The Uses and Abuses of Power
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
We cannot read much in the newspaper or watch the evening news without encountering some reference to the use and abuse of power. The Immediate Word team has invited David Leininger, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Warren, Pennsylvania, to examine the several lectionary texts and offer insights on how the Scriptures speak to issues of both personal and political power. David shows that flawed heroes are nothing new, and that the Bible does not often gloss over the more unseemly aspects of life. Among other things, David's wit suggests ways to make connections between then and now.
As usual, we include responses from team members, illustrations, worship resources, and a children's sermon, all of which are intended to generate ideas for you to develop an effective worship experience for your people.
The Uses and Abuses of Power
by David Leininger
Proper 12 (17), July 27, 2003
2 Samuel 11:1-15 and Psalm 14 or
2 Kings 4:42-44 and Psalm 145:10-18
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
This is one of those Sundays that makes those of us who follow the Revised Common Lectionary scratch our heads. The primary Old Testament lection tells half a story while the New Testament pericope tells two stories. Go figure.
Adultery, Murder, and Deception by a Biblical Hero
Second Samuel 11 tells an ancient tale that is as modern as tomorrow's newspaper, the sad affair of David and Bathsheba. Better than any soap opera, it is a marvelous narrative that includes sex, intrigue, deception, disloyalty, murder, cover-up and, finally (in next week's lesson), the GOTCHA denouement. The pericope lends itself incredibly well to simply retelling the story, as it calls attention to the hubris that seems to come with power: David did what he did simply because he could. Obviously, that is a theme that covers a multitude of bases:
* Certainly there is the Bill and Monica parallel that has become such a part of our cultural experience that no one needs last names.
* There are the excesses of errant executives that have destroyed huge corporations and the future of thousands of loyal employees.
* There are the all-too-frequent news accounts of pedophiles and other sexual predators preying on the weak.
* There is the geopolitical issue that people raise concerning our American involvement in Iraq or Syria-or now Liberia-after hearing administration officials say we are doing what we do because we can.
Of all the characters portrayed in scripture, it is hard to find one more complex than King David, the great hero who rose to power from humble beginnings, a shepherd boy not even admired by his own brothers, who had become, by God's amazing grace, the king of Israel. He had replaced his flawed predecessor, Saul, and salvaged the monarchy from its less than stellar beginning. He became known not only as Israel's greatest king, but also as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). But scripture is painfully honest in never attempting to canonize David, disguise his flaws, or excuse his mistakes. It simply lets the story unfold-his life as a shepherd, his loyalty to Saul, spectacular victories on the battlefield and equally spectacular failures at home.
Revisiting the details of this week's pericope: it was springtime in Jerusalem, the season of birds and bees and afternoon strolls on the roof for a dose of cool breezes, "the time when kings go out to battle." But not all kings. The king of Israel sent his troops under the command of his nephew, Joab, who had been named commander, not because of the family relationship but as a reward for heroism in the conquest of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, David lounged about high atop the palace, which afforded him a spectacular view of the Holy City below, and which on this particular day included the sight of a gorgeous and quite naked lady taking a bath. Whoa!!!
A logistical aside here. For those who might wonder about bathing up there in front of God and everybody with a higher vantage point, remember that the rooftops of houses in ancient Jerusalem were flat and served as additional living and working space, which often included rooftop water gathering and storage systems that were the next best thing to indoor plumbing.
Yes, David could have been a gentleman and turned away. But we know better; boys will be boys, even boys in high places, as we know all too well. "Who might this lovely be?" The answer comes back: this is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's own mercenaries who is off to war with the troops at Rabbah. Send for her. She comes over-whether willingly or unwillingly, we cannot tell, but he was the king, after all, and one does not refuse a command appearance-power, again! Finally, the probably frantic message not long after: "I am pregnant."
During the course of the narrative, we learn another rather personal detail not often uttered in polite conversation, much less from your pulpit. The reason why Bathsheba was spotted naked in the first place was because she was immersed in her monthly purification bath after her menstrual period. For those who wonder why such an indelicate item was included in the story, it was to make sure no one would wonder of this child, "Who's your daddy?" Since Uriah was off at war and Mrs. Uriah had ventured directly from that bath to David's bedroom, we know what the answer has to be.
Now David begins the cover-up-the original Zippergate. David sends word to Commander Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." The order is obeyed. David calls Uriah in, ostensibly for a report on the war. After hearing the news from the front, David tells Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet (ahem, wink, wink)." In other words, go spend some "quality time" with Bathsheba. The Hittite leaves the king's presence, but instead of going down to his house, he spends the night with the palace guards. As Homiletics had it in an issue several years ago, "Uriah belonged to the John McCain school of war: as long as his fellow soldiers were out in the field, he himself would abstain from the pleasures of civilian life, including relations with the Missus" (which, as we know, is exactly what David was wanting him to do to make the cover-up work). For that matter, Uriah is not just objecting to having it better than his buddies-he knows the Israelite rules of holy war (even though he is not an Israelite): as a warrior who must return to battle, sexual relations, even with your wife, are not allowed (Deuteronomy 23:9; 1 Samuel 21:4-5). Vietnam in reverse: make war, not love.
David sends Uriah back to the front carrying sealed orders that he be placed "in the forefront of the hardest fighting." And here the pericope ends. But there is no reason to stop at this point-let your folks know that, sure enough, Uriah is soon dead, along with a number of other soldiers who were caught in the same deadly assault. Collateral damage, as they say. David sends word with Joab's messengers not to worry about it. Fortunes of war and all that. Win some, lose some. But we know better-this was murder, pure and simple. Power gone mad.
Is there some moral lesson we are supposed to take from this sad story? Do we need to remind our congregations that we are not to murder or commit adultery? Do we need this story as an affirmation that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"? If your people need any of that, give it to them. Moral lessons always have value.
But I think there is gospel in this story as well. (And, to be honest, when I come to worship from week to week, I need gospel more than I need moral exhortations-I know all the "shoulds" and "oughts"; I need something more.) The good news, the "gospel," that I find here is that God can take someone even as horribly flawed as David, and do great things with him.
Power and Folly
For those who include the Psalter in the weekly readings, the tie-in with Psalm 14 and its familiar opening, "Fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God,'" is not difficult to make. Arrogance of power ignores accountability, often leaving "no God" to answer to. That such a position is dead wrong is obvious from the psalmist's identification of the one who holds such a position-"Fool!"
Unity in Diversity
The Epistle from Ephesians 3 begins, "For this reason ...." Knowing what "reason" is important for understanding the lofty themes that soon follow. The "reason" for Paul's (or one of Paul's follower's-but that's a discussion for another day) celebration is the inclusion of both Gentile and Jew in the church. This is an organization that breaks down barriers, even the incredibly high ethnic barriers that Jews and Gentiles knew in first-century society. We remember from our seminary studies the animus that existed: the Jewish morning prayer that included thanks to God for not being a Gentile, the deeply held belief that Gentiles were not much more than fuel for the fires of hell. Gracious! And now Paul says these divisions are being overcome in Christ in the church.
