Fear Itself
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At first glance, it seems like this week's lectionary texts are an exercise in class warfare -- there's the familiar verse from 1 Timothy advising that "the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil" and exhorts us to "shun all this," and the gospel parable in which Jesus describes the gruesome fate that awaits a rich man who enjoyed the finer things in life while ignoring the needs of poor Lazarus. In addition, the Old Testament reading offers some rather curious investment advice, as God directs Jeremiah to buy a field even though the real estate market in Judah is in shambles. It seems that God is certainly not listening to the pointers from the pundits on the cable business channels about how to maximize the financial return on our nest egg! In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer notes that when we consider all of these readings, what's really going on is a word from God about how to view our investments -- both financial and otherwise -- particularly in a climate of fear (which certainly describes both Judah and our own time). It's not wealth per se that's the problem, Dean reminds us, it's when we become too wrapped up in pursuing it for our own selfish ends instead of investing it wisely for the good of the kingdom. Team member Kate Murphy offers some additional thoughts on the gospel text spurred by the story of Marc Dreier, aka the "mini-Madoff." Kate suggests that while we may find Abraham's response to the rich man's torment a bit harsh, we need to consider the effect of our choices -- and that our ability to distract ourselves from their consequences may in fact be the devil's greatest weapon.
Fear Itself
by Dean Feldmeyer
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31
"US companies are hanging on to more cash on their balance sheets than at any other point on record. Widely held names likes General Electric, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Ford, and Google are all companies with cash on the balance sheets." -- Lulu Chiang, CNBC, July 19, 2010
"US companies are holding more cash in the bank than at any point on record..." -- Justin Lenhart, The Wall Street Journal, June 10, 2010
"For the recovery to proceed smoothly, firms must stop hoarding cash." -- The Economist, July 1, 2010
Everyone seems to agree that the only sure way to get out of the current recession is for people to begin spending and investing again. And nowhere is this more true than in the private corporate sector.
But, we are also told, banks and other companies are afraid. They don't want to take risks. They want to do the safe, secure thing -- and that is to keep making profits but not to spend or invest them. Instead, they hoard them. They sit on them. They buy only what they need short-term. They refuse to expand their business or bring back laid-off workers.
So we find ourselves in a position where we are in the worst recession in 70 years and our corporations are richer -- sitting on more cash than they have had since records began being kept, yet refusing to spend it.
About 2,600 years ago the land of Judah was in a similar situation. People were afraid; the city of Jerusalem was under siege by the army of Babylon and everyone was divesting themselves of their investments, turning everything into cash in case they had to make a hasty exit. And it was at precisely that time that God told the prophet Jeremiah that he should invest in real estate.
God, it seems, has a strange investment strategy, but one that people of faith might want to consider.
THE WORLD
(2010 CE)
The United States of America is under siege from hostile forces that have invaded our country and want to see it destroyed. We are fighting one foreign war and have just ended another. Ruthless powers capable of unparalleled violence and savagery threaten at our gates.
At the same time, our economy is in a state of near-collapse. Unemployment and poverty figures are higher than they have been in most of our lifetimes. Nearly every person in the country knows someone whose home has been foreclosed. People in need of work can't find it. Health care prices are beyond the reach of many of our citizens.
Fear rules the economy. Corporations -- manufacturing and financial -- are making profits, but they are liquidating everything for cash, sitting on cash reserves larger than any that have been collected since records have been kept. Net lending by the financial sector is down 5.4% from a year ago. Non-financial companies have "socked away $1.84 trillion in cash and other liquid assets as of the end of March, up 26% from a year earlier, the largest-ever increase in records going back to 1952." And all that cash is just sitting there. It's not earning dividends. It's not even earning interest. It might as well be buried in a hole in the ground (Matthew 25:17).
We read the experts -- the economists, the analysts, the pundits, and the prognosticators -- and they tell us that the reason for this failure of companies to hire and invest and for financial institutions to lend is fear. No one knows what is going to happen to the economy. Will it get worse? Will it get better? No one wants to act until they know what's going to happen, and certainly no one wants to be the first to act. The business attitude seems to be: "Let someone else take the risk and see how they fare, and then we'll decide what to do."
Meanwhile, unemployment stalls at the highest rate since the Great Depression, homes are being foreclosed upon at record rates, and more Americans are living under the poverty level than since 1994. (MSNBC, Sept. 16, 2010)
Of course, if corporations are amoral institutions with no responsibility other than making a profit, then this is to be expected. If the only reason to invest money is to reap a financial reward, if the only reason to lend is to charge interest, if the only reason to work is to bring home a paycheck -- then what we have is what we should expect.
But what if there are other reasons to invest, other reasons to manufacture, other reasons for going to work? What if there are moral reasons, even theological reasons for doing these things?
THE WORD
(586 BCE)
Judah is under siege from hostile forces that have invaded the country and want to see it destroyed. The army of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar, a ruthless power capable of unparalleled violence and savagery, threatens at her gates.
At the same time, their economy is in a state of near-collapse. The siege has gone on longer than anyone anticipated. Food stores are running low. The water has become polluted. Disease runs rampant through the city, and medical care is primitive at best.
The handwriting on the wall is clear. The city will soon collapse, and the country will be defeated by the Babylonians.
Fear rules. People are doing all they can to liquidate their assets into cash or jewels or anything that is light and easy to carry if they have to move quickly. No one is investing in anything, especially not real estate. Except for the prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah has just purchased a nice little parcel of land from his cousin. He signed the deed in front of witnesses and told his secretary, Baruch, to seal it in an earthenware jar where it will be safe for a long time because, he says, some day this land will be valuable.
A prudent investment? Probably not. An expedient investment? Certainly not... but a faithful investment, to be sure. Jeremiah has no interest in "flipping" this property. He doesn't care about making a quick profit. This investment is made as a sign and a symbol to the people. Take heart, it says. All is not lost. Things will get better in due course. Be patient. Be positive. And be faithful.
In the gospel passage Luke takes a different track, but pursues the same subject of investing and investments. The rich man (tradition names him "Dives") has invested in his own comfort and ease. Feasts are not occasional things reserved for special holidays or events. They are, for him, everyday occurrences. Expensive purple is not a color he wears only for special occasions; he wears it every day. Even his sweat suits, one might say, have designer labels.
But he invests not a dime in the welfare of poor Lazarus, who sits by his gate and by whom he must pass every single day. He ignores the poor and the wretched; he is blinded to them by his own luxuries. When he finds that his actions in this life have estranged him from God in the next life, he asks Father Abraham to send a prophet to warn his brothers -- but Abraham responds that they have had plenty of opportunities to listen to prophets, and they have chosen not to do so. Their fate, as well as their money, is in their hands.
Finally, in 1 Timothy, Paul gives his own investment advice to the wealthy: "They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share" (1 Timothy 6:18). "The love of money," he warns, "is the root of all kinds of evil" (v. 10).
