Wrestling with an Unseen Enemy
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For August 2, 2020:
Wrestling with an Unseen Enemy
by Mary Austin
Genesis 32:22-31
Last week, the United States entered a new phase in our national battle with Covid-19, reaching four million cases nationwide. One day held over 1000 deaths, and so did the next day.
When we closed workplaces, schools and churches in March, we thought it would be for a week or two. Then maybe another week, and then an additional two weeks, and then a month, and now life has been disrupted in dramatic ways for four months. Since March, “American life has been fundamentally reordered because of the virus. Concerts, parades and baseball games have been called off. Unemployment claims have spiked. And in most states, case numbers are rising again.”
In spite of the danger, many people have given up wrestling with the novel coronavirus. An emergency room physician notes that some of us have given up the fight. “When I drive home from my shifts, I see people out and about as though everything is completely normal. Some people are wearing masks; many are not. Some people are distancing; many are not. Some of my own family have stopped listening to me.” Jacob manages to wrestle all night, and yet our sense of disciplined attention to our own gigantic battle is fading, both nationally and personally.
Jacob’s story invites us to ponder the kind of courage and attention required to wrestle against an unseen enemy, and to think about what we need to do to prevail.
In the Scriptures
Jacob is the kind of slippery character who always lands on his feet, no doubt leaving people wondering how he gets away with the things he does. The birthright stolen from his brother, and his escape from Esau’s rage. Encountering his tricky father-in-law, and then tricking him in turn. Ending up with not one but two wives, plus sexual access to their female servants. This night is one of the few times we see him display real fear, as he prepares to meet his brother Esau again. The physical wresting with the nighttime figure mirrors his inner wrestling match with himself, as he faces up to his own failures. Both places of reckoning – inside and outside – are the hardest Jacob has ever worked. There’s no evading this challenge, as he has so many others over the years.
Jacob starts the night as a charming con artist whose main concerns is for himself, and ends in the morning as a new man. This time, Jacob stands his ground. He gets a dose of his own medicine, as the figure cheats to win. “When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.” At the end of the battle, the mysterious night figure tells him, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."
Jacob asks for a name in return, and gets only a question in response. His wrestling partner refuses, again, to be pinned down, replying, "Why is it that you ask my name?" What Jacob does get is a blessing. This one, unlike the one from his father, he earns. The other mystery gift of the night is a limp, which God gives him deliberately. Is Jacob meant to remember his encounter with God? Hold on to the gifts of persistence? Feel the twinge of the limp as he walks, and recall that he has a new name and a new destiny? Again, the inner and the outer mirror each other. For the rest of his life, each time he outs his foot on the ground, Jacob will have to remember that God preserved his life. In the biggest challenge of his life, it’s not his wits or charm that save him, it’s the presence of God.
In the News
Jacob is willing to wrestle all night with the unseen figure who keeps him from sleeping. Our strength for wrestling with Covid-19, and complying with social distancing, is waning. People are growing weary of being at home, of isolation, of not having a routine. We now see people returning to bars and restaurants in states where they're open. “Around the country, bars are becoming a common source of coronavirus outbreaks. In Louisiana, at least 100 people tested positive for the virus after visiting bars in the Tigerland district, a popular destination for Louisiana State University students. In Idaho, health officials shut down bars in Ada County after reporting clusters of infections among young adults who had visited several bars in downtown Boise. And several Florida bars are the source of large outbreaks. In Jacksonville Beach, a group of 16 friends went to a pub to celebrate a birthday — and within days all 16 tested positive for Covid-19.” A bar, with its close quarters and fixed seating, is an ideal place to transmit the virus – rivaling even church. Loud music moves people closer together so they can hear, and loud speech is more risky than quiet speech.
Part of our struggle is social. We don’t want to offend each other, and yet dealing with the disease means dealing with hard situations when people invite us to do things. If there’s an event we must attend, like a family wedding, what questions can we ask? “In this uncharted etiquette territory, is it OK to ask the hosts if they’ll be doing double duty as social distancing enforcer? “Generally, no,” said Jules Hirst, an etiquette coach based in Los Angeles and the co-author of the book “The Power of Civility.” It depends on your relationship with the host, she said. If it’s a family member or someone you’re close to, it’s more acceptable to inquire. You could also use their past behavior for reference: If they’ve posted a bunch of photos of themselves in crowded public areas or at other parties with no mask on, it’s reasonable to assume they won’t be strict about things at their own house. If you do ask, phrasing it as a yes-or-no question will probably yield more useful information than broadly asking about social distancing, since not everyone has quite the same understanding of what “good social distancing” looks like. Will you be asking people to wear masks? Will families be seated at least six feet away from each other?”
Other dilemmas are more perilous. Families struggling with a lack of work are facing the end of an enhanced unemployment benefit, funded by the federal government on top of state benefits. A federal moratorium on evictions is also expiring this week. The financial pressure on many families is enormous, as Congress seeks agreement on a new relief bill. “Congress has not passed any coronavirus relief legislation since approving four bipartisan bills in March and April that pumped around $3 trillion into the economy,” and is now wresting with what steps to take next. “Some experts are skeptical. State unemployment offices have been badly overwhelmed by the unprecedented surge in claims, and there were another 1.4 million claims last week. Thousands of the newly jobless have struggled for months to obtain their benefits, and in some states, have camped outside unemployment offices overnight to be first in line for help. The $600-per-week bonus was chosen for its simplicity compared to targeted, individual wage replacement — but it has proven tremendously difficult for states to implement as the nation’s unemployment rate spiked to 15 percent before falling slightly to 11 percent.”
Parents and grandparents have wrestled with teaching kids at home since March, trying to recall long-ago algebra problems, sentence diagramming and foreign languages, all while many were working from home. Says one writer in an opinion piece, “The implicit bargain of the spring was that if everyone complied with the shutdowns, the isolation, the social distancing, the working-while-parenting disasters and the rest, the government would use that time to build enough testing, tracing and public health infrastructure so that students could safely go back to school in person in the fall.” Now, as cases rise, schools districts are wresting with how and when to re-open schools, and shifting almost daily from hybrid models to all-online school. Again.
Opinion writer Dana Stevens speaks for many parents when she writes, “As late summer closes in, there’s a special flavor of rage as parents realize that we’re now being forced to advocate for the very outcome that, a few weeks ago, we were hoping against hope to avoid: keeping school all-online in the fall. However far from ideal this may be, we can at least be sure that our kids, their teachers and the staff at their schools — who should get radical pay increases for the risks they’re likely to assume — would stay safe and healthy.”
Not everyone is wrestling with illness, job loss or debt. Ordinary pleasures are available at more-than-ordinary prices. A mani-pedi is available at home, and a personal trainer will come and work out with you in your back yard. “If swimming is your thing, Swimply allows you to rent a private pool in someone’s backyard for $45 to $60 an hour, either for solo lap swimming or group parties. Need retail therapy? Bergdorf Goodman is offering socially distanced in-store appointments, as well as same-day delivery to Manhattan and the Hamptons for online orders…High-end businesses are also selling one of the most sought-after commodities in the pandemic era: child care. The Beverly Hills agency Westside Nannies has received an overwhelming number of requests for people with experience as summer camp counselors to watch children, the better to plan one-on-one camplike activities.”
In the Sermon
Jacob’s story challenges our own stamina for wrestling with difficult challenges. He has the motivation, or the stubbornness, to wrestle all night. As people clamor to return to schools and stores, or sue to return to church, we know in our heads that nothing is different from March, and yet we’re just so tired of this routine.
The sermon might look at where motivation comes from. What fuels Jacob to keep going? What will strengthen our inner resolve, for Covid-19 precautions, or really for any challenge we can’t control? Jacob could, presumably, give up and walk away, and he doesn’t. Why does he persists in the fight, and how can we do the same?
Jacob leaves the meeting with this mysterious divine limping, as all of us have been marked by skirmishes in our own lives. A divorce or recovery program, bankruptcy or illness, leaves its mark on us, too. Those wounds also turn into our greatest places of humility and understanding. The sermon could explore how our hard-won wounds are also marks of our hard-won wisdom.
