10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two^[a] others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. ² He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. ³ Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.⁴ Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.

⁵ “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’⁶ If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. ⁷ Stay there, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.

⁸ “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is offered to you. ⁹ Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ ¹⁰ But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, ¹¹ ‘Even the dust of your town we wipe from our feet as a warning to you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God has come near.’

Luke 10:1-11

I was driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic in Washington, DC, when I saw them. They stood out on the thronging sidewalk among people from every curve of the earth. Some people carried luxury Coach bags, and others had garbage bags with all their worldly possessions. To beat the heat rising from the pavement, women wore skirts and sleeveless blouses, men in Bermuda or khaki shorts. However, I noticed the two young men in long-sleeved white shirts, solid black ties, creased pants, and wearing backpacks. They walked through the inferno with open, Midwestern smiles that said, “Nice weather we are having! We’re sharing a message of hope centered on Jesus Christ. Could we share it with you?" I noted my adverse internal reaction, and then felt a little guilt for quickly judging them. After all, it’s not like they were flashing gang signs, selling drugs, or wearing White Power t-shirts. They were just two young Mormons doing their year of public service, witnessing to their faith, perhaps not unlike the young disciples Jesus sent out two by two.

Why the negativity regarding these missionary endeavors? I know Jesus said he would make his disciples fishers of people, but who wants to be a fish on a hook? I understand Jesus was offering these fishers a new vocation, but the analogy falters when we start seeing people as our daily catch. Many of you have experiences with religious people who are pushy, annoying, and judgmental. The offensiveness of missionaries stems from their attitude that they have the one true path. Get right with God or get left behind. Most Protestant denominations have repented of the paternalism and imperialism of missionary endeavors and renamed Mission boards as Global Partners or World Outreach. I served on the UCC World Mission Board in the 1990s when we underwent a shift in our approach to working in mutual partnership with churches worldwide.

Another critical issue is being more respectful of a multi-faith world. In the last 20 years, we have reconnected with the Jewish roots of Christianity. Millions of people have learned about Buddhism and Hinduism through mindfulness practices and yoga. I have a bookshelf on Buddhism because meditation practices have deepened my spiritual practice. I don’t think I’m making the world better, or more spiritual, by trying to get a Buddhist, Mormon, or Muslim to be a Christian. Buddhist teacher Thich Nhat Hanh said that when he talks with Christians, he hopes that they will become better Christians, and he will become a better Buddhist.

So, I’m not going to send you all out in pairs to knock on doors or hand out tracts at Hannaford’s. Most likely, you would find the practice demoralizing. The average Mormon missionary draws about 1-3 baptisms per year of full-time service. You must be good at taking rejection. The best salespeople aren’t necessarily the brightest or most articulate people. They are the ones who have had ten “no’s” and will still make the cold call at 4 PM. So, despite the low success rate, the Mormon church is the fastest-growing religious group in America over the last decade.

Here is the challenge I feel in the United Church of Christ. I was attracted to the UCC precisely because it values tolerance, questions, is open and affirming of LGBTQ people, and does not force creeds on its members. That is lovely, but since I have been ordained, the UCC has gone from 1.7 million members to 700,000. The math is not hard. We are down 1 million people. And in the same period hate groups like neo-Nazis and white power groups have grown by 50%. Their influence on our culture is greater than the UCC and possibly all traditional Protestant churches. Do we accept that it is an inevitable shift for the future?

Here is an important question I am asking about this mission. While it is not our nature to be a proselytizing or converting kind of faith community, our mission statement clearly states that we are a welcoming church. In 2004, the UCC launched the “God is Still Speaking” campaign. One goal was to become a church of extravagant welcome.

We said valuable things like,

“This campaign is not just about bringing people into church. It’s about shaping a different kind of church—where all God's children find belonging, meaning, and purpose.”

“We believe that faith is a journey, and that church should be a place where you don’t have to leave your questions—or your identity—at the door.”

Since that time, we have gone from 600 to 1600 Open and Affirming Churches. That’s right, 1000 new ONA churches, which is a 177% increase for the mathematically minded. I think a lot of people believed that if we were on the cultural cutting edge, welcoming gay people, we would reverse our membership decline. I think the UCC played a significant role in gaining acceptance for marriage equality and LGBTQ rights, but that doesn’t necessarily mean people are going to flock to church. I’m proud of the work the UCC has done, and there is still more to be done. While these achievements are significant, Jesus invites us to go even further—not just to welcome, but to walk with, bless, and serve in simplicity. Let’s look at what Jesus says to the 72 as he sends them. The harvest is plentiful. Don’t carry a lot of baggage. Bless people. Leave the dust behind.

Jesus told his disciples the harvest is plentiful, but I think we have stopped believing that is true. A malaise of inevitability has set in that many churches will die with the baby boomers, so let’s get our affairs in order. Here are two reasons I don’t believe death and decline are inevitable:

1. While church attendance has declined, belief in God—or at least in a higher power—has remained steady for most of the past half-century. Even today, more than 4 out of 5 Americans say they believe in something beyond themselves. The crisis is not a death-of-God crisis. It’s a crisis of how we do church—and how we show people the way to a spiritual life that feels real, honest, and alive.

2. I’m also hopeful about some of the recent data on church attendance. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Generation Z, those born after 1996, have reversed decades of decline and are returning to church. You may be surprised to learn that the generation least likely to return to church since the COVID is the Baby Boomers. The loss of community and connection has made meeting places like churches essential again.

Jesus tells his disciples to travel light. Don’t take a purse, a bag, or sandals. Some people take this too literally. The Carmelite monks split into factions between the shoeless and show-wearing disciples. Jesus’ point is that the more baggage you carry, the harder it is to focus on love. Sometimes we have suitcases full of traditions and ways of doing things. There is nothing wrong with keeping some traditions, but they need to fit into one suitcase and an overhead bag. Too often, we have three suitcases of the way we do things, and they weigh so much that it’s all we can do to manage them. Traveling light means we focus on what is most essential, and give the rest to Rotary Barn.

Perhaps the most essential instruction Jesus gave is to bless the house you enter, saying, “Peace be upon this house.” Blessing is a powerful act of kindness and hope. A clergy friend of mine is leading what she calls “The Blessing Project,” which encourages the congregation to look for opportunities to bless others. Don’t just count your blessings. Give your blessings. Pastor Susan says a blessing is offering a hopeful vision for a person’s future. Blessing is noticing what people do and sharing with them that it matters. It expresses belief in someone and encourages them on their journey.

My friends, this is not a time to shrink back or pack up.
It’s a time to remember who we are—
not just people who gather, but people who are sent.

We are not the leftover church. We are the 72.

Not famous. Not flashy. Just sent. Sent not to conquer, but to bless. Sent not with judgment, but with peace. The world is not beyond hope—it’s full of harvest. And God is sending us into it.

Not to argue. Not to pressure.nBut to walk lightly. To love deeply. To live as if Jesus is still speaking—through every act of compassion and courage. Jesus sent the 72 with almost nothing—no bag, no shoes—just a blessing and a message of peace. And that was enough. You don’t need a script. You don’t need a title. You just need a heart willing to bless.



So when you leave this place—whether it’s a hospital room, a classroom, a kitchen, or an office—walk like someone who trusts the harvest is still plentiful. Live like someone who believes love is stronger than fear. Speak like someone who carries peace in your presence.

Go light. Go bless. And know: Christ has already gone ahead of you.