"This is the Gospel of the Lord," I said. And you folks didn't skip a beat, "Thanks be to God," you said. What were we thinking? Sometimes our liturgical responses don't exactly mesh with the tenor of the text. And the tenor of the text is tenuous - at least as we search for the gospel - the Good News.

Dr. Mark Hoffman is a homiletics professor - he gets paid to teach preachers to preach, Dr. Hoffman warns the pastor tackling the text for this day that even though this text "is probably one of the best known birthday party stories ever ... I'm not sure you're going to find any Gospel to preach." I'm thinking we should skip over the death of John the Baptist, say "amen" to it all, and get on with the more fun part of our worship, the Baptism of TaylaMarie. But a preacher's gotta preach and so here goes.

The kidnapping happened on the 4th of July, in front of a coffee shop in Brooklyn. This past Thursday evening, the anchorman introduced the story this way. "Warning: we are about to show you a video with gruesome graphic content." Now I don't know if that kind of caveat has people changing the channel or do they turn up the volume. I have a sense there is a lot of rubbernecking in thousands of homes in the tri-state area. I picture people calling out to somebody in the next room, "Come in here honey. They're about to show a video with gruesome graphic content." Human nature. As for me, I did not change the channel. And what was shown was a Youtube clip of the beheading of the kidnap victim. Maybe you saw it.

Now the "victim" was an eight foot fiberglass replica of the Statue of Liberty and oddly enough, fiberglass or not, it really was kind of gruesome to watch. The replica of the Lady in the Harbor was blindfolded, and then decapitated by a power saw. Who could watch that without thinking of al-Qaida and Daniel Perl. Adding insult to injury, the words "death to America," and "we don't want your freedom," scrolled across the screen. I'm no detective, but when these people are caught, I'm thinking they'll turn out to be five white kids from Brooklyn on a lark.

Nevertheless, what an ugly story as a background for today's text - the account of the beheading of John the Baptist. Truth be told, John, the fire-and-brimstone preacher down by the River Jordan was a more likely target for anger and hate then the Statue of Liberty, minding her own business in front of the coffee shop. The reason is this: John was not minding his own business. John was minding God's business. Beyond that, John was getting in the face of the king. Speaking truth to power can be a dangerous endeavor. John was not deterred.

The Bible sometimes teases us. When Herod heard John, he was greatly perplexed; and yet Herod liked to listen to him. I'd love to know what John was saying to Herod that has the king so perplexed? So perplexed, and yet, the king likes to listen to him? Herod has easy access to John; he has John under lock-and-key. Now, the reason John is in prison in the first place is that he had the courage to point out, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." John the Baptist is not a man to mince words. We know what mince means: whitewash, gloss over, soft-pedal, play down. John would not do that - he would not take the easy way out. "Herod, my man, there are plenty of fish in the pond ... maybe you'd want to think about choosing another woman. I mean, really, your bother's wife. Think of the in-law problems." Minced words can be the easy way out.

John minces no words. So when Herod seduces and then marries his brother's wife, John gets right in Herod's face, as they say, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." That might annoy Herod, but John after all is a preacher, a man of God, and what the hey ... he is right. His new wife, Herodias, is not quite so generous toward John - it annoys her to no end that John calls a spade-a-spade and a sin-a-sin. But even with all her charms, she can not persuade Herod to have John killed. One way or another though, Herodias is determined to cut John off at the knees - or as it turns out, elsewhere.

In the end, Herod is outsmarted by his own wife. Here's where the birthday story comes in: his wife throws him a party. The high muckety-mucks of Israel are all invited. The food is fit for a king, and why not? The wine flows freely. Now Herodias has a daughter, a pretty young thing, and during the festivities, the daughter lady dances for the guests. So you think you can dance? Evidently she can really dance and Herod is so taken by the floor show he makes an offer in the presence of all his guests. And once he makes that promise, "Young lady, I'll give you anything for that stunning performance," once the otherwise cautious king says that, the trap has been sprung. No turning back.

"Wow," the girl must be thinking, "up to half his kingdom." She hesitates and then walks over to Herodias for a little mother-daughter chat. Herod is probably thinking, "Oh, oh." And with good reason. In a flash the dancer returns; she does not want half the kingdom. She wants just a bit of the Baptist: "I want you to give me at once the head of John on a platter." Maybe her voice underlines the words, "at once." Herod cannot back down, and thus he saves face - John's head is delivered - at once. Herod's party has turned horrid! The text tells us that Herod is deeply grieved, but it's hard to work up any sympathy.

Some months later, Jesus is arrested. Being about God's business can land you in a whole lot of trouble. And the man on the scene with the authority to make a difference? The Roman governor. The governor too, in wanting to satisfy the crowd, takes the easy way out. And the governor makes a name for himself. Week after week, down through the years, gathered Christians confess in the creed, "crucified under Pontius Pilate." Like John, Jesus is killed. But this time, death does not take.

Living the Christian life is not for sissies ... unless you're willing to take the easy way out. This story of John is told to push complacent Christians beyond the notion that living out our faith comes at little or no cost. Yes, if we take it seriously, the Christian life is not for sissies. if you ever doubt that, turn to Mark 6, with all its gruesome graphic content.

Okay ... there you have it. And the parents of TaylaMaria have to be wondering, "what in God's name are we getting our daughter into?" I have to tell you that from my vantage point in the pulpit, I am so relieved that Mom, Dad and daughter aren't scrambling for the nearest exit. Yet. This is serious business ... Baptism. I like to think that Dana and Bob are not only going to go through with this, but the party in the fellowship hall will proceed as scheduled. And the reason is simple. Even as TaylaMarie is baptized into the death of Jesus ... we just heard the reminder that death does not take. To be sure, properly done, following Jesus can be costly. But the payback is priceless. And to that we respond with gusto, "thanks be to God."