Thanking God for Everything

September 22, 2013 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Luke 16:1-13 Year C 18th Sunday after Pentecost Thanking God for Everything Brer Rabbit Earns a Dollar-A-Minute A Georgia Folktale retold by S.E. Schlosser One fine morning, Brer Fox decided to plant him a patch of goober peas. He set to with a will and before you know it, he had raked and hoed out a beautiful patch of ground and he put in a fine planting of peas. It didn't take too long before those goober vines grew tall and long and the peas ripened up good and smart. Now Brer Rabbit, he'd watched Brer Fox planting the goobers and he told his children and Miz Rabbit where they could find the patch. Soon as those peas were ripe, the little Rabbits and Brer Rabbit would sneak on in and grab up them goobers by the handfuls. It got so bad that when Brer Fox came to the goober patch, he could hardly find a pea to call his own. Well, Brer Fox, he was plenty mad that he'd worked so hard on those peas only to have them eaten by someone else. He suspected that Brer Rabbit was to blame for this, but the rascally rabbit had covered his tracks so well that Brer Fox couldn't catch him. So Brer Fox came up with a plan. He found a smooth spot in his fence where a cunning rabbit could sneak in, and he set a trap for Brer Rabbit at that spot. He tied a rope to a nearby hickory sapling and bent it nearly double. Then he took the other end of the rope and made a loop knot that he fastened with a trigger right around the hole in the fence. If anybody came through the crack to steal his peas, the knot would tighten around their body, the sapling would spring upright, and they would be left hanging from the tree for everyone to see. The next morning, Brer Rabbit came a-slipping through the hole in the fence. At once, the trigger sprung, the knot tightened on his forelegs, and the hickory tree snapped upright, quick as you please. Brer Rabbit found himself swung aloft betwixt the heaven and the earth, swinging from the hickory sapling. He couldn't go up and he couldn't go down. He just went back and forth. Brer Rabbit was in a fix, no mistake. He was trying to come up with some glib explanation for Brer Fox when he heard someone a-rumbling and a-bumbling down the road. It was Brer Bear, looking for a bee-tree so he could get him some honey. As soon as Brer Rabbit saw Brer Bear, he came up with a plan to get himself free. "Howdy, Brer Bear," he called cheerfully. Brer Bear squinted around here and there, wondering where the voice had come from. Then he looked up and saw Brer Rabbit swinging from the sapling. "Howdy Brer Rabbit," he rumbled. "How are you this morning?" "Middling, Brer Bear," Rabbit replied. "Just middling." Brer Bear was wondering why Brer Rabbit was up in the tree, so he asked him about it. Brer Rabbit grinned and said that he was earning a dollar-a-minute from Brer Fox. "A dollar-a-minute!" Brer Bear exclaimed. "What for?" "I'm keeping the crows away from his goober patch," Brer Rabbit explained, and went on to say that Brer Fox was paying a dollar-a-minute to whomever would act as a scarecrow for him. Well, Brer Bear liked the sound of that. He had a big family to feed, and he could use the money. When Brer Rabbit asked him if he would like to have the job, Brer Bear agreed. Brer Rabbit showed him how to bend the sapling down and remove the knot from his forepaws. When Brer Rabbit was free, Brer Bear climbed into the knot and soon he was hanging aloft betwixt heaven and earth, swing to and from the sapling and growling at the birds to keep them away from the goober patch. Brer Rabbit laughed and laughed at the sight of Brer Bear up in the sapling. He scampered down the road to Brer Fox's place and told him that his trap was sprung and the goober thief was hanging from the hickory tree. Brer Fox grabbed his walking stick and ran down the road after Brer Rabbit. When he saw Brer Bear hanging there, Brer Fox called him a goober thief. Brer Fox ranted and raved and threatened to hit Brer Bear with his walking stick. He yelled so loud that Brer Bear didn't have time to explain nothing! Brer Rabbit knew that Brer Bear would be plenty mad at him when he found out he had been tricked, and so he ran down the road and hid in the mud beside the pond, so that only his eyeballs stuck out, making him look like a big old bullfrog. By and by, a very grumpy Brer Bear came lumbering down the road. "Howdy, Brer Bullfrog," Brer Bear said when he saw Brer Rabbit's eyes sticking out of the mud. "You seen Brer Rabbit anywhere?" "Brer Rabbit jest ran on down the road," he told the grumpy Brer Bear in a deep croaking voice that sounded just like the voice of a frog. Brer Bear thanked him and trotted down the road, growling fiercely. When Brer Bear was out of sight, Brer Rabbit jumped out of the mud. He washed himself off in the pond and then scampered home, chuckling to himself at how he'd escaped from Brer Fox and Brer Bear, and already thinking up a new way to get into Brer Fox's goober patch to get him some peas to eat. Why are trickster stories so important? My family used to tell Brer Rabbit stories all of the time when I was a child. I would always listen to see what Brer Rabbit was going to get a way with next. It seems as if we love to hear stories of the trickster. I think that they are especially important in cultures of oppression. It seems that in a corrupt world – where the odds are stacked against us, where the system always win, we like to hear stories of the one who is able to outsmart the system. If we cant get ahead, we like to hear stories or how someone with a little conniving does win. Why else would Jesus tell a story about a cheating steward who gets the best of his master. Why else would Jesus say that he has done well and should be commended for cheating. Doesnt every other story in the bible tell us that cheating is wrong? Why does Jesus tell the story of the dishonest steward? Well most of the bible tells us not to steal – and cheating is indeed a form of stealing. But Jesus seems to know that there is one story – where cheating is good for you. Jesus puts himself in the story as the conniving steward – who cheated the devil out of what was due him. For we are all sinners, and the wages of sin is death. But Jesus died on the cross so that we could be free of our sin. Our debts have been forgiven, we don’t owe the devil nothing. And we can be grateful for what Jesus has done for us. What does it mean to be a good steward? But the lesson that I want to talk about today from Luke 16:1-13 is the lesson of what it means not so much to be a cheating steward, but to be a good steward of what God has given us. This story is a lesson on our attitudes toward money, our attachments here on earth, how we give to others, and also how we are able to make friends. This story reminds us that whether we are in debt or not, we are not the sum of our possessions. No matter how much we have- it is all lent to us by God. And the day will come when we will not have any of it, because it will be left here on earth. It is not so much what we have on earth that is important, it is what we have with us when we go to heaven. What we have we will lose – but what we give to God will last forever. There is a saying that those that give help those in need in this world, but those in need help those who have in heaven. We have to be willing to be used by God in every circumstance that God puts us in. Like Running a Business There was an interesting legal question posed in The Saturday Evening Post recently. It seems that one lovely Sunday when the sermon was overlong, the congregation rushed, as usual, from its pews on the first syllable of "Amen!" Faithful Abigail, the only worshiper held entranced by the sermon, moved slowly and was trampled. She sued the church and its officials for damages. "Those in charge of the church