Blessed to be a Blessing

Transcription

1 February 2, 2014 Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Mic. 6:1 8 Ps Cor. 1:18 31 Matt. 5:1 12 Blessed to be a Blessing Goal for the Session Adults will explore the promises of the Beatitudes and affirm values and behaviors exemplified by them. PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Matthew 5:1 12 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by Edwin Chr. van Driel The Beatitudes are not entrance requirements for the kingdom but eschatological blessings. Although the later sections of the Sermon are full of ethical imperatives, the Beatitudes are in the indicative mode, not in the imperative. Jesus is not asking the crowd to become poor in spirit, or mourners, or persecuted for righteousness sake; instead, he offers consolation to those who find themselves poor and in mourning and persecuted. Here we get to hear what Jesus proclaiming the good news of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23) exactly amounts to. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Marcia Y. Riggs As Jesus pronounces God s blessings, he frames the call to discipleship in terms of both who they are to be (their character) and its consequences for their lives in the present sociopolitical and religious context, as well as in God s future. Finally, the theological heart of the Beatitudes is a call to be disciples who live out the virtues of the blessings in pursuit of righteousness grounded in God s righteousness (God s steadfast love, goodness, justice, and mercy). God s blessings are our command, because God first loved us, giving us the blessing of Jesus Christ, our salvation. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by Charles James Cook Living daily into the spirit of the Beatitudes involves looking at them as a collection of the whole, rather than looking at each one individually. Each is related to the others, and they build on one another. Those who are meek, meaning humble, are more likely to hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they remain open to continued knowledge of God. If we approach the Beatitudes this way, we see they invite us into a way of being in the world that leads to particular practices. There are three principles for living into the spirit of the Beatitudes: simplicity, hopefulness, and compassion. These three principles allow us to be in the world, while not being totally shaped by it. We offer an alternative to what the world seems to be pursuing. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Ronald J. Allen The Beatitudes are not direct calls to action, to become poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, and so forth. Rather, the Beatitudes are promises. Indirectly, of course, the Beatitudes do imply that people who have responded positively to the coming of the realm will manifest the values and behaviors that are exemplified in the Beatitudes. However, we cannot move too quickly here. Any call to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to become merciful, and to be pure in heart, and so forth, runs the risk of drifting into legalism and works righteousness. 1

2 Blessed to be a Blessing FOCUS SCRIPTURE Matthew 5:1 12 Focus on Your Teaching Do many of your members, when asked how they are doing, say they are blessed? What do they mean by that? Are blessed Christians happy? Even more important, are we blessed because of something we do or are we blessed just by believing we are God s children? Today s focus scripture contains the Beatitudes, a well-known list of blessings given by Jesus to his disciples. Expect your participants to find both words of comfort and words of challenge in these well-loved verses. Open my mind and heart to your blessings, O God, that I may be a blessing to those I lead. Amen. YOU WILL NEED newsprint or board markers copies of Resource Sheet 2 pens Bibles copies of Resource Sheet 1 copies of Resource Sheet 1 for For Responding option 1: Bibles or Resource Sheet 2 option 2: newsprint, colored markers option 3: paper and pens, Resource Sheet 1 A similar version of the Beatitudes is found in Luke 6: If there is time, compare the Matthew and Luke versions. You might use a Gospel parallel book or the Web site synopsis/meta-4g.htm LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, write Happiness is... on the board or newsprint. Welcome participants as they arrive and ask them to each add a word or phrase on the board or newsprint to complete the sentence Happiness is... Then come together and introduce any newcomers. Review the written responses and summarize the most common ways we think of happiness. Tell the group that in today s session you will be exploring the Beatitudes. Lead the group in this prayer or one of your choosing: God of power and love, as we ponder what makes for happiness, guide us with your Spirit to find your way for us. Amen. EXPLORING Tell the group that for the next few weeks the lectionary Gospel text is from the Sermon on the Mount, which is found in Matthew 5 7. Encourage them to read these familiar chapters at home during the week. Today s focus scripture includes the beginning verses of the Sermon on the Mount, which are called the Beatitudes, or blessings. Before opening Bibles, distribute Resource Sheet 2 (The Beatitudes, or Blessings) and pens. Ask participants to match each phrase of the Beatitudes. 2

