Proclamation is the overarching theme running through this week’s lectionary texts. Isaiah and the psalmist extol the greatness and power of God, with Isaiah assuming a rather aggressive posture toward his audience: “Have you not known? Have you not heard?” Meanwhile, Paul notes that “if I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting” and Jesus continues his itinerant ministry “so that I may proclaim the message.” But as team member Chris Keating points out in this installment of The Immediate Word, even though Christians typically think of “proclaiming the gospel” as synonymous with “sharing the good news,” not everyone automatically receives that message as good news -- a reality Paul confronts in his emphasis on the necessity of communicating with various groups of people on their own terms. Chris cites several instances from recent headlines to examine how events can be perceived as good news and/or bad news (depending on context and viewpoint), as well as the reality that good news and bad news are often intertwined. That’s a vitally important consideration to keep in mind if we want to ensure that our proclamation of the good news is effective.
Team member Dean Feldmeyer shares some additional thoughts on the Isaiah passage and what commentator Tom Ehrich terms our “control addiction” -- the need to believe that we are all-powerful and have control over our lives and circumstances. As Dean notes, how we react to events entirely beyond our control (like major weather events) illustrates the depth of our need to feel like we are “masters of our domain.” But this week’s texts tell us that we are to give up our control: Paul talks of an obligation laid on him and making himself a slave to all in service of the gospel; Isaiah speaks of how “those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength”; and Jesus recharges his batteries by withdrawing to a deserted place and praying. Instead of indulging in the fantasy that our wealth and technology can conquer all, Dean suggests that we need to be reminded of the virtues of waiting and praying -- disciplines that can help us discern God’s will for our lives and clarify for us how to serve God and proclaim the gospel.
What Shall We Proclaim?
by Chris Keating
Isaiah 40:21-31; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39
It’s an old joke, but that won’t keep preachers from repeating it.
“I’ve got good news and bad news,” the doctor tells the patient. “You’ve got 24-hours to live.”
The patient is shocked. “Doc, what on earth could be the good news?”
“That was the good news,” the doctor replies. “The bad news is I forgot to call you yesterday.”
Preachers are charged with bringing the good news, which is the thread connecting this week’s lectionary readings. Unfortunately, often our experience of the world leads to the question raised by the patient in that interminable joke. Just what exactly is the good news?
Good news: You’re the leaders of New York city and state -- and have successfully prepared your area for the worst snowstorm in history! You’ve even closed the famed New York City subway system.
Bad news: “Snowmageddon” turned into the storm that wasn’t. The total accumulation was still significant, but far below record levels.
Good news: You’re Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. Sales of the iPhone 6 last quarter were out of the ballpark, bringing your company record profits!
Bad news: In a “what have you done for me lately” culture, analysts are already wondering how Apple will sustain that sort of growth next quarter.
Good news: You’re the first African-American woman to be nominated as U.S. Attorney General!
Bad news: You face a tough confirmation hearing led by the President’s political opponents, and first must answer how you differ from the man you’ve been tapped to replace.
Good news: You’re Sarah Palin, admired by many as a tough conservative, a former governor of Alaska and vice-presidential candidate. You are asked to give a major speech to a friendly audience.
Bad news: After the teleprompter breaks, your speech is considered a “tragedy” by a former admirer.
Not everyone can hear the good news, which is why for Paul the task is so urgent: “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel!” We can no longer casually assume the good news will be clearly understood -- which means our task may be similar to Jesus, who connected proclamation with God’s amazing acts of healing.
In the News
This winter’s tricky weather patterns have been hard to predict -- leaving meteorologists, governors, civic leaders, and schoolchildren alike unsure of what might happen. Last week, a “no-blizzard” swept past New York and New Jersey, both of which had braced for storms of historic proportions. That was bad news for those caught by the overpreparedness -- but maybe good news for those able to take a day off. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York reflected on the no-snow day in his blog:
There’s nothing like an unexpected “day off”! Bring out the sleds! Get the chocolate ready! We all had one yesterday. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Did you “take it easy”? I did (although I did write this blog). It struck me how refreshing this “down time” was. Yes, I caught up on some mail and phone calls. But I also spent a little longer at my prayers, did some good reading, took a nap, spent ten minutes more on the treadmill, and finished reading my Christmas cards (always uplifting as I’m reminded of good friends), and spent time lingering over meals here at St. Patrick’s. In a way, yesterday’s “snow day” was a Sabbath. This is really the way God wants us to spend every Sunday!
