Humility -- It's What's For Dinner
Children's sermon
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Object:
In this week’s lectionary gospel text, Jesus tells guests at a party -- who’ve been competing for prime spots at the dinner table -- that in God’s eyes our quest for status and the trappings of prestige are utterly meaningless. Rather, Jesus says, God prizes humility... and he notes that when we give a banquet it should not be for the rich and famous; instead we are to “invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.” As he memorably puts it elsewhere, the first shall be last and the last shall be first.
Team member Chris Keating suggests in this installment of The Immediate Word that the experience Jesus addresses may well resonate with many of the athletes who participated in the Rio Olympics. After years of rigorous training in relative (if not complete) anonymity, they emerged into the global consciousness for a fortnight. But now that the games have concluded, Chris points out, with a handful of exceptions most will experience the humility of returning to lives out of the spotlight. While they will have memories of competing (and in some cases medals for their achievements), many will learn the lesson which Jesus lifts up -- that the humble virtues of preparing ourselves to live for others offer far greater rewards than those associated with global fame and superstardom... something we all need to be reminded of as we lust for worldly success.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the Hebrews passage and its “rules of the road” for healthy Christian living that pleases God. Mary compares them to the basic rules of consideration for runners, who must take care of each other and of their bodies -- rules which apply equally to Olympians and to average “weekend warriors.” Likewise, Mary points out, the rules outlined by the writer of Hebrews are not just addressed to those of extraordinary faith -- they also apply to us in our everyday lives, and provide a thumbnail guidebook of basic consideration for God, others, and ourselves.
Humility -- It’s What’s for Dinner
by Chris Keating
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Tall and tan, and young and lovely -- the athletes are now returning from Rio. The jazzy beats and sandy beaches are already beginning to fade from view as the arenas turn silent and the press conferences end. Some Olympians will land lucrative endorsements and eye-popping contracts, while others will make their way into less glamorous jobs.
But once the Olympic cauldron is extinguished, many athletes may find themselves wrestling with the sort of dilemma Jesus describes while eating at the home of a Pharisee. Watching guests clamor for first place, Jesus reminds those gathered around the table that humility is worth more than a dozen gold medals.
Jesus’ parable is a reminder of how the values of the kingdom contrast with the values we often prize. He tells his fellow diners that those first on God’s guest list are hardly the “A” celebrities who strut down red carpets. Jesus suggests that humility leads to rewards greater than fleeting fame.
Going home from Rio may be a challenge for some, especially if they’ve generated more stares than that glitzy girl from Ipanema. Ryan Lochte, the U.S. swimmer embroiled in an embarrassing post-competition incident, is learning that lesson already. In the aftermath of what some have called Lochtegate, the swimmer enlisted help from a public relations firm skilled in crisis management to guide him in addressing his missteps. Yet Lochte is hardly alone in learning how to deal with life post-Olympics. Following the Beijing games, his teammate Michael Phelps descended into what he called “the darkest place you could ever imagine,” and many other cases of post-Olympic depression are well documented.
When the Rio roller coaster stops, it stops harder than Usain Bolt following the 4x100 meter relay. The road home can be bumpy and even more daunting than training for the Olympics. Many may discover, as Jesus says, “that all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
In the News
Torrential rain did little to dampen the spirits of those attending last Sunday’s spectacular Olympic closing ceremonies. While many had predicted that the Rio games would be fraught with difficulties, the carnival-inspired closer celebrated all that had gone well. Like the guests scurrying for places of honor in Jesus’ parable, Olympic officials were quick to boast in the game’s achievements.
International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach called the games “marvelous” and inspiring. “Over the last 16 days a united Brazil inspired the world, in difficult times for all of us, with its irresistible joy for life,” said Bach. Commentators suggested that the games will be remembered most of all for what didn’t happen. Despite concerns over the environment, a tenuous political situation within Brazil, and numerous safety worries, Rio somehow managed to pull it together.
They somehow showed that the least of these could become the greatest -- if only for a few days.
Fears that venues would not be ready were allayed, providing spaces for athletes to claim 27 world records. Most importantly, there were no terrorist attacks or security breaches during the games -- allowing the light of the Olympic cauldron to shine most brightly on the athletes.
For the athletes, however, the real letdown begins when the lights dim and the celebrations end. It’s humbling, to say the least.
The Olympic tilt-a-whirl jolts to a stop, spitting out adrenalin-drained athletes back into the slow-paced midway of regular life. The humbling of an athletic superstar is a time of readjustment, loss, and fragile emotions. The one who had just been exalted may struggle to stand up.
Allison Schmitt, a swimmer who won three gold medals in 2012, described the post-Olympic blues as a deep depression tinged with fear of being isolated. “I didn’t want to show my weakness,” said Schmitt. It’s not just the pace of the Olympics, or the shedding of a locker-room game face. It’s the end of years of training, and the disappearing adulation of fans.
It’s also a matter of economics: the 11,000 athletes who return from Rio this week sometimes struggle to find jobs that enable them to balance training and competing. Don’t look for Nick Delpopolo, a team USA judo athlete, on a Wheaties box anytime soon. You’re more likely to find him teaching judo, working at clothing stores, mowing lawns, and even babysitting to pay the bills. Think of it as an Olympic hero entering the gig economy.
But the emotional wear and tear can perhaps be most humbling.
Swimmers Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps both fell into the deep end of emotional struggles following their award-winning Olympic appearances. After trying his hand at acting and selling real estate, Spitz attempted a swimming comeback at age 42. He didn’t make the cut. Likewise, Phelps spent a stint in rehab following the London games.
Psychologist and former athlete Caroline Silby noted that the experience of being humbled can prove demanding. “Some athletes go through a period of time... where they feel like an impostor,” she says. “They recognize that with a blink of an eye the result could have possibly turned out differently.... The instant idolization of their achievements can lead to intense and constant worry about rejection, criticism, and being ‘found out’ that they aren’t as good as everyone thinks -- or that they themselves think.”
Experts suggest that, on average, athletes spend nearly 5,000 hours over four years training for the Olympics. For some -- like Phelps -- the time preparing is higher. Those who exalt themselves yet fall short by even a split second may experience brutal humiliation. Swimmer Jerry Heidenreich, who would later join Spitz on the 1972 podium, missed qualifying for the 1968 games by .01 seconds.
Heidenreich would later go on to win two gold medals for team relays, and a bronze and silver for individual efforts. Yet he could never best Spitz in individual competition. He struggled with depression and alcoholism before taking his own life in 2002. As Maddie Crum notes, it would be easy to dismiss Heidenreich’s struggles by suggesting he was overconsumed by defeat. But she believes the broader lesson is reframing the hours and hours of training so that the inevitable end of a career isn’t such a hard stop. That doesn’t mean giving up hours of training, however. Instead, she coaches athletes to consider seeing beyond “the times, the numbers, and the wingspans, and looking instead at the racing hearts propelling their sculpted bodies forward.”
For Crum, looking beyond the Olympics means allowing yourself to become vulnerable with the family of athletes who have shared your quest. It’s less about “getting into the pool” and more about sharing life.
Or, as Jesus says, it becomes a matter as simple as finding the right place to sit at dinner.
In the Scriptures
Luke’s penchant for reversals -- recall Mary’s ode to upside-down living in Luke 1 -- is on full display in Luke 14. Jesus is headed to a dinner party. Just as the appetizers are about to be served, he notices something which may have struck him funny. Having been summoned to dinner, the guests are now preoccupied with seating arrangements. Rushing toward their seats, the guests clamor for seats like kids playing musical chairs. All in all, the scene feels a bit like a Three Stooges sketch -- yet for Jesus there is nothing funny about grabbing the seats of honor.
Or maybe it seems like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Simone Biles all trying to sit in the same seat. Biles springs over the table, while Phelps maneuvers and Bolt... well, bolts. Nyuk-nyuk-nyuk.
But Jesus isn’t laughing at the guests’ antics. Recall that Jesus has earlier chastened the Pharisees for chasing the seat of honor. Jesus is the model of servant-like behavior, and he calls the guests to pay attention to what really matters. It isn’t so much about grabbing the gold or finishing first. Push yourself enough and you’ll end up relishing success like Ryan Lochte, embarrassed and guaranteed a spot in what one writer called the Olympic “Hall of Shame.”
No, says Jesus, the values of the kingdom are different. Success is not determined by whether you stand on the platform wearing a medal, but rather through a humility modeled after Proverbs 25:6-7 -- “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.”