Truth be known, we live in a world that is often defined by its divisions. Whether it be in literature or legend (the Montagues and Capulets, Hatfields and McCoys), politics (Republicans and Democrats; French fries or Freedom fries), society (rich and poor, black and white), the divisions exist, often disastrously so. There is something deep inside us that seems to want to choose up sides. Years ago, comedians Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks did a wonderful routine built on an interview with "The 2000-Year-Old Man" (which just as easily could have been the 20,000-year-old man). Somehow the subject of National Anthems came up-did they exist way back when? The 2K man replies in the affirmative. Does he remember it? Absolutely! How do you forget your national anthem-he sings lustily, "Let 'em all go to HELL, except Cave 17!"
So saying, we agree with Robert Frost when he says, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall." The message of Ephesians is a big AMEN! Are there still divisions that we experience in the church of 2003? Unquestionably. Is there any real reason for them to continue? Not according to Paul. Thus his marvelous prayer here at the end of chapter 3 in preparation for his paraenesis in chapters 4-6. The lofty language fairly sings a Hallelujah Chorus. Check it out in Eugene Peterson's paraphrase, "The Message" (http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Ephesians+3%3A14-21&MSG_v
ersion=yes&language=english&x=11&y=9).
Bread of Life
The Gospel lection, from John 6, recounts the feeding of the 5000, the only miracle story that is found in all four Gospels, plus the report of Jesus' walking on the water. Why two stories for the price of one? Perhaps the answer is in the fact that the two accounts are also joined in Matthew (14:13-27) and Mark (6:34-51). By linking the two, the thrust becomes more than an ancient theological version of the current Microsoft ad campaign, "Do More with Less." This now is a Christological affirmation that challenges the preacher to go beyond offering Jesus as the compassionate rescuer from either hunger or high seas and matches well the high Christology of Ephesians.
Note that the Johannine account does not mention Jesus' compassion for the hungry crowd as in the Synoptics. As Fred Craddock has pointed out, the message here is to look beyond bread to the Bread.
What a contrast between the actions of King David in 2 Samuel and the actions of David's successor in John 6!
By the way, the alternate Old Testament and Psalter lections are for those who want a "food" tie-in with the Gospel. The pericope from 2 Kings 4 deals with Elisha feeding a large group with little; Psalm 145 says, "The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season" (v. 15).
Team Comments
Stan Purdum responds: My comment is simply about a possible addition. It seems to me that the Kobe Bryant case, currently in the news, could be a contemporary David-Bathsheba story. Without getting into whether Bryant forced himself on the young woman or not, he does admit to adultery with her, and even if only that much is true-even if the sex was consensual-it is still a case of "royalty" using his position to misuse a "commoner."
George L. Murphy responds: I wonder if it isn't sometimes too easy for us to blame "power" for corrupting people. The implication of that is that we're basically all right until we get into some position of power, which then turns our heads. That way we can see David and Clinton and the officials of Enron as worse than we are. But the basic idea of the doctrine of original sin is that all people are to some extent corrupt, twisted from our proper orientation to God, to our neighbor, and to all creation.
Of course, this is not to deny that being in a position of power does subject people to special temptations. It allows sinful inclination to surface, and those who are accustomed to having their orders obeyed and their wishes fulfilled may overlook moral obstacles to getting what they want. "Of course I can do it. I'm the king!" But the sin of David is not fundamentally different from that of any Judean peasant carrying on a sordid affair with his neighbor's wife and then having to get rid of his neighbor to avoid exposure.
The temptations of political power, however, are particularly seductive. We don't know how David was justifying his actions to himself during the course of this affair, but he couldn't have come up with anything more profound than the standard "We're in love" excuse. But unethical political acts-oppression, aggression, and so forth-can often be rationalized as necessary for national security, honor, freedom, and other noble ideals. Patriotism, as it's said, is the last refuge of scoundrels. But this isn't just true of manifestly evil people. Leaders can easily convince themselves that the bad actions that they're taking really are for the good of the people.
We're as reluctant to leave this week's text, the first half of the David-Bathsheba-Uriah story, as purely one of sin without any glint of gospel. But that's what it is. It should really end-if the lectionary didn't cut chapter 11 short-with the closing sentence: "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." End of Act 1. Mull on that for the next week, folks.
Unfortunately, some of the people in church this Sunday may not be here next week to hear Act 2, with David's repentance and God's forgiveness. If you preach a sermon that's all law and no gospel, some certainly won't want to come back. But if we hasten to add good news too quickly, we dilute the whole thing. Instead of the law killing and the gospel giving life, the law gives a quick flesh wound to which we apply an evangelical Band-Aid.
I don't think that this problem is insoluble, but the preacher has to be aware of it. Perhaps that closing sentence, "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD," needs to be given some attention. And we also need to remember that even when David repents and is forgiven in chapter 12, the consequences of his adultery and murder don't go away. Uriah is still dead and the child that Bathsheba has conceived will also die. And this episode begins the whole long succession narrative with the incest, murder, and rebellion that will plague the rest of David's reign.
In many ways preaching on the John 6 text is much more enjoyable. There's so much you can do with it-the sign that the creator is present (for who is it who opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing?), the Eucharistic symbolism, and a number of other themes. But the 2 Samuel 11 text allows some down-to-earth engagement with the problem of sin, a problem that afflicts the weak among us as well as the strong. Take your pick.
Carter Shelley responds: I like the way you present the Samuel text and its links to current events. Even more do I like your directness (Why two miracles for the price of one? Sorry-don't know). I think it's very helpful to congregations to be reminded that clergy don't have all the answers. It's also liberating to the preacher not to have to have all the answers. After all, faith isn't about having all the blanks filled in correctly; it's about God in Christ, etc.
Your use of contemporary language as a way of pushing David's ancient story into our own lives as surely as does the evening news is superb. Comments such as, "the next best thing to indoor plumbing," ". . .Mrs. Uriah," my personal favorite, "Zippergate," and "collateral damage" not only resonate with current events but the very wit of them cuts sharply into any complacency one might feel about a familiar biblical story or an all too familiar contemporary report-be it People magazine's worshipful account of Julia Roberts' first year of wedded bliss to a man who was married to someone else when she met him or the ongoing rhetoric about trust and mistrust due to an imprecise sentence uttered in an inaugural address. "What does it matter?" wondered one jaded citizen, "They're all crooks and liars, anyway."
Happily, God's eye is not so jaundiced as our own may sometimes be. As both the Old and New Testament texts for this Sunday attest, truth, justice, and the divine way still matter. The Lord's Anointed King is not above God's law, nor is a raging storm beyond God's command, and sufficient food for the day remains a central factor in God's earthly Kingdom along with the vision Paul presents, not that one day all shall get along and live in harmony and peace, but that now in light of God's amazing gift, all are already one in Christ.
