TEASER: (teaser taken from sermon script page II, paragraph 4) "MAN IS ILL-
EQUIPPED TO LIVE ON EARTH IN HIS NATURAL STATE, BUT MANAGES TO
GROW BECAUSE WE THRIVE ON THE GLOW OF ACHIEVEMENT WHICH
COMES WHEN WE MASTER THE DIFFICULT."

FACTS:

1.The title of today's message is "Down a Crooked Mile" The scripture/gospel reading is
from II Corintheans 12: 7-9

2. Dr. Mobley retired in 1981. Since his retirement he has had interim Pastorates in eleven
Presbyterian Churches including 2nd pres. These interim positions were in eight different
states and ten cities. A quote from Dr. Mobley's sermon regarding retirement: "Our plans
for retirement also symbolize the dream of the flawless way of life. Some may realize the
dream, but some find the brain stops working, wondering what to do with the hours, and
feel totally useless. The remarks of a good friends father, Dr. Mc Henry brewer's stick in
my mind. He said the only good thing about getting old was that he could turn off his
hearing aid in church and not hear a thing the preacher said."

3. The sermon focuses on the fact there is not such a thing as a flawless life. Life does not
come easy for most of us. But, human kind thrives on difficulties, it makes us stronger. In
essence in order to achieve anything we must overcome.

LEAD IN LINE FOR ANNCR BY FEMALE ANNCR: THAT WAS "BE JOYFUL IN
GOD" PERFORMED BY THE CHOIR OF 2ND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH UNDER
THE DIRECTION OF W. LLOYD COLE.

NOW LET'S JOIN DON ELLIOT HEALD WITH TODAY'S SPEAKER, DR. HENRY
MOBLEY, INTERIM PASTOR OF 2ND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN
LOUISVILLE. DON, I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU AND DR. MOBLEY HAVE
SOMETHING IN COMMON.

SUGGESTED POSSIBLE QUESTIONS:

1. Don's response should be to Sherrie that she's absolutely right. Than Don should direct
his conversation to Henry Mobley be welcoming and than talking about what they have in
common..."retirees that can't retire." Don might use some of the facts above to talk about
Henry's twelve years of interim pastoring and ask him to talk about what it's like to be
retired and Don can reiterate his own life as a retiree. The conversation needs to lead to
"nothing comes easy...." we plan our life to end with the grandeur of R & R and it does
not always turn out that way.

2. The above should lead to the fact that no life is a flawless one. Don might ask about
coping with the flaws, the crooked paths of life. Henry can respond with the words used in
the teaser, man is il] equipped to live on earth yet we thrive on being able to find ways to
survive. Life is a challenge as we walk down a crooked mile.

CLOSING LINE FOR ANNCR: "DOWN A CROOKED MILE..." SOUNDS
INTERESTING HENRY.

DON'T FORGET TO LISTEN AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE SERMON FOR
INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN RECEIVE A COMPLEMENTARY
TRANSCRIPT OF "DOWN A CROOKED MILE,".

BEFORE DR. MOBLEY PRESENTS HIS MESSAGE, HERE IS THE 2ND
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF LOUISVILLE CHOIR WITH "GOD OF GRACE
GOD OF GLORY."

PROTESTANT HOUR, #4
GIVE IT ALL

JOHN M. BucHANAN, Pastor

FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CHICAGO
Scripture: Mark 10:17-27 )

"..-GO, SELL WHAT YOU OWN, AND GIVE THE

MONEY TO THE POOR... THEN COME, FOLLOW
ME.” MaRK 10:21 (NRSV)

SOMEONE ONCE ASKED ERMA BomBECK IF
SHE SAVED UP GOOD IDEAS SO SHE’D BE ABLE
TO WRITE AT LEAST ONE STRONG COLUMN PER
WEEK.

SHE ANSWERED IN A COLUMN, "WHAT'S
SAVED IS OFTEN Lost," WHICH, UNLIKELY AS
IT IS, I PROPOSE AS A SECONDARY TEXT THIS
MORNING.

