Citizens Of Heaven
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
A clear theme emerges from the lectionary texts for the Second Sunday in Lent -- how we deal with our enemies and (more broadly speaking) evil in the world. In the Genesis passage God tells Abram not to be afraid because "I am your shield," and tells Abram that "your reward shall be very great" (i.e., the covenant). In the gospel reading, Jesus confronts this issue directly when he pointedly refuses to flee the area where he is teaching and healing, even though he is warned by some Pharisees that Herod is plotting his demise. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer suggests that these texts have a powerful word to speak to us about where we truly find our security. Dean points out that all too often we look for protection in worldly things... and as a result, often retreat behind man-made barriers that we imagine can keep us safe. Yet what we are really commanded to do is to trust in the Lord and engage with the world rather than withdraw from it -- even in the face of mortal danger... and that level of trust is much easier to talk about than to actually accomplish.
Team member Leah Lonsbury shares some additional thoughts on Jesus' response to the threat posed by Herod. There is a definite subtext in the Psalm text of fear and tears of mourning, and Leah suggests that this is also present in the gospel passage with Jesus' lament for Jerusalem. Yet even so, Jesus makes a point of continuing on with the work that needs to be done -- even in the face of very real danger and apprehension about the possible consequences of persisting on his path... and Leah lifts up several examples from the headlines of people who are exemplifying similar courage and perseverance.
Citizens of Heaven
by Dean Feldmeyer
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17--4:1; Luke 13:31-35
But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).
The Lord is my light and my salvation... the stronghold of my life (Psalm 27:1).
Really? It's one thing to sing psalms about how we put our faith and trust in God. It's another thing to actually do it.
If God is my light, why do I need that fancy college degree?
If God is my salvation, why do I need a semi-automatic weapon?
If God is the stronghold of my life, then what's with that big savings account and that fat pension?
This week all four of the lections lead us back to that same question: What does it look like to really put our faith and trust in God? And why is it so difficult?
THE WORLD
The National Rifle Association would have us believe that the rule of law has failed. We cannot trust God, the government, the police, or our neighbors. If we are to be safe we must make ourselves safe through the barrel of a gun. The only time everyone will be safe is when everyone is armed.
The military-industrial complex gives us the same message, just on a bigger scale. The latest issue of The Christian Century magazine (February 20, 2013; Vol. 130, No. 4) quotes The New Yorker , reminding us that "historically Americans tended to be suspicious of standing armies, preferring instead to use temporary militias. It was not until World War II that a standing army was established, with some dissent.... A permanent Department of Defense wasn't established until after the war. Now the U.S. not only has a standing army, it has perpetual war... war perpetuated by what President Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex. Lockheed Martin alone has annual defense contracts of about $30 billion and spends $15 million a year on lobbying and campaign contributions."
TV ads for life insurance companies remind us that we could die at any moment and only they can insure a safe, secure future for our families. Automobile insurance is the only thing that can protect us from that rascal "Mayhem".
And only a fool trusts the grocery store any more. That pound of coffee or peanut butter you used to buy? Check again. Chances are it looks the same but it's less than a pound. And the MSN website recently listed fourteen foods you cannot trust. The list included such heretofore trustworthy items as strawberries, corn, popcorn, diet soda, swordfish, canned tomatoes, and "anything from McDonalds." Apparently the only thing you can trust is lists that run on the MSN website.
So is there such a thing as safety? Can we achieve security? Is there anything we can trust?
THE WORD
All four of the scripture selections for this week address this issue. All four talk about where the People of God place their trust.
Abraham (called Abram in this reading from the Hebrew Scriptures) placed his trust in God: "...he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned that trust to Abram as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). The message seems to be that if you are willing to take the risk of entering into covenant with God, God will be faithful to that covenant. God is trustworthy.
The psalmist makes his point more stridently. The Lord is his light and his salvation; he need not fear anyone else. The Lord is the stronghold of her life; she is not afraid. Indeed, even when the psalmist's enemies have surrounded him, he will make his sacrifice to the Lord with shouts of joy. No need to ask where the poet's trust has been placed.
In the Philippians passage Paul reminds us that those who set their minds on lesser (earthly) things are always undone. We, however, are citizens not of any earthly kingdom but of God's kingdom, heaven, and it is from that alternative kingdom, not from the state or national capital, that our savior comes.
Finally, in the gospel lesson Jesus is warned that Herod wants him killed. How does he respond? Does he raise an army? Arm himself to the teeth? Hire an attorney and demand his rights? No, he simply goes about his work, relying on God to protect and care for him.
In the season of Lent the lectionary takes a moment to remind us from whence our security truly comes: "...not with swords loud clashing, nor roll of stirring drums; with deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes" ("Lead On, O King Eternal," United Methodist Hymnal #580).
CRAFTING THE SERMON
In the popular television show Justified, Appalachian career criminal Boyd Crowder meets with an envoy from the Detroit mafia. The mafia messenger notes the armed men standing around the bar where they meet and laments the lack of trust they represent. Boyd responds with a disarming smile: "But sir, we are untrustworthy men."
Boyd Crowder does not trust other people. He puts his trust in guns, power, and the fear he is able to instill in others. Perhaps he is such a popular character because there is a little bit of Boyd Crowder in all of us.
We do not trust the promises of others that we will be safe. We want to ensure that safety ourselves. We want to do the Lord's work, but we want to do it in a safe environment where we are guaranteed to come to no harm. Often we are even willing to break God's commandments if it enables us to do God's work, a paradox that often escapes even the most pious of Christians.
We arm ourselves and our nation and then declare ourselves "Christian," even though what others see is not our deeds of love and mercy so much as our willingness and ability to kill more people faster than they can.
A preacher with a prophetic voice may wish to address that paradox in contemporary American Christian life.
Another track will lead us to the scriptural admonition to trust God, while also confessing that the assurance God offers is often not of the kind we expect. God offers divine protection not from suffering -- Christians suffer just like everyone else. Neither does God protect us from the pain of loss. Even the most perfect Christian grieves.
God does not promise us a life of ease and comfort as a reward for faithfulness. Even the briefest encounter with the biblical stories of God's people will make that abundantly clear. God does not promise us a life sheltered from difficulty. What God promises us is that, if we place our trust in God, our lives will be not safe, not secure, but authentic. That is what it means to be a citizen of heaven -- to live authentically.
Perhaps that is the real meaning of Genesis 15:6. Abram believed in God, put his trust in God, was faithful to his covenant with God -- and God rewarded Abram by giving him not an easy, sheltered life but an authentically human life... rich, full, and overflowing with the power that is found in meaning.
