The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Lenexa, Kansas, United States Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Thursday, 26 March 2015 - "Paradise - lost and restored"

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection of Lenexa, Kansas, United States Daily Guide grow. pray. study. for Thursday, 26 March 2015 - "Paradise - lost and restored"
Daily Scripture: Genesis 2: (A: iv, S: ii) 4 Here is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created. On the day when Adonai, God, made earth and heaven, 5 there was as yet no wild bush on the earth, and no wild plant had as yet sprung up; for Adonai, God, had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no one to cultivate the ground. 6 Rather, a mist went up from the earth which watered the entire surface of the ground.

7 Then Adonai, God, formed a person [a] from the dust of the ground [b] and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, so that he became a living being. 8 Adonai, God, planted a garden toward the east, in ‘Eden, and there he put the person whom he had formed. 9 Out of the ground Adonai, God, caused to grow every tree pleasing in appearance and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.[Footnotes:

Genesis 2:7 Hebrew: adam

Genesis 2:7 Hebrew: adamah]

Revelation 21:23 The city has no need for the sun or the moon to shine on it, because God’s Sh’khinah gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. 25 Its gates will never close, they stay open all day because night will not exist there, 26 and the honor and splendor of the nations will be brought into it. 27 Nothing impure may enter it, nor anyone who does shameful things or lies; the only ones who may enter are those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

22:1 Next the angel showed me the river of the water of life, sparkling like crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 Between the main street and the river was the Tree of Life producing twelve kinds of fruit, a different kind every month; and the leaves of the tree were for healing the nations — 3 no longer will there be any curses. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 Night will no longer exist, so they will need neither the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because Adonai, God, will shine upon them. And they will reign as kings forever and ever.

Reflection Questions:

Luke quoted Jesus as saying, "You will be with me in Paradise." "Paradise" was a Persian word meaning "walled garden." Genesis didn't specifically use the word "paradise," but the picture of the original Garden clearly drew on that idea. Revelation 2:7 said the tree of life is in Paradise, so the beautiful final garden at the end of the book is a sparkling picture of Paradise restored to God's original intention.

• Scholar William Barclay noted, "When a Persian king wished to do one of his subjects a special honor…he was chosen to walk in the garden with the king." We sometimes get stuck trying to figure out the details of what "Paradise" is like, but Jesus' promise on the cross gave the most crucial detail: you’ll be "with me." Picture yourself taking a walk with Jesus in a royal garden. What do you say? What does he say to you?
• In a world that relied on walls and strong gates to shut out danger, Revelation said of God's eternal city: "On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there" (Revelation21:25). What "walls and gates" do we count on for safety in today's world? What worries does confidence in God's eternal garden calm? How can Christ's presence with you today calm your fears?

Today's Prayer:

Lord God, what an awesome promise—I can live in your eternal garden, your holy city, where the gates are never closed! Help me live with hope, in the light of that lovely place. Amen.

Insight from Amy Oden Dr. Amy Oden is Professor of Early Church History and Spirituality at Saint Paul School of Theology at OCU. Teaching is her calling, and she looks forward to every day with students. For 25 years, Amy has taught theology and history, pursuing scholarship in service of the church.   I love these questions raised in the GPS for today. “Picture yourself taking a walk with Jesus in a royal garden. What do you say? What does he say to you?” It took many years into my Christian walk for me to let Jesus walk with me in everyday life. It’s so easy to keep Jesus at arm’s length, to keep him safely on pages inside the Bible, or to put him on a pedestal, or even to keep him on a cloudsomewhere at a distance. The good news in these verses from Revelation is that God’s deepest desire is to share our lives, to dwell with us. That is paradise–to dwell in God’s abundant life. For me, this is a daily awakening to the presence of God in my life, here and now. The Holy One who created me has created a home for me, and for all of us, in this paradise flowing with abundant life for all. Today, right now, stop and close your eyes. Breathe deeply and relax. Picture yourself with Jesus, walking leisurely through a lush garden. What does it look like? Smell like? What are your feelings as you walk along beside him? Let him call you by name. Just be with Jesus and see what happens.

Church of the Resurrection

gpsonline@cor.org

The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection

13720 Roe Avenue

Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
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