Cry Out "something Is Wrong"
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
In this week's epistle passage, Paul focuses on the singular importance of reconciliation: "[I]n Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us" (2 Corinthians 5:19). In many ways, reconciliation is the work to which Christians are called -- and recent news stories from the Middle East about massacres during religious pilgrimages, along with the polarized feelings in our own country connected with the Walter Reed Hospital scandals and the ongoing general feeling of partisan estrangement in the halls of Congress, highlight the crying need for reconciliation in our world. The season of Lent is a particularly apt time for us to reflect on this theme, and so in this installment of The Immediate Word, team member James Killen discusses Paul's message of reconciliation, and how it speaks to us today. Team member Stephen McCutchan contributes some additional thoughts on this week's Gospel reading, the parable of the prodigal son, and this week's resources also include illustrations, worship aids, and a children's message.
Cry Out "Something Is Wrong"
by James Killen
2 Corinthians 5:(14-15) 16-21
THE WORLD
Last week 130 people were killed and 150 more were injured as they were participating in a religious pilgrimage, and the people who killed them were suicide bombers from another sect of their own religious faith. All of this happened in one day as Iraq moves ever closer to a civil war between religious sects and maybe to being the flashpoint of a war between Muslim nations. We want to cry out: "This is all wrong. Religions are supposed to draw people together instead of setting them against each other in violent conflict."
But there are other tragic examples of wars between people of different religions in other parts of the world. The conflict in Bosnia was that kind of conflict, and the residual tensions still remain. Hindus and Buddhists are at war in Sri Lanka. There is war between Muslims and their Christian and animist neighbors in Darfur. Protestant and Catholic Christians are still in conflict in Northern Ireland. Some American Christians seem to be choosing sides in the conflict between Jewish Israelis and their Muslim and Christian Arab neighbors. And in parts of India and Africa and Indonesia, conflicts between religious communities smolder and could flare up at any time. Doesn't it seem that this is all wrong? Certainly, many people caught in the midst of these conflicts want to cry out that it is all wrong -- and so should we.
How did this happen? Instead of religions shaping cultures, the cultures of regions have shaped the religions of their people. Behind the conflicts in our world are deep, knotty problems: poverty, starvation, illiteracy, oppression, disease, and greed. These things generate fear, and fear begets hate, and hate causes conflict. And when people attribute religious significance to their conflicts, fanaticism grows and solutions become more and more difficult to achieve. People come to see members of other groups not as people like themselves, but as something evil -- the enemy.
The results are horrible. Newspaper accounts of last week's bombings described a scene in which young men with long-handled squeegees were sweeping pools of blood out of the streets where the pilgrims had walked, and piling up the sandals of the dead beside the road. The recent news articles about the inadequacies of our military hospitals have made us aware of how many of our own young people are coming back from a conflict that is really not their own with missing limbs or injured in body and spirit and needing care.
THE WORD
Is there any hope of changing that situation? We have to believe there is. What is needed is for religion at its best to begin to form cultures, rather than letting the cultures form them.
But how can we do that? We once thought we could do it by evangelism. We believed that if we could get everyone to be a Christian, the world would live in peace. Certainly, Christians will always rejoice when someone accepts their faith. But in today's world, trying to do that would only complicate everything. And history does not lead us to believe that having everyone professing the Christian faith would necessarily lead to world peace.
What is really needed is for Christians to really catch a vision of what our faith is trying to show us -- and then to live according to that vision and try to share it with the rest of the people of the world.
Paul says that God has done something in Jesus Christ that has changed everything and opened a new possibility to humankind: "There is a new creation. Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new." (Did God do something in Christ to actually change things, or did God do something to show us how things have always been? Isaiah spoke often of a new creation. The answer really doesn't matter -- the significance is the same.)
What is it that God has done? The answer begins in verses 14 and 15. God has shown us his love in that Christ died for all people -- for all people -- not just for all who believe. To be sure, we must see and believe and let believing shape our lives before we can experience the newness. But by the death of Christ, all guilt and wrongness, all of the contents of our blighted past, have been set aside and every person has been given a new identity, that of a beloved child of God. That is who they -- we -- are in the eyes of God. And if we enter into the new possibility that God offers to us, that is who they will all be in our eyes too. We will stop seeing others from a human point of view -- as inferior, foreigners, sinners, enemies, people to be exploited or even killed. Instead, we will see all people from God's point of view -- as persons of sacred worth like ourselves, beloved children of God. That will change everything and make it new. God has reconciled the whole creation to himself in Christ.
Then God has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. We who have learned to see everything as God sees it are called to live in the real world a life that is shaped by our new vision. Then we are to try to share the vision of reality that we have from God with everyone we can. If we can lead everyone -- or even most -- to see everyone else as a person of sacred worth, a beloved child of God, then things will be different. As that vision spreads, and as people begin to live according to it, then we will be able to find our ways out of the terrible conflicts that are ripping our world apart and we will be able to work together to solve the knotty problems out of which the conflicts arise. Reconciliation will happen.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
It will probably be best to start by helping the hearers to become so aware of the need for reconciliation that they want to cry out, "This is all wrong." It will probably be good to start by helping them to visualize the horror of the bombing of the religious pilgrims or some equally terrible thing. But then it would be good to relate the sermon to some situation in or near your own community where there is conflict or where tensions exist that could cause conflict. How are the relationships between religions and races and political parties in your own community? It will also probably be good to mention the conflicts that can -- and do -- develop in personal and family life.
