Power And Principalities
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
As the liturgical year comes to a close, we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, also referred to in some traditions the Reign of Christ. For those of us who live in modern democracies, being subjects of a king is an experience that seems difficult to imagine. Yet the truth is that our world is filled with an entire range of institutions -- political, economic, social, and religious -- that function in a similar manner to ancient kingdoms. Like the rulers of those olden realms, our modern kingdoms are often presided over by larger-than-life figures who come to represent and personify everything that we attribute to the institution as a whole. (Consider the cult of the corporate CEO, or how the Pope is identified with all of Roman Catholicism, or how despite the founding fathers' wishes the presidency inches ever closer to an American fusion of prime minister and king -- with all of the attendant palace intrigue.) Most importantly, as we are constantly reminded, the harsh reality is that these institutions' primary raison d'etre is the accumulation of power -- and once it is acquired to consolidate and protect that power. That, of course, is why personal fiefdoms are often part and parcel of large, powerful institutions.
It is precisely this reflexive tendency to protect power (in corporate parlance, "protecting the brand") that leads those in the halls of power to sweep under the rug damaging information that might threaten their position. It's a dynamic that's been repeated throughout the years -- perhaps most frighteningly in the cavalier handling of pedophile priests in many Catholic dioceses -- and we saw it yet again as allegations of serial sexual abuse by a former football coach at Penn State University exploded in the headlines. In addition to the stomach-churning charges themselves, there has been widespread anger at the inaction of university and athletic department authorities who apparently allowed the abuse to continue unabated for several years.
The entire scandal seems stunning -- especially because accusations of not having sufficiently pursued information he received cost beloved Penn State coach Joe Paterno his job and reputation. Paterno, like an ancient king, was very much a colossal figure who had come to personify the entire university. Indeed, when the did a background piece explaining Paterno's unique stature, the headline read: "Paterno, the King of Pennsylvania, Until Now". Paterno was much more than a mere figurehead -- he seemed to embody the morally righteous virtues of an old-school coach who not only ran a squeaky-clean program in a business that often cuts ethical corners but also by all accounts lived and instilled in his players the values of honesty, integrity, and hard work.
But while there is little dispute about the endless list of good deeds during his legendary tenure, it is difficult to balance them against the nagging sense that Paterno and other administrators were derelict for not doing more to protect the victims. It seems that ultimately their objective may have been to protect the precious reputation of the school and King Paterno. Information is beginning to trickle out that behind the façade the Penn State hierarchy was dysfunctional, and some have suggested that Paterno is a classic tragic hero whose fatal flaw was the accumulation and use of power behind the scenes.
In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer considers the Penn State scandal, the imperatives of power, and theme of divine power that flows through all of this week's lectionary scripture texts. The exercise (and abuse) of raw power is an inherent part of the kingdoms of this world -- but Dean points out that in God's Kingdom, the relationship between king and subject is vastly different. Those in authority at Penn State were seemingly disinterested in protecting the defenseless children who were preyed on -- and as one columnist perceptively observed, "...we've been here before with failures by churches, police departments, and teams. Somewhere, each institution committed the fatal mistake of believing that power was not a privilege to be handled with great care and humility but instead a license to be above trust. The powerful often have forgotten whom they are supposed to serve." In contrast, there's no confusion about whom Christ the King serves; we are told in this week's gospel passage that the Lord's kingdom is not about protecting itself but about the protecting "the least of these who are members of my family" (Matthew 25:40).
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts about the Ezekiel passage and how the vision of shepherds it outlines provides insight about leadership for all of us… no matter whether we are leaders or followers. In God's Kingdom leadership is not merely about building an empire or expanding market share -- instead, Mary points out, it's about building a community where there is concern and protection for the weak and innocent rather than preying on them. As the Penn State scandal has reminded us, sinful human leaders will surely disappoint us -- even when we want to believe the best about them. Yet we are called to emulate the Good Shepherd, who offers justice and restoration.
With Thanksgiving coming up next Thursday, our illustration section this week includes several items keyed to the themes of prayer, remembrance, and gratitude.
Power and Principalities
by Dean Feldmeyer
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46
In the interest of full disclosure, let me begin by saying that -- even as a lifelong athlete -- I have never had much use for coaches as a group. Bobby Knight throwing chairs and Woody Hayes punching out a player were, for me, representative of coaches as a group. My personal experience did nothing to change that perception. They were, with a couple of notable exceptions, egomaniacs, bullies, despots, and fanatics.
Joe Paterno was one of those notable exceptions. He was the one college coach who himself had earned a Ph.D. He donated millions of dollars to his university's library. Under him, Penn State routinely had years when they graduated 100% of their football players. Integrity seemed to be as big a part of his program as the weight room. There is simply no way in the space I have here to list the good things Joe Paterno accomplished for his players, the university, and athletics in general during his 46 years as a head coach… and I felt this way long before my son was accepted into the graduate school at Penn State and earned his master's degree and Ph.D. there.
Joe Pa was, for me, the real deal.
So the past fortnight has been troublesome for me as I seek to tie the lectionary texts to what has become perhaps the most prominent story in the news these past two weeks. Fortunately, my job as a preacher is not to focus on Joe Paterno but on the texts and the God who is revealed to us in them.
THE WORLD
The issue is power.
Sportswriter Michael Weinreb, in a piece for the online magazine Grantland, speaks lovingly and sadly about the Penn State in whose shadow he grew up. He went to school with kids named Paterno and Sandusky, and he was not unaware of the aura of power that surrounded people with those names.
But he also observes: "We grew older, and we came to understand one of the central truths of human nature, which is that when you brush up against a truly powerful force, it is never quite as benevolent as you imagined it to be. In order to acquire power, you have to be at least a little ruthless. All you can hope for is that those who do acquire power operate by some sort of rough ethical standard..."
Last week, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno and University President Graham Spanier were fired, along with several other university administrators, in some cases because they abused their power, in others, because they failed to use it correctly. They did not wield their power with that "rough ethical standard" that Michael Weinreb hoped for.
Last week, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were fired (along with several other university administrators), not because they abused their power necessarily, but because they failed to use it correctly. They did not wield their power with that "rough ethical standard" that Michael Weinreb hoped for.
When accusations came to them that children were being sexually abused by a member of the football coaching staff, instead of using their vast power and resources to defend and protect the victims, they apparently used it to defend and protect the university and its football program. At this writing, some are being investigated for criminal abuse of their power, for covering up crimes they knew or had good reason to believe were happening. Others have been accused of not going far enough, of doing less than they could have -- a moral lapse certainly, if not a criminal one.
