Sermon for July 26, 2015 Church exchange with Pr Irving and Prince of Peace Cambria Heights

This sermon was preached at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church,  a mainly African American congregation in Cambria Heights NY where I preached and led worship this morning,  Brenda Irving, their pastor, preached and led worship at St. Jacobus. 

The reading 

  

John 6:1-21

After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias.A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.  When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?"  He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, "Six months' wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to him, "There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?" Jesus said, "Make the people sit down." Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted. When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, "Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost." So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, "This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world."

  

The message 

 

I am glad to be here this morning with all of you, to worship, to share God’s word, to lift up our prayers together, to receive the gift of God’s forgiveness, to sing praise, to give thanks, to encounter God’s amazing presence in simple bread and wine, to celebrate our shared faith which centers around God’s love for all people and to remind each other that God accepts, welcomes and cares for each of us just as we are.    

This morning the Gospel reading from John about Jesus feeding 5000 men (plus an unidentified number of women and children) seems like the perfect scripture to talk about in a new place. I do not know most of you and when Pr Irving and I scheduled this pulpit exchange, I was not quite sure what to expect.  I say this reading is perfect for this morning because, at its core, it is about a community of all different people that forms around the recognition of Jesus as savior and the sharing of a sacred meal (which in many ways is exactly what church should be).  As I look at this reading, I am going to talk about some of my own memories and experiences and how they can help us all understand what exactly happened in this field of hungry, excited, different and curious people almost 2000 years ago.

There are meals I will never forget.  There are the meals from my childhood, Steak and Potatoes at my grandmother’s house on Saturday nights, Pasta on Sundays after church service, and of course, the Christmas Eve fish dinner.  After my Grandmother’s death a few years ago, we struggled to plan, experience and enjoy these meals. We still long for the way it used to be, the way people sat, the tastes and recipes, the plates we only used a few times a year, the good silverware, and of course, all of the conversations and stories.   

Also, among the meals I will never forget are the first times out with my wife Jennifer.  There was our first date at John’s pizzeria and the awkward, nervous, exciting getting to know you conversations.  Then there was our perfect dinner a few months later.  We were walking around Park Slope in Brooklyn and it started pouring rain so we ran into this small corner restaurant.  It didn’t look like much from the outside but inside was just beautiful. We got the last table, the food was great and the service was excellent. Our conversation was deep and wonderful. We got to know each other that night and I knew she was someone special. We tried to go back a few weeks later, to re-experience that evening, with all its emotions and joys, but the restaurant had gone out of business.

With these meals at Grandmas house and my first dates with Jennifer, It was not just the food that made them unforgettable, it was the people they were shared with, the history, the anticipation and the feeling that being part of it created.  The people sitting in this field when Jesus feeds them with a few loaves and fishes would never forget their meal.  Being there showed, reminded and let people feel that God would provide.   Even the writers of the Gospels did not forget this meal. The feeding of the crowd is one of the only two miracles in the New Testament that is reported in all four Gospels.  You find this story told in Matthew 14:13-21, Mark 6:31-44, Luke 9:10-17 and John 6:5-15.    All four writers found this story to be important enough and central enough to our understanding of Jesus that they included it in their books.  The only other miracle found in all four Gospels is Jesus’ resurrection.

The people who ate with Jesus that day will not only remember eating bread and fish in a field. They will remember that this feast was shared with every single person there, regardless of their need, regardless of their color, regardless of religion, need, or status, regardless of their age, size, shape or anything else. At this meal which Jesus blesses, gives thanks for and serves the crowd, everyone eats. friend and enemy, strange and familiar, young and old, serious and silly, local and foreign, rich and poor all eat together.   When Jesus feeds the crowd, he does so, because all people are God’s children and all could eat. If you had no money, you could eat your fill, if you were an outsider, you could eat your fill, if you just got there, you could eat your fill, if you have been following Jesus for days, week, months, or years you could eat your fill, if you were good, you could eat your fill, if you were sinful, you could eat your fill, if you were hurting, you could eat your fill, if you were scared, you could eat your fill, if you were anxious you could eat your fill.     

Jesus action, the multiplying of bread and fish is not just a miraculous way of addressing temporary hunger and need for nourishment. There is something about food that unites people. At my church we share our building with five other congregations. I eat with most of them at least 7 or 8 times a year.  I have gone to Indonesian Anniversaries, Chinese Christmas banquets and BBQs,  Filipino weddings, Bengali baptisms and Vegetarian Indian family celebrations.  At these meals, I am always reminded that we are not so different.  I also know it’s a chance to show people we are not all that different through knowing about their food, enjoying what they serve, and having a decent tolerance for very spice things.  In Jesus time, there were a lot of restrictions on what you could eat, who you could eat with, and what you could afford to buy.  These rules were longstanding and rooted in religious and cultural traditions.  All that seems to disappear in this story; if you were there, you ate. At this meal, like in God’s kingdom, there is room for everyone.          

