Back To School Blues
Children's sermon
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Preaching
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Object:
This week’s Old Testament and Psalm readings proclaim the importance of discerning the voice of the Lord (and its personification as Wisdom) amidst the cacophony -- and the dire consequences that come if we choose to ignore that voice which “cries out in the street.” Proverbs suggests that if we “hate knowledge” and do not “choose the fear of the Lord” we will be condemned to “eat the fruit of [our] way,” while the psalmist pleads for God to “clear me from hidden faults.” So how do we go about learning to distinguish the voice of Wisdom from all the ambient noise in the public square? Isaiah and James point to the vital role of teachers in this process -- and they remind us of the power and solemn responsibility bestowed on those who undertake this role: “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher, that I may know how to sustain the weary with a word” and “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”
In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating notes that back-to-school season is an opportune time to consider the difficult circumstances facing our schoolteachers. Not only have they undertaken the charge of educating our young people -- at a time when more students than ever are plagued with social problems that adversely affect their focus on the classroom -- but teachers must also cope with time-consuming standardized tests and often-capricious “metrics” intended to measure student “progress.” All of these factors have contributed to a sense among many teachers that they’re underappreciated and often underpaid for the responsibilities they’ve taken on. As Chris points out, it’s no wonder that many teachers feel great pressure from external sources... in addition to the internal pressure they feel to live up to their obligation to the children they shepherd.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the gospel text and the question Jesus asks his disciples: “Who do people say that I am?” As Mary observes, Jesus illuminates the obsession we all have with defining ourselves in terms of what other people think -- something that’s especially evident in political campaigns with their incessant polling and spin doctoring. But as Mary points out, this phenomenon dominates all of our lives, as our behavior is too often affected by a perceived need to “keep up with the Joneses” or by fear about what our neighbors might think. While Jesus’ primary aim is to clarify for the disciples the true nature of his messianic identity, he also artfully deconstructs the inherent selfishness of our concerns about other people’s opinions by highlighting Peter’s focus “not on divine things but on human things.” Instead of gaining life, we lose it when we operate in this fashion -- and as Jesus counter-intuitively instructs us, we are to “deny [ourselves] and take up [our] cross”... for it is only when we “lose our [lives] for [Jesus’] sake, and for the sake of the gospel” that we actually save them.
Back to School Blues
by Chris Keating
Proverbs 1:20-33; Psalm 19; James 3:1-12
“Back to school, back to school, to prove to dad that I’m not a fool,” sings Adam Sandler in his ’90s classic slacker movie Billy Madison. “I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight; I hope I don’t get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school, back to school, back... to... school.” Preparing to board his school bus, the lackadaisical man-child dropout eyes his soon-to-be classmates. “Well, here goes nothing,” he sighs.
Twenty years later, that could easily be the playlist of weary schoolteachers. Wisdom indeed cries out in the streets -- but too often the songs of teachers have begun to sound like the laments of gravel-voiced Mississippi Delta blues singers: “Oh, back to school, back to school, to prove to the state that I’m not a fool.”
Assuming, of course, that teachers are actually headed back into the classroom -- because in many cases, that is not happening. Nationwide, there are “hotspots” with a critical shortage of teachers. Fewer college students are pursuing teacher training. Add to that the barrage of mandated testing, confusing standards, non-stop evaluations, and abrasive comments from public officials, and you have the bitter cocktail of teacher frustration.
One veteran teacher opined, “So why is there a teacher shortage? No money, no respect, inappropriate evaluations and expectations, and the availability of many more options now for women.” Her thoughts seem to align with James’ admonition: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”
With school back in session -- and religious education programs resuming in many congregations -- it is essential that we listen not just to the cries from politicians, parents, and overburdened educators, but also to the words of wisdom God offers us in these intriguing texts so that we “live at ease, without dread of disaster.” Wisdom calls us to sing the blues... while also keeping the faith.
In the News
At the busiest street corners politicians yelp to get our attention, competing against the rest of our culture’s ever-squawking hubbub. But when politicians begin talking about education, people start listening -- especially when campaign season intersects with back-to-school season.
Ask Ohio governor John Kasich, who recently quipped that “if I were king of America, I would abolish all teacher’s lounges, where they sit and worry about ‘woe is us.’ ” Kasich’s aides later explained that the GOP presidential hopeful was speaking metaphorically. They said the governor believes teachers have far more support than they give themselves credit for, and that they shouldn’t pay attention to political “pot stirrers.” Campaign spokesperson Rob Nichols said in a statement that “anyone thinking [Kasich] was making a comment on buildings or school architecture or space usage might need to look up the word ‘metaphor’ in a dictionary.”
Teachers responded to Kasich’s remarks by suggesting that he visit schools and discover that a “lounge” is generally used as a corridor to the bathroom, a semi-quiet retreat to gobble down a fast lunch, and a place to make copies. One teacher tweeted, “Teachers have duty and don’t get a lunch half of the time anyway, so he can take the room.”
But criticism of teachers and what’s not working in education goes far beyond the teacher’s lounge. It’s out in the streets, crying out at the city entrances. Teachers are feeling the pressure of mandated testing, constant evaluations, and continuing controversies over Common Core standards.
Some believe the toxic environment for teachers leads many students away from pursuing careers in education, or influences decisions to pursue other careers. Across the country, teacher shortages are common in certain areas. About 17% of new teachers change careers within five years, and there are fewer and fewer prospective teachers in the pipeline.
Proponents of the Common Core standards had hoped that an increase in student proficiency generated by comparing achievement nationwide would improve the climate for educators. Despite claims by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that “in the years ahead, a child in Mississippi will be measured against the same standard of success as a child in Massachusetts,” Common Core is unraveling in many states. Duncan’s dream may now go unfulfilled as states opt out of the testing protocols by creating their own exams. In June Kasich’s state became the latest state to withdraw from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers’ (PARCC) Common Core testing consortium, following months of complaints from parents and educators.
The amount of time consumed by tests that are administered by costly technology prone to glitches has fueled some of the debate. For many parents, their student’s scores will be lower than they are accustomed to seeing -- for many reasons. Educators are voicing frustration that reliance on testing is impacting their ability to reach and teach every student.
“The stress that they (teachers) are under right now is incredible,” teacher Beth Chetney recently told New York Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul. Chetney, a 24-year veteran of the classroom, said: “We have a lot of teachers that are feeling the pressure, that if they don’t instruct based on what they can guess is going to be on this asinine test.” New York teachers have complained that Governor Andrew Cuomo is not listening to their complaints, though recently Cuomo indicated he believes Common Core isn’t working for his state.
Teachers in New York and elsewhere are often evaluated by what is known as the “growth score.” The growth rating shows how well one teacher’s students have fared compared to other students. The problem is that this “value-added measure” assesses teachers against scores from students they don’t teach, and even from subjects they do not teach. In other words, an art teacher is measured by how well his or her students performed in math.
All of which makes the following letter from a New York school superintendent an amazing affirmation for teachers. It’s an insight full of wisdom, and a remarkable example of what administrators can do to support their embattled employees. Patchogue-Medford School District Superintendent Michael Hynes sent this note to all his district’s teachers and principals:
The purpose of this letter is to let you know that I DO NOT CARE what your state growth score is. Let me be clear... I DO NOT CARE. It does not define you. Please know that I understand that nobody likes to be reduced to a number.
The fact is, you are much more than a number, not only to me, but most important to the children and parents you serve. Keep your head up and your eye on what is most important...
Teachers may be singing the blues, and it seems many are starting to listen: “Back to school, back to school,” educators are singing, “it’s time to prove that we’re not fools.” No wonder why James’ admonition that “not many of you should become teachers” is beginning to make sense to many charged with the sacred responsibility of educating children.
This week’s scriptures invite a deeper look at how knowledge, wisdom, and the favor of God are sought by students and teachers alike.
In the Scriptures
Knowledge and learning are central themes in this week’s passages, which offer insight to the church as it both supports public education and embarks on its own educational journey. Labor Day has come and gone, and now is the time to get back to school -- during the week and on Sunday.
But many teachers are frustrated. Where is wisdom to be found? The same is also true for Christian religious educators. As Sunday church attendance patterns change, once-overflowing Sunday school classes are shrinking. More and more churches use “one-room” Sunday school curriculum. Here, too, calamity has seemed to come as a whirlwind, knocking the church’s once-prized educational programs off their axes.
