Non-Prophet Culture
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For January 31, 2021:
Non-Prophet Culture
by Chris Keating
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Surrounded by a bipartisan array of leaders, close family members, and three former United States Presidents, Joe Biden placed his hand on a family Bible and became the 46th President. In the end, a presidential transition like none other in history went just as planned.
The crowds were replaced by thousands of National Guard troops, and Covid-19 related social distancing measures were in full effect of course. But the Storm — a cataclysmic overturning of the government long predicted by right-wing conspiracists — never happened.
In fact, a lot of things did not happen: Joe Biden was not unmasked to be either a lizard person or the late John F. Kennedy Jr., Tom Hanks was not arrested as a child-eating “pedovore,” and former President Trump did not show himself to be a “billion-year-old intergalactic being made of pure starlight.” None of these things are true (and you can check Wikipedia yourself in case you still harbor doubts.)
QAnon — a rapidly-growing right-wing conspiracy movement — proclaimed these discredited prophesies. Its adherents held to them with a religious zeal. Loyalty to QAnon’s beliefs is a common thread among those arrested for the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol. Labelled as a “dangerous extremist group” by the FBI, QAnon has attracted large support in chatrooms and online communities.
Told to “trust the plan,” the fringe group supporters are struggling to make sense of the failed prophesies.
“I am so scared right now, I really feel nothing is going to happen now,” wrote one QAnon believer. “I’m just devastated.”
Their vision was fueled by theories promoted by anonymous sources, and has its taproots in many other failed prophesies promulgated by fundamentalist evangelical Christians including Hal Lindsey’s 1970s book “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Armageddon hasn’t happened. Constitutional processes have prevailed. But false prophets endure.
Moses would weep with understanding. He approached the end of his life believing the Lord would raise up another prophet. Yahweh agrees — but makes it clear that anyone who presumes to speak words God has not commanded will be doomed. This week’s reading from Deuteronomy calls us to attune ourselves to God’s word — even as we make our way through a non-prophet culture.
In the News
For the moment, the gales filling QAnon’s sails have subsided. When the predictions of earth-shattering political cataclysm failed, the movements loose adherents were left stunned. Instead of being swept into power, the true believers were overwhelmed with disillusion. The movement stalled, though many predict it will eventually make some sort of return.
January 20 presented the movement’s growing number of true believers with a reality check: Donald Trump didn’t appoint himself as president forever, he was not a particle of a billions-year old galaxy, Satan-worshiping pedophiles in Congress were not arrested, Tom Hanks is not the cabal’s secret leader, and Nancy Pelosi is still in Washington, and not locked up in Guantanamo. As bizarre as these claims may seem, a recent poll shows 17 percent of Americans believe aspects of the group’s deep-state theory. Many believe the Storm is still coming.
In addition, the group now has two representatives in Congress. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia both won seats in the House after endorsing QAnon’s vast theories.
Writing for “Foreign Policy,” James Palmer concludes that QAnon is not likely to disappear. Rather than having a defined orthodoxy, the group is an umbrella holding many views. Some believers others are moving in different directions, though some are circulating a new theory that last week’s inauguration was a sham. They posit that the true inauguration will occur on March 4, the inaugural date originally set by the United States Constitution.
This sort of prophecy shape shifting is often a characteristic of failed prophetic movements, Palmer argues. That includes the so-called “Great Disappointment of 1844” when believers of Adventist preacher William Miller resigned themselves that Jesus had not returned. Miller attempted to promote an alternative view that Jesus had indeed returned — not to Earth, but to an eternal sanctuary in heaven.
These movements appear with regularity. In the 1970s, evangelicals coalesced around Hal Lindsey’s vision of global Armageddon in “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Family Radio founder and evangelist Harold Camping predicted the demise of the world on six different (and ever moving) dates: September 6, 1994, September 29, 1994, October 2, 1994, March 31, 1995, May 21, 2011 and October 21, 2011. Camping’s millennialist preaching prompted people to quit their jobs and sell their belongings, but still the earth kept moving around the sun.
QAnon’s moral conservatism and predictions of spiritual warfare still hold the imagination of many believers. Some believe they have been “played like fools,” others are returning to their normal routines, while others are keeping the faith. Shifting their expectations, these believers have said they are renewing their commitments to the conspiracy theory “despite its unreliability.”
In Washington, a new leader has been sworn into office. President Trump has retired to Florida, at least for now. Some who refuse to admit to the baseless theories advanced by the secretive Q are now suggesting the time has come for them to continue holding the torch for their prophet — even if the prophesies have proven false and unreliable.
In the Scriptures
Deuteronomy 18 continues Moses second address. His exhortation expands upon the covenantal stipulations of the Decalogue and the Shema. The rituals ascribed to God’s people are detailed, along with the requirements to appoint judges, officials, priests, and prophets. Instructions for the Levitical priesthood are offered in 18:1-14, all with the understanding that their allegiance to Yahweh makes Israel unique among the nations of the world.
Unlike other nations which seek advice from “soothsayers and diviners,” Israel is to heed the words of Yahweh spoken through a prophet. Moses tells them a prophet shall be raised up, and the Lord agrees. The prophet shall speak a unique and divinely sanctioned word. God is clear: the prophet shall be the vessel who communicates God’s word truthfully.
In order to speak this word, a prophet will be called, just as Moses had been raised up to lead Israel. The people understand that meeting God face to face will bring painful consequences. A prophet bridges the gaps as it were, allowing the One who calls to speak through the one who has been called. Yahweh’s prophet one shall be the true, single, and authorized proclaimer of God’s promises.
Moreover, those called to be prophets shall speak only in Yahweh’s name and only as commanded by God under the penalty of death. The one who speaks truth must do so only as they are called by God.
The command is clear and direct (v.19), and the matter of false prophets is addressed. While the price to be paid for false prophecy is steep, the task of discerning what is the true word of God is more complex. The lectionary skirts the issue somewhat by leaving out verses 21-22 about the test of true prophecy. Yahweh knows that people will wonder: “How can we recognize a word the Lord has not spoken?”
But our congregations will still wonder, even if the verses go unread.
The task articulated for God’s people is one of faithfulness in listening. Israel is to heed — to faithfully pay attention — to all the prophet speaks. The issue of attuning ourselves to the word God has spoken will remain a vital aspect of prophecy throughout the Hebrew Scriptures.
Verses 21-22 address the issue of whether God has spoken. How shall we know if a word spoken by the prophet is truly a word from God? Having been instructed against talking to soothsayers, the people are perplexed. The answer is that God’s prophets will not speak words uttered by false gods, nor will their witness be self-serving. Ultimately, the true test of prophecy will be known, as Jesus says, by the fruits that they bear (See Kathryn M. Schifferdecker, “Commentary on Deuteronomy 18:15-20, workingpreacher.org).
In the Sermon
Though the future of QAnon is unclear, it is certain that its wild and far-fetched prophecies have failed. They represent an extremist fringe that while still prevalent in American culture, has subsided somewhat for the at least the time being. Yet the damage Q’s false claims and disinformation has created is substantial, and there will be members in many of our congregations who count themselves as having wondered if at least part of those theories might be true.
The question raised in Deuteronomy is thus once more a question for the church: “How can we recognize a word that the Lord has not spoken?” A well-meaning attendee of the women’s prayer group may speak up, saying “The Lord has placed something on my heart.” A teenager invited to an evangelical youth ministry’s ski weekend might hear someone say, “The Lord spoke to me tonight.” A preacher, filled with all sorts of seminary sanctioned wisdom may wonder, “What word does God want to be heard?”
Is there a word of the Lord in this non-prophet culture? This is tough territory for the preacher, but one worth careful exploration. Political tensions are still present, and not all of those worshipping with us on a Sunday may be fully aware of the dangers presented by conspiracy theorists. But those dangers remain, and they invite us to compare the deadly nature of “non-prophets” with the live-giving justice, mercy, righteousness of Yahweh.
Peel back the layers of this chapter of Deuteronomy back to 6:4, recalling that the Shema provides the contours for the entire book. The non-prophets of our society — authoritarian political leaders, attention-seeking celebrities, greedy barons of business, or narcissistic glamour preachers — are not rooted in the promise of loving God and loving neighbor. Instead, as Patrick Miller suggests, that the true, humble and honest proclamation of the word of God exhibits a consistency between the tradition and scripture, and which aligns itself with the call to worship God alone.
