Covenant Or Contract?
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
In the words of the old adage, "money makes the world go round" -- and people find all sorts of creative opportunities in pursuit of profit. Yet another example of this phenomenon surfaced in the news this week with reports of the growing popularity in Iraq of "terrorism insurance": life insurance policies with riders specifically covering violent death. Insurance is certainly a cornerstone of modern life -- we depend on it to protect our property (house and auto insurance, for example) or ourselves (e.g., medical and life insurance). In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member George Reed examines the nature of God's covenant with us -- and the tendency of many Christians to misconstrue it as a sort of "life" insurance policy. This week's Old Testament Lesson (Jeremiah 31:31-34) outlines the new covenant; and though God offers us a covenant relationship, we often act as if it's a contract -- expecting that if we lead reasonably moral lives and believe in Jesus, God will protect us from the bad things that sometimes happen and grant us passage to eternal life. Thom Shuman offers another perspective, reflecting on God's covenant in our hearts as a sort of "tattoo" which marks us for life. As usual, the installment also includes numerous illustrations, worship resources, and a children's sermon.
Covenant Or Contract?
A recent New York Times article discussed how some enterprising businessmen in Iraq have developed a new product -- terrorism insurance. ("New Business Blooms in Iraq: Terror Insurance," http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/international/middleeast/21insurance.html) In a very unstable environment, they have found a way to profit from the instability and the fear of the people. In the past, we have seen such dynamics played out more in terms of offering safety in exchange for loyalty -- but where safety and loyalty are in such short supply, monetary compensation will do.
One may wonder about the deliverance of the hostages from the Christian Peacemakers Teams this week. Was their release a payoff from God for their faithfulness -- or do we need to look at Christians' covenant relationship with God in different terms?
Jeremiah brings a word from God about a new covenant, and John records Jesus' words that he will "draw all people to myself." Are we to understand God's call to covenant as an invitation to enter into a relationship where we offer our loyalty and in return are offered safety, or at least compensation in the world to come? Or could God's covenant mean just a little bit more?
THE WORLD
Life insurance isn't new, but individual policies written on ordinary citizens to cover death by terrorism or other violent means is rather unique. The concept of a contract or covenant to provide protection, or at least compensation, has a long history. The entire feudal system was built on the power of the wealthy few who offered some sense of security to those who pledged their loyalty. I do not know any of the peacekeepers who were released this past week nor their companion who died, but I have talked with others who have gone into dangerous areas to help establish some sort of peace on at least a personal level. Their understanding of what they were about was not the kind of quid pro quo of a legal contract, but rather an understanding that their relationship with God through Jesus Christ called them to risk their lives to bring the reign of God more fully into reality. I also know an "underground missionary" in China. He poses as an English language teacher, but his real goal is to convert Chinese citizens to Christianity. He expects that because he is doing his Christian duty he will not only be kept safe but also out of jail.
THE WORD
Jeremiah is a prophet in an unstable and dangerous world. The history of God's people has not reflected well on their faithfulness. Even after the reforms of Josiah, there seems to have been wholesale backsliding into pagan worship. In the midst of all this unfaithfulness on the part of the people, Jeremiah comes and announces God's intention to cut a new covenant, one that is in the very heart of the people. While Jeremiah is the only prophet to actually use the term "new covenant," other prophets talked about the same idea using such terms as "new spirit" or "new heart." This does not sound like the kind of talk one would use for a contract.
When we look at God's history with people, we see that it is based on a much different foundation than just a legal contract; God seems to desire to be in a relationship with people. From the opening of Genesis when God walks in the cool of the day with the "earth creature" to coming to Abram's tent for refreshment; from God's encounter with Moses on Mount Sinai to the gentle shepherding of David, God seems intent on encountering people as more than just those who will offer faithful obeisance.
In the Gospel of John we hear Jesus using the image of the brazen serpent to describe his own work of "drawing all people" to himself. The sign is not a scepter to be waved in power over the people, but a healing sign that draws people to God.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
The scriptures and the events of the week offer the preacher an opportunity to challenge God's people to examine their relationship with God. The question can be asked: Do we view being Christians as insurance against bad things happening to us in this life or the life to come? Do we live so that we meet the criteria of the contract -- so that God will have to give us rewards? Or do we live in a dynamic, loving relationship with the One who created us and calls us and all creation to wholeness and redemption?
A bold preacher might even ask why it is that most people talk about the streets of gold and the mansions of light rather than an eternity of being in the presence of God and offering worship day and night. Are we really in this for the relationship God offers us with the divine self? Or are we in it for the rewards, or at least to escape the wrath of God?
Most preachers will have plenty of personal stories about folks who have bargained with God. Some will even be honest enough to tell some of those stories on themselves. From prayers to take away cancer to providing a close parking space when it is raining, there are multitudes of examples of those who bargain with God for the goodies. Rarer are the stories of those who have committed themselves to the relationship without regard to gain or loss. Not many of us are willing to say we just want to love and serve God and that if God wants to damn us to hell, it's okay with us. Not many of us are willing to say: "Not my will but yours."
The good news is that God is constantly drawing us to be in relationship with the Eternal One and with one another. The good news is that the cross of crucifixion becomes the symbol of life and hope. God desires us and will not stop searching for us, even if there is a cross in the way.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Thom Shuman
On the day after the lectionary passages for this Sunday are used, the NCAA men's basketball championship game will be played, and "March Madness" will come to an end. Basketball has changed dramatically over the years. When I was in college, the center on most teams was usually nicknamed "High Pockets" because of his towering height: 6' 3"! Players wore crew cuts, shorts were short, and only high-top Converse shoes (always black) were worn.
Today, there are bigger and taller players as well as a different style of play with the 3-point shot and slam dunks. And personal styles have changed the most: various kinds of shoes (depending on the contract the coach might have), baggy shorts that seem to drag on the floor, and perhaps most significantly -- tattoos!
