Immediate Word

For May 31, 2020:

• We Are The 120 by Ron Love — Let us never forget that we are the 120; the unseen members of the Body of Christ.
• Second Thoughts: Masked Prophets by Bethany Peerbolte — Being a prophet is not about knowing exactly what will happen in the future. Being a prophet is about seeing the present world clearly and knowing God enough to sense a disconnect.
• Sermon illustrations by Mary Austin, Tom Willadsen, and Dean Feldmeyer.
• Worship resources by George Reed that focus on being all together; prophesying through it all.
• Children’s sermon: Together — Even When We Are Apart by Chris Keating — Invite your children to think of ways the church can experience the power of Pentecost during a time of quarantine.

We Are The 120
by Ron Love
Acts 2:1-21

In the Scriptures
We must first dispel the myth that the church was conceived on the Day of Pentecost. The church was birthed in the Upper Room on Maundy Thursday when Jesus instituted the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. It was on this Thursday evening that Jesus firmly put in place the institution — the Body of Christ — that would carry forth his ministry after his death, resurrection and accession. We would like to think there was total and complete solidarity in the room that evening, but we know better. Judas disrupted and sabotaged the common cause with his selfish ambitions.

Today we are celebrating Pentecost. Pentecost means “the Fiftieth.” Another name for Pentecost is “the Feast of the Weeks,” because it is the fiftieth day, a week of weeks, after the Passover. This gives Pentecost a historical significance to the Jewish community and those Jews who later converted to Christianity, often known to us as Messianic Jews.

The reference to the prophecy of Joel 2:16-21, is also an important testimony of faith to the Jews who were present at Pentecost. Joel said in part: “never again will I make you an object of scorn to the nations.” After an age of doom, Joel prophesized the restoration of the land. He prophesized that the Israelites will return to Jerusalem.

On Pentecost this prophecy was fulfilled, though it extended far beyond Israel to include all the nations of the world. Luke presents us with what has come to be called the “table of nations,” a listing of the nations involved in the Pentecost experience. There is controversy on how this should be interpreted, but Jacob Myers in his commentary summarized it with this theological statement: “What if he has crafted this ‘table of nations’ to weaken the prevailing ethnic infrastructure so that a new found foundation might burst forth according to Luke’s theological vison, a vision that transcends facile ethnic divisions without forsaking the importance of ethnic identity?”

This ethnic inclusion, that included both Jews and Gentiles, is supported by a number of scholars that conclude that the Pentecost experience moved from East to West, from Asia Minor to Rome. This movement of ideas is confirmed in Jared Diamond’s book Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies, published in 2017, and won the Pulitzer Prize. Ideas do not spread north to south, but east to west following similar weather patterns.

The universality of the Pentecost experience is again supported by a number of scholars that the language confusion is not as dramatic as we would like to relish. With this east and west participation all of those present spoke both Aramaic and Greek. The common language is less significant than having come to a common understanding of the role of the church as the continued representative of Jesus in the world.

William Barclay in his commentary on today’s lectionary reading offered four purposes that should be associated to the Pentecostal experience: 1. The Holy Spirit was the source of all guidance; 2. All the leaders of the church were men of the Spirit; 3. The Spirit was the source of day-to-day courage and power; 4. The degree to which we can possess the Spirit is conditioned by the kind of people we are.

In our lectionary reading, the “wind” is the Holy Spirit, and the “fire” is divine energy, the voice of the Lord. 

We will never know what precisely happened that day, as most of the story will remain an enigma to us. It began in the Upper Room where twelve were present, and then we read it mysteriously moved to a place to accommodate 120. In biblical numerology, the number 12 represents the leadership, and the number 120 represents moving from the age of the flesh to age of the spirit.

And Peter, in his sermon, like all of us, tried to make sense of it all.

Sources:
The Abingdon Bible Commentary; ©1929; 1097-1098
Barclay, William; The Acts of the Apostles; ©2003; 20-28
Biblical Numerology:
Numerology Center
Jeremiah111.org
Diamond, Jared; Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fate of Human Societies, ©2017
The Interpreters One-Volume Commentary on the Bible; ©1971; 731-732
Acts 2:1-21 Commentary by Jacob Myers
New International Bible Commentary; ©1979; 1273-1274

In the News
It would be my observation that the solidarity movement created by the coronavirus is a grass-roots effort. World leaders cannot coordinate their efforts. Our president is unable to coincide his efforts with governors. Governors are at odds with fellow governors on reopening guidelines. Governors are at odds with mayors. Congress is composed of unthinking individuals, as all votes are along party lines. Mitt Romney made headlines when he violated that expectation and voted independently during the presidential impeachment trial. Democrats think that citizens, in a society where unemployment exceeds that of the Great Depression, need more assistance to pay mortgages and buy groceries; Republicans think the destitute have already received too much. President Trump is at odds with his consulting health officials, personally taking hydroxychloroquine, and advocating that we all lie down in a tanning machine while sniffing Lysol, allow us to become immune to Covid-19. There was some hope with wealthy business individual’s donating large sums of money; until, we learned, that 44% of Republicans think that Bill Gates is promoting vaccines as a pretext to implant microchips in billions of people and monitor their movements, which of course, is the mark of the Beast as recorded in Revelation.

In the Bible, and Pentecost, is no exception as we focus on the leaders of the church. This, of course, for Pentecost, would be the twelve gathered in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirt first descended, followed by Peter’s stellar sermon. How we forget, or even ignore the 120 who also experience the wind and the fire. The 120, the real Body of Christ, the everyday Christian involved in ministry and mission of the church. Unfortunately, in the news, those who are recognized as a part of the grass-roots solidarity movement to bring forth unity and harmony during this pandemic, are only the ones whose efforts have gone viral on social media. But let us affirm that they are still a part of the 120, as they are just everyday people whose only desire is to comfort others by offering faith and hope.

