Jesus As An Example

It was good to be back in town and kirk today. Even though the heat was trying to make me sleepy, I found a lot of things to like in that service. And, of course, I got to see my pals again; always a source of comfort at this particularly interesting point in history.

Speaking of comfort, the music…seems like nearly all the selections placed me in the south in June in a reformed church on a sunny day kind of like cicadas’ song place you at dusk on someone’s back porch sipping lemonade; Amazing Grace, How Great Thou Art, Blest Be The Tie That Binds, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus, and Great Is Thy Faithfulness. Good to be home.

The Medley for opening was interesting (A verse of Ode to Joy, I Greet Thee, and How Great Thou Art returning to another verse of Ode to Joy). I had used the blue hymnal for the “praise” portion of my morning meditation this week so How Great Thou Art and Joyful, Joyful got read a couple times. It’s a nice coincidence to then hear it in community (maybe the Lord mirroring my efforts back to me?) And great musical dynamics by David on the Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus. He caressed that one.

Mary Kathleen’s (doesn’t that sound catholic?) intro to confession was REFORMED. Yes, absolutely, MK; broken we are: “flawed” or “sometimes misguided” being too soft or polite as descriptive for our situation. Gee, if St. Augustine called himself a “moral disgrace”, can’t we at the least own that we are broken? If we’re only flawed, we simply need the right light or a gauzy lens (remember Doris Day movies?). But read the papers (or examine your heart/thoughts); we’re broken and we need a savior.

And we got to hear about Jesus in the sermon because we are in Mark. Yes, give me Jesus. Give me Jesus any Sunday and I’ll not only be fed, I’ll be bathed, clothed, healed, glorified, and placed in the heavenlies, as well.

So MK had us in the story of Jairus and the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and we heard a sermon well thought out and delivered and I thought amazingly good for an intern (some of whose-not MK’s- sermons I have winced through). So yeah, MK! As we say in the program, “keep coming back”.

But for my blood, the story isn’t as much about “Jesus as example” (for instance, just as Jesus took time to encounter those in need, we should- and yes, MK is absolutely correct, we should) as it is about Jesus as revealer of humankind’s potential in the statement, “your faith has made you well”. To me, here, Jesus says in effect, “you are much more than you think/believe you are. In faith, you can overcome disease (the woman) and even death (Jairus on behalf of his daughter).” What does He know about us that we aren’t walking in? We have this type power? Why does He point at those who asked for help as the ones with the power? “You”, He says, “through the exercise of your faith, were healed”.

I could riff for an hour here about those who throw themselves at the feet of Jesus. They were there because they were powerless. I have frequently seen in the program recovery delivered to those who had admitted powerlessness over their disease. And inversely, how frequently have I seen those fail who still believe recovery is a function of willpower or intelligence or self-confidence. We fear powerlessness but in this story it is a prerequisite or gateway to recovery.

And did you notice how Jesus kicks out the disbelieving from the room before he heals the little girl? Is it because they’ll water down the cumulative faith juice of those He lets remain? It’s an argument for faith and our potential here and a real good reason to place myself among those whose faith exceeds mine.

Therefore, I kirk with y’all and go to prayer meetings with mighty men and women of God because faith really is contagious. And even though Jesus says you only need a mustard seed worth, I want more. So I’ll be back too.