Ministry Matters: "After the election — Multicultural worship — Pastoral anxiety" in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Monday, 14 November 2016-------
Processing the unimaginable: Guidance for pastors and leaders after the election by F. Willis JohnsonCNN television screen shot of Donald Trump on Election Night 2016. Bigstock/Andy Dean PhotographyOn November 8, the election for President of United States of America yielded a result that made the most vulnerable among us more vulnerable still. In the hours, and now days, that followed, I have prayed for words and strained to process a personal sea of emotions. To say I am overwhelmed is an understatement. “But you’re a person of a faith … a pastor … former player in politics … a prayer warrior … an individual of letters and reason.” That is all true, and yet I still believe and need help with my ebbing unbelief. Especially in times of such distress.
I am steadfast in my certainty that everything is gonna be alright. God is in control, and trouble don't last always. I know that love trumps hate … that theocracy will rule the day over our broken democracy. However, pious platitudes, elaborate eschatology and elocutionary expressions are not what the doctor should prescribe, nor are they what traumatized people need. Please stop pushing ideological opiates on me and others. Now is not the time for sedation. That is exactly how and why we have awoken to our present reality. A reality in which we are hurting, and continuously seeking to hurt others by means of the sinful precedents we set (history), the way and means of existing and interacting that are executed upon us collectively (systems), and the attitudes, behaviors and practices we live out towards one another (culture). A reality in which these complex structures have life or death consequences for many in our society.
Personal is the pain, angst, concern and discomfort of my family, colleagues, parishioners and friends who suffer at the hands of these structures. I feel the pain of the continued evidence laid at our feet and thrown in our faces, evidence which proves that our lives don’t matter. I’m thinking about the instability and uncertainty of financial markets, global partnerships and our mutual existence. I’m discomforted in not knowing what will come. More importantly, I feel and see the confusion of believing while also needing help with unbelief. As a cleric, I am affirmed in faith and I trust the sovereignty of God. And yet, I remain gravely troubled by this situation, this human crisis.
This is a crisis that we cannot sweep under the rug; a division and difference of ideology that we cannot ignore. We must be honest in acknowledging the divided and divisive state of affairs that is our current democracy. Exit polls, recent social unrest and a longstanding historical record document this growing divide between inclusion and isolation; between bigotry and justice. Whether you see it daily or not, our country is in crisis. And, more alarmingly, our Christian faith is in crisis.
We should not be surprised by the indecency of our corporate and individual humanity. Our history is full of examples of human failing and indecency. There are too many of our human tribe, in this nation and world, who have struggled for rights and human decency since their arrival to our shores or the interruption of their pre-existence here in this country. The question remains truly, “do we wish to be united Americans?” As those grounded in Wesleyan belief, do we really want to exist as co-laborers “united” in covenant connection, witnessing as one body in Christ?
Finding our refuge and strength
Amid this time of strife, I am driven to the word and witness of God. To borrow from my colleague, Melanie Johnson-DeBaufre, God’s word has always been a minority report — directed, understood and acted upon by a few, but impactful for all.
Psalm 46:1 tells us that “God is our refuge and our strength, a help always near in times about struggle.” The entirety of the 46th Psalm is about the regaining or sustaining of holy confidence. It is about the nature of God and the expectations we can have regarding God in the times of our distress. David’s assurance in faith expressed here is not apathetic to the great threat both he and his kingdom faces. It is a threat that is not unfamiliar or unconquerable, but one that requires acute attention. In the face of this threat, God affirms God’s presence, provision and promise, and gives an imperative for the people of God to rise above the “politics” and cultural cataclysm that loomed so large in their context. No the sky is NOT falling, but we must guard against our own failings. And we can only do so by an anchoring ourselves in faith, not in systems of this life.
In unexpected and prolonged periods of distress, we are graced with a refuge. The Judeo-Christian faith is inherently unevidenced, unrealized hope residing in our human expressions and experiences, where it becomes actualized and real. Accordingly, in our spaces dedicated to the forging of faith we must seek to embrace, encourage and edify ourselves and others who are in process.
In this time of distress, we are gifted with a peculiar strength. It will make us able to endure, persevere, withstand and overcome even that which seems inconceivable, unconquerable and utterly overwhelming now. In times like these we have help in the form of hope. We hope for things as they should be. For that which is not yet. We can envision what we hope for, because we have tasted and seen it. Hope is our unique strength, and our resilience helps it along when we grow weary. Our God is greater than the city. God is more than any political candidate or system.
We have awoken to a country that, by democratic means, has given sanction to racism, xenophobia, sexism, misogyny, homophobia and oppression. As a nation we were presented with an indecent binary proposal and, disturbingly, an ill-reasoned, irrational and irreverent numeric minority chose hate and fear over decency and righteousness. Notice I make no mention of candidates. Truthfully, this recent electoral exercise was not a vote for, but actions taken in response to or revenge towards. It was not about real policies or plans, but puppetry, demagoguery and deep-seeded fear of the other!
What are we to do?
So what happens now? How now are we to think about leadership? What is our theology and its function in light of our divided contexts? What are we to do in a denomination that is 90 percent white, when its brethren of color and those considered “different or other” suffer under starkly different threats and realities? What are we to do we do when so many in our nation’s electorate (and in our churches) espouse values of faith but exhibit virtues that are otherwise? What are we to do about those whose cries, howling and hollering — lament — go unheeded?
We are reminded that we are not the first to feel this pain and confusion. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. admonished in the darkness of his day, “We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Now is the time to rely on our hope. Now is the time to remember that the assurance of God is real and non-negotiable. Both these times and our faith require that we lean on one another. We must discern our willingness to respond. We must ready our collective energies for tomorrow, for our continued struggle to work at the intersection of hope and hurt in order to create empathic models of transformation.
The wrestling of the purpose, potential and power of prayer is juxtaposed within the reality of being pissed off beyond imagination. Our faith tells us that our feelings have meaning, no matter how dark or confusing they may be. Our first step must be to express these feelings in community.
Let us seek, in days forward, to evoke authentic worship not solely with lethargic or lofty liturgy. Rather, we must be willing to allow our filthiness to be seen and washed, not over, but through. Our witness must extend beyond patios of praise and syrupy letters and videos from leaders standing distant like spiritual voyeurs. Let our words echo ancient texts of then with a reality-check and revelation that embraces our now-ness and enlivens us to press toward our ought-ness.
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One argument for worshipping together by Josh Davis and Nikki LernerThis article is featured in the How Race, Gender, and Other Diversities Affect Your Ministry (Nov/Dec/Jan 2016-17) issue of Circuit RiderIn Revelation 7:9-10 we are given a glimpse of heaven. In it there is “a great crowd that no one could number. They were from every nation, tribe, people, and language. They were standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They wore white robes and held palm branches in their hands. They cried out with a loud voice: ‘Victory belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb’” (CEB). God desires that God’s people from every nation (and in case we didn’t understand that, the text states even more explicitly, “from every nation, tribe, people, and language”) be united around Jesus, worshipping together.
Notice that there isn’t a Hispanic worship time at 9:00 a.m. around the throne, while a Somali worship service happens somewhere else in heaven. All nations and tribes are together. In the same place and at the same time. As we consider that glimpse of heaven, let us consider the words of Jesus’s prayer in Matthew 6:10: “Bring in your kingdom so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven” (CEB). We don’t know a lot about what heaven is like, but scripture is clear that there will be multiethnic worship in heaven for eternity. And Jesus himself is praying for that to happen here on earth. Isn’t that compelling enough for us to spend our lives praying for and working toward this vision of heaven on earth?
God separated the nations at Babel but brought the nations together in Christ, at the cross. Consider Ephesians 2:14-16: “Christ is our peace. He made both Jews and Gentiles into one group. With his body, he broke down the barrier of hatred that divided us. He canceled the detailed rules of the Law so that he could create one new person out of the two groups, making peace. He reconciled them both as one body to God by the cross, which ended the hostility to God” (CEB). On the cross, God effectively dealt with everything that separates us from God’s self and from each other. Sin and death are both formidable separators. But on the cross, Jesus died to conquer both sin and death forever. He tore down the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, and reconciled us to God, and in doing so, he made it possible as well for us to be reconciled to each other. Jesus himself is the unifier, and he deserves to be the only unifier of his church.
Why Multicultural Worship?
In Acts 2, we see the flip side of what happened at the tower of Babel in Genesis 11. At Babel, people who the day before had been able to communicate with each other easily were suddenly unable to understand each other’s speech. At Pentecost, people who that very morning had been separated by language were instantly able to understand each other because of the power of the Holy Spirit:
“When Pentecost Day arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound from heaven like the howling of a fierce wind filled the entire house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be individual flames of fire alighting on each one of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them to speak. There were pious Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. When they heard this sound, a crowd gathered. They were mystified because everyone heard them speaking in their native languages.” (Acts 2:1-6 CEB)
Notice that the text says that the people assembled that day were from “every nation under heaven.” Is this any coincidence? Or is this yet another sign of God’s heart for all the ethnic groups of the world? The church was born that day in a multiethnic environment. And so it continued. The church at Jerusalem was clearly multicultural, as is evidenced by the cultural conflict they experienced in Acts 6:1-7. One culture’s widows were being treated well while another culture’s widows were being overlooked. Note: the solution here, under the direction of the Holy Spirit, was to appoint culturally diverse, intentional leadership! The church at Antioch, where believers were first called Christians, was also clearly multicultural (see Acts 11:19-26).
Jesus himself, in an expression of righteous anger, addressed the issue of discrimination and cultural segregation in worship (among other things). You remember the scene. Jesus makes a whip and disrupts the buying and selling that was happening at the temple. You see, the merchants were selling sacrifices at ridiculous prices to non-Jews, who would come from all over the world to the temple. In order to buy the sacrifices, the foreigners had to use local money. So the moneychangers got a piece of the action and made a profit off of the foreigners, as well. The foreigners were being taken advantage of, and Jesus noticed. Also, tradition and archaeology tell us that the outer court of the temple was not really considered part of the temple. They also tell us that in order to enter the inner court, you had to walk up fourteen steps.
