What We Keep For Ourselves
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For November 10, 2024:
What We Keep For Ourselves
by Dean Feldmeyer
Mark 12:38-44
In December of 2012, Chase Branscum of Oklahoma City was preparing for his 8th birthday. It was going to be big affair, so big his parents had arranged for it to be held at their church’s fellowship hall. Lots of people had been invited and even more had asked to be included.
The reason for all this interest and enthusiasm: Chase had announced that he was not going to accept any presents for himself. For his birthday he was going to donate any presents that were given to him to Toys for Tots, a charity that provides toys for children in need.
"I already have toys and other kids don't," said Chase. "And when they don't have anything for Christmas they can't play, and they can't have fun."
More than 100 people turned out for his birthday party and more than 500 gifts were given to Chase. True to his word, Chase donated every gift to the charity. Every single gift. He kept none for himself.
The reason this story made it into the news is not the size of the gift. Lots of toys are donated every year to Toys for Tots. Thousands, even.
What’s extraordinary about this story is not the size of the gift but the fact that this 8-year-old child kept not a single gift for himself. Like the widow in the gospel story, he gave all that he had.
Jesus, it seems, does not judge us for the amount we give but for the amount we keep for ourselves.
In the News
About a month ago, Matt Busbice, 42, awoke to the sound of the fire alarm in his condo complex in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He shot out of bed, threw on some clothes, and raced down the stairs only to discover there was no fire. But he was awake now, so even though he was wearing mismatched clothes and was disheveled, he decided to go out for a cup of coffee.
Just as he was about to enter the coffee shop, he realized that being off his normal routine, he had forgotten to say his usual morning prayer. So, he stepped to the corner of the patio and stood quietly for a few moments to pray.
As he finished his silent prayer, he opened his eyes to see a young black kid approaching him with his fist clenched. Busbice didn’t know what to think but he prepared for a confrontation. Then the boy stopped a couple of feet from Matt and held out his hand. In it was a crumpled dollar bill.
Matt looked at the dollar, then at the boy. He said to the boy, “What?”
The boy answered: “If you're homeless, here's a dollar,” nine-year-old Kelvin Ellis Jr. recalls telling Busbice. “…I always wanted to help a homeless person, and I finally had the opportunity.” Ellis says he had just gotten the dollar for good grades. It was the only money he had to his name.
Matt Busbice was, in fact, the furthest thing from a homeless person. He and his partners had built and sold several outdoors companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars and he is the current owner of sporting goods store BuckFeather in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He says, however, that he has never felt richer than he did the day he received a single dollar.
“I haven't had that much faith in humanity in a very long time,” Busbice said. He invited Ellis into the coffee shop for a snack and then connected with Ellis’ father, who was next door, and promised to stay in touch.
A few days later, Busbice gave Ellis a shopping spree — forty seconds to pick out whatever he wanted in BuckFeather, including a new bike. Ellis says it was great, but definitely not what he wanted to get for his dollar.
What he wanted to get was, “Joy, because I helped someone. Give something away, and you feel like you've got a lot of things from it.”
“If you give, you're actually going to get more out of that,” Busbice said. “I couldn't grasp that as a kid. And if we can spread that around, everything changes.”
In the Scripture
In the third chapter of the gospel of Luke, John the Baptist is asked what people must do to avoid God’s wrath.
John was well grounded within the prophetic tradition, and he answered as all the prophets had answered before him: Be kind and generous to the poor and needy.
Specifically, he said, “If you have two coats and your neighbor has none, give one of your coats to your neighbor. And do likewise with food.” (Luke 3:10) That is, share your excess, the things you don’t really need, with those who don’t have the necessities of life — food, clothing, shelter, etc.
This had been part of the Mosaic Law for centuries: Leave un-gleaned grain in the fields for the poor to harvest for themselves. Pay your workers at the end of every day so they can feed their families. Give one-tenth of your income to the temple where the priests would distribute some of it to the poor. And every seven years, forgive any debts that are owed to you.
All of this amounted to the same thing, however: Give generously from your excess.
In today’s passage, Jesus takes this admonition to the next level. Watch.
When the story opens, Jesus and the disciples are walking through the marketplace in the center of Jerusalem, a big, famous market, and Jesus is making some observations and commenting on them.
Watch out for the scribes, he says. These are the experts in the law who are supposed to use their expertise to help people lead good, moral lives. Instead, they manipulate and use the law for their own financial advantage. Specifically, they find loopholes. These loopholes allowed them to foreclose on loans they made to widows and take possession of those unfortunate women’s land, land that they inherited from their husbands and was the only security they had.
These scribes like to be treated with privilege and respect because of their knowledge of the law, but they use that knowledge to take advantage of the poor and the defenseless. They have no sympathy, no pity, no concern for anything but themselves.
Oh, they say long prayers in worship. They are great prayer writers, but that’s all just for show. They are like toadstools. They look upright and proper on the outside but they’re all mushy and rotten on the inside.
Eventually, Jesus and his entourage come to the center of the marketplace, where the temple is located. They take a seat and watch the people coming and going, especially the ones who are going to the temple treasury, bringing their monthly tithe — one tenth of what they have produced or grown.
The wealthy, probably some of whom are the scribes he has just observed, are making a big production out of what they give. They give a lot and they want everyone to know it. They and their gifts are highly visible. “Look at me. Look at how generous and giving I am.” They want to make sure the next Sunday school classroom or even the next wing of the building is named after them. They put their envelope in the offering plate face up! You know that old saying, “What I give to the church is between me and God?” Well, not with these guys. They want everyone to know exactly how much they gave because there was status attached to charitable giving back in those days just as there is today.
Then, right in the middle of all this showmanship, a little old widow lady makes her way to the teller’s window, and she empties her purse. Out fell two pennies, all she has. The teller turns up his nose and asks her, half-jokingly, “Will you be needing a receipt, madam?”
Embarrassed and humiliated, she turns and walks away but Jesus has come up and blocked her path. He puts his arm around her and leads her to where his disciples are sitting.
He invites her to sit with them as he says to his disciples: “Truly I tell you; this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
And that, brothers and sisters, is a game changer. With that one sentence, Jesus has taken the prophetic tradition and turned it on its head.
In the Sermon
Up to this point, we have been told that God judges us by what we give to the temple and to the poor. Our gifts were weighed and measured. Were they truly a tenth of our income as required by the Torah? Were they truly from the first fruits, the best that we had to offer? Were they unblemished, the most valuable of the livestock?
The focus was, up to now, on the value of what we gave.
But now Jesus has changed the focus. He has turned the camera around and the judgment is no longer directed at the gifts. We are no longer judged for how much we give. We are judged for how much we keep for ourselves.
