Hungering and Thirsting for God's Peace
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For March 20, 2022:
Hungering and Thirsting for God’s Peace
by Mary Austin
Isaiah 55:1-9, Psalm 63:1-8
In the face of incalculable suffering in Ukraine, Isaiah proclaims that God has a vision of fullness for the people of the earth. Millions of Ukrainians are living precarious lives, and many have fled the country. Others are camped underground in subway stations, with as many as 15,000 women and children in a Kyiv underground station. Over 2.5 million people have fled to other countries since the war began.
Isaiah’s reassuring word from God invites people into God’s abundance:
Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Watching the destruction of Ukraine, and witnessing the suffering of the nation’s people, we long for them to be filled up with God’s goodness. Even more deeply, we find ourselves hungering for an end to despots and tanks, and thirsting for truth and righteousness.
Physical hunger and thirst are tied to spiritual hunger and thirst, for both the prophet Isaiah and the psalmist in Psalm 63. Neither can be separated from the other, and we are never filled up in one part of ourselves without the other parts being touched, too. For the people of Ukraine, and for the people around the world who are hungry, displaced, fearful and traumatized, we pray even harder for God’s fullness. The heavens are higher than the earth, and God’s ways are higher than our ways, and we pray that God will come quickly to bring this promised reign of fullness.
In the News
We can picture the people of Ukraine longing for the fullness of life that God promises through the prophet Isaiah. “According to the UN refugee agency, at least 160,000 people have been displaced within Ukraine and more than two million people have fled to neighboring countries, including Hungary, Moldova, and Poland. The United Nations is preparing for up to seven million internally displaced persons and as many as seven million refugees, which would be the largest war-related mass migration since the Balkan Wars of the 1990s.” In addition, “many Russian attacks have hit highly populated areas, causing civilians to seek refuge in subway stations and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity, water, or basic supplies. Experts also worry about Russia’s increasing reliance on artillery, cluster munitions, rockets, and other weapons that can devastate civilian areas.”
With all the disruption, Ukraine is also at risk of a new Covid surge. “With millions of people on the move fleeing the Russian invasion, health systems disrupted, and testing and vaccination programs suspended in many places, health officials fear that conditions could spread disease. But the pandemic, they said, was no longer a top priority. “People are not frightened about Covid anymore,” said Dr. Marta Saiko, head of the therapy department at the Clinical Municipal Emergency Hospital in Lviv, in western Ukraine. “People are frightened of the war.” The chaos of war has made it impossible to gauge how the pandemic is progressing.”
Ukrainians also carry the collective memory of past days of starvation. In 1932-33, the people of Ukraine suffered through “the Holodomor, a combination of the Ukrainian words for “starvation” and “to inflict death” — by one estimate claimed the lives of 3.9 million people, about 13 percent of the population. And, unlike other famines in history caused by blight or drought, this was caused” by economic policies imposed by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. “The Ukrainian famine was a clear case of a man-made famine,” explains Alex de Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University and author of the 2018 book, Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine. He describes it as “a hybrid…of a famine caused by calamitous social-economic policies and one aimed at a particular population for repression or punishment.”
In the Scriptures
I always love the practical nature of God. Prayers and mystical experiences are a gift, and yet food and drink always come first in the realm of God. The frills of faith require food, shelter and safety as their foundation. As Juliana Classens writes for Working Preacher.com, “the prophet is able to conjure up a world where the impossible seems possible again. Ever since chapter 40, the prophet has been seeking to provide his fellow exiles with much-needed perspective, helping the survivors to look at their broken world with new eyes. The people to whom the prophet is speaking were in desperate need of such a word. The trauma of the Babylonian Exile they had lived through was too much to bear…the prophet is presenting these doubters with a word of hope from the Lord that has the purpose of transforming the exiles' fractured lives.” God offers practical hope to reassure the people. Bread and water, wine and milk, are necessities, and they also convey a world where people are safe enough to enjoy these gifts.
Illustrating one way that God’s ways are not our ways, and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, there’s no need to pay for God’s abundant feast. The people with no money feast as fully as the rich. The poor enjoy the same provision from God. This would never happen in our world!
The psalmist, too, expresses this same thirst for God’s goodness, saying, “my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” The spiritual thirst is so strong that it feels like a physical one. We can recall the kind of thirst we feel on a hot day, and know the same longing for God’s presence. When we are filled up, the satisfaction feels physical, too. “My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips.”
There is also a call to account for ourselves, as the psalmist urges us, “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” We are called to turn away from the wickedness that adds to the harm in the world, to make sure we are on the same side as God.
In the Sermon
Ukraine’s neighbor nations have stepped in to provide large scale humanitarian aid. “Poland, already home to an estimated 1.5 million Ukrainians (both naturalized citizens and temporary migrant workers), has welcomed more than half of all new refugees, at more than 1.2 million. To prepare, the country has set up temporary housing, hospitals, and reception centers that offer food, information, and medical supplies. The remaining refugees have fled to Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, and other parts of Europe. About 5% of new refugees, or roughly one hundred thousand people, have headed east to Russia. Officials in Ireland announced that their country would waive all visa requirements for Ukrainians seeking refuge there, while the Czech Republic lifted its entry ban and Covid-19 restrictions for incoming refugees.”
The sermon might explore what part we play in fulfilling God’s vision, expressed through the prophet. Nations play larger parts in relieving suffering, and we wonder what our part is. Prayer starts us off, and what concrete help can we add?
Americans of all political persuasions are moved by the plight of the Ukrainian people, and willing to help. In Ohio, “in the middle of former President Donald Trump’s Midwest base, in a state where a sense of economic malaise lands hard on rural and working-class voters, many Republicans see higher gas prices as a small price to pay to help defend Ukraine. “I don’t think we’re doing enough,” Mary King, an unemployed caregiver, said…“Ask the public what they are willing to sacrifice,” King added. “I pray every day to St. Nicholas to save the children in Ukraine who are in danger.” The sentiment was much the same upstate in Strongsville, a solidly Republican suburb of Cleveland that has one of the largest Ukrainian populations in Ohio.” What would we sacrifice, not just for Ukraine, but to see all of Isaiah’s vision come to life? The sermon might look at the people near us who are equally hungry and thirsty — physically, or hungry and thirsty for work, for dignity, for safety at home, for respect. We may not be able to do much for Ukraine, but we can do a lot for people closer to home.
