What's Next?
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In the wake of a contentious election campaign that has been fraught with anxiety, many people will still be taking stock this Sunday of where voters’ decisions leave us, as a country and a society. As team member Chris Keating points out in this installment of The Immediate Word, there is a great deal of uncertainty about what comes next. Pundits are chiming in with solemn analyses of what it all means, both for the immediate future and from a historical perspective. Some of the more passionate may argue that in the campaign and its aftermath we have crossed a rubicon of sorts -- but Chris notes that Jesus reminds us upheaval is to be expected and not to believe that our civic institutions are permanent. Like the anxious disciples, we too wonder what the signs will be that our cherished temples are about to crumble. But Jesus counsels us to look forward -- to not become distracted by short-term worries and led astray by false prophets; instead we are to adopt a posture of active and watchful waiting as we assiduously prepare for the coming of the Kingdom.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on the Isaiah text and the prophet’s vision of a new heaven and a new earth. The changes that might be required to bring that about, Dean suggests, could be threatening to some in our society -- yet he notes that it’s something that we can bring about in our world... if we put God at the forefront of our lives rather than our own self-interest. The prophet identifies the path forward -- and it involves orienting ourselves to consumption based on what we need instead of greed: “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat.” As Dean points out, Isaiah’s vision replaces a world divided by wealth and status with one where all of God’s creation lives as equals, caring for one another instead of preying on one another.
What’s Next?
by Chris Keating
Luke 21:5-19
Depending on their political inclinations, preachers may be tempted to put down their manuscripts this Sunday and don gigantic sandwich signs proclaiming “The end is near!”
Donald Trump’s upset win in the presidential race ends a bitterly contested race that redefined the contemporary political landscape. Despite slightly trailing Hillary Clinton in the popular vote, Trump appears to have already collected 279 electoral votes -- nine more than needed for a majority. Republicans also maintained control over the House of Representatives and the Senate. To the victor belongs the spoils, but also the challenges of governing and uniting a divided nation.
As America nurses its post-election hangover, the presence of apocalyptic indicators seems hard to miss. In Jesus’ words, nations are indeed rising upon against nation, kingdoms against kingdoms. There are earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues.
That’s not to mention what could be called the greatest portent of all -- the sign along Chicago’s Clark and Addison Streets that blared “Cubs Win!”
Indeed, the end is at hand -- not of the world, perhaps, but certainly of a wearisome and elongated presidential campaign that has rankled nerves and caused much anxiety. This year’s campaign, complete with a raunchy video, hacked e-mails, accusations of international intrusion, and more melodrama than years of The Apprentice, has ended. The mood now shifts to the future tense -- just as it does in Luke 21:5-19.
Jesus points out that appearances can be deceiving. What seems permanent can topple, even something as lovely as the great temple. False prophets will arise, and destruction will appear imminent. Believers will be hauled off to jail. In the face of these dire circumstances, however, Jesus says believers shall be stirred, but can never be shaken.
In times of challenge and change, we are called to remain grounded in hope, willing and ready offer our testimony. If all around us wonder “What’s next?” the answer may well be “Here is an opportunity to testify to the grace of Jesus Christ.” Do not be terrified, says Jesus. Instead, engage in acts of watchful waiting.
In the News
Swooning over the temple’s elaborate construction, the group Jesus was escorting through the temple were suitably impressed. It’s easy to imagine the tour group making its way past the various sights and signs. Gawking at the immense porticoes, the group moves past doors marked “No Entry,” or signs pointing “Way Out,” “Restrooms,” and so forth. But as they stand slack-jawed at the building’s masonry, Jesus points out one sign they may have missed: “Beware of Falling Rock.”
In other words, change can come at any moment. To ask “what’s next?” is to begin reading the signs of threats, opportunities, and change. It’s an especially timely question following a campaign that pitted two candidates with record low approval ratings. One poll even showed that 13 percent of respondents would prefer immediate extinction from a colossal space rock named the Sweet Meteor O’Death over voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
Sweet Meteor O’Death is neither an Irish punk band nor a Celtic-styled Godzilla movie. But it does capture the zeitgeist of some in the electorate whose anxiety is palpable.
In many ways, asking “what next?” describes the president-elect’s primary task. Moving from running for office to occupying it, the incoming president must pay rapt attention to portents of change while navigating the nation through near-apocalyptic pathways of doom. The journey could be every bit as devastating as the fateful collapse of the Jerusalem temple.
Financial writer John Mauldin offers eight potential hotspots of economic worry for the next administration -- including Japan’s mounting debt, Australia’s potential housing crisis, perpetual agony in the Middle East, and the potential unraveling of the European Union. He then offers this somber prediction: “Given the worries I have already mentioned concerning the rest of the world and its impact on us, it is likely that you will have to deal with a recession.” Stimulating growth won’t be possible, he suggests, without significant reforms to tax, entitlement, and regulatory policies. Mauldin concludes this litany by asking “And you want this job why?”
Yet the economy will only be one stone positioned to topple on the new chief executive. Environmental concerns will be another, despite only receiving scant attention during the campaign. Ongoing struggles in the Middle East, disruptive cyberwarfare antics, and refugee resettlement issues will also occupy much of the next president’s to-do list. Whether it is a test of NATO’s alliance or North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, there is little doubt the new administration will quickly face national security challenges.
There are no shortage of signs clamoring for the next president’s attention.
Security-wise, some believe the president-elect will be confronted with so-called “black swan” challenges, or unexpected threats which can tumble out of the sky with little warning. Like stones falling from the temple, these sorts of events happen quickly -- and forcefully.
The spectrum of possibilities is broad, but many foresee issues with Russia. Analysts describe U.S.-Russian relationships as being worse than they were at the end of the Cold War. It’s a sensitive and dangerous arena, particularly given Russia’s unprecedented participation in cyber-attacks during the presidential campaign.
Relationships between the two nations have become so conflicted that even former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has pleaded for a new direction. “I think the world has reached a dangerous point,” he said recently. “This needs to stop. We need to renew dialogue,” he continued, commenting on the end of talks about Syria.
Despite diverse global challenges, the initial challenges may be centered on healing a divided nation. To take the metaphor further, signs on the road beyond the inauguration may well read “divided highways ahead.”
Surveys indicate that the nation is divided in just about every way imaginable. Public think tank PRRI studied a broad sampling of voters, documenting what closer observers of the campaign have already discovered. About 72 percent of likely Trump voters believe the nation has changed for the worse since the 1950s, while a similar percentage of likely Clinton voters believe the nation is improved. The survey noted many of the ways the nation is divided:
A clear majority of whites -- 56 percent -- say American society has declined since the 1950s, and class difference sharpens the divide: nearly two-thirds of working-class whites think the country has slipped over the last half-century, while 56 percent of college-educated whites think the nation has improved since the Eisenhower administration.
The racial gap is as wide as ever: About 6 in 10 African-Americans and about 57 percent of Hispanics say American society has improved, but about 8 in 10 blacks and more than 6 in 10 Hispanics disagree with clear majorities of both college-educated (59 percent) and working-class whites (66 percent) that police officers treat everyone the same.
Asking “what’s next?” involves more than wondering when the Sweet Meteor O’Death could collide with Earth. There’s more involved than studying shifting demographics and wooing swing-state voters. Like the crowd who is amazed and distracted by the razzle-dazzle of Herod’s spectacular temple, the new administration could find itself distracted by the polished stones of victory.
Our only hope, Jesus suggests, is to stop gawking and pay attention to the things that matter. Remain aware of the signs, but do not get discouraged or distracted. That is the hope we are called to proclaim.
In the Scriptures
While Luke doesn’t get into the details, it isn’t hard imagining Jesus rubbing his hand across the temple pillars as he speaks of its destruction. (See Willie James Jennings, “Theological Perspective,” Luke 21:5-8, in Feasting on the Gospels, Luke, Vol. 2, p. 224.) The eschatological point Luke makes could not be more clear: the impermanence of the Jerusalem temple will give rise to the new temple of the resurrected Christ. Jesus’ exhortation is one of both warning and encouragement.
Jesus warns that the end is near. He reiterates the declaration he made upon entering the city in Luke 19:41-44. All that glimmers will soon be reduced to a pile of rubble. True greatness (9:48) is not the work of human hands; it is exhibited only by the reign of God.
