April 16 (Easter Sunday)

1^st Congregational Church of Redwood City, UCC

Carol Barriger

Sunday, July 9, 2006

5^th after Pentecost

Ezekiel 2:1-5; Mark 6:1-13

“A Prophet in Your Own House”

”Whether they hear or refuse to hear (for they are a rebellio= us house), they shall know that there has been a prophet among them.” (Eze 2:5)

We who are called to ministry are supposed to be three things:

(1) a priest – to walk that line between God and humankind, representing one to the other and creating space where people can experience the sacred

      = ;      (2) a pastor – to be a nurturer, comforter, a herder of the sheep

      = ;      (3) and a prophet - That’s the hard one, you see, because no one knows wh= at a prophet is these days.

It seems an antiquated, pre-scientific occupation – hardly a contemporary vocation.

      = ;      Try putting “prophet” on your tax return in the box marked “occupation.” But= in our particular Christian tradition, all are ministers, for Martin Lu= ther gave us the term “the priesthood of all believers” back in the = days of the Reformation. Each one of us is priest, pastor and prophet in his o= r her own way, bringing a moment of the sacred to another (that’s the pries= tly) comforting like a shepherd (that’s the pastoral) and … being a prophet?&nb= sp; A what? Being a prophet is not about reading p= alms and signs. Being a prophet is= about truth-telling, sharing a spiritual insight telling others how God is acting= in the world as you see it and knowing by faith that “how you see itR= 21; is good and true and blessed. We’re not exclusive about this prophet thing.&nb= sp; We don’t believe that an anointed few have a corner on a conversation with God. It cou= ld be me. It could be you.

Whether t= hey hear or refuse to hear … they shall know that there has been a prophet amo= ng them.

There are prophets everywhere – seemingly more when there are many truths crying out to be told. <= /span>Sometimes the truth simply must be told. It’s a matter of life and death. Its time has come. People are being slaughtered ̷= 0; the planet is dying … churches cannot go on as they are. But not everyone who speaks the tr= uth becomes a hero even if speaking the truth results in life and redemption. Prophets didn’t gain too many followers in scripture. What = we know about them – including Jesus –we know because someone thou= ght it important enough to write down. Jesus died with a few of his friends watching and a very few more hi= ding out upstairs. Really, prophet= s are disposable – everyone feels they can always get another leader someon= e to tell their particular and preferred version of reality… We know that’s true in business and government, as well as in the church whis= tleblowers “step down for personal reasons,” or “to pursue new opportunities.”

      = ;

There’s a price attached to speaking the truth – Truth upsets a status quo which has kept people comfortable or blind to realities just too hard to absorb. <= /span>Truth reveals the strength and vision of one person, living among others who may = be threatened by that strength who are used to being in control of their world= who are insecure, and who like things just the way they are.<= /p>

The price of speaking the truth ranges from being ignored all the w= ay through derision, belittling, criticism, gossip, being misquoted, misrepresented, slandered, threatened,

losing your livelihood, your money, your reputation to the ultimate – being killed.

Speaking the truth – especially difficult truth – rarely results       = ; in instant acclamation. It takes courage. How often is the truth-teller borne out in a triumphant parade on the shoulders of the crowd= ? Who, I ask you, would want this jo= b of prophet?

But this is what a prophet does.&n= bsp; A prophet is a professional teller of dangerous truth. A prophet shares insight that not = every “gets” – or wants to get. A prophet shares emotions that not everyone thinks are particularly pretty or wants to see like anger, and despair, and confrontation. P= rophets are “not nice,” and they do leave their mark. Like the wild-eyed Ezekiel. Like Jesus.

&nbs= p;

Whether t= hey hear or refuse to hear … they shall know that there has been a prophet amo= ng them.

      = ;

Jesus preaches, heals, teaches, and exorcises demons or (in modern terms) gets rid of the evils of injustice and oppression in people’s lives. But notice that this p= rophet does not work alone, thereby taking the load off of us.
That would be too easy. He doesn’t expect to accomplish his goals for God all by himself. Jesus commissions disciples, sends= them to do what he did. He asks or= dinary people to share in his work, to be prophets. What an odd way to jump-start the r= eign of God! Jesus chooses people = who – from what we know in Mark’s gospel – have no obvious qualifications to be leaders in God’s world of peace and justice yet = they are chosen and called and empowered by Jesus.

