The Church of Jesus Christ Continues
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For May 12, 2024:
The Church of Jesus Christ Continues
by Tom Willadsen
John 17:6-19
“Okay, we need an elder to complete the rest of Judas’s term,” is a phrase that could be uttered at a congregational meeting in a Presbyterian church. Presbyterians always elect our own leaders. We even elect a nominating committee who seek individuals to stand for election as church officers. As the season of Easter ends, we gather with the disciples, awaiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus had promised. And we replace Judas on the ruling board. There are two likely candidates, the lot falls to one of them, and the work of the disciples, that is the church of Jesus Christ, continues.
In the Bible
Today’s gospel reading is part of Jesus’ lengthy farewell discourse to his disciples. It started way back in chapter 13, around the seder table, when Jesus gave them the new commandment, that they love one another. According to John’s account, when Jesus gave Judas Iscariot a piece of bread, Satan entered Judas. The disciples didn’t know why Judas left the table immediately.
In today’s portion, Jesus is praying to God the Father, the disciples are overhearing that prayer. Judas is absent from the scene.
Judas is not named in this text, but he’s a very real presence.
Jesus is speaking/praying almost as though he has already ascended. He sends the disciples into the world as he has already been sent into the world. In the NRSV, Jesus refers to Judas as “the one destined to be lost.” Other ancient sources refer to Judas as “the son of destruction,” which would be terrific name for a heavy metal band, or an apt description of many four-year olds.
Psalm 1 is a paean to wisdom. I cannot read this psalm without picturing a cottonwood tree. In the Midwest and Great Plains, cottonwoods are tall, stately, and isolated trees. They often grow near water. In some places they are the only trees for miles and are used as landmarks. The fruit that they produce, besides shade, is wooly, messy seeds that fall almost like snow late in May in most places.
Judas makes another kind of appearance in today’s lesson from Acts. It’s interesting:In Matthew’s gospel, Judas hangs himself after attempting to return the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests for betraying Jesus. [My aunt wrote this quip years ago: “Hey Judas, got change for a twenty?”] As the story unfolds in Matthew’s gospel, “But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.’” [NRSV Matthew 27:6] They use the money to buy the potter’s field, where foreigners could be buried. To this day, many communities have Potter’s fields where the indigent are buried. And diving a little deeper, Potter’s Field is the name of the development that Old Man Potter would have built in Bedford Falls, if George Bailey had never been born. While I’m on a roll: The other scriptural allusion inIt’s a Wonderful Life comes when George welcomes his brother, the returning war hero, Harry Bailey, at the train and says they’ll kill the fatted calf.
The Acts account of Judas’ death is different. This appears in the verses that the lection skips. In Acts, Judas himself buys a field “with the reward of his wickedness” and falls headlong, giving a different connotation to spilling one’s guts. In the Acts account, the field is called “The Field of Blood,” which would have a worse name for Old Man Potter’s development in my opinion, though a decent name for a heavy metal band.
The conclusion of the Acts reading shows the process of replacing Judas, who, in Presbyterian terms, left an unexpired term on Session. They chose two followers of Jesus who had accompanied them and the lot selected Matthias. Matthias disappears from scripture at this point. Barnabas, his name means “Son of Encouragement,” is regularly mentioned throughout Acts and he even travelled with Paul. Maybe the lot fell on the wrong follower, or maybe Matthias was a faithful worker bee sort of disciple who never got a travel expense account.
The reading from 1 John concludes with a reminder to readers that eternal life is now. Paul Tillich wrote a famous sermon, which was also the title of a collection of his sermons, called “The Eternal Now.” It’s a slippery concept. Eternity extends into both the infinite past and the infinite future — and yet — life in Christ is experienced here, now, in chronological time. It’s a both/and. Eternal life, as the author of 1 John and Tillich conceive it, is experienced now, rather than in some kind of afterlife. This is a heady and hope-filled concept to pass on as the season of Easter comes to an end.
In the News
The presence of the betrayer is strong in today’s readings, even though Judas is not present when Jesus prayed in John 17, and Judas’s death was described in Acts 1.
Who are betrayers? Those who hand over someone to their enemies is one definition. Double-crossers, traitors, turncoats, there are lots of terms for them. In the current climate of heated political discourse and identity politics, a betrayer may be an elected official who changes their mind or does not do the party’s bidding.
Georgia Congressional Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has said she will force a vote to have Speaker of the House Mike Johnson removed from office “over what she perceives as a betrayal of conservative values…” (Italics mine.)
In this case it was Johnson’s shepherding legislation to support Ukraine in its war against Russia that Greene deemed a betrayal. It is a strong, provocative word, recalling the kiss of Judas.
I’m a city kid, so I had never heard of Judas goats before I started looking at this day’s texts. Judas goats are goats trained to lead sheep and cattle to specific destinations. Frequently these destinations are slaughterhouses. The Judas goats themselves are spared. They have a specific task that people who care for livestock need to have done.
The character of Judas in the gospels is one of turncoat — a betrayer. The phrase “kiss of death” is in wide usage; it conveys betrayal and even inevitability. During the Cold War, the KGB used guns concealed in lipstick tubes, which they called “The Kiss of Death.” (Work that into your Mother’s Day sermon, I dare you!)
There have been many works of literature surrounding the character of Judas and his role in the crucifixion. Was he guilty? Eternally damned? Lost — as destined? Motivated by money? It’s clear from Matthew’s gospel that Judas felt remorse, both in attempting to return the money and then in hanging himself in despair.
Judas’ kiss of betrayal is the only kiss recorded in the gospels. The only other time the word appears is when Jesus admonishes his host in Luke 7 for not kissing him in greeting.
In the Sermon
It’s Mother’s Day. It’s the last Sunday in the season of Easter. Why not preach about Judas the betrayer? Like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, Judas was a character who had to cross lines for the narrative to unfold. According to John’s gospel, Jesus knew who his betrayer was, and even prodded Judas to action.
How could the story of Christ have unfolded without Judas identifying Jesus to the arresting horde? Someone had to be Judas.
Perhaps the message the church needs to hear this morning is that life goes on. Judas is dead, but his replacement was identified. Perhaps eternity breaks into the current moment as one leader is replaced by another.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Where Did He Go?
by Chris Keating
Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul’s loving prayer of thanksgiving provides both assurance and welcome relief to the data of despair that keeps crawling into our news feeds. News cycles poisoned by the sulfuric combinations of disaster and gloom create a drag on our collective moods and may be responsible for upticks in the belief that the end is near.
The litany of despair never seems to stop. In recent weeks, the winds of protest have mixed with storm clouds of destruction. Both seem to be on track to continue to dominate the headlines this week. Tornadoes and damaging storms, which have already hit major portions of the Midwest, are predicted across significant portions of the central United States throughout this week. Some of these could include large hail and winds of up to 80 mph. Meanwhile, protests on college campuses continue to produce anxiety and upheaval, including the arrests of more than 2,000 people. The news that some of those arrested are not students does not diminish the heightened tensions concerning the war between Hamas and Israel and other issues prompting the protests.
And then there is the garden-variety, intractable mental health issues that continue to push into the lives of millions. This has been especially taxing on the emotional wellbeing of America’s younger generations. Isolation and loneliness are dragging Gen Z into deep pits of depression, many of whom report feeling that the world is a dangerous place. Therapists report (and pastors and parents can affirm) that many Gen Zers are “overwhelmed with the uncertainty around unemployment and affordable living.”
In light of all of this — and so much more — is it a fool’s errand or a holy calling to draw the church’s attention to the Ascension? It’s a doctrine few understand and one often ignored by mainline pastors. (Is phobia of apocalypse a diagnosable symptom?) I remember running into a seminary classmate who had just finished writing his ordination examination on Presbyterian doctrine. “How’d it go?” I asked. “Awful,” he replied. “The main question was about the doctrine of the Ascension. I didn’t have a clue what to say.” When I pressed him on how he began his essay, he laughed said he’d written “Beam me, up, Jesus.” “I hope they have a sense of humor,” he laughed.
John McClure sums up the feelings for many of us when he says that though we drive by plenty of signs inviting us to enter Ascension of our Lord Catholic parish or the Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, many of us keep the Ascension relegated to the back pages of our preaching canon. The upshot is that we may find ourselves in a situation not unlike the Apostles in Acts 1. We crane our necks skyward, squinting into the clouds, searching for Jesus. “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” the angels chastised the apostles in Acts. They might ask us the same question.
Why? Because we’re not sure where he has gone, and the pain of his absence is already stabbing. Life is hard, and now the one person who promised he would never abandon us is gone. Without a robust understanding of apocalyptic theology, words escape us. Instead of wrestling with the theological implications of the Ascension, we try to distill hope from whatever we can grab quickly. In some cases, the results are no more helpful than those sentimental stanzas of David Harkins’ oft-quoted funeral poem, “He Is Gone.” Its sorrow-drenched lines rarely provide the comfort and hope we seek to offer. “You can shed tears that he is gone, or you can smile because he has lived.”
As grief fades but tragedies continue, a deeper question sticks with us, “He has gone — but where?”
