Coepit Facere et Docere, Mark 6:14-29

Posted on July 15, 2024 by patrick h wrisley
Salome by French artist Jean Benner (1836–1906) c.1899. 

A sermon delivered on July 14, 2024, by Rev. Dr. Patrick H. Wrisley

One of the daily readings for the lectionary this week was from Matthew. It registered with me considering what happened last evening in Pennsylvania as well as with the general tone and tenor of our bifurcated Divided States of America. Matthew 24.12 reads, “Because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.”  Over the past 15 or so years, we have undergone the Great Regression as bigotry, hate speech, and discrimination towards people of color, ethnicity, and sexuality have increased. Individuals who believe they are wiser than you and me and who believe they are entitled to take the law into their own hands have done so. Whether it was Kevin Monahan[1] who shot a 20-year-old girl who simply pulled into the wrong driveway in Hebron a year ago or the individual who believed he had the right to take out a former President, people are showing a lack of trust within their communities and government.

Some American governors have such disdain for the Federal government that they are recruiting and building their own private state militias who are only responsible to the governor in power at the time.[2]

There are even churches that have had to hire mediation experts to ensure members of the same congregation could play nicely together in the same sandbox. Yes, this mistrust of each other in our nation has seeped into every layer of our country and the result is the death of Civitas. Civitas, the shared values a community believes in and lives into, is vital for a stable nation. Civitas defines who and what a community is and how it behaves.

Centuries ago, the Church Father and Theologian Augustine wrote a book entitled, The City of God, which describes two competing cities. One is the Earthly City whose ambitions are all about power and greed. The other is the City of God, the spiritual city, where God and the spiritual powers reign in implementing a way of life that is consistent with the Gospels and Jesus’ ethics. This disparate juxtaposition is highlighted in our Gospel lesson this morning.

In a poll of my preacher-friends on what text they are preaching this morning, every single one was avoiding this text in Mark about the death of John the Baptist. “C’mon Wrisley, it is just too messy.” And it is. It is a text that hoists a mirror in front of our face that we must gaze into. It is a dramatic text that forces us to look at ourselves, our nation’s Civitas, and our church’s Civitas, and realize the Church of Jesus Christ, i.e., you and me, are striving to live into the City of God.

At least we should be.

Last week, we read how Jesus scandalized the people in the synagogue he grew up in, and then he commissions the Twelve Disciples to go out two-by-two to preach and heal. Between their sending and their return, Mark inserts our Story about John’s death. It is a Story about the confrontation of political power and prophetic faith.[3] It paints a shadow of what comes next with Jesus, Pilate, and the Crucifixion in chapter 15. Before we hear the text, let me introduce some of the characters to you.

The first person we meet is King Herod. This is not the larger-than-life Herod the Great but one of Herod’s sons, Antipas. Antipas petitioned Caesar to become an actual king, but Caesar refused and made him a tetrarch, one of four governors who ruled Palestine. Even though Caesar did not make him a king, Antipas felt the freedom to call himself one. Antipas could care less about the Jewish way of life. He even built his magnificent palace in Tiberius on top of an ancient burial ground which discouraged Jews from coming to visit him because the palace defiled a graveyard.

Next, we hear about Jesus. Perhaps it was because of the 12’s preaching and healing tour in Jesus’ name that word got to Antipas, but the wannabe king began to second guess his rash act in killing John. Herod’s confusion about Jesus made him think it was a reincarnated John the Baptist who came back to haunt him. Others said Jesus was the prophet, Elijah.

We then hear about this woman named Herodias. She was a cousin of Herod Antipas who was married to one of his half-brothers, Phillip. Antipas convinced her to divorce Phillip and marry him instead. John the Baptist called Antipas out on this which caused Herodias to hate and despise John. And then we meet another Herodias who is Mother Herodias’s daughter. Later church tradition gives her the name Salome.[4] She is Herodias’ daughter and Antipas’ stepdaughter and niece, and who by all accounts, was quite the dancer. Did you get all that? Hear the Word of the Lord.

Mark 6:14–30

6.14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some were saying, “John the baptizer has been raised from the dead, and for this reason, these powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”

17 For Herod himself had sent men who arrested John, bound him, and put him in prison on account of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife because Herod had married her. 18 For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he protected him. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed; and yet he liked to listen to him. 21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 22 When his daughter Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests; and the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it.” 23 And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” 24 She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 Immediately she rushed back to the king and requested, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, 28 brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.[5]

Presbyterian Pastor and Professor of New Testament at Luther Seminary, Matthew Skinner writes that this is a story, “About an elite culture that plays by its own twisted, pernicious rules. Rome chose a pompous leader to govern Galilee, and (Antipas) represents a culture fueled by power and privilege that will do anything to extend its capacity to pursue its own desires, (to) hold onto power, (to) trumpet its own self-importance, (to) eliminate criticism, and (to) resist the justice and peace that God longs to bring to fruition.”[6] This is a Story of personal political expediency and privilege over and against the Civitas of Jewish ethics.

