A New Outfit for the New Year
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For December 30, 2018:
A New Outfit for the New Year
by Betheany Peerbolte
Colossians 3:12-25
The gifts have been given and may have already been returned. Some of us may have gotten some snazzy new threads to help us strut our stuff in the new year. There is one more outfit we need to make sure we have cleaned and pressed before 2019 arrives, the Christian virtues outfit. Colossians urges the church to clothe themselves in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love. This is not the outwear armor of Ephesians, this is an outfit for everyday human interaction. To wear this outfit means one has to shed the heavy armor, let the Word dwell deep inside, and allow the peace of Christ to guide the way.
In the Scripture
In the previous verses the church has heard what is to be removed from a Christian’s life. Sin is to be removed in all its forms. If something is removed, then something else needs to be put on. Mr. Rodgers taught me when one takes off their outdoor jacket and shoes, they then must put on their indoor jacket and shoes. The things that need to be put on once sin is off are compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and most of all love. These traits are the outer coat of a Christians, the things the world should see most plainly. These characteristics are supposed to be so much a part of us that we are covered, clothed, in them. They are the things that shield are weakest most vulnerable parts from the world’s eyes. They are the things that cover our fragility from scrapes, and the suns harsh rays. They are the things that keep us warm on cold nights and breath freely in the rare breeze of a warm day. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love is the outfit that we need to put on everyday as we face the world.
Compassion is the trait that seeks to treat everyone as worthy. In Paul’s time there was a clear line between worthy and worthless. As people aged they lost worth, people with disabilities were cast out, and women without male protection were fair game. Compassion meant looking past these designations and seeing a person’s humanity.
Showing kindness is to not just see the person as a person but to see them as equal to self. Kindness protects the property of one’s neighbor just as fiercely as one protects their own property. A person who is kind gives of themselves when they can in order to bring someone up to their level. Kindness means when there is opportunity to give it is given.
Being humble recognizes that we are always in the presence of God. With such a bright light our existence barely casts a shadow. Christianity may well be the first to introduce the idea of being humble as a good thing. All other Greek words before held a connotation of snark and belittlement. Christians though rejoice that the light of God does not burn us up but warms us and that is the same for King and slave.
Meekness is another trait the world sees as weak or bad. Aristotle thought looks at it as the perfect balance between being too angry and not angry enough. Meekness was not the absence of anger, so that a person could be walked all over. Meekness was the ability to be just the right amount of angry at the right moments, and not angry at the wrong moments.
Having patience with one’s fellow humans may be the tallest order of them all. Christians are to always pull out another measure of patience when times get hard. They are to be the level-headed presence in any argument and remain open and teachable in all situations.
The we have love. The trait Paul pulls out as important most of all. The work of a Christian is to perfect this trait. To be more loving, more forgiving, every day because God loves and forgives them. This love is improved when the word dwells in their heart. Love fills them so much that it comes pouring out in songs of praise. Love is the target of this whole endeavor, so it is most important.
Being clothed in these traits may recall another section of scripture that asks us to put on the armor of God. The Ephesians passage gets the wearer prepared for battle, with breastplates, and swords. The outfit in Colossians does not seem as strong as armor. This is a different kind of Christian existence. The armor in Ephesians is meant to leave the world trembling in awe of God’s power. The clothing in Colossians is less awe inspiring, to the point where the world classifies these clothing pieces as weak. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love are not wording we expect to see on the resume of a military authority figure.
The armor is most needed and effective when out in the world. It is how Christians deal with the onslaught of criticism and condemnation. The Colossian outfit is most effective within the community. These verses are the standard for relationships in a Christian’s life -- mostly because the world does not understand this outfit. Outsiders are skeptical of compassion and kindness. Those who do not possess humility and meekness think they are signs of weakness. Patience and love feel awkward to people who have never encountered them before. To those who do understand they know the power and comfort that these traits provide.
In the News
Finding examples of these traits being displayed in the world may feel like an impossible task. Thankfully it is the holidays and stories of generosity get an extra ten minutes in news casts this time of year.
This week in Scotland a campaign to help the homeless got creative. They left jackets on lampposts with hand written notes telling anyone who found the jacket and needed it to please take the jacket. If Christians are to clothe themselves with love, that also means clothing others out of love.
A news station in Boston put together this list of holiday inspired generosity. It includes pro-football players and police officers buying toys, families being provided for, and caroling for a cause. We hear about these acts of generosity more in December because the general public wants to hear them. People are generous all year but around the holidays generosity actually sells. News networks compete for viewers. Normally the best way to get eyeballs is tragedy and fear, but around the holiday’s viewers want to feel good. That means plugs to stay tuned for an amazing act of kindness actually gets people to stick around and watch.
These kinds of stories need to make the news more often, because when they do, they inspire others to copycat. A man in Iowa heard a story on the news about a woman paying off the school lunch debts of every student in her child’s elementary. When he saw the report, he was inspired to do the same at his childhood elementary school. We know news casts can inspire copy cats. It happens with tragic results when shootings are reported. Imagine if news consumers gave more ratings to the positive reports and more of these stories of generosity made the 8pm time slot. Then the idea of copy cats wouldn’t be so terrifying.
The other ubiquitous television programming this time of year are the holiday specials. Our favorite shows go on hiatus and Hallmark steps in to fill the hours of open-air time. Love them or hate them they are all about one thing, learning the true meaning of Christmas. One year a Boston TV guide even put TMOC in the description of every holiday movie. Man struggles to understand the TMOC, woman falls in love and learns the TMOC, tragedy inspires family to know the TMOC. Try it with your favorite holiday film it works. There must still be something to teach if every year Hallmark finds ten new ways to make viewers see the TMOC.
In the Sermon
There are a few people I can think of to which I would like to give this Colossians outfit. I would love to button it up on a lamppost and leave it for members of my community to find. Clothed in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love maybe the new would be more bearable year-round. I would even settle for Christians to be more committed to this outfit.
Unfortunately, these verses are much like the user agreements we will all sign as we hook up the new devices we got for Christmas. We know we have to agree to the terms to use the technology, so we say yes without reading the details. Faith is like that too. We know we need to agree to the Bible’s terms in order to get into heaven. So we learn when to shout AMEN and when to lift our hands in worship. We ooh and aah when people are generous with their money and time. The word is agreed to, but it does not quite dwell in us.
Sin remains firmly rooted in our lives even as we give gifts in honor of the Christ child. When conflict arises something other than the peace of Christ governs our decisions. We shy away from teaching and admonishing because we do not feel wise enough to make those calls. Thankfulness and song are reserved for Sundays, once or twice a month.
What if we let the viral nature of Christmas take over and inspire us in 2019? Generosity is needed January through November too. Let’s not let December have all the fun. The whole idea behind Christmas is that the world has another shot, a new beginning in Jesus. God put on a new outfit, flesh, and lived a life among us that we should all copycat. Start with one item, compassion, kindness, meekness, humility, patience, or love. Try it on, break it in, and show it off.
A theology professor recently made the admission that theology is secondary to living out the love Jesus exhibited. In his article he points out that when people leave one church for another it is less about theology and more about feelings. If someone does not feel loved they will leave regardless of their theological alignment. “Practice, not theology, is what really matters when it comes to Christianity’s effectiveness as a movement entrusted with the mission of bringing people to Jesus.” Clothing ourselves in the ways of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love is more important than any doctrine....
