Sermon No. 7

Theological Pablum

Today's Gospel has long been a source of confusion. The disciples told Jesus they had seen another preacher who was actually casting out demons in his name. "But he was not one of us, so we told him he had no right to use your name!"

"No, no, you must not stop him. If anyone is not against us, he is for us."

The confusion mounts as we hear Jesus another time, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." (Matthew 12:30)

The confusion is not really so confusing as it seems when we consider the settings in which Jesus made those proclamations.

In the early church, when the Gospel of Mark was penned, the followers of Jesus surely related this experience to actual problems they faced. The "church" was not yet defined organizationally. There were roving prophets, preachers and healers. Paul mentions them and discusses the qualifications for them.

The problem with this exorcist was that he was "not one of us." He was not certified by us. Jesus told them their "spiritual world view" was too small.

Jesus directed his followers to look to those of another "denomination" with favor, and to those who do a "deed of favor in my name" or who give you "a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ." Remember the righteous Gentiles who hid Jews from the Nazis and Queen Esther who stood up for the Jewish people in her day.

Tolerance is a sticky topic. There is danger that we "tolerate" in a way that we accept anything and everything as of equal value. That is not what Jesus was teaching. Someone said if you believe everything, you really believe nothing.

Because of my ecumenical ministry, a fundamentalist once said, "Nobody knows what you believe." (Obviously he had not heard me preach!)

Mushy, fuzzy inclusiveness is not the point of this episode. Jesus was not giving credence to the flake who says it doesn't make any difference what you believe. "All religions teach the same thing." That is theological pablum. Pablum is bland, insipid, simplistic thinking. And that is not appropriate for considering the Kingdom principles taught by Jesus.

All religions do not teach the same thing. I told you about the Buddhist who was asked the difference in his religion and Christianity. He said Christianity teaches forgiveness. Thank God for that.

Unbiased, dispassionate regard for truth, whoever teaches it, and "exorcism" (casting out evil and oppression) in the name of Jesus is the point. Jesus focused not on a creed but on a cup of cold water.

In this story Jesus in no way proclaims theological pablum, but gives us grist for the mill -- principles to consider in developing our values. It is a lesson in non-judgmentalism.

When Jesus in another situation said, "He who is not with me is against me" he was making clear that neutrality is unacceptable, in fact impossible.

The Christian who fails to take a stand on moral issues is failing Christ.

In Mark, Jesus speaks out for inclusiveness. In Matthew he condemns cowardice, the failure to "stand for the right tho the heavens fall."

In The Closing of the American Mind, Alan Bloom criticizes America's infatuation with "openness." He says we wallow in a morass of relativism. He claims we accept everyone and all behavior as equally valid.

His analysis may be correct. But let's remember that in the past, people who were sure they were right often condemned those they were sure to be wrong. Their sureness led to racism, chauvinism, persecution, xenophobia (hatred of those who are different), murder, even wars.

"Openness" can be a cop-out for intellectual sloth, spiritual hypocrisy. It is not good for a preacher to get on a hobbyhorse. I try not to do that. But at the same time I must again remind you that there is a big difference between ecumenism and "theological pablum."

One commentator says Jesus in Mark uses us ("Whoever is not against us is with us") to refer to the disciples, their joint ministry with Jesus. In Matthew Jesus says me ("Whoever is not with me is against me") to refer to himself as the Christ, the King of the Kingdom. In other words, we must be clear on the priorities of the Kingdom.

We do Jesus an injustice when we emphasize "correct" doctrine, creed, the one true church or the one pure group. The point of his intolerance of their intolerance in today's story is that there are many gifts, many ways to represent Jesus, to be ambassadors for the Kingdom.

The gift of the Holy Spirit -- the one gift we must all share -- is a gift which leads to Truth. What a challenge!

M. Scott Peck complains about the hypocrisy of believers who espouse Jesus but fail to live by his precepts. Surprise! That's precisely what Jesus complained about. "He who is not with me is against me."

There is an interesting word, praxis, which means the integration of belief with behavior or practice. The opposite of praxis is blasphemy. Blasphemy is not just bawdy language, or swearing. It is more the espousing of the name Jesus while at the same time refusing to live by his principles.

To live by the principles of Jesus presupposes an understanding of those principles. My understanding of those principles, of course, may differ from your understanding. My understanding of Jesus is the correct understanding -- for me! Your understanding may be correct -- for you.

