Different But the Same
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For June 9, 2019:
Different but the Same
by Mary Austin
Acts 2:1-21
“Why don’t the younger women want to join us?” every church women’s group I know laments. “We really want to welcome them,” generous older souls in the church say. Well, you meet in the daytime, do you want to change that? You do Bible study in a certain way. Is that negotiable? Do you have childcare?
My own church, a diverse group of people who have remarkable patience with each other, talks often about how to reach out to new members. Each time we have this conversation, I tease them that they want the energy and ideas of new members…who are just like they are.
From its earliest days, the church has struggled with these questions of uniformity balanced with newness. The Pentecost story in Acts 2 kicks off the history of an early church history filled with challenges to sameness. A group of faithful Jews who have been transformed by Jesus find themselves in turn transformed by Gentile converts, a eunuch, women and foreigners. The Pentecost story hints at that future when, with the rush of wind and the unmistakable presence of the Holy Spirit, the disciples begin to speak in other languages. They move out into the street, echoing the gospel’s move out into world, and all of the travelers in town hear their own languages.
The group of disciples who started out in hiding after the death of Jesus, locked in by fear, is now ready to speak to people of every nation.
In the News
One place where unity diversity meet up in our common life is around the issue of immigration. President Trump’s focus on this issue raises the larger question of who gets to come to the United States and become part of our culture, knowing that the presence of immigrants shapes us just as much as our culture changes their lives. His recent proposal suggested a shift from family-based legal immigration to a focus on people who have skills that would benefit the country. (The President’s in-laws became citizens through the process that he calls “chain migration” in 2018.)
In an opinion piece, Professor Justin Gest suggests that the US instead adopt the “Moneyball approach” to immigration rules. He readily admits that baseball is simpler to quantify than immigration, but he argues for a more data driven approach to immigration. Gest observes, “The whole idea of “merit” is a lightning rod in a highly charged issue. But there’s a smarter way for both sides to think about who we let in, and why. The Trump administration is on to something when it says we need a new way to evaluate immigrants, one that predicts their future success as Americans. Indeed, considering future immigrants’ contributions is now commonplace in immigration policies around the world. But the Trump administration’s idea of how to do this is too basic…Done right, it actually would consider family and other humanitarian factors, and likely set new arrivals up for greater success in their new country. Call it Immigration Moneyball. Just as baseball was revolutionized with a multidimensional data-driven system for evaluating and selecting players, the US can analyze far more information than it currently does to decide which immigrants will best thrive in American society and contribute to the economy — something people of all political persuasions want to see.”
Gest argues that there are all kinds of merit – skills, certainly, but also previous visits to the US and an understanding of the culture, and also previous compliance with visas, suggesting a willingness to follow the law. He suggests that we need “a system that instead considered immigrants more fully as individuals — rather than simply as skilled workers, unskilled workers or family members, as our current immigration framework does…The system might find “merit” in youth, in fluent multilingualism, in training or work experience in trades that are in special demand at the moment, or in advanced degrees from American universities. It could prioritize immigrants who pledge to settle in rapidly depopulating regions for their first 10 years after arrival; admits could even be matched to locales likely to produce their successful employment and integration. Imagine if all this was considered alongside whether immigrants have family in the US to receive them, help them adjust and help them find work. That, too, is a predictor of likely success: Research suggests that family migrants with close existing family ties have similar economic outcomes to migrants admitted on labor visas that screen for credentials and contracts. In this light, family represents a powerful form of merit, too.” We can see a potential new citizen as more than a family member of a current citizen, or more than a collection of skills for our benefit. Gest adds, “And importantly — because welcoming people in need is a core tenet of American culture — the criteria might include whether admission will rescue them from countries subject to severe poverty, violence or natural disasters.”
Like the travelers in Jerusalem who each hear in their own languages, we can speak about immigration on more levels, talking to prospective immigrants about more than one dimension of their lives. And if we can do that, by grace, perhaps we can meet people different from ourselves on their home territory, and communicate with them in the language they choose, as an act of Spirit-fueled hospitality.
In the Scriptures
The most interesting part of this familiar story is what isn’t said. The story begins with the disciples all together in one place – we imagine another upper room, perhaps, the scene of so many important events for the group. When the tongues of flame appear, suddenly the disciples are out in the street, surrounded by the crowd. Something moves them out the door, and out into the world.
The crowd around them is bewildered by the ability to hear, each in their own language, what the disciples are saying. The beauty of this gift isn’t that they can all understand the same language, which would have been equally possible for the Spirit to accomplish. The Spirit meets each person in their own native tongue. Understanding is shared among all the people there, in a way that feels familiar to each person. The Spirit balances the familiarity of the language of home with the newness of the message of Jesus.
As always, some people seek a logical explanation, and decide the group must be drunk, which sets the stage for Peter’s speech. On the night before Jesus’ death, Peter’s Galilean accent gives him away as a follower. Now his accent is transformed into something the crowd can hear and understand, something that reaches out to the wider world. It identifies him in a completely different way, thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit accommodates the diversity of the crowd, instead of aiming for sameness. The Spirit is willing to shape her gift to fit the contours of the people involved, instead of molding them into a homogeneous group. They all get the same message, however, in a beautiful balance of unity and difference.
In the Sermon
The sermon might explore what we, the church of Jesus Christ, are to make of the Spirit’s welcome for diverse people and languages. As a church, we have structure and governance, allowing us to work together around our shared beliefs. We need unity to know who we are. But how do we balance that with the vibrant diversity of the first century church? The early church keeps expanding its boundaries as it learns from the movement of the Holy Spirit, and Pentecost prompts us to think about how we do the same. When we feel like the church is under threat (declining attendance! Lower giving! No one believes in God anymore!) we hunker down and pull inward, but this story reminds us of the power of moving outward, especially when the future is uncertain.
The sermon might look at how the Holy Spirit speaks to people in their own languages in our time. Could it be the language of Instagram or Snapchat? The language of microbreweries and pub theology? The language of dinner church and house churches?
Or, the sermon might look at the comfort of hearing in our own language, and how much more receptive we are when we’re not struggling to communicate. Traveling abroad has made me much, much more sympathetic to people who are struggling to speak enough English to ask for directions, or about food or bathrooms. We’re all reasonably smart in our native language, and then sound stupid when we’re fumbling along in another tongue. The Holy Spirit takes away part of the stress of being an outsider in a foreign city when each person can hear in their own language. How do we give people that foundation of comfort, so we can also proclaim God’s new thing?
As congregations, we long for innovation while somehow planning for sameness. We want diversity, and yet structure ourselves for safety. The Holy Spirit hears our desire for more, and bursts in with the energy to open ourselves again to fresh winds. Balancing our need for unity with our hope for diversity, the Spirit comes to the early church and to us with the gifts of holy variety. Thanks be to God!
SECOND THOUGHTS
Let’s Make A Name For Ourselves
by Dean Feldmeyer
Genesis 11:1-9
What do they have in common? They are the ten most popular and easily identifiable brands in America in 2019.
You’ll note that six are tech companies, one is a beverage company, one is animative, one is automotive, and one is a restaurant chain. What, one wonders, does that tell us about the state of our culture?
(If you have the capability, it might be fun to start out by showing the logos for each of these companies, or other popular and identifiable logos and asking the congregation to identify the company by the logo. Or, if your church is low-tech, just print the logos off and glue them to a big piece of poster board and hold them up for the congregation to see and challenge them identify the company as you do.)
(List taken from Forbes The World's Most Valuable Brands )
(Another option would be to use several logos that don’t include words: Apple’s apple with a bite out of it, Goodyear’s winged foot, Michelin’s tire man, Target’s target, Nike’s swoosh, Amazon’s arrow, etc. Just do a google image search for corporate logos. )
Let Us Make A Name
The Genesis story teller begins the story of the tower of Babel by showing us the earliest people on earth wanting to be greater than they are and doing so by proposing the building of a city with a skyscraper in the middle of it.
“Come,” they say. “Let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves.” (Gen. 11: 4a)
I find myself fascinated by the third phrase in that sentence: “Let us make a name for ourselves.”
They are afraid that if they don’t “make a name” for themselves they will become scattered and lost.
And we get that, don’t we?
We want to be part of the crowd, yes. But we also want to stand out from the crowd, especially when the issue is business. We want to stand out and above all our competitors. We want to be instantly recognizable and for all the right reasons.
So we set out to “make a name for ourselves.” And we do so by building a towering reputation that is represented by an instantly recognizable logo.
Because, let’s face it. Branding happens whether we want it to or not so we’d better get out in front of it and take control of the branding that is happening to us and make sure it’s the branding we want.
That’s the way corporate America acts and why.
So, how does the church act? How does branding fit into life in God’s kingdom?
The Church’s Brand
When I came to my last church, the one where I served for 16 years until I retired, I was told by lots of people in the small, county-seat town that my church was the big, important church where the big important people went.
Oh, yes, that church is full of professors from the little college in town and it’s where the lawyers, and doctors, and dentists, and bank presidents go to church. It’s the rich church.
That was the brand that had been put on the church much as a brand used to be put on a cow to mark it as the property of this or that rancher. This church was, allegedly, the property of the rich and influential people in the county.
The problem was that the brand didn’t match the reality.
When I actually took leadership of the church I discovered that we did have a couple of doctors and a couple of college professors. No bank presidents. No business tycoons. No millionaires. A couple of farmers, several school teachers, some small business owners and a whole slew of retired people.
