Insert The Other Candidate's Name Here
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
In this week’s lectionary epistle passage Paul warns the Thessalonian congregation against being swayed by false prophets, telling them to “Let no one deceive you in any way,” especially anyone who “opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring himself to be God.” In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Mary Austin suggests that these are words to be particularly mindful of as we enter the final stretch of a feverish campaign season. Candidates for many offices -- and especially the presidential contenders -- have made a point of exalting themselves as the best option for saving our republic from the perfidy of their opponents, who (whether rightly or wrongly) they demonize as evil characters who are unfit to serve. While it is wise (as Paul advises) for us to be wary of those who exalt themselves, we might do well to consider whether giving in to the temptation to demonize those we disagree with is in itself deceiving ourselves -- and if the cynicism that develops from such an attitude leads us away from giving thanks while eroding our belief in “the traditions that you were taught by us,” both in our civic institutions and in our faith in the Almighty and our fellow humans. Mary reminds us that we need to rise above the divisions of the election season and bring God’s light into places of darkness.
Team member George Reed shares some additional thoughts on the same theme, looking through the lens of the Ephesians text for All Saints Sunday. As George notes, when we are engaging in bitter personal attacks on our political opponents it is almost impossible to see them as partners in God’s kingdom. Instead, we are counseled to make the most of our inheritance -- which is the fullness of Christ. And the only way we can do that is to be ambassadors for Christ, to represent him in all we do -- and that starts with loving our enemies rather than demonizing them.
Insert the Other Candidate’s Name Here
by Mary Austin
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Writing to the church at Thessalonika, Paul uses words that perfectly fit the tone of these last days of the 2016 election: “Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction.” In this election, each side views the opposing candidate as “the lawless one.” “Lock her up” is a frequent chant at Donald Trump’s rallies. Trump supporters are exulting that the FBI is examining a new set of e-mails linked to a member of Hillary Clinton’s staff. “This is the biggest story since Watergate,” Trump said, deftly staking out his position and also linking Clinton in people’s minds to an old and large scandal. Trump “promised to batter Mrs. Clinton as a criminal in the race’s final week and a half. And Republican House and Senate candidates gleefully demanded to know whether their Democratic opponents were sticking by Mrs. Clinton.”
Meanwhile, Trump sees a conspiracy in the number of women who are accusing him of sexual misconduct. Some Democrats want to know why Trump is not being held to account in a decades-old child rape case, a case so tenuous that it’s hard to find coverage of it in the mainstream media.
“But we must always give thanks to God,” Paul reminds us, seeing a bigger picture. In this season of stress and anxiety for people of all political views, giving thanks may be the last place our minds go.
In the News
Trump supporters view Clinton as shady and duplicitous. Clinton supporters see Trump as an inexperienced bull in a china shop. Neither side trusts that the other would govern fairly, if elected. A conservative columnist writes that the e-mail issue is a sign of worse to come, if Clinton becomes president: “Someone, somewhere, should have told her no. Well, yes. But who? That was the problem with Secretary of State Clinton, and it will be a bigger problem with a President Clinton. Because, by all appearances, nobody tells Clinton no, and Clinton has no compunction about breaking the rules when it suits her purposes.” In contrast, a liberal columnist says: “On the one hand, we have a candidate with years of service as first lady, senator, and secretary of state. She is a centrist Democrat who knows public policy cold. Her meticulous preparation was on display in the three debates, all of which she won.... Think she has ethics issues? Trump faces a civil trial for fraud over Trump University. He has denounced illegal immigration while employing illegal immigrants to build his buildings. He claimed to have donated $102 million to charity without giving a penny of his own money. He is a pathological liar who keeps repeating falsehoods -- such as his claim to have opposed the Iraq War -- long after they have been debunked. According to Politico, he lies an average of once every three minutes and 15 seconds. One of the few times he told the truth was when he bragged about groping women against their will. A dozen women have come forward to accuse him of sexual assault. Another one claims in a civil lawsuit that he raped her when she was 13; a status conference is set for Dec. 16. This is not ‘locker room’ talk. If true, these are criminal acts far more serious than anything in Clinton’s e-mails. What Trump is doing to our democracy is also a serious offense. He vows to lock up his political opponent, calls the election ‘rigged’ without evidence, and won’t promise to respect the result if he loses. This is an unprecedented and disqualifying assault on our political system.”
Radio host Alex Jones has gone a step farther. He contends that both Clinton and President Obama are possessed by demons. The accusation of demon possession is a familiar one in politics, notes academic Sarah Bond: “There is a consistent historical tie between weak women and demons. This is particularly where radio host Alex Jones’ comments that Hillary is ‘an abject psychopathic demon from hell’ strike a chord of historical misogyny. It also plays on earlier accusations by Donald Trump that Hillary Clinton is physically weak and without the stamina to be president. As J.R. Thorpe points out over at Bustle, demonic possession was an allegation thrown by American men at British suffragettes in 1913 and 1914 (at this time, women were also blamed for the destruction at Pompeii in 79 CE). The mud slung at both British and American suffragettes often made these women out to be inhuman and unfeminine, whereas men were the angels taking care of the home while suffragettes were away.”
Both sides fear that the election will not actually, truly end the campaign. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat writes that “Liberals fear a world where [Trump] refuses to concede and his supporters turn to violence. Conservatives fear a world where the Republican party remains imprisoned in his short-fingered grasp. Fox News executives fear a world where Trump starts a cable channel and steals their audience out from under them. And his supporters imagine that like a populist Obi-Wan Kenobi, he will rise more powerful than before.” Similarly, if Clinton wins, she may be haunted by the e-mail mess and find it hard to earn the trust of people who voted for Trump.
In the Scriptures
As the election approaches, friends who have given up drinking are starting again, and people of all political beliefs are suffering from election anxiety: “More than half of Americans reported that the Hillary Clinton-Donald Trump faceoff was a significant source of stress, according to a survey from the American Psychological Association. It was the first time in 10 years of the Stress in America survey there was a question about an election, and the impetus came from the researchers’ own sense of unease. ‘We were picking up on our own level of stress as researchers and what seemed to be happening in the general culture,’ said Vaile Wright, a clinical psychologist and member of the APA’s Stress in America Team.”
Paul calls us all back to a larger framework, reminding us to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving replaces our anxiety, turning us outward instead of inward. We have been called by God and so we are meant to stand firm, even when we are buffeted by conflicting news accounts. Our fear is a small part of a bigger picture of God’s power at work in the world, and we are not meant to live as fearful people.
Paul reminds the church that we are meant to be transformed. In the power of Jesus Christ, we don’t stay our old, small, fearful selves. We have the gifts of “eternal comfort and good hope” already at hand -- we just have to reach out for them. Paul prays for the church -- and us -- to be strengthened and comforted, even in a time of turmoil. His words of assurance reach down through the years and speak to us with a grace-filled reminder of who we are.
In the Sermon
In a recent article about dealing with election anxiety, experts advised starting with self-compassion: “ ‘It’s very important for us to have compassion for whatever it is what we’re experiencing,’ says Renee Lertzman, a psychological researcher who studies climate change.... If you feel fear or hopelessness, Lertzman says you shouldn’t judge the emotion itself or ‘attack [yourself] for either not caring enough or not doing enough.’ ...To that end, experts stressed that anxiety about an outcome or existential threat is completely normal.”
As people of faith, we also have God’s compassion to draw upon. The sermon might look at how we can summon up compassion for ourselves and for the people whose beliefs are different from ours. How do we treat ourselves and others with compassion when we are so weary or scared?