Then explain what the scripture says about the reconciling work of God. You may have to dare the people who say they believe the Christian Gospel to actually believe that the Christian faith has real solutions to offer to the great problems of the world. Many have never thought of that or taken it seriously as an alternative for the world. (Many believe that it is the business of religion to get them into heaven and the business of the army to resolve conflicts -- by willing them.) Try to help them catch the vision of what Paul is talking about.
Finally, it will be very important for the people to be helped to visualize how the ministry of reconciliation can work in the real world and how they can be involved in it. It will help to be able to tell about how the ministry of reconciliation has in fact worked in some difficult situations in the real world, like the success of Solidarity in Poland, or the end of apartheid in South Africa. They need to know that this is not just unrealistic idealism.
Raise the question of how they as citizens might ask to have the strategies of reconciliation applied in the policies of our nation. There are, in fact, some in politics and in diplomacy and, indeed, in the military who are catching the vision and trying to apply it, even as others are doing through violence.
Finally, talk with the people about how they can begin to let their own attitudes be shaped by the new vision we have in Christ, seeing no one from a human point of view, and actually believing that it is possible for reconciliation to happen and for all things to be made new.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Stephen McCutchan
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Jim mentions in his piece above that far too often culture shapes faith rather than faith shaping culture. What is it that prevents people from being transformed by their faith? I would suggest that we have allowed ourselves to see the Christian faith as a faith of ideas and not of behavior. Jesus said that we would know people by the fruits of their lives, but too often we are comfortable with debating the ideas of faith rather than testing our faith by our behavior. The behavior that Jesus revealed in his own life is characterized by compassion, healing, forgiveness, and grace. These are the types of behavior that Paul would refer to as the fruits of the spirit.
We need to recognize that the behavior of our bodies shapes our spirits. It is by performing actions that we affect what we believe. A simple example would be how our actions can affect both our own spirits and the spirits of others. Consider what happens when someone does something that does not meet your expectation. If you jump all over that person, both that person's spirit and yours shrivel a little bit. When we are quick to judge others, we feel the impact of our judgment on our spirit as well as that of the other person. If, in contrast, you respond in a loving and supportive way, both of your spirits and those who witness your response are lifted up.
With that in mind, I call your attention to the behavior exhibited in the very familiar parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32. As you read the parable, ask yourself with which of the characters you identify. Do you identify with the father, who was willing to share all that he had with his younger son, even when his son behaved in such a disrespectful way? Before you assign the image of the father to God, reflect on what it would mean if we assigned this image to the church, or to your behavior as a Christian. After you or your church have worked and saved your resources, would you be willing for a member of your family, let alone a member of your church, to say, "Give me half of what you have because I want to leave the family (or church) and live free of its constraints?" Would you consider either a church or a person who responded in such a way to be irresponsible? As you answer that question, then apply your conclusion to your image of God.
Or do you identify with the younger son, who was so self-centered that all he could think about was how to focus on pleasuring himself? Is that the type of life that you think you should strive for? What is your attitude toward the hedonists of our society? Yes, the younger son came to his senses eventually, but do you really identify with the path he took to get there? Would you be willing to offer material support to some person or group who showed so little respect for what you had that they came and claimed some of your possessions as their right? Consider your response when some groups have asked for reparations for past injustices. At least the Native Americans and African-Americans had some justification behind their request. Yet the general response has been that you can't reconcile ancient injustices with a monetary repayment. Now move that request to someone who didn't suggest that anyone had cheated them, but simply wanted a share of the goods so that they could have some more fun. When we see the parable from a larger perspective, it can make us profoundly uncomfortable.
When you think about it, most of us more naturally identify with the older brother, who seemingly had nursed anger at both his father and his younger brother for so long that he could not be open to the possibility that his brother had truly returned. As a society we have been very skeptical of people who have sudden confessions after having been publicly exposed for their sins. Recall the various reactions to those politicians and religious figures who have recently been exposed. Isn't much of the religious conflict that Jim notes a reflection of our inability to be as open and tolerant to others as the father was towards the son? Most of us have more of the attitude of the elder brother towards those who violate our understanding of truth and belief.
Each of the figures in the story has some characteristics that we would not like to emulate. If we suggest that a reflection of God is seen in the father, are we comfortable in recognizing that God gives humanity such freedom -- and then is so gracious in receiving us home again without asking us to do anything to prove our repentance? As a church, do we stand on the hill outside the religious community, scanning the horizon for some sign that those who have been contemptuous of our faith might someday return? And if we saw them coming, would we run out to meet them and celebrate their return in the same extravagant way that the father did in the parable?
As religious people who strive to practice the faith that we have received, don't we almost have more empathy for the older brother, who feels shortchanged by God's generosity of forgiveness? Isn't this why as a society we are so quick to want to judge the public figures who betray our trust? If we truly seek to exercise the ministry of reconciliation, do we need to change our behavior, which in turn will shape our attitudes?
