Law & Order SVU (Swineherd Victims Unit)

Luke 8:26-39

"Law And Order: SVU (Swineherd Victims Unit)"

June 22, 2025 Trinity Presbyterian Church

Recently, a team of archeologists unearthed a series of letters near the ancient town of Gerasa.

These previously unknown letters shed new light on the Apostle Luke's story of Jesus and the Gerasene Demoniac.

It's an honor to share them for the first time at this public reading, here at Trinity Presbyterian Church.

Behold: History Revealed.

 

 

From: Porcus Maximus, Swineherd, Town of Gerasa,
Owner and Operator, "Porky's Pork Emporium"

 

To: Sanhedrin Council, City of Jerusalem

 

Regarding: Property Loss and Emotional Damages as result of actions by Jesus of Nazareth

 

 

Dear Honored Councilmen,

I write to inform you of a situation, an event which has not only caused grievous unrest across our entire community, but which has also resulted in a significant loss of income to myself and my family due to the willful destruction of personal property. 

I regret to inform you of these problems, but I trust that because of your great authority you will be able and willing to help bring about a remedy.

On the morning of the third day of the second week of the previous month, one Jesus of Nazareth, a rabbi with whom I believe you are already well acquainted, entered our town of Gerasa for the purpose of staging a religious demonstration, the nature of which I do not know, nor do I wish to know. 

(For your information, I am completely neutral on issues of religion, and, as is the Roman government, I am quite glad to afford freedom in such matters, so long as they do not interfere with the peaceful operation of public commerce and the prompt collection of taxes. 

I therefore hope that you will not interpret any of these complaints as being, in any way, offensive.)

On the morning in question, having arrived in Gerasa, the aforementioned Jesus of Nazareth proceeded to seek out a time-honored fixture in our public life, our town's one and only demoniac. 

Unlike metropolitan cities such as your Jerusalem, our town is very small and has only enough budget to support one demon-possessed public enemy, who, because of his violent nature, we have had to restrict to our town cemetery. 

We of Gerasa take pride in knowing that even though we may be able to afford only one demoniac, ours is possessed by multiple demons, and is thus especially frightening.

We find him quite suited for receiving the focused hatred of all of Gerasa's adults and children, alike. 

For years, his presence has served as a warning and as a source of civic unity. 

As you well know, a common enemy makes everyone happier.

Everyone hates the demoniac. 

At least, they did.

 

On the previously mentioned date, without any encouragement from our townsfolk, and despite repeated requests from the demoniac himself to cease and desist, this rabbi, Jesus of Nazareth, cast aside all regard for public authority and/or municipal responsibility and proceeded, in one fell swoop, to cast out all the demons which the good people of Gerasa have worked so long and hard to cultivate.

Adding insult to injury, this Jesus enticed the demons to state their name, a name which sounded very much like the word, "Legion." 

My off-duty Roman soldier security guard took great offense at this slur, and may himself be contacting you in regard to this slanderous verbal abuse.

 

But placing all this aside for the moment, gentlemen, I am now compelled to share with you my own personal grievance in this matter. 

For several generations, my family has produced what we believe to be the finest pork products in all the Roman Empire. 

My father and grandfather before me were swineherds, and until the events of last month, I had fully intended to pass the family business on to my son, Porcus Minibus. 

Because of these unfortunate and, I believe, illegal events, my and my children's future lies in serious jeopardy.

 

For you see, gentlemen, not only was this Jesus not satisfied with robbing our humble town of its one point of unified disgust

(which, I and many others believe, is essential to the well-being of every community)

he then compounded this outrageous act by commanding the demons to enter every single one of my herd of swine.

Naturally, the herd began to stampede. 

Please bear in mind that a pig stampede is highly unusual, practically unheard of. 

Driven mad by the demons, my precious herd ran straight off a nearby cliff and plunged to their death in the waters below.

As you can well imagine, the financial and emotional hardship brought upon my family has been devastating. 

This, along with the general confusion and needless anxiety heaped upon our town, has created a climate which, I fear, will have dire consequences for the future  of Gerasa as a whole. 

I do not exaggerate when I say that this Jesus has left the entire Gerasene way of life in shambles.

 

Gentlemen, I know this Jesus is not officially one of your rabbis. 

Certainly the Jerusalem Council would not allow a renegade such as this among your esteemed ranks. 

However, since the Jesus in question is, by law, one of your own, I have no choice but to bring this complaint to you and to ask that you resolve this matter as soon as possible. 

I do not wish to involve the Roman authorities, but unless I hear from you within a week, I will be forced to obtain legal counsel.

I have enclosed an estimate of damages and income lost, as well as a medical statement documenting my family's emotional distress.

I feel compelled to inform you that the town of Gerasa is considering bringing charges.

I share your outrage at this Jesus of Nazareth and I trust that we will soon be able to come to a mutually satisfying arrangement. 

Again, I regret having to notify you in this way, and I look forward to your response.

Yours sincerely,

Porcus the Swineherd, Owner and Operator, Porky's Pork Emporium

enclosure: Hand-drawn pictures of pigs falling over a cliff.

copies to: Caiaphas, High Priest of Judea; Pontius Pilate, governor of occupied state.

P.S., Following his exorcism, our demoniac was commanded by his (quote) "savior" to remain in the city in order that he might share the story of his (quote) "salvation." 

We citizens of Gerasa fear his influence on our previously contented young people and ask that you send a proper rabbi to set him straight and/or bring a substitute demon to repossess him.

 

MEMORANDUM

To:         Porcus Maximus, Swineherd

From:        Henlai of Jerusalem

Chief Legal Counsel to the Sanhedrin Council

Regarding: Complaints and alleged damages

as result of actions by Jesus of Nazareth

Dear Mr. Maximus,

In response to your letter concerning the actions of Jesus of Nazareth and the alleged damages and hardships thus inflicted upon both yourself and the town of Gerasa,

please be advised that this so-called Jesus is not ordained by our council, nor has he ever been authorized to preach, teach, or cast out any kind of demon.

Therefore, it is our opinion that there was no exorcism. 

Perhaps your demoniac has an illness. 

We encourage you to find a less-unclean, swine-free form of employment, away from lakes and steep hillsides.

Because this Jesus acts without our licensure, and because Gerasa is beyond our jurisdiction, we believe your grievances would be better addressed by the Roman government at large.

Please know that we share your frustration and will certainly keep you and the souls of your deceased pigs in our thoughts and prayers. 

Yours sincerely,

Henlai of Jerusalem, Esquire, Council Counsel.

To: Jesus, John, Simon-Peter, Andrew, and all the disciples of our Lord and master,

From: "The Disciple Formerly Known as The Geresene Demoniac"

Dear Friends,

I send you my true greetings, my humble obedience, and my grateful love. 

I hope that this letter finds you in good health, wherever you may be in your service to the God and creator of us all.

I pray that your ministry continues to bring to others the blessings which you brought to me. 

I wanted to share with you my own progress, as well as bring you up to date on the happenings in our town.

 

In the months since you came to Gerasa, my days have been filled with almost equal amounts of joy and hardship. 

On one hand I have become alive, and I rise early each morning to greet the new sunrise… and to live. 

Each night I fall soundly and peacefully asleep, and for the first time I dream — no nightmares, no voices — I sleep well. 

And I'm no longer afraid of waking up. 

You gave me life.  

And I can honestly now say, I'm glad to be alive. 

I spend much of my time walking along the shore of the lake, watching, listening, and breathing in all the richness of the day. 

Sometimes I'll go up to the hill overlooking town and spend hours just listening to everything that's going on. 

The voices and the sounds — I've really never heard them before. 

It's amazing. 

It's life.

 

On the other hand, not much has changed around here. 

The people of Gerasa still won't be seen with me. 