From girls' names to gang slang; from barbed wire to Jayhawks; from school logos to Superman's "S" -- it seems that every player has at least one tattoo. Some have so many that they resemble Ray Bradbury's Illustrated Man. The "tats" are a sign of status; a sign of aggressive nature; trash talk emblazoned on biceps, unspoken defiance in an opponent's face.
Of course, they are for show, especially for the young, especially for the athletes. Tattoos let folks know who you are. They are statements about one's individuality, one's personality, one's beliefs, one's priorities.
I wear such symbols every Sunday. The robe I wear is an ancient symbol passed down to us from the days when most professors were also theologians -- it is a "tattoo" showing my teaching role as a minister. The stole (whatever color, design, season) has been handed down to me from the early church, from when the deacons literally carried towels slung over their shoulders while they waited on the tables of the love feasts in the church. Over time, the towels became longer, were draped over the neck, and are the "tattoo" that proves I am a servant of God. And the cross -- the symbol of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? It's that "tattoo" which identifies the "gang" I belong to -- the Christians. It tells everyone just whose I am.
Of course, unlike the athletes we have been watching the last few weeks, when I am done with my "game," I go back to my office and take off my robe, my stole, my cross. I remove all those marks, those symbols, those tattoos, and revert back to Clark Kent. But what about when I am not running up and down the sanctuary trying to score points with God, trying to impress the fans, trying to win one for the Big Coach in the sky? How will people know who I am -- how will I know whose I am?
Jeremiah tells us that it is not what is carved on the outside of us that matters; it is not what we dress in or put on or drape around our necks that counts. It is not some "thing" -- a law, a symbol, a tattoo -- that is displayed externally that is of prime importance. It is that covenant written upon the heart; that living, beating receptacle of God's love; it is that "internal tattoo" which the Creator has engraved upon my very soul -- and upon yours -- which tells me who I am, and lets others know who it is that I follow, and where I place my priorities.
I can wear all the outward signs and symbols that tell people what a good boy I am -- educated, trained, ordained. But unless I live out that covenant written upon my soul, unless I allow people to see that I have been marked for life by the God who has tattooed grace upon my heart, well, I am like that hollow brass the Apostle Paul speaks about.
ILLUSTRATIONS
A Biblical Image of the Covenant
In the first description of God's making a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:1-21), we are told that Abraham was told to bring, a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon, and to split each animal in two, laying half of each animal on either side of a path. Biblical scholars tell us that this was an ancient covenant-making ceremony. Each party was to walk between the split animals, in essence saying, may the same happen to me if I violate this covenant. It was a rather more graphic form of the children's oath "cross my heart and hope to die if I should tell a lie" -- only in our biblical story it was "a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch (that) passed between these pieces" (v. 17). These were the symbols for the presence of God. Abraham was not asked to walk between the split animals; God took the responsibility for the fulfilling of the covenant promise solely on God-self. While humans are asked by God to live in a certain way, the fulfillment of the covenant rests on the faithfulness of God, not that of humanity.
***
A Covenant Is Fleshed Out Among Real Humans
A mid-western church was proud of itself for having just successfully completed a capital campaign to redecorate its new sanctuary. Then a storm hit in Florida and Texas, destroying entire communities and causing untold damage to personal lives. The Session met in emergency session and then called a congregational meeting, which voted to send one-third of their capital fund to help victims of the hurricane. A newspaper reporter interviewed the pastor about the decision. The pastor explained, "We simply decided that we could not live in a palace when there were others who had no home."
The cynical reporter pressed the pastor, "If it had been Jesus, wouldn't he have given it all?"
"I think that you are right," said an elder standing nearby. "We are not Christ, but hopefully we can in this small way bear witness to Christ."
***
The Price of True Community
Covenant communities require a continual willingness to pay the price of reconciliation. Desmond Tutu, in recounting the experience of South Africa and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, speaks of the price of reconciliation:
"True reconciliation is not cheap. It cost God the death of His only begotten Son. Forgiving and being reconciled are not about pretending that things are other than they are. It is not patting one another on the back and turning a blind eye to the wrong. True reconciliation exposes the awfulness, the abuse, the pain, the degradation, the truth. It could even sometimes make things worse. It is a risky undertaking but in the end it is worthwhile, because in the end dealing with the real situation helps to bring real healing. Spurious reconciliation can bring only spurious healing."
-- Desmond Tutu, No Future Without Forgiveness (Doubleday, 1999), p. 270
***
The Price of Refusing to Forgive
Forgiving means abandoning your right to pay back the perpetrator in his own coin, but it is a loss that liberates the victim. In the commission we heard people speak of a sense of relief after forgiving. A recent issue of the journal Spirituality and Health had on its front cover a picture of three U.S. ex-servicemen standing in front of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. One asks, "Have you forgiven those who held you prisoner of war?"
"I will never forgive them," replies the other.
His mate says: "Then it seems they still have you in prison, don't they?"
-- Desmond Tutu, No Future Without Forgiveness (Doubleday, 1999), p. 272
***
When the Hebrew people speak of the heart, they mean something very different than what we do. The heart, to us, is the seat of the emotions. To the Hebrews, it's more than that. The heart is the place where our very personhood is centered: all the things you and I mean by "the heart," yes, but also many of the things we mean by "the mind" and "the will." To say that God's law will be written on the human heart is to predict that, one day, obedience to the law will become second nature to us. We human beings will follow the law then not because we fear God, but because we love God.
Here's a little story that may help explain this point. Christian novelist Walter Wangerin tells of an incident from his own life: from his experience as a parent. The Wangerins were going through a difficult time with their son Matthew, who was on the threshold of adolescence. He seemed to be rebelling against every value the family held dear. On more than one occasion, the boy had been caught stealing comic books from a local store. With the latest incident, Walter was in despair. Feeling he'd run out of every other alternative, he resorted to a technique he'd not used with his son for years: he gave him a spanking.
