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Monday, 8 January 2018
Matthew 2:1 After Yeshua was born in Beit-Lechem in the land of Y’hudah during the time when Herod was king, Magi from the east came to Yerushalayim 2 and asked, “Where is the newborn King of the Jews? For we saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.”
• The wise men may have spent as much as 18 to 24 months following the star. (After their visit, Herod’s murderous reaction ordered the death of every child 2 years old and younger.) Have you made a lengthy journey in life to find Jesus, or was he “right there” for you as a child? How have you learned to value and worship him?
• Matthew wrote that “they [wealthy visitors from a foreign religion, who’d been mixing with Herod’s court] saw the child with Mary his mother [a poor young peasant girl]. Falling to their knees, they honored him.” What allowed the Persians to value the simple piety of Mary and her child more than the external glitter of Herod’s court? What do you learn about the God who accepted and valued worship from Zoroastrian visitors who had come to see the newborn king because of an invitation in the stars?
Prayer: Lord of the whole world, you didn’t limit the reach of heaven’s joy at Jesus’ birth to only people with the “correct” theology. Thank you for caring enough to reach far beyond any one group of people to share that joy. Amen.
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Melanie Hill
Melanie Hill is the Guest Connections Program Director at Resurrection.
I went to college at Weber State University in Utah, nestled at the foot of the Wasatch Mountain Range and the gateway to great skiing. Technically I wasn’t supposed to be doing any skiing, since my volleyball coach was sure we would all break our legs and have to sit out a year. But how can you live in Utah and not enjoy the wonderful powder beckoning you to hit the slopes? It’s part of what makes Utah so special.
Another unique thing about Utah is the high percentage of people who practice the Mormon religion. As someone who grew up in a Christian home in southern California, I wasn’t very familiar with the Latter-Day Saints before moving to Utah. To say that my immersion into that culture was a little shock would be an understatement. Every player on my team was Mormon. At first, they were friendly and put up with my questions about what they believed, but as weeks turned to months and they realized I wasn’t looking to convert, the reception was a little less warm.
I remember one weekend when we were on the road for a tournament and found ourselves in a hotel on Sunday morning. The team decided to hold their own church service, but as the sole non-Mormon I wasn’t invited. It hurt, and as I sat alone in my hotel room I had to reflect on my own attitude. Had my questions to them seemed judgmental? Were they divisive?
It didn’t feel good to be left out simply because I didn’t share in their religion. The more I had studied the Mormon faith the more I had discovered that there were many things we didn’t agree on, but there was indeed some common ground we shared. This was brought home to me clearly on another road trip a few weeks later.
I was assigned to room with one of my teammates whose father was battling stage four lung cancer. The prognosis wasn’t good, and she had just received a call from her mother letting her know that he had been rejected for yet another trial. As she got off the phone I watched her sit on the edge of her bed and break down in tears. As I wrapped my arms around her and cried with her, I realized that we had even more in common. We all grieve at the suffering of our loved ones and yearn to make sense of it. We all cry out to God for help and comfort in time of need.
I asked if I could pray for her and we spent the next thirty minutes in prayer with tears running down our cheeks. That night turned into a pivotal moment with my teammates. Slowly but surely, we started to break down the religious walls between us. The next season when we found ourselves on the road on a Sunday everyone was invited to join in “hotel church.” I found myself in more and more conversations about what I believed as a Christian, and listened as they explained what they believed with the understanding that no one was looking to convert. Those relationships and conversations both strengthened and grew my own faith, and I am so grateful for each one.
They taught me something else, too. Staying in my own little faith bubble community where everyone agrees with me never taught me nearly as much about my own faith as having to explain it to someone who doesn’t agree with me. My years in Utah expanded my world view and made my faith richer for it.
3 When King Herod heard of this he became very agitated, and so did everyone else in Yerushalayim. 4 He called together all the head cohanim and Torah-teachers of the people and asked them, “Where will the Messiah be born?” 5 “In Beit-Lechem of Y’hudah,” they replied, “because the prophet wrote,
6 ‘And you, Beit-Lechem in the land of Y’hudah,
are by no means the least among the rulers of Y’hudah;
for from you will come a Ruler
who will shepherd my people Isra’el.’”[Matthew 2:6 Micah 5:1(2)]
7 Herod summoned the Magi to meet with him privately and asked them exactly when the star had appeared. 8 Then he sent them to Beit-Lechem with these instructions: “Search carefully for the child; and when you find him, let me know, so that I too may go and worship him.”
