Being All Things To All People
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For February 4, 2024:
Being All Things To All People
by Tom Willadsen
Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39, Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
Marge, that’s crazy! We can’t be all things to all people! We need to stick with what we know works around here. People just aren’t ready for change. The Sunday school we ran when our kids were little worked then and it will work just fine today!... Once we find the teachers. And the kids.
A cursory look at this week’s lesson from 1 Corinthians shows that church leaders have been misconstruing its meaning for decades. Paul holds up his ability to “be all things to all people,” as an asset, not an impossible burden. What would a congregation that really sought to be all things to all people — that is able to tailor its worship and mission to people as they actually are, their immediate neighbors — look like? How would our members have to change to be able to embody all the roles that Paul is able to fill all by himself?
In the Scriptures
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
The psalmist presents the Lord in a series of stunning contrasts. The one who placed the stars in the heavens also feeds the baby ravens. There is a majesty and an intimacy to the Lord in today’s psalm.
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear, one could substitute “obey” for “fear.” And the Lord also takes pleasure in those who hope in the Lord. That’s a strong verb — “hope.” Those who can continue to hope in the Lord when they are brokenhearted or down trodden bring delight to the Lord.
It’s a good idea to remind your congregation from time to time what brings delight to the Lord.
Mark 1:29-39
Today’s gospel lesson is four fragments, not a unified theme.
Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law and she got up and served them. Cynics will say that Jesus only did this so that she would feed him and his disciples. There is probably something less self-serving and more subtle going on. Jesus’ healing Simon’s mother-in-law enabled her to welcome guests in her home, fulfilling the honored obligation to provide hospitality.
Next, Jesus heals people who have been brought to Simon and Andrew’s house. His fame was spreading. In this portion of the passage Jesus again tries to keep the demons he had expelled and those he healed from revealing who he is. He did this with the first demon he cast out; that story appeared in last week’s gospel lesson.
Next, he went off to pray, to be alone. This is part of a pattern for Jesus, perhaps balancing his introversion and extroversion.
Finally, the disciples went looking for him. This may be the first moment in Mark’s gospel when the disciples’ cluelessness is demonstrated. One can easily imagine Simon and the others barging in on Jesus when he’s enjoying some replenishing “Me Time.” This scene gives the story its segue as Jesus and the others head off to other places in Galilee that need healing. Jesus doesn’t return to places where he’s already attracted crowds. Still, crowds seem to always find him.
Isaiah 40:21-31
Today’s passage from Isaiah begins with four of rhetorical questions in verse 21. Verses 25 and 26’s first half are two more rhetorical questions. As are verses 27 and the first half of 28.
“Teacher, why do you always answer questions with questions?”
“What’s wrong with questions?”
Verse 25 can be compared to the English name Michael. In Hebrew it is literally “Who is like God?” מי כאל
The Isaiah reading echoes some of the themes in the reading from Psalm 147. Hope. Encouragement. God’s care and concern for all of creation.
Thirty years ago Grace Baptist Church in Mankato, Minnesota, had Isaiah 40:31 on their softball shirts. They played really good, fundamental softball.
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
This portion of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is often misconstrued. Every time I have ever heard someone in a Protestant congregation mention “Being all things to all people” it has been something we can’t do. It’s simply impossible. We have limited volunteers, money, energy, space. We simply do not have the capacity to change in any way. Besides, that would compromise our integrity.
Considering those six words on their own, isolated from Paul’s letter, belies Paul’s intended meaning. Paul is lifting himself up, humbly, as an example of being able to meet different groups of people in ways that engage them. It’s as though he is multilingual, able to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that particular groups and cultures can understand it.
Paul is the master of the “humble brag.” He is also good at pointing out that, while he’s entitled to things like status, and payment for services — he could ask for them but won’t. He does something like this is his letter to Philemon. He could order Philemon to manumit Onesimus from slavery, but he’s sure Philemon would feel better if he did it voluntarily.
In vv. 20-23 Paul mentions four groups that he has “become as:” The Jews — presumably non-Christian Jews; those under the Law, presumably Christian Jews; those outside the Law, that is, Gentiles; and the weak. Far from presenting himself as “all things,” Paul identifies four groups that’s he’s conversant with. These are four groups for whom he’s been able to proclaim the Gospel because he’s able to “speak their language.” One could think of it as first century code switching. Through it all, Paul is able to maintain his integrity for the sake of something so much more important than little old Paul, salvation in Jesus Christ.
In the News
It is an election year, alas. It is also a leap year and a Summer Olympics year. It is, however, the election that has already begun to unfurl. The Iowa caucuses have passed. New Hampshire’s primary is in the rearview mirror. The presumptive candidates for both parties are unpopular and, in a word, old. Still, late in January it looks like Americans are facing a rematch of the last presidential election. Each candidate is acting like an incumbent. I predict that this election will be referred to as “unprecedented in American history” with a frequency that has never occurred before.
In past elections candidates for every office have faced the accusation of “flip flopping,” that is changing their position. John Kerry paid a price for initially backing the invasion of Iraq then, as he ran for president in 2004, changing his position. Merely changing his mind was seen as a sign of weakness, or lack of decisiveness. He lost narrowly to President Bush.
There is little doubt that Democrats will seek to keep access to abortion before voters. This will not only help them define themselves as distinct from Republicans, it will reveal the Republican candidate’s change in position. “The other guy flip-flopped! What else is he hiding?”
Flip flopping has the appearance of being all things to all people, in the commonly understood sense. Telling the voters what they want to hear to get elected. Tailoring one’s message insincerely. Pandering. Selling out for votes.
Yet one wonders about candidates who are unable to change their positions in response to new information. Former senator from Illinois, Everett Dirksen, famously said, “Life is not a static thing. The only people who do not change their minds are incompetents in asylums, and those in cemeteries.” Dirksen also went down in history as saying, “I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.”
In the Sermon
In his lengthy, self-defining poem, “Song of Myself,” Walt Whitman appears to have taken a page from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians:
I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise,
Regardless of others, ever regardful of others,
Maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man,
Indeed, Whitman contains multitudes, just ask him. Paul also contains multitudes. His personal faith journey has equipped him to share the gospel in a wide variety of settings. The fear is that the central message is compromised, watered-down, by his being “all things to all people.”
When our members hear the phrase “all things to all people,” their minds are likely to shut down. Even though Paul sees this ability as an asset he uses to spread the gospel, it sounds to most of us like a recipe for spreading ourselves too thin. “We can’t be all things to all people,” is a very effective way to resist any kind of change. And yet, if God is alive and we are alive, faith in the living God can only be dynamic. Faithfulness requires flexibility and change. Change requires we stop some things to make room for the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.
During the “Worship Wars” of the past decades, churches wrestled with giving up long-beloved hymns for new ones that conveyed the joy of life in Christ to new believers. Did the church exist to sing these songs, or spread the good news of Jesus Christ? Passions were high; disputes were bitter; compromises were attempted; and services were blended. (Run-on sentences were written in the passive voice.)
The challenge for our congregations, and each individual member, is to understand the gospel in their own hearts and contexts, on their own terms, and then live and share that gospel with as much joy and creativity and flexibility as is faithful and possible. Because, and we can never forget this, it is all for the sake of the gospel.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Jesus Is In The House
by Chris Keating
Mark 1:29-39
A few years after my wife and I were married, I had a moment of epiphany. Any time we would go to visit my wife’s parents, her mother would outdo herself in making sure I would be ten pounds heavier when I left. Her beneficence was not aimed solely at me. She always made sure that any guest in her home would be treated to amazing meals and a pantry full of snacks. When grandchildren entered the picture, the larder was increased even more.
Coming home meant never leaving on an empty stomach. She often packed a cooler with leftovers for us to take home, even though we were never in danger of missing a meal. But it also meant that we were crossing a threshold into a system framed by life-giving hospitality and acts of service.
I’m wondering if something similar happened when Jesus stopped by Simon’s house. So far in Mark’s gospel, Jesus has been a man on the move. Having been baptized and driven out to the wilderness, he has contended with hunger and the devil’s temptations. He’s called his first followers and exorcised a demon. He has taught with authority and with power — and now he comes home. All in all, Jesus has been moving with urgency and purpose that convey the import of his declaration that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near” (1:15).
Maybe he’s just hoping for a good Sabbath nap as the action moves from public into the intimacy of Simon’s extended family. Yet when Jesus crosses the threshold, he encounters Simon’s feverish mother-in-law. He grasps her hand and raises her to a new life. Clearly Jesus refuses to settle into any sort of a domesticated routine.
Two details are particularly memorable, though they are easily overlooked or misunderstood. Mark notes that Simon’s mother-in-law moves straight from her sickbed and into the kitchen to fix the guys some supper. As the sun begins to set, crowds of villagers gather around the door. Their shadowy silhouettes bring another dimension to the proclamation of the gospel. The home becomes a sign of the kingdom’s arrival. When Jesus is in the house, he brings the gift of healing and immerses himself in the needs of human beings.
Mark’s comment about Simon’s mother-in-law rising to serve her guests may initially sound a bit callous. We don’t know if Simon has invited Jesus to his house because of his mother-in-law’s illness, but there’s a possibility that the writer is providing some foreshadowing of the interplay between hospitality and discipleship. Throughout the gospel, Jesus’ announcement of the good news arrives at moments like these, bringing gifts of healing to unnamed individuals who respond by bearing witness to the kingdom.
Yet the description of the mother-in-law getting up and heading into the kitchen borders on pure misogyny. It feels as though Mark can’t help himself. It’s a bit cringy. Deborah Krause, president of Eden Theological Seminary and a New Testament scholar, notes that she often hears a few snorts from women whenever she teaches this passage. (William Placher, Mark, p.39). It’s a trope that seems to ring true: It’s supper time, after all, and fever or no fever, someone must feed these guys!
It sounds a bit like Will Ferrell’s manchild character in the 2005 movie, “Wedding Crashers.” “He, ma!” Ferrell yells from the couch, “The MEATLOAF!”
