Team Everybody
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
For February 12, 2023:
Team Everybody
by Mary Austin
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
This Sunday, Americans will divide up, proclaiming that “we belong to the Eagles” or “we belong to the Chiefs.” Others of us will watch the Super Bowl for the clever commercials, or tune in for Rihanna's half-time show. Or, maybe the Super Bowl is simply a really good excuse to eat chicken wings and get together with friends. We all belong to Team Junk Food, with pizza, chicken wings, and dip with chips as the top foods that will be served on Sunday.
The Super Bowl gives us a temporary community of like-minded fans, whether our passion is for the team or the food. Paul sees a similar kind of allegiance for the faithful in Corinth, as they line up behind different church leaders. For Paul, this division is unhealthy, causing people to lose their common focus on God.
Belonging to each other can bring us community, or division, depending on where we place our loyalty.
This year, an NFL game at the end of the regular season with major playoff implications was interrupted by Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest mid-game, as his team, the Bills, played the Bengals. Hamlin collapsed on the field and received CPR as his stunned family, teammates, and fans watched. Football fans from both teams, and then much of the country, rooted for Hamlin to recover. We saw a rare kind of shared purpose in our common hope for good news.
When the chicken wings are reduced to a pile of bones, and we’re scraping out the last of the dip with a broken chip, Paul invites us to consider where we belong.
In the News
Damar Hamlin’s recovery has an element of awe, with doctors saying that typically, he “should not have survived, if statistics on cardiac arrests are any guide. Mr. Hamlin “was dead,” when he fell to the ground, said Dr. Timothy A. Pritts, chief of the section of general surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where Mr. Hamlin was treated.”
Hamlin belongs to an elite group of people who receive immediate care when their hearts stop. The National Football League has a contract with a Level 1 trauma center, with the highest level of care, near every stadium. In this case, “the University of Cincinnati Medical Center sends seven physicians to every Bengals home game. The center also sends paramedics, respiratory therapists and an ambulance crew.” Hamlin also belonged to dozens of people with an interest in saving his life, and retuning him to health. “In the first few hours, a severe trauma patient like Mr. Hamlin is physically touched by as many as 50 people. By the end of the first 24 hours, that number swells to 100 people.”
The people of Cincinnati also claimed him, and while he was in the hospital, “Flowers and cards for Mr. Hamlin arrived by the truckload, and donated meals were constantly being delivered. Fans attached posters to a chain-link fence outside, flew balloons and held candlelight vigils. There were so many callers that the medical center had to hire additional operators.”
In the ultra-competitive NFL, Damar Hamlin found a place in the affections of the whole country.
In the Scriptures
Even through the translation, we can hear Paul’s disappointment that the people in Corinth are not more mature in their faith. Their quarreling and divisions are evidence that they’re still “of the flesh,” behaving according “to human inclinations.” They’re ready only for spiritual baby food. We can feel him shaking his head in despair, with a note of exasperation.
One sign of their unformed faith is that the believers in Corinth are dividing themselves up, staking their allegiance to different factions of the church. They need an intermediary to follow, instead of placing their whole faith in Jesus. Paul reminds them Apollos, and even Paul himself, are only servants of the gospel. They are as human as the people in the faith community. More than that, they’re all meant to work together, not to head up little factions. Each leader has a different task, all in service to God’s plan.
God gives the growth, Paul says, and then repeats it again. No human effort will flourish without the work of God’s Spirit. Devotion to a human leader is silly, Paul reminds them, and definitely not worth quarreling over.
In the Sermon
Would Paul’s letter end of division in the church? Alas, church people don’t change, as we watch the United Methodist Church divide. Even our atheist neighbors are squabbling and taking sides. Some division is about a justice issue, and other church fights are about personal preferences writ large. The sermon might explore why we are divided, and what we can do about it. Is there ever a time when division is the best answer, so both parties can move forward, spending their energy on growth instead of fighting each other?
Some places of belonging are complicated. The Church of England recently announced that the church’s investment fund was enriched by trading in enslaved people. The investment fund “has its roots in Queen Anne’s Bounty, established in 1704 to help support impoverished clergy. It invested heavily in the South Sea Company, which held a monopoly on transporting enslaved people from Africa to Spanish-controlled ports in the Americas. Between 1714 and 1739, the company transported 34,000 people…The commissioners’ report says the church at the time knew what it was involved in. “Investors in the South Sea Company would have known that it was trading in enslaved people,” it said.” The sermon might look at what happens when we find out we belong to a group that has done harm? How do we reckon with being part of a group with a terrible history?
And what happens when people don’t belong? The sermon might explore what happens to the people on the fringes. Damar Hamlin was claimed by a community of medical professionals and by football fans around the country. Not everyone gets the same embrace. Other players who are injured early in their football careers aren’t eligible for a pension or post-football health care, and often don’t receive disability payments. Young players “leave the game with damaged bodies and mixed job prospects, and some struggle to get the help they need. “The world’s collective heart is pouring itself out for Hamlin, but the main point is there are a lot of journeymen players who leave the league with serious problems,” said Michael LeRoy,” a professor of sports labor law. What do we do with the people who aren’t claimed by a group, who are left out?
By grace, we belong to Jesus. Other groups enrich our faith, and other people reveal Jesus to us, and our deepest belonging is to Jesus himself. Rooted there, we know who we are.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Humility and Recognition
by Tom Willadsen
Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Matthew 5:21-37, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Psalm 119:1-8
In the Scriptures
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
We’re on the same team!
One of the things causing strife among the Corinthian Christians is a kind of hierarchy based on which messenger one regarded as having imparted the gospel to which believer. Paul takes great steps to point out that all the believers are on the same side. And it is God, and only God, who can cause one to grow in faith. Just as there are different tasks on a farm, and Paul will later point out that there are different parts of the body, the important, central thing is that all the growth is caused by the living God. The harvesting of the fruits of the Spirit are all important.
At my ordination the Ruling Elder who gave me my charge was a native of Ecuador and he spoke with a strong Spanish accent. He reminded me that I had already begun toiling in the Lord’s vineyard. He pronounced “vineyard” “bean yard,” which I have always preferred. To me bean yards sound more humble and useful than vineyards.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Preachers of a certain age
As a child of the MTV Generation, last of the Baby Boomers, I cannot hear the words “choose life” without picturing George Michael who wore a shirt with those words on it in the video for Wham!’s first hit in the United States, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
This passage is the end of Moses’ farewell speech as the Israelites are poised to enter the Promised Land. Many of the synonyms for law are echoed in today’s Psalm reading. The instructions are clear, but stark. Obedience and life versus disobedience and death. The people’s autonomy is affirmed; they are encouraged to choose life, but not commanded to. The stakes are very high, their obedience will resonate through subsequent generations, as will the consequences of their disobedience. Choose wisely, Israel. (Spoiler alert: they don’t.)
