A sermon delivered July 7, 2024 by the Rev. Patrick H. Wrisley, D.Min.

Last week in Mark’s gospel, we noted the power of an interruption in our lives. Jesus and the others just landed in Capernaum where he was immediately inundated with people demanding things of him. The synagogue ruler, Jairus, begs Jesus to come heal his dying daughter and then a bleeding women sneaks up and touches Jesus’ clothes and is healed. In both cases, Jesus stops where he is and intently focuses on the people who interrupt him and their needs. Today, we find that Jesus and the Twelve have traveled west-southwest up into the mountains some 32 miles to Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. Hear the Word of the Lord!

Mark 6:1-13

He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. ²On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! ³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. ⁴Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” ⁵And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. ⁶And he was amazed at their unbelief. 

Then he went about among the villages teaching. ⁷He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. ⁸He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; ⁹but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. ¹⁰He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. ¹¹If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” ¹²So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. ¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.^[1]

Today’s text has a message the Church needs to hear. Whereas in 1965 when over 70% of Americans believed religion was “very important” in their lives, today only 45% of Americans hold to that view.^[2] A Gallup Poll in March of this year revealed that 21% of Americans attend religious services every week and that’s down from 46% in 2009^[3]. Just 11% attend once a month, and 56% rarely or never attend.  Remember, too, these statistics are for all faith traditions not just the Christian church.^[4]

All of us have recollection of the Church’s “glory days” when worship was full, Sunday school was thriving, and churches were being planted everywhere. As much as we pine for those glory days, the American church needs to wake up from its Rip Van Winkley spirit and take to heart what Dorothy told Toto, “We’re not in Kansas anymore!” We live in an era where beautiful sanctuaries like ours have been turned into high-end condominiums in many places. There is no going backwards; Church today needs to bravely face forward and walk into the future, not with naive nostalgic wish dreams, but with a wholehearted commitment to the basics of the Gospel and its purpose and mission. Our text this morning gives us some tools and lessons for us as we move into that future together.

First, God does not force the Gospel on anyone. We see this clearly today as Jesus goes back to where he grew up, preaches, and tries to heal folks like he has already shown himself able to do. But hometown folks are hard to convince. Even Jesus’ own family thought he was out of his mind back in Mark 3:21. For the hometown crowds, Jesus was that quirky momma’s boy who worked as a day laborer.

Let’s remind ourselves what the “gospel” or good news is. The late Catholic priest and author Simon Tugwell, says, “Jesus is the full declaration of God’s “I AM”, present in our midst; and our faith is…essentially the acceptance of this fundamental truth of God’s being” whereby we make room for God in our lives and share that love with others in acts of love and mission.[5]  Jesus presented his homebodies with this presentation, and they were scandalized by what he said. Like Mighty Casey before his hometown fans, Jesus struck out in Nazareth. And so, even though we see how God does not force the gospel on anyone, that does not preclude our trying to share that gospel.

The second observation we get out of our text today is that as disciples, all of us are called to the ministry of evangelism and healing. The disciples have just seen Jesus’ rejection and now Jesus is sending them out on their own. Imagine how they must be feeling at that moment! Think what he is asking them to do: Leave your checkbook at home and simply take a hiking stick, a pair or sandals, and a tunic and tell others the Presence of God is afoot so turn back around and fall into God’s arms. The disciples’ proclamation was not just with their words, however. Mark says their witness was also through their healing ministry. The disciples went and physically reflected God’s healing presence through their acts of grace. We see how their very presence sent the evil spirits packing.  

All the disciples are sent to proclaim the news of God’s presence, even crusty old Judas. Friends, none of us gets a pass on this one. We confuse evangelism with church growth, and it is not the same thing. Church growth may or may not occur. Evangelism is simply disciples in the church sharing with others how God in Jesus has made a difference in their life, and they are now compelled to serve others in a healing, loving presence. It was not solely Jesus’ job. It is not the pastor’s job. It is the church’s job to proclaim God’s presence in our community’s midst, not only with words, but with demonstrable acts of healing and compassionate service.

