A Blueprint for Unity
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In this week’s lectionary epistle passage, Paul invokes the example of Jesus as model of behavior for the Philippian congregation. He suggests that the church members should emulate Christ’s humility and concern for others, telling them that they should “do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,” and to “look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others.” In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer notes that the empathy Paul calls for is a necessary element for achieving unity not just in our communities but in the world at large -- something that we aspire to this week as we observe World Communion Sunday. It’s also a key aspect of the United Nations -- an institution in the news this week as President Trump addressed the UN General Assembly, stressing the “selfish ambition” of individual countries. Yet Paul suggests a different blueprint for world peace and Christian unity, one based on allowing God to work in and through us.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the theme of authority and from where it derives -- a central matter in both the Matthew and Exodus readings. As Mary points out, it’s almost as if the religious authorities are asking Jesus “Who died and left you in charge of the world?” President Trump is getting similar questions -- especially as he receives criticism for weighing in with his opinions on the degree to which the flag and the national anthem are receiving proper respect in the sports world. Meanwhile, the notion of authority and how it is being exercised is a much more salient issue in our escalating dispute with North Korea. But as Jesus reminds us, there is a vast difference between authority that is of human origin and that which comes from heaven. And as Mary notes, the authority demonstrated by Jesus and Moses offer us an important blueprint for how we can best use our own influence and authority.
A Blueprint for Unity
by Dean Feldmeyer
Philippians 2:1-13
One of the important developments to come out of World War II was a desire for greater unity among countries, a unity that might be able to head off conflicts like the world was experiencing in Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. into the war in December 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill came together at the Arcadia conference to forge a joint Anglo-American war strategy and a plan for a future peace.
A few days later, on January 1, 1942, the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union presented a blueprint for international unity, an agreement signed by themselves and representatives of 26 other countries to pursue the creation of a future international peacekeeping organization dedicated to ensuring “life, liberty, independence, and religious freedom, and to preserve the rights of man and justice.”
That organization would eventually become the United Nations.
At about the same time, another idea to promote international unity was catching on in America’s churches.
In 1933, the Rev. Dr. Hugh Thompson Kerr had introduced the idea of a worldwide celebration of Holy Communion that would take place on the first Sunday of October every year. It was, he said, an “attempt to bring churches together in a service of Christian unity” and to know, among other things, “how each congregation is interconnected one with another.”
Initially the idea didn’t take off, but by 1942 it would seem to be one answer to a world that appeared to be falling apart.
Christian unity seems to be a goal as elusive as international unity -- but in the celebration of World Communion Sunday we envision it, if only dimly, and we are reminded of Paul’s words to the Philippians, his blueprint for Christian unity: “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus...”
In the News
The United Nations was in the news last week as we waited and watched and finally heard President Trump’s first address to that august body. Well, not the entire body -- the North Korean delegation left before Trump made it to the dais.
Whether we agree or disagree with the speech’s content or how it was delivered, we cannot deny that (as the amount of news coverage would indicate) it was important. It was important because there are some significant and dangerous conflicts going on in the world, generating heat that could easily burst into war.
It was important because it was Trump’s first such speech, and it was important because it would, many believed, set the tone for what would be a large part of his foreign policy. And finally, it was important because the United Nations is important.
Following a blueprint created in 1942 and signed by 26 countries, the UN was given life for the purpose of bringing nations together in the pursuit of peace. By the time of the organization’s formal chartering in 1945, the number of member states had grown to 51 -- and the number has continually increased for the past six and a half decades. Today 193 sovereign countries are counted as full members of the United Nations.
Here are some of the accomplishments of the United Nations since its inception:
During its 70-year history, the UN... has peacefully negotiated 172 peace settlements that have ended regional conflicts and is credited with participation in over 300 international treaties on topics as varied as human rights conventions to agreements on the use of outer space and the oceans.
The UN has been involved in every major war and international crisis since its inception, and has served as a catalyst for the prevention of others. It authorized the international coalitions that fought in the Korean War (1950-53) and the Persian Gulf War (1991). It provided a forum for mediation in the Arab-Israeli conflict, resulting in numerous peace accords and keeping the conflict localized to the Middle East.... UN military forces (provided by member states) have conducted over 35 peacekeeping missions, providing security and reducing armed conflict. In 1988, the UN Peace-Keeping Forces received the Nobel Prize for Peace. The UN has also set up war crimes tribunals to try war criminals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
The UN has also made great strides in raising the consciousness of human rights beginning with the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” adopted by the General Assembly in 1948.... The UN’s intense attention to specific human rights abuses was instrumental in ending apartheid in South Africa. In its humanitarian efforts, more than 30 million refugees fleeing war, persecution, or famine have received aid from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The International Court of Justice has helped settle numerous international disputes involving territorial issues, hostage-taking, and economic rights.
In recent years the UN has become deeply involved in providing humanitarian assistance and promoting improvements in the health of the world’s peoples. In addition to providing relief for humanitarian crises caused by international conflicts, the UN can and does respond to emergencies caused by natural disasters. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN-affiliated groups have eliminated smallpox and are actively pursuing a battle against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria around the world. The WHO played a significant role in diagnosing and containing the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is one of the world’s oldest and most admired advocacy agencies for children and has saved and enriched the lives of the world’s children through immunization programs for polio, tetanus, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria and tuberculosis, saving the lives of over 3 million children per year.
The United Nations Development Program provides economic assistance to developing countries through expert advice, training, and equipment.
In addition to promoting workers’ rights and the right to organize and bargain for better pay and working conditions, the UN has also played a significant role in improving agricultural techniques and increasing crop yields in Asia, Africa, and South America. The UN has also helped developing nations obtain funding for projects through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, also known as the World Bank. A related UN agency, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), promotes international cooperation on monetary issues and encourages stable exchange rates among nations.
In a world that seems to be embroiled in a constant struggle to rip itself apart, the United Nations has been and is at work striving to bring nations and peoples together for the good of all.
A president who would have a far-reaching and purposeful foreign policy would do well to stake his or her claim to that ethereal ground with a speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations.
In the Scriptures
Paul was either in prison or under house arrest when he wrote his letter to the Christian community in Philippi, a large and important city on the Via Egnatia which ran through Macedonia. He had founded the church, probably around 60 CE, and had visited it once or twice since its beginning.
The apostle seems to have had a close and affectionate relationship with this congregation, but the letter would indicate that there were some problems in the church. Epaphroditus, a member of the Philippian church, has come to visit Paul and has brought him a gift. He has probably also brought some concerns about some issues that have arisen in the Philippian Christian community and asked Paul to address them.
It would appear, from Paul’s words, that the church was undergoing some persecution by non-Christians. They are also being assailed by preachers and leaders of other sects and faiths, arguing that theirs is the only true version of Christianity or some other religion.
And finally, there seems to be dissension within the ranks of the church members themselves over who should be the leader of the congregation. Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, women who Paul knows personally, are vying for positions of leadership, and the battle seems to have heated up and is in danger of boiling over and dividing the congregation. This threatening conflagration may, in fact, be the main reason for Paul’s letter.
In this week’s lection we hear Paul addressing his very real concern about division within the Body of Christ.
The passage opens with some positive nouns, ones he uses throughout the letter: encouragement, consolation, love, sharing, compassion, sympathy, joy, and accord.
Since he started the church and knows most of the people personally, he begins with a personal appeal to “make my joy complete.” Then he lists the positives that it will take to accomplish this goal:
* Be of the same mind,
* Have the same love, and
* Be in full accord.
This is followed by two negatives which they must avoid:
* Selfish ambition, and
* Conceit.
These goals will be accomplished, Paul says, through humility. What does humility look like? Well, you start by considering other people on a higher plain than ourselves. He asks them to forego their own interests in favor of the interests of others. Strive to be like Jesus, he says, who did not consider himself to be higher than us -- even though he had every right to do so, but instead “humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even on a cross.”
This is Paul’s blueprint for unity within the church, a blueprint drawn by the hand of God.
In the Pulpit
Is it possible that this blueprint can be adapted to apply not just to the Philippian church but to our churches as well? And could it not then be applied as well to groups of churches within a community and the community itself? And if it can apply to the community, then could it not be applied to countries?
If we boil Paul’s advice down to a single word -- a word that can, in and of itself, create unity, and without which any unity is at best fragile and at worst impossible -- that word would be EMPATHY, the ability to feel and experience what other people feel and experience.
For us to build a lasting unity in our families, in our churches, in our communities, and in the world, we will need to be able to see and feel life from other people’s perspectives. We will need to be able to feel their pain, share their joy, and live (if only briefly) in their world. In other words, we will need empathy.
For there to be peace there must be unity, and for there to be authentic unity there must be empathy.
