"Low Budget Faith?" - Matt. 10:5-14 - June 12, 2005
James Michener, the famous author used to hitchhike when he was a young man. Michener didn’t live in a happy home. He was also unhappy at school. When he was fifteen he hiked westward from Detroit with only 35 cents in his pocket. He said, "The simple fact seems to have been that once I saw that mysterious road outside my house, the eastern part leading to a dead end, the western to worlds unknown, I was determined to explore the latter." (from Chicken Soup for the Traveler’s Soul)
Most all of us have had experiences when we just wanted to get away from it all, venturing into the unknown with out a care in the world. That’s easier to do when you are young and you don’t have lots of obligations and responsibilities. Youthfulness tends to make us more carefree. And there is a tendency to think that nothing will happen to us.
When Jesus told his disciples to head out into the world he told them to travel light. "Take nothing with you, no bag, no money, no sandals, no extra clothing, not even a staff," he instructed them. Perhaps he wanted them to learn to trust in the providence of God. Perhaps he wanted them to experience strangers in strange lands, thereby making new relationships. Or, perhaps he wanted them to be free from the burdens of the world. I believe it was most likely a combination of all three.
Earlier this spring, my wife and I made a trip to Florida to visit family. We flew non-stop, from Dayton to Orlando. When we arrived we went to retrieve or luggage only to discover that my wife’s bag had apparently been taken by mistake. Everything my wife had planned to wear was in that suitcase. The airline gave her some personal items for overnight, but that was it. All her makeup, jewelry and clothing were gone. The airlines didn’t locate her bag until 24 hours later. That meant for one full day, Lin had nothing to wear.
We had a dinner to attend the second evening we were in Florida so naturally we made a trip to the mall so my wife would have something to wear. The clothing she wore on the trip wasn’t appropriate. Thank God for credit cards!
But, what if you had to travel without credit cards? Is there anyone here who could travel across the US without a credit card in their purse or wallet? Jesus didn’t want his disciples to be worried about clothing or anything for that matter. Why else would he tell them to take no money with them? I believe he wanted them to learn dependence on others and trust that God would provide for their needs.
Have you ever inventoried the things you take with you when you travel? I always take a spare pair of glasses. I do that because I lost a pair one time in the surf at Myrtle Beach. It took me 24 hours to get a replacement pair. Now days, people can’t go anywhere without their cell phones. We wouldn’t want to miss one of those meaningful sales calls, would we?
A friend of mine had a garage sale recently and I was surprised to learn how cheap he was selling things. He had a set of weights for only $10. He had an exercise machine for only $15. It seemed like everything he was selling he could have gotten a lot more money. When I asked him why he was selling things so cheap he replied, "Because they are taking up space in my basement."
We all have more stuff than we need. To travel light means to do some letting go. Let’s be honest we all have excess baggage, both physical and emotional. It may require some sorting, like on the television program, "Mission Organization." It’s on HGTV and an expert organizer helps families to organize their cluttered homes. But, in the process they discover it’s their lives that are cluttered. To be transformed requires some sorting and prioritizing. We can also be transformed by changing our environment or changing the circle of people we relate to.
Jesus didn’t want his disciples to be traveling with a lot of excess baggage and he also didn’t want them to be traveling with a bunch of burdens. When we carry guilt, or grief or unrealistic expectations we are destined to live a life of misery. Jesus wants us to be free of the burdens of life. He wants us to live as people who are forgiven. He wants us to live as people who live in trust, not fear. And, he wants us to build new relationships because that is the very essence of being people of faith.
Sometimes we attempt to cultivate new relationships but for some reason, it just doesn’t happen. I befriended a man a few years ago and he started coming to worship. He never missed. He liked the church, he liked the people and he liked my sermons. But, after about six months he and his wife decided to attend a different church. They later joined and never came back to St. Paul’s again. I couldn’t figure out what happened. They seemed comfortable here. I saw the man later and I asked him why he decided not to come back. He said that they had some good friends in the other church and that their daughter had friends there as well. He assured me it had nothing to do with me or our people.
There are simply times when people decide to go a different route. That’s why I believe Jesus told his disciples to "shake the dust off your shoes, when people do not receive you." He meant that there was no reason for them to feel guilty because their efforts were in vain. The best thing they could do was to keep moving.
Failure, disappointment or rejection can hold us back. at some point we have to resolve that we are not the problem. The worse thing we can do is feel sorry for ourselves or worse, feel guilty. There are many "lost" people in the world, and some are just waiting for us to make a connection. When we carry guilt, or grief or unrealistic expectations we are weighted down, unable to enjoy life. Jesus wants us to be free. The best way for his disciples to have an impact on the people they encountered was their own personal peace of mind.
When we model a spirit of peace it can be contagious. One time Charles Kuralt was traveling through the back roads in Ohio. He passed a farmhouse with a homemade banner on it that read, "Welcome Home Roger." One of his associates said, "I wonder who Roger is?" They decided to drive to the farm and meet the family.
Roger was a soldier on his way home from Vietnam. The family was anxiously awaiting his return from the war. Roger’s mother was baking a cake and his wife was there, playing with the baby son that Roger had not yet met. Kuralt and his crew brought in their cameras and interviewed the family.
Charles Kuralt then wrote a story about all the soldiers who were returning home. He shipped the story to New York and Walter Cronkite put the story on the evening news. The story was a huge success and hundreds of viewers called in to express their gratitude for the story about waiting for Roger. Kuralt’s trip through the back roads of Ohio affected thousands of lives.
Jesus wants us to travel to places we’ve never been because of the potential to meet new people. Life is about relationships, sharing the good news and spreading peace. As Jesus said, "If the house you enter is worthy, let your peace come upon it."
