The Price of Admission
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
For September 26, 2021:
The Price of Admission
by Tom Willadsen
Mark 9:38-50
I’d give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
Is Jesus advocating self-mutilation in today’s gospel passage? Clearly, the stakes are high when it comes to instructing “little ones,” that is, those new to faith. He certainly gets our attention with this rhetoric. Should we take this passage’s striking imagery seriously — or literally? Is the price of admission into the kingdom of God an arm and a leg? Or rather, a foot, hand, and eye?
In the Scriptures
Today’s passage from James makes a strong case for the power of prayer to heal and to restore community. Christians should not only pray for one another and gather around and anoint the sick, we should also confess our sins to one another. And when someone strays from the truth, restoring the wanderer has real, dramatic impact. The letter of James appears to be written for Christians who are in small, very close-knit communities. Its practical guidance on matters like what to say to each other, and how to say it, may seem obvious, but are helpful reminders of how we are to be together. The way we treat those closest to us can truly be a manifestation of the church. Will they know we are Christians by our love if they observe us together?
Today’s pericope from Mark is a collision of four unrelated thoughts. First — anyone who isn’t against us is for us, second — causing one new to the faith to stray has grave consequences, third — one should cut off one’s hand, or foot, or gauge out one’s eye to avoid sinning, and fourth — salt is good — when it’s salty.
Okay, now for a little more depth. In the first thought in the Mark reading, John — and presumably the other disciples — are upset because he’d seen someone who wasn’t one of them driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus essentially tells him, “No biggie.” And honestly shouldn’t healing take precedence over who gets credit for the healing? Could you imagine Jesus defending his copyright or healing ministry franchise over this kind of thing? Jesus’ response to the disciples basically invites them to expand their world view.
“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.” (v. 42) Jesus cautioned his followers not to hinder those new to the faith. Scholars believe that “little ones” does not refer to children, but rather something like infants in the faith. They need to be nurtured and encouraged.
The largest portion of today’s reading, vv. 43-48, has some arresting, graphic language that should definitely get our attention. One imagines heaven filled with partially maimed children of God who were brave enough to sacrifice hands, feet or eyes to avoid sin and thus the fires of Hell. Well, Hell no. Remember three weeks ago when Jesus told his disciples that it’s what comes out of a person that makes them unclean? It is what is within us that causes us to sin. Sin isn’t caused by hands, feet or eyes; those are the agents of the sin, but not sin’s cause. Jesus is using extreme hyperbole to get his disciples’ attention. Is this a text you’re comfortable preaching? There are probably extreme followers of Jesus who have taken this passage literally. Have they helped build God’s kindom (not a typo, think kin-dom, family)? Have they made the faith attractive to outsiders?
It’s widely known that salt was used not only to season food, but also to preserve it in first century Palestine. Our word “salary” comes from the Latin salarium because there was a time when Roman soldiers were paid with salt. To be “worth one’s salt” is to be worth what one’s being paid to do. In Jesus’ time salt was not pure — and it was certainly not iodized! — it was mixed with sand. If salt lost its saltiness it was good only to be “trampled underfoot,” (Matthew 5:13). We all know what “salt of the earth” people are like. It is not, however, obvious what Jesus means when he tells his followers to have “salt in themselves.” Chemically it’s not possible for us not to have salt in ourselves! Recently “salty” has become a slang term that means something like “testy” or “irritable.” Jesus probably did not foresee the modern usage for salty. Most likely, Jesus meant that one should have a kind of confidence, or self-assurance that by being one of his followers they would be able to live securely in the world.
In the News
Covid-19 continues to dominate the headlines. Last week the Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots for those in high risk groups vaccinated against Covid-19 with the Pfizer vaccine. The same panel declined to recommend booster shots for general use.
It remains to be seen how the FDA’s action will affect the vaccination rate. Vaccine hesitancy has kept the United States from reaching herd immunity. Vaccine hesitancy is strongly correlated to political affiliation.
“A statewide poll conducted by South Dakota State University researchers in late July and early August showed…that while 87% of Democrats said they were vaccinated, only 61% of Independents and 46% of Republicans were vaccinated, a troubling trend in a state dominated by GOP voters and elected officials.”
As the pandemic grinds on so does gridlock in Washington. The razor thin majority enjoyed by the Democrats in both houses of Congress requires them to vote unanimously to pass infrastructure legislation. Republicans have been able to stay unified and stymie any legislation proposed by the Democrats. The climate continues to heat up and the consequences of global warming are being experienced in every part of the country but our lawmakers are entrenched, unable to compromise because of the profound distrust both sides feel for the other.
Former President Trump continues to hold the GOP in his thrall. Accusations of being a RINO (Republican in Name Only) doom those in office from taking a stand against him. What would the political landscape look like if both sides were able to say “whoever is not against us is for us?”
In the Sermon
Jesus’ observation to John, “anyone who isn’t against us is for us,” could be preached as a plea for common ground and shared struggle in this deeply divided moment. It will take personal and political courage to reach across our clearly defined, rigidly held opinions but it will also require a certain amount of vulnerability and humility.
The latter portion of the gospel lesson will need serious, sensitive exegesis. On its face it advocates self-mutilation so one can personally save oneself from the fires of Hell. This sort of talk makes Presbyterians very, very nervous! I suggest pivoting the text to make Jesus’ words analogous to the Christian community — that body of Christ. If someone in the church/body is sowing dissent, impeding others from experiencing the grace offered in Christ, or insisting that grace is only available to those who have gotten faith in Christ “right,” it may be wise and faithful for the church/community to amputate that person out of the fellowship.
In John 15:1-2, Jesus uses the metaphor of pruning vines for the sake of the fruitfulness of the plant. Some churches are better, healthier, stronger, more faithful when certain members are “pruned.” This is neither easy nor painless. It may require calling out behavior that has gone on for decades, even generations, but perhaps it will be better for the congregation to break free from the grip of a toxic individual or clique to be free to enter the kingdom of God.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Why Pray?
by Dean Feldmeyer
James 5:13-20
In the Scriptures
In this morning’s epistle lesson, James enjoins his readers to pray both as individuals and as a church. Pray for yourself, he says. Pray for each other. Pray alone. Pray with one another.
We should, he says, pray when we are suffering. And when we are cheerful, we should sing songs of praise. (Tradition has it that St. Augustine would later channel James’s sentiment when he observed that “Those who sing, pray twice.”)
James takes it ever further when he says that, if someone in the Christian community is sick, the leaders of the church (elders — and not necessarily the pastor) should go to that person, pray over them and anoint them with oil.
Okay, that’s fine. No person of faith would argue with any of that.
But then we come to v. 15 and we pause for a moment: “The prayer of faith will save the sick…” Really? All the sick, no matter what the disease? All the time? That’s a pretty broad statement, there, James. What about all those times we prayed for someone who was sick but they were not saved from their illness. What about all those families with whom we have sat and prayed only to see their loved one grow constantly weaker and, eventually, die without being delivered from their sickness. Was it the fault of the petitioners because they didn’t have enough faith? Does God withhold graceful healing from our loved ones because our faith is not strong enough?
Going on, in verses 15b-16, James seems to say that, if we want to be healed and we want our prayers to be “powerful and effective” in this regard, we have to confess our sins to the church so they can pray for us that our sins will be forgiven. Then, after we have received forgiveness for our sins and been made righteous, our prayers will produce the results we are hoping for and we or those whom we wish to be healed, will, in fact, be healed.
And, again, we must ask: Is James giving us a fool proof formula for getting what we want out of prayer? Is a lack of righteousness the reason our prayers so often seem to go unanswered? Are we not righteous enough? Is God withholding grace and healing from those we love because our prayers are tainted and made unacceptable by of our sins?
Tough questions. And any responsible sermon on the topic of prayer must address them openly and honestly or risk being dismissed as shallow and unresponsive to the real life experiences of our congregations.
