Faithing Our Fears
Children's sermon
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Preaching
Sermon
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Fear -- and our varying responses to it -- will likely be one of the enduring legacies from Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 terrorists attacks in our nation's history. In this installment of The Immediate Word, the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the five-year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks are discussed by Thom Schuman and Stephen McCutchan. The alternative text is used to remind us to "Not Fear." Trust in God will help all see the salvation that God is bringing. As usual, you will find a collection of illustrations, worship resources, and a children's message.
Faithing Our Fears
By Thom Schuman
On the second Sunday in September, we preachers will stand before people whose eyes, ears, hearts, and souls are filled with reminders of two significant anniversaries in the United States. Remembering the scenes of devastation and death wrought by Hurricane Katrina a year ago, and the images of terrorist-hijacked airplanes flying into buildings filled with people on September 11, 2001, what message can we bring to God's people?
THE WORLD
Some folks in my congregation (and perhaps in yours) gave been traveling to other parts of the world these last few months. They have spoken of the increased security, the more-than-random checks, the scrutiny passengers give to one another, as folks look at one another out of the corners of their eyes. Verbally, or with their body language, they speak of the fear they have found packed beside their books, clothes, and cameras.
The media is in overdrive to report on the anniversary of the devastation and death caused by Hurricane Katrina. The filth, the debris, and the destruction still stalk the neighborhoods of New Orleans. Children in Mississippi and Alabama continue to be awakened by nightmares of rampaging winds and waters rising to their second-floor bedrooms. Families speak openly of their fears of moving back to communities that had been their home for years. The movie World Trade Center is at the local theater; Flight 93 is now playing on a cable station. As if we needed a reminder of that traumatizing day of five years ago.
Some folks seem almost paralyzed by the fears these anniversaries elicit; others have become cynical of the politicians who use such memories to promote what appears to be a culture of fear. Still others cannot focus on such reminders, for they are too fearful of what the medical tests will reveal, of what their spouse will say to them tonight, or of what the latest rounds of job cuts at work might mean for their future.
THE WORD
The alternate Old Testament Lesson for this Sunday (Isaiah 35:4-7a) is part of a section of the prophet that some scholars maintain may have been the original conclusion to 1 Isaiah. The language the poet of chapter 35 uses looks ahead to the early chapters of 2 Isaiah: "highway" in verse 8 is echoed in Isaiah 40:3; "the glory of the Lord" in verse 2 appears in 40:3, 5; and the "streams in the desert" spoken of in verse 6 show up in 43:19. Because this chapter seems to be more cosmic and eschatological than chapter 40, it has been surmised that it may have been an introduction and summary to Isaiah 40-55.
The poet reiterates the central message of this remarkable book: "be strong, do not fear!" It is one of those scarlet threads woven by God into the tapestry of scripture. Here, to a people living in exile, Isaiah preaches strong words of encouragement: God is coming, for the simple yet profound purpose of bringing salvation.
Not just salvation for a particular people in a particular time and place. Salvation from Isaiah's perspective has a personal dimension, yes. But such redemption is filled with a social dimension, as verses 5-6 tells us that this good news comes to all who are disabled in some way, even those crippled by fear. In a reminder we need to hear today, verse 7 tells us that there is an environmental dimension to salvation: God comes to save all of the created order. Such a view echoes the exodus tradition, where a people are released from physical slavery, to discover that political, economic, and emotional salvation has been given to them as well.
The wisdom of the lectionary gives us the pairing with two stories found in Mark 7:24-37. With the story of the redemption from the crippling beliefs of cultural, gender, and racial expectations, as well as the tale of one who is ransomed from the physical and emotional fears of a disability, we are reminded that the promised salvation of Isaiah's poetry is available to every single on of God's children, especially those who least expect it.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
Our old friend from Advent and Christmas, Isaiah, challenges preachers to remind their people to "fear not!" To people living in exile, to people seeking to survive the Black Plague, to people struggling to resist the evil of fascism in the 1930s and 1940s, to people wondering when or where the terrorists will strike next, Isaiah sings to us to trust that God is coming, to save! Hoping to find a faithful word to preach, hoping to find a word to comfort, hoping to find a word to challenge, how will we speak to our people who have heard us read from poetry and stories told so long ago?
One way to preach a word of challenge is to remind God's people that every generation has faced some moment, some experience of almost overwhelming fear in their lives. Think of the families who saw one son go to fight for the Blue and another went into the ranks of the Gray during the Civil War. Talk about those who have faced the reality, not just the fears, of a pandemic, for instance, as the bubonic plague swept Europe. Remind those who lived through World War II, or heard the stories of their parents and grandparents about World War I, of the days in which all the future held was more death, more destruction. Call to mind those days many of us have lived through, when a society's beliefs were shaken by those of another race who simply asked for a seat at the table. Intentionally or not, we can look back and see that every generation was able to move beyond what terrorized them into the future God offered them when they chose to "not fear."
Perhaps a word of comfort can be spoken when we pay attention to these old stories scripture has to tell us. Instead of a dry, dusty book sitting on a shelf, the Bible is telling our story, as we seek to be a part of God's story. Exiled by our fears of what lies ahead of us, Isaiah reminds us that in our waiting we should look for those signs that God is coming toward us: when parched spirits are filled with the living waters of hope, when eyes blinded by images of death will be opened by the abundant life God offers to them, when those turned speechless by Katrina's winds tell us stories of grace and restoration.
