A Fateful Ride

Today is Palm Sunday so we will look at the story of Jesus' entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of one of the most revered times in the Christian year.  Luke describes the disciples fetching the colt and the entry.  But what kind of entry is it really and what does Luke want us to know about Jesus as he sets the stage for the trial, crucifixion and resurrection?

Luke 19:28-31 After saying these things, Jesus headed straight up to Jerusalem. When he got near Bethphage and Bethany at the mountain called Olives, he sent off two of the disciples with instructions: “Go to the village across from you. As soon as you enter, you’ll find a colt tethered, one that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it. If anyone says anything, asks, ‘What are you doing?’ say, ‘His Master needs him.’”
32-33 The two left and found it just as he said. As they were untying the colt, its owners said, “What are you doing untying the colt?” 34 They said, “His Master needs him.”
35-36 They brought the colt to Jesus. Then, throwing their coats on its back, they helped Jesus get on. As he rode, the people gave him a grand welcome, throwing their coats on the street.
37-38 Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed:
Blessed is he who comes, the king in God’s name!
All’s well in heaven! Glory in the high places!
39 Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, “Teacher, get your disciples under control!” 40 But he said, “If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise.”

 · What was Luke trying to impart about Jesus to his readers/hearers in this story, how were they to see and understand who he was? 

Notes on the story of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem
o The Mount of Olives carried special meaning for first century Jews. In Zechariah (14:4), when the Day of the Lord comes, the Lord would approach Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives--"On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives."

o As Jesus rode into town on a colt, he brought to mind the image in Zechariah 9:9 of the promised king humbly riding on a colt. It presents Jesus as the king who comes in the name of the Lord, and the rejoicing of those who would witness it:

“Shout and cheer, Daughter Zion!
    Raise the roof, Daughter Jerusalem!
Your king is coming!
    a good king who makes all things right,
    a humble king riding a donkey,
    a mere colt of a donkey.

o This particular donkey, like any animal suited for sacred use, has never been ridden.

o The spreading of cloaks is yet another sign of royal acclamation. In 2 Kings 9:13, the spreading of cloaks was a sign of greeting for the king: "Then hurriedly they all took their cloaks and spread them for him...and they blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, ‘Jehu is king.’"

o Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan have written a The Last Week, and they begin their account of Jesus' last seven days with a colorful description of this procession by the King of Peace into one end of Jerusalem at the same time that the Roman Empire's representative, Pontius Pilate, full of brute power, enters at the other end. Pilate has arrived to "keep the peace" in the city during the turbulent time of Passover, when the crowds always get a little unruly. He travels with troops and flags and weapons, all the signs of empire, on a magnificent warhorse, in case the flags and weapons and troops aren't a sufficiently intimidating display of power. 

· Does the imagery of Jesus as a kingly messiah connect with you in any way? How would you describe the Jesus who is the source of your salvation. What would be part of a contemporary account of this kind of Jesus' arrival and would it have been in Jerusalem or some other place?

 

· What do you make of the telling of the acquisition of the colt? What questions does it raise for you and is there anything interesting for you as you read it?

 

· Who was loudly praising God and why were they doing it? How many of them do you visualize were participating? Were any of those in the crowd chanting for his crucifixion later that week necessarily in this group?

· What kind of salvation and blessing by God do you think “the multitude of disciples” was proclaiming? What motivated them to do this?  

· How do you take the Pharisees words, were they intended as a command or a word to the wise? Down through the ages the Jews have been attributed as being central to Jesus’ crucifixion. Who sentenced Jesus to death and carried out the scourging and crucifixion? What were the Roman authorities trying to make clear in executing Jesus? What kind of a threat was he to them? If this event took place today would there be those who saw it as a threat?

· What do you think is going through Jesus’ mind as this is taking place? What is the mood of the disciples? Have there been times when you have been especially enthused about your faith life? How did you express this enthusiasm?

Less than a week later: 

Luke 22:60-62 Peter said, "Man, I don't know what you're talking about." At that very moment, the last word hardly off his lips, a rooster crowed. Just then, the Master turned and looked at Peter. Peter remembered what the Master had said to him: "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and cried and cried and cried.

· What mood has descended upon the disciples in less than a week? What has happened to cause Peter to lose his Palm Sunday enthusiasm? What do you think he might be crying about?

