The Gospel: ​Mark 10:2-16
Some Pharisees came, and to test Jesus they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”

Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Prayer: ​Lord, you have promised that when two or three gather in your name you will be present with them. We depend on that promise today and pray that you will move among us. Lord, we pray that have you inspired Mike's preparation, that you will enliven his presentation and that you will empower our application.  Amen

The Message: Remember a couple of weeks ago I said that this period we would spend together in Mark could be entitled: "The hard sayings of Jesus." We certainly have another one of those today in our Gospel reading. Before I get into that word, and its challenge, or impact for us, I want to talk a little bit about marriage.

One of my favorite lines from a movie comes from the classic "The Princess Bride." Who cannot help but chuckle? As Peter Cook, as the Bishop speaks those memorable words at the wedding between Buttercup and Prince Humperdinck: "Mawage. Mawage is what brings us togethah today. Mawage that blessed awwangement - that dweam within a dweam."

Of course, if you know the movie you know that the marriage is interrupted by the appearance of the Dred Pirate Roberts and Westley. That marriage is never concluded and the movie moves along to other ideas.

In the last couple of weeks, I have experienced two weddings. As you all know our daughter Sarah recently married her Fiancé Alex. Yesterday afternoon I was blessed to perform the marriage ceremony for Brad and Eileen.

Weddings and Marriage are a blessed opportunity for people to come together and form a community. We, as Christians, pray that those marriages will be centered around the Lord.

We hope that those marriages will be grounded in the Lord's purposes for those who participate in what the Book of Common Prayer describes as Holy Matrimony. Holy Matrimony is designed to be a joining together in common goals, and purposes, with a desire to provide comfort and consolation to those who marry.

Marriage and the family have long been held up by the church as the cornerstone of our Christian community. Strong marriages and strong families have been seen as the bedrock of how the Christian church has seen society.

So, getting back to the "hard sayings of Jesus." With all that I just said about marriage is anyone else sitting here wishing that the people who set up the RCL had made another choice about what to include in the Gospel reading this morning? Or perhaps you, like me, would have like Jesus to have said something different in response to the question from the Pharisees. The Pharisees ask Jesus about divorce.

In response Jesus speaks out against the cultural norms that had developed, in the society of that time, based on Moses granting of the grounds for the dismissal and divorce of a wife. It is important to note that the passage begins with the Pharisees setting out to "test" Jesus. They are seeking to discredit him before his followers and those who might form the basis of a popularist movement to raise Jesus to power.

Today the words of Jesus have a controversial impact for a number of different reasons.

Divorce, marriage, the definition of the family are certainly flashpoint topics in our world today, aren't they? If you want to start a controversial conversation just bring up these two short passages from Mark. In Mark 10: 2-12 Jesus hits on every one of the potential lightning strike issues that inflame people. If we are not careful we can become embroiled in a forest fire of accusations and counterclaims. Old wounds and hurts can be reopened and it doesn't take too long before the vitriol flows.

So many people in our world have been touched by divorce. I would be very surprised if there is anyone here this morning who doesn't know someone who has been affected or influenced by divorce.

Gender issues are an ongoing source of contention and aggravation, particularly in the church. Definitions of "self-identity" are at the forefront of many of the divisions within our society today.

Defining the family in our society is another touchstone issue where there are a wide variety of opinions and attitudes.

I certainly am not going to claim that I have an answer for each of these issues this morning. I do know that we need to have an openness of heart and spirit if we are to find our way through these potential minefields to the relationships within the church. I am also convinced that the work of the evil one is to promote division and acrimony between believers.

Unfortunately, I believe that oftentimes we make it easy for the evil one to achieve his goals and purposes among us. When we allow ourselves to get caught up in controversies and begin to take sides against one another.

I have to admit that I am glad that we have Mark 10: 13-16 in our reading this morning. Jesus has to admonish his disciples when they try to stop people from bringing their children to Jesus.

Jesus then says something astounding: “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs." I have to say there is a part of my "adult" self that wants to say: "hey hold up a minute. Children don't know all the rules, children haven't had all the training, children don't always follow the rules."

I have to remind myself that children also haven't developed all their protection mechanisms, they haven't been hurt, or ignored, or beat up, or talked about, or evaluated as falling short of someone else's expectations. They haven't decided who they need to protect themselves from, or who are the enemy, or who is likely to take them for granted, or who will abuse their generosity and their trust. Children are open and willing to take risks. Children are willing to meet you at face value. Children want to know what is around the next corner and to look for what will be the next "big" thing. Jesus goes on to say: "Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."

I have to say at this point that I think this being a follower, being a disciple, is hard. I like it better when I can know the rules, know the definitions, know the ways and means to hold on to what I want to hold on to. To know how to protect myself from, those "other" people who seem intent on causing me hurt or injury.

