But What About Meeeee?
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For September 4, 2022:
But What About Meeeee?
by Mary Austin
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
The big question about President Biden’s plan for student loan debt forgiveness, according to one news source, was “What about me?” Or, simply translated, this isn’t fair ... to me.
The White House estimates that the plan “will provide debt relief to about 43 million Americans and will eliminate student debt for about 20 million, according to White House estimates. Nearly eight million borrowers who qualify for forgiveness and whose financial information is already on file with the Department of Education could have the debt forgiveness automatically applied to their accounts. The remaining borrowers will need to apply via an application that will be launched later this year.”
People above the income limits, people who had already paid off their student loans and, curiously, some Christians, complained immediately. Responses from people of faith landed in two camps. “Many Christians applauded the proposal, citing manumission laws from the Pentateuch such as, “Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts,” (Deuteronomy 15:1, all Bible quotations from NRSV). Others condemned the proposal, stating that it violates responsibility and equity, and turning to such texts as, “The wicked borrow, and do not pay back” (Psalm 37:21). One of the more prominent Christian voices against debt forgiveness, Albert Mohler, claimed that student loan forgiveness is a violation of justice and a “moral hazard,” as it incentivizes bad behavior.”
Lost in the flurry of comments is Moses’ enduring call to the people of God to “choose life.” Knowing that the people will face choices he can’t anticipate, Moses recalls God’s goodness to the people over the years, and gives them this guiding principle for their new life. As they enter the land they understand as promised to them, they have to continually choose on the side of God.
In the News
Some economists say that the overall economic impact of the student loan forgiveness will be small. “If all borrowers eligible for the program enroll, it will reduce student-loan balances by around $400 billion, or 1.6% of GDP. That’s not a given — the economists point out that previous programs to reduce loan payments didn’t reach full enrollment. The economists then drew on both Education Department data, as well as the Federal Reserve’s survey of consumer finances, to estimate the boost to income and consumption. Though lower-income households will see the largest proportional cut in debt payments, most of them don’t have student debt. The wealthy, on the other hand, are limited by the income thresholds attached to the relief. Middle-income households will benefit the most.”
On the other hand, payments resume after the pause. “On the hot issue of the day, inflation, the Goldman team isn’t expecting much of a difference either. “Debt forgiveness that lowers monthly payments is slightly inflationary in isolation, but the resumption of payments is likely to more than offset this,” they say. There’s one other element — a proposal to cut monthly payments to 5% of income, from the current 10%. “All other things equal it should reduce the size of many borrowers’ monthly payments when they resume in January, thereby increasing household disposable income while further increasing the federal deficit,” the economists say.
Still, the President’s plan has stirred up a lot of rage. The White House called out Republican lawmakers complaining about debt forgiveness, reminding them that they accepted PPP loans during the pandemic and had them forgiven. “A video circulated this week of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) saying, "For our government just to say, 'OK, your debt is completely forgiven.' ... It's completely unfair." In response, the White House's official account tweeted: "Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had $183,504 in PPP loans forgiven." In similar comments, Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) tweeted, "Asking plumbers and carpenters to pay off the loans of Wall Street advisors and lawyers isn’t just unfair. It's also bad policy." Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) tweeted, "This places undue burden on those already suffering due to the weight of Biden’s failed economic policy." Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) also claimed the plan forces Americans to pay for other people's college degrees. The official White House Twitter account listed the value of what it said was each lawmaker's forgiven PPP loans in corresponding tweets: Kelly at $987,237, Mullin at over $1.4 million and Hern at over $1 million.”
The real problem is not student loans, though. “But the basic problem remains: Young Americans of modest means can no longer afford to attend their state university by getting a part-time job and taking out a small loan. For millions of students, borrowing thousands of dollars has become the key to paying for an undergraduate degree. Biden’s plan will give graduates — and those who have taken out loans but not finished school — some relief, but the need to overhaul a system reliant on debt remains as urgent as ever.”
And the still deeper problem is that we can’t rejoice for each other.
In the Scriptures
In contrast to the way we divide up the world, jealous if someone gets something we don’t, Moses portrays a world of abundance for all of God’s people, if they follow God. (This leaves out the horrible violence done to the people already living in the land.) There’s a communal aspect to this instruction that’s foreign to us, as middle class people in North America.
Moses reminds the people of Israel of this powerful choice, as they move into their new homeland. They can choose to follow the God who brought them out of Egypt, or take the easier road with the foreign gods of their new neighbors. Choosing the way of God is choosing the way of life. Following God’s commandments leads to health and prosperity. Let your heart turn away, and you will perish, Moses says. This is a path the whole community will take together, or fail to take.
Terence Frethiem notes, interestingly, that this choice doesn't come out of nowhere. It comes from within the relationship the people of God already have with the God who has delivered them, fed them and guided them. “So, when they are called by God to “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19), this is a word given to them from within their relationship with God, not a means by which they could become the people of God. It is a word indicating that the nature of their future within that relationship would be shaped by their responsiveness to God and God’s word. What they do and say within that relationship will shape the nature of their future. The future is at least somewhat open here, open to what the people will do and God’s response to the people.”
In the Sermon
The sermon might explore what it means to choose life in our world. We live in what much of the world would call a promised land, materially, and yet we are divided and bitter in our shared life. What does choosing life mean in our politics, the way we spend our money, how we treat underserved people in our country, or in how we use social media, to name just a few of the choices we face. If we’re standing on the edge of something new in our common life, how do we choose life? And how do we do it when other people around us are choosing bitterness?
Or the sermon might delve into the other gods that tempt us now, and how they call to us. Moses warns the people about what will happen “if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them.” The Canaanite gods are long gone, and we contend with materialism, consumerism, partisan political loyalties, white supremacy, self-centeredness, intolerance of the LGBTQ+ community and other false gods. The sermon could talk about how to unmask the false gods, and how to avoid their allure.
Building on Terence Fretheim’s observation about this instruction coming to the people “from within their relationship with God,” the sermon could focus on what God is asking a particular congregation to do, from within the relationship that the people already have with God. How has God acted in the life of a congregation? What is God asking now, because of that relationship?
May we all “love the Lord our God, and hold fast to God, for that means life to you and length of days.”
SECOND THOUGHTS
Jesus and Stuff
by Chris Keating
Luke 14:25-33
All we want, comedian George Carlin quipped, is a little place for our stuff. Long before Netflix’ decluttering queen Marie Kondo was born, Carlin was taking jabs at his generation’s material obsessions.
A house, mused Carlin is nothing more than a big box to store our stuff. “If you didn't have so much stuff, you wouldn't need a house,” the late comedian said. “You could just walk around all the time. A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane. You look down, you see everybody's got a little pile of stuff. All the little piles of stuff.”
Carlin’s train of thought carries us beyond our individual concerns, leading us to consider the moral superiority of our stuff versus our neighbor’s. Their stuff — to gently redact Carlin’s words — is worthless junk. That worthless junk is taking up the space you need for your stuff. “You say, ‘Get that junk off of there and let me put my stuff down.’”
It’s not hard to imagine that Jesus might be having the exact conversation with Carlin at this moment. That’s speculation, of course, but what is certain is that Jesus had definite opinions about possessions. He makes that clear in his no-holds barred discussion on the costs of discipleship in Luke 14. Luke’s special concern for the poor is evident at this point, though Jesus’ concerns about hoarding possessions is present in the other gospels as well (cf. Matthew 6:19-20, Mark 10:23, etc.).
