Unexpected People, Places and Things

3D"Text

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

The most recent edition of Sojourner Magazine has an= essay by David Batstone entitled, “Seeking Something Bigger.” [link to article] It’s an article that contains some of his observations about college students as a professor of ethics in the Department of Theolo= gy and Religious Studies at the University of San Francisco. Dr. Batstone notes that nearly eve= ry semester he teaches a course on religion and ethics where the students are asked to choose a religious tradition in which they were not raised and exa= mine that tradition through the lens of a single ethical issue. For example, a Buddhist student el= ected to study the morality of euthanasia within Roman Catholicism, while a Catho= lic student examined the taboo on alcohol within Islam.

Students are then asked to research how their select= ed religion has treated the ethical issue historically. Once they have a good handle on the past, they are then asked to visit at least one community ritual and interv= iew several members of the community. They are then asked to compare how their field observations align wi= th the religion’s tradition. Does the community follow its mainstream tradition or deviate from i= t in some way? And finally, the st= udents are asked to bring into the experience their own approach to the ethical is= sue.

Dr. Batstone reports that the final classroom presentations are highly entertaining and that over the years several common threads are woven into many of the conclusions. For example:

Students are surprised by religious diversity. Batstone notes that students hold a homogenous stereotype about religion. So they were puzzled when two students visited different Methodist churches and found that the moral compass, core beliefs, and approach to worship varied wildly.

Students swim in the pools of rationalism. If an idea cannot float in those w= aters, they drown it quickly. Justif= ying a belief on the basis of a holy tradition or a sacred text does not fly in th= is crowd. “I just roll my = eyes whenever they preach about their tradition,” wrote one student. So what beliefs do resonate as truthful? Those that offer pe= rsonal meaning in the here and now. Conscience and reason trump tradition every time (Batstone 21).

It’s this suspicion of tradition that resonate= s with this morning’s reading from Mark’s gospel. On the occasion of t= his morning’s reading, Jesus and the disciples have returned to the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee= and resumed their ministry of healing and wholeness with great crowds of people. It was in this contex= t that several Pharisees, and some of the scribes who came with them from Jerusalem, notice= d that Jesus’ disciples were eating without washing their hands. There was a tradition at the time,= based on an interpretation of biblical law, that the Jewish faithful were require= d to undertake a ritual washing of their hands before meals in order to maintain their sanctity within the community of God’s chosen people. Failure to honor that tradition re= sulted in a person being characterized as defiled, a status that isolated that per= son from full participation in the wider community by virtue of the fact that religious law deemed them unclean. The only way that a defiled person could be restored to full communi= ty participation was by undergoing a ritual purification process.

In this morning’s reading, it was this perceiv= ed transgression of the disciples that the Pharisees and scribes brought to Jesus’ attention with the question, “Why do your disciples not = live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands? (Mark 7.5).

Jesus responds by calling these religious leaders hypocrites, accusing them of abandoning the commandment of God for the sake= of maintaining a human tradition. Jesus then proceeds to completely overturn the understanding of the Pharisees and the scribes concerning defilement when he says, “…there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile= , but the things that come out are what defile” (7.15).

At first glance, this matter of hand washing and rel= igious purity may seem like a trivial matter to many contemporary people. But let me remind you that even in= our own denomination of the Presbyterian Church (USA), significant concerns abo= ut religious purity persist. One= of the ordination questions we ask prospective elders, deacons, and ministers = of Word and sacrament is: “= ;Do you promise to further the peace, unity, and purity of the church? (G-14.04= 05b.7). At our most recent General Assembly meeting in June, commissioners received= the culminating work of the Theological Task Force on Peace, Unity, and Purity = of the Church---a task force working for the last five years under the responsibility to “lead the Presbyterian Church USA in a spiritual discernment of our Christian identity in and for the 21st century, particul= arly as we consider the issues that divide us---biblical authority, ordination, = and Christology.”

The issue of religious purity continues to be signif= icant to 21st century Presbyterians. There remains great tension in our denomination, as well as in this morning’s reading, between viewing purity through the lens of law ver= sus and viewing purity through the lens of love.

But the part of this dynamic that I want to focus on= this morning is how tradition can sometimes be applied in ways that exclude, marginalize, or restrict full participation of a people in a community. I think there’s some o= f that going on in this morning’s reading as the Jewish authorities begin to apply the letter of Jewish law as a sort of wedge to separate Jesus and his disciples from the realm of established religious practices, hoping to undermine the growing credibility Jesus’ ministry has developed . This petty infraction of religious= law appears to blind the Pharisees and scribes to the far more significant mini= stry of healing and wholeness being practiced by Jesus and these same disciples---practiced in God’s name on behalf of a multitude of hurting people.

When one reflects on the concept of tradition, I thi= nk it’s accurate to say that the concept is value neutral. That is, tradition is neither inhe= rently good nor bad.

Tradition can be good when it’s a dynamic that affirms people and builds up community.&nb= sp; Tradition can be good when it serves to promote efficiency within the life of a community, because imbedded within tradition there are established patterns of behavior and modes of relationship that require no deliberation, negotiation, or permission before being pursued. Tradition can be good because it l= inks us to the saints on whose shoulders we stand today, “…as we str= ive to serve Christ in our daily tasks and to live holy and joyful lives,”= ;(BSF, lines 73-74).