SECOND THOUGHTS
The Authority to Speak
by Bethany Peerbolte
Mark 1:21-28
The gospel of Mark opens with John the Baptist declaring Jesus’ arrival and baptizing Jesus. Then we quickly move onto Jesus’ temptation, which is told in two verses. Jesus’ ministry then begins his ministry with a quick declaration of time fulfilled and a few calls to disciples to follow along. They immediately follow and we are brought to the scene the lectionary asks us to consider this week.
Jesus heads to the synagogue to teach on a sabbath day. In Markian fashion, the crowd quickly recognizes Jesus’ authority. While other teachers reference other reputable rabbis, Jesus speaks on his own authority. This style is new and intriguing to the audience, so they lean in to hear what Jesus has to say.
While the attentive crowd grows, a man with unclean spirits residing inside him challenges Jesus. The spirit knows Jesus better than the others in the crowd. It catches on quickly that the authority Jesus speaks on is his own, and even worse for the spirits, the authority is God. With arrogant hope, the spirit calls Jesus “the Holy One of God” to see if Jesus will stumble away from the title. Alas, Jesus is very comfortable with the role and meets the challenge with a command to be silent and exit the man.
As the crowd watched the man regain his own resolution they gasp in awe of the full power of Jesus’ authority. Not only is this teaching style different, not only does Jesus speak from his own authority, but this authority has the power to control demons. The crown takes note and word begins to spread.
It is important to take note of how each gospel writer first presents Jesus. That first image painted for the reader is the one the writer wants to stand out throughout the gospel. For Mark, Jesus’ authority is the most important thing to keep in mind. To get to the story of the unclean spirit, Mark seems to rush the lead-in scenes. John the Baptist said Jesus is the one and baptized him, next. Jesus was tempted, next. Some disciples were collected, next.
For the story of teaching and exorcism, Mark pumps the breaks. We get a setting, a synagogue in Capernaum on the sabbath. We get a variety of characters with different perspectives, the crowd, the man, the unclean spirit, the disciples. We get cause and effect; the crowd saw Jesus cast out a demon and they went to spread the news. We get the dialogue. We have seven whole verses that tell us the beginning, middle, and end of this moment in Jesus’ ministry.
This picture of Jesus using his authority to teach and heal is the Jesus Mark wants us to hold on to. Especially the part about Jesus’ authority being his own. The reason the spirit is so scared is that it knows Jesus. The unclean spirit knows Jesus was there when the world was created and is here now to bring their reign of dominating evil to an end. The unclean spirit must leave, because how do you argue with the one who has experienced it all since the beginning of time. Jesus’ authority is in his experience.
To the crowd that was an odd thing to see. This was a new teacher. How could he possibly have such experiential knowledge? What they could not see was what the unclean spirit knew and the departure of the spirit clued the crowd in on the secret, too. There must be something special about this teacher. It may not seem like he has much experience but he must somehow have such authority over demons.
There are lots of different kinds of authority with which people operate. Doctors have the authority of their education. Elected officials have the authority of their office. Authority can be unquestionable, or it can be simply used to try and influence a group toward a common decision. No matter the level, authority can be abused or it can benefit the common good.
As President Biden forms his cabinet he seems to be favoring the authority of experience. His picks are being celebrated as the most diverse cabinet selections in American history. Fifty percent of his cabinet will be people who are black or people of color. The diversity extends to gender inclusivity, generational representation, and sexuality.
Notable appointments include the first indigenous person to oversee the interior. A choice that has indigenous communities celebrating because she has experience caring for the interior. They believe her experience will grant her an extra level of authority to make choices that are good for all residents on American soil. Another celebrated pick is a transgender doctor who has been chosen as the assistant secretary for health. Dr. Rachel Levine also brings with her the authority of her experience. Transgender health care has been attacked for years. Dr. Levine has been a victim of the system's abysmal practices. The trans community hopes she will use her experience to form better policy that will eliminate the pain that the community has suffered.
However; just like the demon shrieked as it came out of the man’s body, we can be sure of the shrieking to come. Just because someone has the authority of experience and authority of office does not mean people will listen. Mark, however, wants us to see that authority of experience is powerful and needs to be heeded. It is the authority from which Jesus taught and cast out demons. Those who have seen how humanity has failed throughout time have a unique perspective to hold us accountable. They also have dreamed the dreams of a paradise where those sins do not exist.
Jesus had seen paradise and he had seen humanity fall and fail and try over and over to bring the kingdom of God to earth. This experience gave him a unique perspective on how to make things better. This cabinet has seen humanity flail and struggle to live into its potential. They have also dreamed dreams of how it can be better. The authority of experience is powerful, and may we be strong enough to let go of the demons and live anew without them.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
They will know you’re a prophet….
Today’s passage in Deuteronomy offers the only place in scripture that gives guidance to identify false prophets. The text is, however, quite limited. If what the prophet speaks does not happen or prove true, one knows it is not a word from the Lord. This equates prophecy with predicting the future, which is not the typical message of prophecy in Hebrew scripture. The words of prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah and even Jonah are words of warning, urging repentance and care for the vulnerable.
Another shortcoming of this guidance is that it does not come with an expiration date. How long should one wait to see whether something foretold by a prophet takes place? Couldn’t the prophet always defend his word by saying, “Give it time”?
* * *
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
The role of a prophet
Moses is considered the first prophet, though none of “his” books are considered prophetic. Moses did occupy an essential role of the prophet — mediating between God and humanity. He did this when he received the Ten Commandments, when the divine will was revealed to him, and when he spoke on God’s behalf, though his brother Aaron was his mouthpiece originally. Christians understand the role of a priest as standing between the people and God, it is also the case with prophets. Prophets, priests and kings are officials who are anointed in Hebrew scripture. The priestly identity is not emphasized as much for Protestant clergy, still it’s a helpful reminder that sometimes pastors need to speak to the Lord on behalf of the people. Not that they can’t do that themselves, because priesthood of all believers, but because s/he is functioning as the spokesperson for a community.
* * *
Psalm 111
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
If there’s one phrase the people get hung up on in the Hebrew scripture it’s “the fear of the Lord.” We’re not supposed to fear the Lord, but love the Lord! It doesn’t make sense to fear the Lord. Unpacking the term “fear” from the Hebrew יראת could be helpful. “Fear” is an accurate, but incomplete, rendering of the word. Add reverence, morality and ritual practice to fear to gain a more complete understanding of this term. It’s not only the feeling you get when you visit a haunted house, add some awe and a feeling of being in the presence of transcendence. Still, I wish you well in getting your congregation to understand “fear” in these ways. I had this conversation with one of my members, annually for seventeen years. He insisted on not understanding it!
* * *
Psalm 111
In the beginning of wisdom
This is pretty cool. The word that the NRSV “beginning” is Psalm 111:10 is ראשית . Its root is R-Sh, which you might recognize as the start of Rosh Hashanah, literally “the head of the year.” It also means “top” or “start.” To say that it is “the beginning of wisdom” points the reader back to the very first word in the Bible:
בראשית
Which we call know means “In the beginning,” but is really closer to “In a beginning” or even “When God began…”
In the sense of Psalm 111 “beginning” could mean something more like "primary" or “principal” aspect of wisdom.
* * *
Psalm 111
Are you talkin’ to me?
Psalm 111 is typical of psalms of thanksgiving. The psalmist is thankful for food, redemption, God’s grace and mercy—there’s nothing surprising in the list. The surprising thing about this psalm is it does not address God. Only those hearing the psalm, and being reminded of things to be grateful for, are addressed. If you plan to use this psalm for a call to worship, you may want to keep that in mind.
* * *
Mark 1:21-28
“…as one having authority...”
The good people at the synagogue in Capernaum were surprised by two things about Jesus: that he taught as one with authority, and that he could make unclean spirits obey him. The business about “having authority” means that he did not cite ancient authorities when he spoke; he didn’t come with footnotes. It was as though he did not need to call on the accepted wisdom of the ages; his word was good enough. That was shocking. To us, the shocking thing is that his ability to cast out demons was just as shocking as his speaking on his own authority!
One of my great frustrations with stories like this one is the content of Jesus’ teaching is never specified. What exactly, did he teach that was so startling? Alas, as we used to say in seminary: “The text is silent.”
