How do we measure God's love

For 7/29/2012


Today's scripture come from Ephesians 3 in which the writer of offers a prayer on our behalf and which turns our attention to the working of God in our life, the dimensions it adds and the immeasurable extent to which God’s love encompasses us. How have you felt the immensity of God’s presence in your life?

3:14 For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. 16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. 18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. 20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

First of all, how does it feel to be prayed for by someone you don't even know?  Do you think that the prayer is appropriate for where you are today, fits today's circumstances, is welcomed?

What do you interpret verses 14-15 to mean? From a commentary:
Naming is about authorizing. Fatherhood, here, is not so much fathering or even parenting, as exercising power. It is a quaint of way of asserting that God is God and not allowing rivals, whether other gods or other claimants to power and authority. As a structure of thought it is interesting. There is a sense in which it means: any exercise of authority needs to be based on the way God is, if it is to have legitimacy. William Loader

• How important in the naming of a child are the persons (relatives, celebrities, ancestors) who have that name? How important to you is your name and with whom it is associated? What considerations are made in the process of naming anything (business, church, sermon) important to us?

• Can you think of instances of name changes or naming in the Bible which came from God or Jesus?
The power of naming starts at the very beginning of the Bible. God named the heavens and the earth. Adam was given the power to name all the animals—and his wife. naming denotes a sort of authority over that person. Karla Bohmbach

3:16 I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, 17and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love.


• The you in this scripture is a plural, he is writing to a church(es) and speaking to the collective body. What is the desire in verse 16 and what will make it happen?

• Have you felt inner strength because of the Spirit’s presence in your life? What put you into touch with this awareness?

• What are some things that we find dwelling in our hearts? Are they all necessarily good things? What is the result of those things presence on the way in which we live our lives? What should our spiritual life be doing to our hearts and its contents?

• What results from the presence of the Spirit? Do you know of people who seem to be rooted and grounded in this way? Have you had the experience of being motivated to react in a loving way because of your faith?

• How do these ideas pertain to a faithcommunity? In what ways have you seen the Spirit’s presence in your congregational life? What might we do to encourage our collective openness to the Spirit?

• One of the gifts of the Spirit is strengthening a faith community's “inner being with power through his Spirit.” What are some crucial areas in which your faith community could use inner strength as it moves ahead and how might it connect with that source of power?

• What do you think that the community is ‘rooted’ in now and how might it increase the presence of God’s love?

3:18 I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

• Have you ever come to grips with the incomprehensible magnitude of something that ‘surpasses knowledge”? Have there been events in your life or have you witnessed things that you never expected to happen? Have you thought about God’s love in these terms?

• The prayer asks that we be filled with the same incomprehensible love, “filled with the fullness of God.” How do you feel about that?

• What would happen if a faith community were filled with that fullness in the months ahead? How might it go about things so that love is shown?

20 Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

• What does the benediction ask that we be blessed with? Do you think that the presence of the Spirit can help us do “far more than all we can ask or imagine’? Have you experienced this in a congregational setting? What made it happen? Why can’t we connect with this ability more often?

• What is the reason that we are given spiritual power? How might we glorify God in our work ahead as a congregation?

Closing Prayer

Lord I offer my faith community as a living sacrifice, praying that it is holy and acceptable to you. I pray that we might be transformed by the renewing of our minds, so that we may discern what is your will—what is good and acceptable and perfect. Amen.

Adapted from Romans 12:1-2

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: John 6:24-35, Ephesians 4:1-16, Psalm 51:1-12 or Psalm 78:23-29, 2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:13a or Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15



Am I Different Because Of My Faith?

For July 15, 2012

All Scriptures are from The Message Version

One of the many themes of scripture is transformation, that through our faith we become something different; that our lives have different priorities and that we interact with the realities of life differently. Two definitions of transform are:

1. To change markedly the appearance or form of
2. To change the nature, function, or condition of; convert

What is your personal experience with the transformational nature of faith; do any of the definitions apply or would you add your own?

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.

The writer of Colossians speaks specifically about the change we should experience as people of faith:

Colossians 3:1-2 So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.
3-4Your old life is dead. Your new life, which is your real life—even though invisible to spectators—is with Christ in God. He is your life. When Christ (your real life, remember) shows up again on this earth, you'll show up, too—the real you, the glorious you. Meanwhile, be content with obscurity, like Christ.
5 And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That's a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God.

