Next At Bat...
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
What happens when a valued member of a family or community dies? Of course there is great mourning -- but as team member Mary Austin points out in this installment of The Immediate Word, thoughts turn very quickly to figuring out who may be able to fill their role and replace their contributions. And as we all know, filling those shoes can often seem like a nigh impossible task. That’s certainly what’s driving the extreme sorrow of the women in this week’s lectionary texts from Luke and First Kings -- as widows who have lost their only sons, they well understand that there is no one who can step up to replace them... and the dire circumstances they face as a result. On their face, both stories are ostensibly about Elijah and Jesus calling on the extraordinary power of God to ameliorate these women’s situations -- but Mary suggests that they also give us some clues about the conundrum of succession. In the same way that Jesus metaphorically picks up the mantle of Elijah, she notes, we too can pick up the mantle of Jesus -- bringing comfort to a hurting world and announcing God’s presence.
Team member Chris Keating shares some additional thoughts on the Galatians passage, in which Paul draws on his authority as an apostle called by God to move the church beyond the traditional constraints of Judaic practice... to reach out and proclaim the gospel to those (namely Gentiles) who previously were considered outside the purview of the nascent congregations. Similarly, Chris suggests, churches today might want to seriously ponder breaking out of the mold, of doing things in the way that worked for previous generations but may no longer be relevant. Are we willing to emulate Paul -- to move away from our comfortable buildings and programs, and to be missionaries spreading the gospel in new and untraditional ways? Chris offers plenty of food for thought.
Next at Bat...
by Mary Austin
Luke 7:11-17; 1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24)
As soon as our church secretary’s funeral was over, people began asking when we would hire someone to replace her. Who would be a worthy successor to the woman who filled the church office with her laughter and compassion for over 20 years? Who would have her mix of office skills and her knowledge of the congregation? Truly, no one.
It’s not fair to hire someone right now, I keep telling the congregation. We will all expect the new person to be just like the person who used to be there. We won’t be able to see the new person’s gifts right now. Fortunately, we have a capable person filling in -- someone who has other long-term plans, but is available for a few months. That allows us to hold the space, without rushing toward someone new.
The question of a successor is hard, whether it’s a president or a church secretary, or any other important role. Luke gives us some hints in this week’s story of a resurrection from death.
In the World
Six weeks before the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Republicans are still debating whether Donald Trump, the party’s expected nominee, is a worthy standard-bearer for the party. Does he have the experience to represent the party like Mitt Romney or John McCain did? The people skills of Ronald Reagan? The commitment to public service of the Bush family? Is he a worthy successor to the public servants who have preceded him?
Succession happens not just for individuals, but also for groups of people. The new face of the Republican party is replacing the old. The Atlantic magazine reports that since the recession ended in 2009, household income has grown, but not evenly. Poorer Republicans are, understandably, more pessimistic, and see a greater role for programs to help the poor: “A substantial minority of Republicans -- almost 30 percent -- said they would welcome ‘heavy’ taxes on the wealthy, according to Gallup... only 21 percent favored cuts in Medicare and only 17 percent wanted to see spending on Social Security reduced, according to Pew. Less than a third of ordinary Republicans supported a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants (again according to Pew); a majority, by contrast, favored stepped-up deportation.” Angry, displaced lower-income Republicans have rebelled against the candidates that they were supposed to support in favor of Donald Trump. Lower-wage workers who see immigration as a threat to their jobs resonate with Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, and finally feel understood.
Traditional Republicans missed the shift in the party, and their voices have been replaced in this election by angrier, poorer voters. David Frum writes in the same article: “As a class, big Republican donors could not see any of this, or would not. So neither did the politicians who depend upon them. Against all evidence, both groups interpreted the Tea Party as a mass movement in favor of the agenda of the Wall Street Journal editorial page.”
This part of the party has chosen this year’s nominee, fueled by understandable fear and despair. Their influence -- at least for now -- has replaced more traditional Republican views. David Frum concludes, “Something has changed in American politics since the Great Recession. The old slogans ring hollow. The insurgent candidates are less absurd, the orthodox candidates more vulnerable.”
In the Scriptures
A widow and her only son. The untimely death of the son. A resurrection from the dead. Evidence of God’s power. Luke tells us the story of Jesus raising the widow’s son in such a way that we are meant to understand the connection to Elijah. Like Elijah, Jesus brings a son back to life and encounters a grateful parent.
In the Jewish tradition, Elijah was the forerunner of the day of God’s return. The prophet Malachi announces, “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes” (4:5). Elijah embodies the power of God when he confronts the prophets of Baal, and when he raises the widow’s son from death.
The two stories together allow us to see Jesus as the successor to Elijah. (Elijah’s other heir, the prophet Elisha, also brings a son back from death in 2 Kings 4:32-37.) Now Jesus embodies the power of God, meeting the need of a widow and restoring her son. Luke uses a curious turn of phrase, telling us that after the young man is restored to life “Jesus gave him to his mother” -- echoing the description in the First Kings passage, in which Elijah brings the son downstairs and “gave him to his mother.” At the end of the gospel story, the crowd acclaims Jesus as a great prophet.
The story tells us that Jesus has a large crowd with him, as does the widow. Jesus and his followers are coming into the city, and the widow and the funeral procession are going out. Blogger John Petty observes, “Before Jesus’ action, there were two crowds -- one a procession of death, one a procession of life. Now, in light of Jesus’ victory over the powers of death, this distinction no longer holds. The crowds are now designated as ‘all.’ They are together now, and gripped in common by both fear and praise.” In the realm of Jesus, death gives way to life, and the miracle establishes that this traveling rabbi is the heir of Israel’s greatest prophet.
In the Sermon
Jesus as the successor to Elijah sees a need, and meets it in an unexpected way. We expect him to have compassion for the widow, now on the economic fringes without her son. We don’t expect him to raise the young man from the dead. We are accustomed to Jesus acting in unfamiliar ways, and this surprises even us. It’s unusual, out of the ordinary. For the church too, something new is replacing the traditional model of church. Fewer and fewer people sit in a pew on Sunday morning, and the question is whether organized religion will be able to supply its own successor, or whether we will be replaced by yoga and service projects. What will succeed the American church of the 1950s, with Mom and Dad in the pew and the kids all in packed Sunday school rooms? If we want to work in the pattern of Jesus, what should we be doing that is unexpected? How might we share in restoring the church to life? What unusual things is Jesus inviting us to do, as we follow in his footsteps? Chris Keating has more to say about this below.
Or the sermon might look at the way Jesus and Elijah meet the needs of someone on the edges. Jesus and Elijah understand the financial peril ahead for these widows, and each gives the widow a source of financial support, along with the emotional gift of having a son back. The sermon might look at how we see people who are on the edge financially, and how we bring restoration to them, following in the way of Jesus.
Or, picking up the imagery John Petty highlights, the sermon might look at where the processions of death and the processions of life meet in our lives. The processions of death lurk around us in gun violence, predatory lending, lead-filled water, and schools with underpaid teachers, to name a few. Where are we meeting them with prophetic processions of life, coming in Jesus’ name?
