A Stellar Calamity
Stories
Object:
Contents
What's Up This Week
"A Stellar Calamity" by Frank Ramirez
"After the Suffering" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Restoration" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Restorations R Us" by John Sumwalt
What's Up This Week
As we begin Advent and await the coming of the Light of the World, a glance at the night sky reminds us of the wonders of God's creation. But while there are many delightful seasonal light decorations for our enjoyment, Frank Ramirez wonders in the feature piece in this edition of StoryShare if our artificial illumination has replaced God's light and blinded us to the visible signs of God. But maybe God's light isn't all we might be missing -- Peter Andrew Smith tells about a conversation between a man who's lost his house and a friend who tries to console him, but who just doesn't seem to grasp why the man isn't completely re-evaluating his life. Perhaps it's because the man understands that there are difficult times in life, but God is still with us -- and we never know when his time will come. Smith also paints a poignant picture of how painful restoration can be, even though it is necessary. And to round out this week's material, John Sumwalt shares a moving dramatic tableau that powerfully illustrates exactly where we can find the restoration we all need.
* * * * * * * * *
A Stellar Calamity
by Frank Ramirez
Mark 13:24-37
But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
-- Mark 13:24-25
They say there's no use crying over spilled milk, but how about over lost milk? Our word for galaxy comes from the Greek for milk -- galactos. When they looked up in the sky and saw our Milky Way galaxy they thought it looked like spilled milk that had spread across the sky. The Milky Way was so bright that on a moonless night it cast shadows! Nowadays even those of us who live in the countryside have trouble picking it out. And most Americans simply can't see it at all.
When Jesus talked about drastic changes in the sun, moon, and stars, he was speaking to people for whom they were reliable companions in the night sky. The Psalmist said that the heavens declared the glory of God -- and yet how the heavens barely whisper to us. There is simply too much light pollution throughout much of our region of the world.
Sometimes it's not a matter of how bright a light is but how efficient. Billions of dollars are wasted by lights, which illuminate the sky but not the property that people seek to protect at night. Lamps that are mounted on poles, for instance, actually create more darkness and insecurity, because the structure casts a very dark shadow that can hide danger rather than reveal it!
Some areas are trying to use smarter lights to provide the illumination necessary for safety's sake -- at least in our own mind -- and not interfere with telescopes. For instance, San Jose requires the use of low-pressure streetlights to help Lick Observatory, which is nearby. In Tucson, as well as in other Arizona cities, there are ordinances that require outdoor lights that use limited wavelengths that can be filtered out by telescopes and are pointed at the ground rather than at the sky. Pointing lights at the ground actually provide more security because any individuals or objects that might be dangerous are directly illuminated! Smart lights are saving cities a lot of money. In the case of the province of Alberta, Canada, the savings amounted to two million dollars a year.
Another problem is simply a matter of sleep. God has tied us to a cycle of waking and sleeping that is triggered by light and dark. We are out of sorts with the way God has created us. We don't know if we are coming or going. In some places the lights are always so bright that people are forced to buy extra thick curtains because otherwise it never gets dark. Think of how sleepy everyone seems. No one seems to catch up. Are we really experiencing the night God has blessed us with?
No one is totally sure what effect this is having on the natural world. It has been discovered that light pollution is confusing migrating birds. Sometimes thousands can be killed in a single night. When the birds are gone, then the insects they would have eaten flourish and destroy forests and houses. In Florida the hatchlings of sea turtles emerge when it is night and instinctively head for the brightest light, which ought to be the moon. Instead, they are attracted by headlights and shopping centers, causing many of them to be run over.
The night sky told a story to ancient people all over the world. It was a living presence. Jesus used the images of the destruction of the night sky to symbolize the end of the world. Yet the night sky is not real to us. Nor are many of the other elements of Jesus' world -- the strong smells of the unguents and perfumes, the kisses and embracing that bound people together, the hospitality that welcomed unexpected guests (requiring the host to knock on a neighbor's door at midnight for bread), the celebratory wedding feasts that included everyone in a town and not just selected guests, the openness of lives -- all that has been banished by bright lights, obsessive privacy, suspicion of the unexpected, exclusivity, and a feeling that there is simply not enough to go around.