Of course, things have changed a bit this week. People in cities like Chicago and Boston are coping with and/or celebrating epic snowfalls. Kids in Chicago enjoyed 19 inches of snow for a day of sledding and snow-fort building. But in New England, football wasn’t the only thing breaking records. Boston broke a decade-old record for the snowiest seven-day period in history.
The good news for Boston? Your team won the Super Bowl thanks to a nearly unbelievable last-minute interception. But snow and freezing temperatures meant fans would need to wait until Wednesday to celebrate their sweet victory. It’s not just a matter of accommodating fair-weather fans but instead was a matter of public safety, according to the team and the city of Boston.
Parents wondering if a snow day is coming can now consult the Snow Day Calculator, an online app created four years ago by David Sukhin (who is now a student at MIT). Sukhin says the site has received millions of hits this month -- not bad for a site he created when he was in 6th grade as a “pet project.”
It’s hard to argue with good news -- unless, of course, your company has just experienced a record-breaking quarter. Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, reported that the firm sold 30,000 iPhones per hour in three months, raking in $18 billion in profits. Quarterly revenues hit a record for the company, thanks in part to what it called “pent-up” consumer demand as well as 70 percent increase of sales in China. Apple now has a massive cash reserve of upward of $178 billion.
But... what happens next? One analyst says Apple phone sales could take a bite from new plans from carriers that are now allowing consumers more options in upgrading to newer technologies. Some companies like AT&T are allowing consumers more choices, and are also dropping subsidies on expensive phones. That could mean bad news down the road for Apple, notes Steven Rosenbaum:
And so the question is -- for average customers who need a new phone, when faced with Apple’s cost, will they remain loyal users? An IHS teardown report says that the iPhone 6 costs Apple $200.10 to make, and sells in the US for $649, a profit margin of 69%. If you want to know where the billions of dollars in quarterly profits come from, it’s clear that margin on the iPhone is the source.
Good news always seems to be mixed with bad news, but in some cases it isn’t easy to distinguish the two. For example, is a parent’s right to make health decisions for their child good news? Or is it a harbinger of epidemics? Outbreaks of measles and other preventable but contagious diseases have been on the rise recently. Yet some believe mandatory vaccinations are not necessarily good news. This week, the anti-vaccine movement seemed to gain some political credence from two possible U.S. presidential candidates.
Sen. Rand Paul stirred the controversy when he indicated that it is a parent’s right whether or not to choose vaccination. “The state doesn’t own your children,” he said. “Parents own the children. And it is an issue of freedom and public health.” New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also called for “some measure of choice” when it comes to vaccinations.
Injecting politics into a public health debate is not viewed as good news by disease researchers -- one of whom responded in the Washington Post to the comments by Paul and Christie, calling their observations “concerning”:
“When you see educated people or elected officials giving credence to things that have been completely debunked, an idea that’s been shown to be responsible for multiple measles and pertussis outbreaks in recent years, it’s very concerning,” said Amesh Adalja, an infectious-disease physician at the Center for Health Security at the University of Pittsburgh. He called the comments from Paul particularly troubling because Paul is a doctor.
It’s not always easy to distinguish the good news from bad news -- which makes the ministry of proclamation so urgent. Jesus’ ministry of proclamation brought the assurance of the kingdom close to people who were hurting. That was good news -- the sort of news which certainly bears repeating.
In the Scriptures
For Mark, Jesus is more than a grandstanding politician or a corporate profiteer. Jesus comes to proclaim the good news of the reign of God. He brought the good news to the demon-possessed, to those who were ill, and to all yearning to rise from places of death.
Leaving the synagogue, Jesus and his newly commissioned disciples enter Simon and Andrew’s house looking for a Sabbath meal. That’s good news -- not because they are hungry, but because Simon’s mother-in-law is suffering from a fever. Christ touches the woman, raising her to new life.
That’s the good news. The bad news seems to be the implication that the menfolk are waiting for this poor woman to serve them dinner. “She began to serve them,” Mark tells us. Yet the service she performs is not just women’s work. The result of her healing is not that she must serve guys unwilling to go into the kitchen. Rather, her service is a type of proclamation. It is a sharing of the good news. As Ofelia Ortega writes, “Her diaconal work is the beginning and announcement of the gospel. Simon and the other disciples won’t understand it until Easter” (Feasting on the Word [Year B, Vol. 1], p. 334). Simon’s mother-in-law embodies the work of proclaiming the good news. She rises to a new life of service and loving devotion.
