We watched the Nooma called Kickball with the youth today. Pretty effective, especially in this time of gift-giving. Here's the brief handout that goes with it.
Nooma: Kickball
Do you spend much time thinking about what you want for Christmas?
What was the best gift you ever got? What made it so good?
Scripture used in the video.
Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father who created all the lights in the heavens. He is always the same and never makes dark shadows by changing. - James1:17 (CEV)
I know what I’m doing. I have it all planned out – plans to take care of you, not abandon you,
plans to give you the future you hope for.
When you call on me, when you come and pray to me, I’ll listen.
When you come looking for me, you’ll find me.
Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else,
I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed. - Jeremiah 29:11-14 (MSG)
Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?
Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil,
know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! - Luke11:11-13 (NIV)
Apologies to Sam Watterson, but this cartoon is to perfect not to include.
How would you describe what this video was about in your own words?
Think about: If God was going to give you something so that you could know him better, what might it be?
This study happened because I could basically not get this grade school pun out of my head. Plus the advent readings have really been striking me with their intensity this year. It's a little tongue in cheek, but they still haven't invented sarcasm or irony fonts, so you'll have to make do with common sense. So for the Lakeshore Men's study this month, we have... Scary Christmas Time to re-advent yourself
Christmas is obviously joyful. But as any good neurotic will tell you, there are always things to worry about. If we look closely at the readings and themes of advent, we can begin to capture the underlying terror of the season.
In Search Of Our Kneeling Places by Ann Weems
In each heart lies a Bethlehem,
an inn where we must ultimately answer whether there is room or not.
When we are Bethlehem-bound
we experience our own advent in this.
When we are Bethlehem-bound
we can no longer look the other way conveniently not seeing stars, not hearing angel voices.
We can no longer excuse ourselves by busily
tending our sheep or our kingdoms.
1) There’s a scary thought: “I am the innkeeper.” There are so many reasons to turn Joseph and Mary away. It’s late; they’re poor; they are obvious trouble as she’s clearly very pregnant; I’m busy; I’m tired; the house is full; what will my wife say… What kind of things keep you from welcoming Jesus?
The poem finishes:
This Advent let’s go to Bethlehem
and see this thing that the Lord has made known to us.
In the midst of shopping sprees
let’s ponder in our hearts the Gift of Gifts.
Through the tinsel
let’s look for the gold of the Christmas Star.
In the excitement and confusion, in the merry chaos
let’s listen for the brush of angels’ wings.
This Advent, let’s go to Bethlehem
and find our kneeling places.
2) That’s more comforting: we’re the shepherds, or even better, the wise men! What do you do during advent to look for the gold of the Star?
Maybe we can take comfort in Mary. Gentle woman, mother of the faith… she’ll bring peace, right? (Luke 1:46-55, aka the Magnificat)
And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.
His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
3) That sounds nice. God is merciful, looking with favor… what’s a time when your soul has rejoiced in God your Savior?
Unfortunately, Mary continues…
He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
4) Isn’t Mary preaching revolution here? That’s a problem – we’re the rich. Our country is top dog; we’re the mighty. If Mary is calling for a massive change, a scattering of the proud, she must mean us, right? What is this prayer/song/proclamation about to you?
John the Baptist is a figure we hear about a lot in advent. But you just know he’s going to be scary…
(Luke 3:15-20)
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
5) I knew it. John is unworthy – what chance do we have? Threshing forks, the wheat/chaff judgment, and burning with unquenchable fire? And even if we’re wheat, that’s going to get us imprisoned and ultimately served on a platter. What makes this good news to you?
Surely Jesus has the calming word. After all, Christmas is his once and future arrival. But what does he say? (Luke 12:35-40)
But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.
6) Is this what we look forward to? What happened already? Why can’t the owner protect his stuff? If we’re supposed to prepare, but we can’t prepare, how are we supposed to prepare? And how is God like a thief?
Nadia Bolz-Weber: “This holy thief wants to steal from us and maybe that is literal and metaphoric at the same time. Because in this season of pornographic levels of consumption in which our credit card debts rise and our waistbands expand maybe the idea that Jesus wants to break in and jack some of your stuff is really good news. I started thinking this week that maybe we should make Advent lists – kind of like Christmas lists but instead of things we want Santa to bring us, we write down things what we want Christ to take from us. You know, in hopes he could pickpocket the stupid junk in our houses, or abscond with our self-loathing or resentment…maybe break in and take off with our compulsive eating or our love of money in the middle of the night. Don’t you kind of long for God to do something unexpected?”
7) What do you think about that? Do you long to be surprised by God?
Sorry - forgot to post this last week! We did this as a middle school study to just try to dig into the story of John the Baptist. Or John the Baptizer as our pastor prefers. I'm afraid I shocked the students though with my dramatic reading of Zechariah's canticle. I encourage you to read it like Zechariah might have said it. A guy who had the most amazing thing in the world happen to him, is not able to talk about it for a year, and then you recover your speech at the same moment as you have your longed-for, impossible, miraculous son... wow!
