Once upon a time in the Civil Air Patrol, we lost a lot of clergy. They did not want to have their fingerprints taken to continue to serve, and many left. One of our “regs” assigned a chaplain to every unit, especially those units that had cadets or teenagers in the program. Part of their training consisted of moral leadership, which was to be taught by a chaplain. In an effort to meet the demand when there were so few chaplains, the national office established requirements that persons who were not ordained and could not meet the requirements to be a chaplain could still serve. They were persons who were pastors but who could not meet the requirements, as well as Sunday School teachers and others who went through training to teach the Moral Leadership Program. It helped us cover slots for chaplains. They were not made chaplains, nor could they do the work of chaplains, but they had the authority to conduct moral leadership classes. The Civil Air Patrol is not the only group to face a shortage of workers.

Similarly, Jesus realized that “the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Luke 10:2). He anointed or called people to go into the nearby cities to spread the Good News of the Kingdom of Heaven.

He gave them a command to do the following things: “Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’… Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house” (Luke 10:4, 7, 9 NRSV). They were to “cure the sick” and tell them that ‘The kingdom of God has come near to them.’” These persons went on before Jesus, who could not be everywhere, and did the work so the harvest of people could be brought in. Jesus told them not to be excited by what happened at their hands, but that their names were “written in the kingdom of heaven” (Luke 10:20).

We live in a world that needs to hear the Word of God more than it has for years. People are disillusioned by their leadership, denominations go against the beliefs of the people they are serving, our government has its own agenda, which is usually more focused on the desires of the leadership and what is in it for them, than it is to represent the people who place them into office. People need to have their spiritual needs met, and they are hungry for the Word. In much the same way, it was in the days of Jesus.

On the day of Pentecost, which we celebrated several weeks ago, the words from Joel 2 were quoted by Peter: “I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke” (verse 28, Acts 2:17-19). Said a little differently, the word of God is now going to be proclaimed by all people, young and old, men and women. For those gathered on Pentecost, this was a major change.

You are called to be one of those voices today; are you willing to tell them about your faith and to encourage them to come and follow? Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Are you fishers of men for Christ, or are you fishers of fish?