The Jerusalem Temple, rebuilt by King Herod in 19 BCE, was more than twice the size of its predecessor. Its footprint covered 35 acres (Robert Tannehill, Luke, p. 301). The crowd near Jesus in vv. 5-6 would have likely witnessed ongoing construction, and were no doubt overwhelmed by the immense outer courts, porches, and elaborate decorations. The structure, however, was obliterated by Rome within decades of its completion. Luke’s knowledge of the temple’s destruction confirms Jesus’ prediction: “not one stone will be left upon another.”
Despite this catastrophe, Jesus offers the assurance that “not a hair of your head will perish.” Luke reminds his readers that signs of God’s working in the world -- much like the star of Bethlehem -- appear for our encouragement. Even in the face of panic, Jesus seeks to quell fear.
The signs of destruction may appear imminent. Yet they are not reasons to be terrified (v. 9). The threat of the end times may provoke anxiety, but Jesus urges faithfulness, even restraint. In the days that will surely come, says Jesus, there will be a temptation to be “led astray.” Yet those who follow Jesus should not be distracted from assurance of God’s presence.
Maintaining that assurance is not easy, especially as familiar and dependable structures fail. Luke’s readers knew what it meant to witness the destruction of the temple -- and if that massive structure could be destroyed, what next?
In the face of upheaval, destruction, and arrest, Jesus instructs those listening to endure. But this endurance is not simply holding tightly to the hand railing. Jesus reminds the disciples that out of hardship comes opportunities to speak about what God has done. All of this will provide an opportunity for giving witness to what they have witnessed in him. Even moments of dodging falling rocks can become a story of faith. Jesus tells them trials will become an opportunity to testify about the gospel.
Be ready, he says, but don’t worry about what you’re going to say. When the going gets tough, disciples become witnesses (v. 13), who will reiterate what Jesus has taught them: “I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand.”
Sage words for any believer, let alone a preacher wrestling with an eschatological text on the Sunday after an election. We might be tempted to pray: “Lord, may it be so.”
In the Sermon
So, what’s next? Does the sermon begin with a litany of warnings about the United States and the doom that will soon be upon us? Does the preacher “keep it local” and point to the many places where our sanctuaries are crumbling as the result of deferred maintenance, giving the congregation a finger-wagging warning that “the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another”?
Neither sarcasm nor hysteria results from a careful listening to Luke’s apocalyptic. Jesus’ words are intended to encourage believers, equipping them with hope as they bear witness to their belief. In times that are challenging and changing, the church needs this message. As the nation processes the results of the election and begins to ask “what’s next?” our congregations will benefit from hearing Jesus say “do not be terrified.”
As with other apocalyptic texts, the key to preaching Luke’s description of the end times is seeing the text as words of hope for those struggling to maintain faith in difficult times. These are not a checklist of eschatological happenings. Instead, Jesus’ warnings are a reminder that life is hard. We will travel through adverse times, but are comforted in knowing God has not abandoned us.
But the purpose of that promise is not solely for a comforting “kum-ba-yah” moment. Jesus guides our eyes to the tumbling of institutions and assures us that even in terrifying moments God is present. As the dust settles after the election, this word of assurance is an invitation to step forward in faith.
Within that assurance we find room to explore our own testimony. The assurance of verse 15 could provide the congregation with resources for exploring their own stories of faith. With Thanksgiving and family visits up ahead, the congregation could be encouraged to share stories of faith as families. The practice of sharing testimony is not common to our congregations, yet there is power in sharing faith stories.
Not long ago, I was taken aback when a new visitor greeted me after worship by reaching into his suitcoat and handing me a copy of his carefully prepared testimony. It was a story of how he had experienced God’s care during a harrowing episode of bipolar disease. His story didn’t necessarily mesh with my Reformed theology, but his point was clear: in the face of chaos, Jesus had indeed given him the words to say.
His testimony mattered. He endured and sought treatment for his disease. Rocks fell around him, but he was not terrified. It remains a day-to-day struggle, of course. With believers of every time and place, he daily asks: “What’s next?”
SECOND THOUGHTS
The Day of the Lord
by Dean Feldmeyer
Isaiah 65:17-25
Most contemporary biblical scholars believe that this Sunday’s text from Isaiah contains the opening lines of the prophet’s final vision, which runs through chapter 66.
This final vision takes us all the way back to chapter one, verse one of Genesis -- the beginning of time. It describes God reclaiming God’s creation, re-purposing it, re-forming it, re-shaping it, and re-establishing it upon the earth.
This is not the obliteration that was accomplished with the great flood, nor is it a band-aid and aspirin that masks the symptoms of a broken creation without addressing its root problems.
This is a complete do-over, a remaking of all that is.
And it sounds pretty great. That is, most of it sounds pretty great. There is this one place, maybe a couple of places, however... well, we’ll get to that in a moment.
In the Scriptures
Quaker painter Edward Hicks based his famous painting “The Peaceable Kingdom” on the 11th chapter of Isaiah, but it offers a good visual of the new heaven and new earth that Isaiah describes in chapter 65. Perhaps that’s because Isaiah himself reaches back to chapter 11 for some images in this passage. The utopian kingdom described in chapter 65 does recommend itself to visual interpretation, does it not?
Writing in the New Interpreter’s Bible, Gene M. Tucker asserts that the idyllic vision that is described in Isaiah 65:17-25 is more than just “wishful thinking or the prophet’s rhetorical excess.” He continues that “when we consider the work of God in Christ, we see that this vision of Isaiah entails the actual project God has undertaken through the obedience of his son. This is not high-flying rhetoric, but a genuine description of what God has accomplished in Jesus Christ” (Vol. 6, p. 551).
I would add that this vision is one that has not only been accomplished in Jesus Christ, but continues to be so whenever the risen Christ bursts in upon us in the midst of our lives.
So profound is that presence that everything else is forgotten, at least for the time being. All of creation in its entirety (heaven and earth) is transformed. And inasmuch as we are part of that creation, we too are transformed.
And this is good news. It is a joy and a delight! Cries of distress and the sound of weeping are gone. And this is made possible in very concrete and contemporary terms.
The end of crying and weeping comes to us as good and widely available health care -- so good, in fact, that infant mortality is reduced and the average life span is increased. It comes as adequate and affordable housing. It comes as a plentitude of good and nutritious food. It comes as purpose and meaning and satisfaction in work. It comes as God, who is not far off but close and actively involved with our lives and our world. It comes as enemies become friends, and those who would do harm are estranged and cast out.
In the World
Good news, huh?
Well, maybe not for everyone.
I mean, who’s going to pay for all of this health care and housing and nutritious food? Where’s it all going to come from?
It comes, says Isaiah, from the transformed human heart.
The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization use the infant mortality rate as the prime indicator of the general and overall health of a country. In 2010 the United States was ranked 26th in the world with 6.1 deaths per 1000. The lowest was a tie between Finland and Japan with 2.3 deaths per thousand. The countries with the lowest infant mortality rates tend to be those with national health insurance, where health care is considered a human right.
Isaiah’s vision of people all building their own houses and living in them seems like a great vision to the homeless or the denizens of poorly built and maintained tenement housing, but landlords and developers are probably going to take exception to this plank in God’s platform. The vision of adequate and accessible housing will have to arise out of the hearts of those among us who profit financially from a certain percentage of our population being homeless and another group who are so desperate that they will pay exorbitant rent prices just to have a roof over their heads.
Adequate food for all will mean that some of us will have to stop being so wasteful and so picky about what we eat. And prices are going to have to come down, especially in the most nutritious foods like milk and produce.
Meaningful and satisfying work may require some bosses to change the relationship they have with their employees, and employees will have to take pride in work that they have heretofore done simply to get a paycheck.
For enemies to become friends, we must stop demonizing those who are different from us and start seeing them as human beings who are valued and loved by God.
In the Pulpit
The rich really are getting richer and the poor really are getting poorer. And the middle class is shrinking, becoming smaller and smaller.
The Associated Press created a series of brief, readable, articles before the presidential election under the banner “Why It Matters.” One in particular speaks to this issue under the title “Income Inequality.” It begins:
Income inequality has surged near levels last seen before the Great Depression. The average income for the top 1 percent of households climbed 7.7 percent last year to $1.36 million, according to tax data tracked by Emmanuel Saez, an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. That privileged sliver of the population saw pay climb at almost twice the rate of income growth for the other 99 percent, whose pay averaged a humble $48,768....
Most Americans still have yet to recover from the Great Recession, even though that downturn ended seven years ago. The average income for the 99 percent is still lower than it was back in 1998 after adjusting for inflation.
