Immediate Word

For May 13, 2018:

• Delighting in the law by Chris Keating -- Taking some solace in knowing the Lord watches over the way of the righteous.
• No Good Deed... by Dean Feldmeyer -- Christians do not belong to the world, nor does the world belong to them.
• Sermon illustrations by Ron Love, Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen.
• Worship resources by George Reed that focus on the law of God as a delight, which leads to wisdom.
• Passing on the Story -- Children's sermon by Bethany Peerbolte -- Jesus passes on to the disciples the responsibility to teach the truth and spread the word. Now it is our turn to retell the life of Jesus and let others know how much God loves the world.

Delighting in the law
by Chris Keating
Psalm 1

Ice cream is delightful—especially on a summer’s day. Waking up to the smell of bacon sizzling and coffee dripping isn’t bad, either. For some, an afternoon baseball game is ideal. Others might find enjoyment reading a good book or hiking up a mountain... or taking a nap.

But meditating on the law?

Most people might shudder at the psalmist’s observation that the truly happy person is one devoted to reciting God’s law night and day. Of course, the psalmist is not most people, and while we can only imagine how the spouse of the truly happy person might feel (“Again with the law? Really?”), it is apparent that the happiness imagined here is quite different than pursuing material success.

Those guided by God’s law discover the calm assurance of God’s shalom sweeping across their lives. Their roots reaching deep into the loamy soil of God’s creation and are renewed in the refreshing streams of life and grace.  Those are the persons who understand the true nature of the rule of law.

It’s the sentiment behind the artwork adorning the walls of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s chambers. The artwork quotes Deuteronomy 16:20, “Justice, justice you shall pursue.”

"They are ever-present reminders of what judges must do," Ginsberg once said.

Yet typically we ignore the wisdom of both the Bible and Justice Ginsberg. Instead of dwelling deeply on either the law of God or human laws, we hide behind the aphorism that rules are made to be broken. Politicians, both contemporary and former, are particularly adept at trying to skirt laws, or at least at trying to bend them to fit their political will. It’s that sort of ignoring of laws that prompted  Assistant Attorney General Rod Rosenstein to respond to a dust-up with a few congressional leaders that the Justice Department is “not going to be extorted.”

Delighting in the law may not be easy, but it offers something more vibrant than political success. Within the psalmist’s imagination, meditating on God’s law becomes an invitation to discover a life rooted near ever nourishing streams of God’s love.

In the News
When the New York Times editorial board released a recent editorial, it sounded a bit like the famous Yogi Berra malapropism about “déjà vu all over again.” The nearly historically lengthy editorial opened with this pithy quote from Utah Republican Senator Orrin Hatch. “This great nation can tolerate a president who makes mistakes,” Hatch said, “But it cannot tolerate one who makes a mistake and then breaks the law to cover it up.”

The quote wasn’t from 2018, and wasn’t about Donald Trump. Instead, the 1999 quote was speaking about President Bill Clinton. The paper used the quote to remind the nation of what is at stake in the current investigation by Special Prosecutor Robert Mueller, and a reminder of what it means to live in a nation of laws.

President Clinton, accused of lying under oath, was impeached after a lengthy investigation. Though he was acquitted and remained in office, the Whitewater investigation proved costly to the nation and to Clinton. Yet Clinton and Trump are hardly the only occupants of the White House to be accused of circumventing the rule of law. Recall that President George W. Bush raised the ire of Congress for firing nine U.S. Attorneys in 2006.

Likewise, President Barack Obama was criticized by the right for overstepping authority for failing to deport hundreds of thousands of undocumented immigrants, prompting this rebuke from columnist Jennifer Rubin:

In a nation of laws we replace whim and imperial favoritism with neutral laws that treat rich and poor, Democratic constituent and Republican donor all the same. And in our constitutional democracy power is enumerated, divided and balanced. But the system works only if leaders exercise self-restraint and adhere to their oaths of office. 

Six years later, and Rubin is still insisting that the occupant of the White House begin delighting in the law. Citing what she calls the Trump administration’s “unabashed descent into moral sloth,” Rubin recently noted how seemingly inured some Republicans have become to the president’s constant bending of the truth.

This week, Rubin noted just how far the party has strayed from telling the truth:

Forget the legalities. Forget accountability or transparency. The tribal premium on loyalty has obliterated the quaint idea — actually, the idea that provides the foundation for democracy — that voters deserve to know the facts and to hold politicians accountable.

Rubin’s words remind readers what is involved in delighting in the sort of wisdom which leads to life. She calls Americans to take a hard look at the current state of the country and ask, “Is this the nation we really want?” She is, remember, a conservative writer. Yet her prose seems to resonate with the psalmist’s beatitude, “Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked.” She reminds her readers that:

America is great not because it is rich or powerful, but because it is humane, fair, inclusive democratic and principled. It is far from perfect, but presidents of both parties have subscribed to those ideals and taken pains to convince voters that they are acting in ways consistent with those virtues.

Jennifer Rubin seems to be pointing toward the great quote from Deuteronomy inscribed in Justice’s Ginsburg office: “Justice, justice, you shall pursue.”