In faith, she discovers her vocation.
For Paul, the discovery of his calling is gripping and urgent. The urgency of his calling is shaped by Christ’s life and death. Like Simon’s mother-in-law, Paul has encountered Christ and has received a commission to proclaim the good news -- even in the face of so much “bad news.” “An obligation is laid on me,” Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 9:16. It may feel like an honor, but for Paul the obligation is rooted in his service, “all for the sake of the gospel.” The necessity of his service results in his proclamation of the gospel. Like Simon’s mother-in-law, he has found his vocation -- to preach the surpassing good news of God’s grace as an apostle.
He is bold to announce, with Isaiah, the strong hope of God: “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.”
That is good news indeed.
In the Sermon
A sermon could help the congregation see what it means to respond to the good news by empowering the church to consider its vocation. How are we called to begin to serve -- to find new purpose in declaring God’s words of grace? In a world that is filled with untold amounts of bad news, how can individuals discover their vocation to say: “Have you not known? Have you not heard?”
A sermon could also help the congregation understand how the ministry of proclamation belongs to all of God’s people -- and not just to the seminary-trained professionals. No sermon should end with the words “don’t try this at home.” Instead, we are called to pursue discipleship with the same breathtaking urgency Mark describes in his gospel.
Playing off the “good news/bad news” motif might allow a preacher to explore with a congregation what it means to go about proclaiming the message of Jesus. Like Simon’s mother-in-law, we have stories to tell of how we have been raised to new life -- and proclaiming those stories is an urgent task.
Jesus knew that, of course -- which is why he seemed to be on the move. Paul also understood the urgency of his apostolic task. What about our churches? Do they understand that they too have been commissioned to proclaim good news?
The bad news is always around us -- if you need proof of that, just consider the number of glum and grim-sounding Super Bowl commercials this year. Our world is ready for a dose of good news -- but not just news about a snow day or a new smartphone. Our world yearns for the good news which causes demons to flee and fevers to cease. Our churches yearn to know what it means to mount up with wings like eagles, and to walk and not faint.
SECOND THOUGHTS
Waiting and Praying
by Dean Feldmeyer
Isaiah 40:21-31
Two years ago, I sat on the balcony of my hotel during a storm and counted four waterspouts out on the ocean. On April 3, 1974, I stood on my front porch and watched a tornado pass by on the top of a hill about a mile away, as it was on its way to Xenia, Ohio (where it killed 33 people, injured more than 1,300 others, and leveled a good share of the town). I have bobbed on a surfboard a half-mile from the shore of Waikiki Beach. I have stood on the edge of the Grand Canyon. And during the great Ohio blizzard of 1978, I ferried stranded motorists from the highway to a hospital -- the only place with heat and electricity -- until the engine of my Jeep became impacted with snow and we had to abandon it, tie ourselves together with a rope, and walk through the storm.
After all of those experiences, I have concluded that nothing can as profoundly demonstrate how small and insignificant and dependent we are as nature.
In the News
This lesson was brought home to me again last week when the weather forecasters were predicting two to three feet of snow overnight on the east coast and in New England.
Words like “snowmageddon” and “snowzilla” were bandied about, and we discovered that folks in the eastern part of the country respond to predictions of catastrophe pretty much the same way everyone else does: they go to the grocery store. Bread, milk, beer, cigarettes, wine, baloney, twinkies, and other “absolutely necessary” staple items were in short supply by the end of the day.
Lines were also long at gas stations and hardware stores as people ran out to fill the gas tanks on their cars and their electrical generators and to purchase those snow blowers that they had been thinking about buying for the past three winters. Two feet of snow is pretty heavy, after all, if you have to lift it with a shovel.
To reassure their audiences that things were in good hands and all was not hopeless, local news outlets sent reporters into the field to interview the guy who is in charge of the “big pile of salt” and the people who drive the salt trucks. Those good folks said pretty much the same things they always say (as they silently toted up the overtime they were about to make), but it was reassuring to hear them say it again. Other reporters stationed themselves at strategic locations with rulers so they could notify the public of the exact amount of snowfall in both inches and millimeters.
