What A Waste
Children's sermon
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Object:
This week’s gospel passage takes us into the home of Lazarus, where Jesus is being feted with an honorary dinner by the grateful hosts. As the guests gather, Lazarus’ sister Mary startles everyone by anointing Jesus’ feet with costly perfume and wiping them with her hair. Judas is clearly rankled by what he views as a wasteful gesture, and he and Jesus exchange sharp words over the appropriateness of Mary’s lavish action. For John, the scene is obviously foreshadowing events to come -- but in this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Chris Keating suggests that it’s also a kind of improvisational theater that calls to mind this year’s presidential debates... which have often been marred by personal animus and on occasion devolved into name-calling food fights. While the candidates highlight what they portray as significant differences over government spending priorities, there remains a sense that it’s all an exercise in kabuki theater -- and that (especially within each party) there is not that much they actually disagree on. Instead, it seems as if candidates are saying whatever they think will sell with the electorate, even if the expectations they raise are patently unrealistic. But as Chris notes, Mary’s rash move was certainly not the result of carefully calibrated polling and focus groups -- rather, it comes from the deepest recesses of her heart. And, Chris points out, there is a great deal the church could learn from the principles of trust underlying improvisational acting -- a deep trust that Mary embodies with her actions.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on the Isaiah text and the prophet’s declaration that the people should look forward to the new things God is doing in the world rather than clinging to old traditions. Dean observes that when we insist on doing things in the same fashion that we’ve always done them, we can be stubbornly resistant to new ways that in retrospect may seem obvious to us -- or worse yet, we persist in building new things on top of old, outdated foundations. And as we all know, that human tendency is deeply ingrained in the church.
What a Waste
by Chris Keating
John 12:1-8
Judas can hardly believe what he is watching. Breaking all forms of etiquette, Mary has rushed into the dining room, broken open an expensive flask of perfume, and poured it all over Jesus’ feet.
What a waste.
Judas’ eyes burn red -- not only from the scent of nard filling the room, but from indignation. Mary’s spontaneous response to Jesus’ presence touches a nerve within him. Like Mitt Romney, who denounced front-running GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump in scathing terms last week, Judas cannot remain silent. His sneering response makes the dinner party into a stage for political theater.
“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” Judas snipes. Yet as John notes, Judas is less concerned with the plight of the poor than with the size of his own kickback. Judas’ motives are purely political. He knows obfuscation often carries the day.
As Holy Week approaches, the drama in Bethany strikes a contrast between Mary’s witness and Judas’ betrayal. At issue is the wonder of God’s extravagant love -- a love that raised Lazarus, a love that is poured out upon Jesus’ feet, and a love that will soon be viewed from the cross. Judas, however, acts a bit like many of our current presidential hopefuls by stirring anger and animosity. His is a delicately scripted response.
Mary, however, understands the power of improvisational theater. She acts with love, courage, faith, and imagination. It’s a response much different from our contemporary political dramas.
In the News
As the curtain fell on Super Tuesday, one thing was clear: Donald Trump was more than a summer fling for hordes of Republican voters. A record-busting 8.5 million Republicans cast their votes in the Super Tuesday contests, with Trump winning in seven of the 11 states. In a typical campaign cycle, those wins would have likely solidified him as the GOP’s leading man for 2016. But this cycle is far from typical.
Just days later, the party’s 2012 nominee lashed back at Trump, declaring him unfit for office. “His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University,” Romney said. “He’s playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat.” Republicans such as Mel Martinez and Tom Ridge joined their voices in opposing Trump.
According to former CNN host Larry King, the late Nancy Reagan told him she despised the crude nature of this year’s campaign. King, reminiscing about his friend with current CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, told Blitzer how angry the campaign had made the former first lady in her last days.
Whether or not the establishment voices can actually block Trump is uncertain. Leaders may express alarm, but his message keeps resonating with key sectors of the electorate. Trump continues to steal the show while also turning once staid and stuffy Republican debates into a nearly absurd, bawdy vaudeville sideshow. The theatrics are astounding.
It’s not limited to the Republicans, of course. While Ted Cruz calls Trump a liar, and Marco Rubio aims (literally) below Trump’s belt, Senator Bernie Sanders continues to take aim at Hillary Clinton in a series of feisty attacks. Yet the Democratic tussles seem like tepid tea parties compared to what appears like sketches ready-made for Saturday Night Live on the GOP side.
One leading Republican told the Washington Post that “it’s like Dr. Strangelove. People are saying, ‘I’m not gonna tell my friends and family I’m voting for Trump,’ but then they’re pulling the trigger for Trump. I might as well be like Slim Pickens at the end of the movie and just ride the atomic bomb down and see what happens.”
The drama is also nearly as non-stop as Trump’s personal gold-plated airplane. Last week, Sen. Marco Rubio -- fed up with Trump constantly calling him “Little Marco” -- fired back by making a remark about the size of Trump’s hands. “And you know what they say about men with small hands,” Rubio said, pausing a bit to let the crowd roar, and then adding, “they can’t be trusted.”
Not wanting to miss a chance to sling mud, Trump countered Rubio’s adolescent attack during the next debate by assuring the crowd that despite the insinuation that “something else must be small,” there’s “no problem” in that department.
Yet there is a problem when prime-time debates turn into raunchy tirades. To some, the antics of Trump, Cruz, and Rubio were closer to Moe, Larry, and Curly. But as Frank Bruni notes, the problem with the “phallic braggadocio” is that it twists the plot away from serious reflection on qualifications to be the leader of the free world. Bruni is able to foresee at least one possibly positive outcome: “More emphatically and unequivocally than at any recent juncture that I can recall, Republican leaders and standard bearers are saying that their party has no tolerance for any racism, no room for any sexism, no forgiveness for bigotry.”
For now, however, the insults and innuendos continue. Despite appearing unscripted and off the cuff, the jib and jab of the campaign is becoming increasingly predictable, and even somewhat stale. The threads of comedy are being woven into a garment of tragedy. It’s a far cry from the crisp freshness of improvisational theater -- a dramatic form that builds on trust, seeks partnership, and creates connection.
The candidates could actually learn a bit from “improv” techniques. Improvisation relies on paying close attention to the other person. Patricia Ryan Madson tells her students that improvising arises when the players learn that things are never stable or predictable. “In the act of balancing,” she writes in Improv Wisdom (Bell Tower Books, 2005), “we come alive... in the long run we develop tolerance for instability” (p. 82). It’s much more than merely playing for laughs.
“Believe it or not,” writes pastor and improv student Layton E. Williams, “the biggest laughs come from telling the truth.” Or as Tina Fey says, improv teaches that “whatever the problem, (you can) be part of the solution.”
Judas, are you listening?
In the Scriptures
Meanwhile, back in Bethany the air is ripe with perfume and the scent of resurrection. Jesus is dining with his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Presumably Lazarus has had a good scrubbing and a change of clothes since we last saw him at the mouth of the tomb. With the grave clothes set aside, the friends can sit down to a nice supper.
