Holy Heart Burn
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For August 14, 2022:
Holy Heart Burn
by Chris Keating
Luke 12:49-56
Preachers tackling Luke 12:49-56 might be advised to pass out Tums to the congregation. These words of Jesus are going to burn hotter than nachos layered with habaneros, jalapeños, scotch bonnet peppers and topped with a liberal sprinkling of Carolina Reaper chilis, the world’s hottest peppers.
This is not Jesus so meek and mild. This is not a safe Jesus who offers platitudes and compliments. Here’s the one of whom John said will baptize with fire. Jesus’ promise to bring division evokes the memory of Anna telling Mary that a sword shall pierce her own heart. By the sounds of things in Luke 12:49-56, Jesus is more of a home-wrecking, heartburn inducing storm-chaser than a candidate for the Nobel peace prize.
He calls us to pay attention to the signs of the times, and to realize that the realm of God will challenge a faith wed to a culture that prioritizes materialism over justice and comfort over compassion. There ought to be a warning label attached to this text: “Contents may be unstable.”
Given the unsettled nature of the world, preachers may elect to preach on something else — something less inducing of indigestion. Our world, our families, even our churches are already split into factions. We are watching wildfires torch the earth and are sweating through record-breaking heatwaves. Signs of a changing climate abound, including wide-spread flooding across the Midwest. “But why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” Jesus asks.
It’s a question he asks of those who have been listening to his teaching, and a question that reminds us of the transformation Jesus will bring. The promises he offers will eventually bring more relief than a handful of Tums following a plateful of tamales.
In the News
Americans are riding through a summer heatwave of societal division that has grown significantly hotter since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. A report issued this week by Axio-Ipsos shows that Americans are more divided than ever. From December, 2021 through May 2022, there was a brief window where Americans were beginning to show more openness to divergent opinions.
But that window slammed shut June 24 with the arrival of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. About 85% of Democrats say they have “little to nothing in common” with Republicans, up ten points from the previous month. "The abortion ruling is really being felt more strongly on one side, the Democratic side. Independents, I think, are just sort of looking at the whole thing and disgusted... sort of a plague-on-both-your-houses dynamic,” said Chris Jackson, a pollster for Ipsos.
None of this is particularly surprising to anyone familiar with contemporary culture. The Axos’ “Two America Index” tracks areas of division and unity in the nation. The index now shows that more Americans than before take into consideration politics before moving to another state. More than half of those considering a move to a new state report that the new state’s politics and cultural ideologies influence their decision. Many of both Democrats and Republicans say that they have considered moving to a state that better reflects their personal politics.
Our political divisions reach well beyond Washington’s corridors into suburban sidewalks and everyday life. The divisions of Congress are mirrored in American’s circles of friends. About 60 percent of both Republicans and Democrats report having few, if any, friends from different political parties. As an NBC analyst remarked:
Those are some deeply reinforced bubbles full of people who are likely to hold similar views on the topics Washington is attempting to tackle — from gun control to taxes.
Taken together, the numbers suggest there is no quick cure-all for the political discord in Washington. The divides are sharp and real and, to some extent, bubbling up from the electorate.
But notice one real-world implication of our divisions: this month 54% of Democrats say they have not shared a meal with Republicans, up eight points from the month before.
In the Scriptures
Luke 12:49-56 does not offer much solace to Christians wearied by divisions of churches, families, or countries. Not only are these complicated sayings tone deaf to contemporary realities, but they also seem contradictory to Luke’s recurring themes of peace and unity. The words and images are also problematic. Jesus speaks of fire torching the earth, yet we are faced with more than 70 wildfires in our nation alone. A preacher’s first task will be to tease out the differences between these words and the mission of whose birth was heralded as a harbinger of peace (2:33), one who came “to guide our feet into the way of peace” (1:79).
But Luke has also reminded us that Jesus’ life shall become a sword that pierces even the heart of his own mother (2:35), an indicator that there is more happening in these sayings than meets the eye. While these passages, among others, have been co-opted to prop up schism and theological family feuds, they first need to be interpreted within the context Luke offers.
He is headed to Jerusalem — headed, that is, toward conflict that shall pierce the hearts of his family and followers. In addition, as Fred Craddock reminds us, Jesus shall become the “crisis of the world,” (Luke, Interpretation Commentary, quoting John 12:31). In both Luke and Matthew’s presentation of these sayings, there is an urgency that refuses equivocation. The disciples are to be dressed for action (12:35), eager to welcome the host of the wedding banquet (12:36ff).
The parable of the faithful and prudent manager that immediately precedes this pericope heightens Jesus’ sense of urgency. The disciples are commended to lives of watchfulness and expectation and adjured to avoid becoming dulled in waiting for the master’s return. The sayings in chapter 12 express these sorts of eschatological overtones, giving notes of the importance of faith’s urgent anticipation of the reign of God.
Within the pericope itself, Jesus directs our movement through a series of sayings that ripple with energy. Images of fire, baptism, and familial division are meant to be descriptive of the church’s mission, and not necessarily a congregational to-do list. As Audrey West notes (Feasting on the Word, Year C, Proper 15), “it is not Jesus' purpose to set children against their parents, or parents against their children….(but to recall that) this sort of rupture can be the result of the changes engendered by Christ's work.”
Sorting through these tough verses will push a preacher’s exegetical limits, but can result in a fruitful reconsideration of the overarching themes of Jesus’ push toward Jerusalem. Christ asks us to reflect on whether or not we have been paying attention, even as he reminds us, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.”
In the Sermon
“Heartburn Jesus,” isn’t a country song but it might be the title of this week’s sermon. Preaching on these aphorisms — or any of Jesus’ sayings — requires a different sort of approach than preparing a sermon on a parable or narrative. The strands of the sayings are tangled worse than yarn hiding in the Christian education craft closet, but with patience (and prayer!), it may be possible to help alleviate the preacher’s initial indigestion.
The preacher’s work will involve serving the spiciest of these nuggets in ways the congregation can experience the transforming fire of Jesus’ message. As the congregation’s homiletical chef, the preacher approaches the preparation of this meal fully aware that the ingredients themselves are potent and will not require a lot of additional flavors.
