A Day-Long Sermon
Children's sermon
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Sermon
Worship
The main theme in this week’s lectionary texts is proclamation -- the prophet Isaiah asks “Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning?” while Paul discusses the urgency of proclamation and of tailoring it to one’s audience. But in the next installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating notes that the gospel text’s account of Jesus’ ministry reveals perhaps the most important (and frequently overlooked) aspect of proclamation -- that of matching one’s words with deeds. Chris observes that in Jesus’ world, proclaiming the kingdom is not a matter of grandiose sermonizing; instead, it’s a balance of actions along with carefully chosen and targeted verbal communication. Here’s a preview:
A Day-Long Sermon
by Chris Keating
Mark 1:29-39
Mark’s portrayal of a day in the life of Jesus leaves us breathless. Jesus enters the gospel announcing that the time has been fulfilled, urgently proclaiming his message that now is the time to repent and trust the good news.
Jesus’ urgency about proclamation makes it possible to wonder if Nike was angling for sponsorship rights to the gospel. Every turn in the story so far has seen Jesus entering or leaving, casting out demons, teaching, and healing. It’s as if there’s a big logo behind him that says “Just do it.”
These snapshots of Jesus’ first day in ministry are a bit like mini-sermons. Jesus’ homiletical framework, at least according to Mark, is crisp and to the point. There’s no three points and a poem, no catchy illustrations or preacher jokes. Jesus’ proclamation is direct and invitational.
To the first disciples he simply says, “Follow me.” To the demons plaguing the man in Capernaum he says, “Be silent.” But perhaps the best line of Jesus’ sermon series is the one he never utters. Jesus silently lifts Simon’s mother-in-law to health. It’s a sermon without words, a reminder that for Jesus proclamation is an intricate balance between words and actions.
We might say his praxis matches his kerygma (and remember, praxis makes per-fix). That seems self-evident, perhaps, though a quick glance at headlines shows how often we fall short of joining our words and actions:
Mark’s account shows us how Jesus’ all-day preaching consistently connects the dots, preaching at all times, and even occasionally using words.
In The News
Jesus’ all-day sermon elegantly blends words embodied by actions. Granted, being the Son of God gave him a bit of an edge. But the point of this day in the life of the Messiah is more than just setting an impossibly high standard for human behavior. Jesus is not setting a goal beyond the reach of the disciples, but is instead pointing to the way of life in the kingdom -- a way that deftly and consistently blends the words of life with life-giving actions.
But if Jesus had been on Facebook, his message might have been lost, cast aside as fake news. Facebook’s announcement last week points to the sometimes tense relationship between action and proclamation. In a digital age, words spread like the flu, and can often be as damaging.
In response, Facebook has announced new policies for vetting news sources. In a posting on his utown Facebook page, Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will now be relying on its members to determine which sources are trustworthy. In other words, it’s up to the people to decide what is true.
User surveys will help determine what sources can be trusted. That may work well for national brands, but some believe it could make it harder for niche publications to communicate with their audiences. Facebook is also slimming down readers’ newsfeeds. All of this is a response to the outcry over fake news, though ultimately it also takes the social networking site out of the business of determining what is truth.
The problem, of course, is that truth, is not determined by the number of user clicks. Words are important, but the importance is diluted without any sort of substantiating action. Senator Jeff Flake, (R-Ariz.) offers a case in point. A day before President Trump’s “fake news awards,” Flake denounced the president’s attacks on the press, comparing the president to Josef Stalin.
While Flake has been fierce in his criticism of Trump, he has largely voted in favor of the President’s plans. Writing for Slate, Isaac Chotiner notes:
But if Flake wants us to believe that we are living in perilous times, he needs to start acting like it. Only creative solutions will be effective. His words on Wednesday might be inspiring -- and are certain to be more honorable than the sniveling abjectness of most of his colleagues -- but they are unlikely to do anything to stop the president he quite obviously detests.
Chotiner chides Republicans, though, saying one thing while doing something else is hardly a proprietary tactic of one party. Politicians are certainly not the only ones whose words are out of step with their actions. That is apparent in the heinous crimes committed by Larry Nassar, the former Michigan state and Olympic gymnastics team physician convicted of sexually abusing athletes. Nassar, like Penn State’s Jerry Sandusky, is a particularly monstrous illustration of evil, abusive hypocrisy.
Actress and former gymnast Akemi Look was molested by Nassar as a teenager. “I trusted this man,” said Look. “I didn't want to accuse him of anything because he was this God. He was this doctor who we all looked up to, who I believed cared about me so much.” Nassar’s abusive actions undercut his words -- including his own statement before receiving his sentence.
In the face of this particularly rancid form of abuse, it is tempting to become cynical. Columnist Nicholas Kristof, as referenced by Dean Feldmeyer in this week’s sermon illustrations, fights off this sort of mounting despair with a quick trip to Davos, Switzerland and the World Economic Forum.
While Kristof notes that tycoons are nearly always claiming to hold dear the interests of common folks while managing to pick their pockets, he found something interesting “swirling in the air here at Davos…along with the snowflakes.” Mixed in with the celebrities and politicians were earnest social entrepreneurs committed to using business tools to address critical world problems.
One uses business networks and social media to help reunite families of refugees. Another company addresses environmental needs in Haiti by providing composting toilets. A small venture profit company helps African farmers plant healthy seeds. “Some of this is shallow and some is deep,” writes Kristof, “but it’s authentic.” Enough, he says, “with gauzy rhetoric. It’s time for businesses to walk the talk.”
It’s time for an all-day sermon. It’s time for proclamation that brings together words and actions and declares the coming of the kingdom of God.
In The Text
Like a runner at the starting gate, Mark wastes no time in plunging straight into the thick of things. The opening words scroll across the screen, setting the tone for Mark’s fast-paced proclamation: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” It’s a theme repeated by Jesus at 1:15, and echoed throughout his interactions with the first disciples in 16-20. For Mark, Jesus’ story is one of immediacy and urgency, underscored by his understanding that “the time has come,” and frequent references to “immediately.”
No sooner has the starting gun been fired than Jesus enters Capernaum in vv. 21-28 and begins to teach. His proclamation is met with the curious reaction of his listeners: some are stunned, wondering where this rabbi has acquired his authority. Interestingly, it is the demons (1:23) who know who he is, and who are deeply troubled by his presence. Meanwhile, Jesus’ fame is beginning to spread.
Verses 29-34 form a distinct unit but are essentially an extension of the morning’s proclamation in the synagogue. Mark follows Jesus much like a camera crew filming a day in the life of the President. Jesus is on the move, and its hard to keep up with him. As the scene begins, Jesus enters the house and discovers Simon’s mother in law is laid up with a fever. Here proclamation and action become one. Jesus lifts her, raising her to new life.
While it’s tempting to make a mother-in-law joke, this woman is all business. She is raised from her bed and responds with a generous display of hospitality. At first it seems like a real Archie Bunker moment. But I’m not sure that Simon and friends are yelling, “Can we get some food, ma?” Instead of conforming to a fixed role, the woman has become a disciple. Her response to Jesus’ word is to serve.
The scene ends as the sun sets in Galilee. It was a rather full day, yet somehow Jesus finds the presence of mind to get up early and pray. The disciples find him, and immediately the pattern for Jesus’ ministry becomes clear. The “all day” sermon was certainly not more than just a one day thing. “Let us go,” he tells them, “on to the neighboring towns so that I may proclaim the message there also.” Following Jesus means walking the talk, and talking the walk.
In the Sermon
From the start, Mark makes it clear that Jesus’ ministry will be one of preaching and healing. The activities are intertwined, nearly indistinguishable. The word Jesus proclaims is intended to open the eyes of those longing to see the kingdom, and his actions reflect the power of God who has come near. Jesus is on the loose, bringing a message of power and comfort.
“It is no use walking anywhere to preach,” Francis of Assisi remarked, “unless our walking is our preaching.” Francis’ words strike at the heart of Jesus’ embodied message of hope. Unlike politicians, business leaders or celebrities who may say one thing and then do something else, Jesus’ word and action are unified. We often misquote Francis as saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words,” though scholars think it is unlikely he said those exact words. Yet they form an accurate understanding of how Francis lived the Gospel message, and perhaps offer a clue to how we are called to live as witnesses to that message today.
Christian proclamation, unlike political promises, is always an embodied act of service.
Words are all around us, yet somehow are devalued. But the text offers an alternative. Jesus lives a unified life. This day in the life of a Messiah is indeed an all-day sermon. Perhaps Simon’s mother-in-law offers the most intriguing way into this text. She is not simply doing her maternal duty, but is instead responding to the word proclaimed. What does it mean for our church members, many of whom would never imagine themselves to be preachers, to hear this as a call to ministry? Where they are called to rise in body and spirit, and embody the good news of Jesus Christ?
