For September 26, 2010
Today we look at the final piece of advice the writer of 1 Timothy gives in Paul’s name to Timothy but really intends for people like you and me. He speaks to the benefits of a life of faith and warns against listening to alleged religious leaders who will lead Timothy, and certainly us, down the wrong path.
Before reading the scripture take a moment to reflect on the benefits in your life from walking a life of faith, as imperfect as our steps on that walk may be. How have you been blessed and what do you think has changed in the things that are important to you in the way in which you live and priorities you set daily?
1 Timothy 6
6-8A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough.
9-10But if it's only money these leaders are after, they'll self-destruct in no time. Lust for money brings trouble and nothing but trouble. Going down that path, some lose their footing in the faith completely and live to regret it bitterly ever after.
11-12But you, Timothy, man of God: Run for your life from all this. Pursue a righteous life—a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. Run hard and fast in the faith. Seize the eternal life, the life you were called to, the life you so fervently embraced in the presence of so many witnesses.
· What does the writer tell us we should and should not expect from a devout life? Are there religious leaders who declare that a devout life will bring material wealth? Are there other things/benefits that religious leaders promise that you feel are misleading?
· Have you experienced the rich simplicity of being yourself before God? This speaks to a very different idea of wealth. What must go and what must we develop in order to reach this kind of relationship with God? Can you think of anyone who would be an example for you of living this way?
· We know that we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless; the problem is living the in-between. Do you think that the writer would find fault with working to have the resources to feed and clothe ourselves and our family? What is the point of departure; how do we know when we are losing our way and straying off the path of a spiritual journey? Do we have to be below some level of wealth or possessions to be ourselves with God?
· How does the writer describe the downside of living with a lust for money? Does your life’s experience confirm this observation? Has losing footing in the faith ever happened to you or someone you know of?
· The writer tells us what to run from but also what to run to, a life of wonder, faith, love, steadiness, courtesy. What practical advice might you give someone about finding these things based on your spiritual journey? What questions do you have about how to incorporate them into your life?
· What does the writer say we should seize? What advice would you give someone about seeking both these blessings and at the same time dealing with the realities of providing the material things we need?
· What does the writer’s use of the word seize and run hard and fast in the faith say about the nature of our competing priorities in life? Is seeking the path to a faith filled life easy? What are some things that have energized your faith journey?
1 Timothy 6
13-16I'm charging you before the life-giving God and before Christ, who took his stand before Pontius Pilate and didn't give an inch: Keep this command to the letter, and don't slack off. Our Master, Jesus Christ, is on his way. He'll show up right on time, his arrival guaranteed by the Blessed and Undisputed Ruler, High King, High God. He's the only one death can't touch, his light so bright no one can get close. He's never been seen by human eyes—human eyes can't take him in! Honor to him, and eternal rule! Oh, yes.
17-19Tell those rich in this world's wealth to quit being so full of themselves and so obsessed with money, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Tell them to go after God, who piles on all the riches we could ever manage—to do good, to be rich in helping others, to be extravagantly generous. If they do that, they'll build a treasury that will last, gaining life that is truly life.
· What do you think is the point of the writer’s illustration of Christ before Pilate? Do you see Jesus’ life as one of running hard and fast in the faith? What have you taken from his life and incorporated into your spiritual journey?
· The writer gives us his testimony about Jesus, who he is the promise of his return. How do you understand the relationship between God’s work in Jesus and you own life. In one group several images of Christ were discussed:
Christ as sacrifice for our sins
Christ as victory thru his resurrection
Christ brings us God’s forgiveness for our sins
Christ as liberation and reconnection – thru our baptism and birth in the Spirit
Christ as a moral example
Christ as a sign of God’s love
· Verses 17-19 seem to say that it is OK to be rich under certain conditions. First, what is your definition of rich? When do we enter that realm? Do you in any way consider yourself rich? Can we be rich in things other than material wealth that we should not hoard?
· Two of the richest men in the world have donated the bulk of their wealth to the Gates Foundation (Bill Gates and Warren Buffet). Bill Gates has also called upon the very wealthy, particularly in our country, to pledge a percentage of their personal wealth to worthy causes. What do you think motivates them, what had to happen to essentially give away almost everything that their business careers has brought to them?
