"The Really
Big Give"
a condensed version of the
sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, June 15, 2008 at Union Congregational Church, United Church of
Christ, in Somonauk, Illinois.
PODCAST of "The Really Big Give"
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It sounds a little like a reality TV show
Meet the 12 – sent out with authority and compassion:
Here goes -- completely from memory – (thanks to Caleb the Camel and the Bryan Sirchio song)
Matthew, Thomas, John and James. Philip, Peter Andrew and Bartholomew. Another) James, Simon, Judas and Thaddeus.
These 12 are going out to proclaim the good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers and cast out demons. There’s no prize for the one who proclaims and heals the most. As a matter of fact – there’s no prize at all.
Except for the harassed and helpless – the sheep without a shepherd.
We’ll be following each of the 12 as they go from village to village – finding places to stay, how they react to being welcomed or how they react to being unwelcome. We’ll see them chased, arrested, tried and convicted for the deeds they do. We’ll see them endure to the end.
This is "The 12"
How do you think today’s reality TV producers would portray the events from this week’s Bible reading? Would anyone watch the show?
A few watched a similar show this past TV season. Oprah’s Big Give (Have you heard of it? Did you watch it?) The show featured 10 contestants traveling the country helping people with money given them by Oprah plus whatever else they could raise with the resources they had. Each week (in true reality TV fashion, one contestant’s game ended and the rest went on to the next week. Ultimately, one contestant, Stephen Paletta, was declared the biggest giver. He won a million dollars – though none of the contestants knew they were competing for personal prizes. And of the prize money, half was to keep and half was to give away. Stephen has teamed up with another of the show’s contestants – Eric Klein to, in their words, "Change the face of philanthropy." How? By giving donors and volunteers unobstructed views of accountable and effective philanthropy in action. You can find out more about what Stephen and Eric are doing to change the world at stephenanderic.org.
While Stephen and Eric have moved forward in their work since the show wrapped, "Oprah’s Big Give" didn’t attract enough viewers for ABC or for Oprah – there’s no second season planned.
So the show about being the best philanthropist wasn’t a commercial success. Maybe ventures like that don’t appeal to the masses.
In the second part of today’s Bible reading, Jesus warned the disciples that the masses wouldn’t like their efforts, either.
"See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. {17} Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; {18} and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles."
Low TV ratings don’t seem that bad by comparison.
Before I go any further, let me address just a couple of things in today’s reading:
"Go nowhere among the Gentiles, and enter no town of the Samaritans, {6} but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
The same "sending out the disciples" reading from Luke 10 doesn’t have that exclusion – and even later in our reading Jesus said that the disciples’ problems with the authorities would serve as a witness to the Gentiles. Some scholars have suggested that the writer of Matthew put the exclusionary line in as a result of the debate as to whether the Good News of Jesus was just for the Jews or for everyone. Read through the lens of Jesus overall ministry and of the developing ministry in the Bible, I’d say that those words seem misplaced. I’ll ask Jesus when I seem him someday . . .
"If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town."
Jesus had much to say about being hospitable. And it seems the times when he acts the least "pastoral" is when he’s talking about religious folk who ought to know better but act awful anyways. I think these words of Jesus are directed right there.
Now back to the disciples and what they were doing.
Proclaiming the good news: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'
They were out restoring people who needed restoration. They were healing, reviving, cleansing the ones who were harassed and helpless.
And that’s a great example for us to follow.
But how?
How can we restore, heal, revive and cleanse people?
Well, we may not do things exactly the way the disciples did, but we have an opportunity to proclaim Jesus good news with our community and everywhere else.
Do you remember the song we began worship with? Do you remember what I said about it? Bryan Sirchio wrote it after meeting Mother Theresa several years ago.
Do something beautiful for God
Do something small – but do it with great love.
What do you think? (Ask for suggestions from congregation)
There’s no prize for what you’re thinking of. Doing something beautiful for God grows out of what God has done for us. It’s organic – natural. It’s not a demand or a requirement. It just is something that we do as followers of God. It’s like making leaves for a tree. It just does it. It’s like breathing for a person – we just do it.
What’s something beautiful for God – that we can do?
(More suggestions)
After a while, list the suggestions we’ve given – then close
All right – we’ve got some ideas. Now it’s time for action. Let’s go out and be a part of God’s REALLY big give.
Close with prayer.
© 2008 Union Congregational Church, All Rights Reserved