When I informed the leaders of the church that this false brand had been put on them by the world they were shocked and took up the task of changing their brand. They inventoried their strengths. In a time when church choirs were going out of style they had a powerful, 32 voice, choir that didn’t just sing in church but did concerts at other venues in the county and beyond. They also discovered that their church was deeply involved in mission, sponsoring 3 to 4 mission trips per year and sending volunteers to many of the county’s ministries to the poor.
They decided that their brand would be “The Church of Mission and Music.”
Some years ago, the United Methodist Church (my denomination) chose a brand that said, “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” The UM, this brand said, was an inclusive body that welcomed all who entered.
At a special General Conference in February of 2019, however, the UM church voted to exclude LGBTQ people from two of the most important rites of the church: marriage and ordination.
How this action will influence a brand that speaks of inclusion is yet to be determined but the openness of the church and the brand that speaks to it will certainly be challenged.
The Inevitablity of Branding
The church, yours and mine, will be branded one way or another, whether we like it or not. Our choice is, do we let th world determine our brand or do we determine our brand in faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
What do people see when they drive by your church? What brand are you projecting to the world?
“This is your grand parents’ church.”
“This is a BIG church where you can be anonymous.”
“We love children.”
If you haven’t done so, yet, maybe it’s time to examine your church’s brand and ask what it is saying to the world.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Acts 2:1-21
Pentecost was originally a Jewish “first fruits” festival. It landed 50 days after Passover, so in May or June, as it is now.
What would be the first fruits someone in your community might harvest at this time of year? In my neck of the woods the first things we can eat in spring are asparagus and rhubarb. In a few weeks the strawberries will be ripe also. Preacher, put Pentecost, the Jewish festival, into a local context.
* * *
Acts 2:1-21
A little more
Two things that Christians associate with the gift of the Spirit entering the disciples on Pentecost are fire and wind. Both fire and wind are difficult to express in pictures. Artists can attest to how difficult it is to paint, drawn and even photograph fire. Fire is always moving; even a steady flame is not stationary. Wind cannot really be rendered visually at all. The effects of wind, reeds moving in the countryside, trees bending, leaves rustling do not show wind itself, just the power that wind has. When wind can be seen, its power is immense! Think of the spate of tornadoes that has hit the US from Idaho to Pennsylvania in late May.
Like all “elements” fire and wind can do enormous damage, but also great good. Fire makes it safe for us to eat a lot of foods that we could not eat raw; wind is literally the air that we breathe—you may want to mention The Hollies’s hit “The Air That I Breathe’s” refrain—“All I need is the air that I breathe and to love you.”
* * *
Acts 2:1-21
…yet a little more
Yes, yes, the gift of the Spirit was essential for the early church to begin. Jesus had promised the Spirit, or Advocate, to his followers. It came into them—with a whole lot of really, really hard-to-pronounce names. It came into them. Without the disciples as a place for the Spirit to “lodge” nothing would have happened, besides a gust of wind. The Holy Spirit needs us, the same as we need the Holy Spirit.
* * *
Romans 8:14-17
A spirit of adoption
In some Hmong clans, a woman who has no family can approach any adult man in her clan and say, “I am your mother,” and he is obligated to reply, “I am your son,” and to care for her as he would his own mother. Who’s getting adopted here? The ages are reversed from how we typically think of adoption. How does that address the “spirit of adoption” that Paul conveys to the Romans? Could the spirit of adoption come from “below,” that is, that we adopt God as sovereign Mother/Father as much as God adopts us?
* * *
Romans 8:14-17
…a little more
Not all children who are adopted have the same experience. Some are never able to be unaffected by the notion that their “birth parents” didn’t want them. Some exult in their status as being “chosen;” ‘Mom and Dad could have had their pick of babies, but they wanted me!”
It is typical for adopted children to experience their identity as adopted to change as they grow up.
While the wise preacher will recognize that there is a wide variety of ways people perceive adoption, Paul’s letter makes it clear that all of us, every single one of us, has been adopted by God. God has chosen, claimed and called us by name. Equally.
* * *
Genesis 11:1-9 and Acts 2:1-21
When I went to church in Denmark a few years ago on a family vacation, we did the counter-cultural thing—we went to church. My cousin paid his church tax every year and could be counted on to attend church on Easter, Whitsunday (which we call “Pentecost”) and Christmas Eve. He told me, “I am a believer, not a user.”
After worship we filed out of the building to the yard outside for “kirche kafe,” Church coffee. They had coffee and pecan sandies. My cousin introduced me to the pastor, “this is my cousin, the Presbyterian priest from America.” I told the pastor that I had understood two words in her sermon, “Jesus” and “amen.”
She threw her arms in the air and said, “You got the point!” And now I could say something other than “thanks,” “cheese” and “open;” my Danish vocabulary had grown by 2/3!
My favorite memory of that worship service though came afterwards, when my son told me that he knew when they were saying the Lord’s Prayer. And I knew it too. We didn’t understand any words, but there was something about the flow of the words that made it prayer to us without the meaning of words. We had prayed, and been surrounded by prayer, that we didn’t understand. It was a really, really special powerful feeling.
But here’s something I want you to think about on this day when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit: At Pentecost, God could have undone Babel. God could have restored one, universal language to humanity. God, however, sent the miracle in a different direction. God maintained the different languages, but made the content of the message of reconciliation in Christ understandable to everyone.
The beautiful variety of spoken and written languages continues. The wonder of seeking to understand and translate between languages, the hard work of bringing meaning and understanding in a variety of sights and sounds is preserved.
* * *
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
If you’re used to singing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow,” every week, this might be a good week to point out that that message is pretty much the same as Psalm 104’s. All creatures rely on God for food, breath and life itself. And Creation is full of God’s creatures/creations. In life and death we belong to God, and depend on God for everything we need between birth and death.
* * * * * * * * *
From team member Ron Love:
John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
We need the teaching of the Holy Spirit because the false teaching of Satan is real.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for Satan means “adversary.” In the New Testament Satan is referred to as “the adversary,” as “the false accuser,” and as “the slanderer.” All of the defining terms have a common thread, and that is Satan wants to deceive us from believing in God.
This is why we should take notice that some early transcripts of the Lord’s Prayer translated what we say today “deliver us from evil,” as “deliver us from the evil one.” We need to pray that we are delivered from the power and ensnarement of Satan.
The early church fathers believed in the power of Satan. One of the best descriptions of Satan is recorded for us in a sermon preached by Origen. Origen was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria and lived from the year 185 to the year 254. He is considered by some the first theologian of stature in the church. He wrote a sermon on almost every verse in the entire Bible. Origen preached that the Christian life is a struggle against the devil’s “fiery darts” and “nets.” “Fiery darts” and “nets” are a good description on how the Devil tries to entrap us.
* * *
John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
The word atheism means “without God.” The atheist is the person who says that there is no God. Carl Sagan was one of the world’s most famous atheists. Sagan was an astronomer who and narrated and co-wrote the award-winning 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. At the time, Cosmos was the most widely watched series in the history of American public television. The program has been seen by at least 500 million people across 60 different countries. Sagan summed up atheism when he declared, “The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.” Isaac Asimov, another famous atheist. Asimov was prolific writer. He wrote or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. Asimov wrote science fiction and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he was considered one of the “Big Three” science fiction writers during the twentieth century. Asimov once said, “Emotionally, I am an atheist. I don’t have the evidence to prove that God doesn’t exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn’t that I don’t want to waste my time.” An atheist is unable to find any evidence for God’s existence; therefore, God does not exist.
* * *
John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
The word agnostic means “without knowledge.” The agnostic does not boldly proclaim that God does not exist; instead, the agnostic suggests no one can know whether or not God exists because there simply is not enough evidence upon which to base a conclusion. Charles Darwin was an agnostic. Darwin is best known for his development of the theory of evolution which he presented in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. Darwin said, “The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us; and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic.” Clarence Darrow was an agnostic. Darrow was a famous lawyer, who may be best known to us for defending and John T. Scopes, an advocate of evolution, in the Scopes “Monkey” Trial of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee. Darrow said, “I am an agnostic; I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of.” The agnostic lives in the arena of uncertainty and disbelief.
* * *
John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
A skeptic is a person who habitually doubts the authenticity of accepted beliefs. In particular, a skeptic is a person who doubts the truth of religion, especially Christianity. Thomas Paine was one of the Founding Fathers of our nation. The many pamphlets he wrote were publicly acknowledged for their reasoned approach to secure colonial freedom from British dominance. In 1793, in the book titled Age of Reason, Paine wrote of his skepticism regrading Christianity. Paine wrote, “Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind…" The Age of Reason also attacks Christianity as a system of superstition that “produces fanatics.” When the book reached England, several book sellers were convicted of blasphemy and jailed. Paine is also quoted as saying, “All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind and monopolize power and profit.” The sceptic is not prepared to accept anything except that which can be verified empirically, that is by using the five senses. To the sceptic, then, science becomes the only valid method of proving anything. Since God cannot be seen, tasted, heard, touched, or smelled, then sceptics say that either God does not exist or that God cannot be very important even if He does exist.
