Karen Westerfield Tucker - Sermon Untitled (June 16, 1996)
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Transcript
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(organ music playing) | 0:02 | |
- | Good morning, we'd like to welcome you to Duke Chapel. | 3:05 |
We are pleased to welcome to our pulpit today | 3:08 | |
Karen Westerfield Tucker, Assistant Professor of Liturgics | 3:11 | |
at Duke Divinity School. | 3:16 | |
She has preached here before and we are glad | 3:17 | |
to see her again this morning. | 3:19 | |
This afternoon we'd like to invite you to return | 3:23 | |
for the Vocal Art's Ensemble Concert | 3:26 | |
directed by Dr. Rodney Wynecoop | 3:28 | |
presenting "Songs of a Summer Night" at 5:00 p.m. | 3:31 | |
and we hope you'll be able to return for that. | 3:34 | |
I'd like to call to your attention | 3:38 | |
the announcement in the Bulletin | 3:40 | |
about next Sunday's service, this is a special service. | 3:41 | |
As some of you may know the Olympic Torch | 3:46 | |
is going to be coming through Durham | 3:48 | |
and is scheduled to arrive at the Chapel 11:53. | 3:51 | |
And so Bishop Carlton Minnick will be preaching, | 3:57 | |
we'll have the service as normal for the first part, | 4:00 | |
and then we will move outside | 4:04 | |
for the passing of the Olympic Torch, | 4:06 | |
and then we will complete the service | 4:08 | |
with a service for unity and peace outside. | 4:11 | |
We hope you'll be able to return for that. | 4:15 | |
And now let us continue with the call to worship, | 4:17 | |
please stand. | 4:20 | |
Let us offer to God our praise and thanksgiving. | 4:27 | |
(congregation responding) | 4:32 | |
We will pay our vows to God. | 4:34 | |
Congregation | Praise the Lord. | 4:37 |
(organ music playing) | 4:40 | |
(all signing) | 5:20 | |
(organ music playing) | 8:11 | |
(all singing) | 8:25 | |
- | Let us pray. | 9:12 |
God of eternity, before You | 9:15 | |
lips are silenced in awe and wonder. | 9:18 | |
Mere words fail to praise the fullness of Your Word for us | 9:24 | |
spoken in Jesus Christ. | 9:30 | |
Let our lives reflect his love and so return to You | 9:34 | |
all praise and glory by all we say and do. | 9:39 | |
Amen. | 9:44 | |
You may be seated. | 9:46 | |
- | Let us pray for illumination. | 9:54 |
All | Open our hearts and minds, oh God, | 9:58 |
by the power of Your Holy Spirit, | 10:01 | |
so that as the Word is read and proclaimed, | 10:04 | |
we may hear Your message with joy this day. | 10:07 | |
Amen. | 10:12 | |
- | Here begins the 18th chapter of the Book of Genesis. | 10:15 |
"And the Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre | 10:20 | |
"as he sat at the door of his tent in the heat of the day. | 10:24 | |
"He lifted up his eyes and looked, | 10:28 | |
"and behold, three men stood in front of him. | 10:30 | |
"When he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them, | 10:33 | |
"and bowed himself to the earth, and said, | 10:37 | |
"'My Lord, if I have found favor in Your sight, | 10:40 | |
"do not pass by Your servant. | 10:44 | |
"Let a little water be brought and wash your feet, | 10:46 | |
"and rest yourselves under the tree | 10:50 | |
"while I fetch a morsel of bread, | 10:52 | |
"that you may refresh yourselves, | 10:55 | |
"and after that you may pass on | 10:57 | |
"since you have come to your servant.' | 11:00 | |
"So they said, 'Do as you have said.' | 11:02 | |
"And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, | 11:06 | |
"'Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal. | 11:10 | |
"Knead it, and make cakes.' | 11:14 | |
"And Abraham ran to the herd, | 11:16 | |
"and took a calf tender and good, | 11:18 | |
"and gave it to the servant who hasted to prepare it. | 11:21 | |
"Then he took curds, and milk, | 11:25 | |
"and the calf which he had prepared, | 11:27 | |
"and set it before them, and he stood by them | 11:30 | |
"under the tree while they ate. | 11:33 | |
"They said to him, 'Where is Sarah your wife?' | 11:36 | |
"And he said, 'She is in the tent.' | 11:41 | |
"The Lord said, 'I will surely return to you | 11:45 | |
"in the spring, and Sarah your wife shall have a son.' | 11:48 | |
"And Sarah was listening at the tent door behind him. | 11:53 | |
"Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age. | 11:57 | |
"It had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. | 12:02 | |
"So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, | 12:06 | |