Finding a worthy successor is difficult work. Being a worthy successor holds other complications. We are the heirs of both Elijah and Jesus, charged with announcing God’s presence in our own world. We stand in the tradition of God’s messengers who came to proclaim abundance in the midst of want, and life in the midst of death. When our actions and our words proclaim God’s gift of resurrecting life, when we stop to see the people on the margins, when we call upon God’s life-giving power, then we too are the successors of Elijah and Jesus, with our own work to do for God’s people.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Beyond Traditionalism
by Chris Keating
Galatians 1:11-24
Working for the apostle Paul couldn’t have been an easy job. A good job description for Paul’s administrative assistants might have included managing his travel, raising funds for new churches, following up on prospects -- and, of course, occasionally bailing the boss out of jail... not to mention trying to keep up with his correspondence while also trying to decipher Paul’s complex and confusing compound sentences.
Then there was the matter of his temper. Imagine, for example, being in the outer office as Paul receives on-the-ground updates from Galatia. As he slams the papers down on his desk, the old Pharisee’s zeal raises to new heights as he shouts, “Let that one be accursed!”
Of course, that was just one his more PG-rated rants.
What really gets Paul’s dander aroused is just how quickly this Asia Minor congregation has managed to resist the gospel he had proclaimed. Not long after he had left, another group had come along. They’ve denounced Paul’s gospel as a sort of Christian-lite, a watered-down pablum that did not require adopting Mosaic traditions.
Even worse, they have accused him of acting without authority.
Nothing gets the apostle’s blood boiling faster than an assault on his credentials. Earlier in Galatians Paul has made that clear. In this week’s text, he moves to the meat and potatoes of his argument -- that he indeed is acting without human authority, because his call was given to him by Jesus. His job isn’t pleasing others, but instead proclaiming the grace of Christ.
This is wall-shattering, tradition-dismantling work -- and while Paul knows it is controversial, he is also convinced it is the path to Christian freedom. In the face of those whose creed is “We’ve never done it that way before,” Paul says, “Listen to my story before you shut your mind.”
Listen to his story: far advanced in Judaism, far more zealous in preserving the traditions of his ancestors; top of his class, a persecutor of the church of the highest caliber. Even though Paul is steeped in these traditions, he no longer counts that as being particularly important. Rather, his life is now shaped by the proclamation of the gospel (v. 16).
Paul highlights the missionary endeavors he’s undertaken as evidence of his new credentials. What’s striking about Paul’s breathless recounting of his travels (“went away at once into Arabia,” and “afterwards I returned to Damascus,” and then “I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia...”) is his understanding that this mission is empowered by God alone. The institution and authority of the home office in Jerusalem is not necessary. Indeed, the traditionalism has been left behind, and with it many of the beloved ways of being and believing which had previously worked so well.
On this early summer Sunday, we may be prompted to skip these verses from Galatians. Do we really want to yield our hard-earned degrees and levels of pastoral authority to street preachers who believed themselves to be “called”? Of course not.
But it could also be possible that a retelling of Paul’s missionary calling might be essential for contemporary congregations as they move away from the seven deadly words of church life -- “we’ve never done it that way before” -- toward a new vision of ministry. In fact, Paul might be able to help us retell our stories of faith as vibrant narratives of freedom, grace, and power.
Paul seems to move in the direction of what Landon Whitsitt calls “open source” church. Borrowing the term from computer software programing, Whitsitt notes that code can either be open and adaptable, or closed and inflexible. Churches, he argues, can fall along the same lines: “They can be open and welcoming, creative, and give off the sense that everyone has a sense of ownership; or they can be fairly closed, relying on old saws like ‘We’ve never done it that way before’ or ‘We don’t do it that way here’ or ‘That’s not where the table goes.’ ”
Likewise, Paul’s apostleship is not built around a sense of authority or tradition. After all, he never met Jesus in person. Yet he appeals to a deeper tradition, a calling akin to the Hebrew prophets. Sounding oh so like Jeremiah, Paul reminds the Galatians that God had set him apart before he was born (v. 15) so that he might declare the gospel. He is willing to work in an “open source” format, letting go of traditions which no longer offer life and freedom.
That is a story churches need to hear. We wrestle with endearing and memorable programs which no longer help us live into our missionary calling. We are tethered to real estate that keeps us from venturing into the Cilicias of our time. We demand that newcomers adhere to policies and expectations suited for another time. Can you hear Paul warming up in the background?
“Everywhere I go,” writes church consultant John Wimberly, “I hear complaints from congregational staff and lay leaders that their programs are not well attended. These leaders seek input about the kinds of programs members want. But then, too often, when programs are offered, attendance ranges between disappointing and none.”
Wimberly says that too often we blame others for their lack of commitment. In reality, adults today are deeply committed -- perhaps even overcommitted -- to careers, families, and service opportunities. Additionally, our culture has changed. Many of the programs churches once offered to adults and youth are available elsewhere, and are often better. According to Wimberly, “All this leads me to question whether the primary focus of congregations, even multi-celled, ‘program-sized’ congregations, should be on generating programs.”
Perhaps it is time for the church to discover its calling.
Part of that may be discovering how Paul’s missionary experience can influence our ministries today. While that may not mean going to Syria (probably not a popular choice this year), it could mean surveying the subdivision next door... or setting up a booth at a farmer’s market, or even breaking ground on a community garden. Like Paul, our churches have incredible pedigrees and long traditions. It all changes, however, in the experience of being called.
Discovering this calling, as Paul knew well, is not without risks. It pushes people out of comfort zones, and creates opportunities for pastors to be excoriated just as Paul’s opponents opposed him. But the time may be ripe for rethinking worn-out traditionalism in favor of the gospel.
Katie Hays put it this way in a recent blog post: “Let’s say you’re part of a traditional congregation that has enjoyed a long and fruitful life, and is coming to the end stages of its productive ministry. Maybe the neighborhood has changed around you; maybe the membership has matured beyond the vigorous local engagement it once had. Maybe past seasons of conflict or controversy or clergy misconduct have taken their toll. It doesn’t have to be anybody’s fault. It might just be time.”
What’s the next move? Hays suggests it may be time to hire a missionary. Her words are a compelling invitation to congregations who have stalled or otherwise found themselves stuck in the crossroads of culture:
Hire someone who is energized and entrepreneurial; someone who has a dozen new ideas before s/he gets out of bed in the morning; someone who would drive your church to distraction if all her/his energy were directed at you. Invite this person to direct their passion elsewhere, with your blessing. Hire someone who believes wholeheartedly that God has a will and a way for the people of your town who currently don’t believe that God wants anything to do with them. Invite this person to go find them. Hire someone who can see those people, and learn their language, and enjoy their culture, and love them with a deep-down love that will traverse mountains and swim oceans to get to where they are. Invite them to climb, and swim, and love outside the walls of your church. Hire someone who respects that your church has done its best work, and is turning its face toward the legacy it will leave for the next generation and the next. Invite this person to lunge into that future on your behalf.