In the Scripture
The ancient songbook of Israel’s praise opens, James Howell reminds us, with a particularly poignant call to live a life transformed by God. The way of faith is not only a shouting of praise, but an act of delighting in the justice, ethics, and paths of Yahweh. Howell says once the matter is put before us, it hardly seems to be much of a decision. It seems like a no brainer: you can take the path of sinners, sit in the seat of scoffers, be like chaff driven by the wind, or you can delight in God’s instruction, be planted by rushing waters, and yield an abundant harvest.

It sounds a bit like the old “Let’s Make a Deal” game shows where the venerable host Monty Hall would ask contestants to choose between Door One or the roll of hundred dollar bills he was fanning under their noses. Which will you choose? One will be a great reward, the other will just as likely be the show’s announcer sitting on a donkey.

The psalmist understands that the reality of making these sorts of life-changing choices are not as simple as they sound. There psalmist points to two ways, but knows that all too often God’s people have made the wrong choice. They’ve left behind the fan of hundred dollar bills, only to be fooled by the announcer sitting on the donkey.

Since the psalmist knows how much we struggle over these decisions, the wording of the beginning of the psalm becomes essential. This call to faithful and wise living begins by describing those who are most happy in Israel. Clint McCann suggests that in some sense, all of the Psalms that follow will continue this theme. Psalm 1 thus introduces a notion of what it means to live a good and happy life, paving the way for the words which follow.

Pay close attention to the verbs in these six verses: “follow,” “take,” “tread,” “delight.” Those who seek a blessed life—a life filled with the riches of God—are those who accept the instruction of God. McCann is again helpful here in observing that “torah” could imply more than simply the Deuteronomistic code. (See McCann, “Psalms,” New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. IV, p. 685). The choice between two ways of life is not a legalistic formula, but instead is a life shaped by instruction, which is a primary Hebrew meaning of torah.

So meditating on the torah is not merely a reciting of the rule of laws. It is instead finding delight in relationship with God.

Those who seek the life of God are those open to instruction in God’s ways. Psalm 1 invites the reader to a deep and humble opening of self to the presence of God. Those instructed by God become those whose roots are set deep. They are the opposite of the wicked, who have not “staying power.” They are also the ones who understand what it means to be guided by torah. The righteous are those who dwell deeply in the law of God’s instruction, who love the neighbor and seek justice. They are the ones whose lives are connected and shaped by the love of God.

And how happy are they.

In The Sermon
The two lives described in Psalm 1 are easily spotted in today’s world. On the one hand, there is the call to live devoted and connected to God—a surrendering which McCann calls giving up the sovereignty of self. This way of life is grounded in the ethos of the reign of God: it dwells deeply in God’s commandments, reaches out toward the other in love, shares all things, believes all things, hopes all things, in God.

But too often we are led closer to the other way of life. This path is the one that believes we are above the instruction of God. This path claims that the rule of laws do not apply to us. Or perhaps they apply more to others than they do us. It is a way of life which elevates the self above all else. It is, however, a life that is essentially rootless and wild. The beauty of the tree elegantly crafted by God is set against the fury of chaff whipped up into a frenzy, landing scattered and shredded.

This is much more than a politically-driven sentiment.  A sermon could point out the limitations of ego-driven power and lead the congregation to understand what is at stake in truly delighting in the law. The sermon could describe what it means to take delight in God’s instruction, and to understand the implications of being rooted in God’s grace.

As I write this, I am thinking of a woman dear to me whose life is now ending. Her life was filled with the sorts of pathways and possibilities imagined by this psalm. Moreover, like any of us, she was certainly exposed to the ego-driven ways of life the psalmist describes as the pathways of the sinners, the seat of the scoffers.

Yet her life was one of service. As a nurse, she offered care and compassion. As a wife, she shared delight with her husband. As a mother, she upheld the rule of law—just ask one of her children who spent an entire night staring at a plate filled with peas. In so many ways, she was the one who pursued the instruction of the Lord.

And as my mother-in-law transitions to her life eternal, we take some solace in knowing the Lord watches over the way of the righteous.


SECOND THOUGHTS
No good deed...
by Dean Feldmeyer
John 17:6-19

Letitia "Tish" Baldrige was an American etiquette expert, public relations executive and author who was most famous for serving as Jacqueline Kennedy's Social Secretary. It was in that position that she came to conservative spokeswoman, author, playwright and U.S. Ambassador to Italy, Clare Booth Luce.

In Baldridge’s autobiography, Roman Candle: The life of an embassy social secretary, she says the following about Luce: "When I would entreat her to engage in resolving a specific case, she replied, 'No good deed goes unpunished, Tish, remember that.’"

And, so it is that Clare Booth Luce is credited with being the person who coined that phrase: “No good deed goes unpunished.”

We Christians, however, should not be surprised to hear that. In today’s Gospel lection we hear Jesus say of Christians that, “the world has hated them [followers of Jesus] because they do not belong to the world.” And we see this truth played out almost daily in the news. We should understand it completely. No good deed goes unpunished.