Before you came, I knew they were afraid of me, but I didn't know why. 

Now, they're even more afraid of me, and I do know why.

 

There was comfort in having a shared enemy. 

There was comfort for the people in knowing that no matter how bad they had it, they were never as bad-off as I was. 

There was comfort in being able to blame all their sins on me. 

Until you came, Gerasa's evil was contained. 

The people put chains on it and locked it in a cemetery. 

No one else was anywhere near as bad as I was.

Now all that has changed. 

Now, people have to be responsible for their own wrongs.

Lord, I wish I could say that your coming made everyone happy, but instead, the people are quiet and scared. 

I believe they have discovered that mine weren't the only demons in town, after all. 

My demons may have been the ones they saw and talked about, but now, they're finding out that there are many more demons in Gerasa which until now lived unspoken and unseen.

I think Gerasa is discovering that behind their closed doors and locked away in their family secrets are many, many more legions of demons, just as bad as mine. 

And Lord Jesus, I think it scares them to death. 

I know because, every now and then, one of the people will come talk to me about it. 

They come at night, when no one will see us together, and they tell me things. 

They tell me about the damage their demons have done. 

They tell me about the damage they're still doing.

 

And so now, Lord, I know why you wanted me to stay here in Gerasa. 

I only wish I knew more about what to say to these people. 

I wish you could come back and do for them what you did for me. 

But until then, I will continue to listen to their stories. 

And to the ones who will hear me, I will continue to tell about your power, your goodness, and your love. 

Perhaps there is enough of your power leftover in me to heal a few of their demons.

 

Lord, I hope this letter reaches you. 

And I hope that someday you will return to the town of Gerasa. 

I hope that by the time you come back there will be fewer demons in this place. 

I know that there are already fewer in me. 

For that I will be eternally grateful.

 

Until I see you again,

Signed, yours faithfully, your disciple and friend:

A believer

This is OUR Day -- What Will We Do With It?

- John 16:12-15

12 "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. 15 All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

SERMON: This is Our Day. What Will We Do With It?

Today, the Sunday after Pentecost, on the church calendar, is Trinity Sunday. Trinity Sunday has a double-meaning for us here at Trinity Presbyterian Church (USA). Because not only are we celebrating the mystery of THE Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - Not only the idea that God is One but God is also Three, Three-in-one -- Not only are we wrestling that super-heavyweight religious concept -- Not only all that.

Today, we get to celebrate being TRINITY Presbyterian Church. Isn't it great that they named this special day after us? There is no "First Presbyterian" Sunday. There's no "Glorious Holiness Church of God in America" Sunday. There could be. No reason not to celebrate them, too.

But by the providence of God, there IS a Trinity Sunday. And wouldn't we like to think they all are? You've gotta toot your own horn when you can. Cause nobody else gonna toot it for you. Can I get an "Amen" from y'all Trinitarians? Nice try.

Trinity Church - This is OUR Day. Our Sunday. Our glorious moment in the spotlight of the Almighty. This is OUR day. WHAT will we do with it? What WILL we do with it? What will we DO with this one, special Trinity day?

--

Trinity. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Or, as some say, Holy Ghost. Or as they have also been called, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer. Or, Mother, Child, and Breath of God. These are the things theologians and seminary students and church members with too much time on their hands like to argue about. These are things centuries of church-goers have tried to define and explain because -- well, because the ONE thing churches love more than Jesus is: Being right. Our definition of Trinity's better than your definition of Trinity, so Jesus loves us, but he's not so sure about you.

Trinity - the word, Trinity, isn't in the Bible. The components of the Trinity - Father, Son, and Spirit are absolutely present in the Bible. But the mechanics of how the parts fit together came later. Today's scripture is one of the places where all three are referenced in sentences close to one another that we can pull out on Trinity Sunday. But the three-in-one, one-in-three mathematical formula never crossed the gospel-writer's mind. My guess is they were too busy feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and healing the sick -- and staying ALIVE -- to spend a lot of time on it.

Which is not to say -- at all -- that the Trinity's not important. It's a good tool for teaching and understanding. Having the right tool makes the job easier. And we at Trinity Presbyterian Church should rightfully be proud of bearing the name. 

When you think about it, that's a lot of pressure on us. There are Churches of God. There are Churches of Christ. There's the Holy Spirit Catholic Church on Gulf Beach Highway, and it's beautiful. But here at TRINITY we've got to be the church of all THREE. That's three times the responsibility of those other churches. No wonder these new kids have names like, "Echo," and "Encounter," and "Jubilee." Smart.

Representing the whole Trinity -- in name and in deed -- is a big responsibility. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are watching. But in my opinion, the person of God, the form of God, cares a whole lot more about whether we Love God, Love Neighbor, Make Disciples, and Make a Difference -- I think God cares way more about those things than whatever we do or don't call ourselves.

The question is not: This is our day, how big of a sign are we going to paint over our building? Or how many billboards can we put up? Or how many followers can we get online? The question is: This is our day, Trinity Presbyterian Church -- What are we going to do with it?

--

I love the sanctuary banners at Trinity. Last week's Pentecost paraments, with the streaming colors that blew in the breeze were themselves a lesson in faith. Look over at the banner on your left. See the three rings? That's a symbol of the Trinity. They're separate, but also interlocking. Just as God is One, but also three. St. Patrick used the three-leaf clover in the same way. Three separate branches, joined as one. 

Some of the earliest explanations of the Trinity imagined the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit holding hands and dancing, in a circle. You may have seen paintings like that. I like that one. Because it thinks of Trinity not as a church doctrine, but as a living, moving, breathing being. When you're dancing, you're participating with partners. You're alive, with a beat, a heartbeat, a rhythm driving you. You're not thinking as much as you're doing, you're being -- alive with so much joy you just can't stand still. God isn't seated on a throne. God is on the move. Walking through a garden. Sparkling like stars. Crashing over us like an ocean wave. Lifting us, moving us, like a tide. Dancing. Alive.

The idea of the Trinity also means that God is not one-size-fits all. Some people relate to God as a heavenly father. Some as a teaching, talking, walking Jesus. Others think of God as a mysterious spirit that you know is there, but you can't explain in words. Who's right? They all are. Which means, you and I might disagree on the qualities of God. But we're still worshiping the same God. God is bigger than the human mind will ever understand.

--

Psalm 8 is like the harmony to the words of the Gospel. 

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,

    the moon and the stars that you have established;

what are humans that you are mindful of them,

    mortals that you care for them?

the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,

    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Sovereign,

        how majestic is your name in all the earth!

One of the many reasons I love living in Pensacola is I'm fifteen minutes and two bridges from the sea. I have to be careful not to call it the ocean. I've been corrected several times. "It's the GULF." I'm catching on. Whatever its name, it's near.

I try, every day after work, to go to the beach and walk the shoreline at sunset. I've tried going at sunrise, but they schedule it so darn early. Jesus liked walking along the sea. I understand why. The Holy Spirit splashes over your toes. God's waters and dry land sing a pulsing song, high and low, high and low. Some evenings, the Trinity of it all sets me free of whatever else occupies my mind.

A week ago Saturday, I got to hang out beneath the iconic water tower. I got to hang with the E-triple-A, the Escambia Amateur Astronomers Association. Thank you, Dr. Wooten. We gazed up at the heavens, the work of God's fingers, the moon and the stars. And we got to be with other humans and share the wonder. The Creator's hand, the Savior's grace, and the Community of the Spirit. All beneath this twirling celestial dance above.

It was a good day.

--

The three-part God is inviting you to join the dance. God invites us all to join in, together. To be separate, yet one. Like a church. Like the Trinity. Trinity Presbyterian Church (USA), this is YOUR day. They named it after you. As far as you know. How are you going to spend it? How are you going to be with God and what part will be yours? 