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:
Authority
I like to call myself a sneaky, ninja pastor, because I am a young woman with three kids in tow in ministry. As I often park in the Pastor’s spot without my husband who is at his own work, I can see the thought process going on “Is that the pastor’s wife? There’s the pastor’s kids…wait she might be the pastor.” By the time I come up, people will say “So you’re the pastor.” My authority does not come from collars or robes, oftentimes even when I wear the vestment it’s not seen either. When I sit with parents during our free playgroup (one of our best ministries), I establish authority—by talking about parenting and kids and how God works. By the time they realize “wait you are the pastor here” I’ve established the authority of experience, of relatability, of being upfront honest about my struggles and my faults. Sneaky, ninja pastoring is, to me, one of the best authorities. I wonder how much Jesus’s humane being established his authority. How can we be more real and therefore authoritative with one another?
* * *
Have you come to destroy us?
The Republicans continually ask if we are coming to destroy them? https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/01/21/trump-republicans-business-bet-nearly-destroyed-america-column/4197834001/ Aware that destruction is happening, Republicans are pleading for unity and quick forgiveness. They claim that the threat of violence is too great for us to call out who did what wrong. But here is Jesus, seeing the evil that is before him, and someone asks—the man or the demon—are you here to destroy me Jesus? And the more salient point is that Jesus names and clears the demon, and then heals the man. Healing is the point, not the destruction.
* * *
Rethinking Routines:
1 Corinthians 8 challenges followers of Jesus to rethink the routines that have existed before. The rote and usual sacrifices are not what God requires of us. Our God is to not be bribed. In some ways our routines can be grounding, in others they can be idols — making us feel like our worship is not real or true if we do not do it exactly the same way. In the PCUSA at first the ruling was that any virtual communion could not be real. Because it was deemed to be a short term problem. However, as it became clear that many longed for communion and it may not be safe to practice in person for a while the PCUSA backtracked and decided that virtual communion is real communion. And when you think about the communion of saints — in a sense all communion is virtual communion. Therefore Jesus’ transformation of the ordinary elements to the sacred are an affirmation that there is no requirement for special food or sacrifice to be with God, just the practice of a simple meal together, and the asking for the blessing of Jesus Christ. In this case rethinking our communion is very similar to what Paul is doing here in rethinking the routines that surround food.
* * *
Passing of Power
The job of an interim pastor is to shake things up enough to remind the church who they really are, and to set enough practices into place to assure the stability of the church. It is a tricky line to walk. In Deuternomy 18, you have to feel for the new prophet, who succeeds Moses the longstanding and first prophet in an age to the Hebrew people. So too, one must feel for President Biden—who has promised to be a one-term president — and who many clergy colleagues have noted, has the job of interim written all over him. The oldest president ever to be elected with the youngest Vice President ever Kamala Harris they must build a bridge between the old United States and the new. Left with a messy, unorganized structure of power, almost no documents, plans or notes, they must figure out how to go forward and how to rebuild accountability and trust. An interim’s job is, by necessity, an uncomfortable one. Here is God promising that God will “raise up from them a prophet like you from among your own people” empowering people by pulling from them. Who can we raise from our own people as an authority? How can we build trust with them? What remains after being shaken by the pandemic and the chaos? How might this empower people we might have otherwise missed? This is the opportunity for healthy change, let us look for ways to maximize it.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:
Mark 1:21-28
Looking to the Real Authorities
Physician and author Atul Gawande says the question of authority has changed how he practices medicine. He now understands that the patient is the authority on what gives meaning to life. If the doctor doesn’t understand what the patient really wants, then any treatment of physical symptoms won’t be enough. He recalls learning this the hard way. “Someone said to me, “I want to take my children to Disney World, my grandchildren. One thing I want to make sure I’m able to do is take my grandchildren to Disney World.” She was telling that to me in the hospital, emaciated, on her last days. She would die 48 hours later. And we had missed that. We had failed. We had never asked her, to know that might have mattered to her, because we could have made that possible for her a month before.”
He tells the story of “Peggy Batchelder, who was my daughter’s — when she was 13 — her piano teacher, who had a metastatic cancer and was laid up in the hospital for weeks on end. She just was miserable and angry and, ultimately, went home on hospice. And then the hospice nurse had that conversation: What does a good day look like? And then: Let’s have a goal, one good day. And then they worked on that. At first it was, OK, we’re going to get you in a bed on the first floor, so you don’t climb the stairs. We’re going to arrange for getting dressed and bathed. And after two or three days of that, she lifted her sights. And then she wanted to teach piano again. The idea that that was possible — it was extraordinary. My daughter had the most extraordinary piano lessons. And then there was a recital, and at the recital, they played Brahms and Chopin and Beethoven. It reshaped my daughter’s life, and that was the legacy Peggy wanted to leave.” When his daughter graduated from high school, she went to the Berklee School of Music, because of Peggy. As he says, “They were together only a couple years, but it made that impact.” There are unexpected sources of authority all around us, if we have the will to listen.
* * *
Mark 1:21-28
One With Authority
Lutheran pastor and author Nadia Bolz-Weber finds that leading a church involves a curious blend of building on tradition and moving toward the new. In her work at her former parish, she drew on the ancient traditions of the church, plus her own sense of where the church needed to be, using her pastoral authority to lead. She says, “I really feel strongly that you have to be deeply rooted in tradition in order to innovate with integrity. So I feel like that congregation is an example of that. So, yeah, for example, we celebrate the Easter vigil. And this is an ancient liturgy in the church where you start with new fire and you light it and you have this paschal candle and you parade in chanting…it’s a good three, three-and-a-half-hour-long liturgy and it’s at night. And then you chant the Exultat, which is an ancient chant about the Easter vigil. And we have baptisms and we do all these readings. We do this litany of the saints where we go outside and read the names of the dead and invite the dead to witness the resurrection, which is awesome because I’ll chant like “St. Peter and St. Paul.” And everyone says, “Come celebrate with us.” We have this book of dead that people write names in and I always forget to read them in advance because inevitably there’ll be like “Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.” And we come inside and like all of a sudden — well, you bang on the door first of all and it opens up and then all the lilies are out and the lights are on in the candles and we sing “Hallelujah” for the first time since Lent started. We have these baptisms and we have a Eucharist and it’s like amazing. And then we end it, when it’s done, we have a huge dance party. I mean, huge. And we feel like nothing says he is risen like a chocolate fountain in the baptismal font, right? So we are taking these traditions and we’re living them out and then we’re tweaking them in ways that are super meaningful or funny or relevant for us. So it’s always both for us.” Authority draws on the wealth of the past, and brings in the gifts of the new.
* * *
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Food as Connection
Paul writes to the churches in Corinth about how food has become a force for division between them, with people reacting differently to eating food once sacrificed to the pagan gods. People in South Africa, normally bitterly divided, found the uniting around food brought healing to their divisions. In April, seeing the desperate need around them, enemy gangs in South Africa created a truce to “deliver much-needed food to people under lockdown. The country has seen a 75% decrease in violent crime since it imposed strict restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic, and normally dangerous streets in Cape Town now see sworn enemies meeting up to collect essential goods to distribute throughout hungry communities. "What we're seeing happen here is literally a miracle," Pastor Andie Steele-Smith said to BBC News. Steel-Smith works with gang members in his community, many of whom are convicted killers. "They are the best distributors in the country," he said. "They are used to distributing other white powders, but still they are distributing things and then, they know everybody." Preston Jacobs, a member of the "Americans" gang, told CBS News' Debora Patta it "feels nice" to take on a new role and communicate with those in need. "Now I see there are nice people also, and people want to love what we're doing now," Jacobs said. Sansi Hassan of the "Clever Kids" gang expressed hope that this current ceasefire in gang violence could be permanent in the post-lockdown future.”
Food, and people’s need for it, created a makeshift community that they hope will endure. Instead of dividing people from each other, it brought them together.
* * *
Psalm 111
The Works of Our Hands
The Psalmist notes the greatness of God’s works, and then makes a connection to human life, noting that those who practice awe and reverence for God have “the beginning of wisdom,” A woman named Glinda brought this to life for her 60th birthday. When her family asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she asked them to do an act of kindness for some in her honor. As she tells it, “They took it WAYYYYY farther. They contacted all my friends and family members and asked them to do the same thing I had asked of them, as my birthday present. Then they asked them to write to them after they had done their 'act' and tell them what they had done. They also asked their friends to do the same.