They cannot claim that they do not know the Law. It is available to all of them, as near as their hearts. This image prefigures the image used in Jeremiah 31, when the Lord says through the prophet, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33, NRSV) The accessibility to the Law makes Israel unusual among neighboring nations. The words of other gods are only available to priests or other leaders. Everyone knows the rules among God’s people.
Matthew 5:21-37
An abrupt end to the Sermon on the Mount
Today’s gospel lesson is the third and final reading from the Sermon on the Mount. Because next Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday we are left with the final two portions of the Sermon on the Mount, as divided by the Revised Common Lectionary, unpreached. There is a lot here, plenty of material for multiple sermons. As a preacher I have always found it uniquely challenging to preach from the Sermon on the Mount. It is clearly the most famous and well-known sermon. There is not a single wasted word. Finding things to say to make these words clearer or more memorable is way beyond my ability.
Today’s reading is four of six antitheses Jesus presents to his hearers. “You have heard it said…” begins the first, second and fourth. The one concerning divorce, the third one, begins, “It was also said…” In each of these Jesus lays out the Law as it’s commonly understood, then with “But I say to you…” turns the accepted Law into something more personal and less abstract.
In the first of the antitheses Jesus contends that everyone is guilty of murder. Who hasn’t felt anger at another motorist who nearly swerved into her? If you’re angry, imagine yourself before a judge; if you insult another person, imagine yourself before the Supreme Court; and if say “You fool,” imagine yourself in the hell of fire!
In last week’s reading Jesus challenges those hearing him for their righteousness to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, that is the professional group most knowledgeable about the Law and a religious party known for its scrupulous attention to it. He sets the bar very, very high.
The Greek term rendered as “with lust,” επιθυμησαι can also mean “covet,” which connects it to a second of the Ten Commandments.
Psalm 119:1-8
New old-fashioned rhyme
Today’s reading from the Psalms is from the longest psalm, 119. A lengthy, acrostic poem in praise of God’s law, decrees, ways, precepts, statutes, commandments and ordinances. In each verse one of these terms is used, making the reading feel redundant to our modern, English-speaking minds. In fact this is a fine example of Hebrew poetry that rhymes not with sound but with meaning. This psalm is a good pairing with both the Deuteronomy and Matthew texts. Law, instruction, etc. are gifts from God; guardrails for our faithful journey.
In the News
About 500 people die every day from Covid-19 in the United States.
The Super Bowl is today.
We are about a month into divided government, and a month into a profoundly divided Republican Party in the House of Representatives.
We are nearing the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Weapons systems are finding their way to Ukraine.
There is a Chinese balloon floating over the western United States as I write this. The Chinese say it’s a civilian device that has gone astray. The United States is not buying that for a second, but since it appears that the balloon can’t gather any data that orbiting satellites cannot already obtain we’re not going to shoot it down. Besides, it could land on something and cause damage if we did. This Boomer is relieved that the nightmare scenario imagined in Nena’s only American hit has not come to pass. An accidental apocalypse we danced to back in the day.
The Treasury Department has taken extraordinary measures to keep the United States from defaulting on its debt. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with President Biden on January 31, but at this point one is an Irresistible Force and the other is an Immovable Object. The leaders are from opposite parties and opposite sides of the country. Biden’s experience in the Senate may even be considered an opposite to the more wide-open climate of the current House of Representatives. A default on at least a portion of the debt could come as early as June, and the threat of a default alone could throw the global economy into chaos.
Members of our congregations have been receiving bits of information and paperwork they will need to complete their income taxes for several weeks now. Our tax code is riddled with loopholes and exemptions, some intended to shape policy — tax rebates for electric vehicles, for example — others to simply raise revenue needed to pay the national bills. Ordained clergy have a huge advantage when it comes to paying federal income tax. We’re permitted to declare a portion of our income as going toward household expenses; we do not pay income tax on this amount. It’s legal, but is it fair, is it just?
While the psalmist delights in God’s law, is there anyone who delights in a similar way over our national tax code?
In the Sermon
The passages from Deuteronomy and Matthew certainly grab our attention. The choices are stark: life and death. We get to choose, but still. My approach to this portion of the Sermon on the Mount is that it shows that we are all guilty. All convicted. All in need of grace, forgiveness, mercy. Jimmy Carter famously confessed that he lusted in his heart, but it was only his saying those words that made it noteworthy. We’ve all done it. Just as we’ve all called our siblings fools, which is tantamount to murder, as Jesus explains so clearly.
Perhaps our common need for grace could help us find other things we have in common. That while the Chiefs and Eagles will be locked in a winner-take-all contest, millions of viewers will be united watching the contest — or at least the commercials that often prove to be more interesting than the action on the field.
Is it possible that the House of Representatives can get their act together and work for the common good? More basically, is it possible for them to reach a consensus on what the common good is? Will the looming debt crisis be an occasion for cooperation or political grandstanding about kicking the can down the road?
Paul gives us a model for humility and recognizing that God is the source of all our growth and progress.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Matthew 5:21-37
If we approach the law — any law, divine or human — with our minds alone, obedience our only goal, we will, inevitably, begin to look for loopholes. The key to true righteousness and holiness, Jesus says in this lesson, is to approach God’s law from the heart, with a goal of being in relationship with the Creator.
Here are some illustrations about loopholes.
The Two Bridges Theory
Submitted for your approval: Two bridges identical in every respect save two. Alike in that they were built at roughly the same time by the same builders and designed by the same engineer. They look alike and the span the same river. The differences are that they are five miles apart and the downstream bridge is a toll bridge while the upstream bridge is free.
The downstream toll bridge is close to your home but you don’t want to pay the toll. There are two ways to avoid paying the tax: You can blow through the toll gate on the toll bridge and hope you don’t get caught or you can drive five miles upstream and cross the free bridge.
The first option is called tax evasion and it is illegal and immoral. The second is called tax avoidance and is the loophole in the tax law. It is perfectly legal and moral.
* * *
Blood Work
Carly, a college student, has intermittent anemia that she is trying to improve. Unfortunately, the lab work comes at a hefty price and her insurance deductible leaves her paying $100 every month just for the testing, not including the medications she has to take to increase the iron in her blood.
However, if she goes to the blood bank and volunteers to donate blood, they will test her for anemia for free and, if the test is positive they will give her meds and foods to up her iron until she can give blood. She comes back a week later. If she’s still anemic, she repeats the process. If she isn’t, she donates blood.
It’s a loophole where both sides benefit.
* * *
School Uniforms
Marie hated her school’s uniforms but the policy was fairly strict. The uniform had to fit well, be worn properly and be clean. Looking closely at the uniform policy, however, she found a loophole.
The policy made no mention of boys’ uniforms or girls’ uniforms so she purchased a boy’s uniform that was clean, neat, in good repair, fit her well, and was much more comfortable than the girls’ uniforms. Several teachers said she was violating the rules but when she appealed her case to the headmaster, he ruled in her favor.
The loophole stayed in the manual until more girls were wearing boy uniforms than girl uniforms.
