"When you can't vote for either candidate — Church at the speed of life — Jesus' best insults" from Ministry Matters in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Tuesday, 19 July 2016

"When you can't vote for either candidate — Church at the speed of life — Jesus' best insults" from Ministry Matters in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Tuesday, 19 July 2016


Church at the speed of life by Rebekah Simon-Peter
Bishop Karen Oliveto kneels during the consecration service held on July 16, 2016, at Paradise Valley UMC in Scottsdale, Arizona. Photo by Patrick Scriven, PNWCUMCLast week, Karen Oliveto, the first openly gay bishop of the United Methodist Church was elected. Much like at her baptism, she was consecrated with the laying on of hands and sacred words of declaration. She has even been appointed to her place of service for the next four years. This is a historic moment indeed. Some will say historically tragic. Others, historically grand.
How did we go from decades of “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” and the inability of “self-avowed, practicing homosexuals” to be ordained with Karen Oliveto being elected bishop?
How did we go from all matters of sexuality being referred to the Council of Bishops at General Conference to this historic election just a few short weeks later?
While this decision is dramatic, it is certainly not without precedent.
Consider the number of annual conferences that have voted in favor of nonconformity with the Book of Discipline, and now refuse to take on church trials related to LGBTQ folks. (The acronym stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning.) Eight annual conferences voted in favor of full inclusion of gay clergy. The Virginia AC voted to take sexual orientation off the table when considering criteria for ordination.
It’s no secret that the church is often slow to change. Measured and cautious, we approach change with a deliberate pace. We’ve taken some beatings for it. Missed some opportunities. Not acted while the iron is hot.
The pace has suddenly picked up when it comes to LGBTQ inclusion. At least it may seem fast to many of us. But consider the gay people, who were baptized at birth in the church, and later called by God to be in ministry. They’ve responded. But we have not thrown our arms wide open. Even so, gay people have been answering the call to ministry and serving United Methodist churches for decades. What’s happened is that we’ve finally hit church at the speed of life, to borrow a phrase from a colleague.
The world is changing and it’s not waiting for committee votes or episcopal commissions or legislative changes. Same thing in the church.
Over the years, various conferences have voted for greater inclusion of gays and lesbians from the Great Plains to Arkansas, and New Jersey to Germany. Resolutions have been passed, legislation has been voted on. But the Book of Discipline has remained unchanged on these matters of human sexuality.
That is, until the Western Jurisdiction and the North Central Jurisdiction nominated three openly gay candidates for bishop between the two of them, and one was elected.
Certainly, there will be some who are upset as well as judicial council rulings. Some people will decide to leave the church. Others will decide to come back to church. There may be a split, a schism, an exodus. People on all sides will have opinions.
One thing will not change: the need to love each other in the midst of fear and anxiety.
In the United Methodist Church, this election has been a long time coming. Especially if you are gay, called to ministry, and anxious to live out that faithful calling. Personally, I’m straight. I am anxious to receive the giftings of these clergy, and welcome Bishop Karen Oliveto to the Rocky Mountain Conference. Turns out she’ll be my bishop.[Rebekah Simon-Peter blogs at rebekahsimonpeter.com. She is the author of The Jew Named Jesus and Green Church.]

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By Shane Raynor
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On this episode of the News and Religion podcast, the group and I discuss the Pokémon Go craze, the recent discovery of a Philistine cemetery in Israel and Ken Ham's new Ark Adventure theme park in Kentucky. My guests are Rebekah Simon-Peter,Christy Thomas and David Dorn.
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Related Articles:
If Pokémon Go feels like a religion, that's because it kind of is - Hannah Gould, The Guardian
Pokémon Go: Getting people to church since...Thursday - Mary Rezac, Catholic News Agency
How Pokémon is luring millennials to the church (parking lot) - Aysha Khan, Religion News Service
A flagship for a biblical worldview - Emily McFarlan Miller, Religion News Service
Bill Nye visited a Noah’s Ark he doesn’t believe should exist - Jessica Contrera, Washington Post
Noah’s ark of biblical proportions opens in Kentucky - Dylan Lovan, Associated Press
Public schools warned about taking field trips to Noah’s Ark park- Linda Blackford and Bill Estep, Lexington Herald-Leader
Is this Goliath's burial site? First-ever Philistine cemetery discovered - Oren Liebermann, CNN
Discovery of Philistine cemetery may solve biblical mystery - Kristin Romey, National Geographic

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Jesus' best insults
by Dave Barnhart

“Anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.” So says Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:22). He claims that words spoken in anger are the moral equivalent of murder. But by chapter 23, he’s pretty angry at the religious leaders. “You blind fools!” he shouts during a chapter-long rant (Matthew 23:17). He calls them hypocrites, snakes and vipers, everything — as the saying goes — but a child of God. We all know that insulting people is incompatible with Christian teaching. But Jesus actually did it quite a bit.

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The gospel of Pokémon Go By Kira Schlesinger
Bigstock/TK KurikawaBy now, you’ve probably heard about the phenomenon of Pokémon Go, the augmented reality game for smartphones that dropped on Thursday and quickly skyrocketed to the top of app store download lists. Although I was not a Pokémon Trainer in my youth, I downloaded the game on Saturday just to see what everyone was talking about. I pride myself on being in-the-know with these kinds of things, and I wanted to check it out. Soon enough, I was capturing Pokémon that appeared on my smartphone’s camera and searching out Pokestops in my neighborhood, going on a late morning walk despite the quickly rising temperature and the hot sun.
On Sunday morning, I discovered that my church was a Pokestop as are many churches, synagogues, historical markers, and other signs. Already, Christians have pounced on the opportunity to welcome players to the church grounds, providing water, charging stations (the game notoriously sucks battery life), and opening the door for restroom use, presumably with the hope that players will return for worship on Sunday. While hospitality to one’s neighbors is never a bad thing, the level of excitement over a video game literally delivering people to the front door of churches is a bit discouraging. It seems as if this is what many congregations have been waiting for, people to come to them rather than taking initiative to go out into the neighborhoods and communities themselves.
As with anything with a high level of popularity, there also has come the quick but inevitable backlash. The Holocaust Museum and Arlington Cemetery have asked players to cease catching Pokémon on their grounds out of respect for the solemn nature of these locations. Others have reported near-misses with people wandering around, eyes glued to their smartphones rather than where they are going, or rushing across the busy street to catch that rare Pokémon, not to mention trespassing in places where they might not be welcome. Memes bemoaning how people should be as single-minded in seeking Jesus or a job as they are in seeking Pokémon have surfaced on social media, and some parents would rather their children focus on summer reading or chores. There are also privacy concerns with how much information the video game developer is collecting from those who download and play the game.
Everyone is ready with their hot take about whether Pokémon Go is the best or worst thing ever, even before they have played the game. I don’t believe that Pokémon Go is the answer to the prayers for growth and millennials that issue forth from declining mainline congregations. I also don’t believe it is the devil incarnate, maliciously distracting young people and spying on our every move.
If people are leaving their houses, often with their friends, and exploring their communities in search of Pokémon, I think that is a good thing. Already I have seen heart-warming stories of encounters and new friendships formed around the game, not to mention the increase in physical activity. I found myself reading historical markers I’d bypassed hundreds of times and learning about the history of my neighborhood. Rather than waiting for players to show up at the church’s doorstep so that we can welcome them, I urge Christians to play the game themselves, meet others in the community, and even use it as a means for intergenerational bonding as younger people teach older people. In a divisive season in our national life, coming together around a game is not the worst thing that could happen. Republican or Democrat, black or white, male or female, we can all wander outside the comfort of our homes and churches to be Pokémon trainers.
