What If God Prayed For Us/u.s.?
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
Dear Fellow Preachers,
The high degree to which the current presidential election campaign is polarized provides a fertile field for a sermon. So for this installment of The Immediate Word, we've asked team member Carter Shelley to use that polarization as the backdrop for a discussion based on the lectionary's Epistle text and the alternate First Lesson text.
As usual, you'll also find team comments, illustrations, worship resources, and a children's sermon.
What If God Prayed for Us/U.S.?
By Carter Shelley
Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-7
In September 2004, we have two avowed Christians campaigning for the highest office in the land. We, too, desire a quiet and peaceable life: less politicking, less war, more jobs and job security, and brighter days ahead. We also may wish to pray that our political officials "come to the knowledge of the truth" and that our political opponents at home and our military enemies abroad get converted to our beliefs and our way of thinking. But are our prayers also God's prayers?
The January 26, 2003 edition of The Immediate Word examined "Prayer for Public Consumption," with a focus on appropriate contexts for prayer and the ways that we use prayer. The question I pose this week is: "What should we be praying now?" Have you been praying that your man will win? That your values and beliefs will be vindicated on November 2nd? That the election be honest and fair? That God's will be done? Exactly because we American Christians are not unanimous in our political ideologies and understanding of how our nation should be governed, we need to ask ourselves these questions and a larger one: "What if God prayed for us? What might God's prayer be?" Using 1 Timothy 2:1-7 and the alternate Old Testament text, Amos 8:4-7, this Sunday we'll consider what God's prayer might be for us as individuals -- and for the U.S. as a nation -- in 2004 and beyond.
Introduction
Prayer is not exactly a novel or fresh subject for sermons. While it is not something that requires scorekeeping, more frequent prayer tends to indicate a more God-centered life. Prayer is at the heart of faithfulness. Piety, a deepening spirituality, a sense of intimacy with and need for God, all are underscored, sustained, and reinforced by a dedicated and regular prayer life.
The Bible is full of human prayer models. Abraham negotiating with God time and time again as to how many righteous people must be found for God to spare Sodom suggests that human appeals for divine mercy can have an affect. Hannah, tearfully pleading with God to open her womb, believes in God's ability to change her situation and give her a son. Jeremiah confessing how painful and hard it is for him to continue to prophesy in the face of mockery and rejection lives long enough to see his prophetic words vindicated as God's judgment gets passed upon Judah.
Members of our congregations know these stories and others about the efficacy of prayer. Moreover, from worship services and liturgical resources, such as the Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer and the Presbyterian Worship Book, we know there are specific prayers for special occasions. We know there are prayers for the nation, prayers for people in other parts of the world, and prayers for our enemies. We know we are called to pray in many circumstances and situations.
Rather than explore the kinds of prayers American Christians might pray during the next eight weeks of political campaigning, I wanted to see if rephrasing the question might provide new insights into a familiar practice. That's why I ask, "What if God prayed for us? What might God's prayer for us and the United States be?"
A prayer for the prosperous and strong to support, not exploit, the poor and the weak:
In Amos 8:4-7 the prophet identifies specific legal and economic abuses being practiced by some Israelites against others. Lest any be in doubt about the crimes being committed, explicit details are identified. God sees how "You trample the needy ... bring ruin to the poor of the land." God also knows exactly what these B.C. capitalists are thinking. They can hardly wait for the new moon to pass and the Sabbath to be over so they can get back to the business of stinting their neighbors by cheating on measures, "making the ephah small" and the "shekel great" by using rigged scales. As if this injustice isn't enough, the prosperous merchants of the day are in a position to buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. Whether this reference means slavery explicitly, indentured servitude or the devaluing of those who do not have the wealth or wit to stay on top, it's clear the situation of the poor is desperate while those whose gains are ill-gotten have no compunction about worsening the lot of their fellow citizens. Verse 7 concludes, "I will never forget any of their deeds." Reminding the citizens of the northern kingdom -- and us -- that no injustice, greedy action, or disregard for the basic needs of others will go unnoticed by God.
God's prophesy in Amos 8:4-7 may first be heard as a prayer that's an appeal. It's a prayer to the people to change their evil ways. But it is a disregarded prayer, a prayer unheard and unanswered by the citizens of Israel. When the ones so addressed remain callous and cold of heart, the prayer becomes a prophetic warning and judgment. Both prayer and judgment are made by a God who knows his people's thoughts, motives, actions, and sins. Both prayer and judgment are made to a people with the freedom and independence to change their minds, change their hearts and do the decent thing. They have that freedom and that power. They choose not to hear.
In thinking what kind of prayer God might pray to us in the United States today, these words from the book of Amos remain relevant. God speaks to people who are successful and powerful enough to make things better for the poor. The poor themselves are so bereft, they can barely afford "the sweepings of wheat" leftover after the better wheat has been sold; therefore, they are not in a position to challenge unscrupulous practices or bribe a king to do their bidding. God addresses those who have the ability and the power to change things for the better by changing their own behavior and showing fairness and compassion for the poor.
May those of you at the top of the humanity heap, treat the poor and needy justly, kindly, and generously. If God were to offer a prayer on to the wealthy, upper-middle-class, middle-middle-class, and blue-collar citizens of the United States today, surely God would pray that "Those with the money, the vote and the opportunity to improve the condition of the poor in American take that which we have been given -- clear minds, good hearts, and a strong work ethic -- and use those resources to help our less prosperous neighbors attain the means for moving from a hand-to-mouth existence to one of independence and basic comfort." Or, perhaps it would be worded like this: "May the bountiful natural resources I have given to your country, be shared fairly and equably among its citizens and aspiring citizens that all may work, eat, rest, and live in fellowship and harmony with one another and in service and obedience to me, your Lord."
A prayer that we remember God as our Lord and guide every day: The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9b-13 comes the closest to being a prayer that originated with God, because Jesus first offers it as a suitable way for us to pray. This prayer underscores human freewill and our need for God in all aspects of our life. With a slight shift in emphasis the Lord's Prayer becomes
God's prayer for us and to us:
My Children on Earth,
Hallowed by my name when you use it, pray it, or think it.
My will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I give you today your daily bread.
I forgive your sins as you forgive the sins of others.
Do not be led into temptation.
I would deliver you from evil forces and have you keep yourself from evil actions.
I am the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever.
May the freewill you've been given be guided by the petitions Jesus taught you to pray on a daily basis. The Lord's Prayer serves to underscore the central part God plays in our lives and the love and care God offers us on a daily basis.
A prayer that all God's children may live in harmony and find faith in Christ Jesus:
The authorship of 1 Timothy 2:1-7 remains an open question. Some biblical scholars believe Paul wrote it to help his friend Timothy deal with issues occurring in a church the latter served. Other scholars note significant disparities in wording, style, and theological content and conclude authorship comes at least a generation after Paul's death. The earliest Christians felt no need to worry about how to integrate themselves into the dominant Roman culture, because they expected Jesus' imminent return. The situation in 1 Timothy is quite different. The Christians are now known as people who will not take part in cultic worship of the emperor. They don't share the same values, beliefs, goals, or religion and are well known enough that they need other ways to show themselves to be good citizens adverse to social disruption. Consequently, they are urged to pray for "kings and all who are in high positions." This prayer expresses self-interest and concern for their own survival, "That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity." The author also expresses a desire that God may save "everyone ... [so they may] come to the knowledge of the truth."
Three specific types of prayer are specified in 1 Timothy 2:1: supplication, intercessions, and thanksgiving. Supplications refer to specific, personal requests to God. "Please let Bush/Kerry win the election in November." Intercessions get offered on behalf of other people. "Bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones to cancer in the past year." Thanksgiving acknowledges God as the origin and source of all good things that come to us in life. "Holy Lord, thank you for the wonderful opportunities and freedoms I enjoy as an American citizen."