If we insist on always putting our own interests first, if we are determined to seek outcomes that benefit only ourselves, there will be no unity -- and consequently no peace.
In my 38 years of active, parish ministry I learned that there were some key times and places where churches tended to come together in unity:
* Crises. These can be natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes (as we are seeing now), and they can also take place in times of economic or social disaster. When a large corporation moved out of our rural county, taking nearly 10,000 jobs with it, the churches in the community leapt into action, joining together to create services to help those who lost their jobs.
* Social Justice. We saw pastors locking arms and holding hands as they marched for peace in Charlottesville, Virginia, when neo-Nazis came armed with guns and hate. We also see churches that are physically close together combine their resources to provide services to the poor. In my own community, people became incensed and angry when a low-income housing development was planned for the edge of town, and they were spreading the word to show up loud and angry at the next city council meeting. Hoping to influence the tone and perhaps the content of the meeting, more than a dozen ministers came to the meeting, entered together, and sat in the front row of the gallery as a witness to faith, hope, and charity.
* Shared Worship Services and Resources. Most communities still have community Thanksgiving or Good Friday worship services, and some still have annual pulpit exchanges. In others, two or three churches may combine their resources for Christmas concerts or choir festivals or Vacation Bible Schools.
* Clergy Support. It was my privilege for more than 20 years to be part of a small, ecumenical group of like- minded pastors who met weekly for study and mutual support. I have no doubt that my ministry would have suffered without their love and encouragement, and that my sermons would have suffered without their wisdom and input.
* World Communion Sunday. On this day we celebrate the eucharist as we normally do -- but we pause for a moment in the celebration to remember that we are part of a large, worldwide body of people who manage to often be alike without being the same. And it is to this celebration that we turn today.
If we can come together for things such as these, we can come together for others if we choose. In fact, we might possibly come together forever in a house that is built upon a rock.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Authority
by Mary Austin
Matthew 21:23-32; Exodus 17:1-7
“Well, who died and left you in charge of the world?” That familiar childhood taunt was typically used to put people back in their place. Anyone who got too bossy or too full of themselves had their authority checked by the group. Authority is complicated -- it has to be both given and claimed, in a two-part process. It can be used to reassure or to disturb, to calm or to enflame, to cultivate hope or for pure self-promotion.
As we’re seeing with President Trump, immigration and travel bans are one thing -- but we don’t want the president to meddle with football. Our civil religion, sports, is off-limits. Over the weekend Trump took on the NFL, criticizing players who take a knee during the national anthem. While he was at it, he rescinded the traditional White House invitation to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors after Warriors star Stephen Curry indicated his reluctance. Even LeBron James, whose Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Warriors in the NBA finals, came to Curry’s defense. “Curry’s teammates subsequently announced that none of them would go to the White House but instead would use the team’s February trip to Washington to ‘celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion.’ ” This past weekend Oakland A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell became the first major league baseball player to take a knee during the anthem. “On Sunday morning, Trump was back at it, calling on fans to boycott NFL games.” Instead of agreeing with the president, a number of football owners came out to the field over the weekend to stand with their players during the national anthem.
The football world only got more feisty after the president’s comments: “He was facing off with hundreds of NFL players, who had either taken a knee, like Kaepernick, or stayed in the locker room during the playing of the National Anthem. He’d been scolded by multiple team owners, including his personal friend Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, and the NFL commissioner. The dispute had spilled over the bounds of NFL and included LeBron James and Steph Curry. Even Michael Jordan, who (supposedly) long evaded politics because ‘Republicans buy sneakers too’ criticized Trump.” Trump’s comments played well with supporters, and left much of the country questioning why he would weigh in on this topic.
As The Atlantic notes: “The presidential-sports complex was perhaps the last fully functioning bipartisan tradition left in Washington. This weekend, Trump blew it up. His short presidency has been marked by many watersheds. But this one feels different. If the president is at war with pro sports, no cow is sacred anymore. Trump v. Sports promises to be a long-running drama.” The back-and-forth has a strong racial undertone. The kneeling began as a protest against police killings of African-American men, led by prominent African-American quarterback Colin Kaepernick. “Nearly all the athletes who drew [Trump’s] ire -- the anthem kneelers and Steph Curry -- are black. The Uppity Negro Athlete is a familiar trope in white America, and one that resonates especially with Trump’s supporters. Playing in the NFL (which is 70 percent black) is, in Trump’s opinion, a ‘privilege.’ Never mind that it’s a privilege that comes with dreadful risks, including the degenerative brain disease CTE.” Like authority, privilege is hard to see in ourselves, and easy to recognize in others.
In a more important war of words, North Korea accused the president of using his authority to declare war on the country: “Referring to Mr. Trump’s post, North Korea’s [foreign minister Ri Yong-Ho] said ‘the question of who won’t be around much longer’ would be answered by his country. Mr. Ri’s remarks -- not the first time that North Korea has used the phrase ‘a declaration of war’ in relation to the U.S. -- are the latest in an increasingly angry war of words between the two countries.” A writer for the New Yorker who traveled to North Korea in recent weeks says that North Koreans do understand the president’s authority, and are wondering: “Is the American public ready for war?... Does the Congress want a war? Does the American military want a war? Because, if they want a war, then we must prepare for that.” In the same way that Americans find Kim Jong-Un unpredictable, the North Korean people are trying to predict what our president will do. Both have authority, and we wonder how they will use it.
The chief priests and the Jewish leaders come from a place of authority when they ask Jesus a question. Speaking from a position of power within the Jewish world, they recognize Jesus’ inner authority, but still want to know where it comes from. As he often does, Jesus answers their question with another question.
They’re supposed to be the leaders, and they find themselves in the humbling position of asking Jesus questions that he won’t even bother to answer. Jesus is in the last week of his life. He’s aggravated the established powers by clearing out the temple, in Matthew’s timeline, and now he’s back. He doesn’t even have the decency to hide away somewhere after the ruckus he made. He comes to the place most significant and sacred to these authorities, and pokes at them by teaching there.
As one writer notes, “Their own authority in Israel, after all, had been given to them by God in the time of Moses and passed down for generations; thus, for Jesus to say ‘By God’s authority’ would be to offer an answer easily refuted on biblical and traditional terms” [Kathryn D. Blanchard, in Feasting on the Word (Year A, Vol. 4), p. 116]. But Jesus’ non-answer question back to them implies that his authority comes from the same place as John’s. Now they’re caught. Whatever they say about John, they know, will also apply to Jesus. They refuse to answer, and a little more of their authority slips away from them.
Moses, too, is struggling with his authority. He’s caught between God and the people who are on their way to freedom. The people complain to him regularly, and he has to carry their complaints to God. When they’re thirsty, the people start to wonder if God is with them or not, in spite of all that God has already done to get them out of Egypt and keep them safe. Each new challenge raises their fears again.
To meet their need for water -- or maybe just to quiet them down -- God gives Moses the ability to bring water out of the rock. God’s power over the water becomes Moses’ power to meet the people’s needs. God gives Moses another stamp of approval, showing again that Moses operates through divine authority.
For both Jesus and Moses, authority comes from somewhere -- or more particularly, Someone. It grows out of a direct connection with God, and both of them use their authority in service to God’s people. Moses’ gift of water in the desert, and Jesus’ gift of wisdom in the temple, extend their authority out from themselves to people in need. If we understand them as examples for our own faith, they give us a pattern for the use of our own authority, whether great or small.
So far, no one has died and left us in charge of the world -- but we have other kinds of influence. As people of privilege, as church members and pastors, as people who are educated and have the ear of other people, we have an opportunity to use our authority for the benefit of others. Jesus and Moses offer us an example of how we receive, and how we use, this combination of privilege and burden.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Chris Keating:
Exodus 17:1-7
Go Forward
No one said it was going to be an easy journey, but the Israelites are now beginning to understand a hard truth -- the wilderness is lacking in decent accommodations. It’s a place of whining, groaning, and complaining -- but also growing. As they raise their complaints in Exodus 17, there are hints of the predicament that has described their journey from the very start. They are learning what it means to trust God, even to the point of desperate thirst.
In his recent book The Great Spiritual Migration, Brian McLaren narrates a similar experience. McLaren’s book documents his understanding of the shifts at work in Christianity and in the world, and then he encourages Christian leaders to stand where Israel stood. He calls Christians to listen for God’s invitation to trust, to move forward. He tells of attending a retreat with leaders from various faith backgrounds. In that wilderness place, it feels very much as though the leaders were looking for water to assuage their thirst.
In that place, Rabbi Stephanie Kolin (a participant) shared a particularly poignant prayer which in part says:
God who creates, God who redeems,
God of shalom -- of peace, God of sh’leumut -- of wholeness,
We remember the tumultuous sea before us that showed no signs of parting;
And we remember you told us... go forward.