There is a man who owns a factory. Each day he begins the day by gathering his employees for a devotional scripture and prayer. When the whistle blows, he is a different man. One day in a fit of rage he fired a man who had worked for him for many years.

There was another employee who was about as opposite from the boss as a man could be: foul language, chain-smoker, hard-drinking, no-time-for-religion kind of fellow. When he saw the humiliation of the poor man who was fired, he was the only one who laid down his tools, shook his head in contempt at the boss, and walked off the job in protest.

Later it was discovered that he dug into his own resources to provide food and housing for the fired man.

The boss obviously had strong, sincere convictions. So what would Jesus say to him? Maybe, "Do to others what you would like them to do to you"?

What do you think it means to be for Christ? Simply espousing the name Christian? Or does it mean to walk the walk of Christ? To do the work of the Kingdom?

In the "Great Judgment Day" when Jesus says to the sheep, "You did it to the least of these," will those "sheep" include any who never accepted Christ? Like an "atheist" who ministers to AIDS patients?

Abraham Moskovitz, a Jewish businessman, received the annual "Christian Service Award" by the Ministerial Association for his generous work for the youth of the community. He said to a friend, "I feel a little strange, being recognized for Christian service."

The friend's response was, "Why should you feel strange? After all, we didn't know what Christian service looked like until one of your brothers from Nazareth showed us!"

We are not all called to the same ministry. That is God's plan, Christ's way. We are a small church. I'm just a small-time preacher. I'd be completely out of place in the Crystal Cathedral. I've never been there, except by TV. You may know their theology is not at all sophisticated. It is a praise-God-and-be-happy religion. Mrs. Schuller rewrote the hymns, taking out all the depressing references to sin, suffering and guilt. When the organ plays, a huge fountain down the middle of the sanctuary dances to the beat of the music.

Entertainment, pure and simple. But lest you take my lack of enthusiasm as derogatory, remember that John Wayne, dying in a hospital, got out of bed -- tubes, wires and all -- and knelt by the TV and gave his heart to Christ. No, it isn't my kind of ministry, but the fact that he "is not one of us" does not mean his ministry is not valid. Obviously, the theology was valid for John Wayne.

There is a radio preacher who rants and raves about the sure, soon coming of Jesus, and about the necessity to prepare to meet him.

He leaves me cold . . . but I know a man in Cass Corridor who quit drinking, began going to church because of that radio preacher's ministry.

A husband and wife team preach on TV in what Will Williman calls "tag team preaching." Williman calls their theology a mix of "African-American/Pentecostal/Norman Vincent Peale/Pop Psychology/Puritan/Merrill-Lynch . . . well, let's just say it's eclectic" theology.

I have watched them a few times, more out of curiosity than for inspiration. But I know an active layman in a growing church who gave his life to Christ after listening to and watching them.

There are hurting people all around us. Jesus gave us the challenge to feed them wholesome spiritual food. We are Christians, Christ-followers, ambassadors for the Kingdom. We are, Jesus said, lights of the world.

Are we really? When Jesus said, "You are the light of the world" he then said, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

So if we are truly lights, our lives will demonstrate good works. Which others will see!. And -- they will praise our heavenly Father. That presupposes that we do our good works in a way not to bring praise to ourselves, but bring glory to the Kingdom.

"All around us are unchurched, hurting people. America has a far greater population today than when Protestantism was at its peak in 1964. But many refuse to change their methods and structures to minister to people . . . Like the dinosaur, their necks are too stiff or their eyes too nearsighted . . .

"Congregations must deal with their stiff necks or their nearsightedness, or go the way of the dinosaur." (William Easum)

I pray we are not so nearsighted as to see only ourselves. I pray we are not so stiff-necked that we neglect to see the good people all around us who are also letting their lights shine.

Some of you met Linda Petracelli when she was here awhile back. She is a UCC minister, at that time with national staff. She was educated in a strict parochial school. She remembers Sister Cecilla telling the children that "everyone -- everyone including and especially Lutherans and Episcopalians -- who were not Catholics were going to hell."

Well, dear saints, I know many Catholics, and I don't know of one who believes that now. Praise God they are no longer so nearsighted. I know some other church people who do think they alone will be saved!

