Ministry Matters: Preach, Teach, Worship, Reach, Lead "Big churches, big bucks | Faith non-negotiables | Wesley's spiritual dynamite" for Tuesday, 9 September 2014
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I SAW A MAN BEHEADED by David Dorn
<iframe width="600" height="338" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/wMyh4m_3nDM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>I recently saw a man beheaded at the hands of ISIS and it's changed the way I see the world.
CHRISTIAN GROUP SANCTIONED AT TWO DOZEN COLLEGE CAMPUSES by Kimberly Winston / Religion News Service
(RNS) A well-established international Christian student group is being denied recognition at almost two dozen California college campuses because it requires leaders to adhere to Christian beliefs, effectively closing its leadership ranks to non-Christians and gays.
California State University, which has 23 campuses, is “de-recognizing” local chapters of InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, an evangelical Christian group with 860 chapters in the United States. The university system says InterVarsity’s leadership policy conflicts with its state-mandated nondiscrimination policy requiring membership and leadership in all official student groups be open to all.
“For an organization to be recognized, they must sign a general nondiscrimination policy,” said Mike Uhlencamp, director of public affairs for the California State University system. “We have engaged with (InterVarsity) for the better part of a year and informed them they would have to sign a general nondiscrimination statement. They have not.”
InterVarsity, active in the United States since 1947, has been challenged on more than 40 college campuses, but CSU, with 447,000 students, is the largest to ban it so far. Other schools that have challenged InterVarsity include Vanderbilt University, Rollins College and Tufts University.
The challenges stem from a 2010 Supreme Court decision that ruled a public college can refuse to recognize a religious student organization with an “all-comers” policy if its religious beliefs are effectively discriminatory.
InterVarsity policy states membership is open to all, but leaders must affirm its “doctrinal basis,” which declares belief in “the entire trustworthiness” of the Bible. Many Christians who read the Bible literally also argue it prohibits homosexuality.
Some campuses have reached an agreement with InterVarsity that permit chapters to remain on individual campuses. Ohio State University rewrote its student organization registration guidelines to read, “A student organization formed to foster or affirm the sincerely held religious beliefs of its members may adopt eligibility criteria for its Student Officers that are consistent with those beliefs.”
Other religiously oriented student groups have signed nondiscrimination policies where required, including Jewish, Catholic, mainline Protestant and Muslim groups. Hillel, the largest Jewish student organization, reports some local chapters have elected non-Jews to some posts.
In a video statement posted to the InterVarsity website, spokesman Greg Jao said the CSU decision means local chapters will lose access to on-campus meeting rooms, student fairs and other official school functions. He estimates the annual cost of covering those losses will be about $20,000 per chapter.
But Uhlencamp said, in effect, the impact will be much less. “We are not disbanding them, they have not been removed from any of our campuses,” he said. “They are just not an officially recognized student organization. They will still have access to meeting rooms, they just will not receive as steep a discount.”
He noted the school’s policy dates to 1972 and is mandated by state law.
CSU originally notified InterVarsity that its policy put it in conflict with university rules a year ago and then gave the group one year to respond. In his video statement, Jao said changing InterVarsity’s leadership policy would undermine its Christian foundation.
“We don’t believe we can affirm a policy that forces us to compromise Gospel faith and Christian integrity without undermining our commitment to help students become real world changers, not just world accommodators,” he said.
Ministry Matters
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Jesus and the gossip column by Tom Fuerst
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Certainly, the Bible and the stories it records are more complex than “literal” history, in a fundamentalist Christian sense of “literal.” And certainly, understanding the historical and literary traditions within the Bible is a complex matter.But it’s posts like this, citing half-baked theories and unsupported upchuck from an obviously biased position that merely retrenches the general public in a religious impasse, deadlocking us in theories that even many modern scholars – of all varieties – consider nonsense or outdated.
But understanding that these issues are more complex than many Christians realize is not the same thing as agreeing with the scholars in this article, who are neither saying anything remotely threatening to the existence of Jesus, nor are they saying anything new in the realm of NT scholarship.
It’s not new news that Paul’s letters preceded the writings of the gospels. That’s taught in NT Intro classes all over this nation – both in secular universities and in conservative Christian liberal arts colleges. And the early dates of Paul’s letters are not in the least a problem for the historical existence of Jesus or the church that was built on his life, death, resurrection, and teachings. In fact, they show us that the Christian communities, from quite an early date, understood things like death and resurrection of Jesus to be central to the Christian proclamation.
Continuing with Paul, it’s not new news that Paul doesn’t mention many of the life events of Jesus – one simply has to read his letters to observe this. But Paul was not trying to retell the story of Jesus in narrative form. He was writing personal letters to communities of people he could assume already knew those stories through the oral traditions that later became the gospel. Further, Paul DOES mention several of the events in the life of Jesus, most importantly, the very one modern scholarship wants to discredit: The Resurrection of Jesus, which by all historical-critical evaluative measures did happen. The only reason to assume it didn’t is if you have a prior a-theologizing philosophical assumption that assumes miracles are not possible. Read real scholars like NT Wright (instead of Crossan and his ilk) and get back with me when you’re ready to actually discuss the subject in a meaningful way.
Further, it’s not new information that the gospels were written down decades after the life of Jesus. It’s only even noteworthy to us because we are a writing culture. The first century was largely oral. These stories didn’t just get invented or come into existence 40 years after Jesus. No, they existed as oral traditions (and oral cultures know how to preserve oral traditions better than writing cultures do, in some cases) long before they were written down or combined into a single unit.
Additionally, the claim that the witnesses of the gospels are invalidated because they “contradict” each other runs rife with ignorance. People who say this clearly do not understand the nature of how historical research is done. If they did, they would be grateful for the so-called contradictions. Yes, that’s right. I’m not claiming the gospels present a unified synopsis of the life of Jesus lacking varying details. No, I’m not a fundamentalist. But that doesn’t mean their testimonies are invalidated. See, if Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John all agreed with each other at every single point, then we would assume they’d collaborated together and their testimony would be relatively invalidated (by historical scholarship measurements) because it would only be one testimony, not four.
In the court of law, when multiple witnesses say the exact same thing, without varying at all, there testimony is questioned precisely because they so accurately agree with each other. But when it comes to the gospels, it is precisely because these documents contain a variety of perspectives, interpretations, and even details, and yet agree on the main themes and activities of Jesus, that historians can consider them each unique, but amazingly similar, witnesses to the historical Jesus. I understand my law-court metahor may be a bit simplistic, but the point is, the claim that the gospels contradict themselves is only a problem for fundamentalist Christians, pop-level agitators, and shoddy scholars. Anyone who understands the difficulties of historical criticism knows this is not a problem, but is possibly even support for the historical claims made by the authors of these texts.
Next, with the authorship of the gospels, it is not new news that they may not have been written by Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. Even conservative scholars like Ben Witherington argue that, for example, John, was written by Lazarus. These books claim no authorship. The tradition of the church has given names to these books, but the tradition is not binding.
(And as far as the authorship of Paul’s letters goes, that’s not new news either. After all, even if a few of those documents weren’t written by Paul, they still contain largely Pauline themes, and the church throughout history has agreed that they reflect the values, teachings, doctrines, and ethics of one of the earliest Christian communities.)
Also, it is not new news that liberal scholars, conservative scholars, and every scholar in between might come up with a new angle on the so-called “Historical Jesus”…you know, since we have an entire social-scientific academic enterprise that values nothing if not inventing knowledge. John Dominic Crossan, in this article says these various Jesus characters appearing in modern scholarship are an embarrassment to the discipline. Well, you know, I agree. But for Crossan to say that is like a drug lord criticizing drug dealers. He is the absolute worst offender.
Next, it is not new news that many of the themes, rituals, images, and stories of the New Testament have ancient Greco-Roman counterparts. Even Jesus borrows stories, like the Rich Man and Lazarus, which has a very close tie to an apparent Egyptian predecessor. But so what? The New Testament writers (ehem, like the Old Testament writers before them) were extremely talented at observing, interpreting, criticizing, and appropriating the culture around them for the good of the gospel. Does that mean Jesus didn’t act symbolically, just because that symbol had already been used? Or could it mean that Jesus wanted to subvert that prior story and show that its ultimate themes can only be fulfilled in him? The question is much more complex than lame statement, “The early Christians stole cultural stories and then applied them (implied: unthinkingly/ignorantly applied) them to Jesus.”
When a NT scholar claims that Jesus may not have existed because of the lack of outside references to him, I seriously have to question his scholarship. First of all, how many people from ancient history do we assume existed, though we have far fewer pieces of evidence than we do supporting the existence of Jesus? Second of all, should we really expect to have birth records of a kid born in one of the smallest towns in the backwoods of the Roman Empire? Should we really expect to have a ton of reportage about a poor teacher who traveled around with a band of twelve random followers (and, yes, Dr. Ehrman, Paul did refer to the disciples of Jesus explicitly in I Corinthians 15:6, where he calls them “the twelve.”). If you want to only appeal to “outsider” texts for the evidence of anyone’s existence, then you’re going to have to question almost everyone in history’s existence.
