The lectionary’s appointed passage from Amos for this week uses the seasonal imagery of a basket overflowing with summer fruit to illustrate the abundance that God has provided us -- and the necessity of saving some of that abundance to tide us over during the famine that will inevitably come sooner or later. But lest we think that the message we are to take here is merely one of wise stewardship of our resources, the Lord tells Amos that the imminent famine is a metaphorical one... not of bread or water, “but of hearing the words of the Lord” (Amos 8:11).
We are being alerted that God’s Word is not something that we can just draw on in times of distress -- if we haven’t faithfully paid attention to God and (so to speak) built up stores to tide us over, we will be unable to find solace when hard times descend upon us... a picture God vividly paints for Amos when he describes how many “shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord, but they shall not find it” (8:12).
In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Dean Feldmeyer suggests that carving out the time in our ever busier lives to listen to God is an important spiritual discipline -- especially because if we fail to routinely exercise this muscle, it’s a skill that we can easily lose (as God so forcefully tells Amos). That theme is underlined in this week’s brief gospel pericope, in which Martha wants Jesus to chastise her sister Mary for sitting idle while she is left to do all the work. Jesus, however, tells Martha to calm down, explaining to her that by being distracted by all the chores she feels responsible for she is actually missing out on the most important thing of all. Like Martha, Dean reminds us, we too can be distracted by all of the cares and responsibilities of daily life -- but if we don’t clear away the accumulated brush and rigorously make time to listen to Jesus and keep our priorities straight, we also risk losing the ability to hear that still small voice.
Team member Chris Keating offers some additional thoughts on the theme of compassion fatigue, which is touched on in this week’s Psalm and gospel readings. Chris notes that when we use the term “compassion fatigue” we can be referring not only to becoming weary of the constant wave of natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, etc.) somewhere in the world that bombard us on the evening news, but also with the loss of patience and even anger with those who need assistance in our society. The Psalm text excoriates the innate selfishness of the wealthy who put their pursuit of riches ahead of their pursuit of godly living. But in the gospel passage, a good share of Martha’s impatience was doubtlessly driven by her own fatigue. Chris points out that it’s easy to grow tired of listening to God and caring for others -- particularly when we feel overwhelmed by the mundane tasks of daily life -- but Jesus is telling us that when push comes to shove, it’s vital to put aside the cares and worries that weigh us down and to refocus on what’s really important.
Use It or Lose It
by Dean Feldmeyer
Amos 8:1-12; Luke 10:38-42
Millions of Americans spend countless hours coping with various forms of busyness that permeate their everyday lives.... Busyness is also associated with meaning in our lives. The ways in which we see ourselves are inextricably wrapped up with busyness. Issues of meaning may derive from religious faith, but may equally arise in the context of our hectic days.
-- Charles N. Darrah, James M. Freeman, and J.A. English-Lueck, Busier Than Ever!: Why American Families Can’t Slow Down (Stanford University Press, 2007)
In other words, there is in each of us a longing for meaning -- and if we don’t fill that longing with the values and mores that arise out of our religious faith, then it will get filled, like the top of the refrigerator, with the random junk that just collects there from our hectic everyday lives.
Fortunately, says the prophet Amos, it is not hard to find meaning through our religious faith as God is constantly calling out to us, offering us a relationship with the Ground of our Being. But if we stop listening to God’s voice, if we turn away and allow ourselves to be distracted, we will lose the ability to hear that voice.
When it comes to our relationship with God, says Amos, it’s a matter of use it or lose it.
In the News
Last week, New York Times columnist David Brooks reviewed Charles Taylor’s book A Secular Age (Belknap Press, 2007) in a piece titled “The Secular Society.”
Most of us have heard of the Pew research of the past twelve months that has shown a marked increase in the number of Americans who count themselves as non-religious, who have rejected traditional religion either completely or in a way that allows only for individual, personal spirituality.
Most people analyze this trend in terms of subtraction: the three-layer universe of primitive religion has been rejected in favor of the complex universe of science. The common mind has given way to individual choice.
