Ministry Matters . . . supporting Christian ministry with
resources, community, and inspiration – This Sunday, 19 January 2014 and This
Sunday, 26 January 2014
A Lovely Walk by Raquel Mull
Micah 6:1-8
I am in a covenant relationship. My husband and I have been
married for thirteen years. I will grant you that many others have been married
for longer than that, but one thing I am reminded of in this relationship is
that we do not always communicate well. It is not that we are not talking; we
just don’t talk at the same rate or exchange information in the same way. Part
of our difficulty lies in the fact that he is male and I am not.
Often, when I have been thinking about an issue or problem, I
forget that my husband has not been privy to my thoughts. He comes in from the
garage and I, in my haste to share my latest understandings or hopes or plans,
bombard him with words—and forget to mention the subject. He listens, trying to
understand me, and finally says, “What is the subject? What are we talking
about?”
In the book of Micah, the Lord is more structured and
methodical. The Lord tells Israel everything that is on his mind. The Lord
gives exact, historical details of what he has done for them. The Lord reminds
the people how God has never left them, not one time. The Lord brought them up
out of Egypt, redeemed them from a life of slavery, gave them leaders, and
protected them! There is no question of the Lord’s presence and action in their
lives.
Yet the nation Israel has forgotten they are in a covenantal
relationship; they have gone astray and not repented. The Lord demands their
loyalty and love; they are estranged from the Lord. God reminds Israel of the
Lord’s saving acts that they may again enter into right relationship. The Lord
reminds them of what has been done on their behalf and how they thrive when
they follow the Lord’s ways.
The Lord understands the people. God knows that they will try to
make him happy, and that they will try to do so in ways that they have been
told are wrong. The Lord recognizes the traditional burnt offerings and also
the unacceptable offering of the firstborn as attempts to return to the Lord.
How many times have the people been told not to imitate the abominable
practices of the Canaanites who sacrifice their own children? The people just
forget; in their desire to reestablish their covenant with Adonai, they show
they still have attachments to heathen rituals.
I see faint reflections of these dynamics in my covenant
relationship with my husband. I do not doubt that my husband loves me and wants
me to be happy. What I do doubt sometimes is his memory. I think I have been
perfectly clear in my feelings and desires. I have even been overwhelming in
providing details on how to load the dishwasher or where to find the
thermometer. He doesn’t get it. He can’t find it. I go to the closet and pull out
the thermometer from exactly where I said it would be. I know he looked because
the closet is in slight disarray; he tried to please me. But the next time I
need the thermometer, he will have to ask where it is again. My husband also
has a tendency, like the Israelites, to make up for his shortcomings with gifts
and generosity in small things. If I really needed a thermometer and he
couldn’t find it, he would go out and buy, not one thermometer, but at least
two! “I wasn’t sure if you wanted a digital readout with batteries or if you
wanted an old-timey one, so I got both!”
Israel began by offering year-old calves and upped it to
thousands of rams, rivers of oil, and finally the firstborn. They wanted to
please, even offering what they did not have the authority to give.
Drawing from my own experience of male and female approaches to
life, it seems as if Israel was more masculine than feminine in its approach.
Men are generally more concerned with plans, processes, and solutions, while
women tend to focus on emotions and relationship. Israel wanted to know what to
do; what should the plan of action be? (I am applying some observations to the
text here, not attempting to stereotype the sexes.)
Generally speaking, women want to discuss problems more, get more
details, and relate personal history as to how they would feel if someone hurt
their feelings or did not seem to appreciate what had been done for them. It is
a valid problem-solving procedure. They relate what would make them feel better
and apply that knowledge to the problem at hand.
Often, men, once they understand a problem, want to take action
to solve it. They don’t ignore emotions and relationships but focus more on
action than feeling. This is also a valid approach to problem solving. In the biblical
scenario we are exploring, it is the approach Israel takes— Israel takes action
to solve the problem of its broken relationship with the Lord.
The answer the Lord gives Israel is perfect—short, concise, and
full of action verbs with emotional connections. As such, it addresses both
masculine and feminine understandings and priorities of action and
relationships. The Lord tells Israel exactly what to do, what to love, and how
to walk! Do what is just. Love kindness. Walk humbly.
Today, as New Testament people, we may think that these
requirements have been replaced by the cross. Yet, as long as injustice,
poverty, and oppression exist in our world, we need to be reminded of the
Lord’s words. Do justice. Love kindness. Walk humbly.
Three small phrases perhaps, but they carry the weight of the
Torah and the New Testament alike. O mortals, human beings, why should we try
to offer more than what is asked for when, even now, we cannot give the minimum
the Lord has required?
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More Newspapers Fewer Bulletins
Your Church Needs More Newspapers & Fewer Bulletins by Tom
Fuerst
I learned recently from a returning vacationer about how Disney
World intentionally creates a place of “escape” from the rest of the world.
They want their patrons to forget their troubles and difficulties, forget about
life, and just enjoy their experience at the park.
To this end, they are careful not to have even newspapers for
sale at the park. What day it is, the latest financial crisis, or the most
recent terrorist attack are things that keep you engaged with the outside
world. Newspapers remind us of these things, so Disney refuses to sell them.
Thinking about Disney’s single-minded focus on providing a realm
of escape, I kept having several thoughts about the nature of the church in
contrast with Disney.
The church is not in the business of disengaging us from the
world. We are a people created by God to be fully engaged with the brokenness
of this world. Our time is ordered by weekly community gatherings reminding us
that we are the beginning of God’s new creation breaking forth in this world.
It matters that we know what day it is.
I often hear people say things like, “I just love going to
church, it’s my break from the world for a bit.” Or, “we go to church because
we can forget about our troubles for a while and just get fed.”
I understand and appreciate that sentiment. Really. There’s
certainly a sense in which I want church to be nourishing and recharging.
But there’s also a sense in which I think that paradigm of
church has been taken too far. We see church mostly as an escape form the
world, not an engagement with it. Many of us cannot concretely communicate how
our Sunday morning attendance means anything to the outside world. We don’t
have a deep theology of an alternative kingdom centering its life in the world
by a different set of standards. We have no idea how the church community
touches our vocations , our sex lives, or our free time. The church service is
just at time for me to relax, be fed, and escape.
Even when it comes to our styles of worship, i.e. our liturgy,
we see this as a matter of my personal preferences. Changing things up
liturgically is like walking into my home and changing the channel from ESPN to
the O Network—you’ve ruined my retreat from the world.
But liturgy was never about disengagement or personal
preference. The word “liturgy,” before it took on the “style of worship”
definition, literally meant, “the work of the people.” Specifically, it had to
do with the work citizens did to promote the well-being of their community.
Liturgy was political and social in nature. It was, in other words, fully
engaged with the realities of the world. It had nothing to do with preference
or style, and everything to do with the church being the church in the world.
Worship is not an escape from the world, but an engagement with
the world. If you want an escape, go to Disney World. They’ll be sure you
forget about this world…at least for a few days. But if you go to church
looking for an escape, I pray someone has the nerve to hand you a newspaper
instead of a bulletin as you’re walking in.
Your Turn: What are ways you’ve seen the “escapist” mentality
capture the church? How do you think the church can begin to counter this
mentality?
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Lord's Prayer
What Would the Lord's Prayer Sound Like Today? by J.R.
Forasteros
Most people who’ve been in church at any point in their lives
are familiar with the Lord’s Prayer (or the “Our Father” for my Catholic
readers). We find a lot of meaning in reciting the prayer together as a
corporate body. For those who love the Church, the language of the Lord’s
Prayer can be quite comforting.
But the language of the Lord's Prayer can be impenetrable and
archaic. And that's not what Jesus intended.
The Lord’s Prayer is part of Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount.
The Sermon is good news to the impoverished peasant class that comprised Jesus’
Galilean audience—farmers and fishermen. And as such, it’s packed full of
practical teaching and illustrations lifted right out of his listeners’ daily
lives. He talks about relationships, lust, money, worrying about the future and
more.
And right in the middle (6:9-13) of this practical, relevant
sermon, Jesus talks about prayer. He says (in verse 7),
When you pray, don’t babble on and on as people of other
religions do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their
words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what
you need even before you ask him!--Matthew 6:7-8
In other words, Jesus is inviting his listeners into a prayer
life that’s as concrete and practical as his Sermon.
Jesus wants their prayers to have more to do with their regular
world than their sacred worship spaces.
More accurately, Jesus wants the religion they experience when
they gather to worship to be the same life they live when they’re working,
enjoying their friends or at home with their families. Jesus wants their
religion to be integrated into the whole of their lives, not sectioned off into
special days with special language.
So he taught them a different way to pray.
But then us professional church people got ahold of it and
turned the Lord’s Prayer back into the disconnected, ritualistic language Jesus
specifically told us to avoid when he taught us the prayer!
How many of us actually know what “hallowed be thy name” means?
When was the last time any of us talked about food as our “daily bread”? Or
used the word “trespasses”? (And let the Trespasses vs. Debts battle begin!)
Jesus knew that how we learn to pray matters.
The language we use to talk to and about God will shape whether
faith is an integral aspect of our whole lives, or if it’s a privatized,
sectioned off corner of our lives we only visit occasionally. And the way every
church I’ve ever been a part of uses the Lord’s Prayer is backwards from Jesus’
intention for it.
Rather than drawing on plain, everyday language to connect us to
the God who’s working in our plain, everyday world, the now-archaic,
pseudo-King James language we English-speakers use to quote the Lord’s Prayer
ensures that each new generation of Christians continues to find prayer a
daunting, intimidating practice.
So why don't we rewrite the Lord's Prayer?
Why don’t we translate the language of Jesus’ prayer into
practical, plain language? As you’ve no doubt guessed, I took the liberty of
doing just that (with a good bit of help from several friends, and Eugene
Peterson’s excellent Message version.) Here’s how I imagine Jesus would teach
us to pray if he came to my neck of the woods today.
Our father, who created and rules the universe,
show us your perfect love so that we may emulate you.
May the world run the way you want it to – just like heaven
does.
Keep us healthy with three square meals today
And forgive the wrongs we’ve done the same way we forgive the
people who’ve wronged us.
Keep us safe – from ourselves and from the evils in the world.
All the political power and authority and fame belong to you,
from now until the end of time.
Your Turn: What do you think of my reimagining? How would you
update the Lord's Prayer?
This post orinally appeared on JR.'s blog at jrforasteros.com.
-------
The God Story
A Greater Story, The God Story by Jacob Armstrong
I remember a conversation I had with my dad when I was eight or
nine years old. We were sitting on our front porch in old wood rocking chairs.
It’s an interesting memory for me because I have very few of the front porch;
it wasn’t a common place for us to spend our time. But on this day it was just
Dad and me on the front porch. I had been trying to find the courage to tell my
dad something that I thought he would tell me was foolish or childish. On the
front porch that day, I mustered up the courage to tell him something that I
thought made me weird, something I would never have told my friends. I figured
he could tell me how to stop, how to grow up.
“Dad, I feel like my life is a movie or a great story. I
pretend. A lot. I pretend that I am the hero of my story and there are bad guys
and good guys, and I fight for the good side, of course. Even at school or Cub
Scouts or wherever, I’m pretending it is part of my adventure, my story, of
which I am the star.”
I didn’t tell him anything about my thoughts of damsels in
distress, or my deep fear of the enemy. I didn’t tell him everything. I told
him a little and waited for him to reason with me. I waited for him to share
logic with me to help me get out of my fairy tale.
Staring out into the field across from our house, never looking
at me, my dad replied, “Yeah, me too.”
G.K. Chesterton said, “I had always felt life first as a story:
and if there is a story there is a story-teller.”1
My dad’s affirmation that day would grow into my belief today
that I am indeed a part of a greater story, a story with good guys and bad
guys, adventure and romance, intrigue and suspense.
I am a part of the God Story and you are too.
It can be easy to look at the Bible as a haphazard collection of
sixty-six books from different eras, different regimes, and different authors,
written with different intents.
It can equally be easy to see our fragmented lives as a
haphazard collection of events with little to nothing holding it all together.
Neither one of these vantage points is accurate.
I believe your life changes when you see the threads that run
through the great story of God’s people found in the Bible, and when you see
your life as a continuation of that story.
If there is something in you that says where you are right now
is not how the story is supposed to end...if your heart tells you there is
something more to your life than the tasks on your to-do list, then I want to
say to you today...
God is the author of the greatest story. God is the main
character, but you have a role to play.
excerpt from: The God Story Daily Readings by Jacob Armstrong.
Copyright©2013 by Abingdon Press. Used with permission.
1. G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy (Scotts Valley, CA: IAP, 2009),
39.
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Study Tools 2014
About This Bin
Including study Bibles, commentaries, maps, reference bundle and
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Author Common English
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Kit contains the CEB Concise Concordance, Bible Dictionary,
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-------
The CEB Study Bible
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Publication Date 10/2013
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Author Zondervan
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Publication Date 10/2011
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Author Zondervan
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The New Interpreter's® Bible One-Volume Commentary
Editorial board member Beverly
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Editorial board member David
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Publication Date 7/2010
Binding Book - Hardback
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The New Interpreter's Study Bible by Walter J. Harrelson
Author Walter J. Harrelson
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 5/2003
Binding Book - Hardback
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Harper Collins Bible Commentary
Editor-in-chief James L.
Mays
Publisher HARPER COLLINS
Publication Date 11/2000
Binding Book - Hardback
ISBN 9780060655488
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HarperCollins Bible Dictionary - Revised and Updated by Mark
Allan Powell
Author Mark Allan Powell
Publisher HARPER COLLINS
Publication Date 3/2011
Binding Book - Hardback
ISBN 9780061469060
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A completely revised and updated version of the acclaimed
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The New Testament
Author Amy-Jill Levine
Author Warren Carter
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 11/2013
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9781426741906
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In this concise, accessible book, Warren Carter and A.J. Levine
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pro- and anti-Jewish. The authors also show how scholarly work can be both
constructive and threatening to the contemporary Church and how polemical texts
can be used, whether for religious study, theological reflection, or
homiletical practice.
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An Illustrated Guide to the Holy Land for Tour Groups, Students,
and Pilgrims by Lamontte M. Luker
Author Lamontte M. Luker
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 11/2013
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9781426757297
Retail Price $24.99
Discount Price $15.74 (37%
discount)
The Holy Land has immense significance around the world. As the
geographic heart and soul of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, millions visit
the region each year. But since the fifth century BC, enthusiastic and curious
people have needed a guide as they travel to see the sites for themselves. This
book not only gives the historical, archaeological descriptions wedded to the
biblical text, but it is an appropriate resource for spiritual formation and
cross-cultural dialog.
Packed with the latest information, this book locates and
introduces the reader to popular and less-familiar sites such as Bethlehem,
Shepherds’ Field, Church of the Nativity, Roman Catholic Church of St.
Catherine, the Herodium, Mount of Olives, Old City of Jerusalem, Wadi Kelt, Mt.
Sinai, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site of Church of St. Mary of the
Latins, Temple Mount, El-Aksa Mosque, Dome of the Rock, Hezekiah's Tunnel, the
traditional place of the Last Supper, Siloam Pool, the traditional tomb of King
David, the house of Caiphas the High Priest, Shrine of the Book, Herod's
Antonio Fortress, Golgotha, Bethany, Tomb of Lazarus, Bethphage, Pater Noster Church,
Gethsemane, and many others. Each entry explains the history and topography of
the site as well as its function and significance as it is linked to the
relevant biblical passages.
The book shares Scriptural references, along with anecdotes to
better help visitors understand the significance behind the location. Its
compact size allows visitors to carry it easily in a backpack or pocket for
easier access. This book will not only inform you but help you better
understand your faith. Journey to the Holy Land with this indispensable
archaeological resource that links visitors and armchair travelers alike to the
biblical story.
--------
CEB Bible Map Guide
Author Common English
Bible
Publisher Common English
Bible
Publication Date 8/2011
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9781609260743
Retail Price $12.95
Discount Price $8.16 (37%
discount)
The CEB Bible Map Guide shows where the events of the Bible
happened. It includes the 21 CEB maps (produced by National Geographic) in a
beautiful full-color oversize format. A brief narrative that describes what is
being shown and what chapters and verses of the Bible are being illustrated
accompanies each map. Sidebars, photographs, and timelines bring out
interesting facts about the lands of the Bible, featured in maps of Palestine,
Egypt, Canaan, Babylonia, the Persian empire, the Hellenistic kingdoms in
Daniel, the Roman Empire, Jerusalem, and Paul's journeys. An exhaustive index
makes it easy to locate the places mentioned in the Bible.
-------
The Essential Bible Guide
Author CARTA LTD
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 6/2010
Binding Book - Hardback
ISBN 9781426707575
Retail Price $24.99
Discount Price $14.99 (40%
discount)
With illustrations, maps, chronologies, and concise
descriptions, this guide provides an attractive and organized framework to
understand the land, people, places, history, and culture of the Bible.
Includes over 60 full-color maps.
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Jerusalem at the Time of Jesus by Drs. Leen and Kathleen
Ritmeyer
Writer Drs. Leen and
Kathleen Ritmeyer
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 1/2010
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9781426706943
Retail Price $14.99
Discount Price $9.44 (37%
discount)
See Jerusalem at the time of Jesus. These artistic restorations
and photographs will transport you back 2,000 years. Marvel at the remains and
walk through the streets of the city in the time of Jesus with detailed
drawings.
The result of years of study and research, this book combines
text, photographs, and reconstructions to present the archaeology of Jerusalem,
whose remains survive even today.
Full-color, richly illustrated, with maps and archaeological
drawings. See the Pool of Siloam where Jesus healed the blind; the Bethesda
Pools where Jesus healed the man paralyzed for thirty-eight years; and the
Palatial Mansion where Jesus was interrogated by the Sanhedrin while Peter
waited in the courtyard. Possible routes for the "Via Dolorosa" and
two sites identified as Golgotha are also shown.
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Food at the Time of the Bible by Miriam Vamosh
Author Miriam Vamosh
Publisher ABINGDON PRESS
Publication Date 8/2004
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780687340347
Retail Price $20.00
Discount Price $5.00 (75%
discount)
Was the "forbidden fruit" of the garden of Eden really
an apple? What is St. Peter's Fish? What was in the bowl that Jesus dipped into
at the Last Supper? Within the pages of
this book you will find a uniquely in-depth and easy-to-read survey of every
aspect of food in the Bible, accompanied by fascinating illustrations and
photographs. You will learn not only
what people ate and drank in Bible days, but how they raised their food, stored
it, traded in it, and prepared it. You will
take a fresh look at food through the eyes of Scripture, seeing new and deeper
symbolic meanings behind many a menu.
Best of all, you will find an exciting collection of
biblically-inspired, easy-to-prepare recipes for a cornucopia of delicious
dishes to share with friends and family.
As you enjoy learning about what our biblical ancestors ate, you
will find yet another way of coming closer to Bible days and Bible ways. Through this book you will discover that
Scripture, the most important inspiration in our spiritual lives, can be an
inspiration in the kitchen as well!
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Daily Life at the Time of Jesus by Miriam Vamosh
Author Miriam Vamosh
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 2/2001
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780687048915
Retail Price $23.99
Discount Price $15.11 (37%
discount)
Vivid, original illustrations of life in New Testament times,
maps, photographs of the Holy Land and the most significant archaeological
finds of the past half-century combine to bring alive the times of Jesus in a
novel and fascinating way. From the inspiring historical background of the
unique period which has affected the lives of so many to the succinct, in-depth
explanations that accompany each illustration, this is a perfect book for all
ages.
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Martin Luther King, Jr.
Articles and resources to help celebrate the life of the
extraordinary 20th century civil rights leader.
About This Bin
Articles and resources to help celebrate the life of the
extraordinary 20th century civil rights leader.
A Life of Justice and Service by Melissa Slocum
Monday, for the twenty-seventh time, Americans will celebrate
the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the federal holiday that
bears his name. On November 3, 1983, more than fifteen years after King was
assassinated, Congress passed a bill creating a holiday in King’s honor on the
third Monday in January (usually within a few days of the civil rights leader’s
January 15 birthday). Americans celebrated the first Martin Luther King, Jr.
Day on January 20, 1986. In 1994 Congress voted to designate MLK Day as a National
Day of Service. According to the website MLKDay.gov: “The MLK Day of Service
empowers individuals, strengthens communities, bridges barriers, creates
solutions to social problems, and moves us closer to Dr. King’s vision of a
‘Beloved Community.’”
While we celebrate the gains made by King, his peers, and many
others since his death, we must remember that inequality and injustice still
persist. Even in the United States there are children who lack food and
adequate clothing. Inequalities persist with regard to housing, education, and
employment opportunities. Around the world people suffer from malnutrition,
lack of clean water, or preventable disease. Others are victims of human
trafficking or religious persecution. King showed us that we don’t have to
accept things the way they are; we have the freedom and the resources to make
the world a better place.
A Vision
We celebrate Dr. King not only for the hands-on work he did but
also because of his vision. He gave America a vision of what it could be. Such
visions give hope to people who otherwise feel helpless and hopeless. King’s
vision of a society free from prejudice and inequality was based on the Bible’s
vision for God’s people. In his sermons and speeches he often referred to Old
Testament prophets who spoke words of warning but also of vision and hope.
