Bible Study Summary - Upcoming Sunday's Scriptures

Here at Lancaster First UMC, I am privileged to be part of two weekly bible study groups that study the scriptures for the upcoming Sunday.

Here are some of the questions/insights from today's group:

Isaiah 55:6-13

• Timeline of 2nd Isaiah – Called by God to be a prophet to the southern kingdom.
First Isaiah (Chs. 1-39) – Pre Babylonian exile
Second Isaiah (40-55) – During Judah’s Time in Exile
Third Isaiah (56-66) – After Return of Exile & Rebuilding of Jerusalem
• Concluding Speech by the Lord to those about to return from exile. Their covenant with God will be renewed. John Wesley saw this passage as filled with God’s surprising grace able and willing to forgive all sinners.
• The return from exile will be marked by joy and peace – v. 12
• Verse – 12a – Notice that creation itself will offer worship and praise as well.
• Sermon Theme – Verse 13a (Garden imagery)
• Isaiah 55 passage offers a tremendous word of hope to people in exile.

John 20:1-18

• John’s Gospel is like a retelling of the creation story in the book of Genesis.
• Easter scene takes place on 1st day of the new week – Sunday (Jewish week.)
• Mary Magdalene – Comes to tomb while it’s still dark. Nicodemus came to see Jesus went it was dark.
• Mary tells the disciples about the empty tomb. Peter & beloved disciple go to the tomb. What did they think about why the tomb was empty?
• Two burials in ancient world for Judaism – Body in tomb and bones buried in an ossuary about a year later.
• The resurrected Lord greets Mary.
• In what ways do we encounter the risen Christ today?

Holy Week - Wednesday Prayer

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Holy Week Worship Preview

Maundy Thursday

April 1 - 7:30 P.M. (A Shorter Version of Service at Noon)
Sermon - "He Washed Their Feet"
Features - Maundy Thursday & Holy Communion
Scripture - Exodus 12:1-14; I Corinthians 11:23-26; & John 13:1-17, 31b-35
Theme - On Maundy Thursday of Holy Week, we remember the story of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet and the surprise that Peter felt when Jesus came to him to wash his feet. Like Peter, we too are surprised that Jesus loves us so much that he is willing to stoop to our level and die on a cross for our sins. What will our response be to Jesus’ love especially during these events of Holy Week?

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Good Friday:

April 2 - 7:30 P.M. (A Shorter Version of Service at Noon)
Congregational Reflection - "The Stations of the Cross"
Features - Good Friday
Scripture - Isaiah 52:13-53:12

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Palm/Passion Sunday Devotional Message

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United Theological Seminary, one of thirteen United Methodist seminaries and where I received my M. Div. degree, provides a weekly podcast based on the lectionary scripture readings. Check out this podcast message and allow it to be another "means of grace" during your lenten journey to the cross.

Holy Week - Tuesday Prayer

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O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life: Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy Week - Monday Prayer

Almighty God, whose dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other that the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Early Thoughts on the Book, "After You Believe"

According to my kindle, I'm 34% through the book, "After You Believe," by Tom Wright. This is a book that focuses on an often ignored but essential topic in our Christian faith that centers on the question, "What is the whole point of our new life in Jesus Christ?" Is the whole point that we get saved so we can go to heaven? Wright says, "no" even though our salvation is an important part of our faith.

Wright suggests that the bible from beginning to end communicates that God's ultimate goal (teleios in Greek) for us is to be rulers and priests in which we lovingly bring to bear God's healing love to the world. Wright offers scripture references throughout the bible which talk about this twin vocation of God's people being rulers and priests.

Even before God brings final new creation upon the world, we as God's people are to anticipate that new future in the way we live in the present.

In the first part of the book, Wright compares Jesus' ultimate goal for this world to be flooded with God's justice and love with Aristotle's ultimate goal which was happiness and where you fit into the Greek-city state framework. Aristotle who lived before Jesus, emphasized the importance of personal character and virtue in order to reach the ultimate goal of happiness. Jesus also emphasized character and virtue but for the larger purpose of remaking God's creation that way it was meant to be.

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Developing Christian character is not easy. It takes a daily focus on practicing the disciplines of our faith and depending on the Holy Spirit so that when we encounter experiences in our daily living, we will be able to respond in ways that reflect our ultimate goal in life which again, is bring to bear God's new creation.

Wright knows that since Western Christianity has not emphasized this aspect of our Christian faith that focuses on what we are to be doing following our acceptance of Christ as Lord and Savior, that some might think that we are getting into some kind of "works righteousness." But Wright is quick to point out that by developing Christian character after we accept Christ, we are simply responding to God's grace, not trying to earn approval from God.

So much else could be said about the first 1/3 of the book, but that's enough for now.