Joy In Darkness
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
As we enter the Lenten season and its emphasis on introspection and spiritual cleansing, it's a useful corrective to balance out the tendency to dwell on the darkness of human sin with a healthy dose of the Good News -- and that's especially needed when the headlines feature an endless parade of bad news. The lectionary reading from Deuteronomy this week gives us a helping hand, as it focuses on the bountiful gifts that God has given us ("a land flowing with milk and honey") and the gratitude and thankfulness that we therefore ought to show, symbolized by the collection of first fruits. With its stark reminder of the Israelites longtime status as outsiders, this text offers an excellent opportunity to address the issue of immigration as it raises the question of who ultimately possesses (and settles) in the land. But in this installment of The Immediate Word, team member Ron Love points out that another main theme of the text is the unbridled joy that should be our natural response to God's gracious providence -- which is granted to everyone... not only to the Jews but also to "the Levites and the aliens who reside among you." We are all recipients of gifts beyond measure -- and so, Ron suggests, like the Israelites we too should focus on hope and joy rather than the darkness that life often brings.
Team member Mary Austin draws on the Romans and Deuteronomy passages to offer some additional thoughts on the current efforts to craft immigration legislation. As various options are debated, a great deal of emphasis is placed on who is or isn't a legal resident, and how difficult the "path to citizenship" ought to be. While who is really American may be a matter over which reasonable people can disagree, the author of Romans points out that in God's eyes there can be no discussion over who is a child of God -- indeed, "there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him." Mary reminds us that this is an important perspective to keep in mind as we try to resolve the thorny issue of immigration policy.
Joy in Darkness
by Ron Love
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
As we peruse the news in the course of a week, we encounter many stories that horrify us with the dark side of human nature -- but if we take the time to go beyond the sensationalism of the front page, we will discover many enduring, heartwarming stories that can reaffirm our hope.
THE WORLD
The old adage tells us that dogs and cats can't live together peaceably. But for devotees of the ever-popular board game Monopoly, what will happen when the dog and cat land on the same space? That's the question asked by Monopoly expert Philip Orbanes in reviewing the new tokens that will be introduced into the game beginning this summer. Fan voting has been completed, and the verdict is in. The iron is out, since that is an activity of the past, while an overwhelming majority wanted to keep the Scottish terrier. So in place of the iron, we will now have a cat.
Reviewing the news over the past several months, it would seem difficult -- indeed, almost unimaginable -- to believe that the cat and dog could dwell in the same space together. Bickering and violence are rampant. The headlines of one week seamlessly blend into the headlines of the next. Only the names of cities and people change, but the stories are repetitive: child abuse, abductions, murder, Ponzi schemes, war casualties, mass shootings, horrible accidents, political corruption. This is such a short list when one sees all the tragic stories crammed onto the front page of the newspaper or the announcement of a "breaking news" story that begins every evening television broadcast.
But if one can get past the first page of newsprint, there are numerous stories of joy and happiness. For example, the most popular commercial on the recent Super Bowl broadcast was a Budweiser ad that chronicled the lasting bond between a horse and his trainer, which opened with a brief shot featuring a newborn Clydesdale foal. The foal, born on January 16, now has a name as the result of a national contest: "Hope". Lori Shambro, the brand director for Budweiser, said: "Many of our fans wanted a name to reflect their optimism and spirit, which the name Hope encapsulates beautifully." Everything in the world is not doom and gloom; the public's choice indicates that for many there is reason for hope and optimism.
When a partial power outage struck the Superdome and the lights went off for 34 minutes during the Super Bowl, marketers scrambled to make good use of the time. Oreo, in its immediate response, seemed to be the most popular: "You can still dunk in the dark." And so it is even during dark times and on dark days, there is still time for that Oreo.
The United States Postal Service recently released a Rosa Parks "forever" stamp, honoring the 100th birthday of the prominent civil rights activist renowned for her role in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. At the stamp's unveiling ceremony, Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman said, "Let this stamp be a symbol of her courage and determination. And let it remind us to never forget the indignities of days gone by -- and to never stop fighting for the aspirations of generations yet unborn." There is good news as we remember good people.
The stories of hope and happiness, fulfillment and love are there if we search them out -- and they can evoke the same visceral response as if we were reading about a kidnapped child in Alabama.
Helen Keller wrote, "What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." Good memories and happy stories can always become an insoluble part of us.
THE WORD
The lectionary's reading from the Hebrew scriptures this week focuses on bringing the first fruits and tithes of the harvest to the synagogue as an act of thanksgiving. Absent from the text is any discussion of the ritual involved in this worship experience, because the focus is on the gift itself. The gift is a result of God's act of generosity. For the Israelites it is a remembrance of when "A wondering Aramean was my ancestor," to their present Exodus and liberation experience.
As the people bring forth their offering, they stand with Moses upon the mountain bluff overlooking the Promised Land. Their slavery and wanderings have now ended, and the joy of a permanent home stretches before them.
It is for this that they rejoice and give thanks. They express their happiness by placing their gifts in a woven, wicker basket filled with produce. We might visualize a cornucopia -- the curved goat's horn overflowing with fruit and ears of grain that is a familiar decorative motif during the fall harvest and Thanksgiving seasons, emblematic of abundance.
It is the abundance of a new life that is being celebrated this day. The Israelites express their joy as an act of worship, for they "bow down" before the Lord.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
The following outline may be used as a guide in developing your sermon:
I. Begin by discussing a few negative stories in the news taken directly from this week's newspaper headlines and television broadcasts.
II. Contrast this to the many wonderful stories that are being reported.
III. Examine the hardships the Israelites endured in slavery and the difficulties and uncertainties they encountered wandering through the wilderness.