SECOND THOUGHTS
Growing Up
by Chris Keating
Luke 2:41-52
Jesus sitting on the steps of the temple grilling the rabbis and teachers for three days was probably not the memory Mary and Joseph had hoped to include in their Passover vacation scrapbook. Luke’s very human glimpse of the preadolescent Jesus captures every parent’s nightmare. “
As the travelers made their way home, Mary looks around and notices she has not seen her son. “Where’s Jesus?” Mary asks Joseph. “I thought you had him,” Joseph replies, suddenly remembering he hadn’t seen the boy either. “Didn’t you take him to the restroom at that last stop?”
“Home Alone” inspired panic ensues, as anxiety rises and the group of friends retrace their steps back to Jerusalem. For families mucking their way through the second half of Christmas break, the incident in Luke 2:41-52 may lead to nods of amused recognition, relief, or curious hopefulness. We can almost hear Joseph muttering to his friends, “You think your family has it tough? Try raising a kid who says he’s the Messiah.”
After three days, the rabbis were probably delighted to see Jesus’ parents show up. Luke’s narrative details the way Jesus is indeed becoming strong and gaining wisdom. And, apparently, a voice that cracks not only with pubescent growth, but near smart-alecky retorts. Which parents among us have not been schooled by their 12-year-old child—suffering endless eye rolls or heavy sighs. (Followed by the ubiquitous door slamming cries of “I-hate-you-you’re-not-the-boss-of-me,” and “But-can-you-take-me-to-the-mall?”
Jesus is growing up, zits and all.
Luke offers this insight as a reminder of how the good news of God’s realm is emerging. God’s wisdom is growing within him. This wisdom will propel his ministry and teaching, for at its root is Luke’s contention that Jesus is growing “in divine and human favor.” Ronald Allen’s commentary in Connections reminds us that while “favor” is an adequate translation of “charis,” it’s not at all inappropriate to understand this as Jesus growing in grace.
Discovering what it means to grow in grace is a timely question, especially in a culture which seems to have abandoned grace completely.
When Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned last week, commentators quickly added that he was the last “adult” to leave the Trump political sphere. Mattis was widely observed to have played the role of chaperone in a West Wing frat party of impulsive decisions. Reportedly, the president’s anger over Mattis’ public resignation letter caused him to speed up the secretary’s departure—which only added fuel to the rumors of immaturity, distraction and lack of focus.
Matthew Yglesias noted that by the end of the week “the wheels seem to be coming off the Trump bus.” But, Yglesias added, “But that’s only a reminder of the many times before when the wheels seemed to be coming off the bus.”
Imagine the entire cabinet joining Trump in singing “The Wheels on the Bus.”
But political leaders are hardly the only ones who struggle with growing up. The world is replete with examples of immaturity in grace. Privileged celebrities, obnoxious athletes, leaders and even the run of the mill, power-hungry church leader who was just elected to the board are other examples. Less publicized, but just as familiar are the teenagers in our midst whose emotional growth has been stunted by social pressures, media, and toxic cultural detritus.
Stilted levels of growing in wisdom has impacted the adolescents of our own time, many of whom display record levels of depression, anxiety, and countless other emotional struggles.
As the church looks to Jesus the wunderkind (aka “Young Sheldon”) on the steps of the temple, it is fair to consider how we’ve failed to listen to the questions of our youth. Instead of taking time to listen to their fears and anxieties, we get preoccupied by our own anxieties. Anxious to get kids back in church, we spend money on expensive programs. We try to look cool and hip.
“Hey guys!” we proudly announce, “Look our church now has a Facebook page!” (forgetting that many teenagers have migrated well beyond Facebook).
We’re like Mary and Joseph, breathlessly searching for the kids the church has lost.
Instead of running, we might try going back to the temple steps. Let’s offer the kids who do show up a wall to lean against while they ask their questions. Let’s give the gay teenager a place to feel accepted, the depressed girl who cuts herself a community of acceptance, or the kid who is bent on pleasing everyone but herself a place of grace.
Thinking of Jesus reclining against the wall of the temple is a reminder of how he was grounded in the grace of his faith tradition. When our family was once caught in a push-and-pull tug of war of teenagerhood, a wise spiritual director shared with me that our job was to be the wall of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. In that space, she said, kids both hold on and push back, preparing to launch.
Kara Powell says much the same thing in a helpful blog post. “As parents and youth leaders, kids need us to be a wall,” Powell writes. “A wall of support that doesn’t withdraw or abandon them.”
There’s a wall worth building. A wall of grace, a foundation for growth. A place where all of God’s children, including ourselves, may grow and become strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of the Lord.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Voluntary upstage
Cooper Dawson is a 6’5”, 250-pound lineman at South Carolina’s Hanahan High School and, even though he missed his senior season due to a torn ACL, he was still recruited by Syracuse, Clemson, UCLA, Army, Central Florida and Tulane.
Came the day when he would announce the college he was going to play for and he was sitting behind a table with three hats on it -- Clemson, Syracuse and Central Florida. The press was there, of course, and his friends and family as well. Now came the moment when he would make his big announcement, probably the biggest decision he has made in his life, thus far.
But it was not Cooper who spoke.
Sitting beside him was his best friend, Kingsley Feinman and
Cooper turned the mike over to him.
Kingsley has cerebral palsy and is a paraplegic.
The two have been friends since Dawson was a high school freshman, as their social media presence shows.
“I saw him wheeling through the hallways and he always had on a big smile, so I figured I’d go introduce myself,” Dawson told the Associated Press. “My junior year last year he always hung out with the football players and talked to us, but we ragged on him because he never came to a football game.
“We finally talked him into coming to one this year. Unfortunately, I tore my ACL [last summer during football camp] and I wasn’t able to play. I wheeled him around the football field and showed him the student section, and when all the football players ran out, I put him at the entrance so they could all give him high-fives as they ran past.”
Feinman is a paraplegic who uses a feeding tube and has an in-home aide to help him dress, eat and use the bathroom, according to The Post and Courier. Last summer, Feinman’s mother asked Dawson if he’d be willing to be one of her son’s aides and Feinman became a friend as well as an inspiration to Dawson as he recovered from the injury that took away his senior season. “My only disability was not being able to walk because of a torn ligament,” Dawson said. “If Kingsley can have cerebral palsy and go around and have a positive attitude with everything he does, then I should be able to do the same.”
“He taught me,” Feinman says, “that the only disability is a bad attitude.”
Oh, Kingley made Cooper’s announcement to loud applause: “He’s going to Syracuse.”
(Boren, Cindy, ‘The only disability is a bad attitude’: Syracuse recruit lets friend with cerebral palsy take center stage, Washington Post, Dec. 20, 2018)
* * *
Home for the holidays
Peter Shankman flies about 300,000 miles every year on United Airlines giving speeches around the world. The last thing he wants to do in his free time is travel from his home in New York. A New York City entrepreneur, podcast host and single father who travels the world to deliver corporate keynote speeches, Shankman decided to start giving away his frequent flier miles when he realized how many he wasn’t using every year.
So, for the fifth year in a row, Shankman is donating hundreds of thousands of miles to people in need — those who can’t afford to buy a flight, but want to be with sick loved ones during the holidays, or a parent who wants to see a faraway child.