· What examples inspire you in the choices you make in managing your material possessions? Do you think that you spiritual journey has changed your thinking about this important facet of our life and living?
Closing Litany
Don't put your life in the hands of experts
who know nothing of life, of salvation life.
Mere humans don't have what it takes;
when they die, their projects die with them.
Instead, get help from the God of Jacob,
put your hope in God and know real blessing!
God's in charge—always.
Zion's God is God for good!
Hallelujah!
Next Week’s Scriptures: Luke 17:5-10, 2 Timothy 1:1-14, Psalm 137 or Psalm 37:1-9, Lamentations 1:1-6; Lamentations 3:19-26
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
First Priority - Prayer
For September 19, 2010
It is helpful to use this blog as a discussion starter for two or more people but it will also stimulate some thoughts if used by one reader. The material is used by a Sunday Study Group at Hamilton Christian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.
The letters to Timothy were probably written after Paul’s lifetime by someone who was familiar with his teachings. It was written at a time in which the faithful had come to terms with the fact that Jesus’ return was not imminent. They formed faith communities which would have had questions and sought guidance for their life together their relationship with the world in which they lived. This scripture contains some advice typical of that found in the two letters: It was also a time with many different interpretations of Christ; who he was and what his presence meant, all competing to be the mainstream Christian theology.
It is helpful to use this blog as a discussion starter for two or more people but it will also stimulate some thoughts if used by one reader. The material is used by a Sunday Study Group at Hamilton Christian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.
The letters to Timothy were probably written after Paul’s lifetime by someone who was familiar with his teachings. It was written at a time in which the faithful had come to terms with the fact that Jesus’ return was not imminent. They formed faith communities which would have had questions and sought guidance for their life together their relationship with the world in which they lived. This scripture contains some advice typical of that found in the two letters: It was also a time with many different interpretations of Christ; who he was and what his presence meant, all competing to be the mainstream Christian theology.
1 Timothy 2
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.
4-7He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
1-3The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.
4-7He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we've learned: that there's one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.
Prayer
· How important does prayer seem to be to the writer? What is your personal experience; how important has prayer been to your faith journey? If prayer brings so many benefits why does it seem that we need to be encouraged to pray; what keeps it from being self evident and contagious?
Martha Grace Reese has written in Unbinding the Gospel:
After years of talking with pastors and laypeople in churches that are thriving and churches that are failing, I am clear that the only way to do ministry successfully, to lead a church or to live a life in today’s United States is to pray deeply. We must hand ourselves over to God in clear-headed, accountable, non-naïve prayer. We need to rely as much on God for pragmatic guidance as we can stand! Without God vividly in the mix, we drift, life declines.
· What is your reaction to her conclusion? How do you feel about the role of prayer in our faith community’s life? Do you feel that we have grown in the past year in relying on prayer? How? What else should we be doing?
· Do you think that these words can also apply to our personal prayer life? Is it really natural to rely as much on God for pragmatic guidance as we can stand?
· How do you feel about praying with others? Is this something we should strive for in our personal and congregational prayer lives?
Pray For Everyone You Know
· What person has given you the most personal grief in the recent past? How do you feel about praying for them and what would you pray for?
· What group or groups do you feel most threaten us as a country? What might we pray for them and ourselves?
· What is the purpose of praying for everyone? Could it be the first words from verses 4-7, “He wants not only us but everyone saved”? How should this impact the nature of our prayers?
Pray For Our Rulers
· What was the environment for Christians at the time; what percentage of the population were they, how were they treated, what influence did they have in society? What role did the people have in the selection and influence on their rulers and governments?
· Based on the above realities what reason is given for praying for their leadership; what does the writer want for them?
· What should we include in our prayers for the government in today’s reality? How should a spiritual person connect with the politics and policies of governing the country? Should we be seeking going quietly about our business or something else? Should one of our prayers be for Christian leadership or something else?
Salvation
· One of the major reasons for prayer is seeking salvation for all, what are some of the reasons scripture and sermons say we should be seeking salvation? What has been your experience with personal salvation; what have you connected with as benefits during your faith journey?
