Somehow It All Works Out
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
For September 18, 2022:
Somehow It All Works Out
by Katy Stenta
Luke 16:1-13
If you’ve ever tried to do the math on grace, one thing is clear, it will never add up… at least not mathematically.
In the News
The furor over the recent forgiveness over student loans makes one thing clear—debt is almost never fair. A lot of the statistics about debt and how it works, and the ramifications of that forgiveness are fascinating. Here are some stats of how Biden’s forgiveness will change payments will change typical middle-class workers.
Here is a chart as to who the debt relief will benefit. Here is a post from Pastor Tracy who compares their mortgage to their student debt:
Another interesting article that might be of interest is the scam of Donald Trump’s fervor to prove the 2020 election was a scam, and it’s backing my MyPillo’s CEO Mike Lindell. All the money and research is proving to be all for naught, but they seem to be too far in to turn back. The usury is hard to leave behind. Check this out for more information.
In the Scriptures
The Bible is fairly consistently against usury. Usury being the lending at unreasonably high rates of interest. Exodus 22:25 warns against charging money against anyone who is poor. Ezekiel 18:8 says not to take interest or profit at all, and Deuteronomy 23:19-20 leaves a little room allowing for the charging of interest only on foreigners, but not on anyone of your country or blood.
In the New Testament, Jesus tells the famous Parable of the Talents in both Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. Here the landowner does not seem to be God, and Jesus is more directly warning against the usury of the rich accumulating wealth at the expense of the poor — reaping what he did not sow.
In the Sermon
My church runs a farmer’s market as one of its main ministries. I often hear “you must make money off of that” but the truth is that we do not. We take all of the money we make on the small fees we charge and put it back into the market. We envision the market as a third space, a place that is not home or work, for the people of the community to gather and be together. One year, a bunch of church volunteers worked extra hard on things, and we decided to honor them by giving them all $20 Farmer’s Market gift certificates as a thank you. Naturally, we told our vendors and church members that we were doing this. Then the church members and vendors started donating. Some of the church members donated money. Some of the vendors refused to take the certificates. A couple of the vendors even donated money. Some of the volunteers donated their certificates back to the church. It all got very confusing. No one could keep track of where the money went. It only took a day to become clear that this was not our money anymore; it was God’s money, because the math did not make numerical sense anymore. Is that not how grace works? When the numbers do not work out anymore, and the grace just keeps coming anyway? God’s math and God’s money does not add up, but somehow it all works out just the same.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Buying and Selling
by Mary Austin
Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, Amos 8:4-7
“Buying the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals” never goes out of style. The laments of Amos and Jeremiah are as fresh today as when they were first spoken. “My heart is sick,” Jeremiah announces, seeing the brokenness of the nation. “For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt,” he says, feeling the sickness of spirit around him. Both prophets convey a deep anguish about the exploitation they see around them.
We are all called to the same heart-sickness, seeing our own spiritual ill health. We continue to be a nation indifferent to the plight of the poor. We allow people to be used for political purposes, as happened recently when the state of Florida announced that twenty already marginalized people had been arrested for voter fraud.
When Florida changed its voting requirements to allow people to vote, after serving their sentences and paying any required restitution, the state had trouble letting people know if they were eligible to vote or not. At the time, one observer noted, “state officials don’t know how many have registered. They also don’t know how many felons on the voter rolls owe court fees, fines or restitution that would disqualify them from voting under a subsequent state law that limited the amendment’s scope. Florida officials have not removed any felons from the rolls for owing fines or fees.” The state has now decided to prosecute some of those voters.
Florida’s official state news site says that twenty voters have been arrested. “All 20 of these individuals were disqualified from voting after they were convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense, but they chose to vote anyway, and now they have all been charged with voter fraud — a third-degree felony punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and up to 5 years in prison…” On the same site, Attorney General Ashley Moody said, apparently without irony, “No voting system can stand without the backing and confidence of the people it serves, and thanks to Governor DeSantis, we are reinforcing that trust, and Florida’s elections system will serve as the standard-bearer for the rest of the nation.”
The voters believed their rights had been restored. “David Christopher Dana in Broward County, just north of Miami, told law enforcement agents in early August, according to an affidavit seeking his arrest, that he filled out a voter registration form "to see if his right to vote had been restored." The 58-year-old, who was convicted of a felony sex offense, later received a voter registration card, and then voted in person on Oct. 22, 2020. Terry Hubbard, who was convicted in 1989 of sexual battery of a victim under 12 years old, told law enforcement that he registered to vote at the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office. Afterward, he was sent "a ballot and a letter in the mail stating he was eligible to vote," according to court documents. The 64-year-old then returned the mail ballot.” Now, state and local election officials are trading accusations of blame, as Florida uses these would-be voters as pawns in a bigger game.
We can do better. There can be a balm in Gilead.
Jeremiah and Amos might rejoice if they saw the guaranteed income programs being tried in cites like Los Angeles. “The idea is that the best way to close the wealth gap and give people the opportunity to build a more stable life is to provide unrestricted cash payments to some of the most vulnerable Americans.” People who are poor receive cash grants. Nationwide, more than 48 programs have been started since 2020. “Some efforts are publicly funded, and others have nongovernmental support. Jack Dorsey, the former chief executive of Twitter, donated $18 million to help the initiative.”
California, with a huge population of people who are homeless because of the high cost of housing, is leading the experiments. “Several cities have moved ahead with efforts using private money: Oakland pledged to give 600 low-income families $500 for 18 months, and in San Diego, some families with young children will get $500 a month for two years. Last year, the state set aside $35 million over five years for cities to carry out pilot programs, which can use different criteria, including income level, people leaving the foster care system and residence in low-income neighborhoods.” Atlanta and Minneapolis have small programs, and in Denver “260 people living in motels or emergency shelters in Denver will receive a $6,500 payment and will get an additional $500 a month for 11 months, with payments planned for 560 more people.”