Thoughts and Prayers
Every time there’s a tragedy, a natural disaster, a mass shooting — especially a mass shooting — we hear the same time worn cliché from our politicians and leaders. We are encouraged to hold the victims in our “thoughts and prayers” and the victims are reassured that we are doing so.
So, what thoughts, and what kinds of prayers are they, exactly, that our political leaders are offering to those who are filled with pain and doubt? What purpose do they serve, or is this just another empty platitude offered by cynical politicians who mention religion only when it seems politically advantageous to do so?
Today, James the brother of Jesus, speaks of two kinds of prayers: 1.) The “prayer of faith” and 2.) The “prayer of the righteous.”
The prayer of faith, that is, the prayer that is informed by our faith in God, he says, will “save the sick” and “raise them up.” It will also affect the forgiveness of sins and the forgiveness of sins will affect physical healing for those who need it.
The prayer of the righteous, he adds, is powerful and effective. And this he illustrates with the story of Elijah who stopped and started rain by the power of his prayers.
The passage raises two questions among even the most pious of believers:
If the “prayer of faith” results in the forgiveness of sins and the healing of the sick, what shall we say of our prayers that do not result in healing? Is our faith inauthentic? Do we not have enough faith to make things happen? Is it our fault if our payers for the healing of our sick loved ones do not result in their rising from their sick bed? Are we to blame if the cancer is not healed and the infection is not banished?
And, secondly, if the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective why do some of my prayers seem so powerless and ineffective? Is the problem that I’m too great a sinner? Is God withholding healing from my loved ones, the ones for whom I’m praying, because my sins are too great and too many?
No! answers the piously indignant Christian. Prayer works!
How often do we hear that, as if prayer is like a lawnmower or a fountain pen whose value is predicated upon whether or not it does what we want it to do? It is a two-word paraphrase of the sentiment that, if we pray really hard, we’ll get what we want. Of course, most people who say that also believe that we must pray the right words, with the right amount of fervor, and sincerely believe that the prayer will be answered in the affirmative if we want the prayer to “work.”
And if the prayer doesn’t work, well, it must be because we left out one of the ingredients in the recipe for “Effective Prayer.” Maybe we didn’t believe fervently enough or use the right words and phrases, or we had some unconfessed sin that was blocking the airwaves between us and God.
Oddly, when people say that prayer works what they often mean, intentionally or unintentionally, is that we can control the effectiveness of our prayers by how, when, and why we pray. Or by how many people we get to pray for the same thing we are praying for.
I always wonder about those campaigns where someone is trying to get a specific number of people — 100 or 500 or 1,000 — to all pray for the same thing at the same time as if God is sitting upon the judgement throne saying, “Oh, gosh, folks. I would really like to heal that child but that’s a 1,200-person prayer and you had only 1,189 people praying. Sorry. Better try again.”
Of course, that is not to say that our prayers are always politically or theologically correct. They are, after all, often offered up to God at times of desperation or grief or fear and we are praying not from our brain but from our heart. We are praying not out of our capacity for reason but out of our emotional desperation.
But, as true as that may be, it doesn’t excuse us from, in our times of reflection, using and applying our capacity for reason to our theology of prayer.
Why Do We Pray?
In his brilliant little book, The Meaning of Prayer (1919, Association Press), Harry Emerson Fosdick says in the very first paragraph that we pray not because prayer can get us what we want but simply because it’s what he calls “a native tendency.” We pray because we are human and part of what it means to be human is to pray.
Being human, we realize that we are not in control of the universe. The cosmos runs on its own track and timetable without input from us. Even when our prayers ask for creation to be altered or set aside for our benefit, they are an admission that we are weak and fragile creatures often in need of help and it is out of that admission that our prayers arise.
Prayer, Fosdick says, quoting Samuel Johnson, is a practice like breathing or eating. We engage in it because we are human and then, afterward, “argue about it as best we can.”
When we are scared, we pray for courage. When we are hungry, we pray for nourishment. When we are in pain, we pray for relief. When someone we love has a need, we pray for their need to be met. Indeed, we even pray for those who are not our loved ones or even our friends and we do so not because we are utterly convinced that they will get what they want or need but because we are human and it is in our human nature to pray. Sometimes, we humans find ourselves in situations where prayer is the only thing we have.
(When I was a chaplain at a large, urban children’s hospital, I quickly learned that when the directive came over my pager to report to ICU, it was probably because medical science had run out of options and all that was left was prayer.)
When hope seems lost, we want to be in the presence of the one who set creation in motion, the one who breathed the spark of life into our souls. And to the degree that this is our desire in prayer, then our prayers are always answered in the affirmative. Prayer brings us close to the creator, and that is its first and truest purpose.
It’s when our prayers drift from or even betray this purpose and become wish-lists for the things that make our lives happier, easier, or more comfortable, that we find ourselves frustrated, waiting for answers that rarely, if ever come.
As much as we appreciate James’ recollection of Elijah’s story, we are, after all, not Elijah. We know that, realistically, we probably can’t pray the rain away. So, what do we do? What are we to think of this thing called prayer, especially intercessory prayer, which, when it goes unanswered, confounds, confuses, frustrates, and even angers us so much?
When Prayer Seems Unanswered
Harry Emerson Fosdick is helpful on this point and I commend his book to you. Below, I will touch on a few points he makes but, for brevity’s sake, I’ll leave the extended commentary to the book.
Augustine’s Mother
In his Confessions, St. Augustine tells of how his mother, Monica, prayed all night at a sea-side chapel that God would not let her son sail for Italy. She desperately wanted him to become a Christian and was afraid that if he left the sphere of her influence and went to Italy, which she considered to be a giant den in iniquity, he would be seduced by the loose morals of the place and be lost forever.
Even as she prayed, however, he sailed for Italy where he met Ambrose who converted him to Christianity in the very place from which his mother’s prayers would have kept him. “The form of her petition was denied,” Fosdick points out. “But the substance was granted.”
By saying “no” to Monica, God said “yes” to Augustine. The Creator answers prayer in the Creator’s way, which, sometimes, coincides with our desires. But sometimes not.
“It would be a sorry world for all of us,” Fosdick concludes. “if our unwise petitions did not often have ‘No’ for their answer.”
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
James 5:13-20
Praying
Prayer is the remedy for suffering — or the place where suffering takes us, the epistle of James tells us. Theologian Roberta Bondi found her prayer life enriched by some unexpected companions. She was studying the desert fathers and mothers, the Abbas and Ammas of the fifth and sixth centuries, in her academic work. Then, she says, “I was sitting there on the couch and all of a sudden the Abbas from the ancient desert started saying to me, “Roberta, Roberta, we have something to say to you.” And I said, “Shut up and leave me alone. I’m worrying.” And they said, “Oh, oh, no. Come on, now. Come on, listen.” “Shh, shh, I’m worrying. Leave me alone.” And finally I said, “All right. All right. What do you have to say?” And they said to me, “Well, now, you know that the main thing we’re doing out here in the desert is prayer, and you have spent a lot of time studying us and working on us, and you might consider whether this might be something for you.” And I said to them, “Oh, come on, now. Look, I am a rational, reasonable woman, and I’m an academic, and this is, what you’re suggesting, just is not really for me…” [They answered her] “You know how we say that no one or no thing can fill that hole in your life except God, that your identity rests only in God, and that all other loves come out of that, and that no human being can ever fill that. Of course you feel the way you do.” So I was very embarrassed, because I knew, of course, instantly that they were right. So I said, “OK. All right. All right. I’ll try it.”
She found a book that had a pattern of prayer much like the early church, and began to use it, called in to prayer by her companions from the early days of the church.
She adds that prayer is our part of a relationship with God. “We often have a kind of notion as part of this highfalutin, noble picture of ourselves as pray-ers that when we pray we need to be completely attentive and we need to be fully engaged and we need to be concentrating and we need to be focused. But the fact is, if prayer is our end of a relationship with God, that’s not the way we are with the people we love a large portion of the time. We simply are in their presence. We’re going about our lives at the same time in each other’s presence, aware and sustained by each other, but not much more than that.”