One possibility would be recall that fire both purifies and destroys. While James and John wished to fire-bomb the Samaritan cities that did not receive them, Jesus brings the transforming fire of the peace of God.
Begin by noticing that Jesus himself is stressed. In the stress of the moment, Jesus takes a self-differentiating stance that reminds the disciples that peacemaking is different from maintaining the veneer of peacefulness. Edwin Friedman’s use of family systems theory in leadership settings (see Failure of Nerve) suggests that such “peace mongering” is actually a manifestation of anxiety and a lack of self-differentiation. Such leaders, notes Friedman, are invariably nice “if not charming,” but lack backbone and resolve to navigate difficulty.
Pass around the Pepcid, and chew on some Tums. Dip into the Gospel’s fiery salsa this week by preaching about the heartburn of Christ. Preach the heart-burning Jesus who calls the disciples to radical dependence on God, which replaces anxiety (12:22), and is not lulled to complacency or unaware of the currents around them. Chew on the promises offered to those who strive for the kingdom, and don’t be surprised that our digging deep into this message changes our indigestion into heart-burning faith.
Then, like the disciples at Emmaus, our hearts will burn within us.
* * * * *
SECOND THOUGHTS
Wild Growth
by Quantisha Mason-Doll
Isaiah 5:1-7
The prophet Isaiah opens our eyes to what happens when we become too insular and assume we know what is for the best for God’s kingdom. Once again Isaiah uses the humble grape as a metaphor or a stand in for humanity.
Interesting fact about grapes: they are an extremely resilient crop. Resilient crops are ones that can deal with extreme fluctuations and environmental elements and still survive. This is something that has become extremely important as the looming reality of climate change presses in on us. More than 90% of global deforestation building farmland to produce mono crops. Vineyards are not a large part of deforestation yet they do take up a lot of land. If they are going to take up a lot of land they must produce well in order to justify their presence there. I’m pretty sure we can say the same thing for people.
There is this assumption that we have to produce in order to justify our presence. Unfortunately, humanity gets caught up in the notion that it is better to produce a lot poorly than produce a few things of good quality. It’s the idea that more is more is better. We see this in nature — abundance being created when one seed takes root and produces a plant. For the plant, that one successful seed is worth the waste of 100,000 seeds simply because their legacies live on. We cannot take that same approach with humanity and our relationship to God.
Grapes require very little in the way of specialized care in order to produce fruit, yet if you want to produce something remarkable, great effort is required. Fertile ground is amazing but grapes will grow just about anywhere. Isaiah paints this image of a vineyard producing only rotten fruit even though it seems as if there was expert care provided. It makes me think of the one bad apple out of one hundred. People want to lift up the 99 good bits but forget that all it takes is one infection to decimate a population. Look at monocultural farming practices and the kind of impact it has on both humans and nature. Mono crops, over time, become susceptible to inbreeding, disease, rot, or other environmental elements that will hinder the growth of healthy plants. It does not matter how nutritious the soil is, if a sick plant is present it will not produce healthy fruit.
How do I alleviate this problem? God has set forth an example — we have to tear down the walls, destroy the hedges, and allow the earth and ourselves to do what we are supposed to do —grow wild. In the case of plants, hybridization or the introduction of new, healthier genes into an insular population often produces stronger, healthier plants. I choose to believe this is the overall message that is trying to be delivered in the prophecy of Isaiah. The removal of obstacles or barriers allows for nature to take its due course. In the words of Isaiah, God expected humanity and creation to always seek justice, to always seek righteousness, and to always turn toward God. This looks like opening ourselves up to new and healthier things and realities.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
Isaiah 5:1-7
Barred from the Vineyard
Using the image of the vineyard for the nation of Israel, the prophet Isaiah talks about its beauty. “My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.” Still, there’s a bitter disappointment in the vineyard, as the nation chooses to be untrue to God.
Yomi Sachiko Wong finds a similar disappointment at the gate to another beautiful place, its beauty rendered hollow by unfaithful people. Waiting at the entrance in her wheelchair, she says, “King Estates Open Space Park is a verdant area of native grasses, wildflowers, and spectacular vistas overlooking the San Francisco Bay. During the darkest days of the pandemic, sheltered at home and half-crazed with fear, my daily sojourns here replenished and sustained me. But today I am shut out, blocked from the most usable entrance to the park by a poorly designed and inaccessible chain-link fence. The City of Oakland Department of Parks and Recreation hastily erected the barrier at the request of a few vocal homeowners angry about the recent increase in park use.”
For her, the vineyard of the park is a place of respite. She says, “when the rest of the world spins out of control, being here in my park calms and centers me. I feel my body unclench and relax moment by moment as I lead my pup up the gentle, hard dirt trail, home to so many plant and animal siblings. Passing through the oak grove, I meditate or sing or talk to God and the trees, both one and the same to me. As we curve around and join a paved trail, I inhale deeply. A gorgeous vista unfolds. The magnificent bay below is mine to be with. This place has my whole heart.”
The City of Oakland is as shabby a steward as the nation of Israel once was, as we all often are. Isaiah invites us into more faithful care for the people and places that belong to God, and most especially, faithfulness in our own lives.
* * *
Luke 12:49-56
What’s Everybody So Mad About
Jesus is not just here to rearrange the furniture! He is on fire for change, using his anger for God’s purposes.
We’re all mad about something these days, and psychologist Gail Brenner advises, “It’s easier to feel anger than hurt. Anger tends to be a surface emotion. But if you look at what is driving the anger, you will often find hurt, pain, or fear. Can you tell the truth to yourself about what you are actually feeling?” She also notes, evoking the fire that Jesus talks about, “Anger has a strong physical component. Bring out the microscope when you are angry, and you will find strong physical sensations — tightness, contraction, burning. Anger is a fiery emotion full of energy. If you don’t want to be caught in anger, bring your attention right into these physical sensations.”
