Immediate Word

For November 18, 2018:

• Big Stones, Big Change by Mary Austin -- Like the disciples, we expect our biggest realities to last forever. And like the disciples, we are often surprised. This recent mid-term election overturned some unexpected foundation stones.
• Representation Matters by Bethany Peerbolte -- When the 116th United States Congress begins, voices of women and minorities will echo in the chambers. It could be world shaping. Likewise, while in the 1 Samuel texts Elkanah could try and ease Hannah’s discomfort, it was only Hannah who could speak her truth.
• Sermon illustrations by Ron Love, Tom Willadsen and Chris Keating
• Worship resources by George Reed.
• Am I Irritating You? Children’s sermon by Chris Keating -- While we usually think provoking someone is bad, the writer of Hebrews reminds us that Christians are to “provoke one another to love and good deeds.”

Big Stones, Big Change
by Mary Austin
Mark 13:1-8

As the disciples stand with Jesus by the temple, the size of the stones is stunning to them. Great wealth and power are invested in the temple building, and it seems as if it can last forever. But Jesus, seeing more than the disciples do, warns them that the time is coming when these huge stones, and the institution they represent, “will all be thrown down.” Difficult as it is to imagine, the day is coming when the stones -- and the institution of the temple -- will be toppled.

This recent mid-term election had the same kind of quality, of unexpected stones being overturned. ‘What large stones,’ we think, looking at our political institutions, assuming that things will always be the way they are. Our images about turnout for mid-term elections, who votes and what they’re seeking, who stays in power, and the influence of money on the process are fixed in our minds, from long experience. And yet this election was full of surprises.

In the same way, the building blocks of our lives -- work, faith, family and neighborhood -- all seem to be fixed, unless we choose to change them. And yet our lives are filled with more change than we expect -- or want.

In the Scriptures
Just before this story, we find Jesus watching the widow drop her last two coins into the temple treasury, as the people around her announce that they are giving far grander amounts. Teaching to a crowd that is “listening to him with delight,” he tells them to beware of the religious leaders, and their love of appearances. They “devour” the widows’ houses, and then this one widow appears in the crowd, throwing her gift into the treasury.

The Jewish Encyclopedia notes that this was the temple built by King Herod in 19-20 CE. Herod had promised the Jewish people a new, more magnificent temple, but they were reluctant to have the previous temple pulled down to make room for the new one, “fearing lest it might not be rebuilt.” To demonstrate his good faith, Herod accumulated the materials for the new building before the old one was taken down. The new Temple was rebuilt as rapidly as possible, being finished in a year and a half, although work was in progress on the out-buildings and courts for eighty years. As it was unlawful for anyone but priests to enter the Temple, Herod employed 1,000 of them as masons and carpenters.” Evoking an earlier era of glory in Israel’s history, “The Temple proper as reconstructed by Herod was of the same dimensions as that of Solomon, viz.: 60 cubits long, 20 cubits wide, and 40 cubits high.” Around that structure, Herod greatly expanded the outer courts, and the patio around the temple. “The open space beyond the cloisters was paved with various kinds of stone, probably forming a mosaic. This outer court was, strictly speaking, not a part of the Temple. Its soil was not sacred, and it might be entered by anyone. Some distance within, one came to an interior court which was raised 15 cubits above the other. Access to it was gained by means of fourteen steps. This was the beginning of the sanctuary.” Building on a hillside, all of this required substantial engineering savvy. “In order to obtain space for this area on the top of a hill the sides of which sloped so steeply, it was necessary to extend artificially the surface of the hill itself. This was done, especially to the south, where the massive masonry (called by the Arabs “Solomon’s Stables”) which Herod constructed to support a pavement on a level with the surface of the hill farther to the north may still be seen.”

It’s no wonder the disciples are amazed as they look at the building. We hear them marveling, saying, “What large stones and what large buildings.” Jesus replies, in essence, that they should not be fooled. Don’t go by appearances, he tells them, just as he told the crowd about the religious leaders.  Later the disciples ask about the timing of when the stones will come down, finding it all hard to imagine. The question about “when” is really a question about “how.” How will this happen, they wonder, as they try to imagine it. Jesus gives his customary non-answer, announcing that there is plenty of discord to come before a new world is born.  

In the News
Like the disciples, we have certainties which we think will last forever. The recent mid-term elections brought some of those foundation stones crashing down. The best funded candidate always wins... but not in the Atlanta suburbs, where newcomer Lucy McBath won, even though she only raised $1.2 million, compared to a previous candidate who raised $30 million. McBath came to politics through tragedy. “McBath had a compelling personal story that she connected to her moderately liberal policy stances. She was first thrust into the national spotlight in 2012 when her teen son, Jordan Davis, was shot dead by a white man at a Florida gas station angry about the volume of the music Davis was playing in his car. Her tragic loss spurred her into activism, as a spokesperson for gun safety group Moms Demand Action, and now into political office.”

We also believe that people won’t turn out for a midterm election, especially when the economy is good, but turnout was at a historically high level. “More than 47 percent of the voting-eligible population cast a ballot in the midterm elections on Tuesday, according to early estimates from the United States Election Project. “Almost half of possible voters actually voted” might not sound impressive. But for a U.S. midterm election, it’s a whopping figure. Compare that with just 36.7 percent in 2014, and 41 percent in 2010.

That’s the highest turnout for a midterm since 1966, when 49 percent of the population showed up to vote.” Some individual districts experienced turnout above the 2016, presidential election year level.

Red states want to save money, and don’t care about people... or so the usual story goes, but voters “in Nebraska, Idaho and Utah approved ballot initiatives to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, an optional part of the law that many Republican-leaning states previously rejected. The move paves the way for as many as hundreds of thousands of low-income Americans to gain insurance coverage under the safety-net program.”  Other traditionally conservative states had surprises, too. “Arkansas approved an initiative to raise the minimum wage from $8.50 per hour to $11 by 2021, while Missouri voted to incrementally raise its wage from $7.85 per hour to $12.”