Proverbs suggests that if we wish to avoid panic and discover calm in our world, then we ought to listen for the voice of Lady Wisdom. She’s busy taking her case to the streets in Proverbs chapter one, publicly declaring her threats against those who will not learn: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?” The ones who are scattered around the city have not learned. They have failed to pay attention in class, and are not making adequate progress. Lady Wisdom’s students have failed not because they did not measure up to state standards, but because they have refused to “fear the Lord” and acknowledge God’s wisdom: “I have called and you refused.”
Her indictment is scathing: those who have not listened “hated knowledge.” They “did not choose the fear of the Lord,” and “despised all my reproof.” Therefore, God’s servant Wisdom has taken her case to the streets, imploring those who have ignored God’s wisdom to reconsider.
Lady Wisdom is certainly singing the blues.
Yet her cry is grounded in the deep knowledge of God’s grace and love. “It is time,” she sings. “It is time for God’s people to come back.” Now is the time for us to head back to school to continue the serious work of discipleship and learning in faith. One commentator puts it this way: “Behind this language is the deeply held conviction of Israel’s wisdom teachers that a gracious God has placed at the disposal of men and women the ability to understand what God wants them both to be and to do” (James Newsome, in Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV -- Year B [Westminster/John Knox, 1993], p. 506).
Likewise, the Epistle of James provides instruction in the practicalities of Christian faith. If Paul and the epistle to the Romans occupy the chair in systematic theology, then James and his epistle provide Jesus’ disciples with a course in practical theology. At first, the beginning of chapter three seems off-putting -- it is certainly not the word most Christian Education committees want congregations to hear! “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters.” But let James continue his argument. “For you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Pause there, and ask for an “amen” from public school teachers!
Here James is not speaking about evaluation metrics and Common Core as we know them, but is instead reminding those who teach that transparency, humility, and faith are critical to Christian community. To illustrate his point, James turns to the destructiveness of words in community. The tongue, he reminds us, can set a forest on fire. It can be used as a source of blessing and praise, and also for cursing and rebuke. Ever the pastor, James counsels Christians toward true wisdom which is revealed in acts of humility and words of charity. It’s beyond the scope of this week’s pericope, but James’ words in verse 13 might well become inscriptions above classroom doors: “Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.”
In the Pulpit
Both Proverbs and James offer powerful insights for a preacher who may want to offer support to public education while also bolstering the church’s own religious education endeavors. The evocative images of Lady Wisdom parading through the streets in search of an audience who will listen -- and James’ urging that a good life is born through acts of wisdom (and words of love) -- are compelling.
Proverbs suggests that learning occurs as God’s people respond to the grateful (and not data-driven) invitation of God. As Parker Palmer once observed, it is a teacher’s role to create a space where learning can occur. Inside the church, it seems as though we have that opportunity. Proverbs reminds us of the importance of creating a space where learning of faith can occur. But the church’s mission extends beyond the Sunday school walls to include support for public education so that all God’s children can learn and grow. Use the sermon to show how the church can go back to school -- not only in its own life, but in the world as well. Support the teachers in the congregation, reminding them that they have a holy calling.
Likewise, the practical wisdom confirmed through James’ instruction that teachers should watch what they are saying applies not just to the teacher’s lounge, but to the narthex and parking lot as well. James urges us to “create a space,” or knock a hole in the wall where faith can emerge in children and adults. Education researcher Sugata Mitra stumbled upon this powerful truth through his experiments with placing computers in remote villages of India. His experiments -- aptly called “holes in the wall” because he actually placed computers in walls -- revealed something powerful about the ability of children to learn by themselves. Mitra was surprised by what he found:
I took the experiment out to northeastern India,to a village called Madantusi,where for some reason there was no English teacher,so the children had not learned English at all.And I built a similar hole-in-the-wall.One big difference in the villages, as opposed to the urban slums:there were more girls than boys who came to the kiosk.In the urban slums, the girls tend to stay away.I left the computer there with lots of CDs -- I didn’t have any internet --and came back three months later.So when I came back there, I found these two kids,eight- and 12-year-olds, who were playing a game on the computer.And as soon as they saw me they said,“We need a faster processor and a better mouse.”I was real surprised.You know, how on earth did they know all this?And they said, “Well, we've picked it up from the CDs.”So I said, “But how did you understand what’s going on over there?”So they said, “Well, you’ve left this machinewhich talks only in English, so we had to learn English.”
Wisdom is crying out in the street, poking holes in the obstacles we have created, calling our communities of faith to become more and more intentional in advocating for education. Sondra Higgins Matthaei, a noted professor of Christian education, was fond of telling her students that pastors do not have the luxury of saying “I don’t do Christian religious education.” The only choice, she said, is whether or not we are intentional about that ministry.
It’s time to go back to school, and time for the church to listen for the voice of Lady Wisdom.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Who Are You?
by Mary Austin
Mark 8:27-38
“Who Are You?” the band aptly named The Who asks. Without someone else to tell us, we may not really know.
Politicians are defined by an image, a gaffe, or by voters’ perceptions -- whether or not those are accurate reflections of reality. Voters find something of themselves in their favorite political candidates.
The Huffington Post notes that recent polling reveals Republican voters see themselves as a group of people who would be better off with non-politicians right now. Donald Trump is riding high in the polls, and “it’s not just Donald Trump. Since July, two other candidates have seen their numbers rise significantly in national polls: retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former CEO Carly Fiorina, neither of whom have held public office in the past.” Trump, Carson, and Fiorina are the choice of about half of the primary electorate in current polling.
Democrats, waiting to see if Vice President Joe Biden is going to enter the presidential race, are also having a love affair with unlikely candidate Senator Bernie Sanders. NBC News reports that Sanders is now polling ahead of Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire and gaining on her in Iowa, the first two states with caucuses and/or primary elections.
The Washington Post reports that polling suggests voters can distinguish one candidate from another -- they aren’t lumping all the Republican candidates in with Donald Trump on the issue of immigration. As the Post defines the problem, “It’s the ‘guilt by association’ theory of how Donald Trump’s candidacy hurts Republicans’ 2016 chances: Hispanics connect his strong anti-illegal immigrant stances to the rest of the party or its eventual nominee, undermining the GOP’s concerted efforts to perform better among Hispanic voters.” The polling says no -- Hispanic voters can tell the difference: “Hispanics clearly despise Trump, but they view other Republicans much more positively (or have no opinion at all).”
All of us can live life as an ongoing public opinion poll, measuring how we’re doing. Politicians are up and down from week to week. If we pay attention to the polls around us, we are too. Have we eaten at the new restaurant? Do we own the must-have clothes for fall? Are our kids in top-tier preschools, sports, and colleges? On any given day, we may be polling well -- a new car, a promotion, or a vacation can boost our standing. Another day may show us down in the public opinion ratings: the lawn looks shabby, our neighbors are going to Aruba for no reason, and the front drapes suddenly look worn.
We measure ourselves by the benchmark of our neighbors, wondering if we’re doing as well as they are. It’s so common that most people instantly understand the expression “keeping up with the Joneses,” which first came into use as long ago as 1913.
According to U.S. News, that way of seeing ourselves may be fading among younger people. Blogger Abby Hayes says, “[T]here’s this increasing sense that living up to someone else’s standards isn’t going to cut it. Maybe it’s the result of living through rough financial times during the recession. Maybe it’s from watching our parents struggle to buy the next big thing. Whatever it is, we’re pretty burnt out on the whole idea of keeping up with the Joneses -- and that’s a good thing.” Hayes adds that what we’re measuring ourselves against is mostly an illusion. If we define ourselves by our neighbors, we look at the people most like us... but a little better off. “However, if you could peer inside the Joneses’ home and bank accounts, you might not get such an enviable picture. Here’s the bottom line: many Americans live beyond their means. A recent Bankrate survey found that about one-third of people ages 30 to 49 had more credit card debt than savings. Even though the financial security index has steadily risen over the past few months, Americans are still in a lot of debt. And we can guess that at least part of that debt comes from living beyond our means.” If who we think we are comes from comparisons with our neighbors, there’s more smoke and mirrors to the process than we realize.
Geoff Williams, another blogger for U.S. News, suggests that we may be suffering from “financial envy” as a result of our measuring and comparing: “Think everyone has it better than you? You aren’t alone. ‘Financial jealousy is a very real phenomenon and causes a fair amount of distress for the vulnerable,’ says Ramani Durvasula, a Los Angeles-based licensed clinical psychologist and psychology professor at California State University. When it comes to feeling envious of other people’s wealth, she observes that we have it tougher than our ancestors, who didn’t live in a world of $15,000 purses and $1,000 shoes and weren’t exposed to so-called ‘reality’ television shows.” Our vision of reality is less and less real.