Prayers on behalf of rulers and political officials are not unique to Timothy. The Old Testament offers many examples of prayers offered on behalf of kings, warriors, and other types of leaders. In this particular instance, Christians are urged to pray for kings and all who are in high positions, then they are encouraged to live in such a way that they themselves will be a positive force in and for society's stability and good. The idea is not to compromise one's religion in order to enjoy a peaceable and quiet life; it's to model "godliness and dignity" in order to help transform lives and bring them closer to Christ Jesus who mediates between God and humanity. Trust in the efficacy of prayer and in God's universal salvific intention are both expressed.
While the United States of American continues to be called a "Christian nation" and many of us continue to think of it in this way, we know there are many American citizens today who are not Christian. Many are nominal Christians, who believe the basic tenets of Christianity but don't know enough Bible or doctrine to refute pop heresies such as those evident in Dan Brown's fictional The Da Vinci Code. Since 9/11 we've become more aware of our Muslim citizens and of Islam's growing popularity in the United States. We also know that our national diversity extends to a multitude of different religions and practices that the Puritan fathers and Jesuit missionaries could not have foreseen. We know Americans who practice Buddhism, Hinduism, Kabbalah, Reformed and Orthodox Judaism, agnosticism, atheism, or nothing much at all. No longer is Christianity the only religion on the block. In that way, our situation resembles that of Timothy's readers. In terms of power and influence our situation is very different from that of first-century Christians. We Christians are a powerful voting force in the United States. However, we are not a unified voting force, because we understand and express our Christian faith in a multitude of ways. We are liberals, conservatives, born again, Christened at birth, anti-war in Iraq, for the war in Iraq, pro choice, pro life, and so on and so on.
How might God pray for us? 1 Timothy 2:1-2 suggests a divine variation on some of the examples offered earlier. Instead of praying, "Please let Bush/Kerry win the election in November," God might pray, "May you search your heart, soul and mind for my will. May all of you eligible to vote, do so. May you think beyond your own wallet, your national pride, your fears and terrors, your own sense of my will, and let me guide not only your decisions in politics but in everything you say and do in my name and in your life. May you pray for and offer comfort to all who have lost loved ones whether through war, through poverty, through disease, through terrorist acts, through suicide, car wrecks, hurricanes, and plane crashes. May you be grateful for the wonderful opportunities and freedoms you enjoy as an American citizen and may you use your many blessings as a way to be a blessing to others, May you live, act, and pray as Christians in all situations and on behalf of all peoples, because I your God am Lord of all and would redeem all.
Having considered what God's prayer to us might be, let us too pray: That the prosperous and strong support, not exploit, the poor and the weak; that we remember God as our Lord and guide every day; and that all God's children may live in harmony and find faith in Christ Jesus. May we also pray that we be worthy of these prayers offered on our behalf and that we help make these prayers come true. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Afterword: But what about November 2? You may ask. The Bible offers a model for prayers offered on that day as well. Take a look at Psalm 72. Not every line directly applies to whomever we elect president of the United States, but the overall sentiment and content would be hard to beat. This "Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King" might offer an inspiring conclusion to the morning's worship by helping Christians apply God's standards and blessing to human leaders. This Psalm predates Christianity; therefore, its more strident lines should sound harsh and antithetical to both Christian and American values. If they don't, we are in danger of not only arrogance but also triumphalism. Let us pray:
Give the president, your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a president's successor.
May he judge your people with righteousness
and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.
May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.
For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live!
May gold or Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
May they pronounce him happy.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of the United States,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be God's glorious name forever,
may God's glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.
Team Comments
George Murphy responds: At any season of any year, the admonition in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 calls us to pray for those who have responsibility in civil society -- "For our president, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority" as one of the petitions in the "Prayers of the People" in the Book of Common Prayer puts it (p. 384). In a democratic society, roughly half the members of an average congregation at any given time will wish that someone else were president, governor, etc. But the prayer is not just about an abstract office. It is about the people who are actually in the office at the moment. We are praying, at least for the next few months, for George W. Bush. Some people don't like him. Many of the Christians who first heard the words of our text didn't like the Roman Emperor. That isn't the point. Pray for him.
But while we should be concerned for the president's personal welfare, our basic concern at this point is that the president does what is best for the country, and for the world, as a whole. For some that may mean that we hope God will encourage him to keep doing what he's doing. For others it will be that God would change the president's heart and mind. But the purpose of our prayers isn't -- or shouldn't be -- to give God political advice. (Just as when we pray for a person's healing, we don't need to give God medical advice.) All of our prayers should be subject to the proviso "Thy will be done."
As we approach a very important presidential election, more is involved than just prayer for the sitting president. If we really think that we have "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" then the injunction of our text ought to lead us to pray for those who will vote in November. In one sense (unrealistic though it may seem at times) the electorate as a whole plays the role of the "kings" in 1 Timothy. We should be praying that voters make the choices that are best for the country and the world when they go to the polls.
And our prayers should include those who are running for office -- John Kerry as well as George W. Bush. (And one really ought to include third-party candidates, though the possibility of them actually winning doesn't come into question.) We needn't feel squeamish about praying that one or the other candidate win the election either -- if that again is with the understanding "Thy will be done."
Presidents and others in authority may be called to do things that are forbidden to those in private life. Police officers sometimes have to kill people. Judges put criminals in prison. A president must make choices about war and peace -- to prosecute a war forced upon the nation (as with the current war on terrorism) or to choose to go to war (as President Bush did in Iraq). We can understand the necessity of such actions in terms of the concept that they are God's ministers for the maintenance of justice and order in society. But how do we pray for them when we know that the performance of their duties requires such actions?
Here I think it's helpful to remember that in scripture we are given not just advice to pray and not just examples of prayers to use but -- in the Psalms -- the prayers of Christ. This is an important theme of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together (Harper & Row, 1954), pp.44-50.
A psalm that we cannot offer as a prayer, that makes us falter and horrifies us, is a hint to us that here Someone is praying, not we; that the One who is here protesting his innocence, who is invoking God's judgment, who has come to such infinite depths of suffering, is none other than Jesus Christ himself. He it is who is praying here, and not only here but in the whole Psalter. (45)
Bonhoeffer goes on to explain that though we pray the psalms as individuals, we pray them in the deepest sense in Christ. Thus while we cannot claim complete innocence -- as some of the psalms do -- yet Christ can, and we can pray as those given the righteousness of Christ. We have no business on our own asking for God to punish or destroy others, as the imprecatory psalms (e.g., Psalm 109) do. We may not even understand how Christ can pray them. But we cannot pray them without him.
The psalms are, as Bonhoeffer emphasizes, the prayers of "the Man Christ Jesus." But because of who Jesus is, they are then also the prayers of God. And they are prayers that are ours in the fellowship with God that we are given through the Spirit of Christ.
I think that this has some relevance for the question of how we are to pray for those in authority and how we are to pray in an election year. For example, both John Kerry and George W. Bush are committed to fighting a war on terror and continuing the American presence in Iraq. Psalms 20 and 21 form a pair of royal psalms, the first when the king leads his army out to battle and the second when he returns victorious. Can we pray these with the president and the men and women in our military in mind?
"Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7) is not something we can say with complete honesty on our own: It's all too easy for us to put our confidence in weapons systems. But we are to pray this in Christ. "You will aim at their [the enemies'] faces with your bows" (Psalm 21:12b) is something we may find all too easy to say when we think of terrorists who blow up innocent people. As individuals we would have to recognize our own hatred that would be expressed in that wish and try to restrain ourselves. As Christians we are to put such prayers in the hands of Christ, who took the judgment for the world's evil upon himself.
Carlos Wilton responds: Having read your contribution for this week, Carter, my response takes the form of a number of unrelated comments:
1) I'm not sure if the idea of God praying works for me. It's a provocative literary device, but actually using it in a sermon would require a number of cumbersome theological disclaimers that just might cancel out the benefits of the metaphor. God is the person to whom prayers are directed; if God were to pray, to whom then would those prayers be directed? This objection could perhaps be overcome with a simple change of focus: from "What would God pray?" to "What does God most deeply desire of us?"
