The psalmist opens this week’s lectionary psalm (Psalm 86) with a plaintive plea: “Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you; save your servant who trusts in you.” That certainly resonates with recent headlines, as we cope with news not only of ongoing carnage in Iraq and Syria but also of the latest school shooting as well as the emerging humanitarian crisis of a flood of unaccompanied children from Mexico and Central America crossing the border into the U.S. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Mary Austin notes that our Romans text talks about being baptized into Christ Jesus’ death -- and these events suggest that we have been baptized into death over and over again. Indeed, it has been reported that since the Sandy Hook shooting in late 2012 there have been 74 school shooting incidents throughout the U.S., an average of nearly one per week. Moreover, the tens of thousands of children who show up on our borders alone each year face a harrowing future; it seems that in many cases we value the lives of these children as cheaply as the two sparrows sold for a penny referenced in our gospel text from Matthew. But as Mary points out, when Paul talks about being baptized into Christ’s death he has something very different in mind: a baptism of life, one defined by the hope of being “freed from sin” by a loving God who values us so much that (in Matthew’s words) “even the hairs of your head are all counted.” Mary reminds us, however, that we can’t turn away from the suffering in our world -- that baptism of death is part and parcel of being grafted onto Christ’s suffering.
Team member Chris Keating shares some additional thoughts on this week’s alternate Old Testament passage from Jeremiah, with its powerful imagery of “violence and destruction” in which “terror is all around.” In the face of unrelenting slaughter in Syria and Iraq, as well as violence on our streets here at home, what can sustain us? Chris compares Jeremiah’s situation to that of a baseball pitcher in a big jam, and suggests that with God’s help the prophet is able to pitch his way out of danger. Likewise, the Lord gives us the assistance we need to persevere in a violent world -- for our texts remind us that the one sure hope we have is in the Lord, who loves us, cares for us, values us, and (in Jeremiah’s words) “deliver[s] the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.”
Baptized into the Unthinkable
by Mary Austin
Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10:24-39
“Which one was that?” I had to ask a friend the other day, when he mentioned a school shooting. I realized, to my horror, that I’m losing track of school shootings with so many to remember. We have been “baptized into death,” as Paul says in his letter to the Romans, in an onslaught of violence. Over and over in the last year and a half, the news of a school shooting almost every week has baptized us into death. We have been baptized into shock and grief and now into numbness.
In the News
Some of the numbness ended when the group Everytown released a report that the recent shooting in Troutdale, Oregon, was the 74th school shooting since the Dec. 14, 2012, tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. Everytown is a “grassroots gun control group launched earlier this year by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg,” according to Yahoo News. As the story reports, “Everytown defines school shootings as incidents in which ‘a firearm was discharged inside a school building or on school or campus grounds’ and includes ‘assaults, homicides, suicides, and accidental shootings.’ ”
In our national inability to have a reasonable conversation about guns, the discussion quickly turned to the count instead of the issue. The Washington Post wrote, “Multiple news outlets, including this one, reported on Everytown’s data, prompting a backlash over the broad methodology used. As we wrote in our original post, the group considered any instance of a firearm discharging on school property as a shooting -- thus casting a broad net that includes homicides, suicides, and accidental discharges, and in a handful of cases shootings that had no relation to the schools themselves and occurred with no students apparently present.” Various news outlets did their own calculations -- were there ten shootings in the year and half, or was it fifteen?
The tragic absurdity of the math lessons revealed that we have become accustomed to school shootings. Like $4.00-per-gallon gas, what was once unthinkable is now normal. We quibble over the number because we can’t figure out how to change it.
The children and staff killed in these all too frequent shootings become known to us through their grieving families, and their pictures in our news. At the other end of the spectrum, we can hardly picture the children being held in detention facilities in Arizona, caught as they attempted to cross the border into the U.S. At least 1,000 children are being held while authorities try to figure out what to do with them. As the Los Angeles Times reports, “Although unaccompanied children have been entering the U.S. through the Southwest border for years, a surge in the last few months has overloaded Border Patrol stations and detention facilities, particularly in Texas. Most of the children are from Central America, a region long plagued with poverty and now grappling with escalating drug cartel and gang violence.” The facilities are being managed by FEMA, and “Only unaccompanied children are being housed in Nogales, where they are supposed to stay for up to 72 hours before they are sent to more permanent facilities at military installations in California, Texas, and Oklahoma. They are supposed to be housed for an average of 120 days at those centers.” A similar facility, at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas, houses teenagers. The logistics of locating family members in the U.S. or in the children’s home countries and arranging for transportation suggest that these young people may be held for a long time. At the Texas facility, a staff person told a group of boys: “Have patience in this place. God is with you.”