Taylor, however, rejects this analysis in favor of one that (according to Brooks) “sees secularization as... a mottled accomplishment, for both science and faith.” Science, philosophy, theology, and the arts have all combined to give us a more complete and deeper understanding of our nature as human beings -- and that new understanding has led to growth. We understand ourselves better than ever, and our greater self-understanding has led to an understanding of faith and spirituality as a matter of personal choice in the ongoing quest for personal development. So, we have a strong natural yearning, an urge, for spiritual meaning, for a connection to the transcendent, and “people are now able to pursue fullness in an amazing diversity of different ways.”
Orthodoxy is giving way to “galloping spiritual pluralism” that allows for dabbling in different spiritual perspectives. It is now okay to doubt. In fact, doubt is no longer understood as the opposite of faith but as part of a vibrant, growing faith. People now proudly proclaim that they are “spiritual but not religious.”
Brooks finds Taylor’s book fairly optimistic in that while it allows for a mostly secular future in America, it is a future that is “both open and also contains at least pockets of spiritual rigor, and that is propelled by religious motivation, a strong and enduring piece of our nature.”
At the same time that our culture is becoming more secular, individualistic, and spiritual (but not religious), it is also becoming busier.
In another column written last year by Tim Kreider for a blog on the New York Times website, this rolling busyness is described as “not a necessary or inevitable condition of life; it is something we’ve chosen” as a “hedge against emptiness.” Rather than fill our lives and our minds (our souls?) with spiritual disciplines, theological reflection, and the pursuit of the transcendent holy, we choose to fill them with activity. And just about any activity will do: “Obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so busy, completely booked, in demand every hour of the day.”
In the Scriptures
Both the Old Testament lesson and the gospel lesson this week speak to this modern phenomenon of secularization and busyness.
Amos begins his homily with a broadside against unethical and immoral business practices. Merchants cheat the poor using inaccurate weights and measures. They observe the religious rites, but their real concern is how soon they can get back to making money. They put dirt, stems, and chaff in the bottom of the bag, then top it off with good grain so it looks good. They loan money at exorbitant interest rates that the poor have to pay just so they can have the necessities of life.
The result of this, he warns, will be the utter destruction of the country. It will rot like fruit left out in the sun. But worse than that, the people who have ignored the word of the Lord will lose their ability to hear it at all. They will one day want to turn to God’s word for comfort and direction but they will have lost the signal. Like cavefish that have gone blind because they could not see in the dark, so these people will become morally deaf, unable to hear the Word of the Lord because they have refused for so long to listen.
Luke offers the abbreviated Reader’s Digest version of the Mary and Martha story, a version that goes directly to the heart of the matter -- which, again, is listening.
Martha is always downstairs cooking in the church kitchen, or rocking a baby in the nursery, or reorganizing the bulletin board, while everyone else is in the sanctuary worshiping God. And she wants the pastor to chastise the congregation for not being more responsible, not signing up on the clipboard to take their turn in the nursery.
Pastor Jesus, don’t you care that these people are slackers who never do their share of the work?
Jesus answers: “No, not really.”
Sometimes we need to let the nursery go unattended so we can attend to the Word of the Lord. If we don’t, we will very likely lose the ability to hear it when it comes to us.
In the Pulpit
Secularism and busyness are the named demons of these lections.
Secularism encourages “galloping pluralism” that reduces spiritual growth to cherry-picking from competing theologies for the morsels that look the tastiest. Typically, personal theologies end up being a fruit salad consisting of a slice of Buddhism, a cup of Christianity, a pinch of Hinduism, a dash of Native American spirituality, and a large portion of New Age mumbo-jumbo. Or even more disastrous, we find ourselves afloat in a kind of faux Christianity that has become known as “moralistic, therapeutic deism.”
Or it is equally legitimate in a secular culture to substitute philosophy for theology. Laissez-faire capitalism, Ayn Randian objectivism, religious fundamentalism, and classical liberalism are all seen as equally viable choices available to us in the marketplace of ideas.