And, I'm asking these questions, not personally. I mean, yes. We all have to figure this out. But I'm asking you, I'm asking Y'ALL in the very best Southern sense. This is Y'ALL'S day. What are Y'ALL going to do with it? Are you going to contemplate, going to discuss, the God who gathers us up? The God who lifts and twirls? Who tells the dark powers of chaos to hush? Who extends a hand to someone who can't stand on her own? 

It's Y'all's day. It's y'all's choice. Not just some, but all y'all. What one thing can you do to let the God of Trinity know the church of Trinity is joining in?

--

What are you supposed to say on Trinity Sunday? 

There's Merry Christmas. There's Happy Easter. Happy Halloween, or Spooky Halloween. What's the appropriate greeting for Trinity Sunday at Trinity Presbyterian Church? Happy... us? Happy Our day? Happy hypostatic doctrinal definition day? (That's how Jean and I greet each other. Seminary's good for something.)

Or do we just take a moment to maintain a little eye contact? To ask how you doing as more than a throw-away? Can we take a moment to reflect in prayer on the mystery of a God that's way too big for one person, one mind, one solitary human to contemplate on their own? 

I don't know.

But I'm glad for Trinity Church.

I'm glad for this Sunday.

I'm glad you're here to share it together.

And may the grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ,

The love of God,

And the Communion, the common-union, the community of the Holy Spirit

Be with us all. Amen.

Let's pray:

Holy God—

Three in One, One in Three—

You are near to us, closer than our breath,

and yet You are beyond what our minds can grasp.

You hold galaxies in Your hand,

and still, You dwell with us in kindness and love.

We thank You for Trinity Presbyterian Church,

for this community of faith that bears Your name.

Thank You for the laughter we share,

the tears we carry together,

and the hope that binds us in Christ.

Make us one, even as You are One.

Help us to live in the unity of Your Spirit,

to grow in love,

to serve with joy,

and to bear witness to Your beauty and truth.

In the name of the Triune God—

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—

we pray. Amen.

What In The World Is Happening?

🔥 An AI Sermon Summary: "What In the World Is Happening?" (Pentecost Sunday, June 8, 2025)

The sermon explores the unexpected, powerful, and sometimes confusing nature of Pentecost—both in the Bible and in today's church. The sermon reflects on how Pentecost "snuck up" this year, just like it did in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit arrived with wind, fire, and strange languages. The message emphasizes that the early church didn't fully understand what was happening either—they were "amazed and perplexed"—but they didn't let confusion stop them from moving forward.

The sermon encourages Trinity Presbyterian Church to see itself at a similar threshold: ready for its own "Pentecost moment." The church is described as loving and familiar, but also self-aware and ready to try new things—to "speak new languages" to reach the modern world with the Good News. There's a call to embrace change, stay rooted in Christ, and trust the Spirit to lead even when the way is unclear. As new elders are ordained, the congregation is reminded that courage, faith, and fresh voices are all part of how the church continues to grow and proclaim God's deeds of power.

---

🚗 Three Car-Ride Home Discussion Questions

1. When have you felt "amazed and perplexed" by something God did—or something unexpected that turned out to be good?

(Bonus: What do you think the Holy Spirit might be doing in our church or in you right now?)

2. If we could tell people about God in a new "language," what would that look like today?

(Would it be music? Social media? Acts of service? Something else?)

3. What's one tradition in church you really love—and one new thing you'd be excited to try?

(Why do you think it's important to balance old and new in our faith?)

Scripture Reading                             Acts 2:1-21                             Pew Bible, NT, p. 119

2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.

5 Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. 6 And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. 7 Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." 12 All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" 13 But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine."

14 But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. 15 Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. 16 No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

17 'In the last days it will be, God declares,

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh,

    and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

and your young men shall see visions,

    and your old men shall dream dreams.

18 Even upon my slaves, both men and women,

    in those days I will pour out my Spirit,

        and they shall prophesy.

19 And I will show portents in the heaven above

    and signs on the earth below,

        blood, and fire, and smoky mist.

20 The sun shall be turned to darkness

    and the moon to blood,

        before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day.

21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

Sermon                                  "What In The World Is Happening?                         Rev. James McTyre

2025-06-08 Pentecost Sermon: "What In the World Is Happening?"

Today is Pentecost. 

"Pentecost" really snuck up on me this year. Pentecost is a sneaky little day. Not really a holiday-holy-day. Like, Christmas. I get to wear my red stole. Pretty daring for Presbyterian clergy. 

The thing is, in the Bible, Pentecost snuck up on everyone there, too. Everyone -- the Bible says -- "Everyone was amazed and perplexed." Wind, flames, people speaking in tongues. It sounds like some kind of popup tent revival. What would you think? If something like that happened here at Trinity?

You'd think your GPS sent you to the wrong church.

At THE Pentecost, the crowd, the followers, even the Apostles were "amazed and perplexed." Wondering, "What in the world is happening?" 

The fire of the Holy Spirit, powered by winds of change, swept through. And the people of Jesus started talking in new ways.  Foreign words in strange ways. Jesus's people were energized to be different than they'd ever been before, whether they were ready for it or not.

I may not always know what day it is. Or month, or year. But I know. I can feel it.Trinity Presbyterian Church is on the verge of its own Pentecost level event. 

Your own church-wide Pentecost. 

You're ready to feel the fresh winds of the Spirit igniting this church. Visitors, people driving by, will say, "What in the world is happening THERE?" 

Young families with six children will come flocking in the doors.

Sorry, they're already Mormon.But I feel this readiness here.

I feel you're ready to start proclaiming the gospel in ways you've never done before.

You're ready for the winds of the Holy Spirit to fill your sails.I BELIEVE you're ready to.  I KNOW Jesus wants it to happen, too.

What in the world is happening, even here at Trinity?

Catch the wind. Let's find out.

--

It's the Second Chapter of Acts. The Apostles are coming to grips with the knowledge that Jesus - in bodily form - is gone. Their teacher, their preacher -- has moved on.

So what do they do? Well of course: They form a committee. What else would good Christians do? They elect a new member of Session to fill Judas's unexpired term. Matthias. They establish a quorum and call the meeting to order and then, it says:

And suddenly from heaven comes this rush of wind -- new spirit.

Tongues as of fire give them energy and courage to say what's really on their minds.

Each of them -- even the disciples themselves -- gathered and was bewildered.

Amazed and astonished -- AMAZED AND ASTONISHED -- they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?"

Now, I know. At the Pentecostal Churches in town they speak in tongues every Sunday. I don't get it, but I'd be willing to learn from their spirit.

In Acts, it says the Holy Spirit had the Apostles speaking in FOREIGN tongues.Suddenly, miraculously fluent in the languages of "Parthians, Medes, Elamites," and all the other countries Americans can't locate on the map. 

As if I were to suddenly start preaching in Spanish.

Or... Korean. Poor Hyunjoo might have a heart attack. 

Who knows what I'd be saying.

I sure wouldn't.--

Cam and I talked last week and she told me that during the Children's Sermon she was going to talk about the Tower of Babel. 

In that story, God identified the problem. All the people IN THE WORLD had been together since Adam was a boy. And they all spoke exactly alike. They acted alike.They all worked alike, and shopped at the same Target, and went to the same church together. They were overly similar.

--

Do y'all ever feel like you're speaking the same words you've spoken before?

I've been here two months. I've gone to every committee meeting, and class, and Bible Study I can. I have heard someone say it in almost every meeting. 

"Well, you remember when we used to..."

"You remember when we tried..."

Wasn't 1975 just a great time? Lemme tell you about it. Again.

You Trinitarians love each other. 

You know each other well.Some of you might know each other TOO well. 