With subtle hyperbole, Mark weaves a narrative exposing two brilliantly lit extremes: Herod and his partygoers expose a life, conscience, and government devoid of grace and God’s justice in the pursuit of power and prurient self-interest. John, in stark contrast, is a Nazarene who has lived a strict, ascetical life devoid of any worldly pleasure or power. Our is a Story of political ambition and expediency, seduction, sexual lust, abuse of power, and murder. This is one of only two scenes in Mark’s gospel Jesus is not the center of the plot. The plot is pitting the way we treat each other in society and the way we resent the in-breaking of God’s presence into our realm.

Mark frames his narrative in a way the Jewish people would hear because they have heard of this Story before. First, they are reminded of how Queen Jezebel manipulated her husband King Ahab in her hatred of the prophet Elijah. There are echoes of the Book of Esther when a drunken Persian King named Ahasuerus made a promise to Queen Esther to give her half of the Kingdom should she want it.[7] Furthermore, Jewish biblical scholar, Amy-Jill Levine, notes that the Greek word for Jairus’ 12-year-old daughter Jesus previously healed in chapter five is referred to as a korasion, i.e., a virginal young child. Queen Esther when she is brought before King Ahasuerus is referred to as a korasion in the Greek version of the Old Testament. Salome in today’s text is also called a korasion![8]

This Story is full of disgusting behavior. An uncle has his 12-year-old stepdaughter and niece dance seductively before kings, princes, queens, state officials, and businesspeople of the day and then promises her something he does not have the authority to give. The daughter has no sense of Civitas or conscience and is manipulated by a disgruntled and hateful mother. Herod is a drunken wannabe king who makes a rash offer only to be given a rash ultimatum in return by a twelve-year-old.  “Daddy, immediately give me on a dinner platter, the head of John the Baptist.” As Professor Levine remarks, “The platter was (Salome’s) idea. She does not question her mother’s desire for John’s death; she adds to it. She thus transforms John into another course at the banquet.”[9]

Theologian Cheryl Bridges Johns says, “The execution of John forces the reader to gaze into a world of corruption, lust, and power…Herod’s court is in a far country whose horizon seems so distant from ours.”[10]  But is it, really? Our Story of John’s execution should shake us up, my friends. His world is not that much different from ours. It reminds us of the seduction of power and prestige which encourages us to act out on our own because I sure cannot trust you nor can I trust my neighbor! It reminds us of John, the person whom Jesus called, “The greatest man born of woman, was killed over a cocktail wager.[11]

The point of Mark’s Story, Church, is that to be a Christian disciple means it is not going to be easy. It teaches us that as members of the Church, we have the spiritual obligation to speak Truth to power even when it’s inconvenient and dangerous to do so. If there ever was a time our country needed her churches to stand up and do just that is right now; now is the time for the Church to speak Truth to Power.

My sermon title is a bit esoteric this morning and I do not mean it to be, but it captures well the goal of our text’s teaching. It is derived from Acts 1:1 where it says, “Jesus began to do and teach.”  Coepit facere et docere – is a Latin phrase that describes a concept which means, “We cannot preach what we do not practice.” We cannot preach what we do not practice. Friends, now is the time to put into practice our belief in Jesus and his ethic of loving each other even in our nasty politics and swirly state of social affairs. It means we do this when it is unpopular and difficult to do so.

In the name of the One who is, was, and is yet to come. So be it.  

© July 14, 2024, by Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, NY, and may not be altered, re-purposed, published, or preached without permission. All rights reserved.

[1] “New York man who fatally shot woman who was mistakenly driven up his driveway sentenced to 25 years to life in prison,” from CBS News, March 1, 2024.  See https://www.cbsnews.com/news/kevin-monahan-sentenced-kaylin-gillis-killed-pulling-into-driveway/.

[2] “The Florida Guard Looks Like Desantis’ Own Militia,” The Miami Herald, February 1, 2024. Accessed 7/8/24 at https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/editorials/article284959592.html.

[3] Bartlett, David L.; Taylor, Barbara Brown. Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season after Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16) (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume). Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.

[4] See Josephus Antiquities of the Jews (Book XVIII, Chapter 5, 4.

[5] The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[6] Connections: Year B, Volume 3: Season after Pentecost (Connections: A Lectionary Commentary for Preaching and Worship) by Joel B. Green, Thomas G. Long, et al. See https://a.co/3CMDvQB. I added the word (to) for rhetorical clarity.

[7] See Esther 7.

[8] Levine, Amy-Jill. The Gospel of Mark: A Beginner’s Guide to the Good News (pp. 39-40). Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition.

[9] Ibid., 40.

[10] Bartlett, David L.; Taylor, Barbara Brown. Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season after Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16) (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume) . Presbyterian Publishing Corporation. Kindle Edition.