Jesus is modeling what it means to set aside cultural norms of honor. He redefines those standards by his admonition to include those who cannot repay the favor of being included. Forget the finely sculpted bodies and the young and tan. Instead of the “Girl from Ipanema,” go out and find the kids from the favelas.
That is the definition of winning which matters in the realm of God. Jesus is less concerned with fame and status than with an inclusive grace that values the marginalized, the humble, and the meek of the earth.
Mark Ralls, writing in Feasting on the Gospels, suggests that these parables speak to the basic shape and purpose of our lives. “What if the point of our lives is not about climbing all the right ladders of achievement and prestige and power? What if our true purpose is to slide down as many chutes as possible to offer compassion and service and love to all those on the rungs below?” (Feasting on the Gospels [Luke, Vol. 2], p. 66). Ralls is correct. The banquet looks beautiful, but the real feast comes as we chew on humility and pass on the hors d’oeuvres of status.
In the Sermon
Earlier today I stood in the church graveyard, under the funeral home’s familiar blue and white awning. Standing on the shiny artificial grass, I watched as Ruby’s family came forward to pay their last respects. Ruby, mother of five, grandmother of 10, and great-grandmother to a dozen, lay in repose with the casket open. I thought it strange to open the casket at the graveside, but it was their choice, not mine.
“Grandma Ruby never had much,” one of her grandsons said. “She didn’t care much about money. She didn’t care much about having a lot of things. She loved her jazz and she loved her children -- that was what was important to grandma.”
Among the things that Ruby had never really found in her life was a church. I soon understood the code words. She’d spent most of her adult life as a black woman in a largely white suburb where Sunday mornings are still the most segregated day of the week. I wondered which churches she had visited.
I looked at the dozen or so folks gathered in the graveyard. By any account, they were a mismatched set. Tattoos peeked out from backs of dresses, high heels poked into the wet grass, fancy dresses and work clothes mixed together. There were grieving teenagers glued to their smartphones, middle-aged children with moist eyes, friends who had not visited in years. One by one they smiled as someone told a memory of Grandma Ruby. She didn’t have much -- but she invested all she had in those she loved.
The exalted were humbled, and the humbled exalted.
She had run the race, fought the fight. She had endured segregation. She lived in neighborhoods where no doubt some did not welcome her presence. And now she had taken the victory lap and had received her reward. Miss Ruby was no Michael Phelps, of course. But there was no doubt that she had accumulated trophies more valuable than his armful of medals.
In this post-Olympic season, perhaps we need to set aside our preoccupation with greatness. Our sermons could focus the imagination of our congregation not just on the successes we’ve watched, but the favelas we did not see, the slums which were not televised. Put another way, our sermons could lead us into a conversation about who we might invite to sit with us at the Lord’s Table -- the neighbor in the big house up the street, or little Miss Ruby, an elderly black woman who never quite found a church where she belonged.
As I think of Miss Ruby, I think of the guests Jesus calls us to invite to our tables. Ruby never entered the doors of our church, and I believe my congregation is poorer because of that. “When you give a luncheon or a dinner,” says Jesus, “do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors...”
Humility -- it’s what’s for dinner.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
The Olympics offered drama and amazing feats of sport, but back home, millions of ordinary people are challenging themselves, doing things that used to be reserved for elite athletes. Marathons and half-marathons used to be extraordinary, and now are commonplace. In the U.S., in 2011 “more than half a million people finished a marathon... [and how] about the growing number of people who have accomplished some of the following: run 50 marathons in 50 states of the U.S., 50 marathons in 50 weekends, seven marathons on seven consecutive days (the Savage Seven is one such event), seven marathons in seven continents in seven days (the 7x7x7), running from coast to coast of the U.S., the Quadzilla (four marathons in four days) -- and any number of other such feats. There’s even the aptly named online community Marathon Maniacs, dedicated to bringing together such intrepid runners. It seems almost trivial to so much as mention running a plain old 26.2 miles these days.” Just a marathon? Yawn.
With all of that participation, some informal rules of the road have evolved to guide runners. Don’t spit. Wear appropriate clothing. Know your place. “With 10.5 million people in races in 2007, starting lines get crowded, especially when ambitious (or impatient) runners and walkers start too far in front. ‘At the Disney marathon, there were some walkers four or five abreast, holding balloons and singing,’ says [one runner]. ‘It was exhausting to get around them.’ If you find yourself slowing down, pull over to one side to let faster runners pass by.” Other rules help with training. Legendary marathoner and coach Alberto Salazar advises that the rules of running include wearing the right shoes, strengthening the whole body, and something that applies to life as well as running. “Tackle doubt head-on,” he says. “At some point you’re going to push yourself harder, you’re going to enter into a gray area that can be painful, and you’re going to doubt yourself. Push through it. Never think you are mentally weak.”
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews is also offering us rules of the road, this time for the journey of faith. Our lives in Christ have more in common with a marathon than a quick 5k, and the author gives us ways to live for this long race. Mutual love is to be our guide, as we look around for our fellow travelers and care for them. The author is clear that there is no solitary participation in this journey. Hospitality is an extension of this loving view of the world. As people are being jailed for their faith, the community is to remember those in prison, providing for them and encouraging them. Faithfulness in marriage extends this ethic of care into our most intimate, most powerful relationships.
Building on their faith, the community is to resist the allure of money and trust in God’s providing grace. The relationship with God holds more security than the things money can buy.
This all seems awfully familiar.
It feels more like a well-traveled walk around the neighborhood than an exciting race. These are old challenges, not new ones. And yet we never quite master them. No matter how seasoned our faith, there’s always a place where we can be more hospitable. We can always go deeper in our love for the people in our faith community. We can stop avoiding the aggravating members of the community, and strengthen our faith skills on the woman who runs the kitchen, or on the usher who is always grumpy. The sacrifice we offer is the gift of our everyday lives, fixed on this course that’s familiar but never mastered. Our time, our words, our emotions all point toward God, and give evidence of the presence of God within us and in our community.
Some rules of the road work equally well at the Olympics or around the neighborhood. Two of this year’s Olympic runners -- New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin and American Abbey D’Agostino -- won the rare Pierre de Coubertin medal, given for Olympic sportsmanship. Named for the founder of the modern Olympics, the medal has been given only 17 times previously. Hamblin and D’Agostino collided in their heat of the 5000 meters, and D’Agostino was injured (it was later determined that her knee was severely damaged). Hamblin encouraged her to the finish line, crossed it with her, and then waited with her until she received medical help. It’s a rare kind of spirit that will give up the chance to be first, as Hamblin said about D’Agostino said after the race: “That girl is the Olympic spirit right there.”
These rules of the road work whether it’s our first day of faith, or the last one, or somewhere in between. In them, our Christian identity comes alive and grows deeper. These rules of the road keep us in the race of faith, pressing on toward the goal. In this race there aren’t any medals, and no one comes in first. But there is the presence of God all along the course, and waiting at the finish line.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
The first advice column appeared in a magazine called The Athenian Mercury in 1691, and was written by publisher John Dunton.1 From that humble beginning came the likes of Ann Landers, Dear Abby, Dr. Ruth, and Dan Savage.
And now there is Lena Dunham.
She’s only 30 years old, but apparently her advice is worth a cool $3.5 million. She’s the creator of the popular HBO series Girls, and according to the New York Times that’s what Random House paid for her collection of essays titled Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned.” Dunham’s book offers “frank and funny advice on everything from sex to eating to traveling to work,” and follows in the footsteps of such women writers as Nora Ephron and former Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Helen Gurley Brown. It just goes to show that many people in their 20s want advice. They just aren’t turning to the church to get it.
*****
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Whether advice is good or bad often depends on the context in which it was given. Here are some examples of what was considered excellent advice for American women in the 1950s.
* From “How to Make Him Propose” in Coronet magazine (1951), by Ellis Michael: “It is up to you to earn the proposal -- by waging a dignified, common-sense campaign designed to help him see for himself that matrimony rather than bachelorhood is the keystone of a full and happy life.”
* From She-Manners: The Teen Girl’s Book of Etiquette (1959), by Robert H. Loeb Jr.: “To make him feel important, you have to forget your own desires for importance. Compliment him on his physical prowess, his mental acumen, his good looks, his virility. The worst mistake a girl can make is to make a man feel intellectually inferior or inadequate as a male. We men need a lot of reassurance. So lay it on thick but subtly. Stroke his ego. Let him think he’s king much of the time. He will love you for it, and, you know, it will make you feel extremely feminine.”