On my birthday, I was presented with a gorgeous scrapbook filled with pictures and all the kindness acts written out in their own words, telling me what they had done and how it made them feel.”
Knowing that God invites us into the divine work, they did a range of things. “The 'acts' ran the gamut from donating frequent flyer miles so someone could visit their mom, taking out every dollar in their pocket and paying the turnpike toll on a hot frustrating day for 21 people, shorter showers to help with the water drought, bringing an elderly neighbor coffee in the morning, stopping to buy a homeless person lunch, putting extra groceries in a cart and bringing lunch to a hungry person on the street, volunteering at a Red Cross blood drive, bringing fresh strawberries to a homeless man, handing the car valet $40 to help with a dream, and many, many other beautiful gestures.” Glinda says, “I cannot tell you how touched I was by this gift, and even more, touched that their young adult friends would participate with such love and enthusiasm. I cannot think of a better gift, with a wingspan as great. I share this story with the hope that many beautiful 'someones' pass on this idea. The joy of it is astounding!” This outpouring of kindness echoes the works of God’s hands, faithful and just.
* * * * * *
WORSHIP
by George Reed
Call to Worship:
One: Praise God! We will give thanks to God with our whole heart.
All: Great are the works of God, studied by all who delight in them.
One: Full of honor and majesty is God’s work.
All: God’s righteousness endures forever.
One: The worship of God is the beginning of wisdom.
All: God’s praise endures forever and ever. Amen.
OR
One: God is truth and in truth there is power.
All: We acknowledge the truth and authority of our God.
One: The power of God’s truth comes to us in love.
All: We do not fear God’s coming for we know God’s love.
One: God’s truth comes among us for all people.
All: We will share God’s truth, authority, and love with all.
Hymns and Songs:
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
UMH: 154/155
H82: 450/451
PH: 142/143
AAHH: 292/293/294
NNBH: 3/5
NCH: 304
CH: 91/92
LBW: 328/329
ELW: 634
W&P: 100/106
AMEC: 4/5/6
Renew: 45
I Sing the Almighty Power of God
UMH: 152
H82: 398
PH: 288
NCH: 12
W&P: 31
Renew: 54
When Morning Gilds the Skies
UMH: 185
H82: 427
PH: 487
AAHH: 186
NCH: 86
CH: 100
LBW: 545/546
ELW: 853
W&P: 111
AMEC: 29
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
UMH: 57/58/59
H82: 493
PH: 466
AAHH: 184
NNBH: 23
NCH: 42
CH: 5
LBW: 559
ELW: 886
W&P: 96
AMEC: 1/2
Renew: 32
Pues Si Vivimos (When We Are Living)
UMH: 356
PH: 400
NCH: 499
CH: 536
ELW: 639
W&P: 415
O Jesus, I Have Promised
UMH: 396
H82: 655
PH: 388/389
NCH: 493
CH: 612
LBW: 503
ELW: 810
W&P: 458
AMEC: 280
Jesus Calls Us
UMH: 398
H82: 549/550
NNBH: 183
NCH: 171/172
CH: 337
LBW: 494
ELW: 696
W&P: 345
AMEC: 238
Be Thou My Vision
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELW: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
UMH: 500
PH: 326
AAHH: 312
NCH: 290
CH: 265
LBW: 486
ELW: 800
W&P: 132
AMEC: 189
Lift Every Voice and Sing
UMH: 519
H82: 599
PH: 563
AAHH: 540
NNBH: 457
CH: 631
LBW: 562
ELW: 841
W&P: 729
AMEC: 571
STLT: 149
All Hail King Jesus
CCB: 29
Renew: 35
Sing unto the Lord a New Song
CCB: 16
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
ELW: 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 comes in the authority of truth:
Grant us the wisdom to hear the truth you speak
and to obey with joy your authority;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are truth and so you speak with complete authority. Help us to hear your wisdom so that we may obey you and find joy in our lives. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our avoidance of the truth.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have spoken to us in truth so that we may know joy in a life filled with your presence and yet we shrink from the truth. We prefer our own illusions of power and happiness even though we find ourselves powerless and disillusioned with our lives. Yet you are faithful to your children and continue to offer us truth and life. Forgive our foolish ways and restore our right minds that we may seek your truth and your way to life eternal. Amen.
One: God is truth and a loving God who seeks only our wholeness, freedom, and joy. Receive God’s gracious gifts and share God’s joy with others.
Prayers of the People
We worship and adore you, O God, because you are the truth that leads us to life eternal.
(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. You have spoken to us in truth so that we may know joy in a life filled with your presence and yet we shrink from the truth. We prefer our own illusions of power and happiness even though we find ourselves powerless and disillusioned with our lives. Yet you are faithful to your children and continue to offer us truth and life. Forgive our foolish ways and restore our right minds that we may seek your truth and your way to life eternal.
We give you thanks for those who have shared your truth with us. We thank you for those who have shared their stories of faith so that we may learn to know you better. We thank you for the witness of the scriptures and of the Church through the ages, even when that witness has been clouded. We thank you for Jesus who showed us the truth in life as well as in word and for the faithful witness of your Spirit.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need. We pray for the wisdom to seek your truth as we pray for those who struggle to find it for themselves.
(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
We listen to fire fighters because they know about fire and fire safety; we listen to police officers because they know about the law; we listen our Sunday School teachers because they have studied the lesson; we listen to pastors because they have studied the Bible; we listen to our doctors because they know medicine. When people know what is true, we give them authority, listen to them. Since God is Truth, God is our highest authority.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMON
Been There, Done That (Authority)
by Dean Feldmeyer
Mark 1:21-28
You will need:
A picture of a Conestoga covered wagon like the ones used by the pioneers who went west on the Oregon Trail, etc. Such pictures are readily available on the internet.
Hold up the picture so the children can see it on the screen.
Say:
Hello, boys and girls. Do you know what this is?
This is a Conestoga wagon.
About 150 years ago people rode in Conestoga wagons like this one when they moved from one place to another. If they wanted to start a new life, they packed up everything they owned along with their family and put them all in a wagon like this and then they hooked up their horses or oxen or mules to pull the wagon, and they headed west.
A lot of people went west on what was called the Oregon Trail that wasn’t just one trail but several roads and routes that led to Oregon and Washington and even California.
Now that was a long, hard, journey with many dangers along the way, so they traveled together in what was called a wagon train, a long line of wagons and, at night, they would put their wagons in a circle so they could protect one another from outlaws or wild animals that might attack them.
But dangers didn’t come just from outlaws and wild animals. Dangers came from the weather and, one of the chief dangers was that you might lose your way and get lost.
So, to keep from getting lost on the way to Oregon, the people on the wagon train would hire a guide, what was called a wagon master, and pay him a lot of money to lead them to Oregon. Now, what do you supposed they asked the wagon master before they hired him?
Well, I would ask, “Have you ever done this before? Have you made this trip and do you know the right way to go? They wanted someone with experience, didn’t they? They wanted someone who had done it before!
What do you suppose they would say if someone said, “Well I can lead you for half the price of that guy, but I’ve only read about going out west, I haven’t actually gone there, myself.” Right, they’d say, “NO!”
They would want someone to lead them who could lead with authority, someone who had been there and had done this before, right? Someone with experience! See, experience is one of the things that gives a person authority. We believe people with authority, and we do what they say to do.
Today’s Bible lesson says that Jesus was one of those people. He spoke with authority. He had been there and done that and people listened to him and did what he said. Because he spoke with authority and his authority came from being with God.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, January 31, 2021 issue.
Copyright 2021 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.
- Non-Prophet Culture by Chris Keating — False prophets, conspiracy theories and disinformation are no match for the voice of God.
- Second Thoughts: The Authority to Speak by Bethany Peerbolte — The authority of experience is powerful, and may we be strong enough to let go of the demons and live anew without them..
- Sermon illustrations by Tom Willadsen, Katy Stenta, and Mary Austin.
- Worship resources by George Reed.
- Children's sermon: Been There, Done That by Dean Feldmeyer. — Jesus spoke with authority. He had been there and done that and people listened to him and did what he said.
Non-Prophet Cultureby Chris Keating
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Surrounded by a bipartisan array of leaders, close family members, and three former United States Presidents, Joe Biden placed his hand on a family Bible and became the 46th President. In the end, a presidential transition like none other in history went just as planned.