Make Way
Advent (literally “the coming”) is the traditional church season of preparation for Christmas, celebrated the four Sundays before Christmas. Each year the readings feature John the Baptist. Makes sense, as he was all about preparation. John is one of the most famous people from the Bible, as he is mentioned throughout the gospels and has as dramatic a story as is possible. We will follow his story in this study, and consider what his story tells us about preparation.
Isaiah has just finished giving some unheeded bad news to Hezekiah, and then writes this passage that is often called “Comfort for God’s People.” Read Isaiah 40:1-11
"Comfort, oh comfort my people," says your God.
"Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem, but also make it very clear that she has served her sentence, that her sin is taken care of-forgiven! She's been punished enough and more than enough, and now it's over and done with."
Thunder in the desert! "Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God. Fill in the valleys, level off the hills, Smooth out the ruts, clear out the rocks. Then God's bright glory will shine and everyone will see it. Yes. Just as God has said."
A voice says, "Shout!" I said, "What shall I shout?"
"These people are nothing but grass, their love fragile as wildflowers. The grass withers, the wildflowers fade, if God so much as puffs on them. Aren't these people just so much grass? True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade, but our God's Word stands firm and forever."
Climb a high mountain, Zion. You're the preacher of good news. Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Jerusalem. You're the preacher of good news. Speak loud and clear. Don't be timid! Tell the cities of Judah, "Look! Your God!" Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power, ready to go into action. He is going to pay back his enemies and reward those who have loved him.
Like a shepherd, he will care for his flock, gathering the lambs in his arms, Hugging them as he carries them, leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.
1. What is the comfort in this passage?
Read Luke 1:5-25
In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old.
Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” The angel said to him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their appointed time.”
Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak. When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
2. What connections to other parts of scripture do you notice here?
This passage recalls the Old Testament calling of a Nazirite: a consecrated person who abstains from alcohol and hair cutting. Read Luke 1:57-80
When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.” They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. All the neighbors were filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
Zechariah’s Song
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us − to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy covenant, the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him, to give his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
And the child grew and became strong in spirit[d]; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.
3. What do think this prophesy might have meant for John’s life as he grew up?
Read Luke 3:15-22
The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Messiah. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.
But when John rebuked Herod the tetrarch because of his marriage to Herodias, his brother’s wife, and all the other evil things he had done, Herod added this to them all: He locked John up in prison.
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
4. How did John fulfill his father’s and Isaiah’s prophesy?
Read Matthew 14:1-12
At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, and he said to his attendants, “This is John the Baptist; he has risen from the dead! That is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
Now Herod had arrested John and bound him and put him in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, for John had been saying to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her.” Herod wanted to kill John, but he was afraid of the people, because they considered John a prophet.
On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.” The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he ordered that her request be granted and had John beheaded in the prison. His head was brought in on a platter and given to the girl, who carried it to her mother. John’s disciples came and took his body and buried it. Then they went and told Jesus.
5. What can we learn from the end of John’s life? What do you think it meant to Jesus?
John’s message was to prepare the way for the Lord.
6. What do we learn from the scripture so far about how to prepare for the Lord’s coming?
We have a couple of weeks off, though for good behavior seems doubtful. More like advent wreath-making and Thanksgiving.
Wanted to point out the Sarcastic Lutheran's Christ the King sermon, though. Terrific writing and message.
"...the image of this very God is within you and is also that which cannot be profaned. Cannot be insulted. Cannot be mocked. Cannot be injured. For you are children of a crucified king."
This week the youth study is watching a Nooma from Rob Bell. The first one, called Rain, which is also a good introduction to the series. Here's the trailer. (You can find the whole thing on YouTube, but that seems morally shady.)
The description from nooma.com is "Things don’t always work out the way we want them to, or the way we think they will. Sometimes we don’t even see it coming. We get hit with some form of pain out of nowhere leaving us feeling desperate and helpless. That’s the way life is. Still, it makes us wonder how God can let these things happen to us. How God can just stand by and watch us suffer. Where is God when it really hurts? Maybe God is actually closer to us than we think. Maybe it’s when we’re in these situations, where everything seems to be falling apart, that God gets an opportunity to remind us of how much he really loves us."
Rain
When have you felt just abandoned or in so much trouble you wanted to scream?
Matthew 7:24-27 Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash. (NIV)
Psalm 34:17 Is anyone crying for help? God is listening, ready to rescue you.
Psalm 55:17 Evening, morning, and noon, I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.
Psalm 72:12 For He will rescue the poor who cry out and the afflicted who have no helper.
Psalm 84:2 I long and yearn for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God.
Psalm 88:1 O LORD, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you.
Deuteronomy 1:31 There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.
Does the idea of God being close despite your troubles help? How or why not?
The Lakeshore lutheran Fellowship's Men's Breakfast study did a variation on the life after death study from last week. A couple extra scriptures and questions, but close:
Sad, You See?