Perhaps the most comforting part of the parable for many of us is the ending. While the father has thrown a party for his son who has returned, the parable ends with the father standing outside the party, waiting (as he previously had watched for the younger son) for the older, self-righteous brother to repent as well. Is it possible that God is waiting for us to repent of our self-righteousness before entering into the full joy of the creation?
Cry out "something is wrong." What is wrong may be reflected in an attitude like that of the elder brother. After you have cried out, experiment with some new behavior that might open your spirit to God's transformative love. God is standing outside of the party, waiting for you.
ILLUSTRATIONS
In the May/June 2000 issue of Prism, Brenda Salter McNeil wrote an article titled "A More Excellent Way" about race and gender reconciliation through Christ. Using the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, she notes seven requirements for reconciliation:
1) A "divine mandate" is required. "Reconciliation begins not with a good idea, but with a God idea."
2) There must be a "real need." Noting Jesus' fatigue and thirst, she says, "I don't think we're thirsty enough yet for reconciliation as a church."
3) Reconciliation must be "intentional." People must become a part of our group, our church, our party. But in the gospel, Jesus goes to Samaria!
4) Reconciliation requires "risk-taking." We must dare to go places where we will meet people who are different.
5) Reconciliation is best achieved "one-on-one." "Don't confuse fellowship with reconciliation."
6) True reconciliation requires a "power exchange." By asking the woman for a drink of water, Jesus humbles himself to give the helper more power.
7) Reconciliation requires people who will serve as "bridge builders to their community." The woman at the well is the one who goes back to introduce her community to Jesus, not one of the "chosen."
***
Even in our time, people can journey to Samaria. In the the winter of 1993-94, Steven Cook accused Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago of abusing him sexually. Cook later recanted his story, and on December 30, 1994, Bernardin and Cook met in Philadelphia for a time to talk, to pray together, and for apologies to be offered and received. Though Cook felt alienated from God and the church, Bernardin offered to celebrate Mass with him, and wrote this about the experience:
"Then I took out of the briefcase a chalice which someone (whom I had never met) had sent me with the request that I offer a Mass for Steven. I told Steven that even if I did not celebrate Mass on the occasion of our visit, I would do so later. Again, with tears in his eyes, he said, "Please, let's celebrate Mass." Never in my 43 years as a priest have I witnessed a more profound reconciliation. The words I am using to tell you this story cannot begin to describe the power of God's grace which was at work that afternoon. It was a manifestation of God's love, forgiveness, and healing which I will never forget."
***
Brother Roger of Taizé often encouraged people to engage in what he called "pilgrimages of trust." For those groups who are alienated from one another by religion, race, ancient hatreds, or whatever, people must be willing to take a risk in reaching out and seeking reconciliation. For instance, in a community where division lies between believers of different communions (for instance, Protestant and Catholic), he would suggest that one group journey to be with the other group, to stand on their "turf," to worship with them (according to their custom), to break bread with them (eating their food), to sing with them (in their language), to find that common ground. And while travel by modern means may be a necessity in some cases, he hoped that there would be an actual, physical (walking) pilgrimage to the other, as a sign of seeking reconciliation.
***
Did you know that the United States Government has a "Conscience Fund"? It is a fund where people can donate money to correct any wrongs from the past and clear their consciences. Think it's a foolish idea? Many don't. Here are some examples:
* There is a letter that simply said, "Here is $10 for a blanket I stole while in World War II." It was signed "An Ex-GI. P.S. I want to be ready to meet God."
* One man sent in a dollar for putting a penny on a railroad track and using a dime and a quarter in a silver experiment in high school. He had heard it was a crime to deface American money, and he wanted to be a good citizen.
* A woman from Colorado sent in two postage stamps because she had used one stamp twice. (The Post Office missed stamping it the first time.)
Little infractions? Perhaps. But to date, $3.5 million has been raised! There is enough guilt to go around, and people are craving for ways to be forgiven. Reconciliation is more than just a churchy way of talking about forgiveness -- it is a deep need that we have to put our lives back in order.
***
Reconciliation begins by taking that first step to know our neighbor. There was a story I once read about a Lutheran pastor who was new in town. He bought a house in a nice neighborhood and was enjoying meeting his neighbors, mostly with short chats across the fence. One day, his neighbor talked about some shelves he had made in his family room, and he invited the pastor in to see them. As they were admiring the handiwork, the pastor noticed a copy of a denominational magazine called The Lutheran. He asked, "Oh, are you Lutheran?"
The neighbor said, "Oh, yeah, sure. I belong to Grace Lutheran Church."
"Grace Lutheran?" asked the pastor.
"Yes. Do you know it?" replied the neighbor.
"Yes," the pastor said, extending his hand, "I'm your pastor."
Neither was sure who was more embarrassed. Fences come down and lives are reconciled when we take that risk of knowing and being known by the other.
***
Henri Nouwen has a book titled The Prodigal Son, in which he spends time gazing at a picture of Rembrandt's famous painting by the same name. Throughout his life, he sees himself at times being the rebel or runs away. At other times, he was the older son, unwilling to extend that hand of welcome. As he matured, he was more keenly aware of the need for reconciliation and saw himself as the father -- quick to welcome, knowing that once he was that rebellious son. In this book we can see ourselves in all of the characters. It would make a powerful illustration, especially with the picture displayed on a projector or printed in a bulletin insert.