An all-day sermon is just the beginning to a life lived bearing witness to God’s mission in the world.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Mark 1:29-39
By now, Jesus and the local demons are getting to know each other.
Just before this, Jesus has made his inaugural appearance in the local synagogue. There, a demon recognizes him and calls him by name -- and adds a title. Mark tells us about that day, “there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit, convulsing and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.” The townspeople are a little stunned by Jesus, but the demon knows exactly who he is.
Now, at Simon’s house, a crowd has gathered around the door, and the crowd includes the demons. Again, Jesus calls them out -- this time the order is reversed, and they’re ordered to come out first and then to be silent. Jesus acts with power, but he’s not the only power on the scene. These demons also have power. By now, they’re becoming familiar with Jesus, and he with them. “Oh, you again,” we can imagine Jesus thinking.
Our own personal demons become familiar, too. Even in a long recovery process, the urge to drink or use drugs has to be managed with vigilance. Years after quitting smoking, some people still long for a cigarette on occasion. The demon of distraction lurks close by for all of us, with our phones ready for any empty moments. Depression pops its ugly head up again and again. Self-doubt is always around the corner.
As a nation, we have familiar demons, too, including our old enemy racial prejudice, which is showing up again in the white nationalist movement, immigration crackdowns and enthusiasm for a border wall with Mexico. The white nationalist movement is relying on “a new strategy that taps into the frustrations of white people angry at a society they say has marginalized them and a new political landscape that appears to give voice to their cause. President Trump’s election…became a major rallying point for white nationalists, who watched as the Republican repeatedly amplified some of their views in campaign rallies and tweets.”
Like a familiar demon, the movement uses people’s pain to move them toward their political views. “White nationalists argue in online postings that the inclusiveness and diversity espoused by the country’s public school teachers, mainstream media and liberal arts universities wrongly silences their voices. They repeatedly post comments on social media that they want to say ‘I’m proud to be white’ without reprimand and don't understand why it’s OK for someone to declare ‘Black Lives Matter’ but not ‘ European settlers made America great.’ Experts say the movement emphasizes free speech, while downplaying its end game: A United States run by and for white people, with minorities either marginalized or removed.”
The accustomed demon of Christian supremacy, and prejudice against the LGBT community, moved forward with President Trump's protection for health care workers who can deny care if it’s not in line with their religious beliefs. The Daily Beast reported on the new “Conscience and Religious Freedom Division to be housed within the HHS Office for Civil Rights,” noting “What that means, in effect, is that the federal department whose stated mission is to ‘enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans’ will now make it even easier for health care providers to discriminate against some Americans, particularly LGBT people and especially transgender people.” It’s already difficult for gay and lesbian people to receive unbiased health care from a provider trained in their concerns, and the experience is even worse for transgender people. The office is named “Religious Freedom,” but the only religion being catered to is a form of conservative Christianity.
In spite of the #TimesUp movement in the entertainment world, the demon of gender inequality has made itself at home, and isn’t leaving any time soon. “The numbers are staggering: Of the top 250 films of 2017, 88 percent had no female directors, according to the most recent “Celluloid Ceiling” report from San Diego State University. What’s more, 83 percent of the films had no female writers, and 96 percent had no female cinematographers. According to earlier versions of the survey, more than 90 percent of major studio films have no female assistants on set, including gaffers, key grips, or supervising sound editors…In the last two decades, the gender wage gap in America has narrowed and women have eclipsed men in the ranks of new college graduates. But behind the camera in Hollywood, nothing has changed since the late 1990s.” This is a problem bigger than predatory celebrities like Harvey Weinstein. It creates a system where women lack “the power to produce, direct, write, or film. Sociological studies on sexual harassment have shown that the worst industries for harassment combine several factors: male domination in positions of power; work arrangements that are relatively transient; and young, single women in more-vulnerable and low-paying occupations.” Hollywood has all three. Gender inequality has moved in, and isn’t leaving soon.
The simple demon of complacency allowed Larry Nassar to abuse hundreds of gymnasts and get away with it for decades. “Gymnasts and their parents began making documented complaints about Nassar as early as 1997 (see this detailed timeline), reporting that the doctor had disguised his abuse -- fondling and digital penetration -- as ‘treatment’ for injuries. These allegations were not taken seriously until Aug. 29, 2016, when former gymnast Rachael Denhollander took a ‘shot in the dark,’ becoming the first person to file a criminal complaint against Nassar.” Michigan State and USA Gymnastics failed to take the complaints seriously, and “Nassar was able to continue ‘practicing’ his ‘medicine’ unabated for almost two decades. During these years, hundreds of girls and young women were sent to him by parents and coaches.” A lust for success persuaded both Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics to trust someone so untrustworthy.
These demons are all familiar, and all of them eager to return to our national life the minute we give them a chance. They’re so familiar that we underestimate them, and grow accustomed to their presence. We begin to think they’re not that bad because we’re used to living with them. But Jesus keeps calling the demons out, even when they show up in familiar forms. Jesus understands that familiar doesn’t mean harmless. He never takes them for granted, or gives them a free pass. His example prods us in the same direction. Failing to notice and fight even the most familiar demons only allows them to grow stronger. The power of Jesus calls us to notice our accustomed enemies, and to keep battling them in service to health and wholeness.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
The Business Of Social Responsibility
In his January 24 column, written from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Nicholas Kristof talks of how business people are beginning to understand that a social conscience is good for business.
He tells stories of social entrepreneurs such as Christopher Mikkelsen, who works “with two dozen companies, including cellphone operators and Facebook, to help refugees find lost members of their families.” His organization, Refunite, has helped more than 40,000 refugees reunite with loved ones.
Sasha Kramer’s organization, SOIL, charges customers in Haiti a few dollars a month to provide and service composting toilets that turn human waste into safe agricultural fertilizer. The cost is one-third of what a sewage system would cost to operate.
He also praises some large corporations from which we are staring to hear “at least more of the right kind of talk.” He also talks of how “Laurence Fink, the chief executive of the investment firm BlackRock and one of the biggest investors in the world, shook the business world last week with an implicit threat to punish small-minded companies that ‘only deliver financial performance’ without ‘a positive contribution to society.’”
He praises companies like Unilever, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Mastercard, Danone and Chobani who have long records of moving beyond talk to actually taking action to improve the lives of the people they serve.
Companies who worry only about their bottom line and refuse to serve the 99% as well as the 1% run the risk of alienating not just their customers but the most talented members of a new generation who are entering the work force: “Millennials want to work for ethical companies, patronize brands that make them feel good, and invest in socially responsible companies.”
He concludes the column, “When companies with hundreds of thousands of employees elevate women, fight for Dreamers, adopt environment-friendly packaging, when they serve not only shareholders but also the larger society, the impact can be transformational. But enough with the gauzy rhetoric. It’s time for businesses to walk the talk.”
Look Busy!!!
“We trained hard—but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we were reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing, and what a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while actually producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.”
Most people attribute that quote to the great, Roman satirist, Petronius Arbiter but recent scholarship holds that it was probably first spoken much later, perhaps as late as the mid-20th century.
At any rate, it speaks to the frustration of a soldier who is caught up in the bureaucratic maze of pseudo-action. That is, inaction undertaken to make it look like action.
Perhaps you have seen the bumper sticker that says, “Jesus is coming. Look busy,” which points to the same phenomenon.
Looking like we are doing something, however, is not the same as actually doing something.
Why Words?
“Words, words, words. Nothing but words.” You’ve probably heard someone thus express their frustration at the use of empty words, words without meaning, or words left to stand alone without actions to shore them up.
Grace Olmstead, writing in “The American Conservative,” believes that words need not be empty and devoid of meaning, however. She offers five reasons that words are important:
#1. The ability to communicate through words makes us human.
Any monkey can take a picture with a smartphone. Point and click. But the ability to encapsulate a moment in nouns and verbs, adjectives and adverbs -- only a human can do that.
#2. Words give expression to the abstract in a way that image cannot.
“To be or not to be -- that is the question.” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)
#3. Word gives us the full story: its context, background, beginning and ending.
Humans love story. We always have. It enchants the two-year-old and 70-year-old, binds the angst-ridden teenager and wizened professor.
#4. Words connect us to the other.
In story, we lose ourselves to the beauty of another’s story. We explore the memories and thoughts of people long dead. Words open our souls to human thought and feeling beyond our own, in a way that an image cannot.