And when we tell the story of the woman who would not let those cultural, racial, and gender assumptions with which even Jesus was crippled, and dared him to lift her to her knees to feed her and her child from that living bread he was offering to others, do we not speak a word about the grace God brings to all of us? When we recast the story of the man whose eyes were opened so that he could see the glory of the Lord standing before him, are we not speaking plainly of the good news that is available to all of us? In the simple re-telling of such stories, in reminding folks that what we face, what we endure, what we fear is nothing new, we find those words of faith to preach.
Psychologists will tell a client that the only way to get over those fears that cripple and hinder a full life, one must confront them and face them down.
God, through Isaiah and Mark and Jesus and a nameless woman, is clear that the only way we can get past those fears which keep us from living the life God wishes for us is to face them down with a faith that is strong, which is vibrant, which is fearless, which is trusting. Because when we do, then we become the heralds of such lives to others, we model such trust to our friends and neighbors, we reach out to clasp hands with God and live this hope into the future. It is probably no accident that the imperatives in Isaiah 35:3-4 ("strengthen, make firm, say") are in the plural. We are important parts of sharing this salvation that God is bringing to all creation.
"Be strong, fear not!" a message comes to people in exile's grip. God has not forgotten you. In fact, God is coming to save you.
"Be strong, fear not!" this outsider says to Jesus. I believe God has sent you to be the one to save me.
"Be strong, fear not!" Jesus says to her. You are right.
"Be strong, fear not!" Jesus says to all of us crippled by our fears. God will make you whole.
"Be strong, fear not!"
Can we preach it?
ANOTHER VIEW
By Stephen McCutchan
Have you ever noticed how frequently it is the comfortable who have the luxury of being skeptical about the promises of faith? As I have listened to the numerous stories about the anniversary of the Katrina disaster, I have been struck by the repeated expressions of faith given by those who were most victimized by the storm. "Without God," they would say as they looked at the destruction of their home and city, "I couldn't have made it through this." "God has blessed us with our lives," others would say, "and the rest doesn't really matter." While it is true that some will respond with bitterness and anger at the loss they have incurred, I am constantly struck with the many expressions of faith and gratitude toward God in the midst of tragedy. The same type of witness found voice by many who were part of the 9/11 tragedy whose anniversary we will recognize tomorrow.
Tom has focused his attention on the alternative text of Isaiah 35:4-7a and challenged us to recall the many ways historically people have drawn upon the faith to overcome their fears. I would like to call your attention to Psalm 125 that our lectionary identifies for us. The Psalm does a beautiful job of bringing into focus the tension that we often feel between real life experience and the promises of faith.
At first glance, the message seems to be that we are to trust in the Lord and God will surround us with protection like Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains that protect the it. The analogy is based on the assumption that in the same way that the topography of Jerusalem builds in a natural protection that makes it impregnable, so our trust in God will make us impregnable. The problem is that this did not fit Israel's own experience. In fact, foreigners conquered Jerusalem several times. As Israel repeatedly discovered, even though like Jerusalem, our faith does provide us resources when life is threatening, it does not shield us from the disasters of life. As Jesus would later say, "For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45).
The truth is that Israel had a far deeper faith than that which treats God like a magic amulet to ward off the threats and fears of life. It is not uncommon for someone to use the tragic experiences of life as an excuse to not confront the rigors of faith. Presuming a position that allows them to judge God, they will say something like, "I can not believe in a God who would allows something that horrible to happen." Israel, on the other hand, when they experienced tragedy or suffering, would stop and say something like, "What is it that we did not understand about our relationship with God, that such an event could occur. Second Isaiah, which Tom refers to, was working out just such a new vision of God in light of the exile. The exile forced Israel to move beyond a temptation to narrow nationalism and see God working the divine purpose out in the entire universe.
So when the psalmist said: "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever," perhaps he is referring to a center of trust in God that moves beyond the historical moment and is able to trust in God even when we cannot see how the outcome can be positive. One might recall how Jesus demonstrated just this type of faith in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39). Luke's description of this event (Luke 22:44), makes clear that Jesus experienced deep fear, but in the midst of his fear, he also evidenced a trust that kept him centered in God. If I have any caution about Thom's reference to the psychologist's advice to face your fears with courage, it would be that overcoming such fears is not just a case of our will power but a trust in a God that we can neither manipulate for our benefit nor fully understand. Even when we demonstrate such trust, the credit does not belong to us.
While, like the mountains that surround Jerusalem, the active practice of our faith can provide us a shield, we cannot assume that the natural trappings of faith will ultimately protect us. There will be times when our only source of help will rest beyond whatever we can do. We need to continually pray, "Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts." Our faith does not protect us from challenges internally and externally, but when we are attacked by forces and fears beyond our understanding, we can learn again and again to trust in the one who is faithful to us even when we fail in our own faithfulness. It is our one and only hope
If the force of nature in the experience of Katrina and the force of politics in the 9/11 attack have reminded us once again that the unfolding of history is beyond our control, perhaps it is time to reconsider our understanding of how God is at work in our lives and our world to effect God's purpose. If Katrina exposed the underbelly of racism and poverty that still plagues our society and 9/11 revealed the deep seated anger toward the disparity of wealth and poverty internationally, perhaps they are also a wake-up call for Christians in reconsidering what Jesus meant when he declared "and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:27-28). That line of thought would take us back to the lectionary passage from James 2:1-17.
ILLUSTRATIONS
"We are the ones who are still on a heightened sense of alert -- who cannot walk under construction scaffolding. We are the ones who live with the sights and smells and sounds of that day -- who still cringe at sirens and want to crawl under the bed during a thunderstorm. Many of us still work in the same area as the Twin Towers, and we have the hole in the ground as a constant reminder. We are the ones who walk the burial ground every day."
