Did I Get to the Vineyard Too Late?
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
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In this week’s lectionary gospel passage, Jesus tells a parable that at first glance seems antithetical to modern sensibilities. A vineyard owner is hiring day laborers to work in his fields, and early in the day he hires several workers at the usual going daily rate. Later in the day, the owner sees additional workers still standing at their gathering place, hoping for even a small job, and he tells them to go to the vineyard as well. Yet at the end of the day, the workers who labored for only a few hours receive a full day’s earnings. Those who put in a full day, naturally, expect something much more than that -- and when they also receive the full day’s pay that they had originally bargained for, they (and we) are struck with a profound sense of injustice that they are receiving exactly the same compensation as the partial-day workers. Instead, we think they ought to receive similar recompense per hour -- and the vineyard owner’s policies seem profoundly unfair to us. While this parable is most often interpreted as an allegory about God’s grace being equally available to us throughout our lives whether we accept it early or late, team member Mary Austin has a different viewpoint in this installment of The Immediate Word. Mary suggests that it’s also an illustration of how God’s standards for fairness are vastly different from those of the world -- and she points out that it highlights the differences between God’s economy and ours... and that all too often, the world’s typical economic and labor practices fall far short of God’s standards for justice and fairness.
Team member Chris Keating shares some additional thoughts on the counterpoint between Jonah’s disappointment with God (and even anger) for acting with mercy instead of what he perceives as justice, and Paul’s almost giddy lifting up of suffering as part of the lot of the Christian (“For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering as well”). Jonah certainly has good reason for disgust with the residents of Nineveh -- and so did many St. Louis residents who protested the acquittal this week of a former police officer in a controversial case. But in each case, the inability to let go of righteous anger became a problem. While the St. Louis protests spiraled into violent confrontation, Jonah is flummoxed when God reacts with mercy instead of vengeance after the Ninevites repent. Yes, God is sometimes responsible for events that can bring extreme suffering that we don’t deserve -- but as Paul and the story of Jonah remind us, on the other hand God also acts with mercy and spares us when we don’t deserve such grace. So questioning God over the untold misery caused by natural disasters (to cite just one timely example) is to only look at part of the cosmic equation. So why, Chris asks, are we always so angry?
Did I Get to the Vineyard Too Late?
by Mary Austin
Matthew 20:1-16
Like a modern-day version of the vineyard workers arriving at different times, Gail Evans and Marta Ramos have both worked as janitors for Fortune 500 companies. The New York Times recently profiled the two women, noting the differences in their lives. In the early 1980s, Ms. Evans started working for Eastman Kodak in Rochester. As a full-time employee of Kodak, Ms. Evans had paid vacation, some tuition reimbursement, and an annual bonus. When the site she cleaned was closed, the company found her a new job: cutting film. And when a manager learned that she was taking computer classes, she was asked to teach fellow employees how to utilize spreadsheets -- eventually leading to a professional-track job in information technology. In time, Ms. Evans became the chief technology officer for the entire company.
Several decades later, Ms. Ramos cleans the offices at Apple -- employed by a contractor hired by Apple. There is no paid vacation, no tuition reimbursement, no bonuses, and almost no path out of her job. She is not an Apple employee, and likely never will be -- let alone becoming an Apple executive.
To illustrate what the kingdom of heaven is like, Jesus also tells a story about workers and their pay. In the parable, the owner comes to choose vineyard workers where they’re waiting to be hired. First the strong workers are chosen, and then the next, until the last workers waiting are the slowest, the oldest, and the weakest, the ones who need the job most. Hired by the day, these people live precariously close to the edge. Each day brings a new search for work. No work, no food. The first group of workers have a good deal -- a whole day’s work. The later workers are willing to take even the scraps -- even part of a day’s wages.
In God’s economy, there’s always a reversal. When it’s time to be paid, the later workers make exactly same amount as the people who have been there all day -- meaning, in modern terms, that their hourly wage is much higher than their early-bird colleagues. In our economy, the reverse is more often true. As we hear the story, Jesus prompts us to think about where our economy is like God’s vision -- and where we’re falling short.
In the News
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour -- states can set a higher wage, but not a lower one -- unless you work in a restaurant or in agriculture, or off the books. A living wage is a different matter, as the Fight for $15 campaign has reminded us. We used to think that the minimum wage applied mostly to teenagers in summer jobs, but census data shows that many people making the minimum wage are adults. Half of the workers making under $10 an hour “are trying to support themselves. It’s true that low-wage workers tend to be younger than the population as a whole, and that many of them are teenagers. But a significant and growing minority are also trying to raise children of their own.”
Economists are divided about the impact of a $15 per hour minimum wage. An article last year said: “Economists are mixed about whether or not states should gradually raise their minimum wage to $15 an hour -- an issue that’s front and center after California lawmakers said they would do just that by the year 2020. Last September the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago polled 42 economists about a $15 minimum wage hike -- but there was no clear consensus about whether the wage increase would affect the unemployment rate for low-wage U.S. workers. Steve Kaplan, a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and one of the economists polled in September, opposes a $15 minimum wage. He called the increase ‘a terrible idea,’ arguing that it will cost jobs and reduce investment in companies.”
The New York Times article on Gail Evans and Marta Ramos noted that there’s more to economic security and upward mobility than wages. Kodak invested money in Ms. Evans’ career, and offered her opportunities for advancement. In contrast, tech companies like Apple make money by not having many employees. The article notes that Kodak benefited not just Ms. Evans, but a whole circle of employees. “Kodak created enough working-class jobs to help create two generations of middle-class wealth in Rochester... [but] part of the wild success of Silicon Valley giants of today -- and what makes their stocks so appealing to investors -- has come from their ability to attain huge revenues and profits with relatively few workers.” The article adds: “The ten most valuable tech companies have 1.5 million employees, according to... the Progressive Policy Institute, compared with 2.2 million employed by the ten biggest industrial companies in 1979.” Many of the jobs are outsourced to contract companies, and “the shift to a contracting economy has put downward pressure on compensation.” To move the parallel back to the laborers in Jesus’ parable, fewer of the people waiting for work are going to be hired for the day, and those who are hired will be paid less.
In the Scriptures
With the laborers who start working later in the parable, there’s no mention of money. The owner tells the workers that he’ll pay them “whatever is right,” and they go to work based on trust. We see another sign of their desperation to work. Something, even a small something, is better than nothing. It’s fun to imagine their surprise when the money is handed out. Whatever is right turns out to be -- in God’s economy -- enough for everyone... a living wage for all of the workers. Everyone has worked the day in proportion to their ability. The strongest workers labor all day, and the older, sicker, weaker laborers do as much as they can. Everyone ends up with enough.
At pay time, the first workers forget that they’re getting what they agreed to. No one has cheated them... and yet it still feels unfair. As Barbara Brown Taylor says: “[This] is a little like cod liver oil. You know Jesus is right, and you know it must be good for you, but that does not make it any easier to swallow” (The Seeds of Heaven, p. 100). Jesus sees a world where everyone in the story gets enough. Everyone in the story gets even more than they dare to hope for when they gather at the start of the day to wait for work.
The story is also a vision test for the people listening to the parable, and for us. Are we able to see the way Jesus sees? The original Greek has the owner of the vineyard, a stand-in for God, saying: “Is your eye evil because I am good?” Often our eye is evil, unhappy when we see good happening to someone else. We see unfairness, and we grumble and mutter and complain. Our seeing is distorted. Where God sees a place for grace, we see unfairness. Where God’s economy has enough for everyone, we judge differently -- assessing who’s worthy or a hard worker or playing by the invisible rules of success.
In the Sermon
The sermon might look at what would be enough for us. What would we need to have so we’re not envious of anyone else? In her book The Soul of Money,Lynne Twist says: “We’re not thin enough, we’re not smart enough, we’re not pretty enough or fit enough or successful enough or rich enough -- ever. By the time we go to bed at night, our minds race with a litany of what we didn’t get, or didn’t get done, that day. We go to sleep burdened by those thoughts and wake up to the reverie of lack...” But there is another option – the one that Jesus offers.
Lynne Twist writes about “the surprising truth of sufficiency,” adding: “By sufficiency, I don’t mean a quantity.... Sufficiency isn’t two steps up from poverty or one step short of abundance.... It isn’t an amount at all. It’s an experience... a declaration... knowing that there is enough, and that we are enough.” What would it take to put us in that place of grace?
Or the sermon might look at the role of gratitude in our lives. How do we concentrate on what we have instead of what we lack? There’s a difference between the moment the laborers are paid and the minute they realize who got what and start to grumble. How do we stay in the first moment, one of joyful thanksgiving for the day’s gifts?
