Ministry Matters of Nashville,Tennessee, United States "'Alternative facts' and Christian truth | Declining clergy influence | Jesus or Donald Trump?" for Monday, 30 January 2017-------
Following Jesus and supporting Donald Trump are utterly irreconcilable by Zack HuntIt didn’t happen overnight with the election of Donald Trump. It’s been a long slow process of exchanging Christian teachings with the comforting dogma of nationalism and patriotism in an ever-changing and sometimes scary world. The darkness — that is to say, those things that oppose the life and teachings of Christ — has slowly and subtly sneaked its way inside us, convincing us that with just a bit of flexibility we can serve two masters: God and empire.
Bigstock/Maciej BledowskiHe said his personal motto is “eye for an eye.”
He unrepentantly declared he doesn’t ask for forgiveness.
He said he want’s to bomb half of the Middle East until there’s “nothing left.”
He proposed a tracking system to monitor immigrants.
And a wall to keep them out.
And laws to keep more of them out.
He exploited the poor to build his empire.
He pathologically lied.
He said it was fine to consider his daughter “a piece of ass.”
And bragged about his ability to sexually assault women.
None of that is reconcilable with the Christian faith.
And that was just the campaign.
Yet, none of these deeply anti-Christian things stopped 81% of evangelical Christians voters from casting their ballot for Donald Trump.
In trying to defend their spiritual adultery, they told us — shamed us would probably be more accurate — to give him a chance as if we were just supposed to ignore literally everything he had said and done before the election, as if a vain, temperamental, 70-year old demagogue would magically and radically change who he is, how he behaves, and what he believes the moment he was sworn into office.
We did not owe him a chance, but even if we did, he’s proven after less than a week in office that he didn’t deserve it.
Now that he is in office, he’s putting he egregious promises into action.
In just under a matter of days, he’s made lying a fundamental part of his public policy.
He’s signed orders to build a wall to keep immigrants out.
And is working on another order to keep out refugees.
He’s endorsed torture.
Created a criminal watchlist for immigrants already in our country.
And dehumanized them into nothing more than “removable aliens.”
Once again, he’s exploited lesser mortals to increase his own wealth.
Declared war on the environment – in multiple ways.
And attacked communities that offer sanctuary to the least of these.
None of that is reconcilable with the Christian faith.
And that’s just been his first week in office.
There’s a fascinating passage in Matthew 6 — although chilling might be the more appropriate adjective — in which Jesus issues a warning which sounds almost as if Matthew recorded the words just yesterday.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light; but if your eye is unhealthy, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
No one can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."
Now, that first half of the passage is often designated as a prohibition against lust. “Look at porn and it will ruin you from the inside out,” that sort of thing. Don’t get me wrong. That’s a totally legitimate reading of what Jesus is saying here. I’m not dismissing it at all.
But that sort of interpretation is just the tip of the iceberg and like an encounter with a real iceberg, misses everything that’s going on underneath.
The key to understanding what Jesus is saying is right there in the first sentence “The eye is the lamp of the body.” That sort of luminous language sound familiar? It should…and not just because of the famous passage from Psalm 119, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
In a world bereft of electricity, lamps were an incredibly important tool in ancient times and, really, up until the last century or so. They offered light in dark places allowing people to work and read and move about at night when they otherwise would have been groping blindly in the dark. As the psalmist declared, lamps served as guides in the darkness. It’s for this reason Jesus said,
"You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven."
Jesus expected his followers to be incarnated lamps, to be God’s light in the dark corners of the world guiding people to the Truth.
Light enters the body through our eyes. It’s how we see and that sight is what allows us to be the guides God calls us to be. But if what we take in through our eyes is distorted, it will in turn distort how we live and act in the world and in turn wreck our ability to guide others to the Truth.
The problem with so much of American Christianity is that we have become bad lamps. Over the past several decades, we’ve allowed so much propaganda, dogma, ideology, and, yes, alternative facts to enter our eyes through partisan news and preachers-cum-politicans that we can’t see where our faith ends and our patriotism begins.
It didn’t happen overnight with the election of Donald Trump. It’s been a long slow process of exchanging Christian teachings with the comforting dogma of nationalism and patriotism in an ever-changing and sometimes scary world. The darkness — that is to say, those things that oppose the life and teachings of Christ — has slowly and subtly sneaked its way inside us, convincing us that with just a bit of flexibility we can serve two masters: God and empire.
But Jesus — to whom as Christians we owe our sole allegiance — is quick to remind us that serving two masters is utterly impossible, no matter how hard we try. And as American Christian history has shown us since the days of the Moral Majority, boy have we tried.
But what’s of particular importance to us now that we live in Donald Trump’s America is the eerily relevant statement Jesus makes at the end of this passage: “You cannot serve God and mammon.”
The Greek word mammon, as you well know, is often translated in our English language Bibles as “wealth” or “money,” but medieval writers had a slightly different interpretation of mammon. For them, mammon was seen as the name of the devil of covetousness — a fitting demonic power for our age if ever there was one. It goes without saying that Donald Trump is a covetous man. He covets power, wealth, prestige, and women — regardless of whether or not either he or they are already married.
Perhaps it was this covetous kinship that allowed so many conservative evangelicals to feel comfortable throwing their support behind this modern incarnation of mammon. For more than anything, conservative American Christians seem to covet their lost power, their lost standing and lost prestige in America that allowed them to impose their worldview on their neighbors whenever they saw fit.
But regardless the reason why 81% of evangelical voters cast their ballot for Donald Trump, Jesus makes one thing clear: trying to have it both ways — that is to say, trying to follow Jesus and support a master who’s shown time and time again that his ways are fundamentally antithetical to the ways of Jesus — is simply impossible.
To put it simply, following Jesus and supporting Donald Trump at the same time is utterly irreconcilable.
Now, there are many would-be peacemakers in the Church, well-intentioned folks who are trying to build bridges between Trump supporters and those who see an emperor without his clothes, as if doing so is some sort of Christian calling.
But this is a tragic mistake.
Yes, we are called to be peacemakers, but we are called to make real peace and real peace is not possible without justice, compassion, and care for the least of these, things Donald Trump has not only shown no interest in, they are things he is actively working against.
Yes, Jesus called us to be peacemakers, but not at the expense of our calling to follow him. In fact, that very act of following Jesus said, would be a divisive, not unifying one.
"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household."
Does this mean we should actively seek division amongst ourselves?
As Paul would say, “by no means!”
But it does mean we have a choice to make between following Jesus and following a would-be Caesar who daily embodies everything our Lord stood against.
It’s not a choice between political parties. You can absolutely be a Republican or a Democrat or Libertarian or a member of the Green Party and still follow Jesus faithfully. Donald Trump transcends political boundaries (and norms) by doing and saying things even his own party is forced to denounce due to their utter reprehensibleness.
This isn’t about picking political sides.
It’s about choosing whether to be a light that shines out the gospel to the world or embrace a growing darkness that will eventually but inevitably consume us all from within.
In the age of Donald Trump, we cannot afford to be Republican Christians or Democratic Christians.
We must simply be Christians; Daniels in Babylon, united as one and standing together, not just for the sake of our religious principles, but on behalf of our neighbors against this new Caesar who seems hell-bent on ostracizing, marginalizing, and oppressing them every chance he gets.
Yes, we can and should still pray for Donald Trump. Praying for him is most certainly reconcilable with our Christian faith, but that is primarily because we are not called to support our leaders, but rather to pray they will come to know the Truth.
But we must do more than utter mere words in the quite corners of our houses.
We must act.
We must be light incarnated in the darkness, shining the way towards the Truth in a world of fear and alternative facts.
We must be a beacon of hope and a port of rescue in a sea of oppression.
We must double down on our commitment to following Christ by seeking justice, defending the orphan, and caring for the least of these as their enemies work to ensnare them on all sides.
We must choose a master: either Christ or Trump.
Because we cannot follow Jesus while also supporting someone who, in the most literal sense of the word, is anti-Christ.
This piece originally appeared on the author's blog. Reprinted with permission.
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Declining clergy influence, Spider-Man, Facebook and fake news by Shane RaynorOn this episode of News and Religion: Are pastors losing credibility and influence in America? A new study says yes. Plus, another study suggests that Facebook makes us more narrow-minded and also creates fertile ground for fake news. And Sony has announced a new animated Spider-Man film coming in 2018 featuring black Latino teenager Miles Morales as Spider-Man's alter-ego, not Peter Parker. Guests are Mark Lockard, Christy Thomas and Joseph Yoo.
Image courtesy of Marvel
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Faithful discipleship in a time of turbulence by Kenneth H. Carter, Jr.Over the past two weeks our nation has experienced a turbulent transition in political leadership. While it has been a part of a larger and peaceful transfer of power, it has also surfaced deep divisions among our citizens; indeed, the state where I serve (Florida) is often described as a “battleground state”. And yet beneath these divisions are threats to the common good and to the great commandments, that we love God and our neighbor (Mark 12).
Bigstock/hadrianThe core of the teaching of Jesus Christ is the Beatitudes. At the heart of these words, which frame the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7), is a reversal of the world’s values. To be a disciple of Jesus is not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12). The Sermon on the Mount was also at the center of the teaching of John Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist movement. For example, of the Forty-Four Standard Sermons, thirteen (sermons twenty-one through thirty-three) are taken from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus’ words to his disciples are a guide to our faith and practice.
Over the past two weeks our nation has experienced a turbulent transition in political leadership. While it has been a part of a larger and peaceful transfer of power, it has also surfaced deep divisions among our citizens; indeed, the state where I serve (Florida) is often described as a “battleground state”. And yet beneath these divisions are threats to the common good and to the great commandments, that we love God and our neighbor (Mark 12).
I want to offer guidance in seeking “a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 13) and one that is grounded in a vision of human flourishing, which is the blessed life Jesus describes in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. 1-12. For us, this is the conviction that every person is created in the image of God (Genesis 1) and that we have an obligation to see every person as our neighbor (Luke 10).
So what does this mean, in practice? When we welcome the #unborn and the Muslim #refugee, we remember that the meek will inherit the earth. When we cease the #bullying of LGBTQ youth and the #torture of political enemies, we recall that peacemakers will be called children of God. When we hear the cries of the persecuted church and women degraded in the #2016election season, the Lord’s voice echoes from the mountain, that the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
To ignore the events of the last eight days — the Women’s Marches, the March for Life, Protests of the Muslim Ban — will feel like suppression in our church. The Psalms remind us that the spiritual life includes our deepest passions, angers and hopes. To frame these same events from the pulpit in ways identical to a favorite news network will seem like coercion, and is surely less than the gospel.
The power of worship in a turbulent time is to name what God requires (Micah 6), it is to glory in who God is and to struggle with a kingdom that is often a reversal of our expectations. The role of a spiritual leader is not to please people or to place them in partisan boxes. The call is to clearly and faithfully preach the word, to name the struggles and then to come down from our pulpits and say that we are in the struggle with our people. The church can be the conscience of a community or a nation or a world. And a spiritual leader can be the conscience of a people.
Many of our congregations are blessed with disciples of Jesus Christ who have migrated from other nations. Clergy and lay leaders have expressed their apprehension about the construction of a wall that would separate families and policies that would accelerate the deportation of persons fleeing violence. The true meaning of church is sanctuary, and while we are citizens of the United States, we have a higher allegiance: Jesus is Lord. I will support and stand with local churches who are called to provide sanctuary for refugees (Matthew 25).
In the Beatitudes Jesus calls us to be peacemakers. Disciples of Jesus live with a heart of peace and insofar as it depends on us, we seek to live in peace with all people (Romans 12). There is a need for communities of disciples who live with a heart of peace that allows them to transcend political categories in loving their neighbors, in doing justice, loving kindness and walking humbly with God (Micah 6).
In the present moment, this may be what it actually means to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.
Prayer: Gracious creator of us all, we do not ask that you would bless us. We ask for courage to do the things that you are able to bless. May your kingdom come on earth, as it is in heaven. In the name of #Jesus, our teacher, healer and Lord. Amen.
Ken Carter is resident bishop of the Florida Area of the United Methodist Church.
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'Alternative facts' and Christian truth 
By David F. WatsonBigstock/sbuwertLately I have been thinking a lot about the matter of “alternative facts.” While it hasn’t been named in exactly this way before, the phenomenon of “alternative facts” is nothing new. People have always attempted to shape the interpretation of the world around them to their own advantage.
The rise of postmodernity and deconstructionism has gone a long way toward legitimizing alternative facts. The very concept of “truth” has become suspect. (Witness Stephen Colbert’s wonderful term, “truthiness”). What is true for one person may not be so for another. Years ago, when I was teaching in a community college, I was shocked at how readily my students simply accepted this understanding of truth. Since that time, the idea that truth is culturally determined has become ever more atomistic. Put differently, truth is not now simply determined by one’s culture; it is determined on an individual level. The truth about my life and the way I see the world are first and foremost located within myself. From this perspective, it is more accurate to speak of “truths,” in the plural.
Various theologians and philosophers have attempted over the years to discern the ways in which postmodernity relates to Christian theology. I’m not a philosopher, but I can’t see a productive way in which the deconstruction of the concept of truth can be particularly helpful to Christian theologians. I am reminded of Pilate’s question to Jesus, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Truth was standing right in front of him, and he did not know it.
The Gospel of John (1:1-3) shows us a picture of Jesus not just as teacher, Messiah, and Son of God, but as the divine logos — the word, wisdom, reason, and creative order of God. Jesus is literally the enfleshment of truth, so to know Jesus is to know truth. When Jesus left, he gave us the Holy Spirit, who would continue his teaching. Jesus in fact calls the Holy Spirit the “Spirit of truth” (John 15:26).
Christians are necessarily committed to the idea of truth. Yes, the way in which we interpret our experiences can be to some extent culturally determined, but this is quite different from saying that there is no truth. If you and I are standing on opposite sides of a valley, looking down at a cabin below us, we will perceive different aspects of the cabin, but we are undeniably looking at the same building. Perhaps in conversation with one another we will develop a fuller account of what it is we saw.
As Christians, we seek truth because we believe that truth is inherently good. All truth is ultimately the product of God’s creative divine Word, who was made flesh in Jesus Christ. Whether we are talking about the crowd size at the presidential inauguration, a mathematical equation, the inherent value of human lives, or the saving work of Jesus Christ, truth matters.
Truth matters. Once we lose sight of this idea, we are not simply lost, but much worse: we’ve given up hope of finding our way.
David F. Watson blogs at davidfwatson.me.
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Does an all-powerful God cause the innocent to suffer?
By Christy ThomasBigstock/FlyntDear Thoughtful Pastor: One of my lectures was on innocent suffering and how that can occur in a world “governed” by an omniscient, omnipresent and all-good God. I covered about 30 answers, none of which appeared to be satisfactory.
Your column last week brought up the point that in the Exodus story, the writer chose to place the blame for the suffering of the Egyptians, including “innocent” Egyptian babies, on God. When Pharaoh wanted to let the Hebrews leave, God “hardened his heart.” Result, all the people of Egypt suffered. Was this payback for how the Hebrews were treated?
