Ministry Matters: Preach, Teach, Worship, Reach, and Lead "Why good churches die | 3 steps to revolution | Preaching & Stuart Scott" for Tuesday, 13 January 2015
I’m not talking about churches that have an apparent fatal flaw like mean or nasty people, terrible location, clergy sexual misconduct, uninspiring worship or the like. Churches can and do recover from all of those things.
No, I’m talking about good churches that care about people, hold decently inspiring and cohesive services, are doing their best to reach out and respond to a changing world, are led by a committed leader and backed up by laity who truly care. Good churches. Why do they die?
Theories abound, including changing demographics, young people leaving the church or not being raised in church at all, the rise in the spiritual but not religious crowd, the appearance of “nones” and “dones” — those who have no religious affiliation or once did but have now retired from church — and the changing culture around us. Yes, these factors all play a part. But churches can and do transcend these factors too.
There is one hidden reason why churches that seem to be doing it all right still die. I want to share that with you today, plus four hints to help you discover if this hidden reason is operative in your church, and what to do about it.
The secret reason good churches die is they lack a vision. In fact, I believe 100% of church decline and demise is due to this.
Here’s how you know you lack a vision:
1. Your current vision doesn’t expand assumptions about what is possible. Instead, it describes what you are already doing. For example, let’s say your church’s vision is “Extending the love of Christ to the heart of our community.” Let’s say in the past, against all odds, you started an outreach to the homeless with food, clothing and prayer. Once upon a time it seemed impossible to do. But now you are doing it on a regular basis. Guess what? It’s no longer a vision. Now it’s a program. Time for a new vision. Because a program, no matter how positive, won’t keep a church alive.
2. Your questions change from “Who is God calling us to reach” to “How can we avoid losing what we have?” The first question is forward-looking, outward-focused and risky. The second question is backward-looking, inward-centered and cautious. It’s a sign that maintaining structure has become more important than doing real ministry. Also, that fear has become more important than the gospel.
3. You have not put your own credibility on the line when articulating what’s next. In other words, you are trying to look good, be liked, not rock the boat, save your job or save the church. Jesus put his own credibility on the line when he cast his vision that the kingdom of heaven was at hand. So much so that Rome crucified him for sedition as “King of the Jews.” But his vision worked! Here we are 2,000 years later, still organizing around it and implementing it. I’m not saying we will be crucified for having a vision. I am saying that putting our own credibility on the line, for the sake of the vision, is the only way we can be agents of transformation.
4. You are waiting for someone else to come up with a vision. If you are leading in any capacity — whether you’re in charge of the Rugrats Ministry or you lead a team of 20 denominational executives, it is your responsibility to come up with a vision. That’s what leaders do. Waiting for someone else may be a sign that it’s time to retire or to retool your understanding of leadership.
You can tell when you are in the presence of a visionary leader, congregation or denomination. It’s exciting, invigorating and a little bit scary. You sense purposeful movement, forward direction and perhaps more faith than you yourself currently possess.
I had this experience when I attended the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations international conference last summer. This is a group that is basically inventing a new branch of Judaism which bridges traditional Judaism and classical Christianity. They’re fully identified as Jews AND as followers of Yeshua/Jesus. Don’t tell them it can’t be done. Because they are doing it!
Theologically, socially, politically and demographically they are all over the board. They include Jews by birth and conversion and lots of Gentiles too. It’s hardly a uniform group of people. But a single vision unifies them and propels them forward: to restore the Jewish Messiah to the Jewish people.
I didn’t sniff a whiff of decline among them! And I’m trained to detect that.
Here’s the point: If they can do it, you can do it! Good churches don’t need to die. And good leaders don’t need to let them! Envision a future that expands assumptions about what is possible, get back to asking the right questions, take risks and be the one to get the ball rolling. This has the power to unify even the most disparate group.
Then, new life is not only possible, it’s inevitable!
Stuart Scott, the great ESPN anchor, died a few days ago after fighting cancer for seven years. ESPN did a great memorial piece on him and, as they always do, they brought out the professional and personal side of Mr. Scott, who seemed to be a great man on and off camera.
When I was a kid, as early as 4th and 5th grade, I’d get up in the morning, get ready for school, and then go downstairs and watch Stuart Scott on SportsCenter. Then I’d come home after school and watch him some more. Then I’d watch him again before I went to bed. In between Stuart Scott, I crammed school and sports.
That was my life as a kid. And Stuart was a much a part of it as Bugs Bunny was to other kids.
When I decided that I wanted to become a preacher, I knew so little about public speaking or how to convey information to an audience. Of course, there were always other pastors to model myself after, but as I grew in the craft I found imitating other preachers to be less and less desirable. Everyone wanted to be John Piper or Rob Bell. But I wanted to be the Stuart Scott of homiletics.
Stuart taught me as much about preaching as any non-preacher, and possibly as much as any preacher. He taught me to push the boundaries of what is considered acceptable and desirable in your craft. In a sports broadcast world where everything was professionalized, he spoke in terms not only accessible to the average audience member, but ones they’d actually enjoy hearing. In the prim and proper professionalism, other broadcasters and anchors saw themselves as objective deliverers of information. Stuart saw himself as an entertainer whose work was to create a half-hour of respite for the average Joe.
While I don’t view myself as an entertainer, I understand the value of pushing the boundaries and speaking in a way that will be accessible and memorable to the average person in my audience. Everything from my dress code to my verbiage reflects the ends I’m seeking to accomplish in the pulpit each week. And if that’s not how things are always done, then all the better. That’s what makes your craft memorable to your hearers! My objective is not to deliver an academic paper; my objective is to spiritually form my hearers, to push them to Christ, to help them see how their lives can be oriented toward the purpose for which God created them. I have a half-hour, once a week, to accomplish all this, and Stuart taught me how to use that half-hour effectively.
This begins with your audience actually believing that your subject matter actually matters. This is what makes Stuart’s work ethic and artistry so valuable. When you watched him, you knew that sports, at their best and worst, were his single greatest passion. And I swear, if we were to take an honest vote, I’d almost guarantee you that people found him to be more passionate, more authentic and therefore more trustworthy than a lot of preachers they’ve heard. And I knew I’d rather emulate him than so many of the preachers I heard in chapel in college, or in the random churches I’ve attended, who I couldn’t even tell if they wanted to be up on that stage or not. How many lifeless sermons have you heard that nearly convinced you the preacher was bored with himself? You never got that impression with Stuart Scott.
Stuart also taught me the value of word choice and creating possible worlds through well-crafted sentences. In the wake of his death, people are hashtagging “booyah” and “cool as the other side of the pillow.” It’s amazing that such simple words, stated over and over through two decades, can embed themselves in the mind of hearers. This says something about the even more important words of the church, like redemption, kingdom, new creation, resurrection. These words, used in the right way, repeated in a persons ears for decades cannot help but embed themselves deeply in the soul. Well-chosen words and well-crafted sentences are not neutral, lifeless sound waves; they’re living, breathing soul-makers.
And these soul-making words get vibrant when the person speaking them does so with the appropriate inflection. Stuart Scott mastered the art of inflection. He knew when to be soft, when to be harsh, when to surprise us with humor and even when to push the boundaries of appropriateness. This too is something I learned from him. Half of the preacher’s communication comes from how she articulates the words she’s chosen. Words create worlds, but inflection helps that world becomes visible to the colorblind.
And then of course, there’s the beauty of practice. As I watched the memorial video of Stuart, I found it interesting that while you and I were watching commercials, he was practicing his way through the manuscript for his next segment. Seriously, how many pastors take the time to do that for preaching, something we say we believe is of eternal value? I can hardly think of a single thing that will make a preacher better that doesn’t involve lots and lots of practice outside of the pulpit. You can have all the right exegesis, the best illustrations and great theology, but if you’re not willing to put in the time to practice, practice, practice, then you’re not going to get better as quickly as you could. And when you’re writing your sermons on Saturday night, I’m sorry, but you’re not going to be able to practice. Yes, yes, I know we’re talkin’ ‘bout practice. But you know what? I think the church deserves our practice. We are called to the ministry of the word, and as such, making sure that word is said clearly, succinctly and in a way our audience can actually hear it is part of that task.
Stuart Scott taught me about art. Preaching is art. So Stuart Scott taught me about preaching. Maybe I’ve plundered the Egyptians. Maybe I’ve just learned from a master artist. Either way, I’m a better preacher for it. Thanks, Stuart.
I have the opportunity to talk with young pastors each week. I also interact regularly with those who are preparing for the pastorate. I love investing in the next generation of leaders and am thankful for those who invested in me.
One of those pastors in training recently asked me, “If you were my age (about 22) and were studying to be a pastor, what would you do?”
Great question!
If I were studying to be a pastor today, based on my experience as a pastor now, which is still most important, there are some things I would make certain I accomplished prior to assuming the role.
7 suggestions as you prepare to be a pastor
Take some business and/or leadership courses
You’ll find more available, especially in the area of leadership these days at seminaries and Bible colleges, but you may have to take some courses online or at another school. Every pastor needs to know some general business and leadership principles to manage the complexities of a church. That’s true in church planting or in an established church.
Build connections with pastors
Just as in the secular world, having the right connections makes the difference in church positions also. It may be to help secure a job or to learn from other churches, but pastors should build a healthy network of peers. It’ll also keep you from having to lead alone. You’ll always be able to “phone a friend” who has been there and done that.
Volunteer in the church
Just volunteer. Its amazing to me to see seminary students who attend church, but don’t find a place to serve. They are training to be a pastor — one who will need lots of people to volunteer in their church some day — yet they aren’t volunteering. Someday you’ll want to understand the sacrifice of those who serve the church without a vocational commitment.
Work a secular job
Even if only part-time, at some point in your studies, work among people in the secular world. You’ll learn valuable principles about life, work and people. You’ll also be better able to identify with the people to whom you are called to minister. (Plus, it will be harder for that person who always thinks “well pastor, in the real world…” to discount your teaching.)
Take a people-helping or counseling course
Let’s face it! Regardless of the size church, a pastor is going to encounter hurting people. Understanding some basic questioning, summary and counseling skills is critical to pastoring and will make your teaching even stronger.
Find a mentoring pastor
Early in ministry, or even before beginning, I would strongly encourage a young pastor to find a mentor. Ask a pastor who is older and with more experience to be available to help you through situations you find yourself in where you need wisdom you don’t have. You’ll be glad you’ve recruited this person in advance.
Embrace accountability
Develop a close relationship with a few other same-sex friends and invite them to hold you accountable to God, your family, your church and yourself. These do not have to be pastors, but should understand the pressures and demands of ministry.