IV. Discuss the joy the Israelites are now experiencing as they look upon the Promised Land.
V. Combine the joy of the Israelites with our own daily joys.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Romans 10:8b-13; Deuteronomy 26:1-11
While the president and congress ponder the questions of citizenship, amnesty, secure borders, and what to do about young people brought here by undocumented parents, ours is the spiritual task of thinking about immigration from the viewpoint of faith. As residents in our land, we look to Deuteronomy and Romans for spiritual wisdom about the question of immigration.
Before they enter the promised land, Moses speaks to the people in Deuteronomy, teaching them how to act when they come into the long-awaited land. Come in as grateful people, he instructs, and when the harvest comes "you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name" (Deuteronomy 26:2). Being residents in the land is meant to be filled with gratitude for security and prosperity.
For the people of Israel, the key to how they act is the memory of being slaves in Egypt. They are instructed to remember what it was like to be the strangers in another country and to treat "the aliens who reside among you" with care. From the beginning, the people know that they will be living with other people. The memory of their ancestors is to be their guide for how they treat people in the present.
Most of our ancestors were immigrants to America, whether by choice, by force, or by annexation. We often forget that experience as we consider today's immigrants. Paul highlights our common destiny too, reminding us that "there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all" (Romans 10:12). The same Lord is the Lord of all, from the descendants of the Mayflower families to the children of the dishwasher from Guatemala, or the parking garage attendant from Somalia, or the nanny from Barbados. The sought-after tech genius and the struggling day laborer have more in common than we see at first, and we all share in a piece of this country.
In a recent article in the Washington Post, Karen Tumulty explored the immigration reform of 1986 and what lessons it holds for today's debate. As she notes, "When Ronald Reagan signed a comprehensive immigration overhaul in 1986, he confidently predicted: 'Future generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain control of our borders and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people -- American citizenship.' More than a quarter century later, however, that law has not turned out to be the triumph that Reagan envisioned. Instead, those on both sides of the immigration debate see it as a cautionary lesson."
At that time, an estimated 3 to 5 million people were living in the U.S. without valid documentation. Now the number is estimated at 11 million. Tumulty observes that "the latest proposals contain the same three components as the 1986 law: a legalization program -- and a possible path to citizenship -- for those who are in the country illegally, stepped-up enforcement along the border, and measures to discourage employers from hiring workers who lack proof of legal residency." However, some things have changed. Hispanic voters now make up 10% of the voting population, wielding much more political clout. "What also expanded was the national sense of crisis surrounding the issue," Tumulty notes. "Now, thanks largely to the demand for labor during the economic boom of the 1990s, illegal immigration has become a high-priority issue in virtually every state, including places such as Alabama, Iowa, Georgia, and Nebraska." Immigration is a question that touches all of our lives.
In an opinion piece in the New York Times, Bill Keller discusses the word "amnesty", which is a spiritual word as well as a political one. Keller observes that to get a comprehensive bill passed, "advocates won't be using the word 'amnesty.' Personally I think it's a fine word, which has traditionally meant an act of forgiveness for the sake of social harmony." He too looks to history when he observes: "The last major immigration law, signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, legalized three million undocumented immigrants. (Reagan, by the way, was comfortable calling this 'amnesty.') But the law failed to prevent a new illegal influx, largely because business lobbied to prevent tough sanctions on employers who hired unauthorized workers. The lure of no-questions-asked jobs drew millions of new illegal immigrants and that invasion fed a ferocious popular backlash." Keller notes that enforcement under President Obama has been strong, with border police doubling as well as 400,000 deportations a year, with, as he says, "a new and prudent emphasis on deporting convicted criminals."
One of the benefits of this new approach would be humanitarian -- ending the limbo status of millions of people who live in daily fear of deportation and separation from their families. A reform bill would bring a sense of security, along with requirements for legal status in the U.S. Keller writes: "Under the status Obama calls 'provisional' and the Senate gang calls 'probationary,' they will be allowed to work, travel, and send their kids to school without fear of deportation while they wait to apply for green cards. No federal benefits, no vote, but no sword of Damocles either. Think of it as the path to the path. This compromise is the biggest breakthrough in many years of immigration debate, and it is the key to a consensus."
Our ancestors in faith assumed that they would live alongside people of other backgrounds. (Often the picture is much less harmonious than it is here.) Moses reminds them that "you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house" (Deuteronomy 26:11). Everyone from the priest to the servants is included. The bounty of the country is to be celebrated by everyone who lives there, in a spiritual sense. As congress and the president ponder how to craft the laws, our work is to approach these questions -- and the people behind them -- with spiritual grace of these passages.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Leah Lonsbury:
Giving back because it makes us feel good is not biblical, but with a generous interpretation, it could be linked to a deeper understanding that we are all a part of the one human family, loved and blessed by God. When we act to benefit another, we are blessed via our connection to that other and our common source -- God. When we share what we have with another, we share what was never ours in the first place but a gift from God. Acting and sharing in these ways acknowledges what our passage from Deuteronomy for this week is trying to convey. If we feel good because of it, then... okay.
Mom and writer Juliana Miner acknowledges our common lot in her "A Letter to My Kids Because I'm 40 and That's Old". In this letter, Miner shares bits of advice with her children, and this is one...
When you're feeling your worst, when things seem hopeless, there is one thing that will make it better. Here's the deal: there will always be people who really need help, and there will always be something you can do. So pull your head out of your haunches, get your hands dirty, and do some good for someone else. This will remind you of who you are and will help repair some of the wormholes in your soul that come from seeing and feeling stuff.
Our own "wormholes" are healed when we give back, because we are acknowledging who we are together (blessed children of God) and the source of any good we may share (God).
Susan Skog's article on Beliefnet, "Ten Ways Giving Back Helps You", though not especially biblical, might also provide some fodder for the preacher focused on Deuteronomy 26.
