It’s ALL Happenin’ Here!!

Sunday September 27, 2009
Preacher: Pastor Mick Roschke

Readings:
Numbers 11:4-6,10-16,24-29
James 5:13-20
Mark 9:38-50

Audio sermon file:

http://fileresource.sitepro.com/filemanager/74/filecollections/742/F79E6EA8-8543-AAA2-DCBA-FE4FEAB44CFA.mp3


Are we open-minded enough to those of different gender, sexual preference, age, color, race? Do we ever proclaim that “others are not following US”? … and thus try to fashion God in OUR image?

Pastor Mick shared a very interesting notion today – that maybe we want to be open, but we’re still too insecure in ourselves …

“If you knew me, would you (still) like me?”

Maybe it’s the old Woody Allen delivery of the old Groucho Marx line:

“I wouldn’t want to join any club that would have someone like me for a member.”

Our insecurities can lead us to get defensive about not being gifted as others are – “they’re not following US”. Pastor Mick shared a great story about someone at a Church once handing out brochures exclaiming:

“It’s ALL Happenin’ Here!!”

His response was “Don’t Believe It!”

Sometimes, “it’s happening somewhere else”

... and we must be big enough and inclusive enough to recognize that and accept it and even proclaim it. Women, children, the deprived, the lonely, the poor are in our midst and it’s no good hiding from that fact. We have to dive in and get used to it.

We are often judgmental, in viewing the world Top down. In the Delcaration of Independence, women were seen as 75% human, African Americans a scant 60%! In Mark, today, we are reminded that God does not play favorites.

There are no insiders!

The outcast, the marginalized are held up by Jesus through US, through true fellowship.

And here’s the Good News. THEY, those very outcast and marginalized, those held at bay by US, have something gifted by The Spirit to GIVE US. It is reciprocity at work. Not only are these 100% human beings to whom we give time, money, treasure, food, clothing, BUT there is something to receive FROM them, something of The Spirit.

Today, EVERYONE has something to bring AND something to receive.

People are waiting, in Pastor Mick’s words, for the Church to not just be a sleeping giant! God is ready to “get prayed up” and get excited again. We want to be a church where everybody’s revved up to learn from everyone else, EVERYONE …

… because The Spirit is present in some form in each and every person – for the goodness of all!