#5. Words awaken our imagination.
Taking a picture of a waterfall or a sunset or a purple sunset is a good thing. Writing a Facebook status about your wonderful evening with friends is good. But read how song writer Hank Williams asks us to imagine this scene as he describes it in words:
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry.
Words And Actions
Some years ago I went with a group to visit a mission in Nicaragua. The purpose of the mission was to bring people who were living in the Managua city dump out into the countryside where they would learn a trade, join a cooperative community, help to build the small house they would be living in, and garden the ground that came with the house.
Interestingly, the people who lived in the mission community also had a mission of their own. Each week they went to the men’s prison just a few miles away, where they visited with the inmates, offered a worship service, and handed out plastic bags full of personal hygiene items and toiletries.
We were told that when we hand a bag to one of the inmates we were to say, “In el nombre de Jesucristo.” In the name of Jesus Christ.
After we returned to the mission, one of our group asked why we had to say that phrase and the leader from our mission said that actions such as giving a gift bag to an inmate can have many meanings and can be interpreted many ways. Some of the inmates, she said, may be afraid to take the gift because they don’t know why it is being given and what may be expected in return.
By telling them that we are giving the gift “in the name of Jesus Christ,” we are telling them that there are no strings attached. It is a gift, free and clear. Nothing is expected in return.
It also tells them, she said, that you are giving them this gift not because you are a nice, rich gringo who likes to do nice things for poor, unfortunate inmates from time to time because you are better off than they. It tells them, “I give you this bag of items, not because I am better than you, but because I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and that is what he asks of me.”
Advice From James
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1: 26-27)
In this passage James points out that both words and actions are important parts of the well lived, Christian life and the key is “appropriateness.”
First, the Christian keeps a tight reign on, that is, controls, his/her speech. Christians understand the importance of words and they work to make sure their words are appropriate to time, place, and audience.
Secondly, Christians know that actions are also important. A Christian faith that is pure and faultless is one that leads the Christian to care for those who are powerless in the culture, those who need an advocate, a champion, someone who will stand up for them.
Appropriate words and appropriate actions. Those are the two keys to the Christian life.
Proof In The Pudding
In one of his 2012 commentaries on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” sports writer Frank DeFord used the phrase, “the proof is in the pudding.” A listener wrote to NPR that this was a gross and disgusting phrase that conjured up images of someone reaching into a vat of pudding to draw something out and it should never be used on public radio.
Someone at NPR responded to the lady, telling her that, the original proverb is: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” And what it meant was that you had to try out food to know whether it was good.
Seeing Is Believing
Charles Kettering (1876-1958) was a brilliant inventor and entrepreneur. In 1909 he founded Dayton Engineering Laboratories (Delco). He later sold his company to General Motors in 1919, but soon became frustrated with a group of engineers who prevented progress with their seemingly infallible calculations.
At the time, it took over a month to paint a car, but Kettering believed the process could be shortened to just one hour. The engineers disagreed, so Kettering was determined to prove them wrong. He soon developed his own quick-drying paint but the engineers insisted a one-hour paint job was impossible. To prove his point, the eccentric Kettering arranged for a lunch with one of his skeptics.
After a leisurely meal, the two men headed out to the GM parking lot. Kettering's guest was somewhat embarrassed in that he couldn't find his car. Motioning to one particular vehicle, Kettering asked, "Isn't that yours?" The man replied, "It looks like mine, but my car isn't that color." Kettering said, “It is, now.”
To Build A Bridge
The story goes that General Stonewall Jackson's army found itself on one side of a river when it needed to be on the other side. After telling his engineers to plan and build a bridge so the army could cross, he called his wagon master in to tell him that it was urgent the wagon train cross the river as soon as possible. The wagon master started gathering all the logs, rocks and fence rails he could find and built a bridge. Long before day light General Jackson was told by his wagon master all the wagons and artillery had crossed the river. General Jackson asked where are the engineers and what are they doing? The wagon master's only reply was that they were in their tent drawing up plans for a bridge.
From team member Ron Love:
(These illustrations are based on major themes in this week’s lectionary readings.)
Discipleship
LeBron James, the MVP player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been in the news for his negative comments regrading President Donald Trump. During the celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, James has accused Trump of promoting racism. James said, “we’re trying to be divided right now by somebody…” That somebody is Trump. You may or may not agree with James assessment of the President, but what is important is that James is an outspoken advocate for equality. James is realistic about racism, when in the same interview he said, “The state of racism will never die, but what we cannot do is allow it to conquer us as a people. We can’t allow it to divide us.” In the interview he made reference to a speech he made in 2016 at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award (ESPY). James places the date of that speech on his sneakers as a constant reminder of that speech -- 07-13-2016. In his interview James said, “And we have to continue that and that date, I put it on my shoes because it always reminds me of our conversation.”
Application: Our readings remind us of the obligation we have to continually serve the Lord. Paul wrote, “for an obligation is laid on me…”
Proclamation
A number of police departments that agreed to be filmed for A&E Networks real time police show LivePD have discontinued their participation. The police departments agreed to participate to show transparency and to demonstrate how hard working their officers are. But, Bridgeport, Connecticut; Tulsa, Oklahoma, Streetsboro, Ohio; and Greenville County, South Carolina no longer think it is an advantage to the community. The nationwide publicity on crime shadows any good the community has to offer. The mayor of Bridgeport, Joe Ganim, said, “If it’s the only thing that’s being publicized nationally about our city, it can have a negative impact. We don’t have the Travel Channel doing anything on how wonderful our economic development projects are.”
Application: Our lectionary readings show that those who proclaim the message of the Lord, do so by preaching how good and wonderful God is. “who sits above the circle of the earth” “gives power to the faint” “heals the brokenhearted” “casts the wicked to the ground”
Humanity
In the newspaper comic Peanuts, a constant theme is Charlie Brown standing before Lucy to get advice on living. Lucy is always seated in her booth, with the overhead sign reading “Psychiatric Help.” Lucy, sitting back in her chair, feet on her desk, tells Charlie, “Life is like a game, Charlie Brown…Sometimes you win…Sometimes you lose.” Charlie, who was listening intently, now turns away from Lucy, and we see a very discouraged look on his face. Charlie then contemplates, “I’ll be happy if I just make the playoffs.”
Application: Throughout our lectionary readings we have the message of how God restores the life of individuals. “gives power to the faint” “heals the brokenhearted” “strengthens the powerless” “lifts up the downtrodden” “cured many” “cast out many demons”
Humanity
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has retired from NASCAR. He realizes that the first 43 years of his life were spent in the NASCAR bubble. Even though he had the money to go on vacations, attend concerts, he said, “When I was driving, I didn’t want to do anything else.” Then, last racing season, when a concussion took him off the track, he was forced to expand his lifestyle. Earnhardt said, “I started to peel away the layers, I started losing some of that habit and getting more comfortable doing things.” But, reflecting on when he was racing Earnhardt said, “When you went and did something, go to a concert, visit another city, you almost felt guilty for doing it. Like, we already have a pretty good lifestyle as race car drivers and can afford just about anything. So I just felt bad enjoying myself.”
Application: Our lectionary readings affirm that we should be lifted up and enjoy living.
Discipleship
Pope Francis recent trip to Chile was met with many protests. The protests were in response to Catholics thinking the Pope and his appointed bishops did not quickly and properly respond to the child abuse cases in the church. The protest particularly centered on Rev. Fernando Karadima who was a notorious sex offender. As a result of this a number of Chileans have left the church. Also, priests have lost their standing in the community with guilt by association. They have been insulted while walking the streets and in the subway. In an address to the clergy, the Pope said he knows the “pain” of priests and nuns “who after working so hard, have seen the harm that has led to suspicion and questioning; in many of you this has been a source of doubt, fear, and lack of confidence.” He said the clergy have “paid a heavy price,” but he urged them “to press on.”
Application: As Paul demonstrates in his letter, the obligation we have to serve the Lord is not easy.
Forgiveness
Last year’s Oscars saw a great mistake when La La Land was mistakenly announced as the best picture instead of Moonlight. During the past year PwC, which is responsible for the envelopes, has instituted six major reforms to avoid the mishap this year. A spokesman for PcW said, “Still, it was a big human error, and it was a very public error.”
Application: Many people came to Jesus for healing and to have demons cast out, and a part of that healing process is to know forgiveness.