It is possible that we Christians might accept the notion of an idea mart because we are sure that what we offer is of an obviously superior quality compared to whatever else is floating around out there. And if people were going to really, honestly think about and evaluate their options, we might be willing to do that, to offer Christianity as just one more choice among many.
But the fact is that our culture doesn’t make considered, rational, thoughtful choices about spiritual life. Our lives, our thought processes, our time is simply filled with rampant busyness that steals the time and resources that we might otherwise have given to our spiritual growth and development.
Amos points out the dangers here. If we don’t listen to the Lord, we will lose the ability to hear God’s word. Jesus offers the alternative, healthier choice: stop, sit down, and listen. We do this best and most often when we gather on Sundays for worship.
Writing in The Christian Century, Samuel Wells sums it up rather nicely for the contemporary Christian:
By committing themselves to meet regularly together, Christians become aware of those who are not gathering together -- those who are absent. This is how the community develops the practice of pastoral care and evangelism, the skill of memory for those missing, the virtue of love for the lost, and the notion of the communion of the saints.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Sometimes It Is Just Too Much
by Chris Keating
Psalm 52; Luke 10:38-42
Some days, the sobering headlines all seem to be bunched together, like paper jammed in a computer printer. A fertilizer plant explodes in Texas. Bombs explode at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Tornadoes decimate an Oklahoma town. Firefighters killed while battling brush fires. An airplane crashes on landing, and a celebrity dies in his prime.
And that’s just a few of the traumatic disasters that have dominated the news lately. It can be more than discouraging -- it can be downright overwhelming. Much as we would like to run away from the seemingly nonstop lava flow of disasters, the bad news just keeps coming. No sooner do we raise our hearts in prayer for one situation than another arises requiring our response. And then another.
Sometimes, it can just be too much.
It’s not just a drama played out on our 47-inch flat-screens, either. In some churches, exiting the sanctuary for coffee hour can feel a bit like traversing a compassion obstacle course. Headed into the fellowship time, you aim for that prized chocolate donut, but first must pass the triple threat of donation boxes for canned food, shoes, and used ink cartridges. Next comes sidestepping the overly enthusiastic chair of the mission committee, followed by navigating the Scylla and Charybdis of the CROP Walk table or Bob from Habitat for Humanity. Still to come are youth seeking pledges for their mission trip, and the signup sheet to do yard work for the elderly. Pushing ahead reveals the final hurdle: the pastor stationed in front of the coffee pot, anxiously looking for someone to lead next week’s “Minute for Mission.”
And having endured all of this, you discover someone else snagged the last chocolate donut.
With your stomach empty and your to-do list stuffed, you make your way home while also trying to remember the text from the morning’s sermon: “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself?”
Obviously, this is an exaggeration -- but not much. Engaging in mission requires the time and talents of members. It exacts a toll from people, often wearing them out in body and soul.
The accumulated worry and frenzy builds within us, shutting down our capacity to absorb the world’s trauma. Tired of all that is happening around us, we grow weary of giving money to the Red Cross, collecting cleanup kits for Church World Service, and even praying for innocent victims. We become mired in the swamplands of the adrenalin-flooded news cycles. We wear out from caring too much.
Like the exhausted and frenetic Martha, we snap back at Jesus. We share her frustration, and her fatigue from doing too much. “Lord,” we may cry out, “do you not see that we’ve been working hard to raise money for those in need? Do you not understand how long we have been praying for a cure for a child with cancer, only to learn of yet another diagnosis?”
Lord, do you not know that we are weary and carrying heavy burdens?
In the News
Our gradual desensitization to disaster and trauma may be an indication of compassion fatigue, or secondary traumatic stress. Some journalism analysts have argued that the nonstop barrage of traumatic images, stories, and headlines has depleted or at least diluted society’s ability to comprehend suffering. When applied to caring professionals such as nurses and health care workers, “compassion fatigue” can describe a caregiver’s inability to absorb the impact trauma has had on their lives.
