Ministry Matters: "The morality of not voting — Vulnerability in the pulpit — What makes a sermon sing?" in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Monday, 31 October 2016-------
With Election Day fast approaching, get out the vote efforts are in full swing, many of which are aimed at or made by Christians. Insofar as these make the standard claims about voting, (e.g. voting is a privilege, people died so that you could vote, you should make your voice heard, every vote counts, etc.) they are unremarkable. However, in this most unusual of election years, I have seen an increase in attempts to induce voting on theological grounds, which purport it to be nothing short of a divinely willed moral obligation for Christians to choose sides between Trump and Clinton. Some Christians see voting for a third-party or write-in candidate as a viable alternative, even as they admit the futility of this choice, but all agree that all good Christians must vote.
In general, I get nervous when Christian ideals are too simply equated with American ideals. I especially get nervous when people, no matter how well intentioned, use theological claims as leverage to control secular behaviors. These suspicions aside, though, more needs to be said about the morality of voting. The 11th Commandment is not “Thou shalt always vote.” Indeed, there are times when good Christians have good cause not to vote.
Christianity’s relationship with secular society has always been complicated, and it has rarely ever been appropriate to unqualifiedly state, “Christians must always do x.” Throughout the Christian Tradition, even within Scripture, there exists a clear dialectic between participating in and protesting against social systems. Three examples will suffice: one political, one economic, and one judicial. First, in the New Testament, there is a tension between submitting to government, as Paul instructs Roman Christians, (Romans 13:1-7) and subverting government, as John does when he depicts Rome as the great harlot (Revelation 17:1-6). Second, there is a tension between participating in economic systems, by rendering unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s (Matthew 22:23-33; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26), and protesting economic systems, by cleansing the temple (Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48; John 2:13-26). Finally, there is a tension between engaging in the judicial system, as Paul did when he was arrested (Acts 22:1-29; Acts 24:10-21; Acts 26:1-23) and abstaining from the judicial system, as Christ did when he remained silent before Pilate (Matthew 27:12-14; Mark 15:3-5; Luke 23:9; John 19:9). Thus, the appropriate actions for Christians to take in their relationship with, to borrow a term from St. Augustine, the Human City vary widely and depend entirely on individual circumstances.
The final event among these examples, Christ before Pilate, is particularly applicable to the issue of voting in the current presidential election. Accused, arrested, and beaten, Christ found himself facing absurdity. He was offered a choice between falsely confessing guilt and mocking justice by defending himself to those whose judgment was passed and who cared nothing about the truth. Christ’s solution was silence. He recognized that when offered an impossible choice the only reasonable response was to refuse to choose. He decided that reticence could more loudly speak than could the exercise of his right to use his voice, a right that was hard-fought and a privilege.
To be clear, I am not saying that Christians should not vote. I am only saying that Christians should never feel impelled to vote by social forces, manufactured guilt, vain invocations of God’s will, American ideology, or American idolatry thinly veiled behind pretensions of patriotism. Whether the current presidential election is such a farcical situation that Christians could better express their values through refusing the offered options, or whether some choice is possible between the lesser of two evils, should be a matter of individual conscience and prudence. A non-choice should always remain a possibility, however, because at some point, the obligation to protest overtakes the obligation to participate. At some point, a vote can be a capitulation to an unjust system and a refusal to vote can expose the system’s absurdity. At some point, a vote can be a sacrifice to Caesar and abstention can be a witness to the Truth.
This article originally appeared on The Christian Post. Reprinted with permission.
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Vulnerability in the pulpit: How much is too much? by Kira SchlesingerBigstock/Denis Kovaliov
Glennon Doyle Melton is a best-selling author, a well-known blogger, and a popular speaker. Recently, I lined up with a lot of other thirty and forty-something white women to file into War Memorial Auditorium to hear her in conversation with Ann Patchett. On our way through the door, we were handed a copy of her latest book, Love Warrior, which has since been selected for Oprah’s Book Club. Glennon writes honestly and vulnerably about her past struggles with addiction and bulimia, the difficulty of raising children, and her marital struggles, all of which strike a chord with her audience and have made her beloved to many.
Right before I saw her, she had announced online that she and her husband were separating despite clawing back their marriage after his admission of adultery a couple years prior. In fact, Love Warrior is predominantly a memoir about that process and this announcement immediately preceded her release date. In the same circle of writers and memoirists, Elizabeth Gilbert (most popular for Eat, Pray, Love but also the author of Committed: A Love Story) announced her separation from her husband. Social worker Brene Brown’s work on vulnerability is immensely popular, and, I believe, necessary. But when does public confession and vulnerability go too far, particularly for those of us in ministry?
In her blog at Christian Century, Carol Howard Merritt asks some good questions about vulnerability and readability with regard to Kate Bowler’s lecture on Disclosure and Power in American Megaministry. While male mega-ministers preach 80% Bible content and 20% anecdote, those numbers are flipped for women ministers in that context. In many ways, for these women, success rests on confession, on “being real.” Intimacy is signaled by coffee, yoga pants and hair in a messy bun. But Merritt wonders if this trade of intimacy for trust is something that’s primarily expected of women and what the consequences are for those of us who traffic in it.
As a pastor and a preacher, I tend to steer away from intimate stories or examples about myself or my family when I preach. I was taught that it is not my congregation’s responsibility to minister to me; that I should seek out other places and relationships to work through on-going issues or struggles. Certainly, in the right context, a personal revelation can connect with a congregation like nothing else. For example, I have colleagues who have spoken about their experience of intimate partner violence and of assault and rape from the pulpit in a way that makes these things real for their congregations. But for these women, it is a prayerfully considered decision undertaken after years of healing, not a spur-of-the-moment confession in the middle of a horrible situation requiring the congregation to “save” her.
With the popularity and glut of these types of memoirs on the market, is there an expectation that preachers, particularly women preachers, will do the same thing? Recently, I received feedback encouraging me to share more of myself from the pulpit. My worry is that one person’s honest vulnerability is another person’s oversharing. In our culture of Instagram filters and carefully posed selfies, I believe that more vulnerability and honesty in the world are things we should strive for. But for those of us in positions of authority, we must be wary of our boundaries as well.
Whether in writing or preaching, a well-placed, thoughtful personal anecdote or revelation can create a bond with an audience, and as humans, we’re wired for connection and community. As parishioners let their pastors into their most intimate, vulnerable and human moments, there is understandably some disappointment when that isn’t reciprocated. When people splash their lives all over social media and the Internet for public consumption, maybe we are missing a chance for real connection and conversation. Yes, vulnerability and honesty are good things, but so are privacy and appropriate boundaries.
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What makes a sermon sing? by Todd Outcalt"Sermon on the Mount" | Bigstock/Jorisvo
When I began preaching at the age of nineteen, I had no idea then how to structure a sermon, how to do exegesis, or even how to deliver a sermon effectively. These skills were learned later in seminary and under the tutelage of such great preachers at Richard Lischer and William Willimon. But even then — and after thirty-five years of preaching — I find that sermons remain elusive creations, a difficult work that looms as a weekly challenge and still forms the centerpiece of pastoral ministry.
Although sermon preparation techniques abound — and there are myriad methods and ideas about how to structure, compose and deliver them — there are several elements of preaching that remain essential. These elements, I’ve learned, are not so much tied to the way sermons are composed (manuscript, outline, thematic) or the way sermons are delivered (standing behind a pulpit with notes, speaking without notes, using a whiteboard). Nor are these elements tied to theology, nor any of the various preaching methods (expository, inductive, narrative).
Rather, many of the most important elements of a sermon — or what makes a sermon “sing” — are more intangible. These intangible elements, especially for pastors, can turn a mediocre sermon into a message that changes lives — or they can redeem a tired preacher and transform the message into a powerfully delivered Word of God.
I’ve been delivered by these elements more often than I care to admit; I thank God that, as pastors, we have these remarkable gifts of grace to rely upon. In short order, I offer a few of these elements here for reflection and help.
Relationships
I would remind pastors of our leadership roles, but also the higher roles born of friendship and trust and integrity as we prepare any sermon. At the center of our pastoral work is relationship. Pastoral care is about relationship. Leading Bible study and giving oversight to administration is relationship. Stewardship is relationship (our ability and willingness to talk to people about time, talent and treasure). And sermon prep and delivery, no less, is about relationship.
Every week as we prepare sermons, we are privy to an array of information about our parishioners' families and so much more. We are aware of triumphs and joys (new jobs and births), of disappointments and failures (personal struggles, parenting issues, divorce) and of deeper sorrows (illnesses and death). All of this is a privilege afforded to the pastor; these are relationships that we should cherish and nurture. We should never take pastoral privilege for granted.
Likewise, our relationships with our families in the parish and in the communities we serve can be some of the most effective elements of our sermons (but I’m not talking about using this information as illustrations). At the very least, our relationships may inform how we will preach a sermon, or what we will address, or even how we will interpret a particular passage of scripture for our communities of faith. We never preach in a vacuum.
These relationships — because we know and love the people — comprise the most profound difference between being a guest speaker and the pastor. There is a huge difference between being the pastor and being an evangelist. In other words, our very voice, and the authority afforded us to speak to the people, is one born of familiarity, friendship and the concern of a shepherd.
This is not to say that pastors cannot, or do not, speak to difficult themes or challenge their friends’ comfort and ease. Quite the contrary. But in point of fact, pastors can speak far more effectively to these struggles than can others, even those who might be superior public speakers. Pastors should never doubt this. We should trust our relationships.
I have been reminded of this essential element to the sermon on innumerable occasions. There have been times when I did not have adequate time to prepare a sermon, for example. And yet as I worshipped in the community and spoke from the heart, the Spirit moved. Likewise, there have been times when I have preached what I believed to be a stellar message only to discover that it was my pastoral prayer, or my concern shown at the coffee fellowship, that moved someone toward a decision or to a deeper level of discipleship.
No sermon could survive without relationships. In fact, people don’t attend to hear a sermon (who would?). They come to church, and always have, because they believe their pastor will speak a word from the Lord. Our people look to us as guide and friend. Sermons have impact because of relationship, not because we are in and of ourselves great speakers.
