Tag Archives: name-calling

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God Says, “Don’t Be Afraid!”

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God Says, “Don’t Be Afraid!”

Jeremiah 1:4-10 (1:5) – August 24, 2025

Babies can be wonderful. The coming of a baby into the world is certainly a big event, with all the attendant hustle and bustle, all of the excitement and exhaustion. With all the babies that have been born into this world over the millenia, we’re going to look at one baby in particular … the prophet Jeremiah.

Here in the first chapter of Jeremiah, we can take a peek at God’s perspective on the birth of a baby. When we look at verse 1:4, the LORD is saying to Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you.” Wow. God knew Jeremiah before Jeremiah was just a tiny group of cells, growing inside of his mother’s uterus. Double wow. The same thing could be said about countless other people, too. God knew me before I was born. The Lord knew everyone in this room, too. It is truly awesome to think about how intimately God knows each one of us.

King David talks about this in Psalm 139. We get another glimpse at how intimately God is acquainted with each one of us. Starting at verse 13, “For it was You who formed my inward parts, You knit me together in my mother’s womb. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.” We can see that God surely knows us, far better than we know ourselves.

We are celebrating going back to school this Sunday. God knows each and every student who is returning to school, and I believe the Lord is watching over every school, every training program, and all internships, all over the world. When I prayed the Blessing of the Backpacks, I was thinking of not only the students associated with this church, but all students, across this country and in the whole wide world. Bless each one!

Which brings me back to the young Jeremiah. This is the beginning, the first chapter of his very challenging prophetic book. Our Scripture reading today is Jeremiah’s call story, when he was just a young teenager. He was not even a grown-up! And, God called out Jeremiah for a special purpose, as we can see: “7 But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.”

 We can all remember times at school when certain kids were picked on. Perhaps even you or a friend or brother or sister of yours was called names! Usually, to establish some sort of pecking order in the classroom. “Still, most name calling makes people look ‘less’ in the eyes of people around them.” [1]  What were – what are – some of those names? Sadly, I can identify some of the names, like wimp, bully, jock, geek, baby, sissy, cry-baby, bird brain, smarty pants, etc. that are hurled at others.

Just think of how differently people look and feel when we say instead “child of God.” Because, that is exactly what each of us is! Each one of us is a unique creation of God, and each one of us is fearfully and wonderfully made! And, God knows each of us, intimately!

God mentions all this to Jeremiah, because God was watching Jeremiah from the very beginning. And, God saw Jeremiah even before he was born, and God appointed him a prophet, “This, of course, came as startling news to Jeremiah who, apparently, had not had any previous inkling that this could be his life’s work. Maybe it did not even sound that good to him, either. In any event, he starts to do what any number of divinely appointed figures in the Bible have done: he resists the call. He makes up an excuse.” [2]

We can see that Jeremiah did not feel ready to do what God wanted.  “I’m too young. I’m not a public speaker. What could a child like me have to say anyway, and who’d listen even if I tried? No, no, Sovereign God, you’ve got the wrong guy. I’m no one special!”

Be sure that God sometimes calls each of us to do things we feel we are not ready to do or that we are not brave enough to try. That happens in offices, on the factory or hospital floor, in all kinds of classes and just hanging out at school. “When it does, our challenge is to remember what God told Jeremiah: God had given him everything he needed and God would be with him helping him know what to do and say.” [3]

We can see from this Scripture reading that God touched Jeremiah. God put His hand on the teenager. Wow. What an awesome thing, having the God of the universe call on Jeremiah … and to think that God can put His hand on you and on me, too. But—funny thing—God doesn’t always call us in the way that we expect, or in the way that we want God to, but God is always there for us. God is always available to each of us. God calls each one of us, in God’s timing.

Here is an example of an everyday person who was called by God, saw a need, and stepped up to the plate. One of my commentators tells the story:

“Most people I have ever heard speaking of their start in vocations similar to those of Moses and Jeremiah begin not with a burning bush or an audible voice, but with a deep conviction that whatever else they may do, and no matter how they might or might not establish their bona fides, it is the task itself that draws them in. Eula Hall, who describes herself as a ‘hillbilly activist,’ an Appalachian woman with an eighth-grade education and a burning sense of purpose, told me many years ago how she came to found the Mud Creek Health Clinic in southeastern Kentucky to provide health care for the poor: “I looked, and I said to myself, ‘taint right like this, no medical service here, taint right. Somebody needs to act.’ I guess that somebody was me.” [4]

Often now in such a time as this which is like no other many of us have known, we would do well to hear Jeremiah’s call as our own. For God extends not only the call, but also promises to accompany us as we seek to follow. [5] It doesn’t matter our age, young, elderly, or in the middle. It doesn’t matter where we are, at home, school, work, or on the street.

Yes, God called Jeremiah. Yes, God touched Jeremiah. And God calls to each of us today. God was with Jeremiah through the difficult times of his life and ministry, and the Lord promises to be with us, too, through thick and thin, through the difficult times as well as the wonderful times. We can forever be thankful that God is always there with us.  Alleluia, amen!

