Whatever happened to parents? by David Olshine
This article is featured in the Youth Ministry: A Part of the Church or Apart from the Church? (Nov/Dec/Jan 2015-16) issue of Circuit Rider
WHAT’S THE PROBLEM?
Let me first stop and affirm that a number of youth workers—paid and nonpaid servants—highly appreciate and value the parents of their teens. But from my perspective, one of the most troubling issues in American youth ministry is our current approach of not partnering with and empowering the parents of youth. I believe this silent but enormous elephant in the room can no longer be ignored. We have to address this topic before we head down the road of no return.
HOW HAVE WE EXCLUDED PARENTS?
We often exclude parents because of our own insecurities. My friend Paul Borthwick calls it “parent-noia,” a deep-seated fear and anxiety of parents. We in youth ministry have sometimes made parents our adversaries rather than allies. Why? We can be intimidated by parents, and some parents are a little scary! And yet parents are not the enemy; they’re on the same team with us, trying to influence teens for great impact.
We exclude parents because of the tradition of “payroll entitlement.” It’s easy for a church to say, “We will hire a person to care for our students. We will pay you to shepherd our sheep (teenagers) and provide you with two weeks’ vacation, a pension, continuing education, and a medical package. Your job is simple: evangelize and disciple teens and have a solid support system with good adult volunteers. Take care of our kids!” Initially that sounds fabulous, but two things are missing in that job description. First, there is no mention of parents; and second, the job seems ultimately dependent on the paid youth worker to “get the job done.”
Most of us were trained to work with students only. The title of youth director or youth pastor pretty much states the obvious: we are working with students, and that is our mission field. And if the sense of calling is primarily to teens, oftentimes youth workers think that partnering with parents is something for another person to take on and guide.
The past few decades have seen an escalation of activity in the youth program. I believe teens need their time and space with one another, but when we start establishing two or three weekly youth group meetings, plus retreats, camps, and conferences, perhaps it sends a message: “Parents, please stay away.” The youth program has become an island unto itself and a sacred cow.
FINDING A SOLUTION
Based on the authority of God’s written word, the scriptures, we see that God-fearing parents are the cornerstone of depositing faith in their children. I believe youth ministry has oftentimes unknowingly contributed to the breakdown of parents’ role in the discipleship of their children. In the book of Deuteronomy, we are introduced to what is known as the Shema. At the heart of the Judeo-Christian faith, the clarion call is to “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your being, and all your strength” (6:5 CEB). Moses spoke these words from God, and Jesus affirmed this text also to communicate one foundational truth: God-fearing parents are to be the primary nurturers of their children’s faith. Even today, the Shema is prayed three times a day in Orthodox Jewish homes and is central to the formation of a child’s purpose in life.
DO WE BELIEVE PARENTS ARE PRIMARY?
One youth worker whom I interviewed named William told me this:
“Our youth ministry started believing that parents didn’t think about spiritual nurture
for their children, so we took on the baton of leadership. It was a huge mistake. My team started taking on the role of ‘spiritual parenting.’ Parents will naturally abdicate their spiritual role if the church wants to run with it. In the long run, this is what started to burn me out.”
William is not alone.
We have some decisions to make as youth workers. Will we believe the Bible’s instructions for families to lead their children to know God deeply, or will we move the baton away from parents? God’s book is clear: spiritual training is directly driven and motivated first and foremost by faith-driven parents to their kids—not by the church or synagogue, not by the clergy or paid youth workers. Listen to the words of Moses that are often missed in Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (CEB):
“These words that I am commanding to you today must always be on your minds. Recite them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting around your house and when you are out and about, when you are lying down and when you are getting up. Tie them on your hand as a sign. They should be on your forehead as a symbol. Write them on your house’s doorframes and on your city’s gates.”
The words that jump out from the text for me are these: “recite them to your children”; “talk about them”; “around your house”; “when you are out and about”; “when you lying down”; and “when you are getting up.”
Spiritual formation is primarily transferred from parent to child; it is from generation to generation.
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Tithing our anger by Dave Barnhart
Your anger is too valuable to waste.
I will confess, there is something particularly smarmy and preacherly about telling people what to spend their anger on, as if we have a finite supply and must budget it carefully to cover all the outrages of a sinful world. Yet we do make judgments about what is worth our emotional energy, either in expressing anger or inhibiting it. We can use it up. Psychologists call it “ego depletion.”
Dogs often howl at passing ambulances and bark at mail deliverers. You can yell at them to shut up, but they just think you're joining in, and bark all the louder. Yet it is difficult to resist shouting at a dog for doing what is in its nature. It is a feedback loop.
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This analogy describes public anger and culture war: meaningless noise made at imaginary threats, and useless appeals to reason with creatures incapable of it. Social media amplifies all: the siren, the howling, and the shouting: red coffee cups, blue and black dresses, illegal immigration, the “gay agenda.”
Of course, in the emotional economy, the things I think are “worthy” of my anger are going to be different than the things someone else believes are a bargain. I save my anger for the predatory lenders exploiting people’s desperation at 400% interest, the private school administrator who kicks out a depressed and bullied teenager because she is a lesbian, and the motorist who just tried to run me off the road because I’m on a bicycle.
Someone else may spend their anger on the cyclist who makes them late to catch the next red light. In their shouted profanity I hear the howling of dogs, the neighing and braying of barnyard animals. My anger, though, is righteous fury. I am ready to call down fire and burn them up (Luke 9:54).
I’m sure someone will object to my use of the word “dog” to describe another human being for whom Christ has died. Truly, God loves all God’s creatures — humans as well as dogs, wolves as well as sheep, even the wolves who dress up in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). God even loves foxes and weasels like King Herod (Luke 13:32), bureaucrats and politicians who use public funds to enrich themselves and their cronies and who prefer injustice to inconvenience. God even loves vipers (Matthew 23:33), religious snakes whose toxic theology poisons people’s souls and ties up heavy burdens for them. God even loves unclean, omnivorous swine (Matthew 7:6) — although Jesus warns that if you try to feed them your precious pearls, they may just tear you limb from limb like a living garbage disposal. (I never lived on a farm, so I had to learn fear of hangry pigs from Deadwood.)
God loves everyone, and Jesus died for all. But, as I’ve indicated with biblical evidence, there are people and situations that are not worth our time and energy. It takes a level of wisdom to discern when to refrain from arguing with a fool according to their folly (Proverbs 26:4) and when to engage them (26:5). If we do not steward our anger, we’ll find that people will nickel and dime us until we have no emotional energy left over for doing justice.
Part of the task of the preacher and prophet is to help people be good stewards: of the earth, of their finances, and of their emotional energy. Directing a community’s healthy anger toward the evils and injustices that break God’s heart is in the preacher’s job description. It is naive to think that princes will willingly and graciously abdicate their thrones. They must be hauled down (Luke 1:52). Yokes cannot merely lifted from the shoulders of tired people. The yokes must be broken (Isaiah 58:6). When we commit in our baptismal vows to “resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves,” we are recognizing that oppression comes in many forms, and must be resisted. It will take many members with many different gifts in many different arenas to do God’s justice work. Our anger must be deployed strategically, and we will not all fight the same battles or spend our anger in the same way.
Anger has an important role to play in the life of faith. People who do not admit anger into their spiritual repertoire are living a faith unknown to Jesus or the prophets who preceded him, and unknown to the authors of the Bible.
Yet being good stewards of our anger, as individuals and communities, is an important skill that only comes with practice. Like our money and our time, we become better stewards when we realize our anger is a gift, not meant only for us, but for the ones with whom we are called to share. If we could tithe our anger to those who need it most, if we could spend just ten percent of our emotional energy for the people who are unjustly imprisoned, whose rights are trampled, who live in fear of physical danger, I believe we’d find that God satisfies our hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Dave Barnhart is the pastor of Saint Junia UMC in Birmingham, Ala.
We must recognize we are engaged in cultural war
By Scott J. JonesSyrian refugees leaving Hungary on October 6, 2015. Photo: Bigstock
We are all horrified by the terrible violence committed in Paris the evening of November 13. We should be praying for the victims and their families and for the people of France who suffered this evil action.
At the same time, we must pay attention to the larger context in which this attack occurred. We are engaged in cultural warfare. The September 11, 2001 attacks on America, the bombings in Beirut, the beheadings of Christians in North Africa and now the Paris attacks are all part of a new kind of warfare being waged against Western civilization and mainstream Islam by a small group of jihadists.
In this battle, the vast majority of Muslims are our allies. We must carefully distinguish our enemies — the jihadists of Dayesh (which calls itself the Islamic State), Al-Qaeda and the Taliban are the enemy. They believe themselves to be the only true Muslims, and most of their victims have been other Muslims.
Americans need to understand that all Muslims are not alike and that this is first and foremost a battle within the Muslim community. Since the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Muslims have been in a deep quandary. The Quran and its interpreters call for a political and religious leader to unite all Muslims in a unity of religion and state. The leader for this entity has been called a “caliph.” There has been no caliph since the end of World War I and the rise of modern Turkey. Without a caliph, Muslims have no way to make binding decisions about how to adjust their 7th century Scripture and doctrine to the 21st century. The issue is how to live faithfully as a Muslim today, and Muslims lack the governing body to answer their question.
Christians should remember we went through similar and even bloodier changes in the wars of religion from the early 1500s to 1648. During that time, the nation state was invented, and ideas of religious tolerance were developed. At that time Christians were organized into churches with decision-making bodies that could work out how to adapt to the new form of civilization. We had the great advantage that our Lord never sought political power, and the New Testament presumes we are living under pagan authorities. As Christianity developed, other relationships to government developed. There were many years when Christianity was tied to the power of the government, but those days are mostly gone now.
The culture war against jihadist Islam will not be won by military action, though such action is necessary to resist its expansion and to fight against terrorist actions. But we need vigilance and care. The war will be won by our ideas and our behavior in living the kinds of lives that represent diversity, religious freedom and mutual respect.
That is why we must welcome as many Syrian refugees as possible to America and demonstrate to Muslims all over the world the kind of hospitality and mutual respect that is America at its best. We Christians must take the lead in welcoming Muslim refugees, because it is what Scripture commands us (Matthew 25, Leviticus 19, Hebrews 13).
But there is a tactical reason to welcome them. When Western countries mistreat and reject Muslims, it becomes a recruiting tool and propaganda weapon for our enemies. I am deeply disappointed that so many governors (including those of Kansas and Nebraska where I serve) have rejected the idea of receiving refugees. They are pandering to our worst fears and failing to lead us to be our best selves as a nation. They are making a strategic mistake and giving aid to our enemies. This culture war will be won by the Christian values of love, tolerance, mutual respect and hospitality. As a nation and as states, we need to welcome the stranger among us.
Bishop Scott Jones serves the United Methodist Church Great Plains Conference, which is comprised of all of Kansas and Nebraska.
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IT’S THE HOMESTRETCH: DENOMINATION REACHES 90% OF GOAL TO COMBAT MALARIA United Methodists reach 90% of goal to combat malaria
By Laurens GlassBishop Jeremiah Park (second from right), in partnership with the Susquehanna Conference, presents a check to the Imagine No Malaria initiative. Also pictured: Bishop Peggy Johnson of the Eastern PA Conference (far left); Bishop Thomas Bickerton of the Western PA Conference and (second from left); Tom Willard, malaria survivor and senior pastor at Camp Hill UMC (far right). Photo by Sandi PeifferThanks to the efforts of United Methodists across the connection, the church has reached 90% of its goal of $75 million to combat suffering and death from malaria.
At a special press conference on Nov. 16 at Camp Hill United Methodist Church in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, three United Methodist bishops announced that the denomination has raised $68 million in cash and pledges for Imagine No Malaria.