During his famous 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln
Memorial in Washington, King quoted Amos 5:24 when he said that we could not be
satisfied “until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty
stream.” He also cited Isaiah 40:4, which looks forward to the day when “every
valley will be raised up” (NRSV) to make a way for the Lord.
It is appropriate that King quoted Scripture so frequently,
because Scripture also gives us a vision: a vision of God’s kingdom. We see
this vision in the Old Testament prophets, in Jesus’ parables, and in the final
chapters of Revelation. When the prophet Habakkuk was frustrated by the
wickedness and violence he saw in Judah, God told him to, “Write a vision, and
make it plain . . . so that a runner can read it” (Habakkuk 2:2). As God’s
people, we have a vision of what is possible. We need to make this vision plain
for a hurting world.
What Are You Doing for Others?
In the 1950’s, when Martin Luther King, Jr. began his work in
Montgomery, Alabama, he faced widespread inequality and injustice, along with
fierce resistance and reluctance to change. The brokenness still present in our
world today can be overwhelming. There are so many injustices and so many
people who need healing that it’s hard to know where to start. Youth are more
likely than adults to be optimistic about what is possible, but they need
guidance. You can help your youth identify needs and injustices and find ways they
can use their time and talents to meet these needs and right these wrongs. You
can also encourage your youth to spend time in prayer discerning God’s call.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s vision was big and mighty, far-reaching and bold.
But he knew it began in the heart of each individual person. He said, “Life’s
most persistent and urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” How
will you answer that question, and how will you honor his legacy?
This article is also published as part of LinC, a weekly digital
resource for youth small groups and Sunday school classes. The complete study
guide can be purchased and downloaded here.
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"Thou, Dear God" by Martin Luther, Jr. King
Foreword by Julius R.
Scruggs
Edited by Lewis V. Baldwin
Author Martin Luther,
Jr. King
Publisher RANDOM HOUSE
Publication Date 11/2011
Binding Book - Hardback
ISBN 9780807086032
Retail Price $20.00
Discount Price $15.00 (25%
discount)
""Thou, Dear God"" is the first and only
collection of sixty-eight prayers by Martin Luther King, Jr. Arranged
thematically in six parts--with prayers for spiritual guidance, special
occasions, times of adversity, times of trial, uncertain times, and social
justice--Baptist minister and King scholar Lewis Baldwin introduces the book
and each section with short essays. Included are both personal and public
prayers King recited as a seminarian, graduate student, preacher, pastor, and,
finally, civil rights leader, along with a special section that reveals the
biblical sources that most inspired King. Collectively they illustrate how King
turned to private prayer for his own spiritual fulfillment and to public prayer
as a way to move, inspire, and reaffirm a quest for peace and social justice.
With a foreword by Rev. Dr. Julius R. Scruggs, it is the perfect gift for
people and leaders of all faiths, and an invaluable resource for spiritual
individuals and those who lead worship.
The book includes a very rare, very limited use photo of Dr.
King praying and gold foil stamping on the front cover, a frontispiece photo of
the King family at prayer, a prayer ribbon, and elegant endpapers.
-------
Where Do We Go From Here by Martin Luther King Jr
Foreword by Coretta Scott
King
Author Martin Luther
King Jr
Introduction by Vincent
Harding
Publisher RANDOM HOUSE
Publication Date 1/2010
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780807000670
Retail Price $14.00
Discount Price $9.52 (32%
discount)
In 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., isolated himself from the
demands of the civil rights movement, rented a house in Jamaica with no
telephone, and labored over his final manuscript. In this important work, which
has been unavailable for more than ten years, we find King's acute analysis of
American race relations and the state of the movement after a decade of civil
rights efforts.
King lays out his thoughts, plans, and dreams for America's
future, including the need for better jobs, higher wages, decent housing, and
quality education. Today, as African American communities stand to lose more
wealth than any other demographic during this economic crisis, King's call for
economic equality and sustainability is especially pertinent. With a universal
message of hope that continues to resonate, King demanded an end to global
suffering, asserting that humankind--for the first time--has the resources and
technology to eradicate poverty.
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Stride Toward Freedom by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Author Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Publisher RANDOM HOUSE
Publication Date 1/2010
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780807000694
Retail Price $14.00
Discount Price $9.52 (32%
discount)
Martin Luther King, Jr.'s account of the first successful
large-scale application of nonviolence resistance in America is comprehensive,
revelatory, and intimate.
King described his book as "the chronicle of fifty thousand
Negroes who took to heart the principles of nonviolence, who learned to fight
for their rights with the weapon of love, and who, in the process, acquired a
new estimate of their own human worth.'' It traces the phenomenal journey of a
community, and shows how the twenty-eight-year-old Dr. King, with his
conviction for equality and nonviolence, helped transformed the nation--and the
world.
-------
The Trumpet of Conscience by Martin Luther, Jr. King
Foreword by Coretta Scott
King
Foreword by Marian Wright
Edelman
Author Martin Luther,
Jr. King
Publisher
Publication Date 10/2010
Binding Book - Hardback
ISBN 9780807000717
Retail Price $22.00
Discount Price $16.50 (25%
discount)
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I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King
Author Martin Luther
King
Publisher HARPER COLLINS
Publication Date 1/1992
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780062505521
Retail Price $15.99
Discount Price $10.87 (32%
discount)
"His life informed us, his dreams sustain us yet."*
On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. stood in front of the
Lincoln Memorial looking out over thousands of troubled Americans who had
gathered in the name of civil rights and uttered his now famous words, "I
have a dream . . ." It was a speech that changed the course of history.
This fortieth-anniversary edition honors Martin Luther King
Jr.'s courageous dream and his immeasurable contribution by presenting his most
memorable words in a concise and convenient edition. As Coretta Scott King says
in her foreword, "This collection includes many of what I consider to be
my husband's most important writings and orations." In addition to the
famed keynote address of the 1963 march on Washington, the renowned civil
rights leader's most influential words included here are the "Letter from
a Birmingham Jail," the essay "Pilgrimage to Nonviolence," and
his last sermon, "I See the Promised Land," preached the day before
he was assassinated.
Editor James M. Washington arranged the selections
chronologically, providing headnotes for each selection that give a running
history of the civil rights movement and related events. In his introduction,
Washington assesses King's times and significance.
*From the citation of the posthumous award of the Presidential
Medal of Freedom to the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., July 4, 1977
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All Labor Has Dignity - With CD (Audio) by Martin Luther, Jr.
Author Martin Luther,
Jr. King
Edited by Michael K. Honey
Publisher
Publication Date 1/2011
Binding Book - Hardback
ISBN 9780807086001
Retail Price $26.95
Discount Price $20.21 (25%
discount)
An unprecedented and timely collection of Dr. King's speeches on
labor rights and economic justice
People forget that Dr. King was every bit as committed to
economic justice as he was to ending racial segregation. He fought throughout
his life to connect the labor and civil rights movements, envisioning them as
twin pillars for social reform. As we struggle with massive unemployment, a
staggering racial wealth gap, and the near collapse of a financial system that
puts profits before people, King's prophetic writings and speeches underscore
his relevance for today. They help us imagine King anew: as a human rights
leader whose commitment to unions and an end to poverty was a crucial part of
his civil rights agenda.
Covering all the civil rights movement highlights--Montgomery,
Albany, Birmingham, Selma, Chicago, and Memphis--award-winning historian Michael
K. Honey introduces and traces King's dream of economic equality. Gathered in
one volume for the first time, the majority of these speeches will be new to
most readers. The collection begins with King's lectures to unions in the 1960s
and includes his addresses during his Poor People's Campaign, culminating with
his momentous "Mountaintop" speech, delivered in support of striking
black sanitation workers in Memphis. Unprecedented and timely, ""All
Labor Has Dignity"" will more fully restore our understanding of
King's lasting vision of economic justice, bringing his demand for equality
right into the present.
-------
MLK by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Edited by Bob Adelman
Introduction by Charles
Johnson
Author Martin Luther,
Jr. King
Publisher RANDOM HOUSE
Publication Date 10/2011
Binding Book - Hardback
ISBN 9780807003169
Retail Price $15.00
Discount Price $11.25 (25%
discount)
"MLK: A Celebration in Word and Image "is an
unprecedented collection of black-and-white photographs combined with stirring
quotations by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This treasured collection includes images by legendary
photographers such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Bob Adelman, and Flip Schulke, and
is an unparalleled photobiography that presents intimate moments from King's
personal and public journey. We see King in all his manifestations--as a new
father and doting husband, as a civil rights champion leading racial protests,
and as a charismatic speaker preaching electrifying sermons. Triumphant events
like King delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech and marching in
Montgomery are beautifully captured, as are private moments of him reflecting
on his Nobel Peace Prize or working in his study.
Threaded together, these words and images chronicle how Dr. King
was not only a driving force for change but also a continually evolving
individual. A collection to savor and celebrate, these great photographs are an
enduring testament to the life and legacy of an international icon.
-------
Martin's Big Words
Author Brian Collier
Author Doreen Rappaport
Publisher HARPER COLLINS
Publication Date 10/2001
Binding Book - Hardback
ISBN 9780786807147
Retail Price $17.99
Discount Price $12.23 (32%
discount)
This picture book biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
brings his life and the profound nature of his message to young children through
his own words. Martin Luther King, Jr., was one of the most influential and
gifted speakers of all time. Doreen Rappaport uses quotes from some of his most
beloved speeches to tell the story of his life and his work in a simple, direct
way. Bryan Collier's stunning collage art combines remarkable watercolor
paintings with vibrant patterns and textures. A timeline and a lsit of
additional books and web sites help make this a standout biography of Dr. King.
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Strength to Love by Martin Luther King Jr.
Author Martin Luther
King Jr
Publisher AUGSBURG/FORTRESS
PUB.HOUSE
Publication Date 4/2010
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780800697402
Retail Price $24.00
Discount Price $16.32 (32%
discount)
"If there is one book Martin Luther King, Jr. has written
that people consistently tell me has changed their lives, it is Strength to
Love."
So wrote Coretta Scott King. She continued: "I believe it
is because this book best explains the central element of Martin Luther King,
Jr.s philosophy of nonviolence: His belief in a divine, loving presence that
binds all life. That insight, luminously conveyed in this classic text, here
presented in a new and attractive edition, hints at the personal transformation
at the root of social justice: By reaching into and beyond ourselves and
tapping the transcendent moral ethic of love, we shall overcome these
evils."
In these short meditative and sermonic pieces, some of them
composed in jails and all of them crafted during the tumultuous years of the
Civil Rights struggle, Dr. King articulated and espoused in a deeply personal
compelling way his commitment to justice and to the intellectual, moral, and
spiritual conversion that makes his work as much a blueprint today for
Christian discipleship as it was then.
Individual readers, as well as church groups and students will
find in this work a challenging yet energizing vision of God and redemptive
love.
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The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr by Martin Luther,
Jr.
Editor-in-chief Clayborne
Carson
Author Martin Luther,
Jr. King
Publisher HACHETTE BOOK
GROUP USA
Publication Date 1/2001
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780446676502
Retail Price $16.00
Discount Price $10.88 (32%
discount)
Using Stanford University's voluminous collection of archival
material, including previously unpublished writings, interviews, recordings,
and correspondence, King scholar Clayborne Carson has constructed a remarkable
first-person account of Dr. King's extraordinary life.
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Why We Can't Wait by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Author Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Publisher PENGUIN USA
Publication Date 1/2000
Binding Miscellaneous
ISBN 9780451527530
Retail Price $9.99
Discount Price $6.79 (32%
discount)
Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963
"Perhaps it is easy for those who have never felt the
stinging darts of segregation to say, 'Wait.' But when you have seen vicious
mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers
at whim...when you see the vast majority of twenty million Negro brothers
smothering in an airtight cage of poverty in the midst of an affluent society;
when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you
seek to explain to your six-year-old daughter why she can't go to the public
amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears
welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored
children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little
mental sky...when you take a cross-country drive and find it necessary to sleep
night after night in the uncomfortable corners of your automobile because no
motel will accept you...when...your wife and mother are never given the
respected title 'Mrs.'...when you are forever fighting a degenerating sense of
'nobodiness'--then you will understand why we find it difficult to wait. There
comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over, and men are no longer willing
to be plunged into the abyss of despair."
"Why We Can't Wait "
Martin Luther King's Classic Exploration of the events and
forces behind the Civil Rights Movement
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The Courage to Listen by Brett Younger
1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20)
The year after Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, I was a
third grader in Ridgeland, Mississippi. I lived in a segregated world—separate
and unequal. Everybody I knew wanted things to stay the way they were. The
white people in my hometown didn’t understand what Dr. King preached. We didn’t
hear what he heard God say. We didn’t hear God say anything we didn’t want to
hear.
I knew that there were African Americans living nearby, but we
went to different schools, stores, post offices, and saddest of all, churches.
Then one Friday afternoon, Mr. Williams, our bus driver, told us to sit down
and get quiet.
“Starting on Monday,” he shouted “there will be two black girls
riding on our bus.”
Several boys in the back started booing.
Mr. Williams yelled, “Get quiet! I don’t like it either, but
there’s nothing we can do about it. None of you will have to sit by them.
They’ll sit in this seat right behind me.”
Then he started the bus. The bad kids said that they would call
the new girls names and let them know that they didn’t belong on our bus. The
good kids said that wasn’t fair and that the best thing to do was to say
nothing at all. On Monday and on the days that followed, as far as I know, none
of the bad kids ever said anything loud enough to be heard, but something no
less tragic took place. The first children on the bus each morning and each
afternoon sat in the back row. Every day for the rest of the year the bus
filled from the back with every white child sitting as far as possible from the
two children sitting in the front seat.
It’s embarrassing to confess that years passed before I realized
how evil we were. It didn’t occur to me to sit on the second row, say hello, or
question our actions. As the good white children of good white parents, we
didn’t think of ourselves as bigots. We just found it easier not to challenge
what was expected.
Years later, I became what my relatives in Mississippi consider
a liberal. The liberal white children of the Deep South who left home are proud
of the alienation we feel from the most embarrassing parts of our roots. We’re
arrogant about our newfound sophistication, but sometimes I wonder what we
would hear if we listened for God’s opinion on the subject of our prejudices.
It’s easier not to listen to God, because listening is
dangerous. It was for Samuel. He grew up in “the church,” helping Eli with
chores around the temple—lighting lamps, sweeping the floor, putting the
hymnals back in the pew racks. Samuel never thought about listening for God,
because no one was listening for God. The author writes: “The word of the LORD
was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.”
It’s not surprising that when twelve-year-old Samuel hears a
voice while sleeping in church—he was neither the first nor the last to sleep
in church—he assumes it is Eli. Three times someone calling his name awakens
him. Three times he goes to Eli and asks what he wants. After the third time
Eli wonders, although God hasn’t been heard from in those parts for some time,
if perhaps Samuel is hearing God’s voice. He tells Samuel that if he hears the
voice again, he should answer, “God, I’m listening.” God speaks and gives Samuel
disturbing news—news that Samuel doesn’t want to repeat. After he hears God’s
voice, Samuel’s life is never the same. It’s harder—much harder!
Martin Luther King, Jr.’s father, grandfather,
great-grandfather, brother, and uncle were all preachers. When he became the
pastor of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, however, he still hadn’t had a
firsthand experience of God. But then Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of
the bus and Martin found himself in the middle of a boycott. Although he had
only been in Montgomery a year and he was only twenty-seven years old, he
quickly became a leader of the movement. It wasn’t long before his family
started getting threatening phone calls. He wondered if he could take it. He
wanted out. Then one night, around midnight, another threatening call came:
“We’re tired of you, and if you aren’t out of this town in three days, we’re
going to blow your brains out and blow up your house.”
Dr. King prayed aloud that night. He reports hearing a voice
calling him to stand up for righteousness, justice, and truth; the voice of
Jesus promising to be with him through the fight. Dr. King’s life from that
moment on is a testimony to his response to that prayer.
What would we hear if we listened for God’s voice? Would God
tell us to be honest about the prejudices that lie so deep within us that we
don’t admit them even to ourselves; to repent not only of whatever hatred we
feel but also whatever apathy we hide; to let worship penetrate our hearts
enough for us to say, “Speak God, for I’m listening”; to realize that if racism
seems like someone else’s problem then we are part of the problem; to stop
waiting for others to take the first step and step across the lines ourselves;
to speak with kindness and courage when it would be easier to say nothing; to
do more than vote right and work for economic justice for all; to do more than
tolerate our differences and honor and celebrate them; to be impatient with
inequality, impatient with anything less than freedom and justice. If we listen
for God, we’ll hear a dangerous voice telling us to do what’s right.
-------
The Biblical Call to Love by Erik Alsgaard
No Greater Love Dorwin Stoddard loved his wife, Mavanell, with
all his heart. On Saturday, January 8, 2011, witnesses say that Dorwin proved
his love for Mavanell by saving her…
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Prayers and Suggested Readings for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
No Greater
Love
Dorwin Stoddard loved his wife, Mavanell, with all his heart. On
Saturday, January 8, 2011, witnesses say that Dorwin proved his love for
Mavanell by saving her life at the expense of his own. As the couple stood in a
Safeway grocery store in Tucson, Arizona, shots rang out. According to his
pastor, the Reverend Mike Nowak, “When they heard the gunshots going off, she
didn’t know what it was. She thought it was fireworks, [but] he knew what it
was. He pulled her down, they both dove for the ground and he landed on top of
her.” Mavanell was shot in the legs; Dorwin was shot in the head and died as a
result of his wounds. He was 76. “We want it to go down that Dorwin did what
all husbands would do,” said Nowak, “that is, jump on the grenade for their
mate. And that’s what he did.”
According to Nowak, Dorwin was a fixture at his church, serving
as a maintenance man and helping out with whatever was needed. At some point,
it is safe to guess, Dorwin heard the biblical call to love one another and the
words from Jesus, “No one has greater love than to give up one’s life for one’s
friends” (John 15:13, CEB).
As the nation mourns the shootings in Tucson and wrestles with
how to respond in its aftermath, Christians are comforted by the love shown in
this tragedy and are reminded once again that the greatest gift God gives us in
the world is love (1 Corinthians 13:13). As South African Archbishop Desmond
Tutu once said, “Love, compassion, gentleness, even when sometimes they seem to
have a rough ride, in the end they prevail.”
The Bible’s Call to Love
Love is a central element of Christianity. In Matthew 22:34-40,
Jesus said that loving God “with your whole heart, with your whole being, and
with your whole mind” (verse 37, CEB) is the first commandment, and that loving
one’s neighbor as yourself is similar to the first. In her sermon that opened
The United Methodist Church’s 2008 General Conference, Bishop Janice Riggle
Huie echoed Paul’s exhortation on love from 1 Corinthians 13:13 when she said,
“Hope is the nerve center of the Christian life. Love is the heart. Faith is
the muscle.”
There are hundreds of mentions of the word love in the Bible.
According to BibleGateway.com, there are 686 mentions of the word in the New
International Version and 442 mentions in the King James Version. Even casual
students of the Bible know there are several different words for “love” used
throughout the Scriptures. In Hebrew, the word most often used is ‘ahab,
meaning “to have affection for.” In the New Testament, the Greek words for
“love” include agape, philia, and storge. Agape is the most common word for
“love” in the New Testament, and its meaning is closely associated with God’s
love for humans and human love for God and neighbor. Philia indicates love that
is more like friendship and is widely known as “brotherly love” (Phila-delphia
= “City of Brotherly Love”). Storge suggests familial love and is used in
combination with philia in Romans 12:10 to instruct members of the body of
Christ about the marks of a true Christian. Romans 1:31 and 2 Timothy 3:3
criticize the absence of this kind of love by using storge in combination with
another root that is rendered “lacking affection.” Eros, used to connote erotic
or sexual love, is not used in the New Testament. In the Greek philosophical
traditions, eros also indicated an intense desire or love for transcendent
ideals of beauty and truth.
Love and Forgiveness
In Matthew 5:21-37, Jesus speaks about the consequences of anger
against a brother or sister and about the benefits of reconciliation. At the
Fetzer Institute, a Michigan-based foundation that supports efforts at studying
love, forgiveness, compassion, and reconciliation, they are learning more about
this complex topic. In October 2010, the institute published results from the
“Survey of Love and Forgiveness in American Society.” What they found is that
most Americans are hungry for love and forgiveness. According to the survey, 68
percent of Americans agreed that they need more meaningful love in their
personal lives. This number grows to 89 percent in their communities, 94
percent in America, and 95 percent in the world. Sixty-two percent of Americans
agreed that they need more forgiveness in their personal lives.
Love, Justice, and Mercy
The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. espoused peaceful
resistance during the civil rights movement. King developed six “facts” to help
people understand what peaceful resistance was––and was not.
One of those facts is that non-violent resistance is an act of
love. Writing on the website www.care2.com, Annie Bond said that for King, “in
non-violent resistance, one learns to avoid physical violence toward others and
also learns to love the opponents with ‘agape’ or unconditional love––which is
love given not for what one will receive in return, but for the sake of love
alone. It is God flowing through the human heart.”
King himself wrote about agape love in his June 4, 1957, article
“The Power of Non-violence.” In the article, he said that agape is a
redemptive, overflowing kind of love that seeks good will for all. King stated
that when a person reaches that level of love, he or she begins to love people
not because they are loveable or because the things they do are loveable but
rather because God loves them. We may hate the deed that a person does, but we
love the person. King believed that kind of love––agape love––was at the heart
of the movement going on in the South at that time.