Interestingly, she adds, “Perfectionists are angry. Are you a perfectionist? Then take an honest look at what you are saying to yourself. You will undoubtedly find a repetitive loop playing in your mind that is harsher than you might imagine. Don’t kid yourself — this is anger. If you don’t want to be a slave to your perfectionist tendencies, then go to the root of the problem and learn to meet your anger with love.”
For Jesus, anger always serves a larger purpose for God’s work. May it be that ours does the same.
* * *
Luke 12:49-56, Jeremiah 23:23-29
Fire
Both Jesus and Jeremiah use fire as a symbol for purifying the world, for ending an old system and beginning a new way. Dr. Jay Bansal had a similar experience with an actual fire in a past wildfire season in California. He recalls that it all started when a neighbor banged on their door and yelled that the neighborhood was on fire. He and his wife and two children jumped in the car and fled, with no time to pack anything. “Thus began a long and strange night, followed by several long and strange months, the significance of which I am only now beginning to unpack.” Watching the progress of the fire on the news, he assumed that both their home and his medical office had been destroyed. It took more than three weeks to be able to enter the area.
Dr. Bansal says, “A few weeks later, when the New York Times reported on the progress of the racing inferno, we learned that our house had likely burned down completely around 1:30 to 1:45 am on that first night — just minutes after we received that knock on our door from a mysterious stranger, the knock that potentially saved our lives. We also learned later that it was fortunate we had turned left rather than right after driving out of our cul-de-sac. Had we turned right, we might have run into the rapidly racing wall of flames that was approaching from many sides.”
In the fire was an incredible gift. “It is humbling and mind-boggling to think of all that we received that night — the gift of life. A stranger had miraculously wandered, amid the heat of raging fires, into an isolated cul-de-sac that was easy to miss because it had a different elevation from the main street. We have since found out that none of our neighbors in the cul-de-sac were home that weekend, and we have not been able to identify our Good Samaritan.” Because of the speed of the fire, the city had not yet issued an evacuation order.
Sounding like a prophet, Dr. Bansal says, “Fire is a powerful and destructive force, as well as a potentially purifying and healing force in just about all spiritual traditions. It is up to each person whether to treat fire’s destruction as a tragic loss or as an opportunity for transformation and healing. In the fire’s aftermath, I saw up close examples of both: people mourning and nearly broken apart by the loss of all their material possessions, and people humbled and broken open by the opportunity to purify and lighten…For me, it has become a source of positive energy and transformation. I am grateful to be alive and healthy. I am grateful for the generous selfless spirit of a stranger. And I am grateful for the opportunity for a new life — to clear the rubble, to let go of and purify all the things and all the ways of being and seeing that in the end do not serve me or others.”
* * *
Hebrews 11:29--12:2
Slow Time
The letter to the Hebrews reminds the listener of the long unfolding of faith over centuries. All of that weight of time has added up into the great cloud of witnesses surrounding the faithful.
We, who love things to be fast and faster, lose that sweep of time. Artist Durriya Kazi calls us back to an appreciation of the slow. “Daniel Kahneman, in his bestseller Thinking, Fast and Slow, emphasises the need for both fast thinking — often automatic actions, such as judging distances when driving — and slow thinking — deliberation to thoroughly examine a matter, to understand all possibilities, before coming to any conclusion. It may be as simple as parking a car in a tight space or making a decision about a business strategy. Thinking fast means the mind will turn to prior solutions. Thinking slow allows new ideas to emerge.
“There is a general perception that slowing down is wasting time or indicates laziness, while science suggests it is an important way to replenish the mind and generate new ideas. It is possibly more productive than communicating at the rate of 1,000,000,000 bits a second on one’s digital device…Here lies the value of slowing down — to notice, observe, process and evolve our responses, whether we are paying attention to our children, our friends and life partners, or conducting market research, writing a journalistic report or planning a strategy for peace.”
Kazi adds, “We save time by making time.” As the Swiss say, “No shortcuts today, I am in a hurry.”
* * *
Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19
Abandoned Places
A vineyard gone wild. A good creation abandoned by God. Both Isaiah and the psalmist use the image of a wild space to show the absence of God. The psalmist recalls, “You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.” And then comes the question, “Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?” Speaking for God, the prophet Isaiah uses the same language. “And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.”
Lily Yeh understands the desolation of an empty place — and the power of reclaiming it. She “took on an initiative that transformed an abandoned lot in inner-city north Philadelphia into an art park. The park blossomed into the Village of Arts and Humanities — an organization that has built many more art parks and gardens, renovated abandoned homes, and created educational programs, art workshops, after-school programs, a youth theater, and joyful community celebrations.”
She says that art is a way to rebuild important spaces. “So, my work is to awaken other people’s creativity…I always joke (maybe it’s not a joke) [laughing], I just kind of trick everybody because I want to do art; I want to bring color. I want to do big scale, like with broken lands, broken villages — big scale — but I can’t do it by myself. So first I entice children. They always like color, and children will participate, make something nice. I get them to paint and I honor their art by making some of it public art. Then the adults get interested…Before we can do anything else, like growing food or flowers or bringing skills — that all takes time — we can start making art, bringing colors, creating patterns and working together. That brings action into the village. In a way, art is so immediate. It brings people joy, it provides them opportunities to work together, and it builds community.”
For Yeh, the devastation, like the broken vineyards in the scriptures, has a spiritual meaning. “I could not have found my path if I was not provided the opportunity to work in the broken landscape of North Philadelphia. I would not have understood the depth of endurance and compassion, the human ability not only to survive but to remake oneself and to turn from destruction to construction.”
The physical reclaiming is also a spiritual reclaiming, as spaces are transformed.
* * * * * *
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Luke 12:49-56
“division” διαμερισμόν
The Greek term rendered “division” in v. 51, and words based on that root in vv. 52-53 is the root of the English word “diametrical.” This is not a mere difference of opinion over something trivial like how to fold the napkins at Thanksgiving. Jesus’ divisions are stark and severe. These verses are the only place in the gospels that this Greek term appears.