knew that most of the congregation stampedes after long sermons," Abigail argued. "They should have recognized the danger in the situation. Not being prepared to cope with it, they were negligent." The church's attorney argued like this in response: "A church is a nonprofit organization manned for the most part by volunteers. No one has a right to expect it to be run with the smart efficiency of a business concern. Abigail, therefore, has no real claim." If you were the judge, asks the writer, would you award damages to Abigail? What I found interesting in this hypothetical situation was the characterization of the church. "A church is a nonprofit organization manned for the most part by volunteers. . . No one has a right to expect it to be run with the smart efficiency of a business. . . ." Why not? What if we were as good at what we do as McDonald's is at what they do, or Coca Cola or Microsoft? What if we were as committed to spreading the good news of the kingdom of God as American business is to winning new customers? This is the point Jesus is trying to make. He wants people who bear his name to not only be nice people but to be people who make a difference in the world. Imagine what the world would be like, if the church was just as determined to be the body of Christ, as Apple was to make money? If everybody was as excited about the church as they were about the new apple phone – think of how many people we could reach. This lesson is also about learning to make friends with the world. Everybody was greatful to the conniving steward because he did them a favor, they all wanted to be his friend and welcome him onto their homes. How can we help people understand that Jesus has done so much more for them and they should be grateful. Even in our own lives – where do we place God amongst our priorities? We give to our hobbies, we give to the interest that capture our hearts, we give to our lives – what do we give to God? It is not so much about how much we give, it is about how much of our hearts do we give to God? Do we put God in one corner, and our lives in the other, or do we realize that God comes first in all things. And that we can give to God from what we have. The sons of light Luke calls Christians the sons of light. For Luke, sons of the age where the Jews, sons of the world were others, and sons of the light were those who were able to put God first in their lives. One God, One mediator, One Christ I am not focusing on the lesson of 1 Timothy today, but I think that it helps us to remember to put God first. It says that there is One God, One mediator, One Christ for all people. If there is one God for all people – then our hearts should be in one place. That is on the things of God. John Wesley a model of giving Before John Wesley became the founder of the Methodist Church he was a teacher at Oxford University back in the 1700's. When he began his career he was paid 30 pounds per year - in those days a lot of money. His living expenses were 28 pounds - so he gave 2 pounds away. The next year his income doubled - but he still managed to live on 28 pounds - so he gave away 32 pounds. The third year he earned 90 pounds - lived on 28 - and gave away 62. The fourth year he earned 120 pounds - lived on 28 - and gave away 92. One year his income was a little over 1,400 pounds - he lived on 30 and gave away nearly all of the 1,400 pounds. Wesley felt that with increasing income, what should rise is not the Christian's standard of living but the standard of giving. Increasing our standard of giving. What a great Christian man and what a great lesson he taught us. In a world were raises and extra income is scarce, we are free to determine how much of what we have can we give to God. Jesus’ stewardship sayings When I was doing my research last night, one commentary said that this lesson was do difficult, that I should find something else to preach. It is not that it does not have enough good news, it has too much good news to process. Luke quotes Jesus as saying whoever is faithful in a little, will be faithful in a lot, if you are dishonest in a little, you will be dishonest in a lot, and no slave can serve two masters – you can serve God and money. Each of those sayings is a sermon in their own right. You can steal our money, you cant steal our commitment to God But the bottom line is the he is reminding us to be good stewards with our money. As a matter of fact, being Christian is all about money. It is about how you spend it, what your attitude is about it, and about how your faith determines what you do with it. Are you on the earth to make a living or to make a life. is your treasure here on earth or is it in heaven? Only what we give to God will truly last, and what we do for God we do for others in need. One day a church was burglarized, and when the robber opened the bank bag he found $70,000 – in pledge cards. One can only imagine his disappointment. The burglar learned a lesson the unjust manager knew very well: that you can’t steal commitment. Neither can unprincipled people in the marketplace steal our commitment to be disciples of Christ. Amen. Children’s sermon 2 + 3 = 4? by Wesley T. Runk Passage: Luke 16:1-15 · Lectionary: Proper 20 Item 1 of 11 | Back to Results Object: Some notes with answers to math problems writ ten on them. Good morning, boys and girls. How many of you have ever heard of the word "cheating?" What does the word cheating mean? [Let them answer.] Those are pretty good answers. When someone cheats he hopes to get something that does not belong to him for nothing. When you cheat, or someone you know cheats, it can cost a lot. I want to tell you about people who cheat because they think that they can make friends by cheating. I want to show you some things that a teacher gave me that she took away from some of the people in her class. Do you know what these things are? [Show them the notes and let them guess.] These notes have answers on them. [Show them the inside of the note.] The person cheating was giving the answers away to other people with the hope that these people would be his friends. This person thought that the other boys and girls would like him if he wrote the right answers to the test on pieces of paper and gave it to anyone who did not know the answers. Of course, the person cheating did not think that the teacher would catch him. Some people think that they can make friends by cheating. God knows how men think and he also knows that we try to do things like this to win friends, but he warns us about doing them. Jesus told a story about a man who acted just like this boy. Jesus said that the friends you win like this only last for a little while, and soon the friends disappear and you still have to face God. Jesus taught us about honesty and said that to be honest is the best way. It may mean that we have to work a little harder and have a little less for a few years, but someday we will be glad that we are honest. There is no room in God's kingdom for a cheater and that is where we want to live forever. The teacher told the boy who passed the cheat notes about what God teaches and how little good it does for us to make friends by cheating. She thinks that the boy learned a lesson, and I pass this on to you so that you can learn also. These notes would not help anyone for very long, and they could hurt for a very long time. Paper Flowers And Disciples, Wesley T. Runk, CSS Publishing Co., Inc., 1977, 0-89536-197-3 From my sermon on the Wasteful Steward.) We have already been given all the energy and talent we need to feed the hungry, teach every child, settle disputes, and make it through the toughest times. These skills and resources are evident in our hobbies, our friendships, our grudges, and our schemes. We have it in us!. Jesus, as usual, uses an odd metaphor to point this out. And now, a poem: Often the gifts we have are really being