Perhaps it is wise to remember that we are not the first to contend with overwhelming suffering. Indeed, this mysterious doctrine might go a long way to smooth the rough places of our turmoil. Across the centuries, Christians have managed to find the Ascension to be a source of hope and comfort. Within his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin notes that Jesus’ Ascension offers us his presence “in such a way that might be more useful to us” by infusing us with his power.
It is this hope that guides us, as Paul says, toward a “spirit of wisdom and revelation,” which enlightens our hearts to the “hope to which he has called.” Somehow, despite centuries of plagues, pandemics, wars, and injustice, Christians have managed to find a way to affirm together, “He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”
Where has he gone? The apostles are admonished to remember the words Jesus had given to them. They are sent back to the city to wait and to pray. Instead of remaining frozen in place, staring at the empty skyline, they are summoned to do the things Jesus had taught. They are called to wait, to pray, and to remain together as witnesses to hope.
We are called to be witnesses of hope. I thought of that phrase yesterday as I walked into the local funeral home for the third time in as many weeks. Death eats away at the hope of a small congregation, yet the immeasurable greatness of God’s power remains. Years ago, following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin, Pastor Garrett Andrew wrote that “tragedy is never far from our doorsteps…and in the midst of it all, we gather huddled together, hoping that we might still hear a word from God…that as the tragic and unjust appear to rule the world…that above every name that is mentioned sits Christ who is head over all things.” (Andrew, “Between Text and Sermon,” Interpretation, 2014, (Vol.68,2), pp. 190-191).
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians unpacks the nature of this hope. It has become the stable root system that has nurtured the Ephesians’ growing faith. It is the power that will offer comfort in future difficulties. The signs of that hope are already at work in their lives, Paul reminds, filling them with love toward each other and to all the saints.
Where has he gone? There are plenty of ways we can duck that question. But our congregations are not served by staring off into space. Instead, Paul’s words anchor us into the hope and comfort that the Ascension will unite us with Christ in our serving, our praying, and even our waiting.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Quantisha Mason Doll:
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
To be chosen
This might sound counterintuitive but I think Matthias might have been the greatest apostle of them all. We are in an era of mega church pastors who embezzle multi-million dollars from their congregations under the guise that God told them that it was right and just. We are in an era when the fastest growing churches are churches that have less to do about Jesus and more about the pageantry of it all. These are men and women that want their names to be known and written in history as a great pastor that touched the hearts of many.
In a sea of Joel Osteen clones, very little of the gospel is being spread, yet the cult of self is quickly growing. I think it's within human nature to want to be remembered so that our life has some kind of meaning or impact on the wider humanity. I truly believe that we have forgotten what it means to give our life and ourselves to Jesus. We want to be like apostles with books named after us or people looking to us to interpret the word of God, yet that was not our calling. We were to be shepherds and though the shepherd might know the flock by name, the flock should not share that same kind of intimacy. We should seek to be like Matthias and spread the word of God, letting our names be lost to history.
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Psalm 1
Happy Are Those
Humanity is surprisingly resilient when survival is on the line. I find myself having to remind myself that this statement is true. That the Lord our God is intimately acquainted with the plight of those who suffer as well as with those who struggle to find meaning in a world that has turned to dust. Every translator has an agenda where words hold a deeper meaning that we ourselves have to unpack. This is why I have personally found a lot of meaning in the common English translation of scripture now that the world is in flux. I feel as if I am speaking with our living text and receiving a response from someone more akin to myself. Someone that is tired and just looking for a friend.
In this translation of Psalm 1, the word “replanted” stood out to me. I've been working on a personal garden as a way of dealing with the trauma and stress of our political landscape. I have a rose bush struggling to thrive and I see myself in it. The rose bush was planted in a not so opportune spot. It thrived for a while but now it's being choked out. My father-in-law has a green thumb and he told me roses need to be replanted somewhere new if I wanted them to survive. But he also stressed that although this is something I needed to do for their survival, it is also something that needs to be done with care because, if I am lazy or if I miss a step or if I do not follow the instructions, my rose bush will surely die. I have been fearful to take the first step, yet our psalmist tells us happier are those who set themselves free to be replanted in a better place. By following the Lord's instruction and keeping God by your side, you cannot fail.
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From team member Mary Austin:
John 17:6-19
Praying
As we read John 17, we’re eavesdropping on Jesus saying goodbye and praying for his followers. Jesus shows us how to pray, as we listen in. Molly Phinney Baskette notes that our prayers can be as easy and informal as Jesus’ prayers.
She writes that prayers “don’t require so much anxiety or specificity. Over time, I learned to pray about my cancer, out of either laziness or surrender, with this one prayer: God, thy will be done. I became comfortable praying that prayer because I was by then pretty sure that God was not an asshole. Most of the time, I remain pretty sure about this. I am not going just on faith but also on empirical evidence. There is not one ‘bad’ thing that has happened to me in my life that I have not seen the good hand of God at work within. My prayer is a common-sense prayer, as I see it. A partnership prayer. I don’t have to over-think and put myself in knots of anxiety about what to pray. I just have to live each day and look for the hand of God.”
Echoing the style of Jesus, she says, “God actually gives a shit about us. But God is not a wish genie. And prayer is neither wish-fulfillment nor putting God to the test. Prayer is a way of finding out what we really want, opening our hearts to whatever will come, our worst fears and best hopes, our projections and reality-checks, and getting gradually free of fear." (from How to Begin When Your World Is Ending)
* * *
John 17:6-19
Teamwork
Continuing the theme of the vine and the branches, Jesus speaks of the interconnections between himself and the disciples, and how their lives have become deeply connected. He says, “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” They’re all part of the same work now.
Lis Wiseman tells how basketball great Magic Johnson learned that same lesson. “Even back in high school, when he was just Earvin Johnson Jr., he was a phenomenally talented basketball player. His high school coach told him, “Earvin,” every time you get the ball, I want you to take the shot.” And so he did — and he scored a lot of points as they won every game. They would score 54 points, and Earvin would have made 52 of them. The coach loved it, and the players loved it, because what boy doesn’t want to be on an undefeated team? But then after one particular game, as the players were leaving the gym and heading out to their cars, Earvin noticed the faces of the parents who had come to watch their sons play basketball but instead ended up watching this superstar. He said, “I made a decision at this very young age that I would use my God-given talent to help everyone on the team be a better player.” And this decision eventually earned him the nickname Magic — for his ability to raise the level of excellence of every team he ever played on and of every person on those teams.” (from Multipliers) The work is all about the whole team.
* * *
John 17:6-19
Conversation With God
In this passage, we get to overhear Jesus having a conversation with God. He’s praying, and it’s as simple as a conversation.
Molly Phinney Baskette says, “The people in my church circles are, for the most part, not better at prayer than you. Even if they have been keeping a pew warm for fifty years, they struggle to find the words, the time, the motivation. They’ve heard roughly 1.7 million sermons on prayer, and still, they and I forget that prayer can be as simple as saying, “Are you there, God? It’s me,” then leaving God room to say something back, however God gets through. “Mental prayer,” wrote the contemplative nun and doctor of the church, Teresa of Ávila, “is simply a friendly [and] frequent solitary conversation with [God] who, as we know, loves us.” (from How to Begin When Your World Is Ending: A Spiritual Field Guide to Joy Despite Everything)
Jesus knows that, and it’s evident in his prayer.
* * *
John 17:6-19
Nothing Replaces Community
Speaking again about his closeness to his followers, Jesus says in his prayer, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.” This kind of community is the thing people miss most when they leave the church. Jessica Grose writes “the one aspect of religion in America that I unquestionably see as an overall positive for society is the ready-made supportive community that churchgoers can access. When I say “churchgoers,” of course, I mean those who attend a church, temple, mosque, gurdwara, friends meeting, or any of the many traditional houses of worship in America. The idea of community connects them all.”
She quotes Julie Prado, 50, from Washington State, who wrote: “I was raised Pentecostal and went to church three or more times a week, so I desperately miss the community. It was where my friendships came from. I have very few friends now.” Prado told me she isn’t part of a church because she hasn’t found one that fully affirms gay people or believes as strongly as she does in the separation of church and state. “I have joined groups that are fighting for these things,” she said, like Christians Against Christian Nationalism, but they don’t provide the same kind of social fabric that her church did.”
Grose adds, “I asked every sociologist I interviewed whether communities created around secular activities outside of houses of worship could give the same level of wraparound support that churches, temples, and mosques are able to offer. Nearly across the board, the answer was no.” Phil Zuckerman, a professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College, put it this way: “I can go play soccer on a Sunday morning and hang out with people from different races and different class backgrounds, and we can bond. But I’m not doing that with my grandparents and my grandchildren.” A soccer team can’t provide spiritual solace in the face of death, it probably doesn’t have a weekly charitable call and there’s no sense of connection to a heritage that goes back generations. You can get bits and pieces of these disparate qualities elsewhere, he said, but there’s no “one-stop shop” — at least not right now.”
Jesus is the original one-stop shop, for faith and community and connection to God.
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From team member Elena Delhagan:
Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
The practice of casting lots to determine divine will (which is how Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot as a disciple) may seem strange to us in our Western, modern context. In reality, however, the act was widely practiced in the ancient Near East. In the first chapter of the gospel of Luke, for example, lots are cast to determine who will burn incense at the veil of the temple and Zacharias is selected. The story of Esther tells how Haman plotted to destroy the Jews and determined the time to do this by casting the pur (i.e. lot). Additionally, the conquered lands of Canaan were divided among the Israelites by lot (Joshua 18-19; Ezekiel 45:1, 47:22), and the sin of Jonah was determined to be the source of the storm threatening the ship by casting lots (Jonah 1:7).