God wants us to spread peace but God also wants us to be at peace. By lightening our load we can become free. By traveling to new places we can meet new people and the peace they see in us will help transform them as well. It is time to eliminate the clutter in our lives and trust in a God who wants us to be free.
Dr. Keith Wagner
“Father Abraham’s Surprise” – Genesis 18:1-15 – June 15, 2008
Several years ago, Lin and I had the opportunity to travel in the Netherlands. We cruised up the Rhine River and made a port of call in Nigmegan. During our visit, our cruise line arranged to have all the passengers to be guests in local homes. It was the first time they ever attempted to arrange such an event of hospitality. Much to their surprise they had an overwhelming response from families in Nigmegan who were willing to host small groups of Americans.
The hospitality of the people of Nigmegan was like none I ever experienced before. They prepared a generous and wonderful supply of drinks and deserts. They gave us a personalized tour of their home. They told us about their work, their life in the Netherlands and all about their families. They were absolutely gracious hosts. It was an evening you didn’t want to end. We felt as though we had made some really terrific new friends.
The story about Abraham and Sarah is also a story of hospitality. Abraham ran to greet his visitors. He selected a quality calf from his herd. Sarah made cakes for their guests. Abraham provided water for them to wash their feet and a place to rest. Abraham and Sarah welcomed the three travelers in their home in a very special way as was the custom of their day.
Last week I attended the Annual Ohio Conference of the UCC at Tiffin. One of the workshops I participated in was on the subject of hospitality. Most congregations think of themselves as “friendly” folks. That is no less true here at St. Paul’s. What we learned however was that hospitality is more than just being friendly or nice. True hospitality is like the hospitality of Abraham who went the extra mile in welcoming his visitors. When a visitor appears on Sunday have you ever offered them a tour of our facilities? Have you ever thought about walking them to their car and inviting them for dinner? These were some of the suggestions that we learned at the workshop.
Notice that Abraham did more than just extend a warm welcome to his visitors. He honored them by “bowing down to the ground.” I believe that Abraham honored his guests much like we are honoring our fathers today. We recognize how they have shaped our lives. We acknowledge their special role in helping us to become grown ups.
Like most of you I will call my Dad today to wish him a happy father’s day. Unlike my mother, who always gets her four sons mixed up when we call, my Dad always knows which one of us is calling. He immediately says my name. He knows which son is calling and immediately asks how everything is going. In other words, although I have called to honor him for father’s day he has a way of turning it around and showing a genuine concern for me. Hospitality is all about being concerned with the agenda of the other instead of ourselves.
As it turns out the strangers who appeared to Abraham were actually messengers of God. They informed Abraham and Sarah that they would have a son. I wonder what would have happened had they not welcomed the visitors in their home. Perhaps they may not have been promised that they would have a son. Could it be that the divine intervention of God in their lives resulted in a reciprocating act of love to them in the gift of a son because of their hospitality?
The hospitality of Abraham and Sarah was not just about being friendly to strangers. It was about going beyond the call to welcome strangers in their homes. They were gracious as God is gracious. They were non-judgmental, as God is non-judgmental. They were generous and their hospitality was a radical hospitality. By welcoming the three visitors in their home they welcomed God in their lives.
When we welcome strangers into our lives God is welcomed. On the other hand, the more we keep ourselves isolated from people we don’t know or people who are different, the more we keep ourselves alienated from God.
In 1953 reporters and city officials gathered at the Chicago railroad station to greet the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner. When the train arrived, a giant of a man, six-feet-four, with bushy hair and a large mustache, stepped off the train. Cameras flashed and the city officials approached him with hands outstretched. Several folks told him how honored they were to greet him.
The man politely thanked them and then, looking over their heads, asked if he could be excused for a moment. He quickly walked through the crowed until he reached the place where an elderly black woman was struggling with two very large suitcases. He picked up the bags and escorted the woman to a bus. After helping her aboard the bus he wished her a safe journey. He then returned to the greeting party. “Sorry to have kept you waiting,” he said.
The man was Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the famous missionary doctor who had spent his life helping poor people in Africa. In response to Schweitzer’s action, one member of the reception committee said with great admiration to a reporter, “That’s the first time I ever saw a sermon walking.”
When we honor people who are different from ourselves we honor God. When we have the freedom to extend a welcome hand to people of another race, nation, language or place we welcome God.
By welcoming God into their lives, Abraham and Sarah received new hope. Although Sarah laughed I believed her laughing is misunderstood. I believe she was laughing at herself. To think that showing hospitality to a stranger would result in God showing hospitality to Sarah and her husband in such a remarkable way was beyond comprehension. But that is exactly how God can work. “Is anything too wonderful for the Lord?” the stranger asked.
Today we are also honoring our graduates. Some of them will be leaving home soon for college. Those who graduated from college are beginning new careers. They will be leaving the familiar relationships of family and friends. In the near future they will be meeting strangers. How they welcome new and different people in their lives will be directly related to how God will be welcomed in their lives.
While doing research for a doctoral thesis, a young man spent a year with a group of Navajo Indians on a reservation in the Southwest. He lived with one family, sleeping in their hut, eating their food, and living their lifestyle. The grandmother spoke no English and the two of them formed a very close relationship. They seemed to share the common language of love. Over the months he learned a few phrases of Navajo and she picked up a few words of English. When it was time for the young man to return to his university and write his thesis, the tribe held a going-away celebration. As he prepared to get into his pickup truck and drive away, the grandmother went to him to say goodbye. With tears in her eyes, she placed her hands on either side of his face and looked directly into his eyes. She said, “I like me best when I’m with you.”
God is like a welcome stranger, who we meet through our radical hospitality. Just as God surprised Abraham and Sarah with the gift of a son, God never fails to surprise us with meaningful relationships with others.
Dr. Keith Wagner