(Brian McLaren, The Great Spiritual Migration [Convergent, 2016], pp. 201-203)
There in the wilderness, says McLaren, he learned that “our calling is forward; we can’t turn back. In that impossible moment, in that tragic gap when our hearts break open, in that agonizing place where there is no way ahead, God makes a way. We step forth and the waters part.”
*****
Exodus 17:1-7
Failing Dam in Puerto Rico
What’s worse than having no water? Having too much water, as residents of areas impacted by the recent wave of natural disasters can attest. In Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria spewed misery in every direction, rendering the island without power and creating catastrophic damage. By the weekend, the crisis enlarged as the territory prepared for the imminent failure of the Guajataca Dam.
Some 70,000 persons live downstream from the earthen dam, yet with shelters overwhelmed with need and supplies dwindling, officials noted that the crisis was beginning to create mass hysteria. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo toured the island, and told reporters: “It is a dangerous situation today and it’s going to be a long-term reconstruction issue for months.” In the midst of their terror, the Puerto Ricans may be experiencing something akin to the circumstances endured by the Israelites, who quarreled and wondered aloud: “Is the Lord among us or not?”
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
Looking to the Interests of Others
Many congregations observe World Communion Sunday on the first Sunday in October as an acknowledgement of the unity Christ prayed for before his crucifixion. Paul’s words about humility, mutuality, and seeking the benefit of others help frame the differences between the gatherings of Christians across the world from the gatherings of political leaders.
Note, for example, the difference between Paul’s vision and President Donald Trump’s understanding of leadership as “militaristic” and his characterization of his cabinet as “killers.” Paul chooses the high road, calling for a “humility that regard[s] others as better than yourselves,” while Trump relies on name-calling, most recently making a derogatory remark about NFL players who do not stand for the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Yet it’s not just the president, or even just this president. There are plenty of examples of how, as Bruce Kasanoff puts it, “ego traps talented professionals.” Instead of placing others in front of themselves, they speak constantly about themselves, stop listening, and fail to remain grounded in the face of success. Kasanoff’s column from a few years ago remains relevant:
Ego is a blinder. It stops you from processing information. It stops you from seeing the world as it is. Instead of seeing reality, you see The Me Show. You are so blinded by the beauty of your name in lights that you fail to realize the best leaders bring out the best in other people, not just themselves....
I meet a lot of CEOs, and it takes about two seconds to figure out which ones are in love with themselves. They want to tell you about their house in Aspen and their trip to Davos. They complain about the cost of repairing their Bentley. They seem so tone-deaf to the fact that the rest of us don’t hobnob with world leaders or drive cars that cost more than our homes.
My reaction to these leaders is always the same; I listen politely, all the while thinking: what a waste of talent.
***************
From team member Ron Love:
Exodus 17:1-7
In the comic The Lockhorns, Leroy and Loretta seem to be an average middle-class couple. While their marriage is one of love it is not absent of criticism, which occurs on an almost daily basis. It almost seems that this is the best way the couple has to communicate. In a recent comic Leroy is sitting in his easy chair in front of the television, arms crossed, with an angry look on his face. Loretta, standing beside him with her hands on her hips, says: “It’s been over 35 years, Leroy... Why are you upset I spoiled ‘Who Shot J.R.’ for you?”
Application: It seems that complaining is the only thing some people know how to do.
*****
Exodus 17:1-7
Mahatma Gandhi, who religion was Hinduism, once said: “When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator.” Gandhi, who died in 1948, was a lawyer who later accepted an ascetic lifestyle. The leader of the movement to secure India’s independence from England. Gandhi popularized the social activist practice of non-violence and civil disobedience, which Martin Luther King Jr. adopted for the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1960s.
Application: Our lectionary reading teaches us to marvel at the wonders of God.
*****
Exodus 17:1-7
Dr. J. Philip Wogaman was an ethics professor at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. He was also known as the senior minister of Foundry United Methodist Church, which Bill Clinton attended while he was president. When Dr. Wogaman taught at Wesley, he would open each new ethics class of the semester with the same question: “What is the central theme of the Bible?” After receiving expected answers such as love, forgiveness, and salvation, Dr. Wogaman would then tell the class that the central theme of the Bible is hope, followed by his opening lecture on the theological meaning of that word and concept.
Application: The message from our lectionary reading is one of hope.
*****
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Hillary Clinton’s memoir What Happened sold 300,000 copies the first week it was released. The book is Clinton’s evaluation of why she lost the 2016 presidential election. Carolyn Reidy, president and chief executive of Simon & Schuster, said the reason for the phenomenal sales “is clearly an overwhelming desire among readers to learn about the experience, from Hillary Clinton’s perspective, the historic events of the 2016 election.”
Application: The psalmist instructs us that we are to have a desire to learn.
*****
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
David Litt recently published a memoir titled Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years. Litt initially was a volunteer who wrote bylines for the Obama campaign. After Obama was elected, Litt was brought onto the White House staff. After Obama’s reelection, Litt became a senior speechwriter, especially known for his wit. Litt penned jokes for Obama for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. As a speechwriter, Litt came to realize that whenever and wherever Obama spoke, whatever the size of the crowd or venue, “Every speech is a speech about America. Every audience is the entire United States.”
Application: The calling of a prophet is to be heard by all individuals across the globe.
*****
Psalm 25:1-9
Kim Jong-Un of North Korea and Donald Trump of the United States continue their war of words, which resembles diplomacy less of than it does two children on a school playground. Recently Kim declared, “I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.” The reference to fire was in response to Trump’s oration that he will destroy North Korea with “fire and fury.” But the word “dotard” had everyone going to Google to find a possible definition. It is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “An old person, especially one who has become weak or senile.” But the word was only popular in the early 1600s and then again in the early 1800s, so where did Kim find it? Experts on North Korea summarized that state officials are still using very old and antiquated Korean-English dictionaries, which is why the word was presented to Kim Jong-Un.
Application: The psalmist is empathetic about the need to be taught.
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
Robert E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church in Lexington, Virginia, has returned to its original name of Grace Episcopal Church. In 1865, after the Civil War, Robert E. Lee took up residence in Lexington as he was appointed president of Washington College, which is now known as Washington and Lee University. Lee was elected as senior warden of the church, and served in that position for five years until his death. In 1903 the church changed its name from Grace Episcopal Church to Robert E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church. After the killings at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church in 2015 by a gunman with Confederate sympathies, wanting to disassociate itself from white supremacists who rally behind the name of Robert E, Lee, a debate began within the congregation as to whether or not the church should return to its original name. The recent events in Charlottesville renewed the debate. By a vote of 7 to 5, the church’s vestry agreed to restore the original name of the church. The church’s rector, the Rev. Tom Crittenden, said: “It’s been a very divisive issue for two years. But Charlottesville seems to have moved us to this point. Not that we have a different view of Lee historically in our church, but we have appreciation for our need to move on.”
Application: Paul discusses the need to be of one mind and show mutual love for all individuals.
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
John Wigger recently published a book titled PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire. The book offers numerous stories on how the Bakkers deceived their followers to support their narcissistic lifestyle -- a lifestyle that was also their undoing, as Jim Bakker was sent to prison after being convicted of fraud regarding fundraising deceptions for his Heritage USA theme park. Wigger says two things destroyed the Bakkers -- sex and greed. Regarding sex, Jim had affairs with both women and men, the best known being with Jessica Hahn. Tammy is reported to have had a number of liaisons as well, the most noted one with musician Gary Paxton. Regarding greed, as the Bakkers’ ministry grew so did their insatiable appetite for nice things. In difficult financial times, the Bakkers laid off 283 employees at a savings of $3,613,780 -- the exact same figure as Jim’s financial compensation for 1985 and 1986 as reported to the IRS. Using PTL money they bought homes, boats, cars, and other luxury items. The Bakkers were able to do this because, according to Wigger, they were experts at deceit.
Application: There is no place for deceit among like-minded Christians.
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
John Wigger recently published a book titled PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire. The book offers numerous stories on how the Bakkers deceived their followers to support their narcissistic lifestyle -- a lifestyle that was also their undoing, as Jim Bakker was sent to prison after being convicted of fraud regarding fundraising deceptions for his Heritage USA theme park. Wigger says two things destroyed the Bakkers -- sex and greed. The Bakkers were able to do this because, according to Wigger, they were experts at deceit.
In his book, Wigger points to the Bakker story as a cautionary tale for the followers of televangelists -- suggesting that they need to engage in serious introspection. PTL stands for “Praise The Lord,” but those who examined the behavior of the Bakkers came to view PTL as an acronym for “Pass The Loot.”
Application: There is no place for deceit among like-minded Christians.
