Is America A Christian Nation?
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
The volcano in Iceland that disrupted travel and commerce throughout Europe has not been the only eruption in the headlines -- there's been another eruption of a very different sort in the political arena with the controversial rise of the Tea Party movement and the media attention it has received. Its populist undertones have tapped into a powerful vein in the cultural zeitgeist, and its devotees are raising fundamental questions about the basic fabric of the social contract and what kind of nation we ought to be. Sarah Palin has emerged as one of the movement's most visible figures, and in her speeches she has articulated a view with a powerful resonance for many people in our pews -- namely, that America is a Christian nation. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Mary Austin considers what it means to be a Christian nation. We often associate this idea with those who advocate for the placement of the Ten Commandments in public -- but as Kurt Vonnegut famously noted, the Ten Commandments are from Moses, while the Beatitudes are from Jesus... yet we rarely see public demonstrations agitating for the placement of Beatitudes monuments. Mary reminds us that in this week's gospel passage, Jesus offers us a definitive statement that provides insight on what it means to be a Christian nation when he underlines exactly what it means to be a disciple. Team member Dean Feldmeyer offers some additional thoughts on the theme of inclusiveness. The drastic effects of the Iceland volcano have provided us with a stark illustration of the far-reaching degree of our interconnectedness (and how much we have come to depend on the convenience of jet-age travel), and Dean shares a brief meditation on the fact that we are all one in Christ.
Is America a Christian Nation?
by Mary Austin
John 13:31-35
As part of Jesus' farewell discourse, speaking to his friends, Jesus says: "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34b-35). Those of us who proclaim ourselves followers of Christ have our work cut out for us.
His commandment is simple enough to hear and understand, and deeply challenging to live consistently. Communities of faith, along with individuals, regularly stumble and falter in living it out. Would it ever be possible -- or desirable -- to live that way as a nation? Are we in America a "Christian nation" -- or should we be? Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's recent comments about the United States as a Christian nation have prompted discussion on all sides of the issue.
THE WORLD
The question of whether America is a Christian nation, and whether that's a good thing, depends on where you stand. Some Christians defended her comments, while Jewish people and those of other faiths had a strong negative reaction. Commentator Andy Ostoy (who is Jewish) noted in the Huffington Post: "I, like many people, had this crazy notion that America is the great Melting Pot. Not a Christian nation, but a secular one with a majority of citizens who just happen to practice Christianity. Big difference." He adds that her comments come across to him as more divisive than faithful, and her remarks seem as if "she's desperately trying to rile up Christians and turn them against Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and atheists, to name a few."
For others, the idea of a Christian nation evokes Christian militias -- and the information page of the Christian Militia Network quotes a similar word from John's gospel as one basis of their work: "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12-13).
There is also a Christian social networking site -- which advertises itself as an alternative to Facebook -- called, yes, Christian Nation. Or does being a Christian nation mean having the Ten Commandments posted prominently in public places? As has been often noted, the Ten Commandments are from the Hebrew Scriptures and not from the words of Jesus. It doesn't help the cause when some of the politicians appearing on television talk shows to promote the idea don't seem to know the commandments when asked by the host.
If we are to be a Christian nation that also begs the question: What kind of Christianity? Christianity is an incredibly diverse religion, ranging from Pentecostals to traditional Roman Catholics, with detours along the way to churches that believe in handling snakes to non-denominational churches with rock bands to the Salvation Army. If America is a Christian nation, which kind of Christianity? Who gets to decide?
THE WORD
The setting of this passage as part of Jesus' farewell message in John's gospel comes as Jesus announces the betrayal to come -- and yet, knowing that, he washes the disciples' feet, a final act of service to the people close to him, before a greater act of sacrifice for many. His words are tender, addressing his friends as "children." There's a bittersweet quality to the gathering, to being in the presence of Jesus for the last time. He leaves the people closest to him with this final commandment, living it out for them with the tenderness of washing their feet and the care for them in his words.
"It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of this passage in Christian thought," notes Lewis R. Donelson in Feasting on the Word [Year C, Volume 2, p. 469]. "The love command that Jesus gives here is typically understood as both the center of Jesus' teaching and the center of Christian life."
For all our arguments about orthodoxy of belief and proper worship, church size and design, budgets and staff, this passage consistently reminds us that Christianity is a faith meant to be lived. We are to show the love of our Redeemer, and to draw our strength from his example. Our love, not the perfection of our worship services or the correctness of our beliefs, is the embodiment of our faith, following the pattern of our Master. Tom Troeger notes that another possible translation of the passage is "I have loved you in order that you also love another" [Feasting on the Word. Year C, Volume 2, p. 473]. Instead of a "should," Jesus' love enables us, frees us, empowers us to love one another. In this passage, we know both the source of our calling and the source of our strength.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
"Don't forget your coat." "I love you." "You're going to do really, really well today -- I can tell." Typically, our last words are the ones we want to emphasize. Writers of direct-mail solicitations are taught to restate their most important point in the P.S. of the letter, highlighting the most vital information one more time. In the same way, Jesus goes over his most important lessons and themes again in his farewell discourse, before he leaves his friends.
"Now the Son of Man has been glorified," Jesus says puzzlingly, as betrayal looms ahead and everything looks bleak, "and God has been glorified in him." This is the lesson that we followers of Christ have to learn over and over again -- that glory in God's world doesn't look much like glory in our world. The glory in sacrifice is a lot harder to understand than the glory in a sports team's win. The glory of persistent care for one another is more difficult to take in than the apparent glory of a corner office, impressive title, and commensurate salary. We find Jesus' kind of glory hard to understand, and hard to live.
