​To illustrate this I want to take us to the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus: it would seem that they were personal friends with Jesus – and that he often stopped here to rest.
Jesus has been training disciples – sent out 72 of them, and received their reports from the work they have done.
Now he needs a break – and goes to Bethany. 
And at this point the story gets interesting: because we see Jesus taking on the culture of the day:
Luke 10:38-42  Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” 

Jesus culture was patriarchal: there were clear rules for men and for women.
The men hunted, fished, did business, and discussed the political and religious affairs of the day: In fact it was commonly thought that women were not able to comprehend the complicated things of God – so they were not allowed to lead prayers or read the scriptures in the temple.  
The women had children, cleaned the house, cooked the food – and stayed out of the business of the men. 
And then Luke tells a story that contradicts this:
Martha is in the kitchen preparing food for their guests – as was expected of a woman.
Mary, on the other hand, went to sit at the feet of Jesus: She took the place normally reserved for a disciple of Jesus. Mary ignored her cultural role – and stepped over the cultural boundaries of the men: she sat in the circle of the men, and discussed religious beliefs with the rabbi.
Now: normally the rabbi would rebuke this woman and tell her to know her place. But we have to assume that the only reason that Mary she did this is because she knew Jesus – and she knew that he welcomed women into his circle. 
• Mary knew that Jesus had sat with a woman at Jacob’s well and discussed religious belief with her.
• Mary knew that Jesus had protected a woman caught in adultery
• Mary knew that Jesus had healed a women in a crowd, and had prayed with a little girl who was ill
And so she had confidence to sit at his feet and trust that he would not chase her away.

This is the good news of Jesus – both men and women are welcome to sit at the feet of Jesus.
Want to stress this point – because somehow, 2000 years later, Christians still have not got it!
There are many, many people who follow Jesus who want to separate men and women at the feet of Jesus:
Men assume that their place is in the pulpit while the place of women is pouring the coffee and providing treats after the service.
Some compromise this – and allow women to speak to women’s meetings…but never to the whole church.
And even for us liberated Methodists who have women pastors, perhaps somewhere in our unconscious prejudices we still think that a male preacher is better than a female preacher!
Be clear – Jesus said that Mary was welcome to sit at his feet:
Luke 10:42 Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” 

Let me add one more thought:
Jesus did not say that Martha was wrong for being in the kitchen.
Jesus does not condemn Martha’s call to be hospitable. 
When Martha complains that Mary should be helping her – Jesus speaks about calling:
In effect he is saying: “Martha, you live out your calling – but beware of hearing Mary’s calling. You are doing what you are called to do – let Mary do what she has been called to do.”
Think about it – Martha was not complaining that she needed help: she had other help available to her: she had her brother Lazarus who could have helped her: but she specifically wanted Mary! You see Martha had discerned Mary’s tasks, based on the culture of the day.
Allow me to speak bluntly:  Every woman is designed by God: and God has placed specific skills in her. And she should be able to hear the call of God on her life to become what Jesus calls her to be.
And she should be able to do this without us being like Martha and talking her out of the dreams that God places in her: Can I wonder aloud?
- What is your reaction when you hear that a woman drives an 18 wheeler truck?
- Or how do you react to a woman being nominated to be the president of our country?
Beware of the temptation to be like Martha: where we allow our history and our culture to limit what a woman can do.
And if you would allow me to digress for a moment and speak about the way men have made decisions about the reproductive rights of women:
We men would protest if a woman governor should pass legislation to sterilize men who father unwanted babies.
We men would be very uncomfortable if a woman legislator would call for men to be castrated for rape or for incest
So let us men pause of speaking about whether a woman should be forced to give birth or not. Instead of trying to take over the voice of God,  we can encourage women to hear the call of God in their life choices. 
Both Mary and Martha were loved by Jesus…each living into the call of God on their lives. Our task is to encourage each person to discover God’s call and to obey it. 
Let me take you back to the text for today: Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, 1 Peter 4:10

The US Declaration of Independence was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776. From this moment the idea of freedom was deeply imbedded in the American soul – and conversation on being free rages across cultural and geographic divides. The American people cherish their freedom – it is seen in public political conversation, it is written on T-shirts, and even used to name fireworks and beer. I understand this, because I come from a country that went through its own struggle for freedom: South Africa freed itself first from the British Empire, and then from the politics of Afrikander apartheid. 

Today seems a good time to reflect on freedom – which does not begin as a political idea: freedom is a deeply help Christian belief. I want to offer a text for today – and then go on to ground this text in a context:. 
The text comes from St Paul, and the context from the Gospel of  Luke as he tells of the life and teaching of Jesus
Our text for today:
Gal 5:13  As for you, my friends, you were called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead, let love make you serve one another..

