Whatever Happened to Justus?
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For May 16, 2021:
Whatever Happened to Justus?
by Dean Feldmeyer
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Joseph was on the short list to replace the deceased Judas and become an official Apostle in the new Jewish reform movement called “The Way.” He had followed Jesus since he saw him baptized by John in the Jordan. He was one of the 120 constant followers, one of the 70 elite who had been chosen and sent out to preach the good news in the towns and villages of Galilee. He figured he had to be a shoo-in. Everyone called him Joseph the Just, sometimes simply Justus.
Of the 120, only two had been chosen as candidates: Justus and Matthias. Today, Peter would announce the name of the winner. Justus wore his best suit freshly dry cleaned for this special day. His wife had bought a new dress. The kids were scrubbed until they shined and warned to be on their best behavior, which they were managing to do.
Peter stepped to the dais and loudly cleared his throat. The crowd became silent. “We have prayed for God’s divine wisdom to guide this choice,” he said. He pulled a denarius from his pocket and held it aloft for all to see. “We will flip the denarius one time. If it comes up heads, the winner is Matthias. If it comes up tails, Justus.”
With that, he grasped the coin in his fist and tossed it high into the air, letting it fall into the dust below the dais. All watched as he bent to look upon the coin, then stood erect to announce the winner who would replace Judas.
In the Scriptures
Matthias won the toss.
And that’s the last we ever hear of either of the two candidates. They do not appear again, by name, in the New Testament.
But that doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist. Christian tradition is full of stories about them. And as is always the case with stories of this kind, “they may or may not have actually happened but they are true.”
Matthias
Matthias is a diminutive form of the name Matthew, in Hebrew, Matityahu. (In contemporary English: Matty) All forms of the name mean “gift of God.” Since Matthias and Matthew were notable biblical figures and their names were forms of the same name, it’s not surprising that some early church traditions mixed them up.
Where exactly Matthias spent his ministry depends on what tradition you follow.
Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos, a fourteenth century historian, building on the work of his predecessors and some books that no longer exist, claimed that Matthias preached in Judea, then modern day Georgia.
A surviving copy of, The Acts of Andrew and Matthias, a Gnostic text that didn’t make the cut when the Bible was being edited and redacted, claims that he went to an unnamed land of cannibals into which he disappeared, never to be heard from again. Other traditions suggest Matthias preached in Jerusalem where he either was stoned to death and beheaded or died of old age, depending on the source of the story.
A few early scholars believed that he was the author of The Gospel of Matthias but both Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius claimed it was written by heretical “Nicolaitans” and falsely attributed to Matthias.
Contemporary biblical scholars commend The Gospel of Matthias and The Acts of Matthias and Andrew as entertaining and educational reads that tell us more about early heresies than they do about Matthias.
Justus
Joseph called Barsabbas (Son of Sabbas), who was also known as Joseph-the-Just or simply, Justus, was the disciple “not chosen” when it came time to replace Judas. Yes, technically, he lost out in a game of lot casting. But nonetheless, if casting lots was divinely directed as the story insists, Joseph called Barsabbas was the one not chosen.
Joseph and his brother, Judas (not Judas Iscariot), had been followers of Jesus from the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry after his the baptism by John. They had continued as a member of the larger company of disciples even to the time that Jesus was crucified. Being a member of that grou was one of the things that qualified Joseph to replace Judas.
Alas, poor Joseph, however. The lot fell to Matthias to enter the inner circle with the other eleven.
In Christian tradition, after losing out to Matthias, Justus went on to become the Bishop of Eleutheropolis, which was a pre-1948 Palestinian Arab village located about 13 miles northwest of the city of Hebron in the Kingdom of Judah. During the time of Herod the Great, the town became a thriving Roman colony and was known as the administrative center for the district of Idumea.
The town’s original Aramaic name Beth Gabra translates as the “house of the mighty one.” The Romans gave it the Greek name, Eleutheropolis, meaning “City of the Free” as it was granted municipal status by the Emperor, which exempted its citizens from taxes...” The city flourished under the Romans, who built public buildings, military installations, aqueducts and a larger amphitheater. Seven major roads met at Eleutheropolis — making it a central point from which the distance of other towns were measured.
So, if the legend is true, it was this thriving Romans colony, the administrative hub of the region, in which the one not chosen became the Bishop.
His brother Judas Barsabas was considered "a prophet" and a distinguished member of the Jerusalem church. He was deputed, with Silas, to accompany Paul and Barnabas in a mission of importance to the Gentile converts in the Syrian churches (Acts 15:22-23).
Though we tend to think of Matthias as the winner and Justus as the loser in this story, by the next chapter, both of them have disappeared into obscurity, never to be mentioned again except in myth and legend.
If there is even an ounce of historic accuracy in the apocryphal legends surrounding them, however, we would be hard pressed to determine who was the winner and who the loser. The one who becomes the bishop of a big, modern city with a thriving Christian community, or the one who takes the gospel to far off lands and either dies as a martyr to the faith or survives to die in his old age.
In the News
Andrew Jackson
Samuel Tildon
Grover Cleveland
Al Gore
Hillary Clinton
Even though all five won the popular vote, they lost in that peculiarly American institution, the Electoral College.
So, how did they deal with being rejected?
Andrew Jackson, who lost to John Quincy Adams in 1824, ran for president again four years later — beating Adams.
Samuel Tildon, who had earlier served as governor of New York, continued to be influential in Democratic politics after his loss to Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876 but, after losing another gubernatorial bid, he did not run for office again and turned his attention toward philanthropy. He was one of the founders of the New York Public Library.
Grover Cleveland lost to Benjamin Harrison in what is described as one of the most corrupt elections in American History with both parties vying for the title of “Most Corrupt.” By sweeping the South, Cleveland won the popular vote by more than 90,000 votes, but he still lost the electoral vote 233 to 168. Four years later, Cleveland came back and beat Harrison, becoming the first and only US president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote but lost in the E.C. to George W. Bush. The race in Florida was so close that state law required a recount but the US Supreme Court overruled the recount and awarded Florida to Bush, making him president even though he lost the popular vote by more than 500,000 votes. Al Gore was active in party politics but has not run for office since then, preferring to devote himself to environmentalism.
Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in the E.C. even though she won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes. Contrary to fallacious rightwing reports that she threw a “drunken tantrum,” after losing, Hillary went home and to bed, awoke the next morning to take a long walk, then took the podium at a little before noon to offer her very gracious concession speech in which she said, “I still believe as deeply as I ever have that if we stand together and work together with respect for our differences, strength in our convictions and love for this nation, our best days are still ahead of us.”
Since then, she has spent time doing various things. She teamed up with her daughter Chelsea on The Book of Gutsy Women, a new collection of essays about the women who have inspired them. She founded the political organization Onward Together, which focuses on "encouraging people to organize, get involved, and run for office." And she has continued to champion the causes and values she holds dear, including voting rights and racial equality, with appearances and speeches.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, lost the 2020 election in both the popular vote and the electoral college. He has not handled the defeat graciously.
He has continued to reiterate and support the lie that the election was stolen by way of wide spread corruption even though no one on either side of the aisle has been able to produce even the tiniest amount of evidence that this is true. It was this lie that he used to incite rioters to storm the United States Capitol Building on January 6 resulting in the deaths of five persons and the arrests of more than 440.
Strangely, even given the dire consequences of perpetuating the election lie that the former president finds so compelling, nearly 70 percent of republicans continue to believe and insist that it is true. They just cannot accept the possibility that they could lose an election. It must, they insist, have been stolen.
So, today, according to a Washington Post article of May 7, Trump spends most of his time playing golf, consolidating his power as the President of the Republican Party, and planning his revenge against those he sees as disloyal to him. High on his list for retribution are Republican lawmakers who voted to impeach him for inciting the deadly January 6 insurrection on the US Capitol, while continuing to stoke the false claims of a stolen election that have become a dangerous rallying cry for the party. Also coming under his wrath are Fox News, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Democrats, in general. All this while he raises money for his political action committees and entertains a constantly growing line of Republican politicians who show up at Mar-a-Lago to have their pictures taken, receiving his imprimatur and kissing his ring.
Whether Trump will continue to wield political power in the GOP long term or, as some suggest, his star is fading fast as funding sources distance themselves from his marginal political utterings as well as himself, personally, will be determined as we approach the mid-term elections and begin preparing for the next presidential election in 2024.
In the Sermon
Being not chosen and being rejected are two different things that should not be confused. This is especially so when we are talking about the Christian phenomenon often referred to as “election.”
That particular doctrine is a complex one the subtleties and nuances of which have been the object of debate among Christians for centuries, especially when it turns toward the subject of predestination. Regardless of how we may or may not feel about predestination, however, it remains that all Christians agree that God “elects” or chooses some people for some things and others for others. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-25) God distributes gifts, talents, tasks, callings, roles, and responsibilities to God’s people as God sees fit.
Not to be chosen for one role is not a rejection. It simply means that God has decided that we are better suited or have more to offer in a different role. I can play a dozen musical instruments but I’ve never been able to dribble a basketball. I can write books but I can’t fix a transmission. I can bake a cake but I can’t tap dance. God gave me some gifts to do certain things and then called me to a career that utilized those things. However, God did not choose for me to be a basketball player, a car mechanic, or a tap dancer.
