Prior To Destruction
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
The passage from Second Kings appointed by the lectionary for the Seventh Sunday after Pentecost (Proper 9) tells the intriguing story of Naaman -- the commander of the king of Aram's army who is searching far and wide for a cure for his leprosy. Naaman is so desperate that he even heads to Israel, where he eventually comes in contact with Elisha. What's particularly interesting about this account is Naaman's sense of self-importance. It's understandable why he thinks this way -- his military stature certainly qualifies him for VIP treatment -- so it's no surprise when he is offended by Dr. Elisha's prescription. Naaman impatiently expects that a wave of the prophet's hand will cure what ails him, and he even gripes about having to wash in the Jordan River rather than his hometown rivers of Damascus. It's only after a lowly servant reminds the imperious commander that he's got nothing to lose that Naaman swallows his pride and follows Elisha's instructions... and discovers that his lofty position is trumped by the simple wisdom of the prophet and a servant.
Naaman's arrogance is hardly unique -- as team member Dean Feldmeyer points out in this installment of The Immediate Word, the temptation to think more of our own importance and abilities than is actually warranted is a constant in human affairs... as we are reminded daily by news headlines trumpeting the follies of our leaders in all walks of life. Hubris -- and the price we pay for indulging that hubris -- is a central theme not just in Naaman's story but also in this week's epistle and gospel texts. Dean notes that while criticizing vanity in others is a popular pastime, it's not merely a spectator sport; the message contained in these passages should force us to take a long look in the mirror and think carefully about our own tendency to excessive selfishness.
Team member Chris Keating offers some additional thoughts on the gospel passage and Jesus' instructions to the 70 advance men he sends out. Jesus tells them that they'll be traveling strictly economy class with no extra baggage and no credit card upgrades: "Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road" (Luke 10:4). Such spartan accommodations and travel itineraries can be off-putting for modern Americans used to relative luxury -- but Jesus is reminding us that as traveling salesmen for the kingdom of God, it's not about us and our comfort. Rather than padding the expense account, we should be on the front lines -- letting the product sell itself, so to speak, and exposing ourselves to potential rejection.
As Chris observes, those instructions were not apparently given to some Buddhist monks in a video that's gone viral -- but they seem to have been a key part of the agenda of Pope Francis, who has pointedly rejected the opulent lifestyle usually preferred by pontiffs. Francis made waves again this past week by failing to appear at a gala symphony concert in his honor, spawning headlines accompanied by pictures of an empty throne in the concert hall. Stunned cardinals and other dignitaries realized that the message Francis "wanted to send was that, with the Church in crisis, he -- and perhaps they -- had too much pastoral work to do to attend social events." And, Chris notes, perhaps we can learn something from the pope and let go of a few of the trappings of our lives -- allowing us to travel lighter and better keep the lifestyle that Jesus demands of his followers in this week's gospel text.
Prior to Destruction
by Dean Feldmeyer
2 Kings 5:1-14; Galatians 6:1-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Hubris -- extreme pride. It's one of the seven deadly sins... cousin to narcissism and avarice. It's what "goeth before destruction," like unto the "haughty spirit" that goes before a fall.
It has been said that it is a fate inevitable for politicians who stay in office too long. First they succumb to hubris which leads them to make bad decisions, which then leads to scandals and the fall from the lofty heights of influence and power.
In this week's lectionary texts Naaman learns that he can be healed only after he gives up his pride; Paul warns those of us "who are nothing" not to think that we "are something," lest we deceive ourselves; and Jesus warns his followers to rejoice not in the power they have but in having simply done the right thing.
It's easy to see hubris in other people, isn't it? Paul and Jesus, however, turn the spotlight upon us.
In the News
The fruits of human arrogance can be seen everywhere in our public life.
Was it hubris that led us to believe that we could transform the Middle East by the power of our armed forces and make it into a western-style democracy with a western-style economy? Was it extreme pride that led us into two simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?
What, if not hubris, caused Edward Snowden to believe that he knew, better than three branches of government, what should be secret and what should be public? And what, if not hubris, made the National Security Agency (NSA) believe that they could spy on the American people and keep it forever a secret? What made them think that it was okay to dance on the very edge of legality in their prying, without need of probable cause or the use of a warrant?
The vast majority of Americans -- 85-90% -- have stated clearly that they want universal background checks on anyone buying a gun, with 54% supporting them even for purchases from a friend or relative. Yet 46 senators hubristically decided that they knew better than the American people and voted against it.
The IRS is using our hard-earned and reluctantly given tax dollars to spend up to $4 million on training seminars and provide employees with "company" credit cards that have been used for expensive bottles of wine and $100 lunches, as well as other lavish personal purchases. And we read of our elected congressional representatives spending more than $2 million on coffee and pastries last year, while they told us to tighten our belts and accused the poor of being too dependent on government handouts.
Politicians don't hold a corner on the hubris market, however. Professional athletes seem to be carving out whole new frontiers in hubristic behavior.
At Wimbledon, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams are trading public barbs about what the other should and shouldn't be talking about... in public. As the Tour de France bicycle race flashes across France, Lance Armstrong has thrust himself back onto the public stage long enough to accuse everyone who has ever won the race of doping as he did. He also says that he still considers himself the record holder even though the Tour has stripped him of his titles. And former New England Patriots receiver Aaron Hernandez -- arrested for murder last week -- appears to have joined the ranks of pro football players who believe that the law does not apply to them.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, Nelson Mandela's family argues about how his medical care should be undertaken in the waning hours of his life and where he should be buried. We do not know if Nelson will still be with us by the time Sunday comes, but we will always know that he was the "real deal." There was no hubris in him. He willingly gave his entire adult life to the cause of peace and reconciliation, 27 years of it in a prison cell. His life stands as a beacon for all of us who hope to stand against those dark symbols of human hubris -- racism, nationalism, and economic imperialism.
In the Scriptures
If Nelson Mandela is the very picture of humility, General Naaman, in this week's lection from the Hebrew Scriptures, may be the very picture of hubris.
Commander of the army of the king of Aram, he nevertheless suffers from some kind of skin ailment that falls under the umbrella of "leprosy." It could be anything from Hansen's Disease to eczema to scabies or even just really bad acne. But whatever it is, it's making him miserable.
A little Hebrew slave girl who he has picked up in a raid somewhere offers that it's too bad he's not in Samaria because there's a prophet of YHWH there who could cure him of his distresses. When Naaman hears this he gets permission from the king and heads off to Samaria with his retinue and a king's ransom in gold, silver, and designer clothing to be used as payment for a cure.
Eventually he makes his way to Elisha's house, where he presumably has his presence announced by a servant -- but Elisha won't even get off the couch to come out and see him. He just tells his servant, "Tell him to go bathe in the Jordan River seven times and he'll be fine."
Naaman is incensed. First, he is a general and a powerful man, and he is not used to being dismissed so lightly. He expected some falderal, some showy ritual, some indication that Elisha knew that he was a powerful and important man. He wanted a private suite in a private hospital, with a doctor and a team of nurses assigned solely to him.