"'After I have grown old and my husband is old | 12:08 | |
"shall I have pleasure?' | 12:12 | |
"The Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh and say, | 12:15 | |
"'Shall I indeed bear a child now that I am old?' | 12:20 | |
"Is anything too hard for the Lord? | 12:25 | |
"At the appointed time I will return to you in the spring | 12:28 | |
"and Sarah shall have a son.' | 12:33 | |
"But Sarah denied saying, 'I did not laugh,' | 12:37 | |
"for she was afraid. | 12:41 | |
"He said, 'No, but you did laugh.'" | 12:43 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 12:47 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 12:50 |
- | The Psalm appointed for this Sunday is number 116, | 13:01 |
verses one through four, and 12 through 19. | 13:05 | |
You may find it in your hymnal on pages 837 and 838. | 13:08 | |
Together let us praise God by singing | 13:14 | |
the Psalm and the Gloria responsively. | 13:15 | |
Please rise. | 13:17 | |
(organ music playing) | 13:20 | |
♪ I love the Lord who has heard ♪ | 13:26 | |
♪ My voice and my supplications ♪ | 13:30 | |
♪ And has inclined His ear to me whenever I call ♪ | 13:34 | |
(congregation singing) | 13:41 | |
♪ Then I called on the name of the Lord ♪ | 13:56 | |
(congregation singing) | 14:02 | |
♪ What shall I return to the Lord ♪ | 14:09 | |
♪ For all my benefits ♪ | 14:14 | |
(congregation singing) | 14:19 | |
♪ I repay my vows to the Lord ♪ | 14:30 | |
♪ in the presence of all His people ♪ | 14:35 | |
(congregation singing) | 14:41 | |
♪ Oh Lord, I am Your servant ♪ | 14:52 | |
♪ I am Your servant, the child of Your hand made ♪ | 14:56 | |
♪ You have loosed my bonds ♪ | 15:01 | |
(congregation singing) | 15:06 | |
♪ I will pay my vows to the Lord ♪ | 15:19 | |
♪ In the presence of all His people ♪ | 15:24 | |
(congregation singing) | 15:30 | |
♪ Oh glory be to You, Creator ♪ | 15:45 | |
♪ And to Jesus Christ our Savior ♪ | 15:49 | |
(congregation singing) | 15:53 | |
♪ As it was a time began ♪ | 16:00 | |
(congregation singing) | 16:05 | |
Please be seated. | 16:16 | |
- | Here begins the fifth chapter of the letter | 16:25 |
sent Paul the Apostle to the Romans. | 16:28 | |
"Therefore since we are justified by faith | 16:33 | |
"we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. | 16:37 | |
"Through him we have obtained access | 16:42 | |
"to this grace in which we stand | 16:44 | |
"and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. | 16:47 | |
"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings | 16:52 | |
"knowing that suffering produces endurance, | 16:55 | |
"and endurance produces character, | 17:00 | |
"and character produces hope, | 17:03 | |
"and hope does not disappoint us | 17:06 | |
"because God's love has been poured into our hearts | 17:08 | |
"through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. | 17:12 | |
"While we were yet helpless, at the right time, | 17:17 | |
"Christ died for the ungodly | 17:21 | |
"while one would hardly die for a righteous man, | 17:23 | |
"though perhaps for a good man one will dare even to die. | 17:27 | |
"But God shows His love for us | 17:31 | |
"and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us." | 17:35 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 17:42 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 17:45 |
(organ music playing) | 18:13 | |
(chorus singing) | 18:42 | |
(organ music playing and chorus singing continues) | 21:40 | |
- | Here begins the 35th verse of the ninth chapter | 22:35 |
of the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. | 22:38 | |
"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, | 22:42 | |
"teaching in their synagogues, | 22:45 | |
"and preaching the gospel of the Kingdom, | 22:47 | |
"and healing every disease and every infirmity. | 22:50 | |
"When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, | 22:54 | |
"because they were harassed and helpless, | 22:57 | |
"like sheep without a shepherd. | 22:59 | |
"Then he said to his disciples, | 23:02 | |
"'The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. | 23:04 | |
"Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest, | 23:08 | |
"to send out laborers into His harvest.' | 23:10 | |
"And he called to him his 12 disciples | 23:15 | |
"and gave them authority over unclean spirits | 23:18 | |
"to cast them out, and to heal every disease | 23:20 | |
"and every infirmity. | 23:24 | |