In the basement of the chapel at Duke University various religious groups were meeting for prayer. "Baptists were stepping over Lutherans, the Jews holding a heated discussion in the Presbyterian Campus Ministry office, the Catholics had borrowed the Methodists' space for their Eucharist, and Campus Crusade had overflowed into the Catholic Campus Ministry Center."

Making his way through the praying throng, trying to find his own group, a Lutheran minister muttered, "Won't we all be surprised if heaven looks like this!"

So it really makes no difference what you believe, right? Wrong, wrong wrong! The Bible is explicit in what we must believe. But you and I interpret the Bible one way, and fellow Christians in our sister church interpret it another way. Who's right? We are, of course!

For the life of me, I can't see how anyone can believe the Bible and believe in infant baptism. But many of you do. Our friends in the Assembly of God next door can't see how anyone can believe in the Bible and not speak in tongues. My Baptist friend can't see how anyone can believe in the Bible and not accept the doctrine of an eternally burning hell.

You all remember our Lenten series when representatives of many different faiths came and explained what they believe and why. No one of us changed our convictions, but we saw them all as sincere adherents of their faith structures.

I have told you why I must observe the seventh-day Sabbath. I have done so all my life. Most of you do not. My very strong conviction does not give me license to condemn you.

Two UCC churches pulled out of Detroit Metropolitan Association this year, mainly because they will not accept homosexual members, and the UCC does not condemn homosexuality. Both pastors are very dear friends of mine. Both are beyond reproach in their personal lives and in their ministry.

"If anyone is not against us, he is for us." That is ecumenism. And that is the Christian unity for which Jesus prayed (John 17) and Paul preached (I Corinthians 12).

Please let's don't be satisfied with theological pablum, a simplistic Christian experience, "it doesn't matter what you believe." Paul wrote to Timothy, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15)

In Hebrews we read, "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness . . . solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5) But please let's accept others as brothers and sisters, This story is an open invitation from Jesus to accept grist for the mill, the opportunity to "study to show ourselves approved,"

That is why we have Bible study every Wednesday evening -- to learn what God would have us do. Then we must do it with all the sincere Holy Spirit power we can use.

Let us pray . . .