Jesus pulls no punches when it concerns the obstacles posed by our accumulation of stuff.
In other words, anyone looking for material to prop up a lighthearted Labor Day homily will find these words of Jesus disquieting — at best. It’s clear that the cost of picking up the cross to follow him to Jerusalem is far more expensive than anyone can fathom.
A three-point sermon on Luke 14:25-33 might begin with Jesus’ reminder that following him takes precedence even over our commitments to family. Point two includes the instructions about weighing the expense of discipleship. After all, picking up the cross to follow Jesus is more than an impulse move. He illustrates his point with examples from construction and warfare. The costs are staggering, even when adjusted for inflation. Discernment is necessary. But his last point clinches the sermon: all of this, as expensive as it is, is likely well beyond the reach of ordinary disciples since “none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”
There it is, folks, all spelled out in print. The word of the Lord, just in time for those Labor Day sales. Thanks be to God.
Some years ago, someone calculated that the average American home holds at least 300,000 possessions. (Clearly, I am an over achiever.) Our stuff takes up more than floor space. The sheer quantity of our possessions exacts a toll on our mental wellbeing, including increased anxiety over the cleanliness of our houses, higher levels of stress caused by clutter, and a drain on our personal finances. Moreover, as members of the Baby Boom generation age they are being forced to reckon with these mountains of tchotchke’s, knick-knacks, and curios.
Four years ago, my sister and I stood in a storage unit sorting our mother’s furniture and personal effects. Every item held a story: the hat crocheted with beer cans, her beloved dishes, our father’s books, odds and ends spanning more than ninety years of memories. It was hard work, but gratifying in its own way.
Last month, I started the even larger task of sorting through my sister’s belongings. I was alone this time, with no one to fill in missing details or to laugh at silly memories. This week, I hear Jesus’ instructions to the disciples differently than I did a few years ago.
Suddenly, Jesus is not just a home organizer. He’s more than a celebrity decluttering expert asking us if our things give us joy. Jesus is making it clear that the way of the cross is hard. It involves a daily discipline of letting go, and a renewed call to view our resources differently because of his invitation to pursue the kingdom of God now. This is the through line of Luke’s gospel, hearkening all the way back to Mary’s annunciation, and John the Baptist’s cries in the wilderness.
These are hard words to hear, and perhaps even harder to preach. We like our stuff, even if we have a bit more than we need. Our attachment to stuff is complicated. My mother, for example, held on to sympathy cards for decades, even though she only looked at them once. Jesus’ words call us to a faithful decluttering that frees up mental and physical space for honoring God with our material treasures.
Indeed, our stuff broadcasts a signal to others about our identity and how we wish to be seen. Because of this, we have a choice similar to the promise articulated in Deuteronomy 30. We can choose life or continue to walk in the ways of death. We can choose the challenge of seeing our stuff as more than useless things we drop off at Goodwill. Instead, guided by Jesus, our possession can be life-giving to others.
Or they can become symbols of a life lived with fists clenched, refusing or perhaps unable to share.
Jesus’ call to de-possess ourselves leads us to reconsider our privilege. The privilege of ownership is a built-in prerogative many white families have enjoyed since the founding of this country. But that same privilege cuts us off from neighbors in need. Jesus’ words raise the possibility that our stuff — the good stuff, not the junk that we should have tossed years ago, can become a blessing. At the very least it could lead us a place where we can more humbly appreciate the struggles most of the world faces each day.
These words of Jesus challenge me. The cost is steep, but I am beginning to see that my prayer should be, “Jesus, take my stuff. Please.”
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Choose life
Wham! burst onto the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 with their first #1 hit, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” It went platinum and stayed at the top spot for three weeks. The song is a completely vacuous bit of pop ear candy, containing the line, “You make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day.” In the video lead singer George Michael and band mate Andrew Ridgeley sport t-shirts that say Choose Life. An anti-abortion rant? A reference to this morning’s reading from the Torah? You decide. Better yet, spend nearly four minutes of worship time playing the video you can find on YouTube.
* * *
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
These two verses appear in today’s psalm
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well. (NRSV Updated Edition)
It’s fascinating that these verses appear together. The first verse is used by opponents of abortion access, mainly political conservatives, to make a biblical case against abortion. If God knit me together in my mother’s womb, certainly God loved me in utero and wanted me to be born, therefore abortion can only be a grave, moral failing. A sin.
On the other hand, many people who are gender non-conforming, who tend to be politically liberal, point to the very next verse for affirmation that they have been made in God’s image, exactly as God intended them to be. “Fearfully and wonderfully made” is a strong affirmation of their identity.
Once I had a conversation with a colleague from a different Christian denomination who was struggling with loving and supporting his nephew as the nephew was transitioning into being the man’s niece. “I’ve loved him since he was born, but I believe God doesn’t make mistakes. This is really hard for me and my wife.”
I suggested, “Maybe your nephew is precisely the person God intended, and the mistake is not God’s, but yours in limiting God’s plan and intention for this person.”
* * *
Philemon — the entire letter
It is not clear exactly what Paul is asking of Philemon. It appears that Onesimus is a runaway slave whom Paul has converted while Paul was in prison. Was Onesimus also imprisoned with Paul? Was Onesimus sent to assist Paul during his imprisonment by Philemon? If Onesimus was a runaway slave Paul may have been requesting that Philemon accept him back into the household, but not punish him. Perhaps Paul is seeking to persuade Philemon to manumit Onesimus, but the language is so obsequious even that is debatable. Paul wants something from Philemon, feels he’s entitled to something from Philemon — who owes Paul his very life, not that that’s worth mentioning — but reading the letter nearly 2,000 years later it’s not clear what.
It is also not clear to whom, exactly, Paul is writing. While Philemon is named first, Apphia — perhaps Philemon’s wife? — and Archippus, are also named. For the rest of the letter the second person singular is used. Clearly the letter is written to Philemon, but was he supposed to share it with Apphia and Archippus? Did Paul intend Philemon to read the letter to the church that met in his home? Did Paul imagine we’d be reading his words nearly, 2,000 years later thousands of miles away in air conditioned comfort?
* * *
Philemon
Both sides now
In the antebellum United States both those in favor of slavery and those opposed to it cited Philemon to bolster their arguments. Southern slave owners pointed out that Philemon was a Christian who owned at least one slave. Those who opposed slavery read the letter as a plea from Paul for Philemon to set Onesimus free. Clearly slavery was not God’s intention. In opposing the Fugitive Slave Act, abolitionist cited Deuteronomy 23:15 (NRSVUE) “You shall not return to their owners slaves who have escaped to you from their owners.”
As President Lincoln said in his second inaugural address, both the North and the South “read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes his aid against the other.”
* * * * * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Reshaping and Reforming
Jeremiah uses the potter at the potter’s wheel as a metaphor for God who will, if the created piece is flawed, will start over and reshape the flawed piece into something new.
* * *
Reshaping — Old to New
My copy of the Christian Century Magazine just arrived and, what a surprise! Everything has changed!
Where before it was published fortnightly, now it will be delivered monthly. Where once it was a slick, glossy magazine, now its appearance is more like an academic journal. The lectionary sermon helps, which used to come two to a publication will now appear for the entire month.