The sermon might look at our ability to be happy for other people’s success. This story tests our sense of justice and our connectedness. Are we happy when someone else does well? Or do we secretly grumble? Do we see those workers rejoicing that everyone will have enough money, pleased that their neighbors are also having a good day? Do we see them celebrating that everyone has enough? God’s generosity to us is always a good thing. God’s generosity to our neighbors, especially when we judge them unworthy, is not always such a good thing. How do we learn to be people who rejoice for others?
Or the sermon might look at the places where we are like the landowner. We most often imagine ourselves as the laborers in the story, but what if we are more like the vineyard owner? As Americans, we benefit from goods made by people around the world. What do we do to make sure the people who make our shirts, dishes, and cars have a living wage?
We are made in the image of God, and so we have a share in all the parts in the story. We labor to sustain our own lives, and also to create a better world. We also watch over the people who labor on our behalf, close to home and around the world, and we have a share in their well-being too. Jesus invites us to see as he sees, and to be part of a world where there’s enough for everyone. Like God, we have an investment in not leaving anyone behind.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Anger Management (Or “Why Three Days Inside a Fish Changes Nothing”)
by Chris Keating
Jonah 3:10--4:11; Philippians 1:21-30
Any seasoned pastoral counselor would suggest Jonah get help for his anger issues. Seriously, dude. You need to talk with somebody.
There are, of course, plenty of legitimate reasons for Jonah’s temper. Three days inside the smelly, slimy gut of a huge fish can do that to a fellow. He could be angry from the sunburn he got while waiting for Nineveh to be consumed, or because the blisters on his feet have been rubbed raw from strutting across the massive city. Being tossed into a sea can be traumatizing, as could having the local cruise line put you on the top of their “do not sail” list.
He’s as angry as a wild hornet. It is his anger, though, that makes Jonah compelling. Jonah’s anger makes him real. We’ve never (probably) been swallowed up by a colossal fish, and likewise do not know what it is like to be barfed up on a beach. It’s doubtful that any of us have walked across an entire city yelling “Forty days and New York will be no more!” But most of us know what it means to be angry.
It was anger that pushed scores of protestors into the St. Louis region last weekend. Following the acquittal of a former police officer accused of murdering Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011, St. Louis’ ongoing struggle with racial tensions was inflamed once more. Smith was being pursued by then-officer Jason Stockley following a suspected drug deal. Stockley ended the chase by ordering his partner to crash the patrol car into Smith’s vehicle.
Smith had been seen entering and leaving the parking lot of a restaurant. Stockley believed he saw a drug deal and began pursuing Smith. After the car crash, Stockley (who is white), approached Smith (who was black) and shot him five times. Stockley had claimed the shooting was in self-defense and that Smith was reaching for a gun. A gun was recovered from Smith’s car, but only had DNA belonging to the police officer.
For many, the case seemed to be a clear example of police targeting African-Americans. Stockley was recorded saying, “We’re killing that mother(expletive), don’t you know.” Prosecutors alleged that he planted the gun in Smith’s car. Cellphone video also showed that Stockley was carrying his privately-owned AK-47 rifle, against regulations.
Yet on Friday, the judge hearing the bench-trial case issued a verdict of not guilty, saying the state did not prove its case.
Protestors seethed against the judge’s ruling. Initially peaceful protests turned violent, with multiple clashes reported between protestors and police. Several businesses were vandalized, the mayor’s home was attacked, and a few police officers were seriously injured. Police used pepper spray and bicycles to control the marchers.
Anger flowed throughout the city. The strife directly impacted the economy, and caused the band U2 and musician Ed Sheeran to cancel their respective concerts. Numerous other events were also interrupted -- including the weekend plans of many people far removed from the impact of the original case. Once more St. Louis was at the center of the country’s unsettled conversations on race, and people who could afford expensive concert tickets spewed their own rage at the protestors.
All in all, it was a mighty contrast to Paul’s admonition in Philippians 1:27 to “live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ... striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel.”
But it is also an indicator of the similarities we share with Jonah, whose outburst is primarily directed at God. Jonah is more than furious at God. Nineveh, the great megaplex for all that is scandalous in the world, repented. God accepted their plea, and recanted on his promise of destruction. Rather than rejoicing at the prodigal’s return, Jonah feels gypped, as if God has pulled some sort of bait-and-switch on him.
Three days inside the fish did nothing to change Jonah’s temperament. If God was going to save this stinking, rotten Gotham of heathens, then why didn’t God skip the intermediary steps? Just do it, and be done with it. Jonah thinks God’s inscrutable ways are for the birds (or maybe the fishes). Either way, he believes he has the right to purchase front-row seats to watch the Nineveh-a-palooza of God’s judgment.
Sorry, Jonah. The show’s been cancelled. Besides, anger and revenge aren’t good for your blood pressure, no matter how much fish oil you’ve consumed.
It’s interesting to compare Jonah’s struggles with Paul’s difficulties. Paul understands what it is like to be squeezed by the vise-grip of life. He’s even seen that death might be preferable. He’s imprisoned, facing execution. Yet he sets aside anger, encouraging his readers to shift perspectives. He points them toward the hope of the gospel, a hope that leads beyond our anger, resentment, and rage.
This is not to say that Jonah’s anger was not justified. It’s just a bit displaced. As a Hebrew, he understands God’s grace and covenantal love is for him and his kin. That is his privilege, and one that he does not particularly see as extending to that septic tank of sinfulness in Nineveh. Like many of us, Jonah tends to hide behind his privilege. We get angry when protests disrupt our lives, but spend little time considering the impact of racism.
God has other plans, however. In the end, we’re told nothing about what happens next. Whether Jonah takes an anger management class or ends up as a cruise director for the S.S. Tarshish we do not know. The aftermath of this curious prophet’s life remains uncertain.
Instead, we’re left with an invitation to consider God’s mercy. The story ends rather abruptly with God challenging Jonah to rethink his perspective and even his privilege. “Should I not be concerned about Nineveh,” Yahweh asks, “that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons... and also many animals?”
In the end, this little ecological story, filled with wit and wonder, calls us to reconsider the reasons why we’re always so angry.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Exodus 16:2-15
Hillary Clinton has just published a book titled What Happened. In the 494-page volume, she offers an extensive evaluation of why she lost the 2016 presidential campaign to Donald Trump. Beyond a note or two, Clinton blames everyone and everything for her loss except for her own mismanaged campaign strategy. The book is very frank and open, and her criticisms of others can be brutal. But in the opening of the book she prepares the reader for this when she writes: “Now I’m letting down my guard.”
Application: Moses and Aaron were very forthright in speaking to the Hebrews.
*****
Exodus 16:2-15
Pope Francis has a tradition of conducting news conferences onboard his plane during return flights after visiting a foreign country. Often, at these impromptu news conferences, the pope is most outspoken regarding his beliefs. On his return from Colombia, the pope expressed concern about climate change. Early in his career, Francis was a scientist. This is why he told the audience seated before him that the climate is changing and people need to listen to scientists who “speak very clearly.” In May, when Pope Francis met with President Trump at the Vatican, the pope -- realizing that Trump did not believe in climate change -- presented the president with a copy of his encyclical about the moral responsibility of protecting the environment.
Application: God spoke very clearly to the Hebrews.
*****
Exodus 16:2-15
The Arbella, a 350-ton ship with 28 cannons and a crew of 52, set sail from Cowes in the Isle of Wight on March 29, 1630. The passengers on board for the voyage across the Atlantic were the future leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The families could do little to amuse themselves during the long hours at sea: the most popular form of entertainment was listening to a sermon. As the Arbella neared the coast of the New World, John Winthrop, the leader of the colony, delivered a stirring sermon, whose words President Ronald Reagan repeated in his inaugural address. Winthrop prophesied to the colonists: “We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all the people are upon us; so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world.” With those words, the Puritans had their mandate: to be the perfect Christian community, one to be imitated throughout civilization.
Application: Moses and Aaron were trying to bring the Hebrews together as a community.
*****
Jonah 3:10--4:11
Pope Francis has a tradition of conducting news conferences onboard his plane during return flights after visiting a foreign country. Often, at these impromptu news conferences, the pope is most outspoken regarding his beliefs. On his return from Colombia, the pope expressed concern that President Donald Trump intends to end the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program. The pope questioned why, if Trump is “pro-life,” he is not insisting on keeping families together. Pope Francis said: “If he is a good pro-life believer, he must understand that family is the cradle of life and one must defend its unity.” About 800,000 children will be affected by Trump’s decision.