Punished for saving a life
On Feb. 20, 2017, someone contacted Ohio County, Indiana, 911 at 12:19 p.m. to report that a disheveled man had parked his pickup partially into her driveway and was blocking a highway lane. Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officer Michael Powell, who had had just finished his shift at noon, was traveling in his marked patrol unit, and heard the call being dispatched.

He responded to the scene, where he encountered 25-year-old Justin Holland rummaging through items in his truck. Officer Powell asked Holland to come to the back of the pickup, and noticed that Holland was acting erratically, and appeared to be impaired. (Toxicology results later found that Holland had methamphetamine, benzodiazepines, marijuana, dextromethorphan, and methadone in his system at the time of the encounter.)

Due to Holland’s behavior, Officer Powell attempted to handcuff him for officer and public safety, at which point Holland began to resist. In the struggle that followed Holland began to use his superior size and strength, along with the stimulation provided by the drugs he had ingested, to incapacitate Officer Powell

Eventually, Holland was on top of Powell who was on all fours and Holland began to take Powell’s gun.

Kristie Jaehnen, a concerned neighbor, raced from her house to help Officer Powell a concerned female neighbor,

When she saw that Holland was about to take Powell’s gun she took out her own gun and shot Holland one time.

Jaehnen and her mother, who had originally placed the 911 call, then began performing CPR on the wounded attacker. An ambulance arrived and Holland was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

Officer Powell was also transported for treatment of undisclosed, non-life-threatening injuries.

Following Holland’s death, his family acknowledged to WLWT reporters that he had been “struggling with demons.”

Holland was facing charges of fraud of a financial institution, fraud, theft, and forgery at the time of altercation, and had previously been arrested for one count of battery resulting in bodily injury.

In May, 2017, the Ohio county prosecuting attorney explained that Kristie Jaehnen had acted in defense of Officer Powell and, therefore, would not face any criminal charges for shooting Holland.

Despite the circumstances of the incident however, Holland’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jaehnen, Officer Powell, and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

The Laughery Valley Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), said on a fundraising page he has initiated to help Jaehnen with legal expenses. Although Officer Powell and the DNR have also been named in the suit, they have access to aid and defense teams that Jaehnen does not.

As of Monday afternoon, the fundraising campaign had received nearly $10,700 in donations. In the event donations exceed the amount needed for Jaehnen’s legal expenses, the balance will be donated to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, and the Police Benevolent Fund, according to the website.1

No good deed goes unpunished.         

Certainly, the violent death of one of God’s children is never a thing to be celebrated and we all grieve with his family over not just his tragic death but what appears to have been his unfortunate life as well.

But the point, here, is that Kristie Jaehnen saved the life of a police officer who could very well have been killed by a drug addled assailant and for doing so, she is being sued by the assailant’s family AND the courts have allowed the suit to go forward in spite of the findings of the prosecuting attorney that no laws had been broken and what she did was not only legal but admirable.

The irony in this story is palpable. But it is not surprising.

Here’s another that may illustrate the point even better:

The family of Massachusetts high school senior Erin Cox, who was demoted from volleyball team captain and suspended for five games after she offered a ride to a drunken friend, is getting help from a lawyer to reverse the school's decision, according to CBS Boston.

Eleanor Cox, mother of the student, told the station in an interview that her daughter is heartbroken over the punishment she received from her school after doing what she thought was "the right thing…She didn't do anything wrong.”

Erin, an honor student at North Andover High School, says she got a call two weeks ago from a friend at a party who said she was too drunk to drive. Cox, who was trying to do the right thing, went to pick up her friend from the party, but moments after she got there, police also arrived and busted several kids for underage possession of alcohol, according to the station.

Police later confirmed that Cox was not drinking.

The school, however, has a “zero tolerance” policy against drugs and alcohol and therefore they had no choice but to punish Cox.

Attorney Wendy Murphy, who is trying to help the family get the decision reversed, told the station, "If a kid asks for help from a friend, you don't want that kid to say 'I'm sorry I can't help you. I might end up in trouble at school."

The family tried to file a lawsuit in a District Court but a judge reportedly ruled they did not have jurisdiction.

Not surprisingly, no good deed goes unpunished.

That is, it shouldn’t be surprising. Especially not to Christians. But all too often, it is. Christians are outraged that not only are they sometimes punished, neither are they praised and celebrated for the good works they do. They expect the world to step aside for them, to bow to them in deference to their moral superiority.

The do not belong to the world
While exploring this topic, I was reminded of Dr. Gregory A. Boyd’s wonderful book, The Myth of a Christian Nation.

Boyd is an evangelical Christian, the founder and senior pastor of the Woodland Hills Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is also a former professor of theology and the author or co-author of more than fifteen books.

Citing scripture extensively, Boyd makes the argument that American Christians have forgotten that God often calls Christians to suffer for their faith. Christians are, after all, called to imitate Jesus Christ – to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, to go the extra mile, to feed the hungry, visit the sick and the imprisoned and even die, if necessary, as Christ did, for those who hate us.