Interestingly, you flipped the blame in your analogy related to modern leaders. You wrote, “But one leader, totally absorbed in him or herself and in need to hold onto perks of leadership and prestige can wreak havoc on the larger civilization.” Does God still pull the strings of leaders today and “hardens their hearts” when he wants them to take actions they wouldn’t otherwise do or not?
Where is free will in a leader’s decisions if God decides to “personally” intervene? Presumably, Pharaoh never knew he was being manipulated. Where is the accountability for a leader if God “made” him act in a specific way? How can we tell if God is “hardening our hearts” for reasons only he knows or we are doing the hardening ourselves? What does this say about the nature of God?
For people of faith, this letter opens up all kinds of troubling questions and moral quandaries. Can you expand on this topic?
The eternal question: “Is God all-knowing, all-powerful AND good?” The all-knowing, all-powerful God could certainly harden hearts at will and intervene in any situation. But if God, intervening at will, is truly good, what about the carnage visited upon so many and so often?
I don’t know.
How good is God?
I, too, have yet to see a satisfactory explanation. The Calvinist insistence that God predestines everything also suggests a nasty deity, one that merrily heaps torture, hurt, rape, famines and other devastations upon helpless humanity. Furthermore, only certain chosen ones escape an eternity of conscious torment.
The Arminian tradition, my theological underpinnings, insists that God has lovingly given freedom to humankind. That freedom includes the freedom to choose good or to choose evil. But then, what do we do with the biblical statements such you mentioned in the Egypt story: “God hardened Pharaoh’s heart.” Where’s the freedom there? Does that not make Pharaoh God’s puppet?
Christy ThomasI genuinely do not have an answer. How can we affirm God as sovereign with power over all and then look at the suffering of so much of humanity without being deeply troubled?
The easy answers like “It’ll all turn out OK in the end. If it is not OK, it’s not the end” nearly make me sick to my stomach.
What does that say to those who are suffering horrifically in this very moment?
What does it say to the millions of Jews who went to their torturous imprisonment and death under Adolf Hitler or the hundreds of thousands of Syrians who are starving today?
What does it say to those who undergo an ethnic cleansing?
What does it say to the women who have repeatedly been raped to demean and shame their husbands and provide babies to their captors?
Is, as you have suggested, God bringing about those horrors for some unknown purpose? Or is God helpless in the face of evil?
I don’t know.
But to reiterate what I often hear, “God is in control” seems to me to be the height of verbal cruelty when said to someone is suffering greatly. The phrase also assassinates the character of God by making God the responsible party in the suffering.
I genuinely wonder if any of us can find these truths using the Bible as the primary, if not only, resource.
The phrase, “The Bible says it, I believe it, that settles it for me,” suggests that the Bible was written to and for 21st-century people who live in Westernized countries.
It wasn’t. Interpreting it that way shows no respect for the texts.
The Bible in the hands of the ignorant
Frankly, the Bible in the hands of ignorant people has come near to destroying many. I’ve just read the story of a father and son accused of enslaving a teenaged girl for three years while raping her repeatedly.
These two have insisted that the Bible only contains their defense. They might use the scenario in Judges 21 where God commands the Israelites without wives to kill all the men and married women in certain villages and then kidnap the remaining virgins for themselves.
Do we take this and say “well the Bible says it and God is in control it must be OK somehow?”
So, here’s my answer to your question: I do not know how to reconcile the ideas that God is all-knowing, all-powerful and genuinely good.
I wish I did.
Email questions to thoughtfulpastor@gmail.com. A version of this column appeared in the Friday January 27, 2017 print and online editions of The Denton Record Chronicle. Christy blogs at Patheos.
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Martyrdom and Christian faithBy Peter SurranImage courtesy of Paramount Pictures
Silence
In the early 1950s, Japanese writer Shusaku Endo encountered an exhibit in the art museum in Nagasaki that challenged him and inspired him to write the book that’s considered to be his masterpiece. That piece of art was a simple wooden box with a bronze engraving of Christ on the cross. What truly captivated Endo was that the image had been rubbed smooth and was surrounded by the black marks of footprints where hundreds of feet had trampled on it long ago.
The item Endo saw was called a fumie. It had been created in the 17th century during a severe persecution of Christians in Japan. The footprints on the image were from peasants who were given a choice: Trample on it and renounce their faith, or face torture and death. Endo, who had been baptized a Roman Catholic Christian at the age of 11, asked himself, Would I, too, have trampled on the image?
The book that Endo wrote after this encounter, Silence, was published in 1966. It tells the story of two Portuguese missionaries who travel to Japan during the height of the persecution. One of them, Sebastian Rodrigues, writes letters to his superiors, and these form the bulk of the narrative. It’s a life of danger and secrecy until betrayal leads to arrest.
Throughout the book, a question hangs over the story: Would the missionaries remain steadfast in the face of their captors; or would they apostatize, or renounce their faith, as their former mentor and predecessor in the Japanese mission, Christovao Ferreira, is rumored to have done? In the end, the crisis for Rodrigues is even more intense than he could’ve imagined. He’s ordered to trample on a fumie and renounce his faith, not to save himself from torture and death, but to save three peasants who will be tortured until he steps on the image.
Martyrs
Among the many issues provoked by the novel — and now the movie — Silence, from questions about how the gospel is presented and received in different cultures to questions of class (most of the Christians the missionaries encounter are peasants in small villages), the most dramatic questions raised include those of suffering and martyrdom.
What is a martyr? The word is derived from a Greek term, martus, meaning witness. More specifically, it refers to a witness who “testifies to a fact of which he [or she] has knowledge from personal observation.” In this sense, all of the apostles were called to be martyrs. In Acts 1:8, Jesus tells them, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Fairly quickly, within the lifetime of the apostles, the word began to mean more than a generic type of witnessing. Revelation 2:13 describes Antipas, whom Jesus calls “my faithful witness,” and says that Antipas “was killed among you, where Satan lives.” Later, in Revelation 6:9, John says he “saw under the altar those who had been slaughtered on account of the word of God and the witness they had given.” In the second century, the term martyr came to refer almost exclusively to those who had paid the ultimate price as a witness to their faith.
The church honors martyrs
The Christian church has honored martyrs from the beginning. During the persecutions of the Roman Empire, families of those who had been martyred were often permitted to bury the remains, and the gravesites were often considered sacred. Chapels have been found in the catacombs, and churches have been built over sites reputed to be the tombs of martyrs. For example, Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome is reputedly built over the tomb of the apostle Peter.
Early Christians also celebrated the anniversaries of martyrs’ deaths, “held at the grave of the deceased with prayer, oblations, Communion, and a reading of the martyr’s history of suffering and death,” according to Christian History magazine. Martyrdom was considered such an honor that the church had to act against the phenomenon of “volunteering,” wherein Christians actively sought to be killed for their faith. Ignatius of Antioch, a first-century bishop, wrote letters to the various churches along his route to Rome to be tried and martyred, asking them to take no action to prevent his death because he wished to be an “imitator of the passion of Christ, my God.”
Modern-day martyrs
Though Christians might not have the same attitude toward martyrdom as in the early church, persecution and martyrdom still exist as a problem for the church today. In 2015, videos of members of the group Islamic State executing Christians were reported on by major news networks, drawing attention to the plight of Christians in some areas of the Middle East. Exactly how many Christian martyrs there have been, however, is harder to pin down than one might expect.
In 2012, the number of Christians martyred was either 1,200, as some groups reported, or over 100,000, as others reported. The disparity, it turns out, is because some groups define a martyr differently than others. Some groups count as martyrs those who are killed for their ethnicity, because ethnicity and religion are closely aligned in some areas.
“Cultural Christians killed in political or ethnic conflicts are not necessarily witnessing for their faith. Thus, they shouldn’t be counted as martyrs,” argues Nik Ripken of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International Mission Board, who investigated reports of martyrdom but was unable to substantiate many. There’s a concern for an accurate total, as underreporting may lead to little attention being paid to the issue; but defining it too broadly might dilute the term in a way that devalues, in a sense, the deaths of those killed specifically for bearing witness to their faith.
Confronted by martyrdom
What questions does martyrdom raise for contemporary Christians? Silence, both the novel and the movie, provokes one major question: Why does God seem silent in the face of suffering? Martin Scorsese, in the foreword he wrote for the 2016 Picador Modern Classic publication of the novel, says, “[God] is always present . . . even in His silence.”
This insight can be gleaned from the novel, but the presence of God would still be difficult to discern in the midst of suffering. The Book of Revelation, particularly in the messages to the churches detailed in Chapters 2 and 3, however, describes the reward that’s held out for those who suffer persecution “even to the point of death,” which is “the crown of life” (2:10). “Those who emerge victorious,” it says, will be made “pillars in the temple of my God, and they will never leave it” (3:12).
Enduring suffering and hardship, then, leads to a great reward. But even with such promises, it’s difficult to remain steadfast with the prospect of suffering and death. What if someone threatened with suffering or with the suffering of others recants their faith? This question has been with the church as long as there have been martyrs.
What can Christians do to support those suffering persecution and in danger of being martyred? The Reverend Jack Amick, top executive for international disaster response of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), urges church members “not to forget about Syria and Iraq [where much of the hardship facing Christians is taking place] and to pray weekly for peace and an end to violent conflict around the world.”
UMCOR and organizations like it have a presence in many parts of the world where Christians are suffering persecution. Amick points out that though hearing about the trials these Christians are facing may break our hearts, “all human suffering should break our hearts such that we take action regardless of human divisions and labels of race, creed, religion.” Supporting the work of organizations like UMCOR, with prayer and finances, could be a concrete step to show those who suffer that God is present to them, even if God seems silent.
Be sure to check out FaithLink, a weekly downloadable discussion guide for classes and small groups.
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ReClaimed Podcast: Telling the Truth with James Alison
By ReClaimed PodcastCharles and Gregg are joined by James Alison for a discussion about reclaiming the concepts of truth and reconciliation in our world's divisive moment. James Alison is a world-renowned theologian and writer who has lived and worked in the UK, Mexico, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and the United States. He joins the pod from Madrid, Spain. His latest book is Jesus the Forgiving Victim: Listening for the Unheard Voice.
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The Ban
By Kyle MeierBigstock/mikdamI told a friend recently that my biggest fear these days is becoming a Pharisee. Pharisees were the people who opposed Jesus and eventually had him crucified. They were the religious leaders and teachers who could not stand this so-called Messiah and his teachings because of how he threatened the institution. Jesus was constantly disturbing the religious establishment. Thus, Jesus was dismantling the very system that they had worked so hard to build and maintain.
I confessed to my friend that the reason why I am so afraid is because now that I have done this job for a couple years, I am beginning to understand how powerful that temptation is. To be fair, some of it comes from some unholy places within me, i.e. struggling to love God over my ego. However, I have also found that my Pharisaic tendencies also come from good intentions.
For example, sometimes I have resisted speaking out, because I have come to know and love the people with whom I disagree. I have sat in their living rooms. I have cried at their funerals. Speaking my mind on a given issue could result in their feeling like an outsider in their own church. It could communicate, “You are wrong and even sinful for thinking the way you do.” In essence, it could cast them as my enemy. If you have ever spoken a hard word, you know it is especially difficult to do with the people you love.
Now, it should be no surprise to any of you that recent events have only intensified this fear. With so many decisions being made and things being said not only by our country’s leaders but by friends, family and colleagues on social media, it is becoming increasingly difficult to figure out where to stand, how to stand, and most importantly where my King stands on all of this.
After this most recent controversial move made by the new president to sign an executive order to ban all refugees from several Middle Eastern countries, I find myself led to pray prayers like this one: “Jesus, you are both Lord and former refugee…show me what to think about all of this. Show me where you are in all of this. And please, O God, help me not be so impulsive that I make judgments without wisdom…AND AT THE SAME TIME, help me not be so attached to my comfort that I am unwilling to speak or stand with you.”
In addition to prayer, I have also been reaching out to friends who sit on both sides. This is an especially important exercise for all of us, because oftentimes our Facebook feed can be such an echo chamber that it is hard to remember that there are actually good-willed people out there who see things differently, people who have simply had a different experience.
And in all of the prayer and conversation, I have realized a couple things:
First, to my friends who support the ban, I think I understand where many of you are coming from; I want safety, too. I really do. Having two kids has forever changed me. It has made me so protective that if another kid so much as looks at them funny on the playground, I am ready to bow up. (Kidding, but serious.) The vast majority of you are not hateful. And most of you are not xenophobic…at least not any more xenophobic than many of us are unknowingly.
With that said, to my friends who oppose the ban, your convictions are spot on and we must welcome all who are trying to flee violence and persecution. Especially for Christians, there is simply no way around it: we are called to welcome the stranger, because when we welcome the stranger we are welcoming the very Person of Jesus. And to not do so will result in our judgment (see Matthew 25).
Moreover, the Bible has a long, rich tradition of commanding us to love, welcome and serve foreigners in your land because the people of God were foreigners once. God reminds us that we, too, have felt displaced and alone. Scripture tells us that we must empathize, because although we might not have been in their shoes, their rafts, or their airport terminals, we all, at one point or another, have felt lost in search for Home.
Friends, here is what I know to be true. Our country needs (and from what I understand, already has) measures in place to protect innocent people from those who only wish to do harm. I want that just as much as the next person. And yet, at the same time, the reality that we must come to accept is what every honest national leader will tell you: you can only make a country so safe. You can never fully rule out the chance for harm. If you have kids, you know this to be true. I can put locks on all of our cabinets and still find my daughter waving around a steak knife she miraculously pulled off the counter top. (True story. Don’t judge.)
So hear me: I am in total support for ensuring our country is safe. No argument there. However, at this moment in time, I believe it is imperative for us to heed caution that there is such a thing as making America “too safe.” In fact, there is a word for when we place numerous restrictions upon a people group who could be perceived as a threat. It is called oppression. And ironically, this is the same thing the Pharisees were guilty of. (No one ever sets out to become a Pharisee; rather, it is something that slowly infiltrates your heart using the vehicle of fear.) So please, let us not become people so afraid of any and every outside person that we are willing to do anything and everything to keep them away…or simply get rid of them.
There has to be a way where we can be hospitable without sacrificing safety. And at the same time be safe without sacrificing the call to radical, Christian hospitality.
This article originally appeared on the author's blog. Reprinted with permission.
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The spiritual dangers of Calvinism and Arminianism
By Clifton StringerBigstock/aradaphotographyThe argument on the ground between Calvinists and Arminians never goes away.
As a Wesleyan Christian ordained in the United Methodist Church, I have lots of occasions to appreciate this fact. Some of my evangelical family members attend a Bible church with a TULIP pastor, so I get to have these conversations in my family. (What a gift to have an extended family in which theology matters!) (If TULIP is unfamiliar to you, you might just pause briefly and Google it.) Moreover, I frequently seem to meet really sharp young Christians trained in Reformed/Calvinist theology, people as thoughtful as they are convicted and zealous for the glory of God. At the same time, some of these young Calvinists are disturbed by the character of God as presented in their TULIP upbringing, and are seeking around for intellectual options that are convincingly Christian and biblical. (Truth be told, I've known folks who have joined the UMC as a happy respite from Calvinism, and also folks raised UMC or Wesleyan/Arminian who have joined a TULIP Evangelical church as a happy and clear respite from wishy-washy theology they ran into in their upbringing.)