Application: Jonah, like many of us, doesn’t really understand his mission.
*****
Jonah 3:10--4:11
A recent study by the Public Religion Research Institute showed that 24% of the population consider themselves “nones” when it comes to affiliating with a religious denomination. They may consider themselves spiritual, but not religious. Jennifer Davidson, an associate professor of theology and worship at the American Baptist Seminary of the West, expressed concern about how these young adults make moral decisions without the guidance of scripture. Davidson said: “We need to begin asking people, ‘How do you make meaning in your life? What sustains you when you suffer? How do you cultivate a sense of wonder?’ ”
Application: Jonah, like the “nones,” came to the point where he could not answer the questions regarding the meaning of life.
*****
Jonah 3:10--4:11
Christian athlete Tim Tebow enjoyed football and one day hopes to enjoy major league baseball; but what he enjoys most in life is volunteering. Tebow is particularly concerned about volunteering and establishing charities for children with special needs. With Florida as his home state, Tebow became active in helping the victims of Hurricane Irma. He focused his attention on children with special needs, tweeting a request for volunteers to assist at shelters. Tebow wrote: “FL, let’s help bring Faith, Hope & Love to those taking refuge in our Florida Special-Needs-Shelters!”
Application: Jonah, like many of us, could not see past his own prejudices to minister to those truly in need.
*****
Philippians 1:21-30
A recent study by the Public Religion Research Institute showed that 24% of the population consider themselves “nones” when it comes to affiliating with a religious denomination. They may consider themselves spiritual, but not religious. There are now 20 states in which the religiously unaffiliated outnumber adherents to any single religious group.
Application: We must realize, like Paul, that we must remain in the flesh, we must remain living on the earth, to continue to do the evangelistic work of the Lord.
*****
Philippians 1:21-30
Hillary Clinton has just published a book titled What Happened. In the 494-page volume, she offers an extensive evaluation of why she lost the 2016 presidential campaign to Donald Trump. Clinton expresses her dismay on what Trump has to offer the Oval Office when she wrote: “I sometimes wonder: If you add together his time spent on golf, Twitter, and cable news, what’s left?”
Application: Paul writes about the importance of character.
*****
Matthew 20:1-16
Hillary Clinton has just published a book titled What Happened. In the 494-page volume, she offers an extensive evaluation of why she lost the 2016 presidential campaign to Donald Trump. What Clinton cannot understand is how Trump’s campaign succeeded where hers failed. Clinton wrote: “I was running a traditional presidential campaign with carefully thought-out policies and painstakingly built coalitions, while Trump was running a reality TV show that expertly and relentlessly stoked Americans’ anger and resentment.”
Application: We are taught in Matthew that we must have a plan.
*****
Matthew 20:1-16
The wise old preacher hobbled up to the pulpit and made an announcement to the congregation. “I have some good news and I have some bad news,” the preacher said. “Our fundraising efforts have been successful. The capital campaign will more than pay off the educational wing. We’ll even have enough money for all new toys for the nursery. The good news is, right here in this sanctuary, we have more than enough money!” Thrilled, the congregation grinned, excited about the new life -- but then grew worried. What was the bad news? The preacher continued, “The bad news is that the money is still in your pockets.”
Application: We are to be honest workers and good stewards.
***************
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Living Wage, Poverty Wage, Minimum Wage
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a tool for calculating a living wage depending on your family size and the state and county you live in.
Using my own home (Clermont County, Ohio) as an example, here’s the result:
* Living wage for a family of four: $24.20 per hour, or $980 (gross) per week, or $48,256 (gross) per year
* Wage that would allow family to live at poverty level: $11 per hour, or $22,800 (gross) per year
* Minimum wage: $8.10 per hour, or $16,848 per year
*****
What Is the iPhone X Worth?
Well, the price tag on the new iPhone X is $999, and people are standing in line to buy one. But what else might they have done with that money?
They could have drunk 235 pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. That’s about three a day if you intend to drink them all by December 1 (when the menu changes for Christmas).
They could have taken a 7-day cruise through the Caribbean. Both Norwegian and Royal Caribbean offer routes from Florida and Louisiana down through the Bahamas and other Caribbean islands for around $1,000 per person.
They could have spent 9 days at Disneyland at about $110 per day.
Or for some real deals, they could travel outside the United States. In Thailand, $1,000 will buy you 30 nights in a luxury 5-star hotel. In India you can purchase 500 packs of Marlboro cigarettes, in Cambodia you can purchase 1000 restaurant meals, and in the Philippines you can purchase 2,000 draft beers.
Or if you wanted to give it to charity, you could give through the United Way -- where a gift of $1,000 will purchase 30 cases of nutritional supplements for HIV and AIDS patients, 12 months of health education and awareness for the refugee community, or training for two volunteers to work with the terminally ill. It could also buy pneumonia vaccinations for 40 senior citizens, 200 safety education kits for families with young children, or a week of groceries for 12 four-person families.
*****
Sharing the Wealth
“As the founders of the business we remain significant investors, and it is important to us that we share our ongoing success with all colleagues.” Thus did Julian Dunkerton and James Holder, co-founders of the British retailer SuperGroup, announce a new program that would share the company’s profits with all 4,500 of their employees.
The incentive program, which runs to September 2020, would see Dunkerton and Holder deposit into a trust 20 percent of their gain from any increase in the group’s share price over £18.
Dunkerton and Holder grew the fashion chain from a market stall in Cheltenham, western England, and listed its shares at 500 pence in London in 2010. The stock closed last Monday at 1,560 pence, valuing the business at £1.27 billion.
Each £5 increase in the shares over the £18 level would see the founders put £30 million into the trust to be shared by staff worldwide.
Chief Executive Euan Sutherland and Chief Financial Officer Nick Wharton participate in existing long-term incentive arrangements, and have waived their entitlement to take part in the scheme.
*****
How Rich Is Rich?
The top 10% of American earners made at least $170,500 last year -- nearly three times the amount the typical American household earned.
The new figures come from the Census Bureau’s annual study of incomes, poverty, and health insurance in the U.S., which also showed that middle-class incomes are growing at a healthy rate. The median household income in the U.S. is now $59,000, which rose by more than $1,800 from $57,200 in 2015.
The poverty rate also declined last year by 0.8 percentage points to 12.7%. How the Census Bureau defines poverty depends on household. For the classic nuclear family with two adults and two kids, the income threshold is just over $24,000. For a lone senior, it’s roughly $11,500, according to Reuters. In all, the Census Bureau said, there were 40.6 million people living in poverty last year -- 2.5 million fewer than in 2015.
One thing that could boost the fortunes of the wealthy in 2017 and 2018 is the tax plan currently being peddled by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. While details are still sketchy, one analysis by the Tax Policy Center (TPC) found it would hand the top 5% of earners -- which the TPC estimated as taking in $308,000 and up -- an average tax cut of more than $25,000. Those in the middle fifth of the income spectrum would see also see a cut, albeit a smaller one, worth about $2,000 on average.
*****
Resetting the Middle (Class)
The incomes of middle-class Americans rose last year to the highest level ever recorded by the Census Bureau, as poverty declined and the scars of the past decade’s Great Recession seemed to finally fade.
Median household income rose to $59,039 in 2016, a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year and the second consecutive year of healthy gains, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday (9/12/17). The nation’s poverty rate fell to 12.7 percent, returning nearly to what it was in 2007 before a financial crisis and deep recession.
However, the 2016 census report also points to the sources of deeper anxieties among American workers and underscores threats to continued economic progress.
For example: Middle-class households are only now seeing their income eclipse 1999 levels.
And inequality remains high, with the top fifth of earners taking home more than half of all overall income, a record. And yawning racial disparities remain, with the median African-American household earning only $39,490, compared with more than $65,000 for whites and over $81,000 for Asians.
*****
Calamities Blamed on God
Most biblical scholars agree with Bernard M. Levinson, a Jewish studies professor at the University of Minnesota, when he writes that “the author of the flood story is saying that God doesn’t act randomly, that God responds to human action,” and that the Noah story is set in prehistoric times, which shows the narrative is meant to be taken as metaphor, not as a practical explanation of natural disasters.