You openly admit you've been together long enough that -- like that tower -- when it comes to church -- 

You open your mouths and the same old words come out.You talk the same you sound the same.

Some of you are even starting to look the same. Good thing we have name tags.

All churches do that. 

Churches do something once. It's a tradition.

But now you're worried -- worried that saying the same things and doing the same things is not telling the world of God's deeds of power like you want to. 

You're worried you're not speaking the language of whatever year of the 21st century this is. 

Here's the thing about the Bible's Pentecost. It never says WHAT the Apostles were saying in those different languages to all those new people. They were talking about God, yes. 

But it doesn't give us the content. It just says they spoke. They ministered. And people paid attention. People listened. People joined.

True then is true now. There is no magic bullet to church growth.  What we know about that Pentecost church is that they kept at it. They kept telling the stories of God. They kept talking, they kept welcoming the people who spoke different church languages. 

And -- miracle of miracles -- they didn't make the newcomers learn THEIR language. 

They spoke so even strangers could get it.

And this was so new.They didn't do it once and say, OK, been there, done that. Didn't say, "Hey. We put it in the NEWSLETTER. Once. 

Last October."

They kept at it. 

They listened. They learned.

And they let the spirit lead them.

--

Today, you'll be ordaining and installing a new class of Session elders. They'll serve three years, with good behavior. They are ready. They are ready to help this church have a Pentecost moment. They -- and all the session -- 

are ready to experiment, ready to keep the traditions that serve Jesus well, and ready to listen to the language of this day, this era, 

This neighborhood.

This Bayou Blvd.

This city.This WORLD - this world where so many are asking, "What in the world is happening?"

None of us know what the future's going to be. Three years, three months, three days, three minutes from now. We might get home and find out Elon's moved into Mar-a-Lago.

Who knows?

But things were changing pretty fast in Jesus's day, too. 2000 years, and people of faith, churches of faith, like Trinity, are still listening, still speaking, still following, and still reaching out to the world in all its different, unpredictable, strange and bewildering ways of having a Pentecost moment.

It's scary not to know what happens next. 

Even in a church.

It takes courage to be a church. It takes courage to take a leap of faith. But that's the starting gate of Pentecost. 

Red is the color that says "Warning!"

But Pentecost isn't just about the fun of wearing red.

It's being read-y. 

Being ready for whatever the Holy Spirit unleashes in this house, this church.

What in the world is happening?

What do you think God WANTS to happen?

At Trinity Church.

In your soul?

Let's pray.

Almighty God, give us your Pentecost moment. With power and courage, inspire us to step forward into the future. Help us to hold on the holy ways of our past. But help us discover new ways, new languages, and a new spirit of faith and truth. Bless Trinity Church. And bless us all with the fire of discovery. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Don't Wade in THAT Water

 Here's a summary of the sermon "Don’t Wade in THAT Water" (John 5:1–9):

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Summary:

This sermon creatively retells the story of the man healed at the Pool of Bethesda, using a fictional monologue that spans 38 years. The man starts with hope, believing in the healing power of stirred water touched by angels. Over time, hope becomes structure, then bitterness, and finally despair as he waits in vain for healing.

He organizes others, believes in his own system, resents newcomers, and questions God's justice. But after decades, Jesus arrives—not to help him into the water—but to offer healing directly. Jesus asks, “Do you want to be made well?”—a question that challenges the man’s entire identity, shaped by years of suffering and waiting.

In the end, the man is healed not by magic water, but by the presence and power of Jesus—the true "Water of Life." The sermon concludes with the powerful realization: we may be waiting at the wrong pool, when Jesus is standing right in front of us.

---

Discussion Questions for the Car Ride Home:

1. What do you think Jesus meant when he asked, “Do you want to be made well?” Why might that be a harder question than it seems?

2. The man spent years waiting beside the pool for a miracle that never came. Can you think of a time when you were waiting for something, but God showed up in a different way than you expected?

3. The sermon ends with the idea that Jesus is the "Water of Life." What does it mean for us to "wade into that water" today—at school, at work, or with our family?

---

2016-05-01 John 5:1-9 Don’t Wade in THAT Water

2025-05-25 (Trinity Pres)

Wade in the water, 

wade in the water, children

Wade in the water, 

God's gonna trouble the water.

Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids--blind, lame, and paralyzed. 

This is the story of one man, how he got there, and how he left. He’ll tell you about it himself.

Year One: Grand Opening

I’m heading to the pool. 

And this is why.

There was a man. 

I don’t know his name. 

But my friends said they know people who are sure they know some folks who know his family. 

Doesn’t matter. 

What matters is the miracle. 

So, this man was at the Pool of Bethesda. 

Have you been there? 

It’s by the Sheep Gate. Nothing special. 

But I’ll bet you’ll remember that name, now. 

Bethesda. It’s gonna be famous. 

Do you know what it means? 

Sorry, you just look like foreigners to me.

Bless your hearts. 

Bethesda means, “House of Mercy.” 

Of course it happened there. 

Mercy! 

Only the most merciful act ever!

OK. I’m getting ahead of myself. 

So, what they’re saying is this man was beside the waters of Bethesda. 

Here’s the thing. And I don’t mean this in a bad way. 

He wasn’t “normal.” 

He wasn’t ordinary. 

You know. 

Not a healthy, clean, blessed man. 

He was unclean. 

He was sick. 

Like me.

So, what they say is this man was at the edge of the waters of Bethesda. 

He looks up, and he sees an angel. 

No, really. 

He sees an honest-to-goodness angel. 

And it flies down from heaven, right before his eyes. 

The most magnificent, heavenly angel. 

They say he said it shined like the sun. 

And as it flew, it dipped its wing in the water.

Well, obviously, it was a sign. 

The man knew it had to be a sign. 

He knew that this water was now anointed by the Lord. 

So he went to the water. 

He waded in. 

And as soon as he did, he could feel the change. 

He was healed! 

Just like that! 

A miracle!

Do you have any idea what this means? 

Probably not, because you all look nice and normal. 

Well, most of you. 

But do you know what the angel means? 

These waters, this pool? 

This is now the house – the home of mercy. 

These waters are hope. 

These waters are a sign for all of us, all of us who aren’t normal like you. 

There’s hope for people like me.

So, I’m going. 

I hear some generous people of means have already built five shelters around the pool. 

Porticoes. 

So not only is there plenty of room, there’s also shade in the day and warmth at night. 

It’ll be pure luxury compared to the beach.

The “House of Mercy.” 

The pool of mercy. 

Bethesda. 

Bethesda. Here I come.

And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken;…. Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the Lord do sanctify them. And Moses told it unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

- Leviticus 21:16-24

Year Five: Community Organizer

Wade in the water, 

wade in the water, children… 

Oh, I’m sorry. 

Hang on just a minute.

[To off-screen] 

OK. He’s new. 

Let’s put him over there in Portico Number Three. 

Don’t look at me like that. 

There’s plenty of room. 

Sheesh.

I don’t mean to toot my own horn, but honest to Pete, these people couldn’t lift a finger without my help. 

I’m not judging. 

I mean, everybody’s got their problems. 

But you can’t let your limitations define you. 

We’ve been here five years, now. 

And don’t let anyone tell you otherwise: 

That angel IS coming back. 

Bethesda is the House of Mercy. 

I will not let it become the House of Whining, or the House of Misery, or the House of Chaos. 

You’ve gotta focus on the positive. 

You’ve gotta have a plan. 

Otherwise, it’s just mayhem every time some lunatic shouts, “Angel!” 

People come here for healing. 

They come here for hope. 

It’s hard enough already; let’s not make it any worse.

So, I’ve worked out a triage system. 

We put the worst cases who’ve been here longest closer to the water. 

