Celebrate

For March 27, 2011

All Scriptures from The Message

In the letter to the church at Rome Paul records the best record that we have of his theology and the foundation of the message that he delivered to so many people all over what is now Turkey and Greece. Today’s Lectionary scripture presents the heart of the Christian faith, that Christ died that we might establish a loving relationship with God. In the midst of Lent and its dark tones of sacrifice and facing our many shortcomings there is the Good News – that God loves us unconditionally.

Romans 5:1-2By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

Paul tells us that God has always wanted a relationship with us:

· What had to be corrected by Jesus’ sacrifice? How do you relate to the idea that prior to Jesus humankind was separated from God? Does your faith journey include feelings of leaving a separation from God behind and being acceptable to Him now?
· There is a sense of Jesus’ teaching from the Sermon on the Mount here, “knock and the door will be opened.” After Jesus’ sacrifice what stands between us and a relationship with God? What does Paul tell us first thing is the basis for establishing and maintaining that relationship? How would you describe what faith is, what it means, where it comes from?
· Have you felt times on your faith journey when you ‘threw open’ your door to God? What were some of the circumstances? Did you find that God had opened his door to you?
· This scripture ends with a sense of celebration, do you work any of these feelings into your Lenten experience?

After some words of celebration Paul brings us back to the real world with words based on his own hardships:

3-5There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

· There is a sense of ‘no pain, no gain’ here, would you endorse the idea that troubles can make us stronger? What does Paul recommend that we do to grow instead of wilt when troubles find us?
· Have you felt moved to praise God during times of trouble? What were the reasons you felt moved to praise God? Can we praise God when the troubles have a bad outcome?
· In the last sentence, after a discussion of troubles, Paul tells us of the abundance of blessings God pours into our lives. Is this a Pollyanna view or life or does it fit your experience? Can we be blind to these blessings by taking them for granted or attributing them to our own skill and abilities?

In some ways Paul repeats his thoughts so that we don’t miss the Good News:

6-8Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.
9-11Now that we are set right with God by means of this sacrificial death, the consummate blood sacrifice, there is no longer a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we're at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life! Now that we have actually received this amazing friendship with God, we are no longer content to simply say it in plodding prose. We sing and shout our praises to God through Jesus, the Messiah!

· Paul speaks of get and getting ready, what is he talking about? What do we need to get ready for in a relationship with God? What were some reasons that Paul states that kept us from being ready – what do they mean to you?
· Paul talks about things people can agree to sacrifice their lives for – what are they? What reasons can you think of that people have sacrificed their lives for in our times? What would you sacrifice your life for?
· How do you feel about the last words in the first paragraph when it says that, “while we were of no use whatever to him (God)? What does it mean to you? How can we become useful to God? What are some tools we are given to be useful?
· The last paragraph speaks first to Jesus sacrificial death for us – how does he describe it? How would you describe your own feelings about Jesus death? Do you have any questions about the theology surrounding Jesus’ sacrifice or do you agree with Paul completely?
· Does Lent normally lift up feelings of celebration for you? Paul concludes by celebrating the benefits of that sacrificial death – what are some of the things that he includes as reasons to celebrate? What would you celebrate about that sacrifice this Lenten season?

Closing Prayer

The love of Christ has gathered us as one. Let us rejoice and be glad in him. Let us fear and love the living God. And in purity of hear let us love one another. Amen. Oxford Book of Prayer

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Ephesians 5:8-14, John 9:1-41, Psalm 23, 1 Samuel 16:1-13

Jesus to Us - Be Born From Above

For March 20, 2011

All Scriptures from The Message

Nicodemus appears several times in John’s Gospel as a man of faith and a significant leader who was drawn to Jesus. In the today’s scripture John has Nicodemus questioning who Jesus was and getting what might have seemed an unrelated answer:

John 3:1-2 There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, "Rabbi, we all know you're a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren't in on it." 3Jesus said, "You're absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it's not possible to see what I'm pointing to—to God's kingdom."

• What can we infer about Nicodemus from this scripture? Who was he be and what brought him to Jesus? What might have caused him to come to Jesus late at night? How might he have taken Jesus’ response?