As far as Coach Paterno is concerned, no one has accused him of committing a crime. No one has even suggested that he broke a law or aided or abetted someone who did, or that he covered up a crime that he knew was being committed. Apparently, he heard one of his trusted friends and coaches accused of a heinous crime, an accusation that was at that point unsubstantiated -- and he passed it on to those in the administration whose job it was to follow up on and investigate such claims. When nothing happened, he did not himself follow up on the accusation.
As he has always done, Paterno played precisely by the rules. As far as criminal activity is concerned, he is not guilty. But what a pity it is that those two words are all that can be said of his place in this affair. The icon of integrity, the pillar of ethical behavior, the King of Pennsylvania -- and all we can say is that he is "not guilty."
How I wish he would have used his massive power and influence on behalf of the alleged victims in this case. How I wish he would have stepped up and leveraged all that admiration and worship that came his way to make sure that the children in this story were heard. How I wish he would have told those to whom he passed on the accusation that "if I hear even a whiff of a cover-up or see even a hint of a stonewall on this, I will be on you like the entire defensive line on a slow-moving quarterback."
He could have retired not just as a great coach, but also as a champion of abused children even to the detriment of his football program, a hero and a role model for athletes and coaches everywhere.
But he did not. He remained silent. And his swan song will never be more than "not guilty."
Probably less.
THE WORD
Compare the use and abuse of power in State College, Pennsylvania, to the way power is described in the lectionary selections for this week.
Ephesians 1:15-23
The word "power" and other synonyms for it are used six times in this passage.
Paul reminds the church of Ephesus that God is not just powerful but the very source of all power. And God chooses to exercise that divine power through Jesus Christ, whose power was powerlessness.
God uses that tremendous divine power not to coerce us into submission but to save us from that separation and estrangement which is both our natural and our chosen state. And that salvation comes in the form of grace and love.
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
God does not exercise divine power as a king or a potentate, but as a shepherd. And as a shepherd, God is the one who says: "I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out…. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the week…" Quite a different picture than that which has come out of Happy Valley this past week, huh?
The passage also contains a cautionary word to those who wield power ruthlessly or with abandon: "…but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice."
Could this be something like what we see happening at Penn State?
Matthew 25:31-46
In this beautiful passage which is found in no other gospel but Matthew, the evangelist reminds his audience of the nature of true discipleship.
Power as the world defines it is not our purview. The gospel redefines power and how it is used in the Kingdom of God. Ours is the power of powerlessness. What power we have is to be directed not toward propping up the strong and controlling the weak, but to service. Feeding the hungry, quenching the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, healing the sick -- these are activities toward which our power, such as it is, is to be directed.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
Indicative
The abuse of power and the resultant fall of the powerful is so common a theme in the news that one could preach on this topic and find a tie-in from nearly any newspaper in any given week. This week Penn State and Joe Paterno are the convenient examples. Two months ago it was coach Jim Tressel and Ohio State. Do a Google search of "abuses of power, examples" and you will call up over 100 million responses:
* Enron, Lehman Brothers, Arthur Anderson, Exxon;
* Warrantless searches, waterboarding, habeas corpus;
* Sexual abuses in the Roman Catholic and Mormon churches;
* Sexual harassment in the workplace.
All of these are instances of the abuse of power.
In fact, the entire United States government is organized in a series of checks and balances to prevent abuses of power, and our constitution was created to protect the rights of minorities from the abuse of power that was then called the "tyranny of the majority."
Imperative
God calls us to that paradoxical state wherein our power is powerlessness. We are called to change the world not through coercion and manipulation, but through service and love and the protection of the weak and needy as evidenced in Matthew 25.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
The prophet Ezekiel, speaking to the people of Israel in exile, has a timely word for anyone thinking about leadership.
Ezekiel brings God's word to the people of Israel as they're in Babylon, far from home and the familiar world. As one of the group of exiles, Ezekiel brings the word of God to the people in a time of dislocation, reminding them of God's faithfulness even in this strange land. Ezekiel reminds the people that their actions have played a part in where they are now, and that God is reacting to their sins. The first part of the book holds prophetic words against Israel, and then other surrounding nations, and then this final section changes to messages of hope. In this time it was already common to understand leaders as the shepherds of the people, and here God is indicting the human shepherds of the people for their neglect. Because you haven't done it right, God says, "I myself will be the shepherd of the sheep" (v. 15). God will seek out the lost sheep, heal the injured ones, feed and nurture the weak ones.
Ezekiel has a word for all of us.
Where we too are exiles, Ezekiel has a word of hope. In a sense, many of us are in exile from the America we thought we lived in. While physically still at home, we experience a sense of exile -- from how we believed life would turn out, or from long-held ideals of equality, or from reward for hard work, or from the hope of each generation doing better than the last. Others are in exile within our culture, foreclosed out of their homes or laid off from their jobs.
Where we are followers, Ezekiel calls us to examine what kind of leaders we allow to lead us. Our shepherds are responsible not just for "the vision thing," but for the treatment of the least, lost, and lowliest. With the example of the Good Shepherd in mind, our leaders deserve our scrutiny, and our high standards. Certainly the child abuse scandal at Penn State invites us to question the role of leadership in popular culture. How often do we stop looking at a leader's flaws and mistakes because we like and admire most things about them? How do we choose where to invest our respect? What do we do when our leaders reveal their flaws? (See Dean Feldmeyer's article above for more on this.)
Where we are leaders, Ezekiel calls us to account for our own behavior. Leadership is not just about moving people forward, it's also about building up the community as a whole. Being a shepherd is not just about more and better pasture for us, but making sure that all the sheep get to the food and the water and the soft grass.
Where we are sheep, Ezekiel reminds us that all of us have a role to play in watching out for our fellow sheep. No matter how desperate, how frightened, how anxious we are, we are not to trample our fellow sheep. All of us belong to the flock of the Good Shepherd, and are meant to care for each other. All of us are the heirs of the God who promises not just food, but justice too.
Our leaders, like ourselves, will inevitably falter. Like us, they will fall short and disappoint us. Like us, they will concentrate too much on glory and too little on those who need them most. Ezekiel reminds us that beyond our leaders' mistakes and our own, the Good Shepherd comes with justice. Beyond our limited vision and our more limited abilities, God's goodness comes with restoration.
"For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness" (vv. 11-12). Thanks be to God, for the Good Shepherd's coming.
ILLUSTRATIONS
You've probably seen them. I think everyone gets them in the mail -- those postcards that come with an ad on one side and a picture of a missing child on the other. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an estimated 800,000 children younger than 18 are missing in the United States each year. But in a country of over 300 million people, how many of us are really concerned about those lost children? No, we're not the ones out there looking for them. Instead, it's the people who love those children -- the mothers, the fathers, the grandparents ? they're the ones who have the burden on their hearts, and they're the ones who are not going to rest until the lost are found.
