Immediate Word

For August 23, 2020:

• The Last 16 Minutes! by Ron Love — It is time that we comprehend that Covid-19 is our genocide.
• Second Thoughts: Who Do You Say That You Are? by Bethany Peerbolte.
• Sermon illustrations by Ron Love and Mary Austin.
• Worship resources by George Reed that focus on learning to ‘work around’ to achieve the real goal; how we see Christ determines how we see what it means to be a Christian
• Children’s sermon: Who Is This? by Chris Keating — This week’s gospel text lends itself to a variety of interpretative choices for children, including either in person or virtual worship.

The Last 16 Minutes!
by Ron Love
Exodus 1:8--2:10

I do not watch movies. Every movie is formalistic; that is, they follow the same storyline, the same pattern, the same unfolding of events. I belong to Amazon Prime and that little time counter at the bottom of the page reinforced my observation. The time counter informs the viewer how much of the movie you have seen, and how many minutes are left until the conclusion. I have discovered it is always in the last 8 to 16 minutes that we get the final resolution. What is most interesting is that in final resolution of the plot, the director often introduces the villain as someone who played only a passing role in the movie. I have come to realize that if I watch the first 10 minutes of the movie, spot a few minutes here-and-there during the movie, and then watch the last 15 minutes, I have seen the movie and the entire storyline. As I will repeat myself, almost every movie of every genre follows this same layout.

I am also very troubled by the portrayal of death in action/adventure movies, though this is also true for other venues. For instance, you will see one of our leading action heroes — Dwayne Johnson, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Steven Seagal, Steve Austin, Dwayne Johnson, Chuck Norris, Vin Diesel — storm a fortified fortress of the ultimate bad guy. In the process they kill dozens, perhaps dozens of dozens bad guys who are protecting the ring leader. The viewer knows the scene as they fall over banisters and off rooftops. It is only when we get to that final scene — the final 16 minutes of the movie — does death become a concern for us as Mel Gibson is in hand-to-hand combat with the boss of the operation. Of course, we know who is going to win, but somehow, the anticipation and excitement of death still prevails.

What troubles me is the death of the ultimate villain is the only death that enthralls us. But, did you ever think that those dozens of henchmen who Russell Crowe killed had wives and children and a future? Yes, they were bad men; but, they were also people.

Death is the great equalizer, except in the movies.

There is a parallel to this in our lectionary reading for this Sunday from Exodus. We focus on one child whose life was spared — Moses. Have you ever sat back and pondered the countless other Hebrew infants who died? The ones who were not hidden in a basket “and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river.” We also know the last 16 minutes of this story, as Moses led the Hebrews on an exodus out of Egypt.

Fearing the overpopulation of the Hebrews, a minority group who could soon become the major political party in Egypt, Pharaoh ordered that all male children shall be “thrown into the Nile” to drown. It seems that the Hebrew mothers, and I would also suspect the fathers, though the fathers are never mentioned, were very concerned about this decree. We know how the life of one child was spared, though I wonder what other measures parents took to save their children. I wonder how many children managed to live. As our story only concerns Moses, these questions will always be left unanswered. As parents ourselves, we must ask these questions. We must ponder the multiple possibilities of hiding a child — your child.

Even though it is not a part of the narrative, from my understanding of the history of Judaism, that during this time of genocide in Egypt, there was a very strong, insightful, charismatic, and wise leader to guide the Hebrew people. It is apparent from reading the Old Testament that when the Jews had a spiritual and strong leader, the country prevailed. When leadership was absent the country fell into disarray. Before Moses became our Liam Neeson, there was an insightful leader guiding and encouraging the Hebrew families. This unnamed leader assisted the Hebrew parents in navigating their children to a place that was safely beyond the waters of the Nile.

This now brings us to your sermon and how our lectionary reading will assist you in composing a sermon during the Covid-19 pandemic. I will share with you my ideas, which I hope will give you some “talking points” as you write your sermon.

I must always write about President Donald Trump with caution. Many, and I do mean many, evangelicals sincerely believe that God purposely chose Donald Trump to be our president. It is because of Trump’s “mom, apple pie, Chevrolet” policy making that his uncouth language and actions are excused. In fact, Trump loyalists view his verbal assaults as a sign of a president who will take no prisoners, rather than the true indication that we have an adolescent occupying the Oval Office.

Televangelist Pat Robertson has taken this to the extreme. Robertson believes Trump is on par with Jesus Christ. Robertson said, “God came to me in a dream last night and showed me the future. He took me to heaven and I saw Donald Trump seated at the right hand of our Lord.” This of course parallels what Trump thinks of himself.

We have just learned that Trump has made secret inquiries about having his face placed on Mount Rushmore, alongside of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt.

Recently in an interview President Donald Trump said, “I don’t know if you’ve seen, the polls have been going up like a rocket ship. George Washington would have had a hard time beating me before the plague came in, before the China plague. And then, you know, like every other nation, like other countries, when you get hit, it affects you, and we went down a little bit.” 

What the Hebrews had in Egypt we lack in the United States, and that is a strong and wise leader. Trump will not lead by example, refusing to wear a face mask. On numerous occasions he has called the coronavirus a “hoax.” As thousands are infected and hundreds have died, he simply said we have a few “embers” and “hot spots” in the country, which implies the rest of the nation is safe and secure from the virus. As hospitals have reached capacity and beyond caring for Covid-19 patients, Trump claimed that the virus was “Fake news CNN.” The day after Dr. Deborah Brix, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said the virus is “extraordinarily widespread,” Trump responded that “the virus is receding.” In February the President said the virus will just “disappear,” a position he still maintains this August.