This is a whole new, uniquely Christian way of looking at charity: Sacrificial giving.
For Christians, Jesus says, giving from our excess, from the stuff we don’t need, from the stuff we don’t want, is no longer adequate. Christians are now given notice: We are expected to give sacrificially. We are expected to give from what we want and need. We are expected to do without so others can do. We are expected to live more simply so others can simply live.
The first parsonage we lived in was a two-bedroom cottage on a country road. It was surrounded by seven apple trees, each bearing a different kind of apple, some of which I had heard of and some I hadn’t.
The trees had not been very well taken care of and were in desperate need of pruning and feeding the winter we moved in. Not knowing much about orchard tending, I went to the library and read everything I could find about raising apple trees.
I put the knowledge to use that winter and the following summer, pruning and feeding the trees as the books said. In the summer I sprayed them and fed them, and the harvest was phenomenal. They produced a plenteous bounty of apples, and my favorite was a crisp, tart, apple the size of a grapefruit, the name of which no one could identify. The tree was just loaded with them, and I could hardly wait for them to ripen for the harvest.
Then, one morning, as we ate our breakfast, we heard a terrible, ripping sound followed by a crash from behind the house. We ran out to find that the apple tree split down the center and lying on the ground. The weight of the apples had pulled the tree apart. It had been killed by its own prosperity.
Not one of those books I read at the library warned me about the possibility of having too good of a harvest.
None of them warned me to prop the limbs up if they began to sag too much from the weight of the apples. None said to pick some of the apples early to relieve the stress on the limbs — to sacrifice some apples so the others could grow to maturity.
Because it did not occur to me to let some apples go, I lost them all.
Today, of all days, that should be obvious to us.
This week (November 11th) we ask the veterans who have given days of their lives, precious time that they can never replace, in the service of their country and their countrymen, to stand and be recognized. We thanked them for not just their gift but their sacrifice on our behalf we were made keenly aware of the value of a sacrificial gift.
Sixty-four years ago this coming January the new president, John F. Kennedy, paraphrased Judge Oliver Wendell Holmes when he admonished a generation to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” How different that is from: “Am I better off now than I was four years ago?”
Sixty-four years ago, our political leaders held up sacrificial living as an ideal to be sought and pursued. Today our leaders ask us to look to our own wellbeing and base our political decisions on that alone.
Well, brothers and sisters, Jesus has not changed his tune.
His call remains the same, his challenge unchanged and undiminished for more than 2,000 years.
Our lives are like the bread and wine of the Eucharist. If we try to save them, we will lose them. They will grow stale and crumble, they will grow sour and evaporate, they will, inevitably, be lost to us.
No, like bread and wine, our lives have meaning not when we save them for ourselves, but when — only when — we break them up and pour them out and share them sacrificially with our brothers and sisters.
Today we take a moment to ponder our relationship to the stuff we buy and the stuff we own. Jesus asks us to consider that this stuff is not what life is about. He asks us to consider giving some of it away. Not just the stuff we don’t want or need, but the stuff we do want, the stuff we do need.
He asks us to give not just what we can afford to give, but what we can’t afford to give.
He asks us to stop insisting that we can make our lives secure by buying things.
He asks us to rely a little bit on him, to lean a little bit upon the Lord, and let God be our strength and our security. For that way is the path to the real, the true, the authentic life that is life in the kingdom of God.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Creating Hope Where There Was None
by Katy Stenta
1 Kings 17:8-16
In a time where Elijah is stuck wandering around a desert of his own making, Ahab once again proves to be very stubborn. The king refuses to relent until even the special wadi (a very small stream) dries up. Elijah is then sent to another country to get help. Note: Not the lord, king, princes, or principalities. Jesus later says it’s because prophets are not welcome in their hometown. However, I like to think that it is also because the Old Testament is always spreading the grace of God farther than one ever thinks it can go.
Here is Elijah, traveling to meet a widow in Zarephath of Sidon, and God has definitely warned her that he is coming. She basically says “I don’t know what your God was thinking — sending you to me. I have nothing.” She then talks about her lack of resources, and her plans to make a last meal for herself and her child before they have nothing less to do but die. Elijah then asks if she has a cup of water, and she relents that she does indeed have water. Elijah gives pastoral care, listening to her struggle, because, let’s face it, the struggle is real. Additionally, they have then established a table fellowship, sitting together, sharing a cup of water, each having given some mutual aid has thus been established. Elijah then reveals that if she provides shelter for him, he can ensure that her food will last for her, her son, and himself.
It is amazing how table fellowship, mutual aid, pastoral listening, and hospitality all create hope where there was none before. Transforming the story of an outcast prophet and a helpless widow and her son, into one of community.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Psalm 127
Quiverfull
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;
so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:
they shall not be ashamed,
but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (vv. 3-5 KJV)
“Quiverfull” is a Christian theological position that sees large families as a blessing from God. It encourages procreation, abstaining from all forms of birth control, natural family planning, and sterilization reversal. The movement derives its name from Psalm 127:3–5, where many children are metaphorically referred to as the arrows in a full quiver. (Quiverfull - Wikipedia, accessed, October 30, 2024.)
In the United States this approach to family planning is most common among evangelical Christians. Though Haredi and Hasidic Jews also embrace this idea, as do some, more traditional Catholics.
* * *
Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17
The Book of Naomi?
One could easily make a case for the book of Ruth being called the book of Naomi. Ruth clings to her mother-in-law in the first chapter. In the second chapter Naomi sends her immigrant daughter-in-law off to glean, the only work available to Ruth. In the third chapter Naomi conspires with Ruth, instructing how to make herself available to Boaz, the prominent landowner. In the final chapter, Naomi is mentioned six times, and Ruth only three. One could say that this is the book’s happy ending:
Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse. The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” (vv. 14-17a, NRSV, emphasis added)
The son was born to Naomi, who nursed him!
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
Sounding trumpets at the Temple
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:2-4, NRSV) Jesus says
So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
While it’s possible Jesus envisions hypocrites being accompanied by horn sections when they give alms, it’s more likely that he was referring to metal receptacles in the exterior walls of the temple, which were called “trumpets.” Tossing a heavy coin into the receptacle would cause the trumpet to sound much more loudly than the tiny coin the widow would have tossed in. Imagine the difference in sound between throwing a dollar coin into a metal coffee can, as opposed to a dime.
* * *
Psalm 146
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! (This is the same as what I wrote for last Sunday’s main article — under “In the Bible — ” I suspect I wrote about the wrong lesson last week.)
