When The Darkness Deepens
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
The shocking news of the thwarting of a major plot to blow up several trans-Atlantic flights -- and the resulting concerns over the safety of airline travel -- have raised the specter of the 9/11 attacks (soon approaching their fifth anniversary) and renewed fears about our vulnerability to the actions of shadowy terrorists. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member James Killen suggests that in the face of such threats, a the key to understanding true security lies in Jesus' words from John 6:54: "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." Team member Scott Suskovic offers additional thoughts on our culture's emphasis on personal responsibility and taking control of one's life -- and the seeming contradiction between that approach and the oft-heard axiom to "let go and let God." As usual, this week's material also includes a variety of related illustrations, worship resources, and a children's sermon.
When The Darkness Deepens
by James L. Killen Jr.
John 6:51-58
THE WORLD
The darkness deepens. Authorities in Britain and Pakistan have apparently forestalled plans for another terrorist attack on our country. We had been feeling secure in our protectedness (and I had prepared a piece on Solomon's request for wisdom) -- but then the startling news of these arrests came. We should have been expecting it. The war in Iraq is heating up instead of winding down; and though hopes are high that the cease-fire will hold in Israel and Lebanon, those countries have experienced much destruction in the past month. Our country has taken a position contrary to that advocated by many Arab nations, and for that matter a good share of the rest of the world as well. Those who have learned to feel righteous about hating America are certainly blaming us and seeking a way to make us suffer as people in the war-ravaged countries are suffering. We know now that this is the way they think -- so we should have been expecting another terrorist attack. Fortunately they were foiled this time -- but that will not be the end of it. We ought to know to expect still another attack. "The darkness deepens."
THE WORD
Do you recognize the words of an old hymn? And do you remember what comes next? "The darkness deepens... Lord, with me abide." We have the Lord's promise that he will abide with us. But right now we must reckon with his invitation for us to abide in him. What could it mean for us to abide in Christ right now? It is important for us to ask that and to act upon the answer. This week's Gospel text, John 6:51-58, has Jesus saying some things that are as bewildering to us as they were to the people who first heard them -- things about eating his body and drinking his blood. But then Jesus gives us a key to what he means when he says, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them" (v. 56). This is a reference, either from Jesus or from the evangelist, to the Eucharistic practices of that community of people who abide in Christ -- that is to say, those who live their lives in relationship with Christ.
The word "abide" puts us in touch with one of the major themes in the teachings of Jesus as they are reported in John's Gospel. We find them spelled out most completely in John's report of the conversation Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died (John 14-17). But in the same dialogue we also find some other teachings that help us establish the context for making the reference to abiding in Christ meaningful to us right now.
First, Jesus describes his coming death as simply going to the Father -- and he told the disciples that their deaths would be like that too and suggested that the transition would really not be that great (John 14:1-10).
Jesus also assured the disciples that he would still be with them, although in another way. Volumes of complex theology have been written about the relationship between Jesus and God -- but Jesus makes it simple: "All that you have seen me doing is something God was doing. And from now on wherever God is I will be, and whatever God is doing I will be doing" (John 14:18-24). Jesus promised that an advocate, the Holy Spirit, would come as the medium of God's active presence in our world and in our lives. The bottom line is that Jesus and God are not gone -- they are still here with us.
We can also live our lives in relationship with God. We can "abide" in God and in Christ just as branches abide in a vine (John 15:1-11). The shape of that relationship -- the dynamic force at work in it -- is Love: God's love for us, our love for each other, and our learning to participate in God's love for the world (John 15:12-17).
Jesus warns the disciples, and us, that we are going to have to live in a world where hate is at work (John 15:18--16:4). He even said, "The hour is coming when those who kill you will think that they are offering worship to God" (John 16:2). Sounds ominously familiar, doesn't it? But for our comfort Jesus said, "In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!" (John 16:33b). We will have to live our way into an understanding of what he meant by that.
Then there is chapter 17, in which Jesus prays for the disciples and those who will believe through him -- for us! He prays that we will love one another, and be one in the spirit, and that we will not stumble; but then he says something that adds a whole new dimension. He says, "As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them" (John 17:18). We have a mission -- the same mission that Jesus had. (Think about that.)
All of these things are implied in the few words that Jesus spoke when he said, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." (Those who celebrate the love feast of the Eucharist abide in me, and I in them.)
CRAFTING THE SERMON
So what can it mean for us to abide in Christ now that we are under the threat of another terrorist attack?
I am afraid that it does not mean all we have to do is ask and God will make the threat go away. Yes, Jesus said, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14). But that doesn't mean what we might wish. God does not micromanage everything that happens in human life and history. I know that there are people who believe that God made the terrorist attack of 9/11 and the war between Israel and Lebanon happen for his own purpose, but I can't believe that. Lots of things happen in the world that God doesn't want to happen. God can and does work through those things to accomplish his purposes, and He expects us to work with him (John 14:12). But we cannot just count on God to magically make threats go away.
We will want to think about abiding in Christ as a way of finding security in a threatening situation -- and we can do that if we learn to find our security in our relationship with that which is eternal rather than in our relationships with things that we depend on in this world. This may not the way we want it, but if we can find peace in that way we will experience a real liberation. That is easier for me now than it was a short time ago. A little more than a year ago, my wife died. In my grief, I first thought of my wife having gone to some beautiful place far away where she would wait to come running to meet me some day. But eventually the image changed. I realized that she had gone to be with God -- and God is not somewhere else. God is present and at work in every moment of life -- and so is she. I begin to experience her presence like that of the cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. I experience her presence in a special way as I kneel at the communion rail to take the symbols of the body and blood of Christ. It no longer seems far away. It no longer seems that it would be such a terrible thing to go to the Father as Jesus did. There is a real liberating security in that. Christians in Lebanon and Galilee are finding their security in that right now -- and so can we.