SECOND THOUGHTS
We Must Be On Our Way
by Leah Lonsbury
Luke 13:31-35
Last Saturday, February 16, 2013, was Jordan Davis' 18th birthday. But instead of prepping for a party, the day found his parents, Ron Davis and Lucia Kay McBath, preparing for the biggest fight of their lives.
Last November, Jordan Davis was shot and killed in a Jacksonville, Florida, gas station parking lot by Michael Dunn. Here's how Janell Ross of the Huffington Post reports Dunn's side of the story...
Dunn claims he demanded that Jordan and his friends, who were riding inside an SUV, turn down the car's music. They argued and Dunn fired his weapon eight or nine times. He said he had been frightened by the barrel of a shotgun he saw emerging from the rear window of the SUV, and the sense that he was facing down a group of dangerous thugs.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has determined that no one in the SUV was armed at the time of the shooting.
What should be a celebration had become a day of mourning. But that's not all it was. While their hearts are still aching, Jordan's parents are launching a campaign to force Dunn to atone for his actions and his statements. They're suing Dunn for slander after his lawyer made statements making the victims out to be "thug-like aggressors" and tarnishing their reputations and standing in the community. They also intend for Dunn to face a wrongful death by murder charge, as well as defamation and inflicting emotional distress. Through these actions, they will also be working to challenge the across-the-board civil and criminal immunity that Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law provides. They hope that out of their loss will come significant change when they give Florida gun owners with concealed-carry permits a new reason to reconsider using their weapons -- the possible loss of their assets.
"My life, Jordan's mother's life, his brother's life have been forever changed," said Ron Davis. "One way or another I am convinced -- no, I am compelled to make sure that something changes here."
Jordan Davis' parents can expect a series of hearings and likely appeals. This will not be an easy or short fight, but it's one they're willing to take on to make real, significant change that will save other parents the same grief.
In our gospel lesson for this Sunday, Jesus also knows he is facing an uphill battle that will be fraught with challenges and danger and many sources of resistance. Yet his face is set for Jerusalem, and the threat his disciples report from Herod doesn't seem to faze him.
Despite the threat and the road ahead that will ultimately lead to his death, Jesus sounds bold and focused. He has a purpose and he will not be stopped, not by his fear (there must have been some quaking going on in his sandals) or that of his disciples. He will not bow to the powers-that-be, because change must happen. He tells his trembling followers: "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem' " (vv. 32-33).
But underneath this determination, we can also sense the heartache and disappointment that drives Jesus. We know why he does what he does -- because he is mourning what has been and is the current state of things. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem!" he says, "the city that kills the prophets and stones the ones who are sent to it. How often I have desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (v. 34).
We can sense the vulnerability that undergirds his determination here, the heart he has for the world's brokenness, and the potential he sees in the mess that surrounds him. He knows things must and can change, the work that keeps him busy "today, tomorrow, and the next day" (and every day until the day of his death) must and can become the work of the people of Jerusalem and all God's beloved. That work is the work of love, of healing and freeing people for new life in God. For this reason, his heartache and feelings of tenderness don't stop him. He doesn't get mired down -- because there is work to do, change to make happen, and love to unleash.
Jesus faces the place of his death, the city that kills those who would bring it a new word of hope of love, and he expresses his desire and intentions for something different. He knows he is on the road to resurrected, redeemed, and renewed life ("on the third day I finish my work" -- v. 32), and he will not be deterred, no matter what kind of fox (or cross) he has to face.
Like Jordan Davis' parents, Jesus mourns what has been and is currently, and he moves on to what needs to be for the new life.
*****
There are many possible news "hooks" to help the preacher make this week's gospel story come alive via our current context. Here are a few...
* California legislator Leland Yee has been working on gun control legislation for his state. As a result, Yee has received death threats from Everett Basham, who has since been arrested after explosives and firearms were discovered at his home. Yee's response? "I want to make it crystal clear -- these threats and any others will not deter me and my colleagues from addressing the critical issues surrounding gun violence. This case is very troubling and only further demonstrates the need to address this epidemic."
* White House press secretary Jay Carney recently shared with reporters that First Lady Michele Obama had attended the funeral of Hadiya Pendleton, the Chicago teen who was shot and killed a short time after performing in the inaugural festivities. Carney said that the president and the first lady's thoughts and prayers were with the Pendleton family, and added: "As the president has said, we will never be able to eradicate every act of evil in this country, but if we can save any one child's life, we have an obligation to try when it comes to the scourge of gun violence."
* Hadiya Pendleton's family and other gun violence survivors are seeking to encourage members of Congress to pass gun control measures being debated in the Senate. They are still mourning what happened but also moving forward to make change.
* In a speech in his adoptive hometown following the State of the Union, President Obama named the great losses Chicago has endured because of an epidemic of gun violence. The city suffered over 500 homicides in 2012, including a record number of gun deaths for victims under the age of 18. "That's the equivalent of a Newtown every four months," Obama said. He told the crowd he was there to talk about "raising our children," and spoke about the challenges young people in Chicago face beyond the threat of gun violence -- those involving education, economics, family support, securing housing, and general public safety. Below is an excerpt from the speech that acknowledges the reality and the size of the challenges on the ground in Chicago and many other hometowns, but also issues a call for action:
But I've also said no law or set of laws can prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. When a child opens fire on another child, there's a hole in that child's heart that government can't fill -- only community and parents and teachers and clergy can fill that hole. In too many neighborhoods today -- whether here in Chicago or the farthest reaches of rural America -- it can feel like for a lot of young people the future only extends to the next street corner or the outskirts of town; that no matter how much you work or how hard you try, your destiny was determined the moment you were born. There are entire neighborhoods where young people, they don't see an example of somebody succeeding. And for a lot of young boys and young men, in particular, they don't see an example of fathers or grandfathers, uncles, who are in a position to support families and be held up and respected.
And so that means that this is not just a gun issue. It's also an issue of the kinds of communities that we're building. And for that, we all share a responsibility, as citizens, to fix it. We all share a responsibility to move this country closer to our founding vision that no matter who you are, or where you come from, here in America, you can decide your own destiny. You can succeed if you work hard and fulfill your responsibilities....