Or, as Covid (maybe) winds down, the sermon could look at the places we all are hungering and thirsting in our own lives. For routine, for novelty, for connection, for clarity — our hungers are legion right now. The psalmist announces, “My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips.” The sermon might look at what that fullness looks like, for us, and for the rest of the world. Both Isaiah and the psalmist have a communal aspect to the sense of fullness. It can’t just be about our individual satisfaction. How can we learn to wish for other people’s fullness the way we hunger for our own?
Isaiah invites us to see all the hungers of the world, and to know that God is at work to fill them, and we can be, too.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Small Talk With Jesus
by Chris Keating
Luke 13:1-9
Since Luke provides no backstory about the killing of the Galileans, we’re left to assume that the tragedy cuts deep into the crowds’ fears. It seems it was the talk of the town, a topic so urgent that the crowd brought it to Jesus’ attention.
As happens so often, tragedy initiates conversation. Watercoolers and barbershops are the gathering places for conversations about the inexplicable. Something consequential happens — like war in Ukraine, another school shooting, homeless persons murdered while sleeping, or laws challenging LGBTQ rights are passed — and soon conversation flows wherever we gather.
“Did you hear about…” meets “OMG! I can’t even!” It’s not quite a full-fledged exchange of ideas, just friendly interactions, sort of a social warmup exercise. As such, small talk is often derided as gossip or seen as a way of filling empty silence.
Tragedy draws us into conversations and often creates bonds of community. Had a McDonald’s been nearby, it would be a good guess that a group of these folks would have been talking about the temple massacre since daybreak, mixing politics with Egg McMuffins. The marketplace would ripple with the news, and couples would trade whispered reflections before bed. We’re all pundits in one way or another, jabbering on and on about the catastrophe du jour.
But small talk is bigger than that.
Social linguistic scholars point out that small talk forms an important function. David Roberts notes that small talk “weaves and reweaves the social fabric, enacting and reinforcing social roles.” Small talk, as Jesus understands, can be a launching pad to broader and more impactful conversations. As Jesus makes his way toward Jerusalem, he leads those who follow way beyond chitchat.
The way to Jerusalem is paved with these sorts of seeming casual encounters. In Luke 9:46, the disciples are embroiled in arguments about who is the greatest. Jesus reframes the conversation, taking it to another level by redefining the meaning of greatness. A bit later, Martha tells Jesus she is miffed by her sister’s willingness to shirk household tasks, but then Jesus upgrades the conversation to a robust discussion about the demands of discipleship.
Now at chapter 13, Luke shows us crowds stirred by the apparent slaughter of Galileans by Pilate. The event, which is not referenced anywhere else in scripture or in historical accounts, was made more obscene by the mingling of their blood with the blood of temple sacrifices. It prompts obvious anxiety by the crowds listening to Jesus. Perhaps they’re shooting the breeze, but they are also deeply aware of what it means to live in an oppressive regime.
“We don’t talk about Pilate, no, no, no,” they tell each other, trying hard to downplay their fears. But their reaction stirs a common emotion: Why do bad things happen to good people?
Jesus seizes the opportunity to broaden the conversation. The mingling of the blood of sacrifices with blood shed by violent execution certainly foreshadows what’s ahead for him. Jesus has little interest in idle talk, gossip, or theological speculation. He’s not interested in assigning blame, but instead pivots the conversation into a deeper dialogue about the rigors of discipleship.
Bad things will happen, he argues. But time is urgent, and the community that he is gathering needs to have more important conversations. They need to talk about repentance and the opportunity for change. His face set to Jerusalem, Jesus shifts the conversation toward the perils of discipleship in a world where devastation is close at hand.
Jesus moves beyond small talk. He reframes the way the crowds talk about sin. It’s not that the Galileans or the crowds at the pool were poor sinners punished by God’s fiat. Don’t allow smug self-righteousness to convince you of their guilt and your innocence. Instead, discover the possibilities of repentance.
Encounter grace-filled metanoia, he tells them, and bear fruits worthy of repentance. Throughout Luke, this has been the theme Jesus has been returning to over and over. The crowds are content with theological chitchat, but Jesus’ conversations are grounded in the good news of salvation.
This is the conversation we ought to have this Lent. Instead of smugly marginalizing LGBTQ youth and families, for example, the church might consider the meaning of metanoia Jesus proclaims. He shifts the conversation away from self-righteous condemnations of the Galileans toward life rooted in the other-seeking love of God that produces the fruits of grace, mercy, and love.
To illustrate his point, he offers the parable of a gardener’s extravagant patience with a ne’er-do-well fig tree others might have cut down months ago. He challenges the crowds to change the way they talk.
The “don’t say gay” laws enacted by Florida and under consideration in other states seem like the self-righteous chatter of the crowd. The rant becomes, “Who caused all this sexual confusion?” Meanwhile, Jesus challenges us to have an entirely different conversation. A Florida high school senior, writing in the New York Times, provides an insightful comparison.
“I have come to realize that those who have been so openly hateful toward me often knew little about the queer community,” wrote Will Larkins. “They thought being LGBTQ was a conscious choice. Education didn’t just give me a sense of self-worth but also the knowledge of a community and lifeline there for countless young people.”
Larkin envisions conversations that produce the fruit of life-giving community. In a similar way, Jesus does not negate that times of challenge and suffering will not occur. Jesus’ challenge encourages the community to embrace a humble faith that is immersed in God’s other-seeking, life-giving love. That’s a conversation worth having.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Isaiah 55:1-9
Ho!
The Hebrew הוי is the first sound in the reading. It’s an exclamation that is pronounced “ho!” It’s an attention getter, especially for those of us who speak English in 21st century America!
* * *
Psalm 63:1-8
Come all who thirst…
The psalm is a nice balance to the Isaiah reading. While most of us do not thirst for fresh water, we are blessed to be able to take it for granted. What would it be like to live in a place like Flint, Michigan, where the water was unsafe to drink for more than five years?
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
Sometimes bad stuff just happens
Jesus asks two rhetorical questions in the first four verses of today’s gospel reading. (What’s wrong with questions?) He implicitly tells those listening to him that sometimes people are in the wrong place at the wrong time when tragedy falls on them. Jesus speaks against the notion that God can somehow precision-guide bad things to happen to people who deserve them. We know who those people are, just ask anyone driving in rush hour traffic!
Jesus is telling his audience that whether they’re victims of unfortunate accidents or actively bad, sinful people, it doesn’t really matter. All of us need to repent. We can begin by turning away from the smugness and sanctimony in which many of us live.
* * * * * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Luke 13:1-5
Preach, Pray, Move, Die
When I was ordained in the United Methodist Church, our bishop met with the ordination class shortly before the big event and reminded us, only half-jokingly, that a United Methodist minister must be prepared to “preach, pray, move, or die on a moment’s notice.”
In these verses we hear of two tragic events, one caused by human cruelty, and one a tragic accident, but those who have come to hear Jesus don’t want to leave it at that. They want to know why these people died.
Did the people who died in these incidents die because they were worse sinners than anyone else nearby? Was God punishing them? Today, they would be part of that crowd who somehow finds comfort in saying that, “Everything happens for a reason.” And they want to know what the reason is.
Jesus, of course, brushes such nonsense aside but he uses the occasion as a teaching moment, reminding his listeners that life and death are often random and capricious and we should work to be morally prepared for both.
Rabbi Richard L. Rubenstein tackles this same question in his book, After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism. In particular, he confronts those Jews who insist that, becaue God is in charge of everything and causes all thing that happen to happen, then God must have caused the Holocaust and the reason God did so was to punish the Jews, as in Old Testament times, for being disobedient to God’s law.
Rubenstein rejects this notion as nonsense. A loving God, he insists, would not do such a thing. But he does say, as did my bishop, that people of faith should understand that life, for whatever reason, is often inscrutable and capricious and becaue of that, we should all be prepared to preach, pray, move, or die on a moment’s notice.
* * *
Luke 13:1-5
Odds And Consequences
What if someone offered you the opportunity to serve your country and make ten million dollars by secreting a nuclear weapon in the basement of your home? The bomb, they assure you, has only a 1% chance of accidentally going off and exploding, killing you, your family, and everyone in a 50-mile radius of where you live.
The question is one of odds verses consequences and most rational people would agree that, even though the odds of the bomb going off are very small, the possible consequences of such an eventuality are so devastating and severe that no odds, however small, would make it smart or worthwhile.
Some people have refused to get vaccinated against the coronavirus because doing so is unnecessary. They cite the odds. They point to actuarial tables and statistical reports that show how the odds of getting the virus are very remote and, if you do get the virus, the odds of suffering long lasting effects or dying from it are fairly low.
So, they argue, there’s not really any reason to get vaccinated because the odds are on their side.
What these people fail to realize is that there’s another half of the equation that they are not considering and that half is consequences. In any ethical consideration, odds must always be weighed against possible consequences.
* * *
Luke 13:1-5
The Penny Tire Test
My dad taught me that, after I’ve driven several thousand miles on my car’s tires, I should from time to time, do the penny test to see if new tires are indicated.
To do the penny test, you stick a penny into the tread of the tire. If Abraham Lincoln’s hair is still below the tread, the tire is probably still safe. If his hair is above the tread, however, it’s time for new tires.
We don’t wait for the tire to go flat or blow out before we buy new ones. We prepare ourselves for the need before the need becomes a demand.
Jesus suggests, in this passage, that our lives would be better served and more authentically lived if we attended to our faith needs before we need them. Pain, grief, tragedy are all possibilities that can assail any of us at any time. Through worship attendance, church membership, Bible study, and other spiritual exercises we will be better prepared to weather them when the come.
* * *
Luke 13:6-9
An Inspector Calls
In J.B. Priestley’s marvelous and thought-provoking play, “An Inspector Calls,” pompous industrialist Arthur Birling, who has hopes of a knighthood, is preparing to sit down to a lavish dinner with his family: his wife, Sybil; son, Eric; daughter Sheila, and Sheila’s very charming and wealthy fiancé, Gerald Croft. Just as they are about to be seated, they are interrupted by the arrival of the enigmatic Inspector Goole.
Goole informs them that the body of a young woman named Eva Smith has been discovered, the victim of a horribly painful and excruciating suicide by poison. He has come to ask them some questions because he believes that each of the members of this very respectable family have a connection to Miss Smith.
They all protest that they have never heard of such a person but Goole persists. He has done some investigating and discovered the following:
Eva Smith, it turns out, worked in Mr. Birling’s factory and, when she led the workers in demanding more humane working conditions and higher pay, he fired her and had her blackballed so she could not get work anywhere else.
So, she changed her name and found employment in a department store where Birling’s daughter went shopping and, in a fit of pique, used the family’s position as wealthy customers to have her fired from that job.
Now without any hope for employment, the young woman turned to prostitution and one of her most faithful clients was fiancé, Gerald Croft. Another of her clients, son Eric, fell in love with her but dumped her when she became pregnant.
Now, abandoned, with nowhere to turn she went to a local charity to ask for help but was refused by the chairwoman of the charity, Mrs. Sybil Birling, who did not approve of her morals.
Each member of this aristocratic family has, unknowingly, by their arrogance and their lack of caring, contributed to this poor young girl’s death. As he leaves, Inspector Goole points out that, while nothing they did was illegal, the morality of their actions is reprehensible and those actions had tragic consequences.
(These are just several of the twists and turns in the plot of this play. I suggest that if you choose to use it, you read the entire play or watch one of the several movies that have been made that were based on it and are available on Amazon Prime, Netflix and, no doubt, several other sources to make yourself familiar with the entire narrative.)
* * *
Luke 13:6-9
A Second Chance
In this parable, the kindly gardener pleads with his boss to allow him to give the unproductive fig tree a second chance, one that he will personally encourage with loving care and tenderness. A modern true story makes the same point.
There are several versions of this story in the popular memory of preachers and storytellers. I offer this one, but please feel free to research others. The message, however, is always the same.
Two teenagers with a long history of crime and delinquency robbed a YMCA and as they were leaving saw a young man at the telephone switchboard. They were frightened and assumed that he must be calling the police. They seized and beat him savagely. Assuming he was dead, they hid his body behind a radiator near the swimming pool and escaped.
Later that evening, a woman who came to swim, was walking by the pool and found Donald Tippet’s body. He lived, but one eye was so badly damaged that it could not be saved.
Eventually, the two teenagers were apprehended and brought to trial. Their past records assured that both would get long sentences, which they did. Their victim, however, did not hate them. In fact, he visited them in prison and helped them complete their education. When they came before the parole board, he requested that they be paroled to his charge.
One of the boys blew his opportunity. He committed another crime, was caught, and sent to jail. The other boy, however, was responsive to Tippet’s kindness. He went to college and then, eventually, to medical school and became a surgeon. An eye surgeon.