Hire a missionary. Explore your call. Recall the mission God has offered. As was often said at this year’s NEXT Church Conference, if you are at the crossroads, two things are likely to happen. Either you are going to move on, or you’re going to get run over.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Luke 7:11-17
Sherry Pollex is the longtime girlfriend of NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. Each year they sponsor their “Catwalk for a Cause,” which is a fundraiser for cancer. The program began when it was discovered that Sherry had stage 3 ovarian cancer, which is now in remission. She also has a website (SherryStrong.org) dedicated to informing others about ovarian cancer. The problem, according to Sherry, is that there is the little understanding of ovarian cancer as opposed to breast cancer. The reason why they want to help make people understand ovarian cancer better is because when Sherry was diagnosed, their first reaction was “ ‘What the hell is that?’ That’s the scary part.”
Application: When people come to Jesus for healing, they are scared.
*****
Luke 7:11-17
The Indy 500 celebrated its 100th running with this year’s race. There were no races in 1917 and 1918 because of World War I; then, because of World War II, there were no races from 1942 to 1945. When the war was over the track was in such disrepair that it could not be used for racing. Tony Hulman purchased the track and had it in working order to resume racing in 1946 -- and his descendants have owned the facility ever since.
Application: As we learn from Jesus, there are always new beginnings.
*****
Luke 7:11-17
Ziggy, who appears in our daily comics, is a small, bald, trouserless, barefoot, almost featureless character (save for his large nose), who seems to have no friends, hobbies, or romantic partner, and who appears to always be confronted by the problems of life. In a recent comic he is standing before a sign that reads: “Do what you love and the money will follow.” With a look of despair, Ziggy says, “If that’s true, my money must be stalking me!”
Application: We come to Jesus because the problems of life seem to be stalking us.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
Scotland’s historic Muirfield Golf Club -- the host of 16 British Open golf championships dating back to 1892 -- currently does not allow female members. To admit women would require a two-thirds affirmative vote by the members of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. When a recent vote to allow female members narrowly failed, with 36% of the 616 members voting against the integration of the private club, Muirfield was immediately removed from the list of 10 courses that can host the British Open by the Royal and Ancient (which oversees the competition). As four-time major winner Rory McIlroy said, in support of the R&A, “It’s 2016 and time to move on.”
Application: Paul was trying to say to his Jewish predecessors that it was time to move on.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
The Indy 500 celebrated its 100th running with this year’s race. During that century many traditions have been established. Most famously, 1936 winner Louis Meyer celebrated his victory by chugging a bottle of buttermilk. Ever since then, it has been the tradition of all winners of the race to drink milk in victory lane.
Application: Paul desired to establish a new tradition for his Jewish predecessors.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
One of the most notorious phrases associated with the Indy 500 is “Mario is slowing down” -- an oft-repeated reference to the cars of 1969 winner Mario Andretti suffering the heartbreak of mechanical breakdown... sometimes while leading the race. Since his lone victory, the “Andretti curse” has ruled at Indy -- an Andretti has never won as a driver.
Application: Paul never wants to hear the words that we are slowing down.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
Morley Safer recently died. Best known as a journalist on 60 Minutes, a position he held for 46 years, Safer actually did not like television because of its use of pictures. He maintained that in reporting, “What you’re aiming at are people’s ears rather than their eyes.”
Application: Paul’s message was definitely for the ears to comprehend.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
Morley Safer, a longtime fixture on 60 Minutes, enjoyed journalism because of the vast experiences of life it afforded him. Everything he encountered was new and exciting; no two things were ever the same. Realizing this diversity, Safer famously said, “There is no such thing as the common man; if there were, there would be no need for journalists.”
Application: Paul realized the need to keep the gospel message fresh and alive for each new person it was shared with.
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24)
The initial Indy 500 took place in 1911, and the creativity of winner Ray Harroun changed motor racing forever. In those days, drivers would always ride with a mechanic who would monitor the traffic around the car. Harroun replaced the mechanic with a rear-view mirror, thus having less weight for his car to power.
Application: Elijah also knew he would be alone on the track, except for being able to see God in his rear-view mirror.
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24)
The Indy 500 has had many close finishes. In 1992 Al Unser Jr. won by 0.043 seconds; in 2006 Sam Hornish Jr. won by 0.0635 seconds; and in 2014 Ryan Hunter-Reay won by 0.06 seconds.
Application: Elijah’s entire experience in Zarephath was one of close finishes.
***************
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Galatians 1:11-24
Curriculum Vitae
This is an actual essay written by a college applicant. The author, Hugh Gallagher, now attends NYU.
In order for the admissions staff of our college to get to know you, the applicant, better, we ask that you answer the following question: Are there any significant experiences you have had, or accomplishments you have realized, that have helped to define you as a person?
I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.
I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook 30-minute brownies in 20ty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.
Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang-gliding. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.
I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don’t perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last summer, I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration. I bat .400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me.
I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me.
I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago, I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four-course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prize-winning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.
But I have not yet gone to college.
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24); Luke 7:11-17
The Power of Mother’s Love
Joanna Krzysztonek, a Polish mother, endured 75 days of labor -- upside-down! Well, almost upside-down. After losing one of her triplets to premature birth, Krzysztonek’s only option was to endure the position to allow her other two babies to develop further and improve their chances for a successful birth. Her baby girl, Iga, and boy, Ignacy, were born at 32 weeks. Both are healthy.
Here in the United States, Claudia Rendon lost her job because she took a leave of absence to donate one of her kidneys to save her son’s life. It had already been a difficult year for Rendon; she used up her allotted vacation time to deal with the deaths of her mother and uncle, as well as coping with her father’s battle with leukemia. When she asked for a leave of absence, the company hired another person to replace her before she came back. (As a result of public outrage, Rendon was eventually rehired by her company.)
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24); Luke 7:11-17; Galatians 1:11-24
The Real Thing
Little was known of a painting before it appeared in an illustrated Christie’s catalogue in the late 1990s, labeled as “German, 19th Century” under the name of “Young Girl in Profile in Renaissance Dress.”
It sold for $19,000 at the auction to respected New York art dealer Kate Ganz, who kept it for 12 years before selling it on for a similar price in 2007.
Peter Silverman, one of the world’s foremost art experts, had seen the work during the original auction back in the 1990s. “I was actually an under-bidder because I thought it was a wonderful thing, but I didn’t have the knowledge at that time to go all the way,” he told CNN.
But Silverman would have another chance to see the painting up close when a friend and art collector asked him to come and look at it. The friend had an idea about the painting -- but he didn’t want to say anything until the expert had a look at it up close.
The painting was small, only about 18 x 20 inches, and painted on frameless vellum, probably for the cover of a book. And upon examining it up close Peter Silverman turned to his friend and said, “No. It can’t be, can it? Surely someone would have recognized it.” He was answered with a broad smile from his friend.