And those of you who worked with me, Reverend Love, you remember, it wasn't easy. Progress didn't come quickly. Sometimes I got so discouraged I thought about just giving up. But what kept me going was the belief that with enough determination and effort and persistence and perseverance, change is always possible; that we may not be able to help everybody, but if we help a few then that propels progress forward. We may not be able to save every child from gun violence, but if we save a few, that starts changing the atmosphere in our communities. We may not be able to get everybody a job right away, but if we get a few folks a job, then everybody starts feeling a little more hopeful and a little more encouraged. Neighborhood by neighborhood, one block by one block, one family at a time.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Confidence comes in two forms: realistic and foolish.
The Florida Everglades have been overrun by Burmese pythons. These snakes are not natural to the Everglades, and they have no natural predators. They are also known to reproduce hundreds of offspring each year. At 20 feet in length they have eaten themselves through the Everglades, destroying the tenuous ecosystem that exists.
In order to control their number and population growth, the Florida Fish and Game Commission last month declared a one-month "Python Challenge". During this month, which ended February 10, cash prizes were given to the person who killed the largest python and to the individual who killed the most pythons.
Probably less motivated by the cash prize and more enthralled by the hunt, over 1,000 people from 30 states came to participate in the harvest. During the event, the license requirements for snake hunting were suspended. The only assured way of killing a python is to shoot it in the head or decapitate it.
Nick Wiley, the commissioner, said of suspending the license requirements, "We feel like anybody can get out in the Everglades and figure out how to try and find these things."
Application: Releasing over 1,000 people into a hostile environment, searching out an even more hostile reptile, could be considered foolish confidence. Placing your trust in the Lord, as instructed by the Psalmist, is healthy confidence.
* * *
Paula Deen, best known for her Food Network show Paula's Home Cooking , is famous for her Southern-style recipes, which are featured in the 14 cookbooks she has authored.
Deen is admired for her comeback story. After her divorce, she was left with only $200. Money was tight as she raised two children and her younger brother, Earl ("Bubba"). She tried hanging wallpaper, working as a bank teller, selling real estate and insurance. She then started a catering service, making sandwiches and meals, which her sons Jamie and Bobby delivered. This venture turned into her first restaurant and later into her own television show.
Looking back on her life of trials and tribulations, Deen says: "I have felt hopelessness, and it is a terrible feeling.... I want to bring hope to other people."
Application: The story of Abraham and the promise that his decedents will exceed the number of stars is a message of despair giving rise to hope, then offering that hope to future generations.
* * *
Hyla Merin never knew her father. Hyla's mother was seven months pregnant with her when he died in battle, and since the death seldom spoke of her husband. The only picture Hyla had of her father was a wedding photograph, as he stood in uniform with his bride. Relatives gave a few details that he died in battle in Italy during World War II, but little more was mentioned.
But Hyla recently discovered the truth about her father, thanks to the manager of an apartment complex where Hyla's mother once lived. The manager discovered in a vacant apartment a shoebox containing medals and correspondence. So he contacted a volunteer organization, Purple Hearts Reunited, to find the surviving family members of a forgotten war hero.
It turns out that on May 3, 1945, a few days before the war ended, the 351st Infantry regiment of the 88th Division was ambushed by the Germans. With his men being slaughtered in Italy's Po Valley, 2nd Lieutenant Hyman Markel charged ahead in front of his men and singlehandedly neutralized an enemy machine gun. For this act of valor he gave his life. In recognition of his act of bravery, a Jewish man who loved mathematics received the Silver Star and Purple Heart, along with a half-dozen other medals.
Hyla now proudly displays the medals in her home, in remembrance of her father's valor and the soldiers who died in the ambush.
Application: As Jesus asks his adversaries to see the good works he is doing, we can see the goodness and faithfulness of others by their sacrificing and dedicated service to others.
* * *
Rev. Robert Morris, the pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Newtown, Connecticut, participated in an ecumenical worship with President Obama two days after 20 children were slain at Sandy Hook Elementary School. For his participation in this service, Rev. Matthew Harrison, the president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, had Morris removed from the ministry.
According to Harrison, the pastor violated two provisions of the church's constitution. The first was "unionism," which forbids the mingling of Lutheran and other Christian denominations. The second was "syncretism," which forbids the mingling of Christians with non-Christians. Both were present at the memorial service: pastors from other denominations, and the President of the United States, who represented a secular service.
Morris defended himself by saying, "I did not believe my participation to be an act of joint worship, but one of mercy to a community shocked and grieving an unspeakable horrific event." With that statement Morris accepted his call for resignation, apologizing "where I have caused offense by pushing Christian freedom too far."
As a result of public outrage, Harrison had Morris reinstated.
Application: Jesus cautioned that the work we do in honor of God is seen in our compassionate work toward others, unrestricted by legalism.
* * *
As the story of Manti Te'o, the star linebacker for Norte Dame, has unfolded, more questions about his character have arisen that offset any notion of his naiveté regarding his fictitious online girlfriend Lennay Kekua.
Though Te'o claimed it was strictly a platonic internet and telephone courtship, he did meet with Kekua's stand-in once in Hawaii, where he grew up -- a liaison he never mentioned in public interviews. After learning from a phone call on December 6 that it was a hoax, he did not inform university officials until December 26. Twice during that gap, on December 8 and 11, he publicly affirmed his loving relationship with Kekua, saying that upon learning she had cancer, it had motivated him to visit children's cancer wards, and that her impending death spurred him onto victory, as he said Kekua "made me promise when it happened that I would stay and play."
Application: As Paul asks that we are to imitate his service to the Lord, we must be cautious of all those whom we chose to imitate and guide our lives.
* * *
From team member Mary Austin:
Where Our Security Comes From...
Desmond Tutu, the South African Nobel Peace Prize winner and retired Anglican bishop, says: "One of the things we learned in South Africa is that there is no true security from the barrel of a gun... as we saw in South Africa, there is no peace without justice, and safety only comes when desperation ends. Inevitably it is when people sit down and talk that desperation ends. Negotiations happen not between friends but between enemies. And a surprising thing does seem to take place, at least it did in South Africa. Enemies begin to find that they can actually become friends, or at least collaborators for the common good. They come together and then actually they ask themselves, "Why did we take so long to get to this point? Why did so many people have to die?" Of course, you must have leaders who are willing to take risks and not just seek to satisfy the often-extreme feelings of their constituencies. They have to lead by leading and be ready to compromise, to accommodate, and not to be intransigent, not to assert that they have a bottom line. Intransigence and ultimatums only lead to more death."