-- Pat Mazella, who escaped the World Trade Center on 9/11; in an email reported by Anna Quindlen, "A Nation's Fear of Flying," Newsweek, 8/28/06, p. 100
***
"Do not be afraid" is the most frequent command in the Bible, which seems wholly appropriate in an era when terrorists could strike at any moment. We have a thousand fears: mammograms and prostate tests, our children's future as well as their present, retirement funds, job security, crime.
We fear not getting the job we want or the lover we desire, and if we have them we fear their loss. In the face of such everyday fear, Jesus points to a lily, or a sparrow, and calmly says, Trust. Seek first the kingdom of heaven.
Trust does not eliminate the bad things that may happen, whatever sparked our fear in the first place. Trust simply finds a new outlet for anxiety and a new grounding for confidence: God. Let God worry about the worrisome details of life, most of which are out of my control anyway. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God," Paul wrote. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
When I question the practicality of those words in view of all the terrible things that have happened to Jesus' followers over the years, I remind myself that Paul wrote them from a Roman prison cell. God's peace indeed "transcends all understanding."
-- Philip Yancey, "It's Hard to Be Like Jesus," in Today's Christian, May/June 2005
Adapted from Rumors of Another World (Zondervan, 2003)
***
In the gloomiest days of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke this strangely lovely and memorable phrase: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." These were not simply historic words about courage, they were words that generated courage. Hearing them did not merely convey information about being confident in the face of fear; hearing them evoked that very confidence, created a world where that boldness could be possible.
-- Thomas Long, from Hebrews, in the Interpretation commentary series (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1997), p. 5
***
Fear is powerful. Famed Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne knew it, and he knew how to exploit it to his team's advantage. Once, Notre Dame was preparing to play USC -- a game Rockne's team seemed sure to lose. Knowing that the Trojan players were bigger and more experienced than Notre Dame's, the coach resorted to an act of subterfuge that -- while it would certainly be illegal today -- was within the "gray area" of college football's rules back then.
What he did was to send his assistant coaches out into the barrooms and factories of South Bend, and hand-pick 100 of the largest men they could find. Rockne dressed these giants in "Fighting Irish" uniforms, and had them run out onto the field ahead of the real team. As the USC players watched these frightening-looking characters charge onto the field, they lost their nerve. Not one of the specially-recruited men ever left the bench, but that didn't matter. Their presence on the bench was enough. USC lost the game.
***
The second verse of the hymn "How Firm a Foundation," which was written in the late 1700s, has offered the Lord's words of encouragement to generation after generation in this country as they have gone through terrifying times: the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the more recent conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.
Fear not, I am with you, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
-- Lutheran Book of Worship, 507
***
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who was murdered by the Nazis, and the hundredth anniversary of whose birth we are commemorating this year, wrote in his book The Cost of Discipleship:
The life of discipleship can only be maintained so long as nothing is allowed to come between Christ and ourselves... Earthly possessions dazzle our eyes and delude us into thinking that they can provide security and freedom from anxiety... If our hearts are set on them, our reward is an anxiety whose burden is intolerable... The only way to win assurance is by leaving tomorrow entirely in the hands of God and by receiving from him all we need for today. If instead of receiving God's gifts for today we worry about tomorrow, we find ourselves helpless victims of infinite anxiety.
-- The Cost of Discipleship, 192, 197, 198
***
Bonhoeffer also wrote:
The most urgent problem besetting our Church is this: How can we live the Christian life in the modern world? ... Happy are the simple followers of Jesus Christ who have been overcome by his grace, and are able to sing the praises of the all-sufficient grace of Christ with humbleness of heart. Happy are they who, knowing that grace, can live in the world without being of it, who, by following Jesus Christ, are so assured of their heavenly citizenship that they are truly free to live their lives in this world. Happy are they who know that discipleship simply means life which springs from grace.
-- The Cost of Discipleship, 60
***
The small oil rich nation of Qatar has given millions of dollars to the relief effort in New Orleans. Two million has been just awarded to the work with the homeless there. That is in addition to the $22 million given earlier to Habitat for Humanity, 12.5 million to Xavier, and 10 million to Tulane. All in all Qatar has given over 100 million to relief efforts in New Orleans. It has taken a long time for the United States to respond to the devastation of the most fearsome storm in recent memory and to the needs of our own poorest of the poor. In part we have been shamed into it by an oil rich nation half way around the world. We are usually so generous, with such open hearts and such an abundant kindness to those who suffer no matter where in the world disaster strikes. What in the world went wrong with our hearts in New Orleans last year?
***
We are a nation gripped in fear. It is now five years since 9/11, and there is deep in every American soul the sense that anything could happen at any time. Further, it is in the mind of many just a question of time when, not whether the other shoe will drop. We've come a long way since the stirring words of another President who rallied this country with courage with words like these: "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself!"
There are other great souls who have stirred us with the courage to face our fears:
"Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit."
Bertrand Russell
"Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power."
John Steinbeck
"What man does not understand, he fears; and what he fears, he tends to destroy."
Anonymous
"We need to teach the next generation of children from Day One that they are responsible for their lives. Mankind's greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear."
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others."
Robert Louis Stevenson
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."
Thomas Jefferson
"Of all base passions, fear is the most accursed."
Shakespeare
"When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader."
Plato
"Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance."
St. Francis of Assisi
WORSHIP RESOURCES
By Thom Schuman
Call To Worship
Leader: What good is it if we say we love
all people, but give special treatment
to a few?
People: God calls us to love others
as deeply as we love ourselves,
with no strings attached.
Leader: What good is it if we say we want
God to show mercy towards us,
but are quick to judge others?
People: God calls us to forgive our sisters
and brothers, to let mercy triumph
over judgment.