How can we pay attention to the signs that God is giving if we can't even see them? Have we put ourselves on the throne of the cosmos, creating a self-centered idolatry, losing not only the beauty of the natural world, including the night, but deposing God from the center of creation (in our own minds of course, and not in fact)? Have we not called into being the very Abomination of Desolation, which Jesus preached against in this passage?
Frank Ramirez is a native of Southern California and has served as a pastor for nearly thirty years in Church of the Brethren congregations. Frank has served congregations in Los Angeles, California; Elkhart, Indiana; and Everett, Pennsylvania. He enjoys writing, reading, exercise, and theater.
After the Suffering
by Peter Andrew Smith
Mark 13:24-37
Jim reached across the table for the salt and pepper. "Sorry to hear about your house."
Pat unfolded his napkin. "Thanks. It's been a rough few months. Deb loved that house. She cried the whole time we were packing."
"What are you going to do?"
"We're renting right now. When we get enough money, I guess we'll look at buying again."
Jim shook his head. "You've gone through a really difficult time and it must have shaken your life to the core. So what are you going to do differently so it doesn't happen again?"
"We're going to make sure we can afford what we get and we're not going to live beyond our means."
"Well, that only makes sense," Jim said. "But what about your life? This must have made you question everything."
"Pretty much. I don't think we've been through anything rougher." Pat sighed. "I didn't expect it to turn our lives upside down like it did. Nothing is easy these days."
Jim nodded. "I bet. So what's going to change in your life? I mean you can't go through something as bad as this without making some major changes."
"We're certainly going to watch what we spend."
"Sure, sure," Jim said. "But what about the way you live your life? I mean when something like this happens you have to wonder what you could have done to prevent it."
Pat chewed his food for a while. "Deb and I talked about it. Other than how we look at money we're going to keep doing what we have always done. Find a good neighborhood, raise the kids, go to church, and be the best people we can be. We're going to live pretty much the same as we always have."
Jim stopped eating. "You've got to be kidding. You're been through a horrible time and watched your future fall away and you're not going to do anything different? Come on, it's time to shake things up, try a new plan. If you have bad times in life, you're not doing it right -- that's what I believe."
Pat smiled. "I think bad things happen. It's what we do during those bad times that is important."
"Really?" Jim said. "I mean we've been friends for a long time. You told me that when you found Jesus your life was perfect. I guess you can't believe that anymore."
Pat shook his head. "You should come to church with us some Sunday. Knowing God isn't about getting what you want to have in life. It's about something more."
"What more is there?"
"Well, for starters there is what happens after the bad times take place -- because hardships come and go. Life has its ups and downs. What is important are our actions when things are bad and when things are good. Because you never know."
"Know what?"
"When you don't have anymore time."
Jim opened his mouth to say something else when the buzzer sounded and everyone in the lunchroom headed back to work.
Restoration
by Peter Andrew Smith
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
"I'm sorry," Trisha said, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry."
"You will have to face Jennifer's family," her father said quietly.
Trisha started to shiver. "I can't face them. After what I've done, I can't look at them."
"You don't have any choice."
She looked up at him and saw the same disapproval in his eyes that had been there when she called him that night. "I wish I could take back what happened."
"You can't."
"I know."
She couldn't undo that night. She couldn't make Jennifer walk again. She couldn't stop people from hating her for what she had done. One moment she had everything and one stupid decision later she had nothing. "I wish I hadn't gotten into the car."
"I wish you hadn't either."
Trisha saw the clerk come out of the courtroom and motion to her.
"I have to go in," she said wiping her face with her hands.
As she reached the large double doors of Courtroom 7B she stopped. She had ruined her family and her future. She had nothing. All she had left was judgment.
