St. John’s, Madison, Wisconsin
Feb 8, 2009 Celebration of the 153rd anniversary of the congregation
Norma Cook Everist
Is.40:21-31
1 Cor. 9:16-23
Ps. 147
Mark 1:29-39
Mark’s Gospel begins with a bang…Picture this: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” It’s the opening of a drama: Stage Left: Isaiah, “I’m sending my messenger. Prepare the way of the Lord.” Stage right: John the baptizer appears, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
Center stage: Jesus came from Nazareth and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
As he was coming out of the water, (stage lights up), he saw heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove and a voice from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved, with you I am well pleased.” And immediately, (stage lights down), the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan, and the angels waited on him.
All that in the first 15 verses.
Then, As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he called those whom he needed to serve in the world: “Simon, Andrew, follow me.” Immediately they left their nets. “James, John.” Immediately he called them. And they followed.
And the text of two weeks ago (Mark 1:21-28): And then they (no longer just Jesus) went to Capernaum. And when the Sabbath came, he taught. And they were astounded…for he taught with authority. Just then, a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit cried out. We hear Jesus’ encounter with the demonic, evil. I refer to it as systemic sin. And the demons knew him.
That’s where today’s Gospel begins: As soon as they left the synagogue (Marks’ story is a Gospel of action.) Good News on the go…As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John…all five of them.
Yes, they left their nets….and yes, we are called to leave father and mother…leave everything. But Martin Luther says, that just as certainly as we are called to leave our everyday duties, Jesus takes us more deeply into them.
Simon must have said, “My wife’s mother is sick, in bed with a fever.” And they told Jesus. And Jesus took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her and she began to serve.
Those words are so simple. We can’t read into the text, but we can take the text and have it enter our lives.
Teaching and learning and healing!
Teaching: Jesus taught with authority!
Healing: The fever left her and she began to serve them.
You, my brothers and sisters in Christ here at St. John’s, have been called. I know that about you. And you are following. You have been faithfully serving for 153 years. And your service continues. You have been teaching and learning and healing. I can hear that in your mission to be a “welcoming servant in the heart of the city”: A homeless shelter, a day shelter program, care for those in need in central Madison, boldly being a Reconciling in Christ congregation. My heart has long been in central city ministry, having spent 12 years in inner cities of Detroit and later New Haven, CT in parish (with a wide “P”) ministry and community organizing. You have recently passed a resolution for funding to redevelop space for ministry. The Capital Campaign group and Outreach committee have been meeting. I read you have received almost l/2 million dollars in pledges. You are connected with the Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice. You have a Thursday morning Bible study on “Prophets and Problems with Recovery.” Next week your adult forum will be, “Madison Area Urban Ministry and Corrections. “(I’ve spent time with the group in past visits to Madison.)
You care about people in need, right at your front door…about healing ministries.
And you are committed to education for everyone in this congregation so you, too, can continue teaching with authority to powers that be and to demonic forces of systemic sin.
Young Elizabeth Pietz read so clearly, with authority, our Epistle lesson, I Corinthians 9:16-23, where we see the extent of this call. Paul said, “I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all. To the Jew I became as a Jew in order to win Jews. To those under the Law I became as one under the law (though I am not under the law).To the weak I became weak.” All things to all people… Can we do all things? Well, not quantitatively. Jesus didn’t either, but our outreach needs to be that broad. Paul said, “I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I might share in its blessings.”
Mark’s Gospel goes on…“A welcoming servant in the Heart of the city.” You don’t do that just once. Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law! Done! A family favor. But there’s more. That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick, or possessed with demons. The whole city was gathered around the door. He cured many sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak because they knew him.
Finally, the day is over. Remember this is just the first chapter of Mark. Now get some sleep, Jesus! But, in the morning while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place and prayed. And Simon and his companions (the other disciples?) found him: “Everyone is searching for you.” Jesus’ response was not a reluctant, “Ok, ok, a few more, maybe…but where does it end?” Rather, “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.”
And he went through Galilee proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons. We are compelled to extend our proclamation for justice. We are called to be community organizers and change-agents, taking on demonic forces of systemic sin. We are called to prophetic, justice-seeking healing of whole systems, one mother-in-law at a time, here, and in neighboring towns. One thing leads to another, and another.
Each of you in your ministries in daily life has power to make something happen, from your location: a board room, a classroom, a street corner, a household. Just where are you on Tuesday afternoon or a Thursday morning? What authoritative teaching, what healing, what encounter with authorities, what conversation with forces of evil, convulsing and crying out through human need, are you called to do? Jesus does not permit evil to have the last word, and neither should we. The companions of Jesus found him in prayer. I hope people will find us there, also. Where do they come and find you, saying, “There’s more!”? And what do you say?
You have been called. You have resolved. We grow tired, sick, maybe even feisty with one another sometimes. But you who want to be welcoming servants with hearts in the city, wherever each of you is as member of the body of Christ all week long, have each other. We are companions of Christ. Remember, whatever our physical condition, we in Christ are already healed. Jesus takes our hand, individually and as a congregation, and lifts us up so we can begin again to serve. Amen.