* * *
James 5:13-20
The Terror of Prayer
Trying to capture the rhythms of prayer, theologian Roberta Bondi says, “I have a friend who plays in the Atlanta Symphony, and someone asked him once what it was like to play piccolo in a great symphony like the Atlanta Symphony, and he said, “Well, it’s actually long stretches of boredom interspersed with short periods of pure terror.” And I wouldn’t say it quite like that, that prayer is like that, but I would say that prayer is long periods of ordinary shared life together with intense periods of wrestling with really serious stuff that can scare us to death, but can also bring us into real life with God and real life with ourselves in a way that we can’t otherwise have it.” We bring to God the ordinary days, and our moments of pain, fear and panic, praying out of our thanksgiving and our suffering.
* * *
James 5:13-20
Praying Through Suffering
The late Elie Wiesel, who survived the Holocaust and spent the rest of his life keeping the world mindful of it, said that the experience of God’s absence in the concentration camps changed his prayers. He prayed a prayer that included this address to God, “I no longer ask You for either happiness or paradise; all I ask of You is to listen and let me be aware and worthy of Your listening. I no longer ask You to resolve my questions, only to receive them and make them part of You. I no longer ask You for either rest or wisdom, I only ask You not to close me to gratitude, be it of the most trivial kind, or to surprise and friendship. Love? Love is not Yours to give.” He once said he no longer believed in God, as a result of the suffering he saw, and then he returned to prayer. Suffering could take away the presence of God, but not the act of praying
Wiesel said that he didn’t believe in God anymore, “then I went back to prayer. What is prayer? You take words, everyday words, and all of a sudden they become holy. Why? Because there is something that separates one word from another and then you try to fill the vacuum. With what? With whom? With what memory? With what aspiration? So when words bring you closer to the prisoner in his cell, to the patient who is dying on his bed alone, to the starving child, then it’s a prayer.”
Suffering may obscure the presence of God, and still the gift of prayer remains, stubbornly, with us.
* * *
Psalm 124
God on Our Side
“Our help is the name of the Lord,” the psalmist says, praising God for the ways God has been on the side of people in need. God reveals divine care for us in countless grace-filled ways. One widow recalls, “When I lost my late husband, Doug, at 41 years old, I was only 37 with two small sons. It was a devastating shock. I almost died from grief myself. Everyone kept telling me he was at peace, but I could not rest. I needed to know he was all right. One morning I looked at myself in the mirror and saw the toll my grief was taking and the weight loss I was suffering. I knelt at the foot of my bed and thanked God for the 19 years we had together and I asked him to please give me peace with this. Suddenly I felt very tired. I went back to bed and heard the phone ringing. I could see the phone in the kitchen and ran to it. When I said hello, I heard Doug's voice. He told me he wanted to call and tell me he loved me and it was time for us to have peace in our lives. The words peace in our lives echoed in my head over and over. I then woke up and realized I had been dreaming — or perhaps God answered my prayer by letting the only person I would listen to tell me himself he was at peace.”
Another person shares, “I was at the cemetery to pick up an Easter lily that was at my mother's grave. When I stopped my vehicle and before getting out, I sensed an overwhelming silent command to take a picture. This silent command would not go away, so I picked up my phone and prepared to take a picture. There was a huge gray spot showing in the lens, which I thought was odd, so I snapped the photo. When I looked at the picture, it showed huge angel wings behind my mother's grave. No one other than myself was there. This was in a small country cemetery, and I am still in awe when I look at the photo.”
The evidence of God being on our side is all around us.
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:
Mark 9:38-50, Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
God the Great Accountant
God is the great accountant not because God keeps track of every wrong, but because God is into real forgiveness, the kind that comes with reconciliation. We humans like to make sort of apologies. The kind that sound like “Sorry if I sounded mean” or “I didn’t intend to hurt you” instead of a taking full responsibility for our actions. True leadership means being accountable for our wrongs, and apologizing for the wrongs that took place. God knows because God is the accountant. The good news is, God also forgives.
* * *
Mark 9:38-50
Good in the Name of Christ
The tomb of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem is an ironic thing — seven different sects of Christianity have divided up the site. And each has their own officials to jealously guard their corner of Jesus’ empty tomb. Two thousand years after the life of Jesus Christ, and we still have trouble sharing the message of Jesus. Jesus says, though, that the good news is for sharing. I wonder if God sometimes sits the throne and laughs at the foolishness of humans — who fight over and guard the empty tomb of Jesus — instead of going out into the world to do the work of Christ.
* * *
Psalm 124
Power of God
When God is on our side, we are not swallowed up into nothingness. It is truly an astounding power. God’s help sometimes means escaping to live another day, and sometimes means just standing and saying, “I am here, my life has meaning, I am a child of God.” Did you know that proclaiming your own belatedness is an act of prayer? Be beloved, child of God.
* * *
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Death to Tyrants
The truly bond-breaking, captive-freeing, gender-empowering work of Esther cannot go unproclaimed. Esther tells the story of how her people have suffered at the hand of Haman, so much so that the king’s ears were opened to their plight and their petition was answered. How much more can this good news be proclaimed and become a transformative power today? Who is the Esther of the moment? Who is speaking up for the trans Black women in your community who are victims of violence? Who is speaking for the Asian elders who have suffered abuse? Who is empowering the youth to fight against gun violence and the climate crises? As many will have to deal with long Covid, who are the leaders of disability policies who we can glean from? In this seemingly apocalyptic time, it is important to recognize our grassroots leaders “at such a time as this.”
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22
For such times as these
Queen Esther was perhaps the epitome of the right woman in the right place at the right time. Flexing her capital with King, Esther stops Haman’s diabolical plan to slaughter Jews. The story is a reminder of the sort of hatred and perpetual assaults inflicted on Jewish persons for centuries. Sadly, 2021 has shown an increase in anti-Semitic behavior.
Last week, on the eve of the Jewish holidays, a Cobb County, Georgia high school was vandalized with various anti-Jewish sentiments, images and graffiti. Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of the Temple Kol Emeth in Atlanta informed his congregation of the hate messages:
My heart is breaking as I write this letter to you. I spent all morning and early afternoon at Pope High School responding to an act of Antisemitism and vandalism which took place yesterday. Along with other acts of destruction in the school building, swastikas and the words “Heil Hitler” were written on the bathroom walls.
Increased violence against Jews in the Boston area has prompted a Jewish activist to respond with a series of highway billboards to help the community understand the impact of anti-Semitism. One sign read, “We’re just 75 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out a Jew hater isn’t an over-reaction.”
Meanwhile, in Hungary, Pope Francis called for continued vigilance against the rise in anti-Jewish behavior, calling it “a fuse that must not be allowed to burn.”
* * *
Psalm 124
If it wasn’t for God…
Psalm 124’s stirring call-and-response lyrics invite consideration of the ways God has acted on behalf of creation. But its lines may also be a reminder of the responsibility of humans to save Earth. The psalmist realizes that it was only God’s restraint that kept enemies, floods, and violent torrents from destroying God’s people. The psalm ends by acknowledging God as creator and sustainer of heaven and earth.
It’s possible to hear the psalm as an invitation to take Earth care more seriously. An unusual statement from more than 200 leading medical and health journals on September 20 called climate change — and not the pandemic — the greatest threat to public health, while another statement from Pope Francis, the archbishop of Canterbury and the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch summoned Christians to action.
“Widespread floods, fires and droughts threaten entire continents,” the clergy wrote in their statement last week. “Sea levels rise, forcing whole communities to relocate; cyclones devastate entire regions, ruining lives and livelihoods. Water has become scarce and food supplies insecure, causing conflict and displacement for millions of people.”
