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Friday, 13 October 2017
Acts 5:40 After summoning the emissaries and flogging them, they commanded them not to speak in the name of Yeshua, and let them go. 41 The emissaries left the Sanhedrin overjoyed at having been considered worthy of suffering disgrace on account of him. 42 And not for a single day, either in the Temple court or in private homes, did they stop teaching and proclaiming the Good News that Yeshua is the Messiah., 16:4 As they went on through the towns, they delivered to the people the decisions reached by the emissaries and the elders in Yerushalayim for them to observe. 5 Accordingly, the congregations were strengthened in the faith and increased in number day by day.
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It was remarkable that the apostles, after a beating, “left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name.” But in some ways, what followed was even more remarkable: “Every day they continued to teach and proclaim the good news.” Acts 16:5 also made the point that sharing the good news of Jesus was an everyday occurrence for the early Christians.
• When was the last time you told another person about a new restaurant, an entertaining movie, a helpful cleaning service, an impressive car you test drove or bought or (if you’re a parent) something great your kids did? Does sharing that kind of news on an everyday basis feel more natural and acceptable than sharing about what Jesus means in your life? If so, what might change that?
• “Public beatings were meant to shame…those so beaten. The person would be stripped and given a maximum of 39 lashes in a public place.” * In the U.S.A. today, we never see formal public beatings like the apostles suffered. In what ways do people at times face shaming for their sharing of Jesus? Have you ever faced treatment meant to shame you? Can you join the apostles in continuing to share every day?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, one sign of this world’s brokenness is the way that some people try, every day, to shame your followers. Give me the apostles’ courage and trust in you if I face that kind of behavior. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 248207-248208). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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Ginger Rothhaas
Ginger is a graduate of Saint Paul School of Theology. She and her husband Rob have a son, a daughter, and a high energy dog. She loves writing, conversations over coffee, and teaching spiritual classes.
I’ve always thought that early Christians were persecuted because they were a threat to the empire. This movement of love was turning the patriarchy upside down. The empire was only powerful when it had its people living in fear. Jesus, and his followers, teaching of an unconditionally loving God was too much love, and not enough fear, to keep people under power...so thought the empire.
But when I go deeper into reading the stories, like the apostles being beaten for teaching about a God of love, I see something more evil happening. “Public beatings were meant to shame…those so beaten. The person would be stripped and given a maximum of 39 lashes in a public place.” That has a deeper motive than a threat to the empire. To lash someone over 39 times in public takes a streak of dehumanizing evil that runs deeper than protecting the institution. This is about the psyche of the person holding the whip and those cheering him on.
Track with me here. Might it be that the people who beat the apostles for teaching about Jesus, or the persecutors today who shame people for their faith, do this because they feel deeply unworthy to know they are loved? Do we hurt others because we don’t feel loved ourselves? Is it too much to see people dedicated to their faith, people who know for sure they are loved unconditionally? Is that too much for us to handle because we feel unworthy, so instead of working on our own sense of self-worth we lash out at others who know their self-worth?
Think about someone you know who is passionate about a topic. Do they drive you crazy because they talk about it all the time? Do they try to convert you into becoming passionate about it too? Do you think they are obsessed with this topic and need to get some other interests? Might you secretly be envious that they found something to be passionate about and you haven’t yet?
Brene Brown’s definition of shame is, “Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.” *
Could this be why we shame others--because we don’t feel worthy of love ourselves? Maybe this is us: "I can’t stand to see you happy and living into your purpose while I'm over here spinning my wheels. Rather than seek my own purpose, I’ll just criticize yours."
Imagine the possibilities if we each deeply knew we were loved, and belong to the world as a child of God. If we looked at people who do things we don’t agree with and said to ourselves, "She is a child of God and is loved, no matter what she believes or does." What happens if you do that as you scroll through your social media feed today? When we do this, we relinquish the need to judge, criticize, blame, and shame others. Can we put down our whips and listen instead of lashing out? Can we accept God's love and then show that love to others? I think we can.
* Brown, Brene, Daring Greatly. (Gotham Books, New York, NY, 2012), 69.
Ginger RothhaasGinger is a graduate of Saint Paul School of Theology. She and her husband Rob have a son, a daughter, and a high energy dog. She loves writing, conversations over coffee, and teaching spiritual classes.
I’ve always thought that early Christians were persecuted because they were a threat to the empire. This movement of love was turning the patriarchy upside down. The empire was only powerful when it had its people living in fear. Jesus, and his followers, teaching of an unconditionally loving God was too much love, and not enough fear, to keep people under power...so thought the empire.