The Hard Work of Love
John Ruegg is 83 years old and lives alone. His wife, Joan, who
is around the same age, lives about 20 miles away because she is confined to a
bed with Alzheimer’s. Every other day, in a ritual carried out thousands of
times around the country, John leaves the house at about 10:00 A.M., gets in
his car, drives the 20 miles, and spends the day with his wife even though she
now no longer recognizes him. It is a habit, he says, that he has practiced for
more than six years. Asked why he visits his wife three times a week, shares
meals with her, reads the Bible to her, and holds her hand, John bows his head
slowly and then, with tears in his eyes, looks up and says, “Because I love her
and she loves me.”
Showing love to those suffering from Alzheimer’s can be hard
work. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than 5.3 million Americans
suffer from the disease; and a new case is diagnosed every 70 seconds. In a
report from last March, the association estimated that the cost for health and
long-term care services for people with Alzheimer’s would top $172 billion in
2010. Caring for persons with Alzheimer’s––like John does––is very stressful.
Over 40 percent of family and other unpaid caregivers rate the emotional stress
of caring for a person with Alzheimer’s or dementia as high or very high,
compared with 28 percent of those caring for other older people.
Practicing God’s Love
Christians proclaim that God is love (1 John 4:8), and we are
called to practice God’s love so that all will know it and experience it. The
possibilities for how people respond to God’s love and offer it to others are
almost endless.
Gert Dunn is 86 years old and attends church every Sunday. She
needs assistance to get out of a chair yet is involved in evangelism efforts at
her church. Every morning, Gert pulls out her prayer list and prays, by name,
for people’s needs. Then, once a week, she sends a hand-written prayer card to
the people on the list letting them know they are cared for and loved by God.
Kathy Wells, a young adult, started an e-buddy system in her
church. The group covenants to send Christian articles, Bible study tidbits,
and devotions to one another by e-mail at least once a week. The 12 people in
the group have now shared dozens of informational items with one another and
help keep people connected in love even though they may now live far away.
Jilma Meneses, an attorney, first went on a mission trip to the
Democratic Republic of the Congo after September 11, 2001. After visiting an
orphanage, she fell in love with the children and began to try to find ways
they could be adopted in the United States. Meneses adopted a girl, Gracia, and
started a mission called “Our Family Adoptions” (http://www.ourfamilyadoptions.org),
which has led to over a hundred adoptions. “I am compensated emotionally and
spiritually, but not monetarily,” she said. “The biggest compensation is seeing
these children having new opportunities with loving families, absolutely.
That’s the biggest compensation of all.”
God’s Love For Us
John 3:16-17 proclaims God’s love through Jesus Christ. It is
God’s love for all that generates salvation, hope, and life. Our own capacity
to love God and neighbor comes from God’s love for us. When we choose to
practice love, we proclaim God’s salvation, hope, and life to our world.
Be sure to check out FaithLink, a weekly downloadable discussion
guide for classes and small groups. FaithLink motivates Christians to consider
their personal views on important contemporary issues, and it also encourages
them to act on their beliefs. The complete study guide accompanying this
article can be purchased here.
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Living The Dream by Fred Allen
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to
bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim
the year of the Lord’s favor. (Luke 4:18-19)
This article endeavors to engage its readers by eliciting vivid
recall of the dream and vision of the late Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
His was a dream embedded in his faith in God and in Jesus’ vision of a kingdom
of peace with justice for all nations of the earth.
Despite his critics’ claim that “peace and civil rights don’t
mix,” Dr. King spoke emphatically on the issues of war, racism, and economic
injustice while advocating a nonviolent response. Living the Dream. I hear a
renewed and clarion call today for you and me to reclaim Dr. King’s vision and
embrace it as our own. By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit we are encouraged
to lift up this vision in prayer and in renewed commitment to unity and
understanding. This national holiday is a calling forth to a deeper level of
thanksgiving to a gracious and loving God who is the source of the gifts of
love, forgiveness, mercy, and redemption.
It is my hope that Dr King’s legacy will remind us of those who
suffer because of social neglect and help us to be more sympathetic to those
who are lonely, alienated, uninvited, regarded as unsuitable, or viewed as an
embarrassment to others. If we interpret and internalize the Scripture text
above, we will be encouraged to fervently pray for ways to make amends and to
draw such persons, in the spirit of our Savior, into a community of faith that
is truly inclusive.
Perhaps, the greatest challenge that Living the Dream offers its
readers is that: God’s power can reconcile a fallen brother or sister. And this
reconciliation reminds us that, but for God’s grace, we would have been in that
person’s predicament.
It is wrong to measure our faithfulness by the shortcomings we
see in others. Our church, our families, our faith community ought to reflect
the life, ministry, and teachings of Christ as we share one another’s burdens.
However, each of us must shoulder our own responsibilities so that we do not
become a drain on the common good. This is the time for love, not hate; for
understanding, not anger; for peace, not war.
People of all races, religions, classes, and stations in life
are called to put aside their differences; to break down barriers that divide
our communities and join hands in a spirit of unity. God cannot be deceived
when we are slack in offering our best in service to him and to one another.
For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do
not use your freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love
become slaves to one another. (Galatians 5:13 NRSV)
“Freedom has always been an expensive thing. History is fit
testimony to the fact that freedom is rarely gained without sacrifice and
self-denial. Our hope for creative living in this world house that we have
inherited lies in our ability to reestablish the moral ends of our lives in
personal character and social justice.” (The words of Martin Luther King, Jr.)
Pause and Reflect
The negotiations were over. The deal was closed.
The chairman of the board looked with satisfaction at the
dilapidated building across the street. Soon the demolition would begin.
Technology and machinery would wipe out the eyesore. It would create a shining
structure of steel and glass. The luxury apartments would resonate with life.
He knew that there were a few occupants in the dilapidated
building across the street. Where would they go? Would city authorities care
for them? Would they find another home in this land of the free and the brave?
What alternatives were there for him, anyway?
He did not have the luxury of saying no. It would have cost him his
position on the board.
He did not feel that the decision was wrong. Anyway, the
building was an eyesore.
He refused to entertain the idea that claiming our dreams could
sometimes deny others the freedom to live.
He refused to admit that being free sometimes comes with a
costly price tag.
He found it hard to acknowledge that love and freedom were
closely linked in the choices we make in life.
Prayer
Lord, help us pause; to take a moment now and then to reflect on
the purpose of our being here; to tune in to the needs of those less fortunate
than ourselves; to sort through our own feelings and beliefs; to focus our
activity into meaningful action that hears the cry of others; to gain strength
from the promise that you watch over all your creation. Lord, lead us into your
freedom and your love. Amen.
-------
A Testament of Hope by Martin King
Author Martin King
Publisher HARPER COLLINS
Publication Date 12/1990
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780060646912
Retail Price $23.99
Discount Price $16.31 (32%
discount)
"We've got some difficult days ahead," civil rights
activist Martin Luther King, Jr., told a crowd gathered at Memphis's Clayborn
Temple on April 3, 1968. "But it really doesn't matter to me now because
I've been to the mountaintop. . . . And I've seen the promised land. I may not
get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we as a people will get
to the promised land."
These prohetic words, uttered the day before his assassination,
challenged those he left behind to see that his "promised land" of
racial equality became a reality; a reality to which King devoted the last
twelve years of his life.
These words and other are commemorated here in the only major
one-volume collection of this seminal twentieth-century American prophet's
writings, speeches, interviews, and autobiographical reflections. A Testament
of Hope contains Martin Luther King, Jr.'s essential thoughts on nonviolence,
social policy, integration, black nationalism, the ethics of love and hope, and
more.
-------
Waking from the Dream by David Chappell
Author David Chappell
Publisher RANDOM HOUSE
Publication Date 1/2014
Binding Book - Hardback
ISBN 9781400065462
Retail Price $27.00
Discount Price $18.36 (32%
discount)
The author of "A Stone of Hope, "called "one of
the three or four most important books on the civil rights movement" by
"The Atlantic Monthly, " turns his attention to the years after
Martin Luther King's assassination--and provides a sweeping history of the
struggle to keep the civil rights movement alive and to realize King's vision
of an equal society.
In this arresting and groundbreaking account, David L. Chappell
reveals that, far from coming to an abrupt end with King's murder, the civil
rights movement entered a new phase. It both grew and splintered. These were
years when decisive, historic victories were no longer within reach--the
movement's achievements were instead hard-won, and their meanings unsettled.
From the fight to pass the Fair Housing Act in 1968, to debates over unity and
leadership at the National Black Political Conventions, to the campaign for
full-employment legislation, to the surprising enactment of the Martin Luther
King holiday, to Jesse Jackson's quixotic presidential campaigns, veterans of
the movement struggled to rally around common goals.
"Waking from the Dream" documents this struggle,
including moments when the movement seemed on the verge of dissolution, and the
monumental efforts of its members to persevere. For this watershed study of a
much-neglected period, Chappell spent ten years sifting through a voluminous public
record: congressional hearings and government documents; the archives of pro-
and anti-civil rights activists, oral and written remembrances of King's
successors and rivals, documentary film footage, and long-forgotten coverage of
events from African American newspapers and journals.
The result is a story rich with period detail, as Chappell
chronicles the difficulties the movement encountered while working to build
coalitions, pass legislation, and mobilize citizens in the absence of King's
galvanizing leadership. Could the civil rights coalition stay together as its
focus shifted from public protests to congressional politics? Did the movement
need a single, charismatic leader to succeed King, and who would that be? As
the movement's leaders pushed forward, they continually looked back, struggling
to define King's legacy and harness his symbolic power.
"Waking from the Dream" is a revealing and resonant
look at civil rights after King as well as King's place in American memory. It
illuminates a time, explores a cause, and explains how a movement labored to
overcome the loss of its leader.
Advance praise for "Waking from the Dream"
"A vitally needed appraisal of how the civil rights
movement re-created itself in surprisingly effective ways after Dr. King's
death . . . No one is better qualified than David Chappell to examine these
largely unexplored developments and to make sense of the ironies, tragedies,
and triumphs. This is a brilliant, absorbing work that compels us to rethink
our conceptions and judgments about the civil rights movement."--Stewart
Burns, author of "We Will Stand Here Till We Die"
""Waking from the Dream" skillfully traces Martin
Luther King, Jr.'s legacy during the two decades following his assassination.
The previously untold story of continuing struggle and posthumous inspiration
that dominates this compelling and groundbreaking book will forever change the
way civil rights historians view this era."--Raymond Arsenault, author of
"Freedom Riders"
--------
A Time to Break Silence by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Author Martin Luther
King, Jr.
Publisher RANDOM HOUSE
Publication Date 11/2013
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780807033050
Retail Price $14.00
Discount Price $9.52 (32%
discount)
The first collection of King's essential writings for high
school students and young people
"A Time to Break Silence" presents Martin Luther King,
Jr.'s most important writings and speeches--carefully selected by teachers
across a variety of disciplines--in an accessible and user-friendly volume.
Now, for the first time, teachers and students will be able to access Dr.
King's writings not only electronically but in stand-alone book form.
Arranged thematically in five parts, the collection includes
nineteen selections and is introduced by award-winning author Walter Dean
Myers. Included are some of Dr. King's most well-known and frequently taught
classic works, including "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and "I
Have a Dream," as well as lesser-known pieces such as "The Sword that
Heals" and "What Is Your Life's Blueprint?" that speak to issues
young people face today.
-------
A Gift of Love by Martin Luther, Jr. King
Author Martin Luther,
Jr. King
Publisher
Publication Date 11/2012
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9780807000632
Retail Price $15.00
Discount Price $10.20 (32%
discount)
The classic collection of sixteen sermons preached and compiled
by Dr. King
As Dr. King prepared for the Birmingham campaign in early 1963,
he drafted the final sermons for "Strength to Love, " a volume of his
most well-known homilies. King had begun working on the sermons during a
fortnight in jail in July 1962. While behind bars, he spent uninterrupted time
preparing the drafts for works such as "Loving Your Enemies" and
"Shattered Dreams," and he continued to edit the volume after his
release. Revised in a fresh new edition, "A Gift of Love" includes
these classic sermons, along with two new sermons. Collectively they present
King's fusion of Christian teachings and social consciousness, and promote his
prescient vision of love as a social and political force for change.
--------
The Resounding Call to Dream by Jerrod Hugenot
This weekend, many Americans gather to celebrate the civic
holiday in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther, King, Jr. Dr. King had many
ties to the American Baptist Churches/USA, graduating from Morehouse College in
Atlanta, Georgia, one of the historic "black colleges" of our country
and founded through the efforts of Henry Morehouse and the American Baptist
Home Mission Society. His divinity school studies were at the American Baptist
affiliated Crozer Seminary in Pennsylvania, which later merged with the Colgate
Rochester Crozier Divinity School (CRCDS) in Rochester, NY. (An article about
King's time in seminary appears here.)
King was a member of the Ministers and Missionaries Benefit
Board (MMBB), receiving help getting his draft of "Letter from a
Birmingham Jail" out of that jail and into the hands of news editors
thanks to an MMBB representative. After King's assassination, Coretta Scott
King received widow's pension benefits for the rest of her life as well as
support funds to assist the King children's college expenses. (For part of the
MMBB and MLK story, see this newsletter article.)
The King legacy lives on through the commitment of those
instructed and inspired to action by his teachings. Colleges and communities
will have celebrations this weekend, complete with days of community service,
providing hundreds of volunteer hours and for some young people, the first
opportunity to connect social action with civic duty.
I will note that the King family did suffer additional tragedy
after MLK's death in 1968. As a younger person, I did not grow up in the era,
so I was not aware of a story of the King family from just a few years later in
1974. I shared it in a recent sermon, and I thought the story bears repeating
as it testifies to the faithfulness of the entire King family in times of great
challenge and personal tragedy:
Gardner Taylor, long considered the dean of African American
preachers, recalls the difficult days he spent with the family of the Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King, Sr. In late June 1974, the Ebenezer Baptist Church in
Atlanta was in the midst of worship when gunshots rang out. A gunman aimed for
King, yet it was Mrs. King, the church organist, who was killed in the gunfire.
As Gardner Taylor and other colleagues came from around the
nation to support the King family, Taylor recalls the way the Ebenezer Church
members pulled together with its singing hymns of faith, led by the choir who
had been in the midst of the tragedy just a few days before. The church
resonated with hymns of faith, sung in full knowledge of their loss, yet giving
testimony to the beliefs that helped them make sense out of yet another tragedy
in their congregation’s life.
That same week, Taylor was a visitor to the King family home. He
recalls:
Midst the tall Georgia pines, in the King family home, touched
with the strange stillness of death, I sat with Martin Luther King, Sr., on
Tuesday evening. He bit his lips and said, “They killed Martin, [my other son]
A.D. is dead, and now they’ve killed Bunch [his wife’s nickname]. “ He stopped
awhile. Then he said, clutching my hand, “A.D.’s third son came to me the other
day, and he said is going to preach [or, that is called to ministry].” Then he
looked at me and said, “They won’t be able to kill us off.”
(From Gardner Taylor, Fifty Years of Timeless Treasures, Words
of Gardner Taylor, vol. VI, Valley Forge, PA: Judson Press, 2002).
-------
This Sunday 1/19/14
Second Sunday after the Epiphany - Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11;
1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42
Come and See by Brett Younger
John 1:29-42
How would your life be different if you were not a Christian?
For some of us who have lived surrounded by Christian people, it’s hard to
imagine, but what if you had no interest in God? How would your life be less or
more or just the same?
What would you miss about church? I would never sing out loud in
public were it not for church on Sunday. Which of your friends would not be
your friends? If you had never met the people you have met in Sunday school,
how great a loss would that be? How would your family change? How would you
spend your time differently? Would you be home reading the New York Times on
Sunday mornings? What do you do because you are a Christian that makes you
happy? Which religious activities could you do without? What would be easier if
you weren’t a Christian? Do you feel good about the time you spend helping
strangers? Do you wish you still had all the money you’ve given away? Have
there been experiences you would hate to have missed—hope-filled books you are
glad you read, experiences of God’s grace in worship, times you’ve cared for
hurting people? If you were not a Christian, would your life be less
interesting?
Every once in a while the disciples thought about how different their
lives would have been if they had never met Jesus. It started so quietly. John
the Baptist is standing with two of his students when Jesus walks by. John
says, “That’s the one. You know how cocky I can be, but I’m not worthy to tie
his sandals.”
The two disciples are understandably curious. They start
following Jesus. He turns and asks, “What are you looking for?” They answer
nervously, “We thought we would see where you’re staying.” In other words, “We
don’t have anything better to do, so we’re wondering what you’re doing.” Jesus
offers the invitation that will change their lives: “Come and see.”
They stay with Jesus all day because he’s interesting. They have
no idea what they are getting themselves into. They don’t know that they will
end up leaving behind their nets, boats, homes, friends, work, and retirements.
They will end up changing their ideas about almost everything.
Andrew goes to get his brother. “You have to come and see this
guy,” he says. Simon is dragged along, going more so that his brother will
leave him alone than out of any great faith. When Jesus meets Simon, he says,
“Your name is going to be Rock.” The often-confused Simon is anything but a
rock, but everything is starting to change. Most of the time, we move toward
God in small steps taken as much out of curiosity as out of faith.
So what are we looking for? What are we looking for in worship?
Why do we go to church? Some of us go because our parents didn’t give us a
choice growing up. For some of us, our mother’s voice telling us to go to
church somehow lodged in our minds, and we can’t get rid of it. Some of us go
because it’s easier to go than to argue with our spouse about it.
Most of us probably don't go with great expectations. The
religious reasons we have for going are mixed at best. We’re interested in
thinking about how we could live better lives, but only up to a point. If we’re
in worship for no good reason, that’s okay. Lots of people find their way by
accident.
Jesus says, “Come and see.” The disciples stumble along,
following without knowing where they are going, discovering well after the fact
that they have wandered onto a path that leads to grace. “Come and see,” Jesus
says, and in John’s Gospel the disciples soon taste water turned into wine,
watch in horror as Jesus clears the temple, and listen with amazement to Jesus’
words to Nicodemus, that the spirit of God blows wherever it wills. They
stumble onto a way of life they have never imagined.
What are we looking for? Deep in our souls, we are looking for
something to believe in and hold on to, something important enough to live for,
and something big enough to claim our passions. We are looking for challenge
and purpose. We are looking for God.
What begins with curiosity becomes a step toward grace. The
emptiness we feel from time to time is God calling us to the paths that lead to
meaning. God lets us know that we can look beyond our computers and coffee cups
into the enchanted possibilities of grace. God is the one who makes us long for
something that lasts. God draws us toward life even when we don’t recognize
what’s happening.
“Come and see” is how the disciples’ story begins. It’s a wonderful
line and a great way to start a story. “Come and see” is the invitation to
explore, discover, and travel without knowing exactly where we are going, but
to know that if we catch a glimpse of God, we will also catch a glimpse of who
we can be. Come and see. Come and look for places where we’ve never been. Come
and see what it means to hope, believe, and follow.
We are in church to open ourselves to God, who will lead us to
new places. The people who follow Jesus end up doing the things Jesus did. They
care for the hurting, listen to the lonely, feed the hungry, pray for the
brokenhearted, bandage those who are wounded, do more than is expected. They
look for God and find extraordinary lives.
The spirit of adventure is what calls us to worship. We come to
seek the meaning of life, join with people on the journey, and ask God to help
us see where grace invites us. We come to look at the gifts we’ve been given
and the needs of the world. We come to discover the possibilities.
If we worship God, if we share our lives with other people
looking for God, we will see beyond what we have assumed. If we look for God,
we will find that God is looking for us, offering life.
-------
Worship Elements: January 19, 2014 by Laura Jaquith Bartlett
Second Sunday after the Epiphany
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 40:1-11; 1 Corinthians
1:1-9; John 1:29-42
THEME IDEAS
It’s hard to ignore a scripture passage that begins, “Listen to
me . . . pay attention, you peoples!” (Isaiah 49:1). God is definitely trying
to get our attention! It is clear from this text (and from the world around us)
that there is plenty of work to be done in the task of building up God’s realm.
In fact, a quick glance at the newspapers and TV reports could easily cause us
to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of the
task. Yet both the Isaiah and 1 Corinthians readings assure us
that we are not only called to do God’s work, we are well equipped by the very
One who has called us. Our faithful God strengthens us for the task and has
already given us the support we need through Jesus Christ.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Isaiah 49, The Message)
Listen up, everyone!
God has given us work to do.
God has called each of us
before we were even born.
It was God who named us.
It is God who claims us.
The light of God’s love shines in us.
Let’s shine God’s love into all the world!
Opening Prayer (Isaiah 49, 1 Corinthians 1)
God of Isaiah,
you are our God, too.
You spoke to the prophets,
but your message did not end with them.
There is still work to be done,
and we pray to hear your call afresh.
Help us joyfully claim our role
as your beloved servants,
knowing that you provide all that we need
to do our work.
You walked with us before we were even born,
and you continue to hold us by the hand
each and every day of our lives.
We pray with the confidence of those
who have been filled with your light.
We pray with the assurance of those
who have been called into fellowship
with your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 49, Psalm 40, 1 Corinthians 1)
Faithful God,
you call us to be saints,
but we are more comfortable
with the role of sinner;
you call us to be your servants,
but we worry that we lack the skills
to do your work;
you put a new song of praise in our mouths,
but we stumble on unfamiliar words;
you show us the work to be tackled,
but we turn away defiant,
insisting we have more important things to do.