***
One day Saint Francis and Brother Leo were walking down the road. Noticing Leo was depressed, Francis turned and asked, "Leo, do you know what it means to be pure of heart?"
"Of course. It means to have no sins, faults, or weaknesses to reproach myself for."
"Ah," said Francis, "now I understand why you're sad. We will always have something to reproach ourselves for."
"Right," said Leo. "That's why I despair of ever arriving at purity of heart."
"Leo, listen carefully to me. Don't be so preoccupied with the purity of your heart. Turn and look at Jesus. Admire Him. Rejoice that He is what He is -- your Brother, your Friend, your Lord and Savior. That, little brother, is what it means to be pure of heart. And once you've turned to Jesus, don't turn back and look at yourself. Don't wonder where you stand with Him -- focusing on yourself borders on idolatry. Focusing of Jesus is the way to Peace and Joy!"
No wonder so many are so far from God! With the epidemic of self-absorption, we'll find it almost impossible to look at the source of our joy -- certainly not ourselves, but God!
***
There is a Christian psychotherapist I know who deals with faith and human wholeness with exquisite simplicity. He says that to be whole you must first be reconciled to God. Then you must also at the same time be reconciled with your neighbor, beginning with both parents. That is hard work, almost impossible for many of us -- but it is a proven way to peace. After all, with God all things are possible!
***
My dad died when I was young. There are so many things I wanted to tell him and didn't get to. So now and again I write a letter to him. Like others who have gone on to the Communion of Saints, I like to write to them. It helps. As the Creed says: I believe in the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. That too is the way to reconciliation.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Call to Worship
Leader: Do you feel it?
God's kingdom is beneath our feet.
People: We live in the new creation shaped by God out of our brokenness.
Leader: Do you know it?
God's reconciling love in Christ has shattered our ways of viewing people.
People: No longer do we label our sisters and brothers,
we welcome them with open arms.
Leader: Do you believe it?
God has made everything, including us, new,
People: and sends us forth to share this good news with everyone!
Prayer of the Day
Holy God, Word Shaper:
you are not our accountant, but our lover;
you are not angry at us, but you forgive us;
you are not our enemy, but the One who runs towards us with wide open arms,
throwing steaks on the grill to celebrate our newness!
Jesus Christ, Shaper of our story:
you travel to that distant country called our sin to bring us home once again;
you share your inheritance with us so we might be blessed;
you know the famine of our spirits and fill it with your hope.
Holy Spirit, Life Shaper:
surrounded by your grace, we offer glad cries of salvation;
encircled by your constant love, we shout for joy;
enclosed in your comforting arms, nothing can overwhelm us.
God in Community, Holy in One,
from now on we will remember our life in you,
even as we pray as Jesus taught us,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
We know our faults --
the way we have treated others,
our alienation from God,
our unwillingness to be faithful people.
We will not hide our sin or remain silent,
but confess them to the One who surrounds us with steadfast love.
Please join me as we pray, saying . . .
(Unison) Prayer of Confession
We admit, Waiting God, how we have sinned against you.
We treat others as strangers, not as our brothers and sisters.
Like the elder son, we become green-eyed with jealousy when you
throw your arms around those who are different from us.
We are quick to see the faults of others,
but do not recognize our own brokenness.
We are not ...
You interrupt our confession, Tender God, to run and embrace us.
There are no limitations on your love, there is nothing you will not give to us.
You fill us with your compassion,
and treat us as you do your own Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance of Pardon
Leader: God rolls away everything that stands in our way --
our past, our sin, our pain, our hesitation,
and reshapes us into new people living in the new creation.
What wonderful grace. We are forgiven!
People: Broken, we are made whole;
lost, we are brought home;
empty, we are filled with songs of gladness.
We rejoice and give thanks to God who has graced us with mercy. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
The Loving Father
Luke 15:11-32
"Alan, you are late again!" Alan's father's jaw twitched, which meant Alan's father was not pleased. Alan's father was angry. "This is the third time this week you have been late to dinner!" The family was seated at the dinner table when Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what time it was." It was Alan's usual excuse.
The next morning at the breakfast table there was a surprise package beside Alan's plate. Alan unwrapped the package. It was an inexpensive watch, but it was Alan's. He grinned. "Now I don't have an excuse."
That evening the family was sitting at the dinner table when Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry. I forgot to watch the time." Father glared at Alan across the table, his jaw twitching, which meant Alan's father was angry. "If you are late tomorrow, your dinner will be bread and water!"
The next night dinner was later than usual. "Mary, what is slowing up dinner?" Father asked. Mother said nothing, simply setting the table, seeing Alan's empty chair. When everyone was at last seated at the dinner table, their plates filled with food, Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry..." Alan looked down at his plate with a piece of dry bread and a glass of water and remembered. Everyone was eating fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and crisp orange carrots, his favorite foods. His stomach growled with hunger and he coughed so no one would hear it. He wanted to hold his nose so he wouldn't smell the fried chicken. Then a tear rolled down Alan's cheek. Everyone continued to eat. No one paid any attention to Alan until his father reached out, took Alan's empty plate and glass of water, and gave Alan his plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, crisp orange carrots, and glass of milk.
That night Alan's father went to bed hungry and Alan never forgot that meal, for as he told his children years later, "All my life I have known what God is like because of what my father did that night."