Why does this Calvinist-Arminian argument never go away? Lately I've started to appreciate that the argument lives on because it has deep and practical spiritual ramifications. These ramifications bear on the character and possibility of our worshipping the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Let me be a bit more specific, even though it means being a bit provocative. There are spiritual dangers of Calvinism and spiritual dangers of Arminianism. Both of these theological positions, as commonly presented, present a weakness or problem that diminishes the glory of God.
The spiritual danger of Arminianism
The spiritual danger of Arminianism is in believing that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit is not sovereign enough, not powerful enough, to save all.
But how could this be? Is God weak? The problem of God's ability to accomplish God's will arises, of course, because Arminians and Wesleyans are more likely to unequivocally affirm the clear biblical teachings that God desires to save all (1 Timothy 2:4) and that Christ's death atones for the sins of all (1 Timothy 2:6; John 1:20; 1 John 2:2). So, can God accomplish God's will in creation, or not? Is God's will that all be saved really able to be eternally bested by the intransigence of the wills of puny finite sinners? God certainly seems to turn St. Paul's life in an entirely surprising direction — as St. Augustine, John Calvin and so many since have noticed and experienced first-hand. Is our will really just autonomously 'free' to say no to God's grace? And if not, what is there to stop God from accomplishing God's will to save all? One understands the Calvinist's dilemma in evaluating the Arminian/Wesleyan claims. After all, how confidently and peacefully can one worship a God who, at the end of the day, doesn't seem to be all that in control? Infinite goodness and power, it seems, can be trumped by the bored "Naaah" of a 125 pound sinner. Can one really trust, fully trust, fully hope in a God like that? In the darkest storms of life? Wesleyan though I am, I think the Calvinists are exactly right to worry here.
The spiritual danger of Calvinism
But the TULIP Calvinists have a problem that is, if anything, even worse. The doctrine of double predestination as held by, say, John Piper, means that God, from before the foundation of the world, elects some for eternal suffering in hell. To point this out is not news, least of all to the TULIP folks themselves. Nonetheless, their theology convicts God of evil of the most monstrous sort: willing the eternal damnation of a lot of human persons created good and in the image of God. That humans are fallen and helpless, and don't seem to want saving, doesn't help God's case (in this theology), because God holds all the cards, and indeed has determined them all, from before the foundation of the world. Yet this "gloriously" manifests "justice", one is told. To spell it out further, the problem is that it is hard to see how Piper Calvinists are not lying when they claim that God is all good, or, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). How is willing the eternal damnation of even one person from before the foundation of the world consistent with the claim that God is all good, much less that God is pure and perfect love?
The spiritual danger of TULIP Calvinism is in believing that God is not loving enough, not good enough, to save all.
Robin Parry, who wrote The Evangelical Universalist originally under the pen name Gregory MacDonald (Gregory of Nyssa + George MacDonald), experienced this problem first hand and in the depths of his soul. Long before becoming a Christian universalist, Parry wrestled with evangelical doctrines of the eternity of hell in relation to God's ability to choose who will and won't be saved. His experience is worth sharing:
Could I love a God who could rescue everyone but chose not to?... I sang and prayed; but it felt hollow and so I stopped. I no longer loved God, because he seemed diminished. I cannot express how deeply distressing this was for me — perhaps the most anguishing period of reflection on my faith I have ever experienced. (3)
For Parry, this theological pickle — brutally intrinsic to TULIP Calvinism — brought on a "doxological crisis — wanting to believe that God was worthy of worship but unable to do so" (1).
Diminishing praise — The state of the problems with Calvinism and Arminianism
If the above analysis is close to correct, the 'on the ground' theological arguments between Christians of the various Arminian-type streams and TULIP Calvinists never go away because both of these positions have acute intellectual problems that surface doxologically. They diminish our ability to praise God in the full, trusting and confident way the Bible leads us to praise God, which is also the way our souls need to praise God.
Hence Calvinism and Arminianism start to look like two sides of the same coin.
Typical Arminians don't believe that God is powerful enough, or sovereign enough, to save all. This is a problem. Nobody should have to believe that about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The praise of God is best and most full when one trusts that God is sovereign enough, is powerful enough, to save all.
TULIP Calvinists don't believe that God is good enough, or loving enough, to save all. This is a problem. Nobody should have to believe that about the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The praise of God is best and most full when one believes with every fiber of one's being that God is infinitely good, and infinitely loving, and so desires with an infinite goodness and love to save all.
Beyond Calvinism and Arminianism, to...
We are able to love God most fully when we believe that God is supremely good and supremely love, and so desires to save all, and also believe that God is supremely sovereign and all powerful, and so is able to save all. Where does that lead us?
For one, it leads us to a healthy, deep, patient and bold Trinitarian Christian spirituality, a spirituality that conforms confidently to the unchecked goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, and moves with the love of the Spirit poured into our hearts. The experience of the Holy Spirit in Christian spiritual practice inclines us more and more to the truth that we can really trust Jesus. Over time, we learn that we can really trust Jesus with ourselves, and we can really trust him with everyone else too. We should pay attention to that. It can free us to live for Jesus, and share his gospel without shame, once we glimpse the infinite goodness, wisdom, tenderness, by which he has offered himself for all.
For another, it leads us into varied and persistently interesting company, intellectually speaking. The communion of saints includes many fascinating figures who have been shown similar vistas. We are in the company of spiritual-theological giants like Gregory of Nyssa, Isaac of Nineveh, Origen of Alexandria, Julian of Norwich, Kierkegaard, Karl Barth, Hans Urs von Balthasar, Sergius Bulgakov, David Bentley Hart and George MacDonald, to name but a few. That is to say: we're in the company of Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians drawn from every age of the church's history. There are indeed lively speculative questions that arise when we trust Jesus in this way. Will all, in fact, be saved on the last day? What is hell, and what is it for, on this view of things? The figures above have various ways of approaching and answering these and related questions. Yet I think the spiritual posture of unqualified trust in the goodness and power of God is more primary than how one works out the speculative questions. At the least, we have good grounds to hope for the ultimate salvation of all. Moreover, we trust that when we pray for the salvation of all, we are praying a scriptural prayer, and praying along with the will of the Spirit of God.
We might even discover that we haven't moved beyond Calvinism or Wesleyanism at all. Karl Barth certainly didn't think he had moved beyond the Reformed theological tradition. Personally, trusting in God's ultimate — and truly good — sovereignty frees me and leaves me feeling more Wesleyan than ever.
In closing, I would like to say one more thing about Karl Barth, which sheds some light for us, whatever Christian tradition we call home. Not only did Barth not move beyond the Reformed theological tradition. He opened a new possibility within it. He saw a way to move beyond TULIP while still standing with St. Augustine, and with John Calvin, and even in a new and deeper way with St. Paul, who once concluded, "For God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all" (Romans 11:32).
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This Sunday, February 5, 2017Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany: Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12); Psalm 112:1-9, (10); 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, (13-16); Matthew 5:13-20
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Lectionary Readings
Sunday, 5 February 2016
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
Matthew 5:13-20
Sunday, 5 February 2016
(Courtesy of Vanderbilt Divinity Library)
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
Matthew 5:13-20
Scripture Texts: Isaiah 58:1 Shout out loud! Don’t hold back!
Raise your voice like a shofar!
Proclaim to my people what rebels they are,
to the house of Ya‘akov their sins.
2 “Oh yes, they seek me day after day
and [claim to] delight in knowing my ways.
As if they were an upright nation
that had not abandoned the rulings of their God,
they ask me for just rulings
and [claim] to take pleasure in closeness to God,
3 [asking,] ‘Why should we fast, if you don’t see?
Why mortify ourselves, if you don’t notice?’
“Here is my answer: when you fast,
you go about doing whatever you like,
while keeping your laborers hard at work.
4 Your fasts lead to quarreling and fighting,
to lashing out with violent blows.
On a day like today, fasting like yours
will not make your voice heard on high.
5 “Is this the sort of fast I want,
a day when a person mortifies himself?
Is the object to hang your head like a reed
and spread sackcloth and ashes under yourself?
Is this what you call a fast,
a day that pleases Adonai?
6 “Here is the sort of fast I want —
releasing those unjustly bound,
untying the thongs of the yoke,
letting the oppressed go free,
breaking every yoke,
7 sharing your food with the hungry,
taking the homeless poor into your house,
clothing the naked when you see them,
fulfilling your duty to your kinsmen!”
8 Then your light will burst forth like the morning,
your new skin will quickly grow over your wound;
your righteousness will precede you,
and Adonai’s glory will follow you.
9 Then you will call, and Adonai will answer;
you will cry, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you will remove the yoke from among you,
stop false accusation and slander,
10 generously offer food to the hungry
and meet the needs of the person in trouble;
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your gloom become like noon.
11 Adonai will always guide you;
he will satisfy your needs in the desert,
he will renew the strength in your limbs;
so that you will be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
12 You will rebuild the ancient ruins,
raise foundations from ages past,
and be called “Repairer of broken walls,
Restorer of streets to live in.”
Psalm 112:1 Halleluyah!
How happy is anyone who fears Adonai,
who greatly delights in his mitzvot.
2 His descendants will be powerful on earth,
a blessed generation of upright people.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness stands forever.
4 To the upright he shines like a light in the dark,
merciful, compassionate and righteous.
5 Things go well with the person who is merciful and lends,
who conducts his affairs with fairness;
6 for he will never be moved.
The righteous will be remembered forever.
7 He will not be frightened by bad news;
he remains steady, trusting in Adonai.
8 His heart is set firm, he will not be afraid,
till finally he looks in triumph at his enemies.
9 He distributes freely, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness stands forever.
His power will be increased honorably.
10 The wicked will be angry when they see this;
they will gnash their teeth and waste away,
the desires of the wicked will come to nothing.
1 Corinthians 2:1 As for me, brothers, when I arrived among you, it was not with surpassing eloquence or wisdom that I came announcing to you the previously concealed truth about God; 2 for I had decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Yeshua the Messiah, and even him only as someone who had been executed on a stake as a criminal. 3 Also I myself was with you as somebody weak, nervous and shaking all over from fear; 4 and neither the delivery nor the content of my message relied on compelling words of “wisdom” but on a demonstration of the power of the Spirit, 5 so that your trust might not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power.
6 Yet there is a wisdom that we are speaking to those who are mature enough for it. But it is not the wisdom of this world or of this world’s leaders, who are in the process of passing away. 7 On the contrary, we are communicating a secret wisdom from God which has been hidden until now but which, before history began, God had decreed would bring us glory. 8 Not one of this world’s leaders has understood it; because if they had, they would not have executed the Lord from whom this glory flows. 9 But, as the Tanakh says,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard
and no one’s heart has imagined
all the things that God has prepared
for those who love him.”[1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:3(4), 52:15]
10 It is to us, however, that God has revealed these things. How? Through the Spirit. For the Spirit probes all things, even the profoundest depths of God. 11 For who knows the inner workings of a person except the person’s own spirit inside him? So too no one knows the inner workings of God except God’s Spirit. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, so that we might understand the things God has so freely given us. 13 These are the things we are talking about when we avoid the manner of speaking that human wisdom would dictate and instead use a manner of speaking taught by the Spirit, by which we explain things of the Spirit to people who have the Spirit. 14 Now the natural man does not receive the things from the Spirit of God — to him they are nonsense! Moreover, he is unable to grasp them, because they are evaluated through the Spirit. 15 But the person who has the Spirit can evaluate everything, while no one is in a position to evaluate him.
16 For who has known the mind of Adonai?
Who will counsel him?[1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13]
But we have the mind of the Messiah!
Matthew 5:13 “You are salt for the Land. But if salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except being thrown out for people to trample on.
14 “You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don’t cover it with a bowl but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary: Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
(Read all of Isaiah 58)
Verse 2
[2] Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
Yet — They cover all their wickedness with a profession of religion.
Delight — There are many men who take some pleasure in knowing God's will and word, and yet do not conform their lives to it.
As — As if they were a righteous people.
Forsook — As if they were not guilty of any apostacy from God, or disobedience to God's precepts.
Ask — As if they resolved to observe them.
In approaching — In coming to my temple to hear my word, and to offer sacrifices.
Verse 3
[3] Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
Afflicted — Defrauded our appetites with fasting, of which this phrase is used, Leviticus 16:29.
Ye find — Either you indulge yourselves in sensuality, as they did, Isaiah 22:13. But this does not agree with that afflicting of their souls which they now professed, and which God acknowledges; or you pursue and satisfy your own desires: though you abstain from bodily food, you do not mortify your sinful inclinations.
Exact — Your money, got by your labour, and lent to others, either for their need or your own advantage, which you require either with usury, or at least with rigour, when either the general law of charity, or God's particular law, commanded the release, or at least the forbearance of them.
Verse 4
[4] Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Behold — Your fasting days, wherein you ought in a special manner to implore the mercy of God, and to shew compassion to men, you employ in injuring or quarrelling with your brethren, your servants or debtors, or in contriving mischief against them.
Heard — In strife and debate. By way of ostentation.
Verse 5
[5] Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Chosen — Approve of, accept, or delight in, by a metonymy, because we delight in what we freely chuse.
For a day — This may be understood, either for a man to take a certain time to afflict his soul in, and that either from even to even, Leviticus 23:32, or from morning to evening, or for a little time.
Wilt thou call — Canst thou suppose it to be so? A fast - It being such an one as has nothing in it, but the dumb signs of a fast, nothing of deep humiliation appearing in it, or, real reformation proceeding from it.
Acceptable day — A day that God will approve of.
Verse 6
[6] Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
The bands — The cruel obligations of usury and oppression.
Verse 7
[7] Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Cast out — And thereby become wanderers, having no abiding place.
To thy house — That thou be hospitable, and make thy house a shelter to them that have none of their own left.
Hide not — That seek no occasion to excuse thyself.
Thy own flesh — Some confine this to our own kindred; but we can look on no man, but there we contemplate our own flesh, and therefore it is barbarous, not only to tear, but not to love and succour him. Therefore feed him as thou wouldest feed thyself, or be fed; shelter him as thou wouldest shelter thyself, or be sheltered; clothe him as thou wouldest clothe thyself, or be clothed; if in any of these respects thou wert in his circumstances.
Verse 8
[8] Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
Thy light — Happiness and prosperity.
Break forth — It shall not only appear, but break forth, dart itself forth, notwithstanding all difficulties, as the sun breaks, and pierces through a cloud.
Thy health — Another metaphor to express the same thing.
Righteousness — The reward of thy righteousness.
Before thee — As the morning-star goes before the sun.
The glory — His glorious power and providence.
Thy rereward — Thus the angel of his presence secured the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.
Verse 9
[9] Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Answer — He will give an effectual demonstration, that he hears thee.
Here l am — A phrase that notes a person to be ready at hand to help.