It is easy to ignore those who are the least and who seem to have no significance to us. But our gospel text indicates that our indifferences can have consequences.
*****
During the exile, God's people were scattered like abandoned sheep. The people of Israel were longing to return to the good old days in their homeland when David was their king. God promises that God will lead them and place over them a shepherd like David, thus establishing a new covenant of peace through the coming Messiah.
The ancient image of shepherd was often used as a symbol for the king of a nation. God is pictured as the shepherd-king who cares for the flock. Former leaders of Israel had abused their power and exploited the people. Human leadership tends to become self-serving over time. "You eat the best portion and clothe yourselves with wool, but you do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured." Their former leaders had been poor shepherds who did not gather them, care for their wounds, feed them, or protect them from harm.
Ezekiel speaks of God's care for the outcast and afflicted. God will provide justice by holding accountable those who have gained prosperity at the expense of others. There will be a final judgment and individuals will be called into account.
*****
In Theology and Therapy, Samuel Southard tells of admiring his mother's work as a Red Cross nurse. During the terrible flu epidemic of 1917 she volunteered to serve at a hospital where one out of three doctors and nurses died after catching the disease from patients. He asked her if she had been frightened serving in such a dangerous setting. She replied, "You don't think much about it. It's a risk you live with in caring for people."
In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, when rumors were flying and hard data was still on the horizon, I knew several nurses who worked with AIDS patients. When I asked them if they were worried that an error might lead them to contract the illness, their response was similar. The gist of it was that they were doing what nurses do, and if they weren't willing to face the risks, they wouldn't be nurses.
The image Jesus gives of Christian vocation in his picture of the great judgment is that the Christian should readily face risks without worry and do what needs to be done. Our attitude should be that the good that is done is simply what Christians do.
*****
"When did we see you, Lord? Was it during the hours we spent in front of the TV -- or out shopping, just for fun? Was it during the time we spent cleaning the house, chasing the Martha Stewart ideal? Or was it those extra hours we put in at work, hoping to curry the boss's favor and get that promotion?"
There's nothing wrong with any of that -- but if they leave little or no time in our week for serving Jesus Christ, then what kind of disciples are we, really? When the great shepherd of the sheep calls us into his presence one day and asks us to account for our time, how will we answer?
*****
Matthew 25:31-46 Revisited
I was hungry… and you had a 16-ounce T-bone for dinner.
I was thirsty… and you had another 6-pack.
I was a stranger… and you stayed close to your friends.
I was naked… and you bought another sports jacket.
I was sick… and you had a ballgame to attend.
I was in prison… and you decided to go to a party.
and then again,
I was hungry… and you did more than provide me with food stamps.
I was thirsty… and you worked to preserve clean water.
I was a stranger… and you included me in your group.
I was naked… and you shared your best clothing with me.
I was sick… and you took me to a physician.
I was in prison… and you sought to change the penal system.
*****
In some of the great Protestant confessions of faith of the Reformation era, the Ten Commandments occur at the end of the confession rather than the beginning. The obedience the Commandments call forth is not a prerequisite to salvation; it never could be, for mere obedience could never outweigh sin. Rather, obedience is the believer's joyful response to salvation Jesus has already won for us on the cross. Christians obey God's law not because someone up in heaven is keeping score, toting up those good deeds -- but because we're grateful for what Christ has done.
*****
Entitlement is the enemy of gratitude, and our culture is awash in entitlement. We live in this nation as if we had it all coming to us, as if we believed our own advertising…. We cannot say simultaneously "Thank you" and "I had it coming to me" unless we talk out of both sides of our mouths. If we assume we have nothing for which to be thankful, and no one to whom we should be grateful, giving thanks is superfluous, unnecessary, and certainly uncalled for. The result is life without gratitude, which is life where joy has gone missing.
-- Tim Hart-Andersen, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, from a sermon ("Recovery of Gratitude") preached at the 2004 Presbyterian Church (USA) Stewardship Network Gathering
*****
Sir John Templeton, the billionaire investor and founder of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, was once asked what the secret of wealth was. He replied: "Gratitude. If you're not grateful, you're not rich -- no matter how much you have."
*****
The members of the cabinet and Congress gathered in the Oval Office on Sunday morning, March 9, 1862. Their mood was somber. The day before, the Merrimac, an ironclad vessel flying the flag of the Confederate States, sailed out of the harbor of Hampton Roads, Virginia. In a few short hours it devastated the Union fleet blockading the port, destroying two ships, the Cumberland and the Congress, and forcing a third, the Minnesota, aground. Fear and panic reverberated through the room as the officials envisioned this boat as unstoppable. One naval officer timidly remarked that there was nothing to prevent the Merrimac from sailing up the Potomac and placing a shell on the President's desk.
The President patiently listened to the sages of doom, but was undaunted by their hysteria. He knew the Union had an ironclad vessel, the Monitor, which had sailed earlier for Hampton Roads. The Commander-in-Chief had a great deal of confidence in the ship and its commander, Lt. John Worden. The Monitor was often referred to as a "Yankee cheese box on a raft."
That day at 8:00 a.m. the two boats engaged in battle, with the Monitor prevailing, if only barely. As the battle was taking place, unaware of its eventual outcome, Abraham Lincoln spoke these words of confidence to those officials gathered about him: "The Almighty. The Almighty will protect her. This is God's fight, and he will win it in his own good time. You do not seem to take into account our little Monitor and its commander. The Monitor should be in Hampton Roads now. She left New York eight days ago. She may be the little stone in the sling of the Almighty God that shall smite the Merrimac philistine in the forehead."
The Thanksgiving holiday has always been a time when we have paused to recognize the hand of the Almighty guiding us through history. It is the season of reflection as we realize our existence is sustained only by the power and divine will of the Creator. Realizing this we gather together for more than just a festive meal, but also for a time of prayer and remembrance.
*****
Prior to accepting his position in the Eisenhower cabinet as Secretary of Agriculture, Ezra Taft Benson made one request of the President-elect; that all cabinet sessions would begin with a moment of silent prayer. Benson, a man of deep religious convictions, believed that this was the only way to conduct government business. Dwight David Eisenhower quickly and gladly agreed with Benson's request.
When the first cabinet meeting was held in the White House, the President forgot the previous arrangement and the prayer was mistakenly omitted. Benson wrote the President a memo reminding him of the talk they had in New York regarding prayer and cabinet meetings. He then concluded that he would not mention the issue again.