Talk together: How do you know God is like a loving Parent? Do you have a "father like that"? Jesus told a story of a "father like that."
Prayer: Thank you, God, for being our loving Parent.
(From Story Time at the Altar: 86 Messages for Children, by Elaine M. Ward, CSS Publishing Co., 2003)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, March 18, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 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 permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
Cry Out "Something Is Wrong"
by James Killen
2 Corinthians 5:(14-15) 16-21
THE WORLD
Last week 130 people were killed and 150 more were injured as they were participating in a religious pilgrimage, and the people who killed them were suicide bombers from another sect of their own religious faith. All of this happened in one day as Iraq moves ever closer to a civil war between religious sects and maybe to being the flashpoint of a war between Muslim nations. We want to cry out: "This is all wrong. Religions are supposed to draw people together instead of setting them against each other in violent conflict."
But there are other tragic examples of wars between people of different religions in other parts of the world. The conflict in Bosnia was that kind of conflict, and the residual tensions still remain. Hindus and Buddhists are at war in Sri Lanka. There is war between Muslims and their Christian and animist neighbors in Darfur. Protestant and Catholic Christians are still in conflict in Northern Ireland. Some American Christians seem to be choosing sides in the conflict between Jewish Israelis and their Muslim and Christian Arab neighbors. And in parts of India and Africa and Indonesia, conflicts between religious communities smolder and could flare up at any time. Doesn't it seem that this is all wrong? Certainly, many people caught in the midst of these conflicts want to cry out that it is all wrong -- and so should we.
How did this happen? Instead of religions shaping cultures, the cultures of regions have shaped the religions of their people. Behind the conflicts in our world are deep, knotty problems: poverty, starvation, illiteracy, oppression, disease, and greed. These things generate fear, and fear begets hate, and hate causes conflict. And when people attribute religious significance to their conflicts, fanaticism grows and solutions become more and more difficult to achieve. People come to see members of other groups not as people like themselves, but as something evil -- the enemy.
The results are horrible. Newspaper accounts of last week's bombings described a scene in which young men with long-handled squeegees were sweeping pools of blood out of the streets where the pilgrims had walked, and piling up the sandals of the dead beside the road. The recent news articles about the inadequacies of our military hospitals have made us aware of how many of our own young people are coming back from a conflict that is really not their own with missing limbs or injured in body and spirit and needing care.
THE WORD
Is there any hope of changing that situation? We have to believe there is. What is needed is for religion at its best to begin to form cultures, rather than letting the cultures form them.
But how can we do that? We once thought we could do it by evangelism. We believed that if we could get everyone to be a Christian, the world would live in peace. Certainly, Christians will always rejoice when someone accepts their faith. But in today's world, trying to do that would only complicate everything. And history does not lead us to believe that having everyone professing the Christian faith would necessarily lead to world peace.
What is really needed is for Christians to really catch a vision of what our faith is trying to show us -- and then to live according to that vision and try to share it with the rest of the people of the world.
Paul says that God has done something in Jesus Christ that has changed everything and opened a new possibility to humankind: "There is a new creation. Everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new." (Did God do something in Christ to actually change things, or did God do something to show us how things have always been? Isaiah spoke often of a new creation. The answer really doesn't matter -- the significance is the same.)
What is it that God has done? The answer begins in verses 14 and 15. God has shown us his love in that Christ died for all people -- for all people -- not just for all who believe. To be sure, we must see and believe and let believing shape our lives before we can experience the newness. But by the death of Christ, all guilt and wrongness, all of the contents of our blighted past, have been set aside and every person has been given a new identity, that of a beloved child of God. That is who they -- we -- are in the eyes of God. And if we enter into the new possibility that God offers to us, that is who they will all be in our eyes too. We will stop seeing others from a human point of view -- as inferior, foreigners, sinners, enemies, people to be exploited or even killed. Instead, we will see all people from God's point of view -- as persons of sacred worth like ourselves, beloved children of God. That will change everything and make it new. God has reconciled the whole creation to himself in Christ.
Then God has given to us the ministry of reconciliation. We who have learned to see everything as God sees it are called to live in the real world a life that is shaped by our new vision. Then we are to try to share the vision of reality that we have from God with everyone we can. If we can lead everyone -- or even most -- to see everyone else as a person of sacred worth, a beloved child of God, then things will be different. As that vision spreads, and as people begin to live according to it, then we will be able to find our ways out of the terrible conflicts that are ripping our world apart and we will be able to work together to solve the knotty problems out of which the conflicts arise. Reconciliation will happen.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
It will probably be best to start by helping the hearers to become so aware of the need for reconciliation that they want to cry out, "This is all wrong." It will probably be good to start by helping them to visualize the horror of the bombing of the religious pilgrims or some equally terrible thing. But then it would be good to relate the sermon to some situation in or near your own community where there is conflict or where tensions exist that could cause conflict. How are the relationships between religions and races and political parties in your own community? It will also probably be good to mention the conflicts that can -- and do -- develop in personal and family life.
Then explain what the scripture says about the reconciling work of God. You may have to dare the people who say they believe the Christian Gospel to actually believe that the Christian faith has real solutions to offer to the great problems of the world. Many have never thought of that or taken it seriously as an alternative for the world. (Many believe that it is the business of religion to get them into heaven and the business of the army to resolve conflicts -- by willing them.) Try to help them catch the vision of what Paul is talking about.
