The Weaponization Of Prayer
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For September 29, 2024:
The Weaponization Of Prayer
by Dean Feldmeyer
James 5:13-20
We’ve all heard it, usually at some public event: The sermon dressed up as a prayer. I confess, I may have been guilty of it a couple of times, myself.
But no sermon-prayer I’ve ever delivered was received with the kind of controversy sparked by evangelical pastor Rev. Joe Wright when he prayed the opening prayer before the Kansas state legislature in 1996. The pastor used the form of a confessional prayer to condemn a laundry list of grievances that he had against modern culture: Pluralism, multiculturalism, abortion, violence against abortionists, freedom of speech, homosexuality, the lottery, neglect of the needy, welfare, lax parenting, political ambition, and a couple that were so vague as to be indecipherable.
Of course, the prayer caused a firestorm of controversy for both red and blue. “He didn't miss anyone,” state Rep. Jim Long told the Kansas City Star. “He made everyone mad.”
I can’t be certain, but it seems to me that it was Rev. Wright who, with his love of absolutes, ushered in the now perfectly acceptable practice of what we might call the “politically partisan prayer.”
You’ve heard the sermon dressed up as a prayer; now we have the prayer that doubles for a political stump speech.
In the News / Culture
McKay Coppins, a staff writer for The Atlantic, has read every prayer offered at Donald Trump’s campaign events since he announced he would run again in 2022 — 58 in total.
He reports that the resulting document — at just over 17,000 words — makes for a strange, revealing religious text: “Benign in some places, blasphemous in others; contradictory and poignant and frightening and sad and, perhaps most of all, begging for exegesis…”
The premise of all of these prayers, Coppins asserts, is that America’s covenant can be reestablished, and its special place in God’s kingdom restored, if the nation repents and turns back to him. They seem to be united in the conviction that God has anointed a specific leader who, like those prophets of old, is prepared to defeat the forces of evil and redeem the country. And that leader is Donald Trump.
According to Bradley Onishi, a scholar and former evangelical minister who studies the intersection of politics and Christianity in America, prayers at political events have traditionally fit a certain mold. God is asked to grant the political leader inspiration and wisdom, to help him resist temptation and lead the country in a righteous direction. “It was always ‘We pray for him to have the strength to do God’s will, to have character, to be the man we need,’” Onishi said.
Some of the prayers at Trump’s rallies run along these lines and would be familiar to anyone who has spent time in an American church, he says. Such as the prayer one man offered at a Trump event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire: “Give President Trump the strength to make the right decisions both in and out of the public eye. Remind him to seek your guidance as events unfold.” A prayer that could be offered up for any leader in any political party.
But Onishi was struck by how many of them take Trump’s righteousness for granted. “No one prays for Trump to do right; they pray that God will do right by Trump.” In other words, the prayers at Trump events seem to be telling God to wake up and get on board the Trump bandwagon or risk losing America as the apple of God’s eye.
Examining the prayers, Onishi offers that “There are many ways to parse the text. You could compare the number of times Trump’s name is mentioned (87) versus Jesus Christ’s (61). You could break down the demographics of the people leading the prayers: Forty-five men and thirteen women; overwhelmingly evangelical, with disproportionate representation from Pentecostalism, a charismatic branch of Christianity that emphasizes supernatural faith healing and speaking in tongues. One might also be tempted to catalog the most comically incendiary lines (“Oh Lord, our Lord, we want to be awake and not woke”). But the most interesting way to look at these prayers is to examine the theological motifs that run through them.”
The scripture verse that’s cited most frequently in the prayers comes from 2 Chronicles. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The language in prayer after prayer leans heavily on military images. The faithful are referred to as “prayer warriors,” and Trump is identified as a courageous warrior or a victim. The “prayer warriors” refer to “fighting” for God’s cause, “doing battle” against the forces of evil, all of which are inevitably progressive and usually Democrat or wishy-washy, cowardly RINO (Republican In Name Only) conservatives. And it is these “demonic” enemies who are keeping him jailed in a prison of false accusations, and rigged trials.
The language is that of “spiritual warfare.”
At a campaign event in North Charleston, South Carolina, Mark Burns, a televangelist in a three-piece suit, squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his right hand toward heaven. “Let us pray, because we’re fighting a demonic force,” he shouted. “We’re fighting the real enemy that comes from the gates of hell, led by one of its leaders called Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”
If you’re engaged in a war of good vs. evil, angels vs. demons, God vs. Satan, it’s easy to see that losing can’t be an option and anything necessary for winning is not only allowed, but necessary.
“This is not a time for politics as usual,” a Pentecostal preacher declared at a Trump rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, last year. “It’s not a time for religion as usual. It’s not a time for prayers as usual. This is a time for spiritual warriors to arise and to shake the heavens.”
Joel Tenney, a 27-year-old evangelist, put it this way at an event in Coralville, Iowa: “The corruption in Washington is a natural reflection of the spiritual state of our nation.”
Then, for the next several minutes, he hit all the familiar notes: He quoted from 2 Chronicles and Ephesians, and reminded the audience of the eternal consequences of 2024. Then he issued a warning to those who would stand in the way of God’s will being done on election day.
“Be afraid,” Tenney said. “For rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. And when Donald Trump becomes the 47th president of the United States, there will be retribution against all those who have promoted evil in this country.”
And then he prayed a prayer that, like nearly every other prayer by every other “prayer warrior” who spoke and so cavalierly threw around the language of war, ended claiming to be prayed in the name of the one who is the “Prince of Peace.”
When the language is that of warfare, can the actions associated with war be far behind?
In the Scripture
The epistle of James was written to the early church, and, in his closing remarks, the author gives some pastoral advice to the congregations. More than a private, individual matter, prayer is an activity of the community of faith that should be undertaken for the purpose of building up the community of faith.
First, he asks if anyone is suffering? We always assume that he’s talking about physical suffering, but he doesn’t say that. He could be talking about mental or emotional suffering, the kind that comes with worry, doubt, despair, anger, depression, bitterness, anxiety, and any number of mental/emotional states. There’s also the suffering that comes from poverty or oppression at the hands of bullies and despots, and he acknowledges that this may be the case. And then he suggests — “they should pray.”
It’s almost offhanded, isn’t it? There’s a sort of implied, unspoken, “naturally,” there, isn’t there? Naturally, if you are suffering, well, you should pray. Of course.
Second question: Are any cheerful? He goes on. They should sing songs of praise.
Saint Augustine said that those who sing pray twice (once with words, and once with music.) And that may be what James is saying here, as well. Singing is just a different kind of prayer and one that should not be neglected as we try to round out and fill in our prayer life.
