"Getting to Know You, Two by Two"

Mark 6:1-13 
Luke 10:38-42

He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority  . . .“Don’t think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. No special appeals for funds. Keep it simple.

12-13 Then they were on the road. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different; right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits. --Mark 6:7, 9, 12-13

But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; 42 there is need of only one thing.[a]Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.”  --Luke 10:41-42

In Mark 6, Jesus tells his disciples to go outside to minister and to take nothing with them.  The Message translation of his words says, "you are the equipment." and "Keep it simple."  And he sent them out two by two... not as solo participants in the kingdom making business.  

So our instructions in this are, go out into the world to be a good neighbor. You don't need anything to do it. Just yourself.  Well, yourself and another person. Go two by two. Two minds, two hearts, are better than one. Work together to make a difference. Don't think you have to go out on behalf of NUMC alone. Take someone with you.  And 'preach that life can be radically different,' because someone out there needs to hear that from us.  And they likely won't hear it here on a Sunday until they hear it from you on their own turf.

But be careful. It's not all about programs. Or activities. It's about relationship-building primarily. Martha fell into the trap in Luke 10 of thinking that her busyness on behalf of Kingdom building was what Jesus wanted and needed. But what he tells her is don't be distracted by doing activities on my behalf. Instead, sit and listen to someone. Be a neighbor by paying attention to someone's story. 

We are called to be good neighbors in our community.  Two by two, we are called to go outside the doors and seek the kingdom people God is calling us to serve.  We need nothing fancy to do it. Just ourselves and our love of neighbor. And our willingness to love God with all our heart, strength, soul and might.

Let's go.  Two at a time. And change everything.

Do you have a thought about getting to know our neighborhood(s)? Email me at peverhart@niwotumc.org or comment below by clicking the link.