In this week’s gospel text, Jesus addresses our penchant for criticizing others with two vivid illustrations. First he invokes the image of “children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn,’ ” and then he talks about the naysayers who called John possessed by demons and pilloried Jesus as a “glutton and drunkard” for choosing to dine with tax collectors and sinners. It’s the same dynamic we often see in modern life, particularly in the forum of public affairs where there’s just no pleasing everybody. That’s especially true when the debate turns to thorny problems with no easy, clear-cut answers -- as with the current situation in Iraq and the Middle East. More broadly, we’ve seen criticism become a basic tactic of political warfare; no matter the issue, each party attempts to gum up the works for their opponents so that they can point to the failure of those in power to accomplish anything as prima facie evidence that they’re incompetent to govern.
In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer calls this the “catch-22” of modern politics; but he also notes that we see the same tendency in many other areas too... including our churches. All too often, Dean says, we try to make prospective Christians jump through a series of hoops -- navigate a theological catch-22, in other words -- in order to earn God’s love. But Jesus seems to be telling us to take a step back and not get sidetracked with trying to measure up to a fickle public’s idea of what constitutes Godly behavior -- indeed, Jesus reminds us that what the world regards as wise is reversed in God’s eyes: “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants.” Instead, Dean notes, we would do well to lighten the load of those we minister to -- after all, our Lord’s yoke is easy, and he makes our burdens light.
Team member Chris Keating shares some additional thoughts on the final section of the gospel text with its familiar words of comfort: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Our lives seem full of heavy burdens, but there’s no hardship that wreaks as much havoc on lives today as that of debt -- a soul-crushing burden that not only is destabilizing financially but also ruins relationships. There are many factors that contribute to this growing crisis -- but the most pernicious, and the load that can take years to cope with, is the exploding amount of student-loan debt. The toll it takes on young people can be measured in human and spiritual sorrow. Chris reminds us that while Jesus may not be able to help us settle with our creditors, the “rest for our souls” that he offers is vital for those who might otherwise lose faith in life itself; and, he notes, it also presents the church with an opportunity to speak with some relevance to the concerns of millennials.
Lightening the Load
by Dean Feldmeyer
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Otto von Bismarck said: “Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable -- the art of the next best.” This axiom has often been paraphrased as “the art of compromise.”
To get elected, however, politicians must present a very different picture. They approach their constituencies as persons of unbending principle. They tout themselves as unyielding ideologues. But as much as the voters want virtue from their elected representatives, they also desire “pork.” And uncompromising politicians rarely garner enough pork to send home to their voters, so their tenure in office is typically brief.
It does not take long for freshman politicians to figure out that the only way to get anything done, for their own constituency or anyone else, is to “create coalitions and find acceptable compromises.” Doing so, however, leaves them vulnerable to the next ideologue to challenge them at the voting booth.
Inevitably this schizophrenic approach to governing proves that Groucho Marx was something of a prophet when he paraphrased Sir Ernest Benn in describing politics as “the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.”
Fortunately, an appropriate relationship with God, as Jesus describes it in Matthew 11, is not a political one. We need not curry God’s favor by action or inaction, coalition or compromise. God’s grace makes our yoke easy and our burden light.
In the News
President Obama probably knew what a “catch-22” was before he became president. But if he didn’t, he certainly does now. Catch-22s are ubiquitous in modern politics.
The phrase comes from Joseph Heller’s satirical novel by the same name, and it’s defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “a problematic situation for which the only solution is denied by a circumstance inherent in the problem or by a rule.” (e.g. You can’t get a job without experience, and you can’t get experience without a job.)
In politics, it works like this: The relationship of the politician to the voters is often based upon ideology. Conservative or liberal, it works the same on both sides of the aisle.
In order to get things done for his or her constituents, however, the politician must make compromises. But politicians who make compromises are often attacked as “sellouts.” So the politician is caught in the middle of a lose/lose situation.
Cling tenaciously to ideals and get nothing done, or compromise and get things done. Either way you give ammunition to your challenger in the next election.
In his first term, President Obama opted for compromise. He sought to appease his critics on the right and create bipartisan support by convincing his Democratic allies in Congress to make changes in the Affordable Health Care Act.
The changes were made with much grumbling and complaining from the left. But when it came time to vote on the bill, the right voted against it even though they had received many of the changes they asked for.
