Sometimes God Wears a Sweatshirt

 

Rev. Barbara T. Porizky

 

10/8/06

 

Mark 6:1-6  

 

He left that place and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2On the sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astounded. They said, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that has been given to him? What deeds of power are being done by his hands! 3Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon, and are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4Then Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.” 5And he could do no deed of power there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and cured them. 6And he was amazed at their unbelief.

 

      Several months ago, I spoke with a minister colleague who serves in a Presbyterian church in Baltimore .  At one point, he described the pastors who had served at that same church before him.

 

      My friend spoke at length about a Rev. Leonard Atkinson who had been pastor at that church during the early 1980’s.  By all reports, Rev. Atkinson was a solid preacher, a faithful visitor of the sick and a capable administrator.  Moreover, Rev. Atkinson radiated a warm and engaging personality.

 

      My minister friend explained that suddenly Rev. Atkinson was asked to leave that congregation.

 

      Immediately I speculated on what brought Rev. Atkinson’s ministry to an abrupt end.  Had he committed a sexual indiscretion?  Had he mishandled church finances?  Had he preached a controversial sermon?

 

      It turns out that Rev. Atkinson was guilty of none of these.  His undoing, however, was this:  One Saturday in October, some church members spotted Rev. Atkinson walking down Main Street and he was wearing…oh my gosh…a sweatshirt.  He was wearing a sweatshirt!

 

      Now, the church members had no specific objections to sweatshirts.  These same church members actually admitted to wearing sweatshirts themselves from time to time.  

 

      The issue was their minister wearing a sweatshirt.  As far as these church members were concerned, a sweatshirt wasn’t sufficiently religious.  Clergy robes, ministerial collars and even a conservative suit adorned with a cross on the lapel were acceptable.  But a sweatshirt made their minister look too much like themselves.

 

      My minister friend went on to say that, because of this incident, the congregation advised their formerly beloved Rev. Atkinson to pack his bags, books and Bibles and to move on.

 

      Dear people of God:  Sometimes God wears a sweatshirt.

 

      In our perception of God, we have no difficulty with God assuming the form of a burning bush.  We have no qualm with God appearing amid an army of angels.  We have no complaints with God speaking through lightning bolts.  That is how we expect God to look and to act.

 

      But when God materializes as a common guy with a hammer in one hand and a two-by-four in the other hand, with sawdust in his beard and wearing a sweatshirt, we resist.  We figure that if God is going to be God, then God better look and act like God.

 

      Herein lies the chief reason why the people of Nazareth refuse to accept Jesus for who he is.

 

      In verse 4 of our gospel, Jesus declares, Prophets—or preachers-- are not without honor, EXCEPT in their hometown, and among their own kin, and in their own house.

 

      And Nazareth IS the hometown of Jesus.  Nazareth is the village where Jesus spent most of his childhood years.  The Nazareth neighbors are the hometown folks who changed his diapers, who taught him to read, who watched him grow out of his clothes.  The people in Nazareth resist seeing Jesus as anyone more than a hometown kid wearing his baseball cap backwards.  Why, just a few months earlier, Jesus was their village handy man.  He made cabinets.  He repaired chairs.  He replaced doors.  He patched roofs. 

     

      The people in Nazareth watch Jesus now, speaking words of wisdom, healing the sick and claiming the way to salvation.  And they “take offense at Jesus,” as verse 3 records.  Out loud or under their breath, they say, “Who does Jesus think he is?”

 

      The people of Nazareth miss the holy because all they see is the ordinary.

 

      And how often do we miss the holy and see only the ordinary?  How often do we overlook God’s new revelation because all we look at is the old and familiar?

 

      God works in mysterious ways.  To paraphrase Jesus, God works through people in our hometown, through people in our family, even through people in our own household.

 

      Sometimes God wears a sweatshirt.

 

      The truth is we easily believe in God as long as God is in heaven doing heavenly “stuff” and as long as God leaves us alone here on earth to do our earthly “stuff.”