Second, he wanted a cure that was rare and expensive. Some elixir from the Far East or a potion from the dark continent would do. An herb that grew atop a mountain or a rare crustacean from the bottom of the sea would do nicely, would be symbolic of the seriousness of his affliction. And if he was going to bathe in a river, he would just as soon bathe in a Syrian river because everyone knows that Syrian rivers are superior to Hebrew rivers, right?
So he says, "Forget that; I'm outta here."
But Naaman's servant, a wise man indeed, reminds Naaman that if the cure would have been difficult or expensive Naaman would have jumped at it and taken it seriously. "What do you have to lose," he says, "by doing what is cheap and easy? Who knows? Maybe it'll work."
And son of a gun, it does work. He bathes seven times in the Jordan and his skin becomes like that of a young child.
Go figure.
In the Pulpit
"May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..." says Paul in the Galatians text (6:14a).
And in the gospel text, Jesus admonishes his disciples to rejoice not in their achievement or their power over spirits but only that right has triumphed and that they have done the right thing (Luke 10:20).
Old Testament, epistle, and gospel lessons all make the same point: As the people of God we are called to be a humble, gentle, unassuming people.
But that's not the popular stand, is it?
It has been said that the favorite story of the news media is "Let's you and him fight." When they turn to someone to present the "Christian point of view," they inevitably go to those who hold that we are all victims, all our rights are being trampled, secular humanism is driving us to the fringe of American culture, and we are being bullied and victimized by our spiritual inferiors, minorities who should bow to our will.
Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth.
We Christians are the majority. American culture, not to mention the economy, bows to our will. Our Christian holidays are national holidays, our rituals and our jargon are part of the American vernacular. People who share our religion control every branch of our government.
No, the problem is not surviving in a hostile environment.
The problem for 21st-century American Christians is learning how to be humble, kind, gentle, generous, and unassuming when we have the power to force our will on others. The problem is learning to avoid the sin of hubris.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Take No (Designer) Bag by Chris Keating
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
With their luxury designer bags, fancy sunglasses, and electronic gadgets, the young men in the private jet's leather seats seemed to be traveling in high style. They certainly weren't traveling light.
This might not be unusual, except that the two passengers were Buddhist monks.
A YouTube video shows a pair of saffron-robed monastics sporting trendy aviator sunglasses and high-tech wireless headphones. But it was the expensive-looking handbag sitting on an empty seat that prompted widespread rebuke of the Thai monks' flamboyant materialism.
One writer called them "the monastic jet set". According to some accounts, the monks' departure from tradition may be a growing trend. About 300 monks were disciplined in 2012 by the Thai office of Buddhism for not adhering to a proper lifestyle. One received donations of luxury automobiles and other gifts from wealthy followers -- notably an expensive Jaguar. Their lack of asceticism certainly seems to be out of the ordinary, though some in Thailand are worried that this may become a pattern. As that nation's economy has grown, there has also been an inclination to enjoy life's fancier accoutrements.
Thai officials report that fewer are choosing the monastic lifestyle, signaling some changes in traditional Buddhist practices. "People today love high-speed things," said Phra Paisan Visalo, a Thai monk. "For the sake of presentation, we have to change the way we teach Buddhism and make it easy and digestible like instant noodles."
In other words, if you meet the Buddha on the road, he might be carrying Louis Vuitton.
Obviously these monks do not represent the majority of Buddhist contemplatives, whose vows of simplicity and poverty are taken seriously. But the story offers a reminder of just how hard it is for anyone to travel lightly through life. It is an indication of how ever-creeping affluence impinges on our spiritual traditions. In a world where "people love high-speed things," it is especially hard for disciples and spiritual seekers of any tradition to embody acts of simplicity, purity, and openness.
In Luke 10, Jesus sends 70 messengers into this material world to proclaim the realm of God. He gives strict orders to travel light and to announce God's good news: "Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals... eat what is set before you" (vv. 4, 8). They go like lambs among wolves, traveling in pairs and declaring peace. They are sent into hostile territory and instructed to remain dependent on the hospitality of others.
Traveling light has never been easy -- but in a world dripping with consumerism it seems even more countercultural. What's a disciple to do?
In the News
A possible answer to that question may have emerged from one of the most palatial centers of the world last week -- the Vatican. Pope Francis nixed an invitation to be the guest of honor at an opulent gala concert. As the concert was about to begin, his spokesperson announced that the pope could not attend due to an urgent commitment. Cardinals and Italian dignitaries were taken aback by the pope's surprise absence, symbolized by his empty seat. The next day, photos of the empty papal throne filled Italian newspapers, prompting one to say his decision was a "show of force" that illustrated the sort of change he wants to bring to the church.
As Pope Francis has settled into his new job, he has avoided many of the papal perks, including ornate vestments, expensive shoes, and special living quarters. NPR noted that he has also openly denounced the "cult of money," observing that money is supposed to serve people and not rule over them. He continues to live in a hotel-style guest house, rather than occupying the spacious papal apartments, out of a desire to remain in an intentional community. By word and deed, he has insisted that the church needs pastors, not princes.
Like Jesus' instructions to the messengers, Francis' actions are bold, even revolutionary. Michael Higgins, of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, notes the revolutionary tenor of the pope's words and actions:
When he cautions prelates and diplomats that they are to be pastors and not princes, when he jettisons the papal throne and sits in a circle with his guests, when he dines with the staff in shared digs rather than in the rarefied setting of the papal apartments, when he casts aside prepared remarks and engages in an animated conversation with thousands of youth, and when he washes the feet of a Muslim girl he affirms publicly his private conviction that a priest, a bishop, and, yes, the Bishop of Rome, must have about him "the smell of the sheep."
As the pope prepares to make new appointments throughout the Curia (the Vatican's central administration), his words and actions may also reflect his desires that the church shed layers of opulence in order to serve the poor. All of this resembles the instructions of Jesus to the messengers he sends ahead of him. Those who bear the message of the kingdom are to travel light, so that they may move nimbly and quickly in declaring God's word of hope.
In the Scriptures
Seventy messengers are appointed by Jesus, thematically coinciding with Moses' selection of 70 elders in Numbers 11:16-17. They are sent ahead of Jesus and charged with declaring a message of peace. The work of God is shared with those whom God has called, an indication that Luke intends us to understand this work as the ever-expanding mission of God. Jesus pulls no punches: this will be a demanding, even dangerous mission.
In spite of obstacles and threats, the laborers are part of God's abundant harvest. Jesus has come, announcing the good news to the poor. With this new mission, his work continues and expands with the appointment of additional servants. The commissioning in Luke 10 is framed with apocalyptic motifs, another indication of the kingdom's urgency.
Because the crops are ready, the workers need to go quickly, lest the harvest rots. Get going, Jesus says in 10:3. Accordingly, the workers need to be fleet-footed, speedily moving down the road. Being weighed down by excessive baggage is an unnecessary hindrance. Servants of the Servant must get moving quickly and with purpose -- not greeting others on the road, but remaining open to the hospitality of strangers. They are to rely on God alone.
