For 10/10/2010
One of the major focal points of today’s scripture is summarized in the word REMEMBER. One way to understand where the writer is heading is to think of our own experiences:
• Think of a favorite person in your past life with whom you no longer have contact; someone who has had an important influence upon you. When you remember that person what comes to mind? What words or phrases would you use to describe the person? Does the relationship have any influence on the way in which you live your life?
• Are there secular, inanimate influences that impact the way in which we live our lives and hold a priority for our time and attention? It could include being a sports fan, our jobs, hobbys, etc.
The writer of 2 Timothy records these words as the Apostle Paul’s reflections on remembrance of Jesus:
2 Timothy 2:8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David—that is my gospel, 9for which I suffer hardship, even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But the word of God is not chained. 10Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, so that they may also obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
11The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
14 Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. 16Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety,
• The scripture begins with Remember Jesus Christ. Write down some words or phrases that would use to describe him. Are there questions about him that arise in your remembering?
• How does the writer of 2 Timothy tell us Paul remembers? What is important to him as he remembers? What should happen as a result of our remembering Jesus? Do these reflections add anything to your written thoughts?
• How has Jesus affected the way you live your life? Are there specific things about him and his presence with us that has influenced you? Add any ideas to your written reflections.
• Paul encountered many hardships doing his evangelistic work, read his account of some of them below:
2Corinthians 11:23-27I've worked much harder, been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather.
Some have reacted to the words above as Paul trying to puff himself up or brag. Paul was constantly defending himself from the assaults of detractors, many of whom cited the difficulties that they had endured? Regardless we can see that the work he did and travels he undertook in those primitive times would have to be motivated by very intense sense of duty. What might you write down as the unexpected both good and bad things happened to you as your acted on the gospel message?
2 Corinthians 11:11The saying is sure: If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful— for he cannot deny himself.
14 Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. 16Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety,
• What is your reaction to the ancient litany or hymn in verses 11-13? How do you interpret each verse? Does it raise questions? Should it?
• What is the essence of Paul’s advice in verses 14-16 of 2 Timothy above? Have you experienced any of the wrangling and distraction he warns against? How should we handle it when confronted with it?
Closing Prayer
Lord, may I see you in me also
May I prepare the way for you
May I thank you for all that should fall to my lot
Gracious God, keep me in your love.
Amen
Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Jeremiah 31:27-34 or Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 119:97-104 or Psalm 121, 2 Timothy 3:14 - 4:5, Luke 18:1-8
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Speaking Our Minds to God
For October 3, 2010
Lamentations is a seldom read book of the bible as it seems so filled with hopelessness and sadness. Many of the Psalms are classed as Laments because of their focus on woes and despair. But as we look more closely at biblical laments we might find them to be a vehicle for voicing our heartfelt reaction to times of tragedy to an ever-present God. We begin with some background about Lamentations:
During (587 BCE) and after Babylon’s terrible destruction of Jerusalem, the writer (traditionally and probably correctly identified as the prophet Jeremiah); laments the tragic fall of the city he loved. Lamentations is unique in the Scriptures for its mood of almost unremitting gloom. The author has witnessed such terrible suffering—famine, murder, rape, cannibalism, and other unspeakable horrors—that the only appropriate response is to give voice to this suffering by raising a cry of woe. Whereas the book of Job deals with the problem of undeserved suffering at the personal level, Lamentations struggles with the issues raised by a community that is suffering exactly what it deserves—God has judged Jerusalem for its sins, to the loss and lamentation of all its citizens. In his anguish and distress, the poet wants to know: What is the meaning of all this suffering? The Literary Study Bible
Our first scripture gives us a taste of the poet’s lament. You may want to have a piece of paper and pencil available as we will work on a personal lament.
Lamentations 1:3 After years of pain and hard labor, Judah has gone into exile. She camps out among the nations, never feels at home. Hunted by all, she's stuck between a rock and a hard place.