2) The words of your hypothetical prayer spoken by God, "May those of you at the top of the humanity heap, treat the poor and needy justly, kindly, and generously," call to mind, for me, the words of Isaiah that are so often used on Ash Wednesday:
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin? (Isaiah 58:6-7)
3) With regard to prayers for political leaders, the many "Royal Psalms" offer some interesting texts that could function as illustrations. You mention Psalm 72; some other examples of this genre are Psalms 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 101, 110, and 144:1-11. Translating these psalms to the present political context is difficult, however, because the Israelite institution of kingship carries with it certain clearly defined theological and liturgical functions. Politicians in our secular democracy may indeed believe -- with some justification -- that calling on the Almighty in public contexts produces a certain number of votes, but this is a far cry from the theocracy that was ancient Israel.
4) There are undoubtedly different traditions represented by readers of The Immediate Word with regard to how explicitly politics may be addressed from the pulpit. Certain African-American churches, for example, are historically very comfortable with their pastors endorsing political candidates. Many others of us, however, must walk an exceedingly fine line when it comes to any remarks that could be construed as favoring one candidate over another. It's easier to address issues than candidates -- although even our choice of issues may tip our hand as to which person we ourselves would be more likely to vote for, come November. That's the objection I have, by the way, to the candidate scorecards that some political organizations seek to get churches to distribute around Election Day: it's all in the choice of the "Christian issues" selected to appear on the scorecard. If the "Christian issues" all have to do with personal sexual morality, that will skew the results one way; and if they have to do with economic justice, that will skew the results the other way.
Related Illustrations
It has been said that the difference between liberals and conservatives is that the liberals want to use religion and politics to control money and liberate sex, while the conservatives want to use religion and politics to control sex and liberate money. But we do not think that either side of the quip has it entirely right. We do think that these matters shape souls and civilizations, and that we have to look at these issues from several sides.
-- Max L. Stackhouse, describing Princeton Theological Seminary's "Project on Public Theology," in Inspire, the seminary's alumni/ae journal
***
It has already come to pass that the demon of evil, like a whirlwind, triumphantly circles all five continents of the earth ... It is during such trials that the highest gifts of the human spirit are manifested. If we perish and lose the world, the fault will be ours alone.
-- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, upon receiving the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion
***
The concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the few is the death knell of democracy. No republic in the history of humanity has survived this.
-- Garrison Keillor, "We're Not in Lake Wobegon Anymore," an excerpt from his book, Homegrown Democrat (Viking, 2004)
***
There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money, and I can't remember what the second one is.
-- Mark Hanna, 19th-century Ohio political boss and U.S. senator
***
A lie told often enough becomes truth.
-- Lenin (Vladimir Ulyanov)
***
Church historian Martin Marty has a wonderful way of flagging obscure books and articles that have something profound to say about church and society. Summarizing an article by Michael E. Bailey and Kristin Lindholm called "Tocqueville and the Rhetoric of Civil Religion in the Presidential Inaugural Addresses" from the Christian Scholar's Review (XXXII: 3, Spring 2003), Marty cites a study of the content of American presidential inaugural addresses. Here, in Marty's words, is what these researchers discovered:
What they heard in the first half of our presidential history is very different from what has come up ever since. Originally, inaugural addresses, primetime summations of presidential philosophies and intentions, had three main elements: 1) modesty, 2) American exceptionalism, 3) accent on "the operations of the Constitution."
No more. Instead, bipartisanly, with boosts from Woodrow Wilson and climax in Ronald Reagan, over a century of talks abandon "civic education," often to partisan or universal acclaim. The three marks now are: 1) immodesty about limitless America, 2) American universalism, and 3) "paeans to America." What the authors' counting and listening turn up amounts to something that prophets in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam would have summarized in a simple term: idolatry of the nation....
Since FDR, "God is still invoked, but America's real faith is faith in America: not in the government, not in the Constitution, not strictly speaking, in the people (though this comes closer), but in America as Idea. The American way is God's way," and offers a "glimpse of perfection." "God Bless America" now means -- what? "In championing America, presidents use the poetic and priestly moment of the inaugural to celebrate the infinite potentialities of humanity," American style. America is not a place: "It is spirit." Since Wilson, "America is the secular proxy for the Kingdom of God ... America is that land where the finite merges with the infinite." Americans are to use their freedom and technology "to allow humanity -- not a sovereign God -- to govern its destiny." "The concept of America crowds out our other identities."
-- From Martin Marty's "Sightings" e-newsletter (published by the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School), July 26, 2004
***
The main qualification for political office is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen.
-- Winston Churchill
***
I am very frightened whenever religious people absorb political power. Because the minute that they begin to operate from the position of power, they contradict the essence of Christ, which is powerlessness: love in action.
You know, the only people that have ever gotten anything done in this world are people that didn't hold political office, it seems ... Ghandi led a revolution, and he did it without using political power. He was never elected to office. When they asked him, "How are you going to get the British to leave India," he said, "As friends." Two weeks after the revolution was completed, he was welcomed in London, the capital of the enemy, as a hero. That's what love can do. That's what love lived out by powerless people can do.
Martin Luther King, Jr. did not hold a political office. He changed history more than all the politicians put together, in this country. That great march from Selma to Montgomery, and the followers of King got to the bridge, and the sheriff said to turn back. And the response was, "We've come too far to turn back now." And the people got down on their knees. And what is more vulnerable than people on their knees? At the count of ten, the deputies waded in with their clubs, released the vicious dogs, and on live television I saw it. I saw that mess on the bridge just outside of Selma. People being bitten and beaten and clobbered. And I was watching in the Student Union Building of the University of Pennsylvania. I remember standing up and saying, "We've won! We've won! The civil rights movement had won!"
You say, "Wait a minute. They're getting beaten, they're getting battered, they're getting bitten, they're getting destroyed!"
"You're right! They're getting killed! But we Christians, we have a nasty habit of rising again; for there is no power that can keep love down!" Love triumphs in the end.
That's the great issue of history, isn't it? Whether we're going to trust in power, or we're going to trust in love. And the problem is that the church, instead of being faithful to its genius, thinks that it has to play power games, instead of love games....
-- Tony Campolo, in a speech at the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly Breakfast, June 11, 2001
***
Finally, a parting word, to keep all this in perspective ...
Lynne Hough, a hospital chaplain, wrote in an Ecunet electronic meeting about an elderly patient whose mental acuity was being evaluated. A standard question, in such evaluations, is to ask the patient who is the president of the United States.
When they asked this particular woman who the president is, she replied, "Honey, I'm a hundred and one years old and I don't care who is the president!"
"Needless to say," Lynne concludes, "she was labeled as 'oriented and appropriate.' "
Worship Resources
By George Reed
Opening
N.B. All copyright information is given from the first cited place where found. Some copyright information may differ in other sources due to adaptations, etc.
Music:
Hymns:
"From All That Dwell Below The Skies"
WORDS: Sts. 1-2, Isaac watts; sts. 3-4 ann., ca. 1781
MUSIC: Attr. To John Hatton, 1793
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 101
Hymnal '82: 380
TPH: 229
TNCH: 27
CH: 49
"God Hath Spoken By The Prophets"
WORDS: George W. Griggs, 1952, alt.