Miss BOMBECK WROTE:

"I DON'T SAVE ANYTHING. MY POCKETS
ARE EMPTY AT THE END OF A WEEK. So IS
MY GAS TANK. SO IS MY FILE OF IDEAS. I

TROT OUT THE BEST I'VE GOT, AND COME THE

NEXT WEEK, I BARGAIN, WHIMPER, MAKE
PROMISES, COWER AND THROW MYSELF ON THE
MERCY OF THE ALMIGHTY FOR JUST THREE
MORE COLUMNS IN EXCHANGE FOR CLEANING MY
OVEN.

"I DIDN'T GET TO THIS POINT OVER-
NIGHT. I CAME FROM A FAMILY OF
SAVERS...

"THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, I’VE SEEN A
FAIR NUMBER OF MY FAMILY WHO HAVE DIED
LEAVING CANDLES THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN
LIT, APPLIANCES THAT NEVER GOT OUT OF
THE BOX ....

“It GETS TO BE A HABIT.

"I HAVE LEARNED THAT SILVERWARE
TARNISHES WHEN IT ISN’T USED, PERFUME
TURNS TO ALCOHOL, CANDLES MELT IN THE
ATTIC OVER THE SUMMER, AND IDEAS THAT
ARE SAVED FOR A DRY WEEK OFTEN BECOME

DATED.

"T ALWAYS HAD A DREAM THAT WHEN I
AM ASKED TO GIVE AN ACCOUNTING OF MY
LIFE TO A HIGHER COURT, IT WILL BE LIKE
THIS: ‘SO, EMPTY YOUR POCKETS. WHAT
HAVE YOU GOT LEFT OF YOUR LIFE? ANY
DREAMS THAT WERE UNFILLED? ANY UNUSED
TALENT THAT WE GAVE YOU WHEN YOU WERE
BORN THAT YOU STILL HAVE LEFT? ANY
UNSAID COMPLIMENTS OR BITS OF LOVE THAT
YOU HAVEN'T SPREAD AROUND?’

"AND, I WILL ANSWER, ‘I'VE NOTHING
TO RETURN. I SPENT EVERYTHING YOU GAVE
ME. I'M AS NAKED AS THE DAY I WAS
BORN. '"

ONE TIME A YOUNG MAN ASKED JESUS A
SIMILAR QUESTION. |e Is, I THINK, ONE OF
THE MOST AUTHENTIC CHARACTERS IN THE NEw
TESTAMENT. | I KNOW THIS YOUNG MAN ~ THIS
FIRST CENTURY YOUNG URBAN PROFESSIONAL
FROM JERUSALEM. HE'S HARD WORKING,

SUCCESSFUL, RESPONSIBLE, VOLUNTEERS SOME

IN HIS SPARE TIME AND HE'S DOING WELL,
VERY WELL FINANCIALLY. BUT THERE IS
SOMETHING MISSING IN HIS LIFE, AN EMPTY
RESTLESSNESS, SOMETHING T. S. ELIOT ONCE
DESCRIBED IN A POEM - "WE ARE THE HOLLOW

men," | SOMETHING ARTHUR MILLER DESCRIBED

SO POIGNANTLY IN DEATH OF A SALESMAN,
SOMETHING ST. AUGUSTINE MEANT WHEN HE
WROTE, "OUR HEARTS ARE RESTLESS UNTIL
THEY REST IN THEE."

WHAT A MOMENT WHEN A WEALTHY YOUNG
MAN RUNS UP TO JESUS, A POOR, ITINERATE
RABBI, KNEELS BEFORE HIM AND ASKS, "GooD
TEACHER, WHAT MUST I DO TO INHERIT
ETERNAL LIFE?" WHAT FOLLOWS IS INTRIGU-
ING: "OBEY THE LAW," JESUS SAYS; "KEEP
THE COMMANDMENTS.”

"I DO THAT," THE YOUNG MAN ANSWERS.
"I’VE BEEN KEEPING THE COMMANDMENTS ALL

MY LIFE AND I'M STILL EMPTY.”