"The names of the 12 Apostles are these, | 23:26 | |
"first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, | 23:29 | |
"James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, | 23:34 | |
"Peter and Bartholomew, | 23:38 | |
"Thomas and Matthew the tax collector, | 23:40 | |
"James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, | 23:43 | |
"Simon the Cananaean, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. | 23:46 | |
"These 12 Jesus sent out charging them, | 23:53 | |
"'Go nowhere among the Gentiles | 23:56 | |
"and enter no town of the Samaritans, | 23:58 | |
"but go rather to the lost sheep of the House of Israel | 24:01 | |
"and preach as you go saying, | 24:05 | |
"'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.' | 24:07 | |
"Heal the sick, raise the dead, | 24:10 | |
"cleanse lepers, and cast out demons. | 24:13 | |
"You'll receive without pay, give without pay. | 24:16 | |
"Take no gold, nor silver, nor copper in your belts, | 24:21 | |
"no bag for your journey, nor two tunics, | 24:25 | |
"nor sandals, nor a staff for the laborer deserves his food. | 24:28 | |
"And whatever town or village you enter, | 24:33 | |
"find out who is worthy in it | 24:36 | |
"and stay with him until you depart. | 24:39 | |
"As you enter the house, salute it. | 24:41 | |
"And if the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, | 24:44 | |
"but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. | 24:49 | |
"And if anyone will not receive you or listen to your words, | 24:54 | |
"shake off the dust from your feet | 24:58 | |
"as you leave that house or town. | 25:00 | |
"Truly I say to you, it shall be more tolerable | 25:03 | |
"on the day of judgment for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah | 25:06 | |
"than for that town. | 25:11 | |
"Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. | 25:14 | |
"So be as wise as serpents and innocent as doves. | 25:18 | |
"Beware of men for they will deliver you | 25:22 | |
"up to the councils and flog you in their synagogues. | 25:25 | |
"And you will be dragged before governors and kings | 25:28 | |
"for my sake to bare testimony before them and the Gentiles. | 25:31 | |
"When they deliver you up, do not be anxious | 25:37 | |
"how you are to speak or what you are to say, | 25:40 | |
"for what you are to say will be | 25:44 | |
"given to you in that hour, for it not you who speak, | 25:45 | |
"but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. | 25:50 | |
"Brother will deliver up brother to death, | 25:55 | |
"and the father his child, | 25:57 | |
"and children will rise against parents | 26:00 | |
"and have them put to death. | 26:03 | |
"And you will be hated by all for my name's sake, | 26:06 | |
"that he who endures to the end will be saved. | 26:11 | |
"When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, | 26:15 | |
"for truly I say to you, you will not have gone | 26:19 | |
"through all the towns of Israel | 26:23 | |
"before the Son of Man comes.'" | 26:26 | |
This is the Word of the Lord. | 26:30 | |
Congregation | Thanks be to God. | 26:33 |
- | Now that the school year is over for many of our children | 26:46 |
attention turns to that institution of summer. | 26:51 | |
No, not baseball, but summer camp. | 26:55 | |
This is certainly true in my house. | 26:59 | |
When my son received verification of his camp registration, | 27:03 | |
he also received a list of items | 27:08 | |
that are appropriate and inappropriate for camp. | 27:11 | |
The most clearly marked item on that list was a warning | 27:17 | |
you must carry to the campsite everything that you bring. | 27:22 | |
Vehicles are not allowed | 27:28 | |
to help you transport your belongings. | 27:30 | |
So now the matter of packing for his trip | 27:35 | |
becomes a little more complicated. | 27:38 | |
What is the survival gear? | 27:42 | |
What are the essential items needed for his days at camp? | 27:44 | |
Toothbrush? | 27:50 | |
Socks? | 27:52 | |
And since it's North Carolina, insect repellent? | 27:55 | |
And what is the excess baggage? | 28:00 | |
Those items that are left at home. | 28:03 | |
I think it is remarkable how the art of camping | 28:08 | |
has changed over the years, and how our understanding | 28:11 | |
of survival gear for camping has also changed. | 28:16 | |
When I started camping at the age of eight | 28:22 | |
it was my job to dip the matchsticks | 28:26 | |