The wit in your material reminds me of how important it is for us preachers not to get lazy and dull. Humor belongs in the pulpit, not for the sake of mere entertainment. We aren't Johnny Carson, Merle Brooks, or Rosie O'Donnell. Humor and, more especially, wit, belong in the pulpit because they send a sharp, clear word that requires the listener to stay tuned in order to get both the quip and the point. David is not the only one God loves who's let God and the citizenry down. We all have, do, and will again.
I felt free to ponder what our stories might be if our lives were on record in the Bible the same way David's is. How might our stories read between the pages of the Bible? Not all of us present on Sunday mornings are adulterers, though some of us are. Not all of us have the power to cause death or save a life. Yet all of us live lives we'd just as soon not read about in great detail, and we certainly wouldn't want a bunch of pious church folk critically pouring over it on a Sunday morning. It's no mistake that most autobiographies contain more fiction than do biographies. We remember what we want to share, and we forget or ignore our less noble life chapters. So an alternative strategy for preaching this Sunday would be to speculate for a time on how our own lives might read, and to challenge us to think about our own moral and spiritual lapses as a way to avoid making this sermon solely about government policies and presidents with whom we do not agree or about ancient biblical kings who couldn't keep their pants on, leading to painful consequences for all concerned.
The good news in David the seducer king is that his several actions have consequences. Sex with someone else's wife can lead to pregnancy. Murder of a faithful warrior can lead to shame and sorrow. Of course, the hard part, the unjust part, is David's actions do not affect only him. Because he is a king, his consequences are far-reaching, not only for himself but for Bathsheba the lust object (sic), Uriah the dearly departed, and ... to be continued ....
We cannot avoid recognizing that current American foreign policy in Iraq, Liberia, North Korea, etc., has consequences for the peoples of those countries as well as their geographic neighbors, our own gross national product and national debt, and our citizenry. The hard part this Sunday will be to pull our own lives and peccadilloes into the fray as well. The world as God created it is a world in which certain actions lead to certain consequences. Sometimes, God is gracious and we escape without having to face the consequences of our actions. God is just. God chooses to be gracious. Jesus Christ models that graciousness by his life-purely led and generously shared-and by his sacrifice.
Related Illustrations
The Ten Commandments illustrate the matter of power. We usually say that the first four commandments refer to our responsibilities toward God and the last six to our responsibilities toward one another. So look at those six with power in mind:
"Honor your father and your mother." This commandment is usually taken to refer to adult children treating their parents respectfully. In a stage of life when some seniors face diminishing personal abilities, their grown offspring sometimes have to step in and help their parents, and suddenly, those adult children have some power over their parents' lives, power that can be used respectfully of the parent, or abusively.
"You shall not murder." Obviously if you are in a position to take someone's life, you have power over that person.
"You shall not commit adultery." This implies that in breaking this commandment, you are abusing the power you have in being trusted by your partner.
"You shall not steal." If you are in a position where you could steal what belongs to someone else, then you have the power to affect that person's life.
"You shall not bear false witness." Imagine how you exert power over someone's life when you lie about that person.
"You shall not covet ... anything that belongs to your neighbor." You may not have power to make everything you covet come your way, but insofar as you do, coveting is a doorway to the abuse of power.
Almost every temptation that comes our way involves the opportunity to abuse power.
- Stan Purdum, "Stewards of Power," Centenary United Methodist Church, Waynesburg, Ohio, August 11, 2002
* * * *
According to those who have studied the dynamics of power, there are six bases from which power can arise. You have power over someone when you
1. have information needed by the other person (informational power);
2. can punish the other person if he or she does not respond positively (coercion);
3. can provide rewards when a person does respond as you want (reward);
4. have the right to demand a positive response (authority);
5. are able to move others by your personality force or by psychological manipulation (charisma);
6. can expose the other person to embarrassment or other social costs (blackmail).
- From "Power," Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling (Nashville: Abingdon, 1990), 932
* * * *
When I was in seminary, one of the religious thinkers whose writings we studied was Reinhold Niebuhr, an American pastor who lived from 1892 to 1971. Niebuhr wrote extensively about human nature, responding to moral issues raised by World War II and the Cold War. One of his key conclusions is that there are times, both as a nation and as individuals, when we must exercise power-times when it is the only right thing to do-but we should do so being aware that the use of power is inevitably corrupting. In other words, every act of power, no matter how much good it may do, causes some injury to others and to the one exercising it. He said that people must act nonetheless, but should also seek forgiveness for the harm that they do in the service of good.
-Stan Purdum, "Stewards of Power," Centenary United Methodist Church, Waynesburg, Ohio, August 11, 2002
* * * *
Listen then, kings ...
you who have thousands under your rule,
who boast of hordes of subjects.
For power is a gift to you from the Lord ...
He himself will probe your acts and scrutinize your intentions.
- Wisdom of Solomon 6:1-4, Jerusalem Bible.
* * * *
The book and movie, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, which is set in a mental ward, is a study in abusive power. The ward is run by Nurse Ratched, using an iron-hand in a velvet glove approach. One of the patients is a weak, dependent, stammering young man named Billy.
As events unfold, the social life in the ward affects Billy positively, and he starts to show some real personality. He begins to think he might even be able to leave the hospital, and this leads him to behave in some ways that challenge Nurse Ratched's authority.
In a cold-eyed and cruel response, Nurse Ratched, in just a few sentences, brings up everything she knows about Billy's fears, insecurities, and guilt, and soon reduces him to a cringing, stammering, tortured soul again. He then goes a nearby room and ends his life.
* * * * *
The issue of abuse of power comes up again in the news yesterday and today with the numerous "credible" reports of violations of citizens' rights under the USA Patriot Act. Beatings, insults, threats, and humiliations that came about only because someone "could." Power is a dangerous thing, perhaps especially so for folks who suddenly have more than they are used to. Contrast that with the power of the cross.
- David Leininger
* * * * *
A first-person sermon in the voice of Bathsheba could be very interesting here. Prior to the rise of twentieth-century feminism, interpretation of the conduct of biblical women-excepting Mary, the mother of Jesus-tended to have a misogynist tint. Bathsheba was often exegetically and homiletically portrayed as a seductress and temptress. Poor, lovesick David. From St. Jerome on there's been a strain of Christian thought in which early church fathers blame the victim. Adam would still be feasting in the Garden of Eden if it hadn't been for Eve. A first-person sermon, in which Bathsheba were presented as a loving wife, worried about her husband away at the front-much like the spouses of our troops in Iraq today-could offer a perspective on this story that parallels to Bill and Monica do not. Is rape still rape when the perpetrator is king of Israel? Bathsheba's frantic word to David that she's pregnant must have been intensified by her own awareness that a woman pregnant by someone other than her husband could be stoned for her faithlessness. In his novel about David, titled God's Favorite, Joseph Heller presents a more scheming and licentious Bathsheba. Perhaps Heller is right, but in an era when women had no individual rights and were viewed as property and chattel, it's just as possible Heller and Jerome were totally wrong.