Bishop Jeremiah Park of the Susquehanna Conference of The United Methodist Church announced that he, in partnership with his conference, has pledged $1 million — the gift that pushed the global campaign to the fundraising milestone. Park presented a check for $149,238.93, 15 percent of the pledge, to Bishop Thomas Bickerton of the Western Pennsylvania Conference as part of the celebration. Bickerton, who chairs the United Methodist Global Health Initiative, has led Imagine No Malaria since 2010.
“We thank Bishop Park and United Methodists throughout Central Pennsylvania who have made this pledge. We also thank United Methodists throughout the world whose fundraising efforts have now raised $68 million in cash and pledges for Imagine No Malaria,” Bickerton said. “Today’s announcement is a celebration for all United Methodists, who serve as a testimony to what we can achieve when we unite for a shared vision of a world without malaria deaths.”
Bishop Peggy Johnson of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, where local congregations have raised more than a quarter of a million dollars, was also on hand for the major announcement. Johnson also shared her conference’s fundraising experiences, which have ranged from 5K races to bake sales. And the Rev. Tom Willard, senior pastor at Camp Hill UMC, shared his personal story of contracting malaria following a mission trip two years ago to Sierra Leone.
Suffer the little children
The event began with children from Camp Hill’s preschool program singing, “Jesus Love the Little Children” and a medley of other Sunday school favorites, while images of children on the continent of Africa played behind them. The multimedia presentation helped drive home the point that for many children, malaria threatens the opportunity to grow up healthy. That is what Imagine No Malaria and other global partners are working to change.
Photo by Sandi Peiffer
It was fitting that children were a part of the event as young people in the church have been vital to Imagine No Malaria’s fundraising efforts, planning events and donating from their piggy banks. The initiative has taken on a grass-roots quality with donations coming from individual givers and kids with lemonade stands. Churches have run races, shot hoops and challenged each other on social media. From motorcycle rides to bake sales, United Methodists have rallied around the cause, and every penny has made a difference.
During the event, Bickerton also shared congratulatory remarks from Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer who heads the President’s Malaria Initiative in Washington, a leader in the global fight against malaria. Ziemer could not attend the event because of travel outside of the country.
“What a remarkable achievement! The United Methodist Church’s delivery on their commitment of $75 million in support of your Imagine No Malaria campaign is unprecedented and has set the bar very high for other faith-based partners,” Ziemer said. “Imagine the thousands of lives that have been saved and the families that have benefited from less malaria in their homes and communities. I recently visited Zimbabwe and saw firsthand the fantastic work that The United Methodist Church is doing.”
We’re almost thereIt was fitting that children were a part of the event as young people in the church have been vital to Imagine No Malaria’s fundraising efforts, planning events and donating from their piggy banks. The initiative has taken on a grass-roots quality with donations coming from individual givers and kids with lemonade stands. Churches have run races, shot hoops and challenged each other on social media. From motorcycle rides to bake sales, United Methodists have rallied around the cause, and every penny has made a difference.
During the event, Bickerton also shared congratulatory remarks from Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer who heads the President’s Malaria Initiative in Washington, a leader in the global fight against malaria. Ziemer could not attend the event because of travel outside of the country.
“What a remarkable achievement! The United Methodist Church’s delivery on their commitment of $75 million in support of your Imagine No Malaria campaign is unprecedented and has set the bar very high for other faith-based partners,” Ziemer said. “Imagine the thousands of lives that have been saved and the families that have benefited from less malaria in their homes and communities. I recently visited Zimbabwe and saw firsthand the fantastic work that The United Methodist Church is doing.”
This week, Imagine No Malaria launched a social media campaign to kick off the final phase of fundraising with the #Give10 Challenge. By donating $10 or more, the people of The United Methodist Church will work together to reach the last 10 percent of the goal. Contribute at ImagineNoMalaria.org.
Help us reach $75 million by donating and making a difference in the life of a child, adult or family. With your help, we can reach our goal!
Imagine No Malaria is committed to ending death and suffering from malaria through prevention, communication, trained health workers and facilities, and grass-roots education.
Laurens Glass is managing editor of UMCOM.org.
Remembering J. Ellsworth Kalas
By Mary Catherine DeanEllsworth Kalas was one of the good ones.
He was warm, wonderful, a pleasure to hear from; a pleasure to be around. As his editor, I knew it was going to be a good day when I saw an email from him, received a note from him, got a call from him. It was always a good day when contacting him was on my to-do list — as it was on Opening Day of the baseball season every year.
Ellsworth had written curriculum for Graded Press, but his first book wasn’t published until he was 65 years young. It was Parables from the Back Side, and it has never been out of print. Before the term bucket list was coined, Ellsworth told me that he had always hoped (ever humble, he hoped — not planned) to have a book published, but he had never had time to pursue it. Once he got around to writing, though, he embraced it fully, and his forthcoming Abingdon Press book, The Story Continues, is in production as we speak.
The idea for one of his best-selling books came from his experience with his first Bible. He received it when he turned 10, and he told himself he needed to read the whole thing and that he would do so before his next birthday. So he did, and 365 Days from Genesis through Revelation helps others complete this goal and offers daily support in that effort.
At Abingdon Press and Cokesbury, we receive notes from readers every time we publish something with Ellsworth’s name on it. Fans of his “back side” books couldn’t get enough of him. They wanted more and more — sometimes suggesting topics that were humorous to envision (e.g., John Wesley from the back side!). We had a good laugh about those. His love for his faith, for his subject matter, and for his readers was evident in all his works. A consummate teacher, he used the teaching/learning metaphor in a book called If Experience Is Such a Good Teacher, Why Do I Keep Repeating the Course? His hundreds of thousands of readers are grateful that his words will live on to enrich our faith and our lives for years to come.
At the time of the recession, I received an email from Ellsworth. He had been a partner in our publishing ministry for many years, he said, and the fruits of his writing had been bountiful. He knew the recession had hit us hard; and as a partner, he thought it only right that he should share in that as well. He offered to take a lower royalty on his books. I have worked with hundreds of authors in my career, and that was the first and only time an author has ever suggested anything remotely like that. It’s probably the last time, too.
Ellsworth embodied faith in exemplary ways, hope to the fullest, and love in abundance. It was a privilege to work with him for more than 25 years. He will be missed, but he is with us. And we will see him again. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen. Alleluia.
Shock, solidarity after Paris attacks
By Linda Bloom / United Methodist News ServicePeople gather in Paris on Saturday Nov. 14 to mourn the victims of Friday's terrorist attacks. Photo: Flickr/looking4poetry
NEW YORK (UMNS) United Methodists and other religious leaders are expressing shock over the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris and feelings of solidarity with the French people but cautioning against condemnations of Muslims or a dangerous escalation of military action.
And the World Council of Churches and others have pointed out that equally disturbing attacks are occurring elsewhere, including the Nov. 12 bombings in a Beirut, Lebanon, shopping area that claimed 41 lives.
Bishop Patrick Streiff, who oversees the small number of United Methodist congregations in France as the episcopal leader of central and southern Europe, pointed to his horror over “the depth of violence despising human lives” and to his conviction of the need to follow the model of Christ as peacemakers.
Bishop Patrick Streiff
“We are people who believe in Christ. Our life shall witness that Christ is the Prince of Peace. He has blessed those who make peace. This shall model our answer to the terrible attacks in Paris,” he said in a statement.
“As Christians, we serve the Prince of Peace,” noted the Rev. Susan Henry-Crowe, United Methodist Board of Church and Society, as she expressed deep sympathy for the French people. “May His message of love and hope transcend the terror our world has felt today."
Moment of silence in Europe
In Paris, London, Berlin and elsewhere in Europe, people gathered publicly Nov. 16 to observe a moment of silence in honor of the victims at noon Paris time.
The attacks, at six different locations, began at 9:20 p.m. Friday at the Germany-France soccer match and ended at 12:20 a.m. Saturday when police stormed the concert hall where 89 people were killed. In the end, the death toll stood at 129, with 352 wounded, 99 critically.
The Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which seemed designed to strike fear into people’s everyday lives. Besides the stadium and concert hall, gunmen with automatic weapons targeted restaurants in one of the most densely populated parts of Paris, full of young people. “It was a hit at the soul of Paris,” a 38-year-old woman dining in the area told the New York Times.
François Clavairoly, president of the Protestant Federation of France, spoke of the need to witness “to a hope that can never be vanquished” in his statement on the attacks. “It is the values of the Republic and democracy that have been targeted, just as human fraternity is being put to the test by such unjustifiable acts guided by evil,” he declared.
Impact on refugees
The executive committee of the United Methodist Germany Central Conference, which was meeting when the attacks occurred, sent a letter of prayer and solidarity to the Protestant Federation and United Methodist congregations in France.
“We talked as well about the question how to respond to the changes in Europe because of the refugees that arrive here,” German Bishop Rosemarie Wenner told United Methodist News Service.
“Although we were blessed by the many positive reports of how United Methodist congregations welcome strangers, we are also worried because of an increase of hostility and Islamophobia which might even become bigger after the terrorist attacks.”
A similar discussion on walking “hand in hand with places of woundedness in the world” was taking place among members of the World Council of Churches executive committee as they began a first day of meetings on Nov. 13 in Bogis-Bossey, Switzerland, reported United Methodist Bishop Mary Ann Swenson, co-vice moderator for the WCC’s Central Committee.
“Little did we know that we would wake … to discover Paris to become one of those places,” she wrote to UMNS.
The WCC executive committee’s statement also touched on its concern about the impact on Europe’s refugee crisis. “Let us not allow these events to diminish our care and hospitality to those fleeing violence and oppression,” the committee cautioned.
Experiencing the same horror
United Methodists have come to know some of those refugees personally through their relief work, said Thomas Kemper, top executive, United Methodist Board of Global Ministries. He pointed out that the Beirut bombings invoked the same horror and anguish as Paris.
“The events of Paris may encourage border restrictions in the name of security and prohibit the entrance of Syrian and Iraqi refugees who have endured terrorism for years,” Kemper said in a Nov. 16 statement. “We pray that governments and people may resist anti-refugee sentiment and continue to offer sanctuary to those in need.”
Governments also must resist implementing counterterror responses that could lead to what they are trying to avoid – weapons of mass destruction and a world at war, said the Rev. Stephen J. Sidorak Jr., ecumenical staff officer of The United Methodist Church.
“Any consideration of the evil of terrorist violence requires analysis of the possible evil implicit in the counterterror response,” he wrote in a statement.
“Each religious community must be poised to critique and rebuke its own membership,” Sidorak added. “In particular, today, Christians and Muslims alike must muster arguments against radical fundamentalists and violent extremists in their midst, morally rebuking their own religious apostates who incite to evil. We cannot allow extremist fringe elements within our traditions to define what our faiths stand for, and what they stand against.”
Linda Bloom is a United Methodist News Service multimedia reporter based in New York.
7 steps to thinking strategically in the moment
By Ron EdmondsonHave you ever said something you wished later you hadn’t?
It was a quick response, they needed a decision now — or thought they did — so you fired off an answer. Looking back now, you might have answered differently with more information or time to process.
Happens all the time.
What the leader says can negatively impact other people or the organization. Good leaders have to learn to think strategically, even when making quick decisions.
Most leaders make hundreds of decisions a day and many of those require very little thought. If a leader is asked a question or has to make a decision where an answer has already been clearly defined, then the leader can move quickly. When the issue, however, has an undetermined solution, especially if the decision could alter the direction of the organization, impact other people or require a change in the organization’s finances, then the leader needs to learn to think strategically in the moment.
How do we make strategic decisions quickly? How can we make the best decisions in the shortest amount of time?