 

 

      Jesus—a prophet and a preacher--experiences resistance and rejection in his hometown of Nazareth , as our gospel passage records. 

 

      He experiences resistance and rejection from his own “family” of disciples.  More than half his disciples doubt that Jesus is the Son of God and more than once they ask Jesus, “Who are you?”  Peter denies knowing Jesus.  And Judas outright betrays Jesus. 

 

      Jesus experiences resistance and rejection in his own home.  His mother and brothers are embarrassed by his odd behavior and his provocative preaching, and they often try to quiet him.

 

      So, back in the first century, Jesus is justified in saying, Prophets are honored, but NOT in their hometown, or among their own kin or in their own house.

 

      And what about hometowns today?  In the 21st century?

 

      The saying, “You can’t go home again,” screams with truth.  A person—especially a changed person—cannot return to his/her hometown and be accepted for their changes.  The hometown folk always remember that person from an earlier time, before the changes.

 

      A year and half ago, I visited my hometown in Ridgecrest , California .  ( Ridgecrest is a fairly lackluster town in the Mojave Desert , just south of Death Valley and just north of Edwards Air Force Base.)  I excitedly told my old high school friends, “In my mid-twenties, I underwent a spiritual conversion, became Presbyterian, went to seminary.  And now I’m a Presbyterian minister married to another Presbyterian minister.”

 

      My high school buddies made faces and looked at me cross-eyed.  They said, “Oh, that’s nice.  Excuse me.  I need to go get another drink.” 

     

      My high school friends remembered me as “a good little Catholic girl who never rocked the Roman Catholic boat.”

 

      Prophets and preachers still are not respected in their hometowns in this century.

 

      What about families today?

 

      I know of two different families:  The Thompsons in Cleveland , Ohio , and the Morganthalers in Miami , Florida .  Jack and Vera Thompson attend a Presbyterian church.  John and Roxanne Morganthaler attend a Methodist church.  And both couples raised their children in the church.

 

      Yet, Jack and Vera are dismayed that their second son Steve is wants to attend seminary.  John and Roxanne are horrified that their grown daughter Julie is preparing to be a missionary.  Both sets of parents wanted their children to know about God, of course.  But they did NOT want their children to grow up and passionately serve God.

 

      Prophets and preachers are not respected among their own family members…even in 2006.

 

      And what about households today?

 

      My own father, God rest his soul, never heard me preach.  My father refused to attend any worship service in which I participated or preached.  I have been ordained for eighteen years.  My father died eight years ago.  Throughout my first ten years of ministry, my very Catholic father insisted, “I will not listen to any child of mine preach at me.” 

 

      And he never did.  He never did.

 

      Prophets and preachers are not honored in their households…even in this century.

 

      But even though prophets and preachers are rejected in their hometowns, by their families and within their own households, God still works in them and through them.

 

      And sometimes God wears a sweatshirt.

 

      A businessman was running through an airport terminal in order to catch his flight which was about to depart.  He was casually dressed in athletic pants and a sweatshirt.

 

      As the businessman neared his gate, he turned a corner and ran smack into a little boy.  The young boy had been carrying a shoebox filled with his prized baseball card collection.  And baseball cards were scattered everywhere.

 

      The man gave a quiet sigh and set down his carry-on luggage.  On his hands and knees, he bent over.  He helped the boy pick up everyone of the baseball cards and placed them carefully back into the shoebox.

 

      Afterwards, the businessman stood up and gently apologized, “I’m sorry I ran and knocked you down.” 

 

      Then the little boy looked up at the businessman and asked, “Mister, are you Jesus?”

 

      Sometimes God wears a sweatshirt.

 

      Dear family of God: Today and always, I challenge you to find God in your hometown, to see God in your family, to hear God speak through someone in your household.

 

      And remember:  Sometimes God wears a sweatshirt.

 

      Please pray with me now.

 

St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, Groton , CT

Web Site: SAPC-CT.HOME.ATT.NET

Office Email: SAPC-CT@ATT.NET

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