Third question: Are any among you sick?
Now he’s getting down to it, isn’t he? How should we Christians deal with physical illness? What should be our response? Well, of course, we should go to a physician. We should take the prescribed medication and follow our doctor’s orders. But we, as people of faith, have another arrow in our quiver, don’t we? We do not rely solely upon science. We rely upon prayer as well. It’s not an either/or proposition for us. It’s a both / and kind of thing. We rely on science and prayer, together, as a community.
If you, as an individual member, are sick, you should not bear your burden in silence. You should let the congregation know about your needs. Then the elders, that is, the leaders of the church, including, but not limited to, the clergy, should come to you and pray over you and anoint you with oil as a sign of their love and care.
If this activity is done sincerely and in the spirit of hope and love it has the power to save the sick, to affect a healing if not necessarily a cure. And this is especially the case where the illness is one that is caused by sin, by our separation and estrangement from God and each other.
If we sincerely confess our separation and estrangement, our sin, to each other, and pray for each other, he says, those prayers will have power. Our sin will be forgiven, and God will lift us up from the sickness that sin has caused in our lives.
How often do we, individually or as a group, pray for each other’s sins? That, says James, is what we ought to be praying about most of the time.
Do we know someone who is being selfish or mean? We need to name that sin and pray for the one who is captive of it. Do we know a man who is greedy or a woman who is unloving? Pray for them. Do we know a child who is rebellious or disrespectful or addicted? Pray for that child.
Oh, but it’s so much easier and safer to pray about sickness and injury, to pray that God will bless America and manipulate the political system to get our candidate elected, than it is to pray about sin, isn’t it?
We preachers are as guilty as anyone. We get together and the time for prayer requests comes up and what do we hear? So-and-so in my congregation is having heart surgery; pray for her. Such-and-such in my congregation is battling cancer; pray for him. On and on it goes. It’s like a contest to see whose congregation has the most physical maladies and problems.
And never once do we hear a pastor humble him or herself and say, “There’s a man in my congregation that I hate. Please pray for me.” Or, “There’s a woman in my congregation that I’ve caught myself daydreaming about. Please pray for me.” Or, “My church doesn’t pay me enough to pay back my student loans and I resent them for it. Pray for me.” Or, “You know, I sometimes wonder if there really is a God; pray for me, will you?”
It plays out differently but just as dangerously among the laity, doesn’t it?
We come together for prayer, and we hear about someone’s mother-in-law’s brother’s uncle’s friend’s mother who has a really bad this or that physical problem and we are asked to pray for that person, but never do we hear someone say, “I think I’m drinking too much and I can’t seem to stop.” Or “I’m afraid of my husband.” Or “I resent my wife.” Or “I don’t like my daughter very much.” Or “I wish my boss would die.” Or “I’ve been thinking of having an affair, please pray for me.”
James suggests that maybe that’s exactly what the church ought to be doing, confessing our sins and weaknesses to each other and praying for each other that God will forgive those sins and holding each other up and strengthening each other by the unity of our spirits. How different are his instructions from what we see in the conservative church as their prayers seem to do nothing so much as instruct God on whom to strike down for the sin of apostasy.
Maybe, says James, we should spend more time praying about our own sin and a little less time praying about the sin of those whose politics we despise.
In the Sermon
But James is kinda naïve, isn’t he?
I mean, I would never suggest that we all start confessing all our sins to each other tomorrow. That’s a pretty big step, going from nothing to everything in a single day.
When we come together in our support groups, our sharing groups, our Bible study groups, we could add this to our corporate prayers: A moment of silent confession and then a moment of spoken, general confession. And, after a moment of silent confession, add these words or something like them: “Lord, we confess that we have not been the people you want us to be. We have sinned against each other and against you by omission and commission, in thought, word, and deed and we ask forgiveness from you and from each other.”
I know that may seem artificial or even forced at first. But the epistle of James and other passages of scripture tell us that there are things we can do, postures we can assume, attitudes we can adopt that will make this prayer, and, indeed, all prayer, effective.
It’s the prayer of someone who has chosen not to be God’s powerful right hand but the vulnerable, kind, unassuming, sheep of God’s pasture. Just as Jesus called us to be.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Demonizing Others
by Chris Keating
Mark 9:38-50
Thank God for that unnamed exorcist. It seems he came along at exactly the right time.
His actions, according to Mark, have scandalized the disciples. But Jesus flips the script on them, reminding them that it is their behavior that is truly scandalous. What’s more, he says, you ought to beware of those scandals.
Mark gathers a collection of Jesus’ sayings on discipleship in Mark 9:38-50, offering a series of instructions that the disciples don’t quite seem to understand. Jesus confronts the disciples and their ever-churning mixture of arrogance, fear, and jealousy. He reminds them that these are all enormous weights that will likely prompt them to sin, adding that their behaviors could lead to scandalous consequences.
He shuts down their suspicions of outsiders, suggesting that even the smallest, most common acts of hospitality will be rewarded. He follows that by reminding them that if anyone causes a little one to stumble (skandalizo in Greek), they would be better off relocating to the fires of Gehenna.
“Whoever is not against us if for us,” Jesus says, a correction that may have been particularly stinging given the disciples’ inability to cast out demons in 9:14.
Jesus’ words evoke Moses’ struggles with Joshua, Eldad, and Medad in Number 11:26-39. In that situation, Joshua whined to Moses that Eldad and Medad were not authorized to prophesy. It seems Joshua wants to keep God’s power constrained, but Moses sees through his green-eyed jealousy. “Are you jealous for my sake?” Moses asks. “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29).
Here the stakes are even higher. On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus spells out the rigors of discipleship, taking time to spell out the consequences that await him. John interrupts Jesus, who likely is still holding a small child on his lap. The disciples are furious that someone else seems to be ministering in his name. Jesus responds by offering a simple, yet profoundly difficult definition of discipleship. To follow Jesus means practicing a warm-hearted, radically open form of hospitality shaped by humility and servanthood. It involves simple, concrete acts like offering a cup of water. At the same time, however, it is as difficult as letting go of the notion that success is always defined by “us versus them.”
It’s something worth considering in these days of life in our inward facing silos. In the days after 9/11, then President George Bush announced his administration’s response to a new Global War on Terrorism. “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists,” he said to Congress. “From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.”
The bonds of community were particularly friable at that moment, perhaps understandable in the response to the terrorist attacks. Yet they have only become thinner and weaker in recent years, making Jesus’ instructions so much more counter cultural. But also, so much more necessary.
