Drones: Ancient And Modern
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Object:
As the world watches the casualties mount in the conflict in Syria, we wonder -- when is it appropriate to engage militarily? Should such decisions be made purely on the basis of realpolitik, or is there a humanitarian imperative to try and limit human suffering? It's a difficult question to answer... and history has shown the consequences of both avoiding intervention (as in Rwanda) and of engaging (as in Kosovo). While the choices that are made can be a matter of life and death for those in war zones, for most of us who are not ourselves in the military (or who do not have family members serving), these questions have relatively little bearing on daily life.
Modern warfare is becoming primarily a matter of distant engagement -- and nowhere is this more true than in our decade-long conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where in their effort to hunt down militants U.S. armed forces and the CIA have increasingly turned to the videogame-like technology of smart bombs and unmanned drone aircraft. It's more than just hunting down the top leaders of al-Qaeda -- these weapons are being used almost daily and have become the backbone of our military tactics. One of the big reasons for this, of course, is that it minimizes American casualties -- but it has also led to significant "collateral damage" among civilians, which has led to significant tension with local leaders. (A report this past weekend on a drone strike that killed seven militants indicates that the practice "is likely to be a major issue" in upcoming meetings between U.S. and Pakistani intelligence brass.)
The use of drones and other stealth technology makes it much easier to separate ourselves from the consequences of our actions -- to psychologically insulate ourselves from the messy business of what is actually happening on the ground. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member George Reed suggests that there is a parallel to be drawn between how we use our remote-control military hardware and how King David tried to distance himself from having to face up to his infidelity with Bathsheba -- using his generals as what in the spy trade is termed a "cutout." David thought that he had managed to disconnect himself from the consequences of his actions -- until God releases the "Nathan report," which forces David to confront his sin and the degree to which he had become alienated from God. George notes that perhaps we need someone like the prophet Nathan to uncomfortably remind us that our military actions and their consequences are more directly linked than we often like to admit.
Team member Mary Austin offers some additional thoughts on the pitfalls of becoming disconnected from our actions and their effects in the economic sphere. In our pursuit of ever-cheaper consumer goods, Mary notes that we have conveniently looked the other way regarding the human impact of some of the practices that produce these bargains. But Mary points out that as Christians we can't just shrug our shoulders and outsource our economic and military decisions. In our epistle text Paul calls us to stay connected to one another and to God -- and of course, we see what happens in the absence of that connection with David's ruthless behavior toward Uriah. Like David, we too will one day be called to account for our long-distance sins.
Drones: Ancient and Modern
by George Reed
2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a
The unmanned drone aircraft is relatively new and is being used with more frequency than in the past -- in fact, it's become a routine staple of our military efforts, not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but around the world. That kind of stealth tactic, though, has been around for quite a long time. King David's drone was his general Joab... which allowed David to distance himself from the violence perpetrated on Uriah until the prophet Nathan connected the two events in such a dramatic fashion.
How does the distancing of warfare affect us? What does it mean to have drones controlled from a continent away? Or smart missiles whose coordinates are programmed not by those who actually launch them but by someone thousands of miles away? What does it mean when we have distanced ourselves from warfare because there is no draft and "those fighting have volunteered for this"? As this excellent New York Times piece suggests, the ability to distance ourselves from our targets raises a whole set of messy ethical issues that we tend to gloss over.
THE WORLD
While almost no one would want to go back to the time of brutal hand-to-hand combat when a sword or a club was our only weapon, one has to wonder if we are any more "humane" because we have left that strategy behind. With "smart bombs" and "surgical strikes," we talk about the killing of others as though it were no more than a matter of rearranging the living room furniture. "Oh, that target? We took that out yesterday." A target -- no longer a human being, not even "the enemy," but just a target. We talk as if it were no different from a clay pigeon in a skeet shoot or some video game.
But it's not only those who fly so high they can't see the bombs drop or those who fire missiles programmed by others. Even ground troops use technology that distances them from those they are trying to kill. And while there are suicide bombers who die with their victims, many times the weapon of choice for terrorists is a booby trap set to go off when the person deploying it has left the scene.
Then there is the who question of having a "volunteer" military force. We prefer that term to calling them a "professional" military force. The idea that the personnel who are conducting the military operations are doing it "of their own free will" makes it seem that they have thought out the consequences and we don't have to do that. Warfare is now something that the politicians and military people need to deal with, and we can go on and do what we need to do. We don't consider that those who have volunteered to defend our country are now called on to risk their lives for some political move by the wonks in Washington.
THE WORD
We have seen the scheming of King David in the lessons prior to this week. We know his weaknesses and his devious ways of dealing with covering his sins so no one will know. But it seems that someone does know -- it seems that as much as he tried to distance himself from the violent outcomes of his behavior, the chickens have come home to roost. His rape of Bathsheba (which is the nicest way we could refer to his use of her) and the subsequent murder of her husband could only be hidden so long. Such deeds must come to light, sooner or later.
SHAPING THE SERMON
Give Nathan his due and follow his pattern. Talk about David and how he tried to distance himself from his sins. Talk about his lust and how it led to terrible consequences for others. Then slip into asking questions about how our greed, our "need" to have this or that has brought us to commit to national strategies that have disastrous consequences for others. We have decided that having an ally in the Middle East means we can turn our back on justice for those deprived of their homeland. Our need to make ourselves look strong has meant the ruin of a nation. Our obstinate ways have meant death to many of our bright young citizens, and worse than death for many, lives lived without limbs or the ability to take care of themselves or their loved ones.
Then, like Nathan, pack a bag so you can leave quickly if you manage to save your neck.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
2 Samuel 11:26--12:15
Americans love a bargain. Cheap clothes, bargain vacations, discounted electronics, large portions of inexpensive food ñ it's all good. Yet, in our quest for inexpensive purchases, we value price over other qualities in the things we buy. Price makes us forget about quality, durability, and fair wages for the people who make and sell the product. As we look for cheaper and cheaper things, we sacrifice other values. Just as George Reed writes about the distance between our immediate lives and the wars waged on our behalf, we've created the same kind of distance between ourselves and the things we buy.
In the text from Samuel, King David outsources his killing of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba. He can separate himself from his actions until Nathan calls him to account. In the same way, we separate ourselves from our economic decisions. We can experience the thrill of the $15 dress or the $2 strawberries without thinking too much about why they're so inexpensive. The farmer, the grower, the maker of the clothes are far away, and our impact on their lives seems remote.
Businesses want to pay workers less so they can increase profits. Those profits add to the bottom line of everyone who has a 401(k) with stocks funds or money invested in the stock market. Much as we complain about the 1%, many of us in the 99% benefit from the same economic patterns. A new report from the National Employment Law Project notes that: "Contrary to misconceptions, most low-wage workers are not employed by small business. Instead, they work for businesses with more than 100 employees, often for major national chains. Moreover, 70% or more of the nation's largest low-wage employers have recovered from the recession and are enjoying high corporate profits. Paying slightly higher wages will do them no harm but will have a direct benefit for the economy because low-wage earners would immediately spend those wages on basic needs for their families." The report, from Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project (NELP), can be found on the website of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, a project created by author Barbara Ehrenreich and others.