- Carter Shelley
Worship Resources
By Chuck Cammarta
CALL TO WORSHIP
You might simply want to read the Ephesians 3:14-21 passage as a call to worship this week. It is a marvelous passage about the richness of God's love. Or you might use it responsively.
LEADER: Our only response to God's unsurpassed love
PEOPLE: Is to fall to our knees before the one
LEADER: From whom all creatures receive life,
PEOPLE: That we would be granted,
LEADER: According to the riches of God's glory,
PEOPLE: A strengthening of our hearts
LEADER: Through the Spirit of God,
PEOPLE: That Christ may dwell in us through faith,
LEADER: Rooting us in love,
PEOPLE: That we might come to know the width
LEADER: And length
PEOPLE: And depth
LEADER: And height
PEOPLE: Of the love of Christ,
LEADER: Which passes knowledge,
PEOPLE: And that we may be filled
LEADER: With the fullness of God.
Or, another alternative: the following call to worship more closely follows the theme of this week's sermon material.
LEADER: It has been said,
PEOPLE: Power corrupts,
LEADER: And absolute power
PEOPLE: Corrupts absolutely.
LEADER: The world has seen this truth born out.
PEOPLE: From the likes of Hitler and Stalin
LEADER: To the man after God's own heart,
PEOPLE: King David,
LEADER: Who used his power to commit adultery,
PEOPLE: And murder.
LEADER: Power corrupts all humanity,
PEOPLE: But there is a power that is incorruptible.
LEADER: The unlimited power of Yahweh.
PEOPLE: The God whose power is constrained
LEADER: Only by his even greater love.
PEOPLE: This is the Power we bow before this morning.
LEADER: Unlimited power
PEOPLE: Perfected by love.
LEADER: Come, let us worship the almighty,
PEOPLE: The all-loving
LEADER: God of the universe.
PEOPLE: Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Again, one possibility this morning would be simply to read one of the lectionary passages-Psalm 14. It is an excellent confession of the fact that all of us at times behave as if we did not believe in God. Or you might use the following adaptation of the Psalm:
LEADER: The fool says in his heart there is no God.
PEOPLE: The deeds of these unbelievers are corrupt and vile.
LEADER: God looks down from heaven to see if any seek truth,
PEOPLE: But not one is found.
LEADER: Lord, we confess that we have had times
PEOPLE: And continue to have times
LEADER: When we live as if we did not believe:
PEOPLE: Times when we play the fool,
LEADER: Times when our behavior was like that of those who scoff at you.
PEOPLE: Times when you were nothing more than
LEADER: A piece of jewelry hanging around our necks,
PEOPLE: Or a sticker on our bumper.
LEADER: Forgive this practical atheism that we so often adopt,
PEOPLE: And strengthen our wills
LEADER: That we may surrender all to you.
PEOPLE: We pray in the name of Jesus the Christ.
LEADER: Amen.
PEOPLE: Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
He walked away from a Father who loved him. He took his share of the old man's estate, effectively wishing his father were dead. And off he went, spending all his riches on personal pleasures. And then it was gone. He had nothing, and came crawling back to the father he had humiliated, hoping he could convince the father to take him back as one of his slaves. But on his return he was received with open arms. An embrace. A kiss. A party. Restoration to his position as a beloved son.
This is the God we worship. One who takes back lost children who return with broken lives. One who desires nothing more than to have us returned to our place in the Kingdom. Maybe you have been lost for a while. Come home now-your heavenly Father has a party waiting for you!
MUSIC
Choruses and Contemporary songs
"Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord"
"All to You"
"Holiness"
"Fill My Cup"
"Seek Ye First"
"Sanctuary"
Hymns
"All for Jesus"
"I Have Decided to Follow Jesus"
"I Surrender All"
"More Love to Thee"
"O Love That Will Not Let Me Go"
"O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee"
"Take My Life and Let It Be"
Clay Crosse has a marvelous song about surrendering our wills to God's will, entitled "I Surrender All." It would be a good fit as a solo piece for this week. Trax accompaniment, CD's, and tapes can found for this online or at Christian bookstores.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
(Introduction) The Word of God is active and living, says the scripture, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the hearts.
Let us pray. Lord, as you wield the sword of your word this morning, pierce our hearts and reveal to us that which needs to be removed from our lives: a habit that turns us from you, an attitude that blocks your grace, a motive that spoils the action that follows from it. Reveal and remove it, Lord. Amen.
BENEDICTION
Now may the power of the one who is able to do more than all we ask or even imagine be at work in you to bring glory upon glory. Amen.
A Children's Sermon
by Wesley Runk
Ephesians 3:14-21
Text: Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine. (v. 20)
Object: A hand air pump used to pump up bicycles or basketballs (if you have a flat tire or basketball it will add to the story)
Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to talk about the power God shares with us. It is a different kind of power than anything else I know. When God gives us power, we are able to do things that we never imagined we could do.
I brought along something to give us an idea of what I am talking about. How many of you have ever used this thing I have in my hand? (let them answer)Very good! What do you use it for? (let them answer) You use it on your bicycle tires. You can also use it to fill your basketball with air. The same kind of air that is all around us that we can't see, taste, smell, hear, or feel is put into bike tires and basketballs with this pump.
Isn't that amazing? You need the pump to fill the tires or basketball. Do you think you could just grab some air and put it into a tire? (let them answer) Let's try it! Everyone grab some air and we will slap it into a tire. (beginning with you, have people try to grab air in their hands) That doesn't work, does it? You need the pump.
We are like a flat tire or a ball without air in it when we do not have the power of God. We look like boys and girls just like a flat tire looks like a tire or a ball without air looks like a ball. But you can't ride a bicycle very far with a flat tire and a ball without air doesn't bounce. It is the same with people and God. When we are without God, we are missing something very important. People without God don't have the right bounce.
God gives us a special power. When we have God's power, we treat other people differently. Without God's power, we are selfish. With God's power, we are generous and sharing. Without God's power, we keep our hurt feelings. With God's power, we are able to forgive. Without God's power, we think we are better than other people. With God's power, we try to help people become better. Without God's powe,r we want things that belong to other people, but with God's power we help protect what other people have.
God's power is love. When we have God's power, we get rid of hate and anger. We are so filled with the power of God that we love our lives and try to share them with all the people on the earth. We love the poor ant the rich, the young and the old, the skinny people and the fat people, the people of all colors and the people who live anywhere in the world. God gives us this kind of power called love.
The next time you need to put some air into a tire or a basketball, I want you to take out that pump and fill the tire or the ball with air. You will be very thankful for the pump because it can take the air right out of the air and put it in the right place. You will also then remember the special power that God puts into you that allows you to be one of his people, a person of love. Amen.
The Immediate Word, July 27, 2003 issue.
Copyright 2003 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 permissions@csspub.com> or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503.
