‘One Note’ Preaching

Can inclusiveness become an idol?

Mark 5:21-43                                                                  Rev. Todd B. Freeman

Bethany Presbyterian Church, Dallas                                                      June 29, 2003

One of my favorite sayings is that “unity does not mean uniformity.” In other words, people are not required to all act and think and believe the same way in order to be ‘acceptable.’ But there are far to many people who still impose the moral judgment of ‘right and/or wrong’ upon those who are different from themselves. I have learned, however, that one of the keys to finding peace in life is realizing that, for the most part, different is simply that, different.

Diversity, we often reluctantly learn, is not only the spice of life; it is the way God has created life to be. I’d like to make this point with a little demonstration with the help of the choir. They are going to sing the first verse of one of everyone’s favorite hymns, Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee! [Choir sings entire verse on the same unison note,]

How did you like that? Pretty bland, huh?! What if we sang every hymn on one note? What if I spoke in a monotone voice, with no inflection or vocal dynamics? How interesting would my sermons be then? There is something, however, that I’d like to explore this morning, ‘one note preaching.’ Not so much in the sound, but in the message.

When I served as an Associate Pastor at First Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth, my first call after I graduated from seminary in 1993, Dr. Robert Bohl was the Senior Pastor. He is an excellent preacher. But in the 3 1/2 years that I served there a very noticible trend became obvious in his sermon messages. Dr. Bohl was a master in emphasizing the role of the church at large – it’s corporate nature and it’s role in society. Very seldom was the sermon from a more personal ‘you and your faith’ standpoint. It was more about ‘us and our faith and our mission in the world.’ Though extremely eloquent, Dr. Bohl was, in part, a ‘one note preacher.’

Partly because of that, and for a bit of balance, when I had the opportunity to preach there I intentionally added in a more personal ‘you and your faith’ message. To this day I try to emphasize how scripture addresses us both individually and as a congregation. But I have been wondering lately if I have not also become a ‘one note preacher’.

Three and half years ago, in December of 1999, a representative of Grace Presbytery’s Committee on Ministry visited one Sunday morning to experience our worship here at Bethany – but primarily to observe me – as part of a report that is regularly done on ministers.

My sermon that particular day was entitled “Overcoming Oppressive Theology.” I was quite blunt in my statements about those who engrave their theology into granite and demand that others believe and act exactly like them. I recounted the damage that is done by those who believe in a controlling, binding, oppressive theology. I made reference to a very important book, Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, and today would add a second book, Steps to Recovery from Bible Abuse. I quoted one pastor who wrote:

The theology of those at the center of society often seek to characterize people on the edge as enemies of God. This is especially true when individuals or groups unrepentantly refuse to conform to the dominant definition of normativeness…

Marginalized people respond to a community of openness and inclusiveness where other people from the edge gather. Such an atmosphere welcomes people and makes them feel safer to be who they are. A liberating theology of acceptance must be embodied by a liberating Christian community.

I said that that was our goal here at Bethany and that our ministry intends to represent the real Jesus, and is not meant to promote our views, our philosophy, or us. I warned, however, that we also face the temptation of becoming dogmatic in our own liberating theology.

Well, after that service the person from the Committee on Ministry came up to me at the front door and said something I don’t think I have ever told any of you. He said, “Rev. Freeman, you have made an idol out of inclusiveness.” Idolatry is a very serious charge, especially for a Presbyterian. I responded that that was quite a strong statement based solely on one sermon.

But perhaps he had a point. Perhaps I have become a ‘one note preacher’ with the issue of inclusiveness being that one note. For I must admit, a typically traditional interpretation of any biblical story holds very little interest for me. I perceive this is true for many in this congregation as well.

Case in point, today’s Gospel lesson involves a story within a story, a very common literary devise used by Mark, where the embedded story is used to interpret the other. The inner story, the healing of the woman who had been hemorrhaging (bleeding) for 12 years, has often been interpreted in a way that becomes oppressive. The woman simply touched the hem of Jesus’ garment and she was instantly and miraculously healed. Mark concludes this story with Jesus saying, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”

Have we not all heard, especially from TV evangelists, that ‘if you just had enough faith then you would be healed of whatever afflicts you!’

When I was at seminary, one of my professors, Dr. Howard Rice, was confined to a wheelchair because of Multiple Sclerosis, from which he had been suffering for 30 years. More that once in his many travels – including the year he served as Moderator of the Presbyterian General Assembly – he was approached by a person who declared that if he just had enough faith he would be able to get up out of that wheelchair. Howard shared with me how much that hurt when people said that.

By that same thinking, then, if my mother had enough faith she would be healed of her Alzheimers and my father his melanoma cancer. And anyone with HIV, or diabetes, or mental illness, or incurable disease would be cured as well.

So, instead of looking at the literalness of a Bible story, I must admit that I seek out the less obvious, which I believe is usually the main point of the author. In this story, for instance, the really remarkable thing is that a person on the extreme margin of society – a woman, a nameless woman, a poor nameless women, a poor nameless woman who was ritually unclean because of her bleeding and thereby ostracized from the synagogue and her community – had the courage to approach the one whom she believed could help her after no one else could, or would.

Even more remarkable, is that Jesus, as a Rabbi, broke with tradition and took the time to stop, search out, and talk with the woman. All this delayed his attending to a sick girl who was dying, and perhaps finally died because of Jesus’ intentional delay.

The way I interpret this story, then, is that Jesus moves across religious and social barriers to offer God’s healing and restoring grace. By association, then, we, as individual Christians and as a congregation, are to extend the same ministry of offering God’s grace, especially to those on the edge and margins of society.

I realized this week that yet again I had come to a message of inclusiveness, which does indeed fit within my ‘one note preaching’ bias. And in perhaps too many sermons I use the term ‘progressive theology’ (as opposed to conservative or even traditional) to explain my interpretational approach. And in perhaps too many sermons I qualify those at the margins of society by mentioning prejudices that are based on race, culture, language, socio-economic class, disability, theological perspective, and that old standby, sexual orientation.

For those of you who hear me preach week in and week out perhaps I hit this one note too often. Yet I always keep an eye and ear open to those who may be visiting, especially for those visiting for the first time. For this one note may be a new one for them, especially in a religious, Christian context.

So like a Southern Baptist preacher who never misses a chance to invite people to accept Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, I try to never miss a chance of extending a less-oppressive, more inclusive understanding of God and the role of the church.

After mentioning all of this, I would appreciate your comments and feedback as to what I admit is my often ‘one note preaching’ message.

So perhaps next Sunday, in order to break from this trend, I think I’ll just preach` on eternal damnation and burning in the fires of Hell!!!

Amen.