Everything can be outsourced to make it cheaper. Clothing is made in Vietnam, Cambodia, El Salvador, and countless other countries -- a practice that received renewed attention with the recent controversy over the opening ceremonies outfits for U.S. Olympians being made in China. Electronic items are assembled overseas, affordable fish is farmed in Thailand, and children's books are printed in China. "American" cars are made in Mexico. We all benefit from a vast movement of manufacturing overseas -- until we don't. The more expensive workers who have been displaced were also consumers -- people who were able to buy clothing and cars and go on vacations... people who had insurance... people who were able to save money for retirement.
Even blue-collar work can become cheaper. Gabriel Thompson writes on the Economic Hardship Reporting Project site about working as a temporary worker for a company called Labor Ready. "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for instance, more than 15% of pickers, packers, movers, and unloaders -- the warehouse workers who jump into action every time you order an item online -- are temps. On average, they are paid $3 an hour less than their full-time counterparts." Lower wages, cheaper goods.
Thompson adds: "It's not a pretty formula, but it works. With 600 offices and a workforce of 400,000 -- more employees than Target or Home Depot -- Labor Ready is the undisputed king of the blue-collar temp industry. Specializing in 'tough-to-fill, high-turnover positions,' the company dispatches people to dig ditches, demolish buildings, remove debris, stock giant fulfillment warehouses -- jobs that take their toll on a body. And business is booming. Labor Ready's parent company, TrueBlue, saw its profits soar 55% last year, to $31 million, on $1.3 billion in sales." When the temps are too old to do the heavy labor any longer, or when they become injured on the job, there are no expensive benefits for the company to pay. We all subsidize the company's profits, as our tax dollars cover the health needs of those too poor for insurance. That seems fair -- our demand for less expensive items contributed to the need for less expensive labor. We can pay on one end or the other.
Workers who are paid less, of course, have less money to spend on food, clothing, health care, and shelter, fueling the demand for lower-cost items. People on the margins have few choices, but those of us who have enough income to make choices about where we buy our food and our clothes bear a responsibility to use our money justly. In our search for cheaper vacations and cheaper clothes and cheaper food, we share in an economic cycle that pummels the poor further into poverty.
Elizabeth Cline, the author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, writes in her book: "I always hear in the news that we're going to shop our way out of the current recession. It's hard to believe when you consider what's happened to the domestic garment industry, once an important segment of America's manufacturing base. The United States now makes 3% of the clothing its consumers purchase, down from about 50% in 1990. We have chosen low-priced clothes made in other countries, and the loss of our garment trades has contributed to a decline in domestic wages, the loss of the middle class, and the problem of unemployment, especially for those at the bottom of the economic ladder."
We complain about the cost of the government subsidizing health care, food, and housing for poor people, but we have all shared in a system that created that poverty. Our quest for cheaper things has taken place largely outside of our view -- like King David, we have hired other people to remake the world to our satisfaction. Now we see the end result. Not all of the costs are about money. Along with lower wages comes added stress, the possibility of homelessness, less access to health care, and the erosion of a sense of hope in the future. We love the cheaper goods but we have torn the social fabric that holds us together.
Nathan says to David, in judgment of his long-distance sin, "You are the man!" We all stand judged in the same way, for our long-distance economic sins, and called to mindfulness and justice in how we spend our money.
ILLUSTRATIONS
In his book Unfinished Business, Dr. Charles Sell tells of the data collected by Rene Spitz on the devastating effect that the lack of human contact has upon children.
An orphanage was charged with caring for 97 orphans aged 3 months to 3 years but was given very few resources. The skeleton staff had only enough time to feed, bathe, and change the diapers of the children. There was no time for interaction, playing, cuddling, snuggling, or any of the human interaction that we would expect a child to receive growing up in a home.
After three months many of them could neither eat nor sleep, and many had adopted a "flat affect" -- showing no emotions whatsoever. After five months they spent most of the day whimpering in their cribs and screaming in terror when picked up by an adult. Twenty-seven of the 97 children died the first year, even though they had been fed and suffered no physical illnesses. Seven more died the second year. Only 21 of the 97 survived, most suffering serious psychological damage.
* * *
Some years ago I was serving as pastor of a church where a young mother was stricken with a series of benign brain tumors (though "benign" is probably not what she considered them). The tumors, though not cancerous, would grow and put pressure on her brain, giving her excruciating headaches. For days she would be confined to her room to lie in darkness with cold compresses on her forehead, until the pain finally became so bad she would have to have the tumors surgically removed -- only to start the process all over again.
This lady loved her church and wished desperately to stay in touch, but even the smallest noise often caused her terrible pain. Yet her daughters, aged 10 and 12, would come to worship each Sunday and take a printed copy of the sermon home with them -- and each week they would take turns reading the sermon to their mother.
When I realized that this is what they were doing, I simply could not get the image out of my head -- and when I wrote my sermons, I began to always picture those little girls sitting at their mother's bedside, quietly reading them to her. And I began to write my sermons specifically for them.
I always made sure that I used words that a 10-year-old could comfortably read, and that a 12-year-old could understand well enough to read with expression.
-- Dean Feldmeyer
* * *
When our kids were young, we once took a vacation that stopped for several days at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, where we took the various tours of that magnificent work of nature.
On one of the first tours we took, I was walking with my daughter, who was about seven years old, and we came to a wide, flat area where the tour guide stopped our group to explain to us the concept of "absolute darkness." It is, he told us, darkness wherein there is absolutely no light -- not stars, not moon, not light from a town over the horizon, but zero light. And one of the only places in the world where a person can experience such absolute darkness is in a cave. Then he told us he was going to extinguish the lights for 30 seconds so we could all experience "absolute darkness." We were blind -- totally blind. There was some nervous laughter somewhere in the dark. The seconds stretched out to what seemed like minutes.
Then my daughter's hand found mine. Without seeing or hearing or any of her senses, she knew instinctively where my hand would be -- and without groping about, she simply took it in hers and I experienced a kind of connectedness I had never known before.
-- Dean Feldmeyer
* * *
Snapshot from the Mall: Hand in Hand
I'm riding down the escalator and I see them approaching on the floor below.
Son is a three- or four-year-old towhead.
Little bib overalls -- rugby shirt -- baseball cap and Nikes.
And he's a talker.
Nopausesorpunctuationjustaconstantstreamofwords. Like that.
Dad is mid-twenties.
Blue jeans, tight T-shirt, shaved head and goatee, tattoos peaking out from the sleeves of his shirt.
A tough guy.
All of a sudden Son sees the up escalator looming ahead.
His facial expression shifts.
Worry wrinkles his brow.
His eyes narrow in concentration.
The corners of his mouth turn down.
His right hand springs up above his head and...
There is Dad's hand to receive it.
Son's face resumes its former carefree expression.
He continues to talk, having never dropped a word, or even a syllable, and
Together,
as Son talks,
they step effortlessly onto the escalator and ascend.
-- Dean Feldmeyer
* * *
Toyota has recently been advertising their Venza with a series of commercials aimed not at young people but at their parents. The spots take a humorous look at the disconnect that often happens between young adults and their parents.