We are the Hebrews of Egypt, and we have no leader. I guess many have hopes that Joe Biden will become our Moses.

We also have a problem that escaped the Hebrews. Social media has plagued us with conspiracy theories. Even the most basic common sense should inform someone how ridiculous these fairy tale theories are. The Hebrews did not live under any fabricated stories; they knew what was happening was real, and it was the truth.

Another problem we have is a lack of unity. It is apparent from our lectionary reading that the Hebrews were working together as a tribal family. As I follow the news, every state and every city are walking their own path. Every state and city has its own policy in regard to public safety. Absent of consistency the virus will roam like the dark invisible plague that it is.

Joe Biden, whose campaign strategy may be to act presidential to highlight a president who is not, encouraged consistency. Biden encouraged the governors of all fifty states to mandate wearing masks for the next three months. Biden said, “This is not about Democrat, Republican or independent. It’s about saving Americans’ lives. So let’s institute a mask mandate nationwide, starting immediately, and we will save lives.”

This reflects on why New Zealand has the lowest number of infections. Prime Minister Jacinda Arden instituted strong public safety restrictions across the island nation. This is why after the coronavirus was controlled, the country went 102 days without a single reported case. When four individuals recently tested positive, all in the same household, immediately the city of Auckland, where the four resided, went to Level 3 restrictions and the rest of the country went to Level 2 restrictions.

This is also why Sweden has one of the highest infection rates. The leaders of that country decided that the coronavirus would always be with us so safety precautions were useless. Instead, they decided to let living go on as usual and after enough individuals were infected there would be a nationwide immunization response. So far, this program has been a dismal failure.

Another problem we are facing, which was not a part of the Hebrew community in Egypt, is noncompliance. The scenes are all too familiar to us. Crowded beaches. Crowded water parks. A motorcycle rally in Sturgis, South Dakota. Over Labor Day weekend six million Americans are going to fly to resort locations. It is not known how many will travel by automobile, bus, or train. Florida, which presently has one of the highest outbreaks of infections, will receive over a million tourists. The destination of choice for most travelers is Cancun, Mexico. This, of course, sets the stage for “super-spreaders.”

A problem that we have that the Hebrew did not encounter is confusion. The Hebrews were very well aware of what was taking place under Pharaoh’s decree. As for us, we get nothing but mixed messages. We get nothing but conflicting messages. Case in point: should schools reopen? I think the answer to that should be easy to find. Look to the Cherokee County School District, just north of Atlanta. A week upon reopening the school district had to close two high schools and quarantine 1,024 students and staff.

Confusion. Certainly, the Hebrews were not confused about what was happening and they were not confused about how to address their genocide — their pandemic.

Football. Some colleges will play, some will not. The very respected coach Lou Holtz thinks we ought to play the game. He compared the risks of playing football during a pandemic to a military operation. Holtz, said, “There’s no way in the world that you can do anything that’s without a risk. People stormed Normandy… They knew there were going to be casualties, they knew there were gonna be risks. But it was a way of life.” It should be obvious to the American public, the risk of casualties to free Europe from Nazi tyranny is not the same as being #1 in your football conference.

Lou Holtz is representative of so many individuals in our country. It is the idea that we can just muscle our way through this pandemic. And for true God-fearing Americans who believe in rugged individualism, face masks are for sissies.

Then there is disbelief. The Hebrews knew what was happening as their children were executed before their eyes. The motorcycle rally in Sturgis perhaps speaks for the nation. For these riders in leather, the word Jesus and/or America embroidered on their vests, many wearing Trump T-shirts, Confederate flags waving, topless women with painted breasts, the virus is not real, it is only an attempt by Democrats to keep Trump from being reelected. Or, if you are going to get infected, you will get infected, face mask and social distancing matters not. And of course, the often-repeated words from our President, it is all a “hoax.”

There is exhaustion. We have been asked to “shelter-in-place” for a few months. The Hebrews had to “shelter-in-place” for years. The biggest spreader of the virus is going to become small family reunions. We are all family. We all know each other. None of us are sick. So, unwisely, it is concluded there is no risk. Denial is prevalent at these family gatherings; the denial that someone may be sick and contagious but presently unaware of it.

I am exhausted. I am autistic, so I very seldom leave my home. My psychiatrist has told me that the coronavirus has been a psychological blessing for those of us who are autistic. For during this short duration, we have no “guilt” about not leaving our homes. The few times I do leave my home I have to remember to bring my hand sanitizer. A gel, left in a Jeep, in the South Carolina heat, does expand beyond its container. I do keep my face mask in my vehicle. I question, I wonder, how often do I have to wash the mask? Upon leaving a store, the first thing I do when I get into to my Jeep is sanitize my hands. Yet, in my shopping, how many items did I touch that others have touched before me? Then, there is following this routine even if I am only going into the convenience store for one item; I’ll be there ten minutes at the most.

Accentuate this with age and underlying medical condition. I am 68 with leukemia. I realize that there really is no line of protection from this unseen enemy.

The Hebrews were unified with very strong religious convictions. They had one guiding religious principle to follow that everyone adhered to. Not so with us. Like states and cities, every church is doing its own thing. Sadly, like the POTUS, the church is not offering any consistent leadership. As Christians we know and accept differences among denominations in response to the coronavirus. We even know that churches in the same community will have differing approaches. It is also apparent to us, though we would like to think differently, that within local congregations’ policies regarding Covid-19 are a point of contention.

A survey found that parishioners of opposite political persuasions and opinions on other social issues are still able to work together in harmony. This has not been the case with the coronavirus. Every aspect relating to it is a matter of debate. Worship. Church fellowships. When to reopen.

