Becoming Something Really New

For June 3, 2012


All scriptures are from The Message Version

What difference does being a person of faith make to that person, to the person’s behavior, priorities, and endeavors? The scripture for today points to faith being transformational, that through faith we become something different – born from above. Take a look, what do you think?

This post is intended to help the reader personalize the words and thoughts in the scriptures. It works well if shared between two or more people as a conversation but there is much to be gained by just considering the questions for yourself. Commentaries for the lectionary scripture can be found on Textweek through this link http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn3a.htm

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 might he be and what brought him to Jesus? John’s gospel mentions Nicodemus again in 7:46-52 and 19:39. What do these scriptures add to our picture of him?

• What does John want us to learn from Nicodemus? Is he locked into some rigid set of theological “truths” or is he open to explore and question?

• How does Jesus feel about Nicodemus being drawn to him because of “signs”? Were Jesus’ miracles important to you at any point in your faith life?

• How he deal with Nicodemus’ questions? Do you feel that they were answered in a way in which Nicodemus could understand? When have faith questions come up in your life and how have you dealt with them? Should we expect faith questions to stop coming up at some point or not?

• There are at least three ways to translate Jesus’ teaching about seeing the Kingdom of God. The first is “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?

• 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? What might be some of the things we find in the world of the reborn?

Jesus continues:
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"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.

• Is Nicodemus asking a foolish question? Should we feel any constraints in asking questions and seeking answers about our understanding of faith issues?

• How is the rebirth described? What has to be done to be reborn? What forms the person who ‘submits to this original creation’? How does this description fit with your faith journey? What got you started, have you changed with time, what caused these changes? Do you feel that your spirituality has impacted the kind of person that you are now? Can you see these events in terms of being reborn or not?

• Jesus speaks of being born ‘out of this world’. Does this have any meaning for you? How is living a life of faith different than living a life as part of the popular culture of today?

• What are some things that are different when we are reborn? 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. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.


I Corinthians 12:4-6 4-11God's various gifts are handed out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various ministries are carried out everywhere; but they all originate in God's Spirit. God's various expressions of power are in action everywhere; but God himself is behind it all. 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!


Romans 12:2 Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.

• How do these scriptures speak to you about living a life of faith? To what degree are they either a reality for you in your life or things you have seen in other faithful believers? Do they speak to something that come immediately in a faith journey or something that comes with “being formed by something we cannot see or touch” (the Spirit)?

Jesus continues his teaching to Nicodemus:


John 3:8"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." 9Nicodemus asked, "What do you mean by this? How does this happen?"

• The Greek word for wind, spirit and breath is the same which can contribute to confusion in interpretation and understanding. What point is made about the wind? What do you think that Jesus is teaching about being led by the Spirit?

• Has your faith life ever taken you in unexpected directions? Have you ever gotten involved in something, changed perceptions of people, changed priorities for the use of your time, or contributed financially because of a faith conviction? Are you more open to leading a life inspired by your prayer life, bible study, or other people of faith in your life?

• After all of this Nicodemus still has questions, do you? Is he afraid to ask them? Where should we go with our questions? What spiritual tools are available to us? What resources do you have for searching faith questions? How important is a faith community in our search and in our growth as we are “formed by something you can't see and touch—the Spirit”.

Closing Prayer

Holy One, grace us with your presence. You who create, fashion faith from our questions. You who redeem, bring life through our wonderings. You who breathe life’s breath, inspire our spirits to follow yours. Amen

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: 1 Samuel 8:4-11, (12-15), 16-20, (11:14-15) or Genesis 3:8-15, Psalm 138 or 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1, Mark 3:20-35



Wind and Fire

For June 27, 2012


All scriptures are from The Message Version

Pentecost, the fiftieth day after Passover, was one of three pilgrimage feast to which all Jews able to do so were to worship at the temple. It celebrates the harvest and giving of first fruits to God. During Jesus’ time some associated it with the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, the birth of Judaism.

