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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States Weekly Devotions: Grow Pray Study Guide - "Prayer Tip: Christianity and Religions of the World 'Buddhism'” for Sunday, January 21, 2018
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"Prayer Tip: Christianity and Religions of the World 'Buddhism'”
Romans 8:18 I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future., 28 Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose;
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua.
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Prayer Tip: Buddhism
Romans 8:18 I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future., 28 Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose;
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua.
Prayer Tip:
When I was in high school, I had a keychain that said, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” I believed the Bible was God’s literal word, and I was certain that anyone who didn’t personally know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior – whether an atheist or someone who practiced a non-Christian religion – was going to hell. Now that I’ve actually read most of the Bible and realize how complex it is, I realize I actually have no idea what God’s eternal plan is for anyone.
It’s more important now for me to focus on how I treat others and whether I’m following Jesus’ example of love than to worry about everyone else’s salvation. That’s not to say I think evangelism is unimportant, but sometimes our focus needs to just be on loving others.
Focusing on what we have in common as human beings and amongst different religions is not an admission that we all believe the same things. Rather, it’s an acknowledgment that, especially when we’re not going to convert each other, we are all worthy of love and respect. Maybe if we prayed more about peace amongst the believers across religions, we would be more likely to create that peace.
Holy, Loving God,
It’s a real struggle sometimes to get along with those we have minor disagreements with. When someone disagrees with something as all-encompassing as our faith, it seems almost impossible to find common ground, but we know that with You all things are possible. Help us to love and accept and even understand those whose foundational beliefs are so very different from our own. Fill our hearts and guide our steps as we strive to live out your call in the world.
In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Angela LaVallie Tinsley, Resurrection Funeral Ministry)
Read today's Insight by Angela LaVallie Tinsley
Angela serves as the Funeral and Prayer Program Director, overseeing on-site funerals and assisting with prayer classes, vigils, walk, retreats, and other events. She began working at Resurrection in April 2007 and in that time has worked with the Singles, Seniors, Young Adults, and Guest Connections ministries.
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Questions in this GPS marked with an arrow bullet point are particularly recommended for group discussion. Group leaders may add other discussion questions, or substitute other questions for the marked ones, at their discretion.
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"Attachments: some hurtful, some life-giving"
Monday, 22 January 2018
Matthew 6:24 No one can be slave to two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can’t be a slave to both God and money.
25 “Therefore, I tell you, don’t worry about your life — what you will eat or drink; or about your body — what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds flying about! They neither plant nor harvest, nor do they gather food into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they are? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why be anxious about clothing? Think about the fields of wild irises, and how they grow. They neither work nor spin thread, 29 yet I tell you that not even Shlomo in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as one of these. 30 If this is how God clothes grass in the field — which is here today and gone tomorrow, thrown in an oven — won’t he much more clothe you? What little trust you have!
31 “So don’t be anxious, asking, ‘What will we eat?,’ ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘How will we be clothed?’ 32 For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. 33 But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Don’t worry about tomorrow — tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough tsuris already!
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“Suffering, Buddhists believe, is not caused by external sources but by our selves: our clinging, our attachments…. We can overcome our attachments. This can be done through renunciation or dispassion or detachment.” * Jesus, like the Buddha, saw clearly that we suffer anxiety when we fear losing what we are attached to. But, instead of calling for total detachment, Jesus said we can make God’s enduring righteousness and kingdom our primary attachments. He invited us to trust that God really cares for us.
Ø Jesus made the practical point that worry brings suffering, but seldom does any good (verse 27).
• Worry is usually about the past (‘I wish…”) or the future (“What if…”). Jesus called us into the present, the only “time” where we can connect with God. This is one point of contact between
Christian faith and Buddhism. “Many assume that mindfulness belongs exclusively to Buddhism or other eastern religions. Indeed, most world religions offer some form of mindfulness practice. From the very beginning, Christianity, too, practiced mindfulness.” ** How
good are you at living “right here, right now”? How will you grow in this vital spiritual practice in the coming year?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you modeled a life of peace and trust. Help me to keep learning how to live a life in which my energy can focus on your purposes rather than my fears. Amen.
* Adam Hamilton, Christianity and World Religions. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005, pp. 55-56.
** Amy Oden, Right Here, Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2017, p. 4.
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"Our 'good shepherd' provides peace"
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Psalm 23:1 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.
6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.
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“Buddhism is the only major religion that is officially non-theistic…The Buddha simply said the question of God’s existence is irrelevant for ending human suffering…. his conclusion is understandable. After all, he turned to the religious deities of his day and found no help.” *Christian faith, on the other hand, completely centers on Jesus as our strong, steadfast shepherd.
Psalm 23 said poetically that, as the Shepherd of our souls, God guides us through the messiness of our everyday lives.