· What kind of events, if any, has caused you to despair about your faith life? What causes high hopes and faith based enthusiasm to diminish? How might Easter Sunday be instructive to us about the rough places in our faith journey?

 

Closing Litany
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation. 

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.

 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvellous in our eyes. 

This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it. 

Amen

 

From Psalm 118

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

²⁵

Doing the Hard Things

For 3/17/2013

Lent is a time of introspection and prayer when we seek God's guidance for our lives. Many things can come from that guidance and wisdom which will enrich our lives. One word we can use to describe this is discernment - to perceive, detect, to recognize or comprehend mentally. Today we will look at scriptures from James which speak to discernment:

James 1:5-8 If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.                                                                                          
· How many times this past month have you felt like "you didn't know what you are doing"? What did you feel like when this happened? How did you handle it? Were you happy with the outcome?

· What is the writer of James' advice to us? When is the most likely time we will turn to prayer for guidance in dealing with a situation? What are some reasons that we might forget this advice?

· Has your reliance on this advice changed as you have matured in your faith life? What are some things that reinforced your instinct to turn to prayer?

· What are we told about God? Are there people you know who seem to love to help? What about them makes them helpful? How do you feel about them? Do you ever feel a sense of God's "hands on" in a situation?  

· How does this assertion square with your experience with prayer? What do you ask for when you are facing a dilemma? What do you typically receive when you pray in these situations? What have you learned about God and the ways God’s gives us help?

· How are we to pray? What might be included in or left out of the kind of prayer the writer wants us to avoid? But what is we are not sure what to pray for - is that OK? Paul has some thoughts in Romans 8:
...God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves...
· Do you think that Paul is right? Is this a sign of a God "who loves to help"?

· Do you think that your faith community has taken James' advice as it makes decisions and sets priorities? Looking back what would you cite as examples of prayerful discernment? Do you think that it has missed any opportunities for seeking the one "who loves to help"?

· Isaiah 43 is a Lectionary scripture for today and it seems to speak to what might need to happen to allow God's Spirit to act in our personal or congregational life. What needs to happen before something new can happen? How hard is it to let go of things that in our minds were priorities, things that go unquestioned, voices that were relevant to conditions in the past:

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

                                                                                 Isaiah 43:18-19

The writer now speaks to the counterintuitive idea that challenges are a good thing:

James 1:2-4 Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.         
                                                                          
· How do you feel about the sentiments in the first sentence? Have "tests and challenges" ever been something that was in fact a gift for you? When do tests and challenges go from being a gift to something very different?

· The second sentence speaks to our faith-life in the face of a challenge. Do you relate to this statement? How might strengths or deficiencies in our faith live become apparent in times of testing? 

· How might these thoughts hold true for the collective faith life of a congregation? Can times of testing be a good thing for a congregation? What happens if we live a life based on avoiding tests and challenges?

· Have you grown by taking on difficulties that you could have avoided or put off ? How important is taking them on to the growth of our spiritual lives?

Closing Prayer

 

Be blessed, God;

train me in your ways of wise living.

I’ll transfer to my lips

all the counsel that comes from your mouth...

I ponder every morsel of wisdom from you,

I attentively watch how you’ve done it.

I relish everything you’ve told me of life,

I won’t forget a word of it.

Amen

Psalm 119:12-16

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Luke 19:28-40; Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29; Isaiah 50:4-9; Psalm 31:9-16; Philippians 2:5-11; Luke 22:14-23:56

What did the Prodigal Son Learn that We need to Know?

For 3/10/2013
Lent is traditionally a season of reflection and prayer with a good dose of that classic Christian imperative - repentance. But what is repentance all about? Really with all of my other stuff, why repentance? We will explore that today and begin with the Prodigal Son, a story about lots of things but with a big dose of repentance. We will not deal with the whole story but instead focus on the son's return:

Luke 15: 12-16 “So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country. There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to hurt. He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any.
17-20 “That brought him to his senses. He said, ‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’ He got right up and went home to his father.
20-21 “When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech: ‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’
22-24 “But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants, ‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a grain-fed heifer and roast it. We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’ And they began to have a wonderful time.                                                           The Message Version

· What is your picture of the son, his age (he is the second son), appearance, reliability, and intelligence?

