Revised Common Lectionary Reflection, Proper 22 (27), Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C
October 6, 2019
Lessons: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4; Psalm 37:1-9; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10
Theme: God’s faithful and generous people are learning how much ordinary disciples of Christ can be and do; no superpowers or experience necessary.
Key Scripture: It’s the same with you. When you’ve done everything expected of you, be matter-of-fact and say, ‘The work is done. What we were told to do, we did.’ Luke 17:10 (The Message)
I am a normal, everyday, wash-n-wear disciple.
I am not special in any way that matters to the world,
but I am special in every way because of the God who loves me.
I do not need superpowers to be a disciple and follow Jesus,
but a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline are mine to claim.
I am a normal, everyday, wash-n-wear disciple.
You may see me at the food pantry or advocating with those who lack voice,
but you may not see the pain I feel at the state of the world and my complicity in it.
You may see me serving in worship, reading lessons, assisting with communion,
but you may not see the unworthiness that I feel oozing out of every pore of my body.
I am a normal, everyday, wash-n-wear disciple.
You may see me and think I have it all together. Life is just peachy and fine,
but you may not see how my shoulders slump with the burdens of just getting by.
You may see me as a pillar of faith, one who keeps things moving in proper order,
but you may not see that I cling to Jesus lest the tides of change and winds of life sweep me clean away.
I am a normal, everyday, wash-n-wear disciple.
I am willing to wrestle in the muck of life, to let the dust of conflict, the weight of the world grind into my bones.
But I will go home tonight and wash away what sin clings so I can rise to new life in Christ in the morning.
I may look like a leader, a pastor, a teacher, a cook, a mentor, a missionary, a CEO, a singer, a wise one,
But I am 100 percent wash and wear, decidedly ordinary, and feeling oh so underequipped.
Yet because Jesus loves me, calls me, and sets me free to follow wherever he leads,
I will keep on, a follower of little faith, more than enough in the Christ of all Creation.
For I am an ordinary, everyday, wash-n-wear disciple.
Right before this week’s brief Gospel lesson, Jesus has unleashed on his apostles some hard teachings about forgiveness, discipline, and teaching the faith, and their immediate response, according to Luke, is to ask for more faith. They must feel the impossibility of and the weight of the law, and they realize how woefully underprepared they are to be like Jesus, their rabbi and master. They’ve left everything to follow him, and it just keeps getting tougher. No wonder they are alarmed.
Jesus, on the other hand, wants them to realize that they’re overthinking this discipleship thing. He uses the analogy of a servant coming in from their duties and expecting to be served supper by the master. No, they should expect to serve the master first, and they shouldn’t expect thanks for doing their jobs. It’s the same with disciples: It’s simply all in a day’s work.
Once again Jesus offers a countercultural response that’s every bit as applicable to today’s cultural message that the individual comes first, that everyone’s a winner and gets a prize, and that if you tug on your bootstraps long enough and hard enough you WILL pull yourself up. “This is just who you are as my follower,” Jesus seems to be saying in this lesson. “Get on over yourself, lamb chop, and remember that you’re a wash-n-wear disciple. The only things you can count on as normal are my unrelenting love for you and all creation—and your laundry settings.”
What would it look like if we could trust Jesus that we don’t need super powers or super faith to do great things in his name? How much easier would it be for all of us wash-n-wear disciples to come clean with our fears, our hopes, and our pain? How much better might our world be if we got over ourselves a little bit and realize that it’s all about God anyway. When we get our wash-n-wear selves aligned with God’s grand purpose and will, you can rest assured that standing in a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline is not far behind. So this Sunday, worship in power, preaching in power, be equipped in power, eat and drink in Christ’s mighty power and love, and be sent in power to love and serve this world because you are enough (and then some) in God’s eyes.
In Worship
Give each worshiper a small card that says “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” 2 Timothy 1:7.
Invite worshipers during a time of silence and reflection before worship to imagine the ways they may cowardly Christians. Tell them to imagine laying these feelings of cowardice on the altar during the prayer of the day. You might even leave a large empty basket there for them to have a visual on which to focus. The prayer of the day printed in Evangelical Lutheran Worship is “Benevolent, merciful God: When we are empty, fill us. When we are weak in faith, strengthen us. When we are cold in love, warm us, that with fervor we may love our neighbors and serve them for the sake of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.”
During various other points of worship invite them to claim the Spirit of power, love, and self-discipline that is already theirs for the embracing. If you have a time of sharing with others what God is doing, invite people to reflect on how this spirit of power, love, and self-discipline has worked in their lives to show them God at work. In your sending, charge the congregation with being “ordinary, everyday, wash-n-wear disciples” steeped in a spirit of power, love, and self-discipline for the sake of this beautiful, broken world.