Why wasn’t life after death clear to all Jews?
1) If you were just thinking logically, does life after death make sense to you?
Luke 20:27-38 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”
Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”
2) What do you notice about this reading? What questions do you have?
So Jesus is clear about it! There is life after death. But why were the Sadducees so convinced there wasn’t? They were well educated in scripture. The Pharisees, the other well-educated group, believed in life after death, going from the same scriptures. Scholars divide the Old Testament into pre-exile (Genesis up to Chronicles and Kings) and exile/post-exile (prophets up through Micah). Sometimes pre-exile writings seem to indicate the Hebrews believed mostly in Sheol, which was a sleepy post-life existence, a one-stop land of the dead for everyone. Post-exile, they say, is when you see influence of other cultures.
Gen:15:12-15 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age.”
3) Does that say anything about life after death?
Deut 18:10-11 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
4) If Moses warns against this, does that mean it is possible?
Craziest story about this is definitely from Book of Samuel.
1 Samuel 28:7-20 Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”
“There is one in Endor,” they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.” But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?” Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this.” Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
“Bring up Samuel,” he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”
“What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”
“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.” Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has departed from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. The LORD will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.” Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.
5) How do we make sense of this story?
Quick quotes:
Psalm 49:13..15 This is the way of those who are foolish … Death shall be their shepherd;
But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah.
At the end of Daniel’s revelation of the end times, God says to him:
Daniel 12:13 “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”
Isaiah 26:19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
1 Kings 17: 17-23 Some time later the son of the woman who owned the house became ill. He grew worse and worse, and finally stopped breathing. She said to Elijah, “What do you have against me, man of God? Did you come to remind me of my sin and kill my son?”
“Give me your son,” Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. Then he cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, have you brought tragedy even on this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?” Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried out to the LORD, “LORD my God, let this boy’s life return to him!” The LORD heard Elijah’s cry, and the boy’s life returned to him, and he lived. Elijah picked up the child and carried him down from the room into the house. He gave him to his mother and said, “Look, your son is alive!”
Job 19: 23-27 “Oh, that my words were recorded, that they were written on a scroll, that they were inscribed with an iron tool on lead, or engraved in rock forever! I know that my redeemer lives and that in the end he will stand on the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!”
6) What do these say about life after death?
7) What would you explain to someone who asked you if you believe in life after death?
Of course we have more than the Old Testament now, and Paul wrote on this excessively and clearly.
1 Cor 15:12-19 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
8) Why does Paul see resurrection as so central and crucial to the gospel we are called to share?
1) If you were just thinking logically, does life after death make sense to you?
Luke 20:27-38 Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first married, and died childless; then the second and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had married her.”
Jesus said to them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection. And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them are alive.”
2) What do you notice about this reading? What questions do you have?
So Jesus is clear about it! There is life after death. But why were the Sadducees so convinced there wasn’t? They were well educated in scripture. The Pharisees, the other well-educated group, believed in life after death, going from the same scriptures. Scholars divide the Old Testament into pre-exile (Genesis up to Chronicles and Kings) and exile/post-exile (prophets up through Micah). Sometimes pre-exile writings seem to indicate the Hebrews believed mostly in Sheol, which was a sleepy post-life existence, a one-stop land of the dead for everyone. Post-exile, they say, is when you see influence of other cultures.
Gen:15:12-15 As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him. Then the LORD said to him, “Know for certain that for four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own and that they will be enslaved and mistreated there. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. You, however, will go to your ancestors in peace and be buried at a good old age.”
3) Does that say anything about life after death?
Deut 18:10-11 There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.
4) If Moses warn against this, does that mean it is possible?
Craziest story about this is definitely from Book of Samuel.
1 Samuel 28:7-20 Saul then said to his attendants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.”
“There is one in Endor,” they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. “Consult a spirit for me,” he said, “and bring up for me the one I name.” But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?” Saul swore to her by the LORD, “As surely as the LORD lives, you will not be punished for this.” Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?”
“Bring up Samuel,” he said. When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ghostly figure coming up out of the earth.”
“What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”
“I am in great distress,” Saul said. “The Philistines are fighting against me, and God has departed from me. He no longer answers me, either by prophets or by dreams. So I have called on you to tell me what to do.” Samuel said, “Why do you consult me, now that the LORD has departed from you and become your enemy? The LORD has done what he predicted through me. The LORD has torn the kingdom out of your hands and given it to one of your neighbors—to David. Because you did not obey the LORD or carry out his fierce wrath against the Amalekites, the LORD has done this to you today. The LORD will deliver both Israel and you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The LORD will also give the army of Israel into the hands of the Philistines.” Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone, for he had eaten nothing all that day and all that night.
5) How do we make sense of this story?
Three quick quotes:
Psalm 49:13..15 This is the way of those who are foolish … Death shall be their shepherd;
But God will redeem my soul from the power of Sheol, For He will receive me. Selah.