Tensions remain, of course, as the shadows around Jesus’ own death are continuing to lengthen. Chapter 12 of John’s gospel bridges the two death and resurrection stories. As Gail O’Day and Susan E. Hyler note in their commentary (John: Westminster Bible Companion [Westminster/John Knox Press, 2006]), “Chapter 11 has been a high point of the gospel: Jesus brought life into the midst of death. Now, however, death again intervenes. This time it is Jesus’ death, and it disrupts a dinner party that is a celebration of life.”
Jesus is surrounded by those who have been faithful witnesses to his works: Mary, whose response to Jesus’ love is at the center of the text, as well as Martha and the other disciples. Mary and Martha both model discipleship, as O’Day and Hyler point out. This story offers insights into their responses to Jesus. Both Martha’s diligent serving and Mary’s spontaneous anointing are upheld as marks of faithfulness.
Mary’s response to Jesus embodies sound principles of improvisation. Rev. Marthame Sanders, pastor of Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, has gleaned seven such principles from his work in improv. During a workshop at a recent Presbyterian conference, Sanders outlined these principles and their relevance for ministry: 1) take risks; 2) practice saying “Yes, and...” (build trust); 3) make mistakes; 4) embody the message; 5) pay attention; 6) be patient; and 7) practice, practice, practice.
Saying “yes” and then building on that yes is foundational to improv. Judas, however, attempts to subvert the action. In theater parlance, he blocks the scene. He has a budget to manage, after all. Ever the shrewd politician, Judas knows that the optics of having a woman touch a man are not in Jesus’ favor. It would be far better to have sold the perfume so that the proceeds could be put to good use.
Where Judas cries “no,” Mary says, “yes, Lord.”
In breaking open the expensive perfume and anointing Jesus, Mary embodies the gospel and takes a risk. She builds trust by saying “yes” to her Lord, and carefully pays attention to what seems most appropriate. There is, I think, a quality of patience about her gift. While Mary’s exuberant joy is evident in how she breaks open the flask, she is nonetheless patient in her careful wiping of Jesus’ feet.
Judas, on the other hand, while still a disciple, is unable to match either Mary or Martha’s witness. Judas remains concerned about the bottom line, and is unimpressed by Mary’s lavish offering. The abundance she has offered has become to him nothing more than a waste. Yet Jesus affirms what Mary has done, and sees in her bold risk the devotion of faith.
In the Sermon
“Politics is theater,” said Harvey Milk. “It doesn't matter if you win. You make a statement. You say, ‘I’m here, pay attention to me.’ ” This week’s text (and our ongoing political drama) illustrate the truth of what Milk said. But instead of taking sides in an already polarized climate, this week’s Lenten sermon could helpfully tease out the important differences between the dirty sideshows of our current political dramas and the poignancy of Mary’s unscripted witness.
Where, I wonder, could improv take the church?
Mary’s bit of improvisation was certainly unrehearsed, though the power of her witness came as the result of her faithful practice. She embodied the message by taking a risk. It wasn’t planned -- but there is no doubt that, having witnessed her brother’s spectacular resurrection, she was prepared. She breaks into the scene and says “I’m here,” but in a way that reflects her service to Jesus.
In contrast, much of contemporary political theater is based solely on the ego-driven clamoring of personalities who jump up and down on a stage, making fun of their opponents, saying over and over again “I’m here! Pay attention to me.” And, counter to Milk’s hypothesis, every bit about it is about winning.
The lasting power of this text comes alive as a preacher explores its complete sensory nature. Guide the hearers through Mary’s journey to Jesus’ feet. Help them see her running to her closet, tossing shoe boxes and hangers aside in a frantic search for the oversized jar of perfume.
Then, help them imagine the transforming aroma of grace. Touched by the overwhelming abundance of God’s grace, Mary says yes to the Lord who has come that all might have life. She builds on the scene that Jesus initiated. It is indeed a risk, but it is a risk she is willing to take.
In a world locked in the deadly seriousness of slash-and-burn politics, a sermon on this text could announce the good news of God’s delight in playfulness. The church can learn a lot more from Mary than it can from Donald Trump -- or many politicians, for that matter. Likewise, Mary can teach the church what it means to be disciples who say “Yes, and...” in our witness.
Where Judas and others say, “What a waste!” Mary seems to be saying, “Yes, Lord, here I am. Use me.”
SECOND THOUGHTS
A God of New Things
by Dean Feldmeyer
Isaiah 43:16-21
Remember the movie Westworld? It was written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton. Here’s how IMDb (the internet movie database) describes it: “In a near future, the Delos Company offers the vacation of the future in the amusement parks Medievalworld, Romanworld, and Westworld for $1,000 per day. The vacationers get to experience life in the themed period, doing whatever they want, interacting with the robot inhabitants that populate the parks.” Two rich guys choose Westworld for their vacation adventure, but not long into their week of fun a computer malfunction and the robots begin killing the guests.
The radio ads for that movie were particularly clever. They sounded like an actual ad for the vacation destination and ended something like this: “So visit Westworld, where you can live out your fantasy of life in the Old West and nothing can possibly go wrong... go wrong... go wrong... go wrong.”
We had to wonder if, for just a few moments, the folks at Google didn’t flash back to that movie ad last month when their self-driven car, which has logged millions of accident-free miles, was finally involved in an accident where the Google car was judged to be at least partially at fault.
You could almost hear the sound of people in diners and cafes all over America sitting down with their coffee cups, smirking, nodding knowingly, and saying, “I told you those things weren’t safe.”
Never mind the fact that this is the first at-fault accident a self-driven car has been involved in in millions of miles of driving. And never mind the fact that the car was going less than 2 mph and there was only a minor scratch on the car’s fender. And never mind the fact that there are thousands of accidents just like this happening every day all over the country, accidents where the two drivers simply misread the intentions of the other driver and which are just considered par for the course.
Self-driven cars are new things, and therefore suspect.
Driving your own car and accepting the fact that accidents happen all the time -- well, we’ve always done it that way.
Lister’s New Way
Before 1867, surgeons didn’t wash their hands or their instruments before they performed operations. In fact, it was not uncommon for them to move from one patient directly to another and begin a new surgery using the same instruments.
This was done because everyone knew that infections were caused by “humors” in the air that were simply out of the control of the doctor. Patients either did or did not develop infections, they thought, and it was simply a matter of chance.
And chance was a dicey kind of thing. It is estimated that about half of all surgery patients died from infections in those days. But hey, half of them lived, and they certainly wouldn’t have done so without the surgery.
Then along came Joseph Lister, a surgeon who had read of the work of Louis Pasteur. Lister suggested that it might be a good idea to clean and sterilize instruments and bed clothing and for doctors to wash their hands and change their clothing between surgeries because bacteria could be transferred from surface to surface.