We may be confused about who we are, but Jesus is clear about who he is. He takes a poll of his own among the disciples, asking them “Who do people say that I am?” He listens to the answers, waiting for the right one. When it comes, he teaches the disciples a timeless lesson about what that means. Who he is and what we are to do in response are bound together.
Instead of working so hard to get ahead, Jesus reminds us to discover who we are by following. Jesus instructs a misunderstanding Peter to get behind him. Scott Hoezee of Calvin Seminary finds an interesting parallel between that instruction and the word to follow Jesus or to travel behind him. Hoezee suggests that there are two ways to “get behind” Jesus -- the way of following, and the way of obstructing: “In the Greek there is a curious parallel between verses 33 and 34. In verse 33, following Peter’s wrong-headed criticism, Jesus calls Peter a ‘satan’ and tells him to go opiso mou, which means ‘behind me.’ Then in the very next verse Jesus says that if anyone wants to follow opiso mou, they need to deny themselves and take up the cross. The second use of that phrase opiso mou is not necessary in Greek, since the Greek verb ‘to follow’ automatically carries with it the sense of ‘behind me.’... Maybe what Mark is saying is that there are two ways to get behind Jesus: if you insist on holding onto this life, of seeking the solution to life’s difficulties by grabbing still more of that same life, then you can get behind Jesus as a satan. But if you are willing to let go, to release your fierce grip on your own ego -- and on the life you hope will boost and bolster that ego -- if you can just die along with Jesus, then you can get behind Jesus as a disciple. Then you can be behind Jesus as a follower who is back there with a clear view of what Jesus does so that you can then imitate him.”
Our own personal public opinion poll can be material -- new cars, clothes, and trips. It can be vocational -- do we have the right title, office, and future prospects? It can even be spiritual -- are we working hard enough for the church, and are the right people noticing? Living this way means that all of us are constantly asking “Who do you say that I am?” to the world around us. We’re always wondering what someone thinks about us, and if we measure up.
As always, Jesus offers us a way out of the public opinion polls. A messiah talking about a cross is an automatic failure, and Jesus invites us to join him in the failure business. He invites us to come in last when anyone starts measuring us by our degrees, our stuff, or our work. “Get out of the race,” he tells us. “Embrace what you can give up, instead of what you can acquire.” This is a hard word to follow for all of us -- apparently including the disciples who saw Jesus every day. He goes on to say it twice more to them as they travel along, and he says it endlessly to us. The invitation is always open. We can “get behind” Jesus, and see where he wants to take us.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
James 3:1-12
David Gibson, who writes for the Religion News Service, was honored for excellence in religion news analysis at the recent Religion Newswriters Association annual award ceremony. Gibson remarked on the importance of religious news stories, such as reporting on Pope Francis, where “so many people of good faith, and no faith at all, can provide a whole new perspective.”
Application: Maybe not all of us are called to teach, but we all can report on the good stories.
*****
Proverbs 1:20-33
The names of subscribers to Ashley Madison, the website for wannabe adulterers, are still being released by those who hacked into the system. One of the names released was that of Robert Craig Sproul Jr. -- better known as R.C. Sproul. He is a professor of theology at the Reformation Bible College, which is a conservative institution. When it was discovered that Sproul, who is married with eight children, was an Ashley Madison subscriber, he was dismissed.
Application: We are told in Proverbs that only fools do not listen to the call of wisdom.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
R.C. Sproul wrote about his situation in a blog post titled “Judgment and Grace.” Sproul noted that the prophets of the Old Testament proclaim “God is not pleased with what you are doing. Repent.” Sproul then went on to indicate that for him, Ashley Madison was a prophet calling him to repentance.
Application: What Sproul failed to distinguish is that Ashley Madison is for profit -- it is not a prophet.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Donald Trump has said that the most important book to him is the Bible. But when asked to identify his favorite Bible verse, he hesitated and refused to answer. This started a social media frenzy, with individuals using the hashtag #TrumpBible to post their tongue-in-cheek suggestions for what should be Trump’s favorite Bible verse. One person quipped: “Took God 6 days to create the universe. Bad management. I would have done it faster, cheaper, & Satan would pay for it.”
Application: If we say we believe in the Bible, then we should be able to answer who Jesus is.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
David Letterman, the former host of The Late Show, is a fan of racing. In fact, he enjoys the sport so much that he is the co-owner of an IndyCar racing team. But as he contemplates recent deaths on the track or race drivers, Letterman is questioning if the sport is too dangerous to continue. Letterman said, “Whoa, is this really the sport that you can embrace entirely? I don’t know. It’s a real self-examination.”
Application: It does take real self-examination to be sure that Satan is behind us.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Pope Francis recently told people to come down from “the towers and the armored rooms of elite, to once again frequent the houses and open spaces of the masses, open to the love of the family.” Francis wants people to become involved.
Application: Francis wants individuals to take up their cross and follow Jesus; to come out of the security of the armored rooms and into the public square where the masses dwell.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, has recently teamed up with the Florida Institute of Technology to develop a master plan for the colonization of Mars within 25 years. While he dislikes the label of “one-way,” Aldrin does imagine that the tour of duty on Mars would be ten years.
Application: When we take up our cross to follow Jesus, the tour of duty is very long.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Next season will be the final one for legendary baseball announcer Vin Scully -- at the end of the 2016 season, he’ll have broadcast Los Angeles Dodgers games for a mind-boggling record of 67 years with the same franchise. Scully said that he is “raging against the dying of my career, which has to be around the corner now,” but he realizes that it is time to retire at the age of 88.
Application: We are called to be in lifelong service for the Lord.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
When the World Trade Towers were attacked and collapsed on 9/11, St. Paul’s Chapel (which stood at ground zero) remained unharmed. It became a refuge for the wounded and for relief workers who needed rest. Army chaplain David Peters won a contest to determine who would preach a commemoration sermon this September. The title of his sermon is “Learning War and Reconciliation.” Peters, who began his military career with the Marines, said regarding his sermon: “It’s astounding how difficult reconciliation can be.... Just like the Marine Corps didn’t just teach me to do war, they taught me to be war, we have to learn to be reconciliation.”
Application: If we take up our cross to follow Jesus, we have to be reconcilers.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
In a classic Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown is sitting alone on a playground bench, infatuated by the little red-haired girl who he can love only at a distance. He thinks to himself: “I’d give anything to be able to talk with that little red-haired girl.... The amazing thing is that I KNOW I’m the sort of person she’d like! I mean I’m not rough or crude or anything.... I’m not the greatest person who ever lived, of course. But after all, who is? I’m just a nice sort of guy who... who never gets to meet little red-haired girls.”
Application: We may seem ordinary, but we are all extraordinary when it comes to taking up our cross and following Jesus.
***************
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Mark 8:27-38
What “They” Say
The story is told of Winston Churchill that, near the end of his term as British prime minister, he was at a ceremony of some kind when two men sitting several rows behind him began talking about him.
“Look, that’s Winston Churchill,” said one.
“Yes, they say he’s getting too old to run the country,” said the other.
“They say he’s senile,” said the first.
“They say he can hardly get around anymore,” said his friend.
Just then the ceremony ended -- and as everyone stood to leave, Churchill looked at the gentlemen behind him and said, “And they also say he’s deaf!”
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Reverend Gossip
There’s an old joke that goes like this:
Four ministers who regularly played golf together were putting on the first green when one of them said, “You know, our parishioners come to us with their problems and their confessions, and they unburden themselves of the heavy emotional loads they are carrying. They always seem so much better off when they leave. I wonder if we shouldn’t take these golf opportunities to do the same for each other.”
They all agreed that confession was good for the soul -- and so one by one they unburdened themselves of their secret little sins.
The first confessed that he liked off-color jokes and collected them in books and from the internet.
The second confessed that he habitually cheated on his golf score.
The third said that he liked to have a whiskey and soda every night before he went to bed.
They all looked at the fourth, who was giggling. “Well, how about you?” they asked.
Barely containing himself, he said: “I’m a gossip, and I can’t wait to get back to the office.”
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Who’s Buried in Lincoln’s Tomb?
