"Couch potato Christians | Postscript to Portland | When the church notices children" Ministry Matters: Preach. Teach. Worship. Reach. Lead. for Wednesday, 1 June 2016
"When the church notices children" by David StaalBigstock/Wavebreak Media Ltd
Across this amazing country, a unique opportunity raises its hand and waves it back and forth in an effort to capture churches’ notice.
In Aurora, Illinois, a principal and pastor met to discuss a potential partnership. The principal invited a third grade teacher to listen to the idea. When asked for her thoughts she said, “At the end of every school day, while my students stand in line before we walk to the bus area, I give them each a hug. I give a longer hug to a few of them, and in my heart I say, ‘I’m sorry; I wish I could’ve given you more attention today.’ So if you’re saying this church is going to send people to us willing to spend time with my kids, let’s start tomorrow.”
Look closely at public elementary schools (middle and high schools, too), and the stress fractures from budget cuts come into focus. The reason class sizes go up, meaning less teacher attention per student? Simple. Data shows that budget cuts made in response to the Great Recession eight years ago have never healed — and in many school districts, continue to deepen. However, I own zero interest in political fights about tax revenues, government spending, curriculum, standardized testing or any other “big people” arguments about education.
I do feel 100 percent concerned about that teacher’s third-graders. The attention-deficit they experience is an issue churches can do something about — but only when a church looks past all the issues that the education system faces and, instead, focuses on the little people sitting in chairs trying to not fidget. Look through the lens of a principal in Traverse City, Michigan, who partners with a nearby church and shared these comments with the congregation: “If I were offered $100,000 worth of teaching materials or the love that you have brought into our school, I would choose the love that these volunteers have shared with our students — I have never seen anything like it!”
Wait a minute. In a system where the word “cut” routinely follows “budget,” something more valuable than money exists? Yes, and educators everywhere know that their schools are filled with too many students who share the same primary challenge — a little hole in the heart, a void filled only by love and attention, two abundant resources found in every church. Give extra credit to the people who teach and care for students all day every school year; they know what kids really need to thrive.
A church pastor in Indiana, unsure if his congregation would respond to the needs of a nearby school, invited the principal to share comments one Sunday morning. “If you can’t find people willing to come in and meet with students,” he said, “please just send a few people to stand by the fence around our playground so they can smile and wave to a few of our loneliest little ones.”
Several volunteers stepped forward, enabling the church to launch a mentoring program in partnership with the school. Those wonderful people do battle against an epidemic quietly sweeping across the country that grips and squeezes the life from people young and old: loneliness. Data shows that at least one in five people self-describe as lonely, and the health consequences are now receiving attention. Apparently, that “hole in the heart” is more real than most people know. Research conducted by psychologists at Brigham Young University and the University of Utah found that social isolation (both actual and perceived) may be more deadly than obesity. In the past two years, even Oprah has picked up on this reality — look into her Just Say Hello campaign. And yet the Church, better than anyone and for longer than anyone, knows that it is not good for a man (or woman or child) to be alone (Genesis 2:18).
In the ongoing and never-seeming-to-end societal discussions surrounding education, don’t let the truth go truant: Regardless of budget decisions and curriculum debates, students need love because many students feel alone in life. Educators see it firsthand, and they invite the Church to be a solution.
During a recent meeting in the administrative offices of a Nashville, Tennessee, elementary school, the principal carefully listened to an overview of a partnership opportunity with a nearby church that would provide mentors to her most at-risk students. When asked if she had interest, she replied, “In my opinion, it all comes down to one question.” Everyone in the room went quiet.
“Pastor, are you and your church going to show up in my school? Because we want you here, we need you here. It’s all up to you.”
Note: Today, 168 United Methodist congregations partner with nearby schools to offer Kids Hope USA mentoring programs. Learn more at www.kidshopeusa.org.
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"Postscript to Portland" by Chappell Temple The MAX train with United Methodist branding travels by the Oregon Convention Center. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS
I’m almost afraid to admit it, but I think I came away from Portland if not quite “surprised by joy,” to quote C.S. Lewis, at least somewhat cautiously optimistic. For even amidst all of the anxiety and acrimony that a General Conference usually produces, there were signs of something else happening this go-around, as well.
You could hear it in the delightful diversity of dialects that filled the Oregon Convention Center for two weeks. For not only were the proceedings simultaneously translated into nine languages, when the Africans among us broke into song at one rather critical juncture, in their singing there was a sense of the Holy Spirit moving among us, too.
All throughout the meeting, in fact, it was impossible to ignore the reality that our church is indeed changing. Not simply because four out of ten United Methodists are now French-speaking Africans. But because in the global voices of our church one can clearly hear as well the Bath Qol, or voice of God who reminds us now as He did the prophet long ago: “Behold, I am doing a new thing, now it springs forth–do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43.19)
To be certain, we have enormous challenges facing us still as a denomination, for in many ways we are at a place similar to that of a crab who is ready to shed its old shell but who is not yet in the safety of a fully formed and hardened new one. Whether it makes it vulnerable or not, however, the process of molting is not only necessary for a crab to grow, but it also helps to get rid of parasites, barnacles and other critters nesting on the shell, and even the bacteria that degrades the exoskeleton from within.
Don’t get me wrong: I still think that instead of meeting for ten days every four years, we might do better to flip it around and meet for only four days every ten years. For if we really are the salt of the earth as Jesus once said, we’re probably most effective when we sprinkle ourselves out upon the society around us, rather than gather together as an enormous salt dome and then expect the world to be impressed.
Still, my hope is that we at least managed to do some good and, equally important for the heirs of John Wesley, to not do as much harm as we’ve certainly shown ourselves capable of doing in past such gatherings.
Maybe that’s why despite all of our differences, our bishops are trying to find a way to keep us united. While we’re in that tenuous time between shells, however, perhaps it’s a good idea for all of us to stick together indeed.
Chappell Temple is the lead pastor of Christ Church in Sugar Land, Texas. He blogs at ChappellTemple.com.
"The sins of a Christian university" by David Person"Baylor University" by Danny Huizinga (CC BY 2.0)
“Baylor is a private Christian university.” This is a direct quote from the first sentence on the university’s website.
So is Christian now synonymous with cover-up? That’s the question some may be asking since the release of an independent report about the handling of sexual assault allegations by the university’s football program and administrators.
Pepper Hamilton, the law firm engaged by the university to do the investigation, concluded that Baylor failed “to implement Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (Title IX) and the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA).” Specifically, Baylor didn’t provide female students who alleged that they had been assaulted or harassed reasonable support. More than once, “the University failed to take action to identify and eliminate a potential hostile environment, prevent its recurrence, or address its effects for individual complainants or the broader campus community.”
More troubling, though, is that university administrators were implicated directly in the worst ways. The investigation found that two of them “directly discouraged complainants from reporting or participating in student conduct processes.”
The football program and athletics department were found to ignore “a pattern of sexual violence by a football player” and failed “to take action in response to reports of a sexual assault by multiple football players, and … a report of dating violence.”
The same day that the report was released Baylor announced that it was planning to fire its head football coach, Art Briles.
"We were horrified by the extent of these acts of sexual violence on our campus,” said Richard Willis the chair of the university’s board of regents. “The depth to which these acts occurred shocked and outraged us. Our students and their families deserve more, and we have committed our full attention to improving our processes, establishing accountability and ensuring appropriate actions are taken to support former, current and future students.”
The acts referenced in the report include the rape convictions of former Baylor football players Tevin Elliot and Sam Ukwuachu.
Baylor’s response also raises questions. Yes, the university has initiated Briles’ termination and taken away from Ken Starr the title of president, allowing him to keep the title of chancellor. But Starr’s “punishment” seems like barely a slap of the wrist. And sanctioning Baylor’s athletic director, Ian McCaw, and only putting him on probation seems equally tepid.
