Dylan’s Baptism

As far as I know, there’s never been a time in the history of humanity when someone was so ignorant to think that people don’t make mistakes. From the very beginning of time, we humans have known that we sometimes fail to do what we know we need to do, and we sometimes do things that don’t end up working out for us.

Once upon a time, someone, probably some kid, asked some grown-up to explain all this. And, the grown-up told a story that has become one of the hallmark stories of Western civilization.

You have to be pretty old to remember Flip Wilson. Really funny comedian. And, one of the famous lines from his 70’s-era comedy show was this famous exclamation. “Here comes da judge. Here comes da judge. Everybody knows that he is da judge.”

You never can tell when you strike out on a trip how things are going to turn out. If you don’t believe that, just ask that famous crew of two and those five trusting passengers who set sail one day for a three hour tour. You remember that crowd, right? The weather started getting rough, the tiny ship was tossed. If not for the courage of the fearless crew, the minnow would be lost.

Well, yesterday I struck out on a tour that was much more adventure-filled than I ever anticipated or wanted. I struck out from my house on what is usually a ten minute trip to Whole Foods.

HOMILY
Embry Hills UMC
July 25, 2010

Describing things is a tricky business. Sometimes, it’s pretty easy to do. Let me give you an example.

I saw a Delta Jet the other day. I think it was a Boeing 767. Now, even if you can’t recall what a 767 looks like, you can pretty much get a picture of a big Delta jet from that description alone. Here’s another example.

I flew on a broom the other day. The broom had an unstained wooden handle and the bristles were made of straw. You can see that, right? Like I said, sometimes describing things is pretty easy work.

Luke 10

We often hear talk about how powerful Jesus is, about how much he can do, about how much he can accomplish. To listen to some of our theologizing, we might think that Jesus is a complete do-it-yourself kind of guy, the ultimate Lone Ranger.

Luke 7:36-8:3

Passages of Scripture in the Bible are a lot like people. Some are comforting and warm, like a bowl of good mac and cheese or parmesan grits. Others are flashy and exciting. And, still others are just downright dangerous. This morning’s Gospel lesson is like—downright dangerous. So, get ready, because if the Scripture is dangerous, the sermon is, too.