Asking the Essential Questions
Every sermon can have an impact if the pastor asks the proper questions about his/her congregation. Some questions to begin with might include:
- What does the church need to hear right now?
- Where does the church need to move, or be moved?
- What comfort/challenge/or uncomfortable truth might we need this day?
- Where are people hurting, serving, growing or being faithful?
- What needs to be said? Confessed? Challenged? Encouraged?
- How can I get out of the way and let God speak through me?
We begin with questions before we establish answers. And if we are honest, we might not answer all of the questions as we preach. It is a good thing to live with these tensions, these various ambiguities of life and the pastoral concern we demonstrate even when we don’t know the answers. Great sermons are born of questions. Let us begin with them.
Preparation and Practice
As a child, I never wanted to practice the piano, so I was never prepared when it came time to have a recital. To do our best — to give our best — in anything in life we must practice. Preaching is, among other things, an art. And art takes time. It takes practice.
Again, this is not so much about methodology or a discussion of “how” to create the sermon; nor is it about delivery. Rather, preparation is about discipline — having a routine, a dedicated time, a space for study, a quiet zone, or perhaps even a “pre-game” ritual that maximizes our ability to focus and deliver a sermon to our highest potential. This is not about “rating” a sermon against someone else’s delivery or their giftedness in the pulpit ... it is about practicing what we preach. Literally. We need to practice.
Here, however, we should not confuse the method of that practice with the time or the focus itself. Some pastors may create an outline and then memorize it. Others practice key turns of phrase or scroll the message over and over in their minds prior to delivery. Still others may literally do a “walk-through” at the pulpit, speaking aloud to a vacant sanctuary the night before.
The essential element here is preparation. Is the preacher ready to preach? Is she “prayed up?” Has he done his homework or offered his best (even within the confines of a busy week or personal stresses or congregational tragedies)? Is the message ready to be heard?
Learning how to use the microphone effectively is also worthy of practice. Hand movements can be practiced. So can the inflection of the voice or eye contact. There are dozens of nuances of body language that can be observed and touched up, and every pastor can learn how to overcome some of his/her noticeable ticks and distracting habits up front.
It all seems daunting; but again, go back to element number one. Remember: you are among friends. Friends help friends. The pastor is always on a journey of self-improvement in the pulpit, but must ultimately rely upon grace. We may not have all of the right words, the best words, the perfect illustration, the best exegesis. But we do have people we love and people who love us.
In the end, the preacher comes around to understand that a sermon is, simply put, hard work. But it is good work. And when a sermon is clicking and people are receptive, it is always a lovely thing. You know that feeling. You know it when you hear it.
Now, go and do it again. And again.
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Top five hills I’ll die on
by Talbot DavisBigstock/denbelitsky
Have you noticed people want you to take a stand these days?
To make your decision, your position, your viewpoint known.
It’s true in politics, it’s true in theology, and it’s true in Methodism.
And in thinking on these things I’ve realized that there are some topics on which I won’t compromise. In some cases, it’s because I fancy myself an expert on the subject. In others, it’s due to the passion I feel towards the subject. And in still others, it’s because I believe both the foundation and the future of the Christian faith are at stake.
So here are my top five hills:
1. The literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus from the dead. What does Paul say about it in 1 Corinthians 15?
And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith … And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
So the Christian faith is literally pointless without the resurrection and in turn it all points to the resurrection of those who die in Christ. His resurrection was neither fable, nor metaphor, nor mystical experience in the lives of some bug-eyed disciples; it was and is world-altering fact.2. Jesus alone, not Jesus among. As I’ve heard it said, “Jesus is not one of many. He is the one and only.” Whatever truth and beauty we find in other religions and faith systems, every knee will ultimately bow and every tongue will ultimately confess that the risen Jesus is the returning Lord. The only question is whether we will be in practice at that time or not.
3. The authority and inspiration of the Scriptures. I’d actually argue that the inspiration is the deepest when the inconvenience is the greatest.
4. The reality of heaven and hell. I have neither the wisdom to determine who goes where nor the power to carry it out, but I believe God does and God will. With Methodists always and everywhere, I’m sent to call people to “flee the wrath to come.”
5. The historic, global Christian understanding of sexuality. A generation ago, I wouldn’t have thought this was a hill to die on because the consensus around it in the United Methodist Church was so great. Not anymore. But I’ll stand on the hill with the giants of antiquity and our international siblings in affirming the blessing boundary God has establish for sexual intimacy:
celibacy in singleness and faithfulness in heterosexual marriage. If we think we’re the first ones to hold such countercultural views, try living as a Christian in first century Corinth.
6. “Boys of Summer” is the greatest rock song ever. C’mon, we’ve spoken about resurrection, authority, eternity, and sexuality — it’s time for some levity. Unless this one is the most serious of them all.But you know, these hills that I will die on make me realize there are other hills that I won’t.
Among hills I’m not going to die on — meaning, I might well have strong opinions on the matter but I wouldn’t let disagreement cause division and I might even entertain the notion that I’m wrong — I would include:
- How much water to use in baptism
- U.S. tax policy
- The best way to contain and eliminate ISIS
- Frequency of Communion
- Calvinisim vs. Arminianism (again, I’ve got strong opinions on that debate but I recognize Christianity would be lacking without its Calvinist branch)
- End times. While I am a committed amillennialist, I’ll talk to people who aren’t. In fact, some of my best friends are dispensationalists.
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7 reminders for pastors and ministry leaders
who use social media
by Ron EdmondsonBigstock/wdnet
Can I be honest? I’m not always the biggest fan of social media.
I know you have a hard time believing this if you follow me on Facebook (either my profile or one of my pages — I have several), Twitter (and I have a couple of those), LinkedIn, Instagram or Pinterest. How could I not love social media? I wouldn’t have a blog without social media — and, I do love my blog. Well, at least, I love the potential impact of my blog.
What I don’t like is some of the negative impact of social media. It seems people lose their filter when they are online. They must feel a certain anonymity — even though their name is on their account. As I’ve posted before, some people show their mean side online, saying things they never would say without this medium making it so easy to do.
But, I would assume social media is here for a while. It’s certainly a part of our lives. And wherever people are I want to be as much as I can. Because I’ve been called to reach people.
So, if it’s here, and an almost necessity these days in ministry, it stands to reason we should keep in mind its impact and how this should influence our use of social media.
Here are seven reminders for pastors and ministry leaders on social media:
- You represent the Christ and the church. Even when you’re on your personal page, what you post tells people something about the church. If you’re angry online, you're demonstrating to people how they expect Christ to respond to them.
- You influence people. If you're in a ministry leadership position you have positional influence. People look to you for answers and how they should live their life as believers. This is a gray area for sure, and strictly my opinion, but as an example, one thing that drives me crazy is to see pastors post how they are enjoying not having to go to church on vacation. (“Having a great time at the beach — I needed this today”) I'd rather see a post that says “loved worshipping with Beach Community Church today.” It seems more helpful for the role we serve. Yes, we need to lead people to honor their Sabbath, but we also have to be careful not to convince people they need a break from church. They can figure that one out on their own. Plus, bibilically speaking, the opposite seems more true — I would argue culturally speaking, people need a lot more church. People who don’t work at church aren’t able to reconcile the amount of time you spend at church with the amount of time they do.
- What you post sticks. It’s there once it’s there. You can’t delete a “status” completely. Someone will grab a screenshot. There will be a retweet. This makes it so much more important that we think before we post, that we strive to be helpful and that we never vent on social media. May I add another pet peeve? This is especially true when talking about the community where you live and are trying to reach. Going off on a restaurant, a store or any aspect about the community devalues your talk of loving the city.
- Humor isn’t always easily translated. I’m guilty of this one sometimes. I’ve shared so many things on Facebook I thought were funny, but incited disappointment in people who didn’t catch my sarcasm. They thought I was serious. I was joking.
- There’s potential for incredible good. I can’t relay all the positive stories I’ve received of sharing something “at just the right time” or when someone “really needed this today.” People are hurting. There will be as many hurts as there will be tweets today. You can be a voice of hope.
- People are making opinions about you based on your social media. It’s true. They are discerning whether they like you personally. They make decisions about your church based on things you say online also, because you are your church to them. They may even judge your faith by your words on social media. It might not be truly representative — and, it may not even be fair — but, it’s reality. This is true whether you're talking about the local college football program or politics. Yes, you have opinions, but because of your position what you say has a greater Kingdom implication.
- Followers expect you to be social. If you're going to be on social media, people assume you will be social. I probably have almost as much interaction with our church through Facebook as I have through email. People expect you to reply.
Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.
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The unheard cry of the Levite concubine
by Kitty TaylorBigstock/ritfuse
I was introduced to the Revised Common Lectionary during my first semester of graduate studies at Vanderbilt Divinity School. In a class titled “Art in the Christian Tradition,” I learned that a three-year cycle of scriptures journeyed through much of the bible with Years A, B, and C focusing on a different synoptic gospel, though John found his way into each one. I learned that the Hebrew Bible scripture for a particular day was often seen as the key that unlocked the gospel. I learned that I loved hearing Psalms in call and response harmony. I learned that the liturgical calendar had seasons and colors. I learned that liturgical was a word.
It was a vastly different experience from my former life of religious practice where the scriptures often focused on “End of Times” preaching. In that setting, I learned that the message of the day was one that was put on a preacher’s heart, directly by God. I learned that every text could speak to apocalyptic terror. I learned that my chances of eternal damnation were high. I learned that I loved old gospel songs.
Even with my theological disagreements, I still do.
What I never learned in either setting was the story of a Levite concubine who was violently raped and abused, then let go only to fall at the front door of the host who had taken her in for the night, then offered her up for the men of the city to ravage. I never learned that when the Levite found her motionless the next morning, the first thing he said was, “Get up.” I never learned that when he realized she could not move because she was either dead or dying, he carried her body home on a donkey. I never learned that in a message to every Israelite, he cut his concubine’s body into twelve pieces and sent one to each tribe.
I never learned the story of Judges 19.
And it is a classic example of the cycle of domestic violence.
