Losing our Head for God’s Justice
This sermon can be listened to here
Gate
Pa – Year B 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time,
Readings:
Psalm
Psalm 24
First
Reading: 2
Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
Second
Reading: Ephesians
1:3-14
Gospel: Mark 6:14-29
What I want to say:
What
a yuk story if we read it on its own. This story has echoes with previous
stories and reminds us of the ongoing stories, including the stories in
Tauranga Moana over the last week. They remind of the stories of St. George’s
and the battles that happened here and Te Ranga in 1864. They remind me of the experiences
I had with the rainbow member of TSSF in Australia and here in Aotearoa.
But
this is not a story on its own. It immediately contrasts with the stories of the
feeding of the 5000+ and 4000+, stories of ridiculous generosity and
hospitality, of deep compassion and welcome. Stories that lie at the heart of Eucharist.
What
I want to happen:
As we gather around the Eucharistic table, may
we join God’s works of ridiculous generosity and hospitality, of deep
compassion and welcome?
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
What a yuk story!
There is no good news in this story of powerful people behaving very badly.
None.
On its own people
have asked why it is even included.
It is not a nice
story
echoes of stories
of Vashti and Esther
-
strong
women who gave and risked their lives
unlike that story
it also echoes story of weak king Ahab and his wife Jezebel
weak ruler (not
king) Herod
threw party
men in one room
and women in another
has his step
daughter dance
not nice line
dance or jazz ballet piece
young girl women entertaining
drunken lecherous men
yuk!
weak and foolish
Herod promises what he cannot deliver
used by his wife
to do very thing he does not want to do
kill John the
Baptiser
whose only crime
is that the reminded Herod that when you are married to one woman
and visit your
half brother
not supposed to
leave having divorced your wife and taking your half-brother’s wife
2. Not stand alone
not is not one
off story
story repeated
down ages until today
people driven by
fear and greed
even the seemingly
best people
One commentators
read
-
Hispanic American
-
immigrant
to USA
-
wrote
“I am an
immigrant citizen, foreign and citizen at the same time. I could not read this
biblical story of John the Baptist without thinking of stories like young boy José
and the loss of his father. To have José separated from his father is like having
one’s head cut off. The story told in Mark 6 has no redemption. John the
Baptist had his head cut off. That is how hundreds of families are now living,
with their heads cut off, parents without children and children without
parents.”[1]
This is a story with no redemption
there seems to be no good news in this story
reminds me of the stories of St. George’s,
tortured and executed to speaking truth to the emperor
or those who fought here at Pukehinahina and Te
Ranga in face of settler greed
or those whose last land was given to the government
by CMS, leaving them living in abject poverty
3. Australia and the rainbow people
While in Australia attended TSSF conference
for Asia Pacific Province
used Open Space technology to design the
programme
gave a lot space for people to talk about
things important for them
beginning each day began with people standing
up and telling group what they would like have conversation about
and choose time and place from options
available
any given time were up to 10 conversations
happening
one young woman wanted talk about “How can we
as Christians accept & then welcome the LGBTIQ+ community into our
churches?”
pretty nervous
surprised by number people came
and number who apologise for not coming as
there were other topics they also wanted to be part of
ran second time next day
at least for conversation I was part of – a
lot of conversation was people’s experience of church, good and bad
reminded me of when accompanied young man –
Nigel - for number years
young man attending pretty conservative church
very clear that homosexuality was sinful –
against God’s plan
trouble was he was gay.
during time we were meeting became
increasingly depressed and then non-functioning and suicidal
life stopped
over course few months with help counsellor
he explored how his image of god was root
cause of his depression
gay man believed in God who had created him
gay
-
didn’t
choose to be gay
-
desperately
wanted to not be gay
then said
probably going to hell
and if ever
develop relationship with another man definably going to hell
what he was
living was already hell
thought might as
well end it now.
He came realise this
god was sadistic, hateful, and life denying
left with 3
choices
-
continue
to believe in this god – which didn’t seem very wise given effect having on him
-
give
up on God all together – very tempting
o many many rainbow people and friends and
family have done
-
go
back to bible to see if any other ways understanding what going on
-
found
other verses than ones always quoted in his now previous church
o God created all people in God’s image
§ as gay man he is created in image of God
o Psalms – that he is fearfully and wonderfully
made
§ before he was knit in his mother’s womb he was
known and loved by God
wow!
still a lot of
work to do
how to honour
that he is made in image of God as gay man
freedom and life
in that work
he was affirmed
it was similar
story to those listened to in Brisbane
deeply moving to
be able to listen to their stories
felt relief that with
the decision allowing blessing of same gender marriages and civil unions our
church officially allows us to hold those beliefs and to offer people that way
into scripture.
4. The Meals
experience of Nigel,
and rainbow people in Australia could have been as bad as this story about
Johns’ beheading is
for many it has
been
it has felt like
they were beheaded and they left.
but for them hard
story with hope.
story of Herod’s depraved
banquet does not stand alone in Marks gospel and should not be read alone
set midst of
disciples being sent out by Jesus
finishes with
them reporting back to Jesus
then crows
gathers around them and another meal occurs
where Jesus shows
deep compassion
offers ridiculous
generosity and hospitality,
somehow 5000+
people are fed
we could spend a
lot time talking about how that happened
then miss
theology at play
contrasts Herod’s
sickening banquet of death and exclusion
with Jesus meal
of welcome and inclusion
This story and
story of feeding 4000+ lie at the heart of Eucharist.
when gather
around table invited into Jesus meal of welcome and inclusion
invited to show
same deep compassion
offers ridiculous
generosity and hospitality
same deep
compassion and hospitality Nigel found eventually
that rainbow Franciscans
had found
Young woman asked
if there was way that TSSF Asia Pacific could be officially more welcoming of
LGBTIQ+ people
this statement
was agreed to by chapter
sits on home page
of website.
wonder how we
here at St. Georges are invited in our way to not be bound by ways that shaped
Herod’s banquet
how might we
offer continue to offer alternatives to ways of exclusion and death
As we gather
around the Eucharistic table, may we join God’s works of ridiculous generosity
and hospitality, of deep compassion and welcome?
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