[11] James R Edwards, The Gospel According to Mark (Grand Rapids: William B Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2002), 189.

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Sometimes It Happens to the Best of Them, Mark 6:1-13

Posted on July 8, 2024 by patrick h wrisley
Jesus rejected in Nazareth.

A sermon delivered July 7, 2024 by the Rev. Patrick H. Wrisley, D.Min.

Last week in Mark’s gospel, we noted the power of an interruption in our lives. Jesus and the others just landed in Capernaum where he was immediately inundated with people demanding things of him. The synagogue ruler, Jairus, begs Jesus to come heal his dying daughter and then a bleeding women sneaks up and touches Jesus’ clothes and is healed. In both cases, Jesus stops where he is and intently focuses on the people who interrupt him and their needs. Today, we find that Jesus and the Twelve have traveled west-southwest up into the mountains some 32 miles to Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. Hear the Word of the Lord!

Mark 6:1-13

He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” 5And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6And he was amazed at their unbelief. 

Then he went about among the villages teaching. 7He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.[1]

Today’s text has a message the Church needs to hear. Whereas in 1965 when over 70% of Americans believed religion was “very important” in their lives, today only 45% of Americans hold to that view.[2] A Gallup Poll in March of this year revealed that 21% of Americans attend religious services every week and that’s down from 46% in 2009[3]. Just 11% attend once a month, and 56% rarely or never attend.  Remember, too, these statistics are for all faith traditions not just the Christian church.[4]

All of us have recollection of the Church’s “glory days” when worship was full, Sunday school was thriving, and churches were being planted everywhere. As much as we pine for those glory days, the American church needs to wake up from its Rip Van Winkley spirit and take to heart what Dorothy told Toto, “We’re not in Kansas anymore!” We live in an era where beautiful sanctuaries like ours have been turned into high-end condominiums in many places. There is no going backwards; Church today needs to bravely face forward and walk into the future, not with naive nostalgic wish dreams, but with a wholehearted commitment to the basics of the Gospel and its purpose and mission. Our text this morning gives us some tools and lessons for us as we move into that future together.

First, God does not force the Gospel on anyone. We see this clearly today as Jesus goes back to where he grew up, preaches, and tries to heal folks like he has already shown himself able to do. But hometown folks are hard to convince. Even Jesus’ own family thought he was out of his mind back in Mark 3:21. For the hometown crowds, Jesus was that quirky momma’s boy who worked as a day laborer.

Let’s remind ourselves what the “gospel” or good news is. The late Catholic priest and author Simon Tugwell, says, “Jesus is the full declaration of God’s “I AM”, present in our midst; and our faith is…essentially the acceptance of this fundamental truth of God’s being” whereby we make room for God in our lives and share that love with others in acts of love and mission.[5]  Jesus presented his homebodies with this presentation, and they were scandalized by what he said. Like Mighty Casey before his hometown fans, Jesus struck out in Nazareth. And so, even though we see how God does not force the gospel on anyone, that does not preclude our trying to share that gospel.

The second observation we get out of our text today is that as disciples, all of us are called to the ministry of evangelism and healing. The disciples have just seen Jesus’ rejection and now Jesus is sending them out on their own. Imagine how they must be feeling at that moment! Think what he is asking them to do: Leave your checkbook at home and simply take a hiking stick, a pair or sandals, and a tunic and tell others the Presence of God is afoot so turn back around and fall into God’s arms. The disciples’ proclamation was not just with their words, however. Mark says their witness was also through their healing ministry. The disciples went and physically reflected God’s healing presence through their acts of grace. We see how their very presence sent the evil spirits packing.  

All the disciples are sent to proclaim the news of God’s presence, even crusty old Judas. Friends, none of us gets a pass on this one. We confuse evangelism with church growth, and it is not the same thing. Church growth may or may not occur. Evangelism is simply disciples in the church sharing with others how God in Jesus has made a difference in their life, and they are now compelled to serve others in a healing, loving presence. It was not solely Jesus’ job. It is not the pastor’s job. It is the church’s job to proclaim God’s presence in our community’s midst, not only with words, but with demonstrable acts of healing and compassionate service.

The third observation from our text this morning is that a ministry’s success is not measured by how many people we convert; the disciples’ success is measured by their faithfulness to go and share the good news with words and healing per Jesus’ command. Jesus was not, dare I say — is not — concerned with conversions; Jesus is interested in healing transformation in a person and in a community’s life. A church’s ministry is measured by whether it is reflecting the graceful Presence of God in any given community or situation and that is everyone in the church’s responsibility.  Church, your ability to do just this thing will determine whether or not this congregation will exist 10 to 15 years from now. It’ll determine whether or not this beautiful building will be made into luxury condos as so many other churches have.

The former pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, Michael Lindvall, writes the disciples, “Need not have polished words, sophisticated theology, or fine-tuned dogma to speak of their faith. They are simply called to speak truth in love, from the heart, in their own words, and never be ashamed.”[6] That is all Jesus asked the disciples to do; that is all he is asking us to do as well.