9 After they had listened to the king, they went away; and the star which they had seen in the east went in front of them until it came and stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 Upon entering the house, they saw the child with his mother Miryam; and they prostrated themselves and worshipped him. Then they opened their bags and presented him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. 12 But they had been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, so they took another route back to their own country.
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Who were these wise men (Greek magoi) who came from the East seeking the “King of the Jews” who had been born? They weren’t “kings” (the carol notwithstanding), and the text never said how many there were. It seems most likely that they were Persian (“from the east”). If so, they may well have been Zoroastrian students of the stars. It wasn’t reports of wealth that drew them, unlike some visitors to Israel in earlier times (cf. 1 Kings 10:1-9). They followed an unexpected star with the alluring hope of a new King offering the world a fresh start.• The wise men may have spent as much as 18 to 24 months following the star. (After their visit, Herod’s murderous reaction ordered the death of every child 2 years old and younger.) Have you made a lengthy journey in life to find Jesus, or was he “right there” for you as a child? How have you learned to value and worship him?
• Matthew wrote that “they [wealthy visitors from a foreign religion, who’d been mixing with Herod’s court] saw the child with Mary his mother [a poor young peasant girl]. Falling to their knees, they honored him.” What allowed the Persians to value the simple piety of Mary and her child more than the external glitter of Herod’s court? What do you learn about the God who accepted and valued worship from Zoroastrian visitors who had come to see the newborn king because of an invitation in the stars?
Prayer: Lord of the whole world, you didn’t limit the reach of heaven’s joy at Jesus’ birth to only people with the “correct” theology. Thank you for caring enough to reach far beyond any one group of people to share that joy. Amen.
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Melanie HillMelanie Hill is the Guest Connections Program Director at Resurrection.
I went to college at Weber State University in Utah, nestled at the foot of the Wasatch Mountain Range and the gateway to great skiing. Technically I wasn’t supposed to be doing any skiing, since my volleyball coach was sure we would all break our legs and have to sit out a year. But how can you live in Utah and not enjoy the wonderful powder beckoning you to hit the slopes? It’s part of what makes Utah so special.
Another unique thing about Utah is the high percentage of people who practice the Mormon religion. As someone who grew up in a Christian home in southern California, I wasn’t very familiar with the Latter-Day Saints before moving to Utah. To say that my immersion into that culture was a little shock would be an understatement. Every player on my team was Mormon. At first, they were friendly and put up with my questions about what they believed, but as weeks turned to months and they realized I wasn’t looking to convert, the reception was a little less warm.
I remember one weekend when we were on the road for a tournament and found ourselves in a hotel on Sunday morning. The team decided to hold their own church service, but as the sole non-Mormon I wasn’t invited. It hurt, and as I sat alone in my hotel room I had to reflect on my own attitude. Had my questions to them seemed judgmental? Were they divisive?
It didn’t feel good to be left out simply because I didn’t share in their religion. The more I had studied the Mormon faith the more I had discovered that there were many things we didn’t agree on, but there was indeed some common ground we shared. This was brought home to me clearly on another road trip a few weeks later.
I was assigned to room with one of my teammates whose father was battling stage four lung cancer. The prognosis wasn’t good, and she had just received a call from her mother letting her know that he had been rejected for yet another trial. As she got off the phone I watched her sit on the edge of her bed and break down in tears. As I wrapped my arms around her and cried with her, I realized that we had even more in common. We all grieve at the suffering of our loved ones and yearn to make sense of it. We all cry out to God for help and comfort in time of need.
I asked if I could pray for her and we spent the next thirty minutes in prayer with tears running down our cheeks. That night turned into a pivotal moment with my teammates. Slowly but surely, we started to break down the religious walls between us. The next season when we found ourselves on the road on a Sunday everyone was invited to join in “hotel church.” I found myself in more and more conversations about what I believed as a Christian, and listened as they explained what they believed with the understanding that no one was looking to convert. Those relationships and conversations both strengthened and grew my own faith, and I am so grateful for each one.