* From Your Happiest Years (1959), by Dick Clarke: “A young woman should begin in her teens learning the things that keep a home running smoothly. She can watch how her mother cooks and bakes. There are also many opportunities for a daughter to observe how Mother handles Dad when he’s had a tough day at work.”
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
In 1930s and 1940s, the initials “W.W.” were enough to identify him to most of America. He was widely considered the creator of modern gossip writing, and in his heyday this rude, abrasive, egotistical, and witty man was the country’s best known and most widely read journalist and one of its most influential. In 1943, when there were 140 million people in the United States, more than 50 million of them read his gossip column every day in more than 1,000 newspapers, including his flagship, the New York Daily Mirror. Even more people listened to his weekly radio broadcast. Hated, feared, and revered, he presided over Table 50 of the Stork Club in New York, creating and destroying celebrities at the drop of his trademark gray snap-brim fedora. His distinctive voice earned him the role as the narrator on the popular television series The Untouchables. Yet when he died in 1972, at age 74, he was practically forgotten. Only two people attended his funeral: his daughter Walda, and the rabbi who officiated at his services. Today, not many people under 40 even know the name of Walter Winchell.
-- Mervyn Rothstein, in the New York Times, June 12, 1990
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
A few weeks ago (Aug. 11), Earth passed through the Perseid meteor shower. It was quite a show, with about eight to ten shooting stars every minute (more or less, depending on where you were watching it from). Don’t feel bad if you missed it. We’ll be passing through the Leonid meteor shower on November 17. It’s a pretty good show as well.
There’s nothing like a meteor shower when you’re standing there looking up at that seemingly infinite night sky to remind you of just how small you really are.
Astronomers and physicists tell us that the universe is hard to measure because it’s so big and old and it’s still expanding. And the light we use to measure it tends to curve when it gets way out there, but they say that a good estimate of the diameter of the visible universe is about 27.6 billion light years. That means that light leaving the edge of the visible universe takes about 13.8 billion light years to reach us.
Our particular neighborhood in this vast universe is a galaxy called the Milky Way. It’s only about 200,000 light years across and contains about 100 billion stars like our sun. It takes the light from our sun about 8 minutes to reach us on earth. The next closest sun to us in our galaxy is Proxima Centauri. It takes 4 years for the light from Proxima Centauri to reach us.
There are about 100 billion Milky Way-type galaxies out there in the universe. If each has about the same number of stats as the Milky Way, that’s about 10,000 million, million, million suns. That’s more stars in the visible universe than there are grains of sand on the earth -- and if only half of those stars have planets like earth revolving around them, that means that there are more than a billion earths out there with people on them looking out at the stars and wondering in awe at how huge the universe is.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Two of Team USA’s breakout Olympic stars may soon be sharing their name with a lot more people.
Gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Simone Manuel -- who both won multiple medals at the Rio games -- may have inspired a growing number of parents-to-be to consider their moniker, according to NBC.
The Google search for “Simone baby name” has spiked an impressive 230 percent in the month of August, according to NBC. Further, this is the first time since 2010 that this many people have searched for the name “Simone.”
Manuel is into the idea of being someone’s namesake, tweeting: “Lol. Maybe my daughter will be ‘Simone Jr.’ ”
“Simone” is derived from the name Simon, which is traditionally used for boys. Multiple baby names websites list the meaning of Simone as “heard” or “to hear.”
Biles claimed four gold medals in Rio, taking the title in the women’s floor exercise, vault, and team finals as well as the individual all-around. She also earned a bronze medal in the women’s beam final. With those in hand, Biles is officially the most decorated American gymnast of all time.
Manuel also made history at the games, becoming the first African-American woman to win gold in an individual swimming event. She additionally won silver in the women’s 4x100 freestyle team event and the 50-meter freestyle race, and she won another gold in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
It has been said that humility is not thinking of yourself as lower or less than other people; it is not thinking of yourself at all.
One modern example of that kind of humility might be Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. After successfully piloting Flight 1549 to safety in the Hudson River, saving more than 150 passengers in the process, Captain Sully was interviewed by scores of reporters and news media. He was modest about his acts of courage, attributing his poise to his training over the years.
“One way of looking at this,” he said, “might be that for 42 years I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education, and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”
***************
From team member Ron Love:
Jeremiah 2:4-13
On August 1, 1966, University of Texas engineering student Charles Williams, a former Marine, murdered his wife and mother early in the morning. Then he climbed to the top of the 307-foot bell tower on campus, and with a high-powered rifle from his perch he proceeded to kill 17 people and wound 31 more. As this was the first mass murder of its kind in the United States, the police were totally unprepared, but after 96 minutes one officer eventually made it to the top of the tower and killed the assailant. Fifty years later, the campus held a special memorial service. At 11:40 a.m., the time of the shooting, the clock in the bell tower remained frozen for the next 24 hours; a color guard lowered the campus flag to half-staff, and a marble memorial was unveiled with each of the victims’ names inscribed upon it. (Note: If your sanctuary has a projection screen, you may want to show pictures of the bell tower and/or the memorial stone.)
Application: Jeremiah describes the tragedy of an immoral society.
*****
Jeremiah 2:4-13
Jeffrey Toobin, an excellent investigative reporter, has just published a book titled American Heiress. It recounts the life of Patty Hearst, a member of the very wealthy Hearst newspaper publishing family, who at the age of 19 was kidnapped in February 1974 by the Symbionese Liberation Army. After being in captivity two months she joined the group, taking the new name “Tania.” Hearst participated in several bank robberies and other crimes. She was subsequently arrested and convicted, and spent several years in the penitentiary. But the question remains -- did she voluntarily join the Symbionese Liberation Army or was she coerced? Toobin’s conclusion was the same as other authors who have preceded him -- we do not know the answer to that question. Patty Hearst, a 62-year-old widow who lives a very private life, refuses to offer any insight regarding her decision. The only thing that Toobin could conclude in his book is that many needlessly people died as the result of the events of February 1974.
Application: Jeremiah describes the tragedy of an immoral society.
*****
Jeremiah 2:4-13
Prolific movie and television director Arthur Hiller recently died. Best known for the popular movie Love Story, starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal, Hiller recalled that it almost didn’t get made. Paramount was in financial difficulties and was cutting back in many areas, and one of their cost-cutting decisions was not to make Love Story. Hiller convinced them that he could make the movie for less than $2 million, and the studio’s executives green-lighted the production. It was agreed upon, and Heller brought the movie in $25,000 under budget.
Application: Jeremiah said things can change if we put the effort into discipline and obedience.
*****
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Prolific movie and television director Arthur Hiller is best known for Love Story, the most popular movie of 1970. As good as some reviews were for the movie, others were equally awful. The movie depicts the love story of two Ivy League students, and it seemed overly syrupy to many reviewers. Yet the public loved it, and the movie also created a national catchphrase that we still hear 46 years after the film’s debut: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
Application: As we read Hebrews, we come across many catch lines that still guide our faith today.
*****
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Since he was a child, Chris Brooks had always shown the talent to be a gymnast. His father Larry was a former gymnast who helped coach his son and give him encouragement. But before Chris performed in the Olympics in Rio, his father was killed in an automobile accident when a tow truck plowed into the back of his car. Yet during the games it was his father’s voice that Chris could not silence and that continued to inspire him. Chris was so popular that he was elected captain of his gymnastics team. In the Olympics Chris finished 14th in individual men’s all-around competition.
Application: The author of Hebrews wants us to listen to the voices of our elders so that we will be continually inspired.
*****
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
The new book Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets is about Henry Molaison, a man with severe epilepsy who became one of the most studied men in scientific literature. In order to cure Molaison, a lobotomy was performed on him in 1953. This was the first case of a lobotomy -- a procedure which came to the forefront in the 1930s -- performed on someone who was not mentally ill. The surgery provided very little, if any, improvement for Molaison. And today the medical debate continues regarding the ethics of Dr. William Scoville, who performed the untested procedure.
Application: We are not in a position to debate the medical decision that was made -- but we can empathize with Dr. Scoville, who was trying to help another individual.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Romiro “Ray” Martinez attended the memorial service commemorating the 50th anniversary of the mass shooting on the University of Texas campus on August 1, 1966. Martinez was the officer who was able to make his way to the top of the bell tower and end the holocaust that was occurring by killing the assailant, Charles Williams. Martinez shared why he came, saying: “I wanted to be here for those that died, so I could live my life for them.”