* * * * * *
From team member Quantisha Mason-Doll:
Psalm 63:1-8
Sing a gentle song
We often talk about leading a good life — a life that honors the ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Yet have we discussed having a good death? The psalmist sings a gentle song to the Lord professing their deep-seated love for all that God has done for them. It invokes the image of a person that has come to the end of their life and they are reminiscing. Our world is an increasingly dangerous place and our tomorrows are not promised. Preparing for our end is not how we want to spend our sleepless nights. Composing a love song to God is a good start.
* * *
Isaiah 55:1-9
What we were promised
It should be known that we were never promised a gentle life. We were never promised a life free from burdens or sufferings. In truth, we were told that our lives would be difficult. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that our God is steadfast and as God’s chosen people we would be provided for. All who are thirsty or hungry are invited to the table. The Lord's table is abundant. Our God is steadfast and gives freely, thus we ask on this day, how will you repay this promise?
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
Fig tree?
Why does Jesus hate fig trees? They are not doing anything but being trees. Fig trees, like most fruiting trees, take about three to five years before they begin to bear fruit. One way to get a tree to produce fruit faster is to graft a cutting from a more mature plant of the same species or genus. By grafting a mature cutting it makes the younger tree healthier and more productive. Often fruit would form within a year of well-done graft. Maybe there is more to Jesus’ story when he warns against cutting something down when it has not been given guidance by someone or something more seasoned.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: O God, you are our God and we seek for you.
All: Our souls thirst for you as in a dry land with no water.
One: We come looking for your power and glory in your sanctuary.
All: We come because your steadfast love is better than life.
One: You satisfy our souls as with a rich feast.
All: Therefore our mouths praise you with joyful lips.
OR
One: Come, for God calls us to receive abundant grace.
All: We come in joy to meet our compassionate God.
One: God calls all the children of the earth to receive divine love.
All: Our God is loving and filled with grace for all.
One: Let us reflect God’s love in which we were created.
All: We will share God’s love with all we meet.
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
He Leadeth Me
UMH: 128
AAHH: 142
NNBH: 235
LBW: 501
W&P: 499
AMEC: 395
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELW: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
Out of the Depths I Cry to You
UMH: 515
H82: 666
PH: 240
NCH: 483
CH: 510
LBW: 295
ELW: 600
I Want Jesus to Walk with Me
UMH: 521
PH: 363
AAHH: 563
NNBH: 500
NCH: 490
CH: 627
W&P: 506
AMEC: 375
Beams of Heaven as I Go
UMH: 524
NNBH: 271
NCH: 447
AMEC: 382
Amazing Grace
UMH: 378
H82: 671
PH: 280
AAHH: 271/272
NNBH: 161/163
NCH: 547/548
CH: 546
LBW: 448
ELW: 779
W&P: 422
AMEC: 226
STLT: 205/206
Renew: 189
It Is Well with My Soul
UMH: 377
AAHH: 377
NNBH: 255
NCH: 438
CH: 561
ELW: 785
W&P: 428
AMEC: 448
Let There Be Peace on Earth
UMH: 431
AAHH: 377
NNBH: 255
NCH: 438
CH: 561
ELW: 785
W&P: 428
AMEC: 448
This Is My Song
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELW: 887
STLT: 159
Unity
CCB: 59
God, You Are My God
CCB: 60
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is gracious to all your children:
Grant us the grace to see past differences
and embrace all created in your image;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are gracious to all your children. You look upon us and see who we are in our hearts. Help us to be filled with grace so that we may embrace all who you have created in your image. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to extend the cup of cool water to others.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have been merciful and gracious to us when we did not deserve it. We have taken your grace and then refused to pass it on to others. We are happy to escape the consequences of our actions but demand that others face the consequences of theirs. Forgive our pettiness and lack of compassion. Renew your Spirit within us that we may truly be your children. Amen.
One: God is gracious always and offers us the cool water of forgiveness. It is offered in abundance. Share it with others.
Prayers of the People
Gracious God, we praise your glorious name as we worship you this day. You alone are worthy of our adoration and praise.
(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 been merciful and gracious to us when we did not deserve it. We have taken your grace and then refused to pass it on to others. We are happy to escape the consequences of our actions but demand that others face the consequences of theirs. Forgive our pettiness and lack of compassion. Renew your Spirit within us that we may truly be your children.
We give you thanks for your gracious presence in our lives. We thank you for those who have shared your love with us and offered us grace, freely and abundantly. We thank you for all the signs of your compassion in this hurting world.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children in need this day. We pray especially for those in Ukraine who are caught in war and deprivation. We pray for peace and freedom for all your children. We pray for all who are caught in violence and hurt; for those who do not have the basic needs for life; for those faced with hatred and isolation.
(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
Letting Things Grow and Flourish
by Katy Stenta
Luke 13:1-9
Jesus told a parable. A parable is a kind of story that gives special wisdom.
Once there was a tree that was supposed to give delicious, wonderful fruit, called figs. The owner, who wanted to eat this delicious fruit looked for it:
— the first spring: No fruit
— then again the second spring: No fruit
— then again the third spring: No fruit
The owner says to his gardener, “Time to cut that tree down. It is wasting my soil."
But the gardener said, “No give it another chance, why don’t we let it grow for one more year? I will put extra care into it. I will dig some more space for it and give it some extra manure and soil to feed it so it will grow. If it bears fruit then we will know it is good. If not, then you can cut it down.”
Who do you think the gardener is?
What do you think if we call Jesus the gardener sometimes, because God created the world and the original garden, and then sent Jesus to take care of it?
Do you think of Jesus as a gardener?
If Jesus is the gardener, and we are the garden…then how does Jesus give us more room and food to grow fruit?
(The threat of the tree being cut down might not be from God, it might be from the world and a demand from capitalism for fruit to be borne. Perhaps Jesus is not arguing with God, but the world. If that is brought up, I suggest framing it this way.)
Prayer (repeat after me)
Dear God,
Thank you
for Sending Jesus
to help us.
Give us
what we need
to grow.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, March 20, 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.
- Hungering and Thirsting for God’s Peace by Mary Austin.
- Second Thoughts: Small Talk With Jesus by Chris Keating — Jesus moves beyond small talk to challenge those who would follow him with the grace of repentance that leads to life.
- Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Quantisha Mason-Doll.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: Letting Things Grow and Flourish by Katy Stenta.