They taught me something else, too. Staying in my own little faith bubble community where everyone agrees with me never taught me nearly as much about my own faith as having to explain it to someone who doesn’t agree with me. My years in Utah expanded my world view and made my faith richer for it.
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"God’s all-inclusive covenant with Abraham"
Tuesday 9 January 2018
"God’s all-inclusive covenant with Abraham"
Tuesday 9 January 2018
Genesis 12:1 Now Adonai said to Avram, “Get yourself out of your country, away from your kinsmen and away from your father’s house, and go to the land that I will show you. 2 I will make of you a great nation, I will bless you, and I will make your name great; and you are to be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse anyone who curses you; and by you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
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God made great promises to Abraham, “the ancestor of all those people…who have faith in God” (cf. Romans 4:11), including “a land I will show you,” and “I will bless you.” Human nature might turn promises like that into “God has made me more special than anyone else!” But God had something different in mind. God blessed Abraham so that he and his offspring could share the blessing: “All the families of earth will be blessed because of you.”
• Just before Abraham’s story, Genesis 11:1-9 told the story of the Tower of Babel, in which humans tried to “declare independence” from God. Pastor Stuart Briscoe wrote: “In marked contrast to a world that came to ruin because it insisted on making a name for itself independently of God, this obscure man’s name was to become ‘great’ because God was promising to bring it to pass.” * In what ways can you trust God’s principles to guide your life well, rather than having to fight for distinction and worth on your own?
• These stories probably took their final form during the time of Israel’s monarchy. “The Israelites who [first] listened to these stories experienced these promises as coming true in their own time….Much later…when Israel and Judah had been conquered…these old promises gave a vision about who God’s people might be again in the future.” ** In what ways is God’s promise not just ancient history, but a pointer to God’s ideal for you and your church family?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you wanted Abraham to care about blessing “all the families of earth.” Plant that kind of heart in me, too, as one of Abraham’s spiritual descendants. Amen.
* D. Stuart Briscoe, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 1: Genesis. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1987, p. 117.
** Theodore Hiebert, sidebar note “The Promises to the Ancestors” in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 23 OT.
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God made great promises to Abraham, “the ancestor of all those people…who have faith in God” (cf. Romans 4:11), including “a land I will show you,” and “I will bless you.” Human nature might turn promises like that into “God has made me more special than anyone else!” But God had something different in mind. God blessed Abraham so that he and his offspring could share the blessing: “All the families of earth will be blessed because of you.”
• Just before Abraham’s story, Genesis 11:1-9 told the story of the Tower of Babel, in which humans tried to “declare independence” from God. Pastor Stuart Briscoe wrote: “In marked contrast to a world that came to ruin because it insisted on making a name for itself independently of God, this obscure man’s name was to become ‘great’ because God was promising to bring it to pass.” * In what ways can you trust God’s principles to guide your life well, rather than having to fight for distinction and worth on your own?
• These stories probably took their final form during the time of Israel’s monarchy. “The Israelites who [first] listened to these stories experienced these promises as coming true in their own time….Much later…when Israel and Judah had been conquered…these old promises gave a vision about who God’s people might be again in the future.” ** In what ways is God’s promise not just ancient history, but a pointer to God’s ideal for you and your church family?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, you wanted Abraham to care about blessing “all the families of earth.” Plant that kind of heart in me, too, as one of Abraham’s spiritual descendants. Amen.
* D. Stuart Briscoe, The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Volume 1: Genesis. Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1987, p. 117.
** Theodore Hiebert, sidebar note “The Promises to the Ancestors” in The CEB Study Bible. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2013, p. 23 OT.