After giving away about 100,000 miles to his family and his office assistant, he has about 200,000 miles left to give away to people who need them at Christmas. He posts his contest on the social media site Imgur, and other Imgur users vote for winners of Shankman’s miles. After the initial year of the giveaway, other travelers started seeing Shankman’s posts on Imgur and began donating their miles to his contest, multiplying the gift.
In all, five families will be reunited for Christmas using a total of 300,000 miles. About 200,000 are donated by Shankman, and the rest by others who were touched by his idea and wanted to donate as well.
“I’m happy they want to help. There are a lot of people who can’t afford to buy these tickets on their own,” he said.
(Free, Cathy, This man donated 200,000 miles to strangers so they can go home for the holidays MSNBC, Dec. 20, 2018.)
* * *
Giving ahead
Their elderly neighbor, Ken Watson, was a former salvage diver, seaman, carpenter, baker. When they met him he was 83 years old and it didn’t take long for him to become a friend. He doted on their 2-year-old daughter, Cadi, and their dog loved him so much she would scream and whimper whenever she saw him.
Ken, a physically active man even in his advanced years, always told him that he was going to live to be 100 years old.
Alas, he did not make it to that age.
Ken died at the age of 85. The whole family mourned his passing.
Then one evening just before Christmas, Ken's daughter walked over to the Williams' house with a surprise from her late father. She was clutching a large plastic sack and in it was all the Christmas presents he'd bought for “our daughter” for the next fourteen years.
Cadi would receive one present from Ken every year until his 100th and her 16th birthdays.
(O'Kane, Caitlin Elderly neighbor bought 2-year-old girl Christmas presents for the next 14 years before he died, CBS News, Dec. 18, 2018.)
* * *
A smile for chirstmas
All Jonathon Coiro wanted for Christmas was a smile.
“I have a lot of gaps in my teeth, and I’ve been really insecure about it,” Jonathon said. “I don’t even smile in pictures because I really hate the way my teeth look." So he asked for braces.
But Jonathon’s father passed away a few months ago, leaving the family with no major source of income. Since then, his mother, Maria, has been supporting the family. Maria, Jonathon’s mother has been doing her best to support the family since her husband’s death but, when he died, they lost their health insurance and Medicaid denied coverage for the braces which would cost close to $5,000.
Enter, Dr. Ayla Idilbi with Jefferson Dental Care. She was moved by Jonathon’s story after he came into her practice a few weeks ago.
“Our job is to make people smile and to make them love their smile, to make them confident about how they look. So when we saw Jonathan, it truly touched our heart,” she said.
Idilbi and her team then decided to donate the money to get Jonathon his braces. They surprised him with the check on Tuesday, and just a short time later, Idilbi put on his braces.
Jonathon said he was so thankful for his Christmas miracle, and now has a lot to smile about.
He also said he wished his dad was there to share his joy.
“If he was here, I’d hug him and cry,” he said.
(Croix, Vanessa, Teen gets new smile for Christmas, KENS-TV, Dec. 19, 2018.)
* * *
Breakfast, anyone?
Wayne Price has been driving a school bus for five years, but his faith is what really drives to him to do everything in his life.
During the early morning of Dec. 11, the last week before schools in Montevallo, Alabama, closed for winter break, Price got a phone call that his school would be opening 2 hours later due to bad weather, including icy conditions and fog. For many children in other cities, school delays and closures are a cause for celebration. But a delayed opening in Montevallo also means that many children will not be able to get breakfast at the school cafeteria — or any morning meal at all.
A spokesperson at Montevallo Elementary School told TODAY Food that data from the 2018-2019 school year showed 75 percent of the school's children participate in the National School Lunch Program, a federal program that ensures kids from low-income families will be able to eat lunch and breakfast at a free or reduced price during the school day.
Price was already awake when he got news about the delay and immediately understood the implications of breakfast being cancelled for the elementary, middle and high school students in Montevallo (all of whom Price drives on his bus run).
"For a lot of students that means that they won't get to eat," Allison Campbell, Principal of Montevello Elementary, told TODAY Food. "It speaks volumes to [Price's] character that he was attune to that."
After hanging up the phone, Price had an idea that truly reflects the spirit of giving. Before hitting his usual route, he headed to a local McDonald's to get himself a biscuit ... and one for every kid on the bus.
"When I got to McDonald's, I asked the manager, 'Can you turn around 50 biscuits in 15 minutes and can you give me as good of a deal as possible?' He gave me a dollar deal and we just turned it around," Price told TODAY Food. "They really hustled with other customers in the store and I walked out with a box load of biscuits for my kids."
To Price, this act of kindness was not random, nor was it solely because of the Christmas spirit.
"I'm driven by faith and Christ," Price told TODAY Food.
(Wida, Erica Chayes School bus driver hailed as a hero after buying breakfast for 50 students during ice storm, TODAY, DEC. 18, 2018.)
* * *
And lunch, as well…
Tommy Kelley, 38, an Oklahoma City native, surprised Putnam City Public Schools with a massive donation of $10,000 to help pay off student lunch debt.
“It’s just a way during this season to take burdens off the parents who can’t afford lunches, you know, it’s no fault of their own,” Kelley told Fox News. “Not every school is subsidized here. We try just to alleviate as much as we can so they can pay an electric bill or buy an extra gift.”
Kelley wanted to give back to the school system he is a product of – alleviating one-third of the school’s student lunch debt – but he didn’t stop there.
The next day he donated $1,000 to a low-income elementary school in the city, and the day after that he donated $4,000 to Putnam City’s Care Share/Penny’s Closet Programs that provide Christmas gifts, coats, shoes, and more to kids in need.
Kelley made the donations through his foundation, the Some Day Soon Foundation, which he started a year ago after getting a second chance at life.
“Twenty-eight months ago I was given a second chance at life when I decided to become sober. I decided the only way to pay back the chance I was given was to start doing the right thing, and the right thing is helping those in need, and if my story of sobriety can help someone else or inspire someone then it’s worth it,” he said.
Just one year ago, he was serving pizza and hamburgers out of the trunk of his car to homeless people as his way of paying it forward. Today, they serve up to 1,000 homeless people every month.
He chose the name "Some Day Soon Foundation" to inspire others.
“Today might not be okay, but someday soon it will be,” Kelley said. “There is hope for you yet.”
(Parke, Caleb, Oklahoma Good Samaritan gives $10,000 to pay off students’ school lunches, Fox News, Dec. 18, 2018.)
* * *
Walking with the poor
Sometimes, scripture admonishes us not just to give but to walk with the poor. Kim and Annette Ringeisen are taking that word seriously. They’re donating literally everything the own to help the firefighters from Paradise, CA, many of whom lost their homes while rescuing others.
They're leaving it all behind – for a good cause.
Kim Ringeisen and his wife Annette donated pretty much every single thing they owned to firefighters who were in Paradise, California, rescuing neighbors during last month's deadly Camp Fire. Many of firefighters lost their own homes in the deadly blaze.
"You start reflecting everything you have and everything you have going on in your life and you think about what can you do to help the additional firefighters," Ringeisen told InsideEdition.com.
The Ringeisens are moving across the country to North Carolina. Kim is a tech executive and combat veteran with 15 years of search and rescue experience. In the aftermath of the wildfires, he volunteered in search and rescue efforts.