Whether America is a Christian nation or not matters much less than how we who call ourselves Christians act in it. The question of being a Christian nation might be resolved more easily if we were to follow Jesus' commandment more fully, and if everyone around us saw in action the love that Jesus commands of us.
ANOTHER VIEW
We Are One
by Dean Feldmyer
Acts 11:1-8
Peter was so excited to get back to Judea and share the wonderful news: This thing is bigger than we imagined. The Good News is reaching beyond the boundaries of the temple and even into the pagan Gentile community. Gentiles are accepting Jesus Christ. How disappointed he must have been when he heard the response of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem: Gentiles? They're not like us. Why would you want to include them?
Not like us.
Something there is in the human psyche that makes us draw back from people who are different from us. The color of their skin, the way they talk, their social customs, the food they eat -- if it's different from our own, it makes us uncomfortable. When we draw a circle of inclusiveness around ourselves there's something in us that makes us more comfortable with a small circle than with a big one, more comfortable with a few people than with many.
The problem is that small circles just aren't tenable anymore -- and for Christians, they never were.
In his influential best-seller The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), Thomas Freidman reminds us that, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, the world is stretching our inclusiveness circle and making it bigger. The Berlin Wall has fallen, and east has met west. The internet, cell phones, laptop computers, and other technological advances put us in touch with people from all over the world in seconds. (Last night I played video poker with a table of eight people. Brazil, Austria, China, Australia, Mexico, Canada, and Germany were all represented. I was the only American. The host company was in Dubai.)
Last week we saw people stranded in airports all over Europe and North America because of a volcano in Iceland. When they were interviewed by news reporters their accents were from around the globe, yet their problem was identical -- they couldn't get home. Produce grown in Africa sat, ripening in warehouses because planes in Europe weren't flying and couldn't pick it up and deliver it to its destination. Economists were speculating on how the volcano was affecting the economy not just of Iceland or even Europe, but of the entire world. Apparently, it's not just the rain which falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45) -- it's the ash as well.
The campus of Xavier University, the Jesuit school in Cincinnati, Ohio, is dotted this week with signs containing the "Ethic of Reciprocity" -- what we call the Golden Rule -- as it is stated in ten different world religions. Students are learning, on their way to classes, that the world is just a whole lot smaller and flatter than they realized.
We're all in this thing together. There are no independent agents anymore. And if this is true for the rest of the world, it is doubly so for Christians. Two hundred years ago John Wesley said, "There's no such thing as a solitary Christian." How much truer it is today!
The door of the church is wide enough for any who desire to enter there.
In our Acts passage, Peter responds to his critics by telling them a story. He describes how he was called by the Spirit to go with three Gentile men who came to him and to "not make a distinction between them and us." He tells of how, when he spoke to the Gentiles in Caesarea, "the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning."
QED. Thus it is demonstrated. The thing proves itself.
If the Holy Spirit decides to anoint Gentiles -- people who aren't like us -- then who are we to argue?
The world is flat, after all. And even if it weren't, the church of Jesus Christ is.
ILLUSTRATIONS
The portion of the worship space where the people sit is called the "nave," which comes from the Latin navis, for ship. It is a reference primarily to the ship or boat of salvation, a term reflecting the story of Noah's ark. It is also very helpful for people to be reminded that we are, literally, all in the same boat as we sit together in the nave.
* * *
The world really is small. An engineer from General Motors was assigned to Sweden for three years. Wanting to fit in and be respectful of the culture, he learned Swedish and became very fluent. When he arrived in Stockholm, however, he found that it was almost impossible to speak Swedish. As soon as they learned he was an American, they wanted to speak in English. (This is a true story -- my brother is that engineer. He actually learned Italian as well, even though he was only going to make a few visits there.)
-- George Reed
* * *
Fleeing religious restrictions, many of the colonists to the New World set up governments firmly with religious ties. When the time came for the formation of the United States, however, it was decided to not do that for the new nation. What were the founders of our country trying to tell us?
* * *
As noted above, this week is "Golden Rule Week" at Xavier University. Sixty signs have been placed around campus by the office of Interfaith Community Engagement and Justice. On each sign is printed a variation of the Golden Rule as it appears in each of the world's major religions. Rabbi Abi Ingber, who oversees the Interfaith office, says of the purpose of the signs: "Just for a few days, at least be aware of the 'Golden Rule,' but very critically, how it is manifested in 10 traditions and how they look somewhat identical." The rules printed on the signs are very similar in meaning.
Scarboro Missions, which is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and describes itself as "a Canadian Roman Catholic Mission Society," has expanded the Golden Rule list to include 13 religious orientations.
Here is the Scarboro list:
* Baha'i faith: Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself. -- Bah·'u'll·h, Gleanings
* Buddhism: Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. -- Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18
* Christianity: In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. -- Jesus, Matthew 7:12
* Confucianism: One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct... loving-kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself. -- Confucius, Analects 15.23
* Hinduism: This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you. -- Mahabharata 5:1517
* Islam: Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself. -- Muhammad, Hadith
* Jainism: One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated. -- Mahavira, Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
* Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it. -- Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a
* Native Spirituality: We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive. -- Chief Dan George
* Sikhism: I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all. -- Guru Granth Sahib, p.1299
* Taoism: Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain and your neighbor's loss as your own loss. -- Lao Tzu, T'ai Shang Kan Ying P'ien, 213-218
* Unitarianism: We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. -- Unitarian principle
* Zoroastrianism: Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself. -- Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29
When Peter saw the descending sheet of food from heaven, God's message became very apparent. It was a declaration that there was to be unity and harmony among Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians. Perhaps stitched into the sheet are 13 sayings that ask us to love all of our neighbors, regardless of nationality and religious orientation, as we love God -- and to treat all the people who inhabit the world the same as we desire to be treated.
