I am one and my oneness can make a difference

(I had the privilege of giving the gospel message at my new church last Sunday and wanted to share it here.)

What is God asking of you and of me? This is a question which I have toiled with most of my adult life. In fact, it has been the pursuit of responding to this very question which has brought me here to Idaho. That and the beautiful blond I met on the Internet.

It was an incredibly beautiful early fall morning in the Midwest, now nearly ten years ago. Like most mornings I was on the road early to make my first sales call by 9:00am. My stomach had been churning for weeks, a feeling of restlessness filled my body. Suddenly I began to cry. Just a few tears at first and then the sobbing began. I was crying so hard I had to pull off to the side of the interstate. With cars and trucks roaring past me, I sat there and literally broke down in uncontrollable tears.

God was working on me again. I was so confused, frustrated and angry. What was He trying to tell me? What did he want me to do? Why was I having such a difficult time understanding His plan for me? I began screaming, "God, what is it you want me to do?"

By most standards my life was good. I was married to the love of my life. We started dating in high school and had been married more than twenty years. I had two terrific kids. We were living in our dream house. My job was fulfilling and we had more than a comfortable lifestyle. I was actively involved in my church and a number of civic organizations. Life was good. So, why was I so miserable?

From a very young age I had felt God had a special calling for my life. I had survived spinal meningitis in infancy with no real complications. Despite what the doctors told my folks about the possibility of leading a normal life without disability if I were even to survive. I not only survived but also thrived.

The feeling of God calling me to do 'special work' was always with me. The ministry had intrigued me. But I was never sure if it was what God wanted me to do. I was not well equipped to study, never being a great student and I was an awful test taker. The idea of four years of college and another four in seminary just wasn't very appealing. So, just what was God's plan for me? What was he calling me to do?

Was I denying His call? That question certainly got me off the road on an early fall morning. It got me screaming at God for answers, to more clearly show me his plan, to give me a clear direction. Why was He torturing me with all of this? Why couldn't I be happy with where I was with my life? Then I began to ask why I wasn't more faithful and attentive to God. Why was I not answering the call?

In the ten years since that morning my life has changed dramatically. Many of those questions which I struggled have been answered. There are still many for which I am waiting the answer.

Like the seventy disciples in our gospel I have been called by God to witness my faith to those I encounter. And I am not alone—you too are called to Evangelism, to witness your faith. As Lutherans we can find such a thought disturbing and frightening. Many of us were raised as ‘head down’ believers. We are proud of our faith—just don’t ask us to share it with a stranger. We just aren’t comfortable talking about the “F” word, or to evangelize with others.

In the gospel Jesus called those seventy to go out and be disciples. In doing so he was calling them to minister through their actions as well as their words. The actions can be as simple as extending a smile to a stranger.

There is a story of a boy and his grandfather walking along the beach. The beach was covered with starfish that had been washed ashore. Every so often the grandfather would stop, pick up one of the starfish and toss it back into the ocean. After awhile the little boy said to his grandfather, “There are thousands of starfish on the beach. Throwing a few back into the ocean can’t possibly make a difference.” As the grandfather tossed another starfish into the ocean, he said, “It will make a difference to that one.”

I remember once traveling through Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. The flight I was on arrived late and people on the plane were scrambling to make their connecting flights, including me. I had five minutes to make it from one terminal to the next to make my connection. As I tried to make my way through the crowds, I saw a young girl in front of me who was weighed down with luggage and was just about in tears. I walked up to her and asked her if I could help with her luggage. I took the bags off her shoulder and she told me which gate she was going to. It was right next to mine.

We moved through the crowds quickly and got to her gate just as they were giving the last boarding call. She thanked me and got on the plane. I turned and looked over at my gate. My flight was delayed by 30 minutes. I had plenty of time. I couldn’t help everyone in the airport with their luggage that night, but to the one I did help, it made a difference.

I think the second thing that immobilizes us with evangelism is the thought that in order to be a witness in God’s mission field we need to stand on a soap box on a Boise street corner passing out Bible tracks, or walk down Main Street with a sandwich board sign that says “Repent!” on the front and, “For the end is near!” on the back. Well that’s not always the case. Sidewalk evangelism does have its place, and there are some people who are cut out to do that type of evangelizing. (I don’t happen to be one of them.)

I think the most effective form of evangelism we can offer is the way in which we live our lives, and by the example we set as Christians. I also believe some of the best forms of evangelism come in very small ways with random acts of kindness, like throwing a starfish back into the ocean or helping a distressed girl carry her luggage. That, my friends is how we can make a difference in the world, one kind act at a time.

In the Gospel reading today, Jesus said to the seventy upon their return, “I saw Satan falling from Heaven like lightning.” Jesus was saying that the Seventy were participating in the defeat of evil in the world. We too can participate in the defeat of evil in our world like lightning when you cheerfully welcome the new person who comes to church. I see Satan fall like lightning when you forgive the one who has wronged you.

There will be those who won’t believe, won’t accept and won’t want to hear or see God’s word. As Jesus told those he appointed, “whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.”

Jesus says to us, I see Satan fall like lightning from Heaven when your church serves meals to the homeless, or makes a quilt I see Satan fall like lightning from Heaven when you conduct a youth confirmation class and your youth join the church. I see Satan falling from Heaven when you plan a prayer vigil I see Satan fall like lightning when the church holds a family picnic and everyone invites a friend. I see Satan fall.

This past week we got a firsthand look at those called to serve in the form of three young day camp counselors. Much like the seventy, they came into our community to share the message of Jesus. They found acceptance among our members and our community. There were also those who offered hospitality in their homes and in providing meals much like those in our gospel who welcomed in the disciples.

The question becomes, how do we make Christ known every day? For some of us it may be speaking from the pulpit, for more of us it may be in sharing Jesus’ message through our works. For all of us, we are challenged to make Christ known through our everyday living.

My friends let us not be tricked into thinking that we can’t make a difference, because we can make a difference one small act at a time. May we get up from these pews today and go out into the world knowing that there is a great need out there. There is a world full of hurt and people are just looking for a ray of hope to get them through.

A challenge for the coming week—we have all heard the stories of random acts of kindness. In the coming week I would like to challenge you to consider a twist on this. I would like you to commit to random acts of faith. Each day make a conscious effort to do one random act of faith. It can be as simple as offering a pleasant smile to someone who has none of their own or picking up the phone and calling that one person who may need to hear God’s word the most. It might be providing service to a neighbor or hope to a stranger.

God has gifted each of us with special talents and abilities. He never intended for us to keep them to ourselves. What is the special talent or ability you have which can be used to glorify God in the coming week. Beyond that I would hope that putting yourself in the random acts of faith mindset would become a habit which would stretch beyond this week and it would become a lifetime habit.

The cool part in this is when we begin to individually make this a habit it becomes easier for us to collectively move to a mindset of service. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we became known as the church of random acts of faith? May we be like the seventy that make a difference in the life of just one.