Consider the Word, June 30, 2022

Consider the Word, June 30, 2022
Email stpauls@pei.aibn.com for the link to the Bible Study.
 
Readings for July 3:
2 Kings 5:1-14
Psalm 30
Galatians 6:(1-6) 7-16
Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
 
Collect:
Almighty God,
your Son Jesus Christ has taught us
that what we do for the least of your children
we do also for him.
Give us the will to serve others
as he was the servant of all,
who gave up his life and died for us,
but lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.
 
Reading: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house!' And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, 'The kingdom of God has come near to you.' But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.' Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me." The seventy returned with joy, saying, "Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!" He said to them, "I watched Satan fall from heaven like a flash of lightning. See, I have given you authority to tread on snakes and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; and nothing will hurt you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice at this, that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven."
 
Reflection Questions

1. When have you transformed a situation by a simple observation or suggestion?
2. Who are the ones who exercise power in your community in quiet but important ways?
3. What miracles do you dare to hope for in your own life?
4. When have you felt powerless but then received help from the most unlikely source?
5. How is God calling you to be a source of healing for others?

 
Closing Prayer:
God of all nations and peoples,
your Son commanded his disciples
to preach and heal throughout the world.
Grant us, by the power of the Holy Spirit,
the zeal to proclaim the good news of peace and justice,
and gather all humanity into life with you. Amen.

The Message
Reading: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
10 ^1-2 Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge:
“What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.
³ “On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You’re like lambs in a wolf pack.
⁴ “Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.
“Don’t loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.
^5-6 “When you enter a home, greet the family, ‘Peace.’ If your greeting is received, then it’s a good place to stay. But if it’s not received, take it back and get out. Don’t impose yourself.
⁷ “Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don’t move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town.
^8-9 “When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, ‘God’s kingdom is right on your doorstep!’
^10-11 “When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, ‘The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we’re giving it back. Did you have any idea that God’s kingdom was right on your doorstep?’
¹⁶ “The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me.”
¹⁷ The seventy came back triumphant. “Master, even the demons danced to your tune!”
^18-20 Jesus said, “I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I’ve given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing.”
 
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson

Sorry Folks - something went wrong with the Zoom link and I can't seem to fix it - John.

Consider the Word, June 23, 2022
Email stpauls@pei.aibn.com for the link to the Bible Study.
 
Readings for June 26:

• 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
• Psalm 77:1-2, 11-20
• Galatians 5:1, 13-25
• Luke 9:51-62

Collect:

Almighty God,

you have taught us through your Son

that love fulfils the law.

May we love you with all our heart,

all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength,

and may we love our neighbour as ourselves;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

 
Reading: Luke 9:51-62

When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village. As they were going along the road, someone said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head." To another he said, "Follow me." But he said, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God." Another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but let me first say farewell to those at my home." Jesus said to him, "No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."

 
Reflection Questions

• What does Jesus mean by saying, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God”?
• How are our lives different as followers of Jesus than what they might have been otherwise?

 
Closing Prayer:

Generous Giver,

you pour forth your extravagant bounty without measure

upon your whole creation.

Teach us such generosity,

that the fruits of our spirits

and the works of our hands may be used

for the building of your commonwealth of blessing. Amen.

 
The Message
Reading: Luke 9:51-62

^51-54 When it came close to the time for his Ascension, he gathered up his courage and steeled himself for the journey to Jerusalem. He sent messengers on ahead. They came to a Samaritan village to make arrangements for his hospitality. But when the Samaritans learned that his destination was Jerusalem, they refused hospitality. When the disciples James and John learned of it, they said, “Master, do you want us to call a bolt of lightning down out of the sky and incinerate them?”

^55-56 Jesus turned on them: “Of course not!” And they traveled on to another village.

⁵⁷ On the road someone asked if he could go along. “I’ll go with you, wherever,” he said.

⁵⁸ Jesus was curt: “Are you ready to rough it? We’re not staying in the best inns, you know.”

Jesus said to another, “Follow me.”

⁵⁹ He said, “Certainly, but first excuse me for a couple of days, please. I have to make arrangements for my father’s funeral.”

⁶⁰ Jesus refused. “First things first. Your business is life, not death. And life is urgent: Announce God’s kingdom!”

⁶¹ Then another said, “I’m ready to follow you, Master, but first excuse me while I get things straightened out at home.”