* * *
Deck Loophole
Ron’s father wanted to build a deck for the back of his house. City ordinance required a permit that cost something like $200. Upon careful inspection of the ordinance, Dad discovered that it assumed that the deck would be attached to the house and, therefore, considered a home improvement.
So Dad built the deck right up against the house but not attached. No permit required. $200 saved.
* * *
Smoking in Barnacles Bar
Back in 2007, Minnesota followed a national trend by passing an anti-smoking law that banned smoking in pretty much every public building, including bars. Unfortunately, that was bad news for the bars, because if you're going to get good and drunk to fight off the depression manual labor and seasonal affective disorder brings, you want to get your smoke on, too. Nobody wants to go stand outside to smoke, since in Minnesota it gets cold enough at night that your spit freezes before it hits the ground.
There was a line in the law, however, that said if you were an actor in a play, and your character smoked, then you'd get a pass. So, the owners of the bar declared that they were staging a continuous live performance and that everyone in the bar was an actor.
The thing was, the law didn't bother to specify what was meant by "stage performances," and really, how do you argue? No script? It’s improv. Not getting paid? They were amateur actors doing community theater. So, you enter Barnacles on a Saturday night, and then see that the staff is in costume and that you have become a performer in their "Theater Night." Sure, you don't have any lines and you're probably just playing "Guy Drinking To Forget His Job #5," but, hey, you need to smoke to get into character.
Word spread and, before long, other bars in the area were “staging” theater nights. The authorities aren't amused, however, and have levied fines against the bars for violating the ban. The bans are currently being challenged in court.
* * *
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
As the Children of Israel approach the Promised Land, Moses stops everything and reminds them that this is not a free ride. YHWH expects certain things in return for giving them this land flowing with milk and honey. He puts it in terms of a quid pro quo — this for that. Do this and live, do that and die. It’s your decision to make but it’s a life and death decision.
The Grenfell Tower Fire
Studies show that, when faced with important life or death situations, even people experienced in such decision making find it hard to do so and can often delay too long in making decisions.
On June 14, 2017, a refrigerator in a London apartment had an electrical malfunction that started a fire. For the first two hours after the fire was reported, officials told the apartment building’s residents not to evacuate. Rather, they recommended people stay in their apartments and trust the building’s design to contain the fire to the unit where it started.
The city’s fire officials were faced with two types of potential tragedy: people dying in their apartments or getting injured or killed trying to evacuate.
In hindsight, they took too long to realize the fire was out of control and to change their instructions, telling people to get out. Less than four hours after it started, the fire had engulfed the 24-story Grenfell Tower, home to just under 300 people, of whom 72 died.
A similar problem has arisen in California wildfires — including in 2018, when delays in the order to evacuate the town of Paradise, California, led to the deaths of 56 people.
* * *
Redundant Deliberation
Scholars who study human decision-making in potentially fatal circumstances report that many people, even trained military personnel and emergency responders, find it hard to make decisions in extreme situations, such as large fires.
The resulting delay, which is called “redundant deliberation,” happens when people take too long to make a choice between difficult options. Indecision is the most dangerous aspect of a high-stakes situation. Redundant deliberation is more likely to occur when there is no standard policy to guide decision-makers or when the normal practice doesn’t fit the actual circumstances.
Many apartment buildings’ fire plans involve telling residents to stay put, because fireproof walls, floors and ceilings are designed to contain flames to the apartment where they started.
That was the plan at the 2017 Grenfell Tower in which 72 people died. London fire officials stuck to that advice even as the fire spread into dozens of neighboring apartments.
Their error was in relying too much on fixed rules and written policies, rather than understanding how best to protect human life in a rapidly changing fire that defied the expectations those policies relied on. The London fire chiefs’ years of accumulated firefighting experience had not prepared them to handle what happened at the Grenfell Tower. It was simply too rare an event, with much more at stake than in other fires.
* * *
At Uvalde: Redundant Deliberation 2.0
On May 24, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, a former student at the school, fatally shot nineteen students plus two teachers and wounded 17 others. Earlier that day, he shot his grandmother in the face at home, severely wounding her.
He fired shots for approximately five minutes outside the school before entering unobstructed with an AR-15 style rifle through an unlocked side entrance door. He then shut himself inside two adjoining classrooms without locking the classroom door, killed the victims, and remained in the school for more than an hour before members of the United States Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) fatally shot him after they bypassed numerous local and state officers who had been in the school's hallways for over an hour. The shooting is the third-deadliest school shooting in the United States (and the deadliest in Texas), after the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
Police officers waited more than 1 hour and 14 minutes on-site before breaching the classroom to engage the shooter. Police also cordoned off the school grounds, resulting in violent conflicts between police and civilians, including parents, who were attempting to enter the school to rescue children. As a consequence, law enforcement officials in Uvalde have been heavily criticized for their response to the shooting, and their conduct is being reviewed in separate investigations by the Texas Ranger Division and the United States Department of Justice.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials laid much of the responsibility for the police response on Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department Chief Pedro Arredondo, who they identified as the incident commander. Arredondo refuted the characterization of his role as incident commander, but was later fired by the Uvalde school board for his actions during the shooting. A report conducted by the Texas House of Representatives Investigative Committee attributed the fault more widely to "systemic failures and egregious poor decision making" by many authorities.
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
More than a political statement
For decades, the prolife movement has used “Choose Life!” as its rallying cry for its annual March for Life held in Washington, DC in January. For the first time since 1974, the group gathered this year to celebrate the overturning of Roe v. Wade and to chart a new course for the future. “It’s the beginning of an entirely new pro-life movement,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told The New York Times before the rally began on January 20, 2023. “Our job just increased times 50.”
But “Choose Life” is more than an anti-abortion moniker. Indeed, as biblical commentators point out, its context in Deuteronomy points to the broader message of God’s steadfast love for Israel. Others, though, might call to mind the iconic t-shirts created in the 1980s by British fashion designer Katharine Hamnett. In 1984, pop star George Michaels and Andrew Ridgeley from the duo Wham! wore Hamnett’s oversized shirts on the video for their hit song, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
Hamnet’s Buddhist-inspired design was also sported by Queen drummer Roger Taylor. Hamnett has said that “the Choose Life t-shirt embodies an all-encompassing statement about ideal behavior.” She is quick to point out that she never intended them to be used to decry abortion.
According to Hamnett’s website, the message is broader than a single issue:
It's not about the anti-abortion lobby. The US anti-abortion lobby attempted to appropriate CHOOSE LIFE. We are taking it back and promoting its real meaning. Ours is authentic and I believe in a woman's right to choose. I'm a big fan of Buddhism. To portray the message more clearly, I suggested writing it in huge letters on a t-shirt that could be plainly seen on a 35mm contact sheet. CHOOSE LIFE was relevant then. CHOOSE LIFE is even more relevant now. CHOOSE LIFE is a message forever. CHOOSE LIFE over WAR. CHOOSE LIFE over DESERTS. CHOOSE LIFE over EXTINCTION. CHOOSE LIFE over everything you do.