At the next cabinet meeting, held on February 6, 1953, Eisenhower inquired of the other cabinet officials if opening the meeting with silent prayer was acceptable to them. Everyone agreed to this practice. They decided that the weekly prayer would be silent, unless one representative desired to pray verbally.
Henceforth all cabinet meetings followed this format: The Secretaries would seat themselves around the mahogany table. When the President entered the room they would stand out of respect. Once seated, each bowed his head until the President ended the silence with the words "Thank you."
One cannot dispute the fact that our country was founded on religious principles. This heritage has carried us through two centuries. It is only proper that during this Thanksgiving season we remember the words "Thank you."
*****
Thanksgiving is more than just giving thanks that this year's harvest was plentiful. It is also the acknowledgement of the faith and stamina of the individuals who have led us through the centuries and continue to lead us this day. It is an understanding that while leaders are people of great influence in national and foreign affairs, the country is also still built upon the faith, values, and hard work of the commoner. It is a recognition of the contribution of every citizen that is immortalized by these words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Not gold, but only man can make
A nation great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep
Who dare while others fly;
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.
Our nation is firmly founded upon and continues forth with men and women who are willing to dare, who are willing to venture forth into uncertain lands, who are willing to sacrifice and accept the hardships of new adventures, and who are willing to die for the nation in which they believe.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Let all the earth make a joyful noise to God.
People: Let us worship God with gladness;
Leader: come into God's presence with singing.
People: It is God who made us, and we are God's;
Leader: we are God's people, and the sheep of God's pasture.
People: Let us give thanks and bless God's name.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the God Most High.
People: We come to praise the God above all gods.
Leader: Come and worship the God who stoops to serve.
People: In wonder, we praise the God who becomes lowly.
Leader: Come and follow the God of service and humility.
People: With God's help, we will live as servants of others.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"
found in:
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
ELW: 414
"For the Beauty of the Earth"
found in:
UMH: 92
H82: 416
PH: 475
NNBH: 8
NCH: 28
CH: 56
LBW: 561
ELW: 879
"For the Fruits of This Creation"
found in:
UMH: 97
H82: 424
PH: 553
NCH: 425
CH: 714
LBW: 563
ELW: 679
"God, Whose Love Is Reigning o'er Us"
found in:
UMH: 100
"Jesu, Jesu"
found in:
UMH: 432
H82: 602
PH: 367
NCH: 498
CH: 600
ELW: 708
Renew: 289
"O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee"
found in:
UMH: 430
H82: 659, 660
PH: 357
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELW: 818
"Make Me a Captive, Lord"
found in:
UMH: 421
PH: 378
"Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service"
found in:
UMH: 581
H82: 610
PH: 427
CH: 461
LBW: 423
ELW: 712
Renew: 286
"Make Me a Servant"
found in:
CCB: 90
"They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love"
found in:
CCB: 78
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who uses your infinite power in service to the poor and the weak: Grant us the wisdom to see that power used against others is weakness while power used for others in need is always strength; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come into your presence, O God, to worship and adore you, because you are the God of all creation. All that was and is and ever shall be has come from you. Yet we meet a God of compassion and love who does not demand worship but gently offers us salvation. Receive our praise and help us to truly be your children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways in which we misuse our power to push others aside instead of lifting them up.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have used the power we hold in your Name for ourselves instead of for others. We have pushed and shoved our way ahead of others instead of inviting them to be before us. We have acted as if our status was tied to our use of power, when if there is any status for us at all it comes in service. Forgive us, and empower us with your Spirit to live the life of humility and service that Jesus set before us. Amen.
Leader: God does not use power to punish our sins but to save us from them. Receive the grace of God so that you may be true children of the Most High.
Prayer for Illumination
Send, O God, the light of your Spirit upon us, that as we hear the Good News we may see where you are leading us today. Amen.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise your Name, O God, for by your power you created all that is and by your power you draw your creation to wholeness and salvation.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have used the power we hold in your Name for ourselves instead of for others. We have pushed and shoved our way ahead of others instead of inviting them to be before us. We have acted as if our status was tied to our use of power, when if there is any status for us at all it comes in service. Forgive us, and empower us with your Spirit to live the life of humility and service that Jesus set before us.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you have touched us with your love and compassion. You have been the patient parent who when tried with disobedient children maintains your love for them.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for ourselves and all your children who so often find themselves making choices that lead to trouble and brokenness rather than life and wholeness.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children's Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about how sometimes people use their size and strength to hurt other people. (You may have a story from your childhood to share.) Eventually there is always someone bigger: another child, a parent, a teacher, or the police. But if we use our strength to help others, we are always needed and wanted. Jesus wants us to use our strength to help those who are in need.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Doing Good for Jesus
Matthew 25:31-46
Objects: a cup, a crutch, a pair of handcuffs, a lunch box, a jacket and a cap, and a welcome mat
Did you know that this is the last Sunday in the church year? Next Sunday is like New Year's Day in the church year. We call today Christ the King Sunday because God gave Jesus the title of King of Kings. Jesus is head of the church, the mightiest of all.
But Jesus has a different way of choosing people to be part of his kingdom. Jesus wants to share his world with people who love him. He wants people like you and me, but he also tells us we should behave in a certain way. We all hope that some day we will be part of heaven and live in peace with Jesus. But how do we get in? Do we need a lot of money? (let the children answer) If we have a million dollars, will we be able to buy a ticket to get into heaven? (let them answer) Do we need to memorize the Bible or read a lot of books? (let them answer) Do we need to have a job like the president of the United States? (let them answer) Would it be better if we played a great game of basketball like LeBron James? (let them answer)
Well, not many of us would get into heaven and be with Jesus if we had to be the president or play basketball like LeBron James. Very few of us are going to be millionaires and not many of us will ever memorize the Bible. So what is expected of us?
That's the same thing people wanted to know when Jesus was living on earth and teaching, and this is what he told them. (Show the appropriate object with each of the following questions.) Do you remember the time you saw someone who was really thirsty and you gave him or her a drink? (hold up the cup) Or do you remember seeing pictures on television of children and their parents who were starving and you sent some money to buy them food? (hold up the lunch box) Do you remember the eyes of the babies who have no mother or father and live in a strange land and you helped them? (hold up the jacket and cap) Do you remember a time when someone was hurt and unable to help himself and you helped him? (hold up the crutch) Do you remember when you were nice to people that you did not know and visited with people who were very much disliked by other people because they were different? (hold up the welcome mat) Do you remember being kind to people who once were in prison? (hold up the handcuffs) Jesus said that when you did those things for others, you did them also to him. Because you did these things, you are welcome in his kingdom to live forever.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, we praise you, the King of Kings! Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 20, 2011, issue.