In the Scriptures
The death that Paul talks about in his letter to the church in Rome is present with us in violence and tragedy. We have a daily baptism into death as we take in the news. Writing on this text, Chris Haslam notes that the Greek words are even stronger than the English translation. In Romans 6:4 where we have “buried,” the original Greek word is synthapein, literally meaning “co-buried.” In 6:5 we read “been united with him,” which Haslam notes is “another syn word in Greek: synphytoi, literally grown together, as when a young branch is grafted onto a tree, it grows together with the tree and is nourished by it.” We are grafted into Christ’s death. Generally, as Americans and people of means, we think suffering should be avoided, but Paul is telling us that this is an integral part of our faith. We can turn away from the news in hopelessness, but Paul calls us to attend to the suffering around us as part of our faith. In the constant process of being baptized into the death all around us, we join more and more fully to the Jesus we follow. Like a grafted plant taking hold, our continuing baptism into the world’s death deepens our sharing with Christ.
The language is clear that God is doing the work, not us. This is something God is doing in us and with us and for us. The power comes from God, and we share in it, by grace. Our call is not to resist or turn away when the temptation comes -- and come it does, when the news around us is so tragic.
Our faith puts us into a mysterious partnership with people we don’t know, as we learn about their suffering. We can do so little for them, and yet we are drawn into prayer, calling on God to also baptize them and us into new places of resurrection and hope. Even in our powerlessness, we can’t turn away from their stories, for all of us are beloved by God. As Jesus promises in the reading from Matthew, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”
In the Sermon
The plight of hundreds of people, or thousands, grabs our attention, and then quickly overwhelms us. Jesus calls us back to the unnoticed ones before us. Richard Martinez, the father one of the people killed in Santa Barbara, California recently, has urged people to write a postcard to their elected representatives urging action on gun legislation. He suggests this simple message: #Not One More. He understands what Jesus is talking about, the power of the small and the simple.
The sermon might ponder how we translate big tragedy into small actions, and focus our attention and our action there. How do we see the sparrows before us? There are victims of violence in our communities, burdened by sorrow even when their stories fade from the news. There are children who don’t have parental support, even if they’re not living in big detention facilities. If the big stories are too far away for us to do much, then Jesus calls us back to the small stories we might overlook.
Or the sermon might look at how we learn to see with the eyes of faith, and attend to the news as a spiritual practice. When we want to turn away, how do we keep focused as Paul calls us to do?
Or it might look at our own experiences of being baptized into death, and the resurrection that follows. God does the work, and yet we have to be willing to come back up out of the waters, to take hold of the resurrection God offers. As Paul says, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.” How do we live fully in our own tragedies, claiming our baptism into death, and then let go of death to take hold of resurrection’s gifts?
SECOND THOUGHTS
Terror Is All Around
by Chris Keating
Jeremiah 20:7-13
Even with the volume turned down, the shouting is clear: violence and destruction are all around.
In our nation, it’s been the echo of gunfire on school campuses and city streets. In Iraq, it’s the beleaguered lament of a failing state. Every hour brings new reminders that the cradle of civilization has once again been rocked by war, bloodshed, and vengeance.
Jeremiah’s plaintive cries could well be ours this coming Sunday. Having experienced God’s call in his life, Jeremiah has been faithful. Yet he is derided by those who balk at his dire comments. The people are talking behind his back, sneering at him, mimicking his predictions of doom and gloom. “For I hear many whispering: Terror is all around!”
Ah, a prophet’s job is hard work, and Jeremiah’s task is no exception. Compelled by God to witness to what he sees, Jeremiah is nonetheless denounced by the people. He’s caught in the middle in a game that has no clear winners. In baseball terms, Jeremiah seems to have pitched himself into a jam.
In the News
Jeremiah’s situation is similar to the rampant warfare in Iraq. Ten years after the United States declared “mission accomplished,” the nation is unravelling quickly. Reports of weekend massacres are still being assessed. Many see Iraq on the verge of civil war.