* * *
Luke 12:49-56
Predicting the weather
In the last three verses of this week’s gospel reading Jesus tells his listeners that they can interpret the sky to predict the weather — who doesn’t do that?
In his “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” Bob Dylan sang, “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” This may have been an allusion to today’s reading.
That line from the Dylan song gave The Weather Underground, a radical offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society its name. TWU committed acts of what we would now call domestic terrorism in the early 1970s.
* * *
Psalm 82
The Lord is moderating a Session meeting
…and the Ruling Elders are other, lesser, gods. There’s some ambiguity in v. 5 that’s worth exploring. It is not clear who has “neither knowledge nor understanding” and “walks around in darkness.” It could be the weak and needy mentioned in v. 4, but my money is on the other, lesser, gods.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
One: Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!
All: Stir up your might, and come to save us!
One: Turn again, O God, look down from heaven and see.
All: Give us life, and we will call on your name.
One: Restore us, O Lord God of hosts.
All: Let your face shine, that we may be saved.
OR
One: Lift up you hearts to the God of all creation!
All: We offer our praise and our hearts to our God.
One: Join with all creation in praising our creating God.
All: Glory to you, O God who is ever creating.
One: Let us honor God by caring for God’s creation.
All: We will be faithful stewards of God’s gifts to us.
Hymns and Songs
For the Beauty of the Earth
UMH: 92
H82: 416
PH: 473
NNBH: 8
NCH: 28
CH: 56
LBW: 561
ELW: 879
W&P: 40
AMEC: 578
STLT: 21
I Sing the Almighty Power of God
UMH: 152
H82: 398
PH: 288
NCH: 12
W&P: 31
Renew: 54
I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath
UMH: 60
H82: 429
PH: 253
CH: 20
Hope of the World
UMH: 178
H82: 472
PH: 360
NCH: 46
CH: 538
LBW: 493
W&P: 404
Ye Servants of God
UMH: 181
H82: 535
PH: 477
NCH: 305
CH: 110
LBW: 252
W&P: 112
Morning Has Broken
UMH: 145
H82: 8
PH: 469
CH: 53
ELW: 556
W&P: 35
STLT: 38
This Is My Father’s World
UMH: 144
H82: 651
PH: 293
AAHH: 149
NNBH: 41
CH: 59
LBW: 554
ELW: 824
W&P: 21
AMEC: 47
God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens
UMH: 150
H82: 580
PH: 268
NCH: 556
CH: 651
LBW: 463
ELW: 771
W&P: 644
O Zion, Haste
UMH: 573
H82: 539
NNBH: 422
LBW: 397
ELW: 668
AMEC: 566
God of Grace and God of Glory
UMH: 577
H82: 594/595
PH: 420
NCH: 436
CH: 464
LBW: 415
ELW: 705
W&P: 569
AMEC: 62
STLT: 115
Renew: 301
As the Deer
CCB: 83
Renew: 9
Sing Unto the Lord a New Song
CCB: 16
Renew: 99
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who creates all that was, is, or ever shall be:
Grant us the wisdom to see your handiwork in all creation
and to honor you as we care for all that you have made.
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We glorify you, O God, creator of all that was, is, or ever shall be. We see your creative hand in all the world around us. Help us to honor you as we care for all that you have made. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially destructive of God’s creation.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have given us a wonderful world and we not cared for it properly. We have wasted the earth’s resources. We have polluted the air, the water, and the soil. We have driven species to extinction without regard for you having created them and calling them good. We consume far more than we need. We have choked the earth with our waste. We ignore those who tell us that we are poisoning ourselves and all life on earth. Forgive us and give us the courage to face the consequences of our sins. Give us the will to amend our ways. Amen.
One: God created the world and created us as its stewards. Receive God’s grace and be faithful stewards of all God has entrusted to our care.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory to you, O God, creator of heaven and earth. All of creation sings of your power and love.
(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 have given us a wonderful world and we not cared for it properly. We have wasted the earth's resources. We have polluted the air, the water, and the soil. We have driven species to extinction without regard for you having created them and calling them good. We consume far more than we need. We have choked the earth with our waste. We ignore those who tell us that we are poisoning ourselves and all life on earth. Forgive us and give us the courage to face the consequences of our sins. Give us the will to amend our ways.
We thank you for the earth and the abundance that sustains our lives. We thank you for the forests and the deserts; for the lakes and the oceans; for the plains and the mountains. We thank you for the mighty trees and the smallest flowers. You have provided a bountiful home for us and filled it with great beauty.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for our earth which we have abused and for the animal life that we have harmed. We pray for those who suffer because of the pollution we have caused. We lift up to you those who have denied a fair share of the earth’s bounty. We pray for ourselves that we will have the courage and the will to change our careless and thoughtless ways so that the earth and all who dwell on it may begin to heal.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Revitalization
by Katy Stenta
Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19
Do you know the myth of the Phoenix? The Phoenix is a mythical bird. It lives a really long time, and then it catches fire and becomes a baby and is reborn again.
Fire can work this way in forests sometimes. Forest fires can be scary but fire can be used to kill off dead plants and help to put nutrients back in the land. Where I live, right by a swamp and forest preserve called Pine Bush, we have prescribed fires. These fires are set on purpose every year to help revitalize the land.
In Psalm 80, the land has been cleared and then put to fire. Perhaps this is a way to renew the land.
It is so important to take care of the land, and not to suppress natural things, even the things we do not like. Sometimes when it rains, we do not like it but it is necessary. Every season is specific and important for the earth.
It is all of humanity’s job to take care of the earth, not just one person’s job, this Bible passage is talking about the community. So, when we feel bad or are trying to take care of the earth let’s try to work as a community to do better.
Dear God,
Help us,
as a community,
and world,
to renew and take care of your world,
and the people in it.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 14, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 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.
- Holy Heart Burn by Chris Keating. Jesus’ declaration that he comes to bring division and not peace is a harsh reminder of the kingdom’s disruption of our lives and world.
- Wild Growth by Quantisha Mason-Doll. Based on Isaiah 5:1-7.
- Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: Revitalization by Katy Stenta.

by Chris Keating
Luke 12:49-56
Preachers tackling Luke 12:49-56 might be advised to pass out Tums to the congregation. These words of Jesus are going to burn hotter than nachos layered with habaneros, jalapeños, scotch bonnet peppers and topped with a liberal sprinkling of Carolina Reaper chilis, the world’s hottest peppers.
This is not Jesus so meek and mild. This is not a safe Jesus who offers platitudes and compliments. Here’s the one of whom John said will baptize with fire. Jesus’ promise to bring division evokes the memory of Anna telling Mary that a sword shall pierce her own heart. By the sounds of things in Luke 12:49-56, Jesus is more of a home-wrecking, heartburn inducing storm-chaser than a candidate for the Nobel peace prize.
He calls us to pay attention to the signs of the times, and to realize that the realm of God will challenge a faith wed to a culture that prioritizes materialism over justice and comfort over compassion. There ought to be a warning label attached to this text: “Contents may be unstable.”
Given the unsettled nature of the world, preachers may elect to preach on something else — something less inducing of indigestion. Our world, our families, even our churches are already split into factions. We are watching wildfires torch the earth and are sweating through record-breaking heatwaves. Signs of a changing climate abound, including wide-spread flooding across the Midwest. “But why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” Jesus asks.
It’s a question he asks of those who have been listening to his teaching, and a question that reminds us of the transformation Jesus will bring. The promises he offers will eventually bring more relief than a handful of Tums following a plateful of tamales.
In the News
Americans are riding through a summer heatwave of societal division that has grown significantly hotter since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. A report issued this week by Axio-Ipsos shows that Americans are more divided than ever. From December, 2021 through May 2022, there was a brief window where Americans were beginning to show more openness to divergent opinions.
But that window slammed shut June 24 with the arrival of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health. About 85% of Democrats say they have “little to nothing in common” with Republicans, up ten points from the previous month. "The abortion ruling is really being felt more strongly on one side, the Democratic side. Independents, I think, are just sort of looking at the whole thing and disgusted... sort of a plague-on-both-your-houses dynamic,” said Chris Jackson, a pollster for Ipsos.
None of this is particularly surprising to anyone familiar with contemporary culture. The Axos’ “Two America Index” tracks areas of division and unity in the nation. The index now shows that more Americans than before take into consideration politics before moving to another state. More than half of those considering a move to a new state report that the new state’s politics and cultural ideologies influence their decision. Many of both Democrats and Republicans say that they have considered moving to a state that better reflects their personal politics.
Our political divisions reach well beyond Washington’s corridors into suburban sidewalks and everyday life. The divisions of Congress are mirrored in American’s circles of friends. About 60 percent of both Republicans and Democrats report having few, if any, friends from different political parties. As an NBC analyst remarked:
Those are some deeply reinforced bubbles full of people who are likely to hold similar views on the topics Washington is attempting to tackle — from gun control to taxes.
Taken together, the numbers suggest there is no quick cure-all for the political discord in Washington. The divides are sharp and real and, to some extent, bubbling up from the electorate.
But notice one real-world implication of our divisions: this month 54% of Democrats say they have not shared a meal with Republicans, up eight points from the month before.
In the Scriptures
Luke 12:49-56 does not offer much solace to Christians wearied by divisions of churches, families, or countries. Not only are these complicated sayings tone deaf to contemporary realities, but they also seem contradictory to Luke’s recurring themes of peace and unity. The words and images are also problematic. Jesus speaks of fire torching the earth, yet we are faced with more than 70 wildfires in our nation alone. A preacher’s first task will be to tease out the differences between these words and the mission of whose birth was heralded as a harbinger of peace (2:33), one who came “to guide our feet into the way of peace” (1:79).
But Luke has also reminded us that Jesus’ life shall become a sword that pierces even the heart of his own mother (2:35), an indicator that there is more happening in these sayings than meets the eye. While these passages, among others, have been co-opted to prop up schism and theological family feuds, they first need to be interpreted within the context Luke offers.
He is headed to Jerusalem — headed, that is, toward conflict that shall pierce the hearts of his family and followers. In addition, as Fred Craddock reminds us, Jesus shall become the “crisis of the world,” (Luke, Interpretation Commentary, quoting John 12:31). In both Luke and Matthew’s presentation of these sayings, there is an urgency that refuses equivocation. The disciples are to be dressed for action (12:35), eager to welcome the host of the wedding banquet (12:36ff).
The parable of the faithful and prudent manager that immediately precedes this pericope heightens Jesus’ sense of urgency. The disciples are commended to lives of watchfulness and expectation and adjured to avoid becoming dulled in waiting for the master’s return. The sayings in chapter 12 express these sorts of eschatological overtones, giving notes of the importance of faith’s urgent anticipation of the reign of God.
Within the pericope itself, Jesus directs our movement through a series of sayings that ripple with energy. Images of fire, baptism, and familial division are meant to be descriptive of the church’s mission, and not necessarily a congregational to-do list. As Audrey West notes (Feasting on the Word, Year C, Proper 15), “it is not Jesus' purpose to set children against their parents, or parents against their children….(but to recall that) this sort of rupture can be the result of the changes engendered by Christ's work.”
Sorting through these tough verses will push a preacher’s exegetical limits, but can result in a fruitful reconsideration of the overarching themes of Jesus’ push toward Jerusalem. Christ asks us to reflect on whether or not we have been paying attention, even as he reminds us, “From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required.”
In the Sermon
“Heartburn Jesus,” isn’t a country song but it might be the title of this week’s sermon. Preaching on these aphorisms — or any of Jesus’ sayings — requires a different sort of approach than preparing a sermon on a parable or narrative. The strands of the sayings are tangled worse than yarn hiding in the Christian education craft closet, but with patience (and prayer!), it may be possible to help alleviate the preacher’s initial indigestion.
The preacher’s work will involve serving the spiciest of these nuggets in ways the congregation can experience the transforming fire of Jesus’ message. As the congregation’s homiletical chef, the preacher approaches the preparation of this meal fully aware that the ingredients themselves are potent and will not require a lot of additional flavors.
