A Sermon preached August 7, 2011 (Proper 14 A)

by the Rev. Frances A. Hills, Rector

This is a short reflection on Romans 10:5-15, delivered after Jake Pinkston spoke about his two-year teaching mission in Honduras

Paul says to the Romans, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Jake, your feet are beautiful! Thank you for your word!

In today’s Romans passage, Paul is still struggling with the fact that his own Jewish people have not, by-and-large, been converted by the Good News of Jesus Christ. He poses the possibility, entertains the hope, that perhaps they’ve just not yet been adequately exposed to the Good News: “But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent?”

Now in the verses after today’s reading, Paul will let go of this possibility that all the Jews need is to hear the Gospel. He concludes they have heard it, but they’ve rejected it. In our 21 Century world, however, I think this is not the case…There are many out there in our world who have not yet heard and so do not know the Good News of Christ—Crucified and Risen. And our mission, as 21 Century Christians, is to spread that Good News out in our world, in our neighborhoods, where a word of hope and act of love are so desperately needed. We do this in acts of kindness and mercy. We do it when we work for justice. We do it in a million different, loving ways as we “preach the gospel always, and, when necessary, use words”! (Francis of Assisi) This is what Jake did in Honduras, and what Susan did in Ghana. It’s what happens every day in Gideon’s Garden, and if you think about it, it’s what many of us do in our daily lives…Whether we’re aware of it or not.

During August we’re focusing on Mission, so I hope you’ll be here each week to listen to the stories and to become aware of how you are part of God’s great story of redeeming love. We are the ones in our day who have the gift of faith in Jesus.

We must nurture this, train it, so that it is strong and deeply rooted, because we are the ones in our day who can make all the difference to so many others: The people in our world who do not yet know the one to call on; who have not yet believed because they have not yet heard; who have not yet heard, because no one has yet proclaimed. We are the ones to proclaim, because through our baptisms, we are sent by God…“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

During August I think we’ll discover we all have beautiful feet. Amen.