* * *
Pentecost
In filming the movie Jesus of Nazerath, Borgnine played the role of the centurion who stood at the foot of the cross, looking up into the face of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth. Since this was a movie, actors only came on the set when needed; so, instead of having the actor portraying Jesus, Borgnine stared at an “X” chalk mark where Jesus would have been on the cross. In such a sterile setting, Borgnine had a difficult time capturing the emotions that the Roman soldier must have experienced at that tragic moment. In order to feel the part, Borgnine asked someone to read Luke’s account of the crucifixion. As the words were being read, Borgnine felt more and more uncomfortable, ashamed that like the first centurion he failed to acknowledge the Son of God in his own life. Then something miraculous happened – the chalk mark suddenly was transformed into the face of Jesus, lifelike and clear. Captivated by the revelation, Borgnine realized how the centurion who first stood at the foot of the cross must have been affected; in all sincerity, he repeated the soldier’s words: “Certainly this man was innocent!” Ernest Borgnine had gone from darkens into the great light. Ernest Borgnine was converted to Christianity.
* * *
John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
In the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale Snow White, we are like the wicked queen who constantly looks into her mirror asking, “Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” The only response that the Queen is interested in hearing is that she is the fairest of them all. That she is the most beautiful. That she is the most important.
And we expect the same response when we look into our own magic mirrors. The message we hear is that I cannot be accused of ethnocentrism. I cannot be called a hypocrite. I have no need for a bed in the hospital for sinners; but, I will gladly connect the IV to those who are.
But, how truthful is our magic mirror?
It has taken centuries for us to invite African Americans down from the balcony. Women rode the wave of the feminist movement to acquire ordination. Homosexuals are slowly making their way down the center aisle. Yet, so many still await to be beckoned from the lepers’ colony, assigned there only because they are different. Are not the mentally ill still regarded as uncircumcised?
One day the wicked queen heard a different message from her magic mirror that sent her into a self-righteous rampage. The scene reads as follows:
Magic Mirror: Famed is thy beauty, Majesty. But hold, a lovely maid I see. Rags cannot hide her gentle grace. Alas, she is more fair than thee.
Queen: Alas for her! Reveal her name.
Magic Mirror: Lips red as the rose. Hair black as ebony. Skin white as snow.
Queen: Snow White!
Can we really accept Snow White into our fellowship if it forces us to see our own blemishes?
* * *
John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
He sat quietly in the pew to the left of the altar at St. John’s Anglican Church in Richmond, Virginia. Having been elected to the House of Burgesses from Howard County just nine days ago, he was hesitant to speak publically. Especially when seated around him were such distinguished men as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. The delegates were in debate and divided on how to respond to the Stamp Act that had been imposed upon the colonies by England. The Stamp Act was a British law that placed a tax on printed documents in the colonies. As proof of paying the tax, each document had to have an authorized stamp. The debate was centered on compliance or severing the colonies relationship with the England.
On Thursday, March 23, 1775, having sat quietly long enough, Patrick Henry stood where he was seated. Speaking without notes, and in a voice that increasing became louder and more empathic, he advocated raising a militia and declaring independence from the King of England.
The climax of the speech was the closing line that has become a hallmark of American patriotism when Henry declared, “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”
Patrick Henry’s oration brought unity to the delegates attending the Virginia Provincial Convention. In the days following Patrick Henry’s speech, the delegates passed all seven resolutions declaring their independence from England.
* * *
John 14:26 “
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
Billy Graham was the most recognized evangelists of the twentieth century. He began his first crusade in November 1947 at the old Armory in Charlotte, North Carolina. By the time of his death it is estimated that he had perched to over 215 million people in 185 countries. During those years he wrote 34 books. The first was Calling Youth to Christ, published in 1947. His last publication, in 2015 was Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond the Now. Graham passed away at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, on February 21, 2018, at the age of 99.
In 1992, Graham announced that he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a disease similar to Parkinson's Disease. Of the many side effects of hydrocephalus is double vision, which prevented Graham from being able to read. Graham, in his book Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond the Now, reflected on his inability to no longer read the Bible. He wrote:
I always considered it a loss day if I did not send time reading at least a passage in this sacred Book. Today I cannot see well enough to read, but I am thankful to have committed much of God’s Word to memory.
At her father’s funeral, Anne Graham Lotz shared how much her father loved reading the Bible, and how his poor vison prevented from doing so. At a private funeral service held on March 2, before 2,300 invited guests, Lotz said:
…my daddy started asking me to read him the Bible, and at first it was very intimidating, and then it became such a joy…He was hard of hearing. So, I would sit in front of him knee to knee, and he would ask me to give him a full sixty-minute message, and he never took his eyes off my face.
* * *
John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
A In ADAM’S Fall: We sinned all.
B Heaven to find; The Bible Mind.
C Christ crucify’d; For sinners dy’d....
D ZACCHEUS he Did climb the Tree Our Lord to See.
Thus, the New England Primer taught the alphabet to its young charges. In addition to presenting “Alphabet Lessons for Youth” the entire textbook used Biblical references for instruction, including a catechism of 107 questions, prayers, creeds, and religious songs. The purpose was threefold: to teach reading; to foster Christian character; and from Adam’s fall to Zacchaeus’ climb to create a coveted conversion experience. The Latin origin for the word “primer” is “prayer book.” The New England Primer paralleled both concepts of academic education and religious indoctrination. It was often referred to as the “Little Bible” of New England.
The Massachusetts Legislature passed the “Old Deluder Act” of 1647 mandating every town to establish a grammar school in order to thwart “one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of Scripture.” To facilitate this process the New England Primer was first published in 1690 by Benjamin Harris of Boston. It became the standard classroom text in New England as well as along all the regions of the eastern seaboard. The last edition was published in 1805, and copies were still being used in some schools in 1900.
* * *
Pentecost
George Beverly Shea was born in Canada in 1909. He is best known to us as the soloist for the Billy Graham Crusades, which he began singing for in 1947. Because of the large attendance at the Graham's Crusades, it is estimated that Shea sang before more people than anyone else in history. Shea is considered to be the first international singing star of the gospel world, as a consequence of his solos at the Billy Graham Crusades and his exposure on radio, records and television.
Shea, who has been known to bring so many others to Christ, accepted Jesus as his savior when he was eighteen. He accepted Christ at Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Shea describes the experience with these words:
When I was 18, my Dad was pastoring a church in Ottawa, and I was feeling not too spiritual. The church was having a “special effort,” as they called it, for a week. I remember that on Friday night Dad came down from the pulpit and tenderly placed his hand on my shoulder. He whispered, “I think tonight might be the night, son, when you come back to the Lord.” Whatever Dad did or said, I listened to him and respected him. And, yes, that was the night!
Shea, attended college, but financial difficulties caused him to drop out of school. He worked various jobs. Because of his strong bass-baritone voice he had many opportunities to sing on radio and in other venues.
Shea first met Billy Graham in 1940 while Graham was pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois. In 1947, he became the first staff member hired by Billy Graham. Shea recalled how he first met Billy Graham:
One morning, there was a rap on my office door. I looked out and there was a tall young man with blond hair and we shook hands. He was 21 and I was 31. It was Billy Graham and he had traveled in from Wheaton College on a train just to say “hello.” He said he listened to my morning hymn show called “Hymns From The Chapel.” That's how we first got acquainted. I came into this work with Mr. Graham in 1947 after we had exchanged letters and talked on the phone. He said he wanted me to be his gospel singer. I thanked him but told him the only gospel singers I've ever heard about would sing a verse or two and stop and talk a while. “Would I have to do that?” I asked him. He chuckled and said, “I hope not.” With that, I said, “Well, I'd like to come with you.” That was in November of 1947 and I've been with him ever since.
Shea sang at the unofficial launching of Graham's crusades in the old Armory in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November 1947. His first song was “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story.”
For a number of years the entire congregation sang the closing invitational hymn “Just As I Am.” Then Shea suggested that the choir alone sing the hymn. This idea came to Shea when he remembered his own call to the altar at Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church when he was eighteen. He recalled how he was convicted of his sins by the Holy Spirit as the church choir sang “Just As I Am.” Shea believed that if only the choir, and not a stadium full of people, sang the altar call hymn more people would be touched by the Holy Spirit. Graham agreed, and from then on every service was closed with the choir singing “Just As I Am.”
Billy Graham also believed, for two reasons, that the hymn “Just As I Am” was the best selection for the closing altar call. Shea shared the thoughts of Billy Graham from a conversation they had regarding the selection:
Billy Graham names two reason why “Just As I Am” was chosen to be used after his message. First, the song repeats as affirmative response, “O Lamb of God, I come,” thus verbalizing hat people are doing as they come forward. And second, the words give a strong biblical basis for responding to the call of Christ.
The hymn “Just As I Am” that has become synonymous with Billy Graham and his crusades is sung as follows:
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that thy blood was she'd for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
* * * * * * * * *
From team member Bethany Peerbolte:
Genesis 11:1-9
Babel Reaches the Stars
Sometimes ideas look great on paper, but when made a reality end up being a huge mistake. The tower of Babel is one of the first examples of this phenomenon. At the beginning it feels like a story of unity. Everyone speaks the same language. They work together to invent brick and mortar, and then synergize an incredible plan. They dream up a building that will keep their community together and give them success. God, however, knows it’s a terrible plan. The excuse God has for foiling their plans seems nice enough, they are too brilliant for their own good. God creates different languages to bring down the collective IQ.
Two weeks ago Elon Musk set the foundation for his Starlink project. The goal is to make internet available in every corner of the planet. To make this happen his company will be sending up 12,000 satellites. The first 60 were put into place May 23 and already people are noticing. The satellites follow each other as they orbit so from earth all you have to do is look for the lights moving across the sky in nice straight line. Astronomers are furious. They say the project will destroy the view of space. The great idea to make the internet accessible to anyone may just inhibit our ability to appreciate the heavens. We may need God to step in and do some more confusing of plans.