Children waxed their sleds; parents broke out the board games and the cocoa, checked the batteries in the flashlights, and dug the candles and matches out of the junk drawer; and everyone sat back and watched and waited.
Some may have taken note of the unavoidable fact that the snow was going to come or not come, and there was absolutely nothing they could do about it. Some may have even prayed.
In the Scriptures
This beautiful sermon we find in the lesson from the Hebrew scriptures comes from what biblical scholars refer to as Second or Deutero-Isaiah (roughly chapters 40-66). These chapters were written during the Babylonian captivity to give comfort and instill courage in the exiles that were being forced to live “by the rivers of Babylon.”
Forced there from their homeland, the exiles were allowed to live pretty much as they chose except for one thing: they were not allowed to leave, to go home. And to them, home was everything. Home was where their god, YHWH, lived. Forced to live here in this strange land where people worshiped strange gods, they felt not just homeless but hopeless.
Enter Second Isaiah with this wonderful sermon of encouragement.
YHWH, says the prophet, is much more powerful than you have given him credit for. YHWH is not tied to any one geographical location. He can go where He wants. YHWH is more powerful than Nebuchadnezzar and his entire army. The prophet goes on to describe the awesome power of God, who gives life to living things and for whom the most powerful army in the world is no more than a swarm of ants.
In verse 27 he chastises them: “How dare you say, ‘God has lost track of me. He doesn’t care what happens to me’ ” (The Message). He goes on to say that God doesn’t get worn out or tired or distracted. God goes on and on. And God gives us strength so that we can go on and on.
And then he summarizes his entire sermon with this famous line: “Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
Because God is not tied to Israel, neither are you.
If God can be God here in Babylon, you can be God’s people here as well.
God is in charge. God will make the final decision about how this will all turn out.
So wait for God.
In the Pulpit
In a commentary piece for the Religion News Service, Episcopal priest Tom Ehrich says that our confrontations with the immutable power of nature (blizzards, tornados, hurricanes) are opportunities to face and deal with our “control addiction.”
All of our pre-catastrophe rituals, he says, are often nothing more than desperate and vain attempts to exert control over uncontrollable situations. In our desperation, we try to cajole life into going the way we want it to. If only we buy the right stuff or do the right rituals or take the right pills or rub on the right ointment or say the right words we can make things turn out the way we want -- and we won’t have to face the fact that we aren’t in charge.
But God, in that infinite grace and love that is uniquely God’s, does not allow us to live in a fantasy for even the briefest moment. God sends reality, often in the form of nature, to remind us that we are the creature and not the creator.
We are fragile, dependent beings who need God and each other if we are going to survive this thing for the full measure of years that God has chosen to give us, if we are to have lives that are anything like genuine human lives.
That is why the People of God, when confronted with impending natural disasters, can be found not running wildly about, thrashing and dashing, panicking and pointing the finger of blame, but quietly preparing and even singing hymns and praying and waiting for the Lord.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Leah Lonsbury:
Isaiah 40:21-31; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39
Many mixed messages are swirling around the media after a recent measles outbreak fired up the debate around vaccinations once again. The number of people who have now been infected with the highly contagious virus that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers vaccine-preventable has climbed to 102 people in 14 states.
Ophthalmologist and 2016 presidential hopeful Senator Rand Paul jumped into the conversation, framing this as an issue of control and freedom (1 Corinthians 9:19):
I don’t think there's anything extraordinary about resorting to freedom. We sometimes give five or six vaccines all at one time [referring to immunizations of newborns for Hepatitis B]. I chose to have mine delayed.... Do I think it’s ultimately a good idea? Yeah. So I had mine staggered over several months. I’ve heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines. I’m not arguing that vaccines are a bad idea, I think they’re a good thing. But I think parents should have some input. The state doesn’t own your children, parents own their children, and it is an issue of freedom.
A majority of the scientific community makes a different kind of proclamation (Isaiah 40 and 1 Corinthians 9:6, 18). CNN writers Jen Christensen and Nadia Kounang open their article “Childhood vaccines are safe. Seriously” this way:
Children should get vaccinated against preventable and potentially deadly diseases. Period. That’s what a project that screened more than 20,000 scientific titles and 67 papers on vaccine safety concludes this week. The review appears in the latest edition of the medical journal Pediatrics.
