God's Co-workers

Proper 7B: 1 Sam 17:32-49, Psalm 9:9-20, 2 Cor 6:1-13, Mark 4:35-41 Lectionary Page Here

But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts…” (1 Samuel 17:45a)

Ann, Ann, Ardie, Barb, Barb, Barbara, Becky, Bill, Bob, Bobby, Carol, Claudianna, Connie, Dan, Debbie, Denise, Doug, Doug, Erin, Gayle, George, Gina, Harry, Ibby, Jan, Jeanne, Jennifer, Jessica, John, Judi, Julie, Kathy, Kris, Kris, Lana, Lauri, Linda, Linda, Lisa, Luann, Matt, Michael, Michelle, Nancy, Nola, Pam, Pat, Patrice, Patrice, Patti, Peggy, Phyllis, Rob, Rosey, Sam, Sandra, Sandra, Sandy, Sandy, Sarah, Sooz, Sue, Susan, Terry, Vivienne , Will. (And I’m sure I have left some people out, so I apologize for that.) These people are part of a modern-day David-and-Goliath story. The ancient David went out to do battle with Goliath, the seemingly unconquerable, brutal, powerful giant, and toppled him with just a few small stones he put into his bag. The people whose names I have just read go out to do battle against the seemingly unconquerable, brutal, and powerful giant named Hunger and Hopeless in our city. They fight with just a few dollars, just a few hours of effort, just a few books and crayons comic books and watercolor paints…just a few small things they put into their small brown paper bags. They go out to fight this giant foe with these small things—but, like David, they come to this task in the name of the Lord of Hosts, following Jesus’ example and command to feed the hungry, and following our mission here to feed all people, soul, mind, and body.

Paul, in today’s reading from his Second Letter to the Corinthians, says, “As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain.” God’s co-workers…that sounds intimidating, difficult…maybe even a little scary. But think about last Sunday’s reading, when Jesus said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God…It is like a mustard seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth; yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes the greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade...” And think about today’s reading, when the Israelites conquer the mighty Philistine army because of a young boy and a little round stone. We are God’s co-workers, but luckily God does all the heavy lifting. 

God’s co-workers…this word shows up several times: in the Gospels, in Paul’s letters, and in the Letter of James. You know a word that doesn’t show up anywhere in the Bible? Volunteer. If I had my wish, the word volunteer would be expunged from every email, newsletter, and Facebook post the church creates. You volunteer—you give up a little bit of your personal time and activities—and then you walk away. To volunteer is to briefly step out of normal, everyday life, and then step back into it. God isn’t looking for volunteers. You’ll remember that from the very beginning, when God breathed the breath of life into us in the Garden of Eden, God tasked us to be co-workers in the grand story of Creation. Jesus didn’t call volunteers—Jesus called disciples. Jesus calls us to be co-workers in the grand story of Salvation.

There is no minute of any day in our lives that isn’t an invitation by Jesus to be a co-workers. Here at church, at our offices, in our homes, out on the street, in restaurants and stores, at play—every minute…always, always, God’s co-workers, touching and lifting up and healing, feeding and clothing. There is no breath we take that isn’t an invitation by the Holy Spirit to for us to speak words of the Good News of God’s love , for us to rebuke the raging winds and the stormy seas and say to them and to our fellow travelers, “Peace! Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

The people whose names I read at the beginning—more than 65 of them—are not volunteers for All Saints (some of them go to other churches in other denominations)—they are God’s co-workers for the world. Jesus sent his disciples out into the world to do his work and proclaim that the Kingdom of God has come near. When John the Baptist’s disciples asked Jesus if he was the Messiah or not, Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you see and hear: the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor the Gospel is preached” (Luke 7:22). Our summer lunch helpers—our summer lunch disciples—know the joy of God’s kingdom coming near: the joy of their own work together, and the joy of those they are working to support. They know the joy of being God’s co-workers. My friends, the Kingdom of God has come so very near to us, and we are helping to make it so. The prayer Jesus gave us, that we’ll pray together in a few minutes during the Eucharist, is not a empty prayer, it’s not just words we recite from memory without paying attention—it’s words for our mission: “Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” 

My prayer for us all today is that each of us will forget about volunteering, forget about sacrificing an hour here or there, and know the joy of being full-time co-workers with God. It could be in our lunch program, in the Pantry on Blondo, in reading the Scripture and prayers in worship, in caring for our gardens, in baking and serving refreshment to build our community, in teaching…There are so many ways, so many opportunities, so many gifts we’ve all been given for the building up of God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heave. My prayer for us includes Paul’s words today: “ As God’s co-workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain…I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:1, 2b NIV). 

Now let’s all pick up a few small pebbles and win some mighty battles. Amen.

Fr. Keith