The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Friday, 01 July 2016 - "Adopted: welcomed into the family"

The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States for Friday, 01 July 2016 - "Adopted: welcomed into the family"
Daily Scripture: Galatians 4:4 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.

Micah 6:6 “With what can I come before Adonai

to bow down before God on high?

Should I come before him with burnt offerings?

with calves in their first year?

7 Would Adonai take delight in thousands of rams

with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Could I give my firstborn to pay for my crimes,

the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”

8 Human being, you have already been told

what is good, what Adonai demands of you —

no more than to act justly, love grace

and walk in purity with your God.

Reflection Questions:
“Many of the qualities that come so effortlessly to dogs—loyalty, devotion, selflessness, unflagging optimism, unqualified love—can be elusive to humans.”[John Grogan (Author)]
Wayside Waifs came out to Resurrection last weekend. They do a great job saving animals and encouraging people to adopt them. (You can learn more at www.waysidewaifs.org.) That’s one way for us to live out God’s call to “do justice,” to “embrace faithful love.” But it also reminds us that one image Paul used for God’s salvation was to say that God adopts us. When we might otherwise be on a course leading to eternal darkness, God takes us into the safety of heaven’s family.

• Slavery was common in Paul’s day—it was the main backdrop for the word “redeem” in Galatians 4:5. Imagine how a slave would feel if the person who owned them said, “I’m adopting you. You’re now a full member of the family, not a slave.” Do you tend to live more as God’s “slave,” fearful and frustrated, or as God’s beloved daughter or son? How can you more fully accept your adoption, your complete “belonging” in God’s family?
• Micah ironically portrayed people who wanted to please God through religious rituals. The proposed sacrifices in verses 6-7 got bigger, ending with child sacrifice, a ghastly practice of some of Israel’s neighbors. God didn’t want that, but called us “to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.” What do these requirements tell you about what God is like? How can adopting a pet be one way to live them out? In what other ways does your lifestyle reflect your choice to “walk humbly” with your God?

Today’s Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to live in ways that honor and please you. Help me to offer you my heart, my inner being, before I offer you anything else, and then guide me each day. Amen.
-------Insights from 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 & a men’s group, and serves on the Curriculum team.
Even though I wasn’t allowed have a dog growing up, I’ve been a dog lover my entire life. (My parents were of the “dogs need lots of space to run & play” School of Cynology. Huh? – Editor. The study of matters related to domesticated dogs – DL.) One attempt to guilt my parents into giving me a dog was when I was in 3rd grade – I propped up an old Hush Puppy shoe-box-lid & for a week set bowls of food & water in front of my new friend, “Henry.” Alas, they still didn’t budge.

Fortunately, my bride has allowed me to fulfill my dog-loving passion. I empathize with the elderly lady who was explaining why her dog was her natural soul mate: she & her dog both loved naps, both were terrified of thunder, & both viewed the vacuum with great contempt. I also like the old codger who got a dog for protection. He instantly knows if someone is coming up the drive or is at the door – his new friend scurries to hide under the bed.
I walk our two beagles, Maggie Doo & Sally Sue, twice a day.

Our 5:45 a.m. morning walk is also my time for prayer & preparation as we make a lap through our neighborhood. Our afternoon/early evening walk is a nice coda to the day; allowing time to place the days’ worries & concerns into proper perspective.
I would submit dogs might also illustrate some theological insights. Let’s consider 3 possible examples.
During our morning walks, we tend to see a lot of rabbits. What makes it particularly frustrating is that the rabbits, apparently knowing Maggie & Sally are leashed, don’t scamper to safety but rather just hop a mere 4-5 sidewalk squares ahead of us. This continues 2-3 times before they’ll finally scoot between some fence boards into the sanctuary of a nearby backyard. This of course aggravates Maggie & Sally to no end. They’ll bark & howl to try to intimidate the rabbits, but to no avail. Finally, after the rabbits are not longer in sight, Maggie & Sally will give themselves a violent shake, as if to say, “Time to move on & forget those rude rabbits. Someday, though…” Perhaps we need to get into the habit of shaking off our daily frustrations & take inspiration from Galatians 6:9 and “let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap – if we do not grow weary.”
During our afternoon walks, Maggie & Sally, have made a habit to veer off the sidewalk to go visit Fred, an elderly basset hound. They stop & the trio give each other a once over & I give Fred a scratch behind his long ears. Sometimes Fred is up on the deck so we have to wait as he slowly stretches each of his back legs, as he trundles down the stairs one step at a time, & then as he moseys over to meet us at the gate. Maybe we could do a better job of appreciating our elders & not being in such a rush. As it says in Leviticus 19:32, “Stand up in the presence of the elderly, & show respect for the aged.”
Finally, one of the great benefits of telecommuting is I get to have Maggie & Sally visit me in my office. We have a window seat filled with blankets/pillows so they can burrow & get snuggled any time they want. They can still look out the window in case they need to say hello to one of their friends as they go by. One of Sally’s favorite spots, though, is on our living room couch. She goes there when she is in need of total relaxation. Here’s a shot of her in all her glory:

Perhaps we, too, need to find a time each day where we can experience pure tranquility, a time where we can feel God’s arms envelop us from the irritations of the day, a time where we can feel renewed & refreshed. As Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary & burdened, and I will give you rest.”
So, maybe our furry friends can point out ways to improve our faith journey. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s getting late; I need to brush my teeth, wash my face, & circle our bed 3 times before getting ready to go to sleep.

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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue

Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States

913.897.0120
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