into hot paraffin to waterproof them | 28:29 | |
for the rainy days we knew we'd have in the tent. | 28:33 | |
If we had no usable matches we'd have no hot water, | 28:38 | |
we'd have no hot food. | 28:43 | |
Camping in a tent in a remote area | 28:47 | |
required serious consideration of the essentials. | 28:51 | |
Today most would-be campers arrive at the campsite | 28:57 | |
in their air conditioned RVs | 29:00 | |
furnished with microwave ovens, dishwashers and VCRs. | 29:03 | |
The essentials for these campers include | 29:10 | |
an electrical outlet and a place to dump sewage. | 29:14 | |
When Jesus sent out the 12 disciples to preach and heal, | 29:21 | |
he had a definite idea of what was survival gear | 29:26 | |
and what was excess baggage. | 29:31 | |
He instructed the disciples to take no money, | 29:35 | |
no nap sack, no change of clothing, | 29:38 | |
no shoes, not even a walking stick. | 29:41 | |
Instead they were to travel light | 29:45 | |
by taking with them only words and actions, | 29:48 | |
God's words and actions, | 29:52 | |
and proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. | 29:56 | |
Now, as a minister, and as a wife of a minister, | 30:02 | |
these words really bother me, especially now. | 30:06 | |
My husband will begin serving a new congregation | 30:12 | |
in less than two weeks, and we are packing for the move. | 30:14 | |
Should I be tempted to take Jesus' words quite literally | 30:22 | |
and chuck the many boxes? | 30:26 | |
Perhaps also the computer and the answering machine | 30:28 | |
and show up in the new community with nothing | 30:31 | |
but the clothes on my back, and the shoes on my feet? | 30:34 | |
I think not. | 30:39 | |
But how then should I, | 30:42 | |
how then should you understand Jesus' words? | 30:44 | |
And to whom are these words addressed? | 30:49 | |
Certainly to the 12 disciples | 30:52 | |
whom the Gospel writer identifies by name, | 30:55 | |
and just as certainly to those of us, who by our baptisms, | 30:59 | |
have become Jesus' disciples, his followers, | 31:03 | |
and are thereby charged to make disciples of all nations. | 31:09 | |
So we need to look stereoscopically | 31:15 | |
at this lesson from Saint Matthew's Gospel. | 31:17 | |
We need to look through two different lenses at once, | 31:21 | |
for the Gospel writer would have us read this text | 31:25 | |
both as Jesus' words addressed to the 12 disciples, | 31:29 | |
and as Jesus' words addressed to those disciples | 31:34 | |
who would come after the initial 12. | 31:37 | |
In hearing Jesus' words to his disciples | 31:42 | |
we are hearing Jesus' words to us. | 31:45 | |
When Jesus gave his traveling restrictions | 31:52 | |
to the 12 disciples, he had one purpose in mind. | 31:55 | |
To demonstrate graphically the message of Good News. | 32:00 | |
It was simply not enough to tell people about the Gospel, | 32:04 | |
everything about the messengers | 32:09 | |
had to embody the contents of the message, | 32:11 | |
the urgency of the message, and the demands of the message. | 32:14 | |
What was important was to communicate clearly | 32:21 | |
and concisely the Good News | 32:25 | |
that the Kingdom of Heaven had come near, | 32:29 | |
all else was excess baggage. | 32:33 | |
And so Jesus himself issued the survival gear | 32:39 | |
for his disciples as he sent them forth into ministry. | 32:42 | |
And what are those essential items that Jesus gives? | 32:47 | |
First, Jesus provided them with the content of the work. | 32:51 | |
Second, Jesus informed them of the urgency of the work. | 32:57 | |
And third, Jesus prepared them for the demands | 33:02 | |
and the obstacles that they would face when doing his work. | 33:06 | |
First, Jesus provided them with the content of the work. | 33:14 | |
Jesus was not requesting the impossible of his disciples | 33:21 | |
by his imposition of travel restrictions, | 33:25 | |
though it must have seemed so to the 12. | 33:28 | |
Jesus was asking of his hand-picked disciples | 33:31 | |
nothing more than had been asked of him. | 33:35 | |
The disciples were commissioned into the ministry | 33:40 | |
that had been pioneered by Jesus himself. | 33:43 | |
The Gospel writer makes this clear | 33:48 | |
in the verses that immediate preceded chapter 10. | 33:50 | |
These verses which detailed Jesus' own job description. | 33:54 | |
Saint Matthew writes, "And Jesus went about | 33:59 | |
