Traveling Light

One of my memories from that is that Caesar spends a lot of time worrying about the baggage, thinning it out so that his supplies and aides can not fall too far behind the troops, and how he could defeat enemies by ambushing their baggage train.

It was a constant concern.

I've always been impressed with Dr. Harry Wendt, the author of the Bible study series that we have been using.

Whenever he arrives at a place to lead a training session, he brings with him a Bible, his teaching pictures, and a very small suitcase. That's it.

In a few minutes, he is ready to go.

And he does go, all over the world: Korea, India, Indonesia, Africa, his native Australia, as well as the US and Canada.

He has what is important, and he is ready to go.

And Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs.

It is too dangerous to go out alone.

It sounds like imprudent planning, taking nothing extra with them.

This is ridiculous, we think.

Yet those who across the centuries have lived the monastic life seem to do OK with little or nothing that they call their own.

It is hard for the rest of us to comprehend, and seemingly impossible for us to adopt.

I remember reading a description of the first battle of Bull Run in the US Civil War. The soldiers from the North went out as to a picnic with all sorts of metal plates, cups, and shiny implements hanging from their packs.

The day was hot, the implements were heavy, and soon the roadside was littered with stuff.

The battle was joined, the fighting was anything but a picnic, and those who survived the slaughter streamed back toward Washington, having abandoned most of what they were carrying. It was a disaster for the North, militarily, logistically, and in public relations.

Traveling light, knowing what is important and what is decoration, with a goal in view, and with inspiration...

...this is the task of the member of the body of Christ.

This is the way that we are to go about things.

It is ironic that this gospel reading comes up in the very week when our Roman Catholic neighbors have been grieving over leaving things behind and moving ahead in new directions.

You can imagine the kind of pain it is to give up buildings where one has lived and worked for generations.

But we do not worship the building, instead, it is the Lord Jesus we worship, the one who calls us to life and service, sometimes in new places and ways.

It is a hard lesson to live out!

Those who assisted in the July 4 celebration outside our building last evening will testify that it is an unusual experience to offer things freely to the skeptical public.

“Here, have a bag of fresh popcorn, and a drink, a bag of chips.

Hey kids, look here are some little things for you, while Mom might pick up a devotional booklet or a flier about St. Mark's.

Yes, it is all free...no strings attached.

Just take it and enjoy.

It is our gift to the community.

I really mean it.

Have some more.

Please walk down this way rather than trying to run across traffic.

You can walk beneath the bridge right down here; take a drink along as you go.

You want to give us something for it?

Here's a box for donations, not to the church, but to St. Anthony's Center, to feed the hungry in our community.

No, it's not for us; we pass along this money to St. Anthony's on Monday morning.

Did you notice that we have some extra Sunday School books and devotional booklets that we are sharing at that table over there. Take a look; it will only take a minute.

Yes we'll put this in a bag so that you can carry it easily.

It's free; popcorn, hot dog, drink, and chips. Come on over and have some.”

Do you realize what we are doing in our July 4 event?

We are modeling the nature of the church; giving away what is important: food for the body as well as food for the spirit.

In our words and actions, we are embodying the indiscriminate love of God for us, now shared with all who will receive it.

It is one way of traveling light.

We don't have detailed projections and studies, no cost/benefit analyses.

Becky rallies some resources, and we just do it, and the Spirit will make of it all what God desires.

And we might be surprised.

Some folks might be changed by the experience; perhaps ourselves most of all!

Our Stephen Ministers and other visitors understand something else about traveling light.

When they prepare to meet a person, they do not know what directions the conversation might take.

They cannot drag along their heavy study manual, book and papers, nor can they have an open phone line with the Stephen Leader or Pastor coaching them every step of the way.

But they do have the important things:

--their thought, training, and preparations,

--their listening skills and reflective processes,

--their understanding that they are members of the body of Christ,

--the promise of the Lord Jesus to be with his people wherever they are,

--and their connection to the Father in prayer and study by means of his Holy Spirit.

And that is enough to begin and continue the conversation.

This does not mean that everything that we try is successful, as we measure success.

People have the freedom to say NO and to walk away from free popcorn, from a Stephen Ministry conversation, or from the gift of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Jesus faced rejection, and he clearly knew that the disciples would face rejection also.

You will try to get through to folks.

Sometimes it will work, and other times they will turn away.

We know that sometimes in trying to help an addict, we actually contribute to the problem.

It is called “enabling” when we fix things up, tell someone what to do, pay someone's way out of a problem.

We learn that folks have to hit bottom, to realize that they cannot get through things in the old ways, when things finally become so painful that they realize that their thoughts and words and deeds must be changed,

all of the old defenses and tattered resources stripped away...

then and only then can a new and effective word be spoken,

a fresh direction can be established, a gift can be received gratefully.

And the recovering addict travels lightly, carrying only these new things.

Described this way, it is clear that we are all addicts in an important way.

We are all caught up in the addictive behavior that is called “sin”, rebellion against God, going our own way.

t is working in us all the time.

It is painfully comfortable; that is, we know it and its patterns in and among us.

Just to land on one manifestation of this:

“no fault” divorce was supposed to be such a kind and helpful thing.

Unfortunately, it covers over the pain without resolving things.

Of course there is “fault”!

There is always fault.

There is plenty of fault to spread around.

Let's call it what it is: sin and its consequences, rebellion against God and mistreatment of one another.

When the pain finally becomes so great, perhaps then we can start down a different path beginning with the confession of sin, the announcement of forgiveness, the amendment of life.

Perhaps there can be reconciliation, or perhaps there needs to be a shaking of the dust off of one's shoes, a recognizing that not everyone is ready to listen to a good word from God at that time, to travel light, without burdens.

Fred Craddock tells a story about patience in these things.

He remembered serving as a pastor in a little town with several churches, where most everyone was a member of one or the other.

And there was a coffee shop also in the center of town where lots of the men hung out.

The women and children went to church and the men tended to drift over to the coffee shop, where they held forth on many subjects.

Once in awhile one of the men would get dragged off by the rest of the family to become involved in church life, but some held firm, especially Frank.

The pastor met him one day on the sidewalk and greeted him, but soon made it clear where he stood.

“I work hard, I take care of my family, and I mind my own business.” he said.

So the pastor didn't bother Frank, and worked with other folks instead.

Thus it went for a long period of time, Frank and the fellows in the coffee shop, while others were in church.

But everyone in town was shocked when one day showed up at the little Methodist church and announced his intention for baptism.

“Oh, he must be sick, he must have heart trouble or something; he must be scared” and other rumors flew around town.

In the course of the baptismal preparation, the Pastor said to Frank,

“You remember that you always kept telling me that you work hard you take care of your family, and you mind your own business.

Do you still say that?”

“Yes,” he said.

“Then what is the difference?” asked the pastor.

Frank replied, “I didn't know then what my business was.”

Traveling light, taking along the important thing – the Gospel story of Jesus, shaking the dust off when necessary, but being ready for God's surprises in ourselves and others around us.

That is the life to which we are called.

AMEN.

Please note: The preceding sermon is provided as a resource for the thought, prayer, and meditation of the members and friends of St. Mark's. It is the residue of a verbal event, and thus it does not have academic footnotes and other details that would be expected in a written document. The writer gladly acknowledges the prior thought and work of many Christians before him.