But that doesn’t keep some from trying to find a reason in human behavior for the calamities that befall us. For example:
* The Haiti earthquake: A day after Haiti’s devastating 2009 earthquake, which claimed 200,000 lives, Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson said the disaster was provoked by the Haitians’ “pact to the devil.” The 700 Club host said Haitians had entered that pact to gain independence from French rule in the early 1800s. “They said, ‘We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.’ True story,” Robertson said. “And so, the devil said, ‘Okay, it’s a deal.’ ”
* Hurricane Katrina: A handful of politically conservative Christians blamed 2005’s Hurricane Katrina -- which struck New Orleans and the Gulf coast, and left more than 1,800 dead -- on the Crescent City’s embrace of gay pride events. “All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens,” John Hagee, a Texas-based evangelical, said after Katrina. “I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are -- were -- recipients of the judgment of God for that.”
* The 9/11 attacks: Two days after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, Jerry Falwell said the attacks were, at least in part, God’s judgment on those who would secularize American public life. “I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America, I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.’ ”
* The Civil War: Abraham Lincoln entered the White House conceiving of God as a distant creator. But the presidency transformed that view into one of a God who acts in the universe. The turnaround was triggered largely by watching the Civil War’s casualty numbers rise into the hundreds of thousands. In 1862, Lincoln scribbled down his thoughts about God and war. “I am almost ready to say this is probably true -- that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet,” he wrote. “He could give the final victory to either side any day -- yet the contest proceeds.”
* The Holocaust: During and after World War II, some Orthodox Jews attributed the murder of 6 million fellow believers to Jewish transgression. Many in that camp pointed a finger at Zionists, who they accused of trying to establish Israel too soon, before the Messiah’s return.
* The biblical flood: The God of the Hebrew Bible is frequently portrayed as a ruler who doles out major rewards -- and some very harsh punishments. One of the most famous is the flood in Genesis, which God orchestrates in response to human wickedness. He allows the righteous Noah to build an ark to ride out 40 days’ worth of rain. Widely cited as the archetypal act of divine retribution, some biblical scholars say the story was intended less to warn of a vengeful God than to establish the role of human agency in world events. Bernard Levinson says the story is a counternarrative to the Epic of Gilgamesh, a Mesopotamian tale that involves a massive flood but that depicts humans as powerless in the face of capricious gods.
*****
Food Stamps by the Numbers
The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) -- more widely known as “Food Stamps” -- was originally intended to provide short-term, temporary food assistance for those in need. Here is where the program stands today:
* Total annual cost of food stamp (SNAP) program: $69,800,000,000 ($69.8 billion)
* Number of Americans using the food stamp (SNAP) program: 41,170,732 (41.17 million -- lowest since 2000)
* Number of American households receiving food stamps: 22,318,000 (22. 31 million)
* Percent of population on food stamp program: 14%
* Average monthly assistance per person: $158.22
* State with the highest percentage of population on SNAP: Mississippi (20.8%)
* State with the lowest percentage of population in SNAP: Wyoming (6.3%)
* Percentage of SNAP recipients under 18, over 60, or disabled: 75%
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: O give thanks to God, call on God’s name.
People: Make known God’s deeds among the peoples.
Leader: Sing to God, sing praises.
People: Tell of all God’s wonderful works.
Leader: Glory in God’s holy name.
People: Let the hearts of those who seek God rejoice.
OR
Leader: The God of all creation calls us together this day.
People: We hear God’s call to gather as community.
Leader: It is not just for us that God calls but for all humanity.
People: We invite all God’s children to join with us.
Leader: God invites us not just to worship but to the work of justice.
People: We will join in God’s work of justice for all.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Now Thank We All Our God”
found in:
UMH: 102
H82: 395, 397
PH: 555
NNBH: 330
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533, 534
ELA: 839, 840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT: 32
“All Creatures of Our God and King”
found in:
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELA: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
“Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life”
found in:
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELA: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
“This Is My Song”
found in:
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELA: 887
STLT: 159
“What Does the Lord Require”
found in:
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
W&P: 686
“Lord, You Give the Great Commission”
found in:
UMH: 584
H82: 528
PH: 429
CH: 459
ELA: 579
W&P: 592
“Where Charity and Love Prevail”
found in:
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELA: 359
“God of Grace and God of Glory”
found in:
UMH: 577
H82: 594, 595
PH: 420
NCH: 436
CH: 464
LBW: 415
ELA: 705
W&P: 569
AMEC: 62
STLT: 115
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who gave us a creation abounding with resources: Grant us the grace to help ensure that all your people have enough of your bounty for their needs; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for you have given us a creation that abounds with resources. Help us to ensure that all your children have enough of this bounty to meet their needs. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to see to the needs of others.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have received so much from the bounty of creation, and yet we fail to make sure that others have all that they need. We participate in systems that reward the wealthy and strip the poor of what little they have. You have made us stewards of creation, and we have turned into users and abusers of your good gift. Forgive us, and call us back once more to justice and mercy. Amen.
Leader: God always welcomes us to join in the work of justice and mercy. Receive God’s love and grace, and work to make God’s reign complete.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We glory in your name, O God, for you are our gracious creator. You have given us a world that gives more than we need to be filled and satisfied.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have received so much from the bounty of creation, and yet we fail to make sure that others have all that they need. We participate in systems that reward the wealthy and strip the poor of what little they have. You have made us stewards of creation, and we have turned into users and abusers of your good gift. Forgive us, and call us back once more to justice and mercy.
We thank you for the blessings you have poured out upon us. You have given us a wonderful world, your own presence, and grace unending. You have given us community that expands to include all your children.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for those in need, and especially for those who have been denied a chance to receive the bounty of your earth. Because of war, violence, and greed, the resources you have given to us do not reach everyone.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Have a bag of cookies (or a more healthy substitute); small ones like Nilla Wafers are good. Put a napkin down in front of each child and then start to pass them out. Say “one for you and one for me” as you give them out, giving yourself one every time you give one to any of the children. (If there is only one child, give one to him or her and three for you.) Someone is bound to point out that this is not fair. If not, ask the children about it. Then talk to them about sharing. Talk about how God has given us everything we have -- we need to make sure all get a fair share.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
God Ultimately Decides
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Jonah 3:10--4:11
(Greet the children and welcome them.)
Have any of you ever heard the Bible story about Jonah and the whale? (If any of the children have heard the story, invite them to tell as much as they recall; fill in the parts they forget.)
The story of Jonah that we read in our Bible does involve a whale that spits Jonah out of his mouth and onto shore, but there’s much more to the story!
Jonah was one of God’s prophets, which means that he delivered God’s message to the people. Sometimes people would listen to the prophets; sometimes they wouldn’t. It wasn’t easy to be a prophet.
One day, God called Jonah to go to a large city called Nineveh. Jonah was to tell the people that they weren’t following God’s ways and that if they didn’t turn back to God then God would punish them.
Jonah knew the town of Nineveh. There were bad people there. He did NOT want to go there and deliver this message to the people. He didn’t think the people would listen to him, and he was pretty sure they weren’t going to like him.
So instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah hopped on a ship traveling away from Nineveh. He was going to try to run away from the job God had for him to do.
A big storm blew up while Jonah was on the ship at sea. The crew of the ship thought the storm was punishment for Jonah, who was trying to run away from God. So they dumped Jonah off the ship and into the sea.
This is where the whale comes in!
Jonah was thrashing around in the waves, sure that he was going to drown, when a giant fish (the whale) scooped Jonah up in his mouth and swallowed him. It took three days for the whale to swim closer to shore. When he got there, he spit Jonah out of his mouth and he landed on dry ground.
Then Jonah knew... the whale and God had saved him... and he was going to have to go to Nineveh!
Reluctantly, Jonah followed through on what God had first told him to do. He went to Nineveh and delivered God’s message to the people there.
To Jonah’s surprise... the people listened to God’s message! They changed their ways. They returned to following God and God’s laws.
What do you think Jonah did when he saw the people of Nineveh turn back toward God? Do you think he was excited? Do you think he had a celebration? Do you think he thanked God for saving his life and making his work a success?
NO! Jonah got mad at God!!! He got mad at God because he knew that the people of Nineveh were so bad that God would have to punish them. Jonah got mad because he didn’t think God was being fair. He thought bad people deserved to be punished. But instead of punishment, God showed mercy to the people of Nineveh. They turned to God and God welcomed them. Jonah thought that this just wasn’t fair.
What do you think? Was it fair of God to forgive the people of Nineveh? (Invite the children to offer their thoughts.) Was it fair of Jonah to get mad at God for forgiving people who were bad at one time, but who now were good? (Invite the children to offer their thoughts.)
In Jonah’s day, and in our day, God is the one who decides to forgive. God is the one who shows what is fair. God is the one who welcomes people who turn to God and follow God’s way. No matter whether Jonah thought it was fair or not -- God decides to show mercy.
