A Journey Toward Knowing, Loving and Serving God and Others

Transcription

1 PARTICIPANT S GUIDE

2 A Journey Toward Knowing, Loving and Serving God and Others

3 PARTICIPANT S GUIDE The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Contents Week 1 4 It is our church... Week 2 8 God s Big Picture: Discovering the Storyline of the Bible Week 3 12 The Virtues of Jesus Appendix: 5 Es defined 14 Additional suggested reading materials 15 Thy Kingdom Come 16 Daily devotions EMBARK 3

4 Week 1 It is our church What do you love about The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection? What are our greatest strengths? In what areas can The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection improve? What are our growth areas? Areas of STRENGTH PURPOSE: To build a Christian community where non-religious and nominally religious people are becoming deeply committed Christians. Christian = Community = Non-religious = Nominally religious = Becoming = Deeply Committed = JOURNEY: Knowing, Loving and Serving God. Areas of GROWTH Knowing = Loving = Serving = 4 EMBARK

5 notes FIVE EXPECTATIONS: l Worship each when possible., in person l Grow in your faith outside of, through study or a. l Serve by using your talents both inside and the walls of the church. and l Give in the to your income, with as your goal. l Share your faith with others, through and. EMBARK 5

6 Becoming a deeply committed Christian How do I know I am becoming a deeply committed Christian? What is the ultimate goal of the Christian life? What is the pathway of Christian formation? 6 EMBARK

7 notes EXPLORE ENCOUNTER ENGAGE EXPRESS EMBODY EMBARK 7

8 Week 2 God s Big Picture: Discovering the Storyline of the Bible SEVEN EPISODES OF GOD S STORY God s mission = 8 EMBARK

9 notes FOUR P S OF GOD S MISSION EMBARK 9

10 The Origins of God s Mission It cannot be denied that the missio Dei notion has helped to articulate the conviction that neither the church nor any other human agent can ever be considered the author or bearer of mission. Mission is, primarily and ultimately, the work of the Triune God, Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, for the sake of the world, a ministry in which the church is privileged to participate Mission has its origin in the heart of God. God is a fountain of sending love. This is the deepest source of mission. It is impossible to penetrate deeper still; there is mission because God loves people. David Bosch Mission is the people of God intentionally crossing barriers from church to nonchurch, faith to nonfaith, to proclaim by word and deed the coming of the kingdom of God in Jesus Christ; this task is achieved by means of the church s participation in God s mission of reconciling people to God, to themselves, to each other, and to the world, and gathering them into the church through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ by the work of the Holy Spirit with a view to the transformation of the world as a sign of the coming kingdom in Jesus Christ. Charles Ven Engen THE NATURE OF GOD S MISSION GOD S MISSION 10 EMBARK

11 notes THE WORK OF GOD S MISSION THE GOALS OF GOD S MISSION EMBARK 11

12 Week 3 The Virtues of Jesus Read Matthew 22:36-40 and Mark 12:28-31 What are the two greatest commandments? LOVE GOD LOVE OTHERS VOCATION AND CALLING Purpose: Place: Path: 12 EMBARK

13 notes SPIRITUAL DISCIPLINES Definition of Spiritual Formation: INTERNAL EXTERNAL COMMUNAL EMBARK 13

14 APPENDIX 5 Es defined EXPLORE ENCOUNTER ENGAGE EXPRESS l Is this it? Is this all there is to life? l Is there really a God? l Was Jesus real? Was he God s son? l Why do I feel like something is missing? l Does true community exist? Is the common good really attainable? l Can God be experienced? How? l What is the church anyway? l Is that God s love I see in others? l Can you tell me more about the story of God? It is intriguing. l I m in. How do I join this community? l God, help me? l I think I will go to a bible /study/class/etc. l I d like to give some of my money for that project. l I think that I am finding that God s story is the purpose for my life. l Can I join you in serving others? l I think I will go to church more faithfully. l Welcome to our community. l Thank you, God. l God, help me? l I think I might do more than give my money, I think I will commit some time. l I now see who I am who God created me to be. l I recognize God s mission is to restore the world. l I am a participant in God s mission. l I d like to be mentored. l I love my church community; you should join me. l I d like to go deeper in my spiritual disciplines. l I see God's Kingdom activity all around me and I am jumping in to serve. l Sharing my faith is essential to my role as an agent of reconciliation. l I need accountability. l I d like to disciple others. l My money is not my own. l God, help those around the world and in my community. PREVENIENT GRACE JUSTIFYING GRACE 14 EMBARK