But to abide in Christ means to participate in what Jesus is doing. Right now that must involve suffering, and not just the suffering that could come to us if there is another terrorist attack. It must mean suffering with Christ the pain of all those who suffer in the world. We must suffer, with Christ, the suffering of all those who are oppressed, all who are hungry, all who are dying of AIDS, all who are having to sell their daughters into prostitution to survive, and all who are suffering the death, destruction, and dislocation of war. Those who abide in Christ can never completely shut out an awareness of the suffering in the world so as to make their own lives pleasant. Yes, we can and should claim and celebrate the gifts of life and joy, because those gifts enable us the serve the high purpose of God -- but we can never forget the suffering.
God has called us to share in the work that the risen Christ, the living God, is doing is this poor, hurting world. God will have us trying to do something about the threat of terrorism, but that will mean doing something very different than what most people want to do about it. We are called to build a better world where there is no hate. It has been rightly said that in this world no one can dwell secure until everyone dwells secure. We cannot respond to hate with hate, nor can we allow ourselves to sink into bitterness or fear -- because that eventually turns into hate and multiplies the suffering. We must learn the strategies of love and how to use them to build them a better world. For most of us that will involve learning a whole new way of relating to reality, but it is a task we must accomplish if we are to abide in Christ. Christ has sent us into the world as God has sent Christ into the world -- to do the work of Christ in the way Christ did it.
This is what it means to abide in Christ in a world that is under the threat of terrorist attack -- and if we can learn to do that, then we will become part of the hope of the world.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Scott Suskovic
How can we as Christians on the one hand be vigilant and prepared for the threats of this world (i.e. terrorism), and on the other hand abide in God and trust that God will overcome the world? Frankly, I'm overwhelmed by the notion that I as a personal Christian have any effect on stopping terrorist plots. I believe that John 6:51-58 can be much more practical for our daily struggles with control.
A couple of months ago I saw Katie Couric on the Today show interviewing some Harvard sociologist who claims that we as an American people are 15% more miserable today than we were ten years ago. (Not that 15% of the people are more miserable, but that as a whole our contentment/misery meter has dropped 15% in ten years.) I first thought, "Yeah, it's because we are ten years older. My knees hurt!" But that wasn't it. This sociologist ticked off our finances, uncertain job market, increasing divorce rate, the Iraq war, and gas prices as the measuring stick of misery. After interviewing a single mom who recently went through a divorce and was forced to reenter the job market, the sociologist concluded that the solution to our misery, the way out of this darkened pit, the way to return contentment back into our lives is... to take more control of your life.
And I thought, "Who pays your salary? How big was that grant, how many months of research did it take to come up with that brilliant solution? Of course. Take responsibility for your life. It's your finances, it's your weight, it's your relationships, it's your job. Stop whining, stop blaming, stop playing the victim. Take control of your life." But then again, maybe the notion of personal responsibility for your own life was a startling new discovery for both NBC and this Harvard sociologist -- that the answer was not lower gas prices, a higher minimum wage, a government program, a new president, or the end to global warming. It's you. It's your life. It's your decision. Take control.
And yet, here's the confusing part. How often have we heard in Christian circles the phrase "let go and let God"? Isn't that just the opposite? Let go and let God? What does that mean? Give up control? Give up responsibility? Give up action and turn it all to God? I've heard that phrase often, but I've realized I don't really know what that means -- or even how to do that without sounding like the foolish farmer who spent all spring rocking on his front porch while staring at his unplanted, weed-filled land and an unused tractor in the barn and saying, "Hope the Lord will provide us a good harvest in the fall." It's your field -- get out there!
So do you take control of your life as the Harvard sociologist suggested, or do you "let go and let God" (i.e., abide in him)? I "googled" that phrase (let go, let God) and came up with (ready?) 52,200,000 hits. I didn't read them all -- but after ten, they said basically the same thing: "Don't worry. Give it over to God. Let go, let God." That didn't help.
There are things we ought to release, let go and let God, and abide in him because they are God's responsibility. Cast your burdens upon the Lord. Do not be anxious about tomorrow. I have plans for your well-being. Be still and know that I am God. Wait. Have no fear -- it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Let go and let God. But what do I need to grip, and what do I need to release?
In South America, they have developed an ingenious way of catching monkeys. They bore a hole in a tree the exact size of a favorite food of the monkey, like a piece of fruit. Then they slip the fruit into the hole. And when the monkey discovers the treat, he reaches in the hole, takes hold of the fruit, and becomes trapped. Why? Because he won't let go of the fruit and his hand is too big to slip out of the hole. That monkey will hold onto that fruit, howling and crying -- even as the natives walk up to it, throw a net around it, shake loose the fruit, and carry the monkey away.
That's how you figure out what to grip and what to release. As yourself -- "What's trapping you, what's consuming you, what's killing you?" That's what we need to let go.