One possibility would be recall that fire both purifies and destroys. While James and John wished to fire-bomb the Samaritan cities that did not receive them, Jesus brings the transforming fire of the peace of God.
Begin by noticing that Jesus himself is stressed. In the stress of the moment, Jesus takes a self-differentiating stance that reminds the disciples that peacemaking is different from maintaining the veneer of peacefulness. Edwin Friedman’s use of family systems theory in leadership settings (see Failure of Nerve) suggests that such “peace mongering” is actually a manifestation of anxiety and a lack of self-differentiation. Such leaders, notes Friedman, are invariably nice “if not charming,” but lack backbone and resolve to navigate difficulty.
Pass around the Pepcid, and chew on some Tums. Dip into the Gospel’s fiery salsa this week by preaching about the heartburn of Christ. Preach the heart-burning Jesus who calls the disciples to radical dependence on God, which replaces anxiety (12:22), and is not lulled to complacency or unaware of the currents around them. Chew on the promises offered to those who strive for the kingdom, and don’t be surprised that our digging deep into this message changes our indigestion into heart-burning faith.
Then, like the disciples at Emmaus, our hearts will burn within us.
* * * * *

Wild Growth
by Quantisha Mason-Doll
Isaiah 5:1-7
The prophet Isaiah opens our eyes to what happens when we become too insular and assume we know what is for the best for God’s kingdom. Once again Isaiah uses the humble grape as a metaphor or a stand in for humanity.
Interesting fact about grapes: they are an extremely resilient crop. Resilient crops are ones that can deal with extreme fluctuations and environmental elements and still survive. This is something that has become extremely important as the looming reality of climate change presses in on us. More than 90% of global deforestation building farmland to produce mono crops. Vineyards are not a large part of deforestation yet they do take up a lot of land. If they are going to take up a lot of land they must produce well in order to justify their presence there. I’m pretty sure we can say the same thing for people.
There is this assumption that we have to produce in order to justify our presence. Unfortunately, humanity gets caught up in the notion that it is better to produce a lot poorly than produce a few things of good quality. It’s the idea that more is more is better. We see this in nature — abundance being created when one seed takes root and produces a plant. For the plant, that one successful seed is worth the waste of 100,000 seeds simply because their legacies live on. We cannot take that same approach with humanity and our relationship to God.
Grapes require very little in the way of specialized care in order to produce fruit, yet if you want to produce something remarkable, great effort is required. Fertile ground is amazing but grapes will grow just about anywhere. Isaiah paints this image of a vineyard producing only rotten fruit even though it seems as if there was expert care provided. It makes me think of the one bad apple out of one hundred. People want to lift up the 99 good bits but forget that all it takes is one infection to decimate a population. Look at monocultural farming practices and the kind of impact it has on both humans and nature. Mono crops, over time, become susceptible to inbreeding, disease, rot, or other environmental elements that will hinder the growth of healthy plants. It does not matter how nutritious the soil is, if a sick plant is present it will not produce healthy fruit.
How do I alleviate this problem? God has set forth an example — we have to tear down the walls, destroy the hedges, and allow the earth and ourselves to do what we are supposed to do —grow wild. In the case of plants, hybridization or the introduction of new, healthier genes into an insular population often produces stronger, healthier plants. I choose to believe this is the overall message that is trying to be delivered in the prophecy of Isaiah. The removal of obstacles or barriers allows for nature to take its due course. In the words of Isaiah, God expected humanity and creation to always seek justice, to always seek righteousness, and to always turn toward God. This looks like opening ourselves up to new and healthier things and realities.
ILLUSTRATIONS

Isaiah 5:1-7
Barred from the Vineyard
Using the image of the vineyard for the nation of Israel, the prophet Isaiah talks about its beauty. “My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill.” Still, there’s a bitter disappointment in the vineyard, as the nation chooses to be untrue to God.
Yomi Sachiko Wong finds a similar disappointment at the gate to another beautiful place, its beauty rendered hollow by unfaithful people. Waiting at the entrance in her wheelchair, she says, “King Estates Open Space Park is a verdant area of native grasses, wildflowers, and spectacular vistas overlooking the San Francisco Bay. During the darkest days of the pandemic, sheltered at home and half-crazed with fear, my daily sojourns here replenished and sustained me. But today I am shut out, blocked from the most usable entrance to the park by a poorly designed and inaccessible chain-link fence. The City of Oakland Department of Parks and Recreation hastily erected the barrier at the request of a few vocal homeowners angry about the recent increase in park use.”
For her, the vineyard of the park is a place of respite. She says, “when the rest of the world spins out of control, being here in my park calms and centers me. I feel my body unclench and relax moment by moment as I lead my pup up the gentle, hard dirt trail, home to so many plant and animal siblings. Passing through the oak grove, I meditate or sing or talk to God and the trees, both one and the same to me. As we curve around and join a paved trail, I inhale deeply. A gorgeous vista unfolds. The magnificent bay below is mine to be with. This place has my whole heart.”
The City of Oakland is as shabby a steward as the nation of Israel once was, as we all often are. Isaiah invites us into more faithful care for the people and places that belong to God, and most especially, faithfulness in our own lives.
* * *
Luke 12:49-56
What’s Everybody So Mad About
Jesus is not just here to rearrange the furniture! He is on fire for change, using his anger for God’s purposes.
We’re all mad about something these days, and psychologist Gail Brenner advises, “It’s easier to feel anger than hurt. Anger tends to be a surface emotion. But if you look at what is driving the anger, you will often find hurt, pain, or fear. Can you tell the truth to yourself about what you are actually feeling?” She also notes, evoking the fire that Jesus talks about, “Anger has a strong physical component. Bring out the microscope when you are angry, and you will find strong physical sensations — tightness, contraction, burning. Anger is a fiery emotion full of energy. If you don’t want to be caught in anger, bring your attention right into these physical sensations.”