MUSIC: Thomas J. Williams, 1890
Words (c) 1953, renewed 1981 The Hymn Society of America
as found in:
UMH: 108
LBOW: 238
"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty"
WORDS: Reginald Heber, 1862
MUSIC: John B. Dykes, 1861
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 64
Hymnal '82: 362
LBOW: 165
TPH: 138
AAHH: 329
TNNBH: 1
TNCH: 277
CH: 4
"Christ, Whose Glory Fills The Skies"
WORDS: Charles Wesley, 1740
MUSIC: J. G. Werner's Choralbuch, 1815; harm. By William H. Havergal, 1861
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 173
Hymnal '82: 6, 7
LBOW: 265
"Jesus Shall Reign"
WORDS: Isaac Watts, 1719
MUSIC: John Hatton, 1793
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 157
Hymnal '82: 544
LBOW: 530
TPH: 423
AAHH: 289
TNNBH: 10
TNCH: 300
CH: 95
Songs:
"As We Gather"
WORDS & MUSIC: Mike Fay and Tom Coomes
(c) 1981 Coomesietunes Maranatha! Music
as found in:
CCB : # 12
"Holy, Holy"
WORDS & MUSIC: Jimmy Owens
(c) 1972 by Bud John Songs, Inc.
as found in:
CCB : # 10
"Praise The Lord"
WORDS: Richard Bewes
MUSIC: African-American spiritual; harm. By Carlton R. Young
Words (c) 1973 Church Pastoral Aid Society; harm. (c) 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House
as found in:
CCB : # 20
Call to Worship:
Leader: God the Creator comes to dwell among us.
People: We bow down and worship.
Leader: God the Savior comes to bring us wholeness.
People: We confess that we are in need of God's healing.
Leader: God the Redeemer comes to save the world.
People: We join God in the work of reclaiming the world.
Collect/Opening Prayer:
O God of all the nations: Grant that we your children may pursue in our thoughts, our actions and our prayers the good all your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God of wisdom and knowledge, for the glory of your presence among us. You come to us and invite us to join in your great work of redeeming the world. Free our minds and hearts from our own agenda to listen and follow your plan for creation. Amen.
Response Music
Hymns:
"Lead Me, Lord"
WORDS: Psalms 5:8, 4:8
MUSIC: Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1861
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 473
AAHH: 145
TNNBH: 341
CH: 593
"Come Down, O Love Divine"
WORDS: Bianco of Siena, 1851; trans. By Richard F. Littledale, 1867, alt.
MUSIC: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 475
Hymnal '82: 516
LBOW: 508
TPH: 313
TNCH: 289
CH: 582
"Spirit Of God, Descend Upon My Heart"
WORDS: George Croly, 1867
MUSIC: Frederick C. Atkinson, 1870
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 500
Hymnal '82:
LBOW: 486
TPH: 326
AAHH: 312
TNCH: 290
CH: 265
"God Of Grace And God Of Glory"
WORDS: Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1930
MUSIC: John Hughes, 1907
(c) Words by permission of Elinor Fosdick Downs
as found in:
UMH: 577
Hymnal '82: 594, 595
LBOW: 415
TPH: 420
TNCH: 436
CH: 464
"Lord, You Give The Great Commission"
WORDS: Jeffery Rowthorn, 1978
MUSIC: Cyril V. Taylor, 1941
Words (c) 1978 Hope Publishing Co.; music (c) 1942, renewed 1970 Hope Publishing Co.
as found in:
UMH: 584
Hymnal '82: 528
TPH: 429
CH: 459
Songs:
"People Need The Lord"
WORDS: Greg Nelson and Phil McHugh
MUSIC: Greg Nelson and Phil McHugh; arr. By J. Michael Bryan
(c) 1983 Shepherd's Fold Music/River Oaks Music
as found in:
CCB : # 52
"Change My Heart, O God"
WORDS & MUSIC: Eddie Espinosa
(c) 1982 Mercy Music
as found in:
CCB : # 56
"You Are Mine"
WORDS & MUSIC: David Haas
(c) 1986 G.I.A. Publications, Inc.
as found in:
CCB : # 58
Prayers of Confession/Pardon
Leader: The God who created us and all creation looks at a world that has not yet become the place where the Reign of God is complete. Let us look at our lives and confess how we have failed to be part of God's plan for creation.
(Time for silent reflection)
Leader: Let us confess our failures to the One who loves us all.
People: We confess that we have failed to follow your leadership into the glories of your Reign, O God. We have sought our own good at the expense of others and we have sought our own way as we have forsaken your path. We have followed other gods by allowing the world to convince us that your way is not practical. We have patterned our lives in selfishness and self-interest instead of following Jesus to the cross. Forgive us for our blindness, our willfulness, and our disobedience. Renew us by the power of your Spirit that we may truly follow in the ways of our Lord Jesus.
Leader: Hear the good news. Jesus came in the Name of God to seek and to save those who had lost their way. As we confess our loss-ness Jesus welcomes us and leads us back to the path of God. In the Name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Amen.
General Prayers, litanies, etc.
We worship and adore you God of all creation. Out of the bounty of your loving kindness you called us forth to be your creatures. Yet you have bestowed on us the title of children instead of slaves. You cherish us and treasure us as the apple of your eye.
(The following paragraph is most suitable if a prayer of confession will not be used elsewhere.)
We confess that we are slow to respond to your loving presence. Instead of acting like you in honoring one another, we seek our own good at the expense of others. We accumulate luxuries while others do without the necessities of life. We substitute our good for the good of creation abusing the earth, the air, and one another. Forgive us and call us back to being your children and disciples of Jesus Christ. Renew your Spirit within us that we may truly be your presence in this world and in our community.
We give you thanks for all the wonderful blessings we have received. We are rich beyond measure. The glories of creation are ours to enjoy. The earth produces abundantly to supply our needs. We have family and friends who love us and care for us. You have given us your own self and deign to dwell with us and within us.
(Other specific thanksgiving may be offered.)
We offer to your care the world that you created and for which Jesus died. As he gave himself for the healing of the nations, so we offer ourselves to be used by you for the healing of this world. Unite our hearts of love with your great heart of love in reaching out to those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. Send us out as peacemakers and healers into the violent and sin sick world.
(Other petitions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of Jesus who taught us to pray saying, "Our Father...."
Hymnal & Songbook Abbreviations
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
Hymnal '82: The Hymnal 1982, The Episcopal Church
LBOW: Lutheran Book of Worship
TPH: The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
TNNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
TNCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
PMMCH3: Praise. Maranatha! Music Chorus Book, Expanded 3rd Edition
Children's Sermon
The bridge
Object: a flat board that can be used as a "bridge"
Based on 1 Timothy 2:1-7
Good morning! Today I brought a bridge with me to tell the story of how God reaches us and we reach God. We'll have to pretend that I'm on this side and I want to get to the other side. How do I do it?
When we have a creek or deep ditch and want to get from one side to another, we build a bridge. I'd like to pretend that this board is our bridge. I put it down and I can get across from one side to the other.
Jesus is very much like a bridge. God needed a way to reach us. God needed a way to talk with us. God needed words that we might understand. If God yelled out from the sky, what would happen to people? (let them answer) They would probably be afraid.
God gave us a Word we could understand -- a bridge. Jesus is a LIVING WORD. He spoke words. He taught. Words were written about him. But Jesus was the word that we could understand. He was like a bridge word between God and us. The Bible calls him a "mediator" (which is a fancy word for someone who acts like a bridge).
Now God can reach us and we can reach God. Jesus is the bridge between us. I'm glad God can speak to us and not scare us. God gives us Jesus to help us understand God and help us reach God.
Dear God: Thank you for giving us Jesus, our bridge to you. Amen. (Put the board down or point it out again and say): Let's walk across that bridge to God as we go back to our seats.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 19, 2004, issue.
Copyright 2004 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503.
The high degree to which the current presidential election campaign is polarized provides a fertile field for a sermon. So for this installment of The Immediate Word, we've asked team member Carter Shelley to use that polarization as the backdrop for a discussion based on the lectionary's Epistle text and the alternate First Lesson text.
As usual, you'll also find team comments, illustrations, worship resources, and a children's sermon.
What If God Prayed for Us/U.S.?