Caregivers (including clergy) who are overly focused on caring for others, or who do not practice adequate self-care, may develop destructive behaviors, including apathy, explosive emotions, and even substance abuse, according to the Compassion Fatigue Awareness Project.
But compassion fatigue can also describe our Martha-like impatience and rising cynicism with those in need of public assistance. The unprecedented rise in those receiving food stamps, for example, has caused some to say that such programs are “bloated,” poorly managed, and riddled with abuse. Too often, the immediate response is to eliminate aid rather than work for solutions to overcome poverty.
Our overexposure to trauma may also lessen our capacity to respond financially to relief efforts. Relief workers in West, Texas, site of a deadly fertilizer plant explosion in April, noticed a “donor fatigue” occurring following tragedies in Boston, and Moore, Oklahoma. As the media spotlight dimmed, so did cash contributions.
Indeed, given fast-paced news cycles, it is easy to quickly forget the names and places where tragedies have occurred. In reflecting on the heroism of the 19 firefighters who died in Arizona last month, Jason Marsh, editor-in-chief of the online magazine Greater Good, noted: “While these new accidents joust for our attention, how can we ensure that the memories of the firefighters, or the victims of the crashes, remain salient in our minds?”
One way may be to focus on little details -- a name, a story, or a photograph -- instead of the mind-dulling sequences of statistics that may only blunt our ability to comprehend human suffering.
Marsh notes that the act of recalling the name of a single victim impacted by tragedy, or even a victim’s photo, can increase our compassion. He cites a fascinating study by researchers Deborah A. Small, George Loewenstein, and Paul Slovic that found people who read an article about a single starving African girl would donate more money to an anti-hunger charity than people who read an appeal featuring statistics on starvation in Africa. Marsh argues that by maintaining an emotional connection with those in need we can increase our capacity to inspire action, and cultivate a renewed sense of kindness and generosity. It is exactly that sort of resilience which overcomes compassion fatigue and empowers us to live faithfully, like the deep-rooted olive trees mentioned in Psalm 52.
In the Scriptures
Both this week’s Psalm and Luke texts offer possibilities for exploring the toll compassion fatigue has taken on our world and our congregations. The Psalmist wastes no time scolding the wealthy for their selfish behavior. Mischief done against the godly, razor-sharp treachery, and deceit will result in God’s rebuke. Such is the lot of those whose cynicism and bloated sense of self has worn them down. But those who trust “in the steadfast love of God” will become resilient. Such resilience is effective at building an immunity to compassion fatigue. The image the psalmist uses is compelling: a green olive tree. Olive trees, as Linda McKiernan-Allen comments in Feasting on the Word (Year C, Vol. 3), “do not easily disappear. They do not grow for a season and then die. They are long-lived, and have been known to survive years of neglect and drought. Their root shoots provide regeneration.”
Likewise, among the homiletical buds flourishing in Luke’s well-known account of Martha and Mary are reminders of how those struggling with compassion fatigue may be called to reshape their focus. Martha is weary, worn out from doing too much. More than that, she’s disgusted by her sibling’s lack of hospitality. Why shouldn’t Mary join her in the kitchen? But Martha is distracted, worried about many things. Jesus reminds Martha that Mary has chosen wisely. She has chosen to listen carefully, to live faithfully by attending to what Jesus is saying.
In the Sermon
It would be easy to scold Martha in a sermon on compassion fatigue. Yet Jesus’ purpose is to invite disciples into the fullness of life, releasing them from the burdens they carry. He calls Martha to set aside her distractions, and to become a “green olive tree in the house of God.” Martha’s failure is not that she isn’t more like Mary; rather, Martha’s failure is that she has not understood which form of discipleship will keep her faith strong and supple. She is overwhelmed by her frantic desire to serve. Those afflicted by compassion fatigue need to discover how letting go of their distractions can result in a renewal of spirit. This is the better part that Mary has chosen: the ability to soak in the steadfast love of God, and to take refuge in God’s promise. Instead of rushing around, she has chosen to focus on the little details of what Jesus is saying to her.