• King David, who had been a shepherd (cf. 1 Samuel 17:34-36), likely composed Psalm 23. He described God as guiding him (and all God’s children) “in proper paths.” Living as we do in a culture that places great store on our freedom to choose our own path in life, how easy or difficult do you find it to trust God to point to the proper paths for your life? How can confidence that you are on the proper path reduce your anxiety about the future?
• When we think of a shepherd’s work, we can’t help but think of Jesus. Shepherds know the needs of their flock and lead them toward safety. Shepherds walk before their flock and the sheep learn to recognize their voice. Jesus spoke of himself in this way (cf. John 10:11-16). In what ways have you experienced Jesus leading you like a shepherd? Jesus said his “sheep” listen for His voice. How can you listen for Jesus’ voice today?
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for leading me every day. Even if I struggle to hear your voice, I trust that you’re there as the shepherd of my soul. Help me to see the path you’ve set before
me. Amen.
* Adam Hamilton, Christianity and World Religions. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005, pp. 55.
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"Suffering is real, but God’s power is greater"
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Romans 8:18 I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future. 19 The creation waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed; 20 for the creation was made subject to frustration — not willingly, but because of the one who subjected it. But it was given a reliable hope 21 that it too would be set free from its bondage to decay and would enjoy the freedom accompanying the glory that God’s children will have. 22 We know that until now, the whole creation has been groaning as with the pains of childbirth; 23 and not only it, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we continue waiting eagerly to be made sons — that is, to have our whole bodies redeemed and set free. 24 It was in this hope that we were saved. But if we see what we hope for, it isn’t hope — after all, who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we continue hoping for something we don’t see, then we still wait eagerly for it, with perseverance.
26 Similarly, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we don’t know how to pray the way we should. But the Spirit himself pleads on our behalf with groanings too deep for words; 27 and the one who searches hearts knows exactly what the Spirit is thinking, because his pleadings for God’s people accord with God’s will. 28 Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose;
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The Buddha focused his teaching on finding ways to avoid and end suffering. Christians have a different view. Suffering, for example, was almost constant in Paul’s life as an apostle (cf. 2
Corinthians 11:23-29). But he related to his suffering in ways that gave him strength and hope. He knew he was not alone or unique in suffering. (Creation suffers, and even the Holy Spirit groans
with us—verses 22, 26.) What’s more, he said, God can bend even our suffering to serve good purposes.
Ø “Paul is not expressing a…superficial optimism that everything tends to everybody’s good in the end.” * Verse 28 does not say (as some surface readers seem to think) that all things are good. Paul knew better than that, but he was confident that God works for our good in all things. When in your life has God’s power brought something good out of what was clearly a bad thing?
• There is mystery and comfort in verse 26: “We don’t know what we should pray, but the Spirit himself pleads our case with unexpressed groans” When have you faced so much pain that you felt “speechless” before God? How does it touch your heart to read that, at those very
hardest times, God’s Spirit intercedes on your behalf?
Prayer: Lord, teach me this week how to trust your love when so much bad stuff can happen in my life, in my world. Help me, even when I can’t fully know the “why” of suffering, to know the “who”—you!—who is with me and gives me hope. Amen.
* John Stott, The Message of Romans. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994, p. 248.)
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"Resurrection, not absorption/extinction"
Thursday, 25 January 2018
1 Corinthians 15:3 For among the first things I passed on to you was what I also received, namely this: the Messiah died for our sins, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; 4 and he was buried; and he was raised on the third day, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; 5 and he was seen by Kefa, then by the Twelve; 6 and afterwards he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, the majority of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Later he was seen by Ya‘akov, then by all the emissaries; 8 and last of all he was seen by me, even though I was born at the wrong time. 9 For I am the least of all the emissaries, unfit to be called an emissary, because I persecuted the Messianic Community of God. 10 But by God’s grace I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain; on the contrary, I have worked harder than all of them, although it was not I but the grace of God with me. 11 Anyhow, whether I or they, this is what we proclaim, and this is what you believed.
12 But if it has been proclaimed that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you are saying there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah has not been raised; 14 and if the Messiah has not been raised, then what we have proclaimed is in vain; also your trust is in vain; 15 furthermore, we are shown up as false witnesses for God in having testified that God raised up the Messiah, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then the Messiah has not been raised either; 17 and if the Messiah has not been raised, your trust is useless, and you are still in your sins. 18 Also, if this is the case, those who died in union with the Messiah are lost. 19 If it is only for this life that we have put our hope in the Messiah, we are more pitiable than anyone.