Today’s Christians balk at the idea of casting lots because it is, essentially, gambling. Since we have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us in making decisions, it is believed that we no longer have use for arbitrary methods such as lots. Yet how often do we flip a coin? Draw straws? Ask God about something in prayer and then wait to receive a “sign”? Truthfully, divination — the attempt to obtain divine knowledge, often for incredibly practical means — is baked into the fabric of our faith and society.
* * *
Psalm 1
Open Psalm 1 in your standard Bible and you’ll see that the first word has been translated into English as “happy.” Look at it in Hebrew, however, and you’ll see ash-rey, which means “blessed.” Now, when we see the word “bless” in our Bibles, it comes from one of two Hebrew words — ash-rey, as already noted, or ba-rukh. So, why does it matter which one is used here in the Psalm?
Well, ba-rukh is most often used to denote the act of receiving a blessing from someone, (i.e., God). When God blesses God’s people, ba-rukh is being given; the ba-rukh is the blessing. Ash-rey, on the other hand, is more meant to denote a state of being, an attitude of blessed-ness. We get ba-rukh but we are ash-rey. Psalm 1 is telling us that those who know and follow God are deeply and innately blessed; it’s in their character, an intrinsic part of who they are.
* * *
1 John 5:9-13
It’s no secret that we live in a culture that is deeply afraid of getting older. The beauty industry boasts billions of dollars of profits each year through selling creams, serums, pills, and elixirs that promise us younger-looking skin/hair/nails/you name it.
We all appear to be searching for immortality; we all want…well, eternal life.
Ancient Chinese people believed that ingesting long-lasting precious substances like jade or gold would confer that longevity onto them. In eighth-century Japan, the moon god Tsukuyomi was said to possess the waters that provide everlasting life to the ones who bathed in them. In Greek mythology, the gods were said to eat ambrosia, the food of immortality. Everyone everywhere, across all times, appears to want to live forever.
In John’s letter to believers, he reminds us that eternal life is found only in the Son, Jesus Christ. The Greek word used is ζωή, or zoe, which means “life.” It is distinguished, however, from βίος, or bios, which also translates to “life.” The kind of life that John is talking about is not strictly biological, physical life. Again, zoe is a deeper, nobler word that encapsulates life of the metaphysical plane as well. It is a reminder that we, as humans, are both body and soul; we cannot be separated into one or the other — even though legend and folklore or over-the-counter beauty creams may tell us otherwise.
* * *
John 17:6-19
This beautiful passage depicts the words of Jesus prayed for his disciples before his subsequent arrest and crucifixion. After his death, one cannot help but wonder how many of his friends racked their brains, trying to remember exactly what he said to them in what they supposed were his last words.
The last words someone speaks before their death are not often recorded, but sometimes they are. Take, for example, the last words of Marie Antoinette, who apologized to her executioner for accidentally stepping on his foot on her way to the guillotine: “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur.” Or Peter I, Tsar of Russia, who called out his daughter’s name before his death: “Anna.” Nostradamus, the 16th century prophet, seemed to predict his own death; his last words are recorded as, “Tomorrow at sunrise I shall no longer be here.” And Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, well known for his Sherlock Holmes authorship fame, spoke these beautiful words to his wife in their garden, before he clutched his chest and died: “You are wonderful.”
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From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Acts 1:15-17,21-29 — When it came time to find a disciple to replace Judas, the eleven did so by casting lots. We don’t know how effective that method was because we never hear from Matthias, the chosen one, again.
How To Pick A Good Leader
Writing for Linkedin.com Kristiana Greenwood GAICD offers these seven considerations when choosing a leader:
1. Integrity – A blend of honesty, consistency and ethics.
2. Passion – Passion enables a leader to keep moving forward, even in tough times, and inspires the people around them to work harder towards their goals.
3. Courage – Courage is necessary to make difficult decisions when facing conflicts and mediating adversity. Courage springs from a leader’s core values and commitment to a vision.
4. Vision – Visionary leaders inspire others to imagine a better future and work hard to achieve it.
5. Judgment – The ability to zero in on the most important issues when faced with a difficult decision, to prioritize and understand possible, inadvertent consequences of a decision.
6. Empathy – The attribute that allows a leader to effectively understand what makes other people tick, and to best position them to achieve their own goals and those of their organization.
7. Emotional intelligence – While empathy is externally focused, emotional intelligence is internally focused. An emotionally intelligent leader habitually takes a hard, honest look at themselves and accurately discerns their strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. Putting personal pride aside, they actively solicit the input of others and incorporate the team’s best ideas into the overall action plan.
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On The Other Hand
The Center for Management and Organizational Effectiveness suggests that the following attributes are often used to identify potential leaders when they shouldn’t be.
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The 10 Greatest Leaders Of All Time…Maybe
What leaders have influenced you? Who would you put on your list of the top ten greatest leaders of all time?
The web site, InspiringLeadershipNow.com, offers this list of the 10 greatest leaders of all time. Who is most conspicuously absent from the list? How do they match up with your list?
1. Mahatma Gandhi – The Anti-War Activist With A Global Legacy
2. Winston Churchill – Resolute leadership during one of the most painful episodes in human history
3. Martin Luther King Jr. – Celebrated civil rights activist that forever changed America
4. Nelson Mandela – A man whose cause for freedom proved triumphant
5. Albert Einstein – Rewriting the laws of nature for the betterment of humanity
6. Abraham Lincoln – The embodiment of liberty and great emancipator of slaves
7. St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) – Nobel Laureate determined to ease suffering in the world
8. Stephen Hawking – The physicist who proved that determination and positive thinking can triumph over even the most severe limitations
9. Bill Gates – Entrepreneur and philanthropist who inspired an entire generation of innovators
10. Oprah Winfrey – Overcoming the odds to empower an entire generation of women to succeed
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The Worst Ceo’s…Probably
We often hear that “we need to run the church more like a business.” But the business world doesn’t necessarily have all the answers. To make that point, CEO Magazine offers these seven worst CEOs and the poor decisions they made that nearly destroyed their companies.
Lessons from history’s worst CEOs:
The success of an organization is deeply affected by the decisions of the CEO. We look at some of the worst, so you can learn from where they went wrong.
Kay Whitmore – Eastman Kodak – Eastman Kodak developed the digital camera in 1975 but Whitmore refused to take the technology seriously and failed to invest. As digital started to take over the world, the company fell into decline. Whitmore was fired after three years, mainly for failing to cut costs enough. Whitmore’s background was squarely in film, and she failed completely to see the opportunities in the digital world.
Carly Fiorina – HP – When Carly Fiorina became CEO of HP in 1999, she described herself as a ‘change agent’ — and change the company she certainly did. By the time she left six years later, HP had lost half its value and thousands of staff, although Fiorina still paid herself plenty. The day Fiorina was fired, HP’s market value increased by $3 billion. Fiorina antagonized workers and investors alike while apparently never doubting her own rightness. Lesson: Listen to those around you.
Warren Anderson – Union Carbide – Warren Anderson was CEO of US chemical company Union Carbide when a plant in Bhopal, India, leaked more than 40 tons of poisonous gas into the surrounding city, resulting in the deaths of at least 2,000 people at the time of the accident and an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 subsequently. While Anderson had the fortitude to visit Bhopal a few days later, he fled after being arrested and released on bail, never to return.
The company claimed that the accident was caused by a disgruntled employee, and that the Indian government was at fault for allowing people to live so close to the site. But Anderson himself admitted that the plant did not have the same safety standards as those in the US.
John Sculley – Apple – John Sculley was hired away from PepsiCo for his business experience and marketing skills — but ended up forcing out Steve Jobs, who had not only recruited him but was undoubtedly the real driving force behind the company. Sculley lacked real technical knowledge and made a number of shaky product decisions, including launching the Apple Newton and moving into the camera and CD player businesses. In the end, of course, Jobs was brought back; by then, Sculley had been fired after a decade of problems.
Ken Lay – Enron – Under his leadership, energy giant Enron grew into a US$100-billion business — before losing 99.7% of its value in 2001.
Lay scores double points as a disastrous CEO, displaying incompetence as well as dishonesty. Uninterested in the day-to-day running of the company, he gave free rein to a couple of distinctly dodgy subordinates. As the company faltered, he signed off on a massive accounting fraud designed to inflate the firm’s financial health. Lay died of a heart attack in July 2006, shortly before being sentenced, but it had been expected that he’d get up to 30 years in prison for his part in the deceit.
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Matthias: He Lived And Worked In Obscurity
Sometimes the unsung heroes play pivotal roles in shaping history and faith.
Matthias met the requirements set by Peter for replacing Judas: he had followed Jesus since his baptism by John the Baptist, and he witnessed Jesus’ ascension to heaven. Although Matthias is only mentioned by name in Acts 1:23 and Acts 1:26, after that, whenever the Twelve apostles are referred to collectively, he is included among them. His role in the early church remains somewhat mysterious, however, as the New Testament provides limited information about him.