CRAFTING THE SERMON
Many of us think of investments as something that only the rich are interested in. We don't have that kind of money. With the possible exception of our pension funds, most of us aren't "in the market." We don't know a mutual fund from a hedge fund or an APR from an ARR. Wall Street is just a street to us. The financial pages of our local newspaper and the Wall Street Journal are written for people who live in penthouses and speak a strange and foreign language that we never learned.
That doesn't mean we aren't investors, however. Money isn't the only resource we invest.
We invest our energy. Let's be honest. We have only so much, and it runs out every so often. And as we get older, we have less and less every day. Deciding where and how we are going to invest our energy may be one of the most important investment decisions we make -- and we make it every day.
We invest our time. Time is the only resource we have that we can't make more of. Deciding where and for what we invest our time is just as important -- maybe even more so -- than where and for what we invest our funds.
We invest our endorsements. Other people watch what we do and what we hold as important. When we prioritize our lives we are putting our imprimatur upon those things at the top of our list, and the whole world -- especially our children and those younger and less experienced than we -- sees what we have decided is important.
By addressing these types of investments as well as the financial ones, we can make the text speak to every person in the sanctuary. We are all investors. We invest money, time, energy, endorsements, and other things every day. And as people of faith, our investment advisors are the firm of "Jeremiah, Luke, and Paul" -- whose advice reaches beyond making a profit and maximizing our return.
We are called, as God's people, to make investments that cut through fear, that remember the poor and those in need, and that show us to be good and generous and ready to share. We are called to make investments, as Jeremiah did, that speak a message of faith and hope and love.
ANOTHER VIEW
The Devil's Greatest Weapon
by Kate Murphy
Luke 16:19-31
THE WORLD
People call Marc Dreier the "mini-Madoff" because police arrested him and exposed his ponzi scheme just days before Bernie Madoff's downfall. Dreier pulled off a $400 million dollar scam, and he recently sat down with 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft to explain how he pulled it off.
The details of Dreier's fraud, arrest (in Canada -- initially just for impersonating a pension fund officer) and lavish lifestyle are fascinating -- but I found his answer to the interview's final question most compelling. Kroft asked Dreier, given the magnitude of his crime, how he could live with himself: "How could [you] walk around living this life spending all this money, never showing a crack in the faÁade?"
Dreier replied, "I was doing a lot of things at the same time. I was engaged in a fraud, which took a lot of energy to sustain. But I was also running a law firm -- a legitimate law firm, other than, obviously, the obvious fact that it was funded illegitimately. I was a practicing lawyer; I was handling my own cases in court, which took a lot of energy. I almost didn't have enough time to dwell on the elephant in the room, which was the very -- you know -- the crime I was engaging with to keep all this up."
In essence, Dreier's answer is "I kept very busy." He knew his fraudulent activities were immoral, so he distracted himself with professional obligations, with charitable work, and his social life -- so he never had time or energy to contemplate his life.
THE WORD
In this week's gospel lesson, a rich man cries out for mercy. He is burning in Hades, suffering an eternal punishment for the cruel indifference he showed to his impoverished neighbor Lazarus during his life. Apparently he has a clear view of heaven as he writhes in the flames, and he looks up and sees Abraham standing next to Lazarus: "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames." Seems like a modest request -- he doesn't question the justice of his punishment, doesn't ask for early release on account of good behavior, he just begs for some mild relief.
But Abraham gently refuses to send Lazarus on this mission of mercy. Denied his drops of water, the rich man goes on to make an even more pathetic request: "Then Father, I beg you to send [Lazarus] to my father's house -- for I have five brothers -- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come in to this place of torment."
Who could refuse such a compassionate speech? Apparently Abraham can, for he responds: "They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them."
The rich man protests, "No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent."
But Abraham insists, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."
I've always thought Abraham was unnecessarily harsh -- but after reading the transcript of the Dreier interview, I wonder. I wonder if Abraham was just acknowledging a bitter truth most of us would rather ignore. We'd like to believe that folks like the unnamed rich man and Marc Dreier would do better if only they knew better, but the reality is more discouraging. Sometimes we know better and choose evil anyway. Abraham seems to be certain that the rich man's brothers will find plenty of ways to distract themselves from the enormity of their sin -- even if it means ignoring a warning from the dead. Dreier's baffling statement that committing his crime took so much effort that he didn't have the energy to think about the fact that he was committing a crime seems to bear out Abraham's pessimism. In life, the rich man knew his torah obligations to Lazarus all too well -- he just found plenty of ways to ignore them. Dreier's interview reveals that he also knew his scheme was not only immoral, but futile -- he knew he would be caught -- but wealth afforded him plenty of pleasurable ways to distract himself from the inevitable.
THE SERMON
Perhaps the devil's greatest tool, then, is distraction. Hollywood would have us believe that we're only in danger when heads are spinning and young children are levitating -- but perhaps our enemy has no need for supernatural weapons. We can be convinced to ignore our covenant responsibilities easily -- by slick advertising campaigns, political demigods, and satellite television. There are so many other, more pleasant places to focus our attention -- so many voices eager to tell us that the way we're living our lives is A-OK, so many wealthy evangelists preaching that God placed us on Earth to follow our bliss. Like the rich man's brothers, we rarely listen to Moses and the prophets -- and when we do we're easily convinced that they are talking about someone else.
The preacher might choose to commend the congregation for taking the road less traveled -- for choosing to worship God in the context of a congregation that emphasizes God's promises to us as well as our obligations to God. It takes great faith and love to submit oneself to the authority of scripture.
In this parable Jesus is warning us that the choices we make with our money matter to God. Of course, this passage is about more than money -- but let that not stop the preacher from unapologetically acknowledging that it is about money. This week might give us an excellent chance to preach about money without asking for it. One can imagine that the rich man kept all of his cultic obligations -- that he made the proper sacrifices and offerings at the appointed times -- yet he still failed to live as a child of the covenant. He ignored his holy responsibilities to his neighbor. He feasted and drank wine as the dogs licked Lazarus' open wounds. This choice mattered to God. It matters still.
As we deliver this message, it's important to point out the holy irony of Abraham's final words -- because, of course, there is one who can cross the great chasm that separates heaven and hell. Jesus Christ has done so. And in that ultimate truth, our repentant hearts can find hope and new life.
ILLUSTRATIONS
On the anniversary of 9/11, Florida pastor Terry Jones planned to have a public ceremony of burning the Koran. He preaches that "Islam is of the Devil," and avows that he has a constitutional right to promote an International Burn a Koran Day. Before the event was cancelled, there was a considerable debate regarding Jones' constitutional rights and certainly his lack of sensitivity. General David Patraeus said the ceremony would increase military hostilities, which would result in a number of American soldiers being killed. Ongoing riots among Muslims had already resulted in several deaths, and the uprisings that would occur in Islamic cities after the burning would cost countless lives. Yet many people who adamantly disagreed with the forthcoming action of Pastor Jones defended his constitutional right to proceed. Except for one lone voice who stood opposed.