Christensen and Kounang go on to tick off further points of support for their vaccination message (Mark 1:38):
* Vaccination doesn’t cause autism, no matter what Playboy bunny and actress Jenny McCarthy says.
* There’s no link between vaccinations and childhood leukemia, as a debunked study once suggested.
* While vaccines are not 100% risk-free (they can cause redness and swelling at the injection site, and in very rare cases allergic reaction), they do prevent death and have increased the average American’s life expectancy by 30 years.
In a pre-Super Bowl interview on Sunday, President Obama seemed to feel obligated (1 Corinthians 9:16) to proclaim the vaccination gospel this way:
I understand that there are families that in some cases are concerned about the effect of vaccinations. The science is, you know, pretty indisputable. We’ve looked at this again and again. There is every reason to get vaccinated, but there aren’t reasons to not.
CDC director Tom Frieden agrees with the president, and has this woeful warning (1 Corinthians 9:16) for parents who choose not to get their children vaccinated:
They just may not recognize that measles is still with us, that it’s serious, and that not getting your kid vaccinated is not only a risk for your own kid, but puts other vulnerable kids in your community at risk.
*****
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
American Sniper is now the highest-grossing war film ever (without an adjustment for inflation), after passing the $216.2 million mark set in 1998 by Saving Private Ryan. Despite its financial success and six Academy Award nominations, political disputes have broken out over the movie. Bradley Cooper, who plays sniper Chris Kyle in the film, had this to say in response: “[W]e need to pay attention to our vets. It doesn’t go any farther than that. It’s not a political discussion about war.... It’s a discussion about the reality. And the reality is that people are coming home, and we have to take care of them.”
In Texas, Governor Greg Abbott proclaimed February 2, 2015 “Chris Kyle Day” in honor of the man who inspired American Sniper. Kyle is widely recognized as having made the most kills in American military history. He was fatally shot at a gun range in Texas in 2013, allegedly by Eddie Ray Routh -- another veteran whom Kyle was helping with rehabilitation after he returned home.
Abbott’s announcement came a week before Routh’s trial is scheduled to begin, after delays pushed it back from last May. The prosecution has said it will not pursue the death penalty, and the defendant’s mental health is expected to be a major focus. Routh’s sister says he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and his lawyer J. Warren St. John has announced plans to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. St. John said he is concerned about getting a fair trial for Routh because of the significant publicity surrounding American Sniper.
Financial success, record killings, wartime realities and decisions, a statewide honor for a hero who took the lives of 160 people, suffering veterans, loss felt by Kyle’s and Routh’s families, a decision not to pursue the death penalty, trial troubles. Where is the good news in this story, and who gets to decide what is good news? Does it depend on how it’s delivered? What will be our measuring stick for the good news we proclaim? Will it “save some” and share “blessings” (v. 23)?
*****
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Paul made himself a “slave to all” in order to win souls. How far will you go for what you consider “gospel”?
James Robertson, 56, walks 21 miles a day to get from his Detroit home to his factory job in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Public transportation doesn’t cover Robertson’s whole commute, and he couldn’t afford to replace his car when it stopped working in 2005. Robertson makes $10.55 an hour molding parts, and has perfect attendance at his job.
After reading a story about Robertson in the Detroit Free Press this past Sunday, 19-year-old computer science student Evan Leedy began a social media campaign to raise money to get the hard-working, long-walking Robertson a new car for his commute. Within just two days, Leedy’s effort raised more than $170,000 in donations from around the country, and two car dealerships offered to donate new vehicles to relieve Robertson’s daily 8-hour walk.
Because Leedy’s fundraising dreams have been surpassed in such great measures, the student hopes to buy Robertson a car, pay for his insurance, and provide professional help in managing the donations. Leedy had never met Robertson when he launched the campaign.
“Most people in that situation quit their job,” Leedy told MSNBC. “But he has been with his company for 10 years, and he didn’t want to give that up, and he does whatever it takes to get there.”
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From team member Mary Austin:
Isaiah 40:21-31; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Giving Up Control
Once we know that control is an illusion, we can either give up striving for it (as Paul and the prophet Isaiah suggest) or work even harder at it. Psychologist Amy Johnson says that giving up on struggling for control is a spiritual skill, something we can become better at: “Being receptive and allowing things to happen is a skill that can be practiced and improved upon. It helps to believe in a friendly universe -- one that is supporting you at every turn so that you don’t have to worry yourself over the details. We can always choose to do things the easy way or the hard way. We can muscle through, or we can let go of the oars and let the current carry us downstream.”