* * *
What if all conversations about gay rights, voting rights, the rights of "illegal" persons or immigrants, or any kind of civil rights began in this kind of foundation...
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him (Romans 10:12).
Or with these pieces from the preamble of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948...
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world...
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people...
(The preamble ends with an agreement of all member bodies and their people to uphold these understandings.)
Or with the first article of the same Declaration...
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
What route would those conversations then take? Where would we find ourselves at their conclusion?
** Here's an interesting opinion piece that engages talk around gay rights in the context of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
* * *
It must have been a long walk down from the pinnacle of the temple. Instead of the breathtaking and attention-getting leap down that the devil suggests, Jesus opts for the stairs. In our passage from Luke for this Sunday, Jesus turns down three flashy offers from the devil -- to easily meet Jesus' own urgent need for food, to have authority over and glory from all the kingdoms of the world, and to force God's hand in a dramatic rescue that would demonstrate God's favor and Jesus' importance. Instead, Jesus takes the stairs. His connection to God is the center, the soul, and the foundation of his everyday living -- not some dramatic circus routine meant only for attention or glory. It's the harder route. It's less sexy. It's a harder sell. But it's what changes lives and communicates God's saving love, and so Jesus lives it step by step, day by day.
This kind of faith is found in the stories that are emerging from a little town of Midland City, Alabama, where Charles Poland -- a retired mechanic, Sunday school teacher, and local bus driver -- recently stood between a gunman and the kids on his bus.
From the Associated Press...
Earlier Saturday, local residents remembered Poland as a friendly man who was quick to lend a helping hand to others....
"I knew that he was always there if I needed," said Lonnie Daniels [a business owner in Midland City and a friend of Poland's], adding that Poland was an excellent mechanic with an array of tools that he lent to people in town.
Neighbors and friends said Poland did various acts of kindness for people in town, from fixing someone's tractor to tilling the garden of a neighbor who had a heart attack.
"You don't owe me anything," Poland once told a recipient of his good deed. "You're my neighbor."
Laern Skipper [Poland's sister-in-law] said Poland and his wife would often sit on their porch, drinking coffee, praying, and reading the Bible.
"They loved to be together," Skipper said....
The victim's son, Aaron Poland, told NBC News that he wasn't surprised by his father's final act, trying to protect a bus full of kids.
"He considered them his children," Poland said, choking back tears. "And I know that's the reason why my dad took those shots, for his children, just like he would do for me and my sister."
* * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Two farmers on the concept of first fruits...
Tom: John, we have been best friends for how long now?
John: Got to be 30 years, easy.
Tom: More like 35, I'd say.
John: Could be... 35 sounds about right to me.
Tom: John, if I was to win the lottery, I'd give half to you.
John: And you know I'd do the same for you, friend.
Tom: And if I was to go on that Jeopardy TV show and win $10,000, I'd give half to you.
John: And don't you know I'd do the same.
Tom: And if I had two strong, healthy milkin' cows...
John: Hold on there, Tom. I got two strong, healthy milkin' cows.
* * *
In Daniel Defoe's famous novel Robinson Crusoe, the title character is shipwrecked on a tropical island. The first thing that Crusoe does is to make out a list. On one side of the list he writes down all his problems; on the other side he writes down all of his blessings.
-- On one side: I do not have any clothes;
On the other side: But it's warm and I don't really need any.
-- On one side: All of the provisions were lost;
On the other side: But there's plenty of fresh fruit and water on the island.
And on down the list he goes. In this fashion Crusoe discovers that for every negative aspect about his situation there is also a positive aspect, something to be thankful for.
* * *
What does it mean when someone says that race is a "social construct"?
Think of it in terms of dogs.
Take your dog to the dog park and watch how the dogs interact. You don't see all the brown dogs hanging out together over here and the black dogs over there. You don't see all the terriers in one section of the park marking it as their territory while the spaniels and the bulldogs mark theirs in other parts of the park. To dogs, a dog is a dog. Color and other genetic markers don't make a difference.
Humans, on the other hand, place social significance and importance on these things. They construct values based on distinctions that other species don't even recognize.
* * *
Popular culture often feeds the ever-present human appetite to create distinctions and hatred for other ethnic groups. For example, (according to Wikipedia) Ethnic Cleansing (2002) is a computer game developed by Resistance Records, an underground music label owned by the National Alliance specializing in neo-Nazi and white supremacist bands. The game was developed using Genesis3D, an open source game engine.
In the game, the protagonist (the player can choose to be either a skinhead or a Klansman) runs through a ghetto killing black people and Latinos, before descending into a subway system to kill Jews. Finally he reaches the "Jewish Control Center," where Ariel Sharon, former Prime Minister of Israel, is directing plans for world domination. The player must kill Sharon to win the game.
A sequel called White Law was released by the same developer in June 2003 with a similar premise, where the player assumes the role of a police officer "going postal." It, however, attracted much less attention than Ethnic Cleansing. Both White Law and Ethnic Cleansing can only be ordered directly from Resistance Records.
Another game, ZOG [Zionist Occupation Government]'s Nightmare was made by Jim Ramm, a former National Socialist Movement member. Both Ethnic Cleansing and ZOG's Nightmare have similar premises. ZOG's Nightmare however, is much larger, having eight levels instead of Ethnic Cleansing's two.
* * *
From SermonSuite:
Those in the creative arts, such as musicians, songwriters, authors, and even journalists, often depend on royalties for their income. Royalties are portions of sales from their songs or books, so the more albums or books sold, the more royalties the person receives. For example, in the United States the going rate for song royalties is about 9 cents a song. However, if a record company makes 1,000 copies of a CD with that song on it, the artist or songwriter gets 9 cents for each CD for that song, or $90 in this case. This is a case of credit being given where credit is due.