Take away — From among you.
The yoke — All those pressures and grievances before mentioned.
Putting forth — Done by way of scoff, or disdainful insulting.
Vanity — Any kind of evil words.
Verse 10
[10] And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
Draw out — Or, open, as when we open a store, to satisfy the wants of the needy.
Thy soul — Thy affection, thy pity and compassion.
Thy darkness — In the very darkness of the affliction itself thou shalt have comfort.
Verse 11
[11] And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Guide thee — Like a shepherd. And he adds continually to shew that his conduct and blessing shall not be momentary, or of a short continuance, but all along as it was to Israel in the wilderness.
Satisfy — Thou shalt have plenty, when others are in scarcity.
Make fat — This may be spoken in opposition to the sad effects of famine, whereby the flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen, and the bones that were not seen, stick out.
A garden — If thou relieve the poor, thou shalt never be poor, but as a well-watered garden, always flourishing.
Fail not — Heb. deceive not, a metaphor which farther notes also the continuance of this flourishing state, which will not be like a land-flood, or brooks, that will soon be dried up with drought. Thou shalt be fed with a spring of blessing, that will never fail.
Verse 12
[12] And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
They shall be of thee — Thy posterity.
Waste places — Cities which have lain long waste; that shall continue for many generations to come.
The breach — Breach is put for breaches, which was made by God's judgment breaking in upon them in suffering the walls of their towns and cities to be demolished.
Paths — Those paths that led from city to city, which being now laid desolate, and uninhabited, were grown over with grass, and weeds.
To dwell in — These accommodations being recovered, their ancient cities might be fit to be re-inhabited.
Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
(Read all of Psalm 112)
Verse 2
[2] His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
Generation — The posterity.
Verse 3
[3] Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
Righteousness — The fruit or reward of his righteousness, which is God's blessing upon his estate.
Verse 4
[4] Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
Darkness — In the troubles and calamities of life.
He — The upright man.
Verse 5
[5] A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
Lendeth — Gives freely to some, and lends to others according to the variety of their conditions.
Affairs — His domestick affairs.
Discretion — Not getting his estate unjustly, nor casting it away prodigally, nor yet withholding it from such as need it.
Verse 6
[6] Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Moved — Though he may for a season be afflicted, yet he shall not be eternally destroyed.
Verse 7
[7] He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
Evil tidings — At the report of approaching calamities.
Verse 9
[9] He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
Dispersed — His goods, freely and liberally.
Righteousness — His liberality, or the reward of it.
Ever — What he gives is not lost, but indeed is the only part of his estate, which will abide with him to all eternity.
Verse 10
[10] The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
The desire — Either of the misery of good men; or of his own constant prosperity.
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
(Read all of 1 Corinthians 2)
Verse 1
[1] And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
And I accordingly came to you, not with loftiness of speech or of wisdom - I did not affect either deep wisdom or eloquence.
Declaring the testimony of God — What God gave me to testify concerning his Son.
Verse 2
[2] For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I determined not to know anything — To wave all my other knowledge, and not to preach anything, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified - That is, what he did, suffered, taught. A part is put for the whole.
Verse 3
[3] And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And I was with you — At my first entrance.
In weakness — Of body, 2 Corinthians 12:7 And in fear - Lest I should offend any.
And in much trembling — The emotion of my mind affecting my very body.
Verse 4
[4] And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
And my speech in private, as well as my public preaching, was not with the persuasive words of human wisdom, such as the wise men of the world use; but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power - With that powerful kind of demonstration, which flows from the Holy Spirit; which works on the conscience with the most convincing light, and the most persuasive evidence.
Verse 5
[5] That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
That your faith might not be built on the wisdom or power of man, but on the wisdom and power of God.
Verse 6
[6] Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
Yet we speak wisdom — Yea, the truest and most excellent wisdom.
Among the perfect — Adult, experienced Christians. By wisdom here he seems to mean, not the whole Christian doctrine, but the most sublime and abstruse parts of it. But not the wisdom admired and taught by the men of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, Jewish or heathen, that come to nought - Both they and their wisdom, and the world itself.
Verse 7
[7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
But we speak the mysterious wisdom of God, which was hidden for many ages from all the world, and is still hidden even from "babes in Christ;" much more from all unbelievers.
Which God ordained before the world — So far is this from coming to nought, like worldly wisdom.
For our glory — Arising from the glory of our Lord, and then to be revealed when all worldly glory vanishes.
Verse 8
[8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Had they known it — That wisdom.
They would not have crucified — Punished as a slave.
The Lord of glory — The giving Christ this august title, peculiar to the great Jehovah, plainly shows him to be the supreme God. In like manner the Father is styled, "the Father of glory," Ephesians 1:17; and the Holy Ghost, "the Spirit of glory," 1 Peter 4:14. The application of this title to all the three, shows that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are "the God of glory;" as the only true God is called, Psalms 29:3, and Acts 7:2.
Verse 9
[9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But this ignorance of theirs fulfils what is written concerning the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. No natural man hath either seen, heard, or known, the things which God hath prepared, saith the prophet, for them that love him. Isaiah 64:4
Verse 10
[10] But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
But God hath revealed — Yea, and "freely given," 1 Corinthians 2:12.
Them to us — Even inconceivable peace, and joy unspeakable.
By his Spirit — Who intimately and fully knows them.
For the Spirit searcheth even the deep things of God — Be they ever so hidden and mysterious; the depths both of his nature and his kingdom.
Verse 11
[11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man — All the inmost recesses of his mind; although men are all of one nature, and so may the more easily know one another.
So the things of God knoweth no one but the Spirit — Who, consequently, is God.
Verse 12
[12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world — This spirit is not properly received; for the men of the world always had it. But Christians receive the Spirit of God, which before they had not.
Verse 13
[13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Which also we speak — As well as know.
In words taught by the Holy Spirit — Such are all the words of scripture. How high a regard ought we, then, to retain for them! Explaining spiritual things by spiritual words; or, adapting spiritual words to spiritual things - Being taught of the Spirit to express the things of the Spirit.
Verse 14
[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But the natural man — That is, every man who hath not the Spirit; who has no other way of obtaining knowledge, but by his senses and natural understanding.
Receiveth not — Does not understand or conceive.
The things of the Spirit — The things revealed by the Spirit of God, whether relating to his nature or his kingdom.
For they are foolishness to him — He is so far from understanding, that he utterly despises, them Neither can he know them - As he has not the will, so neither has he the power.
Because they are spiritually discerned — They can only be discerned by the aid of that Spirit, and by those spiritual senses, which he has not.
Verse 15
[15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
But the spiritual man — He that hath the Spirit. Discerneth all the things of God whereof we have been speaking.
Yet he himself is discerned by no man — No natural men. They neither understand what he is, nor what he says.
Verse 16
[16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Who — What natural man.
We — Spiritual men; apostles in particular.
Have — Know, understand.
The mind of Christ — Concerning the whole plan of gospel salvation. Isaiah 40:13
Matthew 5:13-20
Verse 13
[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye — Not the apostles, not ministers only; but all ye who are thus holy, are the salt of the earth - Are to season others. Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34.
Verse 14
[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Ye are the light of the world — If ye are thus holy, you can no more be hid than the sun in the firmament: no more than a city on a mountain - Probably pointing to that on the brow of the opposite hill.
Verse 15
[15] Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Nay, the very design of God in giving you this light was, that it might shine. Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33.
Verse 16
[16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
That they may see — and glorify - That is, that seeing your good works, they may be moved to love and serve God likewise.
Verse 17
[17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Think not — Do not imagine, fear, hope, that I am come - Like your teachers, to destroy the law or the prophets.
I am not come to destroy — The moral law, but to fulfil - To establish, illustrate, and explain its highest meaning, both by my life and doctrine.
Verse 18
[18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Till all things shall be effected — Which it either requires or foretells. For the law has its effect, when the rewards are given, and the punishments annexed to it inflicted, as well as when its precepts are obeyed. Luke 16:17; 21:33.
Verse 19
[19] Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
One of the least — So accounted by men; and shall teach - Either by word or example; shall be the least - That is, shall have no part therein.
Verse 20
[20] For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees — Described in the sequel of this discourse.
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The Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004, United States
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A TRUTH ABOUT SIN by Raquel Mull
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
One characteristic I notice about children is their complete, and many times unsolicited, honesty, until they are taught some social norms. I can remember walking into the grocery store with my preschool-age son. We had gone through the ritual of “Can I have some of that cereal I saw on TV?” and “If I’m real good, can I have a toy?” dialogue and were walking in relative silence. I was thinking about dinner, and my son was staring at shelves to see what he “needed.”
Suddenly, a man in a wheelchair, with no legs, entered the aisle. Anticipating an outburst from my son, who did not understand the phrase “politically correct,” I glanced down, hoping that he would be so busy checking out the frozen foods that he wouldn’t notice the man wheeling toward us. Maybe the man would be so busy checking out the frozen foods, he wouldn’t notice us! Hope, hope, hope.
Not so. They both looked down the aisle at each other at the same time! Oh, no, I thought, here it comes! Some totally insensitive remark from my four-year-old, which I knew was going to embarrass me and the man.
My son opened his mouth and took a breath, still staring at the man with no legs in the wheelchair. I squeezed and jerked on his hand. Then came the words I knew were going to embarrass us all: “Hey, stop; leggo my hand; you’re hurting me! Mommy!”
The man’s eyes went from my son to me. I was absolutely right in knowing that I would be embarrassed. The words I had feared—“Where are his legs?” or “What is wrong with him?”—were not the words that ultimately caused embarrassment. It was my ineffective, wrong response of avoiding the truth as I tried to control the conversation and the response.
The man had probably been in other situations where he was the first amputee some kid had seen. He handled the whole thing better than I did. I blushed, let go of my son’s hand, and apologized to both of them.
Sometimes the truth is hard to hear, but kids especially don’t have a problem telling people they are fat, or missing their legs, or even that they are nice. It is not that we don’t know the truth; we may not want to acknowledge it. We live in a state of denial. The man knew his legs were gone. The fat person has probably been told before that she is overweight.
In Isaiah 58, the prophet tells the people something they probably already know and don’t want to hear. They are rebellious and do not have the right attitude in their hearts and minds to make their fasts acceptable.
Their worship is unrighteous because the Israelites participate in only the outward actions of worship; they show up at the right times with others to worship and pray. But what about the rest of the week? Do they seek the Lord’s presence and blessing on Tuesday or Thursday? How do they seek God’s face?
Jesus addressed similar problems. In Matthew 6, Jesus gives instructions on how to fast, pray, and give. Don’t bring attention to yourself, that others will praise you and think you are perfect and wonderful, above reproach and judgment.
Now, centuries later, has anything changed? The television tells us that we should look like movie stars—thin and attractive. It is acceptable to be in debt as long as you can make your monthly payments and have the right car in your driveway. If we make sacrifices at all, they should be relatively small so as not to create too much discomfort. It is acceptable to turn away or cross the street in order to avoid the homeless, smelly people. If you are in church on Sunday morning for worship, it is not necessary to go to Sunday school. After all, you plan to be in your pew again next week, unless, of course, you have company.
I fear we are in need of an Isaiah—someone who is bold enough to “shout out” without holding back, to remind us of our sins. I use the word remind because we probably already know we are sinning—we may just hope that, since everyone else is doing it, we are not too bad. We may be pinning our hopes on the fact that we do the right thing most of the time and may even hesitate before breaking any of the ten commandments. That’s ironic, because the first command is to honor the Lord and keep the commandments! I suspect we know in our heart of hearts that we have much in common with those Israelites and first-century believers!
Or perhaps we need a four-year-old. My little boy did not have a clue what he had done to merit a jerked arm and a painfully squeezed hand. The man in the wheelchair did, and I did. I had tried to hide the truth, to control it so that I would not be embarrassed. I was wrong.
So the next question is easy to ask and hard to answer. What are we going to do about it? I believe the first step is to be honest and look at ourselves. In the grocery store, I began with an apology—to my son, to the man, and to God. The issue is not how much we sin; it is when and why. Do we really think that God doesn’t notice, that God allows our standards to be set by the television and popularity contests? Do we really think God can’t handle the truth?
May the Lord, who never abandons us, forgive us through grace and love when we abandon God and God’s ordinances.read more-------
WORSHIP ELEMENTS: FEBRUARY 5, 2017
Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12); Psalm 112:1-9, (10); 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, (13-16); Matthew 5:13-20
Call to Worship
L: God said, "Let there be light."
P: And there was light.
L: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."
P: And the light shone in the darkness.
L: Jesus said, "You are the light of the world."
A: And the light shall not be quenched.
Call to Worship
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
P: And also with you.
L: O praise the Lord! Happy is the person who fears the Eternal One.
P: We find great joy in God's commandments.
Call to Worship
L: Holy God, we have left our homes and warm beds to be in your presence.
P: We gather in your name to worship and praise you.
L: May this first day of the week . . .
P: be only one of many days in which we sing your praises and worship you.
Invocation
God of wisdom and righteousness, your standards and expectations of us have not changed. Fill us with the desire to know your truth and to follow your commandments. Amen.
Invocation
Eternal Spirit, Creator of all places and peoples, we come together in the name of the Christ. In him you became one with us, that we might become one with one another in the worship of you.
Invocation
Invisible God, you have revealed yourself to us in Jesus Christ, sharing your own Spirit in communion with our spirit. As we come to worship disclose yourself more fully as we hear your written word and pray in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen
Litany
L: God in Christ has shown us the beauty of holiness.
P: We come now to express our gratitude to God with our best gifts.
L: What are these gifts?
P: Our prayers, our praise, and the gifts of our hands.
L: These we should offer unto the Lord, but these are not all the Lord asks. The Lord also asks that we break the yoke of tyranny and let the oppressed go free.
P: We would do all that the Lord asks.
L: The Lord asks that we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and house the homeless.
P: We would do all that the Lord asks.
L: The Lord asks that we attend the afflicted and give ourselves for those in need.
P: We would do all that the Lord asks.
L: Then our light shall rise at midnight and our gloom be as the noonday.
A: We will do all that the Lord asks.
Prayer of Confession
Creator - Restorer - Ruler: We are prone to point the finger at others and to pervert justice by exaggerated charges. We want the rich to feed the hungry, but not to share from our own provisions. We prefer charity in principle, but in practice evade our duty even to our own kin. Some of us live in half-empty houses while there are families crowded into rooms too small for them, if they have rooms at all. Forgive our failure to live up to the best we know and to let the oppressed go free even after you have freed us. Amen.
Declaration of Pardon
Pastor: Friends, hear the Good News! Christ nailed to the cross attests the cost of God's love and forgiveness.
People: Our faith is not built on human wisdom, but on the power of God.
Pastor: Friends, believe the Good News!
People: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
Exhortation
You must shed light among your neighbors so that when they see the good you do, they may give praise to your heavenly Father.
Prayer for One Voice
Gracious God, we thank you for the light that shone in Jesus, revealing unto us your holiness and our righteousness. We deplore this gap, yet we rejoice that you chased the darkness that kept it hidden from our eyes. By your light we are both encouraged and condemned. We are reassured to see your face turned in our direction, bidding us to come unto you. But we shudder at the sight of us turning our backs on you, resisting the light that could mirror your glory.
