“Sympathy for the Devil”

Date: November 1, 2009

A man was going to a Halloween party dressed as a devil. On the way it began to rain, so he darted into a church where a revival was in progress. At the sight of his devil's costume, people began to scatter through doors and windows. One lady got her coat caught on the arm of a pew. As the man came closer, she begged, "Satan, I've been a member of this church for 20 years, but I've really been on your side all the time!"

You all had a great time Trick-or-Treating last night? As you probably know, Halloween has origins in the ancient festival known as Samhain (Sau-an), which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end". No lying here: high 60s on Friday and suddenly low 40s yesterday! Samhain was a festival celebrated mainly in Ireland and Scotland. However, similar festivals were held by other Celts. The celebration has some elements of a “Festival of the dead.” The ancient Celts believed that the border between this world and the Otherworld became thin on Samhain, allowing spirits (both harmless and harmful) to pass through.

Some people might consider Halloween to be completely incompatible with the Christian faith due to its origin as a pagan "Festival of the Dead." But then, again, today is also All Saints Sunday and Christian churches all over the world, including First Congregational UCC, is celebrating the life of our members who have passed away this past year: read their names at both services.

Some people don’t like Halloween because it seems that all this celebration and extravagance shows too much Sympathy for the Devil. How many of you recognized the theme of my message today: Sympathy for the Devil? Jim, do you mind telling us a little bit more about this song that you choose?

Sympathy for the Devil" is a song by The Rolling Stones, which first appeared as the opening track on the band's 1968 album Beggars Banquet. In 2004 Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at #32 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. At the time of the release Sympathy" brought concerns about Satanism to the fore, provoking media rumours and fears among some religious groups that The Rolling Stones were devil-worshippers and a corrupting influence on youth. Backed by an intensifying rock arrangement, the narrator recounts his exploits over the course of human history and warns the listener:
"If you meet me, have some courtesy, have some sympathy, and some taste; use all your well-learned politesse, or I'll lay your soul to waste."

It seems to me that what the Devils is saying is: Treat me well and dont offend me, and I will not find it necessary to cause you great despair. Everything we need to know to meet the mystery of this Mischief Maker, who brags that he was round when Jesus Christ had his moment of doubt and pain and who made sure that Pilate washed his hands and sealed his fate, is contained in his polite introduction and the subsequent challenges he makes.

First the Devil says, "Pleased to meet you. Then he offers two challenges: Hope you guess my name and But what’s puzzling you is the nature of my game.

Statistically 70% Americans believe in the existence of the Devil. But, who the devil is the Devil? In this song he challenges you to guess his identity. If you are a Christian, his name is Satan or Lucifer. And according to the Bible, he is a fallen angel. If you are Jewish, his name is ha-Satan which literally means: The Accuser. If you are a Muslim, you call him Iblis which means: he that causes despair. If we combine the names then of these three religions, a good description of the Devil’s identity then would be the accusing angel that causes despair. Quite a good despription when we consider everything that he does!

The Devil has been around for a long time and even though you may not have met him personally, you know who he is without looking at his name tag. Simply because his reputation has preceded him. What is the nature of his game? The lyrics' of the Rolling Stones’s song focus on some atrocities in the history of mankind:

European wars of religion: "I watched with glee while your kings and queens fought for ten decades for the Gods they made"
The violence of the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the 1918 massacre of the Romanov family: "I stuck around St. Petersburg when I saw it was a time for a change, killed the Tsar and his ministers — Anastasia screamed in vain"
World War II: "I rode a tank, held a general's rank when the Blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank"
The lyrics also refer to the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy. The recording sessions for the track were in progress when the latter was killed, and the words were changed from "Who killed Kennedy?" to "who killed the Kennedys?"

Keith Richards, co-writer of this song puts it in perspective: "Sympathy is quite an uplifting song. When that song was written, it was a time of turmoil. It was the first sort of international chaos since World War II. People tend to bury evil and hope it sorts itself out and doesn't rear its ugly head. It's a matter of looking the Devil in the face. He's here all the time.

Sympathy for the Devil is just as appropriate now. You want to think the world is perfect. And as America has found out, to its dismay on 9/11, you can't hide. You might as well accept the fact that evil is there and deal with it any way you can. Sympathy for the Devil is a song that says, Don't forget him. If you confront him, then he's out of a job."

How can we confront him? Someone once said that if you want to get rid of Satan, it is easy: be intoxicated with love. Confront the Devil by being compassionate. By letting go of your anger and your hatred and begin to see everyone in the same way that God sees you. Respond to anger with compassion, because by doing this we will show No sympathy to the Devil and, more importantly, there will be no need to choose any sides!
Amen

“The I-Pass”

Date: October 18, 2009
Scripture: Mark 10:35-45

When I arrived here last year this little box was awaiting me as a welcome gift. Little did I know how valuable it would proof to be! The I-PASS made my Tollway travel easier and quicker. I like the Open Road Tolling lanes and especially the fact that when you use your I-PASS you pay half the toll—saving you time and money. Sounds like a good deal to me! It just makes life easier. Like most things in life, we like fast and easy, right?

