A Long-Distance Marriage
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Despite a brief firefight this past weekend, it seems that the United Nations-brokered ceasefire in Lebanon is holding for the time being -- and for that we can be thankful. The ability of the international community to hammer out an agreement has allowed military forces to pull back from their positions and civilians in both Lebanon and northern Israel to return to their homes (or the damaged remnants thereof). In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Barbara Jurgensen points out that while this agreement is a matter of life and death for many, an agreement of far greater significance for the world is God's covenant -- which Solomon celebrates in this week's Old Testament lesson from the eighth chapter of 1 Kings. It is only in the context of this overarching agreement between God and his people that we can fully grasp the meaning of other human covenants, be they peace negotiations in the Middle East or marriage covenants. Solomon also calls attention to the foreigners in our midst. His challenge to broaden our concept of inclusiveness is a particularly relevant theme for today's world, where fear of those who are "different" is such a potent force. Team member Scott Suskovic offers a brief meditation that powerfully connects our culture's predilection for xenophobia and self-preservation with the spiritual battle that Paul discusses in Ephesians 6:10-20 -- where he outlines the various elements of the "whole armor" that God provides for us. This week's material also includes several illustrations, worship resources, and a children's sermon.
A Long-Distance Marriage
by Barbara Jurgensen
THE WORLD
Will the ceasefire in the Middle East hold? Will Hizbullah and Israel stick with their agreement?
That's an important agreement, but actually there's a larger, even more important one involved here: the agreement that the Lord God makes with us, as individuals and as a group.
This agreement is the covenant. The Lord God says, "I will be your God, and you will be my people." That is, we will be family to each other: we will be there for each other and do for each other, as needed, even to the risking of our own lives. Jesus spoke of God as our Father and of our living together as God's much-loved children. And as he lifted the cup at the Last Supper he said, "This is my blood of the covenant."
In the ancient Middle East, with its lack of hospitals, fire and police protection, and all the other services we take for granted, this was necessary for survival. Today, with the many threats our world faces, it's just as necessary.
The question is bigger than "Will Hizbullah and the Israelis stick with their ceasefire agreement?" The biggest question is: "Will we, the followers of our Lord, stick with our agreement, with the covenant?"
THE WORD
Some of our older parishioners (and others) may have grown up with the King James Version, before the days of the RSV, NIV, NRSV, and all the other newer translations. They grew up hearing Jesus say at the Last Supper, "This is my blood of the new testament," instead of "my blood of the covenant," as translations have it today. With the words "new testament" more commonly used to mean the last 27 books of the Bible, the full import of what Jesus was saying was not evident.
A testament is an agreement that certain things will be done after the death of the testament maker.
A covenant is an agreement among the living that they will do certain things now.
The biblical idea of covenant makes the person who has been an outsider into part of the family -- as with the marriage covenant, which makes the bride an integral, cared for and caring, member of the groom's family.
In our 1 Kings text, the people of Israel are gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate God's keeping covenant and steadfast love for them, for his people.
Solomon's words make special mention of the strangers in their midst, asking the Lord's blessing on them. They, too, are to be treated as members of the family -- a challenge to us today to broaden the reaches of our inclusiveness to all people.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
A few years ago when our son married a young woman from a little town way back in the interior of Brazil, our family wrote a letter to her family, assuring them that she was now a regular member of our family, that we would do all we could to help her have a good life among us, and that we were looking forward to having her be a part of us.
It's what we would have needed if one of our daughters had married a young man from, say, Outer Mongolia or Uzbekistan, and was moving there to live. We would need to know that she'd be part of a family that would be supportive and caring toward her.
We all need to find security within a family that will be there for us, day by day and in emergencies. And we all need the sense of belonging that comes from our being willing to be there for them and for others. And if we do not find ourselves in such a family, we need to gather supportive people around us and be supportive of each other. Psalm 68:6 (KJV) tells us that the Lord sets the solitary in families.
In the ancient Middle East there was a distinct shortage of hospitals and ambulances, of doctors and police. Family members had to do for each other.
We look at the Middle East today and we wonder: Will the peace hold? Will the Israelis and Hizbullah be able to keep to their ceasefire agreement? But that's far away from us, and meanwhile we continue to have struggles right here in the places where we live. And we remember the song, "Let There Be Peace on Earth, and Let It Begin with Me."
The question for us is: How can we learn to live together as the family that our Lord intends for us to be, with caring, with respect, with concern for each other?
Jesus calls us to do two things -- to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That's the whole thing in a nutshell, Jesus says: loving God and loving others. It's what he does, and what he calls us, his faithful followers, to do with him.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments we hear the Lord God of all creation saying, "I will be your God, and you will be my people. We'll be family to each other."
God calls this the covenant. Today we might come across the word "covenant" when we rent an apartment or buy a home or a piece of property, and that covenant has to do with how the building or piece of property can be used. But our Lord's idea of a covenant is much richer, much more life-giving.
The Lord God is saying, "Let's put aside our selfishness and self-centeredness; let's welcome all people as members of our family."
What does this say for us today regarding how we treat those among us who are a little different from us? Do we let fear take over and cause us to look down on them? We need to ask: What is our Lord already doing with them -- and calls us to join him in doing?
Are we missing the blessing of working with our Lord because we're afraid -- or because we have prejudices? Are we narrowing our lives down to our own petty likes and dislikes?