But traditions can lose their relevance over time. Sometimes the context in which a tradition exists changes so dramatically that a tradition loses its usefuln= ess or importance. Sometimes trad= itions become so disconnected from the history that gave rise to them that no one = in the community can remember why we do what we do other than--- it’s our tradition. It’s these s= orts of traditions that are in need of revision and reform to maintain the health and vitality of community life. But we all know that traditions are wired for self preservation and even the mo= st irrelevant ones can be difficult to dismiss gracefully.

Traditions can become less helpful to community life= when they take on the characteristics of insider information---when knowledge and understanding and application of a tradition are limited to a select few. Sometimes traditions are so deeply etched into the daily life of a community that they become invisible to us-= -as if they’re a sort of community DNA, governing, regulating, guiding, a= nd directing us beneath our conscious awareness. And it’s precisely this type= of tradition that can be a real deterrent to newcomers and visitors--- blocking access, relegating people to the margins, or limiting their full participat= ion in the life of the community.

This morning’s message is an invitation to all= of us to be wary of the ways tradition can exclude, marginalize, or restrict full participation of people in a community.&nb= sp;

The folks who are especially on my heart this mornin= g are the new and returning college students.&nb= sp; If you haven’t yet noticed, let me announce officially that th= e Western Michigan University= students are back in town. I’m particularly mindful of that fact because last Tuesday whi= le Juanita and I were having lunch at a restaurant on West Michigan, Downtown Kalamazoo Incorporated hosted an estimated 2,000 WMU students in our fair c= ity, introducing them to all the amenities downtown Kalamazoo has to offer. Students were led around in groups= of 25-30, visiting various shops, restaurants, night spots, as well as the construction site for the new downtown, 10 screen movie theater. Students were showered with discou= nt coupons, free passes, and ice cream cones as DKI shared some Kalamazoo hospitality and welcomed anot= her generation of students to town.

And I immediately wondered---what might downtown chu= rches do to welcome new and returning students into the life of our community? How do we show hospitality to this significant segment of our community population?

One answer might be found in our bulletin insert this morning entitled, “Congregational Ministry in Higher Education.” This prospe= ctive calendar of events was presented by a former campus minister during a Chris= tian Educator fellowship of the Lake Michigan Presbytery. There are ideas on this calendar t= hat an individual might adopt and other projects that might be more suitable to a small group. All the ideas are capable of communicating a spirit of compassion, concern, and hospitality to this group of students---many of whom are experiencing the most significant transition in their life to date. I believe this faith community can be a valuable resource in this transition, providing encouragement, affirmation, and support.

But the issue isn’t just what we can do for students. It’s also abo= ut the possibilities for new life that students can bring to this congregation as = we learn with them on a faith journey we share together.

In the essay referenced at the beginning of this morning’s sermon, Dr. Batstone has two other general observations abo= ut college students that I would like to share in closing. The first observation is this: Students find a religion compellin= g when it practices compassion over legalism.&nbs= p; The author notes: Stud= ents enter a religious community expecting to be rejected. They respect conviction, but not judgment. As one student wrot= e, “I started out thinking that there is no way I would ever find an accepting church or religion. So finding a church that is so open-minded gives me hope.”

The second observation of Dr. Batstone is: Students desire an idea bigger than themselves. Students yearn fo= r a mission that can transform the world. One student waxed poetically, “I am not a Christ figure. I am not a saint. But I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt, I want to help others, to make people smile” (Batstone 21).

If you are a visitor with us this morning, and especially--- in light of this morning’s message---if you are a stude= nt visitor, we want to welcome you and let you know there’s a place here= for you at the First Presbyterian Church. We are a congregation in transition, putting the finishing touches o= n a major renovation project and beginning the preliminary work necessary for calling a new head pastor. An= d we are excited and hopeful about these changes in much the same way that I sus= pect you are excited and hopeful about the transitions that are before you in yo= ur life as students. This faith community is a place where, with God’s grace, we seek to practice compassion over legalism, to be welcoming and affirming to all people, and = to dedicate our time, talents, and gifts in ministries extending far beyond ourselves. We welcome you and invite you to share in the life of this congregation.

To those among us who are currently members and who = may have heard something of interest concerning this ministry in higher educati= on, let’s visit about it. T= he bulletin insert contains a wealth of possibilities that are adaptable to an individual or to a small group,---for a one time event or for an ongoing mi= nistry.

And who knows, such an undertaking just might be the beginning of a new tradition that allows us to bear witness to the reconcil= ing work of Jesus Christ and blesses this community with the gifts of diversity, vitality, and vision.

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the = Holy Spirit. Amen.

TEXT: = Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23

DOCTRINE: Person and Work of Jesus Christ

&n= bsp;

FOCUS: Jesus Christ challenges the Pharisee’s application of human tradition as a measure of the faith community’s integrity.

FUNCTION: Invite listeners to name and overcome local traditions that may prevent full participation of local college students in the life of the community.

REFERENCES CITED:

1. A Brief Statement of Faith. Book of Confessions: Study Edition= . Louisv= ille:Geneva Press. 199= 6.

2. Batstone, David. “Seeking Something Bigger.” Sojourners Magazine Sept.-Oct. 2006: 21.=