What is Wisdom and Where Do I Find It?

For 8/19/2012

All Scriptures are from The Message Version

Wisdom is a word we see repeatedly in Scripture, something to be valued, sought, and treasured. True wisdom is a gift from God which guides our lives along the right paths and saves us from folly. Jewish Wisdom literature includes several of the books of the Old Testament including Proverbs, Psalms, Daniel, and Job. In that tradition Wisdom is feminine and given a number of attributes as we can see from these words from Proverbs:

God sovereignly made me—the first, the basic— before he did anything else.

I was brought into being a long time ago, well before Earth got its start.

And then staked out Earth’s Foundations, I was right there with him, making sure everything fit.

Day after day I was there, with my joyful applause, always enjoying his company…

• What are some of Wisdom’s attributes? Are any surprising? What does the writer want us to know about Wisdom?
• Notice these similar words from John 1 about Jesus: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.

Today’s Lectionary Scripture is attributed to the Solomon, that man of wisdom. Proverbs is filled with practical advice about the benefits of wisdom and the downfall that comes with temptation and folly. Let’s look at today’s scripture for what it says about Wisdom - both the lady and the attributes:

Proverbs 9:1-10 Lady Wisdom has built and furnished her home; it's supported by seven hewn timbers. The banquet meal is ready to be served: lamb roasted, wine poured out, table set with silver and flowers. Having dismissed her serving maids, Lady Wisdom goes to town, stands in a prominent place, and invites everyone within sound of her voice: "Are you confused about life, don't know what's going on? Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me! I've prepared a wonderful spread—fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines. Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning."
…It's through me, Lady Wisdom, that your life deepens, and the years of your life ripen. Live wisely and wisdom will permeate your life; mock life and life will mock you.

• First of all what does this tell us about the dispenser of wisdom, how would you describe her? Does it appear that access to Wisdom is difficult?
• What words are used to describe wisdom and its benefits? How would you use to describe it? Is it different from knowledge?
• What would you point to as examples of wisdom in your life experience? What was the impact of the wisdom on your life? Who have been examples of wise people in your life?
• Have you connected wisdom with your faith life? Has your spiritual life been a source of wisdom? In what practical ways has this wisdom made a difference in your life?

Paul speaks repeatedly about wisdom, that of the secular world and that of the spiritual, telling both of the source and the failure of the worldly to grasp it:

1 Corinthians 2:6-10 … God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That's why we have this Scripture text: No one's ever seen or heard anything like this, Never so much as imagined anything quite like it— What God has arranged for those who love him. But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.

• What is your take on the way in which Paul describes wisdom? What do you agree with and what question? Would you add anything to his description? What is added to the ideas about wisdom in Proverbs?
• What is the heart of the wisdom he refers to, what is its source? Do you see Jesus’ life and teachings as a source of wisdom for us? What are some of them that are particularly important to you and help guide the way you live your life?
• It can sound like wisdom will bring us wealth and true happiness – what happened to the Master of the God-designed life? What does this say to us, how is it instructive in understanding the meaning and purpose of wisdom? Is the ultimate goal of the Christian life to live safely, comfortably and contentedly or are there other dimensions?

John’s Gospel has Jesus assuring his disciples the night before he was crucified:

John 14:25-27 "I'm telling you these things while I'm still living with you. The Friend, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send at my request, will make everything plain to you. He will remind you of all the things I have told you. I'm leaving you well and whole. That's my parting gift to you. Peace. I don't leave you the way you're used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don't be upset. Don't be distraught.

• Do you think that this scripture relates to God’s wisdom? How did the disciples receive wisdom from Jesus as they traveled with him and what happens now that he is leaving them? Do you think that his words apply to us?
• Have you experienced nudging, God moments, guidance, ah-has, or inspiration you attribute to your spiritual life? Have you sensed the presence of the Spirit in the day to day? Do you associate these things with the idea of wisdom?
• What are some ways we can strengthen this spiritual blessing to our daily lives? What are some things that shut it off?
• What would you now tell someone who asked you to describe wisdom? How does wisdom fit into your faith story, would you include it in describing the impact of your faith on your life?

Closing Litany

Hallelujah! I give thanks to God with everything I've got—

Wherever good people gather, and in the congregation.

God's works are so great, worth

A lifetime of study—endless enjoyment!

Splendor and beauty mark his craft;

His generosity never gives out.

His miracles are his memorial—

This God of Grace, this God of Love.

Amen

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43 or Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18, Psalm 84 or Psalm 34:15-22, Ephesians 6:10-20, John 6:56-69



What is Holding Me Back?