* * *
Living with Fear
Best-selling author Frances Moore Lappe, who wrote Diet for a Small Planet, tells about living with fear in a time when everything key in her seemed to be falling apart. She says that "we are living in a culture increasingly dominated by fear... but fear doesn't have to stop us. I learned this when my world came apart. I was living a lifelong dream of a family life combined with an organization to promote living democracy -- all on a gorgeous 45-acre compound in rural Vermont. I'd spent a decade building my dream, and then it started to crumble, piece by piece -- my marriage, my organization, my confidence."
She adds that connection can be an antidote to fear: "Few of us can go it alone, but we can choose who we bring into our lives. We can choose who will reinforce our risk taking. That's what happened when my own life crumbled. The people who came into my life bolstered me to take more risks, to be even more true to myself."
Fear of what others think once tied us together in groups necessary for survival, but Moore says, "I think we are at a new evolutionary stage. We evolved in tightknit tribes in which we faced death if we didn't have the support of the rest of the tribe. So little wonder that it can seem unthinkable to say 'no, thanks' to the modern-day equivalent of our tribe -- our fear-driven culture.... [But now] breaking with the pack may be exactly what we should be doing. Saying 'no' to the dominant culture that is trapping us in destructive ways of living might be the most life-serving thing we can do. Fear doesn't necessarily mean that we have to stop. It doesn't mean that we are failures. It doesn't mean that we are cowards. It means that we are human beings walking into the unknown, and that we are risking breaking with others for something we believe in."
* * *
Awe Is the Cure for What Ails You
Stacey Kennelly writes: "Always plugged in and constantly juggling tasks at work and at home, many of us feel there aren't enough hours in the day. But wouldn't it be awesome to feel like you had more time? In fact, that feeling might only be as far as a trip to the mountains, the sea, or a place with a clear sky where you can see the stars."
She adds: "A new study suggests that the experience of awe -- which psychologists define as the feeling we get when we come across something so strikingly vast in number, scope, or complexity that it alters the way we understand the world -- may help relieve feelings of impatience. What's more, it might make us more generous with how we spend our time, and improve our overall well-being." A recent study compared two groups of people, and Kennelly observes that "One group saw images that inspired awe while the other saw images that inspired happiness." The group that was awed reported a greater sense of ease and peace.
The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom then shall we fear, or allow to make us stressed and worried?
* * *
The Place of Sorrow in Our Lives
A Chinese proverb reminds us that sorrow is present in all of our lives, but we get to choose how we live with it: "You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair."
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: God is our light and our salvation; whom shall we fear?
People: God is the stronghold of our life; of whom shall we be afraid?
Leader: One thing we ask of God that will we seek after:
People: To live in the house of God all the days of our lives.
Leader: For God will hide us in a shelter in the day of trouble;
People: God will set us high on a rock.
OR
Leader: Come to the rock of our salvation.
People: We come to find in God our true security.
Leader: Do not trust in power and violence.
People: Security lies only in the arms of our God.
Leader: In God alone can we dwell secure.
People: Under the shadow of God's wings, we are safe.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"O God, Our Help in Ages Past"
found in:
UMH: 117
H82: 680
AAHH: 170
NNBH: 46
NCH: 25
CH: 67
LBW: 320
ELA: 632
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"
found in:
UMH: 110
H82: 687/688
PH: 260
AAHH: 124
NNBH: 37
NCH: 439/440
CH: 65
LBW: 228/229
ELA: 503/504/505
"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms"
found in:
UMH: 133
AAHH: 371
NNBH: 262
NCH: 471
CH: 560
ELA: 774
"On Eagle's Wings"
found in:
UMH: 143
CH: 77
ELA: 787
CCB: 97
Renew: 112
"Stand By Me"
UMH: 512
NNBH: 318
CH: 629
"My Jesus, I Love Thee"
found in:
UMH: 172
AAHH: 574
NNBH: 39
CH: 349
"Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee"
found in:
UMH: 175
H82: 642
PH: 310
NCH: 507
CH: 102
LBW: 316
ELA: 754
"Hope of the World"
found in:
UMH: 178
H82: 472
PH: 360
NCH: 46
CH: 538
LBW: 493
"Learning to Lean"
found in:
CCB: 74
"God Is So Good"
found in:
CCB: 75
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is our rock of salvation: Grant us the grace to find in you our security that allows us to truly live as children of the most high; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, as our rock and our salvation. Help us to listen for your voice this day so that we may live as your true children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially the ways in which we place our security in things that are not substantial.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We surround ourselves with walls and fences, and we think we are safe. We arm ourselves and put in alarm systems, and we think we are secure. We forget that it is the core of our lives that are most vulnerable, our very souls. We forget that it is only in trusting in you that we will be safe in the midst of all calamities. Forgive us our foolishness and call us back to stand securely in you. Amen.
Leader: God is our secure rock and offers us safety that endures forever.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We worship you, O God, as the ground of all being and the foundation of all that is. It is out of the power of your love that all creation came to be.
(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 surround ourselves with walls and fences, and we think we are safe. We arm ourselves and put in alarm systems, and we think we are secure. We forget that it is the core of our lives that are most vulnerable, our very souls. We forget that it is only in trusting in you that we will be safe in the midst of all calamities. Forgive us our foolishness and call us back to stand securely in you.
We give you thanks for all the blessings you have bestowed on us. We thank you for your love that holds us when all else seems to be giving way. Your steadfast love is truly from everlasting to everlasting.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
There are many who find themselves in places of fear and despair and they have no sense of your comforting presence. We pray for them and ask that our prayers may be part of your reaching out to them.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Jesus Is Always Our Protector
Luke 13:31-35
Object: a picture of an animal caring for its babies
Good morning, boys and girls! In today's scripture lesson some people come to Jesus and warn him that Herod wants to kill him. They suggest that Jesus stop doing his work and leave Jerusalem. Jesus tells them that he must keep doing God's work no matter what -- no matter who doesn't like him, no matter who wants to kill him. He says that he loves the people of Jerusalem just like a mother hen as she gathers her chicks under her wings.
I've seen lots of television shows about animals and how they take care of their babies. In these shows we see the mothers and fathers playing with, cleaning, feeding, and protecting their babies. Sometimes the babies get into trouble and they need help to get out of it, and the older animals are there to help. The Bible tells us that Jesus loves us in just the same way. We are just like baby chicks and sometimes we get ourselves into trouble. The problem is that we don't always let ourselves be helped. We get ourselves into trouble and when Jesus comes along to help, we don't let him. That makes him sad, because nothing makes him happier than loving and helping us.
Remember that Jesus is waiting to love you, teach you, and protect you. He is there to help you, even during the times when you don't think you need him. He won't ever get angry or leave, no matter what. He is always waiting patiently to take care of you and love you. The next time you need help, don't try to do it alone. Jesus is there to help you.