The sermon could delve into the ways that Jacob is different after this encounter with the mystery figure. Sacred imagination could yield ways that Jacob’s wife and children see him differently after this encounter. When he meets his brother Esau, Jacob tells him that “truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God.” (33:10) Here is another encounter where Jacob can perceive the divine at work. Would the one be possible without the other?
In his night of holy wrestling, and afterward, Jacob embodies the words of the Psalm for the day. “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.” May our willingness to wrestle for something greater equal Jacob’s, so we also might behold God in righteousness.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Enough is Enough
by Chris Keating
Mark your calendars: Sunday is day 215 of 2020, and already our bingo cards are full of surprises. Here’s a quick recap if you want to check your cards: Australian wildfires. Jennifer Lopes and Shakira shaking up the Super Bowl. Pete Buttigieg. The deaths of Kenny Rogers, Mr. Peanut, and Kobe Bryant. The rebirth of Mr. Peanut. Murder hornets. Pandemic shortages of PPE, ventilators, and toilet paper. Government warnings to not drink bleach.
And now comes the great 2020 coin shortage, which may allow us to update the old Depression-era song, “Brother, can you spare a dime?”
What a decade this year has been, and there is still more to come. Surely enough is enough.
Consider the deeper, and much less humorous current realities. The title of Mary Trump’s bestseller, aimed at describing her uncle’s pathologies, may also describe our experience of all things pandemic, “Too Much and Never Enough.”
There have been too many deaths from Covid-19 in the United States, with the toll now approaching 150,000. The spike in the virus has resulted in ten states reporting more than 10,000 new cases, with many states and municipalities pausing reopening plans. The seeming uncontrolled spread of the virus has resulted in wide-ranging shortages, including personal protective equipment, Covid-19 tests, supplies, and basic consumer goods at food banks, and much more. With additional federal unemployment benefits scheduled to end on July 31, more than 40 million Americans are preparing for financial crisis, unless Congress reaches a deal.
Also looming is a national housing crisis with millions facing eviction by September 30. As many as 20 percent of the 110 million Americans who rent are at risk of eviction, with Black, Hispanic and Native Americans expected to be hardest hit. A federal moratorium on evictions, part of the coronavirus relief act, . On Sunday, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow announced that the moratorium will be extended. But rent is still due August 1, and some landlords have already begun eviction proceedings.
It is a reminder of how Covid-19 continues to strike at the most vulnerable groups of our world.
Meanwhile, Congress struggles to come to an agreement on how to extend the coronavirus benefits. House Democrats have pushed a $3 trillion dollar relief bill. In the spring, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he believed it is time “to hit the pause button” on more spending, though the virus’ summer bounce has prompted some movement by the GOP.
These are the indicators that the pandemic’s impact will linger for years to come. According to a United Nations food economist, the pandemic could drive another 130 million people into food insecurity worldwide in 2020. Arif Husain, chief economist at the United Nations Food Program, suggests that more than a quarter of a billion people are likely to be acutely hungry this year.
There’s an over abundance of misery, and an appalling shortage of compassion-fueled justice. This summer, we are asking ourselves “will enough be enough?”
The push and pull between too much and not enough evoke images of the hungry crowds who followed Jesus. Not counting 5,000 men, it was an enormous crowd of women and children. Drawn by the abundance of Jesus’ promises and miracles, they followed him into a deserted place. The realities of the moment quickly dawn on the disciples: it is late, the stores will be closing, and these people are hungry.
“Jesus,” we imagine the disciples saying, “perhaps you might consider sending the people away. It’s late, and they’re getting hungry.”
All of this takes place in the wilderness, which itself is a potent reminder of questions about God’s provision. Israel saw the wilderness as a place of temptation and trial. In the wilderness God’s people quickly forgot Pharaoh’s oppression, and soon rebelled against God. Matthew reiterates those themes with Jesus’ own wilderness experience of fasting and temptation.
But the wilderness is also the place where God’s love falls from heaven in the form of precious manna. As Walter Brueggemann told us years ago this is a remarkable moment for God’s people. “They had never before received bread as a free gift that they couldn't control, predict, plan for or own. The meaning of this strange narrative is that the gifts of life are indeed given by a generous God. It's a wonder, it's a miracle, it's an embarrassment, it's irrational, but God's abundance transcends the market economy.” (Brueggemann, “The Liturgy of Abundance, The Myth of Scarcity,” The Christian Century, March 24-31, 1999.)
In the wilderness, Brueggemann wrote, the temptation is either hoarding or coveting. Fearful of shortages, we hoard what little we can grab and covet more. Fearful of not having enough to feed the crowds, the disciples turn away from the crowds so they can hoard Jesus for themselves. “Send them away,” they say. “Let them fend for themselves.” Enough is enough! Let them find a way out of their misery.
But Jesus knows that it is impossible to pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you can’t afford boots. He also knows how the miracle of abundance works. Jesus tells the disciples to bring whatever they have — as small as it seems. Instead of sending the crowds away, instead of delaying votes for political expediency, Jesus responds to the need of the crowd with compassion.
He takes the little amount the disciples gather. He acts out the sacramental work of the church by blessing, breaking, and giving the bread to the disciples so that it may be shared. In that deserted and lonely place, enough becomes more than enough. God’s love is multiplied and shared. There is plenty for everyone, and even enough for late night snacks.
It is this compelling hope of the gospel which must be proclaimed today. There is enough to feed all who are hungry. There is enough to find ways to make both financial and moral reparations for slavery. There is enough resolve to flatten the curve and stave off the deaths of thousands. In the pandemic wilderness, God will provide.
There will be enough — but only if people of faith respond to the invitation Jesus’ offers to share what we have been given.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Genesis 32:22-31
Peniel, Penuel?
In v. 31 the name Jacob gives the place where he wrestled “the man,” is “Peniel,” in Hebrew פניאל . It is close to the Hebrew פנים which means “face” or “surface.” This is the place where Jacob/Israel saw God face to face. In the very next verse, the name of the place is given in English as “Penuel,” פנואל in Hebrew. It is simply two different spellings for the same thing, like “gray” and “grey” in English. A ruling elder at my last church said, “It takes a man of little imagination to spell a word only one way.”
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
Limping away
Jacob/Israel comes away from his wrestling match with a new name and a new handicap. Presumably he limps for the rest of his life, forever physically changed by his encounter with God on the banks of the Jabbok. This recalls a line from “Name” by Goo Goo Dolls
The scars are souvenirs you never lose
The past is never far.
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
Dirty?
“As a seminarian I was blessed to take my introductory Hebrew Bible course with the incomparable Phyllis Trible. In her lecture on this text, Trible made the case that the best translation of the verb “to wrestle” is to “make God dirty.” Our notions of God make us want to save God from vulnerabilities. How soon we forget. Did not God show us at the beginning of this book of beginnings that God was willing to become dirty to create us?” (Gary V. Simpson, in the Christian Century, July 15, 2020, p. 21)
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
What’s up with the thigh muscle?
“The halachah forbids the eating of that part of the thigh of large and small cattle which is served by the sciatic nerve. Birds are excluded from this prohibition.
The process of cutting away the sinew, forbidden fat, and certain other parts is called porging (נקור ), and because experts in porging were not always available many Jewish communities refrained from eating any part of an animal’s hindquarters.” (The Torah: A Modern Commentary, New York: The Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1981, p. 223.)
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
Coincidence? I don’t think so!
“Israel put him to the sword, and took possession of his land from the Amon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites…” (Number 21:24, NRSV) The site of Jacob’s wrestling match is the very place where the conquest of the Promised Land began.
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
Here be demons
“Rivers, it was believed, were infested by demons. We may therefore infer that Jacob first thought that the “man” who met him during the night was a river demon—the assonance between the words יבק (the river Jabbok) and ויאבק (he struggled) is not accidental. The man’s urgent request, “Let me go for dawn is breaking,” fortifies Jacob’s belief that he has met a demonic being who must not be seen and who therefore must depart before sunrise.” (The Torah: A Modern Commentary, New York: The Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1981, p. 221.)
* * *
Isaiah 55:1-5
Ho!
