Paragraphs from SSCSJ
Paragraphs from Sacred Steps: Children’s Sermon Journal for August 19, 2012. Subscribers receive commentary, exegesis, and ideas for crafting the children’s sermon based on the Lectionary texts each week via email. Some subscribers use this resource with Sunday school classes of all ages and some preaching ministers use it as part of their sermon preparation.
Psalm 111
The psalmist celebrates God’s saving acts in the story of Israel: the Exodus from Egypt (v 9a), the giving of manna and quail in the wilderness (v 4a), the covenant at Sinai (v 9b), and the giving of the Promise Land (v 6b). In addition, Ps 111 describes key characteristics of both God and what God does: honor and majesty (v 3a), righteousness (v 3b), wonderful (v 4a), gracious and merciful (4b), faithful and just (v 7a), trustworthy (v 7b), and holy and awesome (v 9c). All of these things are reasons to praise the LORD. Clearly, Ps 111 is to be sung by a community that has experienced blessings from God and is in a secure place. It would not be appropriate for those who are suffering and have experienced God as anything but “gracious and merciful”. Thankfully, the Psalter contains both praise and lament, along with every other emotion in between. Are you in a place where you can sing Ps 111? Is your congregation? What list of Divine actions and attributes would you/your congregation create?
1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14
A visit from God is exactly what Solomon receives, and the content of this vision is one question: “Ask, what shall I grant you” (I Kgs 3:5b)? This seems to be an unprecedented opportunity; the king can ask God for anything he wants, and God will give him whatever he asks. One might imagine a request for wealth, though as a king, Solomon probably already has all that he needs or wants. Will he ask for power? Again, does a king need more power? Does Solomon want to live a long life? Well, as a wealthy man, he will probably outlive his peers (unless there is a coup). Instead, Solomon thanks God for the divine grace extended to both his father and him. Then, he confesses that he might be a bit too young and inexperienced to rule over a nation at this point. Solomon’s comment in v 8 (“I am a young lad, with no experience in leadership”) is more literally rendered as “I am a lad, [and I] do not know to go out or come in.” This Hebrew idiom reminds me of a couple of sayings we have in English for those we deem either foolish or inexperienced. “She/he does not whether she/he are coming or going.” “He/she does not have sense enough to come in out of the rain.” Whatever translation we use, the implication is clear; Solomon feels unprepared to take his father’s place on the throne. What Solomon really needs, and what he requests, is wisdom. “Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and evil; for who can govern this your great people” (v 9)? Again, the Hebrew of this verse is more revealing. The “understanding mind” is literally translated as a “listening heart”; Israel saw the heart as the seat of decision-making. The verb, “judge”, can also have the sense of “leading, guiding, or administering justice” (e.g., the way Deborah “judged” Israel). Solomon wants God to give him what it will take to make good decisions and to govern justly.
Ephesians 5:15-20
As I’ve read the biblical texts this year, a line from the old TV series, “Mission Impossible,” has rattled around in my brain, “Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is . . .” This epistle reading offers the opportunity, if you choose to accept it, to ponder the mystery of wisdom and reflect on one’s own living as a “wise” or “foolish” person. How balanced is your life, overall, between being wise and being foolish? It is easy to name the wise and foolish sitting in the pews next to you, at work, or in your neighborhood. CSPAN, the news divisions of the TV Networks, and 24hr cable news demonstrate the wise and foolish in culture, government, and around the world every day. It is the foolish that attract the most attention and coverage. What does that say about our culture? There is no lack of “foolish” and “wise” within Christianity around the world or in your community. There are as many “hucksters” and believers selling foolish wisdom as there are Christian consumers and consuming seekers trying to fill a void in their lives. What does that say about Christianity? The question underneath the text is about that void and how believers and seekers try to fill it. It is also about with what believers and seekers choose to fill it.
John 6:51-58
Communion, Eucharist, or the Lord’s Supper, no matter what you call this part of your worship experience, this gospel text highlights imagery, words, and common arguments that continue in the life of Christendom. Is Jesus speaking in metaphor, is he cannibalizing his tradition, or transubstantiating common elements from daily life into a divine buffet of forgiveness for generations after? The answer depends on your expression of Christian faith and its traditions. But, notice in John that there are no words that consecrate, institute, or mysteriously alter bread and wine into body and blood. Jesus is making comparisons about his being, his presence, and his understanding of God. It is the gospel writers way of incarnating divinity in Christ.
Jesus abides. That idea, “abides”, appears again, as Jesus describes the kind of presence he will have with followers and believers. That presence is like the one Jesus experiences with God, whom he calls, “Father.” Bread and wine were sustaining staples, everyday items, in his context. What are pantry staples for you? In our technological context, it is like Jesus claiming to be “the Cloud,” “Google Drive,” or “Dropbox” — always accessible from any device that is connected just as God is always accessible. That could be the good news of God of which Jesus speaks through the gospel writers that Jesus offers us meaning-filled eternal life for those how have eyes to see and ears to hear.