On the first Sunday of June

 6/6

Art, Morningside Park

On the first  Sunday of June, this was my reflection for the Beverley congregation...

The sun is out. It’s warm. Like turtles in the parks, we’re easing our heads up out of the water, bit by bit, ready to feel those sun rays.  I’m sitting in the ballpark again, making plans for summer travel. At my mothers’  assisted care facility, I can take her outside and wheel her around the little lake. More and more of us are vaccinated.  Who knows? Some day we might actually be able to meet in person again for church. 

Since we’ve last met together, we have passed the one year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd.  And just last week, the 100th anniversary of an event that happened in a city I once served in for 10 years.The Tulsa Race Massacre. Meanwhile all cross the country, legislatures seem to be doing all they can to bring back voter suppression. The situation with homeless people in our city seems to be getting worse. And city elections are coming by  again. 

So what’s Jesus  up to this week? He’s healing people, doing exorcisms, and drawing such big crowds there’s no time to even eat. Even his family seems to think he’s gone too far so that they want him to "tone it down.” People are saying he’s crazy. Religious authorities have come down from Jerusalem to discredit him, saying he’s casting out demons by the power of Satan. 

Let’s stop a second. Last month, May, was mental health awareness month. In Jesus day, people understood mental illness to be “demon possession.” (In some respects, that’s not that far off.) Their claim that Jesus is doing this through the power of Satan makes Jesus just about as angry as he gets. First, he uses logic. “How could I use the power of Satan to drive  out Satan”? Logically, only the power of the Holy Spirit could drive out an evil Spirit. And that’s where he gets really angry…their calling the Holy Spirit the spirit of evil is not only illogical, but blasphemous and to Jesus, the only unforgivable sin. (At least in this chapter..)

This is where another quote comes in…

4If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.

These are the words Lincoln used to describe the United States on the eve of the Civil War. The kind division he saw was probably inevitable given that the whole economy and culture of the South (and let’s admit it, the riches of the north) was built on the backs of enslaved human beings. Human beings treated as property.  There is ultimately no compromise between the idea that some human beings can be owned and used as property and the belief that all human beings are inherently to be free people. There is no middle ground. The fact is the whole system of chattel slavery only worked if those enslaved were not viewed as fully human. Any kindness or generosity simply a form of humane treatment of animals. 

I might even suggest that at the end of the day, that original sin if you wish, informs the divisions we have today as resistance to the teaching of race theory grows. 

There are other ways we are and will be divided. Now when you go the game, the stadium is divided between vaccinated and un..There are bars in this city you can’t enter unless you are vaccinated. Laws banning trans athletes are being passed. Our divisions may be as deep as they were during the Civil War. Or the beginning of the Vietnam War. 

The challenge of the next few years will be how do we even begin to understand one another? We can’t even agree on what the meaning of words are. And this divide may be greatest between those of us who clam the name of Jesus as savior. I don’t have an answer for that

(Certainly the apostle Paul gave our Southern Presbyterian ancestors more than enough quotes to support their belief in slavery.)

But back to Jesus and his family. Note that he’s inside the house  and they’re out. You can’t blame his mother for being annoyed, always having a crowd of people you don’t know  hanging around. They have to send word into him to get his attention.  

His response  can seem very harsh. Who is my mother? My brothers and sisters? Then he waves his arm around pointing to his followers and says these are they. 

For people my age, that brings up memories of what it was like during the early years of Vietnam. While cleaning out my mom’s house, my sister found an 8 page letter I had written my family explaining why I had to go to Washington, DC to protest even after they had expressed their displeasure. Those were hard days.

(Let’s be honest…Jesus’ words about family can last be used manipulatively by cults and others.. …)

We understand that we have families by birth and families of choice. New York City, because of its nature, may have a disproportionately large number of families  of choice, because of the numbers of people who come here because they need to get away to be who they truly are. We can over romanticize our birth families. Some are more complex and some just outright toxic or dangerous. 

True happiness may be when your birth family and your family of choice fit together, one the extension of the other. And that’s especially true of Church families.

Jesus makes clear that his ministry is to be about forgiveness of sins, even blasphemy.  That may actually have a lot to do with what heals people. The one person most of us have difficulty forgiving is ourselves;

Recently, the HBO series “Mare of East Town” captured the imagination of a wide audience. It’s a wonderful picture of a small Delaware County (Pennsylvania) town where everyone seems to be related and all kinds of serious family issues exist. A terrible murder of a young woman has taken place and its resolution leaves a deep mark on several families. 