American Christians, he says, have been so privileged, so comfortable, and so powerful for so long that they have forgotten all of this. They think that because they are in the majority in this country they should not have to suffer -- they should be deferred to, people should step aside for them, and they should get to control the rules by which everyone else lives. And they have become confused about the difference between suffering and being inconvenienced or annoyed.

If American Christians were put in the same position as Christians in other countries where they are a minority, they would take to the streets and demand their rights and, probably, be willing to use violence to secure those rights.

Unfortunately, that is the exact opposite of what Jesus calls us to do.  Using the evidence of 2000 years of Christian history, Boyd reminds us that, “Whenever Christians get…the power to enforce their righteous will on others – it eventually harms the church as well as the culture.”

We hear a lot of rhetoric about America being a “Christian nation” and how Christians should be using their political clout to “take back America for God.”

Gregory Boyd reminds us, in his excellent book, that the real power of Christianity has always been its capacity for self-sacrificial love, changing hearts, not laws, transforming individual lives, not political systems.

The true power of Christianity is found not in the sword or the gavel, but in the cross.


1 www.wlwt.com/article/woman-sued-after-shooting-man-in-fight-with-indiana-officer/19843786

https://www.themaven.net/bluelivesmatter/news/hero-who-shot-man-trying-to-kill-cop-gets-sued-by-criminal-s-family-MiHrPHvwp0ymM1Llqu8u1w/?full=1


ILLUSTRATIONS

From team member Ron Love:

Discipleship
The 144th running of Kentucky Derby took place on Saturday, May 5, 2018 in Louisville, Kentucky. The field was open to 20 horses. On a soggy Saturday afternoon before a crowd of 157,813, the eight largest crowd in Derby history, Justify took command at the half-mile pole and roared away to a 2 ½-length victory over Good Magic at Churchill Downs. Justify became the first horse to win the Kentucky Derby without racing as a 2-year-old since Apollo in 1882. With Justify victory, he broke what has long been considered the “Apollo Curse.” Before Justify victory, Apollo was the only horse who ever won the “Run for the Roses” without having raced as a two-year-old. Apollo, a lightly raced colt pulled off an upset for the ages, defeating 4-5 favorite Runnymede on a muddy track to win the Kentucky Derby. It wasn’t until now, 2018, that a 3-year-old broke the 136-year-old “Apollo Curse.” Justify gave trainer Bob Baffert his fifth Kentucky Derby victory and jockey Mike Smith his second. Baffert now trails only Ben Jones, who has six Derby wins. The victory was worth $1,432,000 and increased Justify earnings to $2,098,000, with an unblemished record of four wins in four starts. Regarding Justify, Baffert said, “The thing about the Kentucky Derby, you have to have the right horse. It just happens. You can’t force it. All of a sudden, you have good horses and you’re there. So, I’ve been fortunate to have some really good horses.”

Application: When the remaining eleven Apostles were seeking a new twelfth Apostle, they set some very strict standards as to who could be considered. In that process, Matthias was selected. We need to be mindful of the high standards that it requires to be a disciple. Trainer Bob Baffert realized that in order to compete in the Kentucky Derby, you had to have the “right horse.”

* * *

Discipleship
In the newspaper comic the Born Loser, written by Art and Chip Sansom, we have Brutus "Thorny" Thornapple, better known to the reading public as the Born Loser, sitting at his office desk. He is leaning forward in his chair, with his arms resting on his desk. On his desk the “In Box” filled with a large stack of papers. Brutus says, “When people are faced with an unpleasant task, they often say…” And in the next frame Brutus now has his head resting on the palm of his hand, continues, “It’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.” In the last frame Brutus is now looking at the reader and he says, “Around here they say, it’s a dirty job, but Thornapple has to do it!”

Application: Disciples of Jesus are called to be “in the world.” As disciples we know that we are called to do the dirty work.

* * *

Witness
Bill Cosby was convicted of drugging and molesting Andrea Constand, who is presently a 45-year-old Temple University women’s basketball administrator, at his suburban Philadelphia home fourteen years ago. When Constand came to Cosby to discuss a personal problem, she told the jury that he gave her three blue pills he called “your friends.” As she lay immobilized, unable to resist, Cosby sexually molested her. Five other women testified at the trial of having a similar ordeal with Cosby. The verdict is the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era. But one member of the jury stated that the #MeToo movement was never discussed during deliberations. The jury found the chief accuser’s testimony to be “credible and compelling.” Cosby reached superstardom as the sweater-wearing, wisdom-dispensing Dr. Cliff Huxtable, on The Cosby Show. In that role Bill Cosby became known as “America’s Dad.” He is now known as “America’s Rapist.” Cosby’s nice-guy image is now considered a sham.

Application: When Judas “turned aside,” he needed to be replaced as one of the twelve disciples. The remaining eleven set very high standards for the individual who would replace him. Matthias was selected as the person who could give witness to ministry of Jesus and the Resurrection. Because of the actions of Judas, the eleven disciples were forced to find another “America’s Dad.”