Tax cuts woo voters, we believe... but several of the authors of last year’s tax cut were voted out of Congress. “Representative Peter Roskam of Illinois lost his re-election bid after serving as the chairman of the House Ways & Means tax subcommittee during the drafting of the Republican tax law, the party’s signature legislative achievement in Trump’s first two years. While his upscale suburban district made him a Democratic target, his defeat is darkly symbolic as a public rebuke to the tax law that GOP operatives initially hoped would save their majority. And he wasn’t the only Republican tax writer to lose on Tuesday. Minnesota’s Erik Paulsen, Florida’s Carlos Curbelo, and Michigan’s Mike Bishop all lost their re-election bids. Ohio’s Jim Renacci lost a Senate bid against Democratic incumbent Sherrod Brown.” Polling shows that voters have changed their view of taxes.  Now “the public is much more concerned about the way our tax laws benefit the wealthy and large corporations over working and middle class families. For example, around 60 percent of the public believes that working families and the middle class pay more than their fair share of taxes, while only around 12 percent say the same for the wealthy and corporations, the main beneficiaries of the GOP tax bill.” Thinking about tax cuts makes people mad, not happy.

Like the temple stones, these “truths” and others fell apart in surprising ways in this recent election. In the same way, the truths we know about the church have come down around us in the past few decades. Our beliefs about our neighbors, immigrants, the LGBTQ community and guns are all shifting. Our own foundation stones are shifting, in ways that are painful as we live through the change.

In the Sermon
Like the disciples, we marvel at things that seem permanent, mistaking longevity for perpetuity, and mistaking size for permanence. For all of us, there are always stones that are coming down, bringing down the institutions around us. We saw it in politics in this past election, but we also see it all the time in the church. The Jerusalem temple that Jesus and his disciples talked about is long gone, but the vestiges of it still draw the faithful to sightsee or pray, even in its much diminished form. Election dynamics shift, and pollsters scramble to keep up with new realities, but people still claim the hard-won privilege of voting. Churches change, falter, close and merge, and still people in the U.S. are hungry for spiritual expression. The sermon might look at the permanence underneath impermanence. Things change, and the stones come down, but some eternal foundation remains. The sermon might look at what endures, underneath the forces of change.  

Or the sermon might look at your particular congregation, and things that once seemed unchangeable, and then changed over time. The building, the hymnal, and even the carpet in the sanctuary have to change sometime… right?

Jesus promises discord, “wars and rumors of wars,” and divided nations before a new world comes to life. We certainly have plenty of all of those things. The sermon might look at how those things can be part of the foundation of a new way of doing things. Can they lead us to greater civility? Can we move toward respect, even with our divisions? Is there a way that the Holy Spirit is leading us somewhere new, out of our current divisions? 

One of the (many) inspiring things about Jesus is that he always sees the truth behind the illusion. He sees the truth about the religious leaders, in spite of the long robes and the long prayers (Mark 12). Whenever someone presents him with an either/or choice, he sees another answer. Here he sees the truth about the temple, without being dazzled by its size or power. How can we train ourselves to see the deeper truths? His comments surprise the disciples, as the truth often surprises us? Are we willing to be surprised by the truth? How can we learn to see with his wise vision, to the truth about the institutions in our lives?

The stones fall, and institutions change. Truths we take for granted turn out not to always be true. Through all of it, the presence of Jesus remains steady, the one foundation we always have.


Representation Matters
by Bethany Peerbolte
1 Samuel 1:4-20, 1 Samuel 2: 1-10

Hannah’s experience with infertility is more than just a woman yearning for a child. Hannah needs a son to be seen as fully human. Her status as a woman depends on her ability to birth children. Her husband has already gone to plan B by bringing Peninnah into the picture. A move that has caused Hannah even more turmoil and pain. Hannah’s problems are amplified by Peninnah’s success and taunts. Hannah needs a child, a son, to take her rightful place in the world. Her husband has not lost any love for her, he does not see her infertility as a hinderance to love her. Elkanah may even like the time they have without the children. His nonchalant comment about being as good as ten sons suggests he wouldn’t mind if it was always just the two of them. It is the rest of the world that is looking down on her. Peninnah uses it to oppress Hannah and devalue her humanity. Hannah needs a son to represent her in the world. A son gives her voice, a son gives her status, a son gives her a place at the table. Elkanah may protect her from great harm but he can never truly give Hannah the humanity she desires.

God likes to fix a couple problems at once. The most recent priests have been found wanting. Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas are not quite doing the work God is asking them to get done. Then a women walks into the Temple begging for a son, pouring out her soul with promises that if God gives her a son that son will be dedicated to priestly service. God sees an opportunity. Her prayer is heart wrenching. She is miserable. Remember those animal cruelty commercials where Sarah McLachlan sings “In the arms of an angel” as pictures of abused animals flash across the screen. How could one not adopt an animal after seeing those adorable needy faces. That is the ad God saw from Hannah. Hannah is downtrodden, constantly provoked by her rival, pitied by her husband, forgotten by God.

She must have looked bad because Eli assumes she is drinking the festival away. The pilgrims that come into town for the festivals are not always respectful of the temple. In their drunken haze they sometimes get “great” ideas to meet with God in that moment. Eli is forced to sit like a watchdog at the door -- keeping away anything that may defile that sacred space. He is so caught up in his job of safeguarding the building from revelers he forgets to be pastoral. Eli assumes this woman is trouble. We do not know what causes him to jump to this conclusion. It could be a simple mistake, or it could be calculated. She did not have a husband or son with her. Her prayer was not the extravagant display of a normal pilgrim, but desperate and small. Behavior he may not have felt comfortable around because he had never needed something so badly from God. Scripture says the prayer is whispered but maybe a few frantic words were audible, and Eli thought her prayer was inappropriate. Hannah was standing up to the one who had closed her womb. God had willed this, who was she to question that will or worse demand it be reversed. Prayer of persuasion is not something a man in Eli’s position would be familiar with because of his life of privilege. 