• Reread the first sentence; how does the writer set the tone? How do you react to the words? As you look back on your faith life have there been times when you were more spiritually “serious” than others. How was your life different during the high and low points of your spiritual intensity?

• Can you relate to “shuffle along”, “eyes to ground”, and “absorbed…things right in front”? What were some circumstances in your life in which some of these words might have applied? How easy is it to fall into this style of dealing with life?

• What is the writer’s answer, how are we to avoid this trap? Where should we look; to what do we need to be alert? Have you ever been found yourself facing a difficult situation personally or as part of a faith community? Was it easy to, “Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.” Does it say anything about what we should consider as the really important priorities and that the methods we use to solve problems should change?

• Verses 3-4 cry out TRANSFORMED – “Your old life is DEAD” – but does our human nature really ever let go of us? Think of a time when you have successfully changed something about yourself (not to get personal but things like weight loss, dropping a bad habit, mastering a new skill). What were the keys to making the change? What has helped sustain it over time? Do those experiences have parallels to spiritual transformation? What do you feel we can count on as support for a transformed, old life is dead, faith life?

• Reread verse 5 – the writer has gone from preaching to meddling it appears. How does he sum up what we should avoid? Who is in control when we are on the wrong path? Do you agree with his assessment in the last sentence? How strong is the influence of things and feelings in the direction our life might take? When have you experienced being shaped by God instead?

We will skip ahead for some more food for transformational thought:

12-14So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
15-17Let the peace of Christ keep you in tune with each other, in step with each other. None of this going off and doing your own thing. And cultivate thankfulness. Let the Word of Christ—the Message—have the run of the house. Give it plenty of room in your lives. Instruct and direct one another using good common sense. And sing, sing your hearts out to God! Let every detail in your lives—words, actions, whatever—be done in the name of the Master, Jesus, thanking God the Father every step of the way.

• It begins “chosen by God” – do you feel chosen? How do you interpret these words? Have you ever been chosen/selected/promoted/elected? Did the experience change you? Did you see yourself differently and find yourself acting differently? Can you see any parallels in your faith life – in the state of your spiritual transformation?

• The writer lists some examples of attributes we are to “dress in”. Which seem natural to you, which do you feel that your faith life has helped you grow into, are there some that remain elusive? Are there any that you would add to the list?

• Do you think that it is important for us to be confronted with text like this? How about sermons? How about others gently (or not) reminding us? When do you find this kind of reminding helpful and when not? How do you go about reminding others? What does the writer tell us is the key ingredient, the “all purpose garment” upon which successful transformation depends? What needs to be the focus of our love both where it comes from and where it is directed?

• The writer speaks of the “peace of Christ”. How is it different? When have you experienced it? When have you seen it in the lives and actions of others? Based on your experience how would you describe the way in which that peace impacts real life? What goes away with peace? What fills us up? What drives peace out?

• To me one result of transformation is the company we keep and those things that shape our response to the people and events in our daily lives. What does the writer suggest in verses 15-17 that we should make a part of our lives? What would you add? What positively reinforces living the way he suggests? Which are hard for you? When is the last time you “sang” to God? Does it have to be a happy song?

• Take a few minutes to reflect on your personal spiritual transformation. Write down some thoughts and then reread our scripture for today.

Closing Litany (Psalm 85:10-13)

Love and Truth meet in the street,

Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss!

Truth sprouts green from the ground,

Right Living pours down from the skies!

Oh yes! God gives Goodness and Beauty;

our land responds with Bounty and Blessing.

Right Living strides out before him,

and clears a path for his passage.

Amen

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: 2 Samuel 7:1-14aor Jeremiah 23:1-6, Psalm 89:20-37or Psalm 23, Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56



The Essence of Faith

For 7/8/2012


All Scriptures are from The Message Version

Faith has to be one of the most frequently repeated words in scripture and something we hear about over and over again in sermons and personal stories. Just what is faith and what should we focus upon as we seek to strengthen our faith relationship with God.