The well-known pastor and author T.D. Jakes has written about "letting it go":
If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for you... LET IT GO
If you are holding on to past hurts and pains... LET IT GO
If someone has angered you... LET IT GO
If you are involved in a wrong relationship... LET IT GO
If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents or values... LET IT GO
If you have a bad attitude... LET IT GO
If you are holding on to some evil thoughts or revenge... LET IT GO
If you keep judging others... LET IT GO
If the world just won't cooperate with you... LET IT GO
If you are stuck in the past or stuck in grief... LET IT GO
If you are trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves... LET IT GO
If you are wrestling with a situation right now in which you are over your head... LET IT GO
In baptism, you have died to yourself and live for Christ. We were buried with him, put to death. In baptism, God named you and claimed you as his very own. The old has passed away, your sins are forgiven, your future is bright -- for you no longer walk as a dead person but as one who is alive in Christ. Release anger, grip love. Release filth, grip purity. Release worry, grip trust. Release yourself, grip Jesus.
That's called a Balanced Life. That's what it means to abide in Christ.
There is a popular prayer attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr. It's called the Serenity Prayer, and has been made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous. It's about gripping and releasing... the important thing is to know the difference. While I was familiar with the first part of the prayer, it was the second part that gave me a grip on what it means to give up control and abide in Christ:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.
ILLUSTRATIONS
As we live our lives in the midst of terrorism and threats of terrorism, we need to remember that our Lord is with us, and that he is good. As E. Stanley Jones writes:
The norm has been fixed, we now know what goodness is: it is Christlikeness. If so, then sin is un-Christlikeness. That fixes a standard by which evil may be judged. Anything that departs from his mind and purpose is sin.... We know now what God's life is and what [our] life ought to be -- Christlike.
-- E. Stanley Jones, The Christ of Every Road, pp. 68-69
***
We're in the season of Pentecost, celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit:
In John's Gospel it is said that the reason the Spirit had not yet been given was that "Jesus was not yet glorified." When he went to the throne, then the Spirit was given. It is not different today. There is only one thing that keeps us from receiving the Spirit -- Jesus is not on the throne of our lives. Something else is. When he becomes Lord of all he offers us all. It is only empty hands that can grasp a whole Christ. When we are sure we are withholding nothing we may be sure that God is withholding nothing. The Gift of the Spirit may then become ours.
-- The Christ of Every Road, p. 250
***
Whether we're a child, a young person, or an adult, the Lord calls each of us to do our work, our ministry, with him:
In the New Testament a minister is a diakonos, literally, "one who goes through the dust" -- the figure of the camel driver who walks through the dust leading the camel while another is seated on top. But we will never be New Testament ministers and be willing to go through the dust unless and until we are inwardly humbled to the dust. Pentecost does that. It strips us of all pretensions, all pride, all place and makes us persons. The apostles had apostolic power because they had no apostolic pretensions.
-- The Christ of Every Road, pp. 113-114
***
You need the responses of members of Christ's body to help you discern [God's] will for you. A spirituality developed in isolation risks deception, lacking the corrective influence of the community. In the community of faith we share our private visions and personal experiences of the grace of God, and the community listens with discerning ears. The community's response enables us to sort out the voice of God from the murmuring of our own unconsciousness.
I have an urge to change my vocation, for example. An opportunity presents itself. Should I accept it? I seek out two or three members of the church and share my dilemma with them. Because they know me, my gifts, and a few aspects of my history, they can help me discern whether or not this offer is a call of God. We need the community to help us become mature in our discernment and response to the presence of God. We are to "no longer be children, tossed to and fro" (Ephesians 4:14).
-- Ben Campbell Johnson, To Will God's Will (Westminster John Knox, 1987)
***
I said that every Discipline has its corresponding freedom. What freedom corresponds to submission? It is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way. The obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today. People will spend weeks, months, even years in a perpetual stew because some little thing did not go as they wished. They will fuss and fume. They will get mad about it. They will act as if their very life hangs on the issue. They may even get an ulcer over it...
If you will watch these things you will see, for example, that almost all church fights and splits occur because people do not have the freedom to give in to each other. We insist that a critical issue is at stake; we are fighting for a sacred principle. Perhaps that is true. Usually it is not. Often we cannot stand to give in simply because it would mean that we would not get things our own way. Only in submission are we enabled to bring that spirit to a place where it no longer controls us. Only submission can free us sufficiently to enable us to distinguish between genuine issues and stubborn self-will.
-- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline (Harper & Row, 1978)
***
Mogopa, a village to the west of Johannesburg, was to be demolished and its inhabitants forcibly removed at gunpoint to a homeland in apartheid's forced population-removal schemes. On the eve of their departure, a vigil with church leaders from all over South Africa was held in Mogopa. The village clinics, shops, schools, and churches had already been demolished. At about midnight an elder of the doomed village got up to pray, and he prayed a strange prayer that I will never forget. He said, "God, thank you for loving us so much."
Several years later, apartheid is dead and the people of Mogopa have returned to their village, which they are rebuilding. God did indeed love them very much, it seems.
-- a Mogopa elder quoted in Desmond Tutu's An African Prayer Book (Doubleday, 1995)
***
The Love of Wisdom
Solomon's love of Wisdom has become a universal prayer for all people of faith. The practice of Wisdom is the practice of the Presence of God. Let me suggest several ways for us to put the notion of Wisdom to work for our own lives.