Preliminary research shows that people with this kind of guaranteed income are more likely, not less, to find stable full-time employment. It allows them to finish a certification course, for example, to complete their education, or to have reliable transportation.
We often think money and the life of the spirit are separate, and that voting is purely a civic matter. Instead, they are part of our spiritual health as a community. We can’t be whole, as a community, when some people are tricked and duped. We can’t be spiritually healthy when our neighbors are living in cars or under bridges. It’s not just casting a vote, or even being free from arrest for a mistake. It’s not just having a place to sleep. We can invest in the dignity of all people, or decide not to.
Speaking for God, Jeremiah says, “For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.” We should feel the same hurt, and take up our calling to be part of the mending — for the well-being of others, and for our own spiritual health.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Luke 16:1-13 — In the synoptic gospels, the subject Jesus talks about the most is the Kingdom of God. The subject that takes second place is… you guessed it…money. In today’s gospel lesson Jesus tells his disciples a parable about a rich man’s money manager who is embezzling money from his boss and gets caught, then attempts to feather his own nest by helping the boss’s debtors cheat on what they owe.
It’s a tough parable, hard to understand and even harder to explain in a sermon. Fortunately, Luke sums it all up in the last sentence. “You cannot serve God and wealth.”
* * *
The King’s Highway
Once upon a time, a king had a great highway built for the people who lived in his kingdom. After it was completed, but before it was opened to the public, the king decided to have a contest.
He invited as many of his subjects as desired to participate. The challenge was to see who could travel the highway the best, and the winner was to receive a box of gold.
On the day of the contest, all the people came. Some of them had fine chariots; some had fine clothing and fancy food to make the trip a luxurious journey.
Some wore their sturdiest shoes and ran along the highway on their feet to show their skill. All day they traveled the highway, and each one, when he arrived at the end, complained to the king about a large pile of rocks and debris that had been left on the path at one point, almost blocking the road and hindered their travel.
At the end of the day, a lone traveler crossed the finish line warily and walked over to the king. He was tired and dirty, but he addressed the king with great respect and handed him a small chest of gold. He said, "I stopped along the way to clear a pile of rocks and debris that was blocking the road. This chest of gold was under it all. Please have it returned to its rightful owner."
The king replied, "You are the rightful owner."
"Oh no," said the traveler, "This is not mine. I've never known such money."
"Oh yes," said the king, "you've earned this gold, for you won my contest."
"Who travels the road best is the one who makes the road better for those who will follow."
* * *
Two Tests
Popular wisdom is that the following two tests originated with Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. While Snopes debunks Schulz being the originator of the quiz, the message it communicates is pretty clever and very true.
Test Number 1
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
Okay, now try Test Number 2
1. List three teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Which one did you get the best grade on?
* * *
The Value of a Dollar
George and his wife Bessie went to the county fair every year. This was their "big" event of the year and the closest thing they ever had to a vacation.
And each year George would say to Bessie, "I sure would like to ride in that crop dustin', acrobatic bi-plane." And each year Bessie would say, "I know George, but that airplane ride costs ten dollars. And ten dollars is ten dollars."
After many years, George and Bessie went to the fair as usual, and George said, "Bessie, I'm 81 years old. If I don't ride that bi-plane this year, I may never get another chance."
Bessie replied, "George, that ride costs ten dollars. And ten dollars is ten dollars."
The pilot overheard them and said, "Folks, I've seen you here year after year. I know you've been wanting to ride in my airplane all that time. I also know that money is pretty important to you, and you don't part with it lightly, so I'll make you a deal. I'll take you both up for a ride. If you can both keep quiet for the entire ride, and not say one word, I won't charge you a thing. But if you say even one word, it'll cost you ten dollars."
George and Bessie agreed. They got in the plane and took off. The pilot did all kinds of twists, turns, rolls, and dives, but he didn't hear a peep from George or Bessie. He tried his fastest upside roll and it was still quiet from the back.
When they landed, the pilot looked at George: "Well, I don't believe it George, I did everything I could think of to get you to yell, but you didn't."
George replied, "Well, I was going to say something when Bessie fell out of the airplane...."
"But, ten dollars is ten dollars."
* * *
The Frog or the Princess
Two old guys are playing tennis and, at one point, the ball rolls into some bushes. Ol’ Antonio goes to retrieve it and he is confronted by a frog that speaks and claims to be a beautiful princess who has been turned into a frog by a mischievous wizard because she refused his proposal of matrimony. If Antonio will kiss her, the frog assures him, she will revert to her natural, beautiful princess state and marry him, and they'll both live happily ever after.
Antonio pockets the frog and returns to the game. After a bit, the frog, inside his pocket croaks, "Sir, did you forget about me? I'm the beautiful princess Alexis, turned into a frog by that evil wizard. If you kiss me I’ll become a beautiful princess and we can get married. . ." etc., etc.,
Antonio replies, "My dear lady frog, I will be completely honest with you. I can make a lot of money with a talking frog. So, I would rather have a talking frog than another wife who thinks she's a princess and will end up costing me a fortune."
* * *
1 Timothy 2:1-7 — In this passage, Paul encourages the people to pray prayers of intercession, supplication, and thanksgiving. He even encourages them to pray for the powerful people because wouldn’t the world be a better place if such people came to know Jesus Christ?
* * *
Prayer for the Czar
In the musical, “Fiddler on the Roof,” someone asks the village rabbi if there is, in the Jewish tradition, a prayer of blessing even for the Czar who has done nothing but threaten violence and make life difficult for the Jews. The old rabbi thinks for a minute and then nods sagely and says, “May God bless and keep the Czar … far away from us.”
* * *
Prayers in Prison
In Alexander Solzhenitsyn's A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Ivan endures all the horrors of a Soviet prison camp. One day he is praying with his eyes closed when a fellow prisoner notices him and says with ridicule, "Prayers won't help you get out of here any faster."
