Worship Preview 10.25.26 "The Rock and Some Stones"
FIRST UNITED METHODIST
WORSHIP OCTOBER 11th: 10:30am. “The Rock and Some Stones” Rev. Christopher Eshelman preaching. Scriptures: Isaiah 43:16-21 and John 8:1-20
You almost certainly know the story. Jesus is in the Temple and the religious authorities bring a woman “caught in the act” of adultery before him. The law (specifically Deuteronomy 22:22-24) says to stone her... “Now what do you say?” Jesus then draws in the dirt – scripture doesn’t specify what he draws. There is a 1929 Silent movie by Cecil B. DeMille entitled “King of Kings” that powerfully depicts the scene. Jesus kneels between the women, her accusers, and the crowd eagerly weighing up their stones. He writes letters that look like Hebrew and through the magic of filmmaking, they morph into English words: “Liar, Thief, Adulterer…” At each transition, one of the accusers arrogantly leans to look, then, in classic Silent Film fashion, dramatically overacts in shock and horror – dropping their stone and hurrying away through the crowd. It’s powerful. DeMille takes numerous interpretive liberties – including selecting bits and pieces from each Gospel and arranging them in his own order – so he follows this scene, found in John 8, with Mark 2’s account of the cleansing of the Temple. I think it’s an important juxtaposition that invites us to reflect on Jesus’ teachings. As DeMille points out – Jesus is not calling for passivity, nor ignoring sin. Jesus is perfectly willing to “flip tables.” Our reading today says Jesus, when pressed, stands up and says “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone” then resumes drawing in the dust. Convicted by conscience, the crowd slowly melts away until it’s just he and the woman accused. With no one left accusing, he releases her with the command to “Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
Was she guilty? – I don’t know. DeMille’s version seems to assert she is, but that it’s with one of the accusers. There is a story in the Apocrypha, that is a collection of books held as Scripture by Romans Catholics and some others that are connected to the Old Testament but that were originally written in Greek and, because Martin Luther and others went back to Hebrew texts instead of the Greek Septuagint for their translations, are left out of “Protestant” editions. Anyway - in this case an “addition” to the Book of Daniel known as the story of Susanna and the Elders, the guilty men are exposed as the woman’s false accusers, while her virtue and devotion to God is affirmed. So maybe that’s the case here. I’m glad our modern sensibilities ask “where’s the man... it takes 2 to tango.” and that we tend to point out power differences, etc. but I think the Biblical stories focus isn’t really on guilt or the past, but on her, the crowd, and our own, next choices. How do we live differently because of our encounter with Christ.
We’ll hear again this week Christ asserting that to know him is to know the Father. The story is about God, as we’ll hear in our Isaiah reading, “doing a new thing” and God’s grace, revealed in Christ, enabling us to do new things, or as we heard last week, “still greater things.” Last week we heard Moses remind the people to tell the stories and remember. This week we hear the Prophet Isaiah report God saying:“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.” Clearly these readings are not about simple answers or instruction, but deep listening, prayerful discernment. This week several recent sermons come together. We are called to Love our neighbors. How have we hardened our hearts? How often do we seek to pick up stones against others? How easily do we get distracted by blame and scapegoating or appeals to authority and how do we hold authority accountable when harm is done to a neighbor? When do traditions and established patterns help us do that, and when do they get in the way? When is change needed? What happens when we let Christ dwell with in us – perhaps draw in our dust? What stones do we need to drop? What tables do we need to flip? Discerning these things is the work of faith, that our lives in word and deed might “proclaim God’s praise.”
If the world has you down. If you can’t make sense of what is happening. If you need a shot of hope – and if you’d like to see a different way emerge, you are not alone. We’d be delighted to have you join in worship. We don’t have all the answers. We aren’t perfect and we won’t dictate your choices. But together we keep finding that God makes a way – and that all our stories matter. So, come just as you are – with your doubts and questions, with your laments and fears, and with your deepest hopes and joys. Whether you are a longtime member, have never been to church at all, or find yourself needing a change - together we will find our paths and share our journeys. Thanks be to God!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
FEEDING FAMILIES IN HIS NAME: Wednesday, October 28th - A free, no obligation meal is served “to-go” style from underneath our portico from 5:15pm to 6:15pm each Wednesday, prepared each week by our members as well as several area churches and community groups. We aim to provide 400 meals per week.
TRUNK OR TREAT – Saturday, October 31st. Bring the kids or grandkids to the parking lot behind the church for a safe, lit, and level place to gather treats from over a dozen “trunks” – we will start at 5:30pm and close at sundown with the lot blocked off for safety beginning at 5:15pm.
Comments