We are not being asked to be Mother Teresa. Jesus is not asking us to be a Billy Graham or a Rachel Held Evans. Jesus is simply asking each and every one of us to be the best Patrick, Bryan, Jill, Ellen, Mary, and Randy we can be as we let others know what God has done in our life. Jesus did not send out six pair of spiritual giants into the villages. He sent a ragtag group of imperfect, callous, critical, opinionated, prideful, oftentimes squabbling people to go show in word and deed God’s presence in the community. Through his own hometown rejection, Jesus indicates he knows how intimidating that can be; yet he still sends them out two-by-two; yet, he still sends us out, too.

There is a story of a woman who worked in a bookstore. She was member of a mainline Christian church in town and one day got asked a question by a customer. You see, a man came in who dressed like a Hasidic Jew – a very conservative branch of Judaism. The clerk asked him, “May I help you?” and he softly replied, “Yes, you can. I would like to know about Jesus.” She directed him to the upstairs religious section of the bookstore where all the books about Jesus were and then turned her back and went about her business at the desk. The man did not move. Again, he softly said, “Excuse me, I don’t want to be shown books about Jesus; tell me what you believe.”[7]

Beloved, if you were the store clerk that day and you were asked, “Tell me what you believe,” how would you respond?

Sometimes, rejection or failure happens to the best of them. Just like with Jesus. Just like with the disciples. Just like with the Church. And sometimes, just like there will be with you and me. And even though God does not force people to believe, God does send us out as disciples to share the transforming life and presence of the One we celebrate so passionately at Christmas and Easter. All of us are called to go and tell. But first, each of us needs to know what we believe about Jesus. Your homework this week is to reflect or write about what you believe about him so that when people meet us out there, we can also be the Lord’s healing presence to them.

In the Name of the One who is, was, and is yet to come. Amen.

© July 7, 2024, by Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, NY, and may not be altered, re-purposed, published, or preached without permission. All rights reserved.

[1] The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[2] “Why Americans are losing their religion,” by Dora Mekouar, April 23, 2024, from Voice of America News. See https://www.voanews.com/a/why-americans-are-losing-their-religion-/7576935.html.

[3] Lifeway Research, “Fewer Than Half of Americans Regularly Attend Church,” October 24, 2019. See https://research.lifeway.com/2019/10/24/fewer-than-half-of-americans-regularly-attend-church/, accessed 7/5/24..

[4] “Church Attendance Has Declined in Most U.S. Religious Groups. Three in 10 U.S. adults attend religious services regularly, led by Mormons at 67%,” by Jeffrey M. Jones, Gallup Research Center, March 25, 2024. See https://news.gallup.com/poll/642548/church-attendance-declined-religious-groups.aspx.

[5] Simon Tugwell, Prayer. Living with God (Springfield: Templegate Publishers, 1975), 85.

[6] Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season after Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16) (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume) by David L. Bartlett, Barbara Brown Taylor. See https://a.co/85HPPiF.

[7] Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 3: Pentecost and Season after Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16) (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume) by David L. Bartlett, Barbara Brown Taylor. See https://a.co/cyWfD4N.

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The Power of an Interruption, Mark 5:31-45

Posted on July 1, 2024 by patrick h wrisley
Photo by Tobi on Pexels.com

A sermon delivered on June 30, 2024, by the Rev. Patrick H. Wrisley, D.Min.

This morning, we are picking up right where we left off last week. Last Sunday, we noted how Jesus and the disciples were caught in a powerful storm that almost swamped their boat. We found Jesus asleep at the wheel when in fact he had total control of the situation as we were reminded that he has the whole wide world, even nature in his hands. Following that experience, they have crossed back to the western side of Galilee to the area of the Gerasenes and Jesus has cast out demons into a herd of pigs who ran into the sea and drown. The townspeople, upset and annoyed at the loss of income floating dead off the coast, begged Jesus to leave the area; so, he crossed over the Galilee yet again. This is where we pick up in Mark 5:21-43. Listen to the Word of the Lord!

Mark 5:21-43

21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered around him; and he was by the sea. 22 Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet23and begged him repeatedly, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.”24 So he went with him. And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 

25 Now there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. 26 She had endured much under many physicians and had spent all that she had, and she was no better but rather grew worse. 27 She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28 for she said, “If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.” 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my clothes?” 31And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, ‘Who touched me?’” 32 He looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

35While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?” 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, “Do not fear, only believe.” 37He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James.38When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39When he had entered, he said to them, “Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.” 40And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha cum,” which means, “Little girl, get up!” 42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.[1]

Interrumpitur vita. Life Interrupted. This is the type of life Jesus lived every single day. In our text this morning, Jesus barely gets off the boat when he is confronted with no less than five interruptions. Jesus can hardly get a word in edge-wise. As soon as he gets off the boat and begins teaching, Jairus, the synagogue ruler, interrupts him and falls to his feet. His daughter is deathly ill and begs Jesus to come and heal her. Interruption One (v.23).