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said the burning of the Koran, as Jones intended, was not protected by the Freedom of Speech clause in the US Constitution. George Stephanopoulos, who interviewed Justice Breyer on Good Morning America, related that Breyer told him "that he's not prepared to conclude that -- in the internet age -- the First Amendment condones Koran burning." On the program, the justice said, "[Oliver Wendell] Holmes said it doesn't mean you can shout 'fire' in a crowded theater. Well, what is that? Why? Because people will be trampled to death. And what is the crowded theater today? What is being trampled to death?" It is Justice Breyer's conclusion that since the International Burn a Koran Day will result in the deaths of civilians and soldiers, the display is probably unconstitutional. The justice stated that this would be a good case for the court to study and present an informed position.
Jeremiah was a prophet who proclaimed harsh and disturbing things; so much so that King Zedekiah of Judah had him imprisoned. But the prophets were wise men who knew the difference between disavowing idolatry and yelling "fire" in a crowded public theater. We need to preach, but in doing so we must be sure that it is the Word of the Lord that we are proclaiming and not a word of personal vindictiveness. Our words will always be those of justice, never injustice.
* * *
After Bishop Fulton Sheen's final broadcast of Life Is Worth Living in 1957, denominational religion has once again returned as a weekly network television show. The program will have a similar format, but a new name: Word on Fire with Father Barron. The host, Father Robert Barron, is a member of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a professor at the University of St. Mary. According to the Catholic News Agency, Reverend Barron "will begin broadcasting a weekly television show on WGN America to reach Catholics and others searching for Christ. He will be the first priest since Archbishop Fulton Sheen to have a regular, national program on a commercial television network."
In discussing the need for the return to network religious programing, Reverend Barron says: "Now is the time to reach out to Catholics and others who are searching for meaning in their lives or who have left the church because they are disillusioned. In each episode, our mission will be to encourage believers and bring the transformative power of the gospel to the culture. The faith of the Church is our strength.... The faith imbues our life with meaning and imparts to all a renewed sense of purpose."
Zedekiah, the king of Judah, was bewildered. He could not understand why Jeremiah desired to preach the Word of God and make himself susceptible to the persecution that ensues from such a venture. One can hear the exasperation in the king's voice when he asks, "Why do you prophesy as you do?" Jeremiah's answer was as direct as the question "The word of the Lord came to me." Father Barron is willing to stand on the national stage to preach the Word of God because "now is the time to reach out to Catholics and others who are searching for meaning in their lives or who have left the church because they are disillusioned." Whether we are Catholics or Protestants, we cannot let Reverend Barron stand alone. We too must take center stage and share the gospel message, for we are not unlike Jeremiah in knowing, "The word of the Lord came to me."
* * *
Well, if you want to witness for the Lord, you better be ready for the recriminations. Let us not forget that preaching put Jeremiah in prison.
By chance or by choice, it is hard to know, the last two American teams and the team to participate in the forthcoming Ryder Cup have been composed almost entirely of born-again Christians. These are not quiet Christians, but ones who wear their religion on their sleeves. The 2006 team captain, Tom Lehman, wore the W.W.J.D. ("What would Jesus do?") bracelet. In so doing the British press dubbed him "Saint Tom." Paul Azinger, a born-again Christian and the 2008 team captain, realizing that almost his entire team was Christian, said, "The British tabloids will hop on it and hit it hard." Rickie Fowler, who will be a contender for the next team, marks his golf balls with "4:13." This is a verse from Philippians: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
This animosity toward religion extends beyond the Ryder Cup. Zach Johnson, after he won the 2007 Masters, said, "Being Easter, my goal was to glorify God, and hopefully I did that today." In response, the Times of London wrote, "Another American winner, another sermon."
"Another sermon." It is doubtful that accusation disturbed Jeremiah. In fact, he was probably pleased they expected a sermon, even though they would not welcome the message. If we are born-again Christians then people should expect us to wear our religion on our sleeves, not as show, but as a testimony. When people see us coming they should anticipate yet "another sermon."
* * *
If you had known in the year 2000 what would happen at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, would you have invested in any of the nearby real estate? If you knew that those towers would ignite and fall, would you have permitted a relative or anyone to persuade you to purchase any part of Manhattan Island?
The Lord confronted Jeremiah with a similar dilemma. Jeremiah knew that the Babylonian army was on its way to destroy his nation. Those foreign troops would carry off his friends, neighbors, and relatives, and then occupy the land for 70 years. Nonetheless, the Lord told Jeremiah to purchase his uncle's field. By purchasing it, Jeremiah would demonstrate faith that God would allow his countrymen to return some day. Jeremiah believed God and paid out the cash. The Lord asks you to invest in heaven's real estate. Do you share Jeremiah's faith?
* * *
American poet Robert Frost once wrote that "Hell is a half-filled auditorium." Since that writing, there could even be a greater audience in Satan's theater than originally anticipated. A recent Gallup poll reported that a little more than half of all Canadians believe in heaven, but less than a third believe in hell. This would parallel the finding that only 30% of Canadians responded, "I know God really exists and I have no doubts." This is to be compared to the 20% who have "some doubts," another 10% who believe in God "sometimes," and 20% who do not believe in God at all, but do affirm a "higher power." If the numbers of unbelievers are counted, the auditorium may soon be using overflow seating.
Just across the border from Canada, the seating arrangement in the auditorium that Robert Frost spoke of has a different ticket sale. In the United States the survey revealed that 81% of Americans believe in heaven and 70% affirm there is a hell. The Religious News Service, which reported on the survey, insightfully titled their article, "Heaven trumps hell in Canadian poll that shows waning faith."
In reading Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus, I don't think the rich man was too concerned with the number of vacant seats in the auditorium. What was primarily on his mind was the one seat that was occupied. He also expressed a desire that the rest of his family did not have tickets to the next performance. That is why he asked Lazarus to go and plead with them to exchange their seats for ones located in the upper tiers of the balcony. We must take seriously Jesus' message that there are many seats in hell that have been reserved for those who do not believe.
* * *
Generous people are rarely mentally ill. On the other hand, let us not be critical of our stingy friends. Remember, stinginess is an illness. Some don't dare give; they might run out. My dear friends, of course you are going to run out. You can't take it with you... Ill individuals narrow their visions until they cease to see the multiplicity of opportunities.
-- Karl Menninger
* * *
In 1993 the Atlantic Monthly ran an article about water resources in the American West. Near the small town of Fowler, Kansas, there is a valley known as the Artesian Valley. The reason for the valley's name is the artesian wells, or springs, that are plentiful there. As one longtime resident describes it (or at least as he describes the ways things used to be): "There were hundreds of natural springs in this valley. If you drilled a well for your house, the natural water pressure was enough to go through your hot-water system and out the shower head."
