Blessed Assurance
Commentary
A recently widowed woman in her early seventies is returning to the church where she raised her children. Her recently deceased husband had required much home health care, which she attended to throughout the years. Now she is returning to the church they attended before his illness. She arrived at a modern looking, erected metal fabricated building, with outdoor live streaming words on electric screen with modern architecture. Upon entry, she saw the entire interior of the church had a new makeover! There were movable chairs instead of pews. The sanctuary also had basketball hoops and markings on the floor for sports events. There was a portable stage for an altar with a praise band of guitars, keyboards, drums, and ladies with tambourines! The overhead ceiling lights were bright. This is not the older traditional church she remembered raising her family in. The greeters were nice enough. The minister is now called “lead pastor,” and wears cargo pants and polo shirt with the church logo on it. The beginning of the worship service was a long time of standing and reading the words flashed upon the overhead screen.
While this older woman is glad that the church is have a major “make over” and people seem to be enjoying this worship service, she is still grieving and needs some semblance of the traditional worship she raised her children on and that she and her husband enjoyed. The next Sunday she visited a small little white church on a corner. The seating capacity is barely one hundred in the pews with cushions on the seats. The pastor wore a shirt and tie and robe. There was an organ and piano. She saw the hymnals and numbers in the printing bulletin. The opening hymn was “Blessed Assurance.” After the many years of caring for her deceased husband, she needed to feel the “blessed assurance” of the traditional church. The pastor serves two congregations and helps out at the local nursing home. The altar up front, pulpit and lectern are a welcome sight for sore eyes for this woman. In her wilderness, this is where God met her. She looks forward to coffee and snack fellowship after worship service.
Today’s texts have God’s blessed assurance meeting us in various ways. Jacob must come to terms with his estranged brother Esau. Paul is trying to reconcile his faith in the Messiah and the possibility his own home place of worship may reject this Jesus. In Matthew, the people are hungry. Bread is the sign of assurance for this crowd of people.
Genesis 32:22-31
Jacob the trickster, who had alienated his brother Esau to the point that he had to flee the land, is now seeking reconciliation in this text. To his surprise, Jacob would have two meetings rather simply the one with his brother. The night before he is to meet with his brother Esau, a dreaded stranger would meet Jacob at night. The identity of the night visitor is obscure, and many scholars have speculated who this was? Could it be a demon, angel, God, or some form of Canaanite deity?
The two men wrestle all night. The text does not go into too many details as to who overpowers who in the all-night wrestling match. As he wrestles the stranger, Jacob still does not know the name or see the face of his antagonist. Is this wrestling match with the unknown deity, a precursor to the meeting he will face with his brother Esau whom he has angered? In Jacob’s mind, he believes his brother has every reason to be angry him for tricking Esau out of the family blessing and inheritance.
As the wrestling match is never ceasing that night, the stranger asks, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32: 26). The stranger blesses Jacob and gives his new name of “Israel.” Jacob insists on knowing the stranger’s name, only to be told it is “Peniel.” Finally, “The sun rose upon him as he passed Peniel, limping because of his hip” (Genesis 32:31). The completion of this narrative is rich with practical ministry preaching themes.
Sibling rivalry occurs in many families. The sting of pain can persist for years if not decades. A new pastor asks a denominational staff person if there are many conflicts in a rural and farming oriented district/synod/presbytery. The reply is that family feuds continue from previous generations over land, money and reasons people have long forgotten about—just like with Jacob and Esau. What sort of unresolved conflicts persist that began generations ago in any given community?
As Jacob wrestles with the stranger, how many sleepless nights have students or adults who must take exams have had similar tense nights of stress? It is like being in a busy hospital where patients get much rest, but extraordinarily little sleep due to the testing and monitoring routines of the medical staff.
Once the wrestling match is over with, Jacob will limp. The woman in the above illustration might have varicose veins, gray, thinning hair and must take stress medications as her version of Jacob’s limp. Caring for people for extended periods of time does take its toll both mentally and physically. However, the “blessing” might be providing a loved one with a dignified, loving departure, before they meet their God.
Jacob is also “blessed” and given a new name of Israel. Is there a lack of some sort of “rite of passage” which results in a “blessing” for today? Some clergy are pressured by older members to crack down on religious instruction the way it used to be in “the old days.” There is an ongoing tug of war to make religious education into a youth group with activities or strenuous class sessions filled with memory work and test taking. Many clergy simply grow weary, and this is one reason why they consider even leaving the pastoral ministry altogether. What sort of “blessing” is this then?
