Does This Offend You?
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This week’s epistle and gospel readings provide us with a reality check about the difficult struggle we face as Christians. When Jesus uses his cannibalistic metaphor with the disciples, they complain that “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?” Jesus, however, has little patience for their discomfort -- acerbically responding, “Does this offend you?” John tells us that “many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him,” and that Jesus asked his core group of twelve: “Do you also wish to go away?” Meanwhile, the writer of Ephesians admonishes us that we must “put on the whole armor of God, so that [we] may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” This is important because “our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the... spiritual forces of evil.” Fortunately, God has outfitted us with protective armor for those who are “ambassador[s] in chains.”
Taken together, these texts are a bracing reminder that we are in for a long and difficult slog -- one which will not be resolved quickly, but which God has given us the tools to undertake... though many will become discouraged and abandon the cause. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating notes that this is true not only of our experience as Christians, but also of the quest for social justice. In both realms change happens -- but rarely as quickly as those with grievances desire. Instead, progress usually occurs at a frustratingly glacial pace -- as is the case in Ferguson, Missouri, one year after the death of Michael Brown. Activists, both local and national, engaged in protests last week to mark the anniversary and to demand more progress -- punctuated by blocking an interstate highway to make their point. But while many of their complaints are legitimate, how realistic are their expectations? As Martin Luther King understood about the civil rights movement, progress depends on taking on the spiritual armor that prepares us for the reality that facing up to the “cosmic powers of this present darkness” is a marathon, not a sprint. However, as Chris observes, understanding that we have this protection -- and the bread of life that we receive from abiding in Jesus -- can give us the strength we need to persevere in times of struggle.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on the First Kings text and its stress on the importance of welcoming foreigners. As our conflicted attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy reveal, we are generally suspicious of and threatened by those we perceive as “outsiders.” But as Dean points out, that hostility toward outsiders and building of walls is manifested in other areas too -- including the church. Could not the prevailing mindset toward outsiders in the church be analogous to that expressed by many toward illegal immigrants? How many church members want their churches to grow... but only with those who are “like us”? Aren’t all too many of our congregants profoundly uncomfortable about being in proximity with those who don't look, talk, think, or dress like themselves? Dean asks us to consider what this reveals about our attitudes toward “foreigner[s], who [are] not of your people Israel, [who] come from a distant land.”
Does This Offend You?
by Chris Keating
Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69
For some in St. Louis, last Monday’s afternoon commute was a traffic nightmare. Others, however, found it to be the perfect vehicle to highlight the ongoing struggle for racial justice. Like the disciples who wrestled with Jesus’ teaching on eating his flesh, both groups would probably agree that “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?”
It is a struggle, Jesus says, of spirit and not flesh.
That was evident last week during the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown Jr., the Ferguson, Missouri teenager who was shot by police. A year and a day after Brown’s death, protesters shut down both sides of Interstate 70 during rush hour -- demonstrating that, like the stopped cars, justice for Brown and others is at a standstill.
Protesters halted traffic from St. Louis into suburban St. Charles County, an area described as a destination for “white flight.” The miles-long backup was part of a day of civil disobedience that featured national activists such as Cornel West.
For some it was a reminder of the struggle for justice for Brown and other African-Americans shot by police. But others were offended by the “Moral Monday” protests, wondering across social media what was achieved. Frustration on both sides continues, even as conversations on racial reconciliation take place across the St. Louis area.
This teaching is indeed difficult -- who can accept it? Perhaps the task, as Ephesians explains, is to understand that the true struggle is not with humans, but with the principalities and cosmic powers which can only be withstood in the power of the Spirit. As Peter admits, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
In the News
Ferguson is quiet this week. St. Louis County Executive Steven Stenger has lifted a state of emergency order, protests have subsided, the St. Louis Cardinals are winning, and kids are returning to school. Even the normally hot and humid days of a late St. Louis summer have been milder.
It would be a mistake to equate quiet with calm. Unrest over Brown’s death, as well as the deaths of other African-Americans killed by police, continues.
Last week people poured into the streets and blocked highways in remembrance of Brown, who was shot by a Ferguson police office on August 9, 2014. The demonstration across Interstate 70 resulted in approximately 60 arrests, including organizers Alexis Templeton and Brittany Ferrell of Millennial Activists United. Police say protestors punched the driver of an SUV that attempted to cross the human barricade.
Rev. Traci Blackmon, a UCC pastor and member of the statewide Ferguson Commission, noted on Facebook that St. Louis is still learning how to deal with protestors, indicating that the driver of the SUV ought to be charged as well. “Attempting to run protesters over with a car is a crime,” she said.
Others noted that the arrests were designed to provoke -- even offend -- what they perceive as complacent attitudes toward racial injustice, and said they believe little has changed in this struggle in the year since Brown’s death.
“At this point there is no sensitivity at all. It lets us know that Ferguson still needs a lot of work,” said Mike Lhotak, a participant in the highway shutdown. In an interview with the Huffington Post, the 28-year-old Lhotak (who is white) reported being slammed to the ground by a police officer. He said his goal was “to make sure none of the black activists were arrested.”
The mostly black suburb of Ferguson has made many changes in the past year, but how long those changes will remain in effect is not clear. A new city judge, for example, is an African-American, but he must retire in early 2016 when he turns 75. An interim police chief and city administrator who are black have been hired -- but those positions may end.
Governor Jay Nixon has appointed a 16-member commission to study the conditions which led to the upheaval. The commission has developed nearly 150 “calls to action,” and is at work deciding which of those will be presented to the governor as priorities. The commission's report is due by September 15.
As the New York Times observed, Ferguson remains very much a “halting work in progress.” In appointing the commission, Governor Nixon noted that “change of this magnitude is hard; but maintaining the status quo is simply not acceptable.”
For leaders in the Ferguson faith community, the journey toward change is an ongoing struggle. Many faith leaders moved from the pulpit to the streets in order to promote a message of justice and hope, encountering young people committed to change. According to Eden Theological Seminary professor Leah Gunning Francis, the youth and young adult activists began listening. Gunning Francis is the author of the book Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community, and says many of the youth were surprised that clergy took their concerns seriously.
While the protests have been shaped by the enthusiasm and commitment of young people, many have grown tired of the outcry. Posts on social media range from frustration to outright rage. “Activists LOL,” tweeted one person. “Thugs and hooligans more like.”
Offended? Certainly.
Gunning Francis noted that those who are offended are missing the point: “What I’ve found is that most of the time, the people who are tired of it are people who can choose to be tired of it.”
“I’m a mother of two African-American sons,” she said in a recent radio interview, “so I don’t have the luxury of ever being tired of pursuing justice for more equitable treatment of young black men and women in our society.”
There is grumbling, of course, about signs that say “Black Lives Matter,” and protests and disruptions many struggle to understand. Such is to be expected, says Jesus, within the ongoing struggles of faith -- even he expected to be betrayed. Throughout this struggle, however, both Paul and Jesus encourage God’s people to remain engaged and faithful. Jesus admits it is a hard teaching, and even suggests that the disciples are free to seek another teacher.
Yet, as Peter understands, only Christ offers the words of eternal life.
In the Scriptures
At the conclusion of John’s eucharistic conversation, Jesus changes the topic from eating bread to eating his flesh (6:51) and drinking his blood (6:53). This was certainly confusing (if not unappetizing) to the crowd gathered in the synagogue that day. Suddenly no one is thinking about lunch as Jesus drives home the final point of his seemingly cannibalistic sermon: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”
What to make of this complex and troublesome text?
What could be called the “Hannibal Lecter-tionary” passage is actually a discourse on how participation in Christ provides food and fuel for Christians engaged in ongoing struggles of faith. The key, I think, comes by way of the Johannine image of abiding (v. 56). Jesus declares that those who abide with him will have the gift of life. Jesus is manna, the bread which brings life. By abiding or participating with Jesus, we are drawn into a deeper relationship with God. Nourished, fed, and sustained by God’s grace, we are called to abide in Christ, even in the face of struggle. To abide is to choose life -- which is exactly the decision Peter makes.