Just then a hand touched her shoulder and she turned to see her father standing beside her. He nodded to her and she felt her eyes welling up again. Her hand pulled open the doors of the courtroom, and together they walked inside to face the judge.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
Restorations R Us
by John Sumwalt
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
-- Psalm 80:5-7
An old man is sitting hunched over a workbench, wearing wire-rim glasses and a grungy baseball cap. He has a hammer in one hand and a chisel in the other. He is chipping noisily on a block of wood. A sign in front of the workbench reads: WE FIX EVERYTHING.
A small child walks across the front of the chancel, carrying a placard that reads: REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS.
The child is followed by a youth carrying a placard that reads: REASONABLE RATES. CASH ONLY.
An old woman appears, also wearing wire-rim glasses, a purple scarf on her head, a shawl around her shoulders, and a cane in her hand. She walks slowly up to the bench leaning heavily on her cane.
Old Woman: Good morning, sir.
Old Man: (looks up, cups his ear) What's that you say?
Old Woman: (steps closer, leans in, cupping her hand around her mouth, and speaks loudly) I said, Good morning!
Old Man: (smiles a big grin, removes his cap) Yes, it is a beautiful morning.
Old Woman: What do you charge for restorations?
Old Man: (sizing her up... looks from feet to her head) Depends on the size of the job. What do you have that needs restoring?
Old Woman: It's my heart. It doesn't sing anymore.
Old Man: Now, wait a minute. I don't restore hearts. I wouldn't know where to start.
Old Woman: (turns sorrowfully away, speaks almost tearfully in a sad voice) I was afraid you would say that. I won't bother you again. (starts to walk away)
Old Man: No, wait. Don't go. Tell me about it.
Old Woman: (puts hand over her face, turns slightly away, looks off into the distance, speaks sorrowfully, choking on her words) I don't know where to start.
Old Man: (with a caring look of realization, leans toward her, puts his hand on her shoulder for a brief moment) It's okay. Take your time.
Old Woman: My husband passed years ago. My son is in prison. And my little granddaughter, who was the light of my life, was killed in a car accident. (sighs) We used to bake pies together and pick dandelions in the spring. In the fall we would rake the leaves in my backyard into huge piles. Then she would run and jump into them, giggling and squealing all the way. (pauses, then smiles as she continues) Sometimes she would cover herself with leaves and dare me to come find her. (releases a long sad sigh, her smile turns to deep sadness) I feel so lost without her. I don't know what to do.
Old Man: (stands, gently reaches out and puts hand on her shoulder) What are you doing on Sunday morning?
Old Woman: Oh, nothing much. I usually sleep in, have a late breakfast, and read the paper.
Old Man: This Sunday will be different. Be ready at 8:30. I'm picking you up. Look for an old green Buick. I'll be the one wearing a yellow polka-dot tie.
Old Woman: (brightening and speaking with just a hint of excitement in her voice) Where are we going?
Old Man: I want you to meet someone.
A child walks across the chancel carrying a placard that reads: RESTORATIONS R US.
Then comes a youth carrying a placard that reads: BRING SOMEONE TO MEET THE RESTORER.
John E. Sumwalt is the lead pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in suburban Milwaukee and the author of nine books. John and his wife, Jo Perry-Sumwalt, served for three years as co-editors of StoryShare. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS), Sumwalt received the Herbert Manning Jr. award for parish ministry from UDTS in 1997.
**********************************************
How to Share Stories
You have good stories to share, probably more than you know: personal stories as well as stories from others that you have used over the years. If you have a story you like, whether fictional or "really happened," authored by you or a brief excerpt from a favorite book, send it to StoryShare for review. Simply email the story to us at storyshare@sermonsuite.com.
**************
StoryShare, November 30, 2008, issue.
Copyright 2008 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. 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.