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.com through this link Mark 6:1-13

Let us start with, for the sake of argument, some words on faith from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia which you can look at in its entirety through this link:

Faith in Christianity is based in and on the work and teachings of Jesus Christ. In this way Christianity declares not to be distinguished by its faith, but by the object of its faith. Faith is an act of trust or reliance. Rather than being passive, faith leads to an active life aligned with the ideals and the example of the one being trusted. It sees the mystery of God and his grace and seeks to know and become obedient to God. To a Christian; faith is not static but causes one to learn more of God and grow; it has its origin in God.

In Christianity faith causes change as it seeks a greater understanding of God. Faith is not fideism or simple obedience to a set of rules or statements. Before the Christian has faith, they must understand in whom and in what they have faith. Without understanding, there cannot be true faith and that understanding is built on the foundation of the community of believers, the scriptures and traditions and on the personal experiences of the believer. In English translations of the New Testament, the word faith generally corresponds to the Greek noun πίστις (pistis) or the Greek verb πιστεύω (pisteuo), meaning "to trust, to have confidence, faithfulness, to be reliable, to assure"

The Bible (Hebrews 11) says that “faith gives substance to our hopes and convinces us of realities we do not see.”


• The first paragraph touches on several themes in describing faith, what are they and which do you either agree with or have questions about? What is the focus of faith, what is it based upon, what does it lead to?

• We read that “faith leads to an active life.” What activities in your life are results of your faith?

• What do you trust or rely upon in your faith life, what gives you confidence? Do you agree with the term “mystery of God”, are you comfortable with the idea of mystery and unknown being part of faith?

• Do you agree that faith causes us to change? What examples can you cite either in your life or in others you have witnessed? How long will the change process last, do we age out at some point?

• In the second paragraph the Wikipedia definition focuses on understanding. What does it say that we need to understand and what is not so important? What do you think?

• What is given as examples of the foundations that the understanding comes from? What is foundational for your faith life? Where has understanding come from?

• What do you see in Wikipedia’s translation of the Greek verb (pisteuo) that you would agree with and what questions does it raise?

• The last sentence is a definition (then followed in the epistle by lots of examples) from Hebrews 11 of faith. If asked to define faith in one sentence what would you write?

Lets look at a faith story from Mark’s Gospel, it is Mark’s version of the story in Luke of Jesus teaching at his hometown synagogue and being physically attacked in Luke 4:14-30 .

Mark 6: 1-2 He left there and returned to his hometown. His disciples came along. On the Sabbath, he gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. "We had no idea he was this good!" they said. "How did he get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?"

3But in the next breath they were cutting him down: "He's just a carpenter—Mary's boy. We've known him since he was a kid. We know his brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and his sisters. Who does he think he is?" They tripped over what little they knew about him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.

4-6Jesus told them, "A prophet has little honor in his hometown, among his relatives, on the streets he played in as a child." Jesus wasn't able to do much of anything there—he laid hands on a few sick people and healed them, that's all. He couldn't get over their stubbornness. He left and made a circuit of the other villages, teaching.

• As an aside, don’t get sidetracked please, did you know Jesus had such a large family? Who is not mentioned and what might be the reason?

• Where does faith come into play in this story? What was Jesus’ assessment of the state of faith in his hometown? How does faith play a role in the effectiveness of his ministry in his hometown? Do you think that he lost faith in the ability of his ministry to work in that place?

• Has the strength of faith in those around you ever impacted your willingness to take on some responsibility or the level of energy you put into carrying it out? What does it take to recharge and maintain a high level of oomph in our faith life battery?

• What is your reaction to the community’s perception of Jesus? First they are impressed and then cutting him down – what reasons lay behind each? Is this an issue for us; do we limit ourselves because of the concern of either what people do or might think of us? Jesus just moved on, how do you feel about that approach?

• Jesus is at work in the life of our faith community and in our lives; how might he assess our reaction to his presence and power? Are we amazed or doubting? What has caused us to be where we are? Should we be seeking change, growth, and understanding? Where might it come from?

Closing Prayer

God Almighty, grant us, we pray, to be grounded in your truth by the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. That which we don’t know, reveal; that which is lacking in us, fill up; when our faith is weak, strengthen; and energize us in your service, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Modified from a pray by St. Clement of Rome found in

The Oxford Book of Prayer

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19 or Amos 7:7-15, Psalm 24 or Psalm 85:8-13, Ephesians 1:3-14, Mark 6:14-29