Put your song on our lips and in our hearts,
and remind us of the joy that awaits us
when we put our trust in you.
Guide us into the light
of your unwavering, never-ending,
and grace-filled love. Amen.
Words of Assurance (1 Corinthians 1)
God is faithful and ever-present.
The God who knew us before our birth
loves us still and strengthens us,
that we will one day be blameless.
Through the gift of Jesus Christ,
God offers forgiveness, grace, and mercy.
Enter into the light!
Response to the Word (Isaiah 49, Psalm 40)
(Sing stanza 1 of “I Was There to Hear Your Borning Cry” by
John Ylvisaker. Continue the instrumental music quietly in the
background during the spoken responses.)
Even before you were born, I have been with you.
My love for you is beyond time.
Fill us with your love.
Equip us for your work.
(Sing stanzas 2 and 3)
I have given you a song of praise.
I will teach you a new melody.
Fill us with your music.
Equip us to sing your harmonies.
(Sing stanzas 4 and 5)
You are my faithful servants.
I offer you all that you need
to do the work given you.
Fill us with your Spirit.
Equip us to share your love with the world.
(Sing stanzas 6 and 7)
Even before you were born, I have been with you.
My love for you is beyond time.
Fill us with your light.
Equip us to become beacons of your salvation.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Offering Prayer (Isaiah 49, Psalm 40, 1 Corinthians 1)
Generous God,
you have already given us all that we need.
Help us trust your continued care,
that we may share with others
the abundance of your blessings.
Strengthen us for service,
and remind us of the great joy
that awaits those who answer your call.
Accept our gifts and give us new songs of praise
as we celebrate the opportunity to be in ministry,
in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Isaiah 49, 1 Corinthians 1)
Go in the love of the One who strengthens us
for the work to which we are called.
Go in the fellowship of Jesus Christ,
who claims us as sisters and brothers.
Go in the community of the Holy Spirit,
who binds us together with all the saints.
Go with grace to shine God’s love
into all the world. Amen.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Gathering Words (Isaiah 49, Psalm 40)
(This dialogue for two voices should be rehearsed ahead of time,
with no text printed in the bulletin. Be ready to move directly into an opening
song: e.g., “We Are Called” or “Shine, Jesus, Shine.”)
Voice 1: Hey, everybody! God has a job for us!
Voice 2: Who does?
Voice 1: God! The God who has known you, even before you were
born.
Voice 2: What are you talking about? How could someone know me
before there was anyone to know?
Voice 1: I’m talking about God! God has known all about you
since forever.
Voice 2: Ummm . . . sounds kind of creepy.
Voice 1: It’s not creepy, it’s fabulous! This is a God who has
always known and loved you, and will always love you no matter what.
Voice 2: That’s amazing! So what’s the job?
Voice 1: Spread the news! Share the love! Shine the light! Sing
the song!
Voice 2: Hey, slow down! That’s a big job. Can’t God just take
care of it?
Voice 1: God is taking care of it—by giving you what you need to
do the job. God has chosen you!
Voice 2: Well, it’s hard to argue with someone who has known me
since before I was born. So what’s that song you mentioned?
Voice 1: Let’s start singing right now!
Praise Sentences (Isaiah 49, Psalm 40, 1 Corinthians 1)
God is faithful.
God’s steadfast love and faithfulness
keep us safe forever.
God is faithful.
The Holy One of Israel has chosen you.
God is faithful.
By God, you were called into fellowship
with our Lord, Jesus Christ.
God is faithful.
Let us worship God!
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Worship for Kids: January 19, 2014 by Carolyn C. Brown
From a Child's Point of View
Old Testament: Isaiah 49:1-7. Within this complicated
"servant song" are several themes that are important to children but
which children will not recognize as the passage is read.
First, children need to explore the possibility that they (or
their congregation) are the servants to whom God is speaking. They were chosen
and named by God, who has a plan for them. Seeing themselves as well-polished
weapons (or tools), cared for and hidden away by God until the right moment,
builds children's self-esteem and contributes to their sense of identity and
purpose, based on belonging to God and doing God's will.
When it is singled out for rereading and explanation, the
conversation between God and the servant in verses 4-6 reassures children that
though they, like the servant, often feel they are not doing anything great,
God is using them. So often their daily activities and frustrations seem very
insignificant. It seems that they will be forever "just kids." In the
middle of winter, after Christmas and with a long way to go until Easter, it
seems as if nothing exciting or important will ever happen. To them, as to the
servant, God insists that they are important; they are light—not just for the
neighborhood or school, but for the world!
Children begin to understand what it means to be the light of
the world with their feelings, rather than their minds. Even the youngest can
describe the difference between fearful, hard-to-get-around-in dark, and
comfortable, easy light. Middle-elementary children can identify "dark"
versus "light" feelings and experiences. Based on this, they can
begin to understand that some actions and words bring dark, while others bring
light. Many fifth- and sixth-graders can finally articulate what it means to
bring light to the world and be light for the world.
Psalm: 40:1-11. This psalm is so rich with poetic images and
references to the sacrificial worship of the Temple that it is all but
incomprehensible to children. If it is introduced as the thanksgiving poem of a
person who has been in deep trouble and gotten out, children will catch
meaningful phrases here and there. Older children, if challenged, may be able
to pick out the psalmist's promises to use his mouth to tell about God's love
and power.
Epistle: I Corinthians 1:1-9. If you plan to emphasize the First
Corinthians readings during the coming weeks, children will be interested in
the letter format, especially in the greeting in verses 1-3. Knowing who wrote,
and the church to whom the person wrote will bring the passages to life.
The prayer of thanksgiving in verses 4-9, however, is voiced in
such abstract language that children cannot follow it in any translation. Its
talk of gifts and waiting for the day of the Lord need such extensive
explanation that children cannot get through the explanations to the message.
Read this text for those with more mature minds.
Gospel: John 1:29-42. This text offers two examples of
witnesses. John the Baptist was the kind of witness Isaiah's servant was called
to be and that the psalmist promised to be. He simply and bravely told the
crowds what he had seen and know to be true. God had promised that John would
see the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove descend on the One God was sending.
When John saw the dove, he told everyone what had happened and pointed out who
Jesus was. Andrew heard what John said, he followed Jesus, and he later took
his brother to meet Jesus. Children are challenged to tell what they know, as
John did. They are especially encouraged to be witnesses to their friends, as
Andrew was to his brother.
Watch Words
Refer to courtrooms and news reports to describe what it means
to be a witness. If local TV stations carry programs titled "Eyewitness
News," use this as a familiar example of our use of witness.
Do not use the symbolic term light of the world without speaking
in children's terms about what it means.
Let the Children Sing
Sing about witnessing to what happened at Christmas with
"Go, Tell It on the Mountain." Children can sing the opening line of
each verse and enjoy the spreading light in the chorus of "We've a Story
to Tell to the nations." If children know "Pass It On," they can
sing it with the congregation, or as a choir, to commit themselves to be
witnesses.
The Liturgical Child
1. Light candles in the worship center as part of the Call to
Worship. As the candles are lighted, have a worship leader read John 8:12 or a
call to worship such as the following:
Isaiah said, "the people who walk in darkness have seen a
great light." Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." We
light this candle (these candles) to remind us of the light of God's love and
presence with us. Let us worship God.
At the conclusion of worship, carry the light of the candles to
the rear of the sanctuary as a charge is given. An acolyte may light the taper
of a long-handled candlelighter, snuff the candles, then recess with the
lighted taper held high. Or in a less formal setting, an appointed worship
leader may simply rise and carry out a still-lighted worship-center candle.
Charge: Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. . . .
Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and
give glory to your Father in heaven."
2. Explain the setting of, and the movement within, Psalm
40:1-11. Then offer a brief time in which worshipers may silently identify
times when they were in deep trouble and were rescued. Finally, invite them to
join the psalmist in thanksgiving. In the worship bulletin, print the words of
the psalm in the following format:
People: (The psalmist speaks to the congregation.) verses 1-3
Leader: (The priest replies to the psalmist.) verse 4
People: (The psalmist speaks to God.) verses 5-11
Sermon Resources
1. Describe the functions of several kinds of light, then
challenge worshipers to take on the function of one or more of these lights as
they light up the world.
• airport searchlights that point the way home;
• lighthouse beacons that alert people to danger;
• fireplace or campfire lights where people laugh and tell
stories and enjoy an evening together;
• detectives' flashlights used to find the truth of serious
problems;
• night-lights that comfort people with troubles.
2. There are many references to tongues in today's texts.
Tongues can get people of all ages into trouble. So preach about what we do
with our tongues. Topics of interest to children include telling lies, twisting
the truth to our advantage, tattling (telling "the truth" in order to
get other people in trouble), blurting out things that hurt others (either in
anger or on purpose), saying things we know will stir up trouble, and being
quiet when we know we should speak.
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Sermon Options: January 19, 2014
THE CALL OF THE SERVANT
Isaiah 49:1-7
In studying the four servant songs in Isaiah, we need to raise
the question of the servant's identity. Is Isaiah referring to the nation
Israel? Prophet? Messianic figure? In this, the second of the four servant
songs (the last two are 50:4-9 and 52:13-53:12), the mystery is only
heightened. Israel is identified with the servant at one point (v. 3), but then
is placed over the servant further into the text (vv. 5-6; "Jacob" is
a synonym for "Israel"). It is entirely possible that the enigma of
the servant's identity is maintained by the prophet for a specific purpose,
such as broadening the force of the message, allowing for identification with
various figures or forces that act in the ways described, or leaving open the
varying possibilities for God's "filling the shoes" of that figure,
either individually or collectively (as with a nation or group).
The reality is that God used both the people of Israel
collectively and Jesus specifically to fulfill divine purposes. And as
followers of Christ, we are also called to the role of divine servants.
I. Divine Servants Are Called by God
On the order of Isaiah 42 , this text tells us some very
specific and important things about this mysterious servant, developing further
the profile begun there. The servant was called "before I was born,"
named "while I was in my mother's womb," and formed to be God's
servant "in the womb." These beautiful biological hyperboles express
the sense of complete envelopment of this chosen one in God's care and
providential direction.
In the sense that the servant is a type in which all of us may
find our identity, the claim of being called from the very beginning is one of
assurance, utter humility, and clear authorization for the given task. (See Ps.
139 and Jer. 1 for other examples of this in utero image.) Verses 2-3 are the
natural extensions of that basic image.
II. Divine Servants Are Called to Be Reconcilers
The servant's role is cast again, this time slightly
differently. If it was spoken of in terms of justice in the first song, here it
could be described as the work of bringing reconciliation and restoration to a
broken, fallen people. Phrases such as "bring Jacob back,"
"gather Israel," and "raise up Jacob" fill out the meaning
of the servant's justice mission. For the servant, for Isaiah, and for Yahweh,
justice is more than redistribution of goods and redress of wrongs, though
these are certainly central to its meaning. Justice as fleshed out here
includes mercy and tender reconciliation. It is finally about gathering in, not
sending away, about restoration, not destruction.
III. Divine Servants Are Called to Reach Out
Finally, the servant will bring to its clearest expression what
has been an undercurrent throughout the Hebrew scriptures: the spreading of
Yahweh's saving work beyond the chosen people. In a beautiful turn of phrase,
Yahweh speaks through the servant to say that "it is too light [or slight]
a thing" to bring reconciliation only to Israel. The salvation of God is
bigger than any subgroup within God's creation and so, through this servant
figure, will "reach to the end of the earth." All nations, all
generations, and all creation together are the beneficiaries of that extended
scope.
Likewise, God calls us to reach out beyond the close and
comfortable, to carry God's love and grace to those who have never known it.
Just as Jesus became the suffering servant and gave himself for us, so God
calls us to divine service to carry the good news of salvation to a lost world.
(Paul R. Escamilla)
ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE WRITING THE RIGHT CHURCH?
1 Corinthians 1:1-9
Anthony Campolo speaks in many churches. On one Sunday morning
he was running late to a particular church because he was driving through
unfamiliar territory. When he finally arrived, the service had already begun,
and he strode to the podium, trying to be as unobtrusive as possible. He was
there a few minutes when one of the people on the podium, who was obviously a
ministerial type, stepped next to him and asked him who he was. He had arrived
at the wrong church! The only thing to do was to apologize and get directions
to the right church.
The church in Corinth was having serious problems with schisms,
immaturity, and immorality. Paul had heard about this distressful situation
from a letter he had received from some of the Corinthian Christians. Paul
returned their letter with one that could be regarded as damage control.
Imagine trying to correct theological and moral mix-ups by yourself and through
the mail! Yet, amazingly, when Paul began his letter, he wrote of the
Corinthian believers as "saints" and of his thanksgiving for the
church. Sosthenes, who may have been Paul's secretary in this case, must have
thought Paul was writing the wrong church. It wasn't that Paul glibly ignored
all the bad news about the church; he took it very seriously and later
addressed it directly. However, he was still able to give thanks.
In so doing Paul modeled behavior that is desperately needed in
the modern church. He was able to look beyond the faults of fellow believers to
see and affirm the good. Perhaps the paucity of this ability in today's church
is the reason for the greener grass syndrome among ordained ministers. They
transfer to First Church of Green Grass, often not stopping to think that the
grass there was brown to the minister who just left it. This has not always
been the case. In his research of eighteenth-century ministers, Donald Scott
found that 71 percent of Yale's ministerial graduates between the years of 1745
and 1775 remained in the church to which they were first called until their
deaths. What may we be thankful for in today's church?
I. We May Be Thankful for Christ's Work of Sanctification
Paul called these Christians "saints," and he referred
to them as "those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus" (v. 2).
Certainly, they were not perfect, but sanctification is both a reality and a
process. "Please be patient with me; God isn't finished with me yet"
is more than a slogan; it is a request that deserves a positive response.
II. We May Be Thankful for Christ's Work of Salvation
Paul thanked God for his grace in their lives (vv. 4-5). They
had much spiritual progress to make, but God's grace gave them the resources
they needed to change into the likeness of Christ. They, like the Ephesian
Christians, had been dead in their trespasses, "but God..." (Eph.
2:1-4).
God is the One who transfers us from the kingdom of darkness
into the kingdom of light, and Paul knew that God was the One who was able to
change the darkness in the Corinthians to light.
III. We May Be Thankful for Christ's Work of Glorification
Paul also looked ahead to the time when the saints would be
"blameless" (v. 8) in the end time. Paul had hope. He saw the
Christians as they were and also as they would be. God help us to do the same
with one another. (N. Allen Moseley)
THE POWER OF A TESTIMONY
John 1:29-42
Some pastors say that the use of personal testimony is their
most effective vehicle for stewardship enlistment. Ron Proctor, in speaking
about church growth, recently stated that personal testimony is the most
significant way to communicate to baby busters. Elton Trueblood, in his book
The Company of the Committed, said in 1961, "The method of evangelism is
inevitably the method of testimony." There is something special about a
personal testimony.
I. A Testimony Grows Out of Personal Experience
John the Baptist gave his testimony concerning Jesus: "This
is the Son of God" (vv. 32-34). His testimony spoke out of personal
experience and his own relationship with Jesus. He spoke of firsthand, personal
knowledge pointing beyond himself to the Messiah. John, quite a popular figure
himself, was willing to decrease in order that Jesus might increase, even to
the point of "losing" some of his own disciples.
A severe malady has afflicted certain members of our society.
Quiet, humble, nonassuming people are suddenly turned overnight into loud,
boastful, obnoxious braggarts. These individuals are known as new grandparents.
When we have something we want to say, almost all of us are willing to give
testimony. John's testimony about Jesus was so effective that two of his
disciples chose to follow Jesus. One of the two was Andrew (v. 40).
Andrew, too, spoke out of personal experience, having spent the
entire day with Jesus (v. 39). The Bible says that the first thing Andrew did
was to go and find his brother Simon and tell him (v. 41). The Greek word here
is proton, from which we get our word pronto , which means
"immediately" or "straightway." Although he was the first
to win someone, it was the last time Andrew would be first. From then on he was
always listed as "Simon Peter's brother, Andrew." Another glowing
characteristic of Andrew's testimony, as with John, was that he was willing to
be second. He just wanted to bring others to Jesus ( John 6:8; 12:22). Of such
is the kingdom of God, these quiet, unassuming, nonheadline-seeking persons.
II. A Testimony Can Be Shared Right Where We Are
Another characteristic of Andrew's testimony that we would do
well to incorporate into our own was that he began where he was. He started at
home. He went and found his brother. Often the greatest test of our
spirituality is in the home among those who know us best.
As one of my professors used to say, "If you can be a
Christian at home, you can be a Christian anywhere. But if you are not a
Christian at home...." Think of the people Andrew has influenced through
the life, witness, and writings of his famous brother, Simon Peter. There is a
story of a German schoolmaster who bowed before his class every day before he
began his lesson. Someone asked him why he did such a thing. "I bow before
them each day," he replied, "because you never know what one of these
students may become." One of those students was a young man by the name of
Martin Luther. Only God and eternity can prove the worth of a testimony. (Gary
L. Carver)
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Psalm 99 by Simon Peter Iredale
This week’s psalm gives us a brief but tantalizing glimpse into
the heavenly realms. In verse 1, we hear of the Lord “enthroned upon the
cherubim.” This gives us the opportunity to reflect a little on the “angelic
orders” and to consider whether or not we see these details as belonging, as it
were, to an ancient thought system that no longer can form a meaningful part of
the way we follow our modern faith.
In the Old Testament Book of Exodus we encounter the cherubim in
the context of the design of the ark of the covenant (Exodus 25:18-22). The
golden cherubim’s wings in this account overshadow the mercy seat, which, in
the conception of the ark, was the place where God’s presence “sat.” In this
way, the physical ark was a “type” of the heavenly original—the throne of
God—the meaning being that God had chosen to be present with the people of
Israel in the most direct way possible. The ark was an object of almost
terrifying power because of this; hence, the story of the person who died
merely by inadvertently touching it (1 Chronicles 13:9-10). The other main
“angelic division,” if one may express it in such a way, is that of the
seraphim. These beings also appear with God. One thinks immediately of the
vision of the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 6) where we are given, perhaps for the
first time, what has become for artists of succeeding generations almost a
cliché for angelic beings; that is, their wings. However, it has to be said that
we are dealing with a vision here. The prophet is given an intense insight into
a reality that is, strictly speaking, impossible for the mortal mind to grasp.
In the Old Testament, the seraphim and cherubim form, as it were, the “court”
of the Lord. We can think of them as created beings, perhaps each one a unique
creation in the same way as each human being is a unique creation.
However, there are several other angelic “embassies” in human
affairs in the Old Testament where the action concerns “the angel of the Lord.”
Whether this is a different kind of angel or one of the seraphic or cherubic
orders is not specified. We think of the angels sent to find Hagar, Sarah’s
Egyptian maid (Genesis 16:7) and to warn off Balaam (Numbers 22:25). A more
mysterious appearance is that of the “men” who meet Abraham when he is resting
in the shade at Mamre (Genesis 18:1-2): “He lifted up his eyes and looked, and
behold, three men stood in front of him.” Interestingly, Abraham’s reaction is
immediate recognition of “the Lord” (in the singular), which has meant that the
church has always seen this event as a foreshadowing of the Holy Trinity in the
earliest period of the Bible story.
We have both kinds of appearances in the New Testament. The
Archangel Gabriel first is involved with the father of John the Baptist (Luke
1:19) and then appears later to the Virgin Mary who receives the message of the
birth of Jesus (Luke 1:26). The fact that we know the angel’s name is important
in terms of our understanding of the spiritual orders. Apart from angelic
beings, the contrary is also true. In the case of exorcism of unclean spirits,
Christ requires the demons’ name (Mark 5:9). Gabriel has already appeared in
the role of teacher and guide in the Book of Daniel (Daniel 8:16-17) where the
Lord (who has the form of a man) tells Gabriel to explain the vision to the
prophet. The significance of an archangel being sent to Mary is naturally the
supreme importance of the mission and his message—the sign that she (and with
her all humanity) is indeed “favored.” Finally, an angel in the form of a
“young man” appears in the description of the resurrection (Mark 16:5-8), again
with a message to impart (the message of messages!) that the Lord is risen.
With all these many comings and goings it would seem rather
unwise simply to see these angelic presences as figurative language or
metaphors for the activity of God. I have met too many people in parish life
who have had experiences that make me believe that the embassies of angels
still continue. I remember once sitting with a dying man in a hospital and
being sure that we were both in the presence of a being of unimaginable
holiness and power.
For Reflection
Have you had an experience of the angelic powers?
Prayer
Holy God, you are served by a myriad of angelic beings, light
upon light. Yet you invite us to stand before you as children and citizens of
heaven. Make us worthy of this call. Amen.
excerpt from My Strength and My Song: A Year With the Psalms by
Simon Peter Iredale. Copyright©2013 by Abingdon Press. Used with permission.
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Quick Links for Lent with Children
For children's ministries and parents below are some quick links
to Lent and Easter resources to help you in planning. Check back more will be
added:
Pretzel Sunday written by Robert W. Sapp
One way to help children and families better understand Lent is
to celebrate Pretzel Sunday, which is the Sunday before Lent begins (before Ash
Wednesday).
