Sermon - 9/27/20

<p>Charles Campbell, professor of homiletics at Duke University, when commenting on today’s gospel reading, shares this memory and amusing thought.  He writes:</p> <p>A few years ago, while channel surfing, I paused and watched part of an interview with television psychologist and celebrity Dr. Phil.  At one point the interviewer asked Dr. Phil, “If you could interview anyone in the world, past or present, who would it be?”  Dr. Phil replied, without hesitation, “Jesus Christ.  I would really like to interview Jesus Christ.  I would like to have a conversation with him about the meaning of life.”  As soon as Dr. Phil spoke, I remember thinking, “Oh no, you wouldn’t!  You would not want to sit down with Jesus, treat him like an interviewee, and ask him about the meaning of life.  You would be crazy to do that.  He would turn you upside down and inside out.  He would confound all your questions and probably end up telling you to sell everything you own, give the money to the poor, and come, follow him.  No, Dr. Phil, you do not really want to interview Jesus, and I do not want to either.  It would not go well.”</p> <p> </p> <p>          Dr. Campbell’s point in telling this story is that conversations with Jesus are dangerous conversations.  They are very dangerous because Jesus is always going to twist and turn your thinking, leave your head spinning, take you to new places, and leave you feeling confounded.  Jesus cannot be captured or made to fit into our preconceived notions or perspectives.  Jesus is <strong>always</strong> going to be moving us <strong>beyond</strong> the safety of our preconceived notions, perspectives, and ideas about God.  And, quite honestly, when one of these dangerous conversations takes place, the participants will rarely leave the encounter singing a hymn like, “Safe in the Arms of Jesus!”</p> <p>          As we encounter Jesus today, it is the final week of his life.  Just one day earlier, he had entered Jerusalem accompanied by shouts of “Hosanna to the Son of David,” as people were