A couple of weeks ago, I referred to the film that's opened in theaters by now called "The Perfect Storm." In doing some research on the making of the film, I came across the calendar of the pre-release publicity schedule. I guess I vaguely knew that this sort of thing goes on, but I was astounded at the scope, intentionality, and budget of the endeavor. Every detail of the campaign was carefully planned and executed, including international releases, internet events, etc.

And all of this, just for one of the many movies being released this summer. It boggles the mind to consider for a moment the people hours, the resources, the dollars, all committed to ensuring that a movie brings in more than the millions it took to make it in the first place.

The planning, the plotting, the deliberate manipulation of the public, the strategic product placement-all of what is evidently necessary to make a particular new venture successful in the market society and culture in which we live at the dawn of this new millennium.

In sharp contrast to this sort of approach, in today's story from the Gospel of Mark, we observe young Jesus of Nazareth launching the Kingdom of God on earth. Heavens! This is the best news the world has ever had. This is the beginning of new life for the whole creation. This is the salvation of the world and everything that is therein! Some would say, the most important thing that's ever happened on this planet.

My point is this. How come a movie gets millions of dollars of promotion and thousands of hours of intentionality and care, whereas, truly, the greatest story ever told gets twelve bungling operatives, with a few measly provisions, and nothing more specific than some vague authority to heal?

Oh, times are different, you say. This is Hollywood, generically speaking, in the year 2000. We do it right here. We know what we need to accomplish and we know what we need to do to get there. In contrast, Jesus, who's just been shunned in his home town, calls together the twelve now out-of-work guys he's recruited and sends them out, two by two, to do God's work in the world. That's it. He doesn't even tell them how to check in with him. No emergency phone numbers. No cell phone or pager or American Express business card. No policy and procedures manual. Nothing. Nada.

Just each other. One other, anyway. And a few words of advice. And his authority, his wisdom. And they went, the story tells it. Just like that. Can you imagine? And they preached that the people should change their ways. And they cured many who were hurting and broken, and evidently eager to hear what they had to say.

I suppose one conclusion we might draw here is that Jesus was lucky that things, in fact, turned out as well as they did, given what a poor job he did of planning and preparation. I mean, what if he'd really thought this through? What if he'd lined up a few investors willing to put up big bucks for his new project?

On the other hand, maybe Jesus knew exactly what he was doing. Maybe his business plan reflected his theology. And maybe his read of the situation could still teach the church a great deal, even, or perhaps especially, in the over-hyped, over-expended, over-extended, self-important world in which we live and seek to serve.

Let me offer a few observations about Jesus' plan and what it reveals about him, about God, about us, and about being the church. Four things:

First, the way Jesus went about things shows us that he's already given us everything we need to do what he asks us to do in his name. He's already given us everything we need. It's so simple, isn't it, and yet totally astonishing. I'm convinced that all of us think we might be prepared to be in ministry someday, to share our faith with others someday, to be a better Christian someday . . . if/when we . . . fill in the blank:

if we knew more, had read the Bible cover to cover
if we prayed more or better
if we got our act together and lived a better life
if we were nicer to . . . our spouse, our kids, our boss, our neighbor
if we were more generous with our time and money
if we. . . .

Jesus calls us and enlists us and says, "Go out there and do it. You've got the only thing you really need . . . my wisdom and my authority." I guess another way to say it is, there's really no time like the present to get on about the work Jesus would have us do in this world.

Second, we're never alone or left on our own. You know, when first Jesus called the disciples to join him, he spoke with them one-on-one. But now, as he launches his new initiative, he calls the Twelve together and then sends them out, not alone, but two-by-two. He knew they would need one another for companionship, for support, for accountability. He knew that each, no matter how gifted, would need the friendship of another. He knew that the task would not be easy, or necessarily popular, and that it would make all the difference to have another with whom to commiserate or confide.

Perhaps now, in the contemporary church, we need to make sure that as we go about the business of living out our faith in the world, we have a sense of being in this together, of knowing that there are others who share the journey, pray for us and carry us through the difficult and challenging times.

Third, it's great that Jesus makes it clear right from the get-go that not everything we try will work-and that's OK! You know, to be the church, in whatever day and age, means that we're doing things that have never been done before or in ways that have never before been tried-because no previous generation has lived in the world we live in. We bring a message of healing and love, a word of judgement and accountability. We offer truth and hope and insight. And we, of course, try to do it in ways that people can receive. In ways that will enable them to respond well. We hope and pray that the ways we devise to be the church in our time will work, will take hold, will have the effect we seek. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes it doesn't.

Jesus understands. It's happened to him. "Just shake the dust off your sandals and keep right on going," he says. "Don't lose sleep over it or get discouraged. But also," he says, "don't give up. Don't stop trying to do what is right and needful. Keep on," he says, "because there's someone else or someplace else that needs to hear my word for them."

And the last thing I want to lift up today from what we can learn of Jesus' approach to spreading the Kingdom of God, is this: what we do and how we live matters. It really does. I think a lot of us Christians think that it's enough just to enjoy our faith for ourselves or our own little families. Maybe, at some point, we became discouraged from trying to share it with others who didn't respond, or from inviting a friend to join us who turned us down. We may have had a bad experience in a mission project or been burned out from too many meetings. We may have been disillusioned by a pastor or a fellow church member and now we've withdrawn into our own private world. We may just be overwhelmed at how confusing it can be to live as a Christian in this crazy world of ours.

Today we need to hear Jesus calling us and sending us out into this messy and astonishing world where so many are hoping for a word of life and of hope. For what we see from today's story is that even though Jesus had no master plan, even though his recruits were less than perfect, even though they had little training and few resources, even though they were sometimes rejected and turned away, even so . . . many were healed. Many were healed.

Jesus has already given us everything we need to serve him. We're not in this alone. It's OK when our efforts don't meet with success. How we live and how we serve matters.

I want to close today with Mark's words, as paraphrased by Eugene Peterson in "The Message," so that you might take them to your hearts, and receive strength this day for your own calling and ministry:

"Jesus called the Twelve to him, and sent them out in pairs. He gave them authority to deal with the opposition. He sent them off with these instructions: 'Don't think you need a lot of extra equipment for this. You are the equipment. If you're not welcomed, not listened to, quietly withdraw. Don't make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and be on your way.'

Then they were on the road. Right and left they sent the demons packing; they brought wellness to the sick, anointing their bodies, healing their spirits. They preached with joyful urgency that life can be radically different."

So now, with joyful urgency, let us be about the work which Jesus still entrusts to his church. Amen.