Sometimes even t-shirts can express theological possibilities.
* * *
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Does God promise a winning PowerBall ticket?
Preachers from the prosperity theology movement have often turned to Deuteronomy 30:15-20 in order to buttress their understanding that God intends to reward faith with wealth and material prosperity. In her book Blessed, Kate Bowler provides a historical overview of the prosperity movement. Quoting prosperity evangelist Kenneth Hagin, Bowler observes that believers rooted their conviction that financial prosperity follows faithfulness in Deuteronomy’s instructions. She quotes Hagin: “In the Old Testament, according to Deuteronomy, poverty was to come upon God’s people if they disobeyed him.” According to prosperity theology, Adam and Eve’s sin “transferred legal dominion of the earth to Satan, who kept humanity in want of health, provision, and God’s power.” (Bowler, Blessed, Oxford Press, 2013, chapter 3, Kindle edition.) Bowler’s analysis of the prosperity movement notes it “consecrated America’s culture of optimism,” that “transformed personal slumps or tragedies into tests of character,” even as it led to ostentatious displays of success and riches contrary to the kingdom announced by Jesus.
* * *
Psalm 119:1-8
The science of a meaningful life
The psalmist follows Deuteronomy’s instructions in its praising a life lived by attending to God’s instructions. It turns that abiding by the commands of God – loving God in worship and praise, tending to the world, and loving the neighbor—are scientifically proven to be life-enhancing. A piece published by the DailyGood.org website reported on ten insights from science in 2022 that support the benefits of doing the sort of work God commands in the Torah (even if they do not explicitly name this as grounded in Torah, the connections are astonishing.) The ten included things such as developing a sense of awe (worship?), leaning into uncomfortable feelings for growth and achieving personal goals (loving the enemy?) and curating connections to global community.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Happy are those whose way is blameless.
All: Happy are those who walk in the law of God.
One: Happy are those who keep God’s decrees.
All: Happy are those who God with their whole heart.
One: O that our ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
All: I will observe your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.
OR
One: God, the One in Three, calls us into the Body of Christ.
All: We joyfully take our place with God’s saints.
One: Some of those saints may not be who you were expecting.
All: Saints are called by God, not by us.
One: Rejoice in the diversity of Christ’s Body.
All: We celebrate the breadth of God’s loving family.
Hymns and Songs
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
UMH: 89
H82: 376
PH: 464
GTG: 611
AAHH: 120
NNBH: 40
NCH: 4
CH: 2
LBW: 551
ELW: 836
W&P: 59
AMEC: 75
STLT 29
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
GTG: 4
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
ELW: 414
W&P: 138
Now Thank We All Our God
UMH: 102
H82: 396/397
PH: 555
GTG: 643
NNBH: 330
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533/534
ELW: 839/840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT 32
Jesus Shall Reign
UMH: 157
H82: 544
PH: 423
GTG: 265
NNBH: 10
NCH: 300
CH: 95
LBW: 530
ELW: 434
W&P: 341
AMEC: 96
Jesus Calls Us
UMH: 398
H82: 549/550
GTG: 720
NNBH: 183
NCH: 171/172
CH: 337
LBW: 494
ELW: 696
W&P: 345
AMEC: 238
This Is My Song
UMH: 437
GTG: 340
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELW: 887
STLT 155
Where Charity and Love Prevail
UMH: 549
H82: 581
GTG: 316
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELW: 359
Blest Be the Tie That Binds
UMH: 557
PH: 438
GTG: 306
AAHH: 341
NNBH: 298
NCH: 393
CH: 433
LBW: 370
ELW: 656
W&P: 393
AMEC: 522
Help Us Accept Each Other
UMH: 560
PH: 358
GTG: 754
NCH: 388
CH: 487
W&P: 596
AMEC: 558
Lead On, O King Eternal
UMH: 580
PH: 447/448
GTG: 269
AAHH: 477
NNBH: 415
NCH: 573
CH: 632
LBW: 495
ELW: 805
W&P: 508
AMEC: 177
They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love
CCB: 78
GTG: 300
Unity
CCB: 59
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The 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 calls us to yourself through the Christ:
Grant us the wisdom to see ourselves as the Body of Christ
and to not be distracted by the different parts we play;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you call us through the Christ to yourself. Diverse as we are, you make us one body through your one Spirit. Help us to live into that unity with you and with one another. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our separating ourselves from others of Christ’s body.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You make us out of one earth and your breathed into us one Spirit; you made us one in the Body of Christ and yet we look for ways to distinguish ourselves from others and to claim we are closer to you than they. We have looked with suspicion on the practices and beliefs of others assuming we have all the right answers. Forgive us and call us back to yourself as you call us together as your children. Amen.
One: God has made us one and will help us live into that reality. Receive God’s blessing and share that blessing with others.
Prayers of the People
Glory, honor, and praise to you, O God who is one and yet three. In your very being you show us how to be united in diversity.
(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. You make us out of one earth and your breathed into us one Spirit; you made us one in the body of Christ and yet we look for ways to distinguish ourselves from others and to claim we are closer to you than they. We have looked with suspicion on the practices and beliefs of others assuming we have all the right answers. Forgive us and call us back to yourself as you call us together as your children.
We give you thanks for creating us as your children and making us one in Christ. We thank you for your love that binds us to you and to one another. We thank you for all those who have shared themselves with us through your love.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need and especially for those who feel alone and rejected. We pray for those who have been pushed aside and told they are not loved by you. We pray for those who are going through the loneliness of illness and death and those who feel the separation of grief.
(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
We All Belong
by Katy Stenta
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Have you ever lost something? When you lose something, you hopefully have written your name on the inside of it, so it can get returned to you. This bag belongs to Your name. This toy belongs to a child’s name. In this letter, Paul says that we do not need to worry about if we belong more to one person or another, we do not have to fight over each other. We are not toys for God to play with. We all belong to each other and we all belong to God. We are all part of one big family.
Do you know why Paul had to say this? Because everyone was fighting over who belonged to God more, and because of this they wanted to say that they were the best follower of God. They were saying this kind of follower is better than that kind of follower of God.
Do you think that still happens today?
Yes — unfortunately it does. But the good news is that if you ask anyone if they belong, the answer should be yes, you belong here. You should not have to do anything to belong to God or church.
So, if someone asks who you belong to, the answer can be “everybody” or “God.” Isn’t that great?!
Dear God,
Thank you,
for helping us
remember
that we all
belong.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 12, 2023 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.
- Team Everybody by Mary Austin based on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.
- Second Thoughts: Humility and Recognition by Tom Willadsen based on Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Matthew 5:21-37, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Psalm 119:1-8.
- Sermon illustrations by Dean Feldmeyer and Chris Keating.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: We All Belong by Katy Stenta based on 1 Corinthians 3:1-9.