And the motto! Then: “Thinking Critically, Living Faithfully.” Now: "Thoughtful. Independent. Progressive.”
The only change that is not in evidence is that the magazine is still a magazine.
Says the editorial board in the first new edition: “We’re investing more than ever in our website, podcasts, email newsletters, and social media presence. But we remain enthusiastically committed to our print edition”
In answer to queries about shifting to an exclusively digital realm, they respond, “The answer is no — not for the foreseeable future.”
* * *
Concretizing the Word
In his opening comments in the August 10 edition of Christian Century Magazine, Peter W. Marty tells of a company called Possibility Custom Homes in Magnolia, Texas. PCH is so “proud of the foundational role they believe God’s Word has played in their lives” that they encase a Bible in the foundation of every new home they build.
As the liquid concrete pours down the chute from the mixer truck into the wooden forms, a worker pushes a new Bible (King James Version, do you suppose?) into the muck, there to be preserved, unopened and never read until, well, whenever the house falls down.
One wonders if they still refer to a buried, concrete Bible as “the Living Word.”
* * *
Reshaping the Church?
One baby step, perhaps, but significant.
The National Catholic Reporter, in their July 13 edition, notes that, for the first time, the Vatican has appointed three women — two religious sisters and one lay woman — to the office that vets nominations for new bishops, giving women a rare and significant voice in important Church decisions.
The Pope, it is noted, however, still makes the final call.
* * *
Reshaping Marriage
We are all familiar with the practice of rich people signing pre-nuptial agreements before getting married. In most cases it’s a way for them to protect their assets from one another and most of us non-rich folks tend to scoff at the idea.
Now, however, young, not-so-rich people are embracing the idea.
According to The New Yorker (July 12) nearly 40 percent of married and engaged people between the ages of 18 and 34 have signed or will sign prenups.
The reason they site is that, as young Americans, they are, thanks to college loans, in more debt than ever before and a prenup is a way of protecting their spouse from having to assume their debt, should they die unexpectedly.
* * *
Luke 14:25-33
Counting the Cost
In the Gospel passage Jesus insists that those who want to follow him count the cost of discipleship before they sign on. Two of the important things that disciples of Jesus must be willing to sacrifice are their relationships with their family and their physical possessions. Changing the nature and shape of our relationships is tough to do, however.
* * *
The Cost of an Ambulance Ride
When we’re in an accident and an ambulance arrives to take us to the emergency room, we are usually just relieved and grateful that help is on the way. We don’t take time to count the cost of the ride. But, according to Illinois resident Peggy Dula, if our injuries aren’t life threatening, maybe we should
According to a story on CBS Mornings, she and her two siblings were in a car accident in which they all experience injuries that called for a visit to the emergency room. None of the injuries, however, were life-threatening.
Each sibling was transported the same distance, to the same hospital, in an ambulance from a different service.
A couple of weeks later, the sibs got the bill for their rides and were shocked at what they saw: Cynthia’s bill – $1,100; Jim’s bill – $1, 265 and; Peggy’s bill – $3,186. To date, neither Peggy nor CBS News has been able to discover the reason for the different charges but the ambulance services insist that they are within their rights to charge what they charge.
* * *
Counting the REAL Cost
The other day I was at my regular grocery store and was going to buy some eggs. I looked at the 18-count carton and saw a tag that said, and I’m not kidding: “Low Price! $4.39.”
It’s a good thing they told me that was a low price because, if they hadn’t, I never would have figured it out for myself. A week ago, the price had been $4.00.
We all know that prices are higher than they were and that these high prices are being driven by inflation. But are they really all that high?
When we compare today’s prices with prices 50 years ago and factor in inflation across those 50 years, we may be surprised.
According to a study commissioned by the AARP, here are the average grocery prices 50 years ago in today’s money:
▪ Milk: 89 cents a gallon, or $6.25 in today’s dollars.
▪ Sweet corn: 5 cents an ear, or 35 cents in today’s dollars.
▪ Rib-eye steak: $2.49 a pound, $17.50 in today’s dollars.
▪ Coffee: 66 cents a pound, $4.47 in today’s dollars.
▪ Vanilla ice cream: $1.29 a gallon, $9.06 in today’s dollars.
A gallon of gas would have only cost 36 cents in 1972. When the AARP adjusted for inflation, that’s equal to $2.53 a gallon today.
Appliances, however, weren’t all that cheap compared to average costs in 1972:
▪ Portable four-cycle dishwasher: $189.95, about $1,335 in today’s dollars.
▪ Clothing washer and dryer: $310 total, $2,178 in today’s dollars.
▪ A 16-speed electric blender: $23.99, about $170 in today’s dollars.
Cars were one of the few things that were actually cheaper 50 years ago, when adjusted for inflation, though not as cheap as we remember: For only $2,510, or $17,636 in today’s dollars, you could have bought a Ford Mustang in 1972, a ride that would cost you at least around $30,000 at the dealership today, according to the AARP study.
A car battery cost about $15.88 in 1972, about $112 in today’s dollars.
* * *
Counting the Cost of Housing
Experts say that we should plan to spend no more than 30% of our income on rent or mortgage payment. Unfortunately, if you are earning the average salary in your state, chances are you can’t afford to pay rent. Only 11 states have an average annual wage that is enough to cover the cost of rent for a year, assuming that rent takes up 30 percent of your paycheck.
Of course, rental costs are much higher in some states than in others. According to gobankingrates.com, the states where you’ll need the most income to afford rent are Washington, D.C., California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts.
The states where you’ll need the least income to afford rent are West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama.
The states with the most affordable average housing cost are:
* * *
Quiet Quitting: Burn Out or Boundaries and Balance
The media is all abuzz over this supposedly new phenomenon they call “quiet quitting,” but there’s really nothing all that new about it. It’s just people reassessing their relationship to their job and deciding to dial it back a bit so they have time and energy to spend with their family, their church, and their community when they aren’t at work
For instance: Darla is an IT specialist at her workplace. Ever since she graduated from college and was hired to that job, she has gone above and beyond to make sure everything is as it should be in her area of responsibility. She has been what her boss calls, a perfect “team player.” Her evaluations are always positive.
She came in early and stayed late, off the clock. She came in on Saturdays. She took calls while she was on vacation and often worked late into the night at home, trying to solve work problems.
Then Covid hit and she had to work about 80 percent of the time from home and she discovered that being close to her kids and her community paid off in rewards she didn’t even know existed.
Now that she’s gone back to the office, she has dialed back her commitment to the company. She no longer works at home, she doesn’t take calls on vacation, she doesn’t go in on Saturdays unless ordered to and then, on the clock. And, because she enjoys seeing her kids off to school, she doesn’t go in early.
Her boss has read about this “quiet quitting” phenomenon and worries that Darla is no longer a “team player.” He’s concerned that if lay-offs should be required, she’ll be moved to the top of the list.
Darla isn’t worried. She’s sees it as an issue of boundaries and balance in her life and she’s happier than ever with her life and her job.