It can be assumed, however, that Matthias played an essential part in launching the movement that eventually became Christianity. Beyond that, all we have are traditions and folk tales about his fate. A Google search of his name offers these questionable accounts:
The fact is, however, that we don’t know what became of him.
According to here are some others who worked in obscurity during their lifetimes:
Author, Charles Bukowski
* * *
Famous Now, He Lived And Worked In Obscurity
It’s not often that you find an artist who completely excels in one talent but struggles mightily with another. But, according to Listverse.com, the renowned composer Johann Sebastian Bach faced this unique situation during his life. Despite his undeniable talent as a composer, his works went largely unnoticed while he was alive. However, Bach flourished as an organist at the same time. That was thanks to his musical upbringing in a German family and the wise guidance of his brother after the loss of their parents.
Bach held various positions as an organist during his days. He actively participated in the music scene in Europe, and regularly earned recognition for his exceptional performances. Yet, his compositions remained completely overshadowed. It wasn’t until the 19th century, when there was a renewed interest in the Baroque period, that Bach’s musical genius finally gained recognition. During his career, he revolutionized Baroque music by infusing elements from Italy and France. His ideas elevated the German style to its peak. But the problem was that nobody knew it until after he died! Although it took time, Bach’s compositions now resonate worldwide. In that way, he has fulfilled every artist’s ultimate desire for their work to be appreciated by audiences across the globe. It just didn’t happen when he could experience it firsthand.
(Follow this link to read of other famous people who labored in obscurity.)
* * *
John 17:6-19 – In this prayer for his disciples, Jesus describes them as not belonging to the world. Rejecting the influences of the world, however, is not easy.
People Of God Living In Babylon
Writing for TheGospelCoalition.org, Kevin Wax draws on the works of Dr. Daniel Akin using the story of the Children of Israel living in exile in Babylon as a metaphor for Christians living in modern culture. Contemporary Christians, he says, may sometimes feel pressured to reject their Christian heritage in favor of the values of the culture.
The pressure often comes from:
#1. Isolation – In the book of Daniel, the first step in making Babylonians out of the four Hebrew teenagers was isolation from their homeland, family, and friends. The Babylonian strategy was to seize upon their vulnerability once they were separated from all that was familiar. Christians, like the ancient Hebrews, thrive best when we are with those who share our faith.
#2. Indoctrination – Akin writes: “The second step was to take these sharp and impressive young men and enroll them in an educational school for three years.” Worldly indoctrination takes place all the time, through education, entertainment, social media, etc.
#3. Assimilation – “The third step was to totally immerse these followers of God into the world of Babylon. They would need to change their minds and their lifestyle, to eat and drink like the Babylonians.” The world is full of delightful and delicious enticements for which we are expected to abandon our Christian values.
#4. Confusion – “In the ancient world, changing one’s name was a big deal. It went to the core of a person’s identity. Giving the Hebrews new names in Babylon was a way of confusing them, reorienting their lives away from their past and toward the pagan gods of Babylonian culture.”
All Christians are to live as sojourners and exiles, strangers in a strange land, blessing the world around us by refusing to conform to its patterns of thought and behavior. As Augustine said, sometimes we must stand against the world for the good of the world.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship
One: God, is robed in majesty, rules over all.
All: God is robed and girded with strength.
One: God has established the world; it shall never be moved;
All: Your throne, O God, is established; you are from everlasting.
One: God’s decrees are very sure.
All: Holiness befits your house, O God, forevermore.
OR
One: Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked.
All: Happy are those who do not sit in the seat of scoffers;
One: Their delight is in the law of our God.
All: On God’s law they meditate day and night.
One: They are like trees planted by streams of water.
All: They yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither
OR
One: God is in the power of ten thousand suns.
All: We are in awe of the majesty of our God.
One: God is in the power of a baby’s sigh.
All: We are drawn to the love of our creator.
One: All true power comes to us through love.
All: In the works of love we will share the power of God.
Hymns and Songs
Come, Thou Almighty King
UMH: 61
H82: 365
PH: 139
GTG: 2
AAHH: 327
NNBH: 38
NCH: 275
CH: 27
LBW: 522
ELW: 408
W&P: 148
AMEC: 7
How Great Thou Art
UMH: 77
PH: 467
GTG: 625
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELW: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
GTG: 4
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
ELW: 414
W&P: 138
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
UMH: 154/155
H82: 450/451
PH: 142/143
GTG: 263
AAHH: 292/293/294
NNBH: 3/5
NCH: 304
CH: 91/92
LBW: 328/329
ELW: 634
W&P: 100/106
AMEC: 4/5/6
Jesus Shall Reign
UMH: 157
H82: 544
PH: 423
GTG: 265
NNBH: 10
NCH: 300
CH: 95
LBW: 530
ELW: 434
W&P: 341
AMEC: 96
Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
UMH: 173
H82: 6/7
PH: 462/463
GTG: 662
LBW: 265
ELW: 553
W&P: 91
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
GTG: 366
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELW: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 455
Breathe on Me, Breath of God
UMH: 420
H82: 508
PH: 316
GTG: 286
AAHH: 317
NNBH: 126
NCH: 292
CH: 254
LBW: 488
W&P: 461
AMEC: 192
Come Down, O Love Divine
UMH: 475
H82: 516
PH: 313
GTG: 282
NCH: 289
CH: 582
LBW: 508
ELW: 804
W&P: 330
By Gracious Powers
UMH: 517
H82: 695/696
PH: 342
GTG: 818
NCH: 413
ELW: 626
W&P: 75
He Is Exalted
CCB: 30
Renew: 238
Jesus, Name Above All Names
CCB: 35
Renew: 26
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The 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
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is power beyond our comprehension:
Grant us the wisdom to seek the power of your love
rather than the supposed power of this world;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God of power and might, because you are the one who loves your creation. Fill us with the power of your love so that we do not lust after the power of this world. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our clinging to the power of the world instead of the power of God in Jesus Christ.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have forsaken the one we claim as our Lord. We seek after the power of this world and try to dominate others. We have forgotten the humble Christ who meekly goes to the cross. We are more likely to be the one who wields the sword rather than the one who heals the sword wounds. Our lust for power seems to have no end. Forgive us and call us back to the Christ and the power of love. Amen.
One: God’s power is in love and in forgiveness. Receive both and in the name of Christ forgive and love others.
Prayers of the People
Praised and glorious is your Name, O God. You are the one who speaks and worlds come into being. You are the one who breathes and life is given.
(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 have forsaken the one we claim as our Lord. We seek after the power of this world and try to dominate others. We have forgotten the humble Christ who meekly goes to the cross. We are more likely to be the one who wields the sword rather than the one who heals the sword wounds. Our lust for power seems to have no end. Forgive us and call us back to the Christ and the power of love.
We give you thanks for all the love which you have poured out into your creation. We thank you for your love which is expressed in the beauty of creation and for the beauty of loving relationships. We thank you for seeking us when we go astray and for welcoming us back into your fold.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children who feel unloved and unwanted. We pray for those who face the hard reality of violence in their lives. We pray for those who are locked in poverty and want. We pray for those who are caught in their own violence.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father 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
Quiet Leadership
by Katy Stenta
Acts 1:15-17
After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples missed the presence of Judas, and so the disciples did something interesting, they decided to replace him.
They had two people try for it. Barsabbas and Matthias.
They prayed over it and decided that Matthias was the best person.
And so he took up leadership. We don’t hear much about Matthias after this, he just quietly took up leadership.
But this is good — that leadership of the church can change. Prayer can be a part of it and sometimes leaders can just be quiet faithful leaders and not big and famous leaders.
There are hundreds of churches like Matthias, quietly doing good things.
What are some good things this church does? (Be ready to fill in some of these things if the kids don’t answer.)
In this way we are like Matthias — and if we miss leadership we can step up and fill it in.
Let us pray, repeat after me.
Dear God,
Thank you
For faithful
And prayer-filled
Leadership.
Help us
To follow
In Matthias’ footsteps.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, May 12, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 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.
- The Church of Jesus Christ Continues by Tom Willadsen based on John 17:6-19.
- Second Thoughts: Where Did He Go? by Chris Keating. Standing with the faithful, we look not at the empty sky but instead turn our hearts toward each other and to the world Christ loved.
- Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Elena Delhagen, Dean Feldmeyer, Quantisha Mason-Doll.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children’s Sermon: Quiet Leadership by Katy Stenta based on Acts 1:15-17.
The Church of Jesus Christ Continuesby Tom Willadsen
John 17:6-19
“Okay, we need an elder to complete the rest of Judas’s term,” is a phrase that could be uttered at a congregational meeting in a Presbyterian church. Presbyterians always elect our own leaders. We even elect a nominating committee who seek individuals to stand for election as church officers. As the season of Easter ends, we gather with the disciples, awaiting the arrival of the Holy Spirit, as Jesus had promised. And we replace Judas on the ruling board. There are two likely candidates, the lot falls to one of them, and the work of the disciples, that is the church of Jesus Christ, continues.
In the Bible
Today’s gospel reading is part of Jesus’ lengthy farewell discourse to his disciples. It started way back in chapter 13, around the seder table, when Jesus gave them the new commandment, that they love one another. According to John’s account, when Jesus gave Judas Iscariot a piece of bread, Satan entered Judas. The disciples didn’t know why Judas left the table immediately.