Here are seven tips for a leader to think strategically in the moment:
Pray
I think we have devalued the short, urgent, sudden prayer. (I love to pray Psalm 69:1.) I don’t think God does. I think he responds to the prayers of his people. “If any of you lacks wisdom…”, James reminds us. Getting into the practice of sentence prayers invites God’s gentleman Spirit to join you in the decision-making process. And, I’m not devaluing the human mind or experience. I think God wants us to think. But, remember, this post is addressing making quick, important decisions strategically — decisions I’ve possibly never made before. I don’t want to make those on my own.
Take notes
I always take notes while listening. This allows me to see the situation in writing while I think through a response. If I’m not certain I understand the situation, seeing my notes allows me to ask for further clarification. If I’m in my office, I have a huge painted dry-erase wall. I may diagram different scenarios of the answer. If taking notes is not an option and the answer is not definite, I always postpone the answer. This helps me avoid making major decisions on the run.
Listen intently
This is a problem for some leaders — especially busy, highly creative leaders. It’s one I struggle with personally. Many leaders (this one included) have problems with details. Accustomed to making quick and many decisions, leaders often try to solve an issue on the spot rather than have to deal with it later. This is a great approach for the issues that have a defined solution already, but if it’s committing to something that hasn’t been decided yet, it could be dangerous. I try to listen for enough details to make a wise decision, but if I know I can’t make a quick decision based on the information I have time to hear, then I delay making one.
Think “NEXT”
This is really formed by habit, but it involves training yourself to always ask the question,”How will this decision impact other people and the organization?” If I am uncertain, I know it is be best to delay deciding on the issue until I can give it adequate time for consideration. Many leaders make decisions that others have to live with because they didn’t take time to think through the best answer. Thinking “NEXT” means I am thinking of the repercussions, which will come “next” after the decision is made.
Discipline mouth
“Keeping a tight rein” on your tongue is actually a biblical concept. Part of spiritual and personal growth is to mature in the area of what a leader says. The more responsibility a leader receives the more critical it becomes that he or she practice discipline with their words. This is a continuous work in progress for me, but over the years I have learned to hold my tongue until I have thought through a response.
Invite input
“Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed.” (Proverbs 15:22) One of my favorite questions is, “What would you do?” I ask the person asking for a decision from me. I ask others on our team. I’m not afraid to pause and phone a friend. I ask my wife. I ask the people who have to live with the answer. The more time we have for an answer the more people I’m likely to ask.
Value waiting
Waiting is never a bad idea if it leads to a better decision. I realize time is of the essence in most decisions these days — especially in an organizational sense, but equally important is protecting the vision, the morale of the team or the organization’s future. Plus, I have learned by experience there is a value in caged momentum — making people wait for the best time to give the best answer. Obviously there is an opportunity cost of waiting too long. The leader should not be a bottleneck as people wait for an answer. And the leader should empower people to make the majority of decisions. But when the answer has huge implications the leader should not be afraid to say, “give me a few minutes (or some reasonable amount of time) to process.”
These are a few of my thoughts on thinking strategically in the moment. Leaders, the better decisions we make the better our organizations will be. Let’s be strategic.
Could this be a discipline you need to practice?
Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.
Oldest U.S. graduate seminary to close campus
By G. Jeffrey MacDonald / Religion News ServiceAndover Newton Theological School in Newton Centre, Mass., is the nation’s oldest theological school and its first graduate institution of any kind. Photo courtesy of Andover Newton Theological School.
(RNS) America’s oldest graduate seminary is once again blazing a trail for other mainline Protestant institutions to follow. But this time it’s a path many would rather not travel.
On Thursday (Nov. 12), Andover Newton Theological School announced plans to relocate and sell its 20-acre campus in Newton, Mass. The move will be part of “a bold new direction” for the 208-year-old school as it struggles with big deficits.
“God is doing something new in this time,” said Andover Newton President Martin Copenhaver. “We have to figure out what it is and get with the program.”
Whatever God is doing, it will be with a smaller faculty, lower overhead and new partnerships. On the table are two options: Become embedded within a more stable institution such as Yale Divinity School, where discussions are ongoing, or shift to a lean cooperative learning model. The latter would strip away broad elective offerings, focus on core subjects and dispatch students to do much of their learning in local congregations.
Either way, Andover Newton’s move is likely a harbinger of what lies ahead for about 80 percent of America’s 100 mainline seminaries, according to Daniel Aleshire, executive director of the Association of Theological Schools. Built more than a century ago, they’ve relied primarily on residential education models that are fast becoming unsustainably expensive and ill-suited to current needs.
“Andover Newton is a canary in the mineshaft on the issue of, ‘what is the future of mainline institutions?’” Aleshire said. “You’re going to see some mainline schools seek to affiliate with other larger institutions. And the primary reason for that is the reduction of their indirect costs.”
Andover Newton is hardly the only seminary seeking new life through restructuring and new efficiencies. On Monday (Nov. 9), Bexley Seabury Seminary Federation announced that in 2016 it will shut down operations in Columbus, Ohio and consolidate in Chicago. An Episcopal seminary with a history of moving and merging, Bexley Seabury currently rents space in Chicago from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
But Aleshire says Andover Newton is experiencing something new, namely the fallout from decades of declining membership numbers in mainline denominations. Since 2005, enrollment at mainline Protestant seminaries has fallen by nearly 24 percent, he said, and denominational decline has been a driving factor.
Until recently, mainline seminaries could rely on a combination of endowment proceeds and tuitions from students who expected to land full-time ministry positions after graduation. But now part-time pastorates are increasingly the norm as congregations with dwindling numbers can’t afford full-timers. Fewer would-be pastors want to incur five-figure student loan debt in exchange for a part-time job. So they don’t enroll.
“The headwater has been denominational decline, and the seminaries are further downstream,” Aleshire said. “But now the effect is prolonged enough and consistent enough and massive enough that it has hit the seminaries.”
Andover Newton’s new direction comes on the heels of 10 years of declining application numbers, which have translated into less revenue to cover myriad fixed costs. Today’s enrollment is 225, mostly part-time students; that’s down from 450 full-timers a generation ago. The school now relies on a mortgage line of credit to pay its bills while trying to preserve its $18 million endowment. Even a shift to a cooperative education model might not be scalable or financially sustainable, according to Copenhaver.
But observers say today’s church needs something new in the form of well-trained pastors who’re unburdened by debt and capable of managing on part-time church salaries. If Andover Newton finds a model to meet those needs, others are apt to follow where it leads.
“It’s just tough for schools that are freestanding,” said Don Richter, associate director of the Louisville Institute, a research center for revitalizing American Christian institutions. “Unless you’re Princeton Seminary and you’ve got a huge endowment, you’re going to be much better off if you’re a divinity school nested within a university… They’ve got the infrastructure and everything built in.”
This Sunday, November 22, 2015
Christ the King Sunday: 2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-12; Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37
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Sunday, 29 November 2015
Lectionary Readings:
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
2 Samuel 23:1-7
Psalm 132:1-18
Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37
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Lectionary Texts:
2 Samuel 23:1 Here are David’s last words:
“This is the speech of David the son of Yishai,
the speech of the man who has been raised up,
the one anointed by the God of Ya‘akov,
the sweet singer of Isra’el.
2 “The Spirit of Adonai spoke through me,
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Isra’el spoke;
the Rock of Isra’el said to me,
‘A ruler over people must be upright,
ruling in the fear of God;
4 like the morning light at sunrise
on a cloudless day
that makes the grass on the earth
sparkle after a rain.’
5 “For my house stands firm with God —
he made an everlasting covenant with me.
It is in order, fully assured,
that he will bring to full growth
all my salvation and every desire.
6 “But the ungodly are like thorn bushes
to be pushed aside, every one of them.
They cannot be taken in one’s hand;
7 To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft,
and then only to burn them where they lie.”
Psalm 132:(0) A song of ascents:
(1) Adonai, remember in David’s favor
all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to Adonai,
vowed to the Mighty One of Ya‘akov,
3 “I will not enter the house where I live
or get into my bed,
4 I will not allow myself to sleep
or even close my eyes,
5 until I find a place for Adonai,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Ya‘akov.”
6 We heard about it in Efrat,
we found it in the Fields of Ya‘ar.
7 Let’s go into his dwelling
and prostrate ourselves at his footstool.
8 Go up, Adonai, to your resting-place,
you and the ark through which you give strength.
9 May your cohanim be clothed with righteousness;
may those loyal to you shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
don’t turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 Adonai swore an oath to David,
an oath he will not break:
“One of the sons from your own body
I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and my instruction, which I will teach them,
then their descendants too, forever,
will sit on your throne.”
13 For Adonai has chosen Tziyon,
he has wanted it as his home.
14 “This is my resting-place forever,
I will live here because I so much want to.
15 I will bless it with plenty of meat,
I will give its poor their fill of food.
16 Its cohanim I will clothe with salvation,
and its faithful will shout for joy.
17 I will make a king sprout there from David’s line
and prepare a lamp for my anointed one.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but on him there will be a shining crown.”
Revelation 1:4 From: Yochanan
To: The seven Messianic communities in the province of Asia:
Grace and shalom to you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; 5 and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth’s kings.
To him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood, 6 who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, cohanim for God, his Father — to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds![Revelation 1:7 Daniel 7:13]
Every eye will see him,
including those who pierced him;
and all the tribes of the Land will mourn him.[Revelation 1:7 Zechariah 12:10–14]
Yes! Amen!
8 “I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’” says Adonai,
God of heaven’s armies,
the One who is, who was and who is coming.
John 18:333 So Pilate went back into the headquarters, called Yeshua and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Yeshua answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have other people told you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and head cohanim have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36 Yeshua answered, “My kingship does not derive its authority from this world’s order of things. If it did, my men would have fought to keep me from being arrested by the Judeans. But my kingship does not come from here.” 37 “So then,” Pilate said to him, “You are a king, after all.” Yeshua answered, “You say I am a king. The reason I have been born, the reason I have come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to the truth listens to me.”3-37
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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for 2 Samuel 23:1-7
Verse 1
[1] Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
Last words — Not simply the last that he spoke, but the last which he spake by the spirit of God, assisting and directing him in an extraordinary manner. When we find death approaching, we should endeavour both to honour God, and to profit others with our last words. Let those who have had experience of God's goodness, and the pleasantness of the ways of wisdom, when they come to finish their course, leave a record of those experiences, and bear their testimony to the truth of the promise.
Raised — Advanced from an obscure estate, to the kingdom. Whom, God singled out from all the families of Israel, and anointed to be king.
Psalmist — He who was eminent among the people of God, for composing sweet and holy songs to the praise of God, and for the use of his church in after ages: these seem not to be the words of David, but of the sacred penman of this book.
Verse 2
[2] The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
His word — The following words, and consequently the other words and Psalms composed and uttered by me upon the like solemn occasions, are not to be looked upon as human inventions, but both the matter and the words of them are suggested by God's spirit, the great teacher of the church.
Verse 3
[3] The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
Rock — He who is the strength, and defence, and protector of his people; which he manifests by directing kings and rulers so to manage their power as may most conduce to their comfort and benefit.
Ruleth — Here are the two principal parts of a king's duty, answerable to the two tables of God's law, justice towards men, and piety towards God, both which he is to maintain and promote among his people.
Verse 4
[4] And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
Shall be — These words are a farther description of the king's duty, which is not only to rule with justice and piety, but also with sweetness, and gentleness, and condescension to the infirmities of his people; to render his government as acceptable to them, as is the sun-shine in a clear morning, or the tender grass which springs out of the earth by the warm beams of the sun after the rain.
Verse 5
[5] Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.
Altho' — Although God knows, that neither I, nor my children have lived and ruled as we should have done, so justly, and in the fear of the Lord; and therefore have not enjoyed that uninterrupted prosperity which we might have enjoyed.