Interestingly, she adds, “Perfectionists are angry. Are you a perfectionist? Then take an honest look at what you are saying to yourself. You will undoubtedly find a repetitive loop playing in your mind that is harsher than you might imagine. Don’t kid yourself — this is anger. If you don’t want to be a slave to your perfectionist tendencies, then go to the root of the problem and learn to meet your anger with love.”
For Jesus, anger always serves a larger purpose for God’s work. May it be that ours does the same.
* * *
Luke 12:49-56, Jeremiah 23:23-29
Fire
Both Jesus and Jeremiah use fire as a symbol for purifying the world, for ending an old system and beginning a new way. Dr. Jay Bansal had a similar experience with an actual fire in a past wildfire season in California. He recalls that it all started when a neighbor banged on their door and yelled that the neighborhood was on fire. He and his wife and two children jumped in the car and fled, with no time to pack anything. “Thus began a long and strange night, followed by several long and strange months, the significance of which I am only now beginning to unpack.” Watching the progress of the fire on the news, he assumed that both their home and his medical office had been destroyed. It took more than three weeks to be able to enter the area.
Dr. Bansal says, “A few weeks later, when the New York Times reported on the progress of the racing inferno, we learned that our house had likely burned down completely around 1:30 to 1:45 am on that first night — just minutes after we received that knock on our door from a mysterious stranger, the knock that potentially saved our lives. We also learned later that it was fortunate we had turned left rather than right after driving out of our cul-de-sac. Had we turned right, we might have run into the rapidly racing wall of flames that was approaching from many sides.”
In the fire was an incredible gift. “It is humbling and mind-boggling to think of all that we received that night — the gift of life. A stranger had miraculously wandered, amid the heat of raging fires, into an isolated cul-de-sac that was easy to miss because it had a different elevation from the main street. We have since found out that none of our neighbors in the cul-de-sac were home that weekend, and we have not been able to identify our Good Samaritan.” Because of the speed of the fire, the city had not yet issued an evacuation order.
Sounding like a prophet, Dr. Bansal says, “Fire is a powerful and destructive force, as well as a potentially purifying and healing force in just about all spiritual traditions. It is up to each person whether to treat fire’s destruction as a tragic loss or as an opportunity for transformation and healing. In the fire’s aftermath, I saw up close examples of both: people mourning and nearly broken apart by the loss of all their material possessions, and people humbled and broken open by the opportunity to purify and lighten…For me, it has become a source of positive energy and transformation. I am grateful to be alive and healthy. I am grateful for the generous selfless spirit of a stranger. And I am grateful for the opportunity for a new life — to clear the rubble, to let go of and purify all the things and all the ways of being and seeing that in the end do not serve me or others.”
* * *
Hebrews 11:29--12:2
Slow Time
The letter to the Hebrews reminds the listener of the long unfolding of faith over centuries. All of that weight of time has added up into the great cloud of witnesses surrounding the faithful.
We, who love things to be fast and faster, lose that sweep of time. Artist Durriya Kazi calls us back to an appreciation of the slow. “Daniel Kahneman, in his bestseller Thinking, Fast and Slow, emphasises the need for both fast thinking — often automatic actions, such as judging distances when driving — and slow thinking — deliberation to thoroughly examine a matter, to understand all possibilities, before coming to any conclusion. It may be as simple as parking a car in a tight space or making a decision about a business strategy. Thinking fast means the mind will turn to prior solutions. Thinking slow allows new ideas to emerge.
“There is a general perception that slowing down is wasting time or indicates laziness, while science suggests it is an important way to replenish the mind and generate new ideas. It is possibly more productive than communicating at the rate of 1,000,000,000 bits a second on one’s digital device…Here lies the value of slowing down — to notice, observe, process and evolve our responses, whether we are paying attention to our children, our friends and life partners, or conducting market research, writing a journalistic report or planning a strategy for peace.”
Kazi adds, “We save time by making time.” As the Swiss say, “No shortcuts today, I am in a hurry.”
* * *
Isaiah 5:1-7, Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19
Abandoned Places
A vineyard gone wild. A good creation abandoned by God. Both Isaiah and the psalmist use the image of a wild space to show the absence of God. The psalmist recalls, “You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land.” And then comes the question, “Why then have you broken down its walls, so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?” Speaking for God, the prophet Isaiah uses the same language. “And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.”
Lily Yeh understands the desolation of an empty place — and the power of reclaiming it. She “took on an initiative that transformed an abandoned lot in inner-city north Philadelphia into an art park. The park blossomed into the Village of Arts and Humanities — an organization that has built many more art parks and gardens, renovated abandoned homes, and created educational programs, art workshops, after-school programs, a youth theater, and joyful community celebrations.”
She says that art is a way to rebuild important spaces. “So, my work is to awaken other people’s creativity…I always joke (maybe it’s not a joke) [laughing], I just kind of trick everybody because I want to do art; I want to bring color. I want to do big scale, like with broken lands, broken villages — big scale — but I can’t do it by myself. So first I entice children. They always like color, and children will participate, make something nice. I get them to paint and I honor their art by making some of it public art. Then the adults get interested…Before we can do anything else, like growing food or flowers or bringing skills — that all takes time — we can start making art, bringing colors, creating patterns and working together. That brings action into the village. In a way, art is so immediate. It brings people joy, it provides them opportunities to work together, and it builds community.”
For Yeh, the devastation, like the broken vineyards in the scriptures, has a spiritual meaning. “I could not have found my path if I was not provided the opportunity to work in the broken landscape of North Philadelphia. I would not have understood the depth of endurance and compassion, the human ability not only to survive but to remake oneself and to turn from destruction to construction.”
The physical reclaiming is also a spiritual reclaiming, as spaces are transformed.
* * * * * *

Luke 12:49-56
“division” διαμερισμόν
The Greek term rendered “division” in v. 51, and words based on that root in vv. 52-53 is the root of the English word “diametrical.” This is not a mere difference of opinion over something trivial like how to fold the napkins at Thanksgiving. Jesus’ divisions are stark and severe. These verses are the only place in the gospels that this Greek term appears.