Perhaps the best way into this story is to begin by naming the ways compassion fatigue has swept over us, and over our world. Like Martha, we are easily distracted. We have lost our focus, and despite our best intentions, the tsunamis of tragedy have pushed us into deep waters. We have allowed the “data of despair” to overwhelm us. Yet the good news in this passage is that Jesus invites us to reconsider our focus, and to learn from him what is truly important. It is by focusing on the little details that we shall sink down deep roots and become vibrant olive trees in the house of God.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Ron Love:
Luke 10:38-42
“While we’re still young” has become a classic line from movie lore. It was spoken by the character Al Czervik (portrayed by Rodney Dangerfield) in the 1980 comedy Caddyshack. Czervik was the boisterous tycoon who had a habit of upsetting the more buttoned-down members of Bushwood Country Club -- and annoyed at the slow pace of those teeing off ahead of him, the colorful Czervik demanded that they speed up the game, uttering, “Let’s go -- while we’re still young.”
The United States Golf Association (USGA) has now adopted that line in their advertising campaign encouraging people to return to or begin the game of golf. The phrase is echoed in various scenarios by celebrities such as Arnold Palmer, Clint Eastwood, Tiger Woods, and Paula Creamer.
Application: In our multitasking environment we often think that faster is better. But Mary realized there was a need and a time to pause and worship.
*****
Amos 8:1-12
In the forthcoming movie Gravity, to be released in October, director Alfonso Cuaron tells the story of two astronauts, played by Sandra Bullock and George Clooney, who are stranded in space. As Bullock is spiraling aimlessly outside her destroyed space shuttle, her character expresses the fear of separation. In describing the scene Cuaron said, “She’s confronted with the idea that Earth is so far away, and she doesn’t belong to it. What is really scary for people is being lost or alone in the immensity of the world.”
Application: Amos is trying to convey to the Israelites the impending separation they will soon experience from God.
*****
Amos 8:1-12
A recent report describes the complacency of Pakistani government officials who allowed Osama bin Laden to roam freely in their country for nearly a decade, until one of his key operatives was killed. He was so bold as to wear a cowboy hat while walking the streets, protecting himself from overhead surveillance... though we know that eventually U.S. Navy SEALS brought him to justice.
Application: Amos is trying to convey to the Israelites the impending judgment they will soon experience from God.
*****
Amos 8:1-12
Everyone is awaiting the news of the birth of the royal child to Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge and the wife of Prince William. So many news agencies have taken up position outside of St. Mary’s Hospital in London that their tents have come to be called “Camp Kate.” Lee Kamlet, dean of the communications school at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, explained the reason for royal-baby-mania. Kamlet said, “The fact of the matter is, this is news. It’s like cotton candy. It’s fun. It goes down easy. It’s a reality TV show that we all get to watch.”
Application: Amos is trying to convey to the Israelites that all news is not good news and that all news will not be like cotton candy. If the Israelites do not obey the Word of God their news will be harsh judgment.
*****
Colossians 1:15-28
It took director Alfonso Cuaron five years to perfect the cinematography and capture the zero-gravity look of outer space for his movie Gravity. Upon viewing the images of Earth in the final edit of the film, Cuaron said, “Earth is just one organic, beautiful thing. We happen to live in a very stunning and beautiful place.”
Application: Jesus made the invisible God visible. Jesus was the firstborn of all creation. Jesus showed us the beauty of God and creation, and how we are to live in the beauty of that image.
***************
From team member Mary Austin:
Amos 8:1-12
Use it or Lose It
It’s not just our spiritual lives that wither with neglect, and flourish with attention. A recent article in Forbes magazine by Alice G. Walton summarizes new research on dementia and brain activity with the same tag line.
Dementia is a complex disease. Many factors contribute to it, with no one cause -- and no one way to prevent it. Still, lifelong mental activity seems to be connected to brain health in later years. As Walton summarizes the latest research, she notes “a new study out in Neurology has added some fuel to the theory, finding that one’s cognitive activity throughout life -- not just in adulthood, but also in childhood -- is an important predictor of cognitive function, and one’s risk of dementia.”