This post is intended to help the reader personalize the words and thoughts in the scriptures. It works well if shared between two or more people as a conversation but there is much to be gained by just considering the questions for yourself. Commentaries for the lectionary scripture can be found on Textweek through this link Textweek.com

For Christians Pentecost was a time when God’s Spirit descended upon the disciples just as it did at the time of Jesus’ baptism:

Luke 2: 21-22 After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life."

As we contemplate the scripture for today a question for all of us is when did the Spirit become a part of our lives? Was it sudden as in this story? What difference has it made?  Let’s look at the disciples story:

Acts 2:1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
5-11There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn't for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, "Aren't these all Galileans? How come we're hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
"They're speaking our languages, describing God's mighty works!"
12Their heads were spinning; they couldn't make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: "What's going on here?"
13Others joked, "They're drunk on cheap wine."

• What catches your attention in the first four verses? What words are important? What do you imagine the disciples felt as they began to speak in “different languages.”

• How do you imagine the scene as the disciples began to speak? What was their tone of voice? Was any of the communication one on one? The reaction of some was that the disciples were drunk, what does that tell us about the event?

• Have you ever found yourself, as part of a Christian group, being caught up in an something unexpected? Was there a sense of the presence of the Spirit in the doing of it? Did your experience have any of the elements of this story?

• Can concern about the reaction of others a constraint to seeking or acting on the Spirit’s leading? How does this play out in our lives or the actions of a faith community?

• What were the disciples speaking about? What is the reaction of some to the description of God’s mighty works? What had been accomplished by the disciple’s reaction to the Spirit’s presence? What seemed to be the reaction to what the crowd saw and heard?

• Have you ever been so enthusiastic about your faith that you spoke to someone else about it? What were the circumstances and reactions? How important is it for us to be able to share our faith in ways that others can understand and relate to?

• What is Luke trying to tell us about the Spirit by these events; what are some attributes and what does the Spirit bring?

• What can we learn from this story about sharing of faith as a congregation? What does the story tell us has to be present?

• Do you think that this is an accurate description of what took place? Does anything seem contrived?

14-21 That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: "Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk—it's only nine o'clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:
"In the Last Days," God says,
"I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
I'll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
and they'll prophesy.
I'll set wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
to me, God, will be saved."

• Many of the listeners would have been familiar with Joel’s words. How might they have set the stage for answering the question asked by many, “What does this mean.” How might we use Peter’s strategy in the sharing of our faith?

• What words catch your attention in Joel’s prophecy? What is Peter telling the crowd about the disciples and the events they are witnessing? What does Joel’s prophesy tell us about God’s Spirit?

• What is Peter telling the crowd the event initiates? Who will be affected? Will it all be joy and peace? Who will be saved? Do you think that we today are in the Last Days?

• What are we told prophets do and who is to be a prophet? Do you see evidence of prophesy in our midst? Have you ever felt that some element of prophesy is part of your faith life?

• Are there any portions of Joel’s prophecy that you would like to see take place in your life and the life of your faith community? What is preventing it from happening?

Closing Prayer

Enter my heart, O Holy Spirit, come in and set me free.. Throw open the locked door of my mind and cleanse the chambers of my thought for your dwelling. Light there the fires of your holy brightness that I might find a new understanding of truth. Amen.

From George Appelton, Oxford Book of Prayer

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Isaiah 6:1-8, Psalm 29, Romans 8:12-17, John 3:1-17

Being Joyful

For May 13, 2012

 All scriptures are from The Message Version

One of the most common words Christian’s use to describe the nature of their faith is love.  In today’s scripture Jesus instructs his disciples, and by extension us to focus on love, like the love of God for him.  We are to love like God and Jesus, wonderful words, what exactly do they mean?

This post is intended to help the reader personalize the words and thoughts in the scriptures.  It works well if shared between two or more people as a topic of discussion but there is much to be gained by considering the questions yourself.  Commentaries for these scriptures can be found on Textweek through this link http://www.textweek.com/mkjnacts/jn15b.htm.

The first part of today’s scripture focuses on the word love:

John 15:9-10"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love.

^11-15"I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.

·       First look at love – how did God show love toward Jesus.  Think about the high points – his baptism, the gifts and talents, the mountaintop transfiguration – how was Jesus blessed?  How has God’s love touched your life?  How have you, like Jesus, had your life blessed by your spirituality?  Things like talents, relationships, experiences, or new beginnings.

