Ministry Matters: "When belief isn't enough | Constructive criticism | Benevolent sexism | A divided UMC" in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Monday, 5 December 2016-------
When belief isn't enough by Rebekah Simon-PeterBigstock/Rony Zmiri
What’s the main reason people leave the church? It’s not politics. It’s not traditional worship. It’s not talk of money. It’s not unfriendly or overbearing people. It’s not the appearance or age of the building. It’s not generationally-imbalanced congregations. It’s not a lack of technology. Nope; none of these are the top reasons people give for why they leave the church.
A new study by the Public Religion Research Institute reveals that most religiously unaffiliated people, or “nones,” enter that category because they simply stop believing in their childhood religion. Of those folks, most drop out before the age of 30.
From the hymns and songs to the children’s message and the sermon, from the call to worship to the benediction, what we should believe and what the church believes is often emphasized in the local church. At a time when churches are desperately aware of the lack of young people, it’s hard to swallow this truth: "Nones" are 25% of the U.S. population and rising. They’re not coming to church now and they’re unlikely to come back.
That puts churches in a quandary. What do you do when belief isn’t enough to keep young people engaged? I’d like to offer some suggestions, including one from Paul and one from Jesus.
As I see it, we’ve got at least five options.
1. Don’t change a thing. Continue to focus on time-honored beliefs. After all, they surely provide a steady and constant source of comfort. They bring peace to world-weary hearts. And there are plenty of people who are buoyed by a recitation of the beliefs of the faith.
Tip: Pray for those who don’t share your beliefs, and move on.
2. Ask nones what it is they don’t believe in. No need to wonder or guess. Simply talk with nones and find out what it is they no longer believe in. They’ll be happy to share with you and probably pleased that someone cares enough to ask. I have asked several people this question, including my own father who left the church of his childhood at the age of 18. While my dad doesn’t talk faith, we have many interesting conversations about cosmology, science and ultimate meaning. It’s surprising how much we still share in common, even without the language of faith.
Tip: Be open, straightforward, and curious. Ask open-ended questions and listen without judgement. See what you can learn from the conversation.
3. Put away the baby food. In 1 Corinthians 3:2, Paul wrote that many believers were immature in their faith. They had been on a steady diet of milk and haven’t yet graduated to solid food. The famous developmental psychologist, James Fowler, suggests that wasn’t simply an ancient problem. He identifies a similar dynamic in his theory of stages of faith development. If most people leave before they are 30, maybe it’s because we in church rehearse a child-appropriate understanding of our beliefs, rather than an adult version. Fowler suggests that as we mature, we can handle ambiguity, uncertainty and lots of grey area. Not only can we, we must, or we don’t mature as human beings. Perhaps it’s time for us all to put away the baby food and move from milk to solid food. That may not bring nones back, but it will likely mature the people who are sitting in the pews.
Tip: Check out where have you focused on black and white perspectives instead of entertaining ambiguity, nuance and critical thinking. Discover where you have been unwilling to discuss new ways of looking at things or insisted: “This is the way it is.” Perhaps it isn’t.
4. Focus on behavior as much as belief. Jesus, in fact, seems to prefer this option. He’s pretty clear that calling him “Lord” isn’t enough (Matthew 7:21-23). It isn’t what you say about Jesus that makes you a disciple or ushers you into the kingdom of heaven, but if you actually do God’s will. He’s also pretty clear on what that is. Later in the same Gospel (Matthew 25:31-46) he references how one inherits the kingdom: giving the hungry food, giving the thirsty drink, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, caring for the sick and visiting the imprisoned. How do your churches do at emphasizing kingdom behavior? Do you talk about it? Do you give people ways to do this? If not, begin now. If you already do, what can you do to reorganize church activities around these kingdom behaviors even more?
Tip: Look at your bulletin and church calendar to see which organized activities and ministries take precedence in your church. Map your ministries under Belief-Building Activities and Kingdom-Building Behaviors to see where your church has invested its energy, time and resources. What can you do to channel resources to Kingdom-Building Behaviors?
5. Incorporate a third B. Beyond belief and behavior is the 3rd B of being. Does your church offer any experiences that empower people to enter and dwell in the presence of God? For some people, hymns and songs do it. For others, mission trips and service give people the experience of God. But those things don’t do it for everyone. One of the most powerful church services I attend begins with three minutes of quiet meditation each morning. No matter what else is happening. People are invited to enter the presence of the Divine. Another church I know offers prayer that directly involves people. The leader creates a structure for people to offer their own prayers to God, with prompting, on various subjects. There is enough silence and pausing for people to be able to do that. Other churches I know offer the opportunity to light a candle and say a prayer, walk a labyrinth.
Tip: Map your worship service to see what experiences of heightened being are offered. If your church only offers these options outside of worship, ask yourself: Why? Why is the direct experience of connecting with the presence of God not offered during worship? What options can you incorporate into seasonal and regular worship services.
25 percent of the potential churchgoing population isn’t satisfied with the experiences we offer. Are you? More and more churchgoers want something more. Before more folks leave your church for good, have some honest discussions at your church about what’s working, what isn’t, and what you can do about it. There’s no shame in examining your beliefs, your approach to them, or your presentation of them. That’s something communities of faith have done for generations.
Need some help? Contact me; I specialize in helping churches create a culture of renewal. I’d be happy to assist you in mapping the ministries of the church, and your worship experiences, to make sure you’re reaching all the folks God has brought to your church. Email me at rebekah@rebekahsimonpeter.com, or check out cultureofrenewal.com for further learning opportunities.
Rebekah Simon-Peter blogs at rebekahsimonpeter.com. She is the author of The Jew Named Jesus and Green Church.
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How to correctly identify constructive criticism by Ron EdmondsonBigstock/Gustavo Frazao
Constructive: Serving a useful purpose; tending to build up.
Criticism: The act of passing judgment as to the merits of anything.
Constructive criticism
You’ve heard the term. As a leader, I hear it all the time.
If you’re a leader then you’ve certainly had people offer criticism. Some even say they are just giving “constructive criticism”. Or they believe so at the time.
Most of my pastor friends have heard, “Pastor, let me give you a little constructive criticism” — (Sometimes just as they're about to deliver the weekly message.)
So what does “constructive criticism” mean?
I’m thinking we often misuse the phrase.
And it’s not just with leaders. It’s in every phase of life. I think it’s a societal issue. It’s even on social media. We think we are offering “constructive criticism” when we update our Facebook status or Tweet about our service with an airline or a restaurant or a school system, for example. Or anywhere else we feel a need to criticize for some reason. We may not label it that way, but I’m convinced it’s what we think we're doing: offering constructive criticism.
In reality, I’ve learned that the phrase "constructive criticism" is sometimes just a nice way to say, “I have a personal complaint about a personal issue, but it will make me sound less self-serving and more justified if I label it (maybe just in my mind) as constructive criticism.”
I've been thinking about the term lately — even as I might use it personally.
First, let me be clear, I’m not down on constructive criticism. I think it’s good. And it's often needed.
Using the definition (serving a useful purpose; tending to build up) constructive criticism serves a place within any organization — even the church. It can, by definition, help us all.
There is a place for constructive criticism.
But how can we make sure the criticism we offer is actually constructive?
And what is it actually? I think this is the bigger issue.
- How do we know when it's “constructive criticism”?
- How can we give constructive criticism to others?
1. It builds up the body or organization for everyone.
2. It’s helpful for the good of the entire vision. Everyone can benefit from constructive criticism.
3. It is not self-serving.
This is a huge one. Constructive criticism doesn’t seek a merely personal gain. Scripture makes humility an ideal, encourages unity among believers and commands us to consider others better than ourselves — even to pray for our enemies.
4. It offers suggestions for improvement.
I’m not saying it does every time. Sometimes we just know something is wrong, but this would certainly be an indicator the criticism is actually constructive (again, simply by definition).
5. It creates useful dialogue.
And, here again, this may not happen every time, but if conversation can lead to the benefit of everyone, then it could be an indicator of being constructive — it helps build.
6. It affirms others or the vision.
As I understand the term, constructive criticism would never tear down the overarching goals and objectives of the body or organization. This would seem to contradict the definition. Criticism might, but not constructive criticism.
7. It can be realistically implemented or discussed.
I’m just working with the term and definition here, so if the criticism is an impossibility — would never work — then it seems to me it isn’t “serving a useful purpose”. (Extreme example: I once had someone criticize my allowance of phones in the worship center. They thought I should be like a school teacher and take them up at the door. Okay…)
8. It is not overly divisive.
Constructive criticism serves to build up — not tear down — so to meet the definition it must not divide people as much as it at least makes an attempt to bring people together around common values and vision. Of course, this is not always possible. It’s near impossible to get everyone to agree on anything, but constructive criticism doesn’t seem to be the type criticism which would splinter the groups opinions or divide people extensively.
This may simply be my personal rambling thoughts on the issue — maybe it’s not even constructive, but I’m all for offering better criticism. Constructive criticism seems like a better societal way to go.
There may be a need for non-constructive or destructive criticism sometime. Jesus cleared the temple this way. We may need to clear some things. If so, let’s deconstruct.
But if we're going to attempt to constructively criticize, then constructive criticism should live up its name.
Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.
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The dangers of benevolent sexism by Kira SchlesingerBigstock/pzAxe
The term “benevolent sexism” seems like an oxymoron. How can sexism ever be “benevolent”? And yet, this type of sexism is so prevalent and has roots so deep in our culture that it almost goes unnoticed. Most recently, it surfaced in a very public way with the revealing of a tape recording of now-President-Elect Donald Trump in which he described actions of sexual assault against women. Several Republican men spoke out against talking about women with this kind of language, horrified that their wives, mothers, and daughters might be the subject of these vulgar and offensive words and deeds. In the past, President Obama has also framed women primarily from a relational view in some of his speeches, notably in his 2013 State of the Union address.
As the saying goes, feminism is the radical notion that women are people. Through the lens of benevolent sexism, women are not seen as fully people except as they relate to men as daughters, sisters, wives, and mothers. Because it is not overtly hostile or insulting towards women, benevolent sexism often gets a pass. This kind of sexism, as opposed to hostile sexism, does not see women as inferior to men or incompetent, but it does prescribe specific roles and duties. It is this kind of sexism that is also present in many churches, particularly those that believe in complementary roles for men and women.
The more overtly sexist parts of this view hold that women exist to be protected and kept pure as “the weaker sex,” and the men in their lives are responsible for their health and safety. Particularly popular during the Industrial Revolution, this led to the division of spheres: the public sphere, the realm of business and politics, run by men, and the private sphere, the realm of home and hearth, run by women. The public sphere was too rough and tumble, too dirty and offensive for women, so keeping women at home was not a means of limiting their participation or advancement but a way of protecting them, keeping them pure and unsullied by the ways of the world.
Whether hostile or benevolent, the damages to individuals and gender equality done by sexism remain the same. Instead of men and women being considered as individuals, created in the image of God and gifted by the Holy Spirit, sexist systems would prefer to judge us by sex and determine where our gifts lie. Not only does this discourage and prevent women from holding leadership positions, it also damages men who have gifts for caretaking and child-raising but feel forced to be the “bread-winner.”
Some people have argued that women are more suited to leadership because we are inherently purer, and, looking at history, it is never the women who start wars or embezzle funds or misbehave sexually. Perhaps this is because we have not been in positions of power to have the chance. Currently, protesters are calling for the female president of South Korea, Park Geun-hye, to resign due to fraud, scandal and allegations of abuse of power. Leaders who are women can be just as ineffective as leaders who are men.
Whether male or female, we all have our gifts and our weaknesses. We are all susceptible to sin and in need of the grace of Christ. We also are all made in the image of God and have inherent dignity. Put succinctly, we are all people with our own hopes, fears, strengths and desires. Some women are stronger than some men. Some men are gentler than some women. By prescribing spheres based on gender or reducing a woman’s value to her relationships as if she were property, we do a disservice to all of God’s people.
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A divided UMC: How we'll fail at the main thing
By James C. HowellBigstock/pavel_klimenko
I’ve blogged quite a few times about our fragile United Methodist Church, making the case for, but really just pleading for unity. I’ve reflected on how our Book of Discipline functions, on why Robert’s Rules of Order create dysfunction in the Body of Christ, on how we relate to fellow members in that Body who think differently.
I have tried to point out that sexuality, while enormously important and at the core of what it means to be holy, is not at the center of our theology. Our cardinal beliefs, which pertain to salvation, are about God, not us. Our sexuality is always a bit broken, fallen, bedeviled by subterranean forces we hardly understand. I would exit the denomination if it declared Jesus was just a man, or we are saved by works, but not over a single practice among hundreds.
Most importantly, I’ve explained how splitting up would be the worst conceivable witness to the unchurched, and to our cynical world. If we can’t do any better than the division and rancor in our country right now, we prove we have nothing to offer.
Now, during this hazy time when the Bishops’ Commission has been named, when all we can do is pray for them and for ourselves, when many of us feel gloomier than ever, fearing or even expecting a split, I keep drifting in my mind to utterly practical questions. Like, if there is the dreaded split right down the middle: What will I be doing for a living and where? Where will my pastor friends wind up?What signage will need changing? What won’t get paid for any longer? And in a way, the most pressing question of all: What will become of the church where I am serving?
Suppose we get the divorce. One denomination becomes two; a conservative, brooking no deviation from straight or celibate sexuality, and a progressive, allowing and even affirming same gender marriage and LGBTQ ordinations. What then? The General Conference sends a memo to me and our board chair, giving us ninety days or six months to select which way we go?
Our case is pretty interesting, indicative of why there will be more carnage than we anticipate, utterly harrowing and heartbreaking to me and the people I love. If we look at just the property, our trustees hold, in trust for the conference, massive neo-gothic structures sitting on prime real estate in Charlotte, North Carolina. Both of the new judicatories would covet the property and the apportionment income. Our contributions are a significant percentage of our conference’s income now. But that amount will shrink drastically for whoever winds up with our facility.
Internally, we would be forced to make a choice we do not wish or need to make. We have engaged in the arduous labor our denomination as a whole has never engaged in: a prayerful, thoughtful, respectful conversation on the theology and practice of sexuality. With broad and strongly felt disagreement on the matter, we have chosen to stay together, to love, and by our very unity to be a witness to the world.
And yet we would be compelled to make a choice. How would that happen? Is it simply an item on the agenda of the next Administrative Board meeting, and majority wins? Do we take a congregational vote, with each member getting to cast a ballot? Would there be campaigning within? Or even from outside groups lobbying to win Myers Park?
Myers Park UMCI’ve tried to guesstimate what the tally here would be. We have 5,200 members. We treat the children like members, and also the adults, especially young adults, who’ve never actually joined. But let’s leave them out for now. Of the 5,200 official members, I’d guess 1,600 wouldn’t pay attention or open their mail. Of the 3,600 left, I’d imagine 1,400 would rally to the progressive side, and about 1,000 would go conservative. Or maybe it would be roughly a tie. Or maybe 1,400 to 1,000 the other way. What would happen to the "losers"? Of course, the remaining 1,200 would be too disgusted to vote at all. Our young adults would, quite simply, be done with us.
Many — several dozen, I'd estimate — would exit and become Southern Baptist, or Episcopalians. I’d suspect that many more, though, in the hundreds, would just give up on church altogether if the one they loved and trusted couldn’t do any better than this sorry state of affairs. And I would not blame one of them. Families would be divided over which way to go. A 5,200 member church gutted, with maybe 1,500 left.
We would quickly have to lay off two thirds of our staff and hack our mission spending down to a small fraction of what it’s been. Within months, a clinic in Haiti would shut down; families moving out of homelessness would head back to the streets. We’d be the laughingstock of Charlotte. The new conference of the new denomination wouldn’t even be all that glad to have us, as we’d have so little money left to send in.
Where would the clergy we’d have to let go wind up? Not only would the financial decimation reduce the number of pastoral jobs out there, we would also have a rash of mismatched clergy and congregations. If congregations get to choose which denomination to go with, I’d imagine the clergy would get to pick, too. At least in my part of the world (and I suspect all across the United States), on average the clergy are far more progressive than their congregations. In Western North Carolina, for instance, out of 1,000 clergy I’d estimate at least 500 would choose the new progressive institution; but no more than a few dozen churches would do the same. Where would the clergy work? And who would pastor the conservative churches?
I’m not a pessimist by nature. But I do sense there is considerable naivete about how neatly a split might proceed. I know those who think that basically the Southeast and the Midwest would overwhelmingly go conservative, and the West and Northeast would go liberal, or there might be a semblance of an urban/rural split, like the one we see now in presidential elections.
But it’s way more complicated state by state, and even church by church. The unforeseen ripple effects of a forced division, even in a single parish like mine, would be catastrophic. A split in United Methodism, beyond the heartache, the lost relationships, and the embarrassment of theological surrender, would create a black hole of practical disaster. We would be the butt of church humor for the next generation. And whatever shared mission work we cherish would evaporate.
Purists will say you should do the right thing, no matter what the consequences are. But within our denomination, aren’t we picking one right thing, which isn’t really the main thing, and then by picking that one right thing to be right about, rendering ourselves incapable of doing all the other right things that really are the main thing?
This article originally appeared on the author's blog. Reprinted with permission.
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Advent: Finding our unity in Jesus
By Mike SlaughterBigstock/pasiphae
Advent is the ideal time for Jesus followers of all political persuasions and partisan alliances after this difficult election cycle to set aside our differences, coming together in unity to reflect the mind and heart of Christ. To experience the new this Advent season, to find our “next,” we must let go of the old. Old habits and ways of thinking must be replaced with new. The “mindset” and “attitude” of Christ Jesus that the Apostle Paul described to the Philippians must supersede our own prejudices, presumptions and partisan ideologies.
In another one of Paul’s letters, he reminded the Christians in Ephesus about the necessity of renewed thinking:
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
What is remarkable about this admonition is that it may have been written from a Roman prison cell. Paul knew how to practice what he preached.
The English word repent comes from the Greek word metanoia, which means a change in mindset or the mind. Our minds control our attitudes, actions and behaviors. Our thoughts become actions, and our actions become lifestyles. The author of Proverbs reminds us, “As he thinks in his heart, so is he” (23:7 NKJV). Our attitudes affect the outcomes of our lives in this world and the world beyond.
One of those key attitudes requires remembering that God is a God of relationships: “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5). Ginghamsburg Church represents a diversity of folks, in both ethnicity and political ideology. In my Facebook newsfeed I frequently find posts from Bruce, a staunchly conservative Tea Party supporter, juxtaposed with those of Matt, a committed political liberal. During one weekend worship celebration, I may be greeted by Beth, an age sixty-plus gay woman who retired from a male-dominated profession, when she taps me on the shoulder from the row behind me. At the next worship time, I will turn around to find one of our many young married couples, baby carrier parked beside them, seated in the same aisle, representatives of one of the fastest growing demographics within the church. What binds us together? Definitely not our political viewpoints or even our lifestyles. Our unity is found in Jesus.
Jesus calls his followers to demonstrate a radically alternative way of living together. In the world, people organize themselves into groups in which people tend to think alike, vote alike, look alike and share the same economic demographic. But in Christ’s kingdom, “There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
Having the mind of Christ Jesus allows us to see people as Jesus sees them, regardless of political persuasion, sexual orientation, nationality, theological beliefs or even the lack thereof. Jesus never told his followers, “This is my command; you shall adhere strictly to right doctrinal beliefs and agree with one another on correct political ideology.” As a matter of fact Jesus left us with only one new commandment in all of his teaching. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34)
Ultimately it is not our theological positions that determine the authenticity of our faith. True faith is demonstrated through Christ-like love. Let’s use this Advent season to break down the political and ideological barriers that divide us and find our unity in Jesus.
Mike Slaughter is the almost four-decade chief dreamer and lead pastor of Ginghamsburg Church and the spiritual entrepreneur of ministry marketplace innovations. Mike’s call to "afflict the comfortable" challenges Christians to wrestle with God and their God-destinies. His newest book is Down to Earth (Abingdon Press; 2016), a paradigm-shifting, four-week Advent study with Ginghamsburg Executive Pastor of Discipleship Rachel Billups. A Down to Earth DVD, Leader Guide, Youth Study, Children’s Leader Guide and seasonal devotional are also available.