JESUS LIKES THAT. THIS MAN'S
WHOLESOME INNOCENCE, HONEST INQUISITIVE-
NESS, COURAGEQUS VULNERABILITY, MAKE HIM
A VERY WINSOME CHARACTER. HE HAS ALL
THE PROMISE OF A TRULY GREAT ONE. @&VERN™

So, WHAT'S

WRONG WITH HIM? WHY DOESN’T HE FEEL
GOOD ABOUT HIMSELF? JESUS LOOKS AT HIM
AGAIN, LOVES HIM AND SAYS, "YOU LACK ONE
THING. GO, SELL WHAT YOU OWN, GIVE THE
MONEY TO THE POOR, COME FOLLOW ME."

JESUS DOESN’T SAY THAT TO EVERYBODY
BY THE WAY. I?T 1S HIS PRESCRIPTION FOR
A PARTICULAR YOUNG MAN WHO, WHEN HE
HEARS IT, IS SAD, THE TEXT SAYS. | ap-
PALLED IS MORE LIKE IT, DON’T YOU IMAG-
ine? \ SELL IT ALL ~ GIVE IT ALL? | wii0
COULD DO A THING LIKE THAT? MAYBE SOME
OF IT; MAYBE MAKE A MAJOR, LEADERSHIP

GIFT TO THE CAMPAIGN; MAYBE EVEN TITHE

TEN PERCENT OF THE INCOME FROM HIS
INVESTMENTS, AFTER TAXES, OF COURSE.
BuT SELL IT ALL? GIVE IT ALL? No WAY.
THIS IS, FIRST OF ALL, ABOUT MONEY,
A TOPIC ABOUT WHICH AMERICANS, PARTICU-
LARLY, HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF AMBIGUITY.
JacoB NEEDLEMAN IS A PROFESSOR OF PHI-
LOSOPHY AT SAN Francisco STATE UNIVERSI-
TY AND HE HAS WRITTEN A BOOK ENTITLED

MONEY AND THE MEANING OF LIFE WHICH HAS

RECEIVED NATIONAL ATTENTION. HE WRITES:

"WE LIVE IN AN AFFLUENT SOCIETY.
THIS MEANS NOT ONLY THAT WE HAVE MUCH
MATERIAL WEALTH, BUT THAT WE WANT THIS
WEALTH MORE THAN WE WANT EVERYTHING
ELSE."

BuT, SAYS THIS PROFESSOR OF PHILOS-
OPHY, IT DOESN'T DO FOR US, WHAT WE
WANT. IT DOESN’T MAKE US HAPPY OR FREE
OR IMMORTAL OR EVEN CONTENT. IN FACT,

HE PROPOSES THAT OUR DESIRE FOR MONEY IS

A KIND OF SELF-IMPOSED HELL. IN A
CHAPTER ENTITLED, "THE NEW POVERTY:
Lire In HELL," HE WRITES

"HELL IS THE STATE IN WHICH WE ARE
BARRED FROM RECEIVING WHAT WE TRULY NEED
BECAUSE OF THE VALUE WE GIVE TO WHAT WE
MERELY WANT." [EP. 27]

"SELL IT ALL. Give 17 ALL.” It’s
A KIND OF ULTIMATE COUNTER CULTURE
MANDATE, IS IT NOT? \ War WOULD HAPPEN
IF WE ALL DID 1T? WHAT ABOUT OUR OBLI-
GATIONS, OUR BILLS, OUR RESPONSIBILITY
TO OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES AND
COLLEGES AND MUSEUMS? | Does JESUS ACTU-
ALLY PROPOSE THAT WE EXERCISE NO RESPON-
SIBILITY FOR QUR FUTURE?) FAMILIES?
INSTITUTIONS? |_OR IS THIS ' PRE-
SCRIPTION FOR THIS YOUNG MAN ALONE?
WHAT WOULD HIS PRESCRIPTION BE FOR YOU
AND me? | WHAT WOULD HE TELL YOU AND ME

THAT WE NEED TO DO TO INHERIT ETERNAL

L1Fe| oR TO BE FULLY AND COMPLETELY ALIVE
NOW? / WouLD IT NOT BE DIFFERENT FOR EACH
OF US? WOULD HE NOT, WITH HIS MYSTERI-
OUS PRECISION, HIS SENSE OF THE CENTER,
WOULD HE NOT IDENTIFY WHATEVER IT IS IN
WHICH YOU AND I HAVE INVESTED OUR HOPES
AND DREAMS, AND ARE COUNTING ON TO SAVE
US; OUR CAREER, OUR SUCCESS, OUR INFLU-
ENCE, OUR POWER, OUR PERSONAL APPEAR-
ANCE? WOULD HE NOT TELL US WHAT HE TOLD
THAT WINSOME YOUNG MAN, NAMELY TO RE-
LEASE OUR GRIP, TO OPEN OUR HANDS TO LET
IT GO AND TO COME, FOLLOW.

