Tell It!

Luke 10:1-24

This scripture reminds me of my wonderful hiking boots I had as a teen.  They went over many miles of terrain, mostly in Maine when I was a teen.  I was reminded of these boots and backpacking because Jesus sends out the seventy packing light.  If you know anything about backpackers, they are always trying to pack light, not as light as Jesus orders the seventy, but that is because they will stop in each town for provisions, and the backpacker with have everything packed on their back.  The similarities do not end there.  Backpackers need to look forward.  This is not just because they are walking, but with a pack on back one must be looking forward and up not just at their feet, as to keep their airways open and to be open for new experiences, not just each step.  Nor can the backpacker obsess on the comforts they left at home.  Eventually it is great to get back home eating fresh food, showering in a hot shower, and slipping between clean cool sheets, but during the trip you will miss the point of backpacking.  You have to eat what is in front of you, and be flexible.  I remember a time where we had a raccoon eat some of our fruit and we planned to walk along the shore of a large lake, which seemed very easy until we realized that the spring rain, brought the water level up to the tree line in most places.  We had to bush-wack and walk a greater distance to cross the overflowing streams.  However, staying flexible we simply kept on enjoying the experience,  seeing where black bears had eaten berries, and realizing we could push ourselves further.  The greatest part of a backpacking trip is how it made each of us feel more whole and this was most obvious around the campfire.  We shared about how close we had come to the divine and celebrated that, not that we conquered the miles and hard work.  We celebrated how we had become more whole and looked forward to bringing that feeling to our lives out of the woods.

Brian McLaren shared at General Assembly that we need to be a Luke 10 church, and that is what Disciples strive for.  Jesus sends us out where He intended to go.  We are followers of Jesus, but it is clear that Jesus sees us also as pioneers and agents of His work.  We are to go out, and go out looking forward.  Thus we must be flexible and “pack light” for we do not know what the future entails.  We are to heal, that is make people whole, wherever we go and we tell people, not that Heaven is a future promise, but that the Kingdom of God has come near.  A peaceable kingdom, for we say that peace upon this house, this town.  And if they are not ready we move on, but we still mention the proximity of the kingdom.  And we celebrate, but not over the powers we conquered but over the wonderment of our success despite being flawed small group.  This is what we must tell.  We are a flexible, future oriented church that sees the peaceable kingdom now and celebrates that.