I like it better when there are clearly defined guidelines and definitions. Then I can stay in my lane and everyone else can stay in theirs.

I want to say a little more about marriage. One of the best, and yet the toughest, things about marriage is that it is about difference. It is about allowing another person into your life and still allowing them to be the different and unique person that they are.

My example of this may seem like a fairly lighthearted one. Fiona was raised in a family where cultural development was an important factor in their lives together. Fiona was raised with an awareness of classical music and quality performance appreciation. She has a knowledge of Opera and classical musicians. She sang in a Cathedral choir when she was a teenager.

Now I come from a family where we didn't have a lot of experience of those aspects of life. I am no redneck, but I have to admit I am more likely to listen to country and western music than I am to play a classical piece of music.

In our marriage, we have had to learn to allow each other to experience and appreciate that difference. I will admit that, now after 30 plus years of being married, I have a deeper appreciation of the kind of music that Fiona grew up. That is because of being married to her. On occasion, Fiona has admitted that there are certain songs of my genre that she has come to appreciate as well. Did you see how I slipped that word genre in there?  Our marriage is richer for this experience and appreciation.

So, what is my final word here this morning? Well, I think that we can acknowledge that Jesus' words in Mark 10 this morning are hard for us to fully comprehend and appreciate. Sometimes hard things mean that we need to hang in there and work to try to understand or appreciate what the challenges are. Maybe we need to have a conversation with someone we know has an opposing view to ours and to allow them to engage us in conversation. Coming to know that other person and the roots of their beliefs may not change ours one bit, but we may develop a deeper appreciation of them as a fellow follower, a disciple, or a pilgrim on the journey. We may be drawn closer to them and our Lord because we engage in a conversation.

Winston Churchill is renowned for his pithy statements. He lived through several controversial time periods in the course of his life. He faced challenges and was known for his ability to stand firm in the face of opposition. I would like to share a couple of quotes attributed to him about standing firm:
"Continuous effort, not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking our potential."
"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."
"A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. An optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty."

Rodney Atkins, a country and western singer, wrote a song based on these sayings. He called it "If you're goin' through hell."

The chorus goes like this: "If you're goin' through hell keep on going
Don't slow down if you're scared don't show it
You might get out before the devil even knows you're there."

I do have the whole song and can get you a copy if you would like one.

The one thing that I might add to Rodney's lyrics is this thought: "we need to be working to go through what we are going through together. We are not alone in our journey. We are a community. But we are different. How do we allow others to hold differing opinions and attitudes and still exercise 1 Corinthians 13:4 - 8a and verse 13: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

The Gospel:  ​Mark 9:38-50
John said to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward.

“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”

Prayer: Lord, you have promised that when two or three gather in your name you will be present with them. We depend on that promise today and pray that you will move among us. Lord, we pray that have you inspired Mike's preparation, that you will enliven his presentation and that you will empower our application.  Amen

The Message:  In a former life, while I was going to Seminary, I worked on the maintenance staff at one of the Jewish Temples in Toledo. I spent several years at the Temple Shomer Emunim and it was a great education opportunity. I learned so much about the traditions and the life of that community.

I have to say though that September was not my favorite time of the year. The High Holy Days - Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur - fall in September.

It was a very busy time for us on the maintenance crew. Setting up and changing the furniture, we had to be sure that all was prepared for the community so that the members of the temple could celebrate these significant events in the history and current life of the Jewish community.

Rosh Hashanah is the celebration of the Jewish new year. The Hebrew month preceding Rosh Hashanah, Elul, is designated as a month of introspection and repentance. In preparation for the Jewish New Year, special prayers are recited and the shofar, a ram's horn, is blown at the end of morning services on weekdays.

Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the year in Judaism. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a day-long fast, confession, and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue services.

Another big celebration moment for the Jewish community is Purim. This celebration is very different in its form and its presentation from Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur.

Purim is a celebration of the preservation of the Jewish people as it is recounted in the Book of Esther. The highlight of this event is generally a Purim play, or irreverent sketch, similar to a vaudeville act. People dress up in costumes and take the opportunity to make fun of the arch-villain Haman. They revel in his ultimate execution as the illustration of the demise of evil and the restitution of the people of Israel even when they are living under foreign oppression.

That is the story that we heard in our Old Testament reading for this morning. Esther is able to plead for the people of Israel to her husband, the king, and the destruction Haman had planned for Esther's uncle Mordecai falls on him instead.

Of course to fully understand this incident we need to read the whole Book of Esther. It is a short book, perhaps you could plan to do that sometime this week.