* * *

Testimony
College Signing Day was an event held across the United States at over 2,000 high schools. The event is to encourage high school seniors to continue their education after graduation. Michelle Obama spoke at a Philadelphia high school. She shared how a high school counselor advised her not to set her sights too high and warned that some of the schools on her list were out of her reach. She did not heed her counselor’s words. After high school she went on Princeton University and then to Harvard Law School. Obama told the students, “I know that you are me, and if I can be standing here as your forever first lady, then you can do anything you put your mind to.”

Application: Throughout our lectionary readings, we read of the importance of giving one’s religious testimony.

* * *

Witness
Hobby Lobby is the Oklahoma City-based private company that extolls the virtues of its Christian founder David Green. Green is also the founder of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. During the Iraq War, there was a scheme that involved a number of middlemen and the used phony or misleading invoices, shipping labels and other paperwork to slip stolen artifacts past US Customs agents. Thousand of archeological artifacts were smuggled into the United States. David Green and the Hobby Lobby corporation purchased 5,500 artifacts, which they knew were illegally obtained, for $1.6 million for his Museum of the Bible. Hobby Lobby, to settle a lawsuit, agreed to pay a $3 million fine and return the stolen items to Iraq.

Application: To be a witness for the Lord requires integrity.

* * *

Testimony
Donte Robinson and Rashon Nelson were the two black men that were arrested at Starbucks, in the well-to-do Rittenhouse Square Neighborhood in Philadelphia. The proprietor of the store had them arrested for the were sitting at the store, asked to use the restroom, but did not purchase anything. The men, in fact, were waiting for a third gentleman for a business meeting. Robinson and Nelson made a settlement with Starbucks for an undisclosed amount, plus a free education at Arizona State University. They made a settlement with the city for one dollar. In that settlement the city agreed to establish a $200,000 program for young entrepreneurs. Regarding the agreement with the city, Robinson said, “We thought long and hard about it, and we feel like this is the best way to see that change that we want to see. It’s not a right-now thing that’s good for right now, but I feel like we will see the true change over time.”

Application: Throughout our lectionary readings, we read of the importance of giving one’s religious testimony.

* * *

Testimony
Jessica Brown is the executive director of All 4 Autism. The Autism Resource Center of the Pee Dee opened on April 25, 2017. It is the only resource center for autism in that region of South Carolina. When her son Jack was diagnosed with autism 11 years ago at the age of three, Brown began to write letters to him to record their experiences together. April was autism awareness month, and some of her letters were printed in The Morning News, the community newspaper for Florence, South Carolina. She wrote in her letter, “Your diagnosis came at a time when autism wasn’t as understood or talked about.” She went on to write, “The road was tough and lonely, and I questioned every decision that I made for you.” As an introduction to the reprinted letters, Jessica Brown wrote, “I have witnessed the evolution of the autism movement over the past 10 years. We’ve gone from awareness, to acceptance and now, inclusion. The next decade might even replace ‘disability’ with ‘neurodiversity.’”

Application: It is important to give our testimony so others can learn and understand.

* * *

Education
In the newspaper comic Ziggy, we have this non-descript character with a big nose, no pants, who represents everyone and everybody who struggles with the daily adversities of life. Recently in the newspaper Ziggy is standing with his right arm raised and index finger pointed skyward. In that pose he declares, “I like myself just the way I am!” In the next frame we see Ziggy walking away with a discouraged look on his face, saying, “as long as I don’t get any worse!”

Application: Psalm One outlines the importance of having good moral teachings.

* * *

Testimony
With a single step over a weathered, cracked slab of concrete, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made history. He crossed over the world’s most heavily armed border to greet South Korean President Moon Jae-in for talks on North Korea’s nuclear weapons. Kim then invited Moon to cross briefly back with him into North Korea. It was the first time that a member of the ruling Kim dynasty has crossed over to the southern side of the Demilitarized Zone since the hostilities of the Korean War ended in 1953. What has made this event even more historic is that North and South Korea are still technically at war as no peace treaty was ever signed.

Application: Through our words and through our actions we can make an important testimony about what we believe.

* * *

Testimony
On October 22, 1844 a group of 50,000 followers of William Miller expected the immediate return of Jesus. So strongly did they hold these beliefs, that many sold their possessions and others let their fields lie fallow. When Jesus did not return the aftermath was called the Great Disappointment. Some, sadly, even committed suicide. In May of that year, the remaining followers organized themselves into a church. They called themselves Adventists for they expected the immediate return – advent – of Jesus. Today they are known as the Seven-day Adventists.

Application: Even though the Seven-day Adventists have gained respectability and do remarkable work in the world today, we must remember that many were led into a false hope by a false testimony. Use discernment when listening to the testimony of another individual.

Illustrations/observations from team member Tom Willadsen:

John 17:11b-19, Psalm 1, Acts 1:15-17, 21-26 & I John 5:9-13
In the gospel reading Jesus is praying to God for protection for his disciples. It’s a dangerous world out there; persecution awaits. The love that he has led them to experience, feel and trust, has flowed into them, through him, all of which has come from God the creator. He’s preparing them, as he has prepared them since washing their feet clear back in chapter 13. They should feel come confidence, especially, as they note early in chapter 17 that Jesus has stopped speaking in metaphors, but has begun speaking plainly. Chapter 16 ends with this word of confidence and encouragement: “In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world.” One can wonder about his timing at this point. After he spends chapter 17 praying, Judas identifies and betrays him.