After your classes or all the children are gathered together,
begin with a short worship time; include singing and the story of Jesus'
wilderness experience as it relates to Lent. Share the story of the pretzel and
give everyone a pretzel to eat (you might consider making pretzels as an
activity with your children if time permits).
The Story of the Pretzel
Long ago, Lent was a time of sadness, when early Christians felt
they should suffer. For forty days they ate no rich foods: no meat, cheese,
eggs, or even milk. They ate fruit and fish, and they baked a bread shaped into
arms crossed in prayer. They called this bread bracellae, the Latin word for
"little arms."
Christian customs spread to central and northern Europe. But the
people there said bretzel instead of bracellae, and so the word later became
pretzel. And the Sunday before Ash Wednesday became known as Pretzel Sunday, to
remind people to think about the meaning of Lent and to bake this bread for use
during Lent. Pretzels were never served after Palm Sunday.
European immigrants brought pretzels to America, and now we
enjoy them all year!
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Lent for Kids: Focusing on God's Time written by Jenni Duncan
Lent, just as much as Advent, is a time of waiting and
preparing. Kids can learn about and come to appreciate this important season of
the Christian year, but you have to be creative.
How can you mark the days of Lent in your classroom?
Use Color
Use purple fabric, a purple plastic table covering, or tissue
paper. Drape the worship table or your classroom door. Tape a purple streamer
down the center of tables.
Let the children pin construction paper crosses each time they
have a prayer to lift up.
Give the children purple yarn and beads to make a necklace to
wear during class. Each week they may add a bead for each prayer thought they
make to God.
Let each child make a paper chain for Lent in purple tones. Each
link is to represent one day. Have the children mark Good Friday in black and
end with a white loop for Easter. They can make Sundays a different shade of
purple to make them easier to find. Each week invite children to write on the
week's links their prayers for the days ahead.
Use Symbols
Use a symbol a week to mark Lent. Let children make or collect
each week's symbol as you talk about its meaning. Attach the symbol to your
Lent chain or streamer; a paper cross cut from 12-by-18 construction paper; a
windsock; or a purple poster folded accordion style, making a calendar to save
for future years.
Week 1:
Take Time for God
Symbol: Praying Hands
Have each child do the following:
1. Place one writst at the bottom of a sheet of paper. Trace
that hand.
2. Turn the paper and trace the same hand reaching from the
opposite side toward the first traced hand so that the fingers touch.
3. Cut out the hands, leaving them attached at the fingertips.
Ask the children, "When you have something to say, how does
it feel when the person you want to tell keeps talking and won't let you say
anything?" Point out how important it is to listen as well as talk even
during times when we're communicating with God. Say: "The praying hands we
cut out remind us that during Lent we both talk and listen to God."
Children may list on the fingers of one of the hands the times
they can talk to God (ex. bedtime prayer, in church and Sunday school, when
they wake up in the morning while still in bed, before meals, riding in the
car). On the other hand they might list times to listen to God (ex. at church,
outside in nature, when they are sad, during naptime, when they are coloring or
doing a craft).
Spend some class time in quiet: have the children take four deep
breaths, one at a time, in and out, and tighten and release from foot to head.
Say: "Tighten your feet, then let them relax. Feel your muscles tighten in
your legs, then let them rest ... " and so forth. In the stillness, ask
for God to be with you. (By practicing silence and breathing we teach children
calming techniques but also how to be still in order to hear God. This practice
works well with youth and adults too.)
Week 2:
Wait for God's Time
Symbol: Cocoon
Have younger children pretend to be cocoons with butterflies in
them or flower bulbs, waiting, hidden for the right time, and then growing up
and out. Have older children talk about the times we wait for God's answer or
action.
Look for God's time in spring. Walk outside and look for where
spring growth is happening or will happen soon. Use old magazines or Sunday
school material to cut out pictures of waiting and growing. Use the cutouts to
fill in the outline of an hourglass. At the bottom attach a butterfly shape.
Show children video clips of butterflies emerging from cocoons, or time lapsed
photography of growing bulbs.
Week 3:
Not My Will But Thine
Symbol: Rock
Tell how Jesus prayed in Gethsemane. Discuss with older children
the times that we know what God's direction is but that we are afraid. Say:
"As Jesus did, we wish that God would take away the hard situation; but we
know that God's will is the greater good. In Lent we look at ourselves. Are we
choosing our will and missing the greater good? It is hard to examine
ourselves, and it was hard for Jesus praying in Gethsemane. We'll remember hard
praying with the rock."
Hold a short Tenebrae service. Have nine lit candles, a cross,
and black fabric. After reading each set of verses below, help a child
extinguish one candle. When all of the candles are out, drape the cross with
the fabric. Read the last Scripture and say: "There have always been
people who did not want to hear the good news of Jesus and God's love. During
Lent we remember people in the world who do not share the light of God."
Scriptures: Luke 22:1-6, 17-23, 39-46, 54-62, 63-71; Matthew 27:3-8; Luke
23:1-5, 13-25; John 14:1-4; Luke 23:44-46.
Week 4:
We Are Forgiven
Symbol: Cross
Give the children slips of paper. Have them write actions for
which they feel they need forgiveness. (Write for younger children.) Burn the
papers over a ceramic dish, saving the ashes. Use the ashes to make the sign of
the cross on each child's forehead, saying, "In the name of Jesus Christ
you are forgiven." The child responds, "In the name of Jesus Christ
we are forgiven."
If you don't want to burn the slips of paper, tear them into
bits, or use a wipe board and wipe off the sins. Then make the sign of the
cross with olive oil, water, or lotion on each child's forehead.
Let the children make a cross shape and print their name on one
side, Jesus on the other, and forgive down the length.
Week 5:
We Grow Closer to One Another
Symbol: Bread and Cup
Recall or retell the story of the Last Supper. If your church
has a Maundy Thursday or foot-washing worship service, describe these
opportunities ahead.
Remember together favorite meals and what made them special.
Talk about how our best meals remind us of sharing the bread and cup: we say
thanks when we call Holy Communion the Eucharist; we celebrate being together
when we call it Communion; we remember the blessings of our daily meals when we
call the meal the Lord's Supper. Serve one another a snack.
Week 6:
Anticipate Great Things From God
Symbol: Egg
Bring an Easter basket with these symbols in it: a cross, a
lily, an egg, a butterfly, a heart. Ask the children what they think is in your
basket. After they make guesses, pull out the cross and ask, "Why is a
cross in my basket?" (for Jesus, because Jesus died for us) Pull out the
lily, and ask, "What is this flower doing here?" If the children do
not know that it is an Easter lily, tell them the name. Show how the Easter
lily is shaped like a trumpet and is white, which is the Easter color. Have
them form a trumpet with their hands and shout out, "Christ is
risen!" Tell the children that the flowers themselves almost seem to shout
that Jesus is risen.
Next pull out the egg. Say: "Here's the egg you were
expecting in the Easter basket. There's a reason we use eggs at Easter. The egg
looks like all is dead, but what comes from eggs? (baby chicks, other babies)
The egg is a symbol at Easter because it's one of God's surprises. Lent and
Easter remind us that God doesn't leave things closed up and empty. God is full
of life and gives us life."
Pull out the butterfly and then the heart and continue:
"The butterfly is another reminder that God brings new life from the
cocoon, which looks dead and empty also. But in God's time a butterfly comes
out. And the heart reminds us that the reason for all of Lent and Easter is
God's love for us."
Let children decorate either construction paper or hard-boiled
eggs. Make palm branch rubbings with crayons and paper. Remember together how
the people welcomed Jesus. Cut out eggs on the fold of a piece of paper to make
eggrams (egg-grams) to give one another to open at home. Help the children
write inside about something exciting God is doing.
When Easter comes, decorate with butterflies, lilies, and a
paper cocoon that you have prepared ahead of time. Open the cocoon. Inside is a
butterfly on which you have written He is risen!
Making time for God and waiting for God's time, we find
forgiveness and expect great things from God, who fulfills the promise. Jesus
is risen!
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What is Lent? Preparing for Easter is a little booklet that you
can use in your children's ministries or individually with your child to teach
them about Lent. The link includes a download for teaching helps.
Author / Compiler (Internal) Marcia
Stoner
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 9/2011
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9781426708480
Retail Price $2.99
A WORSHIP TUTOR FOR KIDS
An introductory series to the essential elements of worship for
ages 9 to 12.
By working through the fun activities, puzzles, and games in
this multi-topic booklet series, pre-teens will learn the basic fundamentals of
the church seasons...
...including the season of Lent.
Its convenient size fits nicely inside a Bible or hymnal.
BONUS:
A FREE downloadable Teacher's Guide for this title is
available. Click Here
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An Intergenerational Lenten Fair written by Nancy Gammill, set
this fair up using different stations. Your adults will learn about Lent alongside
the children!
"How will we ever have it ready on time?" was a lament
I heard over and over again that last week. But once again plans were completed
and by Sunday butterflies fluttered from trees and smells of popcorn, pancakes,
and hot cross buns rose from the kitchen. A table depicting the last meal Jesus
ate with his disciples was placed in a corner of the room. And all was ready
for the first visitor for our Lenten Fair.
The fair began as an idea generated in a meeting. Our need for
more intergenerational programs and to learn more about Lent motivated us to
plan a special event during Lent. We wanted to plan a program in which people
could participate instead of just observe. After some discussion about
different . possibilities, we decided to begin making plans for our first
Lenten Fair.
Getting Started
We began by sending personal invitations to people in the church
(or you can use an online evite system). We invited each group to develop a
specific learning center for the fair. We suggested some ideas for developing
activities around Lenten symbols, but people added other ideas as their
imaginations were sparked. The only restriction was that the center be re.lated
to the Lenten season.
We attribute the success of the fair to the involvement of so
many persons-planning, set ting up, and participating. We used a variety of
ways to make the five senses come alive. Through these activities we learned
new information about Lent, and we experienced the joy of learning with others.
Being Creative
I have helped to plan Lenten fairs in three churches of different
sizes. And in each church the idea of a Lenten Fair was first looked at
skeptically. But then as people got excited about the possibilities, nothing
could stop them. The learning about the Lenten season that took place, both by
those who prepared for the fair and those who participated, was tremendous. In
all three churches, persons of all ages participated and gained a deeper
understanding of the Lenten season.
We included these foods and crafts in our Lenten fairs; what
ideas can you add? Here are some ideas and activities that we used for learning
centers:
Plant "New Life Seeds." Planting seeds in the ground
remind us of the burial of Christ in the tomb. And the flowers remind us of new
birth. Ask people to plant a seed and take it home as a reminder of new
beginnings.
Make crosses of nails. The cross is a symbol of the sacrifice
and suffering of Jesus for each one of us. But it is also a symbol of the
suffering which was turned into joy. Tie two square nails together in the shape
of a cross. Children can use purple yarn to hold the nails together with the
rest of the yarn serving as a chain to be worn around the neck.
Decorate eggs. The egg is an ancient symbol of fertility and new
birth. As Christians we see the egg as a symbol of the Resurrection. As you
roll the eggs tell the children that this is symbolic of the rolling away of
the stone on Easter morning. Decorate the eggs in the traditional ways with
dye, or try painting or coloring them with crayons.
Make hot cross buns and pretzels. A special cross made from
white icing decorates the buns. Pretzels, first developed in Germany to be
eaten on fast days, are made of flour, salt, and water. Pretzels are shaped in
the form of arms folded in prayer.
Watch popcorn change. A tiny, hard kernel of corn suddenly
bursts forth when heat is added. This tiny kernel is an appropriate symbol for
this season when the warmth of the sun and the love of God cause all of nature
and our own lives to burst forth in new life!
Make pancakes. To get ready to abstain from eating meat and
dairy products during Lent, Christians in the Middle Ages baked pancakes using
butter and milk. And then they celebrated on the evening before Ash Wednesday.
This is the meaning of "Fastnacht," eve of the fast. In French, the
word is Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday. This day is also known as "Shrove
Tuesday" from the word shriving or confessing of sins.
Create tissue paper butterflies. The butterfly is a symbol of
new life and freedom. Children enjoy crushing together two square pieces of
colored tissue paper to make butterfly wings. Colored pipe stem cleaners around
the middle become the antennas and feelers. Place butterflies in a
"tree" or let the children wear them as a decorative pin. You can
also use wooden clothes pins for the butterfly body.
Set a table with the Seder Meal. The Seder or Passover meal
commemorates the liberation of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. It is
an important observance in the Jewish faith and in our own Christian heritage.
Our Communion meal comes from the last Passover meal Jesus shared with his
disciples. Foods used to symbolize the more complete Seder meal include a
roasted shank bone of lamb, a roasted egg, horseradish, charoset (a mixture of
apples, nuts, cinnamon, and wine), parsley, salt water, matzoth or unleavened
bread, four cups of wine, and the Cup of Elijah, a tall goblet placed in the
center of the table. Research the meanings of each of the foods used for the
meal and the ritual that accompanies the meal. Set the table and include index
cards near each food with short descriptions of what it represents.
Tell the story of Lent. Using construction paper cut symbols for
Lent out and let the children tell what each symbol represents. You may also
want to include time to read the scriptures from a children's Bible. You will
this information is new to many adults too!
Look for other symbols that represent the Lenten season. Other
Lenten symbols include the dogwood tree, the palm leaf, a crown of thorns, a
rooster, dice, money bags and silver coins. Explore the meanings of these
symbols and find other ideas to include in your own Lenten Fair.
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The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus Based on Adam
Hamilton’s The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus and used in conjunction
with the churchwide experience during Lent and Easter, children will explore
the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Children will: explore the stories of
Jesus, learn about the places where Jesus’ ministry took place, experience some
of the culture of Bible times, and realize the significance of Jesus’ life on
earth. Contains everything needed to conduct a seven-week study complete with
reproducible handouts.
Author Adam Hamilton
Writer Sally Hoelscher
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 12/2012
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9781426752551
Retail Price $16.99
Discount Price $10.70 (37%
discount)
Based on Adam Hamilton’s The Way: Walking in the Footsteps of
Jesus and used in conjunction with the churchwide experience during Lent and
Easter, children will explore the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
Children will:
- Explore the stories of Jesus
- Learn about the places where Jesus’ ministry took place
- Experience some of the culture of Bible times
- Realize the significance of Jesus’ life on earth
Contains everything needed to conduct a seven-week study
complete with reproducible handouts.
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Come, Taste the Bread: A Storybook About the Lord's Supper
retells the biblical story from the Gospel of Luke a good resource to talk with
children ages 4-8 about Communion.
Author Daphna Lee Flegal
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 2/2012
Binding Miscellaneous
ISBN 9781426735943
Retail Price $2.99
Offer your children a “taste” of The Last Supper with this
retelling of the biblical story from the Gospel of Luke. Engaging pictures and
simple text work together to tell the story in words children will understand.
Stickers are included for children to add to each illustration making this a
fun and interactive teaching experience. The storybook also includes helps for
parents as they talk with their children about Communion.
It is also used as the primary student resource for leader's
using the Touch the Water, Taste the Bread Ages 4-8.
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This Is Good News! is a book is based on the Gospel of Matthew
and includes activities and stickers (for ages 4-10). If you have younger
children see Happy Easter Day below.
Illustrated by American
Artists Reps Inc
Author Daphna Lee Flegal
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 11/2012
Binding Book - Paperback
ISBN 9781426756467
Retail Price $1.59
This beautifully illustrated book introduces the characters and
places in the story of Jesus' Resurrection based on the Gospel of Matthew:
Joseph of Arimathea and the tomb, the angel, the guards, and Mary Magdalene and
the other Mary.
Interwoven with the introductions is the story of the two women
finding the empty tomb and the risen Jesus. The children will be invited to
continue the story and share the good news that Jesus is alive!
It includes a sticker sheet and other activity pages!
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Happy Easter Day written for ages 18 months—2 years.
Author / Compiler (Internal) Daphna
Flegal
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 11/2012
Binding Book - Board Book
ISBN 9781426751417
Retail Price $2.99
Parents, grandparents, and preschool teachers will love this fun
and colorful board book. Through simple and beautiful illustrations, Happy
Easter Day introduces preschoolers to this very special holiday and the news
that Jesus is alive!
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The Easter Garden: A Lenten Experience for Children is a 7
session or one-day event for large-group/small-group settings. Includes a
worship experience.
Author Daphna Lee Flegal
Author Marcia Stoner
Publisher Abingdon Press
Publication Date 12/2012
Binding Mixed Media
ISBN 9781426742965
Retail Price $34.99
Discount Price $27.99 (20%
discount)
The Easter Garden is a special place to explore the story and
the symbols of Holy Week. Time in The Easter Garden is spent exploring the
Bible, making symbols of Lent as special gifts, and preparing for a
presentation of the story of the Easter. While in the shop, children of all
ages will begin with large group Lenten worship, divide into age-level
groupings that will explore one important section of the “garden,” serve others
by creating gifts for those whose hearts and lives may need special attention,
and prepare to be part of the presentation of the Easter story.
Includes an intergenerational worship with the presentation of
the Easter story and suggestions for making The Easter Garden a one-day event.
Featured symbols: palm tree (palm Sunday), grape arbor (Last Supper), stream
(washing of feet), rooster (Peter’s denial), rock (prayer in the garden), cross
(crucifixion), lily, and a butterfly (Easter).
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How Do I Explain Easter to My Child? written by Carolyn Brown
A good starting point is to realize that Easter is bigger than
any of us ever fully understand so we do not have to know all the answers. No
one ever does. Easter is new life, an empty tomb, forgiveness, resurrection,
and more. That is not something to understand. It is a reality we have to grow
into. The truth is that we understand different aspects of Easter better at
different tin1es of our lives.
Adults respond enthusiastically to the Easter claim and promise
of victory over death because adults understand the finality of death and fear
death. Children, however, have a hard time grasping the reality, especially the
finality, of death. Even after attending Grandpa's funeral, a young child will
often ask, at unexpected times, when Grandpa will be visiting. This natural
inability to grasp the finality of death is supported by fairy tale princesses
who awake after "sleeping" for years and cartoon characters who,
flattened by steamrollers, peel themselves off the road. Given all this, it's
not surprising that children can't get too excited by victory over death.
Many books and people try to get around this by focusing on new
life, paying attention to eggs, bulbs, and butterflies as new life symbols.
While children are vaguely interested in these symbols, "new life"
strikes few of them (for whom all of life is ("new") as particularly
significant or exciting.
Instead, for younger children, the empty tomb is the ultimate
victory of the good guys (God/Jesus) over the bad guys (Judas, the priests,
Pilate, the soldiers). On Good Friday the bad guys thought they had won. They
killed Jesus and sealed his body into a guarded tomb. On Easter morning
God/Jesus blasted right out of that tomb and proved once and for all that God
is more powerful than even the worst evil the worst bad guys can inflict. The
natural response to such a victory is to yell "Hooray for God and
Jesus!" and to celebrate belonging to God who is the most powerful power
there is in the universe!
To older elementary children, who are focused on friendships and
have clear expectations of "best friends," the most significant
resurrection story is the story of Peter's breakfast conversation with Jesus
(see John 21:1-19). Peter had been Jesus' best friend. He had promised to stick
with Jesus no matter what. And he had been caught three times on the same night
pretending he did not even know Jesus. As a betrayed ''best friend," Jesus
would have been justified in ignoring or punishing Peter for his denials. But
Jesus did not. For Peter, the resurrection happened when Jesus forgave him,
welcomed him back as a friend, and put him to work building God's Kingdom. For
older children, Easter holds the promise that Jesus will forgive them and
welcome them back when/if they betray their friendship with him. Such Easter forgiveness
is worth celebrating!
And remember the starting point-Easter is bigger than we can
understand. We don't have to know all the answers. We probably do most harm
when we fail to talk with our children about our Easter faith out of fear that
we will not get it right.
excerpt from: Sharing the Easter Faith with Children by Carolyn
C. Brown. Copyright 2006 by Abingdon Press. Used with permission. Order
information below.
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Dealing With Children's Hard Questions written by Ellen Shepard
The Lenten and Easter seasons are the most holy seasons we
celebrate in the church. Each Sunday is celebrated as a "little
Easter." We call ourselves "Easter people." We decorate our
homes and classrooms with butterflies, eggs, chicks, and bunnies.
Why is it then that we hesitate to talk about, explore, and
wonder with children about the meaning of these most sacred seasons? Could it
be that we simply don't want to deal with the hard questions children ask us
about death, resurrection, and new life? Could it be that we are unsure of our
own answers to these questions? Do we have hard questions of our own about Lent
and Easter? This time of year can be the most meaningful time we celebrate with
children.
Children do ask difficult questions sometimes. Yet each and
every question is important. The child may not even remember the answer. But
the child will remember you, your relationship with him or her, your special
way of making that child feel important and valued. We adults don't have all
the answers. We should not pretend that we do. But we do need to learn to feel
comfortable wondering with children about the questions they ask.
Some Basic Information
You can begin to explore these holy days with children by having
at hand some basic information about Lent and Easter.
Where can I read about the stories of Lent and Easter?
The stories can be found in the New Testament of the Bible in
Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, and John 18-19.
Why is Easter celebrated on a different day each year?
Since the year 325 the date for Easter has been set on the first
Sunday after the full moon after the vernal equinox (the time in spring when
day and night are approximately equal, usually March 21).
Why do we call it "Lent"?