Hungering and Thirsting for God’s Peaceby Mary Austin
Isaiah 55:1-9, Psalm 63:1-8
In the face of incalculable suffering in Ukraine, Isaiah proclaims that God has a vision of fullness for the people of the earth. Millions of Ukrainians are living precarious lives, and many have fled the country. Others are camped underground in subway stations, with as many as 15,000 women and children in a Kyiv underground station. Over 2.5 million people have fled to other countries since the war began.
Isaiah’s reassuring word from God invites people into God’s abundance:
Ho, everyone who thirsts,
come to the waters;
and you that have no money,
come, buy and eat!
Come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
Watching the destruction of Ukraine, and witnessing the suffering of the nation’s people, we long for them to be filled up with God’s goodness. Even more deeply, we find ourselves hungering for an end to despots and tanks, and thirsting for truth and righteousness.
Physical hunger and thirst are tied to spiritual hunger and thirst, for both the prophet Isaiah and the psalmist in Psalm 63. Neither can be separated from the other, and we are never filled up in one part of ourselves without the other parts being touched, too. For the people of Ukraine, and for the people around the world who are hungry, displaced, fearful and traumatized, we pray even harder for God’s fullness. The heavens are higher than the earth, and God’s ways are higher than our ways, and we pray that God will come quickly to bring this promised reign of fullness.
In the News
We can picture the people of Ukraine longing for the fullness of life that God promises through the prophet Isaiah. “According to the UN refugee agency, at least 160,000 people have been displaced within Ukraine and more than two million people have fled to neighboring countries, including Hungary, Moldova, and Poland. The United Nations is preparing for up to seven million internally displaced persons and as many as seven million refugees, which would be the largest war-related mass migration since the Balkan Wars of the 1990s.” In addition, “many Russian attacks have hit highly populated areas, causing civilians to seek refuge in subway stations and leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity, water, or basic supplies. Experts also worry about Russia’s increasing reliance on artillery, cluster munitions, rockets, and other weapons that can devastate civilian areas.”
With all the disruption, Ukraine is also at risk of a new Covid surge. “With millions of people on the move fleeing the Russian invasion, health systems disrupted, and testing and vaccination programs suspended in many places, health officials fear that conditions could spread disease. But the pandemic, they said, was no longer a top priority. “People are not frightened about Covid anymore,” said Dr. Marta Saiko, head of the therapy department at the Clinical Municipal Emergency Hospital in Lviv, in western Ukraine. “People are frightened of the war.” The chaos of war has made it impossible to gauge how the pandemic is progressing.”
Ukrainians also carry the collective memory of past days of starvation. In 1932-33, the people of Ukraine suffered through “the Holodomor, a combination of the Ukrainian words for “starvation” and “to inflict death” — by one estimate claimed the lives of 3.9 million people, about 13 percent of the population. And, unlike other famines in history caused by blight or drought, this was caused” by economic policies imposed by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. “The Ukrainian famine was a clear case of a man-made famine,” explains Alex de Waal, executive director of the World Peace Foundation at Tufts University and author of the 2018 book, Mass Starvation: The History and Future of Famine. He describes it as “a hybrid…of a famine caused by calamitous social-economic policies and one aimed at a particular population for repression or punishment.”
In the Scriptures
I always love the practical nature of God. Prayers and mystical experiences are a gift, and yet food and drink always come first in the realm of God. The frills of faith require food, shelter and safety as their foundation. As Juliana Classens writes for Working Preacher.com, “the prophet is able to conjure up a world where the impossible seems possible again. Ever since chapter 40, the prophet has been seeking to provide his fellow exiles with much-needed perspective, helping the survivors to look at their broken world with new eyes. The people to whom the prophet is speaking were in desperate need of such a word. The trauma of the Babylonian Exile they had lived through was too much to bear…the prophet is presenting these doubters with a word of hope from the Lord that has the purpose of transforming the exiles' fractured lives.” God offers practical hope to reassure the people. Bread and water, wine and milk, are necessities, and they also convey a world where people are safe enough to enjoy these gifts.
Illustrating one way that God’s ways are not our ways, and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, there’s no need to pay for God’s abundant feast. The people with no money feast as fully as the rich. The poor enjoy the same provision from God. This would never happen in our world!
The psalmist, too, expresses this same thirst for God’s goodness, saying, “my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” The spiritual thirst is so strong that it feels like a physical one. We can recall the kind of thirst we feel on a hot day, and know the same longing for God’s presence. When we are filled up, the satisfaction feels physical, too. “My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips.”
There is also a call to account for ourselves, as the psalmist urges us, “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near.” We are called to turn away from the wickedness that adds to the harm in the world, to make sure we are on the same side as God.
In the Sermon
Ukraine’s neighbor nations have stepped in to provide large scale humanitarian aid. “Poland, already home to an estimated 1.5 million Ukrainians (both naturalized citizens and temporary migrant workers), has welcomed more than half of all new refugees, at more than 1.2 million. To prepare, the country has set up temporary housing, hospitals, and reception centers that offer food, information, and medical supplies. The remaining refugees have fled to Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Romania, Slovakia, and other parts of Europe. About 5% of new refugees, or roughly one hundred thousand people, have headed east to Russia. Officials in Ireland announced that their country would waive all visa requirements for Ukrainians seeking refuge there, while the Czech Republic lifted its entry ban and Covid-19 restrictions for incoming refugees.”
The sermon might explore what part we play in fulfilling God’s vision, expressed through the prophet. Nations play larger parts in relieving suffering, and we wonder what our part is. Prayer starts us off, and what concrete help can we add?
Americans of all political persuasions are moved by the plight of the Ukrainian people, and willing to help. In Ohio, “in the middle of former President Donald Trump’s Midwest base, in a state where a sense of economic malaise lands hard on rural and working-class voters, many Republicans see higher gas prices as a small price to pay to help defend Ukraine. “I don’t think we’re doing enough,” Mary King, an unemployed caregiver, said…“Ask the public what they are willing to sacrifice,” King added. “I pray every day to St. Nicholas to save the children in Ukraine who are in danger.” The sentiment was much the same upstate in Strongsville, a solidly Republican suburb of Cleveland that has one of the largest Ukrainian populations in Ohio.” What would we sacrifice, not just for Ukraine, but to see all of Isaiah’s vision come to life? The sermon might look at the people near us who are equally hungry and thirsty — physically, or hungry and thirsty for work, for dignity, for safety at home, for respect. We may not be able to do much for Ukraine, but we can do a lot for people closer to home.
