What is This?

This week's Bible reflection (Unclean Spirit) provides the challenging beginning to what is now Sunday's sermon at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.
"What is This?" text
"What is This?" podcast

Unclean Spirit

Jesus cast out an unclean spirit from a man who interrupted him.

The ‘unclean spirit’ places in the Bible make me uncomfortable. In the time of Jesus, folks with brain disorders/mental illnesses were thought to be possessed by unclean spirits. That idea has carried through in religious circles long after medicine has identified brain disorders/mental illness and has found ways, in many instances, to treat it. The “pray away the demon” theology is harmful to folks who suffer from brain disorders/mental illness. I believe that God is capable of healing any illness – and that God has given us the ability to continually find more effective treatments to disease. Merely “praying away the demon” ignores God’s presence in medicine as well as prayer.

What doesn’t make me uncomfortable about this instance of Jesus casting out an unclean spirit is that he did it without any fancy rituals – as the healers of the day would have done – and that when the man was healed the folks “got” that Jesus was something way outside what they’d ever experienced – he was the real thing while others were just pretenders.

• Jesus' way is one of restoration – not disdain. Have you ever treated someone with a brain disorder/mental illness, or any disability, as an outcast who just needed to “snap out of it?” 
• Jesus' way of restoration is also one that has everything to do with justice for those who are outcast.

What are you doing individually – How are you involved in community to bring restoration and justice to those who are outcast?

How Wide is Your Welcome?

Ben  D. Anderson is a friend of mine.  He's also the founder of  Break Through, Inc. Break Through is a non-profit organization that provides leadership training to churches, community civic groups, schools, universities, businesses, and professional groups.  Ben was born with cerebral palsy, grew up in the small town of Kenmare, North Dakota. He's a 1992 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Stout at Menomonie, Wisconsin and has a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocational Rehabilitation with an emphasis in community-based rehabilitation. Ben shared a moving and inspirational message today at  Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.  If you'd like more information about Ben or you'd like to contact him to have him come speak at your church or other organization, please visit his website. 

“How Wide is Your Welcome?” podcast

Tea Party Jesus: Sermon on the Mall

What do you do?

Whenever you meet someone, you usually ask, at some point, “What do you do?” as a way to find out what their job is. It seems to be “the thing” that folks have the easiest time talking about – at least in the awkward beginnings of conversations with folks you’ve never met.

What you do? What you have always wanted to do?

If you got the opportunity to do that, how would you respond?

In this week’s Bible reading from Mark 1:14-20, Jesus came along and offered Simon, Andrew, James, and John the opportunity to do the thing that they always wished they could do – be the disciples of a rabbi. (Only the brightest and best got that honor. These four had been passed over by the other rabbis.)

They responded by going for it. They jumped at the opportunity – without a net. (Please forgive the pun – but “the left without taking their fishing nets” doesn’t have the same pun appeal)

If you discovered and knew that God was calling you in a new direction, what would you do?

Only Light, Only Love

You Get Me

This week's Bible reflection (A Window to the Soul) begins the sermon for Martin Luther King, jr. Sunday at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.
"You Get Me" text
"You Get Me" podcast

A Window to the Soul

The psalms are true. They provide a window to the soul. 

I don’t mean that everything in the psalms can be read as accurate as it expresses who God is. Instead, I mean that the psalms are true because they communicate the raw emotions of folks and their life experience. They communicate folk’s relationships with God throughout life’s journey.

The psalms also provide a window to the joy, sorrow, celebration, anguish, happiness, sadness, jubilation, and anger that God’s people have experienced. And even more, they offer a glimpse into the songs and prayers that generations, Jesus included, have sung and prayed.

Praying and singing the psalms connects a person and a community now with a person and a community that came before.  Praying and singing through the joy, sorrow, celebration, anguish, happiness, sadness, jubilation, and anger help give individuals and communities a closer bond with others who have come before.  They bring us closer to God.

Why not pray or sing a psalm today?

Baptized

This week's Bible reflection (Locusts and Wild Honey) is about John the Baptizer.  And guess what?  Jesus makes an appearance in the extended version -- Sunday's sermon at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.
"Baptized" text
"Baptized" podcast 

The Darkest Hour

I caught the latest "Teenagers save the world" scary film a couple of weeks back with the whole family.  Here's my short review:

There's not enough movie here.