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Turkey post-coup crackdown also targets U.S. Protestants
By Dominique Bonessi / Religion News ServiceA supporter holds a flag depicting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan during a pro-government demonstration in Ankara, Turkey, on July 20, 2016. Photo courtesy of Reuters/Baz Ratner
ISTANBUL (RNS) After a weeklong business trip abroad, American pastor Ryan Keating was detained at the airport overnight, interrogated and then put on a plane back to London.
“They locked me in a room — they called (it) the guest house — with 15 to 20 other people. Some were suspected of being terrorists and ISIS members,” Keating said, recalling the night of Oct. 8.
The following morning, he was forced to sign a statement acknowledging that he was being banned for life from a country where he had spent much of the last 23 years and where his wife and children were still living.
Pastor Ryan Keating / Facebook“I was deemed a threat to national security,” he added. “That has become a blanket label used to deport anyone they don’t want without any evidence or investigation.”
Keating’s airport lockup happened a day after another pastor, Andrew Brunson, was detained along with his wife in the coastal town of Izmir, where he had lived for 20 years.
The couple, who were working to help refugees, were told they were a threat to national security.
Analysts say President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government has been targeting American Christians in retaliation for the United States’ failure to extradite Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, as demanded by the Turkish government.
Gulen is a former Erdogan ally who is the spiritual leader of a different brand of Islam than the president’s Justice and Development Party. And the Turkish leader now alleges the U.S.-based imam was behind a failed coup attempt last July. U.S.
“Protestant or Christian churches are seen as an American influence, and now that Turkey is anti-American they are being targeted even more,” said Aykan Erdemir, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a former member of the Turkish parliament.
Erdogan has responded to the coup attempt with a massive crackdown on perceived opponents. Tens of thousands of Turkish citizens have been arrested and many more fired from public sector jobs.
Turkey is 99 percent Muslim according to official estimates, though the country’s constitution defines it a secular state. According to the U.S. State Department’s International Religious Freedom Report, the rights of minorities such as Jews, Armenian and Greek Orthodox Christians are limited.
The State Department estimates there are about 7,000 Protestants in this nation of 75 million, and law enforcement authorities view Christian proselytism with suspicion.
Prior to his arrest, Keating worked as a minister at the Kurtulus Church in Ankara and was completing his Ph.D. in philosophy of religion at Ankara University.
Asked whether he encouraged any Turkish Muslims to embrace Christianity Keating said, “I have often helped people to learn about Christianity. I have talked and prayed with people who wanted to become Christians.”
Through his church’s Ankara Refugee Ministry, Keating also helped provide clothing, food, and medical assistance to 6,000 Syrian and Iraqi refugees families in the Ankara area.
“It is crazy, helping refugees is not a crime,” said the president of the Association of Protestant Churches, the Rev. Ihsan Ozbek, who is a friend of Keating. “Ryan is a good man and has been trying to help as many people as he can. That is how we live our lives. We are Christians and we help people.”
Since 2007, the Association of Protestant Churches has released its own human rights report each year. The most recent, 2015 report gives seven to 10 accounts of hate crimes and physical and verbal assault committed against Protestants countrywide. Ozbek said the government has not sponsored any of this, but neither does it offer aid.
“We have continuous problems but they are not helping us,” he said.
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Catalysts for renewal: Review of Magrey deVega's 'One Faithful Promise'
By Steve HarperThis article is featured in the How Race, Gender, and Other Diversities Affect Your Ministry (Nov/Dec/Jan 2016-17) issue of Circuit Rider
If you could use the foundational principles of early Methodism as catalysts for renewal in your congregation today, would you be interested? I am going to guess that you would be. Thanks to Abingdon Press, we can now follow the formative path that John and Charles Wesley (and others) set forth for “the people called Methodist”—the formative journey of character, conduct, and covenant.
The Wesleys laid the good foundation for Methodism on the bedrock of character with the document “The Character of a Methodist” (1742), following it just a year later with “The General Rules of the United Societies,” which laid out the fundamental aspects of conduct that such character would ignite. After a decade of using this twofold pattern for disciple-making, John Wesley added the Covenant Renewal service (1755), which gave the early Methodists an annual opportunity to renew their promises to God.
Abingdon Press has made available these three seminal documents in a series of updated resources: my book Five Marks of a Methodist (character), Rueben Job’s book Three Simple Rules (conduct), and Magrey R. deVega’s book One Faithful Promise (covenant). In addition to these three books, small-group resources accompany each volume, including a leader guide, a participant guide, and a DVD in which each author talks more about his topic.
Magrey deVega’s volume is the latest in the series, published in August of 2016. It can be used (as can the other two) as a stand-alone study, or it can be integrated into the formative flow of character, conduct, and covenant as congregations engage in an extended journey similar to what Wesley imagined for the early Methodists themselves. Whatever the case, Magrey’s volume reminds us that our character and conduct as Christians must be rooted in covenant; otherwise, our intentions will eventually wane and perhaps evaporate altogether. Clearly Wesley saw the Covenant Renewal service (along with the annual conference and the regular meetings of classes and bands) providing the ongoing life for the early Methodist people.
Magrey describes the first such service in August of 1755, where an estimated 1,800 people gathered outside an English village church to root themselves firmly in God’s grace and to testify that they belonged, heart and soul, to God. John Wesley said of that evening, “Such a night I’d rarely seen before. Surely the fruit of it will remain forever.”[1] Similar services were held annually after that (usually at the first of the year) until in 1780, when John Wesley added “Directions for Renewing Our Covenant with God” to the regular order of service. Today the Covenant Renewal service can be used meaningfully at other times in the Christian Year, as well.
The directions describe a fivefold experience that the Covenant Renewal service provided—an experience for worshippers to confide in God, compose their spirits, claim the covenant, choose faithfulness, and connect to God in prayer. Magrey unpacks each of these experiences in the chapters of his excellent book. In an epilogue, he shows how these formative experiences are part of what he calls “a complete promise” contained in the accompanying Five Marks and Three Simple Rules volumes.
I end this review with Magrey’s own words—words that not only bring his volume to a close but also serve to remind us how important all this is: “Learn to offer God the fullness of your whole being, and do so in the context of community, sharing the Christian journey together. God desires from you nothing less than a complete and continuing promise.”[2]
Steve Harper is a retired United Methodist elder in the Florida Annual Conference and a retired seminary professor who taught for thirty-two years in the disciplines of spiritual formation and Wesleyan studies. He is the author of Five Marks of a Methodist: The Fruit of a Living Faith, from Abingdon Press.
[1] Magrey R. deVega, One Faithful Promise: The Wesleyan Covenant for Renewal (Abingdon Press, 2016), 6.
[2] deVega, One Faithful Promise, 64.
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Love in a big world: Happy holidays
By Tamara FykeBigstock/Phongphan
Now that Thanksgiving is over, we have officially entered the Holiday Season. It’s a time for celebrating and singing, a time for decorating and eating, a time for traveling and shopping.
Hold on a minute!
This sounds more like a time for being overwhelmed — too much food, too many people, too much noise! I’m not trying to sound like the Grinch, but he did have one thing right: when we are too busy with the festivities, we lose sight of the meaning of the season.
So what can we do to manage all the hustle and bustle that comes this time of year? Well, we could try to get all of our shopping done weeks ahead of time. Or we could follow the advice of Mr. Benjamin Franklin who listed moderation as one of his thirteen virtues. Moderation is avoiding extremes. We’ve got to find a way to stay balanced, to not run ourselves ragged.
Here are a few suggestions for slowing down and reconnecting with ourselves, our loved ones, and our neighbors. Pick one or two, and enjoy.- Breathe deeply; smell the cinnamon and the pine.
- Pour yourself a cup of hot cocoa, sit by yourself and reminisce about the past year.
- Gather your family together and read your favorite holiday story.
- Invite your friends over to watch the classic film “It’s A Wonderful Life”.
- Bake cookies and share them with an elderly neighbor.
- Volunteer to serve a meal at a homeless shelter.
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God does move through cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments!
By Stephen HandyThis article is featured in the How Race, Gender, and Other Diversities Affect Your Ministry (Nov/Dec/Jan 2016-17) issue of Circuit Rider
In 1968 The United Methodist Church in America consisted of 94% white people and 6% people of color. Ironically, in 2013, though America was browning, the demographics were still 94% white and 6% people of color. When our inside numbers are compared to the outside demographics, there is a dismal gap. What’s happening? Segregation in America is still an active evil, especially on Sunday at 11am in the North American United Methodist Church. The reality is that there’s a lack of available churches for people of color (although leadership giftedness is also a consideration), so clergy of color are often the only ones considered for cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments. Although these are all good reasons to do cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments, we should do them because we are a baptized and reconciled people of Christ, called to the ministry of reconciliation.
In order for our Methodist family to thrive in these rapidly changing demographics, we must move from standing in front of the mirror looking at ourselves to moving over to the window where diversity is already a reality and multiplying at a fast rate. Cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments are gaining momentum, often as a response to or strategy attempting to address the lack of minority congregations for people of color. But do cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments effectively advance the gospel of Jesus Christ?
Cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments have a greater chance to work when the . . .
Vision Is Clear!
Alignment for transformative cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments must be grounded in the reality of God’s kingdom and guided by the Holy Spirit. Jesus created this movement as a means for advancing the gospel, but also for inviting people to reimagine church as a bridge-building movement. Vision for a cross-racial, cross-cultural church is part of the DNA of the leader and an expectation of the congregation. Jesus taught us to pray, “Bring in your kingdom so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven” (Matt 6:10 CEB).
Values Are Intercultural and Connectional!
One area of tension for cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments is the desire for leaders with a competency for engaging “others”—what is known as “intercultural competency.” Paul writes to the church in Galatia, “There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28 CEB). A cultural competency for connecting with the concrete, “neither/nor” realities gathered together in Jesus’s name is key. It’s what Tex Sample calls “walking the walk and talking the talk” appropriate to the multiple cultures we are called to lead and serve.
Jesus was the chief of intercultural competency. Deanie Brown, associate chancellor for access and equal opportunity at the University of Illinois, Springfield, offers a solid definition of intercultural competency: “the ability to communicate effectively and appropriately with people of other cultures, through awareness, empathy, and intentional efforts to avoid violating the contexts created by the other culture.”[i] Cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments call for a courageous spirit and leaders who are willing to walk beyond the doors of the church and across the street, community, and four corners of their immediate city. So start here. Making connections with others is critical for cross-racial, cross-cultural proficiency.
Relational Nonnegotiables Are Discipleship and Diversity!
Effective cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments realize that discipleship and diversity must be viewed as essential signs of a vital church. For The United Methodist Church to recover a twenty-first-century version of its original Wesleyan fervor, normative indicators for vital congregations will have to include diverse disciples of Jesus Christ. The future of The United Methodist Church is not in mono-racial, mono-cultural, and mono-class congregations, but rather in multi-varied congregations. Segregation in congregations—especially those with cross-racial appointments—is no longer tolerable. If we are going to participate in the Great Commission, “Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations. . . . Look, I myself will be with you every day until the end of this present age” (Matt 28:19-20 CEB), then the message of discipleship cannot be separated from the gift of diversity.
Reverend Stephen Handy with members of McKendree United Methodist Church.Risk Leads to Loving, Listening, and Learning!
Cross-racial, cross-cultural appointments demand a high level of risk as we love across race and class barriers. Find a table and spend time with someone culturally and racially different from you over a cup of coffee. Listen to their story first, be intentional as you actively listen, and practice this patiently and often. Starting with holy scripture opens our hearts to what God is saying and doing. This invites us to a level of vulnerability required for healthy relationships. Then tell your story. The integration of loving, listening, and learning leads to compassionate, faith-forming, and relational discipleship.
In my experience, for cross-racial and cross-cultural appointments to be vital, the spiritual leaders must work as a team, guiding people to experience and embrace the love and grace of Christ. When that level of reconciliation happens, the multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-class diversity and reality of God’s people becomes a here and now in our church reality. Congregations that are willing to explore and embrace the biblical mandates of the Great Commandment and Commission will reflect a faithful fruitfulness and experience the God’s kingdom on earth as it is in heaven!
Stephen Handy is the senior pastor of McKendree United Methodist Church in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. Stephen earned a BA from Dillard University, an MBA from Tennessee State University, and an MDiv from Vanderbilt Divinity School.
[i] http://www.uis.edu/studentaffairs/wp-content/uploads/sites/121/2013/05/INTERCULTURAL-COMPETENCY.pdf
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This Sunday, December 11, 2016Third Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 1:47-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
Scripture Texts: Isaiah 35:1 The desert and the dry land will be glad;
the ‘Aravah will rejoice and blossom like the lily.
2 It will burst into flower,
will rejoice with joy and singing,
will be given the glory of the L’vanon,
the splendor of Karmel and the Sharon.
They will see the glory of Adonai,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen your drooping arms,
and steady your tottering knees.
4 Say to the fainthearted, “Be strong and unafraid!
Here is your God; he will come with vengeance;
with God’s retribution he will come and save you.”
5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped;
6 then the lame man will leap like a deer,
and the mute person’s tongue will sing.
For in the desert, springs will burst forth,
streams of water in the ‘Aravah;
7 the sandy mirage will become a pool,
the thirsty ground springs of water.
The haunts where jackals lie down will become
a marsh filled with reeds and papyrus.
8 A highway will be there, a way,
called the Way of Holiness.
The unclean will not pass over it,
but it will be for those whom he guides —
fools will not stray along it.
9 No lion or other beast of prey
will be there, traveling on it.
They will not be found there,
but the redeemed will go there.
10 Those ransomed by Adonai will return
and come with singing to Tziyon,
on their heads will be everlasting joy.
They will acquire gladness and joy,
while sorrow and sighing will flee.
Luke 1:47 and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior,
48 who has taken notice of his servant-girl
in her humble position.[Luke 1:48 1 Samuel 1:11; 2:1]
For — imagine it! — from now on, all generations will call me blessed!
49 “The Mighty One has done great things for me!
Indeed, his name is holy; 50 and in every generation
he has mercy on those who fear him.[Luke 1:50 Psalms 103:17; 111:9]
51 “He has performed mighty deeds with his arm,
routed the secretly proud,
52 brought down rulers from their thrones,
raised up the humble,
53 filled the hungry with good things,
but sent the rich away empty.
54 “He has taken the part of his servant Isra’el,
mindful of the mercy
55 which he promised to our fathers,
to Avraham and his seed forever.”
James 5:7 So, brothers, be patient until the Lord returns. See how the farmer waits for the precious “fruit of the earth” — he is patient over it until it receives the fall and spring rains.[James 5:7 Deuteronomy 11:14; Jeremiah 5:24; Joel 2:23] 8 You too, be patient; keep up your courage; for the Lord’s return is near. 9 Don’t grumble against one another, brothers, so that you won’t come under condemnation — look! the Judge is standing at the door! 10 As an example of suffering mistreatment and being patient, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of Adonai.
Matthew 11:2 Meanwhile, Yochanan the Immerser, who had been put in prison, heard what the Messiah had been doing; so he sent a message to him through his talmidim, 3 asking, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for someone else?” 4 Yeshua answered, “Go and tell Yochanan what you are hearing and seeing — 5 the blind are seeing again, the lame are walking, people with tzara’at are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing,[Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 35:5–6] the dead are being raised,[Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 26:19] the Good News is being told to the poor[Matthew 11:5 Isaiah 61:1] — 6 and how blessed is anyone not offended by me!”
7 As they were leaving, Yeshua began speaking about Yochanan to the crowds: “What did you go out to the desert to see? Reeds swaying in the breeze? 8 No? then what did you go out to see? Someone who was well dressed? Well-dressed people live in kings’ palaces. 9 Nu, so why did you go out? To see a prophet! Yes! and I tell you he’s much more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom the Tanakh says,
‘See, I am sending out my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way before you.’[Matthew 11:10 Malachi 3:1]
11 Yes! I tell you that among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than Yochanan the Immerser! Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he!
Isaiah 35:1-10
Verse 1
[1] The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
The solitary place — Emmanuel's land, or the seat of God's church and people, which formerly was despised like a wilderness, and which the rage of their enemies had brought to desolation, shall flourish exceedingly.
Verse 2
[2] It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.
The excellency — The wilderness shall be as pleasant and fruitful as Lebanon, and Carmel, and Sharon.
They — The inhabitants of the wilderness aforesaid.
The glory — The glorious discoveries of God's power and goodness.
Verse 3
[3] Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Strengthen — Ye ministers of God, comfort and encourage God's people, who are now ready to faint.
Verse 4
[4] Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Your God — Tho' he seems to be departed, he will come to you, and abide with you. He will shortly come in the flesh, to execute vengeance upon the enemies of God.
Verse 5
[5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then — The poor Gentiles, who before were blind and deaf, shall now have the eyes and ears of their minds opened to see God's works, and to hear and receive his word.
Verse 7
[7] And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.
Streams — The most dry and barren places shall be made moist and fruitful; which is principally meant of the plentiful effusion of God's grace upon such persons and nations, as had been wholly destitute of it.
Rushes — Those dry and parched deserts, in which dragons have their abode, shall yield abundance of grass, and reeds, and rushes, which grow only in moist ground.
Verse 8
[8] And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.
A way — The high-way and the way are not to be taken for two different ways, but for one and the same way, even a causey, which is raised ground, and a way.
Holiness — The people (walking in it) shall be all righteous.
For those — But this way shall be appropriated to those persons above-mentioned; the weak, and blind, and lame, whom God will lead and save.
Though fools — The way shall be so plain and strait, that even the most foolish travellers cannot easily mistake it.
Luke 1:47-55
Verse 47
[47] And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour — She seems to turn her thoughts here to Christ himself, who was to be born of her, as the angel had told her, he should be the Son of the Highest, whose name should be Jesus, the Saviour. And she rejoiced in hope of salvation through faith in him, which is a blessing common to all true believers, more than in being his mother after the flesh, which was an honour peculiar to her. And certainly she had the same reason to rejoice in God her Saviour that we have: because he had regarded the low estate of his handmaid, in like manner as he regarded our low estate; and vouchsafed to come and save her and us, when we were reduced to the lowest estate of sin and misery.
Verse 51
[51] He hath shewed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath wrought strength with his arm — That is, he hath shown the exceeding greatness of his power. She speaks prophetically of those things as already done, which God was about to do by the Messiah.
He hath scattered the proud — Visible and invisible.
Verse 52
[52] He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.
He hath put down the mighty — Both angels and men.
Verse 54
[54] He hath holpen his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy;
He hath helped his servant Israel — By sending the Messiah.
Verse 55
[55] As he spake to our fathers, to Abraham, and to his seed for ever.
To his seed — His spiritual seed: all true believers.
James 5:7-10
Verse 7
[7] Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit — Which will recompense his labour and patience.
Till he receives the former rain — Immediately after sowing.
And the latter — Before the harvest.
Verse 8
[8] Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh.
Stablish your hearts — In faith and patience.
For the coming of the Lord — To destroy Jerusalem.
Is nigh — And so is his last coming to the eye of a believer.
Verse 9
[9] Grudge not one against another, brethren, lest ye be condemned: behold, the judge standeth before the door.
Murmur not one against another — Have patience also with each other.
The judge standeth before the door — Hearing every word, marking every thought.
Verse 10
[10] Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the Lord, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience.
Take the prophets for an example — Once persecuted like you, even for speaking in the name of the Lord. The very men that gloried in having prophets yet could not bear their message: nor did either their holiness or their high commission screen them from suffering.
Matthew 11:2-11
Verse 2
[2] Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,
He sent two of his disciples — Not because he doubted himself; but to confirm their faith. Luke 7:18.
Verse 3
[3] And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?
He that is to come — The Messiah.
Verse 4
[4] Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see:
Go and tell John the things that ye hear and see — Which are a stronger proof of my being the Messiah, than any bare assertion can be.