St Paul says that freedom is a calling:. “You were called to be free”. God calls us to live life as free people. Freedom is this gift from God that threads its way though the Bible with the story of God leading the children of Israel out of Egypt to freedom. The promise of Freedom is found in the prayers of the Psalms and in the writings of the prophet Isaiah. Freedom is the theological foundation of the writings of St Paul. And Jesus comes to preach of the freedom of the Kingdom of God.
This is the at the heart of the story we read today in the Gospel of Luke: Jesus sends out 72 of his disciples with this one message:
“The Kingdom of God is near you”
This was a very difficult message at the time, because the people Jesus speaks to are living under the Kingdom of Rome – a Kingdom that ruled the people with an iron fist! 
Jesus preaches that there is a Kingdom greater than Rome – the Kingdom of God. Remember that to be preaching that there was a higher authority was dangerous. Jesus was saying that the Kingdom of Rome needed to hear its accountability to the Kingdom of God – and when Rome took away the freedom of people, they were to be reminded that the Kingdom of God is near. This Kingdom of God is a kingdom that sets people free. And wherever we see signs of people being set free – we see signs of God at work. 
And so it is appropriate for us, as people faith, to celebrate freedom as God’s gift to humanity. 
And I congratulate you on the celebration of your national birthday tomorrow.

That said: freedom is not permission to behave without restraint. There are conditions that come with it:
As St Paul reminds us: do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Jesus has more to say about this – Jesus is quite clear about the way freedom looks: when he sends his disciples out they are to preach the freedom of God: 
Luke 10:9; “say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.”  
But along with this Good news of freedom, Jesus adds these instructions:  
• Declare peace on each house you enter.
• Look after the sick
• Be content with what you have been given and do not become greedy for more.
Freedom is not about satisfying the cravings of my soul – freedom is a calling to extend the blessings I have received to everyone else. As Paul reminds us: “through love serve one another”

The 72 disciples were not just to celebrate their own freedom they have been given by Jesus – they had a responsibility to share this good news with the people around them. 
So in the same way as I congratulate you on your Independence Day,  I would urge you to remember that the task is not yet over. While there is someone else who does not have the same freedoms that You and I have, we have a calling the bring the Kingdom of God near to them too.
This can range from the great vision for a world where people are free from tyranny and want, to us being vigilant in our families to protect those who are weaker and less able to live freely.
At the same time as we support the right of Ukraine to be free from Russian dominance, we also need to look out for the people in our own neighbourhood who are bullied and pushed aside.

Allow me to return to my own roots: 
A key figure in the struggle for freedom in South Africa was  Nelson Mandela. He was a leader in the liberation movement, and became the first President of a newly constituted South Africa. As he thought about the new freedom that millions of South African’s had gained, he offered this wisdom: 
“To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others,”

So: celebrate with family – eat food – enjoy the warm weather:
But remember these words of Paul: 
Gal 5:13  As for you, my friends, you were called to be free. But do not let this freedom become an excuse for letting your physical desires control you. Instead, let love make you serve one another..

Three dedicated followers, all wanting to be with Jesus, say “YES” to following him; and each comes with expectations or loose ends needing tied up. To each of them, Jesus responds; “clear the deck. It’s time to let go of your expectations and obligations and focus on your mission.” It seems extreme, and maybe it is; but these are the words of Jesus. And so, they beckon us to explore with curiosity and openness, what Jesus might be trying to tell these disciples, and by extension, us, about the nature of the kingdom of God.

John Wesley’s prayer; prayed every year at the Celebration of Life in Ministry service. It is prayed by everyone in attendance; a radical re-dedication of faith. As I begin I want to read this prayer for us, in light of today’s scripture: 
● Our itinerant system
● Ed Coates; memories of earlier annual conferences, when it was routine for pastors to come not knowing whether or where they might be going in just a few weeks’ time. And in the days of John Wesley it was an even more more dangerous vocation.
● From an article dated March 7, 2018 on umc.org, the following depicts some of the challenges faced by early Methodist circuit riders:
○ Methodist Church records from 1844 record a church membership of over 1 million, with 4,000 ministers riding circuits in the U.S. 
○ …one could travel days before reaching a town, and a day or so from one farm to the next, and that wasn’t even in frontier territories, which were often even more sparsely populated.
○ Some of their mementos give us a glimpse into their unusual circumstances.
○ A circuit preacher had to carry everything he might need; fishing lines in case he needed to go fishing, wax to seal letters, even bleeding instruments."
○ Typically, circuit riders traveled 200 to 500 mile routes on horseback. At times, they preached every day. Sometimes circuits were so large that it took six weeks to complete a cycle. Exhaustion, illness, animal attacks, and unfriendly encounters were constant threats.
○ Days and nights were spent in the elements, hunting or fishing for food and depending on the hospitality of strangers.
○ Barbara Duffin: "Circuit riders would have to spend the night with any family that would put them up and eat whatever was available to eat."
○ Ministers rarely served longer than two years on the same circuit. Theirs was a difficult and often short life. Prior to 1847, nearly half of Methodist circuit riding preachers died before the age of 30. But their passion for saving souls was unprecedented, then and now.
○ Wesley was famous for having said that Methodist preachers must be ready to preach, pray or die on a moment’s notice. 
Somehow, Jesus’ words don’t seem quite so extreme now, do they?
Most Methodist preachers don’t have it quite so tough these days in North America. But we must not forget that ours is a global denomination, with churches spread throughout Africa, Asia and Europe, where clergy serve in war-torn and conflict-ridden places, where danger is an ever-present reality. In recent months we have been reminded of this as United Methodists clergy and laity have worshiped and engaged in mission together from dark bomb shelters, and in the midst of active warfare.
So let us not allow the discomfort we may feel in our relatively comfortable pews, here in Brookings South Dakota to drive us away from these words of Jesus; we are messengers of the good news of the Kingdom of God. 