The system of tithing set up in Deuteronomy is akin to this system of royalties. God created everything -- the earth, the seeds, the rain, the sun, everything needed to grow the crops the Israelites would need. He simply wanted the credit he was due, since he made it all anyway. Similarly, God gives us the knowhow and the opportunity for every dollar we earn. All he wants are his royalties.
* * *
It often seems as if the old creedal formula from the people of Israel has no merit in the modern age of money and stocks and salaries. Although the people of Israel were called to bring the best of their flock and produce to God, it seems that the new systems of numbers and cash flow stand in the way of really understanding giving to the ministry of God. This week's Deuteronomy text begs to be preached as stewardship, but how are we to do it in our time? One way is to remind people that the gifts of their time, thoughts, hands, and presence are all part of their stewardship to God's realm. A hymn by Frank von Christierson in the Lutheran Book of Worship (#404) speaks to this very well indeed:
As saints of old their first fruits brought
Of orchard, flock, and field
To God, the giver of all good,
The source of bounteous yield;
So we today first fruits would bring,
The wealth of this good land,
Of farm and market, shop and home,
Of mind and heart and hand.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: We who live in the shelter of the most high, who abide in the shadow of the almighty,
People: will say to God, "Our refuge and our fortress; our God, in whom we trust."
Leader: Because we have made God our refuge, the most high our dwelling place,
People: no evil shall befall us, no scourge come near our tent.
Leader: For God will command the angels concerning us to guard us in all our ways.
People: On their hands they will bear us up, so that we will not dash our foot against a stone.
OR
Leader: The Creator of all that was or is or ever shall be is with us.
People: We rejoice in the presence of our Creator God.
Leader: God invites us to enjoy and care for creation.
People: With joy we receive the stewardship of earth.
Leader: God calls us to share creation's gifts with all.
People: We open our hearts to all God's people so that we may share God's good gifts with joy and love.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"All Creatures of Our God and King"
found in:
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELA: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
Renew: 47
"All People That on Earth Do Dwell"
found in:
UMH: 75
H82: 377/378
PH: 220/221
NNBH: 36
NCH: 7
CH: 18
LBW: 245
ELA: 883
W&P: 661
AMEC: 73
STLT: 370
"Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"
found in:
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
ELA: 414
W&P: 138
"O God of Every Nation"
found in:
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELA: 713
W&P: 626
"This Is My Song"
found in:
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELA: 887
STLT: 159
"What Does the Lord Require"
found in:
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
W&P: 686
"Seek the Lord"
found in:
UMH: 124
"There's a Wideness in God's Mercy"
found in:
UMH: 121
H82: 469/470
PH: 298
NCH: 23
CH: 73
LBW: 290
ELA: 587/588
W&P: 61
AMEC: 78
STLT: 213
"Thank You, Lord"
found in:
CCB: 86
"People Need the Lord"
found in:
CCB: 52
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who offers the bounty of creation to all your children: Grant us thankful hearts for all that is available to us and help us to share your gifts with all your people; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come to worship and praise you, O God, for the wonderful creation you have brought forth and entrusted to our care. We pray that as we worship you, we would hear you calling us to more grateful lives that are open to all your people. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to remember that all the good things of life are gifts from you.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We look at the good things we have and we think of them as "ours," forgetting that all we have comes from you. You, O God, have made all creation, and you have given us the ability to use and enjoy so many wondrous things. Forgive us our ungrateful hearts and help us to enjoy your gifts by sharing them with all your children. Amen.
Leader: God does love us all and desires us to enjoy creation -- both the physical things and the people God sends our way.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise you, O God, for you are the source of all that is good. Everything of beauty or joy has its source in you. You have created us as sisters and brothers with all other people.
(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 look at the good things we have and we think of them as "ours," forgetting that all we have comes from you. You, O God, have made all creation, and you have given us the ability to use and enjoy so many wondrous things. Forgive us our ungrateful hearts and help us to enjoy your gifts by sharing them with all your children.
We give you thanks for the wonders of creation. We thank you for all good things of this earth and our ability to enjoy them. We thank you that you have created us all as your children so that we are connected to people.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need and especially for those who are denied access to the things they need to live healthy lives. We pray for those who are rejected because of their ethnic or racial background.
(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
Share with the children about learning to say "thank you." You might tell about how you were taught to be thankful. You might share something that you are especially thankful for. Talk to the children about how God created everything and so everything really belongs to God. God gives everything to us to care for and to use as we need it. God created us and all people, so it is good to share with others.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
What Color?
Romans 10:8b-13
Object: a ping-pong ball with half painted one color, and the other side left white
(Hold the ping-pong ball so that some of the children see the colored side of the ball, while others see the white side. To accomplish this you may need to split the children in half so that one side is sitting opposite the other.) Good morning, boys and girls! What is the color of this ball? (Some of the children will say "black" [or whatever color you have painted it] and the others will say "white.")
Why do some of you tell me it is one color and others tell me it's white? How can that be? Can you both be right? Of course you can. How? You might both be right if I have painted half the ball one color and left the other half white. And that's exactly what I've done.
We are quite tempted to divide people according to what makes us different. Some of us are female and some are male. Some have light skin and others darker skin. Some have red hair and others black hair. We are all different in one way or another.
Sometimes we let our differences make us feel better than others. Our reading today tells us that everybody who believes in Jesus is loved the same by God. There is nothing that makes one person better than another in God's eyes.
The ball may be white, or it may be another color. The fact is, it is still a ping-pong ball. We may be female; we may be male. We may be A students or we may be D students. We may be good at throwing and catching a ball, or we may be poor at doing that. No matter what -- God loves us each the same.