Then, while Jesus is making his way to heal the girl, a huge crowd follows and presses in on him. In the middle of this thronging mob, a desperate and impure woman whose own life has been interrupted some twelve years with a non-stop menstrual condition, risks her life and joins in the crowd to simply touch Jesus’ garments. Outcast from her family and social support system, she risked discovery and getting stoned on the spot. As the group makes its way to Jairus’ house, the bleeding woman in a last-ditch effort for life touches the hem of Jesus’ garment. Jesus felt the power leave him and he came to a full stop. He looks back around knowing someone with faith reached out to him (v. 28). Interruption two.

As Jesus is intently scanning the crowd for the person who touched him, the ever-impatient and clueless disciples start riding Jesus about, “What do you mean, ‘Who touched me?’ Look around Jesus! Who has not touched you?” The disciples were trying to get Jesus back on schedule, back onto the itinerary to Jairus’ house (v. 31). Interruption three.

Ignoring the haranguing disciples, Jesus finds the woman who touched him and was in the middle of declaring her well and giving her a blessing of peace, when suddenly, people ran from Jairus’ house, interrupted his blessing of the woman to say that Jairus’ daughter had already died (v. 35). Interruption four.

Finally, Jesus arrives at Jairus’ house looking for the little girl when he confronts a mob of mourners who had already gathered at the home. Before Jesus can get to the little girl’s room, he first clears the house of all the people who are mourning for the girl and are now laughing at Jesus for saying the pre-teen is asleep (v. 40). Interruption five.

How well do you handle interruptions in your life? Are we able to calmly and cooley handle them as Jesus does with his five interruptions? Jesus cannot walk two hundred yards without getting interrupted five separate times. Everyone is pulling at and on him. Everyone is trying to get something from him. Jesus stops and focuses on one person at a time and then someone pulls his attention away toward something else. Have you ever felt that way in your life? Think of a moment when you have been incessantly interrupted. How did it make you feel? What was your blood pressure doing? How are you scoring on the annoyance meter from 1 to 10? How was your temper handling yet another knock on your door? How did you sound when you finally opened your mouth to respond?

A young couple finally puts the kids to sleep, and they now have some alone time together. They begin snuggling up and then they hear, “Mommy!”

You make it through the traumatizing efforts of going to the airport — dropping your car, checking your bags, then being chosen by the TSA for an added search — and you were even able to grab coffee and a sandwich at the deli. You board the plane and get the last overhead space for your carry-on above your seat. You are now finally settling into your seat before take-off as you pull out your sandwich and take that first luscious bite of roast beef with heavy mayo and you are in heaven. You are about to take off when a member of the flight crew walks up and says, “Gee, Mr. Beyerbach, you’ve just been reassigned to another flight later tonight.” 

How is that blood pressure doing now?

Interruptions. They are a part of life. They can irritate you. They can intrude at the worst times. They can jolt you to see things or people you have never seen before. They can scare you. They force you to slow down. The question for us, though, is how do we handle them?

Years ago, I was phoned to the hospital by a young couple I had married, and the woman was in hard labor. The delivery was not going well, and the husband called to get some support. Upon arriving, I met the laboring mother’s daddy, the grandfather. He was an incredibly nice guy and a psychologist from Birmingham. His face was long, and he said, “Patrick, our grandson was born a few minutes ago. My daughter is doing fine but the baby has Down’s Syndrome.” I remained silent; what was I to say? Granddad continued, “We had dreams for who this little boy would grow up to be and do and now those dreams are gone. Our plans got interrupted by things outside of our control.” And then after a moment of silence, Grandfather a prophet. He continued with a small smile beginning to take shape, “But you know what, Patrick, now is the time we begin to dream new dreams for this little boy!” I was in awe and humbled by his wisdom and his sense of hope.

Interruptions into our expected, ordinary routines are going to happen. It is how we respond to those interrupted expectations and routines that matter. If we are honest, most of life’s interruptions are mere inconveniences and annoyances. Yet, some interruptions in life are life-changing and alter the direction or trajectory our lives take. What do we do when those moments come? I suppose it depends on whether you and I are willing to dream new dreams and seek the Lord to redeem those interruptions!

Interruptions are moments in our lives where we are offered an opportunity to deepen our spiritual depth and develop our Christian character. I love what the late C.S. Lewis wrote, “The great thing if one can, is to stop regarding all the unpleasant things as interruptions of one’s ‘own,’ or ‘real’ life. The truth is of course that what one calls the interruptions is precisely one’s real life.”[2]  So often, our go-to place is to level blame on God for the major interruptions in our lives whether a job loss, a health tragedy or crisis, or a death in the family; Lewis reminds us all of these threads are the actual wool that makes up the fabric of our life.