Since the family was getting ready to pack up and leave anyway, the decision to make the donations was a no-brainer. "We decided that instead of shipping everything we own to North Carolina, we were just gonna take our sentimental things and coordinate donating our furniture and everything. Household goods kitchen and everything to the firefighters. There are about 40 firefighters who lost everything in the Camp Fire," Kim said.
He organized the whole thing, filling a 26-foot truck with the contents of their home.
They are also donating the contents of a storage unit to Goodwill and, through Facebook, Kim also raised about $850 for affected firefighters. Annette makes dolls and donated what was in her store for children's Christmas presents.
Kim pointed out the importance of paying it forward and helping out those who sacrifice so much daily.
"They're out there every day protecting lives and protecting property and doing the best that they can with it and I think we can help them out when needed," Ringeisen said.
(Officer, Stephanie, Veteran Donates Everything in His Home to Firefighters Affected By California Wildfires, Inside Edition, Dec. 18, 2018.)
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: Praise God! Praise God from the heavens.
People: Praise God, all angels; praise God, all the heavenly host!
Leader: Praise God, sun and moon; praise God, all you shining stars!
People: Let all creation praise the name of God, the Creator.
Leader: Praise God, young men and women alike, old and young together!
People: Let us praise the name of God, for God’s name alone is exalted.
OR
Leader: God calls us to the banquet table and the feast.
People: We are full! We have eaten too much.
Leader: God’s feast is a feast of love.
People: We have not had enough of that!
Leader: Come and dine with God and share the feast with others.
People: With joy we dine with God and with all.
Hymns and Songs:
Where Charity and Love Prevail
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELA: 359
For the Fruits of This Creation
UMH: 97
H82: 424
PH: 553
NCH: 425
CH: 714
LBW: 563
ELA: 679
W&P: 723
Jesu, Jesu
UMH: 432
H82: 602
PH: 367
NCH: 498
CH: 600
ELA: 708
W&P: 273
Renew: 289
The Care the Eagle Gives Her Young
UMH: 118
NCH: 468
CH: 76
Love Came Down at Christmas
UMH: 242
H82: 84
NCH: 165
W&P: 210
That Boy-Child of Mary
UMH: 241
PH: 55
ELA: 293
W&P: 211
Happy the Home When God Is There
UMH: 445
W&P: 607
Our Parent, by Whose Name
UMH: 447
ELA: 606
We Are His Hands
CCB: 85
Ubi Caritas (Live in Charity)
CCB: 71
Renew: 226+
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
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 pours your bounty on creation:
Grant us the grace to thankfully receive your goodness
and to share that bounty with all our sisters and brothers;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for the bounty of your creation. You have given to us beyond measure. Give us thankful hearts as we partake of your good gifts. Open our hearts and hands to share your bounty with all your children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to be generous to strangers and, sometimes, to our own families.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have used the resources of this earth and all the blessings you have given us while often failing to share these with others. Even the blessing you have given us in our families we have squandered. We have not shown love and compassion. We have not reflected your love and grace. Call us back to following Jesus this Christmas Season and empower us with your Spirit to share your love with all. Amen.
Leader: Love has come down this Christmastide as it always does. It is meant for you and for all. Receive it and share it.
Prayers of the People
We worship you and bless your name, O God, because you are pure love. Your care reaches out to all your children and you call all of us into your family.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have used the resources of this earth and all the blessings you have given us while often failing to share these with others. Even the blessing you have given us in our families we have squandered. We have not shown love and compassion. We have not reflected your love and grace. Call us back to following Jesus this Christmas Season and empower us with your Spirit to share your love with all.
We give you thanks for the blessings of family. None of them are perfect and yet we know they were given us to bless us. We thank you for those who share out of the depths of their hearts. We have been blessed by their gifts whether physical, spiritual or social.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all our sisters and brothers today. We remember those who have little to celebrate this season and who find it difficult to even survive. We remember families where hurt and anger rob them of the blessings you intend for them.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Show children family pictures. Make them as diverse as possible: a couple, a parent and child, three or more generations. Talk about their families, how many are in their family, etc. Then ask about grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins. We can think of our family as large or small, depending on who we include. Jesus taught us that we are all family. We belong together. That is one reason it is so important to share with everyone, they are part of God’s family and so part of ours.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Even trees and snakes
by Tom Willadsen
Psalm 148
For today’s Children’s Message you’ll need someone to read Psalm 148, and that reader needs to be prepared to stop reading at each bolded word in the text below. I am using The Message, but really any version will be fine. You will need a large number of little ones, especially little ones who are willing to play along and be publically silly. You may want to have a few “plants” among the older folks in worship, people who do not typically come forward for Children’s Time.
When the reader reads a bolded word she should stop reading. The leader of Children’s Time asks the little ones, “What do you think it would sound like when angels praise God?”
“What sound does the moon make when it praises God?”
“Did you ever think a rain cloud could praise God?”
Encourage the kids to move and make noises they think are appropriate. Give them time to think. It’s possible someone seated in the congregation (I won’t call them “the audience,” but you know who I mean) may have an idea for what a hill could do to praise God, for example. Encourage people to imagine and be playful.
You want all the worshippers to realize that it is not only people who come to church on Sunday morning, but all of creation, even trees and snakes who praise God!
When you get to “graybeards” it’s a teaching opportunity in Presbyterian churches, because our name comes from the Greek “πρεσβύτερος” pronounced “pres-bu’-ter’-os, for “elder.”
Altogether there are 27 different entities who are commanded to praise God. Chances are you will not have 27 different people willing to praise God, so skip some of them.
When you’re done the people will be open to seeing things like the starry sky at night, or the sunset as not just beautiful creations of the Creator, but as allies together with people animals, clouds, trees as mountains united in praising God!
Psalm 148 The Message (MSG)
Hallelujah!
Praise God from heaven,
praise him from the mountaintops;
Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his warriors,
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, you morning stars;
Praise him, high heaven,
praise him, heavenly rain clouds;
Praise, oh let them praise the name of God—
he spoke the word, and there they were!
He set them in place
from all time to eternity;
He gave his orders,
and that’s it!
Praise God from earth,
you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and ice,
hurricanes obeying his orders;
Mountains and all hills,
apple orchards and cedar forests;
Wild beasts and herds of cattle,
snakes, and birds in flight;
Earth’s kings and all races,
leaders and important people,
Robust men and women in their prime,
and yes, graybeards and little children.
Let them praise the name of God—
it’s the only Name worth praising.
His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky;
he’s built a monument—his very own people!
Praise from all who love God!
Israel’s children, intimate friends of God.
Hallelujah!
(The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, December 30, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 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.
- A New Outfit for the New Year by Bethany Peerbolte -- Colossians urges the church to clothe themselves in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love. To wear this outfit means one has to shed the heavy armor and allow the peace of Christ to guide the way.
- Second Thoughts: Growing Up by Chris Keating
- Sermon illustrations by Dean Feldmeyer.
- Worship resources by George Reed that focus on generosity and parenting.