In one ad a young man explains that after college he moved back in with his parents because he was "worried" about them. He laments the boring, uneventful lives of his parents who are, he thinks, already in bed and have forgotten to make him dinner, leaving him to pop something in the microwave. In reality, of course, they aren't even in the house. They are off having a good time with their friends while he wanders around the house in his stocking feet.
In another ad, a young woman sits at home lamenting that her parents are so old and lame and feeble that they have only 19 friends on Facebook while she has hundreds. And in another, the same young lady worries that her parents are so physically disabled that they aren't living fruitful lives. Then we see that the parents, far from sitting at home playing on their computers or making scrapbooks, are out mountain biking with their friends.
The ads conclude with tag lines like: "Just because you're a parent doesn't mean you have to be lame" or "Toyota Venza! Keep on rolling."
These spots are on YouTube if you want to show them. The one with the young man is called "Commute". The two with the young lady are called "Social Network" and "Missing Them".
* * *
In All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Robert Fulghum mentions that someone had given him a "Storyteller's License" which read: "This is to certify that Robert Fulghum is granted the right to use his imagination in rearranging facts in his experience to improve a story, so long as said imagination is used in service to Truth, Justice, and the American Way, and that bearer adheres to the Storyteller's Creed." And Fulghum includes the "Storyteller's Creed":
I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge.
That myth is more potent than history.
That dreams are more powerful than facts.
That hope always triumphs over experience.
That laughter is the only cure for grief.
And I believe that Love is stronger than Death.
And as Nathan proves to David, stories can be damning as well as edifying.
* * *
Monsignor William Lynn of Philadelphia is the first senior official in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States to be convicted of failing to prevent child sex abuse by priests under his supervision. Lynn was charged with one count of endangering a child, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years.
Addressing the judge prior to sentencing, Msgr. Lynn asked the judge to be considerate and compassionate, hoping to be spared a lengthy sentence which he said at his age "would be merely cruel and unusual."
But Lynn's plea went unheard by the judge, just as the cries of the young altar boys were not heard in the diocesan office. Lynn was sentenced to three to six years in prison.
Application: Nathan said to David, "You are the man!"
* * *
David's come a long way from his days as a brave and naive young patriot. The years have taken the sparkle of innocent mischief out of the shepherd-boy's eye -- and replaced it with the jaded leer of a middle-aged monarch who for years has sought little more than to pleasure his own senses and build his reputation as a ruler to be reckoned with.
Few in Israel understand how depraved David has become -- other than the prophet Nathan. The Lord sends Nathan on a mission to the palace, to convict the king of his sin. This is no easy undertaking: if Nathan simply walks into David's throne room, points a bony finger at him, and cries "Repent, you sinner!" the king's reaction is not likely to be charitable. Nathan could very well end up sharing the fate of Uriah the Hittite.
Nathan realizes he's got to be circumspect. So Nathan tells the king a story. The prophet presents the story to the king as though it were real courtroom testimony: a legal case for the king to adjudicate. It's a tale of a poor man who has a pet lamb that he loves very much. Nearby is a rich landowner with flocks covering many a hillside. When that rich landowner decides to put on a feast -- not for anyone important, but only for a passing traveler -- the animal he selects for slaughter is not one of his own, but rather the beloved lamb of his poor neighbor.
The king quickly sees the injustice in Nathan's tale. He demands to know where this miserable offender can be found so he can render justice. It's only at this point that Nathan looks the king in the eye and declares, "You are the man!" It's as though in that instant the prophet holds a mirror up to his king. David looks back at him, enraged for the briefest of moments -- then he sees his own image in the prophetic mirror.
What happens next demonstrates why David -- despite his tragic flaws and his terrible sins -- is renowned as the greatest of rulers. David repents.
-- Carlos Wilton, Lectionary Preaching Workbook [Series VIII, Cycle B] (CSS Publishing, 2006)
* * *
Ann Curry was given a single year to prove herself and raise the ratings after being elevated from news anchor to co-host with Matt Lauer of NBC's Today show. Often, out of a viewing audience that exceeded 4 million for each network morning show, only 350,000 viewers separated Today from its rival, ABC's Good Morning America. But viewers equal advertising dollars, and Curry was deemed as not producing the revenue -- or prestige -- that NBC desired.
On her last show Curry said, while fighting back tears, that "this is not as I expected to ever leave this couch." Then she went on to say, "I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball over the finish line, but, man, I did try."
Application: Paul only asks that we "lead a life worthy of the calling." We have never been asked to carry the ball over the finish line.
* * *
NASA is planning for a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s, and preparation for the trip to the Red Planet is already underway. The space capsule will accommodate six to eight astronauts. The trip is anticipated to take six months to reach the planet and another six months to return, with the expected stay on the surface of Mars to be 18 months.
The expedition will require a three-year supply of groceries, with each meal being planned in advance. Maya Cooper, who is responsible for developing the food products that will sustain the astronauts, said, "We don't have the option to send a vehicle every six months and send more food as we do for the International Space Station." The food for this trip must be compared to a travelling grocery store.
Application: The undertaking of Maya Cooper and her team of researchers is daunting. But space travel is a human adventure whose obstacles can be overcome by human ingenuity. Salvation is a divine trip to heaven -- and only Jesus who says "I am the bread of life" can provide us with the nourishment needed for the journey.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Leah Lonsbury
Words for Reflection
The Holy Spirit calls us toward an all-inclusive attitude, a theology of the wind, a relationship to God and the world that does not try to make things easy by ruling out whole areas of human experience and whole groups of human beings. When one goes out to fish, one does not dictate to God what may or may not be attracted to the bait.
-- Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Imaging the Word [Vol. 3] (Pilgrim Press, 1996), p. 258
God makes love to us in wonderfully surprising ways. Worship is the response to [God] who, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, is "above all and through all and in all." It is seeing all in God and God in all. Anything that discloses or penetrates through to this level of reality, whether in community or in solitude, whether in talk or action or silence, is prayer. In occupational prayer we discover God incognito: at one moment [God] is a cup of fresh water, the next a child bouncing on your knee, or a beautiful girl, or perhaps a morning walk... I know a priest, a monk, who prays best sitting on the porch with his dog. He either talks to the dog about God or to God about the dog. And he gathers the whole world into that uplifting dialogue.
-- William McNamara, The Human Adventure: The Art of Contemplative Living (Amity House, 1974), pp. 67-68
OR
O God, you have bound us together in this bundle of life; give us grace to understand how our lives depend upon the courage, the industry, the honesty, and the integrity of our fellow human beings; that we may be mindful of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and faithful in our responsibilities to them, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
-- Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-1971), in The Oxford Book of Prayer, edited by George Appleton (Oxford University Press, 1985), p, 71 (adapted)
Call to Worship
One: Come and hear the call again -- the call to live in humble and gentle ways.
All: Together, we are growing into the one body of Christ.
One: Come and hear the call again -- the call to live in patient and committed ways.
All: Together, we are growing into the one body of Christ.
One: Come and hear the call again -- the call to live in connected and peaceful ways.
All: Together, we are growing into the one body of Christ.
One: There is one body and one Spirit -- just as you were called into one hope. There is one Savior, one faith, one baptism, one God and Creator of all, who is over all, who works through all, and is within all.
All: We worship the God who calls us and makes us one.