The father performed the act gravely, deliberately, almost ritualistically. When it was finished, he was so upset that he ran from the room and wept. After pulling himself back together, he went back in to his son Matthew and hugged him, long and hard. Nothing more was said, by father or son, about the incident -- but Matthew never stole another comic book.
Years later, Matthew the grown man and his mother were doing some reminiscing, and the subject came round to the comic-book incident. "Do you know why I finally stopped?" he asked his mother.
"Of course," she said. "It was because Dad finally spanked you."
"No," replied Matthew, "it wasn't the spanking at all. It was because Dad cried."
***
Covenants are for keeping. Everyone knows that. One place where they believe that is in the city of New Rochelle, New York. In June of 1999, the mayor of New Rochelle, Timothy Idoni, handed over a six-month-old Holstein cow named Jessie to an out-of-town visitor.
So what was the mayor of New Rochelle doing with a cow? It was all because of a promise, 311 years old.
The new owner of Jessie the cow was William Rodman Pell III: a direct descendant of one Sir John Pell. In the year of our Lord 1688, John Pell sold 6,000 acres of land to French Huguenots who were escaping religious persecution. That parcel of land would eventually become the city of New Rochelle. In exchange, Sir John accepted the equivalent of $11,625 and was promised, as part of the deal, "one fatt calfe on every fouer and twentieth day of June yearly and every year forever, if demanded." In 1999, William Rodman Pell III demanded his cow -- and the city of New Rochelle paid up.
***
Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, concerned spectators: over the past several days, you have heard the testimony of many expert witnesses. Now, as we approach the end of this trial, it falls to me to sum up the case for the prosecution.
As you have heard, the victim of these heinous crimes, the Lord God Almighty, has attempted on numerous occasions to seek reconciliation with the accused. Yet after countless failed attempts, the Lord God has agreed, reluctantly, to press charges. I think you will concur that the victim has been more than patient; and that's why the accused -- known to the court as the human race -- sits in the dock.
The charges are straightforward: one count of forsaking the Lord their God, the fountain of living water; and a second count of digging cisterns without a permit -- cracked cisterns that can hold no water.
You will recall, I'm sure, the two record-books, titled "Genesis" and "Exodus." (These were entered into the transcript as "Exhibit A" and "Exhibit B," respectively.) As these accounts make abundantly clear, the victim, the Lord God Almighty, has always been the principal benefactor of the human race, throughout their entire existence. God was with them from the beginning: creating the world; calling it good; populating it with animals, plants, and everything else pleasing and useful.
Even at that early date, however, the people began to stray from their duly constituted agreement. I need not repeat last week's terrifying testimony of the angel with the flaming sword, the one who drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden as a direct result of their disobedience.
Now the victim -- God -- would have been perfectly justified in suing for separation then and there. Yet, blinded an inexplicable love, the Lord God was more than accommodating, more than patient -- sending all manner of messengers to try to win back the people's devotion.
Please refer, if you will, to the affidavits filed by Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, and David, all of whom have testified to God's remarkable patience with the human race. We're not talking just second chances here, folks.
Please refer also to your copy of the deed, serial number 24691, to Canaan, trading under the name of "The Land of Milk and Honey." This piece of prime, income-producing real estate was an unsolicited gift, by the victim, to the people Israel -- presented to them, I might add, even after they had embarrassed themselves in the wilderness by bowing down before the Golden Calf.
The long-suffering Lord God Almighty has established covenant after covenant, each of which the people have signed, then promptly disregarded. Not only that, but after every such episode, the victim presented them with a chapter of sacred narrative, documenting the entire sad affair -- not to rub their noses in it, but to help prevent unfaithfulness in the future. The fact that we're all here in this courtroom today is ample evidence of how poorly that strategy has worked.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have witnessed during the cross-examination the tears and pain on the face of God. Indeed, it's hard to comprehend how anyone could treat such an extravagantly generous benefactor with such callous disregard and even -- shall we say it? -- treachery.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: As you retire to consider your verdict, I ask you to recall in your mind's eye the troubled, tormented, tear-stained face of the victim. Try to imagine what it felt like to sit up all night with the porch light on, waiting in vain to hear the key in the lock. Recall, if you will, the public humiliation of installing a fountain of living water for all to see, only to witness, again and again, the people drinking deep from their own stinking cisterns. Remember the terrible nature of these crimes, and take those images with you as you deliberate. Then I urge you to bring back the only verdict possible in this case... GUILTY.
Well, it's not exactly how Jeremiah puts it in his indictment of the people in chapter 2, but that little courtroom dialogue may be a fair translation for our day and age. In our culture, we have no acquaintance with the type of legal proceeding Jeremiah's talking about as he declares, "Once more I accuse you, says the Lord..." By chapter 31, however, the prophet is taking a very different line, speaking instead of a New Covenant.
***
In John 12:20-33 Jesus suggests that death leads to life. If death leads to life, we must be willing to relinquish our present life in order to have it. "Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (v. 25). Preserving our life is practically a national cause in America. Youth is preferred to age to such an extent that people have their healthy faces sliced up or needles inserted every five months or so in order to remove wrinkles and other signs of aging. We live longer and with better medical care than people of any previous century. We spend enormous amounts of money on staying alive as long as possible. Our government recently reaffirmed its military right to make pre-emptive strikes against other countries we perceive to be a threat to our safety rather than risk another 9/11 or a nuclear war. We believe our own massive arsenal of weapons of mass destruction will ultimately preserve us -- yet who's to say there won't be a time when internal instability might lead to disaster? In trying to maintain our comfortable middle-class lifestyles and consumption habits, we as government leaders, corporations, etc., involve ourselves in other countries' political destinies. In attempting to preserve our life, we may lose it.