- Even trees and snakes Children’s sermon by Tom Willadsen
A New Outfit for the New Year
by Betheany Peerbolte
Colossians 3:12-25
The gifts have been given and may have already been returned. Some of us may have gotten some snazzy new threads to help us strut our stuff in the new year. There is one more outfit we need to make sure we have cleaned and pressed before 2019 arrives, the Christian virtues outfit. Colossians urges the church to clothe themselves in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love. This is not the outwear armor of Ephesians, this is an outfit for everyday human interaction. To wear this outfit means one has to shed the heavy armor, let the Word dwell deep inside, and allow the peace of Christ to guide the way.
In the Scripture
In the previous verses the church has heard what is to be removed from a Christian’s life. Sin is to be removed in all its forms. If something is removed, then something else needs to be put on. Mr. Rodgers taught me when one takes off their outdoor jacket and shoes, they then must put on their indoor jacket and shoes. The things that need to be put on once sin is off are compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and most of all love. These traits are the outer coat of a Christians, the things the world should see most plainly. These characteristics are supposed to be so much a part of us that we are covered, clothed, in them. They are the things that shield are weakest most vulnerable parts from the world’s eyes. They are the things that cover our fragility from scrapes, and the suns harsh rays. They are the things that keep us warm on cold nights and breath freely in the rare breeze of a warm day. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love is the outfit that we need to put on everyday as we face the world.
Compassion is the trait that seeks to treat everyone as worthy. In Paul’s time there was a clear line between worthy and worthless. As people aged they lost worth, people with disabilities were cast out, and women without male protection were fair game. Compassion meant looking past these designations and seeing a person’s humanity.
Showing kindness is to not just see the person as a person but to see them as equal to self. Kindness protects the property of one’s neighbor just as fiercely as one protects their own property. A person who is kind gives of themselves when they can in order to bring someone up to their level. Kindness means when there is opportunity to give it is given.
Being humble recognizes that we are always in the presence of God. With such a bright light our existence barely casts a shadow. Christianity may well be the first to introduce the idea of being humble as a good thing. All other Greek words before held a connotation of snark and belittlement. Christians though rejoice that the light of God does not burn us up but warms us and that is the same for King and slave.
Meekness is another trait the world sees as weak or bad. Aristotle thought looks at it as the perfect balance between being too angry and not angry enough. Meekness was not the absence of anger, so that a person could be walked all over. Meekness was the ability to be just the right amount of angry at the right moments, and not angry at the wrong moments.
Having patience with one’s fellow humans may be the tallest order of them all. Christians are to always pull out another measure of patience when times get hard. They are to be the level-headed presence in any argument and remain open and teachable in all situations.
The we have love. The trait Paul pulls out as important most of all. The work of a Christian is to perfect this trait. To be more loving, more forgiving, every day because God loves and forgives them. This love is improved when the word dwells in their heart. Love fills them so much that it comes pouring out in songs of praise. Love is the target of this whole endeavor, so it is most important.
Being clothed in these traits may recall another section of scripture that asks us to put on the armor of God. The Ephesians passage gets the wearer prepared for battle, with breastplates, and swords. The outfit in Colossians does not seem as strong as armor. This is a different kind of Christian existence. The armor in Ephesians is meant to leave the world trembling in awe of God’s power. The clothing in Colossians is less awe inspiring, to the point where the world classifies these clothing pieces as weak. Compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love are not wording we expect to see on the resume of a military authority figure.
The armor is most needed and effective when out in the world. It is how Christians deal with the onslaught of criticism and condemnation. The Colossian outfit is most effective within the community. These verses are the standard for relationships in a Christian’s life -- mostly because the world does not understand this outfit. Outsiders are skeptical of compassion and kindness. Those who do not possess humility and meekness think they are signs of weakness. Patience and love feel awkward to people who have never encountered them before. To those who do understand they know the power and comfort that these traits provide.
In the News
Finding examples of these traits being displayed in the world may feel like an impossible task. Thankfully it is the holidays and stories of generosity get an extra ten minutes in news casts this time of year.
This week in Scotland a campaign to help the homeless got creative. They left jackets on lampposts with hand written notes telling anyone who found the jacket and needed it to please take the jacket. If Christians are to clothe themselves with love, that also means clothing others out of love.
A news station in Boston put together this list of holiday inspired generosity. It includes pro-football players and police officers buying toys, families being provided for, and caroling for a cause. We hear about these acts of generosity more in December because the general public wants to hear them. People are generous all year but around the holidays generosity actually sells. News networks compete for viewers. Normally the best way to get eyeballs is tragedy and fear, but around the holiday’s viewers want to feel good. That means plugs to stay tuned for an amazing act of kindness actually gets people to stick around and watch.
These kinds of stories need to make the news more often, because when they do, they inspire others to copycat. A man in Iowa heard a story on the news about a woman paying off the school lunch debts of every student in her child’s elementary. When he saw the report, he was inspired to do the same at his childhood elementary school. We know news casts can inspire copy cats. It happens with tragic results when shootings are reported. Imagine if news consumers gave more ratings to the positive reports and more of these stories of generosity made the 8pm time slot. Then the idea of copy cats wouldn’t be so terrifying.
The other ubiquitous television programming this time of year are the holiday specials. Our favorite shows go on hiatus and Hallmark steps in to fill the hours of open-air time. Love them or hate them they are all about one thing, learning the true meaning of Christmas. One year a Boston TV guide even put TMOC in the description of every holiday movie. Man struggles to understand the TMOC, woman falls in love and learns the TMOC, tragedy inspires family to know the TMOC. Try it with your favorite holiday film it works. There must still be something to teach if every year Hallmark finds ten new ways to make viewers see the TMOC.
In the Sermon
There are a few people I can think of to which I would like to give this Colossians outfit. I would love to button it up on a lamppost and leave it for members of my community to find. Clothed in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love maybe the new would be more bearable year-round. I would even settle for Christians to be more committed to this outfit.
Unfortunately, these verses are much like the user agreements we will all sign as we hook up the new devices we got for Christmas. We know we have to agree to the terms to use the technology, so we say yes without reading the details. Faith is like that too. We know we need to agree to the Bible’s terms in order to get into heaven. So we learn when to shout AMEN and when to lift our hands in worship. We ooh and aah when people are generous with their money and time. The word is agreed to, but it does not quite dwell in us.
Sin remains firmly rooted in our lives even as we give gifts in honor of the Christ child. When conflict arises something other than the peace of Christ governs our decisions. We shy away from teaching and admonishing because we do not feel wise enough to make those calls. Thankfulness and song are reserved for Sundays, once or twice a month.
What if we let the viral nature of Christmas take over and inspire us in 2019? Generosity is needed January through November too. Let’s not let December have all the fun. The whole idea behind Christmas is that the world has another shot, a new beginning in Jesus. God put on a new outfit, flesh, and lived a life among us that we should all copycat. Start with one item, compassion, kindness, meekness, humility, patience, or love. Try it on, break it in, and show it off.
A theology professor recently made the admission that theology is secondary to living out the love Jesus exhibited. In his article he points out that when people leave one church for another it is less about theology and more about feelings. If someone does not feel loved they will leave regardless of their theological alignment. “Practice, not theology, is what really matters when it comes to Christianity’s effectiveness as a movement entrusted with the mission of bringing people to Jesus.” Clothing ourselves in the ways of compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, and love is more important than any doctrine....