Professor Kosuke Koyama has a wonderful little book written years ago entitled, Three Mile an Hour God. He writes, “(When walking) in the wilderness, our speed is lowered until gradually we come to the speed on which we walk – three miles an hour.” In the person of Jesus, God slows down and matches our pace – God slows down to three miles per hour. He says, “Jesus came. He walked towards a ‘full stop.’ He lost his mobility. He was nailed down! He is not even moving at three miles an hour as we walk.  He is not moving. Full stop! What can be slower than a full stop—nailed down? At this point of ‘full stop’, the apostolic church proclaims that the love of God to men (sic) is ultimately and fully revealed. God walks ‘slowly’ because he is love…Love has its speed.”[3] Love has its own speed. I love that! And Love’s speed is three miles per hour and full stop. God, however, takes the time to stop in the crowd helps us redeem those interruptions, and weaves those threads together to become a blanket of healing and peace.

Beloved, the Good News is that God is in the thronging chaos with us and walks at our pace because love has its own speed. God loves us enough to come to a full top in the road and look us in the face if needed. The Lord stops and looks around for you and me to bring a word of healing and peace. There is power in an interruption and if we pay attention, we will even find God right there to support us. Amen.

© June 30, 2024, by Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, NY, and may not be altered, re-purposed, published, or preached without permission. All rights reserved.

[1] New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[2] C.S. Lewis, The Collected Works of C.S. Lewis. Accessed on 6/29/18 at https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/interruptions

[3] Kosuke Koyama, Three Mile an Hour God (London: SCM Press, 1979), 5, 7.

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Does It Ever Feel Like Jesus is Asleep at the Wheel? Mark 4:35-41

Posted on June 26, 2024 by patrick h wrisley
Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels.com

A sermon delivered on June 23, 2024, by the Rev. Patrick H. Wrisley, D.Min.

Turn in your Bible to Mark’s gospel and we are going to be reading chapter 4, verses 35-41. While you’re finding the page, let me give some context. Jesus thus far has been healing the people, choosing the twelve disciples, gathering a large following, and already having confrontations with the religious establishment. The first part of chapter four, thus far, is a large section of teaching by Jesus through parables. The crowds were so large that Jesus had to get in a boat just offshore just to be heard by his growing audience. It’s at the end of this very long day when Jesus and a small armada of boats push off to travel to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. This is where we pick up in the Story. As you listen, see if you hear echoes of Psalm 107 we heard a few minutes ago. Listen to the Word of the Lord.

Mark 4.35-41

35On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”39He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” [i]

Have you ever felt that as a result of the events in your life that at times your life was careening out of control?  

You walk in one day and your boss lets you know your services are no longer needed in the company after 32 years.

You get a routine physical and discover certain levels within your body are all askew and more tests need to be taken.

You arrive home one afternoon to discover that your spouse has had a heart attack out back in the garden.

Your retirement funds have been absconded and lost in a Ponzi scheme.

You feel life is spinning out of control. You feel as though wave after wave of trouble and problems are breaking upon you one after the other like the waves across the disciples’ boat. Like the disciples, you look heavenward and desperately cry out, “Jesus, don’t you care that I’m dying down here! Don’t you see what’s going on here?” 

The Sea of Galilee is surrounded by mountainous regions that rise on its eastern, northern, and western sides. The hot air from the deserts comes up and over the hills and mixes with the colder air from the high mountainous regions of the north and nasty squalls come out of nowhere. We’ve seen these on Lake George or at beaches at the shore. One minute we are playing in the water on the lake and the next minute a thunderstorm develops, and lightning knocks a child unconscious. In the blink of an eye, worlds get turned upside down and inside out. And in that moment, we cry out to God, “Don’t you care about what’s going on down here?”

If you read the scriptures long enough, you begin to notice two realities in both the Hebrew and Christian scriptures. First, momma was right in that no good things happen at night.  For our ancient brothers and sisters, night was a time of shadows and unseen danger lurking and skulking about. Second, the waters of the sea or ocean are perceived as dangerous and chaotic; it is the place where evil lies waiting. And so our poor disciples already have two strikes against them! There they all were in the chaotic and unpredictable waters of the Sea of Galilee at night. Mark has painted a verbal picture setting up the first-century perfect storm!

Like a Greek chorus that shouts instructions to the actors on the stage, we want to yell, “Wait till morning Jesus! There is no rush to cross the sea at night! We have heard of the potential weather forecasts, and we are telling you to please wait ‘till morning!”  But Jesus is tired. He has had a full day, and he feels the need to be alone and quiet. He needs to get going. He needs rest and hops in the boat and off he goes.

Now at this point, I want us to notice where Jesus was on the boat. For those of you who were in the Navy, you need to know that not everyone understands nautical terms. “Yonder, Captain, is the great whale who is swimming aft to fore leeward to starboard.”  I don’t know why you just can’t say the whale is moving from the back to the front, first on the right and then on the left but then a sailor will correct you and say, “But sometimes the leeward side is on the right and sometimes on the left depending upon which way you’re headed!”