As one beginning step, she suggests: “Find out whose business you’re in. Your business is the realm of things that you can directly influence. Are you there? Or are you in someone else’s business? When we’re trying to control things outside of our own business, it’s not going to go well.” (You can read more here.)
*****
Isaiah 40:21-31; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Cruise Control
Ironically, using cruise control in a car means giving up control to the car once you set the speed. One type of cruise control, adaptive cruise control, may even help with traffic jams. As an article in The Economist reported: “Sitting in stationary traffic is, at best, a Zen experience. Drivers mired in a jam learn to cede control to the powers that be, becoming at one with the universe as they breathe in the mind-numbing fumes all around. At worst, it is an ongoing battle for sanity. But now, according to several groups of researchers in America and Germany, there is something that drivers can do to take back control over the roads. Get adaptive cruise control. And, of course, use it.”
The article continues: “Adaptive cruise control (ACC), as its name suggests, is a modified version of traditional cruise control. It employs radar to monitor the road ahead of a vehicle, automatically adjusting that vehicle’s speed to maintain a safe distance from the one in front. This is safer than manual driving because it reduces the system’s reaction time from nearly a second (human) to practically instantaneous (machine), thus helping to forestall shunts. But ACC may have a useful side-effect, arising from the fact that another effect of slow human reaction times is to produce traffic jams on apparently open roads.” Giving up control to the ACC may reduce traffic jams. It works if even a few cars use it too, and scientists say that “only 20% of cars need to employ ACC in order to prevent completely those jams that are caused by a slow lead car on a high-speed, single-lane road.” Giving up control ends up being a benefit to all the drivers on the road. (Read more here.)
*****
Isaiah 40:21-31; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Who Controls the Classroom?
In most visions of an effective classroom, the teacher is in firm control of the class. But math teacher Jay Gillen suggests that more can be learned when the students are in control. Gillen works with the Baltimore Algebra Project, which seeks to teach both math skills and life skills to students. As Yes magazine reports: “If schools reproduce inequality, the needs and interests of students in poverty are not met, and they resist. These insights informed Gillen’s work with the Baltimore Algebra Project, which uses math literacy as a way to teach and encourage political organizing. Its immediate aim is to show students that efforts to learn math do serve their interests. One measure of success: Students use math skills developed in Algebra Project classrooms to teach other students. In the past 10 years, their student-run tutoring co-op has earned more than $2 million.”
The article continues: “The Baltimore Algebra Project’s ultimate goal is to serve as a kind of ‘mini-society’ in which students address systemic educational problems. Students begin by putting demands on themselves -- come on time, pay attention, put effort into learning. Then they can make credible demands on their peers, the ‘beginning of political action.’ Thus prepared, students go beyond the classroom to make demands on the larger society. Through this process they experience a ‘reversal in the direction of authority,’ which allows them to envision truly democratic schools and workplaces.”
Giving up control may lead to a greater skill set for the students, unusual as it sounds. (Read more here.)
*****
Mark 1:29-39
Healing Power
In Mark’s gospel Jesus heals many people, including Simon’s mother-in-law. Author Michele Rosenthal notes that many people are in need of healing, particularly in light of all the traumas that surround us: “From 9/11 to Malaysia Airlines 370 to the Chilean earthquake and Washington mudslide to the Fort Hood murders (both times), the news of a community rocked by tragedy continually reminds us of our collective vulnerability. Who are we as individuals after these calamities? Who are we as a community when the boundaries of civility, safety, and certainty shatter? The aftermath of such traumas and the answers to these questions offer us opportunities to engage in, explore, and expand both our independent and our collective strength.”
Among the healing strategies Rosenthal recommends is to: “Look back. For some, the first step in moving through trauma is to glance behind: to note, study, and catalog what has occurred. Activities that encourage discussion, fact-finding, story-building, and investigation offer ways for community members to work together on tasks that can help make meaning out of a tragedy.”