A condensed version of the story goes something like this: Esther finds herself, Queen, after winning a beauty contest among all the young women of the royal court. This happens because the original queen has displeased the King and he has put her aside. In the meantime, Esther's uncle Mordecai has come into a political dispute with Haman. Haman has planned to eliminate Mordecai in what he plans to be a pogrom to eliminate all the people of Israel in the kingdom. Mordecai comes to Esther and asks her to plead with the king for her people. Esther is reluctant to do it because she knows what happened to her predecessor.

We don't learn a lot about Esther. But since she was chosen by the King there must have been some other qualities about her that brings her to prominence. She certainly would have been trained to serve in the royal court. I believe that we can trust that although she may have seen herself as one among many that in the Lord's eyes she was someone with gifts, abilities, and capacities that would enable her to fulfill her role and purpose.

That the Lord had prepared and placed her in the position she was in. It is interesting that even though her uncle Mordecai was a very prominent figure in the Jewish religion and faith community, Esther actually keeps her faith and faith practices to herself. She quietly goes about her life and doesn't draw attention to herself.

All of that changes in Esther chapter 4 when Mordecai sends messengers to Esther.  "Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father’s family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this.” Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, “Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish.” The key phrase from this recounting of the story is the one so often associated with Esther: "for such a time as this." Here is a young woman who faces the possibility of death or exile if she upsets the king. Her uncle pleads with her to take the unique opportunity that is available to her to petition the king.

This story has something of the aura of a fairy story about it, doesn't it? The heroine finds herself in a special place because of a set of very unusual circumstances and she has the opportunity to save the day.

I don't know about you but I am actually a little surprised by Esther's response to her Uncle. Rather than taking on her role, with a heroic statement of faith and confidence in her God, it almost sounds to me that Esther turns into a whiny teenager. "But why me? Why do I have to do this? They don't even know I am Jewish at the moment, I might get away without them finding out. Look what happened to the last queen when she upset the king!"

Unfortunately for me, there is something very familiar about Esther's response. It took me some time to figure it out but I realized that the reason it sounds familiar is that, more often than not, that is how I respond. When I find myself in circumstances that I have not expected I have to admit I do have a tendency to whine. Especially when I have done something, let's say a little risky, and I thought I would get rewarded for it.

"Why me? Why now? Why did this thing have to happen to me? Why do I find myself in this situation? I was quite happy, going along with my life and my affairs - cruising under the radar, so to speak."

When we respond this way we need "a wake-up call," we need to be reminded of how we have been trained and prepared for this situation. Like Esther, we need to have a Mordecai send messengers to us to remind us that we need to step up.

Esther does step up and puts herself on the line, with the possibility that her time of being the queen, being in a position of privilege will come to an end.

Now I suspect that Esther expected that after she was selected to be queen, that her future would be comfortable. She did the right thing, she made the right choices and she is expecting that she will have the opportunity to enjoy the comforts of the position. When all of a sudden her whole world is threatened and people are expecting her to step out of the comfort of the sidelines and put herself center stage.

I can certainly identify with Esther. I may not respond like a whiny teenager, but you can be sure I spend some time mumbling and grumbling to myself about how unfair it is for the rules to have been changed.  Especially when someone says to me: "hey you might be in this place at this time for just this moment. It is your opportunity to let your light shine in this situation."

In the coming weeks at our Sundays@Five Services, which start tonight, we will gather every 2nd and 4th Sunday evening to spend some time reflecting on the theme of: "For such a time as this." To consider how we have been trained and prepared for this time. To reflect on what the Lord might be expecting of us, or from us, in response to the circumstances of our world?

I would also suggest that our Stewardship Focus for this year has this theme at its heart.  "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father." James 1:17
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Have we stopped to think about what gifts abilities or talents we might have to deal with the world in which we find ourselves?  Could it be that God has placed us here, and now, because we are the people he is depending on to do what is necessary to meet the needs of the circumstances we find ourselves in?

Now if you find that you are more likely to be like me and want to grumble and question God's timing and God's good intentions for you don't worry you are in good company.

In the Gospel of Mark this morning the disciples come to Jesus and they are hot under the collar. We might know that it is John, you know those sons of Zebedee, James, and John, better known as the sons of thunder, who comes to Jesus and wants his position to be recognized. He wants to know that he, and the other disciples, have the inside track. They want to know that Jesus recognizes them and their ministry the way they should be recognized and how their ministry should be recognized. John says to Jesus, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.”

I can almost hear John's chagrin at the fact that others outside Jesus' inner circle were doing the things that they had taken so much time and effort to learn as followers of Jesus. Jesus takes the time to explain what the priorities should be. He focuses the disciples on a life of service.

As I close this morning I want to encourage us all to consider: "what is our response to the circumstances we find ourselves in? Are we ready to respond and step up? Or do we want to mumble and grumble to ourselves about how unfair this situation is?​