Circling back to earlier in the Season of Easter, Jesus has said that to love God is to obey God’s law. Obedience is how we express love for God, and for one another. This is not obvious to 21st century Americans. For us love is a feeling, an involuntary emotion. Yes, we can express it, but not through obedience to law. And to abide in love is to abide in God, just as Christ abides in God. There’s an overlapping, through-and-through quality to what Jesus is pouring into the disciples’ heads. Maybe if they hear the same concept in repeatedly, in different words, they will love and obey completely. Redundancy is a really good technique when you’re trying to make a point. It also helps to say the same things repeatedly. And don’t forget to cover the same topics more than once, so that…you get the idea…

The tie to obedience from John 15 is expressed clearly in today’s psalm. Psalm 1 advises describes as “happy” or “blessed” are those who delight in the law of the Lord.

Last month the world witnessed an extraordinary and hope-filled event when Kim  Jong Un, North Korea’s Supreme Leader visited South Korea’s President, Moon Jae-in. The Inter-Korean Summit was the first time a leader of North Korea had entered South Korea.

The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang led to a warming of relations between the Koreas. This was followed by the Panmunjean Declaration for Peace, Prosperity and Unification of the Korean Peninsula, April 27, 2018.

The two nations have been bitter enemies since the Korean peninsula was partitioned following the Second World War. War raged between the two nations, with the presence of Chinese, and Soviet military forces backing the north and United Nations’ forces, largely from the United States for three years. An armistice which South Korean President Syngman Rhee agreed to abide by reluctantly, but did not sign, has been in force since 1953. Relations between the nations have been tense and fragile for three generations.

The declaration covers domestic, trade and military issues. Its final commitment is the complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula, which has been a very high priority for the United States and the rest of the world, because of the perception that the supreme leader is unstable.

The current administration in Washington has taken a more aggressive, provocative tone in dealing with North Korea. Hopes are modest because of North Korea’s repeatedly violating prior international agreements.

It appears that this time, however, a lasting peace may finally take hold. The current accord was negotiated between the two Koreas, without the presence of regional or international powers.

The question remains though, will the nations abide by the terms of the new agreement? Will they delight in its words? Will they meditate day and night and regard this agreement as having the force of law? Perhaps.

In “Mending Wall” Robert Frost observes, “good fences make good neighbors.” While the poem laments the neighbor’s need for a wall, there is also a recognition that sometimes, to keep the peace, one builds and tends the wall.

Whether it’s a wall, the law or a treaty, these tangible, concrete, mutually-accepted limits may bring a peace worth meditating on, even celebrating.

From team member Mary Austin:

John 17:6-19
The Lost Art of Blessings
As part of his farewell instructions, Jesus offers a long prayer for his friends, giving them his blessing in the face of their approaching separation. Author John O'Donohue says that we have a similar ability, grounded in our faith, to bless each other. “In his book, “To Bless the Space Between Us,” John O’Donohue describes an experience he had when he was a young priest visiting a group of nuns.  He was asked by one of the older women to offer her a blessing.  After he finished, he knelt down in front of her, and similarly asked her for a blessing.  She was completely taken aback by this because, apparently, no one had ever asked her for such a thing.”

Commenting on this,  Karen Horneffer Ginter says “I’ve become enchanted with this invitation, regardless of whether we define a blessing as being a wish or a prayer, whether we conceive it as coming from us or through us, or whether we offer blessings though what we say, write, or think.  In any of these forms, the act of blessing another contains several irresistible qualities. First, blessings are empowering because they connect us to our capacity to offer good to the world through simple thoughts and actions.  They also provide us with a constructive way to redirect our thoughts and emotions, which might otherwise get channeled into worry, frustration, or self-absorption.  Our concern for our child can be held in a blessing: “May this situation work out for you.”  Our frustration at work can fuel a thought: “May this situation find harmony.” When we find ourselves consumed with our own predicament, we can expand our thinking by offering blessings to others who might be involved in similar situations: “May we all find resolution and clarity.”  Such shifts in our awareness can help us to broaden our patterns of thinking so that we don’t get caught up in a tight web of repetitive and consuming thoughts.”

Following the example of Jesus, we can offer blessings to anyone facing a goodbye, or struggling with a painful situation.

* * *

Psalm 1
Rooted in Nature
Part of the beauty of Psalm 1 is the peaceful image of being rooted in the natural world. The psalmist says that the righteous are “like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither.” We all need a dose a nature, no matter where we are, to restore our spirits. Nalini Nadkarni, a forest ecologist and professor of biology at the University of Utah, says that she wanted to learn how to grow moss, which has many commercial uses.” She approached a local prison, to see if the men in prison could help with growing the moss. The warden agreed, and smoothed the way for her through the required channels. “We wished to know which species grow the fastest, and the inmates learned how to distinguish the different types of mosses, built a small greenhouse with recycled lumber, and took notes with the notebooks and pencils I distributed. After eighteen months, we all shared the excitement of knowing which mosses grew fastest.”

