Below, for your consideration and reflection, is the sermon from Bethel's August 22, 2004 Sunday Morning worship service.

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Once every four years, it becomes quite easy to become a fan of gymnastics. Especially with Olympic all-around American gymnastic gold medallists Paul Hamm and Carly Patterson making headlines in very dramatic fashion this week, I have not ceased to marvel at the incredible flexibility, strength and endurance of these Olympic athletes who flip and fly, tuck and twist, bounce and balance their way through maneuvers that seem to defy gravity, if not the imagination.

Now, as much as I admire their skills and dedication, I also know that if I ever tried any version or variation of their bodily contortions, I would end up with the pain of lower back spasms and assorted other injuries, that me on the high bar or vault or steel rings would not be a pretty sight. In fact, just one handspring into a reverse double somersault in the pike position (or whatever it is that they do!) would put me “all bent out of shape” for some time to come.

Yet, even if I were foolish enough to try to imitate an Olympic gymnast, I know that my bodily pain could, through the marvel of modern medicine, find pain relief; rehab could help me mend; ice and heat could make my condition more bearable; and it probably wouldn’t hurt that I have a live-in physical therapist!

But, in a world with no surgical or medicinal options for a body in pain, just imagine this unnamed, crippled woman in our story from Luke who had to live all bent out of shape for 18 years. And perhaps, just as bad, if not worse, than the physical discomfort, was the common assumption in the world of the Bible that her disease or disfigurement resulted from her sinfulness. Since she never got better, the assumption was that God had not yet forgiven her.

Maybe that explains why she was at the synagogue in the first place: in search of reconciliation and peace with God that conventional religious wisdom and belief had denied her.

But Jesus, who is no conventional religious figure (as surely we must know by now), dramatically gives her the freedom to unbend and stand up straight after living for years in crippling bondage. He calls her out of the synagogue crowd, lays hands on her, and announces, “Woman, you are set free from your ailment.” She has not asked to be healed. She simply finds herself in the presence of Jesus – and that leads to healing and new life for her.

This beautiful story is not, however, without conflict. Jesus heals the woman in sacred space (the synagogue, mentioned twice) and within sacred time, namely on the Sabbath (noted no fewer than five times), and Jesus is criticized for this breach of the law, this breach of etiquette in how a rabbi, a wise teacher, should behave on the Sabbath and in the synagogue.

In response, Jesus insists that the synagogue and the Sabbath are not the only things that are holy – so is this woman’s life. Once Jesus has laid hands on her and she straightens herself up and she is no longer bent out of shape, the leader of the synagogue accuses Jesus of working on the Sabbath, a clear violation of Jewish codes of conduct for proper Sabbath demeanor and activity.

The synagogue leader scolds this formerly bent over woman as a way of appealing to the gathered crowd to reject Jesus and his unlawful Sabbath activities. The image I have is of an election year debate taking shape, Jesus versus this protector of religious tradition, with a large crowd of undecided voters eager to watch them go at it.

The leader of the synagogue begins, speaking as if to the straightened woman and to the crowd, but really firing his words at Jesus: “There are six days on which work ought to be done; [if you want a miracle] come on those days and be cured, but not on the Sabbath day.” In other words, the leader of the synagogue says: “hear me and hear me well, we are not primarily, here in my congregation, into this crazy Sabbath business of healing pain or relieving the shame of crippled backs. Come back on Monday. She’s had a problem for 18 years; another day of waiting won’t hurt.

I suspect, in addition to this violation of Sabbath etiquette, there is the more serious scandal of Jesus touching this woman when he laid hands on her. This breach of decorum would have sent shock waves through the synagogue leadership at a time when women counted for very little. The anger of the synagogue leadership would be not unlike today when I hear about the reaction of local ministers to the thought of women preachers in their church. “That would desecrate the pulpit,” they say. The synagogue leadership felt their space had been desecrated, too.

And so, once again, the battle lines have been drawn.

Jesus, who we sometimes conveniently forget was really not such a mild-mannered, gentle guy, publicly scolds the synagogue leadership.

Apparently unconcerned with political correctness, Jesus begins with the two word indictment, “You Hypocrites!” The Jesus who speaks now is quite different from our Sunday School gentle shepherd or passive bearer of a cross. His words are a “bring it on” kind of challenge, for how dare you begrudge this “all bent out of shape” woman the opportunity to stand up straight, even if she does straighten herself on the Sabbath and in your synagogue!

A hypocrite is, of course, always somebody else, or better, always somebody else’s problem, but there can be no doubt that Jesus desires to cut right to the chase, mincing no words in retorting that the synagogue leadership does exactly what they have dared to criticize him for doing, namely working on the Sabbath.

“Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger, and lead it away to give it water?” Surely, not one of you, says Jesus, would want to risk mistreating or injuring your animals on the Sabbath, your means of economic livelihood. Isn’t it true that you violate a strict interpretation of the Sabbath law when you do work by taking your animals out to give them water?

My point is, says Jesus, if you routinely set your animals free from bondage on the Sabbath to give them what they need, then why not set this daughter of Abraham at liberty as well and give her what she needs?

Once again, Luke’s gospel tells us, Jesus has shocked his opponents into shame, and has gained not only the upper hand in his running debate with the synagogue leadership, but he has gained the support of the crowd as well.

Eighteen years was a long time to endure a disease. Chances are, this synagogue leader had been a guardian of tradition for that long, too. In the presence of Jesus, both were “all bent out of shape,” but for different reasons and with different results.

On a personal level, this gospel text would ask us to dig into our own lives and ask what conflict with another, what painful relationship, what simmering anger, what hesitation to forgive has me or you “all bent out of shape,” needing the touch of being made whole?