That question and the resulting smile set Peter Silverman on a task that would take several years to complete -- but was finally finished when, using infrared photography, a partial fingerprint was found in the paint. This one fingerprint was added to the other clues, and then compared to a similar fingerprint found in another painting from the same time period... and that became conclusive proof.
This obscure little painting was “La Bella Principessa,” a painting that many had heard of but no one had ever actually seen until now. The painter was Leonardo da Vinci.
Today the painting is in a vault in Switzerland, and is valued at about $160 million.
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24); Luke 7:11-17; Galatians 1:11-24
Real
From the children’s book The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams:
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”
“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don't understand.”
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24); Luke 7:11-17; Galatians 1:11-24
Authentic
In her book Purpose, author and life coach Sue Fitzmaurice describes what it means to be an authentic human being:
What it means to be authentic:
-- to be more concerned with truth than opinions
-- to be sincere and not pretend
-- to be free from hypocrisy: “walk your talk”
-- to know who you are and to be that person
-- to not fear others seeing your vulnerabilities
-- being confident to walk away from situations where you can’t be yourself
-- being awake to your own feelings
-- being free from others’ opinions of you
-- accepting and loving yourself
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Praise God! Praise God, O my soul!
People: We will praise God as long as we live; we will sing praises to God.
Leader: Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
People: When their breath departs, they return to the earth and their plans perish.
Leader: Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob.
People: Happy are those whose hope is in God, our God.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the God of all creation.
People: With joy we praise the One who created all that is!
Leader: Come and see what new things God is doing.
People: We are in awe of God’s constant creating power.
Leader: God sends us forth to share the new, old story.
People: With God’s help, we will share God’s love in new and old ways.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“How Great Thou Art”
found in:
UMH: 77
PH: 467
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELA: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Renew: 250
“This Is a Day of New Beginnings”
found in:
UMH: 383
NCH: 417
CH: 518
W&P: 355
“I Sing the Almighty Power of God”
found in:
UMH: 152
H82: 398
PH: 288
NCH: 12
W&P: 31
Renew: 54
“Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies”
found in:
UMH: 173
H82: 6, 7
PH: 462, 463
LBW: 265
ELA: 553
W&P: 91
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
found in:
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELA: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 755
Renew: 196
“O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee”
found in:
UMH: 430
H82: 659, 660
PH: 357
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELA: 818
W&P: 589
AMEC: 299
“Be Thou My Vision”
found in:
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELA: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
“Holy Spirit, Truth Divine”
found in:
UMH: 465
PH: 321
NCH: 63
CH: 241
LBW: 257
ELA: 398
“Change My Heart, O God”
found in:
CCB: 56
Renew: 143
“You Are Mine”
found in:
CCB: 58
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 constantly makes all things new: Grant us the grace and wisdom to look for the new ways in which you are bringing your reign to its fruition; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, and worship you because you not only created all that is but you continue to create and you come to us in unexpected ways. Send your Spirit upon us, and help us to join in your new ways of working with your children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially how we hang on to our old ways.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You are the God who makes all things new, and we are your people who constantly look backwards. We remember the fleshpots of Egypt; we long for the old, traditional ways in which you were made known to us. Help us to continue to use that which still is appropriate, but to let go of that which is no longer useful. Help us to embrace the new ways of knowing and serving you. Amen.
Leader: God welcomes you into the newness of creation. Join in God’s new works and celebrate God’s love among us.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
Praise and glory are yours, O God, for you are the Creating One who never stops making all things new.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You are the God who makes all things new, and we are your people who constantly look backwards. We remember the fleshpots of Egypt; we long for the old, traditional ways in which you were made known to us. Help us to continue to use that which still is appropriate, but to let go of that which is no longer useful. Help us to embrace the new ways of knowing and serving you.
We thank you for the ways in which you come to us and bless us. We thank you for the old, comfortable ways and for the new, exciting ways, even when they may be disturbing to us. In all these ways we know you are coming to us and bringing us your salvation.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all who are in need. We pray that as you work to redeem your creation, we might join in your work in ways old and new.
(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
Talk to the children about what it would be like if every morning they woke up and everything was exactly as it had been the day before. It would be pretty boring. We like some things to stay the same, but not everything. God comes to us in ways old and new: a new song, an old song; an old, familiar Bible story, a new story we have not heard before.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Robin Lostetter
1 Kings 17:17-24; Luke 7:11-17
(Hint: You could make this a little more “memorable” for the children if you have individual pairs of cheap plastic “play” glasses frames, without lenses, and use them either from the beginning “because we’re going to put on our ‘Bible study glasses’ ” or later when having different “eyeglasses” are mentioned. These could even be painstakingly made out of paper.)
Today we heard two stories of miracles in the Bible. Do you know what we mean when we talk about a miracle, especially in the Bible? (Give the children an opportunity to answer, and work with their answers.)
Well, in general it’s a miracle if the usual “laws of nature” can’t explain what happened -- if it’s something super-natural, not really expected in the everyday world. And in the Bible we understand the stories of miracles to be caused by whom? (Hope that someone answers God, not just Jesus!)
Yes, God is at work when there’s a miracle.
Now, in both miracles the boys were sons of widows -- that is, women who had lost their husbands. And in those Bible days, the women couldn’t work. They were never allowed to learn a trade and get a job outside the home. They were responsible for running all aspects of the household, but only that. Only a very, very few women were able to have their own business in the marketplace.
So if they had lost their husband, they would depend upon their sons to earn a living and support them.
So these two miracles were about saving not only the lives of the boys who had been really sick and had died, but also saving their mothers -- because without their sons, the mothers (who were widows) would never have any income, and would be forced to beg.
That’s really different from today, isn’t it? Both mothers and fathers can work, and both sons and daughters can choose to work when they grow up. So, tell me -- what do you want to do when you grow up? (Ask both the boys and the girls, and converse a bit about their choices.)
So when we read stories from the Bible, we have to remember that they were written a long, long time ago, and that things were different then. You could say we have to put on different “eyeglasses” -- “eyeglasses” that let us see the story as it was 2,000 or more years ago. And those “eyeglasses” also have to expect miracles to happen in the Bible stories, as they have been told to us -- miracles that God sent to help people. In this case, miracles that helped two women and their sons.
Shall we have a prayer?
Thank you, God, for Bible stories that tell us about your love for us. Help us to learn to understand more about the people in the stories and how they lived. And help us look for miracles today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, June 5, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Chris Keating shares some additional thoughts on the Galatians passage, in which Paul draws on his authority as an apostle called by God to move the church beyond the traditional constraints of Judaic practice... to reach out and proclaim the gospel to those (namely Gentiles) who previously were considered outside the purview of the nascent congregations. Similarly, Chris suggests, churches today might want to seriously ponder breaking out of the mold, of doing things in the way that worked for previous generations but may no longer be relevant. Are we willing to emulate Paul -- to move away from our comfortable buildings and programs, and to be missionaries spreading the gospel in new and untraditional ways? Chris offers plenty of food for thought.