Bonus suggestion: Be a pastor
If you are confident God has called you to be a pastor, then don’t wait to get all the training. Keep receiving training, follow these suggestions, but more importantly, get some on-the-job training by finding ways to be a pastor today! Maybe to your own family, or through nursing home or prison visits. You may have to be creative, but there are lots of opportunities to shepherd people if you look — even without a paycheck.
Of course, the most important thing to do is to prepare your heart and mind spiritually, but these are practical ways you can prepare.
The Golden Globes (and award shows in general) aren't for everyone. They’re usually a standard, predictable affair, gearing up people and projects for the Oscars, the Big Dance. Still, they manage to dominate a three-hour block of prime-time TV dedicated to big names in a big industry. Lots of people end up watching, even those who don’t care so much who wins or who didn't even see most of the television and movies up for awards. It’s a night to catch celebrity on full display, so America watches.
I’m not concerned so much with celebrity for celebrity’s sake, but I am a huge fan of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler—two incredibly smart comedians with a ton of great work under their belts—so my evening was spoken for. The best lines of the night belonged to them, with my favorite joke delivered perfectly by Fey:
“George Clooney married Amal Alamuddin this year. Amal is a human rights lawyer who worked on the Enron case, was an advisor to Kofi Annan regarding Syria and was selected for a three-person UN commission investigating rules of war violations in the Gaza strip ... So tonight, her husband is getting a lifetime achievement award.”
That’s great writing, folks. It’s got truth, wit, and hilarity in a neat package, which is what great humor is. But this joke is more than great humor; it’s an observation we’re often uncomfortable making in this country. We prize what we shouldn't above what we should. For all our lip-service to humanitarian work and to our identity as the land of prosperity, we’re still more likely to tune into an award show than help our neighbor.
I don’t say any of this to disparage Clooney, who I think is a remarkable actor and who seems to be a generous person in more ways than one, or to discount the arts or entertainment, which hold a lot of cultural value and significance. This is really an issue about priorities, which we in America tend to have a rough time organizing. We’re not alone; this is an issue for all countries of privilege, where people have time to indulge in leisure and the resources to choose from a nearly unlimited list of interests. If we have the time and money to get distracted and become disconnected, we do. It’s another one of those pesky flaws related to being a human.
It’s easy for many to overlook the woman fighting oppression and violence across the globe when she's on the arm of a movie star. Not only does it tie into our disturbing sexist tendencies to ignore what strong, capable women are doing, it ties into our fascination with fame and fortune over and above the messier issues of justice and mercy.
We celebrate celebrity, we objectify people, men and women alike, and in doing so we miss the things they do or say that matter (both good and bad). That's what Tina Fey was doing: reorienting our perspective and reminding us of what matters.
This habit of sidestepping complicated issues, issues of justice and equality, isn't surprising when you think about it. Justice is big, right? Living out God’s call to love and care for the stranger in our midst, for the least of these, for all people … that’s big. It’s daunting. We tend to shrug off our duty to join Amal and those like her in the fight for others, maybe because it’s hard to find the energy after a long day or because we're not sure where to start, even though starting from an unsure position is a large part of faith.
I’m not trying to be a wet blanket, here. None of this is to say that you shouldn't enjoy sitting down and watching an award show. Still, we cannot let ourselves fall into the red carpet trap of ignoring important work because it’s less glamorous or more complicated to deal with and talk about. Seeking out the troubles in this world and doing our best to bring grace into them is no easy task. Living out a calling usually isn't. But grace is a two-way street, freely given so that it might be freely given again.
We are called to remember that we are bound up in the life of our neighbors, in the flourishing of the least of these, and in the mercy we show one another. We are called to remember what lifetime achievement looks like for a community of faith, and then we're called to do the hardest thing: act.
The year after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, I was a third grader in Ridgeland, Mississippi. I lived in a segregated world—separate and unequal. Everybody I knew wanted things to stay the way they were. The white people in my hometown didn’t understand what Dr. King preached. We didn’t hear what he heard God say. We didn’t hear God say anything we didn’t want to hear.
I knew that there were African Americans living nearby, but we went to different schools, stores, post offices, and saddest of all, churches. Then one Friday afternoon, Mr. Williams, our bus driver, told us to sit down and get quiet.
“Starting on Monday,” he shouted “there will be two black girls riding on our bus.”
Several boys in the back started booing.
Mr. Williams yelled, “Get quiet! I don’t like it either, but there’s nothing we can do about it. None of you will have to sit by them. They’ll sit in this seat right behind me.”
Then he started the bus. The bad kids said that they would call the new girls names and let them know that they didn’t belong on our bus. The good kids said that wasn’t fair and that the best thing to do was to say nothing at all. On Monday and on the days that followed, as far as I know, none of the bad kids ever said anything loud enough to be heard, but something no less tragic took place. The first children on the bus each morning and each afternoon sat in the back row. Every day for the rest of the year the bus filled from the back with every white child sitting as far as possible from the two children sitting in the front seat.
It’s embarrassing to confess that years passed before I realized how evil we were. It didn’t occur to me to sit on the second row, say hello, or question our actions. As the good white children of good white parents, we didn’t think of ourselves as bigots. We just found it easier not to challenge what was expected.
Years later, I became what my relatives in Mississippi consider a liberal. The liberal white children of the Deep South who left home are proud of the alienation we feel from the most embarrassing parts of our roots. We’re arrogant about our newfound sophistication, but sometimes I wonder what we would hear if we listened for God’s opinion on the subject of our prejudices.
It’s easier not to listen to God, because listening is dangerous. It was for Samuel. He grew up in “the church,” helping Eli with chores around the temple—lighting lamps, sweeping the floor, putting the hymnals back in the pew racks. Samuel never thought about listening for God, because no one was listening for God. The author writes: “The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.”
It’s not surprising that when twelve-year-old Samuel hears a voice while sleeping in church—he was neither the first nor the last to sleep in church—he assumes it is Eli. Three times someone calling his name awakens him. Three times he goes to Eli and asks what he wants. After the third time Eli wonders, although God hasn’t been heard from in those parts for some time, if perhaps Samuel is hearing God’s voice. He tells Samuel that if he hears the voice again, he should answer, “God, I’m listening.” God speaks and gives Samuel disturbing news—news that Samuel doesn’t want to repeat. After he hears God’s voice, Samuel’s life is never the same. It’s harder—much harder!
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and uncle were all preachers. When he became the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, however, he still hadn’t had a firsthand experience of God. But then Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus and Martin found himself in the middle of a boycott. Although he had only been in Montgomery a year and he was only twenty-seven years old, he quickly became a leader of the movement. It wasn’t long before his family started getting threatening phone calls. He wondered if he could take it. He wanted out. Then one night, around midnight, another threatening call came: “We’re tired of you, and if you aren’t out of this town in three days, we’re going to blow your brains out and blow up your house.”
Dr. King prayed aloud that night. He reports hearing a voice calling him to stand up for righteousness, justice, and truth; the voice of Jesus promising to be with him through the fight. Dr. King’s life from that moment on is a testimony to his response to that prayer.
What would we hear if we listened for God’s voice? Would God tell us to be honest about the prejudices that lie so deep within us that we don’t admit them even to ourselves; to repent not only of whatever hatred we feel but also whatever apathy we hide; to let worship penetrate our hearts enough for us to say, “Speak God, for I’m listening”; to realize that if racism seems like someone else’s problem then we are part of the problem; to stop waiting for others to take the first step and step across the lines ourselves; to speak with kindness and courage when it would be easier to say nothing; to do more than vote right and work for economic justice for all; to do more than tolerate our differences and honor and celebrate them; to be impatient with inequality, impatient with anything less than freedom and justice. If we listen for God, we’ll hear a dangerous voice telling us to do what’s right.
How have your resolutions been going? Sometimes a resolution is hard to get started. Sometimes it starts with a great drive but it loses steam and falls apart. Maybe you’ve been keeping your resolution but you're quickly discovering that it’s not much of a resolution — “I promise to breathe more in 2015.” Why do resolutions fall apart? Why are they really difficult to get going? Why do the resolutions we keep seem to not matter?
The United Methodist Church is asking these same questions about itself on the revolutionary scale. How can the church reclaim the revolutionary fire of Wesley’s 18th century movement without falling into the sin of trying to replicate the 18th century? All revolutions need three things in order to succeed.
First a revolution begins with idea and affirmation, or saying “yes” to an idea. Around the age of 30 Jesus said yes to God’s idea, and the idea was this: The world is worth saving. For God so loved the world, as the Gospel of John says. God looked at the world and saw that it was worth saving, so Jesus goes to the river Jordan so that John the Baptist might baptize him and offer a definitive beginning to the mission.
The Wesleyan movement really began when John Wesley said yes to deepening his faith. He had a longing for holiness, a longing to devote himself fully to God. In one of his early sermons, “The Almost Christian,” he writes (albeit in Latin), “Good people avoid sin from the love of virtue; wicked people avoid sin from the fear of punishment.” The difference between being an almost Christian versus being an altogether Christian is not the avoidance of sin, but the acceptance of love. If that’s not liberating for you … He goes on to say that the altogether Christian is one who loves God, loves neighbor and has faith in God.
The beginning of a revolution is saying yes to an idea, and the idea here is love.
Sometimes we have a hard time saying yes. When people talk to me about making a big decision I ask them two questions. The first question is, “What are you hoping I will say?” Rarely do we approach a decision truly on the fence.
“Should I move to Colorado and start a new job?”
“What are you hoping that I’m going to say?”
“I’m hoping you’re going to tell me that I should stay.”
“Sounds like you have a good reason to stay.”
Have you been in that place where you need to make a decision and you'd just assume flip a coin? “If it’s heads I’ll order surf and if it’s tails I’ll order turf, and I hope it comes up heads.” Just order the fish.
The second thing I ask is, “In saying yes, to what are you saying no?” Every “yes” to something is a “no” to something else. Saying yes to answering emails means I’m saying no to my daughter who wants to play. Saying yes to sobriety means saying no to alcohol being in charge of my life. Every yes is also no and every no is also a yes. Every revolution begins with saying yes to an idea, and in this case the idea is love.
The second thing every revolution needs is a clear mission.Jesus comes up from the water, spends 40 days in the desert and returns preaching a single message. Jesus says yes to God, goes into the wilderness to learn how to say no to temptation and returns preaching, “Repent, the kingdom of heaven has come near.” The mission was clear — turn around, God’s kingdom is here. Over time the message became more detailed and nuanced, full of parables and miracles and healing, but the mission was clear — turn around and know that God is here.
