Consider the Word, June 3, 2021

 
Consider the Word, June 3, 2021
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Readings for June 6

• 1 Samuel 8:4-11 (12-15), 16-20 (11:14-15)
• Psalm 138
• 2 Corinthians 4:13-5:1
• Mark 3:20-35

 
Collect

O God,

you have assured the human family of eternal life

through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Deliver us from the death of sin

and raise us to new life in him,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

 
Reading: Mark 3:20-35

The crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. When his family heard it, they went out to restrain Jesus, for people were saying, "He has gone out of his mind." And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons." And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered. Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" - for they had said, "He has an unclean spirit." Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, "Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you." And he replied, "Who are my mother and my brothers?" And looking at those who sat around him, he said, "Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

Reflection Questions

1. What comes to mind when you hear the term, “satan”?
2. Who is stronger than satan? Remembering, of course, that here satan is in a parable and id therefore a metaphor.
3. What does it mean to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit?
4. Think about what it means to have Jesus as a sibling.

 
Closing Prayer

Lord of the Sabbath, lawgiver and outlaw,

you lift the burdens from our shoulders.

You entrust your treasure to our clay.

Sabbath in us a rest --

joyful as tambourines,

nourishing as bread,

and available to all people, rich and poor --

so that withered bodies and spirits can be restored. Amen

 
The Message: Mark 3:20-35

^20-21 Jesus came home and, as usual, a crowd gathered—so many making demands on him that there wasn’t even time to eat. His friends heard what was going on and went to rescue him, by force if necessary. They suspected he was believing his own press.

^22-27 The religion scholars from Jerusalem came down spreading rumors that he was working black magic, using devil tricks to impress them with spiritual power. Jesus confronted their slander with a story: “Does it make sense to send a devil to catch a devil, to use Satan to get rid of Satan? A constantly squabbling family disintegrates. If Satan were fighting Satan, there soon wouldn’t be any Satan left. Do you think it’s possible in broad daylight to enter the house of an awake, able-bodied man, and walk off with his possessions unless you tie him up first? Tie him up, though, and you can clean him out.

^28-30 “Listen to this carefully. I’m warning you. There’s nothing done or said that can’t be forgiven. But if you persist in your slanders against God’s Holy Spirit, you are repudiating the very One who forgives, sawing off the branch on which you’re sitting, severing by your own perversity all connection with the One who forgives.” He gave this warning because they were accusing him of being in league with Evil.

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

^31-32 Just then his mother and brothers showed up. Standing outside, they relayed a message that they wanted a word with him. He was surrounded by the crowd when he was given the message, “Your mother and brothers and sisters are outside looking for you.”

^33-35 Jesus responded, “Who do you think are my mother and brothers?” Looking around, taking in everyone seated around him, he said, “Right here, right in front of you—my mother and my brothers. Obedience is thicker than blood. The person who obeys God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
 
 

Consider the Word, May 27, 2021

Consider the Word, May 27, 2021
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Readings for May 30 – Trinity Sunday

• Isaiah 6:1-8
• Psalm 29
• Romans 8:12-17
• John 3:1-17

 
Collect

Father, we praise you:

through your Word and Holy Spirit you created all things.

You reveal your salvation in all the world

by sending to us Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.

Through your Holy Spirit

you give us a share in your life and love.

Fill us with the vision of your glory,

that we may always serve and praise you,

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

 
Reading: John 3:1-17

Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him."

 
Reflection Questions

1. The Greek word that used to be translated and “again” is now commonly translated as “from above.” The Greek word carries both meaning, which might explain why Nicodemus is confused. What does it mean to be born from above? Is that different from how we understood being born again?
2. Are there personal costs to being born from above? Are there promises as well?
3. Do both translations “again” and “from above” speak to the central idea of being transformed?

 
Closing Prayer

Holy God,

the earth is full of the glory of your love.

May we your children, born of the Spirit,

so bear witness to your Son Jesus Christ, crucified and risen,

that all the world may believe and have eternal life

through the One who saves,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

now and for ever. Amen.

 
The Message: John 3:1-17

3 ^1-2 There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it.”

³ Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to—to God’s kingdom.”

⁴ “How can anyone,” said Nicodemus, “be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above’ talk?”

^5-6 Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.