She also suggests that anyone in need of healing “define a healing intention. Moving through a traumatic event isn’t just about getting through the crisis but about choosing what the final healthy outcome will be. Creating a plan for communal renewal and rebuilding begins with the simplicity of foresight and the construction of a vision: ‘We want _________ because ___________ so that ____________.’ Filling in the blanks with details related to ways in which the past will be processed, the present will be dealt with, and the future will be created activates creativity, flexibility, and collective energy that can be channeled into healing actions.” (Read more here.)
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From team member Ron Love:
Mark 1:29-39
French acrobat Philippe Petit is best remembered for walking across a high-wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Center on August 7, 1974. The event was portrayed in the Oscar-winning documentary Man on Wire, and will also be the subject of the forthcoming feature film The Walk. Petit was only 24 at the time, and reflecting on the experience he said: “It’s very intimate, to feel you’re that near heaven.”
Application: Those who were healed by Jesus must have felt very near to heaven.
*****
Mark 1:29-39
After eight years of being on the sidelines, McDonald’s returned to this year’s Super Bowl ad lineup. Their 60-second commercial, “Pay With Lovin’,” shows customers ordering a meal and a counter attendant asking them to do something loving -- such as requesting one patron to call his mother on his cellphone to tell her that he loves her. He was told that would be the way he could “pay” for his meal. Another customer was asked to tell the child accompanying her something that she loves about him. In announcing the amount due for their meal, the clerk said: “Your total is one big family hug” -- and with that the mother embraced her child.
For two weeks -- from the Monday following the Super Bowl until Valentine’s Day -- McDonald’s will bring their ad to life by giving away one million free meals (randomly selected across the country), with the only required payment being the demonstration of an act of love. Deborah Wahl, the corporation’s chief marketing officer, explained the campaign by saying: “We’re really serious about lovin’ our customers. This gives us a chance to show it.”
Application: Those who experienced the healing of Jesus must have felt a need to “pay with lovin’.”
*****
Mark 1:29-39
Super Bowl commercials have traditionally portrayed dads in the distasteful role of buffoons -- but this year there has been a change, with dads being shown as caring. One spot, “#RealStrength,” was created for Dove Men+Care after a survey revealed that 9 out of 10 fathers considered “caring” as a masculine trait. The commercial shows children in a desperate situation crying for “Daddy,” who then comes to rescue them from monkey bars that are too high and potties that are too scary.
Application: Jesus, as God the Father among us, has come to heal and counsel.
*****
Isaiah 40:21-31
God is a prominent character in one of this year’s Super Bowl advertisements. “All Powerless,” a spot for smartphone battery case maker Mophie, depicts God as peeved because his phone isn’t charged. God is so angry that is prepared to destroy the earth.
Application: This attempt at a humorous portrayal of God is the antithesis of the exalted state in which Isaiah presents God to his people.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: How good it is to sing praises to our God.
People: Our God is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
Leader: God determines the number of the stars.
People: God gives to all the stars their names.
Leader: Great is our Lord, and abundant in power.
People: God’s understanding is beyond measure.
OR
Leader: Come and hear the good news of God’s love.
People: With joy we receive the word that we are loved.
Leader: Share the good news with your sisters and brothers in Christ.
People: We will work to create a community of care.
Leader: Spread the good news to all, far and near.
People: We will share the news of God’s love and grace with all.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
“Sing Praise to God Who Reigns Above”
found in:
UMH: 126
H82: 408
PH: 483
NCH: 6
CH: 6
W&P: 56
Renew: 52
“God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens”
found in:
UMH: 150
H82: 580
PH: 268
NCH: 556
CH: 651
LBW: 463
ELA: 771
W&P: 644
“I Love to Tell the Story”
found in:
UMH: 156
AAHH: 513
NNBH: 424
NCH: 533
CH: 480
LBW: 390
ELA: 661
W&P: 560
AMEC: 217
“Lord, Speak to Me”
found in:
UMH: 463
PH: 426
NCH: 531
ELA: 676
W&P: 593
“Trust and Obey”
found in:
UMH: 467
AAHH: 380
NNBH: 322
CH: 556
W&P: 443
AMEC: 377
“O Zion, Haste”
found in:
UMH: 573
H82: 539
NNBH: 422
LBW: 397
ELA: 668
AMEC: 566
“Christ for the World We Sing”
found in:
UMH: 568
H82: 537
W&P: 561
AMEC: 565
Renew: 299
“Lord, You Give the Great Commission”
found in:
UMH: 584
H82: 528
PH: 429
CH: 459
ELA: 579
W&P: 597
Renew: 305
“Shine, Jesus, Shine”
found in:
CCB: 81
Renew: 247
“Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”
found in:
CCB: 55
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who proclaims good news to your people: Grant us the grace to hear the good news so that we may move from death into life; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for you are the one who speaks good news to us. You give us the words of life for our health and for us to share them with others. Give us a passion for sharing and the wisdom to know how to best spread the good news. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins, and especially lack of passion in sharing the good news with others.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have received the good news from you, but we are lax is sharing it with others. We are unsure how to proceed, so we do nothing. We are very aware of the broken state of the world and we often complain about it, but our actions stop there. Forgive our selfish ways that ignore the needs and hurts of others. Empower us with your Spirit to share the good news with those around us. Amen.