Some years ago I was approached about running for County Commissioner in the rural county where I lived for 17 years and where no Democrat had been elected to that post in over 40 years. The local party thought that if ever there was a chance for one to be elected, this might be it. The current incumbent had been involved in a sexual scandal and had been accused of using his position to enrich himself by awarding exclusive county contracts to companies he owned.
The Democratic leadership hoped that running a minister who was clean from even a whiff of scandal might be the opportunity they had long sought to break into that august body of three.
Alas, it was not to be. I was trounced, as many of us thought would be the likely outcome. There was a bright lining around that cloud, however.
The state Democratic party predicted that I would need at least 9,000 votes to win and the most I could hope for if every Democrat and all my friends, family, parishioners, and sympathetic souls voted for me would be around 5,000. So, naturally, the state party decided to put most of their campaign dollars elsewhere. On election day, however, I managed to get just over 7,000 votes. Yeah, I lost. But, as one state political operative noted, “You lost well.” She reminded me, also, that running for office is a service to the community that gives voice and vote to people who would otherwise have none.
Beyond that moral victory, however, there were more tangible results. In campaigning, I went into low-income neighborhoods and communities where I was thanked and told that no one running for office had ever visited them before. As president of the county’s Community Action board, I had an agenda for the children, especially in Head Start, the poor, and senior citizens of the community and I concentrated on those causes every time I spoke to the voters. Within a year of the election, many of the items on that agenda were being addressed.
I was thanked profusely by folks who felt that, due to the lopsided electorate, they had, up to this election, felt as though they had no voice or stake in the politics of the county. And, in the next election, three young democrats were elected to the city council in the county seat, providing a more balanced city government.
I was not selected by the majority of the voters. But, I discovered, neither was I personally rejected by many of them. Most of the people who voted for my opponent, it turns out, knew nothing of the scandals surrounding him and his previous term in office. They simply voted for the candidate because they voted for Republicans and he had an R in front of his name. They were not choosing him so much as his party. I could understand and accept that. It wasn’t about me.
Two years following the election I retired and, as is the Methodist custom, I moved to a different county. Since then, I’ve been involved in ministries and missions that I would have never imagined possible had I won the election and stayed in that county.
Saul Levine M.D., Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego, writing in Psychology Today, reminds us of the old Yiddish adage, “Mann tracht, un Gott lacht,” People plan and God laughs.
We are, he says, sentient beings who respond to the vicissitudes of life, the ups and downs, especially the downs, by trying to head them off with careful planning and thorough contingency plans. Nevertheless, problems arise. The weather shifts, the mechanical contrivances in which we have put our trust let us down, as do the people we have relied upon.
Stuff happens. Disappointments assail us. Rejection and failure hurt our feelings and make us question ourselves, our calling, our choices. Maybe I’m not good enough. Maybe I shouldn’t be a writer or a musician or a dancer or a business person.
“‘Stuff’ will indeed happen in our lives,” says Dr. Levine. “unexpected changes will occur. Rest assured, however, that after extreme joy or deep sorrow, your life will return to its natural state of normalcy… Downturns are not permanent defeats, and successes are not ultimate triumphs.”
As people of faith, because we trust in God’s choices for us, we will be able to face our setbacks with resilience and accept our successes with grace.
SECOND THOUGHTS
If You’re Happy, Do You Know It?
by Chris Keating
Psalm 1
Imagine a preacher ascending a pulpit on Sunday all set to preach from Psalm 1. But instead of facing placid parishioners — either in person or online — the preacher is met by the grizzled face of Clint Eastwood’s iconic character detective “Dirty” Harry Callahan. Having heard the scripture, the congregation replies in unison, “You’ve got to ask yourself a question, ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?”
Psalm 1 dodges into the confusing traffic of our times. On one level, it leads us into the rest of the psalter on a bucolic note, replete with images of leafy trees and rushing streams. Its opening lines are filled with beauty and ripple with delight as they portray the deep joys and sources of human happiness.
It offers reassurance and guides the faithful in choosing the pathways of the Lord. The psalmist is confident that a life centered in God will bring untold amounts of happiness.
Yet this is where we gulp hard. This is the place where Dirty Harry jumps from the pews and looks straight at the preacher. He pulls out the Magnum .44 of theological weapons. We suddenly wonder if picking Psalm 1 for this Sunday was such a good choice after all. We look around at the grim faces of the faithful who have journeyed so long with Christ, but whose lives bear little resemblance to the fruitful trees the psalmist describes.
There’s a woman in the back who started cancer treatments the same day her 18-year-old child died last January. Across from her sit a couple still reeling from the husband’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis. A young girl wrestling with gender and sexual orientation wonders if she’ll find answers by meditating on the Lord’s instructions. A few rows over a group of widows sit together, bonded together by grief and loss. Each row holds a few socially distanced believers who have not followed the way of the wicked, or taken the path tread by sinners.
None of these are sitting among scoffers. Each has done their best to meditate on the ways of God. Yet in so many cases their trees have withered and have not produced fruit.
Having read the psalm, the preacher wonders, “If you’re happy, do you know it?”
The recently released world happiness report offers a snapshot of the state of happiness globally. To nobody’s surprise, the virus has had an impact on levels of relative happiness. In the United States, which does not rank in the top-ten happiest places on earth, other studies mark the country’s increased amounts of despair, especially among the white working class who make up a large number of what the Brookings Institute describes as chronically despairing.
How happy can you be if Covid has reduced the already thin margins of your family’s restaurant business? How much joy is within you if your daily struggles with anxiety and depression feel like a thousand pound weight on your chest? These are the questions that arise after talking with parishioners who have done their best to walk in the way of the Lord’s instructions but are now flooded with doubts.
In his recent book Faith After Doubt (2021), Brian McLaren sets out to explore the complicated relationship between faith and doubt. McLaren reminds readers of Paul Tillich’s arguments that doubt is included in every act of faith. Drawing on researchers such as James Fowler and Ken Wilbur, McLaren offers his own reflections on four stages of faith development. These move from “simplicity” (stage one) to “harmony” (stage four). Advancement from stage to stage is not automatic, McLaren notes, and is often accompanied by struggle. Doubt is essential at every turn.
In McLaren’s view, those who navigate into the deeper, most perplexing questions of belief discover a faith that is welcoming of diversity, tolerant of questions, and less reliant on hardened doctrines. Such a faith abides in love, as John would remind us. It dwells secure in the world and allows Jesus’ joy to dwell securely within them.
Such a view provides room for doubt, and allows the promises offered by Psalm 1 to be seen differently. The psalm is not spelling out three steps to spiritual happiness nor is it suggesting that faith is not without struggle. Instead, as J. Clinton McCann notes, Psalm 1 offers clues both for this psalm and for the remainder of the psalms about what it means to be happy.
McCann says that the translation of verse 3 as “prosper” contributes to a misunderstanding of Psalm 1. The psalm does not hold the promises of material rewards in exchange for faithfulness. Instead, those good, faithful souls who cling to the diminishing candles of faith are those who have found reservoirs of resilience. The trees imagined by the psalm have seen their share of struggle. But they have roots set deep into the loamy soil of God’s provision.
In his commentary on the Psalms, James May decouples the psalm from the promise of material rewards and says that the way of the wicked is a self-centering focus that “offers no more substance than chaff that the wind drives away.” (Mays, 1994.)
Those seeking the life offered by Jesus harbor no illusions that the way will be easy. With the clarity of faith that allows for doubt, they abide with God, engaging a life-long pursuit of God’s wisdom. Psalm 1 introduces that way, providing a resource for daily meditating on the inscrutable presence of God in times of joy and in moments of crisis. There will be shouts of both praise and lament, moments of empty grief and overflowing abundance.
The way of God leads toward a happiness that is broader than individual desires, something that has also emerged in studies of the past year. While the pandemic has generated despair, there are also signs of resilience emerging as well. Preachers have seen that too: the strengthening of concern for the well-being of all, the ways church members have sought new connections, and the increasing numbers of persons who have relied on prayer during the crisis.
The psalm’s wisdom about happiness goes far beyond the quick fixes and feel-good solutions. Those pathways are nothing but dust-filled chaff that proves elusive. But those whose lives have been transplanted near the streams of grace — whose branches are nourished by the faithfulness of God — will be truly happy.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
John 17:6-19
In the gospel reading Jesus is praying to God for protection for his disciples. It’s a dangerous world out there; persecution awaits. The love that he has led them to experience, feel and trust has flowed into them, through him, all of which has come from God the Creator. He’s preparing them, as he has prepared them since washing their feet clear back in chapter 13. They should feel some confidence, especially, as they note early in chapter 17 that Jesus has stopped speaking in metaphors, but has begun speaking plainly. Chapter 16 ends with this word of confidence and encouragement: “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world.” One can wonder about His timing at this point. After He spends chapter 17 praying, Judas identifies and betrays him.