* * *
In order to promote the importance of good nutrition for health and productivity, well-known chef Jamie Oliver went to Cabell County, West Virginia. Here, in the rural communities that surround the city of Huntington, impoverishment prevails. His ABC program Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, which promotes the importance of cooking from scratch, documents the community cooking center Jamie established in Huntington where he is teaching people healthier eating habits. The 34-year-old chief realizes both the limits and possibilities of television. He acknowledges that TV can blur fantasy and entertainment as education. Oliver says, "Reality TV... it's junk like food, really. It's a quick fix and it usually has zero depth and it ain't going to help much in life. But the TV route is so important in this country. TV to this very day is the most important communicator of everything." With this understanding, Oliver has parlayed his television notoriety into being a community social activist. The answer to good nutrition is not to be found in television, but going to the Cabell counties of America and instituting nutritional programs.
Having successfully completed similar programs in England, Oliver chose the Huntington area as his pilot project in the United States. At first residents were skeptical, but as the project moved forward his followers grew substantially. New restaurants and groceries were located in town. School menus were changed. Cooking classes were conducted. Yet obstacles remained, most prevalently in state and local financing. Cooking healthy is not inexpensive. But how does one place a dollar figure on this? In the schools, the absence rate dropped 15%, and pupils passing standardized tests for English and science improved 8%.
Jamie Oliver will continue his mission into poorer sections of our country, because, as he confesses, "One thing you have to learn about me is that I do not think I am a superman. I do not think I'm special. I'm in a position that I'm using. I believe in people. I believe in local ambassadors for change. I genuinely think there is an energy right now. It's the time to put some common-sense things in place."
As Peter looked up and saw the blanket of food descending from heaven, it was accompanied by the voice of God. Peter that day received multiple lessons, and each revolutionized his theology and mission. One lesson was that he was to be more than a person of show preaching the gospel in the synagogues; he was also to leave the stage and enter into the communities as an ambassador for change.
* * *
John in his wonderful and poetic vision recorded "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth." One day that vision will thunder upon us, summoned forth in purity and beauty, radiant and glorious. The old will have passed away, and with it the ugliness of a dark and foreboding world. Evil, strife, hate, illness, and suffering will have been displaced by the tranquility of a new heaven and earth. But until that hour, we are to be a light in the midst of darkness. We are to minister to the souls of all God's children and be conscientious stewards of the present world entrusted to us.
This message takes on renewed relevance as we recently celebrated on April 22 the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Stewart Brand, considered by some as the founder of Earth Day, symbolized the event by placing the first picture of the planet on the cover of his Whole Earth Catalog in 1968. With the passing of years the middle-aged leaders of the green movement are being replaced by a younger generation, known as Turqs. Turqs combine the traditional green with a shade of blue, with blue representing blue-sky open-minded thinking.
As this anniversary marked a landmark year for the movement, Brand wrote "7 New Rules to Live By." The original rules reflected the earliest ecological concern, which was overpopulation; but the rewritten rules announce that today the planet itself is threatened with greenhouse gases. This necessitated a change in rule number seven, which is the mantra for the movement. Rule seven originally read, "We are as gods, and might as well get good at it." The revised rule reads, "We are as gods, and have to get good at it." It is an alarming change that it is no longer sufficient in trying to be good; the mandate now is that we have to be good. We are not God, but we are God's stewards. Our participation in maintaining this world, spiritually and physically, is not an option. Therefore, we "have to get good at it."
* * *
Bruce Main, director of Urban Promise Ministries in Camden, New Jersey, tells of showing a film about Jesus to a group of inner-city children:
As I started the film, the kids were still making their little quips; the words of Jesus could barely be heard over the laughter and jokes.
Then something strange happened. As Jesus was being flogged by the Roman guards, a silence came over the room. Jesus was nailed to the cross; the teens remained speechless. All eyes were on the television. And then, to my amazement and surprise, tears began to flow. I could not believe what I was seeing. Both boys and girls began to drop their guard and experience grief.
After Jesus uttered the words "It is finished," I walked to the front of the room and turned down the volume. I asked the kids to bow their heads and reflect on what they had seen. I explained the rest of the story -- that Jesus had died, then victoriously, triumphantly came back to life. With their heads bowed, I prayed for the group, then dismissed them all to go.
To my surprise, nobody moved. Silence. Forty kids sitting silent as if they wanted more. I couldn't figure out what was going on. From the back of the room came a voice that shattered the silence. "Yo, Bruce, ain't ya gonna show the rest of the flick?" The others chimed in with agreement. So there we sat, huddled around the television for the next forty minutes, watching the end of the movie.
A few years ago I did the same club. In a suburban community in southern California, I showed the same film to a group about the same size. The reaction of the affluent students was totally different. There were no tears. There was not the same fascination with the character of Jesus, nor the same identification with his pain.
Inner-city kids see slasher movies all the time. People are killed in their communities frequently and they talk about it casually, candidly. Death and suffering are part of their life. So why all the tears when Jesus is put on the cross? Wasn't this just another movie? Wasn't this just another person who lost his life? No. The cruel death of God in the flesh struck a responsive chord. For a moment the children saw a man who felt the hurt and some of the victimization they have experienced. That man was God. For children who live in a broken city, seeing anguish and pain on the face of God touches something deep within their souls.