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"Memory: God called people who worshipped other gods"
Wednesday, 10 January 2018
"Memory: God called people who worshipped other gods"
Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Joshua 24:1 Y’hoshua gathered all the tribes of Isra’el to Sh’khem; he summoned the leaders, heads, judges and officials of Isra’el; and they presented themselves before God. 2 Y’hoshua said to all the people, “This is what Adonai the God of Isra’el says: ‘In antiquity your ancestors lived on the other side of the [Euphrates] River — Terach the father of Avraham and Nachor — and they served other gods. 3 I took your ancestor Avraham from beyond the River, led him through all the land of Kena‘an, increased his descendants and gave him Yitz’chak., 14 “Therefore fear Adonai, and serve him truly and sincerely. Put away the gods your ancestors served beyond the [Euphrates]River and in Egypt, and serve Adonai! 15 If it seems bad to you to serve Adonai, then choose today whom you are going to serve! Will it be the gods your ancestors served beyond the River? or the gods of the Emori, in whose land you are living? As for me and my household, we will serve Adonai!”
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Left to ourselves, we humans always have an urge to make our “founding fathers” into grand figures, ideal examples of what we hope to be. Joshua’s final charge to the people of Israel took the opposite tack. Their ancestors, he said, “served other gods.” “The sites of Mari and Alalakh have yielded archives of cuneiform tablets from this period that attest to many deities worshiped by peoples of the region and same linguistic background as the patriarchs. This demonstrates that Abram did not come from a long line of unbroken monotheism.” *
• One hundred years ago, much popular Christian writing divided the world’s population into two groups: Christians and “heathen.” In those writings, there was little if any recognition of what Joshua knew clearly: our faith began when God reached out to “heathen,” and found honest hearts like Abram’s who responded to God’s call. If that happened back in the very beginnings of our faith, does it make sense that it may still happen today?
• After years preaching mainly to Gentiles, the apostle Paul wrote to Roman Christians about people beyond the “right” faith who “instinctively do what the Law requires,” who “show the proof of the Law written on their hearts” (cf. Romans 2:11-16). There is debate about some details of Paul’s meaning. But does it not seem clear that Paul knew there were (and are) honest people outside the Christian faith who love God? Can’t we, without compromising our own faith, believe God is also at work in their lives?
Prayer: Lord God, forgive me when I try, even unconsciously, to make you the exclusive possession of my religious “tribe.” Help me keep growing in my understanding of the wideness in your mercy. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 54384-54386). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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Left to ourselves, we humans always have an urge to make our “founding fathers” into grand figures, ideal examples of what we hope to be. Joshua’s final charge to the people of Israel took the opposite tack. Their ancestors, he said, “served other gods.” “The sites of Mari and Alalakh have yielded archives of cuneiform tablets from this period that attest to many deities worshiped by peoples of the region and same linguistic background as the patriarchs. This demonstrates that Abram did not come from a long line of unbroken monotheism.” *
• One hundred years ago, much popular Christian writing divided the world’s population into two groups: Christians and “heathen.” In those writings, there was little if any recognition of what Joshua knew clearly: our faith began when God reached out to “heathen,” and found honest hearts like Abram’s who responded to God’s call. If that happened back in the very beginnings of our faith, does it make sense that it may still happen today?
• After years preaching mainly to Gentiles, the apostle Paul wrote to Roman Christians about people beyond the “right” faith who “instinctively do what the Law requires,” who “show the proof of the Law written on their hearts” (cf. Romans 2:11-16). There is debate about some details of Paul’s meaning. But does it not seem clear that Paul knew there were (and are) honest people outside the Christian faith who love God? Can’t we, without compromising our own faith, believe God is also at work in their lives?
Prayer: Lord God, forgive me when I try, even unconsciously, to make you the exclusive possession of my religious “tribe.” Help me keep growing in my understanding of the wideness in your mercy. Amen.
* HarperCollins Christian Publishing. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture (Kindle Locations 54384-54386). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
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"A prophet who resented God’s compassion"
Thursday, 11 January 2018
"A prophet who resented God’s compassion"
Thursday, 11 January 2018
Jonah 4:1 But this was very displeasing to Yonah, and he became angry. 2 He prayed to Adonai, “Now, Adonai, didn’t I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment. 3 Therefore, Adonai, please, just take my life away from me; it’s better for me to be dead than alive!” 4 Adonai asked, “Is it right for you to be so angry?”