John’s gospel mentions Nicodemus again in 7:46-52:
50-51Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus earlier and was both a ruler and a Pharisee, spoke up. "Does our Law decide about a man's guilt without first listening to him and finding out what he is doing?" 52-53But they cut him off. "Are you also campaigning for the Galilean? Examine the evidence. See if any prophet ever comes from Galilee."
and 19:39.
39-42Nicodemus, who had first come to Jesus at night, came now in broad daylight carrying a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. They took Jesus' body and, following the Jewish burial custom, wrapped it in linen with the spices. There was a garden near the place he was crucified, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been placed. So, because it was Sabbath preparation for the Jews and the tomb was convenient, they placed Jesus in it.

• What do these scriptures add to our picture of him? Do you think that he came to regret not standing up with more vigor to the other Jewish leaders? What do his actions at the tomb tell us about whether he saw the Kingdom of God or not?

Let’s look at the story of Nicodemus’ first visit in John 3:1-3 above:

• What does John want us to learn from Nicodemus in this story in his Gospel? How do you think that Jesus felt about Nicodemus being drawn to him because of “signs”? Are the stories of Jesus’ miracles important to you? What is the point of performing miracles, why were they one of the significant features of his ministry?
• Jesus says that his role is to point to “God’s Kingdom” and that we need to have a spiritual rebirth if we are to see it. How has Jesus, through his actions and teachings, revealed God and what God hopes for us to you? Can you think of the two or three most important to you?
• There are at least three ways to translate Jesus’ teaching about seeking the Kingdom of God. The first is that we are to be “born again, a second is “born anew” and the third is “born from above”. How does each speak to you about faith (if at all) and to what extent does each speak to your own experience? Do you have a different way of describing this process of spiritual change?
• All of these translations infer that we will leave something behind if we are reborn. What might some of those things be based on your understanding of the gospels? Have you left anything behind (been changed) by your faith journey?

John continues the story in his Gospel:

John 3:4"How can anyone," said Nicodemus, "be born who has already been born and grown up? You can't re-enter your mother's womb and be born again. What are you saying with this 'born-from-above' talk?" 5-6Jesus said, "You're not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the 'wind-hovering-over-the-water' creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it's not possible to enter God's kingdom. When you look at a baby, it's just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can't see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit. 7-8"So don't be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be 'born from above'—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it's headed next. That's the way it is with everyone 'born from above' by the wind of God, the Spirit of God."

• Is Nicodemus asking a foolish question? Should we feel any constraints in asking questions and seeking answers about our understanding of faith issues? When faith questions have come up in your life and how have you dealt with them? Did you have someone to turn to and ask questions? What other resources did you utilize?
• Jesus gives us the prerequisites for a relationship with God; who has to take action in order to establish and maintain that relationship. Do you relate in any way to the idea of being formed (reformed actually) by the Spirit? Has this been part of your faith journey, have you ever a felt Spiritual presence
• What are some things that are different when we are born from above and formed by the Spirit How are lives changed when this happens? See:

Galatians 5:22-23 But what happens when we live God's way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life, serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and people…

I Corinthians 12:4 Each person is given something to do that shows who God is: Everyone gets in on it, everyone benefits. All kinds of things are handed out by the Spirit, and to all kinds of people! The variety is wonderful…

What would you add to these thoughts?

One part of your preparation for Lent could be taking a spiritual inventory – how is the process of being changed by the Spirit going (it never ends) – what is encouraging and discouraging the change process? Then celebrate the changes for the good and seek God’s guidance in dealing with the constraints.

Closing Prayer

Holy One, grace us with your presence. You who creates, fashion faith from our questions. You who redeems, bring life through our wonderings. You, who breathe life’s breath into us, inspire us to new life in your Spirit. Amen

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42

Jesus and Temptation

For March 13, 2011

All Scriptures are from The Message

Immediately after being baptized by John, having God’s Spirit descend upon him, and hearing God’s approving words, Jesus begins preparation for facing temptation. His temptations are extreme examples of a reality of the human condition; that we all have weaknesses that we confront every day. This presentation of the scripture seems to say that the Test was something Jesus knew was coming and that he needed preparation to successfully face. Matthew writes:

Matthew 4:1-3 Next Jesus was taken into the wild by the Spirit for the Test. The Devil was ready to give it. Jesus prepared for the Test by fasting forty days and forty nights. That left him, of course, in a state of extreme hunger, which the Devil took advantage of in the first test: "Since you are God's Son, speak the word that will turn these stones into loaves of bread."
4Jesus answered by quoting Deuteronomy: "It takes more than bread to stay alive. It takes a steady stream of words from God's mouth."