So now in his second term, the president has opted for getting things done.
Faced with a Congress in gridlock, stalled and unable to move, and facing obstruction, obfuscation, delay, and distraction from the right, he has turned to the executive order (EO) as a way of getting things done.
Compared to his recent predecessors, the number of EOs Obama has signed is fairly modest -- 174 as of March 2014. During their terms, George W. Bush signed a total of 290, Bill Clinton signed 363, and George H.W. Bush signed 165, while Ronald Reagan tops the list with 380. (Franklin D. Roosevelt holds the all-time record with 3,728.)
But it is President Barack Obama who is apparently going to be sued by the Speaker of the House of Representatives for undermining the democratic process with 174 executive orders.
Just a few days ago, the Supreme Court ruled that three of the president’s recess appointments to the National Labor Relations Board were unconstitutional. This was not to say that recess appointments per se were unconstitutional, but that these particular ones were because the Senate was technically not in recess.
In order to block the president from accomplishing something while they were “out of the office,” the Senate held pro forma sessions -- that is, sessions that were meetings in form only but in which nothing was actually done. But action or no, as long as these pro forma meetings were taking place every ten days or so, the Senate could not be said to truly be in recess.
The decision was celebrated by the right as a win against, in Utah Senator Orrin Hatch’s words, “President Obama’s brazen efforts to circumvent the Constitution, bypass the people’s elected representatives, and govern above the law.” This in spite of the fact that “in the history of the United States, 168 presidential nominees have been filibustered -- 82 blocked under President Obama, 86 blocked under all the other presidents.”
The entire discussion has been rendered moot, however, by the “nuclear option” -- a parliamentary maneuver approved by the Senate last November that allows all appointments except those to the Supreme Court itself to be confirmed by a simple majority of 51 votes instead of the 60-vote “super majority” that was formerly required to circumvent filibusters.
One cannot help but wonder how all of this business of rules and counter-rules, check and checkmate, will affect the president’s handling of the current crisis at our southern border. In 2012 about 13,000 unaccompanied children under the age of 18 crossed our borders illegally. This year the number is expected to approach 90,000. Right now there is simply not enough space to house and care for them all safely and humanely. A 50,000-square-foot facility being built by the Immigration and Naturalization Service near the border will house only about 1,100 persons. The $78 million emergency funds allocated by Congress last week will barely touch the problem.
In Congress, fingers are wagging as politicians insist that “something” should be done -- but no one wants to brave the political catch-22 which is sure to raise its head once something, especially something that costs money, is actually done.
The majority of Americans tend to agree that immigrants entering our country, even the alleged flood of illegal newcomers who are currently in the news, tend to strengthen the country. But within the ranks of the Republicans there is a glaring divide. According to new data from the Pew Research Center, “solidly Republican Steadfast Conservatives view immigrants as a burden (73%) and as a threat to traditional values (81%). However, this contrasts with Business Conservatives, who mostly believe that immigrants strengthen the country (64% vs. 21%) and American society (72% vs. 20%).”
How can the president come up with a solution to this problem that pleases everyone when even his opposition is at odds over whether there even is a problem? It’s a catch-22 within a catch-22. Amazing! Frustrated by what he characterized as a Republican “year of obstruction,” President Obama finally declared this week that “The only thing I can’t do is stand by and do nothing,” and so he made clear in the absence of a congressional overhaul of the system his intention to escape the catch-22 by addressing the immigration crisis through executive orders.
And to top it all off, the government of Iraq seems to be in a state of near collapse as ISIS insurgents take city after city and threaten Baghdad itself, even as they declare the formation of a new Islamic state. Numerous pundits on Fox News are calling for the president to “do something,” but none seem to know exactly what should be done. Their counterparts on MSNBC insist that we have done enough and that Iraq’s problems now belong solely to Iraq. There is no action or inaction that will not raise the ire of and meet with often reasonable criticism from one side or the other.
While compromise may be the sine qua non of politics, a catch-22 now seems to be the inevitable result of any decision made and any action taken.
In the Scriptures
In this week’s gospel lesson from Matthew (11:16-19, 25-30) Jesus faces what might properly be referred to as a first-century theological catch-22.
He has been criticized, probably by the Pharisees, because he parties too much. He enjoys eating and drinking and hanging out with “low” people, people of whom the “right” people do not approve. He has been called a drunkard and a glutton. He has friends who are tax collectors and whores, and other kinds of sinners. Tsk, tsk!