· So let's get to the obvious, what is your assessment of the son's behavior after he got his inheritance. Know anyone like him, ever acted like him in a small or big way? Ever gotten something (like a tax return) and spent it on something frivolous? Ever made a bet on an investment, too good to be true and it was too good to be true?

· Look at his repentance; what brought it about, what were the elements of repentance (just words?), was he sincere, do you think he was really changed?

· Have you ever vowed to make a change in your life (be honest)? What contributed to a successful change? What contributed to an unsuccessful effort? Did your spiritual life influence your desire to change and what role did it play in helping you successfully change?

· Any backsliding? What then? Again what role did your spiritual life play as you struggled? Paul writes in Romans 7 the following:

21-23 It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge.   The Message Version

What is Paul saying to us about the reality of the human condition and what does it say about our need to repent? 

· Look at the father and the son; who were the son's words of repentance important to? Did the father care about them? Why was it important for the son to verbalize his repentance; what was gained? What was really important to the father? Does it say anything to you about the impact of our repentance on others, what about our spiritual relationship with God?

 Look at Psalm 32 below for more thoughts on repentance.

 Psalm 32
Count yourself lucky, how happy you must be—
you get a fresh start, your slate’s wiped clean.
2 Count yourself lucky—
God holds nothing against you and you’re holding nothing back from him.
3 When I kept it all inside,
my bones turned to powder, my words became daylong groans.
4 The pressure never let up; all the juices of my life dried up.
5 Then I let it all out; I said, “I’ll make a clean breast of my failures to God.”
Suddenly the pressure was gone— my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared.
6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray;
when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we’ll be on high ground, untouched.
7 God’s my island hideaway,
keeps danger far from the shore, throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.
8 Let me give you some good advice;
I’m looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight:
9 “Don’t be ornery like a horse or mule that needs bit and bridle to stay on track.”
10 God-defiers are always in trouble;
God-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around.
11 Celebrate God.
Sing together—everyone! All you honest hearts, raise the roof!

The Message Version

 

· What words of wisdom do you see in verses 1&2? What is the key to a real relationship with God? Do we kid ourselves when we think that we can hide things from God?  

· Verse 2 speaks of not holding things back. What words does he use to describe our condition when we are suffering because of shortcomings and disappointments in our lives? Have you ever experienced or seen this happen in someone's life? What happens to those around us when we behave in this way? What destructive behaviors can flow from these pressures and regrets?

· What words of wisdom do we get in verse 5, what did the writer go through? When have you experienced true forgiveness and what made it memorable?

· Can we experience some of the same emotions when we are in the position of needing to forgive others? What does this say about the father's behavior toward the prodigal son - was it an important act of forgiveness?

· What do verses 6&7 speak to; what is at the core of these words of wisdom? In this life of ups and downs how important is a vibrant prayer life and sense of God's presence in our lives?

· Verses 8-10 speaks among other things to the benefits of repentance - what words strike you about being real with God? Repentance can be associated with sackcloth and ashes, sorrow and depression, what do these two scriptures give us as both alternative pictures and encouragement? Do you feel better about including repentance in your faith life? Lent is a good time to work on it.

 Loving God, we are still bound, old habits the we cannot throw off, old customs that are so much a part of our lives that we are helpless to live the new life that You call us to live. Give us strength to break the bonds and the faith to believe that with Your help we cannot fail. Amen. From a prayer from Taiwan – The Oxford Book of Prayer


Next Week's Lectionary Scriptures: Isaiah 43:16-21, Psalm 126 or Psalm 119:9-16, Philippians 3:4b-14,  John 12:1-8

Disasters and Repentance

For 3/3/2013

Major disasters, mass killings, and other seemingly inexplicable events raise so many heartfelt questions; how can this be explained, how could God let this happen, were those who died being punished by God? Think about your reactions and let us hear the question everyday people brought to Jesus after a mass killing:

Luke 13:1-5 About that time some people came up and told him about the Galileans Pilate had killed while they were at worship, mixing their blood with the blood of the sacrifices on the altar. Jesus responded, “Do you think those murdered Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans? Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you, too, will die. And those eighteen in Jerusalem the other day, the ones crushed and killed when the Tower of Siloam collapsed and fell on them, do you think they were worse citizens than all other Jerusalemites? Not at all. Unless you turn to God, you, too, will die.”                             The Message Version             

· What is Jesus answer to people who are asking both why do bad things happen to good people and from the predominant theology of the time - were these people being punished by God? What does Jesus say about the victims?