Along with being a reminder that God cares for all people, this meal in the field is also an invitation, or even a command for us to care for each other.  This story of Jesus feeding the crowd can be seen as one of sharing abundance. People who have studied this story of Jesus feeding the multitude from a perspective of social justice, suggest this story is not quite what it seems. It is an amazing miracle but it is a different kind of miracle. It is one about sharing our abundance.  In the story, the little boy had 2 fish and 5 loaves, enough food to provide a feast for himself and the people traveling with him.  Instead, he shares his bread and fish with the crowd. We are left to assume others in the crowd were carrying food too, holding onto bags of bread, fish or other items just in case they or their families got hungry. Perhaps, the miracle here is getting them to open their containers of food, to give away what they have and trust that there will be enough.  

Personally, meals have been a central part of my own faith, development and ministry.  My first serious thoughts of being a pastor came though my work volunteering at soup kitchens and food pantries around the city. I spent this time among people who were often ignored, dismissed by society, or at best viewed as an inconvenience, Many of the people I meet during this work were desperate for the bare necessities of life, physical and spiritual, for healthcare and prayer care,   food and hope, water and understanding, help and compassion,  shelter and someone to listen to them.  It helped me understand that our faith is about announcing God’s presence to people who need to hear it.  

In some ways, during my time at the seminary in Philadelphia, I survived and finished because I addressed my anxiety and my desire to go out and do something. A friend and I started a street ministry program. We gathered and distributed whatever food there was leftover from the cafeteria along with donations and purchases from a local food warehouse.  Each week, we drove to Center City, Philadelphia, walked under the train stations and gave away whatever we gathered. For me, this work was not just giving people something to eat. It was talking with them, sitting with them, meeting them where they were, listening to them, treating them with respect and realizing that we are all children of God, with deep faith and serious questions, as well as physical, psychological and spiritual hunger. This work renewed people’s sense of hope in the communities we served.  People received something to eat but they also realized that people recognized them, knew they were hungry, living on the streets, in the stations and under the city, and offered them help, because it’s what our faith tells us to do.  Jesus wanted his disciples to see the crowd the same way.  Jesus tells Phillip, these people are God’s children, feed them, care for them.

One of the biggest surprises from this project on the streets of Philadelphia was the finding of needs in our own community. We started a food bank on campus as a way to get cheap access to resources. Students started to show up for food as well. I learned there were some students who needed help with food, especially when the cafeteria was closed on weekends.  This was a complete shock to me. After all, this was a graduate school and seminary, and not cheap. It turned out that scholarships and loans covered the meal plan but not money for other food. We had students, people in class and dorms with us, people struggling with their sense of call and racing to finish papers, in our community and in need.

In summary, Jesus feeding the crowd is about a community formed around God’s care for us and our calling to care for each other.  I know this is idealized, our communities, our neighborhoods, our cities, our world, even our churches are far from this vision of a place where everyone eats and is satisfied.  There is work to be done, serious, honest, faith filled and spirit led work.  Many of you here know a lot more about not being cared for then I do, many of you here know a lot more about not being welcomed then I do, Many of you here know a lot more about being ignored and judged then I do, many of you here know a lot more about feeling unsafe then I do. That is not how God wants us to live. Jesus message is an invitation for us to spend time together, to eat together, to see each other as children of God.  We are told to give them something to eat. We are told to live as people who know there is plenty to go around, who trust that there is plenty of bread, plenty of fish, plenty of space to sit down, plenty of things that unite us, plenty of comfort and joy to share, and plenty of room in God’s kingdom.   

Sermon for July 19th

The reading

Psalm 23

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.   

He makes me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside still waters,  he restores my soul

He leads me in right paths  for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley

I fear no evil; for you are with me;

your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;  my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

 all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

    my whole life long.

The story / message

I was away for the ELCA National Youth Gathering in Detroit this week so I was not scheduled to preach / lead worship on July 19th.  Due to some scheduling changes (and my desire to never ride a train for more than hour again), I flew home a little early with the young adults from my church (Sunday morning, we landed at LaGuardia around 7:30 am). At 7:31 am I got a phone call from a friend saying her supply pastor was hospitalized and asking if I could lead worship at her church. Since my church already made arrangements for a supply pastor, I went to work. I was unprepared and unsure of what to expect  / do but here is a really rough outline of what I talked about at Grace Lutheran Church in Forest Hills. 