* * * * * *
From team member Quantisha Mason-Doll:
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Clay has a memory
While I was an undergraduate I worked as a student assistant in the 3D arts studio. My personal tasks centered around the specialized care of the pottery studio. Our professor would often tell us that clay had a memory and that any mistake made during the molding process, even if corrected, might show up after the firing process so we were to be careful with our actions. I have carried that warning with me far past my last time firing a kiln. Just because something is beautiful on the surface does not mean it is free from flaws. All it takes is for one mistakes for vessels to shatter.
* * *
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
Pray for yourself
The Psalms, perfect in their own right, serve as a reminder to us that someone out there has already been through the struggle and made it out the other end. Our psalmist admits that in this moment they need reminding that they matter. In response we have Psalm 139. Through this hymn to God we are asked to find stillness and joy in God’s creation — grounding our identity as part of this world — not something separate. Though we might be crushed by the weight of an uncaring void, the psalmist reminds us the Lord is still with us.
* * *
Philemon 1:1-21
My brother in Christ
As your resident millennial I am here to say that Gen Z humor has discovered Christianity. There is a format where, before delivering shocking or controversial news as a means of toning down the delivery, the presenters starts with “my [insert gender here] in Christ…” The first time I was sent one of these memes I could not stop laughing — so much so that I was in tears. Then I started reading more of them and I realized that though secular in nature, the “my…in Christ” format was a perfect example of apologetics and defense of the faith. The format is used to call out problematic issues or topics in a way that also calls the receiver back into community. Maybe we can take a lesson from Paul and the people of Gen Z and start reminding each other that just because we are siblings in Christ does not mean we are exempt from being called out on our lack of faithfulness.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Restore us again, O God of our salvation.
All: Put away your indignation toward us.
One: Show us your steadfast love, O God.
All: Grant us your salvation that your people may rejoice in you.
One: Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet.
All: Righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
OR
One: God calls us together as a beloved family.
All: We gather with one another as God’s children.
One: God comes to feed us and sustain us.
All: Daily we hunger for the bread of heaven.
One: God brings forgiveness for us and for the world.
All: We have forgiven others and are glad to be forgiven.
Hymns and Songs
All Creatures of Our God and King
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELW: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
Renew: 47
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
UMH: 89
H82: 376
PH: 464
AAHH: 120
NNBH: 40
NCH: 4
CH: 2
LBW: 551
ELW: 836
W&P: 59
AMEC: 75
STLT: 29
To God Be the Glory
UMH: 98
PH: 485
AAHH: 157
NNBH: 17
CH: 39
W&P: 66
AMEC: 21
Renew: 258
From All That Dwell Below the Skies
UMH: 101
H82: 380
PH: 229
NCH: 27
CH: 49
LBW: 550
AMEC: 69
STLT: 381
O How I Love Jesus
UMH: 170
AAHH: 291
NNBH: 362
NCH: 52
CH: 99
W&P: 109
AMEC: 141
Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive
UMH: 390
H82: 674
PH: 347
LBW: 307
ELW: 605
W&P: 382
Renew: 184
Take Time to Be Holy
UMH: 395
NNBH: 306
CH: 572
W&P: 483
AMEC: 286
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
UMH: 402
PH: 372
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Renew: 145
I Am Thine, O Lord
UMH: 419
AAHH: 387
NNBH: 202
NCH: 455
CH: 601
W&P: 408
AMEC: 283
God, How Can We Forgive
GTG: 445
As the Deer
CCB: 83
Renew: 9
Great Is the Lord
CCB: 65
Renew: 22
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 is the One from who all life springs:
Grant us the grace to see you as our loving parent
and to see all people as part of your precious family;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise and adore you, O God, because you are the source from which we have come forth. You are the parent of all humanity and all creation. Help us to see the precious relationship you have formed around us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially the selfishness with which we so often pray.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. Jesus taught us to pray in ways that acknowledge you as both an intimate family member and the ruler of all creation. Yet we often address you as neither. Our prayers often sound more like a Christmas wish list sent to Santa than like the soulful prayers to the loving creator of all. We are so focused on our own wants and desires that we are not even aware of our own most basic needs. We are so centered in our own issues that we fail to see the real issues that face us all. Forgive us and call us back through your Spirit into lives that are centered and focused in you. Amen.
One: God is our loving parent who understands our frailty. Received God’s forgiveness and grace and reach out to share it with those you encounter this week.
Prayers of the People
We lift our hearts and voices in praise to you, O God, who claims us as your own beloved children.
(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. Jesus taught us to pray in ways that acknowledge you as both an intimate family member and the ruler of all creation. Yet we often address you as neither. Our prayers often sound more like a Christmas wish list sent to Santa than like the soulful prayers to the loving creator of all. We are so focused on our own wants and desires that we are not even aware of our own most basic needs. We are so centered in our own issues that we fail to see the real issues that face us all. Forgive us and call us back through your Spirit into lives that are centered and focused in you.
We give you thanks for the ways in which you share your love with your children. We thank you for the bounty and beauty of our universe even as we are seeing it in new ways. We thank you for those who have understood our all being part of your family and who have accepted us with all our faults and peculiarities. We give you thanks for those you have given into our care so they may realize the depth of your love.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children in their need and in their joy. We pray for those who struggle to feel loved by you or by anyone because of the harshness of their lives. We pray for those who are faced with illness of body, mind, spirit, or relationships. We pray for those who have not had a good parental relationship that helps them understand what a wonder it is to call you Father or Mother. We pray for ourselves that we may be better members of your holy family.
(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
Staying on the Right Path
by Katy Stenta
Luke 14:25-33
Today’s story is about how following Jesus is an ongoing journey. Grownups like to do something that I like to call Checklist Christianity. They think that being Christian is to follow a checklist:
Get baptized … Check.
Go to church … Check.
Give money to church … Check.
That is not really it at all.
Jesus is saying that sometimes following him might be more complicated than that, and that it is an ongoing journey. It might be more like molding clay. Have you ever worked with clay? A lot of working with clay is deciding what you need to keep and what you need to cut away to keep the right shape. To have a beautiful clay structure you cannot keep everything.
Christianity is definitely not about what you accumulate, or what you do to become Christian, it is not about having friends in the right places or being seen doing nice things.
It is more about the journey you are making. It’s about a life and trying to complete the journey while Jesus is still with you. Jesus says that staying on the path is the most important part.
What do you think, what are some ways that keep you on the path with Jesus?
(Good answers might be: prayer, good relationships, community, volunteering, helping people…)
Prayer:
God,
help us
with this
discipleship
path
thing,
so that we can
stay on the journey,
with you.
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 4, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
- But What About Meeeee? by Mary Austin. Based on Deuteronomy 30:15-20.
- Second Thoughts: Jesus and Stuff by Chris Keating. Jesus’ challenge to rid ourselves of possessions can lead us to a richer, freer life of faith.
- Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Dean Feldmeyer, Quantisha Mason-Doll.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: Staying on the Right Path by Katy Stenta.
But What About Meeeee?by Mary Austin
Deuteronomy 30:15-20
The big question about President Biden’s plan for student loan debt forgiveness, according to one news source, was “What about me?” Or, simply translated, this isn’t fair ... to me.
The White House estimates that the plan “will provide debt relief to about 43 million Americans and will eliminate student debt for about 20 million, according to White House estimates. Nearly eight million borrowers who qualify for forgiveness and whose financial information is already on file with the Department of Education could have the debt forgiveness automatically applied to their accounts. The remaining borrowers will need to apply via an application that will be launched later this year.”