"all the cities and villages teaching in their synagogues, | 34:03 | |
"and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, | 34:07 | |
"and healing every disease and every infirmity." | 34:10 | |
Matthew then goes on to say | 34:16 | |
at the very beginning of chapter 10 | 34:18 | |
that Jesus called the 12 and gave them authority, | 34:20 | |
Jesus' own authority, to perform ministries of healing. | 34:25 | |
Their work, the disciples' work, | 34:31 | |
was to be an imitation of Jesus' own ministry. | 34:36 | |
It was also to be more than imitation, however. | 34:41 | |
Ministry was to be rendered and received | 34:45 | |
as if Jesus himself was giving it. | 34:48 | |
The disciples' hands were Jesus' hands, | 34:53 | |
their feet his feet, | 34:57 | |
as he ministered among the poor and the outcast. | 34:59 | |
By their works of mercy and charity | 35:05 | |
the disciples were not only | 35:09 | |
to perform a service for needy persons, | 35:11 | |
they were to also embody the contents of the message | 35:14 | |
that God's day of promise was dawning in their midsts. | 35:18 | |
They were to be living signs, | 35:24 | |
their actions were to reinforce the contents of the message. | 35:27 | |
But the ministry of the disciples | 35:35 | |
was not just one of healing. | 35:36 | |
The disciples were also called upon | 35:39 | |
to mirror Jesus' preaching vocation. | 35:41 | |
Care for the sick and the distressed | 35:45 | |
required the accompaniment of an explanation, | 35:48 | |
the sign needed words. | 35:52 | |
Like Jesus, the disciples were to spread the word | 35:56 | |
that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. | 36:00 | |
Yet on this matter of preaching, | 36:04 | |
the disciples were to got beyond simply mimicking Jesus. | 36:06 | |
After Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection | 36:11 | |
it would become clear to them that Jesus himself | 36:14 | |
was to be the subject of their preaching, | 36:19 | |
for in Jesus God had acted decisively in history, | 36:23 | |
reconciling the world through the life, | 36:27 | |
death, and resurrection of the Son. | 36:31 | |
The Good News that the Kingdom of Heaven had drawn near | 36:35 | |
was realized in the person of Jesus Christ. | 36:39 | |
Therefore the disciples, in their imitation of Jesus, | 36:44 | |
were not simply to emulate his work, | 36:49 | |
they were to bear his likeness, his image. | 36:53 | |
As it was for the 12, | 37:01 | |
so it is for us who would be Jesus' disciples. | 37:03 | |
Jesus calls us to act out the message of God's Good News | 37:12 | |
by being agents of healing and caretakers of the distressed. | 37:17 | |
Jesus calls us to proclaim the message, to be the message, | 37:23 | |
so to live that Jesus himself | 37:29 | |
is reflected in our lives. | 37:33 | |
To be a follower of Jesus Christ means more | 37:37 | |
than to show up in church on Sunday morning, | 37:40 | |
means more than to read the Bible once or twice a week. | 37:43 | |
It means to be Christ's representative, | 37:48 | |
to represent Christ for the world. | 37:52 | |
The second item of survival gear given to the disciples, | 38:00 | |
Jesus instructed them about the urgency of the work. | 38:05 | |
The work of discipleship was to be anything but causal. | 38:11 | |
Jesus' packing list did not include | 38:16 | |
folding chairs and beach umbrellas. | 38:18 | |
Rather, Jesus told the disciples to take nothing with them, | 38:22 | |
for to travel around with one's possessions, even money, | 38:27 | |
was to convey an attitude that was counter | 38:33 | |
to the message that was to be preached. | 38:36 | |
The Kingdom of Heaven was at hand | 38:40 | |
and the in-bringing of the Kingdom | 38:42 | |
required that persons act quickly, | 38:44 | |
both preachers and hearers. | 38:48 | |
The disciples were to trust | 38:52 | |
the message they were to proclaim, | 38:53 | |
so much so that they were to embody the message, | 38:55 | |
that urgency, by taking nothing with them. | 38:59 | |
True discipleship, as Jesus defined it, | 39:04 | |
required that those who would be disciples trust in God | 39:08 | |
to provide everything for their everyday needs. | 39:11 | |
Just as Jesus himself was poor in material things, | 39:17 | |
the disciples too were to be dependent | 39:21 | |
on the riches given from God. | 39:25 | |
Their work, their words, even their very lives | 39:28 | |