^7-8 “So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”

⁹ Nicodemus asked, “What do you mean by this? How does this happen?”

^10-12 Jesus said, “You’re a respected teacher of Israel and you don’t know these basics? Listen carefully. I’m speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don’t believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can’t see, the things of God?

^13-15 “No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.

^16-18 “This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
 
 

Consider the Word, May 20, 2021

 
Consider the Word, May 20, 2021
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Meeting ID: 923 9542 3097
 
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Readings for May 23 – Pentecost

• Acts 2:1-21 Or Ezekiel 37:1-14
• Psalm 104:25-35, 37b
• Romans 8:22-27 Or Acts 2:1-21
• John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

 
Collect

Almighty and everliving God,

who fulfilled the promises of Easter

by sending us your Holy Spirit

and opening to every race and nation

the way of life eternal,

keep us in the unity of your Spirit,

that every tongue may tell of your glory;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

 
Readings: Acts 2:1-21

When the day of Pentecost had come, the apostles were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs - in our own languages we hear them speaking about God's deeds of power." All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, "What does this mean?" But others sneered and said, "They are filled with new wine." But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, "Men of Judea and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o'clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: 'In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord's great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'"

 
Reflection Questions

1. How would you characterize the wind of Pentecost (gentle, refreshing, cool, tornado-like)?
2. Does the Spirit comfort us, challenge us, advocate for us, or what?
3. What about the Spirit do people need to hear?

 
Closing Prayer

Creator Spirit and Giver of life,

make the dry, bleached bones of our lives

live and breathe and grow again

as you did of old.

Pour out your Spirit upon the whole creation.

Come in rushing wind and flashing fire

to turn the sin and sorrow within us

into faith, power, and delight. Amen.

 
The Message:

2 ^1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.

^5-11 There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were blown away. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?

Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;

Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,

    Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,

    Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;

Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;

Even Cretans and Arabs!

“They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”

¹² Their heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?”

¹³ Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”

Peter Speaks Up

^14-21 That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren’t drunk as some of you suspect. They haven’t had time to get drunk—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:

“In the Last Days,” God says,

“I will pour out my Spirit

    on every kind of people:

Your sons will prophesy,

    also your daughters;

Your young men will see visions,

    your old men dream dreams.

When the time comes,

    I’ll pour out my Spirit

On those who serve me, men and women both,

    and they’ll prophesy.

I’ll set wonders in the sky above

    and signs on the earth below,

Blood and fire and billowing smoke,

    the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,

Before the Day of the Lord arrives,

    the Day tremendous and marvelous;

And whoever calls out for help

    to me, God, will be saved.”

The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
 
 

Consider the Word, May 13, 2021

Consider the Word, May 13, 2021
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Meeting ID: 923 9542 3097
 
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Readings for May 6 – Ascension

• Acts 1:1-11
• Psalm 47 or Psalm 93
• Ephesians 1:15-23
• Luke 24:44-53

Ascension Day is forty days after Easter, ten days before Pentecost, so it always falls on a Thursday and is not celebrated as it once was, as one of four major high feast days. So, it is often moved to the following Sunday, the Seventh Sunday of Easter. We will use two readings for our Bible study this week – the end of Luke’s Gospel and the beginning of the Book of Acts. Both books were written by the same person and Acts was intended to be the sequel of Luke’s Gospel.
 
Collect

Almighty God,

your Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven

that he might rule over all things as Lord.

Keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit

and in the bond of his peace,

and bring the whole of creation

to worship at his feet,

who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

 
Readings: Luke 24:44-53

Jesus said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven. And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy; and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

 
Acts 1:1-11

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. "This," he said, "is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now." So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

 
Reflection Questions

1. The ascension is an interesting part of the story of Jesus. Is the ascension an ending or a beginning?
   
2. Where does it fit in our Christian faith?
3. Is Jesus' ascension important?
4. Jesus is not here in a physical sense; however the Church can be, must be—the Church is empowered to be his worshiping, witnessing body here and now. What does that mean?

 
Closing Prayer

Precious love,

your ascended Son promised the gift of holy power.

Send your Spirit of revelation and wisdom,

that in the blessed freedom of hope,

we may witness to the grace of forgiveness

and sing songs of joy with the peoples of earth

to the One who makes us one body. Amen.