Covenant — Notwithstanding all our transgressions whereby we have broken covenant with God, yet God, to whom all my sins were known, was graciously pleased to make a sure covenant, to continue the kingdom to me, and to my seed for ever, chap. 7:16, until the coming of the Messiah who is to be my son and successor, and whose kingdom shall have no end.
Ordered — Ordained in all points by God's eternal counsel; and disposed by his wise and powerful providence which will over-rule all things, even the sins of my house so far, that although he punished them for their sins, yet he will not utterly root them out, nor break his covenant made with me and mine.
Sure — Or, preserved, by God's power and faithfulness in the midst of all oppositions.
For this — Or, in this is, that is, it consists in, and depends upon this covenant.
Salvation — Both mine own eternal salvation, and the preservation of the kingdom to me and mine.
Tho' — Although God as yet hath not made my house or family to grow; that is, to increase, or to flourish with worldly glory as I expected; yet this is my comfort, that God will inviolably keep this covenant. But this refers also to the covenant of grace made with all believers. This is indeed an everlasting covenant, from everlasting, in the contrivance of it, and to everlasting, in the continuance and the consequence of it. It is ordered, well ordered in all things; admirably well, to advance the glory of God and the honour of the mediator, together with the holiness and happiness of believers. It is sure, and therefore sure, because well-ordered: the promised mercies are sure, on the performance of the conditions. It is all our salvation: nothing but this will save us, and this is sufficient. Therefore it should be all our desire. Let me have an interest in this covenant, and I have enough, I desire no more.
Verse 6
[6] But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
But — Having in the foregoing verses described the nature, and stability of that kingdom which God had by a sure covenant settled upon him and his seed; and especially, upon the Messiah, who was to be one of his posterity; he now describes the nature and miserable condition, of all the enemies of this holy and blessed kingdom.
As thorns — Which men do not use to handle, but thrust them away. And so will God thrust away from himself, and from his people, and kingdom, all those who shall either secretly or openly set themselves against it.
Verse 7
[7] But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.
Fenced — He must arm himself with some iron weapon, whereby he may cut them down; or, with the staff of a spear, or some such thing, whereby he may thrust them away from himself, that they do him no hurt.
Burnt — Or, if they do not cut them down or thrust them away they will burn and consume them.
The place — Or, in their place, where they grow or stand.
Psalm 132:1-18
Verse 1
[1] A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:
Afflictions — All his sufferings for thy sake.
Verse 5
[5] Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
Until — Until I have raised an house in which the ark may be put.
Verse 6
[6] Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
It — Of the ark.
Ephratah — In the tribe of Ephraim, which was called also Ephratah.
Found it — Afterwards we found it in Kirjath-jearim, which signifies a city of woods, in the territory whereof the ark was seated for twenty years.
Verse 7
[7] We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
Tabernacles — Into his temple.
Footstool — The ark, is often said to sit between the cherubim, which were above the ark.
Verse 8
[8] Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.
Rest — Into thy resting place, the temple so called, Isaiah 66:1, where thou hast now a fixed habitation.
The ark — The seat of thy powerful and glorious presence.
Verse 10
[10] For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.
David's sake — In regard of thy promises vouchsafed to David.
Turn not — Cast me not out of thy presence.
Of — Of me whom thou hast anointed to be king over thy people.
Verse 16
[16] I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
Salvation — With thy saving graces and blessings.
Verse 17
[17] There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
There — In Jerusalem.
To bud — His power and glory to flourish.
A lamp — A successor to continue for ever in his family, as this phrase is expounded 1 Kings 11:36; 15:4, and particularly one eminent and glorious light, namely, the Messiah.
Revelation 1:4b-8
Verse 4
[4] John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
John — The dedication of this book is contained in the fourth, fifth, and sixth verses; but the whole Revelation is a kind of letter.
To the seven churches which are in Asia — That part of the Lesser Asia which was then a Roman province. There had been several other churches planted here; but it seems these were now the most eminent; and it was among these that St. John had laboured most during his abode in Asia. In these cities there were many Jews. Such of them as believed in each were joined with the gentile believers in one church.
Grace be unto you, and peace — The favour of God, with all temporal and eternal blessings. From him who is, and who was, and who cometh, or, who is to come - A wonderful translation of the great name JEHOVAH: he was of old, he is now, he cometh; that is, will be for ever.
And from the seven spirits which are before his throne — Christ is he who "hath the seven spirits of God." "The seven lamps which burn before the throne are the seven spirits of God." " The lamb hath seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God." Seven was a sacred number in the Jewish church: but it did not always imply a precise number. It sometimes is to be taken figuratively, to denote completeness or perfection. By these seven spirits, not seven created angels, but the Holy Ghost is to be understood. The angels are never termed spirits in this book; and when all the angels stand up, while the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders worship him that sitteth on the throne, and the Lamb, the seven spirits neither stand up nor worship. To these "seven spirits of God," the seven churches, to whom the Spirit speaks so many things, are subordinate; as are also their angels, yea, and "the seven angels which stand before God." He is called the seven spirits, not with regard to his essence, which is one, but with regard to his manifold operations.
Verse 5
[5] And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth — Three glorious appellations are here given him, and in their proper order. He was the faithful witness of the whole will of God before his death, and in death, and remains such in glory. He rose from the dead, as "the first fruits of them that slept;" and now hath all power both in heaven and earth. He is here styled a prince: but by and by he hears his title of king; yea, King of kings, and Lord of lords." This phrase, the kings of the earth, signifies their power and multitude, and also the nature of their kingdom. It became the Divine Majesty to call them kings with a limitation; especially in this manifesto from his heavenly kingdom; for no creature, much less a sinful man, can bear the title of king in an absolute sense before the eyes of God.
Verse 6
[6] And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
To him that loveth us, and, out of that free, abundant love, hath washed us from the guilt and power of our sins with his own blood, and hath made us kings - Partakers of his present, and heirs of his eternal, kingdom.
And priests unto his God and Father — To whom we continually offer ourselves, an holy, living sacrifice.
To him be the glory — For his love and redemption.
And the might — Whereby he governs all things.
Verse 7
[7] Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Behold — In this and the next verse is the proposition, and the summary of the whole book.
He cometh — Jesus Christ. Throughout this book, whenever it is said, He cometh, it means his glorious coming. The preparation for this began at the destruction of Jerusalem, and more particularly at the time of writing this book; and goes on, without any interruption, till that grand event is accomplished. Therefore it is never said in this book, He will come; but, He cometh. And yet it is not said, He cometh again: for when he came before, it was not like himself, but in "the form of a servant." But his appearing in glory is properly his coming; namely, in a manner worthy of the Son of God.
And every eye — Of the Jews in particular.
Shall see him — But with what different emotions, according as they had received or rejected him.
And they who have pierced him — They, above all, who pierced his hands, or feet, or side. Thomas saw the print of these wounds even after his resurrection; and the same, undoubtedly, will be seen by all, when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.
And all the tribes of the earth — The word tribes, in the Revelation, always means the Israelites: but where another word, such as nations or people, is joined with it, it implies likewise (as here) all the rest of mankind.
Shall wail because of him — For terror and pain, if they did not wail before by true repentance.
Yea, Amen — This refers to, every eye shall see him. He that cometh saith, Yea; he that testifies it, Amen. The word translated yea is Greek; Amen is Hebrew: for what is here spoken respects both Jew and gentile.
Verse 8
[8] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God — Alpha is the first, Omega, the last, letter in the Greek alphabet. Let his enemies boast and rage ever so much in the intermediate time, yet the Lord God is both the Alpha, or beginning, and the Omega, or end, of all things. God is the beginning, as he is the Author and Creator of all things, and as he proposes, declares, and promises so great things: he is the end, as he brings all the things which are here revealed to a complete and glorious conclusion. Again, the beginning and end of a thing is in scripture styled the whole thing. Therefore God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end; that is, one who is all things, and always the same.
John 18:33-37
Verse 36
[36] Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
My kingdom is not of this world — Is not an external, but a spiritual kingdom; that I might not be delivered to the Jews - Which Pilate had already attempted to do, John 18:31, and afterward actually did, John 19:16.
Verse 37
[37] Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Thou sayest — The truth.
To this end was I born — Speaking of his human origin: his Divine was above Pilate's comprehension. Yet it is intimated in the following words, I came into the world, that I might witness to the truth - Which was both declared to the Jews, and in the process of his passion to the princes of the Gentiles also.
Every one that is of the truth — That is, a lover of it, heareth my voice - A universal maxim. Every sincere lover of truth will hear him, so as to understand and practise what he saith.
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Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004 United States
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Sermon Story "The Last Word" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 29 November 2015 with Scripture Text 2 Samuel 23:1 Here are David’s last words:
“This is the speech of David the son of Yishai,
the speech of the man who has been raised up,
the one anointed by the God of Ya‘akov,
the sweet singer of Isra’el.
2 “The Spirit of Adonai spoke through me,
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Isra’el spoke;
the Rock of Isra’el said to me,
‘A ruler over people must be upright,
ruling in the fear of God;
4 like the morning light at sunrise
on a cloudless day
that makes the grass on the earth
sparkle after a rain.’
5 “For my house stands firm with God —
he made an everlasting covenant with me.
It is in order, fully assured,
that he will bring to full growth
all my salvation and every desire.
6 “But the ungodly are like thorn bushes
to be pushed aside, every one of them.
They cannot be taken in one’s hand;
7 To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft,
and then only to burn them where they lie.”
---------------------
We have heard about the anointing of David to be the second king of Israel. We have heard of King Saul being jealous of David's popularity. We have heard of David being coronated as King of Israel first over Judah then over the whole kingdom. We have seen his climb to victory over his enemies and his fortunes increase. We have seen his sin against God by committing adultery then having the woman's husband killed to hide his sin. We have seen his heartfelt repentance and reconciliation to God and other people. We have seen his desire to build a Temple or House for God, but was denied this pleasure while gathering the supplies for his son Solomon to build the Temple. We have seen David just before he died to see his son, Solomon, coronated as the third King of Israel. Now, we are at the last breath of David to be drawn with his last words in this life to be said. David in his last words before he died he gave praise and glory to God for making him king, for protecting him from his enemies, for the forgiveness of his sins by God after he acknoweldged and repented of his sins receiving God's forgiveness, he remembers the promise of God to have a descendant on the throne of Israel forever as long as they stay obedient to God's will and way which actually points to the promised Messiah of Israel to live, suffer, die, and be raised from the dead to ascend back to The Father to reign forever over all of Israel as well as the Gentiles who come to faith in God. We realize that in these last words of David we do not see speifically the full inclusion of the marginalize especially the people with disabilities, but se see this in the promise of the Messiah to reign forever of all of Israel both the New and Old Israel. How do you understand these last words of David? If you are aware of your own impending death to this life, how do give a witness of God's presence in your life? How do you live in God's holiness to be your legacy to your family, friends, and acquaintances? We come to seek God's blessings in eating the Body of Jesus and drinking His Blood as we receive the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We come singing the Hymn "OUR GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST" by Isaac Watts:
1. Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
4. Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men:”
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.
5. A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
6. The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.
7. Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
8. Like flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.
9. Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
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Gary Lee Parker
4147 Idaho Street, Apt. 1
San Diego, California 92104-1844
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Sunday, 29 November 2015
Lectionary Readings:
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
2 Samuel 23:1-7
Psalm 132:1-18
Revelation 1:4b-8
John 18:33-37
---------------------
Lectionary Texts:
2 Samuel 23:1 Here are David’s last words:
“This is the speech of David the son of Yishai,
the speech of the man who has been raised up,
the one anointed by the God of Ya‘akov,
the sweet singer of Isra’el.