Note: Today is also celebrated as World Communion Sunday in many contexts. How might the concepts of “ordinary, everyday, wash-n-wear disciples” and a “spirit of power, love, and self-discipline” cross the boundaries of denomination and culture as we gather around Christ’s table?
With Youth
This week focus on Paul’s words to Timothy “For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on my hands; for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim. 1:6-7) Some conversation starters might include:
- Hands were laid on you at your baptism and the sign of the cross was traced on your forehead. If you have already affirmed your baptism, hands were laid on you in a service of confirmation. If you will soon be confirmed in your faith, hands will be laid on you. The laying on of hands is an important part of Christian prayer and edification. It is a visible sign of the power of community and our mutual accountability and power as God’s beloved people.
- Paul says that God did not “give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.” How do you hear this call to Timothy? What bearing might it have on your life today?
- What does it mean to be a “coward”? Is it easier to be a coward? Less risky? What are the downsides to cowardice?
- Climate activist, teen-aged Greta Thunberg, has proclaimed autism as her super power. It’s a good reminder that we don’t let other people decide for us what it means to be us. What is your super power? Paul lists some good ones with which the Spirit infuses us. How easy is it to walk in power and use your superpower for good? What resistance might you face? How can turn resistance into opportunity?
With Children
This week’s focus verse is Psalm 37:8– Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
You will need five cut out letters F-R-E-T-A. You will need a rusty, corroded tool.
This week the poet who wrote our psalm reminded us to not do something—not just once, not even twice, but three times. Do you remember what word that is? Here, let me give you four letters and you see if you can turn it into a word. (Give cut-out letters to spell F-R-E-T.) Affirm the children’s answers and work. Ask them if they know what “fret” means. Share with them the dictionary definition. Why would the psalmist warn us three times about the dangers of fretting? Affirm their answers. If you have access to a piece of corroded metal or a tool, bring that to show the children. Look at this piece of metal. It once was a wonderful ______ that could be used for ______. Now it is all corroded and not very useful. It can no longer do the job that it was created to do. That’s sort of how we get when we fret. We worry about something that is beyond our control, and our sour worry and anxiety can corrode our hearts and minds. And look what happens when I take away the “T” and give you an “A.” What word can you make now? Yes, FEAR. Fret is only one letter away from fear. And neither fear nor fretting will get us very far along the way.
Worst of all, fretting takes our eyes off of Jesus, and that makes all the difference in the world. Jesus gives us the tools and resources that we need to prevent rust and corrosion in our lives. So keep your eyes on Jesus and don’t FRET or FEAR.
Weekly Stewardship Bulletin Insert
Stewardship isn’t so much about flexing some kind of superpower muscle but rather about hundreds of ordinary daily life decisions that draw us closer to the heart of Christ and the best possible use of God’s abundance.
Stewardship at Home
We live in an era where everyone comes home a winner—in some way. Children have boxes full of participation ribbons, medals, and trophies for sports, drama, music, and other activities. Some experts believe that by lifting up a culture of “everybody’s a winner” we harm the natural urge to compete and win. There may be some truth to that, but what if in our faith life, at least, everybody is a winner just by nature of God’s amazing love for them? Being a beloved child of God does not require an advanced theology degree, or assumes a level of technical and theological prowess as a right of entry. God loves you. Period. Knowing this and embracing it makes the difference. Following Jesus makes you want to be more like Jesus. You want to walk in his footsteps and help turn the world around. It’s not to gain an award or fame or money, but rather in joyful response to God’s amazing love and grace.
This week at home spend some time reflecting on how your relationship with Jesus makes you want to respond to the world in different ways. Keep a list of the decisions you make and things that you do this week that are a direct reflection of your faith. Be sure to spend plenty of time in silent meditation, personal prayer, and scripture reading throughout the week, too. At the end of the week, give thanks to God for using you as a divine instrument of grace in a hurting world. Ask God to continue to use the Spirit to equip you and help you dig deeper into your discipleship walk. Do, however, be gentle with yourself. Walking counter to culture and abrading the grain can wear a body and spirit down. Know that God and your particular expression of the Beloved Community are with and for you.
2016 Reflection: https://www.stewardshipoflife.org/2016/09/stewards-of-faith/
2013 Reflection: https://www.stewardshipoflife.org/2013/10/faith-a-little-dabll-do-ya/
2010 Reflection: https://www.stewardshipoflife.org/2010/09/flu-shot-faith-and-mustard-seed-reality/
Note: Reprint rights granted to congregations and other church organizations for local, nonprofit use. Just include this note: “Copyright (c) 2019, Rev. Sharron Blezard. Used by Permission.” Other uses, please inquire: thewritelife@hotmail.com.
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