Thankfully Eli sees his error and his blessing is a sign God will also bless Hannah. The next time she walks into the Temple she is a changed woman. She has given birth to a son and it is time to dedicate him to God’s service. Her prayer shows how much she has changed. She no longer speaks with only her lips moving and no audible words. Now she speaks proudly and strongly. Hannah gives thanks to God for answering her prayer and affirms that God is worthy of praise. Then her voice turns to address anyone who may be listening. As a future reader we too are part of her audience. She speaks to those who kept her down, who wrote her out, who refused to listen. Hannah tells them God has turned the world upside down. When God acts the strong are weak, and the weak are strong. When God moves the hungry become full and the full starve. God’s control reaches from life to death, from those lifted up to those brought down. A woman’s voice echoing off the walls of the Temple. Testifying to the nature of God and proof of God’s work.

When the 116th United States Congress begins, voices of women and minorities will echo in the chambers. Many of them the first to have a voice. While allies have spoken on their behalf for some years the personal representation is world shifting. Elkanah could see Hannah was hurting, could do some things to try and ease her discomfort, but it was only Hannah who could speak her truth. Elkanah can monitor Peninnah to a certain point. The taunts and sideways glances are only extinguished when enemies see their tormenter gain power. Allies are important in advocating for rights, but until the minorities have power the oppression lives on. Allies can work to change laws, but the laws become so much more meaningful when we hear the stories about why the laws are needed from individuals who have lived the pain. Only they can construct a testimony like Hannah’s. A testimony that will not only speak to the nature of God but be living proof God is on their side. A first hand testimony is hard to argue with and the solutions survivors dream up are hard to beat. The 116th congress has a huge asset in their new representatives. They have a fuller human voice to work toward bring God’s Kingdom that much closer.


ILLUSTRATIONS

From team member Ron Love:

Daniel 12:2; Hebrew 10
Salvation / Eternal Life / Forgiveness
George Beverly Shea was born in Canada in 1909. He is best known to us as the soloist for the Billy Graham Crusades, which he began singing for in 1947. Because of the large attendance at the Graham’s Crusades, it is estimated that Shea sang before more people than anyone else in history. Shea is considered to be the first international singing star of the gospel world, as a consequence of his solos at the Billy Graham Crusades and his exposure on radio, records and television.

Shea, who has been known to bring so many others to Christ, accepted Jesus as his savior when he was eighteen. He accepted Christ at Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Shea describes the experience with these words:

When I was 18, my Dad was pastoring a church in Ottawa, and I was feeling not too spiritual. The church was having a “special effort,” as they called it, for a week. I remember that on Friday night Dad came down from the pulpit and tenderly placed his hand on my shoulder. He whispered, “I think tonight might be the night, son, when you come back to the Lord.” Whatever Dad did or said, I listened to him and respected him. And, yes, that was the night!

Shea, attended college, but financial difficulties caused him to drop out of school. He worked various jobs. Because of his strong bass-baritone voice he had many opportunities to sing on radio and in other venues.

Shea first met Billy Graham in 1940 while Graham was pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois. In 1947, he became the first staff member hired by Billy Graham. Shea recalled how he first met Graham:

One morning, there was a rap on my office door. I looked out and there was a tall young man with blond hair and we shook hands. He was 21 and I was 31. It was Billy Graham and he had traveled in from Wheaton College on a train just to say “hello.” He said he listened to my morning hymn show called “Hymns From The Chapel.” That’s how we first got acquainted. I came into this work with Mr. Graham in 1947 after we had exchanged letters and talked on the phone. He said he wanted me to be his gospel singer. I thanked him but told him the only gospel singers I’ve ever heard about would sing a verse or two and stop and talk a while. “Would I have to do that?” I asked him. He chuckled and said, “I hope not.” With that, I said, “Well, I’d like to come with you.” That was in November of 1947 and I’ve been with him ever since.

Shea sang at the unofficial launching of Graham’s crusades in the old Armory in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November 1947. His first song was “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story.”

For a number of years the entire congregation sang the closing invitational hymn “Just As I Am.” Then Shea suggested that the choir alone sing the hymn. This idea came to Shea when he remembered his own call to the altar at Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church when he was eighteen. He recalled how he was convicted of his sins by the Holy Spirit as the church choir sang “Just As I Am.” Shea believed that if only the choir, and not a stadium full of people, sang the altar call hymn more people would be touched by the Holy Spirit. Graham agreed, and from then on every service was closed with the choir singing “Just As I Am.”

Billy Graham also believed, for two reasons, that the hymn “Just As I Am” was the best selection for the closing altar call. Shea shared the thoughts of Billy Graham from a conversation they had regarding the selection:

Billy Graham names two reason why “Just As I Am” was chosen to be used after his message. First, the song repeats as affirmative response, “O Lamb of God, I come,” thus verbalizing what people are doing as they come forward. And second, the words give a strong biblical basis for responding to the call of Christ.

The hymn “Just As I Am” that has become synonymous with Billy Graham and his crusades is sung as follows:

Just as I am, without one plea,
But that thy blood was she’d for me,
And that Thou bidd’st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, and waiting not,
To rid my soul of one dark blot,
To Thee whose blood can cleanse each spot,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, tho’ tossed about,
With many a conflict, many a doubt,
Fightings within and fears without,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, poor, wretched, blind,
Sight, riches, healing of the mind,
Yea, all I need in Thee to find,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, Thou wilt recieve,
Wilt welcome, pardon, cleanse, relieve,
Because Thy promise I believe,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

Just as I am, Thy love unknown,
Hath broken every barrier down;
Now to be Thine, yea, Thine alone,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!

* * *

Hebrews 10:16
Bible
Billy Graham was the most recognized evangelists of the twentieth century. He began his first crusade in November 1947 at the old Armory in Charlotte, North Carolina. By the time of his death it is estimated that he had perched to over 215 million people in 185 countries. During those years he wrote 34 books. The first was Calling Youth to Christ, published in 1947. His last publication, in 2015 was Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond the Now. Graham passed away at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, on February 21, 2018, at the age of 99.