Last week, two of Iraq’s major cities fell into the hands of insurgents, continuing a pattern of capitulation that has been occurring for some time. Earlier this year, both Fallujah and Ramad were overrun by jihadist groups. (Check out the New York Times’ helpful map if your Iraq geography is rusty.) But last week’s defeat of Mosul, followed by the push southward to Tikrit, seemed particularly violent. Mass executions have followed, with grisly photos documenting victorious Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighters shooting Iraqi soldiers. With violence growing, Baghdad is prepared for a potential assault.
On Monday, reporters noted that the city is ready for a fight. As Richard Engel from NBC explained:
ISIS says it wants to destroy the holy Shiite cities of Najaf and Karbala, describing them in statements and videos as “filth” that must be disposed of. It says it wants to come to Baghdad to “settle scores.” Baghdad got the message. This is the capital of the Shiite-led government. This is the seat of power that Shiites in Iraq have longed for since they lost control of Mesopotamia to Sunnis in the 8th century. Thanks to the U.S. invasion, the Shiites have it now. They have no intention of giving it up again.
The seam-splitting in Iraq has frustrated Americans at all levels, including war veterans who express a mixture of betrayal and sadness at the situation. Many note the power void that was created when the United States pulled out, but also understand our nation’s weariness of war. Many share Jeremiah’s sense of frustration. Few see clear options.
“I keep going back to the number of soldiers who have given the best part of their lives to help make this country (Iraq) better,” said retired Gen. Mark Hertling, who now lives in Orlando, Florida. “It’s saddening and it’s disheartening, and you know you can’t do anything about it to fix it.”
Historian Juan Cole notes that the situation in Mosul was particularly ripe for rebellion. First, there are long-standing wounds between Sunnis and Shiites in the nation that the new government has largely ignored. Cole places partial blame on failed American policy that resulted in destroying Iraq’s ability to ward off infiltration by Al Qaeda-like terror groups. But Cole also traces conflicts back to European imperialism and the scramble for territory after World War I.
Whatever the cause, the atrocities are mounting.
It’s a squeeze play of historic proportions, and runners seem poised to capture home. At home and abroad, all seem to be watching to see if the United States will enter the fray. But no one is talking all-star “shock and awe” style tactics this time around. Perhaps the most surprising option came from Secretary of State John Kerry when he indicated that the U.S. was open to working with its nemesis Iran in order to stop the “existential challenge” to the region.
It’s a predicament even an ace like Jeremiah would find trying, and a situation certainly worthy of our lament.
In the Scriptures
In Jeremiah’s previous trip to the mound (18:1--20:6), he has delivered a fastball pitch of judgment packed with unflinching criticism of Israel. Certain that he speaks the truth, Jeremiah has decried the people for forsaking God (18:15) and worshiping idols (19:4). Jeremiah’s performance is flawless.
Stiff-necked and unable to listen, Israel has struck out. But there is a price to Jeremiah’s stinging proclamation. The price of his truth-telling speech is steep. Instead of a hero’s parade, Jeremiah lands in jail (20:2).
The tone changes at 20:7, where Jeremiah has an off-field conversation with Yahweh. Jeremiah is not pleased. He feels he has done what God asked him to do. His prayer takes on the form of a lament, the fifth and sixth laments recorded within the book. Clearly, Jeremiah is perturbed.
A no-holds-barred conversation with God ensues. He feels maligned and abused. Some suggest verse 7 could even be translated as “raped.” It’s an unbearable situation. As Walter Brueggemann notes, “On the one hand, Jeremiah is mandated to speak against Jerusalem, but his speaking evokes deep hostility. On the other hand, when he does not speak, he is even more troubled” (To Pluck Up, To Tear Down [Eerdmans, 1988], p. 174). In verse 14, he’ll even curse the day he was born.
His anguish is real and understandable. Yet in all of this, Jeremiah does not abandon hope. He proclaims Yahweh’s presence even as he struggles with his prophetic vocation. He clings to a slender thread of hope, even as the whole cloth seems to be unraveling. In verse 13, Jeremiah interrupts his lament with a song of praise: “Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.”
Jeremiah will not let go. The count is against him, and the bases are loaded. Yet Jeremiah believes he will not be abandoned by God.
In the Sermon
The sounds of violence and destruction echo in our ears. Violence in Iraq scrapes away at the soul of the world -- just as it does in Syria, or in Ukraine or Sudan or Palestine, or in gun violence on our own streets. Terror indeed is all around, and our prayers and preaching this Sunday ought to take note of its presence.