But to abide is also to remain in a struggle with the “powers and principalities” of cosmic proportions. Startled by Jesus’ jarring words, some disciples depart. Remaining faithful in moments of struggle requires the full “armor” (panoplia) of God. It’s time to suit up, says the author of Ephesians, to employ tools that are both defensive and offensive in nature. Take the full panoply of God’s presence with you.
Thankfully, as Ephesians reminds us, the armaments needed are more lethal than bows and arrows. Against the cosmic powers, God’s people are called to gather the tools of truth, righteousness, peace, proclamation, and faith.
Participation in the life of Christ equips one for such struggles, yet the fight cannot be won apart from prayer. Armor permits the believer to withstand assaults and brutal bruising. It is an experience shared not only by the martyrs of the faith, but also by the faithful who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, by Christians fleeing homelands under attack, and those who withstand injustice and oppression daily. The struggle of faith, wherever it occurs, is relieved by taking on an armor welded together in prayer, so that those who abide in Christ are encouraged to remain alert -- even if they become ambassadors in chains.
In the Sermon
In many ways, the words of this week’s passages remain hard to understand. Whether we are explaining eating and drinking Jesus’ flesh or discussing the martial elements of Ephesians 6:10-20, these are not easy texts from which to preach. Yet Jesus’ words to the disciples -- “Does this offend you?” -- may also be the invitation to the preacher this week. In the face of speculation and grimacing doubts, Jesus remains faithful to his mission. Aware that some will fall away, Jesus nonetheless completes the call which God has given to him. He even suggests that by abiding in him, his disciples will do the same.
Our congregations are aware of the deep struggles of faith. A sermon could begin by naming some of the locations of these struggles. For some in our world, the struggle is to proclaim justice for those unable to speak. Theirs is the struggle expressed on the streets of Ferguson, or Baltimore, or Brooklyn, or Charleston, or wherever justice is denied. Others in our pews might resonate with the struggle of daily caregiving needs for a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease, or a loved one gripped by mental illness. Some know the battle of cancer and understand that to be a fight against “the wiles of the devil.” For others, the struggle is internal to their spirit, harder to name but no less lethal. While we may be tempted to turn from faith in the midst of struggles, Ephesians 6 reminds us we have been given all we need to endure.
John’s narrative points back to the gift of God in Jesus Christ, whose living bread sustains us along the toilsome way of struggle and defeat.
Coupled together, the Ephesians text and John’s words about abiding in Christ in spite of our doubts and fears provide Christians with potent images for enduring times of struggle. It is not a race easily finished, and at times we may be tempted to turn away like those disciples who found Jesus’ words too confounding. But where are we going to go? Truthfully, where?
A sermon which explores Jesus’ words of life would be a welcome source of renewing hope to those who find themselves struggling day by day.
SECOND THOUGHTS
More Than Polite
by Dean Feldmeyer
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
There is no Jeremiah Steepek.
Jeremiah is that fictional pastor who, on the first Sunday of his new ministry at a 10,000-member megachurch he had been called to serve as pastor, allegedly disguised himself as a homeless man and hung out in the sanctuary there.
According to the story, after about 30 minutes several of the elders of the church who were in on the stunt invited the homeless man to come forward, whereupon the new pastor revealed his true identity, recounted how shamefully he had been treated by the parishioners, preached a brief homily on Matthew 25, and sent everyone home feeling ashamed of themselves and promising to do better.
It’s a story so filled with object lessons and so ripe with irony that it is almost irresistible to the preacher. You may have even used it in a sermon already. Or you may have noticed that it’s just a little too perfect, too ripe -- and discovered, as I did, that it’s a legend -- and instead used in its place one of the anecdotes that probably gave birth to the Steepek story.
It’s all quite understandable. Most of us want desperately for our congregations to take seriously the messages of Matthew 25, so we leap at any story that furthers that cause. We want the people we serve to understand and live the full meaning of “radical hospitality.” We want to move our congregations beyond just being polite to the strangers who enter our churches -- whether they come to share in the worship service or just to have a free cup of coffee.
In the Scriptures
The lesson in 1 Kings takes us to the dedication service for the new temple that Solomon has built for YHWH. At last YHWH will settle down in a home of his own -- no more schlepping around the desert, no more wandering in the wilderness. God finally has a home, a building, a house, a church to call his own.
As part of the dedication ceremony Solomon prays this long prayer, asking God to give the temple “which I have built” a central place in the prayer life of the people. He requests that YHWH hear his prayers when he prays -- not just in, but even toward the temple. Also, he asks God to hear the prayers of God’s People, the children of Israel, and to forgive them of their sins when they pray thus.
And then, surprisingly, Solomon asks that YHWH hear and grant the prayer requests of foreigners -- Gentiles -- who pray in or toward this temple, “so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built.”
We rather expect that Solomon would ask that his own prayers would be answered. And we are not surprised when he asks that the Israelites be forgiven their sins and that their prayers be granted. But we -- and the first hearers of this prayer -- are a little shocked to hear Solomon ask that the prayers of Gentiles be answered. This kind of hospitality was extraordinary for its time.
Foreigners -- people unlike us -- are going to be welcomed into the temple. How strange! How new! How awkward!
One can almost hear the words of Jesus echoing from the future into the past: “Does this offend you?” Well it’s probably going to offend someone. The Good News has a way of doing that, especially when we understand it to be inclusive, good news for everyone.
But there it is. The doors of the temple are open, and Solomon will not close them -- even to Gentiles.
In the News
How are we going to treat foreigners, people who are not like us?
Last week at the Iowa State Fair, Donald Trump insisted that they should be rounded up and sent packing unless they can prove that they were specifically invited to stay by the United States government. And then once those who don’t meet that standard have been kicked out (all 11.3 million of them, about 5.1% of the American workforce), he proposes building a giant wall to keep them out.
Of course, all those who line up and politely ask if they may enter the U.S. will be welcome to apply for admittance. However, as John Stossel points out, even though the net good that comes from immigration far outweighs the problems, our country’s immigration policies make it virtually impossible for even the best and the brightest to immigrate to this country: “The government awards 50,000 green cards by lottery, but in 2014 11 million people applied, so the vast majority never get them. Forbes says a computer programmer from India who wants to work in America legally must wait an average of 35 years. A Mexican teenager would have to wait 131 years. No wonder people give up on the legal approach and sneak in.”
While Trump demonizes Mexicans who come to this country, calling them rapists and murderers, Stossel points out that while a few may in fact be criminals, “Social Science Quarterly found ‘cities with greater growth in immigrant... populations... have steeper decreases in homicide and robbery rates.’ ”
When we are able to overcome our fears and prejudices long enough to examine the facts about immigration -- legal and illegal -- what we discover is that it’s not just polite to welcome immigrants to our country, it’s smart.
In the Pulpit
Donald Trump’s rants on immigration and his plan for a giant wall inevitably puts me in mind of Robert Frost:
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down.
Of course, the walls of which Trump and Frost are speaking are the physical kind made of stones stacked one upon the other. Frost’s is held together by gravity and Trump’s by mortar -- but they are walls, and they beg the same question.
What are we walling in or walling out?
And what of the other types of walls we erect in our communities and our churches?
Some are walls of tradition that cannot be violated or crossed upon pain of excommunication or exile -- if not physical, certainly mental and emotional. Often we make it clear that these walls are sacred and that those who propose removing even a single stone from them are likely to find themselves living a lonely existence, even in the midst of a crowd.
Some of our walls are walls of social correctness. They establish what shall be worn, what shall be driven, what shall be spoken or left unsaid -- and woe to he or she who violates or ignores this wall.
