Ready or Not, Pentecost 2, June 18, 2017

Second Sunday of Pentecost (Year A)

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Do all the good you can,

By all the means you can,

In all the ways you can,

In all the places you can,

At all the times you can,

To all the people you can,

As long as ever you can.

– John Wesley

Theme: Ready or Not

Reflection: I’ve been reading more and more articles about this so-called post-Christian era, and what churches and worship might look like in the future. I’ve always found it enlightening that nowhere in the Bible is there an instruction manual for worship. Keeps it real.

Of course, the things we include in our worship are scattered throughout the Bible, but nowhere is there a prescription that says include scripture readings, songs, prayers, a message, the meal, collection of offerings and a benediction, and make sure you have an altar, candles and a cross. Oh, and water, just in case the Spirit moves someone to be baptized.

How would we adjust if worship suddenly became an expedition, a movement out of buildings and into the life of our community? Maybe today’s Gospel gives us insight.

“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few, therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into the harvest.”

And without missing a beat, Jesus decides he needs to send out some laborers, ready or not. It was time for the hands-on harvest part of disciple training.

“Front and center, the twelve of you. No more watching and standing on the sidelines – it’s your turn.

“Whoa -- come back here a second, Peter, and listen to the instructions first!

“Travel light. Trust people’s generosity and hospitality. I know you’re used to fending for yourself, but give it a shot. If you’re welcomed, stay there. If you’re not, just move on. Don’t speak badly about them – just hold space for them. Lots of fish in the sea, right, James and John?

Leave the Samaritans and Gentiles for later – you don’t have to go far to find people who need this Good News. You won’t need any money or extra clothing. God’s love flows through you, so heal people, listen to what they need, bring them back to life. The Spirit will show you what to do. Thomas – don’t look so uncertain. You can do this!”

What if the Gospel came to life today? Imagine Jesus standing in front of the church sending laborers into the field.

“You folks in the back row – time to go share the Good News. (Aren’t you glad you sat back there today!) Of course you're ready. No, you don’t need to be missionaries to China or Africa – start right here in the Quad Cities. There are thousands of people who need to hear words of hope and healing. Don’t worry about what you should wear or take. Just go love on people.”

Would we stand frozen in the parking lot trying to figure out our next move? Where would we go? The Courthouse Plaza? The hospital? Starbucks?

But wait – how is this any different than any other week? We hear God’s word and are refreshed with praise and songs. We are equipped with a message, fed by the meal. And every service … absolutely every weekend … we hear “Go in peace, to love and to serve the Lord.”

And out we go – proclaiming the Good News that the kingdom of heaven has come near, everywhere we go. Having a phone conversation into the wee hours of the night with a child who is struggling. Encouraging a co-worker who is at the end of her rope. Practicing reconciliation with your partner. Praying comfort around a high school classmate whose sister died unexpectedly this week.

Wherever Jesus’ followers are, God’s love in our hearts, accompanied by the Spirit, that place is holy ground. A worship space. Sacred dust.

We don’t need to invite someone to worship, pray with them or convert them to speak the Good News in our actions. Although, maybe the Spirit will move you to do so someday – and if that day comes, trust the Spirit to give you the words. The kingdom of heaven comes near every time we don’t get tied up in “what am I supposed to do,” and just act with the love that fills our heart and our God-given DNA. When we serve from the place of “What is needful here?” When we speak from the place of “What would be healing?”

I am convinced the church is not in decline, but in transit. Instead of being religion-driven, we are taking Jesus the Christ with us. Wherever we go, we are the kingdom. Love is too important to hold in a box.

Amen

Holy Ground

Meg Bowman, Memorial Services for Women

(A poem to contemplate as we begin the not-so-Ordinary Time of Pentecost)

We meet on holy ground,

for that place is holy where we meet one another.

Where lives touch,

Where love moves,

Where hope stirs,

There is holy ground.

How strong our need is for one another:

Our silent beckoning to our neighbors,

Our invitations to share life and death together,

Our welcome into the lives of those we meet,

And their welcome into our own.

We meet on holy ground,

Brought into being as life encounters life,

As personal histories merge into the communal story,

As we take on the pride and pain of our companions,

As separate selves become community.

(You always are welcome to respond with your thoughts and reflections in the comments section at the bottom of this post.) 

Faith App:  Pray this week to let the Holy Spirit move and speak through you, to your family, your neighbors and those you meet in passing each day. Be a healing, life-giving laborer in the harvest now.

HYMN/SONG SUGGESTIONS

Spread, Oh, Spread, Almighty Word, ELW 663

For the Fruit of All Creation, ELW 679

All People That on Earth Do Dwell, ELW 883

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, ELW 858/859

The Spirit Sends Us Forth to Serve, ELW 551

On Eagles’ Wings, ELW 787

Come Down, O Love Divine, ELW 804

Take My Life That I May Be, ELW 583/685

For the Bread Which You Have Broken, ELW 494

Live Like That, Sidewalk Prophets

I want to live like that

And give it all I have

So that everything I say and do

Points to you

If love is who I am

Then this is where I'll stand

Recklessly abandoned

Never holding back

With Every Act of Love, Jason Gray

Lifesong, Casting Crowns

Take My Life, Chris Tomlin

Awake Our Souls, Tim Timmons

Come, Now is the Time to Worship, Phillips, Craig & Dean

LESSONS

Exodus 19:2-8 You shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation

Psalm 100 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.