They laughed at Lister. He was derided as a quack. He and Pasteur were both dismissed as superstitious fools. But then people began to notice that Lister’s patients were surviving surgery at a rate far above the norm.
Today, of course, the sterile and aseptic techniques pioneered by Joseph Lister are standard operating procedure at health care facilities around the world.
And Dr. Lister’s name has been preserved for posterity in the name of a mouthwash -- “Listerine.”
One of the most dangerous and expensive phrases in the English language is “We’ve always done it that way.”
The God of New Things
In this week’s reading from Isaiah God addresses the children of Israel, who have been forced to live in Babylon against their will for about three generations. Some of them have assimilated into Babylonian culture and society. Some of them have married Babylonians and sent their children to Babylonian schools. Some have even taken jobs in the Babylonian government and become rich and successful. Others have gone the way of dissimilation, refusing to blend in at all -- clinging to the old ways, the old customs and traditions, as though their salvation was vested in their rituals.
Now God comes to them and speaks through the prophet and tells them to forget about the past. “Put it out of your mind. I’m going to do something totally new. In fact, I have already started it rolling.” The point is clear, if painful for those Hebrew exiles 2,500 years ago and for many of us today. If we are going to be open to the influence of God, we must be open to new things -- not because they’re new, but because sometimes God does new things.
Habits, Customs, Traditions
Sometimes we do the same thing the same way because it’s a habit. We can’t not do it, and we can’t not do it this way. There is no meaning attached to it other than the fact that we simply have to do it. We all have habits. Smoking is the obvious example. I’m a Diet Pepsi fiend. There’s no importance attached to Diet Pepsi. I just like it, and it’s always what I drink. My aunt bites her fingernails, my friend jiggles his leg up and down when he sits at a table. There’s no reason -- he just does it, and he can’t not do it for long. It’s a habit.
Customs are attached to meaning, but usually have no meaning in and of themselves. At our church, we have a chicken dinner every year. It’s our custom to do so. There’s no symbolic meaning in the chicken or the baked potato. But we are “the church that has the chicken dinner.” Mrs. Smith or Mr. Jones sit in the same place in the sanctuary every Sunday. They’ve always sat there. They sat in that place with their parents when they were kids. There are feelings attached to that place, that pew. It’s their customary seat.
Traditions are attached to our core values. They have intrinsic meaning. Easter is a tradition. Christmas is a tradition. The time we hold the worship service on Christmas Eve is a custom.
Scripture tells us that YHWH is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. But YHWH is also a God of New Things. If we want to stay in touch with YHWH, we had certainly better learn to maintain a detached posture toward our habits, and our customs too. And even our traditions.
Because you never know what our God is liable to do.
Ad Infinitum
Dan McCarthy is the director of executive development programs at the University of New Hampshire’s Paul College of Business and Economics. In his “Great Leadership” blog, he tells this story about the “we’ve-always-done-it-this-way” phenomenon:
The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That is an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that is the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the U.S. railroads. Why did the English build them like that?
Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that is the gauge they used. Again, why? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used the same wheel spacing.
Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old long-distance roads in England [because that’s how wide apart the ruts were]. So who built those old rutted roads?
Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions. The roads have been used ever since. Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for (or by) imperial Rome, they all had the same wheel spacing. The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specification for an imperial Roman war chariot. And Roman war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two warhorses.
Let us keep our ears attuned to the God of New Things, lest we find ourselves following a path that was laid down by two, uh, Roman horses -- for the simple reason that we’ve always done it that way.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Isaiah 43:16-21
Astronaut Scott Kelly has just returned to earth after 340 days in space. While aboard the International Space Station he circled the earth 5,440 times, traveling 144 million miles. Kelly’s last tweet from space read: “The journey isn’t over. Follow me as I rediscover #Earth!”
Application: Isaiah was very clear in his message to the Israelites that their journey was not over but was only beginning.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
In a Frank & Ernest comic strip, a young Frank and Ernie are coming out of school wearing backpacks. Behind them is a sign that reads “Career Day.” Young Frank says to Ernie: “When you grow up, what do you want to be if the job still exists?” (Note: You may want to project the comic on your sanctuary screen.)
Application: Isaiah told the people that things will be changing for the better for them. The future will always be changing for us in uncertain ways, but we must trust God that the change will always be for the better.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
On his fourth voyage to the New World in 1504, Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica as his party ran out of supplies. Columbus was unable to secure additional supplies from the hostile natives, but on February 29 Columbus correctly predicted a lunar eclipse, scaring the natives into assisting him.
Application: We do not know how God “will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” But knowing that he can do so is enough for us to trust and believe in him.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
On March 2, 1939, the Massachusetts legislature voted to ratify the Bill of Rights -- 147 years after the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution went into effect.
Application: As Isaiah pointed out, some people are unable to “perceive” that which is good.
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
Edward Byers Jr. recently received the Medal of Honor. The Navy Seal earned this commendation for his heroic efforts in a mission to rescue an American medical doctor who had been abducted in Afghanistan. Upon entering the compound where the hostage was being held, Byers threw himself upon the physician, covering his body with his own and protecting him from a hail of bullets flying in their direction. Upon awarding the medal, President Obama said: “Whenever Americans are taken hostage in the world, we move heaven and earth to bring them home safe. We send some thunder and lightning.”
Application: When Paul writes that we must “press on toward the goal,” we must go forth with the fury of thunder and lightning.
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman is considered the hardest-throwing pitcher in the major leagues. He is also the first player to receive a 30-game suspension under the new domestic violence rule for an altercation with his girlfriend. The suspension will cost Chapman over $1.8 million in salary.
Application: We always must be sure that we are worthy to “press on toward the goal.”
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
In a Born Loser comic strip, Brutus is standing in the doorway of his home, having just come home from work. Gladys is there to greet him, asking “How was work today?” Brutus dishearteningly replies, “The chief said I was a perfect idiot.” Gladys, never missing an opportunity to scold her husband, says: “Well, at least he thinks you excel at something!” (Note: You may want to project the comic on your sanctuary screen.)
Application: Paul never expects us to be perfect but to excel in “pressing on toward the goal.”
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
Jason Dalton is an Uber driver in Kalamazoo, Michigan, who randomly shot and killed six people. In between the shootings, he continued to pick up riders over a four-hour period. A cache of weapons including both revolvers and rifles was found in his home -- but there was nothing in his background to prevent him from purchasing those weapons. Jonathan Smith, the owner of a Kalamazoo gun store, said: “He was a law-abiding citizen until he pulled the trigger on the first victim.”
Application: Paul wants us to live a self-examined life, and to never step over that mysterious line from citizen to criminal, from being righteous to being a sinner.
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
In a Frank & Ernest comic strip, the motley-looking Frank and Ernie are sitting on a park bench in the shadow of a tree. A disheveled Frank says to an unkempt Ernie: “By the time I found the key to success, they’d added a password.” (Note: You may want to project the comic on your sanctuary screen.)