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When you can't vote for either candidate By Shane Raynor
What do you do when you can't bring yourself to vote for either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump this election cycle?

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Thoughtful Pastor: How do I deal with my racist dad? By Christy Thomas
Bigstock/RawpixelDear Thoughtful Pastor: I love my parents very, very much. But I wish my dad would quit being so racist in front of my nieces. How do I tell them that what he is saying is junk without making them lose respect for him?
It is not your job to ensure that your nieces maintain respect for your father. That respect, or lack of it, is between them and your father. However, it is your job to offer a different perspective on race relations than your father offers to them.
In order to do that, it helps to understand the roots of racial tensions. They always spring from one source: fear of the unknown. That fear is part of our human nature — without some sense of healthy fear, people would not have survived.
Pretend for a moment that you are part of a small band of hunter/gathering people, bonded together by ties of family and a long shared history and living thousands of years ago. You know and trust each other. You also live a tenuous existence, not knowing if outsiders can be trusted. In fact, hard experience suggests that those not part of any extended kinship bonds may hurt you.
In other words, if you come across a group of people who don’t look like you, be very afraid. Survival very well may mean defeating those strange-looking people before they get the chance to defeat you.
That kind of “kill or be killed” coding is embedded with us, even though we live in such radically different circumstances. Instead of periodic exposures to the other, often separated by months or years, we face exposures daily. Many live on trigger alert all the time but don’t know why. It’s just a part of existence. Too many overreact to possible threats.
How do we get past this? We must. The stakes are too high. In many cases, our hunter/gatherer ancestors fought their battles ritually, with a few designated warriors and careful rules. Think of today’s professional sports teams. The tribe that saw defeat moved on.
Now, innocents are routinely killed. We can take out entire nations with the punch of a few buttons.
It is probably too late to see much lowering of your father’s fear. Probably that fear has been solidified over the years by unrelenting waves of self-reinforcing media blasts. It’s more firmly planted than a steel beam melted onto a deep concrete platform.
But you and I and anyone else who says, “we must do this differently” can directly address those fears. There is only one effective way to do this: We must get to know the other.
Return again to our hunter/gatherer ancestors. They meet another band of folks and decide to approach cautiously rather than choosing the attack-first method. In time perhaps one group invites the other to a shared meal. Then the magic happens.
Consider the power of a shared meal, prepared by the hosts and supplemented by the guests. Each participant eats unfamiliar foods. More, they are prepared by unknown hands. Mealtime becomes an exercise in mutual trust.
Early in human history, people developed the means of turning various foodstuffs into fermented beverages as a means of calorie storage. So, not only is there is the shared meal, there is the possibility of enhanced conviviality by shared drink.
As trust grows, barriers break down. In the best of cases, each begins to recognize and acknowledge the shared humanity of the other. People walk away with much of the fear dissipated, replaced instead by good memories and hope in a peaceful future.
This extension of table hospitality is embedded in religious thought. The Jews codified it in the Passover meal. The Hebrew Bible gives multiple examples of strangers being offered a meal and ultimately family connections.
One of the biggest criticisms leveled at Jesus came from his insistence on sharing meals with “sinners.” Everyone knew what that meant: By eating together, those “sinners” were made welcome within the household. Those very outsiders whose presence diluted purity were suddenly honored guests, essentially members of the family.
Many bemoan the trend away today from family meals prepared at home. We should regret leaving that tradition behind. When we eat, cook and clean up together, we share something profound. We lower our emotional barriers. We connect. We pass one another platters of food, we share the same tastes and textures. We talk and we listen.
This is how we change the world, one meal at a time. You cannot change your father, but you can continue to share meals with him. You can acknowledge his viewpoints while saying, “I will go in a different direction.”
You can also invite your nieces to meals with people very different from them. You can model for them how to turn barriers into bridges.[Email questions to thoughtfulpastor@gmail.com. A version of this column appeared in the Friday July 15, 2016 print and online editions of The Denton Record Chronicle. Christy blogs atPatheos.]

United Methodist groups divided after election of first LGBT bishop By Emily McFarlan Miller / Religion News Service
Newly elected Bishop Karen Oliveto stands with Mountain Sky Area Bishop Elaine Stanovsky, left, and Los Angeles Area Bishop Minerva Carcano. Photo courtesy of Charmaine Robledo, director of communications, UMC Mountain Sky Area(RNS) The head of the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops said the election of its first openly lesbian bishop last week "raises significant concerns and questions of church polity and unity."
Bishop Bruce Ough, president of the Council of Bishops, said the executive committee of the bishops' council "is monitoring this situation very closely." The bishops are gathering Tuesday and Wednesday (July 19-20) in Chicago as part of the commission on sexuality called for by the General Conference.
On Friday (July 15), the Rev. Karen Oliveto, senior pastor of Glide Memorial Church in San Francisco, was elected bishop by the Western Jurisdictional Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz., and consecrated the following day.
The election comes despite the denomination's ban on the ordination of "self-avowed practicing homosexuals."
At its quadrennial General Conference in May, the United Methodist Church had decided not to take up contentious issues regarding the full inclusion of its LGBT members. At the Council of Bishops' recommendation, the denomination agreed instead to create a commission to discuss the conflict over sexuality that could lead to a special session of the global conference in 2018 or 2019.
Ough maintained that still is "the best path."
Still, for advocates of full inclusion of LGBT United Methodists, last week's election was historic.
“I think at this moment I have a glimpse of the realm of God," Oliveto said after her election, according to reports by United Methodist News Service.
"I stand before you because of the work and prayers of so many, especially those saints who yearned to live for this day, who blazed a trail where there was none, who are no longer with us, and yet whose shoulders I stand on.”
Her election was met warmly by delegates at the conference, according to UMNS, but reaction from United Methodist groups around the country has been sharply divided.
The Reconciling Ministries Network released a statement from its executive director Matt Berryman celebrating it as "an historic moment in the movement of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) persons for spiritual and civil equality both in the church and the public square." The new bishop has served several terms as a Reconciling Ministries board member.
"Officially barred from so many churches and positions of spiritual leadership, queer persons may now see themselves as leaders of the body of Christ in the largest mainline Protestant denomination in the United States," Berryman said.
Meantime, the Rev. Rob Renfroe — president of Good News, which describes itself as an "orthodox" and "evangelical" movement within the denomination — was quoted in an articleon Good News' website calling the move in spite of decisions made at this spring's global General Conference "deplorable."
“If the Western Jurisdiction wanted to push the church to the brink of schism, they could not have found a more certain way of doing so,” Renfroe said.
Ough released a statement after Oliveto's election that read in part:
There are those in the church who will view this election as a violation of church law and a significant step toward a split, while there are others who will celebrate the election as a milestone toward being a more inclusive church. Others will no doubt have questions as we find ourselves in a place where we have never been. Still, others will likely see this election as disrupting or even rendering moot the purpose and work of the Commission currently being formed by the Council.
Still, more than 100 clergy and clergy candidates came out as openly LGBT before the General Conference, and the conference's decision not to decide hasn't stopped its U.S. conferences from making decisions on their own.
Two U.S. jurisdictions had considered a total of three openly gay candidates for 15 open bishop positions last week. The South Central Jurisdictional Conference later requested a declaratory decision from the denomination's Judicial Council on whether the election and consecration of an openly LGBT bishop is lawful.
The 56 regional annual conferences that make up those jurisdictions also have passed a mix of resolutions regarding the full inclusion of the denomination's LGBT members.
"Our differences are real and cannot be glossed over, but they are also reconcilable. We are confident God is with us, especially in uncharted times and places. There is a future with hope," Ough said.
Oliveto, 58, has been a delegate to the General Conference twice and to the Jurisdictional Conference five times, and she is a board member of the denomination's General Council on Finance and Administration.