Romans 5:1-8 God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 9:35-10:8 [9-23] As you go, proclaim the good news, “The kingdom of heaven has come near.” 

Summary of the Lessons:  The Spirit birthed the Church. Jesus the Christ revealed God’s nature, God’s powerful love for us, but the Holy Spirit lives and moves and breathes in us, and provides the unifying language for all God’s people – the language of love.

OPENING LITANY based on Psalm 100

L:  Rejoice, people of the Lord, all over the world;

C:  Celebrate your worship with glee – do it LOUD!

L:  Lose the laments – restore the laughter and joy;

C:  Break forth in singing and dancing – God is near!

L:  Trust and know the Eternal One as Lord of your life –

C:  Creator God, breathing life into our lifeless clay;

L:  Loving Parent, adopting us and calling us beloved;

C:  Good Shepherd, abundantly providing all we need.

L:  Fill your worship with thanks and praise: All the time --

C:  God is Good! Bless God’s holy name forever.

L:  With a steadfast love, our God sustains us;

C:  Faithful are the Lord’s promises to the end of time.

CONFESSION

L:  Make a joyful noise – join together in our praises;

C:  Leave divisions at the altar, grace is a gift for all.

L:  Release now your wounded and wounding hearts,

C:  God’s peace a sign of the kingdom coming near.

L:  Make a friendly noise – all are welcome here;

C:  Proclaim the good news, no one is turned away.

L:  We have more room at the table for everyone;

C:  God’s love the sign of the kingdom coming near.

L:  Make an encouraging noise – reach out and help;

C:  We were called to lift one another’s burdens,

L:  To relieve suffering and bring dead hearts to life.

C:  God’s hope a sign of the kingdom coming near.

(Silent reflection)

L:  In our confession, we pray together,

C:  Most Merciful God … we confess that we separate our lives into the spiritual and the secular, the time in your presence and the time away from it. But there is no place where you are not. And wherever you are, the kingdom of heaven draws near. Open us, Lord, to let your love flow through us in all we say and do, that we would be willing to allow the Spirit to lead us to share the glory of God.

Hear this Good News: We know we are brought into right relationship with God through faith – which is a gift to us. Nothing we can do makes God love us more or less, because God already has adopted us and beholds us with love. We can respond in love because God first and always loves us. Through our Lord Jesus the Christ, we are at peace and pure before God, set free to heal and give life everywhere we go. Amen.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

L:  We pray together, 

C:  Lord of the Harvest … we pray that we will obey your voice when you call us to proclaim the good news. You’ve equipped us, now send us as your laborers to reach out to the lost, least and little here among us. Give us patience and hope in our suffering, when our efforts are rebuffed and our motives misunderstood. Keep us focused on the harvest goal: to bring forth the kingdom, not someday, but starting this day.  Amen.

COMMUNION BLESSING

L:  We pray together,

C:  We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the kingdom life in this bread, the covenant of hope in this cup.  Fill us to brimming with your love and grace, so that we cannot help but share it. Be with us everywhere we go this week, that living through us, you would reap a rich harvest of changed lives and compassionate communities. Amen. 

SENDING

L:  Freed to boldly bless the world,

C:  Equipped to heal and give life;

L:  God chooses us as the field hands,

C:  Called to serve everywhere we can.

L:  Go now, kingdom laborers, to love and to serve the Lord.

C: Thanks be to God!

First Reading Exodus 19:2-8 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: Just before this setting, Moses’ father-in-law had encouraged him to delegate some of his tasks to his people, to decide lesser disputes, leaving Moses free for the big task of being the representative of the people to God.

² They had journeyed from Rephidim, entered the wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain. ³ Then Moses went up to God; the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the Israelites: ⁴ You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. ⁵ Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples. Indeed, the whole earth is mine, ⁶ but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the Israelites.”

⁷ So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people, and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. ⁸ The people all answered as one: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.” Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord.

Second Reading Romans 5:1-8 (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: Paul writes his key beliefs to churches in Rome that he neither started nor visited.

5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, ⁴ and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, ⁵ and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. ⁸ But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us

Gospel Matthew 9:35-10:8 [10:9-23] (NRSV)

Setting the Scene: Just like Moses, Jesus was doing all the heavy lifting: healing and caring for people as they traveled. It was time for more delegation.

³⁵ Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and curing every disease and every sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; ³⁸ therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

10 Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. ² These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; ³ Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;  ⁴ Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, ⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ⁸ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. [⁹ Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, ¹⁰ no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for laborers deserve their food. ¹¹ Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. ¹² As you enter the house, greet it. ¹³ If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. ¹⁴ If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. ¹⁵ Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

¹⁶ “See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; ¹⁸ and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹ When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; ²⁰ for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. ²¹ Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; ²² and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ²³ When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.]