Huh?

I still like front and back, left, and right better than bow and stern, port, lee, starboard, amidships…oh bother. But for sailors, nautical terms are important. So, for those of you who are nautical types, what typically happens in the stern of the ship? This is not only where the rudder is located but it is also where the one steering, the helmsman, would be. So where is it we find Jesus in our Story this morning? We catch Jesus fast asleep at the wheel while the boat is sinking! The storm is brewing, and water is slamming into and over the sides! This story of Jesus on the water, with shades of the Jonah Story all along the edges, looks as though the boat is going down. Things are spinning out of control. All seems desperate and lost. During the watery chaos, the disciples collapse into a full-blown panic and start yelling at Jesus to wake up and do something!

And he does. In fact, he does that which only God can do: He exercises control over the perilous realms of nature. Just as God, whose Spirit hovered over Creation’s watery chaos and brought forth order and beauty, so Jesus wakes up and commands the watery chaos to be still; one scholar goes so far as to say Jesus is telling the chaos and storm to literally “Shut up!” [2]  And it does. And so too do the disciples.

Jesus’ command is to be still do two things that night. First, it calmed the storm and crashing waves. Second and more importantly, Jesus silenced the disciples amid their fear and helped them begin to realize how far they had to go in their faith development. Our Story has a vivid contrast between Jesus’ faith which brings him peace during a storm and the disciples’ fear. I don’t think Jesus was upset with the disciples per se when says to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you no faith?” I believe Jesus’ tone was more like sad disappointment such as,  “Have you no faith in me yet?”

Jesus just showed the power that only God has – command over nature. As Episcopal priest, Mark Edington says, “Here is the conundrum: Jesus has godlike authority over the primordial chaos; he is king of the created order. Yet the immediate response to this demonstration of kingly power is not joy, not praise, not acclaim, but fear.”[3]  Unlike the sailors in Psalm 107 who gave thanks after the Lord delivered them safety after they cried out to God, Jesus’ disciples were filled with awe. The KJV translates verse 41 the best as it says the disciples were ‘exceedingly afraid.” There were no “thank yous” uttered by the Twelve.

Friends, fear is not necessarily a bad thing as it reminds us to pay attention. The key to meeting and handling our fear is that once it gets our attention, we then must decide how we are going to relate to that which is creating the fear. Do we relate with spiritual hopelessness and cowardice as the disciples did and complain to God, “Don’t you care we are perishing?” Or do we relate like Jesus with the confidence that indeed, he has the whole, wide world in his hands? Fear is not a bad thing; how we relate to it decides how it will affect us. Is it hopeless cowardice that God has abandoned us or is it faithful confidence that indeed nothing can separate us from the love of God — not job losses, not cancer, not knee or hip replacements, divorces, strokes, nor overdue taxes and bills! We may get the feeling Jesus is asleep at the wheel and life is spinning out of control, but the reality is he is situated in the stern of our life’s ship and has the wheel firmly in hand! Let us remind ourselves, shall we?

Back in the mid-1800s, our African American brothers and sisters in slavery would sing to each other heartfelt spirituals to encourage one another. Although the author of this particular spiritual is unknown, it’s a powerful reminder that when it feels like our life is getting swamped, we are to have hope. I want you to sing back to me the refrain of this old spiritual. It’s just three words that you’ll remember once you hear it and let these words be a reminder to us when we feel fear the boat will capsize!

He’s got the whole world in His hands . . .
He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands, He’s got the whole wide world in His hands.

He’s got the sun and the moon in His hands, He’s got the wind and the rain in His hands, He’s got the fishes in the sea in His hands, He’s got the whole world in His hands.

He’s got you and me, brother, in His hands,
He’s got you and me, sister, in His hands, He’s got the little bitty baby in His hands,
He’s got ev’rybody here in His hands,
He’s got the whole world in His hands.[4]

What are your fears sisters and brothers? Believe the Good News:  Jesus is not asleep at the wheel; indeed, he’s got the whole wide world in his hands! Sometimes my friends, we just need to be reminded of this when life gets a little swirly.

In the Name of the One Who Is, Was, and Is to Come. Amen.

© 2024 Patrick H. Wrisley. Sermon manuscripts are available for the edification of members and friends of First Presbyterian Church of Glens Falls, NY, 400 Glen Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801, and may not be altered, re-purposed, published, or preached without permission. All rights reserved. See http://www.patrickhwrisley.com.

[i] New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[2] Joel Marcus, Mark I-VIII, from the Anchor Bible Commentary Volume 27 (New York: Doubleday, 2000), 339.

[3] Bartlett, David L. and Taylor, Barbara Brown (2011-05-31). Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 3, Pentecost and Season after Pentecost 1 (Propers 3-16) (Feasting on the Word: Year B volume) (Kindle Locations 5887-5889). Westminster John Knox Press. Kindle Edition.