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
Alex Yablon is a reporter for the Trace -- a non-profit journalism outlet dedicated to covering guns and shootings in America that launched after Dylann Roof killed nine parishioners at a black Baptist church in Charleston in 2015. Following extensive research and investigations, Yablon concluded that all mass murders have one thing in common -- anti-social behavior. He reports that society has been misdirected by focusing on religious and political beliefs, video games, and music. These could play a part, but they are not shared in common by mass killers, as are anti-social and sometimes previously violent conduct.
Application: As a like-minded community, we need to be aware of and provide protective measures from anti-social individuals who disrupt our tranquility.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
World Communion Sunday
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Call to Worship
Leader: God is at work among us.
People: We look to God with fear and trembling.
Leader: God shows us a good and pleasing way.
People: We seek after God’s good pleasure.
Leader: God bids us to look to Jesus and exalt his name.
People: We worship God: Creator, Savior and Sustainer.
Leader: Let us worship God.
OR
Leader: Give ear, O people of God, the Lord is with us.
People: Though we wander through the wilderness, we are not left alone.
Leader: God goes before us with pillars of fire and cloud, guiding our way.
People: We tell of the amazing deeds of the Lord.
Leader: God speaks and acts with authority.
People: We follow God and are led along paths toward unity and peace.
Leader: Let the whole earth praise the Lord.
People: Let the whole earth worship God.
Prayer of the Day/Collect
From a splintered and scattered world, O God, you call us. You call us by name; you call us your people. Your grace and peace pour out freely upon your creation, one world nestled in your steady hand. Gather us in this day to sing praises, to pray and rejoice. May we know and worship the God who makes us one. Amen.
OR
God of all lands and people, of varied races and nations, we gather in your presence to praise and worship you. By your authority, you spoke the world into existence. You sent your Son to show us the way to live and to love one another. Unite us this day as one communion, gathered and celebrating unity through Christ, who points us to you. Amen.
Call to Confession
Confident in God’s love of us, we dare to turn to God and admit the things that separate us from God and from one another. Let us come before God with our prayers and confessions.
Prayer of Confession
O God of authority, encouragement, and love, we so easily take you for granted. You reveal yourself in your glorious creation, yet we exploit it or ignore it. You come to us in the gift and blessing of your Son, yet we misapply his teachings for our own gain or we question his insights which undermine our comfort. You provide enough for each person to be fed, to have shelter, to love and be loved. Yet your world remains overwhelmed by poverty, hunger, displacement, injustice, and hatred. You lay out for us the promise of eternal life in your heavenly kingdom. The vision fades from our sight as we seek to build comfortable kingdoms on earth. Stir our hearts, our minds, our vision that we may turn from worldly authorities and interests. Turn us toward you, that we may serve you and live with empathy toward your people. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so the world might be saved through him. The world has Jesus; we have Jesus, who offers us forgiveness and blessing, and who points the way to God. Believe the promise of the gospel: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and freed to live as God’s holy people.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
God of peace, wholeness and unity, you have brought your creation to this place of innovation, progress, and abundance. Yet the world still knows hunger, suffering, hatred, and strife.
You instill in us a vision of a peaceable kingdom, yet fires rage, destructive winds blow, waters ravage -- destroying life, shelter, and livelihood in their paths.
You give us a savior, your Son, one with authority to teach and heal, and humility to serve and obey. Yet we have not always known him. We have not always believed him. We have not always heeded his teachings or followed his ways.
You, O God, are at work in us -- allowing us to know your abundant love, to envision your shalom, to will and to work for your good pleasure.
Open us to receive the vision you have for your people and for your creation.
Stir us to be in full accord with your peace and to work for justice, righteousness, and unity.
We pray this day for places that feel far distant from your peace.
We pray for people seeking to recover their lives, homes, and belongings after the devastation of recent storms, earthquakes, and fires.
We pray for people in Myanmar, Syria, South Sudan, and Tunisia who fear for their lives at the hands of soldiers, religious extremists, bandits, and their own governments.
We pray for families with loved ones who struggle with addictions.
We pray for women and children who have been snatched from safety and forced to steal or to sell themselves at the hands of controllers and abusers.
We pray, O God, for in these situations, we don’t know what else to do. We pray that your peace, your recovery, your support, your rescue -- your hope -- may be tangibly known in these situations.
The psalmist wrote “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). May we join you, O God, in building a world that makes for peace.
We ask that you bless the efforts of men and women across the globe who seek to embody peace where it is sharply absent.
We thank you for the work of the United Nations and its member countries’ efforts to advocate for children, to champion human rights, to respond to natural disasters, and to eradicate devastating childhood diseases.
We rejoice with Christians across the globe who celebrate the joyful feast hosted by your Son in the Lord’s Supper.
May these acts of unity bear witness to the peace you offer, giving us a foretaste of your kingdom where all will one day feast with you.
Hear us as we pray that prayer Jesus taught, saying together, Our Father...
Children’s Sermon Starter
On this World Communion Sunday, draw on verses from the Philippians passage. Paul writes a letter to a church that he founded in Philippi. Since he started the church and knows most of the people personally, he begins with a personal appeal to “make my joy complete.” Then he lists the positives that it will take to accomplish this goal.
* Be of the same mind,
* Have the same love, and
* Be in full accord... following Christ Jesus.
In talking with the children, have them look out over the congregation. Notice how different/unique everyone appears: different ages, different heights, different eye colors, different clothes. Even though they are all very different, each of them loves Jesus. Each of them follows Jesus. Each of them is loved by Jesus. This is true about people we see here. It’s also true about people who love and follow Jesus all across the globe.
Emphasize how the love of God and our love for Jesus draws us together with all kinds of people all around the world. God’s love is bigger and stronger than any differences we may see.
Hymns (from the Presbyterian Hymnal Glory to God)
Philippians 2
#264 “At the Name of Jesus”
#265 “Jesus Shall Reign”
#274 “You, Lord, Are Both Lamb and Shepherd”
#300 “We Are One in the Spirit”
#326 “For All the Saints”
#363 “Rejoice, the Lord Is King”
#372 “O for a World”
#427 “Jesus Knows the Inmost Heart”
#610 “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
#727 “Will You Let Me Be Your Servant”
#767 “Together We Serve”
Matthew 21
#630 “Fairest Lord Jesus”
#65 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”
#503 “Lord, We Have Come at Your Own Invitation”
Exodus 17
#71 “Surely, It Is God Who Saves Me”
#81 “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”
World Communion/Peacemaking
#753 “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”
#373 “O Day of Peace”
#378 “We Wait for the Peaceful Kingdom”
#306 “Blest Be the Tie that Binds”
#317, #318 “In Christ There Is No East or West”
#301 “Let Us Build a House”
#756 “O God of Every Nation”
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Philippians 2:1-13
(Gather the children and welcome them. Then open your Bible to Philippians 2:1-13 and give the children a brief introduction to this letter.)
The apostle Paul, a man who lived after Jesus and who started a number of Christian churches, wrote letters to the people in these churches. In Paul’s letters, he reminded people of what he taught them about Jesus and encouraged them to keep their faith.
Today we’re reading verses from a letter that Paul wrote to a church in Philippi.
If you were writing a letter to friends to remind them about Jesus, what would you tell them? What would you say about Jesus? (Invite the children to tell about Jesus. Answers may include some of the following phrases. Mention a few of these if the children do not.)
* Jesus is God’s Son.
* Jesus loves us.
* Jesus died for us.
* Jesus helped people.
* Jesus was nice.
* Jesus was kind.
* Jesus sits with God in heaven.
* Jesus obeyed God.
* Jesus was humble.
In his letter, Paul said some of these same things about Jesus! Paul also said that even though Jesus died on the cross, God lifted Jesus up to be Lord and Savior. Paul said that when Jesus’ name is spoken, “every knee shall bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God” (vv. 10-11).
What do you think this means? (Invite the children to respond.)
This is a fancy way of saying: Jesus is so amazing that every person should kneel down and give him praise -- and at the same time thank God for the wonderful gift of Jesus. Paul is reminding the people in the Philippian church to give honor and praise to God and Jesus. Since this letter is in the Bible, we receive this reminder from Paul too.
(Tie-in to communion) Later in our worship service, you and I will have a chance to eat bread and have a little taste of juice (or wine) to remember the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his friends. This is a great chance for you to give thanks and praise to Jesus. In communion, we remember that Jesus died on the cross. We also remember that he rose again and is with us now. This is something to celebrate!
When you receive the bread and the juice today, remember to say: “Thank you, God. Thank you, Jesus.”