Matt Ridley and Bobbi S. Low, the authors of this article, explain that back in the 1920s there were marshes in the Artesian Valley of Kansas where cattle used to sink up to their bellies in mud. But no longer. The bogs and springs of years past are gone, and the inhabitants of the valley must dig ever deeper wells to bring up water. It's easy to see the reason for this from the air. Those who fly over this part of Kansas can see hundreds upon hundreds of green discs, each one surrounded by barren areas of brown. Each of the discs represents the area covered by a mobile irrigation system that circles around a central pivot. The more years these irrigation systems operate, the more the underground aquifer becomes depleted -- and the more difficult it becomes for all the farmers to draw the water they need.
The authors compare this midwestern agricultural valley with another valley that shares similar geographical characteristics: the region around the city of Valencia, in Spain:
... the waters of the River Turia are shared by some 15,000 farmers in an arrangement that dates back at least 550 years and probably longer. Each farmer, when his turn comes, takes as much water as he needs from the distributory canal and wastes none. He is discouraged from cheating -- watering out of turn -- merely by the watchful eyes of his neighbors above and below him on the canal. If they have a grievance, they can take it to the Tribunal de las Aguas, which meets on Thursday mornings outside the Apostles' door of the Cathedral of Valencia. Records dating back to the 1400s suggest that cheating is rare. The huerta of Valencia is a profitable region, growing at least two crops a year.
Two irrigation systems: one sustainable, equitable, and long-lived, the other a doomed free-for-all. Two case histories cited by political scientists who struggle to understand the persistent human failure to solve "common-pool resource problems." The only way to avoid abuse is self-restraint. And yet nobody knows how best to persuade the human race to exercise self-restraint.
* * *
The psalmist confesses, "I will praise the Lord all my life." This verse could cause one to wonder and question, for the remainder of the hymn speaks of praising God while one endures suffering. But this question is quickly clarified when the psalmist cautions us not to place our "trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save." Instead, we sing to "the Maker of heaven and earth." We sing to the God "who upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry." We praise a God who "who remains faithful forever" with us, even in the most unsavory times of life.
Versed in the scriptures, this is a hymn that Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Chairman of the Board of Catholic Relief Services, would sing. Six months ago, after Haiti's devastating earthquake, Archbishop Dolan stood in the ruins of Port-au-Prince and made two promises to the people: he would be back and he would not let the world forget them.
Recently he made good on his promise, returning to Haiti to monitor the progress of recovery. He spent four days at the Petionville Camp for Displaced Haitians, a city of tents and makeshift shelters that was established on the golf course of the once plush Petionville Club. It is here that 40,000 of the two million displaced persons dwell. The goal of the camp is to provide shelter and substance. It also employs the residents to help reconstruct the infrastructure of Haiti, engaging them in such projects as rebuilding the sanitation and water system.
Dolan was pleased with the progress that is being made, but expressed his frustration at the slow pace of reconstruction. The Archbishop said, "Rebuilding is terribly slow. We need patience. Catholic Relief Services are experts in patience. We've got God -- a God who keeps His promises, but sometimes His clock and His calendar are not the same as ours."
Though the Archbishop is frustrated, he has not become discouraged and he has not lost his faith. This is because he understands the message of Psalm 146 that the God of Creation will always care for the oppressed. It is important to note that the Archbishop realizes his role in that scenario, as he faithfully kept the two promises he made to the people of a devastated land. The beauty of so many of the psalms is the promised assurance of God's everlasting presence and care.
* * *
"Where people die matters. Hint: Not the ICU." That headline in the Los Angeles Times certainly was eye-catching. The recently released report said that cancer patients who die at home "have better quality of life in their final days" than those who die in hospitals. Also, family members who watch loved ones die in a clinical setting have a harder time adjusting psychologically to the death. The report, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, offered this observation: "Hospital and ICU care may emphasize staying alive at all costs, while hospice care emphasizes managing symptoms and comfort at the end of life."
I am always drawn to how caring David portrays God in his hymn (Psalm 146). The words and phrases that he uses must warm our hearts and offer a wonderful sense of assurance. God "upholds the cause of the oppressed." God "gives food to the hungry." God "sets the prisoner free." God "gives sight to the blind." God "lifts up those who are bowed down." God "sustains the fatherless and the widow."
Though I am certain that God is present in every ICU across the globe, just think of what it means to have the presence of God in one's home at the time of the death of a loved one. God envelopes nurses and doctors, but these clinicians, though they have the desire, do not have the time to sit and hold a hand and place an ice cube on a parched lip. As family, gathered about the bed, isn't it reassuring to know that we are not alone for God "lifts up those who are bowed down."
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Mary Austin
Call to Worship
Leader: On mountaintops and in valleys,
People: the glory of God surrounds us.
Leader: In whispers and in shouts,
People: the glory of God speaks to us.
Leader: In nature's variety and color,
People: the glory of God calls to us.
Leader: In baptism's claim and communion's welcome,
People: the glory of God makes a home for us.
Opening Prayer / Prayer of the Day
God, our Rock and our Redeemer, we come to the sabbath after a busy week and take a deep breath for the first time. We come to you after a week of worry and doubt and remember to trust you again. We come to this community of faith after a lonely week or painful season and hope again for connection.
God, our Rock and our Redeemer, you are the source of all the treasure in our lives, the foundation of every grace, and we come in thanksgiving and praise, knowing that we are blessed beyond deserving.
God, our Rock and our Redeemer, in your strength take our fears and our blessings, our certainty and our doubts, our gratitude and our hurry we pray, and make us into people who worship you fully, trust you extravagantly, and serve you abundantly. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
O God, we love you, but other things distract us. We see shiny new temptations, and we forget that they will soon be hollow. We long for someone's approval, and we forget that we have our shelter in you. We fear the future, and we forget that we live surrounded by your mercy. Forgive us, where we have wandered away, and turn our restless hearts back to you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
We live in the shelter of God's embrace and our salvation is at hand in God's love. God is our grace in every wilderness calling us home from sin and death. In the name of Jesus our Redeemer, and by the redeeming power of God's Holy Spirit, we are forgiven and set free. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Take Care of Others
Luke 16:19-31
Good morning, boys and girls! Today we are going to use our imaginations. Listen to me read part of today's gospel lesson. Pay attention, because I'm going to have you think about the story after I'm done reading. (read Luke 16:19-21) Now close your eyes. Imagine a rich man dressed in purple. Imagine him sitting at a big table with lots and lots of food. There's probably meat and bread, fruits and vegetables. Maybe there's cheese and desserts and other fancy food.
Now imagine a poor man who lives outside the rich man's house. His name is Lazarus, and he has no home. He has no fancy table with lots of wonderful food on it. To make things worse, Lazarus is sick. His body is covered with sore places. Who will help Lazarus with his troubles? Who will help him feel better?
Now open your eyes. Somebody in our Bible verse takes care of Lazarus. Who is it? (see if they remember) It's the dogs! The Bible tells us that the dogs come and lick his sores. They care for him. Does the rich man? No! Even though he has more than he needs, he doesn't think to share with the sick man outside his house. Isn't that a shame? Lazarus is sick and hungry, and the only ones who try to help him feel better are the dogs.