Meanwhile, incomes for the executives, bankers, hedge fund managers, entertainers, and doctors who make up the top 1 percent have steadily improved. These one-percenters account for roughly 22 percent of all personal income, more than double the post-World War II era level of roughly 10 percent. One reason the income disparity is troubling for the nation is that it’s thinning out the ranks of the middle class.
To be sure, Isaiah’s vision of the new heaven and new earth is one that addresses income inequality with the redistribution of wealth, a phrase that is likely to be met with anything from light skepticism to outright hostility when mentioned from the pulpit.
Yet there it is.
Infants and old people are healthy, which, for whatever reason, means a change in the health care system has either already occurred or is about to.
People are growing their own food and eating it, which is bad news for farmers and grocery stores.
People are building their own houses and living in them, which bodes not well for contractors, developers, real estate agents, and landlords.
People are finding meaning and satisfaction in their work, which means that the minimum wage has probably gone up, and that everyone from the penthouse and the corner office to the assembly line and the stenographic pool is respected for their contributions and treated with care and dignity.
Isaiah’s imaginative vision of God’s future earth is one where wolf lies down with lamb, where employer sits down not across from but beside employee, where people are not divided by wealth or status but united in their purpose of creating the new Jerusalem in their homes, in their hospitals, in their workplaces, in their schools, in their communities, and in the world.
For there shall the lion and ox sit down at table together and the serpents, the snakes, the exploiters, the users, the haters, and the dividers will be set afar off where they cannot ever again hurt or destroy on God’s holy mountain.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
Luke 21:5-19
Waiting
Jesus points us toward a season of waiting for God’s plans to be fulfilled. The holiday season often finds us doing a more mundane kind of waiting -- waiting in line. Writer Carolyn Gregoire notes that Americans spend an estimated 37 billion hours a year waiting in line. She wonders: “[W]hy do we hate waiting so much? According to MIT operations researcher and line expert Richard Larson, occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time, so when we’re standing in a long line or in a doctor’s office waiting room, the time does feel as if it’s dragging on. Waiting can provoke impatience, stress, and anxiety, and in turn anxiety also makes waits seem longer.”
She suggests that there’s a spiritual benefit to be found in our waiting time: “Most of us would like to have more peace and stillness in our lives, and yet we don’t make use of life’s many daily opportunities to just be still and practice patience. No opportunity is better than when we’re waiting -- when we so often whip out our phones and busy ourselves with texts, e-mails, Candy Crush, Spotify, or Twitter. But what if we welcomed these idle, luxuriously long in-between moments as opportunities to simply wait?”
She adds: “In Japanese, there is a concept known as ma, which refers to a gap, pause, or negative space between things. The term is generally used in the context of the zen aesthetic, but it’s also a useful construct when it comes to how we think of spending our time. We can use life’s inevitable waiting periods as moments of ma -- ways to create still points in our constantly turning worlds.” Getting better at small kinds of waiting may equip us to wait more skillfully for God’s plans too.
*****
Luke 21:5-19
Something New
Jesus tells about the destruction of the temple, to the shock of the people listening. He tells them that something new is on the way. Blogger Seth Godin says that we can all be part of great new things, in the same way that Jesus calls us into God’s new thing. Godin says: “On any given meeting, on any given day, most people are merely showing up.... Every once in a while, though, someone is on their toes.... We can’t be on our toes all the time. It’s too exhausting, and we can’t keep it up. But what happens if we decide, everyone in this room, right here and right now, at least for a little while, that we’ll act as if it’s the first time, or the last time, or our best shot? What would happen if we all got on our toes together? Just for a little while? That’s when big things happen.”
*****
Luke 21:5-19
Disaster
Jesus promises that disaster will come, and that his followers will find the strength to withstand anything that comes to them. He promises the gift of wisdom when they need it, even in the midst of unimaginable change. Writer Rebecca Solnit says that community grows out of disaster: “In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the Bay Area, and I was amazed by my own response -- to never think again about the person who was making my life difficult and think instead about the people and place I loved -- and everyone else’s. For years after, I noticed how many people looked happy when they told their earthquake stories.”
Solnit adds that a disaster gives spiritual clarity, saying that “people in disasters live in an intensified present. One of the silliest things about calamity in disaster movies is that people are carrying all their personal baggage with them, and just as you don’t evacuate with the coffee table and the boxes of junk, so you shed some of that in your psyche in an emergency.... So on the one hand people sometimes find themselves in the circumstances they had yearned for -- they are deeply connected to the time and place and people around them, they have a meaningful role, and the stuff (that is mostly located everywhere but the here and now) we fret about has been swept away. Sometimes civil society seems reborn and regnant, as though a revolution has taken place. Sometimes as the emergencies are resolved people seem to have a different sense of what is possible, for themselves personally, and for their society.”
A disaster reveals what’s true in our lives, she says: “some [form of] altruism and generosity is with us all the time.... A schoolteacher works for a salary, but she does her job with heart and soul and maybe buys her poorest student a coat and art supplies for the whole class because she’s not just for hire, she’s much more.... And most of us have had the experience of a personal calamity -- a major illness or disruption or loss -- and had people show up for us in moving ways, seeing the depth of our connections in ways we might not have otherwise. These are the mini-disasters, and they can change your life a little too.”
When Jesus looks ahead to disaster, he also offers us the chance to find something deeper in our faith, and in ourselves.
***************
From team member Ron Love:
Isaiah 65:17-25
In a Peanuts comic strip, there is a Halloween scene in which Snoopy is peacefully laying on his back on the top of his doghouse (his favorite resting domain) as Lucy comes up to him, dressed in a sorcerer’s hat and holding a bag for candy. When she disturbs Snoopy with the loud cry “Trick or Treat,” Snoopy suddenly turns over onto his stomach and plants a big doggy kiss on Lucy’s nose. With a look of both surprise and disgust she turns and walks away, only to have Snoopy say, “That’s the best treat you’ll get all night, sweetie!” (Note: If your sanctuary has a projection screen, you may want to display this comic.)
Application: Isaiah is giving his people the best treat possible, which is the restoration of their land.
*****
Malachi 4:1-2a
The World Series is over, but the battle continues. Not the war between the Cubs and the Indians, but the battle between Nancy and John Riddle. The Riddles are going through a combative divorce -- and one of many contentious issues between them was which member of the couple would get the tickets to attend Game 4 of the Series. One could go to the stadium; the other could go to the television. The fight became so ferocious that it had to be settled in court. Judge Mayra Nega ruled that John could keep the two tickets, one for himself and the other for his 12-year-old son. But this did not come without a price. John had to purchase a comparable ticket for his wife, with the cheapest available ticket starting at $3,000.
Application: Malachi is very clear on how destructive arrogance can be.
*****
Malachi 4:1-2a
In a Cornered comic, a slouching employee is standing before his CEO’s desk. The boss, who has a rather pompous expression on his face, says to the employee in a tone that is both harsh and scolding: “We think the world of you. Then again, it’s a very small world.” (Note: If your sanctuary has a projection screen, you may want to display this comic.)
Application: With our arrogance, we can easily destroy the self-worth of another individual.
*****
Psalm 98
The same question has been repeated for over 3,400 years -- on the 15h day of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish calendar, the youngest child sitting at the dinner table asks: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” This inquiry expresses the child’s confusion regarding the seder meal, and the answer is to share the story of the Passover -- of Moses leading the Jewish people away from their Egyptian captivity to Canaan, the Promised Land. It was their Exodus.
Application: When a child asks “Why is this night different?” will you be able to answer? Judaism informs us that we can only answer if we understand our own personal Exodus, our own individual voyage of faith. To teach our children, we must first be able to articulate the memories of our individual faith journey, from the time of conversion to present maturity. That is, in the message of the psalm, will we be able to sing a new song?
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
In a Dennis the Menace comic, Dennis is in bed for the night with his father sitting on the bedside reading to him from a storybook. Dennis, a teddy bear resting beside him, is obviously tired, yet he still says to his dad: “Keep reading. My eyes are sleepy but my ears are still awake.” (Note: If your sanctuary has a projection screen, you may want to display this comic.)
Application: From the frustration expressed in his letter, Paul may have wondered if not only the eyes but also the ears of the Thessalonians had become sleepy.