For 8/12/2012

All scriptures are from The Message Version

Abraham Maslow’s assessment of the human condition which he published in 1943 is familiar to any Psych 101 student.  His research led him to believe that the most basic desires of all humans which must be satisfied before any others are the physiological needs; food, water, warmth, rest. Humans will put satisfaction of these needs above all others and cannot effectively deal with other things until they are met. One of the confirmations of this assessment from New Testament times is the subsidized grain and entertainment (“bread and circuses”) that the Roman emperors used to satisfy the masses. Into this Jesus introduces a new take on building a foundation through giving us a new image of the “bread of life”. First let us look at Maslow’s pyramid:

The most fundamental and basic four layers of the pyramid contain what Maslow called "deficiency needs" or "d-needs": esteem, friendship and love, security, and physical needs. With the exception of the most fundamental (physiological) needs, if these "deficiency needs" are not met, the body gives no physical indication but the individual feels anxious and tense. Maslow's theory suggests that the most basic level of needs must be met before the individual will strongly desire (or focus motivation upon) the secondary or higher level needs...

Self Actualization: This level of need pertains to what a person's full potential is and realizing that potential… As mentioned before, in order to reach a clear understanding of this level of need one must first not only achieve the previous needs, physiological, safety, love, and esteem, but master these needs.

• What questions come to mind as you look at the levels? You can learn more than you want to at places like Wikipedia which is where the above come from and others if you do a Google search. Do you have other names you would give any of the levels?
• What does your life’s experience tell you about the validity of Maslow’s theory which by the nature of theories is on the surface simplistic? Can you think of specific situations in which these ideas might have had a role?
• Can you see this as we move from the third world economies to those of the more developed world with resultant improvements in quality of life, innovation, and stability?
• Do you think that some of the horrible acts of violence we see (other than mental illness) might be rooted in a persons’ struggle to deal with a failure to satisfy something that Maslow’s theory identifies?

Into this Jesus introduces the foundation of a new theory:

John 6: 35-38 Jesus said, "I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever. I have told you this explicitly because even though you have seen me in action, you don't really believe me. Every person the Father gives me eventually comes running to me. And once that person is with me, I hold on and don't let go. I came down from heaven not to follow my own whim but to accomplish the will of the One who sent me. 39-40"This, in a nutshell, is that will: that everything handed over to me by the Father be completed—not a single detail missed—and at the wrap-up of time I have everything and everyone put together, upright and whole. This is what my Father wants: that anyone who sees the Son and trusts who he is and what he does and then aligns with him will enter real life, eternal life. My part is to put them on their feet alive and whole at the completion of time."

• Jesus tell us that he is the bread of life, what does he mean by that? How does this compare with Maslow’s theory, what does a person who aligns with Jesus satisfy in their life? Do we have to be at some point on Maslow’s pyramid in order for us to be open to this message? Are there examples of people who in fact turned to Jesus when basic physiological needs are not being met?
• What does Jesus guarantee about himself to those who align themselves with him? What needs are met for us? Does it fit someplace on the pyramid or not?
• What does he tell us that God wants for us? What is offered? When will wholeness take place?
• How does this understanding of life compare to the picture Maslow gives us? Do they fit together or are they in some ways alternatives? The failure to move from level to level in Maslow’s pyramid mean a life restricted and constrained in some way, how does this fit against the life (pyramid?) Jesus offers?
• Could we construct a spiritual pyramid using various levels to show progression in growth in our faith life? There are many references to spiritual growth, “no prolonged infancies… please” in Ephesians, what are some stages you would identify which help us move from (my arbitrary levels-substitute your own) say conversion to faith? What must we satisfy if we are to grow into a true relationship with God our creator?

It appears that Jesus is offering an alternative to Moslow's hierarchy, telling us to move past the way in which we are wired up as human beings - set ourselves free and live life empowered by the Spirit not our human nature.  But looking at the powerful force that Maslow points out for us we can see how strongly we are pulled back to rely upon our human nature.

• Think about stages you have experienced as you have moved along your faith journey? When you feel stronger or weaker in you spirituality what is present or missing? What are the elements you strive for in growing your faith life?  Included in each of the three levels are some ideas for a Spiritual Pyramid, what would you include in yours? Some scriptures follow which might be useful for ideas, what other scriptures do you think are important?