		Theological Pablum
		Today's Gospel has long been a source of confusion. The disciples told Jesus they had seen another preacher who was actually casting out demons in his name. "But he was not one of us, so we told him he had no right to use your name!" "No, no, you must not stop him. If anyone is not against us, he is for us." The confusion mounts as we hear Jesus another time, "He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters." (Matthew 12:30) The confusion is not really so confusing as it seems when we consider the settings in which Jesus made those proclamations. In the early church, when the Gospel of Mark was penned, the followers of Jesus surely related this experience to actual problems they faced. The "church" was not yet defined organizationally. There were roving prophets, preachers and healers. Paul mentions them and discusses the qualifications for them. The problem with this exorcist was that he was "not one of us." He was not certified by us. Jesus told them their "spiritual world view" was too small. Jesus directed his followers to look to those of another "denomination" with favor, and to those who do a "deed of favor in my name" or who give you "a cup of water because you bear the name of Christ." Remember the righteous Gentiles who hid Jews from the Nazis and Queen Esther who stood up for the Jewish people in her day. Tolerance is a sticky topic. There is danger that we "tolerate" in a way that we accept anything and everything as of equal value. That is not what Jesus was teaching. Someone said if you believe everything, you really believe nothing. Because of my ecumenical ministry, a fundamentalist once said, "Nobody knows what you believe." (Obviously he had not heard me preach!) Mushy, fuzzy inclusiveness is not the point of this episode. Jesus was not giving credence to the flake who says it doesn't make any difference what you believe. "All religions teach the same thing." That is theological pablum. Pablum is bland, insipid, simplistic thinking. And that is not appropriate for considering the Kingdom principles taught by Jesus. All religions do not teach the same thing. I told you about the Buddhist who was asked the difference in his religion and Christianity. He said Christianity teaches forgiveness. Thank God for that. Unbiased, dispassionate regard for truth, whoever teaches it, and "exorcism" (casting out evil and oppression) in the name of Jesus is the point. Jesus focused not on a creed but on a cup of cold water. In this story Jesus in no way proclaims theological pablum, but gives us grist for the mill -- principles to consider in developing our values. It is a lesson in non-judgmentalism. When Jesus in another situation said, "He who is not with me is against me" he was making clear that neutrality is unacceptable, in fact impossible. The Christian who fails to take a stand on moral issues is failing Christ. In Mark, Jesus speaks out for inclusiveness. In Matthew he condemns cowardice, the failure to "stand for the right tho the heavens fall." In The Closing of the American Mind, Alan Bloom criticizes America's infatuation with "openness." He says we wallow in a morass of relativism. He claims we accept everyone and all behavior as equally valid. His analysis may be correct. But let's remember that in the past, people who were sure they were right often condemned those they were sure to be wrong. Their sureness led to racism, chauvinism, persecution, xenophobia (hatred of those who are different), murder, even wars. "Openness" can be a cop-out for intellectual sloth, spiritual hypocrisy. It is not good for a preacher to get on a hobbyhorse. I try not to do that. But at the same time I must again remind you that there is a big difference between ecumenism and "theological pablum." One commentator says Jesus in Mark uses us ("Whoever is not against us is with us") to refer to the disciples, their joint ministry with Jesus. In Matthew Jesus says me ("Whoever is not with me is against me") to refer to himself as the Christ, the King of the Kingdom. In other words, we must be clear on the priorities of the Kingdom. We do Jesus an injustice when we emphasize "correct" doctrine, creed, the one true church or the one pure group. The point of his intolerance of their intolerance in today's story is that there are many gifts, many ways to represent Jesus, to be ambassadors for the Kingdom. The gift of the Holy Spirit -- the one gift we must all share -- is a gift which leads to Truth. What a challenge! M. Scott Peck complains about the hypocrisy of believers who espouse Jesus but fail to live by his precepts. Surprise! That's precisely what Jesus complained about. "He who is not with me is against me." There is an interesting word, praxis, which means the integration of belief with behavior or practice. The opposite of praxis is blasphemy. Blasphemy is not just bawdy language, or swearing. It is more the espousing of the name Jesus while at the same time refusing to live by his principles. To live by the principles of Jesus presupposes an understanding of those principles. My understanding of those principles, of course, may differ from your understanding. My understanding of Jesus is the correct understanding -- for me! Your understanding may be correct -- for you. There is a man who owns a factory. Each day he begins the day by gathering his employees for a devotional scripture and prayer. When the whistle blows, he is a different man. One day in a fit of rage he fired a man who had worked for him for many years. There was another employee who was about as opposite from the boss as a man could be: foul language, chain-smoker, hard-drinking, no-time-for-religion kind of fellow. When he saw the humiliation of the poor man who was fired, he was the only one who laid down his tools, shook his head in contempt at the boss, and walked off the job in protest. Later it was discovered that he dug into his own resources to provide food and housing for the fired man. The boss obviously had strong, sincere convictions. So what would Jesus say to him? Maybe, "Do to others what you would like them to do to you"? What do you think it means to be for Christ? Simply espousing the name Christian? Or does it mean to walk the walk of Christ? To do the work of the Kingdom? In the "Great Judgment Day" when Jesus says to the sheep, "You did it to the least of these," will those "sheep" include any who never accepted Christ? Like an "atheist" who ministers to AIDS patients? Abraham Moskovitz, a Jewish businessman, received