But as Krause observes, there may be more to this detail than sexism. It’s possible, as William Placher describes, that a household matriarch in Jesus’ time would be compelled by codes of shame and honor to serve her guests, no matter how well she was. Moreover, the verb for serve (diekonei) is the root for “deacon,” or “server,” as noted by Luke in Acts. Placher notes that Mark only uses this verb in connection to women and angels, and never to men.
In other words, in responding by serving, Simon’s mother-in-law claimed her (only) authority in the house, while also demonstrating the faithful discipleship. Without approving of a patriarchal subjugation of women, it is possible to see how Jesus’ healing prompts a response of joyful hospitality.
Presumably the news of Jesus’ healing in the synagogue, combined with curing Simon’s mother-in-law, spreads like wildfire. People soon start showing up at the doorway. The sick and demon possessed are brought to this house, which by now seems to function as a prototype of the early church. Readers of Mark might have easily resonated with the image of a church functioning as a gathering of those seeking Jesus and the healing he provides. Implicit here are actions of hospitality combined with welcome — a reminder that the kingdom of God has indeed come near.
When Jesus is in the house, he seems to attract attention. The question becomes, “Who is standing outside the door of the church today? Who are those who are attracted to the threshold, but unsure if they want to enter?”
Based on new research on the faith and spirituality of young adults, its possible that some of those standing outside the doorways of our churches could be from Gen Z (most often defined as those born between 1997 and 2013). The Springtide Institute’s “State of Religion & Young People 2023” notes that 55% of those surveyed indicated they had experienced a “sacred moment.” This experience was shared by young people from various religions, even those with no particular religious background or preference. Even more telling, when researchers dug a bit deeper, they found that among those who had experienced a sacred moment, 83% reported that religious faith was important in the lives of the people who had raised them.
“For Gen Z, the least religiously affiliated generation, these sacred experiences increasingly occur beyond the walls of traditional places of worship,” the report states. “For example, young people tell us that their encounters with the sacred happen in the privacy of their own home more often than on hallowed grounds.” (Springtide Research, 2023).
Something happens when Jesus is in the house. If that is the case, then perhaps Simon’s mother-in-law might offer a fresh image of the sort of hospitality and service pastors and congregations are called to offer to those standing in the shadows, just beyond the church door.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Isaiah — But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…
On Waiting
Kelly Barron, writing for Mindful.org in 2020, offers this wisdom on the art of waiting. Sometimes, the most worthwhile insights about ourselves, others, and the world around, happen when we’re waiting. Jennifer Roberts, a humanities professor at Harvard and an art historian, instructs her students on the value of waiting or, more specifically, “deceleration and immersive attention” through a creative assignment.
Before students write a research paper on an art object, Roberts requires them to spend a painfully long three hours attending to it. Roberts did the assignment herself, staring for hours at John Singleton Copley’s “Boy with a Flying Squirrel.” She said it took her nine minutes to notice how the boy’s ear echoed the ruff of the squirrel’s belly. It took another 21 minutes for her to realize the fingers holding the chain span the same diameter as the water glass beneath them. More revelations came as the minutes passed, enhancing her understanding and appreciation of the painting. Robert’s exercise isn’t just about art history. It’s also about cultivating a deeper relationship with time and how we can use it more wisely — not to manage it better and get more done, but rather to let periods of slowness inform us. When we use our attention to soak up our experience, we can discover the wealth within our lives.
Doing so contrasts the hurried, get-it-done momentum of much of our daily lives.
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A Helpful Waiting Acronym
Again, from Kelly Barron, writing for Mindful.org in 2020.
To make a mindfulness practice out of cooling your heels, recall an acronym: W-A-I-T or Watch, Allow, Investigate, and Take a Breath.
1 Corinthians 9:16-23 — I am all things to all people…
Paul and Code Switching
The definition of code-switching has not been static and has changed over time along with many other social constructs. In an article for Psychology Today, Dr. Kyaien O. Conner focuses on cultural code-switching that involves the suppression of multiple aspects of one’s cultural identity, which can include type of clothing worn, hair style, speech, or behavior.
In the broadest sense, she says, code-switching involves adapting the presentation of oneself in ways that disconnect them from the cultural or racial stereotypes of their group. The goal being to enhance the comfort of others, typically those outside of their cultural or racial group, in hopes of receiving equal treatment and opportunities for advancement. Code-switching is a strategy most often used by individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and who often find it necessary to effectively navigate professional settings.
Examples of code-switching might include when a person considers each morning before getting dressed for work or school whether their traditional cultural garments will be viewed as acceptable; whether wearing a turban, hijab, or bhindi will be off-putting to their colleagues or supervisors; or whether their natural hair (such as afro, dreadlocks, braids, and more) will be seen as unprofessional. In speech, it refers to the use of a “White voice” and other Western, Eurocentric ways of speaking, being, and engaging to “fit in” with non-Hispanic White society.
In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center (2019), they found that overall, 4 in 10 Black and Hispanic adults often feel the need to change the way they talk around others of different races and ethnicities, especially among non-Hispanic Whites. Interestingly, the group most affected are Black college graduates under the age of 50, where 53% of this group report feeling the need to switch how they express themselves when they are among people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
According to Harvard Business Review (2019), code-switching most often occurs in environments where negative stereotypes about BIPOC individuals don’t align with what is considered normative or appropriate for that environment. This is most commonly in academia and in places of employment.
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Female Entrepreneurs and Code Switching
In 2019, Institute for Women's Entrepreneurship at Cornell asked institute participants some questions about “code-switching,” including: Have you found it necessary (or important) at times to use code-switching in certain parts of your entrepreneurial journey? Do you make conscious decisions to code-switch (or not) in certain settings? How does code-switching impact your feeling of authenticity? The answers surprised and intrigued us.
Here’s a digested version of the conclusion the institute drew from the study.
They expected to hear about how women operate in environments dominated by men. Instead, respondents fell roughly into three groups with three different reasons and perspectives on the topic.
1) It is fair to say that every entrepreneur has to communicate effectively with her investors, clients, and co-workers. No one would argue with the need for the entrepreneur to see things from the customer perspective, so that type of code-switching is likely to be necessary and beneficial to everyone.
2) If code-switching is actually based on different languages in order to establish trust and relationships, it seems to make sense.
3) By placing code-switching in a larger cultural context, we can see that sometimes it happens as a result of the majority culture imposing its communication styles on others. This can threaten the feelings of authenticity of those who must adapt to fit in to gain access to opportunities.
Perhaps entrepreneurship provides a unique way to resolve the situation, providing both an escape from less inclusive corporate structures and also a means of staying true to oneself while still working to communicate in an effective way with customers, investors, and co-workers.
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Five Reasons for Code Switching
The hosts of the blog Code Switch commemorated the blog's launch by soliciting stories from listeners about code-switching — the practice of shifting the languages you use or the way you express yourself in your conversations.
They received hundreds of responses but found that, among them, five reasons kept popping up:
1) Our lizard brains take over: The most common examples of code-switching were completely inadvertent; folks would slip into a different language or accent without even realizing it or intending to do it.
2) We want to fit in: Very often, people code-switch — both consciously and unconsciously — to act or talk more like those around them. While this can be effective, it can also be perilous.
3) We want to get something: A lot of folks code-switch not just to fit in, but to actively ingratiate themselves to others. We cannot tell you how many dozens of stories we got from people who work in service industries who said that a Southern accent is a surefire way to get better tips and more sympathetic customers. Apparently, everyone who works in a restaurant picks up "y'all" immediately upon arriving at their job.
4) We want to say something in secret: We collected many sweet stories of people code-switching in order to hide in plain sight, a habit most common among people in love. Because this tactic often relies on assumptions, it can get one in trouble.
5) It helps us convey a thought: Certain concepts need that perfect bon mot to come across effectively. Many people switch languages or employ colloquialisms to express particular ideas.
The reasons people code-switch and the ways in which they do it are far more numerous than the few examples listed here. While many people told us they code-switched to fit in, for example, several also told us they did it to stand out. What the stories reiterated most of all, though, is what our colleague Gene Demby pointed out in his inaugural post: No matter your race, ethnicity, class or cultural background, you probably do it.
Examples of each of these can be found here.
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Psalm 147:1-11, 20c — Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God, for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
Choral Singing Is Good For You
The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research reports in Psychology Today that singing in a group promotes wellness and boosts mood, outlook, and health.
Choir singers report better relationships, a higher quality of life, and greater wellness than non-singers.
A study of cancer caregivers and patients found choir singing reduced anxiety and boosted the immune system.
Singing is nearly ubiquitous in American society. From church choirs to America’s Got Talent, people love hearing voices singing in unison. Nearly 54 million Americans — including one in six adults — participate in choral groups, according to research funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
It turns out that’s a good thing because singing with a group provides a wide range of mental-health benefits. Adult singers report that participation in choral groups helps them feel less lonely. Choir singers are also less likely to experience symptoms of depression compared to the general population. And they are more likely to report they are content with their relationships compared to the general public.
Choral singers report having stronger relationships, spending more time with friends, and making a bigger effort to get to know others in their communities compared to the general public. Further, nearly three-quarters of singers say participating in a choir boosts their optimism; 80% of choir singers expect more good things than bad things to happen to them, compared to only 55% of the general public.
For older adults, singing in a choir provides additional benefits: Older choir singers are more likely to report a “very good” quality of life and more likely to rate their health as “excellent” or “very good” compared to the general population. And older choir singers are also less likely to report difficulties with activities of daily living.
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Mark 1:29-39 — Jesus is described as being in the house with people standing in the doorway, watching and listening to what he does and says.
Standing on the Threshold, Looking in?
According to an article from the Religion News Service, America’s religiously unaffiliated, or “nones,” are often largely defined by what they are not, rather than what they are. So, as they’ve multiplied, it’s perhaps unsurprising that they’ve also been shrouded in myths and misconceptions.
A new Pew Research Center report on America’s nones shows that there are as many differences among non-religious people as there are among religious people. In fact, America’s nones aren’t much different from the rest of the American public — at least not anymore.
“In the 1980s, the nones actually looked pretty different. They were small, they were 5% to 7% of the U.S. population, disproportionately male, disproportionately white, very young. Not likely to be married. Highly educated, pretty high incomes,” said Cragun, a professor at the University of Tampa who is also an adviser on this study.