were to be regarded as gifts from God. | 39:33 | |
For this reason the disciples were not to receive | 39:38 | |
compensation or any benefit beyond minimal subsistence | 39:40 | |
for their words and their work. | 39:46 | |
Instead they were to bless those | 39:50 | |
who had received God's Word, | 39:53 | |
and those who had in turn | 39:55 | |
received the disciples into their homes. | 39:59 | |
As it was for the 12, so it is for us | 40:05 | |
who would be Jesus' faithful disciples. | 40:09 | |
But today how do we measure Jesus' instruction | 40:16 | |
about the urgency of spreading the Word | 40:20 | |
concerning the nearness of God's Kingdom? | 40:23 | |
So many centuries have passed, | 40:26 | |
so many faithful Christians have died, | 40:28 | |
and the Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus proclaimed | 40:32 | |
seems more remote than near. | 40:35 | |
Is there the same urgency that there was | 40:40 | |
for those first disciples? | 40:44 | |
Yes, for how will we know when the time has come | 40:47 | |
for the Kingdom of Heaven to be fulfilled in our midsts? | 40:52 | |
We are to live as if that new day will dawn tomorrow. | 40:56 | |
We are to be ever watchful as faithful bridesmaids | 41:01 | |
who await the bridegroom, | 41:05 | |
who will come to the marriage feast, | 41:08 | |
but who's arrival has yet to be announced. | 41:12 | |
Yes, there is still an urgency in witnessing to the Gospel. | 41:16 | |
That urgency is present among some new Christians | 41:25 | |
I recently visited in Southeast Asia. | 41:29 | |
One man I met, a practicing physician who also | 41:33 | |
has teaching responsibilities in a local university, | 41:37 | |
has made it his ministry to proclaim | 41:41 | |
the urgency of the message in cyberspace. | 41:44 | |
He is convinced that to be a true disciple | 41:50 | |
he must give testimony to the Gospel | 41:53 | |
and his medium is email and the world-wide web. | 41:57 | |
Now to many of us here he might seem to be a fanatic, | 42:03 | |
but it seems that many Christians in the United States, | 42:09 | |
in North Carolina, in Durham, even here in Duke Chapel | 42:12 | |
have become rather complacent about the message | 42:17 | |
that was entrusted to us when we were baptized. | 42:20 | |
There is a casualness rather than an urgency | 42:25 | |
about spreading the Good News of God's Kingdom. | 42:28 | |
Our Christianity has become more of an institution, | 42:32 | |
a label instead of a calling. | 42:36 | |
Jesus gives us the survival gear, but we are slowed | 42:42 | |
by all the excess baggage we carry around with us. | 42:46 | |
Such items as the fear of | 42:49 | |
appearing to be a religious zealot, | 42:51 | |
the concern that we might offend someone, | 42:54 | |
and perhaps even disbelief that God's Word is true. | 42:58 | |
This excess baggage inhibits or prohibits us | 43:04 | |
from the work of discipleship. | 43:09 | |
Jesus' instructions to the first disciples in chapter 10 | 43:13 | |
comes to us then as a startling reminder | 43:17 | |
of the tasks present day disciples are to undertake, | 43:20 | |
and the responsibilities we are to assume. | 43:25 | |
And now the third item of survival gear | 43:32 | |
given to the disciples. | 43:34 | |
Jesus prepared them for the demands and obstacles | 43:37 | |
that they would face in doing his work. | 43:40 | |
The picture that is painted for the disciples | 43:46 | |
is not a pleasant one. | 43:49 | |
They will be like sheep attacked by ravenous wolves. | 43:52 | |
Hatred, persecution, family division, | 43:57 | |
all these are to be the lot of the persistent disciple | 44:00 | |
who is willing to be vulnerable, | 44:05 | |
who is willing to face danger, | 44:07 | |
who is willing to be clothed in nothing | 44:10 | |
but the armor of God. | 44:12 | |
In this they will share the same fate as Jesus, | 44:16 | |
they will be treated as he was treated. | 44:21 | |
For this reason the disciples are advised | 44:27 | |
to be both subtle and uncorrupt in their work. | 44:29 | |
They are to be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves. | 44:33 | |
But the disciples are also assured that they | 44:41 | |
will not be abandoned in their work for Jesus' sake. | 44:43 | |
They should not be afraid, for God will be with them. | 44:48 | |
Even if their tongues are speechless, | 44:53 | |
God will provide the words. | 44:57 | |
And though faithfulness to the message is its own reward, | 45:01 | |