* * *
Psalm 1
Trees and how they thrive and cooperate
Joyce Kilmer opined that he’d never seen anything as lovely as a tree. Rush famously sang
There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the maples want no sunlight,
and the oaks ignore their pleas
Some contend that Rush’s “The Trees” is modern parable against socialism. Lead singer Geddy Lee was a follower of Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, a philosophy that believes one’s purpose in life is to pursue one’s own happiness, so some thought The Trees advocated a kind of radical, laissez-fair selfishness. But drummer, Neil Pert, the song’s lyricist, said in Modern Drummer, April/May 1980: "No. It was just a flash. I was working on an entirely different thing when I saw a cartoon picture of these trees carrying on like fools. I thought, 'What if trees acted like people?' So I saw it as a cartoon really, and wrote it that way. I think that's the image that it conjures up to a listener or a reader. A very simple statement.”
Suzanne Simard, a forest ecologist at the University of British Columbia has found that trees of different species cooperate for their mutual health. You can hear an interview with Dr. Simard here Fresh Air For May 4, 2021: 'Mother Tree' Ecologist Suzanne Simard : NPR Trees are "social creatures" that communicate with each other in cooperative ways that hold lessons for humans, too, ecologist Suzanne Simard says, in the interview cited above.
Trees have deeply-rooted connections to one another in the forest. While they need to be planted by streams of water to prosper and bear fruit, they also need one another to thrive.
* * *
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
How did Judas die? (Hey, Judas, got change for a 20?)
In Matthew’s gospel (27:3-10) Judas seeks to return the money the chief priests and elders paid him to betray Jesus. They do not accept the money, so Judas threw down the pieces of silver and hanged himself. This scenario is at odds with what we find in this morning’s reading from Acts, in which it appears that Judas bought a field, then fell down and “all his bowels gushed out.” That’s why the field is called “Field of Blood.” In Matthew’s account the priests and elders do not want to put Judas’s “blood money” in the treasury, so they purchase the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. Matthew contends that this is the reason it’s called “Field of Blood.”
(It’s possible that Judas’s bowels burst out as a result of having hanged himself, but do we really need to harmonize these accounts?)
For a happier and more familiar story about Potters’ Fields, you can point out that Potter’s Field was the name of the subdivision that Old Man Potter would have built in Bedford Falls if George Bailey had never been born.
The other scriptural reference in “It’s a Wonderful Life” comes when George meets Harry at the train and says, “Kill the fatted calf.” George isn’t the petty, resentful older brother one finds in the Parable of the Prodigal Son and His Brother in Luke 15.
* * *
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
What became of Matthias? What became of Joseph Barsabbas?
Remember how Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert used to comment on characters who were not well-developed in the movies they reviewed for “At the Movies:” “They walked on; they walked off; they never said anything about themselves.”? Well, I do. They would have said that about Matthias and Joseph Barsabbas. Those two gentlemen were identified as the potential replacements for Judas. Apparently Peter didn’t want an empty seat on the Session, so they called the Nominating Committee together and put forward two likely candidates. The lots determined that Matthias would take Judas’s place then we do not hear another word about him.
Joseph Barsabbas also does not appear again, but in Acts 15 there’s a Judas Barsabbas accompanied Paul and Silas to Antioch. So there’s that.
* * *
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Lots to think about
Nowhere in scripture is the practice of casting lots described, that is the means of determining the divine will. It may have been something like throwing dice. There are several occasions in scripture which record decision making based on lots. The sailors in the first chapter of Jonah cast lots which determine that the terrifying storm they found themselves in was due to Jonah. In Numbers 26:55-56, lots are used to determine which land each tribe receives. In Esther 3:7, lots are cast to determine which day the Jews would be slaughtered in the kingdom of Ahasureus. The Jewish festival purim takes its name from the Hebrew פור , the word for “lot.” Another occasion when lots are cast is to determine who would get Jesus’ clothes after the crucifixion, Luke 23:24.
It's similar to how the NBA determines which team gets the first draft pick each year.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Picked by God
Eleven is an awkward number, especially in a religion built around multiples of twelve. When the disciples of Jesus attempt to fill the hole in their ranks, the lots fall to Mattias and Justus, and then finally Mattias is chosen. Neither man is mentioned again in the scriptures. Mattias is chosen by God for this unique role.
In a different arena, Senator Tim Scott also believes that God chose him to be a messenger for God. He says, ““I … accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Savior and I will tell you that all of the challenges and tragedies that led me to that place, I can [now] see it differently. The hard times actually were purposeful. [God] didn’t waste a single experience.” Scott says that, as a youngster, he was a “hard-headed” teenager who nearly flunked out of high school. “But some tough love from his mother and an emerging mentor helped turn that all around, propelling him on a path toward success.” Scott says that he believes that in the United States, “anyone from anywhere at any time can succeed beyond their wildest imagination if they hold on to the concept that there’s more to come, and they lean into it and they work hard, they study hard — good things happen.” He says that he is a living example of God’s providence at work, and that he is here to be a “messenger of hope.”
In a much smaller arena than the one where Justus and Mattias are, Senator Scott also feels chosen by God for unique work in the world.
* * *
Psalm 1
Delight
The Psalmist counsels us, “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the LORD.” This is not a passing delight, it’s a full immersion, for those who know this way of balance “meditate day and night” on God’s way. Social psychologist Ellen Langer says that such delight is easier than we imagine. Delight or drudgery spring from our thoughts, and what we label things. The people who take delight in the law of the Lord are wise enough to call it a pleasure, instead of a chore.
Langer encourages us all to become more mindful, which, for her, is “the very simple process of actively noticing new things. When you actively notice new things, that puts you in the present, makes you sensitive to context. As you’re noticing new things, it’s engaging, and it turns out, after a lot of research, that we find that it’s literally, not just figuratively, enlivening.”
Langer says “we did a few studies where we had people do things where they were given the label, either work or play. And in this particular study, it was interesting, because what we had people do was to read and evaluate cartoons, jokes. So you would think that that content would have been fun. When they were doing it under the aegis of work, what happened is, their minds wandered. They didn’t enjoy it. One of the ways we knew that was, when we asked them how much they would need to be paid in order to do more of this, for example, they needed a lot more than the other group, who was just playing.” In another study, hotel housekeepers, who are in motion all day, were taught to think of their work as “exercise” instead of “work.” Their weight dropped and their health improved noticeably.
Happy are those who delight in God, and who are wise enough to call it a joy, instead of a job to be done.
* * *
John 17:6-19
Protection
As Jesus prays for his friends, he prays that God will protect them from harm. “I am not asking you to take them out of the world,” he says, “but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.” There are many kinds of harm in the world, and Edward Grinnan finds a kind of protection from evil in his recovery program. He seeks not to be removed from the world, but to engage the world and to attend to his own health, and the health of others.
Grinnan says, “After more than 25 years of sobriety I rarely experience the urge to drink, and it has nothing to with the proximity of alcohol. But that doesn’t mean I am “cured.” I will never be cured. And for that, I am grateful. I got that news like a sock in the jaw from an old-timer at an AA meeting very early in my sobriety. I had shared something with the group the old-timer had apparently taken exception to. I have no recollection of what I said but at that point in my recovery I’m sure it wasn’t nearly as profound as I no doubt thought it was. The old-timer sidled up to me after the meeting.
“You’re never cured, you know,” he said in a voice that could have grated cheese.
I was a little taken aback. “I know,” I said. Before I could expand on my response he bulled on.
“You strike me as someone who thinks he’s going to get cured here. That doesn’t happen.”
The conversation ended there but those words have stayed with me. He was right. I was looking for a cure so perhaps, just maybe, I could someday drink again. It may not have been conscious, but it was lurking within my character defects…my arrogance, my self-deception, my false pride. That, my sponsor said, is why we work the 12 steps. To address the thinking that leads to the drinking. The drinking is a symptom, a deadly symptom for sure, of a disordered thought process one cannot break free of without God. Or at least I couldn’t.”
For Grinnan, his sobriety comes from being attentive to the truth of his drinking problem. “Accepting that my alcoholism was incurable liberated me from the self-delusion that I could ever go back to drinking “normally.” And let’s be honest. I always drank to get drunk ever since that first sip of Old Grand-Dad whiskey when I was 13. I wanted to feel that way all the time.” Jesus promises the gift of peace to the people who love him, and Grinnan says, “It is that peace, that serenity, that I now want to feel all the time, a day at a time.”
* * *
John 17:6-19
Truth
As part of his farewell discourse, Jesus has talked about vine and branches, about the connections between himself, God and his devoted followers, and now he prays for God to protect the people he is leaving behind. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth,” he asks, noting that he now sends his friends out for the same work that God sent him to do. “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” He asks that they be “sanctified in truth.” Truth is a powerful armor, in a dangerous world.
Theologian Matthew Fox observes that truth is another name for God. “This means that when lies abound, God is banished, for God is truth.” Fox adds, “To approach Truth is to approach God. To seek truth is to seek God. The pursuit of truth is a godly act; it is a prayer. Study is a prayer provided that the goal is not ego-enhancement or fame or power but that a pure heart is brought to the project. This means the study of anything — stars or birds, mathematics or engineering, psychology or the origins of life, the mystics or politics — all of it is a journey to the Divine.” Whatever the disciples do, in the spirit of truth, will lead them closer to God, and to God’s people.
Mahatma Ghandi, who was not a Christian, and whose work was foundational for Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, wrote “There is no God higher than truth. Truth is my God. Truth is the substance of all morality. Truth is God, and truth overrides all our plans. Without truth and non-violence there can be nothing but destruction of humanity. Truth is the first thing to be sought for, and Beauty and Goodness will then be added unto you. There is no other God than truth.”
