The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, United States Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Friday, 16 January 2015 “We are God’s accomplishment”

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Leawood, Kansas, United States Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Friday, 16 January 2015 “We are God’s accomplishment”
Daily Scripture: Ephesians 2:4-10Contemporary English Version (CEV)
4-5 But God was merciful! We were dead because of our sins, but God loved us so much that he made us alive with Christ, and God’s wonderful kindness is what saves you. 6 God raised us from death to life with Christ Jesus, and he has given us a place beside Christ in heaven. 7 God did this so that in the future world he could show how truly good and kind he is to us because of what Christ Jesus has done. 8 You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve.[a] This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. 9 It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. 10 God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are.Footnotes:[2.8 treats us much better than we deserve: The Greek word charis, traditionally rendered <<grace,>> is translated here and other places in the CEV to express the overwhelming kindness of God.]
Reflection Questions:
When Paul preached the good news in Ephesus, many people’s priorities and ways of life changed profoundly (cf. Acts 19:18-22). Paul believed it was important that they understand that this was not something they had accomplished on their own initiative or strength. They were God’s accomplishment (Greek poema), living out the kind of life God desired them to live.
• Today’s reading said salvation “is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of.” Of course, none of those first-generation Christians went to Sunday School or learned from Christian parents! In what ways does Ephesians’ language capture your life experience? Do you ever think that, in your case, God just took what was already a pretty good life and “bumped it up a notch”?
• To what extent have God’s priorities become, not just an occasional exercise that you do when there’s a special church activity, but woven into “the way that we live our lives”? How open are you to letting God continue to shape the way you live the “secular” parts of your life—driving, shopping, business activities, playing and watching sports, and the like?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to be your accomplishment, to be an example of what your spiritual craftsmanship can do in a human being. Please keep shaping and guiding me in all I do today. Amen.

Insight from Darren Lippe

Darren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.

With school back in full swing, we’ve been re-emphasizing to our teen-aged boys the importance of working hard to accomplish the goals of the new semester. (Apparently, just 2 weeks of Christmas vacation can completely obliterate one’s work habits – something akin to sandblasting a soup cracker.) They seem to have the following visual image of how the semester will play out:

When you open your eyes, all your projects will be finished!

Of course adulthood doesn’t magically erase this tendency to be reluctant about work. Like the employee caught browsing his tablet by his boss & is asked, “Why aren’t you working?” The employee replies, “I didn’t hear you coming.”

Or the boss on the road who texts his employee back at the office, “I have a meeting in a minute – do you have a good joke I can open with?” The employee replies, “I can’t respond to texts right now – I’m working.” The boss then types, “Good one! THANKS!”

So, while we seem naturally averse to labor, there is one area of our faith life, addressed in today’s passage, which we seem consistently tempted to try to work at:  Our salvation. While wehear that we are saved by grace alone & we read that salvation is a gift from God, we still understandably struggle with this idea of being completely reconciled with God without some enormous effort on our part.

In a Christian Hero class that I facilitated a few years ago, we spent an evening looking at the life of Thomas Bilney, considered by some to be the Father of the English Reformation, who was martyred for his beliefs in 1531.

Mr. Bilney was a lawyer by trade who went to seminary later in life. A brilliant thinker & a very shy/tender-hearted man, Thomas became quite anxious about his salvation. He constantly went to the priests confessing of his sins but still felt no peace. The priests suggested fasting, prolonged vigils, & costly indulgences. (Indulgences were like a “Get Out of Hell Free” card, ala Monopoly.) Growing weak & financially broke to boot, he lamented to a friend, “My state is worse than the first.”

In this state of despair, Mr. Bilney was drawn to Erasmus’ Greek translation of the New Testament that had recently been published. Though this translation was considered “heretical” by his mentors & strictly prohibited, Thomas went ahead & secretly purchased the book to read for himself.

Opening it, he read 1 Timothy 1:15 – “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.” Thomas wondered, how could the great Apostle Paul consider himself to be the chief sinner and yet still feel confident in his own salvation? The answer is not in who Paul was or what Paul did for his salvation, but rather in the work of Christ. “Yes! It is Jesus Christ who saves!” exclaimed Bilney to a friend. All of his own efforts, all of his work, & all of his focus on rituals, were destroying Thomas instead of saving him. The sense of relief was earth shaking for our friend.

Thomas then leaves the university & begins preaching. He transformed whole communities as he inspired them to read & discuss the Good News of Jesus Christ.

So now that your salvation is secure, you can get back to browsing for cute puppy pictures. As a service to our readers, we offer a time-saver to get you started:

 

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