In today’s portion, Jesus is praying to God the Father, the disciples are overhearing that prayer. Judas is absent from the scene.
Judas is not named in this text, but he’s a very real presence.
Jesus is speaking/praying almost as though he has already ascended. He sends the disciples into the world as he has already been sent into the world. In the NRSV, Jesus refers to Judas as “the one destined to be lost.” Other ancient sources refer to Judas as “the son of destruction,” which would be terrific name for a heavy metal band, or an apt description of many four-year olds.
Psalm 1 is a paean to wisdom. I cannot read this psalm without picturing a cottonwood tree. In the Midwest and Great Plains, cottonwoods are tall, stately, and isolated trees. They often grow near water. In some places they are the only trees for miles and are used as landmarks. The fruit that they produce, besides shade, is wooly, messy seeds that fall almost like snow late in May in most places.
Judas makes another kind of appearance in today’s lesson from Acts. It’s interesting:In Matthew’s gospel, Judas hangs himself after attempting to return the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests for betraying Jesus. [My aunt wrote this quip years ago: “Hey Judas, got change for a twenty?”] As the story unfolds in Matthew’s gospel, “But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, ‘It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since they are blood money.’” [NRSV Matthew 27:6] They use the money to buy the potter’s field, where foreigners could be buried. To this day, many communities have Potter’s fields where the indigent are buried. And diving a little deeper, Potter’s Field is the name of the development that Old Man Potter would have built in Bedford Falls, if George Bailey had never been born. While I’m on a roll: The other scriptural allusion inIt’s a Wonderful Life comes when George welcomes his brother, the returning war hero, Harry Bailey, at the train and says they’ll kill the fatted calf.
The Acts account of Judas’ death is different. This appears in the verses that the lection skips. In Acts, Judas himself buys a field “with the reward of his wickedness” and falls headlong, giving a different connotation to spilling one’s guts. In the Acts account, the field is called “The Field of Blood,” which would have a worse name for Old Man Potter’s development in my opinion, though a decent name for a heavy metal band.
The conclusion of the Acts reading shows the process of replacing Judas, who, in Presbyterian terms, left an unexpired term on Session. They chose two followers of Jesus who had accompanied them and the lot selected Matthias. Matthias disappears from scripture at this point. Barnabas, his name means “Son of Encouragement,” is regularly mentioned throughout Acts and he even travelled with Paul. Maybe the lot fell on the wrong follower, or maybe Matthias was a faithful worker bee sort of disciple who never got a travel expense account.
The reading from 1 John concludes with a reminder to readers that eternal life is now. Paul Tillich wrote a famous sermon, which was also the title of a collection of his sermons, called “The Eternal Now.” It’s a slippery concept. Eternity extends into both the infinite past and the infinite future — and yet — life in Christ is experienced here, now, in chronological time. It’s a both/and. Eternal life, as the author of 1 John and Tillich conceive it, is experienced now, rather than in some kind of afterlife. This is a heady and hope-filled concept to pass on as the season of Easter comes to an end.
In the News
The presence of the betrayer is strong in today’s readings, even though Judas is not present when Jesus prayed in John 17, and Judas’s death was described in Acts 1.
Who are betrayers? Those who hand over someone to their enemies is one definition. Double-crossers, traitors, turncoats, there are lots of terms for them. In the current climate of heated political discourse and identity politics, a betrayer may be an elected official who changes their mind or does not do the party’s bidding.
Georgia Congressional Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene has said she will force a vote to have Speaker of the House Mike Johnson removed from office “over what she perceives as a betrayal of conservative values…” (Italics mine.)
In this case it was Johnson’s shepherding legislation to support Ukraine in its war against Russia that Greene deemed a betrayal. It is a strong, provocative word, recalling the kiss of Judas.
I’m a city kid, so I had never heard of Judas goats before I started looking at this day’s texts. Judas goats are goats trained to lead sheep and cattle to specific destinations. Frequently these destinations are slaughterhouses. The Judas goats themselves are spared. They have a specific task that people who care for livestock need to have done.
The character of Judas in the gospels is one of turncoat — a betrayer. The phrase “kiss of death” is in wide usage; it conveys betrayal and even inevitability. During the Cold War, the KGB used guns concealed in lipstick tubes, which they called “The Kiss of Death.” (Work that into your Mother’s Day sermon, I dare you!)
There have been many works of literature surrounding the character of Judas and his role in the crucifixion. Was he guilty? Eternally damned? Lost — as destined? Motivated by money? It’s clear from Matthew’s gospel that Judas felt remorse, both in attempting to return the money and then in hanging himself in despair.
Judas’ kiss of betrayal is the only kiss recorded in the gospels. The only other time the word appears is when Jesus admonishes his host in Luke 7 for not kissing him in greeting.
In the Sermon
It’s Mother’s Day. It’s the last Sunday in the season of Easter. Why not preach about Judas the betrayer? Like Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, Judas was a character who had to cross lines for the narrative to unfold. According to John’s gospel, Jesus knew who his betrayer was, and even prodded Judas to action.
How could the story of Christ have unfolded without Judas identifying Jesus to the arresting horde? Someone had to be Judas.
Perhaps the message the church needs to hear this morning is that life goes on. Judas is dead, but his replacement was identified. Perhaps eternity breaks into the current moment as one leader is replaced by another.
SECOND THOUGHTSWhere Did He Go?
by Chris Keating
Acts 1:1-11, Ephesians 1:15-23
Paul’s loving prayer of thanksgiving provides both assurance and welcome relief to the data of despair that keeps crawling into our news feeds. News cycles poisoned by the sulfuric combinations of disaster and gloom create a drag on our collective moods and may be responsible for upticks in the belief that the end is near.
The litany of despair never seems to stop. In recent weeks, the winds of protest have mixed with storm clouds of destruction. Both seem to be on track to continue to dominate the headlines this week. Tornadoes and damaging storms, which have already hit major portions of the Midwest, are predicted across significant portions of the central United States throughout this week. Some of these could include large hail and winds of up to 80 mph. Meanwhile, protests on college campuses continue to produce anxiety and upheaval, including the arrests of more than 2,000 people. The news that some of those arrested are not students does not diminish the heightened tensions concerning the war between Hamas and Israel and other issues prompting the protests.
And then there is the garden-variety, intractable mental health issues that continue to push into the lives of millions. This has been especially taxing on the emotional wellbeing of America’s younger generations. Isolation and loneliness are dragging Gen Z into deep pits of depression, many of whom report feeling that the world is a dangerous place. Therapists report (and pastors and parents can affirm) that many Gen Zers are “overwhelmed with the uncertainty around unemployment and affordable living.”
In light of all of this — and so much more — is it a fool’s errand or a holy calling to draw the church’s attention to the Ascension? It’s a doctrine few understand and one often ignored by mainline pastors. (Is phobia of apocalypse a diagnosable symptom?) I remember running into a seminary classmate who had just finished writing his ordination examination on Presbyterian doctrine. “How’d it go?” I asked. “Awful,” he replied. “The main question was about the doctrine of the Ascension. I didn’t have a clue what to say.” When I pressed him on how he began his essay, he laughed said he’d written “Beam me, up, Jesus.” “I hope they have a sense of humor,” he laughed.
John McClure sums up the feelings for many of us when he says that though we drive by plenty of signs inviting us to enter Ascension of our Lord Catholic parish or the Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension, many of us keep the Ascension relegated to the back pages of our preaching canon. The upshot is that we may find ourselves in a situation not unlike the Apostles in Acts 1. We crane our necks skyward, squinting into the clouds, searching for Jesus. “Why do you stand looking up toward heaven?” the angels chastised the apostles in Acts. They might ask us the same question.
Why? Because we’re not sure where he has gone, and the pain of his absence is already stabbing. Life is hard, and now the one person who promised he would never abandon us is gone. Without a robust understanding of apocalyptic theology, words escape us. Instead of wrestling with the theological implications of the Ascension, we try to distill hope from whatever we can grab quickly. In some cases, the results are no more helpful than those sentimental stanzas of David Harkins’ oft-quoted funeral poem, “He Is Gone.” Its sorrow-drenched lines rarely provide the comfort and hope we seek to offer. “You can shed tears that he is gone, or you can smile because he has lived.”
As grief fades but tragedies continue, a deeper question sticks with us, “He has gone — but where?”
Perhaps it is wise to remember that we are not the first to contend with overwhelming suffering. Indeed, this mysterious doctrine might go a long way to smooth the rough places of our turmoil. Across the centuries, Christians have managed to find the Ascension to be a source of hope and comfort. Within his Institutes of the Christian Religion, John Calvin notes that Jesus’ Ascension offers us his presence “in such a way that might be more useful to us” by infusing us with his power.
It is this hope that guides us, as Paul says, toward a “spirit of wisdom and revelation,” which enlightens our hearts to the “hope to which he has called.” Somehow, despite centuries of plagues, pandemics, wars, and injustice, Christians have managed to find a way to affirm together, “He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.”
Where has he gone? The apostles are admonished to remember the words Jesus had given to them. They are sent back to the city to wait and to pray. Instead of remaining frozen in place, staring at the empty skyline, they are summoned to do the things Jesus had taught. They are called to wait, to pray, and to remain together as witnesses to hope.