Next at Bat...
by Mary Austin
Luke 7:11-17; 1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24)
As soon as our church secretary’s funeral was over, people began asking when we would hire someone to replace her. Who would be a worthy successor to the woman who filled the church office with her laughter and compassion for over 20 years? Who would have her mix of office skills and her knowledge of the congregation? Truly, no one.
It’s not fair to hire someone right now, I keep telling the congregation. We will all expect the new person to be just like the person who used to be there. We won’t be able to see the new person’s gifts right now. Fortunately, we have a capable person filling in -- someone who has other long-term plans, but is available for a few months. That allows us to hold the space, without rushing toward someone new.
The question of a successor is hard, whether it’s a president or a church secretary, or any other important role. Luke gives us some hints in this week’s story of a resurrection from death.
In the World
Six weeks before the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Republicans are still debating whether Donald Trump, the party’s expected nominee, is a worthy standard-bearer for the party. Does he have the experience to represent the party like Mitt Romney or John McCain did? The people skills of Ronald Reagan? The commitment to public service of the Bush family? Is he a worthy successor to the public servants who have preceded him?
Succession happens not just for individuals, but also for groups of people. The new face of the Republican party is replacing the old. The Atlantic magazine reports that since the recession ended in 2009, household income has grown, but not evenly. Poorer Republicans are, understandably, more pessimistic, and see a greater role for programs to help the poor: “A substantial minority of Republicans -- almost 30 percent -- said they would welcome ‘heavy’ taxes on the wealthy, according to Gallup... only 21 percent favored cuts in Medicare and only 17 percent wanted to see spending on Social Security reduced, according to Pew. Less than a third of ordinary Republicans supported a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants (again according to Pew); a majority, by contrast, favored stepped-up deportation.” Angry, displaced lower-income Republicans have rebelled against the candidates that they were supposed to support in favor of Donald Trump. Lower-wage workers who see immigration as a threat to their jobs resonate with Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric, and finally feel understood.
Traditional Republicans missed the shift in the party, and their voices have been replaced in this election by angrier, poorer voters. David Frum writes in the same article: “As a class, big Republican donors could not see any of this, or would not. So neither did the politicians who depend upon them. Against all evidence, both groups interpreted the Tea Party as a mass movement in favor of the agenda of the Wall Street Journal editorial page.”
This part of the party has chosen this year’s nominee, fueled by understandable fear and despair. Their influence -- at least for now -- has replaced more traditional Republican views. David Frum concludes, “Something has changed in American politics since the Great Recession. The old slogans ring hollow. The insurgent candidates are less absurd, the orthodox candidates more vulnerable.”
In the Scriptures
A widow and her only son. The untimely death of the son. A resurrection from the dead. Evidence of God’s power. Luke tells us the story of Jesus raising the widow’s son in such a way that we are meant to understand the connection to Elijah. Like Elijah, Jesus brings a son back to life and encounters a grateful parent.
In the Jewish tradition, Elijah was the forerunner of the day of God’s return. The prophet Malachi announces, “See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes” (4:5). Elijah embodies the power of God when he confronts the prophets of Baal, and when he raises the widow’s son from death.
The two stories together allow us to see Jesus as the successor to Elijah. (Elijah’s other heir, the prophet Elisha, also brings a son back from death in 2 Kings 4:32-37.) Now Jesus embodies the power of God, meeting the need of a widow and restoring her son. Luke uses a curious turn of phrase, telling us that after the young man is restored to life “Jesus gave him to his mother” -- echoing the description in the First Kings passage, in which Elijah brings the son downstairs and “gave him to his mother.” At the end of the gospel story, the crowd acclaims Jesus as a great prophet.
The story tells us that Jesus has a large crowd with him, as does the widow. Jesus and his followers are coming into the city, and the widow and the funeral procession are going out. Blogger John Petty observes, “Before Jesus’ action, there were two crowds -- one a procession of death, one a procession of life. Now, in light of Jesus’ victory over the powers of death, this distinction no longer holds. The crowds are now designated as ‘all.’ They are together now, and gripped in common by both fear and praise.” In the realm of Jesus, death gives way to life, and the miracle establishes that this traveling rabbi is the heir of Israel’s greatest prophet.
In the Sermon
Jesus as the successor to Elijah sees a need, and meets it in an unexpected way. We expect him to have compassion for the widow, now on the economic fringes without her son. We don’t expect him to raise the young man from the dead. We are accustomed to Jesus acting in unfamiliar ways, and this surprises even us. It’s unusual, out of the ordinary. For the church too, something new is replacing the traditional model of church. Fewer and fewer people sit in a pew on Sunday morning, and the question is whether organized religion will be able to supply its own successor, or whether we will be replaced by yoga and service projects. What will succeed the American church of the 1950s, with Mom and Dad in the pew and the kids all in packed Sunday school rooms? If we want to work in the pattern of Jesus, what should we be doing that is unexpected? How might we share in restoring the church to life? What unusual things is Jesus inviting us to do, as we follow in his footsteps? Chris Keating has more to say about this below.
Or the sermon might look at the way Jesus and Elijah meet the needs of someone on the edges. Jesus and Elijah understand the financial peril ahead for these widows, and each gives the widow a source of financial support, along with the emotional gift of having a son back. The sermon might look at how we see people who are on the edge financially, and how we bring restoration to them, following in the way of Jesus.
Or, picking up the imagery John Petty highlights, the sermon might look at where the processions of death and the processions of life meet in our lives. The processions of death lurk around us in gun violence, predatory lending, lead-filled water, and schools with underpaid teachers, to name a few. Where are we meeting them with prophetic processions of life, coming in Jesus’ name?
Finding a worthy successor is difficult work. Being a worthy successor holds other complications. We are the heirs of both Elijah and Jesus, charged with announcing God’s presence in our own world. We stand in the tradition of God’s messengers who came to proclaim abundance in the midst of want, and life in the midst of death. When our actions and our words proclaim God’s gift of resurrecting life, when we stop to see the people on the margins, when we call upon God’s life-giving power, then we too are the successors of Elijah and Jesus, with our own work to do for God’s people.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Beyond Traditionalism
by Chris Keating
Galatians 1:11-24
Working for the apostle Paul couldn’t have been an easy job. A good job description for Paul’s administrative assistants might have included managing his travel, raising funds for new churches, following up on prospects -- and, of course, occasionally bailing the boss out of jail... not to mention trying to keep up with his correspondence while also trying to decipher Paul’s complex and confusing compound sentences.
Then there was the matter of his temper. Imagine, for example, being in the outer office as Paul receives on-the-ground updates from Galatia. As he slams the papers down on his desk, the old Pharisee’s zeal raises to new heights as he shouts, “Let that one be accursed!”
Of course, that was just one his more PG-rated rants.
What really gets Paul’s dander aroused is just how quickly this Asia Minor congregation has managed to resist the gospel he had proclaimed. Not long after he had left, another group had come along. They’ve denounced Paul’s gospel as a sort of Christian-lite, a watered-down pablum that did not require adopting Mosaic traditions.