Conversion

Confession of faith,

Baptism

Bible Study

Church attendance

Financial support of church

Belief

Recognition and use of Spiritual Gifts,

Familiarity with Scripture,

Established a personal theology,

Comfortable sharing personal faith story,

Confidence prayer is answered

Faith

Christlike life,

Loving acceptance

of others,

Sense of transformation,

God's Spirit guides life

1 Corinthians 10:15-18
I assume I'm addressing believers now who are mature. Draw your own conclusions: When we drink the cup of blessing, aren't we taking into ourselves the blood, the very life, of Christ? And isn't it the same with the loaf of bread we break and eat? Don't we take into ourselves the body, the very life, of Christ? Because there is one loaf, our many-ness becomes one-ness—Christ doesn't become fragmented in us. Rather, we become unified in him. We don't reduce Christ to what we are; he raises us to what he is.

Ephesians 4
He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

John 15:5-8
"I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon. This is how my Father shows who he is—when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples.

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

Closing Litany (Psalm 16)

I'm happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed.
You canceled my ticket to hell— that's not my destination!
Now you've got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand, I'm on the right way.
Amen

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 or Proverbs 9:1-6, Psalm 111 or Psalm 34:9-14, Ephesians 5:15-20, John 6:51-58



Get With It!!

For 8/5/2012
All scriptures are from The Message Version


We are not sure who wrote the letter to the church in Ephesus but it certainly is in the spirit of Paul to whom it is attributed. He writes to them about living life in the real world where being in community, especially in times of trial can be difficult. Paul speaks to the tools and power that those who rely upon the Spirit have to transform a group of people into a vital faith family. Think of those times when you had experienced a real sense of togetherness and those others when divisiveness seemed to pull your faith community apart – what lay behind success and failure? Reflect upon that as you read from Ephesians 4:

1-3In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.


4-6You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness.


• Where does the letter come from, where is the writer? What does he want them to do for him? With what does he want to infuse the congregation?
• What are some ways that a congregation can determine just what road God has called them to travel? What do you think that your faith community is true to that process when it faces change or conflict? Would you have liked to have seen anything done differently during those times?
• What do you think that we should do to ensure that we stay on God’s path instead of wandering? What might be some signs that we are continuing to be faithful to this exhortation by the writer of Ephesians?
• Do you think that he suppose that it is easy to stay on the path, the natural thing to do? What does he warn against? How often have you seen these things happen in congregational life?
• What does he stress in verses 4-6? What have you seen as reinforcing oneness in the congregation and what be some ways in which oneness can be strengthened in the days ahead?
• What are some things that work against oneness? What might cause differences and conflicts? What do you suggest we do to combat them?

But what are some ways that the Spirit prepares us to be effective?
7-13But that doesn't mean you should all look and speak and act the same. Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. The text for this is,
He climbed the high mountain,
He captured the enemy and seized the booty,
He handed it all out in gifts to the people.
Is it not true that the One who climbed up also climbed down, down to the valley of earth? And the One who climbed down is the One who climbed back up, up to highest heaven. He handed out gifts above and below, filled heaven with his gifts, filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to train Christ's followers in skilled servant work, working within Christ's body, the church, until we're all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God's Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ.

• How do you think that this scripture applies to life in your faith community? What do you take from it as encouraging and what questions do you have?  Have you seen evidence of these gifts in the work of your spiritual family?
• What are some methods and practices we can follow in order to maximize the emergence of the spiritual gifts we do have as a congregation? What will suppress them?
• Are the gifts we have necessarily limited to the talents of the members of the faith community? What else might the Spirit lead us to that could be considered as benefitting its life and work?
• What concerns do you have as you think about the next 6-9 months in the life of your faith community?  Does anything you have read so far seem helpful?

To be effective we need to grow up spiritually:
14-16No prolonged infancies among us, please. We'll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will grow up healthy in God, robust in love.


• Where do you feel that truth telling has gone on in your life and the life of your faith community and where may it need to come into play in the future? What is the key to effective truth telling and what are some practical ways to do it?
• What is the last image he gives us of Christ’s presence? What does it mean to you? How does it apply to congregational life? Do you think that challenges and change can be a time of growth? How do we ensure that growth happens?

Closing Prayer

Holy One, whose love has been poured into our hearts through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, and who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish far more than we can ask or imagine, we pray that you would equip us for the work of ministry and for building up the body of Christ. Amen.

Next weeks Lectionary Scriptures: John 6:35, 41-51, Ephesians 4:25 - 5:2, Psalm 130 or Psalm 34:1-8, 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33 or 1 Kings 19:4-8

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

Do You Believe in Miracles?