Opening his eyes, Ivan answers, "I do not pray to get out of prison but to do the will of God while I’m in it."
* * *
Praying Like Luther’s Dog
In Table Talk, a collection of Martin Luther’s stories, lectures, observations that he shared at the dinner table with friends and students, we hear the story of Luther’s dog.
One time Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; Luther is reported to have said, “Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope.”
* * *
Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 — In this passage, Jeremiah laments the destruction of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians under king Nebuchadnezzar. He especially laments how all of this death and destruction and suffering might have been avoided if the people, especially the king, would have turned to the Lord and not their own paltry wisdom.
* * *
If This be Victory
In 2014, reporter Jamela Aingogan wrote the following dispatch for the news service Aljazeera. It is reminiscent of today’s passage from Jeremiah and illustrates that not much has changed in 3,000 years:
After 19 days of siege, the Philippine military declared victory in Zamboanga against fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front. But at what price?
More than 300 people were killed. And hundreds of thousands were left homeless.
Hundreds of evacuees continue to live under squalid conditions. Many of them deeply traumatized by the fighting. Their horror continues, they tell me, because the situation in the camps had stripped them of their dignity.
Over 150 people have died in the shelters, more than half of them are children. Most of them dying of respiratory and water-borne diseases. Medical and food rations have dwindled. More than half of the children are out of school.
Ayana Sabturani’s infant son was one of the children who perished. She was pregnant when she started living in this camp — her baby was born here. After three months, her baby died of pneumonia. She told me her story under a makeshift shelter of carton and wood, clutching my hand while she cried.
Ayana’s other malnourished children stared blankly at their mother. They were half-naked and had what looked like skin infections on their faces and chests. Their hair was patchy, scabs covering their scalps and their extremities.
The mayor of Zamboanga tells me her government is doing everything it can. “Conditions here are getting better and they will continue to improve, inshallah,” she said, smiling to me sweetly. But did she think I couldn’t see? You can barely call these shelters. The camps are horrid.
* * * * * *
From team member Tom Willadsen:
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Contentment
In “Soak up the Sun,” rock star Sheryl Crow sang, “It’s not having what you want/It’s wanting what you got.” Crow was paraphrasing Rabbi Hyman Schachtel, whose quote is, “happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” The wisdom of this sentiment is clear and it appears in a less pithy way in today’s epistle reading.
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Greed
Extreme avarice almost always defeats itself. No passion more often fails of its object, and in none does present self-interest wield such compelling power to the prejudice of the future. — Maxims of Rochefoucauld
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Penny perspective
“Hold a penny at arm’s length, and it will appear as a dot against the sun; hold it next to the eye and it will cover the sun.” (Preaching the New Common Lectionary, Year C, After Pentecost Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1988, p. 182.)
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Godliness, piety, religion?
The NRSV renders the Greek ευςεβεια as “godliness.” A better translation would be “religion,” though other translations come close with “piety.” The point is that true faith, religion that is lived, integrated into one’s everyday life, will bring contentment. Striving for more, especially more money, will not lead to contentment.
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
Lazarus…and some other guy
This parable is a little unusual in that one of the characters is named (the poor man) Lazarus. It does not appear that this Lazarus is the same man whom Jesus brought back from the dead in John’s gospel. There are many details in this parable. The rich man, for example, died and was buried, presumably because his survivors could afford to bury him. Lazarus was carried away by angels, thus sparing his family some expenses.
The really interesting detail is that it is the poor character who is named, while the rich one is identified only by his wealth, unnamed. This may be another very subtle way that points to the Lord’s preferential option for the poor.
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:
Jeremiah 8:18-9:1
The hurt of my poor people
Both Jeremiah and Amos call our attention to healing the injustices caused by poverty, a call we hear in the cries of poverty-stricken children in our own nation. There’s ample evidence that suggests early childhood poverty predicts higher rates of adult poverty, illness, and lower levels of education.
But research is also showing that generations of government programs have dramatically reduced rates of childhood poverty in the United States. The study shows that childhood poverty has fallen 59 percent since 1993, and that rates of child poverty have declined in all fifty states. Deep poverty has fallen nearly as much. There continue to be steep racial disparities, but overall, there have been significant reversals of childhood poverty across the United States. Of course, there is still work to be done, but researchers for the New York Times and Child Trends have noted that improvements in unemployment rates, participation of single mothers in the labor force, and increases to the minimum wage have all had positive impacts on easing severe poverty. The study noted that over the past twenty five years, the United States has gone through an “unprecedented decline in child poverty.”
* * *
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Getting started with 1 Timothy
As Tom Long notes in his commentary on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, the pastoral epistles are not necessarily every preacher’s “go-to” epistle. Yet, as Long points out, the author is writing to congregations consumed by divisions and stresses — situations not entirely unfamiliar to contemporary churches. “False teaching, faulty testimony, a damaged mission, troubled relationships, a tarnished public reputation — these were the marks of a Christian community in disarray,” writes Long (See 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016, p. 57.).
* * *
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Prayers for the king
The pastoral tone of 1 Timothy is set forth early in the epistle. The author, whether Paul or someone writing in Paul’s name, is keenly aware that much of the congregational chaos can only be addressed through prayer. And, as a matter of practicality, the context of the congregation includes many who have been exiled or relocated following the destruction of Jerusalem. Their longing to lead a “quiet and peaceable life” is commended through the offering prayers for the ruling monarch and other leaders.
This week, congregations around the world have engaged in prayers for the British Royal Family, including churches, mosques, and synagogues in England. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, faith groups across Britain paid tribute to her and offered prayers for her successor King Charles III and for their family. The Rev. Canon Sally Lodge, Rector of Windsor, one of the late queen’s favorite residences, offered a prayer of gratitude.
