Streams of Mercy
As a minister, I prayerfully “think” through my sermons the week before preaching them, and I prayerfully “re-think” them in the days after. A good sermon never says it all; a good sermon loosens the soil around the thoughts planted , encouraging a continuing working of the grounds of the thoughts and ideas shared. In addition to what one tries to say, the hope is that what isn’t said, and needs to be said, will be heard as well.
Yesterday’s sermons was “Claiming Our Mission” – challenging modern day disciples to hear Jesus’ words to his first disciples as words to us as well. Jesus looked upon the crowds coming to him as “sheep without a shepherd” and the fields as “ripe for harvest.” As I continue “re-thinking” yesterday’s sermon, I find myself wishing I’d read the passage from The Message, Eugene Peterson’s modern translation of the scriptures:
“Jesus sent his harvest hands out with this charge: ‘Don’t begin by traveling to some far-off place to convert unbelievers. And don’t try to be dramatic, by tackling some public enemy. Go to the lost, confused people right here in the neighborhood. Tell them that the kingdom is here. Bring health to the sick. Raise the dead. Touch the untouchables. Kick out the demons. You have been treated generously, so live generously.’”
The message of the kingdom’s coming is to be made believable through concrete demonstrations of God’s love and care, with concern for souls accompanied by concern for physical needs as well. What does it mean to live generously? What sicknesses need to be cured? What demons need to be named, called out and dealt with, so that we may live in greater freedom? What “lepers” are marginalized and shunned and reaching out for healing grace in our day? In what areas of life does death seems to be having the final word? Where are those working for reconciliation? Where are the peacemakers? Where are the justice-bringers? What even does justice look like these days?
A friend in my home state, Kentucky, shared one symbolic change, in that the statue of Jefferson Davis was peacefully removed from the state capitol rotunda last Friday. The governor is pushing for equal access to health care among other reforms. Symbolic change is a beginning, but only a beginning.
Presbyterian Outlook editor Jill Duffield shares these words: “Jesus sends us out to proclaim the good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons - and yet it seems we do not know how to do what we know to do or how to be what we know to be. The harvest is so ripe for the life-giving, justice-bringing, sin-freeing, evil-obliterating Word of God, but many of us Jesus workers refuse to go to the fields and fail to be what and who we know to be.”
May Duffield’s prayer be the prayer of our hearts these days: “Lord, we ask you for laborers for your abundant, life-saving harvest of justice and love, peace and reconciliation . We boldly ask to be among them. But we are going to need a lot of faith and courage, endurance and mercy. We are going to need to extend and receive radical hospitality from strangers who may well be angels. We are going to need to trust that suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character calls forth no small amount of hope. We need all of the above and then some in order to go into the fields of your world and bring in a heavenly harvest on earth that feeds and sustains us all. Amen.”
I give thanks for the discipline of re-thinking sermons, and for kindred spirits who share their struggles in writing and help me along the way.
Elizabeth