Interestingly, those who rely solely on God for their daily bread must also remain open to eating food that may not have been prepared according to Jewish dietary laws. "Eat what is set before you" (v. 8) is not just a reminder to picky eaters -- it is a signal that the time is coming when the kingdom of God will take priority over ancient dietary restrictions. The servants of God are going into new territories, and they must remain open to receiving gifts from those they are serving, presumably including Gentiles.
As they go, the workers are not to accumulate lavish possessions, nor are they to assume seats of honor. They are laborers, workers sent to reap the harvest God has planted. And while laborers deserve to be paid fairly, these laborers are not called to negotiate better deals by moving from house to house. Those declaring the realm of God are to live in close relationship with those they are serving. Ministry requires vulnerability. Traveling lightly means remaining open to the hospitality you have received, cultivating relationships one household at a time. Acts of gracious hospitality are closely associated with the abundance of God's harvest.
In the Pulpit
It is vacation time, and many of our pews will be vacant this week. Families have packed up RVs and suitcases, duffle bags and camping gear. There are fears of taking too much or leaving behind something important. Flying brings the additional burden of keeping the suitcases under 50 pounds -- which sounds much easier in theory than practice. Besides clothes, we need to squeeze in a variety of electronic paraphernalia. And if we've got small children to tote along, the situation is even worse.
It is difficult to travel light in today's world.
It may even be harder for disciples, as evidenced by the story of the designer Buddhists. The asceticism required by Jesus' messengers, however, is not just for show and tell. They are called to travel lightly not because of airline restrictions, but because they are to depend completely on God's provision. The Lord of the harvest is the one who provides for their basic needs -- bread to eat, places to stay, and even protection from hostile forces.
In letting go of some of the trappings of his enormous office, the pope seems to be sending an indication that the church, as God's laborers, ought to rethink its priorities. That may take some consideration from many of us who are used to our creature comforts. (My wife tells others that my idea of camping is a motel without a free breakfast.) Yet a sermon on what it means to travel light could help us remember that vulnerability with which the early church lived -- and how layers upon layers of stuff keep us from being nimble-footed messengers of peace who boldly declare the abundance of God's harvest.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Recently Hank Aaron, now 79, was interviewed regarding the historic event of his 715th home run in April 1974, eclipsing the legendary Babe Ruth's career record. Aaron said: "The easiest part of the whole thing, chasing the Babe's record, was playing the game itself. The hardest thing was, after the game was over, dealing with the press. They could never understand." Even after Jackie Robinson integrated major league baseball in 1947, many members of the press still had difficulty with a black man playing -- and challenging the hallowed records of -- what had been a white man's sport. Aaron noted that he also received numerous death threats and hate mail after breaking Ruth's record.
Application: Jesus realized that many of the disciples he sent forth would not be accepted.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Myrlie Evans was the first woman and the first layperson to give the invocation at a presidential inaugural ceremony when she officiated in January at Barack Obama's second inauguration. Last month she was again recognized on the 50th anniversary of her husband Medgar's assassination. A civil rights activist and field secretary for the Mississippi NAACP, Medgar was shot by a .30-06 Enfield rifle as he stood in his driveway, ready to come into his home for dinner. (His killer, Byron De La Beckwith, was finally convicted of the murder three decades later.) For the first time Myrlie was able to see the rifle that killed her husband, now on exhibit at the Mississippi Department of Archives. Upon encountering it, her initial reaction was one of "hate. That was the weapon that took my husband from me and my children's father from them." She went on to say, "Then I focused on the trigger. It was evil, in my eye, at that moment. Something made my eye follow the rifle to the end, where fire came out that took Medgar's life." That changed her "vision" of the rifle. Regarding this, Myrlie said, "It took his life, and that fire that came out of the barrel represented freedom -- freedom for Medgar in that he died not to have to struggle anymore."
Application: We are sent forth in a struggle to proclaim equality to others. In that walk we will encounter hate.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Charitable giving was up in 2012 from the previous year by 3.5%, but it mainly benefited animals, the arts, and the environment. During the recession, individuals reorganized their giving portfolios to benefit the unemployed. But now that the economy is recovering, people are returning to philanthropic organizations -- though charitable giving did not increase for religious organizations. The reason for this, according to Eileen Heisman, president and CEO of the National Philanthropic Trust, is that "people don't see religious organizations as the center of their communities anymore. There was a time when your church -- where you belong to God -- defined you, and I don't think religion is the centerpiece of the American small town or center of identity like it used to be. So when the amount of religious activity goes down, funding to these groups goes down."
Application: Jesus sent the 70 out to restore religion to the center of the community.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
This week (July 1-3) marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. While Gettysburg maintains its place in American history through the words of Abraham Lincoln and because of its crucial role in turning the military tide of the Civil War, John Wega thinks there's another reason to remember what happened there in July 1863. Wega -- who quit his job as a national sales manager at a startup biotechnology company to oversee the museum and ministry of the Christian Commission -- believes we should tell the story not of the battle, but of those who came in the days afterward to care for the 20,000 wounded soldiers who remained in Gettysburg. Those soldiers were ministered to in part by the Christian Commission, who attended to the wounded, continued to bury the dead, and fed the doctors and nurses treating the wounded. Wega said that the volunteers enlisted by the organization "provided hope in a hopeless situation." Wega said that historians often focus on the grisly details of battle, "and it can be depressing. In that backdrop, if you can provide a story of hope... that is a story worth telling."
Application: In the grisly battle of life, Jesus sent the 70 forth to offer a message of hope.
* * *
Galatians 6:1-16
In a recent interview author Helen Fielding spoke about the third title in her Bridget Jones series, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which is scheduled to be released in October. It has been 14 years since the last Bridget Jones novel appeared, and society has changed since then. So in the upcoming publication the ever-insecure Bridget will conduct her relationships using Twitter, texting, and the internet. In this environment Bridget will deal with how women are told they should be and "how we are inside." Fielding said, "I'm not trying to write a social commentary," but she observes that comedy "always comes from a place of truth."
Application: Paul may not have been writing a social commentary, but he certainly was writing truth when he wrote "for you reap whatever you sow."
* * *
From team member Mary Austin:
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Eat What Is Put Before You
In her book Everyday Sacred (HarperOne, 1995), writer Sue Bender tells about the monks who go out into the world each day with a begging bowl. Whatever is placed in the bowl is the food for the day -- some days an abundance, other days less. Whatever comes into the bowl, they accept as a gift from God, as what they are meant to have that day.
As Sue Bender says, "When I stopped waiting for something significant to happen, and instead began noticing what was happening... a series of small miracles occurred. When I trusted I was doing something of value, goals and timetables had a way of taking care of themselves" (p. 129).
