Thank-you for your Service
The Reverend Shearon Sykes Williams, Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, February 16th, 2025
“Thank-you for your Service”
“…Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
In the year of the drought it is not anxious,
and does not cease to bear fruit….” Jeremiah 17: 5-10
When we were traveling around the country with my husband Robbie’s naval career, people would often stop him and say “thank-you for your service.” I was always really touched by that because it demonstrated that he was seen, valued and appreciated for his dedication to our country and peace-keeping around the world. People still tell him thanks to this day and it is always a blessing when they do. People in the military are often away from home for long periods of time, they work long hours and their lives are sometimes at risk. Our family went through a lot of times being concerned for Robbie’s safety and missing him when he had to be away, but we knew that what he did was important. It was for a larger purpose.
I was very interested to learn this week that our federal government employs 2 ¼ million military personnel and it employs an equal number of civilians, another 2 ¼ million. Over half of the civilians work for Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense and Homeland Security. Civil servants are so important, but the general population of our country does not always realize what vitally, important roles civil servants perform. Many of you are civil servants and contractors supporting our government and have given years of excellent, dedicated, sacrificial service. You could have chosen a more lucrative career, but you did not because you wanted to serve our country. You are lawyers, scientists, administrators, policy-makers, national security professionals, and foreign aid workers, to name a few. Your work affects the farmers who grow our food, the development of life-saving drugs, the safety of the roads we drive on, the support of veterans, the protection of vulnerable groups, the feeding of people around the world, and so much more. Thank-you. Thank-you for your service. Thank-you for all that you have done for so many people, most of whom will never know that you are the ones behind the benefits that we all receive that we so often take for granted. Thank-you. I am very grateful for you and your commitment to serving others. Please know that we see and value and honor your service.
Some of you have lost your job, some of you are anticipating losing your job, and some of you are responsible for a lot of other people in your workplace whom you are trying to support, even in the midst of concerns about your own future. Thankfully there will be many of you who do not lose your job but whose workplaces will be still be vastly changed. That is a lot of trauma. There is so much suffering right now. So much pain, fear, anger, disillusionment and a sense of abandonment. Our whole region is so focused on the federal government. It is the center of gravity, even for non-government employees, and a lot of people feel like everything is falling apart around them.
What we have to remember is that as Christians, our TRUE center of gravity is God. The Lord is the center of gravity. He holds all things together. He holds us together, individually and collectively, through thick and thin, and especially during times of extreme stress. In our reading from the prophet Jeremiah today, we hear this.
“…Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
In the year of the drought it is not anxious,
and does not cease to bear fruit….” Jeremiah 17: 5-10
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust IS the Lord. When everything seems to be falling apart around us, we trust that God is with us and will show us the way, even when all seems dark. Jeremiah was writing during a time of tremendous suffering for he and his people. The beautiful city of Jerusalem was their beloved home and it was suddenly destroyed by Babylonian invaders. Exile and alienation is their new reality. All of their points of reference for everyday life are gone. And Jeremiah asks them, “How will you respond ? Will you respond as people who live in the desert, where everything is desolate and barren and without hope, or will you respond as though you are trees, trees planted beside a flowing river rooted and grounded in trust in God’s provision? “
Trusting that God will provide is the absolute hardest thing to do when everything around us looks so bleak. When we feel the wolves circling us and when we feel the wolves circling the people we love, whether they are in our family, our circle of friends, or our co-workers. Human beings are social creatures. What affects one, affects us all, whether we are aware of it or not.
A few years ago I read the Pulitzer prize winning book, the Overstory, by Richard Powers. Being a major tree lover, I was fascinated to read about the interconnection between human beings and trees, and also the nature of relationships between trees in a forest. I learned that trees live in communities and communicate with each other through their root systems. If there is a threat, one tree sends out warning signals to the other trees. And if one tree is sick, other trees send out nutrients to restore it to health. There is a sense that what affects one affects all.
This scientific understanding of interrelatedness really helps to give Jeremiah’s tree metaphor more depth and breath. God created the earth and all its creatures to be interconnected and mutually supportive.
“…Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
In the year of the drought it is not anxious,
and does not cease to bear fruit….” Jeremiah 17: 5-10
Trees are a lot more resilient when their root system are well-developed and they are not alone. We need to put our faith in God and in this community right now. Whatever happens with the government, we are going to be alright. And we have a choice about how we respond. Things are hard, but God is with us and will show us a way forward. And we have to remember that no one can do this alone. During times of upheaval, we need support, especially the support of our church friends who will hold out hope for us when we are not feeling hopeful, people who will be with us in our struggles and reminding us that all will ultimately be well.
One way that we put meat on those bones is through our small groups. If you are not already in a small group, think about joining one, even if you don’t consider yourself much of a joiner, especially if you don’t consider yourself much of a joiner. Our house churches are one of our small group ministries. We have 9 house churches now. They were formed during the pandemic when we were all isolated and afraid. And people are isolated and afraid now. These groups meet each week, either on Zoom or in-person, for one hour. They share joys and challenges, study Scripture and pray together. The format is simple, but the connections are powerful, like trees sending out nutrients to each other. The idea for these groups comes from the early Church, when people met in homes, during a time of persecution, worshipping together, praying together, and supporting one another. Our house churches help to keep the root system of Saint George’s strong and resilient as we weather storms together. (We are forming new ones specifically for federal workers right now and our existing ones are always open to new members.) The house churches, along with all of our other small groups, are providing much need support and spiritual grounding. They are a way of putting on our own oxygen mask to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of others. If you want to know more about our house churches or other small groups, please email Father Paddy or myself, and we’d be glad to connect you. Both of us are also only an email away if you want to talk and pray, one-on-one.
Saint George’s is also mindful of other groups, in addition to federal workers, who are at risk right now. Our social justice and outreach ministries are always hard at work, responding to the needs of our larger community , and they are attuned to groups of people who are especially at risk right, so be on the look-out for this Thursday’s Dragon Bytes for ways that you can sign-up to support refugees and immigrants, particularly San Jose, our Spanish-speaking sister congregation. Volunteering with our food pantry is also a great, hands-on way to minister to others, and honor the face of Christ in everyone we meet. We are called to take care of ourselves and take care of one another, trusting in God’s provision for all of us.
“…Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
In the year of the drought it is not anxious,
and does not cease to bear fruit….” Jeremiah 17: 5-10