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
During the World Series Chicago Cubs star Kyle Schwarber was inspired to do his best because a 10-year-old boy in Arizona was rooting for him. Some 1,700 miles away from Wrigley Field, Campbell Faulkner has mitochondrial disease -- a life-threatening condition in which the body does not properly absorb oxygen and food. Schwarber met Campbell when the boy came to Cubs’ spring training. It was there a friendship was born. Schwarber says of the youngster, “He’s a kid who can always put a smile on my face.” Schwarber wears a green bracelet indicating that he is a member of the Campbell’s Crew, a support group for Campbell.
Application: Paul stresses the point of imitating good people.
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
We can rejoice in the improvements that are being made for individuals with disabilities. Though we still have a long journey before us, we can rejoice with each way station we come to. The latest step is the development of artificial hands that can feel. Previous prosthetic hands had no concept of how much pressure they were applying to an object, so an egg or a hammer were treated the same. Now, with new electronic sensors an artificial hand can make a distinction between a hammer or an egg, and then apply the necessary pressure to accomplish the task. According to biomechanical engineer Dustin Tyler, “we are getting to the point where users respond as they would to a normal limb.”
Application: It was Paul’s desire that those who were idle would learn the meaning of touch.
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
In the post-apostolic church, spanning from the death of the last of the twelve apostles through the fourth century, membership required three years of preparation. Catechumens followed a succession of three classes. When first admitted they were called “hearers,” as they listened to lectures and sermons. The “kneelers” followed, who remained for the prayers. The final class was called “the chosen.” A convert came to the episcopal school, so named because it was presided over by a bishop, to complete the educational requirements for baptism and church membership. Participants studied creeds, liturgies, and the bishop’s approved list of apostolic writings. Absent of a canonized New Testament, the equation employed for determining an orthodox writing was the “Logos Doctrine,” which parallels the prologue to John’s gospel.
Application: This learning process is what Paul would also refer to as becoming imitators of those Christians who have gone before them.
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Perry Noble of NewSpring Church (which has several campuses across South Carolina) is the worship leader of 32,000, and he caused a theological stir with his Christmas Eve sermon in 2014. During this sermon he proclaimed that the Ten Commandments were not commandments but only promises, since the word for “commandments” is not in the Hebrew lexicon. Having this epiphany, he wrote a revolutionary sermon in ten minutes transforming “you shalt not” to “you are free.” Reputable theologians challenged the pastor regarding his exegesis. Though the Hebrew word used in the Torah can mean “promises,” it can also be interpreted as “declarations.” It would seem “Thou shall not...” is hardly a promise but most certainly a declaration -- which is a commandment. Noble later confessed there was a Hebrew word for “commandment,” but stood by his sermon that on Mt. Sinai Moses was given ten promises. Since its conception NewSpring Church has been plagued by heretical teachings. Perhaps the word “promise” has a place at NewSpring, for a visitor is immediately informed that it is a church... but not like denominational churches. Rock bands, light shows, and vulgarity from the pulpit would substantiate that.
Application: We can read from Paul’s letter that he is desperately seeking that the Christians in Thessalonica live a theologically orthodox life.
*****
Luke 21:5-19
It took two weeks before Bob Dylan responded to having received the Nobel Prize in Literature. In his first interview he said of receiving the award, “It’s hard to believe.” He went on to use the words “incredible” and “amazing.” When asked if he felt qualified for the Noble Prize, Dylan responded, “I’ll let other people decide what they are. The academics, they ought to know -- I’m not really qualified. I don’t have an opinion.”
Application: Bob Dylan was wise enough to know he was not qualified to choose a candidate for the Noble Prize, that only the academics sitting on the committee were able to do so. This is similar to Jesus’ answer for those always wanting to know the date of the end time, for it is only the enthroned God who is qualified to know.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: We will give thanks to you, O God.
People: Once you were angry with us, but now you have comforted us.
Leader: Surely God is our salvation.
People: We will trust and will not be afraid.
Leader: God is our strength and our might.
People: God has become our salvation.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the God who created all that is.
People: We lift our voices in praise to our creating God.
Leader: God is still at work to bring creation to completion.
People: We long for the wholeness that God brings.
Leader: God has called us to join the work of healing the world.
People: With God’s help, we will join in this ministry.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Many and Great, O God”
found in:
UMH:148
H82: 385
PH: 271
NCH: 3
CH: 58
ELA: 837
W&P: 26
“This Is a Day of New Beginnings”
found in:
UMH: 383
NCH: 417
CH: 518
W&P: 355
“Tú Has Venido a la Orilla” (“Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore”)
found in:
UMH: 344
PH: 377
CH: 342
W&P: 347
“Spirit of the Living God”
found in:
UMH: 393
PH: 322
AAHH: 320
NNBH: 133
NCH: 283
CH: 259
W&P: 492
“Seek Ye First”
found in:
UMH: 405
H82: 711
PH: 333
CH: 354
W&P: 349
CCB: 76
“Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life”
found in:
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELA: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
“O God of Every Nation”
found in:
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELA: 713
W&P: 626
“This Is My Song”
found in:
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELA: 887
STLT: 159
“Sing Unto the Lord a New Song”
found in:
CCB: 16
Renew: 99
“The Steadfast Love of the Lord”
found in:
CCB: 28
Renew: 23
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who created and is ever re-creating: Grant us the wisdom to look to you for a new earth while working with you to bring it to fruition; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for you have never stopped creating. So fill us with your Spirit that we may both trust in you to bring about our new earth while also working with you to bring it into being. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to trust God to make all things new.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We get so taken up in politics and other worldly endeavors that we forget who reigns over all creation. We get impatient with you calling and wooing us to the fullness of your reign. We want quick fixes and easy answers. We don’t want to do the hard work you call us to engage in. We want a miracle where everything is made perfect in a flash. Call us back once again to your plan for creation and your plan for us in bringing it about. So fill us with your Spirit that we may faithfully serve you and all creation. Amen.
Leader: God does desire us to be made whole. And God intends for us to be a part of that process. With love and grace, God grants forgiveness and the power of the Spirit.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We worship and adore you, O God, for the wonders of creation. We rejoice in your renewing work throughout all the world.
(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 get so taken up in politics and other worldly endeavors that we forget who reigns over all creation. We get impatient with you calling and wooing us to the fullness of your reign. We want quick fixes and easy answers. We don’t want to do the hard work you call us to engage in. We want a miracle where everything is made perfect in a flash. Call us back once again to your plan for creation and your plan for us in bringing it about. So fill us with your Spirit that we may faithfully serve you and all creation.
We give you thanks for all your blessings. We thank you that you have not given up on us but are ever working to bring us to wholeness and the fullness of life. We thank you for those who work to help bring about your reign and who echo your call for us to join the work.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the needs of all creation. We pray for the wholeness that you envisioned at the beginning of creating. We pray for ourselves, that we may join your creative work.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Show the children pictures of the National Cathedral. It took years and years to build, but they are never done building. There are stone masons and artists still at work repairing and redoing. The vision of what the cathedral was meant to be must always be worked on. In the same way, God continues to work in creation to make us what we need to be.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
God Stands Firm
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Luke 21:5-19
As you gather the children, invite them to look around your worship space. Ask them to tell you what parts of the worship space are their favorites, and why. (Allow the children to respond.) Share with them what you like about your worship space, and why.
If there are significant elements in your worship space -- stained-glass windows, baptismal font, carvings, banners, communionware, or the communion table -- point these out to the children and include details that may interest them.
Agree and affirm that your worship space is special and holds much meaning to people in your congregation. Connect your conversation to the conversation Jesus had with his disciples in Luke’s gospel.
***
Jesus and his disciples were gathered in the temple. It was a special place, with walls lined with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God. God’s people loved being in that beautiful place.
Then Jesus said something that surprised the people. He said, “There will come a day when not one stone in this temple will be left stacked upon another.” The walls of the temple will fall; the special building will be destroyed.
Can you imagine how the people felt when they heard Jesus say this? How do you think they felt while hearing Jesus’ words?(Allow children to respond.)
I know that I would be very sad to hear these words. I might be a little scared too. But if you think about it, what Jesus was saying is true. The people had a beautiful building where they could worship God. We’re not so different... we have a beautiful place where we can come together and worship God. But like any building, it won’t last forever. As beautiful as this place is, it’s only made of bricks and blocks, wood and glass. It won’t be here forever.
What will be forever is the God we worship. Even when this building is gone, God won’t be gone.
Jesus was telling his friends this too. The special temple where Jesus and his friends gathered to worship would one day fall down. It would be a scary time for God’s people. But God will not fall. God will build a new thing... a new temple, a new church, a new place for God’s people to come together with God.
