Pentecost 3 (Proper 6) Sermon
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Suffolk, VA
The. Rev. Les Ferguson
Matthew 9:35-10:23

A semi-rhetorical question was posed during open-office hours this week and I would like to share the question with you. To invite you to consider as we begin today, “who is the most important part of the church (or at least the institutional church)?” I hopefully won’t surprise you when I say, “the priest is not the most important part of the church.” No, even when clergy believe they are important, the reality is someone else is the pivot of the church. Who is that? The most important people in the church are the greeters (and ushers). They are the ones who make a difference in ways they may not appreciate – especially when they have been members of a church for most of their lives. Greeters are the keys to a well-functioning church. They are the ones who reach out, explain, welcome, and care for newcomer and member alike. Those who greet are the ones who put words into action in the life of the church.

Did you hear what I heard? I try to pay attention to the collects we pray in worship, because they can provide insights into our week’s scripture that are not always obvious. The writers of today’s collect offered this prayer to and for us,

…that through your [God’s] grace we may proclaim your [God’s] truth with boldness and minister your justice with compassion…

The writers offer a take-away, that our relationship with God is not passive. As with most worthwhile relationships there must be a give-and-take, or at least the exchange of something we hold dear. The collect reminds us that our relationship with God endows us with a responsibility. Our responsibility is to be ones who tell our story of God’s presence in our lives.

Who did Jesus call to be his apostles and followers? Today’s Gospel account provides one list of the Apostles, ones who were given authority to speak and act as Jesus’ direct representative in society. There is a mishmash of people: brothers, sons of fathers, people with positions (Matthew the tax collector), people from somewhere, and the traits of others. One thing that should stand out to us some 2 millennia later, these aren’t high-thinking, well-educated, connected people – they are simple folks, many of whom were on the margin of society. [note: a Cananaean was a sect of Judaism strongly opposed to Rome and can be considered synonymous with Zealot – in modern terms we might consider him a political extremist, a nationalist] Jesus provides a vision for the future, one which depends on regular folks to be sustained and, more importantly, to achieve their potential and the place into action the gifts endowed upon them by God so that God’s message of hope would spread to the corners of the world.

There is a simple message that the Apostles and disciples are commissioned to share. While Matthew conveys that Jesus doesn’t want the Apostles to talk to anyone but the house of Israel, this side of history we understand Jesus’ commission to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. We, as descendants of those first believers (who were, in fact, of the house of Israel), are commissioned to carry the message Jesus gave to the disciples to our “houses” – the communities we live, work, and interact with. The communities which we have an investment in and the ones we have a relationship with.

What is the gospel we are told to share? Jesus made the message, the good news (aka gospel) clear,

…proclaim the good news, ‘the kingdom of heaven has come near (or often translated is at hand).’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.

Jesus has a vision that we must share – the kingdom of heaven is at hand; the kingdom of heaven is not something that lies somewhere “out there” but is right here, right now. We are not preparing for some apocalyptic event or time, we are preparing for today, tomorrow, and the near term in God’s kingdom. From that fact the remainder of our ministry and mission takes shape in our context or how it is needed in our communities – curing, raising, cleansing, and casting out. [note: the things that Jesus tells his disciples to do are active – not simply letting people come to be imbued with Jesus’ message but acting to make Jesus’ commission real in their world.]

The Apostles and disciples understood, after a time, that they had an important part to play in the world which is powered by God. They realized that they were no longer the “tax collector,” religious zealot/nationalist, fisherman, son of…, or brother of someone. They trusted that Jesus was commissioning them to do real, meaningful work which would carry a message of hope to the ends of the earth. They were ultimately convinced that they did, in fact, have the keys to the kingdom and that without their efforts, there was no hope. I believe they realized, no matter how unknown and out of control the future Jesus proposed for them was, their greatest happiness and the greatest “secret” they had was too good to not share.

It shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone, we are in the same boat and position as those 1^st century Apostles and disciples. We have the same mission – “to proclaim the good news that the kingdom of heaven is near…” We, like those “regular folks” in the gospel account, are the ones who have the power to change people’s lives and help them understand God’s constant presence in their lives. Like we are reminded by the collect writer, we are the ones who are supposed to proclaim God’s truth with boldness to help our communities learn how they can experience God’s grace in the here and now.

Interestingly, we will get the opportunity to share our witness at times where we least expect it. But if we trust that God will lead us, we will be able to step forward and tell the life-giving story – that God helps us survive and thrive in a chaotic time. How can I say that? There was an example this past Tuesday right in the front yard by King’s Highway.

There was a crew from Xylem in the yard trimming the trees along the power lines across the road. I was just standing there and listening to the exchange between two flagmen (one at each end of the corner) when I was approached by the crew’s supervisor. He apologized if there was a problem and I told him that I was the priest in charge here. In a little while, he asked me a question which caught me off guard, “What does the Episcopal Church believe?”

While I have an answer the setting was a little shocking. “Some random guy, on the side of the road, asks me a loaded theological question” was my thought. Who knew? Once the shock wore off, I engaged him in a conversation about our church and the Episcopal Church. Lots of information – some in great detail and some in generalities – was exchanged. Yes, because I am a priest, but I believe if anyone of us were there we could have had an appropriate conversation with him – something which was good enough to engage in a relationship, solely on the presence of God in this place.

You might argue that I know enough to have that conversation with him, but I know that anyone who is or has been a member of St. John’s has enough knowledge about their faith and practice to explain what they believe. You might not think you have the “right word” [in your opinion] you certainly have the words which express your perception of God in your life and God at work in this place.

The point – you know what you feel and how you experience God in words which make sense to you. You need to be ready and trust that God will use the words that you have to make a difference in God’s kingdom.

We are called, as believers in and at St. John’s, to be bold in our faith. Not “in your face” as much as assured that God will help you find the words that God needs you to share with whomever you meet. You have a conviction and experience which is important and compelling for others – to help them find God present in their mundane and chaotic lives. Like those “everyday” Apostles, we don’t need to be high thinking, learned, well-educated, or connected, we simply need to know and trust that God has equipped us to do the work that God needs us to do, as God’s representative in this exact place and at this exact time. Just what we are is exactly what God needs to accomplish God’s mission in our community. We have the things that God needs for us to be successful witnessing for God.

[Ed. note – this paragraph was omitted] What can we share? We are called to share what we have – specifically this church, our community, and our assurance of God’s presence in our lives. We must be ones who let God’s light shine from this place. By bringing others here to join us we are supported by their presence, and we will support them as they grow in their understanding of God’s presence in their lives. We know, by the experience we have in good times and bad, that we can do the hard work that advances an awareness and experience of God to the corners of the earth.

Our mission is clear, to welcome others into our midst. Not simply greeting them when they “happen” here (although that is important), rather to help others know about our story and our relationship with God. We need to let others be aware of the sustaining presence of God, not just in our church but in our hearts and in our relationships. Not because we are special or especially learned or deserving, but because God has given us the grace needed to make these things a reality.