That mission didn’t change until the end of Jesus’ earthly life when he looked at the disciples and said, “I give you a new commandment — love others as I have loved you.” Then he gathered with them and said, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Finally Jesus said as he was ascending into heaven, “Go and baptized the world.” Go and change the world. At the end of it all the mission was, “Turn around, learn to love God and your neighbor, do it in remembrance of me and change the world.”
Or if you only have a bumper sticker — “Turn, Learn, Do and Go.” Early in Wesley’s life the mission was pretty simple — stay in love with God. He prayed that everything he did was done to glorify God. It wasn’t that he went to church more or prayed more or read more, but he saw each and every day as way to worship God.
The third thing a revolution needs is a first follower or in general, community. Here’s where resolutions, movements and revolutions fall apart. A revolution needs someone to say yes to an idea. Next, a revolution needs a clear mission. Revolutions fall apart because for some reason we think that we can do it alone. To be critical, the church is investing lots of money into developing leaders, which is no a bad thing, but what happens when you have a room full of leaders? Nothing typically. In terms of changing the world it’s not enough to say yes to God and yes to the mission of “Turn, Learn, Do and Change.” We need community and we need each other. It’s not that the church needs more leaders, per se. We already have a leader. Christ is our leader. We should be developing a community of first and second followers.
If we can approach leadership as a means of sharing in what Jesus has already accomplished, we might just see a revival!It’s not about being overly clever or necessarily innovative. Jesus wasn’t an innovator as much as he was one who remembered God’s story well. The same could be said about Wesley. He was driven by a longing for holiness, being in ministry with the poor, meeting together to pray and going out into the world to share the Gospel. All of this is found in the book of Acts. Of course, innovation is the fruit of listening to the Holy Spirit and without entrepreneurial leadership a movement’s fire can quickly cool, but it seems that what the revolution we call church needs is Leader as First Follower (or maybe this is simply a reframing of the existing Servant Leadership model already in the church).
Now is the time to say “yes” to God’s idea that the world is worth saving. Now is the time to say yes to the mission of “Turn, Learn, Do, and Go.” The almost Christian does these things to escape punishment. The altogether Christian does these things out of love. May you know love this day.
Just for fun, here’s a quick video of a TED Talk about how revolutions begin:
Many of the world’s citizens were French on Sunday (Jan. 11), at least for a few hours, as we watched what has been called the largest demonstration in the history of France. At least 3.7 million people marched in Paris and elsewhere in the country, including over 40 world leaders. It was a day of coming together after 17 people died in Paris last week at the hands of Islamic extremists.
There were Muslims holding signs that read “Je suis juif” (I am Jewish). Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas marched together (not side by side — but it’s a start!) One news report even showed a Palestinian and an Israeli embracing.
Since a powerful experience at the Duke Youth Academy while I was a high schooler, I've been captivated by theology and by theologians. I didn’t know either such thing existed when I was dropped off by my Mom for the two-week summer program between my junior and senior years. To my astonishment, I discovered that there were people whose entire job was to read, think, write and speak about God.
I was active in church throughout my youth, but I was decidedly ambivalent about the church’s significance. Was this domesticated institution, peddling vague moralisms and nebulous solutions to the dull anxieties of middle-class American life, really the embodiment of the gospel of Jesus? I hadn’t really read much Scripture. (Interestingly, no one in church ever really told me to.)
But our youth choir performed “Jesus Christ Superstar” during my junior year, and I was struck by the idea that in the life and death (and resurrection, although that’s not included in the musical) of this Jesus, God was decisively revealing himself and his will for humanity. “That’s pretty amazing,” I thought. “But if that’s true, then the church simply doesn’t get it.”
It was in the midst of wrestling with this problem that I was unexpectedly introduced to theology at the Duke Youth Academy. I sat in daily lectures given by various Duke Divinity faculty members. I couldn’t understand most of what they were talking about. But I could tell that these people were serious about God and serious about the church.
Stanley Hauerwas / Duke Divinity School
One particularly important moment, that in hindsight has been crucial for the subsequent shaping of my life, was a lecture given by Dr. Stanley Hauerwas. In the minutes leading up to his lecture, I’d learned that this Hauerwas fellow was world-renowned. And I’d also learned that he often said “s---” and occasionally, “f---.” So I was not only excited, but I intuited before he even spoke that he must have something serious to say if he felt the need to dispense with normal standards of Christian politeness.
If memory serves, Dr. Hauerwas stepped up to the podium, took a brief look at the mob of high-schoolers assembled before him, and proclaimed, “If there’s an American flag in your sanctuary, your salvation is in question.” I had no idea what that meant, but I thought “Oh s---!” Dr. Hauerwas went on to explain the necessity of the church’s commitment to nonviolence in faithful response to Christ. Almost all of it went over my head. But I could tell that this guy took church as seriously as it should be taken, if the story of Jesus is actually true.
I arrived at the Duke Youth Academy captivated by the story of Jesus and ambivalent about the church. But the theologians I encountered at DYA impressed upon me the centrality of the church to God’s ongoing work as inaugurated by Jesus. They equipped me with an ecclesiology that allowed me to see the church for what it was called to be, and by God’s grace what it could be. I left with an overwhelming sense of love for and devotion to the church.
I soon discerned a call to ordained ministry, to a lifetime of service to this community on the front lines of God’s work in the world. It was the theologians in the academy who gave me the theological framework I needed to make sense of the church’s purpose and mission in the world.
Years later I went back to Duke Divinity, this time enrolled in the Master of Divinity program. Once again, these academic theologians captured my imagination. They equipped me with knowledge of the church’s Scriptures and the skills to faithfully discern within them God’s own voice. They helped me to understand the pilgrim journey of the church throughout the centuries as our own story. They strengthened my love for the church. And they taught me how to “read” my own pastoral experiences in the light of the great, unfolding narrative of God’s saving work.
I am so indebted to these academic theologians, so grateful for their gifts to me. Through the knowledge and skills they helped me to cultivate, my professors oriented me to the church in a way that makes my pastoral ministry possible. Without a thoroughly scriptural and theological ecclesiology, who could possibly bear to spend one’s life toiling away in this struggling, broken, backwards institution? But I was formed by academic theologians to see the big picture, to see the church as God’s people striving (often unsuccessfully!) to live as a witness to the peculiar God revealed in Jesus Christ.
This orientation to the church has been so powerful and so essential to my pastoral identity that I've often wondered whether God is calling me to academic theology so as to pass on these gifts to others. But these academic theologians themselves have urged me to at least begin by serving the church pastorally, on the front lines, in the trenches. What a gift are these people who have been set apart from the church for the sake of the church!
However, to my great sadness, I've continually found that many in the church do not regard theologians as a gift at all. In fact, many seem to harbor a deep-seated suspicion and resentment for academic theologians. They are regarded by many pastors as ivory tower dwellers too far removed from the real work of ministry to be of any value, and too consumed with abstract problems irrelevant to work in a typical congregation.
But the more common sentiment in the church toward academic theologians is simply a confusion about what academic theologians are for. I’ve discovered that the typical layperson has no clue what goes on at seminaries. Many assume that seminary is one long in-depth Bible study, with some occasional practical how-to classes mixed in. I've rarely encountered a layperson who understood seminary as formation in a biblical, historical, theological orientation to the church and the world.
Consequently, pastors are not often expected to be practical theologians charged with helping their congregations to envision themselves and their ministries in light of the grand economy of salvation. Instead, a pastor’s purpose, it is often assumed, is to share narrow biblical insights helpful for the (individual) life of faith and to keep the church running smoothly (i.e. growing, rather than shrinking).
Perhaps the church doesn’t know what academic theologians are for because it no longer really knows what theology is. I get the impression that the average layperson (and too many clergy) thinks theology is a specialized academic discipline that does not even pretend to have relevance to the everyday life of the church. Thus, it is not at all clear why the church should pay attention to theologians any more than they should pay attention to English professors, biological researchers or mechanical engineers. In fact, the latter two may even be seen as having greater practical value to Christians than theologians!
So why does all this matter?
We live at the so-called end of Christendom. For most of the Western church’s history, its identity has been inseparable from the social, cultural and political institutions of wider society. But now the church’s identity is being slowly and painfully separated from secular society. The result is an identity crisis for the church. We have some vague notion that we are a community called by God to do God’s will, but we seem to lack a compelling description of what exactly that entails.
Further (and I think not unrelated!), we face the problem of membership decline, which presents us with the irresistible temptation to let our desire to fill pews color our interpretation of the gospel message. We don’t really know who we are anymore and we seem to lack to the resources to figure it out.
If only we had some people set apart from the everyday struggles of parish ministry: people who weren’t overwhelmed with the exhausting duties of a local pastor, people who were not influenced by the (nearly?) idolatrous pressure to fill pews. If only we had some people who could remind us how to read Scripture and how to let Scripture read us. If only we had people who could help us put our present struggles into historical perspective. If only we had people who had been given the time and space to prayerfully sit back and think. What a gift such a people would be to our ailing church!
Perhaps God has already given us such a gift. Perhaps they have been here all along. Perhaps it’s time for us to listen for the word of God in the words of these men and women who for the sake of the church have devoted their lives to exploring the riches of the church’s own texts and lived traditions. Perhaps it’s time for the church to say, “Thanks be to God for academic theologians!”
PARIS (RNS) As France emerges from its worst terrorist attack in decades, a biting novel that imagines the country governed by Islamic law is part of a swirling debate about its basic values. Will the country respond to the shootings with fear and xenophobia, as suggested by the book “Soumission,” or “Submission” — or embrace its multicultural, multifaith identity?
On Sunday (Jan. 11), solidarity was on display as heads of state and religious leaders joined millions on the streets of Paris in a massive march for free expression and to honor last week’s victims from the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
Along with “I am Charlie,” some protesters also chanted “I am Jewish” in tribute to the four men gunned down by one of the assailants at a kosher market.
Muslims carried signs saying, “I am Charlie and Muslim.” And on Twitter, thousands of French rallied behind “#JeSuisAhmed” — referring to policeman Ahmed Merabet, a Muslim, who also died in the attack on the magazine.
On the edge of the dense crowd, high school student Amina Tadjouri clasped a Jewish newspaper, as she stood next to a Muslim cleric railing against radical Islam.
“I’m Muslim, and I’m not OK with these killings,” she said. “Jews and Muslims refuse to be enemies. And we refuse to let people be killed for free expression. Everyone should be allowed to say what they want.”
French leaders are echoing the message of inclusiveness. “France is not Houellebecq. It’s not intolerance and fear,” Prime Minister Manuel Valls said last week, referring to the controversial novelist Michel Houellebecq.