Something has happened. We know because the concubine has “become angry with” (though some translations say “prostituted herself against”) the Levite and left for her father’s house. She is seeking refuge, or at least space. We don’t know why, but we know she has decided to leave. Four months later, the Levite set out “to speak tenderly to her and bring her back.” In the cycle of abuse, this is known as the “honeymoon” phase. It is a time when an abuser seeks reconciliation with his/her victim. Apologies are issued, and promises to never do it again are common. Whatever the reason for the concubine’s leaving, the Levite’s intention to “speak tenderly” and “bring her back” echo the calmer stage, a time when many survivors either hope the promises will keep, or fear they have no choice but to obey.
In the “tension-building” phase, the concubine’s father has kept the Levite longer than his intended stay, delaying his schedule and likely increasing his frustrations with ever having to leave home to retrieve his property. In the context of domestic violence, a victim is seen as just that. As a means of power, an abuser uses anything from blaming to privilege to keep his/her victim under the scope of his/her control. The victim has neither voice nor ownership of self.
Finally making his way toward home and having traveled through the evening and into the night, the Levite’s frustration meets with stubbornness as he refuses to stay in a land of foreigners, forcing him and his traveling companions to continue their tiresome journey. Gibeah, because of its Benjaminite population, proves a seemingly trustworthy place to rest before the next day’s travels but echoes of Sodom and Gomorrah quickly emerge. Here, the “explosion” phase of the domestic violence cycle unfolds. To save himself as the “perverse lot” of men refuse to accept the host’s gratification offer of his own virgin daughter and the Levite’s concubine, the Levite “seized” the property he traveled to collect and threw her out for the men of the city to physically and sexually assault.
After all, if she hadn’t left, they wouldn’t be in this mess.
We know the rest of the story. Abuse, death, dismemberment. When a victim tries to leave, an abuser often increases his/her level of violence or, in the case of the Levite, offers it up for someone else to finish.
While the story of the Levite concubine is largely considered the most violent of violent scriptures against women, it certainly isn’t the only biblical text to include abuse. Hagar was forced to have sex with Abraham. Dinah was raped (by a man who “spoke tenderly to her”). Jephthah’s daughter, another woman named only in relation to her male counterpart, was sacrificed by her own father. Ephesian wives were instructed to be subject to their husbands. There are others.
And while some of these stories appear in the lectionary and are thus spoken out loud, the unheard cry of many biblical victims of abuse never do.
It isn’t an easy or hopeful subject to bring to a Sunday morning service, but it is real and present in every congregation. Statistics tells us that 1 in 5 women and 1 in 7 men have been or will be victims of severe intimate partner violence in their lifetimes. Reality tells us that many more experience psychological, economic, or sexual violence by a partner or family member.
In every congregation, there are men and women currently surviving domestic violence. There are men and women who are working through the healing process of having survived domestic violence or having lost a family member, friend, or coworker to its brutality. There are men and women who are waiting to feel safe disclosing their truth. There are men and women waiting for the scriptures they have lived to be acknowledged and cared for by their communities of faith.
The best thing to offer a victim is belief. The same is true for the unheard cries of biblical victims of domestic abuse. Believe them. Hold their grief. Tell their stories. Skipping over those texts because they are uncomfortable neglects both the human story of sacred scriptures and the human story of the congregation. The bible can be both holy and violent. That makes it all the more relatable.
A congregation that faces the uncomfortable texts is one that is ready to genuinely serve victims of domestic violence. By admitting the harm done in scripture and the greater harm done in failing to acknowledge that harm for fear of exposing fallibility, the faithful have begun to open space for victims to share their truth or at least have it recognized, even if never shared. To hear a congregation say, “We hear you, we believe you, and we support you,” could prove a turning point for one victim to feel known.
Belief can save a life.
Every year, October is adorned with both Halloween decorations and purple ribbons, the latter for Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Perhaps the Levite concubine wore purple on the last night of her life, in bruises.
For more information on ways to engage faith communities in the work of ending domestic violence, visit FaithTrust Institute.
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Guns and Jesus
by James C. HowellBigstock/jirkaejc
When the NRA convention was in Charlotte in 2000, I had an op-ed in The Charlotte Observer that asked “Would Jesus join the NRA?” I did not answer the question — but as you can imagine, I got hammered with intense criticism; threats were made on my family and on me. For Christians, I still contend, it’s a pretty important question. How do we think theologically about guns? What are God’s feelings about guns?
Guns loom large in politics in America, with an intensity of feeling rivaling that of questions of who should be able to marry. There’s something beyond rationality for most in this discussion, which means it isn't really a discussion at all. We shout past one another, or mutter as we turn away from one another. As we’ve seen earlier in our series, most of the talk is about “rights,” which isn’t a biblical category at all, and only adds to the shrillness in the political arena.
I cannot begin to prescribe what would be the right legislation or party or candidate on this thorny issue. But there are a couple of questions I do know the answer to. One is “What would Jesus do if he were watching TV, and people started shooting at other people?” Jesus would shudder, and then turn off the TV. To me, it is entirely clear that a reason we have so many shootings, and so much violence, is because we absorb so much of it over a lifetime. Seeing shooting doesn’t make me shoot someone, but when shooting is normalized over the general population, we need not be surprised when someone on the edge loses it and starts firing, and no one knows how to settle a conflict except by force.
The second is this: Would Jesus shoot someone? I would say No. If I’m right, this doesn’t settle what public policy should be on guns, as security in a fallen world seems to require the certain even if regrettable deployment of weapons. But the Christian is rightly moved and humbled by Jesus’ determination to love his enemies, to turn the other cheek, which wasn’t just talk for him but reality. When he was being arrested, he didn’t fight back; and when his disciples drew weapons to defend him, he said “Put away your swords.”
Mind you, Jesus was and is our savior, which involved his suffering; we can’t be saviors. But can there be a holy, humble way of talking about gun rights? It was here in Charlotte that Charlton Heston reinvigorated that stern slogan, “I’ll give you my gun when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.” What got pried from Jesus’ cold, dead hands were nails, driven through the hands that healed and touched the people everybody else was afraid of. Could we at least learn to talk peaceably, and listen charitably on this subject — and to do so in a Christlike manner?
One of the loveliest men I’ve ever known gave me a gun and took me hunting when I was a young pastor. He was humble, careful and respectful of guns and people, and wanted no part of adamant, shrill campaigns for guns. He favored rational changes in gun legislation, and never fretted for one moment any politician would take his hunting rifles away from him.
I wonder what Jesus might say about compromise on gun issues. Interestingly, I have a friend who says No compromise ever on guns. But then, he is a pro-life advocate who is upset that America is the lone nation with abortion on demand, and we can’t seem to garner support for compromise legislation to limit certain kinds of abortions. We complain about gridlock in Washington, but then we have our own as people. Could it be God would be pleased by a bit of give and take on gun laws, and on abortion laws, and on the rest of what politicians and people try to resolve, so we might save a few more lives, and find ways to work together for a safer world?
Read Rev. Howell's previous 'Tis the Season articles covering the 2016 election here. This article originally appeared on the author's blog. Reprinted with permission.
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On Haiti and getting nothing accomplished
by Sarah HowellCollapsed roof in Haiti. Bigstock/arindambanerjee
“What can you get accomplished in two days?”
That question was posed to me by a church member the night before I left for Port-au-Prince, Haiti* with a team for a 5-day mission trip that would include 2 workdays. It was a valid question that deserved an honest answer. And that answer was —
“Nothing.”
You can’t explain Port-au-Prince to anyone who has never been. You can show pictures and tell stories, but you can’t explain the heat, the trash, the smell. In a place with such profound need, what good was it for 14 Americans with no particularly useful expertise to fly down and spend 2 days working on a project?
It was no good, of course. We couldn’t have made a dent in Haiti’s problems in 2 weeks, 2 months, or 2 years, much less 2 days. We send a medical team in February that literally saves lives for a week in Haiti Outreach Ministries‘ clinic, making a real difference — but then they go home.
I have wrestled with the validity of taking short-term mission trips.** It is so easy for well-meaning (white) people to do more harm than good, to go do something that makes them feel good about themselves while creating more work for people who are already stretched thin in terms of time, energy, and resources.
It took me 2 trips to Haiti to release some of the discomfort I felt about our endeavor. I still get squirmy when the focus shifts to getting things accomplished — as if we have superior knowledge or skills or work ethic, something to offer these poor Haitians who so desperately needed a great white savior. No, thank you. I tell our teams over and over that although we do go to work, our primary role is to listen, to bear witness, and to share and receive God’s love and grace.We did actually get some work done — we poured two concrete slabs that formed the foundation of a basketball court at the school in Cité Soleil, the poorest part of Port-au-Prince. It was the hardest physical labor I’ve done in my now 3 trips to Haiti — previously we had mostly painted, and once I helped roof a concrete home with corrugated cardboard. I got the distinct sense that the Haitian workers there didn’t really need us — they were just letting us help them — but I hope we made the work lighter and quicker, or at least didn’t slow them down.
But if all we “accomplished” was pouring two slabs of concrete, was it really worth the travel, the time, the demands placed on our hosts to accommodate us? Well, no. But the work is never my primary focus on these mission trips. The relationships are.
When we started traveling to Port-au-Prince, we intentionally partnered with Haiti Outreach Ministries (HOM) and committed to walking alongside them. We were aware of the pitfalls of short-term mission trips and wanted to do our best to mitigate those factors. We didn’t primarily want to “make a difference”—we wanted to build relationships, to learn and grow with people we could come to know deeply over time. We understood that our perception of what the needs are might not be accurate, and the only way we could find out real needs was to commit to listening and loving over time.
The scales of discomfort tipped for me on last year’s trip in a conversation with Nadege Gay, the completely awesome daughter of Leon and Jacky Dorleans, who founded HOM. We asked Nadege what the Haitian people thought of all us white folk coming to Port-au-Prince for a weekend. She told us that Haitians have some sense that Americans come from relative wealth, that our lives are comfortable and privileged in ways theirs are not.