Prayer: Great and giving God, you did a wonderful thing when you gave us Jesus. What an amazing person he was, and what an amazing friend and savior he is! Thank you, Jesus, for what you went through for us. Thank you, God, for what you’ve done for us. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, October 1, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 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.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the theme of authority and from where it derives -- a central matter in both the Matthew and Exodus readings. As Mary points out, it’s almost as if the religious authorities are asking Jesus “Who died and left you in charge of the world?” President Trump is getting similar questions -- especially as he receives criticism for weighing in with his opinions on the degree to which the flag and the national anthem are receiving proper respect in the sports world. Meanwhile, the notion of authority and how it is being exercised is a much more salient issue in our escalating dispute with North Korea. But as Jesus reminds us, there is a vast difference between authority that is of human origin and that which comes from heaven. And as Mary notes, the authority demonstrated by Jesus and Moses offer us an important blueprint for how we can best use our own influence and authority.
A Blueprint for Unity
by Dean Feldmeyer
Philippians 2:1-13
One of the important developments to come out of World War II was a desire for greater unity among countries, a unity that might be able to head off conflicts like the world was experiencing in Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. into the war in December 1941, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill came together at the Arcadia conference to forge a joint Anglo-American war strategy and a plan for a future peace.
A few days later, on January 1, 1942, the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union presented a blueprint for international unity, an agreement signed by themselves and representatives of 26 other countries to pursue the creation of a future international peacekeeping organization dedicated to ensuring “life, liberty, independence, and religious freedom, and to preserve the rights of man and justice.”
That organization would eventually become the United Nations.
At about the same time, another idea to promote international unity was catching on in America’s churches.
In 1933, the Rev. Dr. Hugh Thompson Kerr had introduced the idea of a worldwide celebration of Holy Communion that would take place on the first Sunday of October every year. It was, he said, an “attempt to bring churches together in a service of Christian unity” and to know, among other things, “how each congregation is interconnected one with another.”
Initially the idea didn’t take off, but by 1942 it would seem to be one answer to a world that appeared to be falling apart.
Christian unity seems to be a goal as elusive as international unity -- but in the celebration of World Communion Sunday we envision it, if only dimly, and we are reminded of Paul’s words to the Philippians, his blueprint for Christian unity: “Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus...”
In the News
The United Nations was in the news last week as we waited and watched and finally heard President Trump’s first address to that august body. Well, not the entire body -- the North Korean delegation left before Trump made it to the dais.
Whether we agree or disagree with the speech’s content or how it was delivered, we cannot deny that (as the amount of news coverage would indicate) it was important. It was important because there are some significant and dangerous conflicts going on in the world, generating heat that could easily burst into war.
It was important because it was Trump’s first such speech, and it was important because it would, many believed, set the tone for what would be a large part of his foreign policy. And finally, it was important because the United Nations is important.
Following a blueprint created in 1942 and signed by 26 countries, the UN was given life for the purpose of bringing nations together in the pursuit of peace. By the time of the organization’s formal chartering in 1945, the number of member states had grown to 51 -- and the number has continually increased for the past six and a half decades. Today 193 sovereign countries are counted as full members of the United Nations.
Here are some of the accomplishments of the United Nations since its inception:
During its 70-year history, the UN... has peacefully negotiated 172 peace settlements that have ended regional conflicts and is credited with participation in over 300 international treaties on topics as varied as human rights conventions to agreements on the use of outer space and the oceans.
The UN has been involved in every major war and international crisis since its inception, and has served as a catalyst for the prevention of others. It authorized the international coalitions that fought in the Korean War (1950-53) and the Persian Gulf War (1991). It provided a forum for mediation in the Arab-Israeli conflict, resulting in numerous peace accords and keeping the conflict localized to the Middle East.... UN military forces (provided by member states) have conducted over 35 peacekeeping missions, providing security and reducing armed conflict. In 1988, the UN Peace-Keeping Forces received the Nobel Prize for Peace. The UN has also set up war crimes tribunals to try war criminals in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda.
The UN has also made great strides in raising the consciousness of human rights beginning with the “Universal Declaration of Human Rights” adopted by the General Assembly in 1948.... The UN’s intense attention to specific human rights abuses was instrumental in ending apartheid in South Africa. In its humanitarian efforts, more than 30 million refugees fleeing war, persecution, or famine have received aid from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The International Court of Justice has helped settle numerous international disputes involving territorial issues, hostage-taking, and economic rights.
In recent years the UN has become deeply involved in providing humanitarian assistance and promoting improvements in the health of the world’s peoples. In addition to providing relief for humanitarian crises caused by international conflicts, the UN can and does respond to emergencies caused by natural disasters. The World Health Organization (WHO) and other UN-affiliated groups have eliminated smallpox and are actively pursuing a battle against AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria around the world. The WHO played a significant role in diagnosing and containing the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003. The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is one of the world’s oldest and most admired advocacy agencies for children and has saved and enriched the lives of the world’s children through immunization programs for polio, tetanus, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria and tuberculosis, saving the lives of over 3 million children per year.
The United Nations Development Program provides economic assistance to developing countries through expert advice, training, and equipment.
In addition to promoting workers’ rights and the right to organize and bargain for better pay and working conditions, the UN has also played a significant role in improving agricultural techniques and increasing crop yields in Asia, Africa, and South America. The UN has also helped developing nations obtain funding for projects through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, also known as the World Bank. A related UN agency, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), promotes international cooperation on monetary issues and encourages stable exchange rates among nations.
In a world that seems to be embroiled in a constant struggle to rip itself apart, the United Nations has been and is at work striving to bring nations and peoples together for the good of all.
A president who would have a far-reaching and purposeful foreign policy would do well to stake his or her claim to that ethereal ground with a speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations.
In the Scriptures
Paul was either in prison or under house arrest when he wrote his letter to the Christian community in Philippi, a large and important city on the Via Egnatia which ran through Macedonia. He had founded the church, probably around 60 CE, and had visited it once or twice since its beginning.
The apostle seems to have had a close and affectionate relationship with this congregation, but the letter would indicate that there were some problems in the church. Epaphroditus, a member of the Philippian church, has come to visit Paul and has brought him a gift. He has probably also brought some concerns about some issues that have arisen in the Philippian Christian community and asked Paul to address them.
It would appear, from Paul’s words, that the church was undergoing some persecution by non-Christians. They are also being assailed by preachers and leaders of other sects and faiths, arguing that theirs is the only true version of Christianity or some other religion.
And finally, there seems to be dissension within the ranks of the church members themselves over who should be the leader of the congregation. Two women, Euodia and Syntyche, women who Paul knows personally, are vying for positions of leadership, and the battle seems to have heated up and is in danger of boiling over and dividing the congregation. This threatening conflagration may, in fact, be the main reason for Paul’s letter.
In this week’s lection we hear Paul addressing his very real concern about division within the Body of Christ.
The passage opens with some positive nouns, ones he uses throughout the letter: encouragement, consolation, love, sharing, compassion, sympathy, joy, and accord.
Since he started the church and knows most of the people personally, he begins with a personal appeal to “make my joy complete.” Then he lists the positives that it will take to accomplish this goal:
* Be of the same mind,
* Have the same love, and
* Be in full accord.
This is followed by two negatives which they must avoid:
* Selfish ambition, and
* Conceit.
These goals will be accomplished, Paul says, through humility. What does humility look like? Well, you start by considering other people on a higher plain than ourselves. He asks them to forego their own interests in favor of the interests of others. Strive to be like Jesus, he says, who did not consider himself to be higher than us -- even though he had every right to do so, but instead “humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even on a cross.”
This is Paul’s blueprint for unity within the church, a blueprint drawn by the hand of God.
In the Pulpit
Is it possible that this blueprint can be adapted to apply not just to the Philippian church but to our churches as well? And could it not then be applied as well to groups of churches within a community and the community itself? And if it can apply to the community, then could it not be applied to countries?
If we boil Paul’s advice down to a single word -- a word that can, in and of itself, create unity, and without which any unity is at best fragile and at worst impossible -- that word would be EMPATHY, the ability to feel and experience what other people feel and experience.
For us to build a lasting unity in our families, in our churches, in our communities, and in the world, we will need to be able to see and feel life from other people’s perspectives. We will need to be able to feel their pain, share their joy, and live (if only briefly) in their world. In other words, we will need empathy.
For there to be peace there must be unity, and for there to be authentic unity there must be empathy.
If we insist on always putting our own interests first, if we are determined to seek outcomes that benefit only ourselves, there will be no unity -- and consequently no peace.
In my 38 years of active, parish ministry I learned that there were some key times and places where churches tended to come together in unity:
* Crises. These can be natural disasters like earthquakes and hurricanes (as we are seeing now), and they can also take place in times of economic or social disaster. When a large corporation moved out of our rural county, taking nearly 10,000 jobs with it, the churches in the community leapt into action, joining together to create services to help those who lost their jobs.