Prayer: Dear God, please remind us how much you love us. Help us see that you sent Jesus to be our teacher and friend and that he is waiting to take care of us. Help us remember that we are precious to you and that you will always protect us. Thank you. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 24, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Leah Lonsbury shares some additional thoughts on Jesus' response to the threat posed by Herod. There is a definite subtext in the Psalm text of fear and tears of mourning, and Leah suggests that this is also present in the gospel passage with Jesus' lament for Jerusalem. Yet even so, Jesus makes a point of continuing on with the work that needs to be done -- even in the face of very real danger and apprehension about the possible consequences of persisting on his path... and Leah lifts up several examples from the headlines of people who are exemplifying similar courage and perseverance.
Citizens of Heaven
by Dean Feldmeyer
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17--4:1; Luke 13:31-35
But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).
The Lord is my light and my salvation... the stronghold of my life (Psalm 27:1).
Really? It's one thing to sing psalms about how we put our faith and trust in God. It's another thing to actually do it.
If God is my light, why do I need that fancy college degree?
If God is my salvation, why do I need a semi-automatic weapon?
If God is the stronghold of my life, then what's with that big savings account and that fat pension?
This week all four of the lections lead us back to that same question: What does it look like to really put our faith and trust in God? And why is it so difficult?
THE WORLD
The National Rifle Association would have us believe that the rule of law has failed. We cannot trust God, the government, the police, or our neighbors. If we are to be safe we must make ourselves safe through the barrel of a gun. The only time everyone will be safe is when everyone is armed.
The military-industrial complex gives us the same message, just on a bigger scale. The latest issue of The Christian Century magazine (February 20, 2013; Vol. 130, No. 4) quotes The New Yorker , reminding us that "historically Americans tended to be suspicious of standing armies, preferring instead to use temporary militias. It was not until World War II that a standing army was established, with some dissent.... A permanent Department of Defense wasn't established until after the war. Now the U.S. not only has a standing army, it has perpetual war... war perpetuated by what President Eisenhower called the military-industrial complex. Lockheed Martin alone has annual defense contracts of about $30 billion and spends $15 million a year on lobbying and campaign contributions."
TV ads for life insurance companies remind us that we could die at any moment and only they can insure a safe, secure future for our families. Automobile insurance is the only thing that can protect us from that rascal "Mayhem".
And only a fool trusts the grocery store any more. That pound of coffee or peanut butter you used to buy? Check again. Chances are it looks the same but it's less than a pound. And the MSN website recently listed fourteen foods you cannot trust. The list included such heretofore trustworthy items as strawberries, corn, popcorn, diet soda, swordfish, canned tomatoes, and "anything from McDonalds." Apparently the only thing you can trust is lists that run on the MSN website.
So is there such a thing as safety? Can we achieve security? Is there anything we can trust?
THE WORD
All four of the scripture selections for this week address this issue. All four talk about where the People of God place their trust.
Abraham (called Abram in this reading from the Hebrew Scriptures) placed his trust in God: "...he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned that trust to Abram as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). The message seems to be that if you are willing to take the risk of entering into covenant with God, God will be faithful to that covenant. God is trustworthy.
The psalmist makes his point more stridently. The Lord is his light and his salvation; he need not fear anyone else. The Lord is the stronghold of her life; she is not afraid. Indeed, even when the psalmist's enemies have surrounded him, he will make his sacrifice to the Lord with shouts of joy. No need to ask where the poet's trust has been placed.
In the Philippians passage Paul reminds us that those who set their minds on lesser (earthly) things are always undone. We, however, are citizens not of any earthly kingdom but of God's kingdom, heaven, and it is from that alternative kingdom, not from the state or national capital, that our savior comes.
Finally, in the gospel lesson Jesus is warned that Herod wants him killed. How does he respond? Does he raise an army? Arm himself to the teeth? Hire an attorney and demand his rights? No, he simply goes about his work, relying on God to protect and care for him.
In the season of Lent the lectionary takes a moment to remind us from whence our security truly comes: "...not with swords loud clashing, nor roll of stirring drums; with deeds of love and mercy the heavenly kingdom comes" ("Lead On, O King Eternal," United Methodist Hymnal #580).
CRAFTING THE SERMON
In the popular television show Justified, Appalachian career criminal Boyd Crowder meets with an envoy from the Detroit mafia. The mafia messenger notes the armed men standing around the bar where they meet and laments the lack of trust they represent. Boyd responds with a disarming smile: "But sir, we are untrustworthy men."
Boyd Crowder does not trust other people. He puts his trust in guns, power, and the fear he is able to instill in others. Perhaps he is such a popular character because there is a little bit of Boyd Crowder in all of us.
We do not trust the promises of others that we will be safe. We want to ensure that safety ourselves. We want to do the Lord's work, but we want to do it in a safe environment where we are guaranteed to come to no harm. Often we are even willing to break God's commandments if it enables us to do God's work, a paradox that often escapes even the most pious of Christians.
We arm ourselves and our nation and then declare ourselves "Christian," even though what others see is not our deeds of love and mercy so much as our willingness and ability to kill more people faster than they can.
A preacher with a prophetic voice may wish to address that paradox in contemporary American Christian life.
Another track will lead us to the scriptural admonition to trust God, while also confessing that the assurance God offers is often not of the kind we expect. God offers divine protection not from suffering -- Christians suffer just like everyone else. Neither does God protect us from the pain of loss. Even the most perfect Christian grieves.
God does not promise us a life of ease and comfort as a reward for faithfulness. Even the briefest encounter with the biblical stories of God's people will make that abundantly clear. God does not promise us a life sheltered from difficulty. What God promises us is that, if we place our trust in God, our lives will be not safe, not secure, but authentic. That is what it means to be a citizen of heaven -- to live authentically.
Perhaps that is the real meaning of Genesis 15:6. Abram believed in God, put his trust in God, was faithful to his covenant with God -- and God rewarded Abram by giving him not an easy, sheltered life but an authentically human life... rich, full, and overflowing with the power that is found in meaning.
SECOND THOUGHTS
We Must Be On Our Way
by Leah Lonsbury
Luke 13:31-35
Last Saturday, February 16, 2013, was Jordan Davis' 18th birthday. But instead of prepping for a party, the day found his parents, Ron Davis and Lucia Kay McBath, preparing for the biggest fight of their lives.