Michel Houellebecq’s book "Soumission" seen on display in Gilbert Jeune bookstore in Paris. RNS photo by Elizabeth Bryant
Shortly after the Charlie Hebdo shootings, the novelist called off his book tour and ducked out of view. Through a friend, Houellebecq said he was “deeply affected” by the attack on the magazine — which, strikingly, ran his cartoon on its cover the day of the attack.
But “Submission,” which is expected to be published in English later this year, is still selling. At a bookstore in downtown Paris, Jacqueline Buades thumbed through a copy before heading to the checkout counter. “I’m interested in what he writes about Islam,” said Buades. “He’s acerbic and he’s provocative, which I like.”
Critics say Houellebecq’s books — like Charlie Hebdo’s religious cartoons — push the limits of free speech. He has been sued — and acquitted — for inciting racial violence, after having called Islam the “stupidest” faith.
His latest novel stirs long-held fears here about foreigners and Islam, and reflects the surging popularity of France’s far-right National Front party. Set in the year 2022, “Submission” describes a Muslim leader beating out the National Front in elections to capture the French presidency.
For some mainstream Muslims, already fearful of a backlash after the shootings — several mosques have already been attacked — the book represents a further insult.
“French Muslims are sick of being stigmatized; we’re tired of being the scapegoats for everything that happens,” said Abdallah Zekri, head of the National Observatory Against Islamophobia, an arm of the French Muslim Council. Noting that the U.S. elected Barack Obama as its first black president, “what’s the problem of electing a Muslim president in France?” he asked.
Houellebecq has defended his novel, which also takes a stab at leftist politicians and French society. In an interview with the Paris Review before its publication, he suggested his views on Islam have softened.
“The Quran turns out to be much better than I thought, now that I’ve reread it — or read it,” he told the magazine.
But observers say the book taps simmering anxieties and prejudices of French people such as Francklin Boulot.
Banners hang on Paris City Hall supporting Charlie Hebdo. RNS photo by Elizabeth Bryant
“I’m afraid of Islam; it wants to destroy our society,” said Boulot, who joined Sunday’s rally not to defend multiculturalism but to protest the Muslim religion.
Such sentiments suggest the rare unity on display on French streets and in cyberspace in recent days may be crumbling already.
“I hope we are able to turn the page” on last week’s attacks, said Islam expert Franck Fregosi. “But anti-Muslim sentiment exists in French society, and I fear this drama will make it worse.”
The other day I had someone say to me, “I love reading your blog and I like your thoughts on discipleship in the home but I don’t even know how to get started. I don’t think of those things like you do. Where do I start?”
It’s a good question and one that I have heard expressed many times before. Comprehension of the need for faith formation at home is often overshadowed by fears of implementation. How do you “see God in the everyday”? How do you begin to prepare for a “faith talk”? What in the world does it mean to “speak a blessing” over your kids?
If you, or the parents you serve, have ever asked these questions or ones like them, take a second and celebrate (in our family, you’d be doing the “Oh yeah dance” at this exact moment). Celebrate! Because asking questions like these shows a heart that is already in tune with God’s heart for children and families. Even if you feel completely at a loss for “what to do,” chances are the very fact you feel that way probably reflects in your parenting and leadership already.
Combining that heart with intentional actions created to draw children into the “mystery” of the faith is a dynamic duo for discipleship at home.
If this is a new arena for your family or those you serve, I encourage you to start with these four small but powerful “baby steps” that begin to shift the focus of the home toward Christ.
1. Morning prayer/blessing
In Deuteronomy 6:4-9, God tells parents to “impress” his commands on the children and provides four times in which to do that. One of those times is “when you rise.” Mornings can often be rushed, crazy times as everyone is trying to get shoes tied, hair brushed, coffee guzzled and breakfast consumed. In the middle of it all, take just 30 seconds to stop with each child and pray a simple blessing like, “Lord, be with Grace today. May she know that you are with her, that you love her and that you have called her by name and may she return home full of joy and wisdom.” You will be setting the tone for the day with those simple words and reminding her just how much she is loved by you and by God.
2. Dinner discussions
Another time God encourages us to engage with our kids is “when you sit.” It’s rare to have families in a place where they all sit down together, but sometimes dinner still gives us that opportunity. To center our conversation during those nights, our family asks four questions: What was your high today? What was your low? What mistake did you make? Where did you see God today?
We have had more “teachable moments” at dinner than we could have ever imagined. Sometimes we only get two questions in before we begin discussing something related to our faith, God, family or church. And what’s great is that everyone, even Mom and Dad, gets to participate.
3. Drive time
God tells parents to share with their kids as they “walk along the road.” This doesn’t happen as much as it did but we do drive along the road an awful lot. If you have to travel frequently, might I suggest downloading or purchasing some “Adventures in Odyssey” programs from Focus on the Family? These radio dramas provide a great platform for discussion with kids and they will love listening to them (you will too — they’re pretty great!) We have had many conversations with our children brought on by topics discussed in the episode and as an added bonus, the episodes all have Scriptures to go with them so you don’t have to figure it out yourself!
4. Bedtime blessing
The final time God specifies is “when you lie down.” Kids are fantastic stallers for bedtime. Wouldn’t it be great if you got them at their own game and turned their stall time into a time for discussion and blessing? For young children, check out “The Jesus Storybook Bible” which tells the stories of Scripture in a unique way and points out where Jesus can be found in every story. For older kids, before they go to bed, simply ask them if anything is on their mind that they need to talk about before bed so they can sleep well. It will shock you what they are willing to share in that safe place with you. These moments will be the last thoughts before your cherub slips off to sleep; can you think of a better sendoff?
Once these four practices become habitual for you, you will find it much easier to put Christ in the center of your family activities. Your kids won’t think it’s “weird” when you take time to schedule a Family Faith Talk because you’ve already invited Jesus to the dinner table. It won’t feel difficult to turn to Scripture in everday moments because you’ve been listening to it in the car and reading it before bed. And before you know it, your baby steps will become faith-forming strides as discipleship happens … at home.
“Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.” Zech 4:10 NLT. In other words, God loves us and he loves our baby steps.
(RNS) The United Methodist Church is dropping a complaint against a retired bishop who performed a 2013 same-sex wedding in Alabama, offering at least a brief respite within a larger heated debate over same-sex marriage.
Bishop Elaine J.W. Stanovsky, president of the church’s Western Jurisdiction College of Bishops, who oversaw the agreement, called the dropped charges against retired Bishop Melvin G. Talbert a “just resolution” while also acknowledging that the parties “are not of one mind on matters of human sexuality.”
The agreement called on clergy to follow the church’s constitution and urged its Council of Bishops to do more work related to the denomination’s debate around sexuality. Specifically, the agreement also asked church bishops to strive to resolve disputes in ways that are distinct “from those of a civil judicial process.”
Talbert, an outspoken progressive and former bishop of San Francisco, had ignored a request not to perform the same-sex ceremony in Alabama. He has said in the past that the church’s traditionalist position on homosexuality “is wrong and evil. … It no longer calls for our obedience.”
North Alabama Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, who was compelled to file a complaint against Talbert last year, said the goal was for a just resolution. “My hope and prayer is that our reaching this resolution will be helpful to the church at large,” she said in a statement to United Methodist News Service.
Talbert, a veteran of the civil rights movement, will not face a church trial or the potential loss of his clergy credentials. He praised church leaders “for their openness, honesty and fairness in the process.”
Talbert is the latest Methodist clergyman to be cleared in a high-profile court case involving gay marriage. After officiating at the wedding of his gay son, the Rev. Frank Schaefer was defrocked and then reinstated as a United Methodist pastor in a closely watched case last year.
United Methodist rules do not not allow same-sex marriages or non-celibate gay clergy. Now that 36 states and the District of Columbia allow same-sex marriage, the church has faced pressure and open defiance from some clergy who want to preside at the marriages of their LGBT congregants.
The issue is especially heightened within Methodism, where holiness — the beliefs and practices toward Christian purity — is foundational in its theology. And as Methodist membership plateaus at home and grows in parts of Africa, overseas delegates have helped hold the line against growing pressure to liberalize church policy on gay clergy and same-sex marriage.
As arctic air blasts American cities from St. Paul, Minnesota to Nashville, Tennessee this week, churches across the nation have opened their doors to people unfortunate enough to live most of their lives on the streets. These temporary shelters will protect the physical well-being of the least fortunate among us during the cold snap, but they also offer an opportunity for Christians to practice discipleship and show mercy. Of course, whether it is warm or cold outdoors, the poor remain with us. How do we, as members of the churches opening their doors, dwell with them?
Beyond the physical necessities of food and shelter, it can be difficult to imagine what an individual or community might do to be with the poor in our midst. With that in mind, here are some ideas:
- Share Holy Communion - Go to a restaurant and order food - Ask if they have special skills or secrets to teach you - Do random acts of kindness for strangers together - Watch funny videos on YouTube - Hug if you both want to hug - Ask what they want to do - Sit and talk about rights - Sit and talk economics - Sit and talk theology - Sit and talk politics - Care for a community garden - Start a guerrilla garden - Do an art project - Sing a song - Tell stories - Listen to music - Watch a movie - Watch a TV show - Share a cigarette - Give out sleeping bags - Give out toothbrushes - Give out washcloths - Give out conditioner - Give out toothpaste - Give out underwear - Give out shampoo - Give out tampons - Give out lotion - Give out pads - Give out combs - Give out tissues - Give out water - Give out tarps - Give out socks - Give out shoes - Give out soap - Give out hats - Play a game - Play checkers - Play chess - People watch - Read a book - Shake hands - Take a walk - High five - Laugh - Smile - Listen - Cry
Maybe while the church is open as a shelter from the cold, it would be a good time to talk about some of these options with guests. The simple question "What do you need?" is a good place to start. The cool thing about church is you don't have to do any of this alone. You can get a whole group together and brainstorm ways you can be with the poor in your community. Once you're out there doing whatever it is you decide to do, more people will join you. And I promise the Holy Spirit will show up, too.
On Wednesday (Jan. 7) Howard Dean, a 2004 U.S. presidential candidate and former governor of Vermont, appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” and had this to say about the three gunmen who stormed the offices of Charlie Hebdo earlier that day: “I stopped calling these people Muslim terrorists. They’re about as Muslim as I am. I mean, they have no respect for anybody else’s life.”
This is absolute denial; there’s really nothing else to call it.
Like so many others in the press and in politics, Dean means well. With the growing concern over possible backlash against Muslims, he’s no doubt trying to say something — anything — to lower the temperature in the room a notch or two.
But insulting people’s intelligence is not the way to go about it.
Like Christians and those of other faiths, Muslims have their own internal disagreements over who qualifies as a real follower and who doesn’t. But for those of us on the outside, we mostly have to take people at their word. If they say they’re Muslim, then they are, even if many Muslims (and others) say they’re not.