What's Up This Week
"A Stellar Calamity" by Frank Ramirez
"After the Suffering" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Restoration" by Peter Andrew Smith
"Restorations R Us" by John Sumwalt
What's Up This Week
As we begin Advent and await the coming of the Light of the World, a glance at the night sky reminds us of the wonders of God's creation. But while there are many delightful seasonal light decorations for our enjoyment, Frank Ramirez wonders in the feature piece in this edition of StoryShare if our artificial illumination has replaced God's light and blinded us to the visible signs of God. But maybe God's light isn't all we might be missing -- Peter Andrew Smith tells about a conversation between a man who's lost his house and a friend who tries to console him, but who just doesn't seem to grasp why the man isn't completely re-evaluating his life. Perhaps it's because the man understands that there are difficult times in life, but God is still with us -- and we never know when his time will come. Smith also paints a poignant picture of how painful restoration can be, even though it is necessary. And to round out this week's material, John Sumwalt shares a moving dramatic tableau that powerfully illustrates exactly where we can find the restoration we all need.
* * * * * * * * *
A Stellar Calamity
by Frank Ramirez
Mark 13:24-37
But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.
-- Mark 13:24-25
They say there's no use crying over spilled milk, but how about over lost milk? Our word for galaxy comes from the Greek for milk -- galactos. When they looked up in the sky and saw our Milky Way galaxy they thought it looked like spilled milk that had spread across the sky. The Milky Way was so bright that on a moonless night it cast shadows! Nowadays even those of us who live in the countryside have trouble picking it out. And most Americans simply can't see it at all.
When Jesus talked about drastic changes in the sun, moon, and stars, he was speaking to people for whom they were reliable companions in the night sky. The Psalmist said that the heavens declared the glory of God -- and yet how the heavens barely whisper to us. There is simply too much light pollution throughout much of our region of the world.
Sometimes it's not a matter of how bright a light is but how efficient. Billions of dollars are wasted by lights, which illuminate the sky but not the property that people seek to protect at night. Lamps that are mounted on poles, for instance, actually create more darkness and insecurity, because the structure casts a very dark shadow that can hide danger rather than reveal it!
Some areas are trying to use smarter lights to provide the illumination necessary for safety's sake -- at least in our own mind -- and not interfere with telescopes. For instance, San Jose requires the use of low-pressure streetlights to help Lick Observatory, which is nearby. In Tucson, as well as in other Arizona cities, there are ordinances that require outdoor lights that use limited wavelengths that can be filtered out by telescopes and are pointed at the ground rather than at the sky. Pointing lights at the ground actually provide more security because any individuals or objects that might be dangerous are directly illuminated! Smart lights are saving cities a lot of money. In the case of the province of Alberta, Canada, the savings amounted to two million dollars a year.
Another problem is simply a matter of sleep. God has tied us to a cycle of waking and sleeping that is triggered by light and dark. We are out of sorts with the way God has created us. We don't know if we are coming or going. In some places the lights are always so bright that people are forced to buy extra thick curtains because otherwise it never gets dark. Think of how sleepy everyone seems. No one seems to catch up. Are we really experiencing the night God has blessed us with?
No one is totally sure what effect this is having on the natural world. It has been discovered that light pollution is confusing migrating birds. Sometimes thousands can be killed in a single night. When the birds are gone, then the insects they would have eaten flourish and destroy forests and houses. In Florida the hatchlings of sea turtles emerge when it is night and instinctively head for the brightest light, which ought to be the moon. Instead, they are attracted by headlights and shopping centers, causing many of them to be run over.
The night sky told a story to ancient people all over the world. It was a living presence. Jesus used the images of the destruction of the night sky to symbolize the end of the world. Yet the night sky is not real to us. Nor are many of the other elements of Jesus' world -- the strong smells of the unguents and perfumes, the kisses and embracing that bound people together, the hospitality that welcomed unexpected guests (requiring the host to knock on a neighbor's door at midnight for bread), the celebratory wedding feasts that included everyone in a town and not just selected guests, the openness of lives -- all that has been banished by bright lights, obsessive privacy, suspicion of the unexpected, exclusivity, and a feeling that there is simply not enough to go around.
