Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Saturday, 6 September 2014 "Say 'what is useful for building up'"

Leawood, Kansas, United States - The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Saturday, 6 September 2014  "Say 'what is useful for building up'"
Daily Scripture: Ephesians 4:25 What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth. In Christ’s body we’re all connected to each other, after all. When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself.
26-27 Go ahead and be angry. You do well to be angry—but don’t use your anger as fuel for revenge. And don’t stay angry. Don’t go to bed angry. Don’t give the Devil that kind of foothold in your life.
28 Did you use to make ends meet by stealing? Well, no more! Get an honest job so that you can help others who can’t work.
29 Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. Say only what helps, each word a gift.
30 Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.
31-32 Make a clean break with all cutting, backbiting, profane talk. Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.
Psalm 19:7-9 The revelation of God is whole
    and pulls our lives together.
The signposts of God are clear
    and point out the right road.
The life-maps of God are right,
    showing the way to joy.
The directions of God are plain
    and easy on the eyes.
God’s reputation is twenty-four-carat gold,
    with a lifetime guarantee.
The decisions of God are accurate
    down to the nth degree.
10 God’s Word is better than a diamond,
    better than a diamond set between emeralds.
You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring,
    better than red, ripe strawberries.
11-14 There’s more: God’s Word warns us of danger
    and directs us to hidden treasure.
Otherwise how will we find our way?
    Or know when we play the fool?
Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh!
    Keep me from stupid sins,
    from thinking I can take over your work;
Then I can start this day sun-washed,
    scrubbed clean of the grime of sin.
These are the words in my mouth;
    these are what I chew on and pray.
Accept them when I place them
    on the morning altar,
O God, my Altar-Rock,
    God, Priest-of-My-Altar.
Reflection Question:
From Washington, D.C. to Ferguson, MO, from Iraq to Ukraine, we see what happens as words tear down community and set people against one another. Our two memory texts for this sermon series make it clear that God cannot possibly find such words and thoughts acceptable. As we move into the final intense 8½ weeks of campaigning before election day on November 4, fix firmly in your mind and heart a resolve to speak "only what is useful for building up, as there is need," in politics as in all other aspects of your life. 
Scholar N. T. Wright said, "It isn't just that bitter or sour speech is to be avoided. Your tongue gives you the opportunity to bring God's grace to people, by what you say and how you say it, and it's a shame to pass up this chance (verse 29)…You should behave as those on whom God's Holy Spirit has placed God's mark. The word Paul uses could refer to the 'seal' or official stamp on a document ….The mark indicates who it belongs to and what it's for….People who are enslaved to anger and malice may think they are 'free' to 'be themselves', but they are in bondage. If we are marked out by the Spirit's personal presence living in us, think how sad it makes that Spirit if we behave in ways which don't reflect the life and love of God." Before you forward that e-mail, or post that tart response on a blog, ask, "Does this give grace? Does it build up? Can I picture Jesus sending this?" 
Family Activity:
Throughout His life, people accused Jesus of numerous wrongdoings. Jesus stayed faithful to God and to himself through His many trials. Talk as a family about this aspect of Jesus. What character traits did Jesus display when people talked about him and treated him this way? How did Jesus respond to the accusations and assumptions directed at Him? Discuss a time when each of you has been accused—maybe by a classmate, co-worker or sibling. How did that feel? How did you respond? Have you ever found yourself to be an accuser? When you are accused of wrongdoing or your impulse is to assume or accuse others of wrongdoing, pause, take a deep breath, and remember the ways and words Jesus chose. 
Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, you fearlessly faced up to true evil. But you took no delight in tearing down reputations, or sharing juicy tidbits of gossip. Help my talk about politics to reflect you well, and to give grace to those who hear. Amen.
Insight from Carol Cartmill
Carol Cartmill serves as the Executive Director of Adult Discipleship at The Church of the Resurrection.
My first memory of behavior inside church not matching behavior outside of church is from my early childhood. We would often attend Sunday services with a relative. Just about every time, as we were walking down the steps barely outside of the church, he would launch into a negative tirade about someone or something. We had just sung hymns, recited liturgy, and spoken prayers. Honestly, though I loved him dearly, it made me uncomfortable.
This is a struggle for all of us if we are honest enough to admit it. Paul recognized it. He wrote to encourage the believers to be kind, compassionate, forgiving and honest so as not to provide any opportunity for the devil. What opportunity might we be providing the devil? Seems like an odd thing to say. In thinking back to my experience as a child, my guess is that any time our words and actions do not match the claims of our faith, the opportunity exists to turn people away from church, and ultimately God. Anger, bitterness, or holding a grudge also builds a wall between God and us.
Instead, we are told to build each other up with our words in all areas of life, including politics. We are recipients of this amazing gift called grace. We didn’t earn it, and we certainly don’t deserve it, yet God extends it to us freely. How then can we turn around and cut down people just because we don’t agree with their views? In what ways is that approach grace-filled or useful?
The problems with our political system are too large for any one of us to fix, yet I have to wonder what would happen if each of us committed to living these scripture verses. Let the words of our mouths and meditations of our hearts be pleasing to you, Lord, our rock and our redeemer.
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