used, They’re just aimed incorrectly and being abused. If you abhor waste and desire success Then love God and your neighbors with all you possess. Humor: You Took Me In Henry Ford was known for both his frugality and his philanthropy. He was visiting his family's ancestral village in Ireland when two trustees of the local hospital found out he was there, and they managed to get in to see him. They talked him into giving the hospital $5,000 dollars (this was the 1930's, so $5,000 dollars was a great deal of money). The next morning, at breakfast, he opened his newspaper to read the banner headline: "American Millionaire Gives Fifty Thousand to Local Hospital." Ford wasted no time in summoning the two hospital trustees. He waved the newspaper in their faces. "What does this mean?" he demanded. The trustees apologized profusely. "Dreadful error," they said. They promised to get the editor to print a retraction the very next day, stating that the great Henry Ford hadn't given $50,000, but only $5,000. Well, hearing that, Ford offered them the other $45,000, under one condition: that the trustees erect a marble arch at the entrance of the new hospital, with a plaque that read, "I walked among you and you took me in." Billy D. Strayhorn, Let's Make a Deal

Prayers for all People

November 19, 2024 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Thanksgiving Organ and Tissue Donation Sunday Prayers for all People Year B Prelude Greeting Call to Worship L: Come, let us celebrate the wondrous gifts that God has given us. P: Throughout all our lives, God has blessed us with love and hope. L: Praise be to God who provides for us. P: May our hearts be truly grateful, and may we show our gratitude by the ways in which we live and care for others. L: Hallelujah! P: AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Opening Prayer Lord of bounty and blessing, we come to you this day in gratitude for all that we have been given. We are grateful for the blessings and for the opportunities to be of service to others in your holy Name. Bless each of us here, that we may become truly blessings to others. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Song Great is Thy Faithfulness UMH 140 A Sermon for all Ages Children’s Message What is an organ? A musical instrument? What is a tissue? Something in which to sneeze or to wrap a gift? And what is a donor? In The United Methodist Church, we celebrate Organ and Tissue Donor Sunday. In this case, an organ is a group of tissues in a living organism that has a specific form and function. Examples are your heart, kidneys and lungs. Sometimes, perhaps because of disease, a person’s organ quits working effectively, and they become very sick. That’s where the word “donor” comes in. A donor is an individual who shares an organ or tissue so that someone else can have a fuller life. On Organ and Tissue Donor Sunday, United Methodists encourage people to help others in this way. Newsletter Nugget “He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age.” —Ruth 4:15, NRSVUE Most of us take our health and our bodies for granted. We check that little organ-donation box on our driver’s license and, most likely, forget about it. But when we, or someone we love, is in need of an organ, cornea or tissue transplant, the situation becomes personal. That’s why Organ and Tissue Donor Sunday is so important. One of five special days without a churchwide offering, Organ and Tissue Donor Sunday is viewed as a time for United Methodists to come together around the issues of life and thanksgiving. Congregations are encouraged to include the topic in their worship services. Worship resources are available from nonprofit donor programs in the United States. Jesus said, “I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest” (John 10:10b CEB). Organ and Tissue Donor Sunday is an opportunity to consider new ways to follow Jesus and to help others find abundant life. Adapted from Donate Life America website. Prayer of Thanksgiving (note that the prayer is in bold) Bounteous God, you have lavished your finest gifts on each one of us. We thank you for the many ways in which you have blessed our lives--with love, hope, friends, our church, and so many other things that we cherish. Help us be a blessing for others--that they may come to know you and rejoice in your love. Give us hearts of courage and confidence to step out into the world in service, bringing hope where there is doubt, peace where there is strife, love where there is discord. These things we pray in Jesus’ Name, AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Scripture 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Sermon Prayers for all People Thanksgiving did not become a national holiday for the United States until 1942, when president Roosevelt declared it as the 4th Thursday of November. I am told that he did that for economic reasons, so that Christmas shopping could begin the next day. So not only did he start Thanksgiving, but also black Friday. By the way, it is also no accident that election day is always in November. It was established in 1842 to have elections after harvest time. On a Tuesday, so that farmers had time to travel to the polls after church on Sunday. But back to the harvest festival - We know that it was president Lincoln who introduced the idea of thanksgiving to the nation. In 1863 I think he made a proclamation of a national day of prayer and thanksgiving. Yet did you know that a national day of prayer and thanksgiving goes all the way back to our first president, George Washington. First National Thanksgiving Proclamation Whereas, it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; Whereas, both the houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness!" Now therefore, I do recommend next, to be devoted by the people of the states to the service of that great and glorious being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be, that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country. George Washington, 1779. Washington declared that We are a safe and happy nation under God, that God is the protector of our country, so we should have a public say of Prayer and Thanksgiving. Today – I think that we do well with the Thanks part of the holiday. We remember to say thank you to those around us. We even do well with the giving part. This is the beginning of giving season. We remember those in need, we make sure everyone has a table to go to on thanksgiving. It is the time of year to remember end of the year giving for the organizations that we care about. But I wonder how we are doing with the prayer part of Thanksgiving. Other than the grace, how much do we pray at Thanksgiving? Giving Meaningful Thanks I have noticed that at Thanksgiving time it is difficult for people to give God thanks and praise. You hear people say on that day that they are grateful but that is where it ends. They rarely direct their thankfulness to God. One year my daughter's school had a Thanksgiving day program for the parents. I was so saddened that during the program all they could sing about was "Tom Turkey." You would have thought that it was a poultry holiday. Not only is it difficult for us to give thanks, but it seems that we can not graciously receive thanks. If we listen carefully to various conversations we will notice that sometimes someone will say, "Thank you," only to have the other person say, "No, thank you." Obviously, giving thanks has become a meaningless exercise for many people. We have reduced it to the level of telling one another to "have a nice day." This is nothing new; in our text Jesus was having the same problem. So was one young mother who was preparing a dinner party at her home. She had spent all day in preparations for the big event. She was nervous and wanted everything to be just right for her guests. She had cleaned the house from top to bottom, polished