In this case, when terrorists claim to be avenging the founding prophet of Islam and leave the scene of an attack yelling, “Allahu Akbar,” it’s hard to convince the rest of the world that they’re anything but Muslim.
“I think you have to treat these people as basically mass murderers, but I do not think we should accord them any religious respect because, whatever they’re claiming their motivation is clearly is a twisted, cultish mind,” says Dean.
So, according to Howard Dean, they’re just generic religious extremists, no more Muslim than they are Christian or Buddhist.
Kmart brand terrorists, if you will.
I don’t buy it, and I don’t think many others do either.
The religion these terrorists follow may be an extreme or twisted form of Islam, but for classification purposes, what else is it if it’s not Islam?
Fareed Zakaria / Photo courtesy January via Wikimedia Commons
Zakaria wrote, “There is a cancer of extremism within Islam today. A small minority of Muslims celebrates violence and intolerance and harbors deeply reactionary attitudes toward women and minorities. While some confront these extremists, not enough do so, and the protests are not loud enough.”
Every religion has its maniacs, extremists and far-out sectarians. But as Zakaria notes, terrorism is a problem largely associated with Islam, not other religions, and the statistics appear to back that up.
Whenever I tweet something from the news about Islam and terrorism, I almost always get a reply like this: “Do you think the haters at Westboro Baptist Church are Christians?”
The short answer is, it doesn’t matter what I think. It’s what those outside of Christendom think. Perception is often reality when it comes to public (and interreligious) relations.
Regarding Islam, there’s a huge middle ground between anti-Muslim extremists who are ready to burn mosques and deport all Muslims and the folks at the other end of the spectrum (like the former governor of Vermont) who create alternate realities to avoid uncomfortable truths.
Most intelligent and well-informed people probably know that the vast majority of the world’s Muslims don't support terrorism.
And it's unlikely that the others will be persuaded by a snow job from Howard Dean.
What should evangelism look like in the 21st century? In this Seven Minute Seminary video from Seedbed, Dr. Kimberly Reisman explains that though evangelism is always contextual, it can and should be defined by our posture before others. Here, Kimberly uses the metaphor of embrace and highlights four components of what this might look like in personal evangelism today: 1) opening your arms, 2) waiting, 3) closing your arms, and, 4) opening your arms again.
Second Sunday after the Epiphany - 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20); Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51
1 Samuel 3: The Lord Speaks to Samuel
1-2 Samuel served the Lord by helping Eli the priest, who was by that time almost blind. In those days, the Lord hardly ever spoke directly to people, and he did not appear to them in dreams very often. But one night, Eli was asleep in his room, 3 and Samuel was sleeping on a mat near the sacred chest in the Lord’s house. They had not been asleep very long[a] 4 when the Lord called out Samuel’s name.
“Here I am!” Samuel answered. 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
“I didn’t call you,” Eli answered. “Go back to bed.”
Samuel went back.
6 Again the Lord called out Samuel’s name. Samuel got up and went to Eli. “Here I am,” he said. “What do you want?”
Eli told him, “Son, I didn’t call you. Go back to sleep.”
7 The Lord had not spoken to Samuel before, and Samuel did not recognize the voice. 8 When the Lord called out his name for the third time, Samuel went to Eli again and said, “Here I am. What do you want?”
Eli finally realized that it was the Lord who was speaking to Samuel. 9 So he said, “Go back and lie down! If someone speaks to you again, answer, ‘I’m listening, Lord. What do you want me to do?’”
Once again Samuel went back and lay down.
10 The Lord then stood beside Samuel and called out as he had done before, “Samuel! Samuel!”
“I’m listening,” Samuel answered. “What do you want me to do?”
11 The Lord said:
Samuel, I am going to do something in Israel that will shock everyone who hears about it! 12 I will punish Eli and his family, just as I promised. 13 He knew that his sons refused to respect me,[b] and he let them get away with it, even though I said I would punish his family forever. 14 I warned Eli that sacrifices or offerings could never make things right! His family has done too many disgusting things.
15 The next morning, Samuel got up and opened the doors to the Lord’s house. He was afraid to tell Eli what the Lord had said. 16 But Eli told him, “Samuel, my boy, come here!”
“Here I am,” Samuel answered.
17 Eli said, “What did God say to you? Tell me everything. I pray that God will punish you terribly if you don’t tell me every word he said!”
18 Samuel told Eli everything. Then Eli said, “He is the Lord, and he will do what’s right.”
The Lord Helps Samuel
19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord helped him and made everything Samuel said come true. 20 From the town of Dan in the north to the town of Beersheba in the south, everyone in the country knew that Samuel was truly the Lord’s prophet.
[Footnotes:
3.3 They. . . long: The Hebrew text has “The lamp was still burning.” An olive oil lamp would go out after a few hours if the wick was not adjusted.
3.13 refused. . . me: Or “were insulting everyone.”]
Psalm 139: (A psalm by David for the music leader.)
The Lord Is Always Near
1 You have looked deep
into my heart, Lord,
and you know all about me.
2 You know when I am resting
or when I am working,
and from heaven
you discover my thoughts.
3 You notice everything I do
and everywhere I go.
4 Before I even speak a word,
you know what I will say,
5 and with your powerful arm
you protect me
from every side.
6 I can’t understand all of this!
Such wonderful knowledge
is far above me.
13 You are the one
who put me together
inside my mother’s body,
14 and I praise you
because of
the wonderful way
you created me.
Everything you do is marvelous!
Of this I have no doubt.
15 Nothing about me
is hidden from you!
I was secretly woven together
deep in the earth below,
16 but with your own eyes
you saw
my body being formed.
Even before I was born,
you had written in your book
everything I would do.
17 Your thoughts are far beyond
my understanding,
much more than I
could ever imagine.
18 I try to count your thoughts,
but they outnumber the grains
of sand on the beach.
And when I awake,
I will find you nearby.
1 Corinthians 6: Honor God with Your Body
12 Some of you say, “We can do anything we want to.” But I tell you that not everything is good for us. So I refuse to let anything have power over me. 13 You also say, “Food is meant for our bodies, and our bodies are meant for food.” But I tell you that God will destroy them both. We are not supposed to do indecent things with our bodies. We are to use them for the Lord who is in charge of our bodies. 14 God will raise us from death by the same power that he used when he raised our Lord to life.
15 Don’t you know that your bodies are part of the body of Christ? Is it right for me to join part of the body of Christ to a prostitute? No, it isn’t! 16 Don’t you know that a man who does that becomes part of her body? The Scriptures say, “The two of them will be like one person.” 17 But anyone who is joined to the Lord is one in spirit with him.
18 Don’t be immoral in matters of sex. That is a sin against your own body in a way that no other sin is. 19 You surely know that your body is a temple where the Holy Spirit lives. The Spirit is in you and is a gift from God. You are no longer your own. 20 God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God.
John 1: Jesus Chooses Philip and Nathanael
43-44 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. There he met Philip, who was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter. Jesus said to Philip, “Come with me.”
45 Philip then found Nathanael and said, “We have found the one that Moses and the Prophets[a] wrote about. He is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”
46 Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come from Nazareth?”
Philip answered, “Come and see.”
47 When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said, “Here is a true descendant of our ancestor Israel. And he isn’t deceitful.”[b]
48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.”
49 Nathanael said, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God and the King of Israel!”
50 Jesus answered, “Did you believe me just because I said that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see something even greater. 51 I tell you for certain that you will see heaven open and God’s angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man.”[c]
[Footnotes:
1.45 Moses and the Prophets: The Jewish Scriptures, that is, the Old Testament.
1.47 Israel. . . isn’t deceitful: Israel (meaning “a man who wrestled with God” or “a prince of God”) was the name that the Lord gave to Jacob (meaning “cheater” or “deceiver”), the famous ancestor of the Jewish people.
1.51 going up and coming down on the Son of Man: When Jacob (see the note at verse 47) was running from his brother Esau, he had a dream in which he saw angels going up and down on a ladder from earth to heaven (see Genesis 32.22-32).]
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for
I Samuel 3:1-20
Verse 1
[1] And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
Before Eli — That is, under his inspection and direction.
Word — The word of prophecy, or the revelation of God's will to and by the prophets.
Precious — Rare or scarce, such things being most precious in mens' esteem, whereas common things are generally despised.
Open vision — God did not impart his Mind by way of vision or revelation openly, or to any public person, to whom others might resort for satisfaction, though he might privately reveal himself to some pious persons for their particular direction. This is premised, as a reason why Samuel understood not, when God called him once or twice.
Verse 2
[2] And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
His place — In the court of the tabernacle.
Verse 3
[3] And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
Went out — Before the lights of the golden candlestick were put out in the morning.
Verse 7
[7] Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.
Did not know — He was not acquainted with God in that extraordinary or prophetical way. And this ignorance of Samuel's served God's design, that his simplicity might give Eli the better assurance of the truth of God's call, and message to Samuel.
Verse 10
[10] And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.
Came and stood — Before, he spake to him at a distance, even from the holy oracle between the cherubim: but now, to prevent all farther mistake, the voice came near to him, as if the person speaking had been standing near him.
Verse 12
[12] In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.
In that day — In that time which I have appointed for this work, which was about twenty or thirty years after this threatning. So long space of repentance God allows to this wicked generation.
When I begin, … — Tho' this vengeance shall be delayed for a season, to manifest my patience, and incite them to repentance; yet when once I begin to inflict, I shall not desist 'till I have made a full end.
Verse 13
[13] For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.
Restrained them not — He contented himself with a cold reproof, and did not punish, and effectually restrain them. They who can, and do not restrain others from sin, make themselves partakers of the guilt. Those in authority will have a great deal to answer for, if the sword they bear be not a terror to evil-doers.
Verse 14
[14] And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering for ever.
Have sworn — Or, I do swear: the past tense being commonly put for the present in the Hebrew tongue.
Unto — Or, concerning it.
Purged — That is, the punishment threatened against Eli and his family, shall not he prevented by all their sacrifices, but shall infallibly be executed.
Verse 15
[15] And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to shew Eli the vision.
Doors — Altho' the tabernacle, whilst it was to be removed from place to place in the wilderness, had no doors, but consisted only of curtains, and had hangings before the entrance, instead of doors; yet when it was settled in one place, as now it was in Shiloh, it was enclosed within some solid building, which had doors and posts, and other parts belonging to it.
Feared — The matter of the vision or revelation, partly from the reverence he bore to his person, to whom he was loth to be a messenger of such sad tidings; partly, lest if he had been hasty to utter it, Eli might think him guilty of arrogancy or secret complacency in his calamity.