Perhaps the best place to begin to show the solidarity of a world being attacked by an invisible silent enemy is a poem written by Damian Barr. He published it on his Twitter account, but it soon crossed the globe. As he wrote, “We are not in the same boat. We are all in the same storm.” It was a poem asking for individuals to be accepting of others, not judgmental. We are all in the same boat, we are all in the same Covid-19 pandemic, but how it affects each and every one of us is different. He ends by writing, “We are on different ships looking to survive. Let everyone navigate their route with respect, empathy and responsibility.” Unity comes with the understanding of the commonality that the coronavirus places upon us in the form of hardship and sadness, anxiety and frustration.

I think that it is interesting that even cartoonists are trying to bring us a sense of solidarity with their, without underplaying the seriousness of the situation. Bob Thaves, who writes Frank and Ernest, penned this episode. Frank is that motley individual who never seems to get into the flow of life. In this episode he is standing before his computer wearing a coat and tie. Dressed as a real business professional, except he is also wearing polka dot boxer shorts. Frank, in his down-to-earth wisdom says, “With webcam I can attend meetings while sitting behind my desk here at home. This situation leads to some disjointed clothing ensembles.” It is reported that working from home may become the new norm for those in the tech business. This would be good for some, but for most this will not be a future reality. Yet, as we live with “shelter-in place” we see our neighbors’ cars never leaving their driveways at seven in the morning.

I was born before television. It is my position that anyone born before television can’t be held responsible for an inability to manipulate today’s technology. So, I often just sit and watch in wonder an amazement. During this pandemic, technology has allowed distance relationships to become intimate relationships. Kathleen Parker writes for the Washington Post. In an article she wrote she began with these words, “An odd thing happened last Sunday. A friend was visiting and invited me to join her for church — not in a physical house of worship but streamed via Zoom from her pastor in Arlington, Virginia.” She went to write, siting in two different homes, hundreds of miles apart, she and her close friend Jody were able to worship together. Parker wrote, “…Zoom with congregants who wanted to worship virtually. Jody and I sat side by side, possibly in our PJs…” When I was growing up the party-line telephone brought people together, though no one liked this forced togetherness, but now with Zoom, made more real by Covid-19, we can sit together in the same living room, the same pew, though miles apart.

Solidarity has become a group experience. Again, don’t expect anyone born in 1951 to understand it, but to only be fascinated by it. Every year, since 1876, London’s Royal Choral Society has performed the Hallelujah chorus each Good Friday at the Royal Albert Hall. Only two performances were cancelled, and this was during World War Two when London was being bombed by the Germans. Though this year, 2020, unlike Nazi bombs, the coronavirus would not cancel the performance. A total of 82 members recorded their individual parts at home, and then these individual performances were stitched together for a video presentation on YouTube. The conductor, Richard Cooke, confessed that the performance was not perfect, but it was important to London and the rest of the nations around the globe. Cooke said, “In these strange times, when we are missing our rehearsals and concerts together, performing ‘virtually’ has been the next best thing, and we hope that singers around the world will join with us to sing this great piece of choral music on this special day.” The virus has made “the next best thing” the real thing, and a good thing.

And of course, we applaud individual efforts. Tom Moore, 99-years-old, a World War II veteran, lives in eastern England. During the coronavirus pandemic he wanted to do something to show his appreciation for the health care workers treating those who were infected. He decided he was going to walk 100 laps around his garden in Marston Moretaine. The garden is 82-feet in length. Because of a hip injury, he used a walker for support. He was going to complete the journey before his 100th birthday on April 30, 2020. His family decided they would raise 1,000 pounds for his campaign. A video of his walk went viral, and at the completion of his last lap, two-weeks before his birthday, surrounded by a military honor guard from his former Yorkshire Regiment, Moore was able to raise $15 million. Moore embarked on this pilgrimage saying that the health care workers “deserve everything we can give them.” Regarding his endeavor Moore, whose is affectionately known as “Captain,” said, “Remember in the war time, things were bad but eventually they seemed to get better. We fought on and won.” It is individuals like Moore, who manage to inspire a global population, that tells us we will defeat this unseen enemy.

News making world events do capture our attention, but never to the point of failing to recognize the community contributions. McCall Farms, which was founded in 1838, is located in Effingham, which borders Florence, South Carolina, where I live. McCall Farms is one of the largest producers of canned foods in the United States. In April it donated one million cans of food to the Pee Dee branch, which serves Florence County and the surrounding area, of Harvest Hope. According to McCall Farms COO Allen Mize, the challenge presented by Covid-19 is formidable. Mize said of the donation, “In these difficult times, we will meet the challenge of keeping store shelves stocked with quality farm-fresh canned foods that American consumers have come to expect.” Upon receiving the donation, Nicole Echols, the branch director, said the donation is a “lifeline” to the hunger concerns of the county. Truly, we are all in this tighter with no geographic area being spared.

But let us never forget that we are the 120; the unseen members of the Body of Christ. We must never underestimate our contributions in supporting others and providing others with hope. We are a part of the solidarity movement. The Rev. Dr. Darryl Evans is the senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church, which is the church I attend in Florence, South Carolina. During this time of home isolation Evans has been a creative leader in keeping church members connected to one another and to the staff. One of his innovations is a daily devotional that arrives promptly as an email at 7 o’clock each morning. On March 27, his devotional was titled The Gift of Work. The pastor shared that even though we are living isolated in our homes we can still serve the Lord; we can still be a church community. In that devotional Evans wrote, “During this time of distancing, the partners of our congregation have widely different routines: some of us are cooped up, quiet, bored. We crave meaningful work. If so, write some cards, text some prayers, make some phone calls to support others. Genesis teaches us that we should never underestimate the power of a good word.”