The Jewish Encyclopedia of 1906 tells us that at frequent intervals along these steps were signs in Greek and Latin that read, “No foreigner may pass within the lattice and wall around the sanctuary. Whoever is caught, the guilt for the death which will follow will be his own.” After he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons, Jesus stood, most probably near one of these “keep out” signs, and said in Mark 11:17, “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (CEB).
What does God desire? It seems pretty clear.
Josh Davis is a multiethnic worship leader, clinician, songwriter, ordained minister, and music missionary in Clarkston, Georgia. He served as a missionary to the Dominican Republic before founding Proskuneo Ministries, a ministry that exists to bring nations together in worship on earth as it is in heaven.
Nikki Lerner is a worship leader who specializes in forming, developing, and leading teams in multicultural worship. Since 2006, Nikki has served as the worship director at Bridgeway Community Church in Columbia, Maryland.
This article is excerpted from their book Worship Together in Your Church as in Heaven, from Abingdon Press.
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When pastoral anxiety is a witness by Laura Pattersonjhandersen
In the wake of the results of the 2016 presidential election, I, like so many other pastors, have struggled with what to say. My struggle was not with responding to competing Facebook posts from congregants expressing divergent views and needing to bring people back together; my church, mercifully, accepts the differences within it. The struggle was in expressing my own response, which was manifesting in the first twenty-four hours in physical symptoms: nausea, cold sweats, hot flashes, muscle aches, etc., which have now turned to anger and indignation. I saw colleagues admit their own anxiety and their inability to respond “pastorally” because of that.
That got me thinking about the ministry I do and the ministry I feel called to do, specifically with LGBTQ persons in a rural area. I knew (and could see on Facebook) that they were already hurt by the rhetoric of this election, and were reeling after the election. I thought about the one African-American member of my church in a 97% White town who gives me silent nods when I name racism as sin, outright or in allusion, but does not engage in political discussions. I thought about all the closet progressives who were feeling even more isolated than usual in a bright red county and who have been shocked by things friends and neighbors have said during this election.
Then I decided to be anxious publicly. I decided to name my fear; not of a Trump presidency, but of the normalizing of bigotry that has been happening over the past eighteen months of this election season. It makes me scared, it makes me angry, it makes me sad to see the outright displays of racism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, and so many other things that we had previously as a society agreed were not acceptable. Now they are printed on shirts, emblazoned on bumpers, chanted at rallies, spray painted on walls, and shouted at human beings — both children and adults.
Without seeking them out, I have run across accounts of women being attacked for wearing hijab, people of color being called slurs, Latinx children being told by classmates they were going to be deported, gay couples being told their marriages are abhorrent, all within one day of the election. If there have ever been reasons for me to be anxious about the society where I live, these seem like valid ones.
The reason I choose to openly express my anxiety is because this behavior is not alright, and my witness and care as a clergy person should not be to convince someone who feels targeted that “everything is going to be okay.” I cannot, in good conscious, minimize their grief and anxiety by hiding my own. Pastoral non-anxiety conveys that a person’s fear or grief is a normal response to a normal part of life, to be moved through and accepted in time. It creates a space for that person to begin living with their new reality. At the bedside of a dying loved one, non-anxiety is the appropriate response to that event. In the face of racial, sexual, gender, or ethnic violence, non-anxiety is a tool of white supremacy. Non-anxiety begins the process of making what was unimaginable the new normal.
My witness and care must be to weep and rage alongside those for whom the denial of their identity and humanity and safety has been used to rally political support. As a woman, I can include myself. My pastoral anxiety creates a space where we prevent normalization of what is in conflict with our belief in a loving God and a compassionate society. It allows those who are grieving and fearful to affirm the value of their lives in the midst of a strong message to the contrary, without the implication that we have to start getting used to the way things are now. It denies the dismissal of outrage, pain, and very real current threats, which stems from the call to “unite” or “let’s just see what happens.”
As Christians, we already respond to violence in this way. We make space to name the injustice, inhumanity, and tragedy of Christ’s death in the Eucharist and in our Good Friday rituals. Those times are not about healing from the grief of the Crucifixion and moving on, but about reliving it and making it fresh in our minds and hearts and guts. As pastors, we ask our people to be motivated by what they experience in those spaces and to change the world. At the same time that we are re-wounded with Christ, we are also reminded that there is enough hope to stay in the struggle and believe that the Kin[g]dom will come.
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In the wake of the results of the 2016 presidential election, I, like so many other pastors, have struggled with what to say. My struggle was not with responding to competing Facebook posts from congregants expressing divergent views and needing to bring people back together; my church, mercifully, accepts the differences within it. The struggle was in expressing my own response, which was manifesting in the first twenty-four hours in physical symptoms: nausea, cold sweats, hot flashes, muscle aches, etc., which have now turned to anger and indignation. I saw colleagues admit their own anxiety and their inability to respond “pastorally” because of that.
That got me thinking about the ministry I do and the ministry I feel called to do, specifically with LGBTQ persons in a rural area. I knew (and could see on Facebook) that they were already hurt by the rhetoric of this election, and were reeling after the election. I thought about the one African-American member of my church in a 97% White town who gives me silent nods when I name racism as sin, outright or in allusion, but does not engage in political discussions. I thought about all the closet progressives who were feeling even more isolated than usual in a bright red county and who have been shocked by things friends and neighbors have said during this election.
Then I decided to be anxious publicly. I decided to name my fear; not of a Trump presidency, but of the normalizing of bigotry that has been happening over the past eighteen months of this election season. It makes me scared, it makes me angry, it makes me sad to see the outright displays of racism, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia, and so many other things that we had previously as a society agreed were not acceptable. Now they are printed on shirts, emblazoned on bumpers, chanted at rallies, spray painted on walls, and shouted at human beings — both children and adults.
Without seeking them out, I have run across accounts of women being attacked for wearing hijab, people of color being called slurs, Latinx children being told by classmates they were going to be deported, gay couples being told their marriages are abhorrent, all within one day of the election. If there have ever been reasons for me to be anxious about the society where I live, these seem like valid ones.
The reason I choose to openly express my anxiety is because this behavior is not alright, and my witness and care as a clergy person should not be to convince someone who feels targeted that “everything is going to be okay.” I cannot, in good conscious, minimize their grief and anxiety by hiding my own. Pastoral non-anxiety conveys that a person’s fear or grief is a normal response to a normal part of life, to be moved through and accepted in time. It creates a space for that person to begin living with their new reality. At the bedside of a dying loved one, non-anxiety is the appropriate response to that event. In the face of racial, sexual, gender, or ethnic violence, non-anxiety is a tool of white supremacy. Non-anxiety begins the process of making what was unimaginable the new normal.
My witness and care must be to weep and rage alongside those for whom the denial of their identity and humanity and safety has been used to rally political support. As a woman, I can include myself. My pastoral anxiety creates a space where we prevent normalization of what is in conflict with our belief in a loving God and a compassionate society. It allows those who are grieving and fearful to affirm the value of their lives in the midst of a strong message to the contrary, without the implication that we have to start getting used to the way things are now. It denies the dismissal of outrage, pain, and very real current threats, which stems from the call to “unite” or “let’s just see what happens.”
As Christians, we already respond to violence in this way. We make space to name the injustice, inhumanity, and tragedy of Christ’s death in the Eucharist and in our Good Friday rituals. Those times are not about healing from the grief of the Crucifixion and moving on, but about reliving it and making it fresh in our minds and hearts and guts. As pastors, we ask our people to be motivated by what they experience in those spaces and to change the world. At the same time that we are re-wounded with Christ, we are also reminded that there is enough hope to stay in the struggle and believe that the Kin[g]dom will come.
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What would Jesus share?
By Nance HixonBigstock/DHammonds
One of my professors in seminary, Sam Wells, compares living faithfully to doing improv. That's because, he says, "we face new circumstances in each generation that the Bible doesn't give us a script for." There's no eleventh commandment about how to vote, online pornography, carbon footprints, or even gambling. The direct commands in scripture just don't always speak directly to our day-to-day struggles following Jesus in the 21st century. So we have to take what we do know, take how our faith has shaped us, and then improvise when the world presents us with new challenges.
Well, I believe one of those new challenges for Christians in America has become painfully clear over the course of this election season. Brian Stelter wrote a short piece for CNNMoney last week that everyone should read, called "The plague of fake news is getting worse — here's how to protect yourself."
Fake news?
Stelter explains:
The rise of social media has had many upsides, but one downside has been the spread of misinformation. Fake news has become a plague on the Web, especially on social networks like Facebook.
Have you ever seen someone share an article with a title like "Trump's Worst Nightmare Just Came True..." or "Hillary's Campaign Will Be Over When This Video Goes VIRAL"? That kind of stuff is circulated on social media constantly (it's on my Facebook news feed, and I doubt I'm special). It's called "clickbait." These are sensational headlines designed to draw in web traffic to increase a site's advertising revenue.
But often these articles go beyond outrageous, exaggerated titles. Have you seen the article about Pope Francis endorsing Donald Trump for President? Or the one about Pope Francis endorsing Hillary Clinton for President? I've seen both. Both of them are totally false — the pope doesn't endorse political candidates — but both of them were nevertheless shared widely on social media as if they were true.
Fake news.
And that wasn't a fluke. Just last week Sean Hannity, who works for an actual news station, had to apologize after he read a fake news article on his live radio show (I understand he got it from Twitter). That's how wide-spread this problem is.
Stelter again:
But the B.S. stories hurt the people who read and share them over and over again. Many of these fakes reinforce the views of conservative or liberal voters and insulate them from the truth. The stories prey on people who want to believe the worst about the opposition. [emphasis added]
Sure, lying is bad, but this is the heart of the problem: these fake stories only tell us what our "itching ears" want to hear, not the truth. As social media users imbibe more and more of this as if it were true, it reinforces their prejudices and shapes their opinions and even their worldview, and it can then have real-world ramifications that materially affect other people: friends have an argument; someone buys another gun; a business is boycotted; a vote is cast. All influenced by lies.
The solution is pretty simple: verify that a story is true before you pass it along. Stelter's advise it to "triple check before you share." All it takes is a quick Google search to substantiate a story (or not). If you can find it being reported by a legitimate news outlet (NBC, FOX, CNN, The New York Times, etc.), then it's safe to share.