She has been married to Robin Ridenour for two years, according to UMNS. They have been in a relationship since they met at a junior-high camp as counselors 17 years ago, it said.

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Opening day for a Pokémon gym in Austin By Wilson Pruitt
Photo: Eduardo Woo / Flickr / CC 2.0This morning was a typical Wednesday at Berkeley United Methodist Church in South Austin. When I pulled into the parking lot, though, there was a new sight. A teenager sitting on a skateboard staring at his phone. A few minutes later, another small group of kids came sauntering along and sat down on a curb. Two weeks ago, I would have been really confused at how seemingly organized the meeting looked. “What are these kids planning?” I may have thought to myself. Today, though, I simply looked at my phone and saw that a PokéGym had opened up at the church.
Most have you have seen reports about this viral sensation. Many have also seen accounts of what churches can do in order to capitalize on the fact that suddenly people are coming to our doors who may have never been to church in their lives. I had read those same accounts and downloaded the game a few days ago in order to try and understand a little about the sensation. When I first approached the kids, a few stood up to walk away. I could see on their faces that they were worried that I would ask them to leave. I also saw in their faces the look of a generation unfamiliar with the church. They may think of Christians as people who tell others what they can or can’t do. They may think of Christians who ask kids to be quiet and to pull up their pants. It was a profound moment of grace to be able to say to these kids, “You are welcome in this place.” We talked about the game. I let them know they could come inside and they were very grateful. I don’t think they expected kindness from a Christian. The lives of those two kids may have changed, all because I told them they are welcome here.
The church sign on the road says. “Come all who are weary, and I will give you rest.” Within the hour, we had set up a station at the spot of the PokéGym with chairs, cold water and a welcome set to let people know they can come inside to use the facilities or charge their phones. This is not an evangelism strategy. This is not the secret to reaching millennials. I'm not trying to stay relevant, only give water to people who are thirsty. We often use language like that metaphorically, but in Texas especially, people playing Pokémon Go are physically thirsty and tired, yet they still play. The least the church can be is the kind of place that gives shelter to those who pass by, even when they stare at their phones the whole time. Hospitality is not a means to an end. Hospitality is an end in itself: sharing water with the thirsty, giving shelter to the tired.
I don’t know how long our gym will last. I didn’t ask for it (I couldn’t figure out how and I can’t tell you how to get a gym). I don’t know how long kids are going to come by to sit under the shade of our trees and fight Eevees against Charmeleons (for the record, my Charmeleon is awesome and really close to evolving). But while it is there, we are going to welcome all comers. We will give water and a seat and a friendly reminder that they are loved. And when the next viral sensation comes and people are doing things with technology we could never predict, we will still be here, giving water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, shelter to the tired, hope to the lost.
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The heart path By Tamara Fyke
Bigstock/SHS Photography“Their skin may be different from yours …But inside, their hearts are just like yours…” — from Whoever You Are by Mem Fox
I grew up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on an all white street. In the summer, my friends and I had the run of the neighborhood from sun up to sun down. We were safe. Just one street over was the black street, Anthon Drive. There was a path through the woods that connected these two different worlds. In our young minds, that path led the way to a life unknown, full of danger.
My family attended a multicultural church. Looking back, I realize how unusual that was for the time. King had been killed in 1968; we were worshiping, sharing meals, doing life together in 1976. Both black and white pastors led our young congregation where interracial couples were welcome. That was my childhood normal.
But for some reason, when a young white twentysomething family from our church moved to Anthon Drive into a tenement house in order to save money so the husband could go to law school, I was shocked, appalled. How could they live on that street? How could my mother walk from our house through the woods to their house?
When I was a teenager, our church purchased a building in a primarily black area of town. People came from all over the city to worship the Lord and learn the Word. We were a beautiful mix of ages, races and economics. My parents fostered a four-year old black girl whose parents attended the prayer meeting at our home but had found themselves in need of extra support. I fell in love with this little one who followed me around the house, mimicking my every move.
Fast forward to 2016 … I’m the mother of three bi-racial kids living in a black community in Nashville. I regularly take walks around my neighborhood, which is surrounded by hbcu’s (historically black college and university) — Fisk University, Tennessee State University and Meharry Medical College. It has taken over a year, but my elderly neighbor reached out and touched my arm in a friendly gesture last week when we talked. Through our almost daily front porch conversations, we have established some degree of trust.
When I moved into the neighborhood, I realized that my job was to build relationships with my neighbors. Even though my kids tease me, I greet everyone I see.
“Mama, you don’t know them,” they say in disbelief.
“But I want to know them, and I want them to know me, “ I reply.
I made a deliberate choice to move here because I wanted my children to experience some of what I experienced as a child: the beauty of diversity. It has not been easy; being the minority is uncomfortable. I have had to choose to be kind even when I know people are looking at me like I’m crazy. (Believe me, this tall redhead stands out!) To some my white skin represents the seemingly inevitable gentrification of the neighborhood, although I am working for integration.
What I have learned this past year is that the simple ministry of presence — my neighbors and I sharing the same street — brings transformation to my heart, to my neighbors’ hearts, and to our community. We smile … wave … speak. We ask for help and offer help when needed. We are sharing life together a little more each day.
I have walked through that path in the woods and found my way home.
Tips
If you’re looking to expand your relationships,
Intentionally surround yourself with people who are different from you by going to a church or event that celebrates diversity.
Extend your hand. Be the first one to reach out and start a conversation.
Be yourself, the real you. People are attracted to genuineness.
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This Sunday July 24, 2016
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost: Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19); Luke 11:1-13
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Lectionary Readings:
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C
Sunday, 24 July 2016
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Hosea 1:2-10
Psalm 85
Colossians 2:6-19
Luke 11:1-13
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Scripture Texts for: Hosea 1:2 Adonai’s opening words in speaking to Hoshea were to instruct Hoshea,
“Go, marry a whore,
and have children with this whore;
for the land is engaged in flagrant whoring,
whoring away from Adonai.”
3 So he went and married Gomer the daughter of Divlayim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 Adonai said to him, “Call him Yizre‘el, because in only a short time I will punish the house of Yehu for having shed blood at Yizre‘el; I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Isra’el. 5 When that day comes, I will break the bow of Isra’el in the Yizre‘el Valley.”
6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. Adonai said to him, “Name her Lo-Ruchamah [unpitied], for I will no longer have pity on the house of Isra’el. By no means will I forgive them. 7 But I will pity the house of Y’hudah; I will save them not by bow, sword, battle, horses or cavalry, but by Adonai their God.”
8 After weaning Lo-Ruchamah, she conceived and bore a son. 9 Adonai said, “Name him Lo-‘Ammi [not-my-people], because you are not my people, and I will not be your [God].
Psalm 85:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of the sons of Korach:
2 (1) Adonai, you have shown favor to your land;
you have restored the fortunes of Ya‘akov,
3 (2) taken away the guilt of your people,
pardoned all their sin, (Selah)
4 (3) withdrawn all your wrath,
turned from your fierce anger.
5 (4) Restore us, God of our salvation,
renounce your displeasure with us.
6 (5) Are you to stay angry with us forever?
Will your fury last through all generations?
7 (6) Won’t you revive us again,
so your people can rejoice in you?
8 (7) Show us your grace, Adonai;
grant us your salvation.
9 (8) I am listening. What will God, Adonai, say?
For he will speak peace to his people,
to his holy ones —
but only if they don’t relapse into folly.
10 (9) His salvation is near for those who fear him,
so that glory will be in our land.
11 (10) Grace and truth have met together;
justice and peace have kissed each other.
12 (11) Truth springs up from the earth,
and justice looks down from heaven.