Prayer: God of mercy, we get caught up with looking for what is fair, what is enough, what is important, what matters to me. Let Jonah’s story remind us that you know what is right, you know what is fair. You show mercy. Let us trust and follow you; let us love our neighbor. Let us leave the big stuff to you. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 24, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 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.
Team member Chris Keating shares some additional thoughts on the counterpoint between Jonah’s disappointment with God (and even anger) for acting with mercy instead of what he perceives as justice, and Paul’s almost giddy lifting up of suffering as part of the lot of the Christian (“For he has graciously granted you the privilege not only of believing in Christ, but of suffering as well”). Jonah certainly has good reason for disgust with the residents of Nineveh -- and so did many St. Louis residents who protested the acquittal this week of a former police officer in a controversial case. But in each case, the inability to let go of righteous anger became a problem. While the St. Louis protests spiraled into violent confrontation, Jonah is flummoxed when God reacts with mercy instead of vengeance after the Ninevites repent. Yes, God is sometimes responsible for events that can bring extreme suffering that we don’t deserve -- but as Paul and the story of Jonah remind us, on the other hand God also acts with mercy and spares us when we don’t deserve such grace. So questioning God over the untold misery caused by natural disasters (to cite just one timely example) is to only look at part of the cosmic equation. So why, Chris asks, are we always so angry?
Did I Get to the Vineyard Too Late?
by Mary Austin
Matthew 20:1-16
Like a modern-day version of the vineyard workers arriving at different times, Gail Evans and Marta Ramos have both worked as janitors for Fortune 500 companies. The New York Times recently profiled the two women, noting the differences in their lives. In the early 1980s, Ms. Evans started working for Eastman Kodak in Rochester. As a full-time employee of Kodak, Ms. Evans had paid vacation, some tuition reimbursement, and an annual bonus. When the site she cleaned was closed, the company found her a new job: cutting film. And when a manager learned that she was taking computer classes, she was asked to teach fellow employees how to utilize spreadsheets -- eventually leading to a professional-track job in information technology. In time, Ms. Evans became the chief technology officer for the entire company.
Several decades later, Ms. Ramos cleans the offices at Apple -- employed by a contractor hired by Apple. There is no paid vacation, no tuition reimbursement, no bonuses, and almost no path out of her job. She is not an Apple employee, and likely never will be -- let alone becoming an Apple executive.
To illustrate what the kingdom of heaven is like, Jesus also tells a story about workers and their pay. In the parable, the owner comes to choose vineyard workers where they’re waiting to be hired. First the strong workers are chosen, and then the next, until the last workers waiting are the slowest, the oldest, and the weakest, the ones who need the job most. Hired by the day, these people live precariously close to the edge. Each day brings a new search for work. No work, no food. The first group of workers have a good deal -- a whole day’s work. The later workers are willing to take even the scraps -- even part of a day’s wages.
In God’s economy, there’s always a reversal. When it’s time to be paid, the later workers make exactly same amount as the people who have been there all day -- meaning, in modern terms, that their hourly wage is much higher than their early-bird colleagues. In our economy, the reverse is more often true. As we hear the story, Jesus prompts us to think about where our economy is like God’s vision -- and where we’re falling short.
In the News
The federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour -- states can set a higher wage, but not a lower one -- unless you work in a restaurant or in agriculture, or off the books. A living wage is a different matter, as the Fight for $15 campaign has reminded us. We used to think that the minimum wage applied mostly to teenagers in summer jobs, but census data shows that many people making the minimum wage are adults. Half of the workers making under $10 an hour “are trying to support themselves. It’s true that low-wage workers tend to be younger than the population as a whole, and that many of them are teenagers. But a significant and growing minority are also trying to raise children of their own.”
Economists are divided about the impact of a $15 per hour minimum wage. An article last year said: “Economists are mixed about whether or not states should gradually raise their minimum wage to $15 an hour -- an issue that’s front and center after California lawmakers said they would do just that by the year 2020. Last September the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago polled 42 economists about a $15 minimum wage hike -- but there was no clear consensus about whether the wage increase would affect the unemployment rate for low-wage U.S. workers. Steve Kaplan, a professor at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and one of the economists polled in September, opposes a $15 minimum wage. He called the increase ‘a terrible idea,’ arguing that it will cost jobs and reduce investment in companies.”
The New York Times article on Gail Evans and Marta Ramos noted that there’s more to economic security and upward mobility than wages. Kodak invested money in Ms. Evans’ career, and offered her opportunities for advancement. In contrast, tech companies like Apple make money by not having many employees. The article notes that Kodak benefited not just Ms. Evans, but a whole circle of employees. “Kodak created enough working-class jobs to help create two generations of middle-class wealth in Rochester... [but] part of the wild success of Silicon Valley giants of today -- and what makes their stocks so appealing to investors -- has come from their ability to attain huge revenues and profits with relatively few workers.” The article adds: “The ten most valuable tech companies have 1.5 million employees, according to... the Progressive Policy Institute, compared with 2.2 million employed by the ten biggest industrial companies in 1979.” Many of the jobs are outsourced to contract companies, and “the shift to a contracting economy has put downward pressure on compensation.” To move the parallel back to the laborers in Jesus’ parable, fewer of the people waiting for work are going to be hired for the day, and those who are hired will be paid less.
In the Scriptures
With the laborers who start working later in the parable, there’s no mention of money. The owner tells the workers that he’ll pay them “whatever is right,” and they go to work based on trust. We see another sign of their desperation to work. Something, even a small something, is better than nothing. It’s fun to imagine their surprise when the money is handed out. Whatever is right turns out to be -- in God’s economy -- enough for everyone... a living wage for all of the workers. Everyone has worked the day in proportion to their ability. The strongest workers labor all day, and the older, sicker, weaker laborers do as much as they can. Everyone ends up with enough.
At pay time, the first workers forget that they’re getting what they agreed to. No one has cheated them... and yet it still feels unfair. As Barbara Brown Taylor says: “[This] is a little like cod liver oil. You know Jesus is right, and you know it must be good for you, but that does not make it any easier to swallow” (The Seeds of Heaven, p. 100). Jesus sees a world where everyone in the story gets enough. Everyone in the story gets even more than they dare to hope for when they gather at the start of the day to wait for work.
The story is also a vision test for the people listening to the parable, and for us. Are we able to see the way Jesus sees? The original Greek has the owner of the vineyard, a stand-in for God, saying: “Is your eye evil because I am good?” Often our eye is evil, unhappy when we see good happening to someone else. We see unfairness, and we grumble and mutter and complain. Our seeing is distorted. Where God sees a place for grace, we see unfairness. Where God’s economy has enough for everyone, we judge differently -- assessing who’s worthy or a hard worker or playing by the invisible rules of success.
In the Sermon
The sermon might look at what would be enough for us. What would we need to have so we’re not envious of anyone else? In her book The Soul of Money,Lynne Twist says: “We’re not thin enough, we’re not smart enough, we’re not pretty enough or fit enough or successful enough or rich enough -- ever. By the time we go to bed at night, our minds race with a litany of what we didn’t get, or didn’t get done, that day. We go to sleep burdened by those thoughts and wake up to the reverie of lack...” But there is another option – the one that Jesus offers.
Lynne Twist writes about “the surprising truth of sufficiency,” adding: “By sufficiency, I don’t mean a quantity.... Sufficiency isn’t two steps up from poverty or one step short of abundance.... It isn’t an amount at all. It’s an experience... a declaration... knowing that there is enough, and that we are enough.” What would it take to put us in that place of grace?
Or the sermon might look at the role of gratitude in our lives. How do we concentrate on what we have instead of what we lack? There’s a difference between the moment the laborers are paid and the minute they realize who got what and start to grumble. How do we stay in the first moment, one of joyful thanksgiving for the day’s gifts?
The sermon might look at our ability to be happy for other people’s success. This story tests our sense of justice and our connectedness. Are we happy when someone else does well? Or do we secretly grumble? Do we see those workers rejoicing that everyone will have enough money, pleased that their neighbors are also having a good day? Do we see them celebrating that everyone has enough? God’s generosity to us is always a good thing. God’s generosity to our neighbors, especially when we judge them unworthy, is not always such a good thing. How do we learn to be people who rejoice for others?
Or the sermon might look at the places where we are like the landowner. We most often imagine ourselves as the laborers in the story, but what if we are more like the vineyard owner? As Americans, we benefit from goods made by people around the world. What do we do to make sure the people who make our shirts, dishes, and cars have a living wage?