Gathering Prayer
You are the one who makes us one. You are the one who calls us here -- to wait, to wonder, to praise, to struggle, to connect, to act. Hold us in this time and always. Open us that we may receive and be blessed by your creating and re-creating Spirit. Send us that our changed hearts may be your reconciling love for a world in need of compassion and connection. Amen.
OR
Creating God, redeeming word, life-giving Spirit -- loving one...
Draw us close with hearts ready to receive your grace and mercy.
Challenge and change us through your power and blessing and truth.
Teach us to give your bread, your life to the world,
until we are one as you are one,
until peace and unity and love are all that stand between us.
Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Have mercy on us, O God, according to your steadfast love.
When we fail to hear or heed your call,
when we are too busy to be merciful,
have mercy on us, O God.
When we place our comforts above others' needs,
when we neglect and suppress the beauty of your image in ourselves or others,
have mercy on us, O God.
When we forget the power we have to destroy or to build up,
when we are satisfied with Sunday-only faithfulness,
have mercy on us, O God.
When we let our own or the world's brokenness overwhelm and paralyze us,
when we deny the power and potential of your reconciling love,
have mercy on us, O God.
Teach us wisdom and truth in the deepest places of our hearts. Help us to turn from what is evil and destructive to the abundant love and life you offer us each day. Create and sustain in each one of us a new heart and willing spirit and restore in us the joy of living with you.
Assurance
God sees the whole of our lives -- the brokenness and the beauty.
God is always waiting for our return and holding out hope for the days ahead.
We are loved.
We are forgiven.
We are called to be one.
This is our challenge and our joy.
Thanks be to God.
Ideas for Time with Children
Staying connected: This week's lectionary lends itself to a variety of conversations with children around the importance of staying connected -- to ourselves, to others, and to God.
* David forgot who he was -- the leader God had chosen to guide and care for God's people. This forgetting led him to act in ways that betrayed who he was, hurt himself and others, and angered God. David forgot about these important connections and got himself into a real mess.
* The Psalmist is crying out to God for reconnection and a chance to try again after she has turned away and moved apart from the love of God. Toward this end, she asks for God's truth and wisdom to live in her and to be able to stay close to God and see God's face. She understands what she has lost and how essential this connection is.
* In Ephesians, Paul reminds us that we're connected to each other and to God in love. He writes about the "one body" that needs everyone's gifts to grow up healthy and work properly. This one body needs all us "parts" to be connected, and it also needs love (and humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, unity, and peace) to be the "stuff" that sticks us together and keeps us connected to each other and to God.
* In the gospel reading, Jesus talks to the people about how he is the bread of life -- how God "feeds" us, keeps us, and connects to us in ways that take care of our needs, like hunger and thirst.
Conversation starters...
* Bring a lamp with you to worship. Ask the children what it needs to provide light (power, electricity) and how you could get what it needs (plug it in). The lamp needs to connect to its source. Ask what the lamp is like when it's not connected (it can't do what it's created to do -- shine). There's plenty of light and power imagery that could be used here that would resonate with some of our images of God and who we can be and what we can do when we are connected to our source.
* Use yarn to build a "web" among the children by asking them to hold the yarn at different parts. What happens if one child drops the yarn or "disconnects"? The whole web is affected. Consider making a star with the yarn by having the children hold on at the star's points. The whole shape changes when one child disconnects. We need all the parts of the "one body" to grow into God's dream for us. Consider asking the children what it's like when they feel disconnected from the people they love and depend on or disconnected from God.
* If you wear or use a microphone in worship, disconnect it beforehand and then ask the children if they can help you figure out why it's not working. Use this as an image to talk about the importance of our connection to our own knowledge and power of who we are in God (like in David's story) or our connections to God and others.
Prayers of the People
Let us pray... In this time of silence, we offer you our hearts and prayers. Surround and fill us with your sustaining presence, attend to our wounds and rough places, and join the singing and celebration of our souls...
(silence)
For the decisions we must make today regarding our relationships with others,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For the choices we make today involving the earth's resources, including your people who create, grow, and transport what we need for our living,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For the power to discern right from wrong and to recognize truth as it emerges,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For the wisdom to walk your way of justice, mercy, love, and compassion, even when it's difficult, uncomfortable, and inconvenient,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For those who make decisions on behalf of others -- politicians, social workers, judges, doctors, caregivers, and parents,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For those who are without power or voice or who are struggling to speak and take a stand,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For those who need healing, courage, peace, or companionship,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For those people and situations that we hold in your light as a community today...
(offer the gathered prayers of the community)
loving one...
hear our prayer.
Teach us to be one with you through the gifts of your mercy and welcome. Grant that we might live and love in your strength, provision, and peace. Make us bearers of your grace. We lift these prayers to you as we join our voices to pray with Jesus...
Our Father... Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Blessed and blessing God, we bring you gifts from our hearts and lives. May they bring forth light and life that we may love not just in thought and word but also in truth and action. May our generosity join your generosity as we seek to build the one body in love. Amen.
Hymn Suggestions
"Make Me a Captive, Lord"
"We Utter Our Cry"
"What Does the Lord Require"
"Pues Si Vivimos" ("When We Are Living")
"God Hath Spoken by the Prophets"
"Awake, O Sleeper"
"Forward Through the Ages"
"Together We Serve"
"We Are God's People"
"We Are One in Christ Jesus"
"One Bread, One Body"
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
"Bread of the World, in Mercy Broken"
"O Food to Pilgrims Given"
"O Spirit of Power"
"Our God Will Carry Us"
"Come, Holy Beauty"
"Hope of Glory, Living in Us"
"O Holy Spirit, Come Dwell in Our Souls"
from Taizé:
"Kyrie Eleison" (multiple meditative settings)
"It is good to trust"
"My soul is at rest"
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Working Together
Ephesians 4:1-16
Object: some candy placed a little distance away from you
Good morning, boys and girls! Paul tells us that the church is like a human body. In our body, all the parts have different purposes, but they all work for the good of the whole body. We have fingers and we have legs. Do the fingers do the same thing as the legs? (let the children answer) No, of course not. Each part of the body has its own purpose, and as long as each part does what it was made to do, our body is healthy. If one part of our body is broken or sick and doesn't do what it's supposed to do, what happens to the body? (let them answer) Yes, the whole body suffers, and if the problem is serious enough, we may die.
Each of us is part of the Body of Christ here in this place, this church. We all need to work together to do what God wants us to do in order for the church to be healthy. What are some of the jobs that need to be done in this church? (let them answer) Yes, those are some, and there are many more. (tell the children about more of the jobs people do in your church)
Let me show you why it's very important to work together. Do you see that candy sitting over there? (let them answer) Okay, I would like you all to have a piece of that candy, but the only way I'm going to let you have it is for you to reach it while staying in contact with me. Can anyone reach that far? (let them answer) How might we solve this? Is there a way to reach the candy and still stay in contact with me? (Let them answer, and if they don't figure out that they can do it by holding hands, lead them to that conclusion.)
The above is an example of us working together to get something done. Let's ask God to help us all continue to work together as a church.
Prayer: Dear God, please help us to remember that we are the Body of Christ, and we all need to work together to do the things that you want us to do. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, August 5, 2012, issue.
