To follow, not just admire

This Sunday, July 4, we'll be celebrating the Eucharist out on the lawn. I hope that if you're in town, you'll join us at 9 AM. It's the first Sunday of the month, which would be our usual Children's Sunday, but since there will be enough going on as it is (and it would also be hard to see and hear), I'll just preach a shorter, extemporaneous sermon. I think, though, that our outside worship will help to accomplish some of what we try to do in our those services: to unsettle our sedate habits (which heaven knows we Episcopalians have plenty of), to listen for the Gospel in unexpected places. Like our children's services, it wouldn't be appropriate to do all the time, but I'm looking forward to it. Plus it's a good time to use up the rest of the delicious communion bread that our confirmation class made us for Holy Week!

We'll continue reading the book of Kings (more about that on Sunday). Our Gospel has Jesus sending out "the 70." He's already sent out the twelve disciples on mission within Israel, but these will go on a wider journey. 70 is the traditional Jewish number of nations of the world--the descendants of Noah (Genesis 10: 2-31). The seventy are "like lambs into the midst of wolves," defenseless in the midst of hostile communities. But the coming of Christ is a reign of peace, when, as the prophet Isaiah announced, the wolf and lamb will eat together (Isa 65:25). They are sent into the midst of wolves--our Gospel tells us that they are instructed not to bring a bag or a staff, either. That's symbolic of their work--they have only themselves and their story, their hands, their feet.

The seventy just have themselves; that's all we have, too. And sometimes it can feel as though there are wolves out there. All we have is the way we live our lives. All we have is the story of the work that Christ has done in our lives, that we have been freed and forgiven, and called and sent out to give that to others. Being a church is not just about keeping it for ourselves and talking about how good we feel! Last year, when New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson was in Boston, I saw this quote in an interview with him:

It seems to me that the greatest danger that you and I face as a church, as individuals and corporately, is that we will be admirers of Jesus only, and not followers. We love to admire Jesus, don't we? We love to gather, and slap each other on the back, and say, 'How great it is to see you again this Sunday.' And we love to listen to those great stories about Jesus. Wasn't he a great guy? Didn't he do some awesome things? But following him is not only much harder, but the point. If the church is in danger of anything, it is in danger of being a club of admirers of Jesus, rather than followers.

We are sent out to the corners of the world with just ourselves, to tell the story of peace, love, and justice--not just tell the story of Christ's ministry, death, resurrection--peace, justice, and love--but to do his work, too. To follow, not just admire.

That's the invitation we have to give others--radical acceptance, radical growth, and radical social change--a world where no one is worth less than another, where the lion lies down with the lamb. And though I am very proud of Bishop Katharine these days for her theological poise and grace, all of the power plays of all the Archbishops are beside the point.

How does your faith impact your life? What will you do differently, in this new life you've been given? How will you be telling the story, today, tomorrow, the day after?

Blessings,
Sara+