Scriptures for Sunday, January 31, 2021:
Psalm 111
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
1 Corinthians 8
Mark 1:21-28
   ... there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit ....
                                                - Mark 1:23
This week in our Worship, we plan to offer Holy Communion.  In our tradition at Bethel, this is a very “equalizing” ceremony, in which everyone gets the same bread and juice, passing the plate and the cup among the pews.  Now, during the COVID pandemic, it is more equal than ever, because we are using those little, sterile, individually-packaged portions.  But it is at the same time a little less equal, because now the Deacons attempt to bring the elements directly to each person, rather than having everybody pass the cups and plates to everybody else.  There is something sweetly family-style about passing a plate of bread from neighbor to neighbor, down the row.  We miss that aspect of doing things our “normal” way.
You are probably aware that, in many churches, the priest or minister gives the elements directly to each individual who presents herself or himself to receive it.  That arrangement symbolizes the authority of the priest or minister over the lay people.  But we don’t do it that way, here.
Authority is a dangerous thing.
We begin to experience authority as newborns, when we figure out that somebody has milk and a clean diaper that we want— NOW!!  But do we get it how we want it, when we want it, every time we feel we need it ?  That’s when the crying and fussing begins.  And it seems like it goes on and on, because somebody always has the authority to bestow or to deny the things that we want.
In the story of Jesus showing up at the Capernaum synagogue (Mark 1:21-28), we see Jesus speaking to the people “with authority,” and his hearers were “astounded,” because they were not accustomed to teachers who taught like that. 
And immediately, an unclean spirit spoke up and protested against Jesus.                Huh ?!?
First of all, what is an unclean spirit ?
You have heard that we humans are gifted with free will, which means the authority to choose what we will do and say, and with what attitude.  Maybe you have not recognized them, but there are other beings with whom we share this world, which do not seem to have physical bodies of their own, but which are able to dwell in the physical bodies of other beings in some way.  Such “spirits,” if they are using their free will in an ungodly way, may be called “devils” or “demons” or “unclean.”  Now that you think of it, you may realize that you know some people who are possessed with unclean spirits.  Perhaps we Twenty-First Century people would call these demons “addiction” or “depression” or “bad temper” or something else— but the more you look at them, the more they show themselves.  And they want authority.  The unclean spirits want to dominate their victims and oppress them down to the ground. 
Here is where we hear the devils start to squeal: where Jesus shows up, or somebody who is working for him, the unclean spirits understand that in the contest of authority, they will LOSE to Jesus every time.  Because, as Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”  (Matthew 28:18).  He is Lord of all. 
In Jesus’ ministry, he proved his divine authority again and again.  But he always gave human beings their free will, to either cooperate with him or not.  On one particular Passover festival weekend in Jerusalem, Jesus even gave them their free will to drive him out of their city and nail him to a cross to die.  Between that Friday and Sunday, the devils may have thought that they had overcome his authority.  But we know what happened on that first Easter morning.  The dirty work of those unclean spirits was overturned, and Jesus arose in power: authority.  But not before the demons had their day.  God, for reasons we can only struggle to comprehend, let them have their will for that brief while.      Weird, huh ? 
Sometimes, we followers of Jesus are able to exercise godly authority in ways of blessing and righteousness.  We may, at times, have the heavenly grace to love people, to liberate people from bondage to sin and death, to proclaim good news to the poor.  But other times, we abuse our free will by judging other people, squelching them, failing to recognize the dear child of God who is crossing our path under their heavy burden.
As Paul told the church at Corinth: “Take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”
                                           - 1 Corinthians 8: 9

Scriptures for Sunday, January 24, 2021
Psalm 62: 5-12
Jonah 3: 1-10
1 Corinthians 7: 29-31
Mark 1: 14-20
I am writing on a day of human political power, when one leader goes away and another takes his place.  As you probably know about me, I resist the temptation to tell you what I think of these individuals and their parties.  But as a Christian pastor, I believe I must tell you the bottom-line truth about them:  they are not God.  They are merely human beings, with all the foibles that go with the flesh.  We may prefer this or that policy, we may like this personality and dislike that one, but in the end, they are only mortals as we are.  
We Christians and Jews and Muslims proclaim the sovereignty of God, Who is above all our human situations, Who is infinitely superior to us all in in holiness and righteousness.  And we Christians proclaim the Lordship of Jesus, who baffled us by sacrificing his Divine life for us mortal sinners.
This psalm is linked with David, who ascended from shepherd boy to king of Israel, but— oh my!— he was all-too-human.
Trust in Him at all times, O people;
          pour out your heart before Him;
          God is a refuge for us.                   [Selah]
Those of low estate are but a breath,
          those of high estate are a delusion;
          in the balances they go up;
            they are together lighter than a breath.
                                           - Psalm 62: 8 – 9
Scholar Robert Alter comments on verse 9, above.  First, he notes that the word translated “breath” is the same word that is used over and over in the Book of Ecclesiastes, “vanity.”  Alter adds, “the poet... invites us to visualize all of humanity being placed in one pan of a scales and a mere breath in the other.  The pan with humankind would rise higher, for even breath is more substantial.” 
In our human politics and society, don’t we see enough of “vanity” ?
I bring you these thoughts not to scorn or mock our leaders, but instead to challenge you to cling fast to the One Who is utterly real and all-powerful and Who loves us and Who saves us far beyond anything we humans can do, or vote for.
Further, I want us to invite our groups and our leaders to stay humble and repent frequently.  As comedian Robin Williams said, “Politicians are a lot like diapers, they should be changed frequently, and for the same reasons.”  As should we all.  Whenever we forget that we are sinners in need of repentance, God raises up somebody like the prophet Jonah to remind us.
When Jonah finally rinsed off the fish-spit and obeyed God, the people of the wicked, pagan city of Nineveh responded by humbling themselves before God:  Their king gave the command: “Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God.  All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands.  Who knows?  God may relent and change His mind; He may turn from His fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”   Jonah 3: 8 – 9
Today, many people are upset or enthused about the change of political leadership.  But how can we get appropriately upset and enthused about changing our own attitudes and behavior ?
Listen to the prayer of Rev. Silvester Beaman, the pastor from Wilmington, Delaware, who gave the benediction at the presidential inauguration:
“We will give justice to the oppressed, acknowledge sin, and seek forgiveness, thus grasping reconciliation.  In discovering our humanity, we will seek the good in and for all our neighbors.  We will love the unlovable, remove the stigma of the so-called untouchables: we will care for our most vulnerable: our children, the elderly, the emotionally challenged, and the poor.  We will seek rehabilitation beyond correction.  We will extend opportunity to those locked out of opportunity.  We will make friends of our enemies.  We will make friends of our enemies.  [sic]  People, Your people, shall no longer raise up weapons against one another.  We will use our resources for the national good and become a beacon of life and goodwill to the world.  Neither shall we learn hatred anymore.  We will lie down in peace, not make our neighbors afraid.”        
​A lot of that means repentance.
Jesus began his ministry by proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has come near: repent and believe the good news.”  Then, as we will discuss this week, Jesus called ordinary people to follow him.  He wanted them, and us, to proclaim it to our own selves and to our neighbors.