"Racism in America — Presidential debates — Can a pastor be a friend? — Loving the church" Ministry Matters in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Monday, 26 September 2016
The moment when you realize you're Pharaohby Joseph Yoo
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We had promised our son a new bike when we moved to Houston.
While he was in Dallas staying with his cousins, I figured it would be a great surprise for him to come home and see his new bike waiting for him.
Oh, the joy exploding within him when he saw that red, shiny bike. We brought it out of the garage to take it for a spin.
He got on the bike (with training wheels) and he froze.
He kept worrying that he was going to fall. I kept reassuring him that the training wheels would not allow that to happen. With every wobble, he got less confident and I got more frustrated. He wouldn’t pedal. He had a death grip on the handle bars and stayed there, rigid.
The humidity and heat didn’t help the situation. I could feel myself boiling over and he could tell that I was getting agitated — which made him more tense. It took every ounce of my being to not lose my cool. The last thing I wanted to do was to ruin his day and to forever scar him when it comes to riding a bike. Though I didn’t lose my cool completely, I think some damage was done because he didn’t want to ride the bike anymore.
I thought I didn’t have any expectations of him when it came to the bike. But apparently I did. I had expected him to get on the bike and — at the least — just sit on it. He couldn’t.
And it was maddeningly frustrating.
I can’t tell you why it was so frustrating. Perhaps it’s because he didn’t some close to the bare minimum expectations that I didn’t even know I had.
As we went inside the house, both upset, I remembered a sermon my friend told me about that her bishop had given.
He confessed to his Annual Conference that oftentimes he behaved like Pharaoh — holding high expectations that his staff and clergy had a hard time meeting.
“You’re killing us,” a staffer complained to him.
Then he challenged his listeners to think about the times they were Pharaoh to others. Since my friend shared that message with me, it’s been stuck in my head.
I don’t think that it’s wrong to have expectations. In fact, I think a lot of our local churches are suffering because they’re afraid to have expectations for their members: expectations to be disciples of Christ and not just pew-warmers.
But we can take it too far and have expectations that are too high — both for others and for ourselves.
I guess the crux of the issue is how we respond when someone doesn’t live up to our expectations.
I know many Korean pastors who burned out in ministry because they couldn’t handle the expectations thrown upon them and their families.
I know folks who continually and unhealthily beat themselves up for an inconsequential mistake because they’re far too hard on themselves.
And, I know a five-year-old who is on the autism spectrum and is hesitant to even get on his bike because of his dad’s expectation of him being able to ride it.
People are just that — people; human. They — we — make mistakes. We’ll never live up to everyone else’s expectations and others will never live up to all of ours.
Grace goes a long way. Grace prevents us from being Pharaoh.
Grace helps create space for love that is patient and kind.
Instead of modeling ourselves after Pharaoh (whether intentionally or not), let’s be intentional in modeling ourselves after Christ — who embodied grace rather than an iron fist.
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Terence Crutcher, police violence and racism in AmericaNews and Religion podcast
Shane Raynor and the panel discuss the recent deaths of Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott at the hands of police officers. The panel also talks about racism in America and the church's role in bringing reconciliation. Guests are Hannah Adair Bonner, Tom Fuerst and Winnie Varghese.
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On this episode of News and Religion, the panel and I discuss the recent deaths of Terence Crutcher and Keith Lamont Scott at the hands of police officers. We also talk about racism in America and the church's role in bringing reconciliation. My guests are Hannah Adair Bonner, Tom Fuerst and Winnie Varghese.
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An open letter to the 'Man' by F. Willis JohnsonJustice for Philando protest in St. Paul, Minn. on September 6, 2016. Photo: Fibonacci Blue / CC 2.0
So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When Nathan arrived he said, “There were two men in the same city, one rich, one poor. The rich man had a lot of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing—just one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised that lamb, and it grew up with him and his children. It would eat from his food and drink from his cup—even sleep in his arms! It was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler came to visit the rich man, but he wasn’t willing to take anything from his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had arrived. Instead, he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the visitor. ”David got very angry at the man, and he said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the one who did this is demonic![a] 6 He must restore the ewe lamb seven times over because he did this and because he had no compassion.” “You are that man!” Nathan told David.[2 Samuel 12:1-7 CEB]
An open letter is a written criticism, a document of protest or appeal addressed to a particular person or group, yet intended for publication and public consumption. A letter serving notice to someone or group of someones offered as protest while encouraging one to exhibit their best self or a better way. Truth told, though the letter is addressed to one specifically, it’s intended for a larger audience.
In the text, the prophet Nathan is sent by God to David and raises a mirror up to David. The role of the prophet is to hold up the word of God to systems of power on behalf of the people, causing them to reflect upon what they currently are and remind them of what they ought to be. In the spirit of the text, this open letter is addressed to the Man. Who is the Man? The Man is the ungendered representative of governmental, institutional or spiritual agency and other forms of authority that exercise power over the lives of the other.
Again we find ourselves forced to learn the names of individuals killed at the hands of police officers, and once again, the church largely remains silent on the mounting death toll of black folk being murdered in the streets of America by those purposed to serve and protect.
Every recurrence of fatal encounters between citizenry and police undresses the scabbed-over remnants of the deep abrasion my family and my community experienced in August 2014 in Ferguson. The political pandering and pseudo-intellectual prognosticating, seemingly non-stop racist rants and looped footage of brutality and dehumanization pains my heart and pricks my soul. These emotional and spiritual electric shocks serve as constant reminders that my community, my family, and my body are black in America. My awkward awareness of this combined with suspicion towards assigning allegiance to a dystopic form of democracy does not mean that I am unpatriotic. It should not result in bastardization of my civil liberties nor raise question of my adherence to faith.
Far too often, the response from our United Methodist connection, from the episcopacy, general agencies, conferences and local leaders, is slow and low, or absent altogether. A lack of response speaks volumes. At this point, silence no longer signals discernment or political correctness, it is instead an act bordering on abuse. Silence in the face of such egregious violence, in light of such apparent injustice, is a decision to turn mute or render another’s reality invisible. It is a choice to maintain comfort and decorum over the lives of our brothers and sisters. It willingly allows this pattern of disrespect for human life to continue. This silence is unloving. It is selfish. It is cowardice. Silence in the face of injustice and death is not Christlike and is an affront to our Methodist heritage. Truth told, large swaths of church sit both silent and idle during periods of war, political and social maleficence, slavery, civil rights and black nationalist periods, and now!
Silence is no longer an option. We are past the point of discussion regarding the particularities of individual shootings. We have exceeded the statute of limitations for mere collegial conversation that fails to wholly address prejudice, misinformation or even hate in order to avoid discomfort or offense. Holy conferencing and huddling is not stopping folks from getting killed for doing what they are either instructed or constitutionally afforded an opportunity to do. Neither are such covenantal acts furthering Jesus’s true message, nor are they reflective of his unconditional love or equitable acts. It is time to speak up; to stand up and act up!
In his “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,” King states, “...but the white moderate, who is more devoted to “order” than to justice; who prefers a negative peace which is the absence of tension to a positive peace which is the presence of justice; who constantly says: ‘I agree with you in the goal you seek, but I cannot agree with your methods of direct action.’” Our religious institutions have remained moderate for far too long. It is time to do more, to expect more from our church and our leaders. As Christians our intervention can no longer be delayed by our handicaps framed in questions of “what do I say or do?” Each of us must self-determine to consciously commit to admitting our shortcomings, intentionally engaging in turning away from our sins and moving toward wholeness.
The United Methodist tradition espouses that, “We affirm all persons as equally valuable in the sight of God. We therefore work toward societies in which each person’s value is recognized, maintained, and strengthened. . .We deplore acts of hate or violence against groups or persons based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, age, gender, disability, status, economic condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or religious affiliation.” The problem here is that while we disavow acts of hate and violence out of one side of our mouth, we remain silent with the other when confronted by them.
Although we may have a desire to do something good in response to these recent tragedies, our ability to do so is inhibited by the inequitable nature of our denominational structure. According to a Pew Research study conducted in 2014, the UMC is one of the least diverse religious groups in the United States. While this study may have failed to take into account the transcontinental nature of our church, it raises an interesting question: How has the largest mainline denomination and one of the biggest proponents of social holiness maintained institutional whiteness?
In order for us to begin moving from silence and idleness to proclamation and action, we have to make some changes structurally. It is no secret that the UMC has struggled with fully incorporating those who are non-white into the life of the church. Consider the formation of a whole host of other denominations, which we now refer to as Pan-Methodists, that have their origins in the Methodist Episcopal Church and Methodist Episcopal Church, South. By failing to fully embrace its black brothers and sisters, these two denominations left a stain that we have yet to recover from. Imagine the level of true diversity that we could boast if the members of St. George’s MEC had acknowledged the sacred worth of Richard Allen and his colleagues, inviting them down to sit on the main floor rather than confining them to the balcony.
Furthermore, where would we be if the dissolution of the MEC’s all-black Central Jurisdiction had not been predicated on an impending merger with the Evangelical United Brethren Church, but on the basis of God’s love for all humankind?
In response to these ever increasing waves of brutality and dehumanization, the Department of Justice is requiring that cities, municipal and federally subsidized law enforcement agencies take responsibility for their history, systems and cultural constructions that have resulted in implicit bias and institutional preservation. Likewise, our faith tradition and existential reality necessitates that we take responsibility and accountability for both ourselves and one another. If our tradition is sincerely striving to align with the word, witness and will of God, our efforts must live beyond pious ritualistic pageantry and toothless typographic rehearsing of divine imperatives and precepts. Our affirming of God’s beloved and their sacred and inalienable worth must materialize in full this time.
