new church home.

Her spiritual life was very important to her. She was a proud Episcopalian. As a matter of fact, the Episcopal Church / Church of England was the only real church as far as she was concerned! Well, if you were Roman Catholic or Orthodox, you got a pass…close enough.

Her life pilgrimage was certainly influenced by her faith and dedication to Jesus’ church. She served the church in many and various ways. As one who earned a bachelor’s degree in religion, she used that knowledge to deepen her faith and serve the church in leadership roles and was able to have interesting and deep conversations in matters of faith. As Episcopalians, we hold faith and knowledge closely together. As a result, her faith was steady and a real substantive part of her life.

The only thing bigger than that big smile of hers was maybe her heart. The closest I really got to Rose on a regular basis was when I was a teenager and she got me a job at the bowling center she managed in North Miami. I had a great time working there, mostly because of her. Her personality was so big that when I was scheduled to work during times she wasn’t there, the placed literally seemed dead, even if it was a busy night. What made the biggest impression on me though was the fact that everyone loved and respected her. From the young man who cleaned up food and drink items after bowlers, all the way up to the owner himself, and every employee in between, she was loved and respected. Not many people can do that: endear themselves to both a dishwasher and an executive; and do it genuinely.

She was such a gift. If you needed something and she could give it, you got it. Later, in my twenties when I was pinched between places to live, my mother said, “ask Mima if you can stay with her”. She was so excited to have me come. I always felt so loved by her. But it was weird living with her. The woman made some interesting choices in life, especially when it came to money. She could stretch a dollar the length of a football field. You’d find little things like pads of paper or pencils and pens from the bowling alley. Want a cup of tea? The sugar bowl was filled with little sugar packets like you see at restaurants…or bowling alley lunch counters. She was one of a kind; unique, and smart, and funny in countless ways.

As people hear of my grandmother’s passing, often they share a story with me about their grandmother. How they baked the perfect cherry pie, or unforgettable cupcakes. That’s not really a description of our grandmother…not much of a baker. But she’d play a round of billiards with you or kick your butt on the bowling lanes. And I don’t know how many people can visit their grandmother…and her pet squirrel, Freddy. Yep. Living with her had its moments even without the squirrel; who she released behind our Episcopal Church after Freddy bit her all up and down both arms one day. The memories are countless. And one thing she did always have, were those little Andes chocolate mints on hand. Since I was a kid and even now, these little chocolate mints remind me of her.  

What a journey she lived. And I hope I can speak for the whole family that we were so excited for her as she traveled with [daughter] Shannon to Ireland, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, the Holy Land (by which I mean Israel) but she also went to the other Holy Land, England, where she got to see the home where her mother lived. Thank you Shannon for helping her check off an awesome bucket list.

The thing about the Spanish pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, the Camino de Santiago, the pilgrim’s path, is that once people reached the pilgrimage destination, one pilgrimage ended, but another one began. As sojourners make their way across Europe on bike, horse, or foot, there are several stopping points where people offer hospitality: some offer a place to stay overnight, others offer food and drink, and others offer some other sort of refreshment. Some sites for relief are parish churches and monasteries where pilgrims can rest and take time for prayer or have Eucharist. As a complete pilgrimage experience, most people are so moved by the people they have met, they places they have seen, and the encounters with God through the grace of hospitality and sacrament that a new pilgrimage begins when they leave the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

That’s the kind of pilgrimage Rose had. She met countless people on her sojourn, had great experiences, and touched the lives of hundreds with her big smile and her big personality and today we thank God for her. We give thanks to God for the Resurrection of Jesus, because it is through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that a new pilgrimage beckons.  

I chose the gospel lesson this morning because it tells us a story. The story is about Jesus’ friends and loved ones, Mary and Martha, grieving together after the loss of their friend and brother, Lazarus. It is a story in a larger story about a community of followers of Jesus. Jesus is building this community and as we see just a bit later in this gospel, the community continues – not only to survive – but continues to grow and include everyone who chooses to walk in the Way; that is the Way of Christ.

Rose walked this pilgrim’s way. And now as she begins this new leg of her journey and takes her place at that great banquet, where she is now woven into the eternal story, we can see Mary, Martha, Lazarus with Jesus and all his disciples and Rose seated among them, smiling and shining brighter than ever in Christ’s Resurrection light.

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your tender mercies’ sake. Amen.