* * *
James 5:13-20
James & FOGO
The elegance of the wisdom James espouses is its simple (but not simplistic) understanding of Christian relationships. The church, James has argued, exemplifies the gospel in its praxis. Faith and action are linked for James, including admonitions to avoid favoritism, to feed the hungry, and honor the poor. The praxis of James’ community is rooted in its embodied actions, including prayer and anointing.
But how does that work during a pandemic? How do churches reach out to those who lack technology or who are simply fearful of going out? As one writer says, “FOGO” (the fear of going out) is the perception that something scary is out there, even after being told the danger is gone.
Of course, FOGO isn’t an official diagnosis. Tracey Anne Duncan suggests that because we have been living with such heightened awareness and anxiety, most of us just can’t let go of anxieties even if they are out of proportion to the risks we’re facing. Duncan also suggests that the “fear of normal” (FONO) may also rise. FONO signs include becoming accustomed to virtual work environments, or even not working at all. Duncan quotes a psychotherapist as saying that going back to normal may not be as easy as it sounds.
That probably sounds familiar to pastors. While staying safe and healthy is important, continuing the church’s ministry remains essential. Adapting to new ways of calling for the church elders, for example, and gathering in prayer may take time.
Indeed, many smaller congregations experienced the pandemic as a heightened pathway to closure. A Catholic priest at a 160-year old parish in San Francisco told the Associated Press that the loss of revenue from tourism and the lack of participation from older members were ominous signs of an impending closure. The parish closed its preschool, cut jobs, and deferred maintenance. “I’m just basically trying to trying to keep the doors open,” said Rev. John Ardis.
In light of all of this, perhaps James’ message to pray fervently is especially timely — even if it happens online.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
One: If it had not been God who was on our side
All: then we would have been swallowed up alive.
One: Blessed be God, who has not given us as prey to our enemies.
All: We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers.
One: Our help is in the name of our God.
All: It is our God who made heaven and earth.
OR
One: Come to the fount of healing and wholeness.
All: We come to find salvation in our God.
One: God offers wholeness for ourselves and all creation.
All: As we receive God’s healing we will offer it to others.
One: Rejoice in the goodness of God who heals all creation.
All: We are in awe of our joyful, loving God!
Hymns and Songs:
O Worship the King
UMH: 73
H82: 388
PH: 476
NNBH: 6
NCH: 26
CH: 17
LBW: 548
ELW: 842
W&P: 2
AMEC: 12
All People That on Earth Do Dwell
UMH: 75
H82:
PH: 220/221
NNBH: 36
NCH: 7
CH: 18
LBW: 245
ELW: 883
W&P: 661
AMEC: 73
STLT: 370
Hope of the World
UMH: 178
H82: 472
PH: 360
NCH: 46
CH: 538
LBW: 493
W&P: 404
Hymn of Promise (In the Bulb There Is a Flower)
UMH: 707
NCH: 433
CH: 638
W&P: 515
Soon and Very Soon
UMH: 706
AAHH: 193
NNBH: 476
ELW: 439
W&P: 523
Renew: 276
Heal Me, Hands of Jesus (Not in many hymnals but very appropriate)
UMH: 262
CH: 504
W&P: 636
O Christ, the Healer
UMH:
NCH: 175
CH: 503
LBW: 360
ELW: 610
W&P: 638
Renew: 191
Word of God, Come down on Earth
UMH: 182
H82: 633
ELW: 510
O God of Every Nation
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELW: 713
W&P: 626
What Does the Lord Require
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
W&P: 686
Let There Be Peace on Earth (An extra because it fits)
CH: 677
W&P: 614
Something Beautiful
CCB: 84
All I Need Is You
CCB: 100
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who made us to be in creative relationships:
Grant us the grace to seek your healing presence
so that our broken relationship might be made whole;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, because you made us to be in creative relationships that nurture all. You have gifted us with all your children that we might grow in wisdom and wholeness. Grant us a renewal of your Spirit within us that we might find wholeness in the midst of broken relationships. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our participation in relationship that damage rather than heal.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have made us one with you and with all your creation. You have given us each other in community so that we might nurture and be nurtured together. Yet we have placed divisions between us and others and so we are separated from you, as well. Instead of seeing others as an invitation to offer healing and wholeness we look on them for what we can grasp from them. Forgive us and turn our hearts to you that they may be turned to others. Amen.
One: God does wish for all creation to be whole and at peace. Receive God’s healing for your life and relationships and make it grow in you by sharing it with others.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory to you, O God of wholeness. You are One in Three and desire to be one in all creation.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have made us one with you and with all your creation. You have given us each other in community so that we might nurture and be nurtured together. Yet we have placed divisions between us and others and so we are separated from you, as well. Instead of seeing others as an invitation to offer healing and wholeness we look on them for what we can grasp from them. Forgive us and turn our hearts to you that they may be turned to others.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you bring us wholeness and healing. You have made us one in yourself and one as a people on this earth. Neither time nor space can separate us from you or from any of your children. We thank you for those who serve as peacemakers and those who help to heal our broken relationships.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need and, especially, for the relationships which hurt and scar. We pray for those who have not had healthy relationships to teach them how to live together with others in peace. We pray for those caught in webs of violence and abuse. We pray for those who find their sense of worth in harming others. We pray for healing in all our relationships.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Three Lessons from James
by Quantisha Mason-Doll
James 5:13-20
Props: Circles with Yes printed one side and No on the other.
Friends, today we have heard a lovely message from our friend James. Can anyone tell me one thing that they remember from the story we just read? James has taught us three important lessons today. Would it be okay if we talk about them?
(Introduction of the yes or no circles.)
The first lesson from our friend James is about body autonomy! Can we say body autonomy? Body autonomy is when we have the right to make decisions over one's own body. Our friend James wants us to know that just like our friend Elijah, we are people that feel different things and that is okay.
The second lesson from our friend James comes in the form of letting others know when we do not feel good. Do you know what happens when we rely on our family and friends when we are in need? That’s right, we take part in the full body of Christ.
Our third and final lesson is the best lesson of all. Our friend James wants us to pray, pray, and pray again. Does everyone know how to pray? Can you tell me using yes or no? Would anyone like to help me guide everyone in prayer to God to thank our savior for these lessons?
Prayer
We give thanks to you loving and merciful God.
We thank you for giving us these gifts.
Guide us as we try our best to be our best and most honest self.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 26, 2021 issue.
Copyright 2021 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
- The Price of Admission by Tom Willadsen — Is the price of admission into the kingdom of God an arm and a leg? Or rather, a foot, hand and eye?
- Second Thoughts: Why Pray? by Dean Feldmeyer — God answers prayer in God’s way, which, sometimes coincides with our desires — and sometimes doesn't.
- Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Chris Keating, Katy Stenta.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: Three Lessons from James by Quantisha Mason-Doll.
The Price of Admissionby Tom Willadsen
Mark 9:38-50
I’d give my right arm to be ambidextrous.
Is Jesus advocating self-mutilation in today’s gospel passage? Clearly, the stakes are high when it comes to instructing “little ones,” that is, those new to faith. He certainly gets our attention with this rhetoric. Should we take this passage’s striking imagery seriously — or literally? Is the price of admission into the kingdom of God an arm and a leg? Or rather, a foot, hand, and eye?
In the Scriptures
Today’s passage from James makes a strong case for the power of prayer to heal and to restore community. Christians should not only pray for one another and gather around and anoint the sick, we should also confess our sins to one another. And when someone strays from the truth, restoring the wanderer has real, dramatic impact. The letter of James appears to be written for Christians who are in small, very close-knit communities. Its practical guidance on matters like what to say to each other, and how to say it, may seem obvious, but are helpful reminders of how we are to be together. The way we treat those closest to us can truly be a manifestation of the church. Will they know we are Christians by our love if they observe us together?
Today’s pericope from Mark is a collision of four unrelated thoughts. First — anyone who isn’t against us is for us, second — causing one new to the faith to stray has grave consequences, third — one should cut off one’s hand, or foot, or gauge out one’s eye to avoid sinning, and fourth — salt is good — when it’s salty.