Application: Paul thought he was successful in life as a Pharisee, but he counted it all as loss when he discovered Jesus. There is no key to success except faith in Jesus.
*****
John 12:1-8
Amy, a documentary on singer Amy Winehouse, recently won an Academy Award. Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27. Amy’s father Mitch is very displeased with the documentary, because he considers it to be misleading. Mitch said that the film “has no bearing on her life, apart from the fact she was born and unfortunately she passed away -- everything in between is basically fabricated.”
Application: Like Judas, we often find ourselves watching a documentary, trying to understand what is true and what is false.
***************
From team member Mary Austin:
Isaiah 43:16-21
In vs. Out
Isaiah isn’t the only one who is promising a new thing. Each year the Washington Post guides us into the New Year with their list of what’s in and what’s out. Just so we’re not behind, in 2016 retweets are in and endorsements are out. Nudity is out, and personality is in. (Whew!) With the change of leadership in the House of Representatives, late-night merlot with the Speaker is over and early-morning workouts with the new Speaker of the House are in. And just so you know, “thoughts and prayers” are over and background checks are in.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
Resistance to the New
For many people, the first reaction to “I am doing a new thing” is “oh no!” The Harvard Business Review says that what we resist “is usually not technical change but social change -- the change in their human relationships that generally accompanies technical change.” We resist loss of status or changed work dynamics. People who share in developing the changes are more likely to go along with them, and to remain productive. As the article says, it is useful to understand any “change as having both a technical and a social aspect. The technical aspect of the change is the making of a measurable modification in the physical routines of the job. The social aspect of the change refers to the way those affected by it think it will alter their established relationships in the organization.” The same is true in churches, whether it’s changing the worship service time, or the way coffee hour works, or even who the pastor is.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
New Foods to Try
Even the world of food is always offering us something new. Bon Appetit magazine says that the new foods for this year include chlorophyll, which “in extract form, the deep-green pigment is a chef’s healthy magic trick -- like an energy shot but one that some say can help break down fats.” Or you might try savory oatmeal. How about koji? That’s rice which has been “inoculated with the koji mold (scientific name: Aspergillus oryzae, if you want to be like that), traditionally used to make miso and soy sauce, kickstarting the formation of that umami flavor. Pros now whisk fragrant, fermented kojiinto vinaigrettes, toss it with vegetables before roasting, and treat it as a marinade.” Dropping in popularity are gluten-free items, artisanal cheeses, and insects. Replacing them are ethnic foods, especially those from Africa and the Middle East, artisanal pickles, house-made sausage, and street food.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: When God restored the fortunes of Zion,
People: We were like those who dream.
Leader: God has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
People: Restore our fortunes, O God, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
Leader: Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
People: Shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
OR
Leader: The God of all that is new calls us to worship.
People: With fearful anticipation we respond to God’s call.
Leader: The God who created us is re-creating us each day.
People: We trust the God who is love to act wisely for us.
Leader: God invites us to receive and share the love that renews.
People: With God’s help, we will share God’s redeeming love.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“More Love to Thee, O Christ”
found in:
UMH: 453
PH: 359
AAHH: 575
NNBH: 214
NCH: 456
CH: 527
AMEC: 460
“O God of Every Nation”
found in:
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELA: 713
W&P: 626
“Come Down, O Love Divine”
found in:
UMH: 475
H82: 516
PH: 313
NCH: 289
CH: 582
LBW: 508
ELA: 804
W&P: 330
“Ah, Holy Jesus”
found in:
UMH: 289
H82: 158
PH: 93
NCH: 218
CH: 210
LBW: 123
ELA: 349
W&P: 521
Renew: 183
“What Wondrous Love Is This”
found in:
UMH: 292
H82: 439
PH: 85
NCH: 223
CH: 200
LBW: 385
ELA: 666
W&P: 257
STLT: 18
Renew: 277
“Beneath the Cross of Jesus”
found in:
UMH: 297
H82: 498
PH: 92
AAHH: 247
NNBH: 106
NCH: 190
CH: 197
LBW: 107
ELA: 338
W&P: 255
AMEC: 146
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
found in:
UMH: 298, 299
H82: 474
PH: 100, 101
AAHH: 243
NNBH: 113
NCH: 224
CH: 195
LBW: 482
ELA: 803
W&P: 261
AMEC: 147, 148
Renew: 236
“Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross”
found in:
UMH: 301
NNBH: 103
NCH: 197
CH: 587
ELA: 335
W&P: 479
AMEC: 321
“Great Is the Lord”
found in:
CCB: 65
Renew: 22
“Praise the Name of Jesus”
found in:
CCB: 39
Renew: 7
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who pours out your love in lavish abandon: Grant us the wisdom to see the power of love that we will soon recall with Jesus on the cross; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
Come and dwell among us, O God, with your lavish outpouring of love. So fill us with your Spirit that we will be able to grasp the power of love. Help us to understand that power as we recall Jesus on the cross. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to mimic God by pouring out love on others.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have trusted in our own cleverness and ability to turn things to our advantage. We have forgotten the wondrous power of love that turns things to the good. Call us back to your way of love, and empower us to live in you. Amen.
Leader: God’s love is lavish and powerful. Receive it and share it. That is the only way to know its wonders.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We praise you, O God, for your love that is ever making things new. We worship you in the greatness of your redemptive love.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have trusted in our own cleverness and ability to turn things to our advantage. We have forgotten the wondrous power of love that turns things to the good. Call us back to your way of love, and empower us to live in you.
We thank you for all the ways in which you make your love known to us. We thank you for the newness you bring to your creation as you re-create us in your image.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the needs of all your children. As we lift them up to you in prayer, may we lift them up in our words and deeds.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about what is new, and what is comfortable because it is always the same. New things can be scary, but it’s safer when we know the one who is making the change. God is always looking to make things better for us.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Mary Austin
Isaiah 43:16-21
Ahead of time: Gather “old” objects that the kids may not recognize. You might include things like a typewriter, a big camera, an old-fashioned suitcase, a pressure cooker, an old game system, or a portable record player or cassette player. If you have them, you could include things like a quill pen or parchment paper.
Gather the kids, and pick one or two objects that will seem odd to them. Ask if anyone knows what the object is. Explain that this used to be how people cooked or typed or heard music, depending on your object. Do this with your other object.
Then talk about things in our lives that are always changing. Technology helps us do things in different ways. We grow older and can do more things. (And then fewer things, but that’s a story for another day...) Our pets grow older. We might move to a different house that fits us better.
Some changes are sad. Grandparents (or parents) may die. Parents may divorce. Friends may move away. You’ll know what changes your kids are facing.
Then talk with the kids about how God is always doing new things too. God tells us to look forward, to watch for new things and find God’s presence in them. In the hard things, God says God will give us a path through until things get better. Those changes still feel hard and sad, but God is going through them with us and understands our sadness. And along the way, God is looking for new things -- new ways to surprise us, new ways for us to help God, new things for our church to do to help people. When we see new things in our lives, we can look for God’s presence in them and be thankful to God for the way God is always looking ahead.
