Risky Business
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
In this week’s lectionary gospel text, Jesus tells a parable that on the surface seems like a first-century investment seminar. Two slaves wisely invest the wealth they have been tasked with overseeing, and are commended for their efforts in producing more talents. The third, however, is gripped by fear -- and worried about losing the principal, guards its safety by burying it in the ground. But his approach is harshly judged by his master, who notes that at the very least he should have put it in the bank.
That all seems pretty straightforward -- but in this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating suggests that Jesus may be speaking somewhat metaphorically, and that the investment he seeks is in the spread of God’s kingdom and on the care for his children in the world. Looked at from that perspective, we are charged with taking the risk of investing our wealth in society rather than merely guarding its safety and hoarding it for ourselves. If that’s the standard for judging whether we are engaging in good stewardship of God’s gifts, then the financially sophisticated wealthy who have been putting their increasingly concentrated riches in all manner of tax havens and offshore accounts may be practicing the modern equivalent of burying their talents in the ground. Rather than maximizing the positive side of a virtual ledger, perhaps we ought to use our wealth in more socially responsible ways to repair our decaying infrastructure or invest in the well-being of our people... even if that means taking a financially risky path.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on Paul’s observations to the Thessalonians -- a message that many of us might need to be reminded of in the wake of the devastating church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Musing on the news that some congregations are responding by arming themselves and deploying heavy security, Dean observes that we need to avoid the temptation to respond to violence with violence. Instead, we need to follow Paul’s advice to protect ourselves by putting on “the breastplate of faith and love” and the “helmet [of the] hope of salvation” -- for to do otherwise is to negate the power of the church to function as a supportive community that spreads the grace of “the God who loves us, watches over us, and, in the end, welcomes us home.”
Risky Business
by Chris Keating
Matthew 25:14-30
Of all the slaves Jesus mentions in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the third one was the guy who best understood the meaning of tax shelters. He’s been watching the cable shows and reads the Wall Street Journal. He’s kept his pencils sharp and his spreadsheets open. He probably attended a financial stability seminar at church last year.
In short, this guy is nobody’s fool. He seems like the ultimate believer in laissez-faire economics: no one is going near his investment. The others took their money and ran off to the market, but he has the best plan. His boss’s money is buried in his backyard, perhaps the New Testament equivalent of an offshore entity.
In recent years, billionaires and the mega-wealthy have employed similar strategies. Burying funds offshore, the rich have seen their wealth accumulate steadily. It’s largely a strategy of self-preservation. Economists note that the richest one percent of the world’s population now own more than half of the world’s wealth.
It’s all perfectly legal, favored by people like Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and others who are also in favor of the Republican proposals to cut corporate taxes in hopes of spurring greater economic growth.
Like the talent buried by the third slave, their enormous wealth is safely hidden. It’s not being used to reduce the costs of education. It’s not helping to rebuild Puerto Rico, and it’s likely not generating wealth for vast numbers of other people aside from fund managers and brokers. Meanwhile, in a few weeks Congress will be deciding on tax legislation that will likely help the wealthy while doing little for others.
Time is short, and Jesus’ words remind us that the kingdom involves taking risks. The master will be returning soon, and when he does he’ll demand a full accounting. This is risky business -- and the boss will want to know just what sort of risks the employees have taken.
In the News
Republican leaders are feeling the crunch of time. Scampering like college kids headed home for Thanksgiving, GOP leaders are pushing their aggressive tax reform agenda. Soon, they hope, possibly very soon, the House will vote on its plan. Meanwhile, the Senate began the process of hashing out details of their plan this week.
Hopes to land a bill on President Trump’s desk before the ceremonial pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey are likely overly optimistic. There’s still plenty of work ahead, plenty of obstacles, and also more than a few distractions -- including fallout from the president’s trip to Asia and the allegations of sexual misconduct lodged against Roy Moore, the renegade GOP nominee for Senate from Alabama.
President Trump will hardly be able to shake off the jet lag before immersing himself in the prickly nettle bush of tax reform. Trump has promised nothing less than the largest tax cut in United States history. (Spoiler: its net effect is estimated to be less than the Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2010 signed by President Obama, and significantly lower than President Reagan’s tax cut in 1981.)
But even if the changes are not quite as “yuuge” as Trump purports, there’s a question lurking beneath the reams of analyses and the piles of pundit talking points. It’s a question, says Karoline Lewis, framed from the lines of this week’s parable: What are you doing with the resources tendered into your care?
There’s an uncanny resemblance between the servants in Jesus’ story and political leaders. In our situation, Republican control of the legislative and executive branch feels a bit like the servants in whose hands a tremendous amount of wealth has been given. They’ve got the golden ticket, though it remains to be seen exactly who will benefit.
Answers to that question vary, though most Americans seem skeptical that the plan will benefit the middle class. Additionally, there are concerns whether the tax cuts will indeed spur additional growth. One writer termed Trump’s plan the same old supply-side “snake oil the right has been peddling for decades,” calling it the arrival of the “zombies of voodoo economics.”
An economist from the Brookings Institute suggests the gut reactions of most Americans may be correct. William Gale, a former economic adviser to President George H.W. Bush, notes that the House plan will play well with wealthy GOP supporters. “The rich donors who are part of the base would come out quite nicely from this proposal,” Gale said. “The proverbial kind of lower-middle-class worker is not going to benefit as much, particularly when the financing of the tax cut is taken into account.”
Analysts wonder how the tax plan will truly trickle down to those in the middle- and lower-income brackets, and worry about the accompanying deficits. Some see potential gains -- while others say there are too many “moving parts ” to make a categorical assessment. But the larger issue is what happens down the road as the reality of spending cuts takes hold. It’s possible that short-term gains will be small potatoes compared to drastic reductions in government programs and services.
“[The relief] seem appealing at first glance, but when we recognize the price that’s being paid in terms of provisions of programs and services that are important for improving the fabric of our nation, that price tag is probably too high,” noted Doug Hall, director of economic and fiscal policy at the Economic Progress Institute. “What the whole thing really is is an attempt to get everybody else on board for what is essentially a huge tax cut for the very wealthy and for corporations.”
Politicians, of course, most often fall into the self-preservation mode so well characterized by the third servant. It’s fascinating that President Trump apparently consulted his own accountant prior to the release of plan’s details. Trump has said he has a lot to lose in this plan, but policy experts believe he will be among those benefiting from repeal of the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax. While aspects of the plan will exact more tax from someone like Trump, a left-leaning think tank estimates he’ll save roughly $23-million annually.
Wealth trickles up, and the fear of losing what one has accumulated can be consuming. Much like the servant who hid his single talent, many of the world’s wealthiest individuals work overtime to keep their billions buried. Last week, details about the elaborate tactics used by the world’s wealthiest persons emerged with the release of the so-called Paradise Papers, a trove of findings gathered by nearly 400 investigative journalists around the world.
The papers documented the various the pathways the world’s wealthiest individuals pursue to bury their treasure, and among other things confirmed the close connections between Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and members of Vladimir Putin’s family.
Today’s mega-rich use their power and prestige to bury funds in offshore accounts out of fear of losing it to the tax collector, acting out of the similar sort of fear that prompted the third slave to hide his money. The slave was concerned about losing his shirt. It was the ultimate protectionist move, akin to the complex ways billionaires hide their money from taxes and public exposure.
In recent years, the ever-accumulating fortunes of billionaires has been growing steadily at rates averaging 7 to 8 percent, though total wealth has only been averaging just 3 percent growth annually. Globally, the wealthy bury money in businesses, banks, and other safe havens. It’s been profitable for them, but expensive for the rest of the population.
While legal, the Paradise Papers reveal the extent to which the hidden money only benefits the super-rich. Writer Bryce Covert points out the impact of these schemes, which one economist says could amount to a loss of $70 billion in tax revenue annually. Covert argues:
We worry a lot about the cost of social programs in this country, saying we simply can’t afford many things that we know could bring big rewards. But that missing $70 billion from corporate offshore tax avoidance would go a long way. A mere $140 million could replace the lead water pipes poisoning children in Flint, Michigan. It would cost just an estimated $22.5 billion to end homelessness by providing all needy families with rental assistance. President Barack Obama asked Congress for $75 billion for his initial universal preschool plan; universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds would cost $98.4 billion over 10 years.
What’s in their wallet? Plenty of spare change, and if recent trends are any indication, there’s a good chance a lot of that change is buried outside -- or perhaps offshore.
