No cuts, no buts, no coconuts
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
For March 24, 2019:
No Cuts, No Buts, No Coconuts
by Chris Keating
Isaiah 55:1-9
“Money can’t buy you happiness,” quipped British-Irish comedian Spike Milligan “but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.” Not to mention access to a better education.
When news broke about a wide-ranging of college admissions scandal involving fraud, bribes and outright cheating involving wealthy parents and top-flight American universities, many were surprised but perhaps no one was shocked. Thirty-three parents, including well known celebrities and business titans, were indicted by the Justice Department. The case involved prosecutors from across the country and more than 200 agents.
The wide-ranging investigation confirms suspicions many have had about how some wealthy students get sent to the front of the admissions line. Still, the investigation brought embarrassment to top-flight universities like Stanford, USC, and Georgetown, and shined spotlights on a few public institutions like UCLA and the University of Texas. New York Times columnist Frank Bruni wrote that “it’s a galling expose…but it’s not really surprising to anyone.”
Bruni has followed the college admissions process for many years, and is the author of the 2015 book, “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be.” He notes that for kids of privilege, “education isn’t an opportunity to wring more meaning from life and make a more constructive impact on the world. It’s transactional. It’s a performance. If the right audience doesn’t clap, there was no point in even taking the stage.”
If hard work and good grades are not enough to get your kid on that stage, then some are willing to try old fashioned racketeering. This is more than promising millions for new buildings or endowments. The indictment alleges that proctors were paid to improve test scores, and coaches bribed to recruit students for sports they had never played. Lie, cheat, bribe — anything to get your child to the front of the line.
That’s the opposite of the worldview offered by Isaiah 55:1-9. Second Isaiah’s concluding proclamation announces hope to the marginalized, poor and excluded. God’s abundant provision is offered to all who hunger and thirst. What God provides surpasses anything you can buy, the prophet notes. In other words, cutting to the front won’t buy the privilege God provides.
It’s all a reminder of what TV’s Sheldon Cooper of “The Big Bang Theory” tells his friends: “the golden rule of etiquette is ‘no cuts, no buts, no coconuts.’”
In the News
William “Rick” Singer, the persuasive mastermind behind the scandal the Feds named “Operation Varsity Blues,” closed his deals with wealthy clients by making a simple promise: your child will get into college, no matter what. In return, he just asked parents to write checks and not ask questions.
He peddled his advice through seminars and pricy consulting services, and authored a 2014 book titled, “Getting In: Gaining Admission to Your College of Choice.” Some have called him a “pied piper” who helped kids succeed, while also assuaging the fears of parents craving recognition of their parenting abilities. Parents accustomed to reaching for top shelf brands are increasingly extending that reach to their children’s selection of college — even if that means cheating.
“There is such pressure around students and parents around college admissions,” Robert Franek, the editor-in-chief of the Princeton Review, told the Los Angeles Times. “People are hung up on perception and brand.”
Dozens of persons have been charged in the scandal, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. Huffman, star of “Desperate Housewives,” is accused of paying $15,000 to have her daughter’s SAT scores altered. The indictments allege that Loughlin, who appeared in the “Full House” series, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to get her daughters into the University of Southern California by pretending that they were star crew athletes.
Singer’s testimony last week revealed the scheme’s basic structure. He admitted to creating “side doors” for wealthy families whose kids might not otherwise gain admission to top-tier colleges.
“If I can make the comparison, there is a front door of getting in, where a student just does it on their own,” Singer stated. “There’s a back door, where people go to institutional advancement and make large donations, but they’re not guaranteed in. And then I created a side door that guaranteed families to get in. So that was what made it very attractive to so many families, is I created a guarantee."
His spiel to parents may have sounded a bit like the tagline from the old Men’s Warehouse commercials. “You’re going to like the way you look,” George Zimmer, the chain’s former CEO would say, adding, “I guarantee it.” Singer’s techniques, however, were even more custom tailored.
Typically, wealthy families eager to enroll their children in an outstanding school don’t start with the admission’s office. They skip the line and head straight to the development office with offers of endowments and big donations. While hardly fair, it’s legal and common. But Singer pushed something bigger than an endowed chair or new science lab.
He offered prestige. Or, perhaps, assurance that they had succeeded as parents. But in bypassing opportunities for developing grit and persistence, parents are ultimately cheating their own kids.
“They stole these kids’ agency to make their first big decision in their young lives,” Jill Margaret Shulman, a college essay coach, said. “They took away any chance for these kids to feel great about themselves for getting into college, or to grow from a denial.”
Singer was selling a dream, much the way “Music Man” Harold Hill sold trombones. “Getting into college is a lot like selling iPads or cans of Coca-Cola,” Singer wrote in “Getting In.” “It’s all about branding.”
For some parents, a big part of that branding is proving your own success. Ultimately, Singer’s gold-plated guarantee sold itself to parents craving the empty caloric intake of elitism and status. “Elite colleges have become a status symbol with the legitimacy of meritocracy attached to them, because getting in sanctifies you as meritorious,” said Jerome Karabel, a sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and a historian of college admissions.
Hungering for more, Singer’s customers took any shortcut they could find to cut to the front of the line.
In the Scripture
Chapters 40-55 of Isaiah, which scholars call “Second Isaiah,” form expressions of hope and consolation for exiles deported from Jerusalem. The prophet’s words and poetry provide a balm to those long-suffering generations, and an invitation for the exiled to undertake a journey to a home none of them had ever known. The call to this journey was cloaked in a theology of fulfilling their deepest spiritual yearnings and traditions.
Patricia Tull notes that implicit to this vision was an invitation to return to the land of promise. God’s abundance and blessing would accompany those seeking repatriation and would include a lavish banquet. God alone will be the host of the feast, the likes of which have never been seen. It is a meal that cannot be purchased, a blessing freely given.
Chapter 55 begins with an invitation. Yet, as Paul Hanson notes in his commentary, this invitation is unusual because it is not limited only to the upper echelon of society. “The only requirement,” writes Hanson, “is to hunger and thirst.” (Hanson, “Isaiah 40-66: Interpretation Commentary, p. 177). This invitation resonates with Yahweh’s concern for the empty and abandoned, as well as Jesus’ proclamation of banquets open to all.
What’s at stake is the covenantal relationship between the people and Yahweh. God’s love is a love that is beyond human imagination. It is a love that is rich and satisfying, and a love that will restore the nation. It is essential, then, to turn toward God, to be humble in admitting our inability to realize what is of ultimate importance.
Our thoughts, our words, and our actions are nowhere near to God’s ways. The lectionary stops at verse 9, omitting the promise of redemption in verses 10-13. God’s promised word will secure the hope of those who have been destroyed, and they will become an everlasting memorial.
In the Sermon
Begin the sermon with Isaiah’s call to pay attention. The prophet’s words are steeped in the understanding of market-driven needs for status and privilege. Isaiah understands the seductive, nearly craven, desires for acceptance. It is almost as if Isaiah stands in the center of a large flea market or shopping center with vendors squawking around him. In contrast, Isaiah invites us to consider the promise of God.
It is that promise that will bring ultimate satisfaction.
No cuts, no buts, no coconuts. No golden college rings, no engraved signs above college buildings. Status and privilege are unable to provide what God offers, however. Bread purchased with money will not bring complete satisfaction. Instead, God’s people are summoned to listen for the promise of God. Don’t cut in line, but instead receive the beauty of God’s abundance.
Yet this word is not easy to receive. Isaiah’s call for free bread for all will be met with skepticism from both conservative, free market types and from wealthy progressive folks with the means to meet their child’s every whim. There is no doubt that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts, and that God’s ways are radically different from the ways we generally pursue.
This is the bread of Lent, the bread which John has told us is “come down from heaven.” The renewing signs of God’s covenant are as important today as it was to Isaiah’s weary exiles. This is the bread which promises God’s every-faithful and abundant bounty.
The tragedy of the college admissions scandal is the parent’s misplaced priorities. Money can indeed buy anything, except, of course, a life centered in the meaning and grace of God’s provision.
One summer, my family took a vacation to Quebec, Canada. On the way home, we saw outdoor clay ovens, tended by farmers and bakers with long wooden paddles. We stopped and bought bread we could never have purchased anywhere else. We broke it and spread butter and honey across the warm slices. Never has bread tasted so amazing.
That is the discovery of Lent: bread which we cannot buy, and food for which we did not labor. It grants us a richer, sweeter, and ultimately more satisfying hope than anything we might purchase. The good news is that we do not need to rush to the front to grab this bread, because there is plenty for everyone.
No cuts, no buts, no coconuts. Just plenty of God’s gracious bread.
SECOND THOUGHTS
God Doesn’t Precisely Calibrate Pain
by Tom Willadsen
Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9
Isaiah 55:1-9
That first sound in the reading, “Ho” in the NRSV חוי" ” in the original Hebrew is just a sound, an exclamation, an attention-getter. It appears only here in scripture — best to just ignore it.
Ending this reading at verse 9 is unfortunate. Ending there leaves the impression that God is really remote, far-off, perhaps even disinterested in Israel. “Throned afar, remotely high,” to take a line of the Easter hymn “Christ is Alive” out of context. Actually, the Lord is all around Israel, in the rain and snow, in the change of the seasons; that’s the sense of the rest of chapter 55.
I love the phrase “abundantly pardon,” and definitely plan to work it into this sermon!
Remember, this text is addressed to Israel in exile, not to an individual.
There’s a sense in this passage and the Luke passage that the Lord’s mercy is finite. The precise limits are not clear. In Luke, the fig tree gets another year, but what then? The Luke reading makes the consequences of the Lord’s not infinite patience real. This notion is also expressed in Psalm 103:9, “He will not always chide, He will with patience wait,” as sung in “Bless the Lord” from Godspell.
Luke 13:1-9
It’s an awkward construction: ”the Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices.” Perhaps, “Jesus, did you hear about those people who were slaughtered while they were in worship?” would get at the sense of the phrase in a modern context. Maybe those who asked him were trying to get him to lead a popular revolt. Maybe they were trying to draw him into saying something that could be construed as seeking to foment an insurrection. Maybe they were just curious, something like, “Jesus, do you think the Padres made a good move when they signed Manny Machado?” Whatever, Jesus didn’t take the bait.
He used their question to make a much more important point, a point that preachers, and believers of all kinds need to keep making: God doesn’t precisely calibrate pain, struggle and difficulty.