By Carter Shelley
Amos 8:4-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-7
In September 2004, we have two avowed Christians campaigning for the highest office in the land. We, too, desire a quiet and peaceable life: less politicking, less war, more jobs and job security, and brighter days ahead. We also may wish to pray that our political officials "come to the knowledge of the truth" and that our political opponents at home and our military enemies abroad get converted to our beliefs and our way of thinking. But are our prayers also God's prayers?
The January 26, 2003 edition of The Immediate Word examined "Prayer for Public Consumption," with a focus on appropriate contexts for prayer and the ways that we use prayer. The question I pose this week is: "What should we be praying now?" Have you been praying that your man will win? That your values and beliefs will be vindicated on November 2nd? That the election be honest and fair? That God's will be done? Exactly because we American Christians are not unanimous in our political ideologies and understanding of how our nation should be governed, we need to ask ourselves these questions and a larger one: "What if God prayed for us? What might God's prayer be?" Using 1 Timothy 2:1-7 and the alternate Old Testament text, Amos 8:4-7, this Sunday we'll consider what God's prayer might be for us as individuals -- and for the U.S. as a nation -- in 2004 and beyond.
Introduction
Prayer is not exactly a novel or fresh subject for sermons. While it is not something that requires scorekeeping, more frequent prayer tends to indicate a more God-centered life. Prayer is at the heart of faithfulness. Piety, a deepening spirituality, a sense of intimacy with and need for God, all are underscored, sustained, and reinforced by a dedicated and regular prayer life.
The Bible is full of human prayer models. Abraham negotiating with God time and time again as to how many righteous people must be found for God to spare Sodom suggests that human appeals for divine mercy can have an affect. Hannah, tearfully pleading with God to open her womb, believes in God's ability to change her situation and give her a son. Jeremiah confessing how painful and hard it is for him to continue to prophesy in the face of mockery and rejection lives long enough to see his prophetic words vindicated as God's judgment gets passed upon Judah.
Members of our congregations know these stories and others about the efficacy of prayer. Moreover, from worship services and liturgical resources, such as the Episcopalian Book of Common Prayer and the Presbyterian Worship Book, we know there are specific prayers for special occasions. We know there are prayers for the nation, prayers for people in other parts of the world, and prayers for our enemies. We know we are called to pray in many circumstances and situations.
Rather than explore the kinds of prayers American Christians might pray during the next eight weeks of political campaigning, I wanted to see if rephrasing the question might provide new insights into a familiar practice. That's why I ask, "What if God prayed for us? What might God's prayer for us and the United States be?"
A prayer for the prosperous and strong to support, not exploit, the poor and the weak:
In Amos 8:4-7 the prophet identifies specific legal and economic abuses being practiced by some Israelites against others. Lest any be in doubt about the crimes being committed, explicit details are identified. God sees how "You trample the needy ... bring ruin to the poor of the land." God also knows exactly what these B.C. capitalists are thinking. They can hardly wait for the new moon to pass and the Sabbath to be over so they can get back to the business of stinting their neighbors by cheating on measures, "making the ephah small" and the "shekel great" by using rigged scales. As if this injustice isn't enough, the prosperous merchants of the day are in a position to buy the poor for silver and the needy for a pair of sandals. Whether this reference means slavery explicitly, indentured servitude or the devaluing of those who do not have the wealth or wit to stay on top, it's clear the situation of the poor is desperate while those whose gains are ill-gotten have no compunction about worsening the lot of their fellow citizens. Verse 7 concludes, "I will never forget any of their deeds." Reminding the citizens of the northern kingdom -- and us -- that no injustice, greedy action, or disregard for the basic needs of others will go unnoticed by God.
God's prophesy in Amos 8:4-7 may first be heard as a prayer that's an appeal. It's a prayer to the people to change their evil ways. But it is a disregarded prayer, a prayer unheard and unanswered by the citizens of Israel. When the ones so addressed remain callous and cold of heart, the prayer becomes a prophetic warning and judgment. Both prayer and judgment are made by a God who knows his people's thoughts, motives, actions, and sins. Both prayer and judgment are made to a people with the freedom and independence to change their minds, change their hearts and do the decent thing. They have that freedom and that power. They choose not to hear.
In thinking what kind of prayer God might pray to us in the United States today, these words from the book of Amos remain relevant. God speaks to people who are successful and powerful enough to make things better for the poor. The poor themselves are so bereft, they can barely afford "the sweepings of wheat" leftover after the better wheat has been sold; therefore, they are not in a position to challenge unscrupulous practices or bribe a king to do their bidding. God addresses those who have the ability and the power to change things for the better by changing their own behavior and showing fairness and compassion for the poor.
May those of you at the top of the humanity heap, treat the poor and needy justly, kindly, and generously. If God were to offer a prayer on to the wealthy, upper-middle-class, middle-middle-class, and blue-collar citizens of the United States today, surely God would pray that "Those with the money, the vote and the opportunity to improve the condition of the poor in American take that which we have been given -- clear minds, good hearts, and a strong work ethic -- and use those resources to help our less prosperous neighbors attain the means for moving from a hand-to-mouth existence to one of independence and basic comfort." Or, perhaps it would be worded like this: "May the bountiful natural resources I have given to your country, be shared fairly and equably among its citizens and aspiring citizens that all may work, eat, rest, and live in fellowship and harmony with one another and in service and obedience to me, your Lord."
A prayer that we remember God as our Lord and guide every day: The Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:9b-13 comes the closest to being a prayer that originated with God, because Jesus first offers it as a suitable way for us to pray. This prayer underscores human freewill and our need for God in all aspects of our life. With a slight shift in emphasis the Lord's Prayer becomes
God's prayer for us and to us:
My Children on Earth,
Hallowed by my name when you use it, pray it, or think it.
My will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
I give you today your daily bread.
I forgive your sins as you forgive the sins of others.
Do not be led into temptation.
I would deliver you from evil forces and have you keep yourself from evil actions.
I am the kingdom, the power and the glory, forever and ever.
May the freewill you've been given be guided by the petitions Jesus taught you to pray on a daily basis. The Lord's Prayer serves to underscore the central part God plays in our lives and the love and care God offers us on a daily basis.
A prayer that all God's children may live in harmony and find faith in Christ Jesus:
The authorship of 1 Timothy 2:1-7 remains an open question. Some biblical scholars believe Paul wrote it to help his friend Timothy deal with issues occurring in a church the latter served. Other scholars note significant disparities in wording, style, and theological content and conclude authorship comes at least a generation after Paul's death. The earliest Christians felt no need to worry about how to integrate themselves into the dominant Roman culture, because they expected Jesus' imminent return. The situation in 1 Timothy is quite different. The Christians are now known as people who will not take part in cultic worship of the emperor. They don't share the same values, beliefs, goals, or religion and are well known enough that they need other ways to show themselves to be good citizens adverse to social disruption. Consequently, they are urged to pray for "kings and all who are in high positions." This prayer expresses self-interest and concern for their own survival, "That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity." The author also expresses a desire that God may save "everyone ... [so they may] come to the knowledge of the truth."
Three specific types of prayer are specified in 1 Timothy 2:1: supplication, intercessions, and thanksgiving. Supplications refer to specific, personal requests to God. "Please let Bush/Kerry win the election in November." Intercessions get offered on behalf of other people. "Bring comfort to those who have lost loved ones to cancer in the past year." Thanksgiving acknowledges God as the origin and source of all good things that come to us in life. "Holy Lord, thank you for the wonderful opportunities and freedoms I enjoy as an American citizen."
Prayers on behalf of rulers and political officials are not unique to Timothy. The Old Testament offers many examples of prayers offered on behalf of kings, warriors, and other types of leaders. In this particular instance, Christians are urged to pray for kings and all who are in high positions, then they are encouraged to live in such a way that they themselves will be a positive force in and for society's stability and good. The idea is not to compromise one's religion in order to enjoy a peaceable and quiet life; it's to model "godliness and dignity" in order to help transform lives and bring them closer to Christ Jesus who mediates between God and humanity. Trust in the efficacy of prayer and in God's universal salvific intention are both expressed.