We thank you, O God, for leaving your light in the world even though we have not always heeded your summons to become the light of the world. Instead of illuminating your character, we have blurred it. You have commanded us to love you with all our being, but we have consigned our love to the pigeonhole of religion. You have commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but we have been too preoccupied with ourselves to find them. You have called us to be peacemakers, yet we have encouraged the arms makers with our fears and our fortunes. You have summoned us to be wall breakers, yet we have supported the wall makers with our silence and our sympathy. We have seen the light, but we have refused to walk in it.
Yet we long, O Lord, to keep your law and do your will. We ask forgiveness for our rebellion, not merely for the sake of the joy we have denied ourselves, but also for the joy we have denied others. Keep ever before us the needs of the world into which you sentJesus and for whose sake he gave himself to the uttermost. Let us feel its pain as our own, seek its good as our own, and work for its transformation in the name and spirit of him who came into the world not to condemn but to redeem it.
We listen now, O God, for your word. Let its message illumine our minds that we may will as Jesus willed. Let its spirit quicken our hearts that we may love as Jesus loved. Let its power speed our steps that we may do as Jesus did.
Benediction
You have called us, O God, to embrace the mission of Jesus as our own. Our sight is not equal to this vision, and our strength is not equal to this task. But you, O Lord, are a merciful God. You give light to those who walk in darkness, and you grant strength to those who carry heavy loads. As we return to the workaday world, let us see your light before us and feel your strength within us.
Benediction
Go, as a forgiven and holy people, to do the will of the one who loves us unconditionally.read more-------
WORSHIP FOR KIDS: FEBRUARY 5, 2017 by Carolyn C. Brown
From a Child's Point of View
Old Testament: Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12). Isaiah's basic message is that God is more interested in the way we treat other people than in religious observances such as fasting. Before children can understand the passage, they need a thorough explanation of fasting, as it was intended to be practiced and as it was misused. Children are generally interested in the idea of not eating and of wearing sackcloth and ashes in order to focus attention on God. They understand how easy it would be to become "crabby" while fasting and how fasting could be used to draw attention to "what a neat person I am."
Older children need to explore the difference between religious fasts, which focus attention on God, and hunger strikes, which people use to try to force governments or other groups to meet their demands. Because fasting is not part of the Christian experience of many children today, it is easy for them to see the point Isaiah was making to those who were misusing the practice. The challenge is to help children see that we can misuse worship attendance and our other religious activities in the same way.
When exploring the list of activities in verses 6-7, be sure to include some in which children participate.
Psalm: 112:1-9 (10). Psalm 112 is an acrostic which describes the righteous. The lines are a somewhat disjointed series of statements which include abstract vocabulary (gracious, merciful) and unfamiliar phrases (conduct their affairs, deal generously, will never be moved). Older children, if encouraged, can understand a line here and there as the verses are read. In general, children will learn most as the ideas in the psalm are discussed in more familiar terms.
Epistle: I Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16). Children will make little sense of this passage as it is read, but within it are two points about wisdom ("being smart") that they need to hear. To children, "wisdom" is being able to understand what is going on around them and knowing what to do in all situations—"street smarts" for their particular streets is the wisdom they crave.
Paul's point in verses 6-11 is that there is a specifically Christian "wisdom" that is different from what many people today think is wise. Others may suggest that it is wise to cheat, be nice only to people who can help you, grab the things you want and need, and even steal when necessary. But Paul says that wise Christians tell the truth, share, and treat everyone lovingly—especially those who have nothing to give.
In children's words, Paul's message in verses 1-5 is, "I am not a smart person who figured out all this about God on my own. Everything I have told you comes from God. God's wisdom is better than any ideas people have ever come up with."
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20. This passage uses everyday things—salt and light—to encourage people to be disciples and to describe the world's need of disciples. But do not assume that children on their own will be able to list the characteristics of salt or follow what is said about lighting a home at night. They will need to hear these things reviewed in detail.
The discussion of keeping the Law in verses 17-20 requires knowledge of "the righteousness of the Pharisees" that is beyond the understanding of children.
Once they recall the functions of salt and light, children will be ready to compare them with the functions of disciples. They can also appreciate the picture of a world without salt or light and recognize that their discipleship makes a big difference.
Watch Words
Righteous does not have positive connotations among children. They are most likely to have heard it as self-righteous and associate it with unnecessarily strict and prudish approaches to life. They would prefer to be among "disciples" or "people of God" than to be "the righteous."
Do not use fasting without explaining the practice. Clarence Jordan, in Sermon on the Mount (Judson, 1970), defined true fasting as working so hard or being so committed to something that we forget to eat. In this view, fasting is a verb form of the adverb fast and means to move so quickly and intently toward a goal that all else is forgotten. Children enjoy identifying times they have fasted in this sense.
Let the Children Sing
Most hymns about light focus on Jesus as the light and include very difficult vocabulary and concepts for children. Probably the best choice of a discipleship hymn is "Lord, I Want to be a Christian."
If it is familiar, sing "Be Thou My Vision." Consider using the hymn as an outline for a sermon that compares God's wisdom with that of the world.
The Liturgical Child
1. Before reading Isaiah 58:1-12, introduce both the intended practice of fasting and the way people were abusing it. Briefly point out the question/answer format in the passage. Then have the passage read by two readers, one taking the prophet's part, reading accusingly verses 1-2 and 3b-12; the second reader interrupts in the role of the surprised people, to pose the question in verse 3a. Both readers should use voice inflection and facial expression to emphasize both the format and the meaning of the exchange. Practice reading so that the rhetorical questions in verses 5-7 imply their answers.
2. Prayer of Confession: Lord, we can taste the difference salt makes on food, and we can see the difference light makes. We also know that you call us to make a difference in our world, but we confess that much of the time, we would rather not make a difference. We are not brave enough to take a stand for what we know is right. We prefer to stay with our own friends rather than make friends with the friendless. We would rather do what we want to do than take care of others. We want to be one of the crowd and safe. Forgive us. Give us the power to light up the world with your love and to season it with your justice. Amen.
Sermon Resources
1. To explore the significance of Isaiah's message to nonfasting Christians, describe the actions and feelings of a family as the members get ready for, go to, and return from church on Sunday, without ever experiencing or sharing God's love. Include griping about having to go, arguing about what will be worn; children bickering in the car; children calling other children in their class cruel names; adults making negative comments about the sermon; and so forth.
2. Compare the uses of salt with the functions of disciples. Just as salt is used to clean and heal (e.g., gargling with warm salt water), so Christians are to work on healing people who are hurting. Just as salt is spread on sidewalks to melt ice and snow, Christians can work on "melting" the hatred and similar attitudes which make the world dangerous. Just as salt makes popcorn and fries tastier, Christians can make life happier by doing little kindnesses and saying friendly words. Just as salt works with the ice to make unnecessary but delicious ice cream, Christians, out of love, work to provide some of the things people need in order to enjoy life. Christians know that God wants everyone to enjoy some of the good things of this world.
3. Advertise a new product—saltless salt. It looks like salt but does not taste like salt. It shakes and pours like salt, but it does not melt ice or make food tastier. It burns like salt burns on a cut or sore throat, but it does not heal. Compare this useless product with people who claim to be Christian but do nothing to help those who are hurting; who spread bitter feelings instead of happy ones; and so forth. Suggest that such Christians are as useless as saltless salt.read more-------
SERMON OPTIONS: FEBRUARY 5, 2017
A NEW CALL TO WORSHIP
ISAIAH 58:1-9a (9b-12)
The setting for this prophetic oracle is probably postexilic Jerusalem or Judah. The community has been restored to home, and yet apparently has not learned from its experience of exile about the importance of just living, of sharing wealth with poor people, of making deeds of mercy the centerpiece of the service of God.
The fast, which is the only ritual act mentioned here, normally suggests sorrow or mourning. Perhaps the people were still pining for the restoration of their former, preexilic lives, for a lifestyle of harmony that had not yet become manifest since their return home. To that ritual petition for a restored way of life, God answers with very specific guidelines for bringing it about.
I. A Call to Worship
Verse 1 could come straight out of a Sunday bulletin. The trumpet, or ram's horn, was customarily used to call the community to worship. In this instance, the prophet may be setting up a poetic device in which two kinds of serving—ritual service and works of mercy—are juxtaposed. If that is what is intended by this "call to worship," then the point is surely not to put down worship (see v. 13) but to lift up the other way in which God is served—through deeds of mercy and justice. The basic charge is laid out in plain view: the people are seeking to draw near to God without practicing holy living with one another.
II. A Call from Self-centeredness
The prophet gives us a glimpse here (vv. 3-4) of some of the specific behaviors manifested by the hearers. In four lines we find four charges against the people that cover a range from personal to corporate: (1) you serve your own interests, (2) you oppress your workers, (3) you quarrel and fight, and (4) you strike one another. We cannot say for certain how closely descriptive this is, but we clearly have the idea that people are worshiping one way and living another.
III. A Call to Righteousness
Then the people bring the word of Yahweh in the form of a question: "Is such the fast that I choose?" (v. 5). Hardly is the question completed before a literal flood of responses pours forth. From verse 6 to the end of the chapter, one after another of the behaviors called for by Yahweh is enumerated. Initially, they are put in terms of the figurative "fast" that God chooses for the people to observe—that is, the fast is to end injustice, to share bread with the hungry, to clothe the naked, and so on. By verse 9b, the moral directives have become simply statements of action and consequence: "If you remove the yoke, offer your food, satisfy the afflicted, ... then your light shall rise, God will guide you, your needs will be satisfied, your ancient ruins will be rebuilt...."
By the chapter's end, no less than eighteen promises have been made to the people who will choose to fast in God's way—that is, by doing justice and showing mercy in every area of their lives and their community. Fred Pratt Green's hymn, "When the Church of Jesus," warns of hearts lifted in worship "high above this hungry, suffering world of ours." His cautionary words echo those of Isaiah: going to God in prayer to work out what is wrong in the world is meaningless, even offensive, unless matched by intentional deeds that work toward making reconciliation happen. (Paul R. Escamilla)
THE MODUS OPERANDI OF EVANGELISM
1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-12 (13-16)
In a church's worship center a cross was prominently displayed behind the pulpit and choir loft. One Sunday when the pastor was on vacation a man, who was much taller than the pastor, preached the sermon. After the service a little boy who usually sat near the front with his family mentioned to his father that he liked their pastor a lot more than the visiting preacher. "Why?" his father asked. "Because he's small enough for me to see the cross."
The child said more than he knew. In order for Jesus to be visible in us, the self-life must be invisible. In order for him to increase, we must decrease ( John 3:30) . No one can impress people with fleshly, or natural, ability and at the same moment present Jesus as the mighty to save. In the second chapter of his letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul wrote of his practice of remaining small so that Christ would loom large.
I. We Proclaim Christ
Paul commented on the style, content, and purpose of his preaching. His style was intentionally devoid of "lofty words" (v. 1) and "plausible words of wisdom" (v. 4), but included the elements of "weakness," "fear," and "much trembling" (v. 3). Every person who has stood before a crowd to speak knows what Paul is talking about, but professors don't teach this style of delivery in seminary. Apparently, Paul did not mind appearing nervous; it probably accentuated the importance of his message ("this makes me so nervous that I wouldn't be doing it at all if it were not so important"). It was not the beauty of presentation that made his message so powerful; it was the depth of his conviction.
As to the content of his message, he preached the Cross (v. 2). Paul had come to Corinth from Athens where he had tried to meet the philosophers on their own ground. Perhaps his limited success there convinced him to keep his content simple and straightforward.
When a student athlete made four F 's and one D on his report card, his advisor asked the coach what his problem was. The coach said, "Well, it looks as if he's been concentrating too much on one subject." The same accusation could have been made about Paul, and that one subject was Jesus. He exalted Jesus so that the faith of the people "might not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God" (v. 5).
II. We Demonstrate the Spirit's Power
Paul's life and ministry were living examples of what the Holy Spirit could do (v. 5) in and through the life of a human being. People need a demonstration of the Spirit even more than they need an explanation. They need to see the transformation that he has made and is continuing to make in us.
III. We Receive the Revelation of God
God's wisdom is a mystery to those who do not know God (vv. 6-9, 14). But to the saints, it is a mystery that has been revealed (vv. 10-16). Agnostics claim that God is beyond our ability to know or understand. Christians agree, but we add the important qualification that God has revealed himself. Paul argued that no one can know God except the Spirit of God, but it is God's Spirit that we have received! Since God's Spirit is in us, we "may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God" (v. 12). In fact, that is the beginning point of being a Christian.
Paul made his points in logical order, but they should be reversed to be in chronological order. First comes revelation, then demonstration, and last proclamation. (N. Allen Moseley)
BETTER THAN THE BEST
MATTHEW 5:13-20
Fred Craddock reminds us of the New York City bus driver who, after sixteen years of the same old route with the same people in the same old bus, on a certain day climbed into the bus and drove to Miami! Who hasn't felt that way? Who hasn't been there? Who hasn't wanted to say, "Let's throw out everything and start all over"?
There were those in the audience to whom Matthew's Gospel was written who wanted to do away with the old way: "The old rules don't work anymore. Let's throw them out and start all over with you, Jesus!" Even Jesus had been accused of laxity in keeping the Sabbath and dietary and fasting laws. Here Jesus corrects that mistaken notion: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished" (vv. 17-18).
I. Faith Builds on the Past
Jesus is saying that we are the children of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rachel, Ruth, and John the Baptist. We must carry on in the biblical tradition of the continuing story of God's revelation. Where God's story connects and intersects with our story, there God speaks. We must build on the past. Of course, every generation must construct new structures and forms for ministry and worship. But these new structures must be built with the old stones, as did Nehemiah. In seeking to address a new generation, we cannot throw out the baby with the bath water. In seeking to answer this claim that the old rules don't make it, Jesus—the new Moses—gives us a basic key to the understanding of Matthew's Gospel. Jesus is concerned about preserving the best of the past. And as we shall see, he is concerned about living in the present with moral and ethical integrity.
II. Faith Demands Obedience
When there are those who say that the old rules don't work anymore, there are those who will say that there are no rules. To this, Jesus says, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (v. 20). The Pharisees were the best of their day in trying to keep the Law. Jesus says that his children must be better than the best of this world.
There were those then and there are those today who say it doesn't matter what you do. Go ahead and cut the deal even if it hurts or destroys someone. To get ahead, you have to look out for number one. Allan Bloom, in his book The Closing of the American Mind, states that most college freshmen believe that values are relative and that there is no absolute truth. When there are no rules, selfishness reigns.
Jesus says it does matter what you do, because it determines what you are. It is not enough to compare yourself to the worst as if God graded on the curve. As one of God's children, you must be better than the best. That is why it is not enough to refrain from murder, adultery, and lying and to love only your friends. You must refrain from the underlying causes of these destructive actions and replace them with the positive actions of love.