In 1887, a rumor began circulating across the United States that Abraham Lincoln’s body was not actually buried in his coffin -- so after many attempts to quell the rumor, government officials had the coffin dug up and pried open before several witnesses to determine that it did in fact contain the body of the beloved president (as it had for 22 years).
Amazingly, 14 years later in 1901 the very same rumor -- that Lincoln’s coffin was actually empty -- circulated again. So fiercely did the rumor continue that once again the coffin was dug up and pried open before witnesses to prove to the world that Lincoln rested in peace.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Urban Legends and Rumors
When a rumor is passed along by enough people, it becomes an urban legend. Here are some urban legends that -- in spite of being untrue -- have proven (thanks to the internet) to be nearly impossible to kill:
1. Mister Rogers was a Navy Seal and he wore those cardigan sweaters to cover his tattoos. (Not true on both counts.)
2. If you turn out the lights, look into a mirror, and say “Bloody Mary” three times an image of Mary Worth (who was hanged at Salem for being a witch) will appear. (Nope.)
3. The phrase Ich bin ein Berliner means “I’m a jelly donut” and people laughed at President Kennedy when he said it. (It doesn’t and they didn’t.)
4. If you leave a tooth in a glass of Coca-Cola overnight it will dissolve. (It won’t.)
5. The Daddy-Longlegs spider is the most venomous spider in the world, and the only reason it can’t kill humans is because its fangs are too small. (Sorry -- not poisonous and no fangs.)
6. And no, neither the Census Bureau nor the IRS recognize “Jedi” as a religion.
*****
James 3:1-12
Teaching the Disciples
Jesus took his disciples up on the mountain and gathered them around him. And he taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who are persecuted. Blessed are those who suffer. When these things happen rejoice, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
And Simon Peter said, “Do we have to write this down?”
And Phillip said, “Is this going to be on the test?”
And John said, “Would you repeat that slower?”
And Andrew said, “John the Baptist’s disciples don’t have to learn this stuff.”
And Matthew said, “Huh?”
And Judas said, “What’s this got to do with real life?”
And then one of the Pharisees, an expert in law, said, “I don’t see any of this in your syllabus. Do you have a lesson plan? Where’s the student guide? Will there be a follow-up assignment?”
And Thomas, who had been absent, came to Jesus privately and said, “Did we do anything important yesterday?”
And Jesus wept.
-- source unknown
*****
James 3:1-12
Parents Learn from Teachers Too
The website RealSimple.com offers some lessons parents can take from teachers about how to get children to behave. Here are a few:
1. If you want children to listen to you, try lowering your voice instead of raising it.
2. If your child is a complainer about chores or homework, take out a timer and let them have exactly one minute to complain -- then it’s back to work.
3. If your child is wired and extra active, dim the lights. It will help calm things down.
4. Give occasional, unexpected rewards to reinforce good work. (Example: A certificate for a bowl of ice cream on demand when their room is cleaned and well-ordered.)
5. Kids are less likely to complain if they feel they have some control over their lives, so when possible offer several choices (all of which are acceptable to you).
6. Kids learn better when they are looking at the source of the sound, but the phrase “look at me when I talk to you” often falls on deaf ears. “Let’s put our foreheads together because this is important” may work better.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: The heavens are telling the glory of God.
People: The firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.
Leader: Day to day pours forth speech.
People: Night to night declares knowledge.
Leader: The law of God is perfect, reviving the soul.
People: The decrees of God are sure, making wise the simple.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the God who is Wisdom.
People: We lift our voices in praise to our wise God.
Leader: Listen, and God will impart wisdom to you.
People: We will still our hearts and listen for God’s word.
Leader: The wisdom of God means life and peace and joy.
People: We open our hearts and minds to God’s life-giving word.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Be Thou My Vision”
found in:
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELA: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
found in:
UMH: 89
H82: 376
PH: 464
AAHH: 120
NNBH: 40
NCH: 4
CH: 2
LBW: 551
ELA: 836
W&P: 59
AMEC: 75
STLT: 29
“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
found in:
UMH: 103
H82: 423
PH: 263
NCH: 1
CH: 66
LBW: 526
ELA: 834
W&P: 48
AMEC: 71
STLT: 273
Renew: 46
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
found in:
UMH: 110
H82: 687, 688
PH: 260
AAHH: 124
NNBH: 37
NCH: 439, 440
CH: 65
LBW: 228, 229
ELA: 503, 504, 505
W&P: 100, 106
AMEC: 4, 5, 6
“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
found in:
UMH: 154, 155
H82: 6, 7
PH: 462, 463
LBW: 265
ELA: 553
W&P: 91
Renew: 45
“Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies”
found in:
UMH: 173
H82: 6, 7
PH: 462, 463
LBW: 265
ELA: 553
W&P: 91
“Breathe on Me, Breath of God”
found in:
UMH: 420
H82: 508
PH: 316
AAHH: 317
NNBH: 126
NCH: 292
CH: 254
LBW: 488
W&P: 481
AMEC: 192
“Every Time I Feel the Spirit”
found in:
UMH: 404
PH: 315
AAHH: 325
NNBH: 485
NCH: 282
CH: 592
W&P: 481
STLT: 208
“Sanctuary”
found in:
CCB: 87
Renew: 185
“Shine, Jesus, Shine”
found in:
CCB: 81
Renew: 247
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
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is wisdom and life: Grant us the grace to still the noise that is all around us so that we might hear you speak the words of life to us; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God of Wisdom, for you have the words of life. As we worship you today, help us to still the sounds that distract us so that we might hear you speak to us. Help us not only to listen, but also to follow your instructions which lead us to life eternal. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to take time to listen to God.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We listen to all the noise and bedlam around us, without taking the time to listen to you. We spend our time on things of no importance, and ignore the things that lead to life eternal. Forgive us our foolishness, and call us back to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear the words of life. Amen.
Leader: God desires to speak to us and to bring us life. Receive God’s love and forgiveness, and know the true life God intends for everyone.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We worship and adore you, O God of wisdom and life. You have the words of life, and you want to give them to your children.
(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. We listen to all the noise and bedlam around us, without taking the time to listen to you. We spend our time on things of no importance, and ignore the things that lead to life eternal. Forgive us our foolishness, and call us back to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear the words of life.
We give you thanks for all the ways you speak to us. You speak in nature, in the voices of our sisters and brothers, in scripture, in silence, and even in the words of strangers.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need, and especially that we might all be more attentive to your voice. Wholeness and blessing are your wishes for us. Help us to still our hearts and receive your good gifts.
(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.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about going back to school. Ask about their teachers. Tell them that God is a teacher as well. When we come to church and Sunday school, when we pray, when we read our Bibles, God is teaching us how to live joyfully.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Robin Lostetter
James 3:1-12
With [the tongue, or the mouth, or voice] we both bless the Lord and Father and curse human beings made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it just shouldn’t be this way! -- vv. 9-10, CEB (Common English Bible)
First read the scripture in the CEB translation, explaining as necessary so that the children might be able to understand it better.
Then talk about how we use our voices to praise God in worship, most likely in singing. This would be a great time to sing a very simple and fun refrain such as “Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah -- Praise Ye the Lord,” with one group standing while the first phrase is sung, and another group standing while the second phrase is sung. This hopping up and down usually causes some giggling and will illustrate the positive side of using our voices.
Then gently ask if anyone has ever been hurt by words someone has said. There’s no need to share them aloud --- just ask for a show of hands. If you have a simple personal example to share, that would be reassuring to the children that even grownups have had this experience -- and survived.
So then, as Christians, we don’t want to be the ones who hurt others with our words, do we? Ask the children how we should use our voices. (In praising God, in thanking people, in supporting people, in laughing with people, etc.)
If there’s time and if there are enough children, you could also add a game of “Telephone” to illustrate the metaphor in vv. 5-6a: So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire [NRSV]. Or In the same way, even though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts wildly. Think about this: A small flame can set a whole forest on fire. The tongue is a small flame of fire, a world of evil at work in us. It contaminates our entire lives. Because of it, the circle of life is set on fire [CEB]. You will need to be careful to emphasize that this is a negative example, and to avoid having the statement you begin with apply to any person -- perhaps “That house is not a pretty color,” for example. After the sentence has gone around the circle, see if it has gotten more unkind as it has been repeated [inaccurately] in a whisper -- thus illustrating how “a great forest is set ablaze by a small fire.” Then have the children intentionally exaggerate/develop a positive statement in the same “Telephone” manner.