In this violent time, we each have three primary duties. First, we have a theocratic responsibility to listen for God’s voice amidst the noise of our everyday experience and media-drenched culture. In practical terms it is recognizing how and where our faith calls each of us to respond and engage.
Second, we have a democratic responsibility to invest and/or reinvest in the individual for collective good. Simply praying for change to come and abstaining from struggling with one to become the change is counterproductive. The “Connection” is challenged to genuflect to its own practices, presence (or lack thereof) and perpetuation of race-based inequities. Each of us exists within a net of mutuality knitted by the thread of our respective sacred personhood. It is a reexamining and aligning of misguided, oppressive and abusive theological and social constructs towards healthy, loving, and just relations and practices.
Third, empathic responsibility requires us to engage in faith-filled dialogue and to actively participate ethically in the public square. It embraces a radical love ethic, as well as transformative thought and action. It requires more than good intentions and lip service. It requires us to make ourselves, and maybe those whom we love and respect, feel uncomfortable.
The time to respond is now.
F. Willis Johnson is the author of Holding Up Your Corner from Abingdon Press.
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Handle little things before they become big things
by Ron EdmondsonBigstock/SubstancePCheryl and I were in a grocery store out of town some time ago. We turned the corner from one aisle into a main aisle and instantly saw a gentleman slip and fall. He wasn’t injured — or at least he said he wasn’t — but it shook him up quite a bit before he scrambled to his feet. We then noticed he had slipped on something liquid on the floor. Someone standing around said the spill had been there a while. As I expected, within minutes every manager in the store, easily identified by their store shirts and badges, were on the scene making sure the man was okay and the spill was throughly handled.
As I left the store, I saw managers roaming the store, picking up everything they could find on the floor. There was plenty to find. The store was dirty from what appeared to be a very busy day of shopping and trash was everywhere. I had noticed it as we walked around the store, but it was even more obvious now.
It was a good reminder of a leadership principle.
Good leaders take care of little things before they become big things.
I’m not suggesting that a leader be a micromanager. To the contrary, I’ve written plenty to indicate otherwise. I'm suggesting that a leader needs to always be observant of the things others can’t see or aren’t looking for, which can impact the success of the overall vision.
I started working in the grocery store when I was 12 years old. The store’s owner seemed to always know what was going on in the store, often pointing out things needing attention that neither I nor other employees had noticed and, in our opinion, didn’t matter. It was sometimes aggravating to this teenager, but years later, when I worked in retail management, reflecting back it began to make sense to me why my boss had responded as he did. I began to copy his intentionality. I refused to do any paperwork on Saturdays, for example. The busiest shopping day was reserved solely for customers. I made sure I was roaming the store constantly, looking for anything that might be a problem or an opportunity. I was usually the first to recognize a customer looking for an open register or if the store’s temperature was too hot or too cold.
As a pastor, I had an intern who shadowed me for the summer. His initial observation was that I paid attention to details. I remember explaining to him part of my job was to look for things others didn’t see. I can’t catch everything, but as the leader I certainly need to be looking for anything that could make or break a successful day in the experience of a visitor. This could be the spill on the floor, a long line at children’s check-in, the missing volunteer or the visitor who looks like they're struggling to find their way in our building.
A couple of years ago my younger son was preaching for me one Sunday. We arrived at the church and I instantly spotted a trash can overflowing with garbage. I quickly began to address the issue. My son said, “Dad, I thought you weren’t a detail person. How did you notice the trash can was full?”
I assured him I'm not a detail person — unless the detail has an impact on the people who may walk on our campus each Sunday. That is a detail that matters. I want to take care of little things before they become big things.
I've learned it well. It could be with spills on the floor or with people on the team. Big things often start small — so pay attention to the little things that matter.
One way I do this is to simply ask myself a question, such as: If this continues — and gets bigger — how much of a problem is it going to be? Things are almost always easier to deal with when they're smaller than when we let them become “big things.”
By the way, this principle applies in other areas of your life also — such as in your marriage, your parenting or your personal disciplines.
Leader, what seemingly little things do you need to address before they become the big things?
Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.
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Presidential debates
by James C. HowellPhoto credit Hofstra University via InstagramTonight we will try to watch and absorb the first Clinton-Trump debate (or perhaps you feel you just can’t bear to watch). I joined a debate team in 8th grade , and there were pretty clear, reasonable rules regarding how to proceed, how rational arguments were to be presented and weighed, heard, and assessed — oh my, how different the presidential debates have become.
I have a fantasy: that once in my life, during such a televised debate, one candidate will make a good point and the opponent will say “Hmm, good point, I need to rethink my position.” Political suicide? Yet this is what we need and maybe even crave. For a debate shouldn’t be about crushing the opponent, or embarrassing your foe, or being more smart-alecky than the other guy. A debate should be like a classroom of eager students, guided by a wise teacher, sorting through various ideas and diligently pursuing truth.
If the debates are disappointing to you, if they debates are little more than a sideshow of barbs, insults and gotchas, it may be because we ourselves do not know how to debate ideas that matter. Jean Bethke Elshtain wrote that the virtue of a democracy ought to be that we can disagree and not have to kill one another. We have forgotten how to disagree, or even how to learn and grow from the disagreement.
The idea of debate, for us, should be a sought-after opportunity to learn not how my foe is stupid, but where I’ve missed the boat. I wonder if we were all to hone our own debating skills, our ability to listen, suggest, reiterate, and resolve, we might in a couple of decades have more intelligent presidential debates. Christopher Lasch wisely told us that “It is only by subjecting our preferences to the test of debate that we come to understand what we know and what we still need to learn. Until we have to defend our opinions in public, they remain half-formed convictions based on random impressions and unexamined assumptions."
Christians, of all people, have good cause to be humble; to acknowledge we don’t have it all figured out; that we have probably thought wrongly and self-indulgently and not very broadly on issues that matter. So every opportunity to receive critique, to hear other viewpoints, to broaden our perspective, should be welcomed and pursued zealously.
So watch the debates, if you can. Believe you and I can and will do better. Trust that an honest, humble, passionate exchange of ideas is something that would be productive within a democracy, and even pleasing to Jesus.
Read Rev. Howell's previous 'Tis the Season articles covering the 2016 election here. This article originally appeared on the author's blog. Reprinted with permission.
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Loving the church
by Melissa SpoelstraBigstockI can honestly say, I love our church. I don’t mean the building (it kinda smells because its old and its a place we rent that is a preschool during the week.) I’m also not referring the service on Sundays. I love the worship, testimonies and ordinances we partake in there, but the church is not a place or an event. Its us. Now I’m not wearing rose-colored glasses. Other Christians have hurt me deeply, but other times they have held me up when I thought I couldn’t go on.
I have met many wounded church people. Someone said, “There is no pain like church pain.” I agree as some of my deepest hurts involved other believers. However, we can’t give up on each other because Jesus established the church. He called it his body and his bride. He believes in community. Lone ranger Christ-following isn’t really a thing according to Scripture.
I remember one time when our daughter Abby first began to lose her hair. Our church family showered us with help, prayer and encouragement. They seemed to anticipate our needs even before we realized them. It was clear many had endured their own trials and knew just how to help and what to say (or not to say). Through hats, notes of encouragement, and prayers, God’s love was fleshed out through the body of Christ — just as he designed. Those expressions were God’s grace and source of strength to us in moments of despair. We saw Jesus in our church family.
As we model for our children a commitment to community in the good and bad times, we’ll find blessings in the midst of the pain. Still, we must continually guard against participating in community solely for our own benefit. So many times I’ve heard statements like:
“No one from church came to see me or called me.” (Did they know you were sick or struggling?)
“I don’t feel connected. Nobody talks to me.” (Do you participate in a smaller group setting? Sometimes in a large group it’s difficult to get to know people. Have you made efforts to talk to others, or are you waiting for them to talk to you?)
“Why don’t we have this or that ministry or connection opportunity?” (Are you willing to put in the time and effort to help make the change you want to see in your church?)
“I don’t like the music [preaching, lights, temperature] at church.” (Have you lost sight of what matters? Church is about worshipping God and fellowshipping with other believers — for their benefit as well as yours — not personally approving of every aspect.)
As parents, we have to remember that little ears are often listening when conversations regarding church take place. You may think they aren’t hearing and internalizing in the back of the car or at the dinner table, but they are. And your attitude toward church will impact theirs.
If you have issues with your church, remember to start at the top! Christ is the head of the body. Spend some time in his presence asking for direction and help. We know through the Epistles that the early church had problems just as we have in our churches today. As Christians were often oppressed in those days, they found strength in numbers; they stuck together and worked out their differences. Is it ever appropriate to leave a church for a new one? Of course. But sometimes people head for a new church without trying to work out their problems with leaders or other congregants. It can be easier to avoid than to confront issues, but Jesus tells us that community is worth it.
How do you approach your church community? Has any consumer thinking crept into your posture toward being a part of the body? Ask God to help you model for your children and others around you a love for God’s body!
Melissa Spoelstra is a popular Bible teacher, conference speaker and writer. She is the author of Total Family Makeover, Jeremiah: Daring to Hope in an Unstable World and Joseph: The Journey to Forgiveness. Melissa blogs at MelissaSpoelstra.com.
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Can a pastor be a friend?
by Todd OutcaltBigstock/oleksii_nazarenkoIn her memoir, Leaving Church, Barbara Brown Taylor speaks to the varied struggles of being a parish pastor. The demands are legion, with time and energy being two of the strongest pulls that can transform a once-energetic leader into a battle-wearied soldier. Or, as Barbara Brown Taylor describes her decision to leave parish ministry, she eventually suffered from “compassion burnout.” Translation: she cared too much about the people she was serving and could not divest herself, emotionally, from the cares, tribulations and struggles of her friends in the parish.