As usual, we include responses from team members, illustrations, worship resources, and a children's sermon, all of which are intended to generate ideas for you to develop an effective worship experience for your people.
The Uses and Abuses of Power
by David Leininger
Proper 12 (17), July 27, 2003
2 Samuel 11:1-15 and Psalm 14 or
2 Kings 4:42-44 and Psalm 145:10-18
Ephesians 3:14-21
John 6:1-21
This is one of those Sundays that makes those of us who follow the Revised Common Lectionary scratch our heads. The primary Old Testament lection tells half a story while the New Testament pericope tells two stories. Go figure.
Adultery, Murder, and Deception by a Biblical Hero
Second Samuel 11 tells an ancient tale that is as modern as tomorrow's newspaper, the sad affair of David and Bathsheba. Better than any soap opera, it is a marvelous narrative that includes sex, intrigue, deception, disloyalty, murder, cover-up and, finally (in next week's lesson), the GOTCHA denouement. The pericope lends itself incredibly well to simply retelling the story, as it calls attention to the hubris that seems to come with power: David did what he did simply because he could. Obviously, that is a theme that covers a multitude of bases:
* Certainly there is the Bill and Monica parallel that has become such a part of our cultural experience that no one needs last names.
* There are the excesses of errant executives that have destroyed huge corporations and the future of thousands of loyal employees.
* There are the all-too-frequent news accounts of pedophiles and other sexual predators preying on the weak.
* There is the geopolitical issue that people raise concerning our American involvement in Iraq or Syria-or now Liberia-after hearing administration officials say we are doing what we do because we can.
Of all the characters portrayed in scripture, it is hard to find one more complex than King David, the great hero who rose to power from humble beginnings, a shepherd boy not even admired by his own brothers, who had become, by God's amazing grace, the king of Israel. He had replaced his flawed predecessor, Saul, and salvaged the monarchy from its less than stellar beginning. He became known not only as Israel's greatest king, but also as a man after God's own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). But scripture is painfully honest in never attempting to canonize David, disguise his flaws, or excuse his mistakes. It simply lets the story unfold-his life as a shepherd, his loyalty to Saul, spectacular victories on the battlefield and equally spectacular failures at home.
Revisiting the details of this week's pericope: it was springtime in Jerusalem, the season of birds and bees and afternoon strolls on the roof for a dose of cool breezes, "the time when kings go out to battle." But not all kings. The king of Israel sent his troops under the command of his nephew, Joab, who had been named commander, not because of the family relationship but as a reward for heroism in the conquest of Jerusalem. Meanwhile, David lounged about high atop the palace, which afforded him a spectacular view of the Holy City below, and which on this particular day included the sight of a gorgeous and quite naked lady taking a bath. Whoa!!!
A logistical aside here. For those who might wonder about bathing up there in front of God and everybody with a higher vantage point, remember that the rooftops of houses in ancient Jerusalem were flat and served as additional living and working space, which often included rooftop water gathering and storage systems that were the next best thing to indoor plumbing.
Yes, David could have been a gentleman and turned away. But we know better; boys will be boys, even boys in high places, as we know all too well. "Who might this lovely be?" The answer comes back: this is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's own mercenaries who is off to war with the troops at Rabbah. Send for her. She comes over-whether willingly or unwillingly, we cannot tell, but he was the king, after all, and one does not refuse a command appearance-power, again! Finally, the probably frantic message not long after: "I am pregnant."
During the course of the narrative, we learn another rather personal detail not often uttered in polite conversation, much less from your pulpit. The reason why Bathsheba was spotted naked in the first place was because she was immersed in her monthly purification bath after her menstrual period. For those who wonder why such an indelicate item was included in the story, it was to make sure no one would wonder of this child, "Who's your daddy?" Since Uriah was off at war and Mrs. Uriah had ventured directly from that bath to David's bedroom, we know what the answer has to be.
Now David begins the cover-up-the original Zippergate. David sends word to Commander Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." The order is obeyed. David calls Uriah in, ostensibly for a report on the war. After hearing the news from the front, David tells Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet (ahem, wink, wink)." In other words, go spend some "quality time" with Bathsheba. The Hittite leaves the king's presence, but instead of going down to his house, he spends the night with the palace guards. As Homiletics had it in an issue several years ago, "Uriah belonged to the John McCain school of war: as long as his fellow soldiers were out in the field, he himself would abstain from the pleasures of civilian life, including relations with the Missus" (which, as we know, is exactly what David was wanting him to do to make the cover-up work). For that matter, Uriah is not just objecting to having it better than his buddies-he knows the Israelite rules of holy war (even though he is not an Israelite): as a warrior who must return to battle, sexual relations, even with your wife, are not allowed (Deuteronomy 23:9; 1 Samuel 21:4-5). Vietnam in reverse: make war, not love.
David sends Uriah back to the front carrying sealed orders that he be placed "in the forefront of the hardest fighting." And here the pericope ends. But there is no reason to stop at this point-let your folks know that, sure enough, Uriah is soon dead, along with a number of other soldiers who were caught in the same deadly assault. Collateral damage, as they say. David sends word with Joab's messengers not to worry about it. Fortunes of war and all that. Win some, lose some. But we know better-this was murder, pure and simple. Power gone mad.
Is there some moral lesson we are supposed to take from this sad story? Do we need to remind our congregations that we are not to murder or commit adultery? Do we need this story as an affirmation that "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely"? If your people need any of that, give it to them. Moral lessons always have value.
But I think there is gospel in this story as well. (And, to be honest, when I come to worship from week to week, I need gospel more than I need moral exhortations-I know all the "shoulds" and "oughts"; I need something more.) The good news, the "gospel," that I find here is that God can take someone even as horribly flawed as David, and do great things with him.
Power and Folly
For those who include the Psalter in the weekly readings, the tie-in with Psalm 14 and its familiar opening, "Fools say in their hearts, 'There is no God,'" is not difficult to make. Arrogance of power ignores accountability, often leaving "no God" to answer to. That such a position is dead wrong is obvious from the psalmist's identification of the one who holds such a position-"Fool!"
Unity in Diversity
The Epistle from Ephesians 3 begins, "For this reason ...." Knowing what "reason" is important for understanding the lofty themes that soon follow. The "reason" for Paul's (or one of Paul's follower's-but that's a discussion for another day) celebration is the inclusion of both Gentile and Jew in the church. This is an organization that breaks down barriers, even the incredibly high ethnic barriers that Jews and Gentiles knew in first-century society. We remember from our seminary studies the animus that existed: the Jewish morning prayer that included thanks to God for not being a Gentile, the deeply held belief that Gentiles were not much more than fuel for the fires of hell. Gracious! And now Paul says these divisions are being overcome in Christ in the church.