The last five psalms all begin with “Praise the Lord!” or, in Hebrew, “Hallelujah!” Today’s psalm is a nice connection with the story of Ruth. Starting at verse 7, the psalmist lists various ways the Lord alleviates human distress:
Exercising justice for the oppressed;
Feeding the hungry;
Setting prisoners free;
Opening the eyes of the blind;
Lifting up those who are bowed down (perhaps by debt, or worry, or burdensome physical labor);
Loving the righteous (the innocent in the legal system who are at the mercy of those charged to uphold justice);
Watching over the stranger; and
Upholding the widow and orphan.
* * * * * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
A Piggy Bank Full Of All
On September 28, Jaclyn D’Andrea went to the local TV station and shared a video of her son, Dominic, inspiring many with his generous heart. Apparently, the little guy wanted to donate his entire savings to hurricane Ian victims in Florida.
In the video, the mom asked why he would give away all his money. The seven-year-old replied, “Sending it to the people in need in Florida ’cause they have a hurricane and their offices are gonna go down and they need more stuff. ’Cause their house might go down and they might have nothing.”
Dominic had saved up all his money to buy his dream scooter. But he gave that up after knowing many people in Florida needed help in the aftermath of the storms. So, he sacrificed his dream scooter and donated all his money from the piggy bank. For that reason, many people were inspired by the seven-year-old, which drove others to donate as well.
Jaclyn recounted on the program how her son came to the generous conclusion of giving away his money.
“It all started with a conversation Wednesday morning on the way to drop the kids off at school,” the mom narrated. “Dominic asked a lot of questions: Why I was so upset and what a hurricane was, and I kind of knew where his little mind was going when we got back home.”
Since then, Jaclyn has initiated relief efforts in different places in Florida. And as many were inspired by her son, many partnered with them to help the residents.
In one update, Jaclyn praised God and thanked the Penske truck rentals for donating two trucks for the mission. She wrote, “GOD IS SO GOOD!! THANK YOU PENSKE TRUCK RENTALS! DONATING 2 - 26′ TRUCKS FOR OUR MISSION TO FORT MYERS.”
* * *
Mansion To Mud
Jon Pedley lived the life of a swinging millionaire until an alcohol-fueled car accident in 2002 left him comatose and on the verge of death. Miraculously, he survived, and soon experienced a profound change of heart. The UK millionaire — who indulged in alcohol, womanizing, and other vices — later found God and was inspired by the charity work of his friend in Uganda. He decided to emulate his friend, and literally gave it all away in 2010 as he sold his $1.5 million farmhouse and businesses. Pedley then used the proceeds to move to a mud hut in Uganda and start a charity for local orphans. The charity wasn’t only for the local children, either — British children with a troubled past were also sent there to help the locals and ultimately help themselves. For Pedley, it was a cathartic release from his once-decadent lifestyle — he remarked that “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life” when asked if he really wanted to go through with it.
* * *
Special Illustration for Veterans Day
Monday is Veteran’s Day.
In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.”
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, marking the official end of World War I. Nonetheless, the armistice date of November 11, 1918, remained in the public imagination as the date that marked the end of the conflict.
One year later, in November 1919, US President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. The day’s observation included parades and public gatherings, as well as a brief pause in business and school activities at 11 am.
Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day.
In 1954, after lobbying efforts by veterans’ service organizations, the 83rd US Congress amended the 1938 act that had made Armistice Day a holiday, striking the word “Armistice” in favor of “Veterans.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on June 1, 1954. From then on, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
For some years, Veterans Day was celebrated on the Monday closest to November 11th, but in 1975, after it became evident that the actual date of Veterans Day carried historical and patriotic significance to many Americans, President Gerald Ford signed a new law returning the observation of Veterans Day to November 11th, beginning in 1978.
Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day — a common misunderstanding, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle, while Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans — living or deceased — but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Women seeking security
Naomi’s desire to help Ruth secure her life financially will resonate with many women who are uncertain about their own financial wellbeing. In a poll conducted by AARP, about half of women over fifty say their financial circumstances have fallen short of what they expected for this point in their lives. Many believe retirement is becoming more and more difficult, with healthcare costs and inflation ranking as two primary concerns.
Lucy Haverfield, a widow living in rural Alva, Florida, had always envisioned that her sixties would be “golden years” filled with trips to Cancun, golf outings, or lazy days sitting at the pool. The reality, says the 71-year-old, was quite different. Savings intended for vacations were spent instead caring for her husband and other relatives. “We just didn’t anticipate what it would look like for us as caregivers,” says Haverfield, who now struggles to make ends meet on $28,000 in social security benefits.
* * *
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
One widow’s commitment
In Denver, a 73-year-old widowed Korean immigrant has been working hard to provide a safe haven to hundreds of migrants, including women and children. Yong Cha Prince and her late husband purchased the Western Motor Inn in 2007. After the death of her husband and her son, Prince had been considering shuttering the motel. Then a stranger knocked on her door in the middle of the night. A local private investigator happened upon six young Venezuelan teenage boys at a convenience store. They were sleeping outside, shivering from the cold. After making rounds of phone calls, Christina Asuncion took a risk and brought the boys to Prince’s motel.
She was so good, Asuncion told Denver’s NPR station. “She opened her door. I was so afraid that she was gonna say no because I had been sitting at 7/11 for five hours calling people, asking people to help.” Pretty soon, Prince’s failing motel had been turned into a sanctuary for homeless immigrants. “Anybody hungry come in,” Prince said.
Prince says she has found renewed purpose and hope in serving others, though she knows it cannot last forever. The city has fined her more than $40,000 in health violations, and the migrants are searching for permanent shelter.
* * *
Psalm 127
What gives us lasting security?
The psalmist’s declaration of trust in our spiritual foundations is a reminder of how we find security, meaning, and hope in life. Harvard psychiatrist and Zen master, Robert Waldinger, challenges the perception that fame, fortune, and status are the building blocks to a meaningful life. Waldinger, research director of one of the most comprehensive studies of adult development, brings the data to support his claim.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development has been tracking the lives of 724 men for more than 75 years. “Studies like this are exceedingly rare,” says Waldinger. Similar projects have fallen apart for various reasons, but the Harvard study has persisted. “About 60 of our original 724 men are still alive, still participating in the study, most of them in their 90s,” said Waldinger. “And we are now beginning to study the more than 2,000 children of these men. And I'm the fourth director of the study.”
Waldinger says the research has revealed that a lasting, secure life is not built on foundations of wealth, success, or addiction to work. “The clearest message we get from this 75-year study is this: good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
Many rich put in large sums
Jesus watches as wealthy people make large donations that far outpace the widow’s tiny contributions. Yet, he observes the superlative value of the widow’s offering. Jesus might make a similar observation in watching this year’s political campaign sweepstakes. Billionaire Elon Musk, for example, made headlines last week by announcing he had given away $17 million to people who signed a petition related to his pro-Donald Trump political action committee. Musk has enticed people to his platform by promising to give away $1 million a day to voters who sign his petition. Winners must be registered to vote, which has caused some to wonder if Musk’s sweepstakes violates laws that prohibit paying people to vote. Either way, Musk’s give away will hardly equal the widow’s selfless devotion.