This is a lesson that many adults never learn. Jesus taught his followers to respect all people regardless of their differences. That is a hard lesson for some of us to learn, but it is an important one.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 17, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
Team member Mary Austin draws on the Romans and Deuteronomy passages to offer some additional thoughts on the current efforts to craft immigration legislation. As various options are debated, a great deal of emphasis is placed on who is or isn't a legal resident, and how difficult the "path to citizenship" ought to be. While who is really American may be a matter over which reasonable people can disagree, the author of Romans points out that in God's eyes there can be no discussion over who is a child of God -- indeed, "there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him." Mary reminds us that this is an important perspective to keep in mind as we try to resolve the thorny issue of immigration policy.
Joy in Darkness
by Ron Love
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
As we peruse the news in the course of a week, we encounter many stories that horrify us with the dark side of human nature -- but if we take the time to go beyond the sensationalism of the front page, we will discover many enduring, heartwarming stories that can reaffirm our hope.
THE WORLD
The old adage tells us that dogs and cats can't live together peaceably. But for devotees of the ever-popular board game Monopoly, what will happen when the dog and cat land on the same space? That's the question asked by Monopoly expert Philip Orbanes in reviewing the new tokens that will be introduced into the game beginning this summer. Fan voting has been completed, and the verdict is in. The iron is out, since that is an activity of the past, while an overwhelming majority wanted to keep the Scottish terrier. So in place of the iron, we will now have a cat.
Reviewing the news over the past several months, it would seem difficult -- indeed, almost unimaginable -- to believe that the cat and dog could dwell in the same space together. Bickering and violence are rampant. The headlines of one week seamlessly blend into the headlines of the next. Only the names of cities and people change, but the stories are repetitive: child abuse, abductions, murder, Ponzi schemes, war casualties, mass shootings, horrible accidents, political corruption. This is such a short list when one sees all the tragic stories crammed onto the front page of the newspaper or the announcement of a "breaking news" story that begins every evening television broadcast.
But if one can get past the first page of newsprint, there are numerous stories of joy and happiness. For example, the most popular commercial on the recent Super Bowl broadcast was a Budweiser ad that chronicled the lasting bond between a horse and his trainer, which opened with a brief shot featuring a newborn Clydesdale foal. The foal, born on January 16, now has a name as the result of a national contest: "Hope". Lori Shambro, the brand director for Budweiser, said: "Many of our fans wanted a name to reflect their optimism and spirit, which the name Hope encapsulates beautifully." Everything in the world is not doom and gloom; the public's choice indicates that for many there is reason for hope and optimism.
When a partial power outage struck the Superdome and the lights went off for 34 minutes during the Super Bowl, marketers scrambled to make good use of the time. Oreo, in its immediate response, seemed to be the most popular: "You can still dunk in the dark." And so it is even during dark times and on dark days, there is still time for that Oreo.
The United States Postal Service recently released a Rosa Parks "forever" stamp, honoring the 100th birthday of the prominent civil rights activist renowned for her role in the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. At the stamp's unveiling ceremony, Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman said, "Let this stamp be a symbol of her courage and determination. And let it remind us to never forget the indignities of days gone by -- and to never stop fighting for the aspirations of generations yet unborn." There is good news as we remember good people.
The stories of hope and happiness, fulfillment and love are there if we search them out -- and they can evoke the same visceral response as if we were reading about a kidnapped child in Alabama.
Helen Keller wrote, "What we have once enjoyed we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us." Good memories and happy stories can always become an insoluble part of us.
THE WORD
The lectionary's reading from the Hebrew scriptures this week focuses on bringing the first fruits and tithes of the harvest to the synagogue as an act of thanksgiving. Absent from the text is any discussion of the ritual involved in this worship experience, because the focus is on the gift itself. The gift is a result of God's act of generosity. For the Israelites it is a remembrance of when "A wondering Aramean was my ancestor," to their present Exodus and liberation experience.
As the people bring forth their offering, they stand with Moses upon the mountain bluff overlooking the Promised Land. Their slavery and wanderings have now ended, and the joy of a permanent home stretches before them.
It is for this that they rejoice and give thanks. They express their happiness by placing their gifts in a woven, wicker basket filled with produce. We might visualize a cornucopia -- the curved goat's horn overflowing with fruit and ears of grain that is a familiar decorative motif during the fall harvest and Thanksgiving seasons, emblematic of abundance.
It is the abundance of a new life that is being celebrated this day. The Israelites express their joy as an act of worship, for they "bow down" before the Lord.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
The following outline may be used as a guide in developing your sermon:
I. Begin by discussing a few negative stories in the news taken directly from this week's newspaper headlines and television broadcasts.
II. Contrast this to the many wonderful stories that are being reported.
III. Examine the hardships the Israelites endured in slavery and the difficulties and uncertainties they encountered wandering through the wilderness.
IV. Discuss the joy the Israelites are now experiencing as they look upon the Promised Land.
V. Combine the joy of the Israelites with our own daily joys.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
Romans 10:8b-13; Deuteronomy 26:1-11
While the president and congress ponder the questions of citizenship, amnesty, secure borders, and what to do about young people brought here by undocumented parents, ours is the spiritual task of thinking about immigration from the viewpoint of faith. As residents in our land, we look to Deuteronomy and Romans for spiritual wisdom about the question of immigration.
Before they enter the promised land, Moses speaks to the people in Deuteronomy, teaching them how to act when they come into the long-awaited land. Come in as grateful people, he instructs, and when the harvest comes "you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name" (Deuteronomy 26:2). Being residents in the land is meant to be filled with gratitude for security and prosperity.
For the people of Israel, the key to how they act is the memory of being slaves in Egypt. They are instructed to remember what it was like to be the strangers in another country and to treat "the aliens who reside among you" with care. From the beginning, the people know that they will be living with other people. The memory of their ancestors is to be their guide for how they treat people in the present.