“Gracious God,” Canon Lodge prayed, “we give thanks for the life of your servant Queen Elizabeth, for her faith and her dedication to duty. Bless our nation as we mourn her death and may her example continue to inspire us.”
Rabbi Rebecca Birk, co-chair of the Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors in London, offered a prayer for the new monarch, asking that God bless and comfort the King, Queen Consort Camilla, and the Royal Family “as they face the sad and challenging days of change ahead.”
Imam Hassan of the Masjid-e-Noor mosque in Gloucester, England, spoke of the Queen’s love of faith, and reflected on the meaning of her life as a mother, grandmother, and head of her family. On behalf of the Muslim community, Imam Hassan noted, “We as a community of people of all faiths are coming together to remember and celebrate all of her achievements and her dedication to public service. We know His Majesty King Charles III has a lot of love for our community and our county of Gloucestershire and we wish him all the best in his new reign as our king.”
* * *
1 Timothy 2:1-7
But not all are mourning
The Queen’s death is also a reminder that for many persons, including many nations where the effects of the blunt force of colonialism resulted in systemic racism and inequality. Days after the Queen’s death, for example, there are continued debates on social media over the relevance of the Royal Family and the reckoning with the painful consequences of colonial history.
But after memes, videos and posts about the monarchy’s colonial policies were posted on Tik-Tok, Twitter and Facebook, some users reported being chastised by their employers, or called out by celebrities and billionaires, including Piers Morgan, who told critics of the monarchy to “show some respect.” (But only after calling them “clueless cretins.”)
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Praise God! Praise the name of God.
All: Blessed be the name of God forevermore.
One: From the rising of the sun to its setting
All: the name of God is to be praised.
One: God is high above all nations.
All: God’s glory is above the heavens.
OR
One: God comes as our balm.
All: We welcome God's healing presence.
One: Let us open our lives to God.
All: We open our hearts and minds to God.
One: Let us praise the name of our Healer.
All: Glory to the God who makes us whole.
Hymns and Songs
Come, Thou Almighty King
UMH: 61
H82: 365
PH: 139
AAHH: 327
NNBH: 38
NCH: 275
CH: 27
LBW: 522
ELW: 408
W&P: 148
AMEC: 7
How Great Thou Art
UMH: 77
PH: 467
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELW: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Renew: 250
There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy
UMH: 121
H82: 469/470
PH: 298
NCH: 23
CH: 73
LBW: 290
ELW: 587/588
W&P: 61
AMEC: 78
STLT: 213
There Is a Balm in Gilead
UMH: 375
H82: 676
PH: 394
AAHH: 524
NNBH: 489
NCH: 553
CH: 501
ELW: 614
W&P: 631
AMEC: 425
All Who Love and Serve Your City
UMH: 433
H82: 570/571
PH: 413
CH: 670
LBW: 436
ELW: 724
W&P: 625
Cuando El Pobre (When the Poor Ones)
UMH: 434
PH: 407
CH: 662
ELW: 725
W&P: 624
O God of Every Nation
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELW: 713
W&P: 626
Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELW: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELW: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 455
Renew: 196
Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
UMH: 381
H82: 708
PH: 387
AAHH: 424
NNBH: 54
NCH: 252
CH: 558
LBW: 481
ELW: 789
W&P: 440
AMEC: 379
Make Me a Servant
CCB: 90
We Are His Hands
CCB: 85
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
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
ELW: 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 the compassionate healer:
Grant us the wisdom to accept your healing touch;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, healer of all creation. We offer our thanks for the wholeness you send us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to be open to the wholeness you bring us.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We want healing for ourselves but are slow to offer it to others. We want healing on our own terms instead of yours. Forgive us and make us whole as individuals and as a people. Amen.
One: God comes to heal us. receive God's balm.
Prayers of the People
We praise you, O God of healing. You are our balm.
(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 want healing for ourselves but are slow to offer it to others. We want healing on our own terms instead of yours. Forgive us and make us whole as individuals and as a people.
Thank you for all your healing power that you have placed within creation. We thank you for those who share your work through the healing arts.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all who are in need of healing this day. We pray for those who offer healing through their work.
(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 Our Father 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
Who is Like God? What is God Like?
by Tom Willadsen
Psalm 113
Do you know anyone named Michael? The name “Michael” is a question:
“Who is like God?”
Maybe you’ve wondered why the “a” and “e” are side-by-side in that name. The last two letters “el” are one of the Old Testament names for God.
In the Bible, in today’s psalm, the name/question “Michael” is asked — and answered.
When someone asks you, “Who is like God?” What do you say? What do you think God is like?
Open the conversation here, let the little ones answer. Maybe there are big people in the pews who have ideas.
And while you’re at it, remind them that we know God as Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Maybe someone who is like God is like an actor who can fill three roles in a play.
Here’s what the Bible says to answer the question, “Who is like God?”
God gives hope to people who are poor. God notices the people who are left out and do not have friends. God lifts up people who are down and includes people who are alone.
God also looks down on the whole earth and sees everything. No one can do that. No one can be like God in that way.
But in a lot of ways every one of us can be like God. We can notice people who are ignored. We can include people who are lonely. We can live in hope.
Let us pray:
God, you are beyond everything we can imagine. But we also know a lot about you. You are kind. You care for everyone. You want everyone to have enough to eat and to be safe. Help us to be like you. Help us to act like you and hope like you. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 18, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 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.
- Somehow It All Works Out by Katy Stenta based on Luke 16:1-13.
- Second Thoughts: Buying and Selling by Mary Austin based on Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, Amos 8:4-7.
- Sermon illustrations by Dean Feldmeyer, Chris Keating, Tom Willadsen.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: Who is Like God? What is God Like? by Tom Willadsen based on Psalm 113.