In contrast, legislators like Senator Bernie Sanders or Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have demonstrated the power of raising more than half of their campaign funds in 2024 from small donors.
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
We give because someone gave to us
Poet Alberto Rios describes his poem, “When Giving is all We Have,” (2014) as a “poem of thanks to those who live lives of service.” That includes all of us, says Rios, “from the large measure to the smallest gesture, from caregiving to volunteerism to being an audience member or a reader.” Rios’ poem concludes by highlighting the impact of giving whatever we have:
Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand,
Mine to yours, yours to mine.
You gave me blue and I gave you yellow.
Together we are simple green. You gave me
What you did not have, and I gave you
What I had to give — together, we made
Something greater from the difference.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Let us praise God as long as we live.
All: Let us sing praises to our God all our lives long.
One: Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob.
All: Happy are those whose hope is in our God,
One: The Lord watches over the strangers.
All: The Lord will reign forever. Praise the Lord!
OR
One: Our God comes to share to wonders of creation with us.
All: We are in awe of the generosity of our God.
One: God desires for all children of the earth to thrive.
All: We will share God’s good gifts with others.
One: Sometimes other’s needs may call us to sacrifice.
All: As followers of Christ, we offer ourselves and all we have.
Hymns and Songs
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
UMH: 89
H82: 376
PH: 464
GTG: 611
AAHH: 120
NNBH: 40
NCH: 4
CH: 2
LBW: 551
ELW: 836
W&P: 59
AMEC: 75
STLT: 29
God Will Take Care of You
UMH: 130
AAHH: 137
NNBH: 52
NCH: 460
AMEC: 437
Many and Great, O God
UMH: 148
H82: 385
PH: 271
GTG: 21
NCH: 3
CH: 58
ELW: 837
W&P: 26
Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
GTG: 343
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELW: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
Cuando El Pobre (When the Poor Ones)
UMH: 434
PH: 407
GTG: 762
CH: 662
ELW: 725
W&P: 624
Take My Life, and Let It Be
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
GTG: 697
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
ELW: 583/685
W&P: 466
AMEC: 292
Renew: 150
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
UMH: 402
PH: 372
GTG: 729
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Renew: 145
The Gift of Love
UMH: 408
GTG: 693
AAHH: 522
CH: 526
W&P: 397
Renew: 155
Take Up Thy Cross
UMH: 415
H82: 675
PH: 393
GTG: 718
LBW: 398
ELW: 667
W&P: 351
AMEC: 294
What Gift Can We Bring
UMH: 87
NCH: 370
ELW: 685
STLT: 404
All I Need Is You
CCB: 100
Make Me a Servant
CCB: 90
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 created all that is out of your abundant love:
Grant us the wisdom to be generous like you
as we share the gifts of creation;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you created all that is out of your abundant love. You continue to pour out your love and grace each day. Help us to reflect your generosity as we share with others the good gifts of your creation. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially when we refuse to share more than just the things we don’t need.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have allowed greed and selfishness to take over our lives. You have blessed us with an abundance and yet we hesitate to share even the surplus we don’t need. We don’t even consider that it requires sacrifice on our part. We look for excuses for our stinginess by reciting stories of those who take what they don’t deserve. We forget that none of us deserve the goodness you give us daily. Forgive us and renew your likeness within us that we may truly be your children. Amen.
One: God is generous even when we are not. Receive God’s mercy and learn to share as God shares.
Prayers of the People
Blessed and glorious is your name, O God. In love you pour out the goodness of creation for us. You have given us more than we could ever need.
(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 allowed greed and selfishness to take over our lives. You have blessed us with an abundance and yet we hesitate to share even the surplus we don't need. We don't even consider that requires sacrifice on our part. We look for excuses for our stinginess by reciting stories of those who take what they don't deserve. We forget that none of us deserve the goodness you give us daily. Forgive us and renew your likeness within us that we may truly be your children.
We give you thanks for your generous Spirit that fills creation with an abundance for us. We thank you for those who have used your gifts wisely and have shared them with us. We thank you for parents and guardians who have clothed and fed us. We thank you for communities that have educated and protected us. We thank you for the joy of sharing.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for others in their need. We especially pray for those who have so little because others have taken more than they need. We pray for those who come to your banquet only to find an empty table while others are bloated. We pray for justice and for mercy when justice is absent.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray 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
How Much Is A Lot?
by Tom Willadsen
Mark 12:38-44
Supplies: Get a variety of coins, and as much real money as you’re comfortable showing the kids, or play money, maybe raid a Monopoly set. You will also need a bank, cash box or container of some kind for them to put the money into.
After the kids are settled, ask them to help you figure out how much money you have. Give each child a coin or bill, and see if they can add it up, to come up with a total amount. This will depend on the age of the kids and the quality of the schools in your community.
After you’ve arrived at a total, ask which of them has the most money. Tell the kids that you’re going to give all the money they’re holding to a mission project. Maybe there’s a drive to raise money for Thanksgiving baskets for needy families, or some other local effort you can publicize.
Now have the kids line up to put their money into the container to support the mission effort you identified. Have them line up according to how much money they have. The one with the largest amount should go first. You want to end up with a child who has only a penny at the finish.
After they’ve put their money into the container, thank them for contributing to the cause. Ask which one of them gave the most money. The one who went first, duh.
Then tell the story about the widow who put in “more than all those who contributed to the treasury.” When the people in Jesus’ time made their contributions, they made a big display of how much money they were giving. But Jesus saw a very poor women, who just put in a penny, but it was a lot to her because she had so little. Jesus said she was the one who gave the most! Jesus does that a lot, he helps us see people and things that we think are little, but with Jesus’ help we see the world the way God wants us to see it.
At this point, the story is over, but you might want to ask one or two of the kids to walk through the sanctuary, asking people to put in as much or as little as they want to support the effort you identified.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 10, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
- What We Keep For Ourselves by Dean Feldmeyer based on Mark 12:38-44.
- Second Thoughts: Creating Hope Where There Was None by Katy Stenta based on 1 Kings 17:8-16.
- Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Dean Feldmeyer, Chris Keating.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: How Much Is A Lot? by Tom Willadsen based on Mark 12:38-44.
What We Keep For Ourselvesby Dean Feldmeyer
Mark 12:38-44
In December of 2012, Chase Branscum of Oklahoma City was preparing for his 8th birthday. It was going to be big affair, so big his parents had arranged for it to be held at their church’s fellowship hall. Lots of people had been invited and even more had asked to be included.