Yet, we don't do that, either because we aren't aware of the lies, or we're too lazy — or we just don't care.
But Christians have to care.
Because we're commanded not to bear false witness (Ex 20:16).
Because we're called to put away falsehood and speak the truth to our neighbors (Eph 4:25).
Because we worship a man who said, "I am the truth" (John 14:6).
And because the devil is the father of lies (John 8:44). When Christians participate in all of this, when we don't take thirty seconds to check a source or verify a quotation, we're doing the devil's work for him. We not only deceive people, but, as Stelter pointed out, we appeal to a person's urge to believe the worst about others, to denigrate and vilify and pour scorn on her opponents. The devil's been called "the deceiver of the whole world" (Rev 12:9), and, with a job title like that, mass communication and social media must come in pretty handy. Also, it probably helps when God's people volunteer to spread falsehoods for you, which is what happens every time we share a fake news article, post a meme with a fabricated quotation, or retweet made-up statistics.
I've seen pastors perpetuate political lies on Facebook and leave them up even after they're proven false. There's no way around it: that's a snare of the devil. And, again, these lies can have real effects on real people in the real world.
I can't speak to the situations in other nations, but for Christians in America the internet is the new frontier of discipleship. We have to learn how to follow Jesus online — in the obvious ways, like staying away from pornography, and in the less obvious ways, like fighting the temptations to troll, to shoot off emails in the heat of the moment, to indulge in impulsive spending, or to thoughtlessly spread lies in news's clothing.
This is when believers need to be "wise as serpents and innocent as doves" (Matt 10:16), because these traps are as abundant as they are novel. Thankfully, the example of Jesus and the teachings of scripture are more than rich enough to equip us to face these new challenges. If we recognize the dangers and seek wisdom from above, looking to Jesus and letting scripture correct and train our speech and conduct, the Spirit can guide us through the ethical minefield.
But right now, we've got work to do. Because, from what I'm seeing, wise and innocent we are not.
If you want to learn more about the epidemic of false and misleading "news" on social media, you can read this article from BuzzFeed.
This article originally appeared on the author's blog. Reprinted with permission.
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After the election: Reclaiming God's promise in the morning light
By Clifton StringerBigstock/slidezero
Few pundits or forecasts showed Donald Trump winning the election. But it happened. I didn't expect it to happen.
This morning, I am distraught for how Trump's election speaks to and feels for my black, Latino/a, Muslim and other brothers and sisters who, due to Trump's comments and announced intended policies, have great warrant for receiving his election as less than "welcome." My kids attend a Spanish immersion preschool, and much in Trump's rhetoric has made me feel the stark contrast between the way he speaks and the wonderful goodness of the diverse people enriching my children's lives.
I also feel for the circumstances of some of the people who voted for him. Some of Trump's white supporters were motivated by a sense of disenfranchisement and lack of economic opportunity. They are people who feel ignored and betrayed by both major political parties. J.D. Vance's book Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is, as many have noted, probably a very important book for the USA to read and think about.
But the main thing is this: with the morning light, the most important thing for us to do is remember God, remember God's promises and pray. Lutheran theologian Robert Jenson speaks of the "talkative" God of the Bible. God does indeed talk a lot, and makes wonderful and dependable promises in the Bible. What we're to do, then, is talk back: Pray responsively. Live responsively, trusting this talkative God.
Just as if Hillary Clinton had been elected, the people of God, with this morning's light, must resolve to trust in the LORD, not in princes. (Ps. 118:9) We take hope in God's promises.
The words that reminded me of this were from the Canticle of Zechariah. They were spoken by Zechariah when his people — God's people Israel — were oppressed, occupied by the Roman superpower, far from the glory days of their past, far from the good future God had promised them. Yet, listen to the start of Zechariah's song from Luke chapter 1:
"Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free."
What a promise! God in Christ has come to set us free in a way that surpasses even oppressive political circumstances. God in Christ promises to do away, ultimately, with all oppression, all tears, and death itself.
This is the promise of the gospel. It is more than enough light to guide the people of God in faithfulness this day and every day.
Below is the version of the Canticle of Zechariah from MethodistPrayer.org. It is good to pray it today, and good to pray it every day.
Gospel Canticle
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)
Refrain:
Lord, you have raised up a mighty savior for us in your servant David’s house.
Bless the Lord God of Israel because he has come to help and has delivered his people. He has raised up a mighty savior for us in his servant David’s house, just as he said through the mouths of his holy prophets long ago. He has brought salvation from our enemies and from the power of all those who hate us. He has shown the mercy promised to our ancestors, and remembered his holy covenant, the solemn pledge he made to our ancestor Abraham. He has granted that we would be rescued from the power of our enemies so that we could serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness in God’s eyes, for as long as we live. You, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way. You will tell his people how to be saved through the forgiveness of their sins. Because of our God’s deep compassion, the dawn from heaven will break upon us, to give light to those who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide us on the path of peace.” (Luke 1:68-79 CEB)
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen.
Refrain:
Lord, you have raised up a mighty savior for us in your servant David’s house.
Clifton Stringer is a Ph.D. student in Historical Theology at Boston College and the author of Christ the Lightgiver in the Converge Bible Studies series.
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Transitioning your church to living color
By Bob Whitesel 
Mark DeYmazThis article is featured in the How Race, Gender, and Other Diversities Affect Your Ministry (Nov/Dec/Jan 2016-17) issue of Circuit RiderAs pastors, we must be intentional in transitioning our mostly monoethnic churches into healthy multiethnic communities of faith. This requires us to make some adjustments in our personal approach to ministry. Change is never easy, but to establish a ministry of reconciliation we need to expand our pastoral sphere of influence in our increasingly diverse communities. Here are some suggestions:
- Get Outside of Your Bubble
- Share a meal. Invite someone of a different ethnic or economic background to share a meal with you, to your home for a family function, or to attend an event highlighting his or her culture.
- Spend an hour at Walmart. Write down your perception of the racial diversity, or lack thereof, in close proximity to your church. Then go spend an hour sitting just inside the nearest Walmart to see if the diversity you witness there matches your perception.
- Walk the halls of your church. Walk into the nursery, children’s ministry classrooms, or halls in your church. Observe the dolls in the cribs or other toys depicting people. Look at the pictures of Jesus on the walls. Do such things communicate to diverse others a love for all people or just one kind of person? That everyone is welcome, or only certain ones?
- Visit local schools. The local school system(s) from which your congregants are drawn is one of the easiest and most reliable sources of demographic insight. You will often find that the school system is comprised of students with dozens of birth languages. Many school systems can provide you with demographic forecasts, too. This will help you grasp the current and emerging cultures in your sphere of influence.
- Follow the bread crumbs. At any given time, various people groups within a city are putting on one event or another. The city itself is likely hosting events to bring diverse people together. Research these events and contact organizers to see how you and your church can volunteer, sponsor, or rent a booth. By showing an interest in diverse people of the city and their passions, you will soon develop new friends and a reputation of inclusion. In time you will be invited to help plan other such events, to sit on city boards or planning commissions, and the like, gaining broader understanding and influence. Follow the relational bread crumbs, and a whole new world of diverse relationships and unique possibilities will open up for you.
- Invest in Cross-Cultural Friendships
- With whom are you now forging friendships of genuine transparency and trust?
- To whom can you go to begin a conversation and, more important, begin to listen?
- With which diverse friends can you mark culturally historical moments, attend expressive activities and artistic events, or celebrate family traditions?
- Exercise Humility and Gentleness (Eph 4:2)
- Ask diverse others what you need to hear and to learn from them, or what they’ve been reluctant to tell you about yourself or your culture.
- Listen Well and Patiently (Jas 1:19)
- Be quick to hear and slow to speak. Inquire not only of the individual’s story but also of his or her collective story related to culture. Resist the urge to comment in the moment; you can do so later, once you have more prayerfully processed what you’ve heard.
- Be Open and Honest (Phil 2:2-3)
- Discuss differences, admit prejudices and stereotypes, and inquire about another’s feeling or sense of cross-cultural injustice and pain.
- Express Lament and Extend Apology (Lev 26:40-42)
- Majority-culture individuals are often reluctant to express such things when it comes to the past. By definition, though, lament is a passionate expression of grief or sorrow, and apology involves a regretful acknowledgment of an offense or failure. We should not be afraid to express such things collectively for the sake of reconciliation and healing. Where there is privilege or power, it should be acknowledged, used, and shared for the greater good.
- Care for Each Other (1 Cor 12:14-26)
- This applies not only to individuals but to entire people groups; as the scripture says, “so that there won’t be division in the body [specifically, along Jew and Gentile lines at the time] and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other” (1 Cor 12:25 CEB). Likewise, the apostle Paul writes to the church at Philippi, “Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others” (Phil 2:4 CEB).
Mark DeYmaz is the founding pastor and directional leader of Mosaic Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, and cofounder and president of Mosaix Global Network.
Bob Whitesel is the founding professor of Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University and a sought-after speaker and consultant on changing a church.
This article is excerpted from their book re:MIX: Transitioning Your Church to Living Color, from Abingdon Press.
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Entering the Good Place
By Samantha TidballTed Danson and Kristen Bell star in 'The Good Place' Thursday nights at 8:30 ET on NBC. Photo courtesy of NBC Universal
A new comedy TV series starring Kristen Bell as Eleanor Shellstrop recently aired on NBC. In the series opener, Eleanor wakes up in what looks like a college admissions office. There, she realizes from Michael (Ted Danson), her facilitator, that she is actually dead and is now in an afterlife known as “The Good Place.” She quickly discovers that others believe she earned her way there because of her work getting innocent inmates off death row and through her humanitarian work. However, a mistake has been made: Eleanor never did those things. Shortly after entering The Good Place, Eleanor is introduced to Chidi, her assigned soul mate. Chidi is a moral ethics professor who tries to help Eleanor become good so she can earn her spot and stay in The Good Place.
The way in
Through a Christian lens the show is full of bad theology. But it does prompt a great theological question: Who gets into heaven — and how? According to The Good Place, every positive and negative human action is calculated, and only those with the highest scores of goodness are allowed entrance. Eleanor knows she’s not good enough to be in The Good Place, but she argues that this doesn’t necessarily mean she is bad enough for the bad place, either. She explains, “I should get to spend eternity in a medium place, like Cincinnati!”
