Daily Scripture: Revelation 2:8 “To the angel of the Messianic Community in Smyrna, write: ‘Here is the message from the First and the Last, who died and came alive again: 9 “I know how you are suffering and how poor you are (though in fact you are rich!), and I know the insults of those who call themselves Jews but aren’t — on the contrary, they are a synagogue of the Adversary. 10 Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. Look, the Adversary is going to have some of you thrown in prison, in order to put you to the test; and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful, even to the point of death; and I will give you life as your crown. 11 Those who have ears, let them hear what the Spirit is saying to the Messianic communities. He who wins the victory will not be hurt at all by the second death.”’
Reflection Questions:
McFarland High School won 9 state cross-country championships in 14 years. Victory, the students found, made the pain of training worthwhile. A pastor and prophet, exiled by Rome on the Mediterranean island of Patmos, wrote one of the loveliest uses of racing imagery in the New Testament. He told the Christians in Smyrna that though they faced hardship, prison, poverty, suffering and perhaps death, God would reward their faithfulness with “the crown of life.” His word for “crown” referred to the wreath of leaves an Olympic champion received.
- One thing Revelation revealed was that God sees two realities at the same time. Verse 9 said, “I know your hardship and poverty (though you are actually rich).” What kind of “wealth” did those early Christians possess, visible to God if not to human eyes? In what ways have you learned to reckon your wealth by measures other than your bank account?
- After listing all the earthly problems the believers faced, the exiled seer spoke, in verse 11, of “those who emerge victorious.” That phrase echoed Paul’s triumphant words in 2 Timothy 4:6-8, as he waited for the executioner to come for him. Who have you known who faced severe hardship and problems in life, and yet “emerged victorious”? How would you describe the finish line, the victory, for which you aim in your life?
All-seeing God, I’m so glad your “eyes” see more than human eyes see. Make my life a success by your standards, that I might receive an eternal winner’s wreath from you. Amen.
Insights 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.
For a lighter summer evening for our small group, we looked at “The Gospel According to the Music of Burt Bacharach.” (Um… – Editor. Well, it was either that or discussing the sequel to “Bad Girls of the Bible”- “The Naughty Nymphs of Nineveh,” so the vote was pretty lopsided – DL.)
Mr. Bacharach, a Kansas City native, was raised as a nominally religious Jew. He is a prolific composer, writing hundreds of singles, soundtracks for movies, & the scores for several Broadway musicals. For our study we focused on 3 of his hit singles to see how they might apply to our faith walk. For today, we’ll relate them to our selected Scripture from the Book of Revelation. (Oh my – Editor.)
The song, “What the World Needs Now is Love,” is a plaintive plea to God, not for more mountains or oceans, not for more meadows or wheat fields, but rather just for love. With all of the headlines of strife within our culture, with nations shouting, “Death to America,” & with Christians being killed for their faith, this plea for love, while written in 1965, still seems quite apt today.
The Book of Revelation’s vivid imagery can be quite distracting & confusing – like the child’s depiction of the “The 4 Horsemen & their Alpaca Lips.” But we must be mindful that it was actually a collection of letters offering hope & encouragement to the early Christians struggling in the secular world. What better hope can be offered than an appeal for “love, not just for some, but for everyone?”
Our 2nd selection, “I Say a Little Prayer,” emphasizes the inclusion of our loved ones in our prayer life. Imagine if you started your day with a prayer for your wife/husband? What if throughout your daily routines you made a point to continue to pray for God’s blessings for your children/grandchildren or nieces/nephews? Finally, what if you paused to consider what your wife/husband is praying about for you & you sought to be an answered prayer for them?
As Christians, we can struggle with the secular world’s view of love & think we are out of the loop. But we can persevere in our Christian love & know that the world’s proclaimed shortcuts always arrive at a dead end. I liked a friend’s idea to change his password to “Ilove_ _ _ _ 2day!” to serve as a daily reminder to not take his wife for granted & to challenge him to continue to grow their relationship.
Our final song, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head,” is a friendly reminder that not every day is going to be perfect & pain-free & that “we’ll never stop the rain by complainin’.” Can we even imagine a day without being cranky about things that we can’t change? Wow. The lines at the airline ticket counters would move so quickly, the faces of the drivers stuck behind that Buick doing 5 miles less than the posted speed limit would be so pleasant, & we’d be able to greet our colleagues with a genuine, “How are you?” instead of “Hot enough for you?”