The crowds were replaced by thousands of National Guard troops, and Covid-19 related social distancing measures were in full effect of course. But the Storm — a cataclysmic overturning of the government long predicted by right-wing conspiracists — never happened.
In fact, a lot of things did not happen: Joe Biden was not unmasked to be either a lizard person or the late John F. Kennedy Jr., Tom Hanks was not arrested as a child-eating “pedovore,” and former President Trump did not show himself to be a “billion-year-old intergalactic being made of pure starlight.” None of these things are true (and you can check Wikipedia yourself in case you still harbor doubts.)
QAnon — a rapidly-growing right-wing conspiracy movement — proclaimed these discredited prophesies. Its adherents held to them with a religious zeal. Loyalty to QAnon’s beliefs is a common thread among those arrested for the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol. Labelled as a “dangerous extremist group” by the FBI, QAnon has attracted large support in chatrooms and online communities.
Told to “trust the plan,” the fringe group supporters are struggling to make sense of the failed prophesies.
“I am so scared right now, I really feel nothing is going to happen now,” wrote one QAnon believer. “I’m just devastated.”
Their vision was fueled by theories promoted by anonymous sources, and has its taproots in many other failed prophesies promulgated by fundamentalist evangelical Christians including Hal Lindsey’s 1970s book “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Armageddon hasn’t happened. Constitutional processes have prevailed. But false prophets endure.
Moses would weep with understanding. He approached the end of his life believing the Lord would raise up another prophet. Yahweh agrees — but makes it clear that anyone who presumes to speak words God has not commanded will be doomed. This week’s reading from Deuteronomy calls us to attune ourselves to God’s word — even as we make our way through a non-prophet culture.
In the News
For the moment, the gales filling QAnon’s sails have subsided. When the predictions of earth-shattering political cataclysm failed, the movements loose adherents were left stunned. Instead of being swept into power, the true believers were overwhelmed with disillusion. The movement stalled, though many predict it will eventually make some sort of return.
January 20 presented the movement’s growing number of true believers with a reality check: Donald Trump didn’t appoint himself as president forever, he was not a particle of a billions-year old galaxy, Satan-worshiping pedophiles in Congress were not arrested, Tom Hanks is not the cabal’s secret leader, and Nancy Pelosi is still in Washington, and not locked up in Guantanamo. As bizarre as these claims may seem, a recent poll shows 17 percent of Americans believe aspects of the group’s deep-state theory. Many believe the Storm is still coming.
In addition, the group now has two representatives in Congress. Lauren Boebert of Colorado and Marjorie Taylor Green of Georgia both won seats in the House after endorsing QAnon’s vast theories.
Writing for “Foreign Policy,” James Palmer concludes that QAnon is not likely to disappear. Rather than having a defined orthodoxy, the group is an umbrella holding many views. Some believers others are moving in different directions, though some are circulating a new theory that last week’s inauguration was a sham. They posit that the true inauguration will occur on March 4, the inaugural date originally set by the United States Constitution.
This sort of prophecy shape shifting is often a characteristic of failed prophetic movements, Palmer argues. That includes the so-called “Great Disappointment of 1844” when believers of Adventist preacher William Miller resigned themselves that Jesus had not returned. Miller attempted to promote an alternative view that Jesus had indeed returned — not to Earth, but to an eternal sanctuary in heaven.
These movements appear with regularity. In the 1970s, evangelicals coalesced around Hal Lindsey’s vision of global Armageddon in “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Family Radio founder and evangelist Harold Camping predicted the demise of the world on six different (and ever moving) dates: September 6, 1994, September 29, 1994, October 2, 1994, March 31, 1995, May 21, 2011 and October 21, 2011. Camping’s millennialist preaching prompted people to quit their jobs and sell their belongings, but still the earth kept moving around the sun.
QAnon’s moral conservatism and predictions of spiritual warfare still hold the imagination of many believers. Some believe they have been “played like fools,” others are returning to their normal routines, while others are keeping the faith. Shifting their expectations, these believers have said they are renewing their commitments to the conspiracy theory “despite its unreliability.”
In Washington, a new leader has been sworn into office. President Trump has retired to Florida, at least for now. Some who refuse to admit to the baseless theories advanced by the secretive Q are now suggesting the time has come for them to continue holding the torch for their prophet — even if the prophesies have proven false and unreliable.
In the Scriptures
Deuteronomy 18 continues Moses second address. His exhortation expands upon the covenantal stipulations of the Decalogue and the Shema. The rituals ascribed to God’s people are detailed, along with the requirements to appoint judges, officials, priests, and prophets. Instructions for the Levitical priesthood are offered in 18:1-14, all with the understanding that their allegiance to Yahweh makes Israel unique among the nations of the world.
Unlike other nations which seek advice from “soothsayers and diviners,” Israel is to heed the words of Yahweh spoken through a prophet. Moses tells them a prophet shall be raised up, and the Lord agrees. The prophet shall speak a unique and divinely sanctioned word. God is clear: the prophet shall be the vessel who communicates God’s word truthfully.
In order to speak this word, a prophet will be called, just as Moses had been raised up to lead Israel. The people understand that meeting God face to face will bring painful consequences. A prophet bridges the gaps as it were, allowing the One who calls to speak through the one who has been called. Yahweh’s prophet one shall be the true, single, and authorized proclaimer of God’s promises.
Moreover, those called to be prophets shall speak only in Yahweh’s name and only as commanded by God under the penalty of death. The one who speaks truth must do so only as they are called by God.
The command is clear and direct (v.19), and the matter of false prophets is addressed. While the price to be paid for false prophecy is steep, the task of discerning what is the true word of God is more complex. The lectionary skirts the issue somewhat by leaving out verses 21-22 about the test of true prophecy. Yahweh knows that people will wonder: “How can we recognize a word the Lord has not spoken?”
But our congregations will still wonder, even if the verses go unread.
The task articulated for God’s people is one of faithfulness in listening. Israel is to heed — to faithfully pay attention — to all the prophet speaks. The issue of attuning ourselves to the word God has spoken will remain a vital aspect of prophecy throughout the Hebrew Scriptures.
Verses 21-22 address the issue of whether God has spoken. How shall we know if a word spoken by the prophet is truly a word from God? Having been instructed against talking to soothsayers, the people are perplexed. The answer is that God’s prophets will not speak words uttered by false gods, nor will their witness be self-serving. Ultimately, the true test of prophecy will be known, as Jesus says, by the fruits that they bear (See Kathryn M. Schifferdecker, “Commentary on Deuteronomy 18:15-20, workingpreacher.org).
In the Sermon
Though the future of QAnon is unclear, it is certain that its wild and far-fetched prophecies have failed. They represent an extremist fringe that while still prevalent in American culture, has subsided somewhat for the at least the time being. Yet the damage Q’s false claims and disinformation has created is substantial, and there will be members in many of our congregations who count themselves as having wondered if at least part of those theories might be true.
The question raised in Deuteronomy is thus once more a question for the church: “How can we recognize a word that the Lord has not spoken?” A well-meaning attendee of the women’s prayer group may speak up, saying “The Lord has placed something on my heart.” A teenager invited to an evangelical youth ministry’s ski weekend might hear someone say, “The Lord spoke to me tonight.” A preacher, filled with all sorts of seminary sanctioned wisdom may wonder, “What word does God want to be heard?”
Is there a word of the Lord in this non-prophet culture? This is tough territory for the preacher, but one worth careful exploration. Political tensions are still present, and not all of those worshipping with us on a Sunday may be fully aware of the dangers presented by conspiracy theorists. But those dangers remain, and they invite us to compare the deadly nature of “non-prophets” with the live-giving justice, mercy, righteousness of Yahweh.
Peel back the layers of this chapter of Deuteronomy back to 6:4, recalling that the Shema provides the contours for the entire book. The non-prophets of our society — authoritarian political leaders, attention-seeking celebrities, greedy barons of business, or narcissistic glamour preachers — are not rooted in the promise of loving God and loving neighbor. Instead, as Patrick Miller suggests, that the true, humble and honest proclamation of the word of God exhibits a consistency between the tradition and scripture, and which aligns itself with the call to worship God alone.