What did Jonah think was “utterly wrong”? Jonah 3:10 said, “God stopped planning to destroy [the people of Nineveh], and he didn’t do it.” The story said when Jonah grudgingly went to Nineveh, his entire message was, “Just forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). He wanted to see Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, flattened! This story was in the Bible, not to endorse Jonah’s spirit, but rather, through God’s challenge to the sulking prophet, to show that God’s love truly extended to the whole world.
• The writer of Jonah had a superb touch with irony. The book described an astounding preaching success—a whole city repenting and turning to God. The preacher’s attitude? “Jonah thought this was utterly wrong, and he became angry” (Jonah 4:1)! What made Jonah so angry? Is it possible for God to care about people without endorsing violent or other hurtful actions, like Assyria’s violence toward Israel?
• The story of Jonah ended with a question, not a statement. God asked Jonah, “Can’t I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who can’t tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?” Is there any person or group of people you’d rather see God “zap” than to see them repent? Is it right for God to extend heaven’s offer of mercy to all people?
Prayer: Lord God, sometimes, like Jonah, I wish you’d hate people I hate. But you call me to change my attitude, not yours. Guide and lead me as I wrestle with that change of spirit. Amen.
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5 Yonah left the city and found a place east of the city, where he made himself a shelter and sat down under it, in its shade, to see what would happen to the city. 6 Adonai, God, prepared a castor-bean plant and made it grow up over Yonah to shade his head and relieve his discomfort. So Yonah was delighted with the castor-bean plant. 7 But at dawn the next day God prepared a worm, which attacked the castor-bean plant, so that it dried up. 8 Then, when the sun rose, God prepared a scorching east wind; and the sun beat down on Yonah’s head so hard that he grew faint and begged that he could die, saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.”
9 God asked Yonah, “Is it right for you to be so angry about the castor-bean plant?” He answered, “Yes, it’s right for me to be so angry that I could die!” 10 Adonai said, “You’re concerned over the castor-bean plant, which cost you no effort; you didn’t make it grow; it came up in a night and perished in a night. 11 So shouldn’t I be concerned about the great city of Ninveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left — not to mention all the animals?”
---What did Jonah think was “utterly wrong”? Jonah 3:10 said, “God stopped planning to destroy [the people of Nineveh], and he didn’t do it.” The story said when Jonah grudgingly went to Nineveh, his entire message was, “Just forty days more and Nineveh will be overthrown!” (Jonah 3:4). He wanted to see Nineveh, the Assyrian capital, flattened! This story was in the Bible, not to endorse Jonah’s spirit, but rather, through God’s challenge to the sulking prophet, to show that God’s love truly extended to the whole world.
• The writer of Jonah had a superb touch with irony. The book described an astounding preaching success—a whole city repenting and turning to God. The preacher’s attitude? “Jonah thought this was utterly wrong, and he became angry” (Jonah 4:1)! What made Jonah so angry? Is it possible for God to care about people without endorsing violent or other hurtful actions, like Assyria’s violence toward Israel?
• The story of Jonah ended with a question, not a statement. God asked Jonah, “Can’t I pity Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than one hundred twenty thousand people who can’t tell their right hand from their left, and also many animals?” Is there any person or group of people you’d rather see God “zap” than to see them repent? Is it right for God to extend heaven’s offer of mercy to all people?
Prayer: Lord God, sometimes, like Jonah, I wish you’d hate people I hate. But you call me to change my attitude, not yours. Guide and lead me as I wrestle with that change of spirit. Amen.
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"A call to reach out to 'all nations'”
Friday, 12 January 2018
"A call to reach out to 'all nations'”
Friday, 12 January 2018
Matthew 28:16 So the eleven talmidim went to the hill in the Galil where Yeshua had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they prostrated themselves before him; but some hesitated. 18 Yeshua came and talked with them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore, go and make people from all nations into talmidim, immersing them into the reality of the Father, the Son and the Ruach HaKodesh, 20 and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember! I will be with you always, yes, even until the end of the age.”