While it’s accepted as gospel in 21st Century America that “the Lord only sends us as much as we can handle,” Jesus is arguing against that truism. “Bad stuff happens,” Jesus says, foreshadowing Forrest Gump. The Lord does not sit enthroned in heaven dropping hardship onto individuals in precisely measured amounts. Sometimes towers fall down and crush the people under them. Sometimes really, really good people get painful cancer. His point is we’re all going to die. Everyone. It’s much better to be ready than not to be ready.
The day I graduated from college my mother sat me down and told me she’d had a medical test the week before. “Oh, no! Are you going to die?” I asked.
“Yes,” my mother answered. We’re all going to die. The results of the test were negative, but I will die someday.”
Now is always a good time to repent. The fig tree was given a year’s reprieve, but after that, who knows? “Perishing as they did,” really means suddenly, unexpectedly. One could say that those crushed by the tower were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
What about those who died while offering sacrifices in the Temple? Could one argue, based on their slaughter, that the Lord is not favorably disposed toward people who practice their faith? Possibly. A more satisfying answer, however, would be that Pilate knew where to find the most devout Jews. If he wanted to make a statement, the Temple would be the perfect setting for it.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Paul is engaging in midrash in today’s epistle lesson. He looks back to the Exodus and claims that those who fled captivity were baptized by passing through the Sea of Reeds (you’ve all seen the movie) and by the cloud which led the Hebrews by day. They all ate spiritual food, i.e. manna and quail; they drank from the rock — which Paul now identifies as Christ — when they grumbled and the Lord led Moses to give them water from it. It’s as though they were Christian before Christ. Remember, Christianity started as a sect within Judaism. The first controversies in the early church were about things like the necessity of circumcision for people who found Christianity from outside Judaism.
Paul instructs the Corinthians not to put Christ to the test. Remember that Jesus used that very same line in the Gospel reading two weeks ago when he was tempted by the devil immediately following his baptism. Paul is also advising the Corinthians to learn from the experience of others and benefit from it.
Verse 13 “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” It appears to contradict Jesus in the Luke reading for today, and for the first Sunday in Lent. Does the Lord really send challenges or tests of our faith that are calibrated not to exceed our ability to suffer? Possibly, but remember whom Paul was writing to; the Christians in Corinth were expecting Christ to return any minute, as was Paul. Earlier in this letter, he writes “the appointed time has grown short…For the present form of this world is passing away.” Paul believed that Christ’s return was so imminent that they should not buy green bananas! Whatever test or suffering God had in store for them would certainly be short-lived.
Mistakes
Back in 1991 I remember feeling disappointed that I didn’t feel any different after being ordained. I had so looked forward to being able to stick “The Reverend” in front of my name.
Decades later, someone asked me what had changed for me at ordination. I replied, “It meant I got to make different mistakes.” Mistakes, and their first cousin, experience, are excellent teachers.
For years, the only passage of scripture I could cite chapter and verse was Proverbs 26:11 (NRSV):
Like a dog that returns to its vomit
is a fool who reverts to his folly.
Sunday school classes love that passage. In fact it is really good advice. It’s a more memorable way of saying, “Don’t make the same mistake twice.”
Experience is a great teacher; its lessons are often unforgettable, even life-changing.
In “Second Wind,” Billy Joel sings
You're only human
You're allowed to make your share of mistakes
You better believe there will be times in your life
When you'll be feeling like a stumbling fool
So take it from me you'll learn more from your accidents
Than anything that you could ever learn at school
You're not the only one who's made mistakes
But they're the only thing that you can truly call your own
Just as Paul is recalling the Israelites’ history to instruct them, and lead them into the future, the church can also be that place.
The church is one of very few communities that includes all ages. The church is at its best when it promises to teach a newly-baptized person about Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Everyone is in on that. It takes a congregation to raise a Christian. People of every generation, at different points on their faith journey gather together for worship. Some churches are seeing the wisdom of making Christian education multigenerational. Why should we not benefit from the experience of our elders? (And Presbyterians, remember “πρεσβύτερος” means “elder” or “gray-bearded one.”)
A wise person learns from their mistakes. A great person learns from the mistakes of others. I may have just made that up. I’m pleased with it.
Paul is trying to build identity among the Corinthians. He’s recalling for them the stories of their history which has shaped them profoundly. They learn of God’s care for them as they wandered. They experience God’s guidance. These stories and memories can be “teachable moments.”
Bringing older and younger church members together for education can also help the young ones benefit from the experience of older, and more experienced — and probably wiser — Christians.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
Isaiah 55: 1-9
Abundance for All
The prophet Isaiah always has a compelling vision of the world as God dreams it could be. Here the prophet invites God’s people to “eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” Writer Greta Matos delights in being a "trail angel" and sharing food and drink with long-distance hikers who are traveling with the bare minimum. She says, of her acts of kindness, “I believe it’s in our nature to give to one another, and most people deeply appreciate opportunities to offer kindness without expectation…when we give without expectation, when we are able to acknowledge what a gift it is to have something to give in the first place, that alone will fill us with an overwhelming sense of gratitude, love and compassion. The world in which we can give becomes larger; and so do we.”
In her past, as a hiker, she was the recipient of kindness. “Throughout my life I’ve experienced the powerful beauty of the kindness of strangers time and time again. As a young woman traveling solo around the world, I crossed paths with countless strangers who were always willing to help. As a thru-hiker walking miles and miles everyday, carving my belongings down to the barest of essentials and opening myself up to a new sense of vulnerability, I was introduced to the true magic of Trail Angels who had sprouted up along the Appalachian Trail so that they could intentionally offer kindness to Thru-Hikers passing through.”
Now she offers that same hospitality to other hikers, moving toward Isaiah’s vision of enough food and drink for everyone, even those who are just passing through. As Matos says, “We are all, in some way, pilgrims on a journey as we live out our lives. Sometimes we’re traveling in a literal sense, but most of the time, most of us are simply traveling through the expanse of our individual lives. If we pay attention, and we leave the light on, we may be lucky enough to receive a fellow pilgrim and offer them a few simple gifts to make their journey a little more comfortable, their bellies a little more full, and their spirits lifted a little higher.”
* * *
Isaiah 55: 1-9
An Abundance of Joy
Writer Ingrid Fetell Lee says that we already have a wealth of joy in our lives, but we may not see the abundance all around us. She set out to find what gives people a feeling of abundance in our lives, and asked everyone she met — including complete strangers — “what gives you joy?” She was, she says, “the Nancy Drew of joy,” trying to figure out where that deep feeling of fullness comes from. Certain things were universal. Cherry blossoms and bubbles, swimming pools and “and ice cream cones, especially the ones with the sprinkles. These things seemed to cut across lines of age and gender and ethnicity. I mean, if you think about it, we all stop and turn our heads to the sky when the multicolored arc of a rainbow streaks across it. And fireworks — we don't even need to know what they're for, and we feel like we're celebrating, too. These things aren't joyful for just a few people; they're joyful for nearly everyone. They're universally joyful. And seeing them all together, it gave me this indescribably hopeful feeling. The sharply divided, politically polarized world we live in sometimes has the effect of making our differences feel so vast as to be insurmountable. And yet underneath it all, there's a part of each of us that finds joy in the same things. And though we're often told that these are just passing pleasures, in fact, they're really important, because they remind us of the shared humanity we find in our common experience of the physical world.”
Abundance for everyone, as in Isaiah’s vision, comes in surprising ways. Take school buildings, which have been transformed by the non-profit Publicolor. They give struggling students time and paint to transform their schools with bright colors. “What's interesting is that Publicolor has heard from school administrators who say that attendance improves, graffiti disappears and kids actually say they feel safer in these painted schools.” Another example is the “new Sandy Hook Elementary School. After the mass shooting there in 2012, the architects Svigals + Partners knew that they needed to create a building that was secure, but they wanted to create one that was joyful, and so they filled it with curves. There are waves running along the side of the building, and these squiggly canopies over the entryway, and the whole building bends toward the entrance in a welcoming gesture.”
In parallel with Isaiah’s vision for all people, Ingrid Fetell Lee says, “Each moment of joy is small, but over time, they add up to more than the sum of their parts. And so maybe instead of chasing after happiness, what we should be doing is embracing joy and finding ways to put ourselves in the path of it more often. Deep within us, we all have this impulse to seek out joy in our surroundings. And we have it for a reason. Joy isn't some superfluous extra. It's directly connected to our fundamental instinct for survival. On the most basic level, the drive toward joy is the drive toward life.” Or, as Isaiah invites us, “Eat what is good and delight yourselves.”
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
No Easy Answers
People who ask Jesus why something happened are bound to be frustrated. He never answers the “why” question, only using it as a springboard for deeper questions of how we live, and how we respond to God. For those looking for easy answers about sin and evil, Jesus suggests a broader vision for how we live.
Hailee Park, a student in Washington state, says that people often approach her looking for easy answers about her ethnic background. She finds that many people use the simplest assumptions, instead of looking more deeply, adding, “many assumptions are made about me based on my physical looks. ‘Are you Chinese?’ When I respond with ‘no,’ they stare at me blankly in confusion. There is a multitude of Asian cultures in the United States, of which I am one. Despite what many others may assume, I am not Chinese; I am an American-born Korean. ‘Then… are you Japanese?’ Instead of asking a broader question, like ‘What is your ethnicity?’ they choose to ask a direct question. I reply that I am Korean. I like to think that this answers their question sufficiently; however, they think otherwise…They attack me with another question: ‘Are you from North Korea or South Korea?’ I don’t know how to respond because I’m not from either of those countries; I was born in America. I respond with ‘South Korea,’ where my parents are from because I assume that they’re asking me about my ethnicity. I’m not offended by this situation because I get asked these questions frequently. From this experience, I realize that people don’t know how to politely ask questions about identity to those unlike them. Instead of asking ‘What is your family's ethnicity?,’ many people use rude alternatives, such as ‘Where are you from?,’ or ‘What language do you speak?’ When people ask these questions, they make assumptions based on someone’s appearance. In my case, people make inferences like: ‘She must be really good at speaking Korean.’ ‘She’s Asian; therefore, she must be born in Asia.’ ‘She’s probably Chinese.’ These thoughts may appear in their heads because making assumptions is natural.”
Hailee says that we have more complex ways to think about each other, and they will lead us into deeper connections. “The next time I’m faced with a situation where racially ignorant assumptions are made about me, I will…fight their ignorance with my cultural pride.” Jesus invites us to think more thoughtfully about sin, evil and our separation from God.