Verse 5
[5] The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.
The poor have the Gospel preached to them — The greatest mercy of all. Isaiah 29:18; 35:5.
Verse 6
[6] And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
Happy is he who shall not be offended at me — Notwithstanding all these proofs that I am the Messiah.
Verse 7
[7] And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
As they departed, he said concerning John — Of whom probably he would not have said so much when they were present.
A reed shaken by the wind? — No; nothing could ever shake John in the testimony he gave to the truth. The expression is proverbial.
Verse 8
[8] But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.
A man clothed in soft, delicate raiment — An effeminate courtier, accustomed to fawning and flattery? You may expect to find persons of such a character in palaces; not in a wilderness.
Verse 9
[9] But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
More than a prophet — For the prophets only pointed me out afar off; but John was my immediate forerunner.
Verse 10
[10] For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Malachi 3:1.
Verse 11
[11] Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
But he that is least in the kingdom of heaven, is greater than he — Which an ancient author explains thus:-"One perfect in the law, as John was, is inferior to one who is baptized into the death of Christ. For this is the kingdom of heaven, even to be buried with Christ, and to be raised up together with him. John was greater than all who had been then born of women, but he was cut off before the kingdom of heaven was given." [He seems to mean, that righteousness, peace, and joy, which constitute the present inward kingdom of heaven.] "He was blameless as to that righteousness which is by the law; but he fell short of those who are perfected by the spirit of life which is in Christ. Whosoever, therefore, is least in the kingdom of heaven, by Christian regeneration, is greater than any who has attained only the righteousness of the law, because the law maketh nothing perfect." It may farther mean, the least true Christian believer has a more perfect knowledge of Jesus Christ, of his redemption and kingdom, than John the Baptist had, who died before the full manifestation of the Gospel.
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CALLED TO BE DISCIPLES, NOT ADMIRERS by Mike Childress
Matthew 11:2-11
In 1964, I had one of the most extraordinary experiences in my childhood. My aunt and uncle took me to see the World’s Fair. The closest thing to such an event I had experienced was my hometown’s annual carnival. We drove all the way to Newark, New Jersey, and stayed with my aunt’s sister in Berkley Heights. From there we traveled for a one-day visit to the largest World’s Fair on record in the United States. I will never forget my reaction when arriving and having my picture taken at the centerpiece of the fair, the Unisphere. You could have put my hometown’s carnival on the quad where the stainless-steel model of the earth was erected. I think I must have used the word wow with each breath I took as we meandered through the various exhibits.
As a small-town Virginia boy, I faced New York as one entering an unknown wilderness. I faced it with all the gusto a twelve-year-old could muster. What did I go to see? I went to see New York City’s carnival, of course. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the shock I felt when we got out of the subway and entered Corona Park.
Jesus said to the crowd that day, regarding John the Baptizer, “What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. What then did you go out to see? A prophet?” (Matthew 11:7-9). I have a suspicion the people that day were just as taken aback by what they saw along the Jordan River as I was when arriving at the World’s Fair. I went expecting to see a show that would take an afternoon to survey; I found a mammoth fortress of exhibits that a week’s visit couldn’t traverse. The people that day went out to the river probably expecting to see a madman putting on a religious show. What they got was a man announcing the advent of God’s Messiah. Many weren’t ready for what they received. Perhaps we’re still not ready.
The 1964 World’s Fair was a showcase of mid-twentieth-century American corporate culture. The scene that day along the Jordan River could be described as a showcase of God’s call to redemption—John the Baptist–style. It was probably a pretty good show. Can’t you see the religious dignitaries’ heads popping up over the heads of the locals and trying to get a glimpse of the long line of people responding to John’s message and requesting baptism? They went to see a showcase of Israel’s popular religious culture. Instead, what they found was quite disturbing. It didn’t take long for folks to determine it was not a sideshow. In fact, what they witnessed was life-changing. They went thinking they would find a local minister doling out religious tracts and favors, a religious carnival of sorts. What they didn’t realize was they were witnessing the very forerunner to God’s Messiah. John wasn’t calling them to a once-in-a-lifetime experience of God’s redemption and then a quiet return to their religious comfort zones. John was calling them to live redemptive lives— the rest of their lives.
As we read this episode in Matthew’s Gospel, we too are challenged to reconsider what we expect to find when we leave the safe and acceptable confines of our sanctuaries on Sunday. What do we expect to find in our neighborhoods once we leave church? Who do we anticipate will be the recipients of our ministries? Do we expect to move and work in settings that meet our expectations of the good life, where people think, act, and dream like us? As Christ’s disciples, do we manipulate our worlds so that we are comfortable and have all the amenities and creature comforts of the American way of life? Are we, the church, speaking truth to the powers that exist in our day and time, or do we fear ridicule and chastisement of those who pay the bills? Do we turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to injustice so that we won’t upset the people who are the power brokers in our congregations?
If the answer to such questions is a painful yes, then we seek to treat ministry as “a reed shaken by the wind” or “someone dressed in soft robes,” as Jesus put it. The image here is a soft Christianity that lacks any spiritual backbone to confront injustice. Jesus’ cousin was in prison because he, as one writer puts it, “was incapable of seeing evil without rebuking it. He had spoken too fearlessly and too definitely for his own safety” (William Barclay, The Gospel of Matthew, vol. 2, rev. ed.[Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1975], 1).
The twenty-first-century church is being called once again to leave its safe and unthreatening confines and enter the world, shocked by what it finds. Our shock is to motivate us to speak truth to injustice just as John, Jesus, and his would-be disciples did in their own day. But let’s be honest. It will take disciples, not just admirers of Jesus, to do this.
Matthew 11:7 is quite revealing. It says, “As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John.” I find the statement both disturbing and encouraging. It’s disturbing because God’s gospel, although it is intended for “whosoever,” in reality is not for everybody. God will not force good news upon us. We have a choice in the matter. Many left Jesus that day, perhaps because he was too demanding. They preferred a life more defined as “a reed shaken by the wind” or “someone dressed in soft robes” than a life of servitude marked by sacrifice and compassion. What John and Jesus were bringing was too risky, too demanding. They preferred “admirer”-ship over discipleship. Consequently, they walked away. I find the news that some walked away encouraging because we are called to discipleship by a Christ who won’t dilly-dally with us. He wants us to know up front what we can expect when we follow him. To follow Christ is to find a “world’s fair” instead of a carnival of experiences. To follow Christ is to speak truth to injustice and be willing to accept the consequences. To follow Christ is not just a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To follow Christ is a journey even “the least” among us can take.… read more-------
WORSHIP ELEMENTS: DECEMBER 11, 2016 by Laura Jaquith BartlettThird Sunday of Advent
COLOR: Blue or Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 1:47-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
THEME IDEAS
These Advent readings proclaim a world turned upside down. For those who are currently poor, hungry, or oppressed, this is great news. But for those who enjoy the comforts of food in abundance, warm places to live, steady jobs, and a voice in the political system, well, this means acknowledging our role in the world’s injustices. Somehow the good news doesn’t seem quite so good. But the scriptures call us to work side by side with Jesus in bringing about God’s vision of abundance for all. When we claim our calling as partners in the dance, we can truly rejoice in the coming of Christ!
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Isaiah 35)
In the midst of the barren land,
flowers burst into bloom.
In the midst of the dry desert,
streams of water gush forth.
In the midst of sorrow and sighing,
joy and gladness dance together.
We shall see the glory of God!
Opening Prayer (Isaiah 35)
God of Glory,
we rejoice in the good news
of your promises.
Come into our parched world
and shower us with your gushing,
abundant water of life.
Enter into our brokenness,
and renew us with the strength of your love.
Be born anew in our hearts
and in our world.
Come, Jesus; come.
We are ready! Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 35, Luke 1, Matthew 11)
Upside-down God,
you announce your coming with exciting news:
the hungry will eat their fill,
the oppressed will dance
in newfound freedom;
you proclaim your mission with hard news:
the well fed will go hungry,
the powerful will lose their status.
We find ourselves squirming
as we acknowledge our participation
in structures that oppress and marginalize.
Help us accept and proclaim
the coming of your Son
as truly good news.
Give us the courage
to set aside our privilege,
and help bring about this upside-down world,
where everyone can sing together for joy.
Words of Assurance (Isaiah 35)
The desert shall rejoice and blossom.
Waters shall break forth in the wilderness.
The burning sand shall become a pool.
The God who can transform the dry lands
can also transform the desert of our lives.
Abundant forgiveness is ours
from the God who turns sorrow and sighing
into joy and gladness.
Passing the Peace of Christ (Isaiah 35)
The coming of Christ turns the world upside down. For folks who are quite content with things as they are, this may not feel like good news! But a greater vision lies before us—God’s vision of real life for all. Comfort one another with these words of encouragement: “Be strong, do not fear.” Respond in kind with these words of hope: “God will come and save you.”
Response to the Word (Luke 1, Matthew 11)
My soul magnifies the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
We will work with Christ to feed the hungry,
for gluttons have no place at God’s table.
We will work with Christ to lift up the lowly,
for the politics of power has no place
in the realm of God.
We will work with Christ to bring good news
to the poor,
for the love of Jesus Christ is too exciting
to keep to ourselves.
My soul magnifies the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Offering Prayer (Isaiah 35, Luke 1)
Generous God,
you have given us all that we have
and all that we are.
We thank you for the opportunity
to respond to your love and generosity
by sharing our gifts with others.
Our hearts sing with joy
as we work with you
to bring true peace and justice to our world.
As we prepare for the coming of your Son,
may our lives proclaim your good news for all
throughout the earth. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Matthew 11)
May the love of God fill you
until you overflow with joy.
May the coming of the Christ Child free you
to live in an upside-down world.
May the Holy Spirit empower you
to work for the reign of God on earth.
At Christmas and throughout the year,
may you be inspired to share the good news
of God’s vision of peace and love. Amen.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Matthew 11)
We hear the echo of a promise:
“I’m coming!”
Are you really the One?
“The blind receive their sight and the lame walk.”
Are you really the One?
“The lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear.”
Are you really the One?
“The dead are raised and the poor eat their fill.”
But are you really the One?
“I’m the One who changes the world.
Are you really ready for me?”
With God’s help, we’re ready to follow you.
We’re ready for you!
Praise Sentences (Luke 1)
My soul magnifies the Lord.
My spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For the Mighty One has done great things for me.
Holy is God’s name.
My soul magnifies the Lord,
My spirit rejoices in God my savior. … read more-------
SERMON OPTIONS: DECEMBER 11, 2016CHRISTMAS AND HOPE
Isaiah 35:1-10
A little girl in our city lived in a government housing project. She watched the drug deals and gang violence from her second-story window. A church started an outreach ministry in her complex, and after she became acquainted with one of the workers, the girl confided to her how she felt. "Mrs. Jones, when I see everything that goes on around here, sometimes I just don't want to live anymore." She was ten years old when she said that, and already she was feeling hopelessness.
She is not the only one. Successful business people sitting in mahogany-paneled offices are hoping that there is something more to life than what they feel inside day after day. People who feel themselves trapped in dead-end marriages are hoping that perhaps tomorrow their spouse will be willing to make the changes that will make life bearable again. Such stories could be multiplied endlessly.
Isaiah prophesied during a time when Judah's future looked bleak. Yet, the first word in the Hebrew text of chapter 35 is "rejoice." We too live in a world that seems to be growing darker all the time, but because of what God accomplished at Christmas we can have hope.
I. Christmas Gives Hope Because the Glory of God is Revealed.
With picturesque and vivid imagery, Isaiah wrote of a time in the future when the glory of God would be revealed. When the angels proclaimed the birth of Jesus, they said, "Glory to God in the highest" ( Luke 2:14) . John wrote of Jesus, "We have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son" ( John 1:14 ; see 2:11). The glory of God is the manifestation of his character, and Jesus manifested what God is like. At Christmas, when we reflect on the character of God as revealed in Jesus, we are given hope. As Corrie ten Boom once said, "When we look at the world we are distressed, when we look in ourselves we are depressed, but when we look at God we are at rest."
II. Christmas Gives Hope Because the Compassion of God Is Expressed
Isaiah prophesied that in the last days miracles would be performed. How do we know that God cares for our infirmities? We need only look at the ministry of compassion in the life of Jesus. Our greatest infirmity is sin, and he came as the Savior to die for our sin. Since he cares for us so, we should cast all our anxiety on him (1 Pet. 5:7 ; Heb. 4:15-16).
III. Christmas Gives Hope Because the Purpose of God Is Made Possible
Isaiah wrote of salvation (v. 4), holiness (v. 8), and the redeemed (v. 9). Since the Garden of Eden, God's purpose has been to reconcile persons to himself, and each of these words describes aspects of that reconciliation process. The purpose of God, which Isaiah expressed, was made possible through Jesus (John 3:16) . Isaiah wrote of a highway in the wilderness—"the Holy Way" (v. 8). Jesus said that he is the Way(John 14:6).
When we go God's way, we have hope for reconciliation with God and eternity in heaven. As Good-will said to Christian in Pilgrim's Progress, "Look before thee; dost thou see this narrow way? That is the way thou must go: it was cast up by the Patriarchs, Prophets, Christ, and his Apostles; and it is as straight as a rule can make it: This is the way thou must go." (N. Allen Moseley)
WAITING FOR THE SON TO SHINE
James 5:7-10
Waiting. We hate it! We don't want to wait in long lines for goods or services. Sometimes we even act like we should dictate God's schedule. So today's Scripture arrests our attention with its first words: "Be patient." The patience called for here is more than just killing time. It is the waiting of one in the dark awaiting daylight. We might say that this is a season of our waiting for the "son" to shine. How do we wait?
I. Anticipate His Coming
What if someone gave you a magnificent gift but you did not bother to open it? Jesus could very well be given the title, for many people, "The Unopened Gift." Christ's coming again is a natural result of his coming long ago as an infant in Bethlehem. Today we celebrate the first coming and anticipate his Second Coming. We can help someone else to know who he is and what he offers. You could invite friends and family to church with you and let them hear about the word of grace. That is active waiting.
II. Work in the Meantime
Christianity is not a rocking-chair religion. While we are waiting we do not waste our time by doing nothing. Instead, as James says, we are farmers planting seeds in hope of a harvest. This is work. God expects us to be busy planting for him.
Many people wonder, "Does anyone really care about me? Does it matter whether I live or die?" The answer, according to Advent, is a resounding "Yes, it matters!" God's Son came to give life and meaning and hope to all who trust in him. What a joy to be about the work of telling people the reason for this season.
III. Give Others a Break
A five-year-old girl was trying to say the Lord's Prayer. When she got to the part about trespasses, she said, "And forgive us our Christmases as we forgive those who Christmas against us." We understand that sentiment! This time of year can be hectic. It can be a crisis that displays itself with frayed nerves and short tempers.
"Don't grumble against each other," say the Scriptures. Give other people a break. Our waiting is active and includes working for others and bearing with others. (Don M. Aycock)
THE SOURCE OF GREATNESS
Matthew 11:2-11
One of the most powerful characters in all of Scripture is John the Baptist. He steps onto the scene as a bold prophet, condemning the sin and corruption of the nation and calling Israel to repentance in preparation for the coming of Messiah. The crowds came to hear him, and many responded. When Jesus came to John at the Jordan, the prophet recognized that this was the "anointed one," the one God had sent to save the people.
Now John is in prison; the historian Josephus tells us that he was held at Machaerus, a hot desert fortress east of the Dead Sea. It must have been a difficult time for John, the hours of isolation must have caused doubts to creep into his thoughts. Was Jesus, in fact, the Messiah John was expecting? If so, why was John sitting in prison while his opponents lived in comfort?
Jesus reassures John and his followers by pointing to the deeds that surrounded the inauguration of this new age (v. 5). Then Jesus uses a tribute to John to explain the importance of this new Kingdom that was being ushered in, and to demonstrate that true greatness comes through following Christ.
I. People Judge Greatness Based on Achievement
Can you list some truly "great" people? If we think historically, we will tend to think of political or military leaders who accomplished significant things—perhaps Napoleon Bonaparte, George Washington, or Abraham Lincoln. We might think of people who did great things in science and technology—Madame Curie, Jonas Salk, George Washington Carver.
Could John the Baptist, locked up in a miserable dungeon, have been doing the same thing, wondering about Jesus' identity based on his lack of political or military initiatives? If Jesus was really the Messiah, would John still be locked up?
Obviously, we admire those who have achieved much; they serve as excellent models, and we respect the dedication and skill they have exhibited. But Jesus is making it clear that, in the light of eternity, human accomplishments are not the source of true greatness. If not, where is greatness to be found?
II. God Judges Greatness Based on Discipleship
Humanity judges greatness according to one standard, but God has an entirely different standard, a different measuring rod by which to judge greatness. Notice how Jesus answers John's question about Jesus' identity (v. 5). Everything Jesus points to involves serving the poor and dispossessed, those who suffer from disease or physical handicaps. While John's contemporaries were awaiting a Messiah at the head of an army, Jesus is saying that God's new Kingdom doesn't work that way; it is a kingdom of love and compassion, of faithfulness and service.
Something new has come, and it supersedes every kingdom and rule before it. John stands at the pinnacle of the line of prophets; indeed, Jesus says that "there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist" (v. 11). But with the coming of Jesus and the inauguration of God's Kingdom in human history, everything has changed; now "he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than" John. Few minds in human history have been greater than that of Aristotle, but now the average high school student has knowledge far beyond that of Aristotle. How can that be? Because we live in a different era with a far greater body of knowledge—thanks in part to thinkers like Aristotle. We stand on the shoulders of giants, and thus can we see farther.
John the Baptist helped prepare the way for the coming of the Kingdom, although he would not live to see the remarkable events surrounding Jesus' death and resurrection. We are privileged to be able to look back and see, from a different vantage point, all that God has done to demonstrate his love for us. It is not enough simply to see, however; the key question is this: How will we respond to God's call? (Michael Duduit)… read more-------
WORSHIP FOR KIDS: DECEMBER 11, 2016 by Carolyn C. BrownFrom a Child's Point of View
Old Testament: Isaiah 35:1-10. This poetic prophecy makes most sense to children when set in its historic context. They need to know that the people who first heard this had been led in chains across a hot, dry desert, to live as conquered people in a foreign land. Isaiah is telling them that God will one day rescue them and lead them home. The poem is the answer to their request, "Tell us what it will be like when God rescues us." The answer is that even the weak and those with handicaps will walk, singing and dancing and in complete safety, across a blooming desert to God's city. Older children can begin to understand that just as God promised to rescue those people, God promises that one day all of us who have handicaps will be healed, the desert will bloom, and we will all live safely and happily together.
Psalm: Psalm 146:5-10 or Luke 1:47-55. Both these texts are happy lists of things God does. The psalm tells us what kinds of things God is interested in and working on. The activities are concrete and everyday, and children will understand most of them as they are read. Do explain unfamiliar phrases: "execute justice" means to provide justice; all "those who have fallen," "those who are bowed down," and "the bent" are lame; "sojourners" are not just any travelers, but the outsiders who live among us.
The Magnificat is Mary's list of the wonderful things God is doing in Jesus. It is readily understood by children, particularly when read from the Good News Bible. Children accept and appreciate Mary's delight at being chosen by God, but are as disconcerted as their elders by her celebration of the downfall of the "haves." That may make the psalm the better choice today.
Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11. When John the Baptist wanted to know if Jesus was God's promised leader, Jesus listed what he was doing. His activities matched God's promises. When this answer is read with the Old Testament texts of the day, children quickly see the comparison and realize that Jesus was saying to John, "I am what I do. And I am doing the work of the Messiah."
The details of Jesus' great compliment to John in verses 7-11 make it hard for children to understand. Since children gain little from understanding the compliment, it is not worth the effort to explain the details. Until they are older, it is enough to know that Jesus said that John was the greatest prophet ever.
Epistle: James 5: 7-11. This passage about patience is mainly for adults and those children who have personal, direct need of God's healing and rescue. Most other children do not have sense of urgency that God should keep the promises about healing which makes patience necessary.