Or the sermon might look at how we can be beacons of serenity for others, drawing on our own faith. If panic and anxiety are contagious, so are calm and trust. In this anxious season, how do we live that so others can take a deep breath in our presence and build up places of peace?
Or the sermon might examine what we will do if the other candidate wins -- if “the lawless one” wins the election (and one of them will), how do we envision a longer, wider picture of our shared life? How do we reach out to the -- as we see it -- misguided, ill-informed people who voted for the other candidate? Paul reminds us that we have been “called through the proclamation of the good news.” With that calling as our heritage, how do we carry good news to our brothers and sisters in faith? How do we convey good news to our neighbors who may be hurt or angry about the election results? How do we hear the concerns that fueled their vote?
Paul calls us out of election anxiety and back into the spacious serenity of our faith. The election and all its rage and recriminations feel omnipresent, and Paul reminds us that people of faith have been through bigger ups and downs than this election. As Anne Lamott says (in Small Victories), “my faith tells me that God has skills, ploys, and grace adequate to bring light into the present darkness.” Comfort and good hope already belong to us, by God’s grace, and we are called to be part of the work of bringing God’s light into the darkness of this election season.
SECOND THOUGHTS
The Fullness of Christ
by George Reed
Ephesians 1:11-23
We have almost made it -- just a few more hours and this year’s presidential election will be history. The results will probably be the topic of many conversations, but at least the campaign ads will stop. This year seems to have been a particularly nasty one -- even for a people who have become used to negative campaigning. When we talk about people demonizing other people this year, we are often talking about people actually calling others demons or worse. Ideas, policies, and positions have taken a back seat to personal attacks. Unfortunately, this behavior does not exclude Christians. Many of those who take the name of the Christ as their own do not seem to take seriously the idea of “love your enemies.”
In the reading from Ephesians for All Saints Sunday, we are reminded that we have received an inheritance, the seal of the Holy Spirit upon us which marks us for salvation. In the closing statement of the lection which honors Christ, we are told that all this honor and glory given to him was given for the Church, which is his Body, the fullness of the one who fills all. What an incredible statement. If being the Body of the Christ is not enough, we are told that we are his fullness. The honor and glory of the Most High is ours. But the responsibility that brings upon us is just as staggering as the honor.
If we are all that the epistle lesson says we are, then we need to begin to live up to it. In every word and action, we are representing -- no, we are -- the Christ still on earth. We can expect no less from ourselves than we would expect from the Holy One of God, because we are his fullness. This election is about over and we hope we have acted so others have seen the Christ through us -- but regardless of our success or our failure, we still have this inheritance that we need to live into in the days and weeks to come.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Job 19:23-27a
Cam Newton, the quarterback for last year’s Super Bowl runners-up Carolina Panthers, is the NFL’s reigning MVP. Several weeks ago at a news conference, Newton said he was unconcerned about the dangers of concussions since his only goal on the field of play is to win. But when Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones collided with Newton in the end zone during a game on October 2, Newton said that immediately “I knew I was messed up.” Now Newton has changed his position, saying that “concussions are real.” He is now an advocate of preventing concussions, criticizing referees for not calling more penalties and protecting quarterbacks from vicious hits.
Application: Now that Job is suffering, he wants his words to be “inscribed in a book” so others will come to understand the torments of life.
*****
Job 19:23-27a
Cindy Martinez, a 35-year-old Marine veteran, has had her body ravaged by flesh-eating bacteria. She had the choice to have both legs, an arm below the elbow, and part of her fingers on her other arm amputated, or face certain death. After recovering from the surgery, she joined the gym Crossfit Goat, whose motto is “Be Your Greatest of All Time.” It is Martinez’ goal to participate in a marathon. In doing so she wants to show her children, her husband, and others the need to never quit and never give up. She said, “The mental aspect, it can be tough. It’s not that I don’t have a bad day. But for the most part, I try to stay positive.”
Application: The story of Job demonstrates how to stay positive during suffering.
*****
Job 19:23-27a
Swedish physician Mats Brannstrom was just starting to practice medicine when a patient, who for medical reasons had to have her womb removed, asked if a new one could be transplanted. At the time Dr. Brannstrom said to himself, “I thought she was a bit crazy.” But he was intrigued and did not dismiss the idea. Over the next decade, with the help of colleagues he worked on the problem. Over the last few years he has transplanted nine wombs, and five women have delivered healthy babies. So far Dr. Brannstrom has been using wombs from older women, saying, “All of a sudden, you have this old organ doing things that a young uterus would do.”
Application: The story of Job tells us how healing can come from suffering and misfortune.
*****
Job 19:23-27a
Lady Gaga has recently released Joanne, her latest album. She began to write the songs for the album two years ago. The album features many emotional tracks in which she highlights her difficult childhood and the problems she has endured as an adult. The purpose of the album, she says, is “to write a record that reminded people that no matter what perfect illusion you have of me -- right -- that I’m probably a lot like you.”
Application: Lady Gaga hardly seems like the typical American. The reason why we relate so easily to Job is that he does seem like one of us.
*****
Job 19:23-27a
Norman Vincent Peale is best known for his publication of the book The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952. As a child, Peale enjoyed visiting his grandmother in Ohio. He recalled that whenever she served him a meal, she would seat him at the dining room table opposite a painting that hung on the wall. Peale contends that his grandmother acted deliberately so that he could study and one day internalize the artist’s message. The painting depicted a terrible stormy sea, with a dark, overcast, foreboding sky. The scene was one of desolation, except for a rock rising in the middle of the tossing sea. Planted on the rock was a large cross, anchored from the ravages of the storm. Sitting at the bottom of the cross was a lady with her arms wrapped around the cross, clinging to it for security. Beneath the picture were the words “SIMPLY TO THY CROSS I CLING.” Looking at the picture, his grandma would often say to young Norman, “Everything else may be swept away, but as long as you hold on to the cross, you will have security in life.”
Application: The story of Job is a story of how to cling to the cross during times of trial and tribulation.
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Tickets for the World Series games hosted by the Chicago Cubs were priced at the box office from $83 to $750. But numerous unethical individuals managed to purchase a great number of the tickets so they weren’t available from the Cubs. Instead, the tickets were sold by scalpers to fans who have waited a lifetime to see a World Series game at prices ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per ticket. The Cleveland Indians are experiencing the same phenomenon, but with lower scalping prices.
Application: We are warned by Paul not to let people “deceive us.”
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, at the current rate of development it will be 170 years before pay for women is equal to pay for men. Based on data from 144 countries, the report lists the United States as 45th on the index.
Application: We are told by Paul to “stand firm” and “hold fast” to that which is good. This means we should stand firm as advocates for equality.
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Basketball great Charles Barkley has made numerous public comments on racial issues. But he has been challenged in some quarters as having too much money and too much fame to truly understand his fellow black Americans. He has received further criticism because of his view that most of the problems are less about race and more about the rich vs. the poor. Barkley has challenged people not to demonstrate, but to get involved. He said, “It goes back to the Kaepernick thing. I said, ‘You do what you want to do; you’re a grown man.’ But I challenge all these guys; what are you actually doing in the black community to help our people?”
Application: Paul tells us to “stand firm.” Barkley is saying that standing firm is not kneeling during the national anthem but getting involved in your community.
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
After 26 years, Fred Washington is retiring as the man behind the hand-operated scoreboard at Wrigley Field. The Cubs’ final World Series home game marked the final time he climbed down the green ladder to the field. Washington’s wife often wondered why he came home from the games exhausted, but placing the large plates inside the scoreboard is not an easy chore. He said of his job, “There’s a human element up here.” This is because if he posts the wrong number, fans in the bleachers can easily call to him to correct his error.