While the United States of American continues to be called a "Christian nation" and many of us continue to think of it in this way, we know there are many American citizens today who are not Christian. Many are nominal Christians, who believe the basic tenets of Christianity but don't know enough Bible or doctrine to refute pop heresies such as those evident in Dan Brown's fictional The Da Vinci Code. Since 9/11 we've become more aware of our Muslim citizens and of Islam's growing popularity in the United States. We also know that our national diversity extends to a multitude of different religions and practices that the Puritan fathers and Jesuit missionaries could not have foreseen. We know Americans who practice Buddhism, Hinduism, Kabbalah, Reformed and Orthodox Judaism, agnosticism, atheism, or nothing much at all. No longer is Christianity the only religion on the block. In that way, our situation resembles that of Timothy's readers. In terms of power and influence our situation is very different from that of first-century Christians. We Christians are a powerful voting force in the United States. However, we are not a unified voting force, because we understand and express our Christian faith in a multitude of ways. We are liberals, conservatives, born again, Christened at birth, anti-war in Iraq, for the war in Iraq, pro choice, pro life, and so on and so on.
How might God pray for us? 1 Timothy 2:1-2 suggests a divine variation on some of the examples offered earlier. Instead of praying, "Please let Bush/Kerry win the election in November," God might pray, "May you search your heart, soul and mind for my will. May all of you eligible to vote, do so. May you think beyond your own wallet, your national pride, your fears and terrors, your own sense of my will, and let me guide not only your decisions in politics but in everything you say and do in my name and in your life. May you pray for and offer comfort to all who have lost loved ones whether through war, through poverty, through disease, through terrorist acts, through suicide, car wrecks, hurricanes, and plane crashes. May you be grateful for the wonderful opportunities and freedoms you enjoy as an American citizen and may you use your many blessings as a way to be a blessing to others, May you live, act, and pray as Christians in all situations and on behalf of all peoples, because I your God am Lord of all and would redeem all.
Having considered what God's prayer to us might be, let us too pray: That the prosperous and strong support, not exploit, the poor and the weak; that we remember God as our Lord and guide every day; and that all God's children may live in harmony and find faith in Christ Jesus. May we also pray that we be worthy of these prayers offered on our behalf and that we help make these prayers come true. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Afterword: But what about November 2? You may ask. The Bible offers a model for prayers offered on that day as well. Take a look at Psalm 72. Not every line directly applies to whomever we elect president of the United States, but the overall sentiment and content would be hard to beat. This "Prayer for Guidance and Support for the King" might offer an inspiring conclusion to the morning's worship by helping Christians apply God's standards and blessing to human leaders. This Psalm predates Christianity; therefore, its more strident lines should sound harsh and antithetical to both Christian and American values. If they don't, we are in danger of not only arrogance but also triumphalism. Let us pray:
Give the president, your justice, O God,
and your righteousness to a president's successor.
May he judge your people with righteousness
and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.
May he live while the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish
and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
May he have dominion from sea to sea,
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
May his foes bow down before him,
and his enemies lick the dust.
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts.
May all kings fall down before him,
all nations give him service.
For he delivers the needy when they call,
the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
and precious is their blood in his sight.
Long may he live!
May gold or Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all day long.
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field.
May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;
May they pronounce him happy.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of the United States,
who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be God's glorious name forever,
may God's glory fill the whole earth.
Amen and Amen.
Team Comments
George Murphy responds: At any season of any year, the admonition in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 calls us to pray for those who have responsibility in civil society -- "For our president, for the leaders of the nations, and for all in authority" as one of the petitions in the "Prayers of the People" in the Book of Common Prayer puts it (p. 384). In a democratic society, roughly half the members of an average congregation at any given time will wish that someone else were president, governor, etc. But the prayer is not just about an abstract office. It is about the people who are actually in the office at the moment. We are praying, at least for the next few months, for George W. Bush. Some people don't like him. Many of the Christians who first heard the words of our text didn't like the Roman Emperor. That isn't the point. Pray for him.
But while we should be concerned for the president's personal welfare, our basic concern at this point is that the president does what is best for the country, and for the world, as a whole. For some that may mean that we hope God will encourage him to keep doing what he's doing. For others it will be that God would change the president's heart and mind. But the purpose of our prayers isn't -- or shouldn't be -- to give God political advice. (Just as when we pray for a person's healing, we don't need to give God medical advice.) All of our prayers should be subject to the proviso "Thy will be done."
As we approach a very important presidential election, more is involved than just prayer for the sitting president. If we really think that we have "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" then the injunction of our text ought to lead us to pray for those who will vote in November. In one sense (unrealistic though it may seem at times) the electorate as a whole plays the role of the "kings" in 1 Timothy. We should be praying that voters make the choices that are best for the country and the world when they go to the polls.
And our prayers should include those who are running for office -- John Kerry as well as George W. Bush. (And one really ought to include third-party candidates, though the possibility of them actually winning doesn't come into question.) We needn't feel squeamish about praying that one or the other candidate win the election either -- if that again is with the understanding "Thy will be done."
Presidents and others in authority may be called to do things that are forbidden to those in private life. Police officers sometimes have to kill people. Judges put criminals in prison. A president must make choices about war and peace -- to prosecute a war forced upon the nation (as with the current war on terrorism) or to choose to go to war (as President Bush did in Iraq). We can understand the necessity of such actions in terms of the concept that they are God's ministers for the maintenance of justice and order in society. But how do we pray for them when we know that the performance of their duties requires such actions?
Here I think it's helpful to remember that in scripture we are given not just advice to pray and not just examples of prayers to use but -- in the Psalms -- the prayers of Christ. This is an important theme of Dietrich Bonhoeffer's Life Together (Harper & Row, 1954), pp.44-50.
A psalm that we cannot offer as a prayer, that makes us falter and horrifies us, is a hint to us that here Someone is praying, not we; that the One who is here protesting his innocence, who is invoking God's judgment, who has come to such infinite depths of suffering, is none other than Jesus Christ himself. He it is who is praying here, and not only here but in the whole Psalter. (45)
Bonhoeffer goes on to explain that though we pray the psalms as individuals, we pray them in the deepest sense in Christ. Thus while we cannot claim complete innocence -- as some of the psalms do -- yet Christ can, and we can pray as those given the righteousness of Christ. We have no business on our own asking for God to punish or destroy others, as the imprecatory psalms (e.g., Psalm 109) do. We may not even understand how Christ can pray them. But we cannot pray them without him.
The psalms are, as Bonhoeffer emphasizes, the prayers of "the Man Christ Jesus." But because of who Jesus is, they are then also the prayers of God. And they are prayers that are ours in the fellowship with God that we are given through the Spirit of Christ.
I think that this has some relevance for the question of how we are to pray for those in authority and how we are to pray in an election year. For example, both John Kerry and George W. Bush are committed to fighting a war on terror and continuing the American presence in Iraq. Psalms 20 and 21 form a pair of royal psalms, the first when the king leads his army out to battle and the second when he returns victorious. Can we pray these with the president and the men and women in our military in mind?
"Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God" (Psalm 20:7) is not something we can say with complete honesty on our own: It's all too easy for us to put our confidence in weapons systems. But we are to pray this in Christ. "You will aim at their [the enemies'] faces with your bows" (Psalm 21:12b) is something we may find all too easy to say when we think of terrorists who blow up innocent people. As individuals we would have to recognize our own hatred that would be expressed in that wish and try to restrain ourselves. As Christians we are to put such prayers in the hands of Christ, who took the judgment for the world's evil upon himself.