But, let us never forget, in this age of technological fellowship, the importance of the church building. Pope Francis said he felt like he was in a “cage.” The pope lamented that the church isn’t really the “Church” without a community of faithful present during the administration of sacraments. We have so often heard that the church is not the building, but it is the people. In theory that is correct, but emotionally it only hides our true feelings. In September 1985, the church I was pastoring at the time, Marion Center United Methodist Church, located in rural Pennsylvania, burned to the ground. I don’t know how old the building was, but it was old enough that four generations worshiped in the building. After the fire the ashes of the building were also ashes of memories. Though my congregants continued to say the church is the people, not the building, their overwhelming grief testified otherwise.

We can rejoice in Zoom, and the solidarity it provides during this pandemic.

But I am ready to trade Zoom for pews.

Sources:

Mish. "Trump's Lysol Moment: His Most Ridiculous Comment Ever," TheStreet.com.
Wade, Peter. "Half of Fox News Viewers Believe Bill Gates Wants to Use Virus Vaccines to Track You, New Poll Says," Yahoo Entertainment.
Kirubakaran, Pragadish. 'We Are Not All In The Same Boat...' Covid Poster & Poem Win Internet; Here's Their Story, Republicworld.com.
Frank & Ernest — published 4/10/20
Parker, Kathleen. Embracing the grace of covid-19, The Washington Post.
London’s Royal Choral Society, Virtual ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus Goes Viral, Keeps 144-Year-Old Tradition Alive.
Jennifer Hassan, 99-year-old veteran raises $33 million for Britain’s health-care system by walking his garden, The Washington Post.
Elizabeth Thomas, Effingham's McCall Farms donates 1M servings of food in the Pee Dee WPDE News.
Darryl Evans (Devotional only available to church members.)
Nicole Winfield, Pope urges virus lockdown obedience amid church-state debate, Associated Press.

In the Sermon
As you prepare your sermon consider these talking points:

1. Discuss the meaning of Maundy Thursday and Pentecost.
2. Discuss the meaning of Pentecost and Peter’s sermon.
3. Share your thoughts of what it would be like to be a participant at Pentecost
4. Share your thoughts of what it would be like to be an observer of Pentecost.
5. Share your Pentecost experience.
6. Discuss the meaning of Pentecost and church solidarity during the coronavirus pandemic.
7. Provide your parishioners with ideas on how they can be a part of the solidarity movement.

SECOND THOUGHTS
Masked Prophets
by Bethany Peerbolte
Acts 2:1-21

Wearing a mask in public places has been a surreal experience for me. This week as I quickly walked through the aisles of the grocery store, I was keenly focused on which aisles I needed so I could be safely back home sooner. When normally I would smile at a stranger in the aisle with me, this time I figured it was not worth the energy to tighten my face muscles. They could not see the smile under the mask anyway. My focus sharpened. Eggs, over here, better get the bigger package I am going through so many. Next, I need peanut butter, have not eaten this much peanut butter since college. Oh this aisle has….I stopped dead in my tracks. I had turned into the cereal aisle and a wide-eyed stranger was looking very shocked right in front of my cart. I suddenly realized all the thoughts I was having about what to get and why I needed to get them were coming out of my mouth in an audible stream of conscious. This poor stranger was trying to figure out how to safely get out of the way of the lady unabashedly talking to herself in the cereal aisle.  I had withdrawn so much into my own world I had forgotten basic social norms, like do not speak out loud every thought you have in your head.

This experience made me realize the distance masks create. Psychologically it signals a barrier has been made between me and them. That barrier suggests there is no need to bother smiling or acknowledging another’s presence when they cannot see the gesture anyway. If I don’t need to worry about coming off as kind or approachable (I definitely don’t want to be approached) then I can shelter deeper inside myself and tend to only the needs I have; eggs, peanut butter, and cereal.

It makes sense that something we wear would have this kind of effect on our minds. I was always taught to get dressed for big tests because I would feel better about myself and be more confident. Experts are suggesting we change out of our pajamas even when staying safe at home because it will boost good brain chemistry and signal that we are supposed to be working, not relaxing. What we wear has a powerful effect on our brains, and what I experienced at the grocery store made it clear to me we will need to be vigilant to not let masks turn us inward, the exact opposite direction Pentecost calls us to turn.

The passages from Acts 2 make a bold declaration “your sons and daughters will prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.” All these things, seeing visions, dreaming dreams, and prophesying are the trademarks of prophets. This is a call to all people to become prophets for a new generation. To see the visions God has for the world, to dream God’s dreams, and to be the mouthpiece of God. When someone has a vision or a dream, they tend to tell people. These start as inner experiences but quickly become outward expressions. We understand the role of visions and dreams, they still exist in our 2020 world. The process of prophesying is a little less familiar.

When we hear the word prophet we often think of a future teller. Someone who comes in and tells what will happen next. Usually with an apocalyptic tone of God’s wrath bubbling over and God’s face turning away. However, prophets are not in the business of future telling, they are the observant few who notice the writing on the wall in the present. There are times when what they say will happen come true. If there is a massive war between global powers, saying “empires will fall” is a bit of a no brainer. When a prophet’s words about the future turn out exactly as they had said it would it is not because God has shown them something before it happened, it is because God has clearly shown them where the path they are on will lead.