She adds, “It’s a curious but well-established fact that certain people whose brains look like they have Alzheimer’s disease upon autopsy didn’t actually have clinical symptoms to speak of during life. Researchers have tried to account for this disconnect for some time: the fact that one’s amount of brain ‘gunk’ -- the plaques and tangles that accumulate and clog the lines of communication between brain cells -- doesn’t match one’s cognitive function so closely. In fact, a full third of people with significant plaques don’t have symptoms of dementia. This phenomenon has given rise to the ‘cognitive reserve’ hypothesis, which suggests that some brains are better able to deal with breakdowns in machinery: Maybe they’re wired a bit differently, or they’re more ‘thinky’ and active throughout life, so they’re able to better withstand their own breakdown.”
Just as we have spiritual reserves to carry us through difficult times, we may also have mental reserves to compensate for our decline. Use it or lose it is true for all parts of our lives.
*****
Amos 8:1-12
Get off the Couch!
The same principle is apparently true for our physical bodies as well.
Fitness writer Alex Hutchinson writes in the Globe and Mail about a new study of older (over 40) athletes who have muscle mass identical to much younger people. “The study offered convincing evidence that the ‘typical’ loss of muscle that begins in adults around the age of 40 has more to do with lack of use than aging alone.... The subjects in the study were 40 recreational masters athletes between the ages of 40 and 81, who trained four to five times a week for running, swimming, or cycling races.”
Past studies have documented muscle decline with age, but have focused on non-exercisers. The study author says, “When we talk about aging, we’re not usually studying what our bodies are actually capable of.”
No one exercise can keep us strong, but a combination can, along with consistent training. A generous mixture of exercises can add dramatically to our health. Again, the study author observes, “We control 70% of how we age. The other 30% is genetic, and we can blame our mothers for that. But 70% is in our hands.”
Use it or lose it works everywhere, apparently.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: There are those who do not take refuge in God.
People: They trust in abundant riches, and seek refuge in wealth!
Leader: We are like a green olive tree in the house of God.
People: We trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
Leader: We will thank you, O God, forever, because of what you have done.
People: In the presence of the faithful we will proclaim your name, for it is good.
OR
Leader: We have come to offer our praise to God.
People: May our worship be acceptable to our Redeemer.
Leader: We have come to listen for God’s word to us today.
People: May our ears be open and attentive.
Leader: We have come to learn the way of obedience to God.
People: May the life we live when we leave here be pleasing to our Savior God.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”
found in:
UMH: 127
H82: 690
PH: 281
AAHH: 138, 139, 140
NNBH: 232
NCH: 18, 19
CH: 622
LBW: 343
ELA: 618
W&P: 501
AMEC: 52, 53, 56
“We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder”
found in:
UMH: 418
AAHH: 464
NNBH: 217
NCH: 500
AMEC: 263
STLT: 211
“The Gift of Love”
found in:
UMH: 408
AAHH: 522
CH: 526
W&P: 397
Renew: 155
“La Palabra Del Señor Es Recta” (“Righteous and Just Is the Word of Our Lord”)
found in:
UMH: 107
“Seek Ye First”
found in:
UMH: 405
H82: 711
PH: 333
CH: 354
W&P: 349
“God Hath Spoken by the Prophets”
found in:
UMH: 108
LBW: 238
W&P: 667
“All Who Love and Serve Your City”
found in:
UMH: 433
H82: 570/571
PH: 413
CH: 670
LBW: 436
ELA: 724
W&P: 625
“What Does the Lord Require”
found in:
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
W&P: 686
“God, You Are My God”
found in:
CCB: 60
“Make Me a Servant”
found in:
CCB: 90
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who ever desires to talk with your children: Grant us ears to hear and hearts to obey, that we may not lose the ability to know your voice; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We have come to praise you, O God, and to listen for your voice. Open our ears and allow us to hear your words of life, even when they are difficult words to hear. Help us not to harden our hearts or stop up our ears, lest we lose the ability to discern your voice. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially our reluctance to listen for God’s voice.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You speak words of life to us, but because you sometimes ask us to change our ways we are reluctant to listen. We are comfortable with our lives and don’t want to change, even when we know it would be for our good and the good of others. We have ignored you so often that we are no longer sure we can recognize your voice from the voices of evil. Forgive us, and empower us with your Spirit that we may hear and obey your voice. Amen.