Christ's story continues to be a story for those who hurt. It is this story, and this story alone, that is always the story for the poor and oppressed -- not only because the Bible "tells us so," but because the children who sat in a room that night, watching their Savior being crucified 2,000 years ago, tell us so.
-- excerpted from Revolution and Renewal: How Churches Are Saving Our Cities, by Tony Campolo (Westminster John Knox, 2000)
* * *
While we deliberate, God reigns; when we decide wisely, God reigns; when we decide foolishly, God reigns; when we serve God in humble loyalty, God reigns; when we serve God self-assertively, God reigns; when we rebel and seek to withhold our service, God reigns -- the Alpha and the Omega, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
-- Archbishop William Temple
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Praise God from the heavens!
People: Praise God from the heights!
Leader: Let all creation praise our God!
People: For God is the Creator of all!
Leader: Young and old, men and women, praise God!
People: Praise God, whose glory is above earth and heaven!
OR
Leader: Come and hear the command of our Savior.
People: Speak, Jesus, your servants are listening.
Leader: "Love one another."
People: We try to like each other.
Leader: "Love one another, as I have loved you."
People: We are your disciples; we will obey.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"In Christ There Is No East or West"
found in:
UMH: 548
H82: 529
PH: 439, 440
AAHH: 398, 399
NNBH: 289
NCH: 394, 395
CH: 687
LBW: 259
"Help Us Accept Each Other"
found in:
UMH: 560
PH: 358
NCH: 388
CH: 487
"Jesus, United by Thy Grace"
found in:
UMH: 561
"Father, We Thank You"
found in:
UMH: 563
H82: 302, 303
"Blest Be the Dear Uniting Love"
found in:
UMH: 566
"All Creatures of Our God and King"
found in:
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
Renew: 47
"All People that on Earth Do Dwell"
found in:
UMH: 75
H82: 377, 378
PH: 220, 221
NNBH: 36
NCH: 7
CH: 18
LBW: 245
"God, Whose Love Is Reigning O'er Us"
found in:
UMH: 100
"Shine, Jesus, Shine"
found in:
CCB: 81
Renew: 247
"I Am Loved"
found in:
CCB: 80
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
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
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who created us to live in peace and harmony with you and with one another: Grant us the grace to see you as our loving Creator and to see others as your beloved children; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We have gathered to worship you, our Creator and Redeemer God, who has made us to live in communion with you and in peace with all your children. As we worship you and listen for your voice, help us not to forget that you call us to love one another as much as you call us to love you. So fill us with your loving Spirit that we will be filled with love for all creation. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways in which we divide people into groups and judge them by whether they are like us or not.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have created us for love, and yet we live most of our lives unaware of your presence. You give us every good and perfect gift, and we take and use them without giving a thought to the Giver. You created us all as your children, but we act like you only love us and those just like us. Forgive us for being so foolish and self-centered. Open our hearts with the power of your Spirit that we may love you more fully and love others as we love ourselves. Amen.
Leader: God does love us, each and every one. Receive the love and forgiveness of our God, and remember that the same Spirit that was in Christ Jesus is now in you. Let that Spirit love the world through you.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
All glory and praise is yours by right, O God, for you are the creator of all that is and was and will be. All life comes from your life. All love comes from your love.
(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 created us for love, and yet we live most of our lives unaware of your presence. You give us every good and perfect gift, and we take and use them without giving a thought to the Giver. You created us all as your children, but we act like you only love us and those just like us. Forgive us for being so foolish and self-centered. Open our hearts with the power of your Spirit that we may love you more fully and love others as we love ourselves.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which your love has touched our lives. We give you thanks that your love has made us and given us life. We thank you for the joy of creation, and for the joy of living in communion with you and in community with your children. We thank you for Jesus who showed us how to love you and one another.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray to you for our sisters and brothers, wherever they may live. We pray that as you draw them closer to you they will find themselves drawn closer to others. We pray this for ourselves, as well.
(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 Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Visuals
a map of the world; a sign proclaiming that the world is flat; a listing of the flight times from one place on earth to another; a picture of the international space station
Children's Sermon Starter
Share with the children about the importance of last words. It doesn't have to be deathbed talk, but everyday last words -- saying "I love you" at the close of a phone conversation or before going to sleep at night; the way a teacher reminds us to do our homework as we leave for the day; the way our mothers ask us if we have our lunch or lunch money when we leave for school. These are the important things we don't want people to forget. Jesus knew he was going to leave his disciples, so he had some very important words to share just before he left. He told his disciples to love one another -- he said that is how people will know we are his disciples. These were important words of Jesus, and they are important for us as well. Jesus wants us to love each other... not just our friends, but everyone.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
What Does a Disciple Look Like?
John 13:31-35
Object: several bandanas of the same color
Good morning, boys and girls! Have you ever been someplace like an amusement park or the zoo and seen a group of people traveling together who were all wearing the same color shirt? Or maybe they had matching hats, or maybe they all wore bandanas of the same color kind of like these. (show bandanas) If we were all going someplace together, I would probably have each of you wear something that was the same so that we could all recognize each other. That way we would know who was in our group and who wasn't.
One day when Jesus was talking with his disciples, he told them how he wanted them to live their lives. He said, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another." If they wanted to be his disciples -- his followers -- then they should love others in the same way that Jesus loved them. He told them that if they did this then all people would recognize them as his disciples. How can we love others the way Jesus loves us? What kinds of things should we do? (get responses)
The Bible tells us that when we love others we should be patient and kind. We shouldn't be arrogant or rude. We should see in others the best things and not the worst things. Sometimes this is very hard to do, which is exactly why it's so important. Lots of people can get mean or angry when something makes them mad. Getting angry is easy. Being patient and forgiving is hard. It takes a special person to be patient and kind no matter what the situation.