We are called to be witnesses of hope. I thought of that phrase yesterday as I walked into the local funeral home for the third time in as many weeks. Death eats away at the hope of a small congregation, yet the immeasurable greatness of God’s power remains. Years ago, following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the murder of Trayvon Martin, Pastor Garrett Andrew wrote that “tragedy is never far from our doorsteps…and in the midst of it all, we gather huddled together, hoping that we might still hear a word from God…that as the tragic and unjust appear to rule the world…that above every name that is mentioned sits Christ who is head over all things.” (Andrew, “Between Text and Sermon,” Interpretation, 2014, (Vol.68,2), pp. 190-191).
Paul’s prayer for the Ephesians unpacks the nature of this hope. It has become the stable root system that has nurtured the Ephesians’ growing faith. It is the power that will offer comfort in future difficulties. The signs of that hope are already at work in their lives, Paul reminds, filling them with love toward each other and to all the saints.
Where has he gone? There are plenty of ways we can duck that question. But our congregations are not served by staring off into space. Instead, Paul’s words anchor us into the hope and comfort that the Ascension will unite us with Christ in our serving, our praying, and even our waiting.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Quantisha Mason Doll:Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
To be chosen
This might sound counterintuitive but I think Matthias might have been the greatest apostle of them all. We are in an era of mega church pastors who embezzle multi-million dollars from their congregations under the guise that God told them that it was right and just. We are in an era when the fastest growing churches are churches that have less to do about Jesus and more about the pageantry of it all. These are men and women that want their names to be known and written in history as a great pastor that touched the hearts of many.
In a sea of Joel Osteen clones, very little of the gospel is being spread, yet the cult of self is quickly growing. I think it's within human nature to want to be remembered so that our life has some kind of meaning or impact on the wider humanity. I truly believe that we have forgotten what it means to give our life and ourselves to Jesus. We want to be like apostles with books named after us or people looking to us to interpret the word of God, yet that was not our calling. We were to be shepherds and though the shepherd might know the flock by name, the flock should not share that same kind of intimacy. We should seek to be like Matthias and spread the word of God, letting our names be lost to history.
* * *
Psalm 1
Happy Are Those
Humanity is surprisingly resilient when survival is on the line. I find myself having to remind myself that this statement is true. That the Lord our God is intimately acquainted with the plight of those who suffer as well as with those who struggle to find meaning in a world that has turned to dust. Every translator has an agenda where words hold a deeper meaning that we ourselves have to unpack. This is why I have personally found a lot of meaning in the common English translation of scripture now that the world is in flux. I feel as if I am speaking with our living text and receiving a response from someone more akin to myself. Someone that is tired and just looking for a friend.
In this translation of Psalm 1, the word “replanted” stood out to me. I've been working on a personal garden as a way of dealing with the trauma and stress of our political landscape. I have a rose bush struggling to thrive and I see myself in it. The rose bush was planted in a not so opportune spot. It thrived for a while but now it's being choked out. My father-in-law has a green thumb and he told me roses need to be replanted somewhere new if I wanted them to survive. But he also stressed that although this is something I needed to do for their survival, it is also something that needs to be done with care because, if I am lazy or if I miss a step or if I do not follow the instructions, my rose bush will surely die. I have been fearful to take the first step, yet our psalmist tells us happier are those who set themselves free to be replanted in a better place. By following the Lord's instruction and keeping God by your side, you cannot fail.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:John 17:6-19
Praying
As we read John 17, we’re eavesdropping on Jesus saying goodbye and praying for his followers. Jesus shows us how to pray, as we listen in. Molly Phinney Baskette notes that our prayers can be as easy and informal as Jesus’ prayers.
She writes that prayers “don’t require so much anxiety or specificity. Over time, I learned to pray about my cancer, out of either laziness or surrender, with this one prayer: God, thy will be done. I became comfortable praying that prayer because I was by then pretty sure that God was not an asshole. Most of the time, I remain pretty sure about this. I am not going just on faith but also on empirical evidence. There is not one ‘bad’ thing that has happened to me in my life that I have not seen the good hand of God at work within. My prayer is a common-sense prayer, as I see it. A partnership prayer. I don’t have to over-think and put myself in knots of anxiety about what to pray. I just have to live each day and look for the hand of God.”
Echoing the style of Jesus, she says, “God actually gives a shit about us. But God is not a wish genie. And prayer is neither wish-fulfillment nor putting God to the test. Prayer is a way of finding out what we really want, opening our hearts to whatever will come, our worst fears and best hopes, our projections and reality-checks, and getting gradually free of fear." (from How to Begin When Your World Is Ending)
* * *
John 17:6-19
Teamwork
Continuing the theme of the vine and the branches, Jesus speaks of the interconnections between himself and the disciples, and how their lives have become deeply connected. He says, “As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.” They’re all part of the same work now.
Lis Wiseman tells how basketball great Magic Johnson learned that same lesson. “Even back in high school, when he was just Earvin Johnson Jr., he was a phenomenally talented basketball player. His high school coach told him, “Earvin,” every time you get the ball, I want you to take the shot.” And so he did — and he scored a lot of points as they won every game. They would score 54 points, and Earvin would have made 52 of them. The coach loved it, and the players loved it, because what boy doesn’t want to be on an undefeated team? But then after one particular game, as the players were leaving the gym and heading out to their cars, Earvin noticed the faces of the parents who had come to watch their sons play basketball but instead ended up watching this superstar. He said, “I made a decision at this very young age that I would use my God-given talent to help everyone on the team be a better player.” And this decision eventually earned him the nickname Magic — for his ability to raise the level of excellence of every team he ever played on and of every person on those teams.” (from Multipliers) The work is all about the whole team.
* * *
John 17:6-19
Conversation With God
In this passage, we get to overhear Jesus having a conversation with God. He’s praying, and it’s as simple as a conversation.
Molly Phinney Baskette says, “The people in my church circles are, for the most part, not better at prayer than you. Even if they have been keeping a pew warm for fifty years, they struggle to find the words, the time, the motivation. They’ve heard roughly 1.7 million sermons on prayer, and still, they and I forget that prayer can be as simple as saying, “Are you there, God? It’s me,” then leaving God room to say something back, however God gets through. “Mental prayer,” wrote the contemplative nun and doctor of the church, Teresa of Ávila, “is simply a friendly [and] frequent solitary conversation with [God] who, as we know, loves us.” (from How to Begin When Your World Is Ending: A Spiritual Field Guide to Joy Despite Everything)
Jesus knows that, and it’s evident in his prayer.
* * *
John 17:6-19
Nothing Replaces Community
Speaking again about his closeness to his followers, Jesus says in his prayer, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.” This kind of community is the thing people miss most when they leave the church. Jessica Grose writes “the one aspect of religion in America that I unquestionably see as an overall positive for society is the ready-made supportive community that churchgoers can access. When I say “churchgoers,” of course, I mean those who attend a church, temple, mosque, gurdwara, friends meeting, or any of the many traditional houses of worship in America. The idea of community connects them all.”
She quotes Julie Prado, 50, from Washington State, who wrote: “I was raised Pentecostal and went to church three or more times a week, so I desperately miss the community. It was where my friendships came from. I have very few friends now.” Prado told me she isn’t part of a church because she hasn’t found one that fully affirms gay people or believes as strongly as she does in the separation of church and state. “I have joined groups that are fighting for these things,” she said, like Christians Against Christian Nationalism, but they don’t provide the same kind of social fabric that her church did.”
Grose adds, “I asked every sociologist I interviewed whether communities created around secular activities outside of houses of worship could give the same level of wraparound support that churches, temples, and mosques are able to offer. Nearly across the board, the answer was no.” Phil Zuckerman, a professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College, put it this way: “I can go play soccer on a Sunday morning and hang out with people from different races and different class backgrounds, and we can bond. But I’m not doing that with my grandparents and my grandchildren.” A soccer team can’t provide spiritual solace in the face of death, it probably doesn’t have a weekly charitable call and there’s no sense of connection to a heritage that goes back generations. You can get bits and pieces of these disparate qualities elsewhere, he said, but there’s no “one-stop shop” — at least not right now.”
Jesus is the original one-stop shop, for faith and community and connection to God.
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From team member Elena Delhagan:Acts 1:15-17, 21-26
The practice of casting lots to determine divine will (which is how Matthias was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot as a disciple) may seem strange to us in our Western, modern context. In reality, however, the act was widely practiced in the ancient Near East. In the first chapter of the gospel of Luke, for example, lots are cast to determine who will burn incense at the veil of the temple and Zacharias is selected. The story of Esther tells how Haman plotted to destroy the Jews and determined the time to do this by casting the pur (i.e. lot). Additionally, the conquered lands of Canaan were divided among the Israelites by lot (Joshua 18-19; Ezekiel 45:1, 47:22), and the sin of Jonah was determined to be the source of the storm threatening the ship by casting lots (Jonah 1:7).
Today’s Christians balk at the idea of casting lots because it is, essentially, gambling. Since we have been given the Holy Spirit to guide us in making decisions, it is believed that we no longer have use for arbitrary methods such as lots. Yet how often do we flip a coin? Draw straws? Ask God about something in prayer and then wait to receive a “sign”? Truthfully, divination — the attempt to obtain divine knowledge, often for incredibly practical means — is baked into the fabric of our faith and society.
