He Says 'jump,' You Say 'how High?'
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
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Object:
When Jesus holds up a Roman centurion in this week's lectionary gospel text and tells the crowd that "not even in Israel have I found such faith," he's doing more than merely challenging their prejudices. He's also equating faith with respect for authority... or at least with obeying authority without question. The centurion†says that as a man of authority he can tell†a soldier under his command†" 'Go,' and†he goes,†and to another, 'Come,' and he comes, and to my slave, 'Do this,' and the slave does it." What Jesus†seems to be implying is that we†demonstrate†faith by responding to God in the same way -- when he tells us to go, we go; when he tells us to come, we come; when he tells us to do something, we do it.
But that goes against the grain of the way we often treat authority in the real world. Repeated instances of human failings have taught us to look for cynical motives behind†the actions of just about anyone in authority -- as the popular bumper sticker counsels: "Question†Authority." We've seen reasons that attitude has become commonplace played out again and again over the years, and the recent scandals engulfing the Obama administration are just the latest fuel on the fire. Yet in this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer points out that there are countless ways we willingly place ourselves under the authority of others in our lives, and it's because we have learned to trust them or have recognized the legitimacy of their authority. And, Dean notes, because we have identified ourselves as Christians, it is incumbent upon us to be completely obedient to his authority... an obedience and faith that the centurion -- a rank outsider -- demonstrates when he humbly asks for his slave to be made well.
Team member Chris Keating offers some additional thoughts on the Old Testament text and its theme of distinguishing between true religion and false religion, and between God and false prophets. The proliferation of false idols and false religion in the modern world poses quite a challenge -- but Chris suggests that we miss the point if we focus on Elijah's fire-and-brimstone tone. It's important for Christians to be sensitive about inclusiveness and respectful of other religions and their proponents while still proclaiming the essential truth of the gospel. What we really need to do, Chris notes, is to emulate Elijah's model of demonstrating the inherent limitations of false idols by contrasting them with divine authority, one that when experienced inevitably leads us to respond, "The Lord indeed is God."
He Says "Jump," You Say "How High?"
by Dean Feldmeyer
Luke 7:1-10
We have this rule in the United States that says we are presumed to be innocent unless we are proven to be guilty.†But the Internal Revenue Service is the exception to the rule. If the IRS says you didn't pay enough taxes, they don't have to prove that the allegation is true. You have to prove that it isn't.†That's one of the reasons we chafe under the authority of the IRS and are outraged when they appear to have taken that authority too far, as is currently being alleged in Washington.†Also, the IRS didn't earn their authority.†It was given to them by lawmakers long before most of us were born.
Roman centurions, on the other hand, got their authority the old-fashioned way... they earned it. Nearly all centurions were promoted from within the ranks.†They had led men in battle many times and survived to tell the tale.†They were fierce, strong, and loyal.†When a centurion told you to jump, you said "How high?"
So the centurion in this week's gospel lesson knew about authority, and he knew legitimate authority when he saw it.†And he saw it in Jesus.
The question is:†"Do we?"
In the News
Sociologist and philosopher Max Weber postulated that there are three kinds of legitimate human authority:
* "Traditional" authority relies on custom and tradition for its legitimacy. It is usually hereditary and tends to support the status quo. It is non-rational, often inconsistent, and does not change or evolve.
* "Charismatic" authority is dependent upon certain extraordinary characteristics of the leader and the leader's mission or vision.
* "Legal-rational" authority draws its legitimacy from law (legal) or nature (rational). Obedience is given to individual human leaders only to the degree that they represent a set of rules or laws.
Weber also allowed that human authority in the real, experienced world is often an admixture of two of these three.
The three controversies that are plaguing Washington right now may seem complex, but they are actually just arguments about authority.
One of the responsibilities of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is "the prevention and detection of fraud, waste, and abuse within the IRS and related entities." When organizations apply for 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status, TIGTA is responsible for determining if they meet the qualifications for that statute under the law, one of which qualifications being that their "primary purpose" is "social welfare" activities.
Since TIGTA was established under the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, its authority is of the legal-rational type -- and the question being debated is whether they abused and overreached their authority by making conservative political organizations more than 20 percent of the ones they set aside for close examination.
Clearly, the Justice Department has the legal-rational authority to seize telephone records of journalists as part of a criminal investigation as long as that authority is obtained by showing just cause to a judge and receiving a duly issued court order.
The question under debate seems to be whether or not the Justice Department should have exercised its authority in the way it did. Was the security leak of sufficient size and severity to warrant a criminal investigation, court order, and subsequent seizure? And will that seizure compromise the freedom that the press enjoys as a constitutional right?
The third controversy has to do with the September 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, and whether the Obama administration exercised its authority as it should have in protecting the American embassy there.
Finally, Democrats wonder if the Republicans are exercising any kind of legitimate authority in their pursuit of these controversies, or if their outrage, their indignation, and their insistence on special prosecutors and congressional hearings are just political posturing.
In the churches, we are told that the liberal/conservative divide is over the authority of scripture, but that is hardly the case. All Christians hold that scripture is authoritative for them. The controversy more often has to do with how we interpret scripture.
In the Scriptures
When a centurion tells you to jump, you say "How high?"
Centurions were the backbone of the Roman army. They came up through the ranks, the products of hard-won battles. Centurions had command of 100 soldiers, they were the federal police force of Rome, and they often served as administrators of towns and villages. Their pay generally averaged 20 to 30 times that of line soldiers.
To the people of first-century Palestine, they were the face of the occupying army, of Rome, the oppressor. And yet, nearly every mention of centurions in the New Testament is positive.
This particular centurion has paid for the building of the local synagogue. He is respected and maybe even admired by the Jewish leaders of Capernaum. He has a much-valued slave who is dying, and when he asks the elders to get Jesus and bring him to heal the slave, they do because "He is worthy of having you do this for him."
Jesus goes with them, and just before they arrive at the centurion's home, his friends come out with a message which must be written down because they deliver it verbatim. Jesus' reputation has preceded him, and this man who represents all of the power of the Roman Empire feels that he is unworthy to have Jesus enter his home.
But as a man who lives by authority, he recognizes authority when he sees it. When a centurion gives an order that order is followed. That's how authority works. So Jesus, being a man in a position of authority, should just order the slave to be made well, and it will happen.
We can almost hear Jesus sigh: "Finally! Someone who gets it."
