EVERYONE A MINISTER

7th Sunday in Pentecost     Sunday, July 8, 2007

United Lutheran Church—Red Wing

Luke 10:1-11, 17-20

Grace and Peace be with you in the name of the Lord of the harvest, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

              Frederick Buechner in his book,  WISHFUL THINKING, write this about the word disciple. “The first ministers were the 12 disciples.  There’s no evidence that Jesus chose them because they were brighter or nicer than other people.  In fact, the New Testament record suggests that they were continually missing the point, jockeying for position, and when the chips were down, interested in nothing so much as saving their own skins. Their sole qualification seems to have been their initial willingness to rise to their feet when Jesus said, ‘Follow me!’

When he sent them out into the world, his instructions were simple.  He told them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal, with the implication that to do either was in effect to do both.  Fortunately, for the world in general and the church in particular, the ability to do them isn’t dependent upon moral character or I.Q.  To do them in the name of Christ is to be a minister.”

The sole qualification he says, is their willingness to rise up and to follow. And, they did!!

              Last Sunday’s Gospel emphasized three examples of excuses from “would be” followers of Christ and the responses of Jesus. 

              *”Foxes have holes, the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no

                 place to lay his head.”(no frills)

              *”Let me go first and bury my father…as for you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God,

                 leave the dead to bury the dead.” (urgency)

              *”Let me first say farewell to those at home…No one who puts his hand to the plow and

                 looks back is fit for the Kingdom of God.” (focus/singleness of purpose.)

              Those followers who came to Jesus, were not kept in the dark for long as to why they would need those qualities.  They were about to be sent out to tell that word, that the “Kingdom of God has come near”.  Everything Jesus is saying indicates there is a NEED, an URGENCY,

MUCH TO DO, and LABOR AT HAND IS IN SHORT SUPPLY.  No illusion that this was going to be easy.  No pretense that they should go heavily laden/burdened by stuff, so travel light.  No false-promises that everyone was going to welcome them with open arms.  Rejection might well be part of their daily experience.

              Just words like: “HARVEST IS RIPE”, and “THERE AREN’T ENOUGH FOLKS TO DO THE WORK”, and “ACCEPT WHAT IS OFFERED TO YOU”, and “IF YOU ARE NOT RECEIVED OR WELCOMED, MOVE ON!” The whole purpose was to heal and to tell the story.

              What is this if it isn’t a call to discipleship?  The Biblical word is disciple.  Jesus had many. Sometimes he talks to the 12 but this time he sends out 70 in pairs.  Discipline and disciple come from the same root word and basically have to do with being trained or guided.

Discipline isn’t punishment, but primarily nurture and guidance.  Discipleship is what we have learned and carry with us within from the one who has faithfully called and taught us.  It’s what goes on after the lesson has been taught.

              This morning’s Gospel suggests to me that the call to discipleship has many meanings, but these three thoughts rise to the surface for me.   To be a disciplined disciple is exemplified by witness(sharing the story), realizing that it is not reserved for a few, and lays claim to our entire life.  Dr. David Tiede, former President of Luther Seminary in St. Paul writing in his commentary on the Gospel of Luke, that this text from Luke 10 is, “A HANDBOOK ON EVANGELISM”.  

              First, discipleship is exemplified by witness.  The calling and sending of the 70 takes place because of the need and urgency.  “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

I believe that statement could be made in every age, including our own.  The purpose of the 70 is clear---witness/tell the story. That message, “The Kingdom of God has come near you!” Their very presence, as well as their words, give evidence of the kingdom coming near.  To witness is to tell the story. Disciples are not called to “protect” the story of Christ, but to share it.  Not a call to “defend Christ”, but to respond and proclaim him as Lord.

              Sometimes we are fearful of telling the story.  Not because we haven’t heard it; not because we don’t know it; not even because we don’t believe it.  We have heard, we know, and

we trust that story to be true.  Sometimes, we just hope someone else will do the telling. We fuss and stew because we’re embarrassed if we don’t use the right words or say things, “just so.”.

But no one else can tell your story. Someone else can tell the story so much better, we think.