20 But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. 22 For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; 24 then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power. 25 For he has to rule until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be done away with will be death,
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Christians do not believe our life ends in absorption of our life energy back into the universe. We believe Jesus rose from the dead, and promised, “Because I live, you will live too” (John 14:19). 1
Corinthians 15 was the first written witness to Jesus’ resurrection. Paul wrote of meeting Jesus alive, and of over 500 other eyewitnesses to that reality (verses 6-7). He said if it weren’t true that Jesus overcame death, Christian faith was worthless. Scholar C. H. Dodd wrote, “The Resurrection of Jesus is not a belief that grew up within the church; it is the belief around which the
church itself grew up, and the ‘given’ upon which its faith was based.” *
Ø Jewish or Roman authorities could have easily put a stop to early Christian preaching like Paul’s: just produce Jesus’ dead body. They had all the police and military power to find the body. They didn’t, because they couldn’t—Jesus’ tomb was empty. How can Paul’s confident appeal to hundreds of still-living eyewitnesses deepen your faith in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection? What difference does it make to you that Jesus is alive today?
• “There are two ways to look at human history. One way is to focus on the wars and violence, the squalor, the pain and tragedy and death…. If I take Easter as the starting point, the one
incontrovertible fact about how God treats those whom he loves, then human history becomes the contradiction and Easter a preview of ultimate reality. Hope then flows like lava beneath the crust of daily life.” ** Which way do you choose to view history: as an ugly story of violence and pain, or as a sad but time-bounded contradiction to the hope that flows from Jesus’ resurrection?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you went where most of us most dread going—the realm of death—and you emerged victorious! Help me claim your victory, and live and die in the calm assurance of your eternal love and life. Amen.
* C. H. Dodd, The Founder of Christianity. London: The MacMillan Company, 1970, p. 103.
** Phillip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew. Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Publishing Company, 1995, pp. 219-220.
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"Finding peace, sometimes even rejoicing, in suffering"
Friday, 26 January 2018
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua., 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.
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It was amazing that in Acts 5, 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.” Paul wrote Philippians 4
in prison (cf. Philippians 1:13-14). He was not only suffering physical discomfort, but mental uncertainty. The Romans might execute him—or free him (cf. Philippians 1:20-26). Paul’s words
were not just religious “happy talk.” With every reason to be anxious and upset, like the apostles in Acts 4, he instead wrote about prayer and peace from resting in Jesus.
• “The apostles left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name.” Before Jesus’ death, the apostles had squabbled about which of them should be greatest. How had they come to understand and live into God’s priorities more clearly? How can you open your heart to God’s peace-giving power, as the apostles had?
• What did Paul say results from presenting your requests to God in prayer? Do you ever wish he’d said, “Bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions—and God will make everything come out the way you want”? What made the gift of God’s peace more precious for the condemned apostle than any other gift? In what ways does our wish for total understanding, to figure everything out logically, at times rob us of peace?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to walk every day in your peace. Keep my heart safe in your hands. Amen.
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Jesus’ two-fold path to peace"
Saturday, 27 January 2018
Matthew 22:34 but when the P’rushim learned that he had silenced the Tz’dukim, they got together, 35 and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh’eilah to trap him: 36 “Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?” 37 He told him, “‘You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’[Matthew 22:37 Deuteronomy 6:5
a] 38 This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. 39 And a second is similar to it, ‘You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’[Matthew 22:39 Leviticus 19:18] 40 All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.”
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“In general, we as Christians would affirm the first six pathways [of Buddhism] as well….and find relief from anxiety and fear by controlling our desires and thoughts.” * But underlying all such right practices, Christians see a two-fold path, or set of convictions. The central key to living a good life is to trust in, love and serve God, and to love others. Ancient Israel believed this truth—Jesus quoted the Hebrew Scriptures. Matthew, Mark and Luke all recorded what Jesus said about the greatest commandments. One key aspect of this sermon series is that Christians “get it wrong” if
we defend any other idea we see as “truth” in ways that keep us from loving God totally, and our neighbor (of any faith) as ourselves.
Ø Jesus said that all the truths we know about what God wants “depend” on the two commands he quoted. How would you explain to someone else what makes these two commands so essential? Can you recall any instance when a belief you held led you to be unloving, maybe even without realizing it at first? Scholar William Barclay wrote that Jesus called us to love God “not with a nebulous sentimentality, but with that total commitment which issues in devotion to God and practical service of men.” ** What are some of the signs that show your commitment to a task at work, to your mate or your kids, or to another important part of your life? In what
ways is your commitment to trusting in, loving and serving God adding meaning, joy and peace to your life every day?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, just two commandments—and so sweeping that they can utterly transform my way of life. Keep me focused on living out my love for you and for all the others in my world. Amen.
* Adam Hamilton, Christianity and World Religions. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005, pp. 57.
** William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of Matthew—Volume 2, Chapters 11–28 (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, p. 279.
