In Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale, The Emperor’s New Clothes, an arrogant and not-so-bright authoritarian dictator prioritizes his desire to appear well-dressed over his duty to lead. Obsessed with what others say about him and easily manipulated, the emperor appoints two incompetent weavers, who promise to provide him with the perfect outfit. His new suit would be invisible to anyone who is either incompetent or stupid.
The emperor had surrounded himself with loyal but incompetent officials who were responsible for managing production. Each cabinet member recognizes that the weavers aren’t really producing anything but pretend otherwise to avoid being seen as either fools or disloyal to the emperor.
When the emperor’s suit is finished, the weavers pretend to dress the emperor, and he holds a press conference, surrounded by trusted journalists. Everyone present uncomfortably goes along with the sham, not wanting to appear stupid or unloyal.
Suddenly, a child blurts out that the emperor is wearing nothing at all, and everyone realizes that they have all been fooled. The emperor appears shocked at first, but then continues as though he isn’t standing there completely naked.
The job report for last month was not good news and was even worse than economists expected. Our current president responded by firing the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More recently, the president fired Lisa Cook, a member of the nonpartisan and independent Federal Reserve Board of Governors, in an unprecedented and illegal move.
The firings were only the most recent examples of the current administration abusing its power to target perceived enemies. The administration continues to overturn decisions of independent government grant makers to cut off funding for scientific and medical research.
In a recent New York Times article, economic journalists Ben Casselman and Colby Smith presented a well-researched and alarming claim that our president is weakening the country’s economic advantage as the safest place in the world for investors to put their money and for entrepreneurs to build their businesses. This advantage allows the U.S. to borrow more affordably, grow more quickly, and recover from downturns more effectively than other countries.
“Individually, each move carries risks,” according to the article, with negative consequences. “Undermining Fed independence could lead to faster inflation. Meddling with economic statistics could drive up the government’s borrowing costs. Cutting research funding could threaten long-term economic growth.”
Pew Research has been tracking the public’s trust in government since 1958. Their research shows that trust in government has declined over the last sixty-seven years, when about 75% of Americans trusted the federal government to do the right thing almost always or most of the time. Today, that number is below 25%.
Meanwhile, in the stories from this week’s chapter of our companion book, Joy chose to trust God to be her eyes after receiving a frantic phone call from her husband, who was having a medical emergency. Joy was recovering from several eye surgeries that left her vision cloudy and her night vision impaired. Unfortunately, it was early morning, still dark, and winter had arrived.
Joy’s husband Steve had a heart attack on his way to work, but didn’t realize what was going on. He called his wife in a panic, who arrived along with an ambulance in time to save his life. Joy writes, “That day, I truly understood what that verse meant. When we are unable, God is able. When we are lost, He knows the path. When we cannot see, He will be our eyes. All we need do is ask, and trust.”
Unlike our federal government, which has understandably lost our trust, we can rely on God to act in our collective best interest. God never promised we wouldn’t face suffering at times. However, most suffering stems from our actions toward one another. Often, our values do not align with what God values.
Alberta’s story, as shared by Sharon, began with a reminder from the book of Proverbs. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5).
Alberta, at age 89, was heading to church on a dark January night, as she had done for years. Unaware that the roads were flooding, her car stalled, and she soon found herself in water that was quickly rising above her waist. Alberta managed to sit on the console with her feet on the dashboard while she waited for help. “Please God,” she prayed, “Send help. Save me.”
Two hours later, Alberta was rescued by boat after someone saw her stalled car and went to get help.
Whether it was Kathleen’s plea not to be harmed by a burglar, Sharon’s panic when she misplaced sentimental treasures, or Priscilla’s birthday miracle, the common theme for this week’s stories about the power of prayer is trust. In each story, God was nearby and trustworthy.
We don’t always get what we pray for, thankfully. God comes through, however, with a response that reflects divine love. God values us much more than we value one another. Too often, we value material wealth and adoration from others instead of one another.
One day, after Jesus told a story about mismanaging money, He concluded by saying, “You cannot serve both God and money.” Luke tells us that when the Pharisees heard this, they made fun of Jesus, because they loved money.
You cannot serve both God and money.
Luke 16:13-15
Jesus responded to their ridicule with, “You are the ones who make yourselves look right in other people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For the things that are considered of great value by people are worth nothing in God’s sight.”
You can join us each Sunday in person or online by clicking the button on our website’s homepage. Click here to watch. This button takes you to our YouTube channel. You can find more information about us on our website at FlintAsburyChurch.org.
This is a reminder that we publish a weekly newsletter called the Circuit Rider. You can request this publication by email by sending a request to FlintAsburyUMC@gmail.com, or let us know when you send a message through our website. We post an archive of past editions on our website under Connect – choose Newsletters.
Pastor Tommy
Our series was inspired by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, and LeAnn Thieman. Chicken Soup for the Soul: Answered Prayers: 101 Stories of Hope, Miracles, Faith, Divine Intervention, and the Power of Prayer. Cos Cob, CT: Chicken Soup for the Soul, 2011.
Hans Christian Andersen. “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” © Wikipedia, August 2025. Retrieved from: link
Ben Casselman and Colby Smith. “Trump’s Attacks on Institutions Threaten a Bulwark of Economic Strength.” © New York Times, Aug. 22, 2025. Retrieved from: link
“Public Trust in Government: 1958-2024.” © Pew Research Center, June 24, 2024. Retrieved from: link