Copyright 2012 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.
Modern warfare is becoming primarily a matter of distant engagement -- and nowhere is this more true than in our decade-long conflict in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where in their effort to hunt down militants U.S. armed forces and the CIA have increasingly turned to the videogame-like technology of smart bombs and unmanned drone aircraft. It's more than just hunting down the top leaders of al-Qaeda -- these weapons are being used almost daily and have become the backbone of our military tactics. One of the big reasons for this, of course, is that it minimizes American casualties -- but it has also led to significant "collateral damage" among civilians, which has led to significant tension with local leaders. (A report this past weekend on a drone strike that killed seven militants indicates that the practice "is likely to be a major issue" in upcoming meetings between U.S. and Pakistani intelligence brass.)
The use of drones and other stealth technology makes it much easier to separate ourselves from the consequences of our actions -- to psychologically insulate ourselves from the messy business of what is actually happening on the ground. In this installment of The Immediate Word, team member George Reed suggests that there is a parallel to be drawn between how we use our remote-control military hardware and how King David tried to distance himself from having to face up to his infidelity with Bathsheba -- using his generals as what in the spy trade is termed a "cutout." David thought that he had managed to disconnect himself from the consequences of his actions -- until God releases the "Nathan report," which forces David to confront his sin and the degree to which he had become alienated from God. George notes that perhaps we need someone like the prophet Nathan to uncomfortably remind us that our military actions and their consequences are more directly linked than we often like to admit.
Team member Mary Austin offers some additional thoughts on the pitfalls of becoming disconnected from our actions and their effects in the economic sphere. In our pursuit of ever-cheaper consumer goods, Mary notes that we have conveniently looked the other way regarding the human impact of some of the practices that produce these bargains. But Mary points out that as Christians we can't just shrug our shoulders and outsource our economic and military decisions. In our epistle text Paul calls us to stay connected to one another and to God -- and of course, we see what happens in the absence of that connection with David's ruthless behavior toward Uriah. Like David, we too will one day be called to account for our long-distance sins.
Drones: Ancient and Modern
by George Reed
2 Samuel 11:26--12:13a
The unmanned drone aircraft is relatively new and is being used with more frequency than in the past -- in fact, it's become a routine staple of our military efforts, not only in Afghanistan and Pakistan but around the world. That kind of stealth tactic, though, has been around for quite a long time. King David's drone was his general Joab... which allowed David to distance himself from the violence perpetrated on Uriah until the prophet Nathan connected the two events in such a dramatic fashion.
How does the distancing of warfare affect us? What does it mean to have drones controlled from a continent away? Or smart missiles whose coordinates are programmed not by those who actually launch them but by someone thousands of miles away? What does it mean when we have distanced ourselves from warfare because there is no draft and "those fighting have volunteered for this"? As this excellent New York Times piece suggests, the ability to distance ourselves from our targets raises a whole set of messy ethical issues that we tend to gloss over.
THE WORLD
While almost no one would want to go back to the time of brutal hand-to-hand combat when a sword or a club was our only weapon, one has to wonder if we are any more "humane" because we have left that strategy behind. With "smart bombs" and "surgical strikes," we talk about the killing of others as though it were no more than a matter of rearranging the living room furniture. "Oh, that target? We took that out yesterday." A target -- no longer a human being, not even "the enemy," but just a target. We talk as if it were no different from a clay pigeon in a skeet shoot or some video game.
But it's not only those who fly so high they can't see the bombs drop or those who fire missiles programmed by others. Even ground troops use technology that distances them from those they are trying to kill. And while there are suicide bombers who die with their victims, many times the weapon of choice for terrorists is a booby trap set to go off when the person deploying it has left the scene.
Then there is the who question of having a "volunteer" military force. We prefer that term to calling them a "professional" military force. The idea that the personnel who are conducting the military operations are doing it "of their own free will" makes it seem that they have thought out the consequences and we don't have to do that. Warfare is now something that the politicians and military people need to deal with, and we can go on and do what we need to do. We don't consider that those who have volunteered to defend our country are now called on to risk their lives for some political move by the wonks in Washington.
THE WORD
We have seen the scheming of King David in the lessons prior to this week. We know his weaknesses and his devious ways of dealing with covering his sins so no one will know. But it seems that someone does know -- it seems that as much as he tried to distance himself from the violent outcomes of his behavior, the chickens have come home to roost. His rape of Bathsheba (which is the nicest way we could refer to his use of her) and the subsequent murder of her husband could only be hidden so long. Such deeds must come to light, sooner or later.
SHAPING THE SERMON
Give Nathan his due and follow his pattern. Talk about David and how he tried to distance himself from his sins. Talk about his lust and how it led to terrible consequences for others. Then slip into asking questions about how our greed, our "need" to have this or that has brought us to commit to national strategies that have disastrous consequences for others. We have decided that having an ally in the Middle East means we can turn our back on justice for those deprived of their homeland. Our need to make ourselves look strong has meant the ruin of a nation. Our obstinate ways have meant death to many of our bright young citizens, and worse than death for many, lives lived without limbs or the ability to take care of themselves or their loved ones.
Then, like Nathan, pack a bag so you can leave quickly if you manage to save your neck.
SECOND THOUGHTS
by Mary Austin
2 Samuel 11:26--12:15
Americans love a bargain. Cheap clothes, bargain vacations, discounted electronics, large portions of inexpensive food ñ it's all good. Yet, in our quest for inexpensive purchases, we value price over other qualities in the things we buy. Price makes us forget about quality, durability, and fair wages for the people who make and sell the product. As we look for cheaper and cheaper things, we sacrifice other values. Just as George Reed writes about the distance between our immediate lives and the wars waged on our behalf, we've created the same kind of distance between ourselves and the things we buy.
In the text from Samuel, King David outsources his killing of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba. He can separate himself from his actions until Nathan calls him to account. In the same way, we separate ourselves from our economic decisions. We can experience the thrill of the $15 dress or the $2 strawberries without thinking too much about why they're so inexpensive. The farmer, the grower, the maker of the clothes are far away, and our impact on their lives seems remote.
Businesses want to pay workers less so they can increase profits. Those profits add to the bottom line of everyone who has a 401(k) with stocks funds or money invested in the stock market. Much as we complain about the 1%, many of us in the 99% benefit from the same economic patterns. A new report from the National Employment Law Project notes that: "Contrary to misconceptions, most low-wage workers are not employed by small business. Instead, they work for businesses with more than 100 employees, often for major national chains. Moreover, 70% or more of the nation's largest low-wage employers have recovered from the recession and are enjoying high corporate profits. Paying slightly higher wages will do them no harm but will have a direct benefit for the economy because low-wage earners would immediately spend those wages on basic needs for their families." The report, from Christine Owens, executive director of the National Employment Law Project (NELP), can be found on the website of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project, a project created by author Barbara Ehrenreich and others.
Everything can be outsourced to make it cheaper. Clothing is made in Vietnam, Cambodia, El Salvador, and countless other countries -- a practice that received renewed attention with the recent controversy over the opening ceremonies outfits for U.S. Olympians being made in China. Electronic items are assembled overseas, affordable fish is farmed in Thailand, and children's books are printed in China. "American" cars are made in Mexico. We all benefit from a vast movement of manufacturing overseas -- until we don't. The more expensive workers who have been displaced were also consumers -- people who were able to buy clothing and cars and go on vacations... people who had insurance... people who were able to save money for retirement.