This is not to say I’m against the questions. This is not to say that questioning the existence of Jesus, or the reality of miracles, or anything is out of bounds. It’s not. If I’m going to say that my faith has certain historical roots (the resurrection, which presumes the incarnation, which presumes historicity), then I better be ready to evaluate the evidence of those claims. That’s fine. Further, I am not a fundamentalist Christian. I don’t believe every passage in the Bible has to be taken literally or the whole thing falls apart. But I also think that we need to be a little more responsible in giving such a valuable platform to minority scholarship. The latest fads of Reza Aslan and Bart Erhman are more just pop-fascination with dumbed down versions of better scholarship and better questions, even from the “unbelieving” community of NT scholars. When most scholars in a given discipline disagree with you (as the article clearly states!), then you should probably consider writing about the subject in a way that will help the public actually understand the real issues. But, then, of course, I’m not the one trying to make money by drawing hits to my webpage, so what do I know? And, really, what more should I expect from an online magazine that also runs hard hitting news about government officials learning slang terms for body parts.
Tom Fuerst blogs at Tom1st.com. You can subscribe to his blog via email here.
Let's talk about sex #UMC by Christy Thomas |
An article in the New York Times recently caught my eye. Titled “Let’s Not Talk About Sex,” it is written by Paul A. Offit, a professor of pediatrics and director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He writes despairingly of the very low compliance levels for the HPV vaccine. He wrote:
About 79 million people in the United States have been infected with HPV, and 14 million new infections occur every year. As a consequence, 18,000 women and 8,000 men suffer preventable cancers of the cervix, anus, penis and throat; it’s the most common, and except for H.I.V., the most fatal sexually transmitted disease.Since the three-dose vaccine should ideally be started for both boys and girls around age 11, Dr. Offit thinks that the main reason it is not getting out there is that physicians — and parents — don’t want to talk about sex or even consider the possibility that their children might indeed be sexual someday. And not only sexual, but sexual outside of marriage, with partners who themselves will have had other partners.
We just don’t want to think about it.
A friend of mine, a professional therapist who does a lot of work with couples who are having sexual problems, told me that he often asks his clients two questions. One: What did your church tell you about sex when you were growing up? Two: What did your parents tell you about sex when you were growing up.
The answers are nearly invariably: “Don’t and Nothing.”
That’s it. Don’t and Nothing.
And then the hormones hit. Frankly, this is far worse now than in previous generations because youth are going into puberty earlier and then marrying later. So we have an extended time when emotionally, socially and spiritually immature pre-pubescent children, teens and young adults can and generally do explore their sexuality. And what does the church and the family do about this? We tell them, “Don’t” or “Nothing.”
It’s not working. Probably never did, but it really is not working now.
Yes, there are a few, a very few, who make it to the wedding sexually inexperienced. Or maybe not sexually inexperienced but perhaps technically virgins. But by then, most have already been exposed to HPV and a host of other sexually transmitted diseases anyway since much exposure comes from activities other than just sexual intercourse.
But more than that, the churches’ steadfast “Don’t” means that churchgoing teens who are experimenting sexually find themselves in a guilt/silence bind that is quite destructive to their nascent spiritual lives.
I am hearing of more and more young teens, even preteens, self-identifying as gay or lesbian. While many may be indeed be sexually wired that way, others are confusing what is a normal pre- or early adolescence same-sex exploration with a permanent gender identity — because we are not talking about sex.
So youth learn about sex from possibly the worst sources ever — their peers, sex-infused media, and widely available pornography. Do we really want our kids learning about a topic that will affect them the rest of their lives from such sources? That would be akin to assigning a kiddie train engineer to teach a fighter pilot how to land on an aircraft carrier. No good results come from this.
It’s time to talk about sex.
Christy blogs at ChristyThomas.com.
When every day is Disneyland by Craig Kennet Miller |
I wonder what my son’s life will be like when he is my age. His childhood is already vastly different than mine was. I grew up with Mickey Mouse, Superman, and Batman, characters from my favorite comic books. He has grown up with Mario, Sonic, Bowser, Princess Peach, Zelda, Link, Pikachu, Spyro, and Donkey Kong from his favorite video games.
While I had the complete set of the Hardy Boys mysteries on my bookshelf, he has a complete set of 39 Clues, Percy Jackson, and The Hunger Games on his Kindle. While my family had a black-and-white TV, he has access to a variety of screens, from a Kindle Fire HD, to a Wii U game pad, to a Nintendo DS, to an old Mac Pro his sister used at college, to the HD TV that sits in our family room, not to mention the smartphones my wife, daughter, and I carry around with us as lifelines to the World Wide Web. Daily he reminds me that all his friends have smartphones, so he should have one too.As a kid growing up in Southern California, I wished every day included a trip to Disneyland. All year long I looked forward to our annual trek to the happiest place on earth. It was a world of wonders where at each intersection of the park I could make a choice to travel to a different land. I could walk down Main Street and go into Sleeping Beauty’s Castle. I could go to Adventureland, to ride the Jungle Cruise as wild animals tried to swamp the boat. I could go down a waterfall on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in Frontierland. In Fantasyland I could relive a cartoon on Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. And in Tomorrowland, I could imagine a future with picture phones, color TVs with remotes, and plastic houses at the Monsanto Chemicals House of the Future.
Each ride was a carefully crafted experience created by imagineers; the genius developers who knew how to turn the everyday thrill ride into a story. You didn’t just get on a roller coaster; you went on bobsleds in the Swiss Alps as you rode the Matterhorn, the iconic ride that every kid looked for as they entered Anaheim.
The worst part about going to Disneyland was going home. You knew it would be a long time before you were again immersed in a world of imagination that consumed your every thought and action.
For my son and his generation, every day is like going to Disneyland—their entertainment choices are at their fingertips. The same imagineers who created the rides at Disneyland now spend thousands of hours creating immersive games that grab gamers’ attention whenever they turn on a smartphone, tablet, or game system.
Games with names like Dragonville, Candy Crush, and Doodle Jump can be downloaded onto a device, and within seconds gamers jump into the newest carefully crafted scenario that makes them want to come back for more.
To have fun, children today don’t have to get in a car and ride to a theme park; they just have to text, chat, or livestream with their friends from the privacy of their bedrooms. If they feel goofy they can use Snapchat to send a video or picture that “disappears” in a few seconds. They can update their Tumblr site or Facebook account to let their friends know what they are watching online, or they can let them in on the latest news about their friends and school. And they can do this at any time of the day or night.
Before the year 2000, children lived in a world in which it was easy to distinguish between the digital world of created experiences and the analog world of everyday life. While the children of the 1980s and 1990s played computer games, had first- and second-generation gaming systems like Game Boys and Sega, and were kept busy watching videos of their favorite movies like The Little Mermaid and The Lion King, their entertainment choices pale in comparison to the 24-7 always-on digital world our children and teens inhabit.
It was just a few years ago, in 2007, that Apple introduced the iPhone, the revolutionary device with something called apps that allowed users to simply touch the screen to make choices. You no longer needed a computer to access Facebook, to get driving directions, or to find a best-reviewed restaurant. The iPhone allowed you to take clear pictures and videos, which you could upload and share with others. It also came with games that took advantage of the touch screen to give you a gaming experience that was not available on a PC.
Today’s generation of children and emerging teens have taken to smartphones and tablets like ducks to water. For them having *techgear is a birthright. It is their access to their culture, it’s the way they connect to one another, and it’s the way they navigate childhood and adolescence.
As the parent of an “iKid,” a member of the generation of children and teens born since 2000, I began to wonder how all this techgear was influencing parents, children, and the newly minted teenagers who had recently celebrated their thirteenth birthdays. I spent a year sifting through books and articles and talking to parents, pastors, and teachers as I investigated the pros and cons of the emerging digital culture of the iKids generation.
The one discovery that most resonated with me was this: We are in the midst of a great experiment. No one knows how the use of techgear and digital media is affecting the mental and social development of iKids. Whether it’s Toys’R’Us selling a line of tablets for four-year-olds or school systems giving children iPads so they can take the Common Core test online or parents giving eight-year-olds smartphones so they can track them when they go to school, the iKids are immersed in a screened-in environment that beckons them at every turn.
The only thing we know for sure is that as our society purchases techgear in record numbers and puts it in the hands of our youngest generation, we are faced with a slew of questions that won’t be answered until the iKids are in their twenties and thirties.
Beyond the family, every retailer and online business is trying to figure out how to best use the latest devices to connect with the iKids. Children and young teens are not simply users of iPhones, Samsung Galaxy tablets, game sites like Webkinz, or social networks like Facebook. They are salespeople working on behalf of the brands they love. Whenever an iKid signs up for something or says they “like” it, they are adding to the value of that device or app. When I was a child I was just a passive viewer of my favorite TV program. Now digital companies actively track iKids’ choices because the use of their products increases their bottom line.
As households, schools, corporations, and places of worship embark on a race to catch up with the newest, fastest, and most innovative techgear and apps, we would do well to remember that children are not miniature adults with fully developed bodies, values, and emotions. They are under construction. No matter how great our technology, the unassailable fact remains that the human body develops over time. It is not until a person reaches his or her early twenties that the brain is fully formed.
Children and teens are not just nodes on a digital network. They are persons of worth, created by God, who are at their most vulnerable and are at the time in their lives when they decide on their values, their beliefs, and the nature of the relationships they will have in the future.
While it may appear that I am a technophobe, ready to shut down the World Wide Web, in fact the challenge of a parent is finding the right balance between digital and analog, between images on a screen and face-to-face interaction, between virtual and real.
