Freedom to Do

7-18-21Sermon Notes“Freedom to Do”
Several years ago, I heard a story told by our then Bishop, Will Willimon, about something that happened to him early on in his time at Duke. He had been having a rough time with the Dean of his department, and he was really complaining about it to a colleague of his at lunch one day. “The man is absolutely driving me CRAZY!” Willimon told his friend. After his rant was over, Willimon’s friend was silent for a while, and then asked, “Will, is there anything this man is doing that is keeping you from doing your job?” Willimon stammered for a bit before finally saying, “Well…no. There is nothing the Dean is doing that is keeping me from doing my job.” His friend just left the thought hanging there. Nothing else really needed to be said.
Is there anything that is keep us from doing our jobs? By “jobs,” I mean what our Lord has commissioned us to do…to be His ambassadors…to GO and DO. I’m referring to this week’s Gospel lesson…
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. 2 He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. 3 Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. 4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. 5 Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ 6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. 7 Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. 8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; 9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ 10 But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 11 ‘Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.12 I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!” 18 He said to them, “I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. 19 See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” (Luke 10: 1-11, 17-20 NRSV)
Join us this Sunday as we celebrate the freedom to GO and DO!
Grace and peace,
Pastor Sam