Ministry That Invites: A Posture of Trust and Gratitude

10.12.2025

[Texts]

2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c Naaman washes in the Jordan and is cleansed

Psalm 111 I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. (Ps. 111:1)

2 Timothy 2:8-15 If we die with Christ, we will live with Christ

Luke 17:11-19 One leper made clean by Jesus gives thanks to God

Peace and Grace to You, Beloved Church!

Have you ever had one of those meals, maybe at a restaurant, where every dish that lands on the table feels like a revelation? Nothing extra. Nothing redundant. Every flavor builds on the last, and together they’re saying one thing loud and clear: You’ve got to try this. It’s so good.

That’s how I felt this Sunday. Every scripture reading was so alive, I could’ve preached a whole sermon on each one. But let’s be honest, I didn’t want to write four sermons, and I’m pretty sure none of you wanted to sit through more than an hour of preaching!

So I asked myself: What’s the shared thread? What’s the one Gospel message that ties all these together and speaks to us today?

Here’s what I found: The Good News is simple. It’s memorable. It’s enough. Just like last Sunday’s reminder that even a mustard seed of faith is plenty. This week’s Good News echoes the same truth: Healing comes in trust. That simple.

Take Naaman, for example. He’s not an Israelite, and he’s skeptical. He’s told to wash in the Jordan River to be healed, and he resists. It’s too simple. Too ordinary. Until his servant gently asks, “Would you have preferred something more complicated just so it felt more convincing?” Naaman didn’t need a grand gesture. He needed trust.

Have you ever had a moment like Naaman? Skeptical about grace. Healed by grace. And the best response is simply to trust, to be washed. That simple. But here’s the challenge: not in the place you expected, but in the place God calls you to be. Maybe it’s unfamiliar. Maybe it’s not where your tribe or clan is. But it’s a place filled with people of faith.

Then there’s Psalm 111:10: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” That kind of fear isn’t about being scared. It is about awe, reverence, and deep gratitude. It’s the posture of someone open to being changed and reshaped.

Have you ever felt like the psalmist, trying to name what it means to trust God? It’s all about how we show up fully as humans. Not the creator, but created. Not the master, but servant. As we were reminded last Sunday, in every gathering and fellowship, our awe, reverence, and deep gratitude should radiate through who we are, sent apostles whose lives are rooted in trust. Trust in the God who is with us, and with those who aren’t from our tribe.

Then there’s Paul writing to Timothy: Even when we’re not faithful, Jesus remains faithful. That’s what Paul told Timothy: Do your best to present yourself as one approved by God not because you’ve earned it, but because you trust Him.

Have you ever had a moment like Paul mentoring someone who’s still finding their footing in faith? Or a moment like Timothy wondering if what you’ve learned so far is enough? Here’s the assurance: Jesus remains faithful. Even in our wrestling. Even in our uncertainty. His faithfulness speaks volumes. That’s God’s promise. That’s the heartbeat of God’s kingdom.

And today, we hear from Luke 17. Ten lepers cry out to Jesus. All ten are healed. But only one, a non-Israelite, comes back to say thank you. He doesn’t go to the priests, the leaders of his local faith community. He goes to Jesus. He recognizes the source of healing and returns in awe, in reverence, in deep gratitude.

Jesus asks, “Where are the other nine?”

So here’s the question I’m sitting with: What’s our mission? What ministries can we lean into that help bring those nine back not with shame or pressure, but with awe, reverence, and deep gratitude? How do we journey with others who slowly recognize the healing they’ve received and turn back to praise God?

How do the ministries we do invite people to know Jesus?

Ministry that invites doesn’t begin with programs. It begins with posture. It’s the kind of ministry that says, by God’s grace, “You belong here,” before anyone proves anything. It offers an opportunity to reshape our relationships with one another in Christ. It doesn’t force. It doesn’t shame. It simply says: “Come and see. You’re welcome here.” It’s built on trust in God and gratitude for the love God is already pouring out.

This is the time of year when each council member is re-assigned as a liaison to support and journey with all the ministries in our shared mission. Last Tuesday, Jeff and I revisited the list of ministries in our church. And I was impressed: Nine under Worship same as Faith Formation. Four under Outreach. Three under Vocation. Two each under Care, Finance, and Property. And Preschool.

And here’s what I realized: Every ministry we have, Worship, Faith Formation, Outreach, Vocation, Care, Finance, Property, Preschool, is like one of those dishes on the table. Not extra. Not redundant. Part of the feast.

Ministry That Invites is a posture of trust and gratitude. It’s like setting the table so others can return to God and say, “Thank you, Jesus.”

Are you thinking what I’m thinking? The Lord’s Table.

Whatever we offer back to God in service and in offerings at the Lord's Table, becomes a flavor of grace.

And together, we say to the world: “You’ve got to try this. God is good.”

So when you participate in meetings or events, lead or serve in a small group, prepare for fellowship, greet new friends, or pray with someone in pain, you’re not just doing a task. You’re setting the table. You’re making space for someone to return to God with awe, reverence, and deep gratitude.

Let’s keep asking: What are the ministries we’re already doing that quietly pave the way for someone’s return? And how might we shape them, just a little more intentionally, to help the other nine notice God’s love for them and find their way back to praising God in Jesus?

So from now until Thanksgiving, 45 days of grace, each moment you greet someone, each day you show up, each week you participate in ministry, ask yourself: Am I inviting? Am I trusting? Am I grateful?

By the time we celebrate Thanksgiving, may the table be full not just with food, but with stories of awe, reverence, and deep gratitude.

It’s my prayer and hope that today’s scriptures bring you even closer to God in a more tangible way with a sense of awe, reverence, and deep gratitude. So that you can simply be the best version of you. To trust God fully. To serve God wholeheartedly.

And when you notice God’s work in your life, give thanks to Jesus. And praise God among the people of faith. Amen.