On the Road, Again?

Years ago, I thought that it would be fun in retirement to live on a houseboat, to navigate the Intercoastal Waterway north in Summer, south in Winter.  But age brought a need for stability:  an address, a regular neighborhood with regular friends and church and social structure.  After many years as an itinerant United Methodist preacher, a home base seemed desirable.  This is an age of abrupt social change; many folks are quite comfortable in their usual pew as a refuge from the maelstrom.  Scripture readings for this weekend will challenge most of us to become less sedentary in our faith…

Young Ezekiel was commissioned by Yahweh (2:1-5) just as the aristocracy of Israel was being marched off to Babylon, circa 597 BC.  “Mortal, I am sending you to the people of Israel,to a nation of rebels…impudent and stubborn…and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God'”.  There was no guarantee that this sleeping congregation would hear the message, or even welcome the messenger.  Even if we couch-potatoes (pew-potatoes?) use our strongest denial mechanism, we’ll still have to grudgingly acknowledge that there has been a prophet among us.

II Corinthians 12:2-10 is full of Paul.  It would be easy to get lost in this recitation of virtue and miss the centrality, which I think is vv.7b-9.  Here we encounter the “thorn in the flesh” which may have been Paul’s perceived epilepsy.  Though Paul appealed for healing, God responded, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”  To mission-travelers On the Road, it’s good to know that God has made provision despite the lions and jackals that may lurk there.

Which brings us to Mark’s Gospel, 6:1-13.  For me today, the second part is my focus– disciples are sent On the Road to preach repentance, to cast out the demonic and to cure the sick.  Some houses will be welcoming, others not so much:  so don’t carry the dust of yesterday’s rejection with you to slow your steps into tomorrow!  Most importantly, take only what you have; live off the land and the hospitality of your hosts, and remember that God’s grace is sufficient.  (Insert here my usual rant against Stuff.)  It’s really important to make this a message for Today, to affirm that disciples are actively being sent out, often to communities which are “rebellious, impudent and stubborn”.

At last evening’s book study it was noted that Jesus was training his followers to be Activists.  Some of us cringed a bit, thinking that the term “activist” brought images of wild-eyed sign-bearers with but one central interest.  Well, yeah…perhaps early disciples COULD be seen as such.   Perhaps we followers of Jesus need to BE more wild-eyed, more focused on  God’s message as we go On the Road Again.

God Bless Us, Every One.                   Horace Brown King

My wrestling with Scripture assigned to the upcoming weekend can be found every Tuesday at this spot on Facebook; or at horacebrownking.com