But Jesus points out that John the Baptist did none of these things. John was an ascetic. He didn’t drink alcohol, and his diet could be described as über-kosher. He fasted and prayed, and the only time he ever went to a party was to crash it and make everyone feel guilty.
And for all of this John was accused of being possessed by a demon.
There’s no pleasing these people!
Fortunately, Jesus reminds us, our goal is not to please the Pharisees. Our goal, as the people of God, is not to earn our way into the Kingdom by obeying the rules that have been placed before us by other people. No wonder we are weary and heavy-burdened.
Our goal is to be in an authentic, appropriate relationship with the Lord God.
And that kind of relationship is based on God’s grace and our acceptance of it.
The yoke of the Pharisees is heavy and its burden is wearisome; God’s yoke is easy and the burden is light.
In the Pulpit
It was John Lydgate of Bury, a 14th-century English monk and poet, who first opined that “You can please some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you cannot please all of the people all of the time.” (In 1885, prohibitionist Fred Wheeler would borrow the adage, change “please” to “fool,” and attribute the saying to Abraham Lincoln, though there is no record of Lincoln actually ever saying it.)
Unfortunately, Christianity is often presented as an attempt to do exactly what Lydgate said it was impossible to do: please all of the people (at least all the Christian people) all of the time. And often we Christians like that just fine.
We like being an exclusive club, a gated community, an elite association.
We like to erect barriers that people must overcome if they want to join us in the Kingdom. They must dress and behave and speak in certain ways in order to be acceptable. They must experience God’s grace in the proscribed manner and describe that experience in the proscribed formulaic phrases in order to prove that their experience was authentic.
We create yokes that are difficult and burdens that are heavy.
We talk of grace, but our words and actions have more to do with earning forgiveness than accepting it.
We tell people that they cannot earn God’s love, and then we place before them tasks to achieve and barriers to overcome if they want to be loved.
It’s our modern theological catch-22: You cannot earn God’s love. It is given to you as a gift. But you must accept it, and to show that you have accepted it you must behave in a certain proscribed way. If you don’t behave in this prescribed way, you can’t be loved. Catch-22.
I once worked with a “Meals on Wheels”-type program that got caught in its own catch-22.
We provided lunches to seniors who were homebound and/or too poor to provide for all of their own food needs. The meals we delivered were purchased from a supplier and were certified as acceptable. They met 1/3 of a person’s daily nutritional needs.
All the recipient had to do was heat them like a TV dinner or a “Lean Cuisine” meal in a microwave or conventional oven.
Then one day someone read the fine print in the eligibility requirements, which said that if a person was capable of cooking a meal in a microwave or conventional oven they did not qualify for the home-delivered meal. In other words, if you could actually make your home-delivered meal edible, you couldn’t have it.
Fortunately we were dealing with sane people who were capable of making good judgments, and the eligibility requirements were adjusted to fit the needs of the elderly in the 21st century.
The Christian community is called to minister to people in their time and place. We would do well to not place barriers and catch-22s in the path of those to whom we are called to minister. Our calling is not to add to but to lighten the load they bring with them to church.
SECOND THOUGHTS
A Hard Burden to Bear
by Chris Keating
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
They’re called the boomerang kids -- 25-30 year olds who have finished college and returned home in pursuit of non-existent jobs. The transition from college to career is lengthening, despite the best intentions.
One in five now lives at home. Just 26% are married. They are the most racially diverse generation in United States history.
About half are underemployed, or employed in jobs that do not require a bachelor’s degree. They’re faced with poor employment options in a sluggish economy still rebounding from the housing and financial crisis. Despite this, they are overwhelmingly confident of their financial future.
You might be thinking, “To what shall we compare this generation?”
The searing truth is that this is a generation yoked to financial hardship. About half of millennials have student loans. They are entering the workforce with lower levels of wealth and income than their parents. As a millennial featured on the cover of a recent New York Times magazine story said, “We’re expected to be these great professionals who come out of college with [expletive] jobs, and then we’re like: wait. I’ve got 80 grand in debt.” It is a burden most will shoulder well into their 30s, and a particularly onerous burden for the poorest in their generation.
With this in mind, Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28 may ring especially true for this generation -- particularly as they reflect on their piles of student loan bills. Despite their lack of religious affiliation, this is a status update with which the Facebook generation could entirely agree.