Months later, the whole community is in church. The young deacon who was himself accused of the crime is back after a leave. In his return sermon, he says how good it is that we are all here together after what we have been through.  But not everyone is here. Perhaps we don’t believe they deserve to be here. Perhaps they  don’t believe it themselves. But it’s not our job to determine that. We can’t really know that. All we can do is love them.

Forgiveness may be the most important word in our sermon today,. Maybe that helps heal madness. Maybe they helps heal divisions. Maybe that helps to  heal us. 

Amen

Mark 3: 20-35

. and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

28“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” — 30for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

31Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” 33And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Living in cornaviruswolrd 246: His job description and ours

 

2/7

snow

the Harlem Meer

standing guard

It's a winter wonderland again. And Central Park patrolled by squadron of snow men. And it's Super Bowl Sunday and I'm preaching for Beverley Church. Here's what I had to say: 

Well, a lot has happened since last we were together. A new President has been inaugurated. An old President has left town. For good. We have seen our sacred halls of government invaded and violated. We’ve had the first covid vaccines roll out and many of us have had out first shot. And the rest of us are still trying to figure out how to get one.  I got mine at the 168th street armory track and field facility and the Mets’ CitiField and the Yankees’ Yankee stadium are being used as vaccination facilities and still people I know my own age continue to die  of Covid, We just had a big snow storm but our kids didn’t get a snow day. Remember how we’d all wait to hear the official announcement then run outside with our saucers and sleds? Well no snow days anymore. Just another day of “remote learning.” Can’t help but feel something’s been lost there. Last night I had dinner agin with a friend sitting outside in 40’ weather. Almost a year later and we’re still living in coronavirusworld. And still  worshipping in virtual reality.

So what’s Jesus been up to lately? Last we saw him, he was in a synagogue, going one in one against a demon who had taken possession of a poor soul’s body. And in today’s passage, Jesus has come to the house of his new followers Simon and Andrew. Simon, by the way, is the one Jesus has come to call by the name of Peter, or just like wrestler turned actor Duane Johnson, the Rock. Or like Sylvester Stallone, Rocky. And Peter’s mother in law is sick. Which among other things, tells us that Peter was actually married. And from this point on, we never hear of Peter’s family again. 

Since she’s living with Peter, this poor woman is most likely a widow. And scripture tells us she’s got a fever. Not such a big deal. Not being possessed by a demon or a 12 year flow of blood or leprosy or even blindness. Just a fever. Hmmm, Jesus doesn’t even stop for the results of a Covid test. He just takes her by the hand, lifts her up and the fever leaves her. Now women, notice was happens next…she “began to serve them..”  I mean this poor woman is just healed and immediately put back to work. And people keep coming  with sick people and people possessed by demons and Jesus keeps taking care of all of them.

When we “lift people up in prayer” we are following Jesus. My rabbi friend reminds me that this is a particularly Christian way of speaking, W take it for granted, but it is rooted in Jesus.   

Next morning ,Jesus goes away alone to  a deserted place to pray. And his disciples keep looking for him until they find him. And Jesus says, “time to move on.”

Okay, what’s going on here? We just had an inauguration of a President. Here we have the first actions following the inauguration of Jesus’ ministry. On the one hand, it is significant that Jesus’ first healing is a woman. As a widow, one of her society’s most vulnerable people. She doesn’t even get named. That tells us pretty clearly what the focus of Jesus’ ministry is going to be. And as to her “serving,” the word in Greek is diakonos, which is so much  more than making a meal and serving it.  Peter’s mother in law is the church’s first deacon. A radical idea.  On the other hand, as radical as he is, Jesus is still a product of his society. The truly radical thing to have done would have been to say hey Peter, Andrew, go fix your mother in law something to eat. What’s most important to note is that an encounter with Jesus is restorative, it restores her to society, to community, to family. Notice also there’s nothing magical here. Sometimes presence alone can be healing.  And never underestimate the power of touch. We as deacons can be instruments of God’s healing just by our presence.

Then the doors are opened and the “whole city” is gathered there. So Mark’s not above a little hyperbole here. But notice…it also says he healed “many,” not “all.” By the time Matthew and Luke tell the same story, they have to turn that “many” into “all.” And he casts out “many” demons and forbid then to speak. When he cast out his first demon last week, it got loud. He got into a shouting match with the demon. It was almost like a contest, who could exorcise who, because Jesus too was possessed, but with the Holy Spirit. Who knows what’s going on here? Perhaps those with bipolar were thought to be demon possessed. Which in a a way is true. Or people who have fallen into alcohol or opioid addiction which takes people aways from their truest selves. Or as one commentator said, perhaps they were simply people who had ben demonized. Having learned his lesson, Jesus makes the demons stay silent. 