Even blue-collar work can become cheaper. Gabriel Thompson writes on the Economic Hardship Reporting Project site about working as a temporary worker for a company called Labor Ready. "According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for instance, more than 15% of pickers, packers, movers, and unloaders -- the warehouse workers who jump into action every time you order an item online -- are temps. On average, they are paid $3 an hour less than their full-time counterparts." Lower wages, cheaper goods.
Thompson adds: "It's not a pretty formula, but it works. With 600 offices and a workforce of 400,000 -- more employees than Target or Home Depot -- Labor Ready is the undisputed king of the blue-collar temp industry. Specializing in 'tough-to-fill, high-turnover positions,' the company dispatches people to dig ditches, demolish buildings, remove debris, stock giant fulfillment warehouses -- jobs that take their toll on a body. And business is booming. Labor Ready's parent company, TrueBlue, saw its profits soar 55% last year, to $31 million, on $1.3 billion in sales." When the temps are too old to do the heavy labor any longer, or when they become injured on the job, there are no expensive benefits for the company to pay. We all subsidize the company's profits, as our tax dollars cover the health needs of those too poor for insurance. That seems fair -- our demand for less expensive items contributed to the need for less expensive labor. We can pay on one end or the other.
Workers who are paid less, of course, have less money to spend on food, clothing, health care, and shelter, fueling the demand for lower-cost items. People on the margins have few choices, but those of us who have enough income to make choices about where we buy our food and our clothes bear a responsibility to use our money justly. In our search for cheaper vacations and cheaper clothes and cheaper food, we share in an economic cycle that pummels the poor further into poverty.
Elizabeth Cline, the author of Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, writes in her book: "I always hear in the news that we're going to shop our way out of the current recession. It's hard to believe when you consider what's happened to the domestic garment industry, once an important segment of America's manufacturing base. The United States now makes 3% of the clothing its consumers purchase, down from about 50% in 1990. We have chosen low-priced clothes made in other countries, and the loss of our garment trades has contributed to a decline in domestic wages, the loss of the middle class, and the problem of unemployment, especially for those at the bottom of the economic ladder."
We complain about the cost of the government subsidizing health care, food, and housing for poor people, but we have all shared in a system that created that poverty. Our quest for cheaper things has taken place largely outside of our view -- like King David, we have hired other people to remake the world to our satisfaction. Now we see the end result. Not all of the costs are about money. Along with lower wages comes added stress, the possibility of homelessness, less access to health care, and the erosion of a sense of hope in the future. We love the cheaper goods but we have torn the social fabric that holds us together.
Nathan says to David, in judgment of his long-distance sin, "You are the man!" We all stand judged in the same way, for our long-distance economic sins, and called to mindfulness and justice in how we spend our money.
ILLUSTRATIONS
In his book Unfinished Business, Dr. Charles Sell tells of the data collected by Rene Spitz on the devastating effect that the lack of human contact has upon children.
An orphanage was charged with caring for 97 orphans aged 3 months to 3 years but was given very few resources. The skeleton staff had only enough time to feed, bathe, and change the diapers of the children. There was no time for interaction, playing, cuddling, snuggling, or any of the human interaction that we would expect a child to receive growing up in a home.
After three months many of them could neither eat nor sleep, and many had adopted a "flat affect" -- showing no emotions whatsoever. After five months they spent most of the day whimpering in their cribs and screaming in terror when picked up by an adult. Twenty-seven of the 97 children died the first year, even though they had been fed and suffered no physical illnesses. Seven more died the second year. Only 21 of the 97 survived, most suffering serious psychological damage.
* * *
Some years ago I was serving as pastor of a church where a young mother was stricken with a series of benign brain tumors (though "benign" is probably not what she considered them). The tumors, though not cancerous, would grow and put pressure on her brain, giving her excruciating headaches. For days she would be confined to her room to lie in darkness with cold compresses on her forehead, until the pain finally became so bad she would have to have the tumors surgically removed -- only to start the process all over again.
This lady loved her church and wished desperately to stay in touch, but even the smallest noise often caused her terrible pain. Yet her daughters, aged 10 and 12, would come to worship each Sunday and take a printed copy of the sermon home with them -- and each week they would take turns reading the sermon to their mother.
When I realized that this is what they were doing, I simply could not get the image out of my head -- and when I wrote my sermons, I began to always picture those little girls sitting at their mother's bedside, quietly reading them to her. And I began to write my sermons specifically for them.
I always made sure that I used words that a 10-year-old could comfortably read, and that a 12-year-old could understand well enough to read with expression.
-- Dean Feldmeyer
* * *
When our kids were young, we once took a vacation that stopped for several days at Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, where we took the various tours of that magnificent work of nature.
On one of the first tours we took, I was walking with my daughter, who was about seven years old, and we came to a wide, flat area where the tour guide stopped our group to explain to us the concept of "absolute darkness." It is, he told us, darkness wherein there is absolutely no light -- not stars, not moon, not light from a town over the horizon, but zero light. And one of the only places in the world where a person can experience such absolute darkness is in a cave. Then he told us he was going to extinguish the lights for 30 seconds so we could all experience "absolute darkness." We were blind -- totally blind. There was some nervous laughter somewhere in the dark. The seconds stretched out to what seemed like minutes.
Then my daughter's hand found mine. Without seeing or hearing or any of her senses, she knew instinctively where my hand would be -- and without groping about, she simply took it in hers and I experienced a kind of connectedness I had never known before.
-- Dean Feldmeyer
* * *
Snapshot from the Mall: Hand in Hand
I'm riding down the escalator and I see them approaching on the floor below.
Son is a three- or four-year-old towhead.
Little bib overalls -- rugby shirt -- baseball cap and Nikes.
And he's a talker.
Nopausesorpunctuationjustaconstantstreamofwords. Like that.
Dad is mid-twenties.
Blue jeans, tight T-shirt, shaved head and goatee, tattoos peaking out from the sleeves of his shirt.
A tough guy.
All of a sudden Son sees the up escalator looming ahead.
His facial expression shifts.
Worry wrinkles his brow.
His eyes narrow in concentration.
The corners of his mouth turn down.
His right hand springs up above his head and...
There is Dad's hand to receive it.
Son's face resumes its former carefree expression.
He continues to talk, having never dropped a word, or even a syllable, and
Together,
as Son talks,
they step effortlessly onto the escalator and ascend.
-- Dean Feldmeyer
* * *
Toyota has recently been advertising their Venza with a series of commercials aimed not at young people but at their parents. The spots take a humorous look at the disconnect that often happens between young adults and their parents.
In one ad a young man explains that after college he moved back in with his parents because he was "worried" about them. He laments the boring, uneventful lives of his parents who are, he thinks, already in bed and have forgotten to make him dinner, leaving him to pop something in the microwave. In reality, of course, they aren't even in the house. They are off having a good time with their friends while he wanders around the house in his stocking feet.