· What does Jesus want us to learn about God as related to the tragedies? Did the events occur as a form of punishment? How do you think that the God you worship is present in such tragedies?

· Think of seemingly random bad things that occurred in your life, how was your relationship with God affected? Was it changed in any way? What spiritual insight did you receive?

· What point is Jesus making in telling of these two events,? What is he speaking of when he says that, “you, too, will die”? What must be done to avoid the type of death he is speaking of? John's Gospel has some thoughts on real life:

John 5:24 “It’s urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.                       The Message Version

· Jesus' point in the story is to tell us to "turn to God" or in many translations to repent, what does it mean to ‘repent’ and how do we go about it? What is changed about us when we repent?

· Do you associate repentance with Lent? What spiritual practices do we associate with Lent? Is reflection and seeking forgiveness part of your Lenten season?

There are a number of directions a discussion of this scripture could go - one of them is to look at the nature of God and the tragedies and disasters that are part of life. Job's story is famous for confronting us with this conundrum and here is another from Isaiah 55 as God speaks:

8-11 “I don’t think the way you think. The way you work isn’t the way I work"... “For as the sky soars high above earth, so the way I work surpasses the way you work, and the way I think is beyond the way you think.             The Message Version

· What does the Psalmist give us as God's words about the mysterious nature of life? What is the essence of the scripture? How do you react to it?

· These words are open to a wide range of interpretation - God's hand is in everything, everywhere, all the time - God chooses when to get involved - God may just let things happen. Where do you stand, how does your God touch real life?

· In the end all we may be left with is that we cannot fully understand anything about God - how do you feel about that? Does it make sense to you? Go outside and stare into infinity some night - it may help your perspective - it did the writer of Psalm 8.

We might also think about repentance which is where Jesus goes after his observation observations on disasters from Luke's gospel above:

Luke 13:6 Then he told them a story: “A man had an apple tree planted in his front yard. He came to it expecting to find apples, but there weren’t any. He said to his gardener, ‘What’s going on here? For three years now I’ve come to this tree expecting apples and not one apple have I found. Chop it down! Why waste good ground with it any longer?’ 8-9 “The gardener said, ‘Let’s give it another year. I’ll dig around it and fertilize, and maybe it will produce next year; if it doesn’t, then chop it down.’”’                  The Message Version

· What is the owner's problem and what is his recommended solution? What is the recommendation of the gardener? What is the point of this parable? For Jesus this is about spiritual things so what might bearing fruit have to do with us? Jesus put it this way in John's Gospel:

John 15:5 I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing. 6Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.New English Version

· How do you feel about Jesus’ words in the Luke parable and in John’s gospel? Does it seem that making a difference based on the presence of the Spirit in our lives is optional? Does this seem threatening, a basic truth, or something else? Do you feel empowered by your faith?

· Repentance; setting a new direction, changing our focus seems to run through Jesus' teaching and here is an homily on repentance for your consideration -at do you think:

Repentance is not a fruit problem; it is a root problem. It is the root of who we are that is a problem in God's eyes. So repentance cannot be composed of "I can" statements. "I have sinned God. I am sorry God. I can do better." Repentance, rather, must be composed of "I can't" statements. "I have sinned, God. I am sorry. God, I've tried and tried and tried but I just don't produce good fruit. I can't seem to do better. I need your Vinedresser to work on the roots of my life. Give me a new life, God. Give me your life. I can't. You can."

                                                                   Richard Jensen Preaching Luke's Gospel

Closing Prayer

We pray that we’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength You give. Strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking You who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that You have for us.  Amen.      From Colossians 1:9-10 The Message Version

 

 

Next Week’s Scriptures: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21, Psalm 32, Joshua 5:9-12

 

                                                                                                           

Two Transformation - Jesus and Moses

For 2/17/2013
Spiritual transformation; we speak of it, have questions about its meaning and many desire it for their lives. Today we read of transformation; literal physical transformation as a sign of two peoples closeness to God. So let us look at these stories and reflect on the transformation we have seen both in ourselves and in others who have taken up a spiritual journey:

Exodus 34:28 Moses was there with God forty days and forty nights. He didn’t eat any food; he didn’t drink any water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words. 29-30 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two Tablets of The Testimony, he didn’t know that the skin of his face glowed because he had been speaking with God. Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, saw his radiant face, and held back, afraid to get close to him… 33-35 When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face, but when he went into the presence of God to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. When he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they would see Moses’ face, its skin glowing, and then he would again put the veil on his face until he went back in to speak with God.                  The Message Version

 · Does anything sound familiar to you in this story? What is new to you as you read it?