The hymn "Abide in me" is a nice old chestnut. The tune is easy to sing or hum, and the sentiment is simplicity itself. The turn of phrase comes to us from this week's Gospel (John 6:56). The wisdom of the prayer is obvious. Still, who can actually put into practice the ancient instruction from scripture that Paul gives us to live by: "Give thanks to God the Father at all times for everything" (Ephesians 5:20)? Can we really pray at all times?
When I think about it, the idea of being "present" to God may not be as difficult as one might first suspect. It is as easy as singing a favorite hymn -- in and out, breathing, Abide in Me! It makes the Journey somewhat less burdensome, somewhat more joyous, and it certainly makes way for Wisdom as we "abide" in Him.
***
The Practice of the Presence of God is an absolutely delightful little book written by Brother Lawrence. It is the simplicity and the sincerity with which it is written that is so persuasive. Many of us have read it. I hope you have a chance to, if you haven't yet. There are so many ways to practice the presence of God. Some of us like to carry rosaries, prayer ropes, or wear a cross -- tokens that we do indeed "Abide in Him." I like to light a candle when I journal. There seems to be a "spirit" with me in my room in moments of silence as I write.
In Judaism there are prayer shawls; in Islam there are prayer beads. There are many who have managed to put it to life, the actual Practice of the Presence of God. It is as though we put on Christ as a "garment" as we live out our lives "in" him.
The notion is that we are to Pray at all times. Paul says so again in Ephesians 6:18: "Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication." There's a challenge for you. If you cannot be quite perfect, then accept what time you do spend with God. Both you and God will be pleased that you do, and Wisdom will find a home in your life.
***
From ancient times, the notion of a "breath prayer" has been central to our shared traditions. The Jesus Prayer is one such "breath prayer." Many of us know it by heart: "Come, Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner." It is said that if we put into practice the repetition of such a prayer, it eventually becomes part of our being. Thus with every breath we take the "in and out" of the words comes and goes, and so too the reality that goes with it. Thus with our breathing we pray at all times and in all things, and Wisdom is born in the human heart.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Call To Worship
Leader: Give thanks to God!
People: We thank God for joy, for laughter,
for abundant blessings of every kind.
Leader: Give thanks to God at all times and for everything!
People: We thank God, when we can and as we can,
for struggles, for solitude, for fears.
Leader: Give thanks to God at all times and for everything
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
People: We thank God that, in Christ,
our joys as well as our pain,
our losses as well as our laughter,
are in God's heart and hands.
Prayer Of The Day
We honor you, Steadfast Love, for the wonder of this day:
for sleep rubbed from our eyes,
for pulsing water which invigorates us,
for kids that pull us out of bed (or vice versa).
We thank you, Christ our Lord, for the joy of this day:
for cereal that crackles in our milk,
for coffee that perks our energy,
for cats that purr softly and dogs that wag excitedly.
We praise you, Hope-filled Spirit, for the blessings of this day:
grace, waiting to tickle us out of our gloominess;
wisdom, hoping to lead us into the abundant life of faith;
time, whispering to us of your eternal covenant with us.
Gratitude is in our hearts,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we lift our voices in the prayer Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call To Reconciliation
In a world with much evil, God continues to work for good.
In a culture which worships foolishness, God still offers wisdom as a gift.
In a time filled with lies, God's promises are true.
In a society obsessed with "reality," God's love is constant.
Let us come to the One who offers the Bread of Life,
the promise of redemption, and the grace of forgiveness.
Please join me as we pray . . .
(Unison) Prayer Of Confession
You must shake your head in wonder at our ways, Keeper of the Covenant.
How can we say we want wisdom,
when we foolishly squander the knowledge we have of your ways?
How can we claim to follow you,
when we walk the slippery roads of the world not caring where they lead us?
How can we desire your great and steadfast love,
when the simple seductions of our society are in full view every day?
How can you have mercy on such unwise and unfaithful people, Perfect Wisdom?
Yet, that is exactly what you do:
and our greed turns to gratitude,
our pettiness to praise,
our tantrums to thanksgiving,
as hope and joy become our blessing
through the One we call our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: In Christ, God sent redemption for all.
In Christ, God feeds our hungry souls.
In Christ, God gives the cup of salvation to thirsty people.
People: We give thanks to God for everything:
forgiveness, hope, new life. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Life forever
Object: a teapot (used as Aladdin's lamp)
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like to play pretend games? (let them answer) I brought a teapot with me this morning because it reminds me of a pretend game some children about your age play. How many of you know the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp? (let them answer)
The children in my story decided to play Aladdin and the magic lamp. One child played Aladdin. One played the genie. One played the mean magician. As they played the story they came to the part when Aladdin found the lamp. He rubbed the lamp. (rub your lamp) What happened next? (let them answer) The genie appeared. They acted out the story all day long. They had a great time playing the story. Each time that they played the story the genie would offer different gifts to Aladdin. This game of Aladdin and the magic lamp made me wonder what I would wish for if I ever found a lamp with a genie. I can tell you what some people might wish for. They might wish to live forever. Wanting to live forever is what reminds me of this morning's lesson.
In the lesson Jesus tells people how they can live forever. He tells them that the way to live forever is follow and believe in him. When Jesus told people to follow him he compared himself to bread. He said that he is the bread of life from heaven. People who believe that he is the bread of life will live forever. I want you to remember that Jesus loves us so much that he gives his love to us freely. All Jesus' followers have eternal life. All Jesus' followers live with him forever. The next time you think of Aladdin and his lamp remember that it is just a story about magic. Remember that Jesus isn't magic. Jesus is real. Jesus came to give us life forever. Life forever is a gift from God.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 20, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 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 permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
When The Darkness Deepens
by James L. Killen Jr.