Verse 17
[17] And he said, What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee hide it not from me: God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he said unto thee.
God do so, … — God inflict the same evils upon thee, which I suspect he hath pronounced against me, and greater evils too.
Verse 18
[18] And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
It is the Lord — This severe sentence is from the sovereign Lord of the world, who hath an absolute right to dispose of me and all his creatures; who is in a special manner the ruler of the people of Israel, to whom it properly belongs to punish all mine offences; whose chastisement I therefore accept.
Verse 19
[19] And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
Fail, … — That is, want its effect: God made good all his predictions. A metaphor from precious liquors, which when they are spilt upon the ground, are altogether useless.
Verse 20
[20] And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.
From Dan, … — Thro' the whole Land, from the northern bound Dan, to the southern, Beersheba; which was the whole length of the Land.
Psalm 139:1-6;13-18
Verse 2
[2] Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
Afar off — Thou knowest what my thoughts will be in such and such circumstances, long before I know it, yea from all eternity.
Verse 3
[3] Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
Compassest — Thou discernest every step I take. It is a metaphor from soldiers besieging their enemies, and setting watches round about them.
Verse 5
[5] Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
Beset me — With thy all-seeing providence.
And laid — Thou keepest me, as it were with a strong hand, in thy sight and under thy power.
Verse 6
[6] Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
I cannot — Apprehend in what manner thou dost so presently know all things.
Verse 16
[16] Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
Imperfect — When I was first conceived.
Book — In thy counsel and providence, by which thou didst contrive and effect this great work, according to that model which thou hadst appointed.
Verse 17
[17] How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
Thoughts — Thy counsels on my behalf. Thou didst not only form me at first, but ever since my conception and birth, thy thoughts have been employed for me.
Verse 18
[18] If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.
Them — Thy wonderful counsels and works on my behalf come constantly into my mind.
I Corinthians 6:12-20
Verse 12
[12] All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
All things — Which are lawful for you.
Are lawful for me, but all things are not always expedient — Particularly when anything would offend my weak brother; or when it would enslave my own soul. For though all things are lawful for me, yet I will not be brought under the power of any - So as to be uneasy when I abstain from it; for, if so, then I am under the power of it.
Verse 13
[13] Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
As if he had said, I speak this chiefly with regard to meats; (and would to God all Christians would consider it!) particularly with regard to those offered to idols, and those forbidden in the Mosaic law. These, I grant, are all indifferent, and have their use, though it is only for a time: then meats, and the organs which receive them, will together moulder into dust. But the case is quite otherwise with fornication. This is not indifferent, but at all times evil.
For the body is for the Lord — Designed only for his service. And the Lord, in an important sense, for the body - Being the Saviour of this, as well as of the soul; in proof of which God hath already raised him from the dead.
Verse 16
[16] What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
Genesis 2:24.
Verse 17
[17] But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
But he that is joined to the Lord — By faith.
Is one spirit with him — And shall he make himself one flesh with an harlot?
Verse 18
[18] Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
Flee fornication — All unlawful commerce with women, with speed, with abhorrence, with all your might. Every sin that a man commits against his neighbour terminates upon an object out of himself, and does not so immediately pollute his body, though it does his soul.
But he that committeth fornication, sinneth against his own body — Pollutes, dishonours, and degrades it to a level with brute beasts.
Verse 19
[19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
And even your body is not, strictly speaking, your own even this is the temple of the Holy Ghost - Dedicated to him, and inhabited by him. What the apostle calls elsewhere "the temple of God," 1 Corinthians 3:16,17, and "the temple of the living God," 2 Corinthians 6:16, he here styles the temple of the Holy Ghost; plainly showing that the Holy Ghost is the living God.
Verse 20
[20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
Glorify God with your body, and your spirit — Yield your bodies and all their members, as well as your souls and all their faculties, as instruments of righteousness to God. Devote and employ all ye have, and all ye are, entirely, unreservedly, and for ever, to his glory.
John 1:43-51
Verse 45
[45] Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.
Jesus of Nazareth — So Philip thought, not knowing he was born in Bethlehem. Nathanael was probably the same with Bartholomew, that is, the son of Tholomew. St. Matthew joins Bartholomew with Philip, Matthew 10:3, and St. John places Nathanael in the midst of the apostles, immediately after Thomas, John 21:2, just as Bartholomew is placed, Acts 1:13.
Verse 46
[46] And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? — How cautiously should we guard against popular prejudices? When these had once possessed so honest a heart as that of Nathanael, they led him to suspect the blessed Jesus himself for an impostor, because he had been brought up at Nazareth. But his integrity prevailed over that foolish bias, and laid him open to the force of evidence, which a candid inquirer will always be glad to admit, even when it brings the most unexpected discoveries.
Can any good thing — That is, have we ground from Scripture to expect the Messiah, or any eminent prophet from Nazareth? Philip saith, Come and see - The same answer which he had received himself from our Lord the day before.
Verse 48
[48] Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Under the fig tree I saw thee — Perhaps at prayer.
Verse 49
[49] Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.
Nathanael answered — Happy are they that are ready to believe, swift to receive the truth and grace of God.
Thou art the Son of God — So he acknowledges now more than he had heard from Philip: The Son of God, the king of Israel - A confession both of the person and office of Christ.
Verse 51
[51] And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.
Hereafter ye shall see — All of these, as well as thou, who believe on me now in my state of humiliation, shall hereafter see me come in my glory, and all the angels of God with me. This seems the most natural sense of the words, though they may also refer to his ascension.
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The Courage to listen
by Brett Younger
1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20) 1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20) The year after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, I was a third grader in Ridgeland, Mississippi. I lived in a segregated world—separate and unequal. Everybody I knew wanted things to stay the way they were. The white people in my hometown didn’t understand what Dr. King preached. We didn’t hear what he heard God say. We didn’t hear God say anything we didn’t want to hear. I knew that there were African Americans living nearby, but we went to different schools, stores, post offices, and saddest of all, churches. Then one Friday afternoon, Mr. Williams, our bus driver, told us to sit down and get quiet. “Starting on Monday,” he shouted “there will be two black girls riding on our bus.” Several boys in the back started booing. Mr. Williams yelled, “Get quiet! I don’t like it either, but there’s nothing we can do about it. None of you will have to sit by them. They’ll sit in this seat right behind me.” Then he started the bus. The bad kids said that they would call the new girls names and let them know that they didn’t belong on our bus. The good kids said that wasn’t fair and that the best thing to do was to say nothing at all. On Monday and on the days that followed, as far as I know, none of the bad kids ever said anything loud enough to be heard, but something no less tragic took place. The first children on the bus each morning and each afternoon sat in the back row. Every day for the rest of the year the bus filled from the back with every white child sitting as far as possible from the two children sitting in the front seat. It’s embarrassing to confess that years passed before I realized how evil we were. It didn’t occur to me to sit on the second row, say hello, or question our actions. As the good white children of good white parents, we didn’t think of ourselves as bigots. We just found it easier not to challenge what was expected. Years later, I became what my relatives in Mississippi consider a liberal. The liberal white children of the Deep South who left home are proud of the alienation we feel from the most embarrassing parts of our roots. We’re arrogant about our newfound sophistication, but sometimes I wonder what we would hear if we listened for God’s opinion on the subject of our prejudices. It’s easier not to listen to God, because listening is dangerous. It was for Samuel. He grew up in “the church,” helping Eli with chores around the temple—lighting lamps, sweeping the floor, putting the hymnals back in the pew racks. Samuel never thought about listening for God, because no one was listening for God. The author writes: “The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” It’s not surprising that when twelve-year-old Samuel hears a voice while sleeping in church—he was neither the first nor the last to sleep in church—he assumes it is Eli. Three times someone calling his name awakens him. Three times he goes to Eli and asks what he wants. After the third time Eli wonders, although God hasn’t been heard from in those parts for some time, if perhaps Samuel is hearing God’s voice. He tells Samuel that if he hears the voice again, he should answer, “God, I’m listening.” God speaks and gives Samuel disturbing news—news that Samuel doesn’t want to repeat. After he hears God’s voice, Samuel’s life is never the same. It’s harder—much harder! Martin Luther King, Jr.’s father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and uncle were all preachers. When he became the pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, however, he still hadn’t had a firsthand experience of God. But then Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus and Martin found himself in the middle of a boycott. Although he had only been in Montgomery a year and he was only twenty-seven years old, he quickly became a leader of the movement. It wasn’t long before his family started getting threatening phone calls. He wondered if he could take it. He wanted out. Then one night, around midnight, another threatening call came: “We’re tired of you, and if you aren’t out of this town in three days, we’re going to blow your brains out and blow up your house.” Dr. King prayed aloud that night. He reports hearing a voice calling him to stand up for righteousness, justice, and truth; the voice of Jesus promising to be with him through the fight. Dr. King’s life from that moment on is a testimony to his response to that prayer. What would we hear if we listened for God’s voice? Would God tell us to be honest about the prejudices that lie so deep within us that we don’t admit them even to ourselves; to repent not only of whatever hatred we feel but also whatever apathy we hide; to let worship penetrate our hearts enough for us to say, “Speak God, for I’m listening”; to realize that if racism seems like someone else’s problem then we are part of the problem; to stop waiting for others to take the first step and step across the lines ourselves; to speak with kindness and courage when it would be easier to say nothing; to do more than vote right and work for economic justice for all; to do more than tolerate our differences and honor and celebrate them; to be impatient with inequality, impatient with anything less than freedom and justice. If we listen for God, we’ll hear a dangerous voice telling us to do what’s right.