Warning against possible misinterpretation: As children grow increasingly impatient for Christmas, this passage, taken out of context of the other readings, can be misunderstood by children as yet another insistence on patience and good behavior. "The Judge who waits at the door" sounds a lot like Santa Claus.
Watch Words
If you use the term Magnificat, explain its source and meaning.
Let the Children Sing
"Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus" describes the activities of Jesus in ways that parallel today's texts, but the language is foreign to children. To help them learn this hymn and to call adult worshipers' attention to its meaning, put one or two verses into familiar words and illustrate their meaning with local examples.
Sing the Canadian Indian version of the Christmas story, " `Twas in the Moon of Wintertime," to highlight the story from the perspective of those who often are unwelcome even in their own land. If the congregation does not respond to new hymns, ask a choir or children's class to share this as an anthem.
The Liturgical Child
1. Light the third candle of the Advent wreath for God's promise of healing and happiness. Read Isaiah 35 , or the following:
We lighted the first candle of the Advent wreath for God's promise of peace. We lighted the second candle for God's promise of justice. Today we light the third candle, for God's promise of healing and happiness. All people everywhere want to be healthy, safe, and happy. As we light it, we remember those who are sick and need God's physical healing; those who are unwelcome where they must live, and work, and go to school; and those for whom life is filled with danger. God has promised that one day, all of us will dance and sing happily together.
2. Invite five readers (perhaps older children or youths) to read Isaiah 35 in topical sections, as if they were Isaiah, announcing God's promises to captured people. Practice with readers for clear, enthuasistic readings.
Reader 1: verses 1-2 (Nature will bloom.)
Reader 2: verses 3-4 (tell the weak and frightened that God is coming.)
Reader 3: verses 5-6a (Those with handicaps will be healed.)
Reader 4: verses 6a-7 (The desert will bloom.)
Reader 5: verses 8-10 (On God's Way—no hurt at all.)
The congregation responds to these promises by reading Psalm 146:5-10 in unison. The New Revised Standard Version offers an inclusive translation in which many lines begin: "The Lord." Young readers will be able to follow along if these lines are printed one below the other, emphasizing the shared first words.
3. Use Psalm 146:7-10 as an outline for prayer. Read each description of what the Lord does, then pray for people in need of that help, and/or the work of the church in that area. For example;
The Lord lifts those who are bowed down.
O Lord, we remember this morning those who cannot walk. We remember those who have suffered diseases and accidents that left them in wheelchairs. We remember the children in war zones whose legs have been blown off by land mines. And we remember those whose bones no longer support them in their old age. Help us find ways to join you in lifting them up. Be with the doctors who seek cures and rehabilitation. Be with those who support the lame in living full lives in spite of handicaps. Be with those who wait patiently for your promise that one day we will all dance together in your kingdom.
One person can lead this prayer; or two people can lead, one reading the lines of the psalm, the other responding with related prayers.
Sermon Resources
1. When John's disciples asked Jesus who he was, he told them to look at what he did. Challenge worshipers of all ages to consider how what they do says who they are. To spur their thinking, describe a day in the life of a household of people of different ages, doing as Jesus did: children befriend the lonely, teens and adults are involved in volunteer work, and all look out for one another. A similar story could be told about a week in the life of your congregation. Stress the possibilities for working with God to make the Advent promises come true.
2. Point out the serpent on a Tau Cross chrismon ornament. Briefly, tell the story of God's healing people bitten by snakes. Compare this symbol to the medical symbol. (Have a poster or plaque with the medical symbol on it. A physician in the congregation may have one to loan.) Explore the church's healing ministry as sharing in God's Advent work.… read more-------
WORSHIP CONNECTION: DECEMBER 11, 2016 by Nancy C. TownleyThird Sunday of Advent
COLOR: Blue or Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 35:1-10; Luke 1:47-55; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1:
L: Today there is good news for us to behold!
P: Those who feared that they were worth little to God have found blessing in God’s sight.
L: For in the mercy and love of God, the blind shall see, the lame shall walk without pain, those who could not hear shall be blessed with hearing, and there shall be peace.
P: God’s mercy and love is poured out for our parched souls.
L: Behold! The Lord’s compassion is with God’s people.
P: Believe in the power of God in all things. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2:
L: The earth was parched and dried.
P: The mercy of God caused it to become a pool of nourishing water.
L: The people were fearful and doubted God’s love.
P: God showered God’s blessings continually on them.
L: The wonder of God’s love is a healing balm to all God’s people.
P: Thanks be to God who provides for us. Behold! Our God is with us. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3:
[Using THE UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL, p. 210, “Toda la Tierra (All Earth Is Waiting),” offer the following call to worship as directed.]
Choir: singing verse 1 of “Toda la Tierra”
L: We are ready, O Lord, to behold the presence of your spirit among us.
P: Bless our spirits with openness and joy!
L: We have come on this journey seeking hope and peace.
P: You, O Lord, have poured your spirit on us!
Choir: singing verse 2 of “Toda la Tierra”
L: Justice and peace shall be brought to all God’s people.
P: No more shall fear and doubt claim us.
L: God is fulfilling the ancient promise of a Savior.
P: Our hearts rejoice at this good news of God’s love. AMEN.
Call to Worship #4:
L: Be patient! Wait and Watch for the Lord is drawing near to us.
P: We have gathered here this day to hear the good news and to gather strength for the times to come.
L: Be at peace with one another.
P: Let love and wisdom prevail.
L: Open your hearts and souls to God’s healing word.
P: Lord, touch our hearts. Teach us to patiently listen for your words of love. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY/READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
O Lord, you know the deserts and the parched places in our lives. We seek your healing power. Lead us on this Advent journey to the place of new birth and to the place of our redemption; for we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
The Lighting of the Advent Candle: The Candle of Faith: Behold and Believe!
Reader 1:
Blessing upon blessing has been showered upon us by God.
Reader 2:
The lame shall walk; the blind shall see; the deaf shall hear.
Reader 3:
There will be peace and hope in God’s land.
Reader 4:
Be of good courage. Behold! God is blessing and redeeming us!
Today we light three candles. The first is the candle of Patience, reminding us to watch and wait for what God is about to do. [Light the first candle]
The second candle is the candle of Readiness, enabling us to look at our lives, to get rid of all those things that keep us from God, to change our ways and live as God would have us live. [The second candle is lighted]
The third candle is the candle of Faith, through which we behold the love and mercy of God and believe in God’s presence with us. [The third candle is lighted]
Reader 1:
Come, see the lights. Let their brightness fill you.
Reader 2:
Come, feel the warmth of the lights. Let them give you comfort.
Reader 3:
Come, draw near to the lights, for God is breaking through to you.
Reader 4:
Come, rejoice in the lights, God is with us!
Prayer of Confession
Patient Lord, forgive our lack of faith in your loving power. We look around us and all that we see is what we don’t have. We fail to notice the daily blessings you lavish upon us. Clear our blindness to the needs of others. Strengthen us and move us from lame excuses for not serving you. Help us to truly listen to one another, not with our pat answers ready, but with loving and generous hearts. Heal us and make us ready to truly be your disciples. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Behold and believe in the wondrous power and love of God! It is poured out for you and for God’s beloved world. Rejoice in this good news, for it is given especially to you. AMEN.
Pastoral Prayer
Lord of delight and surprises, you come to us each day with opportunity, love, support. You pour your blessings on us, reminding us of your compassionate presence with us. Help us to be people of loving service. Help us to see the ways in which you enter our lives and enable us to serve you by serving your people. As we have come to you this day, bringing our concerns for healing and hope, remind us that you are with us all and that your healing mercies are given. Give us the courage to be faithful stewards of your creation and bring us together with one another in celebration and service. Lift us up, bring us forward, give us peace. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN.
Reading:
[Using THE UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL, p. 218, “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” offer the following reading as directed.]
CHOIR: singing verses 1 and 2 of “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
Reader 1:
That song sounds so sweet! Why can’t I be comfortable with those words of angels bending near the earth to touch their harps of gold? This world is such a dark place where hatred, violence, and war abound. Mistrust and hostility are the ways in which most people live. Even the people we should be able to trust fall short of the mark. Where is the sweetness and comfort of God?
Voice:
It is here--that sweetness and comfort--but you need to look about you. Look around. See these people? They are the sweetness--even in their stressful lives--they are beloved by God, just as you are. There are angels who bring to us words of comfort. They act in silent ways--not with loud trumpets to proclaim their presence, but with a gentle touch, an encouraging word. Do not fear. God is with us.
Choir: singing verses 3 and 4 of “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
Reader 2:
These words are wonderful, but life is more of an uphill climb and crushing load than the sweet songs of the angelic host. It’s tough out there in the world. Everybody wants something from everybody else. Compassion and fair play are rarely seen these days. It’s a hard-knock life, to quote a musical; you get as good as you give. You have to grab for everything. Life is crushing us all the time. Look at this season; it is supposed to be happiness and joy; and yet, how many of these people are fighting not to dissolve into tears, to feel the losses and pressures, to not be jolly all the time? It’s not easy.
Voice:
Life can be difficult, that’s true, but we are not in this alone. In the midst of the difficulties, the trials and tribulations, God is with us--sometimes lifting us, sometimes carrying us, sometimes bringing us opportunities for calmness and service. Listen to God. Open your heart to all the good possibilities for love and help that surround you each day. Can you reach out to someone else who is having a hard time? Can you offer your time to care for someone? Can you take time to just look at the world, at the beauty of creation? Can you take time to be present to God? Slow down a little. Do not make life such a rush and crush. You are beloved and important to God. Treat yourself as a beloved one. Be patient. Be helpful. Believe in all the goodness, for it is within you and around you.
CONGREGATION: singing verse 1 of “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear”
Benediction
Let the love of God flow into your hearts. Believe in the power of God to change your life. Behold the goodness of God in creation and in others. Be at peace and celebrate God’s good news. AMEN.
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional color for this season is PURPLE; however, I prefer BLUE, the alternate color.
The theme for this third Sunday of Advent is: BEHOLD AND BELIEVE!
We are so caught up in the rush to Christmas festivities that we fail to notice the wondrous ways in which God is present in our lives. We often believe that God’s blessings are reserved for the holy and righteous--and never number ourselves among them. Yet, in the story of Mary, we learn that God works through God’s people--God’s regular, ordinary people--we just have to say “yes!” to God’s loving presence. Today is a day to behold the wonders that are wrought in the name of God.
An interesting approach might be to move from darkness into light. In the light of that idea, I am suggesting a layering of fabric, beginning with the darkest blue, dark navy blue, for the first Sunday of Advent, and then adding a royal blue for Advent 2, medium blue for Advent 3, and pale blue (Mary’s color) for Advent 4. White will be used for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day/Christmastide.
Because Advent and Christmas traditions vary in all congregations, you may want to make major alterations to the following suggestions. I will be going with the themes of Advent 1: Watch and Wait; Advent 2: Prepare!; Advent 3: Behold/Believe; Advent 4: Rejoice; and Christmas Eve/Christmas Day: Celebrate!
If you are using Advent candles, you might consider using pillar candles--three medium blue candles about 6-8” high and one pink 6-8” high pillar candle. Place two of the blue candles on one side of the center riser and a blue and the pink candle on the other side. You may want to place risers so that these candles are elevated.
SURFACE:
Place an 8” riser on the center of the worship table, toward the back. Place two risers about 6” high on the worship center, to the right and left but about 6” in front of the center riser; place a bench or floor riser in front of the worship center. Optional: You may place other risers as needed, but make sure that the center riser is not obscured by any other risers.
FABRIC:
The entire worship area, including all risers, should be covered with the dark navy blue fabric, making sure that the fabric puddles to the floor in front of the worship center. Royal blue fabric was added last week on each side of the worship table. Each strip of fabric should be about 4 yards long and about 30” wide. This week we add the medium blue strips of fabric, moving in from the edge of the royal blue toward the center. Make sure that you leave a significant border of the royal blue so that the color movement can easily be seen. [The eventual effect will be darker fabric on the outside, moving toward the lighter and eventually white fabric in the center of the worship table. So the color range will appear as follows: dark navy blue - royal blue - medium blue - light blue - white - light blue - medium blue - royal blue - dark navy blue.]
CANDLES:
See the section on lighting the Advent candles. If you are using a separate wreath, not placed on the worship center, you may still use the liturgy for lighting the candles.
FLOWERS/FOLIAGE:
Because the lectionary for this week includes Mary’s Magnificat, you might want to consider placing a single pink rose in the center of the worship table. I would lay the rose down rather than place it in a vase.
ROCKS/WOOD:
The wood that you placed on the worship center last week should be removed.
OTHER:
This will depend on the theme you have chosen.… read more-------
DECEMBER 11, 2016 - PATIENCE! GOD IS IN CONTROL by William H. WillimonPULPIT RESOURCE
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Welcome to the new Pulpit Resource from Will Willimon. For over three decades Pulpit Resource helps preachers prepare to preach. Now in partnership with Abingdon Press, this homiletical weekly is available with fresh and timely accessibility to a new generation of preachers.
No sermon is a solo production. Every preacher relies on inherited models, mentors in the preacher’s past, commentaries on biblical texts by people who have given their lives to such study, comments received from members of the congregation, last week’s news headlines, and all the other things that make a sermon communal.
No Christian does anything on their own. We live through the witness of the saints; preachers of the past inspire us and judge us. Scripture itself is a product of the community of faith. A host of now-forgotten teachers taught us how to speak. Nobody is born a preacher.
Pulpit Resource is equivalent to sitting down with a trusted clergy friend over a cup of coffee and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Whenever I’ve been asked by new preachers, “How can I develop as a preacher?” my usual response is, “Get in a group of preachers. Meet regularly. Learn how to give and how to receive help. Sort through the advice of others, and utilize helpful insights.”
That’s Pulpit Resource.
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Ministry Matters: "Preaching on race | Undocumented immigrants & sanctuary churches | 7 signs of healthy empowerment" in Nashville, Tennessee, United States for Monday, 28 November 2016-------
Preaching on race: Theology rather than anthropology by William H. WillimonThis article is featured in the How Race, Gender, and Other Diversities Affect Your Ministry (Nov/Dec/Jan 2016-17) issue of Circuit RiderPreachers talk about God, a subject more interesting than our aches and pains, a higher calling than wasting time in the pulpit talking about sex, balance, anxiety, stress, meaning in life, a positive self-image, or other drivel with which the gospel is unconcerned.
Much of my church family wallows in the mire of anthropological morals, therapeutic deism, a “god” whom the modern world has robbed of all agency, an ineffective idol who allegedly cares but never gets around to doing anything. Such a “god” is an idol who is inadequate to the challenge of our racism.
Ta-Nehisi Coates begins his riveting Between the World and Me by announcing that he is an atheist.[1] Between the World and Me is an honest but brutal, sorrowing, eloquent, hopeless lament over the intractability of American racism. Coates castigates those African Americans who speak of hope and forgiveness. The thoughtful approach to racism is to bow to its invincibility.
Eschewing metaphysics or any possibility of God, Coates is unable to plumb the depths of racist evil. He says that for those like him who “reject divinity,” “there is no arc . . . we are night travelers on a great tundra . . . the only work that will matter, will be the work done by us.” Coates’s despair is justified: facing racism without God—with no hope but the work “done by us”—is hopeless. Then he equivocates, saying, “Or perhaps not.”[2]
Christians answer to a theological vocation whereby we must demonstrate to an unbelieving world, by our little lives and in our pitiful churches, that in spite of us there is nevertheless hope because God is able. Jesus has promised that he will give us the Holy Spirit to teach us lessons we are unable to learn on our own and remind us of the truth we are prone to forget (John 14:26).
As I said in a sermon, Jesus loves us enough to expect not only love but fruit.
On his way to the cross, Jesus pauses to curse a fig tree (Mark 11:12-14). Walking past a fig tree in leaf, he notes that the tree bears no fruit. Mark comments that “it wasn’t the season for figs” (Mark 11:13 CEB). Refusing to praise the tree’s foliage, Jesus curses the tree.
Why curse a tree for having no figs when it’s not the season for fruit?
The next day the fig tree that Jesus cursed—even though it was not the season for fruit—had withered. Better pray for fruit, because if you’re unfruitful (in spite of the season) Jesus will curse.
A district superintendent told me about a church that was, like most United Methodist churches, comprised mostly of older folks. A member’s granddaughter brought a friend with her to church—a friend of a different race from everybody else in the congregation.
The next week the grandmother received a call from a fellow member of the congregation. “I hope that your granddaughter will not bring her little friend back next Sunday. It’s not that I am prejudiced, it’s just that I am sure the child and her family would be happier elsewhere.”
The little girl never visited the church again, nor did the grandmother or her granddaughter. They got the message: it’s not the season for harvesting fruit.
Less than one year after this event, the superintendent had the melancholy task of announcing that church’s closure.
“Jesus isn’t nice to a church that refuses to be his church,” said the superintendent, shaking her head in sorrow.
But it’s not the season for figs! And isn’t the purpose of the church and its ministry to care for our members and their needs?
Jesus implies that no fig tree is planted for shade. “You will know them by their fruit” (Matt 7:16 CEB).
My denomination is over 90 percent white.[3] We halfheartedly tried to solve on a general church level the problem of racism that is most effectively addressed within the local congregation. Our bishops issued pronouncements on race rather than encouraging individual pastors to preach on race.
As Jesus and his disciples walk past the dead tree, Jesus urges, “Have faith in God!” explicitly relating fruitfulness to faithfulness (Mark 11:22 CEB).
Why would Jesus demand fruit, even in an age when a conversation about race is “out of season”? He must have faith in us to believe that with his help, we could become fruitful.
Do we lack faith that Jesus can make us fruitful?
Preachers are not permitted to acquiesce to our own racism or to that of our congregations because God in Christ has not given up on us. We preach about race as those who believe we have seen as much of God as we hope to see in his world when we look upon a brown-skinned Jew from Nazareth. To us has been given the truth about God—truth that we, through our faithful words and deeds, are commanded to hand over to the world.[4]Creation begins with a God who preaches to the formless void: “God said . . .” (Gen 1:3 CEB). The re-creation of God’s fallen creation begins with this:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to preach good news to the poor,
to proclaim release to the prisoners
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to liberate the oppressed. (Luke 4:18 CEB)
Christ is more than a model for better preaching; he is the unsubstitutable agent of proclamation. We don’t work alone. Christ wants us to succeed at our evangelistic task, helping us even in our weakness to be fruitful. “My Father is still working, and I am working too” (John 5:17 CEB). Our assignment as preachers is to invite, cajole, and welcome people into “the kingdom he has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races,” as we say in our Service of Baptism.[5] Preaching works because Jesus Christ—in the power of the Holy Spirit, determined to get back what belongs to God—works.
Will Willimon is professor of the practice of Christian ministry at Duke Divinity School and retired bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church. This article is excerpted from his book Who Lynched Willie Earle? (coming in February 2017 from Abingdon Press).
[1]. Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me (New York: Random House, 2015), 48. How can Coates be sure that his atheism, which he presents as an act of intellectual rebellion, is not capitulation to the mores of white supremacy?
[2]. Coates interview quoted by Benjamin Watson with Ken Peterson, Under Our Skin: Getting Real About Race—And Getting Free from the Fears and Frustrations That Divide Us (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 2015), 165.
[3]. See the depressing truth on mainline Protestant racial diversity: Michael Lipka, “The Most and Least Racially Diverse U.S. Religious Groups,” Pew Research Center, July 27, 2015.
[4]. James Cone says that “the norm of Black theology must take seriously two realities . . . the liberation of Blacks and the revelation of Jesus Christ.” James H. Cone, A Black Theology of Liberation, 2nd ed. (Maryknoll, NY: Orbis, 1986), 37.
