a prophetic voice-

(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?)  ...

The ancient navigators sailed straight into the mouth of the unknown, wagering all. -DIANE ACKERMAN in Deep Play Have I ever done that...sailed into the mouth of the unknown... risking everything? Going to seminary felt that way at times...the long drive to an unfamiliar place...returning to a place of learning but this time tackling subjects which were Greek to me... gambling that my husband and son would manage somehow...that I could somehow balance all of the disparate elements of my life... cover all the bases myself- be pitcher, catcher, and clean-up hitter in a four-year game without rules or clear boundaries- and few guides to show the way. Going to Africa felt that way at times...the lengthy travel to an unfamiliar place...a sense of return to a place of heart connection, yet surrounded by different languages, different cultures...gambling that all would be well at home...that I could somehow balance the many sights, sounds, smells, demands which ...