Yes, you read that right; the first word in the lesson from Isaiah is “Ho,” a transliteration of הוי . It doesn’t exactly translate; it’s “hardly more than an exclamation arousing attention Ha! (though perh. with a touch of sympathy of pity.)” (Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver and Biggs, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1951, p. 222.)
Do not confuse this term with Santa Claus’ standard laugh, a garden tool, or a vulgar term for prostitute.
* * *
Psalm 145:8, 14-21
“all”
The Hebrew כל appears ten times from v. 14 through v. 21. It is used to describe God’s total love of all people in everything the Lord looks upon. In Hebrew poetry redundancy often functions as rhyme does in English poetry.
* * *
Psalm 17:1-7, 15
“Wondrously show your love” (Psalm 17:7, NRSV)
חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ הַפְלֵ֣ה This is a powerful, arresting phrase. Love’s root is “hesed,”
חסד the basis for the English “Hassidim,” a very strict sect within Judaism. The verb פלה means “set apart.” This phrase is getting at a notion like “be conspicuous in the love You show us, O God.” God’s love makes people and peoples different, special, set apart.
* * * * * *
From team member Ron Love:
Psalm 17:1
Hear a just cause…
The Longhorns are to be admired for acknowledging that there are racist symbol on campus. The University of Texas has pledged to recruit more black students and faculty. The university will also present a history of its past racist actions.
The university will also remove many of its racist statues and rename buildings. It renamed The Robert L. Moore Building, named for a former math professor who was a segregationist and refused to teach Black students, and was renamed as the Physics, Math and Astronomy Building. Joe Jamail Field was named after the wealthiest practicing attorney in the United States, will be renamed Campbell-Williams field, in honor of former black Longhorns, Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams, who are both Heisman Trophy winners. The request came from Jamail family members who desired that diversity would become the new norm for the university.
The university will also be erecting statues to honor black students and their accomplishments. There will be a monument that will recognize the first black undergraduate class at UT. There will be a statue honoring Julius Whittier, who became the team’s first black football player in 1970.
What is not going to change is the school’s anthem “The Eyes of Texas.” This song has as its origin in words spoken by Robert E, Lee. Lee, who led the Confederate forces and was defeated. After the war Lee became the president of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia. Lee would end every public address with these words, “The eyes of the South are upon you.”
William Prather was one of his students. When Prather became president of UT in 1899, he took a minstrel song that was often sung in black face and used Lee’s closing words, and changed it to “the eyes of Texas are upon you.” Prather defended his decision because the song now honored the heritage of Texas. The anthem last stanza reads:
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the live long day.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them,
At night, or early in the morn.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
'Till Gabriel blows his horn!
* * *
Matthew 14:14
and he had compassion for them…
Art Garfunkel is probably best known to us as he sang songs, many of them with a social activist theme, with Paul Simon. Perhaps though, he should be remembered for one word — friendship.
In his sophomore year at Columbia, he decided to share a room with his good friend Sanford “Sandy” Greenberg. Art introduced the idea of a “solemn covenant” between the two of them. The 1959 the covenant said, “If one was in the extremis, the other would come to his rescue.” Two years later the covenant was tested when Sandy became blind with glaucoma. The covenant became a true covenant when Art came to the aid of his friend.
With the constant and loyal assistance from Art, Sandy was able to graduate form Columbia. During those academic years Art would read aloud textbooks, walk his friend to class, fill out academic forms, and being present for all the challenges that college can place upon an individual. Sandy said of art, “He lifted me out of the grave.”
Though, the friendship was not one-sided. Art need $400 to release his first album with his high school friend Paul Simon. Sandy, with only $404 in his bank account, wrote them a check for the needed amount. The album was Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., and featured the song “The Sound of Silence.”
Regarding their relationship, Art referred to himself as “Darkness.” Garfunkel called himself “Darkness” in a show of empathy. The singer explained: “I was saying, ‘I want to be together where you are, in the black.’” Sandy recalls, “He would come in and say, ‘Darkness is going to read to you now.’”
But to one man “The Sound of Silence” means much more than just a No 1 song on the radio with its poignant opening line: “Hello Darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.”
After graduating from college, every month of every year, the two friends visit each other.
* * *
Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear, come to me, listen…
Royalty and politicians have always had secret ways to communicate with their staff. The British Royalty use their purses as one device. Diana, Princesses of Wales, carried what came to called he “cleavage bags.” The purse matched her dress perfectly, but was so small that at best it could only hold a tube of lipstick. She used these tiny unassuming purses to hide her cleavage when she got in and out of limousines, and at other times when she did not want her chest to be photographed.
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, holds her purse in front of her with both hands when she does not want to shake hands in a public.
When the Queen switches the handles of her purse from one gloved hand to the other, she is telling her staff to wrap up the current conversation. When the Queen puts her purse on the table, it means to stop the conversation now.
* * *
Genesis 32:24
…and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
The newspaper comic strip Ziggy is written by Tom Wilson. We must admire how insightful Wilson is regarding daily living. Ziggy is a nondescript character, and as such he represents everyone. He has a big nose, a puffy face, and clothes that resemble a smock. Ziggy is a very nice individual who relates to the everyday person and the everyday struggles of life. Ziggy is not an activist; he is just someone who lives in reality of day-to-day living.
In this one episode, Ziggy is sitting at a table with a psychic reader. Ziggy, being short in suture, we only see his head and enlarged puffy nose over the table top. The psychic is reading the message from the Crystal Ball, often called the Magic Globe.
Ziggy struggles with life and usually finds himself as being an outcast. He has very low self-esteem only to be brought lower when the psychic says, “…I’m sorry, sir!...it seems that none of your past lives wish to be associated with you!!”
* * *
Romans 9:1
I am speaking the truth in Christ…
Tammy Duckworth is the junior senator from Illinois. She formerly served as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army. During the Iraq War she lost both of her legs, and is confined to a wheelchair. She belongs to the Democratic Party, and she is of Thai-American descent. As an advocate for racial justice, she supported protesters who removed racist statues.
Tucker Carlson, on Fox News, on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, denounced Duckworth as being unpatriotic, a vandal, and he even called the honorable senator a “moron.” Then, adopting the language used for a century by those aiming to restrict the country to people of Northern and Western European ancestry, the Fox News correspondent said, “We live here. We don’t want to destroy it. We have every right to fight to preserve our nation and our heritage and our culture.” He ended by saying, “we have every right to laugh in their faces, and we should.”
Senator Duckworth only response was a message on Twitter that invited Carlson to “walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America.”
* * * * * *
From team member Bethany Peerbolte:
Genesis 32:22-31
You have Struggled with God and with Man
Jacob finds himself in another position to collect another blessing, this time from God. The wrestling match is a turning point in Jacob’s life. He is renamed Israel and given the distinction as one who has “struggled with God and with man.” Jacob’s approach to this situation is somehow humble and bold at the same time. He realizes his encounter with God should have been his end, but he also will not let God go without blessing him. God recognizes in Jacob a worthy partner. God wants a family through which to bless the world and Jacob’s family wins that place. This family will have a worthy leader in Jacob, now Israel, leading them to follow God and live a life that blesses the world.
John Lewis was also a man that was able to pull off a humble yet bold presence. He famously called for people to get into “good trouble” and was a trusted colleague of a wide political range of congress people. Jacob and John Lewis have a lot in common. They understood the power of a blessing. Lewis knew if someone trusted him, they would be more willing to listen and talk about important issues. Having someone’s blessing opens doors of opportunity. Lewis also worked to build what he called “The Beloved Community.” Much like God’s chosen family that Jacob lead, The Beloved Community worked to bless the world by fighting for dignity and respect for all people. Lewis is another person who spent his life struggling with God and with man and has earned the name of American Hero.
* * *
Psalm 17:1-7, 15
Justice
This Psalm begs God to see the truth of the psalmist’s innocence. They have remained faithful and walked the path of God. There have been times the psalmist could have turned away and taken the bribes but they remained strong. The confidence in verse 15 is that even though the world may not see their goodness God will be just. They are sure justice will win out when God is finally give the chance to weigh their soul.
The struggle for justice in Portland has reached its third month. The community has stayed committed to their call to end racism in their community and continued to protest downtown in designated zones. They must have some sense of what the psalmist had in verse 15. They are somehow sure their time and energy spent demanding justice for black lives will be heard. Even as the weeks have gotten long, and the federal government has sent in increasing force to quiet them, the protestors in Portland are still confidant they are on the right path. Justice will come and they will cry out until it arrives.