* Social Justice. We saw pastors locking arms and holding hands as they marched for peace in Charlottesville, Virginia, when neo-Nazis came armed with guns and hate. We also see churches that are physically close together combine their resources to provide services to the poor. In my own community, people became incensed and angry when a low-income housing development was planned for the edge of town, and they were spreading the word to show up loud and angry at the next city council meeting. Hoping to influence the tone and perhaps the content of the meeting, more than a dozen ministers came to the meeting, entered together, and sat in the front row of the gallery as a witness to faith, hope, and charity.
* Shared Worship Services and Resources. Most communities still have community Thanksgiving or Good Friday worship services, and some still have annual pulpit exchanges. In others, two or three churches may combine their resources for Christmas concerts or choir festivals or Vacation Bible Schools.
* Clergy Support. It was my privilege for more than 20 years to be part of a small, ecumenical group of like- minded pastors who met weekly for study and mutual support. I have no doubt that my ministry would have suffered without their love and encouragement, and that my sermons would have suffered without their wisdom and input.
* World Communion Sunday. On this day we celebrate the eucharist as we normally do -- but we pause for a moment in the celebration to remember that we are part of a large, worldwide body of people who manage to often be alike without being the same. And it is to this celebration that we turn today.
If we can come together for things such as these, we can come together for others if we choose. In fact, we might possibly come together forever in a house that is built upon a rock.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Authority
by Mary Austin
Matthew 21:23-32; Exodus 17:1-7
“Well, who died and left you in charge of the world?” That familiar childhood taunt was typically used to put people back in their place. Anyone who got too bossy or too full of themselves had their authority checked by the group. Authority is complicated -- it has to be both given and claimed, in a two-part process. It can be used to reassure or to disturb, to calm or to enflame, to cultivate hope or for pure self-promotion.
As we’re seeing with President Trump, immigration and travel bans are one thing -- but we don’t want the president to meddle with football. Our civil religion, sports, is off-limits. Over the weekend Trump took on the NFL, criticizing players who take a knee during the national anthem. While he was at it, he rescinded the traditional White House invitation to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors after Warriors star Stephen Curry indicated his reluctance. Even LeBron James, whose Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Warriors in the NBA finals, came to Curry’s defense. “Curry’s teammates subsequently announced that none of them would go to the White House but instead would use the team’s February trip to Washington to ‘celebrate equality, diversity, and inclusion.’ ” This past weekend Oakland A’s catcher Bruce Maxwell became the first major league baseball player to take a knee during the anthem. “On Sunday morning, Trump was back at it, calling on fans to boycott NFL games.” Instead of agreeing with the president, a number of football owners came out to the field over the weekend to stand with their players during the national anthem.
The football world only got more feisty after the president’s comments: “He was facing off with hundreds of NFL players, who had either taken a knee, like Kaepernick, or stayed in the locker room during the playing of the National Anthem. He’d been scolded by multiple team owners, including his personal friend Robert Kraft of the New England Patriots, and the NFL commissioner. The dispute had spilled over the bounds of NFL and included LeBron James and Steph Curry. Even Michael Jordan, who (supposedly) long evaded politics because ‘Republicans buy sneakers too’ criticized Trump.” Trump’s comments played well with supporters, and left much of the country questioning why he would weigh in on this topic.
As The Atlantic notes: “The presidential-sports complex was perhaps the last fully functioning bipartisan tradition left in Washington. This weekend, Trump blew it up. His short presidency has been marked by many watersheds. But this one feels different. If the president is at war with pro sports, no cow is sacred anymore. Trump v. Sports promises to be a long-running drama.” The back-and-forth has a strong racial undertone. The kneeling began as a protest against police killings of African-American men, led by prominent African-American quarterback Colin Kaepernick. “Nearly all the athletes who drew [Trump’s] ire -- the anthem kneelers and Steph Curry -- are black. The Uppity Negro Athlete is a familiar trope in white America, and one that resonates especially with Trump’s supporters. Playing in the NFL (which is 70 percent black) is, in Trump’s opinion, a ‘privilege.’ Never mind that it’s a privilege that comes with dreadful risks, including the degenerative brain disease CTE.” Like authority, privilege is hard to see in ourselves, and easy to recognize in others.
In a more important war of words, North Korea accused the president of using his authority to declare war on the country: “Referring to Mr. Trump’s post, North Korea’s [foreign minister Ri Yong-Ho] said ‘the question of who won’t be around much longer’ would be answered by his country. Mr. Ri’s remarks -- not the first time that North Korea has used the phrase ‘a declaration of war’ in relation to the U.S. -- are the latest in an increasingly angry war of words between the two countries.” A writer for the New Yorker who traveled to North Korea in recent weeks says that North Koreans do understand the president’s authority, and are wondering: “Is the American public ready for war?... Does the Congress want a war? Does the American military want a war? Because, if they want a war, then we must prepare for that.” In the same way that Americans find Kim Jong-Un unpredictable, the North Korean people are trying to predict what our president will do. Both have authority, and we wonder how they will use it.
The chief priests and the Jewish leaders come from a place of authority when they ask Jesus a question. Speaking from a position of power within the Jewish world, they recognize Jesus’ inner authority, but still want to know where it comes from. As he often does, Jesus answers their question with another question.
They’re supposed to be the leaders, and they find themselves in the humbling position of asking Jesus questions that he won’t even bother to answer. Jesus is in the last week of his life. He’s aggravated the established powers by clearing out the temple, in Matthew’s timeline, and now he’s back. He doesn’t even have the decency to hide away somewhere after the ruckus he made. He comes to the place most significant and sacred to these authorities, and pokes at them by teaching there.
As one writer notes, “Their own authority in Israel, after all, had been given to them by God in the time of Moses and passed down for generations; thus, for Jesus to say ‘By God’s authority’ would be to offer an answer easily refuted on biblical and traditional terms” [Kathryn D. Blanchard, in Feasting on the Word (Year A, Vol. 4), p. 116]. But Jesus’ non-answer question back to them implies that his authority comes from the same place as John’s. Now they’re caught. Whatever they say about John, they know, will also apply to Jesus. They refuse to answer, and a little more of their authority slips away from them.
Moses, too, is struggling with his authority. He’s caught between God and the people who are on their way to freedom. The people complain to him regularly, and he has to carry their complaints to God. When they’re thirsty, the people start to wonder if God is with them or not, in spite of all that God has already done to get them out of Egypt and keep them safe. Each new challenge raises their fears again.
To meet their need for water -- or maybe just to quiet them down -- God gives Moses the ability to bring water out of the rock. God’s power over the water becomes Moses’ power to meet the people’s needs. God gives Moses another stamp of approval, showing again that Moses operates through divine authority.
For both Jesus and Moses, authority comes from somewhere -- or more particularly, Someone. It grows out of a direct connection with God, and both of them use their authority in service to God’s people. Moses’ gift of water in the desert, and Jesus’ gift of wisdom in the temple, extend their authority out from themselves to people in need. If we understand them as examples for our own faith, they give us a pattern for the use of our own authority, whether great or small.
So far, no one has died and left us in charge of the world -- but we have other kinds of influence. As people of privilege, as church members and pastors, as people who are educated and have the ear of other people, we have an opportunity to use our authority for the benefit of others. Jesus and Moses offer us an example of how we receive, and how we use, this combination of privilege and burden.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Chris Keating:
Exodus 17:1-7
Go Forward
No one said it was going to be an easy journey, but the Israelites are now beginning to understand a hard truth -- the wilderness is lacking in decent accommodations. It’s a place of whining, groaning, and complaining -- but also growing. As they raise their complaints in Exodus 17, there are hints of the predicament that has described their journey from the very start. They are learning what it means to trust God, even to the point of desperate thirst.
In his recent book The Great Spiritual Migration, Brian McLaren narrates a similar experience. McLaren’s book documents his understanding of the shifts at work in Christianity and in the world, and then he encourages Christian leaders to stand where Israel stood. He calls Christians to listen for God’s invitation to trust, to move forward. He tells of attending a retreat with leaders from various faith backgrounds. In that wilderness place, it feels very much as though the leaders were looking for water to assuage their thirst.
In that place, Rabbi Stephanie Kolin (a participant) shared a particularly poignant prayer which in part says:
God who creates, God who redeems,
God of shalom -- of peace, God of sh’leumut -- of wholeness,
We remember the tumultuous sea before us that showed no signs of parting;
And we remember you told us... go forward.
(Brian McLaren, The Great Spiritual Migration [Convergent, 2016], pp. 201-203)
There in the wilderness, says McLaren, he learned that “our calling is forward; we can’t turn back. In that impossible moment, in that tragic gap when our hearts break open, in that agonizing place where there is no way ahead, God makes a way. We step forth and the waters part.”
