Proper 6A’26
14 June 2026
Matthew 9.35-10.8
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church
North Little Rock, Arkansas
The Rev. Carey Stone <+>
The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore, ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest… As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Amen. – Matthew 9
There is no doubt about it, the Church with a capital “C” is flawed, statistics highlight a decline in active members and financial resources, and it’s often viewed as irrelevant to the times. But I wouldn’t count it out. With all of its flaws, the church is still the best thing out there! The Church has proved over and over again that anytime, or anywhere a group of believers are gathered in Christ’s name, the Love of God can be shown to be stronger than anything the darkness can throw at it.
There are times when the beauty of the Church shines through, maybe not in spite of the flaws but because of them the Spirit is given room to work. As the modern-day Canadian bard Leonard Cohen so aptly put it,
“Ring the bells that still can ring,
Forget your perfect offering,
Everything has a crack in it,
That’s how the light gets in.”
Yesterday at the cathedral those who were present witnessed a thing of beauty, we saw the light shining through all the cracks from top to bottom, from the bishop all the way down to the youngest child, we experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit. We saw how God works through very flawed human beings to assemble a community that imperfectly reflects the perfect image of God. When Jesus looked out on a crowd, he had compassion for them, and that they were “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” We have been given the same Good News that’s for any who know themselves to be flawed they have a place in the kingdom: “As you go proclaim the good news, the Kingdom of heaven has come near!” Yesterday, at the ordination of Michael Mitchell, St. Luke’s showed itself to be very much a part of the work of the Kingdom of Heaven! I’m glad to report that out of all the diocesan parishes represented St. Luke’s had the largest representation! (Make sure to look at out two Facebook pages for photos).
We as a congregation, in collaboration with our bishop and diocese have been involved in raising up and sending a laborer into the harvest to a town called Hope where the Rev. Michael Mitchell will commence his ministry as a Deacon-in-charge at St. Mark’s church! Michael is Good News and in July will be bringing that good news to a rural town in need of the love and hope he brings! Who can tell the harvest that will come as a result of the seeds that he will plant. We rejoice with Michael and all the newly ordained! But are you aware that we have all been ordained? Look with me in the red book of common prayer in your pew racks and turn with me to page 855. Here we are asked:
Q: Who are the ministers of the Church?
A: The ministers of the Church are lay persons, bishops, priests, and deacons. At our baptisms we are ordained as ministers in the Church.
Looking to the left on p.854 we find more detail:
Q: How is the Church described in the Bible?
A: The Church is described as the Body which Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all baptized persons are members. It is called the People of God, the New Israel, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, and the pillar and ground of truth.
Now back to p. 855 where each order of the ministers of the church along with their particular roles are described. While each order of ministry is different, they all begin with the same directive:
The ministry of lay persons is to represent Christ and his Church…The ministry of a bishop is to represent Christ and his Church…The Ministry of a priest is to represent Christ and his Church…The ministry of a deacon is to represent Christ and his Church.
Turning to p.856:
Q: What is the duty of all Christians?
A: To follow Christ; to come together week by week for corporate worship; and to work, pray, and give for the spread of the kingdom of God.
If that is our duty, then what is our mission?
Turn to page 855 at the top:
Q: What is the mission of the Church?
A: The mission of the Church is to restore all people to unity with God and each other in Christ.
Q: Through whom does the Church carry out its mission?
A: The Church carries out its mission through the ministry of all its members.
I’d like to share two stories to bring all of this home, both involve Trinity Cathedral.
There is a person that I knew several years ago who came to an afternoon chapel service where I was presiding. They entered the chapel weeping. After the service they began to describe the downward spiral, they were in and “the mess” they had made of their lives. I asked how they decided to come to the service that day. They said, “My family didn’t attend church but every time I had a sleepover at one of my friend’s houses they always invited and took me to church at Trinity Cathedral. The family were some of the nicest people I had ever met and the people at the Cathedral were so welcoming. I have never forgotten the way they treated me and the way I felt when in the church service. I thought maybe God is who I need, and maybe God can help me straighten out my life.” This person eventually joined an Episcopal Church, and ended up serving as Senior Warden! The family had no idea what their small seeds of love would produce; the cathedral had no idea what fruit their kindness would produce. This person found unity with God, themselves, and with their neighbors.
The following happened to me yesterday at the ordination. I was walking to the back of the cathedral and suddenly I was approached by someone that society tends to look down on. They asked, “Are you a priest?” Perhaps my collar was the giveaway, they asked “Will you hear my confession?” I said sure and we went to the back pew where they described how they had hatred towards God for the way God had made them. I had the privilege of representing Christ and his Church by hearing their confession before God, then declaring on behalf of the Church that they were forgive and then to tell them the incredibly good news that they were God’s beloved child!
Episcopal evangelism may not be as high pressure as some of our Evangelical brothers and sisters but it is nonetheless effective. Two sheep that were lost had been found. Through the seeds of beauty of architecture, holy scripture, traditional liturgy, prayer, and hospitality a harvest is being gathered.
I’ll give noted author an Episcopalian, Madelein L’Engle the last word today:
“We do not draw people to Christ by loudly discrediting what they believe, by telling how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their hearts to know the source of it.” Madelein L’Engle, Walking on Water (Waterbrook Publishers, 2001).
Amen!