Even worse, they have accused him of acting without authority.
Nothing gets the apostle’s blood boiling faster than an assault on his credentials. Earlier in Galatians Paul has made that clear. In this week’s text, he moves to the meat and potatoes of his argument -- that he indeed is acting without human authority, because his call was given to him by Jesus. His job isn’t pleasing others, but instead proclaiming the grace of Christ.
This is wall-shattering, tradition-dismantling work -- and while Paul knows it is controversial, he is also convinced it is the path to Christian freedom. In the face of those whose creed is “We’ve never done it that way before,” Paul says, “Listen to my story before you shut your mind.”
Listen to his story: far advanced in Judaism, far more zealous in preserving the traditions of his ancestors; top of his class, a persecutor of the church of the highest caliber. Even though Paul is steeped in these traditions, he no longer counts that as being particularly important. Rather, his life is now shaped by the proclamation of the gospel (v. 16).
Paul highlights the missionary endeavors he’s undertaken as evidence of his new credentials. What’s striking about Paul’s breathless recounting of his travels (“went away at once into Arabia,” and “afterwards I returned to Damascus,” and then “I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia...”) is his understanding that this mission is empowered by God alone. The institution and authority of the home office in Jerusalem is not necessary. Indeed, the traditionalism has been left behind, and with it many of the beloved ways of being and believing which had previously worked so well.
On this early summer Sunday, we may be prompted to skip these verses from Galatians. Do we really want to yield our hard-earned degrees and levels of pastoral authority to street preachers who believed themselves to be “called”? Of course not.
But it could also be possible that a retelling of Paul’s missionary calling might be essential for contemporary congregations as they move away from the seven deadly words of church life -- “we’ve never done it that way before” -- toward a new vision of ministry. In fact, Paul might be able to help us retell our stories of faith as vibrant narratives of freedom, grace, and power.
Paul seems to move in the direction of what Landon Whitsitt calls “open source” church. Borrowing the term from computer software programing, Whitsitt notes that code can either be open and adaptable, or closed and inflexible. Churches, he argues, can fall along the same lines: “They can be open and welcoming, creative, and give off the sense that everyone has a sense of ownership; or they can be fairly closed, relying on old saws like ‘We’ve never done it that way before’ or ‘We don’t do it that way here’ or ‘That’s not where the table goes.’ ”
Likewise, Paul’s apostleship is not built around a sense of authority or tradition. After all, he never met Jesus in person. Yet he appeals to a deeper tradition, a calling akin to the Hebrew prophets. Sounding oh so like Jeremiah, Paul reminds the Galatians that God had set him apart before he was born (v. 15) so that he might declare the gospel. He is willing to work in an “open source” format, letting go of traditions which no longer offer life and freedom.
That is a story churches need to hear. We wrestle with endearing and memorable programs which no longer help us live into our missionary calling. We are tethered to real estate that keeps us from venturing into the Cilicias of our time. We demand that newcomers adhere to policies and expectations suited for another time. Can you hear Paul warming up in the background?
“Everywhere I go,” writes church consultant John Wimberly, “I hear complaints from congregational staff and lay leaders that their programs are not well attended. These leaders seek input about the kinds of programs members want. But then, too often, when programs are offered, attendance ranges between disappointing and none.”
Wimberly says that too often we blame others for their lack of commitment. In reality, adults today are deeply committed -- perhaps even overcommitted -- to careers, families, and service opportunities. Additionally, our culture has changed. Many of the programs churches once offered to adults and youth are available elsewhere, and are often better. According to Wimberly, “All this leads me to question whether the primary focus of congregations, even multi-celled, ‘program-sized’ congregations, should be on generating programs.”
Perhaps it is time for the church to discover its calling.
Part of that may be discovering how Paul’s missionary experience can influence our ministries today. While that may not mean going to Syria (probably not a popular choice this year), it could mean surveying the subdivision next door... or setting up a booth at a farmer’s market, or even breaking ground on a community garden. Like Paul, our churches have incredible pedigrees and long traditions. It all changes, however, in the experience of being called.
Discovering this calling, as Paul knew well, is not without risks. It pushes people out of comfort zones, and creates opportunities for pastors to be excoriated just as Paul’s opponents opposed him. But the time may be ripe for rethinking worn-out traditionalism in favor of the gospel.
Katie Hays put it this way in a recent blog post: “Let’s say you’re part of a traditional congregation that has enjoyed a long and fruitful life, and is coming to the end stages of its productive ministry. Maybe the neighborhood has changed around you; maybe the membership has matured beyond the vigorous local engagement it once had. Maybe past seasons of conflict or controversy or clergy misconduct have taken their toll. It doesn’t have to be anybody’s fault. It might just be time.”
What’s the next move? Hays suggests it may be time to hire a missionary. Her words are a compelling invitation to congregations who have stalled or otherwise found themselves stuck in the crossroads of culture:
Hire someone who is energized and entrepreneurial; someone who has a dozen new ideas before s/he gets out of bed in the morning; someone who would drive your church to distraction if all her/his energy were directed at you. Invite this person to direct their passion elsewhere, with your blessing. Hire someone who believes wholeheartedly that God has a will and a way for the people of your town who currently don’t believe that God wants anything to do with them. Invite this person to go find them. Hire someone who can see those people, and learn their language, and enjoy their culture, and love them with a deep-down love that will traverse mountains and swim oceans to get to where they are. Invite them to climb, and swim, and love outside the walls of your church. Hire someone who respects that your church has done its best work, and is turning its face toward the legacy it will leave for the next generation and the next. Invite this person to lunge into that future on your behalf.
Hire a missionary. Explore your call. Recall the mission God has offered. As was often said at this year’s NEXT Church Conference, if you are at the crossroads, two things are likely to happen. Either you are going to move on, or you’re going to get run over.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Luke 7:11-17
Sherry Pollex is the longtime girlfriend of NASCAR driver Martin Truex Jr. Each year they sponsor their “Catwalk for a Cause,” which is a fundraiser for cancer. The program began when it was discovered that Sherry had stage 3 ovarian cancer, which is now in remission. She also has a website (SherryStrong.org) dedicated to informing others about ovarian cancer. The problem, according to Sherry, is that there is the little understanding of ovarian cancer as opposed to breast cancer. The reason why they want to help make people understand ovarian cancer better is because when Sherry was diagnosed, their first reaction was “ ‘What the hell is that?’ That’s the scary part.”
Application: When people come to Jesus for healing, they are scared.
*****
Luke 7:11-17
The Indy 500 celebrated its 100th running with this year’s race. There were no races in 1917 and 1918 because of World War I; then, because of World War II, there were no races from 1942 to 1945. When the war was over the track was in such disrepair that it could not be used for racing. Tony Hulman purchased the track and had it in working order to resume racing in 1946 -- and his descendants have owned the facility ever since.
Application: As we learn from Jesus, there are always new beginnings.