5. The Baptismal Covenant I
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Should churches offer sanctuary to undocumented immigrants? by Shane RaynorBigstock/digitalista
It’s hard to believe it’s been over 16 years since six-year-old Elian Gonzalez was seized from his Miami relatives by federal agents and returned to his father in Cuba. At the time, the big dilemma was whether to send a child back to a Communist dictatorship where he could be used as a trophy by the Castro regime or allow him to live in freedom in Miami but separated from his father, who remained in Cuba. (Elian’s mother died crossing the Florida Straits after escaping from the island with him.) In the end, keeping a child and his father together took precedence over everything else. Elian returned home and was reunited with his dad.
Apparently keeping families together is not as much of a priority when the child is a U.S. citizen whose father is in the country illegally.
That’s what’s happening with Javier Flores, who recently moved into Arch Street United Methodist Church in Philadelphia to avoid being kicked out of the United States. Flores has been deported numerous times since first entering the country in 1997. ICE agents raided his home in 2015 and he spent 15 months in a correctional facility before being returned to his family to prepare for deportation. He was allowed 90 days to make arrangements, but was required to wear an electronic ankle monitor. On the last day before being deported, he sought sanctuary at the church.
I’m concerned that this case is going to turn into yet another liberal vs. conservative, Democratic vs. Republican, right vs. left and evangelical vs. mainline battle of wills. The reality is so much more complicated than that.
The truth is, we have a terribly broken system. It’s virtually impossible to legally immigrate to the United States, yet it’s not that hard to get into the country and work, whether it’s with fake documentation or in the underground economy. And the 14th Amendment guarantees birthright citizenship to any child born on American soil. So if the government deports those who came here illegally, it either splits up families or deports children who are U.S. citizens. That’s not a great choice to have to make!
But blanket amnesty without addressing other issues is a sure guarantee that the crisis will continue to snowball. And open borders aren’t tenable for a number of reasons, including the possibility of terrorism, an increase in the amount of illegal substances entering the country and our economy’s inability to adjust to the impact.
Conservative purists contend that undocumented immigrants broke the law entering the country, so if they’re deported and separated from their families, it’s their own fault.
Fair enough. But would you want to be the one to raid a house, arrest a father or mother in front of their kids and take them away, knowing they might never see each other again? I’d never do that. You couldn’t pay me enough to do it.
For American Christians, our heavenly citizenship takes priority over our earthly one. If a person who's in the country illegally isn’t a violent criminal and the letter of the law requires separating that person from their children, then there’s a problem with the law.
That's why churches are stepping in as a stopgap solution. But providing sanctuary won’t ultimately solve our country's immigration problems.
If the church is going to help fix immigration, we’re going to have to come together, blur the dividing lines between political parties and ideologies and lobby for some practical solutions. We’ll probably need to help the politicians in Washington see the light. No one will get everything they want.
But until it’s fixed, we’re likely going to see more churches doing what Arch Street UMC is doing. And if enough congregations follow their lead while adding a healthy dose of prayer and putting pressure on Congress, the immigration crisis in the U.S. will be resolved in short order.
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7 signs of healthy empowerment by Ron EdmondsonBigstock/PixelsAway
Empowering other people on the team to be leaders — it’s called delegation — is critical to a successful church or organization. Every leader talks about delegation, but few truly empower others to be leaders. It’s a frustration I hear frequently from staff members of churches.
Frankly, as one with a strength (StrengthsFinder 2.0) of command, I can easily take over if no one else takes the lead. It takes discipline as a leader but I want to create an environment of healthy empowerment. I want to lead a church which produces leaders – disciples who actually make disciples.
But, how do you know whether healthy empowerment is occurring?
I don’t know if we can follow a script, but perhaps there are some principles which need to be in place to know we are creating cultures conducive to empowerment.
Here are seven signs I look for in healthy empowerment:
(This is written from the perspective of those being empowered — you being the one empowering.)
1. Confidence is conveyed.
They know you believe they can do the job. They aren’t questioning your belief in or support of them. People are less likely to take risks if they feel you will always second-guess them.
2. Expectations are clearly communicated.
They know what a win looks like in your eyes and what is required of them to complete the task. You’ve not left them guessing. You stay available to them through the process if questions arise.
3. Authority has been granted.
They have the power to script the path to accomplishment. They don’t need to "check in" for approval on every decision they make.
4. Permission to fail is assured.
They know if it doesn’t work they will be encouraged to try again. You won’t hold it against them and you can learn together to improve the next time.
5. Resources are adequate.
They have the training, tools and people to accomplish the task — including your support.
6. Their back is protected
They know their decisions will be backed by senior leadership – by you. If the complainers rise – which they will – you will be there to defend their efforts.
7. Recognition is shared.
They know they won’t do all the work for you — or someone else — to get the credit. They will be adequately appreciated for their work.
Consider your process of delegation. Consider my list.
How are you doing?
Ron Edmondson blogs at RonEdmondson.com.
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3 secret reasons to be grateful. Even when you're not
By Rebekah Simon-PeterBigstock/Scanrail
True confessions: I’m a recovering worrier. I can worry at the drop of a hat. I do some of my best work in the middle of the night. When a problem gets resolved, my mind naturally searches for the next thing that could possibly go wrong so that I can get a head start. Worry beads would be wasted on me. I need boulders.
As bad as that may sound, I’m not as bad as I used to be. I’ve made progress. I’ve got more peace of mind, more calm and equanimity, a more positive outlook on life. What’s made the difference? Gratitude.
As a Christian, I used to be very suspicious of gratitude. It seemed a frivolous luxury when there were still people in need, still problems to be solved and messes still to be cleaned up. Gratitude seemed better left for carefree atheists or Unitarians or some such people. For me, a Jewish-Christian, worry equaled caring.
Gratitude has changed that for me. Even so, I can still lapse into guilt at the holidays, what with its focus on thanksgiving and joy. Is it really okay to feel grateful… even with people going to bed hungry, even with the globe warming, even with Donald Trump soon to enter the Oval Office? If you’re like me, you may wonder: What’s a worrier to do?
I thought this would be a good time to reveal the three secret reasons to be grateful. Even if you’re not. Especially if you’re not.
Gratitude grows faith. In Philippians 4:4-7, the Apostle Paul famously addressed the worriers at Philippi. “Rejoice!” he insists. “Again I say rejoice!” Why the command to rejoice? When we lace our prayers with gratitude, we create a protective shield against the corrosive power of fear. Fear is the basis of worry. While worry paralyzes, gratitude grows faith.
Is everything going right in the world? Or in your church? Sure doesn’t seem like it! But worry and fear do nothing to change that. Instead, maintaining a connection with the limitless flow of divine love protects us and empowers us.
Gratitude shifts perspective. Worry and fear generate more worry and fear. Gratitude opens up the door to new ways of thinking. Sometimes I play the game of thanking God for things that I think are unjust, unfair, or just plain unwanted. Like my dear neighbor getting cancer. Or my insomnia, even when I go to bed at a decent hour. Or the election of a president I voted against.
Fair warning: It’s not easy expressing gratitude for things you don’t want. I feel fake and self-conscious doing it. But I do it anyway and my synapses get re-arranged. Worry moves aside. A new opening appears as I ask: Could anything good come from this situation?
The answer is yes. It’s always yes.
Now the yeses were there before I thanked God, but expressing gratitude for situations I didn’t want allows me to see them. For instance, in the case of my neighbor with cancer, my prayer prompted me to have a different kind of conversation with her. In the process, I discovered that she had reconciled with her brother, and adopted a stray cat. Who knew? I wouldn’t have known that. Likewise, sleepless nights prompt me to pray and mediate; things I don’t do enough of during the day. Even Trump’s election has prompted all sorts of people to better make their voices be heard.
Here’s what it comes down to: Pre-gratitude, all I can see is the bad. Post-gratitude, I can see the good that is also transpiring. It changes my perspective and expands my awareness.
Gratitude empowers. Finally, gratitude jolts me out of resignation. When I give thanks for the things I’m not thankful for, not only are my heart and mind protected from corrosive fear; not only can I see potential good in every situation; I am empowered to act in a way that brings even more goodness into the world.
At a recent church meeting, a group of leaders stopped to pray in the middle of a worrisome situation. As a result, new ideas came to mind. One of the women who had been very quiet, and very worried, began to smile tentatively, then more broadly. “I know!” she said. “Here’s what I think we could do.” She surfaced an idea that got good support, and the group moved into action. As a result, $12,000 was raised to support a family in need.
The world isn’t a perfect place. Not everything goes the way we would like it to. But that’s no reason to be immobilized by fear. Take it from me, a recovering worrier. Gratitude opens the way to faith, goodness and action. Try it this holiday season. Even if you’re not grateful. Especially if you’re not grateful.
Rebekah Simon-Peter blogs at rebekahsimonpeter.com. She is the author of The Jew Named Jesus and Green Church.
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A season of preparation By Rose TaylorBigstock/Ondrooo
Christians today (especially those who follow the liturgical calendar) observe the season of Advent as a time of expectation, preparation and celebration leading up to Christmas or Christmastide. Many may be surprised to know that the original observance of the Advent season had nothing to do with Christmas!
The word Advent means “coming” and is derived from the Latin word adventus, a translation of the Greek word parousia. In the fourth and fifth centuries Advent was a season of preparation — not for Christmas but for baptisms that would take place at Epiphany. It was a season (40 days) of fasting, prayer and penance. Roman Christians in the sixth century began to tie the season of Advent to the second coming of Christ. It was not until the Middle Ages that Advent was celebrated in anticipation of Christmas.
In the modern-church era, Advent is a memorial of Christ’s first coming and an anticipation of the kingdom to come. In fact, the first two Sundays of Advent point to the return of Christ in judgment while the last two Sundays remember his first coming into the world.
Reflection
Advent is intended to be a time of reflection, penance, fasting and praying. Ironically, the weeks leading up to Christmas are filled with parties, food and shopping. The secular commercialism of Christmas, which begins even before Thanksgiving, can distract the faithful from taking time to reflect during this holy season.
Amid the activities of the season, reflect on the Scriptures for each week in Advent. Also, reflect each day of the week on the themes for each Sunday: hope, peace, joy and love.
Reflection often prompts one to action, and many wonderful gifts of kindness and compassion are expressed during the season of Advent. After all, during the first Advent, God gifted the world with a Savior and Jesus gifted the world with salvation. The second Advent promises eternity with Christ for those who receive his gift of salvation.
Question of the day: What events have you expected and prepared for with celebration?
Focal scriptures: Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 1:20-25; Luke 1:41-45
Isaiah 9:5 (6) For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us;
dominion will rest on his shoulders,
and he will be given the name
Pele-Yo‘etz El Gibbor
Avi-‘Ad Sar-Shalom
[Wonder of a Counselor, Mighty God,
Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace],
6 (7) in order to extend the dominion
and perpetuate the peace
of the throne and kingdom of David,
to secure it and sustain it
through justice and righteousness
henceforth and forever.
The zeal of Adonai-Tzva’ot
will accomplish this.
7 (8) Adonai sent a word to Ya‘akov,
and it has fallen on Isra’el.
Matthew 1:20 But while he was thinking about this, an angel of Adonai appeared to him in a dream and said, “Yosef, son of David, do not be afraid to take Miryam home with you as your wife; for what has been conceived in her is from the Ruach HaKodesh. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Yeshua, [which means ‘Adonai saves,’] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this happened in order to fulfill what Adonai had said through the prophet,
23 “The virgin will conceive and bear a son,
and they will call him ‘Immanu El.”[Matthew 1:23 Isaiah 7:14]
(The name means, “God is with us.”)
24 When Yosef awoke he did what the angel of Adonai had told him to do — he took Miryam home to be his wife, 25 but he did not have sexual relations with her until she had given birth to a son, and he named him Yeshua.
Luke 1:41 When Elisheva heard Miryam’s greeting, the baby in her womb stirred. Elisheva was filled with the Ruach HaKodesh 42 and spoke up in a loud voice,
“How blessed are you among women!
And how blessed is the child in your womb!
43 “But who am I, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! 45 Indeed you are blessed, because you have trusted that the promise Adonai has made to you will be fulfilled.”
For a complete lesson on this topic visit LinC.
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Fuller Theological Seminary students want a sanctuary campus
By Kirkland An / Religion News ServicePhoto courtesy of Bobak Ha'Eri via Wikimedia Commons
(RNS) Fuller Theological Seminary has joined a growing list of schools where administrators are being pressed by students, alumni and faculty for designation as a sanctuary campus.
In the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election as president, some campuses are considering the moniker “sanctuary campus,” which generally means that the university will not willingly give the government information about their students, staff or faculty who are undocumented immigrants.
During his campaign, Trump vowed to deport an estimated 11 million foreigners. Since his election victory, he has said he would immediately deport 2 million to 3 million undocumented immigrants who have been convicted of crimes.
Should the leadership of Fuller Theological Seminary adopt the policy changes that the petition requests, it would be one of the first religious institutions to become a sanctuary campus.
Administrators at Fuller couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.
The evangelical Fuller is the largest seminary in the country, with 1,542 full-time enrolled students during the 2015-16 academic year, according to the Association of Theological Schools.
The Pasadena, Calif., school has produced famous evangelical leaders, including the founder of Mars Hill Church in Michigan, Rob Bell; author and theologian John Piper; and the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ, Bill Bright.
In a letter to the president, students, faculty and alumni petitioned on Monday (Nov. 21) for the school to refuse to comply with immigration officials if they come to deport undocumented members of their community. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 680 students, faculty and alumni had signed the petition.
In addition, they requested that the seminary publicly declare “Fuller’s support for and protection of undocumented students, staff, and their families.”
Other campuses, such as Wesleyan University in Connecticut and Cal Tech, have adopted the term “sanctuary campus.” Still others are circulating similar petitions and have held demonstrations, trying to get their administrations to identify their institutions as sanctuary campuses. Harvard, Yale and Columbia are among such colleges where that status is being sought.
Even if a school does not comply with immigration officials, the chancellor of Cal Tech suggested in an article in the Los Angeles Times that the government may be able to force the school to cooperate. In addition, a Trump administration, with backing from Congress, could threaten to withhold federal funding for colleges.
The Fuller petition states, “Jesus Christ commanded us to love God and neighbor — thus as Christians we are called to seek the wellbeing of all people, particularly those who are poor, marginalized, discriminated against, and mistreated.”
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Work is a great vehicle for mentoring teens
By Matt OvertonBigstock/auremar
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, people in youth ministry began to sense a shift. Teenagers seemed different. The old stuff wasn’t working any longer. The luster of the Christian music industry was beginning to fade. You could even feel the change at some of the major youth conferences — something was amiss.
Then in 2005, Christian Smith released his book Soul Searching and revealed what many youth workers already knew — that the model of placing students in isolated, couch-lined rooms with “relevant” messages wasn’t producing the robust Christian faith we were aiming for.
Instead, it was producing what Smith referred to as “moralistic therapeutic deism,” a kind of pseudo-Christian faith of niceness and good values that largely withered and died when the students left summer camps and youth centers behind.
Around the same time, Chap Clark, in his book Hurt: Inside the World of Today’s Teenagers, laid out how important it is for students to be in relationship with multiple significant adults.
These two ideas contributed to an important shift within youth ministry to an intergenerational model, resulting in new ministry ventures such as Orange, Fuller Theological Seminary’s Sticky Faith and D6.
But it hasn’t been perfect. Though many churches now include kids in adult worship and have re-emphasized the importance of parents in shaping the faith lives of their teenagers (as opposed to a 20-something male youth pastor who looks good driving a Jeep), they have struggled to figure out how to get teens and adults in relationships that are both consistent and natural.
In my own church, we have found that it’s relatively easy to create multigenerational events, in which people of different ages inhabit the same space. But it’s quite difficult to create intergenerational events, in which teens and adults actually interact on a level relational playing field.
Many students don’t like the idea of having a mentor; others simply don’t have the time. Potential mentors may be intimidated by teenagers. The teen and adult worlds have been so successfully dissociated in our culture that the adults often haven’t the foggiest idea as to what they might discuss with teens.
So how do we bridge this gap? A promising way forward is the medium of work — in particular, projects of “missional entrepreneurship” that bring together adults and teens in mutual sacrifice and sweat for the common good.
At my church, we have two ministry ventures that engage teenagers from our church and around our county. One is a landscaping company that directly employs teenagers and pairs them with mentors. It also includes a training component that ties together principles of thriving in life and work.
The second program offers the same guidance and mentoring, but without direct employment. Instead, students earn a certificate for completing the training and are guaranteed an interview with a local business. We commit to getting them through the door; they have to secure the employment.
What we’ve discovered in doing this kind of ministry is that the best intergenerational relationships are created when there is a tangible, common project.
I first observed this on mission trips with students 10 years ago. Mission work doesn’t necessarily involve a lot of intentional mentoring, but it does involve innumerable opportunities for teens to observe adults in action.
And really, that is part of the project of adolescence. Teenagers prefer semi-autonomous space, where they can watch adults other than their parents or guardians from a bit of a distance.
I also noticed that conversations between students and adults sprang up more naturally on our mission trips. When you work on a task, your mind wanders. You can only be so focused on hammering the next nail or serving the next scoop of food, and the other stuff you are thinking tends to leak out into conversation with your co-workers — whoever they are. The task seems to function as a kind of confessional wall. It provides a veil of activity-based semi-anonymity that allows our guard to come down.
The other experience that sparked the idea that mentoring could be more natural was when our team hosted its first training on personal goal setting. All the participants — about seven adults and seven students — had binders they used to work on their personal goals.
What we unintentionally created was a level playing field. It was fascinating to listen to the conversations. A 60-something retired airline pilot shared his thoughts about the future. Teens talked about the pressure and stress of trying to get into college. A couple of young people said they needed to make money to help their struggling families.
It was some of the most equal sharing between adults and teens that I have ever seen. And as the adults and students have moved forward, the binders and goals have continued to be something they can talk about.
The growing edge of what we are doing now is helping the mentors learn to link personal goals to the life of faith. There are many points of deep intersection between work life and faith. We’re talking about recovering from mistakes, accepting grace, taking risks versus playing it safe, resolving conflict, extending forgiveness, helping our neighbors, striving to achieve versus learning to be content.
It’s not always easy to talk about. Our mentors are the products of an American church culture that has struggled to find the theological vocabulary to link faith life (private) with professional life (public). As we move forward, we’re trying to figure out how to equip our mentors so their faith can speak powerfully to the working world.
Teens need more spaces to observe and interact with adults — and vice versa. By offering opportunities for these groups to work together, the church can help teenage followers of Christ and adult followers of Christ pursue the Jesus way on mutual and equal terms. And isn’t that our common project?
This was first published in Faith & Leadership.
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Just give it one more year
By Christian AlstedBigstock/Freila
Luke 13:6-17 (CEB)
6 Jesus told this parable: “A man owned a fig tree planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 He said to his gardener, ‘Look, I’ve come looking for fruit on this fig tree for the past three years, and I’ve never found any. Cut it down! Why should it continue depleting the soil’s nutrients?’ 8 The gardener responded, ‘Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. 9 Maybe it will produce fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.’”
Healing on a Sabbath
10 Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. 11 A woman was there who had been disabled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and couldn’t stand up straight. 12 When he saw her, Jesus called her to him and said, “Woman, you are set free from your sickness.” 13 He placed his hands on her and she straightened up at once and praised God.
14 The synagogue leader, incensed that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, responded, “There are six days during which work is permitted. Come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath day.”
15 The Lord replied, “Hypocrites! Don’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from its stall and lead it out to get a drink? 16 Then isn’t it necessary that this woman, a daughter of Abraham, bound by Satan for eighteen long years, be set free from her bondage on the Sabbath day?” 17 When he said these things, all his opponents were put to shame, but all those in the crowd rejoiced at all the extraordinary things he was doing.
My wife Elisabeth loves figs. When we get into fig season in the early fall, we will have figs at least once a week, in salads or for dessert. She just can't get enough. And yes, we have a fig tree in our garden; it is four feet tall, but we are expecting a great harvest in four to five years. We will be looking for at least enough for a couple of desserts.
A man had a fig tree planted in the fertile soil of his vineyard. The problem was, there was no fruit. He had come looking for fruit on his fig tree for three years in a row and found none. Everything has a limit, and I am sure my wife would agree. What good is a fig tree without any figs?