*****
Exodus 17:1-7
Failing Dam in Puerto Rico
What’s worse than having no water? Having too much water, as residents of areas impacted by the recent wave of natural disasters can attest. In Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria spewed misery in every direction, rendering the island without power and creating catastrophic damage. By the weekend, the crisis enlarged as the territory prepared for the imminent failure of the Guajataca Dam.
Some 70,000 persons live downstream from the earthen dam, yet with shelters overwhelmed with need and supplies dwindling, officials noted that the crisis was beginning to create mass hysteria. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo toured the island, and told reporters: “It is a dangerous situation today and it’s going to be a long-term reconstruction issue for months.” In the midst of their terror, the Puerto Ricans may be experiencing something akin to the circumstances endured by the Israelites, who quarreled and wondered aloud: “Is the Lord among us or not?”
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
Looking to the Interests of Others
Many congregations observe World Communion Sunday on the first Sunday in October as an acknowledgement of the unity Christ prayed for before his crucifixion. Paul’s words about humility, mutuality, and seeking the benefit of others help frame the differences between the gatherings of Christians across the world from the gatherings of political leaders.
Note, for example, the difference between Paul’s vision and President Donald Trump’s understanding of leadership as “militaristic” and his characterization of his cabinet as “killers.” Paul chooses the high road, calling for a “humility that regard[s] others as better than yourselves,” while Trump relies on name-calling, most recently making a derogatory remark about NFL players who do not stand for the “Star-Spangled Banner.”
Yet it’s not just the president, or even just this president. There are plenty of examples of how, as Bruce Kasanoff puts it, “ego traps talented professionals.” Instead of placing others in front of themselves, they speak constantly about themselves, stop listening, and fail to remain grounded in the face of success. Kasanoff’s column from a few years ago remains relevant:
Ego is a blinder. It stops you from processing information. It stops you from seeing the world as it is. Instead of seeing reality, you see The Me Show. You are so blinded by the beauty of your name in lights that you fail to realize the best leaders bring out the best in other people, not just themselves....
I meet a lot of CEOs, and it takes about two seconds to figure out which ones are in love with themselves. They want to tell you about their house in Aspen and their trip to Davos. They complain about the cost of repairing their Bentley. They seem so tone-deaf to the fact that the rest of us don’t hobnob with world leaders or drive cars that cost more than our homes.
My reaction to these leaders is always the same; I listen politely, all the while thinking: what a waste of talent.
***************
From team member Ron Love:
Exodus 17:1-7
In the comic The Lockhorns, Leroy and Loretta seem to be an average middle-class couple. While their marriage is one of love it is not absent of criticism, which occurs on an almost daily basis. It almost seems that this is the best way the couple has to communicate. In a recent comic Leroy is sitting in his easy chair in front of the television, arms crossed, with an angry look on his face. Loretta, standing beside him with her hands on her hips, says: “It’s been over 35 years, Leroy... Why are you upset I spoiled ‘Who Shot J.R.’ for you?”
Application: It seems that complaining is the only thing some people know how to do.
*****
Exodus 17:1-7
Mahatma Gandhi, who religion was Hinduism, once said: “When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the creator.” Gandhi, who died in 1948, was a lawyer who later accepted an ascetic lifestyle. The leader of the movement to secure India’s independence from England. Gandhi popularized the social activist practice of non-violence and civil disobedience, which Martin Luther King Jr. adopted for the civil rights movement in the United States in the 1960s.
Application: Our lectionary reading teaches us to marvel at the wonders of God.
*****
Exodus 17:1-7
Dr. J. Philip Wogaman was an ethics professor at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC. He was also known as the senior minister of Foundry United Methodist Church, which Bill Clinton attended while he was president. When Dr. Wogaman taught at Wesley, he would open each new ethics class of the semester with the same question: “What is the central theme of the Bible?” After receiving expected answers such as love, forgiveness, and salvation, Dr. Wogaman would then tell the class that the central theme of the Bible is hope, followed by his opening lecture on the theological meaning of that word and concept.
Application: The message from our lectionary reading is one of hope.
*****
Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16
Hillary Clinton’s memoir What Happened sold 300,000 copies the first week it was released. The book is Clinton’s evaluation of why she lost the 2016 presidential election. Carolyn Reidy, president and chief executive of Simon & Schuster, said the reason for the phenomenal sales “is clearly an overwhelming desire among readers to learn about the experience, from Hillary Clinton’s perspective, the historic events of the 2016 election.”
Application: The psalmist instructs us that we are to have a desire to learn.
*****
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
David Litt recently published a memoir titled Thanks, Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years. Litt initially was a volunteer who wrote bylines for the Obama campaign. After Obama was elected, Litt was brought onto the White House staff. After Obama’s reelection, Litt became a senior speechwriter, especially known for his wit. Litt penned jokes for Obama for the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. As a speechwriter, Litt came to realize that whenever and wherever Obama spoke, whatever the size of the crowd or venue, “Every speech is a speech about America. Every audience is the entire United States.”
Application: The calling of a prophet is to be heard by all individuals across the globe.
*****
Psalm 25:1-9
Kim Jong-Un of North Korea and Donald Trump of the United States continue their war of words, which resembles diplomacy less of than it does two children on a school playground. Recently Kim declared, “I will surely and definitely tame the mentally deranged U.S. dotard with fire.” The reference to fire was in response to Trump’s oration that he will destroy North Korea with “fire and fury.” But the word “dotard” had everyone going to Google to find a possible definition. It is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “An old person, especially one who has become weak or senile.” But the word was only popular in the early 1600s and then again in the early 1800s, so where did Kim find it? Experts on North Korea summarized that state officials are still using very old and antiquated Korean-English dictionaries, which is why the word was presented to Kim Jong-Un.
Application: The psalmist is empathetic about the need to be taught.
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
Robert E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church in Lexington, Virginia, has returned to its original name of Grace Episcopal Church. In 1865, after the Civil War, Robert E. Lee took up residence in Lexington as he was appointed president of Washington College, which is now known as Washington and Lee University. Lee was elected as senior warden of the church, and served in that position for five years until his death. In 1903 the church changed its name from Grace Episcopal Church to Robert E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church. After the killings at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church in 2015 by a gunman with Confederate sympathies, wanting to disassociate itself from white supremacists who rally behind the name of Robert E, Lee, a debate began within the congregation as to whether or not the church should return to its original name. The recent events in Charlottesville renewed the debate. By a vote of 7 to 5, the church’s vestry agreed to restore the original name of the church. The church’s rector, the Rev. Tom Crittenden, said: “It’s been a very divisive issue for two years. But Charlottesville seems to have moved us to this point. Not that we have a different view of Lee historically in our church, but we have appreciation for our need to move on.”
Application: Paul discusses the need to be of one mind and show mutual love for all individuals.
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
John Wigger recently published a book titled PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire. The book offers numerous stories on how the Bakkers deceived their followers to support their narcissistic lifestyle -- a lifestyle that was also their undoing, as Jim Bakker was sent to prison after being convicted of fraud regarding fundraising deceptions for his Heritage USA theme park. Wigger says two things destroyed the Bakkers -- sex and greed. Regarding sex, Jim had affairs with both women and men, the best known being with Jessica Hahn. Tammy is reported to have had a number of liaisons as well, the most noted one with musician Gary Paxton. Regarding greed, as the Bakkers’ ministry grew so did their insatiable appetite for nice things. In difficult financial times, the Bakkers laid off 283 employees at a savings of $3,613,780 -- the exact same figure as Jim’s financial compensation for 1985 and 1986 as reported to the IRS. Using PTL money they bought homes, boats, cars, and other luxury items. The Bakkers were able to do this because, according to Wigger, they were experts at deceit.
Application: There is no place for deceit among like-minded Christians.
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
John Wigger recently published a book titled PTL: The Rise and Fall of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker’s Evangelical Empire. The book offers numerous stories on how the Bakkers deceived their followers to support their narcissistic lifestyle -- a lifestyle that was also their undoing, as Jim Bakker was sent to prison after being convicted of fraud regarding fundraising deceptions for his Heritage USA theme park. Wigger says two things destroyed the Bakkers -- sex and greed. The Bakkers were able to do this because, according to Wigger, they were experts at deceit.
In his book, Wigger points to the Bakker story as a cautionary tale for the followers of televangelists -- suggesting that they need to engage in serious introspection. PTL stands for “Praise The Lord,” but those who examined the behavior of the Bakkers came to view PTL as an acronym for “Pass The Loot.”
Application: There is no place for deceit among like-minded Christians.