To be sanctified in the truth, as Jesus prayed, draws us always closer to God.
* * * * * *
From team member Bethany Peerbolte:
Acts 1:1-11
Can I get a Witness
The disciples eagerly ask Jesus if this is the time when God will restore the world and Jesus replies “not yet.” In the meantime, though Jesus wants there to be a witness for him. Our understanding of witness is a little off from the Greek. The root word is also the root word for the English martyr. If we had translated this to Jesus wanting martyrs it puts a different spin on the ask. Thankfully the understanding Jesus would have been expressing is somewhere between our “witness” and “martyr.” He wants something more than just knowing and seeing but also something short of dying for the cause. What this is is a call to action to continue the living legacy of Jesus. He wants someone to pick up where he left off and to continue to work and live the way he did. This also causes the impact ripples out from one to many.
The Spirit might put any number of causes on our heart to witness to. One girl in Michigan is advocating for bathroom accessibility for people with disabilities. She even scheduled a day to speak to her government representatives so that they could hear her story. She is hoping they will take the issue on as their own, continuing the witness for accessibility.
There may be times it is hard to know how to support something we care about. In a recent article, the Diversity Office at Yelp pointed out ways people can support their Asian American friends and loved ones. They recommend learning Asian American history during May which is Asian American History Month. This will help open eyes to ways Asian culture is appropriated by the majority allowing allies to speak out more.
Being a witness to not just about seeing and knowing it is about putting in action the things we know make the world a better place. There are too many causes out there for anyone person or one church to advocate for. We need to find our way and our message and live it loudly so that as a whole the church can witness the life of Jesus.
* * *
Ephesians 1:11-23
Where is the Love
Modern churches do not always have the best reputation for working together. In many cases, steeple envy gets in the way of mass community-wide efforts. This week we see an example of something different in the early church. Paul praises the Ephesians for their love towards “all the saints” hinting that they do not play favorites even to their own but lift all Christians. Even Paul who planted and cared for many churches is showing a remarkable comradery saying “ I do not cease to give thanks for you.” While I am sure there was fighting this is a glimmer of unity.
There are some other glimmers of unity even in a new world where we are now aware for the first time that church membership is in the minority. Even with that sore news churches are coming together to work towards a common goal. In Columbus, area churches are leading the effort to research and provide for the community’s deepest needs. As they work to provide things like tutors they will employ new tech research to track the impact they have. They hope this will guide them to follow the avenues that lead to the most change.
Other churches are joining together to look inward and examine the ways they create and support oppressive systems. As racial tensions continue to be high some are taking the time to learn and have hard conversations about racial inequality in America. Several efforts have been started and churches are sharing resources for the greatest impact.
As Paul prays for the many churches he has contact with, some he founded others he did not, we see a structure of mutual support and care. This focus is picked up by the Ephesians who care for all the saints not just their own. The modern church could do some more work to be less jealous and more encouraging to one another.
* * *
Luke 24:44-53
Staying Power
It must have been an exciting time for Jesus’ disciples to be with him after the resurrection. The whirlwind week of emotional ups and downs culminating in pure joy and excitement that Jesus was ok. To think his teachings were over and then get one more chance to sit and listen. I wonder if anyone got any sleep or if it was a 24/7 party cram session for all the things they wanted to learn and Jesus wanted to teach. Interestingly, Jesus does not want to be present when they receive the Holy Spirit. It is a wonder that Jesus does not hand over the power himself while he is still with them. Instead, he asks them to wait, to “stay” in the city until the Spirit arrives. Instead of riding the energetic high to the culmination, Jesus asks them to cool down before the next part. Affirming that resting is just as important as the party when it comes to spreading the gospel.
Recently a new napping style has been introduced to the world called the “Nappuccino” and it is catching on as effective. The way one takes this nap is to chug a 6-8 ounce cup of coffee right before a 20-minute nap. It sounds counterintuitive but it takes about that long for the caffeine to begin affecting the body. While one waits the nap provides some neurological renewal so that when the caffeine hits and the alarm goes off all systems are running on full fuel.
Learning, listening, sitting at Jesus’ feet is necessary to an effective Christian life. So is staying and waiting and resting. Jesus affirms this at his ascension. He could have handed off the reigns to the Spirit immediately but instead, he allows for a period of rest. Letting one season end and another one to arrive when the people were rested and ready for another boost of energy.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
One: Happy are we who do not follow the advice of the wicked.
All: Happy are we who do not take the path that sinners tread.
One: Happy are we whose delight is in the law of God.
All: Happy are we when on God’s law we meditate day and night.
One: Then we are like trees planted by streams of water.
All: For God watches over the way of the righteous.
OR
One: Rejoice that God created us out of abundant love.
All: Thanks be to our creating, loving God.
One: God continues to come to us in loving care.
All: We are grateful for God’s continuing presence with us.
One: Know God’s love by sharing it with others.
All: We will spread God’s grace and so receive it ourselves.
Hymns and Songs:
Crown Him with Many Crowns
UMH: 327
H82: 494
PH: 151
AAHH: 288
NNBH: 125
NCH: 301
CH: 234
LBW: 170
ELW: 855
W&P: 317
AMEC: 174
Hail Thee, Festival Day (v2)
UMH: 324
H82: 216/175/225
PH: 120
NCH: 262
LBW: 142
ELW: 394
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
UMH: 139
H82: 390
AAHH: 117
NNBH: 2
NCH: 22
CH: 25
ELW: 858/859
AMEC: 3
STLT: 278
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELW: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee
UMH: 142
H82: 635
PH: 282
NCH: 410
LBW: 453
ELW: 769
W&P: 429
In Thee Is Gladness
UMH: 169
LBW: 552
ELW: 867
It Is Well with My Soul
UMH: 377
AAHH: 377
NNBH: 255
NCH: 438
CH: 561
ELW: 785
W&P: 428
AMEC: 448
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
UMH: 400
H82: 686
PH: 356
AAHH: 175
NNBH: 166
NCH: 459
CH: 16
LBW: 499
ELW: 807
W&P: 68
AMEC: 77
STLT: 126
My Faith Looks Up to Thee
UMH: 452
H82: 691
PH: 383
AAHH: 456
NNBH: 273
CH: 576
LBW: 479
ELW: 759
W&P: 419
AMEC: 415
Stand By Me
UMH: 512
NNBH: 318
CH: 629
W&P: 495
AMEC: 420
Give Thanks
CCB: 92
Renew: 266
God Is So Good
CCB: 75
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
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
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 us out of your deep love:
Grant us the faith to trust that your love has not left us
and that you are with us in all of our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because out of your deep love you created us as your children. Help us to remember your love is eternal and that you have not left us alone in this world. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our lack of faith in God’s love for us.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have forgotten the great love with which you created us. We have forgotten that we are your beloved children. It has caused us to act in hurtful ways with one another and to feel abandoned and alone in this world. Yet your love is ever with us and around us. Renew our minds that we may perceive your love for all creation and for each of us. Amen.
One: God is love and acts out of love for all creation. Receive God’s grace and share that love with others.
Prayers of the People
We praise you, O God, for your great love that never ceases to create and to create anew. Your love is beyond our human understanding.
(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 forgotten the great love with which you created us. We have forgotten that we are your beloved children. It has caused us to act in hurtful ways with one another and to feel abandoned and alone in this world. Yet your love is ever with us and around us. Renew our minds that we may perceive your love for all creation and for each of us.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which your love is made manifest among us. You gift us with beauty and abundance in all the world around us. You give us the community of humanity that we may care and support one another. You give us of your very own Spirit that we may commune with you.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another this day. We are aware of many places where love has been pushed aside for hate and violence. We are aware that greed has shouldered out compassion and caring. We know many suffer illness and loss. We pray that our actions and words may be part of your redeeming love that seeks to restore all to wholeness and health.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
The Psalm today reminds us that God loves us and that God wants us to be happy. God gives us the Bible so that we can learn about God’s love and so that we remember that God loves us always.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Here Is the Church
by Katy Stenta
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Teach the kids the finger play:
Say “There is an old rhyme that we like to teach”
Here is the Church
Here is the Steeple
Open the Doors
And see all the People
“When the church was started there was no specific building that was a church, there were just disciples and the people who followed them. So when one disciple left, they wanted to replace the disciple to keep the church strong. Thus another way to think about church is…” And then reteach it as
Here is the Church
Here is the Church
Here is the Church
Here is the Church
Explain (as you do the hand motions again) “The Church is all of these things: building, beautiful monuments to God, open doors to all people, and most especially the church is the people.”
Let us Pray (repeat after me)
Dear God,
Thank you
for making all of these ways
to be church
and thank you
for making the people
the most important part
of church.
Help us to be the church.
We pray...
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, May 16, 2021 issue.
Copyright 2021 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.
- Whatever Happened to Justus? by Dean Feldmeyer — Being not chosen is not the same as being rejected.
- Second Thoughts: If You’re Happy, Do You Know It? by Chris Keating — Despair often causes us to wonder what it means to be rooted in God’s presence.
- Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Bethany Peerbolte, Mary Austin.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: Here Is the Church by Katy Stenta — A variation on a traditional theme.