* * *
Isaiah 55:1-5
Free Food
Not only do those who are thirsty get water in this passage, they get wine and milk too. The verses advise people to spend their money of what will satisfy them not just simple breads. The level of generosity is above and beyond what they need. They only need water, but they get options. They only need bread, but they are given choices. This is what it is like to be in God’s family. You are cared for on a basic level but also treated as someone highly valued. Given choices to satisfy ones needs. This is why nations they do not know will join them. It is a great community to belong to.
The pandemic has caused an increase in people who need food. Many people are out of work or underemployed and the end in not yet in sight. Food banks have been overrun with demand and finding food has been hard. While boxed and canned food have been hard to find, fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, and cheese have been nearly impossible to get. The options mentioned in the Psalm are simply not available. In Los Angeles however, locals have gotten creative. They have placed refrigerators around the community that are stocked with these fresh but hard to find options. A living representation of the abundance Isaiah envisions for those in need.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: Hear a just cause, O God; attend to our cry.
People: Give ear to our prayer from lips free of deceit.
Leader: We call upon you, for you will answer us, O God.
People: Incline your ear to us, hear our words.
Leader: Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge.
People: Let us behold your face in righteousness.
OR
Leader: God is gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love.
People: God is good to all, showing compassion over all creation.
Leader: God upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
People: The eyes of all look to God who gives them their food in due season.
Leader: Our mouths will speak the praise of God.
People: Let all flesh bless God’s holy name forever and ever.
OR
Leader: Come to God and let your souls be satisfied.
People: We come to God to be filled with the Spirit.
Leader: When we come to God, we are made new.
People: We open our hearts and minds to our transforming God.
Leader: When we come to God’s table we find all have been invited.
People: As God welcomes us so we will welcome others.
Hymns and Songs:
O Worship the King
UMH: 73
H82: 388
PH: 476
NNBH: 6
NCH: 26
CH: 17
LBW: 548
ELW: 842
W&P: 2
AMEC: 12
For the Fruits of This Creation
UMH: 97
H82: 424
PH: 553
NCH: 425
CH: 714
LBW: 563
ELW: 679
W&P: 723
Now Thank We All Our God
UMH: 102
H82: 396/397
PH: 555
NNBH: 330
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533/534
ELW: 839/840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT: 32
I Surrender All
UMH: 354
AAHH: 396
NNBH: 198
W&P: 474
AMEC: 251
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
UMH: 358
H82: 652/653
PH: 345
NCH: 502
CH: 594
LBW: 506
W&P: 470
AMEC: 344
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELW: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 455
Renew: 196
O Jesus, I Have Promised
UMH: 396
H82: 655
PH: 388/89
NCH: 493
CH: 612
LBW: 503
ELW: 810
W&P: 458
AMEC: 280
Take My Life and Let It Be
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
ELW: 583/685
W&P: 466
AMEC: 292
Renew: 150
I Am Thine, O Lord
UMH: 419
AAHH: 387
NNBH: 202
NCH: 455
CH: 601
W&P: 408
AMEC: 283
O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
UMH: 430
H82: 659/660
PH: 357
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELW: 818
W&P: 589
AMEC: 299
Change My Heart, O God
CCB: 56
Renew: 143
Through It All
CCB: 61
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who comes to meet with us in the midst of our lives:
Grant us the faith to grapple with you and our faith
knowing that we shall be blessed and different
from our encounter with you;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you come to meet us in our everyday lives. You come to help us wrestle with our faith and our relationship with you. Help us to have the faith to enter into this encounter knowing that we will emerge blessed. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to welcome all to God’s table.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have not dealt with our preconceived ideas about who belongs in your Realm and who does not. We have not come to terms with owning how our sense of your love and grace is much smaller than the wideness of your love. We are more content to stay with our own thoughts than to allow you to expand our awareness of you and your grace. Forgive us and renew us in your Spirit that we may truly be disciples of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Leader: God’s love and grace are broad and deep including even us in our failure to be open to them for others. Receive God’s grace and allow the Spirit to bring new life and understanding so that you may share God’s love with others.
Prayers of the People
Glory and honor are yours, O God, because you are fount of all love and goodness. Being love you created in love and for love.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have not dealt with our preconceived ideas about who belongs in your Realm and who does not. We have not come to terms with owning how our sense of your love and grace is much smaller than the wideness of your love. We are more content to stay with our own thoughts than to allow you to expand our awareness of you and your grace. Forgive us and renew us in your Spirit that we may truly be disciples of Jesus the Christ.
We give you thanks for the abundance of creation which reflects the abundance of your love. We thank you for your love the embraces the who world. We thank you for those who have shared your love with us so that we have come to know love in our own lives and we thank you for those you have sent to us so that we could share love with them.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your creation and all your children. We pray for those who have not yet experienced your love in their lives. We pray for those who have been denied their share in the bounty of your creation. We pray for those who have suffered from violence and hatred. We pray for the courage to be your loving presence for others as we come to know your love more and more.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about being really hungry and how good it is to smell food and then get to taste it. Some people never get enough to eat but even when we often do, we all know what it feels like to be hungry. God understands this and uses hunger as a way of talking about our need for God. It is like a being really hungry and when we open our lives to God it is even better than sitting down to a great feast.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Dum De Dum Dum
by Dean Feldmeyer
Isaiah 55:1-5, Matthew 14:13-21
You will need: One bag of Dum-Dum Pops. Or a handful will do if you are going to be presenting via video.
Say: (Displaying the Dum Dum’s so the children can see all the different colors and flavors.)
Good morning, boys and girls.
Today we are hearing the story of how Jesus fed more than 5,000 people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fishes. Pretty impressive, huh?
You know, one of the things that always struck me about this story is that Jesus didn’t make the people apply for the food. He didn’t make them prove that they were really hungry. And he didn’t make them prove that they really needed it or deserved it.
He just prayed over the food and then he gave it away. Just gave it to every one no matter who they were. Whether they deserved it or not, whether they were hungry or not. He gave it away.
And it was more than enough.
God does great things when God’s people are generous and kind — when we are willing to give things away. I think that is so important that we need something to remind us of that, and I think I found it.
These are Dum-Dums and I bet everyone one of us have had a Dum-Dum at some time. And, I bet that most of the time you didn’t have to pay for it. It was given away, free.
(When I was a little boy, we used to get them at the bank our parents went to. And at the doctor’s office. And they were always free.)
Where do these free Dum-Dums come from, do you suppose? Well, I looked it on the internet and, come to find out, Dum-Dums are called give-away candy. They are made to be given away! Here are some other interesting things I learned about them:
When some business or church or school puts a basket or bowl of Dum-Dums on the counter, they don’t make you prove that you deserve one. They just give you one for free.
Just like Jesus did with the fishes and the loaves.
And just like God asks us to do with our love.
(End with a prayer thanking God for grace and love that is unconditional, a free gift.)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 2, 2020 issue.
Copyright 2020 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.
- Wrestling with an Unseen Enemy by Mary Austin — Jacob grapples with an enemy he can’t see, and refuses to give up. His night-time wrestling is a mirror for our national battle with Covid-19.
- Second Thoughts: Enough is Enough by Chris Keating — Jesus challenges the disciples’ perception that there is not enough, offering a reminder that God’s provisions shall always sustain God’s people.
- Sermon illustrations by Ron Love, Tom Willadsen, Bethany Peerbolte.
- Worship resources by George Reed that focus on God's invitation to all to come and eat; wrestling with God and our faith.
- Children’s sermon: Dum De Dum Dum by Dean Feldmeyer.
Wrestling with an Unseen Enemyby Mary Austin
Genesis 32:22-31
Last week, the United States entered a new phase in our national battle with Covid-19, reaching four million cases nationwide. One day held over 1000 deaths, and so did the next day.
When we closed workplaces, schools and churches in March, we thought it would be for a week or two. Then maybe another week, and then an additional two weeks, and then a month, and now life has been disrupted in dramatic ways for four months. Since March, “American life has been fundamentally reordered because of the virus. Concerts, parades and baseball games have been called off. Unemployment claims have spiked. And in most states, case numbers are rising again.”