The truth about salvation
Most of us tend to think like Eleanor. We know we aren’t perfect, but how good is good enough to get into heaven? The truth is nobody is good enough to make it into heaven based on their individual good works. Perhaps most of us believe we should go to heaven because we aren’t as bad as others. However, God reminds us throughout Scripture that we do not get into heaven by our good works. Our entrance into heaven depends on our faith in Jesus and fully believing Christ died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead. This belief is transformative and inspires us to do good works in order to show God’s love to others, not to gain entrance into heaven.
Question of the day: Who gets into heaven?
Focal scriptures: Romans 3:9-19; Ephesians 2:1-10; James 2:14-26
Romans 3:9 So are we Jews better off? Not entirely; for I have already made the charge that all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, are controlled by sin. 10 As the Tanakh puts it,
“There is no one righteous, not even one!
No one understands,
11 no one seeks God,
12 all have turned away
and at the same time become useless;
there is no one who shows kindness, not a single one![Romans 3:12 Psalm 14:1–3, 53:2–4(1–3)]
13 “Their throats are open graves,
they use their tongues to deceive.[Romans 3:13 Psalm 5:10(9)]
Vipers’ venom is under their lips.[Romans 3:13 Psalm 140:4(3)]
14 Their mouths are full of curses and bitterness.[Romans 3:14 Psalm 10:7]
15 “Their feet rush to shed blood,
16 in their ways are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of shalom they do not know.[Romans 3:17 Isaiah 59:7–8, Proverbs 1:16]
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”[Romans 3:18 Psalm 36:2(1)]
19 Moreover, we know that whatever the Torah says, it says to those living within the framework of the Torah, in order that every mouth may be stopped and the whole world be shown to deserve God’s adverse judgment.
Ephesians 2:1 You used to be dead because of your sins and acts of disobedience. 2 You walked in the ways of the ‘olam hazeh and obeyed the Ruler of the Powers of the Air, who is still at work among the disobedient. 3 Indeed, we all once lived this way — we followed the passions of our old nature and obeyed the wishes of our old nature and our own thoughts. In our natural condition we were headed for God’s wrath, just like everyone else.
4 But God is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love 5 that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, he brought us to life along with the Messiah — it is by grace that you have been delivered. 6 That is, God raised us up with the Messiah Yeshua and seated us with him in heaven, 7 in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is his grace, how great is his kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. 8 For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. 9 You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. 10 For we are of God’s making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do.
James 2:14 What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith but has no actions to prove it? Is such “faith” able to save him? 15 Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food, 16 and someone says to him, “Shalom! Keep warm and eat hearty!” without giving him what he needs, what good does it do? 17 Thus, faith by itself, unaccompanied by actions, is dead.
18 But someone will say that you have faith and I have actions. Show me this faith of yours without the actions, and I will show you my faith by my actions! 19 You believe that “God is one”?[James 2:19 Deuteronomy 6:4] Good for you! The demons believe it too — the thought makes them shudder with fear!
20 But, foolish fellow, do you want to be shown that such “faith” apart from actions is barren? 21 Wasn’t Avraham avinu declared righteous because of actions when he offered up his son Yitz’chak on the altar? 22 You see that his faith worked with his actions; by the actions the faith was made complete; 23 and the passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled which says, “Avraham had faith in God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness.”[James 2:23 Genesis 15:6] He was even called God’s friend.[James 2:23 Isaiah 41:8; 2 Chronicles 20:7] 24 You see that a person is declared righteous because of actions and not because of faith alone.
25 Likewise, wasn’t Rachav the prostitute also declared righteous because of actions when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another route? 26 Indeed, just as the body without a spirit is dead, so too faith without actions is dead.
For a complete lesson on this topic visit LinC.
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3 ways to practice civility after a very uncivil election
By Ed Stetzer / Religion News ServiceVoters at a polling place in St. Louis, Mo. on November 8, 2016. Bigstock/Gino Santa Maria
(RNS) The once noble goal of decency in politics seems to have gotten lost, and the Christian’s call to love along with it.
For the sake of the Kingdom of God and the good of the world, Christians are called to lovingly engage people as Jesus did. But what does this look like when we all dig our heels into one side of a sea of red and blue?
The last few elections have pointed to increasing division, and this one has shown us at our worst. We talk past each other and don’t listen. We are so entrenched in our views that we are willing to vilify each other. Democracy sees the value of dialogue for the common good and with the goal of solutions. But I don’t hear many people talking about that anymore.
In 2013, I was part of a gathering with the Faith and Politics Institute in Washington, D.C., to discuss such civility. This was a small, diverse group of religious leaders, along with some U.S. senators and members of the House. The group created a statement to foster civility in our country. I was glad to speak about the draft, but leaned against signing because I just don’t sign many group letters. However, as I watched the political climate become more polarized, after prayer and reflection I changed my mind.
In this case, I hoped religious leaders standing together as co-belligerents against incivility would help in some small way. That was 2013. After this year, it’s clear more is needed. Perhaps 2016 is how it feels to hit rock bottom.
If the only way to go is up, how do we begin? Here are three suggestions, easily drawn from the Christian Scriptures, but often absent from this election cycle:
1. Practice the golden rule.
“Whatever you want others to do for you, do also the same for them.” (Matthew 7:12)
It’s unfortunate that one of the most practical and powerful teachings in Scripture is often too quickly said and too rarely practiced. When love for neighbor is genuine and deeply felt, it changes not only what we feel for others, but also how we treat others.
What if we looked at those we disagree with through the eyes called to bear burdens, to be concerned for them more than ourselves?
Don’t we want to be understood? Don’t we want our positions honestly considered? Too often we think of others’ views in the worst way and demand others take our views in the best way. That’s hypocrisy. Without love, we are just "clanging cymbals" (1 Corinthians 13:1). Love is the fuel for disagreeing without being disagreeable. Love elevates our dialogue and seeks the greatest good.
2. Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.
This may be one of the best ways to explain what the golden rule looks like in an actual conversation, and it comes from the the epistle of James 1:19. As we engage with those who have different views, we should focus on listening. Too often, we engage by preparing our responses while others are still laying out their case. We can do better by listening well. It not only makes us respond better, but it shows respect.
Good listening leads to good understanding, and good understanding leads to good and accurate responses. When others do respond, we should refuse to get easily angered and offended. We take the words of others in the best way possible and focus on the discourse.
3. Model Christian discourse.
The first and second point flow naturally into the third: Leaders should teach the values of civil discourse. Before we expect it from anyone else, we must be the ones to model the path. It starts with truly loving our neighbor. It makes us better listeners, wise in using our words and not easily offended or angered.
More than a good zinger to win an argument, we should desire real discourse for the good of the causes we believe in and for the good of the world that we care to convince.
We can't have civility if we don't assume the other person desires the best for the community and country. Let’s pray and seek God’s guidance on how to relate and engage the world around us for the common good.
This season has been rough, and we have a lot of baggage. But God’s mercies are new every morning, which means we can try again. After the vitriol, it may seem impossible. But it isn’t. We can start today. It’s time to love our neighbors, even those with the wrong political sign in their yard.
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Mr. Trump, you surprised me
By Adam ThomasU.S. president-elect Donald J. Trump. Photo: Bigstock/gsheldon
Dear Mr. Trump,
You surprised me last summer when you entered the large field of Republican candidates for president. I expected you to make a little news and then fade back to the outskirts of punditry.
You surprised me last fall when your candidacy did not shrivel after you made more than a few of what I thought were disqualifying comments. I expected your flippant statements about war heroes and women’s menstrual cycles to end your run.
You surprised me when you started winning Republican primaries. I saw no substance in your positions, only your overwhelming charismatic bravado.
You surprised me when you captured the Republican nomination for president. You surprised me when your general election campaign remained firmly in the environment you crafted during the primaries instead of moving to more neutral, centrist waters.
And you surprised me on Tuesday night when you gained enough electoral votes to claim the presidency of the United States.
And now, I beg you, please keep surprising me.
Surprise me by shelving the rhetoric of fear, mistrust, and violence that you stoked at your rallies during the campaign. Repudiate the signs and t-shirts that say things like “Trump that B***h.” Apologize to the young boy with cerebral palsy who, at your rally last weekend in Florida, was jeered at and threatened. The antonyms of fear, mistrust, and violence are love, faith and peace. These are the “best” words I know: please start using them. If you truly want to make America great again, you must seek to make America good again.
Surprise me by once and for all disavowing talk you deem fit for locker rooms. It is not appropriate for locker rooms nor anywhere else. Pair this disavowal with a true apology, not one conditioned by the word ‘if.’ Do not say, “If I offended anyone, I’m sorry.” Just say you’re sorry because you have offended people. You offended me, and I do not have the anatomy of which you spoke. Some say the president need not be a role model, but that is preposterous. You have been and will continue to be a role model. The question is, what role are you modeling?
Surprise me by making the transition from public figure to public servant. You have existed on the nutrition of your own celebrity for so long that I expect you will find it difficult to relinquish the need to be liked and praised. The president must make hard choices and sometimes the popular choice is not the right one. As the chief public servant in the nation, you are tasked with putting your own needs behind the needs of the country and the world. For a lesson on what it means to be a servant, I invite you to read the first half of the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel according to John. Right before he is arrested and crucified, Jesus takes off his outer robe, ties a towel around his waist, kneels down and washes his disciples’ feet. In this great act of humility, Jesus demonstrates the true meaning of leadership as service. Please follow his example.
Surprise me by continuing to follow Jesus’ example in reaching out to all who exist on the margins. You won the presidency by mobilizing an overlooked segment of the electorate, who have been ignored for too long. Sadly, the margins of this nation are wider than they should be: too many people exist there, including many groups of historically persecuted peoples who did not vote for you. As president, they are your priority; please do not forget that.
Surprise me by turning your charismatic entrepreneurship into leadership that turns old foes into unlikely allies. Much has been said about your outsider status, but you are about to be as “inside” as it gets. Allow your entrepreneurial heart to guide you to build coalitions within the government so something actually gets done in Washington. Just make sure that something is the right something.