Pew’s recent findings, which come from a survey of 11,201 respondents conducted in the summer of 2023, show that, at 28%, a 12 percentage point increase since 2007, the religiously unaffiliated cohort now makes up a sizable portion of the US population. They’re also still leaning young and democratic, with 69% under the age of 50 and 62% of nones identifying as Democrats or leaning toward the Democratic Party. But in contrast to where they were 40 years ago, today’s religiously unaffiliated are roughly split between men and women, and their racial makeup broadly mirrors that of the general population.
Pew’s study shows many nones do believe in something, even if it doesn’t fall into traditional religious categories. While 20% say they are agnostic and 17% identify as atheist, the majority of nones (63%) fall into the more ambiguous “nothing in particular” category. And though only 13% say they believe in the God of the Bible, more than half (56%) say they believe in some other higher power.
About half of nones say they are spiritual, or that spirituality is very important to them. And not all of them are hostile to religion. Though 43% of nones say religion does more harm than good in society, 41% say religion does equal amounts of harm and good.
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Benefits of Being an Outsider
The number of people who are choosing to live outside the structures and traditions of organized religion is growing. Here, according to Lonerwolf.com, are nine major benefits of being an outsider:
1. You’re no longer brainwashed and constrained by the rules and beliefs of society as you can easily see through them.
2. You have more freedom to listen to the voice of intuition within yourself — and this will guide your entire life.
3. You have enough solitude to discover what being true to yourself means in a society that is always trying to undermine your authenticity.
4. You can see the bigger picture and not get lost in the details.
5. You can connect with your soul more easily than others.
6. You have been given the space and room to grow in whatever way you like and be a free spirit.
7. You have the opportunity to experience greater connection by finding a like-minded group of people or a soul family.
8. Your ability to observe others gives you a greater capacity for wisdom and also compassion.
9. You have the necessary catalyst to experience true self-fulfillment and spiritual ascension should you choose that path.
Although being an outsider can be terribly lonely, it is a privileged position.
Leaving the herd of humanity allows you to flourish and blossom in ways you never could experience while being “normal” and socially “acceptable.”
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What Americans are Looking for in a Church
When seekers finally step over the threshold and start actively seeking a church, what are they looking for?
According to a February 2015 survey of Evangelical Christian leaders, Americans evaluate churches based on their friendliness, children’s programs, worship music, sermons, and pastors. US evangelical leaders were asked to list three criteria that Americans prioritize when choosing a church. While there was a variety of answers, 80% of the responses fell into the categories of friendliness (19%), children’s programs (19%), worship music (16%), sermons (14%) and pastors (12%).
Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), said, “The question asks why people choose a church. The answer is that there is no one answer. People choose churches for very different reasons. There are even differences in the most common answers — friendliness, children’s programs and worship music come in wide varieties.”
Greg Johnson, president of Standing Together, said, “People are consumers — like it or not —without a friendly, attractive and energetic first impression, they will usually not return for a second impression.”
Carmen Fowler LaBerge, president of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, lamented the consumer orientation. “The answers I would like to give are: accurate interpretation of the Scriptures by the preacher and teachers, spiritual vitality and authenticity of the members, and an outwardly focused missional passion that lost people would experience Jesus through encounters with the people of this particular church. But alas, that is the not the world I currently observe,” she said.
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From team member Mary Austin:
Mark 1:29-39
Living in a body
As part of his healing, Jesus pays attention to the physical body in a way that his followers often ignore. In her new book Black Liturgies, Cole Arthur Riley observes a change in her faith when she started involving her body.
“When I first began attending Episcopalian and Catholic services, I was stunned to discover what the liturgy required of my body. Standing, sitting, kneeling, bowing, gestures and postures, the smell of the incense, the bread, the wine. It was an incredibly sensory, corporeal engagement. And it connected me to the physical in ways I couldn’t anticipate. This was no disembodied, invisible, spiritual encounter; this ritual was living in the body.”
She adds, “I’ve belonged to spiritual spaces that required I forget my body — my Black, woman, sick body — to survive. I want the liturgies of this book, and any spiritual encounter, to make me more whole, never dismembered. And I’ve included breath prayers with each liturgy, as a reminder and practice of that. Will we breathe together? Relax our shoulders, unclench our jaws? For the divine is just as present in our breath, in our flesh, as in our mental realm.”
In this early healing, Jesus reminds us how important our bodies are to our faith.
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Mark 1:29-39
Healing the Body
On the morning after she had a miscarriage, Amanda Held Opelt asked her husband: “What should we do today?” “Pick blueberries,” he said.
She says, “We picked almost a year’s supply of blueberries that day. We breathlessly climbed the hillside covered in old blueberry bushes and greedily filled our buckets, bees buzzing all around us and sweat trickling down our necks. I ate fistfuls of them as we picked, the sun beating down on us all the while. I carried that tiny, silent, still heart within me up and down the orchard rows until the colors of the land became vibrant again. When we got home, we washed the blueberries and laid them out on our kitchen table to dry. What we could not eat or make into pies that week, we froze and used in smoothies and berry cobblers for months to come. In our sorrow, we labored, gathered, and gleaned. And we were fed. I will always remember the wisdom of my husband, that his first inclination after learning that my body was passing through the valley of the shadow of death was this: Let’s go feed that body. Let’s give it sunshine. Let’s let it breathe.” (From A Hole in the World.)
As he heals Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus understands this need for healing the body as well as the spirit.
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1 Corinthians 9:16-23
The Universal Language
Paul adopts the language and culture of the people he wants to communicate with, fitting himself into their worlds to spread the good news. Author Gretchen Rubin notes that there is one universal language, no adapting needed: Laughter.
She writes, “We communicate through sound with our voices — and also with our laughter. Laughter is a universal, nonverbal emotional expression through sound, and we laugh long before we can speak. Although across the world people may laugh at different things, we can recognize the sounds of laughter from others, no matter what culture they’re from…The main purpose of laughter is to bind people together; it’s a social sound that’s meant to be heard by others, to create engagement. We’re far more likely to laugh when we’re with other people, and when we’re with friends rather than with strangers. Warm, shared laughter signals a playful intent and a wish to connect.” (From Life in Five Senses.)
It's hard to tell if Paul ever laughed; since he was a skilled communicator, we can hope that he did.
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1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Code-switching
As the apostle Paul explains how he communicates with a variety of people, he’s demonstrating what we now know as code-switching, the way people skillfully change their communication style to match the community where they’re speaking. Paul says, “To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law…To those outside the law I became as one outside the law.”
One interesting place where this happens is Gallaudet University, where the students are predominantly deaf. In What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World, Sara Hendren explains that one student, “an American and native ASL speaker with a number of deaf family members, described the necessity of code-switching, not just with students who aren’t experienced signers but with faculty and staff as well, some of whom sign fluently and others very little….Some professors emphasize written academic English in papers, and others lean more heavily on using ASL for reportage. (Students use the computer labs to do desktop work but also to make short films of themselves signing for their reports, to upload and send on to their professors.) All of these adaptations to communication in these various forms are, in a sense, code-switching that grapples with a larger question: How much should students work for mastery in the language and mores of the dominant hearing culture, and how much should they cultivate their deaf — or Deaf — identity?"
In this letter, Paul shows us that he was one of the original code-switching experts.
* * *
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
New language
Just as Paul learns a new language to communicate with different groups of people, some young students have done the same thing.
“Third graders at Good Shepherd Episcopal in Dallas are learning a lost art, practicing cursive by writing letters to their pen pals. It's almost a foreign language for today's younger generation…” “It used to hurt my hand a lot, but now I've gotten used to it,” student Ahan Jain said. For many kids, it's hard to read — and harder to write.
But Tim Mallad, the father of one of those students, wanted to do something about that.
“Wouldn't it be fun for the children to begin to learn how to read letters and perhaps get the thrill of getting a real letter in the mail?” Mallad said. “He came up with the pen pal idea and shared it with the teacher, Karen Gunter, after he sent a letter in cursive to his daughter away at camp and she couldn't read a word he had written…”
As the CEO of a retirement community, Mallard knew a lot of people who still know cursive. He helped match students with retirees, like Sue Standlee. Standlee finds texts and emails to be a foreign language sometimes, with all the abbreviations. “Standlee was matched up with 9-year-old Samantha Moseley, and the pair instantly hit it off on paper. “I feel like I'm actually talking to her,” Moseley said. “This has made me like — like to write a lot more.” Third grade teacher Karen Gunter said the cursive lesson also allows her to teach grammar along with the mechanics of writing. It's one of the only times she knows the students are paying attention.
After a few months of letters, the students finally got a chance to meet their cursive correspondents, and some became friends. “In a world of constant emails, texts and direct messages, the kids say there's nothing like that "funny writing" to help keep friends connected.”
As with the apostle Paul, there are lots of ways to communicate with other people.
* * *
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Even parrots want connection
In his letter to the churches in Corinth, Paul taps into a universal human need — and one that extends beyond humans. Paul notes that he tries to speak everyone’s language, so he can connect with all kinds of people. He tells the church, “I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some.” Even birds long for this kind of communication, apparently.
“Parrots are highly social creatures that often don’t get enough stimulation in captivity. In an experiment, researchers built a parrot-to-parrot video calling system — basically, Zoom for birds. They wanted to see how the parrots would respond to video communication, and the findings were surprising. After using the system for three months, parrots started to make calls to hang out with other parrots. “The more the parrot received calls, the more the parrot made video calls,” the study reported. The birds were also able to learn skills, like foraging or even flying, by watching other birds on video calls. Jennifer Cunha, one of the study’s authors, told NPR that some of the birds continue to call each other. “They really seem to, as one owner said, come alive during the calls.” (From Hidden Brain.)
We all want someone to speak our language, including parrots.