Friendship in the parish has, of course, always been debated among pastors. Ask ten pastors if it is a good idea to have close friends in the parish and you are likely to get several answers, with nuances ranging from “some of my best friends are in the church” to “it is not a good idea to be friends with anyone in your parish.” Other pastors, as indicated by the alarming statistics assembled by John Maxwell (CEO of InJoy, author of books such as Failing Forward, and former Wesleyan pastor) would indicate that over 70% of pastors have no close friends at all. Indeed, many pastors live out their ministry in isolation and loneliness.
In order to find friends in the parish, however, a pastor also needs to be a friend. This is a difficult task — perhaps the task most fraught with potential minefields and pitfalls. But friendship is also invested with enormous grace and abundant blessings — far more than a pastor’s small compensation and long hours can reward.
The pastor as friend is also the model that Jesus used in his relationships. In the gospel of John, Jesus ends his earthly ministry by calling attention to these deep friendships that have marked his life. “No one has greater love than this,” Jesus says, “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends ... I do not call you servants any longer ... but I have called you friends” (John 15:13-15).
Servant leadership — the kind exhibited by pastors — is fraught with the struggles and hardships of friendship. There are risks that pastors take by becoming friends with those in the parish.
First, an element of trust is needed, both on the part of parishioner and pastor. Establishing this trust — and learning how much one can trust in both the giving and the receiving of friendship — is often a fine line and also requires a certain amount of emotional intelligence. Perhaps the most common experience among pastors, as far as friendship is concerned, is trusting a parishioner with one’s thoughts, feelings, and even vulnerabilities — only to discover that these are betrayed.
Not long ago, during a workshop conducted by our annual conference, pastors shared some of their stories in this regard, with many detailing friendships gone awry and confidentialities shattered. Others held out the hope that it was possible to develop deep and abiding friendships with staff and parishioners, even to the point where honesties, vulnerabilities and weaknesses could be shared in a safe environment, confidentialities kept, and secrets guarded. Some pastors were skeptical. Others related stories of delightful friendships and honest conversations without disclosing specifics of these covenant relationships.
Taken at face value, most pastors would agree that the model of pastor and parish should have an element of friendship. After all, Jesus described his own relationships this way — and among those who would desert and betray him. Nevertheless, it is the friendship of God that defines the very depth of grace, and pastors who can live out their ministries in a friendship model always find a deeper sense of happiness, joy and meaning in their work.
Isolation, loneliness and bitterness can rarely yield positive results in either the pulpit or in leadership. And those charged with the oversight of pastors will often speak to these factors as being at the center of pastoral troubles when they develop.
But are there any guidelines or helpful concepts that can make these pastor/parish friendships healthy and meaningful?
Eugene Peterson, who penned, perhaps, the quintessential book on this subject of the past century (Pastor) offers some helpful insights when it comes to friendships in the parish.
First, Peterson notes that his own experience of church was born of a long pastorate. Essentially, Peterson served one congregation his entire ministry, and in and through that time could not have survived (nor thrived) without the friendships that developed over those years. Deep friendships. Healthy ones.Sprinkled throughout the book, however, are insights about the importance of friendship; both the blessings and the pitfalls. Some of these ingredients include:
- A self-awareness on the part of the pastor. Becoming too comfortable among one’s friends can lead to certain bad practices such as preaching unchallenging messages, a proclivity toward the familiar, or an unwillingness to embrace change. Pastors also don’t want to develop one-sided friendships, where certain people in the parish become protective of the pastor’s time and attentions. Pastors who do develop deep friendships in the parish need to be aware of how others might perceive these attentions, and may need to steer clear of placing best friends in key leadership positions, especially ones that will determine that pastor’s salary, for example. Pastors should always be on guard of playing favorites or stacking the deck and should remain above reproach, even in friendships.
- When deep friendships do develop in the parish, pastors would do well to find comfortable boundaries — both for their sakes and their friends’. Some of these boundaries would include the need to keep confidences regarding others in the parish, or not listening to gossip about other parishioners. Other pastors may feel more comfortable with those friendships where the church is not discussed at all, or where they can enjoy talking about sports or family. Still other pastors may find that their friendships can afford them a level of acceptance and vulnerability that is both healing and redeeming — both form themselves and their friends. Sometimes, the best pastoral care is accomplished among those one loves the deepest.
- Be aware that friendships can be painful. When a pastor loves people deeply there may often be pain associated with life changes such as career (moving away), divorce, serious illness, or even death. Friendships do not shield pastors from these realities but may make them all the more painful (though redemptive).
- Great friendships can endure past the pastor/parish relationship. Healthy friendships can be for life. If pastors maintain healthy understandings and boundaries they can remain friends even after they cease to be that person’s pastor. Again, these are healthy friendships — and if a pastor feels that he/she cannot let go of a parish even after a move, this is not a healthy relationship, but a co-dependent one. Embracing life changes is a part of all friendships, and pastors can often experience a greater share of these than the average person.
Jesus understood his ministry as grounded in friendship. Pastors can seek to emulate these same relationships wherever they are serving; it’s the way Jesus would have done it.
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Clergy retiring later
by Sam Hodges / United Methodist News ServiceBigstock/karenroach
(UMNS) At 67, the Rev. David Clewell is still a pastor, and he’s not sure when he’ll hang it up.
“We’re getting ready to start a building project,” said Clewell, who leads Quail Springs United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. “I’m wanting to see that through.”
David Comperry, pastor of Emmanuel United Methodist Church in Memphis, Tenn., with grandchildren Rowan and Ben Little. Photo courtesy Nancy Comperry.The Rev. David Comperry is 69, and, like Clewell, a grandfather. But he’s still going strong as pastor of Emmanuel United Methodist in Memphis.
“I’ve got good health, I enjoy what I’m doing, and I still feel I’ve got some things to contribute,” said Comperry, in his 44th year of ministry.
Clewell and Comperry are part of a move toward later retirement by United Methodist clergy in the United States, identified in a new Clergy Age Trends Report by the Lewis Center for Church Leadership.
In 2005, the average age of retiring United Methodist elders was 64, but by last year that had climbed to 66, the Lewis Center found in analyzing data provided by Wespath Benefits and Investments, formerly the United Methodist Board of Pension and Health Benefits.
The average retirement age for deacons in 2015 was 67. For full-time licensed local pastors, the average retirement age was 68, and for part-time local pastors it was 69.
Incentives for sticking around
The Rev. Lovett Weems Jr., director of the Lewis Center, said there was a lot of talk during the 2008 recession that United Methodist pastors were postponing retirement because their nest eggs had been reduced.
The Lewis Center — part of United Methodist Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. — did not research the reasons. Nor has Wespath done a formal study, said Andrew Hendren, general counsel.However, he said no real spike in retirement age emerged in the data. Instead, there has been a longer, gradual trend.
David Clewell is pastor at Quail Springs United Methodist Church in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo courtesy of Quail Springs United Methodist Church.But Hendren noted that the 2008 General Conference pushed back mandatory retirement age for clergy from 70 to 72. He said another factor might be that most people now work to 66, to get full Social Security benefits.
He added that some conferences, to deal with rising costs, have cut back or eliminated health care coverage for pre-Medicare retirees.
“Such changes may have had the effect of encouraging more clergy to continue working until they are at least 65 and thereby Medicare-eligible,” Hendren said.
Finding fulfillment
For the Rev. Lynn Schreck, finances aren’t the reason she is, at 65, still leading two small southwest Wisconsin churches. It’s that she finds deep fulfillment doing so.
What Schreck does worry about is who will take her place, given that finding clergy for smaller, rural churches, can be a challenge in Wisconsin.“The way I look at it is: It’s not work; it’s just who I am,” said Schreck, pastor of Salem United Methodist Church in Eastman and St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Wauzeka. “And my health is still good.”
Lynn Schreck (left) performs baptisms as part of her duties as pastor of Salem United Methodist Church in Eastman, Wisc., and St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Wauzeka, Wis. Photo courtesy of Rev. Schreck.Church law allows pastors who are officially retired to continue to be appointed, though they aren’t guaranteed a pension contribution and housing allowance.Such pastors aren’t reflected in the Lewis Center study, but they are important to keeping churches going in some conferences, Weems said.
The Rev. Robert Marble is an example. He’s 79, and has no plans to step down as pastor of Mabelvale United Methodist Church, in Mabelvale, Arkansas.
Robert Marble, 79, is pastor of Mabelvale United Methodist Church in Mabelvale, Ark., and has no plans to retire. Photo courtesy of Rev. Marble.Some point to the many second-career United Methodist pastors as one reason for later retirements, and Marble said his late start — after a business career — is one reason he’s eager to keep going. “I intend to stay on until the Lord calls me home or the bishop finally says, ‘We’ve had enough of you,’” Marble said.
“The Lord called me at 13, but I didn’t go until I was 53,” Marble said. “I’ve still got a lot of energy and fire.”
He added that the break Mabelvale United Methodist gets in not having to make his pension and housing allowance payments means more money for other staff and missions. He’s proud of the church, including its community outreach.
“Our motto is: ‘We love you and there’s nothing you can do about it,’” Marble said.
The shrinking middle
The Lewis Center’s look at clergy retirement age comes in its annual Clergy Age Trends Report, which is best known for its reporting on young clergy numbers.
This year’s study again shows a modest climb in that category. The denomination has just over 1,000 elders under age 35, constituting 6.8 percent of active elders.
In 2005, the denomination had 850 young elders, or about 4.7 percent.
Nearly all the growth in young elders has been among women.