In my book, you will discover how the emerging digital culture is influencing and impacting the lives of iKids and their families. We will investigate key issues that are facing parents and iKids:
how iKids who are entering adolescence are at the peak of brain development and the implications for the use of digital media
how the parents of iKids have been shaped by their own cultural experiences
how iKids in public schools will be affected by the biggest sweeping change in education in generations, the rollout of Common Core
how corporations use data gathered from children, teens, and parents to influence their purchases
how to understand identity and privacy in a digital economy
how the values of the creative class affect everything we do
how to think about spirituality and faith formation in a digital age
Rather than a self-help book on parenting, iKids brings forth the questions parents, teachers, pastors, and Christian leaders need to examine to understand the impact our digital culture is having on our lives. Along with the main text, you will find short articles that highlight key findings and ideas.
I invite you to reflect on the world we are creating for the iKids, our children and emerging teens who are embracing the digital life and will, as every generation before has done, be creating their own culture as they move toward adulthood.
For me this topic is personal. As I have been writing this book, my twelve- year-old son has served as my cultural guide and confidant into the world in which he lives. In many ways he was my cowriter, who kept me on track and allowed me to see many of these issues from his side of the life-span continuum.
excerpt from: iKids: Parenting in the Digital Age by Craig Kennet Miller. Copyright © 2014 by Discipleship Resources. Used with permission.
*Techgear is shorthand for such items as tablets and smartphones that share these characteristics:
A self-illuminating screen that emits blue light, the part of the light spectrum that our eyes associate with daytime.
A touch-sensitive screen that allows you to manipulate and click on objects with the touch of a finger.
Customizable by downloading apps (applications), which are typically small programs for games, business applications, and entertainment.
Able to connect to the web.
Includes a camera that allows the user to take pictures and videos, which are easily shared on social networking sites
Some examples of techgear include iPhones and iPads from Apple, the Kindle Fire HD products from Amazon, Samsung smartphones and tablets, Nintendo 2DS and 3DS portable game systems, and tablets designed for young children from companies like LeapFrog, VTech, and Nabi.
Bible in the public
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So my 16-year-old stepdaughter signed up for a Bible class in high school as an elective thinking I’m sure, easy A with both her mom and stepdad being preachers. As most of you probably know the Supreme Court has allowed the teaching of the Bible as literature in the public schools for some time. If you were teaching the class what text would you use? What version of Scripture would you ask the students to read? Remember this is a public school, albeit in south central Tennessee.
The teacher is a male who attended a Southern Baptist seminary (I’m told) and for the text of the class he chose, "From God To Us Revised and Expanded: How We Got Our Bible" by Norman L. Geisler and William E. Nix (Moody, 2012). Dr. Norman L. Geisler is a prolific author and President of Southern Evangelical Seminary which he helped start. The seminary is not accredited by Association of Theological Schools (ATS) the “normal accrediting agency of theological institutions.”
In the first chapter of this book Geisler and Nix fail to tell the readers that the Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant Bibles are slightly different. They just assume the 1500’s Protestant argument about accepting what has become the Hebrew Scripture. No mention that the Christian church held an earlier version of scripture before the Jews decided what was to be “the Hebrew Scriptures."
They also make the argument that inspired means inerrancy. Indeed they have a little section entitled exactly that—inspiration means inerrancy. Then they go on to say that despite not having the original document (Bible) there are no doctrinal issues raised by the various differing manuscripts. So I must assume snake handlers (Mark 16:18) and Purgatory (I and II Maccabees) for example are disavowed in the author’s understanding of Christian doctrine.
Good teaching can overcome a bad text but I worry about the “teaching” my daughter will receive at this public school. And what about the growing Catholic population attending this public school; how would they feel about the Protestant version of the Bible being considered the norm? I thought that was part of the reason Catholics started their own school system in the 1800’s.
In any case what text would you use?
I prefer Jaroslav Pelikan’s "Whose Bible Is It: A Short History of the Scriptures" (Penguin Books, 2006) but I’m sure it is a little advanced for high school students. Or maybe "In Discordance with the Scriptures" by Peter J. Thuessen (Oxford University Press, 1999) but perhaps, "How We Got the Bible" by Neil R. Lightfoot (Baker Books, 2010) would suffice.
Would a “mainline” publisher publish a book that would serve as an introduction to the Bible for a public high school setting or would they say there is no market for such a book? Should I worry about what this teacher is going to say about my daughter’s mom in ministry given the text he chose?
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This Sunday, 14 September 201414th Sunday after Pentecost - Exodus 14:19-31; Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35
Exodus 14:19-20 The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn’t come near each other all night.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.
22-25 The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. It was now the morning watch. God looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud.
The Egyptians said, “Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against Egypt!”
26 God said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen.”
27-28 Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. God dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh’s army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.
29-31 But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. God delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, and realized the tremendous power that God brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before God and trusted in God and his servant Moses.
Exodus 15:1-8 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God, giving voice together,
I’m singing my heart out to God—what a victory!
He pitched horse and rider into the sea.
God is my strength, God is my song,
and, yes! God is my salvation.
This is the kind of God I have
and I’m telling the world!
This is the God of my father—
I’m spreading the news far and wide!
God is a fighter,
pure God, through and through.
Pharaoh’s chariots and army
he dumped in the sea,
The elite of his officers
he drowned in the Red Sea.
Wild ocean waters poured over them;
they sank like a rock in the deep blue sea.
Your strong right hand, God, shimmers with power;
your strong right hand shatters the enemy.
In your mighty majesty
you smash your upstart enemies,
You let loose your hot anger
and burn them to a crisp.
At a blast from your nostrils
the waters piled up;
Tumbling streams dammed up,
wild oceans curdled into a swamp.
9 The enemy spoke,
“I’ll pursue, I’ll hunt them down,
I’ll divide up the plunder,
I’ll glut myself on them;
I’ll pull out my sword,
my fist will send them reeling.”
10-11 You blew with all your might
and the sea covered them.
They sank like a lead weight
in the majestic waters.
Who compares with you
among gods, O God?
Who compares with you in power,
in holy majesty,
In awesome praises,
wonder-working God?
20-21 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. Miriam led them in singing,
Sing to God—
what a victory!
He pitched horse and rider
into the sea!
Romans 14: Cultivating Good Relationships
1 Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently.
2-4 For instance, a person who has been around for a while might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help.
5 Or, say, one person thinks that some days should be set aside as holy and another thinks that each day is pretty much like any other. There are good reasons either way. So, each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience.
6-9 What’s important in all this is that if you keep a holy day, keep it for God’s sake; if you eat meat, eat it to the glory of God and thank God for prime rib; if you’re a vegetarian, eat vegetables to the glory of God and thank God for broccoli. None of us are permitted to insist on our own way in these matters. It’s God we are answerable to—all the way from life to death and everything in between—not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again: so that he could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other.
10-12 So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly—or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit. Read it for yourself in Scripture:
“As I live and breathe,” God says,
“every knee will bow before me;
Every tongue will tell the honest truth
that I and only I am God.”
So tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God.
Matthew 18: A Story About Forgiveness
21 At that point Peter got up the nerve to ask, “Master, how many times do I forgive a brother or sister who hurts me? Seven?”
22 Jesus replied, “Seven! Hardly. Try seventy times seven.
23-25 “The kingdom of God is like a king who decided to square accounts with his servants. As he got under way, one servant was brought before him who had run up a debt of a hundred thousand dollars. He couldn’t pay up, so the king ordered the man, along with his wife, children, and goods, to be auctioned off at the slave market.
26-27 “The poor wretch threw himself at the king’s feet and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ Touched by his plea, the king let him off, erasing the debt.
28 “The servant was no sooner out of the room when he came upon one of his fellow servants who owed him ten dollars. He seized him by the throat and demanded, ‘Pay up. Now!’
29-31 “The poor wretch threw himself down and begged, ‘Give me a chance and I’ll pay it all back.’ But he wouldn’t do it. He had him arrested and put in jail until the debt was paid. When the other servants saw this going on, they were outraged and brought a detailed report to the king.
32-35 “The king summoned the man and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave your entire debt when you begged me for mercy. Shouldn’t you be compelled to be merciful to your fellow servant who asked for mercy?’ The king was furious and put the screws to the man until he paid back his entire debt. And that’s exactly what my Father in heaven is going to do to each one of you who doesn’t forgive unconditionally anyone who asks for mercy.”
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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary:
Exodus 14:19-31
Verse 19
[19] And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
The angel of God — Whose ministry was made use of in the pillar of cloud and fire, went from before the camp of Israel, where they did not now need a guide; there was no danger of missing their way through the sea, and came behind them, where now they needed a guard, the Egyptians being just ready to seize the hindmost of them. There it was of use to the Israelites, not only to protect them, but to light them through the sea; and at the same time it confounded the Egyptians, so that they lost sight of their prey, just when they were ready to lay hands on it. The word and providence of God have a black and dark side towards sin and sinners, but a bright and pleasant side towards those that are Israelites indeed.
Verse 21
[21] And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
We have here the history of that work of wonder which is so often mentioned both in the Old and New Testament. An instance of God's almighty power in dividing the sea, and opening a passage through the waters. It was a bay, or gulf, or arm of the sea, two or three leagues over. The God of nature has not tied himself to its laws, but when he pleases dispenseth with them, and then the fire doth not burn, nor the water flow. They went through the sea to the opposite shore; they walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the pillar of cloud being their rereward, the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left. Moses and Aaron it is likely ventured first, into this untrodden path, and then all Israel after them; and this march through the paths of the great waters would make their march afterwards through the wilderness less formidable. This march through the sea was in the night, and not a moon-shine night, for it was seven days after the full moon, so that they had no light but what they had from the pillar of fire. This made it the more awful, but where God leads us, he will light us; while we follow his conduct we shall not want his comforts.