This is God’s good news for today: when things change, when buildings fall down, or when it looks like things are falling apart... God stays the same, God stays with us, God doesn’t fall down.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for this worship space. Thank you for this church. Most of all, we thank you for always standing with your people, even when things change. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 13, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on the Isaiah text and the prophet’s vision of a new heaven and a new earth. The changes that might be required to bring that about, Dean suggests, could be threatening to some in our society -- yet he notes that it’s something that we can bring about in our world... if we put God at the forefront of our lives rather than our own self-interest. The prophet identifies the path forward -- and it involves orienting ourselves to consumption based on what we need instead of greed: “They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat.” As Dean points out, Isaiah’s vision replaces a world divided by wealth and status with one where all of God’s creation lives as equals, caring for one another instead of preying on one another.
What’s Next?
by Chris Keating
Luke 21:5-19
Depending on their political inclinations, preachers may be tempted to put down their manuscripts this Sunday and don gigantic sandwich signs proclaiming “The end is near!”
Donald Trump’s upset win in the presidential race ends a bitterly contested race that redefined the contemporary political landscape. Despite slightly trailing Hillary Clinton in the popular vote, Trump appears to have already collected 279 electoral votes -- nine more than needed for a majority. Republicans also maintained control over the House of Representatives and the Senate. To the victor belongs the spoils, but also the challenges of governing and uniting a divided nation.
As America nurses its post-election hangover, the presence of apocalyptic indicators seems hard to miss. In Jesus’ words, nations are indeed rising upon against nation, kingdoms against kingdoms. There are earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues.
That’s not to mention what could be called the greatest portent of all -- the sign along Chicago’s Clark and Addison Streets that blared “Cubs Win!”
Indeed, the end is at hand -- not of the world, perhaps, but certainly of a wearisome and elongated presidential campaign that has rankled nerves and caused much anxiety. This year’s campaign, complete with a raunchy video, hacked e-mails, accusations of international intrusion, and more melodrama than years of The Apprentice, has ended. The mood now shifts to the future tense -- just as it does in Luke 21:5-19.
Jesus points out that appearances can be deceiving. What seems permanent can topple, even something as lovely as the great temple. False prophets will arise, and destruction will appear imminent. Believers will be hauled off to jail. In the face of these dire circumstances, however, Jesus says believers shall be stirred, but can never be shaken.
In times of challenge and change, we are called to remain grounded in hope, willing and ready offer our testimony. If all around us wonder “What’s next?” the answer may well be “Here is an opportunity to testify to the grace of Jesus Christ.” Do not be terrified, says Jesus. Instead, engage in acts of watchful waiting.
In the News
Swooning over the temple’s elaborate construction, the group Jesus was escorting through the temple were suitably impressed. It’s easy to imagine the tour group making its way past the various sights and signs. Gawking at the immense porticoes, the group moves past doors marked “No Entry,” or signs pointing “Way Out,” “Restrooms,” and so forth. But as they stand slack-jawed at the building’s masonry, Jesus points out one sign they may have missed: “Beware of Falling Rock.”
In other words, change can come at any moment. To ask “what’s next?” is to begin reading the signs of threats, opportunities, and change. It’s an especially timely question following a campaign that pitted two candidates with record low approval ratings. One poll even showed that 13 percent of respondents would prefer immediate extinction from a colossal space rock named the Sweet Meteor O’Death over voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.
Sweet Meteor O’Death is neither an Irish punk band nor a Celtic-styled Godzilla movie. But it does capture the zeitgeist of some in the electorate whose anxiety is palpable.
In many ways, asking “what next?” describes the president-elect’s primary task. Moving from running for office to occupying it, the incoming president must pay rapt attention to portents of change while navigating the nation through near-apocalyptic pathways of doom. The journey could be every bit as devastating as the fateful collapse of the Jerusalem temple.
Financial writer John Mauldin offers eight potential hotspots of economic worry for the next administration -- including Japan’s mounting debt, Australia’s potential housing crisis, perpetual agony in the Middle East, and the potential unraveling of the European Union. He then offers this somber prediction: “Given the worries I have already mentioned concerning the rest of the world and its impact on us, it is likely that you will have to deal with a recession.” Stimulating growth won’t be possible, he suggests, without significant reforms to tax, entitlement, and regulatory policies. Mauldin concludes this litany by asking “And you want this job why?”
Yet the economy will only be one stone positioned to topple on the new chief executive. Environmental concerns will be another, despite only receiving scant attention during the campaign. Ongoing struggles in the Middle East, disruptive cyberwarfare antics, and refugee resettlement issues will also occupy much of the next president’s to-do list. Whether it is a test of NATO’s alliance or North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, there is little doubt the new administration will quickly face national security challenges.
There are no shortage of signs clamoring for the next president’s attention.
Security-wise, some believe the president-elect will be confronted with so-called “black swan” challenges, or unexpected threats which can tumble out of the sky with little warning. Like stones falling from the temple, these sorts of events happen quickly -- and forcefully.
The spectrum of possibilities is broad, but many foresee issues with Russia. Analysts describe U.S.-Russian relationships as being worse than they were at the end of the Cold War. It’s a sensitive and dangerous arena, particularly given Russia’s unprecedented participation in cyber-attacks during the presidential campaign.
Relationships between the two nations have become so conflicted that even former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has pleaded for a new direction. “I think the world has reached a dangerous point,” he said recently. “This needs to stop. We need to renew dialogue,” he continued, commenting on the end of talks about Syria.
Despite diverse global challenges, the initial challenges may be centered on healing a divided nation. To take the metaphor further, signs on the road beyond the inauguration may well read “divided highways ahead.”
Surveys indicate that the nation is divided in just about every way imaginable. Public think tank PRRI studied a broad sampling of voters, documenting what closer observers of the campaign have already discovered. About 72 percent of likely Trump voters believe the nation has changed for the worse since the 1950s, while a similar percentage of likely Clinton voters believe the nation is improved. The survey noted many of the ways the nation is divided:
A clear majority of whites -- 56 percent -- say American society has declined since the 1950s, and class difference sharpens the divide: nearly two-thirds of working-class whites think the country has slipped over the last half-century, while 56 percent of college-educated whites think the nation has improved since the Eisenhower administration.
The racial gap is as wide as ever: About 6 in 10 African-Americans and about 57 percent of Hispanics say American society has improved, but about 8 in 10 blacks and more than 6 in 10 Hispanics disagree with clear majorities of both college-educated (59 percent) and working-class whites (66 percent) that police officers treat everyone the same.
Asking “what’s next?” involves more than wondering when the Sweet Meteor O’Death could collide with Earth. There’s more involved than studying shifting demographics and wooing swing-state voters. Like the crowd who is amazed and distracted by the razzle-dazzle of Herod’s spectacular temple, the new administration could find itself distracted by the polished stones of victory.
Our only hope, Jesus suggests, is to stop gawking and pay attention to the things that matter. Remain aware of the signs, but do not get discouraged or distracted. That is the hope we are called to proclaim.
In the Scriptures
While Luke doesn’t get into the details, it isn’t hard imagining Jesus rubbing his hand across the temple pillars as he speaks of its destruction. (See Willie James Jennings, “Theological Perspective,” Luke 21:5-8, in Feasting on the Gospels, Luke, Vol. 2, p. 224.) The eschatological point Luke makes could not be more clear: the impermanence of the Jerusalem temple will give rise to the new temple of the resurrected Christ. Jesus’ exhortation is one of both warning and encouragement.
Jesus warns that the end is near. He reiterates the declaration he made upon entering the city in Luke 19:41-44. All that glimmers will soon be reduced to a pile of rubble. True greatness (9:48) is not the work of human hands; it is exhibited only by the reign of God.
The Jerusalem Temple, rebuilt by King Herod in 19 BCE, was more than twice the size of its predecessor. Its footprint covered 35 acres (Robert Tannehill, Luke, p. 301). The crowd near Jesus in vv. 5-6 would have likely witnessed ongoing construction, and were no doubt overwhelmed by the immense outer courts, porches, and elaborate decorations. The structure, however, was obliterated by Rome within decades of its completion. Luke’s knowledge of the temple’s destruction confirms Jesus’ prediction: “not one stone will be left upon another.”
Despite this catastrophe, Jesus offers the assurance that “not a hair of your head will perish.” Luke reminds his readers that signs of God’s working in the world -- much like the star of Bethlehem -- appear for our encouragement. Even in the face of panic, Jesus seeks to quell fear.