* * * * * *
From team member Elena Delhagan:
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
Be a Raven
One of the main tenets in liberation theology, first illustrated by the Gustavo Gutierrez, is something called “God’s preferential option for the poor.” The idea is that scripture consistently provides examples of God siding with the poor, marginalized, and downtrodden over God siding with the rich (examples include Mary’s Magnificat, the Sermon on the Mount, the writings of the prophets, and the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus). This theological assertion is not merely descriptive; God’s preferential option for the poor isn’t just an observation we make before moving on. Rather, it shows us that any understanding we have of God, no matter how well thought out or even accurate, is incomplete if it does not first acknowledge that God is with, for, and committed to the poor.
This devotion to the poor, downtrodden, and helpless is one of the reasons I love verse 9 of Psalm 147 in particular. Here, we are given the image of God as a parent raven who gives food to God’s young when they cry. Ravens are well-known by ornithologists to be incredibly devoted parents, so committed to their babies that they will travel miles outside of their normal radius to forage for food for their young, wool for the nests, and even water that they carry in their beaks back to the babies if the day happens to be very hot. They also fiercely defend their families against even the most dangerous of predators, including eagles or hawks.
Of course, all of us are in need of God’s care, and this psalm is a comforting reminder that God loves us and watches over us like a devoted parent. Yet in times like these, where the global poverty rate continues to rise and currently sits at nearly 50% of the world’s population, it is also a tangible depiction of how we, as those made in God’s image, are to care for our brothers and sisters below the poverty line. We are to go to incredible lengths to make sure the disenfranchised among us are taken care of — not hoard resources or give tax cuts to the rich.
It’s pretty simple, really: In a world where we can be anything, perhaps we should try being ravens.
* * *
Mark 1:29-39
Capernaum: Jesus’ Home Away From Home
A year and a half ago, I was fortunate enough to visit the site of Capernaum and see the ruins of the synagogue mentioned in this passage from Mark. The synagogue in Capernaum was a place of deep importance to Jewish people, for it was where they gathered on the Sabbath to pray and study scripture together.
This synagogue was alive and active during the time of Christ, and even in the years after, when the earliest origins of the Christian church were being birthed. Additionally, Capernaum housed another important building, which was the home of Simon Peter. Archaeologists have found fragments of votive lamps in the limestone floor, signifying that the home had been venerated and was a holy site for Christian pilgrims. They also have discovered the earliest known graffiti in Greek, Syriac, Hebrew, and Latin, proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
In this one small fishing town, there was a Jewish synagogue and a blossoming Christian home church, peacefully co-existing beside each other — literally. The remains of Peter’s house are just across the path from the synagogue’s remains. In a time in the Holy Land where tensions between the three Abrahamic faiths are so volatile, this passage from Mark, depicting the ministry Jesus did in this simple little inter-faith village, could serve as a reminder to us all.
* * *
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
While this passage from Paul has long been criticized for its megalomaniac undertones, there is also — for the optimists among us — a hint of empathy that comes through in Paul’s words. Here is where it is important to note that there is, indeed, a difference between sympathy and empathy, though the terms tend to be used interchangeably in common vernacular. Research has shown that sympathy, while still “feeling bad” for someone who has experienced a difficult situation or situations, tends to be viewed as more of a detached response. Someone may feel sympathy for another, yet underneath that sympathy is a sense of pity and even relief that it happened to someone else.
Empathy, on the other hand, is described as knowing what it’s like to walk around in someone’s proverbial shoes. The empathetic person is able to feel, in a sense, what the struggling person feels, through emotional resonance. Empathy has been shown to promote prosocial behavior, which can improve interpersonal relationships, promote a greater sense of well-being, and reduce depressive symptoms — both among those who show empathy and those who receive it.
Certainly, in ministry, empathy is a requirement. Rutgers psychologist Daniel Goleman says that without empathy, “a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but he still won’t make a great leader.” Nor can they be a great pastor or minister.
Paul, by striving to become all things to all people, actually demonstrates to those of us in pastoral ministry the necessity of putting aside our own feelings and judgments in order to enter in, per se, to someone else’s experience to not only gain understanding but, more importantly, to let him or her know they’re not alone. In this letter, Paul demonstrates his empathetic skills not only in how he communicates with different groups of people but also in how he uses his freedom for the sake of the gospel.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Praise God! How good it is to sing praises to our God.
All: God is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
One: God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
All: God determines the number of the stars and names them.
One: Great is our God whose understanding is beyond measure.
All: Sing to God with thanksgiving and make melody on the lyre.
OR
One: God invites us in that we may know eternal life.
All: We rejoice in God’s gracious welcome to all.
One: God goes out into the world to dwell among the people.
All: Wondrous is our God who loves all of creation.
One: God calls us to be welcoming and also go out to others.
All: We will do all we can to share God’s love with others.
Hymns and Songs
To God Be the Glory
UMH: 98
PH: 485
GTG: 634
AAHH: 157
NNBH: 17
CH: 39
W&P: 66
AMEC: 21
Renew: 258
From All That Dwell Below the Skies
UMH: 101
H82: 380
PH: 229
GTG: 327
NCH: 27
CH: 49
LBW: 550
AMEC: 69
STLT: 381
Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
UMH: 126
H82: 408
PH: 483
GTG: 645
NCH: 6
CH: 6
W&P: 56
Renew: 52
Here I Am, Lord
UMH: 593
PH: 525
GTG: 69
AAHH: 567
CH: 452
ELW: 574
W&P: 559
Renew: 149
Lord, You Give the Great Commission
UMH: 584
H82: 528
PH: 429
GTG: 298
CH: 459
ELW: 579
W&P: 592
Renew: 305
Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service
UMH: 581
H82: 610
PH: 427
CH: 461
LBW: 423
ELW: 712
W&P: 575
Renew: 286
God of Grace and God of Glory
UMH: 577
H82: 594/595
PH: 420
GTG: 307
NCH: 436
CH: 464
LBW: 415
ELW: 705
W&P: 569
AMEC: 62
STLT: 115
Renew: 301
Christ for the World We Sing
UMH: 568
H82: 537
W&P: 561
AMEC: 565
Renew: 299
This Little Light of Mine
UMH: 585
AAHH: 549
NNBH: 511
NCH: 524/525
ELW: 677
STLT: 118
Refiner’s Fire
CCB: 79
Humble Yourself in the Sight of the Lord
CCB: 72
Renew: 188
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who made you creation wondrous and diverse:
Grant us the grace to reach out in love to all your people
honoring who they are who they can become;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because your creation is wondrous and diverse. You made us one and yet many. Help us to honor that diversity by sharing your good news in ways that all can hear. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our clinging to our own, selfish ways.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We look at the world seeing only our own perspective. We do not listen to others to understand how they see the world. Then we blame them because they don’t hear the good news we speak in our own images. Open our hearts to understand that you, O God, love the whole world and help us to be more open to the great diversity of your people. Amen.
One: God does, indeed, love all the world in its great diversity and complexity. Allow God’s Spirit to renew your hearts and your ears that you may faithfully share God’s love with others.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory be to you, O God, who creates in such a gloriously extravagant way. Beautiful is the works you have brought forth.
(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 look at the world seeing only our own perspective. We do not listen to others to understand how they see the world. Then we blame them because they don't hear the good news we speak in our own images. Open our hearts to understand that you, O God, love the whole world and help us to be more open to the great diversity of your people.
We give you thanks for all you have created. We give you thanks that you have made us unique and yet all of one family. We thank you for those who told us about Jesus in words and ways that we could understand and respond to in joy.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need. We pray for those who find themselves on the threshold of your realm unsure if they are welcome. We pray for those who are opening the door to invite them in or to venture out where they dwell.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Watching Jesus
by Katy Stenta
Mark 1:29-39
You will need:
Have a paper cut out of Jesus to move around and follow as you tell the story.
Have a mother-in-law.
A photo or illustration of a crowd of people.
* * *
There are a lot of stories of people watching what Jesus did:
One of the first things Jesus does is he heals one of his disciple’s (Simon’s) mother-in-law. In those days, families lived together. Simon’s mother-in-law would have been the head of the hospitality. The disciples all went there after synagogue, we think it might have been like a big family dinner.
Simon’s mother-in-law was too ill to join them so Jesus healed her. (Have a laying down mother-in-law get up when Jesus touches her.) She is so overjoyed, she gets up and starts serving Jesus, like a deacon. Today we have to be careful that we don’t use this word to think that women are only for serving. However, the disciples saw this healing and were amazed.
But it didn’t stop there…
The word about Jesus’ miracles spread and soon everyone in town was coming to Jesus to ask him to heal their sickness or get rid of their demons. (Today we think that might mean those who have mental illnesses.)
(Have the paper Jesus touch people in the crowd and then pant tiredly.)
After all that healing, Jesus was tired, so he went away from everyone to a deserted place to pray by himself. (Have Jesus sneak off alone and pray.)
The disciples searched and searched until they found him, and said “Jesus, where were you, everyone has been looking for you.”
Everyone was amazed watching the healing Jesus was doing. Jesus responded to them by basically saying, Time to get back to work. Jesus said, “Let’s go to neighboring towns and spread the good news.” (Have Jesus say, “Let’s go share the good news!”)
Maybe ask these questions and just let the kids ponder them without a response:
• Do you think you would follow Jesus around if you saw him healing?
• Why do you think Jesus was so tired?
• Do you think a part of the good news of Jesus Christ is to try to make people healthier?
Prayer (perhaps have the children repeat after you)
Dear Jesus,
Thank you
For caring for us.
Help us
To follow you
And hear your good news.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 4, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 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.
- Being All Things To All People by Tom Willadsen based on Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39, Psalm 147:1-11, 20c.
- Second Thoughts: Jesus Is In The House by Chris Keating. When Jesus is in the house, bringing healing and hope to those he encounters.
- Sermon illustrations by Dean Feldmeyer, Mary Austin, Elena Delhagen.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children’s Sermon: Watching Jesus by Katy Stenta based on Mark 1:29-39.
Being All Things To All Peopleby Tom Willadsen
Isaiah 40:21-31, 1 Corinthians 9:16-23, Mark 1:29-39, Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
Marge, that’s crazy! We can’t be all things to all people! We need to stick with what we know works around here. People just aren’t ready for change. The Sunday school we ran when our kids were little worked then and it will work just fine today!... Once we find the teachers. And the kids.