John 6:51-58
THE WORLD
The darkness deepens. Authorities in Britain and Pakistan have apparently forestalled plans for another terrorist attack on our country. We had been feeling secure in our protectedness (and I had prepared a piece on Solomon's request for wisdom) -- but then the startling news of these arrests came. We should have been expecting it. The war in Iraq is heating up instead of winding down; and though hopes are high that the cease-fire will hold in Israel and Lebanon, those countries have experienced much destruction in the past month. Our country has taken a position contrary to that advocated by many Arab nations, and for that matter a good share of the rest of the world as well. Those who have learned to feel righteous about hating America are certainly blaming us and seeking a way to make us suffer as people in the war-ravaged countries are suffering. We know now that this is the way they think -- so we should have been expecting another terrorist attack. Fortunately they were foiled this time -- but that will not be the end of it. We ought to know to expect still another attack. "The darkness deepens."
THE WORD
Do you recognize the words of an old hymn? And do you remember what comes next? "The darkness deepens... Lord, with me abide." We have the Lord's promise that he will abide with us. But right now we must reckon with his invitation for us to abide in him. What could it mean for us to abide in Christ right now? It is important for us to ask that and to act upon the answer. This week's Gospel text, John 6:51-58, has Jesus saying some things that are as bewildering to us as they were to the people who first heard them -- things about eating his body and drinking his blood. But then Jesus gives us a key to what he means when he says, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them" (v. 56). This is a reference, either from Jesus or from the evangelist, to the Eucharistic practices of that community of people who abide in Christ -- that is to say, those who live their lives in relationship with Christ.
The word "abide" puts us in touch with one of the major themes in the teachings of Jesus as they are reported in John's Gospel. We find them spelled out most completely in John's report of the conversation Jesus had with his disciples the night before he died (John 14-17). But in the same dialogue we also find some other teachings that help us establish the context for making the reference to abiding in Christ meaningful to us right now.
First, Jesus describes his coming death as simply going to the Father -- and he told the disciples that their deaths would be like that too and suggested that the transition would really not be that great (John 14:1-10).
Jesus also assured the disciples that he would still be with them, although in another way. Volumes of complex theology have been written about the relationship between Jesus and God -- but Jesus makes it simple: "All that you have seen me doing is something God was doing. And from now on wherever God is I will be, and whatever God is doing I will be doing" (John 14:18-24). Jesus promised that an advocate, the Holy Spirit, would come as the medium of God's active presence in our world and in our lives. The bottom line is that Jesus and God are not gone -- they are still here with us.
We can also live our lives in relationship with God. We can "abide" in God and in Christ just as branches abide in a vine (John 15:1-11). The shape of that relationship -- the dynamic force at work in it -- is Love: God's love for us, our love for each other, and our learning to participate in God's love for the world (John 15:12-17).
Jesus warns the disciples, and us, that we are going to have to live in a world where hate is at work (John 15:18--16:4). He even said, "The hour is coming when those who kill you will think that they are offering worship to God" (John 16:2). Sounds ominously familiar, doesn't it? But for our comfort Jesus said, "In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!" (John 16:33b). We will have to live our way into an understanding of what he meant by that.
Then there is chapter 17, in which Jesus prays for the disciples and those who will believe through him -- for us! He prays that we will love one another, and be one in the spirit, and that we will not stumble; but then he says something that adds a whole new dimension. He says, "As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them" (John 17:18). We have a mission -- the same mission that Jesus had. (Think about that.)
All of these things are implied in the few words that Jesus spoke when he said, "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." (Those who celebrate the love feast of the Eucharist abide in me, and I in them.)
CRAFTING THE SERMON
So what can it mean for us to abide in Christ now that we are under the threat of another terrorist attack?
I am afraid that it does not mean all we have to do is ask and God will make the threat go away. Yes, Jesus said, "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it" (John 14:14). But that doesn't mean what we might wish. God does not micromanage everything that happens in human life and history. I know that there are people who believe that God made the terrorist attack of 9/11 and the war between Israel and Lebanon happen for his own purpose, but I can't believe that. Lots of things happen in the world that God doesn't want to happen. God can and does work through those things to accomplish his purposes, and He expects us to work with him (John 14:12). But we cannot just count on God to magically make threats go away.
We will want to think about abiding in Christ as a way of finding security in a threatening situation -- and we can do that if we learn to find our security in our relationship with that which is eternal rather than in our relationships with things that we depend on in this world. This may not the way we want it, but if we can find peace in that way we will experience a real liberation. That is easier for me now than it was a short time ago. A little more than a year ago, my wife died. In my grief, I first thought of my wife having gone to some beautiful place far away where she would wait to come running to meet me some day. But eventually the image changed. I realized that she had gone to be with God -- and God is not somewhere else. God is present and at work in every moment of life -- and so is she. I begin to experience her presence like that of the cloud of witnesses mentioned in Hebrews 12:1. I experience her presence in a special way as I kneel at the communion rail to take the symbols of the body and blood of Christ. It no longer seems far away. It no longer seems that it would be such a terrible thing to go to the Father as Jesus did. There is a real liberating security in that. Christians in Lebanon and Galilee are finding their security in that right now -- and so can we.