Yet preachers are familiar with Jeremiah’s predicament. We may feel we must speak or cry out -- only to discover that on this summer Sunday half of our parishioners are at the beach!
A sermon could explore the way Jeremiah’s intense struggle with God brings a renewed sense of hope. “The Lord is with me like a dread warrior,” affirms Jeremiah. Jeremiah brings hope to this unbearable situation. We indeed must speak truthfully about violence and war -- but equally as truthfully about undeniable hope. Even in a world where violence and terror are all around, we are given the deepest assurance of faith: “For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.”
It turns out that Jeremiah’s best pitch is a backdoor slider -- it appears to be out of the strike zone, but suddenly breaks back over the plate.
Finally, the text also offers a chance to remind the congregation that probing prayer, even doubting prayer, is not unfaithful. Instead, Jeremiah’s affirmation of faith is rooted within the worship of Israel. His lament functions as an embodied plea for Jerusalem to abandon its worship of idols, and to worship Yahweh alone. Jeremiah’s lament acknowledges that God will prevail. Like Jacob and many others we could name, Jeremiah has wrestled with God.
The batters are retired, and Jeremiah takes a moment at the mound. His confidence in God is unshaken.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Leah Lonsbury:
Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86; Jeremiah 20:7-13; Psalm 67; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10:24-39
In our text from Genesis, Hagar is seemingly sent off into the wilderness with her child to die. Even God’s promise to Abraham that God will make a great nation of both boys appears empty when the water and Hagar’s hope run out.
The psalmist is “poor and needy” (v. 1) in Psalm 86 and reproached, shamed, alienated, insulted, humbled, distressed, and threatened in Psalm 69.
It appears that God has called Jeremiah to be a “laughingstock” (v. 7) and pawn in God’s game in our passage from this prophet’s story.
In our text from Romans, Paul sees the community as stuck in their sinning ways and likens it to death.
In our passage from Matthew’s gospel, fear, darkness, threats, and division encroach upon the believers.
And yet, each of these texts finds its way back to hope and possibility in God.
“And then God heard the voice of the boy... ‘Do not be afraid... Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him’ ” (Genesis 21:17-18).
“Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers” (Jeremiah 20:13).
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from [God]. And even the hairs of your head are all counted” (Matthew 10:29-30).
In the award-winning children’s novel Flora and Ulysses, author Kate DiCamillo writes about the importance of belief in and hope for good and miraculous things to come even when things seem dire. These lessons come in the words of the peculiar character Dr. Meescham. She speaks to nine-year-old Flora -- the protagonist and a self-proclaimed cynic -- and her exceptional superhero squirrel friend Ulysses:
“I’m a cynic!” she announced for no particular reason and in a too-loud voice.
“Bah, cynics,” said Dr. Meescham. “Cynics are people who are afraid to believe.” She waved her hand in front of her face as if she were brushing away a fly.
“Do you believe in, um, things?” asked Flora.
“Yes, yes, I believe,” said Dr. Meescham. She smiled her too-bright smile again. “You have heard of Pascal’s Wager?”
“No,” said Flora.
“Pascal,” said Dr. Meescham, “had it that since it could not be proven whether God existed, one might as well believe that [God] did, because there was everything to gain by believing and nothing to lose. This is how it is for me. What do I lose if I choose to believe? Nothing!
“Take this squirrel, for instance. Ulysses. Do I believe he can type poetry? Sure, I do believe it. There is much more beauty in the world if I believe such a thing is possible...
“Who knows what he will do?” said Dr. Meescham. “Who knows whom he will save? So many miracles have not yet happened...
“All things are possible,” said Dr. Meescham. “When I was a girl in Blundermeecen, the miraculous happened every day. Or every other day. Or every third day. Actually, sometimes it did not happen at all, even on the third day. But still, we expected it. You see what I’m saying? Even when it didn’t happen, we were expecting it. We knew the miraculous would come.”
The news cycle is full of bleak and heartbreaking stories about our world. And yet, the miraculous and good can only happen when we hold out hope and belief in God’s goodness and faithfulness and act accordingly. In living this way, we have “everything to gain by believing and nothing to lose.”
When we read the news, work for justice in our communities, and greet our neighbors, what might happen if we framed our thinking with Dr. Meescham’s belief that “So many miracles have not yet happened...”?