Most of our ancestors were immigrants to America, whether by choice, by force, or by annexation. We often forget that experience as we consider today's immigrants. Paul highlights our common destiny too, reminding us that "there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all" (Romans 10:12). The same Lord is the Lord of all, from the descendants of the Mayflower families to the children of the dishwasher from Guatemala, or the parking garage attendant from Somalia, or the nanny from Barbados. The sought-after tech genius and the struggling day laborer have more in common than we see at first, and we all share in a piece of this country.
In a recent article in the Washington Post, Karen Tumulty explored the immigration reform of 1986 and what lessons it holds for today's debate. As she notes, "When Ronald Reagan signed a comprehensive immigration overhaul in 1986, he confidently predicted: 'Future generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain control of our borders and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people -- American citizenship.' More than a quarter century later, however, that law has not turned out to be the triumph that Reagan envisioned. Instead, those on both sides of the immigration debate see it as a cautionary lesson."
At that time, an estimated 3 to 5 million people were living in the U.S. without valid documentation. Now the number is estimated at 11 million. Tumulty observes that "the latest proposals contain the same three components as the 1986 law: a legalization program -- and a possible path to citizenship -- for those who are in the country illegally, stepped-up enforcement along the border, and measures to discourage employers from hiring workers who lack proof of legal residency." However, some things have changed. Hispanic voters now make up 10% of the voting population, wielding much more political clout. "What also expanded was the national sense of crisis surrounding the issue," Tumulty notes. "Now, thanks largely to the demand for labor during the economic boom of the 1990s, illegal immigration has become a high-priority issue in virtually every state, including places such as Alabama, Iowa, Georgia, and Nebraska." Immigration is a question that touches all of our lives.
In an opinion piece in the New York Times, Bill Keller discusses the word "amnesty", which is a spiritual word as well as a political one. Keller observes that to get a comprehensive bill passed, "advocates won't be using the word 'amnesty.' Personally I think it's a fine word, which has traditionally meant an act of forgiveness for the sake of social harmony." He too looks to history when he observes: "The last major immigration law, signed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, legalized three million undocumented immigrants. (Reagan, by the way, was comfortable calling this 'amnesty.') But the law failed to prevent a new illegal influx, largely because business lobbied to prevent tough sanctions on employers who hired unauthorized workers. The lure of no-questions-asked jobs drew millions of new illegal immigrants and that invasion fed a ferocious popular backlash." Keller notes that enforcement under President Obama has been strong, with border police doubling as well as 400,000 deportations a year, with, as he says, "a new and prudent emphasis on deporting convicted criminals."
One of the benefits of this new approach would be humanitarian -- ending the limbo status of millions of people who live in daily fear of deportation and separation from their families. A reform bill would bring a sense of security, along with requirements for legal status in the U.S. Keller writes: "Under the status Obama calls 'provisional' and the Senate gang calls 'probationary,' they will be allowed to work, travel, and send their kids to school without fear of deportation while they wait to apply for green cards. No federal benefits, no vote, but no sword of Damocles either. Think of it as the path to the path. This compromise is the biggest breakthrough in many years of immigration debate, and it is the key to a consensus."
Our ancestors in faith assumed that they would live alongside people of other backgrounds. (Often the picture is much less harmonious than it is here.) Moses reminds them that "you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house" (Deuteronomy 26:11). Everyone from the priest to the servants is included. The bounty of the country is to be celebrated by everyone who lives there, in a spiritual sense. As congress and the president ponder how to craft the laws, our work is to approach these questions -- and the people behind them -- with spiritual grace of these passages.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Leah Lonsbury:
Giving back because it makes us feel good is not biblical, but with a generous interpretation, it could be linked to a deeper understanding that we are all a part of the one human family, loved and blessed by God. When we act to benefit another, we are blessed via our connection to that other and our common source -- God. When we share what we have with another, we share what was never ours in the first place but a gift from God. Acting and sharing in these ways acknowledges what our passage from Deuteronomy for this week is trying to convey. If we feel good because of it, then... okay.
Mom and writer Juliana Miner acknowledges our common lot in her "A Letter to My Kids Because I'm 40 and That's Old". In this letter, Miner shares bits of advice with her children, and this is one...
When you're feeling your worst, when things seem hopeless, there is one thing that will make it better. Here's the deal: there will always be people who really need help, and there will always be something you can do. So pull your head out of your haunches, get your hands dirty, and do some good for someone else. This will remind you of who you are and will help repair some of the wormholes in your soul that come from seeing and feeling stuff.
Our own "wormholes" are healed when we give back, because we are acknowledging who we are together (blessed children of God) and the source of any good we may share (God).
Susan Skog's article on Beliefnet, "Ten Ways Giving Back Helps You", though not especially biblical, might also provide some fodder for the preacher focused on Deuteronomy 26.
* * *
What if all conversations about gay rights, voting rights, the rights of "illegal" persons or immigrants, or any kind of civil rights began in this kind of foundation...
For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him (Romans 10:12).
Or with these pieces from the preamble of the United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted in 1948...
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world...
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people...
(The preamble ends with an agreement of all member bodies and their people to uphold these understandings.)
Or with the first article of the same Declaration...
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
What route would those conversations then take? Where would we find ourselves at their conclusion?
** Here's an interesting opinion piece that engages talk around gay rights in the context of the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
* * *
It must have been a long walk down from the pinnacle of the temple. Instead of the breathtaking and attention-getting leap down that the devil suggests, Jesus opts for the stairs. In our passage from Luke for this Sunday, Jesus turns down three flashy offers from the devil -- to easily meet Jesus' own urgent need for food, to have authority over and glory from all the kingdoms of the world, and to force God's hand in a dramatic rescue that would demonstrate God's favor and Jesus' importance. Instead, Jesus takes the stairs. His connection to God is the center, the soul, and the foundation of his everyday living -- not some dramatic circus routine meant only for attention or glory. It's the harder route. It's less sexy. It's a harder sell. But it's what changes lives and communicates God's saving love, and so Jesus lives it step by step, day by day.