Close with the following prayer (or by repeating the refrain song mentioned above): Gracious and loving God, we thank you for our voices. Help us to use them to praise you and to bring joy and peace into this world. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 13, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 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.
In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating notes that back-to-school season is an opportune time to consider the difficult circumstances facing our schoolteachers. Not only have they undertaken the charge of educating our young people -- at a time when more students than ever are plagued with social problems that adversely affect their focus on the classroom -- but teachers must also cope with time-consuming standardized tests and often-capricious “metrics” intended to measure student “progress.” All of these factors have contributed to a sense among many teachers that they’re underappreciated and often underpaid for the responsibilities they’ve taken on. As Chris points out, it’s no wonder that many teachers feel great pressure from external sources... in addition to the internal pressure they feel to live up to their obligation to the children they shepherd.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the gospel text and the question Jesus asks his disciples: “Who do people say that I am?” As Mary observes, Jesus illuminates the obsession we all have with defining ourselves in terms of what other people think -- something that’s especially evident in political campaigns with their incessant polling and spin doctoring. But as Mary points out, this phenomenon dominates all of our lives, as our behavior is too often affected by a perceived need to “keep up with the Joneses” or by fear about what our neighbors might think. While Jesus’ primary aim is to clarify for the disciples the true nature of his messianic identity, he also artfully deconstructs the inherent selfishness of our concerns about other people’s opinions by highlighting Peter’s focus “not on divine things but on human things.” Instead of gaining life, we lose it when we operate in this fashion -- and as Jesus counter-intuitively instructs us, we are to “deny [ourselves] and take up [our] cross”... for it is only when we “lose our [lives] for [Jesus’] sake, and for the sake of the gospel” that we actually save them.
Back to School Blues
by Chris Keating
Proverbs 1:20-33; Psalm 19; James 3:1-12
“Back to school, back to school, to prove to dad that I’m not a fool,” sings Adam Sandler in his ’90s classic slacker movie Billy Madison. “I got my lunch packed up, my boots tied tight; I hope I don’t get in a fight. Ohhhh, back to school, back to school, back... to... school.” Preparing to board his school bus, the lackadaisical man-child dropout eyes his soon-to-be classmates. “Well, here goes nothing,” he sighs.
Twenty years later, that could easily be the playlist of weary schoolteachers. Wisdom indeed cries out in the streets -- but too often the songs of teachers have begun to sound like the laments of gravel-voiced Mississippi Delta blues singers: “Oh, back to school, back to school, to prove to the state that I’m not a fool.”
Assuming, of course, that teachers are actually headed back into the classroom -- because in many cases, that is not happening. Nationwide, there are “hotspots” with a critical shortage of teachers. Fewer college students are pursuing teacher training. Add to that the barrage of mandated testing, confusing standards, non-stop evaluations, and abrasive comments from public officials, and you have the bitter cocktail of teacher frustration.
One veteran teacher opined, “So why is there a teacher shortage? No money, no respect, inappropriate evaluations and expectations, and the availability of many more options now for women.” Her thoughts seem to align with James’ admonition: “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”
With school back in session -- and religious education programs resuming in many congregations -- it is essential that we listen not just to the cries from politicians, parents, and overburdened educators, but also to the words of wisdom God offers us in these intriguing texts so that we “live at ease, without dread of disaster.” Wisdom calls us to sing the blues... while also keeping the faith.
In the News
At the busiest street corners politicians yelp to get our attention, competing against the rest of our culture’s ever-squawking hubbub. But when politicians begin talking about education, people start listening -- especially when campaign season intersects with back-to-school season.
Ask Ohio governor John Kasich, who recently quipped that “if I were king of America, I would abolish all teacher’s lounges, where they sit and worry about ‘woe is us.’ ” Kasich’s aides later explained that the GOP presidential hopeful was speaking metaphorically. They said the governor believes teachers have far more support than they give themselves credit for, and that they shouldn’t pay attention to political “pot stirrers.” Campaign spokesperson Rob Nichols said in a statement that “anyone thinking [Kasich] was making a comment on buildings or school architecture or space usage might need to look up the word ‘metaphor’ in a dictionary.”
Teachers responded to Kasich’s remarks by suggesting that he visit schools and discover that a “lounge” is generally used as a corridor to the bathroom, a semi-quiet retreat to gobble down a fast lunch, and a place to make copies. One teacher tweeted, “Teachers have duty and don’t get a lunch half of the time anyway, so he can take the room.”
But criticism of teachers and what’s not working in education goes far beyond the teacher’s lounge. It’s out in the streets, crying out at the city entrances. Teachers are feeling the pressure of mandated testing, constant evaluations, and continuing controversies over Common Core standards.
Some believe the toxic environment for teachers leads many students away from pursuing careers in education, or influences decisions to pursue other careers. Across the country, teacher shortages are common in certain areas. About 17% of new teachers change careers within five years, and there are fewer and fewer prospective teachers in the pipeline.
Proponents of the Common Core standards had hoped that an increase in student proficiency generated by comparing achievement nationwide would improve the climate for educators. Despite claims by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan that “in the years ahead, a child in Mississippi will be measured against the same standard of success as a child in Massachusetts,” Common Core is unraveling in many states. Duncan’s dream may now go unfulfilled as states opt out of the testing protocols by creating their own exams. In June Kasich’s state became the latest state to withdraw from the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers’ (PARCC) Common Core testing consortium, following months of complaints from parents and educators.
The amount of time consumed by tests that are administered by costly technology prone to glitches has fueled some of the debate. For many parents, their student’s scores will be lower than they are accustomed to seeing -- for many reasons. Educators are voicing frustration that reliance on testing is impacting their ability to reach and teach every student.
“The stress that they (teachers) are under right now is incredible,” teacher Beth Chetney recently told New York Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul. Chetney, a 24-year veteran of the classroom, said: “We have a lot of teachers that are feeling the pressure, that if they don’t instruct based on what they can guess is going to be on this asinine test.” New York teachers have complained that Governor Andrew Cuomo is not listening to their complaints, though recently Cuomo indicated he believes Common Core isn’t working for his state.
Teachers in New York and elsewhere are often evaluated by what is known as the “growth score.” The growth rating shows how well one teacher’s students have fared compared to other students. The problem is that this “value-added measure” assesses teachers against scores from students they don’t teach, and even from subjects they do not teach. In other words, an art teacher is measured by how well his or her students performed in math.
All of which makes the following letter from a New York school superintendent an amazing affirmation for teachers. It’s an insight full of wisdom, and a remarkable example of what administrators can do to support their embattled employees. Patchogue-Medford School District Superintendent Michael Hynes sent this note to all his district’s teachers and principals:
The purpose of this letter is to let you know that I DO NOT CARE what your state growth score is. Let me be clear... I DO NOT CARE. It does not define you. Please know that I understand that nobody likes to be reduced to a number.
The fact is, you are much more than a number, not only to me, but most important to the children and parents you serve. Keep your head up and your eye on what is most important...
Teachers may be singing the blues, and it seems many are starting to listen: “Back to school, back to school,” educators are singing, “it’s time to prove that we’re not fools.” No wonder why James’ admonition that “not many of you should become teachers” is beginning to make sense to many charged with the sacred responsibility of educating children.
This week’s scriptures invite a deeper look at how knowledge, wisdom, and the favor of God are sought by students and teachers alike.
In the Scriptures
Knowledge and learning are central themes in this week’s passages, which offer insight to the church as it both supports public education and embarks on its own educational journey. Labor Day has come and gone, and now is the time to get back to school -- during the week and on Sunday.
But many teachers are frustrated. Where is wisdom to be found? The same is also true for Christian religious educators. As Sunday church attendance patterns change, once-overflowing Sunday school classes are shrinking. More and more churches use “one-room” Sunday school curriculum. Here, too, calamity has seemed to come as a whirlwind, knocking the church’s once-prized educational programs off their axes.
Proverbs suggests that if we wish to avoid panic and discover calm in our world, then we ought to listen for the voice of Lady Wisdom. She’s busy taking her case to the streets in Proverbs chapter one, publicly declaring her threats against those who will not learn: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?” The ones who are scattered around the city have not learned. They have failed to pay attention in class, and are not making adequate progress. Lady Wisdom’s students have failed not because they did not measure up to state standards, but because they have refused to “fear the Lord” and acknowledge God’s wisdom: “I have called and you refused.”
Her indictment is scathing: those who have not listened “hated knowledge.” They “did not choose the fear of the Lord,” and “despised all my reproof.” Therefore, God’s servant Wisdom has taken her case to the streets, imploring those who have ignored God’s wisdom to reconsider.