Then, you’ve got your non-life-threatening cases. 

Then, simple afflictions. 

And so on, back to the tents. 

We take turns on Angel Watch. 

If you hear anyone other than the official watcher, you know it’s probably just somebody hallucinating. 

Or teenage pranksters from town. 

Yes, we get that, too. 

Nothing like being sick AND being made fun of.

But we also get very kind people. 

The first Monday of every month, a group from the temple comes by and brings us food. 

They keep a safe distance, of course. 

That’s just for their own health. 

Plus, it’s the law. 

They can’t touch us and then re-enter the temple without a lot of ritual bathing. 

There’s also the worry they’ll catch our affliction. 

Look, we get it. 

It’s not personal. 

We’re thankful for the meals. 

Also, they pray for us. 

Again, from a safe distance. 

That’s nice. 

They mean well.

Someday that angel’s going to come back and dip its wing in the water. 

I might not be the first in the water, but I swear I’m wading in. 

And on that day, I’ll sing. 

I’ll sing like an angel. 

I’ll be free.

The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.

- Numbers 14:18

Year Fifteen: Washed Up

If you get there before I do

(God’s gonna trouble the waters)

Tell all my friends I’m comin’ too.

Yeah. Sure. Right.

I have been here at the Pool of “Mercy” for a long time. 

I’ve lost track of the years. 

Lord, HAVE mercy. 

I’ve seen so many people come and go. 

A lot leave in the night. 

You just wake up and they’re gone. 

Sometimes you wake up and there’s a new one down by the water.

My “grand” organizational system went by the wayside a long time ago. 

Doesn’t matter. 

The new people watch for angels. 

Us old-timers? 

Well. 

Maybe the angel will tap us on the shoulder before it sweeps the water. 

The feeling here now is that the first person who gets to the pool after the angel dips its wing will be the one and only who gets healing. 

I don’t know if that’s tragedy or comedy. 

A herd of the disabled and unclean racing over top of each other to the water. 

If you get there before I do… 

which you probably will. 

But if you DO get there before I do, be warned. 

I will visit my wrath upon your soul to the third and fourth generation. 

The Lord’s got nothing on my justice. 

I meditate on it day and night.

They say, “The Lord is longsuffering.” 

Well, there’s one thing we’ve got in common: suffering long. 

They say, “The Lord is of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.” 

I wish they’d tell me what my iniquity was. 

I wish they’d let me know why God made me this way, and put me at this pool of “mercy” when all the mercy I’ve ever known has dried up.

They say, the Lord visits “the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.” 

Maybe that’s it. 

Maybe this is my parents’ fault. 

Maybe THEY did something horrible, something worse than kicking their sick child out of the house. 

Or, maybe it was THEIR parents, or their PARENTS’ parents whose iniquity is shoveled on my head. 

Must have been something pretty awful. 

But we’ll never know.

Somebody came to the edge of the camp last week. 

It was just about nightfall. 

They sang a song. Psalm 13. 

My new favorite. 

I don’t know all the words, but it starts out:

“How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord? for ever? how long wilt thou hide thy face from me?

“How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? how long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?”

I look at the people around me. 

I see enemies. 

I see people who haven’t done a thing, who just showed up expecting a miracle for nothing. 

Who’s been here since the beginning? 

Me, that’s who. 

Who’s organized watches and taught everybody to sing that horrible song about wading in the water? 

Me. 

That’s who. 

And what do I have to show for it? 

Healing?

Ha. I have nothing, except my resentment. 

I have my resentment for people and, I’ll say it, I have resentment for God. 

What more can He do to me? 

What more can he take from me? 

How long, O Lord, how long?” 

I don’t want to know.

If you get there before I do. 

If you get in those waters before I do… 

watch your back.

Year Thirty-Eight: Now, That Day Was a Sabbath

When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"

Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk."

At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk. Now that day was a sabbath.

Hello, again. 

Yes, it’s me. 

Still here. 

I would sing that song for you again, but, to be honest, I barely remember the tune. 

Thirty-eight years. 

Hope you’ve all been well. 

No, seriously. I do. I hope so.

Hope. 

Interesting word. 

Hope is such a luxury. 

Here at the Pool, hope is a toy you hand a child. 

It’s amusing. 

For a while. 

But then you put it aside. 

Because like all toys, hope breaks. 

To hope you need freedom. 

Another interesting word. Freedom.

Someday, someone’s going to say, “A puppet is free as long as he loves his strings.” 

I trace the strings on this threadbare old mat. 

Like me, it’s falling apart. 

Not much left of either of us.

I think the secret to a good, long life – 

that’s the part where you laugh, because what could I know about that? – 

I think the secret of a good, long life is having mercy on yourself. 

Learning to love your strings and accepting that this is all there is and ever will be. 

Have mercy on yourself and on whatever cruel god left you here, waiting for angels, chasing the waters. 

Having hope.

One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, "Do you want to be made well?"

The sick man answered him, 

"Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me." 

Jesus said to him, “That’s not what I asked.”

The sick man answered him,

Sir, I don’t think you heard me. 

I told you I have no one to put me into the pool when.”

Jesus said to him, “That’s not what I asked.”

The sick man answered him,

Sir, you’re not listening to me. 

I’m trying to tell you what I do. 

I’m trying to tell you about myself and my life. 

Will you please let me finish?

Jesus said to him, “Do you want to be made well?”

I didn’t know what to say. 

I’ve devoted thirty-eight years to wading in this water. 

I’ve been here thirty-eight years. 

Being made well is my LIFE. 

I wanted to scream at him, “Of COURSE I want to be made well!! Are you blind?”

But I didn’t. 

Because. 

Because nobody ever asked me that before. 

And I realized, if I was well, I don’t know what I’d do. 

I’ve always been the man by the pool. 

What would I be? 

WHO would I be?

Jesus said to him, "Stand up, take your mat and walk."

So I did. 

I did. 

I just did. 

I picked up my frayed old mat. 

And I walked.

And do you know what I did then?

I took the deepest breath of my life. 

I felt the air, 

I tasted the life in it, 

I let it flow into my chest, and I looked up to heaven, and I sang. 

I sang from my suffering, 

I sang from my health, 

I sang from my soul, 

because I saw for the first time in thirty-eight years, 

I HAD BEEN SINGING ABOUT THE WRONG WATER.

Jesus. Jesus was the Water of Life. 

Jesus was the House of Mercy. 

Jesus was the baptism of new life.

And so with every breath in my body, I sang.

Wade in the water.

Wade in the water, children!

Wade in the water.

God’s gonna trouble the water.

Mundy, Thursdy, Sundy, and All the Other Ones, Too

A ChatGPT summary and discussion questions for the car ride home: 

Sermon Summary:

This sermon reflects on the meaning of Maundy Thursday, the day before Good Friday when Jesus gave his disciples a “new commandment”: love one another as I have loved you. The preacher humorously dubs the day “Monday Thursday Sunday,” using wordplay to emphasize how holy days blend with regular days in modern life.

The sermon highlights how Christian identity should be marked not by symbols, labels, or traditions, but by love—active, sacrificial love modeled after Jesus. It critiques the tendency of Christians to divide and judge rather than love across denominational lines. Importantly, the sermon acknowledges that love isn’t unique to Christianity—it’s a value shared by many faiths and people. What sets Jesus’ command apart is loving even when it makes us vulnerable, weak, or hurt—just as he did.

The message ends with a challenge: love is a daily decision, and every day can be a holy day if we live out the Maundy—the commandment to love.