THE WEALTHY YOUNG MAN WHO CAME TO
JESUS ASKING ABOUT LIFE, IN A WAY, I
THINK, REPRESENTS EVERYONE OF US. HE
HAS SUCCEEDED PROFESSIONALLY, FINANCIAL-
LY. IN ADDITION, HE HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL
RELIGIOUSLY. HE HAS DONE EVERYTHING HIS

RELIGION TOLD HIM TO DO ALL HIS LIFE.

HE IS AT THE END OF THE LINE... HE
DOESN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO TO PRODUCE
THE EXPERIENCE HE WANTS AND neEps.| AND
WHAT IS THAT? - SATISFACTION, WHOLE-
NESS, ONENESS WITH THE WORLD, WITH HIS
OWN LIFE, WITH GOD, A SENSE THAT HE'S
LIVING HIS LIFE AS PURPOSEFULLY AND
MEANINGFULLY AS HE CAN ...

THE RADICAL MESSAGE OF CHRISTIAN
FAITH IS THAT WHAT WE TRULY NEED IS
OFFERED TO US AS A GIFT ... Gop’S LOVE,
Gop’S FORGIVENESS, GOD'S ACCEPTANCE.

THE RADICAL PERSONAL IMPLICATION,
OF COURSE, IS THAT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE
TO ACCEPT THE GIFT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE
tT. I LOVE THE WAY BARBARA Brown TAYLOR
PUTS IT:

“You CANNOT ACCEPT Gob'S GIFT IF
YOU HAVE NO SPARE HAND TO TAKE IT WITH.
YOU CANNOT MAKE ROOM FOR IT IF YOUR

ROOMS ARE ALREADY FULL. YOU CANNOT

FOLLOW IF YOU ARE NOT FREE TO GO.” Lop.
cIT., P. 125]

I conFess - I’M A SAVER... I
STILL HAVE MY CLASS NOTES FROM FRESHMAN
GEOLOGY. SOMETIMES IN THE PROCESS OF
PREPARING A SERMON, I HAVE A COUPLE OF
IDEAS THAT I THINK ARE SO GOOD I CAN’T
WASTE THEM IN AUGUST WHEN THEY MIGHT
WORK IN NOVEMBER. AND THEN I READ ANNIE
DILLARD’S WONDERFUL LITTLE BOOK, THE

WRITING LIFE, WHICH IS REALLY ABOUT

LIVING LIFE. ANNIE DILLARD’S WORDS
LEAPT OFF THE PAGE AND I HAVE COME TO
THINK THAT THEY ARE PERHAPS THE MOST
ELOQUENT COMMENTARY AROUND ON THE STORY
OF THE WEALTHY YOUNG MAN IN MARK 10.
"ONE OF THE FEW THINGS I KNOW ABOUT
WRITING IS THIS: SPEND IT ALL, RIGHT
AWAY, EVERY TIME. Do NOT HOARD WHAT
SEEMS GOOD FOR A LATER TIME IN THE BOOK,

OR FOR ANOTHER BOOK: GIVE IT, GIVE IT

10

ALL, GIVE IT NOW. SOMETHING MORE WILL
ARISE FOR LATER, SOMETHING BETTER.
THESE THINGS FILL FROM BEHIND, FROM
BENEATH, LIKE WELL WATER. ANYTHING YOU
DO NOT GIVE FREELY AND ABUNDANTLY BE-
COMES LOST TO YOU. YOU OPEN YOUR SAFE
AND FIND ASHES.”