In the News
Searching for rest and carrying burdens now exceeding 1 trillion dollars, nearly 37 million young Americans understand what it means to have educational debt. In 2012, the average student loan balance for all age groups was $24,300. According to American Student Assistance, about one-fourth of borrowers owe in excess of $28,000, while 10% owe more than $54,000.
Last week, officials from the Education Department discovered that student debt is no laughing matter. Officials from the Federal Student Aid agency tweeted a photo of actress Kristen Wiig from the movie Bridesmaids with the words “Help me. I’m poor.” The tweet said: “If this is you, then you better fill out your FAFSA.”
After a ferocious Twitter backlash, officials deleted the tweet about an hour later and issued an apology.
Attention, FAFSA: no one is laughing -- particularly those borrowers who find themselves unable to purchase cars or otherwise fuel the economy. Last week’s headlines also included President Obama’s action to reduce loan payments for students by capping borrowers’ payments to 10 percent of their monthly income. The plan affects those who took out loans prior to October 2007 or who stopped borrowing money by October 2011.
The president’s orders were a backstop to a Senate bill proposed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. Warren’s bill, which was not approved, would have allowed 25 million people to refinance their debt at lower interest rates. Republicans saw it as an attempt by Democrats to make midterm election gains.
While a recent report by the Brookings Institution concludes that “extremely large debt burdens remain exceptional cases” and “large debt burdens are not necessarily an indicator of financial hardship” (since they may be used to finance degrees in lucrative professions), it remains true that tuition inflation accounts for rising debt. The “net price” of education rose by 10.5 percent between 2008 and 2013.
That is a hefty burden for students and their parents.
It’s more than a fiscal drain, however. Debt has also been shown to have a detrimental impact on physical and mental health. A new Northwestern University study of young adults recently revealed the crushing impact debt had on blood pressure and also emotional disturbances. The study’s author cautioned that the health issues are warning signs of more health problems later in life. “We have to think about this as a long-term phenomenon,” said researcher Elizabeth Sweet.
In the Scriptures
At first glance, Jesus’ words in Matthew 11 seem to invite us to set aside the deepest burdens of our lives. His words seem to be an invitation to set aside the stress we face -- emotional, physical, vocational, and perhaps even financial. “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens -- including the 20-somethings who can’t get a job, the retirees who work at McDonald’s to pay for health insurance, the teenagers burdened by anxiety and fear. Come to me, and I will give you rest.”
What’s not to like about that offer? Come and lay down your burdens. Jesus will do the heavy lifting.
Yet, as Shelley Best notes in Feasting on the Gospels, the text does not imply Jesus is going to take the heavy weight away -- our loans are not going to be automatically forgiven, our payments will still need to be made. Here Jesus is instead instructing the disciples on the deeper wisdom of God, and calls the disciples to take upon themselves the yoke of God’s instruction. In the wisdom of God, who knows our deepest needs, our spirit shall be refreshed as we are faithfully yoked to Jesus.
It’s a different weight -- not an oppressive burden, but one that is gentle and light. It is a yoke that instructs us in the pilgrim way of life. Further, the language instills in us a reminder of the deepest intimacy Jesus shared with God. By taking on Jesus’ yoke, we are drawn into relationship with God in order to discover a new way of life. He continues to be “God with us,” the one whose deepest love for the world shoulders our deepest burdens.
In the Sermon
In many churches, few millennials will be present this Sunday. Large numbers of this generation have given up on church for many reasons -- and a hot Sunday morning over the July 4th weekend is not likely to draw them back.
Or would it?
Surveys indicate that this generation hasn’t actually given up on God. In fact, a high percentage of them do “talk to God” and find support from religion. (Among all surveyed, white millennials were least likely to turn to religion for support.) If this is the case, then perhaps one strategy in listening to this text would be to invite millennials to be part of the conversation.
A preacher could gather a few recent college graduates to talk about their experience of bearing “burdens,” financial or otherwise. Where are the boomerang kids in your church? Gather them into a dialogue during the sermon preparation; even better, invite them to be part of the sermon itself. This sort of dialogue could prompt new mission experiences. It would be the embodiment of the discipleship task Jesus describes in Matthew -- to take his yoke upon us, and to learn from him new ways of living the gospel. Most importantly, it would convey to an important segment of the community that their voices are indeed valued by the church.