Many years ago the international head of the Salvation Army sent out a Christmas message to the thousands of Salvation Army workers around the world. The message consisted of just one word: "Others."
At the Last Supper, Jesus took the cup and said, "This is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus calls us to a new life, and a new way of living our lives -- not centered on ourselves, but centered on following him.
Only as we join him in doing what he's doing will we find the joy that he intends for us to have. Only then will we find "the good life" that we all seek.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Scott Suskovic
There is only one person who has ever existed or who will ever exist that I can say without a doubt that I would defend at all cost. There are many people whom I love. There are many people for whom I would go the extra mile. There are many people to whom I would give the shirt off my back. But when push comes to shove, when forced to make a decision, when caught between a rock and a hard place -- there is only one that I can say honestly that I will fight for and, if need be, die for. And that's me.
That's what it means to be both a saint and a sinner. It means that I am a saint -- a forgiven believer who has been named and claimed by the cross of Jesus Christ. At the same time, it means that I am a sinner -- a fallen creature who cannot help but seek out my own best interests and flee from God's presence. In Romans 7, Paul wrote about this inner struggle of knowing what is right but doing what is wrong. There is a rebel that lives deep within my heart who listens to the whisper of the serpent when he tempts me by saying: "Go ahead. This is for you. You will become like God." This is a lifetime struggle that we have on this side of Paradise.
Paul understood this battle. In this week's passage from Ephesians, Paul wrote about putting on the whole armor of God so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil. Paul knows about this internal struggle. It is not against things visible. It is not against enemies of blood and flesh. This struggle is both deeper and more cosmic than that -- it is against the spiritual forces of evil.
Do you know when this is most evident? It's during times of war, conflict, and division. That's when we circle the wagons to protect ourselves. With self-justification, self-rationalization, and self-defense we do not lay down our lives but in fact we fight -- even to the death -- to defend what is mine.
There is a word for this self-defense mechanism: xenophobia -- the fear of strangers. We see it in the 4,000-year-old, deeply seated racism in the Middle East. We see it in the racism in our own country. We see it when we fight with someone with whom we disagree. That's the fear of the stranger... the fear of someone who is different from me... xenophobia.
Do you know what the ultimate case of xenophobia is? It's God. God is wholly other than me. God is holy other than me. And when God comes too close to me, when God threatens to change my life, when God challenges my very existence by drowning that old Adam that lives deep within in the waters of baptism, I resist. I rebel. I circle the wagons. I defend myself -- even unto death. God is the ultimate stranger. And when God gets to close to me, putting his own indelible mark on my heart, the sinner within me rebels.
Why? Because this is a spiritual battle waged on a cosmic level for the sake of my soul. Therefore, Paul wrote, put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the evil. Just as if he is preparing us for battle, Paul explains each piece of armor for our protection.
The Helmet of Salvation protects the mind. This is the battlefield of spiritual warfare. The devil plants thoughts in our hearts: thoughts of independence; thoughts of self-justification; thoughts of lust, greed, anger, and so on. We can reject them or entertain them.
The Breastplate of Righteousness covers the heart by reminding us that it is not our righteousness but Christ's that we claim.
The Belt of Truth is what keeps it all from falling down. The truthfulness of God's word defends us against the lies of the devil.
The Shoes of Peace move us toward God. Our natural tendency is to run in the Garden of Eden and hide at the sound of God's voice.
The Shield of Faith is the hallmark of the Reformation. We are justified by faith alone. This is what we stand behind. This is what deflects the arrows of the devil. This is our greatest defense that protects our heart.
The Sword of the Spirit is a two-edged sword that cuts both ways. It afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted. With it, we counter the lies and clever deceptions of the devil with the truth and promises of God's word.
It is a lifelong, cosmic battle waged within the heart of the saint and sinner. But we wage it knowing that the battle has already been won -- one of God's own choosing. Because when push came to shove, when forced to make a decision, when caught between a rock and a cross, there was only one person that Jesus would fight for and, if need be, die for. And that's you, a sinner -- rebellious, selfish, fallen by the wiles of the devil; a saint -- named, claimed, and forgiven by the victory of Jesus Christ.
No strength of ours can match his might. We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight, whom God himself elected.
You ask who this may be? The Lord of hosts is he.
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord, God's only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
Though hordes of devils fill the land all threatening to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand; they cannot overpower us.
Let this world's tyrant rage; in battle we'll engage.
His might is doomed to fail; God's judgment must prevail.
One little word subdues him.
(Martin Luther, "A Mighty Fortress")
ILLUSTRATIONS
The August 14 issue of Newsweek magazine shows a picture, labeled "Armed and Dangerous," of an armed Hezbollah soldier with all of his equipment identified. There is information on his Kalashnikov rifle, his body armor, his night-vision gear, his hand grenades and missiles, and other weapons. With stories of national conflicts crowding the news, we are tempted to think that is the kind of warfare in which we must engage and that weapons like those in the graphic are the kinds of weapons that we need.
But in Ephesians 6:10-20, the writer calls attention to another kind of warfare, a warfare that stands behind and causes most of the other conflicts in our lives, in our families, and in our world. It is our ongoing struggle against "the cosmic powers of this present darkness," things like fear and greed and hate. Many have not recognized that we are -- or should be -- engaged in that struggle. In fact, when personal or national stress comes to bear upon us, we may even join the powers of darkness.