Leader: What good is it if we say we trust
God in every moment, but live
guided by our fears?
People: We will speak and act as those
who trust God to come and live
in our fearful hearts.
Prayer Of The Day
God surrounded by glory:
you notice the people we walk past,
and journey with them,
whenever they are going.
You speak out for the voiceless,
and open our ears to their cries.
Jesus, Healer of the hopeless,
Converser with the outsider:
in you,
faith and works walk hand in hand
down the streets of the kingdom.
In you,
the have-a-lots and the have-nothings
find themselves sitting side by side
at your Table,
passing grace to one another.
In you,
those with good names,
and those with no names,
are called by one name:
"Beloved."
Compassion's Spirit:
sow justice in our hearts,
so the poor might find in us a friend;
sow peace in our spirits,
so the angry might find in us
a sea of gentleness;
sow generosity in our hands,
so the hungry might find in us
their daily bread.
God in Community, Holy in One,
surround us in these moments
and in all the ones to come,
with your grace and love,
as we pray together the disciples' prayer,
Our Father ...
Call To Reconciliation
We know we shouldn't do it, but we play
favorites. We know it is wrong, but we
distinguish between "us" and "them." We
know we have nothing to fear, but turn
aside from God's strong love. Let us
confess together all we have done to
hurt others.
Unison Prayer Of Confession
How glibly we say we trust you, Holy One,
and how quickly our fears silence our words.
We find you at the side of the poor, while we
cozy up to the rich and famous. You stand
behind the counter serving the hungry at the
soup kitchen, while we are stocking our
freezers and pantries till they overflow. We
look down at those whose hands are dirty,
but your hand of mercy pulls them into
your embracing love.
Forgive us, O Lord, and do good to us
when we have trouble doing good for others.
Surround us with your love; surround us with
your grace; surround us with your peace;
surround us with the Spirit of your Son, Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: Be strong, do not fear! God comes,
to fill your parched souls with living
water, to open your eyes to the grace
which is yours.
People: God comes, for no other reason than
to save us. This is indeed good news.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: My beloved sisters and brothers,
may the Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: My beloved brothers and sisters,
lift up your hearts.
People: Our hearts are offered to our God.
Leader: My beloved sisters and brothers,
let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: Thanksgiving is in our hearts,
and praise is on our lips.
Our hearts do handsprings,
and our joy echoes off the mountains,
Creator of all:
rich and poor, man and woman,
child and grandparent, gnat and galaxy.
Created in your image,
we ridicule others who look different from us;
our lungs filled with the Spirit's breath,
we laugh at those who are not as good
as we imagine we are.
But even when we turn our backs on you,
your love is steadfast and your grace is abundant.
And so, with all your people,
those on earth and those around your throne,
those beside us in this moment
and those with you throughout eternity,
we join in everlasting song:
Sanctus
Holy are you, and blessed is Jesus,
your Son, our Brother, our Savior.
Jesus has done everything well:
eating and drinking with sinners,
he taught us that there is a place
at the Table for each and every one of us;
responding to the cries of the poor,
he shows us we are all equal in God's heart;
clearing the eyes of the blind
and opening the ears of the deaf,
inviting children to sit on his lap
and conversing with the outsiders of his day,
he models the radical inclusiveness
of your kingdom.
As we remember all you did in and through him --
his words, his touch, his laughter, his silence,
his pain, his loneliness, his death, his resurrection --
we offer ourselves in trust and hope,
in service and sacrifice,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Memorial Acclamation
May the Spirit of the Risen Lord
be poured out on us in this place,
and on the gifts of the bread and the cup.
As we take the broken loaf, we feast,
not on the crumbs which fall from the Table,
but on the grace which makes us whole;
on the hope which makes us one;
on the love which calls us to serve:
to welcome the immigrants to our neighborhood,
to teach the little child to read,
to affirm the awkward adolescent,
to share our bread and all we have
with those in need,
until that day when Christ returns
all shall feast at his banquet in heaven.
Through your Son, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
all honor and glory are yours,
Great God, our hope, our trust, our redemption,
now and forever. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
He makes the deaf to hear
Object: cups for your ears or bring an ear muffler
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know someone who can't hear very well? (let them answer) The person you know may be a very old person or very young. If you want to know what it is like to be hard of hearing, you can cover your ears with your hands. (cover your ears and suggest that the children cover their ears) It's hard to hear when your ears are covered, isn't it? (let them answer)
I want to tell you a story about a little boy about your age who had a grandmother who couldn't hear very well. She had a hearing aid. Something happened to the hearing aid. It didn't work. So, she could hardly hear. Since she couldn't hear, it was difficult to talk -- she talked really loud! (talk loud) She had to go to the doctor to get the hearing aid checked. Her little grandson went with her. He was a great help. He walked into the doctor's office with her. He went up to the receptionist and told her that he was with his grandmother. He said that she had an appointment to see the doctor. He told the nurse that his grandmother couldn't hear. He said that he came along to help her. The grandmother and the boy saw the doctor. The doctor fixed her hearing aid and she could hear again.
This story reminds me of this morning's lesson. There was a man who couldn't hear and who had trouble speaking. Some people took him to see Jesus, just like the little boy who went to the doctor with his grandmother. Jesus healed the man, just like the doctor who fixed the hearing aid. When Jesus healed the man's hearing Jesus looked to heaven. He touched the man's ears and said, "Be open!" The man could hear again.