Application: Paul tells us to have “belief in the truth.” This may often mean accepting correction by others.
*****
Luke 20:27-38
Julio Jones, who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. Recently, officials made incorrect calls against Jones in two separate games, causing the Falcons to lose the contests. But Jones amazed everyone by accepting the wrong decisions without anger or protest -- considering the calls just a part of the game. He said his response was intended to show his teammates and the fans “the way to handle things.” Jones went on to say, “When things don’t go your way and you think they should, there’s always a positive way to handle things.”
Application: The Sadducees were always trying to test Jesus, and Jesus always found a positive way to handle things.
***************
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Haggai 1:15b--2:9 (2:4: “Work, for I am with you...”)
Why Work?
When the company founded by Andrew Carnegie was taken over by the U.S. Steel Corporation in 1901, as one of its obligations it acquired a contract to pay the top Carnegie executive, Charles M. Schwab, the then unheard-of minimum sum of $1,000,000. J.P. Morgan of U.S. Steel was in a quandary about it. The highest salary on record at that time was $100,000. He met with Schwab, showed him the contract, and hesitatingly asked what could be done about it.
Schwab took the contract from Carnegie and tore it into little pieces. Later, he told Forbes magazine: “I didn’t care what salary they paid me. I was not animated by money motives. I believed in what I was trying to do and I wanted to see it brought about. I cancelled that contract without a moment’s hesitation. Why do I work? I work for just the pleasure I find in work, the satisfaction there is in developing things, in creating. Also, the associations business begets. The person who does not work for the love of work, but only for money, is not likely to make money nor to find much fun in life.”
*****
Haggai 1:15b--2:9 (2:4: “Work, for I am with you...”)
True Stories from the Job
The website Fmylife invites people to submit brief funny stories about their job or workplace. Many are filled with tragic but humorous irony. Here are a few examples:
* I had an old man yell in my face because the boxes in our store only had Spanish words on them. I spent 15 minutes apologizing and trying to explain that the English was on the back side. He stormed out before I could even show him.
* I had a conversation with the cute girl I like at work for the first time. I told her I worked in the camping department of the store, and we had a long chat about how she heard that the guy who runs that department is a complete [jerk]. I am the guy who runs that department.
* I was informed I wouldn’t be getting a raise because I hadn’t followed the updated protocol. I said I was unaware that there was an updated protocol. My supervisor said, “That’s because we didn’t tell you about it.”
* I was fired from my job because, in my boss’s words, I “abided by company policy to such an extent that customers were starting to hate me.”
* I found out my request to have Thanksgiving off for the first time in six years was denied because I work the evening shift every year on Thanksgiving and that’s convenient for everyone else.
*****
Haggai 1:15b--2:9 (2:4: “Work, for I am with you...”)
Writers Write
When I was an undergrad at the University of Cincinnati, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. I didn’t know or care if I could make a living at it, but I knew I wanted to be published. I felt that I had stories to tell and things to say. So I went to one of my professors who had published a number of articles and books, and I asked him for advice. Here’s what he told me:
1. Writers write. Most people who say they want to write really just want to have written, but they don’t want to do the hard work of writing and rewriting.
2. Good writing is rewriting -- and rewriting is the second hardest part of writing, because by the time you are rewriting you’ve already said what you had to say and now you’re just polishing it.
3. The hardest part of writing is getting off the couch and turning off the TV. Master that and you’re halfway there.
4. You don’t necessarily have to write what you know. You can learn what you need to know through research. But you do have to write what you love. Most nonfiction writers love their subject and want to share it with the rest of the world. Fiction writers love their characters; they love to spend time with them and seeing what happens next.
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 (v. 3: “Let no one deceive you...”)
Think First, Then Act
There is a story about a schoolteacher who lost her life savings in a business scheme which had been elaborately explained to her by a con artist. When her investment disappeared and her dream was shattered, she went to the Better Business Bureau. “Why on earth didn’t you come to us first?” the BBB official asked. “Didn’t you know about the Better Business Bureau?”
“Oh, yes,” said the lady sadly. “I’ve always known about you. But I didn’t come because I was afraid you’d tell me not to do it.”
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 (v. 3: “Let no one deceive you...”)
The Found Poem
James Whitcomb Riley is known as the “Hoosier Poet” and the “Children’s Poet,” and if you went through middle school in Indiana (as I did) you had to memorize at least one of his poems. He’s probably best known for “When the Frost Is on the Pumpkin” and “Little Orphan Annie,” as well as over a thousand other verses, lyrics, and poems in dialect. One story about Riley that they didn’t teach us in middle school, however, was the story of the “found” poem.”
In April 1877 Riley joined the staff of the Anderson Democrat, a daily newspaper in Anderson, Indiana, as associate editor. He continued to write poems, which were printed in other newspapers throughout central Indiana, but he was frustrated that his poems were nearly always rejected by eastern periodicals.
So he, along with a friend at the Kokomo Dispatch, came up with a scheme to prove that the snobbish eastern newspapers had set an impossibly high standard for publishing poets. That is, they would publish poetry only from proven poets -- and the only way one could become a “proven” poet was to be published by eastern periodicals.
To prove his point, Riley wrote a poem (“Leonainie”) styled after Edgar Allan Poe, and convinced the editor of the Kokomo Dispatch to print it in his newspaper as a long-lost Poe poem. As expected, the eastern publications went mad for it and praised it as one of Poe’s greatest works. A few weeks later Riley and his friend revealed their hoax, but no one would believe them. When he finally proved that he was the author of the poem, Riley was fired from his job at the Anderson Democrat.
*****
Luke 20:27-38
The Heaven I Want
I once heard a speaker describe the heaven of his dreams like this:
I wake up from my sleep and I’m in a room. The four walls are made of pizza, fried chicken, cheeseburgers, and donuts. The roof is made of barbecued ribs. And there are no windows or doors. I have to eat my way out!
As I emerge from my house made of food I can hear Gabriel blowing his trumpet and I see people running in one direction. I stop someone and I ask them where everyone is going, and he tells me to come along as the heavenly choir is assembling to sing God’s praise.
I follow along and find myself in the biggest coliseum I’ve ever seen. On my left are 10,000 altos. On my right are 10,000 sopranos. Behind me are 10,000 tenors. And I alone am singing bass. Just as I realize this, Gabriel raises his baton and the heavenly orchestra begins to play the opening notes of Handel’s Messiah -- and somehow I know the bass part to all of the songs.
Finally we come to the “Hallelujah” chorusand we’re singing for all we’re worth -- and just as we get to the greatest, most glorious part of the song, Gabriel stops everything, walks slowly over to me, and says, “Dean... you’re going to have to hold it down just a bit.”
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Chris Keating
Call to Worship
(All Saints Sunday)
One: Praise the Lord! Sing songs of praise to the Lord our God!
All: The Holy Ones of the Most High God shall dwell with God forever!
One: Praise God with dancing! Raise up melodies with tambourines and the lyre.
All: Shout for joy, all who are humble, and rejoice in God’s saving help.
OR
One: Blessed are you who are poor,
All: For you will dwell in the abundance of God!
One: Blessed are you who weep now,
All: For you will laugh and delight in God’s incomparable promise.
One: Rejoice and leap for joy, for surely our reward is great in heaven!
OR
(Proper 27)
One: Bless God’s name forever and ever.
All: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.
One: Declare the mighty acts of God, who is just and kind.
All: God fulfills the cries of all who cry out, and saves all who love God.
One: With our whole being, let us bless God’s holy name forever!
Call to Confession
(All Saints Sunday)
One: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let also lay aside every weight, and the sin that clings so closely, and run with perseverance the race that is set before us.