Tim Wax, a senior vice president at LifeWay Christian Resources, a part of the Southern Baptist Convention, said, “There are people that are shocked and appalled to find out that there are other people in their congregation that have completely different view on the best way to handle a pandemic.” Even sadder than this, is that during this pandemic the greatest stress that pastors are experiencing is “maintaining unity.”

Unfortunately, churches are doing a poor job in adapting to the pandemic. Instead of having a vision of what the church should look like during the crisis, churches are only trying to imitate what they looked like before the pandemic. Instead of becoming a new church, they just want to modify what they were as the previous church.

I attend First Presbyterian Church of Florence, South Carolina. It is one of the three flagship churches in the city. From my observations, what we are doing at FPC reflects what most churches are doing.

We want parishioners in the sanctuary for worship. At FPC by roping off every other pew created a distance of six feet, the common mark for safe distancing. Yet, we know, the virus travels sixteen feet. Bibles and hymnbooks have been removed from the pew racks so there is nothing to touch. Everyone must wear a face mask, even while singing the hymns. Families can sit together, but everyone not in a family group must be six feet apart from others. Again, the virus travels sixteen feet, not six. If there is an overflow, these worshipers sit on folded chairs in the gymnasium, following the same guidelines.

I can understand why people would want to go to church as a family, or perhaps to bump elbows with friends; but, is it really worth the risk? Personally, I enjoy watching the worship service on my computer in the safe environment of my home.

FPC, like most congregations, had a Wednesday evening dinner and program for adult education and events for children. FPC has now decided to do this one Wednesday evening a month. This August 26 there will be a hot dog box lunch. Of course, one must remove their face mask to eat. Then sitting on folded chairs, grouped as previously discussed, everyone will watch a two-and-a-half-hour movie while wearing a face mask.

Is this fellowship? It is just a sorry attempt to be the church as it was, rather than creatively becoming a new image of the church during the pandemic.

In less than a week I will be 69-years-old. Dealing withleukemia, I have no desire to be infected with the coronavirus to sit isolated in a pew wearing a face mask. I do not anticipate returning to FPC before February 2021 when I have been (hopefully) vaccinated.

The citizens of the United States want business-as-usual, or a facsimile thereof. Bars, restaurants, beaches, theme parks, stores, schools, churches should all be available to the public. Restrictions are accepted, but not inconvenience. The Hebrews knew that it was no longer business-as-usual, it was a matter of survival. It is time that we comprehend that Covid-19 is our genocide.

There is a lesson for us from the Hebrews persecuted in Egypt. One, we need strong leadership. Two, we must have a common policy that everyone is mandated follow. Three, we must acknowledge how serious the situation is. Fourth, we must accept the restrictions placed upon us for the benefit of the larger community. Fifth, and most important, we must be unified.


SECOND THOUGHTS
Who Do You Say That You Are?
by Bethany Peerbolte
Matthew 16:13-20

Jesus asks a question of his disciples, “who do you say that I am?” He asks this question far from the crowds, away from the bustle of the city, away from everyday life. Jesus wants to give the disciples the space to really consider their answer because their answer is important. The importance is not about stroking Jesus’ ego though. Their answer will change their lives and redefine who they are. If they believe Jesus to be a prophet, like the wild wondering men who have come before him, they sit comfortably in their Jewish identity. However, if they think Jesus is the Messiah, they put themselves at odds with the religious authority. Additionally, if they think Jesus the Messiah is in the camp of warrior king come to free the oppressed their answer to who Jesus is will put them in opposition with a powerful empire. Answering “who Jesus is” will have implications on the rest of their lives. Jesus saves this meaningful question for a time when they can focus without being influenced by the structures their answers may invalidate.

The most dangerous part of this question is what the answer says about them personally. We can feel this as we read that only one of them is even willing to say the truth that they all must know by now. They have all been with Jesus long enough to understand who he is according to scripture. They have seen him heal people, they have heard him teach, they have experienced enough to put the pieces together. This is the Messiah. If they all know this, or at least suspect it, having only one of them voice the reality tells us there is something else holding them back from answering. That threat they all perceive is that once they say “Messiah” out loud there is no going back.

The disciples know what has happened to others who claimed to be the Messiah and what their followers endured. They may have even been at executions and seen the laughingstock making a claim to “Messiah” produces. They may be sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus is the Messiah but never has that declaration worked out in an encouraging way. This knowledge stills their tongue and dries their mouths until they can say nothing at all.

Only Peter can muster the courage to answer. His reply, “you are the messiah,” hangs in the air like a neon target. Messiah. The one who will come to overthrow governments. Messiah. The one who will turn the religious status quo on its head. Messiah. The warrior, King, High Priest, Son of God. Peter draws a dangerous circle in the sand around Jesus and steps in with him. His courage is rewarded, and his identity immediately changes. Peter will become the foundation of the Church. Blessed and honored and remembered for his willingness to make bold declarations about who Jesus is. Declarations that change who Peter is forever.

Our understanding of who Jesus is says just as much about us as it does about Jesus. We naively think there is only one Jesus. As the show American God’s demonstrates well, there are many different varieties of Jesus. The basic premise of the show is that a god is created when enough people worship something. If there is a large group who worship Buddha, a god of Buddha comes into being in the godly realm. Similarly, if enough people worship technology, a god of technology is created. In season one episode eight, Easter is introduced as one of the gods. There are enough people worshiping the day of Easter for her to exist.  She is as a colorful bubbly woman played by Kristen Chenoweth. Every year she throws a party for the spring solstice and in attendance are many different Jesus types. There is flower loving hippie Jesus who is chatting about peace and love. Another Jesus is dressed is leather retelling some rad stories of his time throwing moneylenders from the temple. A business type Jesus talks up capitalism with a Jesus dressed in minimalistic monk robes. All these Jesus-es mingle together at Easter’s party. Creating the picture that there is not just one Jesus that all people worship. There are those who worship a Jesus who is a peace-loving hippie and those who worship a sharp dressed entrepreneurial Jesus. The scene points a finger at viewers and asks, “who do you say Jesus is?”