4 Zion's roads weep, empty of pilgrims headed to the feasts. All her city gates are deserted, her priests in despair. Her virgins are sad. How bitter her fate.
5 Her enemies have become her masters. Her foes are living it up because God laid her low, punishing her repeated rebellions. Her children, prisoners of the enemy, trudge into exile.
• What is your sense of the writer’s emotional state in this lament? What jumps out as his primary concerns?
• Think of some contemporary disasters and tragedies have been visited on a significant group of people; floods, earthquakes, wars, genocide or famine. Pick one with which you have some familiarity and write down some of the words or thoughts that those affected might include in their lament.
• Think of a tragedy in your life. What would you include in a lament that expresses your feelings and thoughts? What were your feelings as you wrote down the words?
• The poet concludes: God laid her low, punishing her repeated rebellions. Do some affected by tragedy conclude that bad things are God’s punishment for misdeeds? How have you incorporated the presence of the God of your faith in tragedies? Are there thoughts that need to be part of your notes?
Lamentations 3:19-21 I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember— the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope
• How do the words sorrow and depression resonate with you as you reflect on your personal experience with tragedy? Does it inspire anything that you would include in your lament? How do you feel as you write down these words?
• What does he hold with a tight grip? Did you ever develop a sense of hope as you dealt with tragedy? What happened to bring about this feeling into the situation? Was it easy to find? Make sure that you include these thoughts in your notes.
Lamentations 3:22-24 God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left.
25-27 God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times.
• In laying out his lament the poet concludes that what is happening to his community is punishment from God. What conclusion has he come to as he continues to write about the tragedy?
• What steps has he taken and what does he recommend as we search for God’s presence in tragedy? Did you find a growing sense of God’s presence in your tragedy? What nurtured the growth in your case? How would you express it in your personal written lament?
• Have you found examining tragedy in your life helpful? If so in what way? Did you in any way confront God with questions or doubts?
28-30 When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst.
• What is the poet’s advice for dealing with the hard times?
• What worked for you and how would you express it in your lament?
• What role has your congregation had in dealing with individual tragedy? What else might we do to help members deal with all aspects of tragedy, particularly the spiritual?
Take some time to develop your own lament from the notes made above. It may take on many forms and should fit with your relationship with God. One format for constructing a lament in the traditional format of the Psalms comes from comes from the Seasons of the Spirit Adult Curriculum for Pentecost 2, 2010:
First read Psalms 6, 13, 42, 79 reflecting on the reasons that the writer has cried out to God then:
1. Introductory address: (O God, I need your help…)
2. Description of the situation causing pain, sorrow, or fear: (I’ve just about had it because…)
3. Prayer for help and deliverance: (Save me from…)
4. Statement of why you think God would help: (In the past you remembered…)
5. Vow to offer praise when the prayer is answered: (I will tell of your great name…)
6. Praise for God as if the prayer has already been answered: (I will give thanks to you forever..)
Closing Prayer
O God, you invite us to be open and honest about our feelings. May we not be protective of the hurt in our hearts. Trusting in your steadfast love and unconditional acceptance, we place our lives into your caring hands. Amen
Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, Psalm 66:1-12, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19
Lamentations is a seldom read book of the bible as it seems so filled with hopelessness and sadness. Many of the Psalms are classed as Laments because of their focus on woes and despair. But as we look more closely at biblical laments we might find them to be a vehicle for voicing our heartfelt reaction to times of tragedy to an ever-present God. We begin with some background about Lamentations:
During (587 BCE) and after Babylon’s terrible destruction of Jerusalem, the writer (traditionally and probably correctly identified as the prophet Jeremiah); laments the tragic fall of the city he loved. Lamentations is unique in the Scriptures for its mood of almost unremitting gloom. The author has witnessed such terrible suffering—famine, murder, rape, cannibalism, and other unspeakable horrors—that the only appropriate response is to give voice to this suffering by raising a cry of woe. Whereas the book of Job deals with the problem of undeserved suffering at the personal level, Lamentations struggles with the issues raised by a community that is suffering exactly what it deserves—God has judged Jerusalem for its sins, to the loss and lamentation of all its citizens. In his anguish and distress, the poet wants to know: What is the meaning of all this suffering? The Literary Study Bible
Our first scripture gives us a taste of the poet’s lament. You may want to have a piece of paper and pencil available as we will work on a personal lament.