But to abide in Christ means to participate in what Jesus is doing. Right now that must involve suffering, and not just the suffering that could come to us if there is another terrorist attack. It must mean suffering with Christ the pain of all those who suffer in the world. We must suffer, with Christ, the suffering of all those who are oppressed, all who are hungry, all who are dying of AIDS, all who are having to sell their daughters into prostitution to survive, and all who are suffering the death, destruction, and dislocation of war. Those who abide in Christ can never completely shut out an awareness of the suffering in the world so as to make their own lives pleasant. Yes, we can and should claim and celebrate the gifts of life and joy, because those gifts enable us the serve the high purpose of God -- but we can never forget the suffering.
God has called us to share in the work that the risen Christ, the living God, is doing is this poor, hurting world. God will have us trying to do something about the threat of terrorism, but that will mean doing something very different than what most people want to do about it. We are called to build a better world where there is no hate. It has been rightly said that in this world no one can dwell secure until everyone dwells secure. We cannot respond to hate with hate, nor can we allow ourselves to sink into bitterness or fear -- because that eventually turns into hate and multiplies the suffering. We must learn the strategies of love and how to use them to build them a better world. For most of us that will involve learning a whole new way of relating to reality, but it is a task we must accomplish if we are to abide in Christ. Christ has sent us into the world as God has sent Christ into the world -- to do the work of Christ in the way Christ did it.
This is what it means to abide in Christ in a world that is under the threat of terrorist attack -- and if we can learn to do that, then we will become part of the hope of the world.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Scott Suskovic
How can we as Christians on the one hand be vigilant and prepared for the threats of this world (i.e. terrorism), and on the other hand abide in God and trust that God will overcome the world? Frankly, I'm overwhelmed by the notion that I as a personal Christian have any effect on stopping terrorist plots. I believe that John 6:51-58 can be much more practical for our daily struggles with control.
A couple of months ago I saw Katie Couric on the Today show interviewing some Harvard sociologist who claims that we as an American people are 15% more miserable today than we were ten years ago. (Not that 15% of the people are more miserable, but that as a whole our contentment/misery meter has dropped 15% in ten years.) I first thought, "Yeah, it's because we are ten years older. My knees hurt!" But that wasn't it. This sociologist ticked off our finances, uncertain job market, increasing divorce rate, the Iraq war, and gas prices as the measuring stick of misery. After interviewing a single mom who recently went through a divorce and was forced to reenter the job market, the sociologist concluded that the solution to our misery, the way out of this darkened pit, the way to return contentment back into our lives is... to take more control of your life.
And I thought, "Who pays your salary? How big was that grant, how many months of research did it take to come up with that brilliant solution? Of course. Take responsibility for your life. It's your finances, it's your weight, it's your relationships, it's your job. Stop whining, stop blaming, stop playing the victim. Take control of your life." But then again, maybe the notion of personal responsibility for your own life was a startling new discovery for both NBC and this Harvard sociologist -- that the answer was not lower gas prices, a higher minimum wage, a government program, a new president, or the end to global warming. It's you. It's your life. It's your decision. Take control.
And yet, here's the confusing part. How often have we heard in Christian circles the phrase "let go and let God"? Isn't that just the opposite? Let go and let God? What does that mean? Give up control? Give up responsibility? Give up action and turn it all to God? I've heard that phrase often, but I've realized I don't really know what that means -- or even how to do that without sounding like the foolish farmer who spent all spring rocking on his front porch while staring at his unplanted, weed-filled land and an unused tractor in the barn and saying, "Hope the Lord will provide us a good harvest in the fall." It's your field -- get out there!
So do you take control of your life as the Harvard sociologist suggested, or do you "let go and let God" (i.e., abide in him)? I "googled" that phrase (let go, let God) and came up with (ready?) 52,200,000 hits. I didn't read them all -- but after ten, they said basically the same thing: "Don't worry. Give it over to God. Let go, let God." That didn't help.
There are things we ought to release, let go and let God, and abide in him because they are God's responsibility. Cast your burdens upon the Lord. Do not be anxious about tomorrow. I have plans for your well-being. Be still and know that I am God. Wait. Have no fear -- it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Let go and let God. But what do I need to grip, and what do I need to release?
In South America, they have developed an ingenious way of catching monkeys. They bore a hole in a tree the exact size of a favorite food of the monkey, like a piece of fruit. Then they slip the fruit into the hole. And when the monkey discovers the treat, he reaches in the hole, takes hold of the fruit, and becomes trapped. Why? Because he won't let go of the fruit and his hand is too big to slip out of the hole. That monkey will hold onto that fruit, howling and crying -- even as the natives walk up to it, throw a net around it, shake loose the fruit, and carry the monkey away.
That's how you figure out what to grip and what to release. As yourself -- "What's trapping you, what's consuming you, what's killing you?" That's what we need to let go.
The well-known pastor and author T.D. Jakes has written about "letting it go":
If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for you... LET IT GO
If you are holding on to past hurts and pains... LET IT GO
If someone has angered you... LET IT GO
If you are involved in a wrong relationship... LET IT GO
If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents or values... LET IT GO
If you have a bad attitude... LET IT GO
If you are holding on to some evil thoughts or revenge... LET IT GO
If you keep judging others... LET IT GO
If the world just won't cooperate with you... LET IT GO
If you are stuck in the past or stuck in grief... LET IT GO
If you are trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves... LET IT GO
If you are wrestling with a situation right now in which you are over your head... LET IT GO
In baptism, you have died to yourself and live for Christ. We were buried with him, put to death. In baptism, God named you and claimed you as his very own. The old has passed away, your sins are forgiven, your future is bright -- for you no longer walk as a dead person but as one who is alive in Christ. Release anger, grip love. Release filth, grip purity. Release worry, grip trust. Release yourself, grip Jesus.