Others are walls of doctrine and belief, religious and political. We are tolerant only up to the point where others violate our walls of separation by disagreeing with us. On the right, such breeches are called unorthodox or heretical; on the left, they are condemned as insensitive or hard-hearted or even threatening.
As Christians, we follow one who with his own life bridged the gap of separation between God and humankind, between the creator and the creature. And as followers of Jesus, we are called to lives of that reconciliation which breaks down walls, tears down fences, and builds bridges of love and acceptance.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled last week that capital punishment “no longer comports with contemporary standards of decency and no longer serves any legitimate penological purposes.” The 11 men on the state’s death row who were convicted prior to the legislature outlawing the death penalty in 2012 cannot be put to death, according to the court.
Application: The presence of the cloud of the Lord may not be immediately visible to all, but in due time will become apparent.
*****
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
New York Times columnist Roger Cohen penned a recent piece “Why ISIS Trumps Freedom.” He concluded that many young men join ISIS because it gives them a sense of purpose in lives absent of moral boundaries and that have no future. The combination of a strong message and a strong motive gives these young men a calling.
Application: We need to be sure that the cloud of the presence of God can be seen by all -- and give all the right direction and purpose in life.
*****
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
The Christianity of Donald Trump has continually been called into question. In a recent interview, Trump said that many people send him Bibles, which he now collects. Trump says that the reason he collects the Bibles is because “There’s no way I would do anything negative to a Bible.”
Application: We are instructed on the meaning of obedience and keeping of the sacred Word of God.
*****
Ephesians 6:10-20
It has been reported that Kayla Mueller, an American aid worker who was abducted by ISIS in Syria, was the sex slave of Islamic leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before she perished. She was chained to a wall, and when he desired she was taken into his bedroom -- only to be returned in tears.
Application: When Paul writes about the “the cosmic powers of present darkness,” these dark powers are real.
*****
Ephesians 6:10-20
Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said at the Iowa State Fair that we can no longer say “God bless America” at the end of our public political speeches because of our condoning of abortion. God will not bless America for that. This is reminiscent of Franklin Graham, who said that God will not bless America because of Muslims, and Jerry Falwell, who had the same message regarding homosexuals.
Application: When we speak of the powers of evil, we need to be certain that we are not addressing a personal political agenda.
*****
Ephesians 6:10-20
Lewis Fogle was released from a Pennsylvania prison last week after 34 years of incarceration, following advanced DNA analysis which revealed that he was not the culprit in the rape and murder of 15-year-old Deann Katherine Long. It was through the diligent efforts of the Innocence Project that his case was reevaluated.
Application: We are protected by the armor of God, but the protection is not absent of hardships.
*****
Ephesians 6:10-20
Chad Neal, a gun store owner in Oktaha, Oklahoma, has declared his premises to be a “Muslim-Free Zone.” Neal says that he does not want terrorists practicing on his gun range.
Application: To wear the armor of Christ is not to wear an armor that lacks discretion.
*****
John 6:56-69
President Barack Obama recently released a playlist of songs he listens to during the day. He noted that the list was created by his own hand. Earlier this summer Hillary Clinton released a list of songs she listens to. Rolling Stone magazine’s Alan Light compared the lists and concluded that Obama’s list was authentic but that Clinton’s list was a “poll-tested gimmick.” The songs Clinton listed supported her campaign and not what a woman of her age would listen to.
Application: If we are to be the bread of life, then we must also be the bread of truth.
*****
John 6:56-69
Though church attendance is declining in mainline Protestant denominations, it is remaining steady in black congregations. This is because, for many African-Americans, the church is a part of their social life and history.
Application: We need to reintroduce people to the understanding that the church is the bread of life.
*****
John 6:56-69
It is reported that since 2004 the number of Christians in Great Britain has declined to 69% of the population, and that the number of atheists has risen to 22%. If the current trend continues, in 20 years Great Britain will be dominated by atheists.
Application: We need to introduce people to the life-sustaining nature of the bread of life.
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From team member Robin Lostetter:
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
Radical Welcome: Examining the Limits and the Extent of Tolerance in Worship, and What We Do When Those Limits Are Tested
In a feature article in The Christian Century, Lisa G. Fischbeck tells of an abusive and disruptive visitor that tested her congregation’s policy which goes beyond the generic “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You!” Her congregation at Church of the Advocate declares: “We welcome people of every kind of household, at every stage of life and faith and doubt.” Fischbeck continues:
We invite people to “come as you are,” meaning that we have a casual dress code but also that we are open to a wide spectrum of beliefs and behaviors. One year we had t-shirts made with the Advocate logo on one side and a quote from Desmond Tutu on the other: “God’s standards are really very low.”
At one point we embraced “radical welcome,” defining it as “a welcome that doesn’t come easily, that makes us uncomfortable, that changes the community as we are.” At times we’ve wrestled with our lines of tolerance and the limits of our flexibility...
Fischbeck enumerates various scenarios which might cross those lines. She then observes:
Some would say that worship needs a certain decorum and that those who interfere with the atmosphere of worship should be asked to leave. Many churches have vergers or ushers who are prepared to be an escort if needed.
Lines of intolerance often lead to miscommunications or sudden departures, with no opportunity for further teaching or explanation or understanding. At best, lines of intolerance lead to conversations about norms, expectations, appropriate behaviors, and faithfulness. These days, being less certain in our venture, we say, “We strive to practice radical welcome, though we know it is hard to do.”
In the conversations that we’ll be having at Church of the Advocate, we’ll address the limits and the extent of our tolerance in worship and what we’ll do when those limits are tested. [This recent experience] made it clear to me that while we want to welcome all, some squander that welcome with their mean-spiritedness. We cannot tolerate anyone who’s physically violent or who spiritually assaults or verbally degrades another person.
*****
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
Embracing God’s Tapestry: On Full Inclusion of Children with Disabilities
Rev. Trace Haythorn serves as the executive director of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education in Decatur, Georgia, and he and his wife (Rev. Mary Anona Stoops) are both teaching elders in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Mary Stoops has served on Presbyterians for Disability Concerns, and has been active in shaping the denomination’s health insurance policy for well-care for children living with disabilities. In “Embracing God’s Tapestry,” an article in the interactive online journal Unbound, Trace writes about their journey seeking full inclusion of their second child in school and church. Having been academically aware of the educational practice of inclusion as “an embodiment of justice... a human right,” he was nevertheless taken by surprise at the difficulties they ran into as parents of a child living with a developmental disability. Here are his words on reaching out:
[W]e have approached inclusion in much the same way as we’ve tried to craft our home. For example, whenever we sit down at an IEP table we bring food, usually one healthy item and one that is more fun (I’ve become known for my chocolate chip banana bread). We start by expressing our appreciation for the folks gathered around the table, and we offer our gratitude for their work with our daughter and with us. Without fail, someone at the table exhales in that moment, and we can find each other in a common commitment rather than face each other as adversaries.
[W]e trust that everything we do for our daughter is also for every other kid like her. We know Martha, but we can’t expect every teacher, therapist, coach, and administrator to know her like we do. We initiate communications far more often not because we want to be a pain but because we have come to learn that good communication is the most important prerequisite for effective inclusion. Further, we know that if we can support Martha well, the team will come to understand what good support looks like. The next kid who comes through may have not have smooth sailing, but there will be a little less chop to her or his seas.
We also know that every time we sit at the IEP table, we may be establishing a precedent for a particular support, intervention, or modification. In those moments, we pray that our efforts with Martha are slowly but surely changing the system for everyone.
At our core, our family believes that inclusion is the way God longed for the world to be from the very start. Genetic diversity and complexity seem to be something God loves, a tapestry woven together that gives us a glimpse of God’s realm. When we segregate people based on any socially constructed category, we tear at that tapestry, destroying the beauty God has imagined. As people of faith, we are called to attend to this beauty, to name it and claim it, and to help strengthen the ties of community that allow every individual to thrive, regardless of ability.