Verse 23
[23] And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
And the Egyptians went in after them into the midst of the sea — They thought, why might they not venture where Israel did? They were more advantageously provided with chariots and horses, while the Israelites were on foot.
Verse 24
[24] And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
The Lord — Called the angel before, looked - With indignation, upon the Egyptians, and troubled the Egyptians - With terrible winds and lightnings and thunders, Exodus 15:10; Psalms 77:18,19. Also with terror of mind.
Verse 25
[25] And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
They had driven furiously, but now they drove heavily, and found themselves embarrassed at every step; the way grew deep, their hearts grew sad, their wheels dropt off, and the axle-trees failed. They had been flying upon the back of Israel as the hawk upon the dove; but now they cried, Let us flee from the face of Israel.
Verse 26
[26] And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the sea — And give a signal to the waters to close again, as before upon the word of command they had opened to the right and the left. He did so, and immediately the waters returned to their place, and overwhelmed all the host of the Egyptians. Pharaoh and his servants, that had hardened one another in sin, now fell together, and not one escaped. An ancient tradition saith, That Pharaoh's magicians Jannes and Jambres perished with the rest. Now God got him honour upon Pharaoh, a rebel to God, and a slave to his own barbarous passions; perfectly lost to humanity, virtue, and all true honour; here be lies buried in the deep, a perpetual monument of divine justice: here he went down to the pit, though he was the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.
Verse 28
[28] And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
After them — That is, after the Israelites.
Verse 30
[30] Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
And Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the shore — The Egyptians were very curious in preserving the bodies of their great men, but here the utmost contempt is poured upon all the grandees of Egypt; see how they lie heaps upon heaps, as dung upon the face of the earth.
Verse 31
[31] And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
And Israel feared the Lord, and believed the Lord and his servant Moses — Now they were ashamed of their distrusts and murmurings; and in the mind they were in, they would never again despair of help from heaven; no not in the greatest straits! They would never again quarrel with Moses; nor talk of returning to Egypt. How well were it for us, if we were, always in as good a frame, as we are in sometimes!
Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21
Verse 1
[1] Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
Then sang Moses — Moses composed this song, and sang it with the children of Israel. Doubtless he wrote it by inspiration, and sang it on the spot. By this instance it appears that the singing of psalms, as an act of religious worship, was used in the church of Christ before the giving of the ceremonial law, therefore it is no part of it, nor abolished with it: singing is as much the language of holy joy, as praying is of holy desire.
I will sing unto the Lord — All our joy must terminate in God, and all our praises be offered up to him, for he hath triumphed - All that love God triumph in his triumphs.
Verse 2
[2] The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt him.
Israel rejoiceth in God, as their strength, song, and salvation - Happy therefore the people whole God is the Lord: They are weak themselves, but he strengthens them, his grace is their strength: they are oft in sorrow, but in him they have comfort, he is their song: sin and death threaten them, but he is, and will be, their salvation. He is their fathers God - This they take notice of, because being conscious of their own unworthiness, they had reason to think that what God had now done for them was for their fathers sake, Deuteronomy 4:37.
Verse 3
[3] The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
The Lord is a man of war — Able to deal with all those that strive with their maker.
Verse 4
[4] Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
He hath cast — With great force, as an arrow out of a bow, so the Hebrew word signifies.
Verse 7
[7] And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
In the greatness of thine excellency — By thy great and excellent power.
Verse 8
[8] And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
With the blast of thy nostrils — By thine anger: The depths were congealed - Stood still, as if they had been frozen: In the heart of the sea - The midst of it.
Verse 9
[9] The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
My lust — My desire both of revenge and gain.
Verse 11
[11] Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
The gods — So called: Idols, or Princes: Glorious in holiness - In justice, mercy and truth: Fearful in praises - To be praised with reverence.
Verse 20
[20] And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Miriam (or Mary, it is the same name) presided in an assembly of the women, who (according to the common usage of those times) with timbrels and dances, sung this song. Moses led the psalm, and gave it out for the men, and then Miriam for the women. Famous victories were wont to be applauded by the daughters of Israel, 1 Samuel 18:6,7, so was this. When God brought Israel out of Egypt, it is said, Micah 6:4, he sent before them Moses, Aaron, and Miriam; though we read not of any thing remarkable that Miriam did but this. But those are to be reckoned great blessings to a people, that go before them in praising God.
Verse 21
[21] And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
And Miriam answered them — The men: They sung by turns, or in parts.
Romans 14:1-12
Verse 1
[1] Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.
Him that is weak — Through needless scruples.
Receive — With all love and courtesy into Christian fellowship.
But not to doubtful disputations — About questionable points.
Verse 2
[2] For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs.
All things — All sorts of food, though forbidden by the law.
Verse 3
[3] Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.
Despise him that eateth not — As over-scrupulous or superstitious.
Judge him that eateth — As profane, or taking undue liberties.
For God hath received him — Into the number of his children, notwithstanding this.
Verse 5
[5] One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.
One day above another — As new moons, and other Jewish festivals.
Let every man be fully persuaded — That a thing is lawful, before he does it.
Verse 6
[6] He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks.
Regardeth it to the Lord — That is, out of a principle of conscience toward God.
To the Lord he doth not regard it — He also acts from a principle of conscience.
He that eateth not — Flesh.
Giveth God thanks — For his herbs.
Verse 7
[7] For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
None of us — Christians, in the things we do.
Liveth to himself — Is at his own disposal; doeth his own will.
Verse 10
[10] But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
Or why dost thou despise thy brother — Hitherto the apostle as addressed the weak brother: now he speaks to the stronger.
Verse 11
[11] For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
As I live — An oath proper to him, because he only possesseth life infinite and independent. It is Christ who is here termed both Lord and God; as it is he to whom we live, and to whom we die.
Every tongue shall confess to God — Shall own him as their rightful Lord; which shall then only be accomplished in its full extent. The Lord grant we may find mercy in that day; and may it also be imparted to those who have differed from us! yea, to those who have censured and condemned us for things which we have done from a desire to please him, or refused to do from a fear of offending him. Isaiah 45:23
Matthew 18:21-35
Verse 22
[22] Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
Till seventy times seven — That is, as often as there is occasion. A certain number is put for an uncertain.
Verse 23
[23] Therefore is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of his servants.
Therefore — In this respect.
Verse 24
[24] And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand talents.
One was brought who owed him ten thousand talents — According to the usual computation, if these were talents of gold, this would amount to seventy-two millions sterling. If they were talents of silver, it must have been four millions, four hundred thousand pounds. Hereby our Lord intimates the vast number and weight of our offences against God, and our utter incapacity of making him any satisfaction.
Verse 25
[25] But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
As he had not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold — Such was the power which creditors anciently had over their insolvent debtors in several countries.
Verse 30
[30] And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.
Went with him before a magistrate, and cast him into prison, protesting he should lie there, till he should pay the whole debt.
Verse 34
[34] And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
His lord delivered him to the tormentors — Imprisonment is a much severer punishment in the eastern countries than in ours. State criminals, especially when condemned to it, are not only confined to a very mean and scanty allowance, but are frequently loaded with clogs or heavy yokes, so that they can neither lie nor sit at ease: and by frequent scourgings and sometimes rackings are brought to an untimely end.
Till he should pay all that was due to him — That is, without all hope of release, for this he could never do. How observable is this whole account; as well as the great inference our Lord draws from it: 1. The debtor was freely and fully forgiven; 2. He wilfully and grievously offended; 3. His pardon was retracted, the whole debt required, and the offender delivered to the tormentors for ever. And shall we still say, but when we are once freely and fully forgiven, our pardon can never be retracted? Verily, verily, I say unto you, So likewise will my heavenly Father do to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
SERMON STARTER: THE POWER OF GOD by Betty Jane YoungExodus 14:19-31; Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-25
At the end of the Apartheid era in South Africa, a system had to be established to help the people move on with life. A truth commission was set up. Alex Boraine, vice-chair of the truth commission, stated, “Is it not a better alternative to deal with the past through the means of a commission which has a limited life and move forward into the future?” A defendant who is able to convince The Truth and Reconciliation Commission that the crimes were politically motivated and that they are telling the truth, may be granted amnesty and a ticket out of prison. Although not everyone is happy with this arrangement, there are other voices speaking out about the importance of forgiveness and letting go. The trip to freedom into the new South Africa had begun. This was not the place to carry old burdens. The story regarding the end of the Apartheid era serves as a witness to the power of God and a call to faith.
The story of the escape from Egypt by the Israelites is a tale of new beginnings. It is also a story that shows the power of God. The Egyptians recognized this power and said, “Let us flee from the Israelites; for the Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” As one reads the accounts of the escape from Egypt, there is a powerful sense of God being in control. God has the power to bring darkness or light on the scene. God can part the sea and allow the Israelites to slip through while the Egyptians are drowned. We might want to sing, “Our God is an awesome God,” for God has led us into victory.
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WORSHIP ELEMENTS: SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 by Matthew J. Packer
Color: Green
Scripture Readings: Exodus 14:19-31; Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35
Theme Ideas
The passages from Exodus and Matthew share the theme of deliverance. Neither the Israelites nor the slave in Jesus’ parable do anything to earn their deliverance—it is offered in grace and mercy. The Israelites respond with a song of praise to God. The slave, however, does not show grace or mercy and is punished. Romans offers a theme of being set apart. Just as we have received grace, mercy, and forgiveness, we, who are in Christ, are set apart to do likewise.
Invitation and Gathering
Call to Worship (Exodus 15)
O Lord, majestic in holiness, who is like you?