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
Patience
Jesus tells this parable about the fig tree, which is often a symbol for the nation of Israel, and the gardener intercedes for the fig tree. The owner is ready to write the tree off as useless and cut it down, and the gardener has a longer vision. Ozan Varol says that waiting is essential for deep enjoyment. He recalls, “The line stretched as far as my 10-year-old eyes could see. I had never seen a line that long for anything — let alone a movie. It was 1991. My father and I were standing outside on a cold Istanbul afternoon waiting for tickets to see Terminator 2. He had promised to take me to see the hottest new Hollywood action flick, and he wasn’t going to let a two-hour wait get in his way.” He says now that “instant gratification comes at a price. The first is patience. A quality that’s never been a virtue in my own life, the supply of patience is rapidly dwindling. I can observe it all around me. Having grown accustomed to instant access to TV shows, movies, and dates, we now expect the same immediacy from the rest of our lives.”
When we live without patience, he says, we’re sacrificing an important capacity in our lives. “Paradoxically, instant gratification can reduce the amount of gratification. The more instantaneous the gratification, the less we value it. What made waiting in line to watch Terminator 2 so memorable wasn’t the special effects, the storyline, or the cheesy catchphrases Arnold delivered at every scene. It was the anticipation, the joint experience, the moment of bonding between father and son — all made possible by that long wait.”
Once the fig tree finally blossoms, the joy will be that much greater.
* * * * * * * * *
From team member Ron Love:
1 Corinthians 10:6 “so that we may not desire evil as they did.”
Florence, South Carolina, where I reside, is one of the many cities that had a unique chapter during the Civil War. Just before the war began the railroad junction in the city was completed. This made it a major station for all rail traffic east and west, north and south. This is still true today for vehicle traffic, as the junction of I-95 and I-20 are in Florence. This traffic has given Florence 85 hotels. During the Civil War the city remained absent of battlefield violence until General William Tecumseh Sherman began his march to the sea. Upon entering the state, he had two routes to follow to get to Charleston, where the war began at Fort Sumter. Sherman chose the route that would take him through Columbia, the state’s capital, sparing Florence the invasion. By the way, out of anger that the war started in South Carolina, Sherman destroyed more of this state than any other that he marched through. Things still remained quiet in Florence until Sherman learned this: as Andersonville, the notorious prison holding Union soldiers under brutal conditions, was about to be liberated, thousands of Union prisoners were relocated to Florence, where the conditions were even worse than at Andersonville. In Florence the prisoners were kept in open stockades, absent of any shelter. The death rate was so high, that Florence has a National Cemetery. Sherman sent troops to free the Union prisoners, but by the time the cavalry arrived the prisoners were once again moved, this time to Wilmington, North Carolina. Enough Confederate soldiers were able to arrive by train to protect the railroad junction from destruction. Three weeks after this, two generals met at Appomattox Court House.
***
Isaiah 55:9 “…heavens are higher than the earth…”
After serving as a supply sergeant in the South Pacific during World War II, Dudley Randall returned home and enrolled at Wayne College. In 1951 he went on to receive his master’s in library science from the University of Michigan. He then took the position as a librarian in the Wayne County Federated Library System. There, in his small office, during lunch and after work, he started Broadside Press in 1965. He did his own publishing on broadsides, which is a printing style on which just one side of the paper is used. Randall explained the purpose of the publication, saying, “My strongest motivations have been to get good black poets published, to produce beautiful books, help create and define the soul of black folk, and to know the joy of discovering new poets.” The first poem printed was Ballad of Birmingham, a poem inspired by the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, that killed four black girls. The poem begins:
“Mother dear, may I go downtown
Instead of out to play,
And march the streets of Birmingham
In a Freedom March today?”
“No, baby, no, you may not go,
For the dogs are fierce and wild,
And clubs and hoses, guns and jails
Aren’t good for a little child.”
***
1 Corinthians 10:6 “so that we may not desire evil as they did.”
Isaiah 55:9 “…heavens are higher than the earth…”
There are many sad chapters in American history, one of which is the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male. The study was conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service which enrolled 600 black men in Macon County, Alabama. They were told that the were being treated for “bad blood,” when in fact they were infected with syphilis. The purpose of the study was to learn what happens when syphilis goes untreated. The participates were told the study would last six months, when in fact it lasted forty years, from 1932 to 1972. The study became public and was ended through the efforts of Dr. Bill Jenkins, an African American, who was a government statistician and epidemiologist. Learning of the study he researched as much of it as he could in medical journals and articles. Concerned about the high death rate of the subjects and how unethical the study was, he wrote African American doctors and a few reporters, but nothing came from this. Dr. Jenkins was then able to get the story on the front page of The New York Times. People were horrified regarding this abusive study and it was soon ended. From this experience Dr. Jenkins dedicated his life to reducing illness and disease among African Americans, and recruiting as many African Americans into this field of study as he could. Dr. Jenkins said, “What they deserve is the best medical care we can provide. I try to give them the care that I would want to give to my mother.”
***
1 Corinthians 10:12 “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.”
Dr. Norman Orentreich, a dermatologist whose practice is on Fifth Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, realized how concerned men were about hair loss; that is, going bald. In 1953 Dr. Orentreich set out to find a solution. After a great deal of research and trial-and-error, he discovered a process that actually worked. He would transplant hair from the back of the head to the scalp. He referred to this as the “donor zone” to the place which he called “donor dominance.” His clients were the rich and famous. Middle-class men struggled to pay his fees. Though the client’s names were kept a secret, we know that he was visited by Cary Grant, Andy Warhol and Truman Capote. Helen Gurley Brown, the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, did an article in 1973 on the Orentreich Medical Group. She noted that the waiting room was wall to wall people who were waiting for their monthly injections. She went on to write, “A lot of them are famous, but of course he ushers them right in and out. But do you think any of these people will admit what they are having done?”
***
Isaiah 55:3 “…listen, so that you may live…”
1 Corinthians 10:12 “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.”
Jim Nicholson was a newspaper reporter who was always getting into conflicts with his editor. He wrote on crime and corruption in Philadelphia with such depth and accuracy that he was eventually removed and reassigned. The Daily News assigned him to write obituaries for the “common man,” and not the socialites of the city. In 1982 he became the paper’s first “common man” obituary writer, a position he held for 19 years. His desk was seven floors above the main newsroom, and it was joked, “The newsroom handles the big guys, Nicholson writes about the nobodies.” But he enjoyed his place on the seventh floor because it gave him the “distance” that he relished. So, he began to write the obituaries about the nobodies: dock workers, bus drivers, maids, sanitation workers and even unappreciated school teachers. But he also became the first obituary writer of the “common man” that brought sincerity and interest to their lives. Soon, his style was being copied by major newspapers across the country. When asked why he took his work so seriously he replied, “Who would you miss more when he goes on vacation, the secretary of state or your garbage man?”
***
Luke 13:3, 5 “repent”
On Thursday, February 21, 2019, the Vatican convened its first ever summit on sex abuse in the church. This was a world-wide event with 190 religious’ leaders from across the globe. We who reside in the United States must realize that the atrocities against children and nuns is even worse in third world countries than it is in our own. The first story told was from an African nun who was repeatedly raped by her superior, and then forced to have three abortions. A Chilean survivor, Juan Carlos Cruz, told the conclave, “You are the physicians of the soul and yet, with rare exception, you have been transformed – in some cases – into murderers of the soul, into murderers of the faith.” Responding to that remark, Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, in tears said, “Our lack of response to the suffering of victims, yes even to the point of rejecting them and covering up the scandal to protect perpetrators and the institution has injured our people. The result had left a deep wound in our relationship with those we were sent to serve.”
***
1 Corinthians 10:6 “so that we may not desire evil as they did.”
Luke 13:3, 5 “repent”
On Thursday, February 21, 2019, the Vatican convened its first ever summit on sex abuse in the church. This was a world-wide event with 190 religious’ leaders from across the globe. We who reside in the United States must realize that the atrocities against children and nuns is even worse in third world countries than it is in our own. Pope Francis, in his closing remarks at the conclusion of the summit said, “Brothers and sisters, today we find ourselves before a manifestation of brazen, aggressive and destructive evil.”
***
Luke 13:9 “If it bears fruit next year…”
Perhaps Phillips Brooks has given us one of the best definitions of preaching when he wrote that preaching is, “Truth through personality.” Brooks served the Boston Trinity Episcopal Church for 26 years, starting his pastorate in 1869. Though Brooks may be best known to us as author of the Christmas carol O Little Town of Bethlehem. The problem we have today is that we love to follow the Phillips Brooks who wrote the hymn, sitting safely in our sanctuary singing, “O little town of Bethlehem; How still we see thee lie; Above thy deep and dreamless sleep; The silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth; The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years; Are met in thee tonight.” Yet, our real calling is to take the message of Bethlehem out of the sanctuary and into the streets where we share the truth of Jesus through our personality, our sincerity. We are to tell the story of Bethlehem, the story of Jesus.
***
Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found”
In a desperate need to have a battlefield victory against the British, Washington crossed the Delaware River at night to attack the Hessians, who were mercenary soldiers fighting on behalf of the British. The attack upon the Hessians at Trenton must begin at sunrise on the day after Christmas, as the soldiers would be inebriated and disorganized from their holiday celebration. Knowing this, Washington, from his horse, kept commanding and encouraging his troops to, “Press on, boys, press on.”
***
Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found”
In the late 1860’s, George F. Gates built a home in Independence. The well-constructed Missouri house faithfully served generations of Gates. In 1919 granddaughter Bess and her husband Harry moved into the 210 North Delaware Street residence, sharing the home with Bess’s widowed mother Mary Gates Wallace. Grandfather had adorned the house with gingerbread, shaded the yard, and planted a special garden of lilac bushes encircling a sundial. Harry S. Truman would often rest among the garden’s blossoms, seeking respite from the problems of the presidency. Tranquility would often come when the President read the words the elder Gates inscribed on the sundial, “My Face Marks the Sunny Hours. What Can You Say of Yours?”
* * * * * * * * *
From team member Bethany Peerbolte:
Isaiah 55:1-13
Hungry Feeding the Hungry
The Isaiah verse for this week opens by urging those who are poor to buy wine and milk, luxury items. Even though they have no money these items can be bought in God’s kingdom with no money. Then in the next sentence it seems to ask those who do have money “why do you spend your money on that with is not bread.” The poor get the luxury foods and the rich need to go back to the basics. Possibly this is because the poor appreciate the luxury food more than the rich.