The signs of destruction may appear imminent. Yet they are not reasons to be terrified (v. 9). The threat of the end times may provoke anxiety, but Jesus urges faithfulness, even restraint. In the days that will surely come, says Jesus, there will be a temptation to be “led astray.” Yet those who follow Jesus should not be distracted from assurance of God’s presence.
Maintaining that assurance is not easy, especially as familiar and dependable structures fail. Luke’s readers knew what it meant to witness the destruction of the temple -- and if that massive structure could be destroyed, what next?
In the face of upheaval, destruction, and arrest, Jesus instructs those listening to endure. But this endurance is not simply holding tightly to the hand railing. Jesus reminds the disciples that out of hardship comes opportunities to speak about what God has done. All of this will provide an opportunity for giving witness to what they have witnessed in him. Even moments of dodging falling rocks can become a story of faith. Jesus tells them trials will become an opportunity to testify about the gospel.
Be ready, he says, but don’t worry about what you’re going to say. When the going gets tough, disciples become witnesses (v. 13), who will reiterate what Jesus has taught them: “I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand.”
Sage words for any believer, let alone a preacher wrestling with an eschatological text on the Sunday after an election. We might be tempted to pray: “Lord, may it be so.”
In the Sermon
So, what’s next? Does the sermon begin with a litany of warnings about the United States and the doom that will soon be upon us? Does the preacher “keep it local” and point to the many places where our sanctuaries are crumbling as the result of deferred maintenance, giving the congregation a finger-wagging warning that “the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another”?
Neither sarcasm nor hysteria results from a careful listening to Luke’s apocalyptic. Jesus’ words are intended to encourage believers, equipping them with hope as they bear witness to their belief. In times that are challenging and changing, the church needs this message. As the nation processes the results of the election and begins to ask “what’s next?” our congregations will benefit from hearing Jesus say “do not be terrified.”
As with other apocalyptic texts, the key to preaching Luke’s description of the end times is seeing the text as words of hope for those struggling to maintain faith in difficult times. These are not a checklist of eschatological happenings. Instead, Jesus’ warnings are a reminder that life is hard. We will travel through adverse times, but are comforted in knowing God has not abandoned us.
But the purpose of that promise is not solely for a comforting “kum-ba-yah” moment. Jesus guides our eyes to the tumbling of institutions and assures us that even in terrifying moments God is present. As the dust settles after the election, this word of assurance is an invitation to step forward in faith.
Within that assurance we find room to explore our own testimony. The assurance of verse 15 could provide the congregation with resources for exploring their own stories of faith. With Thanksgiving and family visits up ahead, the congregation could be encouraged to share stories of faith as families. The practice of sharing testimony is not common to our congregations, yet there is power in sharing faith stories.
Not long ago, I was taken aback when a new visitor greeted me after worship by reaching into his suitcoat and handing me a copy of his carefully prepared testimony. It was a story of how he had experienced God’s care during a harrowing episode of bipolar disease. His story didn’t necessarily mesh with my Reformed theology, but his point was clear: in the face of chaos, Jesus had indeed given him the words to say.
His testimony mattered. He endured and sought treatment for his disease. Rocks fell around him, but he was not terrified. It remains a day-to-day struggle, of course. With believers of every time and place, he daily asks: “What’s next?”
SECOND THOUGHTS
The Day of the Lord
by Dean Feldmeyer
Isaiah 65:17-25
Most contemporary biblical scholars believe that this Sunday’s text from Isaiah contains the opening lines of the prophet’s final vision, which runs through chapter 66.
This final vision takes us all the way back to chapter one, verse one of Genesis -- the beginning of time. It describes God reclaiming God’s creation, re-purposing it, re-forming it, re-shaping it, and re-establishing it upon the earth.
This is not the obliteration that was accomplished with the great flood, nor is it a band-aid and aspirin that masks the symptoms of a broken creation without addressing its root problems.
This is a complete do-over, a remaking of all that is.
And it sounds pretty great. That is, most of it sounds pretty great. There is this one place, maybe a couple of places, however... well, we’ll get to that in a moment.
In the Scriptures
Quaker painter Edward Hicks based his famous painting “The Peaceable Kingdom” on the 11th chapter of Isaiah, but it offers a good visual of the new heaven and new earth that Isaiah describes in chapter 65. Perhaps that’s because Isaiah himself reaches back to chapter 11 for some images in this passage. The utopian kingdom described in chapter 65 does recommend itself to visual interpretation, does it not?
Writing in the New Interpreter’s Bible, Gene M. Tucker asserts that the idyllic vision that is described in Isaiah 65:17-25 is more than just “wishful thinking or the prophet’s rhetorical excess.” He continues that “when we consider the work of God in Christ, we see that this vision of Isaiah entails the actual project God has undertaken through the obedience of his son. This is not high-flying rhetoric, but a genuine description of what God has accomplished in Jesus Christ” (Vol. 6, p. 551).
I would add that this vision is one that has not only been accomplished in Jesus Christ, but continues to be so whenever the risen Christ bursts in upon us in the midst of our lives.
So profound is that presence that everything else is forgotten, at least for the time being. All of creation in its entirety (heaven and earth) is transformed. And inasmuch as we are part of that creation, we too are transformed.
And this is good news. It is a joy and a delight! Cries of distress and the sound of weeping are gone. And this is made possible in very concrete and contemporary terms.
The end of crying and weeping comes to us as good and widely available health care -- so good, in fact, that infant mortality is reduced and the average life span is increased. It comes as adequate and affordable housing. It comes as a plentitude of good and nutritious food. It comes as purpose and meaning and satisfaction in work. It comes as God, who is not far off but close and actively involved with our lives and our world. It comes as enemies become friends, and those who would do harm are estranged and cast out.
In the World
Good news, huh?
Well, maybe not for everyone.
I mean, who’s going to pay for all of this health care and housing and nutritious food? Where’s it all going to come from?
It comes, says Isaiah, from the transformed human heart.
The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization use the infant mortality rate as the prime indicator of the general and overall health of a country. In 2010 the United States was ranked 26th in the world with 6.1 deaths per 1000. The lowest was a tie between Finland and Japan with 2.3 deaths per thousand. The countries with the lowest infant mortality rates tend to be those with national health insurance, where health care is considered a human right.
Isaiah’s vision of people all building their own houses and living in them seems like a great vision to the homeless or the denizens of poorly built and maintained tenement housing, but landlords and developers are probably going to take exception to this plank in God’s platform. The vision of adequate and accessible housing will have to arise out of the hearts of those among us who profit financially from a certain percentage of our population being homeless and another group who are so desperate that they will pay exorbitant rent prices just to have a roof over their heads.
Adequate food for all will mean that some of us will have to stop being so wasteful and so picky about what we eat. And prices are going to have to come down, especially in the most nutritious foods like milk and produce.
Meaningful and satisfying work may require some bosses to change the relationship they have with their employees, and employees will have to take pride in work that they have heretofore done simply to get a paycheck.
For enemies to become friends, we must stop demonizing those who are different from us and start seeing them as human beings who are valued and loved by God.
In the Pulpit
The rich really are getting richer and the poor really are getting poorer. And the middle class is shrinking, becoming smaller and smaller.
The Associated Press created a series of brief, readable, articles before the presidential election under the banner “Why It Matters.” One in particular speaks to this issue under the title “Income Inequality.” It begins:
Income inequality has surged near levels last seen before the Great Depression. The average income for the top 1 percent of households climbed 7.7 percent last year to $1.36 million, according to tax data tracked by Emmanuel Saez, an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley. That privileged sliver of the population saw pay climb at almost twice the rate of income growth for the other 99 percent, whose pay averaged a humble $48,768....
Most Americans still have yet to recover from the Great Recession, even though that downturn ended seven years ago. The average income for the 99 percent is still lower than it was back in 1998 after adjusting for inflation.
Meanwhile, incomes for the executives, bankers, hedge fund managers, entertainers, and doctors who make up the top 1 percent have steadily improved. These one-percenters account for roughly 22 percent of all personal income, more than double the post-World War II era level of roughly 10 percent. One reason the income disparity is troubling for the nation is that it’s thinning out the ranks of the middle class.
To be sure, Isaiah’s vision of the new heaven and new earth is one that addresses income inequality with the redistribution of wealth, a phrase that is likely to be met with anything from light skepticism to outright hostility when mentioned from the pulpit.