Or, as Covid (maybe) winds down, the sermon could look at the places we all are hungering and thirsting in our own lives. For routine, for novelty, for connection, for clarity — our hungers are legion right now. The psalmist announces, “My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips.” The sermon might look at what that fullness looks like, for us, and for the rest of the world. Both Isaiah and the psalmist have a communal aspect to the sense of fullness. It can’t just be about our individual satisfaction. How can we learn to wish for other people’s fullness the way we hunger for our own?
Isaiah invites us to see all the hungers of the world, and to know that God is at work to fill them, and we can be, too.
SECOND THOUGHTSSmall Talk With Jesus
by Chris Keating
Luke 13:1-9
Since Luke provides no backstory about the killing of the Galileans, we’re left to assume that the tragedy cuts deep into the crowds’ fears. It seems it was the talk of the town, a topic so urgent that the crowd brought it to Jesus’ attention.
As happens so often, tragedy initiates conversation. Watercoolers and barbershops are the gathering places for conversations about the inexplicable. Something consequential happens — like war in Ukraine, another school shooting, homeless persons murdered while sleeping, or laws challenging LGBTQ rights are passed — and soon conversation flows wherever we gather.
“Did you hear about…” meets “OMG! I can’t even!” It’s not quite a full-fledged exchange of ideas, just friendly interactions, sort of a social warmup exercise. As such, small talk is often derided as gossip or seen as a way of filling empty silence.
Tragedy draws us into conversations and often creates bonds of community. Had a McDonald’s been nearby, it would be a good guess that a group of these folks would have been talking about the temple massacre since daybreak, mixing politics with Egg McMuffins. The marketplace would ripple with the news, and couples would trade whispered reflections before bed. We’re all pundits in one way or another, jabbering on and on about the catastrophe du jour.
But small talk is bigger than that.
Social linguistic scholars point out that small talk forms an important function. David Roberts notes that small talk “weaves and reweaves the social fabric, enacting and reinforcing social roles.” Small talk, as Jesus understands, can be a launching pad to broader and more impactful conversations. As Jesus makes his way toward Jerusalem, he leads those who follow way beyond chitchat.
The way to Jerusalem is paved with these sorts of seeming casual encounters. In Luke 9:46, the disciples are embroiled in arguments about who is the greatest. Jesus reframes the conversation, taking it to another level by redefining the meaning of greatness. A bit later, Martha tells Jesus she is miffed by her sister’s willingness to shirk household tasks, but then Jesus upgrades the conversation to a robust discussion about the demands of discipleship.
Now at chapter 13, Luke shows us crowds stirred by the apparent slaughter of Galileans by Pilate. The event, which is not referenced anywhere else in scripture or in historical accounts, was made more obscene by the mingling of their blood with the blood of temple sacrifices. It prompts obvious anxiety by the crowds listening to Jesus. Perhaps they’re shooting the breeze, but they are also deeply aware of what it means to live in an oppressive regime.
“We don’t talk about Pilate, no, no, no,” they tell each other, trying hard to downplay their fears. But their reaction stirs a common emotion: Why do bad things happen to good people?
Jesus seizes the opportunity to broaden the conversation. The mingling of the blood of sacrifices with blood shed by violent execution certainly foreshadows what’s ahead for him. Jesus has little interest in idle talk, gossip, or theological speculation. He’s not interested in assigning blame, but instead pivots the conversation into a deeper dialogue about the rigors of discipleship.
Bad things will happen, he argues. But time is urgent, and the community that he is gathering needs to have more important conversations. They need to talk about repentance and the opportunity for change. His face set to Jerusalem, Jesus shifts the conversation toward the perils of discipleship in a world where devastation is close at hand.
Jesus moves beyond small talk. He reframes the way the crowds talk about sin. It’s not that the Galileans or the crowds at the pool were poor sinners punished by God’s fiat. Don’t allow smug self-righteousness to convince you of their guilt and your innocence. Instead, discover the possibilities of repentance.
Encounter grace-filled metanoia, he tells them, and bear fruits worthy of repentance. Throughout Luke, this has been the theme Jesus has been returning to over and over. The crowds are content with theological chitchat, but Jesus’ conversations are grounded in the good news of salvation.
This is the conversation we ought to have this Lent. Instead of smugly marginalizing LGBTQ youth and families, for example, the church might consider the meaning of metanoia Jesus proclaims. He shifts the conversation away from self-righteous condemnations of the Galileans toward life rooted in the other-seeking love of God that produces the fruits of grace, mercy, and love.
To illustrate his point, he offers the parable of a gardener’s extravagant patience with a ne’er-do-well fig tree others might have cut down months ago. He challenges the crowds to change the way they talk.
The “don’t say gay” laws enacted by Florida and under consideration in other states seem like the self-righteous chatter of the crowd. The rant becomes, “Who caused all this sexual confusion?” Meanwhile, Jesus challenges us to have an entirely different conversation. A Florida high school senior, writing in the New York Times, provides an insightful comparison.
“I have come to realize that those who have been so openly hateful toward me often knew little about the queer community,” wrote Will Larkins. “They thought being LGBTQ was a conscious choice. Education didn’t just give me a sense of self-worth but also the knowledge of a community and lifeline there for countless young people.”
Larkin envisions conversations that produce the fruit of life-giving community. In a similar way, Jesus does not negate that times of challenge and suffering will not occur. Jesus’ challenge encourages the community to embrace a humble faith that is immersed in God’s other-seeking, life-giving love. That’s a conversation worth having.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:Isaiah 55:1-9
Ho!
The Hebrew הוי is the first sound in the reading. It’s an exclamation that is pronounced “ho!” It’s an attention getter, especially for those of us who speak English in 21st century America!
* * *
Psalm 63:1-8
Come all who thirst…
The psalm is a nice balance to the Isaiah reading. While most of us do not thirst for fresh water, we are blessed to be able to take it for granted. What would it be like to live in a place like Flint, Michigan, where the water was unsafe to drink for more than five years?
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
Sometimes bad stuff just happens
Jesus asks two rhetorical questions in the first four verses of today’s gospel reading. (What’s wrong with questions?) He implicitly tells those listening to him that sometimes people are in the wrong place at the wrong time when tragedy falls on them. Jesus speaks against the notion that God can somehow precision-guide bad things to happen to people who deserve them. We know who those people are, just ask anyone driving in rush hour traffic!