In the Scriptures
Once upon a time, a preacher might have been content to look at this parable as a pericope outlining what might be called the softer side of stewardship. On the theory that honey is more enticing than vinegar, preachers turned to this text to see it as a way of encouraging a personal stewardship of talents -- the third leg of the proverbial three-legged stewardship stool (“time, talents, and treasure”). Where more adventuresome preachers would zero in on dollars and cents, those seeking a softer, more gentle approach would opt for an allegorical reading of this parable, encouraging the congregation to step up the number of Sundays they’ve volunteered to usher or weed the church lawn.
Obviously, there is a need to recruit people for jobs. But this text is not the place to go in search of a theology of talents. As far as the New Testament is concerned, remember that a talent was a vast sum of money. A single talent was equal to 15 years of wages for a day laborer. According to Google, an average day laborer today earns about $14.50 per hour. Once you do the math, a talent still adds up to a lot of money.
Jesus’ economics are mixed here with an understanding of eschatology. This third judgment parable focuses primarily on the obligations of those entrusted with gifts. There are a number of elements in the parable which can throw us off-track, including the slave’s characterization of his master; the violent imagery associated with judgment; and the paralyzing fear which (perhaps understandably) keeps the servant from investing his single talent.
Yet is the master truly a harsh man? Isn’t this the good and giving boss who left slaves to manage his fortune? This man does not seek out a safe place for his money, nor does he enlist the advice of a wealth management expert. Instead, he sets up a blind trust, doling out his property to the servants “each according to his ability.”
The master does not reap where he did not sow. Instead, he is generous with his wealth, bestowing on the slaves the power to act as stewards of his property. When he returns, the man calls for an accounting of his investments. The first servant enters, and tells the man he’s doubled what was entrusted to him. The second servant also reports successful gains. These two are rewarded with the possibilities of more responsibilities.
If the third slave had been listening to others present their results, he or she would likely have been encouraged. After all, he had played by the rules. Everything he did was legal. He made darn sure his boss wasn’t overly exposed in a fluctuating market. Fearful of what the markets might do, the third slave failed to take any risks at all.
Instead, he sat on top of his talent and kept on reading the stock market tables, doing nothing.
In the Sermon
Discipleship is not a risk-free venture. As Jesus closes out his ministry, he is once more reminding the church of what is involved with being salt and light in the world. His actions hearken back to the Sermon of the Mount. The kingdom does not belong to those who play it safe; instead, it belongs to those who are persecuted. It’s given to the meek, and revealed in the eyes of those who are mourning because they have lost everything.
It is not particularly easy to preach risky discipleship. Our congregations prefer their pews and their financial portfolios both to be well-padded. This is particularly true for those who have come to see Thanksgiving as a day of decadent indulgence rather than a time of contemplating gratitude. Yet the parable urges us to hear the call to faithful discipleship. Here is an invitation to see the gospel as a call to pursue new possibilities, knowing that we have been entrusted with nothing less than the fortune of heaven.
The deepening gap between rich and poor plays out in many different ways, and challenges the church to recall what it means to serve One who had been born in poverty and was homeless for much of his adult life. Our leaders are busy crafting programs that will benefit the rich while penalizing the poor. Their attention is on self-preservation and the protection of their own interests. Jesus calls the church to live in a risky world, metaphorically calling the disciples to bet the farm on the least likely horse in the race. It is an invitation that calls us to look beyond our self-interests and to be set free from fears which inhibit us from loving others.
“All those who have, more will be given” may sound like the siren song of prosperity preachers. Yet these words of Jesus are an invitation for his followers to rise from their padded pews and to accept the call to an adventuresome faith grounded in both the Sermon on the Mount and the words of the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
SECOND THOUGHTS
Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
by Dean Feldmeyer
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Last week, Pastor Jaime Chapa of El Faro Bible Church in Sullivan City, Texas, told KRGV news that this Sunday, when he climbs into his pulpit to preach, he’ll be packin’ heat... and not just the rhetorical kind.
He’s going to be armed with a gun under his robes, or on his hip, or wherever the well-armed pastor is packin’ these days. And it won’t just be Pastor Jaime who will be armed, either. There will be at least two other licensed parishioners locked, loaded, and ready for action.
El Faro Bible Church isn’t the only one stepping up security in the wake of the Sutherland Springs church shooting, or other similar incidents. According to WGHP, First Christian Church in Kernersville, North Carolina, has stepped up security measures out of fear for the safety of those who attend the facility. The church has assembled a security team and enlisted the help of the local police, who patrol the parking lot and offer extra security to area churches during Sunday worship.
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. Christian churches are often more in the business of reflecting the culture around them than they are in transforming it as Jesus called them to do. It’s one thing to trust the Lord to be our shepherd in the broad and uncertain sense -- but when it comes to guns, well, we’re Americans and there’s nothing that reassures us and puts our hearts at ease quite as effectively as our guns.
The psalmist asks “From where will my help come?” And then answers his own question: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121). The American pastor adds: But just in case, I’ll be strappin’ on my Colt 45 or my Beretta 9mm.
The psalmist proclaims “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23). The American pastor responds: But I’ll be bringing along this AR-15 just in case my shepherd turns out to be not up to the task.
In this week’s epistle lesson, Paul repeats some of what was talked about last Sunday concerning the Day of the Lord: It will be a surprise both in timing and content. No one knows when it will happen, and it’s going to challenge our expectations -- especially for those who think they have it all together, all under control, all figured out.
The Lord’s Day is going to fall on those folks like an avalanche. It’s going to be a surprise. It’s going to be inescapable. And it’s going to destroy everything that we thought was forever.
The Day of the Lord will be a day of celebration for some, and a day of judgement for others.
So how do we prepare?
Do we go out and buy a gun? Do we pay armed guards to patrol the parking lots and the lobbies of our churches? Do we put on our Kevlar and lock and load?
Paul offers another option.
Instead of a bulletproof vest, put on the breastplate of faith and love. Instead of a Kevlar helmet, put on the hope of salvation.
This is how we who live in God’s Kingdom arm ourselves to go out into the world.
We are not, he says, created for wrath, for anger, for violence; we obtain salvation and redemption not through violence but through the grace of God as it is made available to us in our Lord Jesus Christ.
When I first heard about Pastor Jaime’s intention to arm himself in church, I was reminded of what theologian, pastor, writer, and peace activist Walter Wink referred to as “The Myth of Redemptive Violence.”
It is, according to Wink, one of the pillars of our culture, a myth that has defined us for more than two centuries, and one that is destined to destroy us right down to the last man, woman, and child.
It is fed to us in cartoons, folktales, fables, and hero stories, and it is this: We are not saved by the grace of God but by our own capacity for violence, by our ability to produce and perpetrate it upon others more efficiently and efficiently than those who might do us ill.
And it is nowhere better demonstrated than in the popular song “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.”
Written by Broadway tunesmith Frank Loesser, the song was very popular during World War II and tells the story of a military chaplain, or “sky pilot,” who comes across a group of men operating an anti-aircraft gun during the attack on Pearl Harbor. When two of the men are wounded he is asked to say a prayer -- but the chaplain puts down his Bible, mans one of the ship’s gun turrets, and begins firing back, saying, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.”
Do you see how clever it is?
It functions in humor and irony. And it gives us justification for our violence that negates the witness which we might otherwise expect from a Christian chaplain. If a chaplain, of all people, is called and expected to do violence, then no one else can do the same, right?
The only problem is that the story isn’t true.
Here’s what really happened, according to Lieutenant Edwin F. Woodhead -- the man who was there when the line was first spoken. Woodhead was the officer in charge of an ammunition line on the USS New Orleans. The electrical lifts that brought ammunition to the deck of the ship had been taken out by the Japanese bombers on their first pass. As the planes turned and prepared to make a second pass, the sailors were forced to pass the ammunition to each other in a bucket brigade fashion. Lieutenant Woodhead would later recount that during the attack “I heard a voice behind me saying, ‘Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.’ I turned and saw Chaplain Forgy walking toward me, along the line of men. He was patting them on the back and making that remark to cheer and keep them going. I know it helped me a lot too.”
I wonder if Chaplain Forgy was thinking of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians when he said that famous sentence: “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other as, indeed, you are doing.”
