Trinity Parish Church - Seventh Sunday of Easter - May 20, 2007
Acts 16:16-34 & John 17:20-26
The Rev. Rachel Endicott

Welcome to this somewhat strange Sunday in the church year.  It's the Sunday in limbo.  It's the Sunday between the Ascension, that wonderful and strange day we always celebrate on a Thursday 40 days after Easter and the Sunday before Pentecost Sunday when we celebrate the Holy Spirit coming upon the gathered church.  It's the Sunday where we finish this wonderful season of Easter joy and hope and move toward the sense of the ongoing Holy Spirit with us.

Now, unlike most of the final Sundays in a season this one is pretty low-key.  It isn't like Christ the King Sunday or Transfiguration Sunday.  But it's important that we not overlook today, because we are taught some primary things.  Most importantly, we are reminded that we are disciples, those called by Jesus, those given prayerful encouragement by Jesus and those called to -dare I say it - kick some butt.

Now, as some of you know, I have lots of extended family in Great Britain.  Over the years, I've traveled back there a number of times as time and finances would allow.  I've spent Christmases and birthdays with aunts, uncles and cousins.  When I was younger, I'd travel there with my mother and sister.  As I've gotten older, I traveled first by myself, then with my husband in tow, then with him and my children.  Because I have cousins who live in out of the way places like Llangadfen and Lantwit Major, driving a car in the UK has been a necessity, rather than simply traveling by train.

Now on trips back there, it always takes a conscious effort to get used to driving on the left side of the road, shifting with one's left hand (as opposed to rolling down the window when trying to shift into third gear to accelerate onto the motorway!).  Driving on the lanes or motorways there, one is liable to come across other cars sporting a large white sign with big red L.  Now these L signs are for learners, those who are just learning to drive, folks who are functionally equivalent to those with their driving permits here in the U.S.  And I must say, that in my view, these signs are a huge plus...they let the other drivers know that the person in the car bearing the sign might or might not do erratic things, that they might not yet have the skills that come from being an experienced, that they might make last minute turns or uneasy gear changes.  After all, they are learners, they are learning a new skill, learning to do a complex task that doesn't come - as much as we might like - in an instant.

And so it is with being a disciple.  Disciple actually has at its Latin root [discipulus] the sense of pupil, one who studies with another.  Its related words discipline and disciplinarian [L disciplina] even more closely reflects the meaning of learner, one who engages in a course of training.

And so we, as disciples of Christ, are learners in this journey of faith and sharing the good news.  And it doesn't matter how long we've been working at it, we still need be engaged in training.  As learners, we are called to read.  Just like those who take to the roads in our fair state need to read the manual for drivers in the State of Washington, so we too should be prepared.  (Thankfully, we don't have to take a test where if we get more than 5 wrong, we can no longer work at being disciples!)  We're called to read the Scriptures.  After reading segments of the Bible, most people find it helpful to talk with others about what they've read and/or to read what commentators have to share.  For instance, in today's reading from Acts, why were Paul and Silas in Macedonia?  What did it mean to be in a city that was a Roman colony?  Why was the jailer ready to kill himself?

We're called to train at being people of prayer and worship.  Scripture doesn't tell us how, but we are to find our way.  As Episcopalians, we have a certain flavor to our prayer and worship, and part of our being in training is to continue regularly in those endeavors.  Learning goes much more smoothly when we're in the habit, rather than stopping and starting.

We are to share with others and live as part of this and the larger Christian community.  Stewardship, conservation of our world, giving to the church and other organizations that support the poor, those in need, and those most at risk in our society is part of that ongoing training.  It's a regular way to consider how we serve God and give thanks to God.

And lastly, we are to proclaim the good news.  Now, we're told that Paul and Silas, in the course of their travels come to Philippi.  Here they not only gather with others, engage in prayer and worship, but certainly end up proclaiming the good news.  But doing it with a minimum of fuss is not their style.  Instead, by using their power of casting out demons, they effectively kill any profits, present or future, from the owners of the slave girl with the spirit.  Not only that, but when jailed because of the complaints by the slave girl's owners to the court, they wreak havoc in the prison.  I can't say their singing and praying was the cause of the earthquake, but at minimum I hardly think it was conducive to the quiet slumber of the other prisoners.

In spite of this chaos, the message is passed.  The events of that night and the assurance and sharing of Paul and Silas present a picture of hope and wonder.  We're told that the jailer and his family became believers and they were baptized.

How do you share the message of good news and hope?  Are you able to tell about what Christ has done in your life?  If you can do that with panache, great!  You're an advanced learner, an accomplished disciple.  If not, that's OK too.  You're like those who are just learning to drive a car...they have the basics, but need more opportunity for practice, caring companions to go with them, and simply the repetition to become proficient.

Now as Episcopalians, I must say, we tend to be a reticent people in some ways.  Although we might talk about anything else under the sun, many of us veer away from our faith and relationship with God.  We don't want to appear pushy, ill-bred, or lest I say it - offensive.  One of the best books, albeit a very simple, small volume, on evangelism is entitled "How To Share Your Faith Without Being Offensive."  Now as Episcopalians, we generally like to be well-mannered.  In fact, our unofficial motto is to do "everything in good order."  We pride ourselves in our liturgical and other manners.  But as disciples, we are to work on learning to be tellers of the good news.

So, I'll leave you with a comment and a challenge.  Recently, I've been thinking a bit about Texas...whether because of our bishop-to-be is from there, whether it's because I know several folks visiting there, or whether it's because we've recently had newcomers to Trinity from Texas I don't know.  But it brought to mind one of the challenges about living in the Northwest.  In Texas, I'm told, it's pretty normal to talk about church...a much larger portion of the population attends church.  But where it gets dicey is in which church you attend and what your church believes.  In the Northwest, we are the least churched state of the country.  In the last number of years Oregon and Washington have been close to neck and neck as to who is in that last spot.  People here don't go to church and often don't talk about it with their unchurched friends.

My challenge to you this week is to practice spreading the good news.  Share with one person something about how God has supported you in your life, something about what Christian community - this community - means to you, or something about why you call yourself a disciple.  And yes, you can do it with good taste and without being offensive!  Here's to being life-long learners!  And here's to the one we follow, Jesus!