I would expect that knowledge to lead to resentment, but what Nadege told us was that for us to leave the comfort of our homes to be with the people of Haiti, even for a few days — that told them that they mattered. Over and over again, our hosts and translators told us how much it meant that we would leave our country to come spend time with them, to work with them, to support their ongoing labor for the future of their nation, their communities, and their children. The love and gratitude was and is overwhelming and humbling.
So what did we get accomplished? We affirmed the humanity and inherent worth of our brothers and sisters in Haiti — and reminded ourselves of our own. We said with our presence and actions that everyone matters, that everyone is a child of God, that we are all connected and need each other. And we had that said to us by our abundantly generous hosts, by friends we have made and look forward to seeing again.
Our youth minister, who came on this trip with her 16-year-old son, had another important insight: sure, our team of 14 didn’t get much done in 2 days. But it’s not all about us. We are just one small puzzle piece in a vast network of people who care and come from all over to participate in HOM’s ministry. Our two concrete slabs aren’t much — but they built on the work of teams who came before and will be built on by teams coming after.
Every year I go back, I see visible, meaningful progress. The first year, they showed us a newly purchased piece of land where a high school was to be built. In 2014, there was a foundation with rebar sticking up out of it. In 2015, there was a beautiful new building filled with eagerly learning 7th graders. This year, there were 8th graders, a new library, and the foundation of a second building. This is what it means to be in it for the long haul, to see our paltry offering as part of a bigger picture.
The church could stand to learn from this perspective. Too often, pastors and church leaders think it’s up to us to save the world, to get something done for Jesus, to “accomplish” something. But I think about the process of building a cathedral. Medieval cathedrals took decades and sometimes centuries to build. The original architect would almost certainly never see its completion. But that wasn’t lamented; it was taken for granted. The next generation had to be trusted to continue the work, even if that meant the design were altered and the focus shifted. It is not all up to us. In the end, it’s up to God, and we are just one chapter in a much longer, larger, more incredible story of redemption and mercy.
On day 1 in Haiti, all you can see is the poverty. But it doesn’t take long to move past that and see the incredible bravery of the people, the countless ways God is at work, the beauty and love that defies our American expectations and flattens us in humility and gratitude. It doesn’t take long to realize that what matters most is not what we get accomplished in one weekend, but what the “we” that transcends time and space can and will do when we love and care for one another over the long haul — remembering that it was never up to us anyway.
* Several people commented that we were somehow heroic for going to Haiti right after Hurricane Matthew. First off, the heroes are the Haitians who exhibit courage and community day in and day out, those who have endured Matthew and much, much worse. We are not heroes; we are merely witnesses and partners. Secondly, the hurricane did little damage in Port-au-Prince, so we were not a part of hurricane relief efforts. The only effect of Matthew that we saw was the calling card of a river that had flooded — a river that on normal days is choked with trash, so when it spilled over into the streets of Cité Soleil, it left piles of detritus whose stench I cannot describe.
** For more on why short-term mission trips can be problematic, see Robert Lupton’s Toxic Charity, for one.
This article originally appeared on the author's blog. Reprinted with permission.-------
The medium is the message: Unity, schism and the UMC
by Jonathan MarloweBigstock/Chermen
Here’s the problem with splitting up the United Methodist Church: the medium is the message.
Those who are familiar with Marshall McLuhan will recognize his famous phrase, “the medium is the message.” It means that we cannot separate a message from the medium that is used to deliver that message. Whenever we choose a medium, there will be an implicit message in it, whether we acknowledge this or not. The media that we use to communicate have embedded in them biases or messages that are all their own, regardless of what we might be trying to communicate through them.
If we choose Twitter for example, to convey our message, we have also limited what our message can be: it can only be 140 characters. Therefore, the message cannot be of much deep substance if it is only 140 characters. If we use Twitter for a medium, we have automatically chosen as our audience those who feel comfortable navigating the world of social media. Therefore, no matter what we actually tweet, we have already sent a certain message. In some ways, the message is irrelevant; the main thing we have communicated is in the medium we have chosen. Marshal McLuhan actually said that the content of any medium has about as much importance as the stenciling on the case of an atomic bomb. Let the reader understand: I say this as someone who regularly uses social media, but I do try to recognize its limitations.
McLuhan’s insight has enormous implications for the church. For example, if we think we can celebrate the Eucharist online, we have already sent a message about our Eucharistic theology through the medium we have chosen to use. I would suggest that in choosing the medium of the internet to celebrate the Eucharist, we have sent a message of an impoverished sacramental theology that is not sufficiently incarnational or communal. I would suggest in fact that the message in this case cannot help but be gnostic and individualistic, based on the medium that has been chosen. I am aware that some will disagree with me. Some might say that the medium of the internet actually sends a message that we want to make the Eucharist more accessible and therefore more of a means of grace. I could carry on that discussion in another forum, but for now, what I want to emphasize is that whatever medium we choose, we cannot avoid the fact that the medium already carries with it a message. (We can dispute what that message is later.)
In the wake of significant disagreements over human sexuality that threaten the unity of the church, the General Conference of the United Methodist Church meeting in May of 2016 asked its bishops to form a commission on a way forward. There is much speculation about the possibility and even the probability of the United Methodist Church splitting into two or three or more denominations based on differing views of human sexuality. The purpose of this essay is not to speculate on how the commission might suggest various ways forward for the people of the United Methodist Church, but to underline the theological problems that would attend any schism in the UMC. It is not the case that we could simply divide the church according to different understandings of homosexuality and then keep proclaiming the same message with respect to everything else. It is rather the case that if we engage in a schism, we are already changing our message by embodying the very sorts of divisions that Christ came to heal.
In his essay, “A People in the World,” John Howard Yoder asserted that:
The work of God is the calling of a people, whether in the Old Covenant or the New. The church is then not simply the bearer of the message of reconciliation, in the way the newspaper or a telephone company can bear any message with which it is entrusted. Nor is the church simply the result of a message, as an alumni association is the product of a school or the crowd in the theater is the product of the reputation of the film. That men and women are called together to a new social wholeness is itself the work of God, which gives meaning to history.
In this assertion, Yoder is essentially taking McLuhan’s insight and applying it to the church. For the church, the medium is the message. It is not so much that we have a message and then we later as a separate act proclaim that message. Rather, the church is itself the message of God. I am aware that this assertion reflects a very high ecclesiology, but keep in mind that although it might sound Roman Catholic, it actually comes from an Anabaptist, so it could find a home among Methodists.Some may think that the argument over homosexuality is so cumbersome and so tedious and so distracting that we would all be better off if we would just divide the church up into two or three separate denominations. Then each one would be free to proclaim its own message unhindered. I want to suggest that it would not be that simple. To think along these lines would be to violate the warning that McLuhan and Yoder have issued.
For in dividing up the church into two or three denominations, we would not only be changing the medium of who is proclaiming the gospel, we would also be changing the message. The message of the gospel is that Jesus is Lord, and He therefore relativizes all differences among his followers. So if we split up the church we are essentially saying that we are not united, we would be embodying the very things that Christ’s death was supposed to have destroyed. We would be saying that differences over homosexuality are more determinative than our common allegiance to Jesus Christ as Lord. We would be not only changing the medium (that is the form that the church takes), but we would also be changing the very message of the gospel. The church is called not simply to proclaim a message about reconciliation, but to BE a message, God’s message of reconciliation to the world. If we change our medium by splitting the church up into two, three, or more denominations, we have already thereby sent a message to the world, and it’s not a good one.
Jesus himself came not simply to deliver a message from God, but to BE himself the very presence of God. His message was his medium, and his medium was his message. So the calling of the people called Methodists is not simply to proclaim the message of reconciliation, but to embody the message of reconciliation, and we cannot do that if our very form betrays what we are trying to proclaim. Our form and our content, our medium and our message must be consistent. This is what I have learned from McLuhan and Yoder.
I am not sure what this might mean for the work of the bishops’ Commission or for the future of the United Methodist Church. I would hope we can find a way forward without splitting up from each other and thereby reflecting the brokenness of our world. I would hope we can find a way forward that would reflect and embody the Lordship of Christ who has broken down the dividing walls and made reconciliation possible. I myself am a traditionalist when it comes to matters of human sexuality, but I can live together with those who disagree with me, if we share a common commitment to the Lordship of Christ and our Wesleyan theological heritage (which of course includes a robust commitment to the great gospel essentials of Incarnation, Resurrection, and Trinity).
For now, I want to emphasize that if we break up the UMC according to different sexuality camps, we are not only changing our medium, we are also changing (and significantly weakening) our message.
This piece originally appeared as a guest post on the blog of Allan R. Bevere. Reprinted with permission.
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This Sunday, November 6, 2016
25th Sunday after Pentecost: Haggai 1:15b–2:9; Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38-------
Lectionary Readings:
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C
Sunday, 6 November 2016
Haggai 1:15b-2:9
Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Luke 20:27-38
Scripture Text: Haggai 1:15 This was on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year of Daryavesh the king.
2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this word of Adonai came through Hagai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el, governor of Y’hudah, and to Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol, and to the rest of the people; say this to them: 3 ‘“Who among you is left that saw this house in its former glory? And how does it look to you now? It seems like nothing to you, doesn’t it? 4 Nevertheless, Z’rubavel, take courage now,” says Adonai; “and take courage, Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol; and take courage, all you people of the land,” says Adonai; “and get to work! For I am with you,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 5 “This is in keeping with the word that I promised in a covenant with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit remains with you, so don’t be afraid!” 6 For this is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: “It won’t be long before one more time I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasures of all the nations will flow in; and I will fill this house with glory,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 8 “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 9 “The glory of this new house will surpass that of the old,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “and in this place I will grant shalom,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.’”
Psalm 145:(0) Praise. By David:
(1) I will praise you to the heights, my God, the king;
I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is Adonai and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is beyond all searching out.
4 Each generation will praise your works to the next
and proclaim your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor
of your majesty and on the story of your wonders.
17 Adonai is righteous in all his ways,
full of grace in all he does.
18 Adonai is close to all who call on him,
to all who sincerely call on him.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 Adonai protects all who love him,
but all the wicked he destroys.
21 My mouth will proclaim the praise of Adonai;
all people will bless his holy name forever and ever.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 But in connection with the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and our gathering together to meet him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be easily shaken in your thinking or anxious because of a spirit or a spoken message or a letter supposedly from us claiming that the Day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.