That's called a Balanced Life. That's what it means to abide in Christ.
There is a popular prayer attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr. It's called the Serenity Prayer, and has been made famous by Alcoholics Anonymous. It's about gripping and releasing... the important thing is to know the difference. While I was familiar with the first part of the prayer, it was the second part that gave me a grip on what it means to give up control and abide in Christ:
God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; enjoying one moment at a time; accepting hardship as the pathway to peace. Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; that I may be reasonably happy in this life, and supremely happy with Him forever in the next. Amen.
ILLUSTRATIONS
As we live our lives in the midst of terrorism and threats of terrorism, we need to remember that our Lord is with us, and that he is good. As E. Stanley Jones writes:
The norm has been fixed, we now know what goodness is: it is Christlikeness. If so, then sin is un-Christlikeness. That fixes a standard by which evil may be judged. Anything that departs from his mind and purpose is sin.... We know now what God's life is and what [our] life ought to be -- Christlike.
-- E. Stanley Jones, The Christ of Every Road, pp. 68-69
***
We're in the season of Pentecost, celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit:
In John's Gospel it is said that the reason the Spirit had not yet been given was that "Jesus was not yet glorified." When he went to the throne, then the Spirit was given. It is not different today. There is only one thing that keeps us from receiving the Spirit -- Jesus is not on the throne of our lives. Something else is. When he becomes Lord of all he offers us all. It is only empty hands that can grasp a whole Christ. When we are sure we are withholding nothing we may be sure that God is withholding nothing. The Gift of the Spirit may then become ours.
-- The Christ of Every Road, p. 250
***
Whether we're a child, a young person, or an adult, the Lord calls each of us to do our work, our ministry, with him:
In the New Testament a minister is a diakonos, literally, "one who goes through the dust" -- the figure of the camel driver who walks through the dust leading the camel while another is seated on top. But we will never be New Testament ministers and be willing to go through the dust unless and until we are inwardly humbled to the dust. Pentecost does that. It strips us of all pretensions, all pride, all place and makes us persons. The apostles had apostolic power because they had no apostolic pretensions.
-- The Christ of Every Road, pp. 113-114
***
You need the responses of members of Christ's body to help you discern [God's] will for you. A spirituality developed in isolation risks deception, lacking the corrective influence of the community. In the community of faith we share our private visions and personal experiences of the grace of God, and the community listens with discerning ears. The community's response enables us to sort out the voice of God from the murmuring of our own unconsciousness.
I have an urge to change my vocation, for example. An opportunity presents itself. Should I accept it? I seek out two or three members of the church and share my dilemma with them. Because they know me, my gifts, and a few aspects of my history, they can help me discern whether or not this offer is a call of God. We need the community to help us become mature in our discernment and response to the presence of God. We are to "no longer be children, tossed to and fro" (Ephesians 4:14).
-- Ben Campbell Johnson, To Will God's Will (Westminster John Knox, 1987)
***
I said that every Discipline has its corresponding freedom. What freedom corresponds to submission? It is the ability to lay down the terrible burden of always needing to get our own way. The obsession to demand that things go the way we want them to go is one of the greatest bondages in human society today. People will spend weeks, months, even years in a perpetual stew because some little thing did not go as they wished. They will fuss and fume. They will get mad about it. They will act as if their very life hangs on the issue. They may even get an ulcer over it...
If you will watch these things you will see, for example, that almost all church fights and splits occur because people do not have the freedom to give in to each other. We insist that a critical issue is at stake; we are fighting for a sacred principle. Perhaps that is true. Usually it is not. Often we cannot stand to give in simply because it would mean that we would not get things our own way. Only in submission are we enabled to bring that spirit to a place where it no longer controls us. Only submission can free us sufficiently to enable us to distinguish between genuine issues and stubborn self-will.
-- Richard Foster, Celebration of Discipline (Harper & Row, 1978)
***
Mogopa, a village to the west of Johannesburg, was to be demolished and its inhabitants forcibly removed at gunpoint to a homeland in apartheid's forced population-removal schemes. On the eve of their departure, a vigil with church leaders from all over South Africa was held in Mogopa. The village clinics, shops, schools, and churches had already been demolished. At about midnight an elder of the doomed village got up to pray, and he prayed a strange prayer that I will never forget. He said, "God, thank you for loving us so much."
Several years later, apartheid is dead and the people of Mogopa have returned to their village, which they are rebuilding. God did indeed love them very much, it seems.
-- a Mogopa elder quoted in Desmond Tutu's An African Prayer Book (Doubleday, 1995)
***
The Love of Wisdom
Solomon's love of Wisdom has become a universal prayer for all people of faith. The practice of Wisdom is the practice of the Presence of God. Let me suggest several ways for us to put the notion of Wisdom to work for our own lives.
The hymn "Abide in me" is a nice old chestnut. The tune is easy to sing or hum, and the sentiment is simplicity itself. The turn of phrase comes to us from this week's Gospel (John 6:56). The wisdom of the prayer is obvious. Still, who can actually put into practice the ancient instruction from scripture that Paul gives us to live by: "Give thanks to God the Father at all times for everything" (Ephesians 5:20)? Can we really pray at all times?