He does a lot of that in Mark. Maybe he’s not ready yet for his identity to be known Like Spider Man or Clark Kent or Bruce Wayne or Wonder Woman he keeps it a secret. Maybe he just doesn’t want people to see him  as a human miracle  vending machine. (Though we still try to make him that)

After all this, he needs  to get away, pray and recharge. And the when his disciples come, move on. He resists the temptation to become the local rock star and moves on. 

As we look at this story, there are four things to that come to mind….

First, avoid the temptation of popularity. Jesus helps out of love and compassion, not to gain followers by being a magic man. Matthew will turn this idea into a whole dramatic scene in the wilderness, confronting Satan.  Later, when confronted by thousands of hungry people, Jesus will say to his  disciples, you feed them. Those coming to see him were most those without resources. As the ultimate conflict with Rome drew near, peoples' lives were more and  more impacted. Just so, Covid most hurts those at the bottom. Who are the last to get the  vaccine. Which ultimately endangers us all. Jesus ministry begins with those who are considered the least, the forgotten and excluded.

Second, just aa Jesus healed not all, but many, we have to learn to accept our own limitations.  We are called to do what we can.

Third, as Jesus needs his “deserted place,” we need to stop, need our place to get away, to pray, to catch our breath, reflect and be ready to go back out again.

Finally, as Jesus gave with no expectation of repayment, so we too must give for the sake of giving.

In this story, Jesus finds parameters of his ministry, his job description…casting out demons, healing and teaching and preaching. As those who bear his name, let us share in that ministry. And to him be the glory, Let  those with ears  to hear, hear,

Gospel Mark 1:29-39

29As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

 

Living in coronavirusworld 245: Snowfall

 

2/1

the snow came

z

One month of the new year is gone. 

sledding in Morningside Park

a snowman guards the pond

Today the snow came. Two-three feet maybe.  Enough to cover everything with that blanket of white. That cover that seems to muffle all sounds, quieting, slowing everything down. In years past, this would have been a snow day. Kids anxiously waiting for the word then celebrating when it’s officially announced the school is cancelled. A random gift of grace and freedom sending everyone outside  with sleds and saucers. Heading for the parks and every incline to be  found. But after months of living in coronavirusworld they just announce it’d a remote learning day. An let it go at that. Can’t help but think somethings bene lost. Yet another victim of Covid.

In Morningside Park, no birds or ducks or geese. Just children and their sleds. And a lone snowman. 

Tonight’s Bible study brings us to Mark 1: 29-39, Jesus begins his healing ministry. He has come to the home of Simon,  now known as Peter, the Rock. His mother in law is sick. And so we learn Peter was married. Jesus takes her by the hand, lifts her up. And she feels better.  And begins to serve. People keep coming so the next day, they are off and on their way.

* A couple  weeks ago when I preached for my friend Rabbi Steve’s Shabbat service, later when we had prayers, I “lifted up” my mom. He told me this was a particularly Christian way of talking. A nice image and he liked that. All goes back to Jesus “lifting up.”

* They wait until sundown to start receiving visits which mean they took Sabbath restrictions seriously.

* He forbids the demons to speak because they “know him.” Possibly having learned a lesson in his last demon encounter (1: 21-28).  He  like Spiderman or Superman, wants to keep his identity secret. Something he does 10 times in Mark.

* After a full day of demanding work, he goes off to a “deserted place.”   To pray. To recharge. 

* The word used when they tell him that everyone is “searching” for him is a word that usually indicates hostility. It is used 10 tines in Mark.

This story sets the frame work for Jesus ’ministry:  casting out demons, healing and teaching and preaching. It’s a bit problematic that the healed woman has to immediately get up and start serving. Though the word for serving, diakanos, is so much bigger than cooking cleaning, etc. She is the first deacon. It is radical that Jesus’ first healing is of a woman, one of the marginalized of society, one of the least of these. Nevertheless, Jesus is  still bound by his culture. In the end however, we see her restored to her place. Those Jesus heals are reincorporated back into society.

Mark speaks with hyperbole, eg, “…all who were sick or possessed…” and “..the whole city was gathered…” yet he narrows it in the outcomes to “…cured many…” not all. An he avoids the temptation of popularity. (This part of the story will be expanded in the temptation in the wilderness narrative..(Matthew 4: 1-11) Perhaps those said ti be possessed were actuallu those who had been demonized bu the community.

In our conversation, a number of thoughts emerge. Peter’s mother in law was not deathly ill, she had a fever. Not blind, nor with  constant menstrual flow or leprosy. Just a fever. Her “healing” is not a major miracle. But note, sometimes  presence is enough. Along with  the  comforting power of touch. 