15 EMBODY l True worship is in spirit and truth and a way of life. l Jesus is present in community. l I am Jesus to others. The Holy Spirit is my guide. l My spiritual practices that lead to holiness (perfect love) are for the sake of the world. l Everything I do is in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. l Kingdom priorities drive my life. l The world will be made new; the Kingdom is not in trouble. l God, help me to be like your son, Jesus more and more each day. l I need to model for others the way of Jesus. SANCTIFYING GRACE suggested additional reading materials l The Mission of God s People: A Biblical Theology of the Church s Mission by Christopher J.H. Wright l The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey l The Jesus Creed: Loving God, Loving Others by Scot McKnight l Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard J Foster l Sacred Pathways: Discover Your Soul s Path to God by Gary Thomas l Sacred Rhythms: Arranging Our Lives for Spiritual Transformation by Ruth Haley Barton l Jesus Apprentice: Doing What Jesus Did by Jeff Kirby l Glad Hearted Disciples by Chris Folmsbee l Making Sense of the Bible: Rediscovering the Power of Scripture Today by Adam Hamilton l Why? Making Sense of God s Will by Adam Hamilton l Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White - DVD: Thoughts on Religion, Morality, and Politics by Adam Hamilton l The Good and Beautiful God: Falling in Love with the God Jesus Knows by James Bryan Smith l A Hop, Skip & a Jump Through the Bible by J. Ellsworth Kalas l God s Big Picture: Tracing the Storyline of the Bible by Vaughan Roberts Most of these books can be found at The Well Bookstore on the Leawood campus. the.well@cor.org phone: EMBARK 15

16 THY KINGDOM COME What is God s desire for the world? What Thy Kingdom Come really means Day 1 Read: Genesis 1:24-31; 2:8-17 The Genesis story of the creation of our world provides a picture of how God desires the world to be. When God created the world and all that it is in it, God created it to be whole. It was complete. It was in harmony. It was full of peace. God created the earth entirely good, and gave humans a vital role to play within creation. God s Kingdom was entirely good and full of purpose. Humans, Genesis said, were created to subdue and rule over God s creation. To subdue and rule over was to live into the purpose or the image in which humans were created. We call this the image of God. To subdue and rule over the earth meant humans were to take care of it. God was allowing and empowering humans to play a vital part in making sure that the world remained good or whole, just the way God intended it to be. To subdue and rule over the earth was not to abuse or take advantage of creation but rather to thoughtfully, carefully and gently steward all that God had made and gave to humans to enjoy, to represent God and be the image of God to the whole world. Within God s special creation for humans was a place to live. This place, called Eden, was filled, among other many beautiful things, with trees. These trees were meant to produce fruit and sustain life. The Bible tells us about two trees in particular the tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God instructed the humans not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They already knew good all that tree could add was knowledge of evil. With God s blessing, humans were to live in Eden and take care of it. Humans shared a relationship with God, self, others and the world that was marked by peace or wholeness. FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION: l In what ways would you describe to another person the way in which God created the world? l What do you think it means that the world is created to be whole? l What was the purpose God gave to humans? l What does it mean to subdue and rule over the earth? l What were the two trees mentioned in your reading (2:8-9)? l How would you describe the relationship that humans had with God, self, others and the world? 16 EMBARK

17 Day 2 Read: Genesis 3:1-13 As you know from our first day s reading, God instructed humans not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God created humans from within God s special nature of holy love. This holy love meant that God created humans with the freedom to love God or not. Along with the potential of love came the possibility of humans choosing not to love God. God created humans with the will to make decisions out of their own heart, mind and soul. As you likely know, humans chose to rebel against God and eat from the tree God instructed them not to eat from. When humans chose to rebel against God and live for themselves, the world was no longer whole. Because of humans rebellion, the world was now broken. This was not God s intended plan. The Kingdom of God was intended to be a place of peace and harmony, not darkness, brokenness and sin. As a result of disrupting God s plan for the world, the hearts of humans were dislocated from God s. The humans felt shame and tried to hide their sin from God. plan. God s Kingdom was to be a place of life, love and trust for God not evil, sin and death. God wanted God s Kingdom to be marked by holiness and righteousness, not brokenness and injustice. FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION: l What did God give humans the freedom to do? l Who was the one who deceived the humans? l When the humans ate the fruit, what happened to God s intentions for God s Kingdom? l What was the immediate reaction of the humans to their sin? l When God confronts the humans, what do they do? l What are some ways that we might describe how God intended God s Kingdom to be marked by? God confronted the humans about their decision to rebel. Their response was filled with blame, itself a sign of brokenness. The human response to God was that it was God s fault. This response can be traced forward all the way to today. Today we still blame God and others for our mistakes. The natural human tendency is to live for self. This was not God s EMBARK 17