***
The Old Covenant means the old agreement that was arrived at between God and Israel at Mount Sinai, with Moses presiding. "I shall be your God and you shall be my people," sums it up -- i.e., if you obey God's commandments, God will love you.
The New Covenant means the new agreement that was arrived at by God alone in an upstairs room in Jerusalem, with Jesus presiding. Jesus sums it up by raising his wine and saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood"
-- Frederick Buechner
***
Watching her drive off to college for the first time so full of the hopes and dreams and anticipation of new adventures, the "No Curfew" permission slip signed and packed in her suitcase, I wanted to call my daughter back and cry, "Stay away from drugs; they'll kill you! Don't drink anything stronger than beer! Don't let anyone pressure you into anything you feel is wrong! Be careful! I love you. I don't want you to get hurt."
Standing in the driveway watching her go, I understood what it must be like for God to watch over us, seeing the temptations, the pitfalls, the pain we face, wanting to protect us from them by his laws and his love, yet giving us the freedom of a "No Curfew" slip, giving us the choice.
-- Carter Shelley, from "The Parabolic Nature of Autobiographical Preaching" (Academy of Homiletics paper)
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Greeting
Leader: O Lord, open our lips,
People: and we will sing your praise forever!
Call To Worship
Leader: This is the day God has promised: the day of the new covenant.
People: We are here, because our hearts are filled with love for our God.
Leader: No longer carved on cold stone, this covenant is engraved on our hearts.
People: Our hearts are open so God's Word can shape us.
Leader: We will reach out to our neighbors, our friends and family, even to strangers.
People: Our hearts are ready to serve God and all of God's people.
Prayer Of The Day
You have forgotten more than we will ever think of;
you have forgiven more than we will ever do;
you have shattered the cold stones encasing our hearts,
so you could write your name on them.
Redeemer of all, we praise you.
You plant the seed of grace and hope deep within us,
watering them with your love;
you call us to follow,
so we may join you in serving the broken of our world.
Jesus of the tears, we praise you.
You journey with us,
leading us closer to the cross;
you center us on the One we would follow,
so we can see Jesus clearly;
you point to your watch,
so we know the hour for faithfulness has come.
Generous Spirit, we praise you.
God in Community, Holy in One,
we open our mouths to sing your praise,
even as we pray as we have been taught:
Our Father . . .
Call To Reconciliation
If we would see Jesus,
we must open our eyes to the ways we have not followed him as disciples.
If we want God to create new hearts within us,
we must speak of the old ways in which we continue to live.
If we seek God's mercy,
we must confess all that keeps us from living as God's children.
Join me, as we come to the One who will forgive us.
(Unison) Prayer Of Confession
O Heart which seeks our own:
We yearn for your presence in our lives,
yet turn away from you time and again.
We want to serve others,
but become obsessed with our own desires.
We need your Word to fill our emptiness,
yet let it be silenced by the noise of our world.
In this silence, and in the depths of our hidden hearts,
come to us and make us whole.
(silence is observed)
God of ancient promises and new covenants,
Write large upon our hearts of the forgiveness that makes us new people;
engrave our spirits with your grace, so we may share hope with all we meet;
etch your compassion upon our hands, so we may serve the world.
This we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: A new heart, a generous spirit, a fresh start:
these are the gifts our God gives to us.
People: Through Christ, we are cleansed;
through Christ, we are healed;
through Christ, we become new people.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: May the Lord of Lent be with you.
People: May the Lord of Lent be also with you.
Leader: People of God, lift up your hearts.
People: We lift our hearts to the One
who writes a new covenant upon them.
Leader: Give thanks to the God who makes you new.
People: We open our lips to sing praises to the One
who sustains us with a generous spirit.
Our hearts are filled with joy as we lift our glad songs to you, Covenant Maker.
You created us in your image, planting seeds of your love deep within us.
But they could not bear fruit,
for we preferred death's darkness to the light of your grace,
and the barren dust of the world to the deep richness of your peace.
Despite our sin and arrogance, you remained steadfast in your love,
calling to us through the prophets to return to your side.
When we loved our way more than your heart's desire for us,
you sent Jesus to restore us to your joy.
And so we open our lips
to join our songs of praise with the faithful of every time and place,
singing to the glory of your name:
Sanctus
You alone are holy, Master of the Universe,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
Baptized as your Beloved, he became one of us,
sharing our life in every way.
When the hour had come for him to be glorified,
he went to the cross to be broken.
He who called life into being at creation suffered death for us,
planted like a seed in the cold, friendless tomb,
so you could save him.
You raised him from the grave,
so we could follow him into the life everlasting with you.
As we come to this Table,
remembering all that he has done for us,
we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Memorial Acclamation
You provide the gifts of the bread and cup for us,
so that we might taste your grace and hope.
As we come to the feast you have prepared for us,
plant the seed of your Spirit deep within our hidden hearts,
so we may serve without expecting recognition;
so our generous spirit might ease the poverty of the world;
so the good news we have heard may be proclaimed to all we meet.
Then at last, when all people are free,
when all brokenness is made whole,
when all creation is once more new,
we will gather around your table of joy, singing your joy forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Seeing Jesus
Object: a picture of Jesus and a Bible
Based on John 12:20-33
Good morning! Once some men came to the friends of Jesus and asked if they could see him. Now, the Bible doesn't tell us why they wanted to see Jesus. Why do you think they wanted to see him? (let them answer) Yes, those are all possible reasons that they would want to see him. Here's a picture of Jesus. (show the picture) Of course this is just a picture of how an artist thinks Jesus looks. We don't really know what he looks like because they had no cameras in those days and nobody actually painted a picture of him.