· What do you think is behind it all, why does God provide for and desire that all find salvation?
· What is the path to salvation given to us by the writer? If you were to describe your path to salvation what words would you use and what has helped you move closer to God?
· Should we pray for people who are devoted to God through another faith? Should we be concerned about them? In the end who sets the terms of any individual’s salvation and what should our role be in supporting other seekers?
Closing Prayer
Closing Prayer
O Holy Spirit impart to us thoughts higher than our own, and prayers better than our own, and powers beyond our own, that we may spend and be spent in the ways of love and goodness. Amen. Eric Milner-White
Next Week’s Scriptures: Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15, Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16. 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31
Next Week’s Scriptures: Jeremiah 32:1-3, 6-15, Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16. 1 Timothy 6:6-19, Luke 16:19-31
Monday, September 13, 2010
What God Requires
For September 12, 2010
We have experienced many wonderful and despicable acts which have been carried out by people who testify that they are acting in accord with God’s wishes, doing what they feel God requires of the faithful. Today we take a look at some contemporary controversial topics and the response of those who count themselves among the faithful. First some thoughts from one of the Old Testament prophets about God’s desires:
Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
The question that begins this scripture seems to concern ritual sacrifices given as an act of worship of God.
1. What is the crux of the question, what does the questioner want to know and be confident about? What does he want to accomplish through the sacrifices? What does he seems to acknowledge about himself?
2. How might we frame the question today? We do not offer sacrifices as acts of contemporary worship, what would you want to ask God about to give you more confidence that your were acting in a way pleasing to God?
3. Where does the questioner seem to be focused in asking the question, what seems to be his understanding of the priorities God has for our living in a way pleasing to God?
God responds with an answer that might have surprised the questioner:
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
1. What is the focus of the response, does it include any of the components of our traditional understanding of worship?
2. According to Micah, God requires three things of us. What might we use to measure our faithfulness in incorporating them into our spiritual lives? What are some of the impediments to our response to these imperatives?
• Do Justice
• Love Kindness
• Walk Humbly with God
3. What might you add to this list based on your spiritual journey? Can Micah’s assessment of what God requires be expanded?
Let’s look at some contemporary items from the news and examine them based on our discussion:
Burning of the Koran:
• What rights does the minister have under our system to carry out his threat to burn the Koran on 9/11? Does he have any legal constraints?
• What arguments does he offer as a basis for this symbolic act? Are there any other arguments, justified or not, which would support this action?
• What questions and possible answers are there as we reflect on the controversy in the light of the three responses God gives about living spiritually?
Location of the Mosque in New York
• What rights does the group planning the construction of the mosque have under our system? Are there any legal constraints?
• What are the arguments in support of and in opposition to the project?
• Based on our reading from Micah what should be the faith community’s response to the project?
Healthcare
Forget the brouhaha about the healthcare legislation for the moment and try to focus on the issue based our study today:
• Do all people have a right (do we have a moral obligation to provide) access to basic medical services? What arguments are there in support and opposition to this concept?
• How would you apply the teachings from Micah to this issue? How might we apply them as an appropriate response to this question, are any actions suggested for us as individuals or a faith community? Should we see our response limited to support or opposition to governmental actions?
Closing Litany – From Psalm 103
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
From everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Amen
Next Week’s Scriptures: Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1 or Amos 8:4-7, Psalm 79:1-9 or Psalm 113, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Luke 16:1-13
We have experienced many wonderful and despicable acts which have been carried out by people who testify that they are acting in accord with God’s wishes, doing what they feel God requires of the faithful. Today we take a look at some contemporary controversial topics and the response of those who count themselves among the faithful. First some thoughts from one of the Old Testament prophets about God’s desires:
Micah 6:6-8
With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt-offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with tens of thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?’
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
The question that begins this scripture seems to concern ritual sacrifices given as an act of worship of God.
1. What is the crux of the question, what does the questioner want to know and be confident about? What does he want to accomplish through the sacrifices? What does he seems to acknowledge about himself?
2. How might we frame the question today? We do not offer sacrifices as acts of contemporary worship, what would you want to ask God about to give you more confidence that your were acting in a way pleasing to God?
