Luke 10:1-2,17 (NRSV)
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Chapter 10After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. Verse 2He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.
Verse 17The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!"
Devotion
The laity are the key to the future. Effective clergy leadership makes a huge difference, no question. However, here’s another observation: The three Lutheran churches in the world that are growing most rapidly are the Lutheran Church in Ethiopia, Tanzania, and Indonesia. All three churches live with severe clergy shortages and rely heavily on the role of “lay evangelists.” The pastors preach, teach and oversee the sacramental life of the people. The laity connect the people in the village with the church. And, they are quick to identify themselves as people for whom Christ is alive.
We all need to proclaim our faith daily. It is baptism not ordination that makes us evangelists. The faith we celebrate inside our churches will only have impact if it is lived and proclaimed outside the church by “lay evangelists.”