Prayer: Loving God, we thank you that you keep surprising us with new things. In our lives, we see new technology, new ideas, and new ways to love you. Help us feel strong when hard changes come, and help us to watch for your presence when good changes come. Help us to remember that your love for us never changes, and we can always count on that. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, March 13, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on the Isaiah text and the prophet’s declaration that the people should look forward to the new things God is doing in the world rather than clinging to old traditions. Dean observes that when we insist on doing things in the same fashion that we’ve always done them, we can be stubbornly resistant to new ways that in retrospect may seem obvious to us -- or worse yet, we persist in building new things on top of old, outdated foundations. And as we all know, that human tendency is deeply ingrained in the church.
What a Waste
by Chris Keating
John 12:1-8
Judas can hardly believe what he is watching. Breaking all forms of etiquette, Mary has rushed into the dining room, broken open an expensive flask of perfume, and poured it all over Jesus’ feet.
What a waste.
Judas’ eyes burn red -- not only from the scent of nard filling the room, but from indignation. Mary’s spontaneous response to Jesus’ presence touches a nerve within him. Like Mitt Romney, who denounced front-running GOP presidential candidate Donald Trump in scathing terms last week, Judas cannot remain silent. His sneering response makes the dinner party into a stage for political theater.
“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” Judas snipes. Yet as John notes, Judas is less concerned with the plight of the poor than with the size of his own kickback. Judas’ motives are purely political. He knows obfuscation often carries the day.
As Holy Week approaches, the drama in Bethany strikes a contrast between Mary’s witness and Judas’ betrayal. At issue is the wonder of God’s extravagant love -- a love that raised Lazarus, a love that is poured out upon Jesus’ feet, and a love that will soon be viewed from the cross. Judas, however, acts a bit like many of our current presidential hopefuls by stirring anger and animosity. His is a delicately scripted response.
Mary, however, understands the power of improvisational theater. She acts with love, courage, faith, and imagination. It’s a response much different from our contemporary political dramas.
In the News
As the curtain fell on Super Tuesday, one thing was clear: Donald Trump was more than a summer fling for hordes of Republican voters. A record-busting 8.5 million Republicans cast their votes in the Super Tuesday contests, with Trump winning in seven of the 11 states. In a typical campaign cycle, those wins would have likely solidified him as the GOP’s leading man for 2016. But this cycle is far from typical.
Just days later, the party’s 2012 nominee lashed back at Trump, declaring him unfit for office. “His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University,” Romney said. “He’s playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat.” Republicans such as Mel Martinez and Tom Ridge joined their voices in opposing Trump.
According to former CNN host Larry King, the late Nancy Reagan told him she despised the crude nature of this year’s campaign. King, reminiscing about his friend with current CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, told Blitzer how angry the campaign had made the former first lady in her last days.
Whether or not the establishment voices can actually block Trump is uncertain. Leaders may express alarm, but his message keeps resonating with key sectors of the electorate. Trump continues to steal the show while also turning once staid and stuffy Republican debates into a nearly absurd, bawdy vaudeville sideshow. The theatrics are astounding.
It’s not limited to the Republicans, of course. While Ted Cruz calls Trump a liar, and Marco Rubio aims (literally) below Trump’s belt, Senator Bernie Sanders continues to take aim at Hillary Clinton in a series of feisty attacks. Yet the Democratic tussles seem like tepid tea parties compared to what appears like sketches ready-made for Saturday Night Live on the GOP side.
One leading Republican told the Washington Post that “it’s like Dr. Strangelove. People are saying, ‘I’m not gonna tell my friends and family I’m voting for Trump,’ but then they’re pulling the trigger for Trump. I might as well be like Slim Pickens at the end of the movie and just ride the atomic bomb down and see what happens.”
The drama is also nearly as non-stop as Trump’s personal gold-plated airplane. Last week, Sen. Marco Rubio -- fed up with Trump constantly calling him “Little Marco” -- fired back by making a remark about the size of Trump’s hands. “And you know what they say about men with small hands,” Rubio said, pausing a bit to let the crowd roar, and then adding, “they can’t be trusted.”
Not wanting to miss a chance to sling mud, Trump countered Rubio’s adolescent attack during the next debate by assuring the crowd that despite the insinuation that “something else must be small,” there’s “no problem” in that department.
Yet there is a problem when prime-time debates turn into raunchy tirades. To some, the antics of Trump, Cruz, and Rubio were closer to Moe, Larry, and Curly. But as Frank Bruni notes, the problem with the “phallic braggadocio” is that it twists the plot away from serious reflection on qualifications to be the leader of the free world. Bruni is able to foresee at least one possibly positive outcome: “More emphatically and unequivocally than at any recent juncture that I can recall, Republican leaders and standard bearers are saying that their party has no tolerance for any racism, no room for any sexism, no forgiveness for bigotry.”
For now, however, the insults and innuendos continue. Despite appearing unscripted and off the cuff, the jib and jab of the campaign is becoming increasingly predictable, and even somewhat stale. The threads of comedy are being woven into a garment of tragedy. It’s a far cry from the crisp freshness of improvisational theater -- a dramatic form that builds on trust, seeks partnership, and creates connection.
The candidates could actually learn a bit from “improv” techniques. Improvisation relies on paying close attention to the other person. Patricia Ryan Madson tells her students that improvising arises when the players learn that things are never stable or predictable. “In the act of balancing,” she writes in Improv Wisdom (Bell Tower Books, 2005), “we come alive... in the long run we develop tolerance for instability” (p. 82). It’s much more than merely playing for laughs.
“Believe it or not,” writes pastor and improv student Layton E. Williams, “the biggest laughs come from telling the truth.” Or as Tina Fey says, improv teaches that “whatever the problem, (you can) be part of the solution.”
Judas, are you listening?
In the Scriptures
Meanwhile, back in Bethany the air is ripe with perfume and the scent of resurrection. Jesus is dining with his friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. Presumably Lazarus has had a good scrubbing and a change of clothes since we last saw him at the mouth of the tomb. With the grave clothes set aside, the friends can sit down to a nice supper.
Tensions remain, of course, as the shadows around Jesus’ own death are continuing to lengthen. Chapter 12 of John’s gospel bridges the two death and resurrection stories. As Gail O’Day and Susan E. Hyler note in their commentary (John: Westminster Bible Companion [Westminster/John Knox Press, 2006]), “Chapter 11 has been a high point of the gospel: Jesus brought life into the midst of death. Now, however, death again intervenes. This time it is Jesus’ death, and it disrupts a dinner party that is a celebration of life.”