·       On the other hand while under the umbrella of God’s love the way has not been easy (Jesus speaks these words just prior to his crucifixion).  What do the gospels tell us were challenges, for instance the time in the wilderness, and the horrible crucifixion he was to undergo as an act of faithful obedience?  Was he wealthy, did he have a huge following, was he held in high respect by people of influence?  Does being loved by God mean that the way is clear, the road is smooth, and that we will find all of the blessings of life?  What are we guaranteed comes from God’s love?  Paul gives some ideas to get our thinking started:

You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:2-3

·       What does Paul tell us happens as a result of a focus on love of God?  It seems to speak of transformation; being a different person with newly discovered values.  How does this compare with your experience, has your faith caused you to see and value some things differently than the secular culture might?

·       A second focus is on Jesus’ commands/commandments, how and why are they important?   Does this say that Jesus has given us a listing of behaviors that if followed to the letter guarantee his love for us?  If so where do we find that listing, what do you consider to be his commands?  When asked specifically about commands Jesus responded this way:

Jesus said, "'Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence.' This is the most important, the first on any list. But there is a second to set alongside it: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' These two commands are pegs; everything in God's Law and the Prophets hangs from them."  Matthew 22:37-40

·       What do Jesus’ words in Matthew tell us about the source of the commands/commandments, what do they flow from?  How will focusing our love on God bring us understanding and what are we to use as instruments of our love?   Where should we direct the fruits of our passion, prayer and intelligence?  Did Jesus show us how that is to be done?  What stories involving those who might be considered outcasts do you remember from the gospels?  How has your spirituality impacted the way in which you perceive and deal with others?

·       What is the result of focusing on love and obeying the commands; what do we reap from sowing love and obedience?  When have you found joy in the practice of your faith, when you were moved to respond in a loving way to someone or something that initially gave you pause?  What other joyful moments have you experienced during your faith journey?  Would you agree with Jesus that one of the outcomes of faithful living is joy?  What might it mean if joy is absent, what might be the cause?

In the second section of the scripture Jesus turns the focus to a specific command and reminds the disciples, and us, of some important things to remember:

This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you. I'm no longer calling you servants because servants don't understand what their master is thinking and planning. No, I've named you friends because I've let you in on everything I've heard from the Father.

¹⁶"You didn't choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won't spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you.
¹⁷"But remember the root command: Love one another.

·       What is the root command?  Seems simple doesn’t it, love one another?  When is it easy for you to love another; times when it feels like a natural response to another?  When is it difficult?  What situations have caused you to either hesitate or withhold love from another?  Does Jesus ask us to like everyone?  How is loving different from liking?  Can you think of some examples of people you would say you would not necessarily want as friends or even found objectionable toward whom you have performed a loving act?  Say a panhandler or someone incarcerated or in trouble with the law for some illegal action, or a person whose lifestyle you find objectionable?

·       God unconditionally loves us and for most this is an unattainable level of love and compassion.  Does this in any way give us a pass on trying to broaden our capacity to love?  What have you done to try and increase your compassionate response to others?  What examples of loving acts by others have inspired your faith life?

·       Two words Jesus uses to describe his disciples are friends and fruit bearers.  How does the idea of being thought of as Jesus’ friend impact you?  What can we count on from a friend and what how do we relate to a friend?  What words would you use to describe your relationship with God? 

·       We also carry the title of fruit bearer which connotes doing useful and loving things; this is the place where faith meets real life.  With all of our other priorities and pressures how hard is it to focus on this important component of faithful living?  How do you work the important commandment of loving others into your daily life?   What are some struggles?  What do you use to help strengthen and inspire your faithful loving response to others?  It truly seems to be part of that transformation that Paul wrote of in the scripture from Romans above.  You'll be changed from the inside out.