A prank group in New York did a social experiment where they asked strangers if they could have a spare slice of pizza. No surprise, they got told to go away more than they got the slice. Then they gave a man experiencing homelessness a full pizza. Minutes later another person sat down next to him and asked for a slice. The man gives the stranger a slice of pizza without a second thought.
While I watched this experiment play out it struck me that the people asking for pizza do not look like they need it. They are in clean clothes, have freshly washed hair, and shaven faces. This may be one reason people refuse to give them a slice of pizza. However, the person who sits down next to the poor man is still obviously not homeless yet is given a slice. This experiment may support reports that the poor are more charitable than the rich. This may be what Isaiah is getting at when the poor are told to freely indulge because they can handle the extravagance and be generous with their blessings. While the rich need to spend some time eating simple bread and remember they are blessed.
* * *
1 Corinthians 10:1-17
Don’t let the Meat go to your Head
Paul has been instructing the Corinthians on how to handle eating meat in their community. The community is convinced that they can eat meat sacrificed to other gods because they are fully and completely saved by Jesus, no harm done. Paul agrees but wants them to remember that Israel let their good fortune get the best of them and it cost them entry into the promised land.
In the wilderness God looked after Israel’s every need, navigation, food, and water. Yet Israel still did not believe God could give them the land they were promised. They let the abundance and good times distract them from having strong faith. Paul does not want the Corinthians to fall into the same hole. He reminds them of Israel’s abundance and downfall. Hopefully the Corinthians will be able to enjoy God’s blessings while continuing to walk humbly.
There is no more humbling time of year than March Madness. Thousands of brackets will be filled out with full confidence of winning the office bracket pool. In a week, half the office won’t be able to look each other in the eye. Their bracket will be destroyed. Arm chair coaches aren’t the only ones who will be humbled. Many players and coaches will come off the buses with high hopes only to reload the bus in despair. One team will win the whole thing. They will be the team who can keep their heads out of the clouds, play as if they are underdogs in every game, and support each other every moment they have together as a team. This is the success Paul wants for the Corinthians to win the whole tournament by remaining sensible and supporting one another in every game.
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
The Vineyard Owner is Coming Back
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when some people tell him a story about the governor killing Jews while they were praying. They ask Jesus if the people killed somehow earned their suffering because they were worse sinners than those who survived. This idea was very common, and Jesus is confronted with it often. His response is always that sinning does not earn you suffering, but that repentance is needed to diminish suffering. William Barclay said Jesus’ response “means that we cannot say that individual suffering and sin are inevitably connected but we can say that national sin and suffering are so connected.” Nations make institutions that cause suffering that individuals get wrapped up in. It is not the fault of a citizen for living in a corrupt society, abundant in corporate sin.
The parable that follows gives us a clue to what the individual’s response must be when they find suffering in their community. In the parable, a vineyard owner is frustrated with a fig tree's lack of production. His plan is to tear it out and free up the land for more productive plants. The gardener steps in and pleads for one more year. The gardener promises to tend to the tree and give it all it needs to be fruitful. The gardener does not disagree with the vineyard owner, the tree is pathetic. The gardener however is willing to put in the work to give the tree its best, and final, shot.
There is a gun violence issue in the world. This week we saw that it is not just a problem in the United States, even a docile country like New Zealand is infected. The contrast between the response of the New Zealand government and American governments is vast. New Zealand completely skipped the “thoughts and prayers” step and immediately acted. By the end of the month massive bills will be voted on to significantly reduce assault weapons. Leaders have spoken against white nationalists, condemning everything they stand for. New Zealand’s Prime Minister has announced she will pay for all funeral costs and visited families in a headscarf to show respect and solidarity with the Muslim community.
New Zealand is willing to do the work to help the fig tree, their country, produce good fruit again. Individuals get caught up in the suffering that nations create. When one sees that suffering it is not yet time to pull out the fig tree, it is time to get to work mending the problem.
WORSHIP
by Chris Keating
Call to Worship:
One: Look around you! The signs of God’s love are all around you!
All: God says to us, “Come to me, and receive from my hand everything that you will need.”
One: Here we will find the food which really satisfies; here we will discover rich food that cannot be bought at any price.
All: Here we find the covenant of God’s steadfast love!
One: Incline your ears and listen, so that you may live.
All: Let us return to the Lord so that God’s mercy will be upon us!
OR
One: O God, you are our God, we seek you; we thirst for you.
All: We look behold God’s power and glory!
One: God’s steadfast love is better than life!
All: Our lips will praise God’s name! As long as we live, we will lift our hands and call upon God’s name.
One: God has been our help, and in the shadows of God’s wings, we will sing for joy.
All: Our soul clings to God, and God’s right hand upholds us. Let us praise God’s name together!
Hymns and songs:
“There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”
“We Walk By Faith”
“Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah,”
“There’s A Wideness in God’s Glory”
“In God Alone” (Taize)
“You Thirsty Ones, Come”
“There is a balm in Gilead”
“O Sing to the Lord” (“Cantad el Senor”)
“Step by Step”
“Just as I am”
“Amazing Grace”
“Table of Plenty”
“All who are Thirsty”
“On Eagle’s Wings”
Prayer of Confession
Call to Confession:
God says to us, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” We have sinned and turned from God, yet still God calls to us. In confidence and hope, let us confess our sin. Let us pray:
(Unison) Merciful God, we rush through life searching for the things which do not bring us comfort. Our hungers are misplaced, and we consume the bread which does not satisfy. Forgive us for not trusting in you and for ignoring your compassionate grace. We have turned away from neighbors in need and claimed successes that were not ours. Help us to seek shelter under your wings, and to open ourselves to the abundance of your provision. Encourage us to repent, and to once again turn toward you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Assurance of Pardon:
Isaiah’s words offer us our assurance: “Seek the Lord while God may be found, and call upon God while the Lord is near! Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts, for our God will abundantly pardon.” Believe the Good News: in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Amen.
Prayer for Illumination (before scripture reading):
Gracious God, your people drank from the rock of your provision, and you fed them with spiritual food. Provide to us now the bread which we cannot buy, so that we may listen carefully to all you are saying to us. By your Spirit, enable us to seek you, and allow our lips to praise you as long as we live, Amen.
Prayers of the People:
God of glory and light, we are amazed and startled by the abundance of your provision for our lives. As we turn toward you, we realize that you have fed us with the precious bread of your grace. We wander through the wilderness places of life, only to be surprised by the water which you alone provide. Encourage us to seek you so that we may live and discover the joy of life lived in relationship with you.
God, you are faithful and just, and you supply us with all that we need. We offer to you the joys of our lives—for the promise of spring’s arrival, for places of warmth, for friends who guide us and support us. Hear the joys we name before you today: (The congregation is invited to offer one word expressions of joy and thanks.).
You hear our prayers, O God, and are more ready to receive our intercessions than we are to name them. Your Son’s compassion brought hope to all who received his message, and so we dare to offer to you the needs of our hearts. Lord, hear our concerns as we offer them to you: (The congregation is invited to lift up first names of those in need, or one or two word intercessions.)
Step by step you guide, O God. You call us to bear fruit that bears witness to your mercy. So cultivate within us spirits of generosity and peace, and empower us to be examples of your love to the world you love. Hear all of these prayers as we raise them to you in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray together, saying… (Continue with the Lord’s prayer). Amen.
Prayer response: “O Lord, Hear Our Prayer” (Taize) or “You are my Strength When I am Weak” (“You are my All in All.”)
Children’s Sermon starter
Hide and seek
Both Isaiah 55:1-9 and Psalm 63:1-8 encourage the listener to seek God. But how can you seek God when God can’t be seen? Invite the children to wonder with you about the many ways we seek after God. Include some of the images the Psalm uses, such as our bodies craving God’s presence, our eyes “seeing” God in worship, our lips praising God’s love, and mouths singing praises. God gives us the five senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and feel. How might we use those in finding God?
CHILDREN'S SERMON
The Need to be Sheltered
by Tom Willadsen
Luke 13:1-9
Ask the kids if they know the difference between a “want” and a “need.” A lot of first graders get that lesson. Ask them to name four needs.
At this point you’ll want them to say “food, water, shelter and clothes.” If they’re a little fuzzy, ask them what they couldn’t live without, or what do they need/do every day. (Officially we also need air pressure, but let’s be honest, they’re not likely to come up with that!) Seriously, one of them might add “air” to the list of needs — and we do need it, but we do not rely on anyone to provide it for us. You might say, “God gives air for everyone to breathe,” if they mention air.
You can ask them what they ate before they came to church or what they drank, what they decided to wear (or are wearing at someone else’s direction) and where they were when they woke up.
Important things that our parents do is to make sure we have food, water, shelter and clothing every day.
Ask them what “shelter” looks like. If you have the technology you can show these pictures:
Maybe this is like a fort they built
Maybe they’ve been camping.
Maybe they’ve been to church camp.
This one is a storm shelter, a safe place for people to when there’s a tornado warning.
They may have seen signs like this in supermarkets. People need safe places to get away from danger.
You might not want to go here. There was a sign like this on my grade school back in the ‘70s.
This is a mansion that cost more than $26 million. It is also a shelter.
Presbyterians might want to cite The Great Ends of the Church at this point: “The great ends of the Church are:
– the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
– the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;
– the maintenance of divine worship;
– the preservation of the truth;
– the promotion of social righteousness; and
– the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.”
Finally, ask the kids to imagine a picture of God sheltering people. What does that look like? What does the Bible say?
Here’s the big finish:
God is like a mother chicken, and wants to protect all us precious chicks.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, March 24, 2019 issue.
Copyright 2019 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.
- No Cuts, No Buts, No Coconuts by Chris Keating — As the world hungers and thirsts for status and recognition, God’s abundant grace offers the promise of everlasting hope.
- Second Thoughts: God Doesn’t Precisely Calibrate Pain by Tom Willadsen — A wise person learns from their mistakes. A great person learns from the mistakes of others.
- Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Ron Love and Bethany Peerbolte.
- Worship resources by Chris Keating that focus on discovering God’s joyful abundance; pursuing God’s grace.
- Children’s sermon: The Need to be Sheltered by Tom Willadsen — God is like a mother chicken, and wants to protect all us precious chicks.