The new study also confirms the shrinking pool of middle-age elders. In 2000, they represented 65 percent of active elders, and now are just 37 percent.
Meanwhile, the study found a continuing record high 56 percent of active elders are between ages 55 and 72.
“You need a healthy mix of (clergy) ages,” Weems said, adding that The United Methodist Church is “significantly skewed” toward older elders.
The denomination has been gradually shrinking in U.S. membership and worship attendance, and the overall elder ranks have shrunk dramatically. This year’s study showed declines in both elders and local pastors, though the former declined more.
Local pastor numbers have generally been on the rise, and the denomination now has two elders for each local pastor, while in 1990 the ratio was five to one.
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Millennials, megachurches and the ESV Bible
by Shane RaynorBigstockThe panel and I discuss a Washington Post report about some D.C. area churches that have supposedly discovered the secret to reaching millennials. Other topics include the freezing of the ESV Bible translation and a study showing that the largest megachurches are getting bigger. My guests this week are Mark Lockard, Kira Schlesinger and Joseph Yoo.
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This Sunday, October 2, 2016Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Lamentations 1:1-6; Psalm 137; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10
Lectionary Readings:
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Sunday, 2 October 2016
Lamentations 1:1-6
Psalm 137
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:5-10
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Sunday, 2 October 2016
Lamentations 1:1-6
Psalm 137
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Luke 17:5-10
Scripture Text for Lamentations 1:1 How lonely lies the city
that once thronged with people!
Once great among the nations,
now she is like a widow!
Once princess among provinces,
she has become a vassal.
2 Bitterly she weeps at night,
tears running down her cheeks.
Not one of all her lovers
is there to comfort her.
Her friends have all betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.
3 Y’hudah has fled into exile
from oppression and endless slavery.
She lives among the nations,
but there she finds no rest.
Her pursuers have all overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.
4 The roads to Tziyon are mourning
because no one comes to the festivals.
Her gateways are all deserted,
her cohanim are groaning,
her unmarried girls are grieving —
how bitter it is for her!
5 Her foes have become the head,
her enemies relax,
for Adonai has made her suffer
because of her many sins.
Her young children have gone away
captive before the foe.
6 All splendor has departed
from the daughter of Tziyon.
Her princes have become like deer
unable to find pasture,
running on, exhausted,
fleeing from the hunter.
Psalm 137:1 By the rivers of Bavel we sat down and wept
as we remembered Tziyon.
2 We had hung up our lyres
on the willows that were there,
3 when those who had taken us captive
asked us to sing them a song;
our tormentors demanded joy from us —
“Sing us one of the songs from Tziyon!”
4 How can we sing a song about Adonai
here on foreign soil?
5 If I forget you, Yerushalayim,
may my right hand wither away!
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I fail to remember you,
if I fail to count Yerushalayim
the greatest of all my joys.
7 Remember, Adonai, against the people of Edom
the day of Yerushalayim’s fall,
how they cried, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
Raze it to the ground!”
8 Daughter of Bavel, you will be destroyed!
A blessing on anyone who pays you back
for the way you treated us!
9 A blessing on anyone who seizes your babies
and smashes them against a rock!
2 Timothy 1:1 From: Sha’ul, an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua by God’s will, which holds forth a promise of life through being united with Messiah Yeshua
2 To: Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and shalom from God the Father and the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.
3 I give thanks to God, whom, like my forbears, I worship with a clean conscience, as I regularly remember you in my prayers night and day. 4 I am reminded of your tears, and I long to see you, so that I might be filled with joy. 5 I recall your sincere trust, the same trust that your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice had first; and I am convinced that you too now have this trust.
6 For this reason, I am reminding you to fan the flame of God’s gift, which you received through s’mikhah from me. 7 For God gave us a Spirit who produces not timidity, but power, love and self-discipline. 8 So don’t be ashamed of bearing testimony to our Lord or to me, his prisoner. On the contrary, accept your share in suffering disgrace for the sake of the Good News. God will give you the strength for it, 9 since he delivered us and called us to a life of holiness as his people. It was not because of our deeds, but because of his own purpose and the grace which he gave to us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He did this before the beginning of time, 10 but made it public only now through the appearing of our Deliverer, the Messiah Yeshua, who abolished death and, through the Good News, revealed life and immortality.
11 It was for this Good News that I was appointed a proclaimer, emissary and teacher of the Goyim; 12 and this is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know him in whom I have put my trust, and I am persuaded that he can keep safe until that Day what he has entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound teachings you have heard from me, with trust and the love which is yours in the Messiah Yeshua. 14 Keep safe the great treasure that has been entrusted to you, with the help of the Ruach HaKodesh, who lives in us.
Luke 17:5 The emissaries said to the Lord, “Increase our trust.” 6 The Lord replied, “If you had trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this fig tree, ‘Be uprooted and replanted in the sea!’ and it would obey you. 7 If one of you has a slave tending the sheep or plowing, when he comes back from the field, will you say to him, ‘Come along now, sit down and eat’? 8 No, you’ll say, ‘Get my supper ready, dress for work, and serve me until I have finished eating and drinking; after that, you may eat and drink.’ 9 Does he thank the slave because he did what he was told to do? No! 10 It’s the same with you — when you have done everything you were told to do, you should be saying, ‘We’re just ordinary slaves, we have only done our duty.’”
The John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Lamentations 1:1-6
A widow — She that had a king, or rather a God, that was an husband to her, now was forsaken of God, and her king taken from her.
Verse 3
[3] Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.
Because — Because of the servitude and oppression exercised among them: oppression by their rulers, and servitude more generally; keeping their servants beyond the year of jubilee, when they ought to be set at liberty.
The straits — Those that pursued them overtook them in places where they could not escape.
Verse 4
[4] The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.
She — Persons of all ages and ranks are in bitterness.
Psalm 137
Verse 1
[1] By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Sat — The usual posture of mourners.
Verse 2
[2] We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
Harps — Harps are here put for all instruments of musick.
Verse 3
[3] For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
A song — Such songs as you used to sing in the temple of Zion.
Verse 4
[4] How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?
The Lord's — Those songs which were appointed by God to be sung only in his service.
Verse 6
[6] If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
If — If I do not value Jerusalem's prosperity more than all other delights.
Verse 7
[7] Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
The day — In the time of its destruction.
Verse 8
[8] O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
Happy — As being God's instrument to vindicate his honour, and execute his just judgments.
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Verse 3
[3] I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
Whom I serve from my forefathers — That is, whom both I and my ancestors served.
With a pure conscience — He always worshipped God according to his conscience, both before and after his conversion One who stands on the verge of life is much refreshed by the remembrance of his predecessors, to whom he is going.
Verse 4
[4] Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
Being mindful of thy tears — Perhaps frequently shed, as well as at the apostle's last parting with him.
Verse 5
[5] When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Which dwelt — A word not applied to a transient guest, but only to a settled inhabitant.
First — Probably this was before Timothy was born, yet not beyond St. Paul's memory.
Verse 6
[6] Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
Wherefore — Because I remember this.
I remind thee of stirring up — Literally, blowing up the coals into a flame.
The gift of God — All the spiritual gifts, which the grace of God has given thee.
Verse 7
[7] For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
And let nothing discourage thee, for God hath not given us - That is, the spirit which God hath given us Christians, is not the spirit of fear - Or cowardice.
But of power — Banishing fear.
And love and sobriety — These animate us in our duties to God, our brethren, and ourselves. Power and sobriety are two good extremes. Love is between, the tie and temperament of both; preventing the two bad extremes of fearfulness and rashness. More is said concerning power, 1 Timothy 1:8; concerning love, 2 Timothy 2:14, etc.; concerning sobriety, 2 Timothy 3:1, etc.
Verse 8
[8] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
Therefore be not thou ashamed — When fear is banished, evil shame also flees away.
Of the testimony of our Lord — The gospel, and of testifying the truth of it to all men.
Nor of me — The cause of the servants of God doing his work, cannot be separated from the cause of God himself.
But be thou partaker of the afflictions — Which I endure for the gospel's sake.
According to the power of God — This which overcomes all things is nervously described in the two next verses.
Verse 9
[9] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Who hath saved us — By faith. The love of the Father, the grace of our Saviour, and the whole economy of salvation, are here admirably described.
Having called us with an holy calling — Which is all from God, and claims us all for God.
According to his own purpose and grace — That is, his own gracious purpose.
Which was given us — Fixed for our advantage, before the world began.
Verse 10
[10] But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
By the appearing of our Saviour — This implies his whole abode upon earth.
Who hath abolished death — Taken away its sting, and turned it into a blessing.
And hath brought life and immortality to light — Hath clearly revealed by the gospel that immortal life which he hath purchased for us.
Verse 12
[12] For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
That which I have committed to him — My soul.
Until that day — Of his final appearing.
Verse 13
[13] Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
The pattern of sound words — The model of pure, wholesome doctrine.
Verse 14
[14] That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
The good thing — This wholesome doctrine.
Luke 17:5-10
Verse 5
[5] And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
Lord, increase our faith — That we may thus forgive, and may neither offend nor be offended. Matthew 17:20.
Verse 6
[6] And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
And he said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed — If ye had the least measure of true faith, no instance of duty would be too hard for you.
Ye would say to this sycamine tree — This seems to have been a kind of proverbial expression.
Verse 7
[7] But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
But which of you — But is it not meet that you should first obey, and then triumph? Though still with a deep sense of your utter unprofitableness.
Verse 9
[9] Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
Doth he thank that servant — Does he account himself obliged to him?