---

Discussion Questions for the Car Ride Home:

1. What does it really mean to “love one another” like Jesus did—and how is that different from just being nice or kind?

2. Can you think of a time when loving someone felt more like weakness than strength? What did you learn from it?

3. If every day can be a “holy day,” what is one small way we can make tomorrow more holy through love?

Scripture John 13:31-35

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him. If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once. Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, 'Where I am going, you cannot come.' I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

Mundy, Thursdy, Sundy, and All the Other Ones Too

Today’s scripture’s a Throwback.

To a Thursday.

Today’s a Throwback Thursday Sunday.

It’s the same scripture from the Thursday before Easter.

Maundy Thursday.

Which kinda makes this Maundy Thursday Sunday.

Some dear souls who aren’t fluent speakers of Church mispronounce the name.

They call it MONDAY Thursday.

And if you do, you are forgiven.

It sounds like Monday.

Close enough.

Monday Thursday.

So, welcome to Monday Thursday Sunday.

Or, as we say in the South: “Mundy Thursdy Sundy.”

But is it really all that different from Tuesdy Winsdy Saturdy?

When these new holidays come around so often, it’s easy to lose track.

The holidays.

The Holy Days.

When they all blur together are any days holy?

Or are they all weekdays?

Are they all just weak?

Weak as in “not strong”?

Weak as in “indistinguishable?”

Back on the original Maundy Day-Day, Jesus gave his disciples a way to make their days stand out.

But more, he gave them a way to make Every day a Holy Day.

He gave them a commandment to make themselves stand out.

On all days.

He gave them a way to be special.

So everyone could know that they were his followers.

What if every day was a throwback to that Thursday?

---

Do you remember when Sundays were special?

When all the stores were closed?

Back in the throwback day when if you mowed your lawn on a Sunday the neighbors thought you were a heretic?

My grandmother used to get so mad when my mom did laundry – i.e., ran the washing machine – on Sunday.

Do you remember those days?

If so, you might be an -- AARP member.

These days, there’s barely anything special about Sundays.

Sportsball games start at sunrise.

People go to work just like any other day.

Oh, I mean, some of us don’t go to work.

But we don’t mind going to restaurants and letting other people do the work for us.

And when your work is time-synced to your home office in Saudi Arabia, or China – I mean, who knows what day it is?

No wonder we’re all celebrating made-up markers of days, like Taco Tuesday, and Meatloaf Monday.

And yes, I have discovered Meatloaf Monday at Five Sisters.

I love this place.

--

Throwing back – way, way back – way back to Jesus’s time, he had these disciples.

And when they all came from the same country, it was easy to recognize them.

Well, it was easy to recognize the men, after a small bit of surgery.

But that’s a whole different sermon.

That was the problem.

The church started getting followers from all over the place.

Countries you couldn’t even pronounce.

Followers of Jesus needed to pump up their brand.

Needed to set themselves apart from all the other flavors.

Yes, they had their icon, the cross.

But anybody could wear one of those.

Christians needed to BE different.

They needed a way to stand out without it looking like they thought they were better than everybody else.

Thank the Lord – I guess, the Lord.

The Gospel According to John, threwback their memories to that Thursday.

Jesus had had the concept of an idea all along.

--

“Maundy,” is a casual nickname for the Latin word, mondatum.

Slight problem there is nobody speaks Latin except for scientists and a few lawyers who like to throw around “habeas corpus” like they’re all fancy.

Hey.

You pay that much for a degree, you get to say the secret words.

But normal people had no idea what “mondatum” meant, so it got shortened, like all good nicknames, to Maundy.

Meaning command or commandment.

It comes from our scripture today.

The Thursday before Easter, at the Last Supper, and in our rerun of the scripture today, Jesus gives his disciples a “new” commandment.

“I give you a new commandment,” he says.

And what is this (quote) new commandment?

“that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

So, love. Y’all.

Love one another.

And they’ll know we are Christians… by our love.

By our love.

Excellent idea, Jesus.

Someone should write a song about that.

About the Maundy.

Maundy, maundy.

So good to me.

Nah.

Isn’t that just like the church?

To be known by a word that nobody uses anymore?

Like, Presbyterian?

A word that’s not really a word in that autocorrect always changes it to Pescaterian? Or Pedestrian?

Dadgummit, Siri.

I don’t want to belong to any Pedestrian Pescaterian Church.

Them folks is weird.

Jesus didn’t say to identify ourselves by our T-shirts.

Didn’t say to make clear which version of the Bible we read by our bumper stickers.

Or by a flag.

Or by the music we play through our subwoofers that makes the whole neighborhood shake like the Blue Angels are overhead.

He said, “I give you a new commandment. That you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Love one another? That’s so simple!

Great idea, Jesus.

Because now the whole world will look at us Christians and they’ll see us loving on each other.

The United Methodists and, rot roh.

The Global Methodists.

The Evangelical Lutherans and the Missouri Synod Lutherans.

Oh, oh.

The Roman Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox.

Oh, oh.

The Irish and the Irish.

The Presbyterians (USA) and the Presbyterians (of A)

And the Orthodox Presbyterians, and the Free Presbyterians, and the Bible Presbyterians.

Ew. Who are those people?

My daughters best not be bringing home any of those boys.

Those heterodoxical non-conformist apostates.

Might as well be from the Big 10.

Wait, this is church.

We’re supposed to be talking about religious things.

I lived in Alabama.

These ARE religious things.

Where were we? Oh yeah:

Love one another? That’s so simple!

Great idea, Jesus.

Because now the whole world will look at us Christians and they’ll see us loving on each other.

And loving on the whole world.

In perfect harmony.

Allegedly.

--

OK, so based on the “Maundate” from “Maundy Thursdy” our brand-new “brand” is love.

That’s easy.

Except one little thing.

And begging the Lord’s pardon, here.

But there’s nothing new about this “new” commandment.

Loving God and loving your neighbor with your heart and soul is the heart and soul of Jesus’s Jewish faith.

Deuteronomy 6, Leviticus 19 and many other places in the Bible Jesus read say to love God and love your neighbor.

This so-called “new” commandment’s not new at all.

It wasn’t new to the disciples.

It’s not unique now.

Pretty much every religion tells its followers to be loving.

To each other.

To the world. Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism – they all say: love.

Be loving.

Atheists, agnostics, humanists, Flying Spaghetti Pastafarians –

They all say, be kind.

Be loving.

To everybody.

Top it all off, even nasty people love.

And Jesus knew it, too.

In Luke 6:32, he says, “Even sinners love those who love them.”

Even if we get so fired up with this loving thing that we go overboard and start loving our enemies.

How’s that supposed to distinguish us from, like, Swifties, and furries, and overly affectionate Unitarians?

Well, try this:

It doesn’t.

Loving each other, loving God, loving the world, loving our enemies –

The only people it distinguishes us from are people who aren’t loving, people who are mean, people who are hateful, hurtful – unloving, uncaring, unconcerned.

And you know what?

Jesus tells us to love those jerks, too.

Loving in the spirit of Christ doesn’t make us unique.

Loving as Christ loved doesn’t make us better.

It makes us weak.

Loving as Christ loved doesn’t make us better.

It makes us weak.

Just like Jesus.

Just like Jesus, the man who got crucified, the next day after giving his disciples this new commandment.

Now, how’s that supposed to work?

--

Throwback to the scripture today.

When he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.

Judas has gone out, and by his doing so, Jesus says,

"Now the Son of Man has been glorified….”

Judas has made his mind up to betray Jesus.

And this?

This is what glorifies Jesus?

This is what glorifies God?

Judas is going out to do the most un-loving thing in history.

And THIS glorifies the Son of Man?

--

How do you think Judas felt at that moment, when he went out, and – as the Bible says – “it was dark”?

Did Judas feel sad?

Regretful?

Angry?

Ashamed?

Whatever he felt, beneath it all, in the darkest corners of his heart, I’ll bet Judas felt strong.

Defiant.

Right.