In 1992, Graham announced that he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a disease similar to Parkinson’s Disease. Of the many side effects of hydrocephalus is double vision, which prevented Graham from being able to read. Graham, in his book Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond the Now, reflected on his inability to no longer read the Bible. He wrote:

I always considered it a loss day if I did not spend time reading at least a passage in this sacred Book. Today I cannot see well enough to read, but I am thankful to have committed much of God’s Word to memory.

At her father’s funeral, Anne Graham Lotz shared how much her father loved reading the Bible, and how his poor vison prevented him from doing so. At a private funeral service held on March 2, before 2,300 invited guests, Lotz said:

…my daddy started asking me to read him the Bible, and at first it was very intimidating, and then it became such a joy…He was hard of hearing. So, I would sit in front of him knee to knee, and he would ask me to give him a full sixty-minute message, and he never took his eyes off my face.

* * *

1 Samuel 2:9; Mark 13:5
Evil / Wickedness
Pontius Pilate was Roman prefect of Judaea from 26 to 36. Pilate was a cruel to the Jews over whom he ruled and was responsible for the innocent death of Jesus.

Pilate incurred the rancor of the Jews in Roman-occupied Palestine by insulting their religious sensibilities, as when he hung worship images of the emperor throughout Jerusalem and had coins bearing pagan religious symbols minted. To further alienate the Jews, Pilate had his soldiers enter into Jerusalem with banners bearing the likeness of the emperor.

The non-Christian authors, Tacitus, Philo, and Flavius Josephus, mention not only his name but also many details concerning his person and his rule. In a letter from Agrippa I, cited by Philo, his character is severely judged. It speaks of unlimited harshness, pride, violence, greed, insults, continual executions without trial, and endless and unbearable cruelty.

As a Roman prefect, Pontius Pilate was granted the power of a supreme judge, which meant that he had the sole authority to order a criminal’s execution. This is why the Jewish leaders brought Jesus before him seeking his crucifixion. Pilate’s main concern as a Roman prefect was to maintain peace and order in the land he governed.

Pilate realized that Jesus was innocent. The Bible reports that he calls the charges against Jesus “baseless” and several times declares Jesus to be not guilty: “What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty.” But, in order to appease the Jews and prevent civil unrest, Pilate literally washes his hands of the matter and orders Jesus’ execution.

Pilate’s wife, though, was concerned about the execution of an innocent man, who many considered to be the Son of God. The Bible does not tell us her name, but tradition says her name was Procula. She was so concerned that during the trial she sent her husband a message declaring Jesus’ innocence. In Matthew 27:19 we read, “While he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent word to him, ‘Have nothing to do with that innocent man, for today I have suffered a great deal because of a dream about him.”’ (NRSV)

Disregarding the advice of his wife, Pilate orders Jesus to be crucified.

The early church professes that Procula became a Christian. The church made her a saint, and her feast day is October 27.

The tradition of her conversion goes back at least to the second century, when Origen remarked in section 122 of his Commentary on Matthew that God providentially willed the vision to “turn around Pilate’s wife.” The Latin version is qui voluit per visum convertere Pilati uxorum.

The Gospel of Nicodemus, written in the fourth century, claims that Pilate mentioned Procula’s dream to the Jews, at which they retorted, “Did we not tell you that he [Jesus] was a sorcerer? Behold, he has sent a dream to your wife.”

* * *

1 Samuel 2:2, 9; Psalm 16:1; Hebrews 10:13
Faith / Deliverance
Robert Hawker (1753-1827) was an evangelical Anglican priest and vicar of Charles Church, Plymouth. He wrote many books and was known for witty conversation. He was called the “Star of the West” for his popular preaching. For a work of his on the divinity of Christ, combating the rise of Unitarianism, the University of Edinburgh conferred upon him a degree of Doctor of Divinity in 1792. He also produced the Poor Man’s Morning and Evening Portions that were used long after his death.

It was in the pulpit that “the Doctor” was best known and loved. Thousands flocked to hear the “Star of the West” preach when he was in London. As an evangelical he preached the Bible and proclaimed the love of God. He was said to have great Biblical knowledge and could preach a good sermon on any passage at a moments notice. He was not a man simply of books and sermons. Hawker took his pastoral responsibilities seriously. He regularly visited his parishioners and was diligent in his care for the poor.

In his devotional Poor Man’s Morning and Evening Portions he reflected on Acts 4:31which reads: “When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.” (NRSV) Hawker’s devotion assured readers that they could have full confidence in Jesus:

[W]hat a blessed testimony this [shaking] must have been as confirmation to the disciples, that their God was a prayer-hearing and a prayer-answering God! And what a full reply [it was] to all they had been praying for! The enemies of God, and of his Christ, had threatened the poor disciples what they would do to them if they persisted in preaching Jesus to the people. The purpose, therefore, of the apostles’ prayer was not that the Lord would stop the malice and silence their opposition: this they sought not to avoid. But the single prayer was, that their souls might be animated to go on, let the malice of their foes manifest itself as it might.

In answer, “the place was shaken,” as if the Lord had said, “He that shakes the place, can make your enemies’ hearts tremble.” And so it proved. Now, my soul, take improvement from it. Jesus sees all, knows all, hears all: both your actions and your enemies’ attempts upon you. Carry all complaints, therefore, to him. Depend upon it, that it is blessed to be exercised; blessed for you, that the enemies of God, and of his Christ, threaten you; blessed to be opposed, that you may not rest on your arms, or, like stagnant waters, become foul from sitting still. The hatred of the foes of Jesus affords occasion yet more for Jesus to manifest his love; and though the place where your cries go up is not shaken, the word of his grace gives the same sure answer. Jesus looks on, Jesus upholds, Jesus supports. Call every Bethel as Abraham’s handmaid did: “You are the God who sees me” [Genesis 16:13]. No weapon formed against God’s people can prosper; and every tongue that rises against them in judgment, the Lord will condemn. “This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, says the Lord” [Isaiah 54:17].