Whatever Happened to Justus?by Dean Feldmeyer
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Joseph was on the short list to replace the deceased Judas and become an official Apostle in the new Jewish reform movement called “The Way.” He had followed Jesus since he saw him baptized by John in the Jordan. He was one of the 120 constant followers, one of the 70 elite who had been chosen and sent out to preach the good news in the towns and villages of Galilee. He figured he had to be a shoo-in. Everyone called him Joseph the Just, sometimes simply Justus.
Of the 120, only two had been chosen as candidates: Justus and Matthias. Today, Peter would announce the name of the winner. Justus wore his best suit freshly dry cleaned for this special day. His wife had bought a new dress. The kids were scrubbed until they shined and warned to be on their best behavior, which they were managing to do.
Peter stepped to the dais and loudly cleared his throat. The crowd became silent. “We have prayed for God’s divine wisdom to guide this choice,” he said. He pulled a denarius from his pocket and held it aloft for all to see. “We will flip the denarius one time. If it comes up heads, the winner is Matthias. If it comes up tails, Justus.”
With that, he grasped the coin in his fist and tossed it high into the air, letting it fall into the dust below the dais. All watched as he bent to look upon the coin, then stood erect to announce the winner who would replace Judas.
In the Scriptures
Matthias won the toss.
And that’s the last we ever hear of either of the two candidates. They do not appear again, by name, in the New Testament.
But that doesn’t mean that they didn’t exist. Christian tradition is full of stories about them. And as is always the case with stories of this kind, “they may or may not have actually happened but they are true.”
Matthias
Matthias is a diminutive form of the name Matthew, in Hebrew, Matityahu. (In contemporary English: Matty) All forms of the name mean “gift of God.” Since Matthias and Matthew were notable biblical figures and their names were forms of the same name, it’s not surprising that some early church traditions mixed them up.
Where exactly Matthias spent his ministry depends on what tradition you follow.
Nikephoros Kallistos Xanthopoulos, a fourteenth century historian, building on the work of his predecessors and some books that no longer exist, claimed that Matthias preached in Judea, then modern day Georgia.
A surviving copy of, The Acts of Andrew and Matthias, a Gnostic text that didn’t make the cut when the Bible was being edited and redacted, claims that he went to an unnamed land of cannibals into which he disappeared, never to be heard from again. Other traditions suggest Matthias preached in Jerusalem where he either was stoned to death and beheaded or died of old age, depending on the source of the story.
A few early scholars believed that he was the author of The Gospel of Matthias but both Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius claimed it was written by heretical “Nicolaitans” and falsely attributed to Matthias.
Contemporary biblical scholars commend The Gospel of Matthias and The Acts of Matthias and Andrew as entertaining and educational reads that tell us more about early heresies than they do about Matthias.
Justus
Joseph called Barsabbas (Son of Sabbas), who was also known as Joseph-the-Just or simply, Justus, was the disciple “not chosen” when it came time to replace Judas. Yes, technically, he lost out in a game of lot casting. But nonetheless, if casting lots was divinely directed as the story insists, Joseph called Barsabbas was the one not chosen.
Joseph and his brother, Judas (not Judas Iscariot), had been followers of Jesus from the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry after his the baptism by John. They had continued as a member of the larger company of disciples even to the time that Jesus was crucified. Being a member of that grou was one of the things that qualified Joseph to replace Judas.
Alas, poor Joseph, however. The lot fell to Matthias to enter the inner circle with the other eleven.
In Christian tradition, after losing out to Matthias, Justus went on to become the Bishop of Eleutheropolis, which was a pre-1948 Palestinian Arab village located about 13 miles northwest of the city of Hebron in the Kingdom of Judah. During the time of Herod the Great, the town became a thriving Roman colony and was known as the administrative center for the district of Idumea.
The town’s original Aramaic name Beth Gabra translates as the “house of the mighty one.” The Romans gave it the Greek name, Eleutheropolis, meaning “City of the Free” as it was granted municipal status by the Emperor, which exempted its citizens from taxes...” The city flourished under the Romans, who built public buildings, military installations, aqueducts and a larger amphitheater. Seven major roads met at Eleutheropolis — making it a central point from which the distance of other towns were measured.
So, if the legend is true, it was this thriving Romans colony, the administrative hub of the region, in which the one not chosen became the Bishop.
His brother Judas Barsabas was considered "a prophet" and a distinguished member of the Jerusalem church. He was deputed, with Silas, to accompany Paul and Barnabas in a mission of importance to the Gentile converts in the Syrian churches (Acts 15:22-23).
Though we tend to think of Matthias as the winner and Justus as the loser in this story, by the next chapter, both of them have disappeared into obscurity, never to be mentioned again except in myth and legend.
If there is even an ounce of historic accuracy in the apocryphal legends surrounding them, however, we would be hard pressed to determine who was the winner and who the loser. The one who becomes the bishop of a big, modern city with a thriving Christian community, or the one who takes the gospel to far off lands and either dies as a martyr to the faith or survives to die in his old age.
In the News
Andrew Jackson
Samuel Tildon
Grover Cleveland
Al Gore
Hillary Clinton
Even though all five won the popular vote, they lost in that peculiarly American institution, the Electoral College.
So, how did they deal with being rejected?
Andrew Jackson, who lost to John Quincy Adams in 1824, ran for president again four years later — beating Adams.
Samuel Tildon, who had earlier served as governor of New York, continued to be influential in Democratic politics after his loss to Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876 but, after losing another gubernatorial bid, he did not run for office again and turned his attention toward philanthropy. He was one of the founders of the New York Public Library.
Grover Cleveland lost to Benjamin Harrison in what is described as one of the most corrupt elections in American History with both parties vying for the title of “Most Corrupt.” By sweeping the South, Cleveland won the popular vote by more than 90,000 votes, but he still lost the electoral vote 233 to 168. Four years later, Cleveland came back and beat Harrison, becoming the first and only US president to serve two non-consecutive terms.
In 2000, Al Gore won the popular vote but lost in the E.C. to George W. Bush. The race in Florida was so close that state law required a recount but the US Supreme Court overruled the recount and awarded Florida to Bush, making him president even though he lost the popular vote by more than 500,000 votes. Al Gore was active in party politics but has not run for office since then, preferring to devote himself to environmentalism.
Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump in the E.C. even though she won the popular vote by nearly 3 million votes. Contrary to fallacious rightwing reports that she threw a “drunken tantrum,” after losing, Hillary went home and to bed, awoke the next morning to take a long walk, then took the podium at a little before noon to offer her very gracious concession speech in which she said, “I still believe as deeply as I ever have that if we stand together and work together with respect for our differences, strength in our convictions and love for this nation, our best days are still ahead of us.”
Since then, she has spent time doing various things. She teamed up with her daughter Chelsea on The Book of Gutsy Women, a new collection of essays about the women who have inspired them. She founded the political organization Onward Together, which focuses on "encouraging people to organize, get involved, and run for office." And she has continued to champion the causes and values she holds dear, including voting rights and racial equality, with appearances and speeches.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, lost the 2020 election in both the popular vote and the electoral college. He has not handled the defeat graciously.
He has continued to reiterate and support the lie that the election was stolen by way of wide spread corruption even though no one on either side of the aisle has been able to produce even the tiniest amount of evidence that this is true. It was this lie that he used to incite rioters to storm the United States Capitol Building on January 6 resulting in the deaths of five persons and the arrests of more than 440.
Strangely, even given the dire consequences of perpetuating the election lie that the former president finds so compelling, nearly 70 percent of republicans continue to believe and insist that it is true. They just cannot accept the possibility that they could lose an election. It must, they insist, have been stolen.
So, today, according to a Washington Post article of May 7, Trump spends most of his time playing golf, consolidating his power as the President of the Republican Party, and planning his revenge against those he sees as disloyal to him. High on his list for retribution are Republican lawmakers who voted to impeach him for inciting the deadly January 6 insurrection on the US Capitol, while continuing to stoke the false claims of a stolen election that have become a dangerous rallying cry for the party. Also coming under his wrath are Fox News, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Democrats, in general. All this while he raises money for his political action committees and entertains a constantly growing line of Republican politicians who show up at Mar-a-Lago to have their pictures taken, receiving his imprimatur and kissing his ring.
Whether Trump will continue to wield political power in the GOP long term or, as some suggest, his star is fading fast as funding sources distance themselves from his marginal political utterings as well as himself, personally, will be determined as we approach the mid-term elections and begin preparing for the next presidential election in 2024.
In the Sermon
Being not chosen and being rejected are two different things that should not be confused. This is especially so when we are talking about the Christian phenomenon often referred to as “election.”
That particular doctrine is a complex one the subtleties and nuances of which have been the object of debate among Christians for centuries, especially when it turns toward the subject of predestination. Regardless of how we may or may not feel about predestination, however, it remains that all Christians agree that God “elects” or chooses some people for some things and others for others. (Cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-25) God distributes gifts, talents, tasks, callings, roles, and responsibilities to God’s people as God sees fit.
Not to be chosen for one role is not a rejection. It simply means that God has decided that we are better suited or have more to offer in a different role. I can play a dozen musical instruments but I’ve never been able to dribble a basketball. I can write books but I can’t fix a transmission. I can bake a cake but I can’t tap dance. God gave me some gifts to do certain things and then called me to a career that utilized those things. However, God did not choose for me to be a basketball player, a car mechanic, or a tap dancer.