3 Blessed to be a Blessing When they have finished, have participants turn to Matthew 5:1 12 in their Bibles. Indicate an imaginary line through the middle of the group, creating two groups of roughly equal size. Instruct one group to read the first half of each verse ( Blessed are... ) and the other group to read the response ( For they... ). Begin by reading verses 1 2 to the group. After they have read verses 3 10 responsively as outlined above, read verses in unison. Draw attention to the left column of Resource Sheet 2. Ask the participants to put a check next to each description that is encouraged by Jesus, noting that others are conditions people do not choose. When they have finished, have them compare their lists with another person. Then ask: P What does it mean that Jesus declared people who were suffering, blessed? P What does it mean that Jesus declared blessed both people who act in certain ways, such as those who work for peace, and people who suffer, such as those who mourn? Hope for someone to mention that it shows Jesus came to give hope to marginalized people, both those oppressed by others and those who were persecuted for doing good. The term Beatitude comes from the Latin adjective beatus, which means blissful or happy. The original Greek word, however, was makarios, meaning the same thing. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 (Focus on Matthew 5:1 12) and have a volunteer read the Where? excerpt. Ask: P How does this excerpt challenge or change your thinking about the Beatitudes? Point out that some Bible translations use the word happy instead of blessed. If you or someone has a study Bible, investigate what the original word was and its meaning. (see sidebar) Beatitudes are also found in Greek literature where the promised blessings are normally materialistic. It was normally the gods or the wealthy and powerful who were called blessed because they did not have to be concerned with the daily struggles of life. In the biblical context, blessedness describes happiness that comes from a right relationship with God as opposed to a more material understanding of good fortune or emotional bliss. Ask: P How does the interplay of happy and blessed help you interpret the Beatitudes? P Knowing that both are translations of the Greek makarios, and how the word was used by Greeks at the time, how does Jesus turn the usual use of the word upside down in the Sermon on the Mount? Return to Resource Sheet 1 and read the So What? excerpt. Invite participants to call out examples they remember in which Jesus or others in the Gospels exemplified simplicity, hopefulness, and compassion. As a transition to Responding, ask: P How do Christians today offer an alternative to what the world is pursuing? 3

4 Blessed to be a Blessing EASY PREP RESPONDING Choose one or more of these activities, depending on the length of your session: 1. Blessings Unbound Even though the Beatitudes are a collective unit, each participant might find one phrase more challenging or comforting. Have participants take a few minutes to review the Beatitudes, reflecting where the words of comfort and challenge speak to their lives. Have them first look for the comfort they find personally in the Beatitudes. Then have them look for a challenge they find compelling to their lives. Form pairs and have them tell one comfort and one challenge they find to one another. Invite the group to each select one challenge in the Beatitudes they will work on in the next week. 2. Blessed Art Sometimes it is easier to express a thought or concept in pictures than in words. Form small groups and give each group a sheet of newsprint and set of colored markers. Ask each group to select one verse from the Beatitudes. Explain that each group is to draw a picture or symbol of how the blessing expressed in their verse might be interpreted and experienced today. Allow adequate time for groups to complete their assignment. Post the pictures on a wall in the sequence of the verses. Invite comments or questions, and encourage each group to share insights they gained from the drawings. 3. A Beatitude Acrostic Adults will affirm the Beatitudes by writing a poem that incorporates the values espoused in them. Distribute paper and pens. Explain that an acrostic is a poem in which the first letter of each line spells out a word or message. Have participants review the So What? excerpt on Resource Sheet 1 and write an acrostic poem using one of the principles named (simplicity, hope, compassion) incorporating ideas from the Beatitudes. These will be used in the Closing activity and could be used in the church newsletter or other church communication. CLOSING Invite participants to close their eyes as you read the focus scripture slowly, pausing after each verse for silent meditation. If they make art in option 2 in Responding, stand in front of the art. If possible, move from picture to picture so they can focus on the art for each Beatitude as it is read. Invite adults to name an action they will take in the coming week that is based on one of the Beatitudes. If participants wrote the acrostic poems in Responding, hear them now. Conclude with this prayer or one of your choosing: O God, in these teachings you challenge us and bless us with kingdom living. Strengthen us for the tasks ahead. Bless us to be a blessing. Amen. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 for February 9, 2014, or it to the participants during the week. Encourage class members to read the focus scripture and resource sheet before the next session. 4