Evil
Pope Francis recently visited Peru. Even before he met with the president of the country, the pope went to the city of Puerto Maldonado, which is the gateway into the Amazon. The land is decimated by illegal gold mining and logging, which the Pope referred as a “social virus.” Part of this virus is the failure to recognize the rights of the indigenous people who live in the Amazon. The Pope called for a three-fold defense to end the virus, which is: their life, their land, and their cultures. He said of the inhabitants, “You are a living memory of the mission that God has entrusted to us all: the protection of our common home.” He also addressed the number of women who have been captured and forced into the sex trade. Pope Francis said, “It is painful to see how in this land, which is under the protection of the Mother of God, so many women are devalued, denigrated and exposed to endless violence.”
Application: Demons plague society with a social virus that must be cast out.
Discipleship
Henry Alford was an English theologian and hymnwriter. He was born into a family of five generations of Anglican clergymen. His best-known hymn is “Come, ye thankful people, come.” He is also known for Alford’s Law for biblical interpretation, which he published in a multi-volume work in 1861. The “Rule” or the “Law” as he called it stated that biblical words must be interpreted in the chronological order in which they appear in the Bible. This prevents one interpretation from contradicting another. When Alford was 16, he wrote in his journal on November 18, 1827, “I do this day, as in the presence of God and my soul, renew my covenant with God, and solemnly determine to henceforth to become His, and to do His work as far as in me lies.”
Application: Our obligation to follow Jesus requires complete and total submission.
Discipleship
Matthew Henry was a nonconformist minister in England. As such he was a Presbyterian who did conform to the rules of the established Church of England. Henry is known for writing a biblical commentary on most the books of the Bible. His verse by verse account is exegetical, with the purpose of providing a practical explanation for devotions. He suddenly died before the commentary series was completed, so 13 other nonconformist ministers wrote Romans through Revelations, using Henry’s notes as a guide. On November 12, 1704, when Henry was 42, he wrote in his journal explaining how he was going to write a multi-volume biblical commentary, “I set about it, that I may endeavor something and spend my time to some good purpose and let the Lord make what use he pleaseth of me.” Henry started the project in 1704, but died in 1714 before it was completed. Matthew Henry’s Commentary is still widely used today.
Application: Our obligation to follow Jesus requires complete and total submission.
Protection
When I was a chaplain in the Army, even though I was an officer, I had to endure basic training, like every enlisted person. Chaplains are the only professionals in the Army who are required to go through basic training. This is because a chaplain must understand the troops whom he is serving, and also a chaplain is often found on the front line with the troops. In the last week of basic training one must go to the gas chamber. The fear of this experience is heightened because during the previous six weeks the drill instructors keep telling you how awful the experience will be. You enter the chamber wearing your gas mask, and everything seems quite normal. Then from behind the DI pulls off your mask and there is havoc. Standing in a cement bunker filled with tear gas, elbow to elbow with other chaplains, all of us unable to breath. Then, we have to start the routine of telling our names, serial numbers, and answering other questions. One purpose of the exercise is to deal with the six-week fear factor. The other is to impress upon the chaplain how protective the mask is.
Application: Throughout our lectionary readings we are told how God protects the weak and downtrodden. “gives power to the faint” “heals the brokenhearted” “strengthens the powerless” “lifts up the downtrodden” “cured many”.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: How good it is to sing praises to our God.
People: God is gracious and a song of praise is fitting.
Leader: Great is our God and abundant in power.
People: God’s understanding is beyond measure.
Leader: Sing to God with thanksgiving.
People: Make melody to our God on stringed instruments.
OR
Leader: Let us worship our God who is one and holy.
People: Praise to God who is wholeness and truth.
Leader: Let us look the Jesus whose deeds and words were one.
People: May we be true disciples who reflect that unity.
Leader: The world around us in broken and in pain.
People: We offer our words and deeds to be God’s healing acts.
Hymns and Songs:
"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty"
UMH: 64
H82: 362
PH: 138
AAHH: 329
NNBH: 1
NCH: 277
CH: 4
LBW: 165
ELA: 413
W&P: 136
AMEC: 25
STLT 26
CCB: 204
"Now Thank We All Our God"
UMH: 102
H82: 396/397
PH: 555
NNBH: 330
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533/534
ELA: 839/840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT 32
"Lord, I Want to Be a CH:ristian"
UMH: 402
PH: 372
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Renew: 145
"Take My Life, and Let It Be"
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
ELA: 583/685
W&P: 466
AMEC: 292
Renew: 150
"Take Time to Be Holy"
UMH: 395
NNBH: 306
CH: 572
W&P: 483
AMEC: 286
"O God of Every Nation"
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELA: 713
W&P: 626
"For the Bread WhiCH: You Have Broken"
UMH: 614/615
H82: 340/341
PH: 508/509
CH: 411
LBW: 200
ELA: 494
"One Bread, One Body"
UMH: 620
CH: 393
ELA: 496
W&P: 689
CCB: 49
"We Are His Hands"
CCB: 85
"Your Loving Kindness Is Better than Life"
CCB: 26
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: CH:alice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal CH:urCH: Hymnal
STLT Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury CH:orus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is One in perfect unity:
Grant us the grace to reflect your image within us
by being united in our words and in our actions;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, for you are One and in perfect unity. Help us to not only praise you but to reflect your image which you placed within us. Help us to keep our words and actions in harmony with one another and with you. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially when our words and actions do not match.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. Sometimes we talk a good game but we fail to act in ways that support our words. Other times we do good things but we fail to share why act as we do. Too seldom do our words and deeds match each other and also reflect your will for us. Renew us in your Spirit and help us to align our hearts and minds with you so that our actions and words may be in unity and be gracious. Amen.
Leader: God’s grace is abundant and freely offered. Receive God’s Spirit and share the grace and power with all.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory are yours, O God, for you are the Holy One.
(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. Sometimes we talk a good game but we fail to act in ways that support our words. Other times we do good things but we fail to share why act as we do. Too seldom do our words and deeds match each other and also reflect your will for us. Renew us in your Spirit and help us to align our hearts and minds with you so that our actions and words may be in unity and be gracious.
We thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us. You have given us life that is more than existence. You have given us love that enriches and supports our lives. You have given us yourself in our creation and in the gift of your Spirit.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another today. We are aware of many needs around us. We see those who are sick or dying; those who are grieving; those who struggle in relationship or in need of basic necessities. We are aware of many whose lives are filled with violence and abuse. Help us to join your work of healing as we use our words and actions to reach out to others.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father...Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Take several pictures of people doing various things and make up what they might say. A picture of someone tasting something that they obviously don’t like and you have them say, “Yech! That’s awful.” Make the pictures/sayings as diverse as possible. Then mix them up so the sayings are not like the pictures at all. Share this with the children. Ask if they thing that is what they would say. Have them help you rearrange them. Talk about how our words and actions should match. We not only need to speak nice things, we need to act that way.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Proclamation and Message; Words and Actions
by Dean Feldmeyer
The message, here, is saying something and doing something are not the same and we need to be able to back up the things we say with actions as well. The list below is not meant to limit you but to inspire your imagination. Please feel free to substitute things you can do as you feel so moved.
What I used: My banjo, a sculpting balloon, a sheet of origami paper, and three juggling bean bags.
What I said and did:
Good morning, kiddos. How ya doing?
I want to share some thing with you, this morning.
(Pick up banjo.) I’m going to play a song on the banjo? (Play a little tune.)
(Pick up balloon.) I’m going to make this balloon into a wiener dog? (Blow up balloon and twist it into a wiener dog.)
(Pick up paper.) I’m going to fold this paper into a bird? (Fold paper into a boat.) Okay, I can’t really fold it into a bird, but this is a pretty spiffy boat, don’t you think?
(Pick up bean bags.) I’m going to juggle these bean bags? (Juggle bean bags.)
Okay, let’s review:
I said I was going to play a song on the banjo and I did play a song.
I said I was going to make a balloon wiener dog and I did make a balloon wiener dog.
I said I was going to make a paper bird but I couldn’t. I could only make a boat.
I said I was going to juggle and I did juggle.”
So, let’s see. Which is better?
Saying a thing?
Doing a thing? Or
Saying AND doing a thing.
Let’s vote. (Note the vote distribution.)
I said I was going do all these things but how did you know if I could really do them or not? That’s right, when I actually did them.
You know, one thing that the Bible tells us is that doing a thing is better than just saying it. Like folding a paper boat is better than saying I could fold a bird and then not doing it. Folding the boat is better. And even better than doing a thing is saying AND doing it.
Saying and doing are the best things of all.
The Bible says, “Be doers of the word of God and not just sayers of the word.”
Just saying is weak.
Just doing is stronger.