Truth be known, we live in a world that is often defined by its divisions. Whether it be in literature or legend (the Montagues and Capulets, Hatfields and McCoys), politics (Republicans and Democrats; French fries or Freedom fries), society (rich and poor, black and white), the divisions exist, often disastrously so. There is something deep inside us that seems to want to choose up sides. Years ago, comedians Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks did a wonderful routine built on an interview with "The 2000-Year-Old Man" (which just as easily could have been the 20,000-year-old man). Somehow the subject of National Anthems came up-did they exist way back when? The 2K man replies in the affirmative. Does he remember it? Absolutely! How do you forget your national anthem-he sings lustily, "Let 'em all go to HELL, except Cave 17!"
So saying, we agree with Robert Frost when he says, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall." The message of Ephesians is a big AMEN! Are there still divisions that we experience in the church of 2003? Unquestionably. Is there any real reason for them to continue? Not according to Paul. Thus his marvelous prayer here at the end of chapter 3 in preparation for his paraenesis in chapters 4-6. The lofty language fairly sings a Hallelujah Chorus. Check it out in Eugene Peterson's paraphrase, "The Message" (http://www.biblegateway.com/cgi-bin/bible?passage=Ephesians+3%3A14-21&MSG_v
ersion=yes&language=english&x=11&y=9).
Bread of Life
The Gospel lection, from John 6, recounts the feeding of the 5000, the only miracle story that is found in all four Gospels, plus the report of Jesus' walking on the water. Why two stories for the price of one? Perhaps the answer is in the fact that the two accounts are also joined in Matthew (14:13-27) and Mark (6:34-51). By linking the two, the thrust becomes more than an ancient theological version of the current Microsoft ad campaign, "Do More with Less." This now is a Christological affirmation that challenges the preacher to go beyond offering Jesus as the compassionate rescuer from either hunger or high seas and matches well the high Christology of Ephesians.
Note that the Johannine account does not mention Jesus' compassion for the hungry crowd as in the Synoptics. As Fred Craddock has pointed out, the message here is to look beyond bread to the Bread.
What a contrast between the actions of King David in 2 Samuel and the actions of David's successor in John 6!
By the way, the alternate Old Testament and Psalter lections are for those who want a "food" tie-in with the Gospel. The pericope from 2 Kings 4 deals with Elisha feeding a large group with little; Psalm 145 says, "The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season" (v. 15).
Team Comments
Stan Purdum responds: My comment is simply about a possible addition. It seems to me that the Kobe Bryant case, currently in the news, could be a contemporary David-Bathsheba story. Without getting into whether Bryant forced himself on the young woman or not, he does admit to adultery with her, and even if only that much is true-even if the sex was consensual-it is still a case of "royalty" using his position to misuse a "commoner."
George L. Murphy responds: I wonder if it isn't sometimes too easy for us to blame "power" for corrupting people. The implication of that is that we're basically all right until we get into some position of power, which then turns our heads. That way we can see David and Clinton and the officials of Enron as worse than we are. But the basic idea of the doctrine of original sin is that all people are to some extent corrupt, twisted from our proper orientation to God, to our neighbor, and to all creation.
Of course, this is not to deny that being in a position of power does subject people to special temptations. It allows sinful inclination to surface, and those who are accustomed to having their orders obeyed and their wishes fulfilled may overlook moral obstacles to getting what they want. "Of course I can do it. I'm the king!" But the sin of David is not fundamentally different from that of any Judean peasant carrying on a sordid affair with his neighbor's wife and then having to get rid of his neighbor to avoid exposure.
The temptations of political power, however, are particularly seductive. We don't know how David was justifying his actions to himself during the course of this affair, but he couldn't have come up with anything more profound than the standard "We're in love" excuse. But unethical political acts-oppression, aggression, and so forth-can often be rationalized as necessary for national security, honor, freedom, and other noble ideals. Patriotism, as it's said, is the last refuge of scoundrels. But this isn't just true of manifestly evil people. Leaders can easily convince themselves that the bad actions that they're taking really are for the good of the people.
We're as reluctant to leave this week's text, the first half of the David-Bathsheba-Uriah story, as purely one of sin without any glint of gospel. But that's what it is. It should really end-if the lectionary didn't cut chapter 11 short-with the closing sentence: "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." End of Act 1. Mull on that for the next week, folks.
Unfortunately, some of the people in church this Sunday may not be here next week to hear Act 2, with David's repentance and God's forgiveness. If you preach a sermon that's all law and no gospel, some certainly won't want to come back. But if we hasten to add good news too quickly, we dilute the whole thing. Instead of the law killing and the gospel giving life, the law gives a quick flesh wound to which we apply an evangelical Band-Aid.
I don't think that this problem is insoluble, but the preacher has to be aware of it. Perhaps that closing sentence, "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD," needs to be given some attention. And we also need to remember that even when David repents and is forgiven in chapter 12, the consequences of his adultery and murder don't go away. Uriah is still dead and the child that Bathsheba has conceived will also die. And this episode begins the whole long succession narrative with the incest, murder, and rebellion that will plague the rest of David's reign.
In many ways preaching on the John 6 text is much more enjoyable. There's so much you can do with it-the sign that the creator is present (for who is it who opens his hand and satisfies the desire of every living thing?), the Eucharistic symbolism, and a number of other themes. But the 2 Samuel 11 text allows some down-to-earth engagement with the problem of sin, a problem that afflicts the weak among us as well as the strong. Take your pick.
Carter Shelley responds: I like the way you present the Samuel text and its links to current events. Even more do I like your directness (Why two miracles for the price of one? Sorry-don't know). I think it's very helpful to congregations to be reminded that clergy don't have all the answers. It's also liberating to the preacher not to have to have all the answers. After all, faith isn't about having all the blanks filled in correctly; it's about God in Christ, etc.
Your use of contemporary language as a way of pushing David's ancient story into our own lives as surely as does the evening news is superb. Comments such as, "the next best thing to indoor plumbing," ". . .Mrs. Uriah," my personal favorite, "Zippergate," and "collateral damage" not only resonate with current events but the very wit of them cuts sharply into any complacency one might feel about a familiar biblical story or an all too familiar contemporary report-be it People magazine's worshipful account of Julia Roberts' first year of wedded bliss to a man who was married to someone else when she met him or the ongoing rhetoric about trust and mistrust due to an imprecise sentence uttered in an inaugural address. "What does it matter?" wondered one jaded citizen, "They're all crooks and liars, anyway."
Happily, God's eye is not so jaundiced as our own may sometimes be. As both the Old and New Testament texts for this Sunday attest, truth, justice, and the divine way still matter. The Lord's Anointed King is not above God's law, nor is a raging storm beyond God's command, and sufficient food for the day remains a central factor in God's earthly Kingdom along with the vision Paul presents, not that one day all shall get along and live in harmony and peace, but that now in light of God's amazing gift, all are already one in Christ.