Here's what I want you to remember. Jesus healed the man who couldn't hear so that we could see that Jesus was sent from God. Jesus heals us because he loves us. Jesus wants us to love others.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 17, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
Faithing Our Fears
By Thom Schuman
On the second Sunday in September, we preachers will stand before people whose eyes, ears, hearts, and souls are filled with reminders of two significant anniversaries in the United States. Remembering the scenes of devastation and death wrought by Hurricane Katrina a year ago, and the images of terrorist-hijacked airplanes flying into buildings filled with people on September 11, 2001, what message can we bring to God's people?
THE WORLD
Some folks in my congregation (and perhaps in yours) gave been traveling to other parts of the world these last few months. They have spoken of the increased security, the more-than-random checks, the scrutiny passengers give to one another, as folks look at one another out of the corners of their eyes. Verbally, or with their body language, they speak of the fear they have found packed beside their books, clothes, and cameras.
The media is in overdrive to report on the anniversary of the devastation and death caused by Hurricane Katrina. The filth, the debris, and the destruction still stalk the neighborhoods of New Orleans. Children in Mississippi and Alabama continue to be awakened by nightmares of rampaging winds and waters rising to their second-floor bedrooms. Families speak openly of their fears of moving back to communities that had been their home for years. The movie World Trade Center is at the local theater; Flight 93 is now playing on a cable station. As if we needed a reminder of that traumatizing day of five years ago.
Some folks seem almost paralyzed by the fears these anniversaries elicit; others have become cynical of the politicians who use such memories to promote what appears to be a culture of fear. Still others cannot focus on such reminders, for they are too fearful of what the medical tests will reveal, of what their spouse will say to them tonight, or of what the latest rounds of job cuts at work might mean for their future.
THE WORD
The alternate Old Testament Lesson for this Sunday (Isaiah 35:4-7a) is part of a section of the prophet that some scholars maintain may have been the original conclusion to 1 Isaiah. The language the poet of chapter 35 uses looks ahead to the early chapters of 2 Isaiah: "highway" in verse 8 is echoed in Isaiah 40:3; "the glory of the Lord" in verse 2 appears in 40:3, 5; and the "streams in the desert" spoken of in verse 6 show up in 43:19. Because this chapter seems to be more cosmic and eschatological than chapter 40, it has been surmised that it may have been an introduction and summary to Isaiah 40-55.
The poet reiterates the central message of this remarkable book: "be strong, do not fear!" It is one of those scarlet threads woven by God into the tapestry of scripture. Here, to a people living in exile, Isaiah preaches strong words of encouragement: God is coming, for the simple yet profound purpose of bringing salvation.
Not just salvation for a particular people in a particular time and place. Salvation from Isaiah's perspective has a personal dimension, yes. But such redemption is filled with a social dimension, as verses 5-6 tells us that this good news comes to all who are disabled in some way, even those crippled by fear. In a reminder we need to hear today, verse 7 tells us that there is an environmental dimension to salvation: God comes to save all of the created order. Such a view echoes the exodus tradition, where a people are released from physical slavery, to discover that political, economic, and emotional salvation has been given to them as well.
The wisdom of the lectionary gives us the pairing with two stories found in Mark 7:24-37. With the story of the redemption from the crippling beliefs of cultural, gender, and racial expectations, as well as the tale of one who is ransomed from the physical and emotional fears of a disability, we are reminded that the promised salvation of Isaiah's poetry is available to every single on of God's children, especially those who least expect it.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
Our old friend from Advent and Christmas, Isaiah, challenges preachers to remind their people to "fear not!" To people living in exile, to people seeking to survive the Black Plague, to people struggling to resist the evil of fascism in the 1930s and 1940s, to people wondering when or where the terrorists will strike next, Isaiah sings to us to trust that God is coming, to save! Hoping to find a faithful word to preach, hoping to find a word to comfort, hoping to find a word to challenge, how will we speak to our people who have heard us read from poetry and stories told so long ago?
One way to preach a word of challenge is to remind God's people that every generation has faced some moment, some experience of almost overwhelming fear in their lives. Think of the families who saw one son go to fight for the Blue and another went into the ranks of the Gray during the Civil War. Talk about those who have faced the reality, not just the fears, of a pandemic, for instance, as the bubonic plague swept Europe. Remind those who lived through World War II, or heard the stories of their parents and grandparents about World War I, of the days in which all the future held was more death, more destruction. Call to mind those days many of us have lived through, when a society's beliefs were shaken by those of another race who simply asked for a seat at the table. Intentionally or not, we can look back and see that every generation was able to move beyond what terrorized them into the future God offered them when they chose to "not fear."
Perhaps a word of comfort can be spoken when we pay attention to these old stories scripture has to tell us. Instead of a dry, dusty book sitting on a shelf, the Bible is telling our story, as we seek to be a part of God's story. Exiled by our fears of what lies ahead of us, Isaiah reminds us that in our waiting we should look for those signs that God is coming toward us: when parched spirits are filled with the living waters of hope, when eyes blinded by images of death will be opened by the abundant life God offers to them, when those turned speechless by Katrina's winds tell us stories of grace and restoration.
And when we tell the story of the woman who would not let those cultural, racial, and gender assumptions with which even Jesus was crippled, and dared him to lift her to her knees to feed her and her child from that living bread he was offering to others, do we not speak a word about the grace God brings to all of us? When we recast the story of the man whose eyes were opened so that he could see the glory of the Lord standing before him, are we not speaking plainly of the good news that is available to all of us? In the simple re-telling of such stories, in reminding folks that what we face, what we endure, what we fear is nothing new, we find those words of faith to preach.
Psychologists will tell a client that the only way to get over those fears that cripple and hinder a full life, one must confront them and face them down.