* * *
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
A Space for Everyone
God has made a space for everyone, trees for birds, mountains for goats, darkness for nocturnal animals. These spaces are unique to the gifts and needs of each animal. The places created allow the animals to feel safe and for them to thrive. A bird is its best version of itself when it is in a tree. Night animals feel freest in the dark. God has taken the time to think of what each animal needs specifically and created a space just for them.
June is Pride month. There will be many spaces made where the LGBTQ+ community can be safe and thrive. These colorful and energetic spaces are where people can be themselves fully without judgement. There is a camp of belief that people who are cis and straight should not attend Pride events. This is largely because people who consider themselves “allies” often do not know how to behave at these events. Bustle has a wonderful article about what every ally should know before going to a Pride event. It is a great guide to help cis straight allies keep the space of Pride safe. Everyone deserves a space that is, as Goldilocks would put it, “just right.” We should all do our part to keep these spaces safe.
* * *
Acts 2:1-21
Unseen Forces
The Holy Spirit is always present but seeing that presences can be tricky. On Pentecost we celebrate a moment when the Spirit was noticeable present as She speaks through the disciples. An undeniable presence that inspired many to become followers of Jesus. We don’t all get so lucky. Without a tangible or audible example of the Spirit’s presence we have to infer where the Spirit is. Much of our spiritual lives are calibrating our spiritual tools to better detect the Spirit around us.
By now we have all seen the first picture of a black hole, but this week NASA released another incredible picture. This time it was of X-ray activity in the universe. The picture depicts the rays as light streaks and the composition looks like flight patterns of airplanes. The streaks actually show how energy is being spread out from stars. The goal is to find Neutron stars, tiny dense stars left over from super nova’s. The x-rays are the invisible energy bursts these stars give off. It is incredible to see the forces that are moving in the universe that we could never see before. And may the Spirit is traveling on one of those energy bursts to us now!
* * *
John 14:8-17 (25-27)
Very Truly is the Best Policy
Jesus loves this phrase “very truly” and uses it again in these verses. He also says he will send us the Spirit of truth that the world does not know but we can. Truth becomes our coach and babysitter and friend.
For a neurosurgeon in Syria, truth is his move valuable tool. In an interview the surgeon discusses how he stays calm in surgery while bombs are falling outside. He talks about how the patient come in panicked and that he must remain calm to be able to help them. With little to know sleep and no end in sight he works endlessly to help the people in the center of this terrible conflict. He tells the journalist that the best thing he can do to keep a patient calm is tell them the truth. This helps them see the reality and accept the situation.
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: O God, how manifold are your works!
People: In wisdom you have made them all.
Leader: I will sing to God as long as I live.
People: I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
Leader: May my meditation be pleasing to God in whom I rejoice.
People: Bless God, O my soul. Praise God!
OR
Leader: Children of God we come together to worship our God.
People: We offer to God our praises and adoration.
Leader: We come from different places and different lives.
People: Yet we are all one people in Christ.
Leader: We celebrate our diversity as we rejoice in our unity.
People: Alike or different we are all God’s people.
Hymns and Songs:
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
UMH: 57/58/59
H82: 493
PH: 466
AAHH: 184
NNBH: 23
NCH: 42
CH: 5
LBW: 559
ELW: 886
W&P: 96
AMEC: 1/2
Renew: 32
All Creatures of Our God and King
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELW: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
Renew: 47
Spirit of God Descend upon My Heart
UMH: 500
PH: 326
AAHH: 312
NCH: 290
CH: 265
LBW: 486
ELW: 800
W&P: 132
AMEC: 189
Where Charity and Love Prevail
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELW: 359
In Christ There Is No East or West
UMH: 548
H82: 529
PH: 439/440
AAHH: 398/399
NNBH: 299
NCH: 394/395
CH: 687
LBW: 259
ELW: 650
W&P: 600/603
AMEC: 557
The Church’s One Foundation
UMH: 545/546
H82: 525
PH: 442
AAHH: 337
NNBH: 297
NCH: 386
CH: 272
LBW: 369
ELW: 654
W&P: 544
AMEC: 519
Blest Be the Tie That Binds
UMH: 557
PH: 438
AAHH: 341
NNBH: 298
NCH: 393
CH: 433
LBW: 370
ELW: 656
W&P: 393
AMEC: 522
Help Us Accept Each Other
UMH: 560
PH: 358
NCH: 388
CH: 487
W&P: 596
AMEC: 558
Unity
CCB: 59
You Are
CCB: 23
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is unity in the midst of diversity:
Grant us the wisdom to understand our unity
is not destroyed by our diversity;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are one while being three. Help us to dwell in your unity with our sisters and brothers while respecting the diversity among us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our rejection of those who are somehow different from us.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have failed to grasp the breadth of your love and how diverse your children are. We have tried to narrow down your grace by including only those who are like us and think like us. We have been more concerned with making a name for ourselves than in glorifying your name. Forgive us and renew your Spirit within us that we may embrace all your children and give glory to you. Amen.
Leader: God’s love is broad and deep and includes all of us. Receive God’s grace and share it with those you meet this week.
Prayers of the People
We praise you, O God, for the greatness of your love. We are in awe of how rich your grace is to all of creation.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have failed to grasp the breadth of your love and how diverse your children are. We have tried to narrow down your grace by including only those who are like us and think like us. We have been more concerned with making a name for ourselves than in glorifying your name. Forgive us and renew your Spirit within us that we may embrace all your children and give glory to you.
We give you thanks for your great love towards us and all your children. We thank you for those who have accepted us into the fellowship of the church.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the needs of the world today. We remember those who have been excluded and shunned. We pray for the gathering of your children into your loving family.
(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
You can do a search for ‘which one doesn’t belong pictures’ to get props if you need them.
Show the children pictures of things where one of the objects doesn’t belong. We are good at spotting differences and saying something doesn’t belong. Seeing differences is good. We need to know the difference between things that are good to eat and things that are not. But in God’s family we all belong. We may look different or sound different but we are all God’s beloved children.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
by Chris Keating
Acts 2:1-21
On Pentecost Sunday, invite the children to celebrate the Spirit’s delightful and joyful arrival.
“Go crazy, folks, go crazy!” That’s how the late, great St. Louis Cardinals baseball announcer Jack Buck recounted Ozzie Smith’s homerun which clinched the fifth game of the 1985 National League Series. Buck’s words were perfect for a sea of red in 1985, and they’re also up to the job of inspiring Pentecost Sunday worship in 2019.
Pentecost, after all, is a big deal. As the “birthday of the church,” it calls for cake and balloons and all sorts of fiery enthusiasm. If possible, find a way for children to be part of worship—perhaps serving as acolytes if you don’t usually use them, or leading a processional waving ribbons representing flames. Children will understand what it means to “go crazy” for a birthday party, and indeed will find this much easier to understand a theologically nuanced depiction of the Spirit’s descent.
The best way into this story is to either retell Acts 2 in your own words, or to find a lovely children’s story Bible. Certainly, everyone thought the Apostles had “gone crazy,” if not acting a bit drunk. As you tell the story, be sure to capture the frenzied excitement, hidden surprises and eye-popping energy. They could help you act out parts of the story by waving arms to represent a blowing wind, and everyone talking at once to represent the confusion of the city street. If there are children who speak other languages, be sure to involve them as well. Also be sure to address the bits of fear which may arise in this story, especially due to the many violent storms which have occurred recently. The sound of a violent wind is not exactly comforting, and the idea that somehow everyone can speak and understand different languages could add some concern. Be sure to add some party hats or other aspects of a birthday party so that the children can understand what the church’s birthday really means.
There are a couple of details worth pursuing. One is the depiction of the church’s unity. The church was all together, in one place, Luke says. Something exciting was about to happen, and they would suddenly see how God could use them. Secondly, be aware of how Peter explains the event by referring to the prophet’s words. Talk about what it could mean if the church would dream new dreams.”
As Peter explains, this is a reminder that all of God’s people, both old and young, are essential to the work of the church. Sometimes we forget about the important role children play, and instead relegate them to participatory roles instead of leadership roles. But on Pentecost, God’s gift comes to all people. How might we listen to the dreams of our children? Let the children share their wonderfully imaginative and often stories about dreams this Pentecost.
Gifts are also important to any birthday celebration, and Pentecost is no different. Explain that the gifts God is giving are different. The gifts of Pentecost are not things we can unwrap, but rather “invisible” gifts like new life, power, and energy. Pentecost brings power, and suddenly the church is able to dream “new dreams.”
Wear red, wave banners of flames, blow fans across the sanctuary! Go crazy, folks, go crazy. It’s Pentecost, and great things are about to happen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, June 9, 2019 issue.
Copyright 2019 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.
- Different but the Same by Mary Austin — This powerful story from the early church shows us the Holy Spirit’s emphasis on welcoming diversity along with creating unity, and prods us to consider this same sacred balance in our churches.
- Second Thoughts: Let’s Make A Name For Ourselves by Dean Feldmeyer — In the world you are known by your brand. What about in God’s kingdom?
- Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Ron Love and Bethany Peerbolte.
- Worship resources by George Reed — that focus on accepting our diversity; making a name for ourselves.
- Children’s sermon by Chris Keating — On Pentecost Sunday, invite the children to celebrate the Spirit’s delightful and joyful arrival.