Ten years after 9/11, Parker Palmer wrote, “we spend most of our lives in ‘tribes’ or lifestyle enclaves — and that thinking of the world in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’ is one of the many limitations of the human mind.” (Palmer, Healing the Heart of Democracy). Things have not improved since he wrote that in 2011.
As election day approaches, we find ourselves in a weird universe where the former President of the United States is convinced that legal immigrants who have transformed the economy of a small Ohio town are hunting down the pets of their neighbors. He has claimed immigrants are forming an “army” aimed at “getting us from within.”
Trump and running mate Senator JD Vance continue to call for mass deportations while suggesting that migrants are taking “your jobs” and “homes.” Their anti-other rhetoric has only increased even as all of their claims have been debunked. “We are going to stop this invasion,” said Trump in North Carolina. “This invasion is destroying the fabric of our country.”
Meanwhile, at the other end of this galaxy, things seem equally out of whack. Six weeks before election day, and we find ourselves in a world where ultra progressive Senator Bernie Sanders and deeply conservative former Vice President Dick Cheney have both endorsed the same person — Vice President Kamala Harris — for President. More than 700 prominent Republicans have followed Cheney’s lead in endorsing Harris, including dozens of alumni from the Reagan and Bush administrations.
As the Ukrainian-American comic Yakov Smirnoff used to say in the 1980s, “What a country!”
Jesus’ words are more poignant, however: “For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.” The distinctive secret ingredient of discipleship, it seems, are loving acts of salty servanthood.
Jesus reminds the disciples that restraint is the better pathway to grace. But restraint is not the same as tolerating anti-kingdom behavior. Rather, the restraint Jesus urges them to exercise toward the unauthorized exorcist arises from the sort of recognition Parker Palmer says is essential to the habits of the heart that promote healthy democracy. “We must understand that we are all in this together,” Palmer writes. “Despite our illusions of individualism and national superiority, we humans are a profoundly interconnected species — entwined with one another and with all forms of life, as the global economic and ecological crises reveal in vivid and frightening detail.” (Palmer, p. 44).
Jesus buttresses his remarks with reminders of what is at stake. Imagine him pointing down to the child still playing on his lap. Paraphrasing verse 42, we might imagine him saying something like, “If you cause one of the least of these whom I love to stumble, it would be better if you sank to the bottom of the sea.” But he does not stop at the ocean. Jesus gets even more graphic, warning the disciples that the results of such scandalous behavior will be akin to amputating one’s body. Don’t go causing trouble, he suggests, and by all means do not go about fracturing community.
Jesus confronts the frothy mix of fear, arrogance, and jealousy by upholding a vision of the kingdom built around service, justice, and wholeness. We need this word today.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
Mark 9:38-50
Looking for Talent Everywhere
We think of the competition as our enemy, as the disciples do here. Jesus has a wider view, explaining that “whoever is not against us is for us.” Whoever isn’t working against us is part of our work, in one way or another.
Business guru Liz Wiseman notes that a colleague of hers used this approach to recruit new staff members. The people she calls “Multipliers” look everywhere for talent. “A CEO of a high-tech company in Beijing was on the constant prowl for the best talent from universities and the competition. At the end of the working day, he would sit outside a competitor’s office in his Uber-registered car and wait to pick up employees. Once in the car together, he would strike up a conversation with them, deliberately hunting for genius. While lurking outside a competitor’s office into the dark hours of the night might be extreme, it’s a great example of the way Talent Magnets look for talent everywhere.” (from Multipliers)
* * *
Mark 9:38-50
The Competition
Jesus is unbothered by people doing his work in his name — the so-called competition here. Scientists have a similar lightness of spirit about their doctoral work in the “Dance Your PhD” competition.
Scientist Weliton Menário Costa, who now goes by the name Weli, said it “felt like winning Eurovision” when he won the competition for his artistic take on kangaroo behavior. “His four-minute video titled Kangaroo Time features drag queens, twerking, ballerinas, a classical Indian dancer, and a bunch of friends Weli acquired from his time studying at the Australian National University. The video collected the top prize awarded annually by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science magazine, and San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company Primer.ai. The competition encourages scientists to explain complex research to the wider public through dance, music and humor, and attracts dozens of entries from around the world each year.”
The winning video “narrowly beat an entry from the University of Maine, in which a second-year ecology and environmental science PhD student used the music of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre to convey her research on the invasive brown tail moth.”
If only all competition carried this level of lightness.
* * *
James 5:13-20
The Simplest Prayer
The epistle notes that “the prayer of faith will save the sick,” and this applies to illness of mind, body, or spirit. Anne Lamott tells us, “When I first got sober, a man told me that upon waking every morning, instead of reciting the standard flowery recovery prayer, he said, “Whatever,” and at night when he turned off his light to go to sleep, he said, “Oh, well.” In between he practiced simplicity — he stayed sober, worked on acceptance, tried to be of service to others, went for nature walks, picked up litter, made himself tea, and called it a day. This is a perfect plan for living.” Our prayers can be just that simple. (from Somehow: Thoughts on Love)
* * *
James 5:13-20
For Now
The epistle instructs, “Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.” In the middle of every circumstance, prayer is the answer. Emily P. Freeman reminds us that we have options when prayer feels hard.
“For now” is a good, simple prayer, she says, “an acceptance of what is and a trust that we are not alone in it. Bringing all our for-nows to God can serve as both a confession and a relief: I don’t have any answers; I can’t control outcomes; I need a source outside of myself to accompany me in this interim space. I’ve even used these two words as a foundation for a simple breath prayer, which is an ancient form of contemplative prayer that coincides with your inhale and exhale. Also called “prayers of the heart,” breath prayers are not fancy or fussy but are a way to remember God is with us wherever we go, as close as the air around us and within us. You can choose a lyric, a line of scripture, a poem, a phrase, a word, or a mantra.”
She suggests simple breath prayers, including: (Inhale) For now (Exhale) I will wait. (Inhale) For now (Exhale) I’m held in love. (Inhale) For now I fear not (Exhale) for you are with me.
She adds, “You might find different two-word mantras to be helpful depending on your situation: Not yet. Wait well. Stay here. Be brave. I’m good. Me too. Lean in. Rest well. Keep going. For me. Look again. Grow slow.” (from How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away)
* * *
James 5:13-20
The Voice We Hear in Prayer
The epistle recommends prayer for our joyful days and our painful days, turning us toward God no matter what happens. Henri Nouwen finds the same kind of steadiness in prayer. He writes:
Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, “Prove that you are a good person.” Another voice says, “You’d better be ashamed of yourself.” There also is a voice that says, “Nobody really cares about you,” and one that says, “Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful.” But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, “You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you.” That’s the voice we need most of all to hear. To hear that voice, however, requires special effort; it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen. That’s what prayer is. It is listening to the voice that calls us “my Beloved.” (from Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith)
Prayer, as the epistle says, is our anchor.