* * *
Psalm 1
Open Psalm 1 in your standard Bible and you’ll see that the first word has been translated into English as “happy.” Look at it in Hebrew, however, and you’ll see ash-rey, which means “blessed.” Now, when we see the word “bless” in our Bibles, it comes from one of two Hebrew words — ash-rey, as already noted, or ba-rukh. So, why does it matter which one is used here in the Psalm?
Well, ba-rukh is most often used to denote the act of receiving a blessing from someone, (i.e., God). When God blesses God’s people, ba-rukh is being given; the ba-rukh is the blessing. Ash-rey, on the other hand, is more meant to denote a state of being, an attitude of blessed-ness. We get ba-rukh but we are ash-rey. Psalm 1 is telling us that those who know and follow God are deeply and innately blessed; it’s in their character, an intrinsic part of who they are.
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1 John 5:9-13
It’s no secret that we live in a culture that is deeply afraid of getting older. The beauty industry boasts billions of dollars of profits each year through selling creams, serums, pills, and elixirs that promise us younger-looking skin/hair/nails/you name it.
We all appear to be searching for immortality; we all want…well, eternal life.
Ancient Chinese people believed that ingesting long-lasting precious substances like jade or gold would confer that longevity onto them. In eighth-century Japan, the moon god Tsukuyomi was said to possess the waters that provide everlasting life to the ones who bathed in them. In Greek mythology, the gods were said to eat ambrosia, the food of immortality. Everyone everywhere, across all times, appears to want to live forever.
In John’s letter to believers, he reminds us that eternal life is found only in the Son, Jesus Christ. The Greek word used is ζωή, or zoe, which means “life.” It is distinguished, however, from βίος, or bios, which also translates to “life.” The kind of life that John is talking about is not strictly biological, physical life. Again, zoe is a deeper, nobler word that encapsulates life of the metaphysical plane as well. It is a reminder that we, as humans, are both body and soul; we cannot be separated into one or the other — even though legend and folklore or over-the-counter beauty creams may tell us otherwise.
* * *
John 17:6-19
This beautiful passage depicts the words of Jesus prayed for his disciples before his subsequent arrest and crucifixion. After his death, one cannot help but wonder how many of his friends racked their brains, trying to remember exactly what he said to them in what they supposed were his last words.
The last words someone speaks before their death are not often recorded, but sometimes they are. Take, for example, the last words of Marie Antoinette, who apologized to her executioner for accidentally stepping on his foot on her way to the guillotine: “Pardonnez-moi, monsieur.” Or Peter I, Tsar of Russia, who called out his daughter’s name before his death: “Anna.” Nostradamus, the 16th century prophet, seemed to predict his own death; his last words are recorded as, “Tomorrow at sunrise I shall no longer be here.” And Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, well known for his Sherlock Holmes authorship fame, spoke these beautiful words to his wife in their garden, before he clutched his chest and died: “You are wonderful.”
* * * * * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:Acts 1:15-17,21-29 — When it came time to find a disciple to replace Judas, the eleven did so by casting lots. We don’t know how effective that method was because we never hear from Matthias, the chosen one, again.
How To Pick A Good Leader
Writing for Linkedin.com Kristiana Greenwood GAICD offers these seven considerations when choosing a leader:
1. Integrity – A blend of honesty, consistency and ethics.
2. Passion – Passion enables a leader to keep moving forward, even in tough times, and inspires the people around them to work harder towards their goals.
3. Courage – Courage is necessary to make difficult decisions when facing conflicts and mediating adversity. Courage springs from a leader’s core values and commitment to a vision.
4. Vision – Visionary leaders inspire others to imagine a better future and work hard to achieve it.
5. Judgment – The ability to zero in on the most important issues when faced with a difficult decision, to prioritize and understand possible, inadvertent consequences of a decision.
6. Empathy – The attribute that allows a leader to effectively understand what makes other people tick, and to best position them to achieve their own goals and those of their organization.
7. Emotional intelligence – While empathy is externally focused, emotional intelligence is internally focused. An emotionally intelligent leader habitually takes a hard, honest look at themselves and accurately discerns their strengths, weaknesses, and blind spots. Putting personal pride aside, they actively solicit the input of others and incorporate the team’s best ideas into the overall action plan.
* * *
On The Other Hand
The Center for Management and Organizational Effectiveness suggests that the following attributes are often used to identify potential leaders when they shouldn’t be.
- Getting Along with Teams: Managers who rely too much on being liked by and agreeing with teams may not think independently enough to be top leaders.
- Extraordinary Public Speaking Skills: This ability can be developed through coaching and is less valuable than interpersonal relationship skills.
- Operational Problem-Solving Abilities: Being excellent at day-to-day operations may not prepare a leader to create long-term strategies or to make tough decisions with little information.
- Hunger to Succeed: Personal ambition does not predict true leadership success as much as humility and empathy do.
- Close Personal Management: Rather than staying overly involved in others’ work, leaders should delegate tasks and empower others to make decisions on their own.
- Having Qualities in Common: It’s easy to choose leaders who are similar to yourself in background, gender, nationality, and so on. But they’re more likely to succeed if they display the leadership abilities discussed below.
* * *
The 10 Greatest Leaders Of All Time…Maybe
What leaders have influenced you? Who would you put on your list of the top ten greatest leaders of all time?
The web site, InspiringLeadershipNow.com, offers this list of the 10 greatest leaders of all time. Who is most conspicuously absent from the list? How do they match up with your list?
1. Mahatma Gandhi – The Anti-War Activist With A Global Legacy
2. Winston Churchill – Resolute leadership during one of the most painful episodes in human history
3. Martin Luther King Jr. – Celebrated civil rights activist that forever changed America
4. Nelson Mandela – A man whose cause for freedom proved triumphant
5. Albert Einstein – Rewriting the laws of nature for the betterment of humanity
6. Abraham Lincoln – The embodiment of liberty and great emancipator of slaves
7. St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) – Nobel Laureate determined to ease suffering in the world
8. Stephen Hawking – The physicist who proved that determination and positive thinking can triumph over even the most severe limitations
9. Bill Gates – Entrepreneur and philanthropist who inspired an entire generation of innovators
10. Oprah Winfrey – Overcoming the odds to empower an entire generation of women to succeed
* * *
The Worst Ceo’s…Probably
We often hear that “we need to run the church more like a business.” But the business world doesn’t necessarily have all the answers. To make that point, CEO Magazine offers these seven worst CEOs and the poor decisions they made that nearly destroyed their companies.
Lessons from history’s worst CEOs:
The success of an organization is deeply affected by the decisions of the CEO. We look at some of the worst, so you can learn from where they went wrong.
Kay Whitmore – Eastman Kodak – Eastman Kodak developed the digital camera in 1975 but Whitmore refused to take the technology seriously and failed to invest. As digital started to take over the world, the company fell into decline. Whitmore was fired after three years, mainly for failing to cut costs enough. Whitmore’s background was squarely in film, and she failed completely to see the opportunities in the digital world.
Carly Fiorina – HP – When Carly Fiorina became CEO of HP in 1999, she described herself as a ‘change agent’ — and change the company she certainly did. By the time she left six years later, HP had lost half its value and thousands of staff, although Fiorina still paid herself plenty. The day Fiorina was fired, HP’s market value increased by $3 billion. Fiorina antagonized workers and investors alike while apparently never doubting her own rightness. Lesson: Listen to those around you.
Warren Anderson – Union Carbide – Warren Anderson was CEO of US chemical company Union Carbide when a plant in Bhopal, India, leaked more than 40 tons of poisonous gas into the surrounding city, resulting in the deaths of at least 2,000 people at the time of the accident and an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 subsequently. While Anderson had the fortitude to visit Bhopal a few days later, he fled after being arrested and released on bail, never to return.
The company claimed that the accident was caused by a disgruntled employee, and that the Indian government was at fault for allowing people to live so close to the site. But Anderson himself admitted that the plant did not have the same safety standards as those in the US.
John Sculley – Apple – John Sculley was hired away from PepsiCo for his business experience and marketing skills — but ended up forcing out Steve Jobs, who had not only recruited him but was undoubtedly the real driving force behind the company. Sculley lacked real technical knowledge and made a number of shaky product decisions, including launching the Apple Newton and moving into the camera and CD player businesses. In the end, of course, Jobs was brought back; by then, Sculley had been fired after a decade of problems.
Ken Lay – Enron – Under his leadership, energy giant Enron grew into a US$100-billion business — before losing 99.7% of its value in 2001.
Lay scores double points as a disastrous CEO, displaying incompetence as well as dishonesty. Uninterested in the day-to-day running of the company, he gave free rein to a couple of distinctly dodgy subordinates. As the company faltered, he signed off on a massive accounting fraud designed to inflate the firm’s financial health. Lay died of a heart attack in July 2006, shortly before being sentenced, but it had been expected that he’d get up to 30 years in prison for his part in the deceit.
* * *
Matthias: He Lived And Worked In Obscurity
Sometimes the unsung heroes play pivotal roles in shaping history and faith.