For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom. 4 He will oppose himself to everything that people call a god or make an object of worship; he will put himself above them all, so that he will sit in the Temple of God and proclaim that he himself is God.[2 Thessalonians 2:4 Ezekiel 28:2]
5 Don’t you remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?
13 But we have to keep thanking God for you always, brothers whom the Lord loves, because God chose you as firstfruits for deliverance by giving you the holiness that has its origin in the Spirit and the faithfulness that has its origin in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our Good News, so that you could have the glory of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm; and hold to the traditions you were taught by us, whether we spoke them or wrote them in a letter. 16 And may our Lord Yeshua the Messiah himself and God our Father, who has loved us and by his grace given us eternal comfort and a good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.
Luke 20:27 Some Tz’dukim, who say there is no resurrection, came to Yeshua 28 and put to him a sh’eilah: “Rabbi, Moshe wrote for us that if a man dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife and have children to preserve the man’s family line.[Luke 20:28 Deuteronomy 25:5] 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless, 30 then the second 31 and third took her, and likewise all seven, but they all died without leaving children. 32 Lastly, the woman also died. 33 In the Resurrection, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
34 Yeshua said to them, “In this age, men and women marry; 35 but those judged worthy of the age to come, and of resurrection from the dead, do not get married, 36 because they can no longer die. Being children of the Resurrection, they are like angels; indeed, they are children of God.
37 “But even Moshe showed that the dead are raised; for in the passage about the bush, he calls Adonai ‘the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov.’[Luke 20:37 Exodus 3:6] 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living — to him all are alive.”
The John Wesley's Notes-Commentary: Haggai 1:15b-2:9
Verse 3
[3] Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
That saw — Near fourscore years ago.
This house — The temple built by Solomon.
Verse 5
[5] According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
My spirit — Of strength and courage, of wisdom and understanding.
Verse 6
[6] For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Yet once — After many confirmations of the new covenant, one more, remains to be made.
A little while — Tho' above five hundred years, yet this was but a little time compared with that between the promise to Adam and Christ's coming.
I will shake — Whether it be metaphorical or literal, it was verified at the time of Christ's coming into the world. After the return of the captivity, by the commotions among the Grecians, Persians, and Romans, which began soon after this time; this was metaphorically fulfilled. And it was literally fulfilled by prodigies and earthquakes, at the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Verse 7
[7] And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
All nations — Which was literally fulfilled in the overthrow of the Persian monarchy by the Grecians, in the civil wars, and succeeding troubles among Alexander's successors, the growth of the Roman power by subduing their neighbours, and their dissentions and home-bred wars.
The desire — Christ the most desirable, to all nations, and who was desired by all that knew their own misery, and his sufficiency to save them who was to be the light of the Gentiles, as well as the glory of his people Israel.
With glory — The first temple had a glory in its magnificent structure, rich ornaments, and costly sacrifices; but this was a worldly glory; that which is here promised, is a heavenly glory from the presence of Christ in it. He that was the brightness of his father's glory, who is the glory of the church, appeared in this second temple.
Verse 8
[8] The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
The silver — The treasures of both: doubt not therefore but I will give enough to build this house.
Verse 9
[9] The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
In this place — In my house, a type of Christ.
Peace — A spiritual, internal, and heavenly peace.
Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21
Verse 18
[18] The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Nigh — To answer their prayers.
In truth — With an upright heart.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Verse 1
[1] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
Our gathering together to him — In the clouds.
Verse 2
[2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Be not shaken in mind — In judgment.
Or terrified — As those easily are who are immoderately fond of knowing future things. Neither by any pretended revelation from the Spirit, nor by pretence of any word spoken by me.
Verse 3
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Unless the falling away — From the pure faith of the gospel, come first. This began even in the apostolic age. But the man of sin, the son of perdition - Eminently so called, is not come yet. However, in many respects, the Pope has an indisputable claim to those titles. He is, in an emphatical sense, the man of sin, as he increases all manner of sin above measure. And he is, too, properly styled, the son of perdition, as he has caused the death of numberless multitudes, both of his opposers and followers, destroyed innumerable souls, and will himself perish everlastingly. He it is that opposeth himself to the emperor, once his rightful sovereign; and that exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped - Commanding angels, and putting kings under his feet, both of whom are called gods in scripture; claiming the highest power, the highest honour; suffering himself, not once only, to be styled God or vice-god. Indeed no less is implied in his ordinary title, "Most Holy Lord," or, "Most Holy Father." So that he sitteth - Enthroned.
In the temple of God — Mentioned Revelation 11:1.
Declaring himself that he is God — Claiming the prerogatives which belong to God alone.
Verse 13
[13] But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
God hath from the beginning — Of your hearing the gospel.
Chosen you to salvation — Taken you out of the world, and placed you in the way to glory.
Verse 14
[14] Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To which — Faith and holiness.
He hath called you by our gospel — That which we preached, accompanied with the power of his Spirit.
Verse 15
[15] Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
Hold — Without adding to, or diminishing from, the traditions which ye have been taught - The truths which I have delivered to you.
Whether by word or by our epistle — He preached before he wrote. And he had written concerning this in his former epistle.
Luke 20:27-38
Verse 27
[27] Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18.
Verse 28
[28] Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
Deuteronomy 25:5.
Verse 34
[34] And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
The children of this world — The inhabitants of earth, marry and are given in marriage - As being all subject to the law of mortality; so that the species is in need of being continually repaired.
Verse 35
[35] But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
But they who obtain that world — Which they enter into, before the resurrection of the dead.
Verse 36
[36] Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
They are the children of God — In a more eminent sense when they rise again.
Verse 37
[37] Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
That the dead are raised, even Moses, as well as the other prophets showed, when he calleth - That is, when he recites the words which God spoke of himself, I am the God of Abraham, etc. It cannot properly be said, that God is the God of any who are totally perished. Exodus 3:6.
Verse 38
[38] For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
He is not a God of the dead, or, there is no God of the dead - That is, tho term God implies such a relation, as cannot possibly subsist between him and the dead; who in the Sadducees' sense are extinguished spirits; who could neither worship him, nor receive good from him.
So that all live to him — All who have him for their God, live to and enjoy him. This sentence is not an argument for what went before; but the proposition which was to be proved. And the consequence is apparently just. For as all the faithful are the children of Abraham, and the Divine promise of being a God to him and his seed is entailed upon them, it implies their continued existence and happiness in a future state as much as Abraham's. And as the body is an essential part of man, it implies both his resurrection and theirs; and so overthrows the entire scheme of the Sadducean doctrine.
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The Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004, United States
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(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, Year C
Sunday, 6 November 2016
Haggai 1:15b-2:9
Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Luke 20:27-38
Scripture Text: Haggai 1:15 This was on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month of the second year of Daryavesh the king.
2:1 On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, this word of Adonai came through Hagai the prophet: 2 “Speak now to Z’rubavel the son of Sh’alti’el, governor of Y’hudah, and to Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol, and to the rest of the people; say this to them: 3 ‘“Who among you is left that saw this house in its former glory? And how does it look to you now? It seems like nothing to you, doesn’t it? 4 Nevertheless, Z’rubavel, take courage now,” says Adonai; “and take courage, Y’hoshua the son of Y’hotzadak, the cohen hagadol; and take courage, all you people of the land,” says Adonai; “and get to work! For I am with you,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 5 “This is in keeping with the word that I promised in a covenant with you when you came out of Egypt, and my Spirit remains with you, so don’t be afraid!” 6 For this is what Adonai-Tzva’ot says: “It won’t be long before one more time I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasures of all the nations will flow in; and I will fill this house with glory,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 8 “The silver is mine, and the gold is mine,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot. 9 “The glory of this new house will surpass that of the old,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot, “and in this place I will grant shalom,” says Adonai-Tzva’ot.’”
Psalm 145:(0) Praise. By David:
(1) I will praise you to the heights, my God, the king;
I will bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you;
I will praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is Adonai and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is beyond all searching out.
4 Each generation will praise your works to the next
and proclaim your mighty acts.
5 I will meditate on the glorious splendor
of your majesty and on the story of your wonders.
17 Adonai is righteous in all his ways,
full of grace in all he does.
18 Adonai is close to all who call on him,
to all who sincerely call on him.
19 He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20 Adonai protects all who love him,
but all the wicked he destroys.
21 My mouth will proclaim the praise of Adonai;
all people will bless his holy name forever and ever.
2 Thessalonians 2:1 But in connection with the coming of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah and our gathering together to meet him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be easily shaken in your thinking or anxious because of a spirit or a spoken message or a letter supposedly from us claiming that the Day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way.
For the Day will not come until after the Apostasy has come and the man who separates himself from Torah has been revealed, the one destined for doom. 4 He will oppose himself to everything that people call a god or make an object of worship; he will put himself above them all, so that he will sit in the Temple of God and proclaim that he himself is God.[2 Thessalonians 2:4 Ezekiel 28:2]
5 Don’t you remember that when I was still with you, I used to tell you these things?
13 But we have to keep thanking God for you always, brothers whom the Lord loves, because God chose you as firstfruits for deliverance by giving you the holiness that has its origin in the Spirit and the faithfulness that has its origin in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our Good News, so that you could have the glory of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
15 Therefore, brothers, stand firm; and hold to the traditions you were taught by us, whether we spoke them or wrote them in a letter. 16 And may our Lord Yeshua the Messiah himself and God our Father, who has loved us and by his grace given us eternal comfort and a good hope, 17 comfort your hearts and strengthen you in every good word and deed.
Luke 20:27 Some Tz’dukim, who say there is no resurrection, came to Yeshua 28 and put to him a sh’eilah: “Rabbi, Moshe wrote for us that if a man dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife and have children to preserve the man’s family line.[Luke 20:28 Deuteronomy 25:5] 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless, 30 then the second 31 and third took her, and likewise all seven, but they all died without leaving children. 32 Lastly, the woman also died. 33 In the Resurrection, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
34 Yeshua said to them, “In this age, men and women marry; 35 but those judged worthy of the age to come, and of resurrection from the dead, do not get married, 36 because they can no longer die. Being children of the Resurrection, they are like angels; indeed, they are children of God.