2 “The Spirit of Adonai spoke through me,
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Isra’el spoke;
the Rock of Isra’el said to me,
‘A ruler over people must be upright,
ruling in the fear of God;
4 like the morning light at sunrise
on a cloudless day
that makes the grass on the earth
sparkle after a rain.’
5 “For my house stands firm with God —
he made an everlasting covenant with me.
It is in order, fully assured,
that he will bring to full growth
all my salvation and every desire.
6 “But the ungodly are like thorn bushes
to be pushed aside, every one of them.
They cannot be taken in one’s hand;
7 To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft,
and then only to burn them where they lie.”
Psalm 132:(0) A song of ascents:
(1) Adonai, remember in David’s favor
all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to Adonai,
vowed to the Mighty One of Ya‘akov,
3 “I will not enter the house where I live
or get into my bed,
4 I will not allow myself to sleep
or even close my eyes,
5 until I find a place for Adonai,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Ya‘akov.”
6 We heard about it in Efrat,
we found it in the Fields of Ya‘ar.
7 Let’s go into his dwelling
and prostrate ourselves at his footstool.
8 Go up, Adonai, to your resting-place,
you and the ark through which you give strength.
9 May your cohanim be clothed with righteousness;
may those loyal to you shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,
don’t turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 Adonai swore an oath to David,
an oath he will not break:
“One of the sons from your own body
I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant
and my instruction, which I will teach them,
then their descendants too, forever,
will sit on your throne.”
13 For Adonai has chosen Tziyon,
he has wanted it as his home.
14 “This is my resting-place forever,
I will live here because I so much want to.
15 I will bless it with plenty of meat,
I will give its poor their fill of food.
16 Its cohanim I will clothe with salvation,
and its faithful will shout for joy.
17 I will make a king sprout there from David’s line
and prepare a lamp for my anointed one.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,
but on him there will be a shining crown.”
Revelation 1:4 From: Yochanan
To: The seven Messianic communities in the province of Asia:
Grace and shalom to you from the One who is, who was and who is coming; from the sevenfold Spirit before his throne; 5 and from Yeshua the Messiah, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead and the ruler of the earth’s kings.
To him, the one who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of his blood, 6 who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, cohanim for God, his Father — to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever. Amen.
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds![Revelation 1:7 Daniel 7:13]
Every eye will see him,
including those who pierced him;
and all the tribes of the Land will mourn him.[Revelation 1:7 Zechariah 12:10–14]
Yes! Amen!
8 “I am the ‘A’ and the ‘Z,’” says Adonai,
God of heaven’s armies,
the One who is, who was and who is coming.
John 18:333 So Pilate went back into the headquarters, called Yeshua and said to him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” 34 Yeshua answered, “Are you asking this on your own, or have other people told you about me?” 35 Pilate replied, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and head cohanim have handed you over to me; what have you done?” 36 Yeshua answered, “My kingship does not derive its authority from this world’s order of things. If it did, my men would have fought to keep me from being arrested by the Judeans. But my kingship does not come from here.” 37 “So then,” Pilate said to him, “You are a king, after all.” Yeshua answered, “You say I am a king. The reason I have been born, the reason I have come into the world, is to bear witness to the truth. Every one who belongs to the truth listens to me.”3-37
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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for 2 Samuel 23:1-7
Verse 1
[1] Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said,
Last words — Not simply the last that he spoke, but the last which he spake by the spirit of God, assisting and directing him in an extraordinary manner. When we find death approaching, we should endeavour both to honour God, and to profit others with our last words. Let those who have had experience of God's goodness, and the pleasantness of the ways of wisdom, when they come to finish their course, leave a record of those experiences, and bear their testimony to the truth of the promise.
Raised — Advanced from an obscure estate, to the kingdom. Whom, God singled out from all the families of Israel, and anointed to be king.
Psalmist — He who was eminent among the people of God, for composing sweet and holy songs to the praise of God, and for the use of his church in after ages: these seem not to be the words of David, but of the sacred penman of this book.
Verse 2
[2] The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.
His word — The following words, and consequently the other words and Psalms composed and uttered by me upon the like solemn occasions, are not to be looked upon as human inventions, but both the matter and the words of them are suggested by God's spirit, the great teacher of the church.
Verse 3
[3] The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.
Rock — He who is the strength, and defence, and protector of his people; which he manifests by directing kings and rulers so to manage their power as may most conduce to their comfort and benefit.
Ruleth — Here are the two principal parts of a king's duty, answerable to the two tables of God's law, justice towards men, and piety towards God, both which he is to maintain and promote among his people.
Verse 4
[4] And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.
Shall be — These words are a farther description of the king's duty, which is not only to rule with justice and piety, but also with sweetness, and gentleness, and condescension to the infirmities of his people; to render his government as acceptable to them, as is the sun-shine in a clear morning, or the tender grass which springs out of the earth by the warm beams of the sun after the rain.
Verse 5
[5] Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.
Altho' — Although God knows, that neither I, nor my children have lived and ruled as we should have done, so justly, and in the fear of the Lord; and therefore have not enjoyed that uninterrupted prosperity which we might have enjoyed.
Covenant — Notwithstanding all our transgressions whereby we have broken covenant with God, yet God, to whom all my sins were known, was graciously pleased to make a sure covenant, to continue the kingdom to me, and to my seed for ever, chap. 7:16, until the coming of the Messiah who is to be my son and successor, and whose kingdom shall have no end.
Ordered — Ordained in all points by God's eternal counsel; and disposed by his wise and powerful providence which will over-rule all things, even the sins of my house so far, that although he punished them for their sins, yet he will not utterly root them out, nor break his covenant made with me and mine.
Sure — Or, preserved, by God's power and faithfulness in the midst of all oppositions.
For this — Or, in this is, that is, it consists in, and depends upon this covenant.
Salvation — Both mine own eternal salvation, and the preservation of the kingdom to me and mine.
Tho' — Although God as yet hath not made my house or family to grow; that is, to increase, or to flourish with worldly glory as I expected; yet this is my comfort, that God will inviolably keep this covenant. But this refers also to the covenant of grace made with all believers. This is indeed an everlasting covenant, from everlasting, in the contrivance of it, and to everlasting, in the continuance and the consequence of it. It is ordered, well ordered in all things; admirably well, to advance the glory of God and the honour of the mediator, together with the holiness and happiness of believers. It is sure, and therefore sure, because well-ordered: the promised mercies are sure, on the performance of the conditions. It is all our salvation: nothing but this will save us, and this is sufficient. Therefore it should be all our desire. Let me have an interest in this covenant, and I have enough, I desire no more.
Verse 6
[6] But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands:
But — Having in the foregoing verses described the nature, and stability of that kingdom which God had by a sure covenant settled upon him and his seed; and especially, upon the Messiah, who was to be one of his posterity; he now describes the nature and miserable condition, of all the enemies of this holy and blessed kingdom.
As thorns — Which men do not use to handle, but thrust them away. And so will God thrust away from himself, and from his people, and kingdom, all those who shall either secretly or openly set themselves against it.
Verse 7
[7] But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.
Fenced — He must arm himself with some iron weapon, whereby he may cut them down; or, with the staff of a spear, or some such thing, whereby he may thrust them away from himself, that they do him no hurt.
Burnt — Or, if they do not cut them down or thrust them away they will burn and consume them.
The place — Or, in their place, where they grow or stand.
Psalm 132:1-18
Verse 1
[1] A Song of degrees. LORD, remember David, and all his afflictions:
Afflictions — All his sufferings for thy sake.
Verse 5
[5] Until I find out a place for the LORD, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
Until — Until I have raised an house in which the ark may be put.
Verse 6
[6] Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah: we found it in the fields of the wood.
It — Of the ark.
Ephratah — In the tribe of Ephraim, which was called also Ephratah.
Found it — Afterwards we found it in Kirjath-jearim, which signifies a city of woods, in the territory whereof the ark was seated for twenty years.
Verse 7
[7] We will go into his tabernacles: we will worship at his footstool.
Tabernacles — Into his temple.
Footstool — The ark, is often said to sit between the cherubim, which were above the ark.
Verse 8
[8] Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.
Rest — Into thy resting place, the temple so called, Isaiah 66:1, where thou hast now a fixed habitation.
The ark — The seat of thy powerful and glorious presence.
Verse 10
[10] For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed.
David's sake — In regard of thy promises vouchsafed to David.
Turn not — Cast me not out of thy presence.
Of — Of me whom thou hast anointed to be king over thy people.
Verse 16
[16] I will also clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
Salvation — With thy saving graces and blessings.
Verse 17
[17] There will I make the horn of David to bud: I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
There — In Jerusalem.
To bud — His power and glory to flourish.
A lamp — A successor to continue for ever in his family, as this phrase is expounded 1 Kings 11:36; 15:4, and particularly one eminent and glorious light, namely, the Messiah.
Revelation 1:4b-8
Verse 4
[4] John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
John — The dedication of this book is contained in the fourth, fifth, and sixth verses; but the whole Revelation is a kind of letter.
To the seven churches which are in Asia — That part of the Lesser Asia which was then a Roman province. There had been several other churches planted here; but it seems these were now the most eminent; and it was among these that St. John had laboured most during his abode in Asia. In these cities there were many Jews. Such of them as believed in each were joined with the gentile believers in one church.
Grace be unto you, and peace — The favour of God, with all temporal and eternal blessings. From him who is, and who was, and who cometh, or, who is to come - A wonderful translation of the great name JEHOVAH: he was of old, he is now, he cometh; that is, will be for ever.
And from the seven spirits which are before his throne — Christ is he who "hath the seven spirits of God." "The seven lamps which burn before the throne are the seven spirits of God." " The lamb hath seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God." Seven was a sacred number in the Jewish church: but it did not always imply a precise number. It sometimes is to be taken figuratively, to denote completeness or perfection. By these seven spirits, not seven created angels, but the Holy Ghost is to be understood. The angels are never termed spirits in this book; and when all the angels stand up, while the four living creatures and the four and twenty elders worship him that sitteth on the throne, and the Lamb, the seven spirits neither stand up nor worship. To these "seven spirits of God," the seven churches, to whom the Spirit speaks so many things, are subordinate; as are also their angels, yea, and "the seven angels which stand before God." He is called the seven spirits, not with regard to his essence, which is one, but with regard to his manifold operations.
Verse 5
[5] And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth — Three glorious appellations are here given him, and in their proper order. He was the faithful witness of the whole will of God before his death, and in death, and remains such in glory. He rose from the dead, as "the first fruits of them that slept;" and now hath all power both in heaven and earth. He is here styled a prince: but by and by he hears his title of king; yea, King of kings, and Lord of lords." This phrase, the kings of the earth, signifies their power and multitude, and also the nature of their kingdom. It became the Divine Majesty to call them kings with a limitation; especially in this manifesto from his heavenly kingdom; for no creature, much less a sinful man, can bear the title of king in an absolute sense before the eyes of God.
Verse 6
[6] And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
To him that loveth us, and, out of that free, abundant love, hath washed us from the guilt and power of our sins with his own blood, and hath made us kings - Partakers of his present, and heirs of his eternal, kingdom.
And priests unto his God and Father — To whom we continually offer ourselves, an holy, living sacrifice.
To him be the glory — For his love and redemption.
And the might — Whereby he governs all things.
Verse 7
[7] Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
Behold — In this and the next verse is the proposition, and the summary of the whole book.
He cometh — Jesus Christ. Throughout this book, whenever it is said, He cometh, it means his glorious coming. The preparation for this began at the destruction of Jerusalem, and more particularly at the time of writing this book; and goes on, without any interruption, till that grand event is accomplished. Therefore it is never said in this book, He will come; but, He cometh. And yet it is not said, He cometh again: for when he came before, it was not like himself, but in "the form of a servant." But his appearing in glory is properly his coming; namely, in a manner worthy of the Son of God.