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Greet the Light
Paul reminds the church in Thessalonica that no matter what happens, they are not in darkness but are children of the light. Artist James Turrell is fascinated with light -- an experience he dates back to his Quaker grandmother, who understood about the light within us. He recalls, “My grandmother used to tell me that as you sat in Quaker silence you were to go inside to greet the light. That expression stuck with me.... One thing about Quakers, and I think many Friends might laugh about this, is that often people wonder what you’re supposed to do when you go in there. And it’s kind of hard to say. Telling a child to go inside ‘to greet the light’ is about as much as was ever told to me.” He adds, “There is an idea, first of all, of vision fully formed with the eyes closed. Of course the vision we have in a lucid dream often has greater lucidity and clarity than vision with the eyes open. The fact that we have this vision with the eyes closed is very interesting. And the idea that it’s possible to actually work in a way, on the outside, to remind one of how we see on the inside, is something that became more interesting to me as an artist.”
He adds a truth from physics, which is also spiritual: “There is a truth in light. That is, you only get light by burning material. The light that you get is representative of what is burned.” Whatever is burned up and changed within us turns to light, and reflects the quality of what was consumed.
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1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Light Within
“You are all children of light and children of the day,” Paul writes, and some people understand that better than others. During a walk and a conversation with her daughter, Rachel Macy Stafford and her daughter talked about their favorite insects. Her daughter shared that her favorite insect is the firefly.
Stafford says she told her daughter, “I think you’re a lot like a firefly. You know why?”
The worry on her daughter’s face lifted. She looked at her mother hopefully. “Why, Mama?”
“Because you shine from within,” Stafford replied, touching her finger to her heart. “Not everybody sees it, but I do. I see it. And my job is to protect that light. So when people say mean comments that squelch that light, I want you to tell me. I will protect your light by listening and loving you, my brave, courageous, and unique little firefly.”
Paul is right that we are children of the light -- and we need to encourage and protect that light within each other.
Stafford adds that it’s easy to see the talents of some kids. “But let us not forget the Fireflies. Their triumphs are quiet and unsuspecting. Their gifts might even go completely unnoticed. A firefly might be a seat saver on the bus so someone doesn’t have to go to the intimidating back row. A firefly might be a songwriter who pens music in his nightly dreams and hums away his days. A firefly might be an artist that creates pictures you can feel with your soul.... A firefly might get lost in a cloud of flour, delighting in culinary arts. A firefly might be a horseback rider finding peace in the company of animals and nature. A firefly might devour a 357-page book in one sitting.... A firefly might have eyes for the lonely, looking for someone who wonders if she’s invisible. A firefly might stick up for the lost, the rejected, the alone. A firefly might be the lost, the rejected, the alone... just waiting for someone to notice his light among all the bright, fluttering wings of the Butterflies.”
*****
Matthew 25:14-30
Too Much Money
In the parable Jesus tells, money is the vehicle to talk about risk and faithfulness. In the parable, the servant who makes the greatest return on the master’s investment is lauded. In our world, though, Courtney Martin raises the question of whether money might get in the way of our spiritual lives. The servants begin and end with different amounts of money, and Martin notes that our financial differences are a lens for our understanding of money. She says that “the way we interpret our own financial health is so dependent on those around us. We often think about what it’s like to ‘keep up with the Joneses,’ but rarely do we consider what it’s actually like to be the Joneses. Is their perceived comfort actually comfortable? Does their safety net, indeed, make them safe? Are they spending their time with the people they love, doing things that give them joy? Money, in sum, may buy you choice, but it rarely comes without complexity. While the benefits of a safety net are undeniable, the economic downturn illustrated just how relative the notion of security really is.”
We could think about making more money, or work on increasing what Jesus is really talking about in the parable: our ability to take a risk, to be faithful, to invest in God’s vision of the world. Martin says that, for people with enough money, our questions should change. “They should be asking themselves a whole different set of questions: Would my quality of life be better if I earned less? Should I consider not taking this promotion? Should I consider looking for a job that pays less, but brings me more satisfaction or fits better with my dream for how I structure my life? How does my current income affect my well-being? What are the effects of my wealth, however humble, on my child’s sense of self and worldview?”
*****
Matthew 25:14-30
Free Money Day
Like the master giving the servants money before he goes away, Free Money Day offers people money out of the blue. Also like the master who is transforming the servants into entrepreneurs, Free Money Day offers a different view of money. The organizers say that it “is a global invitation for people to explore, in a liberating and fun way, what it might be like if our relationship to money was a little different... people will hand out their own money to complete strangers, two coins or notes at a time, asking the recipients to pass one of these coins or notes on to someone else. It’s an opportunity to start fresh conversations about money, sharing, and anything else that might come up.” Free Money Day casts a different light on the gift of money.
Some people are (rightly) suspicious of the idea of free money. They agree to participate more readily when the money-giver proposes that they keep half of what they receive, and give the other half to someone else. Both giving and receiving are complicated for us. “Where we are most wounded is in receiving the generosity of others. Perhaps part of the reason so many Free Money Day participants have reported unwillingness to receive is because we have a cultural connotation that receiving help, from anyone -- especially strangers -- is linked with weakness. In this way... offering help becomes an insult -- an accusation that someone cannot manage by themselves -- rather than what it is intended to be -- a gesture of love and goodwill.”
Giving money is hard, and receiving it may be even more difficult. Jesus invites us to see both through the lens of faith.
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From team member Ron Love:
(These illustrations are based on biblical themes represented in this week’s lectionary readings.)
Judgment
South Carolina State Senator Paul Campbell was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Campbell’s blood-alcohol level was 0.09, and the legal limit in the state is 0.08. He was charged with DUI after he failed to stop in time in congested traffic on Interstate 26, which caused him to hit the back of a jeep. Paul and his wife Vicki were also charged with providing false information to police because following the accident they switched seats, and Vicki claimed that she was driving. It should be noted that the 71-year-old Republican is the chairman of the Senate’s Ethics Committee.
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Judgment
Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, for leaving his post in Afghanistan in 2009 because he wanted to speak to his commanders about problems he saw with his unit. Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban and held captive for five years. In the days immediately following his disappearance there was a massive search for Bergdahl, in which a number of soldiers were severely wounded. One soldier is confined to a wheelchair and cannot speak. Another soldier, after multiple surgeries, still does not have the full mobility of his one hand. While in captivity Bergdahl suffered greatly, with health problems brought on by squalid conditions and beatings. After several attempts to escape Bergdahl was placed in a cage for four years, during which time his muscles atrophied to the point that he could barely stand or walk. His release came with the exchange of five Taliban prisoners approved by President Obama. Though Bergdahl faced life in prison, the judge presiding over the case, Colonel Jeffery Nance, sentenced the 31-year-old to a dishonorable discharge and to forfeiting pay equal to $1,000 per month for 10 months. The judge offered no explanation for his sentence, which many considered to be too lenient because of the number of soldiers in the search party who were wounded. It has been speculated that the judge considered the treatment that Bergdahl endured as a prisoner, his mental health condition, the intelligence information he was able to provide, and Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric which influenced public opinion regarding the case, with Trump saying that Bergdahl is a “dirty rotten traitor” who should be shot and thrown out of an airplane without a parachute.
*****
Judgment
The president of Florida State University has just banned all fraternities and sororities after the death by alcohol poisoning of a fraternity pledge. Andrew Coffey, 20, a pledge for Pi Kappa Phi, died during the pledging rituals. University president John Thrasher reported that the length of the suspension has not been determined. He expressed his concern, saying: “I just feel for whatever reason, the message is not getting through.” Thrasher went on to say: “For this suspension to end, there will need to be a new normal for Greek life on campus. They must participate in that culture.”
*****
Watchfulness
Astronaut Richard “Dick” Gordon recently died. He flew on Gemini 11 in 1966, where he walked in space twice. In 1969 he was on the Apollo 12 mission, remaining in the command module that circled the moon while two other astronauts were parked and walking on the moon. These two combined flights gave Gordon 316 hours in space. His first spacewalk was very difficult. He was so excited that he put on his space suit an hour early. Then when it came to leave the capsule he could not get his helmet on, which caused him to perspire to the point that his vison was blurred. This problem delayed his walk. His second walk was just the opposite. He said the second experience “was so nice and warm and cuddly” that he fell asleep while walking in space.
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Stewardship
Every year there is a “must have” toy, and this year it is L.O.L. Surprise! Selling for $69.99, the toy is a glittery, dome-shaped plastic case filled with 50 surprises -- four dolls along with their clothes and accessories. Each is individually wrapped, and it can take several hours to unwrap them all and discover the surprises within. L.O.L. Surprise! dolls means Little Outrageous Little Surprise. Released six weeks ago, they are already sold out -- but can be purchased on eBay for 10 times the original selling price. MGA Entertainment, the company which produces the toy, got its idea for L.O.L. Surprise! by watching “unboxing” videos on YouTube. If people enjoyed watching videos of individuals unboxing things, they reasoned, why not make a toy for it? The founder of the company, Issac Larian, said: “Frankly, we were seeing these videos everywhere and thought, why not just bring an unboxing toy to these kids.”