This is how you respond to authority. You don't argue or whine or grouse our make excuses or offer alternative suggestions. You do what the authority says to do.
In the Pulpit
When someone with legitimate authority tells you to do something, you do it.
The cop says, "Pull over." You turn on your turn signal, put your hands at the 10 and 2 positions on the steering wheel, and you pull over at the next safe opportunity.
The doctor says, "Take these pills until they are all gone." You take all the pills as prescribed.
The mechanic says, "Change your oil every 5,000-6,000 miles." You change the oil.
We place ourselves under the authority of other people because, as Max Weber says, custom and tradition have placed them there. Or because they are charismatic individuals and we are caught up in their vision or their mission. Or because they represent the laws of human beings or of nature and we recognize the wisdom and power in those laws.
Sometimes we take their name as our own, as a symbol of their authority over us. We become an American, or a marine, or a Mason, or a girl scout. And once we accept their authority over us we become obedient to them. We follow their rules and live by their laws.
We are Christians. We have taken the name of Jesus Christ as our own, and in doing so have placed ourselves under his authority and are obedient to him. We do what he says to do.
Don't we?
SECOND THOUGHTS
Idol Challenges
by Chris Keating
1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39; Galatians 1:1-12
A new idol was crowned last week -- though few of us noticed.
Once a Thursday night television staple, Fox television network's American Idol finale May 16 drew 34 percent fewer viewers than the previous year. It was the lowest ratings ever for the show's conclusion. Even longtime judge Randy Jackson is leaving the show behind.
Idol challenges may not be quite what they used to be. Can't you imagine the ratings if the prophet Elijah had been a contestant? Elijah's jaw-dropping performance on Mount Carmel would have even made Simon Cowell a believer. Elijah might not have been the best singer, but his special effects were truly out of this world. Justin Bieber would have been taking notes.
This week's Old Testament lesson in 1 Kings 18 tells the story of Elijah's challenge on the summit of Mount Carmel, and offers an opportunity for preachers to touch on a sensitive yet timely topic of encounters between false gods and the living God. In a culture where the growing religious preference is "none," it is critical that the preacher attend to both Elijah's lively conversation with God as well as the culture's equally lively talk about God.
In the News
Actually, a lot of the conversation in our contemporary culture is not about God -- it is about the god many no longer believe. Pope Francis made headlines this week by reminding the church that God has redeemed all of humanity, even atheists. As the number of Americans claiming no religious preference continues to climb, old assumptions and boundary lines are no longer relevant. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer discovered this last week while interviewing a survivor of the deadly Oklahoma tornado. The woman had instinctively grabbed her 19-month-old baby and ran from her home. Blitzer planted his foot in his mouth by saying, "You've gotta thank the Lord, right?" The woman smiled awkwardly, but then said, "I'm actually an atheist." After a bit of uncomfortable banter, she continued, "We are here, and I don't blame anyone for thanking the Lord."
Right in the heart of the Bible Belt, Blitzer found a generous atheist. The woman would probably agree with much of what the late Ronald Dworkin said in his recently published book Religion Without God. Dworkin was a prominent legal scholar whose book attempts to change an increasingly polemic conversation about faith, science, and human existence. In essence, he argues that people can still believe in the magnificence of creation without being religious. He says:
The familiar stark divide between people of religion and without religion is too crude. Many millions of people who count themselves atheists have convictions and experiences very like and just as profound as those that believers count as religious.
Dworkin's push to find a religious sensibility without God appeals to many. He prepares us for the challenges of idols we face -- sports, celebrities, greed, vaporous and vague spiritualties, and so on. Journalists might call his argument "deep background" material for preachers interested in listening to Elijah's challenge: "If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21).
In the Scriptures
Elijah's words confront Israel's idolatrous practices, and point back to the claims of the First Commandment (see Terence E. Fretheim, First and Second Kings [Westminster Press, 1999], p. 93). Faithfulness to Yahweh means exclusive faithfulness -- primarily because Yahweh has made that commitment first. Having predicted a devastating drought, Elijah now appears before King Ahab, who greets him as the "troubler of Israel."
But Elijah is not the one who has troubled Israel -- it is Ahab. To prove his point, Elijah tells Ahab to summon the priests of Baal to the mountain. Elijah is blunt in his description of the situation facing Israel: "How long will you go on straddling the middle?" Get off dead center! You can't hedge your bets by picking and choosing which god you will follow, and so Elijah proposes a contest.
The contest, of course, is rigged. While there are 450 prophets of Baal lined up on one side and lonely Elijah on the other, the incantations and dances of the idol worshipers will never awaken their sleeping god. Despite the strong show of support for Baal in the crowd, Elijah is faithful in a way that prefigures Paul's words to the Galatians: "If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).
Only Yahweh will respond, and only Yahweh will answer. The barrels of precious water Elijah pours around the restored alter of the Lord symbolize the great thirst of God's people. In prayer, Elijah opens himself to God. The fire of God engulfs the sacrifice. Everything is consumed, including the water. The response from the crowd is immediate: "When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, 'The Lord indeed is God' " (1 Kings 18:39).
Crafting the Sermon
It might be tempting for a preacher to begin by repeating Elijah's challenge, confronting the congregation in their struggles to follow: "How long will you go limping with two different opinions?" Triumphantly we could beat our chests and say, "Our God is better than yours!" Yet we would be as hapless as Wolf Blitzer encouraging a non-believer to give thanks to God. Our world includes both empty idols and the well-reasoned thoughts of those who do not believe.
Because of that, I think climbing to Mount Carmel's summit this week requires the humble and more open approach the Roman pontiff displayed in his homily.
Note that the text calls us not to boast about God's amazing abilities, but to understand what it means to follow God in a world of idols. It might be interesting to invite the congregation to follow Elijah around the mountaintop. While he does indeed giggle at failures of the Baal worshipers, he then invites them to hear the narrative of God's redemption. He invites the crowd to watch as he repairs the desecrated altar. Picking up twelve stones, he tells the story of God's faithful presence to the tribes of Jacob. He invites the crowd's participation in the preparation of the sacrifice. He encourages them to join him in the ongoing story of God's presence in their lives.