But saying and doing are the strongest of all.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 4, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
A Day-Long Sermon
by Chris Keating
Mark 1:29-39
Mark’s portrayal of a day in the life of Jesus leaves us breathless. Jesus enters the gospel announcing that the time has been fulfilled, urgently proclaiming his message that now is the time to repent and trust the good news.
Jesus’ urgency about proclamation makes it possible to wonder if Nike was angling for sponsorship rights to the gospel. Every turn in the story so far has seen Jesus entering or leaving, casting out demons, teaching, and healing. It’s as if there’s a big logo behind him that says “Just do it.”
These snapshots of Jesus’ first day in ministry are a bit like mini-sermons. Jesus’ homiletical framework, at least according to Mark, is crisp and to the point. There’s no three points and a poem, no catchy illustrations or preacher jokes. Jesus’ proclamation is direct and invitational.
To the first disciples he simply says, “Follow me.” To the demons plaguing the man in Capernaum he says, “Be silent.” But perhaps the best line of Jesus’ sermon series is the one he never utters. Jesus silently lifts Simon’s mother-in-law to health. It’s a sermon without words, a reminder that for Jesus proclamation is an intricate balance between words and actions.
We might say his praxis matches his kerygma (and remember, praxis makes per-fix). That seems self-evident, perhaps, though a quick glance at headlines shows how often we fall short of joining our words and actions:
- Politicians who don’t back up their words with deeds;
- A trusted physician convicted of serially abusing athletes;
- A public so inured by politics that it freely acknowledges “words don’t matter”;
- Religious leaders who declare that the president can get a “do-over” for alleged sexual improprieties.
Mark’s account shows us how Jesus’ all-day preaching consistently connects the dots, preaching at all times, and even occasionally using words.
In The News
Jesus’ all-day sermon elegantly blends words embodied by actions. Granted, being the Son of God gave him a bit of an edge. But the point of this day in the life of the Messiah is more than just setting an impossibly high standard for human behavior. Jesus is not setting a goal beyond the reach of the disciples, but is instead pointing to the way of life in the kingdom -- a way that deftly and consistently blends the words of life with life-giving actions.
But if Jesus had been on Facebook, his message might have been lost, cast aside as fake news. Facebook’s announcement last week points to the sometimes tense relationship between action and proclamation. In a digital age, words spread like the flu, and can often be as damaging.
In response, Facebook has announced new policies for vetting news sources. In a posting on his utown Facebook page, Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will now be relying on its members to determine which sources are trustworthy. In other words, it’s up to the people to decide what is true.
User surveys will help determine what sources can be trusted. That may work well for national brands, but some believe it could make it harder for niche publications to communicate with their audiences. Facebook is also slimming down readers’ newsfeeds. All of this is a response to the outcry over fake news, though ultimately it also takes the social networking site out of the business of determining what is truth.
The problem, of course, is that truth, is not determined by the number of user clicks. Words are important, but the importance is diluted without any sort of substantiating action. Senator Jeff Flake, (R-Ariz.) offers a case in point. A day before President Trump’s “fake news awards,” Flake denounced the president’s attacks on the press, comparing the president to Josef Stalin.
While Flake has been fierce in his criticism of Trump, he has largely voted in favor of the President’s plans. Writing for Slate, Isaac Chotiner notes:
But if Flake wants us to believe that we are living in perilous times, he needs to start acting like it. Only creative solutions will be effective. His words on Wednesday might be inspiring -- and are certain to be more honorable than the sniveling abjectness of most of his colleagues -- but they are unlikely to do anything to stop the president he quite obviously detests.
Chotiner chides Republicans, though, saying one thing while doing something else is hardly a proprietary tactic of one party. Politicians are certainly not the only ones whose words are out of step with their actions. That is apparent in the heinous crimes committed by Larry Nassar, the former Michigan state and Olympic gymnastics team physician convicted of sexually abusing athletes. Nassar, like Penn State’s Jerry Sandusky, is a particularly monstrous illustration of evil, abusive hypocrisy.
Actress and former gymnast Akemi Look was molested by Nassar as a teenager. “I trusted this man,” said Look. “I didn't want to accuse him of anything because he was this God. He was this doctor who we all looked up to, who I believed cared about me so much.” Nassar’s abusive actions undercut his words -- including his own statement before receiving his sentence.
In the face of this particularly rancid form of abuse, it is tempting to become cynical. Columnist Nicholas Kristof, as referenced by Dean Feldmeyer in this week’s sermon illustrations, fights off this sort of mounting despair with a quick trip to Davos, Switzerland and the World Economic Forum.
While Kristof notes that tycoons are nearly always claiming to hold dear the interests of common folks while managing to pick their pockets, he found something interesting “swirling in the air here at Davos…along with the snowflakes.” Mixed in with the celebrities and politicians were earnest social entrepreneurs committed to using business tools to address critical world problems.
One uses business networks and social media to help reunite families of refugees. Another company addresses environmental needs in Haiti by providing composting toilets. A small venture profit company helps African farmers plant healthy seeds. “Some of this is shallow and some is deep,” writes Kristof, “but it’s authentic.” Enough, he says, “with gauzy rhetoric. It’s time for businesses to walk the talk.”
It’s time for an all-day sermon. It’s time for proclamation that brings together words and actions and declares the coming of the kingdom of God.
In The Text
Like a runner at the starting gate, Mark wastes no time in plunging straight into the thick of things. The opening words scroll across the screen, setting the tone for Mark’s fast-paced proclamation: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” It’s a theme repeated by Jesus at 1:15, and echoed throughout his interactions with the first disciples in 16-20. For Mark, Jesus’ story is one of immediacy and urgency, underscored by his understanding that “the time has come,” and frequent references to “immediately.”
No sooner has the starting gun been fired than Jesus enters Capernaum in vv. 21-28 and begins to teach. His proclamation is met with the curious reaction of his listeners: some are stunned, wondering where this rabbi has acquired his authority. Interestingly, it is the demons (1:23) who know who he is, and who are deeply troubled by his presence. Meanwhile, Jesus’ fame is beginning to spread.
Verses 29-34 form a distinct unit but are essentially an extension of the morning’s proclamation in the synagogue. Mark follows Jesus much like a camera crew filming a day in the life of the President. Jesus is on the move, and its hard to keep up with him. As the scene begins, Jesus enters the house and discovers Simon’s mother in law is laid up with a fever. Here proclamation and action become one. Jesus lifts her, raising her to new life.
While it’s tempting to make a mother-in-law joke, this woman is all business. She is raised from her bed and responds with a generous display of hospitality. At first it seems like a real Archie Bunker moment. But I’m not sure that Simon and friends are yelling, “Can we get some food, ma?” Instead of conforming to a fixed role, the woman has become a disciple. Her response to Jesus’ word is to serve.
The scene ends as the sun sets in Galilee. It was a rather full day, yet somehow Jesus finds the presence of mind to get up early and pray. The disciples find him, and immediately the pattern for Jesus’ ministry becomes clear. The “all day” sermon was certainly not more than just a one day thing. “Let us go,” he tells them, “on to the neighboring towns so that I may proclaim the message there also.” Following Jesus means walking the talk, and talking the walk.
In the Sermon
From the start, Mark makes it clear that Jesus’ ministry will be one of preaching and healing. The activities are intertwined, nearly indistinguishable. The word Jesus proclaims is intended to open the eyes of those longing to see the kingdom, and his actions reflect the power of God who has come near. Jesus is on the loose, bringing a message of power and comfort.
“It is no use walking anywhere to preach,” Francis of Assisi remarked, “unless our walking is our preaching.” Francis’ words strike at the heart of Jesus’ embodied message of hope. Unlike politicians, business leaders or celebrities who may say one thing and then do something else, Jesus’ word and action are unified. We often misquote Francis as saying, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary, use words,” though scholars think it is unlikely he said those exact words. Yet they form an accurate understanding of how Francis lived the Gospel message, and perhaps offer a clue to how we are called to live as witnesses to that message today.
Christian proclamation, unlike political promises, is always an embodied act of service.
Words are all around us, yet somehow are devalued. But the text offers an alternative. Jesus lives a unified life. This day in the life of a Messiah is indeed an all-day sermon. Perhaps Simon’s mother-in-law offers the most intriguing way into this text. She is not simply doing her maternal duty, but is instead responding to the word proclaimed. What does it mean for our church members, many of whom would never imagine themselves to be preachers, to hear this as a call to ministry? Where they are called to rise in body and spirit, and embody the good news of Jesus Christ?
An all-day sermon is just the beginning to a life lived bearing witness to God’s mission in the world.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Mark 1:29-39
By now, Jesus and the local demons are getting to know each other.