by Nancy C. Townley Color: Green Scripture Readings: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20); Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51 CALLS TO WORSHIP Call to Worship #1: L: God knows each one of us personally and God loves each one of us. P: Thanks be to God for such wondrous love! L: Come this day into the presence of God. P: We come with overflowing hearts! L: Celebrate God’s mercy and compassion. P: Praise be to God who offers us hope. AMEN. Call to Worship #2: L: Here we are, Lord! P: You have seen us and known us from before the beginning. L: Here we are, Lord! P: Jesus, you have called us to this place. L: Here we are, Lord! P: Gracious Holy Spirit, inspire our hearts with courage and joy. AMEN. Call to Worship #3: [From the United Methodist Hymnal, p. 593 "Here I Am, Lord", you might consider this call to worship] Choir: (verse 1) "I, the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry. All who dwell in dark and sin, my hand will save. I who made the stars of night, I will make their darkness bright, Who will bear my light to them? Whom shall I send?" P: (singing refrain) "Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart." L: Listen, God is calling you to witness and serve. Choir (verse 3): "I, the Lord of wind and flame, I will tend the poor and lame, I will set a feast for them, My hand will save. Finest bread I will provide till their hearts be satisfied. I will give my life to them. Whom shall I send?" P: (singing refrain) "Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord? I have heard you calling in the night. I will go, Lord, if you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart." L: God has searched for you and found you. God has healed your sorrows and wounds. Open your hearts to God’s magnificent love. P: Come, Lord, come into our lives. AMEN. Call to Worship #4: L: Come joyfully before the Lord! P: God knows us and loves us! L: Come prayerfully before the Lord! P: God sees our concerns, our fears, our sins! L: Come hopefully before the Lord! P: Christ proclaimed God’s love and forgiveness for all God’s people! L: Know throughout all of your being, that God absolutely loves you! P: How precious and powerful that knowledge is! Thanks be to God! AMEN. PRAYERS, LITANY, BENEDICTION Opening Prayer Awesome God, you knew us before we were born. You love us into life. Open our hearts and our spirits today to hear your word for us. And, upon hearing the word, may we be convinced of our call to ministry and mission through the church. Bless us with your presence and your powerful love, for we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. Prayer of Confession Lord, somewhere long ago, someone convinced us that we would not be good material for God to use in healing and helping ministries for this world. We don’t really believe that we have anything worthwhile to offer. It is relatively easy for us to donate funds for missions and the good works of the church, but we do not see ourselves worthy of further involvement. Remind us of your forgiving love, when we stubbornly refuse to believe your claim on our lives. Open our eyes and spirits to see the gifts with which you have blessed us, and to commit those gifts to serving you by serving others. There are so many things that we can do. And everything starts with prayer. So, patient God, bear with us as we settle down to pray, asking for your wisdom in our lives. Give us courage and strength to accomplish any task that you set before us. And give us hearts of grateful love to acknowledge your presence in our lives, and live that presence with great joy. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN. Words of Assurance From the very beginning, God has blessed you and planted within your spirit the words "I can do all things through God who strengthens me". Do not fear the task God sets before you. Rejoice, for God is with you every moment and God’s love washes over you always, healing and nourishing your life. AMEN. Pastoral Prayer Patient and Wise God, you have called this church into being to serve you in this world by helping others. We rejoice in the many ways we are able to be of help. We offer our prayers for each other, for those near and dear to us, for the situations of difficulty and strife in community and world. You hear our voices cry out and with your eternal compassion you respond in loving care to each of us. We gather here this day, meeting and greeting each other, celebrating fellowship and friendship, welcoming each other in your name. You remind us that you are with us always. What have we to fear? But we fear far too often the unknown tasks that lie ahead of us. We always want to be assured of the happy out come of our efforts. Help us to trust your guidance and presence, Lord. Help us remember that there is no time in which we are out of your care. Enable us to be in serving ministry and mission with joy and confidence. Heal our wounds, bind up our bruises and broken spirits. Put us on a pathway of peace. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. Litany [The following Litany makes use of the wonderful song "This Little Light of Mine", UMH p. 585. You may want to consider having the music softly playing under the spoken words. The choir and people may want to sing the first three responses. Play with some ideas for this, it can be a great experience] L: The Lord knows you and loves you. Let God’s light shine in the darkness so that others may see the good works and glorify God. P: This little light of mine......I’m gonna let it shine. L: Jesus has seen you, waiting for the call to ministry and mission. He calls you now to open your hearts to those around you; to people in need, to those who sorrow, to those who just need someone to talk with. P: This little light of mine.....I’m gonna let it shine. L: Just as God called the boy Samuel, God is reaching out to you to be a witness to God’s awesome love and power. P: This little light of mine.....I’m gonna let it shine., Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine! L: You won’t hide it under a dark cover, will you? P: No, I’m gonna let it shine! L: You won’t extinguish it because you’re afraid and feel unworthy, will you? P: No, I’m gonna let it shine! L:Will you let God’s light shine through your life? P: Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine! L: Will you brave the deepest darkness with God’s light in your life? P: All through the darkness, I’m gonna let it shine. L: Then, beloved of God, let that Light shine on you, in you and through you always. P: Praise be to God. AMEN. Benediction, Blessing, Commission Go into God’s world, aware of God’s call in your life. Follow our Lord Jesus Christ who will lead you in paths of service and hope. Lean on the power of the Holy Spirit to give you courage and strength. May peace, joy and love flow through you to others, in God’s name. AMEN. ARTISTIC ELEMENTS Note: It is a good idea to write a brief description of the visual presentation in the worship bulletin describing the symbols and their meaning. Note: this is a good Sunday to lift us the various missions of your church, and the ways in which you witness to God’s love by serving] The traditional color is green for this day. SURFACE: Place several risers of various heights on the worship center, making sure that the highest one is placed in the center back of the worship center. Place other risers of varying heights in front of the worship center. [this will depend on the number of ministries you plan to depict in the worship setting] FABRIC: Green is the traditional color for the season of Epiphany. Cover the entire worship area with dark green fabric, making sure that all risers are covered, including those in front of the worship area. The fabric should touch the floor, "puddling" slightly. With 3 yards of medium green fabric, wind the fabric, beginning at the base of the center riser, toward the left side of the worship center and down across to one or more of the risers below, puddling the fabric on the floor. With 3 yards of light green fabric, or a contrasting green fabric, beginning at the base of the center riser, wind the fabric toward the right side of the worship center and down across to one or more of the risers below, puddling the fabric on the floor. CANDLES: In front of the center riser on the worship center, place a large white candle, representing Christ. Have available many smaller votive candles to be placed near the various ministries and mission areas in the worship center. FLOWERS/PLANTS: Green leafy plants, ferns, ivy are wonderful at the base of the worship center and also on either side of the center riser on the main portion of the worship center. Do not over-do the setting with plants. Use them to add softness to the setting. If you have some green varigated plants ( i.e.: green with striped leaves) they can be very dramatic against the green fabric background. Be sure to place darker green plants near the lighter green fabric, for balance and contrast. ROCKS/WOOD: Although rocks and wood are not vital to this set, you may use some stones sparingly. OTHER: This is where your own inspiration can soar. If you are depicting spiritual nourishment in the church, consider using an Open bible, A basket of Breads, and grapes representing communion; If you are focusing service ministries, find something that would represent them, such as canned goods, etc, for food pantries, articles of clothing pouring out of basket for thrift shops, wood/hammers/nails for Habitat for Humanity (even a small house, or doll house - don’t use plastic ones, please), ministries to people with disabilities could be represented by canes, etc. Think creatively about your various ministries. Pick symbols that can be easily displayed on the worship center. Do not crowd the center. You may choose to place mission pictures among the setting. Be sure to leave enough room for several votive candles near each of the ministries you are depicting. This should not look like a liturgical rummage sale. Be very careful. And always write an explanation for the worship setting. Design bulletin covers for this special day, if you are not using already printed ones.
Worship for Kids: January 18, 2015
by Carolyn C. Brown, Worship for Kids
From a Child's Point of View Gospel: John 1:43-51. Philip and Nathanael are among the least known of the twelve disciples. Nathanael is mentioned in the Bible only in this text and in the lists of "the twelve," in which he is sometimes called Nathanael and sometimes Bartholomew. Children whose parents tend to call them by a brother's or sister's name, or those who tend to feel lost in the crowd in classes and on teams, can empathize with Nathanael's "nobody" status. They also appreciate the fact that Jesus noticed Nathanael and recognized him as a worthwhile person. The unstated promise is that God, who noticed and sought out Nathanael, will not overlook the least among us. When he met Jesus, Nathanael was surprised that the Messiah knew him and wanted his help. He was also surprised that God's Messiah was from Galilee. Nathanael did not think much of Galilee and did not expect God to speak to him through a Galilean. The warning here is that God also may come to us in surprising ways and through surprising people. Old Testament: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20). The story of God's call to Samuel is proof that God seeks out children as well as grown-ups. In this situation, God wanted Samuel to deliver a very unpleasant message. He was to tell Eli that God was punishing Eli's whole family severely. Samuel bravely did the job. The story ends by noting that God continued to speak to Samuel and that, while growing up not when he was grown Samuel became known and respected as a person to whom God spoke and who did God's will. The story also provides a lesson on how to respond when God seeks us out. Like Samuel, we are to say, "Speak, Lord, your servant listens," and then pay close attention and obey. Literal thinkers will need other examples of how God speaks to us, besides through a voice in the night. Examples children recognize include a sense deep inside that God wants them to do something for a person in need or to stop an activity they know is wrong; a sense that God is telling them something through a Bible story they read or hear; or a feeling during a crisis, or when in sight of natural beauty, that God loves them and takes care of them. Psalm: 139:1-6, 13-18. The psalmist ponders a point that children (and Nathanaels of all ages) appreciate. God is always aware of us and looking out for us. Though some of the poetic images are hard for younger children, and older children will giggle knowingly at the womb references, most children can follow the psalmist's thoughts as the poem is read. The Good News Bible offers the easiest translation for children to understand. Epistle: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20. Because most children experience themselves as spiritual and physical wholes, Paul's point that we are to respond to God's call with body, as well as with soul, has little meaning. To relate this text to the others for the day, simply point to verse 19 and describe ways we can keep our bodies pure temples for God. Needless to say, the sexual relationships Paul describes as an example are best replaced with calls to avoid drugs and alcohol (often available to older-elementary children), eat foods that are good for us, and get exercise. Watch Words If you speak of God's presence in everyday terms and celebrate the truth that God seeks out each one of us, vocabulary offers few barriers. Let the Children Sing The chorus of "Here I Am, Lord" recalls Samuel'sresponse to God. Older children can follow the words of the verses, but all children can learn the chorus. Consider singing the verses and chorus responsively; as an anthem, an adult choir could sing the verses, with a children's choir singing the chorus; as a hymn, the congregation could sing the verses, with a children's choir or class singing the chorus. If the hymn is new to the congregation, ask that the chorus be introduced to the children during their choir practice. The Liturgical Child 1. To bring the psalm to life, imagine yourself as the poet talking to God, rather like Tevye talked with God in Fiddler on the Roof. Use your hands to emphasize references to "me" and "you." Especially in verses 13-18, read whole sentences rather than phrases. 2. Present the stories of Samuel and/or Nathanael as readers' theater. The worship leader takes the part of the narrator. Other children, youths, and adults take the other parts. (For Samuel, select a fourth- or fifth-grade boy. For Eli, choose one of the older men in the congregation. God's voice may be heard-off stage or read by a visible man, woman, or child.) Practice together until all know their parts well enough to keep the reading moving smoothly. Work on how different lines are expressed. For instance, how did Samuel say, "Speak, Lord, your servant listens"? Was there hesitant fear in his voice, or was he enthusiastically excited? And how did Nathanael's statements sound? 3. Affirm your faith with responsive statements describing the ways God calls us. The congregational response is that of Samuel: "Speak, Lord, your servant listens." God, you reach out to us in so many ways. Keep us alert. Help us to pay attention. When you spread your beautiful world out for us to see; when we feel your power in the power of the ocean waves; when we see tiny bugs and huge elephants and know you made them both; when we see your rainbow, may we say . . . (CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE) When we are tempted to do what is wrong, but remember what you have told us through our leaders; when everyone else is doing it, but we hear your voice deep inside us saying, "Don't!"; when we want something enough to steal it, but know your rule against stealing, may we say . . . (CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE) When we see problems and feel you urging us to help solve them; when we see your world littered with garbage and dirtied by pollution, and know there is even one thing we could do to help; when we see people ignored and teased by others and know they need our friendship, may we say . . . (CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE) When we are sad and lonely, and feel your loving care surrounding us; when friends call to ask how we're doing; when people smile that they understand and say, "How can I help?" may we say . . . (CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE) When we open our Bibles to read stories, and psalms, and letters to the churches, may we say . . . (CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE) God, you reach out to us in so many ways. Keep us alert. Help us to pay attention. And may we say . . . (CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE) Sermon Resources 1. Tell other biblical stories of God's call. God did not call Abraham and Sarah until they were quite old, but David was called when he was young. God called Moses through a burning bush. Through Moses, God called Joshua to lead the people into the Promised Land. Isaiah was called to be a prophet while he was worshiping in the Temple. God spoke in a dream to Solomon. 2. Tell about your call to the preaching ministry. When did it happen? How did God "speak" to you? How did you respond? Today's texts have one message for both children and adults: You must do something! The Ninevites had to do something in response to Jonah's message. The fishermen had to either follow Jesus or keep working. And Paul told Christians how to act.