Another option would be to place the burdens of this world -- financial, emotional, and so forth -- in comparison to the freedom Christ offers. Following Jesus is not easy, of course. But it does free us from the onerous burdens of soul-crushing experiences. On a weekend devoted to celebrating freedom, exploring the paradox of the free yet strenuous demands of discipleship could lead to a deeper appreciation of what it means to accept the gentle and humble yoke of the Lord.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Former Senator Howard Baker recently died. The Tennessee Republican served three terms, including stints as both majority and minority leader, as well as being chief of staff during part of the Reagan administration. Baker was known as “The Great Conciliator” for his ability to bring opposing political parties to a compromise that would allow important legislation to be passed.
Application: When Jesus speaks that if we follow him we will know rest, perhaps it is because those who follow will know how to be conciliatory.
*****
Romans 7:15-25a
According to research from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every ten deaths of working-age adults results from excessive alcohol consumption. This includes binge drinking, heavy weekend drinking, drinking while pregnant, and underage drinking. About 70% of these deaths were of adults between the ages of 20 and 64, and the life span of those who died was shortened by approximately 30 years. These deaths represent a substantial economic impact on the country due to loss of work and medical costs; yet raising the cost of alcoholic beverages has not appreciably diminished the problem of alcohol overconsumption. The author of the study, epidemiologist Mandy Stahre of the Washington State Department of Health, in referring to the report said: “A lot of attention we tend to focus on is maybe college drinking or just drunk driving. This really talked about the broadness of the problem.” There must be a new focus and emphasis on drinking that goes beyond a discussion of college campuses and our highways.
Application: Paul expressed confession for his actions. We can be confused about many of our social problems if we are not properly informed.
*****
Romans 7:15-25a
Uruguay star Luis Suarez has received a ban on playing soccer for four months -- the second longest suspension handed out to a player at the World Cup -- for biting Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini on the shoulder during a match. For Suarez, this was probably not a momentary lapse -- it’s now the third time he has bitten a player during competition and served a subsequent suspension.
Application: One must wonder if Suarez is as confused about his actions as Paul relates regarding his own.
*****
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
This past week the Mormon church excommunicated Kate Kelly because she continued her advocacy of allowing women to be ordained to the priesthood. The Mormon church has 15 million members worldwide, and excommunicates between 10,000 and 20,000 individuals each year. Of those, Kelly’s case made national headlines for her promotion of equality and justice.
Application: When Abraham sent forth his servant to find a wife for Isaac that was from the tribe of Abraham, the servant was uncompromising in his endeavor.
*****
Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67
A milestone was reached this week when Boeing produced its 1,500th 747 airliner, which was handed over to the German carrier Lufthansa. First built in 1968, the 747 is famous as the world’s first jumbo jet -- and on this historic occasion Eric Lindblad, vice president of Boeing’s 747 program, said: “It’s a beautiful plane and it’s an icon. It’s the only word for it. Iconic.”
Application: Isaac had only one word to describe Rebecca when he saw her.
***************
From team member Leah Lonsbury:
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
While the nation’s economic recovery seems to be moving at a snail’s pace, the crushing weight of student loan debt and its paralyzing effects on the lives of young adults (and increasingly their middle-aged friends and many, many parents) isn’t the only financial source causing Americans to be weary and carry heavy burdens. Add the increasing cost of childcare to the tab. In “When Being a Stay-At-Home Mom Isn’t a Choice,” Jillian Berman explores how many parents, most of them women, are finding that it would cost more to go back to work than to stay at home with the kids. Berman writes, “We’re at a new moment in the history of work-family balance in America. As middle-class jobs have vanished and low-wage work proliferated, a household in which both parents work outside the home is becoming increasingly unaffordable.”
Berman spotlights the recent case of Shanesha Taylor, the 33-year-old mother who was charged with a felony for leaving her children in a car during a job interview. Taylor told the police she needed the job, which paid above the $10-per-hour positions she had been finding, and she didn’t have any other choice.
With childcare costs nearly doubling over the last 25 years, a household with one working parent and preschooler needs an income of $26 a work hour -- or about $55,000 a year -- to achieve basic economic security. A household with two working parents and a preschooler requires that both parents make about $15 an hour, far above the federal minimum wage.