Somehow It All Works Out
by Katy Stenta
Luke 16:1-13
If you’ve ever tried to do the math on grace, one thing is clear, it will never add up… at least not mathematically.
In the News
The furor over the recent forgiveness over student loans makes one thing clear—debt is almost never fair. A lot of the statistics about debt and how it works, and the ramifications of that forgiveness are fascinating. Here are some stats of how Biden’s forgiveness will change payments will change typical middle-class workers.
Here is a chart as to who the debt relief will benefit. Here is a post from Pastor Tracy who compares their mortgage to their student debt:
Another interesting article that might be of interest is the scam of Donald Trump’s fervor to prove the 2020 election was a scam, and it’s backing my MyPillo’s CEO Mike Lindell. All the money and research is proving to be all for naught, but they seem to be too far in to turn back. The usury is hard to leave behind. Check this out for more information.
In the Scriptures
The Bible is fairly consistently against usury. Usury being the lending at unreasonably high rates of interest. Exodus 22:25 warns against charging money against anyone who is poor. Ezekiel 18:8 says not to take interest or profit at all, and Deuteronomy 23:19-20 leaves a little room allowing for the charging of interest only on foreigners, but not on anyone of your country or blood.
In the New Testament, Jesus tells the famous Parable of the Talents in both Matthew 25:14-30 and Luke 19:11-27. Here the landowner does not seem to be God, and Jesus is more directly warning against the usury of the rich accumulating wealth at the expense of the poor — reaping what he did not sow.
In the Sermon
My church runs a farmer’s market as one of its main ministries. I often hear “you must make money off of that” but the truth is that we do not. We take all of the money we make on the small fees we charge and put it back into the market. We envision the market as a third space, a place that is not home or work, for the people of the community to gather and be together. One year, a bunch of church volunteers worked extra hard on things, and we decided to honor them by giving them all $20 Farmer’s Market gift certificates as a thank you. Naturally, we told our vendors and church members that we were doing this. Then the church members and vendors started donating. Some of the church members donated money. Some of the vendors refused to take the certificates. A couple of the vendors even donated money. Some of the volunteers donated their certificates back to the church. It all got very confusing. No one could keep track of where the money went. It only took a day to become clear that this was not our money anymore; it was God’s money, because the math did not make numerical sense anymore. Is that not how grace works? When the numbers do not work out anymore, and the grace just keeps coming anyway? God’s math and God’s money does not add up, but somehow it all works out just the same.
SECOND THOUGHTSBuying and Selling
by Mary Austin
Jeremiah 8:18--9:1, Amos 8:4-7
“Buying the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals” never goes out of style. The laments of Amos and Jeremiah are as fresh today as when they were first spoken. “My heart is sick,” Jeremiah announces, seeing the brokenness of the nation. “For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt,” he says, feeling the sickness of spirit around him. Both prophets convey a deep anguish about the exploitation they see around them.
We are all called to the same heart-sickness, seeing our own spiritual ill health. We continue to be a nation indifferent to the plight of the poor. We allow people to be used for political purposes, as happened recently when the state of Florida announced that twenty already marginalized people had been arrested for voter fraud.
When Florida changed its voting requirements to allow people to vote, after serving their sentences and paying any required restitution, the state had trouble letting people know if they were eligible to vote or not. At the time, one observer noted, “state officials don’t know how many have registered. They also don’t know how many felons on the voter rolls owe court fees, fines or restitution that would disqualify them from voting under a subsequent state law that limited the amendment’s scope. Florida officials have not removed any felons from the rolls for owing fines or fees.” The state has now decided to prosecute some of those voters.
Florida’s official state news site says that twenty voters have been arrested. “All 20 of these individuals were disqualified from voting after they were convicted of murder or a felony sexual offense, but they chose to vote anyway, and now they have all been charged with voter fraud — a third-degree felony punishable by up to a $5,000 fine and up to 5 years in prison…” On the same site, Attorney General Ashley Moody said, apparently without irony, “No voting system can stand without the backing and confidence of the people it serves, and thanks to Governor DeSantis, we are reinforcing that trust, and Florida’s elections system will serve as the standard-bearer for the rest of the nation.”
The voters believed their rights had been restored. “David Christopher Dana in Broward County, just north of Miami, told law enforcement agents in early August, according to an affidavit seeking his arrest, that he filled out a voter registration form "to see if his right to vote had been restored." The 58-year-old, who was convicted of a felony sex offense, later received a voter registration card, and then voted in person on Oct. 22, 2020. Terry Hubbard, who was convicted in 1989 of sexual battery of a victim under 12 years old, told law enforcement that he registered to vote at the Broward County Property Appraiser's Office. Afterward, he was sent "a ballot and a letter in the mail stating he was eligible to vote," according to court documents. The 64-year-old then returned the mail ballot.” Now, state and local election officials are trading accusations of blame, as Florida uses these would-be voters as pawns in a bigger game.
We can do better. There can be a balm in Gilead.
Jeremiah and Amos might rejoice if they saw the guaranteed income programs being tried in cites like Los Angeles. “The idea is that the best way to close the wealth gap and give people the opportunity to build a more stable life is to provide unrestricted cash payments to some of the most vulnerable Americans.” People who are poor receive cash grants. Nationwide, more than 48 programs have been started since 2020. “Some efforts are publicly funded, and others have nongovernmental support. Jack Dorsey, the former chief executive of Twitter, donated $18 million to help the initiative.”
California, with a huge population of people who are homeless because of the high cost of housing, is leading the experiments. “Several cities have moved ahead with efforts using private money: Oakland pledged to give 600 low-income families $500 for 18 months, and in San Diego, some families with young children will get $500 a month for two years. Last year, the state set aside $35 million over five years for cities to carry out pilot programs, which can use different criteria, including income level, people leaving the foster care system and residence in low-income neighborhoods.” Atlanta and Minneapolis have small programs, and in Denver “260 people living in motels or emergency shelters in Denver will receive a $6,500 payment and will get an additional $500 a month for 11 months, with payments planned for 560 more people.”