Okay, now for a little more depth. In the first thought in the Mark reading, John — and presumably the other disciples — are upset because he’d seen someone who wasn’t one of them driving out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus essentially tells him, “No biggie.” And honestly shouldn’t healing take precedence over who gets credit for the healing? Could you imagine Jesus defending his copyright or healing ministry franchise over this kind of thing? Jesus’ response to the disciples basically invites them to expand their world view.
“If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.” (v. 42) Jesus cautioned his followers not to hinder those new to the faith. Scholars believe that “little ones” does not refer to children, but rather something like infants in the faith. They need to be nurtured and encouraged.
The largest portion of today’s reading, vv. 43-48, has some arresting, graphic language that should definitely get our attention. One imagines heaven filled with partially maimed children of God who were brave enough to sacrifice hands, feet or eyes to avoid sin and thus the fires of Hell. Well, Hell no. Remember three weeks ago when Jesus told his disciples that it’s what comes out of a person that makes them unclean? It is what is within us that causes us to sin. Sin isn’t caused by hands, feet or eyes; those are the agents of the sin, but not sin’s cause. Jesus is using extreme hyperbole to get his disciples’ attention. Is this a text you’re comfortable preaching? There are probably extreme followers of Jesus who have taken this passage literally. Have they helped build God’s kindom (not a typo, think kin-dom, family)? Have they made the faith attractive to outsiders?
It’s widely known that salt was used not only to season food, but also to preserve it in first century Palestine. Our word “salary” comes from the Latin salarium because there was a time when Roman soldiers were paid with salt. To be “worth one’s salt” is to be worth what one’s being paid to do. In Jesus’ time salt was not pure — and it was certainly not iodized! — it was mixed with sand. If salt lost its saltiness it was good only to be “trampled underfoot,” (Matthew 5:13). We all know what “salt of the earth” people are like. It is not, however, obvious what Jesus means when he tells his followers to have “salt in themselves.” Chemically it’s not possible for us not to have salt in ourselves! Recently “salty” has become a slang term that means something like “testy” or “irritable.” Jesus probably did not foresee the modern usage for salty. Most likely, Jesus meant that one should have a kind of confidence, or self-assurance that by being one of his followers they would be able to live securely in the world.
In the News
Covid-19 continues to dominate the headlines. Last week the Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots for those in high risk groups vaccinated against Covid-19 with the Pfizer vaccine. The same panel declined to recommend booster shots for general use.
It remains to be seen how the FDA’s action will affect the vaccination rate. Vaccine hesitancy has kept the United States from reaching herd immunity. Vaccine hesitancy is strongly correlated to political affiliation.
“A statewide poll conducted by South Dakota State University researchers in late July and early August showed…that while 87% of Democrats said they were vaccinated, only 61% of Independents and 46% of Republicans were vaccinated, a troubling trend in a state dominated by GOP voters and elected officials.”
As the pandemic grinds on so does gridlock in Washington. The razor thin majority enjoyed by the Democrats in both houses of Congress requires them to vote unanimously to pass infrastructure legislation. Republicans have been able to stay unified and stymie any legislation proposed by the Democrats. The climate continues to heat up and the consequences of global warming are being experienced in every part of the country but our lawmakers are entrenched, unable to compromise because of the profound distrust both sides feel for the other.
Former President Trump continues to hold the GOP in his thrall. Accusations of being a RINO (Republican in Name Only) doom those in office from taking a stand against him. What would the political landscape look like if both sides were able to say “whoever is not against us is for us?”
In the Sermon
Jesus’ observation to John, “anyone who isn’t against us is for us,” could be preached as a plea for common ground and shared struggle in this deeply divided moment. It will take personal and political courage to reach across our clearly defined, rigidly held opinions but it will also require a certain amount of vulnerability and humility.
The latter portion of the gospel lesson will need serious, sensitive exegesis. On its face it advocates self-mutilation so one can personally save oneself from the fires of Hell. This sort of talk makes Presbyterians very, very nervous! I suggest pivoting the text to make Jesus’ words analogous to the Christian community — that body of Christ. If someone in the church/body is sowing dissent, impeding others from experiencing the grace offered in Christ, or insisting that grace is only available to those who have gotten faith in Christ “right,” it may be wise and faithful for the church/community to amputate that person out of the fellowship.
In John 15:1-2, Jesus uses the metaphor of pruning vines for the sake of the fruitfulness of the plant. Some churches are better, healthier, stronger, more faithful when certain members are “pruned.” This is neither easy nor painless. It may require calling out behavior that has gone on for decades, even generations, but perhaps it will be better for the congregation to break free from the grip of a toxic individual or clique to be free to enter the kingdom of God.
SECOND THOUGHTSWhy Pray?
by Dean Feldmeyer
James 5:13-20
In the Scriptures
In this morning’s epistle lesson, James enjoins his readers to pray both as individuals and as a church. Pray for yourself, he says. Pray for each other. Pray alone. Pray with one another.
We should, he says, pray when we are suffering. And when we are cheerful, we should sing songs of praise. (Tradition has it that St. Augustine would later channel James’s sentiment when he observed that “Those who sing, pray twice.”)
James takes it ever further when he says that, if someone in the Christian community is sick, the leaders of the church (elders — and not necessarily the pastor) should go to that person, pray over them and anoint them with oil.
Okay, that’s fine. No person of faith would argue with any of that.
But then we come to v. 15 and we pause for a moment: “The prayer of faith will save the sick…” Really? All the sick, no matter what the disease? All the time? That’s a pretty broad statement, there, James. What about all those times we prayed for someone who was sick but they were not saved from their illness. What about all those families with whom we have sat and prayed only to see their loved one grow constantly weaker and, eventually, die without being delivered from their sickness. Was it the fault of the petitioners because they didn’t have enough faith? Does God withhold graceful healing from our loved ones because our faith is not strong enough?
Going on, in verses 15b-16, James seems to say that, if we want to be healed and we want our prayers to be “powerful and effective” in this regard, we have to confess our sins to the church so they can pray for us that our sins will be forgiven. Then, after we have received forgiveness for our sins and been made righteous, our prayers will produce the results we are hoping for and we or those whom we wish to be healed, will, in fact, be healed.
And, again, we must ask: Is James giving us a fool proof formula for getting what we want out of prayer? Is a lack of righteousness the reason our prayers so often seem to go unanswered? Are we not righteous enough? Is God withholding grace and healing from those we love because our prayers are tainted and made unacceptable by of our sins?
Tough questions. And any responsible sermon on the topic of prayer must address them openly and honestly or risk being dismissed as shallow and unresponsive to the real life experiences of our congregations.
Thoughts and Prayers
Every time there’s a tragedy, a natural disaster, a mass shooting — especially a mass shooting — we hear the same time worn cliché from our politicians and leaders. We are encouraged to hold the victims in our “thoughts and prayers” and the victims are reassured that we are doing so.
So, what thoughts, and what kinds of prayers are they, exactly, that our political leaders are offering to those who are filled with pain and doubt? What purpose do they serve, or is this just another empty platitude offered by cynical politicians who mention religion only when it seems politically advantageous to do so?
Today, James the brother of Jesus, speaks of two kinds of prayers: 1.) The “prayer of faith” and 2.) The “prayer of the righteous.”
The prayer of faith, that is, the prayer that is informed by our faith in God, he says, will “save the sick” and “raise them up.” It will also affect the forgiveness of sins and the forgiveness of sins will affect physical healing for those who need it.
The prayer of the righteous, he adds, is powerful and effective. And this he illustrates with the story of Elijah who stopped and started rain by the power of his prayers.
The passage raises two questions among even the most pious of believers:
If the “prayer of faith” results in the forgiveness of sins and the healing of the sick, what shall we say of our prayers that do not result in healing? Is our faith inauthentic? Do we not have enough faith to make things happen? Is it our fault if our payers for the healing of our sick loved ones do not result in their rising from their sick bed? Are we to blame if the cancer is not healed and the infection is not banished?
