“Your mission, should you choose to accept it . . .” began the instructions in Mission: Impossible. In an instant, the agent’s course was changed and a thrilling episode began, full of twists and turns, brimming with suspense. This summer, we are like that agent, hearing messages from God through some of the many stories in our Scripture that prompt us to take action and get moving. Just as God interrupted the everyday routine of Abraham, God speaks to us, taking us from our regular routines and giving us a new itinerary. The Holy Spirit is still on the move, and now God tells us – “Hit the Road!” For Abraham, these instructions came with a promise; that God would make Abraham and great nation, and that Abraham would both be blessed and would be a blessing to others. It’s a pretty good deal, and not surprising that Abraham and Sarah would take God up on it and begin to pack their bags.

After accepting the assignment, the agents in Mission: Impossible were always outfitted with the best of gadgets, from an auto-lockpick to appearance changing costumes to advanced cable systems that allowed entry into buildings that resembled fortresses. These tools helped them to evade the most ruthless bad guys, save innocent victims, and, of course, save the day. So, our first priority after accepting God’s invitation to travel might be to outfit ourselves with everything that we need.

In our gospel text for today, Jesus sends the disciples out on a mission to preach the good news to the world, and gives them a packing list. Well, sort of at least. Did you catch it? It comes in verses 8 and 9 – “He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics.” Not exactly what we might expect. In fact, it’s a lot more about what NOT to bring, which is actually all that is shared in the accounts in Matthew and Luke’s gospels (1). Given these instructions, the disciples wouldn’t even need a carry-on bag. I don’t think Jesus was just trying to save cargo room in the vehicle they were taking. I imagine, as Jesus tended to do, that this practical instruction also had theological implications, both for the apostles he was sending and for us today.

First, his instructions would have reminded them of their heritage as God’s covenant people. Jesus’ instructions are reminiscent of the Exodus story, when the Israelites were commanded to be ready with sandals on their feet and staff in hand (Exodus 12:11). “By taking nothing else on the journey, the apostles demonstrate their complete dependence upon God and the hospitality of others(2).” They become grounded in the rich story they were joining and the tradition they were called to continue. Rather than spending a lot of time inventorying their belongings and getting things ready, they would be more like Abraham, who heard God’s call to go, and gathered his family together to begin the trip. It’s that easy, right?

Maybe for some of us, it is. I’m not that lucky, though. You see, I love to travel, but I hate packing. Whether it’s for a few days spent with family or a week in the mountains at Montreat for a youth conference, getting ready to go is hard work. I spend way too much time doing it, ending up with all of my clothes on the bed in a mountain, trying to make sure there are enough options for any possible activity, and bargaining with how many pairs of shoes I can get away with putting in my suitcase. Once Nathan was born, this process got even more complicated. Babies seem to need so much stuff to go even the shortest distances: diapers, the pack-n-play, clothes, pacifiers, a few familiar toys, bottles, bibs – all simple things, but they quickly make another mountain to be packed. Now it’s a bit less daunting, but still takes additional time to pack for someone else and negotiate which toys make it into the car. It can take forever to get ready to go, trying to anticipate what we might need so we can be prepared for any situation we might encounter. Sometimes it takes longer to get ready to go than the trip itself, and makes us wonder if it’s worth all the hassle. We can even forget the reason we are going in the first place.

Maybe this is why Jesus’ packing list for the disciples is so simple – sandals and a staff. “These symbols are reminders that the apostle’s mission is an extension of Jesus’ own ministry(3),” and it is Jesus who will give them all the authority and power that they need, a subtle reference to the work of the Holy Spirit. He wanted them to remember their purpose. In other biblical texts(4), wearing sandals also connotes dignity, and carrying a staff (5) signals one’s authority. On a more basic level, what the apostles are told to take are also practical items that represent barest of necessities. Sandals protected one’s feet, and a staff could be used to fend off enemies, snakes, or wild animals. Joseph Bessler notes the importance of a humble wardrobe by comparing it to the wise desert fathers and mothers who imposed wisdom, saying that:

simplicity marks not only the figure of a sage, but a transparency of purpose. The Twelve come with open hands, neither offering wealth in exchange for receiving the good news nor asking for money. In announcing the kingdom of God, one must come with open hands, because the distinctiveness of the gospel must challenge the prevailing ways of appealing to self-interest and nativist impulses(6).