At the end of Daniel’s revelation of the end times, God says to him: (Daniel 12:13) “As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.”
Isaiah 26:19 Your dead will live; Their corpses will rise. You who lie in the dust, awake and shout for joy, For your dew is as the dew of the dawn, And the earth will give birth to the departed spirits.
6) What do these say about life after death?
7) What would you explain to someone who asked you if you believe in life after death?
Zacchaeus was short.
Zacchaeus was rich.
Zacchaeus was a tax collector, the most despised of professions.
Zacchaeus worked for the Romans.
But Zacchaeus was curious.
Zacchaeus climbed the tree.
Zacchaeus responded to Jesus.
Zacchaeus praised the Lord.
Zacchaeus changed his ways.
Short lesson this week, as we didn't get to play Ruler and Peasant last week. We're going to read the scripture for this week's gospel, and try to think of the person we know who is unlikeliest to be saved. Famous, that's okay, as long as you remember that we don't really know them. Local, okay, but change the name to protect the innocent. If we had a chance to talk to that person about Jesus, what would you say to pique their curiosity? What do you know about Jesus that would get someone to climb a tree? What do you think Zacchaeus had heard?
Luke 19:1-10 (The Message)
Then Jesus entered and walked through Jericho. There was a man there, his name Zacchaeus, the head tax man and quite rich. He wanted desperately to see Jesus, but the crowd was in his way—he was a short man and couldn't see over the crowd. So he ran on ahead and climbed up in a sycamore tree so he could see Jesus when he came by.
When Jesus got to the tree, he looked up and said, "Zacchaeus, hurry down. Today is my day to be a guest in your home." Zacchaeus scrambled out of the tree, hardly believing his good luck, delighted to take Jesus home with him. Everyone who saw the incident was indignant and grumped, "What business does he have getting cozy with this crook?"
Zacchaeus just stood there, a little stunned. He stammered apologetically, "Master, I give away half my income to the poor—and if I'm caught cheating, I pay four times the damages."
Jesus said, "Today is salvation day in this home! Here he is: Zacchaeus, son of Abraham! For the Son of Man came to find and restore the lost."
So the youth adapted the Lazarus story. It's interesting. They really got into the rewriting, which I am definitely going to think about more. And, I don't mean to sound surprised here, they're really good at it.
There was a man who was so rich he bathed in liquid gold. Meanwhile, at his door was a poor man named Larry. He was so poor he bathed in his own sweat. (Ick.)
Larry died and the angels carried him to be with Martin Luther King, Jr.
The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw MLK far away, with Larry by his side. So he called to him, ‘Have pity on me and send Larry to just give me a single breath of air.
But MLK replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Larry received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides you can’t get from here to there because of the incredibly dangerous minefield between us. And the immense wall covered in man-eating bears.
The rich man answered, ‘Then send Larry to my son, who has inherited all my wealth. Let him warn them, so that he will not also come to this place of torment.’
MLK replied, ‘He should listen to the Bible.'
But the rich man said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to him, he will repent.’ MLK said to him, ‘If he does not listen to the bible, he will not listen if even God Himself were to come to earth.'
This is a joke: A preacher and a New York taxi driver who arrive at the pearly gates of Heaven at the same time and were greeted by St. Peter. The preacher struts up to the gates and announces to St. Peter, “I am here!” St. Peter seems a little less excited, and looks up in a book. There is uncomfortable silence. The preacher starts to get nervous. “Um… St. Peter?” St. Peter finally says, “well, okay. You’re in.” The gates open a crack and he squeezes in. This makes the taxi driver even more nervous, and he edges toward the gates. St. Peter strides out to meet him and shakes his hand. “What are you waiting for? We’ve been expecting you!” The gates open wide for the taxi driver. “But why am I … the preacher… I’m so confused.”
St. Peter says, “Are you kidding? When the preacher was preaching, people slept. But when you were driving, people prayed! And prayed hard! “
1) What is supposed to make this joke funny?
2) Unfortunately jokes like this get a lot of stuff wrong:
• What determines if we get into heaven?
• Is heaven a reward for a job well done?
3) Can you think of any movies or stories where there’s a reversal – you start to expect one thing and then another happens?
Fergal OP @ Flicker
Jesus lived in a culture that appreciated a good story. He taught in parables because this was a good way of teaching then, as well as now. The gospel we’re reading is not a joke, but it is a good story. With a hook, a reversal… a story-telling surprise.
The Rich Man and LazarusLuke 16:9-31 There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’
4) What’s the twist?
5) What does the story get wrong?
6) What about the “punchline”: ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ What was Jesus telling them, that they didn’t know yet?
7) How could we update the Lazarus and the Rich man story for today?