Here's a little more:

Start with something nice?  Great special effects.
None of the characters have a chance to really develop.  That said, Emile Hirsch is decent in the film.
Did I already say "great special effects"?  I can't think of any other positives. 
What would have made this film better?  More story.  Better character development. 

Sorry for such an incomplete review.  It feels just like the movie.

Locusts and Wild Honey

John the baptizer was an outdoorsy-type. I love the rugged description of him in this week’s reading from Mark 1:4-11. Camel’s hair clothing (it’s all the rage, you know) with a leather belt (not purchased from a designer).

He sounds like the Old Testament prophet he is often compared to, and even identified with, Elijah. In 2 Kings 2:8, Elijah is described like this:  "A hairy man, with a leather belt around his waist."

It’s possible that John was presenting himself as the new Elijah – the one that was here to begin the restoration of all things. It’s also possible that he lived the rugged life as a curiosity to get more people to come and investigate this strange wilderness man. 

He had a diet that sounds Fear Factor-ey. (I’m so glad that TV show is back. You may disagree . . .)

“Who wants to go see the guy that eats locusts and wild honey? This should be fun!”

And while the curios were there to see the side show, they heard a message they couldn’t forget.

Return to God – be baptized – be forgiven.

Without the benefit of any of the temple priests for mediation.

Oh my. Let the trouble begin.

God’s troubling the waters.

Pigeons

This week's Bible reflection from Luke 2:22-40 (New baby visit etiquette) provides good beginning advice in a year-beginning sermon for New Year's Day at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.
"Pigeons" text
"Pigeons" podcast

New baby visit etiquette

In case you haven't had a recent lesson in New baby visit etiquette, (you know -- what to say when you see a new baby) here you go!

Say something that sounds an awful lot like,

"What a beautiful baby! You are a special little (boy or girl) and I know that you're going to bring joy to your parents. Congratulations all of you!  What a wonderful little baby."

It doesn’t have to be exactly that, but it had better be something very nice and very supportive and very positive about the baby.

Nobody is ever to say,

"What a little shriveled runt! You wonder how something so ugly will ever fit in with the rest of us. Can you imagine if everyone looked like that? What a terrible world we'd live in!"

This etiquette lesson is not at all new.  Folks have been making "beautiful baby" comments since before . . . almost anything. I know that sometimes people ignore the lesson, but the life rule still applies. So in this week's Bible reading from Luke 2:22-40, the reaction of the two people who saw Jesus when his parents brought him to the temple in Jerusalem isn’t all that surprising.

Simeon was just 'moseying' around town and he had a Holy Spirit nudge to go to the Temple. Anna hung out in the Temple all the time. Both of them got to see a very young Jesus. And both of them followed the beautiful baby (or was he a toddler now?) rule. Maybe they went a bit overboard.

Simeon: "My God, my God! I can die happy now because I've seen this baby! I've seen God's salvation in this one. He's going to really make a difference in the world. Bless you, Mary and Joseph! Your baby is going to make some very happy -- others not so happy. He's going to cause quite a stir -- people's true nature will come out because of him. He'll make you very sad, too."

Well, most of what he said followed the rule. That "he'll make you sad" part went a bit outside the rules, I think.

Anna: "This is the baby! Everyone, look at this baby! Can't you see it -- he's the one who is going to change everything -- he's the one we're all waiting for!"

OK -- perhaps that one goes a little far in the "wonderful baby" department. I don't think Anna or Simeon would flower things up that much for every baby they saw in the temple. They might say some really nice things, but probably not something that 'praising.'

What do you say when you visit a new baby? What do you think you’d have said if you were in Simeon or Anna's shoes?

Steadfast Love

This week's Bible reflection from Psalm 98 (Let the Hills Sing) leads up to Sunday's Christmas morning sermon at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL
"Steadfast Love" text
"Steadfast Love" podcast

Checklist

Here's the sermon for the 5:00 pm Christmas Eve service, 2011, at Union Congregational United Church of Christ in Somonauk, IL.
"Checklist" text
"Checklist" podcast