It is ironic, isn’t it, that in a sermon titled “Brought Home in the Spirit” we hear Jesus’ words; “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” 
It seems as though Jesus, with his fiery, controversial rhetoric, is trying to convey to these passionate, sold-out followers that there are some hard truths that come with a life of dedication to God’s kingdom. And he does it by giving surprising responses to these three disciples; all of whom agree to follow him, but with certain assumptions, or conditions. Let’s look a little more closely at these three disciples. 
The first disciple promises to follow Jesus “wherever you go” in verse 57. Jesus responds cryptically, with an almost nursery-rhyme like phrase; “foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” (v. 58)
 
The second and third disciples ask for allowances that, in any culture, seem totally reasonable, even commendable; to attend to the burial of a parent and to bid farewell to one’s family before committing to this total and complete act of personal sacrifice. To both of these disciples, Jesus offers a surprisingly stark rebuke; to the first he says, “let the dead bury their own dead but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God,” 
 
(v. 60) and to the second; “no one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom.” (v. 62)
There are times in life when we must hear a hard truth.; times when we must be disabused of our romantic notions of glory and our lofty visions of success must be tempered by the stark light of reality. Perhaps this is that sort of moment for the disciples. Taken in by the excitement of a new possibility, perhaps they hold expectations that this following Jesus thing is going to be like a pleasant road trip with their buddies. Knowing what is ahead of them, perhaps Jesus is preparing them for what really lies in store; suffering, conflict, hardship, even persecution and for many of them, death.
The words of John Wesley again come to mind; “Every Methodist pastor must be ready to preach, pray or die at a moment’s notice.” 
It is a sobering thing to say “yes” to that kind of invitation.
It is true that this is my last Sunday with you here at Brookings First United Methodist. I have been so grateful for the time I’ve spent with you these past two years. Jim, Lucas and I have been blessed by your fellowship and care, and we have been able to participate in amazing ministry together. 
And, I am called to move; like Jesus and his disciples, the nature of Methodist ministry is itinerant; we are in some ways, always mindful that at a moment’s notice (or maybe a few months’ notice, as it happens these days), we may again be on the move. This is a gift! It is a gift because it is a constant reminder that our security lies not in any place, or position, or in the opinions of others, but in the realization that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to go and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We are not called to be comfortable. The work of the Kingdom is an urgent, patient work. It requires our dedication and focus, as well as a keen grasp of the hard realities in which we live. It is not glamorous, or trendy. It is hard, holy work; and it is work that matters not just today, but for eternity. 
But this way of ministry is not only a gift to us pastors; it is a gift to you. You also are given the opportunity to grow and strengthen in your faith. Like the disciples, you may come to recognize your own agency in ministry--you are empowered in mission and ministry. Think about it; what is the constant in a United Methodist church? It’s not the pastor--it is the congregation. Like Paul, who traveled from church to church throughout the ancient near East, the constant presence were the believers in each city, town and home who remained, who continued the mission, who endured the hardships and saw, day after month after year, the faithfulness of God as they continued on empowered by the Holy Spirit, in sharing the good news of Christ.
Pastor Pete will continue to lead this congregation as long as God calls him to this place; I am moving into a different role, and am already seeing how God is providing for your needs, inviting others to step into leadership roles in creative and innovative ways. You are continuing to deepen and grow as you fulfill the mission God has given you through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is not always easy; sometimes it requires a level of sacrifice that stretches and challenges you. But God is faithful. Continue to put your hand to the plow. Keep stepping out in faith on the path God has set before you. Let the Spirit guide you. And as you do, may you recognize that your home--your true home--is with the One who calls you out with the same words he called those first disciples; “follow me.”
The text doesn’t tell us what these three disciples decided to do; we don’t know whether they dropped everything and followed Jesus, or whether they decided the price was too high. Maybe the stark reality sunk in; maybe it scared them away. We don’t know. But one thing we do know is this; as followers of Jesus, we have the same choice. Will we follow Jesus when things get real? 
As we close I want to invite us to stand and say together the prayer I shared at the beginning; it is a prayer that applies not just to pastors, but to any of us who accept Jesus’ call to follow him. As you pray the words, I invite you to give your heart wholly to God; in radical surrender to God’s will and way in your life.