But when I go deeper into reading the stories, like the apostles being beaten for teaching about a God of love, I see something more evil happening. “Public beatings were meant to shame…those so beaten. The person would be stripped and given a maximum of 39 lashes in a public place.” That has a deeper motive than a threat to the empire. To lash someone over 39 times in public takes a streak of dehumanizing evil that runs deeper than protecting the institution. This is about the psyche of the person holding the whip and those cheering him on.
Track with me here. Might it be that the people who beat the apostles for teaching about Jesus, or the persecutors today who shame people for their faith, do this because they feel deeply unworthy to know they are loved? Do we hurt others because we don’t feel loved ourselves? Is it too much to see people dedicated to their faith, people who know for sure they are loved unconditionally? Is that too much for us to handle because we feel unworthy, so instead of working on our own sense of self-worth we lash out at others who know their self-worth?
Think about someone you know who is passionate about a topic. Do they drive you crazy because they talk about it all the time? Do they try to convert you into becoming passionate about it too? Do you think they are obsessed with this topic and need to get some other interests? Might you secretly be envious that they found something to be passionate about and you haven’t yet?
Brene Brown’s definition of shame is, “Shame is the intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.” *
Could this be why we shame others--because we don’t feel worthy of love ourselves? Maybe this is us: "I can’t stand to see you happy and living into your purpose while I'm over here spinning my wheels. Rather than seek my own purpose, I’ll just criticize yours."
Imagine the possibilities if we each deeply knew we were loved, and belong to the world as a child of God. If we looked at people who do things we don’t agree with and said to ourselves, "She is a child of God and is loved, no matter what she believes or does." What happens if you do that as you scroll through your social media feed today? When we do this, we relinquish the need to judge, criticize, blame, and shame others. Can we put down our whips and listen instead of lashing out? Can we accept God's love and then show that love to others? I think we can.
* Brown, Brene, Daring Greatly. (Gotham Books, New York, NY, 2012), 69.
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“The person that we are on the inside is being renewed every day”
Saturday, 14 October 2017
2 Corinthians 4:16 This is why we do not lose courage. Though our outer self is heading for decay, our inner self is being renewed daily. 17 For our light and transient troubles are achieving for us an everlasting glory whose weight is beyond description. 18 We concentrate not on what is seen but on what is not seen, since things seen are temporary, but things not seen are eternal.
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The apostle Paul knew firsthand about “the worst” in our world. In 2 Corinthians 11:23-28 he listed many difficulties he had faced. Those hardships took enough of a physical toll that the apostle said, “We always carry Jesus’ death around in our bodies so that Jesus’ life can also be seen in our bodies” (2 Corinthians 4:10). The apostle could have found reasons to think about giving up a life of serving Christ by counting his scars. Instead, he spoke of a daily reality that kept him going: “the person that we are on the inside is being renewed every day.” Every ordinary day walking down a road, making tents or working with leather (cf. Acts 18:3), riding on a ship, or sitting in a prison cell, his connection with God kept Paul’s spirits renewed and encouraged.
• Scholar William Barclay wrote, “From the physical point of view life may be a slow but inevitable slipping down the slope that leads to death. But from the spiritual point of view life is a climbing up the hill that leads to the presence of God.” * How much daily focus do you give to maintaining your physical well-being? How much to nurturing your connection with God? What changes, if any, can you make to ensure that the person you are on the inside is being renewed every day?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, I want strong muscles, and good lab results when I get checkups. Help me to desire with even greater eagerness a strong connection with you, one that renews me every day. Amen.
* William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Letters to the Corinthians (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975, p. 201.
Family Activity: Even religious families who believe in God often find themselves in their daily routines placing other things above God. As a family, review your calendar and budget. Examine how your family spends its time and money. Ask, “How well do our budget and schedules reflect that we worship God?” Discuss what changes you can make to live more God-centered lives every day. Create a “God is #1” poster or collage and include pictures and words reminding you to place God first. Spend time in prayer as a family, asking God to help you release that which holds you back from truly placing God first in your lives, not just on Sunday but every day.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
•Steve Williams and family on the death of his wife Anne Williams, 10/3
•Debi Nixon and family on the death of her aunt Anne Williams, 10/3
• Larry Pandjaris and family on the death of his wife Cheryl Pandjaris, 10/1
•Connie Roberts and family on the death of her sister Cheryl Pandjaris, 10/1
•Brian and Scott Setley and families on the death of their mother Judy Setley, 10/1
• John and Susan Casaert and family on the death of their daughter Laura Casaert, 9/30
• Jerry Sommerville and family on the death of his wife Kim Sommerville, 9/27
•Sean McDowell and family on the death of his father David McDowell, 9/27
•Valerie Davis and family on the death of her mother Barbara J. Brown, 9/26
•Steve DeZeeuw and family on the death of his mother Ella DeZeeuw, 9/17
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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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