III. Faith Provides a Witness to the World
We are salt and light (vv. 13-15). We are to be God's preserving, penetrating, purifying, and illuminating force in society. We will be so only as we are better than the best of this world. We must follow the example of the One who walked in the way of the Father (5:48). (Gary L. Carver)read more-------
FEBRUARY 5, 2017 - A LITTLE OF YOU GOES A LONG WAY by William H. Willimon
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Welcome to the new Pulpit Resource from Will Willimon. For over three decades Pulpit Resource helps preachers prepare to preach. Now in partnership with Abingdon Press, this homiletical weekly is available with fresh and timely accessibility to a new generation of preachers.
No sermon is a solo production. Every preacher relies on inherited models, mentors in the preacher’s past, commentaries on biblical texts by people who have given their lives to such study, comments received from members of the congregation, last week’s news headlines, and all the other things that make a sermon communal.
No Christian does anything on their own. We live through the witness of the saints; preachers of the past inspire us and judge us. Scripture itself is a product of the community of faith. A host of now-forgotten teachers taught us how to speak. Nobody is born a preacher.
Pulpit Resource is equivalent to sitting down with a trusted clergy friend over a cup of coffee and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Whenever I’ve been asked by new preachers, “How can I develop as a preacher?” my usual response is, “Get in a group of preachers. Meet regularly. Learn how to give and how to receive help. Sort through the advice of others, and utilize helpful insights.”
That’s Pulpit Resource.
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FEBRUARY 5, 2017 by Emanuel Cleaver IIIPREACHING ANNUAL
The Abingdon Preaching Annual includes:
The Primary Theme Fleshed out with brief, pithy nuggets of thought, idea jump-starters, or questions designed to spur the preacher’s imagination.
Secondary or Parallel Themes Two or three themes or streams of thought that are related to but separate from the primary theme offered.
Worship Helps Including Gathering Prayer, Collect, Pastoral Prayer, Congregational Prayer, Responsive Reading, and a Closing Prayer or Benediction.
Topical Essays These 700 word essays cover a variety of current and critical topics for the preacher—contributed by leading homileticians.
Full Sermons The full text from six to twelve sermons will be included. Additional are available online. These sermons will highlight best practices, unique approaches, and fresh voices.
Sermon Series Ideas This section will briefly outline and describe ideas for unique sermon series based on lectionary readings.
"As a weekly preacher, I often find that preparing for preaching and crafting sermons are spiritual disciplines for me. It is a time in which I try to quiet all of the other 'to do' lists that occupy much of my ministry. This resource from Abingdon Press will now be a partner in those conversations, almost like a new personal devotional guide. I am grateful for additional voices who can help me make space for God’s Living Word." - Shannon J Kershner, Pastor, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, IL
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Raise your voice like a shofar!
Proclaim to my people what rebels they are,
to the house of Ya‘akov their sins.
2 “Oh yes, they seek me day after day
and [claim to] delight in knowing my ways.
As if they were an upright nation
that had not abandoned the rulings of their God,
they ask me for just rulings
and [claim] to take pleasure in closeness to God,
3 [asking,] ‘Why should we fast, if you don’t see?
Why mortify ourselves, if you don’t notice?’
“Here is my answer: when you fast,
you go about doing whatever you like,
while keeping your laborers hard at work.
4 Your fasts lead to quarreling and fighting,
to lashing out with violent blows.
On a day like today, fasting like yours
will not make your voice heard on high.
5 “Is this the sort of fast I want,
a day when a person mortifies himself?
Is the object to hang your head like a reed
and spread sackcloth and ashes under yourself?
Is this what you call a fast,
a day that pleases Adonai?
6 “Here is the sort of fast I want —
releasing those unjustly bound,
untying the thongs of the yoke,
letting the oppressed go free,
breaking every yoke,
7 sharing your food with the hungry,
taking the homeless poor into your house,
clothing the naked when you see them,
fulfilling your duty to your kinsmen!”
8 Then your light will burst forth like the morning,
your new skin will quickly grow over your wound;
your righteousness will precede you,
and Adonai’s glory will follow you.
9 Then you will call, and Adonai will answer;
you will cry, and he will say, “Here I am.”
If you will remove the yoke from among you,
stop false accusation and slander,
10 generously offer food to the hungry
and meet the needs of the person in trouble;
then your light will rise in the darkness,
and your gloom become like noon.
11 Adonai will always guide you;
he will satisfy your needs in the desert,
he will renew the strength in your limbs;
so that you will be like a watered garden,
like a spring whose water never fails.
12 You will rebuild the ancient ruins,
raise foundations from ages past,
and be called “Repairer of broken walls,
Restorer of streets to live in.”
Psalm 112:1 Halleluyah!
How happy is anyone who fears Adonai,
who greatly delights in his mitzvot.
2 His descendants will be powerful on earth,
a blessed generation of upright people.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
and his righteousness stands forever.
4 To the upright he shines like a light in the dark,
merciful, compassionate and righteous.
5 Things go well with the person who is merciful and lends,
who conducts his affairs with fairness;
6 for he will never be moved.
The righteous will be remembered forever.
7 He will not be frightened by bad news;
he remains steady, trusting in Adonai.
8 His heart is set firm, he will not be afraid,
till finally he looks in triumph at his enemies.
9 He distributes freely, he gives to the poor;
his righteousness stands forever.
His power will be increased honorably.
10 The wicked will be angry when they see this;
they will gnash their teeth and waste away,
the desires of the wicked will come to nothing.
1 Corinthians 2:1 As for me, brothers, when I arrived among you, it was not with surpassing eloquence or wisdom that I came announcing to you the previously concealed truth about God; 2 for I had decided that while I was with you I would forget everything except Yeshua the Messiah, and even him only as someone who had been executed on a stake as a criminal. 3 Also I myself was with you as somebody weak, nervous and shaking all over from fear; 4 and neither the delivery nor the content of my message relied on compelling words of “wisdom” but on a demonstration of the power of the Spirit, 5 so that your trust might not rest on human wisdom but on God’s power.
6 Yet there is a wisdom that we are speaking to those who are mature enough for it. But it is not the wisdom of this world or of this world’s leaders, who are in the process of passing away. 7 On the contrary, we are communicating a secret wisdom from God which has been hidden until now but which, before history began, God had decreed would bring us glory. 8 Not one of this world’s leaders has understood it; because if they had, they would not have executed the Lord from whom this glory flows. 9 But, as the Tanakh says,
“No eye has seen, no ear has heard
and no one’s heart has imagined
all the things that God has prepared
for those who love him.”[1 Corinthians 2:9 Isaiah 64:3(4), 52:15]
10 It is to us, however, that God has revealed these things. How? Through the Spirit. For the Spirit probes all things, even the profoundest depths of God. 11 For who knows the inner workings of a person except the person’s own spirit inside him? So too no one knows the inner workings of God except God’s Spirit. 12 Now we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, so that we might understand the things God has so freely given us. 13 These are the things we are talking about when we avoid the manner of speaking that human wisdom would dictate and instead use a manner of speaking taught by the Spirit, by which we explain things of the Spirit to people who have the Spirit. 14 Now the natural man does not receive the things from the Spirit of God — to him they are nonsense! Moreover, he is unable to grasp them, because they are evaluated through the Spirit. 15 But the person who has the Spirit can evaluate everything, while no one is in a position to evaluate him.
16 For who has known the mind of Adonai?
Who will counsel him?[1 Corinthians 2:16 Isaiah 40:13]
But we have the mind of the Messiah!
Matthew 5:13 “You are salt for the Land. But if salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except being thrown out for people to trample on.
14 “You are light for the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Likewise, when people light a lamp, they don’t cover it with a bowl but put it on a lampstand, so that it shines for everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they may see the good things you do and praise your Father in heaven.
17 “Don’t think that I have come to abolish the Torah or the Prophets. I have come not to abolish but to complete. 18 Yes indeed! I tell you that until heaven and earth pass away, not so much as a yud or a stroke will pass from the Torah — not until everything that must happen has happened. 19 So whoever disobeys the least of these mitzvot and teaches others to do so will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But whoever obeys them and so teaches will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness is far greater than that of the Torah-teachers and P’rushim, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven!
John Wesley's Notes-Commentary: Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
(Read all of Isaiah 58)
Verse 2
[2] Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
Yet — They cover all their wickedness with a profession of religion.
Delight — There are many men who take some pleasure in knowing God's will and word, and yet do not conform their lives to it.
As — As if they were a righteous people.
Forsook — As if they were not guilty of any apostacy from God, or disobedience to God's precepts.
Ask — As if they resolved to observe them.
In approaching — In coming to my temple to hear my word, and to offer sacrifices.
Verse 3
[3] Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
Afflicted — Defrauded our appetites with fasting, of which this phrase is used, Leviticus 16:29.
Ye find — Either you indulge yourselves in sensuality, as they did, Isaiah 22:13. But this does not agree with that afflicting of their souls which they now professed, and which God acknowledges; or you pursue and satisfy your own desires: though you abstain from bodily food, you do not mortify your sinful inclinations.
Exact — Your money, got by your labour, and lent to others, either for their need or your own advantage, which you require either with usury, or at least with rigour, when either the general law of charity, or God's particular law, commanded the release, or at least the forbearance of them.
Verse 4
[4] Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
Behold — Your fasting days, wherein you ought in a special manner to implore the mercy of God, and to shew compassion to men, you employ in injuring or quarrelling with your brethren, your servants or debtors, or in contriving mischief against them.
Heard — In strife and debate. By way of ostentation.
Verse 5
[5] Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
Chosen — Approve of, accept, or delight in, by a metonymy, because we delight in what we freely chuse.
For a day — This may be understood, either for a man to take a certain time to afflict his soul in, and that either from even to even, Leviticus 23:32, or from morning to evening, or for a little time.
Wilt thou call — Canst thou suppose it to be so? A fast - It being such an one as has nothing in it, but the dumb signs of a fast, nothing of deep humiliation appearing in it, or, real reformation proceeding from it.
Acceptable day — A day that God will approve of.
Verse 6
[6] Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
The bands — The cruel obligations of usury and oppression.
Verse 7
[7] Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
Cast out — And thereby become wanderers, having no abiding place.
To thy house — That thou be hospitable, and make thy house a shelter to them that have none of their own left.
Hide not — That seek no occasion to excuse thyself.
Thy own flesh — Some confine this to our own kindred; but we can look on no man, but there we contemplate our own flesh, and therefore it is barbarous, not only to tear, but not to love and succour him. Therefore feed him as thou wouldest feed thyself, or be fed; shelter him as thou wouldest shelter thyself, or be sheltered; clothe him as thou wouldest clothe thyself, or be clothed; if in any of these respects thou wert in his circumstances.
Verse 8
[8] Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
Thy light — Happiness and prosperity.
Break forth — It shall not only appear, but break forth, dart itself forth, notwithstanding all difficulties, as the sun breaks, and pierces through a cloud.
Thy health — Another metaphor to express the same thing.
Righteousness — The reward of thy righteousness.
Before thee — As the morning-star goes before the sun.
The glory — His glorious power and providence.
Thy rereward — Thus the angel of his presence secured the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.
Verse 9
[9] Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
Answer — He will give an effectual demonstration, that he hears thee.
Here l am — A phrase that notes a person to be ready at hand to help.
Take away — From among you.
The yoke — All those pressures and grievances before mentioned.
Putting forth — Done by way of scoff, or disdainful insulting.
Vanity — Any kind of evil words.
Verse 10
[10] And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday:
Draw out — Or, open, as when we open a store, to satisfy the wants of the needy.
Thy soul — Thy affection, thy pity and compassion.
Thy darkness — In the very darkness of the affliction itself thou shalt have comfort.
Verse 11
[11] And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
Guide thee — Like a shepherd. And he adds continually to shew that his conduct and blessing shall not be momentary, or of a short continuance, but all along as it was to Israel in the wilderness.
Satisfy — Thou shalt have plenty, when others are in scarcity.
Make fat — This may be spoken in opposition to the sad effects of famine, whereby the flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen, and the bones that were not seen, stick out.
A garden — If thou relieve the poor, thou shalt never be poor, but as a well-watered garden, always flourishing.
Fail not — Heb. deceive not, a metaphor which farther notes also the continuance of this flourishing state, which will not be like a land-flood, or brooks, that will soon be dried up with drought. Thou shalt be fed with a spring of blessing, that will never fail.
Verse 12
[12] And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
They shall be of thee — Thy posterity.
Waste places — Cities which have lain long waste; that shall continue for many generations to come.
The breach — Breach is put for breaches, which was made by God's judgment breaking in upon them in suffering the walls of their towns and cities to be demolished.
Paths — Those paths that led from city to city, which being now laid desolate, and uninhabited, were grown over with grass, and weeds.
To dwell in — These accommodations being recovered, their ancient cities might be fit to be re-inhabited.
Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
(Read all of Psalm 112)
Verse 2
[2] His seed shall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the upright shall be blessed.
Generation — The posterity.
Verse 3
[3] Wealth and riches shall be in his house: and his righteousness endureth for ever.
Righteousness — The fruit or reward of his righteousness, which is God's blessing upon his estate.
Verse 4
[4] Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness: he is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
Darkness — In the troubles and calamities of life.
He — The upright man.
Verse 5
[5] A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
Lendeth — Gives freely to some, and lends to others according to the variety of their conditions.
Affairs — His domestick affairs.
Discretion — Not getting his estate unjustly, nor casting it away prodigally, nor yet withholding it from such as need it.
Verse 6
[6] Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.
Moved — Though he may for a season be afflicted, yet he shall not be eternally destroyed.
Verse 7
[7] He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.
Evil tidings — At the report of approaching calamities.
Verse 9
[9] He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
Dispersed — His goods, freely and liberally.
Righteousness — His liberality, or the reward of it.
Ever — What he gives is not lost, but indeed is the only part of his estate, which will abide with him to all eternity.
Verse 10
[10] The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish.
The desire — Either of the misery of good men; or of his own constant prosperity.
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
(Read all of 1 Corinthians 2)
Verse 1
[1] And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
And I accordingly came to you, not with loftiness of speech or of wisdom - I did not affect either deep wisdom or eloquence.
Declaring the testimony of God — What God gave me to testify concerning his Son.
Verse 2
[2] For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
I determined not to know anything — To wave all my other knowledge, and not to preach anything, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified - That is, what he did, suffered, taught. A part is put for the whole.
Verse 3
[3] And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.
And I was with you — At my first entrance.
In weakness — Of body, 2 Corinthians 12:7 And in fear - Lest I should offend any.
And in much trembling — The emotion of my mind affecting my very body.
Verse 4
[4] And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:
And my speech in private, as well as my public preaching, was not with the persuasive words of human wisdom, such as the wise men of the world use; but with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power - With that powerful kind of demonstration, which flows from the Holy Spirit; which works on the conscience with the most convincing light, and the most persuasive evidence.
Verse 5
[5] That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
That your faith might not be built on the wisdom or power of man, but on the wisdom and power of God.
Verse 6
[6] Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:
Yet we speak wisdom — Yea, the truest and most excellent wisdom.