There is a limit to the patience of God as well. This cannot continue; a people that turns its back on him and doesn’t carry any fruit has no future.
I have been part of closing churches quite a few times, and I don’t like it. As a district superintendent I closed my mother’s church, the church I became part of when I was young, and where I had important spiritual experiences. We gave thanks for all the blessings and all the ministry through the years, but on the inside I was crying. I was mourning.
I know all the good reasons why a church cannot continue, and I don’t blame the few faithful people who make the decision to discontinue the ministry. However, I am painfully aware that when we close down a church and a congregation we lose a witness in the community; a fellowship of Christians that could have been an oasis in the desert, a sign of hope and new life, disappears. It is mourning.
Perhaps it’s one less place to worry about for the cabinet, and God knows there is enough to worry about. However, if the tree is cut down it’s all over, and for sure there will be no fruit. Once a local church is gone, it will not easily come again. To start a new church is a demanding enterprise.
I have seen promising pastors and leaders who got off track, who lost hope and faith and gave up. I am painfully aware of times when pastors didn’t get the right support and care when they needed it the most. I know of situations when a local church or a national leadership said no when they should have said yes — or who didn’t say anything when they should have said no. And now we live with the consequences. This is yet another kind of grief.
We United Methodists are part of a denomination that has been struggling for decades with its understanding of human sexuality, and now we have come to a breaking point. This one question consumes almost all of our energy and resources.
For three years in a row the man came and found no fruit. Absolutely nothing. Failure, missed opportunities, disappointment, separation, deceit, fear, schism, disaster, you name it, and it’s all there…
In this parable we find a clash of two images of God. There is condemnatory God, who expects unconditional submission to his rules and expectations. For three years in a row he hasn't found any fruit. His demands are not fulfilled, time is up, and now the axe is at the foot the tree.
But. But there is another image of God. There is a gardener who sees sprouts where we only see barren and unfruitful land, who sees opportunities in the failures, who sees opportunities in the impossible — and he is not willing to give up yet.
“Lord, give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. Maybe it will produce fruit next year.”
There is a name for this: GRACE. There is always a second chance, always an opening for a new beginning, a way back. If only the faith community is nourished and has some living water; if only she gets some nourishment and power from God’s Spirit, life can begin to emerge and then there will be fruit.
Figs are delicious. And we enjoy all the good figs of the Christian fellowship. “Do you remember the 1979 summer camp.” “Do you remember, when our kids were small.” “Do you remember those days of revival and renewal.” “This week our Sunday school class celebrates its 25th anniversary and we are still the same participants.” Surely we enjoy the fruit.
But the tree doesn’t produce fruit for our enjoyment. It carries fruit to survive, to pass on life. And this is why the fruit is so important: without new life, without new Christians, without passing the faith on to the next generation and to our new neighbors, without new faith communities and new churches — we die.
There is a gardener, who desires for the tree to produce fruit. There is gardener who makes everything fertile and fruitful. There is a gardener, who makes all things new.
And now, in the very next verse, he is facing a woman who has suffered from her disease for more than eighteen years. Day by day her perspective has changed. Gradually, she has become more and more bent over. For many years she hasn’t been able to see the sky or even to see straight ahead. She no longer remembers the color of the sky. She feels the sun, but she can’t look up to see it anymore. She hears the birds singing, but she is unable to see them.
- Could she be the bent-over country of Syria, bombed into ruins, eaten up by hate, violence, death, fear and a perverted abuse of power?
- Could she be a bent-over western world desperately protecting its wealth, closing its borders and only sharing crumbs with an increasingly impoverished global south?
- Could she be one of the thousands of bent-over United Methodist Churches, whose story is never told apart from when they are labeled “declining, dying or ineffective”?
- Could she be The United Methodist Church, bent-over by disunity, suspiciousness, distrust and fear?
- Could it be that the gardener is longing to straighten us up to new life in him? Could it be that he has a greater purpose and future for us? Could it be that he’s calling us to shift our attention from ourselves, to begin to deal with the real problems and the real needs in this world, bringing hope and redemption to bent-over people who have been exposed to oppression and marginalization for far too long?
But Jesus is far too busy caring about people to care about rules. This is about bent-over people, people on the run, people who belong to a different culture or religion, people on the margins — all those whom the referees would judge as sinners. Jesus reveals and confronts the hypocrisy among these religious leaders, who ought to know better. Jesus is not addressing politicians or those who make comments on Facebook. He speaks to people like us, church people: leaders, deacons, pastors, bishops.
Look at her; she is a human being just like you. She is not a nobody, she is somebody. She has a name, she has a story. For more than eighteen years she has been bound, for more than eighteen years she has been crippled and bent-over. Shouldn’t she be set free even if it is against the rules?
This is not a nobody saying these outrageous things. He is not just a provocateur making trouble. It is the author of life speaking. It is the author of the rules speaking, telling us, if you oppress people with the laws I have given you, you are totally missing the point. These rules were given for your joy, to protect you, to help you live and move and exist in me — not to make your life miserable and certainly not to assist you in making life miserable for others.
When he said these things, all his opponents were put to shame. When he says this, I am put to shame. I am put to shame when I think about how we spend our time and resources as a church focusing on our own denominational belly button, while the rest of the world is going to hell.
“But all those in the crowd rejoiced at all the extraordinary things he was doing.” I understand why Jesus had a magnetic influence. I understand why bent-over, crippled and needy people loved him and flocked around him. He was so utterly and completely filled with life, hope and joy; they just wanted to be close to him.
What happened to the fig tree? Was the gardener successful? Did it produce fruit the following year? No one knows; it’s not part of the parable, and it doesn’t really matter either. What is interesting and important is that the gardener tells us there is always a second chance, there is always hope — for nations, for people, for communities and even for the United Methodist Church.
You see, there is a gardener saying, “Just give it one more year, and I will dig around it and give it fertilizer. Maybe it will produce fruit next year.”
Don't you know? There is a gardener, and he loves figs.
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The problem of faith in a violent world
By Mai-Anh Le TranThis article is featured in the How Race, Gender, and Other Diversities Affect Your Ministry (Nov/Dec/Jan 2016-17) issue of Circuit Rider“So, are you going to do something . . . ?”
It was mid-August, 2014. I had just gotten back to St. Louis from New York City, and there I stood in a hair salon catching up with Martha, a colleague and friend. I had no idea what her question meant.
“There’s talk of activities being organized around what happened over the weekend. Are you going to participate? You know, the shooting in Ferguson . . .” Martha helped out.
It was breaking news, and I hadn’t yet caught on to the names Michael Brown and Darren Wilson. Martha clued me in: a white police officer has fatally shot an unarmed black teenager in a suburb less than fifteen miles north of where I live and teach.
Three days later, I found myself on the sidewalk of Canfield Drive, staring at a makeshift roadside memorial in the middle of the street, at the spot where a teenager’s body was left lifeless and exposed for over four hours before grief-stricken, bewildered, indifferent, vulturous eyes. People were just beginning to gather for what was to be the first vigil for the fatal shooting by local law enforcement of yet another African American youth—but something was different in the air on that day. Vigil keepers positioned themselves quietly. A woman evangelist with a bullhorn was proclaiming muffled words about salvation. It began to rain. Someone nearby muttered, “Rain cleanses. . . .”
August 9, 2014, means different things to different people—and perhaps nothing at all to some—but it disrupted my world. For one, it disrupted my professional world because as soon as news broke out, members of the seminary community where I teach as well as religious professionals and faith groups in all of greater St. Louis knew that we were going to have to snap to attention and spring into action. As facts remained muddied with stories and counter-testimonies, feet took to the streets; vigils and forums were improvised everywhere; teach-ins, preach-ins, and eat-ins were organized by local leaders in concert with experts and partners from all over the country. In the following months, what seemed to be dramaturgical performances of religious ritual (from ecumenical Christian worship to interfaith prayer services), faith-based action, and intentional consciousness-raising efforts gave evidence of a social collective being spiritually reconfigured by tragedy.[1] The activities tested the capacity of faith communities to engage in disciplined improvisation; after all, we are in the business of “making disciples for the transformation of the world.”[2] Can we walk the faith talk at such a violent time as this?
As the context-specific actions of Ferguson merged with the larger #BlackLivesMatter protest movement,[3] local lay and clergy leaders learned anew what it takes to put some feet to their prayers. However, as improvisational efforts continued to rally and organize churches toward the enduring work of confronting the insidious violence of systemic social injustices in their own backyard, these leaders ran head-on into a familiar yet perplexing wall: the incapacity and unwillingness of their faith communities to respond with some form of faith-driven action. If the church’s teaching, learning, and practice of faith is purportedly transformative, then where is that faith when it’s needed most? If “good” religious formation had been happening all along—or had it?—then why the indifference, paralysis, apathy, exasperation, and even downright resistance when a calamity occurred that could have used a faithful response? Why does it appear as if collective moral consciousness has once again been anesthetized and the “hope” for which church folk love to sing and pray suddenly debilitated in the face of actual struggle?
The killing of Michael Brown disrupted my professional world, but it also disturbed my very psyche, triggering a crisis of faith. What does it mean to be a “person of faith” in a violent world? What does it even mean to “have faith” in this world that’s so violent? What does it mean for vulnerable bodies—victims of systemic and systematic abuse, neglect, and indifference—to continue believing that this world exists for them, for their future, for their flourishing? What does it mean for any of us to continue about our daily business of eating, praying, and loving, when the world continues to be punctured and ruptured by violence? If faith is a verb, then how do we “do faith” in a violent world?
Resetting the Heart
The above questions and the larger-than-life issues they convey are vexing for me as a person of faith, an ordained minister in a church that proclaims commitment to transformative work in the world, and a scholar of religious education. Unfolding world events reflect both the fertility and fragility of chronos time. Religions teach love of neighbor, but reality reminds us repeatedly that it’s hard to know who is neighbor and who is enemy. After all, in many times and places, we are both neighbor and enemy to each other. Despite forecasts about rising secularism and post-religious, post-Christian movements in North America, we have empirical descriptions of exploding charismatic spiritualities and groundswells of new “Christendoms” in the Global South.[4] The transnational flows of people have collapsed contexts but also exposed the fierce reflexes of physical and social immune systems triggered by risky human contact. Opportunities to share meals, fellowship, and prayers with new friends across the globe remind us of the early Christian communities’ seemingly ideal habits (Acts 2:42). But the allergens and pathogens—biological and social—contracted during border-crossings also remind us of how these basic human activities of eating, praying, and loving challenge our notions of what it means to be “redemptive community.”[5]Every now and then, standing in chronos time, we gasp for kairoshope—for the promise of things made new—because “we can’t breathe.” Attending to such moments, scholar-practitioners of religious education ask: what does it mean to teach for faith in such a time as this?
I have had several occasions to drive past the spot—marked now by a memorial plaque—where Mike Brown’s body lay for over four hours. When the world isn’t watching and the theatricality of news reporting has left, the place is quiet, even serene. Yet Canfield Drive and other blood- and rain-soaked grounds like it continue to give off “ghost flames,”[6] haunting the public conscience with grief and rage that call for a less violent, more just world. The paradigmatic event of #Ferguson—an event that reflects the current implosive outrage against structural inequities in society and culture—raises questions for religious leadership and religious teaching and learning. For many such leaders, the demands for change from the streets are challenging our existing curriculum for “faith as practice.” The world is demanding from people of faith—Christians in the United States, in particular—an account of how our faith is evidenced in the gritty and murderous materiality of everyday life.
We sometimes forget that the lifelong and life-wide[7] processes of forging, fashioning, nurturing, and exercising our faith require relational, evolving, and even revolutionary commitment to our surrounding contexts. We neglect the Christian tradition’s long held reverence for phronesis—or, as Don Browning defines it, the “wisdom that attends to lived experience, [which] is transformative and change-seeking and always interprets the lived context in the light of the values and virtues of sacred tradition.”[8] It’s this commitment to practical wisdom that keeps our teaching, learning, and practice of faith “incarnational.” This commitment makes us want to see how faith actually (re)orders our way of life. Theologically speaking, we are eager to “trac[e] the form God wears in this material world,”[9] and we believe that such discovery of and participation with “God in our skin”—Immanu-El—is what it would take to mend the broken shards of creation (tikkun Olam). With this primordial human desire to repair our world we muster up faith, to “set our hearts”[10] upon things that are at once material and ethereal, messy and holy, momentary and eternal, this-worldly and other-worldly. It’s this gritty kind of faith that helps us not to be flummoxed when confronted with the question, “Are you going to do something in response to this violence?”
Mai-Anh Le Tran is associate professor of Christian education at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. This article is excerpted from her book Reset the Heart: Unlearning Violence, Relearning Hope (coming May 2017 from Abingdon Press).
- See a chronicle of these events captured through recounted first-person narratives in Leah Gunning Francis, Ferguson & Faith: Sparking Leadership & Awakening Community (St. Louis: Chalice Press, 2015).
- This is, of course, the motto and mission statement of The United Methodist Church.
- The campaign began with the killing of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman in Florida (www.blacklivesmatter.com).
- Philip Jenkins, The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, 3rd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011).
- See Denise Janssen, ed. Educating for Redemptive Community: Essays in Honor of Jack Seymour and Margaret Ann Crain (Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock, 2015).
- Grace M. Cho, Haunting the Korean Diaspora: Shame, Secrecy, and the Forgotten War (Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2008), 16.
- Gabriel Moran, Living Nonviolently: Language for Resisting Violence (Lanham: Lexington Books, 2011).
- Heather Walton, Writing Methods in Theological Reflection(London: SCM Press, 2014), 176–77. Emphasis in text. Don S. Browning, A Fundamental Practical Theology: Descriptive and Strategic Proposals (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1991), 47.
- Walton, 40.
- Sara Little, To Set One’s Heart: Belief and Teaching in the Church (Atlanta: John Knox Press, 1983).
This Sunday, December 4, 2016Second Sunday of Advent: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12
Scripture Texts:
Isaiah 11:1 But a branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai,
a shoot will grow from his roots.
2 The Spirit of Adonai will rest on him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and power,
the Spirit of knowledge and fearing Adonai —
3 he will be inspired by fearing Adonai.
He will not judge by what his eyes see
or decide by what his ears hear,
4 but he will judge the impoverished justly;
he will decide fairly for the humble of the land.
He will strike the land with a rod from his mouth
and slay the wicked with a breath from his lips.
5 Justice will be the belt around his waist,
faithfulness the sash around his hips.
6 The wolf will live with the lamb;
the leopard lie down with the kid;
calf, young lion and fattened lamb together,
with a little child to lead them.
7 Cow and bear will feed together,
their young will lie down together,
and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
8 An infant will play on a cobra’s hole,
a toddler put his hand in a viper’s nest.
9 They will not hurt or destroy
anywhere on my holy mountain,
for the earth will be as full
of the knowledge of Adonai
as water covering the sea.
10 On that day the root of Yishai,
which stands as a banner for the peoples —
the Goyim will seek him out,
and the place where he rests will be glorious.
Psalm 72:(0) By Shlomo:
(1) God, give the king your fairness in judgment,
endow this son of kings with your righteousness,
2 so that he can govern your people rightly
and your poor with justice.
3 May mountains and hills provide your people
with peace through righteousness.
4 May he defend the oppressed among the people,
save the needy and crush the oppressor.
5 May they fear you as long as the sun endures
and as long as the moon, through all generations.
6 May he be like rain falling on mown grass,
like showers watering the land.
7 In his days, let the righteous flourish
and peace abound, till the moon is no more.
18 Blessed be Adonai, God,
the God of Isra’el,
who alone works wonders.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever,
and may the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen. Amen.
Romans 15:4 For everything written in the past was written to teach us, so that with the encouragement of the Tanakh we might patiently hold on to our hope. 5 And may God, the source of encouragement and patience, give you the same attitude among yourselves as the Messiah Yeshua had, 6 so that with one accord and with one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.
7 So welcome each other, just as the Messiah has welcomed you into God’s glory. 8 For I say that the Messiah became a servant of the Jewish people in order to show God’s truthfulness by making good his promises to the Patriarchs, 9 and in order to show his mercy by causing the Gentiles to glorify God — as it is written in the Tanakh,
“Because of this I will acknowledge you among the Gentiles
and sing praise to your name.”[Romans 15:9 2 Samuel 22:50, Psalm 18:50(49)]
10 And again it says,
“Gentiles, rejoice with his people.”[Romans 15:10 Deuteronomy 32:43]
11 And again,
“Praise Adonai, all Gentiles!
Let all peoples praise him!”[Romans 15:11 Psalm 117:1]
12 And again, Yesha‘yahu says,
“The root of Yishai will come,
he who arises to rule Gentiles;
Gentiles will put their hope in him.”[Romans 15:12 Isaiah 11:10]
13 May God, the source of hope, fill you completely with joy and shalom as you continue trusting, so that by the power of the Ruach HaKodesh you may overflow with hope.
Matthew 3:1 It was during those days that Yochanan the Immerser arrived in the desert of Y’hudah and began proclaiming the message, 2 “Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!” 3 This is the man Yesha‘yahu was talking about when he said,
“The voice of someone crying out:
‘In the desert prepare the way of Adonai!
Make straight paths for him!’”[Matthew 3:3 Isaiah 40:3]
4 Yochanan wore clothes of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Yerushalayim, from all Y’hudah, and from the whole region around the Yarden. 6 Confessing their sins, they were immersed by him in the Yarden River.
7 But when Yochanan saw many of the P’rushim and Tz’dukim coming to be immersed by him, he said to them, “You snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming punishment? 8 If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it! 9 And don’t suppose you can comfort yourselves by saying, ‘Avraham is our father’! For I tell you that God can raise up for Avraham sons from these stones! 10 Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown in the fire! 11 It’s true that I am immersing you in water so that you might turn from sin to God; but the one coming after me is more powerful than I — I’m not worthy even to carry his sandals — and he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh and in fire. 12 He has with him his winnowing fork; and he will clear out his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn but burning up the straw with unquenchable fire!”
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary: Isaiah 11:1-10
Verse 1
[1] And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
And — And having said that the Assyrian yoke should be destroyed because of the anointing, he now explains who that anointed person was.
The stem — Or, stump: for the word signifies properly a trunk cut off from the root. By which he clearly implies, that the Messiah should be born of the royal house of David, at that time when it was in a most forlorn condition, like a tree cut down, and whereof nothing is left but a stump or root under ground.
Of Jesse — He doth not say of David, but of Jesse, who was a private and mean person, to intimate, that at the time of Christ's birth the royal family should be reduced to its primitive obscurity.
Verse 2
[2] And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;
Wisdom — It is not needful, exactly to distinguish these two gifts; it is sufficient that they are necessary qualifications for a governor, and a teacher, and it is evident they signify perfect knowledge of all things necessary for his own and peoples good, and a sound judgment, to distinguish between things that differ.
Counsel — Of prudence, to give good counsel; and of might and courage, to execute it.
Knowledge — Of the perfect knowledge of the whole will and counsel of God, as also of all secret things, yea of the hearts of men.
Fear — A fear of reverence, a care to please him, and lothness to offend him.
Verse 3
[3] And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:
In the fear — He shall not judge rashly and partially, but considerately and justly, as the fear of God obliges all judges to do.
Judge — Of persons or causes.
After the sight — According to outward appearance, as men do, because they cannot search mens hearts.
Reprove — Condemn or pass sentence against a person.
His ears — By uncertain rumours or suggestions.
Verse 4
[4] But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.
Judge — Defend and deliver them.
Reprove — Or condemn their malicious enemies.
Thy rod — With his word, which is his scepter, and the rod of his power, Psalms 110:2, which is sharper than a sword, Hebrews 4:12, by the preaching whereof he subdued the world to himself, and will destroy his enemies, 2 Thessalonians 2:8. This he adds farther, to declare the nature of Christ's kingdom, that it is not of this world.
Verse 5
[5] And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
The girdle — It shall adorn him, and be the glory of his government, as a girdle was used for an ornament, Isaiah 3:24, and as an ensign of power, Job 12:18, and it shall constantly cleave to him in all his administrations, as a girdle cleaveth to a man's loins.