Lives were ruined at Baylor. Innocent reputations were unjustly tarnished. Bodies were violated. Spirits were assaulted. And people who claimed to lead with spiritual authority covered it up.
Ken Starr should be fired. And so should Ian McCaw and anyone else remotely implicated in covering up or in any way enabling rapes and sexual assaults on the Baylor campus.
Anything less makes all official apologies and recriminations seem less than genuine — and definitely not befitting of a Christian university.
"Couch potato Christians won't change the world" by
By Joseph YooBigstock / Kasia Bialasiewicz
Since my high school days, I’ve wanted a body like Bruce Lee’s. I got close when I was younger, but these days I wonder if there’s a way to look like that without putting in the necessary work and dedication.
I’m at the point of my life when I can no longer afford to eat anything I want and not exercise. So I decided to be proactive.
I reached out to a former student who works at GNC and knows one or two things about working out and exercising. He came up with a workout plan that lined up with what I was aiming for.
I read over that plan — it was very doable. I looked at it. Reread it. Googled the exercises to confirm that I was thinking of the right ones.
About two weeks after receiving the workout routine, the student followed up and asked how the workouts were coming along.
I hadn’t been to the gym yet. But I had the entire routine memorized.
The exercises. The reps. The time of rests between. The average length of each workout. I even knew where the machines were located on the gym. So I mapped out — all in my head — how to move around the gym. Now I’m able go through the whole workout while sitting comfortably on my couch.
As I cursed my former student for holding me accountable, I began to realize that this sort of inaction also seeps into my faith journey.
Let’s face it — in order to see change in our lives, sacrifices have to be made. Things actually have to change.
It frustrates me when churches want to change while wanting to remain the same. Congregations request younger clergy to help draw a younger crowd but then are upset when the young clergyperson wants to change things within the church.
The truth is, we can’t hold on to everything and expect things to turn out differently.
We can’t get healthy by eating whatever we want and never exercising. And a church can’t get healthier by doing things the way it has always done them.
I’m reminded of the words from James: “You must be doers of the word and not only hearers who mislead themselves.”(1:22)
Knowledge is power. Yet, one can be filled with knowledge and still know nothing. I believe knowledge is power when we implement the knowledge we’ve gained.
Anyone can read the Gospels. Anyone can talk a good game.
But what ultimately matters is can we play? Can we live out the gospel? Can we put our faith and the knowledge we’ve gained from sermons, reading, studying, fellowshipping and conversing into practice?
Knowing only takes us so far. But doing can change the world.
I’ve finally gone to the gym to work out. I still wish there was a way to get healthy by eating anything I want and being a professional couch potato. But that’s crazy thought.
Knowledge can make us puff up. Practice makes us whole.
Joseph Yoo is pastor of St. Mark United Methodist Church in Santa Barbara, California. He is the author of Practical Prayer and Encountering Grace. He blogs at JosephYoo.com.
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"United Methodism’s global evangelical transformation" by
By Mark TooleyThe Rev. Kabamba Kiboko, president of the United Methodist African clergywomen, responds to the message of the Rev. Jerry Kulah during the African central conferences worship service on May 15. Photo by Kathleen Barry, UMNS
(RNS) In 1992 for the first time I attended the United Methodist Church's governing quadrennial General Conference, meeting that year in Louisville, Ky. There were only a handful of delegates from African countries. Liberal church leaders from the U.S. seemed to dominate. American evangelicals, with whom I volunteered, seemed like a besieged minority.
Nobody there 24 years ago, including me, could have imagined our church's transformation from a nearly U.S.-only mainline Protestant denomination to an increasingly evangelical and global body of over 12 million in which Americans will soon be the minority.
The results of that transformation were evident at the most recent General Conference, held May 10-20 in Portland, Ore. Thanks to African delegates, who now represent more than 40 percent of the church, United Methodism left in place its traditional definition of marriage and sexual morality (proposals for change were referred for study), quit its 40-plus year membership in an abortion rights coalition and support for Roe v. Wade, rejected anti-Israel measures and also declined divestment against fossil fuels.
Evangelicals from America and overseas were elected to the church's top court, the oversight agency for seminaries and the agenda committee for the next General Conference. As the U.S. church continues to lose as many as 100,000 members a year, and theologically more conservative African churches gain more than 200,000 annually, these trends at future General Conferences likely will accelerate.
For 30 years, my entire adult life, I've worked and prayed for this evangelical shift but wrongly assumed the denomination would remain nearly all American. As a lifelong United Methodist who grew up in a suburban northern Virginia congregation in the 1970s, I observed United Methodism's decline in this country firsthand as persons my own age disappeared. The denomination has lost 4 million members in the U.S. since the 1960s, and the average age is approaching 60.
While a student at Georgetown University in the 1980s I was elevated to church offices (young people are much and often prematurely sought!), attending the church's Virginia Annual Conference, and chairing my congregation's missions committee. I became alarmed by the denomination's often controversial political stances amid indifference to evangelism and orthodox theology. My concerns in the 1990s led to my full-time employment to work for reformation of the denomination in which my family has had ties for over 200 years.
The United Methodist Church has traditionally been the largest mainline Protestant denomination in America, part of a worldwide Methodist movement that numbers around 80 million adherents.
Decades ago it never occurred to me nor to many evangelicals in United Methodism that our church's membership decline and longtime theological liberalism in America would eventually be reversed by dramatic membership growth in Africa. Nobody of whom I'm aware ever predicted that the heartland of traditional Methodism would shift from the American South and Midwest to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where there are approaching 3 million United Methodists, out of nearly 5 million total in Africa.
Evangelicals in American United Methodism were for decades often scorned by church elites. With Africa's rise, long predominant American liberals have now become the minority. The church's chief clashing points are usually over sexuality, but evangelicals and liberals disagree on much deeper theological issues about the Bible, human nature and salvation.
At the recent General Conference, talk of a formal church split became more salient. A prominent self-professed centrist pastor suggested a three-way division among liberals, moderates and conservatives. Some liberal voices, frustrated by their declining influence, for the first time publicly sympathized with schism. A formal church split appeals to some as the ostensibly easy solution to nearly half a century of conflict over sexuality.
Ann Jacob, a reserve delegate from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, reads a statement on church unity adopted in 2015 by the Global Young People's Convocation and Legislative Assembly. Photo by Paul Jeffrey, UMNS.
Except there would be little easy about it. Most United Methodist congregations are not homogeneously liberal or conservative or even centrist. A typical local church has a wide range of perspectives, reinforced by the denomination's clergy appointment system, in which liberal clergy often are appointed by bishops to more conservative churches, and vice versa. A formal denominational schism would likely mean anguishing division in thousands of United Methodism's more than 30,000 congregations, accompanied by years of litigation. The ultimate winners would be few.
Maybe such a cataclysmic denominational split for America's third largest church eventually will occur. (A thoughtful proposal at this year's General Conference allowing liberal churches that dissent from church teaching on sexuality passed in committee, but it got no plenary vote because of deferral of sexuality legislation to the bishops.) Some hope that the bishops' new study commission on sexuality will propose formal division.
I expect and prefer a less disruptive scenario. Just as evangelicals when long in the minority sustained their own subculture, so too can liberal United Methodists. For better or worse, within some limitations, United Methodism permits great freedom for local churches. But official orthodoxy is essential for any kind of unity or bright future for United Methodism.
Some liberal and conservative United Methodists envision an ideologically homogenous denomination without conflict. But no church has such purity, and most of Methodist history argues it. So too, I believe does Christ's warning against forcibly separating the wheat from the tares.
Meanwhile, there's much to celebrate about a once declining, nearly all U.S. membership church that is now growing and global, increasingly rediscovering Christian orthodoxy and the imperative of evangelism. Many of us have across decades prayed and worked for United Methodism's revival. Instead of stressing divisions, United Methodists should be thankful for our church's ongoing renewal.
