The Daily Guide. grow. pray. study. from The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, Kansas, United States "Our deep need for connectedness" for Wednesday, 25 January 2017Genesis 2:18 Adonai, God, said, “It isn’t good that the person should be alone. I will make for him a companion suitable for helping him.”
Ecclesiastes 4:7 Then I turned my attention to something else under the sun that is pointless: 8 the situation in which a solitary individual without a companion, with neither son nor brother, keeps on working endlessly but never has enough wealth. “For whom” [he should ask], “am I working so hard and denying myself pleasure?” This too is truly pointless, a sorry business.
9 Two are better than one, in that their cooperative efforts yield this advantage: 10 if one of them falls, the other will help his partner up — woe to him who is alone when he falls and has no one to help him up. 11 Again, if two people sleep together, they keep each other warm; but how can one person be warm by himself? 12 Moreover, an attacker may defeat someone who is alone, but two can resist him; and a three-stranded cord is not easily broken.
John 14:18 I will not leave you orphans — I am coming to you. 19 In just a little while, the world will no longer see me; but you will see me. Because I live, you too will live.
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News reports, and mission partners in various parts of Africa, have showed us the plight of more than 100 million orphans and vulnerable children due to the AIDS epidemic. Genesis 2 stated a human truth: it isn’t good for us to be all alone. And Jesus, in a land where poor health and Roman violence left many children orphaned, used that image to promise his followers that, whatever befell their human connections, he would never leave them as orphans. Through the Holy Spirit, he would always be with them.
• Sometimes seen as bitter and cynical, the wisdom teacher of Ecclesiastes warmly valued human friendship. “Two are better than one,” he wrote. They “can help each other, can keep each other warm and safe.”* Then he added that “a three-ply cord doesn’t easily snap,” which “may imply that three companions are even better than two.”* In what ways have you found value in doing things with another person or two, rather than all alone?
• In John 14, Jesus gave his followers a glimpse into the mysteries of God. He preceded the verses we read today by promising to send “another Companion” (Greek paraclete, which meant companion, helper, advocate and comforter, and referred to the Holy Spirit). Then he said, “I will come to you”—in other words, the Spirit’s presence was his presence. When have you sensed Jesus’ comfort, protection or uplift without a visible presence giving it to you?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for keeping your promise not to leave me as an orphan. Teach me how to claim you as my Companion and Comforter, even when my circumstances seem the hardest. Amen.
* Brent A. Strawn, study notes on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 1061 OT.
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How rich are you? How wealthy have you become? Depends, right?
I have found this quote to be incredibly helpful. “Belongings are not our possessions, they are our relationships. Who belongs to us and who do we belong to?” (Joseph Myers, The Search to Belong) How many belongings do you have? How many precious belongings do you have? If we measure wealth by this definition, would we say we were rich or poor?
A few years back I was reading Myers’ book and then drove by a low income apartment complex. Outside the complex, I saw ten adults sitting by the grill and about fifteen kids playing soccer. I realized that every person there, including the children, were richer than me.
Building relationships can be difficult, but it is worth your time. Work at it. Put effort into getting rich. You can do this by joining a small group at Grow Night or Care Night. You can do this by worshiping God in person, with a bonus for arriving a little earlier and staying a little later to learn people’s names. These are just a few ideas. What are some of your own?
Doing life together is God’s picture of the Godly life. God wants you to have a lot of ‘Belongings.’
STEVEN BLAIRSteven Blair is the Congregational Care Pastor of Live Forward and Live Well Emotional Wellness Ministry at Church of the Resurrection.
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"God calls us to provide community for those who are alone" for Thursday, 26 January 2017
James 1:26 Anyone who thinks he is religiously observant but does not control his tongue is deceiving himself, and his observance counts for nothing. 27 The religious observance that God the Father considers pure and faultless is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being contaminated by the world.
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True devotion to God, James said, doesn’t show itself in grand words, whether they are lofty or angry. Our devotion shows most truly as we actively care for and help those who have to face the world alone. That can be as simple as extending friendship and human warmth to those whose circumstances leave them alone, or as demanding as becoming foster or adoptive parents (for information on Resurrection’s Foster and Adopt ministry, go to cor.org/achildshope).
• In the Roman empire, ordinary Christians suffered from social and legal persecution. But life in those conditions was even harder for orphans and widows, who had no family and no legal standing at all to protect them. Which, James asked, would help them more—a biting, angry tirade against the tyrants, or a tangible act of love and assistance? How can we apply the principle behind his words to situations we face today?
• “Orphans and widows in the Old Testament symbolize the most unfortunate members of society (see Exod. 22:22-24).”* If James were writing today, who might he list in his letter as among the most unfortunate members of society? As you think about those people, is your heart moved with compassion, or do you find it uncomfortable and try to put them out of your mind?
Prayer: Lord God, I’m devoted to you—after all, I read the GPS. Give me the insight and the courage to find tangible ways to live out that devotion, serving you by serving others who are alone and hurting. Amen.
* Patrick J. Hartin, study notes on James 1:27 in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 456 NT.
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"God knows and loves you, inside and out" for Friday, 27 January 2017
Psalm 139:(0) For the leader. A psalm of David:
(1) Adonai, you have probed me, and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I stand up,
you discern my inclinations from afar,
3 you scrutinize my daily activities.
You are so familiar with all my ways
4 that before I speak even a word, Adonai,
you know all about it already.