In the greatness of your majesty
you overthrew your adversaries.
O Lord, awesome in splendor, who is like you?
Your right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,
shattered the enemy.
O Lord, worker of wonders, who is like you?
Sing to the Lord, my strength and my might,
you are my salvation!
Opening Prayer (Romans 12)
In this moment, gracious God,
you have called us away from the world
to a place and a time
where we can commune with you
and with one another.
Hallow this communion, we pray.
Calm our anxious spirits,
that we may be set apart
to hear your word of truth
through which we receive grace
to bring about the obedience of faith.
Open us to the reality of your all-embracing love,
both in this place and in the wider world.
May we, by our words and actions,
be bearers of your kingdom,
in the name and Spirit of the Christ. Amen.
Proclamation and Response
Prayer of Confession (Matthew 18, Romans 12)
Lord,
your grace and mercy are ever-present in our lives,
your forgiveness is boundless in mercy
when we fail to live in Christlike ways.
And yet, we are quick to carry a grudge—
quick to find fault,
quick to assign blame,
quick to harden our hearts toward others.
Set us apart, loving God,
to extend and model the grace you have shown us
by offering grace to others.
We pray in the name of the One who died
so that we might fully live. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Matthew 18, Exodus 15)
As Christ has forgiven us, we are to forgive others.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
In the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.
Praise to God who has triumphed gloriously. Amen.
Passing the Peace of Christ
Now is the time to share Christ’s love and forgiveness
with one another. Let the Christ in you greet the Christ in
another with signs of peace and reconciliation.
Response to the Word (Matthew 18)
As we have heard, so may we respond. Transform our
thinking and our doing, O God. May our actions speak
your mercy, and may our lives speak your generous love.
Amen.
Thanksgiving and Communion
Invitation to the Offering (Matthew 18)
In Jesus’ parable, the king forgave a debt that could never
be repaid. The slave responded by withholding mercy to
his own debtor. How fortunate we are that our God is like
the king and not the slave! As we give today, may we do
so out of the lavishness we have been shown by a God
who forgives and loves us beyond measure.
Offering Prayer (Matthew 18)
Giving God,
all we are and all we have
come from you.
We offer back to you
what has always been yours.
As you have entrusted your gifts to us,
so we return these gifts to you,
trusting that you will multiply them
to the great glory of your kingdom on earth.
We pray through Jesus
who gave the totality of his life for us. Amen.
Sending Forth
Benediction (Exodus 14)
Go with the God who can part
the troubled waters of your life
and lead you through to dry ground.
Go with the God who can scatter and subdue
all that hinders you on your journey.
Go forth in God’s might and in God’s peace. Amen.
Contemporary Options
Gathering Words (Exodus 15)
Who is like you, O Lord, majestic in holiness
and awesome in splendor?
We will sing to the Lord,
for God has triumphed gloriously.
God is our strength, our might,
and our salvation!
Praise Sentences (Exodus 15)
This is my God, whom I will praise,
the God of my mothers and fathers,
the God whom I exalt.
The Lord is mighty
and holy is God’s name!
From “The Abingdon Worship Annual 2011,” edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © 2010 by Abingdon Press. “The Abingdon Worship Annual 2015” is now available.
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WORSHIP CONNECTION: SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 by Nancy C. TownleyLectionary: Exodus 14:19-31; Psalm 114 or Exodus 15:1b, 20-21; Romans 14:1-12; Matthew 18:21-35.
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1:
L: Sing praise to God who rescues us when we fall!
P: Sing praise to God who walks with us on all our journeys!
L: Even though we fall, God lifts us and places us on paths of peace.
P: Even though we stray, God finds us and brings us back to lives of hope.
L: Thanks be to God, whose love is continually with us.
P: Praise be to God, whose mercy is over us all. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2:
L: Though the storm clouds of doubt and fear threaten to overcome us
P: God leads us into ways of peace.
L: When the darkness of war and the deep pit of anger reach toward us
P: God lifts and carries us through the darkness with hope and light.
L: Lord of hope and life, be with us today.
P: God of mercy and peace, lead our lives. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3:
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2169, “God, How Can We Forgive,” offer the following call to worship as directed.]
Soloist: Singing verse 1 of “God, How Can We Forgive”
L: Open our hearts, O Lord, to receive your healing love.
P: Restore us to life in which peace flourishes.
Soloist: singing verse 2 of “God, How Can We Forgive”
L: Our spirits are weighed down by our guilt and fear
P: Darkness surrounds us daily.
Soloist: singing verse 3 of “God, How Can We Forgive”
L: Lord, in your mercy you have forgiven and restored us.
P: Thank you, gracious God, for seeing the good in us and healing our lives. AMEN.
Call to Worship #4:
L: Sing songs of hope and peace.
P: God’s love and power have lifted us.
L: Sing songs of mercy and grace.
P: God’s mercy and forgiveness frame our lives.
L: Thanks be to God for all God’s love and mercy.
P: Praise be to God for the healing power God extends to each one of us. AMEN.
PRAYERS, READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
We sing and speak your praise, O God, grateful for the many ways in which you have healed us. Keep our hearts, our minds, and our spirits open to learn ways in which we can offer healing love for others. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
Just like Peter, Lord, we want to get all “legalistic” about forgiveness. We want to know if one time to forgive someone is sufficient. We might even be willing to extend forgiveness twice, but we have a tendency to follow the adage, “Once burned, twice shy.” Teach us to be humble and merciful. Remind us of the many ways in which you have offered, time and time again, your forgiving love to us. Heal our wounds and bind up our brokenness. For we ask this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
In the name of Jesus Christ, each one of us has received healing mercies. We are now given opportunities to offer forgiveness and redemption to one another. May the peace of Jesus Christ be with us all. AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
We love to say, “I may forgive, but I’ll never forget!” And we think that we are truly following the ways of Christ. How blind we are, O Lord. Forgiveness means wiping the slate clean, not retaining the hurt. It works both ways: letting ourselves make a decision for healing and reaching out to the one who has hurt us to offer forgiveness and redemption. None of us is perfect. We know that. But Jesus reminded us that love is the ruling component in lives of faithful living. Help us, O Lord, really receive the love that you have lavished upon us. Help us understand that love as an agent of forgiveness. As we have brought before you the names of people and situations that are on our hearts, we seek your healing mercies and tender love for them. Remind us that the same mercy and love is continually offered to us, though we falter and fail, though we seek and strive. Be with us, gracious Lord, all of our days. AMEN.
Reading
Voice:
Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.”
Reader 1:
You’ve got to be kidding! Seventy-seven times? You’re nuts!
Voice:
That’s what He said.
Reader 1:
Listen! I’m no push-over. I’m willing to let bygones be bygones and all that other stuff, but I won’t be forgiving anyone seventy-seven times, I can tell you that!
Voice:
Then you aren’t really forgiving them, are you?
Reader 1:
Well, sure I am. But I won’t be a doormat. What difference will it make if I do forgive seventy-seven times or even more?
Voice:
Maybe then you will truly let go of the hurt and step out of the pain. That’s what forgiveness is all about, not just speaking the words, but actually letting go of the situation. It doesn’t mean that you will have to let the hurt happen to you over and over again; it means that you will lay it down. You will have learned something about yourself as well as the one who hurt you.
Reader 1:
You mean, I’m supposed to learn something from all of this?
Voice:
Absolutely. Do you think God retains God’s disappointment over you when you fail and fall short? God forgives, wipes the slate clean, gives another chance, time and time again. That’s what God wants us to do: to live lives of forgiving love.
Reader 1:
But it’s not that easy, you know.
Voice:
God is with you. You will always have help with this.
Reader 1:
You’re sure of that? Really sure?
Voice:
Without a doubt!
Benediction
As you have been forgiven, now go into a world that needs your forgiving, healing touch. Bring peace and hope to others, sharing God’s love with them. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional color for this Sunday is: GREEN
[This setting is interactive. Before worship begins, have several people hand out strips of paper; each strip should be 8” long and about 1” wide. Ask the recipients to write their names in the middle of the strip and then hand them back in. You should have several people putting together these strips to create a “paper chain,” making sure that the names are on the outside of the rings. During the worship service, this chain may be brought forward and placed on the worship center, beginning at the cross and winding its way across the center and down onto the floor in front of the center.]
SURFACE:
Place a 10” riser at the center back of the table. Place a 6” riser toward the left front of the table, about 6” in front of the center riser; and place a 3” riser toward the right front of the table, about 12” in front of the center riser.
FABRIC:
Cover the entire worship center with green cloth, so that the cloth is draping down over the edge of the table and “puddling” onto the floor toward the right side.
CANDLES:
Place two clusters of three pillar candles on the worship center. The candles should be of varying heights and may be white or any color of your choosing.
FLOWERS/PLANTS:
At the base of the worship center, place large, green, leafy plants. Place smaller trailing plants, such as ivy, on either side of the brass cross on the 10” riser.
ROCKS/WOOD:
Not necessary for this setting.
OTHER:
Have sufficient strips of paper (8” x 1”) available for everyone in the congregation, even the children. Make sure there are pens or markers available for writing, and have the chain links either stapled or taped together. Discuss with your worship leader when this paper chain should be brought to the worship center. Make sure that the chain is draped over all the risers and down the front of the worship center. Have a brass cross available to place on the 10” riser.