The reason for all this interest and enthusiasm: Chase had announced that he was not going to accept any presents for himself. For his birthday he was going to donate any presents that were given to him to Toys for Tots, a charity that provides toys for children in need.
"I already have toys and other kids don't," said Chase. "And when they don't have anything for Christmas they can't play, and they can't have fun."
More than 100 people turned out for his birthday party and more than 500 gifts were given to Chase. True to his word, Chase donated every gift to the charity. Every single gift. He kept none for himself.
The reason this story made it into the news is not the size of the gift. Lots of toys are donated every year to Toys for Tots. Thousands, even.
What’s extraordinary about this story is not the size of the gift but the fact that this 8-year-old child kept not a single gift for himself. Like the widow in the gospel story, he gave all that he had.
Jesus, it seems, does not judge us for the amount we give but for the amount we keep for ourselves.
In the News
About a month ago, Matt Busbice, 42, awoke to the sound of the fire alarm in his condo complex in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He shot out of bed, threw on some clothes, and raced down the stairs only to discover there was no fire. But he was awake now, so even though he was wearing mismatched clothes and was disheveled, he decided to go out for a cup of coffee.
Just as he was about to enter the coffee shop, he realized that being off his normal routine, he had forgotten to say his usual morning prayer. So, he stepped to the corner of the patio and stood quietly for a few moments to pray.
As he finished his silent prayer, he opened his eyes to see a young black kid approaching him with his fist clenched. Busbice didn’t know what to think but he prepared for a confrontation. Then the boy stopped a couple of feet from Matt and held out his hand. In it was a crumpled dollar bill.
Matt looked at the dollar, then at the boy. He said to the boy, “What?”
The boy answered: “If you're homeless, here's a dollar,” nine-year-old Kelvin Ellis Jr. recalls telling Busbice. “…I always wanted to help a homeless person, and I finally had the opportunity.” Ellis says he had just gotten the dollar for good grades. It was the only money he had to his name.
Matt Busbice was, in fact, the furthest thing from a homeless person. He and his partners had built and sold several outdoors companies worth hundreds of millions of dollars and he is the current owner of sporting goods store BuckFeather in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He says, however, that he has never felt richer than he did the day he received a single dollar.
“I haven't had that much faith in humanity in a very long time,” Busbice said. He invited Ellis into the coffee shop for a snack and then connected with Ellis’ father, who was next door, and promised to stay in touch.
A few days later, Busbice gave Ellis a shopping spree — forty seconds to pick out whatever he wanted in BuckFeather, including a new bike. Ellis says it was great, but definitely not what he wanted to get for his dollar.
What he wanted to get was, “Joy, because I helped someone. Give something away, and you feel like you've got a lot of things from it.”
“If you give, you're actually going to get more out of that,” Busbice said. “I couldn't grasp that as a kid. And if we can spread that around, everything changes.”
In the Scripture
In the third chapter of the gospel of Luke, John the Baptist is asked what people must do to avoid God’s wrath.
John was well grounded within the prophetic tradition, and he answered as all the prophets had answered before him: Be kind and generous to the poor and needy.
Specifically, he said, “If you have two coats and your neighbor has none, give one of your coats to your neighbor. And do likewise with food.” (Luke 3:10) That is, share your excess, the things you don’t really need, with those who don’t have the necessities of life — food, clothing, shelter, etc.
This had been part of the Mosaic Law for centuries: Leave un-gleaned grain in the fields for the poor to harvest for themselves. Pay your workers at the end of every day so they can feed their families. Give one-tenth of your income to the temple where the priests would distribute some of it to the poor. And every seven years, forgive any debts that are owed to you.
All of this amounted to the same thing, however: Give generously from your excess.
In today’s passage, Jesus takes this admonition to the next level. Watch.
When the story opens, Jesus and the disciples are walking through the marketplace in the center of Jerusalem, a big, famous market, and Jesus is making some observations and commenting on them.
Watch out for the scribes, he says. These are the experts in the law who are supposed to use their expertise to help people lead good, moral lives. Instead, they manipulate and use the law for their own financial advantage. Specifically, they find loopholes. These loopholes allowed them to foreclose on loans they made to widows and take possession of those unfortunate women’s land, land that they inherited from their husbands and was the only security they had.
These scribes like to be treated with privilege and respect because of their knowledge of the law, but they use that knowledge to take advantage of the poor and the defenseless. They have no sympathy, no pity, no concern for anything but themselves.
Oh, they say long prayers in worship. They are great prayer writers, but that’s all just for show. They are like toadstools. They look upright and proper on the outside but they’re all mushy and rotten on the inside.
Eventually, Jesus and his entourage come to the center of the marketplace, where the temple is located. They take a seat and watch the people coming and going, especially the ones who are going to the temple treasury, bringing their monthly tithe — one tenth of what they have produced or grown.
The wealthy, probably some of whom are the scribes he has just observed, are making a big production out of what they give. They give a lot and they want everyone to know it. They and their gifts are highly visible. “Look at me. Look at how generous and giving I am.” They want to make sure the next Sunday school classroom or even the next wing of the building is named after them. They put their envelope in the offering plate face up! You know that old saying, “What I give to the church is between me and God?” Well, not with these guys. They want everyone to know exactly how much they gave because there was status attached to charitable giving back in those days just as there is today.
Then, right in the middle of all this showmanship, a little old widow lady makes her way to the teller’s window, and she empties her purse. Out fell two pennies, all she has. The teller turns up his nose and asks her, half-jokingly, “Will you be needing a receipt, madam?”
Embarrassed and humiliated, she turns and walks away but Jesus has come up and blocked her path. He puts his arm around her and leads her to where his disciples are sitting.
He invites her to sit with them as he says to his disciples: “Truly I tell you; this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
And that, brothers and sisters, is a game changer. With that one sentence, Jesus has taken the prophetic tradition and turned it on its head.
In the Sermon
Up to this point, we have been told that God judges us by what we give to the temple and to the poor. Our gifts were weighed and measured. Were they truly a tenth of our income as required by the Torah? Were they truly from the first fruits, the best that we had to offer? Were they unblemished, the most valuable of the livestock?
The focus was, up to now, on the value of what we gave.
But now Jesus has changed the focus. He has turned the camera around and the judgment is no longer directed at the gifts. We are no longer judged for how much we give. We are judged for how much we keep for ourselves.
This is a whole new, uniquely Christian way of looking at charity: Sacrificial giving.