37 “But even Moshe showed that the dead are raised; for in the passage about the bush, he calls Adonai ‘the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov.’[Luke 20:37 Exodus 3:6] 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living — to him all are alive.”
The John Wesley's Notes-Commentary: Haggai 1:15b-2:9
Verse 3
[3] Who is left among you that saw this house in her first glory? and how do ye see it now? is it not in your eyes in comparison of it as nothing?
That saw — Near fourscore years ago.
This house — The temple built by Solomon.
Verse 5
[5] According to the word that I covenanted with you when ye came out of Egypt, so my spirit remaineth among you: fear ye not.
My spirit — Of strength and courage, of wisdom and understanding.
Verse 6
[6] For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;
Yet once — After many confirmations of the new covenant, one more, remains to be made.
A little while — Tho' above five hundred years, yet this was but a little time compared with that between the promise to Adam and Christ's coming.
I will shake — Whether it be metaphorical or literal, it was verified at the time of Christ's coming into the world. After the return of the captivity, by the commotions among the Grecians, Persians, and Romans, which began soon after this time; this was metaphorically fulfilled. And it was literally fulfilled by prodigies and earthquakes, at the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ.
Verse 7
[7] And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.
All nations — Which was literally fulfilled in the overthrow of the Persian monarchy by the Grecians, in the civil wars, and succeeding troubles among Alexander's successors, the growth of the Roman power by subduing their neighbours, and their dissentions and home-bred wars.
The desire — Christ the most desirable, to all nations, and who was desired by all that knew their own misery, and his sufficiency to save them who was to be the light of the Gentiles, as well as the glory of his people Israel.
With glory — The first temple had a glory in its magnificent structure, rich ornaments, and costly sacrifices; but this was a worldly glory; that which is here promised, is a heavenly glory from the presence of Christ in it. He that was the brightness of his father's glory, who is the glory of the church, appeared in this second temple.
Verse 8
[8] The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the LORD of hosts.
The silver — The treasures of both: doubt not therefore but I will give enough to build this house.
Verse 9
[9] The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the LORD of hosts.
In this place — In my house, a type of Christ.
Peace — A spiritual, internal, and heavenly peace.
Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21
Verse 18
[18] The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.
Nigh — To answer their prayers.
In truth — With an upright heart.
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Verse 1
[1] Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
Our gathering together to him — In the clouds.
Verse 2
[2] That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
Be not shaken in mind — In judgment.
Or terrified — As those easily are who are immoderately fond of knowing future things. Neither by any pretended revelation from the Spirit, nor by pretence of any word spoken by me.
Verse 3
[3] Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
Unless the falling away — From the pure faith of the gospel, come first. This began even in the apostolic age. But the man of sin, the son of perdition - Eminently so called, is not come yet. However, in many respects, the Pope has an indisputable claim to those titles. He is, in an emphatical sense, the man of sin, as he increases all manner of sin above measure. And he is, too, properly styled, the son of perdition, as he has caused the death of numberless multitudes, both of his opposers and followers, destroyed innumerable souls, and will himself perish everlastingly. He it is that opposeth himself to the emperor, once his rightful sovereign; and that exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped - Commanding angels, and putting kings under his feet, both of whom are called gods in scripture; claiming the highest power, the highest honour; suffering himself, not once only, to be styled God or vice-god. Indeed no less is implied in his ordinary title, "Most Holy Lord," or, "Most Holy Father." So that he sitteth - Enthroned.
In the temple of God — Mentioned Revelation 11:1.
Declaring himself that he is God — Claiming the prerogatives which belong to God alone.
Verse 13
[13] But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
God hath from the beginning — Of your hearing the gospel.
Chosen you to salvation — Taken you out of the world, and placed you in the way to glory.
Verse 14
[14] Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
To which — Faith and holiness.
He hath called you by our gospel — That which we preached, accompanied with the power of his Spirit.
Verse 15
[15] Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
Hold — Without adding to, or diminishing from, the traditions which ye have been taught - The truths which I have delivered to you.
Whether by word or by our epistle — He preached before he wrote. And he had written concerning this in his former epistle.
Luke 20:27-38
Verse 27
[27] Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
Matthew 22:23; Mark 12:18.
Verse 28
[28] Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
Deuteronomy 25:5.
Verse 34
[34] And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
The children of this world — The inhabitants of earth, marry and are given in marriage - As being all subject to the law of mortality; so that the species is in need of being continually repaired.
Verse 35
[35] But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
But they who obtain that world — Which they enter into, before the resurrection of the dead.
Verse 36
[36] Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
They are the children of God — In a more eminent sense when they rise again.
Verse 37
[37] Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
That the dead are raised, even Moses, as well as the other prophets showed, when he calleth - That is, when he recites the words which God spoke of himself, I am the God of Abraham, etc. It cannot properly be said, that God is the God of any who are totally perished. Exodus 3:6.
Verse 38
[38] For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
He is not a God of the dead, or, there is no God of the dead - That is, tho term God implies such a relation, as cannot possibly subsist between him and the dead; who in the Sadducees' sense are extinguished spirits; who could neither worship him, nor receive good from him.
So that all live to him — All who have him for their God, live to and enjoy him. This sentence is not an argument for what went before; but the proposition which was to be proved. And the consequence is apparently just. For as all the faithful are the children of Abraham, and the Divine promise of being a God to him and his seed is entailed upon them, it implies their continued existence and happiness in a future state as much as Abraham's. And as the body is an essential part of man, it implies both his resurrection and theirs; and so overthrows the entire scheme of the Sadducean doctrine.
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The Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004, United States
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DON'T BE FOOLED by Philip Wise2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Have you ever been fooled? I have, but I don’t like to admit it. I’ve been fooled by my friends. I’ve been fooled by some curve balls when I was playing baseball. I’ve been fooled by some con artists who worked on my automobiles. My hunch is that you have been fooled in various ways too. However, we don’t like to acknowledge our gullibility. That’s why it should be easy for us to understand Paul’s difficulty. He’s trying in this Epistle to explain to the Thessalonians that they have been fooled.
The Thessalonians have been fooled by some teachers who claim to have come from Paul. Their message has upset the church. These teachers have said that the “day of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 2:2) has already come. This was frightening to the Thessalonians because they feared that they had been “left behind.” Paul’s word is simple, “Let no one deceive you” (v. 3).
Every pastor can identify with Paul’s dilemma. How do you convince Christians that something they’ve been told by another pastor or teacher is wrong? How do you convince them that what you are teaching is right? Paul appeals to two things: his own personal integrity and the consistency of his teaching. Paul reminds the church of the time when he was with them and of the things he taught them at that time. The teacher’s message is always identified with the teacher’s integrity and consistency.
Paul’s excursion into eschatology is mystifying to many modern readers. His talk about “the lawless one” (v. 3) is at least as frightening as what the Thessalonians had been taught by those teachers with whom Paul disagrees. What are we to make of this discussion? Paul is trying to comfort the Thessalonians. He does it with the assurance that Christ will prevail. We may not understand biblical eschatology, but we can understand this simple affirmation: God will win.
Our best defense is to cling to the truth of the gospel—“in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself ” (2 Corinthians 5:19). Paul calls the Thessalonians back to that fundamental teaching. This seems like a good model for pastors and teachers who are bewildered by challenging issues in our own day. “I don’t have all the answers, but this one thing I know . . .”
In the second part of our text, Paul expresses thanks for the goodness of the Thessalonians. We appreciate goodness in comparison to wickedness. Here, Paul is comparing the Thessalonians to the lawless one and his followers. Paul is thankful that God has chosen them because they have demonstrated the wisdom of this choice by the fruit of their lives. They have believed the truth of the gospel, and as a result they have been made holy by the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. There is a connection between right beliefs and right living. Their goodness follows out of their belief in the good news Paul has preached to them.
It seems to be Paul’s modus operandi to always be clarifying the way of salvation. He wants the Thessalonians to know that salvation comes as a gift from God. It must be received by the individual, but the individual does not receive this gift as a reward for good behavior. Good behavior flows out of receiving the gift. Sanctification flows out of trust in Christ as the Holy Spirit does the work of transforming us into Christ’s image. The purpose of this process is so that we may share in Christ’s glory in eternity. This is Paul’s reminder to the Thessalonians that they have not “missed the boat.” They are still moving toward the goal of glorification.
How should the Thessalonians respond to Paul’s description of the salvation process? He contends that they should respond by refusing to accept any new ideas that are contrary to what he has taught them. They are to continue in the “traditions” that they were taught by Paul both in person and by correspondence. This is a reinforcement of the idea that Paul’s letters and other apostolic writings were to be regarded as authoritative by these believers and, for that matter, by us.
Paul concludes with a prayer. It’s instructive to notice how Paul prays for these first-century Christians. He entrusts them into God’s hands. Though he encourages them to “hold fast” (v. 15), he recognizes that they cannot do that in their own strength—they need God’s help. The same God who called them and loves them has the power to comfort and strengthen them. These Christians who had been losing hope have reason to be encouraged. Just as God gives us eternal comfort and hope, God can empower us to do the work that lies before us today.
The message in this passage is one that resonates with the challenges of today’s world. When many contend that we live in a post-Christian world and that belief in God is an absurdity, Christians need encouragement. Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians is a reminder that God has not forgotten us. We have not been left to our own devices. To the contrary, God’s plan and purpose for the world are still on track. God is still using ordinary Christians to do his will in the world.
This message is also pertinent in today’s Christian community where aberrant beliefs and confusion abound. How do we decide who’s right? Paul reminds us to hold fast to the orthodox teachings of the faith—especially the teachings about salvation.… read more
WORSHIP CONNECTION: NOVEMBER 6, 2016 by Nancy C. Townley25th Sunday After Pentecost
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Haggai 1:15b–2:9; Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1:
L: Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised!
P: Each day God brings to us new opportunities to learn and grow.
L: God is near to all of us.
P: We will not fear to call upon the Lord.
L: Come, let us praise God who walks with us daily.
P: Let us open our hearts and spirits to God who loves and lives with us. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2:
L: Welcome this day to a celebration of hope and abundance.
