Sermon Notes Sunday, September 10, 2006 +-----------------------------------+ | Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost | +-----------------------------------+ [9]Jesus Heals a Deaf Man Coloring Page [10]Mark 7:24-37 * -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Be Opened Thank you Charles, Mary and Karen. Our retreat yesterday morning reminded me once again of how truly blessed we are with gifted and visionary lay leadership in this congregation. I felt energized and renewed to be a part of the discussion yesterday, one that focused on God*s vision, God*s dream for us his people at Ascension Lutheran. I look forward to the coming months and all that God has in store for us as we seek to live out God*s dream for us and for the world that we are called to serve, each of us according to the gifts with which the Spirit has blessed us all. I want to take a few minutes to reflect on the Gospel lesson this morning, this strange, mysterious and dramatic story. A deaf man with a speech impediment is brought to Jesus for healing. And taking him away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man*s ears and spat and touched the man*s tongue. Then looking up to heaven, he sighed deeply and said, *ephatha*, that is *Be opened*. And immediately, his ears were opened, and his tongue was released and he spoke plainly.* Thanks to advances in medical technology, it*s possible now a days for deaf people to receive their hearing again. I remember a television documentary I saw some years ago in which they chronicled just such a journey for one woman. The day after reconstructive surgery, they removed the bandages and put a set of earphones over her ears. With eyes open wide and tears rolling down her cheek for the first time in her life, she heard the sounds of a Beethoven piano sonata. Opening up what is closed, loosening the hard fast and rigid*that*s what Jesus is up in every way! Of course, when we think about our lives and the world around us there*s plenty that keeps us closed off, shut down, tied up. One of the realities in a post 9/11 world is the chronic, low grade anxiety that we live with each and every moment of our lives. And although we may not be hearing impaired and tongue tied in a physical sense, spiritually speaking I think a good could be made to say that we are. The new liturgy for baptism that Martin Luther wrote back in 1523, called for the pastor to take a little bit of his saliva and touch the mouth and ears of the child being baptized. He was to do so while repeating the words that Jesus spoke to the deaf man with a speech impediment. *I say to you *ephatha*, that is *be opened.** Of course that*s not the way we do things anymore in the Lutheran church. It*s probably a good thing, because I suppose you all would run me out of town if I pulled a stunt like that one! But I think the image is a good one for us to hold on to. That through simple, earthly, dare we say earthy means the Spirit comes to open us up, our stopped up ears, our stammering speech to bear God*s creative and redeeming word into all the world. Pastor Brian Peterson References 9. http://www.sermons4kids.com/jesus-heals-deaf-man-colorpg.htm 10. http://bible.oremus.org/?ql=24288559

[ Mon, 11 Sep 2006 03:03:52 -0500 ]

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