For Christians, Jesus says, giving from our excess, from the stuff we don’t need, from the stuff we don’t want, is no longer adequate. Christians are now given notice: We are expected to give sacrificially. We are expected to give from what we want and need. We are expected to do without so others can do. We are expected to live more simply so others can simply live.
The first parsonage we lived in was a two-bedroom cottage on a country road. It was surrounded by seven apple trees, each bearing a different kind of apple, some of which I had heard of and some I hadn’t.
The trees had not been very well taken care of and were in desperate need of pruning and feeding the winter we moved in. Not knowing much about orchard tending, I went to the library and read everything I could find about raising apple trees.
I put the knowledge to use that winter and the following summer, pruning and feeding the trees as the books said. In the summer I sprayed them and fed them, and the harvest was phenomenal. They produced a plenteous bounty of apples, and my favorite was a crisp, tart, apple the size of a grapefruit, the name of which no one could identify. The tree was just loaded with them, and I could hardly wait for them to ripen for the harvest.
Then, one morning, as we ate our breakfast, we heard a terrible, ripping sound followed by a crash from behind the house. We ran out to find that the apple tree split down the center and lying on the ground. The weight of the apples had pulled the tree apart. It had been killed by its own prosperity.
Not one of those books I read at the library warned me about the possibility of having too good of a harvest.
None of them warned me to prop the limbs up if they began to sag too much from the weight of the apples. None said to pick some of the apples early to relieve the stress on the limbs — to sacrifice some apples so the others could grow to maturity.
Because it did not occur to me to let some apples go, I lost them all.
Today, of all days, that should be obvious to us.
This week (November 11th) we ask the veterans who have given days of their lives, precious time that they can never replace, in the service of their country and their countrymen, to stand and be recognized. We thanked them for not just their gift but their sacrifice on our behalf we were made keenly aware of the value of a sacrificial gift.
Sixty-four years ago this coming January the new president, John F. Kennedy, paraphrased Judge Oliver Wendell Holmes when he admonished a generation to “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.” How different that is from: “Am I better off now than I was four years ago?”
Sixty-four years ago, our political leaders held up sacrificial living as an ideal to be sought and pursued. Today our leaders ask us to look to our own wellbeing and base our political decisions on that alone.
Well, brothers and sisters, Jesus has not changed his tune.
His call remains the same, his challenge unchanged and undiminished for more than 2,000 years.
Our lives are like the bread and wine of the Eucharist. If we try to save them, we will lose them. They will grow stale and crumble, they will grow sour and evaporate, they will, inevitably, be lost to us.
No, like bread and wine, our lives have meaning not when we save them for ourselves, but when — only when — we break them up and pour them out and share them sacrificially with our brothers and sisters.
Today we take a moment to ponder our relationship to the stuff we buy and the stuff we own. Jesus asks us to consider that this stuff is not what life is about. He asks us to consider giving some of it away. Not just the stuff we don’t want or need, but the stuff we do want, the stuff we do need.
He asks us to give not just what we can afford to give, but what we can’t afford to give.
He asks us to stop insisting that we can make our lives secure by buying things.
He asks us to rely a little bit on him, to lean a little bit upon the Lord, and let God be our strength and our security. For that way is the path to the real, the true, the authentic life that is life in the kingdom of God.
SECOND THOUGHTSCreating Hope Where There Was None
by Katy Stenta
1 Kings 17:8-16
In a time where Elijah is stuck wandering around a desert of his own making, Ahab once again proves to be very stubborn. The king refuses to relent until even the special wadi (a very small stream) dries up. Elijah is then sent to another country to get help. Note: Not the lord, king, princes, or principalities. Jesus later says it’s because prophets are not welcome in their hometown. However, I like to think that it is also because the Old Testament is always spreading the grace of God farther than one ever thinks it can go.
Here is Elijah, traveling to meet a widow in Zarephath of Sidon, and God has definitely warned her that he is coming. She basically says “I don’t know what your God was thinking — sending you to me. I have nothing.” She then talks about her lack of resources, and her plans to make a last meal for herself and her child before they have nothing less to do but die. Elijah then asks if she has a cup of water, and she relents that she does indeed have water. Elijah gives pastoral care, listening to her struggle, because, let’s face it, the struggle is real. Additionally, they have then established a table fellowship, sitting together, sharing a cup of water, each having given some mutual aid has thus been established. Elijah then reveals that if she provides shelter for him, he can ensure that her food will last for her, her son, and himself.
It is amazing how table fellowship, mutual aid, pastoral listening, and hospitality all create hope where there was none before. Transforming the story of an outcast prophet and a helpless widow and her son, into one of community.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:Psalm 127
Quiverfull
Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD:
and the fruit of the womb is his reward.
As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man;
so are children of the youth.
Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them:
they shall not be ashamed,
but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate. (vv. 3-5 KJV)
“Quiverfull” is a Christian theological position that sees large families as a blessing from God. It encourages procreation, abstaining from all forms of birth control, natural family planning, and sterilization reversal. The movement derives its name from Psalm 127:3–5, where many children are metaphorically referred to as the arrows in a full quiver. (Quiverfull - Wikipedia, accessed, October 30, 2024.)
In the United States this approach to family planning is most common among evangelical Christians. Though Haredi and Hasidic Jews also embrace this idea, as do some, more traditional Catholics.
* * *
Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17
The Book of Naomi?
One could easily make a case for the book of Ruth being called the book of Naomi. Ruth clings to her mother-in-law in the first chapter. In the second chapter Naomi sends her immigrant daughter-in-law off to glean, the only work available to Ruth. In the third chapter Naomi conspires with Ruth, instructing how to make herself available to Boaz, the prominent landowner. In the final chapter, Naomi is mentioned six times, and Ruth only three. One could say that this is the book’s happy ending:
Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin, and may his name be renowned in Israel! He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom and became his nurse. The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” (vv. 14-17a, NRSV, emphasis added)
The son was born to Naomi, who nursed him!
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
Sounding trumpets at the Temple
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:2-4, NRSV) Jesus says
So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
While it’s possible Jesus envisions hypocrites being accompanied by horn sections when they give alms, it’s more likely that he was referring to metal receptacles in the exterior walls of the temple, which were called “trumpets.” Tossing a heavy coin into the receptacle would cause the trumpet to sound much more loudly than the tiny coin the widow would have tossed in. Imagine the difference in sound between throwing a dollar coin into a metal coffee can, as opposed to a dime.
* * *
Psalm 146
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! (This is the same as what I wrote for last Sunday’s main article — under “In the Bible — ” I suspect I wrote about the wrong lesson last week.)