Again from Berman:
For women who don’t have bachelor’s degrees, such salaries are increasingly out of reach. The difference in earnings between high school and college graduates hit a record high last year. That’s because finding a job -- let alone one that pays well -- without a college degree has grown increasingly difficult.
This swings back to the weary souls burdened with student loan debt, not to mention the rising costs of higher education, and creates a loop that makes finding rest for [our] souls an increasingly difficult task. The need for One who is gentle and humble in heart and who relieves our burdens is growing. So is the need for our policymakers to find ways to ease the yokes and lighten the burdens faced by our young adults and young families.
*****
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
How often is the dance we do or the words we speak controlled by the marionette strings held by those we feel we must impress or at least pacify for the moment? What do we say and do to keep our reputations intact, our paycheck coming in, and the people in the pews from revolting?
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford returned to office this month with a press conference detailing the work he did in rehab and all the things he will do differently to keep his addictions at bay this time around. Ford claimed to have cut ties with the dangerous company he kept formerly, and spoke of “personal demons” and “uncontrollable cravings.” NBC reports that his remarks started to sound like a stump speech for re-election and that he managed to slip in several comments about his achievements as well. Will the good people of Toronto buy it long enough to let Ford finish his term? Will Ford’s dance satisfy them enough for a second vote?
*****
Romans 7:15-25a
Uruguay’s star striker Luis Suarez has issued an apology of sorts to Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini for biting him (kind of) in a recent World Cup match, and he has vowed never to do it again. FIFA has banned Suarez for four months from all soccer for the incident, but Suarez has received an outpouring of support in his home country -- including from the nation’s president, who blasted FIFA over the ban.
So how sorry is Suarez? Could we picture him speaking in the same way that Paul does about his struggle with sin? What or who is really in control here? How will things change?
Paul via Romans 7: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.... I can will what is right, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do.”
Suarez via Twitter: “I deeply regret what occurred. I apologize to Giorgio Chiellini and the entire football family.... I vow to the public that there will never again be another incident like (this). After several days of being home with my family, I have had the opportunity to regain my calm and reflect about the reality of what occurred during the Italy-Uruguay match. (The) truth is that my colleague Giorgio Chiellini suffered the physical result of a bite in the collision he suffered with me.”
Paul says the sin that dwells within him acts in his place. Suarez says a bite happened in a collision he was a part of, but he doesn’t ever actually say “I bit him.” Maybe Twitter’s at fault, and social media chalks up another #communicationfail?
It seems like both Paul and Suarez could use a little rescuing from themselves, at least the part of them inhabited and controlled by sin. How is this true in our own lives?
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: God calls us to be Children of the Most High.
People: We come, glad to be called God’s children.
Leader: God reminds us that God’s Son, the Christ, came as a slave.
People: We ask God to remind us that we are called to serve.
Leader: God is pleased to dwell among us, especially when we dwell with others in peace.
People: As God’s children, we will bear God’s image and seek wholeness and peace with all.
OR
Leader: Come to God, all you who are weary and heavy-laden.
People: We come bowed down with the cares of our lives.
Leader: In the Jubilee year, God reminded the people that debt was never to be allowed to crush people.
People: We know that we participate in systems where debt is once again a dangerous threat.
Leader: God calls us to be a people of justice and mercy.