Preliminary research shows that people with this kind of guaranteed income are more likely, not less, to find stable full-time employment. It allows them to finish a certification course, for example, to complete their education, or to have reliable transportation.
We often think money and the life of the spirit are separate, and that voting is purely a civic matter. Instead, they are part of our spiritual health as a community. We can’t be whole, as a community, when some people are tricked and duped. We can’t be spiritually healthy when our neighbors are living in cars or under bridges. It’s not just casting a vote, or even being free from arrest for a mistake. It’s not just having a place to sleep. We can invest in the dignity of all people, or decide not to.
Speaking for God, Jeremiah says, “For the hurt of my poor people I am hurt, I mourn, and dismay has taken hold of me.” We should feel the same hurt, and take up our calling to be part of the mending — for the well-being of others, and for our own spiritual health.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:Luke 16:1-13 — In the synoptic gospels, the subject Jesus talks about the most is the Kingdom of God. The subject that takes second place is… you guessed it…money. In today’s gospel lesson Jesus tells his disciples a parable about a rich man’s money manager who is embezzling money from his boss and gets caught, then attempts to feather his own nest by helping the boss’s debtors cheat on what they owe.
It’s a tough parable, hard to understand and even harder to explain in a sermon. Fortunately, Luke sums it all up in the last sentence. “You cannot serve God and wealth.”
* * *
The King’s Highway
Once upon a time, a king had a great highway built for the people who lived in his kingdom. After it was completed, but before it was opened to the public, the king decided to have a contest.
He invited as many of his subjects as desired to participate. The challenge was to see who could travel the highway the best, and the winner was to receive a box of gold.
On the day of the contest, all the people came. Some of them had fine chariots; some had fine clothing and fancy food to make the trip a luxurious journey.
Some wore their sturdiest shoes and ran along the highway on their feet to show their skill. All day they traveled the highway, and each one, when he arrived at the end, complained to the king about a large pile of rocks and debris that had been left on the path at one point, almost blocking the road and hindered their travel.
At the end of the day, a lone traveler crossed the finish line warily and walked over to the king. He was tired and dirty, but he addressed the king with great respect and handed him a small chest of gold. He said, "I stopped along the way to clear a pile of rocks and debris that was blocking the road. This chest of gold was under it all. Please have it returned to its rightful owner."
The king replied, "You are the rightful owner."
"Oh no," said the traveler, "This is not mine. I've never known such money."
"Oh yes," said the king, "you've earned this gold, for you won my contest."
"Who travels the road best is the one who makes the road better for those who will follow."
* * *
Two Tests
Popular wisdom is that the following two tests originated with Peanuts creator Charles Schulz. While Snopes debunks Schulz being the originator of the quiz, the message it communicates is pretty clever and very true.
Test Number 1
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?
Okay, now try Test Number 2
1. List three teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you.
Which one did you get the best grade on?
* * *
The Value of a Dollar
George and his wife Bessie went to the county fair every year. This was their "big" event of the year and the closest thing they ever had to a vacation.
And each year George would say to Bessie, "I sure would like to ride in that crop dustin', acrobatic bi-plane." And each year Bessie would say, "I know George, but that airplane ride costs ten dollars. And ten dollars is ten dollars."
After many years, George and Bessie went to the fair as usual, and George said, "Bessie, I'm 81 years old. If I don't ride that bi-plane this year, I may never get another chance."
Bessie replied, "George, that ride costs ten dollars. And ten dollars is ten dollars."
The pilot overheard them and said, "Folks, I've seen you here year after year. I know you've been wanting to ride in my airplane all that time. I also know that money is pretty important to you, and you don't part with it lightly, so I'll make you a deal. I'll take you both up for a ride. If you can both keep quiet for the entire ride, and not say one word, I won't charge you a thing. But if you say even one word, it'll cost you ten dollars."
George and Bessie agreed. They got in the plane and took off. The pilot did all kinds of twists, turns, rolls, and dives, but he didn't hear a peep from George or Bessie. He tried his fastest upside roll and it was still quiet from the back.
When they landed, the pilot looked at George: "Well, I don't believe it George, I did everything I could think of to get you to yell, but you didn't."
George replied, "Well, I was going to say something when Bessie fell out of the airplane...."
"But, ten dollars is ten dollars."
* * *
The Frog or the Princess
Two old guys are playing tennis and, at one point, the ball rolls into some bushes. Ol’ Antonio goes to retrieve it and he is confronted by a frog that speaks and claims to be a beautiful princess who has been turned into a frog by a mischievous wizard because she refused his proposal of matrimony. If Antonio will kiss her, the frog assures him, she will revert to her natural, beautiful princess state and marry him, and they'll both live happily ever after.
Antonio pockets the frog and returns to the game. After a bit, the frog, inside his pocket croaks, "Sir, did you forget about me? I'm the beautiful princess Alexis, turned into a frog by that evil wizard. If you kiss me I’ll become a beautiful princess and we can get married. . ." etc., etc.,
Antonio replies, "My dear lady frog, I will be completely honest with you. I can make a lot of money with a talking frog. So, I would rather have a talking frog than another wife who thinks she's a princess and will end up costing me a fortune."
* * *
1 Timothy 2:1-7 — In this passage, Paul encourages the people to pray prayers of intercession, supplication, and thanksgiving. He even encourages them to pray for the powerful people because wouldn’t the world be a better place if such people came to know Jesus Christ?
* * *
Prayer for the Czar
In the musical, “Fiddler on the Roof,” someone asks the village rabbi if there is, in the Jewish tradition, a prayer of blessing even for the Czar who has done nothing but threaten violence and make life difficult for the Jews. The old rabbi thinks for a minute and then nods sagely and says, “May God bless and keep the Czar … far away from us.”