We can easily see how our answer also says something about us. If we worship the justice seeking Jesus we will be justice seekers. If we worship Jesus as a way to prosperity, we will declare ourselves prosperous. We have seen how an interpretation of Jesus and his life can affect the way people see the world. When the church focused on how Jesus was killed by the Jewish community, antisemitism was rampant. The answer to who Jesus is, victim of Jewish murderers, changed who people were who thought that, it made them anti-Jewish. The answer to who we say Jesus is becomes just as important today as it was when Jesus asked the disciples. Who we say Jesus is will change who we are, and how we see ourselves.

This relationship happens between us and government too. As we go into a season of national election, we will begin to see how what we say our government is will reflect on who we are. If our government is broken beyond repair, then being a voter is not extremely valuable. However, if we believe every vote counts we will be the first in line, or the first ballot in the drop box, on November 3. What we believe about our government as a system impacts our actions as a citizen and can influence others’ participation.

The Mission and Outreach committee at my church is made of dedicated members. Some have served for decades. A constant complaint in the group is that no one wants to join them. They see that people will show up to mission events, but no one wants to get in on the planning. It was clear to me though why no one would join. The only thing the committee ever did was complain about the meetings. At coffee hour I would overhear them say the meetings were too long, that nothing got done, that no one worked together, and no one listened to them. After asking some leading questions I finally broke down and said “no wonder no one will join you, this committee sounds awful to be a part of!” The way they saw the committee meetings directly impacted their ability to get people involved. They have now spent one year refocusing their energy on the positives and…drum roll please… there are two new members!

How we talk about the structures we participate in will affect how we operate within those structures. If the system is greedy, what does that say about us as Americans in the system? If our system is already the best in the world, what does that inspire in us to do for the future? Do we need to get back to the good ol’ days? Are we broken? There has got to be another way to see our government that is more motivating.

One of the other writers for The Immediate Word is helping with the census this year. His experience in the field shows how our impressions of the government affects how we see ourselves as citizens. There are those who will open the door and gladly answer his questions. Then there are those who angrily slam the door in his face, muttering about the overreach of government. That action of slamming the door directly impacts how the government works. That house, those citizens, will not be counted and the numbers that inform funding essentially will slam the door in their face for the next ten years. Distrust of the government fuels the system of inequity.

Our answers to “who we say Jesus is” and “what we say our government is” are not just answers about something outside of us. Our answers are very much linked to our own self-actualization. Our answers hold the power to make us. Make us into something more like Jesus and make us into citizens that amplify the very best of our country.


ILLUSTRATIONS

From team member Tom Willadsen:

Exodus 1:8-2:10
About those Hebrew midwives
The names Puah and Shiprhah appear to be Semitic in origin. The term Hebrew is rooted in Habiru העבר or Apiru which means something like “wanderer.” It isn’t an ethnic group so much as a category—the people who found themselves enslaved by the Egyptians became a community because they were enslaved together.

* * *

Exodus 1:8-2:10
Where is God?
The first mention of God in Exodus comes when Pauh and Shiphrah fear God when disobeyed the King of Egypt. A few verses later God rewarded the midwives by giving them families.

* * *

Exodus 1:8-2:10
Moses an echo of Noah?
The word for the papyrus basket in which baby Moses was placed and the enormous ark that Noah built is the same תבת . At first glance it’s hard to imagine what these two vessels have in common. Here are three things that tie Moses and Noah’s vessels together:

1. They are both lined with bitumen;
2. Neither has any steering mechanism or means of propulsion; and
3. Their only purpose is to protect precious cargo, so the Lord can make a new beginning.

You’ve probably heard the old one-liner, “Don’t give up — Moses started out as a basket case.” Noah became a basket case shortly after leaving the ark, but that’s a story for another Sunday.

* * *

Exodus 1:8-2:10
Moses, what’s in a name?
Pharaoh’s daughter named the baby she found in the reeds Moses, saying “because I drew him out of the water.” Her Hebrew is not quite accurate. “Moses” is closer to “who draws out,” than “who was drawn out.” Through the centuries Jewish scholars have contended that the name Moses foreshadowed Moses’ life’s work, drawing the Hebrews out of slavery.

“Moses” may also come from an Egyptian naming convention using “mosis” to mean “born of.” Through the years the one of whom Moses was born was lost to to history, leaving us with only the fact that he was, indeed, born.

* * *

Matthew 16:13-20
The Petrine Principle, ie. The Keys to the Kingdom
Peter is the first disciple to recognize Jesus as the Messiah or Christ in the synoptic gospels. For this statement he gets a new name and identity, he becomes the Rock on whom Jesus would build his church. Only in Matthew does this take place. Mark and Luke skip directly to Jesus commanding his disciples not to disclose that he is the Messiah.

Because in Matthew Jesus says “I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven….” The early church used this passage to contend that Peter was the first Pope and that the Bishop of Rome would be the primate of the Christian church.

* * *

Romans 12:1-8
Perfect?
12:2 reads “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” That last word might demand your attention. Can anything be perfect? Well, yes, and a more accurate translation would show that it is God’s will that is perfect, good and acceptable.

Perfection, of course, is something Christians should strive for, and Paul makes that clear earlier in the verse that we are to be transformed and renewed; faith is a process, a pathway, not a destination.