*****
Evil
Devin Patrick Kelley parked his car at a gas station across from First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a small, close-knit community of 400 residents. Kelley began shooting his way across the church lawn, then he walked up the center aisle of the sanctuary and then back down the aisle, firing his Ruger AR-556 automatic rifle the entire time. The police collected 450 shell casings. The massacre killed 26 individuals, with the ages of the victims ranging from 18 months to 77 years old. One of those murdered was a baby still in his mother’s womb, and is considered by Texas law to be one of the 26 murdered victims. Many of the victims were members of the same family. About 20 others were wounded, with 10 still hospitalized in critical condition. The motive was one of domestic violence. Kelley’s mother-in-law attended First Baptist, and he was seeking her out -- though on this particular sabbath day she was not in church. If proper paperwork had been filed on three different occasions -- for domestic violence, mental health problems, and unlawful use of a firearm -- Kelley would have prevented from purchasing his automatic rifle and handguns.
*****
Evil
Rene Boucher, an anesthesiologist, did not like how Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist and U.S. Senator representing Kentucky, took care of his lawn. Paul’s trees were troublesome to Boucher. So, one day recently Rene charged across the lawn of his neighbor of 17 years and grabbed him by the back, pulling Rand off his lawn tractor as he was mowing. The senator suffered several broken ribs.
*****
Evil
After the downfall of Harvey Weinstein and Bill O’Reilly on charges of sexual harassment and sexual assault, women have been empowered to come forth and accuse other perpetrators. These are men in powerful positions who used that power to force themselves on young and vulnerable women. In the weeks since the first allegations against Weinstein, at least 20 prominent men have been forced to defend or apologize for their past actions. Sari Kamin, once an aspiring actress who now works in publishing and food writing, spoke about being sexually harassed by director James Toback with the promise of a possible film role. Kamin said, “More than anything, what made me want to come forward is: I felt like finally people were listening.”
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Thanksgiving Day
When Woodrow Wilson, the future president of the United States, was a young professor at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania he had an ambition to teach political science elsewhere. His major complaint regarding the Bryn Mawr students was that they suffered from “a painful absenteeism of mind.” In other words, they had no inclination to apply themselves to their academic subjects and forgot most of what they were taught. With great relish Wilson accepted a new assignment at Wesleyan University in Middleton, Connecticut.
*****
Thanksgiving Day
This is a lesson that legendary lyricist Oscar Hammerstein learned and never wanted to forget. At the age of 46 Hammerstein had worked on 30 different musical scores, all of which failed to meet public approval. Then one day Hammerstein teamed up with Richard Rodgers, and the following year they wrote the musical Oklahoma. This success made such an enormous impact on Hammerstein’s life that he took out a full-page ad in Variety magazine. He had printed as a headline: “I’ve done it before and I can do it again!” and then he listed every one of his failures. The purpose of the ad was to keep himself humble, and to act as a reminder of how blessed he was to have Richard Rodgers as a partner.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Lift up your eyes to the One who is enthroned in the heavens!
People: We look to God, as servants look to their master.
Leader: Have mercy upon us, O God, have mercy upon us.
People: We have had more than enough of contempt.
Leader: Our soul has had more than its fill of scorn from the idle.
People: Have mercy upon us, O God, have mercy upon us.
OR
Leader: Let us worship the God of all creation.
People: We lift our voices in praise to our creating God.
Leader: Let us give thanks for all God has entrusted to us.
People: We are thankful for God’s bounty.
Leader: Let us give an accounting of how we use God’s riches.
People: We confess our sins of misusing God’s resources.
(Or use this as the last line instead of the above)
People: Can we get back to you on that?
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”
found in:
UMH: 66
H82: 410
PH: 478
CH: 23
LBW: 549
ELA: 864, 865
W&P: 82
AMEC: 70
Renew: 53
“For the Beauty of the Earth”
found in:
UMH: 92
H82: 416
PH: 473
NNBH: 8
NCH: 28
CH: 56
LBW: 561
ELA: 879
W&P: 40
AMEC: 578
STLT: 21
“This Is My Father’s World”
found in:
UMH: 144
H82: 651
PH: 293
AAHH: 149
NNBH: 41
CH: 59
LBW: 554
ELA: 824
W&P: 21
AMEC: 47
“Cuando El Pobre” (“When the Poor Ones”)
found in:
UMH: 434
PH: 407
CH: 662
ELA: 725
W&P: 624
“What Does the Lord Require”
found in:
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
W&P: 686
“Creator of the Earth and Skies”
found in:
UMH: 450
H82: 148
“More Love to Thee, O Christ”
found in:
UMH: 453
PH: 359
AAHH: 575
NNBH: 214
NCH: 456
CH: 527
AMEC: 460
“Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart”
found in:
UMH: 500
PH: 326
AAHH: 312
NCH: 290
CH: 265
LBW: 486
ELA: 800
W&P: 132
AMEC: 189
“For the Gift of Creation”
found in:
CCB: 67
“Your Loving Kindness Is Better than Life”
found in:
CCB: 26
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 created all that is or ever will be: Grant us the wisdom to use our resources rightly
as they are but gifts from you; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for the wonder of your creating power. All that is or ever will be has come from you. Help us as we worship you to listen to Jesus, who instructs us to use your resources wisely. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to understand that everything belongs to God.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have recklessly used and abused much of the resources you have shared with us. We have taken from the earth without regard to those who come after us, and we have polluted and damaged much of the earth. We have hoarded and controlled many of your gifts, while so many of your children are in need. We misuse our time and talents on things that do not last and matter very little. Give us true hearts of repentance that are reflected in the ways we change our lives and the ways we use your good resources. Amen.
Leader: God is gracious and generous. God not only shares the resources of this world but also the resources of heaven. Receive God’s grace and forgiveness, and amend your lives.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
Praise and glory are yours, O God, creator of heaven and earth. Your creating power is wondrous to behold.
(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 have recklessly used and abused much of the resources you have shared with us. We have taken from the earth without regard to those who come after us, and we have polluted and damaged much of the earth. We have hoarded and controlled many of your gifts, while so many of your children are in need. We misuse our time and talents on things that do not last and matter very little. Give us true hearts of repentance that are reflected in the ways we change our lives and the ways we use your good resources.
We give you thanks for the many blessings of this life. We thank you for the abundance of the earth’s resources that you share with us. We thank you for those who have reflected your love for us by sharing with us not only material things but also themselves.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for those in need, and especially for those who do without because we are selfish. We pray for the insight to see how our behavior affects others, and for the will to change.
(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
Pass around a bag of wrapped candy to the children, and encourage them to take all they want. (If the first children don’t want to take very much, egg them on to take more.) Be sure to run out before the last child. (If you don’t have very many children, you can even help yourself first.) When you run out, tell the children that maybe taking all you want is not a good idea. What would be a better idea? Sharing so all get some?
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Use It or Lose It
by Dean Feldmeyer
Matthew 25:14-30
Items needed: Two covered trays filled with small pieces of bread (enough for each child to have one). The bread on one tray should be fresh; the bread on the other tray should sit out until it is obviously stale or even moldy (the worse the better). (Optional -- you can use pieces of banana or apple instead, or half gallons of milk, one of which has been allowed to go sour.)
Good morning! I brought a treat to share with all of you. I knew you’d love it, so I’ve been saving it for a long time. I knew some other people who wanted it, but I said “No! These are for the kids at the church and I’m saving it just for them.” (Whip the cover off the tray to display the nasty, moldy, stale bread or whatever treat you have been saving.)
Oops! I guess this stuff didn’t save very well, did it? Oh, wait. Now, here are some things that I got especially for you, but I haven’t been saving them hardly at all. (Whip the cover off the tray with the fresh, delicious snacks. Share them.)
You know, one of the things that today’s Bible story tells us is that sometimes things shouldn’t be saved. If we try to save them we will lose them. The best way to have some things -- like bread, or bananas or apples or most kinds of fresh fruit -- is not to save them, because if we save them we’ll lose them. No, the best way to have those things is to give them away, to share them with our brothers and sisters.
In the same way, if we try to save up ourselves we’ll lose ourselves. We are not supposed to be saved up. We are meant to be shared with our brothers and sisters.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 19, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 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.