Family Activity: Design a collage entitled “Loved by God.” Gather a variety of magazines. Also gather markers or crayons. Read Genesis 1:26-28(Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”
27 So God created humankind in his own image;
in the image of God he created him:
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them: God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth.”). Discuss how God created each person in God’s image and how God loves us all no matter our gender, race, age or size. Cut out and/or draw pictures of different types of people. Include both male and female and a range of shapes, races, ages, ethnicities, sizes and backgrounds. Also include pictures of your own family and friends! Celebrate that God created and loves every person, and that each person is made in the image of God. Thank God for loving you and all people.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
•Nancy Vaughn and family on the death of her father Allan DiSanto, 1/15
•Kristen Howell and family on the death of her grandmother Olive Heaton, 1/15
•Don Hanna and family on the death of his mother Grace Pearl Hanna, 1/12
• Lew Erickson and family on the death of her mother Lena Pauline “Polly” Erickson, 1/8
•Carol Sparrow and family on the death of her mother Dorothy “Dotty” McClung, 1/6
•Kelsey Sparrow and family on the death of her grandmother Dorothy “Dotty” McClung, 1/6
•Ron Frazier and family on the death of his mother Nancy Ann Frazier, 12/17
Romans 8:18 I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future., 28 Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose;
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua.
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Prayer Tip: Buddhism
Romans 8:18 I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future., 28 Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose;
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua.
Prayer Tip:
When I was in high school, I had a keychain that said, “God said it. I believe it. That settles it.” I believed the Bible was God’s literal word, and I was certain that anyone who didn’t personally know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior – whether an atheist or someone who practiced a non-Christian religion – was going to hell. Now that I’ve actually read most of the Bible and realize how complex it is, I realize I actually have no idea what God’s eternal plan is for anyone.
It’s more important now for me to focus on how I treat others and whether I’m following Jesus’ example of love than to worry about everyone else’s salvation. That’s not to say I think evangelism is unimportant, but sometimes our focus needs to just be on loving others.
Focusing on what we have in common as human beings and amongst different religions is not an admission that we all believe the same things. Rather, it’s an acknowledgment that, especially when we’re not going to convert each other, we are all worthy of love and respect. Maybe if we prayed more about peace amongst the believers across religions, we would be more likely to create that peace.
Holy, Loving God,
It’s a real struggle sometimes to get along with those we have minor disagreements with. When someone disagrees with something as all-encompassing as our faith, it seems almost impossible to find common ground, but we know that with You all things are possible. Help us to love and accept and even understand those whose foundational beliefs are so very different from our own. Fill our hearts and guide our steps as we strive to live out your call in the world.
In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Angela LaVallie Tinsley, Resurrection Funeral Ministry)
Read today's Insight by Angela LaVallie TinsleyAngela serves as the Funeral and Prayer Program Director, overseeing on-site funerals and assisting with prayer classes, vigils, walk, retreats, and other events. She began working at Resurrection in April 2007 and in that time has worked with the Singles, Seniors, Young Adults, and Guest Connections ministries.
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- “Where I am you will be too”
- One life rather than many
- “Saved by God’s grace”
- “Freely by his grace”
- Living with love toward others
- Or download this week's printable GPS.
Questions in this GPS marked with an arrow bullet point are particularly recommended for group discussion. Group leaders may add other discussion questions, or substitute other questions for the marked ones, at their discretion.
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"Attachments: some hurtful, some life-giving"
Monday, 22 January 2018
Matthew 6:24 No one can be slave to two masters; for he will either hate the first and love the second, or scorn the second and be loyal to the first. You can’t be a slave to both God and money.
25 “Therefore, I tell you, don’t worry about your life — what you will eat or drink; or about your body — what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds flying about! They neither plant nor harvest, nor do they gather food into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they are? 27 Can any of you by worrying add a single hour to his life?
28 “And why be anxious about clothing? Think about the fields of wild irises, and how they grow. They neither work nor spin thread, 29 yet I tell you that not even Shlomo in all his glory was clothed as beautifully as one of these. 30 If this is how God clothes grass in the field — which is here today and gone tomorrow, thrown in an oven — won’t he much more clothe you? What little trust you have!
31 “So don’t be anxious, asking, ‘What will we eat?,’ ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘How will we be clothed?’ 32 For it is the pagans who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. 33 But seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Don’t worry about tomorrow — tomorrow will worry about itself! Today has enough tsuris already!
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“Suffering, Buddhists believe, is not caused by external sources but by our selves: our clinging, our attachments…. We can overcome our attachments. This can be done through renunciation or dispassion or detachment.” * Jesus, like the Buddha, saw clearly that we suffer anxiety when we fear losing what we are attached to. But, instead of calling for total detachment, Jesus said we can make God’s enduring righteousness and kingdom our primary attachments. He invited us to trust that God really cares for us.