No Cuts, No Buts, No Coconuts
by Chris Keating
Isaiah 55:1-9
“Money can’t buy you happiness,” quipped British-Irish comedian Spike Milligan “but it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.” Not to mention access to a better education.
When news broke about a wide-ranging of college admissions scandal involving fraud, bribes and outright cheating involving wealthy parents and top-flight American universities, many were surprised but perhaps no one was shocked. Thirty-three parents, including well known celebrities and business titans, were indicted by the Justice Department. The case involved prosecutors from across the country and more than 200 agents.
The wide-ranging investigation confirms suspicions many have had about how some wealthy students get sent to the front of the admissions line. Still, the investigation brought embarrassment to top-flight universities like Stanford, USC, and Georgetown, and shined spotlights on a few public institutions like UCLA and the University of Texas. New York Times columnist Frank Bruni wrote that “it’s a galling expose…but it’s not really surprising to anyone.”
Bruni has followed the college admissions process for many years, and is the author of the 2015 book, “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be.” He notes that for kids of privilege, “education isn’t an opportunity to wring more meaning from life and make a more constructive impact on the world. It’s transactional. It’s a performance. If the right audience doesn’t clap, there was no point in even taking the stage.”
If hard work and good grades are not enough to get your kid on that stage, then some are willing to try old fashioned racketeering. This is more than promising millions for new buildings or endowments. The indictment alleges that proctors were paid to improve test scores, and coaches bribed to recruit students for sports they had never played. Lie, cheat, bribe — anything to get your child to the front of the line.
That’s the opposite of the worldview offered by Isaiah 55:1-9. Second Isaiah’s concluding proclamation announces hope to the marginalized, poor and excluded. God’s abundant provision is offered to all who hunger and thirst. What God provides surpasses anything you can buy, the prophet notes. In other words, cutting to the front won’t buy the privilege God provides.
It’s all a reminder of what TV’s Sheldon Cooper of “The Big Bang Theory” tells his friends: “the golden rule of etiquette is ‘no cuts, no buts, no coconuts.’”
In the News
William “Rick” Singer, the persuasive mastermind behind the scandal the Feds named “Operation Varsity Blues,” closed his deals with wealthy clients by making a simple promise: your child will get into college, no matter what. In return, he just asked parents to write checks and not ask questions.
He peddled his advice through seminars and pricy consulting services, and authored a 2014 book titled, “Getting In: Gaining Admission to Your College of Choice.” Some have called him a “pied piper” who helped kids succeed, while also assuaging the fears of parents craving recognition of their parenting abilities. Parents accustomed to reaching for top shelf brands are increasingly extending that reach to their children’s selection of college — even if that means cheating.
“There is such pressure around students and parents around college admissions,” Robert Franek, the editor-in-chief of the Princeton Review, told the Los Angeles Times. “People are hung up on perception and brand.”
Dozens of persons have been charged in the scandal, including actresses Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. Huffman, star of “Desperate Housewives,” is accused of paying $15,000 to have her daughter’s SAT scores altered. The indictments allege that Loughlin, who appeared in the “Full House” series, paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to get her daughters into the University of Southern California by pretending that they were star crew athletes.
Singer’s testimony last week revealed the scheme’s basic structure. He admitted to creating “side doors” for wealthy families whose kids might not otherwise gain admission to top-tier colleges.
“If I can make the comparison, there is a front door of getting in, where a student just does it on their own,” Singer stated. “There’s a back door, where people go to institutional advancement and make large donations, but they’re not guaranteed in. And then I created a side door that guaranteed families to get in. So that was what made it very attractive to so many families, is I created a guarantee."
His spiel to parents may have sounded a bit like the tagline from the old Men’s Warehouse commercials. “You’re going to like the way you look,” George Zimmer, the chain’s former CEO would say, adding, “I guarantee it.” Singer’s techniques, however, were even more custom tailored.
Typically, wealthy families eager to enroll their children in an outstanding school don’t start with the admission’s office. They skip the line and head straight to the development office with offers of endowments and big donations. While hardly fair, it’s legal and common. But Singer pushed something bigger than an endowed chair or new science lab.
He offered prestige. Or, perhaps, assurance that they had succeeded as parents. But in bypassing opportunities for developing grit and persistence, parents are ultimately cheating their own kids.
“They stole these kids’ agency to make their first big decision in their young lives,” Jill Margaret Shulman, a college essay coach, said. “They took away any chance for these kids to feel great about themselves for getting into college, or to grow from a denial.”
Singer was selling a dream, much the way “Music Man” Harold Hill sold trombones. “Getting into college is a lot like selling iPads or cans of Coca-Cola,” Singer wrote in “Getting In.” “It’s all about branding.”
For some parents, a big part of that branding is proving your own success. Ultimately, Singer’s gold-plated guarantee sold itself to parents craving the empty caloric intake of elitism and status. “Elite colleges have become a status symbol with the legitimacy of meritocracy attached to them, because getting in sanctifies you as meritorious,” said Jerome Karabel, a sociologist at the University of California, Berkeley, and a historian of college admissions.
Hungering for more, Singer’s customers took any shortcut they could find to cut to the front of the line.
In the Scripture
Chapters 40-55 of Isaiah, which scholars call “Second Isaiah,” form expressions of hope and consolation for exiles deported from Jerusalem. The prophet’s words and poetry provide a balm to those long-suffering generations, and an invitation for the exiled to undertake a journey to a home none of them had ever known. The call to this journey was cloaked in a theology of fulfilling their deepest spiritual yearnings and traditions.
Patricia Tull notes that implicit to this vision was an invitation to return to the land of promise. God’s abundance and blessing would accompany those seeking repatriation and would include a lavish banquet. God alone will be the host of the feast, the likes of which have never been seen. It is a meal that cannot be purchased, a blessing freely given.
Chapter 55 begins with an invitation. Yet, as Paul Hanson notes in his commentary, this invitation is unusual because it is not limited only to the upper echelon of society. “The only requirement,” writes Hanson, “is to hunger and thirst.” (Hanson, “Isaiah 40-66: Interpretation Commentary, p. 177). This invitation resonates with Yahweh’s concern for the empty and abandoned, as well as Jesus’ proclamation of banquets open to all.
What’s at stake is the covenantal relationship between the people and Yahweh. God’s love is a love that is beyond human imagination. It is a love that is rich and satisfying, and a love that will restore the nation. It is essential, then, to turn toward God, to be humble in admitting our inability to realize what is of ultimate importance.
Our thoughts, our words, and our actions are nowhere near to God’s ways. The lectionary stops at verse 9, omitting the promise of redemption in verses 10-13. God’s promised word will secure the hope of those who have been destroyed, and they will become an everlasting memorial.
In the Sermon
Begin the sermon with Isaiah’s call to pay attention. The prophet’s words are steeped in the understanding of market-driven needs for status and privilege. Isaiah understands the seductive, nearly craven, desires for acceptance. It is almost as if Isaiah stands in the center of a large flea market or shopping center with vendors squawking around him. In contrast, Isaiah invites us to consider the promise of God.
It is that promise that will bring ultimate satisfaction.
No cuts, no buts, no coconuts. No golden college rings, no engraved signs above college buildings. Status and privilege are unable to provide what God offers, however. Bread purchased with money will not bring complete satisfaction. Instead, God’s people are summoned to listen for the promise of God. Don’t cut in line, but instead receive the beauty of God’s abundance.
Yet this word is not easy to receive. Isaiah’s call for free bread for all will be met with skepticism from both conservative, free market types and from wealthy progressive folks with the means to meet their child’s every whim. There is no doubt that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts, and that God’s ways are radically different from the ways we generally pursue.
This is the bread of Lent, the bread which John has told us is “come down from heaven.” The renewing signs of God’s covenant are as important today as it was to Isaiah’s weary exiles. This is the bread which promises God’s every-faithful and abundant bounty.
The tragedy of the college admissions scandal is the parent’s misplaced priorities. Money can indeed buy anything, except, of course, a life centered in the meaning and grace of God’s provision.
One summer, my family took a vacation to Quebec, Canada. On the way home, we saw outdoor clay ovens, tended by farmers and bakers with long wooden paddles. We stopped and bought bread we could never have purchased anywhere else. We broke it and spread butter and honey across the warm slices. Never has bread tasted so amazing.
That is the discovery of Lent: bread which we cannot buy, and food for which we did not labor. It grants us a richer, sweeter, and ultimately more satisfying hope than anything we might purchase. The good news is that we do not need to rush to the front to grab this bread, because there is plenty for everyone.
No cuts, no buts, no coconuts. Just plenty of God’s gracious bread.
SECOND THOUGHTS
God Doesn’t Precisely Calibrate Pain
by Tom Willadsen
Isaiah 55:1-9, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9
Isaiah 55:1-9
That first sound in the reading, “Ho” in the NRSV חוי" ” in the original Hebrew is just a sound, an exclamation, an attention-getter. It appears only here in scripture — best to just ignore it.
Ending this reading at verse 9 is unfortunate. Ending there leaves the impression that God is really remote, far-off, perhaps even disinterested in Israel. “Throned afar, remotely high,” to take a line of the Easter hymn “Christ is Alive” out of context. Actually, the Lord is all around Israel, in the rain and snow, in the change of the seasons; that’s the sense of the rest of chapter 55.
I love the phrase “abundantly pardon,” and definitely plan to work it into this sermon!
Remember, this text is addressed to Israel in exile, not to an individual.
There’s a sense in this passage and the Luke passage that the Lord’s mercy is finite. The precise limits are not clear. In Luke, the fig tree gets another year, but what then? The Luke reading makes the consequences of the Lord’s not infinite patience real. This notion is also expressed in Psalm 103:9, “He will not always chide, He will with patience wait,” as sung in “Bless the Lord” from Godspell.
Luke 13:1-9
It’s an awkward construction: ”the Galileans whose blood Pilate mixed with their sacrifices.” Perhaps, “Jesus, did you hear about those people who were slaughtered while they were in worship?” would get at the sense of the phrase in a modern context. Maybe those who asked him were trying to get him to lead a popular revolt. Maybe they were trying to draw him into saying something that could be construed as seeking to foment an insurrection. Maybe they were just curious, something like, “Jesus, do you think the Padres made a good move when they signed Manny Machado?” Whatever, Jesus didn’t take the bait.
He used their question to make a much more important point, a point that preachers, and believers of all kinds need to keep making: God doesn’t precisely calibrate pain, struggle and difficulty.