Team Everybodyby Mary Austin
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
This Sunday, Americans will divide up, proclaiming that “we belong to the Eagles” or “we belong to the Chiefs.” Others of us will watch the Super Bowl for the clever commercials, or tune in for Rihanna's half-time show. Or, maybe the Super Bowl is simply a really good excuse to eat chicken wings and get together with friends. We all belong to Team Junk Food, with pizza, chicken wings, and dip with chips as the top foods that will be served on Sunday.
The Super Bowl gives us a temporary community of like-minded fans, whether our passion is for the team or the food. Paul sees a similar kind of allegiance for the faithful in Corinth, as they line up behind different church leaders. For Paul, this division is unhealthy, causing people to lose their common focus on God.
Belonging to each other can bring us community, or division, depending on where we place our loyalty.
This year, an NFL game at the end of the regular season with major playoff implications was interrupted by Damar Hamlin's cardiac arrest mid-game, as his team, the Bills, played the Bengals. Hamlin collapsed on the field and received CPR as his stunned family, teammates, and fans watched. Football fans from both teams, and then much of the country, rooted for Hamlin to recover. We saw a rare kind of shared purpose in our common hope for good news.
When the chicken wings are reduced to a pile of bones, and we’re scraping out the last of the dip with a broken chip, Paul invites us to consider where we belong.
In the News
Damar Hamlin’s recovery has an element of awe, with doctors saying that typically, he “should not have survived, if statistics on cardiac arrests are any guide. Mr. Hamlin “was dead,” when he fell to the ground, said Dr. Timothy A. Pritts, chief of the section of general surgery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where Mr. Hamlin was treated.”
Hamlin belongs to an elite group of people who receive immediate care when their hearts stop. The National Football League has a contract with a Level 1 trauma center, with the highest level of care, near every stadium. In this case, “the University of Cincinnati Medical Center sends seven physicians to every Bengals home game. The center also sends paramedics, respiratory therapists and an ambulance crew.” Hamlin also belonged to dozens of people with an interest in saving his life, and retuning him to health. “In the first few hours, a severe trauma patient like Mr. Hamlin is physically touched by as many as 50 people. By the end of the first 24 hours, that number swells to 100 people.”
The people of Cincinnati also claimed him, and while he was in the hospital, “Flowers and cards for Mr. Hamlin arrived by the truckload, and donated meals were constantly being delivered. Fans attached posters to a chain-link fence outside, flew balloons and held candlelight vigils. There were so many callers that the medical center had to hire additional operators.”
In the ultra-competitive NFL, Damar Hamlin found a place in the affections of the whole country.
In the Scriptures
Even through the translation, we can hear Paul’s disappointment that the people in Corinth are not more mature in their faith. Their quarreling and divisions are evidence that they’re still “of the flesh,” behaving according “to human inclinations.” They’re ready only for spiritual baby food. We can feel him shaking his head in despair, with a note of exasperation.
One sign of their unformed faith is that the believers in Corinth are dividing themselves up, staking their allegiance to different factions of the church. They need an intermediary to follow, instead of placing their whole faith in Jesus. Paul reminds them Apollos, and even Paul himself, are only servants of the gospel. They are as human as the people in the faith community. More than that, they’re all meant to work together, not to head up little factions. Each leader has a different task, all in service to God’s plan.
God gives the growth, Paul says, and then repeats it again. No human effort will flourish without the work of God’s Spirit. Devotion to a human leader is silly, Paul reminds them, and definitely not worth quarreling over.
In the Sermon
Would Paul’s letter end of division in the church? Alas, church people don’t change, as we watch the United Methodist Church divide. Even our atheist neighbors are squabbling and taking sides. Some division is about a justice issue, and other church fights are about personal preferences writ large. The sermon might explore why we are divided, and what we can do about it. Is there ever a time when division is the best answer, so both parties can move forward, spending their energy on growth instead of fighting each other?
Some places of belonging are complicated. The Church of England recently announced that the church’s investment fund was enriched by trading in enslaved people. The investment fund “has its roots in Queen Anne’s Bounty, established in 1704 to help support impoverished clergy. It invested heavily in the South Sea Company, which held a monopoly on transporting enslaved people from Africa to Spanish-controlled ports in the Americas. Between 1714 and 1739, the company transported 34,000 people…The commissioners’ report says the church at the time knew what it was involved in. “Investors in the South Sea Company would have known that it was trading in enslaved people,” it said.” The sermon might look at what happens when we find out we belong to a group that has done harm? How do we reckon with being part of a group with a terrible history?
And what happens when people don’t belong? The sermon might explore what happens to the people on the fringes. Damar Hamlin was claimed by a community of medical professionals and by football fans around the country. Not everyone gets the same embrace. Other players who are injured early in their football careers aren’t eligible for a pension or post-football health care, and often don’t receive disability payments. Young players “leave the game with damaged bodies and mixed job prospects, and some struggle to get the help they need. “The world’s collective heart is pouring itself out for Hamlin, but the main point is there are a lot of journeymen players who leave the league with serious problems,” said Michael LeRoy,” a professor of sports labor law. What do we do with the people who aren’t claimed by a group, who are left out?
By grace, we belong to Jesus. Other groups enrich our faith, and other people reveal Jesus to us, and our deepest belonging is to Jesus himself. Rooted there, we know who we are.
SECOND THOUGHTSHumility and Recognition
by Tom Willadsen
Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Matthew 5:21-37, 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, Psalm 119:1-8
In the Scriptures
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
We’re on the same team!
One of the things causing strife among the Corinthian Christians is a kind of hierarchy based on which messenger one regarded as having imparted the gospel to which believer. Paul takes great steps to point out that all the believers are on the same side. And it is God, and only God, who can cause one to grow in faith. Just as there are different tasks on a farm, and Paul will later point out that there are different parts of the body, the important, central thing is that all the growth is caused by the living God. The harvesting of the fruits of the Spirit are all important.
At my ordination the Ruling Elder who gave me my charge was a native of Ecuador and he spoke with a strong Spanish accent. He reminded me that I had already begun toiling in the Lord’s vineyard. He pronounced “vineyard” “bean yard,” which I have always preferred. To me bean yards sound more humble and useful than vineyards.
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Preachers of a certain age
As a child of the MTV Generation, last of the Baby Boomers, I cannot hear the words “choose life” without picturing George Michael who wore a shirt with those words on it in the video for Wham!’s first hit in the United States, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
This passage is the end of Moses’ farewell speech as the Israelites are poised to enter the Promised Land. Many of the synonyms for law are echoed in today’s Psalm reading. The instructions are clear, but stark. Obedience and life versus disobedience and death. The people’s autonomy is affirmed; they are encouraged to choose life, but not commanded to. The stakes are very high, their obedience will resonate through subsequent generations, as will the consequences of their disobedience. Choose wisely, Israel. (Spoiler alert: they don’t.)