Different but the Sameby Mary Austin
Acts 2:1-21
“Why don’t the younger women want to join us?” every church women’s group I know laments. “We really want to welcome them,” generous older souls in the church say. Well, you meet in the daytime, do you want to change that? You do Bible study in a certain way. Is that negotiable? Do you have childcare?
My own church, a diverse group of people who have remarkable patience with each other, talks often about how to reach out to new members. Each time we have this conversation, I tease them that they want the energy and ideas of new members…who are just like they are.
From its earliest days, the church has struggled with these questions of uniformity balanced with newness. The Pentecost story in Acts 2 kicks off the history of an early church history filled with challenges to sameness. A group of faithful Jews who have been transformed by Jesus find themselves in turn transformed by Gentile converts, a eunuch, women and foreigners. The Pentecost story hints at that future when, with the rush of wind and the unmistakable presence of the Holy Spirit, the disciples begin to speak in other languages. They move out into the street, echoing the gospel’s move out into world, and all of the travelers in town hear their own languages.
The group of disciples who started out in hiding after the death of Jesus, locked in by fear, is now ready to speak to people of every nation.
In the News
One place where unity diversity meet up in our common life is around the issue of immigration. President Trump’s focus on this issue raises the larger question of who gets to come to the United States and become part of our culture, knowing that the presence of immigrants shapes us just as much as our culture changes their lives. His recent proposal suggested a shift from family-based legal immigration to a focus on people who have skills that would benefit the country. (The President’s in-laws became citizens through the process that he calls “chain migration” in 2018.)
In an opinion piece, Professor Justin Gest suggests that the US instead adopt the “Moneyball approach” to immigration rules. He readily admits that baseball is simpler to quantify than immigration, but he argues for a more data driven approach to immigration. Gest observes, “The whole idea of “merit” is a lightning rod in a highly charged issue. But there’s a smarter way for both sides to think about who we let in, and why. The Trump administration is on to something when it says we need a new way to evaluate immigrants, one that predicts their future success as Americans. Indeed, considering future immigrants’ contributions is now commonplace in immigration policies around the world. But the Trump administration’s idea of how to do this is too basic…Done right, it actually would consider family and other humanitarian factors, and likely set new arrivals up for greater success in their new country. Call it Immigration Moneyball. Just as baseball was revolutionized with a multidimensional data-driven system for evaluating and selecting players, the US can analyze far more information than it currently does to decide which immigrants will best thrive in American society and contribute to the economy — something people of all political persuasions want to see.”
Gest argues that there are all kinds of merit – skills, certainly, but also previous visits to the US and an understanding of the culture, and also previous compliance with visas, suggesting a willingness to follow the law. He suggests that we need “a system that instead considered immigrants more fully as individuals — rather than simply as skilled workers, unskilled workers or family members, as our current immigration framework does…The system might find “merit” in youth, in fluent multilingualism, in training or work experience in trades that are in special demand at the moment, or in advanced degrees from American universities. It could prioritize immigrants who pledge to settle in rapidly depopulating regions for their first 10 years after arrival; admits could even be matched to locales likely to produce their successful employment and integration. Imagine if all this was considered alongside whether immigrants have family in the US to receive them, help them adjust and help them find work. That, too, is a predictor of likely success: Research suggests that family migrants with close existing family ties have similar economic outcomes to migrants admitted on labor visas that screen for credentials and contracts. In this light, family represents a powerful form of merit, too.” We can see a potential new citizen as more than a family member of a current citizen, or more than a collection of skills for our benefit. Gest adds, “And importantly — because welcoming people in need is a core tenet of American culture — the criteria might include whether admission will rescue them from countries subject to severe poverty, violence or natural disasters.”
Like the travelers in Jerusalem who each hear in their own languages, we can speak about immigration on more levels, talking to prospective immigrants about more than one dimension of their lives. And if we can do that, by grace, perhaps we can meet people different from ourselves on their home territory, and communicate with them in the language they choose, as an act of Spirit-fueled hospitality.
In the Scriptures
The most interesting part of this familiar story is what isn’t said. The story begins with the disciples all together in one place – we imagine another upper room, perhaps, the scene of so many important events for the group. When the tongues of flame appear, suddenly the disciples are out in the street, surrounded by the crowd. Something moves them out the door, and out into the world.
The crowd around them is bewildered by the ability to hear, each in their own language, what the disciples are saying. The beauty of this gift isn’t that they can all understand the same language, which would have been equally possible for the Spirit to accomplish. The Spirit meets each person in their own native tongue. Understanding is shared among all the people there, in a way that feels familiar to each person. The Spirit balances the familiarity of the language of home with the newness of the message of Jesus.
As always, some people seek a logical explanation, and decide the group must be drunk, which sets the stage for Peter’s speech. On the night before Jesus’ death, Peter’s Galilean accent gives him away as a follower. Now his accent is transformed into something the crowd can hear and understand, something that reaches out to the wider world. It identifies him in a completely different way, thanks to the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit accommodates the diversity of the crowd, instead of aiming for sameness. The Spirit is willing to shape her gift to fit the contours of the people involved, instead of molding them into a homogeneous group. They all get the same message, however, in a beautiful balance of unity and difference.
In the Sermon
The sermon might explore what we, the church of Jesus Christ, are to make of the Spirit’s welcome for diverse people and languages. As a church, we have structure and governance, allowing us to work together around our shared beliefs. We need unity to know who we are. But how do we balance that with the vibrant diversity of the first century church? The early church keeps expanding its boundaries as it learns from the movement of the Holy Spirit, and Pentecost prompts us to think about how we do the same. When we feel like the church is under threat (declining attendance! Lower giving! No one believes in God anymore!) we hunker down and pull inward, but this story reminds us of the power of moving outward, especially when the future is uncertain.
The sermon might look at how the Holy Spirit speaks to people in their own languages in our time. Could it be the language of Instagram or Snapchat? The language of microbreweries and pub theology? The language of dinner church and house churches?
Or, the sermon might look at the comfort of hearing in our own language, and how much more receptive we are when we’re not struggling to communicate. Traveling abroad has made me much, much more sympathetic to people who are struggling to speak enough English to ask for directions, or about food or bathrooms. We’re all reasonably smart in our native language, and then sound stupid when we’re fumbling along in another tongue. The Holy Spirit takes away part of the stress of being an outsider in a foreign city when each person can hear in their own language. How do we give people that foundation of comfort, so we can also proclaim God’s new thing?
As congregations, we long for innovation while somehow planning for sameness. We want diversity, and yet structure ourselves for safety. The Holy Spirit hears our desire for more, and bursts in with the energy to open ourselves again to fresh winds. Balancing our need for unity with our hope for diversity, the Spirit comes to the early church and to us with the gifts of holy variety. Thanks be to God!
SECOND THOUGHTSLet’s Make A Name For Ourselves
by Dean Feldmeyer
Genesis 11:1-9
- Apple
- Microsoft
- Amazon
- Coca Cola
- Samsung
- Disney
- Toyota
- McDonald’s
What do they have in common? They are the ten most popular and easily identifiable brands in America in 2019.
You’ll note that six are tech companies, one is a beverage company, one is animative, one is automotive, and one is a restaurant chain. What, one wonders, does that tell us about the state of our culture?
(If you have the capability, it might be fun to start out by showing the logos for each of these companies, or other popular and identifiable logos and asking the congregation to identify the company by the logo. Or, if your church is low-tech, just print the logos off and glue them to a big piece of poster board and hold them up for the congregation to see and challenge them identify the company as you do.)
(List taken from Forbes The World's Most Valuable Brands )
(Another option would be to use several logos that don’t include words: Apple’s apple with a bite out of it, Goodyear’s winged foot, Michelin’s tire man, Target’s target, Nike’s swoosh, Amazon’s arrow, etc. Just do a google image search for corporate logos. )
Let Us Make A Name
The Genesis story teller begins the story of the tower of Babel by showing us the earliest people on earth wanting to be greater than they are and doing so by proposing the building of a city with a skyscraper in the middle of it.
“Come,” they say. “Let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves.” (Gen. 11: 4a)
I find myself fascinated by the third phrase in that sentence: “Let us make a name for ourselves.”
They are afraid that if they don’t “make a name” for themselves they will become scattered and lost.
And we get that, don’t we?
We want to be part of the crowd, yes. But we also want to stand out from the crowd, especially when the issue is business. We want to stand out and above all our competitors. We want to be instantly recognizable and for all the right reasons.
So we set out to “make a name for ourselves.” And we do so by building a towering reputation that is represented by an instantly recognizable logo.
Because, let’s face it. Branding happens whether we want it to or not so we’d better get out in front of it and take control of the branding that is happening to us and make sure it’s the branding we want.
That’s the way corporate America acts and why.
So, how does the church act? How does branding fit into life in God’s kingdom?
The Church’s Brand
When I came to my last church, the one where I served for 16 years until I retired, I was told by lots of people in the small, county-seat town that my church was the big, important church where the big important people went.
Oh, yes, that church is full of professors from the little college in town and it’s where the lawyers, and doctors, and dentists, and bank presidents go to church. It’s the rich church.
That was the brand that had been put on the church much as a brand used to be put on a cow to mark it as the property of this or that rancher. This church was, allegedly, the property of the rich and influential people in the county.
The problem was that the brand didn’t match the reality.
When I actually took leadership of the church I discovered that we did have a couple of doctors and a couple of college professors. No bank presidents. No business tycoons. No millionaires. A couple of farmers, several school teachers, some small business owners and a whole slew of retired people.