When I think about it, the idea of being "present" to God may not be as difficult as one might first suspect. It is as easy as singing a favorite hymn -- in and out, breathing, Abide in Me! It makes the Journey somewhat less burdensome, somewhat more joyous, and it certainly makes way for Wisdom as we "abide" in Him.
***
The Practice of the Presence of God is an absolutely delightful little book written by Brother Lawrence. It is the simplicity and the sincerity with which it is written that is so persuasive. Many of us have read it. I hope you have a chance to, if you haven't yet. There are so many ways to practice the presence of God. Some of us like to carry rosaries, prayer ropes, or wear a cross -- tokens that we do indeed "Abide in Him." I like to light a candle when I journal. There seems to be a "spirit" with me in my room in moments of silence as I write.
In Judaism there are prayer shawls; in Islam there are prayer beads. There are many who have managed to put it to life, the actual Practice of the Presence of God. It is as though we put on Christ as a "garment" as we live out our lives "in" him.
The notion is that we are to Pray at all times. Paul says so again in Ephesians 6:18: "Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication." There's a challenge for you. If you cannot be quite perfect, then accept what time you do spend with God. Both you and God will be pleased that you do, and Wisdom will find a home in your life.
***
From ancient times, the notion of a "breath prayer" has been central to our shared traditions. The Jesus Prayer is one such "breath prayer." Many of us know it by heart: "Come, Lord Jesus, Son of the living God, have mercy on me, a sinner." It is said that if we put into practice the repetition of such a prayer, it eventually becomes part of our being. Thus with every breath we take the "in and out" of the words comes and goes, and so too the reality that goes with it. Thus with our breathing we pray at all times and in all things, and Wisdom is born in the human heart.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Call To Worship
Leader: Give thanks to God!
People: We thank God for joy, for laughter,
for abundant blessings of every kind.
Leader: Give thanks to God at all times and for everything!
People: We thank God, when we can and as we can,
for struggles, for solitude, for fears.
Leader: Give thanks to God at all times and for everything
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
People: We thank God that, in Christ,
our joys as well as our pain,
our losses as well as our laughter,
are in God's heart and hands.
Prayer Of The Day
We honor you, Steadfast Love, for the wonder of this day:
for sleep rubbed from our eyes,
for pulsing water which invigorates us,
for kids that pull us out of bed (or vice versa).
We thank you, Christ our Lord, for the joy of this day:
for cereal that crackles in our milk,
for coffee that perks our energy,
for cats that purr softly and dogs that wag excitedly.
We praise you, Hope-filled Spirit, for the blessings of this day:
grace, waiting to tickle us out of our gloominess;
wisdom, hoping to lead us into the abundant life of faith;
time, whispering to us of your eternal covenant with us.
Gratitude is in our hearts,
God in Community, Holy in One,
as we lift our voices in the prayer Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call To Reconciliation
In a world with much evil, God continues to work for good.
In a culture which worships foolishness, God still offers wisdom as a gift.
In a time filled with lies, God's promises are true.
In a society obsessed with "reality," God's love is constant.
Let us come to the One who offers the Bread of Life,
the promise of redemption, and the grace of forgiveness.
Please join me as we pray . . .
(Unison) Prayer Of Confession
You must shake your head in wonder at our ways, Keeper of the Covenant.
How can we say we want wisdom,
when we foolishly squander the knowledge we have of your ways?
How can we claim to follow you,
when we walk the slippery roads of the world not caring where they lead us?
How can we desire your great and steadfast love,
when the simple seductions of our society are in full view every day?
How can you have mercy on such unwise and unfaithful people, Perfect Wisdom?
Yet, that is exactly what you do:
and our greed turns to gratitude,
our pettiness to praise,
our tantrums to thanksgiving,
as hope and joy become our blessing
through the One we call our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: In Christ, God sent redemption for all.
In Christ, God feeds our hungry souls.
In Christ, God gives the cup of salvation to thirsty people.
People: We give thanks to God for everything:
forgiveness, hope, new life. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Life forever
Object: a teapot (used as Aladdin's lamp)
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you like to play pretend games? (let them answer) I brought a teapot with me this morning because it reminds me of a pretend game some children about your age play. How many of you know the story of Aladdin and his magic lamp? (let them answer)
The children in my story decided to play Aladdin and the magic lamp. One child played Aladdin. One played the genie. One played the mean magician. As they played the story they came to the part when Aladdin found the lamp. He rubbed the lamp. (rub your lamp) What happened next? (let them answer) The genie appeared. They acted out the story all day long. They had a great time playing the story. Each time that they played the story the genie would offer different gifts to Aladdin. This game of Aladdin and the magic lamp made me wonder what I would wish for if I ever found a lamp with a genie. I can tell you what some people might wish for. They might wish to live forever. Wanting to live forever is what reminds me of this morning's lesson.
In the lesson Jesus tells people how they can live forever. He tells them that the way to live forever is follow and believe in him. When Jesus told people to follow him he compared himself to bread. He said that he is the bread of life from heaven. People who believe that he is the bread of life will live forever. I want you to remember that Jesus loves us so much that he gives his love to us freely. All Jesus' followers have eternal life. All Jesus' followers live with him forever. The next time you think of Aladdin and his lamp remember that it is just a story about magic. Remember that Jesus isn't magic. Jesus is real. Jesus came to give us life forever. Life forever is a gift from God.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 20, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 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 permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