Copyright 2011 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word 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.
It is precisely this reflexive tendency to protect power (in corporate parlance, "protecting the brand") that leads those in the halls of power to sweep under the rug damaging information that might threaten their position. It's a dynamic that's been repeated throughout the years -- perhaps most frighteningly in the cavalier handling of pedophile priests in many Catholic dioceses -- and we saw it yet again as allegations of serial sexual abuse by a former football coach at Penn State University exploded in the headlines. In addition to the stomach-churning charges themselves, there has been widespread anger at the inaction of university and athletic department authorities who apparently allowed the abuse to continue unabated for several years.
The entire scandal seems stunning -- especially because accusations of not having sufficiently pursued information he received cost beloved Penn State coach Joe Paterno his job and reputation. Paterno, like an ancient king, was very much a colossal figure who had come to personify the entire university. Indeed, when the did a background piece explaining Paterno's unique stature, the headline read: "Paterno, the King of Pennsylvania, Until Now". Paterno was much more than a mere figurehead -- he seemed to embody the morally righteous virtues of an old-school coach who not only ran a squeaky-clean program in a business that often cuts ethical corners but also by all accounts lived and instilled in his players the values of honesty, integrity, and hard work.
But while there is little dispute about the endless list of good deeds during his legendary tenure, it is difficult to balance them against the nagging sense that Paterno and other administrators were derelict for not doing more to protect the victims. It seems that ultimately their objective may have been to protect the precious reputation of the school and King Paterno. Information is beginning to trickle out that behind the façade the Penn State hierarchy was dysfunctional, and some have suggested that Paterno is a classic tragic hero whose fatal flaw was the accumulation and use of power behind the scenes.
In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer considers the Penn State scandal, the imperatives of power, and theme of divine power that flows through all of this week's lectionary scripture texts. The exercise (and abuse) of raw power is an inherent part of the kingdoms of this world -- but Dean points out that in God's Kingdom, the relationship between king and subject is vastly different. Those in authority at Penn State were seemingly disinterested in protecting the defenseless children who were preyed on -- and as one columnist perceptively observed, "...we've been here before with failures by churches, police departments, and teams. Somewhere, each institution committed the fatal mistake of believing that power was not a privilege to be handled with great care and humility but instead a license to be above trust. The powerful often have forgotten whom they are supposed to serve." In contrast, there's no confusion about whom Christ the King serves; we are told in this week's gospel passage that the Lord's kingdom is not about protecting itself but about the protecting "the least of these who are members of my family" (Matthew 25:40).
Team member Mary Austin shares some additional thoughts about the Ezekiel passage and how the vision of shepherds it outlines provides insight about leadership for all of us… no matter whether we are leaders or followers. In God's Kingdom leadership is not merely about building an empire or expanding market share -- instead, Mary points out, it's about building a community where there is concern and protection for the weak and innocent rather than preying on them. As the Penn State scandal has reminded us, sinful human leaders will surely disappoint us -- even when we want to believe the best about them. Yet we are called to emulate the Good Shepherd, who offers justice and restoration.
With Thanksgiving coming up next Thursday, our illustration section this week includes several items keyed to the themes of prayer, remembrance, and gratitude.
Power and Principalities
by Dean Feldmeyer
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46
In the interest of full disclosure, let me begin by saying that -- even as a lifelong athlete -- I have never had much use for coaches as a group. Bobby Knight throwing chairs and Woody Hayes punching out a player were, for me, representative of coaches as a group. My personal experience did nothing to change that perception. They were, with a couple of notable exceptions, egomaniacs, bullies, despots, and fanatics.
Joe Paterno was one of those notable exceptions. He was the one college coach who himself had earned a Ph.D. He donated millions of dollars to his university's library. Under him, Penn State routinely had years when they graduated 100% of their football players. Integrity seemed to be as big a part of his program as the weight room. There is simply no way in the space I have here to list the good things Joe Paterno accomplished for his players, the university, and athletics in general during his 46 years as a head coach… and I felt this way long before my son was accepted into the graduate school at Penn State and earned his master's degree and Ph.D. there.
Joe Pa was, for me, the real deal.
So the past fortnight has been troublesome for me as I seek to tie the lectionary texts to what has become perhaps the most prominent story in the news these past two weeks. Fortunately, my job as a preacher is not to focus on Joe Paterno but on the texts and the God who is revealed to us in them.
THE WORLD
The issue is power.
Sportswriter Michael Weinreb, in a piece for the online magazine Grantland, speaks lovingly and sadly about the Penn State in whose shadow he grew up. He went to school with kids named Paterno and Sandusky, and he was not unaware of the aura of power that surrounded people with those names.
But he also observes: "We grew older, and we came to understand one of the central truths of human nature, which is that when you brush up against a truly powerful force, it is never quite as benevolent as you imagined it to be. In order to acquire power, you have to be at least a little ruthless. All you can hope for is that those who do acquire power operate by some sort of rough ethical standard..."
Last week, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno and University President Graham Spanier were fired, along with several other university administrators, in some cases because they abused their power, in others, because they failed to use it correctly. They did not wield their power with that "rough ethical standard" that Michael Weinreb hoped for.
Last week, Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were fired (along with several other university administrators), not because they abused their power necessarily, but because they failed to use it correctly. They did not wield their power with that "rough ethical standard" that Michael Weinreb hoped for.
When accusations came to them that children were being sexually abused by a member of the football coaching staff, instead of using their vast power and resources to defend and protect the victims, they apparently used it to defend and protect the university and its football program. At this writing, some are being investigated for criminal abuse of their power, for covering up crimes they knew or had good reason to believe were happening. Others have been accused of not going far enough, of doing less than they could have -- a moral lapse certainly, if not a criminal one.
As far as Coach Paterno is concerned, no one has accused him of committing a crime. No one has even suggested that he broke a law or aided or abetted someone who did, or that he covered up a crime that he knew was being committed. Apparently, he heard one of his trusted friends and coaches accused of a heinous crime, an accusation that was at that point unsubstantiated -- and he passed it on to those in the administration whose job it was to follow up on and investigate such claims. When nothing happened, he did not himself follow up on the accusation.
As he has always done, Paterno played precisely by the rules. As far as criminal activity is concerned, he is not guilty. But what a pity it is that those two words are all that can be said of his place in this affair. The icon of integrity, the pillar of ethical behavior, the King of Pennsylvania -- and all we can say is that he is "not guilty."