13 (12) Adonai will also grant prosperity;
our land will yield its harvest.
14 (13) Justice will walk before him
and make his footsteps a path.
Colossians 2:6 Therefore, just as you received the Messiah Yeshua as Lord, keep living your life united with him. 7 Remain deeply rooted in him; continue being built up in him and confirmed in your trust, the way you were taught, so that you overflow in thanksgiving.
8 Watch out, so that no one will take you captive by means of philosophy and empty deceit, following human tradition which accords with the elemental spirits of the world but does not accord with the Messiah. 9 For in him, bodily, lives the fullness of all that God is. 10 And it is in union with him that you have been made full — he is the head of every rule and authority.
11 Also it was in union with him that you were circumcised with a circumcision not done by human hands, but accomplished by stripping away the old nature’s control over the body. In this circumcision done by the Messiah, 12 you were buried along with him by being immersed; and in union with him, you were also raised up along with him by God’s faithfulness that worked when he raised Yeshua from the dead. 13 You were dead because of your sins, that is, because of your “foreskin,” your old nature. But God made you alive along with the Messiah by forgiving you all your sins. 14 He wiped away the bill of charges against us. Because of the regulations, it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it to the execution-stake. 15 Stripping the rulers and authorities of their power, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by means of the stake.
16 So don’t let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Hodesh or Shabbat. 17 These are a shadow of things that are coming, but the body is of the Messiah.
18 Don’t let anyone deny you the prize by insisting that you engage in self-mortification or angel-worship. Such people are always going on about some vision they have had, and they vainly puff themselves up by their worldly outlook. 19 They fail to hold to the Head, from whom the whole Body, receiving supply and being held together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God makes it grow.
Luke 11:1 One time Yeshua was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of the talmidim said to him, “Sir, teach us to pray, just as Yochanan taught his talmidim.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
‘Father,
May your name be kept holy.
May your Kingdom come.
3 Give us each day the food we need.
4 Forgive us our sins, for we too forgive everyone who has wronged us.
And do not lead us to hard testing.’”
5 He also said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend; and you go to him in the middle of the night and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 because a friend of mine who has been travelling has just arrived at my house, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 Now the one inside may answer, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already shut, my children are with me in bed — I can’t get up to give you anything!’ 8 But I tell you, even if he won’t get up because the man is his friend, yet because of the man’s hutzpah he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 “Moreover, I myself say to you: keep asking, and it will be given to you; keep seeking, and you will find; keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who goes on asking receives; and he who goes on seeking finds; and to him who continues knocking, the door will be opened.
11 “Is there any father here who, if his son asked him for a fish, would instead of a fish give him a snake? 12 or if he asked for an egg would give him a scorpion? 13 So if you, even though you are bad, know how to give your children gifts that are good, how much more will the Father keep giving the Ruach HaKodesh from heaven to those who keep asking him!”
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John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for: Hosea 1:2-10Verse 2
[2] The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.
Go take — This was, probably, done in vision, and was to be told to the people, as other visions were: it was parabolically proposed to them, and might have been sufficient to convince the Jews, would they have considered it, as David considered Nathan's parable.
A wife of whoredoms and children — Receive and maintain the children she had before.
Verse 4
[4] And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.
The blood — The slaughters made by Jehu's hand or by his order, in Jezreel.
The house of Jehu — Which had now possessed the throne, through the reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoash, and Jeroboam; but the usurper, and his successors adhering to the idolatry of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and adding other sins to it, had now provoked God to declare a sudden extirpation of the family: all this came to pass when Shallum conspiring against Zechariah, slew him, 2 Kings 15:8-10.
The kingdom — After one and forty years tottering it fell to utter ruin and hath so continued to this day.
Verse 5
[5] And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.
At that day — When my vengeance hath overtaken the house of Jehu.
Break — Weaken and by degrees quite break.
The bow — All their warlike provision, power and skill.
Jezreel — In this valley it is probable the bloodiest battles in the civil wars were fought; the reason whereof might be, because whoever carried the victory in this place, were soon masters of Samaria and Jezreel, and consequently of the kingdom.
Verse 6
[6] And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
Lo-ruhamah — Not pitied. Israel's name had been through many ages Ruhamah, that is, pitied. God had pitied them, and saved them from their enemies. But now Israel should be no more pitied, God would throw them up to the rage of usurpers, and conspirators.
Verse 7
[7] But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.
Save them — I will preserve them, that violence do not swallow them up, nor length of captivity wear them out; and this preserved remnant shall return and be planted in their own land, and there kept in safety.
By the Lord — Particularly in that extraordinary deliverance of Hezekiah and Jerusalem, from Sennacherib.
Verse 9
[9] Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God.
Loammi — That is, not my people. Tho' once you were a peculiar people, you are so no more; you are cast off as you deserved.
I will not be your God — I will be a God to you, no more than to any of the Heathen nations. This God executed when he gave them up into the hands of Salmaneser, who sent them where none now can find them.
Verse 10
[10] Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
The children of Israel — Not Israel after the flesh, not those very families that are carried captive.
In the place — In those places, were a people dwelt who were not his people, there shall be a people of God.
The living God — Who is the fountain of life to all his children, and who enables them to offer living sacrifices to the living God.
Psalm 85Verse 1
[1] LORD, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob.
Captivity — The captives.
Verse 4
[4] Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease.
Turn us — Restore us to our former tranquillity, and free us from the troubles which we yet groan under.
Verse 6
[6] Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
Revive us — Give us a second reviving in bringing home the rest of our brethren, and in restraining our enemies.
Verse 8
[8] I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly.
Will hear — Diligently observe.
Will speak — What answer God will give to my prayers.
Peace — He will give an answer of peace.
Saints — Not to all that are called God's people, but only to those who are truly such.
Verse 9
[9] Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land.
His salvation — That compleat salvation for which all the Israel of God wait; even the redemption by the Messiah; of which not only Christian, but even Jewish writers understand this place; and to which the following passages properly belong. And the psalmist might well say this salvation was nigh, because the seventy weeks determined by Daniel were begun.
Glory — The glorious presence of God, and the God of glory himself, even Christ, who is the brightness of his father's glory.
Verse 10
[10] Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Kissed — That great work of redemption by Christ, shall clearly manifest God's mercy in redeeming his people Israel, and in the conversion of the Gentiles; his truth in fulfilling that great promise of sending his son, his righteousness in punishing sin, on his son, and in conferring righteousness upon guilty and lost creatures; and his peace or reconciliation to sinners, and that peace of conscience which attends upon it.
Verse 11
[11] Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
Truth — Truth among men.
Righteousness — And God's justice shall be satisfied: he shall look down upon sinful men with a smiling countenance.
Verse 13
[13] Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps.
Before him — As his harbinger. He shall fulfil all righteousness, he shall satisfy the righteousness of God, and shall advance righteousness and holiness among men.
Set us — Shall cause us to walk in those righteous ways wherein he walketh.
Colossians 2:6-19Verse 6
[6] As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
So walk in him — In the same faith, love, holiness.
Verse 7
[7] Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Rooted in him — As the vine.
Built — On the sure foundation.
Verse 8
[8] Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Through philosophy and empty deceit — That is, through the empty deceit of philosophy blended with Christianity. This the apostle condemns, 1. Because it was empty and deceitful, promising happiness, but giving none. 2. Because it was grounded, not on solid reason, but the traditions of men, Zeno, Epicurus, and the rest. And, 3. Because it was so shallow and superficial, not advancing beyond the knowledge of sensible things; no, not beyond the first rudiments of them. 9, For in him dwelleth - Inhabiteth, continually abideth, all the fulness of the Godhead. Believers are "filled with all the fulness of God," Ephesians 3:19. But in Christ dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead; the most full Godhead; not only divine powers, but divine nature, Colossians 1:19.