God, through Isaiah and Mark and Jesus and a nameless woman, is clear that the only way we can get past those fears which keep us from living the life God wishes for us is to face them down with a faith that is strong, which is vibrant, which is fearless, which is trusting. Because when we do, then we become the heralds of such lives to others, we model such trust to our friends and neighbors, we reach out to clasp hands with God and live this hope into the future. It is probably no accident that the imperatives in Isaiah 35:3-4 ("strengthen, make firm, say") are in the plural. We are important parts of sharing this salvation that God is bringing to all creation.
"Be strong, fear not!" a message comes to people in exile's grip. God has not forgotten you. In fact, God is coming to save you.
"Be strong, fear not!" this outsider says to Jesus. I believe God has sent you to be the one to save me.
"Be strong, fear not!" Jesus says to her. You are right.
"Be strong, fear not!" Jesus says to all of us crippled by our fears. God will make you whole.
"Be strong, fear not!"
Can we preach it?
ANOTHER VIEW
By Stephen McCutchan
Have you ever noticed how frequently it is the comfortable who have the luxury of being skeptical about the promises of faith? As I have listened to the numerous stories about the anniversary of the Katrina disaster, I have been struck by the repeated expressions of faith given by those who were most victimized by the storm. "Without God," they would say as they looked at the destruction of their home and city, "I couldn't have made it through this." "God has blessed us with our lives," others would say, "and the rest doesn't really matter." While it is true that some will respond with bitterness and anger at the loss they have incurred, I am constantly struck with the many expressions of faith and gratitude toward God in the midst of tragedy. The same type of witness found voice by many who were part of the 9/11 tragedy whose anniversary we will recognize tomorrow.
Tom has focused his attention on the alternative text of Isaiah 35:4-7a and challenged us to recall the many ways historically people have drawn upon the faith to overcome their fears. I would like to call your attention to Psalm 125 that our lectionary identifies for us. The Psalm does a beautiful job of bringing into focus the tension that we often feel between real life experience and the promises of faith.
At first glance, the message seems to be that we are to trust in the Lord and God will surround us with protection like Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains that protect the it. The analogy is based on the assumption that in the same way that the topography of Jerusalem builds in a natural protection that makes it impregnable, so our trust in God will make us impregnable. The problem is that this did not fit Israel's own experience. In fact, foreigners conquered Jerusalem several times. As Israel repeatedly discovered, even though like Jerusalem, our faith does provide us resources when life is threatening, it does not shield us from the disasters of life. As Jesus would later say, "For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous" (Matthew 5:45).
The truth is that Israel had a far deeper faith than that which treats God like a magic amulet to ward off the threats and fears of life. It is not uncommon for someone to use the tragic experiences of life as an excuse to not confront the rigors of faith. Presuming a position that allows them to judge God, they will say something like, "I can not believe in a God who would allows something that horrible to happen." Israel, on the other hand, when they experienced tragedy or suffering, would stop and say something like, "What is it that we did not understand about our relationship with God, that such an event could occur. Second Isaiah, which Tom refers to, was working out just such a new vision of God in light of the exile. The exile forced Israel to move beyond a temptation to narrow nationalism and see God working the divine purpose out in the entire universe.
So when the psalmist said: "Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved but abides forever," perhaps he is referring to a center of trust in God that moves beyond the historical moment and is able to trust in God even when we cannot see how the outcome can be positive. One might recall how Jesus demonstrated just this type of faith in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:39). Luke's description of this event (Luke 22:44), makes clear that Jesus experienced deep fear, but in the midst of his fear, he also evidenced a trust that kept him centered in God. If I have any caution about Thom's reference to the psychologist's advice to face your fears with courage, it would be that overcoming such fears is not just a case of our will power but a trust in a God that we can neither manipulate for our benefit nor fully understand. Even when we demonstrate such trust, the credit does not belong to us.
While, like the mountains that surround Jerusalem, the active practice of our faith can provide us a shield, we cannot assume that the natural trappings of faith will ultimately protect us. There will be times when our only source of help will rest beyond whatever we can do. We need to continually pray, "Do good, O Lord, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts." Our faith does not protect us from challenges internally and externally, but when we are attacked by forces and fears beyond our understanding, we can learn again and again to trust in the one who is faithful to us even when we fail in our own faithfulness. It is our one and only hope
If the force of nature in the experience of Katrina and the force of politics in the 9/11 attack have reminded us once again that the unfolding of history is beyond our control, perhaps it is time to reconsider our understanding of how God is at work in our lives and our world to effect God's purpose. If Katrina exposed the underbelly of racism and poverty that still plagues our society and 9/11 revealed the deep seated anger toward the disparity of wealth and poverty internationally, perhaps they are also a wake-up call for Christians in reconsidering what Jesus meant when he declared "and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:27-28). That line of thought would take us back to the lectionary passage from James 2:1-17.
ILLUSTRATIONS
"We are the ones who are still on a heightened sense of alert -- who cannot walk under construction scaffolding. We are the ones who live with the sights and smells and sounds of that day -- who still cringe at sirens and want to crawl under the bed during a thunderstorm. Many of us still work in the same area as the Twin Towers, and we have the hole in the ground as a constant reminder. We are the ones who walk the burial ground every day."
-- Pat Mazella, who escaped the World Trade Center on 9/11; in an email reported by Anna Quindlen, "A Nation's Fear of Flying," Newsweek, 8/28/06, p. 100
***
"Do not be afraid" is the most frequent command in the Bible, which seems wholly appropriate in an era when terrorists could strike at any moment. We have a thousand fears: mammograms and prostate tests, our children's future as well as their present, retirement funds, job security, crime.
