(Luke 4:16-22) "And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up; and he went to the synagogue, as his custom was, on the sabbath day. And he stood up to read; and there was given to him the book of the prophet Isaiah. He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

`The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.'

And he closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

(Matthew 4:18-20) "As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men." Immediately, they left their nets and followed him."

(John 1:43, 45) "The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. And he found Philip and said to him, `Follow me.' Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, `Come and see--we have found the Messiah.'"

(Matthew 4:21-22) "And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him."

(Matthew 9:10) "After this he went out, and saw a tax collector, named Levi, called Matthew, sitting at the tax office; and he said to him, `Follow me.' And he left everything, and rose and followed him."

Thus Jesus announces his mission and assembles his team -- a mission that would be accomplished through his own hands, certainly, but also through those of a small band of recruits, a larger group of those who came, saw, and believed, and through multitudes of believers down through the centuries -- believers in Samaria and Judea, of course; later in Tarsus, Rome and Gaul; later still in England, China, Nicaragua, the coast of Africa, the coast of NH, the city and environs of Constantinople and Los Angeles, believers in the streets and neighborhoods of Jerusalem and Dover, New Hampshire, and as we will hear later, a church called St. John's.

What a contrast we have -- Follow me -- and they left everything and followed him -- Simon Peter, Andrew, James, John, Matthew, Nathaniel, Philip -- but not the rich young ruler who has come seeking -- He does not follow; he walks away, unable or unwilling to respond to the call.

Listen again to the words but from different translations:

.. from the Amplified: "And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and He said to him, You lack on thing; go and sell all you have, and give [the money] to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come [and] accompany Me -- walking the same road that I walk. At that saying the man's countenance fell and was gloomy, and he went away grieved and sorrowing, for he was holding great possessions."

.. from the Peterson-- "Jesus looked him hard in the eye -- and loved him! He said, "There is one thing left: Go sell whatever you own and give it to the poor. All your wealth will then be heavenly wealth. And come follow me." The man's face clouded over. This was the last thing he expected to hear, and he walked off with a heavy heart. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and was not about to let go."

How hard it was for this man who placed his confidence and sense of safety in riches to respond to Jesus' request.

This was not some ragamuffin seeking a quick fix or who was following the signs and miracles and not the Savior. This was someone who had heard the voice of God. He was a good Jew. He tells Jesus that he carefully guarded and observed all the laws and took care not to violate them from his boyhood. This was a very moral, upright person, who was trying very hard to live a godly life. I am sure he tithed all his wealth, paid his servants a fair wage, left grain in the fields for the poor to glean and was a model citizen. I am sure he loved the scrolls and could sit in the synagogue and discuss the holy books with the other men of the town.

But somewhere in his living, he had lost life. He had become comfortable and secure in his wealth and station and very much like the person in last week's sermon, who, although very knowledgeable about the things of God, was reluctant, extremely reluctant to upset the status quo and take the next step of going into the world in a different, unexpected way.

His money "talked" louder than the voice of Jesus, and he was unable to see how that kept him in bondage.

We have all heard that money, or rather the love of money, is the root of all evil -- This love of money can take many forms -- actual monetary wealth, power, prestige, fame, control of others, and so on.

I know none of you here would have the difficulty of wealth controlling you -- because you probably don't have untold wealth for starters and you are pretty sure that your are immune from its temptations. After all, you go to church, you have heard the sermons, sung the songs, prayed the prayers. You would have no trouble walking away from newly found fortune to stay with the Lord. Right?

Well -- What if someone offered you, let's say, $10 million?

Such was the question shared by Bill Humphrey at a recent Finance meeting that was originally asked in a book called The Day America Told the Truth.

For $10 million --- 25 % of those who responded said they would leave their families. The same number would leave their churches and/or religion, and 23% said they would be a prostitute for a week or more. 7% of those responding were willing to kill a stranger. After the survey was taken, the researchers wondered if the $10 million tab had been too tempting; so they asked the same people what they would do for $5 million, for $4 million, or for $3 million. The responses were the same. The good news is that at $2 million, people began to have second thoughts.

Food for thought -- about where our treasure would really be.

"and if you were lying on the side of the road dying of thirst, I'd walk on by and let you die" --

Did you hear those words this summer? You'd have to live in a Sunday School vacuum not to see the antithesis of the Good Samaritan right there on national TV on the last episode of Survivor when Susan spoke those words to Kelly before voting for the winner of $1,000,000. Susan would show no compassion for another human being -- not because of enduring physical or mental abuse at another hands and retaliating, perhaps, but because of bitterness at losing on a game show -- one who loved money so much that not having it destroyed consideration for others in need. The love of money, even when not acquired, corrupts.