People above the income limits, people who had already paid off their student loans and, curiously, some Christians, complained immediately. Responses from people of faith landed in two camps. “Many Christians applauded the proposal, citing manumission laws from the Pentateuch such as, “Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts,” (Deuteronomy 15:1, all Bible quotations from NRSV). Others condemned the proposal, stating that it violates responsibility and equity, and turning to such texts as, “The wicked borrow, and do not pay back” (Psalm 37:21). One of the more prominent Christian voices against debt forgiveness, Albert Mohler, claimed that student loan forgiveness is a violation of justice and a “moral hazard,” as it incentivizes bad behavior.”
Lost in the flurry of comments is Moses’ enduring call to the people of God to “choose life.” Knowing that the people will face choices he can’t anticipate, Moses recalls God’s goodness to the people over the years, and gives them this guiding principle for their new life. As they enter the land they understand as promised to them, they have to continually choose on the side of God.
In the News
Some economists say that the overall economic impact of the student loan forgiveness will be small. “If all borrowers eligible for the program enroll, it will reduce student-loan balances by around $400 billion, or 1.6% of GDP. That’s not a given — the economists point out that previous programs to reduce loan payments didn’t reach full enrollment. The economists then drew on both Education Department data, as well as the Federal Reserve’s survey of consumer finances, to estimate the boost to income and consumption. Though lower-income households will see the largest proportional cut in debt payments, most of them don’t have student debt. The wealthy, on the other hand, are limited by the income thresholds attached to the relief. Middle-income households will benefit the most.”
On the other hand, payments resume after the pause. “On the hot issue of the day, inflation, the Goldman team isn’t expecting much of a difference either. “Debt forgiveness that lowers monthly payments is slightly inflationary in isolation, but the resumption of payments is likely to more than offset this,” they say. There’s one other element — a proposal to cut monthly payments to 5% of income, from the current 10%. “All other things equal it should reduce the size of many borrowers’ monthly payments when they resume in January, thereby increasing household disposable income while further increasing the federal deficit,” the economists say.
Still, the President’s plan has stirred up a lot of rage. The White House called out Republican lawmakers complaining about debt forgiveness, reminding them that they accepted PPP loans during the pandemic and had them forgiven. “A video circulated this week of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) saying, "For our government just to say, 'OK, your debt is completely forgiven.' ... It's completely unfair." In response, the White House's official account tweeted: "Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene had $183,504 in PPP loans forgiven." In similar comments, Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Pa.) tweeted, "Asking plumbers and carpenters to pay off the loans of Wall Street advisors and lawyers isn’t just unfair. It's also bad policy." Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) tweeted, "This places undue burden on those already suffering due to the weight of Biden’s failed economic policy." Rep. Kevin Hern (R-Okla.) also claimed the plan forces Americans to pay for other people's college degrees. The official White House Twitter account listed the value of what it said was each lawmaker's forgiven PPP loans in corresponding tweets: Kelly at $987,237, Mullin at over $1.4 million and Hern at over $1 million.”
The real problem is not student loans, though. “But the basic problem remains: Young Americans of modest means can no longer afford to attend their state university by getting a part-time job and taking out a small loan. For millions of students, borrowing thousands of dollars has become the key to paying for an undergraduate degree. Biden’s plan will give graduates — and those who have taken out loans but not finished school — some relief, but the need to overhaul a system reliant on debt remains as urgent as ever.”
And the still deeper problem is that we can’t rejoice for each other.
In the Scriptures
In contrast to the way we divide up the world, jealous if someone gets something we don’t, Moses portrays a world of abundance for all of God’s people, if they follow God. (This leaves out the horrible violence done to the people already living in the land.) There’s a communal aspect to this instruction that’s foreign to us, as middle class people in North America.
Moses reminds the people of Israel of this powerful choice, as they move into their new homeland. They can choose to follow the God who brought them out of Egypt, or take the easier road with the foreign gods of their new neighbors. Choosing the way of God is choosing the way of life. Following God’s commandments leads to health and prosperity. Let your heart turn away, and you will perish, Moses says. This is a path the whole community will take together, or fail to take.
Terence Frethiem notes, interestingly, that this choice doesn't come out of nowhere. It comes from within the relationship the people of God already have with the God who has delivered them, fed them and guided them. “So, when they are called by God to “choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19), this is a word given to them from within their relationship with God, not a means by which they could become the people of God. It is a word indicating that the nature of their future within that relationship would be shaped by their responsiveness to God and God’s word. What they do and say within that relationship will shape the nature of their future. The future is at least somewhat open here, open to what the people will do and God’s response to the people.”
In the Sermon
The sermon might explore what it means to choose life in our world. We live in what much of the world would call a promised land, materially, and yet we are divided and bitter in our shared life. What does choosing life mean in our politics, the way we spend our money, how we treat underserved people in our country, or in how we use social media, to name just a few of the choices we face. If we’re standing on the edge of something new in our common life, how do we choose life? And how do we do it when other people around us are choosing bitterness?
Or the sermon might delve into the other gods that tempt us now, and how they call to us. Moses warns the people about what will happen “if your heart turns away and you do not hear, but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them.” The Canaanite gods are long gone, and we contend with materialism, consumerism, partisan political loyalties, white supremacy, self-centeredness, intolerance of the LGBTQ+ community and other false gods. The sermon could talk about how to unmask the false gods, and how to avoid their allure.
Building on Terence Fretheim’s observation about this instruction coming to the people “from within their relationship with God,” the sermon could focus on what God is asking a particular congregation to do, from within the relationship that the people already have with God. How has God acted in the life of a congregation? What is God asking now, because of that relationship?
May we all “love the Lord our God, and hold fast to God, for that means life to you and length of days.”
SECOND THOUGHTSJesus and Stuff
by Chris Keating
Luke 14:25-33
All we want, comedian George Carlin quipped, is a little place for our stuff. Long before Netflix’ decluttering queen Marie Kondo was born, Carlin was taking jabs at his generation’s material obsessions.
A house, mused Carlin is nothing more than a big box to store our stuff. “If you didn't have so much stuff, you wouldn't need a house,” the late comedian said. “You could just walk around all the time. A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it. You can see that when you're taking off in an airplane. You look down, you see everybody's got a little pile of stuff. All the little piles of stuff.”
Carlin’s train of thought carries us beyond our individual concerns, leading us to consider the moral superiority of our stuff versus our neighbor’s. Their stuff — to gently redact Carlin’s words — is worthless junk. That worthless junk is taking up the space you need for your stuff. “You say, ‘Get that junk off of there and let me put my stuff down.’”
It’s not hard to imagine that Jesus might be having the exact conversation with Carlin at this moment. That’s speculation, of course, but what is certain is that Jesus had definite opinions about possessions. He makes that clear in his no-holds barred discussion on the costs of discipleship in Luke 14. Luke’s special concern for the poor is evident at this point, though Jesus’ concerns about hoarding possessions is present in the other gospels as well (cf. Matthew 6:19-20, Mark 10:23, etc.).
Jesus pulls no punches when it concerns the obstacles posed by our accumulation of stuff.
In other words, anyone looking for material to prop up a lighthearted Labor Day homily will find these words of Jesus disquieting — at best. It’s clear that the cost of picking up the cross to follow him to Jerusalem is far more expensive than anyone can fathom.