Verse 10
[10] So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
When ye have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants — For a man cannot profit God. Happy is he who judges himself an unprofitable servant: miserable is he whom God pronounces such. But though we are unprofitable to him, our serving him is not unprofitable to us. For he is pleased to give by his grace a value to our good works, which in consequence of his promise entitles us to an eternal reward.
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The Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004, United States
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that once thronged with people!
Once great among the nations,
now she is like a widow!
Once princess among provinces,
she has become a vassal.
2 Bitterly she weeps at night,
tears running down her cheeks.
Not one of all her lovers
is there to comfort her.
Her friends have all betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.
3 Y’hudah has fled into exile
from oppression and endless slavery.
She lives among the nations,
but there she finds no rest.
Her pursuers have all overtaken her
in the midst of her distress.
4 The roads to Tziyon are mourning
because no one comes to the festivals.
Her gateways are all deserted,
her cohanim are groaning,
her unmarried girls are grieving —
how bitter it is for her!
5 Her foes have become the head,
her enemies relax,
for Adonai has made her suffer
because of her many sins.
Her young children have gone away
captive before the foe.
6 All splendor has departed
from the daughter of Tziyon.
Her princes have become like deer
unable to find pasture,
running on, exhausted,
fleeing from the hunter.
Psalm 137:1 By the rivers of Bavel we sat down and wept
as we remembered Tziyon.
2 We had hung up our lyres
on the willows that were there,
3 when those who had taken us captive
asked us to sing them a song;
our tormentors demanded joy from us —
“Sing us one of the songs from Tziyon!”
4 How can we sing a song about Adonai
here on foreign soil?
5 If I forget you, Yerushalayim,
may my right hand wither away!
6 May my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth
if I fail to remember you,
if I fail to count Yerushalayim
the greatest of all my joys.
7 Remember, Adonai, against the people of Edom
the day of Yerushalayim’s fall,
how they cried, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
Raze it to the ground!”
8 Daughter of Bavel, you will be destroyed!
A blessing on anyone who pays you back
for the way you treated us!
9 A blessing on anyone who seizes your babies
and smashes them against a rock!
2 Timothy 1:1 From: Sha’ul, an emissary of the Messiah Yeshua by God’s will, which holds forth a promise of life through being united with Messiah Yeshua
2 To: Timothy, my dear son:
Grace, mercy and shalom from God the Father and the Messiah Yeshua, our Lord.
3 I give thanks to God, whom, like my forbears, I worship with a clean conscience, as I regularly remember you in my prayers night and day. 4 I am reminded of your tears, and I long to see you, so that I might be filled with joy. 5 I recall your sincere trust, the same trust that your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice had first; and I am convinced that you too now have this trust.
6 For this reason, I am reminding you to fan the flame of God’s gift, which you received through s’mikhah from me. 7 For God gave us a Spirit who produces not timidity, but power, love and self-discipline. 8 So don’t be ashamed of bearing testimony to our Lord or to me, his prisoner. On the contrary, accept your share in suffering disgrace for the sake of the Good News. God will give you the strength for it, 9 since he delivered us and called us to a life of holiness as his people. It was not because of our deeds, but because of his own purpose and the grace which he gave to us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. He did this before the beginning of time, 10 but made it public only now through the appearing of our Deliverer, the Messiah Yeshua, who abolished death and, through the Good News, revealed life and immortality.
11 It was for this Good News that I was appointed a proclaimer, emissary and teacher of the Goyim; 12 and this is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, because I know him in whom I have put my trust, and I am persuaded that he can keep safe until that Day what he has entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound teachings you have heard from me, with trust and the love which is yours in the Messiah Yeshua. 14 Keep safe the great treasure that has been entrusted to you, with the help of the Ruach HaKodesh, who lives in us.
Luke 17:5 The emissaries said to the Lord, “Increase our trust.” 6 The Lord replied, “If you had trust as tiny as a mustard seed, you could say to this fig tree, ‘Be uprooted and replanted in the sea!’ and it would obey you. 7 If one of you has a slave tending the sheep or plowing, when he comes back from the field, will you say to him, ‘Come along now, sit down and eat’? 8 No, you’ll say, ‘Get my supper ready, dress for work, and serve me until I have finished eating and drinking; after that, you may eat and drink.’ 9 Does he thank the slave because he did what he was told to do? No! 10 It’s the same with you — when you have done everything you were told to do, you should be saying, ‘We’re just ordinary slaves, we have only done our duty.’”
The John Wesley's Notes-Commentary for Lamentations 1:1-6
Verse 1
[1] How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!A widow — She that had a king, or rather a God, that was an husband to her, now was forsaken of God, and her king taken from her.
Verse 3
[3] Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.
Because — Because of the servitude and oppression exercised among them: oppression by their rulers, and servitude more generally; keeping their servants beyond the year of jubilee, when they ought to be set at liberty.
The straits — Those that pursued them overtook them in places where they could not escape.
Verse 4
[4] The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.
She — Persons of all ages and ranks are in bitterness.
Psalm 137
Verse 1
[1] By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion.
Sat — The usual posture of mourners.
Verse 2
[2] We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.
Harps — Harps are here put for all instruments of musick.
Verse 3
[3] For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
A song — Such songs as you used to sing in the temple of Zion.
Verse 4
[4] How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?
The Lord's — Those songs which were appointed by God to be sung only in his service.
Verse 6
[6] If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.
If — If I do not value Jerusalem's prosperity more than all other delights.
Verse 7
[7] Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem; who said, Rase it, rase it, even to the foundation thereof.
The day — In the time of its destruction.
Verse 8
[8] O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.
Happy — As being God's instrument to vindicate his honour, and execute his just judgments.
2 Timothy 1:1-14
Verse 3
[3] I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;
Whom I serve from my forefathers — That is, whom both I and my ancestors served.
With a pure conscience — He always worshipped God according to his conscience, both before and after his conversion One who stands on the verge of life is much refreshed by the remembrance of his predecessors, to whom he is going.
Verse 4
[4] Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;
Being mindful of thy tears — Perhaps frequently shed, as well as at the apostle's last parting with him.
Verse 5
[5] When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Which dwelt — A word not applied to a transient guest, but only to a settled inhabitant.
First — Probably this was before Timothy was born, yet not beyond St. Paul's memory.
Verse 6
[6] Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands.
Wherefore — Because I remember this.
I remind thee of stirring up — Literally, blowing up the coals into a flame.
The gift of God — All the spiritual gifts, which the grace of God has given thee.
Verse 7
[7] For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
And let nothing discourage thee, for God hath not given us - That is, the spirit which God hath given us Christians, is not the spirit of fear - Or cowardice.
But of power — Banishing fear.
And love and sobriety — These animate us in our duties to God, our brethren, and ourselves. Power and sobriety are two good extremes. Love is between, the tie and temperament of both; preventing the two bad extremes of fearfulness and rashness. More is said concerning power, 1 Timothy 1:8; concerning love, 2 Timothy 2:14, etc.; concerning sobriety, 2 Timothy 3:1, etc.
Verse 8
[8] Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;
Therefore be not thou ashamed — When fear is banished, evil shame also flees away.
Of the testimony of our Lord — The gospel, and of testifying the truth of it to all men.
Nor of me — The cause of the servants of God doing his work, cannot be separated from the cause of God himself.
But be thou partaker of the afflictions — Which I endure for the gospel's sake.
According to the power of God — This which overcomes all things is nervously described in the two next verses.
Verse 9
[9] Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
Who hath saved us — By faith. The love of the Father, the grace of our Saviour, and the whole economy of salvation, are here admirably described.
Having called us with an holy calling — Which is all from God, and claims us all for God.
According to his own purpose and grace — That is, his own gracious purpose.
Which was given us — Fixed for our advantage, before the world began.
Verse 10
[10] But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
By the appearing of our Saviour — This implies his whole abode upon earth.
Who hath abolished death — Taken away its sting, and turned it into a blessing.
And hath brought life and immortality to light — Hath clearly revealed by the gospel that immortal life which he hath purchased for us.
Verse 12
[12] For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
That which I have committed to him — My soul.
Until that day — Of his final appearing.
Verse 13
[13] Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
The pattern of sound words — The model of pure, wholesome doctrine.
Verse 14
[14] That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us.
The good thing — This wholesome doctrine.
Luke 17:5-10
Verse 5
[5] And the apostles said unto the Lord, Increase our faith.
Lord, increase our faith — That we may thus forgive, and may neither offend nor be offended. Matthew 17:20.
Verse 6
[6] And the Lord said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it should obey you.
And he said, If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed — If ye had the least measure of true faith, no instance of duty would be too hard for you.
Ye would say to this sycamine tree — This seems to have been a kind of proverbial expression.
Verse 7
[7] But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
But which of you — But is it not meet that you should first obey, and then triumph? Though still with a deep sense of your utter unprofitableness.
Verse 9
[9] Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
Doth he thank that servant — Does he account himself obliged to him?
Verse 10
[10] So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.
When ye have done all, say, We are unprofitable servants — For a man cannot profit God. Happy is he who judges himself an unprofitable servant: miserable is he whom God pronounces such. But though we are unprofitable to him, our serving him is not unprofitable to us. For he is pleased to give by his grace a value to our good works, which in consequence of his promise entitles us to an eternal reward.