They cannot claim that they do not know the Law. It is available to all of them, as near as their hearts. This image prefigures the image used in Jeremiah 31, when the Lord says through the prophet, “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:33, NRSV) The accessibility to the Law makes Israel unusual among neighboring nations. The words of other gods are only available to priests or other leaders. Everyone knows the rules among God’s people.
Matthew 5:21-37
An abrupt end to the Sermon on the Mount
Today’s gospel lesson is the third and final reading from the Sermon on the Mount. Because next Sunday is Transfiguration Sunday we are left with the final two portions of the Sermon on the Mount, as divided by the Revised Common Lectionary, unpreached. There is a lot here, plenty of material for multiple sermons. As a preacher I have always found it uniquely challenging to preach from the Sermon on the Mount. It is clearly the most famous and well-known sermon. There is not a single wasted word. Finding things to say to make these words clearer or more memorable is way beyond my ability.
Today’s reading is four of six antitheses Jesus presents to his hearers. “You have heard it said…” begins the first, second and fourth. The one concerning divorce, the third one, begins, “It was also said…” In each of these Jesus lays out the Law as it’s commonly understood, then with “But I say to you…” turns the accepted Law into something more personal and less abstract.
In the first of the antitheses Jesus contends that everyone is guilty of murder. Who hasn’t felt anger at another motorist who nearly swerved into her? If you’re angry, imagine yourself before a judge; if you insult another person, imagine yourself before the Supreme Court; and if say “You fool,” imagine yourself in the hell of fire!
In last week’s reading Jesus challenges those hearing him for their righteousness to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, that is the professional group most knowledgeable about the Law and a religious party known for its scrupulous attention to it. He sets the bar very, very high.
The Greek term rendered as “with lust,” επιθυμησαι can also mean “covet,” which connects it to a second of the Ten Commandments.
Psalm 119:1-8
New old-fashioned rhyme
Today’s reading from the Psalms is from the longest psalm, 119. A lengthy, acrostic poem in praise of God’s law, decrees, ways, precepts, statutes, commandments and ordinances. In each verse one of these terms is used, making the reading feel redundant to our modern, English-speaking minds. In fact this is a fine example of Hebrew poetry that rhymes not with sound but with meaning. This psalm is a good pairing with both the Deuteronomy and Matthew texts. Law, instruction, etc. are gifts from God; guardrails for our faithful journey.
In the News
About 500 people die every day from Covid-19 in the United States.
The Super Bowl is today.
We are about a month into divided government, and a month into a profoundly divided Republican Party in the House of Representatives.
We are nearing the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Weapons systems are finding their way to Ukraine.
There is a Chinese balloon floating over the western United States as I write this. The Chinese say it’s a civilian device that has gone astray. The United States is not buying that for a second, but since it appears that the balloon can’t gather any data that orbiting satellites cannot already obtain we’re not going to shoot it down. Besides, it could land on something and cause damage if we did. This Boomer is relieved that the nightmare scenario imagined in Nena’s only American hit has not come to pass. An accidental apocalypse we danced to back in the day.
The Treasury Department has taken extraordinary measures to keep the United States from defaulting on its debt. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy met with President Biden on January 31, but at this point one is an Irresistible Force and the other is an Immovable Object. The leaders are from opposite parties and opposite sides of the country. Biden’s experience in the Senate may even be considered an opposite to the more wide-open climate of the current House of Representatives. A default on at least a portion of the debt could come as early as June, and the threat of a default alone could throw the global economy into chaos.
Members of our congregations have been receiving bits of information and paperwork they will need to complete their income taxes for several weeks now. Our tax code is riddled with loopholes and exemptions, some intended to shape policy — tax rebates for electric vehicles, for example — others to simply raise revenue needed to pay the national bills. Ordained clergy have a huge advantage when it comes to paying federal income tax. We’re permitted to declare a portion of our income as going toward household expenses; we do not pay income tax on this amount. It’s legal, but is it fair, is it just?
While the psalmist delights in God’s law, is there anyone who delights in a similar way over our national tax code?
In the Sermon
The passages from Deuteronomy and Matthew certainly grab our attention. The choices are stark: life and death. We get to choose, but still. My approach to this portion of the Sermon on the Mount is that it shows that we are all guilty. All convicted. All in need of grace, forgiveness, mercy. Jimmy Carter famously confessed that he lusted in his heart, but it was only his saying those words that made it noteworthy. We’ve all done it. Just as we’ve all called our siblings fools, which is tantamount to murder, as Jesus explains so clearly.
Perhaps our common need for grace could help us find other things we have in common. That while the Chiefs and Eagles will be locked in a winner-take-all contest, millions of viewers will be united watching the contest — or at least the commercials that often prove to be more interesting than the action on the field.
Is it possible that the House of Representatives can get their act together and work for the common good? More basically, is it possible for them to reach a consensus on what the common good is? Will the looming debt crisis be an occasion for cooperation or political grandstanding about kicking the can down the road?
Paul gives us a model for humility and recognizing that God is the source of all our growth and progress.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:Matthew 5:21-37
If we approach the law — any law, divine or human — with our minds alone, obedience our only goal, we will, inevitably, begin to look for loopholes. The key to true righteousness and holiness, Jesus says in this lesson, is to approach God’s law from the heart, with a goal of being in relationship with the Creator.
Here are some illustrations about loopholes.
The Two Bridges Theory
Submitted for your approval: Two bridges identical in every respect save two. Alike in that they were built at roughly the same time by the same builders and designed by the same engineer. They look alike and the span the same river. The differences are that they are five miles apart and the downstream bridge is a toll bridge while the upstream bridge is free.
The downstream toll bridge is close to your home but you don’t want to pay the toll. There are two ways to avoid paying the tax: You can blow through the toll gate on the toll bridge and hope you don’t get caught or you can drive five miles upstream and cross the free bridge.
The first option is called tax evasion and it is illegal and immoral. The second is called tax avoidance and is the loophole in the tax law. It is perfectly legal and moral.
* * *
Blood Work
Carly, a college student, has intermittent anemia that she is trying to improve. Unfortunately, the lab work comes at a hefty price and her insurance deductible leaves her paying $100 every month just for the testing, not including the medications she has to take to increase the iron in her blood.
However, if she goes to the blood bank and volunteers to donate blood, they will test her for anemia for free and, if the test is positive they will give her meds and foods to up her iron until she can give blood. She comes back a week later. If she’s still anemic, she repeats the process. If she isn’t, she donates blood.
It’s a loophole where both sides benefit.
* * *
School Uniforms
Marie hated her school’s uniforms but the policy was fairly strict. The uniform had to fit well, be worn properly and be clean. Looking closely at the uniform policy, however, she found a loophole.
The policy made no mention of boys’ uniforms or girls’ uniforms so she purchased a boy’s uniform that was clean, neat, in good repair, fit her well, and was much more comfortable than the girls’ uniforms. Several teachers said she was violating the rules but when she appealed her case to the headmaster, he ruled in her favor.