Also, as Jacob anticipates a tense reunion with his brother Esau, has his estranged brother symbolically already buried the hatchet, and this is Jacob’s own guilt or demons which continue to haunt him? How many projects are driven by guilt these days? Possibly, a loved one purchases a memorial to ease the guilt they carry after the death of a loved one?
The text is reminder that the wrestling or inward battle is real and worth it. On another level, there is sometimes a blessing as a result of such conflict. Possibly wrestling with tough, complex family issues, which are rarely cut and dry, is actually normative to growing in one’s faith? Regardless of any scars or limps which result from battle with spirits which haunt us—the blessed assurance is that the battle also empowers people of faith to minister to others in this season of Pentecost. Henri Nouwen has written such a book about the Wounded Healer which has been helpful for many caregivers (Image Doubleday, 1979). Possibly one can draw parallels to Jesus’ anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:30-56. [Source: Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching; Genesis (Westminster John Knox, 1982)].
Romans 9:1-5
This text reveals Paul’s feelings of sorrow regarding his own (or Israelite, Harrisville, 143) people not accepting Jesus as the Messiah. Though he was commissioned to be an apostle to the Gentiles, Paul had always hoped for the salvation of the Jewish peoples through the acceptance of the gospel he preached. As this text is written, Paul has doubts as to whether this hope will be realized. So, he expresses inner sorrow.
One of the ongoing issues with interfaith conversations with Judaism and Christianity is that of “covenant.” Has God abandoned the covenant he made with his chosen people in Exodus to replace it with a new one in Jesus as Messiah? Is God still good for his word with the (old) covenant he made with Israel (in lieu of the cross and resurrection event Paul would later conclude and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob," (Romans 11:26). Today’s text is a peek at the apostles’ internal turmoil. This would link the text to the above Genesis 32 text. However, God’s blessed assurance does have a final outcome, later in Romans 11.
Another helpful metaphor is mentioned later in Romans 11:11-24. The people of the new covenant are grafted into the vine (tree) of the older covenant of Israel. The apostle does not wish to minimize the authentic faith, promises of patriarchs in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). However, in this text, he still expresses inner anguish based on the rejection he has received. The bottom line is God remains faithful to the covenant he made with Abraham, despite the Israelite’s seeming rejection of Jesus as Messiah.
One direction for preaching might be what happens when a person has faith experience they wish to share with their family or community of origin and the response is, “Thanks but no thanks…we like the way we have believed?” Does one seek to proselytize them? Does one shake the dust of their feet and move onto greener pastures? Possibly, a lifetime ministry may be needed to build bridges of similarities in belief systems, rather than accentuating differences?
Paul was grounded enough into the Hebrew Bible to be able to cite Deuteronomy 18:15-18 to point to a prophet like Moses. He could further cite 2 Samuel 2:4-17 to suggest the future of a kingdom through a descendent of David (Hultgren, 358). What sort of religious writings might a Christian community need to be familiar with before carrying on dialogue with people of other faiths? If there is a mosque nearby, possibly knowledge of the Koran would be helpful. As many mainline churches wonder what the future holds in their declining numbers, possibly knowledge of other religious faiths in each community is a place to start in building bridges with Christianity as Paul does with the old and new covenants? [Sources: Roy A. Harrisville, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Romans, (Augsburg Fortress, 1980); Arland J. Hultgren, Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Commentary (Wm. B. Erdmann’s, 2011)].
Matthew 14:13-21
All four gospels record this feeding 5,000 plus people event in some capacity (Hare, 165). In Matthew, Jesus has just heard of the execution of John the Baptist. In times of tragic news, Jesus models prayerful rest by withdrawing himself to a deserted place. People of faith in many times have found it useful to have a room, space or shelter of temporary withdrawal for a time of prayer and peace. In communities where I have served, many men have a woodwork shed, a barn or machine project in their garage as places for temporary retreat. A sermon on where this could be for people today might be one direction to explore.