the annual "Christian Service Award" by the Ministerial Association for his generous work for the youth of the community. He said to a friend, "I feel a little strange, being recognized for Christian service." The friend's response was, "Why should you feel strange? After all, we didn't know what Christian service looked like until one of your brothers from Nazareth showed us!" We are not all called to the same ministry. That is God's plan, Christ's way. We are a small church. I'm just a small-time preacher. I'd be completely out of place in the Crystal Cathedral. I've never been there, except by TV. You may know their theology is not at all sophisticated. It is a praise-God-and-be-happy religion. Mrs. Schuller rewrote the hymns, taking out all the depressing references to sin, suffering and guilt. When the organ plays, a huge fountain down the middle of the sanctuary dances to the beat of the music. Entertainment, pure and simple. But lest you take my lack of enthusiasm as derogatory, remember that John Wayne, dying in a hospital, got out of bed -- tubes, wires and all -- and knelt by the TV and gave his heart to Christ. No, it isn't my kind of ministry, but the fact that he "is not one of us" does not mean his ministry is not valid. Obviously, the theology was valid for John Wayne. There is a radio preacher who rants and raves about the sure, soon coming of Jesus, and about the necessity to prepare to meet him. He leaves me cold . . . but I know a man in Cass Corridor who quit drinking, began going to church because of that radio preacher's ministry. A husband and wife team preach on TV in what Will Williman calls "tag team preaching." Williman calls their theology a mix of "African-American/Pentecostal/Norman Vincent Peale/Pop Psychology/Puritan/Merrill-Lynch . . . well, let's just say it's eclectic" theology. I have watched them a few times, more out of curiosity than for inspiration. But I know an active layman in a growing church who gave his life to Christ after listening to and watching them. There are hurting people all around us. Jesus gave us the challenge to feed them wholesome spiritual food. We are Christians, Christ-followers, ambassadors for the Kingdom. We are, Jesus said, lights of the world. Are we really? When Jesus said, "You are the light of the world" he then said, "Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." So if we are truly lights, our lives will demonstrate good works. Which others will see!. And -- they will praise our heavenly Father. That presupposes that we do our good works in a way not to bring praise to ourselves, but bring glory to the Kingdom. "All around us are unchurched, hurting people. America has a far greater population today than when Protestantism was at its peak in 1964. But many refuse to change their methods and structures to minister to people . . . Like the dinosaur, their necks are too stiff or their eyes too nearsighted . . . "Congregations must deal with their stiff necks or their nearsightedness, or go the way of the dinosaur." (William Easum) I pray we are not so nearsighted as to see only ourselves. I pray we are not so stiff-necked that we neglect to see the good people all around us who are also letting their lights shine. Some of you met Linda Petracelli when she was here awhile back. She is a UCC minister, at that time with national staff. She was educated in a strict parochial school. She remembers Sister Cecilla telling the children that "everyone -- everyone including and especially Lutherans and Episcopalians -- who were not Catholics were going to hell." Well, dear saints, I know many Catholics, and I don't know of one who believes that now. Praise God they are no longer so nearsighted. I know some other church people who do think they alone will be saved! In the basement of the chapel at Duke University various religious groups were meeting for prayer. "Baptists were stepping over Lutherans, the Jews holding a heated discussion in the Presbyterian Campus Ministry office, the Catholics had borrowed the Methodists' space for their Eucharist, and Campus Crusade had overflowed into the Catholic Campus Ministry Center." Making his way through the praying throng, trying to find his own group, a Lutheran minister muttered, "Won't we all be surprised if heaven looks like this!" So it really makes no difference what you believe, right? Wrong, wrong wrong! The Bible is explicit in what we must believe. But you and I interpret the Bible one way, and fellow Christians in our sister church interpret it another way. Who's right? We are, of course! For the life of me, I can't see how anyone can believe the Bible and believe in infant baptism. But many of you do. Our friends in the Assembly of God next door can't see how anyone can believe in the Bible and not speak in tongues. My Baptist friend can't see how anyone can believe in the Bible and not accept the doctrine of an eternally burning hell. You all remember our Lenten series when representatives of many different faiths came and explained what they believe and why. No one of us changed our convictions, but we saw them all as sincere adherents of their faith structures. I have told you why I must observe the seventh-day Sabbath. I have done so all my life. Most of you do not. My very strong conviction does not give me license to condemn you. Two UCC churches pulled out of Detroit Metropolitan Association this year, mainly because they will not accept homosexual members, and the UCC does not condemn homosexuality. Both pastors are very dear friends of mine. Both are beyond reproach in their personal lives and in their ministry. "If anyone is not against us, he is for us." That is ecumenism. And that is the Christian unity for which Jesus prayed (John 17) and Paul preached (I Corinthians 12). Please let's don't be satisfied with theological pablum, a simplistic Christian experience, "it doesn't matter what you believe." Paul wrote to Timothy, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth." (II Timothy 2:15) In Hebrews we read, "Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness . . . solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." (Hebrews 5) But please let's accept others as brothers and sisters, This story is an open invitation from Jesus to accept grist for the mill, the opportunity to "study to show ourselves approved," That is why we have Bible study every Wednesday evening -- to learn what God would have us do. Then we must do it with all the sincere Holy Spirit power we can use. Let us pray . . .