Lent comes from the Old English word lengten, which means the
time when days lengthen. That is exactly what happens during the spring. Lent
has been set aside as a time for preparation and remembering.
How many days are in Lent?
Lent lasts for forty days and does not include Sundays. Sundays
are counted as "feast days" not "fast days." Lent begins on
Ash Wednesday.
How did Ash Wednesday get its name?
Early Christians believed they could make peace with God by
burning a sacrifical offering. They thought the rising smoke of the offering
would reach God. The ashes, were placed on their bodies to show others they
were sorrowful. On Ash Wednesday some ministers make the sign of the cross with
ashes on people's foreheads or hands to remind them that we are beginning the
Lenten season. In many churches the palm branches from the previous year are
burned and used during Ash Wednesday worship.
Why are palm branches used on the Sunday before Easter?
This Sunday is known as "Palm Sunday," and it begins
Holy Week. It is the day we celebrate Jesus' triumphant entry into Jerusalem.
The crowds began to cheer and shout Jesus' name. Some people took their coats
and waved them in Jesus' honor; others made a carpet of their coats for Jesus
to walk on as he entered the city gates. Some traditions hold that the really
poor folks who had no coats to wave cut palm branches and waved them in honor
of Jesus!
Why did Jesus die?
Jesus died because the leaders of his day did not understand his
message or his purpose. They were looking for another kind of ruler, and Jesus
was a threat to them because he wanted to share love, not power. Jesus died
because he loves us, you and me.
Did Jesus choose to die?
Jesus chose to submit to God's will, and that finally meant his
death. God did not put Jesus to death. The people did. The Bible tells us that
there were many people who did not like Jesus and did not understand his
teachings. These were the people who asked for his crucifixion.
What happened to his body?
We learn from Scripture that when Jesus died on the cross,
Joseph of Arimathea took his body down, wrapped it in cloth, laid it in a tomb
(probably a cave), and sealed the doorway with a rock. When Mary went to the
tomb later, his body was not there. In fact, Jesus appeared to many of his
disciples after his death (see John 19:38-21:25).
Why do we call it "Good Friday"?
This is the day that we remember the death of Jesus. It is a day
of mourning for Christians. There have been many thoughts about the word good.
Perhaps it is because of the gift of salvation, or it could really have been
intended as "God's Friday." Whichever definition you choose, it is a
day for us to join in worship together!
What is Maundy Thursday?
Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum, which means mandate
or command. We come to church as Jesus commanded to remember through Holy
Communion the Last Supper that Jesus shared with his disciples before he was
arrested and put to death (see Matthew 26:17-29).
What is Easter?
Easter is the most important day on the Christian calendar! It
is the day we celebrate the empty tomb. It is the day we celebrate Christ's
resurrection.
Remember As You Plan
We want to help children and their families internalize this
information about Lent and Easter. We want it to become a part of their very
being! Lent and Easter provide children with hard questions! Plan to explore
the answers and grow in faith together!
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Additional articles and more ideas may also be found on Quick
Links for Lent.
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Creativity and Faith by Jill M. Johnson
Inspired Disciple or Bored Christian?
It’s easy to argue that in order to value the Christian
tradition, one must also value creativity. In fact, to have faith is in itself
an imaginative process. As followers of Christ, we are proclaiming things that
are unseen as eternal truth (2 Corinthians 4:18). Our message is one of hope,
grace, peace, forgiveness, and love. We talk in similes (the kingdom of God is
like a mustard seed, yeast, salt, and light) and metaphors (one must be born
again, Jesus is the bread of life, and become fishers of men). We often open
our prayers with an address to our “Creator God.” A typical modern worship
service involves the use of singers, musical instruments, choirs, bands, and
multimedia productions. We worship in environments filled with art, fresh
flower arrangements, stained glass, liturgical banners, and altar
presentations. Our pastors have almost 4,000 years worth of stories, history,
poetry, characters, and symbolism upon which to draw as resources for sermons.
Children are allowed to color and draw during the service. We sing, pray, read
responsively, and partake of Communion.
All this creativity raises the question, how could church ever
be boring? Why do our personal faith journeys often feel dry and uninspired?
For many of us, worship is typically a passive process. We aren’t the ones
creating songs, sermons, or videos. Most of us are in the pews listening or observing,
not creating. How, then, can our Christian faith, and in particular our faith
community, inspire and nurture creativity?
What Is Creativity?
Creativity can be hard to define. The Merriam-Webster Online
Dictionary defines it as “the ability to make new things or think of new
ideas.” The website’s encyclopedia expands the definition and states creativity
is the “ability to produce something new through imaginative skill, whether a
new solution to a problem, a new method or device, or a new artistic object or
form. The term generally refers to a richness of ideas and originality of
thinking.” But do novelty and originality capture the whole idea of creativity?
Writers at the Shepherd Project, a Christian resource website, argue that
something can be new without being particularly creative. The “new” detergent
might have an updated formula, but it’s not a creative way of washing laundry.
These writers also ask if purpose plays a role in determining whether or not
something is creative. Consider two musicians who tune their instruments
differently but play simultaneously, creating a cacophony. “This might be
novel, but on its own, it wouldn’t necessarily be creative,” their blog states.
“However, label one musician as a Republican and one as a Democrat and suddenly
the discord says something significant about the U.S. government.”
And determining whether something is creative is subjective. My
kids think modern mashups (combining several musical artists into one song) are
original and creative. I find these songs boring and imitative. Sometimes I
agree with the writer of Ecclesiastes that “there’s nothing new under the sun”
(1:9). And how does intent factor into creativity? If a person is intentionally
trying to be creative or “think outside of the box,” do they get points even if
others don’t like their work?
We often hear people say, “Well, I’m just not the creative
type.” But creativity doesn’t have to be confined to fine arts such as music
and painting, or even to hobbies such as scrapbooking and woodworking. Isn’t
the mathematician who solves a complex formula or the engineer who has to
design a multilane highway employing creativity? What about the scientist who
discovers a cure for a rare disease? And how about that plumber who found a
creative way to fix your kitchen sink leak without having to rip out the entire
countertop?
Perhaps a simple way to define creativity can be borrowed from
Krista Tippett’s (radio host/author) definition of an artist: someone or
something that offers you a fresh perspective on the world and your place in
it.
Creativity in Education and Work
TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a nonprofit devoted
to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” On the TED.com website, you can find talks on a
variety of subjects from leaders who are considered to be some of the most
innovative, respected, and creative in their fields. Several years ago,
creativity expert Sir Ken Robinson gave a talk on how our education system is
draining our children of their natural creative instincts. He relates the story
of a child who tells her teacher she is going to draw a picture of God. The
teacher replies, “But no one knows what God looks like.” The child replies,
“They will in a minute.” Robinson says that our current educational curriculum
teaches children that mistakes are the worst thing you can make, which
diminishes creativity. Robinson states, “I believe this passionately: that we
don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it. Or rather, we get educated out
of it.” He believes that schools should educate children in arts, not just
academic subjects, because intelligence itself is diverse and dynamic.
Jonah Lehrer, author of Imagine: How Creativity Works, discusses
the “fourth grade slump” in a National Public Radio interview. He says teachers
notice kids lose interest in art projects at this age because they are suddenly
aware that you can draw the wrong line or put the brush in the wrong place.
Children begin to realize their works of art don’t live up to their
expectations of what they were trying to draw, so their self-awareness and fear
of mistakes get in the way of innovation. Lehrer believes we stop trusting our
brains to create something beautiful and overthink the process.
Lehrer also discusses the importance of creativity in the
workplace. Leaders at 3M, a company that for decades has been known for
innovation, understand that workers who are relaxed and in a good mood have
more insights and epiphanies. Every engineer at 3M gets an hour of every
workday to do what they want—engage in a hobby, play a game, take a walk, or
even take a nap. Looking productive isn’t the same thing as being productive.
“In fact, that’s one of the defining features of moments of insight, that they
only arrive after we stop looking for them,” Lehrer states.
Conflict can also be a catalyst for creativity. Researchers have
found that dissent and debate actually lead to better ideas than do
collaboration and brainstorming. Lehrer claims that there is something about
criticism that causes us to dig deeper and listen better. If this is true, what
applications does this have for creativity and conflict in churches? How can we
approach problems in a way that will produce creative solutions? And how do
churches stop educating creativity out of our children and adults?
The Exit of Creatives From the Church
In his book You Lost Me. Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church
. . . And Rethinking Faith, author and Barna Group researcher David Kinnaman
seeks to find out why “millions of young adults leave active involvement in
church as they exit their teen years.” During his research, he discovered that
young adults (often referred to as millennials or mosaics) feel the church has
become overprotective and insulated, separating itself too much from the world
Christ desires to redeem. This generation does not see a divide between sacred
and secular in the same way their parents do.
The result is that many of these “exiles” who are leaving the
church are also creative types—artists, musicians, entertainers, and
filmmakers—who think the church doesn’t know what to do with creatives like
them. They want to follow Jesus in a way that connects with the world they live
in, partnering with God outside of church walls. For them, a song on mainstream
radio can be just as spiritual as one on Christian radio.
At the end of his book, Kinnaman offers ideas to reach this
generation, which actually come from young adults themselves. One musician,
Charlie Peacock, states, “There’s a reason the Bible begins with creativity,
anthropology, and vocation—because these are what it means to be human. . . .
Why Christians fail to emphasize imagination and creativity when God’s Book
about being human clearly does is a great mystery to me.” Peacock describes a
Jesus who is inviting us to “come alongside him as his kind of imaginative,
loving person in the creative life of caring for earth and people.”
Another songwriter, Sara Groves, urges churches to invite participation.
Rather than just sitting in the pews, congregants should engage and contribute.
Groves explains, “Art at its purest is not a commodity or a performance, and
the church is alive when we are problem-solving, studying and serving together,
and engaging our local communities and the issues facing them with the kingdom
creativity of the gospel.”
Be sure to check out FaithLink, a weekly downloadable discussion
guide for classes and small groups. FaithLink motivates Christians to consider
their personal views on important contemporary issues, and it also encourages
them to act on their beliefs.
-------
7 Ways Christians Should Behave Online by Ron Edmondson
I have had an online ministry for over 15 years. God has humbled
me with the way He has chosen to use this influence He has given me. I try not
to take it for granted.
One thing that has changed since I began ministering online—and
it’s changed for all of us—is the rise of social media. Whether you believe
it’s a good addition or not, we cannot deny its impact on culture or even on
the church. Personally, I have chosen to use it for good as much as possible.
Still, it disturbs me some of the ways I see Christians respond
on social media. I can post one thing…whether serious or not… and I do use
humor intentionally as a part of my online presence… and it never amazes me how
someone might respond. I have referred to the practice as a slam and run. I
just have to thank God at times for the delete option. :) But, it’s an example
of a bigger problem. Christians aren’t always behaving well online. What we’d
never say offline we have no problem saying online.
Seriously, this isn’t a personal plea. This is a Kingdom plea.
Just as the world is watching how Christians respond in public they are
watching how we respond online. We must be careful then with what we post. All
of us will be misunderstood. But, we shouldn’t be blatantly offensive.
Here are 7 ways Christians should behave online:
No soapbox -We are told to “do everything without arguing or
complaining.” (Philippians 2:14) That doesn’t mean we can’t support causes we
believe in, but they should be moral and biblical issues, not personal agendas.
No public bashing – Unless you’ve practiced Matthew 18
principles, and even then it would be rare, don’t address your problems with
others online. It’s not helpful and never promotes peace. (Romans 12:18,
Hebrews 12:14)
No little jabs – We shouldn’t say things about others that may
be misinterpreted as a stab against them. Guard your online tongue. (James 3).
I see this especially as a passive aggressive tactic. We feel “safe” evoking
insults or cuts to another person online that we would never say to their face.
Encouragement – Social media can be a great way to encourage
others. We shouldn’t spam with massive amounts of posts. Few appreciate the
person who reshares everything they see, but most everyone likes to read an
encouraging word pointed especially to them. (Ephesians 4:29)
Do to others – As we’d have them do to us. We should always
think before we post. Pause. Breathe. Think. Post. Ask yourself how you would
be impacted by the post before you post it. (Luke 6:31)
Guard against pride – We have to be careful with self-promotion
and bragging about ourselves online. Granted, this is coming from one who has
built an online platform online and I frequently encourage other pastors to do
the same. It’s one of the best ways currently to engage people for Kingdom
building. But, this is a reminder for me too. We must check our motives, guard
our hearts and never allow our egos to rob glory from what God wants to do
through our online presence. (Proverbs 11:2, 13:10)
Do not allow it to be a replacement for community – It’s easy to
post “Happy birthday” or reply “Praying for you” without really doing so. We
shouldn’t trade the functions of the Body for an online presence. (Acts
2:42-47, Hebrews 10:24)
Those are 7 that come to my mind. What would you add?
(Be general please and not specific in your comments, so as not
to violate the purpose of the post.)
This post originally appeared at RonEdmondson.com.
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Want More Faith? Start Listening by Shane Raynor
If you want to start a lively discussion, just bring up the
subject of faith. Not faith in the religion sense (What faith do you belong
to?), but faith meaning belief or trust (How much faith do you have?)
In a society where we value equality, suggesting that faith can
or should be quantified is almost taboo. Oh, we don’t have so much of a problem
with the notion that someone can train and run faster or farther than someone
else. And if I practice shooting free throws and get my percentage higher than
another person, it may irritate them and spur competition, but it doesn’t
usually offend anyone. Even if they’re envious, people usually have a certain
amount of respect for those who discipline themselves and produce fruit from
that discipline. But if you suggest that someone has a lot of faith, or that
perhaps someone lacks faith, you may suddenly have a fight on your hands.
Make no mistake, to a certain degree, faith is a gift. Just like
natural talents and the basic blessings of life itself, the Bible tells us that
God has measured out a portion of faith to each one of us (Romans 12:3.) We all
start with something, even if it only seems like the capacity to believe.
That’s good news, and a reminder that grace is unmerited. And no matter how
mature we get, there are times when we need a supernatural burst of faith from
God. 1 Corinthians 12 even lists faith as one of the nine supernatural gifts of
the Spirit.
But the curious thing is, faith is also mentioned in Scripture
as a fruit of the Spirit. (See Galatians 5:22-23. Some translations use
faithfulness here, but the Greek word is the same word from 1 Corinthians
12:9.)
The difference is, gifts come easily. Fruit, not so much. You
have to put in some effort. But the simple principle at work here is this: you
have to take what God gives you and develop it. (Parable of the talents
anyone?) Consider Michael Jordan, by any measure one of the most gifted
basketball players ever. And yet he still needed to practice. He had to work
hard to take his skills to the next level. And the next, and the next.
So how does one get more faith? Ask God for more and wait for
it? Asking certainly isn’t a bad idea. I know I want all the faith I can get.
So I ask for it and ask often. But I also want to take the faith I already have
and do whatever I can to increase it. The Bible suggests that one way to do
that is by listening. Romans 10:17 says faith comes from listening. (Some
translations use the word hearing.) And it’s not listening to just anything,
it’s listening to Christ’s message—the word of God.
I like the word listening here better than hearing because you
can hear someone without listening. The words can sometimes be used
interchangeably, but to me, listening carries the connotation of giving one’s
attention to something, taking notice, or heeding. You can hear advice without
listening to it. And you can read the Bible without listening too. I believe
there's a connection between the way we view Scripture and how it affects our
faith.
When we hear listen to what God is saying (note the present
tense), that is how faith comes. It’s not always going to seem magical or
instantaneous—in fact, sometimes the process feels quite laborious. But while
we’re waiting for God to help our lack of faith (see Mark 9:24) in an obvious
supernatural way , it’s good to know that we can do something now to increase
our faith. We can spend time listening to God. And a big part of that is
approaching God’s word with a teachable attitude. That’s the secret to getting
more faith.
But there’s also such a thing as negative faith. This can be
doubt, or it can be faith in the wrong things. The principle of faith coming
through listening is the same. The things we really give our attention to are
the things that are going to impact what we believe and where we place our
trust. That’s why I always try to keep an open mind, but if I discover that an
influence is helping produce the wrong kind of fruit in my life, I make it a
point not to pay heed to that particular voice anymore. At the very least, I
try to be more discerning. An influence can be anything—friends, movies,
television shows, song lyrics, even family. And the things we make into idols
are the very things most likely to usurp the position of God’s word producing
faith in our lives. We’ll probably get more faith from those things, but it’s
not going to be the kind we want!
What voices are you listening to the most? How are those voices
affecting your faith? What can you do to listen to God’s voice more and not
just hear it?
Shane Raynor is an editor at Ministry Matters and editor of the
Converge Bible Studies series from Abingdon Press. Connect with Shane on
Google+, Twitter, and Facebook. Sign up to receive Shane's posts free via
email.
-------
A Truth About Sin by Raquel Mull
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
One characteristic I notice about children is their complete,
and many times unsolicited, honesty, until they are taught some social norms. I
can remember walking into the grocery store with my preschool-age son. We had
gone through the ritual of “Can I have some of that cereal I saw on TV?” and
“If I’m real good, can I have a toy?” dialogue and were walking in relative
silence. I was thinking about dinner, and my son was staring at shelves to see
what he “needed.”
Suddenly, a man in a wheelchair, with no legs, entered the
aisle. Anticipating an outburst from my son, who did not understand the phrase
“politically correct,” I glanced down, hoping that he would be so busy checking
out the frozen foods that he wouldn’t notice the man wheeling toward us. Maybe
the man would be so busy checking out the frozen foods, he wouldn’t notice us!
Hope, hope, hope.
Not so. They both looked down the aisle at each other at the
same time! Oh, no, I thought, here it comes! Some totally insensitive remark
from my four-year-old, which I knew was going to embarrass me and the man.
My son opened his mouth and took a breath, still staring at the
man with no legs in the wheelchair. I squeezed and jerked on his hand. Then
came the words I knew were going to embarrass us all: “Hey, stop; leggo my
hand; you’re hurting me! Mommy!”
The man’s eyes went from my son to me. I was absolutely right in
knowing that I would be embarrassed. The words I had feared—“Where are his
legs?” or “What is wrong with him?”—were not the words that ultimately caused
embarrassment. It was my ineffective, wrong response of avoiding the truth as I
tried to control the conversation and the response.
The man had probably been in other situations where he was the
first amputee some kid had seen. He handled the whole thing better than I did.
I blushed, let go of my son’s hand, and apologized to both of them.
Sometimes the truth is hard to hear, but kids especially don’t
have a problem telling people they are fat, or missing their legs, or even that
they are nice. It is not that we don’t know the truth; we may not want to
acknowledge it. We live in a state of denial. The man knew his legs were gone.
The fat person has probably been told before that she is overweight.
In Isaiah 58, the prophet tells the people something they
probably already know and don’t want to hear. They are rebellious and do not
have the right attitude in their hearts and minds to make their fasts
acceptable.
Their worship is unrighteous because the Israelites participate
in only the outward actions of worship; they show up at the right times with
others to worship and pray. But what about the rest of the week? Do they seek
the Lord’s presence and blessing on Tuesday or Thursday? How do they seek God’s
face?
Jesus addressed similar problems. In Matthew 6, Jesus gives
instructions on how to fast, pray, and give. Don’t bring attention to yourself,
that others will praise you and think you are perfect and wonderful, above
reproach and judgment.
Now, centuries later, has anything changed? The television tells
us that we should look like movie stars—thin and attractive. It is acceptable
to be in debt as long as you can make your monthly payments and have the right
car in your driveway. If we make sacrifices at all, they should be relatively
small so as not to create too much discomfort. It is acceptable to turn away or
cross the street in order to avoid the homeless, smelly people. If you are in
church on Sunday morning for worship, it is not necessary to go to Sunday
school. After all, you plan to be in your pew again next week, unless, of
course, you have company.
I fear we are in need of an Isaiah—someone who is bold enough to
“shout out” without holding back, to remind us of our sins. I use the word
remind because we probably already know we are sinning—we may just hope that,
since everyone else is doing it, we are not too bad. We may be pinning our
hopes on the fact that we do the right thing most of the time and may even
hesitate before breaking any of the ten commandments. That’s ironic, because
the first command is to honor the Lord and keep the commandments! I suspect we
know in our heart of hearts that we have much in common with those Israelites
and first-century believers!
Or perhaps we need a four-year-old. My little boy did not have a
clue what he had done to merit a jerked arm and a painfully squeezed hand. The
man in the wheelchair did, and I did. I had tried to hide the truth, to control
it so that I would not be embarrassed. I was wrong.
So the next question is easy to ask and hard to answer. What are
we going to do about it? I believe the first step is to be honest and look at
ourselves. In the grocery store, I began with an apology—to my son, to the man,
and to God. The issue is not how much we sin; it is when and why. Do we really
think that God doesn’t notice, that God allows our standards to be set by the
television and popularity contests? Do we really think God can’t handle the
truth?
May the Lord, who never abandons us, forgive us through grace
and love when we abandon God and God’s ordinances.
-------
Affluenza and Apathy by Andrea Murdock
Last summer a 16-year-old Texas boy stole some beer, drank it
with his buddies, then—with his blood-alcohol level way above the legal
limit—got behind the wheel of his Ford F-350. The young man’s indiscretions led
to an accident that resulted in the deaths of four pedestrians and left a
passenger in his car paralyzed. But the teen, who confessed to intoxicated
manslaughter, likely won’t see the inside of a jail cell. A judge sentenced him
to ten years of probation and mandatory time in an alcohol treatment facility.