A three-point sermon on Luke 14:25-33 might begin with Jesus’ reminder that following him takes precedence even over our commitments to family. Point two includes the instructions about weighing the expense of discipleship. After all, picking up the cross to follow Jesus is more than an impulse move. He illustrates his point with examples from construction and warfare. The costs are staggering, even when adjusted for inflation. Discernment is necessary. But his last point clinches the sermon: all of this, as expensive as it is, is likely well beyond the reach of ordinary disciples since “none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.”
There it is, folks, all spelled out in print. The word of the Lord, just in time for those Labor Day sales. Thanks be to God.
Some years ago, someone calculated that the average American home holds at least 300,000 possessions. (Clearly, I am an over achiever.) Our stuff takes up more than floor space. The sheer quantity of our possessions exacts a toll on our mental wellbeing, including increased anxiety over the cleanliness of our houses, higher levels of stress caused by clutter, and a drain on our personal finances. Moreover, as members of the Baby Boom generation age they are being forced to reckon with these mountains of tchotchke’s, knick-knacks, and curios.
Four years ago, my sister and I stood in a storage unit sorting our mother’s furniture and personal effects. Every item held a story: the hat crocheted with beer cans, her beloved dishes, our father’s books, odds and ends spanning more than ninety years of memories. It was hard work, but gratifying in its own way.
Last month, I started the even larger task of sorting through my sister’s belongings. I was alone this time, with no one to fill in missing details or to laugh at silly memories. This week, I hear Jesus’ instructions to the disciples differently than I did a few years ago.
Suddenly, Jesus is not just a home organizer. He’s more than a celebrity decluttering expert asking us if our things give us joy. Jesus is making it clear that the way of the cross is hard. It involves a daily discipline of letting go, and a renewed call to view our resources differently because of his invitation to pursue the kingdom of God now. This is the through line of Luke’s gospel, hearkening all the way back to Mary’s annunciation, and John the Baptist’s cries in the wilderness.
These are hard words to hear, and perhaps even harder to preach. We like our stuff, even if we have a bit more than we need. Our attachment to stuff is complicated. My mother, for example, held on to sympathy cards for decades, even though she only looked at them once. Jesus’ words call us to a faithful decluttering that frees up mental and physical space for honoring God with our material treasures.
Indeed, our stuff broadcasts a signal to others about our identity and how we wish to be seen. Because of this, we have a choice similar to the promise articulated in Deuteronomy 30. We can choose life or continue to walk in the ways of death. We can choose the challenge of seeing our stuff as more than useless things we drop off at Goodwill. Instead, guided by Jesus, our possession can be life-giving to others.
Or they can become symbols of a life lived with fists clenched, refusing or perhaps unable to share.
Jesus’ call to de-possess ourselves leads us to reconsider our privilege. The privilege of ownership is a built-in prerogative many white families have enjoyed since the founding of this country. But that same privilege cuts us off from neighbors in need. Jesus’ words raise the possibility that our stuff — the good stuff, not the junk that we should have tossed years ago, can become a blessing. At the very least it could lead us a place where we can more humbly appreciate the struggles most of the world faces each day.
These words of Jesus challenge me. The cost is steep, but I am beginning to see that my prayer should be, “Jesus, take my stuff. Please.”
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:Deuteronomy 30:15-20
Choose life
Wham! burst onto the Billboard Hot 100 in 1984 with their first #1 hit, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go.” It went platinum and stayed at the top spot for three weeks. The song is a completely vacuous bit of pop ear candy, containing the line, “You make the sun shine brighter than Doris Day.” In the video lead singer George Michael and band mate Andrew Ridgeley sport t-shirts that say Choose Life. An anti-abortion rant? A reference to this morning’s reading from the Torah? You decide. Better yet, spend nearly four minutes of worship time playing the video you can find on YouTube.
* * *
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
These two verses appear in today’s psalm
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well. (NRSV Updated Edition)
It’s fascinating that these verses appear together. The first verse is used by opponents of abortion access, mainly political conservatives, to make a biblical case against abortion. If God knit me together in my mother’s womb, certainly God loved me in utero and wanted me to be born, therefore abortion can only be a grave, moral failing. A sin.
On the other hand, many people who are gender non-conforming, who tend to be politically liberal, point to the very next verse for affirmation that they have been made in God’s image, exactly as God intended them to be. “Fearfully and wonderfully made” is a strong affirmation of their identity.
Once I had a conversation with a colleague from a different Christian denomination who was struggling with loving and supporting his nephew as the nephew was transitioning into being the man’s niece. “I’ve loved him since he was born, but I believe God doesn’t make mistakes. This is really hard for me and my wife.”
I suggested, “Maybe your nephew is precisely the person God intended, and the mistake is not God’s, but yours in limiting God’s plan and intention for this person.”
* * *
Philemon — the entire letter
It is not clear exactly what Paul is asking of Philemon. It appears that Onesimus is a runaway slave whom Paul has converted while Paul was in prison. Was Onesimus also imprisoned with Paul? Was Onesimus sent to assist Paul during his imprisonment by Philemon? If Onesimus was a runaway slave Paul may have been requesting that Philemon accept him back into the household, but not punish him. Perhaps Paul is seeking to persuade Philemon to manumit Onesimus, but the language is so obsequious even that is debatable. Paul wants something from Philemon, feels he’s entitled to something from Philemon — who owes Paul his very life, not that that’s worth mentioning — but reading the letter nearly 2,000 years later it’s not clear what.
It is also not clear to whom, exactly, Paul is writing. While Philemon is named first, Apphia — perhaps Philemon’s wife? — and Archippus, are also named. For the rest of the letter the second person singular is used. Clearly the letter is written to Philemon, but was he supposed to share it with Apphia and Archippus? Did Paul intend Philemon to read the letter to the church that met in his home? Did Paul imagine we’d be reading his words nearly, 2,000 years later thousands of miles away in air conditioned comfort?
* * *
Philemon
Both sides now
In the antebellum United States both those in favor of slavery and those opposed to it cited Philemon to bolster their arguments. Southern slave owners pointed out that Philemon was a Christian who owned at least one slave. Those who opposed slavery read the letter as a plea from Paul for Philemon to set Onesimus free. Clearly slavery was not God’s intention. In opposing the Fugitive Slave Act, abolitionist cited Deuteronomy 23:15 (NRSVUE) “You shall not return to their owners slaves who have escaped to you from their owners.”
As President Lincoln said in his second inaugural address, both the North and the South “read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes his aid against the other.”
* * * * * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:Jeremiah 18:1-11
Reshaping and Reforming
Jeremiah uses the potter at the potter’s wheel as a metaphor for God who will, if the created piece is flawed, will start over and reshape the flawed piece into something new.
* * *
Reshaping — Old to New
My copy of the Christian Century Magazine just arrived and, what a surprise! Everything has changed!
Where before it was published fortnightly, now it will be delivered monthly. Where once it was a slick, glossy magazine, now its appearance is more like an academic journal. The lectionary sermon helps, which used to come two to a publication will now appear for the entire month.
And the motto! Then: “Thinking Critically, Living Faithfully.” Now: "Thoughtful. Independent. Progressive.”
The only change that is not in evidence is that the magazine is still a magazine.