We fear not getting the job we want or the lover we desire, and if we have them we fear their loss. In the face of such everyday fear, Jesus points to a lily, or a sparrow, and calmly says, Trust. Seek first the kingdom of heaven.
Trust does not eliminate the bad things that may happen, whatever sparked our fear in the first place. Trust simply finds a new outlet for anxiety and a new grounding for confidence: God. Let God worry about the worrisome details of life, most of which are out of my control anyway. "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God," Paul wrote. "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).
When I question the practicality of those words in view of all the terrible things that have happened to Jesus' followers over the years, I remind myself that Paul wrote them from a Roman prison cell. God's peace indeed "transcends all understanding."
-- Philip Yancey, "It's Hard to Be Like Jesus," in Today's Christian, May/June 2005
Adapted from Rumors of Another World (Zondervan, 2003)
***
In the gloomiest days of the Great Depression, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt spoke this strangely lovely and memorable phrase: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." These were not simply historic words about courage, they were words that generated courage. Hearing them did not merely convey information about being confident in the face of fear; hearing them evoked that very confidence, created a world where that boldness could be possible.
-- Thomas Long, from Hebrews, in the Interpretation commentary series (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1997), p. 5
***
Fear is powerful. Famed Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne knew it, and he knew how to exploit it to his team's advantage. Once, Notre Dame was preparing to play USC -- a game Rockne's team seemed sure to lose. Knowing that the Trojan players were bigger and more experienced than Notre Dame's, the coach resorted to an act of subterfuge that -- while it would certainly be illegal today -- was within the "gray area" of college football's rules back then.
What he did was to send his assistant coaches out into the barrooms and factories of South Bend, and hand-pick 100 of the largest men they could find. Rockne dressed these giants in "Fighting Irish" uniforms, and had them run out onto the field ahead of the real team. As the USC players watched these frightening-looking characters charge onto the field, they lost their nerve. Not one of the specially-recruited men ever left the bench, but that didn't matter. Their presence on the bench was enough. USC lost the game.
***
The second verse of the hymn "How Firm a Foundation," which was written in the late 1700s, has offered the Lord's words of encouragement to generation after generation in this country as they have gone through terrifying times: the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and the more recent conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and elsewhere.
Fear not, I am with you, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am your God and will still give you aid;
I'll strengthen you, help you, and cause you to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
-- Lutheran Book of Worship, 507
***
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German pastor who was murdered by the Nazis, and the hundredth anniversary of whose birth we are commemorating this year, wrote in his book The Cost of Discipleship:
The life of discipleship can only be maintained so long as nothing is allowed to come between Christ and ourselves... Earthly possessions dazzle our eyes and delude us into thinking that they can provide security and freedom from anxiety... If our hearts are set on them, our reward is an anxiety whose burden is intolerable... The only way to win assurance is by leaving tomorrow entirely in the hands of God and by receiving from him all we need for today. If instead of receiving God's gifts for today we worry about tomorrow, we find ourselves helpless victims of infinite anxiety.
-- The Cost of Discipleship, 192, 197, 198
***
Bonhoeffer also wrote:
The most urgent problem besetting our Church is this: How can we live the Christian life in the modern world? ... Happy are the simple followers of Jesus Christ who have been overcome by his grace, and are able to sing the praises of the all-sufficient grace of Christ with humbleness of heart. Happy are they who, knowing that grace, can live in the world without being of it, who, by following Jesus Christ, are so assured of their heavenly citizenship that they are truly free to live their lives in this world. Happy are they who know that discipleship simply means life which springs from grace.
-- The Cost of Discipleship, 60
***
The small oil rich nation of Qatar has given millions of dollars to the relief effort in New Orleans. Two million has been just awarded to the work with the homeless there. That is in addition to the $22 million given earlier to Habitat for Humanity, 12.5 million to Xavier, and 10 million to Tulane. All in all Qatar has given over 100 million to relief efforts in New Orleans. It has taken a long time for the United States to respond to the devastation of the most fearsome storm in recent memory and to the needs of our own poorest of the poor. In part we have been shamed into it by an oil rich nation half way around the world. We are usually so generous, with such open hearts and such an abundant kindness to those who suffer no matter where in the world disaster strikes. What in the world went wrong with our hearts in New Orleans last year?
***
We are a nation gripped in fear. It is now five years since 9/11, and there is deep in every American soul the sense that anything could happen at any time. Further, it is in the mind of many just a question of time when, not whether the other shoe will drop. We've come a long way since the stirring words of another President who rallied this country with courage with words like these: "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself!"
There are other great souls who have stirred us with the courage to face our fears:
"Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit."
Bertrand Russell
"Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power."
John Steinbeck
"What man does not understand, he fears; and what he fears, he tends to destroy."
Anonymous
"We need to teach the next generation of children from Day One that they are responsible for their lives. Mankind's greatest gift, also its greatest curse, is that we have free choice. We can make our choices built from love or from fear."
Elizabeth Kubler-Ross
"Keep your fears to yourself, but share your courage with others."
Robert Louis Stevenson
"Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear."
Thomas Jefferson
"Of all base passions, fear is the most accursed."
Shakespeare
"When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty and there is nothing to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader."
Plato
"Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance."
St. Francis of Assisi
WORSHIP RESOURCES
By Thom Schuman
Call To Worship
Leader: What good is it if we say we love
all people, but give special treatment
to a few?
People: God calls us to love others
as deeply as we love ourselves,
with no strings attached.
Leader: What good is it if we say we want
God to show mercy towards us,
but are quick to judge others?
People: God calls us to forgive our sisters
and brothers, to let mercy triumph
over judgment.
Leader: What good is it if we say we trust
God in every moment, but live
guided by our fears?