We need to remember which warfare is primary for people of faith, and which weapons are appropriate for it. That will be the first step in moving our country and our world toward real peace.
***
God is always reaching out to us to make covenant with us or to renew the covenant we have broken.
Last month, 3,000 representatives of churches in the Wesleyan tradition from around the world gathered in Seoul, Korea for the World Methodist Conference. The theme was "God in Christ Reconciling" (2 Corinthians 5:19).
From the beginning through the end of the conference, the delegates were reminded of just how painfully and dangerously our world is divided. It started unexpectedly. On the first day of the conference, the mayor of Seoul came to give a traditional greeting to the visitors. But instead of just saying such traditional things as "Glad you're here" or "Spend lots of money" or "Send your friends," the mayor noticed the theme of the conference and reminded the participants that Korea is still a nation divided and yearning to be reunited. He urged the delegates to work and to pray for reconciliation. Then, during the program of the conference, one speaker after another told of heartbreaking conflicts in their homelands and of the heroic work for reconciliation that the churches were doing. They heard speakers from South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, and Northern Ireland.
Finally, the time came when the conference was to have heard Father Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian who has done a great deal to bring reconciliation to Jews and Palestinians in Galilee. But instead of hearing Father Chacour, the delegates were read a message saying that Father Chacour had really wanted to come to the conference, but that hostilities had broken out between Israeli and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. Father Chacour's message said that in such times, the shepherd should be with his sheep. Everyone understood.
Delegates to the conference became painfully aware of the need for reconciliation in the world. But they also became aware that the first step would have to be being reconciled to God.
***
In Landsburg, Germany, there is a chapel that was built as an architectural and artistic call to reconciliation. On top of the steeple and on the altar, there are crosses made in the style of the Coventry Cross. During the Second World War, German firebombs destroyed the cathedral at Coventry, England. One of the priests picked up three of the big old handmade nails that had held the roof together and fastened them together into a cross. That cross of nails became a symbol of the cathedral's resurrection and of the ministry of reconciliation that the people there would do. There were other symbols. Worshipers entered the churchyard through a room in the bottom of the steeple, and there they found themselves surrounded by heavy wooden plaques written in all of the languages of the world, including Hebrew, French, English, Russian, and others. Each said, in its own language, "Be Reconciled to God." Over the heads of those passing through the steeple hung a heavy metallic sculpture of a crown of thorns.
It is interesting that this chapel stands in Landsburg, where a young Adolf Hitler once sat in a prison cell and wrote Mein Kampf; Landsburg, where allied troops liberated a horrible death camp after the war. Not only was this chapel of reconciliation located in Landsburg, it was also the chapel for a German Army base. Someone has taken hold of the hope for reconciliation.
***
Think about the idealists and the realists in life. Here's your chance to size them up and pick a side you feel comfortable with.
On the side of the idealists let's look at two folks:
* Gandhi, for instance, said that there are many causes on earth for which he would give his life, but not one for which he would take a life.
* Jesus said: "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." He also said to love your enemies, and that he would give his life as a ransom for many. These are hard sayings in the scripture. We are told many left Jesus because of what he said, and probably what he did as well. However, because of these very things Peter called him "The Holy One of God."
Now think about these realities:
* There is a UN Security Council resolution establishing the means for achieving a cessation of hostilities and perhaps peace in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
* Israel said it achieved its military objectives.
* Hezbollah claimed victory.
* Almost 1,200 men, women, and children -- the vast majority of which were civilians on both sides of the border -- lie dead in the desert sands of Israel and Lebanon.
Now then, are you an idealist or a realist in heaven as it is in earth?
***
Picture, if you will, an American soldier or an Israeli soldier. Now picture those who fight for Hezbollah and other military and paramilitary organizations. They are all equipped with an impressive array of weapons.
Now, picture the Armor of God as Paul describes it in his letter to the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 6:13-17). Shall we review?
* Buckle around your waist the belt of truth.
* Place over your heart the breastplate of righteousness.
* On your feet you may wear shoes called the Gospel of Peace.
* For a shield you will have Faith, with which you can ward off the flaming darts of the evil one.
* The helmet of salvation will save your head.
* And finally, the sword you wield is the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Which weapons will people of faith choose to protect the ones they love? Without being overly simplistic, how shall we weigh these weapons in the scales of Justice and Peace, tempered with the Mercy and Love of God?
***
The name for Caesar in the time of Jesus was Kyrie, or literally "Lord." The early church made it clear that Jesus was Lord to that fellowship. And when they sang Kyrie Eleison ("Lord, have mercy") there was a special sense of shared irony. They all distanced themselves from the Empire. To them, Jesus was the flesh and blood of heaven on earth. He was their bread, and their flesh and blood, and the foundation stone of their belief.
There have been many Caesars, emperors, kings, potentates, sultans, kaisers, tsars, prime ministers, and presidents. In a time when we increasingly fuzzy up the line between church and state, who then is our lord, king, or president? Is it still Jesus? Or is there another?
***
Are you aware that there is a Living Wage Covenant? By signing it, a businessperson or employer states that they believe that:
* no one working full-time should live in poverty;
* a living wage is good for families, businesses, and the country.
The signer also pledges other things.