Jesus is surrounded by those who have been faithful witnesses to his works: Mary, whose response to Jesus’ love is at the center of the text, as well as Martha and the other disciples. Mary and Martha both model discipleship, as O’Day and Hyler point out. This story offers insights into their responses to Jesus. Both Martha’s diligent serving and Mary’s spontaneous anointing are upheld as marks of faithfulness.
Mary’s response to Jesus embodies sound principles of improvisation. Rev. Marthame Sanders, pastor of Oglethorpe Presbyterian Church in Atlanta, has gleaned seven such principles from his work in improv. During a workshop at a recent Presbyterian conference, Sanders outlined these principles and their relevance for ministry: 1) take risks; 2) practice saying “Yes, and...” (build trust); 3) make mistakes; 4) embody the message; 5) pay attention; 6) be patient; and 7) practice, practice, practice.
Saying “yes” and then building on that yes is foundational to improv. Judas, however, attempts to subvert the action. In theater parlance, he blocks the scene. He has a budget to manage, after all. Ever the shrewd politician, Judas knows that the optics of having a woman touch a man are not in Jesus’ favor. It would be far better to have sold the perfume so that the proceeds could be put to good use.
Where Judas cries “no,” Mary says, “yes, Lord.”
In breaking open the expensive perfume and anointing Jesus, Mary embodies the gospel and takes a risk. She builds trust by saying “yes” to her Lord, and carefully pays attention to what seems most appropriate. There is, I think, a quality of patience about her gift. While Mary’s exuberant joy is evident in how she breaks open the flask, she is nonetheless patient in her careful wiping of Jesus’ feet.
Judas, on the other hand, while still a disciple, is unable to match either Mary or Martha’s witness. Judas remains concerned about the bottom line, and is unimpressed by Mary’s lavish offering. The abundance she has offered has become to him nothing more than a waste. Yet Jesus affirms what Mary has done, and sees in her bold risk the devotion of faith.
In the Sermon
“Politics is theater,” said Harvey Milk. “It doesn't matter if you win. You make a statement. You say, ‘I’m here, pay attention to me.’ ” This week’s text (and our ongoing political drama) illustrate the truth of what Milk said. But instead of taking sides in an already polarized climate, this week’s Lenten sermon could helpfully tease out the important differences between the dirty sideshows of our current political dramas and the poignancy of Mary’s unscripted witness.
Where, I wonder, could improv take the church?
Mary’s bit of improvisation was certainly unrehearsed, though the power of her witness came as the result of her faithful practice. She embodied the message by taking a risk. It wasn’t planned -- but there is no doubt that, having witnessed her brother’s spectacular resurrection, she was prepared. She breaks into the scene and says “I’m here,” but in a way that reflects her service to Jesus.
In contrast, much of contemporary political theater is based solely on the ego-driven clamoring of personalities who jump up and down on a stage, making fun of their opponents, saying over and over again “I’m here! Pay attention to me.” And, counter to Milk’s hypothesis, every bit about it is about winning.
The lasting power of this text comes alive as a preacher explores its complete sensory nature. Guide the hearers through Mary’s journey to Jesus’ feet. Help them see her running to her closet, tossing shoe boxes and hangers aside in a frantic search for the oversized jar of perfume.
Then, help them imagine the transforming aroma of grace. Touched by the overwhelming abundance of God’s grace, Mary says yes to the Lord who has come that all might have life. She builds on the scene that Jesus initiated. It is indeed a risk, but it is a risk she is willing to take.
In a world locked in the deadly seriousness of slash-and-burn politics, a sermon on this text could announce the good news of God’s delight in playfulness. The church can learn a lot more from Mary than it can from Donald Trump -- or many politicians, for that matter. Likewise, Mary can teach the church what it means to be disciples who say “Yes, and...” in our witness.
Where Judas and others say, “What a waste!” Mary seems to be saying, “Yes, Lord, here I am. Use me.”
SECOND THOUGHTS
A God of New Things
by Dean Feldmeyer
Isaiah 43:16-21
Remember the movie Westworld? It was written and directed by novelist Michael Crichton. Here’s how IMDb (the internet movie database) describes it: “In a near future, the Delos Company offers the vacation of the future in the amusement parks Medievalworld, Romanworld, and Westworld for $1,000 per day. The vacationers get to experience life in the themed period, doing whatever they want, interacting with the robot inhabitants that populate the parks.” Two rich guys choose Westworld for their vacation adventure, but not long into their week of fun a computer malfunction and the robots begin killing the guests.
The radio ads for that movie were particularly clever. They sounded like an actual ad for the vacation destination and ended something like this: “So visit Westworld, where you can live out your fantasy of life in the Old West and nothing can possibly go wrong... go wrong... go wrong... go wrong.”
We had to wonder if, for just a few moments, the folks at Google didn’t flash back to that movie ad last month when their self-driven car, which has logged millions of accident-free miles, was finally involved in an accident where the Google car was judged to be at least partially at fault.
You could almost hear the sound of people in diners and cafes all over America sitting down with their coffee cups, smirking, nodding knowingly, and saying, “I told you those things weren’t safe.”
Never mind the fact that this is the first at-fault accident a self-driven car has been involved in in millions of miles of driving. And never mind the fact that the car was going less than 2 mph and there was only a minor scratch on the car’s fender. And never mind the fact that there are thousands of accidents just like this happening every day all over the country, accidents where the two drivers simply misread the intentions of the other driver and which are just considered par for the course.
Self-driven cars are new things, and therefore suspect.
Driving your own car and accepting the fact that accidents happen all the time -- well, we’ve always done it that way.
Lister’s New Way
Before 1867, surgeons didn’t wash their hands or their instruments before they performed operations. In fact, it was not uncommon for them to move from one patient directly to another and begin a new surgery using the same instruments.
This was done because everyone knew that infections were caused by “humors” in the air that were simply out of the control of the doctor. Patients either did or did not develop infections, they thought, and it was simply a matter of chance.
And chance was a dicey kind of thing. It is estimated that about half of all surgery patients died from infections in those days. But hey, half of them lived, and they certainly wouldn’t have done so without the surgery.
Then along came Joseph Lister, a surgeon who had read of the work of Louis Pasteur. Lister suggested that it might be a good idea to clean and sterilize instruments and bed clothing and for doctors to wash their hands and change their clothing between surgeries because bacteria could be transferred from surface to surface.
They laughed at Lister. He was derided as a quack. He and Pasteur were both dismissed as superstitious fools. But then people began to notice that Lister’s patients were surviving surgery at a rate far above the norm.
Today, of course, the sterile and aseptic techniques pioneered by Joseph Lister are standard operating procedure at health care facilities around the world.
And Dr. Lister’s name has been preserved for posterity in the name of a mouthwash -- “Listerine.”
One of the most dangerous and expensive phrases in the English language is “We’ve always done it that way.”
The God of New Things
In this week’s reading from Isaiah God addresses the children of Israel, who have been forced to live in Babylon against their will for about three generations. Some of them have assimilated into Babylonian culture and society. Some of them have married Babylonians and sent their children to Babylonian schools. Some have even taken jobs in the Babylonian government and become rich and successful. Others have gone the way of dissimilation, refusing to blend in at all -- clinging to the old ways, the old customs and traditions, as though their salvation was vested in their rituals.