* * *

1 Samuel 2:2, 9; Psalm 16:1; Hebrews 10:13
Faith / Deliverance
Saint Martin of Tours was born in in Savaria, Pannonia in either the year 316 or 336 AD. That region is what is today the nation of Hungary. His father was a tribune, which is a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Horse Guard. Martin and his family went with his father when he was assigned to a post at Ticinum, in Northern Italy. It is here that Martin would grew up.

At the age of fifteen, Martin was required to follow his father into the cavalry corps of the Roman military. About the age of 20, Martin made clear to his superiors that he would no longer fight, following his Christian conscience. He refused his pay prior to a battle and announced he would not join in the combat. He became the first recognized conscientious objector in recorded history.

His proclamation occurred before a battle near the modern German city of Worms. His superiors accused him of cowardice and ordered that he be imprisoned. Martin offered to demonstrate his sincerity by going into battle unarmed. This was seen as an acceptable alternative to jailing him, but before the battle could occur, the opposing army agreed to a truce and no conflict took place. Martin was subsequently released from military service.

The best-known instance of Martin’s charity occurred when he was young soldier. During a severe winter many people were dying from the cold. A poor man at the gate of Amiens was ill-clothed. Martin had already parted with all of his spare garments to help the poor and needed his cloak himself. Taking his sword, he divided it into two equal parts, giving half to the poor man. That night, Martin had a vision in which Jesus, wrapped in the beggar’s piece said, “Martin, who is still but a catechumen, clothed me with this robe.”

Released from the military, Martin began his religious studies and became a priest. In 371, the people of Tours lured him to their city with a plea that he come pray over a sick woman. As soon as he entered the town, they surrounded him and made him Bishop by force. As a bishop, Martin never lost his warm sympathy for suffering people. While he preached the gospel, he also assisted the needy and championed political freedom.

According to tradition, Saint Martin of Tours was over eighty years of age when he took a trip to end a squabble at Cande (in modern-day France). Having settled the matter, he was seized by a fever. His disciples pleaded with him not to die and Martin prayed, “Lord, if I am still necessary to thy people, I refuse no labor. Thy holy will be done.” Despite his illness, he lay in ashes, praying continuously with his eyes on heaven. When his disciples pleaded that they be allowed to move him onto straw, Martin replied “It becomes not a Christian to die otherwise than upon ashes. I shall have sinned if I leave you any other example.” The end came on November 8, 397. As he was dying, he saw the devil near him and said: “What are you doing here, cruel beast? You will find nothing in me. Abraham’s bosom is open to receive me.”

* * *

Daniel 12:1; Psalm 16:8; Hebrews 10:20
Faith / Discipleship / Testimony / Salvation
Kathryn Lee Gifford was born on August 16, 1953. She is known as a television host, but she is also a singer and songwriter. She is best known for her 15-year run, from 1985 to 2000 on the talk show Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee, which she co-hosted with Regis Philbin. She married sportscaster and former NFL player and CBS sports broadcaster Frank Gifford in 1986. He died in 2015.

In November 2018 she was interviewed by Billy Hallowell on The Billy Hallowell Podcast. In the interview with Hallowell, Gifford recalled talking with Megyn Kelly, a television talk show host and news reporter, after evangelist Billy Graham died in February 2018. She recalled that Kelly had asked her how she could be so bold in her faith in the entertainment industry. Gifford replied, “If I had the cure for cancer, I knew what it was, would I ever withhold it from anybody, much less somebody who’s suffering from cancer? Never! I feel like I have the cure for the malignancy of the soul and he has a name, and it’s Jesus and I have to share when I’m given a chance because I don’t want people to not know the freedom they can have in Him.”

Gifford continued to discuss our need for Jesus when she told Hallowell, “We all have malignancies of our soul… we’re looking for love in all the wrong places, aren’t we? Instead of the very source of love himself. The one who died so we could know love, true love.”

* * *

1 Samuel 2:9; Psalm 16:8; Hebrews 10:20
Bible / Discipleship / Testimony

A In ADAM’S Fall: We sinned all.
B Heaven to find; The Bible Mind.
C Christ crucify’d; For sinners dy’d....
Z ZACCHEUS he Did climb the Tree Our Lord to See.

Thus, the New England Primer taught the alphabet to its young charges. In addition to presenting “Alphabet Lessons for Youth” the entire textbook used Biblical references for instruction, including a catechism of 107 questions, prayers, creeds, and religious songs. The purpose was threefold: to teach reading; to foster Christian character; and from Adam’s fall to Zacheus’ climb to create a coveted conversion experience. The Latin origin for the word “primer” is “prayer book.” The New England Primer paralleled both concepts of academic education and religious indoctrination. It was often referred to as the “Little Bible” of New England.

The Massachusetts Legislature passed the “Old Deluder Act” of 1647 mandating every town to establish a grammar school in order to thwart “one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of Scripture.” To facilitate this process the New England Primer was first published in 1690 by Benjamin Harris of Boston. It became the standard classroom text in New England as well as along all the regions of the eastern seaboard. The last edition was published in 1805, and copies were still being used in some schools in1900.

It should be noted that most of the signers of the United States Constitution and subsequently the Bill of Rights, which includes the First Amendment, must have treated the use of this book as acceptable. An academic study of this issue and other positions of the founding fathers have led some historians and theologians, this author included, that we have in the 21st Century defined the separation clause too narrowly.

The New England Primer of the eighteenth century transitioned to a new textbook of choice for the nineteenth century, the McGuffey Readers. William Holmes McGuffey, college professor and Presbyterian minister, was asked by a small publishing company in Cincinnati to write a series of four graded readers to be used for primary level students. McGuffey received the invitation through the intervention of a close personal friend, Harriet Beecher Stowe.

The first reader was published in 1836. The fourth volume was completed the following year. His brother, Alexander, wrote the last two remaining books in the 1840s. Practically every American who attended public schools during the second half of the nineteenth century learned reading and moral lessons from these six volumes. McGuffey Readers were among the first textbooks in America that were designed to become progressively more challenging with each additional volume. The books were more progressive in their pedagogy than its eighteenth-century counterpart, but use of biblical words and imagery with corresponding ethical lessons, as in the previous century, were abundant.