* * *
The Power of Humility
Viral Mehta writes for Daily Good that letting go of pride can lead to new insights and connections. Humility has the power to open doors for us. As Mehta writes: "In today's increasingly connected world, humility becomes relevant not only for us as individuals, but also for groups. A recent study at Carnegie Mellon University showed that collective intelligence had little to do with the IQs of individuals in that group. So even if you bring together the smartest people, there is no guarantee of better team performance; in fact, it's been shown that team outcomes have much more to do with how skillfully people collaborate. Individual motivations for actively engaging in a group effort lie at the heart of effective collaboration. Such motivation is rooted in how much value we ascribe outside of ourselves. A key aspect of this is humility: it motivates a right-sized assessment of our own abilities and an awareness of our limitations. A self-view that recognizes its limitations is vital in order for real synergy to occur. This is what allows us to be receptive to other people's contributions, knowing that they often augment our own. In a group, the more that people are rooted in a mindset of humility, the greater the potential synergy." Letting go of our pride allows the whole community to function better, making any project flow with more grace.
Mehta adds that humility has a kind of spaciousness: "Perhaps that's what humility really comes down to -- space around our perception of the world, as well as our own selves. Space to hold conflicting information, take in other people's views, and, to borrow Bruce Lee's words, take the shape of the container we find ourselves in. Humility gives us permission to withhold conclusion and realize that what we are is always still emerging. And this is good."
* * *
Upside-Down World
Amy Cunningham writes for In Character magazine that letting go of pride requires seeing the world in a way that doesn't come naturally to us:
To understand humility and fathom its riches, we must turn the world as we know it on its axis. At first glance, these are not humble times. Young people today seek money, status, and more than their 15 minutes of acclaim. Being unknown, or off the world's radar, isn't enough for so many. One can blog or videotape oneself into an odd sort of prominence. Here in America, our egos crave splashy careers, nicer houses, published books, and tap dance knowledge. Many people suffer and fret as they frantically look outside themselves to determine their worth. Expressions of humility are often viewed as signs of weakness, and the U.S. presidents who bow too low lose respect....
My 13-year-old son cannot define humility, but he can approximate what being humble means. "That's like when you don't brag about a good thing that has happened because you don't want other people to feel bad," he says. What happens to the good thing then? I ask. "Well, you can still enjoy it and think about it," he says, "but you just keep it inside of yourself."
No, honey, it's harder than that. Humility means you stop labeling the things that happen to you as either good or bad. Your life's assignment is to greet your fellow men with the assumption that they have a good thing inside them that you are curious to discover, no matter who they are. Your narrative, your history, travels with you, but you have stopped worrying about your rank.... Humility is the great equalizer.
Pride divides, and humility connects.
* * *
From team member George Reed:
The way to Christ is first through humility, second through humility, third through humility. If humility does not precede and accompany and follow every good work we do, if it is not before us to focus on, if it is not beside us to lean upon, if it is not behind us to fence us in, pride will wrench from our hand any good deed we do at the very moment we do it.
-- Augustine
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Let us extol our God, who has drawn us up.
People: We cried for help, and we have been healed.
Leader: O God, you brought us up from Sheol,
People: you restored our life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Leader: Sing praises to God, O you God's faithful ones,
People: we give thanks to God's holy name.
OR
Leader: Come, let us offer praise and adoration to our God!
People: We bow in awe before the wonder of our God!
Leader: Remember that God is found in the least of our brothers and sisters here on earth.
People: What grace, that God inhabits our lowly estate!
Leader: Serve God by serving the Christ in others.
People: We shall look to see the Christ in all we encounter.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"God Hath Spoken by the Prophets"
found in:
UMH: 108
LBW: 238
W&P: 667
"How Great Thou Art"
found in:
UMH: 77
PH: 467
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELA: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Renew: 250
"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty"
found in:
UMH: 64/65
H82: 362
PH: 138
AAHH: 329
NNBH: 1
NCH: 277
CH: 4
LBW: 165
ELA: 413
W&P: 136
AMEC: 25
STLT: 26
Renew: 204
"This Is My Song"
found in:
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELA: 887
STLT: 159
"Weary of All Trumpeting"
found in:
UMH: 442
H82: 572
"Let There Be Peace on Earth"
found in:
UMH: 431
CH: 677
W&P: 614
"Spirit of the Living God"
found in:
UMH: 393
PH: 322
AAHH: 320
NNBH: 133
NCH: 283
CH: 259
W&P: 492
"Take Up Thy Cross"
found in:
UMH: 415
H82: 675
PH: 393
LBW: 398
ELA: 667
W&P: 351
AMEC: 294
"Humble Yourself in the Sight of the Lord"
found in:
CCB: 72
Renew: 188
"Lord, I Lift Your Name on High"
found in:
CCB: 36
Renew: 4
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is high and lifted up above all creation: Grant us, your children, to reflect your nature as we saw it in Jesus of Nazareth, who became as a slave and servant to others; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We are in awe of your majesty, O God, and yet we see in Jesus your nature reflected in serving others humbly. Help us to understand the greatness of service and humility. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our overblown sense of pride.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We know that we are blessed and we are children of the living God. Yet we take this not as Jesus did, with humility and in a spirit of service, but instead we allow it to make us haughty and mean. We think of ourselves as being above others rather than as being here to serve the lowliest of your creatures. We think too often in terms of our rights and privileges instead of our responsibilities and opportunities to serve. Forgive us and restore in us your Spirit that serves humbly. Amen.
Leader: God understands our frame, that it is but dust. In love and grace we are given the Spirit of God, which is the spirit of humility. Know Godís forgiveness and live in Godís love.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We worship and adore you, O God, sovereign of all creation. You are the power and majesty that is beyond anything we can imagine.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We know that we are blessed and we are children of the living God. Yet we take this not as Jesus did, with humility and in a spirit of service, but instead we allow it to make us haughty and mean. We think of ourselves as being above others rather than as being here to serve the lowliest of your creatures. We think too often in terms of our rights and privileges instead of our responsibilities and opportunities to serve. Forgive us and restore in us your Spirit that serves humbly.
We thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed on us and especially that you call us your own children, bearers of your Spirit. We thank you for all those who have followed Jesus in humble service and have cared for us with compassion and grace.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children. We ask that as you move among us and care for those in need you would grant us the compassion and humility to serve them with you.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children's Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about how neat it would be to meet someone really famous. (Maybe you have a personal story about meeting someone famous that you could share.) Talk about the trappings of famous people: secret service people for the president, special robes and hats for the pope. But when God came to earth in Jesus, he came humbly to serve. Famous is fine... but real celebrity status is shown in Jesus, and we can be like him when we serve and take care of others.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Bragging
Galatians 6:1-16
Object: a trophy (or ribbon or some other award)
Good morning, boys and girls! Today I brought a trophy I won. (show it) I'm sharing it with you not because I want to brag about how I won this trophy -- it's because the apostle Paul talked about bragging (he called it "boasting").
Sometimes when we do something really special -- like win a race or ball game or quiz game -- we get a trophy or a ribbon. We are proud of trophies. They show the world that we are important. It's fun to feel important. Sometimes to help us feel even more important, we boast or brag to others about what we have done.