For example, an employer can pledge to pay employees at least $8.20 per hour (the federal poverty level for a family of four) or to pay employees a wage reflecting the true cost of living in that particular community.
An investor can pledge to begin dialogues with investment advisors, mutual fund managers, and others, so that company compensation practices move towards providing a living wage.
A citizen can write to legislators about the federal minimum wage as well as work toward raising issues concerning low-wage workers.
I wonder how many churches, how many Christians, how many denominations have signed this covenant? I've got a feeling God would put her "Jane Hancock" to it.
(for further information see www.responsiblewealth.org )
***
How do I know that I am in a covenant relationship with God? Is there a form I fill out, like the membership card at my local church? Do I "sign on" when I turn in my pledge card each year?
Or do I write my covenant when I write a letter to the editor reminding folks that there is more than one side, and more than one answer, to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah?
Am I agreeing to the covenant when I put down my name to spend a week of vacation at a Habitat for Humanity worksite rather than at the beach?
Do I write my covenant when I say to my children, "I'm giving you the freedom to fall flat on your face at whatever you try. Just know that I will be there to lift you to your feet"?
Do I sign my name to the covenant when I am willing to preach that God sides with the poor, the oppressed, the excluded, rather than offering the supposed gospel of prosperity?
The book of Jeremiah tells me that God is going to write this covenant on my heart. But where do I sign?
***
My Father, I abandon myself to you.
Do with me as you will.
Whatever you may do with me I thank you.
I am prepared for anything. I accept everything,
provided your will is fulfilled in me and in all creatures.
I ask for nothing more, my God.
I place my soul in your hands.
I give it to you, my God,
with all the love of my heart,
because I love you.
And for me it is a necessity of love,
this gift of myself,
this placing of myself in your hands without reserve
in boundless confidence,
because you are my Father.
-- Charles de Foucauld (1848-1916)
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Call To Worship
Leader: Jesus said: "I am the Bread of Life...
whoever eats this Bread will always live."
People: This is a tough teaching, too tough to swallow.
Leader: Jesus said: "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child
shall not enter it."
People: This is a tough teaching, too tough to hear.
Leader: Jesus said to all he met: "Follow me."
People: We have accepted Jesus and seek to be faithful,
no matter how tough it is to follow him.
Prayer Of The Day
Holy God,
Home of all who seek you:
may you find in our hearts paths to walk,
wandering with us through dark valleys,
dipping us in pools of living water,
lifting our faces to the grace falling softly upon us.
Loving Lord,
Speaker of tough words:
we would wish for an easy life as we follow you to our Home.
Help us to see that when we mop floors, we find our meaning;
when we hammer nails, we discover our hope;
when we embrace the sick, we touch our healing.
Spirit of Strength,
Bearer of our prayers,
we would ask for:
the strength to say "yes" when "no" is on our lips;
the wisdom to welcome all into our hearts;
the longing to be with you always.
God in Community, Holy in one,
hear us as we pray together,
as Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call To Reconciliation
If it was easy to follow Jesus, we would not need to ask for forgiveness.
But it is tough -- tough to say "yes," tough to be graceful, tough to be loving.
Yet whatever we do,
God loves us enough to forgive us and to feed us with the Bread of Life.
Let us pray together, saying . . .
(Unison) Prayer Of Confession
God, our sun and shield:
we may long to be in your house,
but our deeds show how tough it is for us to live there.
Called to follow,
we search for paths to take us back to our old ways;
given the words of eternal life,
we weakly proclaim the gospel to others;
offered the path of salvation to walk upon,
we stumble down the rocky roads of our world.
Forgive us, Guardian of our lives.
Strengthen us with your Spirit, so we may follow Jesus Christ,
the One we have come to believe and know is our Lord and Savior.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: Today, receive the Bread of Life;
today, hear the words of eternal hope;
today, trust in the One who hears your prayers,
and showers grace and forgiveness upon you.
People: Today, we are set free to serve God's people and to sing God's praises.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Protective gear for Christians
Object: a catcher's mask, chest protector, shin guards
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever heard of the devil? (let them answer) You don't want to meet the devil because he is a very ugly devil. The devil is very clever. He tricks people into thinking that they will have a good time if they fool around with him. He tricks people into thinking that he can make them rich, good-looking, or very powerful people. But the devil is a liar. He never tells the truth.
Saint Paul knew about the devil. He had fought him many times. Paul said you have to protect yourself. How do we protect ourselves against the devil? (let them answer)
This scripture lesson reminds me of being a catcher on a baseball team. Baseball is a dangerous game. We need to make sure that the ball doesn't hit us when the batter swings. Or we want to make sure when a runner is coming to home plate and he slides into our legs that we have protection for our legs and knees. People who play baseball have invented different pieces of protection for the catcher. First, they invented a mask. If you wear this mask, the ball will never get through to your face. The same thing is true about the chest protector. You wear this so that when a foul ball comes firing back off of the batter's bat, it will hit the chest protector. And finally let's pretend that a runner is coming home as fast as he can. As the runner begins to slide, he puts his feet up in the air and they are coming right at the catcher. The runner crashes into the catcher's shin guards and stops. He was not able to touch home plate and the umpire calls him out. The catcher is covered with protection.