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:
James 5:13-20
For the last six months I have been working as a hospice chaplain. Sometimes all anyone wants me to do is pray. It is quite amazing, the power of a simple ritual. I come in, pray for 10 minutes, and the patient will simply go to sleep. I consider it quite the compliment — that someone who has been in pain will relax enough to fall asleep when I pray with / over / among them. The power of prayer is not in its length or perfection, it is in the value to sitting together with God.
* * *
Psalm 19:7-14
We desire the rules of God because we want to know what to do. How true is it that we often want neon signs from God, telling us what to do next? So often we want a strict God, a judgmental God, a God who gives us the straight and narrow path. However, the word for rules in Hebrew is more like guidance and suggestion. It’s like in the Pirates of the Caribbean where it is explained the code is less like a rulebook and more like a guidebook. God gives us less of a hard path and more of a forest pathway to follow. God, be our guidebook — it’s less certain but certainly more scenic and forgiving.
* * *
Mark 9:38-50
No stumbling blocks. I wonder what Christianity would look like if we made it the easiest religion in the world. Full of sabbath rest and easy access. Accessible Christianity — Jesus claims that so few are against us that whoever is not against us is for us. Think about those who are so worried about the “war” on Christmas. What if we assumed everyone was already on our side? How does that change our conversations? Our outlook? Our approach to religion itself? Pretty enlightening thought process.
* * *
Psalm 124
The Lord is with us because we have not been swallowed up. Wow! This is amazing stuff in light of all the diversity in the world. If God loves diversity, and there are so many kinds of people in the world, then God is for a lot of people. God does not give people over to be prey. For we know God loves the marginal and does not want them to be preyed upon…. read this verse in light of any marginalized person and it wholly makes the meaning a striking one.
* * *
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22
Here Esther gets her justice. One might focus on that, but the real truth of the text here might be where Esther names that she has been sold as slaves and that Haman tricked the King. She names all of the injustice that Haman had done. She names the injustice outlaid and tells the king he has been tricked. This is probably the bravest thing Esther had done. Naming injustice and telling the truth of how the powerful has been tricked, and he believed her. This is true justice, more so than even the punishment. What truth telling needs to be told today?
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by Katy Stenta
Call to Worship
God revives our soul
God enlightens our eyes with God’s commands
God’s laws are true and full of justices
More to be desired than gold, and sweeter than honey
God is my rock and my redeemer
Come let us praise the Lord
Prayer of Confession
God we confess that the meditations of our hearts and thoughts are not always acceptable, but we know that you take what we have — be it wanderings, shapeless thoughts or even wordless groans, and can turn it into the prayers that they need to be. Help us to sit and be with you, we pray. Amen.
Prayers of the People
Take our cries of joys
And our groans
Take our moments of peace and multiply them
Take our sorrows and sickness and our conflicts and heal them all we pray
Help us to lift up our concerns…
Take all our moments of celebration…
God takes all of our prayers, and listens, Lord hear our prayers today and every day we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
God it is so good to gather in prayer: to anoint ourselves in your love. To remember the sick, to confess, to pray for forgiveness and be granted it. Let us give ourselves to you in prayer God, so we might be strengthened by the power of prayer. Amen.
There Is a Balm in Gilead
UMH 375
H82 676
PH 394
GTG 792
AAHH 524
NNBH 489
NCH 553
CH 501
ELW 614
W&P 631
AMEC 425
I’ll Praise My Make While I’ve Breath
UMH 60
H82 429
PH 253
GTG 806
CH 20
Create in Me a Clean Heart
CCB 54
Renew 181/182
Take My Life, and Let It Be
UMH 399
H82 707
PH 391
GTG 697
NNBH 213
NCH 448
CH 609
LBW 406
ELW 583/585
W&P 466
AMEC 292
Renew 150
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
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Salt of the Earth
by Tom Willadsen
Mark 9:38-50
Salt is good; but if salt loses its saltiness, how can you season with it? (v. 50)
Find as many different kinds of salt as you can, bring samples to the children’s time. Some suggestions: Iodized table salt, kosher salt, Himalayan sea salt (you can get this at Whole Foods, be sure to keep the receipt; it’s pricey), water softener salt and ice melt.
After the kids have gathered up front, show them the different salts, don’t tell them what they are. Ask if they can identify them. The iodized table salt looks just like granulated sugar. After they have made their guesses, tell them that everything you’ve shown them is the same—it’s all salt. But salt comes in different shapes depending on what you use it for. They all taste salty. (They do, trust me. I did this a few years ago and the kids confirmed that even the ice melt and water softener salt tasted salty.)
Ask the kids if they like salty food. (There’s a Danish proverb that goes “Two things make food delicious: salt and appetite.”) Find out what foods they like to put salt on. Are there foods they don’t like to put salt on? Some people put salt on watermelon! (People did this in downstate Illinois in my youth. You couldn’t taste it, and it made sense because you lose a lot of salt in the summer when you perspire.)
Ask the kids if they can think of uses for salt besides putting it on food.
Melting ice and softening water are two obvious uses.
Ask if they know why salt was important in Jesus’ day. Here are two uses for salt that were important then, that we might not know.
Salt was used to preserve food. They could not put things in the refrigerator, so salt was important to make food last and keep it safe to eat.
Salt was also used to pay some people. Our word “salary” comes from the same word as “salt.”
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Have you ever heard that phrase, “salt of the earth”? Did Jesus mean that we are rocks in the ground, or in a saltshaker? What do you think he meant?
Remind the kids of all the ways salt is used. Salt is important. It’s valuable. It’s versatile. We need salt to live, it helps our brains work!
If we’re the salt of the earth, then we are valuable, important and versatile. And we need each other to live!
Let’s have a prayer:
Jesus, thank you for using ordinary things to remind us that God loves and cares for everyone. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 29, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
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- The Weaponization Of Prayer by Dean Feldmeyer based on James 5:13-20.
- Second Thoughts: Demonizing Others by Chris Keating based Mark 9:38-50. Jesus’ words on community and discipleship challenge us to rethink the ways we demonize others.
- Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Katy Stenta.
- Worship resources by Katy Stenta.
- Children's sermon: Salt Of The Earth by Tom Willadsen based on Mark 9:38-50.