Unison: God of our life, throughout the changing seasons of life we trust in you. You offer us the blessing of life, and the promise of an abundant inheritance in Christ. Yet we confess that we do not set our hope on Christ; we do not love our enemies, nor do we pray for those who oppose us. We have neglected your commandments, and have lived only for ourselves. Forgive us, O Lord. Enlighten our hearts, and help us to know the hope which you alone offer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Assurance
Hear the good news: God has given to us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in Jesus Christ so that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened. God’s great power is at work within us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is seated with God in the heavenly places. Put this power to work, and be at peace, for our sins are forgiven. Amen.
OR
(Proper 27)
Loving God, we are so easily confused and agitated. We become anxious in our daily lives, and are weighed down by the concerns of this age. You offer to us the promise of resurrection in Jesus Christ, but our attention drifts, and we worship objects of our own creation. Help us to stand firm and know the eternal grace and comfort you offer us in Jesus Christ, our savior who will strengthen us in all good things. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer/Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
(All Saints Sunday)
One: The Lord be with you,
All: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
One: It is our greatest joy to offer you our thanks and praise, O Lord our God. We give thanks for those in every age who gave witness to you and to your Son, and who have been marked with the seal of your word of truth. We give thanks that you have raised them to worship you in the glory of the heavenly places, and that their voices are joined with the prophets, apostles, and martyrs of every time and place in singing the glory of your name:
All: (said or sung) Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!
One: Your holiness surrounds us, O God, and invites us to share in this feast. Grateful to you, we remember the fullness of Jesus Christ, whose gospel calls us to live for the praise of his glory. We give you thanks for the bread he shared and the cup he poured. Help us to remember him as we partake in this meal, celebrating the joy won for us in his redemption. Christ is the bread of life!
All: When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come again.
One: Now pour out your Spirit upon us and these your gifts. Number us among your saints, and join our voices to the faithful of every age who forever sing to your glory. Give us strength to serve you faithfully until the promise of the resurrection dawns upon creation, when with all the redeemed we shall feast with you at your table in glory. Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, now and forever, Amen. (Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.)
Prayers of the People
(Proper 27)
God of mercy, illumine our hearts with your Spirit, and deliver us from the confusion of our age. Encourage us with your promises so that we might join every generation in praising your works. We thank you, O God, for your love which holds us, even in the face of a world that is always changing. You bring light in our confusion, and hope in our fear. You teach us to trust in the promise of the resurrection, and remind us that you alone are the God of all that lives. We offer to you our concerns. Be with our nation in times of transition and change. Guide us in the ways of peace, and help us to be faithful in declaring your justice. Help those who are sick, whose hearts are burdened with anxiety and whose bodies are filled with pain. Be near to those whom we name to you now in silence... Hear these our prayers, O Lord, as we offer them to you in the name of the One who taught us to pray, saying Our Father... (continue and conclude with the Lord’s Prayer).
Hymns
(All Saints Sunday)
Traditional:
“The Church’s One Foundation”
“Blest Are They”
“My Hope Is Built”
“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
“Lord, I Want to Be a Christian”
“Kum Ba Yah”
“For All The Saints”
“When the Saints Go Marching In”
“Be Not Afraid” (Dufford)
Taize/Global:
“Cantad al Senor” (“O Sing to the Lord”) (Brazilian folk melody)
“Goodness Is Stronger than Evil” (Taizé)
“Jesus, Remember Me” (Taizé)
Contemporary:
“How Great Is our God” (Tomlin)
“My Song Is Love Unknown” (Ireland/Crossman)
“Open the Eyes of My Heart”
“Give Thanks”
OR
(Proper 27)
“Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”
“Be Not Afraid” (Dufford)
“Thine Is the Glory”
“Standing on the Promises”
“I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”
“Loving Spirit”
“When We Are Living”
“Sing Praise to God, Who Reigns Above”
“Will You Come and Follow Me?” (“The Summons”)
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Don’t Be Shaken or Alarmed
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Note: A theme found throughout the texts for this week is God’s reassuring presence, constancy, comfort, and hope. Having just marked Halloween through streets and shops and school celebrations, we in the church remember the saints in our midst this week as well. You might take one of two approaches with the children’s message: talk with children about the scary parts of Halloween season, or talk about the unknown (and often scary) elements of the loss of loved ones. God’s assurance and comfort stand for both approaches.
Post-Halloween approach:
(As you gather the children, engage them in talking about their Halloween celebrations -- costumes, school activities, trick-or-treating, etc.)
Was there anything scary about Halloween? (Allow for whatever responses the children give.)
There are parts of Halloween that are scary: walking around in the dark, dressing up in scary costumes, watching scary movies on television, or visiting a haunted house. Some people enjoy the scary parts. Some people even look for ways to get scared during Halloween season. They like it!
What about you? Do you like the scary part of Halloween? (Allow responses.) I like the fun parts better!
God has a word for us when we’re scared. Throughout the Bible, there are times when people get scared: they face powerful armies; they wander alone in the wilderness; they run out of food. Jesus had to face his own death. God’s people faced fear.
The message the people received from God was “Do not be afraid.”
This was more than four little words. God stood with God’s people in those times when they were afraid. God didn’t leave Jesus alone to face death. God didn’t leave David alone to face Goliath. God was right there with them!
In the scripture passages we read today, God says: “Take courage... for I am with you” (Haggai) “God is near to all who call on God” (Psalm 145); “Stand firm... hold fast to what has been taught to us... may the God who loves us comfort our hearts and strengthen us” (2 Thessalonians).
These words from God are for each of us. We can hold onto them when we are scared. Take courage. Stand firm. God stands with us, even in the scary times.
(Offer a prayer to close the message.)
All Saints Sunday approach:
(As you gather the children, engage them in talking about their Halloween celebrations -- costumes, school activities, trick-or-treating, etc.)
In the church, we look at Halloween as the day before another special day: All Saints Day. This is the day when we celebrate and remember the “saints” -- people like you and me, faithful people who know and love God and who have shown us how to know and love God as well.
Especially on All Saints Sunday, we remember faithful people who have died and are no longer with us “in person.” These people might be special friends whom you have known in our church family who have died, or a grandparent or other relative who has died, or a pastor or teacher who has died.
It’s not always easy to talk about people dying. It can make us sad. It can make us scared. It’s not comfortable to talk about.
On All Saints Sunday, we take special time to remember these people whom we loved, and who loved us. We give thanks to God that we had a chance to know and love and learn from them.
Is there anyone in your life whom you would like to remember today? Anyone whom you thank God for? (Invite responses. If there are none, you might name a person that you remember on All Saints Day. If children offer names of those they remember, stop here and offer a prayer of thanks for the people named and those who are unnamed, but who are special gifts from God.)
I think it’s hard for people to talk about dying because it’s scary. We don’t know what happens after we die, except that we have God’s promise to be with us forever. We trust that we will be with God at death.
God has a word for us when we’re scared. Throughout the Bible, there are times when people get scared: they wander alone in the wilderness; they run out of food. Jesus had to face his own death. God’s people faced fear.
The message the people received from God was “Do not be afraid.”
This was more than four little words. God stood with God’s people in those times when they were afraid. God didn’t leave Jesus alone to face death. God didn’t leave David alone to face Goliath. God was right there with them!
In the scripture passages we read today, God says: “Take courage... for I am with you” (Haggai) “God is near to all who call on God” (Psalm 145); “Stand firm... hold fast to what has been taught to us... may the God who loves us comfort our hearts and strengthen us” (2 Thessalonians).
These words from God... they are words for people who have died. And they are words for us when we are scared. God promises to stands with us, even in the scary times.