Application: Jesus talked about caring for those who are neediest in society.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Kerry Walsh-Jennings is a United States women’s beach volleyball star. She was attempting to win her fourth consecutive gold medal at the Rio Olympics, but she and her partner lost in the semifinals. Still, her accomplishments are to be admired. To prepare for the games she was counselled by a sports psychologist. In order to compete, she has had to recover from five shoulder surgeries. Her teammate April Ross was always on the sideline of news stories, as writers always focused on Jennings as the star performer. But Walsh-Jennings’ injuries allowed her coaches and sports journalists to discover something -- that April Ross was no B player, that Ross was not a second to Walsh-Jennings. To compensate for Walsh-Jennings’ limitations, Ross became an equal member of the team.
Application: Jesus teaches how we are all important.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Bob Kealing has just published Life of the Party, a book telling the story of Brownie Wise, a homemaker who decided to become an entrepreneur. She became involved in selling Tupperware -- following the outline plan of inviting friends and friends of friends to Tupperware parties, beginning the afternoon with games, and following this by marketing the Tupperware product. In 1953 she was selling more products than the factories could produce. Her secret was not her Tupperware parties, but how she treated her associates. She empowered her salesladies and gave the best performers cars and fur coats, always affirming the great job they were doing.
Application: Jesus taught that if we treat people with kindness they will respond as productive members of society.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Life of the Party tells the story of Brownie Wise, a homemaker who became an entrepreneur and who by 1953 was selling more Tupperware than the factories could produce. Her secret was not her Tupperware parties, but how she treated her associates. She empowered her salesladies and gave the best performers cars and fur coats, always affirming the great job they were doing. A USA Today article about the book points out that Wise’s approach is no different than internet shopping today. There was not a pushy salesman at your door trying to force you into a purchase. Instead, you shopped from the comfort of your own home, just as we do online today. In many ways human behavior does not change, we just need to discover new ways to address it.
Application: Jesus taught that when we go to a social event, we must always find a new way to make people feel comfortable.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Let us sing aloud to God our strength.
People: Let us shout for joy to the God of Jacob.
Leader: It is our God who brought us up out of the land of Egypt.
People: But we did not listen to God’s voice.
Leader: O that we would walk in God’s ways!
People: Then God would feed us with the finest of the wheat.
OR
Leader: The God who created us gave us God’s own Spirit.
People: We rejoice in God’s presence around us and within us.
Leader: God created all of us in the divine image.
People: We have all been filled with God’s Spirit and life.
Leader: This is wondrous knowledge for us to share.
People: We will live so others know how special they are too.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
found in:
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELA: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
“Morning Has Broken”
found in:
UMH: 145
H82: 8
PH: 469
CH: 53
ELA: 556
W&P: 35
STLT: 38
“Lord of the Dance”
found in:
UMH: 261
W&P: 118
“Tú Has Venido a la Orilla” (“Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore”)
found in:
UMH: 344
PH: 377
CH: 342
W&P: 347
“Pues Si Vivimos” (“When We Are Living”)
found in:
UMH: 356
PH: 400
NNBH: 499
NCH: 536
ELA: 639
W&P: 415
“Come, Ye Disconsolate”
found in:
UMH: 510
AAHH: 421
NNBH: 264
CH: 502
ELA: 607
AMEC: 227
“Where Charity and Love Prevail”
found in:
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELA: 359
“Help Us Accept Each Other”
UMH: 560
PH: 358
NCH: 388
CH: 487
W&P: 596
AMEC: 558
“We Are One in Christ Jesus”
found in:
CCB: 43
“Unity”
found in:
CCB: 59
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 is both Sovereign and Slave: Grant us the wisdom to understand the greatness of service so that we might lower ourselves to raise others; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for you are the One who reigns over all and yet you bow down to serve all creation. Send your Spirit upon us so that we might catch a glimpse of the wisdom of service. Help us to be willing to lower ourselves to serve others and raise them up. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our need to be ranked above others.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have been created in your image and made a little lower than gods, and yet we seek higher ground. You have already raised us higher than we can imagine, and yet we are constantly looking for ways to make ourselves appear higher than others. We are even willing to tear others down so that we look better than they do. Cleanse our hearts and open our eyes, that we may see the glory you have placed in all your children. Amen.
Leader: God’s glory is within us and all whom we come in contact with each day. Receive God’s Spirit of wisdom and forgiveness, and go to serve God and God’s children in all that you do or say.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We sing your praises, O God, for you have created all that is and have given to us your own glory. All creation is filled with your presence.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have been created in your image and made a little lower than gods, and yet we seek higher ground. You have already raised us higher than we can imagine, and yet we are constantly looking for ways to make ourselves appear higher than others. We are even willing to tear others down so that we look better than they do. Cleanse our hearts and open our eyes, that we may see the glory you have placed in all your children.
We thank you for the blessings you have showered down upon us. We thank you for your Spirit that fills us and all your people. We are thankful for those who have recognized in us your presence and who have helped us allow your presence to grow in our lives.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the world in all of its need. We pray for those who do not know that they contain the very presence and glory of God. Help us to foster that knowledge in all we meet.
(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
The Olympics have had the closing ceremonies and are over now. Many people got to stand on the medal platforms and were cheered by millions. Many more did not. The medals do not mean that those who received them are better than the rest. It only signifies that they were able to do something better than the rest on that day. We don’t have an Olympic gold medal to wear, but we all have God’s Spirit living in us. We are blessed, and we can help others feel blessed too.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Upside-Down Rules
by Robin Lostetter
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Optional visual aids: You could bring...
* a pair of running shoes, some healthy veggies or fruits, and a hand weight to help illustrate rules for training to race in the Olympics
* a printout of a photo of Abbey D’Agostino and Nikki Hamblin (this and this would be good examples)
* stars or hearts or medals to award to each child
Today’s reading gave a list of rules for Christians. Would you like to hear some of them?
* Show hospitality -- in other words, be a good host to guests.
* Remember people who are in jail or prison -- even imagine their sadness as if it were your own.
* Be happy with what you have, and don’t fall in love with money.
* Don’t forget to do good and share what you have.
Those are some pretty good rules, huh? They all have one thing in common... be kind and love one another. In fact, that was the first rule, and I didn’t mention it: “Keep loving each other like family” (Hebrews 13:1 CEB*).
Now, let’s see if we can make up another list of rules.
What if you were training to run a race in the Olympics? Let’s start with the basics...
* What about your feet? What would you wear? (good running shoes... the kids might even name brands)
* What about your diet? (healthy foods... see what they name; encourage fruits and vegetables, lots of water)
* What about exercise? (see what kinds of outdoor play or school gym activities they can think of)
Now I’m going to suggest an upside-down rule. When you run a race, what is usually your goal? (Some may say “to finish,” but most will say “to win,” which is the answer you want.)
Yes, ordinarily you want to win -- to finish, but to finish first. But what if our first rule from today’s reading was also our first rule in training for the Olympics: “Keep loving each other like family”? Here’s a real example:
There were two women, Nikki Hamblin and Abbey D’Agostino, who were running in the 5000 meter race in this year’s Olympics. They ran into each other and fell down. Abbey was hurt in the fall, but Nikki helped her finish the race. By doing that, she gave up her own chance to win. She followed the rule of loving each other like family.
And you know what? For following that rule, they each won a medal, one even more rare than a gold medal. It’s given for sportsmanship, and only 17 other people have ever been given it. It’s sort of a medal for loving.
Isn’t that great? (Give the children an opportunity to comment.)
Let’s have a prayer!
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for people like Nikki who value love more than winning. Help us to remember her and rule #1 when we’re in a race -- that loving is the most important thing, and that when we love like Jesus loved we win the biggest rewards. Amen.
------
* For the children, I would suggest the CEB translation of Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16:
Keep loving each other like family. Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. Marriage must be honored in every respect, with no cheating on the relationship, because God will judge the sexually immoral person and the person who commits adultery. Your way of life should be free from the love of money, and you should be content with what you have. After all, he has said, “I will never leave you or abandon you. This is why we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, and I won’t be afraid. What can people do to me?” Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! So let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess his name. Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have, because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 28, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 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.