*****
Matthew 10:24-39
Three Israeli teens have been abducted in a move that the Israeli government is blaming on the Palestinian group Hamas. A viral campaign called “Bring Back Our Boys” has been launched by university students, and is being compared to the social media movement “Bring Back Our Girls” started in response the kidnapping of the Nigerian school girls. It has already garnered 90,000 likes.
From the Associated Press...
Elizabeth Zlatkis, one of the organizers, said the effort is not meant to be political. “This is simply a cry out to the world to bring those boys back,” she said. “We’re only trying to do whatever we can to help the international community to put pressure to release those kids.”
The Israeli government is taking a different approach and has already rounded up and arrested over 200 Palestinians, threatening to worsen the conditions of their detainment until the boys are returned: “Israel has vowed to exact a heavy price from Hamas, saying that the aim of the military operation goes beyond searching for the boys.”
While “Bring Back Our Boys” seeks to value and protect the lives of each of the kidnapped boys, the Israeli government seems to be exploiting the situation as an excuse to enact widespread oppression and abuse. In the name of rescuing and safeguarding the boys, they are forgetting the value of the lives and well-being of their over 200 Palestinian prisoners.
Again from the Associated Press...
“As long as our boys remain abducted, Hamas will feel pursued, paralyzed, and threatened,” said Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, an army spokesman.
Israel has made clear that the goals of the operation go beyond the search for the teens.
Israeli military commentator Alex Fishman wrote in the Israeli daily newspaper Yediot Ahronot that the apparent abduction created an opportunity “to suppress Hamas’s strongholds in Palestinian Authority territory to the greatest extent possible.”
How might things change if the Israeli government sought to live and move as God does, counting the hairs on every person’s head, valuing and protecting their lives no matter their affiliation? How might things change in our own lives if we did the same with our daily decisions and actions?
***************
From team member Ron Love:
Genesis 21:8-21
As the conflict in Iraq intensifies between the Sunni and Shiite Muslims, it’s important to remember that this seemingly modern conflict dates back to the year 632 when the prophet Muhammad died. Having left no instructions for a successor, the Islamic community divided. The Sunnis believed the rightful heir was Abu Bakr, the prophet’s friend. This heir to the throne was to be selected by the ruling imams. The Shiites believed the successor should be a blood relative of Muhammad, and thus they proposed the prophet’s son-in-law and cousin, Ali bin Abu Talib. It was 1,400 years ago that the fighting between the two groups commenced, and it has continued uninterrupted since. The Shiites are the party presently in control of the Iraqi government and the army. The Sunni insurgents are slowly conquering the land, and are trying to establish a new Islamic state that includes Iraq and Syria.
Application: The Quran, the Islamic holy book, teaches that Isaac founded Israel and Ismael became the founder of the Arab people, who became Muslim under the leadership of Muhammad. The stories of the Old Testament have historical ramifications that we must acknowledge and understand in order to understand the current events of today.
*****
Genesis 21:8-21
It is a concern that the issue of homosexuality might split the United Methodist Church, with a major schism such as that experienced by the Episcopalians. Maxie Dunnam, the chancellor of Asbury Theological Seminary, said, “We can no longer talk about schism as something that might happen in the future. Schism has already taken place in our connection.” Several proposals have been put forth that speak to a direct separation, with others trying to reach some type of compromise. Whatever the outcome, it is difficult to envision a unified denomination.
Application: Just as Sarah could not tolerate Hagar, and Sarah’s son Isaac could not tolerate his half-brother Ishmael, the church will always be confronted with irreconcilable differences.
*****
Genesis 21:8-21
In France there is a major political dispute between a prominent father and his daughter. Jean-Marie LePen is the founder of the National Front, a very conservative right-wing political party. He is also known as a bigot, particularly with a constant barrage of anti-Semitic remarks. The most recent episode was his refusal to allow actor-singer Patrick Bruel, who is Jewish, to perform in the districts under his control. If the band does appear, LePen said, “We’ll put a batch of them in the oven.” This is a direct reference to the crematoriums of the Holocaust, though LePen denied that was the meaning of his remark. His 46-year-old daughter Marine LePen, who is a member of the party but has ambitions to become the president of France, has denounced her 86-year-old father’s anti-Semitism.
Application: The dispute depicted in the family of Abraham contains lessons relevant even to today.