While it’s accepted as gospel in 21st Century America that “the Lord only sends us as much as we can handle,” Jesus is arguing against that truism. “Bad stuff happens,” Jesus says, foreshadowing Forrest Gump. The Lord does not sit enthroned in heaven dropping hardship onto individuals in precisely measured amounts. Sometimes towers fall down and crush the people under them. Sometimes really, really good people get painful cancer. His point is we’re all going to die. Everyone. It’s much better to be ready than not to be ready.
The day I graduated from college my mother sat me down and told me she’d had a medical test the week before. “Oh, no! Are you going to die?” I asked.
“Yes,” my mother answered. We’re all going to die. The results of the test were negative, but I will die someday.”
Now is always a good time to repent. The fig tree was given a year’s reprieve, but after that, who knows? “Perishing as they did,” really means suddenly, unexpectedly. One could say that those crushed by the tower were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
What about those who died while offering sacrifices in the Temple? Could one argue, based on their slaughter, that the Lord is not favorably disposed toward people who practice their faith? Possibly. A more satisfying answer, however, would be that Pilate knew where to find the most devout Jews. If he wanted to make a statement, the Temple would be the perfect setting for it.
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
Paul is engaging in midrash in today’s epistle lesson. He looks back to the Exodus and claims that those who fled captivity were baptized by passing through the Sea of Reeds (you’ve all seen the movie) and by the cloud which led the Hebrews by day. They all ate spiritual food, i.e. manna and quail; they drank from the rock — which Paul now identifies as Christ — when they grumbled and the Lord led Moses to give them water from it. It’s as though they were Christian before Christ. Remember, Christianity started as a sect within Judaism. The first controversies in the early church were about things like the necessity of circumcision for people who found Christianity from outside Judaism.
Paul instructs the Corinthians not to put Christ to the test. Remember that Jesus used that very same line in the Gospel reading two weeks ago when he was tempted by the devil immediately following his baptism. Paul is also advising the Corinthians to learn from the experience of others and benefit from it.
Verse 13 “God is faithful, and he will not let you be tested beyond your strength, but with the testing he will also provide the way out so that you may be able to endure it.” It appears to contradict Jesus in the Luke reading for today, and for the first Sunday in Lent. Does the Lord really send challenges or tests of our faith that are calibrated not to exceed our ability to suffer? Possibly, but remember whom Paul was writing to; the Christians in Corinth were expecting Christ to return any minute, as was Paul. Earlier in this letter, he writes “the appointed time has grown short…For the present form of this world is passing away.” Paul believed that Christ’s return was so imminent that they should not buy green bananas! Whatever test or suffering God had in store for them would certainly be short-lived.
Mistakes
Back in 1991 I remember feeling disappointed that I didn’t feel any different after being ordained. I had so looked forward to being able to stick “The Reverend” in front of my name.
Decades later, someone asked me what had changed for me at ordination. I replied, “It meant I got to make different mistakes.” Mistakes, and their first cousin, experience, are excellent teachers.
For years, the only passage of scripture I could cite chapter and verse was Proverbs 26:11 (NRSV):
Like a dog that returns to its vomit
is a fool who reverts to his folly.
Sunday school classes love that passage. In fact it is really good advice. It’s a more memorable way of saying, “Don’t make the same mistake twice.”
Experience is a great teacher; its lessons are often unforgettable, even life-changing.
In “Second Wind,” Billy Joel sings
You're only human
You're allowed to make your share of mistakes
You better believe there will be times in your life
When you'll be feeling like a stumbling fool
So take it from me you'll learn more from your accidents
Than anything that you could ever learn at school
You're not the only one who's made mistakes
But they're the only thing that you can truly call your own
Just as Paul is recalling the Israelites’ history to instruct them, and lead them into the future, the church can also be that place.
The church is one of very few communities that includes all ages. The church is at its best when it promises to teach a newly-baptized person about Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Everyone is in on that. It takes a congregation to raise a Christian. People of every generation, at different points on their faith journey gather together for worship. Some churches are seeing the wisdom of making Christian education multigenerational. Why should we not benefit from the experience of our elders? (And Presbyterians, remember “πρεσβύτερος” means “elder” or “gray-bearded one.”)
A wise person learns from their mistakes. A great person learns from the mistakes of others. I may have just made that up. I’m pleased with it.
Paul is trying to build identity among the Corinthians. He’s recalling for them the stories of their history which has shaped them profoundly. They learn of God’s care for them as they wandered. They experience God’s guidance. These stories and memories can be “teachable moments.”
Bringing older and younger church members together for education can also help the young ones benefit from the experience of older, and more experienced — and probably wiser — Christians.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
Isaiah 55: 1-9
Abundance for All
The prophet Isaiah always has a compelling vision of the world as God dreams it could be. Here the prophet invites God’s people to “eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.” Writer Greta Matos delights in being a "trail angel" and sharing food and drink with long-distance hikers who are traveling with the bare minimum. She says, of her acts of kindness, “I believe it’s in our nature to give to one another, and most people deeply appreciate opportunities to offer kindness without expectation…when we give without expectation, when we are able to acknowledge what a gift it is to have something to give in the first place, that alone will fill us with an overwhelming sense of gratitude, love and compassion. The world in which we can give becomes larger; and so do we.”
In her past, as a hiker, she was the recipient of kindness. “Throughout my life I’ve experienced the powerful beauty of the kindness of strangers time and time again. As a young woman traveling solo around the world, I crossed paths with countless strangers who were always willing to help. As a thru-hiker walking miles and miles everyday, carving my belongings down to the barest of essentials and opening myself up to a new sense of vulnerability, I was introduced to the true magic of Trail Angels who had sprouted up along the Appalachian Trail so that they could intentionally offer kindness to Thru-Hikers passing through.”
Now she offers that same hospitality to other hikers, moving toward Isaiah’s vision of enough food and drink for everyone, even those who are just passing through. As Matos says, “We are all, in some way, pilgrims on a journey as we live out our lives. Sometimes we’re traveling in a literal sense, but most of the time, most of us are simply traveling through the expanse of our individual lives. If we pay attention, and we leave the light on, we may be lucky enough to receive a fellow pilgrim and offer them a few simple gifts to make their journey a little more comfortable, their bellies a little more full, and their spirits lifted a little higher.”
* * *
Isaiah 55: 1-9
An Abundance of Joy
Writer Ingrid Fetell Lee says that we already have a wealth of joy in our lives, but we may not see the abundance all around us. She set out to find what gives people a feeling of abundance in our lives, and asked everyone she met — including complete strangers — “what gives you joy?” She was, she says, “the Nancy Drew of joy,” trying to figure out where that deep feeling of fullness comes from. Certain things were universal. Cherry blossoms and bubbles, swimming pools and “and ice cream cones, especially the ones with the sprinkles. These things seemed to cut across lines of age and gender and ethnicity. I mean, if you think about it, we all stop and turn our heads to the sky when the multicolored arc of a rainbow streaks across it. And fireworks — we don't even need to know what they're for, and we feel like we're celebrating, too. These things aren't joyful for just a few people; they're joyful for nearly everyone. They're universally joyful. And seeing them all together, it gave me this indescribably hopeful feeling. The sharply divided, politically polarized world we live in sometimes has the effect of making our differences feel so vast as to be insurmountable. And yet underneath it all, there's a part of each of us that finds joy in the same things. And though we're often told that these are just passing pleasures, in fact, they're really important, because they remind us of the shared humanity we find in our common experience of the physical world.”
Abundance for everyone, as in Isaiah’s vision, comes in surprising ways. Take school buildings, which have been transformed by the non-profit Publicolor. They give struggling students time and paint to transform their schools with bright colors. “What's interesting is that Publicolor has heard from school administrators who say that attendance improves, graffiti disappears and kids actually say they feel safer in these painted schools.” Another example is the “new Sandy Hook Elementary School. After the mass shooting there in 2012, the architects Svigals + Partners knew that they needed to create a building that was secure, but they wanted to create one that was joyful, and so they filled it with curves. There are waves running along the side of the building, and these squiggly canopies over the entryway, and the whole building bends toward the entrance in a welcoming gesture.”
In parallel with Isaiah’s vision for all people, Ingrid Fetell Lee says, “Each moment of joy is small, but over time, they add up to more than the sum of their parts. And so maybe instead of chasing after happiness, what we should be doing is embracing joy and finding ways to put ourselves in the path of it more often. Deep within us, we all have this impulse to seek out joy in our surroundings. And we have it for a reason. Joy isn't some superfluous extra. It's directly connected to our fundamental instinct for survival. On the most basic level, the drive toward joy is the drive toward life.” Or, as Isaiah invites us, “Eat what is good and delight yourselves.”
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
No Easy Answers
People who ask Jesus why something happened are bound to be frustrated. He never answers the “why” question, only using it as a springboard for deeper questions of how we live, and how we respond to God. For those looking for easy answers about sin and evil, Jesus suggests a broader vision for how we live.
Hailee Park, a student in Washington state, says that people often approach her looking for easy answers about her ethnic background. She finds that many people use the simplest assumptions, instead of looking more deeply, adding, “many assumptions are made about me based on my physical looks. ‘Are you Chinese?’ When I respond with ‘no,’ they stare at me blankly in confusion. There is a multitude of Asian cultures in the United States, of which I am one. Despite what many others may assume, I am not Chinese; I am an American-born Korean. ‘Then… are you Japanese?’ Instead of asking a broader question, like ‘What is your ethnicity?’ they choose to ask a direct question. I reply that I am Korean. I like to think that this answers their question sufficiently; however, they think otherwise…They attack me with another question: ‘Are you from North Korea or South Korea?’ I don’t know how to respond because I’m not from either of those countries; I was born in America. I respond with ‘South Korea,’ where my parents are from because I assume that they’re asking me about my ethnicity. I’m not offended by this situation because I get asked these questions frequently. From this experience, I realize that people don’t know how to politely ask questions about identity to those unlike them. Instead of asking ‘What is your family's ethnicity?,’ many people use rude alternatives, such as ‘Where are you from?,’ or ‘What language do you speak?’ When people ask these questions, they make assumptions based on someone’s appearance. In my case, people make inferences like: ‘She must be really good at speaking Korean.’ ‘She’s Asian; therefore, she must be born in Asia.’ ‘She’s probably Chinese.’ These thoughts may appear in their heads because making assumptions is natural.”