1 David Gudelunas, Confidential to America: Newspaper Advice Columns and Sexual Education (Transaction Publishers, 2007)
Team member Chris Keating suggests in this installment of The Immediate Word that the experience Jesus addresses may well resonate with many of the athletes who participated in the Rio Olympics. After years of rigorous training in relative (if not complete) anonymity, they emerged into the global consciousness for a fortnight. But now that the games have concluded, Chris points out, with a handful of exceptions most will experience the humility of returning to lives out of the spotlight. While they will have memories of competing (and in some cases medals for their achievements), many will learn the lesson which Jesus lifts up -- that the humble virtues of preparing ourselves to live for others offer far greater rewards than those associated with global fame and superstardom... something we all need to be reminded of as we lust for worldly success.
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts on the Hebrews passage and its “rules of the road” for healthy Christian living that pleases God. Mary compares them to the basic rules of consideration for runners, who must take care of each other and of their bodies -- rules which apply equally to Olympians and to average “weekend warriors.” Likewise, Mary points out, the rules outlined by the writer of Hebrews are not just addressed to those of extraordinary faith -- they also apply to us in our everyday lives, and provide a thumbnail guidebook of basic consideration for God, others, and ourselves.
Humility -- It’s What’s for Dinner
by Chris Keating
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Tall and tan, and young and lovely -- the athletes are now returning from Rio. The jazzy beats and sandy beaches are already beginning to fade from view as the arenas turn silent and the press conferences end. Some Olympians will land lucrative endorsements and eye-popping contracts, while others will make their way into less glamorous jobs.
But once the Olympic cauldron is extinguished, many athletes may find themselves wrestling with the sort of dilemma Jesus describes while eating at the home of a Pharisee. Watching guests clamor for first place, Jesus reminds those gathered around the table that humility is worth more than a dozen gold medals.
Jesus’ parable is a reminder of how the values of the kingdom contrast with the values we often prize. He tells his fellow diners that those first on God’s guest list are hardly the “A” celebrities who strut down red carpets. Jesus suggests that humility leads to rewards greater than fleeting fame.
Going home from Rio may be a challenge for some, especially if they’ve generated more stares than that glitzy girl from Ipanema. Ryan Lochte, the U.S. swimmer embroiled in an embarrassing post-competition incident, is learning that lesson already. In the aftermath of what some have called Lochtegate, the swimmer enlisted help from a public relations firm skilled in crisis management to guide him in addressing his missteps. Yet Lochte is hardly alone in learning how to deal with life post-Olympics. Following the Beijing games, his teammate Michael Phelps descended into what he called “the darkest place you could ever imagine,” and many other cases of post-Olympic depression are well documented.
When the Rio roller coaster stops, it stops harder than Usain Bolt following the 4x100 meter relay. The road home can be bumpy and even more daunting than training for the Olympics. Many may discover, as Jesus says, “that all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
In the News
Torrential rain did little to dampen the spirits of those attending last Sunday’s spectacular Olympic closing ceremonies. While many had predicted that the Rio games would be fraught with difficulties, the carnival-inspired closer celebrated all that had gone well. Like the guests scurrying for places of honor in Jesus’ parable, Olympic officials were quick to boast in the game’s achievements.
International Olympic Committee chief Thomas Bach called the games “marvelous” and inspiring. “Over the last 16 days a united Brazil inspired the world, in difficult times for all of us, with its irresistible joy for life,” said Bach. Commentators suggested that the games will be remembered most of all for what didn’t happen. Despite concerns over the environment, a tenuous political situation within Brazil, and numerous safety worries, Rio somehow managed to pull it together.
They somehow showed that the least of these could become the greatest -- if only for a few days.
Fears that venues would not be ready were allayed, providing spaces for athletes to claim 27 world records. Most importantly, there were no terrorist attacks or security breaches during the games -- allowing the light of the Olympic cauldron to shine most brightly on the athletes.
For the athletes, however, the real letdown begins when the lights dim and the celebrations end. It’s humbling, to say the least.
The Olympic tilt-a-whirl jolts to a stop, spitting out adrenalin-drained athletes back into the slow-paced midway of regular life. The humbling of an athletic superstar is a time of readjustment, loss, and fragile emotions. The one who had just been exalted may struggle to stand up.
Allison Schmitt, a swimmer who won three gold medals in 2012, described the post-Olympic blues as a deep depression tinged with fear of being isolated. “I didn’t want to show my weakness,” said Schmitt. It’s not just the pace of the Olympics, or the shedding of a locker-room game face. It’s the end of years of training, and the disappearing adulation of fans.
It’s also a matter of economics: the 11,000 athletes who return from Rio this week sometimes struggle to find jobs that enable them to balance training and competing. Don’t look for Nick Delpopolo, a team USA judo athlete, on a Wheaties box anytime soon. You’re more likely to find him teaching judo, working at clothing stores, mowing lawns, and even babysitting to pay the bills. Think of it as an Olympic hero entering the gig economy.
But the emotional wear and tear can perhaps be most humbling.
Swimmers Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps both fell into the deep end of emotional struggles following their award-winning Olympic appearances. After trying his hand at acting and selling real estate, Spitz attempted a swimming comeback at age 42. He didn’t make the cut. Likewise, Phelps spent a stint in rehab following the London games.
Psychologist and former athlete Caroline Silby noted that the experience of being humbled can prove demanding. “Some athletes go through a period of time... where they feel like an impostor,” she says. “They recognize that with a blink of an eye the result could have possibly turned out differently.... The instant idolization of their achievements can lead to intense and constant worry about rejection, criticism, and being ‘found out’ that they aren’t as good as everyone thinks -- or that they themselves think.”
Experts suggest that, on average, athletes spend nearly 5,000 hours over four years training for the Olympics. For some -- like Phelps -- the time preparing is higher. Those who exalt themselves yet fall short by even a split second may experience brutal humiliation. Swimmer Jerry Heidenreich, who would later join Spitz on the 1972 podium, missed qualifying for the 1968 games by .01 seconds.
Heidenreich would later go on to win two gold medals for team relays, and a bronze and silver for individual efforts. Yet he could never best Spitz in individual competition. He struggled with depression and alcoholism before taking his own life in 2002. As Maddie Crum notes, it would be easy to dismiss Heidenreich’s struggles by suggesting he was overconsumed by defeat. But she believes the broader lesson is reframing the hours and hours of training so that the inevitable end of a career isn’t such a hard stop. That doesn’t mean giving up hours of training, however. Instead, she coaches athletes to consider seeing beyond “the times, the numbers, and the wingspans, and looking instead at the racing hearts propelling their sculpted bodies forward.”
For Crum, looking beyond the Olympics means allowing yourself to become vulnerable with the family of athletes who have shared your quest. It’s less about “getting into the pool” and more about sharing life.
Or, as Jesus says, it becomes a matter as simple as finding the right place to sit at dinner.
In the Scriptures
Luke’s penchant for reversals -- recall Mary’s ode to upside-down living in Luke 1 -- is on full display in Luke 14. Jesus is headed to a dinner party. Just as the appetizers are about to be served, he notices something which may have struck him funny. Having been summoned to dinner, the guests are now preoccupied with seating arrangements. Rushing toward their seats, the guests clamor for seats like kids playing musical chairs. All in all, the scene feels a bit like a Three Stooges sketch -- yet for Jesus there is nothing funny about grabbing the seats of honor.
Or maybe it seems like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Simone Biles all trying to sit in the same seat. Biles springs over the table, while Phelps maneuvers and Bolt... well, bolts. Nyuk-nyuk-nyuk.
But Jesus isn’t laughing at the guests’ antics. Recall that Jesus has earlier chastened the Pharisees for chasing the seat of honor. Jesus is the model of servant-like behavior, and he calls the guests to pay attention to what really matters. It isn’t so much about grabbing the gold or finishing first. Push yourself enough and you’ll end up relishing success like Ryan Lochte, embarrassed and guaranteed a spot in what one writer called the Olympic “Hall of Shame.”
No, says Jesus, the values of the kingdom are different. Success is not determined by whether you stand on the platform wearing a medal, but rather through a humility modeled after Proverbs 25:6-7 -- “Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence or stand in the place of the great; for it is better to be told, ‘Come up here,’ than to be put lower in the presence of a noble.”
Jesus is modeling what it means to set aside cultural norms of honor. He redefines those standards by his admonition to include those who cannot repay the favor of being included. Forget the finely sculpted bodies and the young and tan. Instead of the “Girl from Ipanema,” go out and find the kids from the favelas.
That is the definition of winning which matters in the realm of God. Jesus is less concerned with fame and status than with an inclusive grace that values the marginalized, the humble, and the meek of the earth.