Ø Jesus made the practical point that worry brings suffering, but seldom does any good (verse 27).
- Are there things you spent a lot of time and energy worrying about that never happened?
- How does worry differ from wise foresight or precautions?
- In what ways, if any, have you sensed that your commitment to Jesus has reduced the “worry quotient” in your life?
- What additional worries would you like to ask Jesus to help you lay aside?
• Worry is usually about the past (‘I wish…”) or the future (“What if…”). Jesus called us into the present, the only “time” where we can connect with God. This is one point of contact between
Christian faith and Buddhism. “Many assume that mindfulness belongs exclusively to Buddhism or other eastern religions. Indeed, most world religions offer some form of mindfulness practice. From the very beginning, Christianity, too, practiced mindfulness.” ** How
good are you at living “right here, right now”? How will you grow in this vital spiritual practice in the coming year?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you modeled a life of peace and trust. Help me to keep learning how to live a life in which my energy can focus on your purposes rather than my fears. Amen.
* Adam Hamilton, Christianity and World Religions. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005, pp. 55-56.
** Amy Oden, Right Here, Right Now: The Practice of Christian Mindfulness. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2017, p. 4.
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"Our 'good shepherd' provides peace"
Tuesday, 23 January 2018
Psalm 23:1 (0) A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
2 He has me lie down in grassy pastures,
he leads me by quiet water,
3 he restores my inner person.
He guides me in right paths
for the sake of his own name.
4 Even if I pass through death-dark ravines,
I will fear no disaster; for you are with me;
your rod and staff reassure me.
5 You prepare a table for me,
even as my enemies watch;
you anoint my head with oil
from an overflowing cup.
6 Goodness and grace will pursue me
every day of my life;
and I will live in the house of Adonai
for years and years to come.
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“Buddhism is the only major religion that is officially non-theistic…The Buddha simply said the question of God’s existence is irrelevant for ending human suffering…. his conclusion is understandable. After all, he turned to the religious deities of his day and found no help.” *Christian faith, on the other hand, completely centers on Jesus as our strong, steadfast shepherd.
Psalm 23 said poetically that, as the Shepherd of our souls, God guides us through the messiness of our everyday lives.
• King David, who had been a shepherd (cf. 1 Samuel 17:34-36), likely composed Psalm 23. He described God as guiding him (and all God’s children) “in proper paths.” Living as we do in a culture that places great store on our freedom to choose our own path in life, how easy or difficult do you find it to trust God to point to the proper paths for your life? How can confidence that you are on the proper path reduce your anxiety about the future?
• When we think of a shepherd’s work, we can’t help but think of Jesus. Shepherds know the needs of their flock and lead them toward safety. Shepherds walk before their flock and the sheep learn to recognize their voice. Jesus spoke of himself in this way (cf. John 10:11-16). In what ways have you experienced Jesus leading you like a shepherd? Jesus said his “sheep” listen for His voice. How can you listen for Jesus’ voice today?
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for leading me every day. Even if I struggle to hear your voice, I trust that you’re there as the shepherd of my soul. Help me to see the path you’ve set before
me. Amen.
* Adam Hamilton, Christianity and World Religions. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005, pp. 55.
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"Suffering is real, but God’s power is greater"
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Romans 8:18 I don’t think the sufferings we are going through now are even worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us in the future. 19 The creation waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed; 20 for the creation was made subject to frustration — not willingly, but because of the one who subjected it. But it was given a reliable hope 21 that it too would be set free from its bondage to decay and would enjoy the freedom accompanying the glory that God’s children will have. 22 We know that until now, the whole creation has been groaning as with the pains of childbirth; 23 and not only it, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we continue waiting eagerly to be made sons — that is, to have our whole bodies redeemed and set free. 24 It was in this hope that we were saved. But if we see what we hope for, it isn’t hope — after all, who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we continue hoping for something we don’t see, then we still wait eagerly for it, with perseverance.
26 Similarly, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we don’t know how to pray the way we should. But the Spirit himself pleads on our behalf with groanings too deep for words; 27 and the one who searches hearts knows exactly what the Spirit is thinking, because his pleadings for God’s people accord with God’s will. 28 Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose;
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The Buddha focused his teaching on finding ways to avoid and end suffering. Christians have a different view. Suffering, for example, was almost constant in Paul’s life as an apostle (cf. 2
Corinthians 11:23-29). But he related to his suffering in ways that gave him strength and hope. He knew he was not alone or unique in suffering. (Creation suffers, and even the Holy Spirit groans
with us—verses 22, 26.) What’s more, he said, God can bend even our suffering to serve good purposes.
Ø “Paul is not expressing a…superficial optimism that everything tends to everybody’s good in the end.” * Verse 28 does not say (as some surface readers seem to think) that all things are good. Paul knew better than that, but he was confident that God works for our good in all things. When in your life has God’s power brought something good out of what was clearly a bad thing?