No matter how much or little you have, there is always someone who has less than you. God wants us to appreciate the blessings we have and share with those who are in need. The dogs in the story were less selfish than the rich man was. They didn't have anything either, but they didn't mind showing a little kindness to the sick man. Why couldn't the rich man do the same thing? Don't be like the rich man: stingy and unwilling to help those around you. We should all be more tender and giving like the dogs in our story.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive us when we are selfish. Please show us the way to share and help those who are in need. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 26, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 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.
Fear Itself
by Dean Feldmeyer
Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31
"US companies are hanging on to more cash on their balance sheets than at any other point on record. Widely held names likes General Electric, Cisco Systems, Microsoft, Ford, and Google are all companies with cash on the balance sheets." -- Lulu Chiang, CNBC, July 19, 2010
"US companies are holding more cash in the bank than at any point on record..." -- Justin Lenhart, The Wall Street Journal, June 10, 2010
"For the recovery to proceed smoothly, firms must stop hoarding cash." -- The Economist, July 1, 2010
Everyone seems to agree that the only sure way to get out of the current recession is for people to begin spending and investing again. And nowhere is this more true than in the private corporate sector.
But, we are also told, banks and other companies are afraid. They don't want to take risks. They want to do the safe, secure thing -- and that is to keep making profits but not to spend or invest them. Instead, they hoard them. They sit on them. They buy only what they need short-term. They refuse to expand their business or bring back laid-off workers.
So we find ourselves in a position where we are in the worst recession in 70 years and our corporations are richer -- sitting on more cash than they have had since records began being kept, yet refusing to spend it.
About 2,600 years ago the land of Judah was in a similar situation. People were afraid; the city of Jerusalem was under siege by the army of Babylon and everyone was divesting themselves of their investments, turning everything into cash in case they had to make a hasty exit. And it was at precisely that time that God told the prophet Jeremiah that he should invest in real estate.
God, it seems, has a strange investment strategy, but one that people of faith might want to consider.
THE WORLD
(2010 CE)
The United States of America is under siege from hostile forces that have invaded our country and want to see it destroyed. We are fighting one foreign war and have just ended another. Ruthless powers capable of unparalleled violence and savagery threaten at our gates.
At the same time, our economy is in a state of near-collapse. Unemployment and poverty figures are higher than they have been in most of our lifetimes. Nearly every person in the country knows someone whose home has been foreclosed. People in need of work can't find it. Health care prices are beyond the reach of many of our citizens.
Fear rules the economy. Corporations -- manufacturing and financial -- are making profits, but they are liquidating everything for cash, sitting on cash reserves larger than any that have been collected since records have been kept. Net lending by the financial sector is down 5.4% from a year ago. Non-financial companies have "socked away $1.84 trillion in cash and other liquid assets as of the end of March, up 26% from a year earlier, the largest-ever increase in records going back to 1952." And all that cash is just sitting there. It's not earning dividends. It's not even earning interest. It might as well be buried in a hole in the ground (Matthew 25:17).
We read the experts -- the economists, the analysts, the pundits, and the prognosticators -- and they tell us that the reason for this failure of companies to hire and invest and for financial institutions to lend is fear. No one knows what is going to happen to the economy. Will it get worse? Will it get better? No one wants to act until they know what's going to happen, and certainly no one wants to be the first to act. The business attitude seems to be: "Let someone else take the risk and see how they fare, and then we'll decide what to do."
Meanwhile, unemployment stalls at the highest rate since the Great Depression, homes are being foreclosed upon at record rates, and more Americans are living under the poverty level than since 1994. (MSNBC, Sept. 16, 2010)
Of course, if corporations are amoral institutions with no responsibility other than making a profit, then this is to be expected. If the only reason to invest money is to reap a financial reward, if the only reason to lend is to charge interest, if the only reason to work is to bring home a paycheck -- then what we have is what we should expect.
But what if there are other reasons to invest, other reasons to manufacture, other reasons for going to work? What if there are moral reasons, even theological reasons for doing these things?
THE WORD
(586 BCE)
Judah is under siege from hostile forces that have invaded the country and want to see it destroyed. The army of Babylon under King Nebuchadnezzar, a ruthless power capable of unparalleled violence and savagery, threatens at her gates.
At the same time, their economy is in a state of near-collapse. The siege has gone on longer than anyone anticipated. Food stores are running low. The water has become polluted. Disease runs rampant through the city, and medical care is primitive at best.
The handwriting on the wall is clear. The city will soon collapse, and the country will be defeated by the Babylonians.
Fear rules. People are doing all they can to liquidate their assets into cash or jewels or anything that is light and easy to carry if they have to move quickly. No one is investing in anything, especially not real estate. Except for the prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah has just purchased a nice little parcel of land from his cousin. He signed the deed in front of witnesses and told his secretary, Baruch, to seal it in an earthenware jar where it will be safe for a long time because, he says, some day this land will be valuable.
A prudent investment? Probably not. An expedient investment? Certainly not... but a faithful investment, to be sure. Jeremiah has no interest in "flipping" this property. He doesn't care about making a quick profit. This investment is made as a sign and a symbol to the people. Take heart, it says. All is not lost. Things will get better in due course. Be patient. Be positive. And be faithful.
In the gospel passage Luke takes a different track, but pursues the same subject of investing and investments. The rich man (tradition names him "Dives") has invested in his own comfort and ease. Feasts are not occasional things reserved for special holidays or events. They are, for him, everyday occurrences. Expensive purple is not a color he wears only for special occasions; he wears it every day. Even his sweat suits, one might say, have designer labels.
But he invests not a dime in the welfare of poor Lazarus, who sits by his gate and by whom he must pass every single day. He ignores the poor and the wretched; he is blinded to them by his own luxuries. When he finds that his actions in this life have estranged him from God in the next life, he asks Father Abraham to send a prophet to warn his brothers -- but Abraham responds that they have had plenty of opportunities to listen to prophets, and they have chosen not to do so. Their fate, as well as their money, is in their hands.
Finally, in 1 Timothy, Paul gives his own investment advice to the wealthy: "They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share" (1 Timothy 6:18). "The love of money," he warns, "is the root of all kinds of evil" (v. 10).
CRAFTING THE SERMON
Many of us think of investments as something that only the rich are interested in. We don't have that kind of money. With the possible exception of our pension funds, most of us aren't "in the market." We don't know a mutual fund from a hedge fund or an APR from an ARR. Wall Street is just a street to us. The financial pages of our local newspaper and the Wall Street Journal are written for people who live in penthouses and speak a strange and foreign language that we never learned.
That doesn't mean we aren't investors, however. Money isn't the only resource we invest.
We invest our energy. Let's be honest. We have only so much, and it runs out every so often. And as we get older, we have less and less every day. Deciding where and how we are going to invest our energy may be one of the most important investment decisions we make -- and we make it every day.
We invest our time. Time is the only resource we have that we can't make more of. Deciding where and for what we invest our time is just as important -- maybe even more so -- than where and for what we invest our funds.