Our passage readily acknowledges that our life will have its moments of trauma & turmoil, but with the promise of Christ’s Resurrection, we can be confident that we will be awarded a crown worthy of a great victor. I would submit that one could summarize the Book of Revelation in 4 words: “Spoiler Alert – We Win!”
So, with Burt’s music still on the mind, I offer this wrap-up: While we may not know the way to San Jose, we do know the path to God. We know that reading the Scriptures with an open heart will always give us something there to remind us of God. We know that God challenges us to do the best that we can do, because He longs to be close to you. And we know that we need to serve as God’s hands in the world, because that’s what friends are for. (So, what did you think? – DL. Sometimes one should just walk on by – Editor.)
If your 8-track player is on the fritz, here are the links to the aforementioned songs. So, warm up some fondue, proudly display your burnt-orange macramé wall hanging, get comfy in the beanbag chair, & enjoy:
What the World Needs Now
I Say a Little Prayer
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
For a lighter summer evening for our small group, we looked at “The Gospel According to the Music of Burt Bacharach.” (Um… – Editor. Well, it was either that or discussing the sequel to “Bad Girls of the Bible”- “The Naughty Nymphs of Nineveh,” so the vote was pretty lopsided – DL.)
Mr. Bacharach, a Kansas City native, was raised as a nominally religious Jew. He is a prolific composer, writing hundreds of singles, soundtracks for movies, & the scores for several Broadway musicals. For our study we focused on 3 of his hit singles to see how they might apply to our faith walk. For today, we’ll relate them to our selected Scripture from the Book of Revelation. (Oh my – Editor.)
The song, “What the World Needs Now is Love,” is a plaintive plea to God, not for more mountains or oceans, not for more meadows or wheat fields, but rather just for love. With all of the headlines of strife within our culture, with nations shouting, “Death to America,” & with Christians being killed for their faith, this plea for love, while written in 1965, still seems quite apt today.
The Book of Revelation’s vivid imagery can be quite distracting & confusing – like the child’s depiction of the “The 4 Horsemen & their Alpaca Lips.” But we must be mindful that it was actually a collection of letters offering hope & encouragement to the early Christians struggling in the secular world. What better hope can be offered than an appeal for “love, not just for some, but for everyone?”
Our 2nd selection, “I Say a Little Prayer,” emphasizes the inclusion of our loved ones in our prayer life. Imagine if you started your day with a prayer for your wife/husband? What if throughout your daily routines you made a point to continue to pray for God’s blessings for your children/grandchildren or nieces/nephews? Finally, what if you paused to consider what your wife/husband is praying about for you & you sought to be an answered prayer for them?
As Christians, we can struggle with the secular world’s view of love & think we are out of the loop. But we can persevere in our Christian love & know that the world’s proclaimed shortcuts always arrive at a dead end. I liked a friend’s idea to change his password to “Ilove_ _ _ _ 2day!” to serve as a daily reminder to not take his wife for granted & to challenge him to continue to grow their relationship.
Our final song, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on my Head,” is a friendly reminder that not every day is going to be perfect & pain-free & that “we’ll never stop the rain by complainin’.” Can we even imagine a day without being cranky about things that we can’t change? Wow. The lines at the airline ticket counters would move so quickly, the faces of the drivers stuck behind that Buick doing 5 miles less than the posted speed limit would be so pleasant, & we’d be able to greet our colleagues with a genuine, “How are you?” instead of “Hot enough for you?”
Our passage readily acknowledges that our life will have its moments of trauma & turmoil, but with the promise of Christ’s Resurrection, we can be confident that we will be awarded a crown worthy of a great victor. I would submit that one could summarize the Book of Revelation in 4 words: “Spoiler Alert – We Win!”
So, with Burt’s music still on the mind, I offer this wrap-up: While we may not know the way to San Jose, we do know the path to God. We know that reading the Scriptures with an open heart will always give us something there to remind us of God. We know that God challenges us to do the best that we can do, because He longs to be close to you. And we know that we need to serve as God’s hands in the world, because that’s what friends are for. (So, what did you think? – DL. Sometimes one should just walk on by – Editor.)
If your 8-track player is on the fritz, here are the links to the aforementioned songs. So, warm up some fondue, proudly display your burnt-orange macramé wall hanging, get comfy in the beanbag chair, & enjoy:
What the World Needs Now
I Say a Little Prayer
Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head
Download the GPS App
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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