*****
Luke 7:11-17
Ziggy, who appears in our daily comics, is a small, bald, trouserless, barefoot, almost featureless character (save for his large nose), who seems to have no friends, hobbies, or romantic partner, and who appears to always be confronted by the problems of life. In a recent comic he is standing before a sign that reads: “Do what you love and the money will follow.” With a look of despair, Ziggy says, “If that’s true, my money must be stalking me!”
Application: We come to Jesus because the problems of life seem to be stalking us.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
Scotland’s historic Muirfield Golf Club -- the host of 16 British Open golf championships dating back to 1892 -- currently does not allow female members. To admit women would require a two-thirds affirmative vote by the members of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. When a recent vote to allow female members narrowly failed, with 36% of the 616 members voting against the integration of the private club, Muirfield was immediately removed from the list of 10 courses that can host the British Open by the Royal and Ancient (which oversees the competition). As four-time major winner Rory McIlroy said, in support of the R&A, “It’s 2016 and time to move on.”
Application: Paul was trying to say to his Jewish predecessors that it was time to move on.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
The Indy 500 celebrated its 100th running with this year’s race. During that century many traditions have been established. Most famously, 1936 winner Louis Meyer celebrated his victory by chugging a bottle of buttermilk. Ever since then, it has been the tradition of all winners of the race to drink milk in victory lane.
Application: Paul desired to establish a new tradition for his Jewish predecessors.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
One of the most notorious phrases associated with the Indy 500 is “Mario is slowing down” -- an oft-repeated reference to the cars of 1969 winner Mario Andretti suffering the heartbreak of mechanical breakdown... sometimes while leading the race. Since his lone victory, the “Andretti curse” has ruled at Indy -- an Andretti has never won as a driver.
Application: Paul never wants to hear the words that we are slowing down.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
Morley Safer recently died. Best known as a journalist on 60 Minutes, a position he held for 46 years, Safer actually did not like television because of its use of pictures. He maintained that in reporting, “What you’re aiming at are people’s ears rather than their eyes.”
Application: Paul’s message was definitely for the ears to comprehend.
*****
Galatians 1:11-24
Morley Safer, a longtime fixture on 60 Minutes, enjoyed journalism because of the vast experiences of life it afforded him. Everything he encountered was new and exciting; no two things were ever the same. Realizing this diversity, Safer famously said, “There is no such thing as the common man; if there were, there would be no need for journalists.”
Application: Paul realized the need to keep the gospel message fresh and alive for each new person it was shared with.
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24)
The initial Indy 500 took place in 1911, and the creativity of winner Ray Harroun changed motor racing forever. In those days, drivers would always ride with a mechanic who would monitor the traffic around the car. Harroun replaced the mechanic with a rear-view mirror, thus having less weight for his car to power.
Application: Elijah also knew he would be alone on the track, except for being able to see God in his rear-view mirror.
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24)
The Indy 500 has had many close finishes. In 1992 Al Unser Jr. won by 0.043 seconds; in 2006 Sam Hornish Jr. won by 0.0635 seconds; and in 2014 Ryan Hunter-Reay won by 0.06 seconds.
Application: Elijah’s entire experience in Zarephath was one of close finishes.
***************
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Galatians 1:11-24
Curriculum Vitae
This is an actual essay written by a college applicant. The author, Hugh Gallagher, now attends NYU.
In order for the admissions staff of our college to get to know you, the applicant, better, we ask that you answer the following question: Are there any significant experiences you have had, or accomplishments you have realized, that have helped to define you as a person?
I am a dynamic figure, often seen scaling walls and crushing ice. I have been known to remodel train stations on my lunch breaks, making them more efficient in the area of heat retention. I translate ethnic slurs for Cuban refugees, I write award-winning operas, I manage time efficiently. Occasionally, I tread water for three days in a row.
I woo women with my sensuous and godlike trombone playing, I can pilot bicycles up severe inclines with unflagging speed, and I cook 30-minute brownies in 20ty minutes. I am an expert in stucco, a veteran in love, and an outlaw in Peru.
Using only a hoe and a large glass of water, I once single-handedly defended a small village in the Amazon basin from a horde of ferocious army ants. I play bluegrass cello, I was scouted by the Mets, I am the subject of numerous documentaries. When I'm bored, I build large suspension bridges in my yard. I enjoy urban hang-gliding. On Wednesdays, after school, I repair electrical appliances free of charge.
I am an abstract artist, a concrete analyst, and a ruthless bookie. Critics worldwide swoon over my original line of corduroy evening wear. I don’t perspire. I am a private citizen, yet I receive fan mail. I have been caller number nine and have won the weekend passes. Last summer, I toured New Jersey with a traveling centrifugal-force demonstration. I bat .400. My deft floral arrangements have earned me fame in international botany circles. Children trust me.
I can hurl tennis rackets at small moving objects with deadly accuracy. I once read Paradise Lost, Moby Dick, and David Copperfield in one day and still had time to refurbish an entire dining room that evening. I know the exact location of every food item in the supermarket. I have performed several covert operations for the CIA. I sleep once a week; when I do sleep, I sleep in a chair. While on vacation in Canada, I successfully negotiated with a group of terrorists who had seized a small bakery. The laws of physics do not apply to me.
I balance, I weave, I dodge, I frolic, and my bills are all paid. On weekends, to let off steam, I participate in full-contact origami. Years ago, I discovered the meaning of life but forgot to write it down. I have made extraordinary four-course meals using only a mouli and a toaster oven. I breed prize-winning clams. I have won bullfights in San Juan, cliff-diving competitions in Sri Lanka, and spelling bees at the Kremlin. I have played Hamlet, I have performed open-heart surgery, and I have spoken with Elvis.
But I have not yet gone to college.
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24); Luke 7:11-17
The Power of Mother’s Love
Joanna Krzysztonek, a Polish mother, endured 75 days of labor -- upside-down! Well, almost upside-down. After losing one of her triplets to premature birth, Krzysztonek’s only option was to endure the position to allow her other two babies to develop further and improve their chances for a successful birth. Her baby girl, Iga, and boy, Ignacy, were born at 32 weeks. Both are healthy.
Here in the United States, Claudia Rendon lost her job because she took a leave of absence to donate one of her kidneys to save her son’s life. It had already been a difficult year for Rendon; she used up her allotted vacation time to deal with the deaths of her mother and uncle, as well as coping with her father’s battle with leukemia. When she asked for a leave of absence, the company hired another person to replace her before she came back. (As a result of public outrage, Rendon was eventually rehired by her company.)
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24); Luke 7:11-17; Galatians 1:11-24
The Real Thing
Little was known of a painting before it appeared in an illustrated Christie’s catalogue in the late 1990s, labeled as “German, 19th Century” under the name of “Young Girl in Profile in Renaissance Dress.”
It sold for $19,000 at the auction to respected New York art dealer Kate Ganz, who kept it for 12 years before selling it on for a similar price in 2007.
Peter Silverman, one of the world’s foremost art experts, had seen the work during the original auction back in the 1990s. “I was actually an under-bidder because I thought it was a wonderful thing, but I didn’t have the knowledge at that time to go all the way,” he told CNN.