How different from the call to give to the poor, to bind up the broken hearted, to turn mourning into dancing for others -- to pour in the oil and the wine of healing through our words, actions, and deeds that we are called to do in the famous parable where a despised Samaritan stops, helps, and provides for the future caring of a complete stranger.

The young man from today's Scripture, like us, knows what he should do; but fear, reluctance to change, security, his ample fiances, cause him to miss the opportunity to walk directly with Jesus and be his disciple to make a difference in the world of occupied Israel, full of poverty, disease and persecution. Even though his heart tells him that walking with Jesus will cause him to have a journey that is filled with challenge, joy and fulfillment and be of far more worth than he ever imagined, he becomes a sad, but effective, example of a life that never achieves its truest calling.

An even sadder example of a life gone awry is that of Judas who received no less than three years of divine patience. Jesus knew what was coming yet kept the door open. While we would have scorned Judas as traitor, Jesus called him "friend" even when the soldiers came to arrest him. Up until the last, Jesus gave Judas a chance to halt and turn from his wickedness. Even if he did not know where it was going, Judas' journey into sin had gained momentum and continued its downward spiral.

Jesus was patient with Judas. Jesus is equally patient with us, hoping for a response to his call, seeking to make us his own, to be in fellowship and communion with us, trusting us to share knowledge of our wonderful gift of unmerited grace and love with those around us and to the far reaches of the world.

We can learn from the example of Judas as much as we can the rich young man. And we can learn also from the examples of others who did answer the call 2000 years ago.

Herbert Lockyer in his book, All the Men of the Bible, helps us to gain some insight as he discusses those who responded to "Follow Me".

James, who is usually coupled with his more famous brother John, never sought fame, power, or a great name. He had no ambition to be first but yet he is remembered as one of the three closest to Jesus. He thus emulates those among us who are content to work in quiet ways -- washing dishes at a church supper, swinging a hammer in West Virginia, or engaging in deep intercessory prayer, for example.

John, often referred to as the disciple Jesus loved, was one of the last at the cross -- he was asked to care for Mary and given the honor of writing much of the New Testament-- a gospel, 3 epistles and Revelation. This demonstrates an attitude of dependability and care for others -- someone you can all on in the middle of the night for help, someone who writes notes of encouragement for others, ones who receive Word of Wisdom and Word of Discernment.

Andrew, the first of the Disciples, brought his own brother, Simon Peter, to the newly found Messiah. Thus, he is considered the first missionary. "If we are Christ's, ours should be the passion to lead others to Him" (Lockyer). These are the Billy Graham's, those who shake your hand or give you a hug and say "Jesus loves you," the folks who invite a friend or co-worker to church and home for a meal after -- the ones who do not hesitate to take the Word of Jesus with them -- and share it.

Thomas, referred to as the doubter, was really a man of strong conviction. When he saw what he ought to do, nothing kept him back. When Jesus spoke of going to Judea again, Thomas urged disciples to accompany even though it may have meant death. At the Last Supper, he acknowledged his ignorance of the place the Lord was going and asked how he could know the way. No doubts there.

These are the folks who are watching the rest of us for our behavior -- is our talk matching our walk -- Perhaps more quiet than the average and more inquisitive, the Thomases are tenacious, once they have believed, there is no turning away. These folks would never be in that 23% who turned away from religion for money.

Philip didn't sit around waiting for God to tell him what to do -- as soon as he was converted, he brought Nathaniel along. Although he lost of test of faith when he didn't think the Master could feed the 5,000 on a few loaves and fish, it was he who preached in Samaria, the place avoided by the Jews. It was he who led the Ethiopian to Christ and thus introduced Christianity to a heathen country. And, his four daughters were prophets, thus showing that God is truly no respecter of persons -- the gifts are available for all, male or female, slave or free. Folks like Philip are those who really wouldn't mind being that shriveled up missionary in China. They cannot wait to say, "Here I am, Lord; send me."

Nathaniel readily received the witness of his friend Philip who had found the Messiah. The Nathaniels are simple in spirit -- no room for hypocrisy -- integrity and honest and no hidden agendas here.

Probably the most well-known of the disciples is Simon Peter who helps us discover that whatever hopes and aspirations we might have apart from Christ can fully realized in Christ. Simon was a Jewish patriot who chafed under the foreign yoke while yearning for emancipation. He brought this zealousness to his work for the Lord into its truest and noblest form (Lockyer).