I have thought a lot about what Psalm 23 means for people during times of crisis, pain, uncertainty, suffering or the end of life.

I have shared this reading with many people during tough times. It has been part of my care and message for virtually every one of the funeral services I have led along with the events surrounding the celebration of someone’s life.  

I have leaned on the words and message of this psalm at times when I had no idea what to say, or how to show people God and God’s church are walking with them in their suffering.

This Pslam is part of many people’s faith lives. A few months ago, during my church service at a local assisted living center, Our reading was the 23^rd psalm.  The 15 or so people who came for church that day, all spoke it along with me, no bibles or handouts, they just knew the words and wanted to say them.  

What I have not thought too much about is what Psalm 23 means for people during their lives, during healthy, strong, joyful and good times, at those moments when they are eager to help, searching for ways to make a difference and trying to share their faith.  In these moments this psalm is an invitation for us to care for each other like a shepherd cares for their sheep, like God cares for us.

This week at the ELCA National Youth Gathering I had a chance to see what it looks like when people care for each other.  There were 30,000 people gathered in Detroit, to share our faith, celebrate God’s love, be surrounded by thousands of other young, faithful people, to spend money, serve people in need and show a forgotten place that someone cares for them.  

 I saw people care for each other, surrounding people in need, supporting exhausted youth leaders, pastors and other adults , welcoming friends who are different, treating everyone as welcome, special to God and to us. In one moment, a leader on the trip was struggling to walk back to the shuttle bus, a member of our group spotted her and cared for her.  This is not just being nice, this is showing what it means to follow Jesus example and be shepherds to each other.

The city of Detroit was cared for too. As we ate, drank, talked, walked around, worshiped, served and prayed, people would honk, yell and scream thank you for being here. We were on the network news every night on every channel.  When we went to the neighborhoods that no one goes to, the places marked off as dangerous, abandoned, or hopeless, the people there were filled with surprise, love and hope.  This is not just being nice, this is showing what it means to follow Jesus example and be shepherds to each other.

Psalm 23 is an invitation to us to care for each other, to ask what does it look like when we approach others with the love and care that God approaches us with. It is an invitation for us to ask ourselves how can we bring the community, joy and hope of this gathering to our lives, church, home and neighborhood.

Sermon for July 12, 2015

The readings

Amos 7:7-17

This is what he showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, “Amos, what do you see?” And I said, “A plumb line.” Then the Lord said, “See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel; I will never again pass them by; the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” Then Amaziah, the priest of Bethel, sent to King Jeroboam of Israel, saying, “Amos has conspired against you in the very center of the house of Israel; the land is not able to bear all his words. For thus Amos has said, ‘Jeroboam shall die by the sword, and Israel must go into exile away from his land.’” And Amaziah said to Amos, “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, earn your bread there, and prophesy there; but never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king’s sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.” Then Amos answered Amaziah, “I am no prophet, nor a prophet’s son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the Lord took me from following the flock, and the Lord said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’ “Now therefore hear the word of the Lord. You say, ‘Do not prophesy against Israel, and do not preach against the house of Isaac.” Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Your wife shall become a prostitute in the city, and your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, and your land shall be parceled out by line; you yourself shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile away from its land.

Mark 6:14-29                              

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.” But others said, “It is Elijah.” And others said, “It is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.”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. For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him, and wanted to kill him. But she could not, 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. But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his courtiers and officers and for the leaders of Galilee. 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.” And he solemnly swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, even half of my kingdom.” She went out and said to her mother, “What should I ask for?” She replied, “The head of John the baptizer.” 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.” The king was deeply grieved; yet out of regard for his oaths and for the guests, he did not want to refuse her. Immediately the king sent a soldier of the guard with orders to bring John’s head. He went and beheaded him in the prison, brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl. Then the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard about it, they came and took his body, and laid it in a tomb.

The Messsage

During the years around Jesus life, ministry, death and resurrection there was several King Herods who ruled the areas where Jesus and his first followers lived, traveled around, taught and started churches.Throughout this era, Judea and the surrounding places were under the rule and oversight of the Roman Empire.  Each king or ruler of the region held power by the empire’s permission and could be just as easily removed as he was appointed.  To some degree, the lives and political actions of these leaders and their governments were like anything you could see on Game of Thrones, House of Cards or other dramas today. Each Herod had done great, creepy and awful things. The First King Herod was Herod the Great who ruled from the years 37 to 4 before Jesus birth. He was a great builder and powerful but brutal to many people, including the murder of people in his family, many religious leaders and the slaughter of the Innocents (the killing of all babies under the age of two in an attempt to destroy the newborn Christ, who had already fled to Egypt with Mary and Joseph).  The other king Herods who held power after him were all relatives including his sons and grandsons. 