Mark Ralls, writing in Feasting on the Gospels, suggests that these parables speak to the basic shape and purpose of our lives. “What if the point of our lives is not about climbing all the right ladders of achievement and prestige and power? What if our true purpose is to slide down as many chutes as possible to offer compassion and service and love to all those on the rungs below?” (Feasting on the Gospels [Luke, Vol. 2], p. 66). Ralls is correct. The banquet looks beautiful, but the real feast comes as we chew on humility and pass on the hors d’oeuvres of status.
In the Sermon
Earlier today I stood in the church graveyard, under the funeral home’s familiar blue and white awning. Standing on the shiny artificial grass, I watched as Ruby’s family came forward to pay their last respects. Ruby, mother of five, grandmother of 10, and great-grandmother to a dozen, lay in repose with the casket open. I thought it strange to open the casket at the graveside, but it was their choice, not mine.
“Grandma Ruby never had much,” one of her grandsons said. “She didn’t care much about money. She didn’t care much about having a lot of things. She loved her jazz and she loved her children -- that was what was important to grandma.”
Among the things that Ruby had never really found in her life was a church. I soon understood the code words. She’d spent most of her adult life as a black woman in a largely white suburb where Sunday mornings are still the most segregated day of the week. I wondered which churches she had visited.
I looked at the dozen or so folks gathered in the graveyard. By any account, they were a mismatched set. Tattoos peeked out from backs of dresses, high heels poked into the wet grass, fancy dresses and work clothes mixed together. There were grieving teenagers glued to their smartphones, middle-aged children with moist eyes, friends who had not visited in years. One by one they smiled as someone told a memory of Grandma Ruby. She didn’t have much -- but she invested all she had in those she loved.
The exalted were humbled, and the humbled exalted.
She had run the race, fought the fight. She had endured segregation. She lived in neighborhoods where no doubt some did not welcome her presence. And now she had taken the victory lap and had received her reward. Miss Ruby was no Michael Phelps, of course. But there was no doubt that she had accumulated trophies more valuable than his armful of medals.
In this post-Olympic season, perhaps we need to set aside our preoccupation with greatness. Our sermons could focus the imagination of our congregation not just on the successes we’ve watched, but the favelas we did not see, the slums which were not televised. Put another way, our sermons could lead us into a conversation about who we might invite to sit with us at the Lord’s Table -- the neighbor in the big house up the street, or little Miss Ruby, an elderly black woman who never quite found a church where she belonged.
As I think of Miss Ruby, I think of the guests Jesus calls us to invite to our tables. Ruby never entered the doors of our church, and I believe my congregation is poorer because of that. “When you give a luncheon or a dinner,” says Jesus, “do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors...”
Humility -- it’s what’s for dinner.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
The Olympics offered drama and amazing feats of sport, but back home, millions of ordinary people are challenging themselves, doing things that used to be reserved for elite athletes. Marathons and half-marathons used to be extraordinary, and now are commonplace. In the U.S., in 2011 “more than half a million people finished a marathon... [and how] about the growing number of people who have accomplished some of the following: run 50 marathons in 50 states of the U.S., 50 marathons in 50 weekends, seven marathons on seven consecutive days (the Savage Seven is one such event), seven marathons in seven continents in seven days (the 7x7x7), running from coast to coast of the U.S., the Quadzilla (four marathons in four days) -- and any number of other such feats. There’s even the aptly named online community Marathon Maniacs, dedicated to bringing together such intrepid runners. It seems almost trivial to so much as mention running a plain old 26.2 miles these days.” Just a marathon? Yawn.
With all of that participation, some informal rules of the road have evolved to guide runners. Don’t spit. Wear appropriate clothing. Know your place. “With 10.5 million people in races in 2007, starting lines get crowded, especially when ambitious (or impatient) runners and walkers start too far in front. ‘At the Disney marathon, there were some walkers four or five abreast, holding balloons and singing,’ says [one runner]. ‘It was exhausting to get around them.’ If you find yourself slowing down, pull over to one side to let faster runners pass by.” Other rules help with training. Legendary marathoner and coach Alberto Salazar advises that the rules of running include wearing the right shoes, strengthening the whole body, and something that applies to life as well as running. “Tackle doubt head-on,” he says. “At some point you’re going to push yourself harder, you’re going to enter into a gray area that can be painful, and you’re going to doubt yourself. Push through it. Never think you are mentally weak.”
The author of the Letter to the Hebrews is also offering us rules of the road, this time for the journey of faith. Our lives in Christ have more in common with a marathon than a quick 5k, and the author gives us ways to live for this long race. Mutual love is to be our guide, as we look around for our fellow travelers and care for them. The author is clear that there is no solitary participation in this journey. Hospitality is an extension of this loving view of the world. As people are being jailed for their faith, the community is to remember those in prison, providing for them and encouraging them. Faithfulness in marriage extends this ethic of care into our most intimate, most powerful relationships.
Building on their faith, the community is to resist the allure of money and trust in God’s providing grace. The relationship with God holds more security than the things money can buy.
This all seems awfully familiar.
It feels more like a well-traveled walk around the neighborhood than an exciting race. These are old challenges, not new ones. And yet we never quite master them. No matter how seasoned our faith, there’s always a place where we can be more hospitable. We can always go deeper in our love for the people in our faith community. We can stop avoiding the aggravating members of the community, and strengthen our faith skills on the woman who runs the kitchen, or on the usher who is always grumpy. The sacrifice we offer is the gift of our everyday lives, fixed on this course that’s familiar but never mastered. Our time, our words, our emotions all point toward God, and give evidence of the presence of God within us and in our community.
Some rules of the road work equally well at the Olympics or around the neighborhood. Two of this year’s Olympic runners -- New Zealand’s Nikki Hamblin and American Abbey D’Agostino -- won the rare Pierre de Coubertin medal, given for Olympic sportsmanship. Named for the founder of the modern Olympics, the medal has been given only 17 times previously. Hamblin and D’Agostino collided in their heat of the 5000 meters, and D’Agostino was injured (it was later determined that her knee was severely damaged). Hamblin encouraged her to the finish line, crossed it with her, and then waited with her until she received medical help. It’s a rare kind of spirit that will give up the chance to be first, as Hamblin said about D’Agostino said after the race: “That girl is the Olympic spirit right there.”
These rules of the road work whether it’s our first day of faith, or the last one, or somewhere in between. In them, our Christian identity comes alive and grows deeper. These rules of the road keep us in the race of faith, pressing on toward the goal. In this race there aren’t any medals, and no one comes in first. But there is the presence of God all along the course, and waiting at the finish line.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
The first advice column appeared in a magazine called The Athenian Mercury in 1691, and was written by publisher John Dunton.1 From that humble beginning came the likes of Ann Landers, Dear Abby, Dr. Ruth, and Dan Savage.
And now there is Lena Dunham.
She’s only 30 years old, but apparently her advice is worth a cool $3.5 million. She’s the creator of the popular HBO series Girls, and according to the New York Times that’s what Random House paid for her collection of essays titled Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She’s “Learned.” Dunham’s book offers “frank and funny advice on everything from sex to eating to traveling to work,” and follows in the footsteps of such women writers as Nora Ephron and former Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Helen Gurley Brown. It just goes to show that many people in their 20s want advice. They just aren’t turning to the church to get it.
*****
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Whether advice is good or bad often depends on the context in which it was given. Here are some examples of what was considered excellent advice for American women in the 1950s.
* From “How to Make Him Propose” in Coronet magazine (1951), by Ellis Michael: “It is up to you to earn the proposal -- by waging a dignified, common-sense campaign designed to help him see for himself that matrimony rather than bachelorhood is the keystone of a full and happy life.”
* From She-Manners: The Teen Girl’s Book of Etiquette (1959), by Robert H. Loeb Jr.: “To make him feel important, you have to forget your own desires for importance. Compliment him on his physical prowess, his mental acumen, his good looks, his virility. The worst mistake a girl can make is to make a man feel intellectually inferior or inadequate as a male. We men need a lot of reassurance. So lay it on thick but subtly. Stroke his ego. Let him think he’s king much of the time. He will love you for it, and, you know, it will make you feel extremely feminine.”
* From Your Happiest Years (1959), by Dick Clarke: “A young woman should begin in her teens learning the things that keep a home running smoothly. She can watch how her mother cooks and bakes. There are also many opportunities for a daughter to observe how Mother handles Dad when he’s had a tough day at work.”