But, how about you? Would you like to see Jesus? (let them answer) We would all like to see him. But how can we do that? How can we see Jesus? (let them answer) Let me tell you how we can see him. What am I holding here? (show the Bible and let them answer) Yes, this is a Bible and if we read the Bible, we will see Jesus all the way through it. We can see him in the Bible because the Bible is God's Word and Jesus is right there in the words of the Bible.
Let's thank God for giving us the Bible where we can see Jesus.
Dear Father in Heaven: We praise you and thank you for giving us the Bible where we can see your Son, Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Immediate Word, April 2, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 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 permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
Covenant Or Contract?
A recent New York Times article discussed how some enterprising businessmen in Iraq have developed a new product -- terrorism insurance. ("New Business Blooms in Iraq: Terror Insurance," http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/21/international/middleeast/21insurance.html) In a very unstable environment, they have found a way to profit from the instability and the fear of the people. In the past, we have seen such dynamics played out more in terms of offering safety in exchange for loyalty -- but where safety and loyalty are in such short supply, monetary compensation will do.
One may wonder about the deliverance of the hostages from the Christian Peacemakers Teams this week. Was their release a payoff from God for their faithfulness -- or do we need to look at Christians' covenant relationship with God in different terms?
Jeremiah brings a word from God about a new covenant, and John records Jesus' words that he will "draw all people to myself." Are we to understand God's call to covenant as an invitation to enter into a relationship where we offer our loyalty and in return are offered safety, or at least compensation in the world to come? Or could God's covenant mean just a little bit more?
THE WORLD
Life insurance isn't new, but individual policies written on ordinary citizens to cover death by terrorism or other violent means is rather unique. The concept of a contract or covenant to provide protection, or at least compensation, has a long history. The entire feudal system was built on the power of the wealthy few who offered some sense of security to those who pledged their loyalty. I do not know any of the peacekeepers who were released this past week nor their companion who died, but I have talked with others who have gone into dangerous areas to help establish some sort of peace on at least a personal level. Their understanding of what they were about was not the kind of quid pro quo of a legal contract, but rather an understanding that their relationship with God through Jesus Christ called them to risk their lives to bring the reign of God more fully into reality. I also know an "underground missionary" in China. He poses as an English language teacher, but his real goal is to convert Chinese citizens to Christianity. He expects that because he is doing his Christian duty he will not only be kept safe but also out of jail.
THE WORD
Jeremiah is a prophet in an unstable and dangerous world. The history of God's people has not reflected well on their faithfulness. Even after the reforms of Josiah, there seems to have been wholesale backsliding into pagan worship. In the midst of all this unfaithfulness on the part of the people, Jeremiah comes and announces God's intention to cut a new covenant, one that is in the very heart of the people. While Jeremiah is the only prophet to actually use the term "new covenant," other prophets talked about the same idea using such terms as "new spirit" or "new heart." This does not sound like the kind of talk one would use for a contract.
When we look at God's history with people, we see that it is based on a much different foundation than just a legal contract; God seems to desire to be in a relationship with people. From the opening of Genesis when God walks in the cool of the day with the "earth creature" to coming to Abram's tent for refreshment; from God's encounter with Moses on Mount Sinai to the gentle shepherding of David, God seems intent on encountering people as more than just those who will offer faithful obeisance.
In the Gospel of John we hear Jesus using the image of the brazen serpent to describe his own work of "drawing all people" to himself. The sign is not a scepter to be waved in power over the people, but a healing sign that draws people to God.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
The scriptures and the events of the week offer the preacher an opportunity to challenge God's people to examine their relationship with God. The question can be asked: Do we view being Christians as insurance against bad things happening to us in this life or the life to come? Do we live so that we meet the criteria of the contract -- so that God will have to give us rewards? Or do we live in a dynamic, loving relationship with the One who created us and calls us and all creation to wholeness and redemption?
A bold preacher might even ask why it is that most people talk about the streets of gold and the mansions of light rather than an eternity of being in the presence of God and offering worship day and night. Are we really in this for the relationship God offers us with the divine self? Or are we in it for the rewards, or at least to escape the wrath of God?
Most preachers will have plenty of personal stories about folks who have bargained with God. Some will even be honest enough to tell some of those stories on themselves. From prayers to take away cancer to providing a close parking space when it is raining, there are multitudes of examples of those who bargain with God for the goodies. Rarer are the stories of those who have committed themselves to the relationship without regard to gain or loss. Not many of us are willing to say we just want to love and serve God and that if God wants to damn us to hell, it's okay with us. Not many of us are willing to say: "Not my will but yours."
The good news is that God is constantly drawing us to be in relationship with the Eternal One and with one another. The good news is that the cross of crucifixion becomes the symbol of life and hope. God desires us and will not stop searching for us, even if there is a cross in the way.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Thom Shuman
On the day after the lectionary passages for this Sunday are used, the NCAA men's basketball championship game will be played, and "March Madness" will come to an end. Basketball has changed dramatically over the years. When I was in college, the center on most teams was usually nicknamed "High Pockets" because of his towering height: 6' 3"! Players wore crew cuts, shorts were short, and only high-top Converse shoes (always black) were worn.
Today, there are bigger and taller players as well as a different style of play with the 3-point shot and slam dunks. And personal styles have changed the most: various kinds of shoes (depending on the contract the coach might have), baggy shorts that seem to drag on the floor, and perhaps most significantly -- tattoos!
From girls' names to gang slang; from barbed wire to Jayhawks; from school logos to Superman's "S" -- it seems that every player has at least one tattoo. Some have so many that they resemble Ray Bradbury's Illustrated Man. The "tats" are a sign of status; a sign of aggressive nature; trash talk emblazoned on biceps, unspoken defiance in an opponent's face.
Of course, they are for show, especially for the young, especially for the athletes. Tattoos let folks know who you are. They are statements about one's individuality, one's personality, one's beliefs, one's priorities.
