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Friday, 6 October 2017
1 Corinthians 12:3 Therefore, I want to make it clear to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says, “Yeshua is cursed!” and no one can say, “Yeshua is Lord,” except by the Ruach HaKodesh.
4 Now there are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit gives them. 5 Also there are different ways of serving, but it is the same Lord being served. 6 And there are different modes of working, but it is the same God working them all in everyone. 7 Moreover, to each person is given the particular manifestation of the Spirit that will be for the common good. 8 To one, through the Spirit, is given a word of wisdom; to another, a word of knowledge, in accordance with the same Spirit; 9 to another, faith, by the same Spirit; and to another, gifts of healing, by the one Spirit; 10 to another, the working of miracles; to another, prophecy; to another, the ability to judge between spirits; to another, the ability to speak in different kinds of tongues; and to yet another, the ability to interpret tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is at work in all these things, distributing to each person as he chooses. 12 For just as the body is one but has many parts; and all the parts of the body, though many, constitute one body; so it is with the Messiah. 13 For it was by one Spirit that we were all immersed into one body, whether Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free; and we were all given the one Spirit to drink., 26 Thus if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; and if one part is honored, all the parts share its happiness.
27 Now you together constitute the body of the Messiah, and individually you are parts of it.
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We’re different from one another in many ways. Paul told the Corinthians that our diversity was God’s plan. The members of God’s family of believers are not interchangeable, identical parts, but like the parts of our physical body are different but work together. He was sure that what unites us is far greater than any difference that might divide us. We all follow one Lord, we’re all led by one Spirit, and so, with all our different backgrounds and gifts, we all form one body—the Body of Christ.
• It is fact, not opinion, that people from many different ethnic backgrounds all love and serve the same Lord—Jesus Christ. It is also fact, not opinion, that those who love and serve the same God do so in many varying, different ways. How can you subdue forces in yourself that work to make the differences into walls of separation and mistrust? How can focusing on the One we serve, rather than the differences, break down those walls?
• In your church, your family, your workplace and your community, do you notice the ways that the differences between people bring depth, richness and strength? How can valuing, honoring and celebrating the strength that grows from our differences help to keep us from building impenetrable walls of separation?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, make me willing to suffer when other members of your body suffer, and to celebrate when others get the glory. Make me willing to be part of “us,” and not just “me.” Amen.
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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 and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.
With the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation coming up this month, our Small Group will be discussing The Reformation & Martin Luther’s remarkable life. (Needless to say, I’ve already purchased my Martin Luther costume for all of the Reformation-themed parties this month - to beat the rush.)
Luther, originally on track to be a lawyer, was an atypical priest. He had a very earthy humor, did not mince words when debating opponents, & I would submit that if you look up the word curmudgeon, Martin Luther could be pictured. (There is no confirmation that Luther was the one who first said, “Start each day with a smile - and get it over with” - though it might have been funnier in the original German.)
On October 31, 1517, on the eve of All Saints Day, Martin Luther, now an Augustinian monk, nailed his Theses to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany identifying 95 problems within the Catholic Church. This act is considered the start of the Reformation.
(Yes, his complaints were justified, yes, this was as popular as you might expect, & yes, I’m sure Martin Luther admired his self-restraint in whittling down the list to only 95 grievances.)
It can be argued that the Protestant Reformation was one of the most influential movements in the modern era. Luther argued that interpretation of Scripture should not be left solely to the domain of Priests/Popes. Reformers would later risk (& lose) their lives to translate the Bible from Latin to languages like German & English & led the charge to encourage public education so everyone could read the Bible for him or herself.
The Reformation’s emphasis on individual freedom would also influence our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, & the Abolitionist movement of the 1800s.
For today’s purposes, we’ll focus on the Reformation’s contention that a believer’s salvation came, not from acts of piety or approval of some churchly hierarchy, but rather from the faithful decision to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Luther struggled with feeling forgiven for his sins. He spent long hours in prayer, attended confession constantly, & fasted for long periods of time until he was described as “skin & bones.” In 1511, Martin goes to Rome where there is a large staircase (The Scala Sancta) that was said to have come from the Pilate’s home. Those who climbed the 28 steps on their knees were promised salvation. Halfway up the stairs, Luther had an epiphany, “The just shall live by faith.” He stood up & slowly walked down the stairs.