People: We will listen to God’s word and respond with works and words that reflect our Creator.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
found in:
UMH: 103
H82: 423
PH: 263
NCH: 1
CH: 66
LBW: 526
ELA: 834
W&P: 48
AMEC: 71
STLT: 273
Renew: 46
“Rejoice, Ye Pure in Heart”
found in:
UMH: 160, 161
H82: 556, 557
PH: 145, 146
AAHH: 537
NNBH: 7
NCH: 55, 71
CH: 15
LBW: 553
ELA: 873, 874
W&P: 113
AMEC: 8
“Spirit Song”
found in:
UMH: 347
AAHH: 321
CH: 352
W&P: 352
CCB: 51
Renew: 248
“Pues Si Vivimos” (“When We Are Living”)
found in:
UMH: 356
PH: 400
NCH: 499
CH: 536
ELA: 639
W&P: 415
“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”
found in:
UMH: 381
H82: 708
PH: 387
AAHH: 424
NNBH: 54
NCH: 252
CH: 558
LBW: 481
ELA: 789
W&P: 440
AMEC: 379
“Jesus Calls Us”
found in:
UMH: 398
H82: 549, 550
NNBH: 183
NCH: 171, 172
CH: 337
LBW: 494
ELA: 696
W&P: 345
AMEC: 238
“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
found in:
UMH: 526
PH: 403
AAHH: 430, 431
NNBH: 61
NCH: 506
CH: 586
LBW: 439
ELA: 742
W&P: 473
AMEC: 323, 325
“When Morning Gilds the Skies”
found in:
UMH: 185
H82: 427
PH: 487
AAHH: 186
NCH: 86
CH: 100
LBW: 545, 546
ELA: 853
W&P: 111
AMEC: 29
“You Are Mine”
found in:
CCB: 58
“Change My Heart, O God”
found in:
CCB: 56
Renew: 143
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who calls us to live humbly in works of mercy and justice: Grant us the wisdom to stay the course and not be distracted by the judgments of others; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
Come among us, O God, and reveal to us once more your ways of justice and mercy. Help us to live humbly before you doing your will. Give us the wisdom to forsake the judgments of others about our lives, that we may stay focused on following Jesus. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways we place barriers between people and you.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We like to call ourselves Children of God. We think of the term as being capitalized, for we are a special people. We judge people by their diet, their dress, and their outward behavior. All of this in spite of the fact that Jesus told us not to do it. All of this in spite of the fact that Jesus did just the opposite; yet we call ourselves his disciples. Forgive our foolish ways of erecting barriers for people, and restore in us the Spirit of Jesus which welcomes all people into the kingdom. Amen.
Leader: Jesus does welcome all into the realm of God, even us sinners who are called disciples.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
All praise and glory are yours, O God, creator of all that is. Out of love and compassion, you created us in your own image.
(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 like to call ourselves Children of God. We think of the term as being capitalized, for we are a special people. We judge people by their diet, their dress, and their outward behavior. All of this in spite of the fact that Jesus told us not to do it. All of this in spite of the fact that Jesus did just the opposite; yet we call ourselves his disciples. Forgive our foolish ways of erecting barriers for people, and restore in us the Spirit of Jesus which welcomes all people into the kingdom.
We give you thanks for all your blessings, and especially for the ways in which you have welcomed us into your presence and love. We thank you for including us as your children and renewing your Spirit within us.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for your children in their need. We lift up to you the brokenness and despair of those who struggle in this life without knowing of your love for them. As you move among them with your healing presence, empower us to share your love with them.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Tell the children you have a treat for them (such as some small sweet). Tell them that they can each have their own -- as long as they don’t like it and promise not to eat it or give it away. That would be silly, wouldn’t it? Sometimes in church it sounds like God’s love is only for those who are already good, but Jesus reminds us that we are all loved by God. Love is God’s gift for all of us.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
A Heavy Load
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30
Object: one or two suitcases (carry them in a way that makes them appear very heavy)
(Approach the front of the sanctuary from the rear, carrying the suitcase[s]. Walk slowly and make it appear that the suitcase[s] is [are] very heavy.) Am I glad to sit down. These suitcases are very heavy. Have you ever had to carry anything that was heavy? Were you able to ask your parents to help you? (Let the children answer.) What have you had to carry that was heavy? (Let them answer.) When your parents or a friend shared your heavy load it was a relief, wasn’t it? It’s a great feeling to have a friend or parent share your heavy load.
One day Jesus sent his disciples around the countryside. He told them to preach about the good news of God. Some of the people listened to the good news. Some of the people did not. Those who did not listen refused to change their sinful ways. They did not want to hear what God had to say to them. Jesus prayed about these people. He knew that some were not listening to what he and his disciples were saying. He knew that these people had many problems. He knew that these people were tired of struggling with these problems. He asked the people to bring their problems to him. He said, “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
This means that if you have a problem, take it to Jesus. If you have a problem at home you can talk to your parents about it. They will help you with it. It’s the same way with Jesus. Many adults pray about their problems. In that way they are taking their problems to Jesus. You may do the same thing. Jesus tells all of us to take our problems to him. He will help carry them for us. Jesus will carry our problems, like a parent or friend will help us carry these heavy suitcases or your heavy load. That’s what God’s love is all about. Jesus promised people who are tired and weary and have problems that he will help us and give us rest.
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The Immediate Word, July 6, 2014, issue.
Copyright 2014 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.