The loophole stayed in the manual until more girls were wearing boy uniforms than girl uniforms.
* * *
Deck Loophole
Ron’s father wanted to build a deck for the back of his house. City ordinance required a permit that cost something like $200. Upon careful inspection of the ordinance, Dad discovered that it assumed that the deck would be attached to the house and, therefore, considered a home improvement.
So Dad built the deck right up against the house but not attached. No permit required. $200 saved.
* * *
Smoking in Barnacles Bar
Back in 2007, Minnesota followed a national trend by passing an anti-smoking law that banned smoking in pretty much every public building, including bars. Unfortunately, that was bad news for the bars, because if you're going to get good and drunk to fight off the depression manual labor and seasonal affective disorder brings, you want to get your smoke on, too. Nobody wants to go stand outside to smoke, since in Minnesota it gets cold enough at night that your spit freezes before it hits the ground.
There was a line in the law, however, that said if you were an actor in a play, and your character smoked, then you'd get a pass. So, the owners of the bar declared that they were staging a continuous live performance and that everyone in the bar was an actor.
The thing was, the law didn't bother to specify what was meant by "stage performances," and really, how do you argue? No script? It’s improv. Not getting paid? They were amateur actors doing community theater. So, you enter Barnacles on a Saturday night, and then see that the staff is in costume and that you have become a performer in their "Theater Night." Sure, you don't have any lines and you're probably just playing "Guy Drinking To Forget His Job #5," but, hey, you need to smoke to get into character.
Word spread and, before long, other bars in the area were “staging” theater nights. The authorities aren't amused, however, and have levied fines against the bars for violating the ban. The bans are currently being challenged in court.
* * *
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
As the Children of Israel approach the Promised Land, Moses stops everything and reminds them that this is not a free ride. YHWH expects certain things in return for giving them this land flowing with milk and honey. He puts it in terms of a quid pro quo — this for that. Do this and live, do that and die. It’s your decision to make but it’s a life and death decision.
The Grenfell Tower Fire
Studies show that, when faced with important life or death situations, even people experienced in such decision making find it hard to do so and can often delay too long in making decisions.
On June 14, 2017, a refrigerator in a London apartment had an electrical malfunction that started a fire. For the first two hours after the fire was reported, officials told the apartment building’s residents not to evacuate. Rather, they recommended people stay in their apartments and trust the building’s design to contain the fire to the unit where it started.
The city’s fire officials were faced with two types of potential tragedy: people dying in their apartments or getting injured or killed trying to evacuate.
In hindsight, they took too long to realize the fire was out of control and to change their instructions, telling people to get out. Less than four hours after it started, the fire had engulfed the 24-story Grenfell Tower, home to just under 300 people, of whom 72 died.
A similar problem has arisen in California wildfires — including in 2018, when delays in the order to evacuate the town of Paradise, California, led to the deaths of 56 people.
* * *
Redundant Deliberation
Scholars who study human decision-making in potentially fatal circumstances report that many people, even trained military personnel and emergency responders, find it hard to make decisions in extreme situations, such as large fires.
The resulting delay, which is called “redundant deliberation,” happens when people take too long to make a choice between difficult options. Indecision is the most dangerous aspect of a high-stakes situation. Redundant deliberation is more likely to occur when there is no standard policy to guide decision-makers or when the normal practice doesn’t fit the actual circumstances.
Many apartment buildings’ fire plans involve telling residents to stay put, because fireproof walls, floors and ceilings are designed to contain flames to the apartment where they started.
That was the plan at the 2017 Grenfell Tower in which 72 people died. London fire officials stuck to that advice even as the fire spread into dozens of neighboring apartments.
Their error was in relying too much on fixed rules and written policies, rather than understanding how best to protect human life in a rapidly changing fire that defied the expectations those policies relied on. The London fire chiefs’ years of accumulated firefighting experience had not prepared them to handle what happened at the Grenfell Tower. It was simply too rare an event, with much more at stake than in other fires.
* * *
At Uvalde: Redundant Deliberation 2.0
On May 24, 2022, a mass shooting occurred at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, a former student at the school, fatally shot nineteen students plus two teachers and wounded 17 others. Earlier that day, he shot his grandmother in the face at home, severely wounding her.
He fired shots for approximately five minutes outside the school before entering unobstructed with an AR-15 style rifle through an unlocked side entrance door. He then shut himself inside two adjoining classrooms without locking the classroom door, killed the victims, and remained in the school for more than an hour before members of the United States Border Patrol Tactical Unit (BORTAC) fatally shot him after they bypassed numerous local and state officers who had been in the school's hallways for over an hour. The shooting is the third-deadliest school shooting in the United States (and the deadliest in Texas), after the Virginia Tech shooting in 2007 and the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012.
Police officers waited more than 1 hour and 14 minutes on-site before breaching the classroom to engage the shooter. Police also cordoned off the school grounds, resulting in violent conflicts between police and civilians, including parents, who were attempting to enter the school to rescue children. As a consequence, law enforcement officials in Uvalde have been heavily criticized for their response to the shooting, and their conduct is being reviewed in separate investigations by the Texas Ranger Division and the United States Department of Justice.
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) officials laid much of the responsibility for the police response on Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department Chief Pedro Arredondo, who they identified as the incident commander. Arredondo refuted the characterization of his role as incident commander, but was later fired by the Uvalde school board for his actions during the shooting. A report conducted by the Texas House of Representatives Investigative Committee attributed the fault more widely to "systemic failures and egregious poor decision making" by many authorities.
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:Deuteronomy 30:15-20
More than a political statement
For decades, the prolife movement has used “Choose Life!” as its rallying cry for its annual March for Life held in Washington, DC in January. For the first time since 1974, the group gathered this year to celebrate the overturning of Roe v. Wade and to chart a new course for the future. “It’s the beginning of an entirely new pro-life movement,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, the president of Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, told The New York Times before the rally began on January 20, 2023. “Our job just increased times 50.”
But “Choose Life” is more than an anti-abortion moniker. Indeed, as biblical commentators point out, its context in Deuteronomy points to the broader message of God’s steadfast love for Israel. Others, though, might call to mind the iconic t-shirts created in the 1980s by British fashion designer Katharine Hamnett. In 1984, pop star George Michaels and Andrew Ridgeley from the duo Wham! wore Hamnett’s oversized shirts on the video for their hit song, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.”
Hamnet’s Buddhist-inspired design was also sported by Queen drummer Roger Taylor. Hamnett has said that “the Choose Life t-shirt embodies an all-encompassing statement about ideal behavior.” She is quick to point out that she never intended them to be used to decry abortion.