Bodily — Personally, really, substantially. The very substance of God, if one might so speak, dwells in Christ in the most full sense.
Verse 10
[10] And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
And ye — Who believe.
Are filled with him — John 1:16. Christ is filled with God, and ye are filled with Christ. And ye are filled by him. The fulness of Christ overflows his church, Psalms 133:3. He is originally full. We are filled by him with wisdom and holiness.
Who is the head of all principality and power — Of angels as well as men Not from angels therefore, but from their head, are we to ask whatever we stand in need of.
Verse 11
[11] In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
By whom also ye have been circumcised — Ye have received the spiritual blessings typified of old by circumcision.
With a circumcision not performed with hands — By an inward, spiritual operation. In putting off, not a little skin, but the whole body of the sins of the flesh - All the sins of your evil nature.
By the circumcision of Christ — By that spiritual circumcision which Christ works in your heart.
Verse 12
[12] Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
Which he wrought in you, when ye were as it were buried with him in baptism - The ancient manner of baptizing by immersion is as manifestly alluded to here, as the other manner of baptizing by sprinkling or pouring of water is, Hebrews 10:22. But no stress is laid on the age of the baptized, or the manner of performing it, in one or the other; but only on our being risen with Christ, through the powerful operation of God in the soul; which we cannot but know assuredly, if it really is so: and if we do not experience this, our baptism has not answered the end of its institution.
By which ye are also risen with him — From the death of sin to the life of holiness. It does not appear, that in all this St. Paul speaks of justification at all, but of sanctification altogether.
Verse 13
[13] And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
And you who were dead — Doubly dead to God, not only wallowing in trespasses, outward sins, but also in the uncircumcision of your flesh - A beautiful expression for original sin, the inbred corruption of your nature, your uncircumcised heart and affections.
Hath he — God the Father.
Quickened together with him — Making you partakers of the power of his resurrection. It is evident the apostle thus far speaks, not of justification, but of sanctification only.
Verse 14
[14] Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
Having blotted out — in consequence of his gracious decrees, that Christ should come into the world to save sinners, and that whosoever believeth on him should have everlasting life.
The handwriting against us — Where a debt is contracted, it is usually testified by some handwriting; and when the debt is forgiven, the handwriting is destroyed, either by blotting it out, by taking it away, or by tearing it. The apostle expresses in all these three ways, God's destroying the handwriting which was contrary to us, or at enmity with us. This was not properly our sins themselves, (they were the debt,) but their guilt and cry before God.
Verse 15
[15] And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
And having spoiled the principalities and powers — The evil angels, of their usurped dominion.
He — God the Father.
Exposed them openly — Before all the hosts of hell and heaven.
Triumphing over them in or by him — By Christ. Thus the paragraph begins with Christ, goes on with him, and ends with him.
Verse 16
[16] Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
Therefore — Seeing these things are so.
Let none judge you — That is, regard none who judge you.
In meat or drink — For not observing the ceremonial law in these or any other particulars. Or in respect of a yearly feast, the new moon, or the weekly Jewish sabbaths.
Verse 17
[17] Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.
Which are but a lifeless shadow; but the body, the substance, is of Christ.
Verse 18
[18] Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
Out of pretended humility, they worshipped angels, as not daring to apply immediately to God. Yet this really sprung from their being puffed up: (the constant forerunner of a fall, Proverbs 16:18) so far was it from being an instance of true humility.
Verse 19
[19] And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
And not holding the head — He does not hold Christ, who does not trust in him alone. All the members are nourished by faith, and knit together by love and mutual sympathy.
Luke 11:1-13Verse 2
[2] And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
When ye pray, say — And what he said to them is undoubtedly said to us also. We are therefore here directed, not only to imitate this in all our prayers, but to use this very form of prayer. Matthew 6:9.
Verse 4
[4] And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Forgive us; for we forgive them — Not once, but continually. This does not denote the meritorious cause of our pardon; but the removal of that hinderance which otherwise would render it impossible.
Verse 5
[5] And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
At midnight — The most unseasonable time: but no time is unseasonable with God, either for hearing or answering prayer.
Verse 9
[9] And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7.
Verse 13
[13] If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
How much more shall your heavenly Father — How beautiful is the gradation! A friend: a father: God! Give the Holy Spirit - The best of gifts, and that which includes every good gift.
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KNOCK, KNOCK, OPEN UP! by Jennifer H. Williams
Luke 11:1-13
Tradition interprets this parable in the way it is set up. “Suppose one of you has a friend” (Luke 11:5). We, the listeners, are the one who approaches the door. However, what if Jesus was really saying something entirely different?
Suppose one of you has a friend who surprises you on a Thursday night. This friend says to you at the door, “Friend, let me in that I may watch Thursday night television, for my cable has just been shut off and I need to find out about Meredith and Dr. McDreamy on Grey’s Anatomy.” You turn around and glance at the room and at yourself and see that you haven’t cleaned, papers and food wrappers are strewn about, and you are in your oldest pajamas. You respond, “Find another TV, for I am ready for bed and my house is a mess. I cannot open the door for you.”
What a nightmare. An unexpected guest demands entrance when you are too embarrassed to show your house and yourself. How do you deal with the dirty laundry on the floor or the bag of opened Doritos that have spilled onto the coffee table? How do you deal with yourself in old, torn pajamas and hair that is out of control?
Imagine the shame that you feel. You feel a pull to open the door for your friend, but you also feel ashamed of the conditions in which you live. How do you reconcile the two tensions?
This friend in the parable must have felt a similar pull when he refused to open the door at midnight. First-century society demanded hospitality. When a friend called, especially for bread, it was considered a shameful act to refuse such a request.
There were also societal responsibilities. Communities in those days were tightly knit. The women baked the bread together, and each family knew who would have bread left over from the night before. Because of this tightly knit community, the friend would have also been held responsible for hospitality to this man who had arrived on a journey.
But here was a friend who did not want to open the door. He had legitimate reasons. His children were in bed and he didn’t want to wake them up. In a one-room Palestinian home of the time those kids would have almost certainly heard the noise and stirred. This friend didn’t want to take the chance of disturbing his family.
It was even common for the animals to be kept inside overnight. Can you imagine the racket had the man agreed to open the door? Not only would the kids be crying and scared at this midnight interruption, but the animals would be roaming the house making sounds of their own. How long would it have taken for this man to get himself, his wife, his children, and his animals back to sleep?
He had a just reason to refuse to open that door. But what kind of shame would go with that refusal? He had refused the common courtesy and hospitality due in that ancient culture. I believe it was this shame that eventually caused him to open the door. Even the friend’s persistence added to the shameful feelings of the man behind the door.
It is interesting that the Greek word translated in the NRSV as “persistence” carries a connotation of shamelessness. While the man is shameless in his request, the man inside is shamed into eventually opening that door. What an amazing twist—this man doesn’t open because of social responsibility or a duty to friendship but because the man is shamelessly persistent in his knocking.
Imagine yourself on that Thursday evening trying to watch television with your friend standing at the door. Maybe you turn up the volume. Or maybe he isn’t knocking; maybe he is just standing there and you can still sense his presence. How shameful would you feel trying to snack on your Doritos knowing that you are turning away a friend?
What if God was knocking at our door? How often does God knock at our door and we are too ashamed and don’t want to respond? Talk about being ashamed. We don’t want God to know our deep, dark, awful mess that we carry behind that door. We say to ourselves, “God doesn’t want to know that,” or “God wouldn’t like me if God knew,” or even “I don’t want to tell, because then I would be responsible to God.”