It's more than a talent competition. The experience on the mountain reveals the pathetic inability of an idol to provide for the deeper thirsts of human beings. Elijah offers encouragement to those who struggle to believe, and clarity to those challenged by the idols of our world. Likewise, in Galatians Paul invites the church to understand that true religion isn't derived from human effort. He doesn't mince words about this, reminding the Galatians that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gift of God's own revelation.
Back on the mountain, Elijah invites the people to trust in God not only through brash braggadocio -- he also challenges them to respond to God in trust. This contest is not about defeating the enemy of God. Instead, it is a moment of revelation that encourages those who struggle to believe to see that "The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God."
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Leah Lonsbury:
Luke 7:1-10
In our passage from Luke's gospel for this week, Jesus is "amazed" at the centurion's faith in Jesus' ability to heal his ailing slave. Jesus wonders aloud to the crowd, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
What is behind Jesus' amazement here? Is it the centurion's uncomplicated and unquestioning response to the power and authority of Jesus' ministry? After all this time on the road with his band of wavering and questioning disciples, is Jesus simply relieved to find someone who really gets it and who makes his request without hesitation, knowing for certain that Jesus has the power to make this healing happen?
Or is Jesus amazed and maybe a little awestruck at the authority of the centurion himself? He says "Go," "Come," and "Do this," and his soldiers and slaves go, come, and do this right on command. The Jewish elders speak to Jesus of the centurion's care for those who are under him. He values his slave highly and worries about his well-being, they say. He loves the people, and he built the synagogue for them, they add.
The centurion benevolently directs the people, attends to their health and welfare, and commands their respect. Does Jesus perhaps see in the centurion a reflection of God's authority and care for humankind?
What kind of authority do we recognize or respond to? What kind of authority do we carry and act upon in our daily lives and our world? Does the world see God's reflection in us in these ways?
Monsanto's name is all over the press these days. Last weekend, crowds gathered to "March Against Monsanto" in 52 countries and 436 cities. Movement founder Tami Canal responded to the turnout in this way:
It was empowering and inspiring to see so many people, from different walks of life, put aside their differences and come together today. We will continue until Monsanto complies with consumer demand. They are poisoning our children, poisoning our planet. If we don't act, who's going to?
Neil Harl, agricultural economist at Iowa State University, estimates that the company now controls 90 percent of seed genetics in the world. That's some power. No wonder it draws attention when it takes a lowly Indiana farmer all the way to the Supreme Court.
Much of this conflict grows out of a question of authority. Who gets to say what we eat, how it is grown, and what effects on our planet and human family are acceptable or unacceptable? What authority does Monsanto have? What authority do farmers and consumers have? What part does the government play in this debate? Whose reflection do we see in these expressions of authority?
* * *
1 Kings 18:20-39
Fred Phelps Jr. of Westboro Baptist Church tweeted recently that the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma are God's retaliation for a local team's support of gay professional basketball player Jason Collins. He tweeted:
OK Thunder's Durant flips God by praising fag Collins. God smashes OK. You do the math. #GodH8sFags #FagsDoomNations #FearGod #GodH8sU
His father, Fred Phelps Sr., also took to Twitter, calling the disaster "God's wonderful wrath."
The Phelps believe that God is doing what chaplain John McTernan wrote in 2012 --"systematically destroying America" and putting an end to our "wickedness."
This is not the God that many of us recognize and follow. So how do we decide, as the people did in our text from 1 Kings for today, which God is our God? What makes us bow before God and say, "The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God"? How do we recognize our God?
* * *
From team member Ron Love:
Luke 7:1-10
The senior pastor at one of the three largest United Methodist churches in South Carolina recently wrote in his weekly devotional that "intelligence tells us to avoid suffering, but wisdom tells us that 'suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character' " (Romans 5:3).
Application: The smart person avoids suffering, but the wise person embraces it? The centurion was both smart, knowing Jesus could help, and wise, knowing that his servant was suffering unnecessarily.
* * *
Galatians 1:1-12
The Episcopal church in South Carolina has suffered a schism, with two different groups claiming to be the Diocese of South Carolina. The group that remained with The Episcopal Church (TEC) claims title to the name. But the group that left the national church also claims title to the name, since 47 parishes severed their ties and only 19 parishes remained. Those who withdrew from the national denomination pointed to the ordination of gay bishops. The newly created diocese has taken the property and buildings, awaiting a court decision as to true ownership. Sadly, this has left individuals in those 47 parishes who wished to remain with the Episcopal church absent of a church home. At present, they are meeting in schools and other locations until the courts rule on lawsuits filed by each side. Bishop Mark Lawrence, the leader of the schism, announced that those wanting to remain under the aegis of the Episcopal church are operating "from outside the official structures of the Anglican Communion." The bishop went on to say that presently "we may be an autonomous diocese."
Application: Paul warned against false prophets. But it is often difficult to ascertain which prophet is proclaiming the truth.
* * *
Galatians 1:1-12
A study that will be published in the Journal of Religion and Health authenticates the importance of religion for the emotional health of combat veterans. The study, titled "Are There Atheists in Foxholes? Combat Intensity and Religious Behavior," took twelve years to complete. The title comes from legendary World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle, who made the famous quip that there are no atheists in foxholes. The study found that 69% of World War II veterans are still active church members. The major reason they attend church is because of the social bonds formed there, which are an extension of the social bonds established in a combat situation. The report concluded that religion is an important counseling resource for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Application: Paul discussed those who are deserting the church. We need to counter this by emphasizing the importance of church.
* * *
Galatians 1:1-12
Mariano Rivera announced he is going to retire from baseball at the end of this season. The 43-year-old has played for the New York Yankees for 18 years. As a pitcher, he is regarded as the greatest closer of all time. He holds the record for career saves (608 prior to the beginning of the current season) and has helped the Yankees win five World Series titles. He is retiring this coming fall, saying, "I have just a few bullets left."
Application: Paul encourages us to be servants of Christ throughout our lives.
* * *
1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39
J. Everett Dutschke was arrested for sending letters poisoned with ricin to President Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and the mother of the state representative he ran against. Dutschke's anger at society and anyone who has wronged him is expressed in the song he wrote titled "You Can't Kill Me." The song is about being killed by a woman, then making a deal with the devil and coming back to life. The lyric goes, "I met the devil at the crossroads, baby; I took his evil spirit from him, girl, and I was gonna give it to you."
Application: It appears that the prophets of Baal desired to put evil upon Elijah.
