The Reverend Professor

Today’s reflection comes at a late hour.

I headed down to Cambridge this morning for the memorial service of Peter Gomes, my preaching professor. I studied other subjects with Peter while I was at Harvard Divinity School, but as it was his seminar on extemporaneous preaching that has had the greatest practical impact on my ministry I think of him as my preaching professor. That said, he was many other things, too.

It was noted more than once today that Peter Gomes was a Republican in Cambridge, a gay man in a straight society, a black Pilgrim, a son of Plymouth who spoke like one of the Queen’s subjects. In addition he was a traditionalist in all the best ways, a collector of art and antiques (and interesting people and friendships), an accomplished minister and professor, and a devoted son of Harvard. But to this list I would also add that he was a disciple of Jesus Christ and an apostle of the Gospel. Peter took the Good News seriously. His teaching, his preaching, even his showmanship were all designed to bring the message of the Gospel to people in a way that commanded their attention.

That leaves me wondering: what do you, what do I do to bring the Good News to the attention of those we know and those we encounter? How do we share the story? It’s something each of us can do, whether we’re lay or ordained. We need not be as eloquent as Peter; few people are. But each of us has gifts with which we’ve been blessed by God; we can use words, actions, presence, service, talents to share the Gospel in ways that will make a difference in the lives of others.

Like Peter, each of us can be described in many different ways. But during this Lent, during a time of reflection, I am reminded that like my late professor, we are truly blessed when we are called disciples of Jesus.