The third observation from our text this morning is that a ministry’s success is not measured by how many people we convert; the disciples’ success is measured by their faithfulness to go and share the good news with words and healing per Jesus’ command. Jesus was not, dare I say — is not — concerned with conversions; Jesus is interested in healing transformation in a person and in a community’s life. A church’s ministry is measured by whether it is reflecting the graceful Presence of God in any given community or situation and that is everyone in the church’s responsibility.  Church, your ability to do just this thing will determine whether or not this congregation will exist 10 to 15 years from now. It’ll determine whether or not this beautiful building will be made into luxury condos as so many other churches have.

The former pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, Michael Lindvall, writes the disciples, “Need not have polished words, sophisticated theology, or fine-tuned dogma to speak of their faith. They are simply called to speak truth in love, from the heart, in their own words, and never be ashamed.”^[6] That is all Jesus asked the disciples to do; that is all he is asking us to do as well.

We are not being asked to be Mother Teresa. Jesus is not asking us to be a Billy Graham or a Rachel Held Evans. Jesus is simply asking each and every one of us to be the best Patrick, Bryan, Jill, Ellen, Mary, and Randy we can be as we let others know what God has done in our life. Jesus did not send out six pair of spiritual giants into the villages. He sent a ragtag group of imperfect, callous, critical, opinionated, prideful, oftentimes squabbling people to go show in word and deed God’s presence in the community. Through his own hometown rejection, Jesus indicates he knows how intimidating that can be; yet he still sends them out two-by-two; yet, he still sends us out, too.

There is a story of a woman who worked in a bookstore. She was member of a mainline Christian church in town and one day got asked a question by a customer. You see, a man came in who dressed like a Hasidic Jew – a very conservative branch of Judaism. The clerk asked him, “May I help you?” and he softly replied, “Yes, you can. I would like to know about Jesus.” She directed him to the upstairs religious section of the bookstore where all the books about Jesus were and then turned her back and went about her business at the desk. The man did not move. Again, he softly said, “Excuse me, I don’t want to be shown books about Jesus; tell me what you believe.^”[7]

Beloved, if you were the store clerk that day and you were asked, “Tell me what you believe,” how would you respond?

Sometimes, rejection or failure happens to the best of them. Just like with Jesus. Just like with the disciples. Just like with the Church. And sometimes, just like there will be with you and me. And even though God does not force people to believe, God does send us out as disciples to share the transforming life and presence of the One we celebrate so passionately at Christmas and Easter. All of us are called to go and tell. But first, each of us needs to know what we believe about Jesus. Your homework this week is to reflect or write about what you believe about him so that when people meet us out there, we can also be the Lord’s healing presence to them.

In the Name of the One who is, was, and is yet to come. Amen.

© July 7, 2024, by Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, NY, and may not be altered, re-purposed, published, or preached without permission. All rights reserved.

^[1] The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

^[2] “Why Americans are losing their religion,” by Dora Mekouar, April 23, 2024, from Voice of America News. See https://www.voanews.com/a/why-americans-are-losing-their-religion-/7576935.html.

^[3] Lifeway Research, “Fewer Than Half of Americans Regularly Attend Church,” October 24, 2019. See https://research.lifeway.com/2019/10/24/fewer-than-half-of-americans-regularly-attend-church/, accessed 7/5/24..

^[4] “Church Attendance Has Declined in Most U.S. Religious Groups. Three in 10 U.S. adults attend religious services regularly, led by Mormons at 67%,” by Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup Research Center, March 25, 2024. See https://news.gallup.com/poll/642548/church-attendance-declined-religious-groups.aspx.

^[5] Simon Tugwell, Prayer. Living with God (Springfield: Templegate Publishers, 1975), 85.

^[6] Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season after Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16) (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume) by David L. Bartlett, Barbara Brown Taylor. See https://a.co/85HPPiF.

^[7] Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season after Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16) (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume) by David L. Bartlett, Barbara Brown Taylor. See https://a.co/cyWfD4N.