This parable shows us that God is always there. God is persistently and shamelessly knocking on our door. What a love God has for us! This isn’t a love that will go away. Our God is persistent and acts in our lives at all times, despite the doors that we have between us and God. This parable highlights the importance of a relationship with God. The man knocking at the door isn’t just a stranger, or even a neighbor, but he is directly named as a friend. God is our friend who cares enough to stand at the door and continue to knock even when we are ashamed, or full of ourselves, or too busy watching television to get up out of the chair and open the door. God knows what kind of mess lies behind the door, but God continues to wait shamelessly and persistently for us to open up.
Despite the fact that we stand behind the door too ashamed to answer, God is our friend who longs and desires to be in relationship with us. It is our responsibility to open that door and allow the grace of God into our lives. God already knows that the house is a mess. God already knows that our pajamas are disgusting. God already knows that we are not worthy. God still loves us and is persistently and shamelessly waiting at that door. The beauty of the gospel in this parable is simply that we can open up, for God is knocking.
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WORSHIP ELEMENTS: JULY 24, 2016 by John A. Brewer
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19); Luke 11:1-13
THEME IDEAS
As people anticipate the “lazy days of summer,” these texts are helpful reminders of persistence and reliance, and of Christian discipleship. The psalmist proclaims the “unfailing” love and mercy of God. Hosea highlights the consequences of humanity’s attempt at self-reliance. Luke teaches that, through prayer, we can rely upon God to meet our needs. Paul reminds us that we are dependent upon the very person of Jesus Christ—for we are rooted, built up, and strengthened in him alone.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Psalm 85)
Come! Join the fellowship of God’s people—
people who gather as faithful disciples of Christ.
We seek the One who frees us
from uncertainty and doubt.
Come! Join the welcome of God’s people—
people who meet together for justice and peace.
We seek the One who is trustworthy,
the One who gives us what is good.
Come! Join the celebration of God’s people—
people of the One who was, and is, and shall ever be.
We raise our voices in praise and honor to God,
and worship the One who is faithful.
Opening Prayer (Colossians 2)
God of grace and God of glory,
come and be known to us
in our gathering together;
come and be present in the songs we sing
and in the prayers we raise.
From the busy byways of life,
we come to find once again
that you are always present
and always ready to receive us.
As we affirm our faith this day,
deepen the roots of our commitment,
that we may learn your calling upon our lives.
Surround us now
with the love and comfort of your Holy Spirit
and the direction and redemption of Christ. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Hosea 1)
O Lord of mercy and compassion,
we bare our souls before you
in this hour of worship and prayer.
We have been unfaithful to you
and have forsaken the Covenant Love
you have shared with us.
For our wandering, wayward ways,
hear our confessions of sin and selfishness
and offer us your forgiveness.
We ask for forgiveness
and the strength to behave as your true children,
as your very people, the Church.
It is the redeeming Christ
before whom we bow
and before whom we confess our need.
We come to you in hope of redemption. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Luke 11)
Seek and you will find.
Knock and the door will be opened to you.
Ask and it will be given to you.
God has promised us grace and forgiveness
in the love of Jesus Christ.
Come home again and be the people God intended.
Response to the Word (Luke 11)
Like a true friend, Lord,
you have not withheld
the wisdom of your word.
Like a true friend, Lord,
you have given us the nourishment and strength
for the living of these days.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation to the Offering (Colossians 2)
Having received the grace of God in the redemption of Christ, we live strengthened in the faith, with hearts overflowing with thankfulness. From the depths of our hearts, we offer to God the very best we have. May our offering be a true act of worship and thanksgiving.
Offering Prayer
Before you, O God,
we offer our prayers, our presence, our gifts,
and our service.
We lay our gifts before you
in praise and thanksgiving
for your many blessings.
May these offerings
continue the transforming work of your Spirit
in and through our congregation. Amen.
Invitation to Communion (Luke 11)
Come and receive the answer to your prayers. This cup and this loaf contain the fulfillment of the human heart. Through this sacrament, we receive the power and direction to bring about the kingdom of God—as God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Come and receive the answer
to your prayers.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Psalm 85)
As you go forth,
know that you leave
with the unfailing love of God.
As you leave this place,
know that by God’s strength
you will be able to face the challenges
of the coming week.
As you return to your daily lives,
know that your pursuit of peace
reveals to the world
that you are God’s children. Amen.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Hosea 1)
God has been looking for you.
Where have you been off to this time?
We have been around.
There are so many distractions in our lives.
How long has it been?
It’s been too long since we were reminded
of God’s unrelenting love.
Are you ready?
We’re ready. We’re exhausted chasing
the elusive dreams of the world. We need God!
Then come home. Come back to the place
where you are loved, no matter what.
Gladly we come home. Gladly we are here.
Gladly we sing of the welcoming love of God!
Praise Sentences (Colossians 2)
Praise God for being everything we need,
for filling the emptiness of our lives!
Praise God for giving us ultimate victory
over sin and death!
Let there be glory and honor and praises
to Jesus Christ, who is our new beginning!
From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2017 is now available.
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WORSHIP FOR KIDS: JULY 24, 2016 by Carolyn C. Brown
From a Child's Point of View
Old Testament: Hosea 1:2-10. This passage is for adults. Children not only do not get the point, but are offended by the story. Because they hear literally, their first concern is for the children who are given such awful names at God's direction. They imagine the children being called on by a teacher or being called home by a parent and wonder how those children would be teased because of their names. They wonder how God could do something so mean to make a point to adults who were misbehaving. Furthermore, even worldly wise children who understand the technicalities of the relationship between Hosea and Gomer cannot understand the full dimensions of a mature marriage relationship and the pain involved when it is broken. Consequently, they cannot grasp Hosea's message. Next week's focus on the relationship between a parent and a rebellious child makes much the same point for all worshipers and is more child-accessible.
Psalm: 85. I suspect that this psalm is included among today's texts as a hopeful balance to Hosea's message of judgment. Children, however, hear the questions in verse 5 and want to know who is in trouble and why. The psalm does not say, and matching the psalm to Hosea's text looks past the punishment which the disloyal people had brought on themselves, to their restoration. That leap is too big for children.
Children with vivid imaginations giggle over the word pictures in verses 10 and 11. Except at least one young worshiper to smack an overdramatic air-kiss to another.
Epistle: Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19). This is part of a letter written to grown-ups about grown-up intellectual problems. The children of Colossae were probably as unconcerned about these issues (except when it upset their parents) as are children today. The one point that makes sense to children is that Jesus is to be the center of their lives (vss. 6-7).
Gospel: Luke 11:1-13. This passage introduces the Lord's Prayer (vss. 1-4); it also offers a rather baffling parable and then a more sensible set of teachings about God's response to our prayers.
Older children will be interested in how this version of the Lord's Prayer developed into the one used in your church today. They also will benefit from comparing several different versions of the prayer and from exploring the meaning of each phrase.
The teachings in verses 9-15 invite children to stretch their understanding of how God responds to prayer. Many children assume that God can respond only by giving us what we ask for or by speaking audibly to us. This text suggests that God has as many options as does a loving father who tries to respond to his children's needs.
Watch Words
If you choose to focus on Hosea, speak of loyal husbands and wives, rather than prostitutes or harlots. Do not use faithfultoday without defining it in terms of loyalty. A faithful pet is the best example of the faithfulness to which we are called.
Even if they pray it regularly, most children need help with the vocabulary of the Lord's Prayer. Hallowed needs to translate as holy. All the "kingdom" words—kingdom, thy will be done, power, glory—need to be tied together so that children can understand the whole as the prayer of the citizens of God's kingdom. Young children will not understand daily bread as including any food other than bread, unless they are introduced to this possibility.Trespassing is going into somebody's house or yard without permission; debts are financial bills. Children need help to connect these realities to sin and forgiveness. Temptation may be a big word to learn. Remember that for many children today, the only things that are delivered are mail, pizza, and catalog orders. So paraphrase "deliver us from evil" with something like "guard us from evil people and things."