We don’t talk much anymore of evil spirits as an explanation for medical or psychological problems, but it remains true that there are spiritual burdens that weigh heavy, that bend and cripple, that can make acceptance of self and others quite difficult.

Whether in the prayer and silence of Sunday morning, in the act of coming to a healing and wholeness service, or simply electing to live towards a different reality, a different hope, the church is a place where there is supposed to be something that reshapes us, helps us stand tall, or least straighter than we have stood before.

Surprised by grace, this diseased, disfigured woman stood fully erect and became a new person – Jesus himself called her a daughter of Abraham, a full participant in the covenant. In response, she openly praised God right then and there.

If we can but let go of our pride of self-healing, perhaps we, too, could receive this touch of Jesus and hear our name pronounced in a new way. I hope that the Church can generate that context of healing and hope for you, for the truth is, we all are but wounded healers, seeking wholeness for self and others.

And even beyond our misshapen personal lives, we have to face the truth that we also get “all bent out of shape” when our view of sacred space or sacred time seems to get challenged or interrupted or reframed, especially when there comes a time for embracing the renewal of beloved traditions or comfortable surroundings, such as this synagogue leader experienced in his confrontation with Jesus.

Everyone, today, will have his or her own interpretation of whatever it is that is new that Jesus is trying to make happen in our midst. None of us would deny that the good news of Jesus must be the final word and final authority, yet interpretations always abound about just what that means, and often we don’t know what might be construed as self-serving or what is simply a person’s best faith interpretation of what the church is called to be and to be doing at this moment in time.

I’d like to say two things here at the close, by way of applying this scripture to our current corporate situation here at Bethel, words that I trust this text and the Spirit have led me to say.

As Bethel’s visioning process continues to unfold, and we are now well into our second year and many people are working very hard, there will be even more opportunities to discern what new things God calls us to be about. I am sure that a lot of that energy and resources will get focused on building preservation and the management of challenges related to multiple property uses in light of limitations of land and space.

As we work through those property concerns, if we wish to avoid having Jesus say to us, “You hypocrites!” we had best make it a priority to ensure that these buildings can be more inclusive of those whose physical condition prevents them at the present time from fully joining the worshiping community. I know that no one means any harm. But there are folks whose bodies are so bent out of shape that access into this space and into Sabbath time is either more difficult than it should be for them, or worse, it is not a reality for them at all. Shame on us if that is not corrected sooner rather than later. We cannot truthfully claim to be an inclusive, caring congregation when our physical limitations prevent those with their own physical limitations from being full participants in the life of the faith community.

The second thing, and this will take even more commitment than the first, is to continue to work towards being not just a congregation that takes care of its own, but a missional church demonstrating a commitment to the ministry priorities we have adopted and which we continue to implement: whether in support of the Headstart program, intergenerational trips to do service projects and learn about other cultures, cooperative outreach ministries with our church neighbor next door, figuring out ways to support ecumenical ministries of care giving, or digging deep to support the work of mission partners such as Samuel and Monica Wambugu of Kenya who will be visiting with us in early October, opportunities for the corporate “us” to stand tall will abound in the coming months and years.

It is always tempting to allow buildings to take priority over mission, instead of the other way around. At the very least, the two must be kept in conversation so that Sabbath time and sacred space become not an end in themselves, but a vehicle for the greater good of really confronting the claims of Jesus upon our community and world, and now pledging ourselves anew to work to make a difference.

And, if at times, we begin to feel “all bent out of shape,” either because the load is heavy or we don’t like what’s being done, then I hope that like the crowd in the synagogue on the day in question, that we can still find a voice to “rejoice at all the wonderful things God in Christ is doing,” sometimes with us, and yes, even sometimes, in spite of us.

And that is the word from the Lord, as I understand it today.

To God alone be the honor and the glory, now and always. Amen.

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Prayers of the People

Gracious Lord, as we grow up and grow older, as we seek deeper awareness of your truth, more abundant measures of your grace, help us to embrace all the new things you are doing among us and through us. May a commitment to incarnate and live the inclusive love of Christ for all people be our fundamental principle for why you have called us here to this place and time in the vast eternity of your purposes.

God, there are days when the burdens we carry are heavy on our shoulders and weigh us down, when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening. There do come times of temptation and trial when loyalty to the heart of the gospel tests our resilience and strength, and has us wondering why it is we made a commitment to you in the first place. In those times of struggle or doubt, grant the peace of your spirit and the support of your people, new courage to carry on and to follow through.

You have heard the concerns of your people for those in need of healing and wholeness. We praise you that you send healing in doctors and nurses, and you bless us with technology in medicine. We claim your promises of wholeness as we pray for those who are ill in body or mind, who long for your healing touch. Make the weak strong, the sick healthy, the broken whole, and confirm those who serve them as agents of your love.

Hear our prayers for those who are caregivers of the sick, who sit through the day and through the night, who feel pain in watching a loved one in pain. Provide the aged with homes of dignity and peace; give them understanding helpers and the willingness to accept help. We pray for the bereaved. Look with pity on the sorrows of your servants and comfort them with the memory of your goodness.

We pray for an awakened conscience, within ourselves, within this church and community, within this nation, for the crisis of health care that grips so many who are poor, immigrants, or otherwise marginalized in our society. Even as we work not to take for granted the benefits we have, cause us to become more mindful of the scarcity experienced by others, and inspire state legislatures and Congress and the President with greater sensitivity and compassion towards those who are left out and left outside.

We know, O God, that we live in a world in crisis: hurricane damage nearby at home and famine and the AIDS epidemic abroad. Shed your mercy upon people who suffer from the devastation of war and the results of economic oppression. Make us worthy to serve our fellow human beings throughout the world, who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give them peace and joy.

This we pray through Christ, who has taught us to pray, saying

[Lord's Prayer]