Last November, Jordan Davis was shot and killed in a Jacksonville, Florida, gas station parking lot by Michael Dunn. Here's how Janell Ross of the Huffington Post reports Dunn's side of the story...
Dunn claims he demanded that Jordan and his friends, who were riding inside an SUV, turn down the car's music. They argued and Dunn fired his weapon eight or nine times. He said he had been frightened by the barrel of a shotgun he saw emerging from the rear window of the SUV, and the sense that he was facing down a group of dangerous thugs.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has determined that no one in the SUV was armed at the time of the shooting.
What should be a celebration had become a day of mourning. But that's not all it was. While their hearts are still aching, Jordan's parents are launching a campaign to force Dunn to atone for his actions and his statements. They're suing Dunn for slander after his lawyer made statements making the victims out to be "thug-like aggressors" and tarnishing their reputations and standing in the community. They also intend for Dunn to face a wrongful death by murder charge, as well as defamation and inflicting emotional distress. Through these actions, they will also be working to challenge the across-the-board civil and criminal immunity that Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law provides. They hope that out of their loss will come significant change when they give Florida gun owners with concealed-carry permits a new reason to reconsider using their weapons -- the possible loss of their assets.
"My life, Jordan's mother's life, his brother's life have been forever changed," said Ron Davis. "One way or another I am convinced -- no, I am compelled to make sure that something changes here."
Jordan Davis' parents can expect a series of hearings and likely appeals. This will not be an easy or short fight, but it's one they're willing to take on to make real, significant change that will save other parents the same grief.
In our gospel lesson for this Sunday, Jesus also knows he is facing an uphill battle that will be fraught with challenges and danger and many sources of resistance. Yet his face is set for Jerusalem, and the threat his disciples report from Herod doesn't seem to faze him.
Despite the threat and the road ahead that will ultimately lead to his death, Jesus sounds bold and focused. He has a purpose and he will not be stopped, not by his fear (there must have been some quaking going on in his sandals) or that of his disciples. He will not bow to the powers-that-be, because change must happen. He tells his trembling followers: "Go and tell that fox for me, 'Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem' " (vv. 32-33).
But underneath this determination, we can also sense the heartache and disappointment that drives Jesus. We know why he does what he does -- because he is mourning what has been and is the current state of things. "Jerusalem, Jerusalem!" he says, "the city that kills the prophets and stones the ones who are sent to it. How often I have desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (v. 34).
We can sense the vulnerability that undergirds his determination here, the heart he has for the world's brokenness, and the potential he sees in the mess that surrounds him. He knows things must and can change, the work that keeps him busy "today, tomorrow, and the next day" (and every day until the day of his death) must and can become the work of the people of Jerusalem and all God's beloved. That work is the work of love, of healing and freeing people for new life in God. For this reason, his heartache and feelings of tenderness don't stop him. He doesn't get mired down -- because there is work to do, change to make happen, and love to unleash.
Jesus faces the place of his death, the city that kills those who would bring it a new word of hope of love, and he expresses his desire and intentions for something different. He knows he is on the road to resurrected, redeemed, and renewed life ("on the third day I finish my work" -- v. 32), and he will not be deterred, no matter what kind of fox (or cross) he has to face.
Like Jordan Davis' parents, Jesus mourns what has been and is currently, and he moves on to what needs to be for the new life.
*****
There are many possible news "hooks" to help the preacher make this week's gospel story come alive via our current context. Here are a few...
* California legislator Leland Yee has been working on gun control legislation for his state. As a result, Yee has received death threats from Everett Basham, who has since been arrested after explosives and firearms were discovered at his home. Yee's response? "I want to make it crystal clear -- these threats and any others will not deter me and my colleagues from addressing the critical issues surrounding gun violence. This case is very troubling and only further demonstrates the need to address this epidemic."
* White House press secretary Jay Carney recently shared with reporters that First Lady Michele Obama had attended the funeral of Hadiya Pendleton, the Chicago teen who was shot and killed a short time after performing in the inaugural festivities. Carney said that the president and the first lady's thoughts and prayers were with the Pendleton family, and added: "As the president has said, we will never be able to eradicate every act of evil in this country, but if we can save any one child's life, we have an obligation to try when it comes to the scourge of gun violence."
* Hadiya Pendleton's family and other gun violence survivors are seeking to encourage members of Congress to pass gun control measures being debated in the Senate. They are still mourning what happened but also moving forward to make change.
* In a speech in his adoptive hometown following the State of the Union, President Obama named the great losses Chicago has endured because of an epidemic of gun violence. The city suffered over 500 homicides in 2012, including a record number of gun deaths for victims under the age of 18. "That's the equivalent of a Newtown every four months," Obama said. He told the crowd he was there to talk about "raising our children," and spoke about the challenges young people in Chicago face beyond the threat of gun violence -- those involving education, economics, family support, securing housing, and general public safety. Below is an excerpt from the speech that acknowledges the reality and the size of the challenges on the ground in Chicago and many other hometowns, but also issues a call for action:
But I've also said no law or set of laws can prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. When a child opens fire on another child, there's a hole in that child's heart that government can't fill -- only community and parents and teachers and clergy can fill that hole. In too many neighborhoods today -- whether here in Chicago or the farthest reaches of rural America -- it can feel like for a lot of young people the future only extends to the next street corner or the outskirts of town; that no matter how much you work or how hard you try, your destiny was determined the moment you were born. There are entire neighborhoods where young people, they don't see an example of somebody succeeding. And for a lot of young boys and young men, in particular, they don't see an example of fathers or grandfathers, uncles, who are in a position to support families and be held up and respected.
And so that means that this is not just a gun issue. It's also an issue of the kinds of communities that we're building. And for that, we all share a responsibility, as citizens, to fix it. We all share a responsibility to move this country closer to our founding vision that no matter who you are, or where you come from, here in America, you can decide your own destiny. You can succeed if you work hard and fulfill your responsibilities....
And those of you who worked with me, Reverend Love, you remember, it wasn't easy. Progress didn't come quickly. Sometimes I got so discouraged I thought about just giving up. But what kept me going was the belief that with enough determination and effort and persistence and perseverance, change is always possible; that we may not be able to help everybody, but if we help a few then that propels progress forward. We may not be able to save every child from gun violence, but if we save a few, that starts changing the atmosphere in our communities. We may not be able to get everybody a job right away, but if we get a few folks a job, then everybody starts feeling a little more hopeful and a little more encouraged. Neighborhood by neighborhood, one block by one block, one family at a time.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Confidence comes in two forms: realistic and foolish.