In the fourth volume there is the story titled, “Respect for the Sabbath Rewarded.” The story relates of a barber residing in Bath who had become tearfully poor because he would not shave his customers on Sunday. Impoverished, he borrowed a half-penny to buy a candle one Saturday night to provide light for a late arriving customer. In the ensuing conversation it was discovered the client was the long-lost William Reed of Taunton, heir to many thousands of pounds; and of course, the barber was amply rewarded for his sacrificial service to a stranger.

Approximately two-hundred fifty years of American history cojoined academic with religious education in the public schools. This coupling was considered essential for not only producing educated individuals, but for fostering good citizenship and character. It was not until the 1960s that religion was slowly segregated from schools maintained by community tax dollars.

* * *

Daniel 12:1; Psalm 16:8; Hebrews 10:20
Faith / Discipleship / Testimony / Salvation
Constantine I, by name Constantine the Great, and in Latin in full Flavius Valerius Constantinus, was born on February 27, after 280, in Naussus, Moesia, which today is Serbia. He died on died May 22, 337, in Ancyrona, near Nicomedia, Bithynia, which today is Turkey. He was the first Roman emperor to profess Christianity. He not only initiated the evolution of the empire into a Christian state but also provided the impulse for a distinctively Christian culture that prepared the way for the growth of Byzantine and Western medieval culture.

His father Constantius had been co-emperor of the Western Roman empire. Upon his death, his troops proclaimed thirty-two-year-old Constantine emperor. However, the other co-emperor, Maxentius, was determined to hold Italy and Africa for himself. In order to claim the empire, Constantine would have to defeat Maxentius.

Before going into battle Constantine had a vision of a Chi Rho. Chi Rho is a Christian symbol consisting of the intersection of the capital Greek letters Chi (Χ) and Rho (Ρ), which are the first two letters of “Christ” in Greek “Christos.” The Chi-Rho can represent either Christ or Christianity, and is also known as a Christogram. Constantine claims this vison led him to victory in battle. It was also the cause of his conversion experience that led to Rome becoming a Christian empire. It has been questioned if the vison was authentic or just a ploy that Constantine used to rally his troops for battle.

Church historian Eusebius recorded Constantine’s account of the vision. Eusebius is known as the “Father of Church History” for his Historia Ecclesiastica, which is Latin for “Church History,” was published in 313, with the completed ten volumes published in 326. Historia Ecclesiastica is a chronological history of the Early Christianity from the first century to the fourth century. Eusebius in his Historia Ecclesiastica admitted the vison would be hard to believe if Constantine had not sworn to its truth with an oath. Eusebius wrote:

Constantine was praying to his father’s [pagan] god, beseeching him to tell him who he was and imploring him to stretch out his right hand to help him in his present difficulties. While he was fervently praying, an incredible sign appeared to him from heaven.... He said that about noon, when the day was already beginning to decline, he saw with his own eyes the trophy of a cross of light in the heavens, above the sun, and an inscription that said ‘Conquer by This’ attached to it. Seeing this, he and his army, which . . . witnessed the miracle, were struck with amazement.

Pondering the meaning of this sign, Constantine fell asleep. He claimed Christ appeared to him in a dream and commanded him to make a likeness of the sign which he had seen in the heavens and use it as a safeguard in his encounters with his enemies. The next day, Constantine ordered his soldiers to decorate their shields with the sign of the cross and advance on Rome. At that point, Maxentius made a strategic mistake. He came out of Rome’s walls where he could have withstood Constantine indefinitely. He ordered the Milvian Bridge destroyed so Constantine could not use it and constructed a pontoon bridge to support his own troops. He then met Constantine on the outer bank of the Tiber River. Constantine drove Maxentius back to the river bank, where his men rushed the pontoon bridge to escape, causing it to collapse. Maxentius drowned. On October 28, 312, Constantine was victorious at the Battle of Milvian Bridge.

When one considers that the Emperor allowed his wife Helena to build cathedrals across the empire, and in 325 he convened the first church council since the Apostles, the First Council of Nicaea, and that Constantine himself was baptized on his death bed, should attest to the vison’s authenticity.

* * * * * * * * *

From team member Tom Willadsen:

Mark 13:1-8
Application: This is a throw away line that will be remembered: “The disciples had an edifice complex.” (Not every congregation is ready for that one!)

* * *

Alcohol in the Bible
Application: In the first portion of the 1 Samuel reading Eli assumes that Hannah is drunk, because she is praying alone and moving her lips. When she says that she has had neither “wine or strong drink” (NRSV) he practically dismisses her with a blessing.

Elsewhere in scripture, when Peter delivers the first sermon in Christian history on Pentecost (Acts 2), the first thing he says is “Indeed these are not drunk as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning.” (It’s obvious Peter did not attend college in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century.)

At the first miracle recorded in John’s gospel, Jesus turned by jars of water for ceremonial washing into high quality wine. It was so good that the chief steward took the groom aside and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have gotten drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” (2:10)

It is rarely reported in scripture that people are drunk, indeed, even at the wedding in Cana, it is at best implied that it was expected that wedding guests would be drunk. Presumably the party had been going on for a while, in that they had run out of wine.

In Zechariah 12:2 the prophet foretells that Jerusalem will be a “cup of reeling for all the surrounding peoples,” perhaps indicating the type of destruction an intoxicated person can do.

Psalm 104:15 says that the Lord caused the earth to provide food and “wine to gladden the human heart.”

Finally, the first thing Noah does after the Flood is plant a vineyard, get drunk and take off his clothes.

Alcohol is a mixed bag in scripture; both a blessing and a curse. Timing is everything.