5 February 2, 2014 Adult Resource Sheet 1 Focus on Matthew 5:1 12 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by Edwin Chr. van Driel The Beatitudes are not entrance requirements for the kingdom but eschatological blessings. Although the later sections of the Sermon are full of ethical imperatives, the Beatitudes are in the indicative mode, not in the imperative. Jesus is not asking the crowd to become poor in spirit, or mourners, or persecuted for righteousness sake; instead, he offers consolation to those who find themselves poor and in mourning and persecuted. Here we get to hear what Jesus proclaiming the good news of the kingdom (Matt. 4:23) exactly amounts to. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Marcia Y. Riggs As Jesus pronounces God s blessings, he frames the call to discipleship in terms of both who they are to be (their character) and its consequences for their lives in the present sociopolitical and religious context, as well as in God s future. Finally, the theological heart of the Beatitudes is a call to be disciples who live out the virtues of the blessings in pursuit of righteousness grounded in God s righteousness (God s steadfast love, goodness, justice, and mercy). God s blessings are our command, because God first loved us, giving us the blessing of Jesus Christ, our salvation. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by Charles James Cook Living daily into the spirit of the Beatitudes involves looking at them as a collection of the whole, rather than looking at each one individually. Each is related to the others, and they build on one another. Those who are meek, meaning humble, are more likely to hunger and thirst for righteousness, because they remain open to continued knowledge of God. If we approach the Beatitudes this way, we see they invite us into a way of being in the world that leads to particular practices. There are three principles for living into the spirit of the Beatitudes: simplicity, hopefulness, and compassion. These three principles allow us to be in the world, while not being totally shaped by it. We offer an alternative to what the world seems to be pursuing. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Ronald J. Allen The Beatitudes are not direct calls to action, to become poor in spirit, to mourn, to be meek, and so forth. Rather, the Beatitudes are promises. Indirectly, of course, the Beatitudes do imply that people who have responded positively to the coming of the realm will manifest the values and behaviors that are exemplified in the Beatitudes. However, we cannot move too quickly here. Any call to hunger and thirst for righteousness, to become merciful, and to be pure in heart, and so forth, runs the risk of drifting into legalism and works righteousness Westminster John Knox Press Winter

6 February 2, 2014 Adult Resource Sheet 2 Draw lines to connect the blessings The Beatitudes, or Blessings Blessed are the poor in spirit for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the peacemakers for they will see God. Blessed are those who mourn... Blessed are the meek... Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness... Blessed are the merciful... Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.... for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.... Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.... for they will be called children of God.... for they will be comforted. Blessed are the pure in heart for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account for they will be filled.... for they will inherit the earth Westminster John Knox Press Winter

7 February 9, 2014 Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany Isa. 58:1 9a (9b 12) Ps. 112:1 9 (10) 1 Cor. 2:1 12 (13 16) Matt. 5:13 20 Seasoning and Shining Goal for the Session Adults will consider the metaphors of being salt and light for discipleship and commit to show the good works of faith. PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Matthew 5:13 20 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by Edwin Chr. van Driel That Jesus rejected the agenda of the Pharisees does not mean he rejected the Torah; it means he read and practiced Torah from a different perspective. The Pharisees read Torah in the context of a world governed by sin; Torah protected an occupied Israel against losing its identity. Similarly, the Torah itself situated its ethic in the context of sin, and allowed certain practices because of human hardheartedness (Matt. 19:8). Jesus read Torah no longer in the context of sin, but in the context of the kingdom. Now that the reign of God was being inaugurated, the measure was no longer human pettiness, but the abundance of God s righteousness. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Marcia Y. Riggs Human righteousness is about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. As the salt of the earth, we are disciples of Jesus when we allow our characters to be formed by God s blessings. As the light of the world, we are followers of Jesus when we accept the covenantal blessings as a call into relationships with despised groups because of what we believe even if it means that we may be persecuted. As disciples of the Jesus who came not to abolish but to fulfill the law and the prophets, we seek to live righteously in ways consistent with the new interpretation of the law that Jesus provides. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by Charles James Cook Jesus encourages his followers to bring light to a dark and broken world. The light is the light of the gospel, and it draws all people to its warmth and radiance. This mission has been primary, from the very beginning, throughout every age. Archbishop William Temple is often quoted as saying, The church is the only organization on earth that exists for those who are not its members. In order for the light to be seen, we must be willing to go where the darkness exists, to engage and walk through it, so that, in time, the light can overcome it. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Ronald J. Allen Verses 14b 15 emphasize that the purpose of light is to illumine. In those days, lamps were small, yet in a dark one-room house in Palestine, even a small lamp gives light to all in the house (v. 15). Figuratively speaking, the light of a struggling congregation or denomination, even if small and dim, can illumine someone s house. In practical ways, how is the community to let its light shine? By doing good works (v. 16), that is, covenantal acts of love, mercy, and justice. Given the propensity of North American congregations for works righteousness, we need to be clear that these works do not earn a place in the realm of God, but are responses to the gift of the realm. 1