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] https://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2016/07/year-c-proper-16-21st-sunday-in.html

[2] https://cepreaching.org/commentary/2016-01-25/jeremiah-14-10/

[3] https://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2016/07/year-c-proper-16-21st-sunday-in.html

[4] https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/fourth-sunday-after-epiphany-3/commentary-on-jeremiah-14-10

[5] https://dancingwiththeword.com/the-call-of-jeremiah-still-speaks/

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What about the Tongue?

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“What about the Tongue?”

James 3:1-12 (3:1-12) – September 15, 2024

How many of us can remember that old playground saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names can never hurt me!” children and young people may put on a brave face when they are teased, hurt and picked on. Children and young people can be particularly mean, teasing each other, with left-handed compliments, and even downright insults. But, what insight does this Bible reading from James give us about this very problem?

Let’s hear again these serious words from James. “Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! 6 And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It sets on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself. 7 We humans are able to tame and have tamed all other creatures—wild animals and birds, reptiles and fish. 8 But no one has ever been able to tame the tongue. It is evil and uncontrollable, full of deadly poison.”

Such a little part of the body – the tongue! And yet, despite the playground saying, the tongue can really hurt. “When people are called nasty, dirty names they know what the name caller thinks of them – and that hurts. Those people can be strong, not believe the name caller, and work to prove they are better than the name caller claims. But, it still hurts.” [1]

Names can cause pain, internally. The hurt feelings can smart and fester for a long time. And sometimes, people remember mean words, nasty words or harsh words years after they heard them. Sometimes even decades later. Words can come back to haunt us – either words we have said, or words we have heard. Internalized. Taken to heart.         

Who hasn’t been on the receiving end of a nasty argument, or mean, angry words? Sometimes, words can even change the way we think about ourselves.

Our letter-writer James would whole-heartedly agree. Remember, in this letter the apostle James writes a manual of Christian living. A how-to book on how to live a life pleasing to God.

The big problem with mean, hasty or thoughtless words is that they cannot be unsaid. Once the words have been said out loud – or, sometimes worse, printed electronically in social media – the mean or hasty or thoughtless words are out there in public, whether texts, or tweets or TikTok. These various kinds of words cannot be taken back. And, James cautions all of us on the danger of a tongue that just flaps in the wind! Or, as James says, burns like a forest fire or is fast acting as deadly poison!

Commentator Rev. Dr. Derek Weber thinks further about mean, nasty name-calling and the destructive nature of words. “In our normal catalog of sins, gossip is somewhere far down the list. We are much more concerned about other kinds of misbehavior. James would have us reconsider our hierarchy [of sins] and raise our awareness of the power of words to bring harm to the body of Christ.” [2]  

In Yiddish folklore, there is a story about a woman who would gossip and make false accusations about her neighbors. She never understood the implications of her words until the wise rabbi of her village decided to demonstrate it to her. He told her to get a feather pillow, cut the top off, and run around town with it. As she did that, the feathers flew away and fluttered all around the town. The wise rabbi then told her to collect all of the feathers that flew away and put them back in the pillow. She just couldn’t. It was an impossible task, she told him. “Maybe now you will understand,” he explained, “for you see, your words are like those feathers. Once they get out, it’s impossible to put them all back in.”

Our letter-writer James would so much agree! “As God’s children we are to be careful how we use the power of words. We are called to bless rather than harm, to seek justice and peace for all rather than revenge or harm.” [3] And, I do not want any of us to think that God is just a frowning or disapproving Supreme Being in the sky, ready to hurl thunder bolts at anyone who sins and lets their tongue run on and is a name caller and a gossip.

No, God is serious about sin, that is true! However, we can think of God our Heavenly Parent sort of like a well-loved elder who you and I love and cherish so much, who we do not want to disappoint, who we very much want to do our very best for!

Let’s flip this around, and look at our words from a positive light. Recall how you felt when someone said good, positive things to you or about you. How did you feel, deep down inside? Just think hard about the positive, beneficial impact of these words! James tells us we can certainly bless one another, just as much as we let slip mean or hateful words!

How can we build up each other with our words? What kind of effect would positive affirmations, sincere compliments and just plain being kind have on our daily interactions? I mean all of our interactions, it doesn’t matter with who. Family, friends, acquaintances, even people you meet on the street. Even people who don’t look like us, or speak our language, or wear familiar clothes. Maybe, especially different folks!

I offer the following challenge: find ways of blessing others through kind words, affirmations, and positive reinforcement. Look for everyday opportunities! Try it for the next week, and then the week after that. This is as much a challenge for me as it is for you! Please, find ways of blessing others. [4]  Remember, in this letter the apostle James writes a manual of Christian living. A how-to book on how to live a life pleasing to God. James encourages us to bless each other.

Please, consider turning to your neighbor, to the person in the next pew, and saying, “God bless you!” “God be with you!” Do it, right now. Please. That’s the way to live pleasing to God.

Finally, how would Jesus speak? Would Jesus say kind, helpful, encouraging, positive words? Would Jesus bless people? Do that. And, God will be so pleased!