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SERMON OPTIONS: SEPTEMBER 14, 2014Right of Passage
Exodus 14:19-31
It's hard to forget the cartoons of Mad magazine that depicted Moses as a kid. There was one of Moses in the bathtub. The water formed walls on either side, and his little rubber duck sat on the dry patch in the middle of the tub. Out in the hall, his mother exclaimed that she couldn't understand why Moses never got clean. Another cartoon depicted Moses parting the broth of his chicken soup so he could eat the noodles first. Again, his mother chastised him, that time for playing with his food. In their way, the cartoons portrayed rites of passage in Moses' life. He was running what the later biblical writers would call a race, being chosen by God to share in an extraordinary life with God. And all of Israel was picked to share in this venture, the rite of passage. I toyed with the idea of adding a subtitle to this sermon brief so it read, "Right of Passage: God Willing and the Creek Don't Rise," because several things were going on in the trip through the sea. It was by right that Israel was able to pass through on dry ground. God had chosen Israel to be his people. Nothing was able to get in the way of this choosing—not Pharaoh, not an assault on the rear flank, not even a natural obstacle.
This is not to say that a passage with God is a piece of cake. On the contrary, the Israelites had to prove themselves worthy of relationship with God as they would soon discover in the wilderness. Besides, this walk through the sea marked a transitional period in their lives, not always a simple and painless process. The Israelite army was caught in what Victor Turner would call a liminal state: a situation in which one stands between what is dead or no longer of any value and what is not yet born (or unknown). This is a fearful place to be.
Yet it was the will of God that the Israelites should be spared and given the chance to prove themselves true to relationship. God had heard their cries and sent Moses to bring them to the holy mountain. It was a great (and gracious!) work. The people were in awe of God's grace and believed in the Lord and his servant Moses. So grateful were they that Moses led them in singing a song to the Lord (Exod. 15:1).
The right of passage became a rite of passage, a celebration that accompanies a change in the life of an individual, a community or, as in the case of Israel, a nation. I read somewhere recently that when the great explorers began navigating their way through the great seas of our world, their mapmakers invariably drew dragons and other great seabeasts in the areas where ships failed to venture.
Some seafarers thought the strange creatures actually lurked in the deep to devour unsuspecting sailors if they entered the waters. Others, who refused to be put off, made history with their tremendous discoveries of new worlds. They, too, were caught between old ideas of no value and the unknown, which had yet to be born in their lives. Their rights of passage became rites of passage. Their rites have become ours, as well. We celebrate with Israel and with Columbus and Magellan; we rejoice at the accomplishments of Jonas Salk and Helen Keller and Albert Einstein—in fact, all explorers who stand at the threshold of new experiences of the grace of God, who gives us life in the unknown. (Eric Killinger)
Judged and Found Wanting
Romans 14:1-12
The idea of judging another individual has such a heavy and powerful connotation to it. One of the most liberating things about the gospel is that it is based on grace and mercy, not judgment and condemnation. This is important to remember, despite the emphasis some preachers (and church members) place on the latter while ignoring the former.
Certainly, we must make prudent choices and decisions in life. We need good judgment in how we conduct our spiritual, personal, and business affairs. This is not the same as judging other human beings by viewing them with condemnation or rejection. Christ's love compels us to love others, even those who hold us in contempt.
I. When We Judge Others, We Limit God
Scripture clearly tells us that God is at work in our lives (Rom. 8:28 ; Phil. 2:13) . God's Spirit and re-creating power are alive and at work in human life, redeeming, reconciling, and making new. We do not give God room to be at work in life when we judge others. Human beings were not meant to be categorized, boxed, or limited in any way since change is a constant of life. Imposing our prejudice, or our own personal standards on others, is sinful and therefore impairs our relationship with them and with God. If each has sinned and fallen short of God's glory, then only human conceit would measure others' lives by our own standard.
II. Judgment Limits Our Ability to Love
Discipleship, following Christ's life and teachings, involves teaching others by example. Judgmental attitudes and a condemning spirit limit our ability to love our neighbors as ourselves. We limit our ability to teach others by closing ourselves to God's Spirit, which is at work in and through us. A churchman was vehemently outspoken against persons who had contracted AIDS. His words taught hatred, revulsion, and prejudice. That changed when his adult son came home to die from AIDS. God's Spirit was at work in the heart of that father. His contempt turned to compassion. His words of rejection became words of reconciliation, calling other men and women in his church to see beyond illness and lifestyle to the humanity of the persons with the disease. Paul says it eloquently, "We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves...Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's" (vv. 7-8b ). Just as God has welcomed and claimed us, God welcomes and claims those whose opinions, appearance, and lifestyles may be very different from our own. God's ways are not our ways, and God's love, grace, and mercy are beyond what we deserve. We need to remember that when we tend to judge and condemn others.
III. Surrendering to Christ Is a Sign of Christian Maturity
Christ is in control. We need not feel that we must control all of life. We cannot do it. Life's diversity, serendipity, and spontaneity are beyond our capacity to control. When we yield our desire to be in control to Christ, we experience a freedom that unfetters us from the chains of human sinfulness.
Paul reminds the church at Rome, and those of us who read their mail, that "each of us will be accountable to God" (v. 12). God demands our obedience and worship in response to God's marvelous grace. We dare not strive for anything less, or the day might come when we may be the ones judged and found wanting. (Gary G. Kindley)
The Forgiveness Principle
Matthew 18:21-35
"Seventy times seven" is a lot of forgiveness. Once is tough enough. Twice, almost unreasonable. Remember the adage: "Hurt me once, shame on you. Hurt me twice, shame on me." "Seventy times seven?" Mother Teresa would have trouble with that! Yet that is precisely what Jesus advised in his dialogue with Simon Peter. Keep on forgiving, he counseled, even when forgiveness seems illogical. For often forgiveness is more of a gift we give ourselves than a favor we bestow on others.
I. Unforgiveness Carries a Heavy Cost
Jesus illustrated that principle with the story of a servant who owed the king a bundle. "Ten thousand talents," to be exact—several years wages. No way possible he could ever pay up! But his pleading for mercy touched a tender chord in the beneficent king, and the servant was forgiven. His account was marked "paid in full."
However, the servant soon met another man who owed him a mere handful of denarii—several days wages. The debtor pleaded for mercy but received a sentence to debtors' prison instead. The king, upon hearing of the first servant's refusal to forgive, rescinded his former offer, and the servant wound up on the locked side of a prison cell "until he would pay his entire debt" (v. 34). His refusal to forgive was his undoing. So it usually goes. The most seriously depressed person I ever met was like that. He was trapped by grief over the loss of an older brother. The brother had swindled him in a land deal nineteen years earlier. Apologies and offers of restoration had been rejected, and at last the older brother died. After the funeral, reality set in on the remaining brother—reality that he had forsaken family in order to nurture a grudge. He had been inflexible too long, and it was too late. His depression resulted from his refusal to forgive.
Current medical research indicates that persons who are unforgiving are more susceptible to a variety of illnesses than are their more tolerant counterparts. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that type A personalities (long thought to be particularly prone to cardiovascular illness) are no more likely than anyone else to suffer heart attack or stroke. The culprit, researchers say now, is anger. Type A persons are in danger only if they carry around unresolved hostility. It is anger, not activity, that places a person at risk.
Forgive seventy times seven? Jesus knew it was for our own good. People who refuse to forgive rarely do significant damage to the other person but can seriously jeopardize their own well-being.
II. Our Forgiveness Is Linked to God's Forgiveness
There is, of course, a keenly spiritual dimension to the forgiveness principle. It is an awareness of God's love for all. A woman who disliked a singularly obnoxious neighbor was put in a bad mood every morning when, while standing at her sink fixing breakfast, she would see him driving off to work. Finally, one morning she watched him drive away, and as the familiar feelings of resentment began to rise, she whispered, "He is a person for whom Christ died." That morsel of theological insight was the antidote to her resentment. If Jesus loves others enough to die for them, perhaps our refusal to forgive them is spiritually inappropriate.
A final thought: God's willingness to forgive us is somehow linked to our willingness to forgive others. So said Jesus, "Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive..." That alone is all I need to know to "forgive not seven times, but seventy times seven." As Wilford Brimley says, "It's the right thing to do." (Michael B. Brown)
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BIBLE STUDY: WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 by Keeping Holy TimeOld Testament: Exodus 14:19-31
The story of the crossing of the Yam Suph (the Sea of Reeds) is filled with nice dramatic touches. Note (verses 19-20) that the angel of God went before and behind, like divine Secret Service agents protecting the President in a crowd. The cloud also surrounded Israel like a protective screen. God’s guardianship of his people is extravagant!
Moses and YHWH drove back the water and created a dry path on which Israel could walk. Not only did the water get pushed out of the way, but the seabed dried up so Israel could walk on it. And notice—when the Egyptians reached the seabed, the chariot wheels bogged down in the mud. In some ways, this action suggests the separation of the dry land from the sea in the Creation account. God was providing another gift of creation, of life for his people.
Why were the Egyptians destroyed? The escaping Hebrew slaves were on foot. The arrogant Egyptians followed in heavy war chariots. They were too proud to go on foot, and their pride led to their own destruction. This part of the story includes the confession on the part of the Egyptians that YHWH, who was fighting for Israel, was more powerful than they and their gods. YHWH was glorified.
Epilogue
This marks the end of the Exodus story. From here we move into the wilderness. But before we leave the sea, we look once more at the waters that so recently had been divided by the power of YHWH. Everything had returned to normal, except for all the dead Egyptians, dead horses, and broken chariots floating in the water. The statement, “Not one of them remained” (14:28), echoes the comment on the plagues. When God removed the scourge, none of it remained.
