"Listening to Act"

So…

At the Food Pantry this month, we made a difference in the lives of almost 100 families who were in need of food. 

Think about that! Just amazing!

It really is a good feeling to take the resources that are available to us as a church community and make sure that folks are fed who are dealing with some real food insecurity!

But we do have a challenge that I need to talk to you about and have you do some serious praying about as well.

Some of our clients are Spanish only speakers. I know tortilla, burrito, and enchilada, but that’s really it. Oh and, “Je ne say” or is that French.

And it turns out that we really don’t have any volunteers other than Liz Runnalls who can speak Spanish.

When a person comes to sign in or when we need ask them about whether they want some fish or pears or Swiss chard, there is a problem.

We are listening as best we can, but not understanding, and they aren’t understanding us very well either.

And as a congregation, we have always tried our best when confronted with a situation that needed us to step up and make a difference – we have!
In fact, the Session talked about that the other night at their monthly meeting when we discussed the tornado shelter project in Kentucky. 

It’s pretty clear that we as a congregation have for many, many years now felt drawn by the Holy Spirit to make a different in weather related disasters.

We have sent crews of folks to rehab houses and properties in Roscoe New Yok, Pennsylvania, Texas, North Carolina, and now Kentucky, and actually started our adventures rehabbing Kap’s house here in Orange County.

And the Session, which has for many years held onto a few dollars annually from the money donated by everyone to the church’s mission budget (which primarily supports the Presbyterian denomination’s mission work all over the world) has often used that money to help our individual church groups finish up their fundraising efforts- so they can make a difference.

Together, as a church family, we work hard to help others in need because we know that God has again and again come to help us in our time of need.

And as followers of the master, Jesus, we want to do what he did, and does!

Because we want to make a difference!

Now to make a difference, you first need to know what making a difference looks like! 

And that is exactly what Jesus is explaining to his disciples. 

Being a disciple, a follower of Jesus, means to be doing what Jesus did.

Like, inviting outcasts to follow him. 

Like, healing broken people. 

Like, touching lepers. 

And yes, like bugging the heck out of religious leaders who are sounding like faithful people, but who aren’t making a difference!

Jesus followers were to be people of worship – as well as being people who were changing their world one person at a time. 

Understanding that is key to understanding Jesus’ call to ministry and our own as well.

Jesus said, “Have faith in me when I say that the Father is one with me and that I am one with the Father. Or else have faith in me simply because of the things I do. 

“I tell you for certain that if you have faith in me, you will do the same things I am doing. You will do even greater things, now that I am going back to the Father. “Ask me, and I will do whatever you ask. This way the Son will bring honor to the Father. I will do whatever you ask me to do.”

So understand, part of our calling as disciples is to listen to act. 

We are not invited to sit around and be navel gazers, to be so heavenly minded that we are no earthly good. Quite the contrary!

We are to be listen to act. 

Listening to Jesus so that we can live in this world in the manner he did! 

Changing people’s lives for the better. Healing. Feeding. Loving on folks!

And inviting them to sit at the table of the Lord.

Have you ever been invited to a party, a celebration?

Has anyone ever invited you in a language you couldn’t understand?

And if one has, or if someday someone does, don’t you think that perhaps you might feel a bit like the host really didn’t want you to come?

One of the miracles of incarnation is that God came in human form to live among God’s people and be able to talk to them!

Jesus says to Philip, “Philip, I have been with you for a long time. Don't you know who I am? 
“If you have seen me, you have seen the Father. How can you ask me to show you the Father? 
“Don't you believe that I am one with the Father and that the Father is one with me? What I say isn't said on my own. The Father who lives in me does these things.”

What we see Jesus do folks – we are to be found doing!

And that includes inviting folks who perhaps don’t speak a language we are familiar with - to come and eat!

Do you speak Spanish? 
Do you speak teenager? 
Do you speak children? 
Do you perhaps speak some other language, maybe Klingon that could help expand the Kingdom of God?
Then share your gift. And make a difference! Because…
We all are invited to listen to act! 
Amen.