3rd Sunday after Pentecost/June 18, 2023
Psalm 100, Exodus 19:2-8a; Matthew 9:35-10:8
Opening Prayer: (A New Zealand Prayer Book)
Almighty God, by your grace alone we are accepted and called to your service; strengthen us by your Holy Spirit and empower our calling; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Have you ever heard the saying, often spoken in jest, “be careful what you pray for”?
I thought about that as we listened to the beginning of today’s gospel reading.
Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
The prayer was no sooner prayed than it was answered. Jesus called twelve of his followers and sent them into the ripe fields. (The Message).
Jesus called them, empowered them, and sent them out to do the same works that he did.
He sent them out to cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with skin diseases, and to cast out demons.
He sent them out to help fulfill God’s mission in the world… to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives, recovery of the sight to the blind, and to set the oppressed free…
We too are called, empowered, and sent out to do the same…to fulfill God’s Mission, Christ’s Mission in the world….
The Mission of Christ…is the Mission of the Church…
At our 2022 Diocesan Convention, Bishop Mark issued a call to the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska to re-commit ourselves to living a “Jesus-shaped life”, to making disciples who live the faith and hope of Jesus in such a way that they become an invitation to a new life that is consistent with His way of love. To help us do that, he called our attention to the “The Five Marks of Mission” that have been around since 1984…
Those 5 Marks of Mission, the Mission of Christ are:
1. Tell: To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom
2. Teach: To teach, baptize and nurture disciples
3. Tend: To respond to human need by loving service
4. Transform: To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation
5. Treasure: To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation, and sustain and renew the life of the earth, and to be good stewards of all God’s gifts.
He adapted these 5 Marks of Mission with a more specific call to the people of the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska for the coming year: Calling us to a time of renewal and growth in discipleship through the Five Marks of Mission.
We’ve just begun reviewing these again, since we shared our 2023 stewardship plan for St Peter’s earlier this year…
This morning in our announcement time and from your bulletin insert, we shared a little about the 3rd Mark of Mission: TEND.
You can see the many ways that the people of St Peter’s have been involved in outreach in the church and in the community. Yet there are so many other opportunities and ways for other folks to be involved in the various outreach ministries, too.
There are additional ways to be involved on a different level, by being engaged in the advocacy part of outreach programs and ministries…working with others to transform unjust structures of society that keep people trapped in cycles of poverty and substance misuse and homelessness and incarceration…and working with others to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation…especially for those who continue to be oppressed because of the color of their skin, culture, religion, and other reasons that strip people of their dignity and worth…
Advocacy for the needs of those we are serving in our various outreach ministries and in other areas we may not yet be involved, is a key tenant of the 4th Mark of Mission: TRANSFORM… To transform unjust structures of society, to challenge violence of every kind and pursue peace and reconciliation…
This 4th Mark of Mission cannot be separated from our call to TEND, to respond to human needs, all around us, with love and compassion for one another, as Jesus so clearly taught us and showed us, and calls us and empowers us to go out and do the same…
In the next couple of weeks, you will hear more about the 4th Mark of Mission…
But, for today…I leave you with this…
Be careful what you pray for, meaning, be “care-filled” for what and whom you pray for, be intentional for what and whom you pray for: There’s always a need to pray for the well-being and needs of our neighbors. There’s always a need to pray for those who are supporting and serving the vulnerable in our communities. There’s always a need to pray for more loving and compassionate laborers to gladly answer Jesus’ call to join with others in loving and serving our neighbors in our communities, and throughout our world…
Jesus said: “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”….to love and serve God and one another…
Closing prayer/Hymn: (LEVS) 126 – Here am I, send me
1 Hark! The voice of Jesus calling, Who will go and work today?
Fields are ripe the harvest waiting, Who will bear the sheaves
away?
Loud and long the Master calleth,
Rich reward He offers free;
Who will answer, gladly saying,
“Here am I, send me, send me.”
2 Let none hear you idly saying, There is nothing I can do;
While the souls of some are dying, And the Master calls for you.
Refrain
3 Take the task He gives you gladly, Let His work your pleasure be;
Answer quickly when He calleth, “Here am I, send me, send me.”
Refrain
Rev Julie Platson
St Peter’s by the Sea Episcopal Church
Sitka, AK