Leader: God seeks our good and desires nothing from us but what is best for us. Know God’s love and forgiveness, and receive the gift of hearing God’s voice once again.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
We worship and praise you, O God, who calls us into the ways of life, joy, and peace.
(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. You speak words of life to us, but because you sometimes ask us to change our ways we are reluctant to listen. We are comfortable with our lives and don’t want to change, even when we know it would be for our good and the good of others. We have ignored you so often that we are no longer sure we can recognize your voice from the voices of evil. Forgive us, and empower us with your Spirit that we may hear and obey your voice.
We give you thanks for all the ways in which you have directed us into the way of life. You have spoken through your prophets and the evangelists. Most of all we thank you for the teachings of Jesus and the example he set for us. We thank you for those in our own lifetime who have been faithful guides for your way.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all your children in their need, and especially for those who have lost their way and no longer hear or understand your voice. We pray that as you continue to call them, we may be faithful in helping them listen to you.
(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
Ask the children if their parents ever tell them to do something. Ask if they have ever not done it. You might tell about a time when you did not obey and it got you into trouble. Try to think of a time when it didn’t get you in trouble so much with your parents as it had bad consequences. (Don’t pet the dog. You pet the dog. The dog bites you... that kind of story.) God loves us and tries to direct our lives so that they will be full of joy and peace. Sometimes we think we know better than God or we would rather do something besides what God tells us to do. We don’t want to share, or we don’t want to be friends with some people. But God’s directions are always for our good.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Distractions
by Leah Thompson
Luke 10:38-42
Objects: a handheld video game (Gameboy) and a cellphone
Today I brought my video game with me to church... hold on a minute, I’ve almost beat it. (pause; play video game; look up) Oh! That’s right. I’m sorry, I got distracted from the children’s message! I was having such a good time playing that video game, I just got distracted. Sorry about that. Where were we? Oh yes! Good morning! Today the children’s message is about... Oh wait, let me check my cellphone. (pull out cellphone) My friend said they’d text me this morning. I just wanted to see if I got it. (look atcell phone, check messages) Nope, no messages.
Where were we? Oh, good morning. That’s right. Good morning! Oh, I need to ask this guy something... just a minute. (go to member of congregation, sit, have a short conversation; come back to front) Thank you! I’m glad I got that off my list. Let’s see... oh yes – children’s message. How do I keep getting distracted from the children’s message? Before I start, let me check my phone one more time. (pull out phone, check) I got that text message! Let me reply... (type a short message) Sending... sending... okay. Message sent. Yay! (put phone away) I’m so glad my friend texted me. Aren’t you? Hey wait... I’m supposed to be doing the children’s message, aren’t I? (allow answers) Oh boy! I get so distracted. There are many things I have to be thinking about, like keeping my house clean, paying my bills, making sure I get where I am supposed to go on time, what I’m going to make for dinner. That’s a lot of stuff to think about! No wonder I get distracted! What kinds of things distract you? (allow answers)
There are many things that distract us from what we are supposed to do. In fact, our lesson talks about being distracted. Jesus visits his friends Mary and Martha. Mary sits at Jesus’ feet and listens to him talk about God’s word. Martha, however, is too distracted. She is too busy cooking and cleaning to stop for a moment and listen to Jesus.
It’s good to keep busy, but sometimes we need to make time for God. It can be hard when there are so many things to do! I know that. So does God. God also knows that it is good for us to take a break so that we can spend some quiet time with him. What could you do to take a break with God? (allow answers) Walk outside and pray? Read the Bible? There are lots of ways to spend time with God -- we just need to remember to take some time away from all those distractions.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, July 21, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