In another ad, a young woman sits at home lamenting that her parents are so old and lame and feeble that they have only 19 friends on Facebook while she has hundreds. And in another, the same young lady worries that her parents are so physically disabled that they aren't living fruitful lives. Then we see that the parents, far from sitting at home playing on their computers or making scrapbooks, are out mountain biking with their friends.
The ads conclude with tag lines like: "Just because you're a parent doesn't mean you have to be lame" or "Toyota Venza! Keep on rolling."
These spots are on YouTube if you want to show them. The one with the young man is called "Commute". The two with the young lady are called "Social Network" and "Missing Them".
* * *
In All I Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, Robert Fulghum mentions that someone had given him a "Storyteller's License" which read: "This is to certify that Robert Fulghum is granted the right to use his imagination in rearranging facts in his experience to improve a story, so long as said imagination is used in service to Truth, Justice, and the American Way, and that bearer adheres to the Storyteller's Creed." And Fulghum includes the "Storyteller's Creed":
I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge.
That myth is more potent than history.
That dreams are more powerful than facts.
That hope always triumphs over experience.
That laughter is the only cure for grief.
And I believe that Love is stronger than Death.
And as Nathan proves to David, stories can be damning as well as edifying.
* * *
Monsignor William Lynn of Philadelphia is the first senior official in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States to be convicted of failing to prevent child sex abuse by priests under his supervision. Lynn was charged with one count of endangering a child, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years.
Addressing the judge prior to sentencing, Msgr. Lynn asked the judge to be considerate and compassionate, hoping to be spared a lengthy sentence which he said at his age "would be merely cruel and unusual."
But Lynn's plea went unheard by the judge, just as the cries of the young altar boys were not heard in the diocesan office. Lynn was sentenced to three to six years in prison.
Application: Nathan said to David, "You are the man!"
* * *
David's come a long way from his days as a brave and naive young patriot. The years have taken the sparkle of innocent mischief out of the shepherd-boy's eye -- and replaced it with the jaded leer of a middle-aged monarch who for years has sought little more than to pleasure his own senses and build his reputation as a ruler to be reckoned with.
Few in Israel understand how depraved David has become -- other than the prophet Nathan. The Lord sends Nathan on a mission to the palace, to convict the king of his sin. This is no easy undertaking: if Nathan simply walks into David's throne room, points a bony finger at him, and cries "Repent, you sinner!" the king's reaction is not likely to be charitable. Nathan could very well end up sharing the fate of Uriah the Hittite.
Nathan realizes he's got to be circumspect. So Nathan tells the king a story. The prophet presents the story to the king as though it were real courtroom testimony: a legal case for the king to adjudicate. It's a tale of a poor man who has a pet lamb that he loves very much. Nearby is a rich landowner with flocks covering many a hillside. When that rich landowner decides to put on a feast -- not for anyone important, but only for a passing traveler -- the animal he selects for slaughter is not one of his own, but rather the beloved lamb of his poor neighbor.
The king quickly sees the injustice in Nathan's tale. He demands to know where this miserable offender can be found so he can render justice. It's only at this point that Nathan looks the king in the eye and declares, "You are the man!" It's as though in that instant the prophet holds a mirror up to his king. David looks back at him, enraged for the briefest of moments -- then he sees his own image in the prophetic mirror.
What happens next demonstrates why David -- despite his tragic flaws and his terrible sins -- is renowned as the greatest of rulers. David repents.
-- Carlos Wilton, Lectionary Preaching Workbook [Series VIII, Cycle B] (CSS Publishing, 2006)
* * *
Ann Curry was given a single year to prove herself and raise the ratings after being elevated from news anchor to co-host with Matt Lauer of NBC's Today show. Often, out of a viewing audience that exceeded 4 million for each network morning show, only 350,000 viewers separated Today from its rival, ABC's Good Morning America. But viewers equal advertising dollars, and Curry was deemed as not producing the revenue -- or prestige -- that NBC desired.
On her last show Curry said, while fighting back tears, that "this is not as I expected to ever leave this couch." Then she went on to say, "I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball over the finish line, but, man, I did try."
Application: Paul only asks that we "lead a life worthy of the calling." We have never been asked to carry the ball over the finish line.
* * *
NASA is planning for a manned mission to Mars in the 2030s, and preparation for the trip to the Red Planet is already underway. The space capsule will accommodate six to eight astronauts. The trip is anticipated to take six months to reach the planet and another six months to return, with the expected stay on the surface of Mars to be 18 months.
The expedition will require a three-year supply of groceries, with each meal being planned in advance. Maya Cooper, who is responsible for developing the food products that will sustain the astronauts, said, "We don't have the option to send a vehicle every six months and send more food as we do for the International Space Station." The food for this trip must be compared to a travelling grocery store.
Application: The undertaking of Maya Cooper and her team of researchers is daunting. But space travel is a human adventure whose obstacles can be overcome by human ingenuity. Salvation is a divine trip to heaven -- and only Jesus who says "I am the bread of life" can provide us with the nourishment needed for the journey.
WORSHIP RESOURCES
by Leah Lonsbury
Words for Reflection
The Holy Spirit calls us toward an all-inclusive attitude, a theology of the wind, a relationship to God and the world that does not try to make things easy by ruling out whole areas of human experience and whole groups of human beings. When one goes out to fish, one does not dictate to God what may or may not be attracted to the bait.
-- Virginia Ramey Mollenkott, Imaging the Word [Vol. 3] (Pilgrim Press, 1996), p. 258
God makes love to us in wonderfully surprising ways. Worship is the response to [God] who, as Paul wrote to the Ephesians, is "above all and through all and in all." It is seeing all in God and God in all. Anything that discloses or penetrates through to this level of reality, whether in community or in solitude, whether in talk or action or silence, is prayer. In occupational prayer we discover God incognito: at one moment [God] is a cup of fresh water, the next a child bouncing on your knee, or a beautiful girl, or perhaps a morning walk... I know a priest, a monk, who prays best sitting on the porch with his dog. He either talks to the dog about God or to God about the dog. And he gathers the whole world into that uplifting dialogue.
-- William McNamara, The Human Adventure: The Art of Contemplative Living (Amity House, 1974), pp. 67-68
OR
O God, you have bound us together in this bundle of life; give us grace to understand how our lives depend upon the courage, the industry, the honesty, and the integrity of our fellow human beings; that we may be mindful of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and faithful in our responsibilities to them, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
-- Reinhold Neibuhr (1892-1971), in The Oxford Book of Prayer, edited by George Appleton (Oxford University Press, 1985), p, 71 (adapted)
Call to Worship
One: Come and hear the call again -- the call to live in humble and gentle ways.
All: Together, we are growing into the one body of Christ.
One: Come and hear the call again -- the call to live in patient and committed ways.
All: Together, we are growing into the one body of Christ.
One: Come and hear the call again -- the call to live in connected and peaceful ways.
All: Together, we are growing into the one body of Christ.
One: There is one body and one Spirit -- just as you were called into one hope. There is one Savior, one faith, one baptism, one God and Creator of all, who is over all, who works through all, and is within all.
All: We worship the God who calls us and makes us one.
