Sisters and Brothers in Christ, welcome back to the Gospel of Mark. For 6 weeks we’ve been hearing from John,
about Jesus as the Bread of Life, and now we shift gears, as we begin a new
school year, as we stop for a moment to celebrate Labor Day, as we brace
ourselves for another particularly divisive election season, as we continue to
go about our work as people of God, welcome back to the Gospel of Mark, where
Jesus is short tempered and quick, particularly with any who think they’re
better than anyone else. With those who
“lord it over” others.
You know, I’ve been known to do that.
I’ve been known to lord it over others – maybe not out loud, but in my
head, certainly. Thinking I’m better.
Thinking I deserve what I have, thinking my churchy life marks me, as not just
different, but better, than all those slackers and non-believers out
there. “Shoot, Jesus is talking to me.” And thanks be to God for that. Welcome back to the Gospel of Mark.
This is obviously about much more than dirty hands: Not what goes in –
churchy stuff, churchy friends, churchy house with crosses and bibles and
bumper stickers on display, churchy life.
It’s what comes out – love, compassion, namely care for the widow and
the orphan…It’s Christ-follower ACTIONS that make a person clean….not just
honoring Christ with our lips.
I always think it’s a helpful exercise to think back on all the words that
you said this past week. What was on
your lips? (Maybe even go home and write
down what you can remember.) What came
out of your mouth this week? What kinds
of words were on your lips? Were they
words of love, or words of hate? Words
of slander behind someone’s back, words of bitterness, words of impatience, or
gossip? What was on your lips this
week—as you dealt with your family or your co-workers? As you “chatted” with your friends? Were they good words, or were they words of evil? Were they words of humility or words of
“lording it over others”?
I’m going to sin boldly, and “lord it over” someone right now, but I still
think it’s an interesting story:
I’ll never forget how when I went backpacking in high school with our
Lutheran camp in Colorado, we had to keep track of what came out of our mouths,
what words were on our lips. We had to
keep track of our cutdowns, and any time we cut someone down in any way, we had
to say 3 positive things to build them up.
And the one who was stuck constantly in this consequence of having to
build the rest of us up, was the one in our group who never said a bad word,
who always went to church, who dressed very properly, who had the best grades –
but she was full of contemptuous glares…and little comments that chipped away
at other people’s self-esteems. (see how
I’m “lording it over” her now?) And it
was a struggle for her to think of positive things to say. But wasn’t that interesting: it’s not what
goes into a person that defiles, Jesus says, but what comes out. Keep track of what you say this week…
(maybe say a prayer for your lips and your tongue when you wake up in the
morning).
James, the book of James – we’ll be here for about 5 weeks and I encourage
you to read the whole thing during the week – the book James, like Jesus in
Mark, isn’t concerned about putting on a show.
It’s about pureness of heart.
Religion that is pure and undefiled is this: it’s having the greatest music, having the
most people in the sanctuary, having acolytes who wear shiny leather shoes, and
every hair combed right where it should be.
NO. Religion that is pure and
undefiled before God, according to James (and the long line of prophets that
came before him, including Christ himself) is that one that cares for the widow
and the orphan.
That makes me think of the LORAX… [explain story]
Pure and undefiled of religion: caring for voiceless (explain meaning of
“widows and orphans” through 1st century glasses)
Take beliefs and churchiness out of it: who are the people who are
actively caring for the voiceless in our society, for the 21st
century equivalent of the widows and orphans?
Who are the people actively reaching out to the poor, the planet (who’s
going to speak for the trees, besides the fictitious Lorax?), the immigrant,
the disabled, the uninsured, the silenced, the oppressed, the powerless, those
who are out there alone…
Take religious beliefs and rituals out of it: who’s doing the Word? Who shows up in times of distress and
conflict? Who stays? Who gives generously?...You can tell a lot
about a person by looking at their credit card statements – that’s why I’d
never share mine with you. Who shows you
Jesus, not just tells you about Jesus?
Maybe they’re from inside the church, but maybe they’re an atheist or a
Jew or a Muslim…
Ever had that happen to you, a non-Christian, non-believer actually teaches
you something about Jesus? The “happy reversal”? I’ve been blessed by a few instances…pure and
undefiled persons, not in my Christian church, not even Christians, showing me
about care for the voiceless and the powerless!
Who would have thought? Those
kinds of things happen all the time, but we have to pay attention to notice
them. (maybe say a prayer for your eyes
too)
Now I plan to stay in the church for as long as I live. This not church bashing. (I plan to publish an article I found soon
called “So You’re Spiritual but not Religious, Don’t Bore Me”) The imperfect and yet faithful community, the
Word, the Meal, the Font—these are just too important in my life to go without
them. But those things alone don’t make
me pure and undefiled…
Christ makes me clean. And I need
the church to keep hearing that. Christ is the one alive in but also beyond the
pages of Scripture – Christ is the one alive in my sisters and brothers outside
of the church too! I need the church to
keep reminding me of that.
Surround yourself with people who care for the “voiceless in their
distress”. Who’s your Lorax? Your scratchy old voice that, while annoying,
might just be right? Who are those who
don’t just say the Word of God, they do it…as Francis of Assisi put it: they,
“preach the gospel at all times, and only when necessary do they use words.” Maybe they’re children, or
people in their 20’s – crying out, annoying, but maybe they’re right?
These people are God’s gift to you, part of God’s on-going work in shaping
you and molding you, like these pieces of art you see before you. We resist them, “the Loraxes” but they keep
coming and nudging at us.
Will you pray with me… “God, we’re
doing our best here. But we fall
short. Take us the rest of the way. Continue to mold us and fashion us, Abba,
into the image of Jesus your Son. God,
you have washed us in the waters of baptism, you have cleaned our hearts. And we give thanks that you continue to wash
us in your forgiveness, grace and love.
Continue to shape us, like the pottery we see before us. Send us your love, send us your power, send
us your grace. And thank you for sending
us prophets, speakers for the voiceless, to shape us and call us back to what
matters. AMEN.”
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