God promises to save those who endure to the end. | 45:07 | |
As it was for the 12, | 45:16 | |
so it is for us even today. | 45:19 | |
The kind of persecution described in chapter 10 | 45:25 | |
is probably foreign to most of us, | 45:29 | |
and what might that say about our faithfulness | 45:33 | |
to the message we are to deliver? | 45:36 | |
Not that anyone should look for trouble, | 45:38 | |
but are we willing to give testimony, | 45:42 | |
to profess our faith, to witness to the Good News | 45:45 | |
no matter what the circumstances, no matter what the cost? | 45:50 | |
Persecution and family division for the sake of the Gospel | 45:57 | |
might seem a thing of a bygone age. | 46:02 | |
Perhaps that is true in the North American context | 46:06 | |
but that certainly is not true | 46:10 | |
for first generation Christians | 46:12 | |
of Chinese descent living in Asia, as I recently discovered. | 46:14 | |
Several times I heard stories from persons, | 46:20 | |
particularly the eldest sons in Chinese families, | 46:24 | |
who were disowned when they professed faith in Jesus Christ. | 46:29 | |
By becoming Christians they had to give up | 46:36 | |
the Chinese religion in which one's parents | 46:39 | |
are virtually worshiped as gods. | 46:42 | |
Because they had abandoned the traditional family structure, | 46:46 | |
they were regarded as non-existent | 46:51 | |
or dead by their families of origin. | 46:54 | |
In the case of one man I met, he had not seen, | 47:00 | |
spoken to, or corresponded with any member | 47:04 | |
of his immediate or extended family | 47:07 | |
in the 20 years since he had become a Christian. | 47:10 | |
How seriously are we willing to take our tasks | 47:17 | |
as disciples of Jesus Christ? | 47:22 | |
Are we willing to pay the price for our faith | 47:26 | |
knowing that we need not fear, for God is with us? | 47:31 | |
Jesus calls to us just as he called | 47:39 | |
to the 12 disciples so long ago. | 47:43 | |
He bids us to take up our cross, to be his disciples, | 47:47 | |
and to make disciples of others. | 47:53 | |
He gives us the survival gear, | 47:58 | |
everything we need for the journey of faith. | 48:01 | |
He charges us to proclaim the Good News | 48:07 | |
and to care for others in his name. | 48:11 | |
He compels us to recognize the urgency | 48:16 | |
of the work that must be done. | 48:19 | |
And he warns us that discipleship may be difficult, | 48:23 | |
but he promises to be with us throughout any ordeal. | 48:28 | |
These are the essentials of discipleship, | 48:34 | |
this is all we need. | 48:38 | |
All else is excess baggage. | 48:41 | |
Are you willing to make the journey? | 48:47 | |
(organ music playing) | 48:55 | |
(all singing) | 49:32 | |
- | You may be seated. | 52:12 |
The Lord be with you. | 52:18 | |
Congregation | And also with you. | 52:20 |
- | Let us pray. | 52:22 |
Almighty God who hears our voices and answers prayer | 52:29 | |
accept our praise this day. | 52:36 | |
You have blessed us, your servants, with freedom, | 52:40 | |
freedom to serve You and freedom to turn away. | 52:44 | |
We pray that You would help us to see | 52:49 | |
that serving You in freedom and love | 52:51 | |
is the way to peace, justice and abundant life, | 52:55 | |
for You desire to bless us | 53:01 | |
in surprising and unexpected ways. | 53:03 | |
Like Sarah, we may laugh at | 53:07 | |
the impossibilities You lay before us, | 53:09 | |
but help us to trust You in spite of our misgivings. | 53:13 | |
For You are the God who makes a way out of no way, | 53:18 | |
You are the God who makes the impossible, possible. | 53:22 | |
For this and all Your mercies we give You thanks. | 53:27 | |
All | Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. | 53:32 |
- | God of the harvest, | 53:37 |
equip us for our labors in Your Kingdom. | 53:40 | |
Help us discern what is essential for life, | 53:45 | |
and what is excess baggage that gets in the way | 53:48 | |
of our service in Your Kingdom. | 53:52 | |
Remind us that we are not dependent | 53:55 | |
upon our own powers, but Your power, | 53:58 | |
for You both prepare the way | 54:02 | |
and undergird us with Your strength and blessings | 54:05 | |
so we might embody the way of Your salvation. | 54:09 | |
Grant us eyes and ears attuned to Your compassion | 54:14 | |
and to Your children's needs. | 54:18 | |
May we discern in the distressed and helpless | 54:21 | |