Sermon Options: January 18, 2015
SERMON OPTIONS: JANUARY 18, 2015
Seeing the Vision 1 Samuel 3:1-10 As we move further into the 21st century, think back to the persons who made the most different in the way we live. Chances are, the list won’t include many politicians or political leaders. It would, however, include names like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Wilbur and Orville Wright, Jonas Salk. These were the visionaries—men and women who looked beyond their present to see what might be possible in the future. In every area of life, visionaries help us look beyond where we are to where we might be. Average people see limits; visionaries see possibilities. That is also true in the life of faith. God gives some people unique insights. An example of such visionaries in the Old Testament would be the prophets—those who received a word from the Lord and proclaimed it to the people. In the New Testament, Paul was a visionary, he envisioned a church that included both Jews and Gentiles. In our own generation, Mother Teresa has been a visionary, raising the awareness of all Christians to the plight of the poorest among us. God’s visions come to people of authentic faith. Are you seeking to know God’s purpose and direction for your life, your family, your career? Do you need a vision from the Lord? Our text offers insight into the kind of faith that visionaries have. I. God Gives Visions to Those with Obedient Hearts One of the most poignant verses in all of Scripture is found in verse 1: “The word of the LORD was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.” Visions were rare because sin had corrupted the house of Eli, the chief priest. His sons were evil in their actions, but rather than control or even punish them, Eli stood by and allowed them to corrupt Israel with their sin. The result was that God did not give his visions to Eli—sin was the obstacle. By contrast, young Samuel was dedicated to God’s service. Influenced by his godly mother, Hannah, Samuel was devoted to doing God’s will. And because he had a heart for the Lord, Samuel was able to receive the visions that Eli could not receive. As you seek to know God’s vision for your own life, there is a critical lesson here: God will not give his visions where sin abounds. God’s visions are given to men and women whose hearts are obedient toward the Lord. II. God Gives Visions to Those with Open Hearts Recall the story in our text. Once Samuel knew God was calling, he was open to the message. God gives his visions to those who are willing to receive them. A salesman called on a farmer one day and began making a presentation about a new book on farming. The salesman assured the farmer that the book contained a wealth of new techniques that would make him a better farmer. “I don’t need any new book,” answered the farmer. “I already know more about farming than I’m willing to do now.” Sometimes we say we want to know God’s will for our lives when the fact is we are not willing to follow through on what we already know. Our hearts are not truly open to God’s leadership. It is as if God has given us part of a map and directed us to follow the designated path. “Where is the rest of the map?” we ask, and God responds, “I’ll give you that part when you get to the end of this part.” Are you open to God’s leadership in your life? Are you willing to follow his vision—even before you know the whole story? If so, then God can use you as a visionary, to achieve new vistas of faith in his name. (Michael Duduit) Precious Earthen Vessels 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Paul insisted on his freedom, through love’s higher calling, from the law. But then he had the ongoing challenge to constantly clarify that this is freedom to exceed the law’s limitations, not to violate them. Yes, he could do as he pleased. No, it did not please him to do any and all things—only what was to the glory of God. Especially regarding the body, Paul wanted to be very clear that although humbly “we have this treasure in earthen vessels” ( 2 Cor. 4:7 NKJV), the vessels themselves are not to sneeze at. Indeed, the body is a most precious, if temporary, “temple of the Holy Spirit” (v. 19). I. The Body Previously Interestingly enough, the church has not always picked up on either the close link between the earthly and the spiritual or the respect for the proper care and feeding of the body to which Paul admonishes us. But the ancient Hebrews knew. In Genesis, the loss of perfection means first and foremost the loss of perfect unity with the body. Bodily shame—disruption of the natural state of perfect unity with one’s body—was the telltale sign to God that Adam and Eve had sinned. The church has too often trivialized sin. Instead of the loss of perfection and paradise, sin becomes a few bad things we do—drinking, smoking, gambling—and we can eliminate sin by eliminating these types of behaviors. This view is just too simpleminded for the Hebrews and for Paul. Their guilt was not over a lie here or a theft there. It was a guilt that went to their heart of hearts, to their involvement in the loss of the potential they had seen for perfect realization of God’s whole creation. It’s an endless battle to try to get rid of sin by cutting it out piece by piece. You cast out one demon and seven others enter the empty space. You stop biting your nails and you start smoking. You stop smoking and you start yelling at your kids, taking tranquilizers, and overeating. You can’t get rid of the bad until you find the good that it’s filling in for. When we lose touch with the great goodness of our creation we are in pain and in sin. People in this country spend billions of dollars a year on alcohol to help forget this loss. So many of the things we do are the desperate, self-destructive acts of people trying to again feel something and forget a lot. II. The Body Politic God’s investment in material creation was costly from the start. And the “dust to dust” process does not mean that what is put into the stomach is not significant (v. 13). Furthermore, acts that defile the body have spiritual consequences (v. 18). Paul solemnly bows before the mysterious but awesome power and ramifications of the connection between body and spirit. We don’t want to underestimate the insatiable destructive bent of those who have already betrayed their own bodies and spirits. For them, these things are without value. You don’t stop smoking or polluting or plundering unless the alternative is something very good. That’s why the fight of conservationists is endless. You can save the rain forests this year, but they’ll be on the market again next year because lots of people don’t know that their own lives really are more important than making money. III. The Body Glorious The kingdom of God, in which all “sins” become obsolete, was postponed because it was seen as coming from outside. Saint Augustine ruefully commented: “Too late I loved you! And behold, you were within me, and I out of myself, and there I searched for you” (Confessions, X, 27). The kingdom of God is not simply in the future; we are to seek it here and now, even in our earthly bodies. We all are members of that glorious body, in, as well as out, of the flesh. (Kathleen Peterson) Come and See John 1:43-51 Fred Craddock has observed that the “biblical word central to the Season of Epiphany is ‘revelation, for this is the time we celebrate the revealing of the Son of God. But the companion word to revelation is ‘witness, for revelation in the biblical sense is never open and obvious to everyone, interested or not, believer or not.” These words seem especially pertinent to the text for the day: Philip’s witness to Nathanael. Philip is unable to prove what he believed he had found in Jesus, but he is able to say at least: “Come and see.” What Philip sees moves him to help others to see—to want to help them, anyway, whether they do or do not see. As Epiphany is the “moment” of God’s self-revelation to the world, the season following prompts us to ask: How will we witness? How will we reveal that which has been revealed to us? We are concerned here with the style and substance of our evangelism. I. Witness Is Not Technique, but Touch In our denominations these days there is much discussion about church growth. Much of the discussion is framed in such a way to make it sound evangelistic; but I must confess that most often it sounds more like marketing. Direct mailings, telephone blitzes, the packaging of worship in alternative forms—you know the routine. And it may be great stuff, really, for this age in which we live—quick, efficient, impersonal. My fear, however, is that our media will affect our message. “The media is the message,” some will say, and more’s the pity if our sales pitch so shapes our “product” that the church and its ministries will themselves become too quick (saving souls is a long and laborious process), too efficient (grace seems to me to imply a certain inefficient extravagance), and too impersonal (when God in Christ is anything but). My suspicion is that when the excitement over this latest trend of techniques fades, we will be left with the time-honored and tested example we have before us today. If we really want to be evangelistic, if we want to be real evangelists, we may need to get off the phone, find a friend or stranger, and say, “Come and see.” II. Witness Is Faithfulness This little vignette seems to radiate obscurity. Who is Nathanael that Philip, or Jesus, wants to have him along? After all, he seems somewhat bigoted, ready to condemn Jesus on account of his address and accent. And he isn’t listed in the other Gospels and Acts as one of the Twelve. So what’s the purpose of this story? Perhaps it is a paradigm—a “go and do thou likewise” kind of story. Perhaps it is an exhortation to those of us who are believers to begin witnessing: not by coercing or arguing, lampooning or belittling. Rather, as Philip was called and then went calling, the text is a summons to us to witness, to invite, to speak the truth of our faith’s experience even to those for whom the invitation may sound strange. If we are faithful as Philip was faithful, God can claim the incredulous, even as Nathanael was claimed. And perhaps it is a reminder, too, that even we who now believe once did not, that at one time we were no better off than Nathanael. But as he heard and believed, so others have heard and believed through him. So too will our faith be shared with others if we hear and believe. III. Witness to the Overflow of Transformed Lives Jesus called Philip, and Philip responded by witnessing to Nathanael. When we hear the authentic word of God, God’s summons to discipleship, we will want to take others with us. If we haven’t heard that first call, all the direct mail in the world won’t help. But if we have heard the word, then we will be not only like Philip, but also like Peter, James, and John, who in Acts 4:20 say, “we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.” When people ask us, “What’s going on with you people at the church?” we can answer, “Come and see.” (Thomas R. Steagald)
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