Says the editorial board in the first new edition: “We’re investing more than ever in our website, podcasts, email newsletters, and social media presence. But we remain enthusiastically committed to our print edition”
In answer to queries about shifting to an exclusively digital realm, they respond, “The answer is no — not for the foreseeable future.”
* * *
Concretizing the Word
In his opening comments in the August 10 edition of Christian Century Magazine, Peter W. Marty tells of a company called Possibility Custom Homes in Magnolia, Texas. PCH is so “proud of the foundational role they believe God’s Word has played in their lives” that they encase a Bible in the foundation of every new home they build.
As the liquid concrete pours down the chute from the mixer truck into the wooden forms, a worker pushes a new Bible (King James Version, do you suppose?) into the muck, there to be preserved, unopened and never read until, well, whenever the house falls down.
One wonders if they still refer to a buried, concrete Bible as “the Living Word.”
* * *
Reshaping the Church?
One baby step, perhaps, but significant.
The National Catholic Reporter, in their July 13 edition, notes that, for the first time, the Vatican has appointed three women — two religious sisters and one lay woman — to the office that vets nominations for new bishops, giving women a rare and significant voice in important Church decisions.
The Pope, it is noted, however, still makes the final call.
* * *
Reshaping Marriage
We are all familiar with the practice of rich people signing pre-nuptial agreements before getting married. In most cases it’s a way for them to protect their assets from one another and most of us non-rich folks tend to scoff at the idea.
Now, however, young, not-so-rich people are embracing the idea.
According to The New Yorker (July 12) nearly 40 percent of married and engaged people between the ages of 18 and 34 have signed or will sign prenups.
The reason they site is that, as young Americans, they are, thanks to college loans, in more debt than ever before and a prenup is a way of protecting their spouse from having to assume their debt, should they die unexpectedly.
* * *
Luke 14:25-33
Counting the Cost
In the Gospel passage Jesus insists that those who want to follow him count the cost of discipleship before they sign on. Two of the important things that disciples of Jesus must be willing to sacrifice are their relationships with their family and their physical possessions. Changing the nature and shape of our relationships is tough to do, however.
* * *
The Cost of an Ambulance Ride
When we’re in an accident and an ambulance arrives to take us to the emergency room, we are usually just relieved and grateful that help is on the way. We don’t take time to count the cost of the ride. But, according to Illinois resident Peggy Dula, if our injuries aren’t life threatening, maybe we should
According to a story on CBS Mornings, she and her two siblings were in a car accident in which they all experience injuries that called for a visit to the emergency room. None of the injuries, however, were life-threatening.
Each sibling was transported the same distance, to the same hospital, in an ambulance from a different service.
A couple of weeks later, the sibs got the bill for their rides and were shocked at what they saw: Cynthia’s bill – $1,100; Jim’s bill – $1, 265 and; Peggy’s bill – $3,186. To date, neither Peggy nor CBS News has been able to discover the reason for the different charges but the ambulance services insist that they are within their rights to charge what they charge.
* * *
Counting the REAL Cost
The other day I was at my regular grocery store and was going to buy some eggs. I looked at the 18-count carton and saw a tag that said, and I’m not kidding: “Low Price! $4.39.”
It’s a good thing they told me that was a low price because, if they hadn’t, I never would have figured it out for myself. A week ago, the price had been $4.00.
We all know that prices are higher than they were and that these high prices are being driven by inflation. But are they really all that high?
When we compare today’s prices with prices 50 years ago and factor in inflation across those 50 years, we may be surprised.
According to a study commissioned by the AARP, here are the average grocery prices 50 years ago in today’s money:
▪ Milk: 89 cents a gallon, or $6.25 in today’s dollars.
▪ Sweet corn: 5 cents an ear, or 35 cents in today’s dollars.
▪ Rib-eye steak: $2.49 a pound, $17.50 in today’s dollars.
▪ Coffee: 66 cents a pound, $4.47 in today’s dollars.
▪ Vanilla ice cream: $1.29 a gallon, $9.06 in today’s dollars.
A gallon of gas would have only cost 36 cents in 1972. When the AARP adjusted for inflation, that’s equal to $2.53 a gallon today.
Appliances, however, weren’t all that cheap compared to average costs in 1972:
▪ Portable four-cycle dishwasher: $189.95, about $1,335 in today’s dollars.
▪ Clothing washer and dryer: $310 total, $2,178 in today’s dollars.
▪ A 16-speed electric blender: $23.99, about $170 in today’s dollars.
Cars were one of the few things that were actually cheaper 50 years ago, when adjusted for inflation, though not as cheap as we remember: For only $2,510, or $17,636 in today’s dollars, you could have bought a Ford Mustang in 1972, a ride that would cost you at least around $30,000 at the dealership today, according to the AARP study.
A car battery cost about $15.88 in 1972, about $112 in today’s dollars.
* * *
Counting the Cost of Housing
Experts say that we should plan to spend no more than 30% of our income on rent or mortgage payment. Unfortunately, if you are earning the average salary in your state, chances are you can’t afford to pay rent. Only 11 states have an average annual wage that is enough to cover the cost of rent for a year, assuming that rent takes up 30 percent of your paycheck.
Of course, rental costs are much higher in some states than in others. According to gobankingrates.com, the states where you’ll need the most income to afford rent are Washington, D.C., California, Hawaii, and Massachusetts.
The states where you’ll need the least income to afford rent are West Virginia, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama.
The states with the most affordable average housing cost are:
- West Virginia: Median rent: $888 -- Monthly income needed: $2,960 -- Annual income needed: $35,520
- Oklahoma: Median rent: $950 -- Monthly income needed: $3,167 -- Annual income needed: $38,000
- Arkansas: Median rent: $953 -- Monthly income needed: $3,177 -- Annual income needed: $38,120
- Alabama: Median rent: $998 -- Monthly income needed: $3,327 -- Annual income needed: $39,920
- Washington, D.C.: Median rent: $2,711 -- Monthly income needed: $9,037 -- Annual income needed: $108,440
- California: Median rent: $2,518 -- Monthly income needed: $8,393 -- Annual income needed: $100,720
- Hawaii: Median rent: $2,481 -- Monthly income needed: $8,270 --Annual income needed: $99,240
- Massachusetts: Median rent: $2,252 -- Monthly income needed: $7,507 -- Annual income needed: $90,080
* * *
Quiet Quitting: Burn Out or Boundaries and Balance
The media is all abuzz over this supposedly new phenomenon they call “quiet quitting,” but there’s really nothing all that new about it. It’s just people reassessing their relationship to their job and deciding to dial it back a bit so they have time and energy to spend with their family, their church, and their community when they aren’t at work
For instance: Darla is an IT specialist at her workplace. Ever since she graduated from college and was hired to that job, she has gone above and beyond to make sure everything is as it should be in her area of responsibility. She has been what her boss calls, a perfect “team player.” Her evaluations are always positive.
She came in early and stayed late, off the clock. She came in on Saturdays. She took calls while she was on vacation and often worked late into the night at home, trying to solve work problems.
Then Covid hit and she had to work about 80 percent of the time from home and she discovered that being close to her kids and her community paid off in rewards she didn’t even know existed.