Jesus’ instruction to “pack light” suggests that perhaps it’s not the “stuff” the disciples had that would make the difference in this mission to spread the gospel. In fact, it might even get in the way of what they were trying to do. So better to keep it simple.

Have you ever gone on a trip and gotten so encumbered by all the stuff you were carrying that you missed out on the fun because you were so weighed down or your hands were full? This happens in our own lives as well, doesn’t it, as we pack so much into our schedules or into our heads that we can no longer think straight for all of the busy-ness of our lives. Even in this summer season, when we are supposed to be taking it a little easier, our lives can become overpacked as we try to do it all. I wonder what things would look like if we instead tried to pack a little lighter in our own lives and lose some of the “stuff.” Letting go of it might allow us to be more present with one another and with God. It can also help us to remember the central calling as disciples of Christ – the one that we share with Abraham and the disciples – the call to share the good news.

In order to really “Hit the Road” in our faith, we have to wrap our heads around our call, and recognize that what really matters, more than anything else, is the message we are sharing. Pastor Michael Lindvall says our job is:

simply to tell others about the God who has come to mean so much to us. This is an action performed out of love, not competition or anxiety. . . [We] need not have polished words, sophisticated theology, or fine-tuned dogma to speak of their faith. [We] are simply called to speak truth in love, from the heart, in [our] own words, and never be ashamed(7).

Has your life been impacted, in big or small ways, by Jesus Christ? If the answer is yes, then you are packed sufficiently to be Christ’s apostle, sharing how God has been present in your life with others. Don’t let your “stuff” get in the way of that holy calling. It really is that simple.

But sharing our stories with others can be intimidating, particularly when we have left behind those things that keep us comfortable and buffered from the world around us. Fortunately, though, our missions come in the context of community. Jesus sent his disciples into communities to form relationships in the midst of this light packing, confident that their needs would be taken care of. Additionally, he sent his disciples two-by-two. That’s right, Jesus was the original inventor of the buddy system. In teams, they could provide one another companionship, mutual protection, and moral support, and serve as reliable witnesses as they took on the mission that Jesus set before them. Today, Christ continues to call us to be in community with one another – families, friends, churches, and communities of all sorts seek to provide support and encouragement to one another. As a part of their examination by the session, each of our incoming officers shared a little about their faith journey and what they believed, and in doing so the spirits of all in the room were lifted a bit. I saw people smiling and nodding, connecting with each other’s stories. The more we share the stories of our faith, the easier it will become. You can even start practicing this morning. Find someone, maybe even the person sitting next to you in your pew, and share some of your faith story over a cup of lemonade and cookie after worship. Don’t worry about “getting it all right” or having a polished story that meets some lofty unrealistic set of expectations. Just keep it simple, and trust that God can and will do the rest.

Your mission, if you choose to accept it . . . is to Go with God into this world. It is an incredible mission to be a part of, this ministry Jesus has called us to join, and the challenge to us this morning is how will we begin? Will we try to load everything in, cramming our suitcases of faith so full that we have to sit on them to close, with things bursting out of the seams like the picture on the cover of our bulletin, or will we pack lightly, leaving space for Jesus to be at work through us? Mark 6 gives us a packing list – Genesis 12 gives us the call – are we ready to hit the road?

~Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford

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1. See Matthew 10:9-10; Luke 9:3, 10:4
2. Vanthanh Nguyen, “Exegetical Perspective: Mark 6:6b-13,” Feasting on the Gospels: Mark, Cynthia A. Jarvis and E. Elizabeth Johnson, eds. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014).
3. Ibid.
4. See Gen 14:23, Exodus 12:11, Luke 15:22
5. See Gen 38:18, Exodus 4:17, Micah 7:14
6. Joseph A. Bessler, “Theological Perspective: Mark 6:6b-13,” Feasting on the Gospels: Mark, Cynthia A. Jarvis and E. Elizabeth Johnson, eds. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014).
7. Michael Lindvall, “Pastoral Perspective: Mark 6:1-13” Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, eds. (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009).

Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away(i)!

These words the classic children’s book Oh the Places You’ll Go by Dr. Seuss. The whole book brims with the excitement of possibilities – the whole world is open to the reader – anything can happen! It speaks truth about all of this, too. There will be ups and downs in life, but it reassures its listeners that they can do it. It ends like this:

You’re off to great places! Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting. So . . . get on your way(ii)!

While this book is extra popular around this time of year, it’s also perfect for this day of Pentecost, which reads as the epitome of excitement on the brink of something new. We begin this new season in the church year with the whoosh of the Holy Spirit coming over those early believers gathered in Acts, and experience a whirlwind of language and energies throughout Jerusalem. In this moment, 50 days after Easter, the church is born; the prophet Joel’s prophecies are fulfilled and God’s people are alive and moving with visions, dreams, and the spirit with which to bring them into light. Pentecost ushers in a new life for believers, the church, and the world. All of which is possible because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, which lingers like fire among them.

To be clear, this isn’t a new phenomenon. We know that the Holy Spirit has been present throughout the Biblical narrative. We read about it in the very first moments of creation, brooding over the chaos and breathing life into the world. We hear echoes of it in Numbers, as it stirs and moves the seventy elders of Israel. The Holy Spirit announced Jesus as God’s son at his baptism, and was the promised Advocate by Christ himself. When the Holy Spirit shows up, things change in drastic and dynamic, life-giving ways. The Holy Spirit is God on the move.

This summer, we will spend the next two months looking at stories of God on the move, hopefully considering what it means for us to be on the move as well. The root of all of this movement is always the Holy Spirit, alive and present in our sacred stories and in our lives today. It is something we long and hunger for, to be renewed and energized in ways that can only come from God. When we feel tired or stuck in our lives, it is the Spirit who comes with fresh breath and new life. But we aren’t always ready for a moment like the one we read about today in Acts. Jana Childers writes:

Many Christians have become accustomed to thinking of the Holy Spirit as more of a Hawaiian breeze than a Chicago gale. . . . [but] the Holy Spirit’s power is not always subtle, fragile, or polite. Even today it can be electric, atomic, and volcanic(iii).

We tend to push against the more dramatic movement from the spirit. We’d rather keep it contained and manageable, limiting God’s work to happy coincidences, warm fuzzy moments, those things that give us good chills and goosebumps. We might even let in a few instances of things taking our breath away. But when the Spirit moves in bigger ways, we get nervous, or even skeptical. Joshua heard the Israelite leaders prophesying and begged Moses to make them stop. Those observing the scattered languages at Pentecost in Jerusalem assumed that this group of believers must have been drunk, even though it was only 9 in the morning. However, that’s often how the Holy Spirit shows up, isn’t it? God’s Spirit often takes the world by surprise and in doing so accomplishes some pretty incredible things; freedom for the Israelites and freedom for the church unleashed on the world.

A few weeks ago I was at a preaching conference in San Antonio with 1,800 other pastors(iv). The lectures and sermons were held at two different venues a few blocks apart. During one break between sessions, many of us spilled out of the Methodist church into the heart of downtown, down a half flight of steps that almost immediately became the corner of an intersection. Several tourists happened to be walking on the sidewalk as I came down the steps, and I heard one exclaim to the other, “Oh my, they let the church out.” The work of the Holy Spirit is done within the church so that when we leave, the world might have an audible gasp at what God has unleashed. The Holy Spirit is on the move – our texts for today ask whether we are as well.