"Dealing with divisions" by
By Melissa SpoelstraBigstock / Gajus
As I scroll through my social media feeds, I often click on articles related to issues that interest me. Many of them discuss faith or reactions to current developments in the Christian community. As I process my reactions and try to discern whether I agree or disagree on certain points, sometimes I read the responses of others in the comments sections. If the apostle Paul were to read some of the discussions among believers that I’ve scanned, I believe he would mourn as I do.
Of course, there are going to be times when we disagree with one another as Christians. However, the manner in which we disagree gives the watching world a glimpse of how followers of Jesus are interacting, and often it’s not a good picture — especially when our viewpoints don’t align on anything from the exposed sins of a prominent Christian leader to our interpretations of a particular passage of Scripture.
Online I read hateful words, witness name calling and watch Scripture bullies use God’s Word as a weapon against fellow believers. The Bible is a sword, but we are called to wield it against our common enemy, Satan, not each other. Through this letter to the church in Corinth, Paul models the need to address conflicts with the recipe for healing divisions among us. Whether we are sparring online, via text, over the phone or face to face, Paul teaches us that God asks us to strive for unity, especially in the midst of our disagreements.
We don’t have to conform and be cookie-cutter Christians who agree on every minute point of doctrine. Of course, theology matters. Paul wasn’t propagating an “anything goes” attitude toward the Scriptures. On the contrary, his letter to the church at Corinth sought to help realign the believers in areas where they strayed from sound teaching, resulting in divisions. The key to finding resolution is in separating preferences from absolutes. Many times we squabble over minutia and miss the big picture.
In chapter 1 of 1 Corinthians we find two specific dangers Paul addressed that can lead to divisions.
Relational idolatry
Anything that captures our attention more than God can become an idol, including people. And often the result is divisive allegiances.
I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas”; still another, “I follow Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? [1 Corinthians 1:10-13 NIV]
In this instance, divisions is translated from the Greek wordschism, which was a political term for “rival parties or factions.” Like members of a political party fiercely supporting their candidate, the Corinthians rallied around a particular Christian leader. As we bridge the gap between the church at Corinth and our local bodies of believers today, we recognize that we too struggle with making celebrities out of Christian leaders.
Many times the people we venerate after hearing them teach, reading their books, or following their blogs desire only to point us to Christ. Yet we like to attach ourselves to human leaders much as the people in the church of Corinth did. Instead, God calls us through Paul’s letter to seek unity. Paul called the Corinthians to be of the same mind or thought (v. 10). The Greek word he used is nous, which is defined as “the mind, comprising alike the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining.” Paul used an additional word to emphasize that God wants us to be perfectly united not only in our minds but also in our purpose or judgment. This Greek word is gnome, meaning “the faculty of knowledge, mind, reason.”
Judgment has become a negative word today, but let’s remember that God wants us to exercise good judgment. He longs for us to evaluate conversations, statements, actions and relationships with unity at the forefront. This certainly doesn’t mean checking our brains at the door, but it does mean using our God-given sense to see the harm in getting too attached to a particular human leader.
We can see people venerating these same types of leaders that Paul mentioned in this passage today— the spiritual father or shepherd (Paul), the academic teacher (Apollos), and the bold, authoritative leader (Peter). Others are like those in the last group, who won’t look to any human authority — other than themselves. Yet whenever a Christian leader’s charisma or celebrity overshadows the cross of Christ, danger lies ahead.
How about you? In what ways do you struggle with elevating the messenger over the message? Thank God for good leaders, but remember they have feet of clay.
Outward signs of inward changes
The second danger Paul mentioned has to do with arguments over outward signs of inward changes.
I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized in my name. (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel — not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.[1 Corinthians 1:14-17 NIV]
Some Corinthian believers sought status based on who baptized them. Though we may not argue about that specifically, church history reveals a lot of schism over the baptismal waters. Some of the greatest theologians in history such as Zwingli, Calvin, Luther and Wesley argued vehemently for what they deemed the correct methods of participating in baptism and Communion. Regardless of our practices and terminology related to baptism and Communion, we must remember that they are a gift from God, not another brand of strife for the church.
While we may disagree about how we practice these observances, we should be unified in the heart behind them, remembering that they point to Christ. Yet often we argue over the very things that Jesus gave us as tangible reminders of his love and sacrifice. We must guard against elevating form over substance.
When we fight over outward expressions of our faith — such as our preference of worship music, preaching styles, church décor, methods of baptism, modes of Communion, or anything else on the long list of things we squabble about — we don’t draw unbelievers to the incredible truth and power of the cross.
When we reflect on the cross and the anguish, sweat and blood of Christ; the loneliness and pain he experienced when the Father turned his face away; the weight of sin; and Christ’s death and resurrection — all on our behalf — all other disagreements take a backseat. The cross wasn’t a cute logo the early church came up with to solidify their brand. It was an instrument of torture. Like featuring an electric chair or lethal injection on your website, the cross was an unlikely marketing magnet to draw people to salvation. Yet it was God’s perfect plan for atonement. The cross exposes our sins of pride, hatred and disunity with others. Through the shed blood of Christ we find healing — for ourselves and our fractured relationships in the church.
Typically when I have argued over outward expressions of faith to the point that it causes division, I usually find pride and self-righteousness creeping into my soul. The cross helps us remember who we really are: sinners desperately in need of a Savior trying to get along with other sinners desperately in need of a Savior.
Paul wasn’t advocating that the Corinthians throw out all sound doctrine and teaching other than the gospel message itself. We find Paul later in the letter very clearly confronting all sorts of doctrinal issues. He simply wanted to be sure that the believers in Corinth approached differences from the perspective of the cross. We are called to do the same. Then, with an attitude of humility and grace, we can discuss our varied viewpoints without creating factions and divisions within the body of Christ. The cross helps us reimagine who we really are, aligning in unity all who follow Jesus.
As you think about the outward expressions of inward change in your life (sharing a testimony, Communion, baptism, etc.) how do those sacred practices help you remember Christ?
Ask God to bring a nudge of conviction to any areas of relational idolatry or divisions over methodology.
Melissa Spoelstra is a popular Bible teacher, conference speaker and writer. She is the author of Jeremiah: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World and Joseph: The Journey to Forgiveness. Melissa blogs at MelissaSpoelstra.com.
"Art of the Sermon: Speaking human" by
By Dan WunderlichBigstock / Maksim Kostenko
Thanks for checking out this episode of Art of the Sermon! Be sure to subscribe through iTunes, Google Play Music, or your favorite podcast app. If you enjoy this episode, leave a review on our podcast’s page in the iTunes store. This will help others discover the show!
Guest: Dr. Brian Russell – Professor of Biblical studies and Dean of the School of Urban Ministries at Asbury Theological Seminary, writer, and wpeaker
General topic: Speaking human [Show notes]
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"Cyberbullying" by Peter Surran
Bigstock/HighwayStarz
Tragedy in the news
For several days this past April, the news media in Virginia covered the disappearance of a Fairfax County firefighter, Nicole Mittendorf. After extensive searching, her car was found in the Shenandoah National Park. Worst fears were confirmed when her remains were discovered. Police confirmed there was a suicide note in her car.
As tragic as this story is, a disturbing twist makes it even more so. Allegations have surfaced that Mittendorf was the victim of cyberbullying. A website called Fairfax Underground included a thread for Fairfax County firefighters. According to The Huffington Post, “Commenters went after multiple women believed to be Fairfax County employees and volunteers, making claims about their promiscuity, sharing their photos and judging their attractiveness.” The Huffington Post did point out that anyone could write on the site, so it’s not 100 percent certain that these posts were from fellow firefighters.
Richard Bowers, Fairfax County fire chief, promised a full investigation of the posts and declared that the fire department wouldn’t tolerate “bullying of any kind.” It’s unclear how long the fire department has known about the posts and how they had been addressed, if at all.