* * *
Luke 12:49-56
Predicting the weather
In the last three verses of this week’s gospel reading Jesus tells his listeners that they can interpret the sky to predict the weather — who doesn’t do that?
In his “Subterranean Homesick Blues,” Bob Dylan sang, “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.” This may have been an allusion to today’s reading.
That line from the Dylan song gave The Weather Underground, a radical offshoot of Students for a Democratic Society its name. TWU committed acts of what we would now call domestic terrorism in the early 1970s.
* * *
Psalm 82
The Lord is moderating a Session meeting
…and the Ruling Elders are other, lesser, gods. There’s some ambiguity in v. 5 that’s worth exploring. It is not clear who has “neither knowledge nor understanding” and “walks around in darkness.” It could be the weak and needy mentioned in v. 4, but my money is on the other, lesser, gods.
* * * * * *

by George Reed
Call to Worship:
One: Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock!
All: Stir up your might, and come to save us!
One: Turn again, O God, look down from heaven and see.
All: Give us life, and we will call on your name.
One: Restore us, O Lord God of hosts.
All: Let your face shine, that we may be saved.
OR
One: Lift up you hearts to the God of all creation!
All: We offer our praise and our hearts to our God.
One: Join with all creation in praising our creating God.
All: Glory to you, O God who is ever creating.
One: Let us honor God by caring for God’s creation.
All: We will be faithful stewards of God’s gifts to us.
Hymns and Songs
For the Beauty of the Earth
UMH: 92
H82: 416
PH: 473
NNBH: 8
NCH: 28
CH: 56
LBW: 561
ELW: 879
W&P: 40
AMEC: 578
STLT: 21
I Sing the Almighty Power of God
UMH: 152
H82: 398
PH: 288
NCH: 12
W&P: 31
Renew: 54
I’ll Praise My Maker While I’ve Breath
UMH: 60
H82: 429
PH: 253
CH: 20
Hope of the World
UMH: 178
H82: 472
PH: 360
NCH: 46
CH: 538
LBW: 493
W&P: 404
Ye Servants of God
UMH: 181
H82: 535
PH: 477
NCH: 305
CH: 110
LBW: 252
W&P: 112
Morning Has Broken
UMH: 145
H82: 8
PH: 469
CH: 53
ELW: 556
W&P: 35
STLT: 38
This Is My Father’s World
UMH: 144
H82: 651
PH: 293
AAHH: 149
NNBH: 41
CH: 59
LBW: 554
ELW: 824
W&P: 21
AMEC: 47
God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens
UMH: 150
H82: 580
PH: 268
NCH: 556
CH: 651
LBW: 463
ELW: 771
W&P: 644
O Zion, Haste
UMH: 573
H82: 539
NNBH: 422
LBW: 397
ELW: 668
AMEC: 566
God of Grace and God of Glory
UMH: 577
H82: 594/595
PH: 420
NCH: 436
CH: 464
LBW: 415
ELW: 705
W&P: 569
AMEC: 62
STLT: 115
Renew: 301
As the Deer
CCB: 83
Renew: 9
Sing Unto the Lord a New Song
CCB: 16
Renew: 99
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who creates all that was, is, or ever shall be:
Grant us the wisdom to see your handiwork in all creation
and to honor you as we care for all that you have made.
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We glorify you, O God, creator of all that was, is, or ever shall be. We see your creative hand in all the world around us. Help us to honor you as we care for all that you have made. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially destructive of God’s creation.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have given us a wonderful world and we not cared for it properly. We have wasted the earth’s resources. We have polluted the air, the water, and the soil. We have driven species to extinction without regard for you having created them and calling them good. We consume far more than we need. We have choked the earth with our waste. We ignore those who tell us that we are poisoning ourselves and all life on earth. Forgive us and give us the courage to face the consequences of our sins. Give us the will to amend our ways. Amen.
One: God created the world and created us as its stewards. Receive God’s grace and be faithful stewards of all God has entrusted to our care.
Prayers of the People
Praise and glory to you, O God, creator of heaven and earth. All of creation sings of your power and love.
(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 have given us a wonderful world and we not cared for it properly. We have wasted the earth's resources. We have polluted the air, the water, and the soil. We have driven species to extinction without regard for you having created them and calling them good. We consume far more than we need. We have choked the earth with our waste. We ignore those who tell us that we are poisoning ourselves and all life on earth. Forgive us and give us the courage to face the consequences of our sins. Give us the will to amend our ways.
We thank you for the earth and the abundance that sustains our lives. We thank you for the forests and the deserts; for the lakes and the oceans; for the plains and the mountains. We thank you for the mighty trees and the smallest flowers. You have provided a bountiful home for us and filled it with great beauty.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for our earth which we have abused and for the animal life that we have harmed. We pray for those who suffer because of the pollution we have caused. We lift up to you those who have denied a fair share of the earth’s bounty. We pray for ourselves that we will have the courage and the will to change our careless and thoughtless ways so that the earth and all who dwell on it may begin to heal.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
* * * * * *

Revitalization
by Katy Stenta
Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19
Do you know the myth of the Phoenix? The Phoenix is a mythical bird. It lives a really long time, and then it catches fire and becomes a baby and is reborn again.
Fire can work this way in forests sometimes. Forest fires can be scary but fire can be used to kill off dead plants and help to put nutrients back in the land. Where I live, right by a swamp and forest preserve called Pine Bush, we have prescribed fires. These fires are set on purpose every year to help revitalize the land.
In Psalm 80, the land has been cleared and then put to fire. Perhaps this is a way to renew the land.
It is so important to take care of the land, and not to suppress natural things, even the things we do not like. Sometimes when it rains, we do not like it but it is necessary. Every season is specific and important for the earth.
It is all of humanity’s job to take care of the earth, not just one person’s job, this Bible passage is talking about the community. So, when we feel bad or are trying to take care of the earth let’s try to work as a community to do better.
Dear God,
Help us,
as a community,
and world,
to renew and take care of your world,
and the people in it.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 14, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 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.