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    Aug 27, 2017

    Tangled OR It's (Not) All in the Hair

    Passage: Judges 16:16-20

    Speaker: Rev. Vivian McCarthy, Pastor

    Series: The Gospel in Disney

    Category: Discipleship

    Keywords: gifts, healing

    From the time Rapunzel is born, people believe that the magical power of healing and age-reversal is contained in her beautiful hair. In the Book of Judges, we read about Samson, whose unusual powers were also associated with his hair. But is the power really in the hair? We have all been created in the image of God and we all have powers. We call them “gifts.”

    The story of Samson and Delilah is one of the juiciest stories in the Bible – with a huge dose of human treachery at every turn!

    Samson was a miracle baby. Manoah and his wife (who is not named in the scriptures) had no children and though it is not explicit in the story, it reads as though they were past the age of childbearing. Then Manoah’s wife had a divine visitor who said:
    “Although you are barren, having borne no children, you shall conceive and bear a son. 4 Now be careful not to drink wine or strong drink, or to eat anything unclean, 5 for you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor is to come on his head, for the boy shall be a nazirite to God from birth. It is he who shall begin to deliver Israel from the hand of the Philistines.” (Judges 13:3b-5)

    Does anyone remember what a nazirite is?
    Set aside – consecrated – for special service – abstinence: alcohol, unclean food, razor

    Samson’s main role was as a judge over Israel, but his fame throughout the centuries has been as a strong man – a kind of super Arnold Schwarzenegger with the strength of many men. By the time we reach today’s part of the story, he has killed a lion with his bare hands and defeated the Philistines by killing 1000 men with the jawbone of a donkey.

    Today’s story reveals the supposed source of his strength: his hair.

    As we saw in the Children’s Moment today, Rapunzel’s rare healing gift also supposedly comes from her hair. There is a clue in her birth story, however, about the true nature of her gift.

    (All clips mentioned are from the film Tangled.  I suggest your watching the movie and/or looking at the clips in conjunction with this message.)  TECH: Please play 00:01:09 to 00:01:27 (“heal the sick the injured”)

    A gift of the sun. Or is that a gift of the S-o-n? I’m pretty sure Disney meant s-u-n, but we’re learning to see God-pointers!

    Rapunzel was kidnapped and held captive by an evil woman who wanted to hoard the gift so that she would never age. Hers was a desire for outward, physical beauty. She did not allow Rapunzel to leave a dreary, ugly tower, telling her it was for her protection.

    Of course, in true Disney fashion, that all changes eventually. Rapunzel is drawn to the beauty of the floating sky lanterns that are released every year on her birthday, and on her 18th birthday, she finally gets her chance to see them in person.

    She also realizes that she is the lost princess – and most importantly, she finds that her healing gift is not dependent on her hair.

    So it was with Samson. Delilah, spying for the Philistines, thinks that if she just cuts his hair, Samson will be defeated, but she is completely and utterly surprised when Samson prays for strength and brings the building down, literally crushing the opposition and dying with them to save Israel.

    Over the last 2 Sundays, I have talked about serious national issues in relation to the movies from Disney. I talked about our role as Christians in confronting racism and in standing for peace while valuing all of human life – and the planet. Tough assignments by anyone’s estimation.

    Today’s story gives us one more insight into how we actually do that.

    Listen to this song – I See the Light.

    TECH: Play clip 1:06:56 to 1:08:28 (fade the sound as Eugene comes into view “now that I see you.”)

    Was blind but now I see. I know it’s a love song. But the best love songs point us to God.

    Where have we been blind to our role as disciples in a world that needs the grace of Jesus Christ? Where have we been living without a clue as to what is really going on? And how have we gone along with the way life IS because we haven’t stepped outside of our tower to see what is really happening – what is real – keeping our God-given gifts of love and care safe and protected for the benefit of a very few? When do we withhold love when we know that Jesus said, Love your enemy. Love one another as I have loved you.

    And what keeps us blind to the realities around us?

    TECH: Play clip 00:12:45 to 00:14:10 (fade the sound and end clip as Rapunzel lights several candles in a row – just after mother is coming down the steps)

    There are so many voices and forces that shape us. And like the mother in this film, not all of the voices and forces are trustworthy. Have you ever stopped to think about what is influencing you? Humans absorb a great deal from the environment – family activity and conversation, things said and done in places like church or school, what we choose to listen to or watch on radio or tv. And much of what we absorb is more or less automatic. We don’t always choose or analyze what becomes part of our thinking. We just “know” that it’s true.

    We even do this when it comes to scripture. People have been interpreting scripture for eons, many times interpreting what it says to develop or support their particular worldview. I can’t count the times that someone has told me “the Bible says,” when the Bible says no such thing, but insistent voices say it often enough that it sounds like the truth.

    One of my favorite Bible study groups was working on Disciple 1 when they started telling me things that were in the Bible – like “A penny saved is a penny earned.” They were convinced that was scripture – until I told them it was actually Ben Franklin. After that, we began writing the Book of Hezekiah – you know, things that we thought were in the Bible – or should be in the Bible – but aren’t. We had lots of great laughs. In case you didn’t catch all of the joke, Hezekiah was a king, but there is no book in the Bible that bears his name.

    Like Rapunzel, we sometimes passionately believe things that are a façade or a fabrication created out of ignorance or personal agenda or fear (which is a truly destructive force).

    Our strength, our help, our hope, our gifts come from God – and are to be used for Godly purpose. In the story, it appears that Samson’s strength – his gift – was due to keeping his nazirite vow. He didn’t cut his hair, so his hair was the source of his strength. But when push really came to shove and he was supposedly completely drained of all his strength, he found that his strength came from his reliance on God.

    Do you know that part of the story? In the same chapter of Judges, verses 28 to 30 tell the rest of the story:
    Then Samson called to the Lord and said, “Lord God, remember me and strengthen me only this once, O God, so that with this one act of revenge I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.” And Samson grasped the two middle pillars on which the house rested, and he leaned his weight against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other. Then Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He strained with all his might; and the house fell on the lords and all the people who were in it.

    Now I really don’t recommend leaning against the wall so we kill hundreds of people like Samson did. But I do recommend taking serious stock of the gifts – the strengths God has given us and seriously offering those gifts for the doing God’s work.

    Similarly, in a moment of wonder and immense relief, Rapunzel realizes that her gift was not all wrapped up in her hair but has been planted within her:

    TECH: Play clip 01:23:28 to 01:27:42 (end as Eugene comes to and Rapunzel says, “Eugene”

    Her gift did not depend on something magical but on the wonderful gift of God within.  Rapunzel and Samson gave everything they had in using their gifts. May it be so with all of us. God has placed gifts in each and every one of us and has been calling us to use our gifts to make the world a better place – not in our image, not to advance our agendas, not for personal benefit or gain, but in the image and intention of God – as taught by his Son Jesus who came to show us God’s ways.

    People of God, you have what it takes to bind up the wounds – to heal our broken world.