And, secondly, if the prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective why do some of my prayers seem so powerless and ineffective? Is the problem that I’m too great a sinner? Is God withholding healing from my loved ones, the ones for whom I’m praying, because my sins are too great and too many?
No! answers the piously indignant Christian. Prayer works!
How often do we hear that, as if prayer is like a lawnmower or a fountain pen whose value is predicated upon whether or not it does what we want it to do? It is a two-word paraphrase of the sentiment that, if we pray really hard, we’ll get what we want. Of course, most people who say that also believe that we must pray the right words, with the right amount of fervor, and sincerely believe that the prayer will be answered in the affirmative if we want the prayer to “work.”
And if the prayer doesn’t work, well, it must be because we left out one of the ingredients in the recipe for “Effective Prayer.” Maybe we didn’t believe fervently enough or use the right words and phrases, or we had some unconfessed sin that was blocking the airwaves between us and God.
Oddly, when people say that prayer works what they often mean, intentionally or unintentionally, is that we can control the effectiveness of our prayers by how, when, and why we pray. Or by how many people we get to pray for the same thing we are praying for.
I always wonder about those campaigns where someone is trying to get a specific number of people — 100 or 500 or 1,000 — to all pray for the same thing at the same time as if God is sitting upon the judgement throne saying, “Oh, gosh, folks. I would really like to heal that child but that’s a 1,200-person prayer and you had only 1,189 people praying. Sorry. Better try again.”
Of course, that is not to say that our prayers are always politically or theologically correct. They are, after all, often offered up to God at times of desperation or grief or fear and we are praying not from our brain but from our heart. We are praying not out of our capacity for reason but out of our emotional desperation.
But, as true as that may be, it doesn’t excuse us from, in our times of reflection, using and applying our capacity for reason to our theology of prayer.
Why Do We Pray?
In his brilliant little book, The Meaning of Prayer (1919, Association Press), Harry Emerson Fosdick says in the very first paragraph that we pray not because prayer can get us what we want but simply because it’s what he calls “a native tendency.” We pray because we are human and part of what it means to be human is to pray.
Being human, we realize that we are not in control of the universe. The cosmos runs on its own track and timetable without input from us. Even when our prayers ask for creation to be altered or set aside for our benefit, they are an admission that we are weak and fragile creatures often in need of help and it is out of that admission that our prayers arise.
Prayer, Fosdick says, quoting Samuel Johnson, is a practice like breathing or eating. We engage in it because we are human and then, afterward, “argue about it as best we can.”
When we are scared, we pray for courage. When we are hungry, we pray for nourishment. When we are in pain, we pray for relief. When someone we love has a need, we pray for their need to be met. Indeed, we even pray for those who are not our loved ones or even our friends and we do so not because we are utterly convinced that they will get what they want or need but because we are human and it is in our human nature to pray. Sometimes, we humans find ourselves in situations where prayer is the only thing we have.
(When I was a chaplain at a large, urban children’s hospital, I quickly learned that when the directive came over my pager to report to ICU, it was probably because medical science had run out of options and all that was left was prayer.)
When hope seems lost, we want to be in the presence of the one who set creation in motion, the one who breathed the spark of life into our souls. And to the degree that this is our desire in prayer, then our prayers are always answered in the affirmative. Prayer brings us close to the creator, and that is its first and truest purpose.
It’s when our prayers drift from or even betray this purpose and become wish-lists for the things that make our lives happier, easier, or more comfortable, that we find ourselves frustrated, waiting for answers that rarely, if ever come.
As much as we appreciate James’ recollection of Elijah’s story, we are, after all, not Elijah. We know that, realistically, we probably can’t pray the rain away. So, what do we do? What are we to think of this thing called prayer, especially intercessory prayer, which, when it goes unanswered, confounds, confuses, frustrates, and even angers us so much?
When Prayer Seems Unanswered
Harry Emerson Fosdick is helpful on this point and I commend his book to you. Below, I will touch on a few points he makes but, for brevity’s sake, I’ll leave the extended commentary to the book.
- Fosdick reminds us that there are many kinds of prayer, only one of which is the petition or intercessory prayer. To abandon all forms of prayer because one of our petitions wasn’t answered as we would have it be is to abandon one of the practices that makes us authentically human.
We might have been disappointed when we, as children, didn’t get the puppy we asked for on our birthday, but we didn’t let our disappointment completely estrange us from our parents. Neither do wise and faithful Christians allow an unanswered prayer estrange them from God. - Unanswered prayer is not a new phenomenon directed at us. Scripture is full of the laments of those whose prayers have fallen upon seemingly deaf ears. Habakkuk: O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen? Or cry to you "Violence!" and you will not save? (1:2) Paul: Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. (2 Cor. 12:8-9) Moses prays to enter the Promised Land but his request is denied. Jeremiah laments that, you have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through. (Lamentations 3:44)
- We often pray in ignorance, heedless of the needs of others who are praying just as fervently as we. The golfer for a dry day and the farmer for rain. Two workers for the same promotion. Two teams for a win in the same competition. Two armies to win the same battle.
- We try to make prayer a substitute for intelligence and/or work. The student who could not make time for study asks God to intervene with an above average grade. The contractor uses slipshod work to build a house and then prays that the storm will leave it standing. We all pray for an end to cancer but we pour our resources into instruments of war.
- We may not be ready or properly prepared for an affirmative answer to our prayer. Though a couple may pray constantly and fervently for a baby, they may not be ready for the responsibility that a child will demand of them. Though a person may ask, continuously, for God to reveal to them their “soul mate,” they may, in fact, not be ready to forgo their singleness. They may still be grieving for the spouse that has died, or they may be too self-centered, having not yet completed their own maturation process.
- Our prayer may be asking for something that God has placed upon us to do for ourselves. I once saw a cartoon of a man sitting on a park bench with Jesus at his side. He asks Jesus, “So, why do you tolerate war, and hunger, and disease, and hatred and evil?” Jesus answers: “I was just about to ask you the same thing.” Again, the prayer for an A on a history exam may be answered, “Study!” A prayer for reconciliation with a person from which we have become estranged may very well be answered, “Reach out!” or “Call her!”
- We don’t know. Finally, we must confess our ignorance and the limited scope of our understanding. Sometimes we just don’t know why our prayers aren’t answered as we would have them be. Perhaps God has reasons beyond our ken. Perhaps God simply can’t, for whatever reason, do as even God would wish to do. But that doesn’t mean that God isn’t God. It is the creator’s limitless love and justice, not God’s unlimited power, which truly defines God as God.
As Rabbi Harold Kushner has said: “Given the unfairness that strikes so many people in life, I would rather believe in a God of limited power and unlimited love and justice, rather than the other way around.” (When Bad Things Happen to Good People)
Augustine’s Mother
In his Confessions, St. Augustine tells of how his mother, Monica, prayed all night at a sea-side chapel that God would not let her son sail for Italy. She desperately wanted him to become a Christian and was afraid that if he left the sphere of her influence and went to Italy, which she considered to be a giant den in iniquity, he would be seduced by the loose morals of the place and be lost forever.
Even as she prayed, however, he sailed for Italy where he met Ambrose who converted him to Christianity in the very place from which his mother’s prayers would have kept him. “The form of her petition was denied,” Fosdick points out. “But the substance was granted.”
By saying “no” to Monica, God said “yes” to Augustine. The Creator answers prayer in the Creator’s way, which, sometimes, coincides with our desires. But sometimes not.
“It would be a sorry world for all of us,” Fosdick concludes. “if our unwise petitions did not often have ‘No’ for their answer.”
