SERMON
at
Christ Church, Watertown, Connecticut
Pentecost VI
July 4, 2010
by
The Rev. Stanley C. Kemmerer, AHC

Images of a Billy Graham Crusade came into my mind as I read the opening lines of this morning’s Gospel lesson:

After this (Remember last week’s excuses as he called various to follow
Him, or those who saw him on the road impetuously promised to follow
Him anywhere?) the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent
them out ahead of him, in pairs, to all the towns and places he himself
was to visit…

The advance party. Billy Graham followed this model. I’ve been the subject of its attention. The pastors of a community would get communications well in advance. They would be courted by the team. They would be reassured that the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association had no intention of proselytizing (=sheep stealing), that those who came forward to “give themselves to the Lord” would be referred back to the congregations in the community for follow-up, detailed information provided by the Graham organization.

Scholars debate the number seventy two. Were the Twelve included in that number? Seventy was the more usual number chosen to symbolize “a lot.” Why seventy two? I don’t much care. Leave that to the scholars and God bless them. What matters, I think, is Jesus’ acted-out conviction more than a few were going to be needed.

It also reflects, I believe, his position the work was not to be confined to a select few but was the responsibility of the entire body of believers, even if individuals were to discharge it in a variety of ways.

And he makes clear it is to be total, not segmented. It gets really sticky here. Active as I am in interfaith discussions, in all honesty such scriptures as these force me to take the position no constituency is to be exempt from the effort. Not my Jewish friends, particularly my non-practicing Jewish friends. Similarly, (and it can get really violent here but if we’re going to be “the Bible says” people, for the sake of argument, we really can’t escape it) my Muslim friends, again particularly my non-practicing Muslim friends.

Neither is it appropriate to exempt those one hasn’t approached, assuming they wouldn’t be interested or couldn’t be encouraged to have interest, properly approached.

Now, as is the case with any sales effort, the salesperson qualifies his leads. This doesn’t mean one necessarily starts with these groups. In fact, one may never reach these groups, the harvest being so plentiful of the non-practicing of the general population and the laborers so few. They simply can’t, in theory, be exempted. Not and be faithful to the Gospel message.

We should also note the salesperson/evangelist/believer/disciple is not called upon to cram his religion down the throat of the hapless prospect he encounters. There is an art to this. An art the Jehovah’s witness who sat next to my wife on our train back to Hartford from Washington practiced. He stated his case. He offered his reasons. He listened to her response, she tells me. They talked.

So let me introduce the perhaps somewhat unusual counsel we should be open to receive the Mormon, the Jehovah’s witness, who appears at our door. As long as they stay within the bounds of good taste. We might learn something. Hartford Seminary’s motto is “Celebrating differences. Deepening faith.” The Seminary community has learned that such openness tends less to convert, and more to deepen, the respective faiths of participants.

Ironically, the behaviors of certain of our religious extremists, whose conversation does not involve listening to others’ faith experiences but only judgment and coercion such as we’ve witnessed in many who have left the Episcopal Church and others Christian bodies, make it advisable to deny them houseroom.

It won’t be easy: I am sending out like lambs among wolves. And without comforts: Carry no purse, no haversack, no sandals. The salesperson/
evangelist/believer/disciple is to be dependent on gracious hospitality: Whatever house you go into, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” And if a man of peace lives there, your peace will go rest on him…Stay in the same house, taking what food and drink they have to offer….Whenever you go into a town where they make you welcome, eat what is set before you. Cure those in it who are sick, and say, “The kingdom of God is very near to you.”

A model is provided for places where things don’t go so well: …whenever you enter a town and they do not make you welcome, go out into the streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you.”

And this Gospel points out The Plan works: The seventy-two came back rejoicing, “Lord,” they said, “even the devils submit to us when we use your name.”

It’s not rocket science. Effective sales leaves no stone unturned. Anything that moves is a prospect. Not all may be perceived to be of equal value. That needs to be taken into account as time is allocated. One shouldn’t expect it to be easy. It never is. But success breeds success.

Well, this isn’t only Pentecost VI this year. It’s also our national day, the 4th of July. Independence Day. What, if anything, does this Gospel have to do with the 4th of July holiday? I submit to you, a whole lot!

Our Constitution contains the words Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. Those words have been interpreted in various ways over the years. Some may be unaware that it wasn’t until the mid-19th century, for example that tax dollars in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ceased to be used for the support of churches. Ah, but that was a state, not the country!

Let me suggest to you that it’s probably a violation of the Constitutioni for the IRS to deny tax exempt status to a congregation that endorses a political candidate. I don’t know that doing so is particularly wise or even effective, but my point is that provision in the Constitution is designed to prevent government from messing with religion, not religion messing with government. In fact, I would argue it is the responsibility of religion to mess with government, to seek a society reflecting its ideals. However, it must do so using legally provided methods.

Constitutionally, I would argue there is no proper sanction against prayer being offered in public schools. The sanction should apply to any student being forced to pray against his will and such prayer as is offered should be the prayer of any religion if prayer is to be offered at all. And my preference is it shouldn’t be made “one size fits all” not to offend. Christian prayer should name Jesus, for example.

Similarly, for there to be religious displays in public space I don’t think is unconstitutional. It would probably be beneficial in a diverse society. Where the rub comes is if one tradition is favored over others. All (including atheism and Wiccanism) should have a crack at the space.

There are many ways to be Jesus’ advance party. From educational conversations, to making one’s worship space clean, neat, and beautiful, to meeting the needs of the community in which believers are placed, to public displays, to announcements, to political action. It’s a game everyone can play. Yes, it has its challenges and we don’t all find our niche easily but the rewards are great.

As the disciples in this morning’s Gospel learned.