SCROLL DOWN FOR MAY 2 AND MAY 9
Welcome to Hunger Sermon Starters!
The lessons for each Sunday in the church year proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Also derived from a Sunday’s texts are lessons for the Christ-inspired and Christ-like life of God’s people. The comments here will help you find hunger-related threads – sermon starters – among the themes of this day’s texts. (We're presuming you have already done your exegetical work on the texts.) God bless your proclamation (and teaching) of what is most certainly true!
May 2, 2010 (Fifth Sunday of Easter)
Acts 11:1-18
This passage marks a large shift in the narrative. We are told in Acts 1:8 that the disciples would be witnesses in Judea, Samaria, and to the “ends of the earth.” Acts 1-8 narrates the first two movements. Acts 9 tells of Saul’s call to the Gentiles, and Acts 10 and 11 tell the story of the first Gentile convert. The rest of the book is occupied with the story of the spread of the Christian message across the Roman Empire.
Several features of the story point to its import. It is the longest narrated story in the entire book (66 verses; the second longest, Paul’s journey to Rome, is told in 63 verses). It is centrally located in the book. Visions and divine guidance move the narrative forward (Acts 2:17, citing Joel, tells us that visions and dreams will be signs of God’s activity and throughout the books dreams and visions guide key movements in the narrative). The point of the two chapters is well summarized by Peter’s rhetorical question in 10:17, “Who was I that I could hinder God?” The response of the other disciples affirms the conclusion: “Then God has given even to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”
So what does this text have to do with hunger? Too often the many “isms” of life (racism, classism, sexism, etc.) conspire against those who are poorest and most vulnerable. For example, according to Bread for the World, in the United States, one in four African Americans lives in poverty, compared to one in eight of the rest of the population. More than one in three African American children under 18 live below the federal poverty line (compared to one in five of the rest of the population). Around the world, women and children are the ones who suffer the most from extreme poverty.
This text marks a huge shift in the thinking of the disciples on how to treat those who were different than them. It was through visions and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit that they began to see the work that God was up to. The barriers were just as real then as they are now. What might God be calling us to do today?
Psalm 148 (13)
Revelation 21:1-6
This passage reminds us that God will redeem this earth and offers the promise that one day God’s reign will bring justice. There will be no place for sorrows as God wipes away every tear from the eyes of God’s people (21:4). In many ways this text underscores what God is about—working on behalf of God’s people, and restoring the good earth God created. As has been observed in many of the Easter texts, this world matters, as do people’s concrete struggles within it. It is a reminder to us to care for each other and the creation. God is in the business of redemption and invites us to participate in redemptive acts.
John 13:31-35
The mark of God’s people will be the love they have for one another. The commandment to love as Jesus loved comes just after Jesus washes the disciples’ feet. It also immediately follows Jesus’ interaction with Judas (even his betrayer was welcome at his table). To love as Jesus loved is to care for those who are poor and vulnerable. By doing this others will know we are Christ’s disciples.
David Creech
Director of Hunger Education, ELCA World Hunger
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Welcome to Hunger Sermon Starters!
The lessons for each Sunday in the church year proclaim God’s grace in Jesus Christ. Also derived from a Sunday’s texts are lessons for the Christ-inspired and Christ-like life of God’s people. The comments here will help you find hunger-related threads – sermon starters – among the themes of this day’s texts. (We're presuming you have already done your exegetical work on the texts.) God bless your proclamation (and teaching) of what is most certainly true!
May 9, 2010 (Sixth Sunday of Easter)
Since today is Mother’s day it would be an excellent opportunity to speak about the vital importance of women in alleviating hunger. The text from Revelation naturally leads to a discussion of how God stands against hunger (the Gospel of John, too, in its affirmation of familial love). Some statistics on women and hunger (pick and choose those that seem relevant):
w Women farmers grow more than half of all food in developing countries and up to 80% in parts of Africa.
w According to the Bread for the World Institute’s 2009 Hunger Report (p. 63):
§ “Women’s education has the greatest effect on reducing child malnutrition, accounting for 43% of the reduction in malnutrition in the developing world from 1970-1995.”
§ “In India’s economic transformation of the past 15 years, the World Bank finds that states with the highest percentage of women in the labor force grew the fastest and had the largest reductions in poverty.”
§ “The total value of women’s unpaid house and farm work adds one-third to the world’s gross national product.”
w Investment in women and girls yields high development returns:
§ An extra year of primary school boosts girls’ eventual wages by 10 to 20 percent. An extra year of secondary school: 15 to 25 percent.
§ When women and girls earn income, they reinvest 90 percent of it into their families, as compared to only 30 to 40 percent for a man.
w But, almost two-thirds of the world’s 850 million illiterate people are women.
§ In Brazil, Women who are illiterate have an average of six children. Women who have gone to school and can read have an average of two children.
§ Research in developing countries has shown a consistent relationship between better infant and child health and higher levels of schooling among mothers.
Acts 16:9-15
Psalm 67 (4)
Revelation 21:10, 22–22:5
This passage describes the coming of God’s kingdom. Several features of that kingdom are noteworthy, particularly in discussions of hunger and poverty. First the tree described in 22:2 bears fruit 12 months out of the year—food is always available. The image is borrowed from Ezekiel 47:12, but the twelve types of fruit is a new twist – perhaps emphasizing the abundance? The leaves of the tree are for “the healing of the nations.” Again, John has shifted the image from Ezekiel and added the phrase about the nations. These are the nations that had previously rebelled against God. They too now receive healing. This is a reminder of God’s promise to feed and heal. The last image is that of light—there is no need for lamps because God provides the light (22:5). In Matt 5:16 Jesus describes how our good deeds (our generosity) shine as a light to all people. While we wait for God to bring God’s kingdom, may we continue to shine by working with and on behalf of those who are poorest and most vulnerable.
John 14:23-29 or John 5:1-9
The passage from John 14 holds two promises—first that God will make a home with those who keep Jesus’ command (and his command is to love—here concrete acts of love can be used as illustrations) and second, the Advocate, the Holy Spirit will come to work with us. As we strive to do God’s work with our hands, we are not alone. God promises the Holy Spirit to work with us and reminds us of all that we are called to do.
David Creech
Director of Hunger Education, ELCA World Hunger
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