This kind of faith is found in the stories that are emerging from a little town of Midland City, Alabama, where Charles Poland -- a retired mechanic, Sunday school teacher, and local bus driver -- recently stood between a gunman and the kids on his bus.
From the Associated Press...
Earlier Saturday, local residents remembered Poland as a friendly man who was quick to lend a helping hand to others....
"I knew that he was always there if I needed," said Lonnie Daniels [a business owner in Midland City and a friend of Poland's], adding that Poland was an excellent mechanic with an array of tools that he lent to people in town.
Neighbors and friends said Poland did various acts of kindness for people in town, from fixing someone's tractor to tilling the garden of a neighbor who had a heart attack.
"You don't owe me anything," Poland once told a recipient of his good deed. "You're my neighbor."
Laern Skipper [Poland's sister-in-law] said Poland and his wife would often sit on their porch, drinking coffee, praying, and reading the Bible.
"They loved to be together," Skipper said....
The victim's son, Aaron Poland, told NBC News that he wasn't surprised by his father's final act, trying to protect a bus full of kids.
"He considered them his children," Poland said, choking back tears. "And I know that's the reason why my dad took those shots, for his children, just like he would do for me and my sister."
* * *
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Two farmers on the concept of first fruits...
Tom: John, we have been best friends for how long now?
John: Got to be 30 years, easy.
Tom: More like 35, I'd say.
John: Could be... 35 sounds about right to me.
Tom: John, if I was to win the lottery, I'd give half to you.
John: And you know I'd do the same for you, friend.
Tom: And if I was to go on that Jeopardy TV show and win $10,000, I'd give half to you.
John: And don't you know I'd do the same.
Tom: And if I had two strong, healthy milkin' cows...
John: Hold on there, Tom. I got two strong, healthy milkin' cows.
* * *
In Daniel Defoe's famous novel Robinson Crusoe, the title character is shipwrecked on a tropical island. The first thing that Crusoe does is to make out a list. On one side of the list he writes down all his problems; on the other side he writes down all of his blessings.
-- On one side: I do not have any clothes;
On the other side: But it's warm and I don't really need any.
-- On one side: All of the provisions were lost;
On the other side: But there's plenty of fresh fruit and water on the island.
And on down the list he goes. In this fashion Crusoe discovers that for every negative aspect about his situation there is also a positive aspect, something to be thankful for.
* * *
What does it mean when someone says that race is a "social construct"?
Think of it in terms of dogs.
Take your dog to the dog park and watch how the dogs interact. You don't see all the brown dogs hanging out together over here and the black dogs over there. You don't see all the terriers in one section of the park marking it as their territory while the spaniels and the bulldogs mark theirs in other parts of the park. To dogs, a dog is a dog. Color and other genetic markers don't make a difference.
Humans, on the other hand, place social significance and importance on these things. They construct values based on distinctions that other species don't even recognize.
* * *
Popular culture often feeds the ever-present human appetite to create distinctions and hatred for other ethnic groups. For example, (according to Wikipedia) Ethnic Cleansing (2002) is a computer game developed by Resistance Records, an underground music label owned by the National Alliance specializing in neo-Nazi and white supremacist bands. The game was developed using Genesis3D, an open source game engine.
In the game, the protagonist (the player can choose to be either a skinhead or a Klansman) runs through a ghetto killing black people and Latinos, before descending into a subway system to kill Jews. Finally he reaches the "Jewish Control Center," where Ariel Sharon, former Prime Minister of Israel, is directing plans for world domination. The player must kill Sharon to win the game.
A sequel called White Law was released by the same developer in June 2003 with a similar premise, where the player assumes the role of a police officer "going postal." It, however, attracted much less attention than Ethnic Cleansing. Both White Law and Ethnic Cleansing can only be ordered directly from Resistance Records.
Another game, ZOG [Zionist Occupation Government]'s Nightmare was made by Jim Ramm, a former National Socialist Movement member. Both Ethnic Cleansing and ZOG's Nightmare have similar premises. ZOG's Nightmare however, is much larger, having eight levels instead of Ethnic Cleansing's two.
* * *
From SermonSuite:
Those in the creative arts, such as musicians, songwriters, authors, and even journalists, often depend on royalties for their income. Royalties are portions of sales from their songs or books, so the more albums or books sold, the more royalties the person receives. For example, in the United States the going rate for song royalties is about 9 cents a song. However, if a record company makes 1,000 copies of a CD with that song on it, the artist or songwriter gets 9 cents for each CD for that song, or $90 in this case. This is a case of credit being given where credit is due.
The system of tithing set up in Deuteronomy is akin to this system of royalties. God created everything -- the earth, the seeds, the rain, the sun, everything needed to grow the crops the Israelites would need. He simply wanted the credit he was due, since he made it all anyway. Similarly, God gives us the knowhow and the opportunity for every dollar we earn. All he wants are his royalties.
* * *
It often seems as if the old creedal formula from the people of Israel has no merit in the modern age of money and stocks and salaries. Although the people of Israel were called to bring the best of their flock and produce to God, it seems that the new systems of numbers and cash flow stand in the way of really understanding giving to the ministry of God. This week's Deuteronomy text begs to be preached as stewardship, but how are we to do it in our time? One way is to remind people that the gifts of their time, thoughts, hands, and presence are all part of their stewardship to God's realm. A hymn by Frank von Christierson in the Lutheran Book of Worship (#404) speaks to this very well indeed:
As saints of old their first fruits brought
Of orchard, flock, and field
To God, the giver of all good,
The source of bounteous yield;
So we today first fruits would bring,
The wealth of this good land,
Of farm and market, shop and home,
Of mind and heart and hand.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by George Reed
Call to Worship
Leader: We who live in the shelter of the most high, who abide in the shadow of the almighty,
People: will say to God, "Our refuge and our fortress; our God, in whom we trust."