Perhaps!  I like the story told of Karl Barth, a renowned theologian of the 20th Century who wrote volumes of books on theology. He was asked to summarize in a few words the central message of the Christian faith and without hesitation he began:  “Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so.  Little ones to him belong, they are weak but he is strong.  Yes, Jesus loves me.  Yes, Jesus loves me…”

              The emphasis of our most recent Synod Assembly in June was “TELLING OUR FAITH STORY.  Even if our own personal story of faith seems too ordinary and unimpressive, it needs to be told, for the sake of others and for our own sake.  Why? So that we do not forget the story.  So that we do not minimize the amazing grace of Jesus and His love in our lives.  It was Martin Luther who wrote that to witness or tell the story of faith, is like, “ONE BEGGAR TELLING ANOTHER BEGGAR WHERE TO FIND BREAD.”

              Dr. Margaret Wold in her book, THE POWER OF THE ORDINARY , wrote these words:  “If you aren’t use to telling about what Jesus means to you, you will probably find this a difficult assignment…start today by telling your story to someone! Try to avoid talking about your church and its activities.  Concentrate on Jesus and what he has done for all people and for you.  Your story is as valid a witness as anyone else’s.  It may be as simple as my friend’s saying that he knew Jesus since his baptism.  You can’t control anyone else’s reaction to your story.  But telling it will refresh your memory of God’s grace in your life.  If you don’t have anything to say about Jesus...WHY NOT?”  Discipleship is exemplified by witness/telling the story.

              Secondly, discipleship is not reserved for a few, but is a call to all the baptized. Too often discipleship gets assigned to a particular group of people within the church known as the “clergy”.  We clergy are perhaps as responsible for that as anyone else.  Sometimes we justify our existence in the church by assigning ministry to ourselves.  But every baptized Christian is called to ministry, a ministry that flows from the story of Jesus who died on the cross for our sins and the sins of the world.  It was Jesus who was raised to grant to us newness of life now and in a new life yet to come, because of the mercy of God.

              Whoever has that Gospel story has a ministry. All who believe in Christ share in the priesthood of all believers.  In the baptism rite in the LBW we use to say, “Through baptism God has made us members of the priesthood we all share in Christ Jesus, that we may proclaim the praise of God, and bear his redeeming word to all the world.”  I like that!

              Pastors are needed to feed and nurture, to develop and utilize the gifts of all God’s people.  We have the ministry or Word and Sacrament.  We are called to gather and scatter people helping to build up people in their faith.  It’s always exciting to see candidates for the ordained ministry come out of this congregation.  But we are all ministers of the gospel, we are all called to be disciples of Christ because of our baptism.  The promise of God’s Spirit was to empower all believers in Christ to be ambassadors for Christ.  Everyone a minister!  Lay persons and clergy alike because Christ has claimed and named us and we claim the name of Jesus.

One of the joys of ministry for me has always been seeing persons sense that call to serve within the life of the congregation.  Hearing of a need and hearing them saying, “I CAN DO THAT!” Equally joyful is the moment when I realize that fellow Christians see the connection between faith and living that faith out in the context of community.  Where faith and daily life merge!

              The third thought is that the call to discipleship lays claim to our entire life.  Jesus prayed that laborers for the harvest would come.  People who knew to work with hands,  hearts, and minds.  Over 2,000 years ago Jesus said, “the fields are ripe unto harvest”, words that are equally true in this time and age. The recovery of ministry demands more than “voluntary service” at the church.  It involves acceptance of our whole life and daily work as an expression of “faith active in love”. We live in a sensate culture, materialistic and often meaningless to so many people.  We want to see a purpose to what we are doing, the reason for living.   You and I are called to be that people of fulfillment, in our personal, family, community, occupational, and civil sectors of life.  All of these areas belong to your ministry and mine.

              A few years ago, Richard Halvorson wrote a book entitled, THE TRAGEDY OF THE UNEMPLOYED.   He was not addressing joblessness but the issue of not connecting faith and life as disciples of Christ. He wrote these words, “You are there(in the world) every day, quietly invading your worlds for Christ, beachheads of the kingdom, in business, education, govern-ment, labor, and in the professions established by people doing their job daily to the glory of God, as servants of Jesus Christ. This is the work of the church…the ministry of God’s people.”

              Discipleship recognizes that we are sent, even as Jesus sent those 70 to tell the story, through our lives.  Or, as someone else has said, by our entire lives, actions, and “sometimes with words.”  EVERYONE A MINISTER!  For our discipleship is exemplified by our witness/telling the story, not by just a few but by all, through every avenue and experience of our lives.  This is the work of the church, this is the work of a missionary congregation, this is the work of Jesus Christ in and through you!   May God grant us the grace and the fervor to do be that kind of people.  EVERYONE A MINISTER!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.  Amen.

                                                                                                                              Pastor Clark Cary