The problem with reading a really long book is that you spend so much time with it that you begin to see the world in terms of the book. I've been listening to the book The Lord of the Rings on tape for over a month. I'm almost done, but I've started seeing current events in light of this story about power and evil and the courage to do one thing faithfully. The story moves toward a confrontation in battle between ultimate, powerful evil and ordinary, insignificant mortals. The catalyst for the conflict is the Ring-one that confers power (but only for evil) on its possessor. What is at stake is the absolute triumph of evil. As each group or person comes into contact with the Ring, they can respond in three ways. If they choose to try to possess the Ring, it will inevitably make them evil like itself. For those who do not try to possess the Ring, not fighting, or losing the battle against it, means destruction. Even prevailing against the Ring can't be termed "victory," since it means the loss of what one loves. Some set of choices: become evil, face destruction, or choose loss. Staying home and not getting involved is not an option. Why does this remind me of our discipleship choices?

Because these are the choices Jesus faces in the gospel of John. Since the wilderness temptations, when the Tempter offered him ultimate power, Jesus has known that to possess power would be to become evil himself. In today's lesson, in giving his disciples last minute advice, Jesus tells them that they face these same three choices. By following him-by opting against possessing power-Jesus' disciples therefore fight against evil. To not fight means destruction and not losing means everything they love will change. These are still our choices. Which do you choose?

The story in Acts shows an example of choosing. The Holy Spirit has dragged Paul kicking and screaming from his Asia evangelism tour and sent him to Europe. The vision is a little vague about details, but that doesn't daunt Paul, who goes anyhow. He and his companions arrive in town, hang around, receive no further instruction, so they do the best thing they can think of. They go to church. Philippi was so out of the loop, it didn't have ten male Jews to form a synagogue. There are enough women willing to pray out in the open, so that's where Paul finds his converts. Not the man from the vision, not even a Jew, just someone who heard what Paul said and believed him.

Way back on the road to Damascus, Paul had faced his choices and, having made the first-to not side with evil, to follow Jesus-his remaining choices were for either destruction or loss. The Holy Spirit had already made clear that staying in Asia for Paul meant destruction. Urged by the Spirit, going to Macedonia, meant loss and change. He crossed more than geographic boundaries! The Holy Spirit had apparently not read Emily Post's Book of Etiquette for Nice Jewish Boys, because Paul violates every rule. In converting Lydia, Paul crosses boundaries of geography, religion, gender politics, ethnicity, class.

Our confirmands are about to make choices and cross boundaries. Next week they appear before session to say whether they want to confirm their own baptismal vows. This is a life-altering choice. Our congregation has been supporting these three young people (Rachael, Jennifer, Houston) all this school year-by prayer, with teachers and mentors. We expect that their choice will cross some boundaries for them and hope it changes their lives. But confirmands aren't the only people facing choices. Each of us has choices to make, boundaries to cross.

We can opt for possession, becoming the thing that we fear and hate. You've seen it. The child who swears, "I will never do that as a parent," grows up and goes on to expect their children to eat unsavory vegetables and to come home from dates before midnight. The person who hates how bosses boss, rises through office bureaucracy become boss, only to wield power unscrupulously over former colleagues. The renegade counter-culture small business that goes public and appeases stockholders with the very practices they countered before. The liberators who become oppressors. To continue God's struggle against evil is still a choice for us. But throughout the gospels, Jesus warns us that it is not a risk-free choice. Both destruction and loss are viable outcomes to following him. But we're not in this struggle on our own. We've got help. The help Jesus promises has a name, which the Church has called "the Holy Spirit." What Jesus promised his disciples in John today sounded more like "Helper"-but with Best Friend, Advocate, Counselor, Strategist, Intervener, and Warrior-on-our-behalf also thrown in.

We can use all the help we can get, if we're going to follow Jesus. Destruction and loss are both potential outcomes of the kind of resistance to evil that Jesus enlists from us as his followers. Obeying Jesus has never been an easy option-but loss or destruction? of what? For some of us, that means loss of who we think we are. In the hands of God, we are more apt to call that loss "redemption" than we are to call it "destruction." "I'm a smoker, I'm a drunk, I'm a bad parent, I'm a workaholic, I'm a loser, I'm stupid, I'm lazy." Who wouldn't want to lose some of that identity? Some of those things can stand to be destroyed! It is "redemption" when those "I" statements get a new ending. I'm forgiven. I'm loved. I'm blessed. I belong to God. Keep resisting those forces of evil in your life! But know that Jesus has sent you a new Best Friend, an Advocate, a Helper, a Warrior-on-your-behalf to bring about your enemy's destruction.

Does this struggle happen only on an individual level, or might it take place in a community or nation? "Our schools don't have the resources. Our economy runs on gasoline. We're not the kind of church that evangelizes. We're together on Sunday, but we socialize someplace else. We're too busy to go on mission trips. We don't pray out loud together. We read the Bible in the privacy of our own homes." Talk about trusting Jesus to manage the loss of who we think we are! Jesus has given us the right to claim the resources he offers. We just don't have the right to define that outcome. Just because we claim the powerful resource of community prayer, doesn't mean we're going to change the world. Although we might pray to do that. If it's true what sociologists say, that there are only six degrees of separation between everyone in the world, then if you get serious about saying "yes" to Jesus, accepting the help of the Helper, it is going to have an impact! Globally! All your response has to be is faithful to God's call on your life. Faithful-not successful.

I'll bet Paul thought his mission had failed when he couldn't go to Asia. Scripture doesn't tell us how he was kept out of continuing on that mission. Maybe he didn't get a visa. Maybe the front office couldn't rent a hall. Maybe no one showed up. All we know is that, when he was called to another place, he got up and went. And even when he got there, he didn't know what he was supposed to do until he had hung around awhile. So he went to worship. What a guy. When you're looking for which way to go, find the faith community. Tell them your story, listen to stories of God's faithfulness, and then listen for God's leading you. Us.

Simple, eh? Do you doubt it? God honors our showing up, even if we don't accomplish anything. Show up, stay open, listen to the community, listen to your heart, listen to the Word proclaimed and enacted. It will become clear. Will you be able to change the world? Maybe not this week. But keep showing up, keep listening and saying "yes" to God, and I guarantee that God will use you. To change the world.