That all seems pretty straightforward -- but in this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating suggests that Jesus may be speaking somewhat metaphorically, and that the investment he seeks is in the spread of God’s kingdom and on the care for his children in the world. Looked at from that perspective, we are charged with taking the risk of investing our wealth in society rather than merely guarding its safety and hoarding it for ourselves. If that’s the standard for judging whether we are engaging in good stewardship of God’s gifts, then the financially sophisticated wealthy who have been putting their increasingly concentrated riches in all manner of tax havens and offshore accounts may be practicing the modern equivalent of burying their talents in the ground. Rather than maximizing the positive side of a virtual ledger, perhaps we ought to use our wealth in more socially responsible ways to repair our decaying infrastructure or invest in the well-being of our people... even if that means taking a financially risky path.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on Paul’s observations to the Thessalonians -- a message that many of us might need to be reminded of in the wake of the devastating church shooting in Sutherland Springs, Texas. Musing on the news that some congregations are responding by arming themselves and deploying heavy security, Dean observes that we need to avoid the temptation to respond to violence with violence. Instead, we need to follow Paul’s advice to protect ourselves by putting on “the breastplate of faith and love” and the “helmet [of the] hope of salvation” -- for to do otherwise is to negate the power of the church to function as a supportive community that spreads the grace of “the God who loves us, watches over us, and, in the end, welcomes us home.”
Risky Business
by Chris Keating
Matthew 25:14-30
Of all the slaves Jesus mentions in the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), the third one was the guy who best understood the meaning of tax shelters. He’s been watching the cable shows and reads the Wall Street Journal. He’s kept his pencils sharp and his spreadsheets open. He probably attended a financial stability seminar at church last year.
In short, this guy is nobody’s fool. He seems like the ultimate believer in laissez-faire economics: no one is going near his investment. The others took their money and ran off to the market, but he has the best plan. His boss’s money is buried in his backyard, perhaps the New Testament equivalent of an offshore entity.
In recent years, billionaires and the mega-wealthy have employed similar strategies. Burying funds offshore, the rich have seen their wealth accumulate steadily. It’s largely a strategy of self-preservation. Economists note that the richest one percent of the world’s population now own more than half of the world’s wealth.
It’s all perfectly legal, favored by people like Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and others who are also in favor of the Republican proposals to cut corporate taxes in hopes of spurring greater economic growth.
Like the talent buried by the third slave, their enormous wealth is safely hidden. It’s not being used to reduce the costs of education. It’s not helping to rebuild Puerto Rico, and it’s likely not generating wealth for vast numbers of other people aside from fund managers and brokers. Meanwhile, in a few weeks Congress will be deciding on tax legislation that will likely help the wealthy while doing little for others.
Time is short, and Jesus’ words remind us that the kingdom involves taking risks. The master will be returning soon, and when he does he’ll demand a full accounting. This is risky business -- and the boss will want to know just what sort of risks the employees have taken.
In the News
Republican leaders are feeling the crunch of time. Scampering like college kids headed home for Thanksgiving, GOP leaders are pushing their aggressive tax reform agenda. Soon, they hope, possibly very soon, the House will vote on its plan. Meanwhile, the Senate began the process of hashing out details of their plan this week.
Hopes to land a bill on President Trump’s desk before the ceremonial pardoning of the Thanksgiving turkey are likely overly optimistic. There’s still plenty of work ahead, plenty of obstacles, and also more than a few distractions -- including fallout from the president’s trip to Asia and the allegations of sexual misconduct lodged against Roy Moore, the renegade GOP nominee for Senate from Alabama.
President Trump will hardly be able to shake off the jet lag before immersing himself in the prickly nettle bush of tax reform. Trump has promised nothing less than the largest tax cut in United States history. (Spoiler: its net effect is estimated to be less than the Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2010 signed by President Obama, and significantly lower than President Reagan’s tax cut in 1981.)
But even if the changes are not quite as “yuuge” as Trump purports, there’s a question lurking beneath the reams of analyses and the piles of pundit talking points. It’s a question, says Karoline Lewis, framed from the lines of this week’s parable: What are you doing with the resources tendered into your care?
There’s an uncanny resemblance between the servants in Jesus’ story and political leaders. In our situation, Republican control of the legislative and executive branch feels a bit like the servants in whose hands a tremendous amount of wealth has been given. They’ve got the golden ticket, though it remains to be seen exactly who will benefit.
Answers to that question vary, though most Americans seem skeptical that the plan will benefit the middle class. Additionally, there are concerns whether the tax cuts will indeed spur additional growth. One writer termed Trump’s plan the same old supply-side “snake oil the right has been peddling for decades,” calling it the arrival of the “zombies of voodoo economics.”
An economist from the Brookings Institute suggests the gut reactions of most Americans may be correct. William Gale, a former economic adviser to President George H.W. Bush, notes that the House plan will play well with wealthy GOP supporters. “The rich donors who are part of the base would come out quite nicely from this proposal,” Gale said. “The proverbial kind of lower-middle-class worker is not going to benefit as much, particularly when the financing of the tax cut is taken into account.”
Analysts wonder how the tax plan will truly trickle down to those in the middle- and lower-income brackets, and worry about the accompanying deficits. Some see potential gains -- while others say there are too many “moving parts ” to make a categorical assessment. But the larger issue is what happens down the road as the reality of spending cuts takes hold. It’s possible that short-term gains will be small potatoes compared to drastic reductions in government programs and services.
“[The relief] seem appealing at first glance, but when we recognize the price that’s being paid in terms of provisions of programs and services that are important for improving the fabric of our nation, that price tag is probably too high,” noted Doug Hall, director of economic and fiscal policy at the Economic Progress Institute. “What the whole thing really is is an attempt to get everybody else on board for what is essentially a huge tax cut for the very wealthy and for corporations.”
Politicians, of course, most often fall into the self-preservation mode so well characterized by the third servant. It’s fascinating that President Trump apparently consulted his own accountant prior to the release of plan’s details. Trump has said he has a lot to lose in this plan, but policy experts believe he will be among those benefiting from repeal of the estate tax and the alternative minimum tax. While aspects of the plan will exact more tax from someone like Trump, a left-leaning think tank estimates he’ll save roughly $23-million annually.
Wealth trickles up, and the fear of losing what one has accumulated can be consuming. Much like the servant who hid his single talent, many of the world’s wealthiest individuals work overtime to keep their billions buried. Last week, details about the elaborate tactics used by the world’s wealthiest persons emerged with the release of the so-called Paradise Papers, a trove of findings gathered by nearly 400 investigative journalists around the world.
The papers documented the various the pathways the world’s wealthiest individuals pursue to bury their treasure, and among other things confirmed the close connections between Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and members of Vladimir Putin’s family.
Today’s mega-rich use their power and prestige to bury funds in offshore accounts out of fear of losing it to the tax collector, acting out of the similar sort of fear that prompted the third slave to hide his money. The slave was concerned about losing his shirt. It was the ultimate protectionist move, akin to the complex ways billionaires hide their money from taxes and public exposure.
In recent years, the ever-accumulating fortunes of billionaires has been growing steadily at rates averaging 7 to 8 percent, though total wealth has only been averaging just 3 percent growth annually. Globally, the wealthy bury money in businesses, banks, and other safe havens. It’s been profitable for them, but expensive for the rest of the population.
While legal, the Paradise Papers reveal the extent to which the hidden money only benefits the super-rich. Writer Bryce Covert points out the impact of these schemes, which one economist says could amount to a loss of $70 billion in tax revenue annually. Covert argues:
We worry a lot about the cost of social programs in this country, saying we simply can’t afford many things that we know could bring big rewards. But that missing $70 billion from corporate offshore tax avoidance would go a long way. A mere $140 million could replace the lead water pipes poisoning children in Flint, Michigan. It would cost just an estimated $22.5 billion to end homelessness by providing all needy families with rental assistance. President Barack Obama asked Congress for $75 billion for his initial universal preschool plan; universal preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds would cost $98.4 billion over 10 years.
What’s in their wallet? Plenty of spare change, and if recent trends are any indication, there’s a good chance a lot of that change is buried outside -- or perhaps offshore.
In the Scriptures
Once upon a time, a preacher might have been content to look at this parable as a pericope outlining what might be called the softer side of stewardship. On the theory that honey is more enticing than vinegar, preachers turned to this text to see it as a way of encouraging a personal stewardship of talents -- the third leg of the proverbial three-legged stewardship stool (“time, talents, and treasure”). Where more adventuresome preachers would zero in on dollars and cents, those seeking a softer, more gentle approach would opt for an allegorical reading of this parable, encouraging the congregation to step up the number of Sundays they’ve volunteered to usher or weed the church lawn.