And every eye — Of the Jews in particular.
Shall see him — But with what different emotions, according as they had received or rejected him.
And they who have pierced him — They, above all, who pierced his hands, or feet, or side. Thomas saw the print of these wounds even after his resurrection; and the same, undoubtedly, will be seen by all, when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.
And all the tribes of the earth — The word tribes, in the Revelation, always means the Israelites: but where another word, such as nations or people, is joined with it, it implies likewise (as here) all the rest of mankind.
Shall wail because of him — For terror and pain, if they did not wail before by true repentance.
Yea, Amen — This refers to, every eye shall see him. He that cometh saith, Yea; he that testifies it, Amen. The word translated yea is Greek; Amen is Hebrew: for what is here spoken respects both Jew and gentile.
Verse 8
[8] I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God — Alpha is the first, Omega, the last, letter in the Greek alphabet. Let his enemies boast and rage ever so much in the intermediate time, yet the Lord God is both the Alpha, or beginning, and the Omega, or end, of all things. God is the beginning, as he is the Author and Creator of all things, and as he proposes, declares, and promises so great things: he is the end, as he brings all the things which are here revealed to a complete and glorious conclusion. Again, the beginning and end of a thing is in scripture styled the whole thing. Therefore God is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end; that is, one who is all things, and always the same.
John 18:33-37
Verse 36
[36] Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
My kingdom is not of this world — Is not an external, but a spiritual kingdom; that I might not be delivered to the Jews - Which Pilate had already attempted to do, John 18:31, and afterward actually did, John 19:16.
Verse 37
[37] Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
Thou sayest — The truth.
To this end was I born — Speaking of his human origin: his Divine was above Pilate's comprehension. Yet it is intimated in the following words, I came into the world, that I might witness to the truth - Which was both declared to the Jews, and in the process of his passion to the princes of the Gentiles also.
Every one that is of the truth — That is, a lover of it, heareth my voice - A universal maxim. Every sincere lover of truth will hear him, so as to understand and practise what he saith.
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Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004 United States
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Sermon Story "The Last Word" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 29 November 2015 with Scripture Text 2 Samuel 23:1 Here are David’s last words:
“This is the speech of David the son of Yishai,
the speech of the man who has been raised up,
the one anointed by the God of Ya‘akov,
the sweet singer of Isra’el.
2 “The Spirit of Adonai spoke through me,
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Isra’el spoke;
the Rock of Isra’el said to me,
‘A ruler over people must be upright,
ruling in the fear of God;
4 like the morning light at sunrise
on a cloudless day
that makes the grass on the earth
sparkle after a rain.’
5 “For my house stands firm with God —
he made an everlasting covenant with me.
It is in order, fully assured,
that he will bring to full growth
all my salvation and every desire.
6 “But the ungodly are like thorn bushes
to be pushed aside, every one of them.
They cannot be taken in one’s hand;
7 To touch them one uses pitchfork or spear-shaft,
and then only to burn them where they lie.”
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We have heard about the anointing of David to be the second king of Israel. We have heard of King Saul being jealous of David's popularity. We have heard of David being coronated as King of Israel first over Judah then over the whole kingdom. We have seen his climb to victory over his enemies and his fortunes increase. We have seen his sin against God by committing adultery then having the woman's husband killed to hide his sin. We have seen his heartfelt repentance and reconciliation to God and other people. We have seen his desire to build a Temple or House for God, but was denied this pleasure while gathering the supplies for his son Solomon to build the Temple. We have seen David just before he died to see his son, Solomon, coronated as the third King of Israel. Now, we are at the last breath of David to be drawn with his last words in this life to be said. David in his last words before he died he gave praise and glory to God for making him king, for protecting him from his enemies, for the forgiveness of his sins by God after he acknoweldged and repented of his sins receiving God's forgiveness, he remembers the promise of God to have a descendant on the throne of Israel forever as long as they stay obedient to God's will and way which actually points to the promised Messiah of Israel to live, suffer, die, and be raised from the dead to ascend back to The Father to reign forever over all of Israel as well as the Gentiles who come to faith in God. We realize that in these last words of David we do not see speifically the full inclusion of the marginalize especially the people with disabilities, but se see this in the promise of the Messiah to reign forever of all of Israel both the New and Old Israel. How do you understand these last words of David? If you are aware of your own impending death to this life, how do give a witness of God's presence in your life? How do you live in God's holiness to be your legacy to your family, friends, and acquaintances? We come to seek God's blessings in eating the Body of Jesus and drinking His Blood as we receive the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. We come singing the Hymn "OUR GOD, OUR HELP IN AGES PAST" by Isaac Watts:
1. Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
2. Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
3. Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
4. Thy Word commands our flesh to dust,
“Return, ye sons of men:”
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.
5. A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
6. The busy tribes of flesh and blood,
With all their lives and cares,
Are carried downwards by the flood,
And lost in following years.
7. Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
8. Like flowery fields the nations stand
Pleased with the morning light;
The flowers beneath the mower’s hand
Lie withering ere ‘tis night.
9. Our God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
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Gary Lee Parker
4147 Idaho Street, Apt. 1
San Diego, California 92104-1844
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Revelation 1:4b-8
How old do you think God is? Is God a baby? a child? a teenager? a young adult? a senior adult?
An old saying says there are no right answers to a wrong question. Of course, that is a wrong question to which there is no right answer. In the Revelation, God is spoken of as the One “who is and who was and who is to come.” Indeed, the Lord God identified himself as “the Alpha and the Omega” in that same verse. Of course, alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and omega is the last. God was saying that as far into the past as we can go and as far into the future as we can imagine, we’ll find God there.
God is timeless, yet related always to every time, be it past, present, or future. Think about what this means, that God is, God was, and God is to come.
First, God is. God is active in the present. When we think of God’s timelessness, I wonder whether we give enough attention to this thought. I wonder whether most of us do not simply think of God as being very, very old—eternally, endlessly, perpetually old. The danger is that we may come to think of God as sitting in a rocking chair, wringing his hands about the world, unable to do much if anything about it, and longing for the good old days that never were.
However, if God is timeless, we have as much basis for thinking of God as perpetually, eternally, endlessly young as for thinking of God as being very, very old. Whatever age we think of God as being, realizing that God is, is active now and with us now, is tremendously important. We need this recognition that God is, and we need it especially in the midst of a world of great change. Whatever happens in these days and whatever changes may occur in the near future, we have not left God behind, as if God is irrelevant to us and our changing world. God is.
Of course, the terms eternally young or eternally old are really unimportant, even wrong, as applied to God. What is truly important, however, is that we affirm that God is. God is with us and active in the now.
An equally important affirmation is that God was. This truth is what we see when we read of God’s mighty acts in scripture, in both the Old Testament and the New, and supremely in God’s Son Jesus, our Lord. God was active in the past. Note that we do not look back to God’s past actions, however, simply to satisfy our interest in history, however great or meager that might be. Rather our purpose in looking back to God’s acts in the past is to help us look up and in and to learn that this same God is with us today. As Paul wrote about past occurrences recorded in the Old Testament, “These things happened to them to serve as an example, and they were written down to instruct us” (1 Corinthians 10:11). Why do we study the Bible, this ancient book, if not because we believe that in the Bible we have the record of God’s revelation of himself to humankind, coming finally to us to whom has been announced “things into which angels long to look” (1 Peter 1:12).
To know that God was gives stability, challenge, and hope for our present and future. As others counted on God, so can we. As others were challenged by God, so are we. As others knew the fulfillment of God’s promises, so will we.
Another fact about God’s age is that God is to come. If we could go into the farthest reaches of the future, we would find God there. The truth is these words that God “is to come” ought to give us encouragement and hope. If God is with us, we ought not be overly concerned about the future. We don’t know the future, but we do know the God of the future. We know that that God is a match for anything that the future may hurl at us. Neither the distant future nor what may happen tomorrow or this week ought to discourage us. Neither holds any perils that God cannot master and overcome. As scripture affirms, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).
That God is the God of the future also challenges us to hear God’s call to go into the future with him. We must learn from the past, but we must not live in it. We must not even live in the present, since it mysteriously slips away from us the moment we say we live in the present. Rather, the God who “is to come” calls us to move into God’s future right along with him. We must not slip backward or stagnate. We must not stop growing. When we move into the future right along with God, we will find that God will be continually meeting our needs and continually growing us to be all that God wants us to be.
When we commit ourselves to God in faith, God changes us continually. God continually engages us in relationship with him and continually grows us to be more like him. The God “who is and who was and who is to come” gives us a profound sense of his presence with us now, a due appreciation for God’s acts in the past, and encouragement and challenge as we go with God into the future.
Christ the King Sunday
COLOR: White
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-12; Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37
THEME IDEAS
Truth is spoken to power in today’s Gospel, offering stark, this-worldly contrast to the cosmic, royal imagery of the other readings — a commentary in itself on what is valued in Christ’s reign. We are told that Jesus is the ruler of the kings of the earth (Revelation 1:5), an enthroned descendant of King David (Psalm 132:11-12), the anointed of God (2 Samuel 23:1). But in John’s passion story, he is far from lifted up and glorified. A prisoner, he nonetheless goes toe-to-toe with Pilate, a colonial bureaucrat of the Roman Empire, and refuses to be trapped into calling himself king: “You say that I am a king. … I came into the world, to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). May truth reign.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Psalm 132:14-16)
“This is my resting place,” says our God,
“for I have desired it.
“I will . . . bless its provisions;
“I will satisfy its poor with bread.
“Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
“and its faithful will shout for joy.”
Come then, with joy, and let us worship God.
—OR—
Call to Worship
It is done.
God has always been in charge—
yesterday and today.
Even when things seem out of control,
God’s reign is on its way.
Let us prepare the way for God.
Opening Prayer (Revelation 1)
With thankful hearts we pause this day
to be reminded of our grandest hope:
that the calamities, the demands,
even the blessings of this world
do not have the last word.
You are the one who was and is,
and who is yet to come—
a ruler of a different kind.
Open our hearts to the comfort, the challenge
and the mystery of this good news.
In the name of Jesus Christ, your faithful witness,
we pray. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Revelation 1, John 18, 2 Samuel 23)
God of all creation,
before time and beyond space,
we admit to our human limits
as we try to imagine the reign of truth
that you envision for us.
When we follow worldly powers
and stray from the good path
you desire for all you have created,
give us Jesus.
Give us Jesus, O God—
not a Jesus high and lifted up,
but chained and arraigned by authorities
with boldness to tell the truth.
Speak through our words and deeds,
that your will may be done in our time.
Embolden us with the confidence
that your reign will one day come.
Come, O Strong One, come. Amen.
Words of Assurance (2 Samuel 23, Revelation 1)
God’s promises are everlasting, ordered and secure.
God loves us and frees us.
Accept God’s forgiveness, for we are forgiven. Amen.
Response to the Word (2 Samuel 23, John 18, Psalm 132)
Dawn on us, word of truth, like the light of the morning,
like a lamp to light our way.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Offering Prayer (Revelation 1)
Abundant God,
prophecy says you are coming with the clouds
for every eye to see.
Until that day,
may the tithes and offerings we bring each week
do the holy work of making your reign
real in this community
and in this world in need. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Revelation 1, John 18)
God calls us into the world
to embody a realm that is not of this world.
Go forth now in the name of the one who is,
and was, and is to come.
May God’s grace and peace be with you. Amen.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (John 18, Revelation 1)
Let’s pause and take a breath.
Between turkey and carols,
“black Friday” and “cyber Monday,”
let’s pause and take a breath, looking for signs,
listening for sounds of a realm not of this world.