Finally, it will be very important for the people to be helped to visualize how the ministry of reconciliation can work in the real world and how they can be involved in it. It will help to be able to tell about how the ministry of reconciliation has in fact worked in some difficult situations in the real world, like the success of Solidarity in Poland, or the end of apartheid in South Africa. They need to know that this is not just unrealistic idealism.
Raise the question of how they as citizens might ask to have the strategies of reconciliation applied in the policies of our nation. There are, in fact, some in politics and in diplomacy and, indeed, in the military who are catching the vision and trying to apply it, even as others are doing through violence.
Finally, talk with the people about how they can begin to let their own attitudes be shaped by the new vision we have in Christ, seeing no one from a human point of view, and actually believing that it is possible for reconciliation to happen and for all things to be made new.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Stephen McCutchan
Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32
Jim mentions in his piece above that far too often culture shapes faith rather than faith shaping culture. What is it that prevents people from being transformed by their faith? I would suggest that we have allowed ourselves to see the Christian faith as a faith of ideas and not of behavior. Jesus said that we would know people by the fruits of their lives, but too often we are comfortable with debating the ideas of faith rather than testing our faith by our behavior. The behavior that Jesus revealed in his own life is characterized by compassion, healing, forgiveness, and grace. These are the types of behavior that Paul would refer to as the fruits of the spirit.
We need to recognize that the behavior of our bodies shapes our spirits. It is by performing actions that we affect what we believe. A simple example would be how our actions can affect both our own spirits and the spirits of others. Consider what happens when someone does something that does not meet your expectation. If you jump all over that person, both that person's spirit and yours shrivel a little bit. When we are quick to judge others, we feel the impact of our judgment on our spirit as well as that of the other person. If, in contrast, you respond in a loving and supportive way, both of your spirits and those who witness your response are lifted up.
With that in mind, I call your attention to the behavior exhibited in the very familiar parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32. As you read the parable, ask yourself with which of the characters you identify. Do you identify with the father, who was willing to share all that he had with his younger son, even when his son behaved in such a disrespectful way? Before you assign the image of the father to God, reflect on what it would mean if we assigned this image to the church, or to your behavior as a Christian. After you or your church have worked and saved your resources, would you be willing for a member of your family, let alone a member of your church, to say, "Give me half of what you have because I want to leave the family (or church) and live free of its constraints?" Would you consider either a church or a person who responded in such a way to be irresponsible? As you answer that question, then apply your conclusion to your image of God.
Or do you identify with the younger son, who was so self-centered that all he could think about was how to focus on pleasuring himself? Is that the type of life that you think you should strive for? What is your attitude toward the hedonists of our society? Yes, the younger son came to his senses eventually, but do you really identify with the path he took to get there? Would you be willing to offer material support to some person or group who showed so little respect for what you had that they came and claimed some of your possessions as their right? Consider your response when some groups have asked for reparations for past injustices. At least the Native Americans and African-Americans had some justification behind their request. Yet the general response has been that you can't reconcile ancient injustices with a monetary repayment. Now move that request to someone who didn't suggest that anyone had cheated them, but simply wanted a share of the goods so that they could have some more fun. When we see the parable from a larger perspective, it can make us profoundly uncomfortable.
When you think about it, most of us more naturally identify with the older brother, who seemingly had nursed anger at both his father and his younger brother for so long that he could not be open to the possibility that his brother had truly returned. As a society we have been very skeptical of people who have sudden confessions after having been publicly exposed for their sins. Recall the various reactions to those politicians and religious figures who have recently been exposed. Isn't much of the religious conflict that Jim notes a reflection of our inability to be as open and tolerant to others as the father was towards the son? Most of us have more of the attitude of the elder brother towards those who violate our understanding of truth and belief.
Each of the figures in the story has some characteristics that we would not like to emulate. If we suggest that a reflection of God is seen in the father, are we comfortable in recognizing that God gives humanity such freedom -- and then is so gracious in receiving us home again without asking us to do anything to prove our repentance? As a church, do we stand on the hill outside the religious community, scanning the horizon for some sign that those who have been contemptuous of our faith might someday return? And if we saw them coming, would we run out to meet them and celebrate their return in the same extravagant way that the father did in the parable?
As religious people who strive to practice the faith that we have received, don't we almost have more empathy for the older brother, who feels shortchanged by God's generosity of forgiveness? Isn't this why as a society we are so quick to want to judge the public figures who betray our trust? If we truly seek to exercise the ministry of reconciliation, do we need to change our behavior, which in turn will shape our attitudes?
Perhaps the most comforting part of the parable for many of us is the ending. While the father has thrown a party for his son who has returned, the parable ends with the father standing outside the party, waiting (as he previously had watched for the younger son) for the older, self-righteous brother to repent as well. Is it possible that God is waiting for us to repent of our self-righteousness before entering into the full joy of the creation?
Cry out "something is wrong." What is wrong may be reflected in an attitude like that of the elder brother. After you have cried out, experiment with some new behavior that might open your spirit to God's transformative love. God is standing outside of the party, waiting for you.