The last five psalms all begin with “Praise the Lord!” or, in Hebrew, “Hallelujah!” Today’s psalm is a nice connection with the story of Ruth. Starting at verse 7, the psalmist lists various ways the Lord alleviates human distress:
Exercising justice for the oppressed;
Feeding the hungry;
Setting prisoners free;
Opening the eyes of the blind;
Lifting up those who are bowed down (perhaps by debt, or worry, or burdensome physical labor);
Loving the righteous (the innocent in the legal system who are at the mercy of those charged to uphold justice);
Watching over the stranger; and
Upholding the widow and orphan.
* * * * * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:A Piggy Bank Full Of All
On September 28, Jaclyn D’Andrea went to the local TV station and shared a video of her son, Dominic, inspiring many with his generous heart. Apparently, the little guy wanted to donate his entire savings to hurricane Ian victims in Florida.
In the video, the mom asked why he would give away all his money. The seven-year-old replied, “Sending it to the people in need in Florida ’cause they have a hurricane and their offices are gonna go down and they need more stuff. ’Cause their house might go down and they might have nothing.”
Dominic had saved up all his money to buy his dream scooter. But he gave that up after knowing many people in Florida needed help in the aftermath of the storms. So, he sacrificed his dream scooter and donated all his money from the piggy bank. For that reason, many people were inspired by the seven-year-old, which drove others to donate as well.
Jaclyn recounted on the program how her son came to the generous conclusion of giving away his money.
“It all started with a conversation Wednesday morning on the way to drop the kids off at school,” the mom narrated. “Dominic asked a lot of questions: Why I was so upset and what a hurricane was, and I kind of knew where his little mind was going when we got back home.”
Since then, Jaclyn has initiated relief efforts in different places in Florida. And as many were inspired by her son, many partnered with them to help the residents.
In one update, Jaclyn praised God and thanked the Penske truck rentals for donating two trucks for the mission. She wrote, “GOD IS SO GOOD!! THANK YOU PENSKE TRUCK RENTALS! DONATING 2 - 26′ TRUCKS FOR OUR MISSION TO FORT MYERS.”
* * *
Mansion To Mud
Jon Pedley lived the life of a swinging millionaire until an alcohol-fueled car accident in 2002 left him comatose and on the verge of death. Miraculously, he survived, and soon experienced a profound change of heart. The UK millionaire — who indulged in alcohol, womanizing, and other vices — later found God and was inspired by the charity work of his friend in Uganda. He decided to emulate his friend, and literally gave it all away in 2010 as he sold his $1.5 million farmhouse and businesses. Pedley then used the proceeds to move to a mud hut in Uganda and start a charity for local orphans. The charity wasn’t only for the local children, either — British children with a troubled past were also sent there to help the locals and ultimately help themselves. For Pedley, it was a cathartic release from his once-decadent lifestyle — he remarked that “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life” when asked if he really wanted to go through with it.
* * *
Special Illustration for Veterans Day
Monday is Veteran’s Day.
In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.”
The Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, marking the official end of World War I. Nonetheless, the armistice date of November 11, 1918, remained in the public imagination as the date that marked the end of the conflict.
One year later, in November 1919, US President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day. The day’s observation included parades and public gatherings, as well as a brief pause in business and school activities at 11 am.
Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day.
In 1954, after lobbying efforts by veterans’ service organizations, the 83rd US Congress amended the 1938 act that had made Armistice Day a holiday, striking the word “Armistice” in favor of “Veterans.” President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the legislation on June 1, 1954. From then on, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.
For some years, Veterans Day was celebrated on the Monday closest to November 11th, but in 1975, after it became evident that the actual date of Veterans Day carried historical and patriotic significance to many Americans, President Gerald Ford signed a new law returning the observation of Veterans Day to November 11th, beginning in 1978.
Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day — a common misunderstanding, according to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Memorial Day (the fourth Monday in May) honors American service members who died in service to their country or as a result of injuries incurred during battle, while Veterans Day pays tribute to all American veterans — living or deceased — but especially gives thanks to living veterans who served their country honorably during war or peacetime.
* * * * * *
From team member Chris Keating:Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
Women seeking security
Naomi’s desire to help Ruth secure her life financially will resonate with many women who are uncertain about their own financial wellbeing. In a poll conducted by AARP, about half of women over fifty say their financial circumstances have fallen short of what they expected for this point in their lives. Many believe retirement is becoming more and more difficult, with healthcare costs and inflation ranking as two primary concerns.
Lucy Haverfield, a widow living in rural Alva, Florida, had always envisioned that her sixties would be “golden years” filled with trips to Cancun, golf outings, or lazy days sitting at the pool. The reality, says the 71-year-old, was quite different. Savings intended for vacations were spent instead caring for her husband and other relatives. “We just didn’t anticipate what it would look like for us as caregivers,” says Haverfield, who now struggles to make ends meet on $28,000 in social security benefits.
* * *
Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17
One widow’s commitment
In Denver, a 73-year-old widowed Korean immigrant has been working hard to provide a safe haven to hundreds of migrants, including women and children. Yong Cha Prince and her late husband purchased the Western Motor Inn in 2007. After the death of her husband and her son, Prince had been considering shuttering the motel. Then a stranger knocked on her door in the middle of the night. A local private investigator happened upon six young Venezuelan teenage boys at a convenience store. They were sleeping outside, shivering from the cold. After making rounds of phone calls, Christina Asuncion took a risk and brought the boys to Prince’s motel.
She was so good, Asuncion told Denver’s NPR station. “She opened her door. I was so afraid that she was gonna say no because I had been sitting at 7/11 for five hours calling people, asking people to help.” Pretty soon, Prince’s failing motel had been turned into a sanctuary for homeless immigrants. “Anybody hungry come in,” Prince said.
Prince says she has found renewed purpose and hope in serving others, though she knows it cannot last forever. The city has fined her more than $40,000 in health violations, and the migrants are searching for permanent shelter.
* * *
Psalm 127
What gives us lasting security?
The psalmist’s declaration of trust in our spiritual foundations is a reminder of how we find security, meaning, and hope in life. Harvard psychiatrist and Zen master, Robert Waldinger, challenges the perception that fame, fortune, and status are the building blocks to a meaningful life. Waldinger, research director of one of the most comprehensive studies of adult development, brings the data to support his claim.
The Harvard Study of Adult Development has been tracking the lives of 724 men for more than 75 years. “Studies like this are exceedingly rare,” says Waldinger. Similar projects have fallen apart for various reasons, but the Harvard study has persisted. “About 60 of our original 724 men are still alive, still participating in the study, most of them in their 90s,” said Waldinger. “And we are now beginning to study the more than 2,000 children of these men. And I'm the fourth director of the study.”
Waldinger says the research has revealed that a lasting, secure life is not built on foundations of wealth, success, or addiction to work. “The clearest message we get from this 75-year study is this: good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.”