Obviously, there is a need to recruit people for jobs. But this text is not the place to go in search of a theology of talents. As far as the New Testament is concerned, remember that a talent was a vast sum of money. A single talent was equal to 15 years of wages for a day laborer. According to Google, an average day laborer today earns about $14.50 per hour. Once you do the math, a talent still adds up to a lot of money.
Jesus’ economics are mixed here with an understanding of eschatology. This third judgment parable focuses primarily on the obligations of those entrusted with gifts. There are a number of elements in the parable which can throw us off-track, including the slave’s characterization of his master; the violent imagery associated with judgment; and the paralyzing fear which (perhaps understandably) keeps the servant from investing his single talent.
Yet is the master truly a harsh man? Isn’t this the good and giving boss who left slaves to manage his fortune? This man does not seek out a safe place for his money, nor does he enlist the advice of a wealth management expert. Instead, he sets up a blind trust, doling out his property to the servants “each according to his ability.”
The master does not reap where he did not sow. Instead, he is generous with his wealth, bestowing on the slaves the power to act as stewards of his property. When he returns, the man calls for an accounting of his investments. The first servant enters, and tells the man he’s doubled what was entrusted to him. The second servant also reports successful gains. These two are rewarded with the possibilities of more responsibilities.
If the third slave had been listening to others present their results, he or she would likely have been encouraged. After all, he had played by the rules. Everything he did was legal. He made darn sure his boss wasn’t overly exposed in a fluctuating market. Fearful of what the markets might do, the third slave failed to take any risks at all.
Instead, he sat on top of his talent and kept on reading the stock market tables, doing nothing.
In the Sermon
Discipleship is not a risk-free venture. As Jesus closes out his ministry, he is once more reminding the church of what is involved with being salt and light in the world. His actions hearken back to the Sermon of the Mount. The kingdom does not belong to those who play it safe; instead, it belongs to those who are persecuted. It’s given to the meek, and revealed in the eyes of those who are mourning because they have lost everything.
It is not particularly easy to preach risky discipleship. Our congregations prefer their pews and their financial portfolios both to be well-padded. This is particularly true for those who have come to see Thanksgiving as a day of decadent indulgence rather than a time of contemplating gratitude. Yet the parable urges us to hear the call to faithful discipleship. Here is an invitation to see the gospel as a call to pursue new possibilities, knowing that we have been entrusted with nothing less than the fortune of heaven.
The deepening gap between rich and poor plays out in many different ways, and challenges the church to recall what it means to serve One who had been born in poverty and was homeless for much of his adult life. Our leaders are busy crafting programs that will benefit the rich while penalizing the poor. Their attention is on self-preservation and the protection of their own interests. Jesus calls the church to live in a risky world, metaphorically calling the disciples to bet the farm on the least likely horse in the race. It is an invitation that calls us to look beyond our self-interests and to be set free from fears which inhibit us from loving others.
“All those who have, more will be given” may sound like the siren song of prosperity preachers. Yet these words of Jesus are an invitation for his followers to rise from their padded pews and to accept the call to an adventuresome faith grounded in both the Sermon on the Mount and the words of the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations.”
SECOND THOUGHTS
Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition
by Dean Feldmeyer
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Last week, Pastor Jaime Chapa of El Faro Bible Church in Sullivan City, Texas, told KRGV news that this Sunday, when he climbs into his pulpit to preach, he’ll be packin’ heat... and not just the rhetorical kind.
He’s going to be armed with a gun under his robes, or on his hip, or wherever the well-armed pastor is packin’ these days. And it won’t just be Pastor Jaime who will be armed, either. There will be at least two other licensed parishioners locked, loaded, and ready for action.
El Faro Bible Church isn’t the only one stepping up security in the wake of the Sutherland Springs church shooting, or other similar incidents. According to WGHP, First Christian Church in Kernersville, North Carolina, has stepped up security measures out of fear for the safety of those who attend the facility. The church has assembled a security team and enlisted the help of the local police, who patrol the parking lot and offer extra security to area churches during Sunday worship.
I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. Christian churches are often more in the business of reflecting the culture around them than they are in transforming it as Jesus called them to do. It’s one thing to trust the Lord to be our shepherd in the broad and uncertain sense -- but when it comes to guns, well, we’re Americans and there’s nothing that reassures us and puts our hearts at ease quite as effectively as our guns.
The psalmist asks “From where will my help come?” And then answers his own question: “My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Psalm 121). The American pastor adds: But just in case, I’ll be strappin’ on my Colt 45 or my Beretta 9mm.
The psalmist proclaims “The Lord is my shepherd” (Psalm 23). The American pastor responds: But I’ll be bringing along this AR-15 just in case my shepherd turns out to be not up to the task.
In this week’s epistle lesson, Paul repeats some of what was talked about last Sunday concerning the Day of the Lord: It will be a surprise both in timing and content. No one knows when it will happen, and it’s going to challenge our expectations -- especially for those who think they have it all together, all under control, all figured out.
The Lord’s Day is going to fall on those folks like an avalanche. It’s going to be a surprise. It’s going to be inescapable. And it’s going to destroy everything that we thought was forever.
The Day of the Lord will be a day of celebration for some, and a day of judgement for others.
So how do we prepare?
Do we go out and buy a gun? Do we pay armed guards to patrol the parking lots and the lobbies of our churches? Do we put on our Kevlar and lock and load?
Paul offers another option.
Instead of a bulletproof vest, put on the breastplate of faith and love. Instead of a Kevlar helmet, put on the hope of salvation.
This is how we who live in God’s Kingdom arm ourselves to go out into the world.
We are not, he says, created for wrath, for anger, for violence; we obtain salvation and redemption not through violence but through the grace of God as it is made available to us in our Lord Jesus Christ.
When I first heard about Pastor Jaime’s intention to arm himself in church, I was reminded of what theologian, pastor, writer, and peace activist Walter Wink referred to as “The Myth of Redemptive Violence.”
It is, according to Wink, one of the pillars of our culture, a myth that has defined us for more than two centuries, and one that is destined to destroy us right down to the last man, woman, and child.
It is fed to us in cartoons, folktales, fables, and hero stories, and it is this: We are not saved by the grace of God but by our own capacity for violence, by our ability to produce and perpetrate it upon others more efficiently and efficiently than those who might do us ill.
And it is nowhere better demonstrated than in the popular song “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition.”
Written by Broadway tunesmith Frank Loesser, the song was very popular during World War II and tells the story of a military chaplain, or “sky pilot,” who comes across a group of men operating an anti-aircraft gun during the attack on Pearl Harbor. When two of the men are wounded he is asked to say a prayer -- but the chaplain puts down his Bible, mans one of the ship’s gun turrets, and begins firing back, saying, “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.”
Do you see how clever it is?
It functions in humor and irony. And it gives us justification for our violence that negates the witness which we might otherwise expect from a Christian chaplain. If a chaplain, of all people, is called and expected to do violence, then no one else can do the same, right?
The only problem is that the story isn’t true.
Here’s what really happened, according to Lieutenant Edwin F. Woodhead -- the man who was there when the line was first spoken. Woodhead was the officer in charge of an ammunition line on the USS New Orleans. The electrical lifts that brought ammunition to the deck of the ship had been taken out by the Japanese bombers on their first pass. As the planes turned and prepared to make a second pass, the sailors were forced to pass the ammunition to each other in a bucket brigade fashion. Lieutenant Woodhead would later recount that during the attack “I heard a voice behind me saying, ‘Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.’ I turned and saw Chaplain Forgy walking toward me, along the line of men. He was patting them on the back and making that remark to cheer and keep them going. I know it helped me a lot too.”
I wonder if Chaplain Forgy was thinking of Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians when he said that famous sentence: “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other as, indeed, you are doing.”
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Greet the Light
Paul reminds the church in Thessalonica that no matter what happens, they are not in darkness but are children of the light. Artist James Turrell is fascinated with light -- an experience he dates back to his Quaker grandmother, who understood about the light within us. He recalls, “My grandmother used to tell me that as you sat in Quaker silence you were to go inside to greet the light. That expression stuck with me.... One thing about Quakers, and I think many Friends might laugh about this, is that often people wonder what you’re supposed to do when you go in there. And it’s kind of hard to say. Telling a child to go inside ‘to greet the light’ is about as much as was ever told to me.” He adds, “There is an idea, first of all, of vision fully formed with the eyes closed. Of course the vision we have in a lucid dream often has greater lucidity and clarity than vision with the eyes open. The fact that we have this vision with the eyes closed is very interesting. And the idea that it’s possible to actually work in a way, on the outside, to remind one of how we see on the inside, is something that became more interesting to me as an artist.”