8 Seasoning and Shining FOCUS SCRIPTURE Matthew 5:13 20 Focus on Your Teaching How does the Christian faith guide your participants in their daily life? Many have been taught that being a good Christian means following a prescribed set of rules. For many, church is the place to come and learn these rules. Yet, rules seem always made to be broken. The struggle to follow the spirit of the law versus the letter of the law is a lifelong one. Today s focus text discusses the real meaning of how to be righteous and follow the law. Gracious God, be in my heart, my mind, and my hands. Guide my thoughts and my actions that they bring you glory and honor. Amen. YOU WILL NEED Bibles copies of Resource Sheet 1 candles and lighter computer with Internet copies of Resource Sheet 1 for February 16, 2014 For Responding option 1: copies of Resource Sheet 2, pens option 2: copies of Resource Sheet 1, paper, colored markers option 3: salt, flour, water, mixing bowl, paper plates, birthday candles Salt was a valuable commodity in ancient times. It was used as a seasoning, as a preservative for meat, as an antiseptic, and as a form of currency. LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, if you choose option 3 in Responding, prepare the materials and space to make salt dough candle holders. Make a candle holder as an example. Welcome participants as they arrive and introduce any guests. Form pairs and have participants tell the most inspiring story they have heard or witnessed about Christian faith. Have them name the aspect of Christian faith the story best represents. For example, it can be a story about reconciliation, sacrifice, forgiveness, love, or justice. After a few minutes, ask for a few volunteers to summarize their stories. Tell the class that this session focuses on living what we believe, or being righteous. Lead the group in this prayer or one of your choosing: Light of life, guide us in this time together that we may grow in wisdom and understanding. Amen. EXPLORING Tell participants that today s focus scripture continues where last week s ended. Remind them that the Sermon on the Mount is in Matthew 5 7. Invite a volunteer to read Matthew 5: Comment that some texts, especially those that tell what Jesus said, seem to speak for themselves and need little, if any, interpretation. Encourage participants to call out what this text tells us about the life of righteousness. Ask: P How are the metaphors of salt and light helpful today? P What are some metaphors that might be more appropriate for contemporary life? 2

9 Seasoning and Shining Remind participants of the potential dangers of metaphors. Light and dark, for example, have been used to reinforce racist stereotypes by associating good with white and light and bad with black and darkness. Point out the need to reconcile verses with verse 20. The scribes and Pharisees were supposedly the experts in the law. Ask: P How could Jesus say on the one hand that the law must be fulfilled and on the other hand imply that the experts of the law would not enter heaven? Participants may mention that Jesus is insisting on a different interpretation of who is favored and what it means to fulfill the law. Recall that last week s focus scripture covered the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1 12. Remind participants that the scribes and Pharisees, left out of today s text as those favored by Jesus, appear not to be included in the Beatitudes. Ask: P What does this say about Jesus target audience and interpretation of the law? Matthew 5:21 26 Matthew 5:27 30 Matthew 5:38 42 Matthew 5:43 48 Matthew 6:1 4 Matthew 6:5 8 Matthew 12:1 5 Distribute Resource Sheet 1 (Focus on Matthew 5:13 20) and have a volunteer read the Where? excerpt. Gather in the pairs formed in Gathering or work individually. Assign the verses listed in the sidebar to read and summarize how the spirit of the law was shown in them. Note that some of these texts come from next week s Gospel reading but will not be discussed in class then as the Hebrew Scripture (Old Testament) will be studied. When they are ready, come back as a large group and hear the reports. Have a volunteer read the So What? excerpt from Resource Sheet 1. Ask the group to think about this question as they prepare for Responding: P How can you or our congregation commit to show good works of faith to those outside the church? EASY PREP RESPONDING Choose one or more of these activities, depending on the length of your session: 1. Being Salt and Light Adults will name ways that their community shows works of salt and light. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 2 (Being Salt and Light) and pens. Working in small groups, for each of the suggested examples of salt and light on the resource sheet, write an example of how each of these is being or could be carried out by your congregation. At the end of the activity, ask for reports from each small group. If there are ideas the group would like to suggest to the appropriate leader or committee, decide how this will be done and who will do it. 2. Shining the Light Adults will reflect on all the places their light shines. Invite participants to review the So What? and the Now What? excerpts. Distribute paper and colored markers. Have adults draw an image of light in the middle of their piece of paper. It may be an object such as a light bulb, a lamp, or a flashlight. Tell them to draw solid lines of light rays emanating from the light source that reach places of darkness 3

10 Seasoning and Shining where they have shown their light to others in acts of love, mercy, and justice. Then have them draw dotted lines toward places they need to go now or in the near future to shine light. Perhaps some will draw dotted lines back to places they previously served. When they have finished, form pairs and have participants show and explain their drawing to the other person. Encourage all to look at the drawing in coming weeks and change dotted lines to solid ones. 3. Salt and Light Candle Holders Making a lamp stand out of salt is a tactile way to recall who we are and how we are called to live as salt and light. Ingredients: (amounts are per participant) ¼ cup salt, ½ cup flour, ¼ cup water Option: Have adults measure out their own portion and mix the dough themselves. Directions: 1. In a large bowl, mix salt and flour. Gradually stir in water. Mix well until it forms a doughy consistency. 2. With your hands, form a ball with your dough and knead it for about 5 minutes. 3. Distribute a small portion of the dough on a paper plate to each adult. As adults are forming their candle holders, discuss the ways your church demonstrates the new of life in Christ. At the end of the activity, suggest that they think of a way to be salt or light in the coming week. CLOSING Have each person light their candle as they name a way that they will be salt or light in the world this week. Say, You are the salt of the earth... You are the light of the world... Let your light shine before others. Show the YouTube video and sing This Little Light of Mine. Conclude with this prayer or one of your choosing: May our saltiness be restored and our light not be hidden under a basket but put on a lamp stand. (Silence) Increase our will to live as a people who reflect the light of Christ. Amen. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 for February 16, 2014, or it to the participants during the week. Encourage class members to read the focus scripture and resource sheet before the next session. 4