3. Where does the questioner seem to be focused in asking the question, what seems to be his understanding of the priorities God has for our living in a way pleasing to God?
God responds with an answer that might have surprised the questioner:
He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
1. What is the focus of the response, does it include any of the components of our traditional understanding of worship?
2. According to Micah, God requires three things of us. What might we use to measure our faithfulness in incorporating them into our spiritual lives? What are some of the impediments to our response to these imperatives?
• Do Justice
• Love Kindness
• Walk Humbly with God
3. What might you add to this list based on your spiritual journey? Can Micah’s assessment of what God requires be expanded?
Let’s look at some contemporary items from the news and examine them based on our discussion:
Burning of the Koran:
• What rights does the minister have under our system to carry out his threat to burn the Koran on 9/11? Does he have any legal constraints?
• What arguments does he offer as a basis for this symbolic act? Are there any other arguments, justified or not, which would support this action?
• What questions and possible answers are there as we reflect on the controversy in the light of the three responses God gives about living spiritually?
Location of the Mosque in New York
• What rights does the group planning the construction of the mosque have under our system? Are there any legal constraints?
• What are the arguments in support of and in opposition to the project?
• Based on our reading from Micah what should be the faith community’s response to the project?
Healthcare
Forget the brouhaha about the healthcare legislation for the moment and try to focus on the issue based our study today:
• Do all people have a right (do we have a moral obligation to provide) access to basic medical services? What arguments are there in support and opposition to this concept?
• How would you apply the teachings from Micah to this issue? How might we apply them as an appropriate response to this question, are any actions suggested for us as individuals or a faith community? Should we see our response limited to support or opposition to governmental actions?
Closing Litany – From Psalm 103
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
From everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.
Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
Amen
Next Week’s Scriptures: Jeremiah 8:18 - 9:1 or Amos 8:4-7, Psalm 79:1-9 or Psalm 113, 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Luke 16:1-13
Monday, September 6, 2010
The Ever-Presence
For September 5, 2010
It is helpful to use this blog as a discussion starter for two or more people but it will also stimulate some thoughts if used by one reader. The material is used by a Sunday Study Group at Hamilton Christian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.
One of the questions we regularly explore on our faith journey is the nature of our relationship with God. And the more we explore the more obvious it is that it is inexplicable, part revealed to us and part a mystery. The writer of Psalm 139 gives us some ideas as we study the results of some of his exploration: 1Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. 5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
1. One of the things that comes with a long term close relationship with another person is the understanding of who the person really is, both the good and the bad. What impact does this knowledge have on relationships?
2. What is your reaction to this section of the psalm; does it contain some of the same observations that you might say to the other in a very close relationship?
3. The psalm articulates some of the same intimate relationship with God that we find in the 23rd Psalm. How do you react to the idea of God knowing us this well? Do you have the same sense of God’s presence as the psalmist does? If you do what are your feelings about being known this well by God?
4. What are some of the elements of the relationship that the psalmist praises? Are there any that you might question? Are there some that you might add based on your faith journey?
5. What do you think that verse 5 means? Is being hemmed always a good thing?
6. How do you think that we should respond to this kind of relationship on God’s part? Do you think that we are invited to a deeper communion with God? In this context what might verse 6
say to us about the reality of the relationship? The writer of Hebrews and Micah give us some food for thought:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested* as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16
8He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
Back to the writer of Psalm 139:
7Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10even there your hand shall lead me,and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,and the light around me become night’, 12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
1. What allusions does the psalmist use to illustrate God presence? Does it have the potential to feel like an oppressive presence? Are there times when we might not want God present as Job complains:
Will you not look away from me for a while, let me alone until I swallow my spittle? 20If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of humanity? Why have you made me your target? Why have I become a burden to you? Job 7:19-20
2. What might the psalmist be writing about in verses 11 & 12? When might we feel a sense of being covered in darkness?
3. Has there ever been a sense of being found by God in your faith journey?
More from Psalm 139
13For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. 17How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end*—I am still with you
1. What images does the psalmist use to describe God’s presence in the creation of each of us? Compare it to the story of the creation of humankind:
… then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,* and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
2. How relevant is this knowing what we know about the complexity of the human body and the discovery of DNA. Is this true of all of God’s creation?