There was a man who was so rich he…
At his gate was a poor man named Larry. He was so poor…
Larry died and the angels carried him to be with…
The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw _______ far away, with Larry by his side. So he called to him, ‘Have pity on me and send Larry to…
But ________ replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Larry received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides you can’t get from here to there because…
The rich man answered, ‘Then send Larry to …
Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
_______ replied, ‘They should listen to…
But the rich man said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ _______ said to him, ‘If they do not listen to …
they will not be convinced even if …
One more story from this week’s gospel:
Luke 18:9-14 Jesus told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, `God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, `God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
8) What’s the twist? What can we learn from it?
After this we'll play an adaptation of a classic card game.
“Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young”
Timothy is a big name in the bible. Unfortunately, we know it best as the name of books that are called Timothy because they start “Dear Timothy…” We don’t have any of his writing! But what we do know is interesting.
Timothy is generally thought of as one of the young people written about in scripture, along with John (the gospel author) and David (in his Goliath days). It is hard to pin down a precise age. When he starts travelling with Paul, he may be as young as a teenager or as old as late 20s.
Acts 16:1-4 Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.
That seems to be in year 49 AD, about 20 years after Jesus resurrection. He travels with Paul to Phyrgia, Galatia (like Paul’s letter to the Galatians), Troas, Phillipi (Paul’s letter to the Phillipians), Thessalonica (Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians); he traveled with Paul for at least a few years in total, sometimes with a dozen disciples and sometimes with few. He sees Paul convert individuals and whole crowds, be arrested, whipped and miraculously freed, heal illnesses and perform other miracles.
1) Would you have gone with Paul?
1 Corinthians 4:15-17 Even though you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me. For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
In the second letter to the Corinthians, Paul describes it as “from Paul and Timothy” and talks about the preaching they received from himself and Timothy and Silas. The letters to the Colossians and Thessalonians, also. The letter to the Philippians is addressed as from Paul and Timothy, and he says:
Philippians 2:19-23 I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me.
2) What does Paul think of Timothy?
Good advice, but
not what Paul was thinking.
When he writes Timothy, he addresses him as “To Timothy my true son in the faith.” And he has a lot of advice for him.
Beware false teachers
Remember Paul as an example of faith
Worship Jesus and the Father
Live your life as an example to others
Respect your elders
Care for those in need
Tell people – even the wealthy and powerful – to put their hope in God.
Don’t ever be ashamed of God. Nor of Paul when he was a prisoner.
Remember your faith in Jesus.
Live a pure life. 2 Timothy 2:22 “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Rely on scripture to support you. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
3) What do you notice about this advice? Which is the most important to you? Why?
One of the most famous pieces of the Bible is in the forst letter to Timothy.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
4) Sometimes this is misquoted as “money is the root of all evil.” What is the difference?
Paul closes the first letter with some good summing up:
1 Timothy 4:11-16 Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you.
Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.
5) What are some of your gifts that you are called to use for God’s glory?
We'll close by having the youth write their future selves advice from the past... should be interesting!
Photos from Flickr: cornflakegirl_, Augapfel, and tonythesuperperson
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Even in the miraculous history of the Jews, healings from leprosy were rare. Moses’ sister Miriam had leprosy for a week, and Elisha healed a military commander. Leprosy was a death sentence and exile all in one. So it’s not clear what the lepers could have hoped for when they cried out to Jesus.
1) What are excuses that the nine lepers might have made about why they didn’t go back?
2) Were the nine lepers healed or not? What does the last phrase mean?
Why?
3) What’s an example of deep gratitude you’ve felt towards a person? What was the cause?
Some reasons for Thanksgiving:
• Thanksgiving praises God. We’re called to worship God – commanded to – and giving thanks is worshipful.
• Madame Blueberry learned that “A grateful heart is a happy heart.” Focusing on with what we have been blessed helps us know how blessed we are.
• It helps us remember that God is good. In the psalms they’re still thanking God for the Exodus. By thanking Him, it helps us remember all he’s done. It fights against taking God for granted.
• It trains us to look forward to continued blessings. God who has done mighty things for us, will continue to do mighty things for us.
4) Have you experienced any of these benefits? Are there other benefits you’ve received from giving thanks?
5) Do you make a distinction between praising God, worshipping God and giving thanks to God?
How?
6) When someone thanks you, what tells you if it’s genuine gratitude or politeness?
7) Does that apply to us giving thanks to God?
8) The two most frequent descriptions of thanksgiving in the bible are giving thanks (1) with song and (2) with praise. How does that help us give thanks?
When?
Paul tells us to “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph 5:19-20); “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:17); “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes 5:16-18)
Why Paul’s emphasis on everything? One Bible study says: “It couldn’t get any simpler or plainer. The verse means exactly what it says, “In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God.” Period. By giving thanks to God for everything, I give Him credit for everything. I give Him all the praise and glory. My focus is on Him. That’s what He wants. He wants my undivided attention. … If the tire goes flat, I’m to thank the Lord. If the weather cancels out an important event, I’m to thank the Lord. If I get fired from my job, I’m to thank the Lord. If I get sick, I’m to thank the Lord. When the Lord says “everything,” He literally means “everything,” regardless of the lightness or severity of the situation.”