This may seem like a small hair to split, but it makes a huge difference in the creation of new prophets for our world today. If one thinks to be a prophet one needs to see a great clear vibrant vision of the future world from God, if we are waiting for a dream clear enough to predict the next president or bet on the next world series we will be waiting for a long time. However, if we think a prophet is someone who sees something happening in the world today that is leading us all towards something God does not want for us, then we may find more prophets than we know how to name. Being a prophet is not about knowing exactly what will happen in the future. Being a prophet is about seeing the present world clearly and knowing God enough to sense a disconnect.

That is the first step to being a prophet, finding a disconnect. The next step is doing everything you can to get people to see it and change it. This is why prophets are so fun. They will do anything to get the message across to the people. They will marry prostitutes and name their children borderline abusive names so that the people will see they are treating God poorly (Hosea). Prophets will eat food cooked over human feces to show God’s people that they are too comfortable with worldly practices (Ezekiel). A prophet will get eaten by a fish to show how running from God is futile (Jonah). Well, maybe Jonah did not intend to give us that message but that just shows how God’s message finds a way when God is in partnership with a prophet. Prophets use their voice, their actions, and their whole lives to get God’s message to the people.

I fear masks will not help us find our prophetic voices that Pentecost gifts us. The mask certainly did not help me represent God well in the grocery store. Something in the wearing pulled me inward instead of projecting God’s message outward. Sure, no one can see my smile, but they can hear my voice. It will take more effort to greet everyone with a kind “hello” but that is the effort we will need to make to stay connected and humanize the strangers around us. In some places the simple act of wearing a mask will be a prophetic action on its own. When the world shouts “this is uncomfortable” a prophet will need to step in and say, “you are worth my discomfort.”

Do not wait for a clear vision in the fog, or a waking dream to convince you of the prophetic message God has asked you to proclaim. If you see a disconnect, do everything you can to point it out, and don’t let the mask turn you inward and muzzle your voice.


ILLUSTRATIONS

From team member Mary Austin:

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
How Manifold Are Your Works
“O Lord, how manifold are your works!  In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures,” the Psalmist writes, giving particular credit to the sea creatures, and noting the ships on the sea.  There’s an oft-told story about former astronaut Jim Lovell giving credit to sea creatures for saving his life.  Lovell tells the story in his book, Lost Moon. 

As a fighter pilot, before his NASA days, Lovell had “a close call he had while flying a Banshee off the aircraft carrier Shangri-La in the Sea of Japan. It was a very dark night and the problem was that when it came close to the time to land he couldn't find the carrier. He was following a homing signal but instead of leading him to the carrier it was leading him away from it. The homing signal that he was following was a different signal that originated on the mainland of Japan and it was broadcasting on the same frequency as the carrier's. When he realized that he wasn't where he was supposed to be, Lovell turned to his knee board. Back then pilots used to have a little board that they attached to the top of their knees. On it was written all the day's communication codes. Those codes were given to the pilots just before they took off and Lovell needed some of the codes to communicate with the carrier.

The problem was that the codes were written in such tiny print that in the past Lovell had had trouble reading them in the dim light of the cockpit. Lovell had therefore devised what he thought was an ingenious invention. He had collected some spare parts and made up a little light that he attached to his knee board. He could plug it into the airplane's electrical receptacle and all he had to do was flip a switch, it would then give him enough light to read the knee board. This would be his first chance to try out his invention.

When he flipped the switch there was a brilliant flash of light and everything went black. Lovell had overloaded the circuitry and it had shorted itself out, losing every bulb in the instrument panel. He quickly got out his tiny flashlight to look over his instrument panel. He knew that he was in a lot of trouble and thought that he might have to ditch in the sea. After a few seconds he switched his flashlight off and contemplated what he was going to do.

That's when he saw, far below, a faint greenish glow that formed a shimmery trail in the water. The propellers of the aircraft carrier had disturbed some phosphorescent algae in the water and churned it so that it glowed faintly. Lovell followed this trail and soon found his carrier. He later said that if his cockpit lights had not have shorted out, he never would have seen the phosphorescent trail, it could only be seen in the pitch dark. The shorting out of his instrument lights had actually saved him.” 

How manifold are the works of God. 

* * *

Acts 2:1-21
Finding Your Voice on the Street Corner
In the Pentecost story, each person present hears the proclamation in their own language, and Peter recalls Joel’s prophecy that everyone will have a voice in God’s realm.  In a Detroit neighborhood, residents are hearing notes of inspiration from their neighbors.  One street has started “Talk to a Human” events on the block, all at a safe distance.  “Talk to a Human is a simple idea: Neighbors get out of their homes at the same time to see each other, maybe talk a little. [Kim] Hunter, an author and social justice activist, championed the idea ever since it was suggested a few days earlier on the neighborhood’s listserv, the mass email/group discussion reserved for residents.  So, on Friday, March 20 at 7 p.m., Kim Hunter, his wife, Kathryn Savoie, and their daughter Anika, along with their dog Pretzel, walked out of their historic Vinewood Street home in the southwest Hubbard Farms neighborhood. They stood on their front lawn, bundled up in winter coats on a chilly evening, and looked for neighbors.  It took about 30 seconds. A smiling woman walked by, said hello, momentarily slowed in front of the family, but kept walking. Then a young couple passed by, waved, gave a thumbs up, and kept walking. Social distancing was a new concept in late March.  Then Kim spotted a couple about eight houses away. Like the Hunter/Savoie clan, the couple were standing in their front lawn.  “HELLO NEIGHBOR!” Kim yelled and frantically waved. The couple frantically waved back. “HELLO!”, the couple yelled back. Within minutes, at least 10 people had gathered in a safe social distance manner around the Hunter/Savoie home.” 