11 February 9, 2014 Adult Resource Sheet 1 Focus on Matthew 5:13 20 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by Edwin Chr. van Driel That Jesus rejected the agenda of the Pharisees does not mean he rejected the Torah; it means he read and practiced Torah from a different perspective. The Pharisees read Torah in the context of a world governed by sin; Torah protected an occupied Israel against losing its identity. Similarly, the Torah itself situated its ethic in the context of sin, and allowed certain practices because of human hardheartedness (Matt. 19:8). Jesus read Torah no longer in the context of sin, but in the context of the kingdom. Now that the reign of God was being inaugurated, the measure was no longer human pettiness, but the abundance of God s righteousness. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Marcia Y. Riggs Human righteousness is about being the salt of the earth and the light of the world. As the salt of the earth, we are disciples of Jesus when we allow our characters to be formed by God s blessings. As the light of the world, we are followers of Jesus when we accept the covenantal blessings as a call into relationships with despised groups because of what we believe even if it means that we may be persecuted. As disciples of the Jesus who came not to abolish but to fulfill the law and the prophets, we seek to live righteously in ways consistent with the new interpretation of the law that Jesus provides. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by Charles James Cook Jesus encourages his followers to bring light to a dark and broken world. The light is the light of the gospel, and it draws all people to its warmth and radiance. This mission has been primary, from the very beginning, throughout every age. Archbishop William Temple is often quoted as saying, The church is the only organization on earth that exists for those who are not its members. In order for the light to be seen, we must be willing to go where the darkness exists, to engage and walk through it, so that, in time, the light can overcome it. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Ronald J. Allen Verses 14b 15 emphasize that the purpose of light is to illumine. In those days, lamps were small, yet in a dark one-room house in Palestine, even a small lamp gives light to all in the house (v. 15). Figuratively speaking, the light of a struggling congregation or denomination, even if small and dim, can illumine someone s house. In practical ways, how is the community to let its light shine? By doing good works (v. 16), that is, covenantal acts of love, mercy, and justice. Given the propensity of North American congregations for works righteousness, we need to be clear that these works do not earn a place in the realm of God, but are responses to the gift of the realm Westminster John Knox Press Winter

12 February 9, 2014 Adult Resource Sheet 2 Being Salt and Light How is our congregation: SALT For our members For the community/ world Seasoning/flavoring Preserving/maintaining Cleansing/antiseptic Living responsibly in all spheres of life How is our congregation: SALT For our members For the community/ world Proclaiming the Word of God Demonstrating the new life Exposing evil Serving others This Little Light of Mine This little light of mine, I m gonna let it shine; This little light of mine, I m gonna let it shine; This little light of mine, I m gonna let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Hide it under a bushel, no! I m gonna let it shine; Hide it under a bushel, no! I m gonna let it shine; Hide it under a bushel, no! I m gonna let it shine, Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine Westminster John Knox Press Winter

13 February 16, 2014 Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany Deut. 30:15 20 Ps. 119:1 8 1 Cor. 3:1 9 Matt. 5:21 37 Choose Life! Goal for the Session Heeding Moses words, adults will explore their decision to follow God s commandments and identify principles for making faith-based decisions. PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Deuteronomy 30:15 20 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by W. Sibley Towner Then comes the great challenge: Choose life! The sense if not the form of the Hebrew verb for choose (ubaharta) is imperative. It points to an as yet unresolved decision. What do they do? At the end of the book of Joshua, in the context of a covenant ratification ceremony, the people publically commit themselves to rejecting idolatry. They say, We also will serve the LORD, for he is our God (Josh. 24:18). They seal the covenant with their choice and consequently are liable for their subsequent apostasies. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Carol J. Dempsey The people are called to live Torah as a way of life. Their reward for their fidelity and integrity will be divine blessing. To be blessed by God is to be guaranteed safety, well-being, strength, prosperity, and progeny. Furthermore, the people themselves will become a blessing (cf. Gen. 12:2 3). God s commandments and ways are meant not as restriction but rather as prescriptions that lead to the fullness of life for all; in that sense, their end is not meant to constrict but to set free. Obedience is not merely doing as one is told. Obedience means to listen, which involves more than just hearing and following. Obedience is a discernment process that involves not only the mind and will but also, and most especially, the heart. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by Andrew Foster Connors The flip side of these ominous warnings is that God desires for the community to be blessed. God desires life, not death. God hopes that Israel will make the right choice, for faithfulness. The right choice means blessings for the entire community, not just for some. The right choice means a home not just for God s people but for resident aliens as well. The right choice means economic policies that leave enough for everyone. The right choice means an equitable distribution of resources. The right choice means life this is what God desires for us. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Brett Younger Worship with all your heart. Pray genuinely. Love your church. Believe that God loves you. Remember the stories of Jesus. See Christ in the people around you. Share God s love with someone who has forgotten it. Delight in God s good gifts. See that all of life is holy. Open your heart to the Spirit. Search for something deeper and better than your own comfort. Live in the joy beneath it all. Let God make your life wonderful. Moses preached that we choose life in an amazing variety of ways. This text provides a wonderful chance for us to hear: Today I set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life. 1