SECOND THOUGHTS
Growing Up
by Chris Keating
Luke 2:41-52
Jesus sitting on the steps of the temple grilling the rabbis and teachers for three days was probably not the memory Mary and Joseph had hoped to include in their Passover vacation scrapbook. Luke’s very human glimpse of the preadolescent Jesus captures every parent’s nightmare. “
As the travelers made their way home, Mary looks around and notices she has not seen her son. “Where’s Jesus?” Mary asks Joseph. “I thought you had him,” Joseph replies, suddenly remembering he hadn’t seen the boy either. “Didn’t you take him to the restroom at that last stop?”
“Home Alone” inspired panic ensues, as anxiety rises and the group of friends retrace their steps back to Jerusalem. For families mucking their way through the second half of Christmas break, the incident in Luke 2:41-52 may lead to nods of amused recognition, relief, or curious hopefulness. We can almost hear Joseph muttering to his friends, “You think your family has it tough? Try raising a kid who says he’s the Messiah.”
After three days, the rabbis were probably delighted to see Jesus’ parents show up. Luke’s narrative details the way Jesus is indeed becoming strong and gaining wisdom. And, apparently, a voice that cracks not only with pubescent growth, but near smart-alecky retorts. Which parents among us have not been schooled by their 12-year-old child—suffering endless eye rolls or heavy sighs. (Followed by the ubiquitous door slamming cries of “I-hate-you-you’re-not-the-boss-of-me,” and “But-can-you-take-me-to-the-mall?”
Jesus is growing up, zits and all.
Luke offers this insight as a reminder of how the good news of God’s realm is emerging. God’s wisdom is growing within him. This wisdom will propel his ministry and teaching, for at its root is Luke’s contention that Jesus is growing “in divine and human favor.” Ronald Allen’s commentary in Connections reminds us that while “favor” is an adequate translation of “charis,” it’s not at all inappropriate to understand this as Jesus growing in grace.
Discovering what it means to grow in grace is a timely question, especially in a culture which seems to have abandoned grace completely.
When Defense Secretary James Mattis resigned last week, commentators quickly added that he was the last “adult” to leave the Trump political sphere. Mattis was widely observed to have played the role of chaperone in a West Wing frat party of impulsive decisions. Reportedly, the president’s anger over Mattis’ public resignation letter caused him to speed up the secretary’s departure—which only added fuel to the rumors of immaturity, distraction and lack of focus.
Matthew Yglesias noted that by the end of the week “the wheels seem to be coming off the Trump bus.” But, Yglesias added, “But that’s only a reminder of the many times before when the wheels seemed to be coming off the bus.”
Imagine the entire cabinet joining Trump in singing “The Wheels on the Bus.”
But political leaders are hardly the only ones who struggle with growing up. The world is replete with examples of immaturity in grace. Privileged celebrities, obnoxious athletes, leaders and even the run of the mill, power-hungry church leader who was just elected to the board are other examples. Less publicized, but just as familiar are the teenagers in our midst whose emotional growth has been stunted by social pressures, media, and toxic cultural detritus.
Stilted levels of growing in wisdom has impacted the adolescents of our own time, many of whom display record levels of depression, anxiety, and countless other emotional struggles.
As the church looks to Jesus the wunderkind (aka “Young Sheldon”) on the steps of the temple, it is fair to consider how we’ve failed to listen to the questions of our youth. Instead of taking time to listen to their fears and anxieties, we get preoccupied by our own anxieties. Anxious to get kids back in church, we spend money on expensive programs. We try to look cool and hip.
“Hey guys!” we proudly announce, “Look our church now has a Facebook page!” (forgetting that many teenagers have migrated well beyond Facebook).
We’re like Mary and Joseph, breathlessly searching for the kids the church has lost.
Instead of running, we might try going back to the temple steps. Let’s offer the kids who do show up a wall to lean against while they ask their questions. Let’s give the gay teenager a place to feel accepted, the depressed girl who cuts herself a community of acceptance, or the kid who is bent on pleasing everyone but herself a place of grace.
Thinking of Jesus reclining against the wall of the temple is a reminder of how he was grounded in the grace of his faith tradition. When our family was once caught in a push-and-pull tug of war of teenagerhood, a wise spiritual director shared with me that our job was to be the wall of an Olympic-sized swimming pool. In that space, she said, kids both hold on and push back, preparing to launch.
Kara Powell says much the same thing in a helpful blog post. “As parents and youth leaders, kids need us to be a wall,” Powell writes. “A wall of support that doesn’t withdraw or abandon them.”
There’s a wall worth building. A wall of grace, a foundation for growth. A place where all of God’s children, including ourselves, may grow and become strong, filled with wisdom and the favor of the Lord.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Dean Feldmeyer:
Voluntary upstage
Cooper Dawson is a 6’5”, 250-pound lineman at South Carolina’s Hanahan High School and, even though he missed his senior season due to a torn ACL, he was still recruited by Syracuse, Clemson, UCLA, Army, Central Florida and Tulane.
Came the day when he would announce the college he was going to play for and he was sitting behind a table with three hats on it -- Clemson, Syracuse and Central Florida. The press was there, of course, and his friends and family as well. Now came the moment when he would make his big announcement, probably the biggest decision he has made in his life, thus far.
But it was not Cooper who spoke.
Sitting beside him was his best friend, Kingsley Feinman and
Cooper turned the mike over to him.
Kingsley has cerebral palsy and is a paraplegic.
The two have been friends since Dawson was a high school freshman, as their social media presence shows.
“I saw him wheeling through the hallways and he always had on a big smile, so I figured I’d go introduce myself,” Dawson told the Associated Press. “My junior year last year he always hung out with the football players and talked to us, but we ragged on him because he never came to a football game.
“We finally talked him into coming to one this year. Unfortunately, I tore my ACL [last summer during football camp] and I wasn’t able to play. I wheeled him around the football field and showed him the student section, and when all the football players ran out, I put him at the entrance so they could all give him high-fives as they ran past.”
Feinman is a paraplegic who uses a feeding tube and has an in-home aide to help him dress, eat and use the bathroom, according to The Post and Courier. Last summer, Feinman’s mother asked Dawson if he’d be willing to be one of her son’s aides and Feinman became a friend as well as an inspiration to Dawson as he recovered from the injury that took away his senior season. “My only disability was not being able to walk because of a torn ligament,” Dawson said. “If Kingsley can have cerebral palsy and go around and have a positive attitude with everything he does, then I should be able to do the same.”
“He taught me,” Feinman says, “that the only disability is a bad attitude.”
Oh, Kingley made Cooper’s announcement to loud applause: “He’s going to Syracuse.”
(Boren, Cindy, ‘The only disability is a bad attitude’: Syracuse recruit lets friend with cerebral palsy take center stage, Washington Post, Dec. 20, 2018)
* * *
Home for the holidays
Peter Shankman flies about 300,000 miles every year on United Airlines giving speeches around the world. The last thing he wants to do in his free time is travel from his home in New York. A New York City entrepreneur, podcast host and single father who travels the world to deliver corporate keynote speeches, Shankman decided to start giving away his frequent flier miles when he realized how many he wasn’t using every year.
So, for the fifth year in a row, Shankman is donating hundreds of thousands of miles to people in need — those who can’t afford to buy a flight, but want to be with sick loved ones during the holidays, or a parent who wants to see a faraway child.