We don’t need to be afraid to talk about death, or to talk about people who have died. God is with them, just like God is with us -- to love us and comfort us and keep us forever.
(Offer a prayer to close the message.)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 6, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member George Reed shares some additional thoughts on the same theme, looking through the lens of the Ephesians text for All Saints Sunday. As George notes, when we are engaging in bitter personal attacks on our political opponents it is almost impossible to see them as partners in God’s kingdom. Instead, we are counseled to make the most of our inheritance -- which is the fullness of Christ. And the only way we can do that is to be ambassadors for Christ, to represent him in all we do -- and that starts with loving our enemies rather than demonizing them.
Insert the Other Candidate’s Name Here
by Mary Austin
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Writing to the church at Thessalonika, Paul uses words that perfectly fit the tone of these last days of the 2016 election: “Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for destruction.” In this election, each side views the opposing candidate as “the lawless one.” “Lock her up” is a frequent chant at Donald Trump’s rallies. Trump supporters are exulting that the FBI is examining a new set of e-mails linked to a member of Hillary Clinton’s staff. “This is the biggest story since Watergate,” Trump said, deftly staking out his position and also linking Clinton in people’s minds to an old and large scandal. Trump “promised to batter Mrs. Clinton as a criminal in the race’s final week and a half. And Republican House and Senate candidates gleefully demanded to know whether their Democratic opponents were sticking by Mrs. Clinton.”
Meanwhile, Trump sees a conspiracy in the number of women who are accusing him of sexual misconduct. Some Democrats want to know why Trump is not being held to account in a decades-old child rape case, a case so tenuous that it’s hard to find coverage of it in the mainstream media.
“But we must always give thanks to God,” Paul reminds us, seeing a bigger picture. In this season of stress and anxiety for people of all political views, giving thanks may be the last place our minds go.
In the News
Trump supporters view Clinton as shady and duplicitous. Clinton supporters see Trump as an inexperienced bull in a china shop. Neither side trusts that the other would govern fairly, if elected. A conservative columnist writes that the e-mail issue is a sign of worse to come, if Clinton becomes president: “Someone, somewhere, should have told her no. Well, yes. But who? That was the problem with Secretary of State Clinton, and it will be a bigger problem with a President Clinton. Because, by all appearances, nobody tells Clinton no, and Clinton has no compunction about breaking the rules when it suits her purposes.” In contrast, a liberal columnist says: “On the one hand, we have a candidate with years of service as first lady, senator, and secretary of state. She is a centrist Democrat who knows public policy cold. Her meticulous preparation was on display in the three debates, all of which she won.... Think she has ethics issues? Trump faces a civil trial for fraud over Trump University. He has denounced illegal immigration while employing illegal immigrants to build his buildings. He claimed to have donated $102 million to charity without giving a penny of his own money. He is a pathological liar who keeps repeating falsehoods -- such as his claim to have opposed the Iraq War -- long after they have been debunked. According to Politico, he lies an average of once every three minutes and 15 seconds. One of the few times he told the truth was when he bragged about groping women against their will. A dozen women have come forward to accuse him of sexual assault. Another one claims in a civil lawsuit that he raped her when she was 13; a status conference is set for Dec. 16. This is not ‘locker room’ talk. If true, these are criminal acts far more serious than anything in Clinton’s e-mails. What Trump is doing to our democracy is also a serious offense. He vows to lock up his political opponent, calls the election ‘rigged’ without evidence, and won’t promise to respect the result if he loses. This is an unprecedented and disqualifying assault on our political system.”
Radio host Alex Jones has gone a step farther. He contends that both Clinton and President Obama are possessed by demons. The accusation of demon possession is a familiar one in politics, notes academic Sarah Bond: “There is a consistent historical tie between weak women and demons. This is particularly where radio host Alex Jones’ comments that Hillary is ‘an abject psychopathic demon from hell’ strike a chord of historical misogyny. It also plays on earlier accusations by Donald Trump that Hillary Clinton is physically weak and without the stamina to be president. As J.R. Thorpe points out over at Bustle, demonic possession was an allegation thrown by American men at British suffragettes in 1913 and 1914 (at this time, women were also blamed for the destruction at Pompeii in 79 CE). The mud slung at both British and American suffragettes often made these women out to be inhuman and unfeminine, whereas men were the angels taking care of the home while suffragettes were away.”
Both sides fear that the election will not actually, truly end the campaign. New York Times columnist Ross Douthat writes that “Liberals fear a world where [Trump] refuses to concede and his supporters turn to violence. Conservatives fear a world where the Republican party remains imprisoned in his short-fingered grasp. Fox News executives fear a world where Trump starts a cable channel and steals their audience out from under them. And his supporters imagine that like a populist Obi-Wan Kenobi, he will rise more powerful than before.” Similarly, if Clinton wins, she may be haunted by the e-mail mess and find it hard to earn the trust of people who voted for Trump.
In the Scriptures
As the election approaches, friends who have given up drinking are starting again, and people of all political beliefs are suffering from election anxiety: “More than half of Americans reported that the Hillary Clinton-Donald Trump faceoff was a significant source of stress, according to a survey from the American Psychological Association. It was the first time in 10 years of the Stress in America survey there was a question about an election, and the impetus came from the researchers’ own sense of unease. ‘We were picking up on our own level of stress as researchers and what seemed to be happening in the general culture,’ said Vaile Wright, a clinical psychologist and member of the APA’s Stress in America Team.”
Paul calls us all back to a larger framework, reminding us to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving replaces our anxiety, turning us outward instead of inward. We have been called by God and so we are meant to stand firm, even when we are buffeted by conflicting news accounts. Our fear is a small part of a bigger picture of God’s power at work in the world, and we are not meant to live as fearful people.
Paul reminds the church that we are meant to be transformed. In the power of Jesus Christ, we don’t stay our old, small, fearful selves. We have the gifts of “eternal comfort and good hope” already at hand -- we just have to reach out for them. Paul prays for the church -- and us -- to be strengthened and comforted, even in a time of turmoil. His words of assurance reach down through the years and speak to us with a grace-filled reminder of who we are.
In the Sermon
In a recent article about dealing with election anxiety, experts advised starting with self-compassion: “ ‘It’s very important for us to have compassion for whatever it is what we’re experiencing,’ says Renee Lertzman, a psychological researcher who studies climate change.... If you feel fear or hopelessness, Lertzman says you shouldn’t judge the emotion itself or ‘attack [yourself] for either not caring enough or not doing enough.’ ...To that end, experts stressed that anxiety about an outcome or existential threat is completely normal.”
As people of faith, we also have God’s compassion to draw upon. The sermon might look at how we can summon up compassion for ourselves and for the people whose beliefs are different from ours. How do we treat ourselves and others with compassion when we are so weary or scared?
Or the sermon might look at how we can be beacons of serenity for others, drawing on our own faith. If panic and anxiety are contagious, so are calm and trust. In this anxious season, how do we live that so others can take a deep breath in our presence and build up places of peace?
Or the sermon might examine what we will do if the other candidate wins -- if “the lawless one” wins the election (and one of them will), how do we envision a longer, wider picture of our shared life? How do we reach out to the -- as we see it -- misguided, ill-informed people who voted for the other candidate? Paul reminds us that we have been “called through the proclamation of the good news.” With that calling as our heritage, how do we carry good news to our brothers and sisters in faith? How do we convey good news to our neighbors who may be hurt or angry about the election results? How do we hear the concerns that fueled their vote?