We must protect ourselves against the devil in the same way a catcher must protect himself against foul balls and dangerous runners. Saint Paul says that the way we guard against the devil is to know the truth and tell the truth, be kind to others, and always try to do what is right, and most of all, tell everyone about the love of Jesus. When you are talking about the love of Jesus, you are scaring the devil away from you and your house. This is a plan of God that we can use every day of our life.
So, the next time you see a catcher with all of his equipment, remember to protect yourself from the devil with the truth.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 27, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
A Long-Distance Marriage
by Barbara Jurgensen
THE WORLD
Will the ceasefire in the Middle East hold? Will Hizbullah and Israel stick with their agreement?
That's an important agreement, but actually there's a larger, even more important one involved here: the agreement that the Lord God makes with us, as individuals and as a group.
This agreement is the covenant. The Lord God says, "I will be your God, and you will be my people." That is, we will be family to each other: we will be there for each other and do for each other, as needed, even to the risking of our own lives. Jesus spoke of God as our Father and of our living together as God's much-loved children. And as he lifted the cup at the Last Supper he said, "This is my blood of the covenant."
In the ancient Middle East, with its lack of hospitals, fire and police protection, and all the other services we take for granted, this was necessary for survival. Today, with the many threats our world faces, it's just as necessary.
The question is bigger than "Will Hizbullah and the Israelis stick with their ceasefire agreement?" The biggest question is: "Will we, the followers of our Lord, stick with our agreement, with the covenant?"
THE WORD
Some of our older parishioners (and others) may have grown up with the King James Version, before the days of the RSV, NIV, NRSV, and all the other newer translations. They grew up hearing Jesus say at the Last Supper, "This is my blood of the new testament," instead of "my blood of the covenant," as translations have it today. With the words "new testament" more commonly used to mean the last 27 books of the Bible, the full import of what Jesus was saying was not evident.
A testament is an agreement that certain things will be done after the death of the testament maker.
A covenant is an agreement among the living that they will do certain things now.
The biblical idea of covenant makes the person who has been an outsider into part of the family -- as with the marriage covenant, which makes the bride an integral, cared for and caring, member of the groom's family.
In our 1 Kings text, the people of Israel are gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate God's keeping covenant and steadfast love for them, for his people.
Solomon's words make special mention of the strangers in their midst, asking the Lord's blessing on them. They, too, are to be treated as members of the family -- a challenge to us today to broaden the reaches of our inclusiveness to all people.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
A few years ago when our son married a young woman from a little town way back in the interior of Brazil, our family wrote a letter to her family, assuring them that she was now a regular member of our family, that we would do all we could to help her have a good life among us, and that we were looking forward to having her be a part of us.
It's what we would have needed if one of our daughters had married a young man from, say, Outer Mongolia or Uzbekistan, and was moving there to live. We would need to know that she'd be part of a family that would be supportive and caring toward her.
We all need to find security within a family that will be there for us, day by day and in emergencies. And we all need the sense of belonging that comes from our being willing to be there for them and for others. And if we do not find ourselves in such a family, we need to gather supportive people around us and be supportive of each other. Psalm 68:6 (KJV) tells us that the Lord sets the solitary in families.
In the ancient Middle East there was a distinct shortage of hospitals and ambulances, of doctors and police. Family members had to do for each other.
We look at the Middle East today and we wonder: Will the peace hold? Will the Israelis and Hizbullah be able to keep to their ceasefire agreement? But that's far away from us, and meanwhile we continue to have struggles right here in the places where we live. And we remember the song, "Let There Be Peace on Earth, and Let It Begin with Me."
The question for us is: How can we learn to live together as the family that our Lord intends for us to be, with caring, with respect, with concern for each other?
Jesus calls us to do two things -- to love the Lord our God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That's the whole thing in a nutshell, Jesus says: loving God and loving others. It's what he does, and what he calls us, his faithful followers, to do with him.
Throughout the Old and New Testaments we hear the Lord God of all creation saying, "I will be your God, and you will be my people. We'll be family to each other."
God calls this the covenant. Today we might come across the word "covenant" when we rent an apartment or buy a home or a piece of property, and that covenant has to do with how the building or piece of property can be used. But our Lord's idea of a covenant is much richer, much more life-giving.
The Lord God is saying, "Let's put aside our selfishness and self-centeredness; let's welcome all people as members of our family."
What does this say for us today regarding how we treat those among us who are a little different from us? Do we let fear take over and cause us to look down on them? We need to ask: What is our Lord already doing with them -- and calls us to join him in doing?
Are we missing the blessing of working with our Lord because we're afraid -- or because we have prejudices? Are we narrowing our lives down to our own petty likes and dislikes?
Many years ago the international head of the Salvation Army sent out a Christmas message to the thousands of Salvation Army workers around the world. The message consisted of just one word: "Others."
At the Last Supper, Jesus took the cup and said, "This is the new covenant in my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins." Jesus calls us to a new life, and a new way of living our lives -- not centered on ourselves, but centered on following him.
Only as we join him in doing what he's doing will we find the joy that he intends for us to have. Only then will we find "the good life" that we all seek.
ANOTHER VIEW
by Scott Suskovic
There is only one person who has ever existed or who will ever exist that I can say without a doubt that I would defend at all cost. There are many people whom I love. There are many people for whom I would go the extra mile. There are many people to whom I would give the shirt off my back. But when push comes to shove, when forced to make a decision, when caught between a rock and a hard place -- there is only one that I can say honestly that I will fight for and, if need be, die for. And that's me.