It’s real. It’s truth. It’s the reign of Christ—
the reign that was with us before, is with us now,
and is still not yet fully here.
Let’s pause and breathe in life and love and truth.
—OR—
Contemporary Gathering Words (Revelation 1, 2 Samuel 23)
From the Spirit who was, the Rock who is,
the Strong One yet to come,
grace and peace to you!
Come before God with joy and thanks.
Let us worship God.
Praise Sentences (John 18, Revelation 1, Psalm 132)
A crown of thorns belongs to the truth.
A crown that gleams belongs to the truth.
The ruler of kings belongs to the truth.
Glory and dominion belong to the truth.
Listen to Jesus. Belong to the truth.
From “The Abingdon Worship Annual 2012,” edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © 2011 by Abingdon Press. “The Abingdon Worship Annual 2016” is now available.
read more
COLOR: White
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 2 Samuel 23:1-7; Psalm 132:1-12; Revelation 1:4b-8; John 18:33-37
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1
L: Come, let us celebrate the goodness of God.
P: God has blessed us with God's great love.
L: Let us come to this time, letting go of our worries.
P: Let us come to this time praising God.
L: Come, now is the time to worship.
P: We come rejoicing, for God is so good to us. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2
L: Jesus calls us to open our hearts to all in need.
P: We come this day to hear his words of encouragement for us.
L: Look around you. Smile at each other, for we all have need of friendship and welcome.
P: With God's great love in our hearts, we find our welcome in this place of worship. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3
[From the United Methodist Hymnal, p. 176, "Majesty, Worship His Majesty", have the choir and congregation share the following call to worship]
Choir: begins singing
L: Come, let us bow down and worship the King of kings, the Lord of Lord.
P: At this birth the angels proclaimed it. He is the Wonderful Counselor, Lord Of Lords, King of Kings, the Prince of Peace.
L: Through his teaching and his life we have learned how to live to God.
P: By his death and resurrection we have been saved and claimed by God as witnesses to God's eternal love.
All: sing
Call to Worship #4
[Note: Purcell's "Trumpet Voluntary" is a good piece of music to lead into this worship. It sets the tone of a triumphal entry and celebration]
L: The King of Kings is raised in glory.
P: Christ sits on the throne at the right hand of God.
L: Come, let us worship and bow down to the Lord our Creator.
P: Let us offer praise to Christ our Redeemer. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY, BENEDICTION
Invocation/Opening Prayer
We come this day, rejoicing, in the presence of the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. At his birth the angels proclaimed his name to be Emmanuel, God with us. Today in this place, in this time of worship, may we truly feel the power and presence of Jesus Christ in our lives. May our hearts and spirits be warmed and challenged to proclaim with our lives, "Christ is Lord!". AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
We have trouble believing in a King in our lives. Early in our nation's history, we rejected monarchy as something undesirable. Yet, this day we are called to recognize Jesus Christ as the King of our lives, our sovereign ruler. His kingdom is based on the laws of love; loving God as God has truly loved us and loving our neighbor as we ourselves want to be loved. That love extends beyond the borders of our lives, into a world in which there is fear and alienation, hunger and disease, hopelessness and darkness. Jesus, our sovereign ruler, our friend, our Master and guide has asked us to reach out to feed the hungry; give drink to the thirsty; clothe the naked, visit the sick and those imprisoned; welcome the stranger. These words are not unfamiliar to us, yet somehow we have treated them as nice words but not an active part of our life of faith. Forgive us, Lord, for the meagerness of our faith and the weakness of our witness. Rule our lives again with your powerful love, that we might truly be worthy disciples of yours. Help us to find the forgiveness which you have given to us and to do your will. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Even though we have often failed to do as our Lord Jesus has asked, yet there is eternal forgiveness and a chance to again follow his ways. Be assured, dear friends, that the love of Jesus Christ will never leave you. Be his witnesses throughout the world. AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
From the first day of Advent, so long ago, we have come full circle to the celebration of the Reign of Christ, also known as Christ the King Sunday. We have witnessed the wonderful birth, the great healing moments, the teachings that have sustained people throughout the centuries. We cried in sorrow at the Crucifixion and rejoiced with absolute joy on the sunrise of Easter when Jesus conquered our greatest fear, death. We celebrated the great good news of the disciples as they risked everything to finally proclaim the good news to all people. Now on this Sunday, we invite Jesus to enter our hearts.
Sovereign Lord Jesus, come into our hearts today and take your reign. Remind us that your kingdom is a kingdom of hope and light, in which there is no darkness, fear, or sadness. You have called us to be the Kingdom people, living our lives in the knowledge that peace, justice, and hope are not only possible, but can actually be the ruling factor of the world, for those who follow you. There are many who do not acknowledge your presence and your name, O Lord. But in your infinite love and mercy, you have acknowledged and claimed them. Help us to be the kind of disciples that welcome everyone with the words of kindness, that offer acts of mercy and peace to all in need, to proclaim Christ risen and glorified. As we have brought before you, O Lord, the names of people and situations needing your healing and comforting touch, may we also open our hearts for that same healing and comfort. Remind us that we are never out of your grace and mercy. We know that you will give us the strength and wisdom to be true disciples and we celebrate and honor you, now and forever. AMEN.
Offertory Prayer
With gratitude for all the blessings you have poured into our lives, Lord Jesus, we come bringing these our gifts that they may be used in service to those in need. Bless these gifts and those who have given them, that they may truly be a blessing in your holy name. AMEN.
Litany
[This litany is more appropriately used as a brief chancel drama. It may be spoken by a worship leader and either one or two other readers (parts P). It should be well rehearsed if it is to be a chancel drama, so that the short phrases are not lost. This is not a hurried piece of drama, take time]
P: I am an independent person. I need no one. I am my own person. No one owns me!
L: Come , bow down before your Lord, your King.
P: Excuse me! I have no king. I don't need a king.
L: The Lord Jesus Christ, he is the King of Kings.
P: Where is his kingdom?
L: In your heart and spirit.
P: You've got to be kidding!?
L: No, the Lord seeks to reign in your heart, to establish his kingdom in your life.
P: Nobody's setting up shop in my head!
L: It's difficult to understand. The Lord Jesus Christ is seeking you out, as friend, and witness.
P: Witness to what?
L: To God's absolute love for you and for all creation.
P: All I see is war and violence; viciousness and hatred.
L: Open your eyes. There is more to see than that. You yourself have been a blessing to someone recently.
P: Me? I don't think so. What do you mean?
L: You recently offered your help to a person in need, didn't you?
P: Well, yes. But.....
L: You supported people who were in ministries of caring and compassion.
P: Well, of course. That's what you should do.
L: Why?
P: Because they needed help and even though I couldn't provide it directly, I could help cover the expenses of those who could be right at hand.
L: Why did you do it?
P: Because it was needed. Someone has to help, right?
L: It's nice that you are part of that "someone". Christ's love is reigning in you.
P: I never thought of it that way.
L: Whenever you have reached out to others in love and compassion, you have reached out to Christ. You have become part of the Kingdom team.
P: But I don't feel controlled, ruled over.
L: You're not. Christ is working with you to bring about God's kingdom.
P: So, I'm actually doing what God wants? How about that!
L: Keep on working. There is much to be done, and God is with you through it all. AMEN.
Benediction, Blessing, Commission
Go now in peace. Bring the good news of God's eternal love, the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit to all you meet. Go in peace. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
[Note: It will be important to include in your worship bulletin a brief description of the meaning of this worship visual setting]
[Note: this can be a very powerful worship setting. Each of the areas is representative of a portion of today's Gospel lesson. Make sure that you write a brief description of the meaning of each area. You may want to consider using one of the settings as a cover for your bulletin, unless you are using the preprinted bulletin covers. The crown around the candle may be made from shiny Gold paper, Gold oilcloth (generally found in a fabric store, near the table cloth fabrics). It must be shiny, not dull]
SURFACE: Place several risers on the main worship center. They should be placed with the higher riser in the center back of the worship setting. Other risers may be placed on the worship table. Place a riser in front of the worship center.
FABRIC: Cover the table in white fabric (the traditional color for the day) making sure that there is enough fabric to cover the riser in front of the table and that the fabric "puddles" on the floor. Using light blue or gold fabric create a flowing drape from the center, riser, across the table and down onto the riser on the floor, with some of the fabric puddling on the floor. The blue fabric represents hope; gold represents Christ the King.
FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE You may want to use leafy plants behind the worship center and at the sides to soften the edges of the fabric.
CANDLES Use a large white pillar candle on the top riser to represent Christ the king. You may make a candle band in the form of a crown. Use smaller pillar candles in the various areas, such as the food area, the water area, the area where there is crutches, and the empty chair.
ROCKS & WOOD I would not use rocks and wood in this setting.
OTHER: Behind the large white candle, place a brass cross. This should be on the highest riser. On another riser, place a basket with breads and fruit spilling from it. Put one of the smaller candles near this bread and fruit. On another riser, place a large clear pitcher and a clear bowl with water, you may also place a small towel beneath the bowl, overlapping the riser so that it shows. Place one of the smaller pillar candles near this setting. On the riser in front of the worship center, place a set of crutches and some bandages or something representing one who is ill and put another small candle near this center. Finally, slightly off to the side, place an empty chair to represent the stranger. Put a robe on it, representing clothing, and place a pillar candle on the chair.
From a Child's Point of View
Gospel: John 18:33-37. The Gospel lesson announces that Jesus is King, but a very different kind of king from most earthly kings.
Many earthly kings rule all the people who live in an area they have conquered. Their subjects must obey or move away. King Jesus does not force his rule on anyone. He is the ruler of all people everywhere who listen for the truth. His subjects are not forced into his kingdom, but choose to enter it.
The subjects of many earthly kings listen obediently to whatever the king says. They understand that whatever the king says must be obeyed just because the king says it. Subjects of King Jesus have listened to what Jesus says and decided to obey him because they think he is right.
Old Testament: 2 Samuel 23:1-7. In the context of the day's other lections, David's last words describe good and bad kings, thus offering a comparison to Jesus. David insists that a king (or president) who rules justly and according to God's will is as welcome as the sun that rises on a cloudless day, or that shines on the grass after a soft rain. An evil king is as welcome as sticker bushes that have thorns so sharp they can be handled only with tools and that are burned when they are found. David knows that good kings make such a difference that he says he will die happy with God's promise that his descendants will be good kings and (Christians would add) that God's special king would come from his family. The Good News Bible offers the best translation for children.
Psalm: 132:1-12 (13-18). An understanding of this psalm requires knowledge of David's life, the Davidic covenant, and Zion theology. Few adults and fewer children have such knowledge, and offering detailed explanations in the context of worship on Christ the King Sunday is counterproductive. If you do read this psalm to illustrate David's kingship, use the Good News Bible's translation.
Epistle: Revelation 1:4b-8. John wrote Revelation to be read by groups of Christians hiding out together. It was meant to be read aloud for encouragement and inspiration, rather than studied for detailed information. Because all the poetic images were readily understood by listeners, they provided great dramatic punch. Today, understanding the images in detail requires scholarly study. But when the text is read dramatically, even children grasp its basic point that Christ is Lord of all. So, instead of dissecting the passage in the sermon, use it in liturgy today to celebrate Christ's kingship.
Watch Words
Speak of King Jesus. Enjoy royal vocabulary familiar to most children royal, majesty, rule, decree, obey, subjects. Avoid or introduce terms such as reign, monarchy, sovereignty, and omnipotent (especially if you feature the Hallelujah Chorus).
Let the Children Sing
"He Is King of Kings" is probably the Christ-the-King hymn children sing with most zest. It may be sung as a congregational hymn or as an anthem, perhaps with a children's choir singing the chorus and an adult singing the verses.