Now God comes to them and speaks through the prophet and tells them to forget about the past. “Put it out of your mind. I’m going to do something totally new. In fact, I have already started it rolling.” The point is clear, if painful for those Hebrew exiles 2,500 years ago and for many of us today. If we are going to be open to the influence of God, we must be open to new things -- not because they’re new, but because sometimes God does new things.
Habits, Customs, Traditions
Sometimes we do the same thing the same way because it’s a habit. We can’t not do it, and we can’t not do it this way. There is no meaning attached to it other than the fact that we simply have to do it. We all have habits. Smoking is the obvious example. I’m a Diet Pepsi fiend. There’s no importance attached to Diet Pepsi. I just like it, and it’s always what I drink. My aunt bites her fingernails, my friend jiggles his leg up and down when he sits at a table. There’s no reason -- he just does it, and he can’t not do it for long. It’s a habit.
Customs are attached to meaning, but usually have no meaning in and of themselves. At our church, we have a chicken dinner every year. It’s our custom to do so. There’s no symbolic meaning in the chicken or the baked potato. But we are “the church that has the chicken dinner.” Mrs. Smith or Mr. Jones sit in the same place in the sanctuary every Sunday. They’ve always sat there. They sat in that place with their parents when they were kids. There are feelings attached to that place, that pew. It’s their customary seat.
Traditions are attached to our core values. They have intrinsic meaning. Easter is a tradition. Christmas is a tradition. The time we hold the worship service on Christmas Eve is a custom.
Scripture tells us that YHWH is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. But YHWH is also a God of New Things. If we want to stay in touch with YHWH, we had certainly better learn to maintain a detached posture toward our habits, and our customs too. And even our traditions.
Because you never know what our God is liable to do.
Ad Infinitum
Dan McCarthy is the director of executive development programs at the University of New Hampshire’s Paul College of Business and Economics. In his “Great Leadership” blog, he tells this story about the “we’ve-always-done-it-this-way” phenomenon:
The U.S. standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That is an exceedingly odd number. Why was that gauge used? Because that is the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the U.S. railroads. Why did the English build them like that?
Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that is the gauge they used. Again, why? Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used the same wheel spacing.
Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing? Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old long-distance roads in England [because that’s how wide apart the ruts were]. So who built those old rutted roads?
Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions. The roads have been used ever since. Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for (or by) imperial Rome, they all had the same wheel spacing. The United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches is derived from the original specification for an imperial Roman war chariot. And Roman war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two warhorses.
Let us keep our ears attuned to the God of New Things, lest we find ourselves following a path that was laid down by two, uh, Roman horses -- for the simple reason that we’ve always done it that way.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Isaiah 43:16-21
Astronaut Scott Kelly has just returned to earth after 340 days in space. While aboard the International Space Station he circled the earth 5,440 times, traveling 144 million miles. Kelly’s last tweet from space read: “The journey isn’t over. Follow me as I rediscover #Earth!”
Application: Isaiah was very clear in his message to the Israelites that their journey was not over but was only beginning.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
In a Frank & Ernest comic strip, a young Frank and Ernie are coming out of school wearing backpacks. Behind them is a sign that reads “Career Day.” Young Frank says to Ernie: “When you grow up, what do you want to be if the job still exists?” (Note: You may want to project the comic on your sanctuary screen.)
Application: Isaiah told the people that things will be changing for the better for them. The future will always be changing for us in uncertain ways, but we must trust God that the change will always be for the better.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
On his fourth voyage to the New World in 1504, Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica as his party ran out of supplies. Columbus was unable to secure additional supplies from the hostile natives, but on February 29 Columbus correctly predicted a lunar eclipse, scaring the natives into assisting him.
Application: We do not know how God “will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” But knowing that he can do so is enough for us to trust and believe in him.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
On March 2, 1939, the Massachusetts legislature voted to ratify the Bill of Rights -- 147 years after the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution went into effect.
Application: As Isaiah pointed out, some people are unable to “perceive” that which is good.
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
Edward Byers Jr. recently received the Medal of Honor. The Navy Seal earned this commendation for his heroic efforts in a mission to rescue an American medical doctor who had been abducted in Afghanistan. Upon entering the compound where the hostage was being held, Byers threw himself upon the physician, covering his body with his own and protecting him from a hail of bullets flying in their direction. Upon awarding the medal, President Obama said: “Whenever Americans are taken hostage in the world, we move heaven and earth to bring them home safe. We send some thunder and lightning.”
Application: When Paul writes that we must “press on toward the goal,” we must go forth with the fury of thunder and lightning.
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman is considered the hardest-throwing pitcher in the major leagues. He is also the first player to receive a 30-game suspension under the new domestic violence rule for an altercation with his girlfriend. The suspension will cost Chapman over $1.8 million in salary.
Application: We always must be sure that we are worthy to “press on toward the goal.”
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
In a Born Loser comic strip, Brutus is standing in the doorway of his home, having just come home from work. Gladys is there to greet him, asking “How was work today?” Brutus dishearteningly replies, “The chief said I was a perfect idiot.” Gladys, never missing an opportunity to scold her husband, says: “Well, at least he thinks you excel at something!” (Note: You may want to project the comic on your sanctuary screen.)
Application: Paul never expects us to be perfect but to excel in “pressing on toward the goal.”
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
Jason Dalton is an Uber driver in Kalamazoo, Michigan, who randomly shot and killed six people. In between the shootings, he continued to pick up riders over a four-hour period. A cache of weapons including both revolvers and rifles was found in his home -- but there was nothing in his background to prevent him from purchasing those weapons. Jonathan Smith, the owner of a Kalamazoo gun store, said: “He was a law-abiding citizen until he pulled the trigger on the first victim.”
Application: Paul wants us to live a self-examined life, and to never step over that mysterious line from citizen to criminal, from being righteous to being a sinner.
*****
Philippians 3:4b-14
In a Frank & Ernest comic strip, the motley-looking Frank and Ernie are sitting on a park bench in the shadow of a tree. A disheveled Frank says to an unkempt Ernie: “By the time I found the key to success, they’d added a password.” (Note: You may want to project the comic on your sanctuary screen.)
Application: Paul thought he was successful in life as a Pharisee, but he counted it all as loss when he discovered Jesus. There is no key to success except faith in Jesus.
*****
John 12:1-8
Amy, a documentary on singer Amy Winehouse, recently won an Academy Award. Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in 2011 at the age of 27. Amy’s father Mitch is very displeased with the documentary, because he considers it to be misleading. Mitch said that the film “has no bearing on her life, apart from the fact she was born and unfortunately she passed away -- everything in between is basically fabricated.”
Application: Like Judas, we often find ourselves watching a documentary, trying to understand what is true and what is false.
