Bishop Joseph Gossman, who served the diocese of Raleigh for 31 years until 2006, used to say that he ordained priests to make them pastors, not just priests who help pastors. You may think that all priests are pastors, but they are not. There are many other opportunities within the Church to serve besides being a pastor. Bishop Gossman carefully prepared us priests to become pastors.

Today’s gospel reminds us that the Lord called disciples and carefully prepared them to become missionaries. Today, Saint Mark tells us about the first time the Lord sent his apostles on mission. The Bible suggests that the Lord took time with each Apostle until they were well prepared and had the confidence necessary to go on mission.  Today we reflect on this fact and think about the delicate way the Lord is preparing us and our companions for our mission. Our companions could be coworkers, fellow students, neighbors, friends, or fellow parishioners.

The Lord’s disciples are never alone in ministry; we are always in little Christian communities, though they may be difficult to recognize sometimes. As missionaries sent in small groups, we have the advantage of praying together like right now; we also encourage and support one another; and with charity, we correct each other’s mistakes and discern how to deal with problems together.

The Lord gave very specific directions in the event that the apostles were rejected. They were to shake the dust off their feet as a gesture symbolizing condemnation. The people of Israel believed that the soil of their land was holy. For example, upon reentering Israel after a journey, they would shake the pagan dust off their feet as a sign of separating themselves from Gentile ways.

The Church highlights this reality of rejection in the life of missionaries by paring this gospel reading with a reading from the book of the prophet Amos. Amaziah, a priest who was more interested in serving the king than the God whom Amos served, attempts to classify Amos as a prophet for hire. Amos reacts strongly to this attempt by the Amaziah. Amos disassociates with the kind of “professional” prophet. He tells Amaziah that by profession he is a cowboy and cares for sycamores trees. It was by God’s call that he had received the divine commission to prophesy to the people of Israel.

You, too, by God’s call through your baptismal vocation as priest and prophet have received a divine commission to be missionaries to the world. Today we are reminded of our Christian vocation, God’s call in our life. Today we are also invited to reflect on the way we are fulfilling this mission entrusted to us. You are missionaries in your homes, your workplaces, your communities. You are missionaries also to serve right here, in our parish.

Today, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my invitation to those who may feel called to join one or more ministries in our parish. Being active in our parish does not have to take a lot of time or energy, especially as more parishioners become involved. If you ask those already actively involved in parish life, they will tell you that they have found that it enriches their lives and draws them even closer to God.

To help you connect with the parish ministry that you may feel a call to, a newly revised Ministry Form is available in the Gathering Area for you to become aware of the options and express your interest. This is a little different method from what you have experienced in the past. The Ministry Fair has traditionally been the time when the parish invites all parishioners to join lay ministries. This Ministry Fair, held traditionally on the weekend after Labor Day, has now been moved to Spring, to Pentecost Sunday. The reason is that we would like to celebrate on Pentecost Sunday the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our parish, fruits that are seen in all the ministries we have.

Just as with the Apostles, the Lord gave each of us talents, which he nurtures through grace, preparing us for mission. The talents given are meant to be put into service of the Church, and to draw others closer to the Lord. Let us reflect on the fact that at our baptism God almighty welcomed us as his children and commissioned us to serve as his missionaries. Let us humbly ask the Lord to help us recognize his call to our Christian vocation and to be generous in our mission here and now.