Lamentations 1:3 After years of pain and hard labor, Judah has gone into exile. She camps out among the nations, never feels at home. Hunted by all, she's stuck between a rock and a hard place.
4 Zion's roads weep, empty of pilgrims headed to the feasts. All her city gates are deserted, her priests in despair. Her virgins are sad. How bitter her fate.
5 Her enemies have become her masters. Her foes are living it up because God laid her low, punishing her repeated rebellions. Her children, prisoners of the enemy, trudge into exile.
• What is your sense of the writer’s emotional state in this lament? What jumps out as his primary concerns?
• Think of some contemporary disasters and tragedies have been visited on a significant group of people; floods, earthquakes, wars, genocide or famine. Pick one with which you have some familiarity and write down some of the words or thoughts that those affected might include in their lament.
• Think of a tragedy in your life. What would you include in a lament that expresses your feelings and thoughts? What were your feelings as you wrote down the words?
• The poet concludes: God laid her low, punishing her repeated rebellions. Do some affected by tragedy conclude that bad things are God’s punishment for misdeeds? How have you incorporated the presence of the God of your faith in tragedies? Are there thoughts that need to be part of your notes?
Lamentations 3:19-21 I'll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I've swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember— the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there's one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope
• How do the words sorrow and depression resonate with you as you reflect on your personal experience with tragedy? Does it inspire anything that you would include in your lament? How do you feel as you write down these words?
• What does he hold with a tight grip? Did you ever develop a sense of hope as you dealt with tragedy? What happened to bring about this feeling into the situation? Was it easy to find? Make sure that you include these thoughts in your notes.
Lamentations 3:22-24 God's loyal love couldn't have run out, his merciful love couldn't have dried up. They're created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over). He's all I've got left.
25-27 God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God. It's a good thing when you're young to stick it out through the hard times.
• In laying out his lament the poet concludes that what is happening to his community is punishment from God. What conclusion has he come to as he continues to write about the tragedy?
• What steps has he taken and what does he recommend as we search for God’s presence in tragedy? Did you find a growing sense of God’s presence in your tragedy? What nurtured the growth in your case? How would you express it in your personal written lament?
• Have you found examining tragedy in your life helpful? If so in what way? Did you in any way confront God with questions or doubts?
28-30 When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don't ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don't run from trouble. Take it full-face. The "worst" is never the worst.
• What is the poet’s advice for dealing with the hard times?
• What worked for you and how would you express it in your lament?
• What role has your congregation had in dealing with individual tragedy? What else might we do to help members deal with all aspects of tragedy, particularly the spiritual?
Take some time to develop your own lament from the notes made above. It may take on many forms and should fit with your relationship with God. One format for constructing a lament in the traditional format of the Psalms comes from comes from the Seasons of the Spirit Adult Curriculum for Pentecost 2, 2010:
First read Psalms 6, 13, 42, 79 reflecting on the reasons that the writer has cried out to God then:
1. Introductory address: (O God, I need your help…)
2. Description of the situation causing pain, sorrow, or fear: (I’ve just about had it because…)
3. Prayer for help and deliverance: (Save me from…)
4. Statement of why you think God would help: (In the past you remembered…)
5. Vow to offer praise when the prayer is answered: (I will tell of your great name…)
6. Praise for God as if the prayer has already been answered: (I will give thanks to you forever..)
Closing Prayer
O God, you invite us to be open and honest about our feelings. May we not be protective of the hurt in our hearts. Trusting in your steadfast love and unconditional acceptance, we place our lives into your caring hands. Amen
Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, Psalm 66:1-12, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19
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