-------
The Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004, United States
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MORE THAN A COACH by Tracey Allred2 Timothy 1:1-14
My husband is a huge college basketball fan, spending most of his free time in the winter watching as many games as possible. Needless to say, over the years, I have found myself watching quite a bit of basketball as well. I particularly enjoy attending games. There is something very exciting about a packed coliseum of thousands of fans united in support of their team. I especially enjoy watching the coaching staff during the games. They passionately instruct their players on the right moves and plays, as invested in their every move as I imagine they would be if they were playing themselves. The players, college students who probably would struggle with being instructed by an adult outside of the arena, watch the coach, listening to his every word. They realize, no doubt, that without a good coach, their God-given skills and love for the game would not reach its full potential. I imagine Paul as a kind of coach for Timothy. Paul apparently met Timothy as a young man, and was instrumental in Timothy’s future as a missionary. Whereas 1 Timothy gives instruction on ecclesiastical life, 2 Timothy is more of a personal letter from Paul, the coach, to Timothy, who is in the thick of the game of his life.Although scholarship varies on the authenticity of Paul as the author of the Pastoral Epistles, there is something very personal in 2 Timothy. Some scholars suggest that, although Paul may not actually have written 1 Timothy and Titus, he was indeed the author of 2 Timothy. It is from that perspective I write. Paul was invested in Timothy’s calling and ministry. He seemed to care deeply for him as a son in the faith. As Paul approached the end of his own ministry, he was no doubt more passionate than ever about encouraging and instructing Timothy. Paul’s story was well known to Timothy. He probably heard it many times. Timothy knew of Paul’s conversion and transformation from a hater of Christians to a believer who suffered the rest of his life for his faith in Christ. Timothy no doubt knew that, even as he received these words of encouragement from Paul, Paul’s own days were numbered. I can imagine that Timothy treasured them throughout his life.
As Christians we believe these words are instructive for us as well. They are more than words from a mentor to a student, a coach to a player. In a very real way, we are on Timothy’s team. We all are called to share the gospel, to carry on the call of Christ. We too have excellent examples of faith, but carry the personal responsibility to find in ourselves the courage to share the good news.
The crux of 2 Timothy 1 is Paul’s encouragement to remain faithful. The threat of persecution of Christians in Timothy’s world was authentic. Additionally, Paul may have been concerned that his own death would discourage Timothy. Paul encourages Timothy to be bold and not ashamed to share the gospel. He encourages him that God is with him, and has given him the power he needs to withstand all that is ahead. He further shares that, even in his own suffering, Paul is not ashamed because he believes that God is able to deliver him from his difficulty.
We do not live in Timothy’s world. For that, I am thankful. Yet, I think we can use these encouraging words in 2 Timothy. As believers, we are daily challenged to live lives of boldness and faith. No doubt, it is much simpler to allow our faith to remain private, something we observe at home or at church with other like-minded persons. This is not our calling, however. Our lives are to be living witnesses to Christ. Our faith should be naturally evident in all that we do. When we fail to live our lives as persons of faith, by our very omission, we communicate fear, doubt, and even shame of our Christ.
Hear my message clearly. I do not believe that we are intended to live our lives beating people over the heads with the gospel. (The Crusades did not prove to be an effective missionary tool, after all.) Likewise, I do not believe that equipping ourselves with Christian bumper stickers, bracelets, T-shirts, and the like is the answer. I think our most effective witness is in our evident lives of faith. It is evident in the way we treat others. It is evident in the way we do business. It is evident in the way we behave behind closed doors, the persons we are with our children and spouses. It is sometimes easier to just stick a Christian fish on your bumper or hand out a tract.
I think Paul knew that authentic ministry is difficult. Second Timothy offers some great news! God is with us. God has given us the power we need to do what God has called us to do. God is able when we are not. This is a hugely important message! When it would have been easier for Timothy to give up and run for the hills, God gave him the power he needed. When Timothy mourned the loss of his coach, God was there, equipping him to be the person of God he was called to be. When it would be easier for us to lie, cheat, and steal, God is there, giving us strength to do the right thing. When it is tempting to leave Christ at church each Sunday, God is there, empowering us to be persons of faith in every place that life takes us. Whatever our circumstances, God is able when we are not. I imagine Timothy relied on that strength over and over, probably repeating those words in moments of doubt and weakness. We too have this great message of hope. We cannot do this alone, but it is not a coach we need, it is God. God is able and powerful. Praise be to God!… read more
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WORSHIP ELEMENTS: OCTOBER 2, 2016 by Mpho A. TutuTwentieth Sunday after Pentecost
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Lamentations 1:1-6; Psalm 137; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10
THEME IDEAS
The readings from Lamentations and Psalm 137 speak of the reversal of fortune. They speak of a people who have lived in comfort and wealth but who must now endure poverty and displacement in exile. In many places in the world today, war and natural disaster have brought many people accustomed to the good life face-to-face with the reality that no human institution can guarantee either safety or security. Nothing can guard our earthly treasures, and no person can promise world peace. But the grace of God in Jesus Christ guarantees the eternal treasure that has been entrusted to us. Jesus is the author and guarantor of true peace.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Lamentations 1, 2 Timothy 1)
The promises of the world turn to ashes and dust, but the promises of God last forever.
The Holy One calls to us: “Come!”
We come to rekindle the gift of God
ablaze within us.
Opening Prayer (Lamentations 1, 2 Timothy 1)
Source of grace and peace,
you call us into being;
you keep us in safety;
you hold us in life.
Far too often, we turn from you,
placing our trust in the frail promises
of other human beings
and the insecure security of wealth.
Be with us now.
Bring us into your presence.
Comfort our pain.
Challenge our pride.
Enter into our prayer and our praise,
that our worship may be pleasing to you.
We pray these things
in the name of the one who loved us first,
Jesus Christ.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Lamentations 1)
With the weepers we weep.
With the warriors we yearn for peace.
With the exiles we wander far from home,
for our hearts wander far from you.
We live in an uncertain world—
time and again we turn to people
who promise us security.
But God, you are our only source of safety.
Help us turn to you,
our heart’s true home.
Call us again and lead us home.
Author of peace,
teach us to seek our peace in you.
Source of every blessing,
forgive us for the multitude of our transgressions.
Rekindle a spirit of love and self-discipline within us,
through Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.
Words of Assurance (2 Timothy 1)
Our Savior Jesus Christ abolished sin and death
and brought life and immortality to light.
By the grace of the Eternal One,
we are forgiven in the power of the Holy Spirit
living within us.
Passing the Peace of Christ (2 Timothy 1)
Hear the words of Jesus: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.” The peace of Christ is ours, through the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
Response to the Word (2 Timothy 1)
May we be people of living faith. May we live as people
of gospel power. May we embody the spirit of self-discipline
and love—the spirit that is ours by the grace
and power of God, through Jesus Christ.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation to the Offering (Lamentation 1)
What will buy us peace? What is the price of security? What do we have, what can we hold onto, that will ensure that we will live all our days in comfort? What do we own that is not a gift from the One of abundant grace? Nothing we can own will buy true peace. Real security is priceless. Only the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, can assure us that we will be comfortable or comforted. All things come from the One of abundant grace. Let us give generously, in token of the abundance of our thanks.
Offering Prayer (2 Timothy 1)
Fount of blessing,
you pour upon us
the abundance of your grace.
Bless us and these gifts,
that they may be a source of blessing to others,
in the name Jesus Christ. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (2 Timothy 1)
God has given us a spirit of power and love.
Let us go forth into the world
in the power of God’s Spirit.
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.… read more
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WORSHIP CONNECTION: OCTOBER 2, 2016 by Nancy C. TownleyTwentieth Sunday after Pentecost
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Lamentations 1:1-6; Psalm 137; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1:
L: How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a land of suffering?
P: We shall sing of courage and the strength of the Lord.
L: How shall we sing the Lord’s song when we feel so lonely?
P: We shall sing of unity and faithfulness, of reconciliation and hope.
L: Come, let us sing the Lord’s song this day.
P: Let us praise God in all our ways forever. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2:
L: Place your trust in the Lord.
P: God shall heal our suffering and pain.
L: Place your faith in God’s abiding presence.
P: We shall be strengthened.
L: Place your lives always in God’s care.
P: We shall be made whole in the Lord of all compassion. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2157, “Come and Fill Our Hearts,” offer the following as a call to worship. Begin by having a soloist sing the song through one time; add the choir or a small ensemble of singers who will sing the song continually until ]
Soloist singing “Come and Fill Our Hearts” through one time.
L: Lord, in this world of strife we need your peaceful presence in our hearts.
P: We struggle. Tensions abound. O Lord, hear our cries!
Add the choral ensemble singing “Come and Fill Our Hearts” at this point. The Leader will pause until the song has been sung through one time, then the leader will continue.
L: Lord, when we are torn and do not know in what direction to turn, guide our steps.
P: Bring us back to you, merciful God.
[The singing continues]
L: Lord, open our hearts and our lives this day to be filled with the radiance of your love.
P: Help us to receive your peace and to be bearers of that peace to others. AMEN.
Choral ensemble: singing through “Come and Fill Our Hearts” one last time.
Call to Worship #4:
L: In the fullness of time, God gave us Jesus that we might understand God’s love.
P: Yet we turned our backs on him and went our own way.
L: God’s loving presence continued in the disciples, bringing again the message of hope and reconciliation.
P: Open our ears and our hearts, O Lord, to receive this message.
L: Let the bread and the wine we receive today give us strength and courage to do God’s will.