If we live our lives the way Jesus did, then the whole world will know that we love him and follow him.
Prayer: Please help us, Jesus, to live our lives the way that you did. Help us love others and be the kind of people you ask us to be. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, May 2, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 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.
Is America a Christian Nation?
by Mary Austin
John 13:31-35
As part of Jesus' farewell discourse, speaking to his friends, Jesus says: "Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34b-35). Those of us who proclaim ourselves followers of Christ have our work cut out for us.
His commandment is simple enough to hear and understand, and deeply challenging to live consistently. Communities of faith, along with individuals, regularly stumble and falter in living it out. Would it ever be possible -- or desirable -- to live that way as a nation? Are we in America a "Christian nation" -- or should we be? Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's recent comments about the United States as a Christian nation have prompted discussion on all sides of the issue.
THE WORLD
The question of whether America is a Christian nation, and whether that's a good thing, depends on where you stand. Some Christians defended her comments, while Jewish people and those of other faiths had a strong negative reaction. Commentator Andy Ostoy (who is Jewish) noted in the Huffington Post: "I, like many people, had this crazy notion that America is the great Melting Pot. Not a Christian nation, but a secular one with a majority of citizens who just happen to practice Christianity. Big difference." He adds that her comments come across to him as more divisive than faithful, and her remarks seem as if "she's desperately trying to rile up Christians and turn them against Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and atheists, to name a few."
For others, the idea of a Christian nation evokes Christian militias -- and the information page of the Christian Militia Network quotes a similar word from John's gospel as one basis of their work: "This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:12-13).
There is also a Christian social networking site -- which advertises itself as an alternative to Facebook -- called, yes, Christian Nation. Or does being a Christian nation mean having the Ten Commandments posted prominently in public places? As has been often noted, the Ten Commandments are from the Hebrew Scriptures and not from the words of Jesus. It doesn't help the cause when some of the politicians appearing on television talk shows to promote the idea don't seem to know the commandments when asked by the host.
If we are to be a Christian nation that also begs the question: What kind of Christianity? Christianity is an incredibly diverse religion, ranging from Pentecostals to traditional Roman Catholics, with detours along the way to churches that believe in handling snakes to non-denominational churches with rock bands to the Salvation Army. If America is a Christian nation, which kind of Christianity? Who gets to decide?
THE WORD
The setting of this passage as part of Jesus' farewell message in John's gospel comes as Jesus announces the betrayal to come -- and yet, knowing that, he washes the disciples' feet, a final act of service to the people close to him, before a greater act of sacrifice for many. His words are tender, addressing his friends as "children." There's a bittersweet quality to the gathering, to being in the presence of Jesus for the last time. He leaves the people closest to him with this final commandment, living it out for them with the tenderness of washing their feet and the care for them in his words.
"It would be difficult to overestimate the importance of this passage in Christian thought," notes Lewis R. Donelson in Feasting on the Word [Year C, Volume 2, p. 469]. "The love command that Jesus gives here is typically understood as both the center of Jesus' teaching and the center of Christian life."
For all our arguments about orthodoxy of belief and proper worship, church size and design, budgets and staff, this passage consistently reminds us that Christianity is a faith meant to be lived. We are to show the love of our Redeemer, and to draw our strength from his example. Our love, not the perfection of our worship services or the correctness of our beliefs, is the embodiment of our faith, following the pattern of our Master. Tom Troeger notes that another possible translation of the passage is "I have loved you in order that you also love another" [Feasting on the Word. Year C, Volume 2, p. 473]. Instead of a "should," Jesus' love enables us, frees us, empowers us to love one another. In this passage, we know both the source of our calling and the source of our strength.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
"Don't forget your coat." "I love you." "You're going to do really, really well today -- I can tell." Typically, our last words are the ones we want to emphasize. Writers of direct-mail solicitations are taught to restate their most important point in the P.S. of the letter, highlighting the most vital information one more time. In the same way, Jesus goes over his most important lessons and themes again in his farewell discourse, before he leaves his friends.
"Now the Son of Man has been glorified," Jesus says puzzlingly, as betrayal looms ahead and everything looks bleak, "and God has been glorified in him." This is the lesson that we followers of Christ have to learn over and over again -- that glory in God's world doesn't look much like glory in our world. The glory in sacrifice is a lot harder to understand than the glory in a sports team's win. The glory of persistent care for one another is more difficult to take in than the apparent glory of a corner office, impressive title, and commensurate salary. We find Jesus' kind of glory hard to understand, and hard to live.
Whether America is a Christian nation or not matters much less than how we who call ourselves Christians act in it. The question of being a Christian nation might be resolved more easily if we were to follow Jesus' commandment more fully, and if everyone around us saw in action the love that Jesus commands of us.
ANOTHER VIEW
We Are One
by Dean Feldmyer
Acts 11:1-8
Peter was so excited to get back to Judea and share the wonderful news: This thing is bigger than we imagined. The Good News is reaching beyond the boundaries of the temple and even into the pagan Gentile community. Gentiles are accepting Jesus Christ. How disappointed he must have been when he heard the response of the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem: Gentiles? They're not like us. Why would you want to include them?
Not like us.
Something there is in the human psyche that makes us draw back from people who are different from us. The color of their skin, the way they talk, their social customs, the food they eat -- if it's different from our own, it makes us uncomfortable. When we draw a circle of inclusiveness around ourselves there's something in us that makes us more comfortable with a small circle than with a big one, more comfortable with a few people than with many.
The problem is that small circles just aren't tenable anymore -- and for Christians, they never were.
