What a great day! Wonderful music, beautiful children, the opportunity to present some young people with their very own Bibles. And, to top it all off, the District Superintendent’s in the house for the day on which we celebrate our rich connection as a proud congregation in the United Methodist family. It’s a stellar day, a gleaming and bright and happy day. And then, Sargent gets up to preach, and he decides to talk about a scandal.

Today is World Communion Sunday. If my math is correct, this is the 73rd year for this observance. You don’t have to pay extra for this, but World Communion Sunday originated in 1936 in the Presbyterian Church USA. They were just hoping that it might catch on, and catch on it did.

The Jesus we meet in the Gospel of Mark had to be one lonely guy.

I mean, he begins his ministry on the heels of the preaching of John the Baptist, and pretty soon thereafter, he’s up against an evil spirit that he meets in a man in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. The Jesus in Mark’s Gospel will spend a good bit of time in conflict with demons and spirits that have possessed various people.

So, Jesus and his disciples are walking along from one place to another. And, in addition to whatever other topics occupy their conversation, Jesus asks the disciples two very famous questions. Who do people say that I am? And, who do you say that I am?
Of course, by the time we arrive at this point in the narrative of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus has already made quite a name for himself, has already created quite a buzz, has already garnered lots of headlines and has become a hot topic on the grapevine. So, we understand where the question about what others are saying comes from.

I think that everybody who likes to attend church ought to go to seminary.

I mean, the history of the Bible is so rich and fascinating. And, the history of the Church is equally so. And, the history of theological ideas is so fun to trace.

Sometimes, folks think that one day, there was no Bible, and then the next day, a book fell from the sky and, poof, there it was. The Bible.

“Broccoli, 1.79. Tuna, 3.99, crescent rolls, 2.39. Getting everyone together for dinner. Priceless. There are some things money can’t buy.”

“Business suit. None. Office cubicle. None. Corporate ladders to climb. None. A small business to call your own. Priceless. There are some things money can’t buy.”

“One pair of pleated slacks. I don’t think so. A pair of Capri pants. Never in a millions years. One pair of khaki shorts. Ain’t never gonna happen. The perfect pair of jeans. Priceless.”

Here’s one more for you.