How I wish he would have used his massive power and influence on behalf of the alleged victims in this case. How I wish he would have stepped up and leveraged all that admiration and worship that came his way to make sure that the children in this story were heard. How I wish he would have told those to whom he passed on the accusation that "if I hear even a whiff of a cover-up or see even a hint of a stonewall on this, I will be on you like the entire defensive line on a slow-moving quarterback."
He could have retired not just as a great coach, but also as a champion of abused children even to the detriment of his football program, a hero and a role model for athletes and coaches everywhere.
But he did not. He remained silent. And his swan song will never be more than "not guilty."
Probably less.
THE WORD
Compare the use and abuse of power in State College, Pennsylvania, to the way power is described in the lectionary selections for this week.
Ephesians 1:15-23
The word "power" and other synonyms for it are used six times in this passage.
Paul reminds the church of Ephesus that God is not just powerful but the very source of all power. And God chooses to exercise that divine power through Jesus Christ, whose power was powerlessness.
God uses that tremendous divine power not to coerce us into submission but to save us from that separation and estrangement which is both our natural and our chosen state. And that salvation comes in the form of grace and love.
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
God does not exercise divine power as a king or a potentate, but as a shepherd. And as a shepherd, God is the one who says: "I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out…. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the week…" Quite a different picture than that which has come out of Happy Valley this past week, huh?
The passage also contains a cautionary word to those who wield power ruthlessly or with abandon: "…but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice."
Could this be something like what we see happening at Penn State?
Matthew 25:31-46
In this beautiful passage which is found in no other gospel but Matthew, the evangelist reminds his audience of the nature of true discipleship.
Power as the world defines it is not our purview. The gospel redefines power and how it is used in the Kingdom of God. Ours is the power of powerlessness. What power we have is to be directed not toward propping up the strong and controlling the weak, but to service. Feeding the hungry, quenching the thirsty, clothing the naked, visiting the imprisoned, healing the sick -- these are activities toward which our power, such as it is, is to be directed.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
Indicative
The abuse of power and the resultant fall of the powerful is so common a theme in the news that one could preach on this topic and find a tie-in from nearly any newspaper in any given week. This week Penn State and Joe Paterno are the convenient examples. Two months ago it was coach Jim Tressel and Ohio State. Do a Google search of "abuses of power, examples" and you will call up over 100 million responses:
* Enron, Lehman Brothers, Arthur Anderson, Exxon;
* Warrantless searches, waterboarding, habeas corpus;
* Sexual abuses in the Roman Catholic and Mormon churches;
* Sexual harassment in the workplace.
All of these are instances of the abuse of power.
In fact, the entire United States government is organized in a series of checks and balances to prevent abuses of power, and our constitution was created to protect the rights of minorities from the abuse of power that was then called the "tyranny of the majority."
Imperative
God calls us to that paradoxical state wherein our power is powerlessness. We are called to change the world not through coercion and manipulation, but through service and love and the protection of the weak and needy as evidenced in Matthew 25.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
The prophet Ezekiel, speaking to the people of Israel in exile, has a timely word for anyone thinking about leadership.
Ezekiel brings God's word to the people of Israel as they're in Babylon, far from home and the familiar world. As one of the group of exiles, Ezekiel brings the word of God to the people in a time of dislocation, reminding them of God's faithfulness even in this strange land. Ezekiel reminds the people that their actions have played a part in where they are now, and that God is reacting to their sins. The first part of the book holds prophetic words against Israel, and then other surrounding nations, and then this final section changes to messages of hope. In this time it was already common to understand leaders as the shepherds of the people, and here God is indicting the human shepherds of the people for their neglect. Because you haven't done it right, God says, "I myself will be the shepherd of the sheep" (v. 15). God will seek out the lost sheep, heal the injured ones, feed and nurture the weak ones.
Ezekiel has a word for all of us.
Where we too are exiles, Ezekiel has a word of hope. In a sense, many of us are in exile from the America we thought we lived in. While physically still at home, we experience a sense of exile -- from how we believed life would turn out, or from long-held ideals of equality, or from reward for hard work, or from the hope of each generation doing better than the last. Others are in exile within our culture, foreclosed out of their homes or laid off from their jobs.
Where we are followers, Ezekiel calls us to examine what kind of leaders we allow to lead us. Our shepherds are responsible not just for "the vision thing," but for the treatment of the least, lost, and lowliest. With the example of the Good Shepherd in mind, our leaders deserve our scrutiny, and our high standards. Certainly the child abuse scandal at Penn State invites us to question the role of leadership in popular culture. How often do we stop looking at a leader's flaws and mistakes because we like and admire most things about them? How do we choose where to invest our respect? What do we do when our leaders reveal their flaws? (See Dean Feldmeyer's article above for more on this.)
Where we are leaders, Ezekiel calls us to account for our own behavior. Leadership is not just about moving people forward, it's also about building up the community as a whole. Being a shepherd is not just about more and better pasture for us, but making sure that all the sheep get to the food and the water and the soft grass.
Where we are sheep, Ezekiel reminds us that all of us have a role to play in watching out for our fellow sheep. No matter how desperate, how frightened, how anxious we are, we are not to trample our fellow sheep. All of us belong to the flock of the Good Shepherd, and are meant to care for each other. All of us are the heirs of the God who promises not just food, but justice too.
Our leaders, like ourselves, will inevitably falter. Like us, they will fall short and disappoint us. Like us, they will concentrate too much on glory and too little on those who need them most. Ezekiel reminds us that beyond our leaders' mistakes and our own, the Good Shepherd comes with justice. Beyond our limited vision and our more limited abilities, God's goodness comes with restoration.
"For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness" (vv. 11-12). Thanks be to God, for the Good Shepherd's coming.
ILLUSTRATIONS
You've probably seen them. I think everyone gets them in the mail -- those postcards that come with an ad on one side and a picture of a missing child on the other. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an estimated 800,000 children younger than 18 are missing in the United States each year. But in a country of over 300 million people, how many of us are really concerned about those lost children? No, we're not the ones out there looking for them. Instead, it's the people who love those children -- the mothers, the fathers, the grandparents ? they're the ones who have the burden on their hearts, and they're the ones who are not going to rest until the lost are found.
It is easy to ignore those who are the least and who seem to have no significance to us. But our gospel text indicates that our indifferences can have consequences.
*****
During the exile, God's people were scattered like abandoned sheep. The people of Israel were longing to return to the good old days in their homeland when David was their king. God promises that God will lead them and place over them a shepherd like David, thus establishing a new covenant of peace through the coming Messiah.