Detroit has been hit hard by the coronavirus.  “Detroit is 79 percent African-American. In early April, black Detroiters made up 26 percent of the state’s infections and 25 percent of its deaths.” 

And so the neighborhood voices became stronger, as the need for hope became greater.  “Around that time, the Vinewood ritual became more elaborate. Friday nights became performance night. More than 30 residents would show up as they spread out along the street and watch a neighbor perform from their home. Kim Hunter, who has published two collections of his poetry and a book of short stories, read some of his work. His daughter, Anika, debuted a modern dance piece on the front lawn. The piece was based on isolation.” 

People, young and old, women and men, are finding their voices, even in this time of isolation, and are hearing words of hope in their own languages of poetry, conversation and dance. 

* * *

Acts 2:1-21
Every Voice is Unique
We know that every voice is important, but every voice is also completely unique says author Chloe Goodchild.  She writes, “My work with individuals, communities, and organizations worldwide has revealed that there are as many unique voices as there are souls. Your voice is as unique as your twelve-stranded DNA. However, many don’t know how to access it. Our schools and social conditioning don’t offer many clues. Yet the human voice is everyone’s birthright. It is a universal given, a bridge between the worlds, the soul’s messenger, a gift of spirit capable of inspiring evolutionary shifts in consciousness.  Both ancient wisdom and the latest advances in science agree that every particle of matter, every phenomenon you experience, is a form of resonance or vibration. Your voice is the mouthpiece of this experience. There is nothing more personal, more tied to your identity than your voice. It is a primal means of expression—something true about us that precedes rational thought and conceptualization.” 

When young men and old men, women and girls, the illustrious and the unnoticed all speak for God, as Joel promises they will, in words echoed by Peter, it will happen in an array of unique voices. 

Goodchild tells us, “Research shows that more than two thousand messages move through the brain even before words come out of one’s mouth. People pick up on these unspoken voices inside us, carried in the vibration and tone of what we say. So many voices, and yet most of them conceal a deeper longing to be seen and heard, not just for what we have achieved, but simply for who we truly are.”

* * *

Acts 2:1-21
Hearing Voices
The Acts passage gives us stories about people inspired to speak, and people who listen, all under the power of the Holy Spirit.  We each need both, a word to speak and a person who hears, which is the idea behind A Kind Voice.  Founder David Levins says that, “We want to make the world a kind of more connected place, one conversation at a time. So each time we have a good conversation, we win and we kind of fulfill our mission.”  Everyone needs a place to use and stretch their voice, to try out new ideas, to be nurtured through conversation, and not everyone has that with the people in their lives. 

The conversations are tailored to each individual.  Levins says, “First, we recruit volunteers, and we ask them, “What are you passionate about talking about? What do you enjoy talking about?” 

So we have topics on books, movies, sports, music, travel, big ideas and philosophy. And we get volunteers who are interested in talking about them. And these people send in the most beautiful applications you can imagine! They’re just very beautiful people who want to share this kindness...Then when a caller calls the line, the first question they get is, “Are you experiencing a crises?” If they are, the call gets mapped to the suicide or abuse hotline. About half our calls are from people experiencing a crisis, but for whatever reason, they don’t want to call a crisis hotline. They didn’t know the number. But they select the crisis option, which is great, because we’re getting those people where they need to be.” 

Levins adds, “I can be a kind voice to you and you can be a kind voice to me. It may not solve all the problems in the world, but it just gives us a positive way to respond to these things.”  This thoughtfully designed phone line is a place where each person hears, in their own language.

* * * * * *

From team member Tom Willadsen:

Overall, there are a lot of passages this week that are so not physical distancing in the Covid-19 era. Jesus breathes on the ten disciples; the 70 meet in the tent and Moses isn’t wearing his mask because he’s been off the mountain for a while; all those spiritual gifts Paul lists unite Christians in one body; and the disciples are all together in Jerusalem, awaiting the promised Spirit. Preacher, have fun with these images, you’ll make them memorable!

Acts 2:1-21
Pentecost was originally a harvest festival, celebrating the first of the spring’s crops. In my part of the world that would be rhubarb and asparagus. It takes its name from the Greek word for 50, Πεντηκοστη, because it fell 50 days after the Sabbath on which Passover was celebrated. By the time of Christ, Pentecost was a celebration of the anniversary of receiving The Law on Mount Sinai. The sounds and sights in this reading echo those of Exodus 19:16-19.

Jerusalem would be something of an international city, or at least a destination for devout, Jewish tourists from many nations during Pentecost. Clearly the intent is that the gospel of Jesus Christ be accessible to people from all parts of the known world.

Peter’s defense of the disciples, “These are not drunk…for it is only nine o’clock in the morning,” is inane. Or at least it appears to be inane to anyone who attended college in the United States in the latter half of the 20th century.

* * *

Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
The Leviathan mentioned in v. 26 has been regarded as a giant snake, a sea monster, a blue whale or a dragon. In Revelation it is a personification of the Devil. In today’s reading it’s a plaything, a bath tub toy for the King of the Universe. Even this mighty, terrifying creature depends on God for food.