When I informed the leaders of the church that this false brand had been put on them by the world they were shocked and took up the task of changing their brand. They inventoried their strengths. In a time when church choirs were going out of style they had a powerful, 32 voice, choir that didn’t just sing in church but did concerts at other venues in the county and beyond. They also discovered that their church was deeply involved in mission, sponsoring 3 to 4 mission trips per year and sending volunteers to many of the county’s ministries to the poor.
They decided that their brand would be “The Church of Mission and Music.”
Some years ago, the United Methodist Church (my denomination) chose a brand that said, “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” The UM, this brand said, was an inclusive body that welcomed all who entered.
At a special General Conference in February of 2019, however, the UM church voted to exclude LGBTQ people from two of the most important rites of the church: marriage and ordination.
How this action will influence a brand that speaks of inclusion is yet to be determined but the openness of the church and the brand that speaks to it will certainly be challenged.
The Inevitablity of Branding
The church, yours and mine, will be branded one way or another, whether we like it or not. Our choice is, do we let th world determine our brand or do we determine our brand in faithfulness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
What do people see when they drive by your church? What brand are you projecting to the world?
“This is your grand parents’ church.”
“This is a BIG church where you can be anonymous.”
“We love children.”
If you haven’t done so, yet, maybe it’s time to examine your church’s brand and ask what it is saying to the world.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Acts 2:1-21
Pentecost was originally a Jewish “first fruits” festival. It landed 50 days after Passover, so in May or June, as it is now.
What would be the first fruits someone in your community might harvest at this time of year? In my neck of the woods the first things we can eat in spring are asparagus and rhubarb. In a few weeks the strawberries will be ripe also. Preacher, put Pentecost, the Jewish festival, into a local context.
* * *
Acts 2:1-21
A little more
Two things that Christians associate with the gift of the Spirit entering the disciples on Pentecost are fire and wind. Both fire and wind are difficult to express in pictures. Artists can attest to how difficult it is to paint, drawn and even photograph fire. Fire is always moving; even a steady flame is not stationary. Wind cannot really be rendered visually at all. The effects of wind, reeds moving in the countryside, trees bending, leaves rustling do not show wind itself, just the power that wind has. When wind can be seen, its power is immense! Think of the spate of tornadoes that has hit the US from Idaho to Pennsylvania in late May.
Like all “elements” fire and wind can do enormous damage, but also great good. Fire makes it safe for us to eat a lot of foods that we could not eat raw; wind is literally the air that we breathe—you may want to mention The Hollies’s hit “The Air That I Breathe’s” refrain—“All I need is the air that I breathe and to love you.”
* * *
Acts 2:1-21
…yet a little more
Yes, yes, the gift of the Spirit was essential for the early church to begin. Jesus had promised the Spirit, or Advocate, to his followers. It came into them—with a whole lot of really, really hard-to-pronounce names. It came into them. Without the disciples as a place for the Spirit to “lodge” nothing would have happened, besides a gust of wind. The Holy Spirit needs us, the same as we need the Holy Spirit.
* * *
Romans 8:14-17
A spirit of adoption
In some Hmong clans, a woman who has no family can approach any adult man in her clan and say, “I am your mother,” and he is obligated to reply, “I am your son,” and to care for her as he would his own mother. Who’s getting adopted here? The ages are reversed from how we typically think of adoption. How does that address the “spirit of adoption” that Paul conveys to the Romans? Could the spirit of adoption come from “below,” that is, that we adopt God as sovereign Mother/Father as much as God adopts us?
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Romans 8:14-17
…a little more
Not all children who are adopted have the same experience. Some are never able to be unaffected by the notion that their “birth parents” didn’t want them. Some exult in their status as being “chosen;” ‘Mom and Dad could have had their pick of babies, but they wanted me!”
It is typical for adopted children to experience their identity as adopted to change as they grow up.
While the wise preacher will recognize that there is a wide variety of ways people perceive adoption, Paul’s letter makes it clear that all of us, every single one of us, has been adopted by God. God has chosen, claimed and called us by name. Equally.
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Genesis 11:1-9 and Acts 2:1-21
When I went to church in Denmark a few years ago on a family vacation, we did the counter-cultural thing—we went to church. My cousin paid his church tax every year and could be counted on to attend church on Easter, Whitsunday (which we call “Pentecost”) and Christmas Eve. He told me, “I am a believer, not a user.”
After worship we filed out of the building to the yard outside for “kirche kafe,” Church coffee. They had coffee and pecan sandies. My cousin introduced me to the pastor, “this is my cousin, the Presbyterian priest from America.” I told the pastor that I had understood two words in her sermon, “Jesus” and “amen.”
She threw her arms in the air and said, “You got the point!” And now I could say something other than “thanks,” “cheese” and “open;” my Danish vocabulary had grown by 2/3!
My favorite memory of that worship service though came afterwards, when my son told me that he knew when they were saying the Lord’s Prayer. And I knew it too. We didn’t understand any words, but there was something about the flow of the words that made it prayer to us without the meaning of words. We had prayed, and been surrounded by prayer, that we didn’t understand. It was a really, really special powerful feeling.
But here’s something I want you to think about on this day when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit: At Pentecost, God could have undone Babel. God could have restored one, universal language to humanity. God, however, sent the miracle in a different direction. God maintained the different languages, but made the content of the message of reconciliation in Christ understandable to everyone.
The beautiful variety of spoken and written languages continues. The wonder of seeking to understand and translate between languages, the hard work of bringing meaning and understanding in a variety of sights and sounds is preserved.
* * *
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
If you’re used to singing “Praise God from whom all blessings flow,” every week, this might be a good week to point out that that message is pretty much the same as Psalm 104’s. All creatures rely on God for food, breath and life itself. And Creation is full of God’s creatures/creations. In life and death we belong to God, and depend on God for everything we need between birth and death.
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From team member Ron Love:John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
We need the teaching of the Holy Spirit because the false teaching of Satan is real.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for Satan means “adversary.” In the New Testament Satan is referred to as “the adversary,” as “the false accuser,” and as “the slanderer.” All of the defining terms have a common thread, and that is Satan wants to deceive us from believing in God.
This is why we should take notice that some early transcripts of the Lord’s Prayer translated what we say today “deliver us from evil,” as “deliver us from the evil one.” We need to pray that we are delivered from the power and ensnarement of Satan.
The early church fathers believed in the power of Satan. One of the best descriptions of Satan is recorded for us in a sermon preached by Origen. Origen was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria and lived from the year 185 to the year 254. He is considered by some the first theologian of stature in the church. He wrote a sermon on almost every verse in the entire Bible. Origen preached that the Christian life is a struggle against the devil’s “fiery darts” and “nets.” “Fiery darts” and “nets” are a good description on how the Devil tries to entrap us.
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John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
The word atheism means “without God.” The atheist is the person who says that there is no God. Carl Sagan was one of the world’s most famous atheists. Sagan was an astronomer who and narrated and co-wrote the award-winning 1980 television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage. At the time, Cosmos was the most widely watched series in the history of American public television. The program has been seen by at least 500 million people across 60 different countries. Sagan summed up atheism when he declared, “The Cosmos is all that is or ever was or ever will be.” Isaac Asimov, another famous atheist. Asimov was prolific writer. He wrote or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. Asimov wrote science fiction and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, he was considered one of the “Big Three” science fiction writers during the twentieth century. Asimov once said, “Emotionally, I am an atheist. I don’t have the evidence to prove that God doesn’t exist, but I so strongly suspect he doesn’t that I don’t want to waste my time.” An atheist is unable to find any evidence for God’s existence; therefore, God does not exist.
* * *
John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
The word agnostic means “without knowledge.” The agnostic does not boldly proclaim that God does not exist; instead, the agnostic suggests no one can know whether or not God exists because there simply is not enough evidence upon which to base a conclusion. Charles Darwin was an agnostic. Darwin is best known for his development of the theory of evolution which he presented in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species. Darwin said, “The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us; and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic.” Clarence Darrow was an agnostic. Darrow was a famous lawyer, who may be best known to us for defending and John T. Scopes, an advocate of evolution, in the Scopes “Monkey” Trial of 1925 in Dayton, Tennessee. Darrow said, “I am an agnostic; I do not pretend to know what many ignorant men are sure of.” The agnostic lives in the arena of uncertainty and disbelief.
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John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
A skeptic is a person who habitually doubts the authenticity of accepted beliefs. In particular, a skeptic is a person who doubts the truth of religion, especially Christianity. Thomas Paine was one of the Founding Fathers of our nation. The many pamphlets he wrote were publicly acknowledged for their reasoned approach to secure colonial freedom from British dominance. In 1793, in the book titled Age of Reason, Paine wrote of his skepticism regrading Christianity. Paine wrote, “Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and torturous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we called it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind…" The Age of Reason also attacks Christianity as a system of superstition that “produces fanatics.” When the book reached England, several book sellers were convicted of blasphemy and jailed. Paine is also quoted as saying, “All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind and monopolize power and profit.” The sceptic is not prepared to accept anything except that which can be verified empirically, that is by using the five senses. To the sceptic, then, science becomes the only valid method of proving anything. Since God cannot be seen, tasted, heard, touched, or smelled, then sceptics say that either God does not exist or that God cannot be very important even if He does exist.