*****
Romans 6:1b-11
A biography on the marriage of Ruth and Billy Graham has recently been published. The book, written by Hanspeter Nüesch and titled Ruth & Billy Graham: The Legacy of a Couple, is well-balanced and the couple is not portrayed as having a totally angelic relationship. Nüesch describes Ruth as “a very sensitive person,” who “at times could confront people very bluntly, to the point of irritating them.”
Application: Paul cautions us to always try to walk in the newness of life that is lived under the auspices of grace.
*****
Romans 6:1b-11
In a Frank & Ernest comic strip by Bob Thaves, the two motley title characters are sitting on a park bench. Frank looks over and says to Ernie, “On the highway of life, I’m the guy in the orange jumpsuit picking up the trash.”
Application: Some people continue to live in despair, never understanding Paul’s message of what it means to “walk in the newness of life.”
***************
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Matthew 10:24-39
Five Basic Fears
Dr. Karl Albrecht, writing in Psychology Today, defines fear as “an anxious feeling, caused by our anticipation of some imagined event or experience,” and then goes on to explain that all of the things we fear stem from five basic fears that are universal to the human condition. They are:
* Extinction -- fear of annihilation, of ceasing to exist. This is a more fundamental way to express it than just calling it the “fear of death.” The idea of no longer being arouses a primary existential anxiety in all normal humans. Consider that panicky feeling you get when you look over the edge of a high building.
* Mutilation -- fear of losing any part of our precious bodily structure; the thought of having our body’s boundaries invaded, or of losing the integrity of any organ, body part, or natural function. For example, anxiety about animals, such as bugs, spiders, snakes, and other creepy things arises from fear of mutilation.
* Loss of Autonomy -- fear of being immobilized, paralyzed, restricted, enveloped, overwhelmed, entrapped, imprisoned, smothered, or controlled by circumstances. In a physical form, it’s sometimes known as claustrophobia, but it also extends to social interactions and relationships.
* Separation -- fear of abandonment, rejection, and loss of connectedness, of becoming a non-person:not wanted, respected, or valued by anyone else. The “silent treatment,” when imposed by a group, can have a devastating psychological effect on the targeted person.
* Ego-death -- fear of humiliation, shame, or any other mechanism of profound self-disapproval that threatens the loss of integrity of the self; fear of the shattering or disintegration of one’s constructed sense of lovability, capability, and worthiness.
*****
Matthew 10:24-39
Fear Itself
In his first inaugural address, Franklin D. Roosevelt pointed out that “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
Back then we didn’t have a name for the fear of fear, but today we know that it is called phobophobia. It is not unlike agoraphobia, which for years was thought to be the fear of being in large crowds. Now, however, we know that agoraphobia is more often traced to the fear that one will be humiliated by having a panic attack in the midst of a large crowd.
So, a person with agoraphobia will be so afraid of having a panic attack that their fear will in fact trigger a panic attack. Thus, they will have fallen victim to the fear of fear itself.
*****
Matthew 10:24-39
Be Not Afraid
Writing for the Huffington Post in January of this year, Tod Van Lulling identified eleven things that most people are afraid of -- but probably shouldn’t be. Here’s a capsulized version of his list:
1) Hitchhiking -- Empirical data shows that this much-feared mode of travel is not only safe but environmentally friendly too. Unfortunately, old news stories and urban legends will probably keep it from ever becoming popular again.
2) Bacteria -- 99 percent of all bacteria are not only harmless, most of them are actually good for us.
3) Swallowing spiders while you sleep -- Your body and the natural instincts of spiders keep this from happening.
4) Getting vaccinated -- More people get sick and die from not getting vaccinated than those who suffer complications from getting vaccinated.
5) Video game violence -- There is not even one single study showing that playing violent video games has any long-term effect on the behavior of children who play them.
6) Using a cellphone at a gas station -- Modern cellphone technology makes it virtually impossible for this to be dangerous.
7) Spontaneous human combustion -- there is no proof of this ever actually happening.
8) Swallowing chewing gum -- Our digestive systems are remarkably tough.
9) Cracking your knuckles -- it’s neither harmful nor helpful.
10) Sharks -- Pet dogs kill more people than sharks do.
11) Flying on an airplane -- this is still one of the safest modes of transportation.
*****
Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
Five Great Rescues
The Mother Nature Network lists the ten greatest rescues of all time. Here are five of them:
1) August 5, 2010: 33 Chilean miners were rescued from more than 2,300 feet underground after being trapped for 70 days.
2) April 1970: Apollo 13 -- failure was not an option.