* * *

Alcohol in 21st century America
The tide is changing, especially since the #MeToo movement took off.  “Boys will be boys” is no longer an accepted defense for unwelcome sexual contact. Being drunk is becoming a weaker defense for men accused of sexual assault. Yes, we have a long way to go, and we’re nowhere near a return to Prohibition, but alcohol’s place in society is evolving, just as women are finding their voices and speaking against sexual assault, helping everyone see how common an experience it is. It has taken too long, and we still have a long way to go, but we are beginning to hear and believe “the voices of peoples long silenced.” A Brief Statement of Faith.

* * *

Worthless woman
Application: In the Christian sequence of books in what we call the Old Testament, 1 Samuel follows Ruth. While Ruth is the embodiment of the “ideal wife,” there is strong contrast with Eli’s perception of Hannah. Remember, in the Jewish scriptures, the Book of Ruth follows Proverbs, which ends in an ode to the “ideal woman” or “capable wife.” Could the Christian sequence also tell us something about Hannah, who though not an immigrant and convert, proves herself worthy and valuable by giving birth -- at last -- to the priest who will one day anoint David?

* * *

Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18), 19-25
Application: The curtain
The author of Hebrews stressed in today’s reading that the economy of sacrifice is no longer needed, nor valid; Christ’s sacrifice has ended the need for that practice. In fact, priests (that is, those who stand between the people and God) are no longer needed. The curtain that separates the people from God has been opened by Christ.

When Christ died on the Cross in Luke’s gospel (22:45) the curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the rest of the temple was torn in two, again symbolizing that because of Christ there is no longer a need for a mediator between God and humanity.

* * *

Mark 13:1-8
Application: This is really the end of the line for Jesus speaking out against the Temple and its leaders.  He’s been at odds with the scribes, Pharisees, chief priests, etc. since “Palm Monday.” (Mark alone has Jesus ride up to the temple, check his watch, then retreat to Bethany with the 12. In Mark he starts provoking the leaders the next day.)

Immediately following this day’s Mark reading, the focus of the gospel is on the crucifixion. And with Christ the King Sunday next week, we break off the continuous reading of Mark with this reading.

* * *

Mark 13:1-8
Application: Signs?
Peter, James and John, the Executive Council of the Disciples, ask Jesus for signs to indicate when the things Jesus has told them to be ready for will happen. His answer, looking back through 20 centuries, does not offer any clarity. Has there ever been a time free from “wars and rumors of wars?” Has earth ever gone very long without earthquakes and famines? This might be a moment to remind smug, complacent 21st century American mainline Christians that Christ can return at any time! The epistles are rife with the expectation, even urgency that Christ will come in the very near future. The first Christians were not buying green bananas! They expected Christ to return before the bananas would be ripe. (I find it best to explain this insight; too many people have been baffled by it.) [But you get it, don’t you?] Why not reintroduce that expectation this week? 

* * *

SPECIAL BONUS STORY, THIS WEEK ONLY!

(This appeared in the Main Article June 3, 2018, but it’s even more relevant with the 1 Samuel reading for today.)

I was sitting in Jimmy’s Woodlawn Tap on 55th Street in Chicago when someone said, “Too bad beer isn’t in the Bible.”

I replied, “I can find beer in the Bible.”

“Nuh-uh.”

“Yeah-huh. Wanna bet? I’ll bet you a beer I can find “beer” in the Bible!”

“OK, but it has to be the beverage; ‘Beer-Sheba’ doesn’t count.”

“You’re on!”

Someone found a New International Version. 1 Samuel 1:15 reads, “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord.”

The surprise is not that I found “beer” in the Bible. The surprise is someone found a Bible in Jimmy’s Woodlawn Tap.

I don’t remember what brand of beer I won, but not remembering is kind of the point of going to Jimmy’s.

* * * * * * * * *

From team member Chris Keating:

1 Samuel 1:4-20
Infertility and shame
The men in Hannah’s life seem to have the right intentions, yet their words convey a implicit sense of shame at her struggle to conceive. Elkanah, her husband, and Eli, the priest, both appear clueless in the face of Hannah’s pain. Even though Elkanah’s other wife has bullied Hannah, he seems unaware of why Hannah would be depressed. Worse, Eli mistakes Hannah’s faithful prayer as drunken mumblings.

Hannah’s story of infertility will ring true for many women and couples. Anna Almendrala shares her story of infertility on a podcast called “IVFML.”  In an article on Huffington Post, Almendrala debunks what she calls one of the prevailing myths associated with infertility in the United States -- that most couples are getting the help they need. But Almendrala notes the financial and emotional burdens facing couples trying to conceive hides a deeper, more painful truth.

That fact is this: Most childless people in the U.S. who can’t conceive a baby or carry a pregnancy to term have not seen a doctor about it. And even if they have, they probably can’t afford the infertility treatments, rarely covered by even the best health insurance, that might ultimately resolve their medical issue.

In this country, we think of infertility as a private tragedy to overcome with individual grit and a personal credit line. If you don’t have either of those things, you’re S.O.L.

* * *

Beyond silence
In her just-released memoir, Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama discloses the struggle she and President Obama had with miscarriage and infertility. She shared her story with ABC’s Robin Roberts, hoping that women and families experiencing infertility might discover that they are not alone. Her distress became particularly acute following a miscarriage.

“I felt lost and alone. And I felt like I failed because I didn’t know how common miscarriages were because we don’t talk about them,” Obama told ABC’s Robin Roberts in an interview Friday. “We sit in our own pain, thinking that somehow we’re broken.”

* * *

Hebrews 10:11-14, 19-25
Holding Fast and meeting together
On Sunday, members of a Southern California church heeded the advice of the Epistle of Hebrews by meeting together, even following a week of deadly wildfires and a horrific mass shooting.

Members of the Godspeak Calvary Church in Ventura county offered prayers for friends and families who were victims of the Borderline Bar & Grill shooting. Shooting survivor Alex Chatoff said attending worship helped him feel a little safer.

Chatoff was injured as he and his girlfriend escaped from the bar by crawling out of a window. Others attending the service had been forced from their homes during the wildfires which had pushed through nearby Conejo Valley.