For 7/1/2012

All Scriptures are from The Message Version

Today’s Gospel Lectionary scripture tells us of two of the many miracles which were part of Jesus’ ministry during those three short years. These miracles occur as he returns to the “Jewish” side of the Sea of Galilee after what turned out to be an unpopular healing of a possessed man on the “gentile” side. It is an opportunity for us to think about miracles and what role they play in our spiritual lives.

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 5:21-43

Miracles

What is a miracle and more importantly what role do they play in your faith life? What questions do you have about miracles? First a brief definition of a miracle from Wikipedia from which I will steal some ideas (you can read the full version here):

A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that God may work with the laws of nature to perform what people perceive as miracles. Theologians say that, with divine providence, God regularly works through created nature yet is free to work without, above, or against it as well.


In casual usage, "miracle" is seen as any event that is statistically unlikely but beneficial, (such as surviving a natural disaster), or simply a "wonderful" occurrence, regardless of likelihood, such as a birth. Other miracles might be: survival of a terminal illness, escaping a life threatening situation or 'beating the odds'. Some coincidences may be perceived to be miracles.

• One of the views of a miracle is that it is “an interruption of the laws of nature” – how would you define it, what would be some criteria you would use to acknowledge some event as a miracle?
• What causes a miracle to occur? Do we have a role in making them happen? What causes God to act, to step into a situation?
• Reflect on a miracle story from your life based on the thoughts from the previous question. How do your answers fit that experience? What impact did the miracle have on your faith life? What role do seemingly visible actions by God in real life have in enriching our faith?
• Have you ever prayed for a miracle and it failed to happen – how did it impact your faith – how did you deal with it?

Let’s look at a miracle story from Mark’s gospel and reflect some more on miracles:

Mark 5: 25-29 A woman who had suffered a condition of hemorrhaging for twelve years—a long succession of physicians had treated her, and treated her badly, taking all her money and leaving her worse off than before—had heard about Jesus. She slipped in from behind and touched his robe. She was thinking to herself, "If I can put a finger on his robe, I can get well." The moment she did it, the flow of blood dried up. She could feel the change and knew her plague was over and done with.
30At the same moment, Jesus felt energy discharging from him. He turned around to the crowd and asked, "Who touched my robe?"
31His disciples said, "What are you talking about? With this crowd pushing and jostling you, you're asking, 'Who touched me?' Dozens have touched you!"
32-33But he went on asking, looking around to see who had done it. The woman, knowing what had happened, knowing she was the one, stepped up in fear and trembling, knelt before him, and gave him the whole story.
34Jesus said to her, "Daughter, you took a risk of faith, and now you're healed and whole. Live well, live blessed! Be healed of your plague."

• What is the woman’s condition? What has she endured in addition to probably being considered ‘unclean’ by fellow Jews? What has her experience been with the medical profession? Can you relate to her dilemma through any personal experience or the experience of someone you know? How did you feel, was there any sense of desperation or a readiness to try anything to find relief from the situation?
• Why do you think that she felt that just touching his clothes would bring healing? What do you think that her frame of mind was as she approached Jesus? What does the way in which she approached him say about her feelings? How would you have approached him?
• What does this story tell us is our role in initiating a miracle? Do we learn anything about God and healing from the story? What questions and answers about miracles does the story raise for you?
• What do you think about the response Jesus had to being touched? Do you think that anyone who touched his clothes might have been healed? Are there places where miracles seem to occur or persons who have gained a reputation for performing healings? What do you think about them?
• Think of some situations in which someone either asks for or seems to need help or assistance? Are there things that influence you in the manner of your response? Are there certain situations or individuals that you are not inclined to provide help? Do you associate any of your feelings with the manner in which God might respond with miraculous acts? How is God’s response similar and different?
• Were all of the woman’s problems solved? What would this now healed woman who was apparently single and poor face in her life? Might she deal differently with them after this experience?
• What did Jesus say was the reason that the woman was healed? What does he say was the basis for her healing and what does it mean to you?
• Take a few minutes to write down and reflect upon the big and little miracles that are a part of your life.

Closing Litany - Isaiah 35

3-4Energize the limp hands, strengthen the rubbery knees.

Tell fearful souls, "Courage! Take heart!

God is here, right here, on his way to put things right And redress all wrongs.

He's on his way! He'll save you!"

5-7Blind eyes will be opened, deaf ears unstopped,

Lame men and women will leap like deer, the voiceless break into song.

Springs of water will burst out in the wilderness, streams flow in the desert.

Hot sands will become a cool oasis, thirsty ground a splashing fountain.

Even lowly jackals will have water to drink, and barren grasslands flourish richly.

Amen

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures –Mark 6:1-13, 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10, Psalm 48, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10