The moss turned out to be just the beginning. “There were other rewards that I had not foreseen, small and individual, but real. One of the prisoners, Inmate Hunter, joined the horticulture program at the local community college after his release, with a career goal of opening his own plant nursery. “I don’t want to just mow lawns and trim hedges anymore,” he said firmly. “I want to grow real plants.” Another, Inmate Juarez, told me he had taken an extra mesh bag of moss from the greenhouse and placed it inside the drawer of his bedside night table. Each morning, he told me, he opened the drawer to see if the moss was still alive. “And though it’s been shut up in a dark place for so long, it’s still alive and growing this morning,” he said, grinning. And then, more quietly, “Like me.” This “Moss-in-Prisons” project answered the scientific question I posed, which I valued from the standpoint of a researcher. However, the activities also resulted in better social interactions among the inmates, which was viewed positively by the administrators. The work also provided stimulation and a strong sense of contributing to the Earth, which proved to be of value for the inmates themselves.”

The moss was just a start in helping the men in the prison feel more connected to a larger purpose, and to their own talents.

* * *

John 17:6-19
God in the World
In preparing to leave his followers, Jesus says, “All mine are yours, and yours are mine…now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world.” Author David Fitch writes about finding God’s presence, and God’s people at his local McDonald’s. He goes there in the mornings to work, and he started by sitting in his booth, sipping coffee and working. In Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines That Shape the Church for Mission, he recalls, “I would drink coffee, grade papers, do research, have meetings, and do other things pastors and professors do. A friend eventually challenged me to see this local McDonald’s as the arena of God’s Spirit at work. Instead of seeing it as merely a place to do my own work, instead of even seeing the hundreds of people that pass by as candidates for my “come to Jesus” evangelism speech, I was challenged to see this place as a vibrant arena where God was truly present. I was exhorted to enter this place peacefully and be present with every person who came my way, pay attention to all that was going around me, and tend to God’s presence here.”

He changed his routine, and began to see the McDonald’s differently. “For a few hours in the early morning, I started to do that regularly. As time went on I started to meet an array of people in surprising conversations. I got to know people struggling to hold onto a job, abused by a spouse, or mistreated by police. I got to know some police themselves. I shared tables regularly with people who lived in cars and vans. I became enmeshed in a network where God was working in people’s lives, and I was swept up into it. I had never been invited into the lives of so many people as I was at this McDonald’s (not even in a church). We encountered of which I’ll tell about in this book). I found myself joined with people in prayer, reconciliation, healing, and proclaiming the hope of the gospel. I became a participant in God’s work. I was learning how to be faithfully present to his presence. I was catching a glimpse of what faithful presence might look like in the world. Although in many ways that McDonald’s extension of Christ’s presence as experienced at Life on the Vine without me really knowing it. I now believe every neighborhood, coffee shop, community center, Black Lives Matter protest march, YMCA, workplace, racial reconciliation village hall meeting, prison, city hall, homeless shelter, MOPS group, labor union hall, and hospital is a potential arena of God’s presence similar to McDonald’s.”
We are called by Jesus to be in the world, as an extension of his living presence.


WORSHIP
by George Reed

Call to Worship:
Leader: Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked.
People: Happy are they whose delight is in the law of God.
Leader: When we meditate day and night on God’s la.
People: Then we are like trees planted by streams of water.
Leader: We will yield our fruit in season and our leaves will not wither.
People: In all that we do, we shall prosper.

OR

Leader: God comes to embrace us in love and teach us.
People: We have come to learn of God’s love and God’s ways.
Leader: God’s love and ways are one and the same.
People: We rejoice that God leads us into joy and peace.     
Leader: Delight in God’s ways for they are the way of life.
People: We receive God’s instructions with joy and happiness.

Hymns and Songs:
“Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty”
UMH: 64
H82: 362
PH: 138
AAHH: 329
NNBH: 1
NCH: 277
CH: 4
LBW: 165
ELA: 413
W&P: 136
AMEC: 25
STLT: 26
Renew: 204

“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
UMH: 103
H82: 423
PH: 263
NCH: 1
CH: 66
LBW: 526
ELA: 834
W&P: 48
AMEC: 71
STLT: 273
Renew: 46

“Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life”
UMH: 164
H82: 487
NCH: 331
LBW: 513
ELA: 816
W&P: 403
STLT: 89

“Break Thou the Bread of Life”
UMH: 599
PH: 329
AAHH: 334
NNBH: 295
NCH: 321
CH: 321
LBW: 235
ELA: 515
W&P: 665
AMEC: 209 

“Wonderful Words of Life”
UMH: 600
AAHH: 332
NNBH: 293
NCH: 319
CH: 323
W&P: 668
AMEC: 207

“Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us”
UMH381
H82: 708
PH: 387
AAHH: 424
NNBH: 54
NCH: 252
CH: 558
LBW: 481
ELA: 789
W&P: 440
AMEC: 379 

“Lead Me, Lord”
UMH: 473
AAHH: 145
NNBH: 341
CH: 593 
Renew: 175

“Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus”
UMH: 514
H82: 561
AAHH: 476
NNBH: 409
CH: 613
LBW: 389
W&P: 513
AMEC: 41

“Our God Reigns”
CCB: 33

“More Precious than Silver”
CCB: 25

Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship

Prayer for the Day/Collect
O God who knows us and knows our every need:
Grant us the wisdom to seek your guidance
that we may find true delight and joy in life;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

OR

We praise you, O God, because you knows us better than we know ourselves. You understand us and seek our good. Help us to open our lives to your direction that we may find joy and delight in living with and in you. Amen.

Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our seeking guidance from sources other than our God.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have given us your guidance that we might find life that exceeds mere existence and yet we find ourselves ignoring your ways and seeking other guides. We listen to the voices of those who tell us joy comes in wealth, status, or other things. We turn off your message that loving kindness is the way to true happiness. Forgive us our foolish ways and strengthen us with your Spirit that we might seek your ways and delight in them all our days. Amen. 
Leader: God is seeking our good. Receive the love of God and know that God’s love is wrapped in God’s commands.

Prayers of the People
All praise and glory are yours, O God, for you are the one who knows all creation deeply. You know us better than we know ourselves.

(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. You have given us your guidance that we might find life that exceeds mere existence and yet we find ourselves ignoring your ways and seeking other guides. We listen to the voices of those who tell us joy comes in wealth, status, or other things. We turn off your message that loving kindness is the way to true happiness. Forgive us our foolish ways and strengthen us with your Spirit that we might seek your ways and delight in them all our days.

We give you thanks for all the ways in which you strive to guide us and lead us into life abundant and joyful. You have created out of love and out of love you continue to seek us and to guide us. We thank you for guidance of scripture, the Church, and our family and friends. We thank you for the guidance of your Spirit and for the teaching and example of Jesus.

(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)

We pray for one another this day. We know that many are in need. There are those who suffer in body, mind, and spirit. There are those who struggle to find their way because they do not understand your ways. As you love and care for all your people, help us to care for those we encounter this week.

(Other intercessions may be offered.)

All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:

Our Father....Amen.

(Or if the 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 Starter
Ask the children if they know how to play a simple game like Simon Says. Tell them you are going to play Moonbeam Simon Says. Start playing the game with them but keep changing the rules. “It doesn’t count unless Simon says please.” “You have to do the action twice, not just once.” Then talk about how frustrating it is without knowing the rules. Sometimes rules seem to keep us from doing fun things, like we can’t have ice cream right before dinner or we can’t go swimming because an adult isn’t there to watch us. But most rules are for good reasons. God’s rules are there to give us joy. When we learn God’s rules, not just memorize them but learn what God really wants us to do, like love one another, they bring us happiness and joy.


CHILDREN'S SERMON
Passing on the Story
by Bethany Peerbolte
John 17:6-19

Jesus passes on to the disciples the responsibility to teach the truth and spread the word. They traveled around and wrote the Bible to pass on the responsibility to the next generation of disciples. That legacy has been passed down all the way to us. Now it is our turn to retell the life of Jesus and let others know how much God loves the word. This doesn’t have to be done with words. We can use our actions to tell the story of how much God loves the world.

Say something like:

I’m going to describe a story and I want you to tell me what the story title is:

Girl works for her stepmother, then magically gets to go to a ball and meet a prince. (Cinderella)

Boy grows up at north pole, finds out he is not an elf and goes on an adventure to find his family (ELF)

Girl kisses frog, which turns out to be a prince (Frog Princess)

Dad searches all over the ocean to find his son (Finding Nemo)

You were able to tell me what story these were because these are stories that have been told over and over to lots and lots of people. Some of these stories are very old but we still tell them today. They still make us feel happy and so we keep telling them. The stories you just guessed are fairytales, but some stories we tell are real. There are books and movies about real people too, aren’t there?

In our scripture today Jesus tells the disciples they have a story to tell too. The story is about how much God loves the world. Jesus taught them lots of different ways to tell this story and gave them a new one to tell about his death and resurrection. Jesus says telling this story is all part of God’s plan. First God knew the story, then God sent Jesus to tell the story to people, Jesus told his disciples the story, then the disciples told and wrote the story down (hold up a Bible), and now we have to tell the story.

One way we tell the story is by coming here on Sunday’s to hear it again and remind ourselves how it goes. We can read the Bible ourselves anywhere too so we get to know the story really well. Then we can recognize the story like you were able to recognize the stories before. One of the special things that happens when you know this story, even a little bit, is that you can tell it without using words!

Since this story is about how much God loves us we can tell the story to others by simply loving them. Being kind, caring for others, giving our time and talents this is a great way to tell the story of God without having to use any words at all. As Christians we believe this is a very important story to tell, and I hope you will all find ways to let other people know about God’s story.

Pray:
God of our story, Thank you for Jesus sending Jesus to tell your story of love. Thank you that the disciples obeyed and told the story to others. Help us tell your story in our lives with our actions and words. In Jesus name, Amen.



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The Immediate Word, May 13, 2018, issue.

Copyright 2018 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.