• What leads Jesus into the wild for the test? Taking a test means that Jesus might not be successful; how does this fit into your picture, your understanding of who Jesus is? Can you conceive of him relenting to human temptation? What does this say about the power of temptation even during those times when we particularly feel the spirit’s presence?
• Knowing that he was to be tempted Jesus prepared by fasting for forty days. (This has obvious allusions to the 40 years that the nation of Israel spent in the wilderness.) Have you ever had something in your life that you wanted to overcome? How did you prepare yourself to challenge it? Did you have any resources or people who could help you? Did your faith have any place in your preparations?
• What turned out to be the result of his fasting? Did his spiritual preparation seem to increase or decrease his susceptibility to the first temptation? Is that what you would expect would come from a dedicated time of prayer and meditation? But what was the source of his ability to resist and where did it come from?
• What does the Devil want Jesus to use in order to have food to eat? What is the source of his ability to make stones into bread? Who would benefit if Jesus used his spiritual gifts in this way? Should the main focus of our spiritual life be inward to ourselves or outward to others?
• Does this temptation seem to be all of that big of a deal? The only outcome would have been satisfying Jesus’ hunger. What is the point for you in this story of the first temptation?

Matthew continues with the second temptation:

Matthew 4:5-6For the second test the Devil took him to the Holy City. He sat him on top of the Temple and said, "Since you are God's Son, jump." The Devil goaded him by quoting Psalm 91: "He has placed you in the care of angels. They will catch you so that you won't so much as stub your toe on a stone."
7Jesus countered with another citation from Deuteronomy: "Don't you dare test the Lord your God."

• What would Jesus prove by leaping off the Temple and being caught by angels? Why might this be an attractive way to begin his active ministry? If it is a temptation it must have been a real possible alternative, why do you think that he made a different choice?
• What are some ways in which we are tempted to test God? Have you ever tried to bargain with God (If you will – I will), or challenged God to act in a manner you wanted? How did it work out?
• Do you believe that God tests our faith? According to the Gospels Jesus was led into a test by God’s Spirit, how does this fit with your understanding of being tested? How do you feel your faith gets tested? By everyday events? When you are successful in resisting temptation what has helped make it possible?

The Third Temptation

Matthew 4:8-9For the third test, the Devil took him to the peak of a huge mountain. He gestured expansively, pointing out all the earth's kingdoms, how glorious they all were. Then he said, "They're yours—lock, stock, and barrel. Just go down on your knees and worship me, and they're yours."
10Jesus' refusal was curt: "Beat it, Satan!" He backed his rebuke with a third quotation from Deuteronomy: "Worship the Lord your God, and only him. Serve him with absolute single-heartedness."
11The Test was over. The Devil left. And in his place, angels! Angels came and took care of Jesus' needs.
• There are many images of the Devil in the Bible, movies, and classical literature. What picture does this scripture give of the Devil and his powers? What is his domain and what does it seem he has the power to control? Is this a believable idea for you?
• What is your picture of the Devil? Is he an actual being, a personification of evil, does he have evil powers – what are your ideas? Do you think that evil is present as a force to be resisted in our world?
• It seems that Jesus is presented with three different methods for starting his work beginning with the ability to eliminate hunger. What would be the advantages and disadvantages of each method? Can you remember any elements of any of them that the Gospels tell us he in fact utilized? (Heal the sick, feed the multitudes, water to wine, etc.) Why was it OK to use them as he did?

Most Christians are now beginning the 40 days of Lenten preparation for Easter. Jesus prepared by going into the Wilderness and fasting, what are some practices you have observed in the past observed Lent and do you have any plans for this year?