* * *
From the SermonSuite archives:
Luke 7:1-10
What a loving and gracious Lord we have in Jesus Christ! He truly seeks to minister to our needs. Although he did not have to go to the Roman official's house to heal his servant, the story tells us Jesus had already taken the trouble to go and was on his way. While Jesus could have done the healing "at a distance," he wanted to add the personal touch by doing it at the man's bedside.
The Roman official understood the power of Jesus to heal "from a distance," and thus made the request that Jesus not bother to come all the way over to his house.
As Jesus' disciples, it is different with us. When we are called, we must go. We must be present with those in need. And what most persons need is our presence!
Though he didn't have to, Jesus was willing to go and be present. Are we traveling helpers in this respect or do we merely have good intentions about the needs of others?
* * *
Luke 7:1-10
A painting depicting this scene -- Christ and the Centurion by sixteenth-century artist Paolo Veronese -- hangs in Madrid's Prado museum. Veronese, with reverent insight, shows the Roman officer kneeling before Jesus while his comrades are endeavoring to keep the centurion from humbling himself before a Jew.
This is no ordinary Jew, and the centurion is no ordinary Roman citizen. One tradition says his name was Cornelius and he was at the crucifixion; another tradition calls him Linus. Whatever his name, Jesus does him the great honor of publicly praising him, which he almost never does. The praise is heightened because he is a Gentile, a member of an occupying army, and ritually unclean.
Verse 7 has long been an arrow prayer, said by the faithful before reception of the Blessed Sacrament as part of the Roman Catholic Mass: "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only and thy servant shall be healed."
The synagogue foundations and walls revealed by the archaeological excavations at Capernaum are undoubtedly built on the previously occupied site of the synagogue that this centurion, as a "God-fearer," built for the Jews.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: O sing to God a new song;
People: sing to God, all the earth.
Leader: Sing to God, bless God's name;
People: tell of God's salvation from day to day.
Leader: Declare God's glory among the nations,
People: God's marvelous works among all the peoples.
OR
Leader: The voice of God speaks with authority and majesty.
People: The voice of God speaks with love and compassion.
Leader: The voice of God speaks truth.
People: The voice of God speaks of life and wholeness.
Leader: Listen to the voice of our God.
People: We will listen and we will obey.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing"
found in:
UMH: 57/59
H82: 493
PH: 466
AAHH: 184
NNBH: 23
NCH: 42
CH: 5
LBW: 559
ELA: 886
W&P: 96
AMEC: 1
Renew: 32
"Come, Thou Almighty King"
found in:
UMH: 61
H82: 365
PH: 139
AAHH: 327
NNBH: 38
NCH: 275
CH: 27
LBW: 522
ELA: 408
W&P: 148
AMEC: 7
"We Believe in One True God"
found in:
UMH: 85
"Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones"
found in:
UMH: 90
H82: 618
PH: 451
LBW: 175
ELA: 424
"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"
found in:
UMH: 139
H82: 380
AAHH: 117
NNBH: 2
NCH: 22
CH: 25
ELA: 858/859
AMEC: 3
STLT: 278
Renew: 57
"Open My Eyes, That I May See"
found in:
UMH: 454
PH: 324
NNBH: 218
CH: 586
W&P: 480
AMEC: 285
"Be Thou My Vision"
found in:
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELA: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
"Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence"
found in:
UMH: 626
H82: 324
PH: 5
NCH: 345
CH: 124
LBW: 198
ELA: 490
W&P: 232
"Open Our Eyes, Lord"
found in:
CCB: 77
Renew: 91
"He Is Exalted"
found in:
CCB: 30
Renew: 238
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
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who holds all authority in heaven and on earth: Grant us the grace to understand what true authority looks like and to yield only to that authority which is based on love and justice; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We have come to worship you, O God, for you are the author and giver of life and you hold authority throughout all creation. As we offer you our praise and glory, we ask that you would help us to listen obediently to your voice and to close our ears to those false voices around us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially the ease with which we follow religious teachings that do not match those of Jesus.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. There are so many voices calling to us with promises that if we follow, we will be happy. We forget the words of Jesus and no longer hear his voice calling us to follow the Way. We forget that joy is deeper than happiness. We have lost our sense of direction and the ability to discern the true from the false. Forgive us and restore to us that sense that recognizes the voice of the shepherd. Amen. Leader: God continues to call us to life, joy, and wholeness. Receive the forgiveness, love, and power of God that enables us to live as God's children.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
All glory and honor are yours, O God, for you created all that is and you are sovereign over 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. There are so many voices calling to us with promises that if we follow, we will be happy. We forget the words of Jesus and no longer hear his voice calling us to follow the Way. We forget that joy is deeper than happiness. We have lost our sense of direction and the ability to discern the true from the false. Forgive us and restore to us that sense that recognizes the voice of the shepherd.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you have shared your compassionate love with us. You understand our frailty and our tendency to wander. You speak to us the words of life, and you offer to us the true way to life eternal.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray to you for one another in our needs and for all, anywhere, who are in need of your touch of wholeness in their lives. We pray for those who suffer in body, mind, spirit, or in their relationships. We pray for those who are denied the necessities of life. We pray for those who are bound by terror, violence, and fear.
(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
If you are playing with several friends and someone's parent calls that it is time to eat, could you tell whether it was your parent or not? Would you know by the voice or by whether or not it was the right time for your family to eat? We learn to recognize our parents' voices and to know what they would probably say to us. We learn to listen to God/Jesus by knowing what sort of things might be said. God's voice is one that calls us to love and care for each other. That is the one we need to listen for.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Amazing Faith
Luke 7:1-10
Object: a passport
Good morning, boys and girls! This is a passport. (show it to the children) If I were to travel to another country, I would need this. It shows the people of that country what my home country is. When people from other countries come to America, they have to have their own passport so that everyone knows what country they come from.
Suppose someone from another country came to us and told us all about our country. What if they told us more about our country than we know about our own country? Wouldn't that be amazing? It surely would!
One day Jesus was amazed at a man who was not from the same country or religion, and yet he knew more about God and the power of God than most all the other people Jesus knew. That man was a Roman soldier -- an officer. He trusted in Jesus to heal a servant of his. He had great faith. He really knew and trusted God.
