It is very good to be with you this morning.  Thank you for welcoming the stranger.  I know that I am a total stranger to you, but welcoming the stranger is part of the Christian life.  So thank you for the grace of your hospitality.

I served in the Diocese of Central PA, as did Nancy Lee for awhile.  I was at a national meeting a while back, and people were introducing themselves around the table.  I said I was from ‘Central Pennsylvania', and one gentleman said, "Where's that?"  I said, ‘The Central part of PA."   And he said, ‘but where is that?'  When I said, Gettysburg, Harrisburg the Capital of PA, Williamsport home of the Little League, State College where Penn State is, and more, he said, ‘Oh, I see.'

I'd like to reflect on Jesus' call to "follow me".

First...just to capsulate the scripture readings this morning.  They certainly describe the ups and down, the challenges of the human condition.   Isaiah describes the immense hopelessness and hopefulness, disillusionment and great joy, and how we need the light of God to intervene and prevail.  The Psalmist describes his life as surrounded by enemies and how God's presence makes all the difference.  Paul describes a dysfunctional congregation with lots of in-fighting.  The situations and emotions described are somewhat relevant to life as we experience it today.    Then, the Gospel.  In the midst of all the challenges and chaos in life, Jesus says, "Follow me."   Peter and Andrew,  James and John did just that...and part of me says they must not have had a lot of vocational satisfaction...just to up and leave.  But, it is not about leaving a vocation; it is about exploring the powerful draw of an inner vocation that can influence all we do in our work life, social life, public life, personal life.    

The local Australian Counsel was a member of the parish I first served.   He had a staff meeting every Monday morning, with his staff of about 12 folks.  He would always begin,  "at Church yesterday... there was conversation about the amazing availability and accessibility of Jesus'...let's take a minute a check out how we come across a being available and accessible to the public."  Over time his staff members came to the parish, and each said how helpful those conversations were...and they wanted to find out where it came from. 

Jesus' call to follow was about the way of a Kingdom...a Kingdom that was present in this life, and could be known and would make all the difference in this topsy turvy life. 

I am well aware that often we use ‘Church speak' or ‘biblical terms' that need translation for us to put flesh and blood to them.  I would say that "The Kingdom of God" is about the loving, helping, forgiving, reconciling, saving way that God is present and relates to us....and it is about the loving, helping  and saving way we can reflect this great love in our relationships with one another. 

In my minds eye, the content and essence of Christian is relational more than informational. 

When I was taught about preaching my professor said you should refrain from personal stories.  Well, I'm retired, and I guess I can break the rules a bit.  In our diocese there was a conflicted congregation, somewhat like the one Paul describes this morning.  I went to meet with the Vestry and then the whole congregations.  There were at each other's throat.  They criticized each other.  They were mean spirited.  And then the venom was turned on me.  It was quite an evening.  I drove home thinking that there was no way I was any help.  I was dispirited, down on myself, and had no idea what to do about it all. 

On the way back, late at night, I missed the turn of one highway to another.  So to add to my dispirited state I had to go another twelve miles before I could turn around.  I exited and going under the highway, there were no other cars, but I saw one pulled to side with the interior lights on.  The driver was studying a map.  Two kids in the back seat, and his wife next to him.  I normally would have just proceeded, but I pull up next to them.  He rolled down his window.  They were oriental, Japanese I guessed, and he looked at me and said, "No gas."   And they were lost.  They were Japanese tourists trying to find Williamsport, because the son played Little League baseball, and they wanted to go there.  I said,  "follow me," and if they ran out of gas, I would see where they were and would return with some.  They made it some15 miles to the gas station and pulled in on fumes.  The whole family got out, came over to me, and with great smiles on their faces gave me great deep bows of appreciation.  Continuing home that night, I was smiling.  The first part home I was deflated.  The rest of the trip home my spirit returned, and soared.

I went back to that parish shortly thereafter.  I said to them, unless you cease to be at each other, and start to be for one another, you will run out of gas, and the journey of this parish will be over.  I told them the story of what happened to me on the way home that night.  I said the Christian life is a life of service, of standing by the side of one another, and if that does not happen the Spirit will be absent, hopelessness will prevail and God will seem more than distant.  There was silence.  Actually, very little conversation, because they heard what I said.  In time that parish came around, and today it is a rather healthy place. 

Follow me.  Jesus is asking us to be loving, compassionate, to be just and merciful, to be forgiving, and to serve one anothers' needs. 

Our life is for the other.  It is not for self.  I was listening to a politician being interviewed the other day about the lack of free enterprise, and lack of financial incentives for those in health care to be successful.  She said the founding value is the personal freedom to be successful and carve out your own personal success. 

Then the radio went into a piece about the 50^th Anniversary of Kennedy's Inauguration, and they played that memorable line, "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."  Within two months the Peace Corps was founded, with Sargent Shriver at the helm.  That is the generation I grew up in.  The question was ‘how are you going to serve'.  How can whatever you do serve the needs of others?  It was not for self or wealth.  People in my class who went to medical school were ones who saw that as a way to be helpful and serve people.  Income and ‘success' was not even on their radar screen.  My younger brother served in the Peace Corps.  He still talks about it as the best time in his life, and how it has affected all he had done.  Well, times have changed.  The culture has changed. 

Peter and Andrew, James and John were to learn that their lives are for service, to stand by others with God's love, forgiveness, mercy, justice and compassion reflected in them. 

Sometimes when I talk this way, folks will say, ‘Mike, if my life is always for my family, my neighbors, my country, all others, I will just be depleted, I will be spent.'   But the experience is that the grace that comes back to you is always much greater than what is given.  The life of service is meant to be contagious.  It is not meant to be just one, but all of us.  For instance if in a parish community everyone is looking out for the other, then there are more people looking out for you, and you can look after in a long, long time.  In the Christian life what is received is always more than what is given.  You will never run out of gas.

Follow Jesus.  While the ultimate offering from him was his life....for us it is to offer loving service every day of our life, all of our life, wherever we are.