Children Go Where I Send Thee

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost July 8, 2012 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Mark 6:1-13 Year B Children Go Where I Send Thee Five Doubts There are five doubts that lurk in the shadows of the human mind and tend to rob us of our faith. First there is doubt in God’s wisdom, there is doubt in God’s teachings, second there is doubt in the person who takes the time to teach God’s wisdom, there is doubt as to whether the ways and methods suggested for following God is reliable, and finally – there is always the person, who because of his arrogant and impatient mind, may doubt the sincerity of the others who understand and follow God’s teachings. In other words there is always going to be someone who doubts the sender of the message, the message, and the messenger. The world we live in – doubtful We live in a world where people do indeed say that there is no God, and if there is a God, there is nothing that I can learn from the creator. There are people who question the bible. There are people who constantly question the credentials of the people who interpret God’s word for us today. Jesus rejection in the synagogue You get that wherever you go. It is always lurking in the human mind. God sent his only son to a people as a gift the teach them the true word. Even he experienced rejection. Jesus had been all over the countryside teaching, healing, performing miracles, transforming the world. If anyone was going to accept him, surely it would be the community that raised him. And sure enough, they allowed him to speak in the synagogue, they were astounded at his teaching. They seemed to have faith in what he said, but they doubted who it was that was talking to them. Isnt this Mary’s son? Isn’t this James brother, isn’t this the carpenter, didn’t we know him? The bible says that they took offense at him. How dare he try to teach us something. Glued to our faults James S. Hewett once gave an apt example of people not getting the respect they deserve. Especially young people. He tells about his son, who was using one of those super-adhesive glues on a model airplane he was building. "In less than three minutes," says James Hewett, "his right index finger was bonded to a shiny blue wing of his DC-10. He tried to free it. He tugged it, pulled it, waved it frantically, but he couldn't budge his finger free." Soon, they located a solvent that did the job and ended their moment of crisis. Then James Hewitt writes this: "Last night I remembered that scene when I visited a new family in our neighborhood. The father of the family introduced his children: 'This is Pete. He's the clumsy one of the lot.' 'That's Kathy coming in with mud on her shoes. She's the sloppy one.' 'As always, Mike is last. He'll be late for his own funeral, I promise you.'" James Hewett goes on to say, "The dad did a thorough job of gluing his children to their faults and mistakes. People do it to us all the time. They remind us of our failures, our errors, our sins, and they won't let us live them down. Like my son trying frantically to free his finger from the plane, there are people who try, sometimes desperately, to free themselves from their past. They would love a chance to begin again. When we don't let people forget their past, when we don't forgive, we glue them to their mistakes and refuse to see them as more than something they have done. However, when we forgive, we gently pry the doer of the hurtful deed from the deed itself, and we say that the past is just that--the past--over and done with . . ." King Duncan, Collected Sermons, www.Sermons.com He is “just” a carpenter Some say that they were offended, because he was “just” the carpenter, he was just a child that they grew up with. In doubting Jesus, the didn’t realize that they also doubted message of God. God’s message was that even the carpenter could be used by God. The message was that indeed Mary’s son had something to teach the world. The wisdom of God came into the world in the form a carpenter, so that God could relate and speak to the ordinary person. So that we could understand his message. And understand that the message does indeed apply to us. Mark is working hard to help people overcome those five doubts that rob us of our faith. So that we can receive the message of the messiah and be saved. Mark is working hard to give us the stories of the messiah, so that we can see for ourselves that Jesus is indeed our Christ and our Lord. Scripture says that Jesus was amazed, absolutely astounded at their unbelief. He didn’t bad mouthed them, he didn’t threaten them, he didn’t curse them. Scripture says the he didn’t do too much else to prove himself to him. He healed a few people and went on about his business. But what he does do says it all – he calls his disciples to him and sends them out two by two. To continue to go out into the world and to continue to spread God’s word. Three gifts of advice As Christ disciples, he gave us three gifts in the form of advice as we go out: travel together, trust God to work wonders, and to travel light. God entrusted not just the carpenters, but the plumbers, the teachers, even the preachers to go and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. The atmosphere in which we receive is important But the most important lesson that Jesus wanted to teach us in the story. Is that the gospel truth is not always so much in the person who is speaking. If they are speaking what God gave them, then it doesn’t matter who they are. If they are teaching the truth of what the bible says – it doesn’t matter what their profession, and it is not always our place to try and judge their character. God can use anyone to teach truth. What