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Pentecost
In filming the movie Jesus of Nazerath, Borgnine played the role of the centurion who stood at the foot of the cross, looking up into the face of the crucified Jesus of Nazareth. Since this was a movie, actors only came on the set when needed; so, instead of having the actor portraying Jesus, Borgnine stared at an “X” chalk mark where Jesus would have been on the cross. In such a sterile setting, Borgnine had a difficult time capturing the emotions that the Roman soldier must have experienced at that tragic moment. In order to feel the part, Borgnine asked someone to read Luke’s account of the crucifixion. As the words were being read, Borgnine felt more and more uncomfortable, ashamed that like the first centurion he failed to acknowledge the Son of God in his own life. Then something miraculous happened – the chalk mark suddenly was transformed into the face of Jesus, lifelike and clear. Captivated by the revelation, Borgnine realized how the centurion who first stood at the foot of the cross must have been affected; in all sincerity, he repeated the soldier’s words: “Certainly this man was innocent!” Ernest Borgnine had gone from darkens into the great light. Ernest Borgnine was converted to Christianity.
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John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
In the Brothers Grimm’s fairy tale Snow White, we are like the wicked queen who constantly looks into her mirror asking, “Magic mirror on the wall, who is the fairest one of all?” The only response that the Queen is interested in hearing is that she is the fairest of them all. That she is the most beautiful. That she is the most important.
And we expect the same response when we look into our own magic mirrors. The message we hear is that I cannot be accused of ethnocentrism. I cannot be called a hypocrite. I have no need for a bed in the hospital for sinners; but, I will gladly connect the IV to those who are.
But, how truthful is our magic mirror?
It has taken centuries for us to invite African Americans down from the balcony. Women rode the wave of the feminist movement to acquire ordination. Homosexuals are slowly making their way down the center aisle. Yet, so many still await to be beckoned from the lepers’ colony, assigned there only because they are different. Are not the mentally ill still regarded as uncircumcised?
One day the wicked queen heard a different message from her magic mirror that sent her into a self-righteous rampage. The scene reads as follows:
Magic Mirror: Famed is thy beauty, Majesty. But hold, a lovely maid I see. Rags cannot hide her gentle grace. Alas, she is more fair than thee.
Queen: Alas for her! Reveal her name.
Magic Mirror: Lips red as the rose. Hair black as ebony. Skin white as snow.
Queen: Snow White!
Can we really accept Snow White into our fellowship if it forces us to see our own blemishes?
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John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
He sat quietly in the pew to the left of the altar at St. John’s Anglican Church in Richmond, Virginia. Having been elected to the House of Burgesses from Howard County just nine days ago, he was hesitant to speak publically. Especially when seated around him were such distinguished men as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. The delegates were in debate and divided on how to respond to the Stamp Act that had been imposed upon the colonies by England. The Stamp Act was a British law that placed a tax on printed documents in the colonies. As proof of paying the tax, each document had to have an authorized stamp. The debate was centered on compliance or severing the colonies relationship with the England.
On Thursday, March 23, 1775, having sat quietly long enough, Patrick Henry stood where he was seated. Speaking without notes, and in a voice that increasing became louder and more empathic, he advocated raising a militia and declaring independence from the King of England.
The climax of the speech was the closing line that has become a hallmark of American patriotism when Henry declared, “Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty, or give me death!”
Patrick Henry’s oration brought unity to the delegates attending the Virginia Provincial Convention. In the days following Patrick Henry’s speech, the delegates passed all seven resolutions declaring their independence from England.
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John 14:26 “
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
Billy Graham was the most recognized evangelists of the twentieth century. He began his first crusade in November 1947 at the old Armory in Charlotte, North Carolina. By the time of his death it is estimated that he had perched to over 215 million people in 185 countries. During those years he wrote 34 books. The first was Calling Youth to Christ, published in 1947. His last publication, in 2015 was Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond the Now. Graham passed away at his home in Montreat, North Carolina, on February 21, 2018, at the age of 99.
In 1992, Graham announced that he was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, a disease similar to Parkinson's Disease. Of the many side effects of hydrocephalus is double vision, which prevented Graham from being able to read. Graham, in his book Where I Am: Heaven, Eternity, and Our Life Beyond the Now, reflected on his inability to no longer read the Bible. He wrote:
I always considered it a loss day if I did not send time reading at least a passage in this sacred Book. Today I cannot see well enough to read, but I am thankful to have committed much of God’s Word to memory.
At her father’s funeral, Anne Graham Lotz shared how much her father loved reading the Bible, and how his poor vison prevented from doing so. At a private funeral service held on March 2, before 2,300 invited guests, Lotz said:
…my daddy started asking me to read him the Bible, and at first it was very intimidating, and then it became such a joy…He was hard of hearing. So, I would sit in front of him knee to knee, and he would ask me to give him a full sixty-minute message, and he never took his eyes off my face.
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John 14:26
the Advocate, the Holy Spirit…will teach you everything
A In ADAM’S Fall: We sinned all.
B Heaven to find; The Bible Mind.
C Christ crucify’d; For sinners dy’d....
D ZACCHEUS he Did climb the Tree Our Lord to See.
Thus, the New England Primer taught the alphabet to its young charges. In addition to presenting “Alphabet Lessons for Youth” the entire textbook used Biblical references for instruction, including a catechism of 107 questions, prayers, creeds, and religious songs. The purpose was threefold: to teach reading; to foster Christian character; and from Adam’s fall to Zacchaeus’ climb to create a coveted conversion experience. The Latin origin for the word “primer” is “prayer book.” The New England Primer paralleled both concepts of academic education and religious indoctrination. It was often referred to as the “Little Bible” of New England.
The Massachusetts Legislature passed the “Old Deluder Act” of 1647 mandating every town to establish a grammar school in order to thwart “one chief project of that old deluder, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of Scripture.” To facilitate this process the New England Primer was first published in 1690 by Benjamin Harris of Boston. It became the standard classroom text in New England as well as along all the regions of the eastern seaboard. The last edition was published in 1805, and copies were still being used in some schools in 1900.
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Pentecost
George Beverly Shea was born in Canada in 1909. He is best known to us as the soloist for the Billy Graham Crusades, which he began singing for in 1947. Because of the large attendance at the Graham's Crusades, it is estimated that Shea sang before more people than anyone else in history. Shea is considered to be the first international singing star of the gospel world, as a consequence of his solos at the Billy Graham Crusades and his exposure on radio, records and television.
Shea, who has been known to bring so many others to Christ, accepted Jesus as his savior when he was eighteen. He accepted Christ at Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Shea describes the experience with these words:
When I was 18, my Dad was pastoring a church in Ottawa, and I was feeling not too spiritual. The church was having a “special effort,” as they called it, for a week. I remember that on Friday night Dad came down from the pulpit and tenderly placed his hand on my shoulder. He whispered, “I think tonight might be the night, son, when you come back to the Lord.” Whatever Dad did or said, I listened to him and respected him. And, yes, that was the night!
Shea, attended college, but financial difficulties caused him to drop out of school. He worked various jobs. Because of his strong bass-baritone voice he had many opportunities to sing on radio and in other venues.
Shea first met Billy Graham in 1940 while Graham was pastor of the Village Church in Western Springs, Illinois. In 1947, he became the first staff member hired by Billy Graham. Shea recalled how he first met Billy Graham:
One morning, there was a rap on my office door. I looked out and there was a tall young man with blond hair and we shook hands. He was 21 and I was 31. It was Billy Graham and he had traveled in from Wheaton College on a train just to say “hello.” He said he listened to my morning hymn show called “Hymns From The Chapel.” That's how we first got acquainted. I came into this work with Mr. Graham in 1947 after we had exchanged letters and talked on the phone. He said he wanted me to be his gospel singer. I thanked him but told him the only gospel singers I've ever heard about would sing a verse or two and stop and talk a while. “Would I have to do that?” I asked him. He chuckled and said, “I hope not.” With that, I said, “Well, I'd like to come with you.” That was in November of 1947 and I've been with him ever since.
Shea sang at the unofficial launching of Graham's crusades in the old Armory in Charlotte, North Carolina, in November 1947. His first song was “I Will Sing the Wondrous Story.”
For a number of years the entire congregation sang the closing invitational hymn “Just As I Am.” Then Shea suggested that the choir alone sing the hymn. This idea came to Shea when he remembered his own call to the altar at Sunnyside Wesleyan Methodist Church when he was eighteen. He recalled how he was convicted of his sins by the Holy Spirit as the church choir sang “Just As I Am.” Shea believed that if only the choir, and not a stadium full of people, sang the altar call hymn more people would be touched by the Holy Spirit. Graham agreed, and from then on every service was closed with the choir singing “Just As I Am.”
Billy Graham also believed, for two reasons, that the hymn “Just As I Am” was the best selection for the closing altar call. Shea shared the thoughts of Billy Graham from a conversation they had regarding the selection:
Billy Graham names two reason why “Just As I Am” was chosen to be used after his message. First, the song repeats as affirmative response, “O Lamb of God, I come,” thus verbalizing hat people are doing as they come forward. And second, the words give a strong biblical basis for responding to the call of Christ.
The hymn “Just As I Am” that has become synonymous with Billy Graham and his crusades is sung as follows:
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that thy blood was she'd for me,
And that Thou bidd'st me come to Thee,
O Lamb of God, I come, I come!
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From team member Bethany Peerbolte:Genesis 11:1-9
Babel Reaches the Stars
Sometimes ideas look great on paper, but when made a reality end up being a huge mistake. The tower of Babel is one of the first examples of this phenomenon. At the beginning it feels like a story of unity. Everyone speaks the same language. They work together to invent brick and mortar, and then synergize an incredible plan. They dream up a building that will keep their community together and give them success. God, however, knows it’s a terrible plan. The excuse God has for foiling their plans seems nice enough, they are too brilliant for their own good. God creates different languages to bring down the collective IQ.