Bowers’s comment highlights the fact that there are different kinds of bullying. Cyberbullying is a more recent type of bullying to emerge along with the rise of technology. A government website called StopBullying.gov defines cyberbullying as “bullying that takes place using electronic technology. Examples of cyberbullying include mean text messages or emails, rumors sent by email or posted on social networking sites and embarrassing pictures, videos, websites or fake profiles.” Another definition, given by the National Conference of State Legislature, describes cyberbullying as “the willful and repeated use of cell phones, computers and other electronic communication devices to harass and threaten others.”
Another disturbing story occurred in July 2014 when a teenaged girl pressured her boyfriend into committing suicide, primarily through text messages. Even though she had asked her boyfriend to delete the messages, investigators found them anyway. Now judges are trying to decide whether to convict the girl of manslaughter in the death. The legal challenges underlying a case of cyberbullying are highlighted by this case, which rests on whether the text messages the girl sent to her boyfriend are considered to be protected speech.
Gender and age considerations
When you hear the term cyberbullying, you might think the victims are mainly young and female. The previous stories demonstrate that these stereotypes don’t always apply. Cyberbullying is a particular problem among teenaged girls, however. According to a 2013 article on Examiner.com, one in six students was the target of cyberbullying within a 12-month period. Girls were more than twice as likely to report being the victim of cyberbullying.
A survey by the Pew Research Center provides important data about teenagers and cyberbullying. Conducted in 2007, they found that “about one third (32%) of all teenagers who use the internet say they have been targets of a range of annoying and potentially menacing online activities.” They affirmed that girls are more likely to experience these activities than boys; and not surprisingly, those who were more active and open about themselves online were more likely to experience cyberbullying. At that point in time, however, 67 percent of the respondents felt like they were more likely to be bullied offline than online. As the use of technology has expanded, however, it’s reasonable to predict that this percentage would have decreased.
Not just an issue for teenagers, though, adults in workplaces are increasingly experiencing problems with online bullying. In a recent survey from the National Institutes of Health, 10.7 percent of the respondents reported having been bullied. These come through threatening emails typically, but adults aren’t immune from bullying through social media.
According to adult bullying expert Carol-Anne Steringa, “Book review sites are great places for bullies to hang out.” She states that bullies seek to take power away from others and that “the mark of a bully is that they don’t know the first thing about dealing with people. They are often passive aggressive. They use pressure tactics. So if things are not going their way, they hurt rather than help.” In the case of sites for book reviews, Steringa says, “Offering honest, critical analysis about a product or service is one thing”; but an “abusive, negative rant is e-bullying.”
Responding to cyberbullying
Steringa gives advice for those who are victims at work. “Deal with it directly and swiftly,” she says. “If your supervisor is the tormentor, talk to him or her first … If it continues, take your evidence to a trusted leader at your company and your human resources contact.”
It might not be so simple for teenagers, however. The church may be in a unique position to help teens deal with bullying. “A church can create an atmosphere where we let people know that kind of behavior is not what we should do as Christians,” said the Reverend Mark Bray, senior pastor of Summer Grove United Methodist Church in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Besides creating that kind of atmosphere, the church’s youth ministries could be a valuable resource for helping teens navigate the waters of the internet safely. Parry Aftab, the executive director of an organization called WiredSafety, reported that only five percent of youth surveyed would tell a parent that they were being bullied; but one third would confide in another trusted adult. “A youth pastor could be the most likely person they will trust. So we have to prepare them to be the trusted adult,” Aftab said. “[Youth pastors] need to understand cyberbullying and sexting. They need to understand how the technology works and how it’s abused. You have a precious few minutes to do it right, and if you do it wrong you’ll never hear from them again.”
Modeling behavior
Modeling appropriate ways to treat a neighbor is an important part of how the church can influence young people — and older people, too — in avoiding bullying behavior. Parry Aftab agrees. “We need to model behavior and be that which we want kids to be. We can’t get catty about what people wear to church. We need to show them that it’s not OK to be unkind or target differences,” she explained.
Besides being knowledgeable about cyberbullying and the technology that’s used to perpetrate it, modeling appropriate Christian behavior, and being available to teens and others when they need a safe space to talk about their experiences, Aftab recommends that church leaders encourage those who have been bullied to tell their stories. “We need to encourage the kids within the church to tell their own stories, so their peers can support them,” she said.
This kind of story-sharing may also encourage those who have been bullied but are too afraid to talk about it to come forward and tell somebody. If they would be willing to do that, the process of healing can begin, as well as appropriate measures to ensure that the cyberbullying no longer occurs.
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"3 steps for a better marriage" by
By David DornDavid Dorn shares three practical steps to take for a healthier marriage. David Dorn is the Lead Contemporary Pastor for Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler, Texas. He is also the author ofReclaiming Anger, Under Wraps Youth Study and the founder of The PREPOSTEROUS Project.
"This Sunday, June 5, 2016"
- Third Sunday after Pentecost: 1 Kings 17:8-24; Psalm 146; Galatians 1:11-24; Luke 7:11-17
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Lectionary Readings
Sunday, 5 June 2016
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
1 Kings 17:8-16, (17-24)
Psalm 146
Galatians 1:11-24
Luke 7:11-17
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Scripture Text for 1 Kings 17:8 Then this word of Adonai came to him: 9 “Get up; go to Tzarfat, a village in Tzidon; and live there. I have ordered a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he set out and went to Tzarfat. On reaching the gate of the city, he saw a widow there gathering sticks. He called out to her, “Please bring a little water in a container for me to drink.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called after her, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 12 She answered, “As Adonai your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a pot and a little oil in the jug. Here I am, gathering a couple sticks of wood, so that I can go and cook it for myself and my son. After we have eaten that, we will die.” 13 Eliyahu said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go; and do what you said; but first, use a little of it to make me a small loaf of bread; and bring it out to me. After that, make food for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what Adonai the God of Isra’el, says: ‘The pot of meal will not get used up, nor will there fail to be oil in the jug, until the day Adonai sends rain down on the land.’” 15 She went and acted according to what Eliyahu had said; and she, he and her household had food to eat for a long time. 16 The pot of meal did not get used up, nor did there fail to be oil in the jug, in fulfillment of the word of Adonai spoken through Eliyahu.
17 A while later, the son of the woman whose house it was fell ill; his illness grew increasingly serious until his breathing stopped. 18 She said to Eliyahu, “What do you have against me, you man of God? Did you come to me just to remind me how sinful I am by killing my son?” 19 “Give me your son,” he said to her. Taking him from her lap, he carried him into the room upstairs where he was staying and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to Adonai: “Adonai my God! Have you brought also this misery on the widow I’m staying with by killing her son?” 21 He stretched himself out on the child three times and cried out to Adonai: “Adonai my God, please! Let this child’s soul come back into him!” 22 Adonai heard Eliyahu’s cry, the child’s soul came back into him, and he revived. 23 Eliyahu took the child, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Eliyahu said, “See? Your son is alive.” 24 The woman replied to Eliyahu, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of Adonai that you speak is the truth.”
Psalm 146:1 Halleluyah!
Praise Adonai, my soul!
Luke 7:11 The next day Yeshua, accompanied by his talmidim and a large crowd, went to a town called Na‘im. 12 As he approached the town gate, a dead man was being carried out for burial. His mother was a widow, this had been her only son, and a sizeable crowd from the town was with her. 13 When the Lord saw her, he felt compassion for her and said to her, “Don’t cry.” 14 Then he came close and touched the coffin, and the pallbearers halted. He said, “Young man, I say to you: get up!” 15 The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Yeshua gave him to his mother.[Luke 7:15 1 Kings 17:23] 16 They were all filled with awe and gave glory to God, saying, “A great prophet has appeared among us,” and, “God has come to help his people.” 17 This report about him spread throughout all Y’hudah and the surrounding countryside.