P: We have come from a busy week in which we have been pulled this way and that, with demands on our lives, our time, our energy.
L: Come and rest in the Lord who heals and restores you.
P: We need this restoration in all of our lives.
L: Pour out your needs to the Lord who will always hear and respond.
P: Lord, we praise you and seek your calming spirit in our lives. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3:
[Using THE UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL, p. 393, “Spirit of the Living God,” offer this call to worship as directed.]
Soloist: singing “Spirit of the Living God” through one time
L: There are times when our lives feel empty.
P: We pose questions to the Lord, questions of frustration and hopelessness.
L: Yet, God is patient and listens to our cries.
P: God is faithful to us and will help us to overcome our fears.
L: Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on each one of us.
P: Heal our spirits. Change our lives into joyful service to you.
All: Singing “Spirit of the Living God”
Call to Worship #4:
L: Even though we don’t always feel it, God is with us.
P: The darkness and doubt of the world can threaten to consume us.
L: Yet God is with us.
P: All around us there is fear and hopelessness.
L: God brings to us hope and peace. We place our trust in God’s abundant love.
P: Let us freely and without fear open our hearts to God’s healing words of hope. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY/READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
Redeeming God, come and heal our lives this day. Open our hearts to receive your words of hope and joy that we may become faithful servants of yours in this world which you have loaned to us. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Prayer of Confession
Faithful God, we come before you with many issues on our hearts. We get frustrated and angry at the way things are going in the world. We want your immediate intervention; and when we don’t see things happening the way we think they should be, we are quick to dismiss you and any thought of your presence. Help us stop our selfishness and our quick anger. Remind us that you will work with us and through us for peace and hope. Release us from the traps of quick tests of your faithfulness and help us see the “big picture” of your awesome love that spans all of time. Forgive us for our pettiness and our stubbornness. Bring us back to you, O Lord. Help us shout your praises and live lives of joyful service. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Even though we get frustrated and angry, God still loves us and seeks to heal us. Open your hearts to receive God’s blessings and to feel God’s healing power in your lives. AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
Lord, we are people who want instant answers to all our questions. We want to know how everything is going to work out throughout all of our lives. So we pose questions in which we do not necessarily seek answers but rather entrap you into giving us what we want. Help us understand the broader picture--the scope of your faithfulness and love for us. Remind us of all the times when you have lifted us and brought us to new opportunities for learning and growing. Let us place our trust in you totally, without reservation, for you are indeed faithful and just. As we have brought our prayers before you for our loved ones and for situations in the world in which pain and anger dominate, let us place our trust in your response and your healing love. Give us courage that our faith will be a witness to those who struggle; that our lives will bear the love you have lavished on us. For we ask these things in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Reading
[The following should be done as “Readers’ Theatre” and should be rehearsed. I would recommend that each “reader” face the congregation while giving their speech. They should remain facing the congregation through the speech of the “voice” that follows their speech. The voice may be off-stage or over to the side of the congregation. It should be a strong voice, but not demanding or arrogant. Let the positive message of the voice come through with compassion. At the end of the reading, have the choir sing “Great Is the Lord," p. 2022, from THE FAITH WE SING.]
Reader 1:
I’ve been out digging in my garden. I bought all these bulbs and other plants that are supposed to be put in the ground in the fall or winter to ready for spring blooming. This is a tough and dirty job, but if I want the flowers in the spring, I have to plant the bulbs now. While I was planting and digging up the soil, I came across some bulbs already in the soil, clustered together, bunched up. I don’t even remember what they were, but here they were and they needed to be thinned out and replanted for better growth. They didn’t look too bad, so I planted them. Then my job was finished. All the plants and bulbs were in. Now I have to wait and hope for the best.
Voice:
Wait on the Lord who has planted goodness and love within you. Trust in all God’s gifts, even though you may think that they are hidden and buried deep within. For they will bloom and give joy to all.
Reader 2:
I have been so frustrated with my life. It seems that everything I try to do doesn’t work out. I struggle and fail to make the goal I have set for myself. I have let people down and just don’t know if I have any energy in me to continue. I don’t know what to do. All around me there is emptiness and fear. Darkness floods in from everywhere, from all the news on television and in the newpapers, from the actions of others who want everything for themselves and don’t seem to care about anyone else. I give up. I just don’t know what to do anymore.
Voice:
Quiet your spirit. Do not fear, for God is truly with you. In your doubting, there is faith and a prayer for God’s intervention. Place your trust in God’s love and rest in the knowledge that God is just. Wait on the Lord, for God will surely pour God’s blessing into your life.
Reader 3:
I believe in God. Truly I do. I come to church and hear the great words of faith and the stories about all those people whose lives God has touched and changed. Thankfully my life is just fine. I am doing well. Everything is going well for me and for my loved ones. The skies are sunny in my world. Yes, of course I know about the strife and hunger in the world, but that is somewhere else, not on my doorstep. I have done well in taking care of my own. Truly I am blessed by God.
Voice:
In the midst of your rejoicing, may you find your heart tuned to God’s love for all God’s creation. May you find that you have been given gifts for helping others, for alleviating the pain and hunger around you. Open your eyes to God’s calling. Your blessings are to be used for healing and not to be kept for your own enjoyment. Step out of your shell into the true light of God’s love, which is service to others in need. That is truly what God’s blessings are about--serving, healing, hope, restoration for all God’s people.
Choir singing “Great Is the Lord,” p. 2022, THE FAITH WE SING
Benediction
May the love of God, abundant through Jesus Christ, and freely given to us, be with you all your lives. Go in peace to serve God in all that you do. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional color for this Sunday is Green.
Note: Today’s scriptures do not lend themselves easily to artistic interpretation. You have to dig deeply to visualize ways to enhance the scripture. The theme is hope beyond what we can see presently. My approach this day is to use a single flower, not a rose or some other elegant bloom, but a carnation, daisy, or local flower. The focus for the setting is new life and hope springing from desolation and fear.
SURFACE:
Place several risers on the worship center and in front of the worship center; they should be staggered. The taller riser should be placed at the left back portion on the worship center. It is on this riser that you will place a simple cross.
FABRIC:
Cover the entire worship center in burlap or some other earth tone rough fabric. The fabric should spill onto the floor in front of the worship center. Do not let the fabric hang in neat folds, it should look wrinkled and rough.
CANDLES:
On the upper right hand side of the worship center, place a cluster of white candles of various heights--my preference would be to use pillar candles in a grouping of three or five candles.
FLOWERS/FOLIAGE:
Only the single flower will be used in this setting. This flower should be placed in a container that will not be seen but can be hidden behind rocks and wood.
ROCKS/WOOD:
Use rocks and wood in clusters on the risers and in front of the worship center. However, focus on the cluster of wood and rocks in the middle of the worship center, from which the “flower will spring.” The wood should be broken branches, gnarled and rough. The rocks should be rough stones of various colors. Place the stones at the base of the worship center in clusters.
OTHER:
Use a simple cross for the worship center.… read more
2 THESSALONIANS 2:1-5, 13-17
Have you ever tried to walk in gale force winds? That is what it is like to try to stand firm in our world today. There are many challenges that try to buffet us. It is difficult to keep our equilibrium. Paul brings to the attention of the Thessalonians and to our attention as well, two great concepts that can help us stand firm. Paul's discussion is in the context of concern about persecution, rampant immorality, and a coming man of lawlessness. Paul counsels them not to be overly concerned because they had a foundation in their lives that could not be destroyed. Since their battle and ours is a battle of ideas, our stability comes from remembering great ideas. We have not been thrown out into the battle with no resources.
I. Remember the Gospel You Believed (vv. 13-15)
Paul begins by reminding us that God took the initiative. God did not wait for us to choose him. He chose us. This choice is made evident through the work of the Spirit and our belief in the truth. It is the Spirit speaking through the word that we must respond to. This is the word that preachers have shared. When we respond we receive salvation from our sins and we are sanctified, that is made holy, that we might share in his glory. So there is both an earthly and heavenly benefit to receiving God's grace.
We live in a society that often devalues doctrine. This is a shame because our doctrine shapes what we are. Every doctrine has some practical application. It does matter what you believe.
It is important to remember that the word gospel means good news. Preachers may tell the truth in their sermons, but still not have a note of gospel in them. This gospel gives us stability in a turbulent world.
II. Remember the Grace You Received (vv. 16, 17)
Evidence of the grace of God is the great love the Father has given us. This loving grace gives us encouragement in our present circumstances and an enduring hope for the future. We have a confidence that both empowers us and strengthens us to excel in word and deed.
Grace is such a glorious concept that some people reject it because they feel undeserving. What a liberating moment it is when a person recognizes that grace is for the undeserving. That's why they call it grace. Just because we don't deserve it does not mean we can't enjoy it. This grace gives us stability in a turbulent world.
Do you remember the story of the little girl who bought a pair of ice skates so she could learn to skate? As she went out to try them she fell repeatedly. Her father, trying to be compassionate, said, "Do you want to stop for now?" "No," came the terse reply, "I didn't buy the skates to fall down."
We didn't become Christians to fall. We must stand firm. We can stand firm. (Michael Shannon)
A NEW TAKE ON REALITY
LUKE 20:27-38
One of the encouraging trends in our postmodern world is the new openness to faith and belief. Folks who operated from a modern rationalistic, scientific worldview who often rejected faith claims as being intellectually indefensible are now coming to the realization that such claims are not as indefensible as they had imagined. This is exciting news for those who proclaim the gospel. However much times may change and developments may warrant new openness to faith, there will always be those who rigidly cling to their preconceived notions of the way things ought to be. The Sadducees were such people.
I. The Rigidity of the Sadducees
In the Gospels, the Sadducees frequently did whatever they could to make Jesus' life miserable. I have often erroneously believed that the Sadducees were the liberals of their day because they denied a belief in the resurrection. In fact, they were the extreme conservatives of their day. Their rejection of belief in the resurrection was based on a strict interpretation of the Torah, in which resurrection is not mentioned. So when the Sadducees ask Jesus about the resurrection, they are not really interested in knowing about the resurrection or considering what Jesus has to say on the matter. Instead, they pose a riddle that is on the level of "Can God make a stone so big he cannot lift it?"