It was a mild punishment compared to the twenty years in state custody asked
for by the prosecution.
The young man’s lawyers argued that their client suffered from
"affluenza." Because the boy had been raised by wealthy but apathetic
parents, he’d grown to believe that he could get away with anything and lacked
the maturity to consider the consequences of his decisions. The legal team
argued that, as a child of privilege whose parents placed few restrictions on
him, their client could not be held accountable for the deaths he caused and
should not be tried and sentenced as though he had understood the repercussions
of his actions. His parents’ money and apathy was both the reason the young man
behaved so irresponsibly and the reason he should receive a light sentence.
Family members of those who died as a result of his decision to
drive while intoxicated said that, as Christians, they forgave the young man.
But they also believed he hadn’t had to face the full weight and consequences
of his actions.
Grace and Growth
As Christians we are people of grace. We know that Jesus Christ,
through his death and resurrection, made atonement for our sins and defeated
death so that we could have eternal life. Our salvation is a gift. It isn’t
something that we have to work for or earn. Still, if we aren’t careful, we can
act as if our salvation provides a free pass on sinful behavior. But grace is
more than a get-out-of-jail-free card.
Christ not only saves us from sin and death but also saves us
for a life of discipleship. Salvation isn’t a one-time experience—it is
ongoing. We grow in grace, and we grow in relationship to God. The apostle Paul
explained that, through Christ, we have freedom. This freedom comes with
responsibility (see Galatians 5:13-15). We are instructed not to use this
freedom selfishly but to respond to this gift of freedom by living lives of love
and gratitude. Jesus compared himself to a vine and us to branches (see John
15:1-8). As branches, we can only grow and bear fruit if we remain connected to
the vine. When we take God’s grace for granted and live as though Christ has
given us a free pass, we stop growing and fail to produce fruit.
Challenges and Character
The young man’s legal team argued that their client should
receive a light sentence not only because his parents provided him with a life
of privilege but also because his parents were apathetic toward him. While God
gives us considerable blessings and privileges, many of which we too often
overlook, God is never apathetic. God is invested in our lives; God desires a
relationship with each one of us; and God has big plans and expectations for
how we use the gifts with which God has blessed us. Instead of taking for
granted all that God has given us and living life as though we have a free
pass, we can live lives of gratitude by seeking to do God’s will and growing in
relationship with God.
This article is also published as part of LinC, a weekly digital
resource for youth small groups and Sunday school classes. The complete study
guide can be purchased and downloaded here.
-------
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Spiritual Gifts Survey
Spiritual Gifts Discovery Tool
The following is a list of 85 statements. Before considering
these, make sure you have set aside an uninterrupted time of quiet. Begin this
time with prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. Answer based on how
true these statements are of your life experience, both past and present, not
as you wish you would be. Remember, God's choice of gifts for you is in harmony
with His perfect plan and will for your life.
Statement #1
I am organized and detail-oriented.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #2
I would enjoy starting a church or ministry in a foreign country
or culture.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #3
I can sense when someone's motives or intentions are
inconsistent with the teachings of Scripture.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #4
I encourage people who are struggling in their faith through
speaking, writing, artwork, singing, or prayer.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #5
I am open about my personal faith, and look for opportunities to
talk about it.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #6
I am confident that God will keep His promises and act
accordingly.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #7
I enjoy sharing my material blessings with others.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #8
From time to time, my prayers for healing on behalf of others
are answered in amazing or miraculous ways.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #9
I find fulfillment through performing behind-the-scenes deeds
that support ministries.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #10
I enjoy making new friends, and do so easily.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #11
I enjoy studying my Bible in depth, sometimes using study tools
like concordances and commentaries.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #12
People often come to me seeking guidance and direction.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #13
My heart goes out to people who are hurting, and I am moved to
action.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #14
I am concerned about the spiritual growth of people I know.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #15
I confront individuals and groups who have gotten off-track, and
encourage them to look to God for direction.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #16
I am able to explain biblical teachings in ways that others can
relate and apply to their lives.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #17
People often ask me for insight and guidance on difficult
decisions or situations.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #18
I enjoy planning and organizing events or projects.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #19
I am skilled at overseeing multiple projects at once.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #20
I know when a statement or doctrine is not in line with, or
contradicts, God's Word.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #21
I am able to gently influence people in a way that helps them
remain faithful.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #22
I often invite people to come to church, or church events, with
me.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #23
I don't get discouraged when bad things happen, because I know
God is in control.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #24
I have ample income and give a significant portion to charitable
causes.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #25
The Holy Spirit prompts me to pray for specific people who are
in need and are hurting.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #26
I enjoy using my talents and skills to help various ministries.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #27
I am able to make people feel welcome and comfortable.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #28
When someone is confused, I am able to point out a Scripture
passage that guides them through the issue.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #29
I provide inspiration and direction in the work of ministry and
support others to accomplish the ministry's goals.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #30
I desire to follow the example of Jesus, reaching out to people
in need with compassion.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #31
Sometimes I develop long-term relationships with others and
nurture them in their faith walk.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #32
I see things in society that are opposed to God's will or plan,
and feel led to expose them.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #33
I enjoy preparing and organizing material in order to teach it
to others.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #34
The solutions I provide to complex situations are always
consistent with biblical truth as found in Scripture.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #35
I easily outline and implement the steps needed to achieve a
vision.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #36
I like to empower others to assume leadership roles.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #37
I have been able to call the focus of individuals and groups
back to the Holy Spirit and God's Word.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #38
I bring comfort to people through sharing God's promises.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #39
I can share the gospel in relevant, meaningful ways.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #40
I am able to provide reassurance and encouragement to
individuals or groups when they get discouraged and are ready to give up.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #41
When I see someone in need, I will share whatever I have with
him.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #42
I believe that God answers my prayers for miraculous healings.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #43
I often help out around the church by doing "whatever needs
to be done."
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #44
I enjoy entertaining others in my home.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #45
I like to share with others what I have learned through studying
the Bible.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #46
I encourage others to develop their skills and abilities.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #47
I enjoy visiting people who are sick or lonely to be present
with them and bring them a little cheer.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #48
I enjoy teaching individuals and groups over extended periods of
time versus one-time or short-term events.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #49
The Holy Spirit urges me to share what I believe God would think
or say in order to encourage or guide people.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #50
Whenever I learn something new, I am thinking about how I might
pass along the new knowledge with others.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #51
I sometimes bring clarity to difficult situations and can help
point others toward God's will.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #52
I am skilled at gathering and managing the resources needed for
a ministry in order for it function properly.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #53
I am drawn to proclaim and teach the good news of the gospel in
places where it has not been heard or taught.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #54
I sometimes sense the presence of evil.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #55
People are motivated to make godly decisions or changes in their
lives after spending time with me.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #56
I intentionally develop relationships with non-Christians for
the purpose of sharing my faith.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #57
I believe God listens to and answers all prayers.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #58
I believe I have been blessed with abundant resources so that I
can be a blessing to others.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #59
I am drawn to worship experiences where prayers and anointing
for healing are experienced.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #60
I enjoy providing practical assistance to meet ministry needs.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #61
I am a warm, friendly person and enjoy making new people feel
included in my groups or conversations.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #62
I am able to speak and teach an understanding of God and the
Bible that helps others grow in faith.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #63
I often find myself in a leadership role as others look to me
for leadership.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #64
I am a good listener, and people often talk to me about their
troubles.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #65
I feel the responsibility of caring for the people I teach about
God and His Word.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #66
I am often led to challenge people who are heading in a wrong or
harmful direction and to help them get back on a godly path.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #67
People often thank me for helping them to better understand the
Bible or materials from a Bible study.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #68
I am able to share words and insights that bring peaceful
solutions to problems.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #69
I like to work with issues involving systems, structures, and
procedures.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #70
I feel compelled to share the gospel, and spend time in prayer
and God's Word to prepare myself.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #71
I have experienced, personally and in groups, guidance from the
Holy Spirit in answer to a time of prayer.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #72
I am led to encourage people in their faith through action.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #73
I am comfortable using prayer and Scripture to lead people to
Christ.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #74
I approach challenges with confidence when I know I am following
the will of God.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #75
Everything I have is a gift from God and I seek out ways to
share those gifts with others.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #76
People have shared tangible ways in which they have experienced
God's healing touch as a result of my prayers on their behalf.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #77
Serving God through simple tasks is something I find rewarding.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #78
I often serve as host or hostess for group functions, either in
my home or at other locations.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #79
God sometimes gives me a special insight into His Word that
enables me to teach others in a way that helps them understand.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #80
I tend to have a "big picture" perspective and can
clearly communicate vision in a way that is understandable and motivating.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #81
I can minister to people in need in a way that protects their
dignity.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #82
I am not only interested in instructing people about God, but
also care about their restoration and relationship with God.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #83
God's Word and /or will sometimes come to mind in situations
where people need conviction or encouragement.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #84
I look for opportunities to share what I have learned about the
Bible.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
Statement #85
The Holy Spirit provides me with spiritual thoughts and words to
share to help bring focus and clarity in times of conflict or disorder.
How often is this statement true of you?
Always
Frequently
Occasionally
Infrequently
Rarely/Never
------
What Are Your Spiritual Gifts?
Use our free Spiritual Gifts Discovery Tool to find out! Already
know what your gifts are? Explore them further here.
How do you help people discover and use their spiritual gifts?
Ministry Matters has a spiritual gifts discovery tool drawn from
the small group study Serving from the Heart by Carol Cartmill and Yvonne
Gentile. The 85 question assessment can be taken by your small group or your
entire church click here. Planning a study like Serving from the Heart in your
church will help people know where their giftedness is and then you can assist
them in using their gifts in your church and community.
You can use your spiritual gifts in any setting. At work, even
if you don’t work for a religious organization, you can still minister to your
colleagues, clients, or customers through your daily actions and attitudes. At
school, at home, out in public with random strangers, your spiritual gifts are
always a part of who you are and the way you live your faith in day to day
life, not just in church.
If you people have spiritual gifts not being used right now,
perhaps God is calling your church to start a new ministry? Be sure to discuss
this with your pastor.
Helping people discover and use their spiritual gifts both in
your church and community is very rewarding, for people new to the Christian
faith this can be a great affirmation of what God is doing in their lives.
Once you've completed the Spiritual Gifts Discovery Tool use the
links below to find articles and resources to help you explore your gifts
further:
The Charismatic Gifts
The Gift of Administration
The Gift of Apostleship
The Gift of Distinguishing of Spirits
The Gift of Encouragement
The Gift of Evangelism
The Gift of Faith
The Gift of Giving
The Gift of Healing
The Gift of Helps (Serving)
The Gift of Hospitality
The Gift of Leadership
The Gift of Mercy
The Gift of Message (of Knowledge)
The Gift of Message (of Wisdom)
The Gift of Pastor-Teacher
The Gift of Prophecy
The Gift of Teaching
Order information on Serving from the Heart is under Related
Products below.
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Quick Links for Lent
We've created bins to make planning for Lent and Easter easier
for you. Share the links with your worship planning team or small group
leaders.
We've created bins to make planning for Lent and Easter easier
for you. Share the links with your worship planning team or small group
leaders.
If you've never celebrated Lent the links below include articles
that will explain the season to you. We
hope you find them inspiring and helpful.
Pretzel Sunday (the Sunday before Ash Wednesday)
Shrove Tuesday (the Tuesday the day before)
Ash Wednesday
Ideas for Lent
Palm/Passion Sunday
Holy Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday
Easter
Quick Links for Lent with Children (for parents and volunteers
in children's ministries)
[Note: content for all three years of the Revised Common
Lectionary is included in the bins which will provide more content for planning
for those who don't use the lectionary. An online version of the RCL is located
in the Ministry Matters Library, additional lectionary content will also be
added to our This Sunday bin.]
Ministry Matters Premium Subscribers
Use the links below to view commentary on the scriptures used
during Lent. (Note: you may want your worship team to do additional research in
the Library, this does not include everything)
March 5, 2014-Ash Wednesday
March 9, 2014-First Sunday of Lent
March 16, 2014-Second Sunday of Lent
March 23, 2014-Third Sunday of Lent
March 30, 2014-Fourth Sunday of Lent
April 6, 2014-Fifth Sunday of Lent
April 13, 2014-Palm/Passion Sunday
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This Sunday
Third Sunday After the Epiphany - Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9;
1 Corinthians 1:10-18;
Matthew 4:12-23
Steps in the Right Direction by Brett Younger
Matthew 4:12-23
The crucial moments in which we choose directions for our lives
aren’t usually marked with caution signs, bright red flags, or even the feeling
that we are about to make a big decision. Some of the decisions that matter
most slip by without our even noticing. Some of the choices that seem small are
bigger than the ones that appear big. Because the sacred is present in the
ordinary, we can’t be sure that any decision is unimportant. Because life is
holy, every moment matters. Every day and hour is crucial.
Jesus is walking beside a lake one afternoon when he sees two
men in a rowboat waiting for unsuspecting fish to wander into their nets. It’s
hard to believe what happens next. Jesus offers them a job with no pay, and
they accept: “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people” (Matthew 4:19).
Why should they follow someone who uses such tortured metaphors?
Had the sales pitch been, “Come and make more money than you
could ever make fishing,” then it might make sense. But this invitation and
response seem unlikely. Four fishermen drop what they are doing and head off to
God-knows-where, to lives they can’t imagine.
People always try to explain away big-fish stories, and this one
is no exception. Some commentators suggest that young men often left their
occupations to become students of a rabbi. They say it sounds more unlikely to
us than it would have to people in the first century.
We read the story and assume that this isn’t the disciples’
first encounter with Jesus. Surely they knew Jesus before this. But Matthew
doesn’t seem to feel any need to explain why they would follow Jesus.
The disciples’ instant acceptance of Jesus’ peculiar invitation
is as dramatic as any moment we will ever encounter. On occasion, we face big
decisions about family, jobs, and faith. We stand at a fork in the road and
have to choose. We have moments when we feel that we have to act in a
particular way for reasons that we cannot completely explain. We feel the need
to sacrifice something we would rather keep in order to follow. We have taken a
few big risks. But most of the time, it isn’t that dramatic. We don’t drop
everything to start a new life very often. The calling of the disciples is more
spectacular than what happens to us most days.
Most of my life is routine. I go to work each morning. I always
have a list of things to do. There are phone calls to return, e-mails to
respond to, and meetings to attend. There are a dozen administrative details to
take care of. The urgency in what I do is usually the urgency of keeping up.
Most of it doesn’t feel holy. My day is filled with pleasant people. I receive
too much credit for what I do. My work is enjoyable, but it’s not spectacular.
My life doesn’t feel as adventurous as that of the disciples,
leaving their nets and following Jesus into the unknown. There are women and
men who live each day in danger because of their faith. There are people who do
astonishing, heroic works. Maybe someday we will do something spectacular. For
now, most of us feel called to less-dramatic discipleship. Most days, we answer
God’s invitation from within the situation in which we find ourselves.
Maybe Jesus’ disciples had days when their lives didn’t seem sensational,
as they walked up and down Galilee from village to village, through Samaria to
Jerusalem and back again. Maybe they had days when they thought things were
going too slow. On those days, perhaps their faithfulness was more modest.
We tend to forget the importance of details in the journey of
faith. We focus on dramatic conversions, overwhelming encounters with God, and
powerful moments of prayer. We search for peak experiences and end up assuming
that some people are born with a spiritual talent that we just don’t have.
But God is in the details. God calls us every hour of every day.
God invites us to be friends, practice kindness, and pray for our daily bread.
We live out our faithfulness in worship, work, and study.
The routine, everyday ways in which we follow Jesus, the way we
read scripture, welcome strangers, and love the people with whom we live are
all crucially important.
The difference between the saints of the church and most of us
is not some spiritual talent that we don’t possess, but the way the saints’
everyday habits, disciplines, and practices have prepared them to live
extraordinary lives.
God is at work in a variety of unspectacular ways. God is
present in every way that grace is shared, hope is proclaimed, and healing
comes. Love spreads word by word. The bucket fills drop by drop. Wrongs are
righted one by one.
Our calling is to be faithful, to live God’s grace on routine
days in ordinary ways. If we pay attention, then we will see that even as
unsurprising a life as most of us think we live is extraordinary: taking a
child to school; hugging someone you love good-bye; eating lunch with a friend;
trying to do a decent day’s work; talking to a neighbor; coming to worship.
There is no event so commonplace that God is not there. Every moment and every
word have possibilities.
Slowly but surely our priorities change. On the day they first
followed Jesus, the disciples were brash, impulsive, stubborn, and they smelled
of fish. They had to learn day by day how to be the church.
We grow in faith, not only in memorable, never-to-be-forgotten
moments, but also in forgettable moments when we decide to pray instead of
turning on the radio, to do better with the next hour than we did with the
last, and to give something that we would rather keep. We become faithful as we
confess a misspent hour, an unnecessary word, or a wasted opportunity. We start
to follow again and again.
In every moment, God offers us another opportunity to take a
step in the direction of Christ, to begin anew to live with purpose, hope, and
love.
-------
Worship Elements: January 26, 2014 (Option 1) by Joanne Carlson
Brown
Third Sunday After the Epiphany
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; 1 Corinthians
1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23
THEME IDEAS
Epiphany is the season of light, and these texts proclaim the
light that has come into the world. This light has come particularly to those
who sit in darkness: the darkness of exile, the darkness of division, the
darkness of suffering, or the darkness of ignorance to the true word of God.
And
when the light dawns on their minds and souls and hearts, it
calls forth a response—rejoicing, renewed commitment to God, walking in God’s
ways, and even following a stranger into an unknown, uncertain future.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27, Matthew 4)
To those who sit in darkness, light has dawned.
To those who dwell in gloom and despair,
God’s glorious presence has appeared.
God is indeed our light and our salvation.
We will follow, unafraid,
where God and Jesus lead us.
Let us worship our God of light and promise.
Let us celebrate the hope and joy of our salvation.
Opening Prayer (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27, Matthew 4)
God of light and love,
we come this morning
with eyes stinging from the brightness
of your glory.
We have become so accustomed to the darkness,
that your radiant light sometimes overwhelms us.
Open our eyes to the light of your dawn,
that our souls may be flooded
with love and mercy and joy.
Open our hearts to receive your message
of comfort and peace and security,
that we may find rest
in your loving, protective presence.
Open our spirits to follow the path you put before us,
that we may lead lives committed to your Way. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27,1 Corinthians 1,
Matthew 4)
God of our light and our salvation,
sometimes we prefer to live in dakness,
embracing the safety and anonymity
of the shadows;
sometimes we delight in our divisions,
believing we are better than others;
sometimes the yoke of our calling feels too heavy,
and we seek to slip out from under the bar
across our shoulders.
Forgive our fear.
Forgive our aversion to the light.
Forgive our unresponsiveness to your call.
Forgive our willful blindness and deafness to the Way.
Help us know deep in our souls
that you are our light and our salvation,
our joy and our wonder,
our very life.
Hear us as we cry aloud in our need. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Psalm 27)
Our God of light and love hears us when we cry aloud.
We have nothing to fear.
Know that this God of light
wraps us in comforting arms,
lifts us from the darkness of our guilt and sin,
and forgives us once and for all.
Know that we will dwell in safety in God’s house,
now and forevermore.
Passing the Peace of Christ (Psalm 27)
Greet one another with these words: “The God of light and love
and salvation surrounds you with joy and peace.”
Prayer of Preparation (Isaiah 9)
Open the eyes of our hearts, O God, to the dawning light of your
words of love and salvation.
Response to the Word (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27, Matthew 4)
O God,
for the light your words bring to our understanding,
for the hope your words bring to our fear,
for the guidance your words bring to our path,
we give you thanks.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation to the Offering (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27)
Light has dawned in our lives and in our world. We are called to
share that light, and to speak words of comfort and calling in a world shrouded
still in gloom and darkness. Our offering will enable this community to be a
beacon of light to those caught in the darkness of suffering and wandering.
Offering Prayer (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27, Matthew 4)
What can we offer in thanksgiving
for the gift of light and life and love
we have received from you
and from your Beloved Community
here on earth?
We offer our all:
our resources, our energy, our time, our very selves
to answer your call and to follow without fear.
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27, Matthew 4)
Go forth bathed in the light and love of God.
Go forth to join with Jesus to proclaim the good news
of this love and light.
Go forth empowered by the Spirit
to live the Way with courage, conviction, and joy.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Gathering Words (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27)
Hey you. . . yes you over there . . . and you over there . . .
you sitting in darkness.
Don’t you know the light is dawning?
Can’t you feel it on your face and in your soul?
Get up, embrace the light, shout and sing for joy!
Let’s worship this blazing God of light and love.
Praise Sentences (Psalm 27)
God is our light and our salvation!
We’ll never be afraid again!
Sing and make joyful music to our amazing God!
God is our light and our salvation!
-------
Worship Elements: January 26, 2014 (Option 2) by Mary Petrina Boyd
Third Sunday After the Epiphany
COLOR: Green
SCRIPTURE READINGS: Isaiah 9:1-4; Psalm 27:1, 4-9; 1 Corinthians
1:10-18; Matthew 4:12-23
THEME IDEAS
In the darkness of winter, these scriptures shine forth with the
light of grace. Isaiah speaks of light coming to those in the deep darkness of
anguish; Psalm 27 calls the Lord “my light”; and Jesus fulfills the promise of
Isaiah as he begins his ministry. The light of God calls people to rejoice and
to follow Jesus into a ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing. The light
of God calls us to remember our essential unity and our need for one another.