[4] See this interesting article on the history of this spiritual. Accessed on June 19, 2024 at https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/articles/history-of-hymns-hes-got-the-whole-world-in-his-hands.

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I Believed, and So I Spoke, 2 Corinthians 4:13 – 5:1

Posted on June 17, 2024 by patrick h wrisley 
Article after article lists "Public Speaking" as one of the top 10 most common fears people have. And yet, when asked to deliver a message for church one Sunday for our Youth Sunday worship, a thirteen year-old upcoming high school freshman, Emily Fitzgerald, did not bat an eye and agreed to preach that Sunday. I sat next to Emily near the pulpit that morning but she was so relaxed and chill you would never know she had never done this before. This is Emily's messagee to her church family.

A Message Delivered by Emily Fitzgerald on Youth Sunday, June 9, 2024

Good morning!

Our second lesson comes from Second Corinthians, chapter 4 verse 13 through chapter 5 verse 1.

I’ll be reading from Eugene Peterson’s “The Message.” Pastor Wrisley has used this book’s translation a few times this spring and I liked the simplicity of the wording.

We’re not keeping this quiet, not on your life. Just like the psalmist who wrote, “I believed it, so I said it,” we say what we believe. And what we believe is that the One who raised up the Master Jesus will just as certainly raise us up with you, alive. Every detail works to your advantage and to God’s glory: more and more grace, more and more people, more and more praise!

So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There’s far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can’t see now will last forever.

For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven—God-made, not hand-made—and we’ll never have to relocate our “tents” again.

“I believed, and so I spoke.”

Today on Youth Sunday, I’d like to speak about my interpretation of the text and how church has helped me in my life…that of an ALMOST rising high school freshman.

It’s very easy, especially in middle school, to get wrapped up in the negatives and only focus on the bad parts of our lives. The stress that we often feel can be overwhelming; feeling like the world is collapsing from underneath us and we have no control of it. In the passage I just read from Second Corinthians, it says, “Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace”.  These words are so powerful because sometimes all we need is someone to remind us that not everything is hard.

Most days, it seems like the only thing on the news is horrible stuff that might keep me up at night. I remember during the height of COVID I would hear all about it on the news and get sad that I couldn’t see my friends.  But my mom helped me realize that it was ok to feel that way and that if I looked for the little parts of my day that bring me joy, I could hold onto those moments and think of them whenever I feel like things are not going my way. Even on a seemingly bad day, I’ve been taught to look for God’s grace even in small ways.

Grace is something that we all need in our lives. For me, I look for it when I might not flash my rock-climbing project. (This means achieving the rock-climbing route on the first try without anyone telling me how to do it or watching someone do it.)  Or more recently when I don’t get all the questions correct on a practice algebra Regents exam.

In these moments, my grace is realizing that it’s ok to fail because failure teaches me things I didn’t know, like maybe having to hold a climbing hold a different way or work on a specific topic in algebra that I’m not as good at. Telling myself it’s ok to make mistakes and not do things perfectly is so important to have good mental health and be successful. If we harp over every detail, everything else we need to do is not going to get done.

But grace doesn’t have to be just what you give yourself, other people can too. A teacher could give an extra day to finish a homework assignment – that’s grace. Or a friend or loved one can support us even when we make mistakes – that’s grace. And most importantly, God always gives us grace every day. We are reminded of this in church when we say the declaration of forgiveness. We are saying out loud God’s promise to always forgive us and give us grace when we need it most.

Church has always been a big part of my life. It’s been a great source of volunteer hours that helped me get into the National Junior Honor Society, but more than that, it has given me a place where I can be myself and feel a part of something. From being in Christmas pageants to mastering the art of acolyting, or face painting at Trunk or Treat, it gives me a place to feel like I belong.

And even now church supports me differently. Helping and volunteering is so fun, but above all, it is so rewarding and humbling. Since joining the Earth Care Committee a couple years ago, I’ve learned how to share my thoughts on how we could help the environment as a ministry. Over the past year or so, I realized that church has helped me grow as a person. I am more confident taking chances and doing public speaking like being a liturgist or speaking here today.

I find myself going out of my way to be kinder, humbler, and more appreciative of the things and opportunities I have. Like right now I’m so honored to have the opportunity to tell you how this church community – people like you in the congregation – helps kids like me grow and succeed.

Because of the church, I have found the person I want to be: I want to be a helpful Christian community member, reach my full academic potential, and most importantly I want to be a good role model. God teaches us to love our neighbor and to give grace. I want to share with others that being kind matters, that it’s up to you to decide who you want the world to see, and that if you have a supportive community you can reach your goals and aspirations no matter what they are.

Thank you so much for creating this graceful, loving environment that helps the greater Glens Falls community, including our youth group and people like me.

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