Lectionary Readings
Sunday, 5 June 2016
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
1 Kings 17:8-16, (17-24)
Psalm 146
Galatians 1:11-24
Luke 7:11-17
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Scripture Text for 1 Kings 17:8 Then this word of Adonai came to him: 9 “Get up; go to Tzarfat, a village in Tzidon; and live there. I have ordered a widow there to provide for you.” 10 So he set out and went to Tzarfat. On reaching the gate of the city, he saw a widow there gathering sticks. He called out to her, “Please bring a little water in a container for me to drink.” 11 As she was going to get it, he called after her, “Please bring me a piece of bread in your hand.” 12 She answered, “As Adonai your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a pot and a little oil in the jug. Here I am, gathering a couple sticks of wood, so that I can go and cook it for myself and my son. After we have eaten that, we will die.” 13 Eliyahu said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go; and do what you said; but first, use a little of it to make me a small loaf of bread; and bring it out to me. After that, make food for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what Adonai the God of Isra’el, says: ‘The pot of meal will not get used up, nor will there fail to be oil in the jug, until the day Adonai sends rain down on the land.’” 15 She went and acted according to what Eliyahu had said; and she, he and her household had food to eat for a long time. 16 The pot of meal did not get used up, nor did there fail to be oil in the jug, in fulfillment of the word of Adonai spoken through Eliyahu.
17 A while later, the son of the woman whose house it was fell ill; his illness grew increasingly serious until his breathing stopped. 18 She said to Eliyahu, “What do you have against me, you man of God? Did you come to me just to remind me how sinful I am by killing my son?” 19 “Give me your son,” he said to her. Taking him from her lap, he carried him into the room upstairs where he was staying and laid him on his own bed. 20 Then he cried out to Adonai: “Adonai my God! Have you brought also this misery on the widow I’m staying with by killing her son?” 21 He stretched himself out on the child three times and cried out to Adonai: “Adonai my God, please! Let this child’s soul come back into him!” 22 Adonai heard Eliyahu’s cry, the child’s soul came back into him, and he revived. 23 Eliyahu took the child, brought him down from the upstairs room into the house and gave him to his mother; and Eliyahu said, “See? Your son is alive.” 24 The woman replied to Eliyahu, “Now I know that you are a man of God and that the word of Adonai that you speak is the truth.”
Praise Adonai, my soul!
2 I will praise Adonai as long as I live.
I will sing praise to my God all my life.
3 Don’t put your trust in princes
or in mortals, who cannot help.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to dust;
on that very day all their plans are gone.
5 Happy is he whose help is Ya‘akov’s God,
whose hope is in Adonai his God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in them;
he keeps faith forever.
7 He secures justice for the oppressed,
he gives food to the hungry.
Adonai sets prisoners free,
8 Adonai opens the eyes of the blind,
Adonai lifts up those who are bent over.
Adonai loves the righteous.
9 Adonai watches over strangers,
he sustains the fatherless and widows;
but the way of the wicked he twists.
10 Adonai will reign forever,
your God, Tziyon, through all generations.
Halleluyah!
Galatians 1:11 Furthermore, let me make clear to you, brothers, that the Good News as I proclaim it is not a human product; 12 because neither did I receive it from someone else nor was I taught it — it came through a direct revelation from Yeshua the Messiah. 13 For you have heard about my former way of life in [traditional] Judaism — how I did my best to persecute God’s Messianic Community and destroy it; 14 and how, since I was more of a zealot for the traditions handed down by my forefathers than most Jews my age, I advanced in [traditional] Judaism more rapidly than they did.15 But when God, who picked me out before I was born and called me by his grace, chose 16 to reveal his Son to me, so that I might announce him to the Gentiles, I did not consult anyone; 17 and I did not go up to Yerushalayim to see those who were emissaries before me. Instead, I immediately went off to Arabia and afterwards returned to Dammesek. 18 Not until three years later did I go up to Yerushalayim to make Kefa’s acquaintance, and I stayed with him for two weeks, 19 but I did not see any of the other emissaries except Ya‘akov the Lord’s brother. 20 (Concerning these matters I am writing you about, I declare before God that I am not lying!) 21 Next I went to Syria and Cilicia; 22 but in Y’hudah, the Messianic congregations didn’t even know what I looked like — 23 they were only hearing the report, “The one who used to persecute us now preaches the Good News of the faith he was formerly out to destroy”; 24 and they praised God for me.
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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for 1 Kings 17:8-16, (17-24)
Verse 9
Psalm 146
[9] Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee.
Zarephath — A city between Tyre and Sidon, called Sarepta by St. Luke 4:26, and others.
Zidon — To the jurisdiction of that city, which was inhabited by Gentiles. And God's providing for his prophet, first, by an unclean bird, and then by a Gentile, whom the Jews esteemed unclean, was a presage of the calling of the Gentiles, and rejection of the Jews. So Elijah was the first prophet of the Gentiles.
Commanded — Appointed or provided, for that she had as yet no revelation or command of God about it, appears from verse 12.
Verse 12
[12] And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die.
She said — Therefore though she was a Gentile, yet she owned the God of Israel as the true God.
Two sticks — A few sticks, that number being often used indefinitely for any small number.
And die — For having no more provision, we must needs perish with hunger. For though the famine was chiefly in the land of Israel, yet the effects of it were in Tyre and Sidon, which were fed by the corn of that land. But what a poor supporter was this likely to be? who had no fuel, but what she gathered in the streets, and nothing to live upon herself, but an handful of meal and a little oil! To her Elijah is sent, that he might live upon providence, as much as he had done when the ravens fed him.
Verse 13
[13] And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.
But make, … — This he requires as a trial of her faith, and obedience, which he knew God would plentifully reward; and so this would be a great example to encourage others to the practice of the same graces.
Verse 14
[14] For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.
The barrel, … — The meal of the barrel So the cruse of oil for the oil of the cruse.
Verse 15
[15] And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.
Many days — A long time, even above two years, before the following event about her son happened. And surely the increase of her faith to such a degree, as to enable her thus to deny herself and trust the promise, was as great a miracle in the kingdom of grace, as the increase of her oil in the kingdom of providence. Happy are they who can thus against hope believe and obey in hope.
Verse 16
[16] And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.
Wasted not — See how the reward answered the service. She made one cake for the prophet and was repaid with many for herself and her son. What is laid out in charity is set out to the best interest, an upon the best securities.
Verse 17
[17] And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
No breath — That is, he died. We must not think it strange, if we meet with sharp afflictions, even when we are in the way of eminent service to God.
Verse 18
[18] And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
She said — Wherein have I injured thee? Or, why didst thou come to sojourn in my house, if this be the fruit of it? They are the words of a troubled mind.
Art thou come — Didst thou come for this end, that thou mightest severely observe my sins, and by thy prayers bring down God's just judgment upon me, as thou hast brought down this famine upon the nation? To call, etc. - To God's remembrance: for God is said in scripture, to remember sins, when he punisheth them; and to forget them, when he spares the sinner.
Verse 19
[19] And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
Into a loft — A private place, where he might more freely pour out his soul to God, and use such gestures as he thought most proper.
Verse 20
[20] And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
He cried — A prayer full of powerful arguments. Thou art the Lord, that canst revive the child: and my God; and therefore wilt not, deny me. She is a widow, add not affliction to the afflicted; deprive her not of the support and staff of her age: she hath given me kind entertainment: let her not fare the worse for her kindness to a prophet, whereby wicked men will take occasion to reproach both her, and religion.
Verse 21
[21] And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
Come into him — By which it is evident, that the soul was gone out of his body, this was a great request; but Elijah was encouraged to make it; by his zeal for God's honour, and by the experience which he had of his prevailing power with God in prayer.
Verse 22
[22] And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
Into him again — This plainly supposes the existence of the soul in a state of separation, and consequently its immortality: probably God might design by this miracle to give an evidence hereof, for the encouragement of his suffering people.
Verse 4
Galatians 1:11-24
[4] His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
That day — As soon as ever he is dead.
Thoughts — All his designs and endeavours either for himself or for others.
Verse 6
[6] Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever:
For ever — Both because he liveth for ever to fulfil his promises, and because he is eternally faithful.