God can and often does wonderful things for those who trust God -- like healing a person who is sick and near death. It happens. It requires faith. It doesn't happen every time, but it does happen. This soldier had great faith. I pray that you and I might have such great faith in our lives. I pray that we might each be able to trust in God's love for us and others -- a love that even includes healing the sick!
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, June 2, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
But that goes against the grain of the way we often treat authority in the real world. Repeated instances of human failings have taught us to look for cynical motives behind†the actions of just about anyone in authority -- as the popular bumper sticker counsels: "Question†Authority." We've seen reasons that attitude has become commonplace played out again and again over the years, and the recent scandals engulfing the Obama administration are just the latest fuel on the fire. Yet in this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer points out that there are countless ways we willingly place ourselves under the authority of others in our lives, and it's because we have learned to trust them or have recognized the legitimacy of their authority. And, Dean notes, because we have identified ourselves as Christians, it is incumbent upon us to be completely obedient to his authority... an obedience and faith that the centurion -- a rank outsider -- demonstrates when he humbly asks for his slave to be made well.
Team member Chris Keating offers some additional thoughts on the Old Testament text and its theme of distinguishing between true religion and false religion, and between God and false prophets. The proliferation of false idols and false religion in the modern world poses quite a challenge -- but Chris suggests that we miss the point if we focus on Elijah's fire-and-brimstone tone. It's important for Christians to be sensitive about inclusiveness and respectful of other religions and their proponents while still proclaiming the essential truth of the gospel. What we really need to do, Chris notes, is to emulate Elijah's model of demonstrating the inherent limitations of false idols by contrasting them with divine authority, one that when experienced inevitably leads us to respond, "The Lord indeed is God."
He Says "Jump," You Say "How High?"
by Dean Feldmeyer
Luke 7:1-10
We have this rule in the United States that says we are presumed to be innocent unless we are proven to be guilty.†But the Internal Revenue Service is the exception to the rule. If the IRS says you didn't pay enough taxes, they don't have to prove that the allegation is true. You have to prove that it isn't.†That's one of the reasons we chafe under the authority of the IRS and are outraged when they appear to have taken that authority too far, as is currently being alleged in Washington.†Also, the IRS didn't earn their authority.†It was given to them by lawmakers long before most of us were born.
Roman centurions, on the other hand, got their authority the old-fashioned way... they earned it. Nearly all centurions were promoted from within the ranks.†They had led men in battle many times and survived to tell the tale.†They were fierce, strong, and loyal.†When a centurion told you to jump, you said "How high?"
So the centurion in this week's gospel lesson knew about authority, and he knew legitimate authority when he saw it.†And he saw it in Jesus.
The question is:†"Do we?"
In the News
Sociologist and philosopher Max Weber postulated that there are three kinds of legitimate human authority:
* "Traditional" authority relies on custom and tradition for its legitimacy. It is usually hereditary and tends to support the status quo. It is non-rational, often inconsistent, and does not change or evolve.
* "Charismatic" authority is dependent upon certain extraordinary characteristics of the leader and the leader's mission or vision.
* "Legal-rational" authority draws its legitimacy from law (legal) or nature (rational). Obedience is given to individual human leaders only to the degree that they represent a set of rules or laws.
Weber also allowed that human authority in the real, experienced world is often an admixture of two of these three.
The three controversies that are plaguing Washington right now may seem complex, but they are actually just arguments about authority.
One of the responsibilities of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is "the prevention and detection of fraud, waste, and abuse within the IRS and related entities." When organizations apply for 501(c)(4) tax-exempt status, TIGTA is responsible for determining if they meet the qualifications for that statute under the law, one of which qualifications being that their "primary purpose" is "social welfare" activities.
Since TIGTA was established under the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, its authority is of the legal-rational type -- and the question being debated is whether they abused and overreached their authority by making conservative political organizations more than 20 percent of the ones they set aside for close examination.
Clearly, the Justice Department has the legal-rational authority to seize telephone records of journalists as part of a criminal investigation as long as that authority is obtained by showing just cause to a judge and receiving a duly issued court order.
The question under debate seems to be whether or not the Justice Department should have exercised its authority in the way it did. Was the security leak of sufficient size and severity to warrant a criminal investigation, court order, and subsequent seizure? And will that seizure compromise the freedom that the press enjoys as a constitutional right?
The third controversy has to do with the September 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya, and whether the Obama administration exercised its authority as it should have in protecting the American embassy there.
Finally, Democrats wonder if the Republicans are exercising any kind of legitimate authority in their pursuit of these controversies, or if their outrage, their indignation, and their insistence on special prosecutors and congressional hearings are just political posturing.
In the churches, we are told that the liberal/conservative divide is over the authority of scripture, but that is hardly the case. All Christians hold that scripture is authoritative for them. The controversy more often has to do with how we interpret scripture.
In the Scriptures
When a centurion tells you to jump, you say "How high?"
Centurions were the backbone of the Roman army. They came up through the ranks, the products of hard-won battles. Centurions had command of 100 soldiers, they were the federal police force of Rome, and they often served as administrators of towns and villages. Their pay generally averaged 20 to 30 times that of line soldiers.
To the people of first-century Palestine, they were the face of the occupying army, of Rome, the oppressor. And yet, nearly every mention of centurions in the New Testament is positive.
This particular centurion has paid for the building of the local synagogue. He is respected and maybe even admired by the Jewish leaders of Capernaum. He has a much-valued slave who is dying, and when he asks the elders to get Jesus and bring him to heal the slave, they do because "He is worthy of having you do this for him."
Jesus goes with them, and just before they arrive at the centurion's home, his friends come out with a message which must be written down because they deliver it verbatim. Jesus' reputation has preceded him, and this man who represents all of the power of the Roman Empire feels that he is unworthy to have Jesus enter his home.
But as a man who lives by authority, he recognizes authority when he sees it. When a centurion gives an order that order is followed. That's how authority works. So Jesus, being a man in a position of authority, should just order the slave to be made well, and it will happen.
We can almost hear Jesus sigh: "Finally! Someone who gets it."
This is how you respond to authority. You don't argue or whine or grouse our make excuses or offer alternative suggestions. You do what the authority says to do.
In the Pulpit
When someone with legitimate authority tells you to do something, you do it.
The cop says, "Pull over." You turn on your turn signal, put your hands at the 10 and 2 positions on the steering wheel, and you pull over at the next safe opportunity.
The doctor says, "Take these pills until they are all gone." You take all the pills as prescribed.