The Weaponization Of Prayerby Dean Feldmeyer
James 5:13-20
We’ve all heard it, usually at some public event: The sermon dressed up as a prayer. I confess, I may have been guilty of it a couple of times, myself.
But no sermon-prayer I’ve ever delivered was received with the kind of controversy sparked by evangelical pastor Rev. Joe Wright when he prayed the opening prayer before the Kansas state legislature in 1996. The pastor used the form of a confessional prayer to condemn a laundry list of grievances that he had against modern culture: Pluralism, multiculturalism, abortion, violence against abortionists, freedom of speech, homosexuality, the lottery, neglect of the needy, welfare, lax parenting, political ambition, and a couple that were so vague as to be indecipherable.
Of course, the prayer caused a firestorm of controversy for both red and blue. “He didn't miss anyone,” state Rep. Jim Long told the Kansas City Star. “He made everyone mad.”
I can’t be certain, but it seems to me that it was Rev. Wright who, with his love of absolutes, ushered in the now perfectly acceptable practice of what we might call the “politically partisan prayer.”
You’ve heard the sermon dressed up as a prayer; now we have the prayer that doubles for a political stump speech.
In the News / Culture
McKay Coppins, a staff writer for The Atlantic, has read every prayer offered at Donald Trump’s campaign events since he announced he would run again in 2022 — 58 in total.
He reports that the resulting document — at just over 17,000 words — makes for a strange, revealing religious text: “Benign in some places, blasphemous in others; contradictory and poignant and frightening and sad and, perhaps most of all, begging for exegesis…”
The premise of all of these prayers, Coppins asserts, is that America’s covenant can be reestablished, and its special place in God’s kingdom restored, if the nation repents and turns back to him. They seem to be united in the conviction that God has anointed a specific leader who, like those prophets of old, is prepared to defeat the forces of evil and redeem the country. And that leader is Donald Trump.
According to Bradley Onishi, a scholar and former evangelical minister who studies the intersection of politics and Christianity in America, prayers at political events have traditionally fit a certain mold. God is asked to grant the political leader inspiration and wisdom, to help him resist temptation and lead the country in a righteous direction. “It was always ‘We pray for him to have the strength to do God’s will, to have character, to be the man we need,’” Onishi said.
Some of the prayers at Trump’s rallies run along these lines and would be familiar to anyone who has spent time in an American church, he says. Such as the prayer one man offered at a Trump event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire: “Give President Trump the strength to make the right decisions both in and out of the public eye. Remind him to seek your guidance as events unfold.” A prayer that could be offered up for any leader in any political party.
But Onishi was struck by how many of them take Trump’s righteousness for granted. “No one prays for Trump to do right; they pray that God will do right by Trump.” In other words, the prayers at Trump events seem to be telling God to wake up and get on board the Trump bandwagon or risk losing America as the apple of God’s eye.
Examining the prayers, Onishi offers that “There are many ways to parse the text. You could compare the number of times Trump’s name is mentioned (87) versus Jesus Christ’s (61). You could break down the demographics of the people leading the prayers: Forty-five men and thirteen women; overwhelmingly evangelical, with disproportionate representation from Pentecostalism, a charismatic branch of Christianity that emphasizes supernatural faith healing and speaking in tongues. One might also be tempted to catalog the most comically incendiary lines (“Oh Lord, our Lord, we want to be awake and not woke”). But the most interesting way to look at these prayers is to examine the theological motifs that run through them.”
The scripture verse that’s cited most frequently in the prayers comes from 2 Chronicles. “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”
The language in prayer after prayer leans heavily on military images. The faithful are referred to as “prayer warriors,” and Trump is identified as a courageous warrior or a victim. The “prayer warriors” refer to “fighting” for God’s cause, “doing battle” against the forces of evil, all of which are inevitably progressive and usually Democrat or wishy-washy, cowardly RINO (Republican In Name Only) conservatives. And it is these “demonic” enemies who are keeping him jailed in a prison of false accusations, and rigged trials.
The language is that of “spiritual warfare.”
At a campaign event in North Charleston, South Carolina, Mark Burns, a televangelist in a three-piece suit, squeezed his eyes shut and lifted his right hand toward heaven. “Let us pray, because we’re fighting a demonic force,” he shouted. “We’re fighting the real enemy that comes from the gates of hell, led by one of its leaders called Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.”
If you’re engaged in a war of good vs. evil, angels vs. demons, God vs. Satan, it’s easy to see that losing can’t be an option and anything necessary for winning is not only allowed, but necessary.
“This is not a time for politics as usual,” a Pentecostal preacher declared at a Trump rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, last year. “It’s not a time for religion as usual. It’s not a time for prayers as usual. This is a time for spiritual warriors to arise and to shake the heavens.”
Joel Tenney, a 27-year-old evangelist, put it this way at an event in Coralville, Iowa: “The corruption in Washington is a natural reflection of the spiritual state of our nation.”
Then, for the next several minutes, he hit all the familiar notes: He quoted from 2 Chronicles and Ephesians, and reminded the audience of the eternal consequences of 2024. Then he issued a warning to those who would stand in the way of God’s will being done on election day.
“Be afraid,” Tenney said. “For rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. And when Donald Trump becomes the 47th president of the United States, there will be retribution against all those who have promoted evil in this country.”
And then he prayed a prayer that, like nearly every other prayer by every other “prayer warrior” who spoke and so cavalierly threw around the language of war, ended claiming to be prayed in the name of the one who is the “Prince of Peace.”
When the language is that of warfare, can the actions associated with war be far behind?
In the Scripture
The epistle of James was written to the early church, and, in his closing remarks, the author gives some pastoral advice to the congregations. More than a private, individual matter, prayer is an activity of the community of faith that should be undertaken for the purpose of building up the community of faith.
First, he asks if anyone is suffering? We always assume that he’s talking about physical suffering, but he doesn’t say that. He could be talking about mental or emotional suffering, the kind that comes with worry, doubt, despair, anger, depression, bitterness, anxiety, and any number of mental/emotional states. There’s also the suffering that comes from poverty or oppression at the hands of bullies and despots, and he acknowledges that this may be the case. And then he suggests — “they should pray.”
It’s almost offhanded, isn’t it? There’s a sort of implied, unspoken, “naturally,” there, isn’t there? Naturally, if you are suffering, well, you should pray. Of course.
Second question: Are any cheerful? He goes on. They should sing songs of praise.
Saint Augustine said that those who sing pray twice (once with words, and once with music.) And that may be what James is saying here, as well. Singing is just a different kind of prayer and one that should not be neglected as we try to round out and fill in our prayer life.
