FROM THE PULPIT: THE URGENCY OF THE PRESENT

As we approach the mid-point of the summer vacation period, the Liturgy services of our church (both weekday and Sunday) focus on the call that every baptized person has to share in the mission of Jesus, namely the proclaiming of the coming of the kingdom. Through our Baptism, God calls us to continue the ministry of Jesus and we being invited to share in His plan of building the Kingdom of God on this planet.

In the weekday Liturgies, we are reading from the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 10) and in the weekend Liturgy of July 12-13, we are reading from the Gospel of Mark (chapter 6).

In both passages, Jesus is sending the Apostles out on missionary journeys in his name. In both Gospel accounts, Jesus instructs his disciples very explicitly in where they are to go and what they are to do.

More than that, Jesus, tells them they are not to force themselves on anyone, but rather, to offer them the Good News of God's love. If the recipients choose to accept the message, they will be blessed, if they choose not to accept it, they have judged themselves and disciples are encouraged to go on to the next town or village.

In both instances, the Gospels reminds us of the urgency of the present moment. Our lives and daily activities are to reflect that we are truly disciples of Jesus Christ. Faith is not simply an act of the intellect. Rather, it is a way of life!

And, it is a way of life in which the living of the teachings of Jesus should be our first and primary concern. In other words, we are called to be proclaimers of the nearness of the Kingdom of God in everything we say and do.

The major temptation we humans encounter is that of "putting off to next week" those things we know we should do today. The Gospel readings during this portion of the Church's year of worship remind us over and over that today is important.

If and when tomorrow arrives, then it becomes today.

In the readings from the Hebrew Scriptures that are paired with the Gospels for the Sundays of mid-summer, we are exposed to the great prophets: Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Amos and Elisha.

God called each to witness in a world that claimed ownership of values that contradicted God's call. In spite of the opposition of their contemporaries, these great Hebrew heroes proclaimed God's message in all its fullness. The baptized Christians of today are called to do the same in today's world, even in the city of Jackson!