Some years ago I was approached about running for County Commissioner in the rural county where I lived for 17 years and where no Democrat had been elected to that post in over 40 years. The local party thought that if ever there was a chance for one to be elected, this might be it. The current incumbent had been involved in a sexual scandal and had been accused of using his position to enrich himself by awarding exclusive county contracts to companies he owned.
The Democratic leadership hoped that running a minister who was clean from even a whiff of scandal might be the opportunity they had long sought to break into that august body of three.
Alas, it was not to be. I was trounced, as many of us thought would be the likely outcome. There was a bright lining around that cloud, however.
The state Democratic party predicted that I would need at least 9,000 votes to win and the most I could hope for if every Democrat and all my friends, family, parishioners, and sympathetic souls voted for me would be around 5,000. So, naturally, the state party decided to put most of their campaign dollars elsewhere. On election day, however, I managed to get just over 7,000 votes. Yeah, I lost. But, as one state political operative noted, “You lost well.” She reminded me, also, that running for office is a service to the community that gives voice and vote to people who would otherwise have none.
Beyond that moral victory, however, there were more tangible results. In campaigning, I went into low-income neighborhoods and communities where I was thanked and told that no one running for office had ever visited them before. As president of the county’s Community Action board, I had an agenda for the children, especially in Head Start, the poor, and senior citizens of the community and I concentrated on those causes every time I spoke to the voters. Within a year of the election, many of the items on that agenda were being addressed.
I was thanked profusely by folks who felt that, due to the lopsided electorate, they had, up to this election, felt as though they had no voice or stake in the politics of the county. And, in the next election, three young democrats were elected to the city council in the county seat, providing a more balanced city government.
I was not selected by the majority of the voters. But, I discovered, neither was I personally rejected by many of them. Most of the people who voted for my opponent, it turns out, knew nothing of the scandals surrounding him and his previous term in office. They simply voted for the candidate because they voted for Republicans and he had an R in front of his name. They were not choosing him so much as his party. I could understand and accept that. It wasn’t about me.
Two years following the election I retired and, as is the Methodist custom, I moved to a different county. Since then, I’ve been involved in ministries and missions that I would have never imagined possible had I won the election and stayed in that county.
Saul Levine M.D., Professor Emeritus in Psychiatry at the University of California at San Diego, writing in Psychology Today, reminds us of the old Yiddish adage, “Mann tracht, un Gott lacht,” People plan and God laughs.
We are, he says, sentient beings who respond to the vicissitudes of life, the ups and downs, especially the downs, by trying to head them off with careful planning and thorough contingency plans. Nevertheless, problems arise. The weather shifts, the mechanical contrivances in which we have put our trust let us down, as do the people we have relied upon.
Stuff happens. Disappointments assail us. Rejection and failure hurt our feelings and make us question ourselves, our calling, our choices. Maybe I’m not good enough. Maybe I shouldn’t be a writer or a musician or a dancer or a business person.
“‘Stuff’ will indeed happen in our lives,” says Dr. Levine. “unexpected changes will occur. Rest assured, however, that after extreme joy or deep sorrow, your life will return to its natural state of normalcy… Downturns are not permanent defeats, and successes are not ultimate triumphs.”
As people of faith, because we trust in God’s choices for us, we will be able to face our setbacks with resilience and accept our successes with grace.
SECOND THOUGHTSIf You’re Happy, Do You Know It?
by Chris Keating
Psalm 1
Imagine a preacher ascending a pulpit on Sunday all set to preach from Psalm 1. But instead of facing placid parishioners — either in person or online — the preacher is met by the grizzled face of Clint Eastwood’s iconic character detective “Dirty” Harry Callahan. Having heard the scripture, the congregation replies in unison, “You’ve got to ask yourself a question, ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?”
Psalm 1 dodges into the confusing traffic of our times. On one level, it leads us into the rest of the psalter on a bucolic note, replete with images of leafy trees and rushing streams. Its opening lines are filled with beauty and ripple with delight as they portray the deep joys and sources of human happiness.
It offers reassurance and guides the faithful in choosing the pathways of the Lord. The psalmist is confident that a life centered in God will bring untold amounts of happiness.
Yet this is where we gulp hard. This is the place where Dirty Harry jumps from the pews and looks straight at the preacher. He pulls out the Magnum .44 of theological weapons. We suddenly wonder if picking Psalm 1 for this Sunday was such a good choice after all. We look around at the grim faces of the faithful who have journeyed so long with Christ, but whose lives bear little resemblance to the fruitful trees the psalmist describes.
There’s a woman in the back who started cancer treatments the same day her 18-year-old child died last January. Across from her sit a couple still reeling from the husband’s recent Alzheimer’s diagnosis. A young girl wrestling with gender and sexual orientation wonders if she’ll find answers by meditating on the Lord’s instructions. A few rows over a group of widows sit together, bonded together by grief and loss. Each row holds a few socially distanced believers who have not followed the way of the wicked, or taken the path tread by sinners.
None of these are sitting among scoffers. Each has done their best to meditate on the ways of God. Yet in so many cases their trees have withered and have not produced fruit.
Having read the psalm, the preacher wonders, “If you’re happy, do you know it?”
The recently released world happiness report offers a snapshot of the state of happiness globally. To nobody’s surprise, the virus has had an impact on levels of relative happiness. In the United States, which does not rank in the top-ten happiest places on earth, other studies mark the country’s increased amounts of despair, especially among the white working class who make up a large number of what the Brookings Institute describes as chronically despairing.
How happy can you be if Covid has reduced the already thin margins of your family’s restaurant business? How much joy is within you if your daily struggles with anxiety and depression feel like a thousand pound weight on your chest? These are the questions that arise after talking with parishioners who have done their best to walk in the way of the Lord’s instructions but are now flooded with doubts.
In his recent book Faith After Doubt (2021), Brian McLaren sets out to explore the complicated relationship between faith and doubt. McLaren reminds readers of Paul Tillich’s arguments that doubt is included in every act of faith. Drawing on researchers such as James Fowler and Ken Wilbur, McLaren offers his own reflections on four stages of faith development. These move from “simplicity” (stage one) to “harmony” (stage four). Advancement from stage to stage is not automatic, McLaren notes, and is often accompanied by struggle. Doubt is essential at every turn.
In McLaren’s view, those who navigate into the deeper, most perplexing questions of belief discover a faith that is welcoming of diversity, tolerant of questions, and less reliant on hardened doctrines. Such a faith abides in love, as John would remind us. It dwells secure in the world and allows Jesus’ joy to dwell securely within them.
Such a view provides room for doubt, and allows the promises offered by Psalm 1 to be seen differently. The psalm is not spelling out three steps to spiritual happiness nor is it suggesting that faith is not without struggle. Instead, as J. Clinton McCann notes, Psalm 1 offers clues both for this psalm and for the remainder of the psalms about what it means to be happy.
McCann says that the translation of verse 3 as “prosper” contributes to a misunderstanding of Psalm 1. The psalm does not hold the promises of material rewards in exchange for faithfulness. Instead, those good, faithful souls who cling to the diminishing candles of faith are those who have found reservoirs of resilience. The trees imagined by the psalm have seen their share of struggle. But they have roots set deep into the loamy soil of God’s provision.
In his commentary on the Psalms, James May decouples the psalm from the promise of material rewards and says that the way of the wicked is a self-centering focus that “offers no more substance than chaff that the wind drives away.” (Mays, 1994.)
Those seeking the life offered by Jesus harbor no illusions that the way will be easy. With the clarity of faith that allows for doubt, they abide with God, engaging a life-long pursuit of God’s wisdom. Psalm 1 introduces that way, providing a resource for daily meditating on the inscrutable presence of God in times of joy and in moments of crisis. There will be shouts of both praise and lament, moments of empty grief and overflowing abundance.
The way of God leads toward a happiness that is broader than individual desires, something that has also emerged in studies of the past year. While the pandemic has generated despair, there are also signs of resilience emerging as well. Preachers have seen that too: the strengthening of concern for the well-being of all, the ways church members have sought new connections, and the increasing numbers of persons who have relied on prayer during the crisis.
The psalm’s wisdom about happiness goes far beyond the quick fixes and feel-good solutions. Those pathways are nothing but dust-filled chaff that proves elusive. But those whose lives have been transplanted near the streams of grace — whose branches are nourished by the faithfulness of God — will be truly happy.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:John 17:6-19
In the gospel reading Jesus is praying to God for protection for his disciples. It’s a dangerous world out there; persecution awaits. The love that he has led them to experience, feel and trust has flowed into them, through him, all of which has come from God the Creator. He’s preparing them, as he has prepared them since washing their feet clear back in chapter 13. They should feel some confidence, especially, as they note early in chapter 17 that Jesus has stopped speaking in metaphors, but has begun speaking plainly. Chapter 16 ends with this word of confidence and encouragement: “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world.” One can wonder about His timing at this point. After He spends chapter 17 praying, Judas identifies and betrays him.