Closing Litany

Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, is God-begotten. If we love the One who conceives the child, we'll surely love the child who was conceived. The reality test on whether or not we love God's children is this: Do we love God? Do we keep his commands? The proof that we love God comes when we keep his commandments and they are not at all troublesome. 1 John 5:1-3

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures:  Acts 1:15-17, 21-26, Psalm 1,1 John 5:9-13, John 17:6-19

The Lord is My Shepherd

For May 6, 2012

How many times have you heard the 23^rd Psalm?  Like  the love chapter, 1 Corinthians 13, that is heard at most wedding ceremonies other oft repeated verses of scripture (even the Lord’s Prayer) can become so familiar that they may lose their profound meaning.  Today we will take a closer look at the 23^rd Psalm – The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want – reflect on that.

This post is intended to help the reader personalize the words and thoughts in the scriptures.  It works well if shared between two or more people as a topic of discussion but there is much to be gained by considering the questions yourself.  Commentaries for these scriptures can be found on Textweek through this link http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm23.htm.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

² He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

³ He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

⁵ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

·       How often have you heard this scripture?  When was listening to it or reading it especially meaningful for you?  What gave significance to you, was it particular words or the overall tone of the psalm?

·       Do you relate to the imagery of God as a shepherd?  What attributes of God as shepherd do you carry with you as you pray, meditate or seek comfort?  I must admit that shepherd is not the first word I would use to describe God to someone but there is the caring for each one that is easily attributed to shepherds.

·       We shall not want – not want what?  Not want for health, for income, for decent housing; what do you feel that your faith life brings to you that cannot be taken from you?  Are there aspects of others faith lives that you would like to incorporate into yours?  In what ways would you like for your faith life to be bolstered?  Who might you talk to (pray?) about it?

·       The psalmist gives us three words (maketh, leadeth, restoreth)  which describe God’s presence in our lives.  How is each word used, what blessing come with each?  Do these images resonate with you; have you experienced them in your life?

·       Rewrite verses 2 & 3 inserting examples from your life of God’s presence with you.  Either use the three words the psalmist gives us or substitute others that have more meaning for you.  I particularly relate to leadeth which speaks to the insight, guidance and wisdom that flows from the presence of God’s spirit in times of uncertainty and confusion if we only ask.  How have maketh and restoreth been present in your faith journey?  

·       How is God’s presence described in the walk through the valley?  Is the shadow removed, will we come out unscathed?  What might be the evil’s we are protected from?  What does an assurance of God’s presence bring?  How important is comfort as we walk through the valley?

·       Think of a crisis in your life, what did your faith bring to you as you dealt with it?  Sometimes we walk out of the other side of the valley without any damage, other times not the case.  Does our degree and intensity of faith impact the likelihood of either a good or bad outcome or should we be counting on something else?

·       What does God provide in the presence of our enemies?  Whom and what do you consider enemies?  What meaning does preparing the table have for you?  Can there be enemies that attack our faith life, its vitality, its depth, its meaning?  What does God set the table with that might fend off these negative influences?  What builds up your faith and brings a spring to your step as you travel along your faith journey?

·       Where in life can we find a guarantee of goodness and mercy, can we expect fairness and equity all of the time from anyone or anything?  How does that promise impact the fact that our everyday experience at times excludes these very things?  These words speak to me of
God’s grace, His acceptance of us despite all of the human shortcomings we all carry with us?

·       When will we dwell in the house of the Lord?  Does it start next week, next month, some undefined time in the future?  What meaning does it bring to your faith life to understand that we dwell in it now and are guaranteed to live there forever?  What should we expect for ourselves and from ourselves as we dwell in that place?  How can we bring more of the presence of God’s house into the collision of our faith with the realities of everyday life? 

·       The 23^rd Psalm has so much to say to us as we travel through life, things that we need to carry with us for comfort, guidance, strength, and encouragement.  What are two things that you carry away from these words today that can be applied to your todays and tomorrows?

Closing Litany (Psalm 22:22-24)

Here's the story I'll tell my friends when they come to worship,
and punctuate it with Hallelujahs:
Shout Hallelujah, you God-worshipers;
give glory, you sons of Jacob;
adore him, you daughters of Israel.
He has never let you down,
never looked the other way
when you were being kicked around.
He has never wandered off to do his own thing;
he has been right there, listening.

Amen

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures:  Acts 10:44-48, Psalm 98, 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17