Third question: Are any among you sick?
Now he’s getting down to it, isn’t he? How should we Christians deal with physical illness? What should be our response? Well, of course, we should go to a physician. We should take the prescribed medication and follow our doctor’s orders. But we, as people of faith, have another arrow in our quiver, don’t we? We do not rely solely upon science. We rely upon prayer as well. It’s not an either/or proposition for us. It’s a both / and kind of thing. We rely on science and prayer, together, as a community.
If you, as an individual member, are sick, you should not bear your burden in silence. You should let the congregation know about your needs. Then the elders, that is, the leaders of the church, including, but not limited to, the clergy, should come to you and pray over you and anoint you with oil as a sign of their love and care.
If this activity is done sincerely and in the spirit of hope and love it has the power to save the sick, to affect a healing if not necessarily a cure. And this is especially the case where the illness is one that is caused by sin, by our separation and estrangement from God and each other.
If we sincerely confess our separation and estrangement, our sin, to each other, and pray for each other, he says, those prayers will have power. Our sin will be forgiven, and God will lift us up from the sickness that sin has caused in our lives.
How often do we, individually or as a group, pray for each other’s sins? That, says James, is what we ought to be praying about most of the time.
Do we know someone who is being selfish or mean? We need to name that sin and pray for the one who is captive of it. Do we know a man who is greedy or a woman who is unloving? Pray for them. Do we know a child who is rebellious or disrespectful or addicted? Pray for that child.
Oh, but it’s so much easier and safer to pray about sickness and injury, to pray that God will bless America and manipulate the political system to get our candidate elected, than it is to pray about sin, isn’t it?
We preachers are as guilty as anyone. We get together and the time for prayer requests comes up and what do we hear? So-and-so in my congregation is having heart surgery; pray for her. Such-and-such in my congregation is battling cancer; pray for him. On and on it goes. It’s like a contest to see whose congregation has the most physical maladies and problems.
And never once do we hear a pastor humble him or herself and say, “There’s a man in my congregation that I hate. Please pray for me.” Or, “There’s a woman in my congregation that I’ve caught myself daydreaming about. Please pray for me.” Or, “My church doesn’t pay me enough to pay back my student loans and I resent them for it. Pray for me.” Or, “You know, I sometimes wonder if there really is a God; pray for me, will you?”
It plays out differently but just as dangerously among the laity, doesn’t it?
We come together for prayer, and we hear about someone’s mother-in-law’s brother’s uncle’s friend’s mother who has a really bad this or that physical problem and we are asked to pray for that person, but never do we hear someone say, “I think I’m drinking too much and I can’t seem to stop.” Or “I’m afraid of my husband.” Or “I resent my wife.” Or “I don’t like my daughter very much.” Or “I wish my boss would die.” Or “I’ve been thinking of having an affair, please pray for me.”
James suggests that maybe that’s exactly what the church ought to be doing, confessing our sins and weaknesses to each other and praying for each other that God will forgive those sins and holding each other up and strengthening each other by the unity of our spirits. How different are his instructions from what we see in the conservative church as their prayers seem to do nothing so much as instruct God on whom to strike down for the sin of apostasy.
Maybe, says James, we should spend more time praying about our own sin and a little less time praying about the sin of those whose politics we despise.
In the Sermon
But James is kinda naïve, isn’t he?
I mean, I would never suggest that we all start confessing all our sins to each other tomorrow. That’s a pretty big step, going from nothing to everything in a single day.
When we come together in our support groups, our sharing groups, our Bible study groups, we could add this to our corporate prayers: A moment of silent confession and then a moment of spoken, general confession. And, after a moment of silent confession, add these words or something like them: “Lord, we confess that we have not been the people you want us to be. We have sinned against each other and against you by omission and commission, in thought, word, and deed and we ask forgiveness from you and from each other.”
I know that may seem artificial or even forced at first. But the epistle of James and other passages of scripture tell us that there are things we can do, postures we can assume, attitudes we can adopt that will make this prayer, and, indeed, all prayer, effective.
It’s the prayer of someone who has chosen not to be God’s powerful right hand but the vulnerable, kind, unassuming, sheep of God’s pasture. Just as Jesus called us to be.
SECOND THOUGHTSDemonizing Others
by Chris Keating
Mark 9:38-50
Thank God for that unnamed exorcist. It seems he came along at exactly the right time.
His actions, according to Mark, have scandalized the disciples. But Jesus flips the script on them, reminding them that it is their behavior that is truly scandalous. What’s more, he says, you ought to beware of those scandals.
Mark gathers a collection of Jesus’ sayings on discipleship in Mark 9:38-50, offering a series of instructions that the disciples don’t quite seem to understand. Jesus confronts the disciples and their ever-churning mixture of arrogance, fear, and jealousy. He reminds them that these are all enormous weights that will likely prompt them to sin, adding that their behaviors could lead to scandalous consequences.
He shuts down their suspicions of outsiders, suggesting that even the smallest, most common acts of hospitality will be rewarded. He follows that by reminding them that if anyone causes a little one to stumble (skandalizo in Greek), they would be better off relocating to the fires of Gehenna.
“Whoever is not against us if for us,” Jesus says, a correction that may have been particularly stinging given the disciples’ inability to cast out demons in 9:14.
Jesus’ words evoke Moses’ struggles with Joshua, Eldad, and Medad in Number 11:26-39. In that situation, Joshua whined to Moses that Eldad and Medad were not authorized to prophesy. It seems Joshua wants to keep God’s power constrained, but Moses sees through his green-eyed jealousy. “Are you jealous for my sake?” Moses asks. “Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29).
Here the stakes are even higher. On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus spells out the rigors of discipleship, taking time to spell out the consequences that await him. John interrupts Jesus, who likely is still holding a small child on his lap. The disciples are furious that someone else seems to be ministering in his name. Jesus responds by offering a simple, yet profoundly difficult definition of discipleship. To follow Jesus means practicing a warm-hearted, radically open form of hospitality shaped by humility and servanthood. It involves simple, concrete acts like offering a cup of water. At the same time, however, it is as difficult as letting go of the notion that success is always defined by “us versus them.”
It’s something worth considering in these days of life in our inward facing silos. In the days after 9/11, then President George Bush announced his administration’s response to a new Global War on Terrorism. “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists,” he said to Congress. “From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.”
The bonds of community were particularly friable at that moment, perhaps understandable in the response to the terrorist attacks. Yet they have only become thinner and weaker in recent years, making Jesus’ instructions so much more counter cultural. But also, so much more necessary.