Surprise me by allowing your famous intuition to be leavened by an inquiring mind. The world is more complex than any of us knows, and soon you will be handed the same binder that President Obama was handed eight years ago. It will lay out the actual state of the world in all its complexity. No one is ready for such revelation, and you must respond by doing your homework, not just by going with your gut.
Surprise me by reaching out to the LGBT community and the Latino community and the Muslim community and the African-American community. Apologize for your campaign rhetoric and promise you will continue to protect their rights, both longstanding and more recently achieved. Surprise me by earning my trust, or else such promises are worthless.
You will be the 45th president of the United States of America. You will step into the shoes of Washington and Lincoln and Roosevelt and Reagan and, yes, Obama. You have surprised me thus far.
Please, Mr. Trump, keep surprising me.
Adam Thomas is the author the Unusual Gospel for Unusual People Bible studies and Letters from Ruby. He blogs at WheretheWind.com.
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Christ the King Sunday: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43
Scripture Text: Jeremiah 23:1 “Oh no! The shepherds are destroying and scattering the sheep in my pasture!” says Adonai. 2 Therefore this is what Adonai, the God of Isra’el, says against the shepherds who shepherd my people: “You have scattered my flock, driven them away and not taken care of them. So I will ‘take care of’ you because of your evil deeds,” says Adonai. 3 “I myself will gather what remains of my flock from all the countries where I have driven them and bring them back to their homes, and they will be fruitful and increase their numbers. 4 I will appoint shepherds over them who will shepherd them; then they will no longer be afraid or disgraced; and none will be missing,” says Adonai.
5 “The days are coming,” says Adonai
when I will raise a righteous Branch for David.
He will reign as king and succeed,
he will do what is just and right in the land.
6 In his days Y’hudah will be saved,
Isra’el will live in safety,
and the name given to him will be
Adonai Tzidkenu [Adonai our righteousness].
Luke 1:68 “Praised be Adonai, the God of Isra’el,[Luke 1:68 Psalms 41:14(13); 72:18; 106:48]
because he has visited and made a ransom to liberate his people
69 by raising up for us a mighty Deliverer
who is a descendant of his servant David.
70 It is just as he has spoken
through the mouth of the prophets from the very beginning —
71 that we should be delivered from our enemies
and from the power of all who hate us.
72 “This has happened so that he might show
the mercy promised to our fathers —
that he would remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore before Avraham avinu
74 to grant us that we, freed from our enemies,
would serve him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
76 You, child, will be called a prophet of Ha‘Elyon;
you will go before the Lord to prepare his way[Luke 1:76 Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3]
77 by spreading the knowledge among his people
that deliverance comes by having sins forgiven
78 through our God’s most tender mercy,
which causes the Sunrise to visit us from Heaven,
79 to shine on those in darkness, living in the shadow of death,[Luke 1:79 Isaiah 9:1(2)]
and to guide our feet into the paths of peace.”
Colossians 1:11 We pray that you will be continually strengthened with all the power that comes from his glorious might; so that you will be able to persevere and be patient in any situation, joyfully 12 giving thanks to the Father for having made you fit to share in the inheritance of his people in the light. 13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son.
14 It is through his Son that we have redemption — that is, our sins have been forgiven. 15 He is the visible image of the invisible God. He is supreme over all creation, 16 because in connection with him were created all things — in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, lordships, rulers or authorities — they have all been created through him and for him. 17 He existed before all things, and he holds everything together.
18 Also he is head of the Body, the Messianic Community — he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might hold first place in everything. 19 For it pleased God to have his full being live in his Son 20 and through his Son to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace through him, through having his Son shed his blood by being executed on a stake.
Luke 23:33 When they came to the place called The Skull, they nailed him to a stake; and they nailed the criminals to stakes, one on the right and one on the left. 34 Yeshua said, “Father, forgive them; they don’t understand what they are doing.”
They divided up his clothes by throwing dice.[Luke 23:34 Psalm 22:19(18)] 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers sneered at him.[Luke 23:35 Psalm 22:8(7)] “He saved others,” they said, “so if he really is the Messiah, the one chosen by God, let him save himself!” 36 The soldiers too ridiculed him; they came up, offered him vinegar[Luke 23:36 Psalm 69:22(21)] 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 And there was a notice over him which read,
THIS IS
THE KING OF THE JEWS
39 One of the criminals hanging there hurled insults at him. “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other one spoke up and rebuked the first, saying, “Have you no fear of God? You’re getting the same punishment as he is. 41 Ours is only fair; we’re getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man did nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Yeshua, remember me when you come as King.” 43 Yeshua said to him, “Yes! I promise that you will be with me today in Gan-‘Eden.”
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary: Jeremiah 23:1-6
Verse 2
[2] Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them: behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.
That feed — They are said to have fed this people, because it was their duty so to do.
Verse 5
[5] Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Behold — Even the Jewish doctors, as well as the Christian interpreters, understand this as a prophecy of the Messiah who is called the branch, Isaiah 4:2; 53:2. And here, he is called the righteous branch, not only because himself was righteous, but because he maketh his people righteous.
Shall execute — Protecting the innocent, and defending his people throughout the world, judging the prince of the world, and by his spirit governing his people.
Verse 6
[6] In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
Judah — During the reign and kingdom of the Messiah the people of God typified by Judah and Israel shall be saved with a spiritual salvation, and God will be a special protection to them.
And this — The name wherewith this branch shall be called, shall be, The Lord our righteousness. This place is an eminent proof of the Godhead of Christ, he is here called Jehovah, and what is proper to God alone, namely to justify, is here applied to Christ. He who knew no sin, was made sin, (that is, a sacrifice for sin) for us, that we might be made, the righteousness of God in him.
Luke 1:68-79
Verse 69
[69] And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David;
A horn — Signifies honour, plenty, and strength.
A horn of salvation — That is, a glorious and mighty Saviour.
Verse 70
[70] As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:
His prophets, who have been since the world began — For there were prophets from the very beginning.
Verse 74
[74] That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
To serve him without fear — Without any slavish fear. Here is the substance of the great promise. That we shall be always holy, always happy: that being delivered from Satan and sin, from every uneasy and unholy temper, we shall joyfully love and serve God, in every thought, word, and work.
Verse 76
[76] And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
And thou, child — He now speaks to John; yet not as a parent, but as a prophet.
Verse 77
[77] To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins,
To give knowledge of salvation by the remission of sins — The knowledge of the remission of our sins being the grand instrument of present and eternal salvation, Hebrews 8:11,12. But the immediate sense of the words seems to be, to preach to them the Gospel doctrine of salvation by the remission of their sins.
Verse 78
[78] Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,
The day spring — Or the rising sun; that is, Christ.
Colossians 1:11-20
Verse 2
[2] To the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
The saints-This word expresses their union with God. And brethren — This, their union with their fellow-Christians.
Verse 3
[3] We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you,
We give thanks — There is a near resemblance between this epistle, and those to the Ephesians and Philippians.
Verse 5
[5] For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;
Ye heard before — I wrote to you.
In the word of truth, of the gospel — The true gospel preached to you.
Verse 6
[6] Which is come unto you, as it is in all the world; and bringeth forth fruit, as it doth also in you, since the day ye heard of it, and knew the grace of God in truth:
It bringeth forth fruit in all the world — That is, in every place where it is preached.
Ye knew the grace of God in truth — Truly experienced the gracious power of God.
Verse 7
[7] As ye also learned of Epaphras our dear fellowservant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ;
The fellowservant — Of Paul and Timotheus.
Verse 8
[8] Who also declared unto us your love in the Spirit.
Your love in the Spirit — Your love wrought in you by the Spirit.
Verse 9
[9] For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
We pray for you — This was mentioned in general, Colossians 1:3, but now more particularly.
That ye may be filled with the knowledge of his will — Of his revealed will.
In all wisdom — With all the wisdom from above.
And spiritual understanding — To discern by that light whatever agrees with, or differs from, his will.
Verse 10
[10] That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
That, knowing his whole will, ye may walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing - So as actually to please him in all things; daily increasing in the living, experimental knowledge of God, our Father, Saviour, Sanctifier.
Verse 11
[11] Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Strengthened unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness — This is the highest point: not only to know, to do, to suffer, the whole will of God; but to suffer it to the end, not barely with patience, but with thankful joy.
Luke 23:33-43
Verse 34
[34] Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.
Then said Jesus — Our Lord passed most of the time on the cross in silence: yet seven sentences which he spoke thereon are recorded by the four evangelists, though no one evangelist has recorded them all. Hence it appears that the four Gospels are, as it were, four parts, which, joined together, make one symphony. Sometimes one of these only, sometimes two or three, sometimes all sound together.
Father — So he speaks both in the beginning and at the end of his sufferings on the cross: Forgive them - How striking is this passage! While they are actually nailing him to the cross, he seems to feel the injury they did to their own souls more than the wounds they gave him; and as it were to forget his own anguish out of a concern for their own salvation. And how eminently was his prayer heard! It procured forgiveness for all that were penitent, and a suspension of vengeance even for the impenitent.
Verse 35
[35] And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.
If thou be the Christ; Luke 23:37.
If thou be the king — The priests deride the name of Messiah: the soldiers the name of king.
Verse 38
[38] And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
Matthew 27:37; Mark 15:26; John 19:19.
Verse 39
[39] And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.
And one of the malefactors reviled him — St. Matthew says, the robbers: St. Mark, they that were crucified with him, reviled him. Either therefore St. Matthew and Mark put the plural for the singular (as the best authors sometimes do) or both reviled him at the first, till one of them felt "the overwhelming power of saving grace."
Verse 40
[40] But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
The other rebuked him — What a surprising degree was here of repentance, faith, and other graces! And what abundance of good works, in his public confession of his sin, reproof of his fellow criminal, his honourable testimony to Christ, and profession of faith in him, while he was in so disgraceful circumstances as were stumbling even to his disciples! This shows the power of Divine grace. But it encourages none to put off their repentance to the last hour; since, as far as appears, this was the first time this criminal had an opportunity of knowing any thing of Christ, and his conversion was designed to put a peculiar glory on our Saviour in his lowest state, while his enemies derided him, and his own disciples either denied or forsook him.