In his influential best-seller The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century (Farrar, Straus & Giroux), Thomas Freidman reminds us that, whether we like it or not, whether we want it or not, the world is stretching our inclusiveness circle and making it bigger. The Berlin Wall has fallen, and east has met west. The internet, cell phones, laptop computers, and other technological advances put us in touch with people from all over the world in seconds. (Last night I played video poker with a table of eight people. Brazil, Austria, China, Australia, Mexico, Canada, and Germany were all represented. I was the only American. The host company was in Dubai.)
Last week we saw people stranded in airports all over Europe and North America because of a volcano in Iceland. When they were interviewed by news reporters their accents were from around the globe, yet their problem was identical -- they couldn't get home. Produce grown in Africa sat, ripening in warehouses because planes in Europe weren't flying and couldn't pick it up and deliver it to its destination. Economists were speculating on how the volcano was affecting the economy not just of Iceland or even Europe, but of the entire world. Apparently, it's not just the rain which falls on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45) -- it's the ash as well.
The campus of Xavier University, the Jesuit school in Cincinnati, Ohio, is dotted this week with signs containing the "Ethic of Reciprocity" -- what we call the Golden Rule -- as it is stated in ten different world religions. Students are learning, on their way to classes, that the world is just a whole lot smaller and flatter than they realized.
We're all in this thing together. There are no independent agents anymore. And if this is true for the rest of the world, it is doubly so for Christians. Two hundred years ago John Wesley said, "There's no such thing as a solitary Christian." How much truer it is today!
The door of the church is wide enough for any who desire to enter there.
In our Acts passage, Peter responds to his critics by telling them a story. He describes how he was called by the Spirit to go with three Gentile men who came to him and to "not make a distinction between them and us." He tells of how, when he spoke to the Gentiles in Caesarea, "the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning."
QED. Thus it is demonstrated. The thing proves itself.
If the Holy Spirit decides to anoint Gentiles -- people who aren't like us -- then who are we to argue?
The world is flat, after all. And even if it weren't, the church of Jesus Christ is.
ILLUSTRATIONS
The portion of the worship space where the people sit is called the "nave," which comes from the Latin navis, for ship. It is a reference primarily to the ship or boat of salvation, a term reflecting the story of Noah's ark. It is also very helpful for people to be reminded that we are, literally, all in the same boat as we sit together in the nave.
* * *
The world really is small. An engineer from General Motors was assigned to Sweden for three years. Wanting to fit in and be respectful of the culture, he learned Swedish and became very fluent. When he arrived in Stockholm, however, he found that it was almost impossible to speak Swedish. As soon as they learned he was an American, they wanted to speak in English. (This is a true story -- my brother is that engineer. He actually learned Italian as well, even though he was only going to make a few visits there.)
-- George Reed
* * *
Fleeing religious restrictions, many of the colonists to the New World set up governments firmly with religious ties. When the time came for the formation of the United States, however, it was decided to not do that for the new nation. What were the founders of our country trying to tell us?
* * *
As noted above, this week is "Golden Rule Week" at Xavier University. Sixty signs have been placed around campus by the office of Interfaith Community Engagement and Justice. On each sign is printed a variation of the Golden Rule as it appears in each of the world's major religions. Rabbi Abi Ingber, who oversees the Interfaith office, says of the purpose of the signs: "Just for a few days, at least be aware of the 'Golden Rule,' but very critically, how it is manifested in 10 traditions and how they look somewhat identical." The rules printed on the signs are very similar in meaning.
Scarboro Missions, which is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, and describes itself as "a Canadian Roman Catholic Mission Society," has expanded the Golden Rule list to include 13 religious orientations.
Here is the Scarboro list:
* Baha'i faith: Lay not on any soul a load that you would not wish to be laid upon you, and desire not for anyone the things you would not desire for yourself. -- Bah·'u'll·h, Gleanings
* Buddhism: Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. -- Buddha, Udana-Varga 5.18
* Christianity: In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets. -- Jesus, Matthew 7:12
* Confucianism: One word which sums up the basis of all good conduct... loving-kindness. Do not do to others what you do not want done to yourself. -- Confucius, Analects 15.23
* Hinduism: This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you. -- Mahabharata 5:1517
* Islam: Not one of you truly believes until you wish for others what you wish for yourself. -- Muhammad, Hadith
* Jainism: One should treat all creatures in the world as one would like to be treated. -- Mahavira, Sutrakritanga 1.11.33
* Judaism: What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. This is the whole Torah; all the rest is commentary. Go and learn it. -- Hillel, Talmud, Shabbath 31a
* Native Spirituality: We are as much alive as we keep the earth alive. -- Chief Dan George
* Sikhism: I am a stranger to no one; and no one is a stranger to me. Indeed, I am a friend to all. -- Guru Granth Sahib, p.1299
* Taoism: Regard your neighbor's gain as your own gain and your neighbor's loss as your own loss. -- Lao Tzu, T'ai Shang Kan Ying P'ien, 213-218
* Unitarianism: We affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. -- Unitarian principle
* Zoroastrianism: Do not do unto others whatever is injurious to yourself. -- Shayast-na-Shayast 13.29
When Peter saw the descending sheet of food from heaven, God's message became very apparent. It was a declaration that there was to be unity and harmony among Gentile Christians and Jewish Christians. Perhaps stitched into the sheet are 13 sayings that ask us to love all of our neighbors, regardless of nationality and religious orientation, as we love God -- and to treat all the people who inhabit the world the same as we desire to be treated.