The crowds still followed Jesus. This is a more remote location, so access to food through local merchants in not an option. Jesus uses the bread and fish which are available to feed the 5,000 men along with an unknown number of women and children. King Herod’s (Antipas) royal feast of debauchery among the elites of the day resulted in a bloody execution of a faithful prophet of God (John the Baptist). Meanwhile, Jesus’ meal fulfills the deepest needs of working and peasant masses of people, thus foreshadowing a messianic age. Some scholars have seen a Holy Communion or Eucharist motif in this story. Jesus becomes the meal host rather than the guest here (Schweizer, 320). Other commentators recall the manna and quail provisions God blessed the children of Israel with during their wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16, Numbers 11, Hagner, 418-419). All scholars consulted believe this meal to be a sign of a messianic age which Jesus the Emmanuel (Matthew 1:21, Isaiah 7:14), is bringing into the kingdom of Heaven. In some manner, God always provides is the common theme. In the days of the New Testament, many families spent close to half a day to find an evening meal for the family to eat. This is a miracle of much food in such a short time. There are much blessed assurances here!
There is also a suggestion that this meal is a foretaste of the great eschatological gathering. This is when the Son of Man will “gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:31, Hagner, 418-419, 714). This suggests there remains places and time where there are many hungry people in land who need food.
Other echoes from the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament include the prophet Elisha feeding people in need (2 Kings 2: 8-14; 4:38-44). The prophet shares twenty loaves of barley bread with one hundred men, who would have bread to spare (Hare, 166). This links this feeding event to Israel’s ancient prophetic traditions.
One challenge in preaching this theme in modern North America is people often have too much food to eat. They are being bombarded with media advertisements to places where there are even more unlimited amounts of food in restaurants, vacation resorts and specialty stores. On occasion, there are stories of hikers or skiers who had to survive in a remote forest or mountain range living off natural vegetation and insects. However, most North Americans have food to eat. Communities have food pantries and meal sites for others in need of food. Most churches and houses of worship are willing donors or participants to such efforts. In this sense, texts such this one might have taken hold in the consciences of many American citizens. There is a certain blessed assurance that food is somewhere around any given community during both good and bad times.
Other details in the account include Jesus giving the food to the disciples who distributed the bread and fish. This suggests a theme of believers passing on Jesus’ good news to all peoples in all times (e.g. Matthew 28:16-20, Great Commission). Also, there is a practical dimension of discipleship in keeping track of the food, while making sure none of it went to waste. Many community food pantry and food shelf sites must employ many human resource hours in the storing and distribution of food donations. [Sources: Donald A. Hagner, Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 14-28 (Thomas Nelson, 1995); Douglas R.A. Hare, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Matthew, (Westminster John Knox Press, 1993); Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Wm. B. Erdmann’s, 2009); Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, (John Knox Press, 1975)].
Application
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer “give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11), what are provisions people need in any given community? Families might worry about the burden of loans for their son or daughter to attend college. Other families might have ongoing automotive repair issues. Will ride services such as Uber be the future for those who cannot afford the cost of owning an automobile? Also, until it is resolved, many middle aged and elderly people worry about the rising costs of health care. Should the church develop a posture of prophetic advocacy or social justice to deal with such issues? Leah D. Shade argues in her book, Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide, (Rowman and Littlefield, 21019), that political concerns are inescapable. Locally, from weather related disaster relief to local political issues related to education, agriculture price worries and safety in school, church and public places as related to shootings one sees one the news—politics has a way of ending up on all of our front doors. Leah Shade believes that sermons might identify that there are both red state (Republican) and blue state (Democrats) worshipers in all the church pews. After the pastor’s sermon, a time to dialogue afterwards about divisive topics is one way to build bridges between groups of people who are deeply passionate about their opinions. In this way, we all live in a “purple zone.”
Another path to explore is do we really believe in supernatural miracles today? Did Jesus really take the five loaves and two fish and multiply them? I once had a very liberal seminary professor who suggested that when the person with fish and loaves shared their lunch, everybody else did the same. This was the “true miracle!” Would this “preach” in modern churches today?
Alternative application
What is the minimum amount of sustenance we need to travel in life’s wildernesses? The people of Israel both rejoiced and complained about God’s provision of manna and quail in the desert? Could people live on a steady diet of “bread and fish” today? In wintry areas of the country, broadcast weather people advise those who choose to take trips in the winter to have blankets, water, some food that is storable in their vehicles in the event they get stuck in snow or ice. What does “Give us this day our daily bread” exactly mean in these times (Matthew 6:11)? In the opening illustration, the recent widow was quite happy with the small church who served coffee and snacks after worship. This meal was her “blessed assurance.”