Among the perfect — Adult, experienced Christians. By wisdom here he seems to mean, not the whole Christian doctrine, but the most sublime and abstruse parts of it. But not the wisdom admired and taught by the men of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, Jewish or heathen, that come to nought - Both they and their wisdom, and the world itself.
Verse 7
[7] But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory:
But we speak the mysterious wisdom of God, which was hidden for many ages from all the world, and is still hidden even from "babes in Christ;" much more from all unbelievers.
Which God ordained before the world — So far is this from coming to nought, like worldly wisdom.
For our glory — Arising from the glory of our Lord, and then to be revealed when all worldly glory vanishes.
Verse 8
[8] Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Had they known it — That wisdom.
They would not have crucified — Punished as a slave.
The Lord of glory — The giving Christ this august title, peculiar to the great Jehovah, plainly shows him to be the supreme God. In like manner the Father is styled, "the Father of glory," Ephesians 1:17; and the Holy Ghost, "the Spirit of glory," 1 Peter 4:14. The application of this title to all the three, shows that the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are "the God of glory;" as the only true God is called, Psalms 29:3, and Acts 7:2.
Verse 9
[9] But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
But this ignorance of theirs fulfils what is written concerning the blessings of the Messiah's kingdom. No natural man hath either seen, heard, or known, the things which God hath prepared, saith the prophet, for them that love him. Isaiah 64:4
Verse 10
[10] But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
But God hath revealed — Yea, and "freely given," 1 Corinthians 2:12.
Them to us — Even inconceivable peace, and joy unspeakable.
By his Spirit — Who intimately and fully knows them.
For the Spirit searcheth even the deep things of God — Be they ever so hidden and mysterious; the depths both of his nature and his kingdom.
Verse 11
[11] For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
For what man knoweth the things of a man — All the inmost recesses of his mind; although men are all of one nature, and so may the more easily know one another.
So the things of God knoweth no one but the Spirit — Who, consequently, is God.
Verse 12
[12] Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
Now we have received, not the spirit of the world — This spirit is not properly received; for the men of the world always had it. But Christians receive the Spirit of God, which before they had not.
Verse 13
[13] Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
Which also we speak — As well as know.
In words taught by the Holy Spirit — Such are all the words of scripture. How high a regard ought we, then, to retain for them! Explaining spiritual things by spiritual words; or, adapting spiritual words to spiritual things - Being taught of the Spirit to express the things of the Spirit.
Verse 14
[14] But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
But the natural man — That is, every man who hath not the Spirit; who has no other way of obtaining knowledge, but by his senses and natural understanding.
Receiveth not — Does not understand or conceive.
The things of the Spirit — The things revealed by the Spirit of God, whether relating to his nature or his kingdom.
For they are foolishness to him — He is so far from understanding, that he utterly despises, them Neither can he know them - As he has not the will, so neither has he the power.
Because they are spiritually discerned — They can only be discerned by the aid of that Spirit, and by those spiritual senses, which he has not.
Verse 15
[15] But he that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.
But the spiritual man — He that hath the Spirit. Discerneth all the things of God whereof we have been speaking.
Yet he himself is discerned by no man — No natural men. They neither understand what he is, nor what he says.
Verse 16
[16] For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.
Who — What natural man.
We — Spiritual men; apostles in particular.
Have — Know, understand.
The mind of Christ — Concerning the whole plan of gospel salvation. Isaiah 40:13
Matthew 5:13-20
Verse 13
[13] Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Ye — Not the apostles, not ministers only; but all ye who are thus holy, are the salt of the earth - Are to season others. Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34.
Verse 14
[14] Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
Ye are the light of the world — If ye are thus holy, you can no more be hid than the sun in the firmament: no more than a city on a mountain - Probably pointing to that on the brow of the opposite hill.
Verse 15
[15] Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
Nay, the very design of God in giving you this light was, that it might shine. Mark 4:21; Luke 8:16; 11:33.
Verse 16
[16] Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
That they may see — and glorify - That is, that seeing your good works, they may be moved to love and serve God likewise.
Verse 17
[17] Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Think not — Do not imagine, fear, hope, that I am come - Like your teachers, to destroy the law or the prophets.
I am not come to destroy — The moral law, but to fulfil - To establish, illustrate, and explain its highest meaning, both by my life and doctrine.
Verse 18
[18] For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
Till all things shall be effected — Which it either requires or foretells. For the law has its effect, when the rewards are given, and the punishments annexed to it inflicted, as well as when its precepts are obeyed. Luke 16:17; 21:33.
Verse 19
[19] Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
One of the least — So accounted by men; and shall teach - Either by word or example; shall be the least - That is, shall have no part therein.
Verse 20
[20] For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees — Described in the sequel of this discourse.
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The Upper Room Ministries
PO Box 340004
Nashville, Tennessee 37203-0004, United States
-------A TRUTH ABOUT SIN by Raquel Mull
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
One characteristic I notice about children is their complete, and many times unsolicited, honesty, until they are taught some social norms. I can remember walking into the grocery store with my preschool-age son. We had gone through the ritual of “Can I have some of that cereal I saw on TV?” and “If I’m real good, can I have a toy?” dialogue and were walking in relative silence. I was thinking about dinner, and my son was staring at shelves to see what he “needed.”
Suddenly, a man in a wheelchair, with no legs, entered the aisle. Anticipating an outburst from my son, who did not understand the phrase “politically correct,” I glanced down, hoping that he would be so busy checking out the frozen foods that he wouldn’t notice the man wheeling toward us. Maybe the man would be so busy checking out the frozen foods, he wouldn’t notice us! Hope, hope, hope.
Not so. They both looked down the aisle at each other at the same time! Oh, no, I thought, here it comes! Some totally insensitive remark from my four-year-old, which I knew was going to embarrass me and the man.
My son opened his mouth and took a breath, still staring at the man with no legs in the wheelchair. I squeezed and jerked on his hand. Then came the words I knew were going to embarrass us all: “Hey, stop; leggo my hand; you’re hurting me! Mommy!”
The man’s eyes went from my son to me. I was absolutely right in knowing that I would be embarrassed. The words I had feared—“Where are his legs?” or “What is wrong with him?”—were not the words that ultimately caused embarrassment. It was my ineffective, wrong response of avoiding the truth as I tried to control the conversation and the response.
The man had probably been in other situations where he was the first amputee some kid had seen. He handled the whole thing better than I did. I blushed, let go of my son’s hand, and apologized to both of them.
Sometimes the truth is hard to hear, but kids especially don’t have a problem telling people they are fat, or missing their legs, or even that they are nice. It is not that we don’t know the truth; we may not want to acknowledge it. We live in a state of denial. The man knew his legs were gone. The fat person has probably been told before that she is overweight.
In Isaiah 58, the prophet tells the people something they probably already know and don’t want to hear. They are rebellious and do not have the right attitude in their hearts and minds to make their fasts acceptable.
Their worship is unrighteous because the Israelites participate in only the outward actions of worship; they show up at the right times with others to worship and pray. But what about the rest of the week? Do they seek the Lord’s presence and blessing on Tuesday or Thursday? How do they seek God’s face?
Jesus addressed similar problems. In Matthew 6, Jesus gives instructions on how to fast, pray, and give. Don’t bring attention to yourself, that others will praise you and think you are perfect and wonderful, above reproach and judgment.
Now, centuries later, has anything changed? The television tells us that we should look like movie stars—thin and attractive. It is acceptable to be in debt as long as you can make your monthly payments and have the right car in your driveway. If we make sacrifices at all, they should be relatively small so as not to create too much discomfort. It is acceptable to turn away or cross the street in order to avoid the homeless, smelly people. If you are in church on Sunday morning for worship, it is not necessary to go to Sunday school. After all, you plan to be in your pew again next week, unless, of course, you have company.
I fear we are in need of an Isaiah—someone who is bold enough to “shout out” without holding back, to remind us of our sins. I use the word remind because we probably already know we are sinning—we may just hope that, since everyone else is doing it, we are not too bad. We may be pinning our hopes on the fact that we do the right thing most of the time and may even hesitate before breaking any of the ten commandments. That’s ironic, because the first command is to honor the Lord and keep the commandments! I suspect we know in our heart of hearts that we have much in common with those Israelites and first-century believers!
Or perhaps we need a four-year-old. My little boy did not have a clue what he had done to merit a jerked arm and a painfully squeezed hand. The man in the wheelchair did, and I did. I had tried to hide the truth, to control it so that I would not be embarrassed. I was wrong.
So the next question is easy to ask and hard to answer. What are we going to do about it? I believe the first step is to be honest and look at ourselves. In the grocery store, I began with an apology—to my son, to the man, and to God. The issue is not how much we sin; it is when and why. Do we really think that God doesn’t notice, that God allows our standards to be set by the television and popularity contests? Do we really think God can’t handle the truth?
May the Lord, who never abandons us, forgive us through grace and love when we abandon God and God’s ordinances.read more-------
WORSHIP ELEMENTS: FEBRUARY 5, 2017Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12); Psalm 112:1-9, (10); 1 Corinthians 2:1-12, (13-16); Matthew 5:13-20
Call to Worship
L: God said, "Let there be light."
P: And there was light.
L: Jesus said, "I am the light of the world."
P: And the light shone in the darkness.
L: Jesus said, "You are the light of the world."
A: And the light shall not be quenched.
Call to Worship
L: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.
P: And also with you.
L: O praise the Lord! Happy is the person who fears the Eternal One.
P: We find great joy in God's commandments.
Call to Worship
L: Holy God, we have left our homes and warm beds to be in your presence.
P: We gather in your name to worship and praise you.
L: May this first day of the week . . .
P: be only one of many days in which we sing your praises and worship you.
Invocation
God of wisdom and righteousness, your standards and expectations of us have not changed. Fill us with the desire to know your truth and to follow your commandments. Amen.
Invocation
Eternal Spirit, Creator of all places and peoples, we come together in the name of the Christ. In him you became one with us, that we might become one with one another in the worship of you.
Invocation
Invisible God, you have revealed yourself to us in Jesus Christ, sharing your own Spirit in communion with our spirit. As we come to worship disclose yourself more fully as we hear your written word and pray in the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Amen
Litany
L: God in Christ has shown us the beauty of holiness.
P: We come now to express our gratitude to God with our best gifts.
L: What are these gifts?
P: Our prayers, our praise, and the gifts of our hands.
L: These we should offer unto the Lord, but these are not all the Lord asks. The Lord also asks that we break the yoke of tyranny and let the oppressed go free.
P: We would do all that the Lord asks.
L: The Lord asks that we feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and house the homeless.
P: We would do all that the Lord asks.
L: The Lord asks that we attend the afflicted and give ourselves for those in need.
P: We would do all that the Lord asks.
L: Then our light shall rise at midnight and our gloom be as the noonday.
A: We will do all that the Lord asks.
Prayer of Confession
Creator - Restorer - Ruler: We are prone to point the finger at others and to pervert justice by exaggerated charges. We want the rich to feed the hungry, but not to share from our own provisions. We prefer charity in principle, but in practice evade our duty even to our own kin. Some of us live in half-empty houses while there are families crowded into rooms too small for them, if they have rooms at all. Forgive our failure to live up to the best we know and to let the oppressed go free even after you have freed us. Amen.
Declaration of Pardon
Pastor: Friends, hear the Good News! Christ nailed to the cross attests the cost of God's love and forgiveness.
People: Our faith is not built on human wisdom, but on the power of God.
Pastor: Friends, believe the Good News!
People: In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven.
Exhortation
You must shed light among your neighbors so that when they see the good you do, they may give praise to your heavenly Father.
Prayer for One Voice
Gracious God, we thank you for the light that shone in Jesus, revealing unto us your holiness and our righteousness. We deplore this gap, yet we rejoice that you chased the darkness that kept it hidden from our eyes. By your light we are both encouraged and condemned. We are reassured to see your face turned in our direction, bidding us to come unto you. But we shudder at the sight of us turning our backs on you, resisting the light that could mirror your glory.
We thank you, O God, for leaving your light in the world even though we have not always heeded your summons to become the light of the world. Instead of illuminating your character, we have blurred it. You have commanded us to love you with all our being, but we have consigned our love to the pigeonhole of religion. You have commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, but we have been too preoccupied with ourselves to find them. You have called us to be peacemakers, yet we have encouraged the arms makers with our fears and our fortunes. You have summoned us to be wall breakers, yet we have supported the wall makers with our silence and our sympathy. We have seen the light, but we have refused to walk in it.
Yet we long, O Lord, to keep your law and do your will. We ask forgiveness for our rebellion, not merely for the sake of the joy we have denied ourselves, but also for the joy we have denied others. Keep ever before us the needs of the world into which you sentJesus and for whose sake he gave himself to the uttermost. Let us feel its pain as our own, seek its good as our own, and work for its transformation in the name and spirit of him who came into the world not to condemn but to redeem it.
We listen now, O God, for your word. Let its message illumine our minds that we may will as Jesus willed. Let its spirit quicken our hearts that we may love as Jesus loved. Let its power speed our steps that we may do as Jesus did.
Benediction
You have called us, O God, to embrace the mission of Jesus as our own. Our sight is not equal to this vision, and our strength is not equal to this task. But you, O Lord, are a merciful God. You give light to those who walk in darkness, and you grant strength to those who carry heavy loads. As we return to the workaday world, let us see your light before us and feel your strength within us.
Benediction
Go, as a forgiven and holy people, to do the will of the one who loves us unconditionally.read more-------
WORSHIP FOR KIDS: FEBRUARY 5, 2017 by Carolyn C. BrownFrom a Child's Point of View
Old Testament: Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12). Isaiah's basic message is that God is more interested in the way we treat other people than in religious observances such as fasting. Before children can understand the passage, they need a thorough explanation of fasting, as it was intended to be practiced and as it was misused. Children are generally interested in the idea of not eating and of wearing sackcloth and ashes in order to focus attention on God. They understand how easy it would be to become "crabby" while fasting and how fasting could be used to draw attention to "what a neat person I am."
Older children need to explore the difference between religious fasts, which focus attention on God, and hunger strikes, which people use to try to force governments or other groups to meet their demands. Because fasting is not part of the Christian experience of many children today, it is easy for them to see the point Isaiah was making to those who were misusing the practice. The challenge is to help children see that we can misuse worship attendance and our other religious activities in the same way.
When exploring the list of activities in verses 6-7, be sure to include some in which children participate.
Psalm: 112:1-9 (10). Psalm 112 is an acrostic which describes the righteous. The lines are a somewhat disjointed series of statements which include abstract vocabulary (gracious, merciful) and unfamiliar phrases (conduct their affairs, deal generously, will never be moved). Older children, if encouraged, can understand a line here and there as the verses are read. In general, children will learn most as the ideas in the psalm are discussed in more familiar terms.
Epistle: I Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16). Children will make little sense of this passage as it is read, but within it are two points about wisdom ("being smart") that they need to hear. To children, "wisdom" is being able to understand what is going on around them and knowing what to do in all situations—"street smarts" for their particular streets is the wisdom they crave.