the silver, arranged the flowers, and even made little name cards for each guest. Finally, the guests arrived and were eventually seated at the dinner table. The young mother turned to her daughter and asked her to offer the prayer. The daughter said that she did not know what to pray. "Just pray what Mommy would pray," the mother said. The little girl thought for a moment and then prayed, "Dear Lord, why did I invite all these people to dinner?"" John R. Steward, Lectionary Tales For The... Our scripture reminds us to pray for all people. To bring everything to God in prayer. This year I am sure that there are a lot of people who will bring our nation to God in prayer. There will be lots of discussions around the table about God overseeing our nation. But let us remember to bring all of our petitions to God. Before gathering, before the food, while we are alone, when we start our day – let us start our day in relationship with God. To put it easily, someone said The attitude of gratitude is important for several reasons: Thankfulness acknowledges that God is our provider. Thankfulness prevents a complaining spirit. Thankfulness creates a positive outlook on life Thankfulness invites joy to dwell in our hearts. Kent Crockett, Making Today Count for Eternity, pp. 161. 1 Timothy reminds us that there is only one God, On mediator, and at the heart of the matter, we are one people when we come together in prayer. At its heart and beginning, Thanksgiving is a political holiday. My prayer is that God spares us all from political talk at the thanksgiving table this year. But let us remember, that when we bring everything in prayer to God – we are all loved, protected, and united. Let us pray….. Song Come, Ye Thankful People, Come UMH 694 Pastoral Prayer God of infinite patience and power, how it must try your patience to watch us hurl ourselves into a season of greed and grumbling. Your blessings, your bounty, have been poured out to us that we may be strengthened to be your people in service to others. Yet we persist in attaching ourselves to the great “gimmies” of our world--“gimmie toys, gimmie wealth, gimmie power.” Today we have gathered here with an opportunity to step out of the race to possess, to praise you and thank you for the wonderful ways in which you have blessed our lives. We spend a lot of time looking for the big blessings, when all around us are the delightful blessings of everyday living--family, home, friends, the ability to enjoy laughter and share tears. There are so many ways in which you have touched our lives with your love. Help us develop for all of our lives an attitude of gratitude, never failing to thank you each day for your love and your blessings. Help us reach out to one another and to all those in need with this compassionate love. For we ask this in Jesus’ Name, AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Lord’s Prayer Special Presentation by Traci Brownlee (check spelling) Stewardship Moment On this Thanksgiving Sunday, perhaps someone in your congregation who attended a Disciple school could invite people to share a special day offering to support the work of Disciple colleges and seminaries. Or, you could use resources from Disciples Mission Fund by clicking here. Or, ask 3 different people to each share 1 minute to finish this sentence: “I give money to this congregation because I’m thankful for _________.” and share a closing sentence – “with thankful hearts, please share your financial gift as a sign of your gratitude for the ministry of this congregation.” Prayer of Thanksgiving With gratitude for all the blessings you pour into our lives, Generous God, we offer these gifts back to you. We pray they will be used to increase your Realm of peace. Bless all who have given gifts this day, that they may truly be part of the Way you showed to a yearning world through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, Ruler of all. AMEN. (Disciples of Christ Center for Faith and Giving) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook One: Go into the world showing a gentle attitude toward everyone. Be joyful and thankful! Fill your mind with those things that are good and deserve praise: things true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable. Put into practice what you have heard here. And may the God who gives peace be with each of you. All: We go in the peace of Christ to love and serve all creation. (ReWorship.com, Kevin Little) Community Time – Joys and Concerns BENEDICTION Beloved of God, place your whole trust in God’s absolute abundant love. Feel the powerful presence of God in your life and know that God’s blessings are with you. Go in peace, and may God’s peace always be with you. AMEN. (United Methodist Ministry Matters, Nancy Townley) Additional Illustrations Sermon Opener - In All Things Be Thankful - Ephesians 5:20 Back during the dark days of 1929, a group of ministers in the Northeast, all graduates of the Boston School of Theology, gathered to discuss how they should conduct their Thanksgiving Sunday services. Things were about as bad as they could get, with no sign of relief. The bread lines were depressingly long, the stock market had plummeted, and the term Great Depression seemed an apt description for the mood of the country. The ministers thought they should only lightly touch upon the subject of Thanksgiving in deference to the human misery all about them. After all, what was there was to be thankful for? But it was Dr. William L. Stiger, pastor of a large congregation in the city that rallied the group. This was not the time, he suggested, to give mere passing mention to Thanksgiving, just the opposite. This was the time for the nation to get matters in perspective and thank God for blessings always present, but perhaps suppressed due to intense hardship. I suggest to you the ministers struck upon something. The most intense moments of thankfulness are not found in times of plenty, but when difficulties abound. Think of the Pilgrims that first Thanksgiving. Half their number dead, men without a country, but still there was thanksgiving to God. Their gratitude was not for something but in something. It was that same sense of gratitude that lead Abraham Lincoln to formally establish the first Thanksgiving Day in the midst of national civil war, when the butcher's list of casualties seemed to have no end and the very nation struggled for survival. Perhaps in your own life, right now, there is intense hardship. You are experiencing your own personal Great Depression. Why should you be thankful this day? May I suggest three things? 1. We must learn to be thankful or we become bitter. 2. We must learn to be thankful or we will become discouraged. 