Preacher, you certainly have perfectionists in your congregation, it would be a grace-filled gift to them to unpack “perfect” for them.


* * * * * *

From team member Mary Austin:

Exodus 1:8--2:10
Subversive Joy
How did the Hebrew midwives keep going, with the stress of standing up to Pharaoh and the constant worry about getting caught disobeying his orders? Perhaps they knew how to cultivate joy.  Ari Honarvar, a native of Iran, who lived through the Iran — Iraq War, says, “One thing I’ve learned from spending much of my own childhood in times of war and political upheaval is the importance of cultivating joy during crises. While it is critical to be informed about the trajectory of the new coronavirus via reliable sources, to practice physical distancing, and to care for our most vulnerable populations, it’s also time to infect each other with love and fortifying stories. This is actually really hard to do, because we humans are naturally inclined to focus on bad news.” She remembers, “During the eight — year Iran — Iraq War, which killed over a million people, life was far from joyful. We Iranians had become accustomed to daily funerals, food rations, political oppression, and an ongoing threat of bombs and missiles. On top of that, consuming alcohol, dancing, and playing non — sanctioned music had suddenly become illegal under the post — revolution laws.  But even with these external challenges, I observed a few adults’ ability to become scrappy and use all available resources for the essential task of nurturing joy, stability, and a sense of humor. Faced with food rationing, they experimented with new recipes. Faced with wartime blackouts, they told stories and recited poems. As the threat of bombing loomed, they told jokes and made everyone laugh until our eyes watered. Sure, this made us all feel better in the moment, but what research is discovering is that joy and laughter are essential for building the superpower of resilience.”

She adds, “Psychologist and trauma expert Peter Levine says joy is an experience of expansion, whereas fear is one of deep contraction. Cultivating joy is an important component of resilience as it increases our capacity to face difficulties. “Imagine if every time you stretched a rubber band, it would become more resilient, so rather than wearing out, it would increase its capacity, able to take more stretches without breaking,” he says.”

Perhaps the midwives, even with the daily stress of their work, and their quiet rebellion, knew this, too.

* * *

Exodus 1:8--2:10
Opportunity in Adversity
In December, 1914, ten buildings in Thomas Edison’s plant caught fire. Edison is said to have left home to go to the fire, “knowing that the vast collection of chemicals and compounds at his plant would surely produce a spectacular conflagration. “Son, go get your mother!” Edison instructed his oldest, “And follow me! You will never again see a fire like this!” When Edison arrived at the plant, sure enough, he and his hundreds of employees, friends, and relatives witnessed an amazing fire. Nearly everything was lost including reams of priceless notes, records, prototypes, and projects that were crucial to his ongoing business. And the building, which was supposed to be fireproof, was only insured for a fraction of its worth. Tears and wails of lamentation could be heard: what would happen to the company, the jobs, the future of this once — promising enterprise?”

Like the Hebrews midwives, Edison remained calm enough to reflect, and told a reporter, “Well, there was a lot of junk in that plant that needed clearing out anyway. This just made the job easier.” He then added, “I’m not too old to make a fresh start.” Sure enough, within the year most of the plant would be rebuilt and revenue would exceed $10 million. To this day people marvel at the calm reason Edison exhibited that day. What the inventor knew was that his priceless ideas and stamina had not been lost — and what had, could be (and would be) replaced.” Like the midwives, Edison found an opportunity even in a time of great loss.

* * *

Exodus 1:8--2:10
Small Acts, Big Ripples
The courage of the Hebrew midwives ripples out from their acts of courage, touching the rest of their community. The mother of Philando Castile shows similar courage in her own life, even as she grieves for the son who was shot to death by a police officer in Minnesota. The midwives take action in spite of their own fear, and Mrs. Castile acts in spite of her own deep grief. In 2019, three years after his death, Mrs. Castile gave “$8,000 to a Minnesota high school to settle school lunch debts. The donation, given on behalf of the Philando Castile Relief Foundation, alleviated the lunch debt at Robbinsdale Cooper High School in New Hope, Minn. Valerie Castile told NPR, "The kids shouldn't have a debt hanging over their heads, and the parents shouldn't either. I just believe that the schools should furnish free meals for our children."

"Most people are living paycheck to paycheck, and before you get that paycheck in your hand, it's already been taxed. ... I think they should let these children eat a free meal because that may be the only meal they have for the day," she continued. Carlton Jenkins, superintendent of Robbinsdale — area schools, told NPR that Castile's gift wiped out lunch debts for about a hundred students. "This was a huge humanitarian act in our community," he said.” Small acts, tremendous impact.

* * *

Matthew 16:13-20
Who Are You?
The questions of who Jesus is and who we are always travel together, each one impossible to answer without reflecting on the other. We discover who we are as we meet up with others.  Writer Sandra Cisneros recalls that she grew up in a noisy household, with many children, and no one was ever listening to her. Also, seeking quiet, she fell in love with libraries. “Libraries are spiritual houses. And if you come from a crowded house, where you’re sleeping in the living room or sleeping in beds with four people, to have a space that’s quiet is remarkable. And for me, the library wasn’t just a place to read, but it was a place to dream and to be quiet and look out the window, look at the trees, and just to feel calm, because I’m hypersensitive, as a writer. The one I went to was very beautiful. And, more than anything, it was just like a house to nurture your spirit. And when you’re poor, you don’t have a space of your own to go that’s quiet.”

