Traveling Light

My apologies...I am not at home this week and I don't have at my fingertips the references for this week's readings. I did have them written down but I think they got recycled this morning. The Gospel is the story of Jesus sending his disciples out two by two, telling them they could take a pair of sandals and a staff but no bread or money or a bag. He sent them out with power to begin ministering to the Jews in the way only he had been doing up until that point...

There's an old saying that goes, "God does not call the equipped; he equips the called."

The first reading this Sunday is from Amos who was a shepherd and a farmer. God called him to prophesy to Israel but he didn't consider himself a prophet. "I am no prophet or a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman and a dresser of sycamore trees and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel." Then, in the Gospel, Jesus sent out his disciples in pairs and directed them to take very few possessions with them. I strongly doubt that Amos felt equipped to speak the word of God or that any of the disciples felt like they were ready to go out and prophesy, preach or heal and cast out devils. Jesus knew this. He wasn't being overly optimistic about their capabilities, nor was he being obtuse. He was teaching them all, and us as well, something extremely important. God doesn't use you and send you because you're highly trained or full of self confidence or because it's right down your alley in terms of the talents you possess. It's not because you're rich in capability or rich in resources. He actually prefers to send the ones who have very little.

When we feel completely confident that we know what we're doing and that we know how it should all go, the job may end up to be efficiently done, all loose ends tidied up and all goals successfully attained but often there are some things missing: Life. Power. Joy. Creative growth. Reconciliation within the community. A renewed vision of who the Lord is and who we are. When we feel the Lord calling us to do something, the very first thing we should do is reflect on this week's Gospel and begin to see what possessions we need to lose before we head out with the Lord to participate in his will.

When we hear the word 'possessions', what always springs to mind? All the material goods we own. Some of us own a lot and some of us not as much but no doubt all of us feel a pang when we think the Lord might like us to lose some of these possessions in order to be good disciples. The idea of simplifying our material goods becomes overwhelming and complex. Yes, it's true that sometimes our possessions own us and take up more of our focus than is healthy or necessary but the material goods we own are not the only possessions we have. In fact, I would say for most of us our material possessions are the least of our problems. It's those other possessions we have that block us from opening up to God's love and his will for our lives.

What possessions am I talking about? What are these other things that we lay claim to, hold tightly to and and which end up restricting, owning and controlling us more than we own and control them?

How about opinions? Don't we all have a huge number of set in stone preferences that, when challenged, make us stubbornly and angrily dig in our feet and refuse to be moved?

What about past wounds? Certainly the Lord is compassionate toward his wounded people, but there are times when we want to hold on to our wounds and allow them to tell us what we will or won't do.

What about control? We all have a need to be in control and have everything go according to what makes us comfortable or according to how we've always done things. Who doesn't have any areas where it's "my way or the highway"?

And what about those teachings we have received which somehow got twisted around to become rigid stances that keep us from the softness of acceptance, love and compassion?

I'll never forget running into an older woman whom I had not seen for a few years. When I had known her before she was Lioness for God. She was a deeply spiritual woman and a very good woman but if anyone did anything that contradicted one of her spiritual principles, she could be quite harsh. When I saw her again I asked what she had been up to in the last while. She told me that against her natural inclinations she had become involved in Hospice. The one thing she couldn't handle was dying people but after her husband's death her doctor heavily pressured her to become involved in the Hospice Association. The thing about Hospice is you are not allowed to proselytize. If the person you are ministering to wants to talk about God that's fine. Otherwise you may not bring up religion at all. This forced her to love without boundaries, accept without limitations and listen without offering judgment or advice. She said to me, "It took me 64 years to find out that love is more important than doctrine." Her face was shining and softer than I had ever seen it. She looked like Jesus.

We can be quite possessive about our doctrines and our theologies.

Indeed, whenever God sends us out to share his good news or to offer healing and love to one or more of his people, we often head out loaded to the max with such heavy restricting possessions that it's a wonder we can move at all. They're awkward, heavy, burdensome, bothersome and they deplete all our energies. No wonder Jesus sent out the disciples equipped with so little. He was freeing them to move. He was gifting them with the joy of being able to immediately respond to the leading of the Father. He was showing them the "Light Way". They had nothing to depend on except the Lord. Don't forget that those disciples came back from that journey flying high; they couldn't believe all the wonderful things God did and how he allowed them the honor of participating in his power and grace.

They had been freed to dance with God.

May we all be so blessed.