Just Like ME - A Sermon celebrating Vacation Bible School for Sunday July 21st 2024

GOSPEL: Mark 6:30-34, 53-56

The holy gospel according to Mark.

Glory to you, O Lord.

When Jesus sends his disciples out to teach and heal, they minister among large numbers of people. Their work is motivated by Christ’s desire to be among those in need.

30 The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. 34 As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

  53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored the boat. 54 When they got out of the boat, people at once recognized him, 55 and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

I offer 2 mini sermons for today.

First Mini Sermon: Authenticity.

What a gift to be involved with Vacation Bible School.

Gardeners led the Adventurers

through God’s garden,

planting seeds of God’s Word,

in song, story, snack, game and craft.

The message was empathy, compassion, and inclusion.

listening to one another,

knowing each other by name

sharing ourselves

serving

It’s a message that is needed in this time.

Out in the world we are struggling to talk to one another,

our civil discourse is not healthy,

in politics and sports and coffee shops

we other the other,

people are angry,

polarization seems insurmountable

and we need compassion,

we need empathy,

we need inclusion,

we need to know each other by name.

One hope is that the children

will see the church as a place where they are safe,

where they can be themselves,

for not everyone feels safe in church,

and not everyone feels they can be themselves.

One VBS highlight for me was the story station,

as we heard stories from the bible,

we heard about the little boy

who gave Jesus 5 leaves and two fish

and Jesus fed 5000,

and we heard about Elisha and the widow,

and how the community helped provide.

It wasn’t enough to hear the story,

or to welcome the story teller.

The kids were sad to learn that these two

and many other women and children

are not named in our bible.

The kids wanted to name

these unnamed biblical characters.

We don’t know their names,

but God does,

so the kids named them Jofus and Emo.

God knows you by name.

God knows the billions of humans,

trillions of creatures and plant life and microbes

by name.

God made me just the way I am

God made me a special part of God’s family

You be you and I’ll be just like me.

we are better together,

we can weather whatever.

The world loves to tell you its standards of beauty,

where to lose the weight,

how to put on the makeup

the right kinds of clothes and accessories,

The world loves to tell you who to look like,

what kind of styles to emulate

The world loves to tell you who you should be like.

But God did not create us to fit into some kind of mold.

God made me just the way I am.

God made you just the way you are.

and you are good.

You are God’s good creation.

Yes, you’re a sinner,

and we need to take sin seriously,

but sin is not the starting point.

You are created by God,

you are a child of God,

made in God’s image

beloved,

adopted,

and God’s Spirit is at work in you,

like a refiner’s fire.

But don’t start at sin.

Our theology doesn’t start at sin,

but sometimes our practice does.

At VBS, Children were encourage to wonder, to ask why,

and so I wonder about the problem of beginning with sin.

Yes, we always begin worship in Jesus’ name,

in the name of our Triune God

but as a child,

I remember always starting in sin,

starting with the confession of sin.

Too many Christians are raised

thinking they’re not good enough

that they are deserving of the H. E. Double hockey sticks

too many are told they need to change

and intricate parts - good parts - of the self

can get put on the shelf

in the name of holiness.

The Holy Spirit changes us as we need to be changed,

refined,

purified,

but God does not wash away your character.

You will not be called by God

to be something you are not,

nor someone you are not.

Now and always, you are a beloved child of God.

Allow God’s Spirit to move and change us

but you be you,

and I’ll be just like me.

You cannot be something you are not.

There has been a generational shift.

It started around the 1960’s

We’ve talked about this a bit,

It’s a shift from the age of association

to the age of authenticity.

The realities of church decline - at least in North America

are partially due to this.

It used to be - in the age of association -

that people lived their faith institutionally;

be it church or lions club or community league,

association with a denomination was normal,

it was natural to trust the association

and live your faith,

in and with the association.

Many of us do this

associated with this community of faith.

The generational shift - to the age of authenticity -

comes with institutional resistance,

there is a growing lack of trust in institutions.

Faith is lived authentically apart from institutions,

partially because institutions can be restrictive. 

We who love the church

are called to authenticity and association.

We are called to live in faithful community

caring, compassionate community,

we are the body of Christ.

and we are called to be ourselves,

called to be authentically me.

We cannot be something we are not.

What are we?

We are loved

and so we love.

We receive grace

and so we extend grace

May we be who God made us to be.

Mini sermon #2 - Share your faith.

Jesus and the disciples came to Gennesaret.

The geography matters.

This is around the Sea of Galilee.

You may recall a story from Mark 5 about the Gerasene Demoniac.

Jesus travelled across the sea to the Decapolis

just for this one person.

He was living in the tombs

living in death.

He was shackled in chains

and would violently break them.

He was naked

and not in his right mind.

He had no name,

only known as legion,

for we are many,

says the demon in him.

We don’t know this man’s name

but God does.

Jesus restored him to health.

The legion swarmed into the pigs

the pigs swarmed into the lake and drowned.

the local economy was decimated

and the people in the Decapolis were afraid of Jesus.

The man formerly known as legion

asks to follow Jesus.

Jesus says no,

but Jesus told him to stay there,

and tell everyone what God has done for you.

Again, this happened in the Decapolis.

Gennesaret is right there,

on the borderland of the Decapolis.

When Jesus and the disciples Came to Gennesaret

The people recognized Jesus right away.

I’d say there are two possible explanations.

One - it is close to Capernaum,

which was like a home-base for Jesus.

Gennesaret could have been a stop

on Jesus’ preaching tour

or a stop for the disciples on their tour.

The people of Gennesaret might have remembered Jesus

from a prior visit.

Possible explanation #2

It was the man formerly known as legion,

It was the Gerasene Demoniac.

Gennesaret is in the general local of the Decapolis,

not far removed.

It’s very possible the people at Gennesaret

knew Jesus and the disciples

because the former demoniac

told everyone what God had done for him.

Who could have imagined the impact

who could have imagined so many recognizing Jesus

when he came around again?

Take the risk and share your faith.

Proclaim Christ crucified and risen.

plant the seed of God’s Word.

and be yourself when you do.

Listen to your neighbours

and the strangers you encounter.

know people by name,

earn the right to be heard,

and share God’s love.

Wonder - imagine - what God will do

with a simple leap of faith.

Who knows what fruit might grow in God’s garden

when seeds are sown?

Who knows who might just recognize Jesus

when he comes around here again?

Thanks be to God. Amen.