Let the Children Sing
If the Old Testament texts lead to a focus on loyal living, sing "O Jesus I Have Promised," which includes difficult vocabulary but relationship images that children like, or "Trust and Obey." Though children have trouble with the verses, they quickly learn the chorus. A children's choir or class might sing the chorus in response to congregational singing of the verses.
Sing the Lord's Prayer:
1. Children's or youth choirs enjoy singing "The Lord's Prayer" to a West Indies tune. Many youths know this version. (It is printed in Songs for Today, a youth songbook by Augsburg Press, and it may be printed in other books.) A choir may sing it as an anthem; the choir and congregation may sing it responsively, the choir singing the phrases of the prayer and the congregation singing the repeated "hallowed be thy name."
2. The traditional version of the Lord's Prayer can be sung by the adult choir or by a soloist.
The Liturgical Child
1. Use the Lord's Prayer as an outline for the prayers of the congregation. The worship leader prays the Lord's Prayer aloud, pausing after each phrase for the worshipers' own related prayers.
2. Turn the Lord's Prayer into a three-part litany. Worship Leader #1 reads one phrase at a time. Worship Leader #2 adds prayers related to that phrase and the life of the congregation. Then in silence, the worshipers add their own prayers related to each phrase.
Sermon Resources
1. To explore Luke 11:9-15, describe three kinds of gifts and compare them to three ways God responds to our prayers. The first gift is the surprise we had not even considered asking for, but which delights us. God often gives us such surprise gifts. The second gift is just what we wanted. Sometimes God gives us what we want and pray for. The third gift is not at all what we wanted, but something that becomes more valuable as we live with it. God may not respond to our prayers as we wish. Often, with time, we begin to value and understand God's response. But sometimes we do not.
In describing each gift, tell about similar gifts you have received. Include at least one childhood gift. To keep the children's attention, place three wrapped gifts on the pulpit. Point to and handle each one as you discuss it.
2. Older children appreciate a sermon that works through the phrases of the Lord's Prayer. Provide them with a printed copy of the prayer with the phrases printed in separate paragraphs. Encourage children to check them off as you work through them, or to write them in their own words next to the printed text.
3. Paraphrase the Epistle text, substituting some modern ways we are tempted to make ourselves look better. Children sometimes put all their time and energy into athletics, winning Scout badges, or working for perfect grades, just to prove they are good enough. Paul insists that we are simply to be Jesus' loyal disciples.
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WORSHIP CONNECTION: JULY 24, 2016 by Nancy C. Townley
Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Hosea 1:2-10; Psalm 85; Colossians 2:6-15 (16-19); Luke 11:1-13
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1
L: Welcome to worship this day.
P: We have come seeking peace and hope.
L: This is the house of the Lord. In it you will find what you seek.
P: Help us to open our hearts to God's words and will for us.
L: Ask for God's help - it will be given to you.
P: Praise be to God who loves and cares for us. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2:
L: The goodness of God has called us here!
P: We are recipients of God's gracious love.
L: Though we have not always done what is right in God's sight;
P: Yet God is merciful and forgiving.
L: Open your hearts and spirits to the refreshing love of God.
P: Help us, O Lord, to live joyfully and peacefully in your sight. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3:
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2013, "Bless the Lord", choice #1 Ostinato Chorale, use this as a response in the call to worship as directed]
L: God's goodness is poured over us!
P: God's blessings abound in our lives!
Choir: singing #1 "Bless the Lord"
L: In the darkness God abides with us.
P: In the light God dances and shouts with us!
Choir: singing #1 "Bless the Lord"
L: Holy is God who is present with us at all times.
P: How grateful we are for God's presence and compassion. AMEN.
Call to Worship #4:
L: Are you weary from the stresses of this week?
P: Weariness and stress have been our constant companions.
L: Let the love of God wash over you, relieving your stress and weariness.
P: We praise God for such abundant compassion to us.
L: Let the word of God enter your hearts and spirits, giving you hope.
P: May our lives reflect God's abundant love and peace. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY/READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer:
Lord of Hope and Peace, we have come this day asking for your mercy. Grant us your pardon. We have come this day seeking peace in our lives; grant us peace. Teach us how to be compassionate disciples for you. For we ask this in Christ's name.AMEN.
Prayer of Confession:
Lord, it has been a difficult week. Things have happened for which we were not prepared. We have not responded to difficulties with love, but rather with impatience. We have turned our backs on others in need, placing our creature comforts first. We have been stressed, pulled, pushed, tossed. Give us peace, Gracious Lord. Help us to slow down so that we can receive your healing word of love. Remind us that we stand in need of forgiveness, and then having received such love, we are to love and serve others. Teach us to pray for courage and strength; teach us how to be good disciples for you. In Christ's Name, we offer this prayer.AMEN.
Words of Assurance:
Even when things seem dark, God is with us. God's love is powerful enough to overcome any darkness that we encounter. Remember how much love has been given for you and rejoice!AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
Lord, we are in the middle of the summer months. We looked forward to rest and recreation, but time is moving rapidly on and we still find ourselves stressed and weary. We need to slow down. We know this, but yet find this hard to do. We load ourselves up with activities, stresses, duties and then wonder how we will survive them. As you have found us before, Lord, find us again. Wrap your arms of compassion around us. Help us to savor the times that we have with each other. Make us keenly aware of the magnificence of this world. Draw us to the times of peace and rest. As we have brought names of loved ones to you for your healing mercies, remind us that we, too, stand in need of your healing love. Give us strength, courage and joy, that we might become disciples who are worthy of your kingdom, for we offer this prayer in Jesus' Name.AMEN.
Litany/Reading:Reader 1:
I know how to pray: you have to give all the names of God so that God will know you appreciate God and are aware of God's majesty and power. God is a jealous God. Don't cross God or you'll be in trouble.
Reader 2:
"When you pray, say: Father, holy is your name."
Reader 1:
Remember to ask for all the things you want; you know, like wealth, a nice big house, a boat, gadgets, cars, all the stuff to make you happy. You want it all right now when you can enjoy it - none of this "by and by" stuff.
Reader 2:
Seek God's kingdom in the here and now. Ask for what you need to become good disciples - daily sustenance so that you will be able to serve others. Forgiveness for all the times in which you have failed to do God's will, in which you have hurt someone.
Reader 1:
Forgiveness? For what? So I haven't always done right - well, people haven't always done right by me either! I have just returned the favor! They got what they deserved!
Reader 2:
Imprint your love in our hearts, O Lord, that we might be more loving to others. For all that is, is yours. We owe our lives to you and in gratitude we lift our voices in prayer:
ALL:
OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN, HOLY IS YOUR NAME. YOUR KINGDOM COME, YOUR WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US TODAY OUR DAILY BREAD. FORGIVE US OUR SINS AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US. SAVE US FROM THE TIME OF TRIAL, AND DELIVER US FROM EVIL. FOR THE KINGDOM, THE POWER, AND THE GLORY ARE YOURS, NOW AND FOREVER. AMEN.
Benediction:
Beloved of God, you have been healed and forgiven. God has poured God's love upon you that you may be faithful disciples, offering healing love and forgiveness to all. Go in peace and may God's peace always be with you.AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional Color for this Sunday is Green.
Author's Note: As interesting as the scripture is for today, it is difficult to create a worship setting that lends itself to the scriptures. I have suggested the following to represent the blessings of God in our lives as we stand at the door of discipleship.
Surface:
Place two risers on the worship center, one, approximately 6" high, on the left toward the back, and the other, approximately 3" high, on the left but slightly toward the center.