3) Oct. 14, 1987: 18-month-old “Baby Jessica” McClure fell down a narrow well in her aunt’s backyard in Midland, Texas, where she was trapped for nearly three days before being rescued.
4) January 15, 2009: The Miracle on the Hudson. Pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger landed U.S. Airways Flight 1549 after its engines were disabled when it ran into a flock of Canada geese.
5) January 23, 2010: Eleven days after the earthquake that killed an estimated 230,000 people in Haiti, and one day after the search for survivors was called off, Wismond Exantus -- a 24-year-old hotel cashier who had crawled under a desk as the building was falling -- was rescued from under his desk. He had survived on a diet of potato chips, candy bars, soft drinks, water, and whiskey.
*****
Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
How a Newborn Baby Saved Toy Story 2
When an accidental computer command started wiping animation data from the drive where Toy Story 2’s files were kept, virtually the entire film -- comprising a year’s worth of work by more than 100 people -- was erased in a matter of seconds.
Under normal circumstances this wouldn’t have been an issue; the company making the film (Pixar Animation) maintains backups of all its films throughout the production process. But the backups for Toy Story 2 had failed. The movie, it appeared, was gone for good.
In this animated video, Pixar’s Oren Jacobs and Galyn Susman recount how a newborn baby saved Toy Story 2 from being lost forever.
While everyone at Pixar was wailing and gnashing their teeth over the loss of an entire film and more than a year’s work, Galyn (the film’s technical director) happened to remember that, because her new baby son had been born just a few months before, she had been working at home and had taken home a copy of the film and downloaded it to her home computer.
Galyn and Oren drove as quickly as the law allowed to her home, got her computer, wrapped it in blankets and seatbelts, and drove it -- veeeeeeeery carefully -- back to the studio, plugged it in, and there was their film... saved because Galyn had a new baby boy and wanted to work from home.
*****
Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17
Unremembered Rescuer
The tragedy of the RMS Titanic was one of the first major events that was communicated to humanity by modern technology. With the development of the undersea telegraph and telephone cables, and the Marconi wireless radio, news that once took weeks to move across the ocean now did so in moments. The name “Titanic” is still widely remembered -- but the ship that came to her rescue, the RMS Carpathia, is hardly a footnote in the story, though its crew was lauded as heroes shortly after the event.
On April 14, 1912, the Titanic struck an iceberg in the North Atlantic and began to sink. The ship’s radio operator sent out a message using a brand new distress code -- S.O.S., which was received by the vessel RMS Carpathia. Despite the threat of icebergs to his own ship, Captain Arthur Henry Rostron ordered the Carpathia to the scene at full speed.
At around 4 a.m. on the morning of the 15th, the Carpathia reached the scene and rescued 705 passengers of the ill-fated Titanic. When news of the event reached the world, Capt. Rostron and his crew were hailed as heroes. They all received awards and medals. Rostron and his officers were presented with a silver cup by Margaret “Molly” Brown, one of the survivors. The captain also received the Congressional Gold Medal from the U.S. Congress and was a guest at the White House at the request of President Taft. Sadly, the Carpathia herself became a victim when she was sunk by a German U-55 submarine on July 17, 1918.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Incline your ear, O God, and answer us, for we are poor and needy.
People: Preserve our life, for we are devoted to you.
Leader: You are our God; be gracious to us, for to you do we cry all day long.
People: Gladden the soul of your servants, for to you, O God, we lift up our soul.
Leader: For you, O God, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.
People: Give ear, O God, to our prayer; listen to our cry of supplication.
OR
Leader: Draw near and hear the Word of our God.
People: We come to hear what God has to say to us today.
Leader: Do not be deceived or dismayed by the violence around you.
People: Sometimes it is hard not to be overwhelmed by it all!
Leader: The God who watches over the sparrow watches over us.