When Peter denied Jesus, he was like the rich young man putting things of the world, in this case fear for his own safety, ahead of his relationship with Jesus. But through God's infinite grace, Peter is given another chance. When Jesus asks how much Peter loves him, he tells Peter to feed his lambs. Jesus built his church on Peter's faith which was encompassing enough to reach out to Gentiles like Cornelius,the Roman. Peter worked both as an individual and a member of a team, healing the sick, preaching the word and bringing believers to Christ.

Lastly, would that the rich young man had been like Matthew called by Christ to a better occupation, a better wealth than silver and gold, to serve a better King than Caesar.

When Matthew responds to the call, the first thing he does is have a feast in his house to celebrate. And what a feast it was (!!! ) which Lockyer defines in three ways:

It was a Farewell Dinner -- to declare his determination to follow and serve his new found King from this time forth -- It was his public confession of surrender to the call of Christ.

"I have decided to follow Jesus No turning back, no turning back"

It was a Jubilee Feast -- commemorating his transition into a new life -- Matthew wanted all to know that he was now a new creature in Christ.

"The cross before me, the world behind me No turning back, no turning back"

Lastly it is referred to as a "Conversation" to introduce his old assocfiates and friends to his new found Savior -- that they might have opportunity to hear His wonderful words of life -- an evangelistic service, if you will. He knew many would come to his house to meet Christ that would not (or could not because of their unclean status) go to the synagogue to hear him. Here at Matthew's house they would discover, all these publicans and sinners, that God did not despise them.

"God is so good, we've got to tell everybody."

Peter Harrington in his booklet "10 FAQ's for New Christians," that is available in our Narthex, tells us "We are called by God to reflect God's love, and to be seen not just as helpful and good but as people who are that way because we are mirrors of a higher and transcendent force that we call God."

To be a good wife or husband and to raise our children to be good is a wonderful goal, for example. But God asks us to be people who radiate a higher motivation as the reason for our goodness. It is that which makes all the difference. If we do good for our children because they are our children and caring for them is legally required, the good is still done. But if we are good to our children because we see them as a precious gift to us and realize that God's love is reflected in this gift, then the goodness becomes something altogether different. The good that we do is the same, but the motivation behind it is profoundly different (Harrington).

Change the example to being honest in your dealings with others or working with a group of young people or the elderly, engaging with the shopkeeper, the coworker, the boss -- or what have you -- "The presence of God adds a dimension to our lives that is absent if just being good is our standard. Living our life as God wants us to becomes the why of our lives. We become aware that we were created not just to do but also to be a reflection of something that is far more and far greater -- reflection of God himself" (Harrington).

There are many good things that we can do in the world, no less than the rich young man probably did as a good Jew in tithing his own wealth, but unless we do our good in Jesus' name and give him the glory, it is for naught. Unless we are able to cease placing our confidence and sense of safety in riches of any variety (wealth, beauty, fame, knowledge, prestige, power, children, possessions) we will never achieve our ultimate purpose.

We are called to be servants wherever we encounter need. Our obligation to convey God's love has no limitations. God will call us to do something and we will be expected to obey. Even if we don't feel ready or competent, we will be given the gifts to answer that call.

By ourselves it is impossible to do this; but with God, through his Holy Spirit, it is attainable.

In I Corinthians 12 where Paul speaks of the gifts of the spirit for the members of the kingdom, these gifts are given to equip the saints (us) to do God's work in the world. God called Apostles, Prophets, Teachers, Healers, Discerners of Wisdom and Knowledge, Speakers and Interpreters of Tongues, among others. None of these gifts is given in isolation. They are given not only as members of the body for a variety of purposes but, and perhaps more importantly, they are to be used within the body -- our families, our church, our society, our world. What good would a teacher be without a class? Who would hear the voice of God if the Prophet did not speak to someone? And what good is healing if there is no one to heal?

Jesus takes our own personalities and propensities and works his gifts with our talents. No less than the 12 who preached and prayed nor the 7 who tended to the physical needs of those in Jerusalem after Pentecost, we are called to be part of that band of followers, yes, but equally important doers -- to use our gifts, talents, brains, and brawn -- stretching ourselves into new areas while holding onto the hands of our comrades and friends, both to support them and they us and to allow some to pass in front and lead the way while we step aside.

Jesus expects us to give of ourselves -- not to impoverishment -- but generously and consistently -- and to trust and follow him, knowing that we will have differing roles to fill.