Lady Wisdom is certainly singing the blues.
Yet her cry is grounded in the deep knowledge of God’s grace and love. “It is time,” she sings. “It is time for God’s people to come back.” Now is the time for us to head back to school to continue the serious work of discipleship and learning in faith. One commentator puts it this way: “Behind this language is the deeply held conviction of Israel’s wisdom teachers that a gracious God has placed at the disposal of men and women the ability to understand what God wants them both to be and to do” (James Newsome, in Texts for Preaching: A Lectionary Commentary Based on the NRSV -- Year B [Westminster/John Knox, 1993], p. 506).
Likewise, the Epistle of James provides instruction in the practicalities of Christian faith. If Paul and the epistle to the Romans occupy the chair in systematic theology, then James and his epistle provide Jesus’ disciples with a course in practical theology. At first, the beginning of chapter three seems off-putting -- it is certainly not the word most Christian Education committees want congregations to hear! “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters.” But let James continue his argument. “For you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Pause there, and ask for an “amen” from public school teachers!
Here James is not speaking about evaluation metrics and Common Core as we know them, but is instead reminding those who teach that transparency, humility, and faith are critical to Christian community. To illustrate his point, James turns to the destructiveness of words in community. The tongue, he reminds us, can set a forest on fire. It can be used as a source of blessing and praise, and also for cursing and rebuke. Ever the pastor, James counsels Christians toward true wisdom which is revealed in acts of humility and words of charity. It’s beyond the scope of this week’s pericope, but James’ words in verse 13 might well become inscriptions above classroom doors: “Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom.”
In the Pulpit
Both Proverbs and James offer powerful insights for a preacher who may want to offer support to public education while also bolstering the church’s own religious education endeavors. The evocative images of Lady Wisdom parading through the streets in search of an audience who will listen -- and James’ urging that a good life is born through acts of wisdom (and words of love) -- are compelling.
Proverbs suggests that learning occurs as God’s people respond to the grateful (and not data-driven) invitation of God. As Parker Palmer once observed, it is a teacher’s role to create a space where learning can occur. Inside the church, it seems as though we have that opportunity. Proverbs reminds us of the importance of creating a space where learning of faith can occur. But the church’s mission extends beyond the Sunday school walls to include support for public education so that all God’s children can learn and grow. Use the sermon to show how the church can go back to school -- not only in its own life, but in the world as well. Support the teachers in the congregation, reminding them that they have a holy calling.
Likewise, the practical wisdom confirmed through James’ instruction that teachers should watch what they are saying applies not just to the teacher’s lounge, but to the narthex and parking lot as well. James urges us to “create a space,” or knock a hole in the wall where faith can emerge in children and adults. Education researcher Sugata Mitra stumbled upon this powerful truth through his experiments with placing computers in remote villages of India. His experiments -- aptly called “holes in the wall” because he actually placed computers in walls -- revealed something powerful about the ability of children to learn by themselves. Mitra was surprised by what he found:
I took the experiment out to northeastern India,to a village called Madantusi,where for some reason there was no English teacher,so the children had not learned English at all.And I built a similar hole-in-the-wall.One big difference in the villages, as opposed to the urban slums:there were more girls than boys who came to the kiosk.In the urban slums, the girls tend to stay away.I left the computer there with lots of CDs -- I didn’t have any internet --and came back three months later.So when I came back there, I found these two kids,eight- and 12-year-olds, who were playing a game on the computer.And as soon as they saw me they said,“We need a faster processor and a better mouse.”I was real surprised.You know, how on earth did they know all this?And they said, “Well, we've picked it up from the CDs.”So I said, “But how did you understand what’s going on over there?”So they said, “Well, you’ve left this machinewhich talks only in English, so we had to learn English.”
Wisdom is crying out in the street, poking holes in the obstacles we have created, calling our communities of faith to become more and more intentional in advocating for education. Sondra Higgins Matthaei, a noted professor of Christian education, was fond of telling her students that pastors do not have the luxury of saying “I don’t do Christian religious education.” The only choice, she said, is whether or not we are intentional about that ministry.
It’s time to go back to school, and time for the church to listen for the voice of Lady Wisdom.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Who Are You?
by Mary Austin
Mark 8:27-38
“Who Are You?” the band aptly named The Who asks. Without someone else to tell us, we may not really know.
Politicians are defined by an image, a gaffe, or by voters’ perceptions -- whether or not those are accurate reflections of reality. Voters find something of themselves in their favorite political candidates.
The Huffington Post notes that recent polling reveals Republican voters see themselves as a group of people who would be better off with non-politicians right now. Donald Trump is riding high in the polls, and “it’s not just Donald Trump. Since July, two other candidates have seen their numbers rise significantly in national polls: retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson and former CEO Carly Fiorina, neither of whom have held public office in the past.” Trump, Carson, and Fiorina are the choice of about half of the primary electorate in current polling.
Democrats, waiting to see if Vice President Joe Biden is going to enter the presidential race, are also having a love affair with unlikely candidate Senator Bernie Sanders. NBC News reports that Sanders is now polling ahead of Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire and gaining on her in Iowa, the first two states with caucuses and/or primary elections.
The Washington Post reports that polling suggests voters can distinguish one candidate from another -- they aren’t lumping all the Republican candidates in with Donald Trump on the issue of immigration. As the Post defines the problem, “It’s the ‘guilt by association’ theory of how Donald Trump’s candidacy hurts Republicans’ 2016 chances: Hispanics connect his strong anti-illegal immigrant stances to the rest of the party or its eventual nominee, undermining the GOP’s concerted efforts to perform better among Hispanic voters.” The polling says no -- Hispanic voters can tell the difference: “Hispanics clearly despise Trump, but they view other Republicans much more positively (or have no opinion at all).”
All of us can live life as an ongoing public opinion poll, measuring how we’re doing. Politicians are up and down from week to week. If we pay attention to the polls around us, we are too. Have we eaten at the new restaurant? Do we own the must-have clothes for fall? Are our kids in top-tier preschools, sports, and colleges? On any given day, we may be polling well -- a new car, a promotion, or a vacation can boost our standing. Another day may show us down in the public opinion ratings: the lawn looks shabby, our neighbors are going to Aruba for no reason, and the front drapes suddenly look worn.
We measure ourselves by the benchmark of our neighbors, wondering if we’re doing as well as they are. It’s so common that most people instantly understand the expression “keeping up with the Joneses,” which first came into use as long ago as 1913.
According to U.S. News, that way of seeing ourselves may be fading among younger people. Blogger Abby Hayes says, “[T]here’s this increasing sense that living up to someone else’s standards isn’t going to cut it. Maybe it’s the result of living through rough financial times during the recession. Maybe it’s from watching our parents struggle to buy the next big thing. Whatever it is, we’re pretty burnt out on the whole idea of keeping up with the Joneses -- and that’s a good thing.” Hayes adds that what we’re measuring ourselves against is mostly an illusion. If we define ourselves by our neighbors, we look at the people most like us... but a little better off. “However, if you could peer inside the Joneses’ home and bank accounts, you might not get such an enviable picture. Here’s the bottom line: many Americans live beyond their means. A recent Bankrate survey found that about one-third of people ages 30 to 49 had more credit card debt than savings. Even though the financial security index has steadily risen over the past few months, Americans are still in a lot of debt. And we can guess that at least part of that debt comes from living beyond our means.” If who we think we are comes from comparisons with our neighbors, there’s more smoke and mirrors to the process than we realize.
Geoff Williams, another blogger for U.S. News, suggests that we may be suffering from “financial envy” as a result of our measuring and comparing: “Think everyone has it better than you? You aren’t alone. ‘Financial jealousy is a very real phenomenon and causes a fair amount of distress for the vulnerable,’ says Ramani Durvasula, a Los Angeles-based licensed clinical psychologist and psychology professor at California State University. When it comes to feeling envious of other people’s wealth, she observes that we have it tougher than our ancestors, who didn’t live in a world of $15,000 purses and $1,000 shoes and weren’t exposed to so-called ‘reality’ television shows.” Our vision of reality is less and less real.
We may be confused about who we are, but Jesus is clear about who he is. He takes a poll of his own among the disciples, asking them “Who do people say that I am?” He listens to the answers, waiting for the right one. When it comes, he teaches the disciples a timeless lesson about what that means. Who he is and what we are to do in response are bound together.
