Pastor Dismer’s sermon from Sunday, May 18

Matt 28:16-20

Our gospel lesson today includes Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples. These words have been called “The Great Commission.” As we are also Jesus’ disciples, these words are meant for us today.

Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Make disciples, teach, baptize? Are you thinking to yourself:

“I’m no preacher. That’s your job, Dismer. Baptize: isn’t that your job too?”

“And teach, well, some people are pretty good at it, but don’t ask me to teach Sunday school or something. I wouldn’t have a clue what to do. No, you’d better take me out of the loop on this deal. I’m off the hook.”

And if we define making disciples, teaching and baptizing that way, yes, you are off the hook, and so is most everyone else.

But I am here today to suggest we take a second look at this commission. What Jesus was asking his first disciples, and his latest disciples (us), was simply and profoundly, to be his body in the world; to be his church.

And he did not leave us out there on a limb to figure this out and do it without his help.

Last Sunday, on Pentecost, we were reminded that the Holy Spirit, the very power of God, is God’s gift to us, so that we can live lives that witness to God’s love. AND, as we live, we will be preaching and teaching and welcoming others into the family of GOD.

All I want to do today, in this sermon, is give you a few examples; point out to you what your preaching and teaching might look like; how you might make disciples.

Let me start out with some stories of people I learned about this week Monday evening, at a Bible study on the book of Philippians, Sue Swanson told us about Anita Damon’s mother, who recently moved into an assisted living facility. She had left her home; she had left behind neighbors and friends.

One thing that did not change was that she continued with her usual practice of reading from a devotional booklet and praying.

One day it occurred to her that she might invite the ladies who sat at the meal table with her to join her in this practice.

After that, every evening immediately after supper these women read from a devotional booklet, held hands and prayed the Lord’s Prayer together.

I would like to suggest that this is preaching and teaching and making disciples. THIS is witnessing, being the body of Christ, the church. THIS is sharing the Kingdom of God.

Another story: Karen and I received an e-mail from a friend who lives in California. Her background is Finnish, and she recently has begun to trace her roots in Finland.

In the process she learned about a mission effort in Karelia, Russia – an area that at one time was part of Finland.

In Karelia there is a mother, Jelena Multanen, who had read this passage from the book of Isaiah, in the Old Testament:

“The children you thought you had lost will yet say in your hearing as they say to one another, ‘The place is too crowded for me; move a little, so that I too have a place to live.’”

Jelena decided to invite children from a nearby Russian orphanage to come to her home on the weekends. She wanted to “move a little and make room for some lonely children.”

The e-mail our friend forwarded to us told this story about Jelena.

-I would like to read a portion of the email:

“(It) … was Sergei’s turn for a birthday. He became 16. My, the joy and goings-on in the weekend home! Birthdays are important celebrations in the Russian culture. Always a cake is baked or purchased.

When we sat down at the birthday table, we first sang to Sergei. It was a moving experience to observe how the group of children calmed down and became very quiet when I read a passage from Scripture.

Likewise, when there was a break from the enjoyment of food, a lit candle went from hand to hand. The one who held the candle shared good wishes with the birthday person. Each one was ready to share lengthy good wishes, which usually included health, joy, good fortune and all possible good in life.

In addition, holding hands, we prayed and sang, which creates a trusting, safe togetherness and warmth so that “move a little, so that I too can have a place . . ” can happen.

The warmth of the home and friendship are the gifts that Jelena Multanen wishes to offer the children.

My friends, THIS is preaching and teaching, this is sharing the Love of God, THIS is inviting others into the Kingdom.

Now, one final story: The pastor of the Manassas Church of the Brethren, in Manassas, Va., recently attended a Bread for the World conference. Bread for the World is a group that is committed solely to advocating on behalf of people living in poverty, to end hunger – in the United States and around the world.

The pastor, upon returning from this conference, shared with his parishioners the goal, which many groups, including Bread for the World, are aiming for – of cutting the number of hungry people in the world in half by the year 2015.

As his parishioners filed out, the older ones said, “Yes, pastor, that would be nice to end hunger.” But the children from the 5^th-grade Sunday school class said something quite different.

THEY said: let’s get started! They contacted Bread for the World, they studied, and they started baking! Yes, they decided to have a bake sale to end hunger.

One Sunday they explained their desire to work for the elimination of hunger to the congregation’s members, and invited them to help. After the service they sold their baked goods and the next Sunday they gave the congregation a check for $1,000 to send to Bread for the World, along with the paperwork to join the movement as a congregation.

THIS is teaching. THIS is making disciples. THIS is inviting others into the Kingdom of God.

Are we off the hook, any of us? Where in our lives can we take up this challenge, to see the possibilities before us: like Jelena, we can move over and make a little room for others. Do you know anyone who is lonely? I think so. Do you have friendship, a warm kitchen, a few hours to share?

Like Anita’s mother, we can share our faith practices. She shared her evening devotions; we can invite others to share our worship time, or invite them to our Bible study group or Sunday school class.

Like the children in Manassas, we at First English can commit ourselves to ending hunger. Is one bake sale enough? No, but if EVERY congregation in the United States raised $1,000? Would that be a start?

Maybe you have noticed the grocery sacks in local stores that are filled and waiting for customers to purchase, so that they can be donated to local food banks in the Fox Valley.

Karen and I have decided that from now on, before we check out, we will look through our grocery basket and take out the snacks. Take out the cookies and soda and chips. We have enough to eat, lucky us. We don’t need to buy food that isn’t even nutritious, just snacks for the fun of eating. We’ll put those back, and purchase a grocery sack of staples for the food bank. We will “move over so that they, too, can have a place.”

Please ask us how we are doing. Hold us accountable. And ask yourself, as Christ’s disciples, where and how you will start with your mission of preaching and teaching and making disciples. Start anywhere. Start today. Amen.