The Florida Everglades have been overrun by Burmese pythons. These snakes are not natural to the Everglades, and they have no natural predators. They are also known to reproduce hundreds of offspring each year. At 20 feet in length they have eaten themselves through the Everglades, destroying the tenuous ecosystem that exists.
In order to control their number and population growth, the Florida Fish and Game Commission last month declared a one-month "Python Challenge". During this month, which ended February 10, cash prizes were given to the person who killed the largest python and to the individual who killed the most pythons.
Probably less motivated by the cash prize and more enthralled by the hunt, over 1,000 people from 30 states came to participate in the harvest. During the event, the license requirements for snake hunting were suspended. The only assured way of killing a python is to shoot it in the head or decapitate it.
Nick Wiley, the commissioner, said of suspending the license requirements, "We feel like anybody can get out in the Everglades and figure out how to try and find these things."
Application: Releasing over 1,000 people into a hostile environment, searching out an even more hostile reptile, could be considered foolish confidence. Placing your trust in the Lord, as instructed by the Psalmist, is healthy confidence.
* * *
Paula Deen, best known for her Food Network show Paula's Home Cooking , is famous for her Southern-style recipes, which are featured in the 14 cookbooks she has authored.
Deen is admired for her comeback story. After her divorce, she was left with only $200. Money was tight as she raised two children and her younger brother, Earl ("Bubba"). She tried hanging wallpaper, working as a bank teller, selling real estate and insurance. She then started a catering service, making sandwiches and meals, which her sons Jamie and Bobby delivered. This venture turned into her first restaurant and later into her own television show.
Looking back on her life of trials and tribulations, Deen says: "I have felt hopelessness, and it is a terrible feeling.... I want to bring hope to other people."
Application: The story of Abraham and the promise that his decedents will exceed the number of stars is a message of despair giving rise to hope, then offering that hope to future generations.
* * *
Hyla Merin never knew her father. Hyla's mother was seven months pregnant with her when he died in battle, and since the death seldom spoke of her husband. The only picture Hyla had of her father was a wedding photograph, as he stood in uniform with his bride. Relatives gave a few details that he died in battle in Italy during World War II, but little more was mentioned.
But Hyla recently discovered the truth about her father, thanks to the manager of an apartment complex where Hyla's mother once lived. The manager discovered in a vacant apartment a shoebox containing medals and correspondence. So he contacted a volunteer organization, Purple Hearts Reunited, to find the surviving family members of a forgotten war hero.
It turns out that on May 3, 1945, a few days before the war ended, the 351st Infantry regiment of the 88th Division was ambushed by the Germans. With his men being slaughtered in Italy's Po Valley, 2nd Lieutenant Hyman Markel charged ahead in front of his men and singlehandedly neutralized an enemy machine gun. For this act of valor he gave his life. In recognition of his act of bravery, a Jewish man who loved mathematics received the Silver Star and Purple Heart, along with a half-dozen other medals.
Hyla now proudly displays the medals in her home, in remembrance of her father's valor and the soldiers who died in the ambush.
Application: As Jesus asks his adversaries to see the good works he is doing, we can see the goodness and faithfulness of others by their sacrificing and dedicated service to others.
* * *
Rev. Robert Morris, the pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church in Newtown, Connecticut, participated in an ecumenical worship with President Obama two days after 20 children were slain at Sandy Hook Elementary School. For his participation in this service, Rev. Matthew Harrison, the president of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, had Morris removed from the ministry.
According to Harrison, the pastor violated two provisions of the church's constitution. The first was "unionism," which forbids the mingling of Lutheran and other Christian denominations. The second was "syncretism," which forbids the mingling of Christians with non-Christians. Both were present at the memorial service: pastors from other denominations, and the President of the United States, who represented a secular service.
Morris defended himself by saying, "I did not believe my participation to be an act of joint worship, but one of mercy to a community shocked and grieving an unspeakable horrific event." With that statement Morris accepted his call for resignation, apologizing "where I have caused offense by pushing Christian freedom too far."
As a result of public outrage, Harrison had Morris reinstated.
Application: Jesus cautioned that the work we do in honor of God is seen in our compassionate work toward others, unrestricted by legalism.
* * *
As the story of Manti Te'o, the star linebacker for Norte Dame, has unfolded, more questions about his character have arisen that offset any notion of his naiveté regarding his fictitious online girlfriend Lennay Kekua.
Though Te'o claimed it was strictly a platonic internet and telephone courtship, he did meet with Kekua's stand-in once in Hawaii, where he grew up -- a liaison he never mentioned in public interviews. After learning from a phone call on December 6 that it was a hoax, he did not inform university officials until December 26. Twice during that gap, on December 8 and 11, he publicly affirmed his loving relationship with Kekua, saying that upon learning she had cancer, it had motivated him to visit children's cancer wards, and that her impending death spurred him onto victory, as he said Kekua "made me promise when it happened that I would stay and play."
Application: As Paul asks that we are to imitate his service to the Lord, we must be cautious of all those whom we chose to imitate and guide our lives.
* * *
From team member Mary Austin:
Where Our Security Comes From...
Desmond Tutu, the South African Nobel Peace Prize winner and retired Anglican bishop, says: "One of the things we learned in South Africa is that there is no true security from the barrel of a gun... as we saw in South Africa, there is no peace without justice, and safety only comes when desperation ends. Inevitably it is when people sit down and talk that desperation ends. Negotiations happen not between friends but between enemies. And a surprising thing does seem to take place, at least it did in South Africa. Enemies begin to find that they can actually become friends, or at least collaborators for the common good. They come together and then actually they ask themselves, "Why did we take so long to get to this point? Why did so many people have to die?" Of course, you must have leaders who are willing to take risks and not just seek to satisfy the often-extreme feelings of their constituencies. They have to lead by leading and be ready to compromise, to accommodate, and not to be intransigent, not to assert that they have a bottom line. Intransigence and ultimatums only lead to more death."
* * *
Living with Fear
Best-selling author Frances Moore Lappe, who wrote Diet for a Small Planet, tells about living with fear in a time when everything key in her seemed to be falling apart. She says that "we are living in a culture increasingly dominated by fear... but fear doesn't have to stop us. I learned this when my world came apart. I was living a lifelong dream of a family life combined with an organization to promote living democracy -- all on a gorgeous 45-acre compound in rural Vermont. I'd spent a decade building my dream, and then it started to crumble, piece by piece -- my marriage, my organization, my confidence."
She adds that connection can be an antidote to fear: "Few of us can go it alone, but we can choose who we bring into our lives. We can choose who will reinforce our risk taking. That's what happened when my own life crumbled. The people who came into my life bolstered me to take more risks, to be even more true to myself."