This morning, we meet Herod Antipas, a son of Herod the great and the ruler placed in charge of the region during the life of Jesus. He played a role and made decisions during the execution of John the Baptist that we just heard about and in the trial and death of Jesus. In his personal life, Herod Antipas does something against the law that many people were offended and bothered by.  He divorced his first wife Phasaelis, the daughter of King Aretas IV of Nabatea and marries Herodias, who had left his brother Herod Philip I.  John the Baptist condemns this action as a violation of the law and the trust that should exist in human relationships. Here we get the impression that Herod Antipas thinks he can basically do whatever he wants while John the Baptist insists that all people are under God’s law, even if saying so places his very life in danger. To quietly let a public leader live in this relationship with Herodias would set the empire’s power and law above God’s power and law.  John does have some protection. He is seen as a holy man and a prophet, he has a tremendous amount of support from the people. Any action against him would incite great anger, protest and perhaps revolt.  In the Gospel reading, we see Herod as frightened and manipulated. He is afraid of John, afraid of the people and he is afraid of his guests. All of his actions have nothing to do with right or wrong, they are calculated by what others will think and what he needs to do to stay in power.  John, on the other side, does not do such math, he speaks the truth.  In the years following John’s execution, Herod ends up at war with Aretas (whose daughter he divorced) where he is severely defeated.   After more years of political maneuvering, betrayal and changes in the Roman Empire’s leadership, Herod is removed and exiled.

In this story we get a sample of the relationship between faith and state, with the ways of God and the ways of the world, with God’s desire for our relationships with others and our own desires for power and status.  God asks us to see each other as children of God, as loved, forgiven and cared for while our desire is often to use people to fulfill our own political, social or psychological wants.  That brings us to our first reading from the prophet Amos and the plumb line.  The prophet Amos was active around 750 years before the birth of Jesus. Compared to many of the other prophets, Amos wrote at a time of relative peace and prosperity. It was also a time when religion was neglected and there was an increased disparity between the very rich and the very poor.  Like John the Baptist, Amos speaks the condemning, critical, truth, the stuff people do not want to hear.  In this case, Amos says that “the high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of king Jeroboam with the sword.” Obviously these words angered all those who saw the high places of Isaac and sanctuaries of Israel as the centers of religious power and life.  Also the people of the house of King Jeroboam were not too happy with the word that God would rise against them with the sword.    A priest at Bethel hears what the Prophet Amos is saying and urges him to shut up and run away.  This kind of talk would hurt the delicate relationship between the government and religion.  So far things were quiet, I mean people were not being particularly religious, they were not keeping the promises made to God but they were not really persecuting religion either.  The religious leadership were pretty comfortable and there was no need to upset things.  Amos responds to the priest’s request that he keep God’s word to himself, shut up and go away by telling the priest ‘Your wife shall become a prostitute, and your sons and your daughters will be killed and your land stolen; you shall die in an unclean land, and Israel shall surely go into exile”. Like John the Baptist, Amos will not let anything stand in the way of announcing God’s word, of calling people to faith and proclaiming God’s joyful, comforting vision for us.  

Now, the danger with being like Amos or John, of speaking God’s word to power, with boldly confronted inequality and faithlessness and telling the world things they did not to hear , is that not everyone who takes on the prophets role is necessarily speaking God’s word.  Even today, we hear a lot of people making prophetic statements, words condemning the supreme court ruling on gay marriage or words celebrating the decision, we hear people calling out for war and demanding peace, people teaching racism from the scriptures and people advocating for better ways to live together, looking forward to doom or joy. This is all done in ways that look, sound and claim to look a lot like prophets.   

That brings us to the plumb line at the start of the reading from Amos.  Now a plumb line is a string with a rock, piece of metal or other heavy object tied to the end of it. No matter what else was happening around you, dropping the string would create a straight line. Today this work is done by lasers and all sorts of digital sensors but this incredibly simple tool was used for 1000’s of years and essential to the construction of the world’s most famous structures like the pyramids in Egypt or the temple in Jerusalem.  God gives us, set a plumb line in the world, by which we can tell the prophets from the selfish or confused. This plumb line, this thing that does not change, by which we can measure prophesy is love for God and love for others.    

Sermon for July 5 th, 2015

The readings

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person--whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows--was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.