an opportunity for discipleship. | 54:25 | |
May we reach out in love and compassion | 54:29 | |
so that in us they may glimpse Your love and compassion | 54:32 | |
revealed in Christ our Lord. | 54:36 | |
All | Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. | 54:40 |
- | You have taught us to pray for and to serve one another, | 54:45 |
You have invited us to trust You when we face difficulties, | 54:49 | |
so we lift up to You in silence our needs | 54:54 | |
and the needs of those who are dear to us. | 54:58 | |
We pray for those who suffer trauma in body or mind, | 55:13 | |
that they may be healed. | 55:18 | |
For those who's livelihood is insecure, | 55:20 | |
the overworked, the unemployed, those burdened by debt, | 55:24 | |
that they may know security of body and mind. | 55:30 | |
For little children who's surroundings | 55:35 | |
hide from them Your love and beauty, | 55:38 | |
that they may be valued as Your own beloved children. | 55:41 | |
For those who have to bear their burdens alone, | 55:46 | |
that they may know Christian fellowship | 55:50 | |
and a communion of Your spirit. | 55:52 | |
For those who have lost loved ones, | 55:56 | |
that they may be comforted | 55:59 | |
and know the hope of eternal life. | 56:01 | |
For those who are in doubt and anguish of soul, | 56:06 | |
that they may find peace. | 56:10 | |
All | Lord, in Your mercy, hear our prayer. | 56:15 |
- | Come among us, Lord, come that we might be | 56:20 |
filled with Your Spirit and bound with Your love. | 56:23 | |
Like Sarah, give us laughter as we glimpse | 56:27 | |
the power of Your grace to remove impossible barriers. | 56:30 | |
Give us courage to follow, even when it is costly to do so | 56:35 | |
knowing that You go with us every step of the way. | 56:41 | |
Transform our lives from barrenness to fullness, | 56:45 | |
that we might bear fruit as Your people | 56:50 | |
and Your servants for a hurting world, | 56:52 | |
and send us forth as Your disciples, | 56:55 | |
that we might share Your love and grace with all the world | 56:58 | |
so that people everywhere might know | 57:02 | |
the glory of Your salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. | 57:04 | |
Amen. | 57:09 | |
Let us offer ourselves and our gifts | 57:13 | |
in thanksgiving to the Lord. | 57:15 | |
(organ music playing) | 57:19 | |
(chorus singing) | 58:39 | |
(organ music playing) | 1:00:49 | |
(chorus singing) | 1:01:28 | |
Let us pray. | 1:02:29 | |
Holy God, we praise You. | 1:02:32 | |
Let the heavens be joyful and the Earth be glad. | 1:02:35 | |
We bless You for creating the whole world, | 1:02:41 | |
for Your promises to Your people, Israel, | 1:02:45 | |
and for the life we know in Jesus Christ Your son. | 1:02:49 | |
Born of Mary, he shares our life. | 1:02:54 | |
Eating with sinners, he welcomes us. | 1:02:58 | |
Leading his followers, he guides us. | 1:03:02 | |
Dying on the cross, he rescues us. | 1:03:06 | |
Risen from the dead, he gives new life. | 1:03:10 | |
Send us Your Holy Spirit, that Your people may become one. | 1:03:15 | |
Unite us in faith, inspire us to love, | 1:03:21 | |
encourage us with hope that being made one with Christ | 1:03:26 | |
we may be one with each other, | 1:03:31 | |
and one in ministry to all the world | 1:03:34 | |
until Christ comes in final victory. | 1:03:37 | |
We praise You, Almighty Father, through Christ Your son | 1:03:41 | |
in the Holy Spirit who taught us to pray together saying, | 1:03:45 | |
"Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. | 1:03:50 | |
"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done | 1:03:55 | |
"on Earth as it is in Heaven. | 1:03:59 | |
"Give us this day our daily bread | 1:04:01 | |
"and forgive us our trespasses | 1:04:04 | |
"as we forgive those who trespass against us. | 1:04:07 | |
"And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. | 1:04:11 | |
"For thine is the Kingdom, and the power, | 1:04:16 | |
"and the glory forever. | 1:04:19 | |
"Amen." | 1:04:21 | |
(organ music playing) | 1:04:24 | |
(all singing) | 1:05:10 | |
And now may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, | 1:08:32 | |
the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit | 1:08:35 | |
be with you and keep you always. | 1:08:38 | |
♪ Alleluia ♪ | 1:08:43 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 1:08:46 | |
♪ Amen ♪ | 1:08:47 | |
(organ music playing) | 1:08:53 |