June 26, 2011 - Pentecost + 2

Sent to Share the Story
Matthew 10:40-42
Pentecost + 2 – June 26, 2011

Before I begin today, I want us to take a minute or 2 to think about what you would say if you wanted to let someone know what's at the heart of your relationship or belief about God, Jesus, your faith. Imagine you're making a cardboard sign to hold up. In 10 words or less, what is at the center of your life with God? Don't worry, this is not a test. I'm not gonna ask you to share them out loud, you don't have to sign your name to them – although I would love to see what you write if you don't mind putting it in the offering plate when that time comes around. If you're a guest, you don't have to participate, although you're certainly welcome to if you want to! But for the rest of us, I Just want to take a minute or 2 to think about this question & put it into words. What is at the heart of your faith, your belief about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit? Okay? Time starts now...

Thanks for doing that. We'll come around to why we did that in a bit, but first, let's look at this gospel from Matthew. I have a sneaking suspicion when we hear and read these three verses that most of us get it backwards. Based on the reading I did this past week, I certainly get that impression, and I know I've done that myself before. See, I think when we read this passage, we get the impression that its message to us is about us welcoming others. We think it is about us handing out cups of water to dry, dusty prophets and righteous people and little ones. We think it's about our duty to show hospitality to the strangers God sends among us, to receive those who come seeking God inside the walls of our church. Now certainly that is a role for us to play; there's lots and lots in the Bible – the Old and the New Testament about welcoming the stranger, but if we are sitting around waiting for people to come to us so that we can hand out some gospel goodies to those who dare to enter our door (and it does take some daring to go to a new church for the 1st time), if we think that's all this story is about, then we've got it wrong. We've got it backwards.

We've got to remember what's going on in this story. We have to remember who Jesus is talking to. And to do that we've gotta back up a little bit. We've gotta go back to the beginning of chapter 10, when Jesus summoned his 12 disciples. He gathered them together and then gave them authority – and then he sends them out, with instructions to proclaim the good news that the kingdom of heaven has come near, to give the evidence of that by curing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, casting out demons. He does that, and then the rest of the chapter he goes on to talk about the challenges they'll face. He says he's sending them out like sheep in the midst of wolves. He says that family will betray family and hand them over to the courts, to death. He says that the one who wants to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life for Christ's sake will find it. And then finally, these words that come to us today, which is not about the disciples, but about the ones the disciples go to. It's a reminder that though there will be rejection, and dejection, and subjugation, there will be those who will welcome them. There will be people who will look at them and see Jesus shining through them, and behind Christ, God the Father who sent him. There will be people who will welcome them and show them hospitality, people who will meet their needs and welcome the message they bring on behalf of Christ. But whether they are welcomed or not, the disciples are expected to go!

And I think that's the message for us today, people of God, fellow followers of Jesus. It's a reminder that we are not the ones waiting to receive whoever God send, no we ARE the sent ones. Like the original disciples, we have been summoned and sent out by Jesus, given authority to proclaim the good news of God's kingdom coming near, given together the privilege and the honor of going therefore, and making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching others to follow the Way of Christ, our teacher and Lord. This passage is not about sitting back, it's about going out! It's about letting ourselves get dry and dusty for the sake of the gospel. It's about daring to share the story.

You all know that I'm on Facebook. A few months back, someone started a group for ELCA clergy – a place for discussions and debate, a place to ask questions and share suggestions and seek support. Recently one woman put out a challenge to the group. She issued an invitation to be part of what she called “One Living Lutheran Creed.” This is what Pr. Meta Carlson said as she introduced her idea:

"Lutherans often describe their congregations with words like 'friendly', 'welcoming' or 'hospitable'. Super and probably true, but I consider this to be part of our Lutheran problem. These are lovely but reactionary descriptions of God's people. They all require others to make the first move.
It's hard to initiate - to meet people outside, to tell our story, to be proud proclaimers when our (spiritual) heritage prefers stoicism and quiet humility. But maybe it would be easier and FUN to practice making that first move together."

And so, she says, why don't we Lutherans pick one Saturday to go out, in public, on our streets, in our neighborhoods, by our church buildings, - and this is where that opening exercise comes in – and hold up big ol' pieces of cardboard, signs that say what we believe? That's the creed part – creed comes from the Latin word “credo” - which simply means “I believe”. So, she says, why don't see what happens if we shy Lutherans dare to bring the word of God out from behind our brick walls and stained glass windows into the light of day? What if we dared to believe that we too are sent by Jesus, that we too have a mission from God to proclaim the good news? What if we took a chance and dove head first into those baptismal waters, the ones that will wash over Harry today, the place where we hear God's voice calling us and claiming us as beloved children, where we are promised that God's love for us is never-ending and that nothing can ever separate us from the Love, where we are sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked by the cross of Christ forever? What if we let ourselves trust those words and believe in those promises, and so put ourselves and our pride and our concerns about what people might think aside and dared to live into the covenant God makes with us at baptism; not just to live among God's faithful people & to hear the word of God and share in the Lord's supper, but took the next steps too, to proclaim the good news of God in Christ through word and deed, to serve all people, following the example of Jesus, and to strive for justice and peace in all the earth?

I say we do it. I say for once we should throw caution to the wind and join with Lutherans across the country. September 10 is the day we have planned, a day when the world will echo with the events and memories of September 11, 2001, when people will be reminded of questions and sorrow and doubt, looking for answers, seeking peace. We may not have all the answers, but we know the one whose peace passes all understanding. We know the one who comforts us in our grief. We know the one who gives hope to the hopeless. We can't know for sure what will happen. We don't know if people will welcome our message, if they will see the love of Christ shining through us – but the world is desperate to hear this good news – and God is sending us to tell it. May we be bold and courageous and faithful – and may we GO!

Amen.