Peter Harrington tells us that "in Jesus we can see the face of God. We can touch it, feel it, and breathe it. In biblical times and in current times, those who come in contact with Jesus are changed forever."

How sad for the young man and for Judas to make a choice to walk away from the greatest one who ever lived. How sad for us to be associated with Jesus, to hear His gracious words, to witness His wonderful works, and yet refuse Him our hearts allegiance and be ultimately lost.

Will you cling desperately to the things that bind you: financial wealth, fame, fear, reluctance, whatever it is that holds a place of value in your heart and spirit, and ignore the God who lives in our midst today?

Or will you accept the freedom that Jesus offers and leave those things behind and follow, follow Him --

"Though none go with me, still I will follow No turning back, no turning back."

+ + +

LAITY SUNDAY PART II
TAKING IT TO THE STREETS

So what do we do? Where do we go from here? We hear the call, but what do we do about it? What can I do? And how do I know what kind of ministry I'm being called to?

This is the sticking point for most of us. We hear the call to put God first, to seek a relationship with God more than we seek wealth or its trappings, and we can readily agree - in general terms. But often we hesitate - we're uncertain when it comes to our own personal calling. Me? God wants me to do something? I'm just an ordinary person, an amateur. Shouldn't I leave ministry to the "real" ministers?

Sometimes we do feel ordinary, and because of that, we're tempted to think that maybe we have nothing special to offer. But I invite you for a moment to reflect on the people whom Jesus called to be his disciples. Diana has given us some wonderful examples. He didn't go to the rabbis and choose from the best and most promising of their students - he went to the lakeshore and chose fishermen. He didn't call the kings, the rulers, the well-connected and powerful - he called Matthew, the despised tax collector. His followers included tradesmen and anarchists, farmers and herdsmen, people of little education and often questionable pasts - a real cross-section of the residents of the area. If there was ever an "ordinary" group of people, this was it. They came, not because they necessarily had anything "special" about them, but because they saw something special in him - a source of light in the surrounding darkness, a word of truth in the midst of the everyday falsehood and confusion, a real love in a world filled with tension, hatred, and suspicion. They were chosen for ministry, not because they were good, but because they were willing - when Jesus looked at them and said, "Follow me," their answer was "yes."

The United Methodist Church has been built on a long history of lay ministry - ordinary people, empowered by God to do extraordinary things, when they have answered the call to discipleship. This was part of the wisdom of John Wesley, and a way in which the early Methodist movement reclaimed the heritage of the disciples and the early Christian church. The strength of the Methodist movement was in the classes - small groups of lay people who met with each other for Bible study, prayer, support, encouragement, and ministry. In the early days of the Methodist church in America, ordained clergy were few and far between, and were often responsible for many churches spread over a wide area. On most Sundays, the pulpit was filled by a lay speaker from the local church - a Lay Speaking ministry which continues to this day. In fact, if you look closely, you will see that much of the ministry of the church is in the hands of lay people - ordinary people who have answered "yes" when they have heard the call to ministry. I'd like you to take your bulletin, and turn it over to the back page. Just under the church address, where the staff and leaders are listed, look at the first line. "Ministers......Members of the Church." Yes, we have a pastor, who is charged with the responsibilities of leadership and our overall spiritual well-being, but we are all called to ministry. Jesus' words, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations" were addressed not just to the Twelve, but to all who would follow him. But in the same breath, he promises, "And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

That's the way God does things - we get the call to follow, and in the same call is the promise of God's presence and power in our lives. The God who calls us to serve will empower us to serve. The call is, in fact, a call to a deeper walk in our own lives - "Come, and follow me. Learn to trust in my strength. Come and get to know me better."

Fine, we say. But what kind of ministry are we being called to? What will my ministry look like?

Paul gives us some insight in 1 Corinthians, Chapter 12, where he says:

"Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses."

So then, our ministries will not look the same - they will be individual and unique. God can, and will, make use of the gifts and talents we have been given, and will call us to a ministry that we are able to perform. In fact, a realistic assessment of our own gifts and talents - what we're good at, what we find joy in doing - is often the best place to start.