SECOND THOUGHTSThe Authority to Speak
by Bethany Peerbolte
Mark 1:21-28
The gospel of Mark opens with John the Baptist declaring Jesus’ arrival and baptizing Jesus. Then we quickly move onto Jesus’ temptation, which is told in two verses. Jesus’ ministry then begins his ministry with a quick declaration of time fulfilled and a few calls to disciples to follow along. They immediately follow and we are brought to the scene the lectionary asks us to consider this week.
Jesus heads to the synagogue to teach on a sabbath day. In Markian fashion, the crowd quickly recognizes Jesus’ authority. While other teachers reference other reputable rabbis, Jesus speaks on his own authority. This style is new and intriguing to the audience, so they lean in to hear what Jesus has to say.
While the attentive crowd grows, a man with unclean spirits residing inside him challenges Jesus. The spirit knows Jesus better than the others in the crowd. It catches on quickly that the authority Jesus speaks on is his own, and even worse for the spirits, the authority is God. With arrogant hope, the spirit calls Jesus “the Holy One of God” to see if Jesus will stumble away from the title. Alas, Jesus is very comfortable with the role and meets the challenge with a command to be silent and exit the man.
As the crowd watched the man regain his own resolution they gasp in awe of the full power of Jesus’ authority. Not only is this teaching style different, not only does Jesus speak from his own authority, but this authority has the power to control demons. The crown takes note and word begins to spread.
It is important to take note of how each gospel writer first presents Jesus. That first image painted for the reader is the one the writer wants to stand out throughout the gospel. For Mark, Jesus’ authority is the most important thing to keep in mind. To get to the story of the unclean spirit, Mark seems to rush the lead-in scenes. John the Baptist said Jesus is the one and baptized him, next. Jesus was tempted, next. Some disciples were collected, next.
For the story of teaching and exorcism, Mark pumps the breaks. We get a setting, a synagogue in Capernaum on the sabbath. We get a variety of characters with different perspectives, the crowd, the man, the unclean spirit, the disciples. We get cause and effect; the crowd saw Jesus cast out a demon and they went to spread the news. We get the dialogue. We have seven whole verses that tell us the beginning, middle, and end of this moment in Jesus’ ministry.
This picture of Jesus using his authority to teach and heal is the Jesus Mark wants us to hold on to. Especially the part about Jesus’ authority being his own. The reason the spirit is so scared is that it knows Jesus. The unclean spirit knows Jesus was there when the world was created and is here now to bring their reign of dominating evil to an end. The unclean spirit must leave, because how do you argue with the one who has experienced it all since the beginning of time. Jesus’ authority is in his experience.
To the crowd that was an odd thing to see. This was a new teacher. How could he possibly have such experiential knowledge? What they could not see was what the unclean spirit knew and the departure of the spirit clued the crowd in on the secret, too. There must be something special about this teacher. It may not seem like he has much experience but he must somehow have such authority over demons.
There are lots of different kinds of authority with which people operate. Doctors have the authority of their education. Elected officials have the authority of their office. Authority can be unquestionable, or it can be simply used to try and influence a group toward a common decision. No matter the level, authority can be abused or it can benefit the common good.
As President Biden forms his cabinet he seems to be favoring the authority of experience. His picks are being celebrated as the most diverse cabinet selections in American history. Fifty percent of his cabinet will be people who are black or people of color. The diversity extends to gender inclusivity, generational representation, and sexuality.
Notable appointments include the first indigenous person to oversee the interior. A choice that has indigenous communities celebrating because she has experience caring for the interior. They believe her experience will grant her an extra level of authority to make choices that are good for all residents on American soil. Another celebrated pick is a transgender doctor who has been chosen as the assistant secretary for health. Dr. Rachel Levine also brings with her the authority of her experience. Transgender health care has been attacked for years. Dr. Levine has been a victim of the system's abysmal practices. The trans community hopes she will use her experience to form better policy that will eliminate the pain that the community has suffered.
However; just like the demon shrieked as it came out of the man’s body, we can be sure of the shrieking to come. Just because someone has the authority of experience and authority of office does not mean people will listen. Mark, however, wants us to see that authority of experience is powerful and needs to be heeded. It is the authority from which Jesus taught and cast out demons. Those who have seen how humanity has failed throughout time have a unique perspective to hold us accountable. They also have dreamed the dreams of a paradise where those sins do not exist.
Jesus had seen paradise and he had seen humanity fall and fail and try over and over to bring the kingdom of God to earth. This experience gave him a unique perspective on how to make things better. This cabinet has seen humanity flail and struggle to live into its potential. They have also dreamed dreams of how it can be better. The authority of experience is powerful, and may we be strong enough to let go of the demons and live anew without them.
ILLUSTRATIONS
From team member Tom Willadsen:Deuteronomy 18:15-20
They will know you’re a prophet….
Today’s passage in Deuteronomy offers the only place in scripture that gives guidance to identify false prophets. The text is, however, quite limited. If what the prophet speaks does not happen or prove true, one knows it is not a word from the Lord. This equates prophecy with predicting the future, which is not the typical message of prophecy in Hebrew scripture. The words of prophets like Jeremiah, Isaiah and even Jonah are words of warning, urging repentance and care for the vulnerable.
Another shortcoming of this guidance is that it does not come with an expiration date. How long should one wait to see whether something foretold by a prophet takes place? Couldn’t the prophet always defend his word by saying, “Give it time”?
* * *
Deuteronomy 18:15-20
The role of a prophet
Moses is considered the first prophet, though none of “his” books are considered prophetic. Moses did occupy an essential role of the prophet — mediating between God and humanity. He did this when he received the Ten Commandments, when the divine will was revealed to him, and when he spoke on God’s behalf, though his brother Aaron was his mouthpiece originally. Christians understand the role of a priest as standing between the people and God, it is also the case with prophets. Prophets, priests and kings are officials who are anointed in Hebrew scripture. The priestly identity is not emphasized as much for Protestant clergy, still it’s a helpful reminder that sometimes pastors need to speak to the Lord on behalf of the people. Not that they can’t do that themselves, because priesthood of all believers, but because s/he is functioning as the spokesperson for a community.
* * *
Psalm 111
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
If there’s one phrase the people get hung up on in the Hebrew scripture it’s “the fear of the Lord.” We’re not supposed to fear the Lord, but love the Lord! It doesn’t make sense to fear the Lord. Unpacking the term “fear” from the Hebrew יראת could be helpful. “Fear” is an accurate, but incomplete, rendering of the word. Add reverence, morality and ritual practice to fear to gain a more complete understanding of this term. It’s not only the feeling you get when you visit a haunted house, add some awe and a feeling of being in the presence of transcendence. Still, I wish you well in getting your congregation to understand “fear” in these ways. I had this conversation with one of my members, annually for seventeen years. He insisted on not understanding it!
* * *
Psalm 111
In the beginning of wisdom
This is pretty cool. The word that the NRSV “beginning” is Psalm 111:10 is ראשית . Its root is R-Sh, which you might recognize as the start of Rosh Hashanah, literally “the head of the year.” It also means “top” or “start.” To say that it is “the beginning of wisdom” points the reader back to the very first word in the Bible:
בראשית
Which we call know means “In the beginning,” but is really closer to “In a beginning” or even “When God began…”
In the sense of Psalm 111 “beginning” could mean something more like "primary" or “principal” aspect of wisdom.
* * *
Psalm 111
Are you talkin’ to me?
Psalm 111 is typical of psalms of thanksgiving. The psalmist is thankful for food, redemption, God’s grace and mercy—there’s nothing surprising in the list. The surprising thing about this psalm is it does not address God. Only those hearing the psalm, and being reminded of things to be grateful for, are addressed. If you plan to use this psalm for a call to worship, you may want to keep that in mind.
* * *
Mark 1:21-28
“…as one having authority...”
The good people at the synagogue in Capernaum were surprised by two things about Jesus: that he taught as one with authority, and that he could make unclean spirits obey him. The business about “having authority” means that he did not cite ancient authorities when he spoke; he didn’t come with footnotes. It was as though he did not need to call on the accepted wisdom of the ages; his word was good enough. That was shocking. To us, the shocking thing is that his ability to cast out demons was just as shocking as his speaking on his own authority!
One of my great frustrations with stories like this one is the content of Jesus’ teaching is never specified. What exactly, did he teach that was so startling? Alas, as we used to say in seminary: “The text is silent.”
