"This is a strange story," declares J.M. Creed. "Fantastic and grotesque," adds Joseph Fitzmyer. "Unsophisticated, with enough preposterous material to invite the scorn of the skeptic," concludes J. Pesch. These men are all esteemed New Testament scholars. Their statements refer to the story I just read (Luke 8:26-39). If you want a more local opinion, take it from the lady who edits the church page. In response to hearing the title of this morning's sermon, she simply said: "Yuk."

But it is a good story. A rich story. Three out of four gospels retell it. One suspects that, in its day, it was quite popular. I suppose it could be called the story of a healing. But what it really is, is the story of an exorcism. Which nudges it toward the fringe of respectability. But since you and I have n…