Mark 6:1-13

Jesus left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.On 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! Is 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. Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house." And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching. He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. If 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." So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them

The message

By many different measurements, our time of ministry together, of being the church in our community has been successful.  When I first arrived here at St. Jacobus almost 6 years ago, there was a lot of uncertainty and fear about the future. As many of you know, the first paperwork I received about this congregation at the start of the interview and call process, indicated that there were little resources here and it would be difficult for this church to sustain a full time pastor or ministry for longer than 16 months.  Today, we have a full school, great music and choir, a very healthy budget, a food pantry program and growing attendance.  We have endured and thrived though transitions, retirements, deaths and relocating members. The space we have been both blessed with and entrusted with is full, Thanks to the commitment and insight of leaders, we now share our building with 6 congregations, sports programs, and community groups.  On the average weekend, 500 or 600 people pass through this place to pray, worship, sing God’s praise and study God’s word.   During the school year, over 150 families entrust us with the responsibility to teach their children during the very important formative years of their lives. During the nights, friends from work, school and teams gather to play basketball or other sports in the gym.  They come from all over the city to play and it a time that many of them look forward to all week. Last week, during the Third anniversary celebration of Grace Indonesain Baptist Church, their pastor talked about the idea that a church can only truly survive and grow when the members and community have the Holy Spirit with them. It feels like that Spirit is definitely part of this place. We have a lot to give thanks for.  

Of course, in Today’s Gospel, Jesus does not talk about budgets, Sunday church attendance, good management, quality of worship or the use of space and resources. In this reading, Jesus sends his disciples out into the world to show God’s power and love, in particular the power to cast out unclean spirits and the love shown through the forgiveness of sin.   This morning I want to look at how we are doing with that work, with the responsibilities to cast out unclean spirits and to announce the forgiveness of sins.   

First I want to say a few things about unclean spirits. This is a term, a description of something that comes up again and again in the bible and reports of Jesus ministry.  I do not like saying this but I am not entirely sure what Jesus is talking about.  I honestly do not remember ever meeting someone and thinking to myself “I know what’s wrong here, I know what is hurting them,  they have an unclean spirit”.  At the same time, whenever you look at conversations about unclean spirits in the bible, there are certain details that are always mentioned. The act of casting out unclean spirits is an act that restores life, possibility and joy to someone’s life. The ones possessed, the ones with unclean spirits are the people living outside of the community, put out of the way, separated or simply ignored. To cast out the unclean spirit, is to welcome that person back, to recognize them as a child of God, to see them as loved by the same God who loves each of us. God gives us the power to do that.  

The people with unclean spirits are also people who are obsessed or preoccupied, who are so concerned and worried about money, health, or status, who are caught up in the power of our own thoughts, discoveries or ideas, who are so afraid, sad or desperate for change, who are so hurt by abuse, caught in addiction or unable to recover from bad experiences, they do not feel the fullness of life and joy that God offers us. Now and then I go through times of worry about illness. I feel a little sick and I fear the worst, If I have a pain in my arm, I think it’s a heart attack, if I have headache for a few minutes, I think it’s a brain tumor. It turns out to be nothing, but for those moments, it can be all I think about. An unclean spirit is something that takes over our lives and prevents us from experiencing the life God hopes for us.   

I may not have meet someone who I thought has an unclean spirit, but I have meet a lot of people who are so worried about things like money or popularity or have such a strong desire for something its like that things has a hold over them and controls their mind. To cast out unclean spirits, means to show and announce the mystery and comfort of God’s life to people who are concerned with other things, to invite them into the peace of a God centered life.  There are plenty of unclean spirits in our world today, plenty of things that keep people from experiencing the joy of faith in a community of forgiveness and love.  God gives us the power to cast out those unclean spirits.

Finally, I want to talk a little about how we do that.   The answer comes to us from Paul’s words in our reading from 2 Corinthians. In his letters, Paul sometimes talks about a “thorn in his side” which refers to some sort of illness, pain or ailment. Paul goes on to describe this suffering as a blessing, basically a reminder that he is not God, he is able to do what he does because of God. It is a gift that keeps him humble and focused on God’s power to do things.  This answer also comes from the way Jesus sends out his disciples:  They are sent out with nothing, “no bread, no bag, no money in their belts”.  There is nothing for them to depend on other than Jesus promise that they can do the work. To believe God has the power to cast out unclean spirits is to believe that God is the ultimate power in the world. People who believe that know God’s love can be spoken anywhere to anyone, break into the world and make a difference or enter a place of hatred and bring love. To cast out unclean spirits is to bring God’s love into the world, space and lives of people who are concerned with other things.