In spite of the danger, many people have given up wrestling with the novel coronavirus. An emergency room physician notes that some of us have given up the fight. “When I drive home from my shifts, I see people out and about as though everything is completely normal. Some people are wearing masks; many are not. Some people are distancing; many are not. Some of my own family have stopped listening to me.” Jacob manages to wrestle all night, and yet our sense of disciplined attention to our own gigantic battle is fading, both nationally and personally.
Jacob’s story invites us to ponder the kind of courage and attention required to wrestle against an unseen enemy, and to think about what we need to do to prevail.
In the Scriptures
Jacob is the kind of slippery character who always lands on his feet, no doubt leaving people wondering how he gets away with the things he does. The birthright stolen from his brother, and his escape from Esau’s rage. Encountering his tricky father-in-law, and then tricking him in turn. Ending up with not one but two wives, plus sexual access to their female servants. This night is one of the few times we see him display real fear, as he prepares to meet his brother Esau again. The physical wresting with the nighttime figure mirrors his inner wrestling match with himself, as he faces up to his own failures. Both places of reckoning – inside and outside – are the hardest Jacob has ever worked. There’s no evading this challenge, as he has so many others over the years.
Jacob starts the night as a charming con artist whose main concerns is for himself, and ends in the morning as a new man. This time, Jacob stands his ground. He gets a dose of his own medicine, as the figure cheats to win. “When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob's hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him.” At the end of the battle, the mysterious night figure tells him, "You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with humans, and have prevailed."
Jacob asks for a name in return, and gets only a question in response. His wrestling partner refuses, again, to be pinned down, replying, "Why is it that you ask my name?" What Jacob does get is a blessing. This one, unlike the one from his father, he earns. The other mystery gift of the night is a limp, which God gives him deliberately. Is Jacob meant to remember his encounter with God? Hold on to the gifts of persistence? Feel the twinge of the limp as he walks, and recall that he has a new name and a new destiny? Again, the inner and the outer mirror each other. For the rest of his life, each time he outs his foot on the ground, Jacob will have to remember that God preserved his life. In the biggest challenge of his life, it’s not his wits or charm that save him, it’s the presence of God.
In the News
Jacob is willing to wrestle all night with the unseen figure who keeps him from sleeping. Our strength for wrestling with Covid-19, and complying with social distancing, is waning. People are growing weary of being at home, of isolation, of not having a routine. We now see people returning to bars and restaurants in states where they're open. “Around the country, bars are becoming a common source of coronavirus outbreaks. In Louisiana, at least 100 people tested positive for the virus after visiting bars in the Tigerland district, a popular destination for Louisiana State University students. In Idaho, health officials shut down bars in Ada County after reporting clusters of infections among young adults who had visited several bars in downtown Boise. And several Florida bars are the source of large outbreaks. In Jacksonville Beach, a group of 16 friends went to a pub to celebrate a birthday — and within days all 16 tested positive for Covid-19.” A bar, with its close quarters and fixed seating, is an ideal place to transmit the virus – rivaling even church. Loud music moves people closer together so they can hear, and loud speech is more risky than quiet speech.
Part of our struggle is social. We don’t want to offend each other, and yet dealing with the disease means dealing with hard situations when people invite us to do things. If there’s an event we must attend, like a family wedding, what questions can we ask? “In this uncharted etiquette territory, is it OK to ask the hosts if they’ll be doing double duty as social distancing enforcer? “Generally, no,” said Jules Hirst, an etiquette coach based in Los Angeles and the co-author of the book “The Power of Civility.” It depends on your relationship with the host, she said. If it’s a family member or someone you’re close to, it’s more acceptable to inquire. You could also use their past behavior for reference: If they’ve posted a bunch of photos of themselves in crowded public areas or at other parties with no mask on, it’s reasonable to assume they won’t be strict about things at their own house. If you do ask, phrasing it as a yes-or-no question will probably yield more useful information than broadly asking about social distancing, since not everyone has quite the same understanding of what “good social distancing” looks like. Will you be asking people to wear masks? Will families be seated at least six feet away from each other?”
Other dilemmas are more perilous. Families struggling with a lack of work are facing the end of an enhanced unemployment benefit, funded by the federal government on top of state benefits. A federal moratorium on evictions is also expiring this week. The financial pressure on many families is enormous, as Congress seeks agreement on a new relief bill. “Congress has not passed any coronavirus relief legislation since approving four bipartisan bills in March and April that pumped around $3 trillion into the economy,” and is now wresting with what steps to take next. “Some experts are skeptical. State unemployment offices have been badly overwhelmed by the unprecedented surge in claims, and there were another 1.4 million claims last week. Thousands of the newly jobless have struggled for months to obtain their benefits, and in some states, have camped outside unemployment offices overnight to be first in line for help. The $600-per-week bonus was chosen for its simplicity compared to targeted, individual wage replacement — but it has proven tremendously difficult for states to implement as the nation’s unemployment rate spiked to 15 percent before falling slightly to 11 percent.”
Parents and grandparents have wrestled with teaching kids at home since March, trying to recall long-ago algebra problems, sentence diagramming and foreign languages, all while many were working from home. Says one writer in an opinion piece, “The implicit bargain of the spring was that if everyone complied with the shutdowns, the isolation, the social distancing, the working-while-parenting disasters and the rest, the government would use that time to build enough testing, tracing and public health infrastructure so that students could safely go back to school in person in the fall.” Now, as cases rise, schools districts are wresting with how and when to re-open schools, and shifting almost daily from hybrid models to all-online school. Again.
Opinion writer Dana Stevens speaks for many parents when she writes, “As late summer closes in, there’s a special flavor of rage as parents realize that we’re now being forced to advocate for the very outcome that, a few weeks ago, we were hoping against hope to avoid: keeping school all-online in the fall. However far from ideal this may be, we can at least be sure that our kids, their teachers and the staff at their schools — who should get radical pay increases for the risks they’re likely to assume — would stay safe and healthy.”
Not everyone is wrestling with illness, job loss or debt. Ordinary pleasures are available at more-than-ordinary prices. A mani-pedi is available at home, and a personal trainer will come and work out with you in your back yard. “If swimming is your thing, Swimply allows you to rent a private pool in someone’s backyard for $45 to $60 an hour, either for solo lap swimming or group parties. Need retail therapy? Bergdorf Goodman is offering socially distanced in-store appointments, as well as same-day delivery to Manhattan and the Hamptons for online orders…High-end businesses are also selling one of the most sought-after commodities in the pandemic era: child care. The Beverly Hills agency Westside Nannies has received an overwhelming number of requests for people with experience as summer camp counselors to watch children, the better to plan one-on-one camplike activities.”
In the Sermon
Jacob’s story challenges our own stamina for wrestling with difficult challenges. He has the motivation, or the stubbornness, to wrestle all night. As people clamor to return to schools and stores, or sue to return to church, we know in our heads that nothing is different from March, and yet we’re just so tired of this routine.
The sermon might look at where motivation comes from. What fuels Jacob to keep going? What will strengthen our inner resolve, for Covid-19 precautions, or really for any challenge we can’t control? Jacob could, presumably, give up and walk away, and he doesn’t. Why does he persists in the fight, and how can we do the same?
Jacob leaves the meeting with this mysterious divine limping, as all of us have been marked by skirmishes in our own lives. A divorce or recovery program, bankruptcy or illness, leaves its mark on us, too. Those wounds also turn into our greatest places of humility and understanding. The sermon could explore how our hard-won wounds are also marks of our hard-won wisdom.
The sermon could delve into the ways that Jacob is different after this encounter with the mystery figure. Sacred imagination could yield ways that Jacob’s wife and children see him differently after this encounter. When he meets his brother Esau, Jacob tells him that “truly to see your face is like seeing the face of God.” (33:10) Here is another encounter where Jacob can perceive the divine at work. Would the one be possible without the other?
In his night of holy wrestling, and afterward, Jacob embodies the words of the Psalm for the day. “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.” May our willingness to wrestle for something greater equal Jacob’s, so we also might behold God in righteousness.