I’ll bet Judas felt strong for following through on his plans.

You’ve gotta feel like a big man (or woman) if you set your heart on betraying a friend.

A beloved friend.

That’s what doing evil does to us.

Even if we don’t like doing it, it makes us feel strong.

Stronger than the other.

Stronger than the voices saying, “Don’t.”

Stronger than the Lord, saying, “Love.”

You don’t need nails for a crucifixion.

You just need a decision.

Crucifixion happens by degrees.

You don’t need a Maundy Thursday.

Any old day will do.

--

Loving one another.

Loving one another – more than we love those other weirdoes over there.

That’s not strength.

That’s the fear of weakness pretending to be strong.

But loving – even in our weakness –

Loving – even though we know it’s going to hurt –

That’s loving in spite of the weakness.

That’s loving like Jesus did.

We get to choose.

And we get to choose every single day of the week.

We’ve got the Maundy.

We just have to put it to a day.

A Sailboat Church

 

This year our Session is reading Sailboat Church, by Joan Gray. We have extra copies and it's easy to order online. It's about letting the wind of the Holy Spirit direct your church.

I was asked what my philosophy of Interim pastoring is: Shaking things up or just keeping the ship afloat. I don’t think Trinity needs either.

I'd prefer to say my aim is to follow Jesus. The story that I think of is calming the storm, Luke 8:22-24.

When a pastor leaves it can feel like the ship of church has become unmoored. We wonder, What now? 

Jesus was often on the water, in a boat, and famously once out of one. His main disciples were pros at boating. So it's surprising they'd panic when a storm came. Jesus didn't panic. He took a nap. They had to wake him up. "Teacher, do you not care?"

Without a captain, the disciples freaked, feared the worst, forgot all their training. Jesus told the wind and rain, "Peace, be still." That's Christian Bible-ese. It was more like, "Shut up!"

So what did Jesus do and not do? 

He did yell at the situation. But he didn't yell at the disciples. He didn't berate them for setting out with storms on the horizon. (Or for waking him up.)

He didn't seize the oars, muttering, "If you want something done right...."

He didn't command them to turn the boat around and go back to the safety of where they were in the good old days before their troubles. 

And, he didn't jump ship. 

He did: Maintain a calm composure. Awakened, he addressed the problem when asked. He reminded the disciples that even a little faith can save you. Weak faith is still faith. And, he stuck in there with them.

I don't want to shake things up for its own sake. I don't want to take over. I don't want to ignore your experience and skill at sailing the church. 

I do: Want to watch how you work together. I want to see what works. I want to listen to your hopes, joys, and complaints. And then, only then, start fussing - creatively - at the world around us. 

Trinity is an amazing church. Your previous pastors were expert captains. They steered but also encouraged your skills. And Jesus does that even now, every day, in this in-between time. 

If I can be just a bit like Jesus, if WE can follow his example, Trinity will be ready and will be a gift to your next pastor. 

Wake up. Hoist the sails. Let's go. 

- James

(This article, sermons, and other writings can be read online at my blog: ButICouldBeWrong.faith)

Easter 2025 - Something That Was NOT In The Bulletin

 2025-04-20 Easter at Trinity

John 20:1-18

20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.

20:2 So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."

20:3 Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb.

20:4 The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.

20:5 He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in.

20:6 Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb.

He saw the linen wrappings lying there,

20:7 and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.

20:8 Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;

20:9 for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

20:10 Then the disciples returned to their homes.

20:11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb.

As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb

20:12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet.

20:13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.

20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

20:15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."

20:16 Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher).

20:17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father.

But go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

20:18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

 

Something That Was NOT In The Bulletin

Consider the humble Bulletin.

A mere single sheet of 20 pound, 11 by 17 paper, yet it contains all the information you need for Christian, Presbyterian worship.

Marked also with a rich assortment of vital announcements, attractive graphics, and hieroglyphic QR codes understandable by 14 year-old STEM students.

Birthed each week by Our Lady of the Front Office, the Blessed St. Wendy, as she tends to each jot and tittle as if it were a personal offering to God.

And yet, we hand them out, email them out, liturgically dance them out (that's still in development) FOR FREE!!! 

We just GIVE them away, as freely as the love of Jesus.

Take two if you like.

God is so good.

Which is to say, The Bulletin is important, if not almost essential.

We could shine everything up on screens.

But then we’d be Baptist.

Unless you’ve worked in a church office you have NO IDEA.

You have NO IDEA how much work goes into the six days of Bulletin creation.

Each week, the office combs through a mountain of emails and phone calls and Post-it notes on the door.

And that’s just the ones from Jean, and Craig, and me.

Then add all the last-minute announcements that require immediate release.

It’s a labor of love.

And it is good.

But, after all the assembly, all the proofreading – The Bulletin's only human.

There might still be typos.

Still be omissions.

Misspelled names, wrong times, grammatical errors.

Praise Jesus we don't print the sermons.

We try.

We try hard.

To be perfect.

To get it right.

To provide The Bulletin's short life its due respect, before its end comes, and we bury it in the Recycle Bin.

Or delete.

Or abandon, all alone, in a pew.

--

I heard this a long time ago and I wish I could remember the particulars.

There was a well-known Black preacher, with a big bass voice, who would ascend to the pulpit on Sunday mornings.

Take a deep breath, and begin the service with a prayer:

“Lord, let something happen today -- that isn’t in the bulletin!”

There are things that can't be contained in words.

You see, Easter morning – is proof beyond proof – 

that in spite of ALL our plans and preparations – 

despite ALL our proofing – 

despite ALL our confidence – 

despite all our hard work and fervent hope that WE – 

are getting things right, 

that WE are preserving the right things, 

that WE are creating accurate, memorable, and world-wide-accessible, decent and orderly --  

LIVES of worship and praise – 

something always goes wrong.

One thing we can be certain of – 

especially on Easter morning – 

is that God does NOT – 

stick to our bulletins.

Because no matter how hard we try to predict, to direct, to agendize, to tame the wild beast of the Holy Spirit, God will always – ALWAYS...

Surprise us.

Just when we think we know how the story ends.

Just when we think we’ve seen it all before.

Just when we think we are certain – 

we know the script – 

we’ve made the plan – 

we have created perfection – 

in our print material, in our lives, in our words and actions – Exactly then, 

at that moment,

God throws open the door, flips on the lights, jumps out from behind the couch, and shouts,

“Surprise!”

Easter morning is proof.

That we are assembled here today is PROOF that God’s calling card, God’s Standard Operating Procedure – is SURPRISE.

--

Isaiah 55:9 tells us, God’s ways are not our ways.

Amen.

Life is not merely OUR way or the highway.

There is always a THIRD way, a divinely off-road way -- that we can NOT predict.

A way that we never see coming.

GOD’S WAY.

I don’t know if God LIKES it that way.

Or if we’re so certain of OUR WAY.

But 100% of the time, in the Bible, and in our daily life – 

God’s way comes with a mind-blowing...

surprise.

So like that preacher whose name I can’t remember, I pray.

I pray to God.

I pray that the Lord lets something happen TODAY, in THIS hour, something that isn’t in the bulletin.

Something that isn’t in our plans.

Something that isn’t in our human ability.

Something better than good – 

something that spins our world around the WRONG way – 

something that surprises us – 

Because.

Because the Bible tells us so, again and again and again.

It tells us Our SURPRISE is the one, clear, humbling sign – that GOD – GOD is at work.

God is so much bigger than what fits in a bulletin.

Praise.

Praise the Lord for that.

He is not where he should be.

He is not in the bulletin.

He is not in the tomb.

Praise the Lord.

For he is risen indeed.

Surprise.

--

1 Corinthians 15:51, the Apostle Paul writes, “Lo, I will tell you a mystery.” 

Today, I say, “Hi. Let me tell you a secret.”