 · What caused Moses to be transfigured? How do you imagine that he appeared – what does a glowing, radiant face mean to you   

· What was the reaction of the Israelites to his appearance? Why do you think they reacted in this way? How do you think that they interpreted this visible change in Moses’ appearance? What does it mean to you?

· Moses shielded the people from some of the change that his relationship with God made to him, do we also want to do the same – keep things about our personal spiritual life from others? Moses frightened people; could/should we have some similar reservations about overdoing it?

· How did Moses approach the presence of God? Why do you think that he removed the veil – any symbolism here?  

· What do you think was the purpose of the writer(s) of Exodus for choosing to include this particular story about Moses? What are we to understand about him and possibly God through this telling?

· Have you known people who seem to reflect a presence of spirituality through the way in which they are perceived or seen by others? Are the reactions to them and the way in which their spirituality seems to have changed them universally admired? Think of sports personalities who speak of their spirituality, or religiously based individuals who take controversial stands on local or national issues.

· Do you think that change or transformation is something we desire or expect as part of our faith life? Can there be some reservation about how far we might allow ourselves to be changed?  

· Have you sensed any kind of large or small, temporary or permanent spiritual transformation yourself? Did people seem to act differently toward you as a result of the change?

Now Jesus' Transformation:

Luke 9:28-31 About eight days after saying this, he climbed the mountain to pray, taking Peter, John, and James along. While he was in prayer, the appearance of his face changed and his clothes became blinding white. At once two men were there talking with him. They turned out to be Moses and Elijah—and what a glorious appearance they made! They talked over his exodus, the one Jesus was about to complete in Jerusalem. 32-33 Meanwhile, Peter and those with him were slumped over in sleep. When they came to, rubbing their eyes, they saw Jesus in his glory and the two men standing with him. When Moses and Elijah had left, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, this is a great moment! Let’s build three memorials: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He blurted this out without thinking. 34-35 While he was babbling on like this, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them. As they found themselves buried in the cloud, they became deeply aware of God. Then there was a voice out of the cloud: “This is my Son, the Chosen! Listen to him.” 36 When the sound of the voice died away, they saw Jesus there alone. They were speechless. And they continued speechless, said not one thing to anyone during those days of what they had seen.                             The Message Version

· What strikes you about the events taking place in verses 28-31? Do you see any significant differences in the two transfiguration stories?

· Why do you think that Jesus took the three disciples along? What do you think that the transfiguration and presence of Moses and Elijah is intended to tell us about Jesus? What does the writer of Luke want his readers/listeners to clearly understand?

· What was Jesus doing when his transfiguration take place? Was prayer for Jesus just sharing words or something more spiritual? What might it tell us about prayer, God’s presence, and personal transformation?   

· What did Jesus talk to Moses and Elijah about? How do you envision that the conversation was carried on? What do you think would have been the tone and tenor of the conversation.   

· What was Peter’s reaction to what he had seen? How does the writer of Luke describe his words? How do you interpret his state? What would your reaction have been? Have you ever babbled in reaction to something totally unbelievable or unexpected?

· God’s summary of the meaning of the transfiguration is contained in a few words. What meaning are three to take away and what do they do in response? Why do you think they elected to keep quiet? What would you have done?

· Have you ever had what you felt was an important encounter with the presence of the Spirit? What was your reaction to the experience? Did you keep quiet?

· In spite of this truly amazing experience, in the not too distant future Peter denies Jesus three times. What does this tell us about the reality of being a person of faith and yet living in the real world?

Closing Prayer
I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing:
To live with him in his house my whole life long.
I’ll contemplate his beauty; I’ll study at his feet.
That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world.
Amen

Next Week’s Scriptures: Isaiah 55:1-9, Psalm 63:1-8, 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Luke 13:1-9

 

It Is All About Letting Go!