Leader: God desires to give all creation new life. Receive God’s love and forgiveness, and know that God’s Spirit dwells within you so that you can be a bearer of the good news to others.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord’s Prayer)
Glory and honor are yours, O God, for you are the source of life and you give that life to your creation.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have received the good news from you, but we are lax is sharing it with others. We are unsure how to proceed, so we do nothing. We are very aware of the broken state of the world and we often complain about it, but our actions stop there. Forgive our selfish ways that ignore the needs and hurts of others. Empower us with your Spirit to share the good news with those around us.
We give you thanks for those who have shared the good news of your love and grace with us. We thank you for those who showed us kindness and concern because of your Spirit dwelling in them.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We know that there are many who need to hear the good news of your loving kindness. Some have been so beat down by life that they find it hard to hear or to believe that there is good news anywhere. Help us to show them the reality of your love.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ, who taught us to pray together, saying:
Our Father . . . Amen.
(or if the Lord’s Prayer is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Play Good News/Bad News -- i.e., tell the children something and then ask them if it is good or bad news. (Examples: having your favorite ice cream, getting bitten by a dog, etc.) Then think of one or two situations where something sounds like one, but it might be the other. (Example: being first in line sounds good... unless it is to go into someplace scary.) Talk about how the good news of God’s love is always good news.
CHILDREN’S SERMON
Paul Shared News About Jesus
1 Corinthians 9:16-23
Object: a large dictionary (preferably one that tells the number of words defined in it)
Today I brought with me a very good friend -- one that I use often. How many of you know what kind of a book I have in my hand? (show the dictionary and let the children answer) Very good, it is a dictionary. How many of you have a dictionary at home? (let them answer) Many of you have a dictionary. A dictionary like this has almost every word known to people who speak the English language.
If you want to know how to spell a word, you can look it up in the dictionary. (choose a word, look it up, and spell it for them) If you wonder what a word that you read means and do not know, you can look it up and find out the meaning. (choose another word and read the definition) If you do not know how to pronounce a word, you can look it up in the dictionary and it will tell you how to say it. This dictionary is for everyone.
Saint Paul tells us something interesting in his first book to the Corinthians. He tells us that Jesus blessed him in a special way. Paul was chosen by Jesus to make all kinds of people his disciples. Paul went to different countries, and he told people there about Jesus. Many of them became followers of Jesus. Paul traveled to Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, Perga, Salamis, Paphos, Philippi, Thessalonica, Troas, Ephesus, Corinth, Athens, Caesarea, Beroea, Tyre, and many other places, including Rome. He met with Jews and Gentiles. He talked to the most and the least intelligent people, the poorest and the richest, the young and the old, the religious and the non-religious. Paul always told the same message, about how Jesus loved us and died for us so that we may live with God forever.
Paul was all things to all people. He could sit down in a fancy restaurant or eat with his hands in someone's backyard. He could talk politics, religion, sports, business, or whatever else you wanted to talk about, as long as you would give him a couple of minutes to talk about Jesus. Paul was like a dictionary. Just like all of the words are in a dictionary, so Paul was filled with everything that a person wanted to talk about. He was this way so that people would also listen to him share his love for Jesus.
That’s the way we should be. We should love people, all kinds of people, so that we can share Jesus with them.
The next time you see a dictionary and you think about all of those words, think about Saint Paul and how he shared everything so that he could share the one thing he loved the most -- the Lord Jesus.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 8, 2015, issue.
Copyright 2015 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.
