What is Salvation?

For 8/7/2011
Romans 10:8-17 From The Message Version

Today Paul gives us the ‘core’ of his preaching; what is salvation and what needs to be done for those who do not know about it. Paul’s writing can be difficult to follow but these paraphrases from The Message offer a perspective that reads differently than the conventional texts which supplements the other translations.

Define salvation, how would you explain it to someone who does not have a church background? Has your understanding of it changed over time?

Romans 10:8-10 It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"

• How does Paul describe salvation? What are the components? What is our role and what is God’s? Where is Jesus in our path to salvation?
• A core of this scripture is “God doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.” How does salvation raise us from the dead? What do we learn from the resurrection that might apply to our own salvation? Can you explain how we are different before and after salvation?
• What must we affirm to receive salvation? What did you affirm when you verbalized your commitment?
• What allows “God to go to work”? What happens as a result of God’s action? How do you feel about the reality that our faith sets things right with God and how important is this to you as you live your daily life?
• For Paul this reality changed his life and became the focus, direction and in a very real sense brought him the strength to be able to do what he did. What should we expect to occur because of a sound relationship with God? How would you imagine your life if this was not a reality to you?

11-13Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it." It's exactly the same no matter what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. "Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help."

This scripture comes in the midst of Paul’s struggle to explain the fate of the Jews now that Christ is a reality. It is tied to and refers to the prior scripture about salvation.

• What is the assurance that flows from this scripture? Who should feel assured? Who should not?
• Look back at our discussion on salvation, must a person meet these criteria before God will act in “the in same incredibly generous way” for them? Do you think that God ignores the calls for help from those who do not express a faith in Christ?
• The scripture refers to trusting God – trusting that God will respond to our faith – in terms of salvation. But after salvation what should we be trusting that God will be and do on our behalf? What does it take on our part to be able to build confidence that these things will occur?
• Have you ever chosen to make a decision or respond in a way that reflects confidence that God is present with you?

14-17But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims,
A sight to take your breath away!
Grand processions of people
telling all the good things of God!
But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: "Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?" The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.

• Sum up the main points of this scripture; what is Paul urging upon us? Are there things that you agree with or have questions about it?
• Paul lived out this scripture, it became the focus of his life which he zealously pursued until his death. But what does it mean for me today with my responsibilities and problems, what should be expected of me?
• What is your reaction to ‘how can they know’ – what level of priority should we place on giving others the salvation message? How do you feel about the responsibility he seems to place upon us?
• What frustration does this diligent proclaimer of the word seem to incur? Can you relate to it and does it impact your actively taking on the telling of the salvation story yourself?
• So what have you learned today? What are you taking home after discussing Paul’s message this morning?

Closing Prayer
Almighty God, who has poured upon us the new light of Jesus, grant us that the same light ignited in our hearts might shine forth in our lives. We pray that the life of Christ within us turns all our fears to freedom helping us live for others. Amen.


Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Genesis 45:1-15 or Isaiah 56:1, 6-8, Psalm 133 or Psalm 67, Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32, Matthew 15:(10-20), 21-28

Images of God

For 7/31/2011

What are some images and names you have for God? When you pray who do you imagine receives you prayer and what do you expect God to do?

Any image of the divine is bound to be inadequate, because it cannot possibly express the all-encompassing reality of being itself. If it is not balanced by other symbols, there is a danger that people will think of the sacred too simplistically. If that symbol is a personalized deity, they could easily start to imagine “him” functioning as if he were a human being like themselves writ large, with likes and dislikes similar to their own. Idolatry, the worship of a human image of the divine would become one of the besetting problems of monotheism.
Karen Armstrong – The Case for God
· What is your reaction to her statement about imagery of God? Can we describe who and what God is? What prevents us from being able to have a complete image of God?
· How much of the physical presence and teaching of Jesus do you project onto God? Do you think that Jesus statement that “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father?” refutes Armstrong’s statement?
· Armstrong believes that worship of a human image of God has been led to horrible consequences (inquisition as an example) though-out the ages. What might be dangerous about viewing God in human terms? What might we believe we can understand about God’s thinking, feeling, desires, likes and dislikes and where will the understandings originate – what will be the sources for these understandings?

Job learned about the knowledge of God as he suffered the many plagues that descended upon him. First he cries out:

From Job 30: 20-31 "I shout for help, God, and get nothing, no answer! I stand to face you in protest, and you give me a blank stare! "What did I do to deserve this? Did I ever hit anyone who was calling for help? Haven't I wept for those who live a hard life, been heartsick over the lot of the poor? But where did it get me? I expected good but evil showed up. I looked for light but darkness fell.
· How would you summarize Job’s rant against God? What bedevils him what are the contradictions he has found in his life?
· Is Job wrong to yell at God, have you ever felt like doing just that?
· Should Job expect to be rewarded by God for good behavior? How? Have you ever been rewarded by God for a good deed? Should we expect a reward? What rewards are we promised

From Job 38:1-11 And now, finally, God answered Job from the eye of a violent storm. He said: "Why do you confuse the issue? Why do you talk without knowing what you're talking about? Pull yourself together, Job! Up on your feet! Stand tall! I have some questions for you, and I want some straight answers. Where were you when I created the earth? Tell me, since you know so much! Who decided on its size? Certainly you'll know that! Who came up with the blueprints and measurements? How was its foundation poured, and who set the cornerstone… And who took charge of the ocean when it gushed forth like a baby from the womb? That was me! I wrapped it in soft clouds, and tucked it in safely at night. And this goes on for three chapters including the words: I’m in charge of all this – I run the universe

· What do you think about this understanding of God given to us by the writer of Job? What solace does it seem God intends for Job, does he seem to be understanding of the source of Job’s accusations and responding to them?
· Is this kind of a response part of your understanding of who God is, does it meet the image you have of God? How would your image of God responded to Job’s accusations and laments?
· What is the point of this scripture, what are we to understand about our relationship with God? Is this comforting or disconcerting?

Here is another understanding of our ability to comprehend the infinity of God from Denys The Divine Names:

Therefore… God is known by knowledge and by unknowing; of him there is understanding, reason, knowledge, touch, perception, opinion, imagination, name and many other things, but he is not understood, nothing can be said of him, he cannot be named. He is not one of the things that are, nor is he known in any of the things that are, he is all things in everything and nothing in anything.

· This can appear to be academic double-talk but what seems to be Denys’ image of God? Do you think that he is accurate or just given up trying?
· What do you agree with, what do you question, what would you add to his writing?
· He adds later that after really trying to describe God we are finally led to, “the breakdown of speech, which cracks and disintegrates before the absolute unknowability of what we call God.” If this is the case why gather and study the bible, why discuss our understanding of who and what God is, why ascribe human qualities to God in our weekly worship?
· What are some benefits and problems that come from a conclusion that we really cannot comprehend God? Are we better off with this as the foundation of our relationship with God?
· Would our worship be more meaningful if we recognize that we cannot really describe God? What then should be the basis of our relationship with God, what should lead us into a meaningful spiritual relationship, how do we tap into the reality of God? What is one way Jesus repeatedly tapped into the reality of God?
· Has your image of God changed in any way through this discussion? How would you adjust that image?

Closing Litany (From Isaiah 40 and Psalm 47)

Who could ever have told God what to do

or taught him his business?

What expert would he have gone to for advice,

what school would he attend to learn justice?

What god do you suppose might have taught him what he knows,

showed him how things work?

How awesome is the Lord most high,

great King over all the earth.
AMEN

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Matthew 14:22-33, Romans 10:5-15, Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b or Psalm 85:8-13, Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28 or 1 Kings 19:9-18