* * *
Psalm 1
Trees and how they thrive and cooperate
Joyce Kilmer opined that he’d never seen anything as lovely as a tree. Rush famously sang
There is unrest in the forest
There is trouble with the trees
For the maples want no sunlight,
and the oaks ignore their pleas
Some contend that Rush’s “The Trees” is modern parable against socialism. Lead singer Geddy Lee was a follower of Ayn Rand’s Objectivism, a philosophy that believes one’s purpose in life is to pursue one’s own happiness, so some thought The Trees advocated a kind of radical, laissez-fair selfishness. But drummer, Neil Pert, the song’s lyricist, said in Modern Drummer, April/May 1980: "No. It was just a flash. I was working on an entirely different thing when I saw a cartoon picture of these trees carrying on like fools. I thought, 'What if trees acted like people?' So I saw it as a cartoon really, and wrote it that way. I think that's the image that it conjures up to a listener or a reader. A very simple statement.”
Suzanne Simard, a forest ecologist at the University of British Columbia has found that trees of different species cooperate for their mutual health. You can hear an interview with Dr. Simard here Fresh Air For May 4, 2021: 'Mother Tree' Ecologist Suzanne Simard : NPR Trees are "social creatures" that communicate with each other in cooperative ways that hold lessons for humans, too, ecologist Suzanne Simard says, in the interview cited above.
Trees have deeply-rooted connections to one another in the forest. While they need to be planted by streams of water to prosper and bear fruit, they also need one another to thrive.
* * *
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
How did Judas die? (Hey, Judas, got change for a 20?)
In Matthew’s gospel (27:3-10) Judas seeks to return the money the chief priests and elders paid him to betray Jesus. They do not accept the money, so Judas threw down the pieces of silver and hanged himself. This scenario is at odds with what we find in this morning’s reading from Acts, in which it appears that Judas bought a field, then fell down and “all his bowels gushed out.” That’s why the field is called “Field of Blood.” In Matthew’s account the priests and elders do not want to put Judas’s “blood money” in the treasury, so they purchase the potter’s field as a place to bury foreigners. Matthew contends that this is the reason it’s called “Field of Blood.”
(It’s possible that Judas’s bowels burst out as a result of having hanged himself, but do we really need to harmonize these accounts?)
For a happier and more familiar story about Potters’ Fields, you can point out that Potter’s Field was the name of the subdivision that Old Man Potter would have built in Bedford Falls if George Bailey had never been born.
The other scriptural reference in “It’s a Wonderful Life” comes when George meets Harry at the train and says, “Kill the fatted calf.” George isn’t the petty, resentful older brother one finds in the Parable of the Prodigal Son and His Brother in Luke 15.
* * *
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
What became of Matthias? What became of Joseph Barsabbas?
Remember how Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert used to comment on characters who were not well-developed in the movies they reviewed for “At the Movies:” “They walked on; they walked off; they never said anything about themselves.”? Well, I do. They would have said that about Matthias and Joseph Barsabbas. Those two gentlemen were identified as the potential replacements for Judas. Apparently Peter didn’t want an empty seat on the Session, so they called the Nominating Committee together and put forward two likely candidates. The lots determined that Matthias would take Judas’s place then we do not hear another word about him.
Joseph Barsabbas also does not appear again, but in Acts 15 there’s a Judas Barsabbas accompanied Paul and Silas to Antioch. So there’s that.
* * *
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Lots to think about
Nowhere in scripture is the practice of casting lots described, that is the means of determining the divine will. It may have been something like throwing dice. There are several occasions in scripture which record decision making based on lots. The sailors in the first chapter of Jonah cast lots which determine that the terrifying storm they found themselves in was due to Jonah. In Numbers 26:55-56, lots are used to determine which land each tribe receives. In Esther 3:7, lots are cast to determine which day the Jews would be slaughtered in the kingdom of Ahasureus. The Jewish festival purim takes its name from the Hebrew פור , the word for “lot.” Another occasion when lots are cast is to determine who would get Jesus’ clothes after the crucifixion, Luke 23:24.
It's similar to how the NBA determines which team gets the first draft pick each year.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Picked by God
Eleven is an awkward number, especially in a religion built around multiples of twelve. When the disciples of Jesus attempt to fill the hole in their ranks, the lots fall to Mattias and Justus, and then finally Mattias is chosen. Neither man is mentioned again in the scriptures. Mattias is chosen by God for this unique role.
In a different arena, Senator Tim Scott also believes that God chose him to be a messenger for God. He says, ““I … accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and my Savior and I will tell you that all of the challenges and tragedies that led me to that place, I can [now] see it differently. The hard times actually were purposeful. [God] didn’t waste a single experience.” Scott says that, as a youngster, he was a “hard-headed” teenager who nearly flunked out of high school. “But some tough love from his mother and an emerging mentor helped turn that all around, propelling him on a path toward success.” Scott says that he believes that in the United States, “anyone from anywhere at any time can succeed beyond their wildest imagination if they hold on to the concept that there’s more to come, and they lean into it and they work hard, they study hard — good things happen.” He says that he is a living example of God’s providence at work, and that he is here to be a “messenger of hope.”
In a much smaller arena than the one where Justus and Mattias are, Senator Scott also feels chosen by God for unique work in the world.
* * *
Psalm 1
Delight
The Psalmist counsels us, “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the LORD.” This is not a passing delight, it’s a full immersion, for those who know this way of balance “meditate day and night” on God’s way. Social psychologist Ellen Langer says that such delight is easier than we imagine. Delight or drudgery spring from our thoughts, and what we label things. The people who take delight in the law of the Lord are wise enough to call it a pleasure, instead of a chore.
Langer encourages us all to become more mindful, which, for her, is “the very simple process of actively noticing new things. When you actively notice new things, that puts you in the present, makes you sensitive to context. As you’re noticing new things, it’s engaging, and it turns out, after a lot of research, that we find that it’s literally, not just figuratively, enlivening.”
Langer says “we did a few studies where we had people do things where they were given the label, either work or play. And in this particular study, it was interesting, because what we had people do was to read and evaluate cartoons, jokes. So you would think that that content would have been fun. When they were doing it under the aegis of work, what happened is, their minds wandered. They didn’t enjoy it. One of the ways we knew that was, when we asked them how much they would need to be paid in order to do more of this, for example, they needed a lot more than the other group, who was just playing.” In another study, hotel housekeepers, who are in motion all day, were taught to think of their work as “exercise” instead of “work.” Their weight dropped and their health improved noticeably.
Happy are those who delight in God, and who are wise enough to call it a joy, instead of a job to be done.
* * *
John 17:6-19
Protection
As Jesus prays for his friends, he prays that God will protect them from harm. “I am not asking you to take them out of the world,” he says, “but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.” There are many kinds of harm in the world, and Edward Grinnan finds a kind of protection from evil in his recovery program. He seeks not to be removed from the world, but to engage the world and to attend to his own health, and the health of others.
Grinnan says, “After more than 25 years of sobriety I rarely experience the urge to drink, and it has nothing to with the proximity of alcohol. But that doesn’t mean I am “cured.” I will never be cured. And for that, I am grateful. I got that news like a sock in the jaw from an old-timer at an AA meeting very early in my sobriety. I had shared something with the group the old-timer had apparently taken exception to. I have no recollection of what I said but at that point in my recovery I’m sure it wasn’t nearly as profound as I no doubt thought it was. The old-timer sidled up to me after the meeting.
“You’re never cured, you know,” he said in a voice that could have grated cheese.
I was a little taken aback. “I know,” I said. Before I could expand on my response he bulled on.
“You strike me as someone who thinks he’s going to get cured here. That doesn’t happen.”
The conversation ended there but those words have stayed with me. He was right. I was looking for a cure so perhaps, just maybe, I could someday drink again. It may not have been conscious, but it was lurking within my character defects…my arrogance, my self-deception, my false pride. That, my sponsor said, is why we work the 12 steps. To address the thinking that leads to the drinking. The drinking is a symptom, a deadly symptom for sure, of a disordered thought process one cannot break free of without God. Or at least I couldn’t.”
For Grinnan, his sobriety comes from being attentive to the truth of his drinking problem. “Accepting that my alcoholism was incurable liberated me from the self-delusion that I could ever go back to drinking “normally.” And let’s be honest. I always drank to get drunk ever since that first sip of Old Grand-Dad whiskey when I was 13. I wanted to feel that way all the time.” Jesus promises the gift of peace to the people who love him, and Grinnan says, “It is that peace, that serenity, that I now want to feel all the time, a day at a time.”
* * *
John 17:6-19
Truth
As part of his farewell discourse, Jesus has talked about vine and branches, about the connections between himself, God and his devoted followers, and now he prays for God to protect the people he is leaving behind. “Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth,” he asks, noting that he now sends his friends out for the same work that God sent him to do. “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” He asks that they be “sanctified in truth.” Truth is a powerful armor, in a dangerous world.
Theologian Matthew Fox observes that truth is another name for God. “This means that when lies abound, God is banished, for God is truth.” Fox adds, “To approach Truth is to approach God. To seek truth is to seek God. The pursuit of truth is a godly act; it is a prayer. Study is a prayer provided that the goal is not ego-enhancement or fame or power but that a pure heart is brought to the project. This means the study of anything — stars or birds, mathematics or engineering, psychology or the origins of life, the mystics or politics — all of it is a journey to the Divine.” Whatever the disciples do, in the spirit of truth, will lead them closer to God, and to God’s people.