* * *
In order to promote the importance of good nutrition for health and productivity, well-known chef Jamie Oliver went to Cabell County, West Virginia. Here, in the rural communities that surround the city of Huntington, impoverishment prevails. His ABC program Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, which promotes the importance of cooking from scratch, documents the community cooking center Jamie established in Huntington where he is teaching people healthier eating habits. The 34-year-old chief realizes both the limits and possibilities of television. He acknowledges that TV can blur fantasy and entertainment as education. Oliver says, "Reality TV... it's junk like food, really. It's a quick fix and it usually has zero depth and it ain't going to help much in life. But the TV route is so important in this country. TV to this very day is the most important communicator of everything." With this understanding, Oliver has parlayed his television notoriety into being a community social activist. The answer to good nutrition is not to be found in television, but going to the Cabell counties of America and instituting nutritional programs.
Having successfully completed similar programs in England, Oliver chose the Huntington area as his pilot project in the United States. At first residents were skeptical, but as the project moved forward his followers grew substantially. New restaurants and groceries were located in town. School menus were changed. Cooking classes were conducted. Yet obstacles remained, most prevalently in state and local financing. Cooking healthy is not inexpensive. But how does one place a dollar figure on this? In the schools, the absence rate dropped 15%, and pupils passing standardized tests for English and science improved 8%.
Jamie Oliver will continue his mission into poorer sections of our country, because, as he confesses, "One thing you have to learn about me is that I do not think I am a superman. I do not think I'm special. I'm in a position that I'm using. I believe in people. I believe in local ambassadors for change. I genuinely think there is an energy right now. It's the time to put some common-sense things in place."
As Peter looked up and saw the blanket of food descending from heaven, it was accompanied by the voice of God. Peter that day received multiple lessons, and each revolutionized his theology and mission. One lesson was that he was to be more than a person of show preaching the gospel in the synagogues; he was also to leave the stage and enter into the communities as an ambassador for change.
* * *
John in his wonderful and poetic vision recorded "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth." One day that vision will thunder upon us, summoned forth in purity and beauty, radiant and glorious. The old will have passed away, and with it the ugliness of a dark and foreboding world. Evil, strife, hate, illness, and suffering will have been displaced by the tranquility of a new heaven and earth. But until that hour, we are to be a light in the midst of darkness. We are to minister to the souls of all God's children and be conscientious stewards of the present world entrusted to us.
This message takes on renewed relevance as we recently celebrated on April 22 the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. Stewart Brand, considered by some as the founder of Earth Day, symbolized the event by placing the first picture of the planet on the cover of his Whole Earth Catalog in 1968. With the passing of years the middle-aged leaders of the green movement are being replaced by a younger generation, known as Turqs. Turqs combine the traditional green with a shade of blue, with blue representing blue-sky open-minded thinking.
As this anniversary marked a landmark year for the movement, Brand wrote "7 New Rules to Live By." The original rules reflected the earliest ecological concern, which was overpopulation; but the rewritten rules announce that today the planet itself is threatened with greenhouse gases. This necessitated a change in rule number seven, which is the mantra for the movement. Rule seven originally read, "We are as gods, and might as well get good at it." The revised rule reads, "We are as gods, and have to get good at it." It is an alarming change that it is no longer sufficient in trying to be good; the mandate now is that we have to be good. We are not God, but we are God's stewards. Our participation in maintaining this world, spiritually and physically, is not an option. Therefore, we "have to get good at it."
* * *
Bruce Main, director of Urban Promise Ministries in Camden, New Jersey, tells of showing a film about Jesus to a group of inner-city children:
As I started the film, the kids were still making their little quips; the words of Jesus could barely be heard over the laughter and jokes.
Then something strange happened. As Jesus was being flogged by the Roman guards, a silence came over the room. Jesus was nailed to the cross; the teens remained speechless. All eyes were on the television. And then, to my amazement and surprise, tears began to flow. I could not believe what I was seeing. Both boys and girls began to drop their guard and experience grief.
After Jesus uttered the words "It is finished," I walked to the front of the room and turned down the volume. I asked the kids to bow their heads and reflect on what they had seen. I explained the rest of the story -- that Jesus had died, then victoriously, triumphantly came back to life. With their heads bowed, I prayed for the group, then dismissed them all to go.
To my surprise, nobody moved. Silence. Forty kids sitting silent as if they wanted more. I couldn't figure out what was going on. From the back of the room came a voice that shattered the silence. "Yo, Bruce, ain't ya gonna show the rest of the flick?" The others chimed in with agreement. So there we sat, huddled around the television for the next forty minutes, watching the end of the movie.
A few years ago I did the same club. In a suburban community in southern California, I showed the same film to a group about the same size. The reaction of the affluent students was totally different. There were no tears. There was not the same fascination with the character of Jesus, nor the same identification with his pain.
Inner-city kids see slasher movies all the time. People are killed in their communities frequently and they talk about it casually, candidly. Death and suffering are part of their life. So why all the tears when Jesus is put on the cross? Wasn't this just another movie? Wasn't this just another person who lost his life? No. The cruel death of God in the flesh struck a responsive chord. For a moment the children saw a man who felt the hurt and some of the victimization they have experienced. That man was God. For children who live in a broken city, seeing anguish and pain on the face of God touches something deep within their souls.
Christ's story continues to be a story for those who hurt. It is this story, and this story alone, that is always the story for the poor and oppressed -- not only because the Bible "tells us so," but because the children who sat in a room that night, watching their Savior being crucified 2,000 years ago, tell us so.