Verse 11
Luke 7:11-17
[11] But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
But I certify you, brethren — He does not till now give them even this appellation. That the gospel which was preached by me among you is not according to man - Not from man, not by man, not suited to the taste of man.
Verse 12
[12] For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
For neither did I receive it — At once.
Nor was I taught it — Slowly and gradually, by any man.
But by the revelation of Jesus Christ — Our Lord revealed to him at first, his resurrection, ascension, and the calling of the gentiles, and his own apostleship; and told him then, there were other things for which he would appear to him.
Verse 13
[13] For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
I Persecuted the church of God — That is, the believers in Christ.
Verse 14
[14] And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
Being zealous of the unwritten traditions - Over and above those written in the law.
Verse 15
[15] But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
But when it pleased God — He ascribes nothing to his own merits, endeavours, or sincerity.
Who separated me from my mother's womb — Set me apart for an apostle, as he did Jeremiah for a prophet. Jeremiah 1:5. Such an unconditional predestination as this may consist, both with God's justice and mercy.
And called me by his grace — By his free and almighty love, to be both a Christian and an apostle.
Verse 16
[16] To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
To reveal his Son in me — By the powerful operation of his Spirit, 2 Corinthians 4:6; as well as to me, by the heavenly vision.
That I might preach him to others — Which I should have been ill qualified to do, had I not first known him myself.
I did not confer with flesh and blood — Being fully satisfied of the divine will, and determined to obey, I took no counsel with any man, neither with my own reason or inclinations, which might have raised numberless objections.
Verse 17
[17] Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
Neither did I go up to Jerusalem — The residence of the apostles.
But I immediately went again into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus — He presupposes the journey to Damascus, in which he was converted, as being known to them all.
Verse 18
[18] Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
Then after three years — Wherein I had given full proof of my apostleship.
I went to visit Peter — To converse with him.
Verse 19
[19] But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.
But other of the apostles I saw none, save James the brother (that is, the kinsman) of the Lord - Therefore when Barnabas is said to have "brought him into the apostles," Acts 9:27, only St. Peter and St James are meant.
Verse 24
[24] And they glorified God in me.
In me — That is, on my account.
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The Upper Room Ministries
The Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004, United States
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These two readings naturally pair. Two widows. Two sons. Two widowed mothers faced with the prospect of losing their children too. Luke apparently thought these two readings dance well together, too, for in 7:16 of his Gospel, the terrified onlookers take the words right out of the mouth of the widow in 1 Kings 17 when they exclaim concerning Jesus that “A great prophet has appeared among us!” Almost everyone knows Elijah’s prophetic exploits, and Luke is more likely than any other New Testament writer to describe Jesus as a prophet. Elijah raises one son from the dead by praying to God. Jesus raises a son from the dead by speaking to him. And so we have two prophets and two boys raised from the dead. Indeed, these passages anticipate and echo one another in many ways. We would do well to read them several times over if we wish to mine their meaning.
Eliljah could not keep the boy alive. The widow is desperate. Yet Israel’s God, who actively controls rain in the enemy’s territory, also controls life. The physical nature of the healing ritual has been the subject of speculation and its exact meaning remains unclear, but it does seem that Elijah seeks to transmit in the act some of his own life to the dead boy. Beyond stretching his own body over the boy’s, Elijah implores God to restore the boy to life. The final stage of the miracle is God’s response: God listens to Elijah. There is no sense here that Elijah’s physical act or his prayer account for the return of the boy’s life. This is no efficacious human ritual on its own; it is the insertion of the life of God into a dying world.
There is yet another, deeper aspect to this miraculous situation. The mother, who originally accused Elijah of killing her son, is now the mother who confesses faith in the God of Israel. God is at work, even in Zarephath, turning people toward life and truth and a future. And Elijah, who himself blamed God for the situation, is affirmed as God’s prophet in preparation for the upcoming competition with the prophets of Baal. Elijah, this mercurial conundrum of a prophet, stands tall in Israel’s history. His successor, Elisha, watched him fly away in a chariot of fire, and the Old Testament closes with the expectation that Elijah will return and usher in the “day of the LORD” (Malachi 4:5-6).
That Elijah visits with Jesus at the transfiguration is one sign, among others, that Jesus himself is the day of the Lord for which God’s people have been longing. Whereas Elijah’s plea for help is laced with some measure of frustration, Jesus’ response in Luke’s story is filled with compassion and pity. Humanity’s great need greets Jesus at the city gate. The bearer of life is welcomed to this place by a corpse, an image of the limited and fleeting nature of our bodily existence. Jesus, extending the hands and voice of life, is literally able to speak life out of death. The young man, too, speaks with life as Jesus presents him as a gift to his widowed mother.
Upon witnessing death’s reversal, the crowd, like the widow in 1 Kings 17, is compelled to confess faith in God and acknowledge that divine favor has indeed visited them in Jesus. In fact, Jesus notices and has compassion on a widow, a member of a vulnerable group for whom survival and sustenance was ever dependent upon the favor and protective care of others. Moreover, Jesus’ compassionate act returns a means of income and stability for this widow’s future. Jesus has come that we may have life and that we may live abundantly.
These stories of restoration and return speak to the delicacy of life and the power of God. We are reminded that God’s creation is far from static; rather, it is flexible, open to possibility, and capable of being reborn and used at God’s pleasure. These passages also beckon God’s people to challenge the givenness of the world’s suffering. How can Christians be more like Elijah in seeking ways to stretch their own bodies over a world in need of life and hope? How can Christians follow Jesus in embracing the world’s great need with hands of compassion and a confession that divine favor has been extended to all in the person of Jesus. May this pair of prophets make prophets of us all! Amen.
William H. Willimon
Bishop William H. Willimon preaches a sermon called "Walking with Jesus" from Luke 7:11-17: the story of the raising of the widow of Nain's son. This sermon is from A Sermon for Every Sunday, a series of lectionary-based video sermons designed for use in worship, Bible study, small groups, Sunday school classes or for individual use.
Bishop William H. Willimon preaches a sermon called "Walking with Jesus" from Luke 7:11-17: the story of the raising of the widow of Nain's son. This sermon is from A Sermon for Every Sunday, a series of lectionary-based video sermons designed for use in worship, Bible study, small groups, Sunday school classes or for individual use.
Third Sunday after PentecostCOLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 Kings 17:8-24; Psalm 146; Galatians 1:11-24; Luke 7:11-17
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1
L: In the midst of difficult times, we have new life from Christ.
P: When we think that there is no hope, God offers us healing love.
L: Come, let us praise the God of new life.
P: Let us sing and shout for joy.
L: Let us worship the One who is with us forever.
P: Thanks be to God for all God’s blessings. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2:
L: When we feel down-hearted…
P: Jesus says: “Rise!”
L: When we wonder if we can continue on our journey…
P: Jesus says: “I am with you. You have nothing to fear.”
L: When we hunger and thirst in our souls for relief…
P: Jesus says: “Come, follow me.”
L: Lord of hope and possibilities, be with us today.
P: Open our hearts and spirits to feed upon your healing word. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3:
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2036, “Give Thanks”, offer the following call to worship]
L: Whenever we feel alone, forgotten, alienated, Jesus reaches out to us to lift us from our fears and loneliness. Our weakness is turned to strength by Jesus’ healing touch.
Choir: singing “Give Thanks” through 1 time.
P: Our lives rest in the power and love of Jesus. Even though times may get difficult, Jesus is with us, offering hope and power.
Choir: singing “Give Thanks” through 1 time.
L: May our hearts be filled with love and strength as we respond to God’s awesome love for us.
P: May our spirits soar as we are lifted from our anguish to pinnacles of hope through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: singing “Give Thanks” through 1 time.
Call to Worship #4:
L: Praise the Lord with all that you have!
P: Praise and trust in the Lord with all your heart and soul!
L: For God is with us throughout all our lives.