Paul calls us out of election anxiety and back into the spacious serenity of our faith. The election and all its rage and recriminations feel omnipresent, and Paul reminds us that people of faith have been through bigger ups and downs than this election. As Anne Lamott says (in Small Victories), “my faith tells me that God has skills, ploys, and grace adequate to bring light into the present darkness.” Comfort and good hope already belong to us, by God’s grace, and we are called to be part of the work of bringing God’s light into the darkness of this election season.
SECOND THOUGHTS
The Fullness of Christ
by George Reed
Ephesians 1:11-23
We have almost made it -- just a few more hours and this year’s presidential election will be history. The results will probably be the topic of many conversations, but at least the campaign ads will stop. This year seems to have been a particularly nasty one -- even for a people who have become used to negative campaigning. When we talk about people demonizing other people this year, we are often talking about people actually calling others demons or worse. Ideas, policies, and positions have taken a back seat to personal attacks. Unfortunately, this behavior does not exclude Christians. Many of those who take the name of the Christ as their own do not seem to take seriously the idea of “love your enemies.”
In the reading from Ephesians for All Saints Sunday, we are reminded that we have received an inheritance, the seal of the Holy Spirit upon us which marks us for salvation. In the closing statement of the lection which honors Christ, we are told that all this honor and glory given to him was given for the Church, which is his Body, the fullness of the one who fills all. What an incredible statement. If being the Body of the Christ is not enough, we are told that we are his fullness. The honor and glory of the Most High is ours. But the responsibility that brings upon us is just as staggering as the honor.
If we are all that the epistle lesson says we are, then we need to begin to live up to it. In every word and action, we are representing -- no, we are -- the Christ still on earth. We can expect no less from ourselves than we would expect from the Holy One of God, because we are his fullness. This election is about over and we hope we have acted so others have seen the Christ through us -- but regardless of our success or our failure, we still have this inheritance that we need to live into in the days and weeks to come.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Job 19:23-27a
Cam Newton, the quarterback for last year’s Super Bowl runners-up Carolina Panthers, is the NFL’s reigning MVP. Several weeks ago at a news conference, Newton said he was unconcerned about the dangers of concussions since his only goal on the field of play is to win. But when Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deion Jones collided with Newton in the end zone during a game on October 2, Newton said that immediately “I knew I was messed up.” Now Newton has changed his position, saying that “concussions are real.” He is now an advocate of preventing concussions, criticizing referees for not calling more penalties and protecting quarterbacks from vicious hits.
Application: Now that Job is suffering, he wants his words to be “inscribed in a book” so others will come to understand the torments of life.
*****
Job 19:23-27a
Cindy Martinez, a 35-year-old Marine veteran, has had her body ravaged by flesh-eating bacteria. She had the choice to have both legs, an arm below the elbow, and part of her fingers on her other arm amputated, or face certain death. After recovering from the surgery, she joined the gym Crossfit Goat, whose motto is “Be Your Greatest of All Time.” It is Martinez’ goal to participate in a marathon. In doing so she wants to show her children, her husband, and others the need to never quit and never give up. She said, “The mental aspect, it can be tough. It’s not that I don’t have a bad day. But for the most part, I try to stay positive.”
Application: The story of Job demonstrates how to stay positive during suffering.
*****
Job 19:23-27a
Swedish physician Mats Brannstrom was just starting to practice medicine when a patient, who for medical reasons had to have her womb removed, asked if a new one could be transplanted. At the time Dr. Brannstrom said to himself, “I thought she was a bit crazy.” But he was intrigued and did not dismiss the idea. Over the next decade, with the help of colleagues he worked on the problem. Over the last few years he has transplanted nine wombs, and five women have delivered healthy babies. So far Dr. Brannstrom has been using wombs from older women, saying, “All of a sudden, you have this old organ doing things that a young uterus would do.”
Application: The story of Job tells us how healing can come from suffering and misfortune.
*****
Job 19:23-27a
Lady Gaga has recently released Joanne, her latest album. She began to write the songs for the album two years ago. The album features many emotional tracks in which she highlights her difficult childhood and the problems she has endured as an adult. The purpose of the album, she says, is “to write a record that reminded people that no matter what perfect illusion you have of me -- right -- that I’m probably a lot like you.”
Application: Lady Gaga hardly seems like the typical American. The reason why we relate so easily to Job is that he does seem like one of us.
*****
Job 19:23-27a
Norman Vincent Peale is best known for his publication of the book The Power of Positive Thinking in 1952. As a child, Peale enjoyed visiting his grandmother in Ohio. He recalled that whenever she served him a meal, she would seat him at the dining room table opposite a painting that hung on the wall. Peale contends that his grandmother acted deliberately so that he could study and one day internalize the artist’s message. The painting depicted a terrible stormy sea, with a dark, overcast, foreboding sky. The scene was one of desolation, except for a rock rising in the middle of the tossing sea. Planted on the rock was a large cross, anchored from the ravages of the storm. Sitting at the bottom of the cross was a lady with her arms wrapped around the cross, clinging to it for security. Beneath the picture were the words “SIMPLY TO THY CROSS I CLING.” Looking at the picture, his grandma would often say to young Norman, “Everything else may be swept away, but as long as you hold on to the cross, you will have security in life.”
Application: The story of Job is a story of how to cling to the cross during times of trial and tribulation.
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Tickets for the World Series games hosted by the Chicago Cubs were priced at the box office from $83 to $750. But numerous unethical individuals managed to purchase a great number of the tickets so they weren’t available from the Cubs. Instead, the tickets were sold by scalpers to fans who have waited a lifetime to see a World Series game at prices ranging from $5,000 to $100,000 per ticket. The Cleveland Indians are experiencing the same phenomenon, but with lower scalping prices.
Application: We are warned by Paul not to let people “deceive us.”
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report, at the current rate of development it will be 170 years before pay for women is equal to pay for men. Based on data from 144 countries, the report lists the United States as 45th on the index.
Application: We are told by Paul to “stand firm” and “hold fast” to that which is good. This means we should stand firm as advocates for equality.
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Basketball great Charles Barkley has made numerous public comments on racial issues. But he has been challenged in some quarters as having too much money and too much fame to truly understand his fellow black Americans. He has received further criticism because of his view that most of the problems are less about race and more about the rich vs. the poor. Barkley has challenged people not to demonstrate, but to get involved. He said, “It goes back to the Kaepernick thing. I said, ‘You do what you want to do; you’re a grown man.’ But I challenge all these guys; what are you actually doing in the black community to help our people?”
Application: Paul tells us to “stand firm.” Barkley is saying that standing firm is not kneeling during the national anthem but getting involved in your community.
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
After 26 years, Fred Washington is retiring as the man behind the hand-operated scoreboard at Wrigley Field. The Cubs’ final World Series home game marked the final time he climbed down the green ladder to the field. Washington’s wife often wondered why he came home from the games exhausted, but placing the large plates inside the scoreboard is not an easy chore. He said of his job, “There’s a human element up here.” This is because if he posts the wrong number, fans in the bleachers can easily call to him to correct his error.
Application: Paul tells us to have “belief in the truth.” This may often mean accepting correction by others.
*****
Luke 20:27-38
Julio Jones, who plays for the Atlanta Falcons, is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL. Recently, officials made incorrect calls against Jones in two separate games, causing the Falcons to lose the contests. But Jones amazed everyone by accepting the wrong decisions without anger or protest -- considering the calls just a part of the game. He said his response was intended to show his teammates and the fans “the way to handle things.” Jones went on to say, “When things don’t go your way and you think they should, there’s always a positive way to handle things.”
Application: The Sadducees were always trying to test Jesus, and Jesus always found a positive way to handle things.
***************
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Haggai 1:15b--2:9 (2:4: “Work, for I am with you...”)
Why Work?