A cursory look at this week’s lesson from 1 Corinthians shows that church leaders have been misconstruing its meaning for decades. Paul holds up his ability to “be all things to all people,” as an asset, not an impossible burden. What would a congregation that really sought to be all things to all people — that is able to tailor its worship and mission to people as they actually are, their immediate neighbors — look like? How would our members have to change to be able to embody all the roles that Paul is able to fill all by himself?
In the Scriptures
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
The psalmist presents the Lord in a series of stunning contrasts. The one who placed the stars in the heavens also feeds the baby ravens. There is a majesty and an intimacy to the Lord in today’s psalm.
The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear, one could substitute “obey” for “fear.” And the Lord also takes pleasure in those who hope in the Lord. That’s a strong verb — “hope.” Those who can continue to hope in the Lord when they are brokenhearted or down trodden bring delight to the Lord.
It’s a good idea to remind your congregation from time to time what brings delight to the Lord.
Mark 1:29-39
Today’s gospel lesson is four fragments, not a unified theme.
Jesus heals Simon’s mother-in-law and she got up and served them. Cynics will say that Jesus only did this so that she would feed him and his disciples. There is probably something less self-serving and more subtle going on. Jesus’ healing Simon’s mother-in-law enabled her to welcome guests in her home, fulfilling the honored obligation to provide hospitality.
Next, Jesus heals people who have been brought to Simon and Andrew’s house. His fame was spreading. In this portion of the passage Jesus again tries to keep the demons he had expelled and those he healed from revealing who he is. He did this with the first demon he cast out; that story appeared in last week’s gospel lesson.
Next, he went off to pray, to be alone. This is part of a pattern for Jesus, perhaps balancing his introversion and extroversion.
Finally, the disciples went looking for him. This may be the first moment in Mark’s gospel when the disciples’ cluelessness is demonstrated. One can easily imagine Simon and the others barging in on Jesus when he’s enjoying some replenishing “Me Time.” This scene gives the story its segue as Jesus and the others head off to other places in Galilee that need healing. Jesus doesn’t return to places where he’s already attracted crowds. Still, crowds seem to always find him.
Isaiah 40:21-31
Today’s passage from Isaiah begins with four of rhetorical questions in verse 21. Verses 25 and 26’s first half are two more rhetorical questions. As are verses 27 and the first half of 28.
“Teacher, why do you always answer questions with questions?”
“What’s wrong with questions?”
Verse 25 can be compared to the English name Michael. In Hebrew it is literally “Who is like God?” מי כאל
The Isaiah reading echoes some of the themes in the reading from Psalm 147. Hope. Encouragement. God’s care and concern for all of creation.
Thirty years ago Grace Baptist Church in Mankato, Minnesota, had Isaiah 40:31 on their softball shirts. They played really good, fundamental softball.
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
This portion of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is often misconstrued. Every time I have ever heard someone in a Protestant congregation mention “Being all things to all people” it has been something we can’t do. It’s simply impossible. We have limited volunteers, money, energy, space. We simply do not have the capacity to change in any way. Besides, that would compromise our integrity.
Considering those six words on their own, isolated from Paul’s letter, belies Paul’s intended meaning. Paul is lifting himself up, humbly, as an example of being able to meet different groups of people in ways that engage them. It’s as though he is multilingual, able to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that particular groups and cultures can understand it.
Paul is the master of the “humble brag.” He is also good at pointing out that, while he’s entitled to things like status, and payment for services — he could ask for them but won’t. He does something like this is his letter to Philemon. He could order Philemon to manumit Onesimus from slavery, but he’s sure Philemon would feel better if he did it voluntarily.
In vv. 20-23 Paul mentions four groups that he has “become as:” The Jews — presumably non-Christian Jews; those under the Law, presumably Christian Jews; those outside the Law, that is, Gentiles; and the weak. Far from presenting himself as “all things,” Paul identifies four groups that’s he’s conversant with. These are four groups for whom he’s been able to proclaim the Gospel because he’s able to “speak their language.” One could think of it as first century code switching. Through it all, Paul is able to maintain his integrity for the sake of something so much more important than little old Paul, salvation in Jesus Christ.
In the News
It is an election year, alas. It is also a leap year and a Summer Olympics year. It is, however, the election that has already begun to unfurl. The Iowa caucuses have passed. New Hampshire’s primary is in the rearview mirror. The presumptive candidates for both parties are unpopular and, in a word, old. Still, late in January it looks like Americans are facing a rematch of the last presidential election. Each candidate is acting like an incumbent. I predict that this election will be referred to as “unprecedented in American history” with a frequency that has never occurred before.
In past elections candidates for every office have faced the accusation of “flip flopping,” that is changing their position. John Kerry paid a price for initially backing the invasion of Iraq then, as he ran for president in 2004, changing his position. Merely changing his mind was seen as a sign of weakness, or lack of decisiveness. He lost narrowly to President Bush.
There is little doubt that Democrats will seek to keep access to abortion before voters. This will not only help them define themselves as distinct from Republicans, it will reveal the Republican candidate’s change in position. “The other guy flip-flopped! What else is he hiding?”
Flip flopping has the appearance of being all things to all people, in the commonly understood sense. Telling the voters what they want to hear to get elected. Tailoring one’s message insincerely. Pandering. Selling out for votes.
Yet one wonders about candidates who are unable to change their positions in response to new information. Former senator from Illinois, Everett Dirksen, famously said, “Life is not a static thing. The only people who do not change their minds are incompetents in asylums, and those in cemeteries.” Dirksen also went down in history as saying, “I am a man of fixed and unbending principles, the first of which is to be flexible at all times.”
In the Sermon
In his lengthy, self-defining poem, “Song of Myself,” Walt Whitman appears to have taken a page from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians:
I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise,
Regardless of others, ever regardful of others,
Maternal as well as paternal, a child as well as a man,
Indeed, Whitman contains multitudes, just ask him. Paul also contains multitudes. His personal faith journey has equipped him to share the gospel in a wide variety of settings. The fear is that the central message is compromised, watered-down, by his being “all things to all people.”
When our members hear the phrase “all things to all people,” their minds are likely to shut down. Even though Paul sees this ability as an asset he uses to spread the gospel, it sounds to most of us like a recipe for spreading ourselves too thin. “We can’t be all things to all people,” is a very effective way to resist any kind of change. And yet, if God is alive and we are alive, faith in the living God can only be dynamic. Faithfulness requires flexibility and change. Change requires we stop some things to make room for the life-giving power of the Holy Spirit.
During the “Worship Wars” of the past decades, churches wrestled with giving up long-beloved hymns for new ones that conveyed the joy of life in Christ to new believers. Did the church exist to sing these songs, or spread the good news of Jesus Christ? Passions were high; disputes were bitter; compromises were attempted; and services were blended. (Run-on sentences were written in the passive voice.)
The challenge for our congregations, and each individual member, is to understand the gospel in their own hearts and contexts, on their own terms, and then live and share that gospel with as much joy and creativity and flexibility as is faithful and possible. Because, and we can never forget this, it is all for the sake of the gospel.
SECOND THOUGHTSJesus Is In The House
by Chris Keating
Mark 1:29-39
A few years after my wife and I were married, I had a moment of epiphany. Any time we would go to visit my wife’s parents, her mother would outdo herself in making sure I would be ten pounds heavier when I left. Her beneficence was not aimed solely at me. She always made sure that any guest in her home would be treated to amazing meals and a pantry full of snacks. When grandchildren entered the picture, the larder was increased even more.
Coming home meant never leaving on an empty stomach. She often packed a cooler with leftovers for us to take home, even though we were never in danger of missing a meal. But it also meant that we were crossing a threshold into a system framed by life-giving hospitality and acts of service.
I’m wondering if something similar happened when Jesus stopped by Simon’s house. So far in Mark’s gospel, Jesus has been a man on the move. Having been baptized and driven out to the wilderness, he has contended with hunger and the devil’s temptations. He’s called his first followers and exorcised a demon. He has taught with authority and with power — and now he comes home. All in all, Jesus has been moving with urgency and purpose that convey the import of his declaration that “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near” (1:15).
Maybe he’s just hoping for a good Sabbath nap as the action moves from public into the intimacy of Simon’s extended family. Yet when Jesus crosses the threshold, he encounters Simon’s feverish mother-in-law. He grasps her hand and raises her to a new life. Clearly Jesus refuses to settle into any sort of a domesticated routine.
Two details are particularly memorable, though they are easily overlooked or misunderstood. Mark notes that Simon’s mother-in-law moves straight from her sickbed and into the kitchen to fix the guys some supper. As the sun begins to set, crowds of villagers gather around the door. Their shadowy silhouettes bring another dimension to the proclamation of the gospel. The home becomes a sign of the kingdom’s arrival. When Jesus is in the house, he brings the gift of healing and immerses himself in the needs of human beings.
Mark’s comment about Simon’s mother-in-law rising to serve her guests may initially sound a bit callous. We don’t know if Simon has invited Jesus to his house because of his mother-in-law’s illness, but there’s a possibility that the writer is providing some foreshadowing of the interplay between hospitality and discipleship. Throughout the gospel, Jesus’ announcement of the good news arrives at moments like these, bringing gifts of healing to unnamed individuals who respond by bearing witness to the kingdom.
Yet the description of the mother-in-law getting up and heading into the kitchen borders on pure misogyny. It feels as though Mark can’t help himself. It’s a bit cringy. Deborah Krause, president of Eden Theological Seminary and a New Testament scholar, notes that she often hears a few snorts from women whenever she teaches this passage. (William Placher, Mark, p.39). It’s a trope that seems to ring true: It’s supper time, after all, and fever or no fever, someone must feed these guys!
It sounds a bit like Will Ferrell’s manchild character in the 2005 movie, “Wedding Crashers.” “He, ma!” Ferrell yells from the couch, “The MEATLOAF!”
But as Krause observes, there may be more to this detail than sexism. It’s possible, as William Placher describes, that a household matriarch in Jesus’ time would be compelled by codes of shame and honor to serve her guests, no matter how well she was. Moreover, the verb for serve (diekonei) is the root for “deacon,” or “server,” as noted by Luke in Acts. Placher notes that Mark only uses this verb in connection to women and angels, and never to men.