• There is mystery and comfort in verse 26: “We don’t know what we should pray, but the Spirit himself pleads our case with unexpressed groans” When have you faced so much pain that you felt “speechless” before God? How does it touch your heart to read that, at those very
hardest times, God’s Spirit intercedes on your behalf?
Prayer: Lord, teach me this week how to trust your love when so much bad stuff can happen in my life, in my world. Help me, even when I can’t fully know the “why” of suffering, to know the “who”—you!—who is with me and gives me hope. Amen.
* John Stott, The Message of Romans. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1994, p. 248.)
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"Resurrection, not absorption/extinction"
Thursday, 25 January 2018
1 Corinthians 15:3 For among the first things I passed on to you was what I also received, namely this: the Messiah died for our sins, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; 4 and he was buried; and he was raised on the third day, in accordance with what the Tanakh says; 5 and he was seen by Kefa, then by the Twelve; 6 and afterwards he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, the majority of whom are still alive, though some have died. 7 Later he was seen by Ya‘akov, then by all the emissaries; 8 and last of all he was seen by me, even though I was born at the wrong time. 9 For I am the least of all the emissaries, unfit to be called an emissary, because I persecuted the Messianic Community of God. 10 But by God’s grace I am what I am, and his grace towards me was not in vain; on the contrary, I have worked harder than all of them, although it was not I but the grace of God with me. 11 Anyhow, whether I or they, this is what we proclaim, and this is what you believed.
12 But if it has been proclaimed that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, how is it that some of you are saying there is no such thing as a resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then the Messiah has not been raised; 14 and if the Messiah has not been raised, then what we have proclaimed is in vain; also your trust is in vain; 15 furthermore, we are shown up as false witnesses for God in having testified that God raised up the Messiah, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then the Messiah has not been raised either; 17 and if the Messiah has not been raised, your trust is useless, and you are still in your sins. 18 Also, if this is the case, those who died in union with the Messiah are lost. 19 If it is only for this life that we have put our hope in the Messiah, we are more pitiable than anyone.
20 But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. 21 For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. 22 For just as in connection with Adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; 24 then the culmination, when he hands over the Kingdom to God the Father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power. 25 For he has to rule until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be done away with will be death,
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Christians do not believe our life ends in absorption of our life energy back into the universe. We believe Jesus rose from the dead, and promised, “Because I live, you will live too” (John 14:19). 1
Corinthians 15 was the first written witness to Jesus’ resurrection. Paul wrote of meeting Jesus alive, and of over 500 other eyewitnesses to that reality (verses 6-7). He said if it weren’t true that Jesus overcame death, Christian faith was worthless. Scholar C. H. Dodd wrote, “The Resurrection of Jesus is not a belief that grew up within the church; it is the belief around which the
church itself grew up, and the ‘given’ upon which its faith was based.” *
Ø Jewish or Roman authorities could have easily put a stop to early Christian preaching like Paul’s: just produce Jesus’ dead body. They had all the police and military power to find the body. They didn’t, because they couldn’t—Jesus’ tomb was empty. How can Paul’s confident appeal to hundreds of still-living eyewitnesses deepen your faith in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection? What difference does it make to you that Jesus is alive today?
• “There are two ways to look at human history. One way is to focus on the wars and violence, the squalor, the pain and tragedy and death…. If I take Easter as the starting point, the one
incontrovertible fact about how God treats those whom he loves, then human history becomes the contradiction and Easter a preview of ultimate reality. Hope then flows like lava beneath the crust of daily life.” ** Which way do you choose to view history: as an ugly story of violence and pain, or as a sad but time-bounded contradiction to the hope that flows from Jesus’ resurrection?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you went where most of us most dread going—the realm of death—and you emerged victorious! Help me claim your victory, and live and die in the calm assurance of your eternal love and life. Amen.
* C. H. Dodd, The Founder of Christianity. London: The MacMillan Company, 1970, p. 103.
** Phillip Yancey, The Jesus I Never Knew. Grand Rapids, MI: The Zondervan Publishing Company, 1995, pp. 219-220.
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"Finding peace, sometimes even rejoicing, in suffering"
Friday, 26 January 2018
Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; on the contrary, make your requests known to God by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving. 7 Then God’s shalom, passing all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in union with the Messiah Yeshua., 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.
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It was amazing that in Acts 5, 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.” Paul wrote Philippians 4
in prison (cf. Philippians 1:13-14). He was not only suffering physical discomfort, but mental uncertainty. The Romans might execute him—or free him (cf. Philippians 1:20-26). Paul’s words
were not just religious “happy talk.” With every reason to be anxious and upset, like the apostles in Acts 4, he instead wrote about prayer and peace from resting in Jesus.