When the company founded by Andrew Carnegie was taken over by the U.S. Steel Corporation in 1901, as one of its obligations it acquired a contract to pay the top Carnegie executive, Charles M. Schwab, the then unheard-of minimum sum of $1,000,000. J.P. Morgan of U.S. Steel was in a quandary about it. The highest salary on record at that time was $100,000. He met with Schwab, showed him the contract, and hesitatingly asked what could be done about it.
Schwab took the contract from Carnegie and tore it into little pieces. Later, he told Forbes magazine: “I didn’t care what salary they paid me. I was not animated by money motives. I believed in what I was trying to do and I wanted to see it brought about. I cancelled that contract without a moment’s hesitation. Why do I work? I work for just the pleasure I find in work, the satisfaction there is in developing things, in creating. Also, the associations business begets. The person who does not work for the love of work, but only for money, is not likely to make money nor to find much fun in life.”
*****
Haggai 1:15b--2:9 (2:4: “Work, for I am with you...”)
True Stories from the Job
The website Fmylife invites people to submit brief funny stories about their job or workplace. Many are filled with tragic but humorous irony. Here are a few examples:
* I had an old man yell in my face because the boxes in our store only had Spanish words on them. I spent 15 minutes apologizing and trying to explain that the English was on the back side. He stormed out before I could even show him.
* I had a conversation with the cute girl I like at work for the first time. I told her I worked in the camping department of the store, and we had a long chat about how she heard that the guy who runs that department is a complete [jerk]. I am the guy who runs that department.
* I was informed I wouldn’t be getting a raise because I hadn’t followed the updated protocol. I said I was unaware that there was an updated protocol. My supervisor said, “That’s because we didn’t tell you about it.”
* I was fired from my job because, in my boss’s words, I “abided by company policy to such an extent that customers were starting to hate me.”
* I found out my request to have Thanksgiving off for the first time in six years was denied because I work the evening shift every year on Thanksgiving and that’s convenient for everyone else.
*****
Haggai 1:15b--2:9 (2:4: “Work, for I am with you...”)
Writers Write
When I was an undergrad at the University of Cincinnati, I knew that I wanted to be a writer. I didn’t know or care if I could make a living at it, but I knew I wanted to be published. I felt that I had stories to tell and things to say. So I went to one of my professors who had published a number of articles and books, and I asked him for advice. Here’s what he told me:
1. Writers write. Most people who say they want to write really just want to have written, but they don’t want to do the hard work of writing and rewriting.
2. Good writing is rewriting -- and rewriting is the second hardest part of writing, because by the time you are rewriting you’ve already said what you had to say and now you’re just polishing it.
3. The hardest part of writing is getting off the couch and turning off the TV. Master that and you’re halfway there.
4. You don’t necessarily have to write what you know. You can learn what you need to know through research. But you do have to write what you love. Most nonfiction writers love their subject and want to share it with the rest of the world. Fiction writers love their characters; they love to spend time with them and seeing what happens next.
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 (v. 3: “Let no one deceive you...”)
Think First, Then Act
There is a story about a schoolteacher who lost her life savings in a business scheme which had been elaborately explained to her by a con artist. When her investment disappeared and her dream was shattered, she went to the Better Business Bureau. “Why on earth didn’t you come to us first?” the BBB official asked. “Didn’t you know about the Better Business Bureau?”
“Oh, yes,” said the lady sadly. “I’ve always known about you. But I didn’t come because I was afraid you’d tell me not to do it.”
*****
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17 (v. 3: “Let no one deceive you...”)
The Found Poem
James Whitcomb Riley is known as the “Hoosier Poet” and the “Children’s Poet,” and if you went through middle school in Indiana (as I did) you had to memorize at least one of his poems. He’s probably best known for “When the Frost Is on the Pumpkin” and “Little Orphan Annie,” as well as over a thousand other verses, lyrics, and poems in dialect. One story about Riley that they didn’t teach us in middle school, however, was the story of the “found” poem.”
In April 1877 Riley joined the staff of the Anderson Democrat, a daily newspaper in Anderson, Indiana, as associate editor. He continued to write poems, which were printed in other newspapers throughout central Indiana, but he was frustrated that his poems were nearly always rejected by eastern periodicals.
So he, along with a friend at the Kokomo Dispatch, came up with a scheme to prove that the snobbish eastern newspapers had set an impossibly high standard for publishing poets. That is, they would publish poetry only from proven poets -- and the only way one could become a “proven” poet was to be published by eastern periodicals.
To prove his point, Riley wrote a poem (“Leonainie”) styled after Edgar Allan Poe, and convinced the editor of the Kokomo Dispatch to print it in his newspaper as a long-lost Poe poem. As expected, the eastern publications went mad for it and praised it as one of Poe’s greatest works. A few weeks later Riley and his friend revealed their hoax, but no one would believe them. When he finally proved that he was the author of the poem, Riley was fired from his job at the Anderson Democrat.
*****
Luke 20:27-38
The Heaven I Want
I once heard a speaker describe the heaven of his dreams like this:
I wake up from my sleep and I’m in a room. The four walls are made of pizza, fried chicken, cheeseburgers, and donuts. The roof is made of barbecued ribs. And there are no windows or doors. I have to eat my way out!
As I emerge from my house made of food I can hear Gabriel blowing his trumpet and I see people running in one direction. I stop someone and I ask them where everyone is going, and he tells me to come along as the heavenly choir is assembling to sing God’s praise.
I follow along and find myself in the biggest coliseum I’ve ever seen. On my left are 10,000 altos. On my right are 10,000 sopranos. Behind me are 10,000 tenors. And I alone am singing bass. Just as I realize this, Gabriel raises his baton and the heavenly orchestra begins to play the opening notes of Handel’s Messiah -- and somehow I know the bass part to all of the songs.
Finally we come to the “Hallelujah” chorusand we’re singing for all we’re worth -- and just as we get to the greatest, most glorious part of the song, Gabriel stops everything, walks slowly over to me, and says, “Dean... you’re going to have to hold it down just a bit.”
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Chris Keating
Call to Worship
(All Saints Sunday)
One: Praise the Lord! Sing songs of praise to the Lord our God!
All: The Holy Ones of the Most High God shall dwell with God forever!
One: Praise God with dancing! Raise up melodies with tambourines and the lyre.
All: Shout for joy, all who are humble, and rejoice in God’s saving help.
OR
One: Blessed are you who are poor,
All: For you will dwell in the abundance of God!
One: Blessed are you who weep now,
All: For you will laugh and delight in God’s incomparable promise.
One: Rejoice and leap for joy, for surely our reward is great in heaven!
OR
(Proper 27)
One: Bless God’s name forever and ever.
All: Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised.
One: Declare the mighty acts of God, who is just and kind.
All: God fulfills the cries of all who cry out, and saves all who love God.
One: With our whole being, let us bless God’s holy name forever!
Call to Confession
(All Saints Sunday)
One: Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let also lay aside every weight, and the sin that clings so closely, and run with perseverance the race that is set before us.
Unison: God of our life, throughout the changing seasons of life we trust in you. You offer us the blessing of life, and the promise of an abundant inheritance in Christ. Yet we confess that we do not set our hope on Christ; we do not love our enemies, nor do we pray for those who oppose us. We have neglected your commandments, and have lived only for ourselves. Forgive us, O Lord. Enlighten our hearts, and help us to know the hope which you alone offer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Assurance
Hear the good news: God has given to us a spirit of wisdom and revelation in Jesus Christ so that the eyes of our hearts would be enlightened. God’s great power is at work within us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is seated with God in the heavenly places. Put this power to work, and be at peace, for our sins are forgiven. Amen.