By the light of love, we find that the foolishness of the world is the power of
God.
INVITATION AND GATHERING
Call to Worship (Isaiah 9)
We walk in darkness.
We live in a land of deep darkness.
We have seen a great light!
Light shines upon us!
God brings us joy!
Rejoice before our God!
—Or—
Call to Worship (Psalm 27)
The Lord is our light and our salvation!
Why should we be afraid?
The Lord is the stronghold of our life!
What have we to fear?
Let us shout with joy to God!
Let us sing and make music before our God.
Opening Prayer (Psalm 27)
O God, our light and our salvation,
shelter us in your love.
O God, our stronghold,
protect us from danger.
We come with shouts of joy
to worship you this day.
We come with song and music
to celebrate your love.
We come with longing
to seek your presence.
Be with us now, O God,
as we sing your praises. Amen.
PROCLAMATION AND RESPONSE
Prayer of Confession (Isaiah 9, Psalm 27, 1 Corinthians, Matthew
9)
God of light,
we live in the darkness of despair:
worried about our lives,
concerned for our health,
fearful that we are lost from you.
The yoke of our burdens lies heavy upon us:
our unwillingness to forgive,
our fears of one another,
our reluctance to share what we have,
our divisions and quarrels.
We long to turn from the dark
and live in the light.
We yearn to leave what is evil
and follow the paths of righteousness.
Shine the light of your love upon us
and transform us with your love,
that your promised realm may draw near. Amen.
Words of Assurance (Psalm 27)
The light of God’s love
shines into the dark places of our world,
healing its brokenness,
and bringing hope to places of despair.
The light of God’s love
makes us a forgiven people.
Thanks be to God!
Passing the Peace of Christ (Matthew 4)
The light of Christ shines brightly in the darkened places of
our lives, bringing healing and hope. The light of Christ shines brightly in
the faces of our neighbors. Look for that light as we share Christ’s peace.
Response to the Word (1 Corinthians 1, Matthew 4)
God of love,
we hear your call to follow.
May we see that the foolishness of your word
is more powerful than the wisdom of this world.
May we lay aside our differences
for the sake of the gospel.
Your realm of light and life has drawn near;
we hear your word of truth.
Turn our hearts toward you
and give us the wisdom to walk in your ways. Amen.
THANKSGIVING AND COMMUNION
Invitation to the Offering (Matthew 4)
Beside the lakeshore, long ago, Jesus called to his disciples:
“Follow me, and I will make you fish for people!” Jesus calls to us today:
“Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.” The ministry begun by the Sea
of Galilee continues in our day when we proclaim the good news of God’s love.
Let us give with joy as we follow Jesus.
Offering Prayer (Isaiah 9, Matthew 4)
O God,
we have seen your glory,
felt the touch of your love,
and felt your presence with us.
With joyful hearts,
we offer you our gifts.
Having heard your call,
we offer you our lives and our service. Amen.
Great Thanksgiving (Isaiah 9, Matthew 4)
Almighty God, we rejoice in the light of your love
as we praise you at all times and in all places.
In the beginning, as you created the world,
you said, “Let there be light.”
You looked and saw that the light was good.
You made the sun, moon, and stars,
that they might mark the seasons of the earth.
You created us in your image,
that we might live in the light
and care for your world.
When anguish and despair darkened the earth,
you sent your prophets to call the people
to faithfulness and to proclaim your promises.
To those in darkness, you sent a great light,
that they might see your ways
and rejoice before you.
And so, with your people on earth,
and all the company of heaven,
we praise your name
and join their unending hymn.
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is the one
who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
In the fullness of time, you sent your Son, Jesus Christ,
the light of the world, to claim us as your own.
He taught your ways, proclaimed the good news,
and healed the sick.
In him we see the light of your love.
Through him, you have gathered us
into the body of Christ and made us one,
that we too might reflect your light to the world.
(Words of Institution)
SENDING FORTH
Benediction (Matthew 4)
Jesus, the light of the world, calls us to follow.
Go and tell the news of God’s love.
Cast the nets of grace wide,
that all may see the glory of God.
Go forth and shine with God’s light!
May God—Source, Word, and Spirit—
bless you with the radiance of love.
CONTEMPORARY OPTIONS
Gathering Words (Matthew 4)
Jesus calls, “Follow me!”
We will follow Jesus.
Jesus calls, “Follow me!”
We will leave the past to follow Jesus.
Jesus calls, “Follow me!”
We will walk in the present to follow Jesus.
Jesus calls, “Follow me!”
We will follow Jesus.
Praise Sentences (Isaiah 9, Matthew 4)
Jesus is the light of the world!
The light shines in the darkness.
We rejoice with joy!
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Worship for Kids: January 26, 2014 by Carolyn C. Brown
From a Child's Point of View Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23. For
children, this is the key text of the day. Though few will be drawn into
Matthew's concerns about where Jesus lived…
From a Child's Point of View
Gospel: Matthew 4:12-23. For children, this is the key text of
the day. Though few will be drawn into Matthew's concerns about where Jesus
lived (vss. 12-16), many will recognize and enjoy the story of the calling of
the four fishermen. Though the story is clear and easy to follow, it offers two
puzzles.
The first is this: Why did these people, who had never met Jesus
before, according to Matthew, respond to such a brief invitation? There are
several possibilities. They could have been so bored with fishing that any
distraction was welcome. But today's children are carefully warned about
accepting interesting invitations from strangers. Or they might have been
fascinated by the possibility of dealing with people instead of with slippery,
wriggling fish. But most children see fishing as an active, interesting job and
therefore discount this possibility.
The second puzzler is this: Why would Jesus ask James and John
to desert their father in the middle of their work? Didn't Jesus care about
Zebedee, who depended upon their help with the family fishing business?
There are no acceptable answers to either of these puzzlers.
Children, however, appreciate hearing them recognized, pondered briefly, and
perhaps consigned to the list of interesting questions to ask "when we
meet the disciples in heaven."
The crux of this passage is that being a disciple involves
making decisions. Just as the fishermen needed to decide whether to stay at
their boats or to follow Jesus, so disciples today must make decisions about
what they will and will not do. Just as the fishermen were brave enough to try
something new, so disciples today must have the courage to try new
things—things like peacemaking, learning to pray, and working for justice.
Old Testament: Isaiah 9:1-4. This text is read today because
Matthew quotes it to make a point about Jesus. Children will miss both
Matthew's point and Isaiah's prophecy as presented here. Some may recognize the
phrase "the people who have walked" as one they have heard before.
Psalm: 27:1, 4-9. This song of confidence in God's care
expresses a feeling children appreciate, but uses difficult vocabulary. The New
Jerusalem Bible has the clearest translation of these terms. The references to
taking refuge at the Temple require knowledge of Old Testament sanctuary laws
which children do not have. In spite of these difficulties, older children can
follow this psalm when it is introduced as a good prayer for disciples who are
making brave decisions.
Epistle: I Corinthians 1:10-18. Many of the problems at Corinth
are familiar to children. The problem addressed here is that people are forming
little groups, each thinking it is better than the others and letting the
others know that. Among middle-elementary children, such petty rivalry may
explode between groups gathered around popular leaders: "I'm on Mr.
Brown's team. He's the best, and we're the best! It's too bad you can't be on
our team!" In its extreme, the pleasure of the game is lost in bickering
between teams, both on and off the field.
Among fifth- and sixth-graders, small, tight friendship groups
often become the standard on which children base their self-esteem. Being able
to claim so-and-so as "best friend" and jockeying for position at
tables can develop into vicious, divisive, group dynamics. To all people trying
to prove their own importance by putting others down, Paul says, "Get
along with one another!"
Watch Words
There are no major vocabulary traps in these texts.
Let the Children Sing
"Tu Has Venido a la Orilla" (Lord, You Have Come to
the Lakeshore) is the one hymn totally based on the call of the fishermen.
To help children sing "Jesus Calls Us," with its
difficult vocabulary, point out before singing that verse 2 is about the
fishermen Jesus called, and the other verses are about Jesus calling us.
Other discipleship hymns for children include "I Sing a
Song of the Saints of God" and "Lord, I Want to Be a Christian."
If you focus on the Epistle, sing "Let There Be Peace on
Earth" and "I Come with Joy" (if you celebrate Communion).
The Liturgical Child
1. Read verses 1 and 4 of Psalm 27 with dramatic exuberance as
the Call to Worship. Pause between the rhetorical questions in verse 1. Raise a
finger at the beginning of verse 4 to emphasize the "one thing" to be
asked. Follow the Call to Worship with a hymn of praise.
2. In prayer, confess failures in decision making:
Lord, Peter and Andrew and James and John made bold decisions to
leave their boats to follow you. We wish we were as brave in making the
decisions we face. But we are not. We confess that even when we know exactly
what you would have us do, we often choose to do the opposite. We fear the
laughter and anger of others. We lack the courage to try new ways of
discipleship. We are slower still in making decisions that offer no clearly
right solution. We think and worry and put off deciding. Sometimes we wait so
long that we miss out completely on chances to be your disciples. Forgive us.
Be with us when we face disciples' decisions. For we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Assurance of Pardon: Remember that Peter, Andrew, James, and
John did not always make brave and right decisions. Sometimes they made angry
decisions, frightened decisions, or plain stupid decisions. But Jesus kept
loving them and forgiving them and putting them to work. We are promised the
same. God loves us and forgives us and calls us to be disciples—in spite of
ourselves. Thanks be to God! Amen.
3. In a bidding prayer, give worshipers short silent moments to
pray for those with whom they have trouble getting along in their families, at
school or work, in their neighborhood, at church, and so forth.
Sermon Resources
1. There are several popular series of children's adventure
books which ask the reader to make decisions in the course of the story. The
reader is then directed to turn to the page which continues the story based on
that decision. Children enjoy and benefit from rereading these books and trying
out the results of different decisions.
Use this format to explore the decision that faced the fishermen
when Jesus called them to leave their boats and follow him. Briefly tell what
would have happened if they had simply said, "No thank you," or if
they had said, "We'll think about it," or if they followed. Then
present a variety of modern discipleship decisions, ranging from whether to
attend church school to policy decisions that face church boards (such as
stands on the death penalty). Informal congregations might enjoy voting on the
options by show of hands and hearing the results of their decisions. More
formal congregations could simply hear the decisions and the results of some of
the options outlined. Listeners of all ages are thus reminded that we exercise
our discipleship when we make decisions.
2. Groups of children whose bickering parallels that of the
groups at Corinth include: "the boys against the girls," at
everything from who gets better grades to backyard one-sex-only clubhouses; the
"big kids" against "the babies"; me and my two friends
against everyone else; and in some communities, my group against other racial
or ethnic groups.
Most winters produce a crop of carefully folded paper
"cootie catchers" which younger elementary children use to catch
invisible "cooties" off other children, generally outsiders. Ask an
older child to make one so that you can demonstrate its destructive use during
the sermon. (Many adults recall the pain inflicted by cootie catchers in their
childhood.)
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Sermon Options: January 26, 2014
FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Isaiah 9:1-4
One of the most pressing problems in our society is depression.
Millions are affected by it; perhaps some in the congregation struggle with
depression. The prophet Isaiah ministered to a nation gripped by depression
because of their circumstances. Although to many it seemed there was no hope,
Isaiah proclaimed that even in the midst of despair, God is able to bring life
and light.
I. The Darkness of Despair Feels Overwhelming
The reading of verse 1 is obscure but clear enough: gloom,
anguish, and contempt are the daily bread of the people of Israel, who have
borne the brunt of an Assyrian invasion of 733 B.C. Verse 2 fills out the
image: "The people who walked in darkness...." It is not that
darkness has come at nighttime, or that it has been created or arranged for
some purpose in a closed-in room; darkness is what the people have lived with,
day and night, week in and week out. To walk in darkness, to live "in a
land of deep darkness," is to lose one's sense of reality, of bearings, of
memory or hope.
What Isaiah describes is a kind of communal defeat and despair,
an experience most of us have never known. We have all, however, witnessed such
events, such tragedies, or read of their occurrence in history. Famine, genocide,
plague, civil war, holocaust—all of these are instances where a crisis is so
great it leaves the entire community or country in a chronic state of shock. We
have to imagine such was the existence of these oppressed people during this
time. They walked, but to where? They lived, but for what purpose? Any who have
experienced acute depression know the weight of such darkness.
II. God Brings Hope in the Midst of Despair
Into the deep darkness comes a bold announcement: the coming of
"a great light" (v. 2). A metaphor for God's saving acts toward the
community of Israel, light can be imagined here as near to blinding as possible
without actually being so. Weeks and months and years in complete darkness, all
at once dissipated by great light, shining light, leave the eyes squinting, the
hand shielding, the body crouching. But not for long. Soon eyes adjust, and
from what we see and the way we savor what we see, it is as though we were
given our sight for the very first time.
The result of such an experience of coming into light is
expressed in verse 3 with one predominant word: joy. That word recurs in this
one follow-up verse almost with a flutter: "You have increased its
joy;/they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest." The image now is
no longer of heaviness but its very opposite—lightness, levity, mirth. The
promise of Yahweh through the prophet Isaiah is that however heavy the darkness
of national defeat, humiliation, and exile may be, the darkness is not the end.
With the psalms, the prophet reminds his hearers that "weeping may tarry
for the night,/but joy comes with the morning" (Ps. 30:5) . So it is with
your life. Whatever the cause of your despair, God can bring new light and new
joy to you if you will open your heart to God's love. (Paul R. Escamilla)
HOW TO MAINTAIN CHRISTIAN UNITY
1 CORINTHIANS 1:10-18
Louie Newton, a denominational leader among Baptists in a former
generation, used to answer all his correspondence by handwritten letter. One
night before retiring he wrote two letters. One was to a quarreling church in
danger of splitting, and it contained extensive and specific instructions as to
what to do about the division. The other letter was to the man who worked on
his land and dealt with how to control an uncooperative bull; the message was
simply, "Close the gate and keep the bull out of the pasture."
Unfortunately, Dr. Newton placed the letters in the wrong
envelopes. When his worker received the letter to the church, he was confused,
and when Dr. Newton's letter was opened and read in a tense church meeting, the
people were infuriated that the simple statement was all the help they
received. Then someone in the crowd stood up and tried to interpret the letter
in a positive light: "Maybe he's saying that the bull is the devil, and we
have been letting him into our fellowship. Now it's high time we kept him out
of this pasture so that this flock can be one in Christ again." It worked;
the process of reconciliation began as they decided that Christ would rule
their pasture and the devil would be kept out.
Paul also wrote a letter to a factious church, but the group
received the right one. He supplied some clear principles as to how unity could
be reestablished.
I. Unity Is Maintained When the Church Decides to Work for It
Apparently, unity was not a priority among the believers in
Corinth. The result was that Murphy's Law went into effect and unity began to
unravel. One of Paul's evident intents in writing this letter was to motivate
the Christians to make "the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace"
(Eph. 4:3) a priority. So he wrote, "I appeal to you...that all of you be
in agreement" (v. 10). In other words, "Decide to work for
unity!"
II. Unity Is Maintained When Christ Is Exalted
Paul appealed to them "by the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ" (v. 10). Unity that is not by him, in him (Phil. 4:2) , and for
him is not worthy of the modifier "Christian."
Sometimes churches are unified merely because the people worked
together on a building project. Sometimes the warm feelings generated by
sharing potluck dinners are enough to hold churches together. Other Christian
groups are bound together because they have a common foe. Not one of these,
however, is the distinctive unity of a New Testament church. Nor is it adequate
to be bound together because of the influence of a charismatic leader. That was
precisely the problem of the Corinthians. Different groups within the church
claimed different "patron saints" (vv. 12-15). But Paul downplayed
the significance of human instrumentality and called the people to affirm the
only true source of their unity—Christ.
III. Unity Is Maintained When Christians Have the Same Mind
Having the "same mind" (v. 10), of course, does not
mean that churches have a cookie cutter mentality, expecting everyone to look,
act, and be the same. In this same letter, Paul accentuated the different gifts
of the different members in the Body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:1-25). However,
Christians are to agree on their purpose—to exalt Christ, not self, in their
lives and in their church. The "mind" that they are to have is none
other than "the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16) .
Is it possible for Christians to have the same mind? Paul
apparently believed that it is possible; he referred to it several times in his
Epistles ( Rom. 12:16 ; Phil. 1:27 ; 2:2). May it be so in our churches. (N.
Allen Moseley)
IT'S ABOUT TIME
MATTHEW 4:12-23
A professor quoted a newspaper ad that read, "For Sale: Hot
tub, plumbing included. Will trade for pickup truck. Call, etc." It
doesn't take a Ph.D. to determine that here is a life in major transition!
Often these major transitions of life are caused by crises. The disciples, in
our text, are in the midst of major transition. Perhaps this transition is
caused by the crisis of their decision to repent and follow Jesus (v. 17).
Perhaps this transition is caused by the fact that John the Baptist has been
put in prison (v. 12). Many of Jesus' disciples had followed John. It would
have been easy for these disciples of John to succumb to disillusionment,
retreat into fear, or just quit because they were tired. But in Jesus' voice,
they heard a new call. It was the time to respond.
I. Jesus Calls Us to a Place
Why did they respond? Perhaps something was lacking in their
lives. Sensing in John a glimmer of hope, they realized a new opportunity in
the dynamic preacher from Nazareth. In Jesus, they found a place. We all know
that the church is people. The Greek word we translate as "church"
means "called-out ones." But the church also is a place. Having a
place is important. When they sinned, Adam and Eve were tossed out of their
place. Cain was doomed to wander without a place. Abraham and Sarah were called
to journey looking for a place. The children of Israel were delivered from
Egypt upon the promise of a place flowing with milk and honey. Having a place
is important. "Is this really ours, Mama?" the girl asks, eyes
gleaming. "Yes, it really is," her mother says as she takes the keys
from the Habitat for Humanity representative.
"Here it is, honey," he says. "Your very own
first kitchen." With a tear in her eye and the arm of the man around her,
the retiring pastor's wife walks into her very first and last home. A place. We
all need a place. In Jesus, the disciples found a place where they could find
mercy, purpose, stability, forgiveness, security, and a sameness that gave
unity to their lives.
II. Jesus Calls Us to a Time
The Scriptures also report that they responded immediately,
almost as if they left their father in the boat (v. 22)! "It is now
time," Jesus says. "The kingdom is near" (v. 17). Have you heard
about the Procrastinators' Club? They boast five hundred thousand members.
Actually, only thirty-five thousand members have joined. The others intend to
but just keep putting it off! Jesus is saying, "Don't put it off."
The Bible uses at least two Greek words we translate as
"time." One word is chronos, from which we get our word chronology.
This is the linear, day-to-day living of our lives. Another word is kairos.
This is crisis time. The moment is here. Opportunity awaits. Seize it.
"The kingdom is near," Jesus said. Without delay, they followed him.
In the play Becket, the king selected his old hunting buddy and fellow carouser
to be the archbishop, expecting to control his pal and the church. But in the
role of archbishop, Becket changed. "Something happened to me," he
told the angry king. "When you put this burden upon me in the empty
cathedral, it was the first time in my life that I had ever been entrusted with
anything. I was literally a man without honor. Now, I am a man with honor, the
honor of God." He had found his place because he recognized the time. It's
about time to respond to Jesus' call to live a life that honors God. (Gary L.
Carver)
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Isaiah 9:1-4 by Terrell M. McDaniel
Read Isaiah 9:1-4
Isaiah announces new possibilities for Israel as the formerly
obscure possibilities emerge in the light of God. Isaiah notes a contrast
between the former days and the latter days. Israel moves from contempt to
glory, from oppression to liberation.
Friend, you and I are part of the long human journey from
darkness to light, a campaign that will shatter the yoke of oppression and
provide a rich harvest for all people. At our journey’s end, we will dance with
joy! Our mission is to live in a way that will bring more and more people in
touch with the Source of light. This week, we have considered the task of
simply being present—being ourselves as we transform into and reflect the image
of Christ.
I was conscious of you and your travails as I wrote. That
awareness held me accountable, and I imagined that you held me in love.
Thinking of you made me cognizant of the mystical connection that we all share.
You need not be physically present to make an impact. You influenced me!
Likewise, your prayers for those who don’t even realize that you are doing so
create power for good in their lives. Your material donations to the church’s
missions affect people all over the world. The exercise of your personal gifts
in your own ministry extend far beyond your sight—even beyond your vision. Your
simple service and compassion to others reverberates past them into places
you’ll never know. And the witness that only your life can provide is essential
to tell the whole story of the kingdom.
I cannot wait to hear the stories of the good done in a world
that needs it more every day—of the lives that have been touched, even
transformed, by contact with you. You serve as an exemplar of the love,
affirmation, and welcome of Jesus Christ. For the Fisher of People, you were
quite a catch!
Thank you, Lord, for the chance to serve your kingdom and for
your unwavering presence in our lives. Amen.
excerpted from: Disciplines: A Book of Daily Devotions 2014
Copyright©2013 by Upper Room Books. Used with permission.
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United Methodist Church’s Ministry Matters
201 8th Avenue South
Nashville, TN 37202 United States
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