18 THY KINGDOM COME Day 3 Read: Hosea 14, Psalm 105:1-11, Amos 9:11-15, Isaiah 49:8-13 The stories of the Old Testament reveal the massive scope of God s plan for redemption for righting the wrongs of the world and restoring the world to its intended wholeness. The Old Testament stories show us the heart of God, and at the same time reveal humanity s struggles to live into the purpose for which it was created. Throughout the Old Testament, God was working out God s redemptive plan through a people called the Israelites, the Jewish Nation. God leads God s people out of the hands of an angry and dominating king in Egypt, promises land and provides laws and leaders to govern the Jewish people and instruct the Israelite Nation on how to practically respond to God s desire for wholeness. God s plan of redemption, of making the world whole again, was enacted when the people of Israel, under the leadership of people like Abraham, Moses, Deborah, David, Solomon and a host of others, were a blessing to other nations. God sent prophets to guide the nation of Israel so that they might live faithfully as a blessing to others. These prophets warned the people of God to rid themselves of idolatry and injustice. In order for God s dream the Kingdom of God to be completely fulfilled in our world, the chosen people of God must live a life where God is first in their lives. And for God s dream, the Kingdom of God, to be fulfilled, the people of Israel needed to be committed to taking care of the people around the world that needed help to justice of all kinds. Prophets like Isaiah promised that God will never turn God s back on God s people. Regardless of how far we travel or how far we drift from God s presence, God will not forget us. FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION: l Based on the Bible reading passages, in what ways does God work through the people of Israel for God s redemptive purpose? l What two things must the people do to see the Kingdom of God fulfilled? l What does it mean that God will never turn God s back on his people? l In what ways do you think you can put God first in your life? l Where in your town or city might you be able to help those who are in need? l How would you describe the Kingdom of God? 18 EMBARK

19 Day 4 Read: John 1:1-14, Luke 4:18-21, Matthew 25:31-46, Mark 12:28-34; 15:1-5 Humans struggled to remain faithful to God for centuries. Finally, God came alongside of humans in the midst of their struggles and showed humans how to live. God revealed what it means to embody the reign of God in the world, through the person and work of Jesus Christ, God s Son. Jesus not only came to die for humans, he came to show us how to live. Jesus life was about reversing the primal human rebellion, the sin of Adam and Eve, and showing that humans can live into the image for which God created them. Through Jesus teaching and miracles, he lived as a beacon of light in a dark world reminding humans that God has not forgotten them. Jesus entered human history at a time when the people of Israel desperately wanted a King. The Jewish people were tired of being oppressed by Kings and Empires and wanted what God had promised them. Jesus was that promised King. However, the Jewish people, especially the religious leaders, didn t want a King who was poor, homeless and lived to serve others. The people wanted a King who would overthrow the Roman Empire at all costs. Jesus was not that kind of King. Jesus was a man of peace instead of violence. Instead of power, Jesus led with humility. Instead of keeping company with the rich and prestigious, Jesus spent time with the lonely, oppressed, marginalized and forgotten. Instead of organizing people for his own good, Jesus organized a movement of people, (called the disciples), to be about God s Kingdom dream to restore the world toward its intended wholeness. Jesus declared that the people who love him, who experience his salvation, will be people who share the gospel by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing those who have no clothes and visiting the prisoners in jail. Jesus wanted to be the King of people s hearts and lives, not the King of possessions, position and prestige. In order for God s Kingdom dream to be fulfilled, the people of Israel needed to find their way back to God again. Jesus was the way for Israel to find their way back to God. Sadly, too many couldn t believe that the way to God was the way of humility and service, not violence and power. So the people who Jesus came to serve turned on him and demanded he be killed. FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION: l Jesus came to die so that we might have life. What is another reason that Jesus came? l What kind of King did the Jewish people want? l What kind of King was Jesus? l Can you describe God s Kingdom dream? l Why do you think the Jewish people turned on Jesus and wanted him killed? EMBARK 19