That's what it means to be both a saint and a sinner. It means that I am a saint -- a forgiven believer who has been named and claimed by the cross of Jesus Christ. At the same time, it means that I am a sinner -- a fallen creature who cannot help but seek out my own best interests and flee from God's presence. In Romans 7, Paul wrote about this inner struggle of knowing what is right but doing what is wrong. There is a rebel that lives deep within my heart who listens to the whisper of the serpent when he tempts me by saying: "Go ahead. This is for you. You will become like God." This is a lifetime struggle that we have on this side of Paradise.
Paul understood this battle. In this week's passage from Ephesians, Paul wrote about putting on the whole armor of God so that we can stand against the wiles of the devil. Paul knows about this internal struggle. It is not against things visible. It is not against enemies of blood and flesh. This struggle is both deeper and more cosmic than that -- it is against the spiritual forces of evil.
Do you know when this is most evident? It's during times of war, conflict, and division. That's when we circle the wagons to protect ourselves. With self-justification, self-rationalization, and self-defense we do not lay down our lives but in fact we fight -- even to the death -- to defend what is mine.
There is a word for this self-defense mechanism: xenophobia -- the fear of strangers. We see it in the 4,000-year-old, deeply seated racism in the Middle East. We see it in the racism in our own country. We see it when we fight with someone with whom we disagree. That's the fear of the stranger... the fear of someone who is different from me... xenophobia.
Do you know what the ultimate case of xenophobia is? It's God. God is wholly other than me. God is holy other than me. And when God comes too close to me, when God threatens to change my life, when God challenges my very existence by drowning that old Adam that lives deep within in the waters of baptism, I resist. I rebel. I circle the wagons. I defend myself -- even unto death. God is the ultimate stranger. And when God gets to close to me, putting his own indelible mark on my heart, the sinner within me rebels.
Why? Because this is a spiritual battle waged on a cosmic level for the sake of my soul. Therefore, Paul wrote, put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the evil. Just as if he is preparing us for battle, Paul explains each piece of armor for our protection.
The Helmet of Salvation protects the mind. This is the battlefield of spiritual warfare. The devil plants thoughts in our hearts: thoughts of independence; thoughts of self-justification; thoughts of lust, greed, anger, and so on. We can reject them or entertain them.
The Breastplate of Righteousness covers the heart by reminding us that it is not our righteousness but Christ's that we claim.
The Belt of Truth is what keeps it all from falling down. The truthfulness of God's word defends us against the lies of the devil.
The Shoes of Peace move us toward God. Our natural tendency is to run in the Garden of Eden and hide at the sound of God's voice.
The Shield of Faith is the hallmark of the Reformation. We are justified by faith alone. This is what we stand behind. This is what deflects the arrows of the devil. This is our greatest defense that protects our heart.
The Sword of the Spirit is a two-edged sword that cuts both ways. It afflicts the comfortable and comforts the afflicted. With it, we counter the lies and clever deceptions of the devil with the truth and promises of God's word.
It is a lifelong, cosmic battle waged within the heart of the saint and sinner. But we wage it knowing that the battle has already been won -- one of God's own choosing. Because when push came to shove, when forced to make a decision, when caught between a rock and a cross, there was only one person that Jesus would fight for and, if need be, die for. And that's you, a sinner -- rebellious, selfish, fallen by the wiles of the devil; a saint -- named, claimed, and forgiven by the victory of Jesus Christ.
No strength of ours can match his might. We would be lost, rejected.
But now a champion comes to fight, whom God himself elected.
You ask who this may be? The Lord of hosts is he.
Christ Jesus, mighty Lord, God's only Son, adored.
He holds the field victorious.
Though hordes of devils fill the land all threatening to devour us,
We tremble not, unmoved we stand; they cannot overpower us.
Let this world's tyrant rage; in battle we'll engage.
His might is doomed to fail; God's judgment must prevail.
One little word subdues him.
(Martin Luther, "A Mighty Fortress")
ILLUSTRATIONS
The August 14 issue of Newsweek magazine shows a picture, labeled "Armed and Dangerous," of an armed Hezbollah soldier with all of his equipment identified. There is information on his Kalashnikov rifle, his body armor, his night-vision gear, his hand grenades and missiles, and other weapons. With stories of national conflicts crowding the news, we are tempted to think that is the kind of warfare in which we must engage and that weapons like those in the graphic are the kinds of weapons that we need.
But in Ephesians 6:10-20, the writer calls attention to another kind of warfare, a warfare that stands behind and causes most of the other conflicts in our lives, in our families, and in our world. It is our ongoing struggle against "the cosmic powers of this present darkness," things like fear and greed and hate. Many have not recognized that we are -- or should be -- engaged in that struggle. In fact, when personal or national stress comes to bear upon us, we may even join the powers of darkness.
We need to remember which warfare is primary for people of faith, and which weapons are appropriate for it. That will be the first step in moving our country and our world toward real peace.
***
God is always reaching out to us to make covenant with us or to renew the covenant we have broken.
Last month, 3,000 representatives of churches in the Wesleyan tradition from around the world gathered in Seoul, Korea for the World Methodist Conference. The theme was "God in Christ Reconciling" (2 Corinthians 5:19).