Hailee says that we have more complex ways to think about each other, and they will lead us into deeper connections. “The next time I’m faced with a situation where racially ignorant assumptions are made about me, I will…fight their ignorance with my cultural pride.” Jesus invites us to think more thoughtfully about sin, evil and our separation from God.
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
Patience
Jesus tells this parable about the fig tree, which is often a symbol for the nation of Israel, and the gardener intercedes for the fig tree. The owner is ready to write the tree off as useless and cut it down, and the gardener has a longer vision. Ozan Varol says that waiting is essential for deep enjoyment. He recalls, “The line stretched as far as my 10-year-old eyes could see. I had never seen a line that long for anything — let alone a movie. It was 1991. My father and I were standing outside on a cold Istanbul afternoon waiting for tickets to see Terminator 2. He had promised to take me to see the hottest new Hollywood action flick, and he wasn’t going to let a two-hour wait get in his way.” He says now that “instant gratification comes at a price. The first is patience. A quality that’s never been a virtue in my own life, the supply of patience is rapidly dwindling. I can observe it all around me. Having grown accustomed to instant access to TV shows, movies, and dates, we now expect the same immediacy from the rest of our lives.”
When we live without patience, he says, we’re sacrificing an important capacity in our lives. “Paradoxically, instant gratification can reduce the amount of gratification. The more instantaneous the gratification, the less we value it. What made waiting in line to watch Terminator 2 so memorable wasn’t the special effects, the storyline, or the cheesy catchphrases Arnold delivered at every scene. It was the anticipation, the joint experience, the moment of bonding between father and son — all made possible by that long wait.”
Once the fig tree finally blossoms, the joy will be that much greater.
* * * * * * * * *
From team member Ron Love:
1 Corinthians 10:6 “so that we may not desire evil as they did.”
Florence, South Carolina, where I reside, is one of the many cities that had a unique chapter during the Civil War. Just before the war began the railroad junction in the city was completed. This made it a major station for all rail traffic east and west, north and south. This is still true today for vehicle traffic, as the junction of I-95 and I-20 are in Florence. This traffic has given Florence 85 hotels. During the Civil War the city remained absent of battlefield violence until General William Tecumseh Sherman began his march to the sea. Upon entering the state, he had two routes to follow to get to Charleston, where the war began at Fort Sumter. Sherman chose the route that would take him through Columbia, the state’s capital, sparing Florence the invasion. By the way, out of anger that the war started in South Carolina, Sherman destroyed more of this state than any other that he marched through. Things still remained quiet in Florence until Sherman learned this: as Andersonville, the notorious prison holding Union soldiers under brutal conditions, was about to be liberated, thousands of Union prisoners were relocated to Florence, where the conditions were even worse than at Andersonville. In Florence the prisoners were kept in open stockades, absent of any shelter. The death rate was so high, that Florence has a National Cemetery. Sherman sent troops to free the Union prisoners, but by the time the cavalry arrived the prisoners were once again moved, this time to Wilmington, North Carolina. Enough Confederate soldiers were able to arrive by train to protect the railroad junction from destruction. Three weeks after this, two generals met at Appomattox Court House.
***
Isaiah 55:9 “…heavens are higher than the earth…”
After serving as a supply sergeant in the South Pacific during World War II, Dudley Randall returned home and enrolled at Wayne College. In 1951 he went on to receive his master’s in library science from the University of Michigan. He then took the position as a librarian in the Wayne County Federated Library System. There, in his small office, during lunch and after work, he started Broadside Press in 1965. He did his own publishing on broadsides, which is a printing style on which just one side of the paper is used. Randall explained the purpose of the publication, saying, “My strongest motivations have been to get good black poets published, to produce beautiful books, help create and define the soul of black folk, and to know the joy of discovering new poets.” The first poem printed was Ballad of Birmingham, a poem inspired by the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, that killed four black girls. The poem begins:
“Mother dear, may I go downtown
Instead of out to play,
And march the streets of Birmingham
In a Freedom March today?”
“No, baby, no, you may not go,
For the dogs are fierce and wild,
And clubs and hoses, guns and jails
Aren’t good for a little child.”
***
1 Corinthians 10:6 “so that we may not desire evil as they did.”
Isaiah 55:9 “…heavens are higher than the earth…”
There are many sad chapters in American history, one of which is the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male. The study was conducted by the U.S. Public Health Service which enrolled 600 black men in Macon County, Alabama. They were told that the were being treated for “bad blood,” when in fact they were infected with syphilis. The purpose of the study was to learn what happens when syphilis goes untreated. The participates were told the study would last six months, when in fact it lasted forty years, from 1932 to 1972. The study became public and was ended through the efforts of Dr. Bill Jenkins, an African American, who was a government statistician and epidemiologist. Learning of the study he researched as much of it as he could in medical journals and articles. Concerned about the high death rate of the subjects and how unethical the study was, he wrote African American doctors and a few reporters, but nothing came from this. Dr. Jenkins was then able to get the story on the front page of The New York Times. People were horrified regarding this abusive study and it was soon ended. From this experience Dr. Jenkins dedicated his life to reducing illness and disease among African Americans, and recruiting as many African Americans into this field of study as he could. Dr. Jenkins said, “What they deserve is the best medical care we can provide. I try to give them the care that I would want to give to my mother.”
***
1 Corinthians 10:12 “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.”
Dr. Norman Orentreich, a dermatologist whose practice is on Fifth Avenue on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, realized how concerned men were about hair loss; that is, going bald. In 1953 Dr. Orentreich set out to find a solution. After a great deal of research and trial-and-error, he discovered a process that actually worked. He would transplant hair from the back of the head to the scalp. He referred to this as the “donor zone” to the place which he called “donor dominance.” His clients were the rich and famous. Middle-class men struggled to pay his fees. Though the client’s names were kept a secret, we know that he was visited by Cary Grant, Andy Warhol and Truman Capote. Helen Gurley Brown, the editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, did an article in 1973 on the Orentreich Medical Group. She noted that the waiting room was wall to wall people who were waiting for their monthly injections. She went on to write, “A lot of them are famous, but of course he ushers them right in and out. But do you think any of these people will admit what they are having done?”
***
Isaiah 55:3 “…listen, so that you may live…”
1 Corinthians 10:12 “So if you think you are standing, watch out that you do not fall.”
Jim Nicholson was a newspaper reporter who was always getting into conflicts with his editor. He wrote on crime and corruption in Philadelphia with such depth and accuracy that he was eventually removed and reassigned. The Daily News assigned him to write obituaries for the “common man,” and not the socialites of the city. In 1982 he became the paper’s first “common man” obituary writer, a position he held for 19 years. His desk was seven floors above the main newsroom, and it was joked, “The newsroom handles the big guys, Nicholson writes about the nobodies.” But he enjoyed his place on the seventh floor because it gave him the “distance” that he relished. So, he began to write the obituaries about the nobodies: dock workers, bus drivers, maids, sanitation workers and even unappreciated school teachers. But he also became the first obituary writer of the “common man” that brought sincerity and interest to their lives. Soon, his style was being copied by major newspapers across the country. When asked why he took his work so seriously he replied, “Who would you miss more when he goes on vacation, the secretary of state or your garbage man?”
***
Luke 13:3, 5 “repent”
On Thursday, February 21, 2019, the Vatican convened its first ever summit on sex abuse in the church. This was a world-wide event with 190 religious’ leaders from across the globe. We who reside in the United States must realize that the atrocities against children and nuns is even worse in third world countries than it is in our own. The first story told was from an African nun who was repeatedly raped by her superior, and then forced to have three abortions. A Chilean survivor, Juan Carlos Cruz, told the conclave, “You are the physicians of the soul and yet, with rare exception, you have been transformed – in some cases – into murderers of the soul, into murderers of the faith.” Responding to that remark, Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle, in tears said, “Our lack of response to the suffering of victims, yes even to the point of rejecting them and covering up the scandal to protect perpetrators and the institution has injured our people. The result had left a deep wound in our relationship with those we were sent to serve.”
***
1 Corinthians 10:6 “so that we may not desire evil as they did.”
Luke 13:3, 5 “repent”
On Thursday, February 21, 2019, the Vatican convened its first ever summit on sex abuse in the church. This was a world-wide event with 190 religious’ leaders from across the globe. We who reside in the United States must realize that the atrocities against children and nuns is even worse in third world countries than it is in our own. Pope Francis, in his closing remarks at the conclusion of the summit said, “Brothers and sisters, today we find ourselves before a manifestation of brazen, aggressive and destructive evil.”
***
Luke 13:9 “If it bears fruit next year…”
Perhaps Phillips Brooks has given us one of the best definitions of preaching when he wrote that preaching is, “Truth through personality.” Brooks served the Boston Trinity Episcopal Church for 26 years, starting his pastorate in 1869. Though Brooks may be best known to us as author of the Christmas carol O Little Town of Bethlehem. The problem we have today is that we love to follow the Phillips Brooks who wrote the hymn, sitting safely in our sanctuary singing, “O little town of Bethlehem; How still we see thee lie; Above thy deep and dreamless sleep; The silent stars go by; Yet in thy dark streets shineth; The everlasting Light; The hopes and fears of all the years; Are met in thee tonight.” Yet, our real calling is to take the message of Bethlehem out of the sanctuary and into the streets where we share the truth of Jesus through our personality, our sincerity. We are to tell the story of Bethlehem, the story of Jesus.
***
Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the Lord while he may be found”
In a desperate need to have a battlefield victory against the British, Washington crossed the Delaware River at night to attack the Hessians, who were mercenary soldiers fighting on behalf of the British. The attack upon the Hessians at Trenton must begin at sunrise on the day after Christmas, as the soldiers would be inebriated and disorganized from their holiday celebration. Knowing this, Washington, from his horse, kept commanding and encouraging his troops to, “Press on, boys, press on.”
***
Isaiah 55:6 “Seek the LORD while he may be found”
In the late 1860’s, George F. Gates built a home in Independence. The well-constructed Missouri house faithfully served generations of Gates. In 1919 granddaughter Bess and her husband Harry moved into the 210 North Delaware Street residence, sharing the home with Bess’s widowed mother Mary Gates Wallace. Grandfather had adorned the house with gingerbread, shaded the yard, and planted a special garden of lilac bushes encircling a sundial. Harry S. Truman would often rest among the garden’s blossoms, seeking respite from the problems of the presidency. Tranquility would often come when the President read the words the elder Gates inscribed on the sundial, “My Face Marks the Sunny Hours. What Can You Say of Yours?”