Paul's point in verses 6-11 is that there is a specifically Christian "wisdom" that is different from what many people today think is wise. Others may suggest that it is wise to cheat, be nice only to people who can help you, grab the things you want and need, and even steal when necessary. But Paul says that wise Christians tell the truth, share, and treat everyone lovingly—especially those who have nothing to give.
In children's words, Paul's message in verses 1-5 is, "I am not a smart person who figured out all this about God on my own. Everything I have told you comes from God. God's wisdom is better than any ideas people have ever come up with."
Gospel: Matthew 5:13-20. This passage uses everyday things—salt and light—to encourage people to be disciples and to describe the world's need of disciples. But do not assume that children on their own will be able to list the characteristics of salt or follow what is said about lighting a home at night. They will need to hear these things reviewed in detail.
The discussion of keeping the Law in verses 17-20 requires knowledge of "the righteousness of the Pharisees" that is beyond the understanding of children.
Once they recall the functions of salt and light, children will be ready to compare them with the functions of disciples. They can also appreciate the picture of a world without salt or light and recognize that their discipleship makes a big difference.
Watch Words
Righteous does not have positive connotations among children. They are most likely to have heard it as self-righteous and associate it with unnecessarily strict and prudish approaches to life. They would prefer to be among "disciples" or "people of God" than to be "the righteous."
Do not use fasting without explaining the practice. Clarence Jordan, in Sermon on the Mount (Judson, 1970), defined true fasting as working so hard or being so committed to something that we forget to eat. In this view, fasting is a verb form of the adverb fast and means to move so quickly and intently toward a goal that all else is forgotten. Children enjoy identifying times they have fasted in this sense.
Let the Children Sing
Most hymns about light focus on Jesus as the light and include very difficult vocabulary and concepts for children. Probably the best choice of a discipleship hymn is "Lord, I Want to be a Christian."
If it is familiar, sing "Be Thou My Vision." Consider using the hymn as an outline for a sermon that compares God's wisdom with that of the world.
The Liturgical Child
1. Before reading Isaiah 58:1-12, introduce both the intended practice of fasting and the way people were abusing it. Briefly point out the question/answer format in the passage. Then have the passage read by two readers, one taking the prophet's part, reading accusingly verses 1-2 and 3b-12; the second reader interrupts in the role of the surprised people, to pose the question in verse 3a. Both readers should use voice inflection and facial expression to emphasize both the format and the meaning of the exchange. Practice reading so that the rhetorical questions in verses 5-7 imply their answers.
2. Prayer of Confession: Lord, we can taste the difference salt makes on food, and we can see the difference light makes. We also know that you call us to make a difference in our world, but we confess that much of the time, we would rather not make a difference. We are not brave enough to take a stand for what we know is right. We prefer to stay with our own friends rather than make friends with the friendless. We would rather do what we want to do than take care of others. We want to be one of the crowd and safe. Forgive us. Give us the power to light up the world with your love and to season it with your justice. Amen.
Sermon Resources
1. To explore the significance of Isaiah's message to nonfasting Christians, describe the actions and feelings of a family as the members get ready for, go to, and return from church on Sunday, without ever experiencing or sharing God's love. Include griping about having to go, arguing about what will be worn; children bickering in the car; children calling other children in their class cruel names; adults making negative comments about the sermon; and so forth.
2. Compare the uses of salt with the functions of disciples. Just as salt is used to clean and heal (e.g., gargling with warm salt water), so Christians are to work on healing people who are hurting. Just as salt is spread on sidewalks to melt ice and snow, Christians can work on "melting" the hatred and similar attitudes which make the world dangerous. Just as salt makes popcorn and fries tastier, Christians can make life happier by doing little kindnesses and saying friendly words. Just as salt works with the ice to make unnecessary but delicious ice cream, Christians, out of love, work to provide some of the things people need in order to enjoy life. Christians know that God wants everyone to enjoy some of the good things of this world.
3. Advertise a new product—saltless salt. It looks like salt but does not taste like salt. It shakes and pours like salt, but it does not melt ice or make food tastier. It burns like salt burns on a cut or sore throat, but it does not heal. Compare this useless product with people who claim to be Christian but do nothing to help those who are hurting; who spread bitter feelings instead of happy ones; and so forth. Suggest that such Christians are as useless as saltless salt.read more-------
SERMON OPTIONS: FEBRUARY 5, 2017
A NEW CALL TO WORSHIP
ISAIAH 58:1-9a (9b-12)
The setting for this prophetic oracle is probably postexilic Jerusalem or Judah. The community has been restored to home, and yet apparently has not learned from its experience of exile about the importance of just living, of sharing wealth with poor people, of making deeds of mercy the centerpiece of the service of God.
The fast, which is the only ritual act mentioned here, normally suggests sorrow or mourning. Perhaps the people were still pining for the restoration of their former, preexilic lives, for a lifestyle of harmony that had not yet become manifest since their return home. To that ritual petition for a restored way of life, God answers with very specific guidelines for bringing it about.
I. A Call to Worship
Verse 1 could come straight out of a Sunday bulletin. The trumpet, or ram's horn, was customarily used to call the community to worship. In this instance, the prophet may be setting up a poetic device in which two kinds of serving—ritual service and works of mercy—are juxtaposed. If that is what is intended by this "call to worship," then the point is surely not to put down worship (see v. 13) but to lift up the other way in which God is served—through deeds of mercy and justice. The basic charge is laid out in plain view: the people are seeking to draw near to God without practicing holy living with one another.
II. A Call from Self-centeredness
The prophet gives us a glimpse here (vv. 3-4) of some of the specific behaviors manifested by the hearers. In four lines we find four charges against the people that cover a range from personal to corporate: (1) you serve your own interests, (2) you oppress your workers, (3) you quarrel and fight, and (4) you strike one another. We cannot say for certain how closely descriptive this is, but we clearly have the idea that people are worshiping one way and living another.
III. A Call to Righteousness
Then the people bring the word of Yahweh in the form of a question: "Is such the fast that I choose?" (v. 5). Hardly is the question completed before a literal flood of responses pours forth. From verse 6 to the end of the chapter, one after another of the behaviors called for by Yahweh is enumerated. Initially, they are put in terms of the figurative "fast" that God chooses for the people to observe—that is, the fast is to end injustice, to share bread with the hungry, to clothe the naked, and so on. By verse 9b, the moral directives have become simply statements of action and consequence: "If you remove the yoke, offer your food, satisfy the afflicted, ... then your light shall rise, God will guide you, your needs will be satisfied, your ancient ruins will be rebuilt...."
By the chapter's end, no less than eighteen promises have been made to the people who will choose to fast in God's way—that is, by doing justice and showing mercy in every area of their lives and their community. Fred Pratt Green's hymn, "When the Church of Jesus," warns of hearts lifted in worship "high above this hungry, suffering world of ours." His cautionary words echo those of Isaiah: going to God in prayer to work out what is wrong in the world is meaningless, even offensive, unless matched by intentional deeds that work toward making reconciliation happen. (Paul R. Escamilla)
THE MODUS OPERANDI OF EVANGELISM
1 CORINTHIANS 2:1-12 (13-16)
In a church's worship center a cross was prominently displayed behind the pulpit and choir loft. One Sunday when the pastor was on vacation a man, who was much taller than the pastor, preached the sermon. After the service a little boy who usually sat near the front with his family mentioned to his father that he liked their pastor a lot more than the visiting preacher. "Why?" his father asked. "Because he's small enough for me to see the cross."
The child said more than he knew. In order for Jesus to be visible in us, the self-life must be invisible. In order for him to increase, we must decrease ( John 3:30) . No one can impress people with fleshly, or natural, ability and at the same moment present Jesus as the mighty to save. In the second chapter of his letter to the Christians in Corinth, Paul wrote of his practice of remaining small so that Christ would loom large.
I. We Proclaim Christ
Paul commented on the style, content, and purpose of his preaching. His style was intentionally devoid of "lofty words" (v. 1) and "plausible words of wisdom" (v. 4), but included the elements of "weakness," "fear," and "much trembling" (v. 3). Every person who has stood before a crowd to speak knows what Paul is talking about, but professors don't teach this style of delivery in seminary. Apparently, Paul did not mind appearing nervous; it probably accentuated the importance of his message ("this makes me so nervous that I wouldn't be doing it at all if it were not so important"). It was not the beauty of presentation that made his message so powerful; it was the depth of his conviction.
As to the content of his message, he preached the Cross (v. 2). Paul had come to Corinth from Athens where he had tried to meet the philosophers on their own ground. Perhaps his limited success there convinced him to keep his content simple and straightforward.
When a student athlete made four F 's and one D on his report card, his advisor asked the coach what his problem was. The coach said, "Well, it looks as if he's been concentrating too much on one subject." The same accusation could have been made about Paul, and that one subject was Jesus. He exalted Jesus so that the faith of the people "might not rest on human wisdom but on the power of God" (v. 5).
II. We Demonstrate the Spirit's Power
Paul's life and ministry were living examples of what the Holy Spirit could do (v. 5) in and through the life of a human being. People need a demonstration of the Spirit even more than they need an explanation. They need to see the transformation that he has made and is continuing to make in us.
III. We Receive the Revelation of God
God's wisdom is a mystery to those who do not know God (vv. 6-9, 14). But to the saints, it is a mystery that has been revealed (vv. 10-16). Agnostics claim that God is beyond our ability to know or understand. Christians agree, but we add the important qualification that God has revealed himself. Paul argued that no one can know God except the Spirit of God, but it is God's Spirit that we have received! Since God's Spirit is in us, we "may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God" (v. 12). In fact, that is the beginning point of being a Christian.
Paul made his points in logical order, but they should be reversed to be in chronological order. First comes revelation, then demonstration, and last proclamation. (N. Allen Moseley)
BETTER THAN THE BEST
MATTHEW 5:13-20
Fred Craddock reminds us of the New York City bus driver who, after sixteen years of the same old route with the same people in the same old bus, on a certain day climbed into the bus and drove to Miami! Who hasn't felt that way? Who hasn't been there? Who hasn't wanted to say, "Let's throw out everything and start all over"?
There were those in the audience to whom Matthew's Gospel was written who wanted to do away with the old way: "The old rules don't work anymore. Let's throw them out and start all over with you, Jesus!" Even Jesus had been accused of laxity in keeping the Sabbath and dietary and fasting laws. Here Jesus corrects that mistaken notion: "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished" (vv. 17-18).
I. Faith Builds on the Past
Jesus is saying that we are the children of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Rachel, Ruth, and John the Baptist. We must carry on in the biblical tradition of the continuing story of God's revelation. Where God's story connects and intersects with our story, there God speaks. We must build on the past. Of course, every generation must construct new structures and forms for ministry and worship. But these new structures must be built with the old stones, as did Nehemiah. In seeking to address a new generation, we cannot throw out the baby with the bath water. In seeking to answer this claim that the old rules don't make it, Jesus—the new Moses—gives us a basic key to the understanding of Matthew's Gospel. Jesus is concerned about preserving the best of the past. And as we shall see, he is concerned about living in the present with moral and ethical integrity.
II. Faith Demands Obedience
When there are those who say that the old rules don't work anymore, there are those who will say that there are no rules. To this, Jesus says, "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (v. 20). The Pharisees were the best of their day in trying to keep the Law. Jesus says that his children must be better than the best of this world.
There were those then and there are those today who say it doesn't matter what you do. Go ahead and cut the deal even if it hurts or destroys someone. To get ahead, you have to look out for number one. Allan Bloom, in his book The Closing of the American Mind, states that most college freshmen believe that values are relative and that there is no absolute truth. When there are no rules, selfishness reigns.
Jesus says it does matter what you do, because it determines what you are. It is not enough to compare yourself to the worst as if God graded on the curve. As one of God's children, you must be better than the best. That is why it is not enough to refrain from murder, adultery, and lying and to love only your friends. You must refrain from the underlying causes of these destructive actions and replace them with the positive actions of love.
III. Faith Provides a Witness to the World
We are salt and light (vv. 13-15). We are to be God's preserving, penetrating, purifying, and illuminating force in society. We will be so only as we are better than the best of this world. We must follow the example of the One who walked in the way of the Father (5:48). (Gary L. Carver)read more-------
FEBRUARY 5, 2017 - A LITTLE OF YOU GOES A LONG WAY by William H. WillimonPULPIT RESOURCE
INSPIRING-HUMOROUS-EDGY-CONFRONTING-RELEVANTDOWNLOAD A SAMPLE NOW
Welcome to the new Pulpit Resource from Will Willimon. For over three decades Pulpit Resource helps preachers prepare to preach. Now in partnership with Abingdon Press, this homiletical weekly is available with fresh and timely accessibility to a new generation of preachers.
No sermon is a solo production. Every preacher relies on inherited models, mentors in the preacher’s past, commentaries on biblical texts by people who have given their lives to such study, comments received from members of the congregation, last week’s news headlines, and all the other things that make a sermon communal.
No Christian does anything on their own. We live through the witness of the saints; preachers of the past inspire us and judge us. Scripture itself is a product of the community of faith. A host of now-forgotten teachers taught us how to speak. Nobody is born a preacher.
Pulpit Resource is equivalent to sitting down with a trusted clergy friend over a cup of coffee and asking, “What will you preach next Sunday?” Whenever I’ve been asked by new preachers, “How can I develop as a preacher?” my usual response is, “Get in a group of preachers. Meet regularly. Learn how to give and how to receive help. Sort through the advice of others, and utilize helpful insights.”
That’s Pulpit Resource.
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If you subscribed to Will Willimon’s Pulpit Resource through Logos Productions before December 31, 2015, we have a record of your postal address and subscription expiration date, but we do not have your account in our system. To continue receiving Pulpit Resource for the life of your paid subscription, you must call customer service at 1-800-409-5346 or email subscriptions@ministrymatters.com. Your new account will not be charged until it is time to renew your annual subscription.read more
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FEBRUARY 5, 2017 by Emanuel Cleaver IIIPREACHING ANNUAL The Abingdon Preaching Annual includes:
The Primary Theme Fleshed out with brief, pithy nuggets of thought, idea jump-starters, or questions designed to spur the preacher’s imagination.
Secondary or Parallel Themes Two or three themes or streams of thought that are related to but separate from the primary theme offered.
Worship Helps Including Gathering Prayer, Collect, Pastoral Prayer, Congregational Prayer, Responsive Reading, and a Closing Prayer or Benediction.
Topical Essays These 700 word essays cover a variety of current and critical topics for the preacher—contributed by leading homileticians.
Full Sermons The full text from six to twelve sermons will be included. Additional are available online. These sermons will highlight best practices, unique approaches, and fresh voices.
Sermon Series Ideas This section will briefly outline and describe ideas for unique sermon series based on lectionary readings.
"As a weekly preacher, I often find that preparing for preaching and crafting sermons are spiritual disciplines for me. It is a time in which I try to quiet all of the other 'to do' lists that occupy much of my ministry. This resource from Abingdon Press will now be a partner in those conversations, almost like a new personal devotional guide. I am grateful for additional voices who can help me make space for God’s Living Word." - Shannon J Kershner, Pastor, Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago, IL
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Ministry Matters
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