14 Choose Life! FOCUS SCRIPTURE Deuteronomy 30:15 20 Focus on Your Teaching People make choices every day. Paper or plastic? Small, medium, large, supersize? Some are so distracted and overwhelmed by all the trivial choices that they find it difficult to focus on choices that truly matter. What kinds of decisions have the participants in your group encountered recently? Have some changed jobs? Been relocated? Recently married or divorced? Be alert to concerns expressed by participants who are facing major decisions now. However, today s focus scripture centers on a fundamental choice for God s chosen people. This same choice is one the people of God continue to face time and time again. Open my mind, guide my thoughts, calm my fears, and lead me as I prepare to share your Word. Amen. YOU WILL NEED Bibles newsprint or board colored markers copies of Resource Sheet 1 copies of Resource Sheet 1 for February 23, 2014 For Responding option 1: Bibles, Resource Sheet 1, board or newsprint, marker option 2: copies of Resource Sheet 2, pens option 3: paper and pens Obedience is a discernment process that involves not only the mind and will but also, and most especially, the heart. God s love for Israel is an affair of the heart, and God, in turn, wants such a relationship to be reciprocal. LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before participants arrive, on the board or newsprint list the four tasks for small groups immediately following the focus scripture reading in Exploring. Welcome participants as they arrive and introduce any newcomers. Have the participants describe a childhood memory of a consequence that came as a result of a choice they made. The consequence can be good or bad. Be prepared to be supportive if people recall painful childhood experiences. Tell the group that today s focus scripture is an important choice presented by Moses to the people of God. Lead the group in this prayer or one of your choosing: God, fill us with your presence as we engage our whole selves with you in this time together. Through Christ, our Way, Truth, and Life. Amen. EXPLORING From the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, the focus changes to another sermon, but one by Moses on the border of the Promised Land. Set the context for today s focus scripture by reminding learners that Deuteronomy contains Moses farewell speech, which consists of twenty-six chapters! After all, he has a lot of territory to cover and he won t be going to the Promised Land with the people. Because the exodus took place over several generations, there were adults who didn t know about living as God s people on their own. He reminds the Hebrews, who have escaped from slavery in Egypt, wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, and are about to enter the Promised Land, who they are and what God demands of them. 2

15 Choose Life! There are a number of covenants made between God and people in the Hebrew Scriptures. The covenantal formula generally recounted the saving works of God, requirements of the covenant, the blessings of keeping the covenant and the consequences for breaking the covenant. Read Deuteronomy 30:15 20 aloud or ask a volunteer to read it. Form groups of three and give each group two pieces of newsprint and two different colored markers. Call attention to the list of instructions written on the board or newsprint before class. Instruct groups to use one piece of newsprint to draw a map or graphic that illustrates the choice God gives Israel in Deuteronomy 30: The graphic should show what is required, and what consequences will be depending on the choice they make. Finally, they should agree on a title for their work. Return as a large group and have each group show and describe their work. Read Deuteronomy 30:15 20 again, but with a commanding, almost threatening tone. Ask: P How do you think the people heard these words? P What tone might Moses have used? P How else might the text be said? Return to the same small groups. Because Moses would not be going with the people, this was his last chance to persuade them to choose God. Have the small groups use the second piece of newsprint to make a billboard Moses might have created to persuade the people to choose life. When everyone is ready, have each group show its billboard. Enjoy the humor in them. Distribute the copies of Resource Sheet 1 (Focus on Deuteronomy 30:15 20). Ask a volunteer to read the Where? excerpt aloud. Remind participants that this was a scattered people who had escaped slavery and were trying to form a new society. Ask: P How do laws and decrees help to create well-being and protect weaker members of society? Read the So What? excerpt to affirm the discussion. 15: : :1 8 23: :14 15 For some of the Hebrews, parts of Moses sermon would have sounded familiar, not entirely new. Assign the following texts from Deuteronomy to individuals or pairs depending on the size of the group. Have them read the verses in the sidebar and note what the commandment is and how it protects life. When all are ready have each person or group report findings to the large group. Prepare to move to Responding by asking them to consider: P How do people choose life today? 3