From the beginning through the end of the conference, the delegates were reminded of just how painfully and dangerously our world is divided. It started unexpectedly. On the first day of the conference, the mayor of Seoul came to give a traditional greeting to the visitors. But instead of just saying such traditional things as "Glad you're here" or "Spend lots of money" or "Send your friends," the mayor noticed the theme of the conference and reminded the participants that Korea is still a nation divided and yearning to be reunited. He urged the delegates to work and to pray for reconciliation. Then, during the program of the conference, one speaker after another told of heartbreaking conflicts in their homelands and of the heroic work for reconciliation that the churches were doing. They heard speakers from South Africa, Sri Lanka, India, and Northern Ireland.
Finally, the time came when the conference was to have heard Father Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian who has done a great deal to bring reconciliation to Jews and Palestinians in Galilee. But instead of hearing Father Chacour, the delegates were read a message saying that Father Chacour had really wanted to come to the conference, but that hostilities had broken out between Israeli and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. Father Chacour's message said that in such times, the shepherd should be with his sheep. Everyone understood.
Delegates to the conference became painfully aware of the need for reconciliation in the world. But they also became aware that the first step would have to be being reconciled to God.
***
In Landsburg, Germany, there is a chapel that was built as an architectural and artistic call to reconciliation. On top of the steeple and on the altar, there are crosses made in the style of the Coventry Cross. During the Second World War, German firebombs destroyed the cathedral at Coventry, England. One of the priests picked up three of the big old handmade nails that had held the roof together and fastened them together into a cross. That cross of nails became a symbol of the cathedral's resurrection and of the ministry of reconciliation that the people there would do. There were other symbols. Worshipers entered the churchyard through a room in the bottom of the steeple, and there they found themselves surrounded by heavy wooden plaques written in all of the languages of the world, including Hebrew, French, English, Russian, and others. Each said, in its own language, "Be Reconciled to God." Over the heads of those passing through the steeple hung a heavy metallic sculpture of a crown of thorns.
It is interesting that this chapel stands in Landsburg, where a young Adolf Hitler once sat in a prison cell and wrote Mein Kampf; Landsburg, where allied troops liberated a horrible death camp after the war. Not only was this chapel of reconciliation located in Landsburg, it was also the chapel for a German Army base. Someone has taken hold of the hope for reconciliation.
***
Think about the idealists and the realists in life. Here's your chance to size them up and pick a side you feel comfortable with.
On the side of the idealists let's look at two folks:
* Gandhi, for instance, said that there are many causes on earth for which he would give his life, but not one for which he would take a life.
* Jesus said: "Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them." He also said to love your enemies, and that he would give his life as a ransom for many. These are hard sayings in the scripture. We are told many left Jesus because of what he said, and probably what he did as well. However, because of these very things Peter called him "The Holy One of God."
Now think about these realities:
* There is a UN Security Council resolution establishing the means for achieving a cessation of hostilities and perhaps peace in southern Lebanon and northern Israel.
* Israel said it achieved its military objectives.
* Hezbollah claimed victory.
* Almost 1,200 men, women, and children -- the vast majority of which were civilians on both sides of the border -- lie dead in the desert sands of Israel and Lebanon.
Now then, are you an idealist or a realist in heaven as it is in earth?
***
Picture, if you will, an American soldier or an Israeli soldier. Now picture those who fight for Hezbollah and other military and paramilitary organizations. They are all equipped with an impressive array of weapons.
Now, picture the Armor of God as Paul describes it in his letter to the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 6:13-17). Shall we review?
* Buckle around your waist the belt of truth.
* Place over your heart the breastplate of righteousness.
* On your feet you may wear shoes called the Gospel of Peace.
* For a shield you will have Faith, with which you can ward off the flaming darts of the evil one.
* The helmet of salvation will save your head.
* And finally, the sword you wield is the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Which weapons will people of faith choose to protect the ones they love? Without being overly simplistic, how shall we weigh these weapons in the scales of Justice and Peace, tempered with the Mercy and Love of God?
***
The name for Caesar in the time of Jesus was Kyrie, or literally "Lord." The early church made it clear that Jesus was Lord to that fellowship. And when they sang Kyrie Eleison ("Lord, have mercy") there was a special sense of shared irony. They all distanced themselves from the Empire. To them, Jesus was the flesh and blood of heaven on earth. He was their bread, and their flesh and blood, and the foundation stone of their belief.
There have been many Caesars, emperors, kings, potentates, sultans, kaisers, tsars, prime ministers, and presidents. In a time when we increasingly fuzzy up the line between church and state, who then is our lord, king, or president? Is it still Jesus? Or is there another?
***
Are you aware that there is a Living Wage Covenant? By signing it, a businessperson or employer states that they believe that:
* no one working full-time should live in poverty;
* a living wage is good for families, businesses, and the country.
The signer also pledges other things.
For example, an employer can pledge to pay employees at least $8.20 per hour (the federal poverty level for a family of four) or to pay employees a wage reflecting the true cost of living in that particular community.
An investor can pledge to begin dialogues with investment advisors, mutual fund managers, and others, so that company compensation practices move towards providing a living wage.
A citizen can write to legislators about the federal minimum wage as well as work toward raising issues concerning low-wage workers.
I wonder how many churches, how many Christians, how many denominations have signed this covenant? I've got a feeling God would put her "Jane Hancock" to it.