The apostle Paul did many great things in his life. He was one of the most important people who ever lived. He did more than any of us could ever do. He was truly a great man. Yet despite his greatness, he did not brag about himself. He bragged about what Jesus had done on the cross.
Are we important because of what we do? No! We are important because of what Jesus has done! That is a valuable lesson. You are each very important people, and you are important because of Jesus and his love for you. I'm glad I know such important people as you!
* * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, July 7, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 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.
Naaman's arrogance is hardly unique -- as team member Dean Feldmeyer points out in this installment of The Immediate Word, the temptation to think more of our own importance and abilities than is actually warranted is a constant in human affairs... as we are reminded daily by news headlines trumpeting the follies of our leaders in all walks of life. Hubris -- and the price we pay for indulging that hubris -- is a central theme not just in Naaman's story but also in this week's epistle and gospel texts. Dean notes that while criticizing vanity in others is a popular pastime, it's not merely a spectator sport; the message contained in these passages should force us to take a long look in the mirror and think carefully about our own tendency to excessive selfishness.
Team member Chris Keating offers some additional thoughts on the gospel passage and Jesus' instructions to the 70 advance men he sends out. Jesus tells them that they'll be traveling strictly economy class with no extra baggage and no credit card upgrades: "Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road" (Luke 10:4). Such spartan accommodations and travel itineraries can be off-putting for modern Americans used to relative luxury -- but Jesus is reminding us that as traveling salesmen for the kingdom of God, it's not about us and our comfort. Rather than padding the expense account, we should be on the front lines -- letting the product sell itself, so to speak, and exposing ourselves to potential rejection.
As Chris observes, those instructions were not apparently given to some Buddhist monks in a video that's gone viral -- but they seem to have been a key part of the agenda of Pope Francis, who has pointedly rejected the opulent lifestyle usually preferred by pontiffs. Francis made waves again this past week by failing to appear at a gala symphony concert in his honor, spawning headlines accompanied by pictures of an empty throne in the concert hall. Stunned cardinals and other dignitaries realized that the message Francis "wanted to send was that, with the Church in crisis, he -- and perhaps they -- had too much pastoral work to do to attend social events." And, Chris notes, perhaps we can learn something from the pope and let go of a few of the trappings of our lives -- allowing us to travel lighter and better keep the lifestyle that Jesus demands of his followers in this week's gospel text.
Prior to Destruction
by Dean Feldmeyer
2 Kings 5:1-14; Galatians 6:1-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Hubris -- extreme pride. It's one of the seven deadly sins... cousin to narcissism and avarice. It's what "goeth before destruction," like unto the "haughty spirit" that goes before a fall.
It has been said that it is a fate inevitable for politicians who stay in office too long. First they succumb to hubris which leads them to make bad decisions, which then leads to scandals and the fall from the lofty heights of influence and power.
In this week's lectionary texts Naaman learns that he can be healed only after he gives up his pride; Paul warns those of us "who are nothing" not to think that we "are something," lest we deceive ourselves; and Jesus warns his followers to rejoice not in the power they have but in having simply done the right thing.
It's easy to see hubris in other people, isn't it? Paul and Jesus, however, turn the spotlight upon us.
In the News
The fruits of human arrogance can be seen everywhere in our public life.
Was it hubris that led us to believe that we could transform the Middle East by the power of our armed forces and make it into a western-style democracy with a western-style economy? Was it extreme pride that led us into two simultaneous wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?
What, if not hubris, caused Edward Snowden to believe that he knew, better than three branches of government, what should be secret and what should be public? And what, if not hubris, made the National Security Agency (NSA) believe that they could spy on the American people and keep it forever a secret? What made them think that it was okay to dance on the very edge of legality in their prying, without need of probable cause or the use of a warrant?
The vast majority of Americans -- 85-90% -- have stated clearly that they want universal background checks on anyone buying a gun, with 54% supporting them even for purchases from a friend or relative. Yet 46 senators hubristically decided that they knew better than the American people and voted against it.
The IRS is using our hard-earned and reluctantly given tax dollars to spend up to $4 million on training seminars and provide employees with "company" credit cards that have been used for expensive bottles of wine and $100 lunches, as well as other lavish personal purchases. And we read of our elected congressional representatives spending more than $2 million on coffee and pastries last year, while they told us to tighten our belts and accused the poor of being too dependent on government handouts.
Politicians don't hold a corner on the hubris market, however. Professional athletes seem to be carving out whole new frontiers in hubristic behavior.
At Wimbledon, Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams are trading public barbs about what the other should and shouldn't be talking about... in public. As the Tour de France bicycle race flashes across France, Lance Armstrong has thrust himself back onto the public stage long enough to accuse everyone who has ever won the race of doping as he did. He also says that he still considers himself the record holder even though the Tour has stripped him of his titles. And former New England Patriots receiver Aaron Hernandez -- arrested for murder last week -- appears to have joined the ranks of pro football players who believe that the law does not apply to them.
Meanwhile, in South Africa, Nelson Mandela's family argues about how his medical care should be undertaken in the waning hours of his life and where he should be buried. We do not know if Nelson will still be with us by the time Sunday comes, but we will always know that he was the "real deal." There was no hubris in him. He willingly gave his entire adult life to the cause of peace and reconciliation, 27 years of it in a prison cell. His life stands as a beacon for all of us who hope to stand against those dark symbols of human hubris -- racism, nationalism, and economic imperialism.
In the Scriptures
If Nelson Mandela is the very picture of humility, General Naaman, in this week's lection from the Hebrew Scriptures, may be the very picture of hubris.
Commander of the army of the king of Aram, he nevertheless suffers from some kind of skin ailment that falls under the umbrella of "leprosy." It could be anything from Hansen's Disease to eczema to scabies or even just really bad acne. But whatever it is, it's making him miserable.
A little Hebrew slave girl who he has picked up in a raid somewhere offers that it's too bad he's not in Samaria because there's a prophet of YHWH there who could cure him of his distresses. When Naaman hears this he gets permission from the king and heads off to Samaria with his retinue and a king's ransom in gold, silver, and designer clothing to be used as payment for a cure.
Eventually he makes his way to Elisha's house, where he presumably has his presence announced by a servant -- but Elisha won't even get off the couch to come out and see him. He just tells his servant, "Tell him to go bathe in the Jordan River seven times and he'll be fine."
Naaman is incensed. First, he is a general and a powerful man, and he is not used to being dismissed so lightly. He expected some falderal, some showy ritual, some indication that Elisha knew that he was a powerful and important man. He wanted a private suite in a private hospital, with a doctor and a team of nurses assigned solely to him.
Second, he wanted a cure that was rare and expensive. Some elixir from the Far East or a potion from the dark continent would do. An herb that grew atop a mountain or a rare crustacean from the bottom of the sea would do nicely, would be symbolic of the seriousness of his affliction. And if he was going to bathe in a river, he would just as soon bathe in a Syrian river because everyone knows that Syrian rivers are superior to Hebrew rivers, right?
So he says, "Forget that; I'm outta here."
