"America's God: Talent" August 2, 2015

2nd Samuel 11:26 – 12:15 John 6: 24-35 (Several ideas for this sermon were stimulated by other's. While my own words and development, I have cited here the original references.) Over the years, we have addressed many different topics. I have preached over 1600 sermons. My father used to refer to his "Barrel of recycled sermons," I have never the same one twice, yet one topic I believe we have never before addressed directly is SEX. However, when the Bible has us address Herod's lust for Salome, followed by two weeks on David and Bathsheba, you get the hint that we are supposed to talk about Sex. Then a friend in this community died, and addressing sex seemed trite... taking a step back, I realize what that issue, and this, and our Gospel, all wrestle with is Judgement. Our frustration that the God of our culture of our values is not God; we are not in charge, and according to our judgement, the world is wrong, God is wrong. If we could, we would have stopped him... but that is the point: We are people who care, but we are not God. Depression is a chemical imbalance. My body produces too much cholesterol, so I take a pill to balance chemistry. What is difference, whether the imbalance is in my heart, or my liver, or my brain? Years ago, I knew a great preacher, who week after week for his entire ministry preached on The Prodigal Son occasionally The Elder Brother, claiming this was the Biblical witness America needed. Today, I think the witness we need to hear over and over is: 2nd Samuel 11 and 12 with Nathan's: “You are the One.” First, because we assume there a good people and bad, right and wrong. Yet here The Best Loved King of Israel, God's Shepherd through whom God promised to provide for the Nation, and through Israel to all the Nations, David the Psalmist... David, is revealed to be committing the most common and heinous of acts. Good people do bad things, and those we believe to be bad sometimes do good things as well. Second, because we easily make excuses to save the offender. It was not that David was up on the roof when he “accidentally” saw Bathsheba showing off her body. David was King of a Promised Lineage, he had absolute power and authority over the nation. David could order armies to war, commit genocide, send people to deaths. And David chose to stay home instead of going to battle with his Generals, David went up on the rooftop looking for what and whom he could see when he was bored, in private, David saw Bathsheba in the privacy of her bath. David ordered her to be brought to him. Then ordered Uriah abandoned to suffer and die alone. With great power and authority comes great responsibility, and David as King was seduced by his own power and talent avoiding his responsibility. Third, the Parable of Nathan demonstrates the problem of naming abuse. Our SPAM folders are filled with: “Have an Affair tonight!” “Single Women in Skaneateles Want You” “Bob has sent you a private message.” The Predator can never perceive what he has done, or even that he could, do wrong. As Bill Clinton vowed “I did not have sex with that woman.” In our mind's eye, we all see ourselves as the hero of our narrative, and what other people do to us, instead of judging what we have done. Fourth, the sentence carried out does not seem fair, it is not on David & Bathsheba for their affair, but on their children as they carry forward this secret and the effects of the affair for generations. Underlying the Affair, is often that the person needs something they do not feel they are getting anywhere else. The partner may be providing everything, but we can be unable to see what is there. Our own Syracuse University has done a great deal of research on Marriage & Family and Sex, and claim that of the Top 10 Things people want in Marriage, Sex is number 9, whereas COMPANIONSHIP, CARING, A SENSE OF HUMOR and COMMUNICATION top the list. The research at SU claims the hormones in Men and Women want different things in a relationship. What Men want is 1) Respect, My partner is proud of me, they follow my lead, I matter, I feel capable. 2) Shelter, creating a Retreat, A Home that is a refuge from Stress, is Fun, is our Cave. 3) Companionship, All the world may be against me, but we two are a team. 4) Someone who responds to me, they study what makes me happy and try to accommodate. 5) A person who tries to attract me, they care about how they look so as to keep me interested. Where Women claim they desire 1) Affection, to be cherished, hugged, kissed, romanced. 2) Conversation about feelings 3) Honesty and Openness 4) Safety and Financial Security 5) Family Commitment So if men are looking for respect from their partner, and women are looking for affection, and either one does not get it from their partner, a hunger sets in. In the case of David, he and his wife Michel were estranged...When David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem he danced in the streets and leapt for joy, and she mocked and belittled him. “You shamed yourself in front of the people, dancing half-naked, like an animal!” From that point on they rarely spoke. The reason it feels so good to be in a relationship is being Chosen, out of all the other possibilities. The problem of a break up is the feeling of being un-chosen, is I was not enough. (Crotts, Stephen M., “How to Affair Proof Your Marriage,” Sermon Suites, 2014.) During the Televangelist' Scandals, Billy Graham was thanked for being a beacon of hope. Asked how he had managed to avoid this Graham replied, “I constantly run scared, knowing it could happen.” When our son Nathan, who is now 27 was about 3, I recall reading this parable one Sunday morning. In the middle of the service after hearing the passage's repetition Nathan slid off the pew and came walking up the aisle and repeated “You are the Man, You are the Man” and I had to stop mid-sermon. One of the most popular television shows of the last decade has been America's Got Talent, which in essence is a 21st Century Vaudeville Talent Show. Jugglers, comedians, singers, acrobats, computer designers all perform, but to create interest and motivate the performers, they are judged by celebrities; competing for $1,000,000; with the ultimate opportunity to headline a show at LasVegas. Over the years they have increased from 3 to 4 to 5 celebrities, not known for their faith, brilliance or wisdom, but Howard Stern, Supermodel Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and one of the former Spice Girls. The mantra which is repeated, after every performance in every episode, is: “We want more! Bigger! Give us more than anyone else!” I fear, this has become The GOD of our society: worshipping celebrity, pushing for more, faster, bigger, with greater danger, satiate our desire now, differently, with the pay-off of getting rich and becoming celebrities. (McKenzie, Alyse, “Jesus' Got Talent,” Edgy Exegesis, 2012.) That is exactly the circumstance the Gospel of John describes. This is Jesus of Nazareth 3rd appearance before the celebrity judges. We saw him feed 5000 people with 3 loaves and 5 fish. Then we witnessed his walking on water. Now the crowd comes seeking Jesus to demand that he perform. “Give us a sign!” “Show us power!” “Perform a miracle for us!” Jesus refuses to perform, because he had also taught Water into Abundant Wine, Born from Above, Temple of Life... In our earliest manifestation, I believe this community responded to God and acted in faith, ultimately when asked to judge their own identity, making two fatal mistakes. When we began as the Schaneateles Religious Society, we gathered as the whole community to do the work of God together. Yet by a Vote which took place on Christmas Day, we chose to be a Presbyterian Church with a building and pastors and program, rather than the whole community gathered together in faith. In that earliest representation we were the Courts of the Community judging Civil and Criminal cases, but not based on the Law or on Celebrity, but on how we as sisters and brothers could Forgive.