We are made in the image of God, and so we have a share in all the parts in the story. We labor to sustain our own lives, and also to create a better world. We also watch over the people who labor on our behalf, close to home and around the world, and we have a share in their well-being too. Jesus invites us to see as he sees, and to be part of a world where there’s enough for everyone. Like God, we have an investment in not leaving anyone behind.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Anger Management (Or “Why Three Days Inside a Fish Changes Nothing”)
by Chris Keating
Jonah 3:10--4:11; Philippians 1:21-30
Any seasoned pastoral counselor would suggest Jonah get help for his anger issues. Seriously, dude. You need to talk with somebody.
There are, of course, plenty of legitimate reasons for Jonah’s temper. Three days inside the smelly, slimy gut of a huge fish can do that to a fellow. He could be angry from the sunburn he got while waiting for Nineveh to be consumed, or because the blisters on his feet have been rubbed raw from strutting across the massive city. Being tossed into a sea can be traumatizing, as could having the local cruise line put you on the top of their “do not sail” list.
He’s as angry as a wild hornet. It is his anger, though, that makes Jonah compelling. Jonah’s anger makes him real. We’ve never (probably) been swallowed up by a colossal fish, and likewise do not know what it is like to be barfed up on a beach. It’s doubtful that any of us have walked across an entire city yelling “Forty days and New York will be no more!” But most of us know what it means to be angry.
It was anger that pushed scores of protestors into the St. Louis region last weekend. Following the acquittal of a former police officer accused of murdering Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011, St. Louis’ ongoing struggle with racial tensions was inflamed once more. Smith was being pursued by then-officer Jason Stockley following a suspected drug deal. Stockley ended the chase by ordering his partner to crash the patrol car into Smith’s vehicle.
Smith had been seen entering and leaving the parking lot of a restaurant. Stockley believed he saw a drug deal and began pursuing Smith. After the car crash, Stockley (who is white), approached Smith (who was black) and shot him five times. Stockley had claimed the shooting was in self-defense and that Smith was reaching for a gun. A gun was recovered from Smith’s car, but only had DNA belonging to the police officer.
For many, the case seemed to be a clear example of police targeting African-Americans. Stockley was recorded saying, “We’re killing that mother(expletive), don’t you know.” Prosecutors alleged that he planted the gun in Smith’s car. Cellphone video also showed that Stockley was carrying his privately-owned AK-47 rifle, against regulations.
Yet on Friday, the judge hearing the bench-trial case issued a verdict of not guilty, saying the state did not prove its case.
Protestors seethed against the judge’s ruling. Initially peaceful protests turned violent, with multiple clashes reported between protestors and police. Several businesses were vandalized, the mayor’s home was attacked, and a few police officers were seriously injured. Police used pepper spray and bicycles to control the marchers.
Anger flowed throughout the city. The strife directly impacted the economy, and caused the band U2 and musician Ed Sheeran to cancel their respective concerts. Numerous other events were also interrupted -- including the weekend plans of many people far removed from the impact of the original case. Once more St. Louis was at the center of the country’s unsettled conversations on race, and people who could afford expensive concert tickets spewed their own rage at the protestors.
All in all, it was a mighty contrast to Paul’s admonition in Philippians 1:27 to “live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ... striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel.”
But it is also an indicator of the similarities we share with Jonah, whose outburst is primarily directed at God. Jonah is more than furious at God. Nineveh, the great megaplex for all that is scandalous in the world, repented. God accepted their plea, and recanted on his promise of destruction. Rather than rejoicing at the prodigal’s return, Jonah feels gypped, as if God has pulled some sort of bait-and-switch on him.
Three days inside the fish did nothing to change Jonah’s temperament. If God was going to save this stinking, rotten Gotham of heathens, then why didn’t God skip the intermediary steps? Just do it, and be done with it. Jonah thinks God’s inscrutable ways are for the birds (or maybe the fishes). Either way, he believes he has the right to purchase front-row seats to watch the Nineveh-a-palooza of God’s judgment.
Sorry, Jonah. The show’s been cancelled. Besides, anger and revenge aren’t good for your blood pressure, no matter how much fish oil you’ve consumed.
It’s interesting to compare Jonah’s struggles with Paul’s difficulties. Paul understands what it is like to be squeezed by the vise-grip of life. He’s even seen that death might be preferable. He’s imprisoned, facing execution. Yet he sets aside anger, encouraging his readers to shift perspectives. He points them toward the hope of the gospel, a hope that leads beyond our anger, resentment, and rage.
This is not to say that Jonah’s anger was not justified. It’s just a bit displaced. As a Hebrew, he understands God’s grace and covenantal love is for him and his kin. That is his privilege, and one that he does not particularly see as extending to that septic tank of sinfulness in Nineveh. Like many of us, Jonah tends to hide behind his privilege. We get angry when protests disrupt our lives, but spend little time considering the impact of racism.
God has other plans, however. In the end, we’re told nothing about what happens next. Whether Jonah takes an anger management class or ends up as a cruise director for the S.S. Tarshish we do not know. The aftermath of this curious prophet’s life remains uncertain.
Instead, we’re left with an invitation to consider God’s mercy. The story ends rather abruptly with God challenging Jonah to rethink his perspective and even his privilege. “Should I not be concerned about Nineveh,” Yahweh asks, “that great city, in which there are more than 120,000 persons... and also many animals?”
In the end, this little ecological story, filled with wit and wonder, calls us to reconsider the reasons why we’re always so angry.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Exodus 16:2-15
Hillary Clinton has just published a book titled What Happened. In the 494-page volume, she offers an extensive evaluation of why she lost the 2016 presidential campaign to Donald Trump. Beyond a note or two, Clinton blames everyone and everything for her loss except for her own mismanaged campaign strategy. The book is very frank and open, and her criticisms of others can be brutal. But in the opening of the book she prepares the reader for this when she writes: “Now I’m letting down my guard.”
Application: Moses and Aaron were very forthright in speaking to the Hebrews.
*****
Exodus 16:2-15
Pope Francis has a tradition of conducting news conferences onboard his plane during return flights after visiting a foreign country. Often, at these impromptu news conferences, the pope is most outspoken regarding his beliefs. On his return from Colombia, the pope expressed concern about climate change. Early in his career, Francis was a scientist. This is why he told the audience seated before him that the climate is changing and people need to listen to scientists who “speak very clearly.” In May, when Pope Francis met with President Trump at the Vatican, the pope -- realizing that Trump did not believe in climate change -- presented the president with a copy of his encyclical about the moral responsibility of protecting the environment.
Application: God spoke very clearly to the Hebrews.
*****
Exodus 16:2-15
The Arbella, a 350-ton ship with 28 cannons and a crew of 52, set sail from Cowes in the Isle of Wight on March 29, 1630. The passengers on board for the voyage across the Atlantic were the future leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The families could do little to amuse themselves during the long hours at sea: the most popular form of entertainment was listening to a sermon. As the Arbella neared the coast of the New World, John Winthrop, the leader of the colony, delivered a stirring sermon, whose words President Ronald Reagan repeated in his inaugural address. Winthrop prophesied to the colonists: “We shall be as a city upon a hill, the eyes of all the people are upon us; so that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken and so cause him to withdraw his present help from us, we shall be made a story and a byword through the world.” With those words, the Puritans had their mandate: to be the perfect Christian community, one to be imitated throughout civilization.
Application: Moses and Aaron were trying to bring the Hebrews together as a community.
*****
Jonah 3:10--4:11
Pope Francis has a tradition of conducting news conferences onboard his plane during return flights after visiting a foreign country. Often, at these impromptu news conferences, the pope is most outspoken regarding his beliefs. On his return from Colombia, the pope expressed concern that President Donald Trump intends to end the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) program. The pope questioned why, if Trump is “pro-life,” he is not insisting on keeping families together. Pope Francis said: “If he is a good pro-life believer, he must understand that family is the cradle of life and one must defend its unity.” About 800,000 children will be affected by Trump’s decision.
Application: Jonah, like many of us, doesn’t really understand his mission.
*****
Jonah 3:10--4:11
A recent study by the Public Religion Research Institute showed that 24% of the population consider themselves “nones” when it comes to affiliating with a religious denomination. They may consider themselves spiritual, but not religious. Jennifer Davidson, an associate professor of theology and worship at the American Baptist Seminary of the West, expressed concern about how these young adults make moral decisions without the guidance of scripture. Davidson said: “We need to begin asking people, ‘How do you make meaning in your life? What sustains you when you suffer? How do you cultivate a sense of wonder?’ ”
Application: Jonah, like the “nones,” came to the point where he could not answer the questions regarding the meaning of life.