Yet there it is.
Infants and old people are healthy, which, for whatever reason, means a change in the health care system has either already occurred or is about to.
People are growing their own food and eating it, which is bad news for farmers and grocery stores.
People are building their own houses and living in them, which bodes not well for contractors, developers, real estate agents, and landlords.
People are finding meaning and satisfaction in their work, which means that the minimum wage has probably gone up, and that everyone from the penthouse and the corner office to the assembly line and the stenographic pool is respected for their contributions and treated with care and dignity.
Isaiah’s imaginative vision of God’s future earth is one where wolf lies down with lamb, where employer sits down not across from but beside employee, where people are not divided by wealth or status but united in their purpose of creating the new Jerusalem in their homes, in their hospitals, in their workplaces, in their schools, in their communities, and in the world.
For there shall the lion and ox sit down at table together and the serpents, the snakes, the exploiters, the users, the haters, and the dividers will be set afar off where they cannot ever again hurt or destroy on God’s holy mountain.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Mary Austin:
Luke 21:5-19
Waiting
Jesus points us toward a season of waiting for God’s plans to be fulfilled. The holiday season often finds us doing a more mundane kind of waiting -- waiting in line. Writer Carolyn Gregoire notes that Americans spend an estimated 37 billion hours a year waiting in line. She wonders: “[W]hy do we hate waiting so much? According to MIT operations researcher and line expert Richard Larson, occupied time feels shorter than unoccupied time, so when we’re standing in a long line or in a doctor’s office waiting room, the time does feel as if it’s dragging on. Waiting can provoke impatience, stress, and anxiety, and in turn anxiety also makes waits seem longer.”
She suggests that there’s a spiritual benefit to be found in our waiting time: “Most of us would like to have more peace and stillness in our lives, and yet we don’t make use of life’s many daily opportunities to just be still and practice patience. No opportunity is better than when we’re waiting -- when we so often whip out our phones and busy ourselves with texts, e-mails, Candy Crush, Spotify, or Twitter. But what if we welcomed these idle, luxuriously long in-between moments as opportunities to simply wait?”
She adds: “In Japanese, there is a concept known as ma, which refers to a gap, pause, or negative space between things. The term is generally used in the context of the zen aesthetic, but it’s also a useful construct when it comes to how we think of spending our time. We can use life’s inevitable waiting periods as moments of ma -- ways to create still points in our constantly turning worlds.” Getting better at small kinds of waiting may equip us to wait more skillfully for God’s plans too.
*****
Luke 21:5-19
Something New
Jesus tells about the destruction of the temple, to the shock of the people listening. He tells them that something new is on the way. Blogger Seth Godin says that we can all be part of great new things, in the same way that Jesus calls us into God’s new thing. Godin says: “On any given meeting, on any given day, most people are merely showing up.... Every once in a while, though, someone is on their toes.... We can’t be on our toes all the time. It’s too exhausting, and we can’t keep it up. But what happens if we decide, everyone in this room, right here and right now, at least for a little while, that we’ll act as if it’s the first time, or the last time, or our best shot? What would happen if we all got on our toes together? Just for a little while? That’s when big things happen.”
*****
Luke 21:5-19
Disaster
Jesus promises that disaster will come, and that his followers will find the strength to withstand anything that comes to them. He promises the gift of wisdom when they need it, even in the midst of unimaginable change. Writer Rebecca Solnit says that community grows out of disaster: “In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake hit the Bay Area, and I was amazed by my own response -- to never think again about the person who was making my life difficult and think instead about the people and place I loved -- and everyone else’s. For years after, I noticed how many people looked happy when they told their earthquake stories.”
Solnit adds that a disaster gives spiritual clarity, saying that “people in disasters live in an intensified present. One of the silliest things about calamity in disaster movies is that people are carrying all their personal baggage with them, and just as you don’t evacuate with the coffee table and the boxes of junk, so you shed some of that in your psyche in an emergency.... So on the one hand people sometimes find themselves in the circumstances they had yearned for -- they are deeply connected to the time and place and people around them, they have a meaningful role, and the stuff (that is mostly located everywhere but the here and now) we fret about has been swept away. Sometimes civil society seems reborn and regnant, as though a revolution has taken place. Sometimes as the emergencies are resolved people seem to have a different sense of what is possible, for themselves personally, and for their society.”
A disaster reveals what’s true in our lives, she says: “some [form of] altruism and generosity is with us all the time.... A schoolteacher works for a salary, but she does her job with heart and soul and maybe buys her poorest student a coat and art supplies for the whole class because she’s not just for hire, she’s much more.... And most of us have had the experience of a personal calamity -- a major illness or disruption or loss -- and had people show up for us in moving ways, seeing the depth of our connections in ways we might not have otherwise. These are the mini-disasters, and they can change your life a little too.”
When Jesus looks ahead to disaster, he also offers us the chance to find something deeper in our faith, and in ourselves.
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From team member Ron Love:
Isaiah 65:17-25
In a Peanuts comic strip, there is a Halloween scene in which Snoopy is peacefully laying on his back on the top of his doghouse (his favorite resting domain) as Lucy comes up to him, dressed in a sorcerer’s hat and holding a bag for candy. When she disturbs Snoopy with the loud cry “Trick or Treat,” Snoopy suddenly turns over onto his stomach and plants a big doggy kiss on Lucy’s nose. With a look of both surprise and disgust she turns and walks away, only to have Snoopy say, “That’s the best treat you’ll get all night, sweetie!” (Note: If your sanctuary has a projection screen, you may want to display this comic.)
Application: Isaiah is giving his people the best treat possible, which is the restoration of their land.
*****
Malachi 4:1-2a
The World Series is over, but the battle continues. Not the war between the Cubs and the Indians, but the battle between Nancy and John Riddle. The Riddles are going through a combative divorce -- and one of many contentious issues between them was which member of the couple would get the tickets to attend Game 4 of the Series. One could go to the stadium; the other could go to the television. The fight became so ferocious that it had to be settled in court. Judge Mayra Nega ruled that John could keep the two tickets, one for himself and the other for his 12-year-old son. But this did not come without a price. John had to purchase a comparable ticket for his wife, with the cheapest available ticket starting at $3,000.
Application: Malachi is very clear on how destructive arrogance can be.
*****
Malachi 4:1-2a
In a Cornered comic, a slouching employee is standing before his CEO’s desk. The boss, who has a rather pompous expression on his face, says to the employee in a tone that is both harsh and scolding: “We think the world of you. Then again, it’s a very small world.” (Note: If your sanctuary has a projection screen, you may want to display this comic.)
Application: With our arrogance, we can easily destroy the self-worth of another individual.
*****
Psalm 98
The same question has been repeated for over 3,400 years -- on the 15h day of Nisan, the first month of the Jewish calendar, the youngest child sitting at the dinner table asks: “Why is this night different from all other nights?” This inquiry expresses the child’s confusion regarding the seder meal, and the answer is to share the story of the Passover -- of Moses leading the Jewish people away from their Egyptian captivity to Canaan, the Promised Land. It was their Exodus.
Application: When a child asks “Why is this night different?” will you be able to answer? Judaism informs us that we can only answer if we understand our own personal Exodus, our own individual voyage of faith. To teach our children, we must first be able to articulate the memories of our individual faith journey, from the time of conversion to present maturity. That is, in the message of the psalm, will we be able to sing a new song?
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
In a Dennis the Menace comic, Dennis is in bed for the night with his father sitting on the bedside reading to him from a storybook. Dennis, a teddy bear resting beside him, is obviously tired, yet he still says to his dad: “Keep reading. My eyes are sleepy but my ears are still awake.” (Note: If your sanctuary has a projection screen, you may want to display this comic.)
Application: From the frustration expressed in his letter, Paul may have wondered if not only the eyes but also the ears of the Thessalonians had become sleepy.
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
During the World Series Chicago Cubs star Kyle Schwarber was inspired to do his best because a 10-year-old boy in Arizona was rooting for him. Some 1,700 miles away from Wrigley Field, Campbell Faulkner has mitochondrial disease -- a life-threatening condition in which the body does not properly absorb oxygen and food. Schwarber met Campbell when the boy came to Cubs’ spring training. It was there a friendship was born. Schwarber says of the youngster, “He’s a kid who can always put a smile on my face.” Schwarber wears a green bracelet indicating that he is a member of the Campbell’s Crew, a support group for Campbell.