I wear such symbols every Sunday. The robe I wear is an ancient symbol passed down to us from the days when most professors were also theologians -- it is a "tattoo" showing my teaching role as a minister. The stole (whatever color, design, season) has been handed down to me from the early church, from when the deacons literally carried towels slung over their shoulders while they waited on the tables of the love feasts in the church. Over time, the towels became longer, were draped over the neck, and are the "tattoo" that proves I am a servant of God. And the cross -- the symbol of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ? It's that "tattoo" which identifies the "gang" I belong to -- the Christians. It tells everyone just whose I am.
Of course, unlike the athletes we have been watching the last few weeks, when I am done with my "game," I go back to my office and take off my robe, my stole, my cross. I remove all those marks, those symbols, those tattoos, and revert back to Clark Kent. But what about when I am not running up and down the sanctuary trying to score points with God, trying to impress the fans, trying to win one for the Big Coach in the sky? How will people know who I am -- how will I know whose I am?
Jeremiah tells us that it is not what is carved on the outside of us that matters; it is not what we dress in or put on or drape around our necks that counts. It is not some "thing" -- a law, a symbol, a tattoo -- that is displayed externally that is of prime importance. It is that covenant written upon the heart; that living, beating receptacle of God's love; it is that "internal tattoo" which the Creator has engraved upon my very soul -- and upon yours -- which tells me who I am, and lets others know who it is that I follow, and where I place my priorities.
I can wear all the outward signs and symbols that tell people what a good boy I am -- educated, trained, ordained. But unless I live out that covenant written upon my soul, unless I allow people to see that I have been marked for life by the God who has tattooed grace upon my heart, well, I am like that hollow brass the Apostle Paul speaks about.
ILLUSTRATIONS
A Biblical Image of the Covenant
In the first description of God's making a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:1-21), we are told that Abraham was told to bring, a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtledove, and a young pigeon, and to split each animal in two, laying half of each animal on either side of a path. Biblical scholars tell us that this was an ancient covenant-making ceremony. Each party was to walk between the split animals, in essence saying, may the same happen to me if I violate this covenant. It was a rather more graphic form of the children's oath "cross my heart and hope to die if I should tell a lie" -- only in our biblical story it was "a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch (that) passed between these pieces" (v. 17). These were the symbols for the presence of God. Abraham was not asked to walk between the split animals; God took the responsibility for the fulfilling of the covenant promise solely on God-self. While humans are asked by God to live in a certain way, the fulfillment of the covenant rests on the faithfulness of God, not that of humanity.
***
A Covenant Is Fleshed Out Among Real Humans
A mid-western church was proud of itself for having just successfully completed a capital campaign to redecorate its new sanctuary. Then a storm hit in Florida and Texas, destroying entire communities and causing untold damage to personal lives. The Session met in emergency session and then called a congregational meeting, which voted to send one-third of their capital fund to help victims of the hurricane. A newspaper reporter interviewed the pastor about the decision. The pastor explained, "We simply decided that we could not live in a palace when there were others who had no home."
The cynical reporter pressed the pastor, "If it had been Jesus, wouldn't he have given it all?"
"I think that you are right," said an elder standing nearby. "We are not Christ, but hopefully we can in this small way bear witness to Christ."
***
The Price of True Community
Covenant communities require a continual willingness to pay the price of reconciliation. Desmond Tutu, in recounting the experience of South Africa and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, speaks of the price of reconciliation:
"True reconciliation is not cheap. It cost God the death of His only begotten Son. Forgiving and being reconciled are not about pretending that things are other than they are. It is not patting one another on the back and turning a blind eye to the wrong. True reconciliation exposes the awfulness, the abuse, the pain, the degradation, the truth. It could even sometimes make things worse. It is a risky undertaking but in the end it is worthwhile, because in the end dealing with the real situation helps to bring real healing. Spurious reconciliation can bring only spurious healing."
-- Desmond Tutu, No Future Without Forgiveness (Doubleday, 1999), p. 270
***
The Price of Refusing to Forgive
Forgiving means abandoning your right to pay back the perpetrator in his own coin, but it is a loss that liberates the victim. In the commission we heard people speak of a sense of relief after forgiving. A recent issue of the journal Spirituality and Health had on its front cover a picture of three U.S. ex-servicemen standing in front of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C. One asks, "Have you forgiven those who held you prisoner of war?"
"I will never forgive them," replies the other.
His mate says: "Then it seems they still have you in prison, don't they?"
-- Desmond Tutu, No Future Without Forgiveness (Doubleday, 1999), p. 272
***
When the Hebrew people speak of the heart, they mean something very different than what we do. The heart, to us, is the seat of the emotions. To the Hebrews, it's more than that. The heart is the place where our very personhood is centered: all the things you and I mean by "the heart," yes, but also many of the things we mean by "the mind" and "the will." To say that God's law will be written on the human heart is to predict that, one day, obedience to the law will become second nature to us. We human beings will follow the law then not because we fear God, but because we love God.
Here's a little story that may help explain this point. Christian novelist Walter Wangerin tells of an incident from his own life: from his experience as a parent. The Wangerins were going through a difficult time with their son Matthew, who was on the threshold of adolescence. He seemed to be rebelling against every value the family held dear. On more than one occasion, the boy had been caught stealing comic books from a local store. With the latest incident, Walter was in despair. Feeling he'd run out of every other alternative, he resorted to a technique he'd not used with his son for years: he gave him a spanking.
The father performed the act gravely, deliberately, almost ritualistically. When it was finished, he was so upset that he ran from the room and wept. After pulling himself back together, he went back in to his son Matthew and hugged him, long and hard. Nothing more was said, by father or son, about the incident -- but Matthew never stole another comic book.
Years later, Matthew the grown man and his mother were doing some reminiscing, and the subject came round to the comic-book incident. "Do you know why I finally stopped?" he asked his mother.
"Of course," she said. "It was because Dad finally spanked you."