16 Choose Life! EASY PREP RESPONDING Choose one or more of these activities, depending on the length of your session: 1. Principles to Choose Life Adapting and articulating biblical mandates to the current context is an ongoing, never-ending task Christians must do in order to choose life in Moses terms today. As a group, formulate a list on the board or newsprint of principles people of faith could use to follow God today and choose life. Use the excerpts from Resource Sheet 1 and various biblical commandments discussed in Exploring to help provoke ideas. Then go through the list and name ways your church community helps people follow those principles. If there are principles not addressed by your church, think of ways the church can address them and agree to talk with leaders about them. 2. Choosing the Right God to Follow Naming the gods that call us and articulating God s call to us can help participants make today s lesson their own. Distribute Resource Sheet 2 (Choose Life!) and pens. Have participants take a few minutes to read the excerpt on the sheet and answer the questions on their own. After a few minutes gather as a group and ask a few volunteers to tell briefly about gods that tempt them and what they will do this next week. Conclude this option with a time of silent prayer. 3. Write a Prayer Participants will write a prayer to God for help in choosing life they can use at home during the week. This activity can be done individually or as a group. Distribute paper and pens. Begin by listing what God promises and what we promise God if we choose life. Then write a brief prayer affirming these promises and asking for help and guidance. Encourage participants to use this prayer at home during the next week. CLOSING Invite participants to say what Choose life means to them today. Tell people that next week s lesson will continue exploring how we are to live as followers of God. If a group prayer was created in option 3 of Responding, pray it together. If individual prayers were written, allow a moment of silence for each participant to pray silently. Read the Now What? excerpt as a charge to the people before saying the closing prayer. Conclude with this prayer or one of your choosing: God, we have so many choices and decisions to make. Sometimes we are afraid we will make the wrong choice. Guide us in every decision and show us your path to life in all its fullness. Amen. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 for February 23, 2014, or it to the participants during the week. Encourage class members to read the focus scripture and resource sheet before the next session. 4

17 February 16, 2014 Adult Resource Sheet 1 Focus on Deuteronomy 30:15 20 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by W. Sibley Towner Then comes the great challenge: Choose life! The sense if not the form of the Hebrew verb for choose (ubaharta) is imperative. It points to an as yet unresolved decision. What do they do? At the end of the book of Joshua, in the context of a covenant ratification ceremony, the people publically commit themselves to rejecting idolatry. They say, We also will serve the LORD, for he is our God (Josh. 24:18). They seal the covenant with their choice and consequently are liable for their subsequent apostasies. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Carol J. Dempsey The people are called to live Torah as a way of life. Their reward for their fidelity and integrity will be divine blessing. To be blessed by God is to be guaranteed safety, well-being, strength, prosperity, and progeny. Furthermore, the people themselves will become a blessing (cf. Gen. 12:2 3). God s commandments and ways are meant not as restriction but rather as prescriptions that lead to the fullness of life for all; in that sense, their end is not meant to constrict but to set free. Obedience is not merely doing as one is told. Obedience means to listen, which involves more than just hearing and following. Obedience is a discernment process that involves not only the mind and will but also, and most especially, the heart. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by Andrew Foster Connors The flip side of these ominous warnings is that God desires for the community to be blessed. God desires life, not death. God hopes that Israel will make the right choice, for faithfulness. The right choice means blessings for the entire community, not just for some. The right choice means a home not just for God s people but for resident aliens as well. The right choice means economic policies that leave enough for everyone. The right choice means an equitable distribution of resources. The right choice means life this is what God desires for us. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Brett Younger Worship with all your heart. Pray genuinely. Love your church. Believe that God loves you. Remember the stories of Jesus. See Christ in the people around you. Share God s love with someone who has forgotten it. Delight in God s good gifts. See that all of life is holy. Open your heart to the Spirit. Search for something deeper and better than your own comfort. Live in the joy beneath it all. Let God make your life wonderful. Moses preached that we choose life in an amazing variety of ways. This text provides a wonderful chance for us to hear: Today I set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life Westminster John Knox Press Winter

18 February 16, 2014 Adult Resource Sheet 2 Choose Life! The truth, according to Deuteronomy, is that there will be hell to pay for the choices we make when those choices run counter to God s covenantal obligations. We know this is true in the lives of the people we counsel. Promises are violated in marriages. Destructive secrets erupt from the places where families hide them. Irresponsible financial decisions run their ultimate course. The predictable destruction that lies in the wake confirms that there are severe consequences for violating covenantal norms. We know this is true in the dynamics of congregational life. Conflicts arise in the absence of healthy leadership, words are exchanged, sides are taken, splits occur. It takes years for these congregations to leave the pain and isolation of congregational exile. Some never do. We know this is true in our world. As I write, the markets of the world economy are crumbling. While we do not yet know the details, we know enough to conclude that God s ethical demands for fairness in the marketplace have been violated in the name of basic greed. There will be hell to pay for the choices that we make. Perhaps our resistance to this kind of counsel is not simply a concern about God s beneficence, but our wish to live as though God were not so attentive to the choices that we make. Perhaps we have been led further astray than we first imagined. Perhaps we have bowed down to the gods of choice more often than we have been willing to admit. Andrew Foster Conners, Feasting on the Word, Year A, Volume 1, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010), List the gods that compete against God today. 2. List the gods that tempt you to follow them. 3. Now list ways you can choose life in a. Your home b. Your relations with friends c. Your business transactions 4. Circle at least one thing you will concentrate on this next week Westminster John Knox Press Winter