*****
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
The Label “Alien” is Alienating
RESIDENT ALIEN. Those two words, in all caps, adorn the plastic-covered green card that my grandfather, a naturalized U.S. citizen, handed me shortly after I arrived in the United States from the Philippines. I was 12. I don't remember thinking much about the card (which was not green) or the words (which, strung together, seemed like the title of a video game or a movie). It wasn’t until four years later, while applying to get a driver’s permit, that I learned the card was fake. I wasn't a “RESIDENT ALIEN” at all but another kind of alien -- in common parlance, an “illegal alien.”
Thus begins Jose-Antonio Vargas’ op-ed column in the Los Angeles Times regarding how “language frames the political conversation. And more humane language can lead to more humane policies, and vice versa.”
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From team member Mary Austin:
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
Stories Immigrants Tell
People who come to the United States as immigrants tell stories of hope for jobs and security, stories of fear and deprivation in their original homes, and stories of love.
For example, a woman named Katie says: “I am a U.S. and Canadian citizen, and have lived here in the U.S. for over 9 years now. My boyfriend was brought to the U.S. (without papers) when he was 17. He came with his dad, leaving his mom and siblings behind in Mexico. He has never been back and has now lived in the U.S. for over 14 years. When they arrived at the border town in Mexico, they were kidnapped for ransom. Their kidnappers started to take them out to the desert (which many times means death). Thankfully, however, he and his dad managed to escape and continue their journey. Despite having had that harrowing experience, my boyfriend explained that he and his dad had a rather easy crossing, not suffering nearly as much as many do. Anyway, we plan to get married soon, but our future is uncertain.” She adds, “Before I met him, I had a very different perspective over illegal immigration. I was very ‘by the books’ and not very understanding of what immigrants go through. But now I have a lot of respect for all immigrants; they are so determined and work so hard and are willing to suffer everything in order to provide a better life for their families. His story and his perspective have helped me broaden my perspective and have a greater compassion for others.”
Another person who calls himself/herself “Lost Dreamer, Somewhere within America” tells this story: “I came here when I was 3 years old. I’m currently 16. Everyone else in my family that is here with me is legal -- everyone but me. I’m close to finishing high school... too close. I love America, this is my home, but this is no way to live. I didn’t choose to be here, they did... and now I’ll have to deal with the consequences. I just want to go to college, study medicine, and save lives. Is that too much to ask for? I just want to belong here, I want to be an American citizen.”
(You can find more stories here.)
*****
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
Making Life Smoother for Immigrants
Yes magazine reports that some large cities have taken steps to make life easier for immigrants who live in their cities: “From Los Angeles to New Haven, 11 cities across the country have instituted municipal ID programs. Now New York, a city with an estimated half-million undocumented immigrants, is preparing to launch the country’s largest program in January 2015. With the new city IDs, New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, will be able to apply for a job or library card, access health services, sign a lease, or file a police report.”
Announcing the program in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in 2014: “The municipal ID is more than just a card -- it provides New Yorkers who are currently living in the shadows with dignity and peace of mind.” Reuters adds: “The ID program will be the nation’s largest and is expected to be rolled out in 2015. The card will include the holder’s photo, name, date of birth, and address. It will also have an expiration date. Applicants can obtain a card using a foreign birth certificate, driver’s license, or proof of residence such as a utility bill.”
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: How lovely is your dwelling place, O God!
People: My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of God.
Leader: My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
People: Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.
Leader: No good thing does God withhold from those who walk uprightly.
People: O God of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you.
OR
Leader: God calls us into worship that we might see God’s glory.
People: We come to be in God’s presence and to worship.
Leader: God calls us to be transformed into the very image of God.
People: It is why God created us in love.
Leader: Be filled with God’s presence and then be God’s presence.
People: We are God’s people. We will be the Christ to all we meet.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“He Leadeth Me”
found in:
UMH: 128
AAHH: 142
NNBH: 235
CH: 545
LBW: 501
W&P: 499
AMEC: 395
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
found in:
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELA: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
“Stand by Me”
found in:
UMH: 512
NNBH: 318
CH: 629
W&P: 495
AMEC: 420
“Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”
found in:
UMH: 514
H82: 561
AAHH: 476
NNBH: 409
CH: 613
LBW: 389
W&P: 513
AMEC: 41
“Lift Every Voice and Sing”
found in:
UMH: 519
H82: 599
PH: 563
AAHH: 540
NNBH: 457
CH: 631
LBW: 562
ELA: 841
W&P: 729
AMEC: 571
STLT: 149
“I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”
found in:
UMH: 521
PH: 363
AAHH: 563
NNBH: 500
NCH: 490
CH: 627
W&P: 506
AMEC: 375
“Nearer My God to Thee”
found in:
UMH: 528
AAHH: 163
NNBH: 314
NCH: 606
CH: 577
AMEC: 311
STLT: 87
“Be Still, My Soul”
found in:
UMH: 534
AAHH: 135
NNBH: 263
NCH: 488
CH: 566
W&P: 451
AMEC: 426
“Make Me a Servant”
found in:
CCB: 90
“We Are His Hands”
found in:
CCB: 85
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who created us in your own image: Grant us the courage to don the armor of faith and to live as your true children; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for creating us in your own image. You made us to be your presence in this world and equipped us with all we need to live out our mission. Fill us with your Spirit, that we might find the courage to put on the armor of faith and live as your true children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, especially when we fail to live as your presence in this world.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You created us to be your image and presence in the world, but we live more as the image of the world than of you. Instead of transforming the world into your realm, we allow the world to change us into a reflection of its violence and greed. Forgive us and redeem us, that we might reflect you in our living. Amen.
Leader: God desires to redeem and bless all creation and to do that through us. Receive God’s love and forgiveness, and live as God’s people.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We bless you, O God, for you are our creator and our redeemer. You made us in love to be a blessing to all 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. You created us to be your image and presence in the world, but we live more as the image of the world than of you. Instead of transforming the world into your realm, we allow the world to change us into a reflection of its violence and greed. Forgive us and redeem us, that we might reflect you in our living.
We give you thanks for all the blessings of this life. We are thankful for your presence in our lives and for the love with which you surround us. Your love and grace are abundant and wondrous in our lives.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the world in all its needs. We know that you desire to bring wholeness to your broken creation and to do that through us. Help us to be about your work this week.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Show the children pieces of defensive equipment: a bike helmet, a child’s car seat, a catcher’s mask, elbow pads. Talk about how these items are made to keep you safe. They are like armor in that they exist to protect you. Then talk about the “armor” of God in Ephesians. Talk about how God wants to protect us from bad things. God’s armor will help.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Mary Austin
John 6:56-69
Think about what might slightly offend people in your congregation -- enough to get their attention, but not so dramatic that they miss your point. (Or are still talking about it years later... or bring up in your personnel review.)
Some examples might include showing up in flip-flops, carrying a huge Starbucks frappucino, eating a sandwich or a bowl of ice cream during church, wearing shorts or a Hawaiian shirt, wearing sandals and having brightly painted toenails... and so on. Pick one or several to do during the children’s message.
Come out with your offensive items, and allow the kids to take in what you’re doing. As they laugh or look puzzled, ask them: “Does anyone know what it means to be offended?” Talk about that for a moment, and then ask: “Do you think anyone is offended that I’m __________ ?”
Share with the kids that Jesus asks this question: “Does this offend you?” Jesus tells us that we get offended by the wrong things, and miss what God is doing. We’re so busy being offended sometimes that we miss a surprising thing God is doing.
Ask the kids if they have some ideas about what really offends God. What would God be upset if we do, as opposed to people?
Close with this prayer, or one of your own: Loving God, help us to see people the way you see them. Help us to be upset about the right things -- to be upset when people are hungry or lonely or are bullied. Help us to see people the way you see them, so we know that everyone is valuable. Help us to see you at work all around us -- at home and school and with our friends. We thank you in Jesus’ name, Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 23, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 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.