*****
Jonah 3:10--4:11
Christian athlete Tim Tebow enjoyed football and one day hopes to enjoy major league baseball; but what he enjoys most in life is volunteering. Tebow is particularly concerned about volunteering and establishing charities for children with special needs. With Florida as his home state, Tebow became active in helping the victims of Hurricane Irma. He focused his attention on children with special needs, tweeting a request for volunteers to assist at shelters. Tebow wrote: “FL, let’s help bring Faith, Hope & Love to those taking refuge in our Florida Special-Needs-Shelters!”
Application: Jonah, like many of us, could not see past his own prejudices to minister to those truly in need.
*****
Philippians 1:21-30
A recent study by the Public Religion Research Institute showed that 24% of the population consider themselves “nones” when it comes to affiliating with a religious denomination. They may consider themselves spiritual, but not religious. There are now 20 states in which the religiously unaffiliated outnumber adherents to any single religious group.
Application: We must realize, like Paul, that we must remain in the flesh, we must remain living on the earth, to continue to do the evangelistic work of the Lord.
*****
Philippians 1:21-30
Hillary Clinton has just published a book titled What Happened. In the 494-page volume, she offers an extensive evaluation of why she lost the 2016 presidential campaign to Donald Trump. Clinton expresses her dismay on what Trump has to offer the Oval Office when she wrote: “I sometimes wonder: If you add together his time spent on golf, Twitter, and cable news, what’s left?”
Application: Paul writes about the importance of character.
*****
Matthew 20:1-16
Hillary Clinton has just published a book titled What Happened. In the 494-page volume, she offers an extensive evaluation of why she lost the 2016 presidential campaign to Donald Trump. What Clinton cannot understand is how Trump’s campaign succeeded where hers failed. Clinton wrote: “I was running a traditional presidential campaign with carefully thought-out policies and painstakingly built coalitions, while Trump was running a reality TV show that expertly and relentlessly stoked Americans’ anger and resentment.”
Application: We are taught in Matthew that we must have a plan.
*****
Matthew 20:1-16
The wise old preacher hobbled up to the pulpit and made an announcement to the congregation. “I have some good news and I have some bad news,” the preacher said. “Our fundraising efforts have been successful. The capital campaign will more than pay off the educational wing. We’ll even have enough money for all new toys for the nursery. The good news is, right here in this sanctuary, we have more than enough money!” Thrilled, the congregation grinned, excited about the new life -- but then grew worried. What was the bad news? The preacher continued, “The bad news is that the money is still in your pockets.”
Application: We are to be honest workers and good stewards.
***************
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Living Wage, Poverty Wage, Minimum Wage
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a tool for calculating a living wage depending on your family size and the state and county you live in.
Using my own home (Clermont County, Ohio) as an example, here’s the result:
* Living wage for a family of four: $24.20 per hour, or $980 (gross) per week, or $48,256 (gross) per year
* Wage that would allow family to live at poverty level: $11 per hour, or $22,800 (gross) per year
* Minimum wage: $8.10 per hour, or $16,848 per year
*****
What Is the iPhone X Worth?
Well, the price tag on the new iPhone X is $999, and people are standing in line to buy one. But what else might they have done with that money?
They could have drunk 235 pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks. That’s about three a day if you intend to drink them all by December 1 (when the menu changes for Christmas).
They could have taken a 7-day cruise through the Caribbean. Both Norwegian and Royal Caribbean offer routes from Florida and Louisiana down through the Bahamas and other Caribbean islands for around $1,000 per person.
They could have spent 9 days at Disneyland at about $110 per day.
Or for some real deals, they could travel outside the United States. In Thailand, $1,000 will buy you 30 nights in a luxury 5-star hotel. In India you can purchase 500 packs of Marlboro cigarettes, in Cambodia you can purchase 1000 restaurant meals, and in the Philippines you can purchase 2,000 draft beers.
Or if you wanted to give it to charity, you could give through the United Way -- where a gift of $1,000 will purchase 30 cases of nutritional supplements for HIV and AIDS patients, 12 months of health education and awareness for the refugee community, or training for two volunteers to work with the terminally ill. It could also buy pneumonia vaccinations for 40 senior citizens, 200 safety education kits for families with young children, or a week of groceries for 12 four-person families.
*****
Sharing the Wealth
“As the founders of the business we remain significant investors, and it is important to us that we share our ongoing success with all colleagues.” Thus did Julian Dunkerton and James Holder, co-founders of the British retailer SuperGroup, announce a new program that would share the company’s profits with all 4,500 of their employees.
The incentive program, which runs to September 2020, would see Dunkerton and Holder deposit into a trust 20 percent of their gain from any increase in the group’s share price over £18.
Dunkerton and Holder grew the fashion chain from a market stall in Cheltenham, western England, and listed its shares at 500 pence in London in 2010. The stock closed last Monday at 1,560 pence, valuing the business at £1.27 billion.
Each £5 increase in the shares over the £18 level would see the founders put £30 million into the trust to be shared by staff worldwide.
Chief Executive Euan Sutherland and Chief Financial Officer Nick Wharton participate in existing long-term incentive arrangements, and have waived their entitlement to take part in the scheme.
*****
How Rich Is Rich?
The top 10% of American earners made at least $170,500 last year -- nearly three times the amount the typical American household earned.
The new figures come from the Census Bureau’s annual study of incomes, poverty, and health insurance in the U.S., which also showed that middle-class incomes are growing at a healthy rate. The median household income in the U.S. is now $59,000, which rose by more than $1,800 from $57,200 in 2015.
The poverty rate also declined last year by 0.8 percentage points to 12.7%. How the Census Bureau defines poverty depends on household. For the classic nuclear family with two adults and two kids, the income threshold is just over $24,000. For a lone senior, it’s roughly $11,500, according to Reuters. In all, the Census Bureau said, there were 40.6 million people living in poverty last year -- 2.5 million fewer than in 2015.
One thing that could boost the fortunes of the wealthy in 2017 and 2018 is the tax plan currently being peddled by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin. While details are still sketchy, one analysis by the Tax Policy Center (TPC) found it would hand the top 5% of earners -- which the TPC estimated as taking in $308,000 and up -- an average tax cut of more than $25,000. Those in the middle fifth of the income spectrum would see also see a cut, albeit a smaller one, worth about $2,000 on average.
*****
Resetting the Middle (Class)
The incomes of middle-class Americans rose last year to the highest level ever recorded by the Census Bureau, as poverty declined and the scars of the past decade’s Great Recession seemed to finally fade.
Median household income rose to $59,039 in 2016, a 3.2 percent increase from the previous year and the second consecutive year of healthy gains, the Census Bureau reported Tuesday (9/12/17). The nation’s poverty rate fell to 12.7 percent, returning nearly to what it was in 2007 before a financial crisis and deep recession.
However, the 2016 census report also points to the sources of deeper anxieties among American workers and underscores threats to continued economic progress.
For example: Middle-class households are only now seeing their income eclipse 1999 levels.
And inequality remains high, with the top fifth of earners taking home more than half of all overall income, a record. And yawning racial disparities remain, with the median African-American household earning only $39,490, compared with more than $65,000 for whites and over $81,000 for Asians.
*****
Calamities Blamed on God
Most biblical scholars agree with Bernard M. Levinson, a Jewish studies professor at the University of Minnesota, when he writes that “the author of the flood story is saying that God doesn’t act randomly, that God responds to human action,” and that the Noah story is set in prehistoric times, which shows the narrative is meant to be taken as metaphor, not as a practical explanation of natural disasters.
But that doesn’t keep some from trying to find a reason in human behavior for the calamities that befall us. For example:
* The Haiti earthquake: A day after Haiti’s devastating 2009 earthquake, which claimed 200,000 lives, Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson said the disaster was provoked by the Haitians’ “pact to the devil.” The 700 Club host said Haitians had entered that pact to gain independence from French rule in the early 1800s. “They said, ‘We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.’ True story,” Robertson said. “And so, the devil said, ‘Okay, it’s a deal.’ ”
* Hurricane Katrina: A handful of politically conservative Christians blamed 2005’s Hurricane Katrina -- which struck New Orleans and the Gulf coast, and left more than 1,800 dead -- on the Crescent City’s embrace of gay pride events. “All hurricanes are acts of God, because God controls the heavens,” John Hagee, a Texas-based evangelical, said after Katrina. “I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are -- were -- recipients of the judgment of God for that.”