Gathering Prayer
You are the one who makes us one. You are the one who calls us here -- to wait, to wonder, to praise, to struggle, to connect, to act. Hold us in this time and always. Open us that we may receive and be blessed by your creating and re-creating Spirit. Send us that our changed hearts may be your reconciling love for a world in need of compassion and connection. Amen.
OR
Creating God, redeeming word, life-giving Spirit -- loving one...
Draw us close with hearts ready to receive your grace and mercy.
Challenge and change us through your power and blessing and truth.
Teach us to give your bread, your life to the world,
until we are one as you are one,
until peace and unity and love are all that stand between us.
Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Have mercy on us, O God, according to your steadfast love.
When we fail to hear or heed your call,
when we are too busy to be merciful,
have mercy on us, O God.
When we place our comforts above others' needs,
when we neglect and suppress the beauty of your image in ourselves or others,
have mercy on us, O God.
When we forget the power we have to destroy or to build up,
when we are satisfied with Sunday-only faithfulness,
have mercy on us, O God.
When we let our own or the world's brokenness overwhelm and paralyze us,
when we deny the power and potential of your reconciling love,
have mercy on us, O God.
Teach us wisdom and truth in the deepest places of our hearts. Help us to turn from what is evil and destructive to the abundant love and life you offer us each day. Create and sustain in each one of us a new heart and willing spirit and restore in us the joy of living with you.
Assurance
God sees the whole of our lives -- the brokenness and the beauty.
God is always waiting for our return and holding out hope for the days ahead.
We are loved.
We are forgiven.
We are called to be one.
This is our challenge and our joy.
Thanks be to God.
Ideas for Time with Children
Staying connected: This week's lectionary lends itself to a variety of conversations with children around the importance of staying connected -- to ourselves, to others, and to God.
* David forgot who he was -- the leader God had chosen to guide and care for God's people. This forgetting led him to act in ways that betrayed who he was, hurt himself and others, and angered God. David forgot about these important connections and got himself into a real mess.
* The Psalmist is crying out to God for reconnection and a chance to try again after she has turned away and moved apart from the love of God. Toward this end, she asks for God's truth and wisdom to live in her and to be able to stay close to God and see God's face. She understands what she has lost and how essential this connection is.
* In Ephesians, Paul reminds us that we're connected to each other and to God in love. He writes about the "one body" that needs everyone's gifts to grow up healthy and work properly. This one body needs all us "parts" to be connected, and it also needs love (and humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, unity, and peace) to be the "stuff" that sticks us together and keeps us connected to each other and to God.
* In the gospel reading, Jesus talks to the people about how he is the bread of life -- how God "feeds" us, keeps us, and connects to us in ways that take care of our needs, like hunger and thirst.
Conversation starters...
* Bring a lamp with you to worship. Ask the children what it needs to provide light (power, electricity) and how you could get what it needs (plug it in). The lamp needs to connect to its source. Ask what the lamp is like when it's not connected (it can't do what it's created to do -- shine). There's plenty of light and power imagery that could be used here that would resonate with some of our images of God and who we can be and what we can do when we are connected to our source.
* Use yarn to build a "web" among the children by asking them to hold the yarn at different parts. What happens if one child drops the yarn or "disconnects"? The whole web is affected. Consider making a star with the yarn by having the children hold on at the star's points. The whole shape changes when one child disconnects. We need all the parts of the "one body" to grow into God's dream for us. Consider asking the children what it's like when they feel disconnected from the people they love and depend on or disconnected from God.
* If you wear or use a microphone in worship, disconnect it beforehand and then ask the children if they can help you figure out why it's not working. Use this as an image to talk about the importance of our connection to our own knowledge and power of who we are in God (like in David's story) or our connections to God and others.
Prayers of the People
Let us pray... In this time of silence, we offer you our hearts and prayers. Surround and fill us with your sustaining presence, attend to our wounds and rough places, and join the singing and celebration of our souls...
(silence)
For the decisions we must make today regarding our relationships with others,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For the choices we make today involving the earth's resources, including your people who create, grow, and transport what we need for our living,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For the power to discern right from wrong and to recognize truth as it emerges,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For the wisdom to walk your way of justice, mercy, love, and compassion, even when it's difficult, uncomfortable, and inconvenient,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For those who make decisions on behalf of others -- politicians, social workers, judges, doctors, caregivers, and parents,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For those who are without power or voice or who are struggling to speak and take a stand,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For those who need healing, courage, peace, or companionship,
loving one...
hear our prayer.
For those people and situations that we hold in your light as a community today...
(offer the gathered prayers of the community)
loving one...
hear our prayer.
Teach us to be one with you through the gifts of your mercy and welcome. Grant that we might live and love in your strength, provision, and peace. Make us bearers of your grace. We lift these prayers to you as we join our voices to pray with Jesus...
Our Father... Amen.
Prayer of Thanksgiving
Blessed and blessing God, we bring you gifts from our hearts and lives. May they bring forth light and life that we may love not just in thought and word but also in truth and action. May our generosity join your generosity as we seek to build the one body in love. Amen.
Hymn Suggestions
"Make Me a Captive, Lord"
"We Utter Our Cry"
"What Does the Lord Require"
"Pues Si Vivimos" ("When We Are Living")
"God Hath Spoken by the Prophets"
"Awake, O Sleeper"
"Forward Through the Ages"
"Together We Serve"
"We Are God's People"
"We Are One in Christ Jesus"
"One Bread, One Body"
"Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah"
"Bread of the World, in Mercy Broken"
"O Food to Pilgrims Given"
"O Spirit of Power"
"Our God Will Carry Us"
"Come, Holy Beauty"
"Hope of Glory, Living in Us"
"O Holy Spirit, Come Dwell in Our Souls"
from Taizé:
"Kyrie Eleison" (multiple meditative settings)
"It is good to trust"
"My soul is at rest"
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Working Together
Ephesians 4:1-16
Object: some candy placed a little distance away from you
Good morning, boys and girls! Paul tells us that the church is like a human body. In our body, all the parts have different purposes, but they all work for the good of the whole body. We have fingers and we have legs. Do the fingers do the same thing as the legs? (let the children answer) No, of course not. Each part of the body has its own purpose, and as long as each part does what it was made to do, our body is healthy. If one part of our body is broken or sick and doesn't do what it's supposed to do, what happens to the body? (let them answer) Yes, the whole body suffers, and if the problem is serious enough, we may die.
Each of us is part of the Body of Christ here in this place, this church. We all need to work together to do what God wants us to do in order for the church to be healthy. What are some of the jobs that need to be done in this church? (let them answer) Yes, those are some, and there are many more. (tell the children about more of the jobs people do in your church)
Let me show you why it's very important to work together. Do you see that candy sitting over there? (let them answer) Okay, I would like you all to have a piece of that candy, but the only way I'm going to let you have it is for you to reach it while staying in contact with me. Can anyone reach that far? (let them answer) How might we solve this? Is there a way to reach the candy and still stay in contact with me? (Let them answer, and if they don't figure out that they can do it by holding hands, lead them to that conclusion.)
The above is an example of us working together to get something done. Let's ask God to help us all continue to work together as a church.
Prayer: Dear God, please help us to remember that we are the Body of Christ, and we all need to work together to do the things that you want us to do. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, August 5, 2012, issue.
Copyright 2012 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.