Carlos Wilton responds: Having read your contribution for this week, Carter, my response takes the form of a number of unrelated comments:
1) I'm not sure if the idea of God praying works for me. It's a provocative literary device, but actually using it in a sermon would require a number of cumbersome theological disclaimers that just might cancel out the benefits of the metaphor. God is the person to whom prayers are directed; if God were to pray, to whom then would those prayers be directed? This objection could perhaps be overcome with a simple change of focus: from "What would God pray?" to "What does God most deeply desire of us?"
2) The words of your hypothetical prayer spoken by God, "May those of you at the top of the humanity heap, treat the poor and needy justly, kindly, and generously," call to mind, for me, the words of Isaiah that are so often used on Ash Wednesday:
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them,
and not to hide yourself from your own kin? (Isaiah 58:6-7)
3) With regard to prayers for political leaders, the many "Royal Psalms" offer some interesting texts that could function as illustrations. You mention Psalm 72; some other examples of this genre are Psalms 2, 18, 20, 21, 45, 101, 110, and 144:1-11. Translating these psalms to the present political context is difficult, however, because the Israelite institution of kingship carries with it certain clearly defined theological and liturgical functions. Politicians in our secular democracy may indeed believe -- with some justification -- that calling on the Almighty in public contexts produces a certain number of votes, but this is a far cry from the theocracy that was ancient Israel.
4) There are undoubtedly different traditions represented by readers of The Immediate Word with regard to how explicitly politics may be addressed from the pulpit. Certain African-American churches, for example, are historically very comfortable with their pastors endorsing political candidates. Many others of us, however, must walk an exceedingly fine line when it comes to any remarks that could be construed as favoring one candidate over another. It's easier to address issues than candidates -- although even our choice of issues may tip our hand as to which person we ourselves would be more likely to vote for, come November. That's the objection I have, by the way, to the candidate scorecards that some political organizations seek to get churches to distribute around Election Day: it's all in the choice of the "Christian issues" selected to appear on the scorecard. If the "Christian issues" all have to do with personal sexual morality, that will skew the results one way; and if they have to do with economic justice, that will skew the results the other way.
Related Illustrations
It has been said that the difference between liberals and conservatives is that the liberals want to use religion and politics to control money and liberate sex, while the conservatives want to use religion and politics to control sex and liberate money. But we do not think that either side of the quip has it entirely right. We do think that these matters shape souls and civilizations, and that we have to look at these issues from several sides.
-- Max L. Stackhouse, describing Princeton Theological Seminary's "Project on Public Theology," in Inspire, the seminary's alumni/ae journal
***
It has already come to pass that the demon of evil, like a whirlwind, triumphantly circles all five continents of the earth ... It is during such trials that the highest gifts of the human spirit are manifested. If we perish and lose the world, the fault will be ours alone.
-- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, upon receiving the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion
***
The concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the few is the death knell of democracy. No republic in the history of humanity has survived this.
-- Garrison Keillor, "We're Not in Lake Wobegon Anymore," an excerpt from his book, Homegrown Democrat (Viking, 2004)
***
There are two things that are important in politics. The first is money, and I can't remember what the second one is.
-- Mark Hanna, 19th-century Ohio political boss and U.S. senator
***
A lie told often enough becomes truth.
-- Lenin (Vladimir Ulyanov)
***
Church historian Martin Marty has a wonderful way of flagging obscure books and articles that have something profound to say about church and society. Summarizing an article by Michael E. Bailey and Kristin Lindholm called "Tocqueville and the Rhetoric of Civil Religion in the Presidential Inaugural Addresses" from the Christian Scholar's Review (XXXII: 3, Spring 2003), Marty cites a study of the content of American presidential inaugural addresses. Here, in Marty's words, is what these researchers discovered:
What they heard in the first half of our presidential history is very different from what has come up ever since. Originally, inaugural addresses, primetime summations of presidential philosophies and intentions, had three main elements: 1) modesty, 2) American exceptionalism, 3) accent on "the operations of the Constitution."
No more. Instead, bipartisanly, with boosts from Woodrow Wilson and climax in Ronald Reagan, over a century of talks abandon "civic education," often to partisan or universal acclaim. The three marks now are: 1) immodesty about limitless America, 2) American universalism, and 3) "paeans to America." What the authors' counting and listening turn up amounts to something that prophets in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam would have summarized in a simple term: idolatry of the nation....
Since FDR, "God is still invoked, but America's real faith is faith in America: not in the government, not in the Constitution, not strictly speaking, in the people (though this comes closer), but in America as Idea. The American way is God's way," and offers a "glimpse of perfection." "God Bless America" now means -- what? "In championing America, presidents use the poetic and priestly moment of the inaugural to celebrate the infinite potentialities of humanity," American style. America is not a place: "It is spirit." Since Wilson, "America is the secular proxy for the Kingdom of God ... America is that land where the finite merges with the infinite." Americans are to use their freedom and technology "to allow humanity -- not a sovereign God -- to govern its destiny." "The concept of America crowds out our other identities."
-- From Martin Marty's "Sightings" e-newsletter (published by the Martin Marty Center at the University of Chicago Divinity School), July 26, 2004
***
The main qualification for political office is the ability to foretell what is going to happen tomorrow, next week, next month, and next year. And to have the ability afterwards to explain why it didn't happen.
-- Winston Churchill
***
I am very frightened whenever religious people absorb political power. Because the minute that they begin to operate from the position of power, they contradict the essence of Christ, which is powerlessness: love in action.
You know, the only people that have ever gotten anything done in this world are people that didn't hold political office, it seems ... Ghandi led a revolution, and he did it without using political power. He was never elected to office. When they asked him, "How are you going to get the British to leave India," he said, "As friends." Two weeks after the revolution was completed, he was welcomed in London, the capital of the enemy, as a hero. That's what love can do. That's what love lived out by powerless people can do.
Martin Luther King, Jr. did not hold a political office. He changed history more than all the politicians put together, in this country. That great march from Selma to Montgomery, and the followers of King got to the bridge, and the sheriff said to turn back. And the response was, "We've come too far to turn back now." And the people got down on their knees. And what is more vulnerable than people on their knees? At the count of ten, the deputies waded in with their clubs, released the vicious dogs, and on live television I saw it. I saw that mess on the bridge just outside of Selma. People being bitten and beaten and clobbered. And I was watching in the Student Union Building of the University of Pennsylvania. I remember standing up and saying, "We've won! We've won! The civil rights movement had won!"
You say, "Wait a minute. They're getting beaten, they're getting battered, they're getting bitten, they're getting destroyed!"
"You're right! They're getting killed! But we Christians, we have a nasty habit of rising again; for there is no power that can keep love down!" Love triumphs in the end.
That's the great issue of history, isn't it? Whether we're going to trust in power, or we're going to trust in love. And the problem is that the church, instead of being faithful to its genius, thinks that it has to play power games, instead of love games....
-- Tony Campolo, in a speech at the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly Breakfast, June 11, 2001
***
Finally, a parting word, to keep all this in perspective ...
Lynne Hough, a hospital chaplain, wrote in an Ecunet electronic meeting about an elderly patient whose mental acuity was being evaluated. A standard question, in such evaluations, is to ask the patient who is the president of the United States.
When they asked this particular woman who the president is, she replied, "Honey, I'm a hundred and one years old and I don't care who is the president!"
"Needless to say," Lynne concludes, "she was labeled as 'oriented and appropriate.' "
Worship Resources
By George Reed
Opening
N.B. All copyright information is given from the first cited place where found. Some copyright information may differ in other sources due to adaptations, etc.
Music:
Hymns:
"From All That Dwell Below The Skies"
WORDS: Sts. 1-2, Isaac watts; sts. 3-4 ann., ca. 1781
MUSIC: Attr. To John Hatton, 1793
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 101
Hymnal '82: 380
TPH: 229
TNCH: 27
CH: 49
"God Hath Spoken By The Prophets"
WORDS: George W. Griggs, 1952, alt.