We invest our endorsements. Other people watch what we do and what we hold as important. When we prioritize our lives we are putting our imprimatur upon those things at the top of our list, and the whole world -- especially our children and those younger and less experienced than we -- sees what we have decided is important.
By addressing these types of investments as well as the financial ones, we can make the text speak to every person in the sanctuary. We are all investors. We invest money, time, energy, endorsements, and other things every day. And as people of faith, our investment advisors are the firm of "Jeremiah, Luke, and Paul" -- whose advice reaches beyond making a profit and maximizing our return.
We are called, as God's people, to make investments that cut through fear, that remember the poor and those in need, and that show us to be good and generous and ready to share. We are called to make investments, as Jeremiah did, that speak a message of faith and hope and love.
ANOTHER VIEW
The Devil's Greatest Weapon
by Kate Murphy
Luke 16:19-31
THE WORLD
People call Marc Dreier the "mini-Madoff" because police arrested him and exposed his ponzi scheme just days before Bernie Madoff's downfall. Dreier pulled off a $400 million dollar scam, and he recently sat down with 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft to explain how he pulled it off.
The details of Dreier's fraud, arrest (in Canada -- initially just for impersonating a pension fund officer) and lavish lifestyle are fascinating -- but I found his answer to the interview's final question most compelling. Kroft asked Dreier, given the magnitude of his crime, how he could live with himself: "How could [you] walk around living this life spending all this money, never showing a crack in the faÁade?"
Dreier replied, "I was doing a lot of things at the same time. I was engaged in a fraud, which took a lot of energy to sustain. But I was also running a law firm -- a legitimate law firm, other than, obviously, the obvious fact that it was funded illegitimately. I was a practicing lawyer; I was handling my own cases in court, which took a lot of energy. I almost didn't have enough time to dwell on the elephant in the room, which was the very -- you know -- the crime I was engaging with to keep all this up."
In essence, Dreier's answer is "I kept very busy." He knew his fraudulent activities were immoral, so he distracted himself with professional obligations, with charitable work, and his social life -- so he never had time or energy to contemplate his life.
THE WORD
In this week's gospel lesson, a rich man cries out for mercy. He is burning in Hades, suffering an eternal punishment for the cruel indifference he showed to his impoverished neighbor Lazarus during his life. Apparently he has a clear view of heaven as he writhes in the flames, and he looks up and sees Abraham standing next to Lazarus: "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames." Seems like a modest request -- he doesn't question the justice of his punishment, doesn't ask for early release on account of good behavior, he just begs for some mild relief.
But Abraham gently refuses to send Lazarus on this mission of mercy. Denied his drops of water, the rich man goes on to make an even more pathetic request: "Then Father, I beg you to send [Lazarus] to my father's house -- for I have five brothers -- that he may warn them, so that they will not also come in to this place of torment."
Who could refuse such a compassionate speech? Apparently Abraham can, for he responds: "They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them."
The rich man protests, "No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent."
But Abraham insists, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead."
I've always thought Abraham was unnecessarily harsh -- but after reading the transcript of the Dreier interview, I wonder. I wonder if Abraham was just acknowledging a bitter truth most of us would rather ignore. We'd like to believe that folks like the unnamed rich man and Marc Dreier would do better if only they knew better, but the reality is more discouraging. Sometimes we know better and choose evil anyway. Abraham seems to be certain that the rich man's brothers will find plenty of ways to distract themselves from the enormity of their sin -- even if it means ignoring a warning from the dead. Dreier's baffling statement that committing his crime took so much effort that he didn't have the energy to think about the fact that he was committing a crime seems to bear out Abraham's pessimism. In life, the rich man knew his torah obligations to Lazarus all too well -- he just found plenty of ways to ignore them. Dreier's interview reveals that he also knew his scheme was not only immoral, but futile -- he knew he would be caught -- but wealth afforded him plenty of pleasurable ways to distract himself from the inevitable.
THE SERMON
Perhaps the devil's greatest tool, then, is distraction. Hollywood would have us believe that we're only in danger when heads are spinning and young children are levitating -- but perhaps our enemy has no need for supernatural weapons. We can be convinced to ignore our covenant responsibilities easily -- by slick advertising campaigns, political demigods, and satellite television. There are so many other, more pleasant places to focus our attention -- so many voices eager to tell us that the way we're living our lives is A-OK, so many wealthy evangelists preaching that God placed us on Earth to follow our bliss. Like the rich man's brothers, we rarely listen to Moses and the prophets -- and when we do we're easily convinced that they are talking about someone else.
The preacher might choose to commend the congregation for taking the road less traveled -- for choosing to worship God in the context of a congregation that emphasizes God's promises to us as well as our obligations to God. It takes great faith and love to submit oneself to the authority of scripture.
In this parable Jesus is warning us that the choices we make with our money matter to God. Of course, this passage is about more than money -- but let that not stop the preacher from unapologetically acknowledging that it is about money. This week might give us an excellent chance to preach about money without asking for it. One can imagine that the rich man kept all of his cultic obligations -- that he made the proper sacrifices and offerings at the appointed times -- yet he still failed to live as a child of the covenant. He ignored his holy responsibilities to his neighbor. He feasted and drank wine as the dogs licked Lazarus' open wounds. This choice mattered to God. It matters still.
As we deliver this message, it's important to point out the holy irony of Abraham's final words -- because, of course, there is one who can cross the great chasm that separates heaven and hell. Jesus Christ has done so. And in that ultimate truth, our repentant hearts can find hope and new life.
ILLUSTRATIONS
On the anniversary of 9/11, Florida pastor Terry Jones planned to have a public ceremony of burning the Koran. He preaches that "Islam is of the Devil," and avows that he has a constitutional right to promote an International Burn a Koran Day. Before the event was cancelled, there was a considerable debate regarding Jones' constitutional rights and certainly his lack of sensitivity. General David Patraeus said the ceremony would increase military hostilities, which would result in a number of American soldiers being killed. Ongoing riots among Muslims had already resulted in several deaths, and the uprisings that would occur in Islamic cities after the burning would cost countless lives. Yet many people who adamantly disagreed with the forthcoming action of Pastor Jones defended his constitutional right to proceed. Except for one lone voice who stood opposed.
Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer said the burning of the Koran, as Jones intended, was not protected by the Freedom of Speech clause in the US Constitution. George Stephanopoulos, who interviewed Justice Breyer on Good Morning America, related that Breyer told him "that he's not prepared to conclude that -- in the internet age -- the First Amendment condones Koran burning." On the program, the justice said, "[Oliver Wendell] Holmes said it doesn't mean you can shout 'fire' in a crowded theater. Well, what is that? Why? Because people will be trampled to death. And what is the crowded theater today? What is being trampled to death?" It is Justice Breyer's conclusion that since the International Burn a Koran Day will result in the deaths of civilians and soldiers, the display is probably unconstitutional. The justice stated that this would be a good case for the court to study and present an informed position.