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:James 5:13-20
Praying
Prayer is the remedy for suffering — or the place where suffering takes us, the epistle of James tells us. Theologian Roberta Bondi found her prayer life enriched by some unexpected companions. She was studying the desert fathers and mothers, the Abbas and Ammas of the fifth and sixth centuries, in her academic work. Then, she says, “I was sitting there on the couch and all of a sudden the Abbas from the ancient desert started saying to me, “Roberta, Roberta, we have something to say to you.” And I said, “Shut up and leave me alone. I’m worrying.” And they said, “Oh, oh, no. Come on, now. Come on, listen.” “Shh, shh, I’m worrying. Leave me alone.” And finally I said, “All right. All right. What do you have to say?” And they said to me, “Well, now, you know that the main thing we’re doing out here in the desert is prayer, and you have spent a lot of time studying us and working on us, and you might consider whether this might be something for you.” And I said to them, “Oh, come on, now. Look, I am a rational, reasonable woman, and I’m an academic, and this is, what you’re suggesting, just is not really for me…” [They answered her] “You know how we say that no one or no thing can fill that hole in your life except God, that your identity rests only in God, and that all other loves come out of that, and that no human being can ever fill that. Of course you feel the way you do.” So I was very embarrassed, because I knew, of course, instantly that they were right. So I said, “OK. All right. All right. I’ll try it.”
She found a book that had a pattern of prayer much like the early church, and began to use it, called in to prayer by her companions from the early days of the church.
She adds that prayer is our part of a relationship with God. “We often have a kind of notion as part of this highfalutin, noble picture of ourselves as pray-ers that when we pray we need to be completely attentive and we need to be fully engaged and we need to be concentrating and we need to be focused. But the fact is, if prayer is our end of a relationship with God, that’s not the way we are with the people we love a large portion of the time. We simply are in their presence. We’re going about our lives at the same time in each other’s presence, aware and sustained by each other, but not much more than that.”
* * *
James 5:13-20
The Terror of Prayer
Trying to capture the rhythms of prayer, theologian Roberta Bondi says, “I have a friend who plays in the Atlanta Symphony, and someone asked him once what it was like to play piccolo in a great symphony like the Atlanta Symphony, and he said, “Well, it’s actually long stretches of boredom interspersed with short periods of pure terror.” And I wouldn’t say it quite like that, that prayer is like that, but I would say that prayer is long periods of ordinary shared life together with intense periods of wrestling with really serious stuff that can scare us to death, but can also bring us into real life with God and real life with ourselves in a way that we can’t otherwise have it.” We bring to God the ordinary days, and our moments of pain, fear and panic, praying out of our thanksgiving and our suffering.
* * *
James 5:13-20
Praying Through Suffering
The late Elie Wiesel, who survived the Holocaust and spent the rest of his life keeping the world mindful of it, said that the experience of God’s absence in the concentration camps changed his prayers. He prayed a prayer that included this address to God, “I no longer ask You for either happiness or paradise; all I ask of You is to listen and let me be aware and worthy of Your listening. I no longer ask You to resolve my questions, only to receive them and make them part of You. I no longer ask You for either rest or wisdom, I only ask You not to close me to gratitude, be it of the most trivial kind, or to surprise and friendship. Love? Love is not Yours to give.” He once said he no longer believed in God, as a result of the suffering he saw, and then he returned to prayer. Suffering could take away the presence of God, but not the act of praying
Wiesel said that he didn’t believe in God anymore, “then I went back to prayer. What is prayer? You take words, everyday words, and all of a sudden they become holy. Why? Because there is something that separates one word from another and then you try to fill the vacuum. With what? With whom? With what memory? With what aspiration? So when words bring you closer to the prisoner in his cell, to the patient who is dying on his bed alone, to the starving child, then it’s a prayer.”
Suffering may obscure the presence of God, and still the gift of prayer remains, stubbornly, with us.
* * *
Psalm 124
God on Our Side
“Our help is the name of the Lord,” the psalmist says, praising God for the ways God has been on the side of people in need. God reveals divine care for us in countless grace-filled ways. One widow recalls, “When I lost my late husband, Doug, at 41 years old, I was only 37 with two small sons. It was a devastating shock. I almost died from grief myself. Everyone kept telling me he was at peace, but I could not rest. I needed to know he was all right. One morning I looked at myself in the mirror and saw the toll my grief was taking and the weight loss I was suffering. I knelt at the foot of my bed and thanked God for the 19 years we had together and I asked him to please give me peace with this. Suddenly I felt very tired. I went back to bed and heard the phone ringing. I could see the phone in the kitchen and ran to it. When I said hello, I heard Doug's voice. He told me he wanted to call and tell me he loved me and it was time for us to have peace in our lives. The words peace in our lives echoed in my head over and over. I then woke up and realized I had been dreaming — or perhaps God answered my prayer by letting the only person I would listen to tell me himself he was at peace.”
Another person shares, “I was at the cemetery to pick up an Easter lily that was at my mother's grave. When I stopped my vehicle and before getting out, I sensed an overwhelming silent command to take a picture. This silent command would not go away, so I picked up my phone and prepared to take a picture. There was a huge gray spot showing in the lens, which I thought was odd, so I snapped the photo. When I looked at the picture, it showed huge angel wings behind my mother's grave. No one other than myself was there. This was in a small country cemetery, and I am still in awe when I look at the photo.”
The evidence of God being on our side is all around us.
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:Mark 9:38-50, Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
God the Great Accountant
God is the great accountant not because God keeps track of every wrong, but because God is into real forgiveness, the kind that comes with reconciliation. We humans like to make sort of apologies. The kind that sound like “Sorry if I sounded mean” or “I didn’t intend to hurt you” instead of a taking full responsibility for our actions. True leadership means being accountable for our wrongs, and apologizing for the wrongs that took place. God knows because God is the accountant. The good news is, God also forgives.
* * *
Mark 9:38-50
Good in the Name of Christ
The tomb of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem is an ironic thing — seven different sects of Christianity have divided up the site. And each has their own officials to jealously guard their corner of Jesus’ empty tomb. Two thousand years after the life of Jesus Christ, and we still have trouble sharing the message of Jesus. Jesus says, though, that the good news is for sharing. I wonder if God sometimes sits the throne and laughs at the foolishness of humans — who fight over and guard the empty tomb of Jesus — instead of going out into the world to do the work of Christ.
* * *
Psalm 124
Power of God
When God is on our side, we are not swallowed up into nothingness. It is truly an astounding power. God’s help sometimes means escaping to live another day, and sometimes means just standing and saying, “I am here, my life has meaning, I am a child of God.” Did you know that proclaiming your own belatedness is an act of prayer? Be beloved, child of God.
* * *
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Death to Tyrants
The truly bond-breaking, captive-freeing, gender-empowering work of Esther cannot go unproclaimed. Esther tells the story of how her people have suffered at the hand of Haman, so much so that the king’s ears were opened to their plight and their petition was answered. How much more can this good news be proclaimed and become a transformative power today? Who is the Esther of the moment? Who is speaking up for the trans Black women in your community who are victims of violence? Who is speaking for the Asian elders who have suffered abuse? Who is empowering the youth to fight against gun violence and the climate crises? As many will have to deal with long Covid, who are the leaders of disability policies who we can glean from? In this seemingly apocalyptic time, it is important to recognize our grassroots leaders “at such a time as this.”
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22
For such times as these
Queen Esther was perhaps the epitome of the right woman in the right place at the right time. Flexing her capital with King, Esther stops Haman’s diabolical plan to slaughter Jews. The story is a reminder of the sort of hatred and perpetual assaults inflicted on Jewish persons for centuries. Sadly, 2021 has shown an increase in anti-Semitic behavior.
Last week, on the eve of the Jewish holidays, a Cobb County, Georgia high school was vandalized with various anti-Jewish sentiments, images and graffiti. Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of the Temple Kol Emeth in Atlanta informed his congregation of the hate messages:
My heart is breaking as I write this letter to you. I spent all morning and early afternoon at Pope High School responding to an act of Antisemitism and vandalism which took place yesterday. Along with other acts of destruction in the school building, swastikas and the words “Heil Hitler” were written on the bathroom walls.