Taken together, these texts are a bracing reminder that we are in for a long and difficult slog -- one which will not be resolved quickly, but which God has given us the tools to undertake... though many will become discouraged and abandon the cause. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating notes that this is true not only of our experience as Christians, but also of the quest for social justice. In both realms change happens -- but rarely as quickly as those with grievances desire. Instead, progress usually occurs at a frustratingly glacial pace -- as is the case in Ferguson, Missouri, one year after the death of Michael Brown. Activists, both local and national, engaged in protests last week to mark the anniversary and to demand more progress -- punctuated by blocking an interstate highway to make their point. But while many of their complaints are legitimate, how realistic are their expectations? As Martin Luther King understood about the civil rights movement, progress depends on taking on the spiritual armor that prepares us for the reality that facing up to the “cosmic powers of this present darkness” is a marathon, not a sprint. However, as Chris observes, understanding that we have this protection -- and the bread of life that we receive from abiding in Jesus -- can give us the strength we need to persevere in times of struggle.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on the First Kings text and its stress on the importance of welcoming foreigners. As our conflicted attitudes toward immigrants and immigration policy reveal, we are generally suspicious of and threatened by those we perceive as “outsiders.” But as Dean points out, that hostility toward outsiders and building of walls is manifested in other areas too -- including the church. Could not the prevailing mindset toward outsiders in the church be analogous to that expressed by many toward illegal immigrants? How many church members want their churches to grow... but only with those who are “like us”? Aren’t all too many of our congregants profoundly uncomfortable about being in proximity with those who don't look, talk, think, or dress like themselves? Dean asks us to consider what this reveals about our attitudes toward “foreigner[s], who [are] not of your people Israel, [who] come from a distant land.”
Does This Offend You?
by Chris Keating
Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69
For some in St. Louis, last Monday’s afternoon commute was a traffic nightmare. Others, however, found it to be the perfect vehicle to highlight the ongoing struggle for racial justice. Like the disciples who wrestled with Jesus’ teaching on eating his flesh, both groups would probably agree that “This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?”
It is a struggle, Jesus says, of spirit and not flesh.
That was evident last week during the one-year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown Jr., the Ferguson, Missouri teenager who was shot by police. A year and a day after Brown’s death, protesters shut down both sides of Interstate 70 during rush hour -- demonstrating that, like the stopped cars, justice for Brown and others is at a standstill.
Protesters halted traffic from St. Louis into suburban St. Charles County, an area described as a destination for “white flight.” The miles-long backup was part of a day of civil disobedience that featured national activists such as Cornel West.
For some it was a reminder of the struggle for justice for Brown and other African-Americans shot by police. But others were offended by the “Moral Monday” protests, wondering across social media what was achieved. Frustration on both sides continues, even as conversations on racial reconciliation take place across the St. Louis area.
This teaching is indeed difficult -- who can accept it? Perhaps the task, as Ephesians explains, is to understand that the true struggle is not with humans, but with the principalities and cosmic powers which can only be withstood in the power of the Spirit. As Peter admits, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
In the News
Ferguson is quiet this week. St. Louis County Executive Steven Stenger has lifted a state of emergency order, protests have subsided, the St. Louis Cardinals are winning, and kids are returning to school. Even the normally hot and humid days of a late St. Louis summer have been milder.
It would be a mistake to equate quiet with calm. Unrest over Brown’s death, as well as the deaths of other African-Americans killed by police, continues.
Last week people poured into the streets and blocked highways in remembrance of Brown, who was shot by a Ferguson police office on August 9, 2014. The demonstration across Interstate 70 resulted in approximately 60 arrests, including organizers Alexis Templeton and Brittany Ferrell of Millennial Activists United. Police say protestors punched the driver of an SUV that attempted to cross the human barricade.
Rev. Traci Blackmon, a UCC pastor and member of the statewide Ferguson Commission, noted on Facebook that St. Louis is still learning how to deal with protestors, indicating that the driver of the SUV ought to be charged as well. “Attempting to run protesters over with a car is a crime,” she said.
Others noted that the arrests were designed to provoke -- even offend -- what they perceive as complacent attitudes toward racial injustice, and said they believe little has changed in this struggle in the year since Brown’s death.
“At this point there is no sensitivity at all. It lets us know that Ferguson still needs a lot of work,” said Mike Lhotak, a participant in the highway shutdown. In an interview with the Huffington Post, the 28-year-old Lhotak (who is white) reported being slammed to the ground by a police officer. He said his goal was “to make sure none of the black activists were arrested.”
The mostly black suburb of Ferguson has made many changes in the past year, but how long those changes will remain in effect is not clear. A new city judge, for example, is an African-American, but he must retire in early 2016 when he turns 75. An interim police chief and city administrator who are black have been hired -- but those positions may end.
Governor Jay Nixon has appointed a 16-member commission to study the conditions which led to the upheaval. The commission has developed nearly 150 “calls to action,” and is at work deciding which of those will be presented to the governor as priorities. The commission's report is due by September 15.
As the New York Times observed, Ferguson remains very much a “halting work in progress.” In appointing the commission, Governor Nixon noted that “change of this magnitude is hard; but maintaining the status quo is simply not acceptable.”
For leaders in the Ferguson faith community, the journey toward change is an ongoing struggle. Many faith leaders moved from the pulpit to the streets in order to promote a message of justice and hope, encountering young people committed to change. According to Eden Theological Seminary professor Leah Gunning Francis, the youth and young adult activists began listening. Gunning Francis is the author of the book Ferguson and Faith: Sparking Leadership and Awakening Community, and says many of the youth were surprised that clergy took their concerns seriously.
While the protests have been shaped by the enthusiasm and commitment of young people, many have grown tired of the outcry. Posts on social media range from frustration to outright rage. “Activists LOL,” tweeted one person. “Thugs and hooligans more like.”
Offended? Certainly.
Gunning Francis noted that those who are offended are missing the point: “What I’ve found is that most of the time, the people who are tired of it are people who can choose to be tired of it.”
“I’m a mother of two African-American sons,” she said in a recent radio interview, “so I don’t have the luxury of ever being tired of pursuing justice for more equitable treatment of young black men and women in our society.”
There is grumbling, of course, about signs that say “Black Lives Matter,” and protests and disruptions many struggle to understand. Such is to be expected, says Jesus, within the ongoing struggles of faith -- even he expected to be betrayed. Throughout this struggle, however, both Paul and Jesus encourage God’s people to remain engaged and faithful. Jesus admits it is a hard teaching, and even suggests that the disciples are free to seek another teacher.
Yet, as Peter understands, only Christ offers the words of eternal life.
In the Scriptures
At the conclusion of John’s eucharistic conversation, Jesus changes the topic from eating bread to eating his flesh (6:51) and drinking his blood (6:53). This was certainly confusing (if not unappetizing) to the crowd gathered in the synagogue that day. Suddenly no one is thinking about lunch as Jesus drives home the final point of his seemingly cannibalistic sermon: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them.”
What to make of this complex and troublesome text?
What could be called the “Hannibal Lecter-tionary” passage is actually a discourse on how participation in Christ provides food and fuel for Christians engaged in ongoing struggles of faith. The key, I think, comes by way of the Johannine image of abiding (v. 56). Jesus declares that those who abide with him will have the gift of life. Jesus is manna, the bread which brings life. By abiding or participating with Jesus, we are drawn into a deeper relationship with God. Nourished, fed, and sustained by God’s grace, we are called to abide in Christ, even in the face of struggle. To abide is to choose life -- which is exactly the decision Peter makes.