But Naaman's servant, a wise man indeed, reminds Naaman that if the cure would have been difficult or expensive Naaman would have jumped at it and taken it seriously. "What do you have to lose," he says, "by doing what is cheap and easy? Who knows? Maybe it'll work."
And son of a gun, it does work. He bathes seven times in the Jordan and his skin becomes like that of a young child.
Go figure.
In the Pulpit
"May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ..." says Paul in the Galatians text (6:14a).
And in the gospel text, Jesus admonishes his disciples to rejoice not in their achievement or their power over spirits but only that right has triumphed and that they have done the right thing (Luke 10:20).
Old Testament, epistle, and gospel lessons all make the same point: As the people of God we are called to be a humble, gentle, unassuming people.
But that's not the popular stand, is it?
It has been said that the favorite story of the news media is "Let's you and him fight." When they turn to someone to present the "Christian point of view," they inevitably go to those who hold that we are all victims, all our rights are being trampled, secular humanism is driving us to the fringe of American culture, and we are being bullied and victimized by our spiritual inferiors, minorities who should bow to our will.
Nothing, of course, could be further from the truth.
We Christians are the majority. American culture, not to mention the economy, bows to our will. Our Christian holidays are national holidays, our rituals and our jargon are part of the American vernacular. People who share our religion control every branch of our government.
No, the problem is not surviving in a hostile environment.
The problem for 21st-century American Christians is learning how to be humble, kind, gentle, generous, and unassuming when we have the power to force our will on others. The problem is learning to avoid the sin of hubris.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Take No (Designer) Bag by Chris Keating
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
With their luxury designer bags, fancy sunglasses, and electronic gadgets, the young men in the private jet's leather seats seemed to be traveling in high style. They certainly weren't traveling light.
This might not be unusual, except that the two passengers were Buddhist monks.
A YouTube video shows a pair of saffron-robed monastics sporting trendy aviator sunglasses and high-tech wireless headphones. But it was the expensive-looking handbag sitting on an empty seat that prompted widespread rebuke of the Thai monks' flamboyant materialism.
One writer called them "the monastic jet set". According to some accounts, the monks' departure from tradition may be a growing trend. About 300 monks were disciplined in 2012 by the Thai office of Buddhism for not adhering to a proper lifestyle. One received donations of luxury automobiles and other gifts from wealthy followers -- notably an expensive Jaguar. Their lack of asceticism certainly seems to be out of the ordinary, though some in Thailand are worried that this may become a pattern. As that nation's economy has grown, there has also been an inclination to enjoy life's fancier accoutrements.
Thai officials report that fewer are choosing the monastic lifestyle, signaling some changes in traditional Buddhist practices. "People today love high-speed things," said Phra Paisan Visalo, a Thai monk. "For the sake of presentation, we have to change the way we teach Buddhism and make it easy and digestible like instant noodles."
In other words, if you meet the Buddha on the road, he might be carrying Louis Vuitton.
Obviously these monks do not represent the majority of Buddhist contemplatives, whose vows of simplicity and poverty are taken seriously. But the story offers a reminder of just how hard it is for anyone to travel lightly through life. It is an indication of how ever-creeping affluence impinges on our spiritual traditions. In a world where "people love high-speed things," it is especially hard for disciples and spiritual seekers of any tradition to embody acts of simplicity, purity, and openness.
In Luke 10, Jesus sends 70 messengers into this material world to proclaim the realm of God. He gives strict orders to travel light and to announce God's good news: "Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals... eat what is set before you" (vv. 4, 8). They go like lambs among wolves, traveling in pairs and declaring peace. They are sent into hostile territory and instructed to remain dependent on the hospitality of others.
Traveling light has never been easy -- but in a world dripping with consumerism it seems even more countercultural. What's a disciple to do?
In the News
A possible answer to that question may have emerged from one of the most palatial centers of the world last week -- the Vatican. Pope Francis nixed an invitation to be the guest of honor at an opulent gala concert. As the concert was about to begin, his spokesperson announced that the pope could not attend due to an urgent commitment. Cardinals and Italian dignitaries were taken aback by the pope's surprise absence, symbolized by his empty seat. The next day, photos of the empty papal throne filled Italian newspapers, prompting one to say his decision was a "show of force" that illustrated the sort of change he wants to bring to the church.
As Pope Francis has settled into his new job, he has avoided many of the papal perks, including ornate vestments, expensive shoes, and special living quarters. NPR noted that he has also openly denounced the "cult of money," observing that money is supposed to serve people and not rule over them. He continues to live in a hotel-style guest house, rather than occupying the spacious papal apartments, out of a desire to remain in an intentional community. By word and deed, he has insisted that the church needs pastors, not princes.
Like Jesus' instructions to the messengers, Francis' actions are bold, even revolutionary. Michael Higgins, of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Connecticut, notes the revolutionary tenor of the pope's words and actions:
When he cautions prelates and diplomats that they are to be pastors and not princes, when he jettisons the papal throne and sits in a circle with his guests, when he dines with the staff in shared digs rather than in the rarefied setting of the papal apartments, when he casts aside prepared remarks and engages in an animated conversation with thousands of youth, and when he washes the feet of a Muslim girl he affirms publicly his private conviction that a priest, a bishop, and, yes, the Bishop of Rome, must have about him "the smell of the sheep."
As the pope prepares to make new appointments throughout the Curia (the Vatican's central administration), his words and actions may also reflect his desires that the church shed layers of opulence in order to serve the poor. All of this resembles the instructions of Jesus to the messengers he sends ahead of him. Those who bear the message of the kingdom are to travel light, so that they may move nimbly and quickly in declaring God's word of hope.
In the Scriptures
Seventy messengers are appointed by Jesus, thematically coinciding with Moses' selection of 70 elders in Numbers 11:16-17. They are sent ahead of Jesus and charged with declaring a message of peace. The work of God is shared with those whom God has called, an indication that Luke intends us to understand this work as the ever-expanding mission of God. Jesus pulls no punches: this will be a demanding, even dangerous mission.
In spite of obstacles and threats, the laborers are part of God's abundant harvest. Jesus has come, announcing the good news to the poor. With this new mission, his work continues and expands with the appointment of additional servants. The commissioning in Luke 10 is framed with apocalyptic motifs, another indication of the kingdom's urgency.
Because the crops are ready, the workers need to go quickly, lest the harvest rots. Get going, Jesus says in 10:3. Accordingly, the workers need to be fleet-footed, speedily moving down the road. Being weighed down by excessive baggage is an unnecessary hindrance. Servants of the Servant must get moving quickly and with purpose -- not greeting others on the road, but remaining open to the hospitality of strangers. They are to rely on God alone.
Interestingly, those who rely solely on God for their daily bread must also remain open to eating food that may not have been prepared according to Jewish dietary laws. "Eat what is set before you" (v. 8) is not just a reminder to picky eaters -- it is a signal that the time is coming when the kingdom of God will take priority over ancient dietary restrictions. The servants of God are going into new territories, and they must remain open to receiving gifts from those they are serving, presumably including Gentiles.