While this older woman is glad that the church is have a major “make over” and people seem to be enjoying this worship service, she is still grieving and needs some semblance of the traditional worship she raised her children on and that she and her husband enjoyed. The next Sunday she visited a small little white church on a corner. The seating capacity is barely one hundred in the pews with cushions on the seats. The pastor wore a shirt and tie and robe. There was an organ and piano. She saw the hymnals and numbers in the printing bulletin. The opening hymn was “Blessed Assurance.” After the many years of caring for her deceased husband, she needed to feel the “blessed assurance” of the traditional church. The pastor serves two congregations and helps out at the local nursing home. The altar up front, pulpit and lectern are a welcome sight for sore eyes for this woman. In her wilderness, this is where God met her. She looks forward to coffee and snack fellowship after worship service.
Today’s texts have God’s blessed assurance meeting us in various ways. Jacob must come to terms with his estranged brother Esau. Paul is trying to reconcile his faith in the Messiah and the possibility his own home place of worship may reject this Jesus. In Matthew, the people are hungry. Bread is the sign of assurance for this crowd of people.
Genesis 32:22-31
Jacob the trickster, who had alienated his brother Esau to the point that he had to flee the land, is now seeking reconciliation in this text. To his surprise, Jacob would have two meetings rather simply the one with his brother. The night before he is to meet with his brother Esau, a dreaded stranger would meet Jacob at night. The identity of the night visitor is obscure, and many scholars have speculated who this was? Could it be a demon, angel, God, or some form of Canaanite deity?
The two men wrestle all night. The text does not go into too many details as to who overpowers who in the all-night wrestling match. As he wrestles the stranger, Jacob still does not know the name or see the face of his antagonist. Is this wrestling match with the unknown deity, a precursor to the meeting he will face with his brother Esau whom he has angered? In Jacob’s mind, he believes his brother has every reason to be angry him for tricking Esau out of the family blessing and inheritance.
As the wrestling match is never ceasing that night, the stranger asks, "Let me go, for the day is breaking." But Jacob said, "I will not let you go, unless you bless me.” (Genesis 32: 26). The stranger blesses Jacob and gives his new name of “Israel.” Jacob insists on knowing the stranger’s name, only to be told it is “Peniel.” Finally, “The sun rose upon him as he passed Peniel, limping because of his hip” (Genesis 32:31). The completion of this narrative is rich with practical ministry preaching themes.
Sibling rivalry occurs in many families. The sting of pain can persist for years if not decades. A new pastor asks a denominational staff person if there are many conflicts in a rural and farming oriented district/synod/presbytery. The reply is that family feuds continue from previous generations over land, money and reasons people have long forgotten about—just like with Jacob and Esau. What sort of unresolved conflicts persist that began generations ago in any given community?
As Jacob wrestles with the stranger, how many sleepless nights have students or adults who must take exams have had similar tense nights of stress? It is like being in a busy hospital where patients get much rest, but extraordinarily little sleep due to the testing and monitoring routines of the medical staff.
Once the wrestling match is over with, Jacob will limp. The woman in the above illustration might have varicose veins, gray, thinning hair and must take stress medications as her version of Jacob’s limp. Caring for people for extended periods of time does take its toll both mentally and physically. However, the “blessing” might be providing a loved one with a dignified, loving departure, before they meet their God.
Jacob is also “blessed” and given a new name of Israel. Is there a lack of some sort of “rite of passage” which results in a “blessing” for today? Some clergy are pressured by older members to crack down on religious instruction the way it used to be in “the old days.” There is an ongoing tug of war to make religious education into a youth group with activities or strenuous class sessions filled with memory work and test taking. Many clergy simply grow weary, and this is one reason why they consider even leaving the pastoral ministry altogether. What sort of “blessing” is this then?
Also, as Jacob anticipates a tense reunion with his brother Esau, has his estranged brother symbolically already buried the hatchet, and this is Jacob’s own guilt or demons which continue to haunt him? How many projects are driven by guilt these days? Possibly, a loved one purchases a memorial to ease the guilt they carry after the death of a loved one?