P: God’s loving presence surrounds us and comforts us in times of trouble.
L: Rejoice in the Lord at all times, in all places.
P: For God with steadfast and loving to us all. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY/READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer:
Lord of hope and light, shine into our darkness and bring hope to our souls. Remind us again of the wonderful ways you have cared for us when we were lost. Open our hearts to receive your loving spirit. Refresh our minds with knowledge of your everlasting power and compassion. We offer this prayer in Christ’s name. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession:
Lord of power and compassion, we are so overwhelmed in these times with fears. We fear that we will not have enough of whatever we need to survive. We fear the anger and hostility that abides in the world, in our own country, in our own neighborhoods. All around us is anxiety about living. And we draw into ourselves as a response to the needs. We want someone else to take care of those in need. We want someone else to fight our battles for us. We want someone else to stop the darkness. We feel as though we are drowning in the depth of despair. But you, O Lord, are the bright light, the power to heal, the reassuring hand of comfort and strength. You offer to us healing love, strength for our exhausted souls, courage to face whatever comes, with the full confidence that you are with us in all these times. Forgive our weakness and our little faith. Give us hearts of strength and hope. Enable us to be among those who would reach out to others with welcome, healing, forgiveness, and love. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Words of Assurance:
God is reaching out for you today. God offers healing and encouragement out of God’s great love for you. It is a free gift - continually given by God. Thanks be to God. AMEN
Pastoral Prayer
Life swirls around us, O Lord. So many things are happening in our lives, in our neighborhoods, in our country, in your world. We can be so easily distracted and overwhelmed by the needs and difficulties. Remind us again that you are with us, offering compassion, strength, courage, hope. Help us to place total trust in you as we offer our prayers for healing, comfort, and hope this day. Place your healing hand on our hearts and spirits and encourage us to rise and be strong in hope for the needs of others. Enable us to be partners in ministries of peace and justice in this world of darkness. Bring your light and power to us, for we pray in Christ’s Name. AMEN.
Litany/Reading:
Using THE UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL, “It’s Me, It’s Me, O Lord” p. 352, offer the following presentation/reading. The refrain, sung by a soloist, should be sung very slowly. Each of the successive verses should increase in tempo and intensity. You may want to sing the refrain through again at the end of the reading.]
Soloist: “It’s Me, It’s Me, O Lord” UMH #352 - refrain
Reader 1: I’m about ready to give up! It feels as though every time I turn around someone or something is waiting to clobber me, to knock me down, to discredit me. I’m sick of it! I don’t know what to do. I feel like I’m in the middle of a deep, dark, whirlpool and I’m being drawn downward - I don’t know if I can fight it. Help me, Lord, Help me.
Choir: singing “It’s Me, It’s Me, O Lord” UMH p. 352, verse 1
Reader 2: I am responsible for the spiritual life of my congregation. I feel pulled this way and that way. There are so many demands on my energy and time. My family wants me to have time for them; those in the nursing homes and those who live alone need a visit, I have committee and team meetings so many nights during the month. I have to keep up with my own spiritual life, my studies, my work for you, Lord. I am drowning! Help me, Lord, help me.
Choir: singing “It’s Me, It’s Me, O Lord” UMH p. 352, verse 2
Reader 3: I am having trouble making ends meet these days. The harder I work, the further behind I seem to get. There are so many needs in my family. I feel pulled and frantic that I will not be able to meet them. I want the best for my children, for my friends, for my family, but I can’t seem to do enough. I feel as though I am sinking and will soon disappear. Help me, Lord, Help me.
Choir: singing “It’s Me, It’s Me, O Lord” UMH p. 352, verse 3
Leader: We are all in need of your healing love, O Lord of mercy and power. So many times we are overwhelmed by things around us over which we have little or no control. Help us to place our trust in you, Lord. Guide and lift us when we feel as though we can go no further. For we all stand in the need of prayer, in the need of your healing and transforming touch. AMEN.
[Optional: Refrain of “It’s Me, It’s Me, O Lord”, UMH 352]
Benediction:
Bless us and lift us up, O Lord. As we go from this place, give us courage and strength to witness to your love and power. For we ask it in Jesus’ Name.AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional Color for this Sunday is Green.
Author's Note: Have you ever wondered if there is any hope left in the world? Have you looked around you and felt the chill of deep darkness? These feelings are certainly not uncommon. Each of us, at one time or another, encounters the desolation of fear and alienation. Today’s worship setting is a reminder that God is with us in our darkness; that God gives to us light, healing and transforming love. We can rise from the swirling waters of fear and doubt to new life in Jesus Christ. The variation in color is symbolic of hope rising from the darkness of despair. The candles represent each of us, and the large white pillar candle represents Jesus.
Surface: Have several risers in front of the worship center. The lowest should be about 1 foot off the floor, others should be about six to eight inches higher. Place several risers on the worship center, putting the tallest, about 8”, in the center back. You will place a cross on this riser.
Fabric: Cover the entire worship center in black fabric, including the risers in front of the worship center. Place a second covering of dark green (very dark forest green) over the risers. Add the third covering of medium green over the risers. Place squares of light green on each of the risers on the worship center. Place one square of white fabric on the center riser on which the cross will be standing.
Candles: On each of the risers, place 5-7 votive candles. On the worship center place two green pillar candles beside the cross. Place one white pillar candle in front of the cross.
Flowers/Foliage: Use ivy at the back of the worship center to soften the edges. You may also use ivy near the floor, but the color of the plants should be a dark green as opposed to a lighter color.
Rocks/Wood: Near the base of the worship center, by the black fabric, place stones and some small branches of wood.
Other: Place a cross on the center riser on the worship center.
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Third Sunday after PentecostCOLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 1 Kings 17:8-24; Psalm 146; Galatians 1:11-24; Luke 7:11-17
THEME IDEAS
In all her well-known social and economic vulnerability in the ancient Middle East, few biblical characters embody the poor and oppressed more fully than the widow. In today’s stories, it is clear that the widows of the world are precisely whom God cares about. Elijah is sent by the Lord to a widow (I Kings 17); Jesus is moved by a widow’s plight (Luke 7). Both of these prophets of God become agents of miracles, showing holy love for those who have no refuge in society (Psalm 146).
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Psalm 146)
Praise the Lord.
Let all who draw breath praise the Lord.
Happy are those whose help is from God—
the One who made heaven and earth,
the One who created the seas and all that is in them.
Happy are those whose hope is in God—
the One who keeps faith forever,
the One who feeds the hungry
and defends the oppressed.
God will reign forever, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!
Let all who draw breath praise the Lord.
Opening Prayer (Psalm 146)
O God, who lifts us up,
sets us free, and watches over us,
visit us this day.
Lift our spirits,
and free our minds.
Open our eyes and hearts
to your words, your will,
and the miracle of your holy presence,
that we may encounter you
in the meeting of friends
and in kindness to strangers.
Lift us up, and set us free, O God.
Watch over us, we pray. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Psalm 146, 1 Kings 17)
Merciful God,
you know how we love miracles.
We love your healing, life-giving presence.
We confess that poverty and oppression
are less appealing topics.
Yet, we find you among the poor,
the downtrodden, the widow, the orphan.
In their midst we find you,
your prophets, and your miracles.
Dwell with us,
as we make the struggles of the oppressed
our own struggles.
Join us at your table,
as we join the effort to feed and clothe
those who live in want.
Grant us your compassion, we pray,
that we may truly be your people. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Psalm 146, Luke 7)
Hear the good news:
Those who seek will find help and hope in God.
In Jesus we are raised to newness of life.
Thanks be to God.
Passing the Peace of Christ (Luke 7)
As Jesus drew crowds in Galilee, so he draws us here
today. We are not alone. Let us greet one another with
signs of God’s peace.
The peace of Christ be with you.
And also with you.
Response to the Word (1 Kings 17)
Feed us, O God,
from stores that never empty.