Israel saw all that destruction and realized that they were safe. And they feared YHWH. Fear here probably carries some connotation of “being afraid of,” but it also means they reverenced and worshiped YHWH. They now knew that God could—and would—do for them what they could never do for themselves. They were free at last! Egypt could not do anything more to them. They believed YHWH’s promises. They also believed in Moses. For the first time, they put their doubts aside and trusted Moses’ leadership.
So What Does It Mean?
When we reflect on this story, “How?” is the wrong question to ask. A better question is “Why?” Why did this happen? To that question the answer is clear. It happened to show the liberating power of YHWH and to call Israel to faith. The power of YHWH was clear; God “gained glory” over Egypt, that is, over the forces that oppressed and threatened God’s people. The struggle was about power—the power of Pharaoh’s injustice against the power of God. Glory belonged to the victor. Victory is an important theme in Scripture, and here we see it for one of the first times. The story is also about faith, about trusting the power of God in the face of one’s enemies.
Think About It: “They were free at last!” The burden of slavery had been lifted! Under divine guidance Moses had led them out of bondage. This story has been the inspiration for many liberation movements throughout history. It shows God on the side of the oppressed, overturning the mighty, actively working in history for the cause of freedom. Do you believe God works in history? If so, on whose side? Who are some leaders who have worked with God to liberate people from bondage? How does God continue to lead the oppressed to freedom?
Psalter: Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21
This lection includes the song of Miriam (15:20-21) and part of the song of Moses. Both are very old. The oldest Israelite poem in Scripture is the song of Miriam. It may have been a spontaneous composition at the time of the crossing of Yam Suph. The core theme, stated in the first line of both songs, is the victory of God who threw horse and rider into the sea. God has overcome the power of oppression. With the story comes dancing, which became a key part of the liturgy in Israel. The song of Miriam is the ultimate expression of Israel’s faith. YHWH had triumphed!
We may have problems with the song’s military images, but we need to remember such images are also a part of our own tradition. The “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” for example, is a song of praise couched completely in military imagery.
Epistle: Romans 14:1-12
Who were the persons who were weak in faith? In the Roman church, they may have been persons seeking righteousness apart from the gift of God’s grace. Or, persons who ate only vegetables may have been members of a sectarian group, such as the Essenes (the people of the Dead Sea Scrolls) or another ascetic Christian group. Or, as vegetarians, they may have been concerned about “eating meat offered to idols.” In the ancient world, pagan temples were also the city butcher shops. Meat not used in sacrifices to the gods was sold to the public. Some Christians had scruples about eating this meat, because it likely had been offered to an idol.
Dealing With Scruples
In any case, Paul is speaking here about the practical implications of Christian love. The situations described put love to the test within the Christian community. What does the church do with these scruples about eating? This is a serious question for the people involved. The ground for tolerance is grace. God has welcomed these persons; they are baptized Christians. And we are called to welcome such as well. None of us can pass judgment on another—and persons with scruples will be able to stand because of Christ’s presence in their lives. Verse 5 raises the same issue in connection with determining the day for sabbath or for fasting.
The key is in verses 5-9: We are all different. We worship in different ways, respond to Christ differently, and follow different lifestyles. But each of us is convinced that what we do fits our relationship with Christ. No one thinks he or she is deliberately violating that relationship. We all belong to Christ.
The Temptation to Judge
Therefore, Paul asks (verses 10-12), how can we possibly judge one another? The temptation of the strong and free (who eat meat, for example, because they know pagan gods aren’t real) is to look down on those with scruples. The temptation of the weak, who have scruples and do not feel as free, is to judge those who take liberties. Paul says that we all belong to Christ. We are accountable to him, not to each other. We must accept and trust each other.
Think About It: We all have scruples of some kind. How do we accept people who have different standards? who have a different understanding of what it means to be in relationship to Christ? who may judge us as less faithful than they?
Gospel: Matthew 18:21-35
Today’s Gospel lection follows the previous teaching in Matthew on church discipline. Verses 21-22 show us how to be accountable without becoming mean or vindictive. Only a congregation that forgives seventy-seven times (that is, as often as necessary) can maintain accountability.
A Lesson in Forgiveness
The story shows Peter thinking he was being magnanimous. “Should I forgive as much as seven times, Lord?” Peter’s willingness to forgive seven times would cancel out Lamech’s threat of sevenfold vengeance in Genesis 4:24. Imagine Peter’s surprise when Jesus told him he had hardly begun to forgive. The point of Jesus’ comment and the story that follows is not the numbers, but that whoever keeps score hasn’t forgiven at all. Christian forgiveness goes far beyond counting.
Only someone who has been greatly forgiven understands how important this story is. The first servant, a minor official to the king, was really in trouble. Either he had mismanaged what the king had entrusted to him, or he had not fulfilled a contract to raise taxes from subject nations. Now he owed an unrealistic amount of money.
That’s a LOT of Money!
The talent was the largest monetary unit in the first century, equal to the wages of a manual laborer for fifteen years. Ten thousand was the largest number at the time. So the combination is the largest possible sum that could be owed—an inconceivable amount. To put that in perspective, the tax revenue for all Herod the Great’s considerable territories was nine hundred talents a year. And Herod was incredibly wealthy. How could one ever pay a sum that was infinitely larger?
Clearly, the debt was unpayable; the man’s situation was helpless. Jew or Gentile at that time could be imprisoned for debt, but Jews could not be tortured. Even working a lifetime as a free man would not avail. All this poor official could do was beg for mercy. To his great amazement, the king was magnanimous. The servant received mercy; his debt was forgiven.
Not So Much, by Comparison
The debt the servant’s subordinate owed him was insignificant by comparison. There was an almost infinite contrast between the two. If this debt were collected, the first servant would have 1/600,000th of what he owed! Still it was an honest debt. It was a pretty good sum, but it could be repaid. This second servant did just what the first had done—he asked for mercy, but not for the debt to be forgiven. He was perfectly willing to pay it. All he asked for was a little patience, until he could get the money together.
The first servant was not forgiving. He had his fellow servant put in prison (thus eliminating any hope of payment). His action was so reprehensible that his fellow servants reported him to the king. In a fit of righteous wrath, the king unloosed his anger on the unforgiving servant. Not only did he reinstate that huge debt, he ordered the man tortured until the debt was repaid (though there would be no chance that it could be). That meant a lifetime of torture. What is the point? The sure evidence we know we are made righteous by the grace of God rather than our own effort is our willingness to forgive persons who have wronged us. If we fail to forgive others, we lose God’s forgiveness.
Think About It: Accountability is derived from forgiveness. Isn’t that contradictory? How is accountability linked to forgiveness? Without forgiveness, how is it possible to be accountable? Can we lose God’s forgiveness if we don’t forgive in turn? Is God’s forgiveness conditional?
Study Suggestions
A. Power, Faith, and Victory
Begin by reading Exodus 14:19-31 and the commentary above. Ask: What is happening here? List responses on chalkboard or a sheet of paper in rough chronological order. Ask: What did God do in this story? What did Moses do? Did they need each other? (Moses needed God, and the story suggests that God chose to need Moses.) What are some amazing details in this story?
Remind the group that God parted the sea and caused it to come crashing back on the Egyptians. As the commentary points out, the crucial question is not how, but why God did this. What does this say about God’s power and purpose? about the destruction of some people for the salvation of others? about how and to what end God works in history?
Ask: What have we learned here about faith and works? List responses on the chalkboard or paper.
B. A Song to the Lord
Read Exodus 15:1b-11, 20-21. This couplet (20-21) is the oldest Hebrew poetry in existence. Ask: What do you think about how the Israelites celebrated this triumph of God? Does the song seem like honorific praise? gloating? something else? Is there any comparable situation in the world where we could sing a similar song? How would we know the victory was God’s? Does God take sides? Who are the vanquished? the victors? What was the price of victory?
C. Explore Some Practical Issues
Read Romans 14:1-12 and the commentary above. Ask: What was the situation here? What was going on in the church that put love to the test? What do these issues have in common? (They were setting up some persons as different from the majority.) Who are those “weak in faith”?
Ask: Whom do we single out as different? What tests love in our relationships with those people? What is our attitude toward those with different religious practices than ours?
Read again verses 5b-9. Ask: In all our differences in the church, what do we have in common? (We belong to Christ.) What are the practical implications of belonging to Christ? (We dare not judge one another.) Discuss the temptations of the “strong” and the “weak” to judge. Do these generalizations seem accurate? What is the effect of carrying these judgments to some conclusion, in terms of behavior toward the other?
Ask participants to sit quietly and think about how we see judging and despising in the life of our church.
D. Seventy Times Seven
Read Matthew 18:21-22 and the commentary above. Discuss the questions in the first “Think About It” paragraph. Then ask: Are the numbers important for forgiveness? Can you imagine keeping score to nearly five hundred times? What do the numbers really signify? What makes it difficult to forgive?
Now read Matthew 18:23-35. Unpack the details: the valuation of the debts, the extent of the king’s wrath, the possibilities for punishment and repayment of the debts. Ask: With whom do we identify in this story? Why? Why was the king so angry? Do we forfeit God’s forgiveness if we don’t forgive? Can we forgive like God does? Invite members to share their experiences with forgiveness.
Ask: What have we learned here about faith and works? Add responses to the list.
E. Celebrate Us and God
Reflect on the list of responses about faith and works. How do they enrich your relationship with God? Read Exodus 15:20-21 aloud together. Then sing “Come, Ye Faithful, Raise the Strain.” Close with prayer asking God for help in forgiving, not judging one another.