He adds a truth from physics, which is also spiritual: “There is a truth in light. That is, you only get light by burning material. The light that you get is representative of what is burned.” Whatever is burned up and changed within us turns to light, and reflects the quality of what was consumed.
*****
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11
Light Within
“You are all children of light and children of the day,” Paul writes, and some people understand that better than others. During a walk and a conversation with her daughter, Rachel Macy Stafford and her daughter talked about their favorite insects. Her daughter shared that her favorite insect is the firefly.
Stafford says she told her daughter, “I think you’re a lot like a firefly. You know why?”
The worry on her daughter’s face lifted. She looked at her mother hopefully. “Why, Mama?”
“Because you shine from within,” Stafford replied, touching her finger to her heart. “Not everybody sees it, but I do. I see it. And my job is to protect that light. So when people say mean comments that squelch that light, I want you to tell me. I will protect your light by listening and loving you, my brave, courageous, and unique little firefly.”
Paul is right that we are children of the light -- and we need to encourage and protect that light within each other.
Stafford adds that it’s easy to see the talents of some kids. “But let us not forget the Fireflies. Their triumphs are quiet and unsuspecting. Their gifts might even go completely unnoticed. A firefly might be a seat saver on the bus so someone doesn’t have to go to the intimidating back row. A firefly might be a songwriter who pens music in his nightly dreams and hums away his days. A firefly might be an artist that creates pictures you can feel with your soul.... A firefly might get lost in a cloud of flour, delighting in culinary arts. A firefly might be a horseback rider finding peace in the company of animals and nature. A firefly might devour a 357-page book in one sitting.... A firefly might have eyes for the lonely, looking for someone who wonders if she’s invisible. A firefly might stick up for the lost, the rejected, the alone. A firefly might be the lost, the rejected, the alone... just waiting for someone to notice his light among all the bright, fluttering wings of the Butterflies.”
*****
Matthew 25:14-30
Too Much Money
In the parable Jesus tells, money is the vehicle to talk about risk and faithfulness. In the parable, the servant who makes the greatest return on the master’s investment is lauded. In our world, though, Courtney Martin raises the question of whether money might get in the way of our spiritual lives. The servants begin and end with different amounts of money, and Martin notes that our financial differences are a lens for our understanding of money. She says that “the way we interpret our own financial health is so dependent on those around us. We often think about what it’s like to ‘keep up with the Joneses,’ but rarely do we consider what it’s actually like to be the Joneses. Is their perceived comfort actually comfortable? Does their safety net, indeed, make them safe? Are they spending their time with the people they love, doing things that give them joy? Money, in sum, may buy you choice, but it rarely comes without complexity. While the benefits of a safety net are undeniable, the economic downturn illustrated just how relative the notion of security really is.”
We could think about making more money, or work on increasing what Jesus is really talking about in the parable: our ability to take a risk, to be faithful, to invest in God’s vision of the world. Martin says that, for people with enough money, our questions should change. “They should be asking themselves a whole different set of questions: Would my quality of life be better if I earned less? Should I consider not taking this promotion? Should I consider looking for a job that pays less, but brings me more satisfaction or fits better with my dream for how I structure my life? How does my current income affect my well-being? What are the effects of my wealth, however humble, on my child’s sense of self and worldview?”
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Matthew 25:14-30
Free Money Day
Like the master giving the servants money before he goes away, Free Money Day offers people money out of the blue. Also like the master who is transforming the servants into entrepreneurs, Free Money Day offers a different view of money. The organizers say that it “is a global invitation for people to explore, in a liberating and fun way, what it might be like if our relationship to money was a little different... people will hand out their own money to complete strangers, two coins or notes at a time, asking the recipients to pass one of these coins or notes on to someone else. It’s an opportunity to start fresh conversations about money, sharing, and anything else that might come up.” Free Money Day casts a different light on the gift of money.
Some people are (rightly) suspicious of the idea of free money. They agree to participate more readily when the money-giver proposes that they keep half of what they receive, and give the other half to someone else. Both giving and receiving are complicated for us. “Where we are most wounded is in receiving the generosity of others. Perhaps part of the reason so many Free Money Day participants have reported unwillingness to receive is because we have a cultural connotation that receiving help, from anyone -- especially strangers -- is linked with weakness. In this way... offering help becomes an insult -- an accusation that someone cannot manage by themselves -- rather than what it is intended to be -- a gesture of love and goodwill.”
Giving money is hard, and receiving it may be even more difficult. Jesus invites us to see both through the lens of faith.
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From team member Ron Love:
(These illustrations are based on biblical themes represented in this week’s lectionary readings.)
Judgment
South Carolina State Senator Paul Campbell was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. Campbell’s blood-alcohol level was 0.09, and the legal limit in the state is 0.08. He was charged with DUI after he failed to stop in time in congested traffic on Interstate 26, which caused him to hit the back of a jeep. Paul and his wife Vicki were also charged with providing false information to police because following the accident they switched seats, and Vicki claimed that she was driving. It should be noted that the 71-year-old Republican is the chairman of the Senate’s Ethics Committee.
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Judgment
Army Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty to desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, for leaving his post in Afghanistan in 2009 because he wanted to speak to his commanders about problems he saw with his unit. Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban and held captive for five years. In the days immediately following his disappearance there was a massive search for Bergdahl, in which a number of soldiers were severely wounded. One soldier is confined to a wheelchair and cannot speak. Another soldier, after multiple surgeries, still does not have the full mobility of his one hand. While in captivity Bergdahl suffered greatly, with health problems brought on by squalid conditions and beatings. After several attempts to escape Bergdahl was placed in a cage for four years, during which time his muscles atrophied to the point that he could barely stand or walk. His release came with the exchange of five Taliban prisoners approved by President Obama. Though Bergdahl faced life in prison, the judge presiding over the case, Colonel Jeffery Nance, sentenced the 31-year-old to a dishonorable discharge and to forfeiting pay equal to $1,000 per month for 10 months. The judge offered no explanation for his sentence, which many considered to be too lenient because of the number of soldiers in the search party who were wounded. It has been speculated that the judge considered the treatment that Bergdahl endured as a prisoner, his mental health condition, the intelligence information he was able to provide, and Donald Trump’s campaign rhetoric which influenced public opinion regarding the case, with Trump saying that Bergdahl is a “dirty rotten traitor” who should be shot and thrown out of an airplane without a parachute.
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Judgment
The president of Florida State University has just banned all fraternities and sororities after the death by alcohol poisoning of a fraternity pledge. Andrew Coffey, 20, a pledge for Pi Kappa Phi, died during the pledging rituals. University president John Thrasher reported that the length of the suspension has not been determined. He expressed his concern, saying: “I just feel for whatever reason, the message is not getting through.” Thrasher went on to say: “For this suspension to end, there will need to be a new normal for Greek life on campus. They must participate in that culture.”
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Watchfulness
Astronaut Richard “Dick” Gordon recently died. He flew on Gemini 11 in 1966, where he walked in space twice. In 1969 he was on the Apollo 12 mission, remaining in the command module that circled the moon while two other astronauts were parked and walking on the moon. These two combined flights gave Gordon 316 hours in space. His first spacewalk was very difficult. He was so excited that he put on his space suit an hour early. Then when it came to leave the capsule he could not get his helmet on, which caused him to perspire to the point that his vison was blurred. This problem delayed his walk. His second walk was just the opposite. He said the second experience “was so nice and warm and cuddly” that he fell asleep while walking in space.
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Stewardship
Every year there is a “must have” toy, and this year it is L.O.L. Surprise! Selling for $69.99, the toy is a glittery, dome-shaped plastic case filled with 50 surprises -- four dolls along with their clothes and accessories. Each is individually wrapped, and it can take several hours to unwrap them all and discover the surprises within. L.O.L. Surprise! dolls means Little Outrageous Little Surprise. Released six weeks ago, they are already sold out -- but can be purchased on eBay for 10 times the original selling price. MGA Entertainment, the company which produces the toy, got its idea for L.O.L. Surprise! by watching “unboxing” videos on YouTube. If people enjoyed watching videos of individuals unboxing things, they reasoned, why not make a toy for it? The founder of the company, Issac Larian, said: “Frankly, we were seeing these videos everywhere and thought, why not just bring an unboxing toy to these kids.”