The mechanic says, "Change your oil every 5,000-6,000 miles." You change the oil.
We place ourselves under the authority of other people because, as Max Weber says, custom and tradition have placed them there. Or because they are charismatic individuals and we are caught up in their vision or their mission. Or because they represent the laws of human beings or of nature and we recognize the wisdom and power in those laws.
Sometimes we take their name as our own, as a symbol of their authority over us. We become an American, or a marine, or a Mason, or a girl scout. And once we accept their authority over us we become obedient to them. We follow their rules and live by their laws.
We are Christians. We have taken the name of Jesus Christ as our own, and in doing so have placed ourselves under his authority and are obedient to him. We do what he says to do.
Don't we?
SECOND THOUGHTS
Idol Challenges
by Chris Keating
1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39; Galatians 1:1-12
A new idol was crowned last week -- though few of us noticed.
Once a Thursday night television staple, Fox television network's American Idol finale May 16 drew 34 percent fewer viewers than the previous year. It was the lowest ratings ever for the show's conclusion. Even longtime judge Randy Jackson is leaving the show behind.
Idol challenges may not be quite what they used to be. Can't you imagine the ratings if the prophet Elijah had been a contestant? Elijah's jaw-dropping performance on Mount Carmel would have even made Simon Cowell a believer. Elijah might not have been the best singer, but his special effects were truly out of this world. Justin Bieber would have been taking notes.
This week's Old Testament lesson in 1 Kings 18 tells the story of Elijah's challenge on the summit of Mount Carmel, and offers an opportunity for preachers to touch on a sensitive yet timely topic of encounters between false gods and the living God. In a culture where the growing religious preference is "none," it is critical that the preacher attend to both Elijah's lively conversation with God as well as the culture's equally lively talk about God.
In the News
Actually, a lot of the conversation in our contemporary culture is not about God -- it is about the god many no longer believe. Pope Francis made headlines this week by reminding the church that God has redeemed all of humanity, even atheists. As the number of Americans claiming no religious preference continues to climb, old assumptions and boundary lines are no longer relevant. CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer discovered this last week while interviewing a survivor of the deadly Oklahoma tornado. The woman had instinctively grabbed her 19-month-old baby and ran from her home. Blitzer planted his foot in his mouth by saying, "You've gotta thank the Lord, right?" The woman smiled awkwardly, but then said, "I'm actually an atheist." After a bit of uncomfortable banter, she continued, "We are here, and I don't blame anyone for thanking the Lord."
Right in the heart of the Bible Belt, Blitzer found a generous atheist. The woman would probably agree with much of what the late Ronald Dworkin said in his recently published book Religion Without God. Dworkin was a prominent legal scholar whose book attempts to change an increasingly polemic conversation about faith, science, and human existence. In essence, he argues that people can still believe in the magnificence of creation without being religious. He says:
The familiar stark divide between people of religion and without religion is too crude. Many millions of people who count themselves atheists have convictions and experiences very like and just as profound as those that believers count as religious.
Dworkin's push to find a religious sensibility without God appeals to many. He prepares us for the challenges of idols we face -- sports, celebrities, greed, vaporous and vague spiritualties, and so on. Journalists might call his argument "deep background" material for preachers interested in listening to Elijah's challenge: "If Yahweh is God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him" (1 Kings 18:21).
In the Scriptures
Elijah's words confront Israel's idolatrous practices, and point back to the claims of the First Commandment (see Terence E. Fretheim, First and Second Kings [Westminster Press, 1999], p. 93). Faithfulness to Yahweh means exclusive faithfulness -- primarily because Yahweh has made that commitment first. Having predicted a devastating drought, Elijah now appears before King Ahab, who greets him as the "troubler of Israel."
But Elijah is not the one who has troubled Israel -- it is Ahab. To prove his point, Elijah tells Ahab to summon the priests of Baal to the mountain. Elijah is blunt in his description of the situation facing Israel: "How long will you go on straddling the middle?" Get off dead center! You can't hedge your bets by picking and choosing which god you will follow, and so Elijah proposes a contest.
The contest, of course, is rigged. While there are 450 prophets of Baal lined up on one side and lonely Elijah on the other, the incantations and dances of the idol worshipers will never awaken their sleeping god. Despite the strong show of support for Baal in the crowd, Elijah is faithful in a way that prefigures Paul's words to the Galatians: "If I were still pleasing people, I would not be a servant of Christ" (Galatians 1:10).
Only Yahweh will respond, and only Yahweh will answer. The barrels of precious water Elijah pours around the restored alter of the Lord symbolize the great thirst of God's people. In prayer, Elijah opens himself to God. The fire of God engulfs the sacrifice. Everything is consumed, including the water. The response from the crowd is immediate: "When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, 'The Lord indeed is God' " (1 Kings 18:39).
Crafting the Sermon
It might be tempting for a preacher to begin by repeating Elijah's challenge, confronting the congregation in their struggles to follow: "How long will you go limping with two different opinions?" Triumphantly we could beat our chests and say, "Our God is better than yours!" Yet we would be as hapless as Wolf Blitzer encouraging a non-believer to give thanks to God. Our world includes both empty idols and the well-reasoned thoughts of those who do not believe.
Because of that, I think climbing to Mount Carmel's summit this week requires the humble and more open approach the Roman pontiff displayed in his homily.
Note that the text calls us not to boast about God's amazing abilities, but to understand what it means to follow God in a world of idols. It might be interesting to invite the congregation to follow Elijah around the mountaintop. While he does indeed giggle at failures of the Baal worshipers, he then invites them to hear the narrative of God's redemption. He invites the crowd to watch as he repairs the desecrated altar. Picking up twelve stones, he tells the story of God's faithful presence to the tribes of Jacob. He invites the crowd's participation in the preparation of the sacrifice. He encourages them to join him in the ongoing story of God's presence in their lives.
It's more than a talent competition. The experience on the mountain reveals the pathetic inability of an idol to provide for the deeper thirsts of human beings. Elijah offers encouragement to those who struggle to believe, and clarity to those challenged by the idols of our world. Likewise, in Galatians Paul invites the church to understand that true religion isn't derived from human effort. He doesn't mince words about this, reminding the Galatians that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gift of God's own revelation.
Back on the mountain, Elijah invites the people to trust in God not only through brash braggadocio -- he also challenges them to respond to God in trust. This contest is not about defeating the enemy of God. Instead, it is a moment of revelation that encourages those who struggle to believe to see that "The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God."