5 You have hemmed me in both behind and in front
and laid your hand on me.
6 Such wonderful knowledge is beyond me,
far too high for me to reach.
7 Where can I go to escape your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I climb up to heaven, you are there;
if I lie down in Sh’ol, you are there.
9 If I fly away with the wings of the dawn
and land beyond the sea,
10 even there your hand would lead me,
your right hand would hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Let darkness surround me,
let the light around me be night,”
12 even darkness like this
is not too dark for you;
rather, night is as clear as day,
darkness and light are the same.
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Have you ever had moments when you feared God had given up on you? Or maybe had a time when you tried to run away from God? The psalmist said that, no matter where we go, God goes there with us. But this sweeping poem didn’t merely assert God’s presence—it also told believers that God’s presence is a good thing, because God will always guide, strengthen and support us.
• Suppose all of the promises in this psalm were shaped into a “commercial” for God. Would you believe them? Would you want to have a God who watched over you so faithfully and patiently? Which parts of your life, of yourself, do you keep the most hidden? God knows all about them—and looks on you with compassion and love anyway. Talk trustingly to God about those hidden things today—and listen inwardly for God’s response.
• Jesus began the Lord’s Prayer (which we say each week in worship) with “Our Father who is in heaven.” “Heaven” translates the Greek word ouranōs, which meant, not a place far away, but “air” or “sky.” Jesus was not saying God is far away, but around us, above us, wherever we go—the same idea as verses 7-12 in today’s reading. What helps you experience God’s presence? What spiritual difference does that make for you?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, at my worst, I feel like hiding from you. At my best, I want you to stay with me all the time—and that’s exactly what you’ve promised to do. Amen.
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"You’re never alone when God is with you" for Saturday, 28 January 2017
Psalm 27:7 Listen, Adonai, to my voice when I cry;
show favor to me; and answer me.
8 “My heart said of you, ‘Seek my face.’”
Your face, Adonai, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me,
don’t turn your servant away in anger.
You are my help; don’t abandon me;
don’t leave me, God my savior.
10 Even though my father and mother have left me,
Adonai will care for me.
68:3 (2) Drive them away as smoke is driven away;
like wax melting in the presence of a fire,
let the wicked perish in the presence of God.
4 (3) But let the righteous rejoice and be glad in God’s presence;
yes, let them exult and rejoice.
5 (4) Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
extol him who rides on the clouds
by his name, Yah;
and be glad in his presence.
6 (5) God in his holy dwelling,
is a father to orphans and defender of widows.
John 16:32 But a time is coming — indeed it has come already — when you will be scattered, each one looking out for himself; and you will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone; because the Father is with me.
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Every time we baptize a child, the pastor tells the parents that God’s design is that they model God’s love and goodness for their child. In this broken world, in Bible times and still today, human parents, friends and spouses sometimes fall sadly short of living out God’s design. But Scripture said that, even if our human relationships let us down, we do not need to fear being alone and friendless. We can always depend, if we will, on God’s loving presence with us.
• Part of our faith heritage, starting with Methodism’s founder John Wesley, is a profound sense of calling and mission. We believe God calls us to be God’s voice, hands and feet, in a hurting world. God’s work, the psalms said, is to provide a family for orphans, a sustaining relationship for widows, and companionship for all who might be lonely. How can you join in God’s work (and, in the process, build better relationships for yourself)? Do you know anyone who may not be an “orphan” or “widow” in the concrete sense of the term, but who you could uplift by extending God’s love and care?
Prayer: O God, the psalmist said you are “Father of orphans and defender of widows.” Thank you for always being with me. Give me eyes to see others who are hurting, and use me to bless them with your love and caring. Amen.
Family Activity: At times, everyone fears feeling alone or unloved. As a family, share ideas about how you can work with God to bring comfort and care to others. Discuss each person’s unique gifts and abilities. How can those be used to comfort others? How can those same gifts be combined with those of other family members to care and help? Use construction paper to create the symbol of a heart. On it, write or draw the gifts of each person. Also write or draw about how they can be used to comfort people who are sad or lonely. Pray together, asking God to help guide you to use your ideas and gifts. Thank God for giving them to you. Display your family’s “heart” as a reminder to comfort others this year.
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-------Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Dennis Petree and family on the death of his wife Marilyn Petree, 1/15
• Jon Petree and family on the death of his mother Marilyn Petree, 1/15
• Dean Carlson and family on the death of his wife Jeanine Carlson, 1/12
• Dave Wilson and family on the death of his mother Sue Wilson, 1/11
• Bailey Amtower and David Wilson III on the death of their grandmother Sue Wilson, 1/11
• Doug Cochran and family on the death of his mother Sue Cochran, 1/11
• Leslie Gray and family on the death of her husband Michael T Gray, 1/9
• Jim Markley and family on the death of his brother Kenneth Markley, 1/8
• Rick Hadel and family on the death of his mother Mary Hadel, 1/7
• Jessica Staub and family on the death of her father Steve Shepherd, 1/9
• Jerry Ballard and family on the death of her husband Dick Ballard, 1/8
• Kim Mawhiney and family on the death of her father Dick Ballard, 1/8
• Cindi Martens and family on the death of her father Loren Sommer, 1/8
• Blake Worland and family on the death of his mother Janine Worland, 1/7
• Jordan Williamson and family on the death of his father Marvin Williamson, 1/4
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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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