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A disciple is not just a person who knows some things about Jesus. A disciple intends to follow Jesus in all parts of life. So “making disciples” is not a one-time effort, but a continual choice to invest ourselves in making the lives of others better. According to Jesus’ “Great Commission,” that included (and includes) caring about “all nations.” As Paul wrote, after wrestling with questions of identity and faith, “God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep!” (Romans 11:33)
• This passage offered a command, and a promise. Jesus addressed the command to all his followers: “Go…make disciples of all nations…baptizing them …and teaching them.” In what ways are you gifted to help carry out this commission? In what ways does this make “the church” like a hospital that is open 24/7 rather than a fortress with gates tightly shut against “enemies” or “outsiders”?
• Jesus’ promise was more priceless than anything a MasterCard could get you: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In what situations has it made your life better to remember and live in the light of that promise? How can knowing Jesus is with you give you courage, strength and peace to reach beyond your comfort zone to bless others?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need you to stay with me, every day, every minute. Thank you for promising to do just that. Amen.
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A disciple is not just a person who knows some things about Jesus. A disciple intends to follow Jesus in all parts of life. So “making disciples” is not a one-time effort, but a continual choice to invest ourselves in making the lives of others better. According to Jesus’ “Great Commission,” that included (and includes) caring about “all nations.” As Paul wrote, after wrestling with questions of identity and faith, “God’s riches, wisdom, and knowledge are so deep!” (Romans 11:33)
• This passage offered a command, and a promise. Jesus addressed the command to all his followers: “Go…make disciples of all nations…baptizing them …and teaching them.” In what ways are you gifted to help carry out this commission? In what ways does this make “the church” like a hospital that is open 24/7 rather than a fortress with gates tightly shut against “enemies” or “outsiders”?
• Jesus’ promise was more priceless than anything a MasterCard could get you: “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In what situations has it made your life better to remember and live in the light of that promise? How can knowing Jesus is with you give you courage, strength and peace to reach beyond your comfort zone to bless others?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, I need you to stay with me, every day, every minute. Thank you for promising to do just that. Amen.
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“Now I know partially”
Saturday, 13 January 2018
“Now I know partially”
Saturday, 13 January 2018
1 Corinthians 13:9 For our knowledge is partial, and our prophecy partial;
The apostle Paul was a forceful advocate for his faith (as seen in Acts 17:16-34). Yet he spoke to the Athenian intellectuals with respect and humility. He honored their desire to serve an “unknown god,” and quoted from their writers in support of some of the truths he wanted to share. His deepseated faith didn’t make him arrogant, holding others in contempt. It made him humble, as he revealed in 1 Corinthians 13. He realized that his faith was about worshipping and serving the God who was bigger than everything even his exceptional mind could take in.
• 1 Corinthians 13:9 (“we know in part”) reminded us that we don’t know everything about God. Reflect on where you were in your faith journey 1 year, 5 years, 10 years ago. What have you learned in the meantime? In what areas, as you look back, can you sense how partial your understanding of God and God’s ways was? Could it be that at this time next year, or five years from now, you’ll have the same sense as you look back on some of the things you’re sure you “know” today? Given the scale and scope of the God we worship, do you think you will ever reach a point before eternity where you have nothing left to learn (or unlearn)? How does that realization shape the way you relate to other people with different beliefs?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of a mind that can grapple with the great realities of life, learning more of your principles and your ways, and yet remaining humble in the light of all that I have left to learn. Help me grow in my understanding of you during 2018. Amen.
Family Activity: Many world religions value treating others the way we wish them to treat us. We Christians find this in Matthew 7:12(Matthew 7:12 “Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.), often called the Golden Rule. Read this passage, then hand out an index card to each person in your family. Have each person write, “I did or said something kind” on one side of the card. On the other side write, “I did or said something hurtful.” Ask each person to pay attention to their words and actions each day. Encourage them to place a mark on the appropriate side of the card each time they do something kind or hurtful. No one else needs to see the cards. These are just for each individual and God. Each day, work towards having fewer marks on the “hurtful” side and more marks on the “kind” side. Pray for God’s help to treat all people near and far with love, kindness, forgiveness and grace.
10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass.
11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child,
thought like a child, argued like a child;
now that I have become a man,
I have finished with childish ways.
12 For now we see obscurely in a mirror,
but then it will be face to face.