The wit in your material reminds me of how important it is for us preachers not to get lazy and dull. Humor belongs in the pulpit, not for the sake of mere entertainment. We aren't Johnny Carson, Merle Brooks, or Rosie O'Donnell. Humor and, more especially, wit, belong in the pulpit because they send a sharp, clear word that requires the listener to stay tuned in order to get both the quip and the point. David is not the only one God loves who's let God and the citizenry down. We all have, do, and will again.
I felt free to ponder what our stories might be if our lives were on record in the Bible the same way David's is. How might our stories read between the pages of the Bible? Not all of us present on Sunday mornings are adulterers, though some of us are. Not all of us have the power to cause death or save a life. Yet all of us live lives we'd just as soon not read about in great detail, and we certainly wouldn't want a bunch of pious church folk critically pouring over it on a Sunday morning. It's no mistake that most autobiographies contain more fiction than do biographies. We remember what we want to share, and we forget or ignore our less noble life chapters. So an alternative strategy for preaching this Sunday would be to speculate for a time on how our own lives might read, and to challenge us to think about our own moral and spiritual lapses as a way to avoid making this sermon solely about government policies and presidents with whom we do not agree or about ancient biblical kings who couldn't keep their pants on, leading to painful consequences for all concerned.
The good news in David the seducer king is that his several actions have consequences. Sex with someone else's wife can lead to pregnancy. Murder of a faithful warrior can lead to shame and sorrow. Of course, the hard part, the unjust part, is David's actions do not affect only him. Because he is a king, his consequences are far-reaching, not only for himself but for Bathsheba the lust object (sic), Uriah the dearly departed, and ... to be continued ....
We cannot avoid recognizing that current American foreign policy in Iraq, Liberia, North Korea, etc., has consequences for the peoples of those countries as well as their geographic neighbors, our own gross national product and national debt, and our citizenry. The hard part this Sunday will be to pull our own lives and peccadilloes into the fray as well. The world as God created it is a world in which certain actions lead to certain consequences. Sometimes, God is gracious and we escape without having to face the consequences of our actions. God is just. God chooses to be gracious. Jesus Christ models that graciousness by his life-purely led and generously shared-and by his sacrifice.
Related Illustrations
The Ten Commandments illustrate the matter of power. We usually say that the first four commandments refer to our responsibilities toward God and the last six to our responsibilities toward one another. So look at those six with power in mind:
"Honor your father and your mother." This commandment is usually taken to refer to adult children treating their parents respectfully. In a stage of life when some seniors face diminishing personal abilities, their grown offspring sometimes have to step in and help their parents, and suddenly, those adult children have some power over their parents' lives, power that can be used respectfully of the parent, or abusively.
"You shall not murder." Obviously if you are in a position to take someone's life, you have power over that person.
"You shall not commit adultery." This implies that in breaking this commandment, you are abusing the power you have in being trusted by your partner.
"You shall not steal." If you are in a position where you could steal what belongs to someone else, then you have the power to affect that person's life.
"You shall not bear false witness." Imagine how you exert power over someone's life when you lie about that person.
"You shall not covet ... anything that belongs to your neighbor." You may not have power to make everything you covet come your way, but insofar as you do, coveting is a doorway to the abuse of power.
Almost every temptation that comes our way involves the opportunity to abuse power.
- Stan Purdum, "Stewards of Power," Centenary United Methodist Church, Waynesburg, Ohio, August 11, 2002
* * * *
According to those who have studied the dynamics of power, there are six bases from which power can arise. You have power over someone when you
1. have information needed by the other person (informational power);
2. can punish the other person if he or she does not respond positively (coercion);
3. can provide rewards when a person does respond as you want (reward);
4. have the right to demand a positive response (authority);
5. are able to move others by your personality force or by psychological manipulation (charisma);
6. can expose the other person to embarrassment or other social costs (blackmail).
- From "Power," Dictionary of Pastoral Care and Counseling (Nashville: Abingdon, 1990), 932
* * * *
When I was in seminary, one of the religious thinkers whose writings we studied was Reinhold Niebuhr, an American pastor who lived from 1892 to 1971. Niebuhr wrote extensively about human nature, responding to moral issues raised by World War II and the Cold War. One of his key conclusions is that there are times, both as a nation and as individuals, when we must exercise power-times when it is the only right thing to do-but we should do so being aware that the use of power is inevitably corrupting. In other words, every act of power, no matter how much good it may do, causes some injury to others and to the one exercising it. He said that people must act nonetheless, but should also seek forgiveness for the harm that they do in the service of good.
-Stan Purdum, "Stewards of Power," Centenary United Methodist Church, Waynesburg, Ohio, August 11, 2002
* * * *
Listen then, kings ...
you who have thousands under your rule,
who boast of hordes of subjects.
For power is a gift to you from the Lord ...
He himself will probe your acts and scrutinize your intentions.
- Wisdom of Solomon 6:1-4, Jerusalem Bible.
* * * *
The book and movie, One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest, which is set in a mental ward, is a study in abusive power. The ward is run by Nurse Ratched, using an iron-hand in a velvet glove approach. One of the patients is a weak, dependent, stammering young man named Billy.
As events unfold, the social life in the ward affects Billy positively, and he starts to show some real personality. He begins to think he might even be able to leave the hospital, and this leads him to behave in some ways that challenge Nurse Ratched's authority.
In a cold-eyed and cruel response, Nurse Ratched, in just a few sentences, brings up everything she knows about Billy's fears, insecurities, and guilt, and soon reduces him to a cringing, stammering, tortured soul again. He then goes a nearby room and ends his life.
* * * * *
The issue of abuse of power comes up again in the news yesterday and today with the numerous "credible" reports of violations of citizens' rights under the USA Patriot Act. Beatings, insults, threats, and humiliations that came about only because someone "could." Power is a dangerous thing, perhaps especially so for folks who suddenly have more than they are used to. Contrast that with the power of the cross.
- David Leininger
* * * * *
A first-person sermon in the voice of Bathsheba could be very interesting here. Prior to the rise of twentieth-century feminism, interpretation of the conduct of biblical women-excepting Mary, the mother of Jesus-tended to have a misogynist tint. Bathsheba was often exegetically and homiletically portrayed as a seductress and temptress. Poor, lovesick David. From St. Jerome on there's been a strain of Christian thought in which early church fathers blame the victim. Adam would still be feasting in the Garden of Eden if it hadn't been for Eve. A first-person sermon, in which Bathsheba were presented as a loving wife, worried about her husband away at the front-much like the spouses of our troops in Iraq today-could offer a perspective on this story that parallels to Bill and Monica do not. Is rape still rape when the perpetrator is king of Israel? Bathsheba's frantic word to David that she's pregnant must have been intensified by her own awareness that a woman pregnant by someone other than her husband could be stoned for her faithlessness. In his novel about David, titled God's Favorite, Joseph Heller presents a more scheming and licentious Bathsheba. Perhaps Heller is right, but in an era when women had no individual rights and were viewed as property and chattel, it's just as possible Heller and Jerome were totally wrong.