SECOND THOUGHTSEnough is Enough
by Chris Keating
Mark your calendars: Sunday is day 215 of 2020, and already our bingo cards are full of surprises. Here’s a quick recap if you want to check your cards: Australian wildfires. Jennifer Lopes and Shakira shaking up the Super Bowl. Pete Buttigieg. The deaths of Kenny Rogers, Mr. Peanut, and Kobe Bryant. The rebirth of Mr. Peanut. Murder hornets. Pandemic shortages of PPE, ventilators, and toilet paper. Government warnings to not drink bleach.
And now comes the great 2020 coin shortage, which may allow us to update the old Depression-era song, “Brother, can you spare a dime?”
What a decade this year has been, and there is still more to come. Surely enough is enough.
Consider the deeper, and much less humorous current realities. The title of Mary Trump’s bestseller, aimed at describing her uncle’s pathologies, may also describe our experience of all things pandemic, “Too Much and Never Enough.”
There have been too many deaths from Covid-19 in the United States, with the toll now approaching 150,000. The spike in the virus has resulted in ten states reporting more than 10,000 new cases, with many states and municipalities pausing reopening plans. The seeming uncontrolled spread of the virus has resulted in wide-ranging shortages, including personal protective equipment, Covid-19 tests, supplies, and basic consumer goods at food banks, and much more. With additional federal unemployment benefits scheduled to end on July 31, more than 40 million Americans are preparing for financial crisis, unless Congress reaches a deal.
Also looming is a national housing crisis with millions facing eviction by September 30. As many as 20 percent of the 110 million Americans who rent are at risk of eviction, with Black, Hispanic and Native Americans expected to be hardest hit. A federal moratorium on evictions, part of the coronavirus relief act, . On Sunday, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow announced that the moratorium will be extended. But rent is still due August 1, and some landlords have already begun eviction proceedings.
It is a reminder of how Covid-19 continues to strike at the most vulnerable groups of our world.
Meanwhile, Congress struggles to come to an agreement on how to extend the coronavirus benefits. House Democrats have pushed a $3 trillion dollar relief bill. In the spring, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he believed it is time “to hit the pause button” on more spending, though the virus’ summer bounce has prompted some movement by the GOP.
These are the indicators that the pandemic’s impact will linger for years to come. According to a United Nations food economist, the pandemic could drive another 130 million people into food insecurity worldwide in 2020. Arif Husain, chief economist at the United Nations Food Program, suggests that more than a quarter of a billion people are likely to be acutely hungry this year.
There’s an over abundance of misery, and an appalling shortage of compassion-fueled justice. This summer, we are asking ourselves “will enough be enough?”
The push and pull between too much and not enough evoke images of the hungry crowds who followed Jesus. Not counting 5,000 men, it was an enormous crowd of women and children. Drawn by the abundance of Jesus’ promises and miracles, they followed him into a deserted place. The realities of the moment quickly dawn on the disciples: it is late, the stores will be closing, and these people are hungry.
“Jesus,” we imagine the disciples saying, “perhaps you might consider sending the people away. It’s late, and they’re getting hungry.”
All of this takes place in the wilderness, which itself is a potent reminder of questions about God’s provision. Israel saw the wilderness as a place of temptation and trial. In the wilderness God’s people quickly forgot Pharaoh’s oppression, and soon rebelled against God. Matthew reiterates those themes with Jesus’ own wilderness experience of fasting and temptation.
But the wilderness is also the place where God’s love falls from heaven in the form of precious manna. As Walter Brueggemann told us years ago this is a remarkable moment for God’s people. “They had never before received bread as a free gift that they couldn't control, predict, plan for or own. The meaning of this strange narrative is that the gifts of life are indeed given by a generous God. It's a wonder, it's a miracle, it's an embarrassment, it's irrational, but God's abundance transcends the market economy.” (Brueggemann, “The Liturgy of Abundance, The Myth of Scarcity,” The Christian Century, March 24-31, 1999.)
In the wilderness, Brueggemann wrote, the temptation is either hoarding or coveting. Fearful of shortages, we hoard what little we can grab and covet more. Fearful of not having enough to feed the crowds, the disciples turn away from the crowds so they can hoard Jesus for themselves. “Send them away,” they say. “Let them fend for themselves.” Enough is enough! Let them find a way out of their misery.
But Jesus knows that it is impossible to pull yourself up by your bootstraps if you can’t afford boots. He also knows how the miracle of abundance works. Jesus tells the disciples to bring whatever they have — as small as it seems. Instead of sending the crowds away, instead of delaying votes for political expediency, Jesus responds to the need of the crowd with compassion.
He takes the little amount the disciples gather. He acts out the sacramental work of the church by blessing, breaking, and giving the bread to the disciples so that it may be shared. In that deserted and lonely place, enough becomes more than enough. God’s love is multiplied and shared. There is plenty for everyone, and even enough for late night snacks.
It is this compelling hope of the gospel which must be proclaimed today. There is enough to feed all who are hungry. There is enough to find ways to make both financial and moral reparations for slavery. There is enough resolve to flatten the curve and stave off the deaths of thousands. In the pandemic wilderness, God will provide.
There will be enough — but only if people of faith respond to the invitation Jesus’ offers to share what we have been given.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:Genesis 32:22-31
Peniel, Penuel?
In v. 31 the name Jacob gives the place where he wrestled “the man,” is “Peniel,” in Hebrew פניאל . It is close to the Hebrew פנים which means “face” or “surface.” This is the place where Jacob/Israel saw God face to face. In the very next verse, the name of the place is given in English as “Penuel,” פנואל in Hebrew. It is simply two different spellings for the same thing, like “gray” and “grey” in English. A ruling elder at my last church said, “It takes a man of little imagination to spell a word only one way.”
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
Limping away
Jacob/Israel comes away from his wrestling match with a new name and a new handicap. Presumably he limps for the rest of his life, forever physically changed by his encounter with God on the banks of the Jabbok. This recalls a line from “Name” by Goo Goo Dolls
The scars are souvenirs you never lose
The past is never far.
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
Dirty?
“As a seminarian I was blessed to take my introductory Hebrew Bible course with the incomparable Phyllis Trible. In her lecture on this text, Trible made the case that the best translation of the verb “to wrestle” is to “make God dirty.” Our notions of God make us want to save God from vulnerabilities. How soon we forget. Did not God show us at the beginning of this book of beginnings that God was willing to become dirty to create us?” (Gary V. Simpson, in the Christian Century, July 15, 2020, p. 21)
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
What’s up with the thigh muscle?
“The halachah forbids the eating of that part of the thigh of large and small cattle which is served by the sciatic nerve. Birds are excluded from this prohibition.
The process of cutting away the sinew, forbidden fat, and certain other parts is called porging (נקור ), and because experts in porging were not always available many Jewish communities refrained from eating any part of an animal’s hindquarters.” (The Torah: A Modern Commentary, New York: The Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1981, p. 223.)
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
Coincidence? I don’t think so!
“Israel put him to the sword, and took possession of his land from the Amon to the Jabbok, as far as to the Ammonites…” (Number 21:24, NRSV) The site of Jacob’s wrestling match is the very place where the conquest of the Promised Land began.
* * *
Genesis 32:22-31
Here be demons
“Rivers, it was believed, were infested by demons. We may therefore infer that Jacob first thought that the “man” who met him during the night was a river demon—the assonance between the words יבק (the river Jabbok) and ויאבק (he struggled) is not accidental. The man’s urgent request, “Let me go for dawn is breaking,” fortifies Jacob’s belief that he has met a demonic being who must not be seen and who therefore must depart before sunrise.” (The Torah: A Modern Commentary, New York: The Union of American Hebrew Congregations, 1981, p. 221.)
* * *
Isaiah 55:1-5
Ho!
Yes, you read that right; the first word in the lesson from Isaiah is “Ho,” a transliteration of הוי . It doesn’t exactly translate; it’s “hardly more than an exclamation arousing attention Ha! (though perh. with a touch of sympathy of pity.)” (Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver and Biggs, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1951, p. 222.)
Do not confuse this term with Santa Claus’ standard laugh, a garden tool, or a vulgar term for prostitute.