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
Many rich put in large sums
Jesus watches as wealthy people make large donations that far outpace the widow’s tiny contributions. Yet, he observes the superlative value of the widow’s offering. Jesus might make a similar observation in watching this year’s political campaign sweepstakes. Billionaire Elon Musk, for example, made headlines last week by announcing he had given away $17 million to people who signed a petition related to his pro-Donald Trump political action committee. Musk has enticed people to his platform by promising to give away $1 million a day to voters who sign his petition. Winners must be registered to vote, which has caused some to wonder if Musk’s sweepstakes violates laws that prohibit paying people to vote. Either way, Musk’s give away will hardly equal the widow’s selfless devotion.
In contrast, legislators like Senator Bernie Sanders or Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have demonstrated the power of raising more than half of their campaign funds in 2024 from small donors.
* * *
Mark 12:38-44
We give because someone gave to us
Poet Alberto Rios describes his poem, “When Giving is all We Have,” (2014) as a “poem of thanks to those who live lives of service.” That includes all of us, says Rios, “from the large measure to the smallest gesture, from caregiving to volunteerism to being an audience member or a reader.” Rios’ poem concludes by highlighting the impact of giving whatever we have:
Giving is, first and every time, hand to hand,
Mine to yours, yours to mine.
You gave me blue and I gave you yellow.
Together we are simple green. You gave me
What you did not have, and I gave you
What I had to give — together, we made
Something greater from the difference.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: Let us praise God as long as we live.
All: Let us sing praises to our God all our lives long.
One: Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob.
All: Happy are those whose hope is in our God,
One: The Lord watches over the strangers.
All: The Lord will reign forever. Praise the Lord!
OR
One: Our God comes to share to wonders of creation with us.
All: We are in awe of the generosity of our God.
One: God desires for all children of the earth to thrive.
All: We will share God’s good gifts with others.
One: Sometimes other’s needs may call us to sacrifice.
All: As followers of Christ, we offer ourselves and all we have.
Hymns and Songs
Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
UMH: 89
H82: 376
PH: 464
GTG: 611
AAHH: 120
NNBH: 40
NCH: 4
CH: 2
LBW: 551
ELW: 836
W&P: 59
AMEC: 75
STLT: 29
God Will Take Care of You
UMH: 130
AAHH: 137
NNBH: 52
NCH: 460
AMEC: 437
Many and Great, O God
UMH: 148
H82: 385
PH: 271
GTG: 21
NCH: 3
CH: 58
ELW: 837
W&P: 26
Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
GTG: 343
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELW: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
Cuando El Pobre (When the Poor Ones)
UMH: 434
PH: 407
GTG: 762
CH: 662
ELW: 725
W&P: 624
Take My Life, and Let It Be
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
GTG: 697
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
ELW: 583/685
W&P: 466
AMEC: 292
Renew: 150
Lord, I Want to Be a Christian
UMH: 402
PH: 372
GTG: 729
AAHH: 463
NNBH: 156
NCH: 454
CH: 589
W&P: 457
AMEC: 282
Renew: 145
The Gift of Love
UMH: 408
GTG: 693
AAHH: 522
CH: 526
W&P: 397
Renew: 155
Take Up Thy Cross
UMH: 415
H82: 675
PH: 393
GTG: 718
LBW: 398
ELW: 667
W&P: 351
AMEC: 294
What Gift Can We Bring
UMH: 87
NCH: 370
ELW: 685
STLT: 404
All I Need Is You
CCB: 100
Make Me a Servant
CCB: 90
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 created all that is out of your abundant love:
Grant us the wisdom to be generous like you
as we share the gifts of creation;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you created all that is out of your abundant love. You continue to pour out your love and grace each day. Help us to reflect your generosity as we share with others the good gifts of your creation. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially when we refuse to share more than just the things we don’t need.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have allowed greed and selfishness to take over our lives. You have blessed us with an abundance and yet we hesitate to share even the surplus we don’t need. We don’t even consider that it requires sacrifice on our part. We look for excuses for our stinginess by reciting stories of those who take what they don’t deserve. We forget that none of us deserve the goodness you give us daily. Forgive us and renew your likeness within us that we may truly be your children. Amen.
One: God is generous even when we are not. Receive God’s mercy and learn to share as God shares.
Prayers of the People
Blessed and glorious is your name, O God. In love you pour out the goodness of creation for us. You have given us more than we could ever need.
(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 allowed greed and selfishness to take over our lives. You have blessed us with an abundance and yet we hesitate to share even the surplus we don't need. We don't even consider that requires sacrifice on our part. We look for excuses for our stinginess by reciting stories of those who take what they don't deserve. We forget that none of us deserve the goodness you give us daily. Forgive us and renew your likeness within us that we may truly be your children.
We give you thanks for your generous Spirit that fills creation with an abundance for us. We thank you for those who have used your gifts wisely and have shared them with us. We thank you for parents and guardians who have clothed and fed us. We thank you for communities that have educated and protected us. We thank you for the joy of sharing.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for others in their need. We especially pray for those who have so little because others have taken more than they need. We pray for those who come to your banquet only to find an empty table while others are bloated. We pray for justice and for mercy when justice is absent.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray 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 SERMONHow Much Is A Lot?
by Tom Willadsen
Mark 12:38-44
Supplies: Get a variety of coins, and as much real money as you’re comfortable showing the kids, or play money, maybe raid a Monopoly set. You will also need a bank, cash box or container of some kind for them to put the money into.
After the kids are settled, ask them to help you figure out how much money you have. Give each child a coin or bill, and see if they can add it up, to come up with a total amount. This will depend on the age of the kids and the quality of the schools in your community.
After you’ve arrived at a total, ask which of them has the most money. Tell the kids that you’re going to give all the money they’re holding to a mission project. Maybe there’s a drive to raise money for Thanksgiving baskets for needy families, or some other local effort you can publicize.
Now have the kids line up to put their money into the container to support the mission effort you identified. Have them line up according to how much money they have. The one with the largest amount should go first. You want to end up with a child who has only a penny at the finish.
After they’ve put their money into the container, thank them for contributing to the cause. Ask which one of them gave the most money. The one who went first, duh.
Then tell the story about the widow who put in “more than all those who contributed to the treasury.” When the people in Jesus’ time made their contributions, they made a big display of how much money they were giving. But Jesus saw a very poor women, who just put in a penny, but it was a lot to her because she had so little. Jesus said she was the one who gave the most! Jesus does that a lot, he helps us see people and things that we think are little, but with Jesus’ help we see the world the way God wants us to see it.
At this point, the story is over, but you might want to ask one or two of the kids to walk through the sanctuary, asking people to put in as much or as little as they want to support the effort you identified.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 10, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