(A little trivia: When John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, stops in at Aldersgate that fateful evening in 1738 in the midst of a crisis of faith & “feels his heart strangely warmed” as the small group chatted about Martin Luther’s preface to the Book of Romans & the idea that we are saved by grace alone.)
We are fortunate beneficiaries of the Reformation’s influence: we know there is not a one-size-fits-all template for our spiritual journey, we know that we are free to read the Scriptures & reach our own conclusions, we know that we are uniquely blessed with God-given talents that are vital to His Kingdom, & we know that we don’t serve with our gifts to earn grace, but rather we serve out of gratitude for our salvation & to help others know the great freedom we experience when liberated from our broken nature.
Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to prepare for my “Party Like It’s 1517!” shindig. Let’s see, we have “Pin-the-Theses on the Door” game, a Cakewalk to the accompaniment of “Hammer Time,” & finally, a Seinfeld-esque “Airing of Grievances” – limit 95.
Darren LippeDarren Lippe helps facilitate Journey 101 “Loving God” classes, guides a 7th-grade Sunday school class, is a member of a small group and a men’s group, and serves on the curriculum team.
With the 500th Anniversary of the Protestant Reformation coming up this month, our Small Group will be discussing The Reformation & Martin Luther’s remarkable life. (Needless to say, I’ve already purchased my Martin Luther costume for all of the Reformation-themed parties this month - to beat the rush.)
Luther, originally on track to be a lawyer, was an atypical priest. He had a very earthy humor, did not mince words when debating opponents, & I would submit that if you look up the word curmudgeon, Martin Luther could be pictured. (There is no confirmation that Luther was the one who first said, “Start each day with a smile - and get it over with” - though it might have been funnier in the original German.)
On October 31, 1517, on the eve of All Saints Day, Martin Luther, now an Augustinian monk, nailed his Theses to a church door in Wittenberg, Germany identifying 95 problems within the Catholic Church. This act is considered the start of the Reformation.
(Yes, his complaints were justified, yes, this was as popular as you might expect, & yes, I’m sure Martin Luther admired his self-restraint in whittling down the list to only 95 grievances.)
It can be argued that the Protestant Reformation was one of the most influential movements in the modern era. Luther argued that interpretation of Scripture should not be left solely to the domain of Priests/Popes. Reformers would later risk (& lose) their lives to translate the Bible from Latin to languages like German & English & led the charge to encourage public education so everyone could read the Bible for him or herself.
The Reformation’s emphasis on individual freedom would also influence our Declaration of Independence, our Constitution, & the Abolitionist movement of the 1800s.
For today’s purposes, we’ll focus on the Reformation’s contention that a believer’s salvation came, not from acts of piety or approval of some churchly hierarchy, but rather from the faithful decision to accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Luther struggled with feeling forgiven for his sins. He spent long hours in prayer, attended confession constantly, & fasted for long periods of time until he was described as “skin & bones.” In 1511, Martin goes to Rome where there is a large staircase (The Scala Sancta) that was said to have come from the Pilate’s home. Those who climbed the 28 steps on their knees were promised salvation. Halfway up the stairs, Luther had an epiphany, “The just shall live by faith.” He stood up & slowly walked down the stairs.
(A little trivia: When John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, stops in at Aldersgate that fateful evening in 1738 in the midst of a crisis of faith & “feels his heart strangely warmed” as the small group chatted about Martin Luther’s preface to the Book of Romans & the idea that we are saved by grace alone.)
We are fortunate beneficiaries of the Reformation’s influence: we know there is not a one-size-fits-all template for our spiritual journey, we know that we are free to read the Scriptures & reach our own conclusions, we know that we are uniquely blessed with God-given talents that are vital to His Kingdom, & we know that we don’t serve with our gifts to earn grace, but rather we serve out of gratitude for our salvation & to help others know the great freedom we experience when liberated from our broken nature.
Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to prepare for my “Party Like It’s 1517!” shindig. Let’s see, we have “Pin-the-Theses on the Door” game, a Cakewalk to the accompaniment of “Hammer Time,” & finally, a Seinfeld-esque “Airing of Grievances” – limit 95.
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“You are all God’s children”
Saturday, 7 October 2017
Galatians 3:26 For in union with the Messiah, you are all children of God through this trusting faithfulness; 27 because as many of you as were immersed into the Messiah have clothed yourselves with the Messiah, in whom 28 there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor freeman, neither male nor female; for in union with the Messiah Yeshua, you are all one. 29 Also, if you belong to the Messiah, you are seed of Avraham and heirs according to the promise.
4:1 What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a minor he is no different from a slave, even though he is the legal owner of the estate; 2 rather, he is subject to guardians and caretakers until the time previously set by his father. 3 So it is with us — when we were “children” we were slaves to the elemental spirits of the universe; 4 but when the appointed time arrived, God sent forth his Son. He was born from a woman, born into a culture in which legalistic perversion of the Torah was the norm, 5 so that he might redeem those in subjection to this legalism and thus enable us to be made God’s sons. 6 Now because you are sons, God has sent forth into our hearts the Spirit of his Son, the Spirit who cries out, “Abba!” (that is, “Dear Father!”). 7 So through God you are no longer a slave but a son, and if you are a son you are also an heir.
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Some Jewish Christians who followed Paul to Galatia claimed the Bible required Gentile men to be circumcised, to in effect become ethnic Jews, to join God’s family (cf. Genesis 17:10-14). But Paul was emphatic: God accepts all people, of all backgrounds, based on their trust, not because of outward identifying signs. “Faith working through love,” not ritual purity, was what mattered. The early Christian communities stood out in their world: “Only a minority of groups even claimed to surmount ethnic and class divisions; the churches who brought diverse peoples and classes together were thus distinctive. Early Christians…proved distinctive in challenging class (slave versus free) and often gender prejudices.” * That willingness to challenge prejudices needs to remain a distinctive trait of genuine Christianity.
• The kind of Christianity the “Judaizers” wanted inevitably had strong cultural and ethnic overtones. But Paul, born in that ethnic group and culture, said, “Now if you belong to Christ, then indeed you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.” Do you ever struggle to accept believers in Jesus who come from some ethnic, cultural or denominational background different than yours? More broadly, how about neighbors, fellow students or coworkers from an ethnic or cultural background different than yours? What helps you to view all people as beloved children of God?
Prayer: Creator God, your creation includes many kinds of flowers and trees, an amazing variety of animal life—and lots of different kinds of human beings. Plant in my heart your obvious delight in diversity. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 266575-266578). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Family Activity: The Bible tells many stories of missionaries. Create your own family “missionary” story. Gather your family for a local “missionary” drive. Before you leave, select a few places you would like to stop and share God’s love in some way. Would you like to take treats to firefighters or police officers and thank them for their service? How about praying for local store owners as you shop? Could you offer to do some yard work for a neighbor? Maybe you could visit those in the nursing home or a lonely neighbor. You might also want to walk through your neighborhood praying for your school and places of worship. Pray and ask God to help your family be missionaries, sharing God’s love wherever you go.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• John Salberg and family on the death of his wife Verda Salberg, 9/23
•Bruce Durkee and family on the death of his father William R. “Bill” Durkee, 9/23
•Ed Phillips and family on the death of his mother Margaret Phillips, 9/22
• Lisa Swarts and family on the death of her father James Craig, 9/21
•Family and friends of Linda Lambright on her death, 9/21
•Stephen Franano and family on the death of his mother Carmen Franano, 9/20
•Chuck Lyman and family on the death of his uncle Charles Watkins, 9/19
•Cherri Fuchs and family on the death of her mother Sharon Harmon, 9/15
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©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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©2017 Church of the Resurrection. All Rights Reserved.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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