But to abide is also to remain in a struggle with the “powers and principalities” of cosmic proportions. Startled by Jesus’ jarring words, some disciples depart. Remaining faithful in moments of struggle requires the full “armor” (panoplia) of God. It’s time to suit up, says the author of Ephesians, to employ tools that are both defensive and offensive in nature. Take the full panoply of God’s presence with you.
Thankfully, as Ephesians reminds us, the armaments needed are more lethal than bows and arrows. Against the cosmic powers, God’s people are called to gather the tools of truth, righteousness, peace, proclamation, and faith.
Participation in the life of Christ equips one for such struggles, yet the fight cannot be won apart from prayer. Armor permits the believer to withstand assaults and brutal bruising. It is an experience shared not only by the martyrs of the faith, but also by the faithful who crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge, by Christians fleeing homelands under attack, and those who withstand injustice and oppression daily. The struggle of faith, wherever it occurs, is relieved by taking on an armor welded together in prayer, so that those who abide in Christ are encouraged to remain alert -- even if they become ambassadors in chains.
In the Sermon
In many ways, the words of this week’s passages remain hard to understand. Whether we are explaining eating and drinking Jesus’ flesh or discussing the martial elements of Ephesians 6:10-20, these are not easy texts from which to preach. Yet Jesus’ words to the disciples -- “Does this offend you?” -- may also be the invitation to the preacher this week. In the face of speculation and grimacing doubts, Jesus remains faithful to his mission. Aware that some will fall away, Jesus nonetheless completes the call which God has given to him. He even suggests that by abiding in him, his disciples will do the same.
Our congregations are aware of the deep struggles of faith. A sermon could begin by naming some of the locations of these struggles. For some in our world, the struggle is to proclaim justice for those unable to speak. Theirs is the struggle expressed on the streets of Ferguson, or Baltimore, or Brooklyn, or Charleston, or wherever justice is denied. Others in our pews might resonate with the struggle of daily caregiving needs for a spouse with Alzheimer’s disease, or a loved one gripped by mental illness. Some know the battle of cancer and understand that to be a fight against “the wiles of the devil.” For others, the struggle is internal to their spirit, harder to name but no less lethal. While we may be tempted to turn from faith in the midst of struggles, Ephesians 6 reminds us we have been given all we need to endure.
John’s narrative points back to the gift of God in Jesus Christ, whose living bread sustains us along the toilsome way of struggle and defeat.
Coupled together, the Ephesians text and John’s words about abiding in Christ in spite of our doubts and fears provide Christians with potent images for enduring times of struggle. It is not a race easily finished, and at times we may be tempted to turn away like those disciples who found Jesus’ words too confounding. But where are we going to go? Truthfully, where?
A sermon which explores Jesus’ words of life would be a welcome source of renewing hope to those who find themselves struggling day by day.
SECOND THOUGHTS
More Than Polite
by Dean Feldmeyer
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
There is no Jeremiah Steepek.
Jeremiah is that fictional pastor who, on the first Sunday of his new ministry at a 10,000-member megachurch he had been called to serve as pastor, allegedly disguised himself as a homeless man and hung out in the sanctuary there.
According to the story, after about 30 minutes several of the elders of the church who were in on the stunt invited the homeless man to come forward, whereupon the new pastor revealed his true identity, recounted how shamefully he had been treated by the parishioners, preached a brief homily on Matthew 25, and sent everyone home feeling ashamed of themselves and promising to do better.
It’s a story so filled with object lessons and so ripe with irony that it is almost irresistible to the preacher. You may have even used it in a sermon already. Or you may have noticed that it’s just a little too perfect, too ripe -- and discovered, as I did, that it’s a legend -- and instead used in its place one of the anecdotes that probably gave birth to the Steepek story.
It’s all quite understandable. Most of us want desperately for our congregations to take seriously the messages of Matthew 25, so we leap at any story that furthers that cause. We want the people we serve to understand and live the full meaning of “radical hospitality.” We want to move our congregations beyond just being polite to the strangers who enter our churches -- whether they come to share in the worship service or just to have a free cup of coffee.
In the Scriptures
The lesson in 1 Kings takes us to the dedication service for the new temple that Solomon has built for YHWH. At last YHWH will settle down in a home of his own -- no more schlepping around the desert, no more wandering in the wilderness. God finally has a home, a building, a house, a church to call his own.
As part of the dedication ceremony Solomon prays this long prayer, asking God to give the temple “which I have built” a central place in the prayer life of the people. He requests that YHWH hear his prayers when he prays -- not just in, but even toward the temple. Also, he asks God to hear the prayers of God’s People, the children of Israel, and to forgive them of their sins when they pray thus.
And then, surprisingly, Solomon asks that YHWH hear and grant the prayer requests of foreigners -- Gentiles -- who pray in or toward this temple, “so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this house that I have built.”
We rather expect that Solomon would ask that his own prayers would be answered. And we are not surprised when he asks that the Israelites be forgiven their sins and that their prayers be granted. But we -- and the first hearers of this prayer -- are a little shocked to hear Solomon ask that the prayers of Gentiles be answered. This kind of hospitality was extraordinary for its time.
Foreigners -- people unlike us -- are going to be welcomed into the temple. How strange! How new! How awkward!
One can almost hear the words of Jesus echoing from the future into the past: “Does this offend you?” Well it’s probably going to offend someone. The Good News has a way of doing that, especially when we understand it to be inclusive, good news for everyone.
But there it is. The doors of the temple are open, and Solomon will not close them -- even to Gentiles.
In the News
How are we going to treat foreigners, people who are not like us?
Last week at the Iowa State Fair, Donald Trump insisted that they should be rounded up and sent packing unless they can prove that they were specifically invited to stay by the United States government. And then once those who don’t meet that standard have been kicked out (all 11.3 million of them, about 5.1% of the American workforce), he proposes building a giant wall to keep them out.
Of course, all those who line up and politely ask if they may enter the U.S. will be welcome to apply for admittance. However, as John Stossel points out, even though the net good that comes from immigration far outweighs the problems, our country’s immigration policies make it virtually impossible for even the best and the brightest to immigrate to this country: “The government awards 50,000 green cards by lottery, but in 2014 11 million people applied, so the vast majority never get them. Forbes says a computer programmer from India who wants to work in America legally must wait an average of 35 years. A Mexican teenager would have to wait 131 years. No wonder people give up on the legal approach and sneak in.”
While Trump demonizes Mexicans who come to this country, calling them rapists and murderers, Stossel points out that while a few may in fact be criminals, “Social Science Quarterly found ‘cities with greater growth in immigrant... populations... have steeper decreases in homicide and robbery rates.’ ”
When we are able to overcome our fears and prejudices long enough to examine the facts about immigration -- legal and illegal -- what we discover is that it’s not just polite to welcome immigrants to our country, it’s smart.
In the Pulpit
Donald Trump’s rants on immigration and his plan for a giant wall inevitably puts me in mind of Robert Frost:
Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall,
That wants it down.
Of course, the walls of which Trump and Frost are speaking are the physical kind made of stones stacked one upon the other. Frost’s is held together by gravity and Trump’s by mortar -- but they are walls, and they beg the same question.
What are we walling in or walling out?
And what of the other types of walls we erect in our communities and our churches?
Some are walls of tradition that cannot be violated or crossed upon pain of excommunication or exile -- if not physical, certainly mental and emotional. Often we make it clear that these walls are sacred and that those who propose removing even a single stone from them are likely to find themselves living a lonely existence, even in the midst of a crowd.
Some of our walls are walls of social correctness. They establish what shall be worn, what shall be driven, what shall be spoken or left unsaid -- and woe to he or she who violates or ignores this wall.
Others are walls of doctrine and belief, religious and political. We are tolerant only up to the point where others violate our walls of separation by disagreeing with us. On the right, such breeches are called unorthodox or heretical; on the left, they are condemned as insensitive or hard-hearted or even threatening.