Some of these ministries are readily visible within our church. Shawne just gave us a beautiful example of one such ministry - taking her love of dance and movement and creating a ministry which has enriched our worship. Certainly our Music Ministry is a vital part of our worship life, and our Sunday school is a wonderful example of people who have combined a love of children with their own willingness to say ""yes" to God - and they are performing one of the most vital ministries of this (or any) church - introducing our children to our faith and to the love of God. Nick Leonard has drawn on his own experiences and his ability at working with young people in his Scouting ministry, and also has drawn on his own faith and his teaching ability in leading an adult Sunday school class. Often our own strengths, our own gifts, are a very good indication of what we might be able to do. Diane Gorman recently worked with Pastor Anne in presenting a workshop on "Identifying Your Gifts" - and has also made use of her interest in reading to create a Library ministry. And be assured, if you're willing to use your gifts in God's service, God will find an opportunity for you. Last spring, I had the chance to lead a class on "Our Basic Beliefs," and I remember telling Judy, once the class had ended, that I thought I had found something that I had some gifts for - I found the class very gratifying, and I learned as much as anyone. Perhaps I'd found one of the things that I'm supposed to do. Well, the words were hardly out of my mouth before I got the email from Pastor Anne saying, "How would you feel about teaching Disciple II?" I had to think about that one and pray about it for a while, but ultimately I agreed, and so far it's been a wonderful experience - and one which I'm sure will lead me to grow as well.

Another way to know what we might be called to is to look at those needs that God keeps making us aware of. Sometimes an idea will pop into our heads, and be gone as quickly as it came. But other times, the same idea, the same need, will keep coming back to us - will keep appearing "front and center" in our awareness. When that happens, we need to be open to the possibility that we are experiencing what's referred to as the "prompting of the Spirit," and that this persistent idea that we can't get rid of might just be God's way of calling us to action. Many of you are familiar with Minnette Induisi's work in this area in prison ministry. Also, Karla Noelte is now in the process of beginning a ministry to nursing home residents. I'm sure there are many other examples, as well - ordinary people like us, empowered to do extraordinary things by the God who calls them to the task.

And that's the vital thing to remember - don't let yourself be stopped by the feeling that "Well, I'm not really an expert in this." If you're willing to say yes, God can do the rest. For two years now, Ginny Scott has gone on mission trips to West Virginia - mission trips on which the task was to erect a building. This year, they built a food pantry and thrift shop for the cooperative ministry in the area. If I remember Ginny's own description of her carpentry skills, she knew which end of the hammer to hold and which end to hit things with, but she claimed no real expertise beyond that - and most of the other people weren't experts, either. But the buildings were built, and more importantly, the love of God was shared - in words and gestures, yes, but also in concrete, wood, and plaster - and everyone involved was enriched and strengthened by the experience. If you're willing to say yes, God will find a way to do the rest. And we've had a group of people in this church - Dave, Pam, Debbie, and many others - who felt called to become involved with youth ministry. When we first got involved, none of us had any particular training or expertise, but we worked together. It wasn't without a few trials, and we made some mistakes, but we learned, and God has been with that ministry. This year we've been able to add Carrie as the coordinator of youth ministry, and our youth ministry is growing.

And many times, we'll find that God will use the difficult times we've faced in our own lives to prepare us to minister to others. As Pastor Anne said a few weeks ago, "There's no place you can go where God isn't" - and consequently, there's no road that we may have been down, no matter how difficult it may have seemed at the time, that God can't use to strengthen us and prepare us to meet needs that we, because of that experience, are uniquely qualified to address. Many of you know of Jan Whitten's work on behalf of mothers who do not have custody of their children. That ministry has grown into an organization called MotherLinc, which provides support, counseling, and resources for women in that situation - a ministry which was recently recognized with the COSROW award, by the United Methodist Church's Commission on the Status and Role of Women.

There is no limit to what God can do through people who are willing to say "yes" when they hear the call of God to their own unique ministry. This is what we mean by "taking it to the streets" - learning to trust that the God who calls is the God who empowers, the God who loves, the God who wants what is best for us - that in learning to follow the one who fed the hungry, healed the sick, who showed us what the love of God looks like, we will become true disciples, who find their true home in him.

If you're hearing a call to ministry, if you're feeling the nudge of the Spirit, please don't let yourself be stopped by feeling like "I'm not an expert in this." As John Wesley so aptly put it, we are all amateurs - and you are surrounded by ministers. Talk to other people in the congregation, talk to Pastor Anne, talk to the members of whatever committee you think is appropriate, or talk to Diana or me. If you feel that God is calling you, say yes - not because you trust in your own strength, but because you trust the one who strengthens you for the task. Say yes - not because you know where the road will lead, but because you trust the one who draws the map. Say yes to the God who knows your name, who looks you in the eyes, who smiles at you in love - and who then says, "Follow Me."

Amen.

(c) 2000, Diana Schuman and Bill McWilliams