Pentecost might be about making space for the Spirit to move. When I was in seminary I had the opportunity to serve as an assistant for our General Assembly, that every other year meeting of our denomination where delegates conduct the official business of our church. It was the year that Bruce Reyes-Chow was elected as moderator, significant because he was at the time just under 40, the youngest ever for us Presbyterians. As the debate on the main floor got heated, one Youth Advisory Delegate came to the microphone and asked if we could have a few moments of space for prayer and reflection, perhaps to let the “Holy Spirit move” among the group as they discerned. I remember Bruce taking the suggestion to heart, and commenting how it was hard to refuse someone the time for the Holy Spirit, much less a young person given his banner as the “youngest moderator” – so he agreed and paused debate. For two minutes. You see, as Presbyterians we have to keep things decent and in order. There are rules for debate and processes to keep meetings moving forward thanks to our friend Robert(v). So, in 2008, the Presbyterian Church, USA, allotted exactly two minutes for the Holy Spirit.

Of course, the Holy Spirit worked beyond those two minutes. Even if we tried, we couldn’t contain the Spirit. Nor would we want to. Taking time, even short moments, to intentionally allow ourselves the opportunity to focus on the Spirit’s presence will help us tremendously if we want to be a part of the movement of God in our world. But, more often than not, I think we pack our lives so full of other things that we remove the majority of spaces that the Spirit might have to work. This happens when our schedules are so full that we can’t squeeze another thing in, but we do so anyway. It happens when we push off those spiritual practices in our lives – worship, Bible Study, prayer – things we know will renew and sustain us, but just don’t fit into our too busy lives. It happens when we hear and see what God is trying to do, but refuse to be a part of it. It happens, but it doesn’t have to be our ongoing reality. This summer can be an opportunity for us, as individuals and as a church, to shift our habits in ways that are life-giving, and allow the Spirit to move more freely. Our new summer schedule is evidence of that, from the literal new space in our sanctuary for children to experience God’s presence in hands-on ways to the space left in our timing for fellowship after worship together. We need space for the Spirit to move. We have to give it more than two minutes.

The Holy Spirit, the breath of God, needs space within us to move. The image of Pentecost is that of fire, dwelling on each one gathered. As anyone who has ever built a campfire knows, it is essential to lay the logs in a particular way so that your fire will not collapse on itself, but instead will grow and glow brightly. Judy Brown describes this art in her poem titled, “Fire”, writing:

What makes a fire burn
is space between the logs,
a breathing space.
Too much of a good thing,
too many logs
packed in too tight
can douse the flames
almost as surely
as a pail of water would.

So building fires
requires attention
to the space in between,
as much as to the wood.

When we are able to build
open spaces
in the same way
we have learned
to pile on the logs,
then we can come to see how
it is fuel, and absence of the fuel
together, that make the fire possible.

We only need to lay a log
lightly from time to time.
A fire
grows
simply because the space is there,
with openings
in which the flame
that knows just how it wants to burn
can find its way(vi)

For God’s presence to burn brightly in each of us, we have to be good tenders of the fire that the Holy Spirit puts within us. It is then that we begin to be the lights of the world that Jesus called us to be, shining for others to see. Speaking in every language under the sun, that all may know and understand the good news of God’s love for us and the world. That, after all, is the end goal of the Holy Spirit at both in Numbers and at Pentecost; no longer is God to be contained inside some small, isolated group of select people, but instead is set free to every corner of the world. “Oh my,” those passing by might say, “God let the Spirit out.” And that Spirit is on the move. Amen.

~Rev. Elizabeth Lovell Milford

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(i) Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, (Random House, 1990).
(ii) Ibid.
(iii) Jana Childers, “Homiletical Perspective: Acts 2:1-21,” Feasting on the Word: Year A, Volume 3, David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, editors, (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2011).
(iv) Festival of Homiletics 2017 in San Antonio, Texas.
(v) Referencing our adherence to Robert’s Rules of Order.
(vi) Judy Brown, “Fire,” in Teaching with Fire: Poetry that Sustains the Courage to Teach, Sam M. Intrator & Megan Scribner, editors, (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2003).