Mahatma Ghandi, who was not a Christian, and whose work was foundational for Martin Luther King, Jr. and others, wrote “There is no God higher than truth. Truth is my God. Truth is the substance of all morality. Truth is God, and truth overrides all our plans. Without truth and non-violence there can be nothing but destruction of humanity. Truth is the first thing to be sought for, and Beauty and Goodness will then be added unto you. There is no other God than truth.”
To be sanctified in the truth, as Jesus prayed, draws us always closer to God.
* * * * * *
From team member Bethany Peerbolte:Acts 1:1-11
Can I get a Witness
The disciples eagerly ask Jesus if this is the time when God will restore the world and Jesus replies “not yet.” In the meantime, though Jesus wants there to be a witness for him. Our understanding of witness is a little off from the Greek. The root word is also the root word for the English martyr. If we had translated this to Jesus wanting martyrs it puts a different spin on the ask. Thankfully the understanding Jesus would have been expressing is somewhere between our “witness” and “martyr.” He wants something more than just knowing and seeing but also something short of dying for the cause. What this is is a call to action to continue the living legacy of Jesus. He wants someone to pick up where he left off and to continue to work and live the way he did. This also causes the impact ripples out from one to many.
The Spirit might put any number of causes on our heart to witness to. One girl in Michigan is advocating for bathroom accessibility for people with disabilities. She even scheduled a day to speak to her government representatives so that they could hear her story. She is hoping they will take the issue on as their own, continuing the witness for accessibility.
There may be times it is hard to know how to support something we care about. In a recent article, the Diversity Office at Yelp pointed out ways people can support their Asian American friends and loved ones. They recommend learning Asian American history during May which is Asian American History Month. This will help open eyes to ways Asian culture is appropriated by the majority allowing allies to speak out more.
Being a witness to not just about seeing and knowing it is about putting in action the things we know make the world a better place. There are too many causes out there for anyone person or one church to advocate for. We need to find our way and our message and live it loudly so that as a whole the church can witness the life of Jesus.
* * *
Ephesians 1:11-23
Where is the Love
Modern churches do not always have the best reputation for working together. In many cases, steeple envy gets in the way of mass community-wide efforts. This week we see an example of something different in the early church. Paul praises the Ephesians for their love towards “all the saints” hinting that they do not play favorites even to their own but lift all Christians. Even Paul who planted and cared for many churches is showing a remarkable comradery saying “ I do not cease to give thanks for you.” While I am sure there was fighting this is a glimmer of unity.
There are some other glimmers of unity even in a new world where we are now aware for the first time that church membership is in the minority. Even with that sore news churches are coming together to work towards a common goal. In Columbus, area churches are leading the effort to research and provide for the community’s deepest needs. As they work to provide things like tutors they will employ new tech research to track the impact they have. They hope this will guide them to follow the avenues that lead to the most change.
Other churches are joining together to look inward and examine the ways they create and support oppressive systems. As racial tensions continue to be high some are taking the time to learn and have hard conversations about racial inequality in America. Several efforts have been started and churches are sharing resources for the greatest impact.
As Paul prays for the many churches he has contact with, some he founded others he did not, we see a structure of mutual support and care. This focus is picked up by the Ephesians who care for all the saints not just their own. The modern church could do some more work to be less jealous and more encouraging to one another.
* * *
Luke 24:44-53
Staying Power
It must have been an exciting time for Jesus’ disciples to be with him after the resurrection. The whirlwind week of emotional ups and downs culminating in pure joy and excitement that Jesus was ok. To think his teachings were over and then get one more chance to sit and listen. I wonder if anyone got any sleep or if it was a 24/7 party cram session for all the things they wanted to learn and Jesus wanted to teach. Interestingly, Jesus does not want to be present when they receive the Holy Spirit. It is a wonder that Jesus does not hand over the power himself while he is still with them. Instead, he asks them to wait, to “stay” in the city until the Spirit arrives. Instead of riding the energetic high to the culmination, Jesus asks them to cool down before the next part. Affirming that resting is just as important as the party when it comes to spreading the gospel.
Recently a new napping style has been introduced to the world called the “Nappuccino” and it is catching on as effective. The way one takes this nap is to chug a 6-8 ounce cup of coffee right before a 20-minute nap. It sounds counterintuitive but it takes about that long for the caffeine to begin affecting the body. While one waits the nap provides some neurological renewal so that when the caffeine hits and the alarm goes off all systems are running on full fuel.
Learning, listening, sitting at Jesus’ feet is necessary to an effective Christian life. So is staying and waiting and resting. Jesus affirms this at his ascension. He could have handed off the reigns to the Spirit immediately but instead, he allows for a period of rest. Letting one season end and another one to arrive when the people were rested and ready for another boost of energy.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship:
One: Happy are we who do not follow the advice of the wicked.
All: Happy are we who do not take the path that sinners tread.
One: Happy are we whose delight is in the law of God.
All: Happy are we when on God’s law we meditate day and night.
One: Then we are like trees planted by streams of water.
All: For God watches over the way of the righteous.
OR
One: Rejoice that God created us out of abundant love.
All: Thanks be to our creating, loving God.
One: God continues to come to us in loving care.
All: We are grateful for God’s continuing presence with us.
One: Know God’s love by sharing it with others.
All: We will spread God’s grace and so receive it ourselves.
Hymns and Songs:
Crown Him with Many Crowns
UMH: 327
H82: 494
PH: 151
AAHH: 288
NNBH: 125
NCH: 301
CH: 234
LBW: 170
ELW: 855
W&P: 317
AMEC: 174
Hail Thee, Festival Day (v2)
UMH: 324
H82: 216/175/225
PH: 120
NCH: 262
LBW: 142
ELW: 394
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
UMH: 139
H82: 390
AAHH: 117
NNBH: 2
NCH: 22
CH: 25
ELW: 858/859
AMEC: 3
STLT: 278
Great Is Thy Faithfulness
UMH: 140
AAHH: 158
NNBH: 45
NCH: 423
CH: 86
ELW: 733
W&P: 72
AMEC: 84
If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee
UMH: 142
H82: 635
PH: 282
NCH: 410
LBW: 453
ELW: 769
W&P: 429
In Thee Is Gladness
UMH: 169
LBW: 552
ELW: 867
It Is Well with My Soul
UMH: 377
AAHH: 377
NNBH: 255
NCH: 438
CH: 561
ELW: 785
W&P: 428
AMEC: 448
Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
UMH: 400
H82: 686
PH: 356
AAHH: 175
NNBH: 166
NCH: 459
CH: 16
LBW: 499
ELW: 807
W&P: 68
AMEC: 77
STLT: 126
My Faith Looks Up to Thee
UMH: 452
H82: 691
PH: 383
AAHH: 456
NNBH: 273
CH: 576
LBW: 479
ELW: 759
W&P: 419
AMEC: 415
Stand By Me
UMH: 512
NNBH: 318
CH: 629
W&P: 495
AMEC: 420
Give Thanks
CCB: 92
Renew: 266
God Is So Good
CCB: 75
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
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
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 us out of your deep love:
Grant us the faith to trust that your love has not left us
and that you are with us in all of our lives;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because out of your deep love you created us as your children. Help us to remember your love is eternal and that you have not left us alone in this world. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our lack of faith in God’s love for us.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have forgotten the great love with which you created us. We have forgotten that we are your beloved children. It has caused us to act in hurtful ways with one another and to feel abandoned and alone in this world. Yet your love is ever with us and around us. Renew our minds that we may perceive your love for all creation and for each of us. Amen.
One: God is love and acts out of love for all creation. Receive God’s grace and share that love with others.
Prayers of the People
We praise you, O God, for your great love that never ceases to create and to create anew. Your love is beyond our human understanding.
(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 forgotten the great love with which you created us. We have forgotten that we are your beloved children. It has caused us to act in hurtful ways with one another and to feel abandoned and alone in this world. Yet your love is ever with us and around us. Renew our minds that we may perceive your love for all creation and for each of us.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which your love is made manifest among us. You gift us with beauty and abundance in all the world around us. You give us the community of humanity that we may care and support one another. You give us of your very own Spirit that we may commune with you.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another this day. We are aware of many places where love has been pushed aside for hate and violence. We are aware that greed has shouldered out compassion and caring. We know many suffer illness and loss. We pray that our actions and words may be part of your redeeming love that seeks to restore all to wholeness and health.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
The Psalm today reminds us that God loves us and that God wants us to be happy. God gives us the Bible so that we can learn about God’s love and so that we remember that God loves us always.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMONHere Is the Church
by Katy Stenta
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
Teach the kids the finger play:
Say “There is an old rhyme that we like to teach”
Here is the Church
Here is the Steeple
Open the Doors
And see all the People
“When the church was started there was no specific building that was a church, there were just disciples and the people who followed them. So when one disciple left, they wanted to replace the disciple to keep the church strong. Thus another way to think about church is…” And then reteach it as
Here is the Church
Here is the Church
Here is the Church
Here is the Church
Explain (as you do the hand motions again) “The Church is all of these things: building, beautiful monuments to God, open doors to all people, and most especially the church is the people.”
Let us Pray (repeat after me)
Dear God,
Thank you
for making all of these ways
to be church
and thank you
for making the people
the most important part
of church.
Help us to be the church.
We pray...
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, May 16, 2021 issue.
Copyright 2021 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.