P: Let our lives thus strengthened be a witness to God’s eternal love for all God’s people. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY/READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
Lord, throughout the world today, Christians are sharing in the sacrament of Holy Communion. We come together with a bountiful table set in the midst of struggle and strife. Help us to receive the elements of bread and wine for the nourishment of our souls and for the strengthening of our witness to your love for us. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
Merciful and forgiving God, we need a spirit of love and acceptance to flood into our lives this day. Even though we celebrate World Communion Sunday with the giving of the precious bread and of the beloved wine, still we harbor anger and vehemence against others. We act out of frustration rather than love. We hoard your gifts and only grudgingly share our bounty with others. We find ways to turn our backs on you, claiming that other things are more important than our faith. And then in the midst of struggle and strife, we come back to you, awash in tears and sorrow. We plead for your help and salvation. Remind us again, O Lord, that your love has always and will always be with us. You have called us to be witnesses to the good things that can happen when we follow your ways. You have asked us to reach out, across our borders, our oceans, our fears to others with the reconciling love of your Son Jesus Christ. Heal us from our selfishness and our apathy. Give us courage and strength for the ministries in which you have placed us. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
From the beginning of all creation, God’s word was love. That love has been lavished upon you, not because you did anything to earn it, but because it is God’s great gift to you. Live in that love and bring peace to others. AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
Generous God, it is easy for us to comfortably imagine so many other Christians praying today and receiving the elements of Holy Communion. We like to think of this as a nice event; yet you remind us that when we have received these gifts we are also called to use the strength that they provide to witness to others through acts of reconciling love. This Communion is not a “nice” service, meant for our comfort. It is a challenge for us to truly accept the love of Jesus Christ, who gave to us his body and his blood, that we might be redeemed to do God’s loving will. As we have gathered here this day, bringing our prayer concerns to you, O Lord, help us to remember that you hold each one of us gently and lovingly, offering your healing mercies. Give us courage to be your witnesses, seeking peace in this war-torn world. For we ask this in the name of Jesus the Christ. AMEN.
Reading [This may be done as Readers’ Theater, but it should be rehearsed. The person reading the second part should be a little arrogant in the beginning and then soften in attitude toward the end. Likewise, the person reading the first voice should be a little hesitant and apologetic in the beginning but as he/she voices his/her concerns, the voice is given more confidence and strength.]
Reader 1:
[whispering, or speaking in a very soft voice, but just loud enough to be overheard] Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart, in my heart. Lord, I want to be a Christian in my heart.
Reader 2:
What are you saying? Speak up!
Reader 1:
[apologetically] Oh, I was just asking God to help me a little.
Reader 2:
What do you need help with? Have you got a problem?
Reader 1:
Well, it’s just that I’m not always a very good person.
Reader 2:
So what!
Reader 1:
You see, I know that I really need to be better, to have a better attitude toward things, like people that make me uncomfortable, like, you know, the difficult things. I mean, Jesus had a wonderful attitude toward all people . . . he loved them and saw them as people of value. Well, I don’t always have that attitude.
Reader 2:
So?
Reader 1:
I look around at this world, even at our own community in which there is so much need and I turn my back on it. I spend so much time helping myself rather than helping others.
Reader 2:
You think that’s what you are supposed to do? To help others?
Reader 1:
Yes. I really am. I am afraid and I want to be freed from the fear and work in helping other people.
Reader 2:
What’s stopping you?
Reader 1:
My lack of faith, probably. I thought I had a strong faith. I’m not so sure.
Reader 2:
What does it take to get that strong faith back?
Reader 1:
I guess it is just acknowledging the fact that sometimes I don’t feel as strong and confident. I know that God wants me to place my life and my trust in God’s care. It’s just difficult.
Reader 2:
How can you do that?
Reader 1:
First by letting go of my own selfishness. God has always been so good to me and has given me such gifts to use to help others. I need to just do it.
Reader 2:
Is it hard to do?
Reader 1:
No. No, it isn’t. I can do all the things God has asked of me because God is with me. I can. I know I can.
Reader 2:
Good for you. Now, can you help me?
Reader 1:
What do you need?
Reader 2:
A friend. Someone who will listen to me. Someone who will care about me.
Reader 1:
You’ve come to the right place.
Benediction
As God has poured God’s love on you, go now in peace to bring God’s love to all people. Rest in the confidence of God’s abiding presence with you and be joyful in your service to God. Go in peace and love. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional color for this day is GREEN.
Note: Many churches will be celebrating World Communion Sunday this day. For some it will mean placing a globe on the worship center to remind us of the world-nature of this Communion Sunday. Think carefully about what you want to convey on this day. Will the focus be on the elements of the Holy Communion? Will it be on the global aspect of this day? The following suggestions are really a combination of the two foci.
SURFACE:
Place a table-top artist easel on the center of the worship table. Place a 3” riser on the center left and center right. Place a riser in front of the worship center, approximately 6” lower than the main surface of the table.
FABRIC: Cover the whole surface of the worship center with burlap or some other rough cloth. Place a long strip of white cloth over the easel and down the center of the table. The cloth should not be smoothly placed, but should have “hills and valleys” of rippled fabric. This cloth should flow down over the riser in front of the worship center and puddle on the floor.
CANDLES: Place a 4” white pillar candle on each of the 3” risers on the worship center.
You may place votive candles elsewhere in the worship center, as you see fit.
FLOWERS/FOLIAGE: Using ivy or other trailing foliage, place the plants on either side of the easel and also on the floor beside the riser in front of the worship center.
ROCKS/WOOD:: These are not necessary for this setting
OTHER: On the easel, either place a painting of a chalice in which there is wine and a loaf of bread or have someone make a felt/flannel board representation of the chalice and the bread. This should be about 24” high and should dominate the center of the table. In front of the board/painting, place the actual Communion elements (the chalice and the covered paten). On either side of them place some good-looking grapes (artificial is fine) and some stalks of wheat or other grain. If you wish, place a globe on the riser in front of the worship center. You may also use a small collection of national flags (the small ones are usually about 3x4 and may be placed in a foam container). Think about ways in which you might want to specify global concerns. I have had the youth create, from double layers of construction paper, an outline of their hands, using the traditional colors of white, yellow, red, black, and brown to represent people of all races. These hands are mounted on cardboard “easels”--one for each hand. They may be placed throughout the worship center, but most notably on the riser in front of the worship center.… read more
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SERMON OPTIONS: OCTOBER 2, 2016GUARDING THE TREASURE
2 TIMOTHY 1:1-14
Paul tells Timothy that he has been entrusted with a treasure. To entrust is to place a valued keepsake in another person's possession. As a minister of the gospel, Timothy had been charged with guarding the treasure entrusted to him. He was to guard it, defend it, protect it. If we are to allow Paul's challenge to Timothy to be God's challenge to us, then two questions must be answered as we hear the call to guard the treasure. They are: What is the treasure? And how do we guard it?
I. What Is the Treasure?
In Matthew 13:44, Jesus offers a parable about the Kingdom of God. "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field." Jesus portrays the kingdom of God as the great treasure of life—it is the pearl worth any price paid to receive it. In joy, each of us shall sell our lives so that we can inherit all that God has in store for us. The Kingdom is like a treasure. Let us ask why. What is so great about the gospel story of Jesus?
In these verses of the text, Paul carefully and reassuringly reminds Timothy of all that the gospel can do. In verse 9 he reminds Timothy of the power of the gospel to save. In verse 10 he reminds Timothy of the gospel's power to both bring life and offer immortality. Simply stated, the gospel is a treasure because it has the power to save, it brings life, and it offers immortality.
The gospel has the power to save. To the church at Rome, Paul writes, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile" Romans 1:16 NIV). The power of the gospel is this—a relationship with Jesus Christ is able to take any person from where they are and bring them to where God wants them to be. It is a forgiving, liberating, invigorating new life that Christ offers. The great hymn of faith declares, "Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see." That is the transforming power of the cross that it has the ability to melt hearts, change attitudes, forgive the past, and usher us into a relationship with God.
The gospel brings life. Christ's offer of new life is the offer to an abundance of life: "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly" ( John 10:10) . We've all experienced long and hard winters, where even by April 1 there are no dogwoods in bloom, no azaleas displaying their color, only the drooping jonquils even hint that spring is coming. But come it will, and life will be restored. Flowers will bloom, trees will bud, plants will grow. In the deepest, longest winters of our lives, deep below the surface, there has always been the promise of life from God. God through Jesus offers hope in the midst of our despair, joy amid sorrow, relief from heartache, and grace in the depths of guilt. The gospel is a treasure because it brings life, over and over again, just like spring.
The gospel offers immortality. In verse 10 Paul states that "Christ Jesus abolished death." Understand clearly, that death is a part of life. We will all face it someday. We will all die, but the promise of the gospel is that death is not an end, but rather a journey to an eternal life. In Christ there is immortality. Our relationship with God established through Jesus will never be severed. Our place in God's kingdom will never be erased. Our life will never end. It will change but it will not end. The treasure of the gospel is rich enough to provide abundant life in this world and everlasting life in the next.
II. How Do You Guard It?
Paul's challenge is to guard the treasure. And in verse 14 he outlines the key factor in doing so. "Guard the good treasure entrusted to you, with the help of the Holy Spirit living in us." Paul quickly reminds Timothy of his weaknesses and inability to guard the treasure of the gospel all by himself. The strength and wisdom he will need will come from the Holy Spirit. Nor can we be much of a guard without the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. It is the power of the Spirit who will help us to guard, defend, preserve, and protect the gospel. With the Holy Spirit providing power to us, allow me to outline for you three ways to guard the treasure. Here's how: We spread it, we live it, and we should demand the proper use of it.
First, we guard the gospel when we spread it. When you and I spread the gospel, we ensure that its power and influence is greatly multiplied. We have a world to reach with the good news of Jesus and by telling more, we reach more. The more people who know Jesus, the more we can be sure that the gospel will never be extinguished or forgotten. Therefore you will guard it by giving it away. Let us increase the number of people on the force who will help us to know and preserve and spread the gospel.
Second, we guard the gospel by living it each day. When we walk with personal integrity as Christians we guard the gospel. When our walk and our talk match, Christ is honored. So often our spasmodic behavior makes the gospel suspect. Rather than guard the gospel we give nonbelievers an opportunity to criticize it. When we fail to practice what we preach, we harm the cause of Christ.