The concept of grace can sometimes be very complicated. Last Sunday we talked about God 's amazing grace. The young man asked Jesus what he could do to get eternal life? Nothing-said Jesus. Will it cost me any toll money? Nothing. He could do nothing to earn a place in heaven. Grace may seem very much like an I-Pass to Paradise-it’s easy and fast.

What do we do with this grace that is poured onto us? Grace is not just about forgiveness. This is only the beginning. Somehow, we have to respond to God's grace. As we grow in grace we have to distribute it to other people. This is where our service comes in. If you do not live a gospel that calls you to a life of service, you are living a shallow, selfish, substitute that promises much and demands little.

The disciples had to learn that with grace comes responsibility. Concerned with their own future status in Jesus' ministry, James and John decided to get in line early for good seats in the heavenly future. They have been listening to Jesus for three years now; they heard what he was saying about the kingdom, and they want to be the first ones through, while the rest remain on the other side. As disciples of the Son of Man, it went without saying that priority, perks, position and privilege would be part of the deal.

So they go alone to Jesus and whispers to him what they want. After he hears them out he loudly replies, Listen, boys, I'm not in the business of handing out favors and I-Passes. You two guys will just have to wait in line with everybody else. No favorites here, no top guys. Instead of affirming the quality of their roles in the kingdom, Jesus accuses James and John of being no different than the status-seeking, power-hunger people.

When the other 10 heard that James and John want their own special and private I-Pass into the coming kingdom, they got displeased. Jesus calls a group meeting. He says, you have it backward. In heaven there are no special passes. And even if there were, I couldn't hand them out. I work for God. I'm just a servant. The path to true greatness is not special seating in the kingdom; it's a willingness to be "slave of all" in the world.

The disciples just don't get it. Repeatedly, they misunderstood Jesus' teachings. One might think that the disciples in Mark are incredibly dumb. Or perhaps they are credibly dumb. Maybe they do actually get it! Mark tells it like it is. Discipleship is difficult.
In our own attempt to follow Jesus, our problem is not that we misunderstand him, but rather that we understand him all too well and we don't always like what we hear. We would rather transform Jesus into something what we want:
We come to church expecting that we will have our faith confirmed.
We will be able to listen to the sermon, nod, and say to ourselves, "Yes, that's what I've always thought. That's how I've always seen it."
And then we can go home and have lunch.

And on the other hand, the point is not so much to get it, as to be sure that it gets you, to stick with Jesus, and to let him keep talking to you, keep teaching you. So, let us slow down and come to church expecting to meet Jesus and expecting to grow, expecting to be surprised -and every now and then expecting to be criticized by him.

A heavenly destination is not our main "goal" in this life, but a life of humility and service. In a faith community no leader gets privilege. (With the possible exception of the pastor at potlucks, of course!) No, no leader gets an I-Pass; no leader cuts the line; no leader gets in first or takes the best seat. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be a servant to all the rest.

Amen

“Deal of a Lifetime”

Date: October 11, 2009
Scripture: Mark 10:17-31

Suppose someone you trust makes you the following offer: You go into business with me. I guarantee it will be worth it. You come up whatever cash you can find. I promise you will get back 100 times whatever you invested. If you raise $100,000, you will get back 10 million. Is there anybody who would turn his or her back on that kind of opportunity? That’s the promise from this story in Mark’s Gospel. Whatever you invest will be returned a hundredfold. It’s the deal of a lifetime. Anyone would just jump at the opportunity, Right?

Well, tell that to the young man of our story. The man who came to Jesus was a successful sales rep:
He was living in a large home in one of the new subdivisions on the growing edge of town - one with a neighborhood pool and tennis courts.
In his garage are a two-year-old BMW and a new Lexus.
He’s proud of his attractive wife and their two active children.
He’s undoubtedly from one of the better families in town.
He is well-schooled in manners and morality.
He only eats organic food and he has kept the commandments since his childhood.

Why, then, does he still feel so empty, restless, unfulfilled, as if life is a meaningless game? He needs something but he isn’t sure what! Maybe I should start my own business, try skydiving, or learn karate. Maybe this teacher could give me the answer.

“What must I do,” asks the young man with great sincerity, “to inherit eternal life?” young people just don’t learn, do they? Notice the focus of the question. He’s not interested in pleasing God or growing in spirituality. He figures he’s got it made in this world. Now, how can I ensure a firm hold on the next life?