"Come, Christians, Join to Sing," "Rejoice, the Lord Is King," and "When Morning Gilds the Skies" have repeated phrases that make them easy for nonreaders. While the vocabulary of "All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name" makes it impossible for even advanced-elementary readers, the repeated "and crown him Lord of all" can be sung by everyone.
Sing "Joy to the World" to welcome Christ, who is King all through the year. Though they cannot read the difficult words, young readers recognize this carol and enjoy singing it in a different season. (If you sing it today, be sure to also include it at Christmas, and remind worshipers then about singing it today.)
The Liturgical Child
1. Use Revelation 1:4 b-8 as the Call to Worship, with three adult worship leaders reciting the verses loudly and dramatically, from three separate places at the front of the sanctuary:
4b-6:
Stand behind the communion table. If there is a chalice on the table, lift it high with both hands on verses 5b and 6, making those verses almost a toast.
7:
Stand to one side, perhaps in the lectern. Take the role of the messenger.
8:
Stand to the other side, perhaps in the pulpit.
ALL:
"Let us worship God!"
2. Emphasize the conversation in the Gospel either by turning in different directions and assuming appropriate postures, attitudes, and tones for Pilate and for Jesus, or by turning it into a readers' theater, with narrator, Jesus, and Pilate. Plan ahead for ways to express key phrases vocally and with gestures and facial expressions. Verses 34 and 35 require particular attention.
3. Prayer of Confession: Jesus, we claim that you are King, but we are not loyal subjects. We want to get ahead, wear fine clothes, play the sports we enjoy these are the real kings of our lives! Forgive us.
Lord, we claim that you are King, but we do not obey you. We ignore the rules you have given us, and we follow our own selfish desires. Forgive us.
Christ, we claim that you are King, but we do not serve you, and we do not follow your call to serve others who need our help. Instead, we greedily serve ourselves and our own wants. Forgive us.
Forgive us, and remake us into loyal subjects who do your will so completely that everyone around us will recognize you, working through us. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Christ did not come to us to be a high and mighty king who looked down on us. Christ did not come to judge us. Christ came to love us and to forgive us and to give us the power to do better. Christ the King is the loving Lord who saves us. Thanks be to God! Amen.
4. Feature the "Hallelujah Chorus" from The Messiah, with all its references to the rule of Christ. Before it is sung, compare our feelings when we sing it at Christmastime with our feelings at Easter. Suggest the meaning of singing it on Christ the King Sunday. Print the brief text in the bulletin, and urge children to listen for repeated phrases about Christ the King.
Sermon Resources
1. Display one banner for each season of the church year. Use them to review the meaning of the different seasons. Point to different symbols on each one, recalling all the ways we know and worship Jesus. (Consider having the banners carried in and set in place by older children during the opening hymn.)
2. Children's literature offers both good and bad kings to use as examples. Compare the emperor in The Emperor's New Clothes, who demanded that all his subjects admire his nonexistent clothes, with Jesus, who is King of truth. Or describe King Arthur, more like the good king that David wanted for his people, who claimed that "right makes might" not "might makes right."
… read more
CHRIST THE KING
2 SAMUEL 23:1-7
The peasants wait nervously outside the palace to learn the identity of their new emperor. The tribe sends its wisest elders to choose their new chief. Every four years Americans step into the voting booth with naive hopes that with this new leader happy days will be here again. The whole world longs for a good king and a brighter future.
I. Kings Begin with High Hopes
Coronations are often the high point of a king’s reign. King David embodied the hopes of Israel. David’s promise was evidence as he received anointment from Samuel, slew Goliath, and befriended Jonathan. The people sang ballads about the daring escapades of this one after God’s own heart. David was King Arthur and Jerusalem was Camelot.
It was a kingdom where might was used for right, justice was for all, and shining knights, like angels in armor, battled to snuff out evil. For one brief shining moment this was “happily ever after.” At his best, David was the most splendid king who ever sat on any throne, a king with high hopes and great dreams.
II. The Kings of This World Inevitably Fall
The dreams didn’t last. By the end of his reign, David was king of a divided, disorganized, and disintegrating kingdom. His reign was a series of tragedies: David’s sin with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah, the rape of his daughter Tamar by his son Amnon, the rebellion and murder of Absalom, continuous fighting between the tribes of Israel, and wars with the Philistines.
Finally David was judged too old to go into battle. The round table cracked. The shining moments are brief. The glimpses of glory fade. The kingdoms of this world are destined for collapse.
III. Jesus Is the King Whose Reign Will Last Forever
David comes to the end of a disappointing reign, and yet his farewell address is not sorrowful. The one dream that didn’t die was of a king yet to come. One will come from David’s line who will be a king like David at his best. The King of all kings did come, and one wonders if David would recognize him.
Peter Fribley wrote: “How can you be king who ruled with stories? Who walked to work and slept beneath the stars? . . . How can you be king who refused kingdoms, claimed no crown, walked to work, thumbed a ride to town?”
Jesus is a king unlike human rulers, who seek power and pleasure, who want celebrity and comfort. And unlike human kingdoms, the kingdom in which Christ reigns is a realm with no boundaries, no limitations, and no end.
IV. Our Lives Depend on Recognizing Jesus Kingship
Those who stand against this king, the Lord of all, will not stand at all. David said those who don’t recognize this king are like the thorny bramble thrown into the fire. If we live as subjects of the one true King, then we will be transformed. Jesus can free us from our small worlds and our self-centeredness.
The dream of Christ’s kingdom will renew us. The One who is and was and is to come will bring grace and peace. He will make us a kingdom, priests serving God and one another. Every one of us longs for the One who will make our lives complete. Christ invites us into his kingdom, now and forevermore. (Brett Younger)
THE BOTTOM LINE: JESUS
REVELATION 1:4b-8
It is amazing the difference a few years make. It seems only yesterday when I wanted to write a letter to a friend and needed only paper and pencil. While a high school sophomore in Miss Livergood’s typing class, I used one of the first electric typewriters. Today I sit before a “one-eyed friend” who tells me how to type, warns me about spelling errors, and even corrects my poor grammar. While I’m writing my letter I can be listening to my favorite music on a CD—from within the computer! Writing a letter to a friend has never been so easy!
John did not have the convenience of a computer, but he did possess the heart of a writer. He probably chose seven churches to write to because they each had a special place or influence or authority within the Roman province of Asia, which included the western seacoast of Asia Minor on the shores of the Mediterranean. John wrote to the seven churches because the people knew and loved him, and in return he loved them the most. Through these seven churches the other congregations in the area heard the message—in fact every church in every generation has heard the truth. The truth of which he writes was that Jesus is Lord—the Eternal One. John writes about this Eternal One in several aspects.
I. Jesus As the Eternal Witness
A witness gives evidence to an act, event, or person. In verses 4 and 5 Jesus is an eternal witness of the truth concerning the Father. Jesus speaks from firsthand knowledge. Christ can identify personally with God’s will, is able to speak with authority about God, and carries God’s truth as no one else in the world could or can do.
His witness comes through the Resurrection. God, who loved him with all of his heart, raised Jesus from the dead. All who believe in him share in this resurrection. Because he lives I, too, can live!
II. Jesus As the Eternal Eraser
Do you regret the sins you have committed? Do memories of your pre-Christian life haunt you? Does Satan reinvent the wheel of past regrettable circumstances?
Marjorie Holmes related that a friend wrote to share how her granddaughter had made a wonderful observation. As Marjorie’s friend and her granddaughter stood on a grassy hillside observing an airplane do its fancy skywriting, suddenly the words began to dissolve. The girl asked her grandmother how the words disappeared. As grandmother groped for an answer, the little girl’s face brightened up. She exclaimed, “Maybe Jesus has an eraser!”
Holmes wrote that the day she received the letter had been an awful day. In fact for some time she had been extremely discouraged and depressed. She had been grieving over past mistakes, a cruel word, a moment to witness slipped by, a child unjustly punished, a friend let down. She stated, “No matter how much we mature as people, grow as Christians, try desperately to compensate, memories of our own failures rise up to haunt us, and sting. . . .”
The small child in her innocence and wisdom helped Holmes to realize that, like the writing on the sky that simply disappears, Jesus has wiped away all things that we can bitterly regret. Jesus does have an eternal eraser!
What does he need to use his eraser on in your life?
III. Jesus As Eternal Victor
The book of Revelation assures victory. Defeat is never mentioned—not once! We, the soldiers of the cross, catch a glimpse of the battleground. There will come a moment in history when heaven and hell will collide. Good versus evil; satanic hatred versus divine love. Amid the thunder and lightning, smoke and haze stands Jesus, the Son of God—the ultimate warrior. Spanning time from a manger to a cross, from a tomb to resurrection life—Jesus triumphs over Satan, Hell, sin, and all the forces of evil. As Christians we are assured of being on the victory side. Forward March! (Derl G. Keefer)
WHAT IS TRUTH?
JOHN 18:33-37
In this text, Pilate is asking a question we all have asked: “What is truth?” This question must be addressed before you can trust the Bible, or commit your life to the Lord it proclaims.
I. How Can I Know Anything Is True?
There are several ways we gain information, or know something is true. Some things we learn through what our five senses experience. We learn some truths from what we see, touch, taste, smell, or hear. Some things we learn by figuring them out, such as through mathematics. Einstein didn’t see or touch the theory of relativity; he discerned it rationally.
And some truth we can only know as God reveals it to us. Jesus does not look like a king to Pilate, and it certainly isn’t logical. Since his kingdom is not of this world, Christ’s kingship is one of those truths that must be learned through revelation from the Bible.
What is the difference in truths we can know by experience or logic and those we can only know from revelation? The first two can be proved to others, but biblical truth has to be accepted by faith. Or is that difference always true?
II. Can We Trust Everything We Know As “Truth”?
Our senses can fail us, or fool us. Everyone has seen an optical illusion that appears to be something it is not. Magicians rely on being able to fool your senses. Algebra—as exact and absolute as is mathematics—rests on a series of axioms and postulates. These statements, such as a + b = b + a, are called axioms instead of theorems, because they cannot be proved. Virtually all of mathematics is built upon some statements that cannot be proved (or disproved), and must simply be accepted “by faith.”
Everything you know by experience, you know because you trust your senses—which can be fooled. Everything you know logically, you know because you trust your reasoning abilities—which also can be faulty. Everything anybody knows about anything ultimately rests upon faith assumptions. Philosophers call these assumptions “presuppositions.”
Thus no one can say biblical truth, in general, is inferior to experienced truth or logical truth because biblical truth rests on faith. All knowledge requires a leap of faith to trust the methods by which we gained the knowledge. All knowledge is based upon presuppositions.
III. How Do We Know Which “Truth” to Trust?
A problem arises when truth sources disagree, such as when your eyes see something your logic tells you is impossible. You have to decide which source of knowledge is the authority. The Bible says Jesus walked on water, but experience and physics say that is impossible. The Bible says God loves you, but you don’t feel loved. Which source of information do you believe?
Jesus told Pilate he came to bear witness to the truth. Elsewhere Jesus said he is, “the way, the truth, and the life.” Jesus reveals God’s truths to us. You can trust the Bible more than your experience or logic.
The problem is, too many people “test” the truth of the Bible at the wrong place. They begin with a promise saying God answers prayer, and test God by asking for a new luxury car. When they don’t get a car, they conclude: the Bible is not trustworthy.
Start with Jesus, the witness to the truth. Do what he requires: confess your sinfulness, turn from your sin, ask to be forgiven, become a follower of his, and receive his gift of eternal life. Then you will know the truth, and it will set you free! (William Groover)
Ministry Matters
2222 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37228 United States
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