Just before this, Jesus has made his inaugural appearance in the local synagogue. There, a demon recognizes him and calls him by name -- and adds a title. Mark tells us about that day, “there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, ‘What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit, convulsing and crying with a loud voice, came out of him.” The townspeople are a little stunned by Jesus, but the demon knows exactly who he is.
Now, at Simon’s house, a crowd has gathered around the door, and the crowd includes the demons. Again, Jesus calls them out -- this time the order is reversed, and they’re ordered to come out first and then to be silent. Jesus acts with power, but he’s not the only power on the scene. These demons also have power. By now, they’re becoming familiar with Jesus, and he with them. “Oh, you again,” we can imagine Jesus thinking.
Our own personal demons become familiar, too. Even in a long recovery process, the urge to drink or use drugs has to be managed with vigilance. Years after quitting smoking, some people still long for a cigarette on occasion. The demon of distraction lurks close by for all of us, with our phones ready for any empty moments. Depression pops its ugly head up again and again. Self-doubt is always around the corner.
As a nation, we have familiar demons, too, including our old enemy racial prejudice, which is showing up again in the white nationalist movement, immigration crackdowns and enthusiasm for a border wall with Mexico. The white nationalist movement is relying on “a new strategy that taps into the frustrations of white people angry at a society they say has marginalized them and a new political landscape that appears to give voice to their cause. President Trump’s election…became a major rallying point for white nationalists, who watched as the Republican repeatedly amplified some of their views in campaign rallies and tweets.”
Like a familiar demon, the movement uses people’s pain to move them toward their political views. “White nationalists argue in online postings that the inclusiveness and diversity espoused by the country’s public school teachers, mainstream media and liberal arts universities wrongly silences their voices. They repeatedly post comments on social media that they want to say ‘I’m proud to be white’ without reprimand and don't understand why it’s OK for someone to declare ‘Black Lives Matter’ but not ‘ European settlers made America great.’ Experts say the movement emphasizes free speech, while downplaying its end game: A United States run by and for white people, with minorities either marginalized or removed.”
The accustomed demon of Christian supremacy, and prejudice against the LGBT community, moved forward with President Trump's protection for health care workers who can deny care if it’s not in line with their religious beliefs. The Daily Beast reported on the new “Conscience and Religious Freedom Division to be housed within the HHS Office for Civil Rights,” noting “What that means, in effect, is that the federal department whose stated mission is to ‘enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans’ will now make it even easier for health care providers to discriminate against some Americans, particularly LGBT people and especially transgender people.” It’s already difficult for gay and lesbian people to receive unbiased health care from a provider trained in their concerns, and the experience is even worse for transgender people. The office is named “Religious Freedom,” but the only religion being catered to is a form of conservative Christianity.
In spite of the #TimesUp movement in the entertainment world, the demon of gender inequality has made itself at home, and isn’t leaving any time soon. “The numbers are staggering: Of the top 250 films of 2017, 88 percent had no female directors, according to the most recent “Celluloid Ceiling” report from San Diego State University. What’s more, 83 percent of the films had no female writers, and 96 percent had no female cinematographers. According to earlier versions of the survey, more than 90 percent of major studio films have no female assistants on set, including gaffers, key grips, or supervising sound editors…In the last two decades, the gender wage gap in America has narrowed and women have eclipsed men in the ranks of new college graduates. But behind the camera in Hollywood, nothing has changed since the late 1990s.” This is a problem bigger than predatory celebrities like Harvey Weinstein. It creates a system where women lack “the power to produce, direct, write, or film. Sociological studies on sexual harassment have shown that the worst industries for harassment combine several factors: male domination in positions of power; work arrangements that are relatively transient; and young, single women in more-vulnerable and low-paying occupations.” Hollywood has all three. Gender inequality has moved in, and isn’t leaving soon.
The simple demon of complacency allowed Larry Nassar to abuse hundreds of gymnasts and get away with it for decades. “Gymnasts and their parents began making documented complaints about Nassar as early as 1997 (see this detailed timeline), reporting that the doctor had disguised his abuse -- fondling and digital penetration -- as ‘treatment’ for injuries. These allegations were not taken seriously until Aug. 29, 2016, when former gymnast Rachael Denhollander took a ‘shot in the dark,’ becoming the first person to file a criminal complaint against Nassar.” Michigan State and USA Gymnastics failed to take the complaints seriously, and “Nassar was able to continue ‘practicing’ his ‘medicine’ unabated for almost two decades. During these years, hundreds of girls and young women were sent to him by parents and coaches.” A lust for success persuaded both Michigan State University and USA Gymnastics to trust someone so untrustworthy.
These demons are all familiar, and all of them eager to return to our national life the minute we give them a chance. They’re so familiar that we underestimate them, and grow accustomed to their presence. We begin to think they’re not that bad because we’re used to living with them. But Jesus keeps calling the demons out, even when they show up in familiar forms. Jesus understands that familiar doesn’t mean harmless. He never takes them for granted, or gives them a free pass. His example prods us in the same direction. Failing to notice and fight even the most familiar demons only allows them to grow stronger. The power of Jesus calls us to notice our accustomed enemies, and to keep battling them in service to health and wholeness.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
The Business Of Social Responsibility
In his January 24 column, written from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Nicholas Kristof talks of how business people are beginning to understand that a social conscience is good for business.
He tells stories of social entrepreneurs such as Christopher Mikkelsen, who works “with two dozen companies, including cellphone operators and Facebook, to help refugees find lost members of their families.” His organization, Refunite, has helped more than 40,000 refugees reunite with loved ones.
Sasha Kramer’s organization, SOIL, charges customers in Haiti a few dollars a month to provide and service composting toilets that turn human waste into safe agricultural fertilizer. The cost is one-third of what a sewage system would cost to operate.
He also praises some large corporations from which we are staring to hear “at least more of the right kind of talk.” He also talks of how “Laurence Fink, the chief executive of the investment firm BlackRock and one of the biggest investors in the world, shook the business world last week with an implicit threat to punish small-minded companies that ‘only deliver financial performance’ without ‘a positive contribution to society.’”
He praises companies like Unilever, Starbucks, Whole Foods, Mastercard, Danone and Chobani who have long records of moving beyond talk to actually taking action to improve the lives of the people they serve.
Companies who worry only about their bottom line and refuse to serve the 99% as well as the 1% run the risk of alienating not just their customers but the most talented members of a new generation who are entering the work force: “Millennials want to work for ethical companies, patronize brands that make them feel good, and invest in socially responsible companies.”
He concludes the column, “When companies with hundreds of thousands of employees elevate women, fight for Dreamers, adopt environment-friendly packaging, when they serve not only shareholders but also the larger society, the impact can be transformational. But enough with the gauzy rhetoric. It’s time for businesses to walk the talk.”
Look Busy!!!
“We trained hard—but it seemed that every time we were beginning to form up into teams we were reorganized. I was to learn later in life that we tend to meet any new situation by reorganizing, and what a wonderful method it can be for creating the illusion of progress while actually producing confusion, inefficiency, and demoralization.”
Most people attribute that quote to the great, Roman satirist, Petronius Arbiter but recent scholarship holds that it was probably first spoken much later, perhaps as late as the mid-20th century.
At any rate, it speaks to the frustration of a soldier who is caught up in the bureaucratic maze of pseudo-action. That is, inaction undertaken to make it look like action.
Perhaps you have seen the bumper sticker that says, “Jesus is coming. Look busy,” which points to the same phenomenon.
Looking like we are doing something, however, is not the same as actually doing something.
Why Words?
“Words, words, words. Nothing but words.” You’ve probably heard someone thus express their frustration at the use of empty words, words without meaning, or words left to stand alone without actions to shore them up.
Grace Olmstead, writing in “The American Conservative,” believes that words need not be empty and devoid of meaning, however. She offers five reasons that words are important:
#1. The ability to communicate through words makes us human.
Any monkey can take a picture with a smartphone. Point and click. But the ability to encapsulate a moment in nouns and verbs, adjectives and adverbs -- only a human can do that.
#2. Words give expression to the abstract in a way that image cannot.
“To be or not to be -- that is the question.” (William Shakespeare, Hamlet)
#3. Word gives us the full story: its context, background, beginning and ending.
Humans love story. We always have. It enchants the two-year-old and 70-year-old, binds the angst-ridden teenager and wizened professor.
#4. Words connect us to the other.
In story, we lose ourselves to the beauty of another’s story. We explore the memories and thoughts of people long dead. Words open our souls to human thought and feeling beyond our own, in a way that an image cannot.
#5. Words awaken our imagination.