20 THY KINGDOM COME Day 5 Read: Matthew 28:1-20 Jesus death on the cross and his resurrection (or victory) over sin and death enable people from all nations to share in the power of love, hope, peace and reconciliation. Even in what appear to be the most irredeemable situations and circumstances, such as violence, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus offer the Good News that we can participate with God to restore the world toward its intended wholeness. Long before his death, burial and resurrection, Jesus instructed his disciples to pray like this: 9 This, then, is how you should pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10 your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us today our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. [For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.] Matthew 6:9-13 This prayer should shape the way all Christians view God s Kingdom. Every Christian should realize that when we pray that prayer we are asking God to use us to make God s Kingdom dream for all of creation a reality. God is using us to make the world right. When we pray, thy kingdom come we are surrendering ourselves to Jesus as the King of our life and committing to God, ourselves and to others that we will live as though Jesus is King. The phrase on earth as it is in heaven simply means that God desires for us to live in a way that transforms the world from a place of brokenness to a place of wholeness. On earth as it is in heaven means that earth will look more and more like heaven that it will be a place marked by peace and righteousness and justice. The resurrection of Jesus reveals that Jesus defeated death and sin and that life, love and hope win. Christians live knowing that death has lost its sting and that God s Kingdom life defines our future. A great scholar named N. T. Wright once said, Jesus resurrection is the beginning of God s new project not to snatch people away from earth to heaven but to colonize earth with the life of heaven. That, after all, is what the Lord s Prayer is about. FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION: l When you read about the death and burial of Jesus, how does it make you feel? l What does the resurrection mean? l In your own words, what does the Lord s Prayer mean? l Specifically, what does the phrase Thy Kingdom Come mean to you? l How might you participate with God to make the world right to bring heaven to earth? l What does N. T. Wright think the Lord s Prayer is about? 20 EMBARK

21 Day 6 Read: John 14, 16:5-16, Acts 2:1-28 Although Jesus does not physically walk the earth today, we walk the earth in Jesus place. The Holy Spirit guides all Christians, the church, to keep our eyes on the mission of God to make the world right, through Jesus Christ. God s mission is for a community, not merely for individuals. All of Christ s followers, together, are the agency God is forming to make the world right to faithfully pursue seeing God s dream for the world, a Kingdom marked by wholeness, made real. God sent Jesus. Jesus promised the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit sends the church into the world to be witness to the person and work of Jesus. The gospel message, which is the truth that in Jesus Christ there is salvation, is spread through us, the church. We have been commissioned by Jesus and empowered by the Holy Spirit to do God s redemptive work in the world. This redemptive work can take the form of sharing the gospel, caring for the sick, feeding the poor and visiting the imprisoned. This redemptive work takes us one step closer to being made into the image in which we were created. When we live out our purpose, we participate with God to restore the world toward its intended wholeness. prayer, Thy Kingdom Come? Listen to the Spirit s prompting in your heart and do what the Spirit is telling you to do. We have as much of the Holy Spirit as we ask for and faithfully use. FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION: l From your reading, what were some of the things that Jesus promised the Holy Spirit would do? l How would you describe the gospel? l What are some ways you would describe the redemptive work of God? l What are some specific ways that you can participate with God s redemptive work? l What do you think it means that we have as much of the Holy Spirit as we are open to? The Holy Spirit is our guide. The Holy Spirit is our power. The Holy Spirit is present with us when we seek his presence. Do you want to live out the EMBARK 21

22 THY KINGDOM COME Day 7 Read: Revelation 21:1-5, 22:1-7 Our future is bright and full of hope! It is a future of new creation. God will restore the world to its intended wholeness and in doing so will give immeasurable value and worth to all of our present faithful actions of proclaiming and embodying the Good News of Jesus Christ. Our response to the present needs of this world is driven by the future God promises to shape. We wait. We wait for God to return to resurrect all of God s people to spend eternity with God. It is clear from our reading that God is making the world we live in now, new. I know it is sometimes hard to imagine that this broken world could one day be the place that God lives again with us, but that is exactly what the passages in Revelation describe. God will not throw away this world and make a new one. God will make the world we live in now, new. God desires the world to be whole. This is God s Kingdom dream. You, I and all the people of the earth are called into this Kingdom dream. Some people choose not to live with Jesus as their King. But those of us who have chosen to let Jesus be the King of our life, accept the call of God, and commit to participating with God in God s redemptive work. world to that day. Until that day comes, we wait for Kingdom completion and strive to live a life that reflects the Kingdom God desires. This means that we believe in the Kingdom and want everyone everywhere to experience God as King. So we take action and choose to faithfully and joyfully do things that help people everywhere experience God, making the world look like heaven, right here, right now, on earth. To participate with God is be Jesus to all and announce the Kingdom of God. This is why we pray, Thy Kingdom Come. FOR PERSONAL REFLECTION OR GROUP DISCUSSION: l In what way would you describe our future according to the readings in Revelation? l What do you think it means that Our response to the present needs of this world is revealed to us by the future God promises to shape"? l What do you think it means to have Jesus be the King of your life? l What are we called to do as we wait for God to make earth new? l What is meant by the prayer, Thy Kingdom Come? One day there will be no more disease, death or suffering of any kind. One day there will be no more violence and war. One day there will be no more sin of any kind. God is working to transform this 22 EMBARK

23 What is your next step? EMBARK 23

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