As Christians, we follow one who with his own life bridged the gap of separation between God and humankind, between the creator and the creature. And as followers of Jesus, we are called to lives of that reconciliation which breaks down walls, tears down fences, and builds bridges of love and acceptance.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled last week that capital punishment “no longer comports with contemporary standards of decency and no longer serves any legitimate penological purposes.” The 11 men on the state’s death row who were convicted prior to the legislature outlawing the death penalty in 2012 cannot be put to death, according to the court.
Application: The presence of the cloud of the Lord may not be immediately visible to all, but in due time will become apparent.
*****
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
New York Times columnist Roger Cohen penned a recent piece “Why ISIS Trumps Freedom.” He concluded that many young men join ISIS because it gives them a sense of purpose in lives absent of moral boundaries and that have no future. The combination of a strong message and a strong motive gives these young men a calling.
Application: We need to be sure that the cloud of the presence of God can be seen by all -- and give all the right direction and purpose in life.
*****
1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11) 22-30, 41-43
The Christianity of Donald Trump has continually been called into question. In a recent interview, Trump said that many people send him Bibles, which he now collects. Trump says that the reason he collects the Bibles is because “There’s no way I would do anything negative to a Bible.”
Application: We are instructed on the meaning of obedience and keeping of the sacred Word of God.
*****
Ephesians 6:10-20
It has been reported that Kayla Mueller, an American aid worker who was abducted by ISIS in Syria, was the sex slave of Islamic leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before she perished. She was chained to a wall, and when he desired she was taken into his bedroom -- only to be returned in tears.
Application: When Paul writes about the “the cosmic powers of present darkness,” these dark powers are real.
*****
Ephesians 6:10-20
Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said at the Iowa State Fair that we can no longer say “God bless America” at the end of our public political speeches because of our condoning of abortion. God will not bless America for that. This is reminiscent of Franklin Graham, who said that God will not bless America because of Muslims, and Jerry Falwell, who had the same message regarding homosexuals.
Application: When we speak of the powers of evil, we need to be certain that we are not addressing a personal political agenda.
*****
Ephesians 6:10-20
Lewis Fogle was released from a Pennsylvania prison last week after 34 years of incarceration, following advanced DNA analysis which revealed that he was not the culprit in the rape and murder of 15-year-old Deann Katherine Long. It was through the diligent efforts of the Innocence Project that his case was reevaluated.
Application: We are protected by the armor of God, but the protection is not absent of hardships.
*****
Ephesians 6:10-20
Chad Neal, a gun store owner in Oktaha, Oklahoma, has declared his premises to be a “Muslim-Free Zone.” Neal says that he does not want terrorists practicing on his gun range.
Application: To wear the armor of Christ is not to wear an armor that lacks discretion.
*****
John 6:56-69
President Barack Obama recently released a playlist of songs he listens to during the day. He noted that the list was created by his own hand. Earlier this summer Hillary Clinton released a list of songs she listens to. Rolling Stone magazine’s Alan Light compared the lists and concluded that Obama’s list was authentic but that Clinton’s list was a “poll-tested gimmick.” The songs Clinton listed supported her campaign and not what a woman of her age would listen to.
Application: If we are to be the bread of life, then we must also be the bread of truth.
*****
John 6:56-69
Though church attendance is declining in mainline Protestant denominations, it is remaining steady in black congregations. This is because, for many African-Americans, the church is a part of their social life and history.
Application: We need to reintroduce people to the understanding that the church is the bread of life.
*****
John 6:56-69
It is reported that since 2004 the number of Christians in Great Britain has declined to 69% of the population, and that the number of atheists has risen to 22%. If the current trend continues, in 20 years Great Britain will be dominated by atheists.
Application: We need to introduce people to the life-sustaining nature of the bread of life.
***************
From team member Robin Lostetter:
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
Radical Welcome: Examining the Limits and the Extent of Tolerance in Worship, and What We Do When Those Limits Are Tested
In a feature article in The Christian Century, Lisa G. Fischbeck tells of an abusive and disruptive visitor that tested her congregation’s policy which goes beyond the generic “The Episcopal Church Welcomes You!” Her congregation at Church of the Advocate declares: “We welcome people of every kind of household, at every stage of life and faith and doubt.” Fischbeck continues:
We invite people to “come as you are,” meaning that we have a casual dress code but also that we are open to a wide spectrum of beliefs and behaviors. One year we had t-shirts made with the Advocate logo on one side and a quote from Desmond Tutu on the other: “God’s standards are really very low.”
At one point we embraced “radical welcome,” defining it as “a welcome that doesn’t come easily, that makes us uncomfortable, that changes the community as we are.” At times we’ve wrestled with our lines of tolerance and the limits of our flexibility...
Fischbeck enumerates various scenarios which might cross those lines. She then observes:
Some would say that worship needs a certain decorum and that those who interfere with the atmosphere of worship should be asked to leave. Many churches have vergers or ushers who are prepared to be an escort if needed.
Lines of intolerance often lead to miscommunications or sudden departures, with no opportunity for further teaching or explanation or understanding. At best, lines of intolerance lead to conversations about norms, expectations, appropriate behaviors, and faithfulness. These days, being less certain in our venture, we say, “We strive to practice radical welcome, though we know it is hard to do.”
In the conversations that we’ll be having at Church of the Advocate, we’ll address the limits and the extent of our tolerance in worship and what we’ll do when those limits are tested. [This recent experience] made it clear to me that while we want to welcome all, some squander that welcome with their mean-spiritedness. We cannot tolerate anyone who’s physically violent or who spiritually assaults or verbally degrades another person.
*****
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
Embracing God’s Tapestry: On Full Inclusion of Children with Disabilities
Rev. Trace Haythorn serves as the executive director of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education in Decatur, Georgia, and he and his wife (Rev. Mary Anona Stoops) are both teaching elders in the Presbyterian Church (USA). Mary Stoops has served on Presbyterians for Disability Concerns, and has been active in shaping the denomination’s health insurance policy for well-care for children living with disabilities. In “Embracing God’s Tapestry,” an article in the interactive online journal Unbound, Trace writes about their journey seeking full inclusion of their second child in school and church. Having been academically aware of the educational practice of inclusion as “an embodiment of justice... a human right,” he was nevertheless taken by surprise at the difficulties they ran into as parents of a child living with a developmental disability. Here are his words on reaching out:
[W]e have approached inclusion in much the same way as we’ve tried to craft our home. For example, whenever we sit down at an IEP table we bring food, usually one healthy item and one that is more fun (I’ve become known for my chocolate chip banana bread). We start by expressing our appreciation for the folks gathered around the table, and we offer our gratitude for their work with our daughter and with us. Without fail, someone at the table exhales in that moment, and we can find each other in a common commitment rather than face each other as adversaries.
[W]e trust that everything we do for our daughter is also for every other kid like her. We know Martha, but we can’t expect every teacher, therapist, coach, and administrator to know her like we do. We initiate communications far more often not because we want to be a pain but because we have come to learn that good communication is the most important prerequisite for effective inclusion. Further, we know that if we can support Martha well, the team will come to understand what good support looks like. The next kid who comes through may have not have smooth sailing, but there will be a little less chop to her or his seas.
We also know that every time we sit at the IEP table, we may be establishing a precedent for a particular support, intervention, or modification. In those moments, we pray that our efforts with Martha are slowly but surely changing the system for everyone.
At our core, our family believes that inclusion is the way God longed for the world to be from the very start. Genetic diversity and complexity seem to be something God loves, a tapestry woven together that gives us a glimpse of God’s realm. When we segregate people based on any socially constructed category, we tear at that tapestry, destroying the beauty God has imagined. As people of faith, we are called to attend to this beauty, to name it and claim it, and to help strengthen the ties of community that allow every individual to thrive, regardless of ability.