3. If this imagery is representative, what does it say about the quality of our construction? Does it cast any doubt on the argument that we are born with the sin of Adam and Eve in us? What do you think that God is most pleased with in you?
4. If verse 16 is accurate what does it say about the idea of humans having a free will? What are some interpretations that you find relevant?
5. Verse 17 speaks to God’s thoughts. What do you believe God might think about? Might the psalmist be speaking about the results of God thinking?
6. What is the psalmist confident about at the end of his life?
7. What are your feelings about this psalm and the images of God’s relationship with us?
It is helpful to use this blog as a discussion starter for two or more people but it will also stimulate some thoughts if used by one reader. The material is used by a Sunday Study Group at Hamilton Christian Church in St. Louis, Missouri.
One of the questions we regularly explore on our faith journey is the nature of our relationship with God. And the more we explore the more obvious it is that it is inexplicable, part revealed to us and part a mystery. The writer of Psalm 139 gives us some ideas as we study the results of some of his exploration: 1Lord, you have searched me and known me. 2You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away. 3You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. 4Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely. 5You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. 6Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
1. One of the things that comes with a long term close relationship with another person is the understanding of who the person really is, both the good and the bad. What impact does this knowledge have on relationships?
2. What is your reaction to this section of the psalm; does it contain some of the same observations that you might say to the other in a very close relationship?
3. The psalm articulates some of the same intimate relationship with God that we find in the 23rd Psalm. How do you react to the idea of God knowing us this well? Do you have the same sense of God’s presence as the psalmist does? If you do what are your feelings about being known this well by God?
4. What are some of the elements of the relationship that the psalmist praises? Are there any that you might question? Are there some that you might add based on your faith journey?
5. What do you think that verse 5 means? Is being hemmed always a good thing?
6. How do you think that we should respond to this kind of relationship on God’s part? Do you think that we are invited to a deeper communion with God? In this context what might verse 6
say to us about the reality of the relationship? The writer of Hebrews and Micah give us some food for thought:
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested* as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16
8He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6:8
Back to the writer of Psalm 139:
7Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence? 8If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. 9If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, 10even there your hand shall lead me,and your right hand shall hold me fast. 11If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,and the light around me become night’, 12even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
1. What allusions does the psalmist use to illustrate God presence? Does it have the potential to feel like an oppressive presence? Are there times when we might not want God present as Job complains:
Will you not look away from me for a while, let me alone until I swallow my spittle? 20If I sin, what do I do to you, you watcher of humanity? Why have you made me your target? Why have I become a burden to you? Job 7:19-20
2. What might the psalmist be writing about in verses 11 & 12? When might we feel a sense of being covered in darkness?
3. Has there ever been a sense of being found by God in your faith journey?
More from Psalm 139
13For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well. 15My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 16Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed. 17How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! 18I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end*—I am still with you
1. What images does the psalmist use to describe God’s presence in the creation of each of us? Compare it to the story of the creation of humankind:
… then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground,* and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. Genesis 2:7
2. How relevant is this knowing what we know about the complexity of the human body and the discovery of DNA. Is this true of all of God’s creation?
3. If this imagery is representative, what does it say about the quality of our construction? Does it cast any doubt on the argument that we are born with the sin of Adam and Eve in us? What do you think that God is most pleased with in you?
4. If verse 16 is accurate what does it say about the idea of humans having a free will? What are some interpretations that you find relevant?
5. Verse 17 speaks to God’s thoughts. What do you believe God might think about? Might the psalmist be speaking about the results of God thinking?
6. What is the psalmist confident about at the end of his life?
7. What are your feelings about this psalm and the images of God’s relationship with us?
Closing Prayer
Examine us, God, and know our minds;
Test us, and understand our anxious thoughts.
Watch least we follow any path that grieves you;
Lead us in the everlasting way. Amen. Psalm 139:22-23
Test us, and understand our anxious thoughts.
Watch least we follow any path that grieves you;
Lead us in the everlasting way. Amen. Psalm 139:22-23
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)