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June 12, 2005; Proper 6, Year A
    The Rev. Harold "Skip" Comer, Rector

In her book, Words to Love By..., Mother Teresa tells the following story.  "I had the most extraordinary experience once in Bombay.   There was a big conference about hunger.   I was supposed to go to that meeting and I lost the way.  Suddenly I came to that place, and right in front of the door to where hundreds of people were talking about food and hunger, I found a dying man.  I took him out and took him home.  He died there.   He died of hunger.  And the people inside were talking about how in 15 years we will have so much food, so much this, so much that, and that man died."[i]

Over the years I have attended conferences which addressed such issues as hunger, homelessness, child abuse; and even conferences about evangelism, and how to increase the giving of parishioners.  Some of the conferences only talked about the problem, never coming up with any practical solutions, yet there were other conferences that were good.  What made a conference good was that they did not try to solve the whole problem.   Rather they helped us to see the difference we could make, how we could make that difference on a practical or local level.

What did Jesus hope to accomplish when he called his disciples together and then sent them out?   According to Matthew they were charged with more that just telling people about Jesus, they were suppose to act in his name by healing the sick, casting out demons and raising the dead.

We know from history that the disciples were not able to tell the whole world about their master.  They were not able to rid the world, or even the Middle East, of disease, illnesses, and demons.  And people still died.  Yet this did not deter them.  They did what they could, and I would say, they had a profound effect on perhaps several hundred people they came in contact with.

These were the first Christian missionaries, sent out not only to share their faith but put their faith into action.  Missionaries, a word that conjures up visions of men and women sent to far off lands to convert and minister to uncivilized people.  They have done such a great job over the centuries, that there are now more Christians in Africa and South America than in America and Europe combined.  As a matter-in-fact, today, churches in those countries are growing faster than any where else in the world.  The Anglican Church in Africa gains more Christians in a single day than the Episcopal Church gains in several months.  What has made the difference between us and them?

We are willing to help people in so many different ways except share who we believe in.  We give money to the poor, help a neighbor or friend, even volunteer to serve at the hospital, library and through many organizations, yet we shy away from talking about Jesus and God to even our closest friends.  Why is that?

It is something very personal to us, is probably the first reason.  Coupled with that is the fear that we do not know enough about the Bible and our faith, and will be asked something we cannot explain.  Who after all can explain the resurrection or why Jesus is the only way to be saved?

The disciples were sent out by Jesus without Bibles.  As a matter-in-fact they only had a handful of his teachings --- and they had faith in Him.

Most of us cringe when Jehovah Witnesses come to our door.  Something that I must say I do not miss living in Benzie County.  Yet they do have to be admired for their missionary effort to share their belief.  That is how the church grew in New Testament times, by men and women daring to share their faith.  It is how the church is growing in Africa, South America and other countries today - by men and women daring to share their faith.

Missionaries all have one thing in common; they have a message to tell - a faith to be shared.  One of the great purposes that has been lost by the church in America is the sense of being a missionary church.  Instead of going out into the community and neighborhood, we have built walls, behind which it is ok to talk about Jesus; sing praises to God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and study the Bible. 

Instead of us delivering the message, we hire ministers and missionaries to do the work for us.

As baptized Christians, we are all called to be missionaries.  We may not be sent to foreign lands, stand in the pulpit and deliver a sermon, or go knocking on doors, but we are missionaries of God and Jesus Christ.  We are to "proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Jesus Christ,"[ii] as our Prayer Book states. 

For the past seven years St. Philip’s has been growing again.  I am here to tell you that this did not just happen by accident.   It happened because we have been revitalized – the Holy Spirit of God has recharged us to be a living witness of Jesus Christ.   And you know what?  Word has gotten out!  Something is happening here.  We are pulling together as a faith community to grow spiritually and welcome others into our midst. 

The truth is that many of the people around us every day have heard the name of Jesus, sometimes in a slanderous way, but they do not know Jesus.  The missionary field is no longer overseas, it is in our own back yard. 

Now you don’t have to worry, I am not going to commission all of you this morning and give you Bibles to go out knocking on doors – although the idea is tempting.   What I am asking you to do this morning is to seriously consider how you can share what you have received from God in Jesus Christ with others.  The story told by Mother Teresa is but one example of how we can fulfill our missionary role.  She has brought the message of Jesus' love to thousands of people without preaching one sermon.

Whether it be by helping someone, inviting a friend to church, or sharing our faith with others – through out baptism we have been commissioned to be disciples and missionaries for Jesus Christ.  And as a disciple/missionary we are to proclaim to the world – not just overseas but in our own community - the good news of Jesus Christ.

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