"No," replied Matthew, "it wasn't the spanking at all. It was because Dad cried."
***
Covenants are for keeping. Everyone knows that. One place where they believe that is in the city of New Rochelle, New York. In June of 1999, the mayor of New Rochelle, Timothy Idoni, handed over a six-month-old Holstein cow named Jessie to an out-of-town visitor.
So what was the mayor of New Rochelle doing with a cow? It was all because of a promise, 311 years old.
The new owner of Jessie the cow was William Rodman Pell III: a direct descendant of one Sir John Pell. In the year of our Lord 1688, John Pell sold 6,000 acres of land to French Huguenots who were escaping religious persecution. That parcel of land would eventually become the city of New Rochelle. In exchange, Sir John accepted the equivalent of $11,625 and was promised, as part of the deal, "one fatt calfe on every fouer and twentieth day of June yearly and every year forever, if demanded." In 1999, William Rodman Pell III demanded his cow -- and the city of New Rochelle paid up.
***
Your Honor, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, concerned spectators: over the past several days, you have heard the testimony of many expert witnesses. Now, as we approach the end of this trial, it falls to me to sum up the case for the prosecution.
As you have heard, the victim of these heinous crimes, the Lord God Almighty, has attempted on numerous occasions to seek reconciliation with the accused. Yet after countless failed attempts, the Lord God has agreed, reluctantly, to press charges. I think you will concur that the victim has been more than patient; and that's why the accused -- known to the court as the human race -- sits in the dock.
The charges are straightforward: one count of forsaking the Lord their God, the fountain of living water; and a second count of digging cisterns without a permit -- cracked cisterns that can hold no water.
You will recall, I'm sure, the two record-books, titled "Genesis" and "Exodus." (These were entered into the transcript as "Exhibit A" and "Exhibit B," respectively.) As these accounts make abundantly clear, the victim, the Lord God Almighty, has always been the principal benefactor of the human race, throughout their entire existence. God was with them from the beginning: creating the world; calling it good; populating it with animals, plants, and everything else pleasing and useful.
Even at that early date, however, the people began to stray from their duly constituted agreement. I need not repeat last week's terrifying testimony of the angel with the flaming sword, the one who drove Adam and Eve out of the Garden as a direct result of their disobedience.
Now the victim -- God -- would have been perfectly justified in suing for separation then and there. Yet, blinded an inexplicable love, the Lord God was more than accommodating, more than patient -- sending all manner of messengers to try to win back the people's devotion.
Please refer, if you will, to the affidavits filed by Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Deborah, and David, all of whom have testified to God's remarkable patience with the human race. We're not talking just second chances here, folks.
Please refer also to your copy of the deed, serial number 24691, to Canaan, trading under the name of "The Land of Milk and Honey." This piece of prime, income-producing real estate was an unsolicited gift, by the victim, to the people Israel -- presented to them, I might add, even after they had embarrassed themselves in the wilderness by bowing down before the Golden Calf.
The long-suffering Lord God Almighty has established covenant after covenant, each of which the people have signed, then promptly disregarded. Not only that, but after every such episode, the victim presented them with a chapter of sacred narrative, documenting the entire sad affair -- not to rub their noses in it, but to help prevent unfaithfulness in the future. The fact that we're all here in this courtroom today is ample evidence of how poorly that strategy has worked.
Ladies and gentlemen, you have witnessed during the cross-examination the tears and pain on the face of God. Indeed, it's hard to comprehend how anyone could treat such an extravagantly generous benefactor with such callous disregard and even -- shall we say it? -- treachery.
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury: As you retire to consider your verdict, I ask you to recall in your mind's eye the troubled, tormented, tear-stained face of the victim. Try to imagine what it felt like to sit up all night with the porch light on, waiting in vain to hear the key in the lock. Recall, if you will, the public humiliation of installing a fountain of living water for all to see, only to witness, again and again, the people drinking deep from their own stinking cisterns. Remember the terrible nature of these crimes, and take those images with you as you deliberate. Then I urge you to bring back the only verdict possible in this case... GUILTY.
Well, it's not exactly how Jeremiah puts it in his indictment of the people in chapter 2, but that little courtroom dialogue may be a fair translation for our day and age. In our culture, we have no acquaintance with the type of legal proceeding Jeremiah's talking about as he declares, "Once more I accuse you, says the Lord..." By chapter 31, however, the prophet is taking a very different line, speaking instead of a New Covenant.
***
In John 12:20-33 Jesus suggests that death leads to life. If death leads to life, we must be willing to relinquish our present life in order to have it. "Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (v. 25). Preserving our life is practically a national cause in America. Youth is preferred to age to such an extent that people have their healthy faces sliced up or needles inserted every five months or so in order to remove wrinkles and other signs of aging. We live longer and with better medical care than people of any previous century. We spend enormous amounts of money on staying alive as long as possible. Our government recently reaffirmed its military right to make pre-emptive strikes against other countries we perceive to be a threat to our safety rather than risk another 9/11 or a nuclear war. We believe our own massive arsenal of weapons of mass destruction will ultimately preserve us -- yet who's to say there won't be a time when internal instability might lead to disaster? In trying to maintain our comfortable middle-class lifestyles and consumption habits, we as government leaders, corporations, etc., involve ourselves in other countries' political destinies. In attempting to preserve our life, we may lose it.
***
The Old Covenant means the old agreement that was arrived at between God and Israel at Mount Sinai, with Moses presiding. "I shall be your God and you shall be my people," sums it up -- i.e., if you obey God's commandments, God will love you.
The New Covenant means the new agreement that was arrived at by God alone in an upstairs room in Jerusalem, with Jesus presiding. Jesus sums it up by raising his wine and saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood"
-- Frederick Buechner
***
Watching her drive off to college for the first time so full of the hopes and dreams and anticipation of new adventures, the "No Curfew" permission slip signed and packed in her suitcase, I wanted to call my daughter back and cry, "Stay away from drugs; they'll kill you! Don't drink anything stronger than beer! Don't let anyone pressure you into anything you feel is wrong! Be careful! I love you. I don't want you to get hurt."