3. We must learn to be thankful or we will grow arrogant and self-satisfied. ____________________ How to Be a Pilgrim The Pilgrims had the courage to act on their commitments, no matter what. Do we? Sociologist Robert Bellah, author of Habits of the Heart, is impressed by the power of religion. He once said, "We should not underestimate the significance of the small group of people who have a new vision of a just and gentle world. The quality of a culture may be changed when two percent of its people have a new vision (and act on it)." Christians make up far more than two percent of our town, far more than two percent of Massachusetts, far more than two percent of Americans. So, why don’t we have a greater effect: on issues of the environment, on justice for the needy, on the quality of life on Cape Cod? Could it be we need more courage to act on our commitments? To be a Pilgrim means to stand up for what you believe, no matter what. To be a Pilgrim also means sharing what you have, and turning thanks into giving. The Pilgrim colonists willingly shared all they had. During their first three years, all property was held in common. At one point, they were down to five kernels of corn per day for food. Still, they divided the corn kernels up equally. And, the original group of fifty that survived the first winter shared their limited food with the sixty newcomers who arrived in the spring. One of their finest moments came in 1623, at the first real Thanksgiving. The small colony hosted over ninety Native American braves for three days. There was eating and drinking, wrestling, footraces, and gun and arrow-shooting competitions. It was the Pilgrims’ way of saying "Thank you" to God, and to the Native Americans who had helped them survive. To be a Pilgrim means sharing and turning thanks into giving. How thankful and giving are we? Alex A. Gondola, Jr., Holidays Are Holy Days: Sermons for Special Sundays, CSS Publishing Company __________________ The Source of Thanksgiving I will remind you of that wonderful Children's holiday classic "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas." It was released a few years ago as a movie staring Jim Carrey. You'll recall in the story how the Grinch enters all the homes by way of their chimneys disguised as Santa Clause. He takes all the presents and ornaments, the trees and stockings, and even their food down to the last morsel. He drags his loot up to his mountain and then looks down upon Whoville with a sinister grin. He is listening for the cries and wailings of the people to start as they wake up on Christmas morning to discover a Christmas lost. What he hears instead surprises him. Up from the town of the Whos comes a joyful Christmas carol. They are singing. "Why?" he asks. It is because, he learns, Christmas resides not in things but in the heart which is thankful. He could not steal their gratitude. Brett Blair, www.eSermons.com Too Much Turkey In 1953, the Swanson food company found themselves with too much turkey on their hands after disappointing Thanksgiving sales. One innovative employee came up with the idea of packaging individual servings of turkey and vegetables in an oven-safe aluminum tray. Thus was born the first TV dinner. Reader’s Digest, June 2003, p. 26. Thanksgiving Sermon Opener This morning I would like to hold up for you three different scenes. The strange thing about these scenarios is that when you first hear them you will be hard pressed to understand why I selected these stories to exemplify Thanksgiving. On the surface they will seem to be the antithesis of Thanksgiving. Yet, I am convinced that at the heart of these stories is the real Biblical understanding of what it means to be thankful. The first scene comes from the Old Testament. It is the familiar story of Job. Job has come to represent for us the epitome of suffering. Near the end of the story we see that all of his children have been killed in an accident; he is facing financial ruin; he has been stricken with illness. In fact, it seems that if any person is justified in saying: Let's just skip Thanksgiving this year it would be Job. Yet, in the midst of all of this immeasurable suffering the voice of God comes to Job and says to him a very interesting statement. We read it in the 37th chapter the 14th verse. God says to Job: "Hear this O Job. Stop and consider the wondrous works of God." From all outward circumstances it seems as though Job has nothing at all to be thankful for yet here is God coming to him in the midst of it all and saying in effect, Job, it's time to count your blessings. Let's leave that story for a moment and take a look at a second. This one comes from the New Testament, the book of Ephesians. The Apostle Paul now finds himself squarely in the midst of a dingy Roman prison and facing serious charges. Things seem very bad indeed for Paul. But this is only one of a series of mishaps that has occurred during his stormy ministry. He has been shipwrecked, beaten nearly to death, imprisoned, and even many of his fellow Christians are now openly opposing him. Now he faces what surely seems to be a death sentence. In the midst of this situation Paul writes the Christians in Ephesus. Listen to what he has to say, "Thanks be to God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who has blessed us in Christ with every blessing." Strange words from a man facing execution. Like Job, we are forced to ask the question What has he to be thankful for? Staff, www.eSermons.com Helping Others, Showing Gratitude A man named John Canuso made a deal with God. His nine-year-old daughter, Babe, had just been diagnosed with leukemia, and as he knelt at her bed, he swore: "You save my kid, I'll dedicate my life." God did indeed save his daughter. Babe is now 26, married and the mother of a one-year-old boy, a child she thought she'd never have, after all the radiation and chemotherapy. John kept his promise. John was a builder by trade. In 1974, the year his daughter became ill, he reached into his own pocket to renovate and furnish a rundown Philadelphia home that became the first Ronald McDonald House, a place where families could stay while their youngsters were being treated at Children's Hospital. John said, "Thank you, Lord. I'm glad you asked me to do something in my profession." Helping others was John's way of saying "thank you." King Duncan, ChristianGlobe Illustrations

Pray for Everyone (God Save the Queen)

September 18, 2022 15th Sunday of Pentecost 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Prayer for Everyone (God Save the Queen) Year C Opening Song Welcome Call to Worship One: Divine Parent, you feel what we feel. Many: Our joys and our pains are yours too. One: Divine Healer, you delight in our wholeness. Many: You are the balm for our heavy-laden hearts and souls. One: Giver of life, you are able to renew us Many: We open ourselves to you, have your way within us.( Rev. Tena Nock, United Church of Christ Worship Ways) Invocation Divine Nurturer, we are thankful that we can come to you any time. You have made it possible for us to come, as we are however, we are. We rejoice in knowing that you walk with us whether the road is rough or smooth. You are steadfast. Help us to nurture our relationship with you, ourselves, and each other so that we may be a balm when none can be found. Amen. ( Rev. Tena Nock, United Church of Christ Worship Ways) Song – O Master Let Me Walk with Thee UMH 430 Children’s Sermon 1Timothy 2:1-7 Learning to be Peaceful By Lois Parker Edstrom The Bible teaches us that we should pray and give thanks “… for all men: for kings and all who are in high places…” (2:1). We understand why we would pray and give thanks for our parents and other family members, our friends, teachers, doctors, and the leaders of our country. We are thankful for their care. We want the best for them and we ask that God would give them wisdom to do their work in the best possible way. It is difficult, however, to understand how to pray for those who hurt us. We know there are evil people who do evil things. We don’t give thanks for the evil things they do, but we can pray that they will accept God’s love and turn their lives around for the better. Why would we do this? The Bible teaches us that we do this so that “we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and reverence” (2:2). When we pray for others we learn about respect. We understand that “there is one God” (2:5) and that God is in charge. We learn about how to be peaceful. Deer come into my fields and after they have had enough to eat, they lie down to rest. I wish you could see them. They are very quiet and still. They look so peaceful. There is much wisdom in the Bible. One of the reasons we pray for everyone, including ourselves, is that we learn about respect and we learn about having a peaceful life. Find time to be quiet and still. Think about God’s love and how good it feels to be peaceful. Scripture quotations from the World English Bible Copyright 2013, Richard Niell Donovan Prayer for Transformation and New Life Source of Wholeness, we