• “The apostles left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name.” Before Jesus’ death, the apostles had squabbled about which of them should be greatest. How had they come to understand and live into God’s priorities more clearly? How can you open your heart to God’s peace-giving power, as the apostles had?
• What did Paul say results from presenting your requests to God in prayer? Do you ever wish he’d said, “Bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions—and God will make everything come out the way you want”? What made the gift of God’s peace more precious for the condemned apostle than any other gift? In what ways does our wish for total understanding, to figure everything out logically, at times rob us of peace?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I want to walk every day in your peace. Keep my heart safe in your hands. Amen.
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Jesus’ two-fold path to peace"
Saturday, 27 January 2018
Matthew 22:34 but when the P’rushim learned that he had silenced the Tz’dukim, they got together, 35 and one of them who was a Torah expert asked a sh’eilah to trap him: 36 “Rabbi, which of the mitzvot in the Torah is the most important?” 37 He told him, “‘You are to love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.’[Matthew 22:37 Deuteronomy 6:5
a] 38 This is the greatest and most important mitzvah. 39 And a second is similar to it, ‘You are to love your neighbor as yourself.’[Matthew 22:39 Leviticus 19:18] 40 All of the Torah and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvot.”
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“In general, we as Christians would affirm the first six pathways [of Buddhism] as well….and find relief from anxiety and fear by controlling our desires and thoughts.” * But underlying all such right practices, Christians see a two-fold path, or set of convictions. The central key to living a good life is to trust in, love and serve God, and to love others. Ancient Israel believed this truth—Jesus quoted the Hebrew Scriptures. Matthew, Mark and Luke all recorded what Jesus said about the greatest commandments. One key aspect of this sermon series is that Christians “get it wrong” if
we defend any other idea we see as “truth” in ways that keep us from loving God totally, and our neighbor (of any faith) as ourselves.
Ø Jesus said that all the truths we know about what God wants “depend” on the two commands he quoted. How would you explain to someone else what makes these two commands so essential? Can you recall any instance when a belief you held led you to be unloving, maybe even without realizing it at first? Scholar William Barclay wrote that Jesus called us to love God “not with a nebulous sentimentality, but with that total commitment which issues in devotion to God and practical service of men.” ** What are some of the signs that show your commitment to a task at work, to your mate or your kids, or to another important part of your life? In what
ways is your commitment to trusting in, loving and serving God adding meaning, joy and peace to your life every day?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, just two commandments—and so sweeping that they can utterly transform my way of life. Keep me focused on living out my love for you and for all the others in my world. Amen.
* Adam Hamilton, Christianity and World Religions. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005, pp. 57.
** William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: The Gospel of Matthew—Volume 2, Chapters 11–28 (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, p. 279.
Family Activity: Design a collage entitled “Loved by God.” Gather a variety of magazines. Also gather markers or crayons. Read Genesis 1:26-28(Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image, in the likeness of ourselves; and let them rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air, the animals, and over all the earth, and over every crawling creature that crawls on the earth.”
27 So God created humankind in his own image;
in the image of God he created him:
male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them: God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea, the birds in the air and every living creature that crawls on the earth.”). Discuss how God created each person in God’s image and how God loves us all no matter our gender, race, age or size. Cut out and/or draw pictures of different types of people. Include both male and female and a range of shapes, races, ages, ethnicities, sizes and backgrounds. Also include pictures of your own family and friends! Celebrate that God created and loves every person, and that each person is made in the image of God. Thank God for loving you and all people.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
•Nancy Vaughn and family on the death of her father Allan DiSanto, 1/15
•Kristen Howell and family on the death of her grandmother Olive Heaton, 1/15
•Don Hanna and family on the death of his mother Grace Pearl Hanna, 1/12
• Lew Erickson and family on the death of her mother Lena Pauline “Polly” Erickson, 1/8
•Carol Sparrow and family on the death of her mother Dorothy “Dotty” McClung, 1/6
•Kelsey Sparrow and family on the death of her grandmother Dorothy “Dotty” McClung, 1/6
•Ron Frazier and family on the death of his mother Nancy Ann Frazier, 12/17
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Buddhism vs. Christianity
Diffen › Philosophy › Religion › Christianity
Buddhism is centered upon the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha, whereas Christianity is centered on the Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ. Buddhism is a nontheistic religion, i.e., it does not believe in a supreme creator being a.k.a. God. Christianity is a monotheistic religion and believes that Christ Is the Son Of God.
Buddhism is an offshoot of Hinduism and is a Dharmic religion. Christianity is an offshoot of Judaism and is an Abrahamic religion.