Verse 42
[42] And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
Remember me when thou comest — From heaven, in thy kingdom - He acknowledges him a king, and such a king, as after he is dead, can profit the dead. The apostles themselves had not then so clear conceptions of the kingdom of Christ.
Verse 43
[43] And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
In paradise — The place where the souls of the righteous remain from death till the resurrection. As if he had said, I will not only remember thee then, but this very day.
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A SPLINTERED THRONE by Timothy L. OwingsLuke 23:33-43Today’s worship marks the last Sunday of the Christian year and centers around the theme of Christ the King. With the passing of this day, our hearts and minds turn toward Advent, when the Christian worship year begins again. So what of this day we call “Christ the King”? What is God’s good word for us who worship this last Sunday before we journey anew to Bethlehem?
The texts from Jeremiah, Colossians, and the Gospel of Luke direct our attention to the humble majesty of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is Jeremiah’s “righteous Branch” (Jeremiah 23:5) and Paul’s “firstborn of all creation” (Colossians 1:15). Towering above these lofty titles, however, is this text from Luke that brings us back to our Lord’s crucifixion. What a powerful but perhaps strange text to hold our thoughts on “Christ the King.” But is it?
Of the four Gospel writers, only Luke records in detail conversations that took place between our Lord and the two thieves who died with him that day on Calvary. Yes, here you will find the mocking of the crowd and the derision of the soldiers. But only Luke includes a verse, not found in some of our oldest Bibles, that records Jesus saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (23:34). At that place of horrific human suffering where abandonment meets death, Jesus dies on a rough-hewn cross beneath a darkened sky and above a murderous earth.
But what of this place I call a splintered throne? It is here that our Lord, hoisted above the ground and pegged to a cross between two thieves, is enthroned as the forgiving King. Here, Jesus, if you please, holds court before a crowd of insulting bystanders and a corps of profane soldiers. Here, Jesus hangs on a splintered throne, the instrument of his death, with two lost sons of God who stole and murdered their way to Calvary. Here, Jesus dies not so much as “King of the Jews” (v. 38), but as Christ the King, full of mercy and love.
Though we have visited this place many times during Holy Week, I wonder if we might revisit this splintered throne and see what we may have not seen before. For one thing, look with me and see Christ the King as the giver of life in the midst of death. The sheer bloody horror of death by crucifixion cannot be imagined. Scholars tell us that to die on the cross, for most people, was to die from exposure, dehydration, and suffocation over the course of several days. The Romans, in a macabre definition of the word, perfected death by crucifixion. They used death on the cross as both a reminder to their friends and a warning to their enemies. Death by crucifixion was gory and cruel.
At this place of awful suffering, Jesus chose to offer forgiveness and life in the midst of death. We who worship this One who gave his life for us would be wise to follow him by giving such gifts to others. All about us on a daily basis are expressions of death. Racism that diminishes another’s humanity, indifference that ignores another’s identity, sarcasm that mars another’s self-worth, and obscenity that profanes another’s intelligence all conspire to inflict death. Racism, indifference, sarcasm, and obscenity may not physically end another person’s life, but they kill something precious within that person that was fashioned by the hand of God.
When Jesus said, “Father, forgive them,” he meted out from that splintered throne the gift of life that he still offers every one of us. Anytime we speak or act in ways that lift the human spirit, that ennoble human dignity, and that value human worth we honor Christ the King, who died on the cross to show us that the way of forgiveness is the only way to authentic and everlasting life.
Then there were the two thieves; one to the left and one to the right of our Lord. Like Jesus, they had been convicted and sentenced by Roman justice. But unlike our Lord, who died innocent of the charges leveled against him, these two men were terrorists, murderers, and thieves. In his own words, one of the criminals said, “We are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong” (v. 41).
Two words come to mind. The first is the word awareness. Though both of these criminals knew they would die on the cross, only one of them was aware of the King whose majesty graced their pathetic circumstances. No matter what awful or wonderful situations we may find ourselves in, deserved or undeserved, beautiful or ugly, hopeful or despairing, Christ the King is in our midst. Not until we come to an awareness of who we are and who he is can we possibly find mercy for our lives and hope for our futures. The word is awareness.
The other word is hope. Though both thieves knew they would die that day, only one was aware enough to look beyond the stench of death to the hope of God’s future. Only one man had the courage to request, “Remember me when you come into your kingdom” (v. 42). In that moment where murder and hope met, Jesus said, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (v. 43). Today, you will come to an awareness of mercy and grace you cannot imagine and can never deserve. Today, you will find life beyond death and love beyond hatred.
As we honor Christ the King on this day, I invite you to learn again with me that the only power God offers that changes lives and alters history is the power of forgiving love. No matter how insensitively another has treated you or how cruelly you have treated yourself, see from this splintered throne the King who gives life in the midst of death and hope in the face of despair. As you journey through life’s difficulties and joys, live with an awareness that no matter what happens to you or others, you can live with hope and in living with hope, live in Christ’s kingdom. Amen.
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SCRIPTURE READINGS: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43
THEME IDEAS
This is no ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it Sunday, or even an onward-and-upward perfecting of the present order Sunday. Ordinary time gives way to Advent, but for one week we offer a prophetic salute to Christ’s reign: no plea, no mere hope or prediction, but rather a celebration that God certainly will sweep away the old. The days are surely coming, and they will be proclaimed: a new dominion of
just, righteous days; a rescue from oppressive powers; light erasing death’s shadow, even in the bitter plight of one unjustly executed and sarcastically taunted as “king.”
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Jeremiah 23, Luke 1)
It is done.
God has always been in charge—
yesterday and today.
Even when things seem out of control,
God’s reign is on its way.
Let us prepare the way for God.
Opening Prayer (Jeremiah 23, Colossians 1)
Faithful God, expand our thankful imaginations:
to time beyond our time,
to wisdom beyond our wisdom,
to strength beyond our strength.
As we pray for your coming reign,
remind us that the whole earth
is already yours.
Even as we pray for things not yet seen,
help us celebrate your sure, eternal reign. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Jeremiah 23, Colossians 1)
Imagining your reign
can be difficult, eternal God.
It is difficult to picture a world
governed by your justice
and righteousness alone.
Our minds are held captive
by the worst images
of human kings, rulers, and powers.
When nobler visions fail
and we settle for kingdoms
of our own making,
correct and forgive us.
Free the borders of our imaginations,
that we may envision your greater good
and celebrate the coming of your reign
on earth as in heaven. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon (Luke 1)
Hear the prophecy of Zechariah:
Tender mercy and forgiveness
are the ways of God. We are forgiven.
Let the church say
Amen.
Response to the Word (Jeremiah 23)
May the word take root in our hearts, that we may be fruitful bearers of God’s wisdom. Amen.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Offering Prayer (Jeremiah 23, Luke 23)
Your days are surely coming, Holy One,
just as surely as the needs of this world are real.
We offer these gifts
in awe of your victory over the cross
and in celebration
of your present and coming reign,
that life—even life abundant—
might multiply for all people.
Bless these gifts,
that they may be used
according to your will. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Colossians 1, Luke 1)
Go joyfully. Give thanks to God.
Endure with strength and patience.
And may your feet be guided in the ways of peace. Amen.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Jeremiah 23, Luke 1)
Amid the holiday rush, let’s pause to reflect:
not yet on a stable, or star, or Advent candles,
or everything for which we’re thankful.
Those days are surely coming, but others are as well:
days of holiness and righteousness,
salvation and safety, deliverance and rescue;
the dawn of a day when God’s tender mercy
will trump oppression and death.
Such are the days of Christ’s reign.
They are surely coming! Let’s celebrate today!
Praise Sentences (Colossians 1, Luke 1)
God has raised up a mighty savior!
Prepare the way! Serve God without fear!
Thrones, dominions, rulers, powers—
these are all as dust before our God.
Prepare the way! Serve God without fear!
Praise be to God and the day of God’s favor.
Prepare the way! Serve God without fear!
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.
THEME IDEAS
This is no ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it Sunday, or even an onward-and-upward perfecting of the present order Sunday. Ordinary time gives way to Advent, but for one week we offer a prophetic salute to Christ’s reign: no plea, no mere hope or prediction, but rather a celebration that God certainly will sweep away the old. The days are surely coming, and they will be proclaimed: a new dominion of
just, righteous days; a rescue from oppressive powers; light erasing death’s shadow, even in the bitter plight of one unjustly executed and sarcastically taunted as “king.”
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Jeremiah 23, Luke 1)
It is done.
God has always been in charge—
yesterday and today.
Even when things seem out of control,
God’s reign is on its way.
Let us prepare the way for God.
Opening Prayer (Jeremiah 23, Colossians 1)
Faithful God, expand our thankful imaginations:
to time beyond our time,
to wisdom beyond our wisdom,
to strength beyond our strength.
As we pray for your coming reign,
remind us that the whole earth
is already yours.
Even as we pray for things not yet seen,
help us celebrate your sure, eternal reign. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Jeremiah 23, Colossians 1)
Imagining your reign
can be difficult, eternal God.
It is difficult to picture a world
governed by your justice
and righteousness alone.
Our minds are held captive
by the worst images
of human kings, rulers, and powers.
When nobler visions fail
and we settle for kingdoms
of our own making,
correct and forgive us.
Free the borders of our imaginations,
that we may envision your greater good
and celebrate the coming of your reign
on earth as in heaven. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon (Luke 1)
Hear the prophecy of Zechariah:
Tender mercy and forgiveness
are the ways of God. We are forgiven.
Let the church say
Amen.
Response to the Word (Jeremiah 23)
May the word take root in our hearts, that we may be fruitful bearers of God’s wisdom. Amen.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Offering Prayer (Jeremiah 23, Luke 23)
Your days are surely coming, Holy One,
just as surely as the needs of this world are real.
We offer these gifts
in awe of your victory over the cross
and in celebration
of your present and coming reign,
that life—even life abundant—
might multiply for all people.
Bless these gifts,
that they may be used
according to your will. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Colossians 1, Luke 1)
Go joyfully. Give thanks to God.
Endure with strength and patience.
And may your feet be guided in the ways of peace. Amen.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Jeremiah 23, Luke 1)
Amid the holiday rush, let’s pause to reflect:
not yet on a stable, or star, or Advent candles,
or everything for which we’re thankful.