* * * * * *
From team member Katy Stenta:Authority
I like to call myself a sneaky, ninja pastor, because I am a young woman with three kids in tow in ministry. As I often park in the Pastor’s spot without my husband who is at his own work, I can see the thought process going on “Is that the pastor’s wife? There’s the pastor’s kids…wait she might be the pastor.” By the time I come up, people will say “So you’re the pastor.” My authority does not come from collars or robes, oftentimes even when I wear the vestment it’s not seen either. When I sit with parents during our free playgroup (one of our best ministries), I establish authority—by talking about parenting and kids and how God works. By the time they realize “wait you are the pastor here” I’ve established the authority of experience, of relatability, of being upfront honest about my struggles and my faults. Sneaky, ninja pastoring is, to me, one of the best authorities. I wonder how much Jesus’s humane being established his authority. How can we be more real and therefore authoritative with one another?
* * *
Have you come to destroy us?
The Republicans continually ask if we are coming to destroy them? https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2021/01/21/trump-republicans-business-bet-nearly-destroyed-america-column/4197834001/ Aware that destruction is happening, Republicans are pleading for unity and quick forgiveness. They claim that the threat of violence is too great for us to call out who did what wrong. But here is Jesus, seeing the evil that is before him, and someone asks—the man or the demon—are you here to destroy me Jesus? And the more salient point is that Jesus names and clears the demon, and then heals the man. Healing is the point, not the destruction.
* * *
Rethinking Routines:
1 Corinthians 8 challenges followers of Jesus to rethink the routines that have existed before. The rote and usual sacrifices are not what God requires of us. Our God is to not be bribed. In some ways our routines can be grounding, in others they can be idols — making us feel like our worship is not real or true if we do not do it exactly the same way. In the PCUSA at first the ruling was that any virtual communion could not be real. Because it was deemed to be a short term problem. However, as it became clear that many longed for communion and it may not be safe to practice in person for a while the PCUSA backtracked and decided that virtual communion is real communion. And when you think about the communion of saints — in a sense all communion is virtual communion. Therefore Jesus’ transformation of the ordinary elements to the sacred are an affirmation that there is no requirement for special food or sacrifice to be with God, just the practice of a simple meal together, and the asking for the blessing of Jesus Christ. In this case rethinking our communion is very similar to what Paul is doing here in rethinking the routines that surround food.
* * *
Passing of Power
The job of an interim pastor is to shake things up enough to remind the church who they really are, and to set enough practices into place to assure the stability of the church. It is a tricky line to walk. In Deuternomy 18, you have to feel for the new prophet, who succeeds Moses the longstanding and first prophet in an age to the Hebrew people. So too, one must feel for President Biden—who has promised to be a one-term president — and who many clergy colleagues have noted, has the job of interim written all over him. The oldest president ever to be elected with the youngest Vice President ever Kamala Harris they must build a bridge between the old United States and the new. Left with a messy, unorganized structure of power, almost no documents, plans or notes, they must figure out how to go forward and how to rebuild accountability and trust. An interim’s job is, by necessity, an uncomfortable one. Here is God promising that God will “raise up from them a prophet like you from among your own people” empowering people by pulling from them. Who can we raise from our own people as an authority? How can we build trust with them? What remains after being shaken by the pandemic and the chaos? How might this empower people we might have otherwise missed? This is the opportunity for healthy change, let us look for ways to maximize it.
* * * * * *
From team member Mary Austin:Mark 1:21-28
Looking to the Real Authorities
Physician and author Atul Gawande says the question of authority has changed how he practices medicine. He now understands that the patient is the authority on what gives meaning to life. If the doctor doesn’t understand what the patient really wants, then any treatment of physical symptoms won’t be enough. He recalls learning this the hard way. “Someone said to me, “I want to take my children to Disney World, my grandchildren. One thing I want to make sure I’m able to do is take my grandchildren to Disney World.” She was telling that to me in the hospital, emaciated, on her last days. She would die 48 hours later. And we had missed that. We had failed. We had never asked her, to know that might have mattered to her, because we could have made that possible for her a month before.”
He tells the story of “Peggy Batchelder, who was my daughter’s — when she was 13 — her piano teacher, who had a metastatic cancer and was laid up in the hospital for weeks on end. She just was miserable and angry and, ultimately, went home on hospice. And then the hospice nurse had that conversation: What does a good day look like? And then: Let’s have a goal, one good day. And then they worked on that. At first it was, OK, we’re going to get you in a bed on the first floor, so you don’t climb the stairs. We’re going to arrange for getting dressed and bathed. And after two or three days of that, she lifted her sights. And then she wanted to teach piano again. The idea that that was possible — it was extraordinary. My daughter had the most extraordinary piano lessons. And then there was a recital, and at the recital, they played Brahms and Chopin and Beethoven. It reshaped my daughter’s life, and that was the legacy Peggy wanted to leave.” When his daughter graduated from high school, she went to the Berklee School of Music, because of Peggy. As he says, “They were together only a couple years, but it made that impact.” There are unexpected sources of authority all around us, if we have the will to listen.
* * *
Mark 1:21-28
One With Authority
Lutheran pastor and author Nadia Bolz-Weber finds that leading a church involves a curious blend of building on tradition and moving toward the new. In her work at her former parish, she drew on the ancient traditions of the church, plus her own sense of where the church needed to be, using her pastoral authority to lead. She says, “I really feel strongly that you have to be deeply rooted in tradition in order to innovate with integrity. So I feel like that congregation is an example of that. So, yeah, for example, we celebrate the Easter vigil. And this is an ancient liturgy in the church where you start with new fire and you light it and you have this paschal candle and you parade in chanting…it’s a good three, three-and-a-half-hour-long liturgy and it’s at night. And then you chant the Exultat, which is an ancient chant about the Easter vigil. And we have baptisms and we do all these readings. We do this litany of the saints where we go outside and read the names of the dead and invite the dead to witness the resurrection, which is awesome because I’ll chant like “St. Peter and St. Paul.” And everyone says, “Come celebrate with us.” We have this book of dead that people write names in and I always forget to read them in advance because inevitably there’ll be like “Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.” And we come inside and like all of a sudden — well, you bang on the door first of all and it opens up and then all the lilies are out and the lights are on in the candles and we sing “Hallelujah” for the first time since Lent started. We have these baptisms and we have a Eucharist and it’s like amazing. And then we end it, when it’s done, we have a huge dance party. I mean, huge. And we feel like nothing says he is risen like a chocolate fountain in the baptismal font, right? So we are taking these traditions and we’re living them out and then we’re tweaking them in ways that are super meaningful or funny or relevant for us. So it’s always both for us.” Authority draws on the wealth of the past, and brings in the gifts of the new.
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1 Corinthians 8:1-13
Food as Connection
Paul writes to the churches in Corinth about how food has become a force for division between them, with people reacting differently to eating food once sacrificed to the pagan gods. People in South Africa, normally bitterly divided, found the uniting around food brought healing to their divisions. In April, seeing the desperate need around them, enemy gangs in South Africa created a truce to “deliver much-needed food to people under lockdown. The country has seen a 75% decrease in violent crime since it imposed strict restrictions over the coronavirus pandemic, and normally dangerous streets in Cape Town now see sworn enemies meeting up to collect essential goods to distribute throughout hungry communities. "What we're seeing happen here is literally a miracle," Pastor Andie Steele-Smith said to BBC News. Steel-Smith works with gang members in his community, many of whom are convicted killers. "They are the best distributors in the country," he said. "They are used to distributing other white powders, but still they are distributing things and then, they know everybody." Preston Jacobs, a member of the "Americans" gang, told CBS News' Debora Patta it "feels nice" to take on a new role and communicate with those in need. "Now I see there are nice people also, and people want to love what we're doing now," Jacobs said. Sansi Hassan of the "Clever Kids" gang expressed hope that this current ceasefire in gang violence could be permanent in the post-lockdown future.”
Food, and people’s need for it, created a makeshift community that they hope will endure. Instead of dividing people from each other, it brought them together.