* The 9/11 attacks: Two days after the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, Jerry Falwell said the attacks were, at least in part, God’s judgment on those who would secularize American public life. “I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People for the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America, I point the finger in their face and say, ‘You helped this happen.’ ”
* The Civil War: Abraham Lincoln entered the White House conceiving of God as a distant creator. But the presidency transformed that view into one of a God who acts in the universe. The turnaround was triggered largely by watching the Civil War’s casualty numbers rise into the hundreds of thousands. In 1862, Lincoln scribbled down his thoughts about God and war. “I am almost ready to say this is probably true -- that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet,” he wrote. “He could give the final victory to either side any day -- yet the contest proceeds.”
* The Holocaust: During and after World War II, some Orthodox Jews attributed the murder of 6 million fellow believers to Jewish transgression. Many in that camp pointed a finger at Zionists, who they accused of trying to establish Israel too soon, before the Messiah’s return.
* The biblical flood: The God of the Hebrew Bible is frequently portrayed as a ruler who doles out major rewards -- and some very harsh punishments. One of the most famous is the flood in Genesis, which God orchestrates in response to human wickedness. He allows the righteous Noah to build an ark to ride out 40 days’ worth of rain. Widely cited as the archetypal act of divine retribution, some biblical scholars say the story was intended less to warn of a vengeful God than to establish the role of human agency in world events. Bernard Levinson says the story is a counternarrative to the Epic of Gilgamesh, a Mesopotamian tale that involves a massive flood but that depicts humans as powerless in the face of capricious gods.
*****
Food Stamps by the Numbers
The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) -- more widely known as “Food Stamps” -- was originally intended to provide short-term, temporary food assistance for those in need. Here is where the program stands today:
* Total annual cost of food stamp (SNAP) program: $69,800,000,000 ($69.8 billion)
* Number of Americans using the food stamp (SNAP) program: 41,170,732 (41.17 million -- lowest since 2000)
* Number of American households receiving food stamps: 22,318,000 (22. 31 million)
* Percent of population on food stamp program: 14%
* Average monthly assistance per person: $158.22
* State with the highest percentage of population on SNAP: Mississippi (20.8%)
* State with the lowest percentage of population in SNAP: Wyoming (6.3%)
* Percentage of SNAP recipients under 18, over 60, or disabled: 75%
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: O give thanks to God, call on God’s name.
People: Make known God’s deeds among the peoples.
Leader: Sing to God, sing praises.
People: Tell of all God’s wonderful works.
Leader: Glory in God’s holy name.
People: Let the hearts of those who seek God rejoice.
OR
Leader: The God of all creation calls us together this day.
People: We hear God’s call to gather as community.
Leader: It is not just for us that God calls but for all humanity.
People: We invite all God’s children to join with us.
Leader: God invites us not just to worship but to the work of justice.
People: We will join in God’s work of justice for all.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Now Thank We All Our God”
found in:
UMH: 102
H82: 395, 397
PH: 555
NNBH: 330
NCH: 419
CH: 715
LBW: 533, 534
ELA: 839, 840
W&P: 14
AMEC: 573
STLT: 32
“All Creatures of Our God and King”
found in:
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELA: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
“Where Cross the Crowded Ways of Life”
found in:
UMH: 427
H82: 609
PH: 408
NCH: 543
CH: 665
LBW: 429
ELA: 719
W&P: 591
AMEC: 561
“This Is My Song”
found in:
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELA: 887
STLT: 159
“What Does the Lord Require”
found in:
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
W&P: 686
“Lord, You Give the Great Commission”
found in:
UMH: 584
H82: 528
PH: 429
CH: 459
ELA: 579
W&P: 592
“Where Charity and Love Prevail”
found in:
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELA: 359
“God of Grace and God of Glory”
found in:
UMH: 577
H82: 594, 595
PH: 420
NCH: 436
CH: 464
LBW: 415
ELA: 705
W&P: 569
AMEC: 62
STLT: 115
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who gave us a creation abounding with resources: Grant us the grace to help ensure that all your people have enough of your bounty for their needs; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for you have given us a creation that abounds with resources. Help us to ensure that all your children have enough of this bounty to meet their needs. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our failure to see to the needs of others.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have received so much from the bounty of creation, and yet we fail to make sure that others have all that they need. We participate in systems that reward the wealthy and strip the poor of what little they have. You have made us stewards of creation, and we have turned into users and abusers of your good gift. Forgive us, and call us back once more to justice and mercy. Amen.
Leader: God always welcomes us to join in the work of justice and mercy. Receive God’s love and grace, and work to make God’s reign complete.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We glory in your name, O God, for you are our gracious creator. You have given us a world that gives more than we need to be filled and satisfied.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have received so much from the bounty of creation, and yet we fail to make sure that others have all that they need. We participate in systems that reward the wealthy and strip the poor of what little they have. You have made us stewards of creation, and we have turned into users and abusers of your good gift. Forgive us, and call us back once more to justice and mercy.
We thank you for the blessings you have poured out upon us. You have given us a wonderful world, your own presence, and grace unending. You have given us community that expands to include all your children.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for those in need, and especially for those who have been denied a chance to receive the bounty of your earth. Because of war, violence, and greed, the resources you have given to us do not reach everyone.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Have a bag of cookies (or a more healthy substitute); small ones like Nilla Wafers are good. Put a napkin down in front of each child and then start to pass them out. Say “one for you and one for me” as you give them out, giving yourself one every time you give one to any of the children. (If there is only one child, give one to him or her and three for you.) Someone is bound to point out that this is not fair. If not, ask the children about it. Then talk to them about sharing. Talk about how God has given us everything we have -- we need to make sure all get a fair share.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
God Ultimately Decides
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
Jonah 3:10--4:11
(Greet the children and welcome them.)
Have any of you ever heard the Bible story about Jonah and the whale? (If any of the children have heard the story, invite them to tell as much as they recall; fill in the parts they forget.)
The story of Jonah that we read in our Bible does involve a whale that spits Jonah out of his mouth and onto shore, but there’s much more to the story!
Jonah was one of God’s prophets, which means that he delivered God’s message to the people. Sometimes people would listen to the prophets; sometimes they wouldn’t. It wasn’t easy to be a prophet.
One day, God called Jonah to go to a large city called Nineveh. Jonah was to tell the people that they weren’t following God’s ways and that if they didn’t turn back to God then God would punish them.
Jonah knew the town of Nineveh. There were bad people there. He did NOT want to go there and deliver this message to the people. He didn’t think the people would listen to him, and he was pretty sure they weren’t going to like him.
So instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah hopped on a ship traveling away from Nineveh. He was going to try to run away from the job God had for him to do.
A big storm blew up while Jonah was on the ship at sea. The crew of the ship thought the storm was punishment for Jonah, who was trying to run away from God. So they dumped Jonah off the ship and into the sea.
This is where the whale comes in!
Jonah was thrashing around in the waves, sure that he was going to drown, when a giant fish (the whale) scooped Jonah up in his mouth and swallowed him. It took three days for the whale to swim closer to shore. When he got there, he spit Jonah out of his mouth and he landed on dry ground.
Then Jonah knew... the whale and God had saved him... and he was going to have to go to Nineveh!
Reluctantly, Jonah followed through on what God had first told him to do. He went to Nineveh and delivered God’s message to the people there.
To Jonah’s surprise... the people listened to God’s message! They changed their ways. They returned to following God and God’s laws.
What do you think Jonah did when he saw the people of Nineveh turn back toward God? Do you think he was excited? Do you think he had a celebration? Do you think he thanked God for saving his life and making his work a success?
NO! Jonah got mad at God!!! He got mad at God because he knew that the people of Nineveh were so bad that God would have to punish them. Jonah got mad because he didn’t think God was being fair. He thought bad people deserved to be punished. But instead of punishment, God showed mercy to the people of Nineveh. They turned to God and God welcomed them. Jonah thought that this just wasn’t fair.
What do you think? Was it fair of God to forgive the people of Nineveh? (Invite the children to offer their thoughts.) Was it fair of Jonah to get mad at God for forgiving people who were bad at one time, but who now were good? (Invite the children to offer their thoughts.)
In Jonah’s day, and in our day, God is the one who decides to forgive. God is the one who shows what is fair. God is the one who welcomes people who turn to God and follow God’s way. No matter whether Jonah thought it was fair or not -- God decides to show mercy.
Prayer: God of mercy, we get caught up with looking for what is fair, what is enough, what is important, what matters to me. Let Jonah’s story remind us that you know what is right, you know what is fair. You show mercy. Let us trust and follow you; let us love our neighbor. Let us leave the big stuff to you. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 24, 2017, issue.
Copyright 2017 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.