Those days are surely coming, but others are as well:
days of holiness and righteousness,
salvation and safety, deliverance and rescue;
the dawn of a day when God’s tender mercy
will trump oppression and death.
Such are the days of Christ’s reign.
They are surely coming! Let’s celebrate today!
Praise Sentences (Colossians 1, Luke 1)
God has raised up a mighty savior!
Prepare the way! Serve God without fear!
Thrones, dominions, rulers, powers—
these are all as dust before our God.
Prepare the way! Serve God without fear!
Praise be to God and the day of God’s favor.
Prepare the way! Serve God without fear!
From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2017 is now available.
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WORSHIP CONNECTION: NOVEMBER 20, 2016 by Nancy C. TownleyChrist the King SundayCOLOR: White or Gold
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1:
L: Great is the Lord!
P: God has redeemed God’s people!
L: Let the heavens shout with joy!
P: Let all the people celebrate God’s awesome love!
L: Shout and sing praise to God!
P: For God has healed and restored God’s people.
L: Hallelujah!
P: Hallelujah!
Call to Worship #2:
L: God has called all of us here beloved.
P: We are given new names of hope and promise.
L: Even though storms and trials have assailed us,
P: God has drawn us through to the time of salvation.
L: Thanks be to God for God’s victory in Jesus Christ!
P: May Jesus reign in our hearts all of our days. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2173, “Shine, Jesus, Shine,” offer the following call to worship as directed.]
L: Even though darkness and fear threaten to overcome us and swallow us
P: Yet we will place our hope and trust in Jesus Christ.
Choir: Singing: Refrain, verse 1, and refrain of “Shine, Jesus, Shine”
L: For he is the light of the world.
P: His love will shine on us, in us, and through us to all God’s people.
Choir: Singing: Refrain, verse 2, and refrain of “Shine, Jesus, Shine”
L: We come to the presence of Christ with sadness and sorrow
P: And he offers his healing love, restoring us to light and joy.
Choir and congregation: Singing: Refrain, verse 3, and refrain of “Shine, Jesus, Shine”
L: Amen.
P: AMEN.
Call to Worship #4:
L: Good morning! May God’s blessings be with you this day!
P: Thank you, and may God’s blessings be with you also!
L: May the light of Christ’s love shine on you today
P: May the peace of Christ be in your heart.
L: Open your hearts to celebrate the reign of our Savior Jesus Christ.
P: With joy we open our hearts and spirits to the Lord. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY/READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
Lord of light and life, we come to you this day in celebration of the witness of your Son Jesus Christ. Open our hearts, our spirits, and our lives to listen to his words for us. Help us to be faithful disciples for you; for we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
Forgiving God, how many times we have spoken words of commitment and faith and then turned our backs on these commitments to follow the temptations of the world. We wander after the false prophets of greed, selfishness, arrogance, ignorance, hatred, stubbornness, and then shout our displeasure at how we are being treated. We want you to come in and clean up all our messes, excusing us from any responsibility for them. Forgive us for such foolishness. Help us remember the power of your healing love, which has been given for us. Forgive us when we think we know everything and then discover that we have behaved and thought in ignorant ways. Teach us to listen and to place our trust in your abiding power. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Even though we doubt God’s faithfulness to us, yet God is steadfast in God’s love for each one of us. Receive that love in your hearts this day. Know that you are healed and forgiven in God’s sight. AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
Patient God, we seem to think that being people of faith is a campaign for your favor. We posture and make gestures of holiness and grace, but then we easily slide back into habits of self-centeredness. Yet you have forgiven us, each time, calling us beloved children. Today we are about to complete the journey of this Christian year, during which we have learned of the witness of Jesus Christ, the birth and growth of the church, and the great lessons of the Hebrew Scriptures. This year has been an opportunity for us to renew our acquaintance with all those who have gone before, who have been faithful disciples. Help us take these lessons into our hearts and lives. Let the reign of Jesus Christ, your beloved Son, our Savior, be evident in all that we say, think, and do. Give us the confidence and courage to truly be your witnesses all the rest of our days. For we offer this prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN.
Reading
[Using THE UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL, p. 488, “Jesus, Remember Me,” offer the reading as directed. Each of the reader‘s parts should be read dramatically and slowly to let the intent of the piece be reflected by the listeners. The building up of the musical refrain is a powerfully moving experience for both singers and listeners alike. It is a good idea to do this if you have the vocal parts available; if not, have four people singing the melody line, beginning with one person and adding a new person each time until all four are singing together.]
Reader 1:
I have been so blessed by God. I have a lovely home, great family. I am doing very well in all aspects of my life. God is truly pleased with me! This I know.
Soloist: singing “Jesus, Remember Me”
Reader 2:
I am so talented. There is almost nothing that I can’t do. I have been given so many gifts and talents. Everyone says that they wish they had half the talents I do. I try to use these talents as much as possible, so that people can really see what I can do.
Duet: [soprano/alto] singing “Jesus, Remember Me”
Reader 3:
I don’t need anyone. I am sufficient unto myself. Nobody needs to help me with anything. I don’t want to be beholden to anyone. Let other people cry and whine for help. Not me! I can do all that needs to be done by myself. I don’t need anyone.
Trio: [soprano/alto/tenor] singing “Jesus, Remember Me”
Reader 4:
I am frightened, Lord. I need help. There are wonderful gifts you have given me and I try to use them to your glory, but sometimes I fail. I feel as though I am letting others down, and letting you down also. Please lift me, Lord. Please remember me and help me to be strong for you and for others.
Quartet: [soprano/alto/tenor/bass] singing “Jesus, Remember Me”
Leader:
Sometimes we have many of the feelings expressed by our readers. We are sometimes very proud and arrogant, thinking that we know what is best, never wanting to rely on anyone but ourselves. But at other times we cringe in fear. We doubt our gifts and our abilities to use them. Our faith is tested and we wonder if we are equal to the test. Through all of this, the Lord of Life, beckons to us to place our trust in God’s loving mercy. May the love of Christ reign in your life now and always. AMEN.
Benediction
Though the days increase in their darkness, the Lord of light and love reigns supreme. May the power of God’s love be in your hearts and reflected in your lives now and always. Go in peace and may God’s peace be with you. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional color for this day is WHITE or GOLD.
Note: This is an artistic interpretation of the reign of Christ symbolism. An explanation should be placed in the worship bulletin. The seasons of the Christian year are represented in the colored stripes of cloth, green [Epiphany/Common Time], purple [Lent], blue [Advent], white [Eastertide], red [Pentecost]. They are anchored in the center of the table by the Cross of Christ. The candles represent the light of God’s love, through Jesus Christ, shining on us and through us to others.
SURFACE:
Place a tall riser, about 10” high, in the center of the worship table, toward the back. Place five risers, about 4-5” high, across the front of the worship table, centering one of the risers in front of the tall riser, about 6-8” away from the riser.
FABRIC:
Cover the worship center and all risers with white fabric, draping the fabric so that it “puddles” onto the floor in front of the worship center. Cut five strips of cloth, 3” wide by about 4 yards long, in the following colors: green, purple, blue, white, red. Place one end of each of the strips on top of the center tall riser (it will be anchored by a brass cross). Drape each strip of fabric across one of each of the five shorter risers and let the remaining fabric strips cascade to the floor in front of the worship center.
CANDLES:
Place two tall candles on either side of the center riser, flanking the brass cross. On each of the other risers, place one votive or a small collection of shorter votive candles.
FLOWERS/FOLIAGE:
Not necessary for this display.
ROCKS/WOOD:
Not necessary for this display.
OTHER:
Have a brass altar cross to place on the top riser at the center of the worship table.
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JEREMIAH 23:1-6
Jeremiah speaks of the coming of a king whose name is a remarkable summary and affirmation of the faith to which the whole Bible witnesses. "The Lord is our righteousness." The name can also mean, "The Lord is our salvation."
Righteousness means a right relationship with God that puts us into a right relationship with everything else. Both the Old and New Testaments make it clear that we can live in a right relationship with God. Not because of who we are but because of who God is. Not because we are good but because God is loving. The Lord is our righteousness.
The Lord is also our salvation. To be saved is to be brought into a life-shaping right relationship with God. In his Old Testament Theology, Gerhard von Rad tells us that Israel knew God primarily as a God who acts in human life and history to save his people from real troubles, like bondage in Egypt. The New Testament tells us more about God's saving work but it is a great mistake to let our New Testament understanding of salvation get separated from the Old Testament understanding. The Lord is our salvation.
I. Expect God to Save Us Within Life and History, Not from It
Jeremiah's promise to a people who were defeated and scattered because of the unfaithfulness of their leaders, was that the same God who had saved their ancestors from bondage in Egypt would save them from exile in Babylon. We will discover a new dimension of the meaning of salvation when we learn to expect God to save us from the real problems of our lives, problems like career frustrations, disintegration of marriages, parent-child conflicts, alcoholism, and the loss of integrity resulting from life in a sometimes hostile world. We will discover still more when we learn to expect God to save our world from injustice, racial strife, and war.
II. God Promises to Save by Sending a New Ruler into Our Lives
Jeremiah promises the coming of a new and good king in the line of David. It is not clear whom he meant. The name, "The Lord is our righteousness," may be a play on the name of Zerubbabel. But Christians know that the promise was ultimately fulfilled in the coming of another whose name means, "God's salvation." In the event of the life of Jesus, God again acted to show us what God is always doing. God is always reaching out to us in life and in history to save.
III. God's Saving Work Leads to a Right Relationship with God
God does not save just by "fixing" our circumstances. God saves by reordering our lives as a new king reorders life in a kingdom. We are led into a new relationship with God. Then people and communities who are renewed from within move out to change the world. The story of the life of Paul demonstrates how this saving work of God takes place. The lives of Christians both great and small also demonstrates this.
Hold on to this affirmation for hope and direction. The Lord is our righteousness. The Lord is our salvation. (James L. Killen, Jr.)
THE PORTRAIT GALLERY
COLOSSIANS 1:11-20
The world desperately needs to know Jesus. While we cannot see him with physical eyes and cannot know his physical appearance, we can know him through his divine roles.
