Editor’s note: This Sunday’s sermon was preached by St. John’s member Karen Bielinski, on the occasion of her mother Virginia Radley’s 100th birthday. The manuscript here is shared with Karen’s kind permission.
St. John’s Lutheran Church
14 July 2024 + Lectionary 15b
Mark 6:14-29
Karen Bielinski
If you follow the NY Mets (and who doesn’t!!) you’ll have noticed the latest trend when a Mets’ player hits a home run which is to hold up an OMG sign whenever a player hits a home run. When the batter crosses home plate he’s given the sign and an opportunity to pose for the TV cameras. Keep in mind that the recent Mets’ success follows a May when the Mets lost 19 out of 28 games and were playing perhaps their worst baseball in years, so how fitting was that utterance – one of shock and amazement and maybe a little mystery – oh my God!!!
Well I daresay that was my very reaction to Pastor Josh after I approached him about honoring my mom through a sermon on her 100th birthday only to find out that the gospel lesson for the day was the beheading of John the Baptist – oh my God – to which Pastor immediately grinned and replied that the text seemed very fitting … after all he said, the head of John the Baptist was delivered at Herod’s birthday party – what could be more perfect!!!
Never one to turn away from sheer panic and curious to take a closer look at today’s gospel lesson, I began to examine the sermon study materials that Pastor provided. Come to find out, as is usually the case, there is a lot more going on in the Gospel text than Herodias’ revenge — challenge accepted!!!
Herod’s life was like a soap opera, full of marriages and adultery, drunkenness and disorder. John condemns Herod’s marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife as incestuous and urges him to do the right thing. Herodias resented John’s interference and pleads with her husband to put John to death because even a cell was not enough to quiet him.
But here’s the thing – it seems that Herod really enjoyed listening to John. He considered him to be a truthful and holy man. He may have spent a significant amount of time outside of John’s cell listening to him. I wonder if John’s truth, sharp, hard-edged and costly as it was, compelled Herod as it compels us. In a world overrun with doctored images, fake headlines, exaggerated claims and blatant lies, truth is precious. Even as Herodias nagged him to do away with John, Herod dared to protect John in prison … at least until that fateful birthday party when a drunken Herod agrees to grant a wish to his beautiful stepdaughter. “Ask me for whatever you want” says Herod, “up to half my kingdom, and I’ll give it to you.” The girl runs to her mother (the spiteful Herodias) to see what she should ask for to which she immediately replies “the head of John the Baptist.”
Despite Herod’s conversations with John, despite his hopes and fears, despite the multiple opportunities to repent, Herod refused to hear God’s word. He didn’t really want to kill John. The gospel says “The king was deeply grieved,” but more than that he was arrogant and irresponsible and he used his power recklessly. In so many ways, this story could be taken from recent headlines today! Nothing mattered to Herod more than his own vanity and so to save face in front of his guests, he sent for the executioner and that was it for John.
Like so many of us, Herod got stuck – unable to cross the line from spectatorship to discipleship. To his credit, Herod appears to begin in the right place – he was curious – he seemed to yearn for something more. But this story points out in blunt and honest terms what it means to be sent from God – it tells us about the cost of discipleship, for which John the Baptist paid the ultimate price.
But what does that look like for us? I don’t think John’s ending is what God has in store for each of us – God is not calling perfect people to be his ambassadors in this world – there wasn’t a perfect man (or woman) among the disciples. But it is a call to share the good news, it is a call to love kindness, do justice and walk humbly with God. The love of Christ compels us, his grace motivates us. The call is for us to go faithfully into the places we work, live, learn and play prepared to tell others about the hope found in Christ’s message to us. Through the gospel, we stand accepted by God in all our uniqueness and imperfections.
Such a path doesn’t rule out questions or doubts. Questions and doubts along the way are natural, even expected, as we grow in faith. But when we are open to God’s mystery and surprise, when we approach Jesus with such a curiosity – OMG – we are led to just that, discipleship. We can’t care too much about what other people think of us. We can’t value our status, reputation and popularity more than we do the truth. We can’t be so bent on conflict-avoidance that we harm others with our passivity. Justice may be messy or costly to pursue, but those most vulnerable depend on us to live out our call.
Living out our call as disciples is not without its risks, but it’s also not a call we live out alone. From the families who raised us to the families we choose, the church, our friends and neighbors, we each have those who nurture us, support us, and challenge us in our calling. When seen through my teenage eyes, much of who my mom was and what she did was incomprehensible. On a superficial level she was a mother doing what mothers did, mothering. Beyond that, I didn’t understand, or even begin to appreciate, how she modeled discipleship for me.
The hindsight of passing years and growing maturity have slowly revealed her real value. I look now and am humbled. I see the enormity of raising four children, of loving 10 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren. I marvel at her strength of will and determination, her fierce desire to become a nurse despite her parents’ objections and pursuing a long career devoted to helping others which continues still today. She actively encouraged each of her children to investigate life’s BIG questions – leading but never smothering. Her faith that we would each find our own “right” path and relationship with what it is to be human living in the world held us strongly.
Born a Methodist (we won’t hold that against her), she and my father who was Dutch Reformed joined Christ Lutheran Church in Ghent in the early 1950s to provide a unified Christian education for their children. Living across the street from the church has plusses and minuses – you’re usually not late to church (like some of us!), but being in such a close proximity opens you up to much more responsibility simply because “Virginia can do it – she’s close and it won’t take long!” My mom stepped up to answer that call time and time and time again filling in every church role imaginable. She devoted her life to ministry, a call which has never ended for her even after her home church closed. Like John and the prophets before and after him, she was a strong voice – a voice of truth – not only in our home, but also in our church and our community and she always stood up for and protected the underprivileged, the lost, the sick and the needy. I have her hunger and respect for knowledge to thank for my education which she worked to provide for each of her children – during a time when most mothers still stayed home.
Beauty is free. That’s another legacy from her. It’s everywhere if you have eyes to see it, a sunrise, a child’s smile, a flower from the garden, a meal prepared with love, or a tree colored in autumn. Now in the autumn of her life, these gifts and this church are the things that keep her going. And for the gift of this church, we thank you all.
And that is our mom, grandmother, great grandmother. Four generations of our family are here today to celebrate with her … and to honor her for her amazing life. We are so proud of you. You have been and continue to be an example of persistence, courage, service, faith, hope, love, and the ongoing quest for justice and fairness, truly a model of discipleship. From your struggle to find a sense of place and purpose after dad died, you have overcome all odds – even a broken hip – to be with us today on this, your 100th birthday.
Mom, you are the pillar of our family. Your heart is made of gold and you have a century’s worth of wisdom and experience. You are one of the most extraordinary persons I’ve ever known. Today all I can say is OMG – Happy 100th Birthday!!! Thank you so much for being you. God has blessed you (and us) with a century of living, laughing and loving. May your heart remain as youthful as the dreams you have cherished throughout your life. You have witnessed a century of change and adapted with grace, illuminating the true essence of discipleship for us all.
“Well done thou good and faithful servant.”
Amen.