ILLUSTRATIONS
In the May/June 2000 issue of Prism, Brenda Salter McNeil wrote an article titled "A More Excellent Way" about race and gender reconciliation through Christ. Using the story of Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, she notes seven requirements for reconciliation:
1) A "divine mandate" is required. "Reconciliation begins not with a good idea, but with a God idea."
2) There must be a "real need." Noting Jesus' fatigue and thirst, she says, "I don't think we're thirsty enough yet for reconciliation as a church."
3) Reconciliation must be "intentional." People must become a part of our group, our church, our party. But in the gospel, Jesus goes to Samaria!
4) Reconciliation requires "risk-taking." We must dare to go places where we will meet people who are different.
5) Reconciliation is best achieved "one-on-one." "Don't confuse fellowship with reconciliation."
6) True reconciliation requires a "power exchange." By asking the woman for a drink of water, Jesus humbles himself to give the helper more power.
7) Reconciliation requires people who will serve as "bridge builders to their community." The woman at the well is the one who goes back to introduce her community to Jesus, not one of the "chosen."
***
Even in our time, people can journey to Samaria. In the the winter of 1993-94, Steven Cook accused Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago of abusing him sexually. Cook later recanted his story, and on December 30, 1994, Bernardin and Cook met in Philadelphia for a time to talk, to pray together, and for apologies to be offered and received. Though Cook felt alienated from God and the church, Bernardin offered to celebrate Mass with him, and wrote this about the experience:
"Then I took out of the briefcase a chalice which someone (whom I had never met) had sent me with the request that I offer a Mass for Steven. I told Steven that even if I did not celebrate Mass on the occasion of our visit, I would do so later. Again, with tears in his eyes, he said, "Please, let's celebrate Mass." Never in my 43 years as a priest have I witnessed a more profound reconciliation. The words I am using to tell you this story cannot begin to describe the power of God's grace which was at work that afternoon. It was a manifestation of God's love, forgiveness, and healing which I will never forget."
***
Brother Roger of Taizé often encouraged people to engage in what he called "pilgrimages of trust." For those groups who are alienated from one another by religion, race, ancient hatreds, or whatever, people must be willing to take a risk in reaching out and seeking reconciliation. For instance, in a community where division lies between believers of different communions (for instance, Protestant and Catholic), he would suggest that one group journey to be with the other group, to stand on their "turf," to worship with them (according to their custom), to break bread with them (eating their food), to sing with them (in their language), to find that common ground. And while travel by modern means may be a necessity in some cases, he hoped that there would be an actual, physical (walking) pilgrimage to the other, as a sign of seeking reconciliation.
***
Did you know that the United States Government has a "Conscience Fund"? It is a fund where people can donate money to correct any wrongs from the past and clear their consciences. Think it's a foolish idea? Many don't. Here are some examples:
* There is a letter that simply said, "Here is $10 for a blanket I stole while in World War II." It was signed "An Ex-GI. P.S. I want to be ready to meet God."
* One man sent in a dollar for putting a penny on a railroad track and using a dime and a quarter in a silver experiment in high school. He had heard it was a crime to deface American money, and he wanted to be a good citizen.
* A woman from Colorado sent in two postage stamps because she had used one stamp twice. (The Post Office missed stamping it the first time.)
Little infractions? Perhaps. But to date, $3.5 million has been raised! There is enough guilt to go around, and people are craving for ways to be forgiven. Reconciliation is more than just a churchy way of talking about forgiveness -- it is a deep need that we have to put our lives back in order.
***
Reconciliation begins by taking that first step to know our neighbor. There was a story I once read about a Lutheran pastor who was new in town. He bought a house in a nice neighborhood and was enjoying meeting his neighbors, mostly with short chats across the fence. One day, his neighbor talked about some shelves he had made in his family room, and he invited the pastor in to see them. As they were admiring the handiwork, the pastor noticed a copy of a denominational magazine called The Lutheran. He asked, "Oh, are you Lutheran?"
The neighbor said, "Oh, yeah, sure. I belong to Grace Lutheran Church."
"Grace Lutheran?" asked the pastor.
"Yes. Do you know it?" replied the neighbor.
"Yes," the pastor said, extending his hand, "I'm your pastor."
Neither was sure who was more embarrassed. Fences come down and lives are reconciled when we take that risk of knowing and being known by the other.
***
Henri Nouwen has a book titled The Prodigal Son, in which he spends time gazing at a picture of Rembrandt's famous painting by the same name. Throughout his life, he sees himself at times being the rebel or runs away. At other times, he was the older son, unwilling to extend that hand of welcome. As he matured, he was more keenly aware of the need for reconciliation and saw himself as the father -- quick to welcome, knowing that once he was that rebellious son. In this book we can see ourselves in all of the characters. It would make a powerful illustration, especially with the picture displayed on a projector or printed in a bulletin insert.
***
One day Saint Francis and Brother Leo were walking down the road. Noticing Leo was depressed, Francis turned and asked, "Leo, do you know what it means to be pure of heart?"
"Of course. It means to have no sins, faults, or weaknesses to reproach myself for."
"Ah," said Francis, "now I understand why you're sad. We will always have something to reproach ourselves for."
"Right," said Leo. "That's why I despair of ever arriving at purity of heart."