As they go, the workers are not to accumulate lavish possessions, nor are they to assume seats of honor. They are laborers, workers sent to reap the harvest God has planted. And while laborers deserve to be paid fairly, these laborers are not called to negotiate better deals by moving from house to house. Those declaring the realm of God are to live in close relationship with those they are serving. Ministry requires vulnerability. Traveling lightly means remaining open to the hospitality you have received, cultivating relationships one household at a time. Acts of gracious hospitality are closely associated with the abundance of God's harvest.
In the Pulpit
It is vacation time, and many of our pews will be vacant this week. Families have packed up RVs and suitcases, duffle bags and camping gear. There are fears of taking too much or leaving behind something important. Flying brings the additional burden of keeping the suitcases under 50 pounds -- which sounds much easier in theory than practice. Besides clothes, we need to squeeze in a variety of electronic paraphernalia. And if we've got small children to tote along, the situation is even worse.
It is difficult to travel light in today's world.
It may even be harder for disciples, as evidenced by the story of the designer Buddhists. The asceticism required by Jesus' messengers, however, is not just for show and tell. They are called to travel lightly not because of airline restrictions, but because they are to depend completely on God's provision. The Lord of the harvest is the one who provides for their basic needs -- bread to eat, places to stay, and even protection from hostile forces.
In letting go of some of the trappings of his enormous office, the pope seems to be sending an indication that the church, as God's laborers, ought to rethink its priorities. That may take some consideration from many of us who are used to our creature comforts. (My wife tells others that my idea of camping is a motel without a free breakfast.) Yet a sermon on what it means to travel light could help us remember that vulnerability with which the early church lived -- and how layers upon layers of stuff keep us from being nimble-footed messengers of peace who boldly declare the abundance of God's harvest.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Recently Hank Aaron, now 79, was interviewed regarding the historic event of his 715th home run in April 1974, eclipsing the legendary Babe Ruth's career record. Aaron said: "The easiest part of the whole thing, chasing the Babe's record, was playing the game itself. The hardest thing was, after the game was over, dealing with the press. They could never understand." Even after Jackie Robinson integrated major league baseball in 1947, many members of the press still had difficulty with a black man playing -- and challenging the hallowed records of -- what had been a white man's sport. Aaron noted that he also received numerous death threats and hate mail after breaking Ruth's record.
Application: Jesus realized that many of the disciples he sent forth would not be accepted.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Myrlie Evans was the first woman and the first layperson to give the invocation at a presidential inaugural ceremony when she officiated in January at Barack Obama's second inauguration. Last month she was again recognized on the 50th anniversary of her husband Medgar's assassination. A civil rights activist and field secretary for the Mississippi NAACP, Medgar was shot by a .30-06 Enfield rifle as he stood in his driveway, ready to come into his home for dinner. (His killer, Byron De La Beckwith, was finally convicted of the murder three decades later.) For the first time Myrlie was able to see the rifle that killed her husband, now on exhibit at the Mississippi Department of Archives. Upon encountering it, her initial reaction was one of "hate. That was the weapon that took my husband from me and my children's father from them." She went on to say, "Then I focused on the trigger. It was evil, in my eye, at that moment. Something made my eye follow the rifle to the end, where fire came out that took Medgar's life." That changed her "vision" of the rifle. Regarding this, Myrlie said, "It took his life, and that fire that came out of the barrel represented freedom -- freedom for Medgar in that he died not to have to struggle anymore."
Application: We are sent forth in a struggle to proclaim equality to others. In that walk we will encounter hate.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Charitable giving was up in 2012 from the previous year by 3.5%, but it mainly benefited animals, the arts, and the environment. During the recession, individuals reorganized their giving portfolios to benefit the unemployed. But now that the economy is recovering, people are returning to philanthropic organizations -- though charitable giving did not increase for religious organizations. The reason for this, according to Eileen Heisman, president and CEO of the National Philanthropic Trust, is that "people don't see religious organizations as the center of their communities anymore. There was a time when your church -- where you belong to God -- defined you, and I don't think religion is the centerpiece of the American small town or center of identity like it used to be. So when the amount of religious activity goes down, funding to these groups goes down."
Application: Jesus sent the 70 out to restore religion to the center of the community.
* * *
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
This week (July 1-3) marks the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. While Gettysburg maintains its place in American history through the words of Abraham Lincoln and because of its crucial role in turning the military tide of the Civil War, John Wega thinks there's another reason to remember what happened there in July 1863. Wega -- who quit his job as a national sales manager at a startup biotechnology company to oversee the museum and ministry of the Christian Commission -- believes we should tell the story not of the battle, but of those who came in the days afterward to care for the 20,000 wounded soldiers who remained in Gettysburg. Those soldiers were ministered to in part by the Christian Commission, who attended to the wounded, continued to bury the dead, and fed the doctors and nurses treating the wounded. Wega said that the volunteers enlisted by the organization "provided hope in a hopeless situation." Wega said that historians often focus on the grisly details of battle, "and it can be depressing. In that backdrop, if you can provide a story of hope... that is a story worth telling."
Application: In the grisly battle of life, Jesus sent the 70 forth to offer a message of hope.
* * *
Galatians 6:1-16
In a recent interview author Helen Fielding spoke about the third title in her Bridget Jones series, Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, which is scheduled to be released in October. It has been 14 years since the last Bridget Jones novel appeared, and society has changed since then. So in the upcoming publication the ever-insecure Bridget will conduct her relationships using Twitter, texting, and the internet. In this environment Bridget will deal with how women are told they should be and "how we are inside." Fielding said, "I'm not trying to write a social commentary," but she observes that comedy "always comes from a place of truth."
Application: Paul may not have been writing a social commentary, but he certainly was writing truth when he wrote "for you reap whatever you sow."
* * *
From team member Mary Austin:
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Eat What Is Put Before You
In her book Everyday Sacred (HarperOne, 1995), writer Sue Bender tells about the monks who go out into the world each day with a begging bowl. Whatever is placed in the bowl is the food for the day -- some days an abundance, other days less. Whatever comes into the bowl, they accept as a gift from God, as what they are meant to have that day.
As Sue Bender says, "When I stopped waiting for something significant to happen, and instead began noticing what was happening... a series of small miracles occurred. When I trusted I was doing something of value, goals and timetables had a way of taking care of themselves" (p. 129).
* * *
The Power of Humility
Viral Mehta writes for Daily Good that letting go of pride can lead to new insights and connections. Humility has the power to open doors for us. As Mehta writes: "In today's increasingly connected world, humility becomes relevant not only for us as individuals, but also for groups. A recent study at Carnegie Mellon University showed that collective intelligence had little to do with the IQs of individuals in that group. So even if you bring together the smartest people, there is no guarantee of better team performance; in fact, it's been shown that team outcomes have much more to do with how skillfully people collaborate. Individual motivations for actively engaging in a group effort lie at the heart of effective collaboration. Such motivation is rooted in how much value we ascribe outside of ourselves. A key aspect of this is humility: it motivates a right-sized assessment of our own abilities and an awareness of our limitations. A self-view that recognizes its limitations is vital in order for real synergy to occur. This is what allows us to be receptive to other people's contributions, knowing that they often augment our own. In a group, the more that people are rooted in a mindset of humility, the greater the potential synergy." Letting go of our pride allows the whole community to function better, making any project flow with more grace.