Fabric:
Cover the worship center in the green cloth. Add a long strip of brown fabric, starting in the upper right of the worship center and trailing down the right side toward the center on the floor.
Candles:
On the 3" riser place one 6" pillar candle. In front of the riser, place five votive candles, but do not place them in a line, group them in a small cluster.
Flowers/Foliage:
Near the base of the worship center on the left, place a large green leafy plant. You may also place a plant near the 6" riser on the center (I recommend an ivy plant)
Rocks/Wood:
If you can borrow a full sized door, the more rustic the better, place it on the brown fabric, leaning on the worship center, to the right. If the door is in a frame, have it slightly open. Place some rocks and wood near the right side of the door, on the brown fabric, but do not block the door.
Other:
Using a willow basket, or some other wood basket, resting on its side, on the left side floor area have loaves of bread spilling out of it, into the brown cloth in front of the door. This basket should be angled from the left to the right. Place a brass cross on the 6" riser.
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SERMON OPTIONS: JULY 24, 2016CHOSEN TO BE GOD'S FAMILY
COLOSSIANS 2:6-15 (16-19)
The second chapter of Colossians reiterates a theme proposed in chapter 1: God's Spirit dwelt in Christ and Christ's Spirit is to dwell in us. "For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness of life in him" (2:9 RSV).
"Life in him" was a powerful image to early Gentile Christians. Judaizers had sought to convince them that their only link to God was through the Law—through foreign ritual, rites, and services they did not understand. The countless laws seemed both oppressive and impossible to honor. Paul says to them that a new sign has been given, a covenant of grace, not of law. They can have "life in him" without adhering to ancient behavioral codes. "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands" (2:11 RSV). Jesus has chosen us not because of merit but rather because of grace.
Charlotte, a second grader adopted at age four, brought home her first report card of the new year. It was less than impressive, and she feared her parents' reaction. Mom and Dad reviewed it carefully. "You could have done better," they counseled. "You should have worked harder. We want these grades to improve." Late that night Charlotte's mother heard soft cries from her daughter's room. Peeking through the door, she asked, " Honey, what's wrong?" The soft cries suddenly opened full throttle, breaking into great sobs. After Charlotte had been sufficiently cradled and calmed, her mother asked again, "What's wrong?" The little girl replied, "I don't want to live somewhere else."
Inquiry established that Charlotte feared she had so disappointed her parents, so miserably failed to achieve their expectations, that her contract as daughter would be canceled and she would be sent to a different home. Through tears of her own, Charlotte's mom said, "Sweetheart, we are family. We will always be family. And family doesn't depend on making straight A's."
So said Paul about life in Christ. We are his family not because we have earned that status but rather because his heavenly Father has chosen us (adopted us, ancient theologians said) to be brothers and sisters with Christ. We have been given the family name ("Christian"), and family doesn't depend on making straight A's. Such is the reality of grace.
In truth, Paul tells the Colossians that circumcision (the sign of obedience to the Law) has been replaced by a greater sign. "You were buried with him in baptism" (v. 12). Baptism is the Christian's sign of covenant. We belong to God's family by God's choice, not by our merit. It is not a profession of faith that gives us status as part of the Christian household. It is God's parental adoption of us as sons and daughters, even before we can call God's name.
Several years ago, I witnessed William Sloane Coffin baptize an infant at Riverside Church in New York City. After administering the water and reading the liturgy, Coffin held the baby in full view of the congregation and said: "This is our most visible reminder of the New Testament words, 'We love God because he first loved us' " (1 John 4:19) . Baptism is our sign of being chosen. We no longer bear an emblem of having earned our place in the family. God freely chose us as God's own. Baptism has replaced circumcision.
To the new members of the family, Paul writes: "You, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses" (2:13 RSV). God's offer of gracious acceptance includes forgiveness. Again, we do not have to make the grade to earn our place in the family. We are loved not because of our merits but in spite of our iniquities. And though our report cards may leave much to be desired, the Parent does not expel us from the family. We are instead cradled and comforted, then gently counseled to learn from past mistakes in order to improve our performance in the great classroom of life. (Michael B. Brown)
TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?
LUKE 11:1-13
One myth of the Cold War period that I remember vividly was the story of how Communists were training the children of the Soviet Union to be atheists. According to the legend, they would instruct children in school to try praying to God for candy. Of course, after the "amen" no candy had miraculously appeared on their desks. Then the children were told to try praying to Lenin, and, as you might guess, the teacher would put candy on each child's desk while eyes were closed and heads bowed. This was alleged to "prove" the nonexistence of God and the godlike qualities of Lenin.
The story aroused the indignation of Westerners each time it was told. Imagine manipulating children this way; what a cheap trick! Whether or not the myth was based on a real event, its influence touched the lives of Christians in a way atheists did not expect. Christians reacted against the presupposition of the training; they knew that God is not a celestial Santa Claus who brings candy or toys simply because people decide to put him to the test.
I. We Don't Ask for Much
Unfortunately, many Christians today don't expect much of God. Not only do they not pray for candy; they also don't pray for healing, for forgiveness, for conviction, for their daily needs, or for the spiritual gifts necessary to do the work of Christ in the world.
An adult Sunday school class was studying the phenomenon of divine healing. Several class members were troubled by it, saying, "Then why doesn't God heal everyone? I have problems with a God who cures some people and lets others die." The pastor of that church would pray for God's presence to "surround" the sick and comfort them, but not for healing per se. When a leader of the congregation was miraculously healed of cancer, they looked frantically for a medical explanation. It seemed they didn't believe God could do anything more than Lenin or another human being could.
II. What to Ask and How to Ask It
It is dishonest to dress up our prayers in elaborate, socially or politically correct language rather than addressing God truthfully, openly. When a loved one is ill, we want healing. When we are hungry, we want bread. When we are weak, we want strength. Our Lord knows the frivolity of "candy prayers," but God also knows the real needs and desires of our hearts. Jesus taught the disciples to pray with the honesty and vulnerability of children, addressing God as Father and acknowledging the need for daily bread.
Christ promises that if we ask, seek, and knock, God will hear us, answer our prayers, and give us his Holy Spirit. Paul reminded the Philippian church that God is able to supply every need of ours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19) , and the book of James observes that "you do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions" (James 4:2 b-3 RSV).
The Bible tells us there is no such thing as unanswered prayer, but sometimes God has a better thing for us than we ask. As the children's prayer reminds us, "God is great. God is good." Do we believe that enough to pray with the confidence of children? God delights in giving good gifts to those who come to him, whatever hour of the day or night. (Carol M. Norén)
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JULY 24, 2016 - BRING IT ON!By William H. Willimon
PULPIT RESOURCE

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Welcome to the new Pulpit Resource from Will Willimon. For over three decades Pulpit Resource helps preachers prepare to preach. Now in partnership with Abingdon Press, this homiletical weekly is available with fresh and timely accessibility to a new generation of preachers.
No sermon is a solo production. Every preacher relies on inherited models, mentors in the preacher’s past, commentaries on biblical texts by people who have given their lives to such study, comments received from members of the congregation, last week’s news headlines, and all the other things that make a sermon communal.
No Christian does anything on their own. We live through the witness of the saints; preachers of the past inspire us and judge us. Scripture itself is a product of the community of faith. A host of now-forgotten teachers taught us how to speak. Nobody is born a preacher.
Pulpit Resource is equivalent to sitting down with a trusted clergy friend over a cup of coffee and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Whenever I’ve been asked by new preachers, “How can I develop as a preacher?” my usual response is, “Get in a group of preachers. Meet regularly. Learn how to give and how to receive help. Sort through the advice of others, and utilize helpful insights.”
That’s Pulpit Resource.
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