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
In 1930s and 1940s, the initials “W.W.” were enough to identify him to most of America. He was widely considered the creator of modern gossip writing, and in his heyday this rude, abrasive, egotistical, and witty man was the country’s best known and most widely read journalist and one of its most influential. In 1943, when there were 140 million people in the United States, more than 50 million of them read his gossip column every day in more than 1,000 newspapers, including his flagship, the New York Daily Mirror. Even more people listened to his weekly radio broadcast. Hated, feared, and revered, he presided over Table 50 of the Stork Club in New York, creating and destroying celebrities at the drop of his trademark gray snap-brim fedora. His distinctive voice earned him the role as the narrator on the popular television series The Untouchables. Yet when he died in 1972, at age 74, he was practically forgotten. Only two people attended his funeral: his daughter Walda, and the rabbi who officiated at his services. Today, not many people under 40 even know the name of Walter Winchell.
-- Mervyn Rothstein, in the New York Times, June 12, 1990
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
A few weeks ago (Aug. 11), Earth passed through the Perseid meteor shower. It was quite a show, with about eight to ten shooting stars every minute (more or less, depending on where you were watching it from). Don’t feel bad if you missed it. We’ll be passing through the Leonid meteor shower on November 17. It’s a pretty good show as well.
There’s nothing like a meteor shower when you’re standing there looking up at that seemingly infinite night sky to remind you of just how small you really are.
Astronomers and physicists tell us that the universe is hard to measure because it’s so big and old and it’s still expanding. And the light we use to measure it tends to curve when it gets way out there, but they say that a good estimate of the diameter of the visible universe is about 27.6 billion light years. That means that light leaving the edge of the visible universe takes about 13.8 billion light years to reach us.
Our particular neighborhood in this vast universe is a galaxy called the Milky Way. It’s only about 200,000 light years across and contains about 100 billion stars like our sun. It takes the light from our sun about 8 minutes to reach us on earth. The next closest sun to us in our galaxy is Proxima Centauri. It takes 4 years for the light from Proxima Centauri to reach us.
There are about 100 billion Milky Way-type galaxies out there in the universe. If each has about the same number of stats as the Milky Way, that’s about 10,000 million, million, million suns. That’s more stars in the visible universe than there are grains of sand on the earth -- and if only half of those stars have planets like earth revolving around them, that means that there are more than a billion earths out there with people on them looking out at the stars and wondering in awe at how huge the universe is.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Two of Team USA’s breakout Olympic stars may soon be sharing their name with a lot more people.
Gymnast Simone Biles and swimmer Simone Manuel -- who both won multiple medals at the Rio games -- may have inspired a growing number of parents-to-be to consider their moniker, according to NBC.
The Google search for “Simone baby name” has spiked an impressive 230 percent in the month of August, according to NBC. Further, this is the first time since 2010 that this many people have searched for the name “Simone.”
Manuel is into the idea of being someone’s namesake, tweeting: “Lol. Maybe my daughter will be ‘Simone Jr.’ ”
“Simone” is derived from the name Simon, which is traditionally used for boys. Multiple baby names websites list the meaning of Simone as “heard” or “to hear.”
Biles claimed four gold medals in Rio, taking the title in the women’s floor exercise, vault, and team finals as well as the individual all-around. She also earned a bronze medal in the women’s beam final. With those in hand, Biles is officially the most decorated American gymnast of all time.
Manuel also made history at the games, becoming the first African-American woman to win gold in an individual swimming event. She additionally won silver in the women’s 4x100 freestyle team event and the 50-meter freestyle race, and she won another gold in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
It has been said that humility is not thinking of yourself as lower or less than other people; it is not thinking of yourself at all.
One modern example of that kind of humility might be Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. After successfully piloting Flight 1549 to safety in the Hudson River, saving more than 150 passengers in the process, Captain Sully was interviewed by scores of reporters and news media. He was modest about his acts of courage, attributing his poise to his training over the years.
“One way of looking at this,” he said, “might be that for 42 years I’ve been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience, education, and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal.”
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From team member Ron Love:
Jeremiah 2:4-13
On August 1, 1966, University of Texas engineering student Charles Williams, a former Marine, murdered his wife and mother early in the morning. Then he climbed to the top of the 307-foot bell tower on campus, and with a high-powered rifle from his perch he proceeded to kill 17 people and wound 31 more. As this was the first mass murder of its kind in the United States, the police were totally unprepared, but after 96 minutes one officer eventually made it to the top of the tower and killed the assailant. Fifty years later, the campus held a special memorial service. At 11:40 a.m., the time of the shooting, the clock in the bell tower remained frozen for the next 24 hours; a color guard lowered the campus flag to half-staff, and a marble memorial was unveiled with each of the victims’ names inscribed upon it. (Note: If your sanctuary has a projection screen, you may want to show pictures of the bell tower and/or the memorial stone.)
Application: Jeremiah describes the tragedy of an immoral society.
*****
Jeremiah 2:4-13
Jeffrey Toobin, an excellent investigative reporter, has just published a book titled American Heiress. It recounts the life of Patty Hearst, a member of the very wealthy Hearst newspaper publishing family, who at the age of 19 was kidnapped in February 1974 by the Symbionese Liberation Army. After being in captivity two months she joined the group, taking the new name “Tania.” Hearst participated in several bank robberies and other crimes. She was subsequently arrested and convicted, and spent several years in the penitentiary. But the question remains -- did she voluntarily join the Symbionese Liberation Army or was she coerced? Toobin’s conclusion was the same as other authors who have preceded him -- we do not know the answer to that question. Patty Hearst, a 62-year-old widow who lives a very private life, refuses to offer any insight regarding her decision. The only thing that Toobin could conclude in his book is that many needlessly people died as the result of the events of February 1974.
Application: Jeremiah describes the tragedy of an immoral society.
*****
Jeremiah 2:4-13
Prolific movie and television director Arthur Hiller recently died. Best known for the popular movie Love Story, starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O’Neal, Hiller recalled that it almost didn’t get made. Paramount was in financial difficulties and was cutting back in many areas, and one of their cost-cutting decisions was not to make Love Story. Hiller convinced them that he could make the movie for less than $2 million, and the studio’s executives green-lighted the production. It was agreed upon, and Heller brought the movie in $25,000 under budget.
Application: Jeremiah said things can change if we put the effort into discipline and obedience.
*****
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Prolific movie and television director Arthur Hiller is best known for Love Story, the most popular movie of 1970. As good as some reviews were for the movie, others were equally awful. The movie depicts the love story of two Ivy League students, and it seemed overly syrupy to many reviewers. Yet the public loved it, and the movie also created a national catchphrase that we still hear 46 years after the film’s debut: “Love means never having to say you’re sorry.”
Application: As we read Hebrews, we come across many catch lines that still guide our faith today.
*****
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Since he was a child, Chris Brooks had always shown the talent to be a gymnast. His father Larry was a former gymnast who helped coach his son and give him encouragement. But before Chris performed in the Olympics in Rio, his father was killed in an automobile accident when a tow truck plowed into the back of his car. Yet during the games it was his father’s voice that Chris could not silence and that continued to inspire him. Chris was so popular that he was elected captain of his gymnastics team. In the Olympics Chris finished 14th in individual men’s all-around competition.
Application: The author of Hebrews wants us to listen to the voices of our elders so that we will be continually inspired.
*****
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
The new book Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets is about Henry Molaison, a man with severe epilepsy who became one of the most studied men in scientific literature. In order to cure Molaison, a lobotomy was performed on him in 1953. This was the first case of a lobotomy -- a procedure which came to the forefront in the 1930s -- performed on someone who was not mentally ill. The surgery provided very little, if any, improvement for Molaison. And today the medical debate continues regarding the ethics of Dr. William Scoville, who performed the untested procedure.
Application: We are not in a position to debate the medical decision that was made -- but we can empathize with Dr. Scoville, who was trying to help another individual.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Romiro “Ray” Martinez attended the memorial service commemorating the 50th anniversary of the mass shooting on the University of Texas campus on August 1, 1966. Martinez was the officer who was able to make his way to the top of the bell tower and end the holocaust that was occurring by killing the assailant, Charles Williams. Martinez shared why he came, saying: “I wanted to be here for those that died, so I could live my life for them.”