In other words, in responding by serving, Simon’s mother-in-law claimed her (only) authority in the house, while also demonstrating the faithful discipleship. Without approving of a patriarchal subjugation of women, it is possible to see how Jesus’ healing prompts a response of joyful hospitality.
Presumably the news of Jesus’ healing in the synagogue, combined with curing Simon’s mother-in-law, spreads like wildfire. People soon start showing up at the doorway. The sick and demon possessed are brought to this house, which by now seems to function as a prototype of the early church. Readers of Mark might have easily resonated with the image of a church functioning as a gathering of those seeking Jesus and the healing he provides. Implicit here are actions of hospitality combined with welcome — a reminder that the kingdom of God has indeed come near.
When Jesus is in the house, he seems to attract attention. The question becomes, “Who is standing outside the door of the church today? Who are those who are attracted to the threshold, but unsure if they want to enter?”
Based on new research on the faith and spirituality of young adults, its possible that some of those standing outside the doorways of our churches could be from Gen Z (most often defined as those born between 1997 and 2013). The Springtide Institute’s “State of Religion & Young People 2023” notes that 55% of those surveyed indicated they had experienced a “sacred moment.” This experience was shared by young people from various religions, even those with no particular religious background or preference. Even more telling, when researchers dug a bit deeper, they found that among those who had experienced a sacred moment, 83% reported that religious faith was important in the lives of the people who had raised them.
“For Gen Z, the least religiously affiliated generation, these sacred experiences increasingly occur beyond the walls of traditional places of worship,” the report states. “For example, young people tell us that their encounters with the sacred happen in the privacy of their own home more often than on hallowed grounds.” (Springtide Research, 2023).
Something happens when Jesus is in the house. If that is the case, then perhaps Simon’s mother-in-law might offer a fresh image of the sort of hospitality and service pastors and congregations are called to offer to those standing in the shadows, just beyond the church door.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:Isaiah — But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength…
On Waiting
Kelly Barron, writing for Mindful.org in 2020, offers this wisdom on the art of waiting. Sometimes, the most worthwhile insights about ourselves, others, and the world around, happen when we’re waiting. Jennifer Roberts, a humanities professor at Harvard and an art historian, instructs her students on the value of waiting or, more specifically, “deceleration and immersive attention” through a creative assignment.
Before students write a research paper on an art object, Roberts requires them to spend a painfully long three hours attending to it. Roberts did the assignment herself, staring for hours at John Singleton Copley’s “Boy with a Flying Squirrel.” She said it took her nine minutes to notice how the boy’s ear echoed the ruff of the squirrel’s belly. It took another 21 minutes for her to realize the fingers holding the chain span the same diameter as the water glass beneath them. More revelations came as the minutes passed, enhancing her understanding and appreciation of the painting. Robert’s exercise isn’t just about art history. It’s also about cultivating a deeper relationship with time and how we can use it more wisely — not to manage it better and get more done, but rather to let periods of slowness inform us. When we use our attention to soak up our experience, we can discover the wealth within our lives.
Doing so contrasts the hurried, get-it-done momentum of much of our daily lives.
* * *
A Helpful Waiting Acronym
Again, from Kelly Barron, writing for Mindful.org in 2020.
To make a mindfulness practice out of cooling your heels, recall an acronym: W-A-I-T or Watch, Allow, Investigate, and Take a Breath.
- WATCH the fireworks of reactivity you experience whenever you wait. Does impatience arise when the customer service representative at an airline, a cable company, or the DMV puts you on hold? Are you expecting things to be different?
- ALLOW whatever is arising to be there. Waiting and impatience are a very human combination. Somewhere out there, others are waiting, too, and feeling just as frustrated as you.
- INVESTIGATE how the act of waiting feels in your body. Do you clench your jaw and brace your core more tightly as each moment slowly passes? Relax and soften your body.
- TAKE a purposeful breath in and out. Once, twice, three times. After all, you might be waiting a while.
1 Corinthians 9:16-23 — I am all things to all people…
Paul and Code Switching
The definition of code-switching has not been static and has changed over time along with many other social constructs. In an article for Psychology Today, Dr. Kyaien O. Conner focuses on cultural code-switching that involves the suppression of multiple aspects of one’s cultural identity, which can include type of clothing worn, hair style, speech, or behavior.
In the broadest sense, she says, code-switching involves adapting the presentation of oneself in ways that disconnect them from the cultural or racial stereotypes of their group. The goal being to enhance the comfort of others, typically those outside of their cultural or racial group, in hopes of receiving equal treatment and opportunities for advancement. Code-switching is a strategy most often used by individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and who often find it necessary to effectively navigate professional settings.
Examples of code-switching might include when a person considers each morning before getting dressed for work or school whether their traditional cultural garments will be viewed as acceptable; whether wearing a turban, hijab, or bhindi will be off-putting to their colleagues or supervisors; or whether their natural hair (such as afro, dreadlocks, braids, and more) will be seen as unprofessional. In speech, it refers to the use of a “White voice” and other Western, Eurocentric ways of speaking, being, and engaging to “fit in” with non-Hispanic White society.
In a study conducted by the Pew Research Center (2019), they found that overall, 4 in 10 Black and Hispanic adults often feel the need to change the way they talk around others of different races and ethnicities, especially among non-Hispanic Whites. Interestingly, the group most affected are Black college graduates under the age of 50, where 53% of this group report feeling the need to switch how they express themselves when they are among people of different racial and ethnic backgrounds.
According to Harvard Business Review (2019), code-switching most often occurs in environments where negative stereotypes about BIPOC individuals don’t align with what is considered normative or appropriate for that environment. This is most commonly in academia and in places of employment.
* * *
Female Entrepreneurs and Code Switching
In 2019, Institute for Women's Entrepreneurship at Cornell asked institute participants some questions about “code-switching,” including: Have you found it necessary (or important) at times to use code-switching in certain parts of your entrepreneurial journey? Do you make conscious decisions to code-switch (or not) in certain settings? How does code-switching impact your feeling of authenticity? The answers surprised and intrigued us.
Here’s a digested version of the conclusion the institute drew from the study.
They expected to hear about how women operate in environments dominated by men. Instead, respondents fell roughly into three groups with three different reasons and perspectives on the topic.
1) It is fair to say that every entrepreneur has to communicate effectively with her investors, clients, and co-workers. No one would argue with the need for the entrepreneur to see things from the customer perspective, so that type of code-switching is likely to be necessary and beneficial to everyone.
2) If code-switching is actually based on different languages in order to establish trust and relationships, it seems to make sense.
3) By placing code-switching in a larger cultural context, we can see that sometimes it happens as a result of the majority culture imposing its communication styles on others. This can threaten the feelings of authenticity of those who must adapt to fit in to gain access to opportunities.
Perhaps entrepreneurship provides a unique way to resolve the situation, providing both an escape from less inclusive corporate structures and also a means of staying true to oneself while still working to communicate in an effective way with customers, investors, and co-workers.
* * *
Five Reasons for Code Switching
The hosts of the blog Code Switch commemorated the blog's launch by soliciting stories from listeners about code-switching — the practice of shifting the languages you use or the way you express yourself in your conversations.
They received hundreds of responses but found that, among them, five reasons kept popping up:
1) Our lizard brains take over: The most common examples of code-switching were completely inadvertent; folks would slip into a different language or accent without even realizing it or intending to do it.
2) We want to fit in: Very often, people code-switch — both consciously and unconsciously — to act or talk more like those around them. While this can be effective, it can also be perilous.
3) We want to get something: A lot of folks code-switch not just to fit in, but to actively ingratiate themselves to others. We cannot tell you how many dozens of stories we got from people who work in service industries who said that a Southern accent is a surefire way to get better tips and more sympathetic customers. Apparently, everyone who works in a restaurant picks up "y'all" immediately upon arriving at their job.
4) We want to say something in secret: We collected many sweet stories of people code-switching in order to hide in plain sight, a habit most common among people in love. Because this tactic often relies on assumptions, it can get one in trouble.
5) It helps us convey a thought: Certain concepts need that perfect bon mot to come across effectively. Many people switch languages or employ colloquialisms to express particular ideas.
The reasons people code-switch and the ways in which they do it are far more numerous than the few examples listed here. While many people told us they code-switched to fit in, for example, several also told us they did it to stand out. What the stories reiterated most of all, though, is what our colleague Gene Demby pointed out in his inaugural post: No matter your race, ethnicity, class or cultural background, you probably do it.
Examples of each of these can be found here.
* * *
Psalm 147:1-11, 20c — Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God, for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
Choral Singing Is Good For You
The Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research reports in Psychology Today that singing in a group promotes wellness and boosts mood, outlook, and health.
Choir singers report better relationships, a higher quality of life, and greater wellness than non-singers.
A study of cancer caregivers and patients found choir singing reduced anxiety and boosted the immune system.
Singing is nearly ubiquitous in American society. From church choirs to America’s Got Talent, people love hearing voices singing in unison. Nearly 54 million Americans — including one in six adults — participate in choral groups, according to research funded by the National Endowment for the Arts.
It turns out that’s a good thing because singing with a group provides a wide range of mental-health benefits. Adult singers report that participation in choral groups helps them feel less lonely. Choir singers are also less likely to experience symptoms of depression compared to the general population. And they are more likely to report they are content with their relationships compared to the general public.
Choral singers report having stronger relationships, spending more time with friends, and making a bigger effort to get to know others in their communities compared to the general public. Further, nearly three-quarters of singers say participating in a choir boosts their optimism; 80% of choir singers expect more good things than bad things to happen to them, compared to only 55% of the general public.
For older adults, singing in a choir provides additional benefits: Older choir singers are more likely to report a “very good” quality of life and more likely to rate their health as “excellent” or “very good” compared to the general population. And older choir singers are also less likely to report difficulties with activities of daily living.
* * *
Mark 1:29-39 — Jesus is described as being in the house with people standing in the doorway, watching and listening to what he does and says.
Standing on the Threshold, Looking in?