Now I know partly; then I will know fully,
just as God has fully known me.
---The apostle Paul was a forceful advocate for his faith (as seen in Acts 17:16-34). Yet he spoke to the Athenian intellectuals with respect and humility. He honored their desire to serve an “unknown god,” and quoted from their writers in support of some of the truths he wanted to share. His deepseated faith didn’t make him arrogant, holding others in contempt. It made him humble, as he revealed in 1 Corinthians 13. He realized that his faith was about worshipping and serving the God who was bigger than everything even his exceptional mind could take in.
• 1 Corinthians 13:9 (“we know in part”) reminded us that we don’t know everything about God. Reflect on where you were in your faith journey 1 year, 5 years, 10 years ago. What have you learned in the meantime? In what areas, as you look back, can you sense how partial your understanding of God and God’s ways was? Could it be that at this time next year, or five years from now, you’ll have the same sense as you look back on some of the things you’re sure you “know” today? Given the scale and scope of the God we worship, do you think you will ever reach a point before eternity where you have nothing left to learn (or unlearn)? How does that realization shape the way you relate to other people with different beliefs?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for the gift of a mind that can grapple with the great realities of life, learning more of your principles and your ways, and yet remaining humble in the light of all that I have left to learn. Help me grow in my understanding of you during 2018. Amen.
Family Activity: Many world religions value treating others the way we wish them to treat us. We Christians find this in Matthew 7:12(Matthew 7:12 “Always treat others as you would like them to treat you; that sums up the teaching of the Torah and the Prophets.), often called the Golden Rule. Read this passage, then hand out an index card to each person in your family. Have each person write, “I did or said something kind” on one side of the card. On the other side write, “I did or said something hurtful.” Ask each person to pay attention to their words and actions each day. Encourage them to place a mark on the appropriate side of the card each time they do something kind or hurtful. No one else needs to see the cards. These are just for each individual and God. Each day, work towards having fewer marks on the “hurtful” side and more marks on the “kind” side. Pray for God’s help to treat all people near and far with love, kindness, forgiveness and grace.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Libby Julo and family on the death of her father Hunter Harrison, 12/16
•Sandi Morgan and family on the death of her mother Lois Kinnaw, 12/22
•Bill Reed and family on the death of his wife Mary J. Reed, 12/25
• Matt Xiong and family on the death of his father Bon Xiong, 12/25
•Xai Vang and family on the death of his mother Choua Lor, 12/26
•Pattie Shaw and family on the death of her brother Isaac Pickett Jr., 12/27
•Valerie Burton and family on the death of her uncle Isaac Pickett Jr., 12/27
• Judy Schmidt and family on the death of her mother Betty Marie Stauffer, 12/28
•Carolyn Carlson and family on the death of her sister Mary Jo Hilyard, 12/28
• Mike Carlson and family on the death of his aunt Mary Jo Hilyard, 12/28
•RJ Scott and family on the death of his wife Sue Ann Sheridan, 1/30
• Joyce Hursman and family on the death of her daughter Kristen Hursman, 12/31
•Susan Yacos and family on the death of her husband John Yacos III, 1/1
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer
Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Libby Julo and family on the death of her father Hunter Harrison, 12/16
•Sandi Morgan and family on the death of her mother Lois Kinnaw, 12/22
•Bill Reed and family on the death of his wife Mary J. Reed, 12/25
• Matt Xiong and family on the death of his father Bon Xiong, 12/25
•Xai Vang and family on the death of his mother Choua Lor, 12/26
•Pattie Shaw and family on the death of her brother Isaac Pickett Jr., 12/27
•Valerie Burton and family on the death of her uncle Isaac Pickett Jr., 12/27
• Judy Schmidt and family on the death of her mother Betty Marie Stauffer, 12/28
•Carolyn Carlson and family on the death of her sister Mary Jo Hilyard, 12/28
• Mike Carlson and family on the death of his aunt Mary Jo Hilyard, 12/28
•RJ Scott and family on the death of his wife Sue Ann Sheridan, 1/30
• Joyce Hursman and family on the death of her daughter Kristen Hursman, 12/31
•Susan Yacos and family on the death of her husband John Yacos III, 1/1
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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