My friends, that is you; that is me. I am not the only minister in this church. We are the odd assort= ment of servants and ministers to whom Jesus has delegated the work of God as prophets to speak the truth. = I do not do all the ministry. At b= est, I am a coordinator, encourager, equipper, and inspirer. You are prophets. Most of what Jesus sends this bunc= h out to do is heal And it is dange= rous, prophetic work because it reveals the truth that the inexplicable powers of “the system,” the accepted ways of how things long untouched by inertia and apathy can be overcome by love, and gentleness and persistence…   and t= he courage to be different. Peop= le do not have to hurt, or be lonely, or suffer.= You are a prophet and healer when you help an addicted person get th= eir life back on track. When you = visit someone confined to their home, bring groceries, offer a ride.

When you befriend a child, lonely while her mother works two jobs.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> When you say to someone, “Ye= s, I will pray for you.” Whe= n you do whatever you do in the name of Jesus (whether you say so out loud or not, just in your heart) because you are a disciple, a Christian then you minister. You are a prophet f= or the truth. You make your mark.

Whether t= hey hear or refuse to hear … they shall know that there has been a prophet amo= ng them.

Many people are not all that enthused about the prophet lifestyle.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> It’s a little too exposed, a little too active.

“Not for me,” you say.= “I’m just a team player, backing you up on the bench, a silent partner in the corporation= , well, maybe a few prayers, if you need them.&nbs= p; Hey, I’m all for you. I wish you well. Go for it.” But we are at a time and place whe= re we must step forward like Jesus and Ezekiel and proclaim that God’s time= is here. Now. Our church’s time is here. Now. Too much is at stake.

The future of a Christian message that is healing and daring        rather than stultifying and restrictive is at stake.

The future of minds and souls crying for holy experiences but bruis= ed by the church is at stake. The future of a loving, prophetic, truth-telling faith community offering a joy= ous, celebratory home instead of a pious hideout is at stake. We need prophets. And means we all speak out (not ju= st me) – every chance we get – consistently, persistently for justice,= and peace, and the truth in each human heart.&= nbsp; William Sloan Coffin, the great theologian and social prophet of our times, while he was all for gentleness – wrote that “Jesus never withheld the telling word i= f only the telling word would serve."

“As for Christians, it is time that we stopped retreating from the giant social issues of the day into the pygmy world of private piety. The chief religious question is no= t, “What must I do to be saved?” but rather “What must we al= l do to save God’s creation?”[1]

<= /o:p>

There are prophets in this church – those who offer the telli= ng word I know, because I’ve been blessed by them.

Bill Van Cleve, Kathleen Mahany, Rachel Parikh, Rob Lyman, Patti Bu= ry, our wonderful staff, John and Laura.

In your lifetime of experie= nce, who would you call a prophet? Who are the voices you feel speak a truth that needs to be told? Who will be the prophet in our own house?

=

[God] said to me: O mort= al, stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you.

And when [God] spoke to = me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard [God] speaking to= me.

[saying] to me, Mortal, = I am sending you to the people of <= st1:place>Israel, … I am sending you to them, and …

Whether they hear or ref= use to hear … they shall know = that there has been a prophet among them. (Eze = 2:1-5)

Wherever you go, will people know there has been a prophet among them?

Amen.

The first reading is fro= m the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a prophet to his people during one of the more terrible times in their history. Shortly after he beg= an his ministry, Jerusalem was captured and destroyed, and the le= adership of Israel was carried off to exile in Babylon.
=

Ezekiel 2:1-5
1 He said to me: O mortal, = stand up on your feet, and I will speak with you.=

2 And when he spoke to me, a spirit entered into me and set me on my feet; and I heard him speaking to m= e.

3 He said to me, Mortal, I = am sending you to the people of Israel, to a nation of rebels who have rebell= ed against me; they and their ancestors have transgressed against me to this v= ery day.

4 The descendants are impud= ent and stubborn. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, "Th= us says the Lord GOD."

5 Whether they hear or refu= se to hear (for they are a rebellious house), they shall know that there has been= a prophet among them.

= The sec= ond reading is from Mark’s gospel. Clearly, Jesus’ hometown people are uncomfortable with him in their midst, so he adopts another strategy to spread his message.

=

Mark 6:1-13

1 He left that place and ca= me to his hometown, and his disciples followed him.

=

2 On the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, "Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been gi= ven to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands!<= /span>

=

3 Is not this the carpenter= , the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not= his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.=

=

4 Then Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among t= heir own kin, and in their own house."

=

5 And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured t= hem.

=

6 And he was amazed at their unbelief. Then he went about among the villages teaching.=

=

7 He called the twelve and = began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spiri= ts.

=

8 He ordered them to take n= othing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts= ;

=

9 but to wear sandals and n= ot to put on two tunics.

=

10 He said to them, "Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place.

=

11 If any place will not we= lcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them."

=

12 So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.

=

13 They cast out many demon= s, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.=

Here end the readings for today.&n= bsp;

May God add new understanding to our hearing of these words.=