Ten years after 9/11, Parker Palmer wrote, “we spend most of our lives in ‘tribes’ or lifestyle enclaves — and that thinking of the world in terms of ‘us’ and ‘them’ is one of the many limitations of the human mind.” (Palmer, Healing the Heart of Democracy). Things have not improved since he wrote that in 2011.
As election day approaches, we find ourselves in a weird universe where the former President of the United States is convinced that legal immigrants who have transformed the economy of a small Ohio town are hunting down the pets of their neighbors. He has claimed immigrants are forming an “army” aimed at “getting us from within.”
Trump and running mate Senator JD Vance continue to call for mass deportations while suggesting that migrants are taking “your jobs” and “homes.” Their anti-other rhetoric has only increased even as all of their claims have been debunked. “We are going to stop this invasion,” said Trump in North Carolina. “This invasion is destroying the fabric of our country.”
Meanwhile, at the other end of this galaxy, things seem equally out of whack. Six weeks before election day, and we find ourselves in a world where ultra progressive Senator Bernie Sanders and deeply conservative former Vice President Dick Cheney have both endorsed the same person — Vice President Kamala Harris — for President. More than 700 prominent Republicans have followed Cheney’s lead in endorsing Harris, including dozens of alumni from the Reagan and Bush administrations.
As the Ukrainian-American comic Yakov Smirnoff used to say in the 1980s, “What a country!”
Jesus’ words are more poignant, however: “For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.” The distinctive secret ingredient of discipleship, it seems, are loving acts of salty servanthood.
Jesus reminds the disciples that restraint is the better pathway to grace. But restraint is not the same as tolerating anti-kingdom behavior. Rather, the restraint Jesus urges them to exercise toward the unauthorized exorcist arises from the sort of recognition Parker Palmer says is essential to the habits of the heart that promote healthy democracy. “We must understand that we are all in this together,” Palmer writes. “Despite our illusions of individualism and national superiority, we humans are a profoundly interconnected species — entwined with one another and with all forms of life, as the global economic and ecological crises reveal in vivid and frightening detail.” (Palmer, p. 44).
Jesus buttresses his remarks with reminders of what is at stake. Imagine him pointing down to the child still playing on his lap. Paraphrasing verse 42, we might imagine him saying something like, “If you cause one of the least of these whom I love to stumble, it would be better if you sank to the bottom of the sea.” But he does not stop at the ocean. Jesus gets even more graphic, warning the disciples that the results of such scandalous behavior will be akin to amputating one’s body. Don’t go causing trouble, he suggests, and by all means do not go about fracturing community.
Jesus confronts the frothy mix of fear, arrogance, and jealousy by upholding a vision of the kingdom built around service, justice, and wholeness. We need this word today.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:Mark 9:38-50
Looking for Talent Everywhere
We think of the competition as our enemy, as the disciples do here. Jesus has a wider view, explaining that “whoever is not against us is for us.” Whoever isn’t working against us is part of our work, in one way or another.
Business guru Liz Wiseman notes that a colleague of hers used this approach to recruit new staff members. The people she calls “Multipliers” look everywhere for talent. “A CEO of a high-tech company in Beijing was on the constant prowl for the best talent from universities and the competition. At the end of the working day, he would sit outside a competitor’s office in his Uber-registered car and wait to pick up employees. Once in the car together, he would strike up a conversation with them, deliberately hunting for genius. While lurking outside a competitor’s office into the dark hours of the night might be extreme, it’s a great example of the way Talent Magnets look for talent everywhere.” (from Multipliers)
* * *
Mark 9:38-50
The Competition
Jesus is unbothered by people doing his work in his name — the so-called competition here. Scientists have a similar lightness of spirit about their doctoral work in the “Dance Your PhD” competition.
Scientist Weliton Menário Costa, who now goes by the name Weli, said it “felt like winning Eurovision” when he won the competition for his artistic take on kangaroo behavior. “His four-minute video titled Kangaroo Time features drag queens, twerking, ballerinas, a classical Indian dancer, and a bunch of friends Weli acquired from his time studying at the Australian National University. The video collected the top prize awarded annually by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Science magazine, and San Francisco-based artificial intelligence company Primer.ai. The competition encourages scientists to explain complex research to the wider public through dance, music and humor, and attracts dozens of entries from around the world each year.”
The winning video “narrowly beat an entry from the University of Maine, in which a second-year ecology and environmental science PhD student used the music of Camille Saint-Saëns’s Danse Macabre to convey her research on the invasive brown tail moth.”
If only all competition carried this level of lightness.
* * *
James 5:13-20
The Simplest Prayer
The epistle notes that “the prayer of faith will save the sick,” and this applies to illness of mind, body, or spirit. Anne Lamott tells us, “When I first got sober, a man told me that upon waking every morning, instead of reciting the standard flowery recovery prayer, he said, “Whatever,” and at night when he turned off his light to go to sleep, he said, “Oh, well.” In between he practiced simplicity — he stayed sober, worked on acceptance, tried to be of service to others, went for nature walks, picked up litter, made himself tea, and called it a day. This is a perfect plan for living.” Our prayers can be just that simple. (from Somehow: Thoughts on Love)
* * *
James 5:13-20
For Now
The epistle instructs, “Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise.” In the middle of every circumstance, prayer is the answer. Emily P. Freeman reminds us that we have options when prayer feels hard.
“For now” is a good, simple prayer, she says, “an acceptance of what is and a trust that we are not alone in it. Bringing all our for-nows to God can serve as both a confession and a relief: I don’t have any answers; I can’t control outcomes; I need a source outside of myself to accompany me in this interim space. I’ve even used these two words as a foundation for a simple breath prayer, which is an ancient form of contemplative prayer that coincides with your inhale and exhale. Also called “prayers of the heart,” breath prayers are not fancy or fussy but are a way to remember God is with us wherever we go, as close as the air around us and within us. You can choose a lyric, a line of scripture, a poem, a phrase, a word, or a mantra.”
She suggests simple breath prayers, including: (Inhale) For now (Exhale) I will wait. (Inhale) For now (Exhale) I’m held in love. (Inhale) For now I fear not (Exhale) for you are with me.