Adapted from Keeping Holy Time: Year A © 2001 Abingdon Press
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The story through Mary's eyes by Adam HamiltonSilent night, holy night,
all is calm, all is bright
round yon virgin mother and child.
Holy infant, so tender and mild,
sleep in heavenly peace,
sleep in heavenly peace. ¹
Silent Night. From the carols we sing to the art on our Christmas cards, we are surrounded by images of the serene young Mary in clean, beautiful robes, holding the calm baby. Who is she? Was that what that night was really like? How did this young mother remember it in the years to follow?
We have a picture of what that first Christmas must have been like for the young mother: perfect, starlit, holy. The reality, however, was not unlike our own lives. There was joy, but it was mixed with pain and sorrow, uncertainty and adversity. This was true throughout her life, with blessings and pain intermingled.
This year we’ll be preparing our hearts for Christmas by looking at Jesus’ life through Mary’s eyes. In focusing on Mary, we’re going to do something a bit unusual. We’ll tell her story by starting not at the beginning but at the end. In the first chapter we’ll start with Mary’s death and the last years of her life. Then in each succeeding chapter we’ll work our way backward, from the Cruci xion and Jesus’ ministry, to his discovery in the Temple as a twelve-year-old boy, to the announcement of the Savior to come, until finally we will end on Christmas Day with the birth of Jesus. In each chapter we’ll consider the meaning of the birth of Jesus by looking at the signi cance of his life, death, and resurrection.
I invite you to travel with me and experience the story of a not-so-silent night, of a young mother unexpectedly chosen by God to bring the Christ Child into the world. Along the way, we will discover the gifts she received at each stage of his life, and we will receive them too: the hope of resurrection found in the garden, the salvation gift of the cross, a new way to live that Jesus taught in his ministry, and the ever-present gift of God’s grace.
As Mary learned, God doesn’t promise a perfect, peaceful life or a silent, holy night. She was blessed, God-favored, and grace- filled, yet her troubles did not end. That’s how life was for Mary, and that’s how life is for us. Life doesn’t go according to our plans. Sometimes it’s hard and painful and scary. Yet, in the messiness of life, God is at work, bringing blessing out of pain. That’s the message of Christmas.
excerpt from: Not a Silent Night: Mary Looks Back to Bethlehem by Adam Hamilton. Copyright © 2014 by Abingdon Press. Used with permission.
¹ "Silent Night, Holy Night," Joseph Mohr, 1818; translated by John F. Young, The United Methodist Hymnal (Nashville: The United Methodist Publishing House, 1989), 239.
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Engaging millennials on your team by Jolene Cassellius Erlacher“It was just very, very hard at times,” Sean said of his first ministry position. “Pastor and I didn’t always see eye to eye, and we didn’t always understand each other. He didn’t understand where I was coming from, the mind of a 23-year-old.” Sean, like many other Millennials who once felt called to ministry, found himself working in corporate America just two years after graduating with a ministry degree. His experience on his first ministry team left him disillusioned and resulted in his pursuit of a new career path.
Millennials, aged 18-35, are the youngest members of most ministry teams. The generational views they possess affect communication styles, work ethic, expectations of leaders and colleagues, views on ministry priorities, and definitions of success. They sometimes conflict with the views of more experienced team members. Wise leaders understand the importance of engaging these differences for the growth and effectiveness of the team before they threaten ministry effectiveness. While perhaps the most important step for any healthy team is understanding the basis for generational differences (download a free chapter of my book for more on this!), there are several keys to engaging Millennials on your intergenerational ministry team:
Take time for team relationships.
Trust is the foundation of any healthy team, but it takes time and effort. Amidst the urgency of ministry demands, team building requires intentionality and prioritization, especially for those whose personalities or perspectives do not naturally resonate. Millennials desire ministry teams that feel like a family, not a business. When was the last time your team sat around and discussed why they feel called to this ministry? Do you know what is going on in each other’s families? Is there regular discussion of what dreams God is putting in the hearts and minds around your church office? While team relationships are critical, even more important to Millennials is how team members relate to leaders. Accustomed to engaged parents, Millennials expect leaders who want to coach and mentor them. Is there a culture of honesty, trust, mentoring, and encouragement between leaders and those working with them? Without healthy, authentic relationships, young adults will quickly become disengaged.
Encourage questions and honest dialogue.
“Why?” is the question of childhood and youth, and today it has become the question of young adults. In many leadership contexts, questions arise from those holding dissenting opinions. They come as a form of challenge to decisions or goals. As a result, we sometimes develop a resistance to questioning, seeing it as a sign of conflict to resolve and thus additional work in our already busy lives. When young adults ask “why?” however, they genuinely want to understand the reasons behind traditions, decisions, and initiatives. Like a three-year-old who wants to know why the sky is blue, they are not asking to annoy us, they truly desire to understand.
Consider the young man who asked, "Just when was it decided and who decided that a church service consisted of singing a few songs and then having to sit and listen—bored or not—to someone speak to me for 30 minutes to an hour?" His leader explained to me that in her experience, “The act of ‘going to church’ was the important thing—not necessarily what we got out of it. The loyalty was built into me—going to church was important. I just did not question if it was the right thing or not.” She said, “I see Millennials more concerned about the content. That's a good thing.” Strive for Socratic interactions in your conversations and meetings. Create an environment where young adults feel safe to ask questions. Embracing the “why” questions vocalized by Millennials creates an opportunity to truly reflect on reasons for ministry practices being what they are, analyze them in light of Scripture, and pass on valuable truths to the next gen¬eration! Honest and thorough answers will accomplish much in helping young ministry leaders make sense of important values and ideas.
Give and request timely and consistent feedback.
Gone are the days of annual performance reviews. Millennials are accustomed to instant and specific feedback. This generation has been conditioned to receive a gold star or trophy just for showing up and participating, so an absence of affirmation communicates something is wrong. When her pastor asked Nina if she needed more feedback, she responded, “Yes! If I don’t hear what you are thinking, I automatically assume something negative. If I don’t get any encouraging words, I automatically think I’ve done something wrong.” Thus, feedback not only encourages, but also contributes to the ability of young leaders to serve confidently. Millennials also appreciate the opportunity to give feedback. They are used to engaging with information by “liking,” “commenting,” “sharing” or “retweeting,” so asking for their input on ministry initiatives and decisions will do much to engage them on your team.
Adjusting our leadership styles or team dynamics to engage and empower young leaders is an investment into their ministries for years to come. Blessings as you correct, encourage and inspire the leaders of tomorrow!
Dr. Jolene Erlacher is a wife, mommy, author, speaker and college instructor, passionate about empowering a new generation of leaders for ministry. Her new book, Millennials in Ministry (Judson Press), discusses the perspectives of young ministers on the church and ministry today. She blogs at www.leadingtomorrow.org
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It's time for church people to stop fussing by Tom Ehrich / Religion News Service(RNS) When churches conclude their summer hiatus and resume full-scale ministries this week, much will have changed from a year ago — outside their doors.
Conditions might have changed inside, too. But it is the world outside that demands fresh attention in mission and ministry.
Ferguson, Mo., has happened, revealing disturbing trends in law enforcement and deep fault lines between white experience and black experience.
Russia’s aggression against Ukraine happened, threatening a resumption of dangerous tensions between Moscow and Western democracies.
The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria happened, raising the dreaded specter of a take-no-prisoners war on modernity, reason, progress, women and other faiths.
The 113th Congress happened, mired in systemic dysfunction, with one party determined to cripple a black president and to channel more wealth to the wealthy.
The Koch brothers and their megabuck cronies happened, changing the face of electoral politics with unprecedented infusions of cash and ideological vitriol.
The two-tier economy happened, with one tier doing extraordinarily well and a much, much larger tier falling further behind, leaving despair among all age groups.
Border wars between terrified migrants and swaggering white men bearing arms against children happened, threatening America’s true core value as a welcoming nation promising freedom.
These outside-the-walls developments have little to do with the usual church fussing — except to say that it’s time for church people to stop their usual fussing.
This year will be a test. Can American Christianity get over itself and truly serve a desperate society? If churches do nothing more than business as usual — the mega getting more mega in splendid isolation, the struggling trying to hang on by not offending anyone — the Christian enterprise in America will have declared bankruptcy.
That means the mega must abandon their prideful isolation. They must put their considerable resources to work in making this a better nation for all citizens, not just a more comfortable home for like-minded evangelicals.
Progressive and conservative churches must put down their ideological swords and work together among people walking by their closed doors.
Black churches must dare to teach whites what black life is like; they must push beyond mutual suspicion to forge alliances. Politicians won’t provide jobs and dignity; gospel-bearing believers must do so.
Roman Catholic churches must dare to become neighborhood centers of peace and justice — not jealous outposts of a global brand, but neighbors helping neighbors.
Now is the time for churches set among the poor to get radically engaged in securing employment, feeding and sheltering, and standing in solidarity with the “wretched refuse” coming to our shores.
Now is the time for churches set among the shrinking middle class to stop remembering the 1950s and to see 2014 for what it is: a battle zone in a great class war between the rich and everyone else.
Now is the time for churches set among the wealthy to stop begging for scraps to improve facilities and echo Jesus, who commended radical generosity, radical sharing, radical self-denial.
Our nation needs faithful servants who have the boldness that Jesus commended. The year since our last fall homecoming shows a nation in deep distress. Time for us to step up.
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