The library helped her say who she was, and who she wanted to be. “And I remember, that same year I went to the library, and I was looking through the card catalog, looking through for something, and I came upon this card that was dirty and raggedy, and I said, “Oh, this must be a good book.” And then I imagined, then, “One day, I want my name on this card catalog.” And then I could see a book and the spine and my name, and I said — I couldn’t see the title, but I said, “This is what I want.” So I tell children, now, to see with that third eye and imagine what you want your future to be. In my case, I couldn’t tell anyone about it, because of the six brothers, and I wanted to protect this dream, not have it savaged, so I kept it a secret. But I tell children, “You don’t have to tell anyone, but I want you to see it and to walk towards that dream every day. And then you can say it aloud, when you are in a safe place.” But I think it’s important that we give children that permission to do that, at that age or younger. It’s too late, if you wait too many years after that.”

* * *

Matthew 16:13-20
What Do You Want?
While we’re pondering who Jesus is, and who we are as his followers, successful companies have already moved on to the question of who we are in relation to the products in our lives. In his book Start With Why, Simon Sinek notes that great companies transform who we think we are, and what we think we’re looking for. The MP3 player, for example, “changed where we listened to music, it also transformed us from an album — collecting culture to a song — collecting culture. While the music industry was still busy trying to sell us albums, a model that no longer suited consumer behavior, Apple introduced their iPod by offering us “1,000 songs in your pocket.” With the iPod and iTunes, Apple did a much better job of communicating the value of both the mp3 and the mp3 player relative to how we lived our lives. Their advertising didn’t offer exhaustive descriptions of product details; it wasn’t about them, it was about us. And we understood WHY we wanted it." In contrast, German auto makers struggled at first to capture American buyers, and yet were missing a key piece of how American drivers understand ourselves. "The German automakers believed their engineering alone mattered to American car buyers. They were stunned and perplexed when they learned that great engineering wasn’t enough. One by one, the German luxury car makers begrudgingly added cup holders to their fine automobiles.”

When he asks this question, Jesus is revealing something about himself, and he’s also inviting us to redefine ourselves in the shape of his brand of ministry.


* * * * * *

From team member Dean Feldmeyer:

Who Do I Say That I Am?
Shall they play or shall they not? We’re talking football, here. And other autumn sports, too.

The Big Ten and the PAC Ten will not play. The Big 12 will play. Maybe. Some high schools will. Some won’t.

What will hurt a student athlete more, not playing their sport for a season, or Covid-19?

Some athletic directors, coaches, and even parents are arguing that the self-identities of their athletes are so involved with their athletic pursuits that they will suffer irreparable psychological harm if they go even one season without playing their sport.

Katie Lubben, writing for premiersportpsychology.com, says that “pride in one’s identity as an athlete is understandable and should be encouraged.” But she also reminds us that a “danger…occurs when there is too much association given to one’s athletic identity at the cost of the other roles one plays. Over-identification causes the individual to see himself (sic) exclusively as an athlete. The reason why this can be harmful to the athlete is because it can cause them to lose sense of the person that they are outside of their sport. They limit themselves to believing that their highest value in the world is solely as an athlete.”

Coach and athletic coordinator, Drew Mackenzie, suggests four guidelines for maintaining a balanced and healthy self-image that goes beyond athletics.

1. Identify your top five priorities. It is okay for sports to fall within that list, but ultimately it should encompass all areas of your life that are most important to you.
2. Drop unnecessary activities. Achieving life balance means having equilibrium among all of the priorities of your life.
3. Protect your private time. Carve out time in your day to adhere to your own personal wants and needs.
4. Plan fun and relaxation. Do something special for yourself such as planning a trip or activity that you’ve always wanted to do.

Lubben encourages athletes to be proud of who they are as an athlete, but also be proud of the person they are continually discovering outside of the game.

* * *

Who Do I Say That I Am? 2.0
I wrote my first fiction story when I was about eight years old. It was with a No. 2 pencil on lined notebook paper and I think it was maybe ten sentences long. I showed it to my parents who oohed and ahhed, and encouraged me to continue writing and, from that time on, I wanted to be a published writer.

About twelve years after that first story, I had a box full of stories and even one novel that I knew were okay but not good enough to be published, so I went to one of my college professors, who was a published author and asked him for advice on becoming one, myself. He gave me two words of advice that I took to heart, printed out, and hung above my desk.

Today, some forty-five years, a dozen books, three plays, and countless poems, lyrics, short stories, and essays later, those two words are still tacked to the bulletin board in front of me.

Those words are: “Writers write.”

Dr. Verderber had more to say on the subject, of course. He had observed, he said, that lots of people want to write, and talk about writing, and go to writing classes, retreats, and conferences, but the ones who succeed at becoming published writers are the ones who write, and write, and write until they are published.

They do not allow themselves the luxury of writer’s block, or discouragement, or burnout, they toss their rejection notices into a box, they sit down at the keyboard, and they continue writing, because they must and, God help them, they love it.

Those people are writers and, eventually, other people, their families, their friends, editors, publishers, readers come to recognize that as well.

* * *

Who Do I Say That I Am? 3.0
Courtney Lavine is a dancer, a ten-year veteran of the American Ballet Theatre.

But, for nearly half a year, she didn’t dance. She couldn’t. There was no place to dance and there was no audience to dance for.

Coronavirus had stolen them away.

Oh, she worked out and did what they call “barre workouts,” holding onto the back of a dining chair in her living room. But she wasn’t dancing, not like she had trained to do, not on a dance floor and in front of an audience.

Then she got a chance to dance again. Not at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, where she usually dances, but in Tivoli, N.Y., a village in the Hudson Valley countryside, where she performed a two-minute solo on a modest outdoor stage in a field behind a barn. That’s where the Kaatsbaan Cultural Park — a long-standing site for dance residencies and creative retreats — is hosting its first summer dance festival, with outdoor performances on weekends through Sept. 27.