Take a trip with Paul through a marvelous portrait gallery of Jesus. Paul will direct our attention to four portraits. Each is startling in its own way. Each shows Jesus in his divine grandeur.
I. Jesus the Rescuer (v. 14)
What is it God, through Christ, has rescued us from? He has taken us out of the kingdom of darkness. He has brought us to a better and safer place, namely the kingdom of light. It is no small thing to be rescued.
People take great risks to rescue friends or even strangers. Lenny Skutnick was an ordinary guy who happened upon the sight of the air disaster on the Potomac River outside of the National City airport in Washington, D.C. Lenny watched as several people were waiting to be rescued. He impulsively jumped into the frigid water to rescue a passenger. When asked later why he took such a risk, he said simply, "Somebody had to do something." Lenny was not completely accurate. No one has to, but it is a noble thing to do.
II. Jesus the Creator (vv. 15-16)
This is a startling picture. Paul tells us that as the Son of the living God, Jesus was an agent in creation. This makes Jesus' sacrifice for us all the more unbelievable. The Creator came to bless the created! Even though Jesus had this most lofty position, he did not shy away from coming to his creation and dying for his creation.
III. Jesus the Lord (vv. 17, 18)
The risen Lord is the ultimate authority. He is Lord of all, but is particularly the Lord of the church. There are many churches today arguing over power and authority issues. Ministers and laymen argue over who is the head of the church. They will never solve the problem until they realize Jesus is the head of the church.
IV. Jesus the Peacemaker (vv. 19-22)
Peacemaking may be the hardest business on earth. Just ask arbiters who try to make peace between management and labor. Just ask ambassadors who try to make peace between warring nations. Just ask counselors who try to make peace in feuding families. Jesus made peace between us and God. Most people don't think of themselves as being enemies of God, but in their sins they are. Jesus went to the cross, to bridge forever the enmity between God and his creation.
In the background of all these pictures is the image of a cross. It is the crucified and risen Savior who is worthy to be seen as the Rescuer, Creator, Lord, and Peacemaker. John Bowring, a member of the English Parliament, was touring the Orient. He cruised by ship past the island of Macao and saw the ruins of a city after a monstrous earthquake. Above the rubble he saw the remains of an old mission church with its cross on the steeple. It caused him to write these immortal words, "In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time." Jesus and his cross will always have the preeminence. (Michael Shannon)
IRONY OF IRONIES!
LUKE 23:33-43
As Jesus was nailed to the cross he asked God to forgive his tormentors, "for they do not know what they were doing" (v. 34). His tormentors were not so gracious. They shouted and cursed and mocked him. The irony of it all doesn't seem to have escaped Luke's notice. Luke notes that while Jesus sought God's forgiveness for them (v. 34), the religious rulers mocked him saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!" (v. 35). Then the soldiers joined in and jeered, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!" (v. 37). Finally, one of the criminals being crucified with Jesus on the hill hurled insults at him and said, "Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!" (v. 39).
I. Jesus Could Have Saved Himself
There isn't any doubt that Jesus could have saved himself from the cross, is there? After all, he had at his disposal the power to simply wipe out the entire crowd, including soldiers, rulers, and mockers. With one word from his mouth they would all be gone! Better yet, Jesus could have prevented the whole thing by calling down all the angels at his command and thwarting his captors in the garden of Gethsemane.
And beyond the power to save himself, Jesus also had the motive. The passionate prayers lifted up through tears of anguish surely indicate that Jesus, at least some part of Jesus, didn't want to suffer and die on the cross. Yes, without a doubt, Jesus could have saved himself—but he didn't.
II. The Religious Rulers Knew They Were Saved
There isn't any doubt that the religious rulers thought that they were right with God, is there? While the soldiers put their trust in their own power and might, and the criminal who mocked Jesus was so full of anger and hate (or maybe it was despair), that he sensed there was no hope, no salvation for him or the others—the Jewish leaders knew better. They were God's chosen ones, they were of Abraham, they worshiped the one true God, they kept the commandments and obeyed the traditions. Yes, the religious rulers knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were saved—but they weren't.
III. The Irony of It All
In fact, one irony of this story is that the rulers killed the only one who could save them, the one who, in fact, made salvation possible to them and the others. But they didn't realize that. For even though they were supposed to be looking for the Messiah, they didn't recognize him when he was staring them in the face or hanging before them on a cross.
But the second criminal did! Somehow, he knew! He knew who Jesus was and what Jesus could do. This second criminal is the only one in the entire narrative who didn't mock Jesus with some jeer about saving himself. Instead, this man asked Jesus to save him. He said, when you enter your kingdom, remember me. It is a statement of faith, not challenge; of belief, not mockery; of vision, not blindness.
But the irony of it all is that by Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross he makes salvation possible to all, even those who think they are already saved or to those who think there is no hope of salvation. Have you ever thought of how things would have turned out if Jesus had, in fact, reacted to the jeering and accepted the challenges and saved himself from the cross? The rulers would have perished in their blindness and the first criminal would have been right, there would have been no hope. But Jesus did die on that cross; he was raised after the third day; and he now stands at the right hand of God. And now, because of that act of sacrifice, we have life. Irony of ironies! (Michael M. Jones)
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WORSHIP FOR KIDS: NOVEMBER 20, 2016 by Carolyn C. BrownFrom a Child's Point of ViewOld Testament: Jeremiah 23:1-6. On Christ the King Sunday, the key to this text is Jeremiah's comparison of the nation's king and its leaders to shepherds. According to Jeremiah, the job of a king (or any leader) is to take care of the people, just as a shepherd takes care of the sheep. Children need to hear specifically how their current leaders had not been good shepherds, how God's king would care for the people, and how Jesus acted like a shepherd king.
Psalm: Luke 1:68-79. This is a hard passage for children to figure out on Christ the King Sunday. During Advent, they can focus on its story setting and share Zechariah's excitement at the birth of his special son. But today it is a subtle introduction to Jesus. Zechariah's message that one job of God's king is to forgive people (vss. 76-69) must be restated in direct language for the children. It is an important point for them to understand. In many stories about kings, the king is the one who demands obedience and gets even with those who do not obey. God's king is different. God's king forgives.
Gospel: Luke 23:33-43. Children easily follow this concise story of the crucifixion. They enjoy exploring the truth that only a thief (the one we would least expect) understood what the leaders and soldiers missed: that the real King does not save himself, but suffers to save others. The thief saw Jesus forgiving, and he declared himself Jesus' loyal subject by asking for his forgiveness. To be the King is to forgive. To be the subject of the King is to be forgiven.
Epistle: Colossians 1:11-20. This passage is a description of Christ, the cosmic ruler. Verses 15-20 are a hymn rich in poetic images that are totally foreign to children. One approach is to suggest that they not try to understand, but feel the majesty of Christ in these fancy words. (If you do this, provide a majestic reading in which the poetic words and phrases are given their full dramatic impact.) A second approach is to encourage children to listen hard for short phrases they do understand. Most will recognize several of the short phrases describing Christ.
Verses 11-14 come before the poem in Colossians, but they may make more sense to children after they have heard and reflected on the poem. These verses focus attention not on Christ the King, but on us, Christ's subjects. It is a wish (or prayer) that we, who are fortunate to be the subjects of such a king, be given the power to serve our king well and faithfully.
Watch Words
Christ is another name for Jesus. Often we use Jesus when telling stories about Jesus' life on earth, and Christ when we talk about Christ as the Lord of the whole universe. (This might be a good time to clear up the common childhood misconception that Christ is Jesus' last name.)
Speak of Christ as King today, rather than as the Messiah.
Let the Children Sing
Many great hymns praise Christ the King: "Rejoice, the Lord Is King," "When Morning Gilds the Skies," "From All That Dwell Below the Skies," and "Come, Christians, Join to Sing." These have repeated choruses or phrases that make them easy for nonreaders. "Let All the World in Every Corner Sing" is a less familiar hymn, but one with simple language for middle-elementary readers.
"The King of Love My Shepherd Is" (and most other shepherd hymns) may seem a natural choice for these texts. Children, however, get little farther than the first verse. The other verses are filled with abstract images and obsolete language.
Many people who know the spiritual "Do, Lord, Remember Me" do not realize that it quotes the repentant thief. Point this out before hearing it sung by a children's choir or singing it as a pledge to be subjects of King Jesus.
The Liturgical Child
1. Read the Colossian hymn (vss. 15-20) twice. First, read it from the translation of your choice. Invite worshipers to feel the richness of the big words that praise Christ the King. Then have a group of children read the following sentences, which put the praises into simple language. Each phrase is read by one child; three or more children may take turns.
When we see Christ, we are seeing God also.
Through Christ, God created everything in
heaven and on earth.
Through Christ, God created everything visible and invisible.
Before anything else was created, Christ was
here.
Christ holds all the world in his hands.
The church is Christ's Body, and Christ is the
head of this Body.
Christ was the first to rise from the dead.
Christ is first in every way.
Christ was God, living among us as a person.
Through Christ, all of us can be God's friends.
Christ brought peace to the whole universe by his death on the cross.
2. The Lord's Prayer is a prayer of the loyal subjects of a loving king. Point out the "king" phrases: "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" and "Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever." To emphasize the relationship of God's kingship to each of the prayer requests, pray the prayer responsively or in unison, repeating "Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory" after each phrase.
3. Paraphrase Colossians 1:11-14 for the Charge and Benediction:
Go forth with all the power of Christ the King to serve loyally and patiently wherever you are. Give thanks to God, who has called you to be among the King's people, has sent Christ to save you, and has forgiven you. And remember, Christ the King will be with you forever. You have his promise. Amen.
Sermon Resources
1. Christ the King Sunday is also the last day of the liturgical year. To celebrate Christ and review the year, drape the pulpit with a rainbow of paraments. Refer to each color as you use the seasons as an outline for exploring the Kingship of Christ.
2. Display two crowns on the pulpit or in the worship center—one a kingly crown (perhaps a wise man's crown can be found among the Christmas pageant costumes); the other, a crown of thorns. Compare the kings who would wear each crown. Then describe what would be required of followers of the king who wears a crown of thorns.
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NOVEMBER 20, 2016 - PARADISE NOW by 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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