Matthias met the requirements set by Peter for replacing Judas: he had followed Jesus since his baptism by John the Baptist, and he witnessed Jesus’ ascension to heaven. Although Matthias is only mentioned by name in Acts 1:23 and Acts 1:26, after that, whenever the Twelve apostles are referred to collectively, he is included among them. His role in the early church remains somewhat mysterious, however, as the New Testament provides limited information about him.
It can be assumed, however, that Matthias played an essential part in launching the movement that eventually became Christianity. Beyond that, all we have are traditions and folk tales about his fate. A Google search of his name offers these questionable accounts:
- Some say he died at Sebastopolis and was buried there.
- Another tradition maintains that he was stoned at Jerusalem by the local populace and then beheaded.
- Yet others believe he was imprisoned by Ethiopian cannibals and rescued by the apostle Andrew, before preaching at Damascus and dying peacefully in Judea.
- Some accounts mention his death by crucifixion in Colchis or by stoning in Jerusalem.
The fact is, however, that we don’t know what became of him.
According to here are some others who worked in obscurity during their lifetimes:
Author, Charles Bukowski
* * *
Famous Now, He Lived And Worked In Obscurity
It’s not often that you find an artist who completely excels in one talent but struggles mightily with another. But, according to Listverse.com, the renowned composer Johann Sebastian Bach faced this unique situation during his life. Despite his undeniable talent as a composer, his works went largely unnoticed while he was alive. However, Bach flourished as an organist at the same time. That was thanks to his musical upbringing in a German family and the wise guidance of his brother after the loss of their parents.
Bach held various positions as an organist during his days. He actively participated in the music scene in Europe, and regularly earned recognition for his exceptional performances. Yet, his compositions remained completely overshadowed. It wasn’t until the 19th century, when there was a renewed interest in the Baroque period, that Bach’s musical genius finally gained recognition. During his career, he revolutionized Baroque music by infusing elements from Italy and France. His ideas elevated the German style to its peak. But the problem was that nobody knew it until after he died! Although it took time, Bach’s compositions now resonate worldwide. In that way, he has fulfilled every artist’s ultimate desire for their work to be appreciated by audiences across the globe. It just didn’t happen when he could experience it firsthand.
(Follow this link to read of other famous people who labored in obscurity.)
* * *
John 17:6-19 – In this prayer for his disciples, Jesus describes them as not belonging to the world. Rejecting the influences of the world, however, is not easy.
People Of God Living In Babylon
Writing for TheGospelCoalition.org, Kevin Wax draws on the works of Dr. Daniel Akin using the story of the Children of Israel living in exile in Babylon as a metaphor for Christians living in modern culture. Contemporary Christians, he says, may sometimes feel pressured to reject their Christian heritage in favor of the values of the culture.
The pressure often comes from:
#1. Isolation – In the book of Daniel, the first step in making Babylonians out of the four Hebrew teenagers was isolation from their homeland, family, and friends. The Babylonian strategy was to seize upon their vulnerability once they were separated from all that was familiar. Christians, like the ancient Hebrews, thrive best when we are with those who share our faith.
#2. Indoctrination – Akin writes: “The second step was to take these sharp and impressive young men and enroll them in an educational school for three years.” Worldly indoctrination takes place all the time, through education, entertainment, social media, etc.
#3. Assimilation – “The third step was to totally immerse these followers of God into the world of Babylon. They would need to change their minds and their lifestyle, to eat and drink like the Babylonians.” The world is full of delightful and delicious enticements for which we are expected to abandon our Christian values.
#4. Confusion – “In the ancient world, changing one’s name was a big deal. It went to the core of a person’s identity. Giving the Hebrews new names in Babylon was a way of confusing them, reorienting their lives away from their past and toward the pagan gods of Babylonian culture.”
All Christians are to live as sojourners and exiles, strangers in a strange land, blessing the world around us by refusing to conform to its patterns of thought and behavior. As Augustine said, sometimes we must stand against the world for the good of the world.
* * * * * *
WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship
One: God, is robed in majesty, rules over all.
All: God is robed and girded with strength.
One: God has established the world; it shall never be moved;
All: Your throne, O God, is established; you are from everlasting.
One: God’s decrees are very sure.
All: Holiness befits your house, O God, forevermore.
OR
One: Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked.
All: Happy are those who do not sit in the seat of scoffers;
One: Their delight is in the law of our God.
All: On God’s law they meditate day and night.
One: They are like trees planted by streams of water.
All: They yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither
OR
One: God is in the power of ten thousand suns.
All: We are in awe of the majesty of our God.
One: God is in the power of a baby’s sigh.
All: We are drawn to the love of our creator.
One: All true power comes to us through love.
All: In the works of love we will share the power of God.
Hymns and Songs
Come, Thou Almighty King
UMH: 61
H82: 365
PH: 139
GTG: 2
AAHH: 327
NNBH: 38
NCH: 275
CH: 27
LBW: 522
ELW: 408
W&P: 148
AMEC: 7
How Great Thou Art
UMH: 77
PH: 467
GTG: 625
AAHH: 148
NNBH: 43
NCH: 35
CH: 33
LBW: 532
ELW: 856
W&P: 51
AMEC: 68
Holy God, We Praise Thy Name
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
GTG: 4
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
ELW: 414
W&P: 138
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
UMH: 154/155
H82: 450/451
PH: 142/143
GTG: 263
AAHH: 292/293/294
NNBH: 3/5
NCH: 304
CH: 91/92
LBW: 328/329
ELW: 634
W&P: 100/106
AMEC: 4/5/6
Jesus Shall Reign
UMH: 157
H82: 544
PH: 423
GTG: 265
NNBH: 10
NCH: 300
CH: 95
LBW: 530
ELW: 434
W&P: 341
AMEC: 96
Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
UMH: 173
H82: 6/7
PH: 462/463
GTG: 662
LBW: 265
ELW: 553
W&P: 91
Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
UMH: 384
H82: 657
PH: 376
GTG: 366
AAHH: 440
NNBH: 65
NCH: 43
CH: 517
LBW: 315
ELW: 631
W&P: 358
AMEC: 455
Breathe on Me, Breath of God
UMH: 420
H82: 508
PH: 316
GTG: 286
AAHH: 317
NNBH: 126
NCH: 292
CH: 254
LBW: 488
W&P: 461
AMEC: 192
Come Down, O Love Divine
UMH: 475
H82: 516
PH: 313
GTG: 282
NCH: 289
CH: 582
LBW: 508
ELW: 804
W&P: 330
By Gracious Powers
UMH: 517
H82: 695/696
PH: 342
GTG: 818
NCH: 413
ELW: 626
W&P: 75
He Is Exalted
CCB: 30
Renew: 238
Jesus, Name Above All Names
CCB: 35
Renew: 26
Music Resources Key
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
GTG: Glory to God, The 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
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who is power beyond our comprehension:
Grant us the wisdom to seek the power of your love
rather than the supposed power of this world;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God of power and might, because you are the one who loves your creation. Fill us with the power of your love so that we do not lust after the power of this world. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our clinging to the power of the world instead of the power of God in Jesus Christ.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have forsaken the one we claim as our Lord. We seek after the power of this world and try to dominate others. We have forgotten the humble Christ who meekly goes to the cross. We are more likely to be the one who wields the sword rather than the one who heals the sword wounds. Our lust for power seems to have no end. Forgive us and call us back to the Christ and the power of love. Amen.
One: God’s power is in love and in forgiveness. Receive both and in the name of Christ forgive and love others.
Prayers of the People
Praised and glorious is your Name, O God. You are the one who speaks and worlds come into being. You are the one who breathes and life is given.
(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 have forsaken the one we claim as our Lord. We seek after the power of this world and try to dominate others. We have forgotten the humble Christ who meekly goes to the cross. We are more likely to be the one who wields the sword rather than the one who heals the sword wounds. Our lust for power seems to have no end. Forgive us and call us back to the Christ and the power of love.
We give you thanks for all the love which you have poured out into your creation. We thank you for your love which is expressed in the beauty of creation and for the beauty of loving relationships. We thank you for seeking us when we go astray and for welcoming us back into your fold.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children who feel unloved and unwanted. We pray for those who face the hard reality of violence in their lives. We pray for those who are locked in poverty and want. We pray for those who are caught in their own violence.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
Hear us as we pray for others: (Time for silent or spoken prayer.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father 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 SERMONQuiet Leadership
by Katy Stenta
Acts 1:15-17
After the resurrection of Jesus, the disciples missed the presence of Judas, and so the disciples did something interesting, they decided to replace him.
They had two people try for it. Barsabbas and Matthias.
They prayed over it and decided that Matthias was the best person.
And so he took up leadership. We don’t hear much about Matthias after this, he just quietly took up leadership.
But this is good — that leadership of the church can change. Prayer can be a part of it and sometimes leaders can just be quiet faithful leaders and not big and famous leaders.
There are hundreds of churches like Matthias, quietly doing good things.
What are some good things this church does? (Be ready to fill in some of these things if the kids don’t answer.)
In this way we are like Matthias — and if we miss leadership we can step up and fill it in.
Let us pray, repeat after me.
Dear God,
Thank you
For faithful
And prayer-filled
Leadership.
Help us
To follow
In Matthias’ footsteps.
In Jesus name we pray,
Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, May 12, 2024 issue.
Copyright 2024 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.