The ancient image of shepherd was often used as a symbol for the king of a nation. God is pictured as the shepherd-king who cares for the flock. Former leaders of Israel had abused their power and exploited the people. Human leadership tends to become self-serving over time. "You eat the best portion and clothe yourselves with wool, but you do not feed the sheep. You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bound up the injured." Their former leaders had been poor shepherds who did not gather them, care for their wounds, feed them, or protect them from harm.
Ezekiel speaks of God's care for the outcast and afflicted. God will provide justice by holding accountable those who have gained prosperity at the expense of others. There will be a final judgment and individuals will be called into account.
*****
In Theology and Therapy, Samuel Southard tells of admiring his mother's work as a Red Cross nurse. During the terrible flu epidemic of 1917 she volunteered to serve at a hospital where one out of three doctors and nurses died after catching the disease from patients. He asked her if she had been frightened serving in such a dangerous setting. She replied, "You don't think much about it. It's a risk you live with in caring for people."
In the early days of the AIDS epidemic, when rumors were flying and hard data was still on the horizon, I knew several nurses who worked with AIDS patients. When I asked them if they were worried that an error might lead them to contract the illness, their response was similar. The gist of it was that they were doing what nurses do, and if they weren't willing to face the risks, they wouldn't be nurses.
The image Jesus gives of Christian vocation in his picture of the great judgment is that the Christian should readily face risks without worry and do what needs to be done. Our attitude should be that the good that is done is simply what Christians do.
*****
"When did we see you, Lord? Was it during the hours we spent in front of the TV -- or out shopping, just for fun? Was it during the time we spent cleaning the house, chasing the Martha Stewart ideal? Or was it those extra hours we put in at work, hoping to curry the boss's favor and get that promotion?"
There's nothing wrong with any of that -- but if they leave little or no time in our week for serving Jesus Christ, then what kind of disciples are we, really? When the great shepherd of the sheep calls us into his presence one day and asks us to account for our time, how will we answer?
*****
Matthew 25:31-46 Revisited
I was hungry… and you had a 16-ounce T-bone for dinner.
I was thirsty… and you had another 6-pack.
I was a stranger… and you stayed close to your friends.
I was naked… and you bought another sports jacket.
I was sick… and you had a ballgame to attend.
I was in prison… and you decided to go to a party.
and then again,
I was hungry… and you did more than provide me with food stamps.
I was thirsty… and you worked to preserve clean water.
I was a stranger… and you included me in your group.
I was naked… and you shared your best clothing with me.
I was sick… and you took me to a physician.
I was in prison… and you sought to change the penal system.
*****
In some of the great Protestant confessions of faith of the Reformation era, the Ten Commandments occur at the end of the confession rather than the beginning. The obedience the Commandments call forth is not a prerequisite to salvation; it never could be, for mere obedience could never outweigh sin. Rather, obedience is the believer's joyful response to salvation Jesus has already won for us on the cross. Christians obey God's law not because someone up in heaven is keeping score, toting up those good deeds -- but because we're grateful for what Christ has done.
*****
Entitlement is the enemy of gratitude, and our culture is awash in entitlement. We live in this nation as if we had it all coming to us, as if we believed our own advertising…. We cannot say simultaneously "Thank you" and "I had it coming to me" unless we talk out of both sides of our mouths. If we assume we have nothing for which to be thankful, and no one to whom we should be grateful, giving thanks is superfluous, unnecessary, and certainly uncalled for. The result is life without gratitude, which is life where joy has gone missing.
-- Tim Hart-Andersen, pastor of Westminster Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, from a sermon ("Recovery of Gratitude") preached at the 2004 Presbyterian Church (USA) Stewardship Network Gathering
*****
Sir John Templeton, the billionaire investor and founder of the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion, was once asked what the secret of wealth was. He replied: "Gratitude. If you're not grateful, you're not rich -- no matter how much you have."
*****
The members of the cabinet and Congress gathered in the Oval Office on Sunday morning, March 9, 1862. Their mood was somber. The day before, the Merrimac, an ironclad vessel flying the flag of the Confederate States, sailed out of the harbor of Hampton Roads, Virginia. In a few short hours it devastated the Union fleet blockading the port, destroying two ships, the Cumberland and the Congress, and forcing a third, the Minnesota, aground. Fear and panic reverberated through the room as the officials envisioned this boat as unstoppable. One naval officer timidly remarked that there was nothing to prevent the Merrimac from sailing up the Potomac and placing a shell on the President's desk.
The President patiently listened to the sages of doom, but was undaunted by their hysteria. He knew the Union had an ironclad vessel, the Monitor, which had sailed earlier for Hampton Roads. The Commander-in-Chief had a great deal of confidence in the ship and its commander, Lt. John Worden. The Monitor was often referred to as a "Yankee cheese box on a raft."
That day at 8:00 a.m. the two boats engaged in battle, with the Monitor prevailing, if only barely. As the battle was taking place, unaware of its eventual outcome, Abraham Lincoln spoke these words of confidence to those officials gathered about him: "The Almighty. The Almighty will protect her. This is God's fight, and he will win it in his own good time. You do not seem to take into account our little Monitor and its commander. The Monitor should be in Hampton Roads now. She left New York eight days ago. She may be the little stone in the sling of the Almighty God that shall smite the Merrimac philistine in the forehead."
The Thanksgiving holiday has always been a time when we have paused to recognize the hand of the Almighty guiding us through history. It is the season of reflection as we realize our existence is sustained only by the power and divine will of the Creator. Realizing this we gather together for more than just a festive meal, but also for a time of prayer and remembrance.
*****
Prior to accepting his position in the Eisenhower cabinet as Secretary of Agriculture, Ezra Taft Benson made one request of the President-elect; that all cabinet sessions would begin with a moment of silent prayer. Benson, a man of deep religious convictions, believed that this was the only way to conduct government business. Dwight David Eisenhower quickly and gladly agreed with Benson's request.
When the first cabinet meeting was held in the White House, the President forgot the previous arrangement and the prayer was mistakenly omitted. Benson wrote the President a memo reminding him of the talk they had in New York regarding prayer and cabinet meetings. He then concluded that he would not mention the issue again.
At the next cabinet meeting, held on February 6, 1953, Eisenhower inquired of the other cabinet officials if opening the meeting with silent prayer was acceptable to them. Everyone agreed to this practice. They decided that the weekly prayer would be silent, unless one representative desired to pray verbally.
Henceforth all cabinet meetings followed this format: The Secretaries would seat themselves around the mahogany table. When the President entered the room they would stand out of respect. Once seated, each bowed his head until the President ended the silence with the words "Thank you."
