Based on Matthew 9:35-10:5,16

In the story from Matthew’s gospel, we heard how Jesus sent out the disciples to bring God’s good news to the people of Galilee.

I invite you to imagine that photographers accompanied the disciples, following them to capture their adventures: what they encountered and learned, the people they met and the lives they touched. I invite you to further imagine that upon their return, they pasted the photographs into an album. Well, we have that album here. Let’s flip through the pages and look at some of the images together.

I love this picture! It is the very first photo in the album. It captures the twelve disciples at the instant they are setting out together! A few are setting out with confidence and purpose. Others look unsure of what direction to take or what to expect.

Next, there is picture of James and John, the brothers, sitting on a low wall. They are surrounded by a crowd! It looks as if the whole village is there: children and elders, men and women. They appear to be listening intently to everything the brothers say.

Here’s one of Peter. He is standing on a lakeshore. There are boats in the water and people on the shore.  Peter seems to be having an argument with a Pharisee. I wonder what it was about? And, I wonder who won?

Now here’s an interesting one. This photograph shows a group of lepers in the shade of a grove of trees. Banished from their communities, they live together away from others. But Bartholomew is visiting them. He has his hands on one of their heads – and look at that woman there – she appears to be skipping away with her arms in the air – it looks as if she was cured!

Oh, this one is awful! I cannot make out which disciple it is, but he is lying on the ground, curled up, trying to cover his head while a group of men are beating him with sticks and kicking him.

Here’s one of Andrew in an impressive building. He’s facing a panel of dark-clad and scowling men. I wonder what sort of authorities they are? But Andrew is clearly holding his own. He appears to be speaking out strongly with a hand raised to make his point.

There are lots more photos but let’s skip ahead to the end. On the last page there is a montage of pictures showing the disciples gathered round Jesus telling him about their experiences. One of the photos shows poor Thaddeus on a crutch looking rather downcast. He obviously had a tough time of it out there.

I love the final group-photo. Look at all the different expressions, revealing triumph and disaster, footholds gained and battles lost, suffering and joy. And, yet, in every single face you can see a sense of joy … joy, because they did what they set out to do – proclaim God’s good news in their very different ways. Joy, because they became bearers of news too good to keep to themselves.

What a privilege to look through that photographic album showing what it looked like when the first disciples first practiced bringing God’s good news to the world, as Jesus has instructed them to do.

Imagine that we, too, have a photo album. It is not hard to imagine as we are a church with many photographers who generously document our life in community: photographers like George Delianides, Lise Beane, Sonja Abbot, Ted Parkins and Jim Ognibene others. Let’s imagine that George, Lise, Sonja, Ted and Jim agreed to follow the members of Old South just in the past week alone, to capture the ways we have been sent out to bring God’s good news to this broken world.

The first photo captures members of Old South last Sunday morning at 9 AM. They are gathered at the Hatch Band Shell, ready to begin in the AIDS Walk. Old South has fielded a team of AIDS walkers for many years. They walk in memory of those who have died, in honor of others who struggle with the disease. They walk to raise awareness and to raise money. They walk to stand in solidarity with people who suffer, not only the effects of a deadly disease, but also the pain of persecution. In this way, these walkers bring and bear witness to God’s good news of love.

On this same page in the album – because it was also taken last Sunday – there is a panoramic picture of Old South members at the All-Church picnic. They are all ages, gathered around picnic tables laden with hotdogs and hamburgers, potato salad and candied apples. I am not sure they are bringing God’s good news to the others in the park(!) … but they are doing something else Jesus urged: resting from their labors and enjoying the beauty of a summer day. And this is all part of the Christian Education Committee’s continuing work of passing on the good news to the next generation.

The next photo captures a dozen Old South members at the Statehouse on Wednesday morning. They are participating in an action planned by the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization that has called together over 1000 people. Despite the protestations of some, they are determined to mix faith and politics to bring healing to the Commonwealth … in this case by advocating for affordable, accessible healthcare for all.

The next photo shows an audience in Mary Norton Hall enjoying the comic musical review: the British Are Coming … Again! They share laughter at songs and sketches that are ironic and absurd and playful. Much of the joy and surprise of the laughter is the gentle barbs at our own selves, and the antics of our religious life.

Oh, and look, there are two photographs from yesterday. The first shows this sanctuary packed with people for the Annual Interfaith Pride Service. There are people in the balconies and in the aisles. They are gay and straight, bisexual and transgender. They are Buddhist and Jewish and Christian. They sing hymns and ring bells and pray prayers and, bask in the affirmation that despite what they may have heard and experienced, God loves them and the church welcomes them.

A second photo from yesterday captures the Old South Pride Parade float: a rented truck bedecked with rainbows and balloons. The float carries and is accompanied by the members of this, our Old South family: our elders and children, our fathers and daughters, our brothers and sisters. And you can make out the words on the Old South sign. It says, Jesus Welcomed Everyone: So Do We.

At least three other photos will be added to the album after today: a group photo of the new members who joined our family this morning. Another photo of our longest-term members whom we will honor in a few moments. There is also a photograph of the rededication of the Children’s Chapel as a place of prayer and meditation.

If we were to take a group-photo right now, right here, it would probably look a lot like the group photo of the twelve disciples back from their first attempt to share God’s good news with the world. Our group photo would also capture different expressions telling of triumph and disaster, of footholds gained and battles lost, of suffering and joy. But in each face, I think you would be able to make out at least a hint of joy. For we know, as the first followers of Jesus knew, that while we have often stumbled and failed, sinned and erred, we have some successes as well. We do some good. We manage a little healing. We love and care, weep and laugh, as we try to bring God’s good news to this broken world.

So that is our church photograph album … a collection of photos depicting a few of our activities over the course of a single week. We haven’t had time to look at all the pictures from last week: of the numerous meetings held here, or photographs of volunteers folding bulletins, ushering at special events, visiting the ill, writing cards, making calls, covering the front desk, scraping paint, managing the Webpage, tending the garden or preparing flowers – many, many photographs showing our collective life as a community of Christians determined to bring God’s good news to this broken world.

Now … I wonder if you might be willing to imagine what your own life-album might look like? The newest members might just beginning theirs. One of our long-time members, Ted Parkins, has 70-years worth of photographs. Imagine that!

What does your album look like? What photos will be added to it a week from now, a month from now? What pictures might show you witnessing to our broken world that God’s good news is here; it is real, it heals and saves … and it calls out from us, our very best.
 
 

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