Increased violence against Jews in the Boston area has prompted a Jewish activist to respond with a series of highway billboards to help the community understand the impact of anti-Semitism. One sign read, “We’re just 75 years since the gas chambers. So no, a billboard calling out a Jew hater isn’t an over-reaction.”
Meanwhile, in Hungary, Pope Francis called for continued vigilance against the rise in anti-Jewish behavior, calling it “a fuse that must not be allowed to burn.”
* * *
Psalm 124
If it wasn’t for God…
Psalm 124’s stirring call-and-response lyrics invite consideration of the ways God has acted on behalf of creation. But its lines may also be a reminder of the responsibility of humans to save Earth. The psalmist realizes that it was only God’s restraint that kept enemies, floods, and violent torrents from destroying God’s people. The psalm ends by acknowledging God as creator and sustainer of heaven and earth.
It’s possible to hear the psalm as an invitation to take Earth care more seriously. An unusual statement from more than 200 leading medical and health journals on September 20 called climate change — and not the pandemic — the greatest threat to public health, while another statement from Pope Francis, the archbishop of Canterbury and the Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch summoned Christians to action.
“Widespread floods, fires and droughts threaten entire continents,” the clergy wrote in their statement last week. “Sea levels rise, forcing whole communities to relocate; cyclones devastate entire regions, ruining lives and livelihoods. Water has become scarce and food supplies insecure, causing conflict and displacement for millions of people.”
* * *
James 5:13-20
James & FOGO
The elegance of the wisdom James espouses is its simple (but not simplistic) understanding of Christian relationships. The church, James has argued, exemplifies the gospel in its praxis. Faith and action are linked for James, including admonitions to avoid favoritism, to feed the hungry, and honor the poor. The praxis of James’ community is rooted in its embodied actions, including prayer and anointing.
But how does that work during a pandemic? How do churches reach out to those who lack technology or who are simply fearful of going out? As one writer says, “FOGO” (the fear of going out) is the perception that something scary is out there, even after being told the danger is gone.
Of course, FOGO isn’t an official diagnosis. Tracey Anne Duncan suggests that because we have been living with such heightened awareness and anxiety, most of us just can’t let go of anxieties even if they are out of proportion to the risks we’re facing. Duncan also suggests that the “fear of normal” (FONO) may also rise. FONO signs include becoming accustomed to virtual work environments, or even not working at all. Duncan quotes a psychotherapist as saying that going back to normal may not be as easy as it sounds.
That probably sounds familiar to pastors. While staying safe and healthy is important, continuing the church’s ministry remains essential. Adapting to new ways of calling for the church elders, for example, and gathering in prayer may take time.
Indeed, many smaller congregations experienced the pandemic as a heightened pathway to closure. A Catholic priest at a 160-year old parish in San Francisco told the Associated Press that the loss of revenue from tourism and the lack of participation from older members were ominous signs of an impending closure. The parish closed its preschool, cut jobs, and deferred maintenance. “I’m just basically trying to trying to keep the doors open,” said Rev. John Ardis.
In light of all of this, perhaps James’ message to pray fervently is especially timely — even if it happens online.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship:
One: If it had not been God who was on our side
All: then we would have been swallowed up alive.
One: Blessed be God, who has not given us as prey to our enemies.
All: We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers.
One: Our help is in the name of our God.
All: It is our God who made heaven and earth.
OR
One: Come to the fount of healing and wholeness.
All: We come to find salvation in our God.
One: God offers wholeness for ourselves and all creation.
All: As we receive God’s healing we will offer it to others.
One: Rejoice in the goodness of God who heals all creation.
All: We are in awe of our joyful, loving God!
Hymns and Songs:
O Worship the King
UMH: 73
H82: 388
PH: 476
NNBH: 6
NCH: 26
CH: 17
LBW: 548
ELW: 842
W&P: 2
AMEC: 12
All People That on Earth Do Dwell
UMH: 75
H82:
PH: 220/221
NNBH: 36
NCH: 7
CH: 18
LBW: 245
ELW: 883
W&P: 661
AMEC: 73
STLT: 370
Hope of the World
UMH: 178
H82: 472
PH: 360
NCH: 46
CH: 538
LBW: 493
W&P: 404
Hymn of Promise (In the Bulb There Is a Flower)
UMH: 707
NCH: 433
CH: 638
W&P: 515
Soon and Very Soon
UMH: 706
AAHH: 193
NNBH: 476
ELW: 439
W&P: 523
Renew: 276
Heal Me, Hands of Jesus (Not in many hymnals but very appropriate)
UMH: 262
CH: 504
W&P: 636
O Christ, the Healer
UMH:
NCH: 175
CH: 503
LBW: 360
ELW: 610
W&P: 638
Renew: 191
Word of God, Come down on Earth
UMH: 182
H82: 633
ELW: 510
O God of Every Nation
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELW: 713
W&P: 626
What Does the Lord Require
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
W&P: 686
Let There Be Peace on Earth (An extra because it fits)
CH: 677
W&P: 614
Something Beautiful
CCB: 84
All I Need Is You
CCB: 100
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who made us to be in creative relationships:
Grant us the grace to seek your healing presence
so that our broken relationship might be made whole;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, because you made us to be in creative relationships that nurture all. You have gifted us with all your children that we might grow in wisdom and wholeness. Grant us a renewal of your Spirit within us that we might find wholeness in the midst of broken relationships. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our participation in relationship that damage rather than heal.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have made us one with you and with all your creation. You have given us each other in community so that we might nurture and be nurtured together. Yet we have placed divisions between us and others and so we are separated from you, as well. Instead of seeing others as an invitation to offer healing and wholeness we look on them for what we can grasp from them. Forgive us and turn our hearts to you that they may be turned to others. Amen.
One: God does wish for all creation to be whole and at peace. Receive God’s healing for your life and relationships and make it grow in you by sharing it with others.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory to you, O God of wholeness. You are One in Three and desire to be one in all creation.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have made us one with you and with all your creation. You have given us each other in community so that we might nurture and be nurtured together. Yet we have placed divisions between us and others and so we are separated from you, as well. Instead of seeing others as an invitation to offer healing and wholeness we look on them for what we can grasp from them. Forgive us and turn our hearts to you that they may be turned to others.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you bring us wholeness and healing. You have made us one in yourself and one as a people on this earth. Neither time nor space can separate us from you or from any of your children. We thank you for those who serve as peacemakers and those who help to heal our broken relationships.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need and, especially, for the relationships which hurt and scar. We pray for those who have not had healthy relationships to teach them how to live together with others in peace. We pray for those caught in webs of violence and abuse. We pray for those who find their sense of worth in harming others. We pray for healing in all our relationships.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMONThree Lessons from James
by Quantisha Mason-Doll
James 5:13-20
Props: Circles with Yes printed one side and No on the other.
Friends, today we have heard a lovely message from our friend James. Can anyone tell me one thing that they remember from the story we just read? James has taught us three important lessons today. Would it be okay if we talk about them?
(Introduction of the yes or no circles.)
The first lesson from our friend James is about body autonomy! Can we say body autonomy? Body autonomy is when we have the right to make decisions over one's own body. Our friend James wants us to know that just like our friend Elijah, we are people that feel different things and that is okay.
The second lesson from our friend James comes in the form of letting others know when we do not feel good. Do you know what happens when we rely on our family and friends when we are in need? That’s right, we take part in the full body of Christ.
Our third and final lesson is the best lesson of all. Our friend James wants us to pray, pray, and pray again. Does everyone know how to pray? Can you tell me using yes or no? Would anyone like to help me guide everyone in prayer to God to thank our savior for these lessons?
Prayer
We give thanks to you loving and merciful God.
We thank you for giving us these gifts.
Guide us as we try our best to be our best and most honest self.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 26, 2021 issue.
Copyright 2021 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