OR
(Proper 27)
Loving God, we are so easily confused and agitated. We become anxious in our daily lives, and are weighed down by the concerns of this age. You offer to us the promise of resurrection in Jesus Christ, but our attention drifts, and we worship objects of our own creation. Help us to stand firm and know the eternal grace and comfort you offer us in Jesus Christ, our savior who will strengthen us in all good things. Amen.
Eucharistic Prayer/Great Prayer of Thanksgiving
(All Saints Sunday)
One: The Lord be with you,
All: And also with you.
One: Lift up your hearts.
All: We lift them up to the Lord.
One: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
All: It is right to give our thanks and praise.
One: It is our greatest joy to offer you our thanks and praise, O Lord our God. We give thanks for those in every age who gave witness to you and to your Son, and who have been marked with the seal of your word of truth. We give thanks that you have raised them to worship you in the glory of the heavenly places, and that their voices are joined with the prophets, apostles, and martyrs of every time and place in singing the glory of your name:
All: (said or sung) Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!
One: Your holiness surrounds us, O God, and invites us to share in this feast. Grateful to you, we remember the fullness of Jesus Christ, whose gospel calls us to live for the praise of his glory. We give you thanks for the bread he shared and the cup he poured. Help us to remember him as we partake in this meal, celebrating the joy won for us in his redemption. Christ is the bread of life!
All: When we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim your death, Lord Jesus, until you come again.
One: Now pour out your Spirit upon us and these your gifts. Number us among your saints, and join our voices to the faithful of every age who forever sing to your glory. Give us strength to serve you faithfully until the promise of the resurrection dawns upon creation, when with all the redeemed we shall feast with you at your table in glory. Through Christ, with Christ, in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor are yours, now and forever, Amen. (Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.)
Prayers of the People
(Proper 27)
God of mercy, illumine our hearts with your Spirit, and deliver us from the confusion of our age. Encourage us with your promises so that we might join every generation in praising your works. We thank you, O God, for your love which holds us, even in the face of a world that is always changing. You bring light in our confusion, and hope in our fear. You teach us to trust in the promise of the resurrection, and remind us that you alone are the God of all that lives. We offer to you our concerns. Be with our nation in times of transition and change. Guide us in the ways of peace, and help us to be faithful in declaring your justice. Help those who are sick, whose hearts are burdened with anxiety and whose bodies are filled with pain. Be near to those whom we name to you now in silence... Hear these our prayers, O Lord, as we offer them to you in the name of the One who taught us to pray, saying Our Father... (continue and conclude with the Lord’s Prayer).
Hymns
(All Saints Sunday)
Traditional:
“The Church’s One Foundation”
“Blest Are They”
“My Hope Is Built”
“Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise”
“Lord, I Want to Be a Christian”
“Kum Ba Yah”
“For All The Saints”
“When the Saints Go Marching In”
“Be Not Afraid” (Dufford)
Taize/Global:
“Cantad al Senor” (“O Sing to the Lord”) (Brazilian folk melody)
“Goodness Is Stronger than Evil” (Taizé)
“Jesus, Remember Me” (Taizé)
Contemporary:
“How Great Is our God” (Tomlin)
“My Song Is Love Unknown” (Ireland/Crossman)
“Open the Eyes of My Heart”
“Give Thanks”
OR
(Proper 27)
“Come, You Faithful, Raise the Strain”
“Be Not Afraid” (Dufford)
“Thine Is the Glory”
“Standing on the Promises”
“I Want Jesus to Walk with Me”
“Loving Spirit”
“When We Are Living”
“Sing Praise to God, Who Reigns Above”
“Will You Come and Follow Me?” (“The Summons”)
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Don’t Be Shaken or Alarmed
by Beth Herrinton-Hodge
2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17
Note: A theme found throughout the texts for this week is God’s reassuring presence, constancy, comfort, and hope. Having just marked Halloween through streets and shops and school celebrations, we in the church remember the saints in our midst this week as well. You might take one of two approaches with the children’s message: talk with children about the scary parts of Halloween season, or talk about the unknown (and often scary) elements of the loss of loved ones. God’s assurance and comfort stand for both approaches.
Post-Halloween approach:
(As you gather the children, engage them in talking about their Halloween celebrations -- costumes, school activities, trick-or-treating, etc.)
Was there anything scary about Halloween? (Allow for whatever responses the children give.)
There are parts of Halloween that are scary: walking around in the dark, dressing up in scary costumes, watching scary movies on television, or visiting a haunted house. Some people enjoy the scary parts. Some people even look for ways to get scared during Halloween season. They like it!
What about you? Do you like the scary part of Halloween? (Allow responses.) I like the fun parts better!
God has a word for us when we’re scared. Throughout the Bible, there are times when people get scared: they face powerful armies; they wander alone in the wilderness; they run out of food. Jesus had to face his own death. God’s people faced fear.
The message the people received from God was “Do not be afraid.”
This was more than four little words. God stood with God’s people in those times when they were afraid. God didn’t leave Jesus alone to face death. God didn’t leave David alone to face Goliath. God was right there with them!
In the scripture passages we read today, God says: “Take courage... for I am with you” (Haggai) “God is near to all who call on God” (Psalm 145); “Stand firm... hold fast to what has been taught to us... may the God who loves us comfort our hearts and strengthen us” (2 Thessalonians).
These words from God are for each of us. We can hold onto them when we are scared. Take courage. Stand firm. God stands with us, even in the scary times.
(Offer a prayer to close the message.)
All Saints Sunday approach:
(As you gather the children, engage them in talking about their Halloween celebrations -- costumes, school activities, trick-or-treating, etc.)
In the church, we look at Halloween as the day before another special day: All Saints Day. This is the day when we celebrate and remember the “saints” -- people like you and me, faithful people who know and love God and who have shown us how to know and love God as well.
Especially on All Saints Sunday, we remember faithful people who have died and are no longer with us “in person.” These people might be special friends whom you have known in our church family who have died, or a grandparent or other relative who has died, or a pastor or teacher who has died.
It’s not always easy to talk about people dying. It can make us sad. It can make us scared. It’s not comfortable to talk about.
On All Saints Sunday, we take special time to remember these people whom we loved, and who loved us. We give thanks to God that we had a chance to know and love and learn from them.
Is there anyone in your life whom you would like to remember today? Anyone whom you thank God for? (Invite responses. If there are none, you might name a person that you remember on All Saints Day. If children offer names of those they remember, stop here and offer a prayer of thanks for the people named and those who are unnamed, but who are special gifts from God.)
I think it’s hard for people to talk about dying because it’s scary. We don’t know what happens after we die, except that we have God’s promise to be with us forever. We trust that we will be with God at death.
God has a word for us when we’re scared. Throughout the Bible, there are times when people get scared: they wander alone in the wilderness; they run out of food. Jesus had to face his own death. God’s people faced fear.
The message the people received from God was “Do not be afraid.”
This was more than four little words. God stood with God’s people in those times when they were afraid. God didn’t leave Jesus alone to face death. God didn’t leave David alone to face Goliath. God was right there with them!
In the scripture passages we read today, God says: “Take courage... for I am with you” (Haggai) “God is near to all who call on God” (Psalm 145); “Stand firm... hold fast to what has been taught to us... may the God who loves us comfort our hearts and strengthen us” (2 Thessalonians).
These words from God... they are words for people who have died. And they are words for us when we are scared. God promises to stands with us, even in the scary times.
We don’t need to be afraid to talk about death, or to talk about people who have died. God is with them, just like God is with us -- to love us and comfort us and keep us forever.
(Offer a prayer to close the message.)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 6, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 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.