⁶² Jesus said, “No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God’s kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day.”

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

Consider the Word, June 16, 2022

Consider the Word, June 16, 2022
Email stpauls@pei.aibn.com for the link to the Bible Study.
 
Readings for June 19:

• 1 Kings 19:1-4 (5-7), 8-15a
• Psalm 42 and 43
• Galatians 3:23-29
• Luke 8:26-39

 
Collect:

O God our defender,

storms rage about us and cause us to be afraid.

Rescue your people from despair,

deliver your sons and daughters from fear,

and preserve us all from unbelief;

through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and ever. Amen.

 
Reading: Luke 8:26-39

Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.

 
Reflection Questions

1. How does this story of a demon possession of a disturbed man who ran around naked among the tombs of a graveyard and was actually so violent that he needed to be chained up like a wild animal relate to us?
2. What modern day type of demons can we identify?

 
Closing Prayer:

Most holy and eternal God,

you dwell in the heights of heaven,

yet you walk among those who refuse to see you.

Hold out your hand to those who rebel against you,

and free us from the chains that bind us,

that we may be healed by Christ

and proclaim his saving deeds to all the world. Amen.

 
The Message
Reading: Luke 8:26-39

^26-29 They sailed on to the country of the Gerasenes, directly opposite Galilee. As he stepped out onto land, a madman from town met him; he was a victim of demons. He hadn’t worn clothes for a long time, nor lived at home; he lived in the cemetery. When he saw Jesus he screamed, fell before him, and howled, “What business do you have messing with me? You’re Jesus, Son of the High God, but don’t give me a hard time!” (The man said this because Jesus had started to order the unclean spirit out of him.) Time after time the demon threw the man into convulsions. He had been placed under constant guard and tied with chains and shackles, but crazed and driven wild by the demon, he would shatter the bonds.

^30-31 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“Mob. My name is Mob,” he said, because many demons afflicted him. And they begged Jesus desperately not to order them to the bottomless pit.

^32-33 A large herd of pigs was grazing and rooting on a nearby hill. The demons begged Jesus to order them into the pigs. He gave the order. It was even worse for the pigs than for the man. Crazed, they stampeded over a cliff into the lake and drowned.

^34-36 Those tending the pigs, scared to death, bolted and told their story in town and country. People went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had been sent, sitting there at Jesus’ feet, wearing decent clothes and making sense. It was a holy moment, and for a short time they were more reverent than curious. Then those who had seen it happen told how the demoniac had been saved.

^37-39 Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave—too much change, too fast, and they were scared. So Jesus got back in the boat and set off. The man whom he had delivered from the demons asked to go with him, but he sent him back, saying, “Go home and tell everything God did in you.” So he went back and preached all over town everything Jesus had done in him.

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

Consider the Word, June 9, 2022 Trinity Sunday

Consider the Word, June 9, 2022
Trinity Sunday
Email stpauls@pei.aibn.com for the link to the Bible Study.
 
Readings for June 12 (Trinity Sunday):

• Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31
• Psalm 8
• Romans 5:1-5
• John 16:12-15

 
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: Romans 5:1-5

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

 
Reading: John 16:12-15

Jesus said, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth; for he will not speak on his own, but will speak whatever he hears, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine. For this reason I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you."

 
Reflection Questions

1. The church then, today, and always finds itself trying to understand and live its faith in the midst of social, cultural, and global circumstances that change rapidly, what does the presence of the Holy Spirit mean for such discernment?
2. Can we trust the Spirit to guide us in discerning what it means to live out Christian faith today?
3. God’s love for us and to make it possible for us to love God. How is the Holy Spirit made manifest today?

 
Closing Prayer:

God of heaven and earth,

before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time

you are the triune God:

the Author of creation,

the eternal Word of salvation,

and the life-giving Spirit of wisdom.

Guide us to all truth by your Spirit,

that we may proclaim all that Christ revealed

and rejoice in the glory he shared with us.

Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,

now and for ever. Amen.

 
The Message:
Reading: Romans 5:1-5

5 ^1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

^3-5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

 
Reading: John 16:12-15

12-15 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can’t handle them now. But when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is. He won’t draw attention to himself, but will make sense out of what is about to happen and, indeed, out of all that I have done and said. He will honor me; he will take from me and deliver it to you. Everything the Father has is also mine. That is why I’ve said, ‘He takes from me and delivers to you.’

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