July 9, 2007
Rev. Linda Fernandes-Bailey
Sent Forth Together
Have you ever had the experience of helping someone but were left feeling unappreciated? I think we all have. We have tried some ministry either through the church or in our work place or in our families or with our friends and felt let down and disappointed in the end. We didn’t get the credit we thought we deserved. OR we didn’t achieve the results we thought we would achieve. Or not enough people seemed to support our idea or attend the function we sponsored. Sometimes we begin to feel resentful and think : “Ya know I am never going to help anyone again. It’s just not worth it they don’t appreciate all my efforts!. I didn’t feel good about it. It was just a failure!” Then I remembered the sermon that David Bartlett one of my professors at Yale preached at graduation the essence of it being “It’s hard to measure ministry” Indeed it is and measuring ministry has very little to do with how we measure success other wise. I just officiated a wedding that left me feeling rather aggravated. The focus seemed like it was on all the wrong stuff to me and so I was whining to a wise mentor of mine and she asked “Why do you do the work you do?” and without hesitation I replied “I hope I’m planting seeds.”
Well, then I read today’s scripture lesson. Jesus sends out the seventy. Maybe you didn’t know about the seventy. Luke’s gospel is the only gospel to name seventy in the other gospel Jesus sends just the twelve but the story is similar in that followers are sent forth to bring healing and peace and told to travel light and if it doesn’t work out wipe the dust off your feet and move on. Now mind you there is nothing in this passage that says that when we do good works in Jesus’ name we will always feel good or get lots of credit for spreading the good news. NO! In fact it says quite the opposite. “I am sending you out like lambs among the wolves” In other words this is not going to be easy. You might get eaten alive! You don’t know how others will receive your help…your words of comfort…your sharing your faith journey…your proclaiming the good news. But do it anyway. The bottom line is we do not control the outcome when we do God’s work. And I believe I have said this before…and this is important to remember… it’s not about us…it’s about being followers of Jesus and participating in the kingdom.
These seventy are sent forth totally reliant on God. They are asked to bring nothing and to rely on others for their food and shelter. They are completely vulnerable. Yet somehow how they are so excited about this kingdom that Jesus is talking about and probably they have witnessed glimpses of the kingdom while in the presence of Jesus. So now they are off ready to share the good news. Not only that but they are few in numbers…”the harvest is plenty but the laborers are few.” (when have we heard that before…it’s always the same people doing all the work…some things never change) BUT Let’s not forget no matter how few laborers the harvest is plenty! AND there is an urgency about the task…they are asked not to talk to anyone along the way. Yet they are not discouraged they go forth in the name of Jesus to proclaim “ Peace in your house” And if you read on in the story they return in joy (so joy is possible even when the work is hard) and they tell Jesus how amazed they are at what happened. AMAZING!
Can you imagine Jesus here today saying “Yeah I want to send you out in the neighborhoods of Southington….of New Britain…Hartford don’t take anything with you and rely on total strangers for food and shelter…rely on God for sustenance and go forth and proclaim the good news. The good news of what Jesus has done for you! If Jesus were here today in this room would any of us follow? This is hard stuff following Jesus!!! Yet here we are.
The world we live in is very attached to accomplishments, status, achievements… measurements of success…like good grades…the right school…big house…lots of things…promotions at work….the right connections. I don’t know the list goes on and gets bigger every generation. The pressure to succeed according to the worlds standards is a bit more intense every generation. Yet when the kingdom breaks through none of this will matter because the kingdom tips everything upside down! Henri Nouwen says it this way: “The way of Jesus is radically different than the spirit of the world. It is the way of downward mobility. It is going to the end of the line, staying behind the sets, and choosing the last place! Why is the way of Jesus worth choosing? Because it is the way to the kingdom and the way that brings life eternally.” See we keep getting confused thinking that whenever we participate in ministry someone is going to reward us…appreciate us. There is no money and fame here…no upward mobility but the way of the kingdom is what brings us life and life eternal. It will be what makes our lives meaningful not all the other things we constantly strive for.
Nothing frightens us more than proclaiming the good news of the gospel. Right? I mean most of us are uncomfortable talking about our faith…it’s a private and personal right? NO! Not at all that’s what we are called to do. But thankfully there is more than one way to proclaim the gospel. I really like the words of St Francis that say “preach the gospel at all times and if necessary use words.” Now if you think words are frightening try living your life as a witness to the good news…it’s not easy. We are sent like lambs among wolves….and sometimes we are the wolves! But I read a story on line that exemplifies what I am trying to say. Let me share it with you:
Bob's assigned counselor was a middle aged man named Murray who had been around the block a few times. He was a battle scarred recovering alcoholic who had managed to gain a college degree in his 50's and certification as a drug and alcohol counselor a few years later. The degree and the certification were simple, "necessary frills" Murray said. The hard part and the key to his life was what he called "an encounter with God." Murray never pushed his experience with God on others. He didn't have to. Just to sit and eat lunch with Murray gave people a sense of refreshment. Although he didn't say very much about God, people said they had a sense that Murray was very close to God.
The long and short of this story is that Bob was discharged from the program as "unavailable for treatment". His personal agenda prevented him from really participating. But he was back within a few weeks after another drunk driving arrest and another job loss. He asked if Murray could be his counselor. The reason? In Bob's own words, "I don't know if it can work for me or not, but I know that if there is a God -- it is the God I sometimes think I see in Murray."
That's what Jesus is looking for. Murrays who will be so full of God that when people come close to them, they "come near" to the kingdom of God!
Friends we too are sent forth as followers of Jesus…not alone…but together. That is the power of the Church we are sent together to bring about and participate in the kingdom. It isn’t easy work. Sometimes it feels like we’re getting eaten alive. Sometimes we need to wipe the dust from off our feet and move on. BUT it is not about us. It’s about the kingdom and being so excited that we have encountered Jesus that we want to go forth and share the peace. Amen.