Jesus does not heal all. Just many. And he moves on because his responsibility is to the Good News, not being a human healing vending machine. (Though Russ points out that in contemporary popular Christianity, society he has bene turned into precisley that.)

Michael is concerned that If Jesus ‘ mission is universal, why does he focus on the poor and  not those who have proven capable who could be so helpful to hm? It’s very clear that in the time of increased conflict with Rome, heading towards the final conflict, the regular economy would be affected. People whose lives were difficult to begin with would be cut off even more from basic essential  resources, Most of those who come to him  would clearly be poor people. Jesus starts his mission at the bottom and not the top. And it’s not about individual success, it’s about community.

Marsha shares a paint from the Vida Americana: Mexican Muralists….exhibit at the Whitney.

Jesus destroys his cross

In the end, there are four ideas here with noting:

1. Avoid the trap of popularity

2. Accept our limitations (many healed, not all…)

3. We all ned our own deserted place to pray and refocus

4. We give without need or expectation of repayment

As we watch Jesus go about the beginning of his own ministry, his job description starts to become clear and ours begins to come into clear focus as well. 

And the snow is especially beautiful at night…

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Gospel Mark 1:29-39

29As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. 31He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

32That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. 33And the whole city was gathered around the door. 34And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

35In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. 36And Simon and his companions hunted for him. 37When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” 38He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” 39And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Living in coronavirusworld 244: Of inaugurations, occupied territory and exorcism

 

1/25

Together

Tonight in this season of “inaugurations,’ we study Mark’s account of the inauguration of Jesus’ ministry. (Mark 1: 21-28) Each gospel has its own version of how Jesus initiates his ministry. In Matthew, it’s the sermon on the mount. In Luke, it’s a programmatic statement of mission rooted in Isaiah with release to the captives, sight to the blind, etc. John starts with changing water to wine at a wedding at Cana of Galilee. Here in Mark, it’s the story of “the man with the unclean spirit.” The first of four exorcisms in Mark. 

In response, the people are astounded, a word used 10 times in Mark. 

The confrontation with the demon is interesting. First, in our contemporary understanding, demonic possession may be a way of describing what we understand to be mental illness. On the other hand, we understand  that substance addiction, and Alzheimers and bipolar can all possess someone and result in them  behaving other than themselves. In this story, the demon speaks in the collective (“what do you have to do with us?”) as if all that is demonic is somehow involved. All the force that oppress human beings. And the demon knows Jesus by name, both human “ Jesus of Nazareth” and divine, Holy One of God.” From Genesis 1 foreword, to know someone’s name (or to name them) is to have power over them. Jesus too is possessed, of the Holy Spirit, and the demon is trying to exorcise Jesus. So we have what is undoubtedly a loud contest with raised voices and shouting. A great movie scene. 

Note that this is happening in a synagogue, A holy place. I have actually  had this experience. Both alone at West Park where a man asked for an exorcism. After I “removed the demon” he turned and told  told me “and now he’s in  you.”(https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/335914640400880074/8707032854797775964) And once on a Sunday morning where Rafael, my Occupy Wall Street security guard literally wrapped the young man in a hug and walked him out of the sanctuary and stayed with him until the ambulance arrived. (https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/335914640400880074/5130785507670366507) 

What we’ve got here is a struggle over occupied territory. Just like the Romans are unjustly occupying the territory, the demons are occupying the man. Just as the demon has to be exorcised from the man, the people  need to be freed from occupation.  Just as our lives right now are occupied by a triple threat, the pandemic, race and political division.  Even with the promise of a new President, these forces remain. And as Eddie Glaude has said in Begin Again, a refection on the works of James Baldwin, the trauma of racism endures in our very  bodies to this day. We need exorcism. 

The control of occupied space extends to the synagogue. Who will control the holy space? Jesus walks in and  teaches with authority. The people see it immediately. The institutional leaders want to know where was he educated? Where did he get his seminary education and degree? Is he ordained? What denomination? Amber Leigh describes this as an issue of emotional (or intrinsic) authority over against positional authority. In community organizing one-on-ones, we all want to find out who ha authority in peoples lives? In any congregation, there are the “official” leaders and the “cultural” leaders, whose  support is needed for something to happen. Jesus’ authority came from the  center of his  being. 

To confront the demon that confronts us, it will take granting Jesus the authority over our lives, our beings. It will take the sustaining support of the Holy  Spirit. And the solidarity of the community of faith. Th inauguration os over. It’s time get to work. 

The Man with an Unclean Spirit

21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. 22 They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 23 Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, 24 and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He[a] commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.