The Church on Thursday Afternoon

Ordinary Time XIV; July 9, 2006

Mark 6:1-13

An article in The Presbyterian Outlook helped me interpret the Scripture for today. We have here two stories, one about Jesus visiting in his home town and being frustrated by his inability to get through to them, and the other about the Twelve going from village to village in the name of Jesus, doing the things he told them to do. So I asked myself this question, “Where are we in this story?” Because I don’t really see us pairing up and walking to Coin and New Market and Shambaugh, healing the sick and telling people to repent. That part is less incredible than the thought of all us good Presbyterians wearing robes and sandals, carrying staves and not taking along any money for food and drink – and walking all that way!

Okay, it makes me think of a story that has nothing to do with this Scripture, but I’m going to tell it anyway. The young man had very long hair (you can see this is an old story; he must be from my generation!). His father told him he could have a car when he got his hair cut. Well, the weeks passed and the fellow didn’t get his hair cut, and he asked his father about the car. “I told you that you could have a car when you get your hair cut.” “But, Dad,” the son retorted, “Jesus and his disciples had long hair!” “Yes,” the father said, “and they walked everywhere they went.”

Anyway: where are we in this story? The article in the Outlook asked the question, “What is your Church up to on Thursday afternoon?” The immediate temptation is to respond, “Not much.” Most Thursday afternoons the Church door is locked; this coming Thursday we happen to have the Prayer Shawl Ministry meeting here, so something is going on here. These folks knit shawls; they pray about the ones who will use the shawls, and then they give the shawls to people who need to feel themselves wrapped securely in prayer. So that is going on this particular Thursday afternoon. Otherwise, though, if you look at the Church building, whether this one or most Church buildings – you would think the Church isn’t up to much on Thursday afternoon.

And you would be wrong. On a particular Thursday afternoon, while children are playing outside, you might see a child being bullied by a bigger kid. The little kid is terrified; but a boy who goes to Sunday School and remembers the story of David and Goliath and whose parents are teaching him about responsibility for the weak stands up to the bully. This will not make him popular; the child he stands up for is one of those kids that cool people avoid. Because this Christian protects the weak, the Church is doing the work of Jesus.

A biology teacher is a member of a Presbyterian church; he teaches at a university and does a variety of special things with his students, including leading field courses to the Amazon. He sees his work as a calling from God, not only to sharpen minds to understand the ways of life in creation, but to relate to the world with Christian morals, environmental ethics and a concern for sustainability. A colleague says that he is teaching the next generation to make better decisions than ours has. Because this Christian teaches the ways of creation and how to relate to the living world as a child of God, the Church is doing the work of Jesus.

A lawyer prepares for a case. This case will, if won, make her a decent amount of money which will help her support her family and give to causes she cares about, including her Church. But more than that: she believes in what she is doing. Like all good attorneys I have known, she has a passion for justice, and she cannot stand to see people being ground up and run over by government or, in this case, the corporate machine. Although she may find occasion to quote a Bible verse or two, she of course focuses on the issues of law that she can use to correct the injustice that was done to her client. Because this Christian devotes herself to a cause of justice, the Church is doing the work of Jesus.

A group of retired persons meets at the food and clothing center on Thursday afternoons. They sort clothes and put them out for people to take when the center is open, and sort the donated canned goods and other non-perishable foods so they are ready for the needy. When they have finished their work, they gather in a circle and pray for their town: for its leaders, for the needy, for the well-being of all. Because these Christians care about the physical and spiritual welfare of their community, the Church is doing the work of Jesus.

A Church youth group is in Appalachia this week. These young people come from fairly privileged backgrounds, but they raise money and get together to plan and carry out a mission project somewhere away from their home one week every summer. On Thursday, they are following appropriate specifications (and with good leadership) to build a ramp to the kitchen door of the home of an elderly lady who must use a wheelchair when she goes out, but who cannot afford to hire someone to build this ramp. The young people sing Bible school songs and praise choruses – as well as Top Forty songs that you and I would barely understand and perhaps not quite approve of. When one young man takes off his shirt to work in the hot sun, the home-owner is surprised by his tattoos: a skull-and-crossbones, and the seal of the Presbyterian Church. When they finish their work, she has them all in for lemonade and cookies. Because these Christians are attending to the needs of the poor, the Church is doing the work of Jesus.

The owner of a hardware store incorporates the ideals of his service organization into his work, and believes that those ideals reflect the morals that his Church has instilled in him since youth. In addition, every Thursday afternoon he takes part of his business day to mentor a high school student, one who is at risk of dropping out if the child does not see the possibility of work and prosperity in the future, rather than despair and jail. He has a picture on his desk, a newspaper clipping of a young man who dropped out of school, got involved in a gang’s drug-dealing, and was killed in a drive-by shooting. The businessman has that picture next to a drawing his daughter did of Jesus blessing the children; she drew that picture one Sunday during the sermon. The next week he joined the mentoring program his service club does with the local school district. Because this Christian blesses the young in the way he knows best, the Church is doing the work of Jesus.

Likewise, a girl attends tutoring sessions on Thursday afternoon. She thinks she wants to be a minister someday, but she has a learning disability, and she needs to work a little harder to be able to read. Although the school does an excellent job of working with her disability, still she and her parents want her to cope with traditional things the best she can – to be a minister, she’ll have to be able to read Greek and Hebrew, as well as English! – so while her friends are hanging out at the mall, she attends tutoring sessions. Because this Christian works at learning to read the Bible so she can share it with others, the Church is doing the work of Jesus.

On Thursday afternoons is the senior staff meeting of a certain company. One of the vice presidents, an elder in the Presbyterian Church, is troubled by a proposal that would not be technically illegal but smells wrong to him. It would keep the compensation of the folks in the head office secure, while cutting the pay and benefits of the people who actually make the product. He knows that the current business climate requires cost-cutting, but he sees a number of ways to accomplish that end without putting the entire burden on the workers, while sparing senior management. Knowing it will not make him popular, he nonetheless speaks up, not knowing if he will be successful or not, but knowing that at least his conscience will be clean. Because this Christian looks at the big picture for everyone involved, rather than simply looking out for himself, the Church is doing the work of Jesus.

At work, at play, in special mission projects, adults and children do the work of Jesus on Thursday afternoons. They go out in jeans, in suits, in shorts, but probably not robes; they wear sandals or dress shoes or cross-trainers. They might carry money or not; the work of Jesus doesn’t always require money. There are so many more examples I could cite for you, examples seated in these pews and hearing my voice on the radio, and there are examples that would never occur to me but that you would tell me about. What is the Church up to on Thursday afternoon? Wherever Christian people are living the Gospel, the Church is up to the work of Jesus.

Lord Jesus: your first twelve followers preached repentance, healed the sick and cast out demons. Show us how we are to be part of your work in the world. Amen.

Robert A. Keefer

Westminster Presbyterian Church

Clarinda, Iowa