The text is reminder that the wrestling or inward battle is real and worth it. On another level, there is sometimes a blessing as a result of such conflict. Possibly wrestling with tough, complex family issues, which are rarely cut and dry, is actually normative to growing in one’s faith? Regardless of any scars or limps which result from battle with spirits which haunt us—the blessed assurance is that the battle also empowers people of faith to minister to others in this season of Pentecost. Henri Nouwen has written such a book about the Wounded Healer which has been helpful for many caregivers (Image Doubleday, 1979). Possibly one can draw parallels to Jesus’ anguish in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:30-56. [Source: Walter Brueggemann, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching; Genesis (Westminster John Knox, 1982)].
Romans 9:1-5
This text reveals Paul’s feelings of sorrow regarding his own (or Israelite, Harrisville, 143) people not accepting Jesus as the Messiah. Though he was commissioned to be an apostle to the Gentiles, Paul had always hoped for the salvation of the Jewish peoples through the acceptance of the gospel he preached. As this text is written, Paul has doubts as to whether this hope will be realized. So, he expresses inner sorrow.
One of the ongoing issues with interfaith conversations with Judaism and Christianity is that of “covenant.” Has God abandoned the covenant he made with his chosen people in Exodus to replace it with a new one in Jesus as Messiah? Is God still good for his word with the (old) covenant he made with Israel (in lieu of the cross and resurrection event Paul would later conclude and so all Israel will be saved; as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob," (Romans 11:26). Today’s text is a peek at the apostles’ internal turmoil. This would link the text to the above Genesis 32 text. However, God’s blessed assurance does have a final outcome, later in Romans 11.
Another helpful metaphor is mentioned later in Romans 11:11-24. The people of the new covenant are grafted into the vine (tree) of the older covenant of Israel. The apostle does not wish to minimize the authentic faith, promises of patriarchs in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). However, in this text, he still expresses inner anguish based on the rejection he has received. The bottom line is God remains faithful to the covenant he made with Abraham, despite the Israelite’s seeming rejection of Jesus as Messiah.
One direction for preaching might be what happens when a person has faith experience they wish to share with their family or community of origin and the response is, “Thanks but no thanks…we like the way we have believed?” Does one seek to proselytize them? Does one shake the dust of their feet and move onto greener pastures? Possibly, a lifetime ministry may be needed to build bridges of similarities in belief systems, rather than accentuating differences?
Paul was grounded enough into the Hebrew Bible to be able to cite Deuteronomy 18:15-18 to point to a prophet like Moses. He could further cite 2 Samuel 2:4-17 to suggest the future of a kingdom through a descendent of David (Hultgren, 358). What sort of religious writings might a Christian community need to be familiar with before carrying on dialogue with people of other faiths? If there is a mosque nearby, possibly knowledge of the Koran would be helpful. As many mainline churches wonder what the future holds in their declining numbers, possibly knowledge of other religious faiths in each community is a place to start in building bridges with Christianity as Paul does with the old and new covenants? [Sources: Roy A. Harrisville, Augsburg Commentary on the New Testament: Romans, (Augsburg Fortress, 1980); Arland J. Hultgren, Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Commentary (Wm. B. Erdmann’s, 2011)].
Matthew 14:13-21
All four gospels record this feeding 5,000 plus people event in some capacity (Hare, 165). In Matthew, Jesus has just heard of the execution of John the Baptist. In times of tragic news, Jesus models prayerful rest by withdrawing himself to a deserted place. People of faith in many times have found it useful to have a room, space or shelter of temporary withdrawal for a time of prayer and peace. In communities where I have served, many men have a woodwork shed, a barn or machine project in their garage as places for temporary retreat. A sermon on where this could be for people today might be one direction to explore.
The crowds still followed Jesus. This is a more remote location, so access to food through local merchants in not an option. Jesus uses the bread and fish which are available to feed the 5,000 men along with an unknown number of women and children. King Herod’s (Antipas) royal feast of debauchery among the elites of the day resulted in a bloody execution of a faithful prophet of God (John the Baptist). Meanwhile, Jesus’ meal fulfills the deepest needs of working and peasant masses of people, thus foreshadowing a messianic age. Some scholars have seen a Holy Communion or Eucharist motif in this story. Jesus becomes the meal host rather than the guest here (Schweizer, 320). Other commentators recall the manna and quail provisions God blessed the children of Israel with during their wilderness wanderings (Exodus 16, Numbers 11, Hagner, 418-419). All scholars consulted believe this meal to be a sign of a messianic age which Jesus the Emmanuel (Matthew 1:21, Isaiah 7:14), is bringing into the kingdom of Heaven. In some manner, God always provides is the common theme. In the days of the New Testament, many families spent close to half a day to find an evening meal for the family to eat. This is a miracle of much food in such a short time. There are much blessed assurances here!