One cannot dispute the fact that our country was founded on religious principles. This heritage has carried us through two centuries. It is only proper that during this Thanksgiving season we remember the words "Thank you."
*****
Thanksgiving is more than just giving thanks that this year's harvest was plentiful. It is also the acknowledgement of the faith and stamina of the individuals who have led us through the centuries and continue to lead us this day. It is an understanding that while leaders are people of great influence in national and foreign affairs, the country is also still built upon the faith, values, and hard work of the commoner. It is a recognition of the contribution of every citizen that is immortalized by these words of Ralph Waldo Emerson:
Not gold, but only man can make
A nation great and strong;
Men who for truth and honor's sake
Stand fast and suffer long.
Brave men who work while others sleep
Who dare while others fly;
They build a nation's pillars deep
And lift them to the sky.
Our nation is firmly founded upon and continues forth with men and women who are willing to dare, who are willing to venture forth into uncertain lands, who are willing to sacrifice and accept the hardships of new adventures, and who are willing to die for the nation in which they believe.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: Let all the earth make a joyful noise to God.
People: Let us worship God with gladness;
Leader: come into God's presence with singing.
People: It is God who made us, and we are God's;
Leader: we are God's people, and the sheep of God's pasture.
People: Let us give thanks and bless God's name.
OR
Leader: Come and worship the God Most High.
People: We come to praise the God above all gods.
Leader: Come and worship the God who stoops to serve.
People: In wonder, we praise the God who becomes lowly.
Leader: Come and follow the God of service and humility.
People: With God's help, we will live as servants of others.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"
found in:
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
ELW: 414
"For the Beauty of the Earth"
found in:
UMH: 92
H82: 416
PH: 475
NNBH: 8
NCH: 28
CH: 56
LBW: 561
ELW: 879
"For the Fruits of This Creation"
found in:
UMH: 97
H82: 424
PH: 553
NCH: 425
CH: 714
LBW: 563
ELW: 679
"God, Whose Love Is Reigning o'er Us"
found in:
UMH: 100
"Jesu, Jesu"
found in:
UMH: 432
H82: 602
PH: 367
NCH: 498
CH: 600
ELW: 708
Renew: 289
"O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee"
found in:
UMH: 430
H82: 659, 660
PH: 357
NNBH: 445
NCH: 503
CH: 602
LBW: 492
ELW: 818
"Make Me a Captive, Lord"
found in:
UMH: 421
PH: 378
"Lord, Whose Love Through Humble Service"
found in:
UMH: 581
H82: 610
PH: 427
CH: 461
LBW: 423
ELW: 712
Renew: 286
"Make Me a Servant"
found in:
CCB: 90
"They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love"
found in:
CCB: 78
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELW: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who uses your infinite power in service to the poor and the weak: Grant us the wisdom to see that power used against others is weakness while power used for others in need is always strength; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come into your presence, O God, to worship and adore you, because you are the God of all creation. All that was and is and ever shall be has come from you. Yet we meet a God of compassion and love who does not demand worship but gently offers us salvation. Receive our praise and help us to truly be your children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially the ways in which we misuse our power to push others aside instead of lifting them up.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have used the power we hold in your Name for ourselves instead of for others. We have pushed and shoved our way ahead of others instead of inviting them to be before us. We have acted as if our status was tied to our use of power, when if there is any status for us at all it comes in service. Forgive us, and empower us with your Spirit to live the life of humility and service that Jesus set before us. Amen.
Leader: God does not use power to punish our sins but to save us from them. Receive the grace of God so that you may be true children of the Most High.
Prayer for Illumination
Send, O God, the light of your Spirit upon us, that as we hear the Good News we may see where you are leading us today. Amen.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise your Name, O God, for by your power you created all that is and by your power you draw your creation to wholeness and salvation.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have used the power we hold in your Name for ourselves instead of for others. We have pushed and shoved our way ahead of others instead of inviting them to be before us. We have acted as if our status was tied to our use of power, when if there is any status for us at all it comes in service. Forgive us, and empower us with your Spirit to live the life of humility and service that Jesus set before us.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you have touched us with your love and compassion. You have been the patient parent who when tried with disobedient children maintains your love for them.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for ourselves and all your children who so often find themselves making choices that lead to trouble and brokenness rather than life and wholeness.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord's Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children's Sermon Starter
Talk to the children about how sometimes people use their size and strength to hurt other people. (You may have a story from your childhood to share.) Eventually there is always someone bigger: another child, a parent, a teacher, or the police. But if we use our strength to help others, we are always needed and wanted. Jesus wants us to use our strength to help those who are in need.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Doing Good for Jesus
Matthew 25:31-46
Objects: a cup, a crutch, a pair of handcuffs, a lunch box, a jacket and a cap, and a welcome mat
Did you know that this is the last Sunday in the church year? Next Sunday is like New Year's Day in the church year. We call today Christ the King Sunday because God gave Jesus the title of King of Kings. Jesus is head of the church, the mightiest of all.
But Jesus has a different way of choosing people to be part of his kingdom. Jesus wants to share his world with people who love him. He wants people like you and me, but he also tells us we should behave in a certain way. We all hope that some day we will be part of heaven and live in peace with Jesus. But how do we get in? Do we need a lot of money? (let the children answer) If we have a million dollars, will we be able to buy a ticket to get into heaven? (let them answer) Do we need to memorize the Bible or read a lot of books? (let them answer) Do we need to have a job like the president of the United States? (let them answer) Would it be better if we played a great game of basketball like LeBron James? (let them answer)
Well, not many of us would get into heaven and be with Jesus if we had to be the president or play basketball like LeBron James. Very few of us are going to be millionaires and not many of us will ever memorize the Bible. So what is expected of us?
That's the same thing people wanted to know when Jesus was living on earth and teaching, and this is what he told them. (Show the appropriate object with each of the following questions.) Do you remember the time you saw someone who was really thirsty and you gave him or her a drink? (hold up the cup) Or do you remember seeing pictures on television of children and their parents who were starving and you sent some money to buy them food? (hold up the lunch box) Do you remember the eyes of the babies who have no mother or father and live in a strange land and you helped them? (hold up the jacket and cap) Do you remember a time when someone was hurt and unable to help himself and you helped him? (hold up the crutch) Do you remember when you were nice to people that you did not know and visited with people who were very much disliked by other people because they were different? (hold up the welcome mat) Do you remember being kind to people who once were in prison? (hold up the handcuffs) Jesus said that when you did those things for others, you did them also to him. Because you did these things, you are welcome in his kingdom to live forever.
Prayer: Dear Jesus, we praise you, the King of Kings! Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, November 20, 2011, issue.
Copyright 2011 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word 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.