According to Hamnett’s website, the message is broader than a single issue:
It's not about the anti-abortion lobby. The US anti-abortion lobby attempted to appropriate CHOOSE LIFE. We are taking it back and promoting its real meaning. Ours is authentic and I believe in a woman's right to choose. I'm a big fan of Buddhism. To portray the message more clearly, I suggested writing it in huge letters on a t-shirt that could be plainly seen on a 35mm contact sheet. CHOOSE LIFE was relevant then. CHOOSE LIFE is even more relevant now. CHOOSE LIFE is a message forever. CHOOSE LIFE over WAR. CHOOSE LIFE over DESERTS. CHOOSE LIFE over EXTINCTION. CHOOSE LIFE over everything you do.
Sometimes even t-shirts can express theological possibilities.
* * *
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Does God promise a winning PowerBall ticket?
Preachers from the prosperity theology movement have often turned to Deuteronomy 30:15-20 in order to buttress their understanding that God intends to reward faith with wealth and material prosperity. In her book Blessed, Kate Bowler provides a historical overview of the prosperity movement. Quoting prosperity evangelist Kenneth Hagin, Bowler observes that believers rooted their conviction that financial prosperity follows faithfulness in Deuteronomy’s instructions. She quotes Hagin: “In the Old Testament, according to Deuteronomy, poverty was to come upon God’s people if they disobeyed him.” According to prosperity theology, Adam and Eve’s sin “transferred legal dominion of the earth to Satan, who kept humanity in want of health, provision, and God’s power.” (Bowler, Blessed, Oxford Press, 2013, chapter 3, Kindle edition.) Bowler’s analysis of the prosperity movement notes it “consecrated America’s culture of optimism,” that “transformed personal slumps or tragedies into tests of character,” even as it led to ostentatious displays of success and riches contrary to the kingdom announced by Jesus.
* * *
Psalm 119:1-8
The science of a meaningful life
The psalmist follows Deuteronomy’s instructions in its praising a life lived by attending to God’s instructions. It turns that abiding by the commands of God – loving God in worship and praise, tending to the world, and loving the neighbor—are scientifically proven to be life-enhancing. A piece published by the DailyGood.org website reported on ten insights from science in 2022 that support the benefits of doing the sort of work God commands in the Torah (even if they do not explicitly name this as grounded in Torah, the connections are astonishing.) The ten included things such as developing a sense of awe (worship?), leaning into uncomfortable feelings for growth and achieving personal goals (loving the enemy?) and curating connections to global community.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Happy are those whose way is blameless.
All: Happy are those who walk in the law of God.
One: Happy are those who keep God’s decrees.
All: Happy are those who God with their whole heart.
One: O that our ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes!
All: I will observe your statutes; do not utterly forsake me.
OR
One: God, the One in Three, calls us into the Body of Christ.
All: We joyfully take our place with God’s saints.
One: Some of those saints may not be who you were expecting.
All: Saints are called by God, not by us.
One: Rejoice in the diversity of Christ’s Body.
All: We celebrate the breadth of God’s loving family.
Hymns and Songs
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
UMH: 89
H82: 376
PH: 464
GTG: 611
AAHH: 120
NNBH: 40
NCH: 4
CH: 2
LBW: 551
ELW: 836
W&P: 59
AMEC: 75
STLT 29
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
GTG: 4
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
ELW: 414
W&P: 138
Now Thank We All Our God
UMH: 102
H82: 396/397
PH: 555
GTG: 643
NNBH: 330
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533/534
ELW: 839/840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT 32
Jesus Shall Reign
UMH: 157
H82: 544
PH: 423
GTG: 265
NNBH: 10
NCH: 300
CH: 95
LBW: 530
ELW: 434
W&P: 341
AMEC: 96
Jesus Calls Us
UMH: 398
H82: 549/550
GTG: 720
NNBH: 183
NCH: 171/172
CH: 337
LBW: 494
ELW: 696
W&P: 345
AMEC: 238
This Is My Song
UMH: 437
GTG: 340
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELW: 887
STLT 155
Where Charity and Love Prevail
UMH: 549
H82: 581
GTG: 316
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELW: 359
Blest Be the Tie That Binds
UMH: 557
PH: 438
GTG: 306
AAHH: 341
NNBH: 298
NCH: 393
CH: 433
LBW: 370
ELW: 656
W&P: 393
AMEC: 522
Help Us Accept Each Other
UMH: 560
PH: 358
GTG: 754
NCH: 388
CH: 487
W&P: 596
AMEC: 558
Lead On, O King Eternal
UMH: 580
PH: 447/448
GTG: 269
AAHH: 477
NNBH: 415
NCH: 573
CH: 632
LBW: 495
ELW: 805
W&P: 508
AMEC: 177
They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love
CCB: 78
GTG: 300
Unity
CCB: 59
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The 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 calls us to yourself through the Christ:
Grant us the wisdom to see ourselves as the Body of Christ
and to not be distracted by the different parts we play;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you call us through the Christ to yourself. Diverse as we are, you make us one body through your one Spirit. Help us to live into that unity with you and with one another. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our separating ourselves from others of Christ’s body.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You make us out of one earth and your breathed into us one Spirit; you made us one in the Body of Christ and yet we look for ways to distinguish ourselves from others and to claim we are closer to you than they. We have looked with suspicion on the practices and beliefs of others assuming we have all the right answers. Forgive us and call us back to yourself as you call us together as your children. Amen.
One: God has made us one and will help us live into that reality. Receive God’s blessing and share that blessing with others.
Prayers of the People
Glory, honor, and praise to you, O God who is one and yet three. In your very being you show us how to be united in diversity.
(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. You make us out of one earth and your breathed into us one Spirit; you made us one in the body of Christ and yet we look for ways to distinguish ourselves from others and to claim we are closer to you than they. We have looked with suspicion on the practices and beliefs of others assuming we have all the right answers. Forgive us and call us back to yourself as you call us together as your children.
We give you thanks for creating us as your children and making us one in Christ. We thank you for your love that binds us to you and to one another. We thank you for all those who have shared themselves with us through your love.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need and especially for those who feel alone and rejected. We pray for those who have been pushed aside and told they are not loved by you. We pray for those who are going through the loneliness of illness and death and those who feel the separation of grief.
(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 SERMONWe All Belong
by Katy Stenta
1 Corinthians 3:1-9
Have you ever lost something? When you lose something, you hopefully have written your name on the inside of it, so it can get returned to you. This bag belongs to Your name. This toy belongs to a child’s name. In this letter, Paul says that we do not need to worry about if we belong more to one person or another, we do not have to fight over each other. We are not toys for God to play with. We all belong to each other and we all belong to God. We are all part of one big family.
Do you know why Paul had to say this? Because everyone was fighting over who belonged to God more, and because of this they wanted to say that they were the best follower of God. They were saying this kind of follower is better than that kind of follower of God.
Do you think that still happens today?
Yes — unfortunately it does. But the good news is that if you ask anyone if they belong, the answer should be yes, you belong here. You should not have to do anything to belong to God or church.
So, if someone asks who you belong to, the answer can be “everybody” or “God.” Isn’t that great?!
Dear God,
Thank you,
for helping us
remember
that we all
belong.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 12, 2023 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.