* * *
Psalm 111
The Works of Our Hands
The Psalmist notes the greatness of God’s works, and then makes a connection to human life, noting that those who practice awe and reverence for God have “the beginning of wisdom,” A woman named Glinda brought this to life for her 60th birthday. When her family asked her what she wanted for her birthday, she asked them to do an act of kindness for some in her honor. As she tells it, “They took it WAYYYYY farther. They contacted all my friends and family members and asked them to do the same thing I had asked of them, as my birthday present. Then they asked them to write to them after they had done their 'act' and tell them what they had done. They also asked their friends to do the same.
On my birthday, I was presented with a gorgeous scrapbook filled with pictures and all the kindness acts written out in their own words, telling me what they had done and how it made them feel.”
Knowing that God invites us into the divine work, they did a range of things. “The 'acts' ran the gamut from donating frequent flyer miles so someone could visit their mom, taking out every dollar in their pocket and paying the turnpike toll on a hot frustrating day for 21 people, shorter showers to help with the water drought, bringing an elderly neighbor coffee in the morning, stopping to buy a homeless person lunch, putting extra groceries in a cart and bringing lunch to a hungry person on the street, volunteering at a Red Cross blood drive, bringing fresh strawberries to a homeless man, handing the car valet $40 to help with a dream, and many, many other beautiful gestures.” Glinda says, “I cannot tell you how touched I was by this gift, and even more, touched that their young adult friends would participate with such love and enthusiasm. I cannot think of a better gift, with a wingspan as great. I share this story with the hope that many beautiful 'someones' pass on this idea. The joy of it is astounding!” This outpouring of kindness echoes the works of God’s hands, faithful and just.
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WORSHIPby George Reed
Call to Worship:
One: Praise God! We will give thanks to God with our whole heart.
All: Great are the works of God, studied by all who delight in them.
One: Full of honor and majesty is God’s work.
All: God’s righteousness endures forever.
One: The worship of God is the beginning of wisdom.
All: God’s praise endures forever and ever. Amen.
OR
One: God is truth and in truth there is power.
All: We acknowledge the truth and authority of our God.
One: The power of God’s truth comes to us in love.
All: We do not fear God’s coming for we know God’s love.
One: God’s truth comes among us for all people.
All: We will share God’s truth, authority, and love with all.
Hymns and Songs:
All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
UMH: 154/155
H82: 450/451
PH: 142/143
AAHH: 292/293/294
NNBH: 3/5
NCH: 304
CH: 91/92
LBW: 328/329
ELW: 634
W&P: 100/106
AMEC: 4/5/6
Renew: 45
I Sing the Almighty Power of God
UMH: 152
H82: 398
PH: 288
NCH: 12
W&P: 31
Renew: 54
When Morning Gilds the Skies
UMH: 185
H82: 427
PH: 487
AAHH: 186
NCH: 86
CH: 100
LBW: 545/546
ELW: 853
W&P: 111
AMEC: 29
O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing
UMH: 57/58/59
H82: 493
PH: 466
AAHH: 184
NNBH: 23
NCH: 42
CH: 5
LBW: 559
ELW: 886
W&P: 96
AMEC: 1/2
Renew: 32
Pues Si Vivimos (When We Are Living)
UMH: 356
PH: 400
NCH: 499
CH: 536
ELW: 639
W&P: 415
O Jesus, I Have Promised
UMH: 396
H82: 655
PH: 388/389
NCH: 493
CH: 612
LBW: 503
ELW: 810
W&P: 458
AMEC: 280
Jesus Calls Us
UMH: 398
H82: 549/550
NNBH: 183
NCH: 171/172
CH: 337
LBW: 494
ELW: 696
W&P: 345
AMEC: 238
Be Thou My Vision
UMH: 451
H82: 488
PH: 339
NCH: 451
CH: 595
ELW: 793
W&P: 502
AMEC: 281
STLT: 20
Renew: 151
Spirit of God, Descend upon My Heart
UMH: 500
PH: 326
AAHH: 312
NCH: 290
CH: 265
LBW: 486
ELW: 800
W&P: 132
AMEC: 189
Lift Every Voice and Sing
UMH: 519
H82: 599
PH: 563
AAHH: 540
NNBH: 457
CH: 631
LBW: 562
ELW: 841
W&P: 729
AMEC: 571
STLT: 149
All Hail King Jesus
CCB: 29
Renew: 35
Sing unto the Lord a New Song
CCB: 16
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
ELW: 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 comes in the authority of truth:
Grant us the wisdom to hear the truth you speak
and to obey with joy your authority;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
OR
We praise you, O God, because you are truth and so you speak with complete authority. Help us to hear your wisdom so that we may obey you and find joy in our lives. Amen.
Prayer of Confession
One: Let us confess to God and before one another our sins and especially our avoidance of the truth.
All: We confess to you, O God, and before one another that we have sinned. You have spoken to us in truth so that we may know joy in a life filled with your presence and yet we shrink from the truth. We prefer our own illusions of power and happiness even though we find ourselves powerless and disillusioned with our lives. Yet you are faithful to your children and continue to offer us truth and life. Forgive our foolish ways and restore our right minds that we may seek your truth and your way to life eternal. Amen.
One: God is truth and a loving God who seeks only our wholeness, freedom, and joy. Receive God’s gracious gifts and share God’s joy with others.
Prayers of the People
We worship and adore you, O God, because you are the truth that leads us to life eternal.
(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. You have spoken to us in truth so that we may know joy in a life filled with your presence and yet we shrink from the truth. We prefer our own illusions of power and happiness even though we find ourselves powerless and disillusioned with our lives. Yet you are faithful to your children and continue to offer us truth and life. Forgive our foolish ways and restore our right minds that we may seek your truth and your way to life eternal.
We give you thanks for those who have shared your truth with us. We thank you for those who have shared their stories of faith so that we may learn to know you better. We thank you for the witness of the scriptures and of the Church through the ages, even when that witness has been clouded. We thank you for Jesus who showed us the truth in life as well as in word and for the faithful witness of your Spirit.
(Other thanksgivings may be offered.)
We pray for one another in our need. We pray for the wisdom to seek your truth as we pray for those who struggle to find it for themselves.
(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
We listen to fire fighters because they know about fire and fire safety; we listen to police officers because they know about the law; we listen our Sunday School teachers because they have studied the lesson; we listen to pastors because they have studied the Bible; we listen to our doctors because they know medicine. When people know what is true, we give them authority, listen to them. Since God is Truth, God is our highest authority.
* * * * * *
CHILDREN'S SERMONBeen There, Done That (Authority)
by Dean Feldmeyer
Mark 1:21-28
You will need:
A picture of a Conestoga covered wagon like the ones used by the pioneers who went west on the Oregon Trail, etc. Such pictures are readily available on the internet.
Hold up the picture so the children can see it on the screen.
Say:
Hello, boys and girls. Do you know what this is?
This is a Conestoga wagon.
About 150 years ago people rode in Conestoga wagons like this one when they moved from one place to another. If they wanted to start a new life, they packed up everything they owned along with their family and put them all in a wagon like this and then they hooked up their horses or oxen or mules to pull the wagon, and they headed west.
A lot of people went west on what was called the Oregon Trail that wasn’t just one trail but several roads and routes that led to Oregon and Washington and even California.
Now that was a long, hard, journey with many dangers along the way, so they traveled together in what was called a wagon train, a long line of wagons and, at night, they would put their wagons in a circle so they could protect one another from outlaws or wild animals that might attack them.
But dangers didn’t come just from outlaws and wild animals. Dangers came from the weather and, one of the chief dangers was that you might lose your way and get lost.
So, to keep from getting lost on the way to Oregon, the people on the wagon train would hire a guide, what was called a wagon master, and pay him a lot of money to lead them to Oregon. Now, what do you supposed they asked the wagon master before they hired him?
Well, I would ask, “Have you ever done this before? Have you made this trip and do you know the right way to go? They wanted someone with experience, didn’t they? They wanted someone who had done it before!
What do you suppose they would say if someone said, “Well I can lead you for half the price of that guy, but I’ve only read about going out west, I haven’t actually gone there, myself.” Right, they’d say, “NO!”
They would want someone to lead them who could lead with authority, someone who had been there and had done this before, right? Someone with experience! See, experience is one of the things that gives a person authority. We believe people with authority, and we do what they say to do.
Today’s Bible lesson says that Jesus was one of those people. He spoke with authority. He had been there and done that and people listened to him and did what he said. Because he spoke with authority and his authority came from being with God.
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The Immediate Word, January 31, 2021 issue.
Copyright 2021 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.
