Keep, O Lord, your household the Church in your steadfast faith and love, that through your grace we may proclaim your truth with boldness, and minister your justice with compassion; for the sake of our Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Across the nation, churchgoers are faithfully showing up for worship, and clergy are faithfully attending to their flocks.
After years of pandemic disruptions, many of us are finally starting to feel like we’re “back to normal.” And if you walk into most any church on Sunday morning, it certainly looks that way.
But, under the loud proclamations of Amen and Alleluia, you can hear the whispers. People are talking…about church decline.
Since 2010, the Episcopal Church has lost about 350,000 members. Historic parishes face closures, while others find new ways to worship in the midst of an ongoing clergy shortage.
Many of our congregations have yet to bounce back from pandemic declines. And we continually wonder how to bring people back to the church, as 3 in 10 adults now identify as nones – or those with no faith practice at all.
Church statistician Ryan Burge goes so far as to declare that “the death of the Episcopal Church is near.”
But others argue that our new reality presents possibility. In his book, People of the Way, Episcopal priest Dwight Zscheille argues that our context today looks much more like the world Jesus walked in, than the established “Christian nation” of the last two-hundred years.
Our neighbors are struggling, and many are deeply skeptical that the church could offer anything at all.
Maybe resurrection is just around the corner?
No matter where you land, there is no doubt about it: These are uncertain times for the church.
And I think we need to let ourselves feel the anxiety that comes with admitting this to ourselves. It’s ok to admit that we’re scared.
But it’s also good to remember that God isn’t in the business of abandoning people. And I can say this with confidence, because it’s written throughout our Scriptures.
When we immerse ourselves in the story of our ancestors of our faith, we realize that we’re not alone. When we encounter the Bible and enter the story, we end up finding a whole cast of characters who understand what it feels like to be scared.
And, we come to learn that there was never a time in the history of God and God’s people, that faithful people didn’t whisper and worry about their future.
This uncertainty is immediately obvious in the story of the Exodus, as the people of God face hardship and hunger in the wilderness. In fact, in today’s reading, we encounter the Israelites at a rare moment of clarity and peace.
But it’s also apparent in today’s Gospel reading…
The section begins with an observation:
“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like a sheep without a shepherd.”
Jesus looks into the downturned faces of his followers and immediately understands their distress. He decides that he is going to do something about it…
He calls twelve apostles for an important mission: they are commanded to “Go!” Go out and proclaim that the Kingdom of God is near!
In other words, Jesus responds to the uncertainty of his followers with the certainty of the Kingdom.
Especially in light of church decline, I think it’s worthwhile to consider what this passage may be teaching the church today.
What can we learn about the church’s call by studying the apostles’ mission?
I want to focus on three attributes of Jesus’ instruction: power, place, and relationship.
First, let’s talk about power. Who empowers the apostles to do the work of the Kingdom?
Matthew is clear that they have been empowered by Christ. They didn’t get together, discuss it among themselves, and then launch mission programming. Their authority comes directly from Christ, who calls them, provides them with diverse and miraculous gifts, and lays out the framework for their journey.
In the church today, it is easy to think we get our power from the institution – or perhaps from various experts inside and outside the church. It calms our anxiety to get the ball rolling ourselves.
But Jesus reminds us that he is the one who empowers the church. We must spend time in discernment and prayer so that we know where the Holy Spirit is leading us.
The work of the church depends on our understanding that Christ is the one who calls, equips, and sends us.
Ok, so now let’s talk about place. Where are the apostles instructed to go?
Matthew is unique among the Gospels in that Jesus instructs the apostles to go only to “the lost sheep of Israel.” In other words, their fellow Jews.
Scholars note that this is just as much a geographical instruction as it is a religious one. They are to stay in a certain place. Jesus isn’t asking the apostles to go on an international mission trip, or waste time trying to convert people with whom they have little in common. He is telling them to go to their neighbors – to the people who live nearby and share some context.
With that in mind, the church today might ask: “Who is my neighbor?”
When it comes to living out the mission of the church, we can remember that it is good to focus on those who live in close proximity to us. In the Book of Jeremiah, God instructs his people in exile to “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you.”
We build the Kingdom of God right where we are, seeking to provide for the needs of all who live among and around us.
The work of the church is local, inclusive, and attentive to our neighbors.
Finally, relationship. How do the people in this story relate to one another and to Jesus?
The apostles are empowered because they are deeply connected to Jesus, not just as followers but as friends. And they are sent to a particular place so that the community of the Kingdom can take root.
But, even more telling is that Jesus tells them to travel light, and not request payment. This is because their mission isn’t transactional, it is relational. When the apostles are sent out empty-handed, they are granting others the dignity of showing up for them. They are making it clear that even though they have been empowered and equipped by Jesus, they are still vulnerable and in need of good food, and a place to lay their heads.
They are still human. The apostles and the “lost sheep” are part of the same flock and Jesus is the shepherd.
When we think about what it means to be the church, we must prioritize relationship. Christ’s kingdom is one in which all people are beloved – it’s not an us-versus-them. Kingdom-building requires the humility to know that we need other people.
So, being the church is about expecting our neighbors – regardless of what they look like, how they act, or who they love – to become our friends.
The work of the church transforms us through the hard and beautiful work of loving one another.
Of course, all that being said, we know that our Scriptures aren’t merely prescriptive. They’re not a rulebook for life. They’re the first part of the story of how God-incarnate disrupts our normal life, because God loves us too much not to intervene.
They tell of the eternal story we enter through our Baptism, and within which the Holy Spirit whispers.
Like those first Jesus-followers, Jesus reaches out to us and offers the certainty of the Kingdom of God. Like those first apostles, we have received power through the Holy Spirit to foster communities that are being transformed by the hope of the Gospel.
So, when someone says “The death of the Episcopal Church is near,” we can counter with, “The Kingdom of God is near.”
Because, even in these uncertain times, there’s no doubt about it: We are still being called. No matter what comes our way, the work continues. In Christ, we are continually being empowered to proclaim good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons.
So, let the Amen and Alleluia ring out over the doubt! The church is alive because Christ is alive!
Amen! Alleluia!
Leah Wise 