Acts 8:26-40

Given a preview of the title on the sign in front of the church, I've never had so many inquiries on what in the world I'm going to talk on! I also have found that there are folks who are afraid of alligators! Actually, that probably is a good sign – to have a healthy fear of something that travels faster than you, seems perpetually hungry, and has a strong, large jaw.

I do also want to say that alligator is not an undercover word for mother. I am not referring moms when I speak of alligators!

I was reminded of alligators because I am receiving brochures now enticing me to return to paradise. Not too long ago, my husband, Carter, and I were able to take some summer vacation time. As opposed to what most couples living in the north would do, we went south to Georgia for our summer vacation, to Little Saint Simon's Island just north of John and Charles Wesley's St Simon's Island . It's a private island approachable only by boat. It's a naturalist's paradise (that's what attracted us), but also it has comfortable (air-conditioned) rooms, great, prepared family-style meals and a variety of guided activities (those things were also very important to us). The internet and brochure pictures were inviting. We went for the whole package – a week in paradise. That's why I was more than taken aback when we, on our arrival, were seated in a lounge area by our host and welcomed with a list of do's and don'ts. The one that stayed blinking before me: do check the pool before going is, don't swim without the lights on, do come if you should find an alligator, and tell us about it and we'll scare it away. Well, I was vigilant. Not only when I thought I might swim but every time we walked by that pool, mind you we had to walk by it in order to go anywhere, I checked for alligators. For the first five days, several times a day and into the evening I would check for alligators. Mind you alligators were around; I did see one as we left the mainland in our small motor boat and several in other island locations. But I saw none in the camp area.

Unlike most of us here in the northeast, we got mighty hot trekking around in the ninety-degree temperatures and the same percentage of humidity. But rather than take a chance of coming upon an alligator or vice verse, I would take an extra shower or just sweat or sit in the air-conditioned space for a bit.

It took me five of the seven days we were there to finally figure out that some others were swimming just fine in that pool and that I hadn't seen any alligators near the pool. It took me five of the seven days for me to overcome my unfounded fear of alligators suddenly appearing out of thin air in order to enjoy one of the most refreshing swims I can remember. That swim was paradise! You know, I never did see an alligator in that pool! What a shame to spend all that time and energy taking care of my fear rather than putting it into a better perspective.

Have you ever been afraid of going ahead because there was the possibility of something going wrong, or because you just can't see the way? Fears, Alligators, real or imagined, I suppose we all have them. I suggest that sometimes it's important not to be held back by our alligators whether they are real or imagined. Held back, we don't get anywhere. Held back we remain as we are; we miss out on the possibility of the refreshment of coming out through/on the other side.

For me right now, I am relearning how it is to do things on one's own. I was so immersed in being a part of a couple and doing as a couple. I am realizing again how our culture naturally addresses couples or families. I am realizing that I don't want to be labeled as widower for fear of whatever that means. I am realizing again the need to overcome that fear of possibly being the odd one out so I don't miss out on the opportunities or the activities I love. What a balance to keep: to both recognize where one is and has been and to go ahead informed by but not held back in the past.

We all have fears. They are for the most part healthy but sometimes they take hold and we become contained, unchallenged, reined in place.

Our scriptural text from Acts this morning is about the early developing church, a growing church: Look who Philip reaches out to – a foreigner, an alien, someone known not to be acceptable within the temple gates. All these things were alligators or fears to the people called Hebrews. (We have those same fears.) But our story says that Philip grabbed his chance. Our version of the story makes it seem as if Philip barely thought: ‘This man is an Ethiopian; this man is a eunuch.' No, our text instead is about sharing the good news. It's about crossing our erected boundaries whatever they might so that the good news might be heard and spread.

I know right now we, as a faith community, are considering where we are financially and whether we can wisely go ahead in this fiscal climate filling both a part-time pastoral position and an additional staff position. Our church income is on target for our present budget so far this year. The question of faith for us as we, the Administrative Council, consider staffing is: are we erecting a boundary out of our fear, that is, out of a mindset of scarcity rather than out of our faith and the need to spread the gospel in better ways?

A sign of hope and faith within our faith community: We had a good turnout of our congregation for both the walk: CROP Walk, the picnic following the Walk, and I believe the giving of this church also. Even in this economic time, our anonymous matching donor will be doing the same this year.

This makes me want to tell another piece. It's about an alligator, a fear, I think. It is one that we all share. And it's pointed to in our scripture. This story from the Acts of the Apostles that we heard let me remind you of parts of it. Philip, a man of the church, is going down the road to Gaza as he is told to do. He meets an Ethiopian eunuch on the road and climbs into his chariot. There, Philip finds the man reading Isaiah, Philip ` his chance , and helps the eunuch understand what he is reading.

Do you hear the alligator? It's true the church at that time was spreading beyond the bounds of the Hebrew people. But no, I am not thinking of how we must overcome our fear and reach out to the foreigner – though we must do that. I don't think this passage is necessarily about how we must reach beyond our cultural or racial boundaries – though we must do it. Similarly, I don't think it's necessarily about how we must be invitational to eunuchs, – though we must do it. No, I'd like to suggest something even more basic.

Did you hear what I did in the scripture? The passage says that the eunuch was a part of the queen's consort; he wasn't in hiding or disrespected; he was a minister of finance. At that time, because of the military and scientific expeditions, there was interest in the people of Ethiopia . It's true he is described as a eunuch, one who would have been banned from Judaism, but look again, from the text, he is clearly on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem . He was familiar with the temple! So familiar in fact, that he is reading Hebrew scripture! This talented, respected, I might say admired, Ethiopian eunuch who is outside of Philip's Christian body of believers is eagerly seeking to understand Hebrew scripture; he is trying to make sense out of faith. And Philip grabs his chance!

Do you know we have a similar situation today; there are many outside of our churches trying to make sense out of faith? There are many, many out there who are spiritually hungry. Just take a look in bookstores; their shelves are labeled and filled with inspirational, new age, spirituality topics. And yet do we see the chance, do we see the boundary that has been created, let alone grab the chance as Philip did? Can we be a church for seekers? Can we find a language of and about God for more folks? We, too often, are busy maintaining our status quo, worried about cost. Mind you, the status quo here is better than most denominational churches but what if…. We risked. We went ahead and dared to go beyond our fear of doing or thinking in ways we already do?

The recently retired Episcopal Bishop Spong has written both provocative books and done provocative acts. But one area in which I believe many of us can agree is that a recent book of his, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, has not only sold phenomenally well but he says it has elicited far more responses than his previous publications. For the most part, unlike his previous books, the majority of letters have been positive; and these responses are from those who are outside of the church.

There is a host of people hungering spiritually. They are not fed by traditional images of God made some centuries ago. I say that again: there is a host of people hungering spiritually. And just as Philip met the Ethiopian eunuch right in his pathway, the host of spiritually searching, hungry people are right in front of us, all around us. The question for us is: Do we grab the chance ?

You know, I think that's Good News. There are people hungering for the Word! Can we, shall we be a growing church and find new ways to speak of God's Good News in Christ that make sense for our world today? Can we grab the chance and sit with those outside of our walls?

Let's overcome our fear of alligators, and do it!