Jeremiah was a prophet who proclaimed harsh and disturbing things; so much so that King Zedekiah of Judah had him imprisoned. But the prophets were wise men who knew the difference between disavowing idolatry and yelling "fire" in a crowded public theater. We need to preach, but in doing so we must be sure that it is the Word of the Lord that we are proclaiming and not a word of personal vindictiveness. Our words will always be those of justice, never injustice.
* * *
After Bishop Fulton Sheen's final broadcast of Life Is Worth Living in 1957, denominational religion has once again returned as a weekly network television show. The program will have a similar format, but a new name: Word on Fire with Father Barron. The host, Father Robert Barron, is a member of the Archdiocese of Chicago and a professor at the University of St. Mary. According to the Catholic News Agency, Reverend Barron "will begin broadcasting a weekly television show on WGN America to reach Catholics and others searching for Christ. He will be the first priest since Archbishop Fulton Sheen to have a regular, national program on a commercial television network."
In discussing the need for the return to network religious programing, Reverend Barron says: "Now is the time to reach out to Catholics and others who are searching for meaning in their lives or who have left the church because they are disillusioned. In each episode, our mission will be to encourage believers and bring the transformative power of the gospel to the culture. The faith of the Church is our strength.... The faith imbues our life with meaning and imparts to all a renewed sense of purpose."
Zedekiah, the king of Judah, was bewildered. He could not understand why Jeremiah desired to preach the Word of God and make himself susceptible to the persecution that ensues from such a venture. One can hear the exasperation in the king's voice when he asks, "Why do you prophesy as you do?" Jeremiah's answer was as direct as the question "The word of the Lord came to me." Father Barron is willing to stand on the national stage to preach the Word of God because "now is the time to reach out to Catholics and others who are searching for meaning in their lives or who have left the church because they are disillusioned." Whether we are Catholics or Protestants, we cannot let Reverend Barron stand alone. We too must take center stage and share the gospel message, for we are not unlike Jeremiah in knowing, "The word of the Lord came to me."
* * *
Well, if you want to witness for the Lord, you better be ready for the recriminations. Let us not forget that preaching put Jeremiah in prison.
By chance or by choice, it is hard to know, the last two American teams and the team to participate in the forthcoming Ryder Cup have been composed almost entirely of born-again Christians. These are not quiet Christians, but ones who wear their religion on their sleeves. The 2006 team captain, Tom Lehman, wore the W.W.J.D. ("What would Jesus do?") bracelet. In so doing the British press dubbed him "Saint Tom." Paul Azinger, a born-again Christian and the 2008 team captain, realizing that almost his entire team was Christian, said, "The British tabloids will hop on it and hit it hard." Rickie Fowler, who will be a contender for the next team, marks his golf balls with "4:13." This is a verse from Philippians: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength."
This animosity toward religion extends beyond the Ryder Cup. Zach Johnson, after he won the 2007 Masters, said, "Being Easter, my goal was to glorify God, and hopefully I did that today." In response, the Times of London wrote, "Another American winner, another sermon."
"Another sermon." It is doubtful that accusation disturbed Jeremiah. In fact, he was probably pleased they expected a sermon, even though they would not welcome the message. If we are born-again Christians then people should expect us to wear our religion on our sleeves, not as show, but as a testimony. When people see us coming they should anticipate yet "another sermon."
* * *
If you had known in the year 2000 what would happen at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, would you have invested in any of the nearby real estate? If you knew that those towers would ignite and fall, would you have permitted a relative or anyone to persuade you to purchase any part of Manhattan Island?
The Lord confronted Jeremiah with a similar dilemma. Jeremiah knew that the Babylonian army was on its way to destroy his nation. Those foreign troops would carry off his friends, neighbors, and relatives, and then occupy the land for 70 years. Nonetheless, the Lord told Jeremiah to purchase his uncle's field. By purchasing it, Jeremiah would demonstrate faith that God would allow his countrymen to return some day. Jeremiah believed God and paid out the cash. The Lord asks you to invest in heaven's real estate. Do you share Jeremiah's faith?
* * *
American poet Robert Frost once wrote that "Hell is a half-filled auditorium." Since that writing, there could even be a greater audience in Satan's theater than originally anticipated. A recent Gallup poll reported that a little more than half of all Canadians believe in heaven, but less than a third believe in hell. This would parallel the finding that only 30% of Canadians responded, "I know God really exists and I have no doubts." This is to be compared to the 20% who have "some doubts," another 10% who believe in God "sometimes," and 20% who do not believe in God at all, but do affirm a "higher power." If the numbers of unbelievers are counted, the auditorium may soon be using overflow seating.
Just across the border from Canada, the seating arrangement in the auditorium that Robert Frost spoke of has a different ticket sale. In the United States the survey revealed that 81% of Americans believe in heaven and 70% affirm there is a hell. The Religious News Service, which reported on the survey, insightfully titled their article, "Heaven trumps hell in Canadian poll that shows waning faith."
In reading Jesus' story of the rich man and Lazarus, I don't think the rich man was too concerned with the number of vacant seats in the auditorium. What was primarily on his mind was the one seat that was occupied. He also expressed a desire that the rest of his family did not have tickets to the next performance. That is why he asked Lazarus to go and plead with them to exchange their seats for ones located in the upper tiers of the balcony. We must take seriously Jesus' message that there are many seats in hell that have been reserved for those who do not believe.
* * *
Generous people are rarely mentally ill. On the other hand, let us not be critical of our stingy friends. Remember, stinginess is an illness. Some don't dare give; they might run out. My dear friends, of course you are going to run out. You can't take it with you... Ill individuals narrow their visions until they cease to see the multiplicity of opportunities.
-- Karl Menninger
* * *
In 1993 the Atlantic Monthly ran an article about water resources in the American West. Near the small town of Fowler, Kansas, there is a valley known as the Artesian Valley. The reason for the valley's name is the artesian wells, or springs, that are plentiful there. As one longtime resident describes it (or at least as he describes the ways things used to be): "There were hundreds of natural springs in this valley. If you drilled a well for your house, the natural water pressure was enough to go through your hot-water system and out the shower head."
Matt Ridley and Bobbi S. Low, the authors of this article, explain that back in the 1920s there were marshes in the Artesian Valley of Kansas where cattle used to sink up to their bellies in mud. But no longer. The bogs and springs of years past are gone, and the inhabitants of the valley must dig ever deeper wells to bring up water. It's easy to see the reason for this from the air. Those who fly over this part of Kansas can see hundreds upon hundreds of green discs, each one surrounded by barren areas of brown. Each of the discs represents the area covered by a mobile irrigation system that circles around a central pivot. The more years these irrigation systems operate, the more the underground aquifer becomes depleted -- and the more difficult it becomes for all the farmers to draw the water they need.