Instead of working so hard to get ahead, Jesus reminds us to discover who we are by following. Jesus instructs a misunderstanding Peter to get behind him. Scott Hoezee of Calvin Seminary finds an interesting parallel between that instruction and the word to follow Jesus or to travel behind him. Hoezee suggests that there are two ways to “get behind” Jesus -- the way of following, and the way of obstructing: “In the Greek there is a curious parallel between verses 33 and 34. In verse 33, following Peter’s wrong-headed criticism, Jesus calls Peter a ‘satan’ and tells him to go opiso mou, which means ‘behind me.’ Then in the very next verse Jesus says that if anyone wants to follow opiso mou, they need to deny themselves and take up the cross. The second use of that phrase opiso mou is not necessary in Greek, since the Greek verb ‘to follow’ automatically carries with it the sense of ‘behind me.’... Maybe what Mark is saying is that there are two ways to get behind Jesus: if you insist on holding onto this life, of seeking the solution to life’s difficulties by grabbing still more of that same life, then you can get behind Jesus as a satan. But if you are willing to let go, to release your fierce grip on your own ego -- and on the life you hope will boost and bolster that ego -- if you can just die along with Jesus, then you can get behind Jesus as a disciple. Then you can be behind Jesus as a follower who is back there with a clear view of what Jesus does so that you can then imitate him.”
Our own personal public opinion poll can be material -- new cars, clothes, and trips. It can be vocational -- do we have the right title, office, and future prospects? It can even be spiritual -- are we working hard enough for the church, and are the right people noticing? Living this way means that all of us are constantly asking “Who do you say that I am?” to the world around us. We’re always wondering what someone thinks about us, and if we measure up.
As always, Jesus offers us a way out of the public opinion polls. A messiah talking about a cross is an automatic failure, and Jesus invites us to join him in the failure business. He invites us to come in last when anyone starts measuring us by our degrees, our stuff, or our work. “Get out of the race,” he tells us. “Embrace what you can give up, instead of what you can acquire.” This is a hard word to follow for all of us -- apparently including the disciples who saw Jesus every day. He goes on to say it twice more to them as they travel along, and he says it endlessly to us. The invitation is always open. We can “get behind” Jesus, and see where he wants to take us.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
James 3:1-12
David Gibson, who writes for the Religion News Service, was honored for excellence in religion news analysis at the recent Religion Newswriters Association annual award ceremony. Gibson remarked on the importance of religious news stories, such as reporting on Pope Francis, where “so many people of good faith, and no faith at all, can provide a whole new perspective.”
Application: Maybe not all of us are called to teach, but we all can report on the good stories.
*****
Proverbs 1:20-33
The names of subscribers to Ashley Madison, the website for wannabe adulterers, are still being released by those who hacked into the system. One of the names released was that of Robert Craig Sproul Jr. -- better known as R.C. Sproul. He is a professor of theology at the Reformation Bible College, which is a conservative institution. When it was discovered that Sproul, who is married with eight children, was an Ashley Madison subscriber, he was dismissed.
Application: We are told in Proverbs that only fools do not listen to the call of wisdom.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
R.C. Sproul wrote about his situation in a blog post titled “Judgment and Grace.” Sproul noted that the prophets of the Old Testament proclaim “God is not pleased with what you are doing. Repent.” Sproul then went on to indicate that for him, Ashley Madison was a prophet calling him to repentance.
Application: What Sproul failed to distinguish is that Ashley Madison is for profit -- it is not a prophet.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Donald Trump has said that the most important book to him is the Bible. But when asked to identify his favorite Bible verse, he hesitated and refused to answer. This started a social media frenzy, with individuals using the hashtag #TrumpBible to post their tongue-in-cheek suggestions for what should be Trump’s favorite Bible verse. One person quipped: “Took God 6 days to create the universe. Bad management. I would have done it faster, cheaper, & Satan would pay for it.”
Application: If we say we believe in the Bible, then we should be able to answer who Jesus is.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
David Letterman, the former host of The Late Show, is a fan of racing. In fact, he enjoys the sport so much that he is the co-owner of an IndyCar racing team. But as he contemplates recent deaths on the track or race drivers, Letterman is questioning if the sport is too dangerous to continue. Letterman said, “Whoa, is this really the sport that you can embrace entirely? I don’t know. It’s a real self-examination.”
Application: It does take real self-examination to be sure that Satan is behind us.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Pope Francis recently told people to come down from “the towers and the armored rooms of elite, to once again frequent the houses and open spaces of the masses, open to the love of the family.” Francis wants people to become involved.
Application: Francis wants individuals to take up their cross and follow Jesus; to come out of the security of the armored rooms and into the public square where the masses dwell.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, has recently teamed up with the Florida Institute of Technology to develop a master plan for the colonization of Mars within 25 years. While he dislikes the label of “one-way,” Aldrin does imagine that the tour of duty on Mars would be ten years.
Application: When we take up our cross to follow Jesus, the tour of duty is very long.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Next season will be the final one for legendary baseball announcer Vin Scully -- at the end of the 2016 season, he’ll have broadcast Los Angeles Dodgers games for a mind-boggling record of 67 years with the same franchise. Scully said that he is “raging against the dying of my career, which has to be around the corner now,” but he realizes that it is time to retire at the age of 88.
Application: We are called to be in lifelong service for the Lord.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
When the World Trade Towers were attacked and collapsed on 9/11, St. Paul’s Chapel (which stood at ground zero) remained unharmed. It became a refuge for the wounded and for relief workers who needed rest. Army chaplain David Peters won a contest to determine who would preach a commemoration sermon this September. The title of his sermon is “Learning War and Reconciliation.” Peters, who began his military career with the Marines, said regarding his sermon: “It’s astounding how difficult reconciliation can be.... Just like the Marine Corps didn’t just teach me to do war, they taught me to be war, we have to learn to be reconciliation.”
Application: If we take up our cross to follow Jesus, we have to be reconcilers.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
In a classic Peanuts cartoon, Charlie Brown is sitting alone on a playground bench, infatuated by the little red-haired girl who he can love only at a distance. He thinks to himself: “I’d give anything to be able to talk with that little red-haired girl.... The amazing thing is that I KNOW I’m the sort of person she’d like! I mean I’m not rough or crude or anything.... I’m not the greatest person who ever lived, of course. But after all, who is? I’m just a nice sort of guy who... who never gets to meet little red-haired girls.”
Application: We may seem ordinary, but we are all extraordinary when it comes to taking up our cross and following Jesus.
***************
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Mark 8:27-38
What “They” Say
The story is told of Winston Churchill that, near the end of his term as British prime minister, he was at a ceremony of some kind when two men sitting several rows behind him began talking about him.
“Look, that’s Winston Churchill,” said one.
“Yes, they say he’s getting too old to run the country,” said the other.
“They say he’s senile,” said the first.
“They say he can hardly get around anymore,” said his friend.
Just then the ceremony ended -- and as everyone stood to leave, Churchill looked at the gentlemen behind him and said, “And they also say he’s deaf!”
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Reverend Gossip
There’s an old joke that goes like this:
Four ministers who regularly played golf together were putting on the first green when one of them said, “You know, our parishioners come to us with their problems and their confessions, and they unburden themselves of the heavy emotional loads they are carrying. They always seem so much better off when they leave. I wonder if we shouldn’t take these golf opportunities to do the same for each other.”
They all agreed that confession was good for the soul -- and so one by one they unburdened themselves of their secret little sins.
The first confessed that he liked off-color jokes and collected them in books and from the internet.
The second confessed that he habitually cheated on his golf score.
The third said that he liked to have a whiskey and soda every night before he went to bed.
They all looked at the fourth, who was giggling. “Well, how about you?” they asked.
Barely containing himself, he said: “I’m a gossip, and I can’t wait to get back to the office.”
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Who’s Buried in Lincoln’s Tomb?
In 1887, a rumor began circulating across the United States that Abraham Lincoln’s body was not actually buried in his coffin -- so after many attempts to quell the rumor, government officials had the coffin dug up and pried open before several witnesses to determine that it did in fact contain the body of the beloved president (as it had for 22 years).
Amazingly, 14 years later in 1901 the very same rumor -- that Lincoln’s coffin was actually empty -- circulated again. So fiercely did the rumor continue that once again the coffin was dug up and pried open before witnesses to prove to the world that Lincoln rested in peace.
