On the Road Again

When I was younger, I was considered a stick-in-the-mud. Now that I’m Old, I’m merely Set In My Ways. Truth is, I’ve always been an alien to change. Scripture texts to be heard this upcoming weekend remind us that the Church is always on the move, that there’s no real reason to be comfortable with the way things are. Sages tell us that the only sure things are death and taxes; we might well add to those the idea that Church changes are inevitable. It’s difficult for me to admit this.

The reading from the ACTS of the Apostles, 16:9-15, continues the story of Paul’s travels. Like a good salesman, Paul & his team were always looking for new territory to develop. Convinced that Christianity was available to Gentiles as well as Jews, he had lingered on the west coast of Asia Minor (today’s Turkey) and awaited a sign to proceed. So we hear about God’s vision to Paul and his subsequent meeting with Lydia and her friends. The Church was again expanding, changing its shape yet again. The entirety of Acts is the acknowledgment that the waves of the Gospel message rippled out from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.

The verses from REVELATION (21:10; 21:22-22:5) tell of another visionary experience given to John of Patmos: “he showed me the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God…” Not only does the Kingdom prevail over current empires (which will attempt to strike back) but will exceed our earthly expectations and human boundaries. No status quo for the Heavenly, God actively plans to break into our complacency with holy light and life.

The Gospel encounter explores Jesus’ farewell words with his closest friends (JOHN 14:23-29). Here he promises that the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, will be sent from God to both teach and uphold, to illumine and to strengthen. Although Jesus himself will be on the move, the family he leaves behind will continue his mission into “unharvested fields”. The terms Home & Family sound like putting down roots, but this is far from what early disciples did! Thomas supposedly went to India, Philip went to Azotus, Peter went to Rome… Where will the Spirit send US?

One of the finest sermons I remember was preached at a Baccalaureate occasion for the Cooperstown High School. The preacher called it “Marching Off the Map”, and he called on graduates to keep on keeping on. He suggested that on ancient maps there were legends such as “Here Be Monsters”, which kept cautious seamen near home and served to discourage exploration. To be sure, the unfamiliar IS scary; there could be monsters lurking just over the horizon. BUT the disciple is urged to tighten her belt and move toward the ends of the earth–the universe?–under the guidance of God’s Spirit. Help me, Lord, to welcome Change.

In the process of unfolding, Horace Brown King

The lections for the coming weekend and I wrestle every Tuesday at horacebrownking.com…join us?