Taking a picture of a waterfall or a sunset or a purple sunset is a good thing. Writing a Facebook status about your wonderful evening with friends is good. But read how song writer Hank Williams asks us to imagine this scene as he describes it in words:
The silence of a falling star
Lights up a purple sky
And as I wonder where you are
I'm so lonesome I could cry.
Words And Actions
Some years ago I went with a group to visit a mission in Nicaragua. The purpose of the mission was to bring people who were living in the Managua city dump out into the countryside where they would learn a trade, join a cooperative community, help to build the small house they would be living in, and garden the ground that came with the house.
Interestingly, the people who lived in the mission community also had a mission of their own. Each week they went to the men’s prison just a few miles away, where they visited with the inmates, offered a worship service, and handed out plastic bags full of personal hygiene items and toiletries.
We were told that when we hand a bag to one of the inmates we were to say, “In el nombre de Jesucristo.” In the name of Jesus Christ.
After we returned to the mission, one of our group asked why we had to say that phrase and the leader from our mission said that actions such as giving a gift bag to an inmate can have many meanings and can be interpreted many ways. Some of the inmates, she said, may be afraid to take the gift because they don’t know why it is being given and what may be expected in return.
By telling them that we are giving the gift “in the name of Jesus Christ,” we are telling them that there are no strings attached. It is a gift, free and clear. Nothing is expected in return.
It also tells them, she said, that you are giving them this gift not because you are a nice, rich gringo who likes to do nice things for poor, unfortunate inmates from time to time because you are better off than they. It tells them, “I give you this bag of items, not because I am better than you, but because I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and that is what he asks of me.”
Advice From James
Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. (James 1: 26-27)
In this passage James points out that both words and actions are important parts of the well lived, Christian life and the key is “appropriateness.”
First, the Christian keeps a tight reign on, that is, controls, his/her speech. Christians understand the importance of words and they work to make sure their words are appropriate to time, place, and audience.
Secondly, Christians know that actions are also important. A Christian faith that is pure and faultless is one that leads the Christian to care for those who are powerless in the culture, those who need an advocate, a champion, someone who will stand up for them.
Appropriate words and appropriate actions. Those are the two keys to the Christian life.
Proof In The Pudding
In one of his 2012 commentaries on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition,” sports writer Frank DeFord used the phrase, “the proof is in the pudding.” A listener wrote to NPR that this was a gross and disgusting phrase that conjured up images of someone reaching into a vat of pudding to draw something out and it should never be used on public radio.
Someone at NPR responded to the lady, telling her that, the original proverb is: “The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” And what it meant was that you had to try out food to know whether it was good.
Seeing Is Believing
Charles Kettering (1876-1958) was a brilliant inventor and entrepreneur. In 1909 he founded Dayton Engineering Laboratories (Delco). He later sold his company to General Motors in 1919, but soon became frustrated with a group of engineers who prevented progress with their seemingly infallible calculations.
At the time, it took over a month to paint a car, but Kettering believed the process could be shortened to just one hour. The engineers disagreed, so Kettering was determined to prove them wrong. He soon developed his own quick-drying paint but the engineers insisted a one-hour paint job was impossible. To prove his point, the eccentric Kettering arranged for a lunch with one of his skeptics.
After a leisurely meal, the two men headed out to the GM parking lot. Kettering's guest was somewhat embarrassed in that he couldn't find his car. Motioning to one particular vehicle, Kettering asked, "Isn't that yours?" The man replied, "It looks like mine, but my car isn't that color." Kettering said, “It is, now.”
To Build A Bridge
The story goes that General Stonewall Jackson's army found itself on one side of a river when it needed to be on the other side. After telling his engineers to plan and build a bridge so the army could cross, he called his wagon master in to tell him that it was urgent the wagon train cross the river as soon as possible. The wagon master started gathering all the logs, rocks and fence rails he could find and built a bridge. Long before day light General Jackson was told by his wagon master all the wagons and artillery had crossed the river. General Jackson asked where are the engineers and what are they doing? The wagon master's only reply was that they were in their tent drawing up plans for a bridge.
From team member Ron Love:
(These illustrations are based on major themes in this week’s lectionary readings.)
Discipleship
LeBron James, the MVP player for the Cleveland Cavaliers, has been in the news for his negative comments regrading President Donald Trump. During the celebration of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, James has accused Trump of promoting racism. James said, “we’re trying to be divided right now by somebody…” That somebody is Trump. You may or may not agree with James assessment of the President, but what is important is that James is an outspoken advocate for equality. James is realistic about racism, when in the same interview he said, “The state of racism will never die, but what we cannot do is allow it to conquer us as a people. We can’t allow it to divide us.” In the interview he made reference to a speech he made in 2016 at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award (ESPY). James places the date of that speech on his sneakers as a constant reminder of that speech -- 07-13-2016. In his interview James said, “And we have to continue that and that date, I put it on my shoes because it always reminds me of our conversation.”
Application: Our readings remind us of the obligation we have to continually serve the Lord. Paul wrote, “for an obligation is laid on me…”
Proclamation
A number of police departments that agreed to be filmed for A&E Networks real time police show LivePD have discontinued their participation. The police departments agreed to participate to show transparency and to demonstrate how hard working their officers are. But, Bridgeport, Connecticut; Tulsa, Oklahoma, Streetsboro, Ohio; and Greenville County, South Carolina no longer think it is an advantage to the community. The nationwide publicity on crime shadows any good the community has to offer. The mayor of Bridgeport, Joe Ganim, said, “If it’s the only thing that’s being publicized nationally about our city, it can have a negative impact. We don’t have the Travel Channel doing anything on how wonderful our economic development projects are.”
Application: Our lectionary readings show that those who proclaim the message of the Lord, do so by preaching how good and wonderful God is. “who sits above the circle of the earth” “gives power to the faint” “heals the brokenhearted” “casts the wicked to the ground”
Humanity
In the newspaper comic Peanuts, a constant theme is Charlie Brown standing before Lucy to get advice on living. Lucy is always seated in her booth, with the overhead sign reading “Psychiatric Help.” Lucy, sitting back in her chair, feet on her desk, tells Charlie, “Life is like a game, Charlie Brown…Sometimes you win…Sometimes you lose.” Charlie, who was listening intently, now turns away from Lucy, and we see a very discouraged look on his face. Charlie then contemplates, “I’ll be happy if I just make the playoffs.”
Application: Throughout our lectionary readings we have the message of how God restores the life of individuals. “gives power to the faint” “heals the brokenhearted” “strengthens the powerless” “lifts up the downtrodden” “cured many” “cast out many demons”
Humanity
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. has retired from NASCAR. He realizes that the first 43 years of his life were spent in the NASCAR bubble. Even though he had the money to go on vacations, attend concerts, he said, “When I was driving, I didn’t want to do anything else.” Then, last racing season, when a concussion took him off the track, he was forced to expand his lifestyle. Earnhardt said, “I started to peel away the layers, I started losing some of that habit and getting more comfortable doing things.” But, reflecting on when he was racing Earnhardt said, “When you went and did something, go to a concert, visit another city, you almost felt guilty for doing it. Like, we already have a pretty good lifestyle as race car drivers and can afford just about anything. So I just felt bad enjoying myself.”
Application: Our lectionary readings affirm that we should be lifted up and enjoy living.
Discipleship
Pope Francis recent trip to Chile was met with many protests. The protests were in response to Catholics thinking the Pope and his appointed bishops did not quickly and properly respond to the child abuse cases in the church. The protest particularly centered on Rev. Fernando Karadima who was a notorious sex offender. As a result of this a number of Chileans have left the church. Also, priests have lost their standing in the community with guilt by association. They have been insulted while walking the streets and in the subway. In an address to the clergy, the Pope said he knows the “pain” of priests and nuns “who after working so hard, have seen the harm that has led to suspicion and questioning; in many of you this has been a source of doubt, fear, and lack of confidence.” He said the clergy have “paid a heavy price,” but he urged them “to press on.”
Application: As Paul demonstrates in his letter, the obligation we have to serve the Lord is not easy.
Forgiveness
Last year’s Oscars saw a great mistake when La La Land was mistakenly announced as the best picture instead of Moonlight. During the past year PwC, which is responsible for the envelopes, has instituted six major reforms to avoid the mishap this year. A spokesman for PcW said, “Still, it was a big human error, and it was a very public error.”
Application: Many people came to Jesus for healing and to have demons cast out, and a part of that healing process is to know forgiveness.