Two weeks ago Elon Musk set the foundation for his Starlink project. The goal is to make internet available in every corner of the planet. To make this happen his company will be sending up 12,000 satellites. The first 60 were put into place May 23 and already people are noticing. The satellites follow each other as they orbit so from earth all you have to do is look for the lights moving across the sky in nice straight line. Astronomers are furious. They say the project will destroy the view of space. The great idea to make the internet accessible to anyone may just inhibit our ability to appreciate the heavens. We may need God to step in and do some more confusing of plans.
* * *
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
A Space for Everyone
God has made a space for everyone, trees for birds, mountains for goats, darkness for nocturnal animals. These spaces are unique to the gifts and needs of each animal. The places created allow the animals to feel safe and for them to thrive. A bird is its best version of itself when it is in a tree. Night animals feel freest in the dark. God has taken the time to think of what each animal needs specifically and created a space just for them.
June is Pride month. There will be many spaces made where the LGBTQ+ community can be safe and thrive. These colorful and energetic spaces are where people can be themselves fully without judgement. There is a camp of belief that people who are cis and straight should not attend Pride events. This is largely because people who consider themselves “allies” often do not know how to behave at these events. Bustle has a wonderful article about what every ally should know before going to a Pride event. It is a great guide to help cis straight allies keep the space of Pride safe. Everyone deserves a space that is, as Goldilocks would put it, “just right.” We should all do our part to keep these spaces safe.
* * *
Acts 2:1-21
Unseen Forces
The Holy Spirit is always present but seeing that presences can be tricky. On Pentecost we celebrate a moment when the Spirit was noticeable present as She speaks through the disciples. An undeniable presence that inspired many to become followers of Jesus. We don’t all get so lucky. Without a tangible or audible example of the Spirit’s presence we have to infer where the Spirit is. Much of our spiritual lives are calibrating our spiritual tools to better detect the Spirit around us.
By now we have all seen the first picture of a black hole, but this week NASA released another incredible picture. This time it was of X-ray activity in the universe. The picture depicts the rays as light streaks and the composition looks like flight patterns of airplanes. The streaks actually show how energy is being spread out from stars. The goal is to find Neutron stars, tiny dense stars left over from super nova’s. The x-rays are the invisible energy bursts these stars give off. It is incredible to see the forces that are moving in the universe that we could never see before. And may the Spirit is traveling on one of those energy bursts to us now!
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John 14:8-17 (25-27)
Very Truly is the Best Policy
Jesus loves this phrase “very truly” and uses it again in these verses. He also says he will send us the Spirit of truth that the world does not know but we can. Truth becomes our coach and babysitter and friend.
For a neurosurgeon in Syria, truth is his move valuable tool. In an interview the surgeon discusses how he stays calm in surgery while bombs are falling outside. He talks about how the patient come in panicked and that he must remain calm to be able to help them. With little to know sleep and no end in sight he works endlessly to help the people in the center of this terrible conflict. He tells the journalist that the best thing he can do to keep a patient calm is tell them the truth. This helps them see the reality and accept the situation.
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: O God, how manifold are your works!
People: In wisdom you have made them all.
Leader: I will sing to God as long as I live.
People: I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
Leader: May my meditation be pleasing to God in whom I rejoice.
People: Bless God, O my soul. Praise God!
OR
Leader: Children of God we come together to worship our God.
People: We offer to God our praises and adoration.
Leader: We come from different places and different lives.
People: Yet we are all one people in Christ.
Leader: We celebrate our diversity as we rejoice in our unity.
People: Alike or different we are all God’s people.
Hymns and Songs:
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
UMH: 57/58/59
H82: 493
PH: 466
AAHH: 184
NNBH: 23
NCH: 42
CH: 5
LBW: 559
ELW: 886
W&P: 96
AMEC: 1/2
Renew: 32
All Creatures of Our God and King
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELW: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
Renew: 47
Spirit of God Descend upon My Heart
UMH: 500
PH: 326
AAHH: 312
NCH: 290
CH: 265
LBW: 486
ELW: 800
W&P: 132
AMEC: 189
Where Charity and Love Prevail
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELW: 359
In Christ There Is No East or West
UMH: 548
H82: 529
PH: 439/440
AAHH: 398/399
NNBH: 299
NCH: 394/395
CH: 687
LBW: 259
ELW: 650
W&P: 600/603
AMEC: 557
The Church’s One Foundation
UMH: 545/546
H82: 525
PH: 442
AAHH: 337
NNBH: 297
NCH: 386
CH: 272
LBW: 369
ELW: 654
W&P: 544
AMEC: 519
Blest Be the Tie That Binds
UMH: 557
PH: 438
AAHH: 341
NNBH: 298
NCH: 393
CH: 433
LBW: 370
ELW: 656
W&P: 393
AMEC: 522
Help Us Accept Each Other
UMH: 560
PH: 358
NCH: 388
CH: 487
W&P: 596
AMEC: 558
Unity
CCB: 59
You Are
CCB: 23
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is unity in the midst of diversity:
Grant us the wisdom to understand our unity
is not destroyed by our diversity;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are one while being three. Help us to dwell in your unity with our sisters and brothers while respecting the diversity among us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our rejection of those who are somehow different from us.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have failed to grasp the breadth of your love and how diverse your children are. We have tried to narrow down your grace by including only those who are like us and think like us. We have been more concerned with making a name for ourselves than in glorifying your name. Forgive us and renew your Spirit within us that we may embrace all your children and give glory to you. Amen.
Leader: God’s love is broad and deep and includes all of us. Receive God’s grace and share it with those you meet this week.
Prayers of the People
We praise you, O God, for the greatness of your love. We are in awe of how rich your grace is to all of creation.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have failed to grasp the breadth of your love and how diverse your children are. We have tried to narrow down your grace by including only those who are like us and think like us. We have been more concerned with making a name for ourselves than in glorifying your name. Forgive us and renew your Spirit within us that we may embrace all your children and give glory to you.
We give you thanks for your great love towards us and all your children. We thank you for those who have accepted us into the fellowship of the church.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the needs of the world today. We remember those who have been excluded and shunned. We pray for the gathering of your children into your loving family.
(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
You can do a search for ‘which one doesn’t belong pictures’ to get props if you need them.
Show the children pictures of things where one of the objects doesn’t belong. We are good at spotting differences and saying something doesn’t belong. Seeing differences is good. We need to know the difference between things that are good to eat and things that are not. But in God’s family we all belong. We may look different or sound different but we are all God’s beloved children.
CHILDREN'S SERMONby Chris Keating
Acts 2:1-21
On Pentecost Sunday, invite the children to celebrate the Spirit’s delightful and joyful arrival.
“Go crazy, folks, go crazy!” That’s how the late, great St. Louis Cardinals baseball announcer Jack Buck recounted Ozzie Smith’s homerun which clinched the fifth game of the 1985 National League Series. Buck’s words were perfect for a sea of red in 1985, and they’re also up to the job of inspiring Pentecost Sunday worship in 2019.
Pentecost, after all, is a big deal. As the “birthday of the church,” it calls for cake and balloons and all sorts of fiery enthusiasm. If possible, find a way for children to be part of worship—perhaps serving as acolytes if you don’t usually use them, or leading a processional waving ribbons representing flames. Children will understand what it means to “go crazy” for a birthday party, and indeed will find this much easier to understand a theologically nuanced depiction of the Spirit’s descent.
The best way into this story is to either retell Acts 2 in your own words, or to find a lovely children’s story Bible. Certainly, everyone thought the Apostles had “gone crazy,” if not acting a bit drunk. As you tell the story, be sure to capture the frenzied excitement, hidden surprises and eye-popping energy. They could help you act out parts of the story by waving arms to represent a blowing wind, and everyone talking at once to represent the confusion of the city street. If there are children who speak other languages, be sure to involve them as well. Also be sure to address the bits of fear which may arise in this story, especially due to the many violent storms which have occurred recently. The sound of a violent wind is not exactly comforting, and the idea that somehow everyone can speak and understand different languages could add some concern. Be sure to add some party hats or other aspects of a birthday party so that the children can understand what the church’s birthday really means.
There are a couple of details worth pursuing. One is the depiction of the church’s unity. The church was all together, in one place, Luke says. Something exciting was about to happen, and they would suddenly see how God could use them. Secondly, be aware of how Peter explains the event by referring to the prophet’s words. Talk about what it could mean if the church would dream new dreams.”
As Peter explains, this is a reminder that all of God’s people, both old and young, are essential to the work of the church. Sometimes we forget about the important role children play, and instead relegate them to participatory roles instead of leadership roles. But on Pentecost, God’s gift comes to all people. How might we listen to the dreams of our children? Let the children share their wonderfully imaginative and often stories about dreams this Pentecost.
Gifts are also important to any birthday celebration, and Pentecost is no different. Explain that the gifts God is giving are different. The gifts of Pentecost are not things we can unwrap, but rather “invisible” gifts like new life, power, and energy. Pentecost brings power, and suddenly the church is able to dream “new dreams.”
Wear red, wave banners of flames, blow fans across the sanctuary! Go crazy, folks, go crazy. It’s Pentecost, and great things are about to happen.
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The Immediate Word, June 9, 2019 issue.
Copyright 2019 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.