Jesus is telling his audience that whether they’re victims of unfortunate accidents or actively bad, sinful people, it doesn’t really matter. All of us need to repent. We can begin by turning away from the smugness and sanctimony in which many of us live.
* * * * * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:Luke 13:1-5
Preach, Pray, Move, Die
When I was ordained in the United Methodist Church, our bishop met with the ordination class shortly before the big event and reminded us, only half-jokingly, that a United Methodist minister must be prepared to “preach, pray, move, or die on a moment’s notice.”
In these verses we hear of two tragic events, one caused by human cruelty, and one a tragic accident, but those who have come to hear Jesus don’t want to leave it at that. They want to know why these people died.
Did the people who died in these incidents die because they were worse sinners than anyone else nearby? Was God punishing them? Today, they would be part of that crowd who somehow finds comfort in saying that, “Everything happens for a reason.” And they want to know what the reason is.
Jesus, of course, brushes such nonsense aside but he uses the occasion as a teaching moment, reminding his listeners that life and death are often random and capricious and we should work to be morally prepared for both.
Rabbi Richard L. Rubenstein tackles this same question in his book, After Auschwitz: History, Theology, and Contemporary Judaism. In particular, he confronts those Jews who insist that, becaue God is in charge of everything and causes all thing that happen to happen, then God must have caused the Holocaust and the reason God did so was to punish the Jews, as in Old Testament times, for being disobedient to God’s law.
Rubenstein rejects this notion as nonsense. A loving God, he insists, would not do such a thing. But he does say, as did my bishop, that people of faith should understand that life, for whatever reason, is often inscrutable and capricious and becaue of that, we should all be prepared to preach, pray, move, or die on a moment’s notice.
* * *
Luke 13:1-5
Odds And Consequences
What if someone offered you the opportunity to serve your country and make ten million dollars by secreting a nuclear weapon in the basement of your home? The bomb, they assure you, has only a 1% chance of accidentally going off and exploding, killing you, your family, and everyone in a 50-mile radius of where you live.
The question is one of odds verses consequences and most rational people would agree that, even though the odds of the bomb going off are very small, the possible consequences of such an eventuality are so devastating and severe that no odds, however small, would make it smart or worthwhile.
Some people have refused to get vaccinated against the coronavirus because doing so is unnecessary. They cite the odds. They point to actuarial tables and statistical reports that show how the odds of getting the virus are very remote and, if you do get the virus, the odds of suffering long lasting effects or dying from it are fairly low.
So, they argue, there’s not really any reason to get vaccinated because the odds are on their side.
What these people fail to realize is that there’s another half of the equation that they are not considering and that half is consequences. In any ethical consideration, odds must always be weighed against possible consequences.
* * *
Luke 13:1-5
The Penny Tire Test
My dad taught me that, after I’ve driven several thousand miles on my car’s tires, I should from time to time, do the penny test to see if new tires are indicated.
To do the penny test, you stick a penny into the tread of the tire. If Abraham Lincoln’s hair is still below the tread, the tire is probably still safe. If his hair is above the tread, however, it’s time for new tires.
We don’t wait for the tire to go flat or blow out before we buy new ones. We prepare ourselves for the need before the need becomes a demand.
Jesus suggests, in this passage, that our lives would be better served and more authentically lived if we attended to our faith needs before we need them. Pain, grief, tragedy are all possibilities that can assail any of us at any time. Through worship attendance, church membership, Bible study, and other spiritual exercises we will be better prepared to weather them when the come.
* * *
Luke 13:6-9
An Inspector Calls
In J.B. Priestley’s marvelous and thought-provoking play, “An Inspector Calls,” pompous industrialist Arthur Birling, who has hopes of a knighthood, is preparing to sit down to a lavish dinner with his family: his wife, Sybil; son, Eric; daughter Sheila, and Sheila’s very charming and wealthy fiancé, Gerald Croft. Just as they are about to be seated, they are interrupted by the arrival of the enigmatic Inspector Goole.
Goole informs them that the body of a young woman named Eva Smith has been discovered, the victim of a horribly painful and excruciating suicide by poison. He has come to ask them some questions because he believes that each of the members of this very respectable family have a connection to Miss Smith.
They all protest that they have never heard of such a person but Goole persists. He has done some investigating and discovered the following:
Eva Smith, it turns out, worked in Mr. Birling’s factory and, when she led the workers in demanding more humane working conditions and higher pay, he fired her and had her blackballed so she could not get work anywhere else.
So, she changed her name and found employment in a department store where Birling’s daughter went shopping and, in a fit of pique, used the family’s position as wealthy customers to have her fired from that job.
Now without any hope for employment, the young woman turned to prostitution and one of her most faithful clients was fiancé, Gerald Croft. Another of her clients, son Eric, fell in love with her but dumped her when she became pregnant.
Now, abandoned, with nowhere to turn she went to a local charity to ask for help but was refused by the chairwoman of the charity, Mrs. Sybil Birling, who did not approve of her morals.
Each member of this aristocratic family has, unknowingly, by their arrogance and their lack of caring, contributed to this poor young girl’s death. As he leaves, Inspector Goole points out that, while nothing they did was illegal, the morality of their actions is reprehensible and those actions had tragic consequences.
(These are just several of the twists and turns in the plot of this play. I suggest that if you choose to use it, you read the entire play or watch one of the several movies that have been made that were based on it and are available on Amazon Prime, Netflix and, no doubt, several other sources to make yourself familiar with the entire narrative.)
* * *
Luke 13:6-9
A Second Chance
In this parable, the kindly gardener pleads with his boss to allow him to give the unproductive fig tree a second chance, one that he will personally encourage with loving care and tenderness. A modern true story makes the same point.
There are several versions of this story in the popular memory of preachers and storytellers. I offer this one, but please feel free to research others. The message, however, is always the same.
Two teenagers with a long history of crime and delinquency robbed a YMCA and as they were leaving saw a young man at the telephone switchboard. They were frightened and assumed that he must be calling the police. They seized and beat him savagely. Assuming he was dead, they hid his body behind a radiator near the swimming pool and escaped.
Later that evening, a woman who came to swim, was walking by the pool and found Donald Tippet’s body. He lived, but one eye was so badly damaged that it could not be saved.
Eventually, the two teenagers were apprehended and brought to trial. Their past records assured that both would get long sentences, which they did. Their victim, however, did not hate them. In fact, he visited them in prison and helped them complete their education. When they came before the parole board, he requested that they be paroled to his charge.