For 2/17/2013


One of the promises of living a life of faith is that it will be transformational – we will not be the same – we are a new creation. Paul especially emphasized transformation through the presence of God’s Spirit within us – if we just let it happen. Today we look at an excerpt from his letter to the church in Rome as he addresses “the core of our preaching.” So as we enter the Lenten season we might reflect on our faith journey and transformation:

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

• How does Paul describe salvation? What do we have to do to receive it? What will God do? What is the key to letting God’s work take place? Can you think of a word, one option is in the first sentence, which captures the crucial step that allows “God to go to work”?

• A core of this scripture is “God doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.” How does our relationship with God raise us from the dead? What do we learn from the resurrection that might apply to our own faith journey? Has your faith ever helped you recover from a setback, tragedy, or reversal in your life?

• What must we affirm to receive salvation? What did you affirm when you verbalized your commitment?

• What important relationship is “set…right” through our salvation? What does that mean to you? Have you experienced times when it seemed that things were not right with God? What happened? Were you able to reestablish it? How did that happen?

• For Paul this reality changed his life and became the focus, direction and in a very real sense brought him the strength to be able to do what he did. What should we expect to occur because of a sound relationship with God? How would you imagine your life if this was not a reality to you?

Romans 10:11-13Scripture reassures us, "No one who trusts God like this—heart and soul—will ever regret it." It's exactly the same no matter what a person's religious background may be: the same God for all of us, acting the same incredibly generous way to everyone who calls out for help. "Everyone who calls, 'Help, God!' gets help."   The Message Version

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

• What is the assurance that flows from this scripture? Do you agree? Have there ever been times when in spite of your faith that you questioned the presence of God in a situation? Have you ever struggled to reassure either in your mind or for someone else who is struggling with great difficulties that God was present in the situation? How did it go?

• Who does this scriptural reassurance apply to? Do you think that it applies to non-Christians as well? If so what seems to be the criteria for God acting generously “when we call out for help”?

• The scripture refers to trusting God – trusting that God will respond to our faith – in terms of salvation. But after salvation what do you trust that God will be and do on your behalf? What do you expect or what have you experienced as you have traveled on your faith journey? Have you ever chosen to make a decision or respond in a way that reflects confidence that God is present with you?

• Does help from God necessarily come as we hope and expect it might? Have you ever seen or felt God’s presence in a situation that seemed hopeless? Should we ever expect to be able to understand, predict, or fashion the presence of the indefinable, infinite, creator of the universe in real life?

Now Paul the Evangelish speaks to us:

Romans 10:14-17 But how can people call for help if they don't know who to trust? And how can they know who to trust if they haven't heard of the One who can be trusted? And how can they hear if nobody tells them? And how is anyone going to tell them, unless someone is sent to do it? That's why Scripture exclaims,

A sight to take your breath away!

Grand processions of people

telling all the good things of God!

But not everybody is ready for this, ready to see and hear and act. Isaiah asked what we all ask at one time or another: "Does anyone care, God? Is anyone listening and believing a word of it?" The point is: Before you trust, you have to listen. But unless Christ's Word is preached, there's nothing to listen to.        The Message Version

• Sum up the main points of this scripture; what is Paul urging upon us? Do you think that he is right? How do you think that this telling and preaching should be done? What has been the most effective telling and preaching in your spiritual formation? Was it always literally “telling” and “preaching” or something else?

• Paul lived out this scripture; it became the focus of his life which he zealously pursued until his death. But what does it mean for you today with your responsibilities and problems; what should be expected of you? How do you feel you have been equipped to be a “teller”?

• Does it say that being a advocate who is “telling all the good things of God” is natural and easy? What has or would motivate you to share your faith with others?

• What is your reaction to ‘how can they know’ – what level of priority should we place on giving others the salvation message? How do you feel about the responsibility he seems to place upon us?

• What frustration does this diligent preacher of the word seem to run into – is everyone receptive? Can you relate to it and does it impact your actively taking on the telling of the salvation story yourself?

• So what have you learned today? What are you taking home after discussing Paul’s message this morning?

Closing Prayer

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

Next Week’s Lectionary Scriptures: Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18, Psalm 27, Philippians 3:17 - 4:1, Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36

What Do You Say? What Is Your Faith Story?

