a prophetic voice-

Preached at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, High Point, on August 14.      "Do you think I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division..." These are the words I just read to you... proclaiming them to be the GOSPEL of our Lord... the Good News. And you- all of you- responded, "Praise to you, O Christ!" Seems a little ironic, doesn't it, to be calling such deeply disturbing words, "The GOOD NEWS of our Lord"?      Or perhaps you weren't really listening... so hear the words again... spoken by the same Jesus we call "the Prince of Peace"...     I HAVE COME TO CAST FIRE UPON THE EARTH...DO YOU    THINK THAT I HAVE COME TO GIVE PEACE ON EARTH?    NO, I TELL YOU, BUT RATHER DIVISION...EVEN WITHIN    HOUSEHOLDS...FAMILIES... The hard truth, the seeming harshness of these words, takes the breath away...sets our teeth on edge...makes us cross our arms and lean back, prepare...

(Preached on July 3rd at Nazareth Lutheran Church, Rural Hall, NC)   Once again, in this Sunday’s reading from Luke, we are presented with a vision of discipleship, one which presents following Jesus as, well, not at all easy to do. We meet Jesus sending out the seventy…people he had chosen and appointed…and how significant that must have made them feel… sending them out two-by-two…okay, so far so good, at least they won’t have to go it alone. But then he gives them their instructions, and what should have been a kind of pep talk, a motivational speech, went something like this… ”I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.” Now wait just a minute, Jesus,” can’t you hear them saying- or at least, thinking? But he doesn’t stop there: “Carry no purse (which means no money), no bag (you mean we won’t have a change of clothes?), no sandals (Hold on there, Jesus. We’re supposed to go bare- footed? On this hot, hard, dusty ground?)  ...