packing for the trip

How many of us are list makers?  I’ve been known to add something to a list after I’ve done it, just for the pleasure of scratching it off!

we have to-do lists for work, to do lists for home, honeydew lists, don’t-forget lists, and shopping lists—have I forgotten any?  Each has its own purpose, and you can tell just by looking at a list what its purpose is.

 I haven’t yet started my packing for vacation list, though I should have by now.

This week our youth are going on a mission trip—to work-camp, and they’ve been given a list of things to take.  Some know what to expect but all of them can infer some things from that list:

In our Bible story today we come across another group of Jesus followers going on a mission trip.  Actually on several, 35 probably, mission trips, all with the same purpose: announce that, contrary to all the signs of the day, God’s reign is coming, is already at work.

It’s a brilliant strategy, and probably why the Jesus Way movement succeeded and became world wide….Jesus assigned people to do this work apart from him long before he died, essentially setting up a franchise system….some scholars suggest  by the time he died there were already hundreds of commissioned ministers scattered all over, in places of their own discernment (Crossan)  Remember the one man last week who wasn’t excused from ministry just because he wouldn’t physically go with Jesus?  He was commissioned to do exactly the same as these 70…

announce that contrary to all the signs of the day, God’s reign is coming, is already at work.

But those 70, and these followers who’re going out this week from here, aren’t the only ones—we are also commissioned to announce that contrary to all the signs of the day, God’s reign is coming, is already at work, in our own settings.

So what can we infer from Jesus packing list, or lack thereof?

The work is urgent—harvest ready.  There are people in this building now as well as out beyond these walls who need to hear the message YOU are to give them-- that contrary to all the signs of the day, God’s reign is coming, is already at work.  With a word of comfort, or presence, or hope, or an act of love, you can be part of that,

You’ll work hard, cos there aren’t enough people signed up…as we heard last week, we can always find excuses not to participate in the Jesus Way

You’ll likely be rejected as often as you’re received, not everyone wants to hear what you have to say

You’re going to be with strangers whose life isn’t like yours.  Work campers, shelter visitors, Learning links tutors, all know that.  But many of us won’t ever go out of our comfort zone.

You will have to rely on God and other people more than yourself--  you’re to drastically underpack.  What’s that all about?  Well, most of us suffer from TMS too much stuff.  And much of it ties us down and prevents us from moving freely with the Spirit  And while we’re at it, we need to leave our ego behind…this isn’t all about us.

You’ll need to be open to receiving as well as giving.—no shopping around for something more to your personal liking

And you’re not in charge of the outcome, just the message—one core buddhist premise is clearly one of Jesus’ too: do not be attached to the outcome.  Dust yourself off and move on, like last week’s story too.

But we can also infer that

We’re not alone; we do this together-pairs.  One of the joys of this faith community  is that we have one another to support us to share ideas with, to run things by, as we try to be faithful ministers who

announce that contrary to all the signs of the day, God’s reign is coming, is already at work.

What are the signs of it? We are.

·         Our sense of sent-ness is clear to others; people know when you’ve been with Jesus, as it were—people know an authentic spirit that’s in touch with God when they see one

·         our reliance on God and one another, traveling light instead of accumulating stuff

·         our willingness to speak truth in spite of opposition

·         our basic demeanor—declare peace everywhere you go

so somewhere in here there is a challenge for each of us….one small thing we can attend to, change, work on so that we can indeed announce that contrary to all the signs of the day, God’s reign is coming, is already at work.

Workcampers might, for instance, say good morning, peace be with you, each time they arrive at their site

All of us might try peace be with you instead of ‘have a nice day’

Or you might try to share something of your faith journey with another person instead of struggling alone

Or you might decide to travel lightly one day a week with a Sabbath from Facebook or email.

Or you might risk telling that one person who’s hurting that you’ve found healing in the community of Jesus, and invite them in

Choose something, anything, that will move you forward on the journey and deeper into the reign of God . Amen.