One of the boys blew his opportunity. He committed another crime, was caught, and sent to jail. The other boy, however, was responsive to Tippet’s kindness. He went to college and then, eventually, to medical school and became a surgeon. An eye surgeon.
* * * * * *
From team member Quantisha Mason-Doll:Psalm 63:1-8
Sing a gentle song
We often talk about leading a good life — a life that honors the ministry of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Yet have we discussed having a good death? The psalmist sings a gentle song to the Lord professing their deep-seated love for all that God has done for them. It invokes the image of a person that has come to the end of their life and they are reminiscing. Our world is an increasingly dangerous place and our tomorrows are not promised. Preparing for our end is not how we want to spend our sleepless nights. Composing a love song to God is a good start.
* * *
Isaiah 55:1-9
What we were promised
It should be known that we were never promised a gentle life. We were never promised a life free from burdens or sufferings. In truth, we were told that our lives would be difficult. The prophet Isaiah reminds us that our God is steadfast and as God’s chosen people we would be provided for. All who are thirsty or hungry are invited to the table. The Lord's table is abundant. Our God is steadfast and gives freely, thus we ask on this day, how will you repay this promise?
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
Fig tree?
Why does Jesus hate fig trees? They are not doing anything but being trees. Fig trees, like most fruiting trees, take about three to five years before they begin to bear fruit. One way to get a tree to produce fruit faster is to graft a cutting from a more mature plant of the same species or genus. By grafting a mature cutting it makes the younger tree healthier and more productive. Often fruit would form within a year of well-done graft. Maybe there is more to Jesus’ story when he warns against cutting something down when it has not been given guidance by someone or something more seasoned.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: O God, you are our God and we seek for you.
All: Our souls thirst for you as in a dry land with no water.
One: We come looking for your power and glory in your sanctuary.
All: We come because your steadfast love is better than life.
One: You satisfy our souls as with a rich feast.
All: Therefore our mouths praise you with joyful lips.
OR
One: Come, for God calls us to receive abundant grace.
All: We come in joy to meet our compassionate God.
One: God calls all the children of the earth to receive divine love.
All: Our God is loving and filled with grace for all.
One: Let us reflect God’s love in which we were created.
All: We will share God’s love with all we meet.
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
He Leadeth Me
UMH: 128
AAHH: 142
NNBH: 235
LBW: 501
W&P: 499
AMEC: 395
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELW: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
Renew: 249
Out of the Depths I Cry to You
UMH: 515
H82: 666
PH: 240
NCH: 483
CH: 510
LBW: 295
ELW: 600
I Want Jesus to Walk with Me
UMH: 521
PH: 363
AAHH: 563
NNBH: 500
NCH: 490
CH: 627
W&P: 506
AMEC: 375
Beams of Heaven as I Go
UMH: 524
NNBH: 271
NCH: 447
AMEC: 382
Amazing Grace
UMH: 378
H82: 671
PH: 280
AAHH: 271/272
NNBH: 161/163
NCH: 547/548
CH: 546
LBW: 448
ELW: 779
W&P: 422
AMEC: 226
STLT: 205/206
Renew: 189
It Is Well with My Soul
UMH: 377
AAHH: 377
NNBH: 255
NCH: 438
CH: 561
ELW: 785
W&P: 428
AMEC: 448
Let There Be Peace on Earth
UMH: 431
AAHH: 377
NNBH: 255
NCH: 438
CH: 561
ELW: 785
W&P: 428
AMEC: 448
This Is My Song
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELW: 887
STLT: 159
Unity
CCB: 59
God, You Are My God
CCB: 60
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is gracious to all your children:
Grant us the grace to see past differences
and embrace all created in your image;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are gracious to all your children. You look upon us and see who we are in our hearts. Help us to be filled with grace so that we may embrace all who you have created in your image. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to extend the cup of cool water to others.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have been merciful and gracious to us when we did not deserve it. We have taken your grace and then refused to pass it on to others. We are happy to escape the consequences of our actions but demand that others face the consequences of theirs. Forgive our pettiness and lack of compassion. Renew your Spirit within us that we may truly be your children. Amen.
One: God is gracious always and offers us the cool water of forgiveness. It is offered in abundance. Share it with others.
Prayers of the People
Gracious God, we praise your glorious name as we worship you this day. You alone are worthy of our adoration and praise.
(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 been merciful and gracious to us when we did not deserve it. We have taken your grace and then refused to pass it on to others. We are happy to escape the consequences of our actions but demand that others face the consequences of theirs. Forgive our pettiness and lack of compassion. Renew your Spirit within us that we may truly be your children.
We give you thanks for your gracious presence in our lives. We thank you for those who have shared your love with us and offered us grace, freely and abundantly. We thank you for all the signs of your compassion in this hurting world.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children in need this day. We pray especially for those in Ukraine who are caught in war and deprivation. We pray for peace and freedom for all your children. We pray for all who are caught in violence and hurt; for those who do not have the basic needs for life; for those faced with hatred and isolation.
(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 SERMONLetting Things Grow and Flourish
by Katy Stenta
Luke 13:1-9
Jesus told a parable. A parable is a kind of story that gives special wisdom.
Once there was a tree that was supposed to give delicious, wonderful fruit, called figs. The owner, who wanted to eat this delicious fruit looked for it:
— the first spring: No fruit
— then again the second spring: No fruit
— then again the third spring: No fruit
The owner says to his gardener, “Time to cut that tree down. It is wasting my soil."
But the gardener said, “No give it another chance, why don’t we let it grow for one more year? I will put extra care into it. I will dig some more space for it and give it some extra manure and soil to feed it so it will grow. If it bears fruit then we will know it is good. If not, then you can cut it down.”
Who do you think the gardener is?
What do you think if we call Jesus the gardener sometimes, because God created the world and the original garden, and then sent Jesus to take care of it?
Do you think of Jesus as a gardener?
If Jesus is the gardener, and we are the garden…then how does Jesus give us more room and food to grow fruit?
(The threat of the tree being cut down might not be from God, it might be from the world and a demand from capitalism for fruit to be borne. Perhaps Jesus is not arguing with God, but the world. If that is brought up, I suggest framing it this way.)
Prayer (repeat after me)
Dear God,
Thank you
for Sending Jesus
to help us.
Give us
what we need
to grow.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, March 20, 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.