The Pepsi Cola company had a TV ad that portrayed a Coca-Cola stockman filling the shelves of a store with Coke as seen through the eyes of a security camera. He looks around, thinking no one is watching, and he reaches in and takes a Pepsi. As soon as he does the whole shelf comes crashing down and everybody in the store comes rushing to see what the commotion is all about. In the background the music plays, "Your Cheating Heart." It makes for a funny ad, but lack of fidelity to a cause will bring it to ruin. We must be faithful, consistent, and genuine. We guard the gospel by living the gospel each moment.
We guard the gospel as we demand the proper use of it. There are many modern-day charlatans who use the name of God for the sake of furthering their own prejudices and selfish desires. There are many who do things in the "name of God" that God would never have anything to do with. It ought to bother us and stir us to action when we see the gospel of God being used to further ungodly causes. Our blood ought to boil when the holy name of God is profaned. We guard the gospel when we demand that those around us use it properly. (Jon R. Roebuck)
THINK SMALL
LUKE 17:5-10
Today's gospel verses come from Luke's account of Jesus' journey to Jerusalem. They are heard along with sound advice offered by a suffering but joyful minister to a discouraged younger colleague. Through the psalm we are reminded of shameful defeat and vengeful pain in the history of God's people. Might the gospel verses also suggest a sober view of faithfulness?
We may long for faith that can move mountains, uproot trees, heal the sick, and raise the dead. But Christian faith must be, above all, basic trust in God's goodness and ultimate sovereignty. Compared to an inflated notion of our own powers of belief or our special place in God's purposes, the faith required to endure suffering and to perform life's ordinary tasks may seem small.
I. Illusions of Grandeur
This age tempts us to inflated egos and expectations. Grades and degrees are often given rather than earned. Résumés are padded. Superlatives have lost their meaning from overuse, and we are enticed daily to think of ourselves as remarkable individuals who deserve nothing but the very best.
Even the gospel is easily distorted so that faith and Christian service are linked to great deeds and proportionately grand rewards. But instead of thinking big, flying high, and claiming our just deserts as God's favored ones, we might do better to "think small."
When the moving van arrived at my new home in a small town, two boys who lived nearby hurried over. Then came an older brother and their father, Ray. All four pitched in to help, staying until the final box was unloaded. When I tried to pay these volunteers along with the hired crew, Ray's response was gracious but firm: "Oh, no," he said, "we were just being neighborly."
You have read about people who, when confronted with an emergency, risked life and limb to save another. When asked about their heroism such persons often respond: "Anyone else would have done the same." Good neighbors and ordinary heroes don't expect reward or recognition for being decent human beings.
II. Jesus' Anti-Inflationary Measures
When Jesus told the story of a farmer and his slave, was he hoping to shape a comparable sense of identity in his followers? The meaning of the story for those who first heard it rested on assumptions about clear roles in a stratified society. But Jesus himself is the role model for his disciples. If they are to serve as the future church, he must expose their inflated notions of what following the Messiah will mean.
Earlier in today's Gospel, Jesus had punctured the disciples' illusions about their faith. His response might be paraphrased: "Increase your faith! You speak as if you had some. If your faith were the size of a pinhead, you wouldn't need any more."
This exchange and the story of the farmer and his slave are related because the ordinary, mundane chores of discipleship require faith that does not rely on sensationalism.
III. The Company of Saints
Who Think Small Ordinary Christians go about the business of habitually praying, keeping their promises, practicing hospitality, forgiving their enemies, making difficult decisions without certainty, being part of the church, helping their neighbors, and starting over after failure, harm, or loss. Sometimes they do these things with a song or a smile, sometimes with weariness from work that seems tedious and inconsequential.
Often without inner assurance or external confirmation, the faithful take their vulnerable places in God's economy and do the thankless tasks before them. If you asked them how or why, they would simply say: "But what else could any follower of Jesus do?"
May we aspire to a faith so small! (Janna Tull Steed)
… read more
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WORSHIP FOR KIDS: OCTOBER 2, 2016By Carolyn C. BrownFrom a Child's Point of View
Old Testament: Lamentations 1:1-6; Lamentations 3:19-26 (the suggested psalm). When children hear these poems read dramatically and are told that they were written by people whose hometown, Jerusalem, had been destroyed in war and that they had been forcibly moved to the conqueror's country, they emphasize with the feelings expressed and are impressed by the quiet confidence of chapter 3. The New Jerusalem Bible offers children the most straightforward translation of the many poetic images.
Psalm: 137 (the alternate psalm). With some adult help, children understand the realities and feelings expressed in verses 1-6. They are, however, even more offended than adults by the wishes that someone would smash their captors' babies against rocks. Teenagers and adults can understand being hurt and angry enough to wish something that awful. Children, unless they have personally experienced war or witnessed physical violence against their own family, want to tell those angry people to be nicer. So for the children, it may be better to read only the first six verses of this psalm or the first-choice Lamentations poem.
Epistle: 2 Timothy 1:1-14. This passage contains encouragement from an older preacher to a young man who is overly cautious about doing God's work. If invited to "read over Timothy's shoulder," children can hear Paul call them to use the gifts (talents, personal qualities, leadership positions among other children) which God gave them. They are to be brave and courageous in standing up for God's ways. They are to be willing to be teased or bullied for doing God's work. And while doing this, they are to remember that God loves and cares for them.
Gospel: Luke 17:5-10. This passage includes two separate teachings. The first is not to underestimate what we can do. Children often feel they can do nothing that will make a very big difference. They also feel overwhelmed when trying to do what is asked of them. Jesus claims that if they act faithfully, they will be surprised at what they can do.
The second teaching is that doing God's work (being fair and generous) is not something for which we should expect much attention and thanks. It is simply our job, as God's people.
Watch Words
Lamentations is a plural form of lament. A lament is a sad poem or song. Many modern love songs, especially in country music, are laments about a boy or girlfriend who has left the singer for another person.
Disciple is a word/idea behind today's New Testament texts. A disciple is a person who does what Jesus taught.
Faith (like a mustard seed) does not require special knowledge, nor is it a magic possession. Faith is being willing to do God's will (even when you are not sure how it will work out).
Let the Children Sing
Hymns for Worldwide Communion Sunday: "Blest Be the Tie That Binds" (hold hands while singing); "In Christ There Is No East or West" (see especially verse 2); and "I Come with Joy" (communion celebrated with simple language as a meal focused on the unity and friendship Christ brings.)
Share the confidence of the Lamentations poets: "Great Is Thy Faithfulness" (repeated chorus for young readers); or "Morning Has Broken" (based on Lamentations 3:22-23).
Sing Hymns of Discipleship: "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love"; "Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated"; "I Sing a Song of the Saints of God"; "Lord, You Give the Great Commission" (see Sermon Resources); "God of Grace and God of Glory" (words in the verses are hard, but children can sing the repeated chorus if alerted to it); "Let There Be Peace on Earth" (especially if it is Worldwide Communion Sunday).
The Liturgical Child
1. Present the Lamentations texts in their acrostic format. (The New Jerusalem Bible preserves the format most clearly.) Select one reader for each letter's verse, including readers of different ages. As the liturgist introduces the Lamentations collection of sad alphabet psalms, written after Jerusalem was destroyed and her people carried off to live in Babylon, the readers walk slowly and sadly to the chancel and position themselves as would a group of exiles at the end of a hard day. Readers freeze in position, moving only when the liturgist calls their letter and they step out to recite their verse with great feeling. The readers may wear simple biblical tunics, or matching clothes such as jeans and white shirts. (Consider combining the two Lamentations readings into one continuous presentation.)
2. Children respond well to "On the Willows," the sung version of Psalm 139:1-4 from the musical Godspell. The emotions behind the psalm shine through in the music.
3. Base the charge and benediction on the 2 Timothy exhortations:
Just as Paul encouraged Timothy, so I encourage you to use the gifts God has given you—not cautiously, but with courage and power and self-control. Do not be shy about standing up for God's ways. Be ready to suffer for doing God's work. And remember that God loves you, has given each of you important work to do, and is with you always. Amen.
Sermon Resources
1. Paraphrase 2 Timothy for children as follows;
From Paul, an older preacher, to Timothy, whom I love very much, and whom God loves: I thank God for you every day. I remember everything we did together and look forward to being with you again. I remember how much you love God, just as your mother and grandmother loved God. Because I remember all this, I also remind you that you have a job to do. God has given you the gifts to be a fine leader, and the church has elected you to be its leader. So do not give up. God does not want you to be too cautious about using your gifts. Instead, God fills you with power, and love, and self-control. So use those gifts! Do not be ashamed to stand up for God's ways. If people tease you, call you names, or even push you around, you can take it. Look at me—I am in prison for doing God's work, but I do not mind. I know God will take care of me, even in prison, and I know that God will take care of you. So remember everything you have learned about God's love and plan for the world. Follow my brave example. And most of all, remember that God's Holy Spirit lives in you and gives you power to do amazing work for God.
2. Use the new hymn, "Lord, You Give the Great Commission," as an outline for a discipleship sermon. Suggest that worshippers keep their hymnals open so that you can refer to specific phrases. The verses are an interesting combination of abstract and very everyday vocabulary. Consider rehearsing the chorus so that children can join in easily as the hymn is sung following the sermon.… read more
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OCTOBER 2, 2016 - FAITH: A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAYBy William H. WillimonPULPIT RESOURCE
INSPIRING-HUMOROUS-EDGY-CONFRONTING-RELEVANTDOWNLOAD A SAMPLE NOW
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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