* * * * * * * * *
From team member Bethany Peerbolte:
Isaiah 55:1-13
Hungry Feeding the Hungry
The Isaiah verse for this week opens by urging those who are poor to buy wine and milk, luxury items. Even though they have no money these items can be bought in God’s kingdom with no money. Then in the next sentence it seems to ask those who do have money “why do you spend your money on that with is not bread.” The poor get the luxury foods and the rich need to go back to the basics. Possibly this is because the poor appreciate the luxury food more than the rich.
A prank group in New York did a social experiment where they asked strangers if they could have a spare slice of pizza. No surprise, they got told to go away more than they got the slice. Then they gave a man experiencing homelessness a full pizza. Minutes later another person sat down next to him and asked for a slice. The man gives the stranger a slice of pizza without a second thought.
While I watched this experiment play out it struck me that the people asking for pizza do not look like they need it. They are in clean clothes, have freshly washed hair, and shaven faces. This may be one reason people refuse to give them a slice of pizza. However, the person who sits down next to the poor man is still obviously not homeless yet is given a slice. This experiment may support reports that the poor are more charitable than the rich. This may be what Isaiah is getting at when the poor are told to freely indulge because they can handle the extravagance and be generous with their blessings. While the rich need to spend some time eating simple bread and remember they are blessed.
* * *
1 Corinthians 10:1-17
Don’t let the Meat go to your Head
Paul has been instructing the Corinthians on how to handle eating meat in their community. The community is convinced that they can eat meat sacrificed to other gods because they are fully and completely saved by Jesus, no harm done. Paul agrees but wants them to remember that Israel let their good fortune get the best of them and it cost them entry into the promised land.
In the wilderness God looked after Israel’s every need, navigation, food, and water. Yet Israel still did not believe God could give them the land they were promised. They let the abundance and good times distract them from having strong faith. Paul does not want the Corinthians to fall into the same hole. He reminds them of Israel’s abundance and downfall. Hopefully the Corinthians will be able to enjoy God’s blessings while continuing to walk humbly.
There is no more humbling time of year than March Madness. Thousands of brackets will be filled out with full confidence of winning the office bracket pool. In a week, half the office won’t be able to look each other in the eye. Their bracket will be destroyed. Arm chair coaches aren’t the only ones who will be humbled. Many players and coaches will come off the buses with high hopes only to reload the bus in despair. One team will win the whole thing. They will be the team who can keep their heads out of the clouds, play as if they are underdogs in every game, and support each other every moment they have together as a team. This is the success Paul wants for the Corinthians to win the whole tournament by remaining sensible and supporting one another in every game.
* * *
Luke 13:1-9
The Vineyard Owner is Coming Back
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem when some people tell him a story about the governor killing Jews while they were praying. They ask Jesus if the people killed somehow earned their suffering because they were worse sinners than those who survived. This idea was very common, and Jesus is confronted with it often. His response is always that sinning does not earn you suffering, but that repentance is needed to diminish suffering. William Barclay said Jesus’ response “means that we cannot say that individual suffering and sin are inevitably connected but we can say that national sin and suffering are so connected.” Nations make institutions that cause suffering that individuals get wrapped up in. It is not the fault of a citizen for living in a corrupt society, abundant in corporate sin.
The parable that follows gives us a clue to what the individual’s response must be when they find suffering in their community. In the parable, a vineyard owner is frustrated with a fig tree's lack of production. His plan is to tear it out and free up the land for more productive plants. The gardener steps in and pleads for one more year. The gardener promises to tend to the tree and give it all it needs to be fruitful. The gardener does not disagree with the vineyard owner, the tree is pathetic. The gardener however is willing to put in the work to give the tree its best, and final, shot.
There is a gun violence issue in the world. This week we saw that it is not just a problem in the United States, even a docile country like New Zealand is infected. The contrast between the response of the New Zealand government and American governments is vast. New Zealand completely skipped the “thoughts and prayers” step and immediately acted. By the end of the month massive bills will be voted on to significantly reduce assault weapons. Leaders have spoken against white nationalists, condemning everything they stand for. New Zealand’s Prime Minister has announced she will pay for all funeral costs and visited families in a headscarf to show respect and solidarity with the Muslim community.
New Zealand is willing to do the work to help the fig tree, their country, produce good fruit again. Individuals get caught up in the suffering that nations create. When one sees that suffering it is not yet time to pull out the fig tree, it is time to get to work mending the problem.
WORSHIP
by Chris Keating
Call to Worship:
One: Look around you! The signs of God’s love are all around you!
All: God says to us, “Come to me, and receive from my hand everything that you will need.”
One: Here we will find the food which really satisfies; here we will discover rich food that cannot be bought at any price.
All: Here we find the covenant of God’s steadfast love!
One: Incline your ears and listen, so that you may live.
All: Let us return to the Lord so that God’s mercy will be upon us!
OR
One: O God, you are our God, we seek you; we thirst for you.
All: We look behold God’s power and glory!
One: God’s steadfast love is better than life!
All: Our lips will praise God’s name! As long as we live, we will lift our hands and call upon God’s name.
One: God has been our help, and in the shadows of God’s wings, we will sing for joy.
All: Our soul clings to God, and God’s right hand upholds us. Let us praise God’s name together!
Hymns and songs:
“There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy”
“We Walk By Faith”
“Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah,”
“There’s A Wideness in God’s Glory”
“In God Alone” (Taize)
“You Thirsty Ones, Come”
“There is a balm in Gilead”
“O Sing to the Lord” (“Cantad el Senor”)
“Step by Step”
“Just as I am”
“Amazing Grace”
“Table of Plenty”
“All who are Thirsty”
“On Eagle’s Wings”
Prayer of Confession
Call to Confession:
God says to us, “my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” We have sinned and turned from God, yet still God calls to us. In confidence and hope, let us confess our sin. Let us pray:
(Unison) Merciful God, we rush through life searching for the things which do not bring us comfort. Our hungers are misplaced, and we consume the bread which does not satisfy. Forgive us for not trusting in you and for ignoring your compassionate grace. We have turned away from neighbors in need and claimed successes that were not ours. Help us to seek shelter under your wings, and to open ourselves to the abundance of your provision. Encourage us to repent, and to once again turn toward you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Assurance of Pardon:
Isaiah’s words offer us our assurance: “Seek the Lord while God may be found, and call upon God while the Lord is near! Let the wicked forsake their way, and the unrighteous their thoughts, for our God will abundantly pardon.” Believe the Good News: in Jesus Christ, we are forgiven! Amen.
Prayer for Illumination (before scripture reading):
Gracious God, your people drank from the rock of your provision, and you fed them with spiritual food. Provide to us now the bread which we cannot buy, so that we may listen carefully to all you are saying to us. By your Spirit, enable us to seek you, and allow our lips to praise you as long as we live, Amen.
Prayers of the People:
God of glory and light, we are amazed and startled by the abundance of your provision for our lives. As we turn toward you, we realize that you have fed us with the precious bread of your grace. We wander through the wilderness places of life, only to be surprised by the water which you alone provide. Encourage us to seek you so that we may live and discover the joy of life lived in relationship with you.
God, you are faithful and just, and you supply us with all that we need. We offer to you the joys of our lives—for the promise of spring’s arrival, for places of warmth, for friends who guide us and support us. Hear the joys we name before you today: (The congregation is invited to offer one word expressions of joy and thanks.).
You hear our prayers, O God, and are more ready to receive our intercessions than we are to name them. Your Son’s compassion brought hope to all who received his message, and so we dare to offer to you the needs of our hearts. Lord, hear our concerns as we offer them to you: (The congregation is invited to lift up first names of those in need, or one or two word intercessions.)
Step by step you guide, O God. You call us to bear fruit that bears witness to your mercy. So cultivate within us spirits of generosity and peace, and empower us to be examples of your love to the world you love. Hear all of these prayers as we raise them to you in the name of Jesus, who taught us to pray together, saying… (Continue with the Lord’s prayer). Amen.
Prayer response: “O Lord, Hear Our Prayer” (Taize) or “You are my Strength When I am Weak” (“You are my All in All.”)
Children’s Sermon starter
Hide and seek
Both Isaiah 55:1-9 and Psalm 63:1-8 encourage the listener to seek God. But how can you seek God when God can’t be seen? Invite the children to wonder with you about the many ways we seek after God. Include some of the images the Psalm uses, such as our bodies craving God’s presence, our eyes “seeing” God in worship, our lips praising God’s love, and mouths singing praises. God gives us the five senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and feel. How might we use those in finding God?
CHILDREN'S SERMON
The Need to be Sheltered
by Tom Willadsen
Luke 13:1-9
Ask the kids if they know the difference between a “want” and a “need.” A lot of first graders get that lesson. Ask them to name four needs.
At this point you’ll want them to say “food, water, shelter and clothes.” If they’re a little fuzzy, ask them what they couldn’t live without, or what do they need/do every day. (Officially we also need air pressure, but let’s be honest, they’re not likely to come up with that!) Seriously, one of them might add “air” to the list of needs — and we do need it, but we do not rely on anyone to provide it for us. You might say, “God gives air for everyone to breathe,” if they mention air.
You can ask them what they ate before they came to church or what they drank, what they decided to wear (or are wearing at someone else’s direction) and where they were when they woke up.
Important things that our parents do is to make sure we have food, water, shelter and clothing every day.
Ask them what “shelter” looks like. If you have the technology you can show these pictures:
Maybe this is like a fort they built
Maybe they’ve been camping.
Maybe they’ve been to church camp.
This one is a storm shelter, a safe place for people to when there’s a tornado warning.
They may have seen signs like this in supermarkets. People need safe places to get away from danger.
You might not want to go here. There was a sign like this on my grade school back in the ‘70s.
This is a mansion that cost more than $26 million. It is also a shelter.
Presbyterians might want to cite The Great Ends of the Church at this point: “The great ends of the Church are:
– the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind;
– the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God;
– the maintenance of divine worship;
– the preservation of the truth;
– the promotion of social righteousness; and
– the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.”
Finally, ask the kids to imagine a picture of God sheltering people. What does that look like? What does the Bible say?
Here’s the big finish:
God is like a mother chicken, and wants to protect all us precious chicks.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, March 24, 2019 issue.
Copyright 2019 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.