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Our Closing Litany (From Psalm 32} speaks to our recourse when temptation prevails:

Count yourself lucky—
God holds nothing against you
and you're holding nothing back from him.

When I kept it all inside,
my bones turned to powder,
my words became daylong groans.

The pressure never let up;
all the juices of my life dried up.

Then I let it all out;
I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to God."

Suddenly the pressure was gone—

my guilt dissolved,
my sin disappeared.

Hallelujah

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: John 3:1-17 or Matthew 17:1-9, Romans 4:1-5, 13-17, Psalm 121, Genesis 12:1-4a

Jesus To Us - You Need To Pay Attention

For March 7,2011
All Scripture from The Message

In today’s scripture Jesus completes the Sermon on the Mount. In it he stresses the importance of incorporating the words he spoke into the way in which we live our lives. One summary of his words might be found in this quote:

Max De Pree, the well-known businessman and leadership author, is fond of saying that beliefs shape practices. If you want to know what you truly believe, you only need to examine your behaviors. Commentary on Gospel by Richard Beaton - WorkingPreacher.org

Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 7:21-23"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'

These are hard words, soul shaking words, words about our basic motivations for the things we do and say:
• Have you ever felt the need to know the correct format and words to use in a religious service or in group or personal prayer? What were some of the reasons that you felt that way? Are there benefits to having form and structure in community worship?
• Have there been times in your secular life when knowing the proper way to behave or words to say was important (think of a wedding for instance)? What motivated you to conform to the accepted practice?
• Has acting or speaking in the expected way ever given you feelings of insincerity or just going through the motions? How might we connect these feelings to Jesus’ words, “Knowing the correct password – is not going to get you anywhere with me”?
• The people come to Jesus at the Final Judgment saying essentially, “See, I have carried out the Great Commission – make disciples of all nations.” What is Jesus’ response to them? Why do you think that he said that they had, “missed the boat”?
• It seems that he might be referring to motivation, what drives our involvement in what would seem to be the appropriate behaviors and practices for a believer. What is Jesus’ take on what motivated them? How were they making themselves important?
• Do you think that there are examples from our times of endeavors undertaken in the name of religion that might receive this kind of evaluation from Jesus? But Jesus tells us earlier in the Sermon on the Mount to not hide our light under a bushel basket; can you reconcile these two seemingly contradictory statements?
• The second sentence might give us some ideas; how does he define “serious obedience”? Have you ever felt moved to do something by the gentle (or not so gentle) nudging of the spirit? Have you ever responded to a request to take on a responsibility or become involved in a project for the same reason? On the other hand have you ever done something because it was the ‘right thing to do”? Was there any difference in how you went about or felt about the one against the other?

This is not an easy teaching – how do we really act in a way Jesus laid out in the Sermon on the Mount? What can we learn about the motivations for his actions? Matthew tells us that in preparation for a collision with the temptations of the world that Jesus spent 40 fasting in the wilderness. We find him in prayer time and time again. Is it hard for us to begin to have this kind of intensity in our faith lives? He said “pick up your cross and follow me” – tough stuff.

But there are important benefits in living out his teaching:

Matthew 7:24-25"These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
26-27"But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards."

• What are we told about the words he spoke in the Sermon on the Mount? What are we to do with them?
• Have you ever had a traumatic event in your life that mitigated in some way by your faith? Did you have a sense that you were “fixed to a rock”? If it hasn’t happened to you do you know someone for whom it has?
• What are some things that make what we learn in our faith life difficult to incorporate in the life we live? Will our attempts to live our faith always be successful or be motivated entirely by the Spirit? Should we be discouraged or handle it in another way? How?

What can we learn from Jesus?

Matthew 7:28-29 When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard teaching like this. It was apparent that he was living everything he was saying—quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard.

• What brought Jesus’ words credibility? Wouldn’t it be great is we could even begin to approach that kind of credibility for ourselves?

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Closing Prayer

Holy God, when we seek you, meet us. When we try to flee from your presence, come into our midst. Open us to the many ways you reveal yourself, and prepare us to journey by the leading of Jesus the Christ. Amen. Seasons of the Spirit

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Psalm 32, Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-19, Matthew 4:1-11