*****
Mark 8:27-38
Urban Legends and Rumors
When a rumor is passed along by enough people, it becomes an urban legend. Here are some urban legends that -- in spite of being untrue -- have proven (thanks to the internet) to be nearly impossible to kill:
1. Mister Rogers was a Navy Seal and he wore those cardigan sweaters to cover his tattoos. (Not true on both counts.)
2. If you turn out the lights, look into a mirror, and say “Bloody Mary” three times an image of Mary Worth (who was hanged at Salem for being a witch) will appear. (Nope.)
3. The phrase Ich bin ein Berliner means “I’m a jelly donut” and people laughed at President Kennedy when he said it. (It doesn’t and they didn’t.)
4. If you leave a tooth in a glass of Coca-Cola overnight it will dissolve. (It won’t.)
5. The Daddy-Longlegs spider is the most venomous spider in the world, and the only reason it can’t kill humans is because its fangs are too small. (Sorry -- not poisonous and no fangs.)
6. And no, neither the Census Bureau nor the IRS recognize “Jedi” as a religion.
*****
James 3:1-12
Teaching the Disciples
Jesus took his disciples up on the mountain and gathered them around him. And he taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit. Blessed are the meek. Blessed are those who are persecuted. Blessed are those who suffer. When these things happen rejoice, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
And Simon Peter said, “Do we have to write this down?”
And Phillip said, “Is this going to be on the test?”
And John said, “Would you repeat that slower?”
And Andrew said, “John the Baptist’s disciples don’t have to learn this stuff.”
And Matthew said, “Huh?”
And Judas said, “What’s this got to do with real life?”
And then one of the Pharisees, an expert in law, said, “I don’t see any of this in your syllabus. Do you have a lesson plan? Where’s the student guide? Will there be a follow-up assignment?”
And Thomas, who had been absent, came to Jesus privately and said, “Did we do anything important yesterday?”
And Jesus wept.
-- source unknown
*****
James 3:1-12
Parents Learn from Teachers Too
The website RealSimple.com offers some lessons parents can take from teachers about how to get children to behave. Here are a few:
1. If you want children to listen to you, try lowering your voice instead of raising it.
2. If your child is a complainer about chores or homework, take out a timer and let them have exactly one minute to complain -- then it’s back to work.
3. If your child is wired and extra active, dim the lights. It will help calm things down.
4. Give occasional, unexpected rewards to reinforce good work. (Example: A certificate for a bowl of ice cream on demand when their room is cleaned and well-ordered.)
5. Kids are less likely to complain if they feel they have some control over their lives, so when possible offer several choices (all of which are acceptable to you).
6. Kids learn better when they are looking at the source of the sound, but the phrase “look at me when I talk to you” often falls on deaf ears. “Let’s put our foreheads together because this is important” may work better.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: The heavens are telling the glory of God.
People: The firmament proclaims God’s handiwork.
Leader: Day to day pours forth speech.
People: Night to night declares knowledge.
Leader: The law of God is perfect, reviving the soul.
People: The decrees of God are sure, making wise the simple.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the God who is Wisdom.
People: We lift our voices in praise to our wise God.
Leader: Listen, and God will impart wisdom to you.
People: We will still our hearts and listen for God’s word.
Leader: The wisdom of God means life and peace and joy.
People: We open our hearts and minds to God’s life-giving word.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Be Thou My Vision”
found in:
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELA: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
“Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
found in:
UMH: 89
H82: 376
PH: 464
AAHH: 120
NNBH: 40
NCH: 4
CH: 2
LBW: 551
ELA: 836
W&P: 59
AMEC: 75
STLT: 29
“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
found in:
UMH: 103
H82: 423
PH: 263
NCH: 1
CH: 66
LBW: 526
ELA: 834
W&P: 48
AMEC: 71
STLT: 273
Renew: 46
“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
found in:
UMH: 110
H82: 687, 688
PH: 260
AAHH: 124
NNBH: 37
NCH: 439, 440
CH: 65
LBW: 228, 229
ELA: 503, 504, 505
W&P: 100, 106
AMEC: 4, 5, 6
“All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name”
found in:
UMH: 154, 155
H82: 6, 7
PH: 462, 463
LBW: 265
ELA: 553
W&P: 91
Renew: 45
“Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies”
found in:
UMH: 173
H82: 6, 7
PH: 462, 463
LBW: 265
ELA: 553
W&P: 91
“Breathe on Me, Breath of God”
found in:
UMH: 420
H82: 508
PH: 316
AAHH: 317
NNBH: 126
NCH: 292
CH: 254
LBW: 488
W&P: 481
AMEC: 192
“Every Time I Feel the Spirit”
found in:
UMH: 404
PH: 315
AAHH: 325
NNBH: 485
NCH: 282
CH: 592
W&P: 481
STLT: 208
“Sanctuary”
found in:
CCB: 87
Renew: 185
“Shine, Jesus, Shine”
found in:
CCB: 81
Renew: 247
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
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is wisdom and life: Grant us the grace to still the noise that is all around us so that we might hear you speak the words of life to us; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God of Wisdom, for you have the words of life. As we worship you today, help us to still the sounds that distract us so that we might hear you speak to us. Help us not only to listen, but also to follow your instructions which lead us to life eternal. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to take time to listen to God.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We listen to all the noise and bedlam around us, without taking the time to listen to you. We spend our time on things of no importance, and ignore the things that lead to life eternal. Forgive us our foolishness, and call us back to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear the words of life. Amen.
Leader: God desires to speak to us and to bring us life. Receive God’s love and forgiveness, and know the true life God intends for everyone.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We worship and adore you, O God of wisdom and life. You have the words of life, and you want to give them to your children.
(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. We listen to all the noise and bedlam around us, without taking the time to listen to you. We spend our time on things of no importance, and ignore the things that lead to life eternal. Forgive us our foolishness, and call us back to sit at Jesus’ feet and hear the words of life.
We give you thanks for all the ways you speak to us. You speak in nature, in the voices of our sisters and brothers, in scripture, in silence, and even in the words of strangers.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need, and especially that we might all be more attentive to your voice. Wholeness and blessing are your wishes for us. Help us to still our hearts and receive your good gifts.
(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.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about going back to school. Ask about their teachers. Tell them that God is a teacher as well. When we come to church and Sunday school, when we pray, when we read our Bibles, God is teaching us how to live joyfully.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Robin Lostetter
James 3:1-12
With [the tongue, or the mouth, or voice] we both bless the Lord and Father and curse human beings made in God’s likeness. Blessing and cursing come from the same mouth. My brothers and sisters, it just shouldn’t be this way! -- vv. 9-10, CEB (Common English Bible)
First read the scripture in the CEB translation, explaining as necessary so that the children might be able to understand it better.
Then talk about how we use our voices to praise God in worship, most likely in singing. This would be a great time to sing a very simple and fun refrain such as “Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah -- Praise Ye the Lord,” with one group standing while the first phrase is sung, and another group standing while the second phrase is sung. This hopping up and down usually causes some giggling and will illustrate the positive side of using our voices.
Then gently ask if anyone has ever been hurt by words someone has said. There’s no need to share them aloud --- just ask for a show of hands. If you have a simple personal example to share, that would be reassuring to the children that even grownups have had this experience -- and survived.
So then, as Christians, we don’t want to be the ones who hurt others with our words, do we? Ask the children how we should use our voices. (In praising God, in thanking people, in supporting people, in laughing with people, etc.)
If there’s time and if there are enough children, you could also add a game of “Telephone” to illustrate the metaphor in vv. 5-6a: So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great exploits. How great a forest is set ablaze by a small fire! And the tongue is a fire [NRSV]. Or In the same way, even though the tongue is a small part of the body, it boasts wildly. Think about this: A small flame can set a whole forest on fire. The tongue is a small flame of fire, a world of evil at work in us. It contaminates our entire lives. Because of it, the circle of life is set on fire [CEB]. You will need to be careful to emphasize that this is a negative example, and to avoid having the statement you begin with apply to any person -- perhaps “That house is not a pretty color,” for example. After the sentence has gone around the circle, see if it has gotten more unkind as it has been repeated [inaccurately] in a whisper -- thus illustrating how “a great forest is set ablaze by a small fire.” Then have the children intentionally exaggerate/develop a positive statement in the same “Telephone” manner.
Close with the following prayer (or by repeating the refrain song mentioned above): Gracious and loving God, we thank you for our voices. Help us to use them to praise you and to bring joy and peace into this world. We ask it in Jesus’ name. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 13, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 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.