After giving away about 100,000 miles to his family and his office assistant, he has about 200,000 miles left to give away to people who need them at Christmas. He posts his contest on the social media site Imgur, and other Imgur users vote for winners of Shankman’s miles. After the initial year of the giveaway, other travelers started seeing Shankman’s posts on Imgur and began donating their miles to his contest, multiplying the gift.
In all, five families will be reunited for Christmas using a total of 300,000 miles. About 200,000 are donated by Shankman, and the rest by others who were touched by his idea and wanted to donate as well.
“I’m happy they want to help. There are a lot of people who can’t afford to buy these tickets on their own,” he said.
(Free, Cathy, This man donated 200,000 miles to strangers so they can go home for the holidays MSNBC, Dec. 20, 2018.)
* * *
Giving ahead
Their elderly neighbor, Ken Watson, was a former salvage diver, seaman, carpenter, baker. When they met him he was 83 years old and it didn’t take long for him to become a friend. He doted on their 2-year-old daughter, Cadi, and their dog loved him so much she would scream and whimper whenever she saw him.
Ken, a physically active man even in his advanced years, always told him that he was going to live to be 100 years old.
Alas, he did not make it to that age.
Ken died at the age of 85. The whole family mourned his passing.
Then one evening just before Christmas, Ken's daughter walked over to the Williams' house with a surprise from her late father. She was clutching a large plastic sack and in it was all the Christmas presents he'd bought for “our daughter” for the next fourteen years.
Cadi would receive one present from Ken every year until his 100th and her 16th birthdays.
(O'Kane, Caitlin Elderly neighbor bought 2-year-old girl Christmas presents for the next 14 years before he died, CBS News, Dec. 18, 2018.)
* * *
A smile for chirstmas
All Jonathon Coiro wanted for Christmas was a smile.
“I have a lot of gaps in my teeth, and I’ve been really insecure about it,” Jonathon said. “I don’t even smile in pictures because I really hate the way my teeth look." So he asked for braces.
But Jonathon’s father passed away a few months ago, leaving the family with no major source of income. Since then, his mother, Maria, has been supporting the family. Maria, Jonathon’s mother has been doing her best to support the family since her husband’s death but, when he died, they lost their health insurance and Medicaid denied coverage for the braces which would cost close to $5,000.
Enter, Dr. Ayla Idilbi with Jefferson Dental Care. She was moved by Jonathon’s story after he came into her practice a few weeks ago.
“Our job is to make people smile and to make them love their smile, to make them confident about how they look. So when we saw Jonathan, it truly touched our heart,” she said.
Idilbi and her team then decided to donate the money to get Jonathon his braces. They surprised him with the check on Tuesday, and just a short time later, Idilbi put on his braces.
Jonathon said he was so thankful for his Christmas miracle, and now has a lot to smile about.
He also said he wished his dad was there to share his joy.
“If he was here, I’d hug him and cry,” he said.
(Croix, Vanessa, Teen gets new smile for Christmas, KENS-TV, Dec. 19, 2018.)
* * *
Breakfast, anyone?
Wayne Price has been driving a school bus for five years, but his faith is what really drives to him to do everything in his life.
During the early morning of Dec. 11, the last week before schools in Montevallo, Alabama, closed for winter break, Price got a phone call that his school would be opening 2 hours later due to bad weather, including icy conditions and fog. For many children in other cities, school delays and closures are a cause for celebration. But a delayed opening in Montevallo also means that many children will not be able to get breakfast at the school cafeteria — or any morning meal at all.
A spokesperson at Montevallo Elementary School told TODAY Food that data from the 2018-2019 school year showed 75 percent of the school's children participate in the National School Lunch Program, a federal program that ensures kids from low-income families will be able to eat lunch and breakfast at a free or reduced price during the school day.
Price was already awake when he got news about the delay and immediately understood the implications of breakfast being cancelled for the elementary, middle and high school students in Montevallo (all of whom Price drives on his bus run).
"For a lot of students that means that they won't get to eat," Allison Campbell, Principal of Montevello Elementary, told TODAY Food. "It speaks volumes to [Price's] character that he was attune to that."
After hanging up the phone, Price had an idea that truly reflects the spirit of giving. Before hitting his usual route, he headed to a local McDonald's to get himself a biscuit ... and one for every kid on the bus.
"When I got to McDonald's, I asked the manager, 'Can you turn around 50 biscuits in 15 minutes and can you give me as good of a deal as possible?' He gave me a dollar deal and we just turned it around," Price told TODAY Food. "They really hustled with other customers in the store and I walked out with a box load of biscuits for my kids."
To Price, this act of kindness was not random, nor was it solely because of the Christmas spirit.
"I'm driven by faith and Christ," Price told TODAY Food.
(Wida, Erica Chayes School bus driver hailed as a hero after buying breakfast for 50 students during ice storm, TODAY, DEC. 18, 2018.)
* * *
And lunch, as well…
Tommy Kelley, 38, an Oklahoma City native, surprised Putnam City Public Schools with a massive donation of $10,000 to help pay off student lunch debt.
“It’s just a way during this season to take burdens off the parents who can’t afford lunches, you know, it’s no fault of their own,” Kelley told Fox News. “Not every school is subsidized here. We try just to alleviate as much as we can so they can pay an electric bill or buy an extra gift.”
Kelley wanted to give back to the school system he is a product of – alleviating one-third of the school’s student lunch debt – but he didn’t stop there.
The next day he donated $1,000 to a low-income elementary school in the city, and the day after that he donated $4,000 to Putnam City’s Care Share/Penny’s Closet Programs that provide Christmas gifts, coats, shoes, and more to kids in need.
Kelley made the donations through his foundation, the Some Day Soon Foundation, which he started a year ago after getting a second chance at life.
“Twenty-eight months ago I was given a second chance at life when I decided to become sober. I decided the only way to pay back the chance I was given was to start doing the right thing, and the right thing is helping those in need, and if my story of sobriety can help someone else or inspire someone then it’s worth it,” he said.
Just one year ago, he was serving pizza and hamburgers out of the trunk of his car to homeless people as his way of paying it forward. Today, they serve up to 1,000 homeless people every month.
He chose the name "Some Day Soon Foundation" to inspire others.
“Today might not be okay, but someday soon it will be,” Kelley said. “There is hope for you yet.”
(Parke, Caleb, Oklahoma Good Samaritan gives $10,000 to pay off students’ school lunches, Fox News, Dec. 18, 2018.)
* * *
Walking with the poor
Sometimes, scripture admonishes us not just to give but to walk with the poor. Kim and Annette Ringeisen are taking that word seriously. They’re donating literally everything the own to help the firefighters from Paradise, CA, many of whom lost their homes while rescuing others.
They're leaving it all behind – for a good cause.
Kim Ringeisen and his wife Annette donated pretty much every single thing they owned to firefighters who were in Paradise, California, rescuing neighbors during last month's deadly Camp Fire. Many of firefighters lost their own homes in the deadly blaze.
"You start reflecting everything you have and everything you have going on in your life and you think about what can you do to help the additional firefighters," Ringeisen told InsideEdition.com.
The Ringeisens are moving across the country to North Carolina. Kim is a tech executive and combat veteran with 15 years of search and rescue experience. In the aftermath of the wildfires, he volunteered in search and rescue efforts.