really does matter is not who speaks – but who hears. A friend of mine recently said, half of the sermon is not in what I say, it is in what you heard. And it is not so much in what you heard. It is in how you heard it. Ears that are receptive and listening for God’s word can hear the truth and believe. Ears that are cold and doubtful – will always question what was said. People who come together to criticize and find fault – will criticize and find fault. People who come together seeking God, seeking truth, seeking love, will find it and respond to it. And the world will be changed because of it. God has given us all an awesome responsibility. We as the church can either help or hinder the word. We can open the door wide to Jesus, or we can slam it in our face. In how we hear the word, but also in how we spread the word. Ignoring the Play When I was in elementary school, I remember when all the kids in the neighborhood got together and put on a show. We rigged up a curtain of sorts by hanging an old bedspread in a screened porch, and arranged folding chairs for the audience. Then we practiced a small play, and added in a few musical solos, for which I played the piano. (Because we couldn’t move the piano closer to the play, I had to play it very loud, and even then it was barely audible.) As I remember it, it was a prodigious feat for little kids like us. We invited all our mothers to come to our performance. (That was back in the days when housewives were not an endangered species and most mothers were home all day.) Although we did not charge admission, we went through the motions of collecting tickets and ushering our guests to their seats. Our audience was charmed by how cute that was. Then we put on our play. We put a lot of work into our play. We had to invent everything from scratch and improvise sets and costumes from things our mothers reluctantly loaned us, and yet they didn’t pay attention! They sat there and gossiped with each other, commenting on whether this kid was a natural singer or that kid was terminally shy. At the end, they retained nothing of the plot or the story of our play; they just told us how cute we were. Cute! The word stung! We wanted them to take us seriously, as if we were adults putting on a play. But they were so well acquainted with us that all they saw were cute little kids, and no play at all. Well, that is pretty much what happened to Jesus in today’s reading The Church is cute It is the atmosphere in which things are received that make the difference. In a world where people are prone to doubt and to question. To stay attached to their assumptions. And to not take the fact that god works in ordinary situations, with ordinary people. I think that this story represents the biggest challenge of the church today. We are taken as cute, but not relavant. The word of God is interesting but not important. Being in mission is good, but not transforming. We have to think seriously about how we represent the gospel to a doubting world. We have to be faithful in our task. We have to preach not our words, but the word in the bible that are given to us. Jesus says that if people still don’t listen, shake the dust off of your feet and keep stepping, keep spreading the word. We might have to give up on people, but we never give up on the message. That seems a little harsh. I think that if we are faithful, and determined, that people will eventually hear that message. Even Jesus hometown will eventually hear what is being said to them. Paul was doubted also But I want to leave you with the words of Paul. Paul had the same problem that Jesus had. He was among strangers, and yet there was doubt. Paul spent all of 2 Corinthians explaining his value in preaching God’s word. He didn’t feel he should have to prove himself. But there are five doubts that plague the human mind – those doubts are universal. God’s grace is sufficient Paul says that God gave him a thorn in his side – in order to keep him humble and focused on God’s task and not his. He says that he asked God to take the thorn away – I want to leave you with God’s response to Paul. My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. We are just the bearers of God’s truth. God works best, when we are vulnerable and broken, relying on God’s strength because we don’t have any. Fred Craddock, whom is a preaching professor said that grace only comes in empty spaces. When we are full of ourselves, and think that we are in control and have the answers, Grace can’t do its work. But when we are dependent on God’s grace, and we genuinely pass it on in everything we do – God fills our cup. And God helps the world overcome doubt. There is a song – children go where I send thee – spread the good news of Jesus Christ. Don’t ever give up on the power of God’s word, God has not given up on you. Amen. Not a part of the sermon…… As a conclusion to this sermon we might seek to set up a dialogue between the questions of identity raised yesterday and today „ and Jesus' word of promise. "Where did this man get all this?" Jesus: "I am the Son of God." "What is the wisdom that has been given to him?" Jesus: "I come with the wisdom of the kingdom of God." "Who are you for us today anyway?" Jesus: "I am the Sower. I have come to sow the Word." "What if I just can't believe in you?" Jesus: "I just keep on sowing." "Where can I turn for assurance?" Jesus: "Read my Word. Listen to my Word. I sow the Word to call you to faith." "What can I do about you?" Jesus: "Just keep on coming with a receptive heart. You keep coming. I'll keep sowing. I will never give up on you. I'll be sowing the word of life on the soil of your heart for all eternity. Amen." . Ken Collins, No Honor in His Own Country Glued to Our Faults