The authors compare this midwestern agricultural valley with another valley that shares similar geographical characteristics: the region around the city of Valencia, in Spain:
... the waters of the River Turia are shared by some 15,000 farmers in an arrangement that dates back at least 550 years and probably longer. Each farmer, when his turn comes, takes as much water as he needs from the distributory canal and wastes none. He is discouraged from cheating -- watering out of turn -- merely by the watchful eyes of his neighbors above and below him on the canal. If they have a grievance, they can take it to the Tribunal de las Aguas, which meets on Thursday mornings outside the Apostles' door of the Cathedral of Valencia. Records dating back to the 1400s suggest that cheating is rare. The huerta of Valencia is a profitable region, growing at least two crops a year.
Two irrigation systems: one sustainable, equitable, and long-lived, the other a doomed free-for-all. Two case histories cited by political scientists who struggle to understand the persistent human failure to solve "common-pool resource problems." The only way to avoid abuse is self-restraint. And yet nobody knows how best to persuade the human race to exercise self-restraint.
* * *
The psalmist confesses, "I will praise the Lord all my life." This verse could cause one to wonder and question, for the remainder of the hymn speaks of praising God while one endures suffering. But this question is quickly clarified when the psalmist cautions us not to place our "trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save." Instead, we sing to "the Maker of heaven and earth." We sing to the God "who upholds the cause of the oppressed and gives food to the hungry." We praise a God who "who remains faithful forever" with us, even in the most unsavory times of life.
Versed in the scriptures, this is a hymn that Archbishop Timothy Dolan, Chairman of the Board of Catholic Relief Services, would sing. Six months ago, after Haiti's devastating earthquake, Archbishop Dolan stood in the ruins of Port-au-Prince and made two promises to the people: he would be back and he would not let the world forget them.
Recently he made good on his promise, returning to Haiti to monitor the progress of recovery. He spent four days at the Petionville Camp for Displaced Haitians, a city of tents and makeshift shelters that was established on the golf course of the once plush Petionville Club. It is here that 40,000 of the two million displaced persons dwell. The goal of the camp is to provide shelter and substance. It also employs the residents to help reconstruct the infrastructure of Haiti, engaging them in such projects as rebuilding the sanitation and water system.
Dolan was pleased with the progress that is being made, but expressed his frustration at the slow pace of reconstruction. The Archbishop said, "Rebuilding is terribly slow. We need patience. Catholic Relief Services are experts in patience. We've got God -- a God who keeps His promises, but sometimes His clock and His calendar are not the same as ours."
Though the Archbishop is frustrated, he has not become discouraged and he has not lost his faith. This is because he understands the message of Psalm 146 that the God of Creation will always care for the oppressed. It is important to note that the Archbishop realizes his role in that scenario, as he faithfully kept the two promises he made to the people of a devastated land. The beauty of so many of the psalms is the promised assurance of God's everlasting presence and care.
* * *
"Where people die matters. Hint: Not the ICU." That headline in the Los Angeles Times certainly was eye-catching. The recently released report said that cancer patients who die at home "have better quality of life in their final days" than those who die in hospitals. Also, family members who watch loved ones die in a clinical setting have a harder time adjusting psychologically to the death. The report, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, offered this observation: "Hospital and ICU care may emphasize staying alive at all costs, while hospice care emphasizes managing symptoms and comfort at the end of life."
I am always drawn to how caring David portrays God in his hymn (Psalm 146). The words and phrases that he uses must warm our hearts and offer a wonderful sense of assurance. God "upholds the cause of the oppressed." God "gives food to the hungry." God "sets the prisoner free." God "gives sight to the blind." God "lifts up those who are bowed down." God "sustains the fatherless and the widow."
Though I am certain that God is present in every ICU across the globe, just think of what it means to have the presence of God in one's home at the time of the death of a loved one. God envelopes nurses and doctors, but these clinicians, though they have the desire, do not have the time to sit and hold a hand and place an ice cube on a parched lip. As family, gathered about the bed, isn't it reassuring to know that we are not alone for God "lifts up those who are bowed down."
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Mary Austin
Call to Worship
Leader: On mountaintops and in valleys,
People: the glory of God surrounds us.
Leader: In whispers and in shouts,
People: the glory of God speaks to us.
Leader: In nature's variety and color,
People: the glory of God calls to us.
Leader: In baptism's claim and communion's welcome,
People: the glory of God makes a home for us.
Opening Prayer / Prayer of the Day
God, our Rock and our Redeemer, we come to the sabbath after a busy week and take a deep breath for the first time. We come to you after a week of worry and doubt and remember to trust you again. We come to this community of faith after a lonely week or painful season and hope again for connection.
God, our Rock and our Redeemer, you are the source of all the treasure in our lives, the foundation of every grace, and we come in thanksgiving and praise, knowing that we are blessed beyond deserving.
God, our Rock and our Redeemer, in your strength take our fears and our blessings, our certainty and our doubts, our gratitude and our hurry we pray, and make us into people who worship you fully, trust you extravagantly, and serve you abundantly. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
O God, we love you, but other things distract us. We see shiny new temptations, and we forget that they will soon be hollow. We long for someone's approval, and we forget that we have our shelter in you. We fear the future, and we forget that we live surrounded by your mercy. Forgive us, where we have wandered away, and turn our restless hearts back to you. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Assurance of Forgiveness
We live in the shelter of God's embrace and our salvation is at hand in God's love. God is our grace in every wilderness calling us home from sin and death. In the name of Jesus our Redeemer, and by the redeeming power of God's Holy Spirit, we are forgiven and set free. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Take Care of Others
Luke 16:19-31
Good morning, boys and girls! Today we are going to use our imaginations. Listen to me read part of today's gospel lesson. Pay attention, because I'm going to have you think about the story after I'm done reading. (read Luke 16:19-21) Now close your eyes. Imagine a rich man dressed in purple. Imagine him sitting at a big table with lots and lots of food. There's probably meat and bread, fruits and vegetables. Maybe there's cheese and desserts and other fancy food.
Now imagine a poor man who lives outside the rich man's house. His name is Lazarus, and he has no home. He has no fancy table with lots of wonderful food on it. To make things worse, Lazarus is sick. His body is covered with sore places. Who will help Lazarus with his troubles? Who will help him feel better?
Now open your eyes. Somebody in our Bible verse takes care of Lazarus. Who is it? (see if they remember) It's the dogs! The Bible tells us that the dogs come and lick his sores. They care for him. Does the rich man? No! Even though he has more than he needs, he doesn't think to share with the sick man outside his house. Isn't that a shame? Lazarus is sick and hungry, and the only ones who try to help him feel better are the dogs.
No matter how much or little you have, there is always someone who has less than you. God wants us to appreciate the blessings we have and share with those who are in need. The dogs in the story were less selfish than the rich man was. They didn't have anything either, but they didn't mind showing a little kindness to the sick man. Why couldn't the rich man do the same thing? Don't be like the rich man: stingy and unwilling to help those around you. We should all be more tender and giving like the dogs in our story.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, forgive us when we are selfish. Please show us the way to share and help those who are in need. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, September 26, 2010, issue.
Copyright 2010 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.