Verse 6
[6] The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.
The wolf — The creatures shall be restored to that state of innocency in which they were before the fall of man. Men of fierce, and cruel dispositions, shall be so transformed by the grace of Christ, that they shall become gentle, and tractable.
A child — They will submit their rebellious wills to the conduct of the meanest persons that speak to them in Christ's name.
Verse 7
[7] And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
Feed — Together, without any danger or fear.
Straw — The grass of the earth, as they did at first, and shall not devour other living creatures.
Verse 9
[9] They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
My holy mountain — In Zion, in my church.
The sea — The channel of the sea.
Verse 10
[10] And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
A root — A branch growing upon the root.
Ensign — Shall grow up into a great tree, shall become an eminent ensign.
The people — Which not only the Jews, but all nations, may discern, and to which they shall resort.
Rest — His resting-place, his temple or church, the place of his presence and abode.
Glorious — Shall be filled with greater glory than the Jewish tabernacle and temple were; only this glory shall be spiritual, consisting in the plentiful effusions of the gifts, and graces, of the Holy Spirit.
Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19
Verse 1
[1] Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.
Judgments — He saith judgments in the plural number, because though the office of judging and ruling was but one, yet there were divers parts and branches, of it; in all which he begs that Solomon may be directed to do as God would have him to do.
Verse 2
[2] He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.
Thy afflicted ones — For such are thine in a special manner, thou art their judge and patron.
Verse 3
[3] The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.
The mountains — Which are so dangerous to passengers, in regard of robbers and wild beasts. Hereby it is implied, that other places should do so too, and that it should be common and universal.
Verse 4
[4] He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.
Judge — Vindicate them from their oppressors.
Verse 5
[5] They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.
Thee — Thee, O God, this shall be another blessed fruit of this righteous government, that together with peace, true religion shall be established, and that throughout all generations, which was begun in Solomon's days, but not fully accomplished 'till Christ came.
Verse 6
[6] He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.
He shall come — Christ did come down from heaven, and brought or sent down from heaven his doctrine, (which is often compared to rain) and the sweet and powerful influences of his spirit.
Romans 15:4-13
Verse 4
[4] For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Aforetime — In the Old Testament.
That we through patience and consolation of the scriptures may have hope — That through the consolation which God gives us by these, we may have patience and a joyful hope.
Verse 5
[5] Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
According to the power of Christ Jesus.
Verse 6
[6] That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
That ye — Both Jews and gentiles, believing with one mind, and confessing with one mouth.
Verse 7
[7] Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.
Receive ye one another — Weak and strong, with mutual love.
Verse 8
[8] Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:
Now I say — The apostle here shows how Christ received us. Christ Jesus-Jesus is the name, Christ the surname. The latter was first known to the Jews; the former, to the gentiles. Therefore he is styled Jesus Christ, when the words stand in the common, natural order. When the order is inverted, as here, the office of Christ is more solemnly considered.
Was a servant — Of his Father.
Of the circumcision — For the salvation of the circumcised, the Jews.
For the truth of God — To manifest the truth and fidelity of God.
Verse 9
[9] And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
As it is written — In the eighteenth psalm, here the gentiles and Jews are spoken of as joining in the worship of the God of Israel. Psalms 18:49
Verse 10
[10] And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.
Deuteronomy 32:43.
Verse 11
[11] And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.
Psalms 117:1.
Verse 12
[12] And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.
There shall be the root of Jesse — That kings and the Messiah should spring from his house, was promised to Jesse before it was to David.
In him shall the gentiles hope — Who before had been "without hope," Ephesians 2:12. Isaiah 11:10
Verse 13
[13] Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Now the God of hope — A glorious title of God, but till now unknown to the heathens; for their goddess Hope, like their other idols, was nothing; whose temple at Rome was burned by lightning. It was, indeed, built again not long after, but was again burned to the ground.
Matthew 3:1-12
Verse 2
[2] And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
The kingdom of heaven, and the kingdom of God, are but two phrases for the same thing. They mean, not barely a future happy state, in heaven, but a state to be enjoyed on earth: the proper disposition for the glory of heaven, rather than the possession of it.
Is at hand — As if he had said, God is about to erect that kingdom, spoken of by Daniel Daniel 2:44; 7:13,14; the kingdom of the God of heaven. It properly signifies here, the Gospel dispensation, in which subjects were to be gathered to God by his Son, and a society to be formed, which was to subsist first on earth, and afterward with God in glory. In some places of Scripture, the phrase more particularly denotes the state of it on earth: in, others, it signifies only the state of glory: but it generally includes both. The Jews understood it of a temporal kingdom, the seat of which they supposed would be Jerusalem; and the expected sovereign of this kingdom they learned from Daniel to call the Son of man. Both John the Baptist and Christ took up that phrase, the kingdom of heaven, as they found it, and gradually taught the Jews (though greatly unwilling to learn) to understand it right. The very demand of repentance, as previous to it, showed it was a spiritual kingdom, and that no wicked man, how politic, brave, or learned soever, could possibly be a subject of it.
Verse 3
[3] For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
The way of the Lord — Of Christ.
Make his paths straight — By removing every thing which might prove a hinderance to his gracious appearance. Isaiah 40:3.
Verse 4
[4] And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
John had his raiment of camels' hair — Coarse and rough, suiting his character and doctrine.
A leathern girdle — Like Elijah, in whose spirit and power he came.
His food was locusts and wild honey — Locusts are ranked among clean meats, Leviticus 11:22. But these were not always to be had. So in default of those, he fed on wild honey.
Verse 6
[6] And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
Confessing their sins — Of their own accord; freely and openly. Such prodigious numbers could hardly be baptized by immerging their whole bodies under water: nor can we think they were provided with change of raiment for it, which was scarcely practicable for such vast multitudes. And yet they could not be immerged naked with modesty, nor in their wearing apparel with safety. It seems, therefore, that they stood in ranks on the edge of the river, and that John, passing along before them, cast water on their heads or faces, by which means he might baptize many thousands in a day. And this way most naturally signified Christ's baptizing them with the Holy Ghost and with fire, which John spoke of, as prefigured by his baptizing with water, and which was eminently fulfilled, when the Holy Ghost sat upon the disciples in the appearance of tongues, or flames of fire.
Verse 7
[7] But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
The Pharisees were a very ancient sect among the Jews. They took their name from a Hebrew word, which signifies to separate, because they separated themselves from all other men. They were outwardly strict observers of the law, fasted often, made long prayers, rigorously kept the Sabbath, and paid all tithe, even of mint, anise, and cummin. Hence they were in high esteem among the people. But inwardly, they were full of pride and hypocrisy. The Sadducees were another sect among the Jews, only not so considerable as the Pharisees. They denied the existence of angels, and the immortality of the soul, and by consequence the resurrection of the dead.
Ye brood of vipers — In like manner, the crafty Herod is styled a fox, and persons of insidious, ravenous, profane, or sensual dispositions, are named respectively by him who saw their hearts, serpents, dogs, wolves, and swine; terms which are not the random language of passion, but a judicious designation of the persons meant by them. For it was fitting such men should be marked out, either for a caution to others, or a warning to themselves.
Verse 8
[8] Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
Repentance is of two sorts; that which is termed legal, and that which is styled evangelical repentance. The former (which is the same that is spoken of here) is a thorough conviction of sin. The latter is a change of heart (and consequently of life) from all sin to all holiness.
Verse 9
[9] And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
And say not confidently — The word in the original, vulgarly rendered, Think not, seems here, and in many places, not to diminish, but rather add to the force of the word with which it is joined.
We have Abraham to our father — It is almost incredible, how great the presumption of the Jews was on this their relation to Abraham. One of their famous sayings was, "Abraham sits near the gates of hell, and suffers no Israelite to go down into it." I say unto you - This preface always denotes the importance of what follows.
Of these stones — Probably pointing to those which lay before them.
Verse 10
[10] And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
But the axe also already lieth — That is, there is no room for such idle pretences. Speedy execution is determined against all that do not repent. The comparison seems to be taken from a woodman that has laid down his axe to put off his coat, and then immediately goes to work to cut down the tree. This refers to the wrath to come in verse 7, Matthew 3:7.
Is hewn down — Instantly, without farther delay.
Verse 11
[11] I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire — He shall fill you with the Holy Ghost, inflaming your hearts with that fire of love, which many waters cannot quench. And this was done, even with a visible appearance as of fire, on the day of pentecost.
Verse 12
[12] Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
Whose fan — That is, the word of the Gospel.
His floor — That is, his Church, which is now covered with a mixture of wheat and chaff.
He will gather the wheat into the garner — Will lay up those who are truly good in heaven.
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A PROPHETIC NUDGE by Mike ChildressIsaiah 11:1-10
Every now and then, Isaiah taps us on the shoulder to say, “You better sit up straight and listen to this!” Today’s reading is just such a lesson. I call Isaiah 11:1-10 a prophetic nudge.
Isaiah was a pretty tough prophet. He pulled no nudges with the people to whom he directed his thoughts. He still doesn’t pull any nudges.
Prior to this episode of his prophecy, Israel had been humbled and laid low. To put it another way, the land looked something akin to areas of California ravaged by wildfires in recent years. Israel was a smoldering wasteland. The people had brought God’s judgment on themselves; consequently, their neighbors measured vengeance on them. But as always with God, complete annihilation did not occur.
Here’s the scene. Months and months after devastation, Isaiah is walking amid the desolate land. The smell of soot and ash fills his nostrils. Certainly, this is the last straw. Finally, Israel has paid the price. Her sin has found her out and, seemingly, she is no more.
Isaiah sits and ponders God’s warnings to Israel and the impending consequences. All around him is evidence of a nation that has thumbed its nose at God.
As Isaiah thinks, he looks down at the log upon which he is sitting and notices something amazing. In the midst of the charcoal and ash he sees something protruding from the log. It’s a tiny, green shoot reaching for the sun. In a flash, Isaiah senses God’s presence: “A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots” (Isaiah 11:1). In the midst of a seemingly dead and lifeless setting, God may admonish and discipline but never to the point of abandonment.
Like all previous generations, a learning moment is emerging once again for Israel, a moment that will influence all future generations. In God’s future will come One who will be the image and the model for all humanity. In Advent, we look back and recognize the person Isaiah points to in the future to be Jesus of Nazareth.
But we have to be careful here. A literal translation will not work when we read verses 6-10. The prophet acts as an artist, painting a picture of what life can be like when God’s integrity and justice are living and thriving realities in the actions of people. If we take any route other than the metaphorical one, then all we will accomplish is a trip to the emergency room if we allow our children to play with poisonous reptiles.
As a young boy, I recall our dog and tabby cat romping and playing together in the front yard. Captain was a terrier-hound mix, always frisky and ready to launch. Rusty was no cozy cat. He walked on his toes, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice. We would let them out of the house and they would make our huge front lawn their playground. Rusty would chase Captain in circles. I can still see him tucking his tail and bouncing in a circle to avoid Rusty’s grasp. But eventually, Rusty would grab him and slam him to the ground. Drivers would actually stop and watch them play. Obviously, they didn’t fit the stereotype of the dog-cat relationship.
This is what can happen when adversaries turn their respective protected territories into sandboxes and play with one another. When the oppressor and the oppressed become advocates for a single cause and bury the hatchet, a community benefits. I believe it was President Lincoln who said the objective for ending the Civil War was to turn enemies into friends. When the lamb and the wolf romp, it means just that—enemies are being turned into friends.
In God’s scheme of things, the lowly in this world are not to be the prey of the powerful. Big companies do not take advantage of smaller companies and devour them by running them out of business. The rich and powerful become the advocates for those who are oppressed by economics. Or, when business owners cooperate by reaching out to the indigent poor who reside in streets and alleys, this is evidence that God’s realm is emerging in our very neighborhoods.
When we as a nation work together to reach out to the dispossessed and disenfranchised and take steps to help them help themselves and become part of the valued community, then we make our communities safer places for children to live and thrive. The image of the child playing over a rattlesnake’s hole is a picture of a community that values rehabilitation and recovery in order that its children may not become the victims or prey of those who desperately need our compassion and help.
In these days, whether it is to the local church or the international neighborhood, I believe Isaiah has much to nudge us about. When he says, “The whole earth will be brimming with knowing God-Alive, / a living knowledge of God” (v. 9 THE MESSAGE), is he not speaking about nations having dialogue and sharing resources on behalf of the poor and oppressed?
Think what the world might look like had our nation begun the arduous and difficult task of calling Arabs and Muslims from around the world to discuss why the twin towers disaster in New York City happened rather than designing a war room? For those who hold America’s legacy of peace and nation-building initiatives dear, it is disturbing to see these values shelved in favor of war and nation-destruction.
Does this make any sense? Can we sense a prophetic nudge in such matters? Is there evidence of such transformation, due to God’s presence in our city, our state, our nation, even in our global communities?
The prophet is not nudging us to come up with another abstract cause and do nothing about the real issues that exist in our communities. He is nudging specific people to do specific things, to help God transform this world and help it reflect the truth that God is with us.
Advent is a time to be stirred from our spiritual stupor and stirred by the truth of Isaiah’s prophetic nudge.… read more-------
WORSHIP ELEMENTS: DECEMBER 4, 2016 by Joanne Carlson BrownSecond Sunday of Advent
COLOR: Blue or Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12
THEME IDEAS
Prophecy, promises, and preparation—all are part of the Advent tradition. They serve as reminders in this hectic season that there is more to prophecy than guessing what is in this package; more to promises than what Santa Claus will bring; more to preparation than cleaning house and putting on a spread for a holiday party. On this second Sunday of Advent, we are called back to the longing, not for a certain present, but for a messiah who brings about a beloved community of harmony and peace—but not without opposition. These passages speak of wishes, desires, and the hint of fulfillment that is Christmas. We need to hear, believe, and get ready.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Isaiah 11, Psalm 72, Matthew 3)
In this season of prophecy, promise, and preparation, we come to be renewed and refreshed.
We come to be inspired by stories of a messiah
who will change the world—and change us.
We come to listen for words of hope and joy,
promise and challenge.
We come with open ears, open minds,
and open hearts. We come to receive
the blessings God has in store for us
in this season of waiting.
Come! Let us worship our God—
the One who brings all things to fulfillment.
Opening Prayer (Isaiah 11, Romans 15, Matthew 3)
God of hope and encouragement,
we come in the midst of this season
of busyness and preparations:
to find a time and space to slow down,
to reflect on what our true preparations
should be.
We need to prepare our hearts
to receive the gifts of love and hope.
We need to prepare our minds
to focus on your promise
that a messiah will come
and nothing will be the same.
We need to prepare our spirits:
to praise God for prophecy,
promises, and preparation;
to find hope and encouragement;
to find peace and joy.
May we do so now, in our time of worship. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 11, Psalm 72, Matthew 3)
O God,
the stories of our faith have lost their power.
We have heard the prophecies spoken so many times,
the promises retold again and again,
the call to prepare ourselves for your coming
repeated so often,
we don’t really hear or heed them anymore.
We have replaced these messages of life:
with guessing what presents we are getting,
with preparing for parties
and the social obligations of Christmas.
Bring us back to a sense of mystery:
a sense of awe, a sense of wonder,
a sense of excitement, a sense of anticipation,
a sense that something special
is about to break into our everyday world.
Help us prepare our hearts, souls, and minds
for the coming of the messiah. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Psalm 72)
God’s promises are sure—
promises of steadfast love and forgiveness.
God deals with God’s people
with righteousness and justice.
Rejoice and be glad!
Passing the Peace of Christ (Romans 15)
Paul urges the Romans to welcome one another, just as Christ has welcomed them. Let us greet one another with words and signs of peace and welcome.
Response to the Word
May these words of prophecy, promise, and preparation encourage us to steadfast love and action.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation to Offering (Psalm 72)
Our God has done wondrous things, and has done them for us. Let us respond to God’s acts of love and wonder by offering our whole selves, that God’s promises might be fulfilled through us.
Offering Prayer (Isaiah 11)
We thank you, Holy One,
for all your good gifts,
especially the gifts of prophecy, promise,
and calls for preparation.
As a thankful response to these gifts,
we offer our belief, our commitments, and our money,
that we may hasten the time
when no one will hurt or destroy
on all God’s holy mountain.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Romans 15)
May the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
that you may abound in hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Contemporary Gathering Words (Isaiah 11)
Get this! Someone special is coming—
someone who will be wise;
who won’t judge on appearances;
who will live a good life;
who will bring about a time
when wolves and lambs,
leopards and goats,
cows and lions
all lie down together.
And we’re invited to be there
to help make it happen.
So come and hear the stories again,
and get ready for quite a happening.
Praise Sentences (Psalm 72)
Blessed be God’s glorious name forever.
May God’s glory fill all the earth.
Amen and amen!
From The Abingdon Worship Annual edited by Mary J. Scifres and B.J. Beu, Copyright © Abingdon Press. The Abingdon Worship Annual 2017 is now available.… read more-------
WORSHIP CONNECTION: DECEMBER 4, 2016 by Nancy C. TownleySecond Sunday of Advent
COLOR: Blue or Purple
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 11:1-10; Psalm 72:1-7, 18-19; Romans 15:4-13; Matthew 3:1-12
CALLS TO WORSHIP
Call to Worship #1:
L: The prophet Isaiah declared that justice and peace shall come through the family of Jesse.
P: This justice shall be for all of creation.
L: Peace shall be established in all the world.
P: Get ready! Prepare for God’s peace to reign!
L: Blessed be God who does such wondrous things!
P: We give thanks to God for this time of healing and hope. AMEN.
Call to Worship #2:
L: Get ready, people of God! The time of hope and peace is at hand.
P: We are called to action rather than reaction.
L: Open your hearts to God’s word and God’s will.
P: Help us to be workers for God rather than observers.
L: Come, draw near to God in faith.
P: Let us prepare our hearts to receive the wondrous gifts of God. AMEN.
Call to Worship #3:
[Using THE FAITH WE SING, p. 2089, “Wild and Lone the Prophet’s Voice,” offer the following call to worship as directed.]
L: The call of God has come to us. How shall we respond?
P: We have many choices. One is to sit and do nothing and see what God has in store. Another is to prepare ourselves for the coming of God’s mighty kingdom by repenting and changing our lives to be in tune with God.
Soloist: singing verse 1 of “Wild and Lone the Prophet’s Voice”
L: We are called to active faith--to turn our lives around and work for God.
P: God will be with us, forgiving, encouraging, strengthening us for God’s work.
Soloist: singing verse 2 of “Wild and Lone the Prophet’s Voice”
L: Our Advent journey of preparation continues.
P: We need to get ourselves ready to receive God’s most precious gift.
L: Lord, help us to be strong and ready to follow you.
P: Open our hearts and spirits this day. AMEN.
Call to Worship #4:
L: This day is a day of preparation.
P: Open our hearts, O Lord, and make us ready to receive you.
L: Repentance, changing our attitudes, our lives, is the beginning of our preparation.
P: Lord, give us courage and confidence.
L: God will fill us with joy and peace as we become witnesses to God’s love.
P: Lord, help us to be faithful servants all of our days. AMEN.
PRAYERS, LITANY/READING, BENEDICTION
Opening Prayer
Patient and loving God, we so easily launch ourselves in preparation for the secular festival of giving and parties and the swirl of social events; but we forget that the true preparation is the readiness of our hearts to receive you. Help us look again at our lives and turn them around so that they may be in tune with your will. We ask this in Jesus’ Name, AMEN.
The Lighting of the Advent Candle: The Candle of Readiness: Prepare!
Reader 1:
From the foundation of Jesse, from the stump, there shall come a new shoot!
Reader 2:
God’s spirit shall rest upon him.
Reader 3:
He shall find delight in all of God’s creation!
Reader 4:
Peace shall reign—old enmities shall cease! For on that day we will celebrate God’s love with one another.