Leader: Because we have made God our refuge, the most high our dwelling place,
People: no evil shall befall us, no scourge come near our tent.
Leader: For God will command the angels concerning us to guard us in all our ways.
People: On their hands they will bear us up, so that we will not dash our foot against a stone.
OR
Leader: The Creator of all that was or is or ever shall be is with us.
People: We rejoice in the presence of our Creator God.
Leader: God invites us to enjoy and care for creation.
People: With joy we receive the stewardship of earth.
Leader: God calls us to share creation's gifts with all.
People: We open our hearts to all God's people so that we may share God's good gifts with joy and love.
Hymns and Sacred Songs
"All Creatures of Our God and King"
found in:
UMH: 62
H82: 400
PH: 455
AAHH: 147
NNBH: 33
NCH: 17
CH: 22
LBW: 527
ELA: 835
W&P: 23
AMEC: 50
STLT: 203
Renew: 47
"All People That on Earth Do Dwell"
found in:
UMH: 75
H82: 377/378
PH: 220/221
NNBH: 36
NCH: 7
CH: 18
LBW: 245
ELA: 883
W&P: 661
AMEC: 73
STLT: 370
"Holy God, We Praise Thy Name"
found in:
UMH: 79
H82: 366
PH: 460
NNBH: 13
NCH: 276
LBW: 535
ELA: 414
W&P: 138
"O God of Every Nation"
found in:
UMH: 435
H82: 607
PH: 289
CH: 680
LBW: 416
ELA: 713
W&P: 626
"This Is My Song"
found in:
UMH: 437
NCH: 591
CH: 722
ELA: 887
STLT: 159
"What Does the Lord Require"
found in:
UMH: 441
H82: 605
PH: 405
CH: 659
W&P: 686
"Seek the Lord"
found in:
UMH: 124
"There's a Wideness in God's Mercy"
found in:
UMH: 121
H82: 469/470
PH: 298
NCH: 23
CH: 73
LBW: 290
ELA: 587/588
W&P: 61
AMEC: 78
STLT: 213
"Thank You, Lord"
found in:
CCB: 86
"People Need the Lord"
found in:
CCB: 52
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982 (The Episcopal Church)
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African-American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
ELA: Evangelical Lutheran Worship
W&P: Worship & Praise
AMEC: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal
STLT: Singing the Living Tradition
CCB: Cokesbury Chorus Book
Renew: Renew! Songs & Hymns for Blended Worship
Prayer for the Day / Collect
O God who offers the bounty of creation to all your children: Grant us thankful hearts for all that is available to us and help us to share your gifts with all your people; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We come to worship and praise you, O God, for the wonderful creation you have brought forth and entrusted to our care. We pray that as we worship you, we would hear you calling us to more grateful lives that are open to all your people. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to remember that all the good things of life are gifts from you.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We look at the good things we have and we think of them as "ours," forgetting that all we have comes from you. You, O God, have made all creation, and you have given us the ability to use and enjoy so many wondrous things. Forgive us our ungrateful hearts and help us to enjoy your gifts by sharing them with all your children. Amen.
Leader: God does love us all and desires us to enjoy creation -- both the physical things and the people God sends our way.
Prayers of the People (and the Lord's Prayer)
We praise you, O God, for you are the source of all that is good. Everything of beauty or joy has its source in you. You have created us as sisters and brothers with all other people.
(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 look at the good things we have and we think of them as "ours," forgetting that all we have comes from you. You, O God, have made all creation, and you have given us the ability to use and enjoy so many wondrous things. Forgive us our ungrateful hearts and help us to enjoy your gifts by sharing them with all your children.
We give you thanks for the wonders of creation. We thank you for all good things of this earth and our ability to enjoy them. We thank you that you have created us all as your children so that we are connected to people.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need and especially for those who are denied access to the things they need to live healthy lives. We pray for those who are rejected because of their ethnic or racial background.
(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
Share with the children about learning to say "thank you." You might tell about how you were taught to be thankful. You might share something that you are especially thankful for. Talk to the children about how God created everything and so everything really belongs to God. God gives everything to us to care for and to use as we need it. God created us and all people, so it is good to share with others.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
What Color?
Romans 10:8b-13
Object: a ping-pong ball with half painted one color, and the other side left white
(Hold the ping-pong ball so that some of the children see the colored side of the ball, while others see the white side. To accomplish this you may need to split the children in half so that one side is sitting opposite the other.) Good morning, boys and girls! What is the color of this ball? (Some of the children will say "black" [or whatever color you have painted it] and the others will say "white.")
Why do some of you tell me it is one color and others tell me it's white? How can that be? Can you both be right? Of course you can. How? You might both be right if I have painted half the ball one color and left the other half white. And that's exactly what I've done.
We are quite tempted to divide people according to what makes us different. Some of us are female and some are male. Some have light skin and others darker skin. Some have red hair and others black hair. We are all different in one way or another.
Sometimes we let our differences make us feel better than others. Our reading today tells us that everybody who believes in Jesus is loved the same by God. There is nothing that makes one person better than another in God's eyes.
The ball may be white, or it may be another color. The fact is, it is still a ping-pong ball. We may be female; we may be male. We may be A students or we may be D students. We may be good at throwing and catching a ball, or we may be poor at doing that. No matter what -- God loves us each the same.
This is a lesson that many adults never learn. Jesus taught his followers to respect all people regardless of their differences. That is a hard lesson for some of us to learn, but it is an important one.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, February 17, 2013, issue.
Copyright 2013 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