* * *

John 20:19-23
Maybe think of this text as pre-Pentecost Pentecost. This one took place on the evening of Easter to ten of the disciples. (Judas had killed himself and Thomas was not present.) Jesus breathed into them. It didn’t seem to have much effect, however. The next week they were in the same place; this time Thomas was with them, but nothing else appears to have changed. You know how sometimes you need to hear something more than once before it sinks in? Maybe the disciples needed to hear and feel and experience the Holy Spirit several times before they had the courage to accept its authority and act.

Jesus didn’t really give the disciples an option about receiving the Spirit, he more or less imposed it on them.

* * *

John 7:37-39
This passage gets right up next to heresy. A casual reading might lead one to think that the Holy Spirit didn’t exist at this point in the story. These few verses in reality indicate that the Holy Spirit was kept (withheld?) from the disciples until Jesus was glorified. This text points to Acts 1:6-14, which was covered in last week’s main article. It’s a wonderful image: Jesus ascends to heaven then two men in white clothing ask them “Why do you stand looking up to heaven?” This question foreshadows nicely a question used for comic effect, “Don’t just stand there, do something!”

* * *

Numbers 11:24-30
What’s happening out at the tent is no board meeting. The 70 are receiving a portion of the Holy Spirit. Note than Moses is a kind of conduit, but each person receives some and has his own experience. Moses’ response to Eldad and Medad’s prophesying foretells Jesus’ response in Mark 9:38-40:

John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. Whoever is not against us is for us. (NRSV)

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1 Corinthians 12:3b-13
All these gifts of the Spirit that are necessary for the Body of Christ to be strong and healthy are different. The healthy body needs to do a variety of things. This frees up church members (and pastors) to say “Not my gift,” and let someone else fix the toilet or master QuickBooks. Just because the church needs something done does not mean that every member can, or should, do it. Every April I express profound thanks to my brother, a CPA, for doing my taxes. His knowledge and expertise free me to do other things that I’m good at, use other gifts of the Spirit.

Do not overlook, however, that all these gifts are given for the common good. “To each is given a manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” The gifts the Lord has given you are for other people. “The Common Good” is a weighted, political concept at the moment. Some wear masks out of concern for other people; others see those same masks as a capitulation to tyranny and the refusal to wear one a sign of independent thought and indomitable freedom.

* * * * * *

From team member Dean Feldmeyer:

Cul De Sac Commencement (New Ways of Being Together)
My nephew, Wesley Feldmeyer, graduated high school this year and was all set for the usual and expected commencement exercises and parties that accompany that august occasion. Then Covid-19 butted in and ruined everything. Well, just about everything.

The moms on that particular Dayton, Ohio, cul-de-sac were commiserating on the phone about how sad it all was and, in those phone conversations, discovered that on their little street, there were five graduates – four from high school and one with a Ph.D. from college.

Thus was born the idea of the first “Cul-de-sac Commencement.”

Someone rented a small party tent. Someone else contacted a disc jockey they knew who was glad to donate his equipment and talent. Someone else found a podium and another person printed some stand-in diplomas to be used until the real ones were mailed from the various schools. One of the dads who was comfortable in front of a microphone was elected to be the master of ceremonies and commencement speaker.

All the graduates were invited and invited to prepare a 5 minutes speech. All enthusiastically accepted and attended. The graduates paraded down the street, ten feet apart, to the recorded sounds of Pomp and Circumstance and their families watched from their assigned places in the circle at the end of the cul-de-sac, observing social distancing guidelines, of course. The recipient of the Ph.D. led the grads in moving the tassels of their mortar boards from one side to the other.

Someone had alerted the media and all three of the local TV channels and the local newspaper as well as the community newspaper were there to record everything for the evening news and posterity.

After the hour-long ceremony the families retired to their individual homes for cookouts and celebrations. A younger sibling of one of the graduates was heard to say that he wanted a commencement celebration like this one which was “a whole lot more fun” than the old kind.

* * *

Visiting Grandma (New Ways of Being Together)
Tara Parker-Pope, The (New York) Times’s consumer health columnist, says she is hearing one question from readers more often than any other these days: When can I see my grandkids (or, for that matter, my grandparents or aging parents)?

“We have to protect the elderly population from Covid-19,” Tara says. “But loneliness and isolation are major health risks too. For many grandparents, seeing their grandchildren is the greatest source of joy in their lives. With planning, social distancing, good weather and a mask, an outdoor visit is the way to minimize risk and reconnect grandparents with their grandkids.”

One crafty grandma created a plastic barrier with plastic arms on both sides so grandma and grandchild could approach the plastic curtain, stick their arms in the provided sleeves and hug each other without actually touching. They get the hug without the dangerous contact.

The safest, experts tell us, is to not visit Grandparents at all, but that is probably not sustainable or emotionally healthy for most people, grandparents and grandchildren alike. So they suggest that we go with basic, social distancing and hand hygiene and be careful.

* * *

She Found Her Voice (Finding Our Voice)
Hita Gupta was heartbroken upon learning her regular visits to nursing homes were put on hold because of coronavirus.

"They told me that I couldn't visit because they were trying to limit interaction with seniors to prevent the spread," Gupta told CNN.

The 15-year-old had been volunteering at one facility near her home in Paoli, Pennsylvania, for more than a year — organizing activities like trivia and bingo for the residents.

"The seniors aren't able to see their families, so that's causing loneliness, boredom and anxiety," she said.

And then she thought of her own grandparents.

"They're in India but I have calls with them on Skype. Even though they're stuck inside their homes we can speak to them. They (nursing home residents) may not have that option," Gupta explained.

So, she came up with the idea to send goodie bags — each one stuffed with one large print puzzle book, an adult coloring book and coloring pencils. "The puzzle and coloring books will help nursing home residents stimulate their minds and keep them occupied," said Gupta.