Comparison chart
| Buddhism | Christianity | |
|---|---|---|
| Place of worship | Buddhist monasteries, temples, shrines. | Church, chapel, cathedral, basilica, home bible study, personal dwellings. |
| Place of origin | Indian subcontinent | Roman province of Judea. |
| Practices | Meditation, the Eightfold Path; right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration | Prayer, sacraments (some branches), worship in church, reading of the Bible, acts of charity, communion. |
| Founder | The Buddha (born as Prince Siddhartha) | The Lord Jesus Christ. |
| Use of statues and pictures | Common. Statues are used as meditation objects, and revered as they reflect the qualities of the Buddha. | In Catholic & Orthodox Churches. |
| Life after death | Rebirth is one of the central beliefs of Buddhism. We are in an endless cycle of birth, death and re-birth, which can only be broken by attaining nirvana. Attaining nirvana is the only way to escape suffering permanently. | Eternity in Heaven or Hell, in some cases temporal Purgatory. |
| Goal of religion | To attain enlightenment and be released from the cycle of rebirth and death, thus attaining Nirvana. | To love God and obey his commandments while creating a relationship with Jesus Christ and spreading the Gospel so that others may also be saved. |
| Clergy | The Buddhist Sangha, composed of bhikkhus (male monks) and bhikkhunis (female nuns). The sangha is supported by lay Buddhists. | Priests, bishops, ministers, monks, and nuns. |
| Belief of God | The idea of an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent creator is rejected by Buddhists. The Buddha himself refuted the theistic argument that the universe was created by a self-conscious, personal God. | One God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. |
| Literal Meaning | Buddhists are those who follow the teachings of the Buddha. | Follower Of Christ. |
| Human Nature | Ignorance, as all sentient beings. In the Buddhist texts, it is seen that when Gautama, after his awakening, was asked whether he was a normal human being, he replied, "No". | Man has inherited "original sin" from Adam. Mankind then is inherently evil and is in need of forgiveness of sin. By knowing right and wrong Christians choose their actions. Humans are a fallen, broken race in need of salvation and repair by God. |
| Scriptures | Tripitaka - a vast canon composed of 3 sections: the Discourses, the Discipline and the Commentaries, and some early scriptures, such as the Gandhara texts. | The Holy Bible |
| Means of salvation | Reaching Enlightenment or Nirvana, following the Noble Eightfold Path. | Through Christ's Passion, Death, and Resurrection. |
| Marriage | It is not a religious duty to marry. Monks and nuns do not marry and are celibate. Advice in the Discourses on how to maintain a happy and harmonious marriage. | A Holy Sacrament. |
| Holy days/Official Holidays | Vesak day in which the birth, the awakening, and the parinirvana of the Buddha is celebrated. | The Lord's Day; Advent, Christmas; New Year, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, every day is dedicated to a Saint. |
| Original Language(s) | Pali(Theravada tradition) and Sanskrit(Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition) | Aramaic, Greek, and Latin. |
| Geographical distribution and predominance | (Majority or strong influence) Mainly in Thailand, Cambodia, Sri lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Japan, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Other small minorities exist in other countries. | Europe, North and South America, and Australia and New Zealand. |
| View of the Buddha | The highest teacher and the founder of Buddhism, the all-transcending sage. | N/A. |
| Confessing sins | Sin is not a Buddhist concept. | Protestants confess straight to God, Catholic confess mortal sins to a Priest, and venial sins straight to God (Orthodox have similar practice) Anglicans confess to Priests but considered optional. God always forgives sins in Jesus. |
| Followers | Buddhists | Christian (followers of Christ) |
| View of other Dharmic religions | Since the word Dharma means doctrine, law, way, teaching, or discipline, other Dharmas are rejected. | N/A |
| Goal of Philosophy | To eliminate mental suffering. | Objective reality. Worship of God who created life, the universe, and is eternal. Christianity has its own philosophy, found in the the Bible. That philosophy is Salvation from sin, through the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ. |
| Symbols | The conch, endless knot, fish, lotus, parasol, vase, dharmachakra (Wheel of Dharma), and victory banner. | Cross, ichthys ("Jesus fish"), Mary and baby Jesus. |
| Religious Law | The Dharma. | Has existed among Catholics in the form of canon law. |
| Place and Time of origin | The origin of Buddhism points to one man, Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who was born in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal). He became enlightened at Bodhgaya, India and delivered his first set of teachings at a deer park in Sarnath, India. | Jerusalem, approx. 33 AD. |
| Religion which atheists may still be adherents of | Yes. | No. |
| Status of Vedas | The Buddha rejected the 5 Vedas, according to the dialogues seen in the nikayas. | N/A. |
| Authority of Dalai Lama | Dalai Lamas are tulkus of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. They are cultural figures and are independent of the doctrinal basis of Buddhism. | N/A. |
| Population | 500-600 million | Over a billion adherents worldwide. |
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