.png)
As we gather, we recognize that we live, work, pray, and play
in the traditional lands
of the Cowichan Tribes and Coast Salish People.
We continue to commit ourselves
to the work of reconciliation and relationship-building
with our First Nations neighbours.
Call to Worship:
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts;
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.
Colossians 3. 15, 16
O Come, Let Us Worship
Collect:
Almighty God,
Your Son, Jesus Christ, has taught us that what we do
for the least of your children we do also for him.
Give us the will to serve others as he was the servant of all,
who gave up his life and died for us, but lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Proclamation of the Gospel:
Luke 10.1-11
Sermon: The Venerable Brian Evans
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of
our hearts be ever acceptable to you, O Lord. Amen.
"The Harvest is Plentiful,
But the Workers are Few, really!"
Two pictures: The first on the cover, picking up on the Gospel for today:
“Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road.” (Luke 10:3,4)
The second, on the back cover of a “Harvest Train”: from the 30’s, laden with farm workers arriving at what would have been called, 'A Siding', to work the harvest season.
Picking up on these opening words from the Gospel for today:
‘After this, the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs, to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”’ (Luke 10: 1-2)
Now first, I want you to know I am NOT old enough to remembers those trains.
At the same time, I do remember in the late 50’s, the workers arriving from Italy, to work the harvest on the prairies. Our family, and a neighbour, were fortunate to employ two of these men.
One incident I remember clearly from that fall: it was the year we would dig out the basement in our home, and lay cinder blocks to make a proper basement.
The day for laying the blocks began with my father and the neighbour laying bricks, while the two hired-men were to mix the mortar. The next thing to happen was, my father and the neighbour were mixing the mortar, and the Italians were laying the blocks. A trade they had brought with them to this new country.
I share these pictures, and this story, to illustrate how God is a God of surprises at times.
In the first picture, there is a direct reflection, in some ways, to the men who arrived on either the “Harvest Train,” or the workers from Italy, who, in many ways, arrived in a similar manner as when Jesus sent out the disciples to the world.
Only difference today, the caption on the pictures reads, ‘NO GPS.’
At the same time, they came with gifts, which in so many ways were hidden talents.
Certainly, our family was one of the benefactors of those gifts.
This call to mission, from the Gospel according to Luke, comes to us today in a world in need of a common denominator. At the same time, we are also made aware through the lessons in Holy Scripture, Jesus and the disciples were not always a unified bunch.
At the same time, they/we, in the midst of our differences, are called to be united in common purpose, a common call, “Follow me.”
‘And they “left everything and followed him’ (Luke 5:27,28).
And not just the 12, note: there were many others.
In fact, today we know for sure there were at least 72 others.
Of note: Luke’s gospel is gender neutral. Scholars would say, it is more than likely there were women among those 70.
Jesus, we read, sends them out to heal the sick and preach the Good News of Jesus Christ: telling them “The kingdom of God has come near you.”
What I find exciting is how, when we are challenged by Jesus to go out to the world, in particular, out to a world or situation in which we expect intimidation or hostility, the opposite occurs.
These lines of the Gospel today give us hope, and affirmation, in our going out:
“But, whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town, that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you.
Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.'
"Whoever listens to you, listens to me, and whoever rejects you, rejects me, and whoever rejects me, rejects the one who sent me."
The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name, even the demons submit to us!" (Luke 10:10,11, 16,17)
The Gospel ends today with Jesus’ ascribing to the 70, a sense of identity. God has called you, Jesus says.
And we are reminded, God has called you and me.
Back to the beginning, and this notion of the harvest being plentiful and the labourers few, then to my title for this day,
“THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL, BUT THE WORKERS ARE FEW. REALLY!”
Indeed, my title is intended to dispel this idea of there being few labourers.
In fact, I believe, Jesus dispels this himself, by saying he is sending out 70 others, in addition to the other 12.
Just as our texts speak to an alternative vision for that day and for our time, we hear these words of affirmation:
- “The kingdom of God has come near you.” (Luke 10:9)
- “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way, you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2)
- “May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
For neither circumcised nor uncircumcised is anything; but a new creation is everything!” - In Galatians 3:27-28 we read:
‘As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.’
To quote Katherine Schifferdecker, (Professor, and Elva B. Lovell Chair of Old Testament, Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, Minn.)
"And that is the beauty of the body of Christ.
We don’t look like any other group in the world today.
Most of the other groups we belong to are self-selected.
We hang out with people who are a lot like us.
In the church, we don’t get to pick who comes through the doors, we don’t get to choose who is sitting behind us in the pews.
We come together, not because we agree on everything, but because we have been called together, by Christ.
Then we will know, not only is the harvest plentiful, but the labourers as well.
Yes, the kingdom of God has come near.
Then, we will turn our mourning into dancing, and be raised up with our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Thanks be to God. Amen.