-- excerpted from Revolution and Renewal: How Churches Are Saving Our Cities, by Tony Campolo (Westminster John Knox, 2000)
* * *
While we deliberate, God reigns; when we decide wisely, God reigns; when we decide foolishly, God reigns; when we serve God in humble loyalty, God reigns; when we serve God self-assertively, God reigns; when we rebel and seek to withhold our service, God reigns -- the Alpha and the Omega, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
-- Archbishop William Temple
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Praise God from the heavens!
People: Praise God from the heights!
Leader: Let all creation praise our God!
People: For God is the Creator of all!
Leader: Young and old, men and women, praise God!
People: Praise God, whose glory is above earth and heaven!
OR
Leader: Come and hear the command of our Savior.
People: Speak, Jesus, your servants are listening.
Leader: "Love one another."
People: We try to like each other.
Leader: "Love one another, as I have loved you."
People: We are your disciples; we will obey.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"In Christ There Is No East or West"
found in:
UMH: 548
H82: 529
PH: 439, 440
AAHH: 398, 399
NNBH: 289
NCH: 394, 395
CH: 687
LBW: 259
"Help Us Accept Each Other"
found in:
UMH: 560
PH: 358
NCH: 388
CH: 487
"Jesus, United by Thy Grace"
found in:
UMH: 561
"Father, We Thank You"
found in:
UMH: 563
H82: 302, 303
"Blest Be the Dear Uniting Love"
found in:
UMH: 566
"All Creatures of Our God and King"
found in:
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
Renew: 47
"All People that on Earth Do Dwell"
found in:
UMH: 75
H82: 377, 378
PH: 220, 221
NNBH: 36
NCH: 7
CH: 18
LBW: 245
"God, Whose Love Is Reigning O'er Us"
found in:
UMH: 100
"Shine, Jesus, Shine"
found in:
CCB: 81
Renew: 247
"I Am Loved"
found in:
CCB: 80
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
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
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who created us to live in peace and harmony with you and with one another: Grant us the grace to see you as our loving Creator and to see others as your beloved children; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We have gathered to worship you, our Creator and Redeemer God, who has made us to live in communion with you and in peace with all your children. As we worship you and listen for your voice, help us not to forget that you call us to love one another as much as you call us to love you. So fill us with your loving Spirit that we will be filled with love for all creation. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways in which we divide people into groups and judge them by whether they are like us or not.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have created us for love, and yet we live most of our lives unaware of your presence. You give us every good and perfect gift, and we take and use them without giving a thought to the Giver. You created us all as your children, but we act like you only love us and those just like us. Forgive us for being so foolish and self-centered. Open our hearts with the power of your Spirit that we may love you more fully and love others as we love ourselves. Amen.
Leader: God does love us, each and every one. Receive the love and forgiveness of our God, and remember that the same Spirit that was in Christ Jesus is now in you. Let that Spirit love the world through you.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
All glory and praise is yours by right, O God, for you are the creator of all that is and was and will be. All life comes from your life. All love comes from your love.
(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 created us for love, and yet we live most of our lives unaware of your presence. You give us every good and perfect gift, and we take and use them without giving a thought to the Giver. You created us all as your children, but we act like you only love us and those just like us. Forgive us for being so foolish and self-centered. Open our hearts with the power of your Spirit that we may love you more fully and love others as we love ourselves.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which your love has touched our lives. We give you thanks that your love has made us and given us life. We thank you for the joy of creation, and for the joy of living in communion with you and in community with your children. We thank you for Jesus who showed us how to love you and one another.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray to you for our sisters and brothers, wherever they may live. We pray that as you draw them closer to you they will find themselves drawn closer to others. We pray this for ourselves, as well.
(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 Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Visuals
a map of the world; a sign proclaiming that the world is flat; a listing of the flight times from one place on earth to another; a picture of the international space station
Children's Sermon Starter
Share with the children about the importance of last words. It doesn't have to be deathbed talk, but everyday last words -- saying "I love you" at the close of a phone conversation or before going to sleep at night; the way a teacher reminds us to do our homework as we leave for the day; the way our mothers ask us if we have our lunch or lunch money when we leave for school. These are the important things we don't want people to forget. Jesus knew he was going to leave his disciples, so he had some very important words to share just before he left. He told his disciples to love one another -- he said that is how people will know we are his disciples. These were important words of Jesus, and they are important for us as well. Jesus wants us to love each other... not just our friends, but everyone.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
What Does a Disciple Look Like?
John 13:31-35
Object: several bandanas of the same color
Good morning, boys and girls! Have you ever been someplace like an amusement park or the zoo and seen a group of people traveling together who were all wearing the same color shirt? Or maybe they had matching hats, or maybe they all wore bandanas of the same color kind of like these. (show bandanas) If we were all going someplace together, I would probably have each of you wear something that was the same so that we could all recognize each other. That way we would know who was in our group and who wasn't.
One day when Jesus was talking with his disciples, he told them how he wanted them to live their lives. He said, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another." If they wanted to be his disciples -- his followers -- then they should love others in the same way that Jesus loved them. He told them that if they did this then all people would recognize them as his disciples. How can we love others the way Jesus loves us? What kinds of things should we do? (get responses)
The Bible tells us that when we love others we should be patient and kind. We shouldn't be arrogant or rude. We should see in others the best things and not the worst things. Sometimes this is very hard to do, which is exactly why it's so important. Lots of people can get mean or angry when something makes them mad. Getting angry is easy. Being patient and forgiving is hard. It takes a special person to be patient and kind no matter what the situation.
If we live our lives the way Jesus did, then the whole world will know that we love him and follow him.
Prayer: Please help us, Jesus, to live our lives the way that you did. Help us love others and be the kind of people you ask us to be. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, May 2, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 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.