* * *
Psalm 145:8, 14-21
“all”
The Hebrew כל appears ten times from v. 14 through v. 21. It is used to describe God’s total love of all people in everything the Lord looks upon. In Hebrew poetry redundancy often functions as rhyme does in English poetry.
* * *
Psalm 17:1-7, 15
“Wondrously show your love” (Psalm 17:7, NRSV)
חֲ֭סָדֶיךָ הַפְלֵ֣ה This is a powerful, arresting phrase. Love’s root is “hesed,”
חסד the basis for the English “Hassidim,” a very strict sect within Judaism. The verb פלה means “set apart.” This phrase is getting at a notion like “be conspicuous in the love You show us, O God.” God’s love makes people and peoples different, special, set apart.
* * * * * *
From team member Ron Love:Psalm 17:1
Hear a just cause…
The Longhorns are to be admired for acknowledging that there are racist symbol on campus. The University of Texas has pledged to recruit more black students and faculty. The university will also present a history of its past racist actions.
The university will also remove many of its racist statues and rename buildings. It renamed The Robert L. Moore Building, named for a former math professor who was a segregationist and refused to teach Black students, and was renamed as the Physics, Math and Astronomy Building. Joe Jamail Field was named after the wealthiest practicing attorney in the United States, will be renamed Campbell-Williams field, in honor of former black Longhorns, Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams, who are both Heisman Trophy winners. The request came from Jamail family members who desired that diversity would become the new norm for the university.
The university will also be erecting statues to honor black students and their accomplishments. There will be a monument that will recognize the first black undergraduate class at UT. There will be a statue honoring Julius Whittier, who became the team’s first black football player in 1970.
What is not going to change is the school’s anthem “The Eyes of Texas.” This song has as its origin in words spoken by Robert E, Lee. Lee, who led the Confederate forces and was defeated. After the war Lee became the president of Washington College in Lexington, Virginia. Lee would end every public address with these words, “The eyes of the South are upon you.”
William Prather was one of his students. When Prather became president of UT in 1899, he took a minstrel song that was often sung in black face and used Lee’s closing words, and changed it to “the eyes of Texas are upon you.” Prather defended his decision because the song now honored the heritage of Texas. The anthem last stanza reads:
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
All the live long day.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
You cannot get away.
Do not think you can escape them,
At night, or early in the morn.
The eyes of Texas are upon you,
'Till Gabriel blows his horn!
* * *
Matthew 14:14
and he had compassion for them…
Art Garfunkel is probably best known to us as he sang songs, many of them with a social activist theme, with Paul Simon. Perhaps though, he should be remembered for one word — friendship.
In his sophomore year at Columbia, he decided to share a room with his good friend Sanford “Sandy” Greenberg. Art introduced the idea of a “solemn covenant” between the two of them. The 1959 the covenant said, “If one was in the extremis, the other would come to his rescue.” Two years later the covenant was tested when Sandy became blind with glaucoma. The covenant became a true covenant when Art came to the aid of his friend.
With the constant and loyal assistance from Art, Sandy was able to graduate form Columbia. During those academic years Art would read aloud textbooks, walk his friend to class, fill out academic forms, and being present for all the challenges that college can place upon an individual. Sandy said of art, “He lifted me out of the grave.”
Though, the friendship was not one-sided. Art need $400 to release his first album with his high school friend Paul Simon. Sandy, with only $404 in his bank account, wrote them a check for the needed amount. The album was Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M., and featured the song “The Sound of Silence.”
Regarding their relationship, Art referred to himself as “Darkness.” Garfunkel called himself “Darkness” in a show of empathy. The singer explained: “I was saying, ‘I want to be together where you are, in the black.’” Sandy recalls, “He would come in and say, ‘Darkness is going to read to you now.’”
But to one man “The Sound of Silence” means much more than just a No 1 song on the radio with its poignant opening line: “Hello Darkness my old friend, I’ve come to talk with you again.”
After graduating from college, every month of every year, the two friends visit each other.
* * *
Isaiah 55:3
Incline your ear, come to me, listen…
Royalty and politicians have always had secret ways to communicate with their staff. The British Royalty use their purses as one device. Diana, Princesses of Wales, carried what came to called he “cleavage bags.” The purse matched her dress perfectly, but was so small that at best it could only hold a tube of lipstick. She used these tiny unassuming purses to hide her cleavage when she got in and out of limousines, and at other times when she did not want her chest to be photographed.
Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, holds her purse in front of her with both hands when she does not want to shake hands in a public.
When the Queen switches the handles of her purse from one gloved hand to the other, she is telling her staff to wrap up the current conversation. When the Queen puts her purse on the table, it means to stop the conversation now.
* * *
Genesis 32:24
…and a man wrestled with him until daybreak.
The newspaper comic strip Ziggy is written by Tom Wilson. We must admire how insightful Wilson is regarding daily living. Ziggy is a nondescript character, and as such he represents everyone. He has a big nose, a puffy face, and clothes that resemble a smock. Ziggy is a very nice individual who relates to the everyday person and the everyday struggles of life. Ziggy is not an activist; he is just someone who lives in reality of day-to-day living.
In this one episode, Ziggy is sitting at a table with a psychic reader. Ziggy, being short in suture, we only see his head and enlarged puffy nose over the table top. The psychic is reading the message from the Crystal Ball, often called the Magic Globe.
Ziggy struggles with life and usually finds himself as being an outcast. He has very low self-esteem only to be brought lower when the psychic says, “…I’m sorry, sir!...it seems that none of your past lives wish to be associated with you!!”
* * *
Romans 9:1
I am speaking the truth in Christ…
Tammy Duckworth is the junior senator from Illinois. She formerly served as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army. During the Iraq War she lost both of her legs, and is confined to a wheelchair. She belongs to the Democratic Party, and she is of Thai-American descent. As an advocate for racial justice, she supported protesters who removed racist statues.
Tucker Carlson, on Fox News, on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, denounced Duckworth as being unpatriotic, a vandal, and he even called the honorable senator a “moron.” Then, adopting the language used for a century by those aiming to restrict the country to people of Northern and Western European ancestry, the Fox News correspondent said, “We live here. We don’t want to destroy it. We have every right to fight to preserve our nation and our heritage and our culture.” He ended by saying, “we have every right to laugh in their faces, and we should.”
Senator Duckworth only response was a message on Twitter that invited Carlson to “walk a mile in my legs and then tell me whether or not I love America.”
* * * * * *
From team member Bethany Peerbolte:Genesis 32:22-31
You have Struggled with God and with Man
Jacob finds himself in another position to collect another blessing, this time from God. The wrestling match is a turning point in Jacob’s life. He is renamed Israel and given the distinction as one who has “struggled with God and with man.” Jacob’s approach to this situation is somehow humble and bold at the same time. He realizes his encounter with God should have been his end, but he also will not let God go without blessing him. God recognizes in Jacob a worthy partner. God wants a family through which to bless the world and Jacob’s family wins that place. This family will have a worthy leader in Jacob, now Israel, leading them to follow God and live a life that blesses the world.
John Lewis was also a man that was able to pull off a humble yet bold presence. He famously called for people to get into “good trouble” and was a trusted colleague of a wide political range of congress people. Jacob and John Lewis have a lot in common. They understood the power of a blessing. Lewis knew if someone trusted him, they would be more willing to listen and talk about important issues. Having someone’s blessing opens doors of opportunity. Lewis also worked to build what he called “The Beloved Community.” Much like God’s chosen family that Jacob lead, The Beloved Community worked to bless the world by fighting for dignity and respect for all people. Lewis is another person who spent his life struggling with God and with man and has earned the name of American Hero.
* * *
Psalm 17:1-7, 15
Justice
This Psalm begs God to see the truth of the psalmist’s innocence. They have remained faithful and walked the path of God. There have been times the psalmist could have turned away and taken the bribes but they remained strong. The confidence in verse 15 is that even though the world may not see their goodness God will be just. They are sure justice will win out when God is finally give the chance to weigh their soul.