(for further information see www.responsiblewealth.org )
***
How do I know that I am in a covenant relationship with God? Is there a form I fill out, like the membership card at my local church? Do I "sign on" when I turn in my pledge card each year?
Or do I write my covenant when I write a letter to the editor reminding folks that there is more than one side, and more than one answer, to the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah?
Am I agreeing to the covenant when I put down my name to spend a week of vacation at a Habitat for Humanity worksite rather than at the beach?
Do I write my covenant when I say to my children, "I'm giving you the freedom to fall flat on your face at whatever you try. Just know that I will be there to lift you to your feet"?
Do I sign my name to the covenant when I am willing to preach that God sides with the poor, the oppressed, the excluded, rather than offering the supposed gospel of prosperity?
The book of Jeremiah tells me that God is going to write this covenant on my heart. But where do I sign?
***
My Father, I abandon myself to you.
Do with me as you will.
Whatever you may do with me I thank you.
I am prepared for anything. I accept everything,
provided your will is fulfilled in me and in all creatures.
I ask for nothing more, my God.
I place my soul in your hands.
I give it to you, my God,
with all the love of my heart,
because I love you.
And for me it is a necessity of love,
this gift of myself,
this placing of myself in your hands without reserve
in boundless confidence,
because you are my Father.
-- Charles de Foucauld (1848-1916)
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Thom M. Shuman
Call To Worship
Leader: Jesus said: "I am the Bread of Life...
whoever eats this Bread will always live."
People: This is a tough teaching, too tough to swallow.
Leader: Jesus said: "Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child
shall not enter it."
People: This is a tough teaching, too tough to hear.
Leader: Jesus said to all he met: "Follow me."
People: We have accepted Jesus and seek to be faithful,
no matter how tough it is to follow him.
Prayer Of The Day
Holy God,
Home of all who seek you:
may you find in our hearts paths to walk,
wandering with us through dark valleys,
dipping us in pools of living water,
lifting our faces to the grace falling softly upon us.
Loving Lord,
Speaker of tough words:
we would wish for an easy life as we follow you to our Home.
Help us to see that when we mop floors, we find our meaning;
when we hammer nails, we discover our hope;
when we embrace the sick, we touch our healing.
Spirit of Strength,
Bearer of our prayers,
we would ask for:
the strength to say "yes" when "no" is on our lips;
the wisdom to welcome all into our hearts;
the longing to be with you always.
God in Community, Holy in one,
hear us as we pray together,
as Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father . . .
Call To Reconciliation
If it was easy to follow Jesus, we would not need to ask for forgiveness.
But it is tough -- tough to say "yes," tough to be graceful, tough to be loving.
Yet whatever we do,
God loves us enough to forgive us and to feed us with the Bread of Life.
Let us pray together, saying . . .
(Unison) Prayer Of Confession
God, our sun and shield:
we may long to be in your house,
but our deeds show how tough it is for us to live there.
Called to follow,
we search for paths to take us back to our old ways;
given the words of eternal life,
we weakly proclaim the gospel to others;
offered the path of salvation to walk upon,
we stumble down the rocky roads of our world.
Forgive us, Guardian of our lives.
Strengthen us with your Spirit, so we may follow Jesus Christ,
the One we have come to believe and know is our Lord and Savior.
(silent prayers may be offered)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: Today, receive the Bread of Life;
today, hear the words of eternal hope;
today, trust in the One who hears your prayers,
and showers grace and forgiveness upon you.
People: Today, we are set free to serve God's people and to sing God's praises.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Protective gear for Christians
Object: a catcher's mask, chest protector, shin guards
Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever heard of the devil? (let them answer) You don't want to meet the devil because he is a very ugly devil. The devil is very clever. He tricks people into thinking that they will have a good time if they fool around with him. He tricks people into thinking that he can make them rich, good-looking, or very powerful people. But the devil is a liar. He never tells the truth.
Saint Paul knew about the devil. He had fought him many times. Paul said you have to protect yourself. How do we protect ourselves against the devil? (let them answer)
This scripture lesson reminds me of being a catcher on a baseball team. Baseball is a dangerous game. We need to make sure that the ball doesn't hit us when the batter swings. Or we want to make sure when a runner is coming to home plate and he slides into our legs that we have protection for our legs and knees. People who play baseball have invented different pieces of protection for the catcher. First, they invented a mask. If you wear this mask, the ball will never get through to your face. The same thing is true about the chest protector. You wear this so that when a foul ball comes firing back off of the batter's bat, it will hit the chest protector. And finally let's pretend that a runner is coming home as fast as he can. As the runner begins to slide, he puts his feet up in the air and they are coming right at the catcher. The runner crashes into the catcher's shin guards and stops. He was not able to touch home plate and the umpire calls him out. The catcher is covered with protection.
We must protect ourselves against the devil in the same way a catcher must protect himself against foul balls and dangerous runners. Saint Paul says that the way we guard against the devil is to know the truth and tell the truth, be kind to others, and always try to do what is right, and most of all, tell everyone about the love of Jesus. When you are talking about the love of Jesus, you are scaring the devil away from you and your house. This is a plan of God that we can use every day of our life.
So, the next time you see a catcher with all of his equipment, remember to protect yourself from the devil with the truth.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 27, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