The church’s pastor urged church members to draw on each other, reminding them that worship was a place where grief can be expressed. Senior pastor Rob McCoy, who is also a member of the Thousand Oaks, California, city council, said that after spending an evening waiting with families involved in the shooting, he returned home to learn he had to immediately evacuate.

McCoy says tragedy is a “a baseball bat to the foundation of whatever you believe.” You got enough power to get through this on your own?” he asked. “Because you’re going to run out and you’re going to have an empty well.”


WORSHIP
by George Reed

Call to Worship:
Leader: Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
People: You are my God; I have no good apart from you.
Leader: God is my chosen portion and my cup.
People: The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places.
Leader: Let us bless God who gives us counsel.
People: Let our hearts be glad and our souls rejoice.

OR

Leader: Let our hearts exult in our God.
People: There is no rock like our God.
Leader: God raises up the poor.
People: God lifts those who are needy.
Leader: The pillars of the earth belong to God.
People: On them, the earth has been set.    

Hymns and Songs:
For the Beauty of the Earth
UMH: 92
H82: 416
PH: 473
NNBH: 8
NCH: 28
CH: 56
LBW: 561
ELA: 879
W&P: 40
AMEC: 578
STLT: 21

Now Thank We All Our God
UMH: 102
H82: 396/397
PH: 555
NNBH: 330
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533/534
ELA: 839/840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT: 32

I Sing the Almighty Power of God
UMH: 152
H82: 398
PH: 288
NCH: 12
W&P: 31
Renew: 54

This Is a Day of New Beginnings
UMH: 383
NCH: 417
CH: 518
W&P: 355

Jesu, Jesu
UMH: 432
H82: 602
PH: 367
NCH: 498
CH: 600
ELA: 708
W&P: 273
CCB: 66
Renew: 289

This Is My Song
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELA: 887
STLT: 159

Let There Be Light
UMH: 440
NNBH: 450
NCH: 589
STLT 142

Be Thou My Vision
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELA: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151

Walk With Me
CCB: 88

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
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship

Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who created each of us with the dignity of your image:
Grant us the grace to allow that image to shine in us
and to encourage that dignity in the lives of others;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

OR

We praise you, O God, because you created all of us with the dignity of your image. You made us to shine with your power and presence. Help us to remember this and to not cloud your light. Keep us from trying to stifle the holy glow in others so that we can assist them in claiming their dignity. Amen.

Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to see your dignity in ourselves and in others. 

People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have allowed your image to be overshadowed with our conceit. We have looked down on others and caused them to doubt their own dignity given to them by you. In our arrogance we have undervalued others and ourselves. Call us back to our right mind so that we may allow your glory to shine through all your children. Amen.

Leader: God has created us for glory. Receive God’s grace and love allowing God’s light to shine through you and into the lives of others so they can see their own light.

Prayers of the People
Praise and glory to you, O God, who created your children out of your boundless love. You made us in your image and filled us with your own self.

(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 have allowed your image to be overshadowed with our conceit. We have looked down on others and caused them to doubt their own dignity given to them by you. In our arrogance we have undervalued others and ourselves. Call us back to our right mind so that we may allow your glory to shine through all your children.

We thank you for our good earth and our place as your children. We thank you for those reflect your glory among us.

(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)

We pray for all your people in their need. We pray for those who are trodden down and abused so that they can no longer see your glory in themselves.

(Other intercessions may be offered.)

All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:

Our Father....Amen.

(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service)

All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.

Children’s Sermon Starter
Take a picture of a lovely scene and use chalk to cover the glass. You may need to wet the chalk. Talk about what a beautiful picture this is. When the children say they can’t see it use a wet rag to remove the chalk and show them the picture. Talk about how all of us have a beauty inside because God made us. Sometimes we allow it to get covered up.



CHILDREN’S SERMON
Am I Irritating You?
by Chris Keating
Hebrews 10:11-14 (15-18) 19-25

Imagine you are taking several small children on a long car ride. The day starts off full of promise. The van is packed, everyone is buckled in, and the trip begins with smiles and laughter. It’s going to be a great day!

And then…a hundred or so miles down the road, the boredom monster pays a visit. The youngest starts to wiggle. The oldest lets her feet drift over an imaginary border separating siblings. But the middle one commits the worst sin of them all: he is actually breathing on his older sister. The audacity!

The cry goes up: “Mom! Dad!”

It’s a scenario familiar to many veterans of family car trips, and it is likely a scenario that might bring smiles of recognition to the children gathered in worship. We all know what it is like to try and hold in our feelings of frustration, only to have someone provoke us. When that happens, watch out!

Invite the children to consider the meaning of the word “provoke.” Many times, when we use the word, we mean that someone has done something to make us upset, irritated, or angry. They may be able to identify some things which irritate them, such as sitting still in church, waiting at a doctor’s office, or doing homework. Getting irritated is part of life, and each of us has a limit for tolerating provocations.

It takes a long time to learn how to deal with provocations in helpful, non-reacting ways.

This is what makes our scripture this week so intriguing. The writer says that the church has a responsibility to “provoke one another to love and good deeds.” In some translations, this verse may read “encourage one another,” (JB Philips) “help one another,” (Good News) or “sparking” (Common English Bible). Sparking is a good image -- when a hard, sharp rock strikes against a piece of iron, it can spark or cause a fire.

The writer of the Hebrews has a message for the church: it is our duty to “spark” each other into doing good deeds. We ought to be irritating (in a nice way!) until the entire church is helping the poor, feeding the hungry, taking care of people. With Thanksgiving around the corner, the children may already by thinking of ways they can help others. Encourage them to name some concrete steps their Sunday school class or even the church can do to help other people.

There’s a difference, of course, between being irritating and the sort of “irritating” that encourages good deeds in faith. The point is that the church lives into the hope of Christ when we encourage each other to do things which show God’s love.

How can we spark one another to love? What are some actions we can take to show God’s care for people who lost their homes to fires in California, or hurricanes in Florida? This is the way the church and Christians can be irritating, prompting one another to offer the love God has given to us.


* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The Immediate Word, November 18, 2018, issue.

Copyright 2018 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.