Work of Redemption
Preacher: The Rev. Deacon Logan Hurst
Passage: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56
For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. It is curious that Jesus' attempt to draw the disciples apart is foiled by the crowds of people who were following him. When Jesus and the disciples tried to retreat, instead of an out of the way place for a leisurely meal and communal rest, they find still more people in need of ministry. Jesus' response to the crowd he encounters suggests that faith communities should attempt to address all those needs known to them out of compassion for those who seek guidance and assistance. Thus the message of verses 30 through 34 is ambiguous: Set yourselves apart for divine and physical sustenance, and, at the same time, set yourself... set aside your own retreat when others are in need of spiritual sustenance. I mean, how do we, as a faith community, shape its life together to honor both of these teachings?
Well, I'm going to give an example, and this is for sure a shameless plug for the youth ministry, because we went on a three day mission experience this past week here in Dallas. And we had 10 youth go and three adults. And we traveled out to be the hands and feet of Christ to communities that were in desperate need. Now, we began our journey in the van a group of individuals with mixed feelings. Some of us were excited to be together, looking forward to being away for a couple of days and serving together. There were some of us that were nervous, not knowing what to expect from a trip with people that we hadn't served with before. How would this group handle the work that God had prepared for us to do? Would we all get along? And most importantly, would it be any fun?
Our journey began in Dealey Plaza, where we learned about the birth of the city of Dallas and how the city was marked by the assassination of John F. Kennedy. We then traveled to St. Philip's School in Oak Cliff, where we were greeted by smiling faces who worked tirelessly day after day to make their community a better place for their children. We helped them in the community garden, clearing weeds and filling their planter boxes with soil for food to be planted. Your youth worked so hard in the hot sun. So hard that an adult came to me because they needed me to get them to take a break. They couldn't get them to stop working. And in almost 21 years of youth ministry, it was a first for me to tell the youth to stop working. The second day we got up and went to a place called Bonton Farms. Now, Bonton Farm is a ministry that grows organic vegetables, and it raises livestock like cattle, pigs, goats, chickens. And then they harvest all these goods and sell them in order to provide things like housing, transportation and take care of those needs of the people of Oak Cliff so they can live. And with the sun yet again beating down on us, the youth worked tirelessly in the garden: harvesting tomatoes, clearing vegetable beds for more vegetables to be planted, and collecting eggs in the henhouses. I was impressed. I didn't hear one complaint. The only thing I saw were smiles on faces and the desire to help in any way they could.
That afternoon, we went to the Holocaust Museum. This was an emotionally sobering experience. We took a guided tour through the museum where the guide explained in vivid detail the devastation that took place during World War Two. Some of us stood in shock to learn that six million Jewish people died. Needless to say, it was a quiet ride home. When we got back that night, we had three visitors come and tell their stories about how their decisions when they were young had led them to prison. And it was through their experience that they witnessed and finally opened up to God. And they've followed his lead ever since. These were very powerful, moving stories. So, as I was going to bed that night, I was concerned about the energy level for the next day. We had been working out in the sun for two days, and we had just been taken on an emotional roller coaster with the Holocaust Museum and our guest speakers. The next morning, we packed up and headed to Crossroads Food Distribution Center. Crossroads is a ministry that is in... to help supply food to between 1,500 and 2,000 people a month. We learned that we would be loading boxes of food for three hours. I was expecting a little drop in work production from the last two days. However, the youth packed six pallets full of food. That's over five hundred boxes of food. Ten youth. Three adults. Amazing.
The gospel suggests that the church belongs in the world, rather than cloistered in a church building set apart from the hustle and bustle of life. Jesus and the disciples encounter people in need as part of their movement from place to place, not by establishing a central location and waiting for people to make their way to them. Healing took place this week when our faith community sent out the youth to serve those in need. Just as persons come to the church in need of God's grace, the youth engaged in ministry because it needs to live, as Christ has commanded, as the body of Christ sent into the world to help God repair the brokenness caused by sin. By embracing its role as the "fringe of Christ's cloak," the church can expect to have a healing effect on all who reach out to Christian communities with a desire to be made whole. I believe that St. Andrew's is a faith community that strives to be a place of healing, to be the hands and feet of Christ to the world. This is a redemptive work that God is doing in and through each of us. And as a matter of fact, this past week, our theme was, in fact, redemption. During our journey, we worked with and listened to people that have worked tirelessly to redeem themselves and their communities, chasing the heart of the One who calls each of us to serve those in need. Is through the grace of God that we are able to be a small part of God's healing, redemption to the world. Amen.