Today we light two candles. The first is the candle of Patience, reminding us to watch and wait for what God is about to do. [Light the first candle]
The second candle is the candle of Readiness, enabling us to look at our lives, to get rid of all those things that keep us from God, to change our ways and live as God would have us live. [The second candle is lighted]
Reader 1:
Come, see the lights. Let their brightness fill you.
Reader 2:
Come, feel the warmth of the lights. Let them give you comfort.
Reader3:
Come, draw near to the lights, for God is breaking through to you.
Reader 4:
Come, rejoice in the lights, God is with us!
Prayer of Confession
Lord of mercy and peace, open our hearts to receive your words of hope. We live far too much in darkness and fear. We have let the fears invade the very center of our lives and find ourselves changing, moving from your light to the darkness of despair. It seems that this world and its people are more pleased to fight and destroy than they are to have peace and harmony. We become part of that crowd when we wallow in anger, resentment, apathy, and greed. Forgive us, patient and merciful God. Help us be people who will look at the ways in which we have blocked your presence; ways in which we have truly failed to be your people. Give us courage and strength to change our lives, that your peace may become a reality in this world, right now, this day. For we offer this prayer in the name of Jesus. AMEN.
Words of Assurance
Though the darkness seems so deep, do not fear. God is with us. Repent! Turn your lives to God. God’s love is being poured out for you, always. AMEN
Pastoral Prayer
God of Advent waiting and watching, we have come to you this day with hearts heavy, with concerns for family and friends; for world situations; for struggles in home, community, state, and nation. We feel powerless to affect any changes. So we withdraw into ourselves, quick to criticize and slow to change our own behavior. Today you have called us to prepare ourselves to receive this “shoot” which shall arise from the stump of Jesse. You remind us that this is the one who will bring messages of peace. He will help us to become faithful disciples and servants. But we have much work to do. Our preparation needs to focus on our own attitudes and actions. We need to clean our spiritual houses of the cobwebs of hate, greed, apathy, suspicion. We need to focus more on your absolute love and forgiveness. As we turn our lives to you, offering names and situations in prayers for your healing mercies, help us to remember that our own healing is vital. Enable us to be strong and confident workers for you in this world. AMEN.
Reading
[Using THE UNITED METHODIST HYMNAL, p. 211, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” offer this reading as directed. You may want to have a soloist or small ensemble sing the suggested verses.]
Reader 1:
The shoot from the stump of Jesse? What in the world is that? What are they talking about? Message of hope and possibility? I doubt that. This world is hopeless. People want to live in anger, hostility, misery. Just look at it all. Do you see much good news on TV. The newspapers are very quick to pick up all the troubles and violence, but the good news of someone helping someone else is relegated to the back page in a one-inch paragraph. Good News from God? No one cares. No one listens.
Soloist: singing verse 4 of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Reader 2:
What is it with us people? All throughout biblical history, God has spoken through the prophets, through creation, to the hearts of God’s people. But we insist on turning to our own ways. We think we possess all knowledge. We want instant answers and solutions to our problems. We don’t know how to wait and be patient. And then we shout to the rafters that God doesn’t care, doesn’t exist. So we sink into the abyss of our own greed and folly. O that God would pour God’s wisdom into our wayward hearts!
Soloist/ensemble: singing verse 2 of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Reader 3:
Darkness floods our hearts. Not the darkness of longer and colder nights, but the darkness of doubt and despair. Inside we cry for peace and hope. But our outer actions proclaim fear and faithlessness. It is as though we are bound in grief; waiting for the inevitable death of our spirits. The gloom is far too real, even during this time of preparation. Lord, send your light to us. Disperse and destroy this gloom that has invaded our hearts. Bring us to hope. Help us again prepare our hearts for love and peace.
Ensemble: singing verse 6 of “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”
Benediction
Prepare for the coming of the Lord! Make way in your hearts for love! Get rid of all anger and fear, for God is about to bring incredible light to the world! Go in peace and confidence as witnesses to God’s love. AMEN
ARTISTIC ELEMENTS
The traditional color for this season is PURPLE; however, I prefer BLUE, the alternate color.
The theme for this second Sunday of Advent is: PREPARE!
We are immersed in preparations for our holiday celebrations. We are getting our homes ready, our gift-giving ready, meals and parties planned. But we are neglecting to prepare our hearts by changing the ways in which we have blocked God’s love and peace in us and in our actions and attitudes.
An interesting approach might be to move from darkness into light. In the light of that idea, I am suggesting a layering of fabric, beginning with the darkest blue, dark navy blue, for the first Sunday of Advent, and then adding a royal blue for Advent 2, medium blue for Advent 3, and pale blue (Mary’s color) for Advent 4. White will be used for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day/Christmastide.
Because Advent and Christmas traditions vary in all congregations, you may want to make major alterations to the following suggestions. I will be going with the themes of Advent 1: Watch and Wait; Advent 2: Prepare!; Advent 3: Behold/Believe; Advent 4: Rejoice; and Christmas Eve/Christmas Day: Celebrate!
If you are using Advent candles, you might consider using pillar candles--three medium blue candles about 6-8” high and one pink 6-8” high pillar candle. Place two of the blue candles on one side of the center riser and a blue and the pink candle on the other side. You may want to place risers so that these candles are elevated.
SURFACE:
Place an 8” riser on the center of the worship table, toward the back. Place two risers about 6” high on the worship center, to the right and left but about 6” in front of the center riser; place a bench or floor riser in front of the worship center. Optional: You may place other risers as needed, but make sure that the center riser is not obscured by any other risers.
FABRIC:
The entire worship area, including all risers, should be covered with the dark navy blue fabric, making sure that the fabric puddles to the floor in front of the worship center. Add the royal blue fabric on each side of the worship table. Each strip of fabric should be about 4 yards long and about 30” wide. [The eventual effect will be darker fabric on the outside, moving toward the lighter and eventually white fabric in the center of the worship table. So the color range will appear as follows: dark navy blue - royal blue - medium blue - light blue - white - light blue - medium blue - royal blue - dark navy blue.]
CANDLES:
See the section on lighting the Advent candles. If you are using a separate wreath, not placed on the worship center, you may still use the liturgy for lighting the candles.
FLOWERS/FOLIAGE:
Generally I do not use flowers and foliage until Christmas Eve when all the memorial poinsettias and other Christmas plants are placed in the church. Go with your church tradition and the theme you have chosen.
ROCKS/WOOD:
Depending on which theme you have chosen, you may want to use a sparse amount of rocks and wood, signifying the stumbling blocks and difficulties of discipleship. You might want to use a barren branch and attach a small green leaf at the center of the worship table.
OTHER:
This will depend on the theme you have chosen.… read more-------
WORSHIP FOR KIDS: DECEMBER 4, 2016 by Carolyn C. BrownFrom a Child's Point of View
Old Testament: Isaiah 11:1-10.Because they are so dependent on their leaders, children are very appreciative of those who are fair. A teacher who grades fairly, a coach who gives everyone a chance, or a Scout leader who does not play favorites is highly valued. Having had experience with leaders who are less than fair, children appreciate the fair ones and claim God's promise of a totally fair leader.
A sprout growing out of a stump is not common enough in nature to assume that children (or urban adults) will be familiar with the phenomenon. It will need to be scientifically explained before children will understand Isaiah's message. Older children, once they understand the Jesse tree, often find great hope in it for all the seemingly hopeless situations in their lives and world.
Psalm: 72:1-7, 18-19. This psalm praises two leaders: Solomon (and his son); and God's messiah. Children begin to understand the psalm when they hear it as a public prayer for King Solomon, and they can add their prayers for their own leaders. Then they are primed to think about GOd's promised leader, who is more fair than even the most just human leaders.
Epistle: Romans 15:4-13. One example of God's justice is that God kept the promise that Jesus would come to the Jewish people. (Keeping promises is part of God's justice.) But Jesus kept the promise for everyone else. God's justice is for everyone, so God wants us to work on getting along with all people. For Paul, that meant spending his life introducing the Christian faith to non-Jews and trying to help Jews and Gentiles get along. For children today, it means treating everyone—people of other ethnic, economic, or neighborhood groups; and even people they do not like—with love and respect.
Because this is a complex passage, few children will make any sense of the text as it is read. Plan to present its message to children through the sermon.
Gospel: Matthew 3:1-12. Children are fascinated by the colorful aspects of John the Baptist. They need to hear that John wore animal skins and ate locusts (grasshoppers) and honey because they were easy to find. John was too busy telling people about God's justice to spend time cooking or finding neat clothes. Compare his dedication to that of athletes preparing for the Olympics, or a person who is so busy making a gift for a friend that she forgets to eat.
John's poetic images (Abraham's children, axes laid to trees, sandals to be carried, winnowing forks, chaff burning in unquenchable fires) are too much to explain in one worship service. So simply present John's message in words children understand—that God does not care whether your families are rich or poor, whether your brothers and sisters are smart and attractive or embarrassing, whether your friends are the "in" group or "nerds," or which church you go to. God cares about what you do. God expects you to live by God's rules or to repent (change your ways).
Watch Words
Children use fairness instead of justice. Fairness is often applied to everyday situations, while justice seems removed from everyday concerns. Use the terms interchangeably and often, to help children recognize their connection.
Define repent if you use it. John does not want us to be sorry for the unjust things we do. He wants us to stop treating people "unfairly" or "unjustly."
Avoid Gentile. Speak instead of God's justice, which includes all people. Name specific, familiar groups that are treated today as Gentiles were treated in Paul's day.
Let the Children Sing
"Hail to the Lord's Anointed" is based on Psalm 72. Older children can match the verses in the psalm with those in the hymn, but the vocabulary of the hymn is challenging, even for twelve-year-olds.
"Lord, I Want to Be a Christian" is the easiest hymn with which children can sing their repentance.
The Liturgical Child
1. In the worship center, display a Jesse tree. Ask a creative person to make an arrangement in which an evergreen branch is drilled into a small stump, or a pot covered with burlap to look like a stump. Or wrap a sand-filled bucket with brown craft paper to look like a stump, and "plant" a small tree or evergreen branch in the bucket.
2. While lighting the candle of God's promised justice as the second candle of the Advent wreath, read Isaiah's prophecy, or some statement such as this:
We all want to be treated fairly. God has promised that one day we will be. Last week we lighted the first candle of Advent, for God's promised peace. Today we light the second candle, for God's promised justice. We light it for all the little kids who are picked on, for those whose poverty means they never get a fair chance at anything, and for those who live in countries ruled by unfair people and laws. God promises that day there will be justice for us all.
3. Invite the congregation to read Psalm 72 as if they were in a crowd, shouting to a king they hope will be a just leader. Divide the congregation in half and ask the people to read the verses alternately, loudly and enthusiastically.
4. If you pray for just leaders, include children's leaders—teachers, coaches, and club leaders.
5. Create a litany prayer of petitions, to each of which the congregational response is, "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
Sermon Resources
1. Explore Old Testament stories about our longing for, and failure to attain, justice. As each story is told, add a poster board ornament to your Jesse tree (Or ask a child to add the ornament). Consider the following ornaments/stories:
• Adam and Eve begin the human failure to live by God's rules (an apple with a bite out of it).
• Through Moses, God gave us a clear set of rules for just living. But God's people immediately and repeatedly to proved that knowing the rules does not give us the power to create just world (Ten Commandment tablets).
• David and Solomon tried to build a just nation. Though they did well, neither was perfectly just, and the kings who ruled after them were often miserable failures. No human can establish God's justice (star of David, or crown).
• Knowing that we could neither follow just rules nor build a just world on our own, God promised to establish the justice. God would send a Messiah. Describe how Jesus inaugurated this justice in his ministry, death, and resurrection (cross and crown).
2. Invite children and other worshipers to create new pairings of animals who will get along. Such pairings lead to joining usually uncooperative human groups.
3. Paraphrase Paul's encouragement to Jews and Gentiles to get along. Address it to different groups that do not treat one another well today. Consider including older and younger brothers and sisters, rival school groups, even "the boys" and "the girls." Such a paraphrase might be repeated as the Charge and Benediction.
4. Open a sermon on justice with the cry, "But it's not fair!" followed by examples ranging from a child whose friends are going to a movie while she must visit a sick aunt with her family, to a poor athlete who tries hard but never gets the good results of a gifted athlete who hardly seems to try at all, to people who live under oppressive governments and social systems.… read more-------
SERMON OPTIONS: DECEMBER 4, 2016CHRISTMAS GREATNESS
Isaiah 11:1-10
Sometimes big things come in small packages. One man said that he had learned after years of marriage that when his wife says that she just wants something small for Christmas, it means that she wants jewelry. Some days seem small, but can later prove to be big. The day I met my future wife did not seem all that significant, but I did not know then that one day I would marry her; it proved to be a big day.
Christmas greatness is that way. It begins with what seems to be mundane and ends up being the most important thing in the world. It sneaks up on us. We don't realize how big it is until it's almost too late.
I. The Origin of Christmas Greatness Is Humble
During the lifetime of Isaiah, Judah was only a stump in comparison with the mighty forest of Assyria. Yet, in God's timing, by God's power, that stump became great. It started with just a twig—a shoot of new growth. No one would have voted for this unimpressive stump as "Most Likely to Succeed." But this small shoot changed the course of history, altered the nature of our world, and transformed millions of lives.
Isaiah used a fitting analogy for the birth of Jesus. The supernatural came in the form of the simple on the night that he was born. What appeared to be mundane was really miraculous. He was just a baby, but he was God in human form. Mary was just a plain Palestinian girl, but she was having a baby as a virgin. They were just ordinary shepherds, but an angelic host split the night sky to announce to them the birth of the Savior of humankind.
II. The Embodiment of Christmas Greatness Is Jesus
His greatness was not that of a celebrity, but of a servant. He went to the common people, not to the rich and royal. He touched the marginalized to manifest his power—a boy with fishes and loaves, a bleeding woman, a diminutive tax collector. He said, "Blessed are the meek," not "Blessed are the mighty." His followers were ordinary people, yet they changed the world. After all, he taught that his Kingdom would begin as a tiny mustard seed and would become a great tree. His death was the most ignominious possible, but through it he accomplished the redemption of the human race. Virtually everything Jesus ever did came in a small package, but it was really great. It started with an ordinary-looking infant—just a shoot from the stem of Jesse. But every Christian church, hospital, benevolence organization, and countless great things have come out of that small package.
III. The Nature of Christmas Greatness Is Determined by God
What made Jesus great? It was his character, and Isaiah gives us a glimpse of it. Jesus was great because the Spirit of the Lord was upon him (see Luke 4:18). According to Isaiah, this gave him wisdom and understanding, counsel and strength, and knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight was not in pleasing people, but in pleasing God. His character was marked with righteousness, compassion, fairness, truth, and faithfulness (vv. 3-5). The result of his life will be cosmic peace. Ultimately, through him God will restore the world to its intended order and beauty (vv. 6-9).
God wants to create this Christmas kind of greatness in us (Matt. 20:25-28). This is a typical-looking worship service. But it would be just like God to touch someone in this small service in a way that would make a great difference. (N. Allen Moseley)
AT CHRISTMAS TIME, DON'T MISS CHRISTMAS!
Romans 15:4-13
A man who lives in Hollywood says this to friends who come to visit: "When you are in Hollywood, don't miss Hollywood." He reminds his guests that his town is much more than a movie set. They won't see stars giving autographs or movie crews with cameras whirring. In a similar way the Scriptures seem to say to us, "At Christmas, don't miss Christmas." We can get so busy that the season passes over us like a plane at night, heard but not really seen.
I. Know the Hope That Comes with God
Christmas is a season of hope, and Advent is a message of the church, Santa Claus notwithstanding. The merchants have practically stolen this season by their message of "Buy, buy, buy!" Even so, this season is about God, who sent his Son into this world so that the world through him might be saved. Another word for this reality is hope .
We naturally think of this as a season of receiving, so think of what you can receive from God. One of his gifts is salvation from your sins. Another is a sense of belonging and purpose in life. A third gift is work to do in his Kingdom. All of this is part of the hope that is ours from our relationship with Christ.
II. Accept the People Who Come from God
"Welcome one another," said Paul. But this is more than just "buddy-buddy" feelings. Paul added the specification, "just as Christ has welcomed you" (v. 7).
Many people this time of year are already tired, broke, preoccupied, and cranky. Contrast this with the fact that Jesus came as the Prince of Peace. Why not accept some of his peace in your life during this season?
III. Give the Praise That Is Due to God
We also think of this season as a time of giving. What can you give this year that will express your faith and obedience? What about giving your life to Christ? We can also give gifts to the church to be used to spread the message about Christ and his love.
Perhaps the finest thing to give is praise to God. Paul breaks out into song in verses 9-13. Isn't that really the mood of Advent? At Christmas, don't miss Christmas. There is meaning behind the madness. (Don M. Aycock)
A CALL TO NEW LIFE
Matthew 3:1-12
What a unique character John the Baptist must have been! The first prophet in Israel in four hundred years, he burst on the scene with a bizarre appearance and a powerful message: God is about to do a new thing among us, and you must prepare by coming to God in repentance.
What new thing does God want to do in your life? Have you experienced the things that John told the people they must do in order to prepare for God's presence?
I. Preparation for Christ Requires Confession (v. 6)
Have you ever known someone who had a lingering illness but who refused to seek a doctor's attention? You have to recognize that there's a problem before you will seek assistance from outside yourself.
Confession of sin is an acknowledgment that you have fallen short of God's perfect will for your life, that there is a spiritual sickness within you that requires the help of a Master Healer. Only in confession can we find authentic forgiveness.
II. Preparation for Christ Requires Obedience (v. 8)
John challenged the religious leadership to demonstrate their faith through specific, concrete acts of service. Just as a good tree produces fruit, so also a faithful life will produce actions of obedience and service for Christ. Did you hear about the little boy who was acting up at the dinner table? He stood up in his chair, and despite his mother's demands, he continued to stand in the chair. Finally, she came around behind his chair and forced him to sit. After squirming for a time, he finally sat still, but he said defiantly, "I may be sitting on the outside, but I'm standing on the inside!" How like that child so many of us are—defiantly insisting on our own way, when all the time God wants to give us so much more if we will only trust and obey him.
III. Preparation for Christ Requires Dependence (v. 9)
It's little wonder that the religious establishment opposed John's work, for he was doing something unprecedented. Baptism was not new in Judaism; it was used as a step in the process of converting persons to the faith. But John wasn't simply baptizing converts; he was baptizing Jews! And he reminded his pious opponents that they couldn't rely on their religious heritage for salvation; repentance and faith involve recognition of their own inadequacy and a complete dependence on God.
For some people, the most difficult part of coming to Christ is acknowledging that they need help from beyond themselves, that they are not sufficient in and of themselves. That truth is at the heart of the gospel; it is only as we place ourselves in Christ's hands, relying on his love and grace as the only source of salvation, that we can find authentic peace.
John was preparing the way for Christ by preparing the hearts and lives of the people. Are you prepared for Christ to come into your life today? (Michael Duduit)… read more-------
DECEMBER 4, 2016 - HELP IS ON THE WAY: CHANGE! by William H. WillimonPULPIT RESOURCE
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Welcome to the new Pulpit Resource from Will Willimon. For over three decades Pulpit Resource helps preachers prepare to preach. Now in partnership with Abingdon Press, this homiletical weekly is available with fresh and timely accessibility to a new generation of preachers.
No sermon is a solo production. Every preacher relies on inherited models, mentors in the preacher’s past, commentaries on biblical texts by people who have given their lives to such study, comments received from members of the congregation, last week’s news headlines, and all the other things that make a sermon communal.
No Christian does anything on their own. We live through the witness of the saints; preachers of the past inspire us and judge us. Scripture itself is a product of the community of faith. A host of now-forgotten teachers taught us how to speak. Nobody is born a preacher.
Pulpit Resource is equivalent to sitting down with a trusted clergy friend over a cup of coffee and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Whenever I’ve been asked by new preachers, “How can I develop as a preacher?” my usual response is, “Get in a group of preachers. Meet regularly. Learn how to give and how to receive help. Sort through the advice of others, and utilize helpful insights.”
That’s Pulpit Resource.
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