She adds, “You might find different two-word mantras to be helpful depending on your situation: Not yet. Wait well. Stay here. Be brave. I’m good. Me too. Lean in. Rest well. Keep going. For me. Look again. Grow slow.” (from How to Walk into a Room: The Art of Knowing When to Stay and When to Walk Away)
* * *
James 5:13-20
The Voice We Hear in Prayer
The epistle recommends prayer for our joyful days and our painful days, turning us toward God no matter what happens. Henri Nouwen finds the same kind of steadiness in prayer. He writes:
Many voices ask for our attention. There is a voice that says, “Prove that you are a good person.” Another voice says, “You’d better be ashamed of yourself.” There also is a voice that says, “Nobody really cares about you,” and one that says, “Be sure to become successful, popular, and powerful.” But underneath all these often very noisy voices is a still, small voice that says, “You are my Beloved, my favor rests on you.” That’s the voice we need most of all to hear. To hear that voice, however, requires special effort; it requires solitude, silence, and a strong determination to listen. That’s what prayer is. It is listening to the voice that calls us “my Beloved.” (from Bread for the Journey: A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith)
Prayer, as the epistle says, is our anchor.
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:James 5:13-20
For the last six months I have been working as a hospice chaplain. Sometimes all anyone wants me to do is pray. It is quite amazing, the power of a simple ritual. I come in, pray for 10 minutes, and the patient will simply go to sleep. I consider it quite the compliment — that someone who has been in pain will relax enough to fall asleep when I pray with / over / among them. The power of prayer is not in its length or perfection, it is in the value to sitting together with God.
* * *
Psalm 19:7-14
We desire the rules of God because we want to know what to do. How true is it that we often want neon signs from God, telling us what to do next? So often we want a strict God, a judgmental God, a God who gives us the straight and narrow path. However, the word for rules in Hebrew is more like guidance and suggestion. It’s like in the Pirates of the Caribbean where it is explained the code is less like a rulebook and more like a guidebook. God gives us less of a hard path and more of a forest pathway to follow. God, be our guidebook — it’s less certain but certainly more scenic and forgiving.
* * *
Mark 9:38-50
No stumbling blocks. I wonder what Christianity would look like if we made it the easiest religion in the world. Full of sabbath rest and easy access. Accessible Christianity — Jesus claims that so few are against us that whoever is not against us is for us. Think about those who are so worried about the “war” on Christmas. What if we assumed everyone was already on our side? How does that change our conversations? Our outlook? Our approach to religion itself? Pretty enlightening thought process.
* * *
Psalm 124
The Lord is with us because we have not been swallowed up. Wow! This is amazing stuff in light of all the diversity in the world. If God loves diversity, and there are so many kinds of people in the world, then God is for a lot of people. God does not give people over to be prey. For we know God loves the marginal and does not want them to be preyed upon…. read this verse in light of any marginalized person and it wholly makes the meaning a striking one.
* * *
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22
Here Esther gets her justice. One might focus on that, but the real truth of the text here might be where Esther names that she has been sold as slaves and that Haman tricked the King. She names all of the injustice that Haman had done. She names the injustice outlaid and tells the king he has been tricked. This is probably the bravest thing Esther had done. Naming injustice and telling the truth of how the powerful has been tricked, and he believed her. This is true justice, more so than even the punishment. What truth telling needs to be told today?
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby Katy Stenta
Call to Worship
God revives our soul
God enlightens our eyes with God’s commands
God’s laws are true and full of justices
More to be desired than gold, and sweeter than honey
God is my rock and my redeemer
Come let us praise the Lord
Prayer of Confession
God we confess that the meditations of our hearts and thoughts are not always acceptable, but we know that you take what we have — be it wanderings, shapeless thoughts or even wordless groans, and can turn it into the prayers that they need to be. Help us to sit and be with you, we pray. Amen.
Prayers of the People
Take our cries of joys
And our groans
Take our moments of peace and multiply them
Take our sorrows and sickness and our conflicts and heal them all we pray
Help us to lift up our concerns…
Take all our moments of celebration…
God takes all of our prayers, and listens, Lord hear our prayers today and every day we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Prayer of the Day
God it is so good to gather in prayer: to anoint ourselves in your love. To remember the sick, to confess, to pray for forgiveness and be granted it. Let us give ourselves to you in prayer God, so we might be strengthened by the power of prayer. Amen.
There Is a Balm in Gilead
UMH 375
H82 676
PH 394
GTG 792
AAHH 524
NNBH 489
NCH 553
CH 501
ELW 614
W&P 631
AMEC 425
I’ll Praise My Make While I’ve Breath
UMH 60
H82 429
PH 253
GTG 806
CH 20
Create in Me a Clean Heart
CCB 54
Renew 181/182
Take My Life, and Let It Be
UMH 399
H82 707
PH 391
GTG 697
NNBH 213
NCH 448
CH 609
LBW 406
ELW 583/585
W&P 466
AMEC 292
Renew 150
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
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMONSalt of the Earth
by Tom Willadsen
Mark 9:38-50
Salt is good; but if salt loses its saltiness, how can you season with it? (v. 50)
Find as many different kinds of salt as you can, bring samples to the children’s time. Some suggestions: Iodized table salt, kosher salt, Himalayan sea salt (you can get this at Whole Foods, be sure to keep the receipt; it’s pricey), water softener salt and ice melt.
After the kids have gathered up front, show them the different salts, don’t tell them what they are. Ask if they can identify them. The iodized table salt looks just like granulated sugar. After they have made their guesses, tell them that everything you’ve shown them is the same—it’s all salt. But salt comes in different shapes depending on what you use it for. They all taste salty. (They do, trust me. I did this a few years ago and the kids confirmed that even the ice melt and water softener salt tasted salty.)
Ask the kids if they like salty food. (There’s a Danish proverb that goes “Two things make food delicious: salt and appetite.”) Find out what foods they like to put salt on. Are there foods they don’t like to put salt on? Some people put salt on watermelon! (People did this in downstate Illinois in my youth. You couldn’t taste it, and it made sense because you lose a lot of salt in the summer when you perspire.)
Ask the kids if they can think of uses for salt besides putting it on food.
Melting ice and softening water are two obvious uses.
Ask if they know why salt was important in Jesus’ day. Here are two uses for salt that were important then, that we might not know.
Salt was used to preserve food. They could not put things in the refrigerator, so salt was important to make food last and keep it safe to eat.
Salt was also used to pay some people. Our word “salary” comes from the same word as “salt.”
Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth.” Have you ever heard that phrase, “salt of the earth”? Did Jesus mean that we are rocks in the ground, or in a saltshaker? What do you think he meant?
Remind the kids of all the ways salt is used. Salt is important. It’s valuable. It’s versatile. We need salt to live, it helps our brains work!
If we’re the salt of the earth, then we are valuable, important and versatile. And we need each other to live!
Let’s have a prayer:
Jesus, thank you for using ordinary things to remind us that God loves and cares for everyone. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, September 29, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 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.