“I had the nerves of ‘Okay, do I remember how to do this?’” said the 31-year-old ballerina. “But then it was great, like, ‘Oh, I’m doing it again. Back to work!’”

Performing once again is the ultimate reward for dancers like Lavine because, you see, dancers dance. It’s not just what they do, it’s who they are.

* * *

MLB’s New Coronavirus Rules
When conditions change in drastic ways, people learn to be flexible, to pivot, and deal with the changes. Here are ten ways that Major League Baseball (MLB) has adapted their rules for the presence of the Coronavirus:

1. Universal designated hitter: Teams in both the National League and the American League will use a designated hitter for all games, including the playoffs.
2. Runner on second to start extra innings: For the regular season only, a runner will begin on second base at the start of each half-inning after a game heads to extra innings. A pitcher allowing a designated runner to score will not be assessed an earned run.
3. Resumption of unofficial games: Games that do not go five complete innings because of weather issues can be suspended and restarted from the same point at a later date.
4. No spitting: For obvious reasons.
5. Physical distancing: Players and managers are to remain an appropriate distance from umpires and the opposing team whenever possible.
6. Players or managers who come within six feet of an umpire or opposing player to argue or to engage in an altercation are subject to ejection and subsequent discipline by MLB, without regard for the truncated schedule.
7. Players on opposite teams should not socialize or come within six feet of one another before the game, during warmups, in between innings or after games.
8. Hitters must use their own pine tar, bat doughnuts and other accessories in the on-deck circle. They also must retrieve their own caps, gloves and sunglasses from the dugout if an inning ends with them on base.
9. Pitchers are required to bring their own rosin bag to the mound and use baseballs exclusive to them for bullpen sessions. They are not permitted to lick their fingers, but they may bring a wet rag to the pitching rubber to moisten their fingers.
10. Any baseball that is put in play and touched by multiple players will be removed and exchanged for a new ball. After an out, players are discouraged from throwing the ball around the infield.

* * *

Seven times when it’s okay to bend or break the rules at work
Chelsea Babin, writing for Camdenkelly.com (an Information Technology recruiting firm) writes that whether your workplace believes in self-driven workloads or is filled to the brim with micromanagers,  following the rules at work seems like a great idea. But, here are seven scenarios where bending or breaking the rules is actually okay.

1. When You’re Given Permission: Sometimes bosses will give you a clear set of guidelines and rules to follow but they’ll also give you permission to break them because they trust you and they believe in your talents and skills.

2. When You’re Testing New Methods or Systems: If you’re collaborating with a project team whose methods and systems seem stale, why not propose new methods and systems?

3. When Old Habits or Patterns Aren’t Working Anymore: Often we do things simply because that’s always the way they’ve been done and it takes a bit of rule bending to show there’s a better way.

4. Lack of Strict Rules or Guidelines: Most of the time, unless you’re working for a micromanager, you probably won’t have strict rules or guidelines along the way. This leaves you room to innovate a little. Be prepared to check back if you feel uncomfortable bending things too far.

5. When You’ve Found a Better Way: If you’ve found a better way to do what you need to do at work, breaking the rules and following this new path could be a great idea. If you have the authority to change your methods on your own, do it. If not, check with your co-workers and/or bosses.

6. A Self-Driven Project that Requires Your Creativity: If you’re attempting to complete a self-driven project where innovation and creativity are encouraged, bending or breaking the rules you’re familiar with is necessary. Otherwise, you’ll end up with run-of-the-mill results that may not be what your employer is looking for.

7. When You Have Time to Fix Your Mistakes: If you never take a risk, you’ll never learn or improve. But, on the flip side, when you break the rules at work and go off on your own path, you’re always running the risk of making a mistake. As long as you have time to fix whatever mistakes you make along the way, trying out a new method rather than following the rules on your next project may lead you to a great discovery!



* * * * * *

WORSHIP
by George Reed

Call to Worship:
Leader: If it had not been God who was on our side
People: then they would have swallowed us up alive.
Leader: Blessed be God who has not given up on us.
People: We have escaped like a bird from the snare.
Leader: Our help is in the name of our God.
People: The One who made heaven and earth is our helper.

OR

Leader: Let us seek the Christ who reveals God to us.
People: We open our hearts and minds to the Christ.         
Leader: Let us seek the Christ who reveals ourselves to us.
People: We seek to know our true selves in Christ.
Leader: When we know God and ourselves, we know our purpose.
People: We seek to fulfill the purpose God has given us.  

Hymns and Songs:
All People That on Earth Do Dwell
UMH: 75
H82: 377/378
PH: 220/221    
NNBH: 36
NCH: 7
CH: 18
LBW: 245
ELW: 883
W&P: 661
AMEC: 73
STLT: 370

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
ELW: 414
W&P: 138

All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
UMH: 154/155
H82: 450/451
PH: 142/143
AAHH: 292/293/294
NNBH: 3/5
NCH: 304
CH: 91/92
LBW: 328/329
ELW: 634
W&P: 100/106
AMEC: 4/5/6
Renew: 45

Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
UMH: 173
H82: 6/7
PH: 462/463
LBW: 265
ELW: 553
W&P: 91

Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain
UMH: 315
H82: 199/200
PH: 114/115
NCH: 230
CH: 215
LBW: 132
ELW: 363

Christ Is Alive
UMH: 318
H82: 182
PH: 108
LBW: 363
ELW: 389
W&P: 312

Spirit of the Living God
UMH: 393
PH: 322
AAHH: 320
NNBH: 133
NCH: 283
CH: 259
W&P: 492
Renew: 90

Jesus Calls Us
UMH: 398
H82: 549/550
NNBH: 183
NCH: 171/172
CH: 337
LBW: 494
ELW: 696
W&P: 345
AMEC: 238  

I Am Thine, O Lord
UMH: 419
AAHH: 387
NNBH: 202
NCH: 455
CH: 601
W&P: 408
AMEC: 283

O Young and Fearless Prophet
UMH: 444
CH: 669
STLT: 276

Open Our Eyes, Lord
CCB: 77
Renew: 91

Behold, What Manner of Love
CCB: 44

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 reveals yourself in Jesus the Christ:
Grant us the vision to see the True Christ
so that we may see our true selves
and our true work that awaits us;
through Jesus Christ our Savior.  Amen.

