The traditional baptismal liturgy of the United Methodist Church includes the following question: "Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?" A few weeks back, I said in a sermon that the Christian life was a continuing embrace and living out of the implications of our baptism. So, part of that involves our identifying evil in the world, and resisting it with all of the graces God gives us. And because evil, injustice and oppression present themselves in many different forms, we are called to be as deeply reflective and profoundly curious as we are to be determined and righteous.
In the first chapter of the Gospel of Mark, soon after his baptism and temptation, Jesus encounters a man “with an unclean spirit.” This man cried out when he saw Jesus, asking “What have you to do with us?” Jesus rebuked him, and spoke to the evil within him, telling it to vacate the man’s life. The man convulsed, and the spirit “crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.” This amazed those who witnessed the powerful love Jesus displayed that day.
Clearly, passages like this are hard to handle, and raise all kinds of questions about the interpretation of scripture. But they also invite us to ask questions about the nature of evil and our response to it. Remembering the baptism liturgy, we are called to keep an eye out to note evil when it presents itself, to stare it in the face, and to speak to it, resisting it with all of the graces God gives us. Practically, we may ask…what does that look like?
We will explore this on Sunday morning, as the sermon is titled “Deliver Us: A Primer on Speaking to Evil”. The Biblical text, Mark 1: 21-28, will be read by David McFarland. There will be a moment for children, prayers, and music led by our Sanctuary Singers, accompanied by Nara Lee.
Whether you are new to St. Mark’s, or have been a part of the community for years, we look forward to connecting this Sunday. Visit www.smumc.church and click on the Live Stream banner at 10:30 AM.