***************
From team member Mary Austin:
Isaiah 43:16-21
In vs. Out
Isaiah isn’t the only one who is promising a new thing. Each year the Washington Post guides us into the New Year with their list of what’s in and what’s out. Just so we’re not behind, in 2016 retweets are in and endorsements are out. Nudity is out, and personality is in. (Whew!) With the change of leadership in the House of Representatives, late-night merlot with the Speaker is over and early-morning workouts with the new Speaker of the House are in. And just so you know, “thoughts and prayers” are over and background checks are in.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
Resistance to the New
For many people, the first reaction to “I am doing a new thing” is “oh no!” The Harvard Business Review says that what we resist “is usually not technical change but social change -- the change in their human relationships that generally accompanies technical change.” We resist loss of status or changed work dynamics. People who share in developing the changes are more likely to go along with them, and to remain productive. As the article says, it is useful to understand any “change as having both a technical and a social aspect. The technical aspect of the change is the making of a measurable modification in the physical routines of the job. The social aspect of the change refers to the way those affected by it think it will alter their established relationships in the organization.” The same is true in churches, whether it’s changing the worship service time, or the way coffee hour works, or even who the pastor is.
*****
Isaiah 43:16-21
New Foods to Try
Even the world of food is always offering us something new. Bon Appetit magazine says that the new foods for this year include chlorophyll, which “in extract form, the deep-green pigment is a chef’s healthy magic trick -- like an energy shot but one that some say can help break down fats.” Or you might try savory oatmeal. How about koji? That’s rice which has been “inoculated with the koji mold (scientific name: Aspergillus oryzae, if you want to be like that), traditionally used to make miso and soy sauce, kickstarting the formation of that umami flavor. Pros now whisk fragrant, fermented kojiinto vinaigrettes, toss it with vegetables before roasting, and treat it as a marinade.” Dropping in popularity are gluten-free items, artisanal cheeses, and insects. Replacing them are ethnic foods, especially those from Africa and the Middle East, artisanal pickles, house-made sausage, and street food.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: When God restored the fortunes of Zion,
People: We were like those who dream.
Leader: God has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
People: Restore our fortunes, O God, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
Leader: Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing,
People: Shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
OR
Leader: The God of all that is new calls us to worship.
People: With fearful anticipation we respond to God’s call.
Leader: The God who created us is re-creating us each day.
People: We trust the God who is love to act wisely for us.
Leader: God invites us to receive and share the love that renews.
People: With God’s help, we will share God’s redeeming love.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“More Love to Thee, O Christ”
found in:
UMH: 453
PH: 359
AAHH: 575
NNBH: 214
NCH: 456
CH: 527
AMEC: 460
“O God of Every Nation”
found in:
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELA: 713
W&P: 626
“Come Down, O Love Divine”
found in:
UMH: 475
H82: 516
PH: 313
NCH: 289
CH: 582
LBW: 508
ELA: 804
W&P: 330
“Ah, Holy Jesus”
found in:
UMH: 289
H82: 158
PH: 93
NCH: 218
CH: 210
LBW: 123
ELA: 349
W&P: 521
Renew: 183
“What Wondrous Love Is This”
found in:
UMH: 292
H82: 439
PH: 85
NCH: 223
CH: 200
LBW: 385
ELA: 666
W&P: 257
STLT: 18
Renew: 277
“Beneath the Cross of Jesus”
found in:
UMH: 297
H82: 498
PH: 92
AAHH: 247
NNBH: 106
NCH: 190
CH: 197
LBW: 107
ELA: 338
W&P: 255
AMEC: 146
“When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”
found in:
UMH: 298, 299
H82: 474
PH: 100, 101
AAHH: 243
NNBH: 113
NCH: 224
CH: 195
LBW: 482
ELA: 803
W&P: 261
AMEC: 147, 148
Renew: 236
“Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross”
found in:
UMH: 301
NNBH: 103
NCH: 197
CH: 587
ELA: 335
W&P: 479
AMEC: 321
“Great Is the Lord”
found in:
CCB: 65
Renew: 22
“Praise the Name of Jesus”
found in:
CCB: 39
Renew: 7
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who pours out your love in lavish abandon: Grant us the wisdom to see the power of love that we will soon recall with Jesus on the cross; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
Come and dwell among us, O God, with your lavish outpouring of love. So fill us with your Spirit that we will be able to grasp the power of love. Help us to understand that power as we recall Jesus on the cross. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to mimic God by pouring out love on others.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have trusted in our own cleverness and ability to turn things to our advantage. We have forgotten the wondrous power of love that turns things to the good. Call us back to your way of love, and empower us to live in you. Amen.
Leader: God’s love is lavish and powerful. Receive it and share it. That is the only way to know its wonders.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We praise you, O God, for your love that is ever making things new. We worship you in the greatness of your redemptive love.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have trusted in our own cleverness and ability to turn things to our advantage. We have forgotten the wondrous power of love that turns things to the good. Call us back to your way of love, and empower us to live in you.
We thank you for all the ways in which you make your love known to us. We thank you for the newness you bring to your creation as you re-create us in your image.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the needs of all your children. As we lift them up to you in prayer, may we lift them up in our words and deeds.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about what is new, and what is comfortable because it is always the same. New things can be scary, but it’s safer when we know the one who is making the change. God is always looking to make things better for us.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
by Mary Austin
Isaiah 43:16-21
Ahead of time: Gather “old” objects that the kids may not recognize. You might include things like a typewriter, a big camera, an old-fashioned suitcase, a pressure cooker, an old game system, or a portable record player or cassette player. If you have them, you could include things like a quill pen or parchment paper.
Gather the kids, and pick one or two objects that will seem odd to them. Ask if anyone knows what the object is. Explain that this used to be how people cooked or typed or heard music, depending on your object. Do this with your other object.
Then talk about things in our lives that are always changing. Technology helps us do things in different ways. We grow older and can do more things. (And then fewer things, but that’s a story for another day...) Our pets grow older. We might move to a different house that fits us better.
Some changes are sad. Grandparents (or parents) may die. Parents may divorce. Friends may move away. You’ll know what changes your kids are facing.
Then talk with the kids about how God is always doing new things too. God tells us to look forward, to watch for new things and find God’s presence in them. In the hard things, God says God will give us a path through until things get better. Those changes still feel hard and sad, but God is going through them with us and understands our sadness. And along the way, God is looking for new things -- new ways to surprise us, new ways for us to help God, new things for our church to do to help people. When we see new things in our lives, we can look for God’s presence in them and be thankful to God for the way God is always looking ahead.
Prayer: Loving God, we thank you that you keep surprising us with new things. In our lives, we see new technology, new ideas, and new ways to love you. Help us feel strong when hard changes come, and help us to watch for your presence when good changes come. Help us to remember that your love for us never changes, and we can always count on that. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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The Immediate Word, March 13, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 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.