There is also a suggestion that this meal is a foretaste of the great eschatological gathering. This is when the Son of Man will “gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other (Matthew 24:31, Hagner, 418-419, 714). This suggests there remains places and time where there are many hungry people in land who need food.
Other echoes from the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament include the prophet Elisha feeding people in need (2 Kings 2: 8-14; 4:38-44). The prophet shares twenty loaves of barley bread with one hundred men, who would have bread to spare (Hare, 166). This links this feeding event to Israel’s ancient prophetic traditions.
One challenge in preaching this theme in modern North America is people often have too much food to eat. They are being bombarded with media advertisements to places where there are even more unlimited amounts of food in restaurants, vacation resorts and specialty stores. On occasion, there are stories of hikers or skiers who had to survive in a remote forest or mountain range living off natural vegetation and insects. However, most North Americans have food to eat. Communities have food pantries and meal sites for others in need of food. Most churches and houses of worship are willing donors or participants to such efforts. In this sense, texts such this one might have taken hold in the consciences of many American citizens. There is a certain blessed assurance that food is somewhere around any given community during both good and bad times.
Other details in the account include Jesus giving the food to the disciples who distributed the bread and fish. This suggests a theme of believers passing on Jesus’ good news to all peoples in all times (e.g. Matthew 28:16-20, Great Commission). Also, there is a practical dimension of discipleship in keeping track of the food, while making sure none of it went to waste. Many community food pantry and food shelf sites must employ many human resource hours in the storing and distribution of food donations. [Sources: Donald A. Hagner, Word Biblical Commentary: Matthew 14-28 (Thomas Nelson, 1995); Douglas R.A. Hare, Interpretation, a Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching: Matthew, (Westminster John Knox Press, 1993); Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Wm. B. Erdmann’s, 2009); Eduard Schweizer, The Good News According to Matthew, (John Knox Press, 1975)].
Application
When we pray the Lord’s Prayer “give us this day our daily bread” (Matthew 6:11), what are provisions people need in any given community? Families might worry about the burden of loans for their son or daughter to attend college. Other families might have ongoing automotive repair issues. Will ride services such as Uber be the future for those who cannot afford the cost of owning an automobile? Also, until it is resolved, many middle aged and elderly people worry about the rising costs of health care. Should the church develop a posture of prophetic advocacy or social justice to deal with such issues? Leah D. Shade argues in her book, Preaching in the Purple Zone: Ministry in the Red-Blue Divide, (Rowman and Littlefield, 21019), that political concerns are inescapable. Locally, from weather related disaster relief to local political issues related to education, agriculture price worries and safety in school, church and public places as related to shootings one sees one the news—politics has a way of ending up on all of our front doors. Leah Shade believes that sermons might identify that there are both red state (Republican) and blue state (Democrats) worshipers in all the church pews. After the pastor’s sermon, a time to dialogue afterwards about divisive topics is one way to build bridges between groups of people who are deeply passionate about their opinions. In this way, we all live in a “purple zone.”
Another path to explore is do we really believe in supernatural miracles today? Did Jesus really take the five loaves and two fish and multiply them? I once had a very liberal seminary professor who suggested that when the person with fish and loaves shared their lunch, everybody else did the same. This was the “true miracle!” Would this “preach” in modern churches today?
Alternative application
What is the minimum amount of sustenance we need to travel in life’s wildernesses? The people of Israel both rejoiced and complained about God’s provision of manna and quail in the desert? Could people live on a steady diet of “bread and fish” today? In wintry areas of the country, broadcast weather people advise those who choose to take trips in the winter to have blankets, water, some food that is storable in their vehicles in the event they get stuck in snow or ice. What does “Give us this day our daily bread” exactly mean in these times (Matthew 6:11)? In the opening illustration, the recent widow was quite happy with the small church who served coffee and snacks after worship. This meal was her “blessed assurance.”