They refer to the custom of levirate marriage and concoct a scenario that could conceivably happen but would be highly unlikely. Suppose a man with six brothers gets married and then dies. The wife marries the brother who then dies. This cycle repeats itself until the wife has been married to all seven brothers. In Mark's account, Jesus tells the Sadducees that their whole premise is wrong because they do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God.
II. The Newness of Jesus
Luke's account shows Jesus using an interesting hermeneutic to answer the Sadducees' question. Jesus tells them that the purpose of marriage in this life, which is fleeting and temporal, is to propagate the race, as well as to provide companionship. In the age to come, which is eternal, there is no longer any need to propagate the race. Therefore, the question of marriage becomes moot in eternity.
What is interesting is the interpretation Jesus gives to the story of Moses at the burning bush. Jesus uses the Scripture that the Sadducees will accept as authoritative and "puts a spin" on it that they hadn't considered previously. Moses demonstrated the reality of resurrection. It was Moses who addressed God as the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." Of what value would it be to address God as the God of a bunch of dead people. God is not the God of the dead but of the living.
Jesus gave such a compelling answer that he earned his critics' grudging respect.
"Well said, teacher," they replied. And from that time on, although they were plotting his death, they didn't dare try to test him anymore.
The Sadducees show us the danger of becoming so locked into a particular way of thinking and viewing reality that we are no longer open to anything new. Certainly the truth of the Scripture does not change. But changing times open new ways of viewing that reality. The rigidity of the Sadducees caused them not only to miss out on the joy of knowing Jesus as the Christ but also brought on them the condemnation of crucifying the Lord of Glory.
In all of the changing views of reality we face, let us also be encouraged by the truth that there will be a "great, gettin' up mornin' " when we are raised to spend eternity with the One who never changes and in whom there is no shadow of turning. (Mark A. Johnson)… read more
WORSHIP FOR KIDS: NOVEMBER 6, 2016 by Carolyn C. BrownFrom a Child's Point of View
Old Testament: Haggai 1:15 b–2:9.This is a specific message for a specific time. Haggai encourages the people and their leaders to be courageous, to work hard, and not to be afraid as they rebuild the Jerusalem Temple after the Exile. Haggai promises that God will be with the people and that the Temple will be a rich and important center. It is a somewhat interesting but remote story for children, although the point of the text can be stretched to encourage children today to be courageous, work hard, and be fearless in doing God's work, whatever that may be for them.
Psalm: 145:1-5, 17-21, or 98. Both are general praise psalms. Both are meant to be experienced rather than understood, and thus children depend on dramatic upbeat presentations that communicate the psalms' moods. Because Psalm 98 includes more calls to easily identified parts of creation and to specific musical instruments, its content is more child accessible than that of the more abstract Psalm 145.
Epistle: 1 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17. Verses 1-5 deal with first-century concerns about the return of Christ that are beyond the experience and interest of today's children. An exploration of Paul's practical advice and encouragement for his Thessalonian friends in verses 13-17 offers more for these children. With help, they realize that Paul's advice fits them too. God loves them and has put them in a place where they could hear the stories about God and Jesus. In response, they are to remember the stories and obey Jesus' teachings. When they do, God will be with them and help them.
Gospel: Luke 20:27-38. This is the story of another tricky question: "Whose wife will a woman who has been married and widowed seven times be, when all eight of those people get to heaven?" Children do not need to hear about leviratic practices or the Sadducee's motives to understand this question. They will need help with Jesus' answer in verses 34-36, but once it has been explained, it is one they readily accept. No one knows what life beyond death is like. That is one of God's secrets. What we do know is that God will still be loving. Therefore, we can expect only that life will be good. That answer puts the question in a familiar class of questions for which there are no answers—only mysteries.
The Sadducee's question is, of course, also a trap question. But to recognize that and to deal with Jesus' point about the God of the living (vss. 37-38) requires in-depth knowledge about the Sadducees and their logic. Explore this with the grown-ups.
Watch Words
Most children hear lyre (e.g., praise God with the lyre) as liar.
Children usually associate resurrection with Jesus and Easter. So for clarity, speak of life after death, rather than in the resurrection.
If you speak about the Sadducees at any length, point out that they were sad, you see because they did not believe in life after death. This will not help children understand the significance of this passage; it simply helps them recognize a name they will hear again.
Let the Children Sing
"Earth and All Stars" is based on Psalm 98 and adds calls for praise to modern groups of people and situations. (If this is used as an opening hymn, precede it with a call to worship based on Psalm 98:1, 4-9.)
Sing "Lord, You Give the Great Commission," especially if you worked on learning it as a congregation earlier this fall. This hymn also follows the prophecy and Epistle theme.
Sing, "God of Grace and God of Glory," with its repeated prayer phrase, for the Jews who rebuilt Jerusalem, the Christians who endured persecution in Thessalonica, and disciples at work today. Sing "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," but only after introducing it as a song to be sung by people who work with God. Though children do not understand the big words and complicated images, they do grasp its message in the drama of the music. So provide the most stirring, majestic instrumental backup possible. (Do remember that the chorus is the basis of innumerable children's taunt songs.)
The Liturgical Child
1. If you focus on the Gospel reading, display new-life symbols and banners in the worship center. Suggest that flowering bulbs (Easter lilies, if possible) be the flowers of the day. Then refer to them during the
sermon.
2. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13-17, or the following paraphrase of the passage, as the Charge and Benediction:
Remember that God loves you. God chose you to hear the good news and to live among God's people. Do not forget what you have learned. Live by it. And may our Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Father, and the Holy Spirit give you the courage and strength to say kind words and do loving deeds today and every day. Amen.
Sermon Resources
1. The Jews struggling to rebuild Jerusalem and the Christians in Thessalonia had similar problems, which children can understand. God was busy doing big things in both situations, and the people were hanging back. The Jews were discouraged and frightened. Deep down inside, they didn't believe they or God could do the job. They were ready to give up. (Many children are just as pessimistic about their lives and worlds.) Some of the Christians, on the other hand, believed that God could do anything, but they were doing nothing to help. All they wanted to do was watch and cheer. (Many children are willing to hear about children's church activities, but are unwilling to get involved.) To both groups, and to hesitant disciples today, God says that great things are going to happen and that their help is needed.
2. Build a sermon recounting the great things God has done and describing the human work that was involved. Begin with biblical events (Haggai and the beginning of the church), but include other events from church history and from the recent history of your congregation. Conclude each story with a phrase such as, "Who did it? God did it! How did God do it? God worked through people!"
3. Devote the sermon to exploring ideas about life after death (heaven). Identify some ways we describe heaven: winged angels, harps, golden streets, an entry gate manned by Saint Peter, and so on. Invite people to flip through hymns about heaven or eternal life in the hymnal. Review key ideas and word pictures in several hymns.
Then work through the Gospel text to get to the fact that we really do not know much about what happens after we die. What we do know is that God, who loves us and cares for us on earth, will keep loving and caring for us after we die. We have God's promise and Jesus' promise about that. The cocoon that becomes a butterfly and the egg that hatches into a bird help children appreciate the change that happens to us at death.… read more
2. Read 1 Thessalonians 2:13-17, or the following paraphrase of the passage, as the Charge and Benediction:
Remember that God loves you. God chose you to hear the good news and to live among God's people. Do not forget what you have learned. Live by it. And may our Lord Jesus Christ, and God our Father, and the Holy Spirit give you the courage and strength to say kind words and do loving deeds today and every day. Amen.
Sermon Resources
1. The Jews struggling to rebuild Jerusalem and the Christians in Thessalonia had similar problems, which children can understand. God was busy doing big things in both situations, and the people were hanging back. The Jews were discouraged and frightened. Deep down inside, they didn't believe they or God could do the job. They were ready to give up. (Many children are just as pessimistic about their lives and worlds.) Some of the Christians, on the other hand, believed that God could do anything, but they were doing nothing to help. All they wanted to do was watch and cheer. (Many children are willing to hear about children's church activities, but are unwilling to get involved.) To both groups, and to hesitant disciples today, God says that great things are going to happen and that their help is needed.
2. Build a sermon recounting the great things God has done and describing the human work that was involved. Begin with biblical events (Haggai and the beginning of the church), but include other events from church history and from the recent history of your congregation. Conclude each story with a phrase such as, "Who did it? God did it! How did God do it? God worked through people!"
3. Devote the sermon to exploring ideas about life after death (heaven). Identify some ways we describe heaven: winged angels, harps, golden streets, an entry gate manned by Saint Peter, and so on. Invite people to flip through hymns about heaven or eternal life in the hymnal. Review key ideas and word pictures in several hymns.
Then work through the Gospel text to get to the fact that we really do not know much about what happens after we die. What we do know is that God, who loves us and cares for us on earth, will keep loving and caring for us after we die. We have God's promise and Jesus' promise about that. The cocoon that becomes a butterfly and the egg that hatches into a bird help children appreciate the change that happens to us at death.… read more
NOVEMBER 6, 2016 - IN THIS WORLD, BUT THE WORLD TO COME . . . by William H. Willimon
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Welcome to the new Pulpit Resource from Will Willimon. For over three decades Pulpit Resource helps preachers prepare to preach. Now in partnership with Abingdon Press, this homiletical weekly is available with fresh and timely accessibility to a new generation of preachers.No sermon is a solo production. Every preacher relies on inherited models, mentors in the preacher’s past, commentaries on biblical texts by people who have given their lives to such study, comments received from members of the congregation, last week’s news headlines, and all the other things that make a sermon communal.
No Christian does anything on their own. We live through the witness of the saints; preachers of the past inspire us and judge us. Scripture itself is a product of the community of faith. A host of now-forgotten teachers taught us how to speak. Nobody is born a preacher.
Pulpit Resource is equivalent to sitting down with a trusted clergy friend over a cup of coffee and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Whenever I’ve been asked by new preachers, “How can I develop as a preacher?” my usual response is, “Get in a group of preachers. Meet regularly. Learn how to give and how to receive help. Sort through the advice of others, and utilize helpful insights.”
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