Now that she’s gone back to the office, she has dialed back her commitment to the company. She no longer works at home, she doesn’t take calls on vacation, she doesn’t go in on Saturdays unless ordered to and then, on the clock. And, because she enjoys seeing her kids off to school, she doesn’t go in early.
Her boss has read about this “quiet quitting” phenomenon and worries that Darla is no longer a “team player.” He’s concerned that if lay-offs should be required, she’ll be moved to the top of the list.
Darla isn’t worried. She’s sees it as an issue of boundaries and balance in her life and she’s happier than ever with her life and her job.
* * * * * *
From team member Quantisha Mason-Doll:Jeremiah 18:1-11
Clay has a memory
While I was an undergraduate I worked as a student assistant in the 3D arts studio. My personal tasks centered around the specialized care of the pottery studio. Our professor would often tell us that clay had a memory and that any mistake made during the molding process, even if corrected, might show up after the firing process so we were to be careful with our actions. I have carried that warning with me far past my last time firing a kiln. Just because something is beautiful on the surface does not mean it is free from flaws. All it takes is for one mistakes for vessels to shatter.
* * *
Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18
Pray for yourself
The Psalms, perfect in their own right, serve as a reminder to us that someone out there has already been through the struggle and made it out the other end. Our psalmist admits that in this moment they need reminding that they matter. In response we have Psalm 139. Through this hymn to God we are asked to find stillness and joy in God’s creation — grounding our identity as part of this world — not something separate. Though we might be crushed by the weight of an uncaring void, the psalmist reminds us the Lord is still with us.
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Philemon 1:1-21
My brother in Christ
As your resident millennial I am here to say that Gen Z humor has discovered Christianity. There is a format where, before delivering shocking or controversial news as a means of toning down the delivery, the presenters starts with “my [insert gender here] in Christ…” The first time I was sent one of these memes I could not stop laughing — so much so that I was in tears. Then I started reading more of them and I realized that though secular in nature, the “my…in Christ” format was a perfect example of apologetics and defense of the faith. The format is used to call out problematic issues or topics in a way that also calls the receiver back into community. Maybe we can take a lesson from Paul and the people of Gen Z and start reminding each other that just because we are siblings in Christ does not mean we are exempt from being called out on our lack of faithfulness.
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WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Restore us again, O God of our salvation.
All: Put away your indignation toward us.
One: Show us your steadfast love, O God.
All: Grant us your salvation that your people may rejoice in you.
One: Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet.
All: Righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
OR
One: God calls us together as a beloved family.
All: We gather with one another as God’s children.
One: God comes to feed us and sustain us.
All: Daily we hunger for the bread of heaven.
One: God brings forgiveness for us and for the world.
All: We have forgiven others and are glad to be forgiven.
Hymns and Songs
All Creatures of Our God and King
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELW: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
Renew: 47
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
UMH: 89
H82: 376
PH: 464
AAHH: 120
NNBH: 40
NCH: 4
CH: 2
LBW: 551
ELW: 836
W&P: 59
AMEC: 75
STLT: 29
To God Be the Glory
UMH: 98
PH: 485
AAHH: 157
NNBH: 17
CH: 39
W&P: 66
AMEC: 21
Renew: 258
From All That Dwell Below the Skies
UMH: 101
H82: 380
PH: 229
NCH: 27
CH: 49
LBW: 550
AMEC: 69
STLT: 381
O How I Love Jesus
UMH: 170
AAHH: 291
NNBH: 362
NCH: 52
CH: 99
W&P: 109
AMEC: 141
Forgive Our Sins as We Forgive
UMH: 390
H82: 674
PH: 347
LBW: 307
ELW: 605
W&P: 382
Renew: 184
Take Time to Be Holy
UMH: 395
NNBH: 306
CH: 572
W&P: 483
AMEC: 286
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
UMH: 402
PH: 372
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Renew: 145
I Am Thine, O Lord
UMH: 419
AAHH: 387
NNBH: 202
NCH: 455
CH: 601
W&P: 408
AMEC: 283
God, How Can We Forgive
GTG: 445
As the Deer
CCB: 83
Renew: 9
Great Is the Lord
CCB: 65
Renew: 22
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 is the One from who all life springs:
Grant us the grace to see you as our loving parent
and to see all people as part of your precious family;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise and adore you, O God, because you are the source from which we have come forth. You are the parent of all humanity and all creation. Help us to see the precious relationship you have formed around us. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially the selfishness with which we so often pray.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. Jesus taught us to pray in ways that acknowledge you as both an intimate family member and the ruler of all creation. Yet we often address you as neither. Our prayers often sound more like a Christmas wish list sent to Santa than like the soulful prayers to the loving creator of all. We are so focused on our own wants and desires that we are not even aware of our own most basic needs. We are so centered in our own issues that we fail to see the real issues that face us all. Forgive us and call us back through your Spirit into lives that are centered and focused in you. Amen.
One: God is our loving parent who understands our frailty. Received God’s forgiveness and grace and reach out to share it with those you encounter this week.
Prayers of the People
We lift our hearts and voices in praise to you, O God, who claims us as your own beloved children.
(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. Jesus taught us to pray in ways that acknowledge you as both an intimate family member and the ruler of all creation. Yet we often address you as neither. Our prayers often sound more like a Christmas wish list sent to Santa than like the soulful prayers to the loving creator of all. We are so focused on our own wants and desires that we are not even aware of our own most basic needs. We are so centered in our own issues that we fail to see the real issues that face us all. Forgive us and call us back through your Spirit into lives that are centered and focused in you.
We give you thanks for the ways in which you share your love with your children. We thank you for the bounty and beauty of our universe even as we are seeing it in new ways. We thank you for those who have understood our all being part of your family and who have accepted us with all our faults and peculiarities. We give you thanks for those you have given into our care so they may realize the depth of your love.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children in their need and in their joy. We pray for those who struggle to feel loved by you or by anyone because of the harshness of their lives. We pray for those who are faced with illness of body, mind, spirit, or relationships. We pray for those who have not had a good parental relationship that helps them understand what a wonder it is to call you Father or Mother. We pray for ourselves that we may be better members of your holy family.
(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.
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CHILDREN'S SERMONStaying on the Right Path
by Katy Stenta
Luke 14:25-33
Today’s story is about how following Jesus is an ongoing journey. Grownups like to do something that I like to call Checklist Christianity. They think that being Christian is to follow a checklist:
Get baptized … Check.
Go to church … Check.
Give money to church … Check.
That is not really it at all.
Jesus is saying that sometimes following him might be more complicated than that, and that it is an ongoing journey. It might be more like molding clay. Have you ever worked with clay? A lot of working with clay is deciding what you need to keep and what you need to cut away to keep the right shape. To have a beautiful clay structure you cannot keep everything.
Christianity is definitely not about what you accumulate, or what you do to become Christian, it is not about having friends in the right places or being seen doing nice things.
It is more about the journey you are making. It’s about a life and trying to complete the journey while Jesus is still with you. Jesus says that staying on the path is the most important part.
What do you think, what are some ways that keep you on the path with Jesus?
(Good answers might be: prayer, good relationships, community, volunteering, helping people…)
Prayer:
God,
help us
with this
discipleship
path
thing,
so that we can
stay on the journey,
with you.
Amen.
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The Immediate Word, September 4, 2022 issue.
Copyright 2022 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