The packages also include an encouraging note written by her 9-year-old brother, Divit.

She's dropped off goodie bags to 18 nursing homes.

Gupta coordinates with the nursing homes ahead of time to confirm that the bags can be received safely.

Initially, Gupta was purchasing items with her own allowance, but figured if she wanted to make a larger impact, she would need more money. As news spread of her good deed, more people wanted to help.

"I've heard from a lot of people and people are sharing on social media. They've reached out saying 'you've inspired me to do a similar project in my area.'"

* * *

He Found All 22 Of His Voices (New Ways of Being Together)
Scott Kummrow has served as the band director for nearly 17 years at Fergus Falls High School in Minnesota. But this school year has been unlike any before. As hard as he tried to adjust to the new normal of distance learning, it was nearly impossible to conduct the music lessons and rehearsals that filled his pre-pandemic school days.

He noticed a change in his students, too. Social isolation and nonstop screen time made them disconnected and sluggish. For many of the seniors in the group, the loss of graduation and other milestones felt devastating.

So, Scott wanted to use music to pay tribute to these students and their accomplishments. Over the course of two days, he filmed himself playing the graduation anthem "Pomp and Circumstance" on 22 different band instruments, while decked out in various articles of school-themed apparel.

After about 10 hours of recording, he layered the individual videos together to create an impressively cohesive final product.

In a version he showed to his students, Scott added personalized messages to each senior.

"They got a kick out of it," he said.

"This is about communal gathering... and being a part of something bigger than the individual," he said.

He also recognized the exceptional work other teachers are doing to find out-of-the-box ways to engage their students.

"This is just a visual representation of what every teacher I know is doing," he said.

You can see Mr. Kummrow as the band. (Watch flute and tympani players for an extra chuckle.)

* * *

He Found His Voice In Humor
After six months of practicing one-liners on his parents and two younger siblings, 6-year-old Callaghan McLaughlin was ready for prime time.

Callaghan McLaughlin, 6, at his joke booth with his little sister, Cayde, at the family home in British Columbia.

The British Columbia first-grader set up a joke booth at the end of his driveway last month and waited for his targets — friends and their parents — to amble by.

“What does a rain cloud wear under its coat?” he asked one of the first people to drop by at a safe six-foot

distance. “Thunderwear!”

“What kind of bug is bad at football?” he called out to another. “A fumblebee!"

“What does a duck snack on? Cheese and quackers!"

And on it went, until Callaghan had exhausted all of the 16 jokes he’d memorized from the book his mom gave him last fall, “Laugh out Loud Jokes for Kids.” Then he started from the beginning again. And again. And again.

After a local television station showed up to interview him and was followed by the Canadian Broadcast Corp., the walk-by/drive-by comic from the District of Saanich on Vancouver Island became a bit of an Internet celebrity.

Five weeks later, he’s still at it.

Even if the jokes are groaners, people are happy to be entertained by a giggling 6-year-old during these stressful days, said Callaghan's mom, Kelsea McLaughlin, 36, a training administrator for a Canadian aircraft manufacturer.

* * *

Churches Have To Search For New Ways To “Be Together In One Place”
This past week, Donald Trump threatened to override any governors who didn’t rescind any orders from governors for places of worship to be closed during the pandemic. Critics have said this threat is more theater than bold initiative, more political stunt than any real act of reform. Many doubt he has the authority to actually follow through on his threat.

In his own defense, Mr. Trump, stated that if liquor stores and abortion clinics are “essential” then churches should be considered so as well. “We need more prayer, not less,” he said.

As Theologian in Chief, the president probably should note that there are vast practical differences in making a liquor store relatively safe as opposed to making a church so. And, as almost any religious person knows,  you don’t have to be in a house of worship to worship and pray.

In the meantime, churches in states at the forefront of reopening efforts are closing their doors for a second time.

Catoosa Baptist Tabernacle in Ringgold, Ga., less than 20 miles away from Chattanooga, Tenn., and Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Houston have indefinitely suspended services after members and leaders tested positive for the coronavirus shortly after reopening.

The news of the canceled services comes as a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that large gatherings pose risk for coronavirus transmission and called on faith-based organizations to work with local health officials about implementing guidelines for modified activities.


* * * * * *

WORSHIP
by George Reed

Call to Worship:
Leader: O God, how manifold are your works!
People: In wisdom you have made them all.
Leader: When you send forth your spirit, O God, you renew the face of the ground.
People: May the glory of God endure forever.
Leader: We will praise our God while we have being.
People: May our meditation be pleasing to our God in whom we rejoice.

OR

Leader: The Spirit of our God is upon us.
People: We will tell of all the wonders of our God.     
Leader: Distance cannot separate us from God or one another.
People: We are united in the Spirit and in our mission.      
Leader: The power of the Spirit fills us and energizes us.
People: We are ready to share the good news of Jesus Christ.

