May 12, 2013
Over-Ruled
- Acts 16:16-34
- Rev. Jack Wineman
Your guest preacher today is the spouse of your regular, called, Senior Pastor, Teri Thomas.
For 10 plus years I have kept under the “ preacher” radar but now I have been pulled kicking and screaming out of retirement to your pulpit at her behest, because its Ruth’s turn to preach, and Ruth is on sabbatical. Ruth and Emma and Hadley, wherever you are, if you are watching, and I hope you are not, go have a late Sunday brunch, read a meaningless and non-ministerial book.
To relatives and friends who might be watching on the live video streaming, I say hello, here I am in white shirt and tie, just in case you don’t recognize me dressed like this. You won’t soon see me dressed like this again. Just be assured, Teri is not grounded by a snow storm in NYC.
To strangers, visitors, and long time members, you might not know that Teri is married to a real live person, who most often wears a non-descript hat or like last Sunday is dressed in an Ethiopian man’s dress up clothes to honor their Orthodox Easter. Bo Walker, said as he and Mary greeted me in the Gathering place, I looked, he said after a pause “ ethereal”. But to you all, be of good cheer, I will not be preaching next Sunday, so you’ all, come back real soon, ya hear?
We begin this morning in jail, the rubble of which still lies scattered in ruins in Phillipi, northeastern Greece. It is near the same site as last Sunday’s beautiful success story of Lydia, business woman, the seller of purple, who became the first convert to Christianity in Europe.
I have been to prison in Greece, many times, but never, ( thank God) to stay overnight. The prison was the infamous “ Korydallos” prison in Athens, Greece. The International congregation of St Andrews which I served as pastor used to visit the prison every other Sat. and take toiletries and Communion to any who would visit with us in the crowded visitation room. Occasionally, if the Orthodox priest was in a good mood, we would be allowed to meet with prisoners in the rear of the Orthodox chapel but he would watch we did not get too close to the “ iconostasis” screen across the front. Prison visitation is full of interesting quirks.
Oh yes, and there’s another ingredient in this wild and crazy story. There are also elements of torture, unjust and illegal imprisonment, degrading, de-humanizing conditions. Not so different from the conditions experienced by far too many prisoners across our world today. Is it? Did you know that the USA leads all comparable countries in the rate of incarceration by 5xtimes? Or 5000 for every 100,000 population not 500 per 100,000. That prison building, housing, managing, has been a growth industry for the past 30 years? Confinement, torture, “lock ‘em up and throw away the key ” we say all too glibly. Unseen and out of mind! But wait.!.....
Could anything be more relevant than the startling news out of Cleveland this week underscoring with devastating reality yet another element in this scripture.?
The “ sweet” news is that the decadence, the torture, the confinement, the abuse of three innocent women for more than 10 years is finally and forever over. Thank God! They are out, and although never the same, they are alive and restored to their loved ones.
The “ sour” news is that we cannot begin to imagine their fear, their anger, and their physical as well as psychic pain, endured over all that time. How, we ask ourselves, could anyone do such madness to another human being?
It introduces this further element contained in the scripture story, of a second woman, after Lydia, but from the same community. She has no name, no status, save that of a slave. She is used as a tool by her so called “owners “, who exploit her gift to speak prophetically, today we might say “tell your fortune”. For their own profit. Who knows what else these slave owning “pimps” exploited?
And then these pimps have the audacity to be affronted and offended when Paul employs the healing power of God’s divine love to exorcize her demon and she is no longer of any use to them. These greed profiteers drag Paul and Silas into the town center, present trumped up false and inflammatory charges then incite a riot, in which the disciples are beaten, then thrown into prison to rot. Sound the least bit familiar or contemporary to anyone?
Distressingly, the slave girl disappears from sight. We can only speculate about the rest of her life? You might even consider writing a book about her. But she was, “free at last.”
That night, an earthquake of intervention, shook the jail, freeing the prisoners from their stocks, but strangely no one leaves. The jailer is in profound shock and awe when he finds them all still there. Immediately he believes in this God of such power and purpose, even his family along with him asks to be baptized and all rejoice as wounds are washed and food is shared.
In the span of 24 hours which began so blandly with a slave girl’s shouts goes full circle, and ends with the magistrates arriving to apologize. Can you believe it?
So, what are you asked to believe? The exorcism of a demon?
The unfair and arrogant entitlement of the greedy local entrepreneurs?
The faith of the jailer?
The turnaround of the magistrates who learn Paul is a Roman citizen?
Believe what you will. I affirm the Sovereign Lord OF THE UNIVERSE, who overrules them all.
The girl’s demons, OVER-RULED.! The shamed and broken exploiters, OVER-RULED!
The self important magistrates, OVER-RULED!
The suicidal jailer, restored, dignified, OVER-RULED!
Even Paul and Silas, chastened, humbled, wary, relieved, are sent on their way, all, OVER-RULED!
Left behind? An infant, congregation of believers, the first church of Phillipi. THANKS BE TO GOD, Amen.