MUSIC: Thomas J. Williams, 1890
Words (c) 1953, renewed 1981 The Hymn Society of America
as found in:
UMH: 108
LBOW: 238
"Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty"
WORDS: Reginald Heber, 1862
MUSIC: John B. Dykes, 1861
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 64
Hymnal '82: 362
LBOW: 165
TPH: 138
AAHH: 329
TNNBH: 1
TNCH: 277
CH: 4
"Christ, Whose Glory Fills The Skies"
WORDS: Charles Wesley, 1740
MUSIC: J. G. Werner's Choralbuch, 1815; harm. By William H. Havergal, 1861
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 173
Hymnal '82: 6, 7
LBOW: 265
"Jesus Shall Reign"
WORDS: Isaac Watts, 1719
MUSIC: John Hatton, 1793
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 157
Hymnal '82: 544
LBOW: 530
TPH: 423
AAHH: 289
TNNBH: 10
TNCH: 300
CH: 95
Songs:
"As We Gather"
WORDS & MUSIC: Mike Fay and Tom Coomes
(c) 1981 Coomesietunes Maranatha! Music
as found in:
CCB : # 12
"Holy, Holy"
WORDS & MUSIC: Jimmy Owens
(c) 1972 by Bud John Songs, Inc.
as found in:
CCB : # 10
"Praise The Lord"
WORDS: Richard Bewes
MUSIC: African-American spiritual; harm. By Carlton R. Young
Words (c) 1973 Church Pastoral Aid Society; harm. (c) 1989 The United Methodist Publishing House
as found in:
CCB : # 20
Call to Worship:
Leader: God the Creator comes to dwell among us.
People: We bow down and worship.
Leader: God the Savior comes to bring us wholeness.
People: We confess that we are in need of God's healing.
Leader: God the Redeemer comes to save the world.
People: We join God in the work of reclaiming the world.
Collect/Opening Prayer:
O God of all the nations: Grant that we your children may pursue in our thoughts, our actions and our prayers the good all your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God of wisdom and knowledge, for the glory of your presence among us. You come to us and invite us to join in your great work of redeeming the world. Free our minds and hearts from our own agenda to listen and follow your plan for creation. Amen.
Response Music
Hymns:
"Lead Me, Lord"
WORDS: Psalms 5:8, 4:8
MUSIC: Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1861
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 473
AAHH: 145
TNNBH: 341
CH: 593
"Come Down, O Love Divine"
WORDS: Bianco of Siena, 1851; trans. By Richard F. Littledale, 1867, alt.
MUSIC: Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 475
Hymnal '82: 516
LBOW: 508
TPH: 313
TNCH: 289
CH: 582
"Spirit Of God, Descend Upon My Heart"
WORDS: George Croly, 1867
MUSIC: Frederick C. Atkinson, 1870
(c) public domain
as found in:
UMH: 500
Hymnal '82:
LBOW: 486
TPH: 326
AAHH: 312
TNCH: 290
CH: 265
"God Of Grace And God Of Glory"
WORDS: Harry Emerson Fosdick, 1930
MUSIC: John Hughes, 1907
(c) Words by permission of Elinor Fosdick Downs
as found in:
UMH: 577
Hymnal '82: 594, 595
LBOW: 415
TPH: 420
TNCH: 436
CH: 464
"Lord, You Give The Great Commission"
WORDS: Jeffery Rowthorn, 1978
MUSIC: Cyril V. Taylor, 1941
Words (c) 1978 Hope Publishing Co.; music (c) 1942, renewed 1970 Hope Publishing Co.
as found in:
UMH: 584
Hymnal '82: 528
TPH: 429
CH: 459
Songs:
"People Need The Lord"
WORDS: Greg Nelson and Phil McHugh
MUSIC: Greg Nelson and Phil McHugh; arr. By J. Michael Bryan
(c) 1983 Shepherd's Fold Music/River Oaks Music
as found in:
CCB : # 52
"Change My Heart, O God"
WORDS & MUSIC: Eddie Espinosa
(c) 1982 Mercy Music
as found in:
CCB : # 56
"You Are Mine"
WORDS & MUSIC: David Haas
(c) 1986 G.I.A. Publications, Inc.
as found in:
CCB : # 58
Prayers of Confession/Pardon
Leader: The God who created us and all creation looks at a world that has not yet become the place where the Reign of God is complete. Let us look at our lives and confess how we have failed to be part of God's plan for creation.
(Time for silent reflection)
Leader: Let us confess our failures to the One who loves us all.
People: We confess that we have failed to follow your leadership into the glories of your Reign, O God. We have sought our own good at the expense of others and we have sought our own way as we have forsaken your path. We have followed other gods by allowing the world to convince us that your way is not practical. We have patterned our lives in selfishness and self-interest instead of following Jesus to the cross. Forgive us for our blindness, our willfulness, and our disobedience. Renew us by the power of your Spirit that we may truly follow in the ways of our Lord Jesus.
Leader: Hear the good news. Jesus came in the Name of God to seek and to save those who had lost their way. As we confess our loss-ness Jesus welcomes us and leads us back to the path of God. In the Name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven. Amen.
General Prayers, litanies, etc.
We worship and adore you God of all creation. Out of the bounty of your loving kindness you called us forth to be your creatures. Yet you have bestowed on us the title of children instead of slaves. You cherish us and treasure us as the apple of your eye.
(The following paragraph is most suitable if a prayer of confession will not be used elsewhere.)
We confess that we are slow to respond to your loving presence. Instead of acting like you in honoring one another, we seek our own good at the expense of others. We accumulate luxuries while others do without the necessities of life. We substitute our good for the good of creation abusing the earth, the air, and one another. Forgive us and call us back to being your children and disciples of Jesus Christ. Renew your Spirit within us that we may truly be your presence in this world and in our community.
We give you thanks for all the wonderful blessings we have received. We are rich beyond measure. The glories of creation are ours to enjoy. The earth produces abundantly to supply our needs. We have family and friends who love us and care for us. You have given us your own self and deign to dwell with us and within us.
(Other specific thanksgiving may be offered.)
We offer to your care the world that you created and for which Jesus died. As he gave himself for the healing of the nations, so we offer ourselves to be used by you for the healing of this world. Unite our hearts of love with your great heart of love in reaching out to those who suffer in body, mind, or spirit. Send us out as peacemakers and healers into the violent and sin sick world.
(Other petitions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of Jesus who taught us to pray saying, "Our Father...."
Hymnal & Songbook Abbreviations
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
Hymnal '82: The Hymnal 1982, The Episcopal Church
LBOW: Lutheran Book of Worship
TPH: The Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
TNNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
TNCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
PMMCH3: Praise. Maranatha! Music Chorus Book, Expanded 3rd Edition
Children's Sermon
The bridge
Object: a flat board that can be used as a "bridge"
Based on 1 Timothy 2:1-7
Good morning! Today I brought a bridge with me to tell the story of how God reaches us and we reach God. We'll have to pretend that I'm on this side and I want to get to the other side. How do I do it?
When we have a creek or deep ditch and want to get from one side to another, we build a bridge. I'd like to pretend that this board is our bridge. I put it down and I can get across from one side to the other.
Jesus is very much like a bridge. God needed a way to reach us. God needed a way to talk with us. God needed words that we might understand. If God yelled out from the sky, what would happen to people? (let them answer) They would probably be afraid.
God gave us a Word we could understand -- a bridge. Jesus is a LIVING WORD. He spoke words. He taught. Words were written about him. But Jesus was the word that we could understand. He was like a bridge word between God and us. The Bible calls him a "mediator" (which is a fancy word for someone who acts like a bridge).
Now God can reach us and we can reach God. Jesus is the bridge between us. I'm glad God can speak to us and not scare us. God gives us Jesus to help us understand God and help us reach God.
Dear God: Thank you for giving us Jesus, our bridge to you. Amen. (Put the board down or point it out again and say): Let's walk across that bridge to God as we go back to our seats.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, September 19, 2004, issue.
Copyright 2004 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., P.O. Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503.