Mehta adds that humility has a kind of spaciousness: "Perhaps that's what humility really comes down to -- space around our perception of the world, as well as our own selves. Space to hold conflicting information, take in other people's views, and, to borrow Bruce Lee's words, take the shape of the container we find ourselves in. Humility gives us permission to withhold conclusion and realize that what we are is always still emerging. And this is good."
* * *
Upside-Down World
Amy Cunningham writes for In Character magazine that letting go of pride requires seeing the world in a way that doesn't come naturally to us:
To understand humility and fathom its riches, we must turn the world as we know it on its axis. At first glance, these are not humble times. Young people today seek money, status, and more than their 15 minutes of acclaim. Being unknown, or off the world's radar, isn't enough for so many. One can blog or videotape oneself into an odd sort of prominence. Here in America, our egos crave splashy careers, nicer houses, published books, and tap dance knowledge. Many people suffer and fret as they frantically look outside themselves to determine their worth. Expressions of humility are often viewed as signs of weakness, and the U.S. presidents who bow too low lose respect....
My 13-year-old son cannot define humility, but he can approximate what being humble means. "That's like when you don't brag about a good thing that has happened because you don't want other people to feel bad," he says. What happens to the good thing then? I ask. "Well, you can still enjoy it and think about it," he says, "but you just keep it inside of yourself."
No, honey, it's harder than that. Humility means you stop labeling the things that happen to you as either good or bad. Your life's assignment is to greet your fellow men with the assumption that they have a good thing inside them that you are curious to discover, no matter who they are. Your narrative, your history, travels with you, but you have stopped worrying about your rank.... Humility is the great equalizer.
Pride divides, and humility connects.
* * *
From team member George Reed:
The way to Christ is first through humility, second through humility, third through humility. If humility does not precede and accompany and follow every good work we do, if it is not before us to focus on, if it is not beside us to lean upon, if it is not behind us to fence us in, pride will wrench from our hand any good deed we do at the very moment we do it.
-- Augustine
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Let us extol our God, who has drawn us up.
People: We cried for help, and we have been healed.
Leader: O God, you brought us up from Sheol,
People: you restored our life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Leader: Sing praises to God, O you God's faithful ones,
People: we give thanks to God's holy name.
OR
Leader: Come, let us offer praise and adoration to our God!
People: We bow in awe before the wonder of our God!
Leader: Remember that God is found in the least of our brothers and sisters here on earth.
People: What grace, that God inhabits our lowly estate!
Leader: Serve God by serving the Christ in others.
People: We shall look to see the Christ in all we encounter.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"God Hath Spoken by the Prophets"
found in:
UMH: 108
LBW: 238
W&P: 667
"How Great Thou Art"
found in:
UMH: 77
PH: 467
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELA: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Renew: 250
"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty"
found in:
UMH: 64/65
H82: 362
PH: 138
AAHH: 329
NNBH: 1
NCH: 277
CH: 4
LBW: 165
ELA: 413
W&P: 136
AMEC: 25
STLT: 26
Renew: 204
"This Is My Song"
found in:
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELA: 887
STLT: 159
"Weary of All Trumpeting"
found in:
UMH: 442
H82: 572
"Let There Be Peace on Earth"
found in:
UMH: 431
CH: 677
W&P: 614
"Spirit of the Living God"
found in:
UMH: 393
PH: 322
AAHH: 320
NNBH: 133
NCH: 283
CH: 259
W&P: 492
"Take Up Thy Cross"
found in:
UMH: 415
H82: 675
PH: 393
LBW: 398
ELA: 667
W&P: 351
AMEC: 294
"Humble Yourself in the Sight of the Lord"
found in:
CCB: 72
Renew: 188
"Lord, I Lift Your Name on High"
found in:
CCB: 36
Renew: 4
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who is high and lifted up above all creation: Grant us, your children, to reflect your nature as we saw it in Jesus of Nazareth, who became as a slave and servant to others; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We are in awe of your majesty, O God, and yet we see in Jesus your nature reflected in serving others humbly. Help us to understand the greatness of service and humility. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our overblown sense of pride.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We know that we are blessed and we are children of the living God. Yet we take this not as Jesus did, with humility and in a spirit of service, but instead we allow it to make us haughty and mean. We think of ourselves as being above others rather than as being here to serve the lowliest of your creatures. We think too often in terms of our rights and privileges instead of our responsibilities and opportunities to serve. Forgive us and restore in us your Spirit that serves humbly. Amen.
Leader: God understands our frame, that it is but dust. In love and grace we are given the Spirit of God, which is the spirit of humility. Know Godís forgiveness and live in Godís love.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We worship and adore you, O God, sovereign of all creation. You are the power and majesty that is beyond anything we can imagine.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We know that we are blessed and we are children of the living God. Yet we take this not as Jesus did, with humility and in a spirit of service, but instead we allow it to make us haughty and mean. We think of ourselves as being above others rather than as being here to serve the lowliest of your creatures. We think too often in terms of our rights and privileges instead of our responsibilities and opportunities to serve. Forgive us and restore in us your Spirit that serves humbly.
We thank you for all the blessings you have bestowed on us and especially that you call us your own children, bearers of your Spirit. We thank you for all those who have followed Jesus in humble service and have cared for us with compassion and grace.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children. We ask that as you move among us and care for those in need you would grant us the compassion and humility to serve them with you.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father... Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children's Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about how neat it would be to meet someone really famous. (Maybe you have a personal story about meeting someone famous that you could share.) Talk about the trappings of famous people: secret service people for the president, special robes and hats for the pope. But when God came to earth in Jesus, he came humbly to serve. Famous is fine... but real celebrity status is shown in Jesus, and we can be like him when we serve and take care of others.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Bragging
Galatians 6:1-16
Object: a trophy (or ribbon or some other award)
Good morning, boys and girls! Today I brought a trophy I won. (show it) I'm sharing it with you not because I want to brag about how I won this trophy -- it's because the apostle Paul talked about bragging (he called it "boasting").
Sometimes when we do something really special -- like win a race or ball game or quiz game -- we get a trophy or a ribbon. We are proud of trophies. They show the world that we are important. It's fun to feel important. Sometimes to help us feel even more important, we boast or brag to others about what we have done.
The apostle Paul did many great things in his life. He was one of the most important people who ever lived. He did more than any of us could ever do. He was truly a great man. Yet despite his greatness, he did not brag about himself. He bragged about what Jesus had done on the cross.
Are we important because of what we do? No! We are important because of what Jesus has done! That is a valuable lesson. You are each very important people, and you are important because of Jesus and his love for you. I'm glad I know such important people as you!
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The Immediate Word, July 7, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 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.