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Leah Lonsbury:
Luke 7:1-10
In our passage from Luke's gospel for this week, Jesus is "amazed" at the centurion's faith in Jesus' ability to heal his ailing slave. Jesus wonders aloud to the crowd, "I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith."
What is behind Jesus' amazement here? Is it the centurion's uncomplicated and unquestioning response to the power and authority of Jesus' ministry? After all this time on the road with his band of wavering and questioning disciples, is Jesus simply relieved to find someone who really gets it and who makes his request without hesitation, knowing for certain that Jesus has the power to make this healing happen?
Or is Jesus amazed and maybe a little awestruck at the authority of the centurion himself? He says "Go," "Come," and "Do this," and his soldiers and slaves go, come, and do this right on command. The Jewish elders speak to Jesus of the centurion's care for those who are under him. He values his slave highly and worries about his well-being, they say. He loves the people, and he built the synagogue for them, they add.
The centurion benevolently directs the people, attends to their health and welfare, and commands their respect. Does Jesus perhaps see in the centurion a reflection of God's authority and care for humankind?
What kind of authority do we recognize or respond to? What kind of authority do we carry and act upon in our daily lives and our world? Does the world see God's reflection in us in these ways?
Monsanto's name is all over the press these days. Last weekend, crowds gathered to "March Against Monsanto" in 52 countries and 436 cities. Movement founder Tami Canal responded to the turnout in this way:
It was empowering and inspiring to see so many people, from different walks of life, put aside their differences and come together today. We will continue until Monsanto complies with consumer demand. They are poisoning our children, poisoning our planet. If we don't act, who's going to?
Neil Harl, agricultural economist at Iowa State University, estimates that the company now controls 90 percent of seed genetics in the world. That's some power. No wonder it draws attention when it takes a lowly Indiana farmer all the way to the Supreme Court.
Much of this conflict grows out of a question of authority. Who gets to say what we eat, how it is grown, and what effects on our planet and human family are acceptable or unacceptable? What authority does Monsanto have? What authority do farmers and consumers have? What part does the government play in this debate? Whose reflection do we see in these expressions of authority?
* * *
1 Kings 18:20-39
Fred Phelps Jr. of Westboro Baptist Church tweeted recently that the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma are God's retaliation for a local team's support of gay professional basketball player Jason Collins. He tweeted:
OK Thunder's Durant flips God by praising fag Collins. God smashes OK. You do the math. #GodH8sFags #FagsDoomNations #FearGod #GodH8sU
His father, Fred Phelps Sr., also took to Twitter, calling the disaster "God's wonderful wrath."
The Phelps believe that God is doing what chaplain John McTernan wrote in 2012 --"systematically destroying America" and putting an end to our "wickedness."
This is not the God that many of us recognize and follow. So how do we decide, as the people did in our text from 1 Kings for today, which God is our God? What makes us bow before God and say, "The Lord indeed is God; the Lord indeed is God"? How do we recognize our God?
* * *
From team member Ron Love:
Luke 7:1-10
The senior pastor at one of the three largest United Methodist churches in South Carolina recently wrote in his weekly devotional that "intelligence tells us to avoid suffering, but wisdom tells us that 'suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character' " (Romans 5:3).
Application: The smart person avoids suffering, but the wise person embraces it? The centurion was both smart, knowing Jesus could help, and wise, knowing that his servant was suffering unnecessarily.
* * *
Galatians 1:1-12
The Episcopal church in South Carolina has suffered a schism, with two different groups claiming to be the Diocese of South Carolina. The group that remained with The Episcopal Church (TEC) claims title to the name. But the group that left the national church also claims title to the name, since 47 parishes severed their ties and only 19 parishes remained. Those who withdrew from the national denomination pointed to the ordination of gay bishops. The newly created diocese has taken the property and buildings, awaiting a court decision as to true ownership. Sadly, this has left individuals in those 47 parishes who wished to remain with the Episcopal church absent of a church home. At present, they are meeting in schools and other locations until the courts rule on lawsuits filed by each side. Bishop Mark Lawrence, the leader of the schism, announced that those wanting to remain under the aegis of the Episcopal church are operating "from outside the official structures of the Anglican Communion." The bishop went on to say that presently "we may be an autonomous diocese."
Application: Paul warned against false prophets. But it is often difficult to ascertain which prophet is proclaiming the truth.
* * *
Galatians 1:1-12
A study that will be published in the Journal of Religion and Health authenticates the importance of religion for the emotional health of combat veterans. The study, titled "Are There Atheists in Foxholes? Combat Intensity and Religious Behavior," took twelve years to complete. The title comes from legendary World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle, who made the famous quip that there are no atheists in foxholes. The study found that 69% of World War II veterans are still active church members. The major reason they attend church is because of the social bonds formed there, which are an extension of the social bonds established in a combat situation. The report concluded that religion is an important counseling resource for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Application: Paul discussed those who are deserting the church. We need to counter this by emphasizing the importance of church.
* * *
Galatians 1:1-12
Mariano Rivera announced he is going to retire from baseball at the end of this season. The 43-year-old has played for the New York Yankees for 18 years. As a pitcher, he is regarded as the greatest closer of all time. He holds the record for career saves (608 prior to the beginning of the current season) and has helped the Yankees win five World Series titles. He is retiring this coming fall, saying, "I have just a few bullets left."
Application: Paul encourages us to be servants of Christ throughout our lives.
* * *
1 Kings 18:20-21 (22-29) 30-39
J. Everett Dutschke was arrested for sending letters poisoned with ricin to President Obama, Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, and the mother of the state representative he ran against. Dutschke's anger at society and anyone who has wronged him is expressed in the song he wrote titled "You Can't Kill Me." The song is about being killed by a woman, then making a deal with the devil and coming back to life. The lyric goes, "I met the devil at the crossroads, baby; I took his evil spirit from him, girl, and I was gonna give it to you."
Application: It appears that the prophets of Baal desired to put evil upon Elijah.
* * *
From the SermonSuite archives:
Luke 7:1-10
What a loving and gracious Lord we have in Jesus Christ! He truly seeks to minister to our needs. Although he did not have to go to the Roman official's house to heal his servant, the story tells us Jesus had already taken the trouble to go and was on his way. While Jesus could have done the healing "at a distance," he wanted to add the personal touch by doing it at the man's bedside.