IN HIS POPULAR BOOK THE SEVEN

HABITS OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE,

STEVEN COVEY TELLS ABOUT
“THE MAN WHO ASKED ANOTHER, ON THE DEATH
OF A MUTUAL FRIEND, ‘HOW MUCH DID HE
LEAVE?’ HIS FRIEND RESPONDED, ‘HE LEFT
IT auL.’" Cp, 99]

You AND I REALLY DON'T OWN ANYTHING
WE CANNOT DO WITHOUT. IN FACT, THERE IS
A SENSE IN WHICH WE ARE IN BONDAGE TO
ANYTHING WE CANNOT GIVE AWAY. THAT IS
WHAT JESUS SAW WHEN HE LOOKED AT THE
EARNEST YOUNG MAN, AND THAT, I BELIEVE,

IS THE PLACE WHERE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS

11

CHRIST INTERSECTS MOST POWERFULLY WITH
YOUR LIFE AND MINE.

THAT'S WHAT JESUS CHRIST CAME TO
GIVE - THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LiFe. IT £5
A GIFT. YOU RECEIVE IT BY OPENING YOUR
HANDS AND ASKING FOR IT. IT IS YOURS AS
YOU RELEASE YOUR GRIP ON WHATEVER IT IS
YOU ARE CLASPING SO TIGHTLY AND ALLOW
Gop’s LOVE, GOD’S FORGIVENESS, Gop's
AMAZING GRACE TO FILL YOU.

You KNOW, FROM CHILDHOOD YOU AND I
HAVE BEEN TAUGHT TO CLASP OUR HANDS
TIGHTLY IN PRAYER =~ "CLOSE YOUR EYES,
BOW YOUR HEAD, FOLD YOUR HANDS.” AND
THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT THAT POSTURE
THAT REFLECTS OUR MIND SET: CLOSED OFF
FROM THE WORLD, HANDS NOT TOUCHING
ANYTHING TO DISTRACT; HEAD LOWERED FROM
THE LEVEL OF NORMAL INTERCOURSE WITH
LIFE, A KIND OF PERSONAL SPIRITUAL

CLOSET. THERE IS A MUCH OLDER Custom, I

12

HAVE LEARNED, AND THAT IS TO BE IN A
RECEPTIVE POSTURE AS YOU PRAY; EYES OPEN
PERHAPS, HEAD UP, AND MOST OF ALL, HANDS
OPEN. SOME PEOPLE EVEN LIFT THEIR HANDS
IN A POSTURE OF RECEIVING AS THEY
PRAY ... MOST OF US CAN’T BRING OUR~
SELVES TO DO THAT. BUT WON’T YOU QUIET-
LY, SIMPLY, RELAX THE MUSCLES IN YOUR
HANDS AND LET THEM BE OPEN, PALMS
SLIGHTLY UP - LET GO OF WHATEVER YOU ARE
SQUEEZING, HOLDING SO TIGHTLY, AND BE
READY TO RECEIVE.

THE PROMISE, WHICH JESUS MADE TO
HIS PERPLEXED FRIENDS, IS THAT THOUGH
THE DEMAND TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY IS IMPOS-
SIBLE, WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE,
A LITTLE MORE SO, I THINK, WHEN OUR

HANDS ARE OPEN.

tb bt + +

13

GREAT Gop OF LOVE, FOR ALL YOUR
GIFTS, WE THANK YOU. FOR OUR RESOURCES,
BE THEY GREAT OR MODEST, FOR THE LOVE OF
FRIENDS AND FAMILIES, FOR THE COMMON
GIFTS OF BEAUTY AND KINDNESS AND AFFEC-
TION, WE THANK YOU. TEACH US TO OPEN
OUR HANDS, TO RELEASE OUR GRIP, AND TO
BE RECEPTIVE TO THE LOVE YOU HAVE FOR

uS, IN JESUS CHRIST ouR LorD. AMEN.

14

PROTESTANT HOUR
SERMON #4 —~ SUMMARY
GIVE I't ALL

JOHN M. BUCHANAN, PASTOR
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CHICAGO

Scripture
Mark 10:17-27

"...go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor... then
come, follow me." Mark 10:21 (NRSV)

Give it All is what Jesus told an affluent young man who one
day asked him what he must do to inherit eternal life.

Jesus’ answer is stunning. Sell all - give it away and
come, follow me.

This sermon suggests that his prescription different for
each of us and that we can’t receive God’s gift of life until we

release our grip on whatever it is we are holding tightly.