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Evil
Devin Patrick Kelley parked his car at a gas station across from First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, a small, close-knit community of 400 residents. Kelley began shooting his way across the church lawn, then he walked up the center aisle of the sanctuary and then back down the aisle, firing his Ruger AR-556 automatic rifle the entire time. The police collected 450 shell casings. The massacre killed 26 individuals, with the ages of the victims ranging from 18 months to 77 years old. One of those murdered was a baby still in his mother’s womb, and is considered by Texas law to be one of the 26 murdered victims. Many of the victims were members of the same family. About 20 others were wounded, with 10 still hospitalized in critical condition. The motive was one of domestic violence. Kelley’s mother-in-law attended First Baptist, and he was seeking her out -- though on this particular sabbath day she was not in church. If proper paperwork had been filed on three different occasions -- for domestic violence, mental health problems, and unlawful use of a firearm -- Kelley would have prevented from purchasing his automatic rifle and handguns.
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Evil
Rene Boucher, an anesthesiologist, did not like how Rand Paul, an ophthalmologist and U.S. Senator representing Kentucky, took care of his lawn. Paul’s trees were troublesome to Boucher. So, one day recently Rene charged across the lawn of his neighbor of 17 years and grabbed him by the back, pulling Rand off his lawn tractor as he was mowing. The senator suffered several broken ribs.
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Evil
After the downfall of Harvey Weinstein and Bill O’Reilly on charges of sexual harassment and sexual assault, women have been empowered to come forth and accuse other perpetrators. These are men in powerful positions who used that power to force themselves on young and vulnerable women. In the weeks since the first allegations against Weinstein, at least 20 prominent men have been forced to defend or apologize for their past actions. Sari Kamin, once an aspiring actress who now works in publishing and food writing, spoke about being sexually harassed by director James Toback with the promise of a possible film role. Kamin said, “More than anything, what made me want to come forward is: I felt like finally people were listening.”
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Thanksgiving Day
When Woodrow Wilson, the future president of the United States, was a young professor at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania he had an ambition to teach political science elsewhere. His major complaint regarding the Bryn Mawr students was that they suffered from “a painful absenteeism of mind.” In other words, they had no inclination to apply themselves to their academic subjects and forgot most of what they were taught. With great relish Wilson accepted a new assignment at Wesleyan University in Middleton, Connecticut.
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Thanksgiving Day
This is a lesson that legendary lyricist Oscar Hammerstein learned and never wanted to forget. At the age of 46 Hammerstein had worked on 30 different musical scores, all of which failed to meet public approval. Then one day Hammerstein teamed up with Richard Rodgers, and the following year they wrote the musical Oklahoma. This success made such an enormous impact on Hammerstein’s life that he took out a full-page ad in Variety magazine. He had printed as a headline: “I’ve done it before and I can do it again!” and then he listed every one of his failures. The purpose of the ad was to keep himself humble, and to act as a reminder of how blessed he was to have Richard Rodgers as a partner.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Lift up your eyes to the One who is enthroned in the heavens!
People: We look to God, as servants look to their master.
Leader: Have mercy upon us, O God, have mercy upon us.
People: We have had more than enough of contempt.
Leader: Our soul has had more than its fill of scorn from the idle.
People: Have mercy upon us, O God, have mercy upon us.
OR
Leader: Let us worship the God of all creation.
People: We lift our voices in praise to our creating God.
Leader: Let us give thanks for all God has entrusted to us.
People: We are thankful for God’s bounty.
Leader: Let us give an accounting of how we use God’s riches.
People: We confess our sins of misusing God’s resources.
(Or use this as the last line instead of the above)
People: Can we get back to you on that?
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven”
found in:
UMH: 66
H82: 410
PH: 478
CH: 23
LBW: 549
ELA: 864, 865
W&P: 82
AMEC: 70
Renew: 53
“For the Beauty of the Earth”
found in:
UMH: 92
H82: 416
PH: 473
NNBH: 8
NCH: 28
CH: 56
LBW: 561
ELA: 879
W&P: 40
AMEC: 578
STLT: 21
“This Is My Father’s World”
found in:
UMH: 144
H82: 651
PH: 293
AAHH: 149
NNBH: 41
CH: 59
LBW: 554
ELA: 824
W&P: 21
AMEC: 47
“Cuando El Pobre” (“When the Poor Ones”)
found in:
UMH: 434
PH: 407
CH: 662
ELA: 725
W&P: 624
“What Does the Lord Require”
found in:
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
W&P: 686
“Creator of the Earth and Skies”
found in:
UMH: 450
H82: 148
“More Love to Thee, O Christ”
found in:
UMH: 453
PH: 359
AAHH: 575
NNBH: 214
NCH: 456
CH: 527
AMEC: 460
“Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart”
found in:
UMH: 500
PH: 326
AAHH: 312
NCH: 290
CH: 265
LBW: 486
ELA: 800
W&P: 132
AMEC: 189
“For the Gift of Creation”
found in:
CCB: 67
“Your Loving Kindness Is Better than Life”
found in:
CCB: 26
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 created all that is or ever will be: Grant us the wisdom to use our resources rightly
as they are but gifts from you; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for the wonder of your creating power. All that is or ever will be has come from you. Help us as we worship you to listen to Jesus, who instructs us to use your resources wisely. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to understand that everything belongs to God.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have recklessly used and abused much of the resources you have shared with us. We have taken from the earth without regard to those who come after us, and we have polluted and damaged much of the earth. We have hoarded and controlled many of your gifts, while so many of your children are in need. We misuse our time and talents on things that do not last and matter very little. Give us true hearts of repentance that are reflected in the ways we change our lives and the ways we use your good resources. Amen.
Leader: God is gracious and generous. God not only shares the resources of this world but also the resources of heaven. Receive God’s grace and forgiveness, and amend your lives.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
Praise and glory are yours, O God, creator of heaven and earth. Your creating power is wondrous to behold.
(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 have recklessly used and abused much of the resources you have shared with us. We have taken from the earth without regard to those who come after us, and we have polluted and damaged much of the earth. We have hoarded and controlled many of your gifts, while so many of your children are in need. We misuse our time and talents on things that do not last and matter very little. Give us true hearts of repentance that are reflected in the ways we change our lives and the ways we use your good resources.
We give you thanks for the many blessings of this life. We thank you for the abundance of the earth’s resources that you share with us. We thank you for those who have reflected your love for us by sharing with us not only material things but also themselves.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for those in need, and especially for those who do without because we are selfish. We pray for the insight to see how our behavior affects others, and for the will to change.
(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
Pass around a bag of wrapped candy to the children, and encourage them to take all they want. (If the first children don’t want to take very much, egg them on to take more.) Be sure to run out before the last child. (If you don’t have very many children, you can even help yourself first.) When you run out, tell the children that maybe taking all you want is not a good idea. What would be a better idea? Sharing so all get some?
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Use It or Lose It
by Dean Feldmeyer
Matthew 25:14-30
Items needed: Two covered trays filled with small pieces of bread (enough for each child to have one). The bread on one tray should be fresh; the bread on the other tray should sit out until it is obviously stale or even moldy (the worse the better). (Optional -- you can use pieces of banana or apple instead, or half gallons of milk, one of which has been allowed to go sour.)
Good morning! I brought a treat to share with all of you. I knew you’d love it, so I’ve been saving it for a long time. I knew some other people who wanted it, but I said “No! These are for the kids at the church and I’m saving it just for them.” (Whip the cover off the tray to display the nasty, moldy, stale bread or whatever treat you have been saving.)
Oops! I guess this stuff didn’t save very well, did it? Oh, wait. Now, here are some things that I got especially for you, but I haven’t been saving them hardly at all. (Whip the cover off the tray with the fresh, delicious snacks. Share them.)
You know, one of the things that today’s Bible story tells us is that sometimes things shouldn’t be saved. If we try to save them we will lose them. The best way to have some things -- like bread, or bananas or apples or most kinds of fresh fruit -- is not to save them, because if we save them we’ll lose them. No, the best way to have those things is to give them away, to share them with our brothers and sisters.
In the same way, if we try to save up ourselves we’ll lose ourselves. We are not supposed to be saved up. We are meant to be shared with our brothers and sisters.
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The Immediate Word, November 19, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 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.