The Roman official understood the power of Jesus to heal "from a distance," and thus made the request that Jesus not bother to come all the way over to his house.
As Jesus' disciples, it is different with us. When we are called, we must go. We must be present with those in need. And what most persons need is our presence!
Though he didn't have to, Jesus was willing to go and be present. Are we traveling helpers in this respect or do we merely have good intentions about the needs of others?
* * *
Luke 7:1-10
A painting depicting this scene -- Christ and the Centurion by sixteenth-century artist Paolo Veronese -- hangs in Madrid's Prado museum. Veronese, with reverent insight, shows the Roman officer kneeling before Jesus while his comrades are endeavoring to keep the centurion from humbling himself before a Jew.
This is no ordinary Jew, and the centurion is no ordinary Roman citizen. One tradition says his name was Cornelius and he was at the crucifixion; another tradition calls him Linus. Whatever his name, Jesus does him the great honor of publicly praising him, which he almost never does. The praise is heightened because he is a Gentile, a member of an occupying army, and ritually unclean.
Verse 7 has long been an arrow prayer, said by the faithful before reception of the Blessed Sacrament as part of the Roman Catholic Mass: "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof, but speak the word only and thy servant shall be healed."
The synagogue foundations and walls revealed by the archaeological excavations at Capernaum are undoubtedly built on the previously occupied site of the synagogue that this centurion, as a "God-fearer," built for the Jews.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: O sing to God a new song;
People: sing to God, all the earth.
Leader: Sing to God, bless God's name;
People: tell of God's salvation from day to day.
Leader: Declare God's glory among the nations,
People: God's marvelous works among all the peoples.
OR
Leader: The voice of God speaks with authority and majesty.
People: The voice of God speaks with love and compassion.
Leader: The voice of God speaks truth.
People: The voice of God speaks of life and wholeness.
Leader: Listen to the voice of our God.
People: We will listen and we will obey.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing"
found in:
UMH: 57/59
H82: 493
PH: 466
AAHH: 184
NNBH: 23
NCH: 42
CH: 5
LBW: 559
ELA: 886
W&P: 96
AMEC: 1
Renew: 32
"Come, Thou Almighty King"
found in:
UMH: 61
H82: 365
PH: 139
AAHH: 327
NNBH: 38
NCH: 275
CH: 27
LBW: 522
ELA: 408
W&P: 148
AMEC: 7
"We Believe in One True God"
found in:
UMH: 85
"Ye Watchers and Ye Holy Ones"
found in:
UMH: 90
H82: 618
PH: 451
LBW: 175
ELA: 424
"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty"
found in:
UMH: 139
H82: 380
AAHH: 117
NNBH: 2
NCH: 22
CH: 25
ELA: 858/859
AMEC: 3
STLT: 278
Renew: 57
"Open My Eyes, That I May See"
found in:
UMH: 454
PH: 324
NNBH: 218
CH: 586
W&P: 480
AMEC: 285
"Be Thou My Vision"
found in:
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELA: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
"Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence"
found in:
UMH: 626
H82: 324
PH: 5
NCH: 345
CH: 124
LBW: 198
ELA: 490
W&P: 232
"Open Our Eyes, Lord"
found in:
CCB: 77
Renew: 91
"He Is Exalted"
found in:
CCB: 30
Renew: 238
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
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who holds all authority in heaven and on earth: Grant us the grace to understand what true authority looks like and to yield only to that authority which is based on love and justice; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We have come to worship you, O God, for you are the author and giver of life and you hold authority throughout all creation. As we offer you our praise and glory, we ask that you would help us to listen obediently to your voice and to close our ears to those false voices around us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially the ease with which we follow religious teachings that do not match those of Jesus.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. There are so many voices calling to us with promises that if we follow, we will be happy. We forget the words of Jesus and no longer hear his voice calling us to follow the Way. We forget that joy is deeper than happiness. We have lost our sense of direction and the ability to discern the true from the false. Forgive us and restore to us that sense that recognizes the voice of the shepherd. Amen. Leader: God continues to call us to life, joy, and wholeness. Receive the forgiveness, love, and power of God that enables us to live as God's children.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
All glory and honor are yours, O God, for you created all that is and you are sovereign over 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. There are so many voices calling to us with promises that if we follow, we will be happy. We forget the words of Jesus and no longer hear his voice calling us to follow the Way. We forget that joy is deeper than happiness. We have lost our sense of direction and the ability to discern the true from the false. Forgive us and restore to us that sense that recognizes the voice of the shepherd.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you have shared your compassionate love with us. You understand our frailty and our tendency to wander. You speak to us the words of life, and you offer to us the true way to life eternal.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray to you for one another in our needs and for all, anywhere, who are in need of your touch of wholeness in their lives. We pray for those who suffer in body, mind, spirit, or in their relationships. We pray for those who are denied the necessities of life. We pray for those who are bound by terror, violence, and fear.
(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
If you are playing with several friends and someone's parent calls that it is time to eat, could you tell whether it was your parent or not? Would you know by the voice or by whether or not it was the right time for your family to eat? We learn to recognize our parents' voices and to know what they would probably say to us. We learn to listen to God/Jesus by knowing what sort of things might be said. God's voice is one that calls us to love and care for each other. That is the one we need to listen for.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Amazing Faith
Luke 7:1-10
Object: a passport
Good morning, boys and girls! This is a passport. (show it to the children) If I were to travel to another country, I would need this. It shows the people of that country what my home country is. When people from other countries come to America, they have to have their own passport so that everyone knows what country they come from.
Suppose someone from another country came to us and told us all about our country. What if they told us more about our country than we know about our own country? Wouldn't that be amazing? It surely would!
One day Jesus was amazed at a man who was not from the same country or religion, and yet he knew more about God and the power of God than most all the other people Jesus knew. That man was a Roman soldier -- an officer. He trusted in Jesus to heal a servant of his. He had great faith. He really knew and trusted God.
God can and often does wonderful things for those who trust God -- like healing a person who is sick and near death. It happens. It requires faith. It doesn't happen every time, but it does happen. This soldier had great faith. I pray that you and I might have such great faith in our lives. I pray that we might each be able to trust in God's love for us and others -- a love that even includes healing the sick!
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, June 2, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