Hymns and Songs:
Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty
UMH: 64/65
H82: 362
PH: 138
AAHH: 329
NNBH: 1
NCH: 277
CH: 4
LBW: 165
ELW: 413
W&P: 136
AMEC: 25
STLT: 26
Renew: 204

All My Hope Is Firmly Grounded
UMH: 132
H82: 665
NCH: 408
CH: 88
ELW: 757

Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies
UMH: 173
H82: 6/7
PH: 462/463
LBW: 265
ELW: 553
W&P: 91

Help Us Accept Each Other
UMH: 560
PH: 358
NCH: 388
CH: 487
W&P: 596
AMEC: 558 

The Church’s One Foundation
UMH: 545/546
H82: 525
PH: 442
AAHH: 337
NNBH: 297
NCH: 386
CH: 272
LBW: 369
ELW: 654
W&P: 544
AMEC: 519 

O Zion, Haste
UMH: 573
H82: 539
NNBH: 422
LBW: 397
ELW: 668
AMEC: 566

This Little Light of Mine
UMH: 585
AAHH: 549
NNBH: 511
NCH: 524/525
ELW: 677
STLT: 118

Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
UMH: 500
PH: 326
AAHH: 312
NCH: 290
CH: 265
LBW: 486
ELW: 800
W&P: 132
AMEC: 189

Breathe on Me, Breath of God
UMH: 420
H82: 508
PH: 316
AAHH: 317
NNBH: 126
NCH: 292
CH: 254
LBW: 488
W&P: 461
AMEC: 192

Of All the Spirit’s Gifts to Me
UMH: 336
CH: 270
W&P: 401

Holy Spirit, Truth Divine
UMH: 465
PH: 321
NCH: 63
CH: 241
LBW: 257
ELW: 398

Spirit of the Living God
UMH: 393
PH: 322
AAHH: 320
NNBH: 133
NCH: 283
CH: 259
W&P: 492
CCB: 57
Renew: 90

I Love You, Lord
CCB: 14
Renew: 36

More Precious than Silver
CCB: 25

Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
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
ELW: 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 comes among us in power and glory:
Grant us the grace to draw together in purpose
that we may proclaim the good news to all;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

OR

We praise you, O God, because you come among us in power and glory. You bring to us the power to overcome our differences and to share your good news with all your children. Open us to your Spirit as you come among us this day. Amen.

Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially division and lack of mission. 

People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We are one people created by one God. We are one people filled with the very breath and life of God. Yet we are quick to find things that point out differences. We look for divisions where God sees only unity. We allow our differences to stop us from being in mission and ministry to all people. We have failed our Lord by ignoring his reaching out to all. Forgive us and renew us that we may be faithful to our God, to ourselves, and to all God’s people. Amen. 

Leader: God our creator welcomes us as we return to our right minds and see the unity we were created for. Receive the gift of God’s Spirit and share the good news everywhere.

Prayers of the People
We praise and glorify you name, O God, creator of humanity. You Spirit moves among us and gives us life.

(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 are one people created by one God. We are one people filled with the very breath and life of God. Yet we are quick to find things that point out differences. We look for divisions where God sees only unity. We allow our differences to stop us from being in mission and ministry to all people. We have failed our Lord by ignoring his reaching out to all. Forgive us and renew us that we may be faithful to our God, to ourselves, and to all God's people.

We thank you for gracious gift of your Spirit which hovered over the deep at creation, was breathed into us when we were made, and which refills us this day and every day. We thank you for those who have allowed your Spirit to energize them as they reached out in love and care to us so that we could know of your love for all your children.

(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)

We pray for your children everywhere. We pray for those who are struggling with health issues, those who are dying, and those who are grieving. We pray for those work to bring comfort and healing to your children. We pray for your Church and its mission throughout the world.

(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 Our Father 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
What are prophets? Sometimes we think of prophets as people who tell what is going to happen in the future but prophets are really people who speak for God, who share God’s message. On Pentecost the disciples became prophets as they spoke for God by sharing the message of Jesus. We can be prophets too when we share Jesus’ love and care.


* * * * * *

CHILDREN'S SERMON
Together — Even When We Are Apart
by Chris Keating
Acts 2:1-21

Social distancing and online worship present both problems and opportunities for congregations this Pentecost. It is hard to celebrate Pentecost while congregations are “all together in one place,” though not impossible. Our current situation also lends itself to unique, even memorable, opportunities for helping children and adults experience the possibilities of being the church together.

The wild images of flames, fiery tongues, and people understanding different images may be hard to visualize during worship that happens online. Pentecost explodes with sensory images, so finding ways of overcoming this barrier may unlock the imagination of children. Use pictures, stories, and hymns to help set the scene for worship.

A good place may be to begin with the wonderful hymn “We Are the Church,” by Donald S. Marsh and Richard K. Avery. The two wrote many songs for worship during the 1960s and 70s. “We Are the Church” is a simple-to-learn piece with an important message. (Note that its words and music are copyright protected and required licensing for publication or streaming.)

Have a musician sing or play the hymn, and then talk to the children about the song. It’s a reminder that the church is not a building — but is instead a people — brings what Avery and Marsh remind us ... that the church includes “many kinds of people, with many kinds of faces.” The gift of Pentecost is recalling the way that God erases barriers that keep the church separated.

On Pentecost, we recall the way the Spirit came to both comfort and challenge the church. Instead of remaining locked up in a house, the apostles knew that what God wanted them to do is to share the message of Jesus to the world. Help the children understand that a church does not “open” or “close” like a business, even if the building is closed. Share some examples of the ways your church’s ministry continues in a time when we cannot be together.

If you are able, include different readers from different ages in worship to emphasize the way older people and younger people all have a voice in worship. Show pictures of different members and invite the children to say or learn the names of those members. You may wish to prepare “Pentecost Packets” ahead of time for families to use in worship. A packet might include some red crepe paper to make a Pentecost flame banner, a coloring sheet about Pentecost, red and orange crayons, and a copy of the scripture lesson from Acts.

Another option would be to have children brainstorm answers to questions such as “What do I hope my church will become? What dream do I have for this church? Then have the children ask the same or similar questions of older members. Conclude with a prayer giving thanks to God for giving us the gifts to be together — even when we are apart.


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The Immediate Word, May 31, 2020 issue.

Copyright 2020 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.