How can we pay attention to the signs that God is giving if we can't even see them? Have we put ourselves on the throne of the cosmos, creating a self-centered idolatry, losing not only the beauty of the natural world, including the night, but deposing God from the center of creation (in our own minds of course, and not in fact)? Have we not called into being the very Abomination of Desolation, which Jesus preached against in this passage?
Frank Ramirez is a native of Southern California and has served as a pastor for nearly thirty years in Church of the Brethren congregations. Frank has served congregations in Los Angeles, California; Elkhart, Indiana; and Everett, Pennsylvania. He enjoys writing, reading, exercise, and theater.
After the Suffering
by Peter Andrew Smith
Mark 13:24-37
Jim reached across the table for the salt and pepper. "Sorry to hear about your house."
Pat unfolded his napkin. "Thanks. It's been a rough few months. Deb loved that house. She cried the whole time we were packing."
"What are you going to do?"
"We're renting right now. When we get enough money, I guess we'll look at buying again."
Jim shook his head. "You've gone through a really difficult time and it must have shaken your life to the core. So what are you going to do differently so it doesn't happen again?"
"We're going to make sure we can afford what we get and we're not going to live beyond our means."
"Well, that only makes sense," Jim said. "But what about your life? This must have made you question everything."
"Pretty much. I don't think we've been through anything rougher." Pat sighed. "I didn't expect it to turn our lives upside down like it did. Nothing is easy these days."
Jim nodded. "I bet. So what's going to change in your life? I mean you can't go through something as bad as this without making some major changes."
"We're certainly going to watch what we spend."
"Sure, sure," Jim said. "But what about the way you live your life? I mean when something like this happens you have to wonder what you could have done to prevent it."
Pat chewed his food for a while. "Deb and I talked about it. Other than how we look at money we're going to keep doing what we have always done. Find a good neighborhood, raise the kids, go to church, and be the best people we can be. We're going to live pretty much the same as we always have."
Jim stopped eating. "You've got to be kidding. You're been through a horrible time and watched your future fall away and you're not going to do anything different? Come on, it's time to shake things up, try a new plan. If you have bad times in life, you're not doing it right -- that's what I believe."
Pat smiled. "I think bad things happen. It's what we do during those bad times that is important."
"Really?" Jim said. "I mean we've been friends for a long time. You told me that when you found Jesus your life was perfect. I guess you can't believe that anymore."
Pat shook his head. "You should come to church with us some Sunday. Knowing God isn't about getting what you want to have in life. It's about something more."
"What more is there?"
"Well, for starters there is what happens after the bad times take place -- because hardships come and go. Life has its ups and downs. What is important are our actions when things are bad and when things are good. Because you never know."
"Know what?"
"When you don't have anymore time."
Jim opened his mouth to say something else when the buzzer sounded and everyone in the lunchroom headed back to work.
Restoration
by Peter Andrew Smith
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
"I'm sorry," Trisha said, tears streaming down her face. "I'm so sorry."
"You will have to face Jennifer's family," her father said quietly.
Trisha started to shiver. "I can't face them. After what I've done, I can't look at them."
"You don't have any choice."
She looked up at him and saw the same disapproval in his eyes that had been there when she called him that night. "I wish I could take back what happened."
"You can't."
"I know."
She couldn't undo that night. She couldn't make Jennifer walk again. She couldn't stop people from hating her for what she had done. One moment she had everything and one stupid decision later she had nothing. "I wish I hadn't gotten into the car."
"I wish you hadn't either."
Trisha saw the clerk come out of the courtroom and motion to her.
"I have to go in," she said wiping her face with her hands.
As she reached the large double doors of Courtroom 7B she stopped. She had ruined her family and her future. She had nothing. All she had left was judgment.