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1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
The Label “Alien” is Alienating
RESIDENT ALIEN. Those two words, in all caps, adorn the plastic-covered green card that my grandfather, a naturalized U.S. citizen, handed me shortly after I arrived in the United States from the Philippines. I was 12. I don't remember thinking much about the card (which was not green) or the words (which, strung together, seemed like the title of a video game or a movie). It wasn’t until four years later, while applying to get a driver’s permit, that I learned the card was fake. I wasn't a “RESIDENT ALIEN” at all but another kind of alien -- in common parlance, an “illegal alien.”
Thus begins Jose-Antonio Vargas’ op-ed column in the Los Angeles Times regarding how “language frames the political conversation. And more humane language can lead to more humane policies, and vice versa.”
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From team member Mary Austin:
1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
Stories Immigrants Tell
People who come to the United States as immigrants tell stories of hope for jobs and security, stories of fear and deprivation in their original homes, and stories of love.
For example, a woman named Katie says: “I am a U.S. and Canadian citizen, and have lived here in the U.S. for over 9 years now. My boyfriend was brought to the U.S. (without papers) when he was 17. He came with his dad, leaving his mom and siblings behind in Mexico. He has never been back and has now lived in the U.S. for over 14 years. When they arrived at the border town in Mexico, they were kidnapped for ransom. Their kidnappers started to take them out to the desert (which many times means death). Thankfully, however, he and his dad managed to escape and continue their journey. Despite having had that harrowing experience, my boyfriend explained that he and his dad had a rather easy crossing, not suffering nearly as much as many do. Anyway, we plan to get married soon, but our future is uncertain.” She adds, “Before I met him, I had a very different perspective over illegal immigration. I was very ‘by the books’ and not very understanding of what immigrants go through. But now I have a lot of respect for all immigrants; they are so determined and work so hard and are willing to suffer everything in order to provide a better life for their families. His story and his perspective have helped me broaden my perspective and have a greater compassion for others.”
Another person who calls himself/herself “Lost Dreamer, Somewhere within America” tells this story: “I came here when I was 3 years old. I’m currently 16. Everyone else in my family that is here with me is legal -- everyone but me. I’m close to finishing high school... too close. I love America, this is my home, but this is no way to live. I didn’t choose to be here, they did... and now I’ll have to deal with the consequences. I just want to go to college, study medicine, and save lives. Is that too much to ask for? I just want to belong here, I want to be an American citizen.”
(You can find more stories here.)
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1 Kings 8:22-30, 41-43
Making Life Smoother for Immigrants
Yes magazine reports that some large cities have taken steps to make life easier for immigrants who live in their cities: “From Los Angeles to New Haven, 11 cities across the country have instituted municipal ID programs. Now New York, a city with an estimated half-million undocumented immigrants, is preparing to launch the country’s largest program in January 2015. With the new city IDs, New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, will be able to apply for a job or library card, access health services, sign a lease, or file a police report.”
Announcing the program in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in 2014: “The municipal ID is more than just a card -- it provides New Yorkers who are currently living in the shadows with dignity and peace of mind.” Reuters adds: “The ID program will be the nation’s largest and is expected to be rolled out in 2015. The card will include the holder’s photo, name, date of birth, and address. It will also have an expiration date. Applicants can obtain a card using a foreign birth certificate, driver’s license, or proof of residence such as a utility bill.”
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: How lovely is your dwelling place, O God!
People: My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of God.
Leader: My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God.
People: Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise.
Leader: No good thing does God withhold from those who walk uprightly.
People: O God of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you.
OR
Leader: God calls us into worship that we might see God’s glory.
People: We come to be in God’s presence and to worship.
Leader: God calls us to be transformed into the very image of God.
People: It is why God created us in love.
Leader: Be filled with God’s presence and then be God’s presence.
People: We are God’s people. We will be the Christ to all we meet.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“He Leadeth Me”
found in:
UMH: 128
AAHH: 142
NNBH: 235
CH: 545
LBW: 501
W&P: 499
AMEC: 395
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
found in:
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELA: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
“Stand by Me”
found in:
UMH: 512
NNBH: 318
CH: 629
W&P: 495
AMEC: 420
“Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”
found in:
UMH: 514
H82: 561
AAHH: 476
NNBH: 409
CH: 613
LBW: 389
W&P: 513
AMEC: 41
“Lift Every Voice and Sing”
found in:
UMH: 519
H82: 599
PH: 563
AAHH: 540
NNBH: 457
CH: 631
LBW: 562
ELA: 841
W&P: 729
AMEC: 571
STLT: 149
“I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”
found in:
UMH: 521
PH: 363
AAHH: 563
NNBH: 500
NCH: 490
CH: 627
W&P: 506
AMEC: 375
“Nearer My God to Thee”
found in:
UMH: 528
AAHH: 163
NNBH: 314
NCH: 606
CH: 577
AMEC: 311
STLT: 87
“Be Still, My Soul”
found in:
UMH: 534
AAHH: 135
NNBH: 263
NCH: 488
CH: 566
W&P: 451
AMEC: 426
“Make Me a Servant”
found in:
CCB: 90
“We Are His Hands”
found in:
CCB: 85
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who created us in your own image: Grant us the courage to don the armor of faith and to live as your true children; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for creating us in your own image. You made us to be your presence in this world and equipped us with all we need to live out our mission. Fill us with your Spirit, that we might find the courage to put on the armor of faith and live as your true children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, especially when we fail to live as your presence in this world.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You created us to be your image and presence in the world, but we live more as the image of the world than of you. Instead of transforming the world into your realm, we allow the world to change us into a reflection of its violence and greed. Forgive us and redeem us, that we might reflect you in our living. Amen.
Leader: God desires to redeem and bless all creation and to do that through us. Receive God’s love and forgiveness, and live as God’s people.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We bless you, O God, for you are our creator and our redeemer. You made us in love to be a blessing to all 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. You created us to be your image and presence in the world, but we live more as the image of the world than of you. Instead of transforming the world into your realm, we allow the world to change us into a reflection of its violence and greed. Forgive us and redeem us, that we might reflect you in our living.
We give you thanks for all the blessings of this life. We are thankful for your presence in our lives and for the love with which you surround us. Your love and grace are abundant and wondrous in our lives.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the world in all its needs. We know that you desire to bring wholeness to your broken creation and to do that through us. Help us to be about your work this week.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Show the children pieces of defensive equipment: a bike helmet, a child’s car seat, a catcher’s mask, elbow pads. Talk about how these items are made to keep you safe. They are like armor in that they exist to protect you. Then talk about the “armor” of God in Ephesians. Talk about how God wants to protect us from bad things. God’s armor will help.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Mary Austin
John 6:56-69
Think about what might slightly offend people in your congregation -- enough to get their attention, but not so dramatic that they miss your point. (Or are still talking about it years later... or bring up in your personnel review.)
Some examples might include showing up in flip-flops, carrying a huge Starbucks frappucino, eating a sandwich or a bowl of ice cream during church, wearing shorts or a Hawaiian shirt, wearing sandals and having brightly painted toenails... and so on. Pick one or several to do during the children’s message.
Come out with your offensive items, and allow the kids to take in what you’re doing. As they laugh or look puzzled, ask them: “Does anyone know what it means to be offended?” Talk about that for a moment, and then ask: “Do you think anyone is offended that I’m __________ ?”
Share with the kids that Jesus asks this question: “Does this offend you?” Jesus tells us that we get offended by the wrong things, and miss what God is doing. We’re so busy being offended sometimes that we miss a surprising thing God is doing.
Ask the kids if they have some ideas about what really offends God. What would God be upset if we do, as opposed to people?
Close with this prayer, or one of your own: Loving God, help us to see people the way you see them. Help us to be upset about the right things -- to be upset when people are hungry or lonely or are bullied. Help us to see people the way you see them, so we know that everyone is valuable. Help us to see you at work all around us -- at home and school and with our friends. We thank you in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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The Immediate Word, August 23, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 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.