9) How do you interpret “give thanks in all circumstances”?
Many psalms are good training for thanks giving, in particular 100, 106, 107, 118, and 136.
Psalm 136
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens, His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.
who made the great lights – His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever.
to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt. His love endures forever.
and brought Israel out from among them; His love endures forever.
with a mighty hand and outstretched arm; His love endures forever.
to him who divided the Red Sea [a] asunder His love endures forever.
and brought Israel through the midst of it, His love endures forever.
but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea; His love endures forever.
to him who led his people through the desert, His love endures forever.
who struck down great kings, His love endures forever.
and killed mighty kings – His love endures forever.
Sihon king of the Amorites. His love endures forever.
and Og king of Bashan – His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance, His love endures forever.
an inheritance to his servant Israel; His love endures forever.
to the One who remembered us in our low estate. His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever.
and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.
10) What verses would you add to this great hymn?
Like the old church response goes - Let us bless the Lord: Thanks be to God!
Bonus: One of the greatest stories of thanks I have ever heard is from Corey ten Boom, who had reason during the Holocaust to be thankful for fleas. Read this story, which is an excerpt from her book The Hiding Place.
The middle school study this week will be a subset of this men's study.
Giving Thanks (Youth Group version) Why do we, How do we, When do we?
Luke 17:11-19 Ten Healed of Leprosy
1) Why do you think Luke makes a point of the thankful man being a Samaritan?
2) Would your instinct have been to go back to Jesus or keep going to the priests or something else?
3) What are excuses that the nine lepers might have made about why they didn’t go back?
4) Were the nine lepers healed or not? What does the last phrase mean?
Why?
God doesn’t need us to give thanks, and He doesn’t do good for us to get thanks. He asks us to give thanks because it’s good for us! Some reasons for Thanksgiving:
• Thanksgiving praises God. We’re called to worship God – commanded to – and giving thanks is worshipful.
• Madame Blueberry learned that “A grateful heart is a happy heart.” Focusing on how we have been blessed helps us know how blessed we are.
• It helps us remember that God is good. In the psalms they’re still thanking God for the Exodus. By thanking Him, it helps us remember all he’s done. It fights against taking God for granted.
• It trains us to look forward to continued blessings. God who has done mighty things for us, will continue to do mighty things for us.
5) Have you experienced any of these benefits? Can you think of any other reason it’s good for us to give thanks?
How?
6) When someone thanks you, what tells you if it’s genuine gratitude or politeness?
7) What does that mean about how we should give thanks to God?
When?
Paul tells us to “Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Eph 5:19-20); “And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Col 3:17); “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thes 5:16-18)
8) How do you interpret “give thanks in all circumstances”? Are we supposed to give thanks when things are terrible?
Many psalms are good training for thanks giving, in particular 100, 106, 107, 118, and 136.
Psalm 136
9) What verses would you add to this great hymn?
Like we say in church… Let us bless the Lord: Thanks be to God!
There was news this week that British censors tried to get Monty Python to not take the name Jesus Christ in vain in The Holy Grail, which would have been nice. (Basically the only thing I don't love about that movie.) They also tried to get them to take out "fart in your general direction," which would have been a shame.
I thought this post was a welcome counterpoint: how Monty Python influenced the faith walk of several interesting Christians.
The article has a great quote from a filmmaker named Murray Stiller:
"Monty Python and the Holy Grail and The Life of Brian are two great examples of religious satire that helped save my faith. How do films that make fun of religious beliefs and practices strengthen my faith? Simple: It helps me cut through the B.S. to recognize what I don’t believe and clears a path for what is important. Satire helps me to recognize what not to take seriously, especially my selfish quest for spiritual experience and enlightenment-or even worse the conviction that the success of the Kingdom of God rests on my accomplishments. When my goal is self-focused, I become a rightful target of satire."
I have yet to do a bible study on Monty Python, but it's coming. Riding in from the distance, seemingly never getting closer and then ... suddenly ... SPAM! It'll be here.
The Episcopalian and Catholic Churches set aside certain days to honor men and women who lived lives of great faithfulness, and in a way the Lutheran Church does, too. But while the Catholic Church is very formal in who is and who isn’t a saint, the Episcopal and Lutheran Church hold that all believers in Christ are saints. The Episcopal Church publishes a new calendar every three years that sets aside days to honor well-known Christians, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. They pick out readings that help us think about the saint’s life.
One of the greatest saints from history is one of the most humble – he shunned that kind of attention while alive! Francis from Assisi, Italy is remembered on October 4th. Francis Bernardone was born around 1180 AD and died when he was only 45. He was ot a good student as a boy, and not a good businessman when he tried working for his father. He was a tiny man, and when he tried to fight in a battle got captured for a year. While he was a captive, he started thinking about God. But when he returned home, he was a medieval equivalent of a partier. But then three incidents changed his life: (1) he met a disgusting leper that he was moved to help, (2) he gave a big donation to a shrine of St. Peter, and then (3) sold his home and stuff to repair his home church! This last was in response to a vision he had while praying. His father was so mad, though, he beat him, dragged him home and locked him up. His mother freed him when his father was away, and he returned to the church. When one day he heard the gospel where Jesus said:
Mark 6:7-11 Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.”