*****
Philippians 2:1-13
Alex Yablon is a reporter for the Trace -- a non-profit journalism outlet dedicated to covering guns and shootings in America that launched after Dylann Roof killed nine parishioners at a black Baptist church in Charleston in 2015. Following extensive research and investigations, Yablon concluded that all mass murders have one thing in common -- anti-social behavior. He reports that society has been misdirected by focusing on religious and political beliefs, video games, and music. These could play a part, but they are not shared in common by mass killers, as are anti-social and sometimes previously violent conduct.
Application: As a like-minded community, we need to be aware of and provide protective measures from anti-social individuals who disrupt our tranquility.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
World Communion Sunday
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Call to Worship
Leader: God is at work among us.
People: We look to God with fear and trembling.
Leader: God shows us a good and pleasing way.
People: We seek after God’s good pleasure.
Leader: God bids us to look to Jesus and exalt his name.
People: We worship God: Creator, Savior and Sustainer.
Leader: Let us worship God.
OR
Leader: Give ear, O people of God, the Lord is with us.
People: Though we wander through the wilderness, we are not left alone.
Leader: God goes before us with pillars of fire and cloud, guiding our way.
People: We tell of the amazing deeds of the Lord.
Leader: God speaks and acts with authority.
People: We follow God and are led along paths toward unity and peace.
Leader: Let the whole earth praise the Lord.
People: Let the whole earth worship God.
Prayer of the Day/Collect
From a splintered and scattered world, O God, you call us. You call us by name; you call us your people. Your grace and peace pour out freely upon your creation, one world nestled in your steady hand. Gather us in this day to sing praises, to pray and rejoice. May we know and worship the God who makes us one. Amen.
OR
God of all lands and people, of varied races and nations, we gather in your presence to praise and worship you. By your authority, you spoke the world into existence. You sent your Son to show us the way to live and to love one another. Unite us this day as one communion, gathered and celebrating unity through Christ, who points us to you. Amen.
Call to Confession
Confident in God’s love of us, we dare to turn to God and admit the things that separate us from God and from one another. Let us come before God with our prayers and confessions.
Prayer of Confession
O God of authority, encouragement, and love, we so easily take you for granted. You reveal yourself in your glorious creation, yet we exploit it or ignore it. You come to us in the gift and blessing of your Son, yet we misapply his teachings for our own gain or we question his insights which undermine our comfort. You provide enough for each person to be fed, to have shelter, to love and be loved. Yet your world remains overwhelmed by poverty, hunger, displacement, injustice, and hatred. You lay out for us the promise of eternal life in your heavenly kingdom. The vision fades from our sight as we seek to build comfortable kingdoms on earth. Stir our hearts, our minds, our vision that we may turn from worldly authorities and interests. Turn us toward you, that we may serve you and live with empathy toward your people. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon
God sent the Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so the world might be saved through him. The world has Jesus; we have Jesus, who offers us forgiveness and blessing, and who points the way to God. Believe the promise of the gospel: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven and freed to live as God’s holy people.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
God of peace, wholeness and unity, you have brought your creation to this place of innovation, progress, and abundance. Yet the world still knows hunger, suffering, hatred, and strife.
You instill in us a vision of a peaceable kingdom, yet fires rage, destructive winds blow, waters ravage -- destroying life, shelter, and livelihood in their paths.
You give us a savior, your Son, one with authority to teach and heal, and humility to serve and obey. Yet we have not always known him. We have not always believed him. We have not always heeded his teachings or followed his ways.
You, O God, are at work in us -- allowing us to know your abundant love, to envision your shalom, to will and to work for your good pleasure.
Open us to receive the vision you have for your people and for your creation.
Stir us to be in full accord with your peace and to work for justice, righteousness, and unity.
We pray this day for places that feel far distant from your peace.
We pray for people seeking to recover their lives, homes, and belongings after the devastation of recent storms, earthquakes, and fires.
We pray for people in Myanmar, Syria, South Sudan, and Tunisia who fear for their lives at the hands of soldiers, religious extremists, bandits, and their own governments.
We pray for families with loved ones who struggle with addictions.
We pray for women and children who have been snatched from safety and forced to steal or to sell themselves at the hands of controllers and abusers.
We pray, O God, for in these situations, we don’t know what else to do. We pray that your peace, your recovery, your support, your rescue -- your hope -- may be tangibly known in these situations.
The psalmist wrote “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1). May we join you, O God, in building a world that makes for peace.
We ask that you bless the efforts of men and women across the globe who seek to embody peace where it is sharply absent.
We thank you for the work of the United Nations and its member countries’ efforts to advocate for children, to champion human rights, to respond to natural disasters, and to eradicate devastating childhood diseases.
We rejoice with Christians across the globe who celebrate the joyful feast hosted by your Son in the Lord’s Supper.
May these acts of unity bear witness to the peace you offer, giving us a foretaste of your kingdom where all will one day feast with you.
Hear us as we pray that prayer Jesus taught, saying together, Our Father...
Children’s Sermon Starter
On this World Communion Sunday, draw on verses from the Philippians passage. Paul writes a letter to a church that he founded in Philippi. Since he started the church and knows most of the people personally, he begins with a personal appeal to “make my joy complete.” Then he lists the positives that it will take to accomplish this goal.
* Be of the same mind,
* Have the same love, and
* Be in full accord... following Christ Jesus.
In talking with the children, have them look out over the congregation. Notice how different/unique everyone appears: different ages, different heights, different eye colors, different clothes. Even though they are all very different, each of them loves Jesus. Each of them follows Jesus. Each of them is loved by Jesus. This is true about people we see here. It’s also true about people who love and follow Jesus all across the globe.
Emphasize how the love of God and our love for Jesus draws us together with all kinds of people all around the world. God’s love is bigger and stronger than any differences we may see.
Hymns (from the Presbyterian Hymnal Glory to God)
Philippians 2
#264 “At the Name of Jesus”
#265 “Jesus Shall Reign”
#274 “You, Lord, Are Both Lamb and Shepherd”
#300 “We Are One in the Spirit”
#326 “For All the Saints”
#363 “Rejoice, the Lord Is King”
#372 “O for a World”
#427 “Jesus Knows the Inmost Heart”
#610 “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing”
#727 “Will You Let Me Be Your Servant”
#767 “Together We Serve”
Matthew 21
#630 “Fairest Lord Jesus”
#65 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”
#503 “Lord, We Have Come at Your Own Invitation”
Exodus 17
#71 “Surely, It Is God Who Saves Me”
#81 “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”
World Communion/Peacemaking
#753 “Make Me a Channel of Your Peace”
#373 “O Day of Peace”
#378 “We Wait for the Peaceful Kingdom”
#306 “Blest Be the Tie that Binds”
#317, #318 “In Christ There Is No East or West”
#301 “Let Us Build a House”
#756 “O God of Every Nation”
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Philippians 2:1-13
(Gather the children and welcome them. Then open your Bible to Philippians 2:1-13 and give the children a brief introduction to this letter.)
The apostle Paul, a man who lived after Jesus and who started a number of Christian churches, wrote letters to the people in these churches. In Paul’s letters, he reminded people of what he taught them about Jesus and encouraged them to keep their faith.
Today we’re reading verses from a letter that Paul wrote to a church in Philippi.
If you were writing a letter to friends to remind them about Jesus, what would you tell them? What would you say about Jesus? (Invite the children to tell about Jesus. Answers may include some of the following phrases. Mention a few of these if the children do not.)
* Jesus is God’s Son.
* Jesus loves us.
* Jesus died for us.
* Jesus helped people.
* Jesus was nice.
* Jesus was kind.
* Jesus sits with God in heaven.
* Jesus obeyed God.
* Jesus was humble.
In his letter, Paul said some of these same things about Jesus! Paul also said that even though Jesus died on the cross, God lifted Jesus up to be Lord and Savior. Paul said that when Jesus’ name is spoken, “every knee shall bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God” (vv. 10-11).
What do you think this means? (Invite the children to respond.)
This is a fancy way of saying: Jesus is so amazing that every person should kneel down and give him praise -- and at the same time thank God for the wonderful gift of Jesus. Paul is reminding the people in the Philippian church to give honor and praise to God and Jesus. Since this letter is in the Bible, we receive this reminder from Paul too.
(Tie-in to communion) Later in our worship service, you and I will have a chance to eat bread and have a little taste of juice (or wine) to remember the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his friends. This is a great chance for you to give thanks and praise to Jesus. In communion, we remember that Jesus died on the cross. We also remember that he rose again and is with us now. This is something to celebrate!
When you receive the bread and the juice today, remember to say: “Thank you, God. Thank you, Jesus.”
Prayer: Great and giving God, you did a wonderful thing when you gave us Jesus. What an amazing person he was, and what an amazing friend and savior he is! Thank you, Jesus, for what you went through for us. Thank you, God, for what you’ve done for us. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, October 1, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 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.