Fear of what others think once tied us together in groups necessary for survival, but Moore says, "I think we are at a new evolutionary stage. We evolved in tightknit tribes in which we faced death if we didn't have the support of the rest of the tribe. So little wonder that it can seem unthinkable to say 'no, thanks' to the modern-day equivalent of our tribe -- our fear-driven culture.... [But now] breaking with the pack may be exactly what we should be doing. Saying 'no' to the dominant culture that is trapping us in destructive ways of living might be the most life-serving thing we can do. Fear doesn't necessarily mean that we have to stop. It doesn't mean that we are failures. It doesn't mean that we are cowards. It means that we are human beings walking into the unknown, and that we are risking breaking with others for something we believe in."
* * *
Awe Is the Cure for What Ails You
Stacey Kennelly writes: "Always plugged in and constantly juggling tasks at work and at home, many of us feel there aren't enough hours in the day. But wouldn't it be awesome to feel like you had more time? In fact, that feeling might only be as far as a trip to the mountains, the sea, or a place with a clear sky where you can see the stars."
She adds: "A new study suggests that the experience of awe -- which psychologists define as the feeling we get when we come across something so strikingly vast in number, scope, or complexity that it alters the way we understand the world -- may help relieve feelings of impatience. What's more, it might make us more generous with how we spend our time, and improve our overall well-being." A recent study compared two groups of people, and Kennelly observes that "One group saw images that inspired awe while the other saw images that inspired happiness." The group that was awed reported a greater sense of ease and peace.
The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom then shall we fear, or allow to make us stressed and worried?
* * *
The Place of Sorrow in Our Lives
A Chinese proverb reminds us that sorrow is present in all of our lives, but we get to choose how we live with it: "You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair."
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: God is our light and our salvation; whom shall we fear?
People: God is the stronghold of our life; of whom shall we be afraid?
Leader: One thing we ask of God that will we seek after:
People: To live in the house of God all the days of our lives.
Leader: For God will hide us in a shelter in the day of trouble;
People: God will set us high on a rock.
OR
Leader: Come to the rock of our salvation.
People: We come to find in God our true security.
Leader: Do not trust in power and violence.
People: Security lies only in the arms of our God.
Leader: In God alone can we dwell secure.
People: Under the shadow of God's wings, we are safe.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"O God, Our Help in Ages Past"
found in:
UMH: 117
H82: 680
AAHH: 170
NNBH: 46
NCH: 25
CH: 67
LBW: 320
ELA: 632
"A Mighty Fortress Is Our God"
found in:
UMH: 110
H82: 687/688
PH: 260
AAHH: 124
NNBH: 37
NCH: 439/440
CH: 65
LBW: 228/229
ELA: 503/504/505
"Leaning on the Everlasting Arms"
found in:
UMH: 133
AAHH: 371
NNBH: 262
NCH: 471
CH: 560
ELA: 774
"On Eagle's Wings"
found in:
UMH: 143
CH: 77
ELA: 787
CCB: 97
Renew: 112
"Stand By Me"
UMH: 512
NNBH: 318
CH: 629
"My Jesus, I Love Thee"
found in:
UMH: 172
AAHH: 574
NNBH: 39
CH: 349
"Jesus, the Very Thought of Thee"
found in:
UMH: 175
H82: 642
PH: 310
NCH: 507
CH: 102
LBW: 316
ELA: 754
"Hope of the World"
found in:
UMH: 178
H82: 472
PH: 360
NCH: 46
CH: 538
LBW: 493
"Learning to Lean"
found in:
CCB: 74
"God Is So Good"
found in:
CCB: 75
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is our rock of salvation: Grant us the grace to find in you our security that allows us to truly live as children of the most high; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, as our rock and our salvation. Help us to listen for your voice this day so that we may live as your true children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially the ways in which we place our security in things that are not substantial.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We surround ourselves with walls and fences, and we think we are safe. We arm ourselves and put in alarm systems, and we think we are secure. We forget that it is the core of our lives that are most vulnerable, our very souls. We forget that it is only in trusting in you that we will be safe in the midst of all calamities. Forgive us our foolishness and call us back to stand securely in you. Amen.
Leader: God is our secure rock and offers us safety that endures forever.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We worship you, O God, as the ground of all being and the foundation of all that is. It is out of the power of your love that all creation came to be.
(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 surround ourselves with walls and fences, and we think we are safe. We arm ourselves and put in alarm systems, and we think we are secure. We forget that it is the core of our lives that are most vulnerable, our very souls. We forget that it is only in trusting in you that we will be safe in the midst of all calamities. Forgive us our foolishness and call us back to stand securely in you.
We give you thanks for all the blessings you have bestowed on us. We thank you for your love that holds us when all else seems to be giving way. Your steadfast love is truly from everlasting to everlasting.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
There are many who find themselves in places of fear and despair and they have no sense of your comforting presence. We pray for them and ask that our prayers may be part of your reaching out to them.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Jesus Is Always Our Protector
Luke 13:31-35
Object: a picture of an animal caring for its babies
Good morning, boys and girls! In today's scripture lesson some people come to Jesus and warn him that Herod wants to kill him. They suggest that Jesus stop doing his work and leave Jerusalem. Jesus tells them that he must keep doing God's work no matter what -- no matter who doesn't like him, no matter who wants to kill him. He says that he loves the people of Jerusalem just like a mother hen as she gathers her chicks under her wings.
I've seen lots of television shows about animals and how they take care of their babies. In these shows we see the mothers and fathers playing with, cleaning, feeding, and protecting their babies. Sometimes the babies get into trouble and they need help to get out of it, and the older animals are there to help. The Bible tells us that Jesus loves us in just the same way. We are just like baby chicks and sometimes we get ourselves into trouble. The problem is that we don't always let ourselves be helped. We get ourselves into trouble and when Jesus comes along to help, we don't let him. That makes him sad, because nothing makes him happier than loving and helping us.
Remember that Jesus is waiting to love you, teach you, and protect you. He is there to help you, even during the times when you don't think you need him. He won't ever get angry or leave, no matter what. He is always waiting patiently to take care of you and love you. The next time you need help, don't try to do it alone. Jesus is there to help you.
Prayer: Dear God, please remind us how much you love us. Help us see that you sent Jesus to be our teacher and friend and that he is waiting to take care of us. Help us remember that we are precious to you and that you will always protect us. Thank you. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, February 24, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 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.