* * *
Prayers in Prison
In Alexander Solzhenitsyn's A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Ivan endures all the horrors of a Soviet prison camp. One day he is praying with his eyes closed when a fellow prisoner notices him and says with ridicule, "Prayers won't help you get out of here any faster."
Opening his eyes, Ivan answers, "I do not pray to get out of prison but to do the will of God while I’m in it."
* * *
Praying Like Luther’s Dog
In Table Talk, a collection of Martin Luther’s stories, lectures, observations that he shared at the dinner table with friends and students, we hear the story of Luther’s dog.
One time Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; Luther is reported to have said, “Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope.”
* * *
Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 — In this passage, Jeremiah laments the destruction of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians under king Nebuchadnezzar. He especially laments how all of this death and destruction and suffering might have been avoided if the people, especially the king, would have turned to the Lord and not their own paltry wisdom.
* * *
If This be Victory
In 2014, reporter Jamela Aingogan wrote the following dispatch for the news service Aljazeera. It is reminiscent of today’s passage from Jeremiah and illustrates that not much has changed in 3,000 years:
After 19 days of siege, the Philippine military declared victory in Zamboanga against fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front. But at what price?
More than 300 people were killed. And hundreds of thousands were left homeless.
Hundreds of evacuees continue to live under squalid conditions. Many of them deeply traumatized by the fighting. Their horror continues, they tell me, because the situation in the camps had stripped them of their dignity.
Over 150 people have died in the shelters, more than half of them are children. Most of them dying of respiratory and water-borne diseases. Medical and food rations have dwindled. More than half of the children are out of school.
Ayana Sabturani’s infant son was one of the children who perished. She was pregnant when she started living in this camp — her baby was born here. After three months, her baby died of pneumonia. She told me her story under a makeshift shelter of carton and wood, clutching my hand while she cried.
Ayana’s other malnourished children stared blankly at their mother. They were half-naked and had what looked like skin infections on their faces and chests. Their hair was patchy, scabs covering their scalps and their extremities.
The mayor of Zamboanga tells me her government is doing everything it can. “Conditions here are getting better and they will continue to improve, inshallah,” she said, smiling to me sweetly. But did she think I couldn’t see? You can barely call these shelters. The camps are horrid.
* * * * * *
From team member Tom Willadsen:1 Timothy 6:6-19
Contentment
In “Soak up the Sun,” rock star Sheryl Crow sang, “It’s not having what you want/It’s wanting what you got.” Crow was paraphrasing Rabbi Hyman Schachtel, whose quote is, “happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you have.” The wisdom of this sentiment is clear and it appears in a less pithy way in today’s epistle reading.
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Greed
Extreme avarice almost always defeats itself. No passion more often fails of its object, and in none does present self-interest wield such compelling power to the prejudice of the future. — Maxims of Rochefoucauld
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Penny perspective
“Hold a penny at arm’s length, and it will appear as a dot against the sun; hold it next to the eye and it will cover the sun.” (Preaching the New Common Lectionary, Year C, After Pentecost Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1988, p. 182.)
* * *
1 Timothy 6:6-19
Godliness, piety, religion?
The NRSV renders the Greek ευςεβεια as “godliness.” A better translation would be “religion,” though other translations come close with “piety.” The point is that true faith, religion that is lived, integrated into one’s everyday life, will bring contentment. Striving for more, especially more money, will not lead to contentment.
* * *
Luke 16:19-31
Lazarus…and some other guy
This parable is a little unusual in that one of the characters is named (the poor man) Lazarus. It does not appear that this Lazarus is the same man whom Jesus brought back from the dead in John’s gospel. There are many details in this parable. The rich man, for example, died and was buried, presumably because his survivors could afford to bury him. Lazarus was carried away by angels, thus sparing his family some expenses.
The really interesting detail is that it is the poor character who is named, while the rich one is identified only by his wealth, unnamed. This may be another very subtle way that points to the Lord’s preferential option for the poor.
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:Jeremiah 8:18-9:1
The hurt of my poor people
Both Jeremiah and Amos call our attention to healing the injustices caused by poverty, a call we hear in the cries of poverty-stricken children in our own nation. There’s ample evidence that suggests early childhood poverty predicts higher rates of adult poverty, illness, and lower levels of education.
But research is also showing that generations of government programs have dramatically reduced rates of childhood poverty in the United States. The study shows that childhood poverty has fallen 59 percent since 1993, and that rates of child poverty have declined in all fifty states. Deep poverty has fallen nearly as much. There continue to be steep racial disparities, but overall, there have been significant reversals of childhood poverty across the United States. Of course, there is still work to be done, but researchers for the New York Times and Child Trends have noted that improvements in unemployment rates, participation of single mothers in the labor force, and increases to the minimum wage have all had positive impacts on easing severe poverty. The study noted that over the past twenty five years, the United States has gone through an “unprecedented decline in child poverty.”
* * *
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Getting started with 1 Timothy
As Tom Long notes in his commentary on 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, the pastoral epistles are not necessarily every preacher’s “go-to” epistle. Yet, as Long points out, the author is writing to congregations consumed by divisions and stresses — situations not entirely unfamiliar to contemporary churches. “False teaching, faulty testimony, a damaged mission, troubled relationships, a tarnished public reputation — these were the marks of a Christian community in disarray,” writes Long (See 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2016, p. 57.).
* * *
1 Timothy 2:1-7
Prayers for the king
The pastoral tone of 1 Timothy is set forth early in the epistle. The author, whether Paul or someone writing in Paul’s name, is keenly aware that much of the congregational chaos can only be addressed through prayer. And, as a matter of practicality, the context of the congregation includes many who have been exiled or relocated following the destruction of Jerusalem. Their longing to lead a “quiet and peaceable life” is commended through the offering prayers for the ruling monarch and other leaders.