19 February 23, 2014 Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany Lev. 19:1 2, 9 18 Ps. 119: Cor. 3:10 11, Matt. 5:38 48 Wholly Holy Goal for the Session Adults will consider the meaning of holiness in Leviticus 19 and discover how they can live holy lives today. PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Leviticus 19:1 2, 9 18 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective by Jin Hee Han The lectionary selection is found in the law section commonly known as the Holiness Code, which focuses on purity and holiness before God (Lev ). The physical location of the passage illustrates its central place, as well, for it forms the kernel of the book of Leviticus, which in turn is located at the core of the Torah. While the book of Leviticus comes after the book of Exodus and defines what it means to live as those redeemed by God from the bondage of Egypt, Leviticus 19 presents quintessential concerns that are to shape the daily life of the people of God. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective by Sheldon W. Sorge God s claim on these people is a done deal; they are already the elect. The law is given, not as their gateway to salvation, but as salvation s way of life. To be sure, the law is beneficial for all humanity; but it is this people s special vocation to embody this way of life over and against all other peoples, as a public witness to the beauty and blessing of God. The law is God s treasure map to the blessedness for which God has claimed us, and in which the Holy One ever lives. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective by Lillian Daniel The reading today has a word for me, and families like mine. It has a word for the church. It is a call to tell the truth and to take money out of the shadows. The rest of this passage is full of business-ethics advice that has stood the test of time. Do not commit fraud, do not lie, do not judge unfairly, and do not slander. Be decent with one another in your financial dealings, and do not forget the poor. Most important, be generous, and love your neighbor as yourself. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective by Kimberly L. Clayton In Leviticus (and in Matthew), holiness is not characterized by an ethereal state of being, but by how one acts in everyday places and relationships. We need to be reminded what everyday holiness looks like from a biblical perspective. You are holy when, harvesting your crop, you choose to leave some of the grain you drop and more uncut at the edges of your property, so that Ruth, or someone like her, does not go to bed hungry. Holiness is not always about making grand sacrifices to God or speaking pious prayers. Holiness is not stealing what belongs to someone else or telling a lie, even a lie that seems harmless. Holiness is being a good employer, paying someone on time for work done. 1

20 Wholly Holy FOCUS SCRIPTURE Leviticus 19:1 2, 9 18 Focus on Your Teaching When do adults hear the word holy outside the church? In this culture, holiness is often thought to be the realm of someone like Mother Teresa, who devoted her whole life to service. The participants in your group probably don t think of themselves as holy. How do you think they would react if you greeted them with Holy (name) as they arrived for the class? In this session they will consider the meaning of holiness for their lives. Lord God, I long to be perfectly whole, perfectly holy, perfectly yours in all that I say and all that I do. Amen. YOU WILL NEED newsprint or board markers copies of Resource Sheet 1 Bibles copies of Resource Sheet 2 pens copies of Resource Sheet 1 for March 2, 2014 For Responding option 1: Bibles option 2: paper and markers option 3: music and player (optional) LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Welcome participants as they arrive and introduce any newcomers. Invite the group to name persons from the past or present whom they would describe as holy as you list them on newsprint or board. When the list has grown to eight to ten people, ask: P What common characteristics do these people have that we name them holy? List the characteristics on newsprint or board too. Tell the group that today s study will look at a biblical understanding of holiness and how to live it today. Lead the group in this prayer or one of your choosing: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty. Enter our group at this moment so your Spirit will hover over us as we discern your word for us. Amen. EXPLORING Distribute Resource Sheet 1 (Focus on Leviticus 19:1 2, 9 18) and have a volunteer read the What? excerpt aloud. Invite initial reactions to the excerpt. The Hebrew translated as holy is qadosh, meaning set apart and designated for a specific purpose. Invite a volunteer to read Leviticus 19:1 2, Have a volunteer read the Where? excerpt on Resource Sheet 1. Ask: P From the Bible passage and the excerpt, what do you surmise about how the people were living? Recall that in Deuteronomy 30:15 20, Moses encouraged the people to choose life as they entered the Promised Land where they were surrounded by other cultures and gods. Ask: P How were the people to be holy? 2