Grow. Pray. Study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection for Saturday, 22 February 2014 "Using the physical Temple to build a living temple"
Daily Scripture: Acts 5:12 By the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. They were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch. 13 None of the rest dared to join them, however the people honored them. 14 More believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women.
1 Peter 2:1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious: 4 coming to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. 5 You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Because it is contained in Scripture,
“Behold,[a] I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen, and precious:
He who believes in him will not be disappointed.”[b]
7 For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected,
has become the chief cornerstone,”[c]
8 and,
“a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”[d]
For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 10 who in time past were no people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Footnotes:
a. 1 Peter 2:6 “Behold”, from “הִנֵּה” or “ἰδοὺ”, means look at, take notice, observe, see, or gaze at. It is often used as an interjection.
b. 1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16
c. 1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22
d. 1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14
Reflection Question:
The very first Christian community in Jerusalem, perhaps surprisingly, used the Temple as a worship and prayer center. Despite the tragedy of Jesus' rejection and crucifixion, they still found it a good place to meet with God and one another. God worked through that building, and many others in history, as tools to transform human lives into the kind of spiritual temple Peter described.
In what ways do you resonate with the idea that you have been "called out of darkness" into God's amazing light? What type(s) of darkness has God had to dispel in your life? What steps do you take to keep Christ as the cornerstone of your life? As one of God's people ("a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are God's own possession"—wow!), how will you live so that others may know God's love and mercy?
Family Activity:
What is your family's experience going to church each week? Are you excited, happy and joyful? Do you complain about the weather and the walk from the parking lot? Do you struggle to get dressed and out the door on time? Is your home filled with words of encouragement, or hollering and hurried words? To help you remember you are going to God's house for worship, try playing some praise music as you prepare. Maybe you could say a prayer for a soft heart and positive spirit the afternoon or evening before you go. Read a Bible story to help center your mind on God. Nothing works perfectly in family life, but choose a way to focus on this next week, and find a more fulfilling experience in God's house!
Today's Prayer:
Dear God, mold and shape me into a faithful follower of your way. Guide me as l seek to live as a person who has received mercy, grace and forgiveness. I pray this in the name of Christ, the cornerstone of my faith. Amen.
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Insight from Rev. Lisa Holliday
Rev. Lisa Holliday serves as the Minister of Children and their Families at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.
Read and Reflect:
(Head)
The cornerstone of any building is critical, due to the fact that all other stones will be set in reference to it, therefore determining the position of the entire structure. In churches, the cornerstone often includes the date it was set, the name of the building’s architect and an inspirational or Scriptural inscription. Though the cornerstone of the building is made
of stone, the cornerstone of the church itself, its people, is Jesus Christ, whose very life expresses the message of love and hope to the world.
Pastor Paul Cedar wrote, “A spiritual temple requires a very specific kind of building material. It is to be built of living stones—the very lives of those who have become spiritually alive through faith in Jesus Christ. And such building must begin with Jesus Christ.” This is the message of 1 Peter 2:1-10.
1 Peter 2 begins with clear instructions for believers in Christ to get rid of sin, specifically those sins which have the capability to destroy love between one another including envy, slander and malice. Christ’s followers are then given the image that physical buildings are not the actual church. They are tools God can use to help build us, God’s people, into living stones and a living temple where God’s spirit lives and moves, carrying Christ’s message of love and peace to the world.
Readers and hearers of 1 Peter are reminded of the good news they have heard—that Christ is the chosen, precious and living cornerstone. Christ is not static or cold. Christ is alive and life-giving, and because we are joined to him, we are chosen, precious and alive as well. With that affirmation, we are then called to live faithfully in the light of that good news.
Prayer and Meditation
(Heart)
Dear God, thank you for a place and space where I can come to worship you. Thank you for warm, safe, beautiful buildings that offer comfort, security and room to learn and fellowship. Forgive me when I forget that these are simply buildings, and help me remember that as I live beyond them, I am called to share your light and love with the world. Forgive me when I display qualities that do not represent your grace and mercy, and remind me that you and your spirit live within me. Though the walls of these building structures are hard, please keep my heart soft to you and to the needs of your people. Mold and shape me into a faithful follower of your way, and guide me as I seek to live as one of your people who has received mercy, grace and forgiveness. Help me live among all people in a spirit of love and peace. I pray this in the name of Christ, the cornerstone on whom my faith is built,
Amen.
Be, Do & Go
(Hands)
Spend some time walking through the church buildings. Discover KiDS COR, rezlife, Congregational Care, Wesley Chapel, Firestone Chapel, the Sanctuary, the Connection Point and the parking lots. Think about what happens in each area and how each part of the buildings and surroundings express Christ as the cornerstone of our lives and faith. As you prepare to leave the buildings, imagine how you can carry those expressions of the Christian faith into the world. If you were reminded about God’s love and joy on your walk, how will you carry those into your life outside of the church walls? If the comfort, care and hospitality of Christ were areas of focus, what will you do to share those with others? How will you be a living temple for Christ as you leave the physical temple? Pray and ask God to guide you.
For Discussion:
Use this section to help prompt discussion with your spouse, children, small group, etc.
1. What sins do you need to rid yourself of so you can be a holy, living temple for God?
2. How do you keep Christ as the cornerstone of your life?
3. How does it feel to be called out of darkness into God’s marvelous light?
4. As one of God’s people, how will you live so that others may know the love and
mercy of God?
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