Anoint us, O God,
with oils that never fail. Amen.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation to the Offering (1 Kings 17)
A widow in great need shared what she had, and miracles of bread and renewed life ensued. Whatever our means, whatever our needs, we each have something to share. In gratitude to God, let us offer our tithes and gifts to the One who is faithful.
Offering Prayer (Luke 7, Psalm 146)
As crowds spread the word of Jesus’ power, O God,
so may we spread the word of your grace,
as we share these gifts and our very lives
with those in need.
May these offerings be instruments of your healing,
your justice, and your good news,
in this community and around the world.
In Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (1 Kings 17)
Elijah was sent to someone in need—
not only to serve,
but that he too might also be served.
Wherever God sends you, go to serve,
but allow others to serve you as well;
and may the peace of Christ go with you.
Go in peace.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (1 Kings 17, Psalm 146, Luke 7)
Strangers meet.
Oil and grain turn to bread.
The sick are healed.
The weary are lifted up.
The prisoners are set free.
The everyday becomes a miracle.
This is God’s work.
We are its witnesses.
Let us worship God.
Praise Sentences (Psalm 146)
Praise God! Praise God, O my soul!
As long as I live, I will praise God!
Praise God! Praise God, O my soul!
God will reign forever, for all generations!
Praise God! Praise God, O my soul!
Happy are those whose help is in God!
Praise God! Praise God, O my soul!
Praise God!From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2017 is now available.
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From a Child's Point of ViewLuke 7:11-17. These two passages are very similar stories about the raising from death of the only sons of widows. Both make two important points. The first point is that God is powerful. God, working through Elijah and Jesus, can even bring dead people back to life. The second point is that God is loving and caring. God saved Elijah and the widow and her son from starvation, and God raised the only sons of two widows. In each case the raising of the son is a response to the widowed mother's plight. (At that time a woman depended upon her male relatives. A woman with neither husband nor sons lived in dire poverty.)
The widow's angry accusation of Elijah and Elijah's frustrated speech to God are difficult for children. To accept the widow's speech, one must have some understanding of the Deuteronomic explanation of suffering and the role of anger in the grieving process. To understand Elijah's frustration, one must recognize Elijah's appreciation of the widow's help and recall all that Elijah had suffered as God's prophet. The easiest way to explain all this to children is simply to say that when we are really hurting, we sometimes say mean things. Because she was so upset about her son's death, the widow lashed out at Elijah and God. God understood and kept loving her. Because his friend the widow was so upset, and because he too grieved for her son, Elijah was upset also and told God so. God understood and kept loving him.
Because these stories link God's compassion with miraculous raisings, they may raise a difficult question in two forms. Intellectually curious children may ask, "If God has the power to raise these two sons from death, why doesn't God raise everyone?" Grieving children will ask, "If God could raise those people, why doesn't God raise (my loved relative)?" The only acceptable answer to either question is, "We don't know. That is one of God's secrets." This answer needs to be given with ample assurance that God loves us and cares for us, even when we don't understand. This assurance is critical for a grieving child—for whom this discussion best takes place not in worship but one-on-one, with lots of hugs.
Psalm: 146. This psalm is a happy list of what God does to help people. The activities are concrete and everyday, so children understand most of them as they are read. Do explain unfamiliar phrases: When a prince's "breath departs," he dies; "execute justice" means to provide justice; "those who are bowed down" or "the bent" have disabilities.
Epistle: Galatians 1:11-24. Paul was trying to establish his credibility with the Galatians on their terms. To do so, he insisted that he received the good news straight from God, that he was not someone else's student. Such credibility does not mean much to children, who are constantly dependent upon the knowledge and teaching of others. They are more likely to hear in the passage a summary of Paul's change from persecutor to preacher. A particularly alert older child may ask the mechanical question, "How did God tell Paul the good news while he was in Arabia?" Unfortunately, Paul didn't tell us the answer to that one.
Watch Words
Widow may be a new term for younger children. Explain it before using it to refer to the two mothers.
In speaking of death, use the concrete terms died and dead rather than euphemisms such as passed on. Stick to one or two simple terms, such as raised or brought back to life to describe what happened to the sons.
In speaking of God's powerful care, avoid providence entirely or feature it. (Remember that providence is most recognized as the capital of Rhode Island.)
Let the Children Sing
"I Sing the Almighty Power of God" and "For the Beauty of the Earth" are hymns through which children can praise God's love and power.
"Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise" is filled with impossibly big words and strangely abstract phrases describing God. Either avoid this hymn or sing it after exploring it in the sermon (see Sermon Resource 2).
The Liturgical Child
1. Read consecutively the two stories about sons being raised from the dead. Present I Kings as readers' theater, then read the Gospel story. Three readers (the Narrator, Elijah, and the Widow) take places in the chancel. The narrator stands in the middle or most prominent place. Elijah and the widow stand to either side where they can speak directly to each other and turn to speak to God. This is a task for well-rehearsed adult readers with dramatic flair. The Good News Bible offers the simplest translation.
Narrator: Our lessons today are stories about God's powerful and loving care. The first story is from 1 Kings 17:8-24. It is the story of Elijah and a kind widow. Hear the Word of the Lord! (Reads 1 Kings 17:87-10b).
Elijah, the Widow, and Narrator: (Read the dialogue in verses 10c through 24. Omit the "he/she saids" where it makes the reading smoother.)
Narrator: Thus ends our story from I Kings. Now hear a similar story about Jesus from Luke's Gospel. (Reads Gospel text.)
2. Ask a children's class to present Psalm 146 as a choral reading, highlighting its short phrases which name ways God helps people in need. Choose either the New Revised Standard Version or The Good News Bible.
ALL: Verse 1a
Solos: Verses 1b, 2a, and 2b
Solos (older child or class teacher: Verses 3-4
ALL: Verse 5
Solo: Verses 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 7c, 8a, 8b, 8c, 9a, and 9b
ALL: Verse 9c
Solos: Verses 10a and 10b
All: Verse 10c
3. In your prayers, praise God for all the wonders of summer: special summer activities such as swimming, hiking, and whatever summer sport is central for your children; and for the change of pace that comes when school ends.
Sermon Resources
1. Play with the how-great-is-God questions to explore God's great love and power:
"Who was there before God?" (Answer: No one. God always existed. You can't go back far enough to get away from God.)
"Who made God?" (Answer: No one. God always was and always will be.)
"How does God know what is happening everywhere all the time?" (Answer: We don't know how God does it, but we know God does.)
Make up more questions and answers. If you deal with such questions with an open, light-hearted attitude, children will gain a sense of security based on your certainty that God's love and power are bigger than we can imagine and sufficient to meet any need.
2. Invite worshipers to open their hymnals for ready reference while you work through some or all of the verses of "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise." No child will remember all the definitions or explanations. But children can sense that the words are more than we can understand because God is more than we can understand. They also can sense from you that the words and the God they describe are friendly mysteries, to be enjoyed rather than feared.
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Welcome to the new Pulpit Resource from Will Willimon. For over three decades Pulpit Resource helps preachers prepare to preach. Now in partnership with Abingdon Press, this homiletical weekly is available with fresh and timely accessibility to a new generation of preachers.
No sermon is a solo production. Every preacher relies on inherited models, mentors in the preacher’s past, commentaries on biblical texts by people who have given their lives to such study, comments received from members of the congregation, last week’s news headlines, and all the other things that make a sermon communal.
No Christian does anything on their own. We live through the witness of the saints; preachers of the past inspire us and judge us. Scripture itself is a product of the community of faith. A host of now-forgotten teachers taught us how to speak. Nobody is born a preacher.
Pulpit Resource is equivalent to sitting down with a trusted clergy friend over a cup of coffee and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Whenever I’ve been asked by new preachers, “How can I develop as a preacher?” my usual response is, “Get in a group of preachers. Meet regularly. Learn how to give and how to receive help. Sort through the advice of others, and utilize helpful insights.”
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