Namann, Living Beyond a Christian Trap
II Kings 5:1-14; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
NO MW 7/8/07

The Gospel Challenge

Jesus sends out either seventy or seventy-two persons, depending on what version of the Bible you read, in pairs to prepare the way for him.  They have a very simple message: “The Kingdom of God is Near!”  They go into each village or town and knock on a door and say, “Peace.”  Please keep in mind that that message is not that there will be no disharmony or danger in one’s life like we think when we say, “Peace.”  Indeed, this is Shalom, a peace that is given by God and will reside with the receiver regardless of circumstances.  It is a peace that can be experienced but not understood.

Take nothing with you where you can depend upon yourself but go and depend upon the community.  That certainly flies in the face of our culture as we value self-sufficiency above most everything else.  We abhor those who actually depend upon the community for their sustenance.  Our Lord sends his followers out as those disliked by the culture of their time.

Notice the strictness of this mission.  They are to speak to no one on their way to the villages.  No time must be lost to self comfort.  They offer the Peace and it is either accepted or rejected.  In either case, they are to give the same message, “The Kingdom of God is Near.”  They don’t attempt to convince anyone of their message.  They say what they were told to say by Jesus and respond to the response.

            Their Return

17 When the seventy-two followers returned, they were excited and said, "Lord, even the demons obeyed when we spoke in your name!"
18 Jesus told them: I saw Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning.
19 I have given you the power to trample on snakes and scorpions and to defeat the power of your enemy Satan. Nothing can harm you.
20 But don't be happy because evil spirits obey you. Be happy that your names are written in heaven!  (Luke 10, The Message)

            The Trap

The emphasis on their return was the power they exercised.  The focus becomes ME!

Does any of this story really have anything to do with us?  I believe it does.

The Contemporary Story

The saddest tale of the Chosen People of God is that they began to see themselves as better than others.  I believe this is what Jesus was confronting in those returning from their mountaintop experience.  I also believe that it is this attitude, among a few others, that is keeping the church at a standstill or our going backward today.

            Openness

The United Methodist Church publicizes that we are a church with “Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors.”  We want the world to know that we are a warm and friendly people with hearts that are accepting.  We want the world to know that we do not expect everyone to think alike or be alike.  We are open and supportive to differences of understanding.  And we want the world to know that our doors are open.  People of all colors, genders, languages, etc. are welcome to participate in the life of the church with us.  Come on to church!

There is a fly in the ointment and it is time for us to take a closer look at what we are telling the world and those who walk through our doors.

            Field of Dreams

Back in 1989 Kevin Costner starred in a movie entitled Field of Dreams where a cornfield is turned into a baseball diamond and the people come.  Our Conference has followed this line with new churches: Build a structure and they will fill them up.  I really question this whole idea and believe we may be missing the mark even if these new church are suddenly filled.  The Barna Group studies of 9/11 tell a tale that we need to take to our hearts, minds and doors.

            September 11, 2001 Initial Response

The Barna Group is a study group that focuses on religious activities.  Following 9/11 2001 this group began doing research studies on a regular basis of the effect of that frightful day.  Here is a quote from their five year study:

“In the immediate aftermath of the attacks, half of all Americans said their faith helped them cope with the shock and uncertainty. The change most widely reported was a significant spike in church attendance, with some churches experiencing more than double their normal crowd on the Sunday after the shocking event. However, by the time January 2002 rolled around, churchgoing was back to pre-attack levels, and has remained consistent in the five years since.”  (Five Years Later: 9/11 Attacks Show No Lasting Influence on Americans’ Faith, The Barna Group of Ventura, California www.barna.org).

So, for approximately four months the attack made a difference in religious activity but then it returned to the “I don’t need this stuff” and we went on about our business-as-usual daily life.

They Came – They Left

How are we to respond to church attendance doubling and then four months later they return to the pre-9/11 level?  Shall we point our finger at those who came and left and acknowledge their religious reaction to fear had little substance and just fizzled out?  Perhaps we can honestly say that they really didn’t understand what the church had to offer and so were disappointed.  Goodness, there is so much we can say about them, perhaps they didn’t recognize church music, or they were not accustomed to listening to some man or woman preaching for so long, but pointing our finger at them does not help the church.  They Came and They Left is important.