confess that sometimes our goals don’t align with yours, and we get lost. At times, we have pursued power, knowledge, and wealth instead of you, who are the source of all. We know that you are the balm we need, and we turn ourselves towards you. You are steadfast in your love and justice. Help us to be the same, help us to be a balm to others as you are to us. Amen. Words of Grace The Divine one is steadfast in love, justice, and righteousness. Know that we are called and empowered to do the same. In a chaotic world, we can know peace, and in a chaotic world, we can be at peace. May God’s grace be a balm for us, and may we be a balm to and for others. Amen. (Rev. Tena Nock, United Church of Christ, Worship Ways) Scripture – 1 Timothy 2:1-7 Sermon Pray for Everyone (God Save the Queen) A brawny man stood in front of a painting by the great artist John Singer Sargent in an art gallery in New York City. He kept muttering to himself, “I’ve been given a place at last. I have a place at last.” Artist Robert Henri was standing nearby. Henri was mystified at the man’s words. “Are you in this sort of work?” he asked the man. “Oh, yes,” said the man, “but this is the first time I’ve been displayed like this.” Now Henri really was disturbed. “But I thought that this work was by the great painter Sargent,” he said. “That’s right,” said the man, “but it was me that made the frame.” St. Paul saw himself as the frame, but Christ was the painting. It was the power of the risen Christ working through him that was the source of his great accomplishments. “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live,” wrote St. Paul on one occasion, “but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). Is that a truth too great for our little hearts? It is to say that if we will but surrender our lives, there is a source of power available to us—that can flow through us—and help us to accomplish more than we ever dreamed possible. This morning, we look at the second chapter of Timothy – the book written to help us to know what it means to be a church leader. And no matter what we do in church, we are all Christian leaders. I think the lectionary developers started last week with Timothy 1 and now skips to chapter 2 to help us to understand that prayer is the framework of our faith and what we do as Christians. No matter how much we talk about prayer, I think it is the one thing that we all struggle with in some way. When I talk with family and friends who don’t go to church and say I am praying for you – they look at me as if I have three heads. I try to pray in some way everyday – and yet I struggle with what it means. There are prayer that I have been praying for 15 years daily, and yet I feel like nothing changes. I always ask God what that means. My beautiful daughter, to whom this volume is dedicated, had a bedtime prayer one night when she was in kindergarten — having heard in school of the destruction of the Amazon rainforest and the danger it posed for the environment, she prayed, "Dear God, those people who are cutting down the rainforest, please kill them." If regime change is your heart's desire, then of course you can pray for it. Remember though, prayer is not a labor-saving device — no matter which way you are praying, your prayers commit you to working toward the end you have in mind. Prayer brings hope to every situation. Hope for the good of all. Paul sees every encounter as an opportunity to invite God into the situation. What a wonderful way to live. The truth is that everyone we know is either struggling to remain faithful to Christ or hasn't been introduced to him yet. Everyone we know is facing trials, and tests, looking for a route to happiness and meaning in life. Our text is short, but it is very rich with lots of lessons. But I want to talk about three of them: That we should pray for everyone, especially our leaders. That prayer is the foundation of our peace, and that Christ is our intecessor, who brings our prayers no matter what they are to God. If your look at the title of the sermon – it is – Pray for everyone (God Save the Queen). Since her funeral is tomorrow, I just thought that it would be appropriate to pray for her. She is not our queen, but she is a part of everyone. We can pray for our mayor, the city council, the governor, the legislators and all fo those seeking office. A friend of mine belonged to a prayer group that received permission to meet in city hall to pray for the city. They prayed for the mayor, the city council, the police and fire departments, the school board, teachers, and social workers. Not many of those people knew they were being prayed for but my friend said he saw things begin to happen in the city. He claims prayer made all the difference. Be assured that God uses them and opens doors for us to share our witness. Do you know what an intercessor is? It is a person who stands in the gap between the world and God. Paul says that is our role. We are to be praying for the deliverance and salvation of the people all around us. We have no idea how our prayers impact our workplaces, our city, our state, our country, or our world. Praying for others is called intercession. To intercede is to mediate on behalf of another. It is to represent another in the hour of need. It is to stand in the gap in the time of need and the moment of despair. Christ is our ultimate Intercessor. He is the Priest acting on our behalf. He is the living bridge between humanity and God. Because Jesus is both fully human and fully divine, he is our Mediator. This is why we pray in Jesus' name. We cannot cross the breach between God and us. But Jesus is God come to our side. He is united forever to our humanity, so we can speak to him and be heard, uniting us with his divinity. It is God made present in the hour of trouble. Timothy chapter 2 starts out by saying request, prayers, thankgiving, be made for all people. Pray for kings and everyone in authority so that we can have quiet and peace. If we read further one verse beyond our scripture – verse 8 says Therefore, I want men to pray everywhere by lifting up hands that are holy, without anger or argument. Most of our worship service is intended to be a prayer for God – we have all of those prayers included in our service. It is not a common practice for this congregation – but lifting our hands is a devotion to God. III. TO PRAY IS TO COMPLETELY SURRENDER Verse 8: “I want people everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." Henri Nouwen says we come to God with tightly clinched fists. So prayer at first is painful because we discover we do not want to let go of the things that hold us and bind us. We want to box with God over what is. If you are Almighty why do you seem so feeble? If You will our good, why is there so much bad? If You came to save the world, how come it isn't saved yet? Like Job, we reduce God to our perceptions then curse God for being impotent. It is not always easy to believe. Often we pray “God help our unbelief." Pain and suffering continue to be problems near and far. Questions leave us with clinched fists. We cling to our hurts. We still haven't gotten over the girl that rejected us or parents who ignored us. We are still jealous of the colleague who got promoted over us; disappointed that we didn't receive a letter; angry that we were ignored. Oh yes, we've learned to live with it. It is pushed back into the recesses of our heart. But there is something about prayer that opens the soul and makes you conscious of the pain that is inside. So, suddenly we are faced with these hurts of our lives and to pray is to face the hurt, the jealousy and the disappointment. We come to God with clinched fists when he invites us to come with open hands. We have treasures we do not want to part with. You know how it is. You have to get a grip on what is yours and hold your own against those who would take it from you. We make excuses. “That's just how it is with me," and we say it as if we have given up on the belief that there may be plenty for everyone. So here we stand, with balled-up fists trying to protect what time will ultimately take away. To pray is to open our hands. It is opening our hands to God's promises. We are not alone. We live in God's world. He will not leave us nor forsake us. When you pass through the waters, he will be with you. The rivers will not sweep over you. He is the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge God and he will direct your paths. We need to open our hands to our own weaknesses. A boy prayed: Dear God, please help me be a good boy and if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. A man prayed: please make me the kind of person my dog thinks I am. Open our hands to be led. Prayer is not a magic means by which we control God but a humble means by which God can release his power and purposes through us. Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm through the night, lead me on to the light. Take my hand, precious Lord, lead me home. So let us pray. Let us be a church that really prays, that takes a request for prayer seriously. Let us pray for one another. Let us pray for ourselves. Let us pray that God's kingdom may come on earth as it is in heaven. Amen. ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Faith Breaks, by J. Howard Olds When we pray together in public it is a way for our minds, body and spirit to become centered in one place. When we lift our hands up – it centers everything else in our body. Did you know that your feet takes its cues on how to move from the hands. I learned that in my running club. That if you want to run faster, you don’t move your feet faster, you move your hands. When you are swimming and you just move your feet you don’t get very far. You have to move your hands and feet to move forward. When we pray with our hands lifted up open and welcoming the spirit of God in our lives, our actions and our hearts. The scripture says that we are to pray for others, especially our leaders so that we all can live a life of peace and quiet. If only peace in life was just that simple. In the time that this was written, it was leaders who were the biggest enemy of Christians and living a Christian life. And sometimes they are not always concerned about the peace and quiet of others. On my birthday I travelled to Evanston, where I went to school in search of peace and quiet. Coming from a chaotic family – one of the most important parts of my college experience was going to the library to study. Being in the quiet really helped me to collect my thoughts and to calm down. As an adult, every year I try to go back to the university library and just sit on fifth floor, where there is just quiet. This year I spent the whole day, walking into libraries, walking into churches, gardens, along the lake all in search of some peace and quiet. What I found was there is no such thing. Everyplace outside all you could here was crickets. Even inside of the library, I was not listening to silence, but always the air conditioner in the back ground. And not that I have come home, the crickets are moving inside my house, and they chirp at all hours of the night. Even if I come here in this sanctuary to pray – it is not quiet, because the ceiling fans are always running. And yet the peace that I feel when starting to pray – doesn’t mean that the noise goes away – it means to my focus us beyond it. The peace and quiet is in here and not out there. The Greek word for prayer means having an open conversation with God about whatever is on your heart. Trusting that God is a trusting, compassionate involved God who listens. The peace and quiet that we pray for is not just for us, it is for everyone in the world. That is the mission of every Christian to play a part in God bringing salvation to all of the world – everyone. In the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, a 26-year-old Briton by the name of Derek Redmond was favored to win the race. Halfway into his semifinal heat a torn hamstring sent fiery pain through his right leg, causing him to crumple to the track. As the medics came to his rescue, Derek scrambled to his feet hopping, pushing, in a crazed attempt to finish the race. That is when a big man pushed through the crowd toward the track. He wore a t-shirt with the question “Have you hugged your kid today?" He wore a cap that said, “Just do it!" The man was Jim Redmond, Derek's dad. When he got to his son he said, “Derek, you don't have to do this." Derek replied, “Yes I do." That is when big Jim put i True peace starts with a footstep . . . . a stride forward into God’s future. Or as Dante put it in one of the greatest quotes in the history of literature, “In his will is our peace.” ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Leonard Sweet Sermons, by Leonard Sweet We intercede for ourselves and others, because Christ is the great intercessor for us. • All means all - God in Christ erases the dividing lines and unites us, prayer practices and reinforces that belief (Thomas Oden, Interpretation: First and Second Timothy and Titus) : o All people should be prayed for (v.1) o All people should be saved (v. 4) o God is God of all people (v. 5) o Christ died as a ransom for all (v.6) o “Paul” proclaims this truth to all (v.7) One God, One mediator, One Christ It says that there is One God, One mediator, One Christ for all people. If there is one God for all people – then our hearts should be in one place. That is on the things of God. Prayer helps us to center our mind, body and spirit in that place. Amen. Song Take My Life and Let it Be UMH 399 Prayer Weeping God, we come to join in your tears for those people who are suffering. We weep for those fleeing from violence and oppression; for those falsely accused of rebellion, when only seeking for justice; for those searching for freedom to practice their faith; for those escaping from famine, flood, earthquake, or other natural disaster; for those seeking a better life, for all those looking for acceptance, hope and love in new places. Compassionate God, as we join with you in sorrow for these and other situations where fear, despair and danger are the ruling factors, show us how we can help. Guide us as we search for practical ways of offering assistance. Strengthen us in our fight against injustice and evil. Fill us with your Spirit of life, love and grace, so that we may become a part of your healing, comforting presence to those who need to find refuge and security. Amen ( Based on the Weeping God by ©Marjorie Dobson) Lord’s Prayer Stewardship Moment Invitation to the Offering (Luke 16) (don’t need to print) God, in Jesus Christ, has given us much to be faithful for. Our tithes, gifts, and offerings may seem little in comparison to God’s gifts to us, but we are called to be faithful over all that we have: our time, our talents, our gifts, and our service. When we give of ourselves, we practice the spiritual discipline of stewardship. When we are faithful over a few things in this life, in the life to come we may be faithful over much, much more. May God bless us in our giving, that God’s kingdom may be here with us on earth. Offering Prayer (Luke 16) Lord, we got up this morning, ate our breakfast, got dressed, and came to church— all to give you praise and thanksgiving. May these gifts be a blessing for those who had no bed this morning from which to arise; for those who had no breakfast and are hungry this day; for those who have no new clothes; for those who long to worship you but cannot. Take these gifts and use them as you will, O God. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen. (Erik Alsgaard, United Methodist Ministry Matters) Announcements Closing Prayer for Facebook Be faithful with little. Be faithful with much. Be faithful with what belongs to another. Be faithful with what is your own. Serve only one master. There is one God. We will serve this God alone. And may the grace, mercy, and peace of the one God be with you. Amen. (Nancy Townley, United Methodist Ministry Matters) Community Time Benediction Friends, our worship continues even as we leave this moment. Friends, we have gathered in joy to sing and pray and hear God’s word. We have come as friends, called friends by the Christ we follow. And now we are sent out into the world, to make friends. Let us be about the business we have been given. Let us go with God. Amen. (Derek Weber, United Methodist Discipleship Ministries) Additional Illustrations The best illustration of the cross is a story told long ago by that great British preacher, Charles Hadley Spurgeon. The radio newscaster Paul Harvey tells this story each year before Easter. Spurgeon was walking the streets of London deep in thought when he saw a young street boy. The lad was carrying an old, bent birdcage. Inside was a tiny field sparrow. Spurgeon stopped the boy and asked him what he was going to do with the bird. "Well," the boy said, "I think I'll play with it for a while, and then when I'm tired of playing with it- I think I'll kill it." He made that last comment with a wicked grin. Moved with compassion for the bird, Spurgeon asked, "How much would you sell me that bird for?" "You don't want this bird, mister," the boy said with a chuckle. "It's just a bloody field sparrow." But then he saw that the old gentleman was serious. "You can have this bird for two pounds," he said slyly. Two pounds at that time would be worth more than a hundred dollars today--an astronomical price for a bird worth only pennies. Spurgeon paid the price, and let the bird go free. The next morning, Easter Sunday morning, an empty bird cage sat on the pulpit of the great Metropolitan Tabernacle where Spurgeon preached. "Let me tell you about this cage," Spurgeon said as he began the sermon. Then he recounted the story about the little boy and how he had purchased the bird from him at a high cost. Then with great seriousness Spurgeon said, "I tell you this story because that's just what Jesus did for us. You see, an evil specter called sin had us caged up and unable to escape. But then Jesus came up to sin and said, 'What are you going to do with those people in that cage?' "'These people?' sin answered with a laugh. 'I'm going to teach them to hate each other. Then I'll play with them until I'm tired of them--and then I'll kill them.' Jesus asked, "'How much would it cost to buy them back?' "with a sly grin, Sin said, 'You don't want these people, Jesus. They'll only hate you and spit on you. They'll even nail you to a cross. But if you do want to buy them, it'll cost you all your tears and all your blood--your very life!’” Spurgeon concluded, "That, ladies and gentlemen, is just what Jesus did for us on the cross. He paid the ultimate, immeasurable price for all who would believe, that we might be free from the inescapable penalty of death." You have just heard the heartbeat of the Gospel, the best news that has ever warmed the hearts of humanity. If you have never personally received the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, come down front in just a moment, kneel here, and whisper to Christ these words: "I a sinner receive you as Savior and will follow you as Lord." ChristianGlobe Networks, Inc., Collected Sermons, by Bill Bouknight The pastoral epistles to Timothy and Titus were not to be read as theological edicts on the nature of church structure. These letters were directed toward real faith communities wrestling with particular problems. Like that group of Separatists at Plymouth Rock, these congregations were seeking to forge a life of faith and obedience to Christ amidst unfamiliar and sometimes hostile territory. Since Christ had not returned to take his followers to heaven's realm, the church was forced to grapple with the very real challenges of establishing heaven's dominion in their earthly domain. Imagine you only have a short time to prepare your successor in ministry. In that time you can only share a few of your insights. What would you tell him or her? There is a story told about a group of seminary students that went to visit an old historic church they had heard a lot about. When they entered the huge building, they were met by a gray-bearded gentleman they thought was the janitor. He offered to lead them on a tour through the facilities and answer any questions they had. They walked through the sanctuary, stood in the pulpit, and looked down from the balcony. When they had seen just about everything and asked every conceivable question they could come up with, the old gentleman asked a strange question, "Would you like to see what fires up this church?" They weren't really interested in touring the basement and seeing the boiler, but just to humor their host, they followed. They went down a narrow stairway to an area beneath the pulpit. As the gentleman opened the door, he said, "Behind this door is the secret of this great church. Everything that happens upstairs starts down here. This is where the fire in the pulpit begins." The old man, actually C. H. Spurgeon, the great preacher himself, opened the door to reveal several dozen people on their knees in fervent prayer. Spurgeon would always insist that the secret of any church, big or small, was the prayers of the people. It was Spurgeon who said, "I would rather teach one man to pray than ten men to preach." Ernest Hemingway wrote a story about a father and son who had a serious misunderstanding. In the story, the boy finally runs away from home. The father however, is not content to let his son go. In an effort to find the boy, the father puts an ad in the Madrid, Spain newspaper. It contained these words: Dear Paco, Meet me at the town square at noon on Sunday. All is forgiven...Your father That Sunday, 800 males by the name of Paco showed up at the town square. They all came seeking forgiveness from their fathers. Alexander Pope said, “To err is human, to forgive is divine." At the heart of the Christian faith lies the principle of forgiveness. Come let us take a closer look. A visit to Yellowstone Park discovered the only animal a bear would not fight for food is a skunk. With one swing of his powerful paw the bear could crush the skunk. So why does the bear allow the skunk to eat with him? Because he has discovered the high cost of getting even! When you check into a Sheraton hotel room these days you have a new message you can hang on your doorknob to keep the housekeeper away. Instead of “Do Not Disturb” the message now reads “Peace and Quiet.” The sign at Sheraton’s more upscale sister, The Westin, simply reads “Peace.” People are not just looking to keep disruptions and disturbances at bay. They are looking to find something positive. They are searching in life for some “peace and quiet.” Or if “quiet” is too much to ask, just some “Peace.” E. Stanley Jones, that great missionary/evangelist/writer once said that this is the great divide between Christianity and the world religions. Not that they do not have truth, not that they lack noble sentiments, gracious teaching, or gifted leaders. But in them, said Jones, the Word became word—a set of teachings, a morality, a religious framework. Only within Christianity does the Word become flesh. And it is that Word become flesh that offers human beings access to the Father. O Lord, our governor, your glory shines throughout the world. We commend our nation to your merciful care, that we may live securely in peace and may be guided by your providence. Give all in authority the wisdom and strength to know your will and to do it. Help them remember that they are called to serve the people as lovers of truth and justice; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.[2]