He gave away the little he had left, and started wearing a coarse brown robe like the poorest beggars wore. And then people started following him and imitating him. They came to the attention of those in power in the church, and they tried to disband them but ultimately approved of them. His followers grew in number, and he sent them out 2 by 2 with one tunic and nothing for the journey. His example changed all the monks throughout Europe. He continued to have visions throughout his life. Sometimes the wounds of Jesus appeared on Francis’ body; this is called stigmata. He became famous, too, for his love of nature, and peace with the animals. There are stories of birds coming to listen to his sermons, and wild animals coming to him to be fed.
1) What do you notice about this biography? What questions do you have?
These are the readings the church picked out for his feast:
Galatians 6:14-18 May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything! As for those who will follow this rule-- peace be upon them, and mercy, and upon the Israel of God.
From now on, let no one make trouble for me; for I carry the marks of Jesus branded on my body. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers and sisters. Amen.
2) Why would they pick this reading for Francis?
Psalm 148:7-14 Laudate Dominum (Praise the Lord)
Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea-monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog, tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle, creeping things and winged birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens, old and young together.
Let them praise the Name of the LORD, for his Name only is exalted, his splendor is over earth and heaven. He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants, the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
Hallelujah!
3) Why would they pick this reading for Francis?
Matthew 11:25-30 Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
4) Why would they pick this reading for Francis?
There is a prayer ascribed to St. Francis, as well as other writings.
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon:
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope
where there is darkness, light
where there is sadness, joy
O divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.
Amen.
5) What in that prayer reminds you of anything we know about Jesus and what he said?
6) Take a second to jot down something new to you in this lesson.
There was a very hippy-feeling bio film of St Francis made by Franco Zeffirelli. Here's their take on the prayer of St Francis. It shows Clare, who started a Franciscan order of nuns to parallel the monks.
Bonus: an amazing hymn of praise. (If you check youtube there's a song for this, too.)
Canticle of All the Creatures, attributed to St. Francis
Most High, all-powerful, all-good Lord,
All praise is Yours, all glory, honor and blessings.
To you alone, Most High, do they belong;
no mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your Name.
We praise You, Lord, for all Your creatures,
especially for Brother Sun,
who is the day through whom You give us light.
And he is beautiful and radiant with great splendor,
of You Most High, he bears your likeness.
We praise You, Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars,
in the heavens you have made them bright, precious and fair.
We praise You, Lord, for Brothers Wind and Air,
fair and stormy, all weather's moods,
by which You cherish all that You have made.
We praise You, Lord, for Sister Water,
so useful, humble, precious and pure.
We praise You, Lord, for Brother Fire,
through whom You light the night.
He is beautiful, playful, robust, and strong.
We praise You, Lord, for Sister Earth,
who sustains us
with her fruits, colored flowers, and herbs.
We praise You, Lord, for those who pardon,
for love of You bear sickness and trial.
Blessed are those who endure in peace,
by You Most High, they will be crowned.
We praise You, Lord, for Sister Death,
from whom no-one living can escape.
Woe to those who die in their sins!
Blessed are those that She finds doing Your Will.
No second death can do them harm.
We praise and bless You, Lord, and give You thanks,
and serve You in all humility.
Ezekiel lived during Israel’s exile in Babylon, a great city that was in what we now call Iraq. This was about 600 years before Jesus’ birth, so more than 2600 years ago. He is considered by Christians, Jews and Muslims to be a prophet. And he saw some strange things.
Ezekiel’s main messages were about the sin of Israel and Judah, for the Jews to turn away from their sin, and that God would forgive them and redeem their suffering. Sometimes this basic message is lost because of the spectacular visuals of his visions.
A teacher I like, Ken Robinson, tells a joke about this: a girl who doesn’t like most of school is really engaged in an art lesson. When the teacher notices, she comes to ask her what she is drawing. “I’m drawing a picture of God,” the girl says. “But, honey,” replies the teacher, “no one knows what God looks like.” The girl answers, “well they will in a minute.”
1) What are some of the images you have of God the Father, Jesus or of the Holy Spirit?
The Shack is a very popular and controversial book about a man who has a vision of meeting God – all three persons. Some of the controversy comes from his portrayal of the Trinity. Jesus is Jesus, but God the Father appears as “Papa,” a strong, motherly and loving African-American woman. And the Holy Spirit as “Sarayu,” a small Asian woman who is easier to see in your peripheral vision than by looking straight at her. I love the book, but know it is a story and not scripture.
There’s a danger to thinking too much about the images, which is why Jews and Muslims take the first commandment, “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth,” to be strongly against made imagery.