For 2/10/2013


Just what is being a Christian all about? Jesus preached and lived the good news and it was recorded in the Gospels, but what is its essence? How would you explain to someone in a 2-3 minute conversation just what the meaning of Jesus’ life and ministry is to you? In I Corintians 15 Paul writes his very condensed version of the gospel message well before the four New Testament gospels are written. Many credit him as being the first Christian theologian and we can see in his extensive writings the foundation of what is now the orthodox Christian message. Read and think about this telling of the essence of Christian belief and then reflect on what is even more important; your own personal understanding of the gospel message:

15 1-2 Friends, let me go over the Message with you one final time— this Message that I proclaimed and that you made your own; this Message on which you took your stand and by which your life has been saved. (I’m assuming, now, that your belief was the real thing and not a passing fancy, that you’re in this for good and holding fast.)  The Message Version

Paul is writing to a congregation that he formed and taught; to people whom he personally evangelized and many whom he may have baptized. His relationship with them has been up and down over the years resulting in letters to them which alternately praised, cajoled, scolded and taught.

• How important is the Message that Paul proclaimed – what does he believed it did? How important do you think it is to him and how important should it be to those who read his words?

• What has been the impact of your interaction with the Christian faith? He says that it saved the Corinthian’s lives, how would you characterize its importance to you? How important do you think it is for others to incorporate a faith journey into their lives?

Paul now validates the message by describing what happened after the resurrection:

3-9 The first thing I did was place before you what was placed so emphatically before me: that the Messiah died for our sins, exactly as Scripture tells it; that he was buried; that he was raised from death on the third day, again exactly as Scripture says; that he presented himself alive to Peter, then to his closest followers, and later to more than five hundred of his followers all at the same time, most of them still around (although a few have since died); that he then spent time with James and the rest of those he commissioned to represent him;   The Message Version

• What is the Message? How many sentences does it take to express it? Is it clear and unambiguous? Do you think that some crucial points are missed? You will have a chance to embellish later.

• What are some things he cites to support the validity of the message? What of what he says is new to you?

• How does this compare with your personal experience with the gospel message? Who or what experiences made it credible to you?

• Write down the major important points you would include in a very brief telling of the good news. Why is it valid for you and how would you authenticate it in your telling to someone?

Now Paul gives the source of his understanding of the gospel message:

and that he finally presented himself alive to me. It was fitting that I bring up the rear. I don’t deserve to be included in that inner circle, as you well know, having spent all those early years trying my best to stamp God’s church right out of existence.  The Message Version

And it is even more clearly expressed in Galatians:

1: 11-12 Know this—I am most emphatic here, friends—this great Message I delivered to you is not mere human optimism. I didn’t receive it through the traditions, and I wasn’t taught it in some school. I got it straight from God, received the Message directly from Jesus Christ.  The Message Version

• What is clear in Paul’s mind about the certainty of his theology – what gives it credibility? How much of it is spiritual; coming to him through his spiritual connection to God through Jesus Christ? What is your reaction to this assertion?

• What are the sources of your faith, your understanding of your relationship with God? How much comes from your “God moments” when the presence of God seemed close to you?

So what responsibilty do we have as hearers of the message - here is Paul's testamony:

10-11 But because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I’m not about to let his grace go to waste. Haven’t I worked hard trying to do more than any of the others? Even then, my work didn’t amount to all that much. It was God giving me the work to do, God giving me the energy to do it. So whether you heard it from me or from those others, it’s all the same: We spoke God’s truth and you entrusted your lives.   The Message Version

• Paul is an evangelist who is driven to spread the gospel message. What does he say drives and motivates him? What burden does he feel he takes upon himself?

• What kind of person would you picture speaking these words, is it someone you would relate to?

• Do you share his feelings that we should in our own way be workers spreading the good news? Mainline Christians are for the most part leery of being perceived as evangelical – why might this be the case? What are some consequences of being hesitant to share elements of our faith life? Who is the worst for it?

• What is your take away from reflecting on the scriptures and questions? Has any of your thinking changed? Has anything been reinforced? What do you want to explore with more study and discussion?

Closing Prayer

Loving God, thank you for your presence in my life.

Thank you for those who invited me to know you.

Guide me to those for whom I might prepare the way.

Give me the wisdom to know when to speak and what to say?

Amen

Next Week’s Scriptures: Deuteronomy 26:1-11, Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16, Romans 10:8b-13, Luke 4:1-13