Easter this year is like no other for me.

I never dreamed I would be at Trinity Presbyterian Church.

A few months ago, I didn’t know the church existed.

I never imagined I would be living 20 minutes and two bridges from the Gulf of… Whatever country we’re calling it today.

The fish don't care.

Last week, I was asked by a kind and respectful stranger: “So, Pastor, how long have you been serving the Lord here?”

I said, “Three weeks.”

I still have that new pastor smell.

My wife Kristen, is here today, With our eldest daughter, Emily, and our little dog, too.

He did not come to worship.

Younger daughter Anna is working at Epcot, 

and unlike Chick Fil-A, Disney World does not liberate the workers on religious holidays.

Kristen is here. And she can verify this.

Back in January, when I was still looking for an Interim Pastorate, I read through Trinity's information.

I looked at the website.

I saw the location.

I watched videos of Hugh and Jean.

And I thought, 

“They're not going to want me.

They want someone...

taller.

They want someone younger.

Someone whose hair doesn’t grow in a reverse fade – you know, skin on top and longer as it goes down.”

Kristen said, “Just go and talk to them, you big dummy.

You don't can't decide for them.”

And, my wife was right.

Again.

Surprise.

This is actually the SECOND time she told me to visit a church despite my resistance.

The last one I stayed at 26 years.

So, she's got a pretty good record.

No surprise at all.

--

In the Gospel According to John, Mary goes to the graveyard.

Mary goes to the tomb.

She goes to the place where they have stuck Jesus’s body and put a rock over it to make sure nobody gets in and he doesn’t get out.

Mary went so early in the morning, it was still dark.

Now, many of us have been to the cemetery to lay flowers and have a talk with our loved ones.

But I can’t imagine many of us have ever made that trip, alone, in the morning, before sunrise, in the dark.

Gospel writer John is seriously into symbolism.

Most of this gospel has more tough layers than Nick Saban.

We know Mary, who was so close to Jesus – 

we know she had to be mourning.

We know she had to be grieving.

John imagines her having sunk so deep into the black hole of despair that he says there was not a single ray of light around her.

She is living before sunrise.

Now, remember what we were saying last week.

East, the direction from which the sun rises, is the holiest direction back then.

So this day, when Mary is at the tomb, there is no sun.

Not yet.

The sun has not risen.

Mary is totally, and completely, in the dark night of the soul.

For her, God is gone.

--

They say grief has five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

They aren’t kind enough to go in order.

And apologies to Kubler-Ross, there’s probably way more than five.

Sometimes you're in more than one.

The way John writes Mary in this story, she’s in all of them, at the same time.

Except acceptance.

Acceptance sounds peaceful.

Maybe it would be better to say, Acknowledgement.

Acknowledging that yes, Jesus’s death is true.

It happened.

He's in the tomb.

And there’s no denying it.

The rolling boulder of grief has come to rest – smack on top of Mary.

She is crushed.

She is alone.

She is even without God.

--

Grief is hell.

Not because it’s punishing us.

But because grief can convince us that we are alone.

Alone to the point of being alone without God.

Grief steals the ability to imagine light ever coming back to our souls.

In this story, the sun does begin to rise for Mary, but slowly.

And not without her resistance.

Inch by inch it peeks over the horizon, and little by little, she feels the warm hope of holy.

--

God has surprises in store for Mary.

At least three as I count them.

You might find more.

Mary’s first surprise is when she gets to the tomb.

And she sees the stone has been removed.

The prison gate has been opened.

She and the disciples can look in.

But more, Jesus can come out.

And he has.

He is not there.

Look, Mary.

See.

The sun is starting to inch over the horizon.

Jesus is not where he is supposed to be.

He’s not where he HAS to be.

Surprise. The first.

Mary stands outside the tomb, weeping.

Through the lenses of her tears, she sees angels.

We get embarrassed when we cry.

Especially us men.

Maybe that’s why John has Simon Peter and the Other Disciple turn their faces and run away.

Tears, the Bible is telling us, are nothing to be ashamed of.

In fact, tears may be like the prism that shows us the true colors of the angels.

Mary, left alone, not only sees the angels.

They speak to her.

They say, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

There’s nothing that says you have to be smart to be an angel.

Sometimes, when we’re sad, it helps to have someone brave enough to ask the obvious questions.

Instead of giving us advice.

Instead of trying to distract us from the grief.

Sometimes, like Simon and the Other One, even the greatest disciples run away from what they can’t explain.

Oh, Mary.

Look now! Angels! 

Can you feel a little more of the sun from the East? 

Can you see the light beginning to dawn?

Surprise, again. The second.

Next, Mary turns around.

Someone’s there.

Who is it? I don’t know.

Maybe...

the gardener? Cemetery staff? Another mourner?

And then, again, the question.

This new person asks, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?"

You know the old rule of lawyers and Children’s Sermons: “Never ask a question you don’t know the answer to.” 

I’m pretty sure Jesus knows the answer.

You know how it is when you’re really close to someone and you don’t have to speak their name? 

If I hear Kristen saying, “James,” it’s usually because she’s having some sort of trouble, 

or I’m IN some sort of trouble.

Remember when your mother would call you by your whole name when she was so mad she was checking your birth certificate?

Jesus said to her, "Mary!"

And at that moment, the sun rose.

The light of day shined on her and through her.

And she knew.

She knew it was Jesus.

It WAS Jesus, and nobody else.

She KNEW it was really, truly him.

Surprise. The third.

So then, it doesn’t SAY Mary ran SO fast to tell everybody, but I’ll bet she did.

Wouldn’t you? 

I’ll bet she ran so fast to tell the other disciples that her sandals came off.

I’ll bet she ran so hard, the palm branches got shoved aside.

The limbs of the trees cut her face.

She ran and she ran, and John says, she announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord!”

The world’s first Christian sermon.

Preached by a woman.

Surprise!

And it was only five words long! Surprise!

Don’t worry, we men mansplainers, will soon enough make them much, much longer.

No surprise.

--

Easter is the day for making plans.

We figure out ahead of time what we’re wearing.

Some of us buy new outfits.

New spring shoes.

A fancy bonnet.

We dress little boys in seersucker and bow ties and forbid them under penalty of tomb from getting stains.

We go to church.

We take pictures.

We rush to make lunch reservations.

We’re go home and take a big nap.

Or watch the PGA.

Or binge some White Lotus to see why everyone’s saying, “Piper, No!”

We have our plans.

We have our personal agendas.

If we’re really OCD we have a spreadsheet.

Or a whiteboard with different colored markers on the refrigerator.

Which is to say, we all have our private Sunday Bulletins.

They may be on paper.

They may be on our phones.

They may be sent home by our teachers because Monday you have to catch up for daring to have a day off.

Why? It’s in your bulletin.

That’s why.

But I promise you.

If you peek between the shades.

If you look between the agenda items that blind us to what’s really happening --

If you let a little of the Eastern light sneak through --

You may be, probably be, will be – surprised.

Surprised -- by something you DIDN’T put in the plans.

Surprised when something happens even though it’s not in your personal bulletin.

O Lord, O Lord, let that something happen.

And let us see you on this Easter.

Let’s keep praying, together:

Heavenly God, Earthly Lord, Sneaky Spirit – remind us today that we can’t control you.

We can’t predict you.

We can’t hide from you.

When we can’t see you, send someone to ask us why not.

Send your angels to comfort us and to confront us.

Cry with us when we grieve.

Laugh with us when we laugh.

Be beside us when we laugh at ourselves.

Help us to take the care of others very seriously.

Help us to accept your serious love.

Surprise us, Lord.

Because we know you will.

In Jesus’s name.

Amen.