Naaman Teaches Us a Valuable Lesson

Keep in mind how Naaman had become a hero.  He was the commander who made his career beating up on the Israelites.  He fought and conquered them a number of times and became a very powerful man in Aram.  However, Naaman was a hero with leprosy.  He was not able to enjoy the fullness of his position because of this awful and scandalous disease.

            Knocks on Elisha’s Door

Naaman’s spouse’s maid, a young woman captured in one of his raids on Israel, suggested that he could be cured by Elisha even though she does not name him.  Naaman gives this a try but is bitterly opposed to his reception by the prophet.  A hero has come for help and is not personally greeted by Elisha and so the hero leaves angry and disillusioned.

                        They Left Disillusioned

Perhaps this is the story of the church.  They come, are not greeted as expected, and they leave saying, “See, I told you…”  They came afraid and left angry.  They did not get from the church what they needed in their time of need.

When we think that having an open door is going to solve our difficulties we are exercising a full picture of futility.  Some people may walk through these doors and find themselves blending right into the life of the church but this is not most people.  Most people who come through the doors of this or any church find themselves in uncertain territory.  In fact, I would say that for most people a new church experience is much like walking into enemy territory.

                                    Don’t Know Where They Fit In

New folks don’t know where they fit into the picture of a church.  There is no way for them to know unless they are part of a family that is already established there.  They have no idea how to become active members who are involved in the heartbeat.  And even though they are greeted with warm welcomes they are unable to get beyond the “Glad you’re here” to “How can I help you plug into the life of this church.”

One of the important lessons that I’m learning in this late stage of my ministry is that the minister is really not very helpful at this point.  Oh, I can give some a job to do.  I can invite a visitor to become a member and a new member to join the choir, teach a class, get involved with the Men’s or Women’s clubs.  All of these are important and excellent things to do.  But they are not what people are looking for in order to be in the life of a church family.

Before they take on any responsibility in the church they want to know they are part of the church family.  They want to know that they can move into and out of groups and families in the church.  One of the strongest blessings of our church is the strong family ties and it is also one of our greatest cruses.  If families don’t reach out and include strangers then the strangers will never be able to join the church family.

Naaman Moves Beyond the Trap

Naaman moved beyond the trap of being a hero or someone special.  He listened to one of his slaves and does as Elisha has suggested.  The result was that he is cured of his leprosy.  And even more importantly he discovered God.  Naaman said, "I now know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no God anywhere on earth other than the God of Israel.”

This is what we want the community to learn.  This is what we want visitors to know.  This is what we are all about so that others can know that “…there is no God anywhere on earth other than the God of Israel.” 

            Look at Ourselves

We begin by looking at ourselves and having Open Ears!  We listen to what others tell us and instead of explaining away what was said we hear.  Instead of attempting to make ourselves look good and continue our façade of specialness, we listen.  We have to look honestly at who we are and what we have to offer those who don’t know us before we will be able to listen in the manner that teaches us. 

We may think we have better ways but only God has the better way.  So, as we listen to those who come to us we also listen to God.

            We Go Out With All the Provisions Needed Supplied by Our Lord

We carry the church to the community as a way of preparing the community for the church.  Jesus sent the seventy out with a message of God’s Peace – Shalom.  The evilness of their world was nothing compared to what they were given by Jesus.  Folks, this is still true today.  We have to go out in order to bring in.  We have to reach out in order to gather.  We have to carry God’s Shalom to others in order for them and us to be made whole. 

Elisha would accept no gift from Naaman but reminding him that he is doing nothing more than being a channel for God’s power.  Jesus reminded those returning missionaries that they were not doing anything that God had not provided for.  I want to remind us that there is a trap in becoming a Christian – to think we are better than another person or that we are special to God.  To get beyond that trap we will need to remember we are God’s hands and feet rather than God being ours.