January 29, 2012:
Getting Started
Potsdam
Call: Deuteronomy 18: 15-20 (21-22)
Text: Mark 1: 21-28
Read: Psalm 111 (632)
[read Mark 1: 21-28]
Let's be honest: many people - probably most people - today
have trouble relating
to a scripture that tells of Jesus exorcizing a demon.
In our time in history
In our community and in our country
We simply do not generally think in terms of demons.
We think in terms of faults, flaws and weaknesses
We think in terms of personality characteristics and traumatic experiences
We think in terms of mental diseases, conditions and addictions
But not of "demons"
Now, we do use the term "demons"
to describe things that a person must get over
in order to move forward in life
"Once he got rid of his demons he became able to hold down a job or to be a good husband and father."
But we do not think in terms of anthropomorphic demons
Shouting out like the demon in this story - and in some other scriptures as well.
In saying that, I do not mean to begin a discussion on demons
What they are; whether they exist, etc
All I am saying is that
because 21st century Potsdamians or Potsdamites
Do not generally think that way
They/we may well have a tendency to dismiss this scripture
In terms of its relevance to their/our lives.
And thus lose the value and the impact of the scripture.
That value and that impact come from what the scripture says
About Christ
And about his ministry.
The value and impact comes particularly from the lesson
That how we begin our service for and to God
Can have great value and a major impact on how the ministry proceeds from that beginning.
Certainly, therefore, nearly every pastor I know can relate to this story
But as all Christians are servants
That lesson should not be lost on any of us
How we begin can set in motion an effective ministry
Or it can put us in a position from which we need to catch up
I can tell you that I have clear memories
Of my first Sunday leading worship in each congregation I have served
I can even recall the dates of those first services.
In Jordanville it was July 2, 1995
I preached on the story from Luke 9
Of Jesus and the disciples traveling to Jerusalem
And the Samaritan village refusing to put him up
[There was no Holiday Inn between Galilee and Jerusalem]
In that sermon, I likened James and John to mafia hit men
And made references to Hannibal Lechter and Woodrow Wilson.
And after the service, the congregation said
"This guy is at least intriguing Let's give him a chance."
In VanHornesville, the date was November 1, 1998
I don't remember my sermon there
But I do remember that on that first day of my ministry there
I broke the communion bread
And in the process, threw half of it off the chancel area
And onto the floor.
And after the service, the congregation said,
"This guy is at least amusing Let's give him a chance."
At Grace and Hogansburg, I began on June 30, 2002
Actually one day before my appointment officially began
Because I was headed to Washington for two weeks
I preached on the calls to Peter and Andrew
The one from John's gospel and the one from Matthew's
And I turned to the scripture reader
And I asked her which of the two scriptures was accurate
Before explaining how the two scriptures taken together
Illustrated and described my call to the pulpit
And after the service, the congregation said,
"This guy is an interesting character Let's give him a chance."
And then, of course, there was July 1, 2007
My first day as pastor of this congregation.
I preached on the great commission
As set forth in Acts 1 and Matthew 28
But what I remember most was telling the congregation
that in the late 1970s I made a point of going to hear Russell Clark
Because I had heard that he was worth listening to
And that therefore, about 30 years later
I was awed to begin my ministry by serving him communion.
After the service, the congregation said,
"This guy had the good sense to listen to Russell
Let's give him a chance."
The very first worship in each of those congregations
Resulted in people giving me a chance
And had an impact on my ministries in and with each congregation
I understood that lesson from this scripture
The fact that I still remember so many of the details
Is evidence of that
But how could I have missed that lesson?
Just look at the reaction Jesus got when he began his ministry "They were all amazed,"
They kept on asking one another, "What is that?"
And they answered themselves
'a new teaching - and with authority"
They had recognized that Jesus was not just a gifted teacher
That he was not simply intriguing, amusing, interesting,
or a person with good sense
They had recognized that he taught with true authority
They had recognized that this guy was special.
They not only felt they needed to give him a chance
They felt compelled to follow him
And to tell his story.
I was really pleased with, "Let's give this guy a chance."
Even when it was based on (in one case)
My throwing the communion bread around.
I don't believe that any pastor who is only human
Has a right to dream of anything more
But my experiences at the beginnings of each of my ministries
Cause me to be as awed, astounded and amazed as his listeners
At the impact he had on them - as he began His ministry.
And at the impact their response had on others
For Mark tells us,
"At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee/"
But despite their recognition of his authority and his "specialness"
I doubt that those who were there
Fully recognized that he was the Messiah
In fact, I don't think it crossed their minds.
You see this man who had astounded them
didn't fit their expectations of the Messiah
He was a teacher - not a powerful military leader
He was humble - not royalty
I think, that his listeners thought he might well be a prophet
Probably even the prophet
About whom Moses was talking in this morning's call to worship scripture from Deuteronomy
"The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people;
You shall heed such a prophet."
"(The Lord) will put words into the mouths of the prophet who shall speak to (the people) everything that (the Lord) commands."
Thus even without recognizing him as the Messiah,
they were right that he was special
and that he had been sent, like Moses said he would be,
with God's words in his mouth.
And they were right that they must heed what he said.
The great thing about their reaction and response was
That their awe at what they had witnessed
Did not render them speechless
To the contrary, they went out to tell others
what they had heard and what they had seen.
Thus his fame began to spread
And those who were not there were eager to meet him.
As his ministry went on from this dramatic beginning
Many others told his story as well
And began to understand that he was even more than a great prophet - that he was indeed the messiah.
This excited some. This threatened others.
Still others could not overcome their skepticism
But whether in fear or in excitement, the word spread.
It spread to Jerusalem and Samaria
Paul later took it out to Asia and then to Europe
The pilgrims and others brought it across the Atlantic
Even today, people continue to take it throughout the world
To Nicaragua to Zimbabwe to Nepal to Jamaica
Today we gather to help take the word and actions of Christ's love
To still another part of the world: the Philippines.
By providing for inoculations against a killer disease
[A disease that 57 years ago killed my grandfather.
Not in Manila, but in Rome, NY]
Christ told his disciples to be his witnesses
in their own communities
in nearby communities
and to the ends of the earth.
Fulfilling that commission is the ministry of
His church and of this congregation of his church
Isn't it remarkable to think that ministry
has its beginnings
In a teacher
In a synagogue
In Capernaum
Twenty centuries ago
Demons or not, we had better be able to relate to this scripture
And see it as relevant in our own lives.