The struggle for justice in Portland has reached its third month. The community has stayed committed to their call to end racism in their community and continued to protest downtown in designated zones. They must have some sense of what the psalmist had in verse 15. They are somehow sure their time and energy spent demanding justice for black lives will be heard. Even as the weeks have gotten long, and the federal government has sent in increasing force to quiet them, the protestors in Portland are still confidant they are on the right path. Justice will come and they will cry out until it arrives.
* * *
Isaiah 55:1-5
Free Food
Not only do those who are thirsty get water in this passage, they get wine and milk too. The verses advise people to spend their money of what will satisfy them not just simple breads. The level of generosity is above and beyond what they need. They only need water, but they get options. They only need bread, but they are given choices. This is what it is like to be in God’s family. You are cared for on a basic level but also treated as someone highly valued. Given choices to satisfy ones needs. This is why nations they do not know will join them. It is a great community to belong to.
The pandemic has caused an increase in people who need food. Many people are out of work or underemployed and the end in not yet in sight. Food banks have been overrun with demand and finding food has been hard. While boxed and canned food have been hard to find, fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, milk, and cheese have been nearly impossible to get. The options mentioned in the Psalm are simply not available. In Los Angeles however, locals have gotten creative. They have placed refrigerators around the community that are stocked with these fresh but hard to find options. A living representation of the abundance Isaiah envisions for those in need.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: Hear a just cause, O God; attend to our cry.
People: Give ear to our prayer from lips free of deceit.
Leader: We call upon you, for you will answer us, O God.
People: Incline your ear to us, hear our words.
Leader: Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge.
People: Let us behold your face in righteousness.
OR
Leader: God is gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love.
People: God is good to all, showing compassion over all creation.
Leader: God upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
People: The eyes of all look to God who gives them their food in due season.
Leader: Our mouths will speak the praise of God.
People: Let all flesh bless God’s holy name forever and ever.
OR
Leader: Come to God and let your souls be satisfied.
People: We come to God to be filled with the Spirit.
Leader: When we come to God, we are made new.
People: We open our hearts and minds to our transforming God.
Leader: When we come to God’s table we find all have been invited.
People: As God welcomes us so we will welcome others.
Hymns and Songs:
O Worship the King
UMH: 73
H82: 388
PH: 476
NNBH: 6
NCH: 26
CH: 17
LBW: 548
ELW: 842
W&P: 2
AMEC: 12
For the Fruits of This Creation
UMH: 97
H82: 424
PH: 553
NCH: 425
CH: 714
LBW: 563
ELW: 679
W&P: 723
Now Thank We All Our God
UMH: 102
H82: 396/397
PH: 555
NNBH: 330
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533/534
ELW: 839/840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT: 32
I Surrender All
UMH: 354
AAHH: 396
NNBH: 198
W&P: 474
AMEC: 251
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind
UMH: 358
H82: 652/653
PH: 345
NCH: 502
CH: 594
LBW: 506
W&P: 470
AMEC: 344
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELW: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 455
Renew: 196
O Jesus, I Have Promised
UMH: 396
H82: 655
PH: 388/89
NCH: 493
CH: 612
LBW: 503
ELW: 810
W&P: 458
AMEC: 280
Take My Life and Let It Be
UMH: 399
H82: 707
PH: 391
NNBH: 213
NCH: 448
CH: 609
LBW: 406
ELW: 583/685
W&P: 466
AMEC: 292
Renew: 150
I Am Thine, O Lord
UMH: 419
AAHH: 387
NNBH: 202
NCH: 455
CH: 601
W&P: 408
AMEC: 283
O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee
UMH: 430
H82: 659/660
PH: 357
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELW: 818
W&P: 589
AMEC: 299
Change My Heart, O God
CCB: 56
Renew: 143
Through It All
CCB: 61
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who comes to meet with us in the midst of our lives:
Grant us the faith to grapple with you and our faith
knowing that we shall be blessed and different
from our encounter with you;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you come to meet us in our everyday lives. You come to help us wrestle with our faith and our relationship with you. Help us to have the faith to enter into this encounter knowing that we will emerge blessed. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to welcome all to God’s table.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have not dealt with our preconceived ideas about who belongs in your Realm and who does not. We have not come to terms with owning how our sense of your love and grace is much smaller than the wideness of your love. We are more content to stay with our own thoughts than to allow you to expand our awareness of you and your grace. Forgive us and renew us in your Spirit that we may truly be disciples of Jesus the Christ. Amen.
Leader: God’s love and grace are broad and deep including even us in our failure to be open to them for others. Receive God’s grace and allow the Spirit to bring new life and understanding so that you may share God’s love with others.
Prayers of the People
Glory and honor are yours, O God, because you are fount of all love and goodness. Being love you created in love and for love.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have not dealt with our preconceived ideas about who belongs in your Realm and who does not. We have not come to terms with owning how our sense of your love and grace is much smaller than the wideness of your love. We are more content to stay with our own thoughts than to allow you to expand our awareness of you and your grace. Forgive us and renew us in your Spirit that we may truly be disciples of Jesus the Christ.
We give you thanks for the abundance of creation which reflects the abundance of your love. We thank you for your love the embraces the who world. We thank you for those who have shared your love with us so that we have come to know love in our own lives and we thank you for those you have sent to us so that we could share love with them.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your creation and all your children. We pray for those who have not yet experienced your love in their lives. We pray for those who have been denied their share in the bounty of your creation. We pray for those who have suffered from violence and hatred. We pray for the courage to be your loving presence for others as we come to know your love more and more.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service.)
All this we ask in the name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about being really hungry and how good it is to smell food and then get to taste it. Some people never get enough to eat but even when we often do, we all know what it feels like to be hungry. God understands this and uses hunger as a way of talking about our need for God. It is like a being really hungry and when we open our lives to God it is even better than sitting down to a great feast.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMONDum De Dum Dum
by Dean Feldmeyer
Isaiah 55:1-5, Matthew 14:13-21
You will need: One bag of Dum-Dum Pops. Or a handful will do if you are going to be presenting via video.
Say: (Displaying the Dum Dum’s so the children can see all the different colors and flavors.)
Good morning, boys and girls.
Today we are hearing the story of how Jesus fed more than 5,000 people with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fishes. Pretty impressive, huh?
You know, one of the things that always struck me about this story is that Jesus didn’t make the people apply for the food. He didn’t make them prove that they were really hungry. And he didn’t make them prove that they really needed it or deserved it.
He just prayed over the food and then he gave it away. Just gave it to every one no matter who they were. Whether they deserved it or not, whether they were hungry or not. He gave it away.
And it was more than enough.
God does great things when God’s people are generous and kind — when we are willing to give things away. I think that is so important that we need something to remind us of that, and I think I found it.
These are Dum-Dums and I bet everyone one of us have had a Dum-Dum at some time. And, I bet that most of the time you didn’t have to pay for it. It was given away, free.
(When I was a little boy, we used to get them at the bank our parents went to. And at the doctor’s office. And they were always free.)
Where do these free Dum-Dums come from, do you suppose? Well, I looked it on the internet and, come to find out, Dum-Dums are called give-away candy. They are made to be given away! Here are some other interesting things I learned about them:
- Dum-Dum’s were invented in 1924.
- They are made by a company called Spanger Candy in the little town of Bryan, Ohio.
- That company also makes Circus Peanuts, Necco Wafers, Smarties, Starburst, and those little candy canes that come in a long strip that you see in all the stores around Christmas. But their most popular candy is Dum-Dums.
- They make 12 million of them every day.
- There are 41 different flavors of Dum-Dums but they make only 16 at a time.
- Every bag of Dum-Dums contains 16 flavors and one mystery flavor.
- They have a 3-year shelf life — that means they stay good to eat for three years.
- The most popular flavor is lemon. (My favorite is root beer.)
- Dum-Dums are the most popular give-away candy in the world. Just about every Dum-Dum that is purchased is purchased to give away — at Halloween, at stores, at schools, at churches, at banks, at doctors’ offices. Dum-Dums are almost always free.
When some business or church or school puts a basket or bowl of Dum-Dums on the counter, they don’t make you prove that you deserve one. They just give you one for free.
Just like Jesus did with the fishes and the loaves.
And just like God asks us to do with our love.
(End with a prayer thanking God for grace and love that is unconditional, a free gift.)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 2, 2020 issue.
Copyright 2020 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.