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

[1] http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2012/08/year-b-proper-19-24th-sunday-in.html

[2] https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/worship-planning/doers-of-the-word/sixteenth-sunday-after-pentecost-year-b-lectionary-planning-notes/sixteenth-sunday-after-pentecost-year-b-preaching-notes

[3] https://www.stewardshipoflife.org/2012/09/the-gratitude-attitude/

[4] Ibid.

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Go, Be Reconciled!

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“Go, Be Reconciled!”

Matthew 5:21-26 (5:24) – February 12, 2023

            Fred Rogers is one of my heroes. Truly! Mister Rogers and his television neighborhood was on my television regularly for each of my small (and not-so-small) children. I believe I watched the majority of his television shows, over the years of my children’s toddlerhood, preschool and primary school years.

            What makes Fred Rogers truly special to me is not only his acceptance of people – each individual – exactly the way that they are, but also his knowledge and understanding of the full range of emotions felt by those people. All of the emotions, even the difficult and hurtful ones.

            One of the songs he wrote for his television show was “What Do You Do with the Mad that You Feel?” What a fitting question, especially considering the Scripture reading we have in front of us this morning! Jesus brings up that very question, and goes into more detail concerning how people felt, spoke and acted when they were angry.

This way of feeling, speaking and acting was just as true two thousand years ago as it is today. And, Mister Rogers’ sincere words to that song are just as striking and heartfelt for all humans, whenever and wherever they might be living on this earth.

            Jesus’s words are striking, too: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca’ [or, stupid idiot!], is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

            We all get angry, from time to time. And, some of us get angry more often. But, just like Mister Rogers asks in his song, what DO we do with the mad that we feel? Yes, if people commit murder, that action is really reprehensible! Jesus quotes or refers to one of the big laws from the Ten Commandments, from the Law of Moses. Do you hear that Jesus goes even further than that? Jesus says bad language and name-calling are just as bad as actual murder.

            Commentator Carolyn Brown, retired director of Children’s Ministry, has the following thoughts for the emotions and repercussions that can happen in these verses. “Everyone gets angry. It just happens. Good people get angry as often as bad people do. Adults, teenagers, and children all get angry. So, the question is, “what do you do when you get angry?” [1] This is so similar to Fred Rogers and his song “What Do You Do with the Mad that You Feel?”

            Let’s take a biblical example of bottled-up or unaddressed anger. Remember Joseph, from the Hebrew Scripture book of Genesis? Joseph’s big brothers were angry: Joseph was their father’s favorite, he got a special coat of many colors, plus he told his whole family his dreams in which they all bowed down to him. “When they got the chance they threw Joseph in a pit and were going to leave him there (murder), except they sold him to traders (definitely a sin).” [2]

            I suspect this biblical example, plus many more, were what was in Jesus’s thoughts as He delivered this important early sermon at the beginning of His ministry. How much of the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus giving the crowd hard and strict rules? Hard rules for relationships, and strict rules for living life? Or…do you think that Jesus is more concerned about personal spiritual growth? How each individual – how you and I and our friend or relative or stranger, for that matter – how each one goes about doing the job of personal spiritual growth?

Don’t you think that Jesus would be far more concerned about each person’s spiritual growth with God than about mindlessly following strict rules for the sake of rule-following? But, wait – there’s more! Much more.

Jesus goes on to say, “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

It’s not only me, personally.  Or rather, yes, I do need to be aware of what is going on inside of me! I can’t sweep these personal mad, angry feelings under the rug, and forget about them. What’s more, I need to be emotionally aware of what is going on with those around me! We all do! If we see that our relative, our friend, our acquaintance has something against us, we are not supposed to just turn our backs and forget about it. No! We need to name the problem that makes us – or makes them – angry, and figure out something to do about it!

You and I – we need to stop our worship, stop in the middle of the worship service, or communion, even! And, go. “The Bible says, “be reconciled” with the person who made you angry.  That means work it out with them. Figure out how to solve the problem between you. That is not easy. Frequently it helps to get advice or help from other people.” [3] Do what it takes to be reconciled, to make sure that relationship is repaired, renewed, and close once again.  

When it comes to anger and relationships, Fred Rogers had a lot of wisdom in this particular area. He said, “Finding constructive ways to express our anger, whether we’re parents or children, is one of life’s important jobs.” What would help us grow closer to God, especially when we think of our problem relationships? What would Jesus suggest to us?

Some suggestions? Don’t stay angry: fix things as best you can. Mean what you say and do it! And, relationships are well worth working on!

Jesus will be delighted that we are taking Him at His word. And, that’s the Gospel truth.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

(Thanks to Carolyn Brown and her blog post on Year A – Sixth Sunday after Epiphany, Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (February 16, 2014) – commentary on Matthew 5:20-37,

http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2014/01/year-sixth-sunday-after-epiphany-sixth.html

[1] http://worshipingwithchildren.blogspot.com/2014/01/year-sixth-sunday-after-epiphany-sixth.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.