According to an article from the Religion News Service, America’s religiously unaffiliated, or “nones,” are often largely defined by what they are not, rather than what they are. So, as they’ve multiplied, it’s perhaps unsurprising that they’ve also been shrouded in myths and misconceptions.
A new Pew Research Center report on America’s nones shows that there are as many differences among non-religious people as there are among religious people. In fact, America’s nones aren’t much different from the rest of the American public — at least not anymore.
“In the 1980s, the nones actually looked pretty different. They were small, they were 5% to 7% of the U.S. population, disproportionately male, disproportionately white, very young. Not likely to be married. Highly educated, pretty high incomes,” said Cragun, a professor at the University of Tampa who is also an adviser on this study.
Pew’s recent findings, which come from a survey of 11,201 respondents conducted in the summer of 2023, show that, at 28%, a 12 percentage point increase since 2007, the religiously unaffiliated cohort now makes up a sizable portion of the US population. They’re also still leaning young and democratic, with 69% under the age of 50 and 62% of nones identifying as Democrats or leaning toward the Democratic Party. But in contrast to where they were 40 years ago, today’s religiously unaffiliated are roughly split between men and women, and their racial makeup broadly mirrors that of the general population.
Pew’s study shows many nones do believe in something, even if it doesn’t fall into traditional religious categories. While 20% say they are agnostic and 17% identify as atheist, the majority of nones (63%) fall into the more ambiguous “nothing in particular” category. And though only 13% say they believe in the God of the Bible, more than half (56%) say they believe in some other higher power.
About half of nones say they are spiritual, or that spirituality is very important to them. And not all of them are hostile to religion. Though 43% of nones say religion does more harm than good in society, 41% say religion does equal amounts of harm and good.
* * *
Benefits of Being an Outsider
The number of people who are choosing to live outside the structures and traditions of organized religion is growing. Here, according to Lonerwolf.com, are nine major benefits of being an outsider:
1. You’re no longer brainwashed and constrained by the rules and beliefs of society as you can easily see through them.
2. You have more freedom to listen to the voice of intuition within yourself — and this will guide your entire life.
3. You have enough solitude to discover what being true to yourself means in a society that is always trying to undermine your authenticity.
4. You can see the bigger picture and not get lost in the details.
5. You can connect with your soul more easily than others.
6. You have been given the space and room to grow in whatever way you like and be a free spirit.
7. You have the opportunity to experience greater connection by finding a like-minded group of people or a soul family.
8. Your ability to observe others gives you a greater capacity for wisdom and also compassion.
9. You have the necessary catalyst to experience true self-fulfillment and spiritual ascension should you choose that path.
Although being an outsider can be terribly lonely, it is a privileged position.
Leaving the herd of humanity allows you to flourish and blossom in ways you never could experience while being “normal” and socially “acceptable.”
* * *
What Americans are Looking for in a Church
When seekers finally step over the threshold and start actively seeking a church, what are they looking for?
According to a February 2015 survey of Evangelical Christian leaders, Americans evaluate churches based on their friendliness, children’s programs, worship music, sermons, and pastors. US evangelical leaders were asked to list three criteria that Americans prioritize when choosing a church. While there was a variety of answers, 80% of the responses fell into the categories of friendliness (19%), children’s programs (19%), worship music (16%), sermons (14%) and pastors (12%).
Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), said, “The question asks why people choose a church. The answer is that there is no one answer. People choose churches for very different reasons. There are even differences in the most common answers — friendliness, children’s programs and worship music come in wide varieties.”
Greg Johnson, president of Standing Together, said, “People are consumers — like it or not —without a friendly, attractive and energetic first impression, they will usually not return for a second impression.”
Carmen Fowler LaBerge, president of the Presbyterian Lay Committee, lamented the consumer orientation. “The answers I would like to give are: accurate interpretation of the Scriptures by the preacher and teachers, spiritual vitality and authenticity of the members, and an outwardly focused missional passion that lost people would experience Jesus through encounters with the people of this particular church. But alas, that is the not the world I currently observe,” she said.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:Mark 1:29-39
Living in a body
As part of his healing, Jesus pays attention to the physical body in a way that his followers often ignore. In her new book Black Liturgies, Cole Arthur Riley observes a change in her faith when she started involving her body.
“When I first began attending Episcopalian and Catholic services, I was stunned to discover what the liturgy required of my body. Standing, sitting, kneeling, bowing, gestures and postures, the smell of the incense, the bread, the wine. It was an incredibly sensory, corporeal engagement. And it connected me to the physical in ways I couldn’t anticipate. This was no disembodied, invisible, spiritual encounter; this ritual was living in the body.”
She adds, “I’ve belonged to spiritual spaces that required I forget my body — my Black, woman, sick body — to survive. I want the liturgies of this book, and any spiritual encounter, to make me more whole, never dismembered. And I’ve included breath prayers with each liturgy, as a reminder and practice of that. Will we breathe together? Relax our shoulders, unclench our jaws? For the divine is just as present in our breath, in our flesh, as in our mental realm.”
In this early healing, Jesus reminds us how important our bodies are to our faith.
* * *
Mark 1:29-39
Healing the Body
On the morning after she had a miscarriage, Amanda Held Opelt asked her husband: “What should we do today?” “Pick blueberries,” he said.
She says, “We picked almost a year’s supply of blueberries that day. We breathlessly climbed the hillside covered in old blueberry bushes and greedily filled our buckets, bees buzzing all around us and sweat trickling down our necks. I ate fistfuls of them as we picked, the sun beating down on us all the while. I carried that tiny, silent, still heart within me up and down the orchard rows until the colors of the land became vibrant again. When we got home, we washed the blueberries and laid them out on our kitchen table to dry. What we could not eat or make into pies that week, we froze and used in smoothies and berry cobblers for months to come. In our sorrow, we labored, gathered, and gleaned. And we were fed. I will always remember the wisdom of my husband, that his first inclination after learning that my body was passing through the valley of the shadow of death was this: Let’s go feed that body. Let’s give it sunshine. Let’s let it breathe.” (From A Hole in the World.)
As he heals Peter’s mother-in-law, Jesus understands this need for healing the body as well as the spirit.
* * *
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
The Universal Language
Paul adopts the language and culture of the people he wants to communicate with, fitting himself into their worlds to spread the good news. Author Gretchen Rubin notes that there is one universal language, no adapting needed: Laughter.
She writes, “We communicate through sound with our voices — and also with our laughter. Laughter is a universal, nonverbal emotional expression through sound, and we laugh long before we can speak. Although across the world people may laugh at different things, we can recognize the sounds of laughter from others, no matter what culture they’re from…The main purpose of laughter is to bind people together; it’s a social sound that’s meant to be heard by others, to create engagement. We’re far more likely to laugh when we’re with other people, and when we’re with friends rather than with strangers. Warm, shared laughter signals a playful intent and a wish to connect.” (From Life in Five Senses.)
It's hard to tell if Paul ever laughed; since he was a skilled communicator, we can hope that he did.
* * *
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Code-switching
As the apostle Paul explains how he communicates with a variety of people, he’s demonstrating what we now know as code-switching, the way people skillfully change their communication style to match the community where they’re speaking. Paul says, “To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law…To those outside the law I became as one outside the law.”
One interesting place where this happens is Gallaudet University, where the students are predominantly deaf. In What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World, Sara Hendren explains that one student, “an American and native ASL speaker with a number of deaf family members, described the necessity of code-switching, not just with students who aren’t experienced signers but with faculty and staff as well, some of whom sign fluently and others very little….Some professors emphasize written academic English in papers, and others lean more heavily on using ASL for reportage. (Students use the computer labs to do desktop work but also to make short films of themselves signing for their reports, to upload and send on to their professors.) All of these adaptations to communication in these various forms are, in a sense, code-switching that grapples with a larger question: How much should students work for mastery in the language and mores of the dominant hearing culture, and how much should they cultivate their deaf — or Deaf — identity?"
In this letter, Paul shows us that he was one of the original code-switching experts.
* * *
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
New language
Just as Paul learns a new language to communicate with different groups of people, some young students have done the same thing.
“Third graders at Good Shepherd Episcopal in Dallas are learning a lost art, practicing cursive by writing letters to their pen pals. It's almost a foreign language for today's younger generation…” “It used to hurt my hand a lot, but now I've gotten used to it,” student Ahan Jain said. For many kids, it's hard to read — and harder to write.
But Tim Mallad, the father of one of those students, wanted to do something about that.
“Wouldn't it be fun for the children to begin to learn how to read letters and perhaps get the thrill of getting a real letter in the mail?” Mallad said. “He came up with the pen pal idea and shared it with the teacher, Karen Gunter, after he sent a letter in cursive to his daughter away at camp and she couldn't read a word he had written…”
As the CEO of a retirement community, Mallard knew a lot of people who still know cursive. He helped match students with retirees, like Sue Standlee. Standlee finds texts and emails to be a foreign language sometimes, with all the abbreviations. “Standlee was matched up with 9-year-old Samantha Moseley, and the pair instantly hit it off on paper. “I feel like I'm actually talking to her,” Moseley said. “This has made me like — like to write a lot more.” Third grade teacher Karen Gunter said the cursive lesson also allows her to teach grammar along with the mechanics of writing. It's one of the only times she knows the students are paying attention.
After a few months of letters, the students finally got a chance to meet their cursive correspondents, and some became friends. “In a world of constant emails, texts and direct messages, the kids say there's nothing like that "funny writing" to help keep friends connected.”
As with the apostle Paul, there are lots of ways to communicate with other people.
* * *
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Even parrots want connection
In his letter to the churches in Corinth, Paul taps into a universal human need — and one that extends beyond humans. Paul notes that he tries to speak everyone’s language, so he can connect with all kinds of people. He tells the church, “I have become all things to all people, so that I might by any means save some.” Even birds long for this kind of communication, apparently.