Application: Paul stresses the point of imitating good people.
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
We can rejoice in the improvements that are being made for individuals with disabilities. Though we still have a long journey before us, we can rejoice with each way station we come to. The latest step is the development of artificial hands that can feel. Previous prosthetic hands had no concept of how much pressure they were applying to an object, so an egg or a hammer were treated the same. Now, with new electronic sensors an artificial hand can make a distinction between a hammer or an egg, and then apply the necessary pressure to accomplish the task. According to biomechanical engineer Dustin Tyler, “we are getting to the point where users respond as they would to a normal limb.”
Application: It was Paul’s desire that those who were idle would learn the meaning of touch.
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
In the post-apostolic church, spanning from the death of the last of the twelve apostles through the fourth century, membership required three years of preparation. Catechumens followed a succession of three classes. When first admitted they were called “hearers,” as they listened to lectures and sermons. The “kneelers” followed, who remained for the prayers. The final class was called “the chosen.” A convert came to the episcopal school, so named because it was presided over by a bishop, to complete the educational requirements for baptism and church membership. Participants studied creeds, liturgies, and the bishop’s approved list of apostolic writings. Absent of a canonized New Testament, the equation employed for determining an orthodox writing was the “Logos Doctrine,” which parallels the prologue to John’s gospel.
Application: This learning process is what Paul would also refer to as becoming imitators of those Christians who have gone before them.
*****
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
Perry Noble of NewSpring Church (which has several campuses across South Carolina) is the worship leader of 32,000, and he caused a theological stir with his Christmas Eve sermon in 2014. During this sermon he proclaimed that the Ten Commandments were not commandments but only promises, since the word for “commandments” is not in the Hebrew lexicon. Having this epiphany, he wrote a revolutionary sermon in ten minutes transforming “you shalt not” to “you are free.” Reputable theologians challenged the pastor regarding his exegesis. Though the Hebrew word used in the Torah can mean “promises,” it can also be interpreted as “declarations.” It would seem “Thou shall not...” is hardly a promise but most certainly a declaration -- which is a commandment. Noble later confessed there was a Hebrew word for “commandment,” but stood by his sermon that on Mt. Sinai Moses was given ten promises. Since its conception NewSpring Church has been plagued by heretical teachings. Perhaps the word “promise” has a place at NewSpring, for a visitor is immediately informed that it is a church... but not like denominational churches. Rock bands, light shows, and vulgarity from the pulpit would substantiate that.
Application: We can read from Paul’s letter that he is desperately seeking that the Christians in Thessalonica live a theologically orthodox life.
*****
Luke 21:5-19
It took two weeks before Bob Dylan responded to having received the Nobel Prize in Literature. In his first interview he said of receiving the award, “It’s hard to believe.” He went on to use the words “incredible” and “amazing.” When asked if he felt qualified for the Noble Prize, Dylan responded, “I’ll let other people decide what they are. The academics, they ought to know -- I’m not really qualified. I don’t have an opinion.”
Application: Bob Dylan was wise enough to know he was not qualified to choose a candidate for the Noble Prize, that only the academics sitting on the committee were able to do so. This is similar to Jesus’ answer for those always wanting to know the date of the end time, for it is only the enthroned God who is qualified to know.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: We will give thanks to you, O God.
People: Once you were angry with us, but now you have comforted us.
Leader: Surely God is our salvation.
People: We will trust and will not be afraid.
Leader: God is our strength and our might.
People: God has become our salvation.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the God who created all that is.
People: We lift our voices in praise to our creating God.
Leader: God is still at work to bring creation to completion.
People: We long for the wholeness that God brings.
Leader: God has called us to join the work of healing the world.
People: With God’s help, we will join in this ministry.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Many and Great, O God”
found in:
UMH:148
H82: 385
PH: 271
NCH: 3
CH: 58
ELA: 837
W&P: 26
“This Is a Day of New Beginnings”
found in:
UMH: 383
NCH: 417
CH: 518
W&P: 355
“Tú Has Venido a la Orilla” (“Lord, You Have Come to the Lakeshore”)
found in:
UMH: 344
PH: 377
CH: 342
W&P: 347
“Spirit of the Living God”
found in:
UMH: 393
PH: 322
AAHH: 320
NNBH: 133
NCH: 283
CH: 259
W&P: 492
“Seek Ye First”
found in:
UMH: 405
H82: 711
PH: 333
CH: 354
W&P: 349
CCB: 76
“Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life”
found in:
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELA: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
“O God of Every Nation”
found in:
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELA: 713
W&P: 626
“This Is My Song”
found in:
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELA: 887
STLT: 159
“Sing Unto the Lord a New Song”
found in:
CCB: 16
Renew: 99
“The Steadfast Love of the Lord”
found in:
CCB: 28
Renew: 23
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who created and is ever re-creating: Grant us the wisdom to look to you for a new earth while working with you to bring it to fruition; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for you have never stopped creating. So fill us with your Spirit that we may both trust in you to bring about our new earth while also working with you to bring it into being. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to trust God to make all things new.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We get so taken up in politics and other worldly endeavors that we forget who reigns over all creation. We get impatient with you calling and wooing us to the fullness of your reign. We want quick fixes and easy answers. We don’t want to do the hard work you call us to engage in. We want a miracle where everything is made perfect in a flash. Call us back once again to your plan for creation and your plan for us in bringing it about. So fill us with your Spirit that we may faithfully serve you and all creation. Amen.
Leader: God does desire us to be made whole. And God intends for us to be a part of that process. With love and grace, God grants forgiveness and the power of the Spirit.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We worship and adore you, O God, for the wonders of creation. We rejoice in your renewing work throughout all the world.
(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 get so taken up in politics and other worldly endeavors that we forget who reigns over all creation. We get impatient with you calling and wooing us to the fullness of your reign. We want quick fixes and easy answers. We don’t want to do the hard work you call us to engage in. We want a miracle where everything is made perfect in a flash. Call us back once again to your plan for creation and your plan for us in bringing it about. So fill us with your Spirit that we may faithfully serve you and all creation.
We give you thanks for all your blessings. We thank you that you have not given up on us but are ever working to bring us to wholeness and the fullness of life. We thank you for those who work to help bring about your reign and who echo your call for us to join the work.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for the needs of all creation. We pray for the wholeness that you envisioned at the beginning of creating. We pray for ourselves, that we may join your creative work.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Show the children pictures of the National Cathedral. It took years and years to build, but they are never done building. There are stone masons and artists still at work repairing and redoing. The vision of what the cathedral was meant to be must always be worked on. In the same way, God continues to work in creation to make us what we need to be.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
God Stands Firm
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Luke 21:5-19
As you gather the children, invite them to look around your worship space. Ask them to tell you what parts of the worship space are their favorites, and why. (Allow the children to respond.) Share with them what you like about your worship space, and why.
If there are significant elements in your worship space -- stained-glass windows, baptismal font, carvings, banners, communionware, or the communion table -- point these out to the children and include details that may interest them.
Agree and affirm that your worship space is special and holds much meaning to people in your congregation. Connect your conversation to the conversation Jesus had with his disciples in Luke’s gospel.
***
Jesus and his disciples were gathered in the temple. It was a special place, with walls lined with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God. God’s people loved being in that beautiful place.
Then Jesus said something that surprised the people. He said, “There will come a day when not one stone in this temple will be left stacked upon another.” The walls of the temple will fall; the special building will be destroyed.
Can you imagine how the people felt when they heard Jesus say this? How do you think they felt while hearing Jesus’ words?(Allow children to respond.)
I know that I would be very sad to hear these words. I might be a little scared too. But if you think about it, what Jesus was saying is true. The people had a beautiful building where they could worship God. We’re not so different... we have a beautiful place where we can come together and worship God. But like any building, it won’t last forever. As beautiful as this place is, it’s only made of bricks and blocks, wood and glass. It won’t be here forever.
What will be forever is the God we worship. Even when this building is gone, God won’t be gone.
Jesus was telling his friends this too. The special temple where Jesus and his friends gathered to worship would one day fall down. It would be a scary time for God’s people. But God will not fall. God will build a new thing... a new temple, a new church, a new place for God’s people to come together with God.
This is God’s good news for today: when things change, when buildings fall down, or when it looks like things are falling apart... God stays the same, God stays with us, God doesn’t fall down.
Prayer: Thank you, God, for this worship space. Thank you for this church. Most of all, we thank you for always standing with your people, even when things change. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, November 13, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