Mark tells us that Jesus looked at the young man and loved him. “You lack only one thing,” Jesus told him. Ah, this is what this man had come expecting. He only needed one thing. Get out the checkbook. Whatever the Master asked of him, he knew he could afford, if not in money, at least in time:
Work with the youth group?
Teach a Sunday school class?
Knock on doors?
Those were not ministries he was excited about, but he could do them if they would guarantee him a place in heaven.

“You lack only one thing,” Jesus said. “Go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor- and come, follow me.” Now, that’s hard. He was saddened by Jesus’ reply. The cost was too great for him. He walked away. Is anyone really surprised? What if Christ came to you and told you to give everything away, would you? Most of us would ask for a second opinion.

The disciples were equally shocked at Jesus’ words. It was an accepted belief of the day that if you were wealthy, God was looking favorably on you. Besides, it’s much easier for a wealthy person to serve God, at least that’s what they thought. They began asking each other, “Then who can be saved?” Jesus looked at them lovingly and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for with God all things are possible.”

I think we miss the beauty of this story if we focus on this young man’s wealth. We’re not even sure that money was the main problem. We focus on what he had that he needed to get rid of. What we need to ask is what it was that he didn’t have that he needed. What was the one thing he lacked? It was actually having God first in his life.

Jesus asked what he surely knew was an impossible task for this man to accomplish in order to show him the inadequacy of his question. He needed to see that his good works could not earn him a place in heaven. What he needed was simply to receive the grace that God was ready to pour out upon him. The rich man wanted to “do”; he didn’t want to receive.

Remember, just a few verses before this passage, Jesus blesses the little children. Little children know that they are dependent; they cannot do many things for themselves. So they are able to receive gracefully. It is we, the adults that have more trouble receiving help, or gifts, or blessings. “You do something for me and I’ll do something for you.”

God’s gift of grace and salvation is too big for us to ever earn. And that is the point of the story. With God everything is possible. We will receive it a hundredfold. Talk about an incredible deal!
Amen

“Till death do us part…”

Date: October 4, 2009
Scripture: Mark 10:2-16

Till death do us part….sounds familiar, right? The minister had reached that portion of the marriage ceremony where he said, ". . . and do you take this woman for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, through sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, till death . . . " "Please," whispered the bride almost in tears, "if you aren't careful, you're going to talk him out of it." Divorce rate of 50%.

It is a bit surprising to hear Jesus' response to his critics who ask him one of the hot questions of the day: is it OK for a man who has divorced his wife to remarry? Jesus replies that anyone, man or woman, who divorces and remarries is committing nothing less than adultery. Wow! Is Jesus having a bad day or what? When we think of Jesus, we are used to think of him as loving, open, warm, and accepting. Jesus is the one who comes to encourage us, to stand beside us, but never to reprimand us.

All of us either are people who have divorced and remarried or we know and love people who have divorced and remarried. What about them? Would Jesus tell a woman who has suffered terrible abuse, "Stay married. You promised." And when that woman finally has the courage to leave her husband, would Jesus say, "Now that you have divorced, you may never remarry?"

Today, I hope that we would be able to put this saying in a proper theological context because while you might not hear sermons on it frequently, it is a passage that can cause a lot of trouble. Let us start of by asking ourselves the question, why does Mark say they put the question as a trap? Location is everything. Well, look and see where this incident is taking place. It's down by the Jordan river, in the Judaean wilderness. Of course John the Baptist used to work there.

And the reason why he finally lost his head is because he criticized Herod Antipas for marrying his brother's wife. This marital arrangements that his new wife had to divorce his brother Philip were among the reasons why it was clear that he could never be the king that God intended to give to Israel.

Throw in the fact that the Messiah is coming to town, we shouldn't be surprised that the Pharisees try to trap him. Will he say something about divorce which can then be presented as treasonable to Herodias? Does he say that it is OK to divorce he will go straight against his own ethical principals and do harm to him as the Messiah! Jesus spot the trap a mile off; but he deals with it quite well.

Jesus doesn't say Moses was wrong with the permission in Deuteronomy. The problem was not with the law, but with the people: Israel was just like everybody else. Hardhearted.

For Jesus' comment to make sense, he must be offering a cure for hardheartedness. That is why he insists that we should go back to Genesis to God's original intention for relationships. This woman can only be protected if she is no longer treated as an object, but as an equal subject-like God intended from the beginning. Jesus’ primary concern is not with legalities, but with fairness, justice, and equality for all persons. And this is what Jesus’ message is about – not a discussion about divorce but about treating everybody with justice, fairness and equality.

Sometimes our own systems and world-views would deny the value of other people. Our scripture passage challenge us to respect the worth of all persons by not allowing anyone to be “written off” by those in positions of power.

Jesus puts himself on the side of the weak and the vulnerable. We need to figure who is the weak and the vulnerable today and take a stance for them. After all, we are brothers and sisters of the same family – and we will stay that, even when death do us part...

Amen