Application: Jesus talked about caring for those who are neediest in society.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Kerry Walsh-Jennings is a United States women’s beach volleyball star. She was attempting to win her fourth consecutive gold medal at the Rio Olympics, but she and her partner lost in the semifinals. Still, her accomplishments are to be admired. To prepare for the games she was counselled by a sports psychologist. In order to compete, she has had to recover from five shoulder surgeries. Her teammate April Ross was always on the sideline of news stories, as writers always focused on Jennings as the star performer. But Walsh-Jennings’ injuries allowed her coaches and sports journalists to discover something -- that April Ross was no B player, that Ross was not a second to Walsh-Jennings. To compensate for Walsh-Jennings’ limitations, Ross became an equal member of the team.
Application: Jesus teaches how we are all important.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Bob Kealing has just published Life of the Party, a book telling the story of Brownie Wise, a homemaker who decided to become an entrepreneur. She became involved in selling Tupperware -- following the outline plan of inviting friends and friends of friends to Tupperware parties, beginning the afternoon with games, and following this by marketing the Tupperware product. In 1953 she was selling more products than the factories could produce. Her secret was not her Tupperware parties, but how she treated her associates. She empowered her salesladies and gave the best performers cars and fur coats, always affirming the great job they were doing.
Application: Jesus taught that if we treat people with kindness they will respond as productive members of society.
*****
Luke 14:1, 7-14
Life of the Party tells the story of Brownie Wise, a homemaker who became an entrepreneur and who by 1953 was selling more Tupperware than the factories could produce. Her secret was not her Tupperware parties, but how she treated her associates. She empowered her salesladies and gave the best performers cars and fur coats, always affirming the great job they were doing. A USA Today article about the book points out that Wise’s approach is no different than internet shopping today. There was not a pushy salesman at your door trying to force you into a purchase. Instead, you shopped from the comfort of your own home, just as we do online today. In many ways human behavior does not change, we just need to discover new ways to address it.
Application: Jesus taught that when we go to a social event, we must always find a new way to make people feel comfortable.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Let us sing aloud to God our strength.
People: Let us shout for joy to the God of Jacob.
Leader: It is our God who brought us up out of the land of Egypt.
People: But we did not listen to God’s voice.
Leader: O that we would walk in God’s ways!
People: Then God would feed us with the finest of the wheat.
OR
Leader: The God who created us gave us God’s own Spirit.
People: We rejoice in God’s presence around us and within us.
Leader: God created all of us in the divine image.
People: We have all been filled with God’s Spirit and life.
Leader: This is wondrous knowledge for us to share.
People: We will live so others know how special they are too.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness”
found in:
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELA: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
“Morning Has Broken”
found in:
UMH: 145
H82: 8
PH: 469
CH: 53
ELA: 556
W&P: 35
STLT: 38
“Lord of the Dance”
found in:
UMH: 261
W&P: 118
“Tú Has Venido a la Orilla” (“Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore”)
found in:
UMH: 344
PH: 377
CH: 342
W&P: 347
“Pues Si Vivimos” (“When We Are Living”)
found in:
UMH: 356
PH: 400
NNBH: 499
NCH: 536
ELA: 639
W&P: 415
“Come, Ye Disconsolate”
found in:
UMH: 510
AAHH: 421
NNBH: 264
CH: 502
ELA: 607
AMEC: 227
“Where Charity and Love Prevail”
found in:
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELA: 359
“Help Us Accept Each Other”
UMH: 560
PH: 358
NCH: 388
CH: 487
W&P: 596
AMEC: 558
“We Are One in Christ Jesus”
found in:
CCB: 43
“Unity”
found in:
CCB: 59
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 is both Sovereign and Slave: Grant us the wisdom to understand the greatness of service so that we might lower ourselves to raise others; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for you are the One who reigns over all and yet you bow down to serve all creation. Send your Spirit upon us so that we might catch a glimpse of the wisdom of service. Help us to be willing to lower ourselves to serve others and raise them up. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our need to be ranked above others.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have been created in your image and made a little lower than gods, and yet we seek higher ground. You have already raised us higher than we can imagine, and yet we are constantly looking for ways to make ourselves appear higher than others. We are even willing to tear others down so that we look better than they do. Cleanse our hearts and open our eyes, that we may see the glory you have placed in all your children. Amen.
Leader: God’s glory is within us and all whom we come in contact with each day. Receive God’s Spirit of wisdom and forgiveness, and go to serve God and God’s children in all that you do or say.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We sing your praises, O God, for you have created all that is and have given to us your own glory. All creation is filled with your presence.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have been created in your image and made a little lower than gods, and yet we seek higher ground. You have already raised us higher than we can imagine, and yet we are constantly looking for ways to make ourselves appear higher than others. We are even willing to tear others down so that we look better than they do. Cleanse our hearts and open our eyes, that we may see the glory you have placed in all your children.
We thank you for the blessings you have showered down upon us. We thank you for your Spirit that fills us and all your people. We are thankful for those who have recognized in us your presence and who have helped us allow your presence to grow in our lives.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the world in all of its need. We pray for those who do not know that they contain the very presence and glory of God. Help us to foster that knowledge in all we meet.
(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
The Olympics have had the closing ceremonies and are over now. Many people got to stand on the medal platforms and were cheered by millions. Many more did not. The medals do not mean that those who received them are better than the rest. It only signifies that they were able to do something better than the rest on that day. We don’t have an Olympic gold medal to wear, but we all have God’s Spirit living in us. We are blessed, and we can help others feel blessed too.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Upside-Down Rules
by Robin Lostetter
Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16
Optional visual aids: You could bring...
* a pair of running shoes, some healthy veggies or fruits, and a hand weight to help illustrate rules for training to race in the Olympics
* a printout of a photo of Abbey D’Agostino and Nikki Hamblin (this and this would be good examples)
* stars or hearts or medals to award to each child
Today’s reading gave a list of rules for Christians. Would you like to hear some of them?
* Show hospitality -- in other words, be a good host to guests.
* Remember people who are in jail or prison -- even imagine their sadness as if it were your own.
* Be happy with what you have, and don’t fall in love with money.
* Don’t forget to do good and share what you have.
Those are some pretty good rules, huh? They all have one thing in common... be kind and love one another. In fact, that was the first rule, and I didn’t mention it: “Keep loving each other like family” (Hebrews 13:1 CEB*).
Now, let’s see if we can make up another list of rules.
What if you were training to run a race in the Olympics? Let’s start with the basics...
* What about your feet? What would you wear? (good running shoes... the kids might even name brands)
* What about your diet? (healthy foods... see what they name; encourage fruits and vegetables, lots of water)
* What about exercise? (see what kinds of outdoor play or school gym activities they can think of)
Now I’m going to suggest an upside-down rule. When you run a race, what is usually your goal? (Some may say “to finish,” but most will say “to win,” which is the answer you want.)
Yes, ordinarily you want to win -- to finish, but to finish first. But what if our first rule from today’s reading was also our first rule in training for the Olympics: “Keep loving each other like family”? Here’s a real example:
There were two women, Nikki Hamblin and Abbey D’Agostino, who were running in the 5000 meter race in this year’s Olympics. They ran into each other and fell down. Abbey was hurt in the fall, but Nikki helped her finish the race. By doing that, she gave up her own chance to win. She followed the rule of loving each other like family.
And you know what? For following that rule, they each won a medal, one even more rare than a gold medal. It’s given for sportsmanship, and only 17 other people have ever been given it. It’s sort of a medal for loving.
Isn’t that great? (Give the children an opportunity to comment.)
Let’s have a prayer!
Prayer: Dear God, thank you for people like Nikki who value love more than winning. Help us to remember her and rule #1 when we’re in a race -- that loving is the most important thing, and that when we love like Jesus loved we win the biggest rewards. Amen.
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* For the children, I would suggest the CEB translation of Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16:
Keep loving each other like family. Don’t neglect to open up your homes to guests, because by doing this some have been hosts to angels without knowing it. Remember prisoners as if you were in prison with them, and people who are mistreated as if you were in their place. Marriage must be honored in every respect, with no cheating on the relationship, because God will judge the sexually immoral person and the person who commits adultery. Your way of life should be free from the love of money, and you should be content with what you have. After all, he has said, “I will never leave you or abandon you. This is why we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, and I won’t be afraid. What can people do to me?” Remember your leaders who spoke God’s word to you. Imitate their faith as you consider the way their lives turned out. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever! So let’s continually offer up a sacrifice of praise through him, which is the fruit from our lips that confess his name. Don’t forget to do good and to share what you have, because God is pleased with these kinds of sacrifices.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 28, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 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.
1 David Gudelunas, Confidential to America: Newspaper Advice Columns and Sexual Education (Transaction Publishers, 2007)