People: We will speak and act as those
who trust God to come and live
in our fearful hearts.
Prayer Of The Day
God surrounded by glory:
you notice the people we walk past,
and journey with them,
whenever they are going.
You speak out for the voiceless,
and open our ears to their cries.
Jesus, Healer of the hopeless,
Converser with the outsider:
in you,
faith and works walk hand in hand
down the streets of the kingdom.
In you,
the have-a-lots and the have-nothings
find themselves sitting side by side
at your Table,
passing grace to one another.
In you,
those with good names,
and those with no names,
are called by one name:
"Beloved."
Compassion's Spirit:
sow justice in our hearts,
so the poor might find in us a friend;
sow peace in our spirits,
so the angry might find in us
a sea of gentleness;
sow generosity in our hands,
so the hungry might find in us
their daily bread.
God in Community, Holy in One,
surround us in these moments
and in all the ones to come,
with your grace and love,
as we pray together the disciples' prayer,
Our Father ...
Call To Reconciliation
We know we shouldn't do it, but we play
favorites. We know it is wrong, but we
distinguish between "us" and "them." We
know we have nothing to fear, but turn
aside from God's strong love. Let us
confess together all we have done to
hurt others.
Unison Prayer Of Confession
How glibly we say we trust you, Holy One,
and how quickly our fears silence our words.
We find you at the side of the poor, while we
cozy up to the rich and famous. You stand
behind the counter serving the hungry at the
soup kitchen, while we are stocking our
freezers and pantries till they overflow. We
look down at those whose hands are dirty,
but your hand of mercy pulls them into
your embracing love.
Forgive us, O Lord, and do good to us
when we have trouble doing good for others.
Surround us with your love; surround us with
your grace; surround us with your peace;
surround us with the Spirit of your Son, Jesus
Christ, our Lord and Savior.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: Be strong, do not fear! God comes,
to fill your parched souls with living
water, to open your eyes to the grace
which is yours.
People: God comes, for no other reason than
to save us. This is indeed good news.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: My beloved sisters and brothers,
may the Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Leader: My beloved brothers and sisters,
lift up your hearts.
People: Our hearts are offered to our God.
Leader: My beloved sisters and brothers,
let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
People: Thanksgiving is in our hearts,
and praise is on our lips.
Our hearts do handsprings,
and our joy echoes off the mountains,
Creator of all:
rich and poor, man and woman,
child and grandparent, gnat and galaxy.
Created in your image,
we ridicule others who look different from us;
our lungs filled with the Spirit's breath,
we laugh at those who are not as good
as we imagine we are.
But even when we turn our backs on you,
your love is steadfast and your grace is abundant.
And so, with all your people,
those on earth and those around your throne,
those beside us in this moment
and those with you throughout eternity,
we join in everlasting song:
Sanctus
Holy are you, and blessed is Jesus,
your Son, our Brother, our Savior.
Jesus has done everything well:
eating and drinking with sinners,
he taught us that there is a place
at the Table for each and every one of us;
responding to the cries of the poor,
he shows us we are all equal in God's heart;
clearing the eyes of the blind
and opening the ears of the deaf,
inviting children to sit on his lap
and conversing with the outsiders of his day,
he models the radical inclusiveness
of your kingdom.
As we remember all you did in and through him --
his words, his touch, his laughter, his silence,
his pain, his loneliness, his death, his resurrection --
we offer ourselves in trust and hope,
in service and sacrifice,
as we proclaim the mystery of faith:
Memorial Acclamation
May the Spirit of the Risen Lord
be poured out on us in this place,
and on the gifts of the bread and the cup.
As we take the broken loaf, we feast,
not on the crumbs which fall from the Table,
but on the grace which makes us whole;
on the hope which makes us one;
on the love which calls us to serve:
to welcome the immigrants to our neighborhood,
to teach the little child to read,
to affirm the awkward adolescent,
to share our bread and all we have
with those in need,
until that day when Christ returns
all shall feast at his banquet in heaven.
Through your Son, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit in your holy church,
all honor and glory are yours,
Great God, our hope, our trust, our redemption,
now and forever. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
He makes the deaf to hear
Object: cups for your ears or bring an ear muffler
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you know someone who can't hear very well? (let them answer) The person you know may be a very old person or very young. If you want to know what it is like to be hard of hearing, you can cover your ears with your hands. (cover your ears and suggest that the children cover their ears) It's hard to hear when your ears are covered, isn't it? (let them answer)
I want to tell you a story about a little boy about your age who had a grandmother who couldn't hear very well. She had a hearing aid. Something happened to the hearing aid. It didn't work. So, she could hardly hear. Since she couldn't hear, it was difficult to talk -- she talked really loud! (talk loud) She had to go to the doctor to get the hearing aid checked. Her little grandson went with her. He was a great help. He walked into the doctor's office with her. He went up to the receptionist and told her that he was with his grandmother. He said that she had an appointment to see the doctor. He told the nurse that his grandmother couldn't hear. He said that he came along to help her. The grandmother and the boy saw the doctor. The doctor fixed her hearing aid and she could hear again.
This story reminds me of this morning's lesson. There was a man who couldn't hear and who had trouble speaking. Some people took him to see Jesus, just like the little boy who went to the doctor with his grandmother. Jesus healed the man, just like the doctor who fixed the hearing aid. When Jesus healed the man's hearing Jesus looked to heaven. He touched the man's ears and said, "Be open!" The man could hear again.
Here's what I want you to remember. Jesus healed the man who couldn't hear so that we could see that Jesus was sent from God. Jesus heals us because he loves us. Jesus wants us to love others.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 17, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