Standing in the driveway watching her go, I understood what it must be like for God to watch over us, seeing the temptations, the pitfalls, the pain we face, wanting to protect us from them by his laws and his love, yet giving us the freedom of a "No Curfew" slip, giving us the choice.
-- Carter Shelley, from "The Parabolic Nature of Autobiographical Preaching" (Academy of Homiletics paper)
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Greeting
Leader: O Lord, open our lips,
People: and we will sing your praise forever!
Call To Worship
Leader: This is the day God has promised: the day of the new covenant.
People: We are here, because our hearts are filled with love for our God.
Leader: No longer carved on cold stone, this covenant is engraved on our hearts.
People: Our hearts are open so God's Word can shape us.
Leader: We will reach out to our neighbors, our friends and family, even to strangers.
People: Our hearts are ready to serve God and all of God's people.
Prayer Of The Day
You have forgotten more than we will ever think of;
you have forgiven more than we will ever do;
you have shattered the cold stones encasing our hearts,
so you could write your name on them.
Redeemer of all, we praise you.
You plant the seed of grace and hope deep within us,
watering them with your love;
you call us to follow,
so we may join you in serving the broken of our world.
Jesus of the tears, we praise you.
You journey with us,
leading us closer to the cross;
you center us on the One we would follow,
so we can see Jesus clearly;
you point to your watch,
so we know the hour for faithfulness has come.
Generous Spirit, we praise you.
God in Community, Holy in One,
we open our mouths to sing your praise,
even as we pray as we have been taught:
Our Father . . .
Call To Reconciliation
If we would see Jesus,
we must open our eyes to the ways we have not followed him as disciples.
If we want God to create new hearts within us,
we must speak of the old ways in which we continue to live.
If we seek God's mercy,
we must confess all that keeps us from living as God's children.
Join me, as we come to the One who will forgive us.
(Unison) Prayer Of Confession
O Heart which seeks our own:
We yearn for your presence in our lives,
yet turn away from you time and again.
We want to serve others,
but become obsessed with our own desires.
We need your Word to fill our emptiness,
yet let it be silenced by the noise of our world.
In this silence, and in the depths of our hidden hearts,
come to us and make us whole.
(silence is observed)
God of ancient promises and new covenants,
Write large upon our hearts of the forgiveness that makes us new people;
engrave our spirits with your grace, so we may share hope with all we meet;
etch your compassion upon our hands, so we may serve the world.
This we pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: A new heart, a generous spirit, a fresh start:
these are the gifts our God gives to us.
People: Through Christ, we are cleansed;
through Christ, we are healed;
through Christ, we become new people.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: May the Lord of Lent be with you.
People: May the Lord of Lent be also with you.
Leader: People of God, lift up your hearts.
People: We lift our hearts to the One
who writes a new covenant upon them.
Leader: Give thanks to the God who makes you new.
People: We open our lips to sing praises to the One
who sustains us with a generous spirit.
Our hearts are filled with joy as we lift our glad songs to you, Covenant Maker.
You created us in your image, planting seeds of your love deep within us.
But they could not bear fruit,
for we preferred death's darkness to the light of your grace,
and the barren dust of the world to the deep richness of your peace.
Despite our sin and arrogance, you remained steadfast in your love,
calling to us through the prophets to return to your side.
When we loved our way more than your heart's desire for us,
you sent Jesus to restore us to your joy.
And so we open our lips
to join our songs of praise with the faithful of every time and place,
singing to the glory of your name:
Sanctus
You alone are holy, Master of the Universe,
and blessed is Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord.
Baptized as your Beloved, he became one of us,
sharing our life in every way.
When the hour had come for him to be glorified,
he went to the cross to be broken.
He who called life into being at creation suffered death for us,
planted like a seed in the cold, friendless tomb,
so you could save him.
You raised him from the grave,
so we could follow him into the life everlasting with you.
As we come to this Table,
remembering all that he has done for us,
we proclaim the mystery of our faith:
Memorial Acclamation
You provide the gifts of the bread and cup for us,
so that we might taste your grace and hope.
As we come to the feast you have prepared for us,
plant the seed of your Spirit deep within our hidden hearts,
so we may serve without expecting recognition;
so our generous spirit might ease the poverty of the world;
so the good news we have heard may be proclaimed to all we meet.
Then at last, when all people are free,
when all brokenness is made whole,
when all creation is once more new,
we will gather around your table of joy, singing your joy forever and ever,
God in Community, Holy in One. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Seeing Jesus
Object: a picture of Jesus and a Bible
Based on John 12:20-33
Good morning! Once some men came to the friends of Jesus and asked if they could see him. Now, the Bible doesn't tell us why they wanted to see Jesus. Why do you think they wanted to see him? (let them answer) Yes, those are all possible reasons that they would want to see him. Here's a picture of Jesus. (show the picture) Of course this is just a picture of how an artist thinks Jesus looks. We don't really know what he looks like because they had no cameras in those days and nobody actually painted a picture of him.
But, how about you? Would you like to see Jesus? (let them answer) We would all like to see him. But how can we do that? How can we see Jesus? (let them answer) Let me tell you how we can see him. What am I holding here? (show the Bible and let them answer) Yes, this is a Bible and if we read the Bible, we will see Jesus all the way through it. We can see him in the Bible because the Bible is God's Word and Jesus is right there in the words of the Bible.
Let's thank God for giving us the Bible where we can see Jesus.
Dear Father in Heaven: We praise you and thank you for giving us the Bible where we can see your Son, Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * The Immediate Word, April 2, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 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 permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