This week, congregations around the world have engaged in prayers for the British Royal Family, including churches, mosques, and synagogues in England. Following the death of Queen Elizabeth, faith groups across Britain paid tribute to her and offered prayers for her successor King Charles III and for their family. The Rev. Canon Sally Lodge, Rector of Windsor, one of the late queen’s favorite residences, offered a prayer of gratitude.
“Gracious God,” Canon Lodge prayed, “we give thanks for the life of your servant Queen Elizabeth, for her faith and her dedication to duty. Bless our nation as we mourn her death and may her example continue to inspire us.”
Rabbi Rebecca Birk, co-chair of the Conference of Liberal Rabbis and Cantors in London, offered a prayer for the new monarch, asking that God bless and comfort the King, Queen Consort Camilla, and the Royal Family “as they face the sad and challenging days of change ahead.”
Imam Hassan of the Masjid-e-Noor mosque in Gloucester, England, spoke of the Queen’s love of faith, and reflected on the meaning of her life as a mother, grandmother, and head of her family. On behalf of the Muslim community, Imam Hassan noted, “We as a community of people of all faiths are coming together to remember and celebrate all of her achievements and her dedication to public service. We know His Majesty King Charles III has a lot of love for our community and our county of Gloucestershire and we wish him all the best in his new reign as our king.”
* * *
1 Timothy 2:1-7
But not all are mourning
The Queen’s death is also a reminder that for many persons, including many nations where the effects of the blunt force of colonialism resulted in systemic racism and inequality. Days after the Queen’s death, for example, there are continued debates on social media over the relevance of the Royal Family and the reckoning with the painful consequences of colonial history.
But after memes, videos and posts about the monarchy’s colonial policies were posted on Tik-Tok, Twitter and Facebook, some users reported being chastised by their employers, or called out by celebrities and billionaires, including Piers Morgan, who told critics of the monarchy to “show some respect.” (But only after calling them “clueless cretins.”)
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Praise God! Praise the name of God.
All: Blessed be the name of God forevermore.
One: From the rising of the sun to its setting
All: the name of God is to be praised.
One: God is high above all nations.
All: God’s glory is above the heavens.
OR
One: God comes as our balm.
All: We welcome God's healing presence.
One: Let us open our lives to God.
All: We open our hearts and minds to God.
One: Let us praise the name of our Healer.
All: Glory to the God who makes us whole.
Hymns and Songs
Come, Thou Almighty King
UMH: 61
H82: 365
PH: 139
AAHH: 327
NNBH: 38
NCH: 275
CH: 27
LBW: 522
ELW: 408
W&P: 148
AMEC: 7
How Great Thou Art
UMH: 77
PH: 467
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELW: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Renew: 250
There’s a Wideness in God’s Mercy
UMH: 121
H82: 469/470
PH: 298
NCH: 23
CH: 73
LBW: 290
ELW: 587/588
W&P: 61
AMEC: 78
STLT: 213
There Is a Balm in Gilead
UMH: 375
H82: 676
PH: 394
AAHH: 524
NNBH: 489
NCH: 553
CH: 501
ELW: 614
W&P: 631
AMEC: 425
All Who Love and Serve Your City
UMH: 433
H82: 570/571
PH: 413
CH: 670
LBW: 436
ELW: 724
W&P: 625
Cuando El Pobre (When the Poor Ones)
UMH: 434
PH: 407
CH: 662
ELW: 725
W&P: 624
O God of Every Nation
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELW: 713
W&P: 626
Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELW: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELW: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 455
Renew: 196
Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us
UMH: 381
H82: 708
PH: 387
AAHH: 424
NNBH: 54
NCH: 252
CH: 558
LBW: 481
ELW: 789
W&P: 440
AMEC: 379
Make Me a Servant
CCB: 90
We Are His Hands
CCB: 85
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
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
ELW: 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 the compassionate healer:
Grant us the wisdom to accept your healing touch;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship you, O God, healer of all creation. We offer our thanks for the wholeness you send us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to be open to the wholeness you bring us.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We want healing for ourselves but are slow to offer it to others. We want healing on our own terms instead of yours. Forgive us and make us whole as individuals and as a people. Amen.
One: God comes to heal us. receive God's balm.
Prayers of the People
We praise you, O God of healing. You are our balm.
(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 want healing for ourselves but are slow to offer it to others. We want healing on our own terms instead of yours. Forgive us and make us whole as individuals and as a people.
Thank you for all your healing power that you have placed within creation. We thank you for those who share your work through the healing arts.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all who are in need of healing this day. We pray for those who offer healing through their work.
(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 Our Father 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 SERMONWho is Like God? What is God Like?
by Tom Willadsen
Psalm 113
Do you know anyone named Michael? The name “Michael” is a question:
“Who is like God?”
Maybe you’ve wondered why the “a” and “e” are side-by-side in that name. The last two letters “el” are one of the Old Testament names for God.
In the Bible, in today’s psalm, the name/question “Michael” is asked — and answered.
When someone asks you, “Who is like God?” What do you say? What do you think God is like?
Open the conversation here, let the little ones answer. Maybe there are big people in the pews who have ideas.
And while you’re at it, remind them that we know God as Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Maybe someone who is like God is like an actor who can fill three roles in a play.
Here’s what the Bible says to answer the question, “Who is like God?”
God gives hope to people who are poor. God notices the people who are left out and do not have friends. God lifts up people who are down and includes people who are alone.
God also looks down on the whole earth and sees everything. No one can do that. No one can be like God in that way.
But in a lot of ways every one of us can be like God. We can notice people who are ignored. We can include people who are lonely. We can live in hope.
Let us pray:
God, you are beyond everything we can imagine. But we also know a lot about you. You are kind. You care for everyone. You want everyone to have enough to eat and to be safe. Help us to be like you. Help us to act like you and hope like you. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 18, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 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.