Just then a hand touched her shoulder and she turned to see her father standing beside her. He nodded to her and she felt her eyes welling up again. Her hand pulled open the doors of the courtroom, and together they walked inside to face the judge.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada who currently serves at St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things Are Ready (CSS), a book of lectionary-based communion prayers, as well as many stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
Restorations R Us
by John Sumwalt
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure. You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
-- Psalm 80:5-7
An old man is sitting hunched over a workbench, wearing wire-rim glasses and a grungy baseball cap. He has a hammer in one hand and a chisel in the other. He is chipping noisily on a block of wood. A sign in front of the workbench reads: WE FIX EVERYTHING.
A small child walks across the front of the chancel, carrying a placard that reads: REPAIRS & RESTORATIONS.
The child is followed by a youth carrying a placard that reads: REASONABLE RATES. CASH ONLY.
An old woman appears, also wearing wire-rim glasses, a purple scarf on her head, a shawl around her shoulders, and a cane in her hand. She walks slowly up to the bench leaning heavily on her cane.
Old Woman: Good morning, sir.
Old Man: (looks up, cups his ear) What's that you say?
Old Woman: (steps closer, leans in, cupping her hand around her mouth, and speaks loudly) I said, Good morning!
Old Man: (smiles a big grin, removes his cap) Yes, it is a beautiful morning.
Old Woman: What do you charge for restorations?
Old Man: (sizing her up... looks from feet to her head) Depends on the size of the job. What do you have that needs restoring?
Old Woman: It's my heart. It doesn't sing anymore.
Old Man: Now, wait a minute. I don't restore hearts. I wouldn't know where to start.
Old Woman: (turns sorrowfully away, speaks almost tearfully in a sad voice) I was afraid you would say that. I won't bother you again. (starts to walk away)
Old Man: No, wait. Don't go. Tell me about it.
Old Woman: (puts hand over her face, turns slightly away, looks off into the distance, speaks sorrowfully, choking on her words) I don't know where to start.
Old Man: (with a caring look of realization, leans toward her, puts his hand on her shoulder for a brief moment) It's okay. Take your time.
Old Woman: My husband passed years ago. My son is in prison. And my little granddaughter, who was the light of my life, was killed in a car accident. (sighs) We used to bake pies together and pick dandelions in the spring. In the fall we would rake the leaves in my backyard into huge piles. Then she would run and jump into them, giggling and squealing all the way. (pauses, then smiles as she continues) Sometimes she would cover herself with leaves and dare me to come find her. (releases a long sad sigh, her smile turns to deep sadness) I feel so lost without her. I don't know what to do.
Old Man: (stands, gently reaches out and puts hand on her shoulder) What are you doing on Sunday morning?
Old Woman: Oh, nothing much. I usually sleep in, have a late breakfast, and read the paper.
Old Man: This Sunday will be different. Be ready at 8:30. I'm picking you up. Look for an old green Buick. I'll be the one wearing a yellow polka-dot tie.
Old Woman: (brightening and speaking with just a hint of excitement in her voice) Where are we going?
Old Man: I want you to meet someone.
A child walks across the chancel carrying a placard that reads: RESTORATIONS R US.
Then comes a youth carrying a placard that reads: BRING SOMEONE TO MEET THE RESTORER.
John E. Sumwalt is the lead pastor of Wauwatosa Avenue United Methodist Church in suburban Milwaukee and the author of nine books. John and his wife, Jo Perry-Sumwalt, served for three years as co-editors of StoryShare. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary (UDTS), Sumwalt received the Herbert Manning Jr. award for parish ministry from UDTS in 1997.
**********************************************
How to Share Stories
You have good stories to share, probably more than you know: personal stories as well as stories from others that you have used over the years. If you have a story you like, whether fictional or "really happened," authored by you or a brief excerpt from a favorite book, send it to StoryShare for review. Simply email the story to us at storyshare@sermonsuite.com.
**************
StoryShare, November 30, 2008, issue.
Copyright 2008 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. 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.