2) What could go wrong with people making images of God? Do you know any idol stories from the bible?
Ezekiel 1:4-28 I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north—an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and wings, and their wings touched one another. Each one went straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved.
Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either side, and two wings covering its body. Each one went straight ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without turning as they went. The appearance of the living creatures was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and lightning flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth like flashes of lightning.
As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around.
When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels.
Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and awesome. Under the expanse their wings were stretched out one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still, they lowered their wings.
Then there came a voice from above the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD.
Ezekiel sees this same vision in Ch. 8:4 “And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had seen in the plain.” And then again in Chapter 10.
Ezekiel 10:9-17 I looked, and I saw beside the cherubim four wheels, one beside each of the cherubim; the wheels sparkled like chrysolite. As for their appearance, the four of them looked alike; each was like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the cherubim faced; the wheels did not turn about as the cherubim went. The cherubim went in whatever direction the head faced, without turning as they went. Their entire bodies, including their backs, their hands and their wings, were completely full of eyes, as were their four wheels. I heard the wheels being called "the whirling wheels." Each of the cherubim had four faces: One face was that of a cherub, the second the face of a man, the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle. Then the cherubim rose upward. These were the living creatures I had seen by the Kebar River. When the cherubim moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the cherubim spread their wings to rise from the ground, the wheels did not leave their side. When the cherubim stood still, they also stood still; and when the cherubim rose, they rose with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
3) Some people feel like God gives visions to communicate, because images are a universal language. So let’s imagine what this might have meant to Ezekiel.
The four faces:
The wings:
The wheel intersecting a wheel:
Full of eyes:
4) Draw a picture of Ezekiel’s vision, or of how you imagine God, or write about an image that could show the glory of God.
So Luke has just finished up the parable of the Prodigal Son, one of the Bible’s all time greatest hits, and follows it with today’s reading, which is… not. People struggle with it. They don’t know how to interpret it. They don’t know what the moral is. It’s confusing.
Can you make sense out of it? How do you deal with a tough bible reading?
Luke 16:1-9The Parable of the Shrewd Manager
Jesus told his disciples: “There was a rich man whose manager was accused of wasting his possessions. So he called him in and asked him, ‘What is this I hear about you? Give an account of your management, because you cannot be manager any longer.’
“The manager said to himself, ‘What shall I do now? My master is taking away my job. I’m not strong enough to dig, and I’m ashamed to beg— I know what I’ll do so that, when I lose my job here, people will welcome me into their houses.’
“So he called in each one of his master’s debtors. He asked the first, ‘How much do you owe my master?’ ‘Eight hundred gallons of olive oil,’ he replied. The manager told him, ‘Take your bill, sit down quickly, and make it four hundred.’
“Then he asked the second, ‘And how much do you owe?’ ‘A thousand bushels of wheat,’ he replied. He told him, ‘Take your bill and make it eight hundred.’
“The master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their own kind than are the people of the light. I tell you, use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings.”
Help with tough bible readings:
Is it a particular style of writing? Poem, parable, history, etc. Knowing the style can help.
This is a parable. What do we know about parables?
o They’re teaching stories. What’s Jesus teaching about?
o Sometimes in response to a question. Not here, though!
o Sometimes Jesus explains them afterward. Again, not here! (At least not plainly.) He does ask more questions, though.
Luke 16:10-12 “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?”
What does that tell us about the parable?
o Parables are often analogies: this is like that, this other thing represents…
Who is the master like?
Who is the steward representing?
Does the steward’s actions with the debtors stand for something?
What does the master’s praise for the steward mean?
What’s the context of the reading? What happens before and after?
This is towards the end of a string of parables; the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son before and Lazarus and the Rich Man afterwards. But specifically afterward, there’s an exchange with the Pharisees.
Luke 16:13-15 (still Jesus talking.)
“No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
The Pharisees, who loved money, heard all this and were sneering at Jesus. He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts. What is highly valued among men is detestable in God’s sight.”
What does this tell us about the parable?
See what the experts say about it. One of the benefits of the internet is being able to read so much from so many people.
Most studies interpret this parable as being about stewardship, which is often code for taking care of our money. We are stewards – caretakers – of God’s gifts to us, which includes our time, talents and wealth. I think it’s being too literal. The story is about a steward, yes, but that doesn’t mean the moral or principle of the story is about being a steward. (Doesn’t mean it’s not either.)
Write down or make note of what you’re thinking. Write or put notes in your bible documenting your thought processes.
What do you think? Put it in your own words.
You don’t have to have all the answers. Some things we understand now, and some things later. The Bible is God’s word. It’s important. It can speak to us. But it’s not necessarily easy.
If the passage you’re studying is a church reading, the readings for each week have connections that some very wise people suggest to us.
This weeks readings include: Old Testament prophet warning (Amos or Jeremiah), and this great statement from Paul to Timothy (1 Tim 2: 3-6)
This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time.
Talk with other people about it. Maybe this should come first!