Since the family was getting ready to pack up and leave anyway, the decision to make the donations was a no-brainer. "We decided that instead of shipping everything we own to North Carolina, we were just gonna take our sentimental things and coordinate donating our furniture and everything. Household goods kitchen and everything to the firefighters. There are about 40 firefighters who lost everything in the Camp Fire," Kim said.
He organized the whole thing, filling a 26-foot truck with the contents of their home.
They are also donating the contents of a storage unit to Goodwill and, through Facebook, Kim also raised about $850 for affected firefighters. Annette makes dolls and donated what was in her store for children's Christmas presents.
Kim pointed out the importance of paying it forward and helping out those who sacrifice so much daily.
"They're out there every day protecting lives and protecting property and doing the best that they can with it and I think we can help them out when needed," Ringeisen said.
(Officer, Stephanie, Veteran Donates Everything in His Home to Firefighters Affected By California Wildfires, Inside Edition, Dec. 18, 2018.)
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
Leader: Praise God! Praise God from the heavens.
People: Praise God, all angels; praise God, all the heavenly host!
Leader: Praise God, sun and moon; praise God, all you shining stars!
People: Let all creation praise the name of God, the Creator.
Leader: Praise God, young men and women alike, old and young together!
People: Let us praise the name of God, for God’s name alone is exalted.
OR
Leader: God calls us to the banquet table and the feast.
People: We are full! We have eaten too much.
Leader: God’s feast is a feast of love.
People: We have not had enough of that!
Leader: Come and dine with God and share the feast with others.
People: With joy we dine with God and with all.
Hymns and Songs:
Where Charity and Love Prevail
UMH: 549
H82: 581
NCH: 396
LBW: 126
ELA: 359
For the Fruits of This Creation
UMH: 97
H82: 424
PH: 553
NCH: 425
CH: 714
LBW: 563
ELA: 679
W&P: 723
Jesu, Jesu
UMH: 432
H82: 602
PH: 367
NCH: 498
CH: 600
ELA: 708
W&P: 273
Renew: 289
The Care the Eagle Gives Her Young
UMH: 118
NCH: 468
CH: 76
Love Came Down at Christmas
UMH: 242
H82: 84
NCH: 165
W&P: 210
That Boy-Child of Mary
UMH: 241
PH: 55
ELA: 293
W&P: 211
Happy the Home When God Is There
UMH: 445
W&P: 607
Our Parent, by Whose Name
UMH: 447
ELA: 606
We Are His Hands
CCB: 85
Ubi Caritas (Live in Charity)
CCB: 71
Renew: 226+
Music Resources Key:
UMH: United Methodist Hymnal
H82: The Hymnal 1982
PH: Presbyterian Hymnal
AAHH: African American Heritage Hymnal
NNBH: The New National Baptist Hymnal
NCH: The New Century Hymnal
CH: Chalice Hymnal
LBW: Lutheran Book of Worship
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 pours your bounty on creation:
Grant us the grace to thankfully receive your goodness
and to share that bounty with all our sisters and brothers;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, for the bounty of your creation. You have given to us beyond measure. Give us thankful hearts as we partake of your good gifts. Open our hearts and hands to share your bounty with all your children. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
Leader: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our failure to be generous to strangers and, sometimes, to our own families.
People: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have used the resources of this earth and all the blessings you have given us while often failing to share these with others. Even the blessing you have given us in our families we have squandered. We have not shown love and compassion. We have not reflected your love and grace. Call us back to following Jesus this Christmas Season and empower us with your Spirit to share your love with all. Amen.
Leader: Love has come down this Christmastide as it always does. It is meant for you and for all. Receive it and share it.
Prayers of the People
We worship you and bless your name, O God, because you are pure love. Your care reaches out to all your children and you call all of us into your family.
(The following paragraph may be used if a separate prayer of confession has not been used.)
We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. We have used the resources of this earth and all the blessings you have given us while often failing to share these with others. Even the blessing you have given us in our families we have squandered. We have not shown love and compassion. We have not reflected your love and grace. Call us back to following Jesus this Christmas Season and empower us with your Spirit to share your love with all.
We give you thanks for the blessings of family. None of them are perfect and yet we know they were given us to bless us. We thank you for those who share out of the depths of their hearts. We have been blessed by their gifts whether physical, spiritual or social.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for all our sisters and brothers today. We remember those who have little to celebrate this season and who find it difficult to even survive. We remember families where hurt and anger rob them of the blessings you intend for them.
(Other intercessions may be offered.)
All these things we ask in the Name of our Savior Jesus Christ who taught us to pray together saying:
Our Father....Amen.
(Or if the Our Father is not used at this point in the service)
All this we ask in the Name of the Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
Children’s Sermon Starter
Show children family pictures. Make them as diverse as possible: a couple, a parent and child, three or more generations. Talk about their families, how many are in their family, etc. Then ask about grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins. We can think of our family as large or small, depending on who we include. Jesus taught us that we are all family. We belong together. That is one reason it is so important to share with everyone, they are part of God’s family and so part of ours.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Even trees and snakes
by Tom Willadsen
Psalm 148
For today’s Children’s Message you’ll need someone to read Psalm 148, and that reader needs to be prepared to stop reading at each bolded word in the text below. I am using The Message, but really any version will be fine. You will need a large number of little ones, especially little ones who are willing to play along and be publically silly. You may want to have a few “plants” among the older folks in worship, people who do not typically come forward for Children’s Time.
When the reader reads a bolded word she should stop reading. The leader of Children’s Time asks the little ones, “What do you think it would sound like when angels praise God?”
“What sound does the moon make when it praises God?”
“Did you ever think a rain cloud could praise God?”
Encourage the kids to move and make noises they think are appropriate. Give them time to think. It’s possible someone seated in the congregation (I won’t call them “the audience,” but you know who I mean) may have an idea for what a hill could do to praise God, for example. Encourage people to imagine and be playful.
You want all the worshippers to realize that it is not only people who come to church on Sunday morning, but all of creation, even trees and snakes who praise God!
When you get to “graybeards” it’s a teaching opportunity in Presbyterian churches, because our name comes from the Greek “πρεσβύτερος” pronounced “pres-bu’-ter’-os, for “elder.”
Altogether there are 27 different entities who are commanded to praise God. Chances are you will not have 27 different people willing to praise God, so skip some of them.
When you’re done the people will be open to seeing things like the starry sky at night, or the sunset as not just beautiful creations of the Creator, but as allies together with people animals, clouds, trees as mountains united in praising God!
Psalm 148 The Message (MSG)
Hallelujah!
Praise God from heaven,
praise him from the mountaintops;
Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his warriors,
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, you morning stars;
Praise him, high heaven,
praise him, heavenly rain clouds;
Praise, oh let them praise the name of God—
he spoke the word, and there they were!
He set them in place
from all time to eternity;
He gave his orders,
and that’s it!
Praise God from earth,
you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and ice,
hurricanes obeying his orders;
Mountains and all hills,
apple orchards and cedar forests;
Wild beasts and herds of cattle,
snakes, and birds in flight;
Earth’s kings and all races,
leaders and important people,
Robust men and women in their prime,
and yes, graybeards and little children.
Let them praise the name of God—
it’s the only Name worth praising.
His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky;
he’s built a monument—his very own people!
Praise from all who love God!
Israel’s children, intimate friends of God.
Hallelujah!
(The Message (MSG) Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson)
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The Immediate Word, December 30, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 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.