- Carter Shelley
Worship Resources
By Chuck Cammarta
CALL TO WORSHIP
You might simply want to read the Ephesians 3:14-21 passage as a call to worship this week. It is a marvelous passage about the richness of God's love. Or you might use it responsively.
LEADER: Our only response to God's unsurpassed love
PEOPLE: Is to fall to our knees before the one
LEADER: From whom all creatures receive life,
PEOPLE: That we would be granted,
LEADER: According to the riches of God's glory,
PEOPLE: A strengthening of our hearts
LEADER: Through the Spirit of God,
PEOPLE: That Christ may dwell in us through faith,
LEADER: Rooting us in love,
PEOPLE: That we might come to know the width
LEADER: And length
PEOPLE: And depth
LEADER: And height
PEOPLE: Of the love of Christ,
LEADER: Which passes knowledge,
PEOPLE: And that we may be filled
LEADER: With the fullness of God.
Or, another alternative: the following call to worship more closely follows the theme of this week's sermon material.
LEADER: It has been said,
PEOPLE: Power corrupts,
LEADER: And absolute power
PEOPLE: Corrupts absolutely.
LEADER: The world has seen this truth born out.
PEOPLE: From the likes of Hitler and Stalin
LEADER: To the man after God's own heart,
PEOPLE: King David,
LEADER: Who used his power to commit adultery,
PEOPLE: And murder.
LEADER: Power corrupts all humanity,
PEOPLE: But there is a power that is incorruptible.
LEADER: The unlimited power of Yahweh.
PEOPLE: The God whose power is constrained
LEADER: Only by his even greater love.
PEOPLE: This is the Power we bow before this morning.
LEADER: Unlimited power
PEOPLE: Perfected by love.
LEADER: Come, let us worship the almighty,
PEOPLE: The all-loving
LEADER: God of the universe.
PEOPLE: Amen.
PRAYER OF CONFESSION
Again, one possibility this morning would be simply to read one of the lectionary passages-Psalm 14. It is an excellent confession of the fact that all of us at times behave as if we did not believe in God. Or you might use the following adaptation of the Psalm:
LEADER: The fool says in his heart there is no God.
PEOPLE: The deeds of these unbelievers are corrupt and vile.
LEADER: God looks down from heaven to see if any seek truth,
PEOPLE: But not one is found.
LEADER: Lord, we confess that we have had times
PEOPLE: And continue to have times
LEADER: When we live as if we did not believe:
PEOPLE: Times when we play the fool,
LEADER: Times when our behavior was like that of those who scoff at you.
PEOPLE: Times when you were nothing more than
LEADER: A piece of jewelry hanging around our necks,
PEOPLE: Or a sticker on our bumper.
LEADER: Forgive this practical atheism that we so often adopt,
PEOPLE: And strengthen our wills
LEADER: That we may surrender all to you.
PEOPLE: We pray in the name of Jesus the Christ.
LEADER: Amen.
PEOPLE: Amen.
ASSURANCE OF PARDON
He walked away from a Father who loved him. He took his share of the old man's estate, effectively wishing his father were dead. And off he went, spending all his riches on personal pleasures. And then it was gone. He had nothing, and came crawling back to the father he had humiliated, hoping he could convince the father to take him back as one of his slaves. But on his return he was received with open arms. An embrace. A kiss. A party. Restoration to his position as a beloved son.
This is the God we worship. One who takes back lost children who return with broken lives. One who desires nothing more than to have us returned to our place in the Kingdom. Maybe you have been lost for a while. Come home now-your heavenly Father has a party waiting for you!
MUSIC
Choruses and Contemporary songs
"Humble Thyself in the Sight of the Lord"
"All to You"
"Holiness"
"Fill My Cup"
"Seek Ye First"
"Sanctuary"
Hymns
"All for Jesus"
"I Have Decided to Follow Jesus"
"I Surrender All"
"More Love to Thee"
"O Love That Will Not Let Me Go"
"O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee"
"Take My Life and Let It Be"
Clay Crosse has a marvelous song about surrendering our wills to God's will, entitled "I Surrender All." It would be a good fit as a solo piece for this week. Trax accompaniment, CD's, and tapes can found for this online or at Christian bookstores.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
(Introduction) The Word of God is active and living, says the scripture, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the hearts.
Let us pray. Lord, as you wield the sword of your word this morning, pierce our hearts and reveal to us that which needs to be removed from our lives: a habit that turns us from you, an attitude that blocks your grace, a motive that spoils the action that follows from it. Reveal and remove it, Lord. Amen.
BENEDICTION
Now may the power of the one who is able to do more than all we ask or even imagine be at work in you to bring glory upon glory. Amen.
A Children's Sermon
by Wesley Runk
Ephesians 3:14-21
Text: Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine. (v. 20)
Object: A hand air pump used to pump up bicycles or basketballs (if you have a flat tire or basketball it will add to the story)
Good morning, boys and girls. Today we are going to talk about the power God shares with us. It is a different kind of power than anything else I know. When God gives us power, we are able to do things that we never imagined we could do.
I brought along something to give us an idea of what I am talking about. How many of you have ever used this thing I have in my hand? (let them answer)Very good! What do you use it for? (let them answer) You use it on your bicycle tires. You can also use it to fill your basketball with air. The same kind of air that is all around us that we can't see, taste, smell, hear, or feel is put into bike tires and basketballs with this pump.
Isn't that amazing? You need the pump to fill the tires or basketball. Do you think you could just grab some air and put it into a tire? (let them answer) Let's try it! Everyone grab some air and we will slap it into a tire. (beginning with you, have people try to grab air in their hands) That doesn't work, does it? You need the pump.
We are like a flat tire or a ball without air in it when we do not have the power of God. We look like boys and girls just like a flat tire looks like a tire or a ball without air looks like a ball. But you can't ride a bicycle very far with a flat tire and a ball without air doesn't bounce. It is the same with people and God. When we are without God, we are missing something very important. People without God don't have the right bounce.
God gives us a special power. When we have God's power, we treat other people differently. Without God's power, we are selfish. With God's power, we are generous and sharing. Without God's power, we keep our hurt feelings. With God's power, we are able to forgive. Without God's power, we think we are better than other people. With God's power, we try to help people become better. Without God's powe,r we want things that belong to other people, but with God's power we help protect what other people have.
God's power is love. When we have God's power, we get rid of hate and anger. We are so filled with the power of God that we love our lives and try to share them with all the people on the earth. We love the poor ant the rich, the young and the old, the skinny people and the fat people, the people of all colors and the people who live anywhere in the world. God gives us this kind of power called love.
The next time you need to put some air into a tire or a basketball, I want you to take out that pump and fill the tire or the ball with air. You will be very thankful for the pump because it can take the air right out of the air and put it in the right place. You will also then remember the special power that God puts into you that allows you to be one of his people, a person of love. Amen.
The Immediate Word, July 27, 2003 issue.
Copyright 2003 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 permissions@csspub.com> or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503.