Evil
Pope Francis recently visited Peru. Even before he met with the president of the country, the pope went to the city of Puerto Maldonado, which is the gateway into the Amazon. The land is decimated by illegal gold mining and logging, which the Pope referred as a “social virus.” Part of this virus is the failure to recognize the rights of the indigenous people who live in the Amazon. The Pope called for a three-fold defense to end the virus, which is: their life, their land, and their cultures. He said of the inhabitants, “You are a living memory of the mission that God has entrusted to us all: the protection of our common home.” He also addressed the number of women who have been captured and forced into the sex trade. Pope Francis said, “It is painful to see how in this land, which is under the protection of the Mother of God, so many women are devalued, denigrated and exposed to endless violence.”
Application: Demons plague society with a social virus that must be cast out.
Discipleship
Henry Alford was an English theologian and hymnwriter. He was born into a family of five generations of Anglican clergymen. His best-known hymn is “Come, ye thankful people, come.” He is also known for Alford’s Law for biblical interpretation, which he published in a multi-volume work in 1861. The “Rule” or the “Law” as he called it stated that biblical words must be interpreted in the chronological order in which they appear in the Bible. This prevents one interpretation from contradicting another. When Alford was 16, he wrote in his journal on November 18, 1827, “I do this day, as in the presence of God and my soul, renew my covenant with God, and solemnly determine to henceforth to become His, and to do His work as far as in me lies.”
Application: Our obligation to follow Jesus requires complete and total submission.
Discipleship
Matthew Henry was a nonconformist minister in England. As such he was a Presbyterian who did conform to the rules of the established Church of England. Henry is known for writing a biblical commentary on most the books of the Bible. His verse by verse account is exegetical, with the purpose of providing a practical explanation for devotions. He suddenly died before the commentary series was completed, so 13 other nonconformist ministers wrote Romans through Revelations, using Henry’s notes as a guide. On November 12, 1704, when Henry was 42, he wrote in his journal explaining how he was going to write a multi-volume biblical commentary, “I set about it, that I may endeavor something and spend my time to some good purpose and let the Lord make what use he pleaseth of me.” Henry started the project in 1704, but died in 1714 before it was completed. Matthew Henry’s Commentary is still widely used today.
Application: Our obligation to follow Jesus requires complete and total submission.
Protection
When I was a chaplain in the Army, even though I was an officer, I had to endure basic training, like every enlisted person. Chaplains are the only professionals in the Army who are required to go through basic training. This is because a chaplain must understand the troops whom he is serving, and also a chaplain is often found on the front line with the troops. In the last week of basic training one must go to the gas chamber. The fear of this experience is heightened because during the previous six weeks the drill instructors keep telling you how awful the experience will be. You enter the chamber wearing your gas mask, and everything seems quite normal. Then from behind the DI pulls off your mask and there is havoc. Standing in a cement bunker filled with tear gas, elbow to elbow with other chaplains, all of us unable to breath. Then, we have to start the routine of telling our names, serial numbers, and answering other questions. One purpose of the exercise is to deal with the six-week fear factor. The other is to impress upon the chaplain how protective the mask is.
Application: Throughout our lectionary readings we are told how God protects the weak and downtrodden. “gives power to the faint” “heals the brokenhearted” “strengthens the powerless” “lifts up the downtrodden” “cured many”.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: How good it is to sing praises to our God.
People: God is gracious and a song of praise is fitting.
Leader: Great is our God and abundant in power.
People: God’s understanding is beyond measure.
Leader: Sing to God with thanksgiving.
People: Make melody to our God on stringed instruments.
OR
Leader: Let us worship our God who is one and holy.
People: Praise to God who is wholeness and truth.
Leader: Let us look the Jesus whose deeds and words were one.
People: May we be true disciples who reflect that unity.
Leader: The world around us in broken and in pain.
People: We offer our words and deeds to be God’s healing acts.
Hymns and Songs:
"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty"
UMH: 64
H82: 362
PH: 138
AAHH: 329
NNBH: 1
NCH: 277
CH: 4
LBW: 165
ELA: 413
W&P: 136
AMEC: 25
STLT 26
CCB: 204
"Now Thank We All Our God"
UMH: 102
H82: 396/397
PH: 555
NNBH: 330
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533/534
ELA: 839/840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT 32
"Lord, I Want to Be a CH:ristian"
UMH: 402
PH: 372
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Renew: 145
"Take My Life, and Let It Be"
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
ELA: 583/685
W&P: 466
AMEC: 292
Renew: 150
"Take Time to Be Holy"
UMH: 395
NNBH: 306
CH: 572
W&P: 483
AMEC: 286
"O God of Every Nation"
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELA: 713
W&P: 626
"For the Bread WhiCH: You Have Broken"
UMH: 614/615
H82: 340/341
PH: 508/509
CH: 411
LBW: 200
ELA: 494
"One Bread, One Body"
UMH: 620
CH: 393
ELA: 496
W&P: 689
CCB: 49
"We Are His Hands"
CCB: 85
"Your Loving Kindness Is Better than Life"
CCB: 26
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: CH:alice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal CH:urCH: Hymnal
STLT Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury CH:orus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is One in perfect unity:
Grant us the grace to reflect your image within us
by being united in our words and in our actions;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, for you are One and in perfect unity. Help us to not only praise you but to reflect your image which you placed within us. Help us to keep our words and actions in harmony with one another and with you. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially when our words and actions do not match.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. Sometimes we talk a good game but we fail to act in ways that support our words. Other times we do good things but we fail to share why act as we do. Too seldom do our words and deeds match each other and also reflect your will for us. Renew us in your Spirit and help us to align our hearts and minds with you so that our actions and words may be in unity and be gracious. Amen.
Leader: God’s grace is abundant and freely offered. Receive God’s Spirit and share the grace and power with all.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory are yours, O God, for you are the Holy One.
(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. Sometimes we talk a good game but we fail to act in ways that support our words. Other times we do good things but we fail to share why act as we do. Too seldom do our words and deeds match each other and also reflect your will for us. Renew us in your Spirit and help us to align our hearts and minds with you so that our actions and words may be in unity and be gracious.
We thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us. You have given us life that is more than existence. You have given us love that enriches and supports our lives. You have given us yourself in our creation and in the gift of your Spirit.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another today. We are aware of many needs around us. We see those who are sick or dying; those who are grieving; those who struggle in relationship or in need of basic necessities. We are aware of many whose lives are filled with violence and abuse. Help us to join your work of healing as we use our words and actions to reach out to others.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father...Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Take several pictures of people doing various things and make up what they might say. A picture of someone tasting something that they obviously don’t like and you have them say, “Yech! That’s awful.” Make the pictures/sayings as diverse as possible. Then mix them up so the sayings are not like the pictures at all. Share this with the children. Ask if they thing that is what they would say. Have them help you rearrange them. Talk about how our words and actions should match. We not only need to speak nice things, we need to act that way.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Proclamation and Message; Words and Actions
by Dean Feldmeyer
The message, here, is saying something and doing something are not the same and we need to be able to back up the things we say with actions as well. The list below is not meant to limit you but to inspire your imagination. Please feel free to substitute things you can do as you feel so moved.
What I used: My banjo, a sculpting balloon, a sheet of origami paper, and three juggling bean bags.
What I said and did:
Good morning, kiddos. How ya doing?
I want to share some thing with you, this morning.
(Pick up banjo.) I’m going to play a song on the banjo? (Play a little tune.)
(Pick up balloon.) I’m going to make this balloon into a wiener dog? (Blow up balloon and twist it into a wiener dog.)
(Pick up paper.) I’m going to fold this paper into a bird? (Fold paper into a boat.) Okay, I can’t really fold it into a bird, but this is a pretty spiffy boat, don’t you think?
(Pick up bean bags.) I’m going to juggle these bean bags? (Juggle bean bags.)
Okay, let’s review:
I said I was going to play a song on the banjo and I did play a song.
I said I was going to make a balloon wiener dog and I did make a balloon wiener dog.
I said I was going to make a paper bird but I couldn’t. I could only make a boat.
I said I was going to juggle and I did juggle.”
So, let’s see. Which is better?
Saying a thing?
Doing a thing? Or
Saying AND doing a thing.
Let’s vote. (Note the vote distribution.)
I said I was going do all these things but how did you know if I could really do them or not? That’s right, when I actually did them.
You know, one thing that the Bible tells us is that doing a thing is better than just saying it. Like folding a paper boat is better than saying I could fold a bird and then not doing it. Folding the boat is better. And even better than doing a thing is saying AND doing it.
Saying and doing are the best things of all.
The Bible says, “Be doers of the word of God and not just sayers of the word.”
Just saying is weak.
Just doing is stronger.
But saying and doing are the strongest of all.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 4, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