"Leo, listen carefully to me. Don't be so preoccupied with the purity of your heart. Turn and look at Jesus. Admire Him. Rejoice that He is what He is -- your Brother, your Friend, your Lord and Savior. That, little brother, is what it means to be pure of heart. And once you've turned to Jesus, don't turn back and look at yourself. Don't wonder where you stand with Him -- focusing on yourself borders on idolatry. Focusing of Jesus is the way to Peace and Joy!"
No wonder so many are so far from God! With the epidemic of self-absorption, we'll find it almost impossible to look at the source of our joy -- certainly not ourselves, but God!
***
There is a Christian psychotherapist I know who deals with faith and human wholeness with exquisite simplicity. He says that to be whole you must first be reconciled to God. Then you must also at the same time be reconciled with your neighbor, beginning with both parents. That is hard work, almost impossible for many of us -- but it is a proven way to peace. After all, with God all things are possible!
***
My dad died when I was young. There are so many things I wanted to tell him and didn't get to. So now and again I write a letter to him. Like others who have gone on to the Communion of Saints, I like to write to them. It helps. As the Creed says: I believe in the Communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. That too is the way to reconciliation.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Call to Worship
Leader: Do you feel it?
God's kingdom is beneath our feet.
People: We live in the new creation shaped by God out of our brokenness.
Leader: Do you know it?
God's reconciling love in Christ has shattered our ways of viewing people.
People: No longer do we label our sisters and brothers,
we welcome them with open arms.
Leader: Do you believe it?
God has made everything, including us, new,
People: and sends us forth to share this good news with everyone!
Prayer of the Day
Holy God, Word Shaper:
you are not our accountant, but our lover;
you are not angry at us, but you forgive us;
you are not our enemy, but the One who runs towards us with wide open arms,
throwing steaks on the grill to celebrate our newness!
Jesus Christ, Shaper of our story:
you travel to that distant country called our sin to bring us home once again;
you share your inheritance with us so we might be blessed;
you know the famine of our spirits and fill it with your hope.
Holy Spirit, Life Shaper:
surrounded by your grace, we offer glad cries of salvation;
encircled by your constant love, we shout for joy;
enclosed in your comforting arms, nothing can overwhelm us.
God in Community, Holy in One,
from now on we will remember our life in you,
even as we pray as Jesus taught us,
Our Father . . .
Call to Reconciliation
We know our faults --
the way we have treated others,
our alienation from God,
our unwillingness to be faithful people.
We will not hide our sin or remain silent,
but confess them to the One who surrounds us with steadfast love.
Please join me as we pray, saying . . .
(Unison) Prayer of Confession
We admit, Waiting God, how we have sinned against you.
We treat others as strangers, not as our brothers and sisters.
Like the elder son, we become green-eyed with jealousy when you
throw your arms around those who are different from us.
We are quick to see the faults of others,
but do not recognize our own brokenness.
We are not ...
You interrupt our confession, Tender God, to run and embrace us.
There are no limitations on your love, there is nothing you will not give to us.
You fill us with your compassion,
and treat us as you do your own Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance of Pardon
Leader: God rolls away everything that stands in our way --
our past, our sin, our pain, our hesitation,
and reshapes us into new people living in the new creation.
What wonderful grace. We are forgiven!
People: Broken, we are made whole;
lost, we are brought home;
empty, we are filled with songs of gladness.
We rejoice and give thanks to God who has graced us with mercy. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
The Loving Father
Luke 15:11-32
"Alan, you are late again!" Alan's father's jaw twitched, which meant Alan's father was not pleased. Alan's father was angry. "This is the third time this week you have been late to dinner!" The family was seated at the dinner table when Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what time it was." It was Alan's usual excuse.
The next morning at the breakfast table there was a surprise package beside Alan's plate. Alan unwrapped the package. It was an inexpensive watch, but it was Alan's. He grinned. "Now I don't have an excuse."
That evening the family was sitting at the dinner table when Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry. I forgot to watch the time." Father glared at Alan across the table, his jaw twitching, which meant Alan's father was angry. "If you are late tomorrow, your dinner will be bread and water!"
The next night dinner was later than usual. "Mary, what is slowing up dinner?" Father asked. Mother said nothing, simply setting the table, seeing Alan's empty chair. When everyone was at last seated at the dinner table, their plates filled with food, Alan slammed the door, dropped his books on the floor, pulled out his chair, and sat down at the table. "I'm sorry..." Alan looked down at his plate with a piece of dry bread and a glass of water and remembered. Everyone was eating fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and crisp orange carrots, his favorite foods. His stomach growled with hunger and he coughed so no one would hear it. He wanted to hold his nose so he wouldn't smell the fried chicken. Then a tear rolled down Alan's cheek. Everyone continued to eat. No one paid any attention to Alan until his father reached out, took Alan's empty plate and glass of water, and gave Alan his plate of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, crisp orange carrots, and glass of milk.
That night Alan's father went to bed hungry and Alan never forgot that meal, for as he told his children years later, "All my life I have known what God is like because of what my father did that night."
Talk together: How do you know God is like a loving Parent? Do you have a "father like that"? Jesus told a story of a "father like that."
Prayer: Thank you, God, for being our loving Parent.
(From Story Time at the Altar: 86 Messages for Children, by Elaine M. Ward, CSS Publishing Co., 2003)
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The Immediate Word, March 18, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 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 permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