People: In hope we will live in God’s peace and grace.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“God of the Sparrow, God of the Whale”
found in:
UMH: 122
PH: 272
NCH: 32
CH: 70
ELA: 740
W&P: 29
“Lift High the Cross”
found in:
UMH: 159
H82: 473
PH: 371
AAHH: 242
NCH: 198
CH: 108
LBW: 377
ELA: 660
W&P: 287
Renew: 297
“There Is a Balm in Gilead”
found in:
UMH: 375
H82: 676
PH: 394
AAHH: 524
NNBH: 489
NCH: 553
CH: 501
ELA: 614
W&P: 631
AMEC: 425
“This Is the Spirit’s Entry Now”
found in:
UMH: 608
LBW: 195
ELA: 488
“We Know That Christ Is Raised”
found in:
UMH: 610
H82: 296
PH: 495
CH: 376
LBW: 189
ELA: 449
“Let There Be Peace on Earth”
found in:
UMH: 431
CH: 677
W&P: 614
“Be Still, My Soul”
found in:
UMH: 534
AAHH: 135
NNBH: 263
NCH: 488
CH: 566
W&P: 451
AMEC: 426
“How Firm a Foundation”
found in:
UMH: 529
H82: 636, 637
PH: 361
AAHH: 146
NNBH: 48
NCH: 407
CH: 618
LBW: 507
ELA: 796
W&P: 411
AMEC: 433
“All I Need Is You”
found in:
CCB: 100
“Shine, Jesus, Shine”
found in:
CCB: 81
Renew: 247
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God whose eye is one even the tiny sparrow: Help us, your children, to be aware of your loving care even in the midst of the violence and hatred around us; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We worship and praise you, O God, for you created us for one another. You placed us together to be in communion with you and with our sisters and brothers of the earth. Open us to your presence this day, and so fill us with your grace and peace so that we can be your peace-bringers. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to see the new life you are bringing in the midst of death and destruction.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We are often overwhelmed by the violence and destruction around us. We allow it to block out your presence and work. Sometimes we even succumb to the temptation to assign the cause of the violence to you. Forgive us our shortsightedness and our lack of understanding of your great love and compassion for all of creation. Call us once again to our baptism, that we may truly die to death and allow you to raise us to life eternal. Amen.
Leader: God seeks our good and the good of all creation. Receive God’s love and forgiveness, and serve the God of Peace in all you do and say.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We praise you, O God, for you have created us to be at peace with you and all your children. You have made us a family together, with you as our loving parent.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We are often overwhelmed by the violence and destruction around us. We allow it to block out your presence and work. Sometimes we even succumb to the temptation to assign the cause of the violence to you. Forgive us our shortsightedness and our lack of understanding of your great love and compassion for all of creation. Call us once again to our baptism, that we may truly die to death and allow you to raise us to life eternal.
We give you thanks for our baptism and place in your Church, where we offer to others the peace you have given to us. We thank you that you offer us hope even in the midst of so much violence and destruction.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all in their needs, and especially for those who suffer from violence. We pray for those caught in abusive relationships and for those who know only war and violence in their land. We pray for all your children, that we may more fully know and live in your peace.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about how on television we often see people trying to hurt other people. It may seem like this is the way it is supposed to be, but Jesus tells us that God wants us to help each other and not to hurt each other.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
God Loves Every Hair!
Matthew 10:24-39
Object: strands of hair
How important are you to God? (let the children answer) Remember how many people there are in the world, and then ask yourself: “How important am I to God?” Does anyone know the answer? Are you more important than Barack Obama? (let them answer) Are you more important than me, your pastor? (let them answer) Do you think you are as important to God as Big Bird, LeBron James, Superman, or another famous person? (let them answer)
Are you more important than an eagle, a racehorse, an elephant, or whale? (let them answer) Are you more important than a great tree or a beautiful flower? (let them answer) What about oceans, lakes, mountains, and rivers? Do you think you could be as important to God as the United States, China, or Brazil? (let them answer)
Jesus said that you are very important, so important that he knows the number of hairs that are on your head. I brought along a few strands of hair to see the number of hairs we must have on our head. (begin to count the hairs that you brought with you, until you finally give up) I can’t count all of these hairs. It would take me all day, and even then I would have only counted a few of the hairs on my head.
Jesus wanted us to know how important we are to God. If he knows how many hairs each one of us has on our heads, then he knows a lot about us. He knows how fast we can run, how high we can jump, and all of the thoughts we have in our head. No one knows us as well as God. He knows you better than your doctor, your teacher, and even your parents!
God knows us by name. He knows all about [name several children] and everyone else who is here this morning. God knows all about us, and still loves us! And because God knows us, he understands us too. God understands toothaches and birthday parties. He hurts when we hurt, and celebrates when we celebrate. Our God is a loving God.
So the next time you get a haircut, I want you to remember that God has all of your hairs numbered. He numbers them because he loves you and wants to know everything there is to know about you.
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The Immediate Word, June 22, 2014, issue.
Copyright 2014 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