“Parrots are highly social creatures that often don’t get enough stimulation in captivity. In an experiment, researchers built a parrot-to-parrot video calling system — basically, Zoom for birds. They wanted to see how the parrots would respond to video communication, and the findings were surprising. After using the system for three months, parrots started to make calls to hang out with other parrots. “The more the parrot received calls, the more the parrot made video calls,” the study reported. The birds were also able to learn skills, like foraging or even flying, by watching other birds on video calls. Jennifer Cunha, one of the study’s authors, told NPR that some of the birds continue to call each other. “They really seem to, as one owner said, come alive during the calls.” (From Hidden Brain.)
We all want someone to speak our language, including parrots.
* * * * * *
From team member Elena Delhagan:Psalm 147:1-11, 20c
Be a Raven
One of the main tenets in liberation theology, first illustrated by the Gustavo Gutierrez, is something called “God’s preferential option for the poor.” The idea is that scripture consistently provides examples of God siding with the poor, marginalized, and downtrodden over God siding with the rich (examples include Mary’s Magnificat, the Sermon on the Mount, the writings of the prophets, and the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus). This theological assertion is not merely descriptive; God’s preferential option for the poor isn’t just an observation we make before moving on. Rather, it shows us that any understanding we have of God, no matter how well thought out or even accurate, is incomplete if it does not first acknowledge that God is with, for, and committed to the poor.
This devotion to the poor, downtrodden, and helpless is one of the reasons I love verse 9 of Psalm 147 in particular. Here, we are given the image of God as a parent raven who gives food to God’s young when they cry. Ravens are well-known by ornithologists to be incredibly devoted parents, so committed to their babies that they will travel miles outside of their normal radius to forage for food for their young, wool for the nests, and even water that they carry in their beaks back to the babies if the day happens to be very hot. They also fiercely defend their families against even the most dangerous of predators, including eagles or hawks.
Of course, all of us are in need of God’s care, and this psalm is a comforting reminder that God loves us and watches over us like a devoted parent. Yet in times like these, where the global poverty rate continues to rise and currently sits at nearly 50% of the world’s population, it is also a tangible depiction of how we, as those made in God’s image, are to care for our brothers and sisters below the poverty line. We are to go to incredible lengths to make sure the disenfranchised among us are taken care of — not hoard resources or give tax cuts to the rich.
It’s pretty simple, really: In a world where we can be anything, perhaps we should try being ravens.
* * *
Mark 1:29-39
Capernaum: Jesus’ Home Away From Home
A year and a half ago, I was fortunate enough to visit the site of Capernaum and see the ruins of the synagogue mentioned in this passage from Mark. The synagogue in Capernaum was a place of deep importance to Jewish people, for it was where they gathered on the Sabbath to pray and study scripture together.
This synagogue was alive and active during the time of Christ, and even in the years after, when the earliest origins of the Christian church were being birthed. Additionally, Capernaum housed another important building, which was the home of Simon Peter. Archaeologists have found fragments of votive lamps in the limestone floor, signifying that the home had been venerated and was a holy site for Christian pilgrims. They also have discovered the earliest known graffiti in Greek, Syriac, Hebrew, and Latin, proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
In this one small fishing town, there was a Jewish synagogue and a blossoming Christian home church, peacefully co-existing beside each other — literally. The remains of Peter’s house are just across the path from the synagogue’s remains. In a time in the Holy Land where tensions between the three Abrahamic faiths are so volatile, this passage from Mark, depicting the ministry Jesus did in this simple little inter-faith village, could serve as a reminder to us all.
* * *
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
While this passage from Paul has long been criticized for its megalomaniac undertones, there is also — for the optimists among us — a hint of empathy that comes through in Paul’s words. Here is where it is important to note that there is, indeed, a difference between sympathy and empathy, though the terms tend to be used interchangeably in common vernacular. Research has shown that sympathy, while still “feeling bad” for someone who has experienced a difficult situation or situations, tends to be viewed as more of a detached response. Someone may feel sympathy for another, yet underneath that sympathy is a sense of pity and even relief that it happened to someone else.
Empathy, on the other hand, is described as knowing what it’s like to walk around in someone’s proverbial shoes. The empathetic person is able to feel, in a sense, what the struggling person feels, through emotional resonance. Empathy has been shown to promote prosocial behavior, which can improve interpersonal relationships, promote a greater sense of well-being, and reduce depressive symptoms — both among those who show empathy and those who receive it.
Certainly, in ministry, empathy is a requirement. Rutgers psychologist Daniel Goleman says that without empathy, “a person can have the best training in the world, an incisive, analytical mind, and an endless supply of smart ideas, but he still won’t make a great leader.” Nor can they be a great pastor or minister.
Paul, by striving to become all things to all people, actually demonstrates to those of us in pastoral ministry the necessity of putting aside our own feelings and judgments in order to enter in, per se, to someone else’s experience to not only gain understanding but, more importantly, to let him or her know they’re not alone. In this letter, Paul demonstrates his empathetic skills not only in how he communicates with different groups of people but also in how he uses his freedom for the sake of the gospel.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Praise God! How good it is to sing praises to our God.
All: God is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
One: God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
All: God determines the number of the stars and names them.
One: Great is our God whose understanding is beyond measure.
All: Sing to God with thanksgiving and make melody on the lyre.
OR
One: God invites us in that we may know eternal life.
All: We rejoice in God’s gracious welcome to all.
One: God goes out into the world to dwell among the people.
All: Wondrous is our God who loves all of creation.
One: God calls us to be welcoming and also go out to others.
All: We will do all we can to share God’s love with others.
Hymns and Songs
To God Be the Glory
UMH: 98
PH: 485
GTG: 634
AAHH: 157
NNBH: 17
CH: 39
W&P: 66
AMEC: 21
Renew: 258
From All That Dwell Below the Skies
UMH: 101
H82: 380
PH: 229
GTG: 327
NCH: 27
CH: 49
LBW: 550
AMEC: 69
STLT: 381
Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above
UMH: 126
H82: 408
PH: 483
GTG: 645
NCH: 6
CH: 6
W&P: 56
Renew: 52
Here I Am, Lord
UMH: 593
PH: 525
GTG: 69
AAHH: 567
CH: 452
ELW: 574
W&P: 559
Renew: 149
Lord, You Give the Great Commission
UMH: 584
H82: 528
PH: 429
GTG: 298
CH: 459
ELW: 579
W&P: 592
Renew: 305
Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service
UMH: 581
H82: 610
PH: 427
CH: 461
LBW: 423
ELW: 712
W&P: 575
Renew: 286
God of Grace and God of Glory
UMH: 577
H82: 594/595
PH: 420
GTG: 307
NCH: 436
CH: 464
LBW: 415
ELW: 705
W&P: 569
AMEC: 62
STLT: 115
Renew: 301
Christ for the World We Sing
UMH: 568
H82: 537
W&P: 561
AMEC: 565
Renew: 299
This Little Light of Mine
UMH: 585
AAHH: 549
NNBH: 511
NCH: 524/525
ELW: 677
STLT: 118
Refiner’s Fire
CCB: 79
Humble Yourself in the Sight of the Lord
CCB: 72
Renew: 188
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who made you creation wondrous and diverse:
Grant us the grace to reach out in love to all your people
honoring who they are who they can become;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because your creation is wondrous and diverse. You made us one and yet many. Help us to honor that diversity by sharing your good news in ways that all can hear. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our clinging to our own, selfish ways.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We look at the world seeing only our own perspective. We do not listen to others to understand how they see the world. Then we blame them because they don’t hear the good news we speak in our own images. Open our hearts to understand that you, O God, love the whole world and help us to be more open to the great diversity of your people. Amen.
One: God does, indeed, love all the world in its great diversity and complexity. Allow God’s Spirit to renew your hearts and your ears that you may faithfully share God’s love with others.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory be to you, O God, who creates in such a gloriously extravagant way. Beautiful is the works you have brought forth.
(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 look at the world seeing only our own perspective. We do not listen to others to understand how they see the world. Then we blame them because they don't hear the good news we speak in our own images. Open our hearts to understand that you, O God, love the whole world and help us to be more open to the great diversity of your people.
We give you thanks for all you have created. We give you thanks that you have made us unique and yet all of one family. We thank you for those who told us about Jesus in words and ways that we could understand and respond to in joy.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need. We pray for those who find themselves on the threshold of your realm unsure if they are welcome. We pray for those who are opening the door to invite them in or to venture out where they dwell.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMONWatching Jesus
by Katy Stenta
Mark 1:29-39
You will need:
Have a paper cut out of Jesus to move around and follow as you tell the story.
Have a mother-in-law.
A photo or illustration of a crowd of people.
* * *
There are a lot of stories of people watching what Jesus did:
One of the first things Jesus does is he heals one of his disciple’s (Simon’s) mother-in-law. In those days, families lived together. Simon’s mother-in-law would have been the head of the hospitality. The disciples all went there after synagogue, we think it might have been like a big family dinner.
Simon’s mother-in-law was too ill to join them so Jesus healed her. (Have a laying down mother-in-law get up when Jesus touches her.) She is so overjoyed, she gets up and starts serving Jesus, like a deacon. Today we have to be careful that we don’t use this word to think that women are only for serving. However, the disciples saw this healing and were amazed.
But it didn’t stop there…
The word about Jesus’ miracles spread and soon everyone in town was coming to Jesus to ask him to heal their sickness or get rid of their demons. (Today we think that might mean those who have mental illnesses.)
(Have the paper Jesus touch people in the crowd and then pant tiredly.)
After all that healing, Jesus was tired, so he went away from everyone to a deserted place to pray by himself. (Have Jesus sneak off alone and pray.)
The disciples searched and searched until they found him, and said “Jesus, where were you, everyone has been looking for you.”
Everyone was amazed watching the healing Jesus was doing. Jesus responded to them by basically saying, Time to get back to work. Jesus said, “Let’s go to neighboring towns and spread the good news.” (Have Jesus say, “Let’s go share the good news!”)
Maybe ask these questions and just let the kids ponder them without a response:
• Do you think you would follow Jesus around if you saw him healing?
• Why do you think Jesus was so tired?
• Do you think a part of the good news of Jesus Christ is to try to make people healthier?
Prayer (perhaps have the children repeat after you)
Dear Jesus,
Thank you
For caring for us.
Help us
To follow you
And hear your good news.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 4, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 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.