But Silverman would have another chance to see the painting up close when a friend and art collector asked him to come and look at it. The friend had an idea about the painting -- but he didn’t want to say anything until the expert had a look at it up close.
The painting was small, only about 18 x 20 inches, and painted on frameless vellum, probably for the cover of a book. And upon examining it up close Peter Silverman turned to his friend and said, “No. It can’t be, can it? Surely someone would have recognized it.” He was answered with a broad smile from his friend.
That question and the resulting smile set Peter Silverman on a task that would take several years to complete -- but was finally finished when, using infrared photography, a partial fingerprint was found in the paint. This one fingerprint was added to the other clues, and then compared to a similar fingerprint found in another painting from the same time period... and that became conclusive proof.
This obscure little painting was “La Bella Principessa,” a painting that many had heard of but no one had ever actually seen until now. The painter was Leonardo da Vinci.
Today the painting is in a vault in Switzerland, and is valued at about $160 million.
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24); Luke 7:11-17; Galatians 1:11-24
Real
From the children’s book The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams:
“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”
“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.
“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”
“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”
“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don't understand.”
*****
1 Kings 17:8-16 (17-24); Luke 7:11-17; Galatians 1:11-24
Authentic
In her book Purpose, author and life coach Sue Fitzmaurice describes what it means to be an authentic human being:
What it means to be authentic:
-- to be more concerned with truth than opinions
-- to be sincere and not pretend
-- to be free from hypocrisy: “walk your talk”
-- to know who you are and to be that person
-- to not fear others seeing your vulnerabilities
-- being confident to walk away from situations where you can’t be yourself
-- being awake to your own feelings
-- being free from others’ opinions of you
-- accepting and loving yourself
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Praise God! Praise God, O my soul!
People: We will praise God as long as we live; we will sing praises to God.
Leader: Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
People: When their breath departs, they return to the earth and their plans perish.
Leader: Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob.
People: Happy are those whose hope is in God, our God.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the God of all creation.
People: With joy we praise the One who created all that is!
Leader: Come and see what new things God is doing.
People: We are in awe of God’s constant creating power.
Leader: God sends us forth to share the new, old story.
People: With God’s help, we will share God’s love in new and old ways.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“How Great Thou Art”
found in:
UMH: 77
PH: 467
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELA: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Renew: 250
“This Is a Day of New Beginnings”
found in:
UMH: 383
NCH: 417
CH: 518
W&P: 355
“I Sing the Almighty Power of God”
found in:
UMH: 152
H82: 398
PH: 288
NCH: 12
W&P: 31
Renew: 54
“Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies”
found in:
UMH: 173
H82: 6, 7
PH: 462, 463
LBW: 265
ELA: 553
W&P: 91
“Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”
found in:
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELA: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 755
Renew: 196
“O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee”
found in:
UMH: 430
H82: 659, 660
PH: 357
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELA: 818
W&P: 589
AMEC: 299
“Be Thou My Vision”
found in:
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELA: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
“Holy Spirit, Truth Divine”
found in:
UMH: 465
PH: 321
NCH: 63
CH: 241
LBW: 257
ELA: 398
“Change My Heart, O God”
found in:
CCB: 56
Renew: 143
“You Are Mine”
found in:
CCB: 58
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 constantly makes all things new: Grant us the grace and wisdom to look for the new ways in which you are bringing your reign to its fruition; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, and worship you because you not only created all that is but you continue to create and you come to us in unexpected ways. Send your Spirit upon us, and help us to join in your new ways of working with your children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially how we hang on to our old ways.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You are the God who makes all things new, and we are your people who constantly look backwards. We remember the fleshpots of Egypt; we long for the old, traditional ways in which you were made known to us. Help us to continue to use that which still is appropriate, but to let go of that which is no longer useful. Help us to embrace the new ways of knowing and serving you. Amen.
Leader: God welcomes you into the newness of creation. Join in God’s new works and celebrate God’s love among us.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
Praise and glory are yours, O God, for you are the Creating One who never stops making all things new.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You are the God who makes all things new, and we are your people who constantly look backwards. We remember the fleshpots of Egypt; we long for the old, traditional ways in which you were made known to us. Help us to continue to use that which still is appropriate, but to let go of that which is no longer useful. Help us to embrace the new ways of knowing and serving you.
We thank you for the ways in which you come to us and bless us. We thank you for the old, comfortable ways and for the new, exciting ways, even when they may be disturbing to us. In all these ways we know you are coming to us and bringing us your salvation.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all who are in need. We pray that as you work to redeem your creation, we might join in your work in ways old and new.
(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
Talk to the children about what it would be like if every morning they woke up and everything was exactly as it had been the day before. It would be pretty boring. We like some things to stay the same, but not everything. God comes to us in ways old and new: a new song, an old song; an old, familiar Bible story, a new story we have not heard before.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Robin Lostetter
1 Kings 17:17-24; Luke 7:11-17
(Hint: You could make this a little more “memorable” for the children if you have individual pairs of cheap plastic “play” glasses frames, without lenses, and use them either from the beginning “because we’re going to put on our ‘Bible study glasses’ ” or later when having different “eyeglasses” are mentioned. These could even be painstakingly made out of paper.)
Today we heard two stories of miracles in the Bible. Do you know what we mean when we talk about a miracle, especially in the Bible? (Give the children an opportunity to answer, and work with their answers.)
Well, in general it’s a miracle if the usual “laws of nature” can’t explain what happened -- if it’s something super-natural, not really expected in the everyday world. And in the Bible we understand the stories of miracles to be caused by whom? (Hope that someone answers God, not just Jesus!)
Yes, God is at work when there’s a miracle.
Now, in both miracles the boys were sons of widows -- that is, women who had lost their husbands. And in those Bible days, the women couldn’t work. They were never allowed to learn a trade and get a job outside the home. They were responsible for running all aspects of the household, but only that. Only a very, very few women were able to have their own business in the marketplace.
So if they had lost their husband, they would depend upon their sons to earn a living and support them.
So these two miracles were about saving not only the lives of the boys who had been really sick and had died, but also saving their mothers -- because without their sons, the mothers (who were widows) would never have any income, and would be forced to beg.
That’s really different from today, isn’t it? Both mothers and fathers can work, and both sons and daughters can choose to work when they grow up. So, tell me -- what do you want to do when you grow up? (Ask both the boys and the girls, and converse a bit about their choices.)
So when we read stories from the Bible, we have to remember that they were written a long, long time ago, and that things were different then. You could say we have to put on different “eyeglasses” -- “eyeglasses” that let us see the story as it was 2,000 or more years ago. And those “eyeglasses” also have to expect miracles to happen in the Bible stories, as they have been told to us -- miracles that God sent to help people. In this case, miracles that helped two women and their sons.
Shall we have a prayer?
Thank you, God, for Bible stories that tell us about your love for us. Help us to learn to understand more about the people in the stories and how they lived. And help us look for miracles today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, June 5, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