OR

We praise you, O God, because you reveal yourself in Jesus the Christ. Help us to see the reality of the True Christ and so see the reality of our true selves as we serve you and your people. Amen.

Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially   

People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have tried to make you and your Christ in our image so that we can serve our own selfish wants. We have turned from the truth that scripture shows us and turned to our own falsehoods. We have made an idol out of the own who is our Savior. Remove the scales from our eyes and open our hearts to greet your Christ that we may truly know who we are and what we need to do. Amen.

Leader: God is always ready for us to know truth, the truth that is God and the truth that is our own selves. Receive God’s vision and know who and whose you are.

Prayers of the People
Glory and praise are yours, O God, because you reveal your true self to us in the Christ and so reveal our true selves to us, as well. 

(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 tried to make you and your Christ in our image so that we can serve our own selfish wants. We have turned from the truth that scripture shows us and turned to our own falsehoods. We have made an idol out of the own who is our Savior. Remove the scales from our eyes and open our hearts to greet your Christ that we may truly know who we are and what we need to do.

We give you thanks for the ways you have shown yourself to us: scripture, nature, the church, and those who live your life among us. We thank you for your faithfulness in seeking to claim us as your own beloved children.  

(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)

We pray for all your children. We pray for those who are confused and lost in this world not knowing who you are and therefore not truly knowing themselves. We pray for those who cannot see the truth because of the cruelty and hatred of others that blind them to your love. We pray for those who cannot understand blessing because they are struggling to find the bare necessities for this mortal life.

(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 Starter
We have all kinds of ways of talking about who we are. We are children of our parents and part of a larger family. Maybe we are students at a school. We are part of this church and this Sunday school. We are people who like to sing or play a sport or read. But the most important part to remember is that we are God’s beloved children.



* * * * * *

CHILDREN'S SERMON
Who Is This?
by Chris Keating
Matthew 16:13-20

Gather ahead of time:
Photographs of church members or staff.
Different pictures of Jesus, including several non-Caucasian images.

This week’s gospel text lends itself to a variety of interpretative choices for children, including either in person or virtual worship.

During this week, pick out a collection of photographs of church members, staff or volunteers and gather some basic facts about them (their name, any special roles they have at church, their occupation, names of children, etc.) At the beginning of the time with children, tell them that since the church has not been able to meet in person very much in 2020, you thought it might be helpful to see if the children remember the names of folks at church — their Sunday school teachers, the ushers, choir members, organist, and so forth. As you hold up a picture, ask two questions: “Who is this, and what do they do?”

Explain that our names are a way people know who we are, but that our titles can also tell us more about someone. For example, we might know Mr. Jim is the church custodian. But to his grandchildren he is “Poppa.” To his neighbors he is Jim who lives next door. To the church he is the person who makes sure the building is clean and looks nice.  Another example: you know your teacher by his or her name. But they are not only a teacher, they may be a spouse, a friend, a neighbor, and so on. We all have names, but we are known differently depending on the situation.

Not only will this help your children identify some of the people in your church whom they might not have seen recently, it will help introduce the question Jesus asks the disciples in Matthew 16:13-20.

After a few rounds, ask the children to close their eyes. Can they imagine what Jesus looks like? It may vary depending on our experiences and culture. While there are no photographs of Jesus, throughout the centuries artists have imagined Jesus in different ways. An artist from China once painted an Asian Jesus kneeling in the Garden of Gethsemane. There are ancient pictures from Ethiopia which show Jesus as Black. There are different ways of imagining Jesus. (Check out this wonderful article in the New York Times which chronicles the various ways artists are beginning to portray Christ in different cultural perspectives.) Share some of the different portrayals of Jesus which you have found.

This week, Jesus turns to his disciples and asks them a question. “Who do people say that I am?” he asks. He wants to know what people are thinking, and what titles they may have given him. Some of the disciples told Jesus people think he is John the Baptist. Kids may remember him from Christmas pageants as a guy who dressed weird, was Jesus' cousin, ate bugs and baptized people. Other disciples said some folks think he is a prophet like Elijah, or Jeremiah, who were people who proclaimed God’s mighty deeds.

Jesus then asks the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Immediately, Peter blurts out, “You’re the Messiah, the Son of the Living God!” Peter uses two titles for Jesus: Messiah, or “Christ,” which means the one anointed by God, and “Son of the Living God,” which a divine ruler. Peter uses both a Jewish term (Messiah) and a Greek term (Son of the Living God) as a way of describing who Jesus is to him. Remind the children of the many things Peter has witnessed: Jesus walking on the water, feeding thousands of people, and healing many who were sick.

Titles are important. They help us know more about a person, and what they do. Jesus’ title tells us more about who he was, and how he can continue to save us today. When we know who someone is, we get to know them better, and learn about the many things that make them special and important.


* * * * * * * * * * * * *


The Immediate Word, August 23, 2020 issue.

Copyright 2020 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.