September 2018 Seed Packet a resource for small-group Christian formation Scattering Seeds Growing Community Instructions for Use: 1. Grab this resource at the beginning of the month or worship season. 2. Gather a few friends from your neighborhood, your workplace, your school, or any other community to which you already belong and walk together through the weekly plan. 3. Grow together in your relationships with God and with each other. The United Methodist Church of Berea making and maturing disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. 170 Seminary Street, Berea, Ohio 44017 + 440.234.3525 + www.umcb.org
Seeds for Sunday, September 2 15 th Sunday after Pentecost Opening prayer Eternal God, you have blessed us through the Beloved One, Jesus Christ your Word. Born again by your word of truth, let us live out your love, doing your word, caring for the weak and vulnerable and ever pursuing your reign of justice, Amen. (Adapted and reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. Copyright 2015.) Sharing where we are and what God is doing (Each person in the group should answer briefly whichever of the following questions is easiest to answer in the moment. These questions are meant to give us common language for sharing where we are in our journey with God and how God is working in our lives.) 1. What are you grateful for? 2. What are you anxious about? 3. What are you learning? This week s focus scripture reading Mark 7.1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (CEB) 1 The Pharisees and some legal experts from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. 2 They saw some of his disciples eating food with unclean hands. (They were eating without first ritually purifying their hands through washing. 3 The Pharisees and all the Jews don t eat without first washing their hands carefully. This is a way of observing the rules handed down by the elders. 4 Upon returning from the marketplace, they don t eat without first immersing themselves. They observe many other rules that have been
handed down, such as the washing of cups, jugs, pans, and sleeping mats.) 5 So the Pharisees and legal experts asked Jesus, Why are your disciples not living according to the rules handed down by the elders but instead eat food with ritually unclean hands? 6 He replied, Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you hypocrites. He wrote, This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me. 7 Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human words. 8 You ignore God s commandment while holding on to rules created by humans and handed down to you. 14 Then Jesus called the crowd again and said, Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing outside of a person can enter and contaminate a person in God s sight; rather, the things that come out of a person contaminate the person. 21 It s from the inside, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come: sexual sins, thefts, murders, 22 adultery, greed, evil actions, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, insults, arrogance, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from the inside and contaminate a person in God s sight. This week s other readings Song of Solomon 2.8-13; Psalm 45; James 1.17-27 Questions for reflection and conversation 1. How do we discern the difference between rules created by humans and God s commandments (v. 8)? How do we ensure that we serve God from the heart, i.e. from the core of who we are? 2. Jesus uses the word heart three times in Mark 7.1-23. Since the heart was understood to be the center of one s
will and decision-making, to turn one s heart away from God (v. 6) was a serious thing. What practices or habits do you have in place in your life to examine the state of your heart and to turn it more toward God? 3. How have acts of true compassion changed your heart, grown your heart, or otherwise affected the way that you think, feel, and/or behave? Praying for one another (Each person in the group should be invited to share specific ways that others can be praying for her/him in the upcoming week. These might include specific celebrations, concerns for self or others, or perceived next steps in growing as a disciple. After sharing, the group can pray silently for one another and the prayer focus below, or one person in the group might offer to pray out loud.) Monday, September 3, 2018 will be celebrated in the United States as Labor Day. Consider using the following prayer for Labor Day (adapted from The United Methodist Book of Worship) in your preparations for that day: O God, you have bound us together in this life. Give us grace to understand how our lives depend on the courage, industry, honesty, and integrity of all who labor. May we be mindful of their needs, grateful for their faithfulness, and faithful in our responsibilities to them; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Seeds for Sunday, September 9 16 th Sunday after Pentecost Opening prayer Good and generous God, you bless us as your people. Freed by your grace, let us extend your generosity to others, sharing our bread with the poor, pleading the cause of the afflicted, and receiving all people with the warmth of your love and the expansiveness of your hospitality. Amen. (Adapted and reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. Copyright 2015.) Sharing where we are and what God is doing (Each person in the group should answer briefly whichever of the following questions is easiest to answer in the moment. These questions are meant to give us common language for sharing where we are in our journey with God and how God is working in our lives.) 1. What are you grateful for? 2. What are you anxious about? 3. What are you learning? This week s focus scripture reading James 2.1-17 (CEB) 1 My brothers and sisters, when you show favoritism you deny the faithfulness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has been resurrected in glory. 2 Imagine two people coming into your meeting. One has a gold ring and fine clothes, while the other is poor, dressed in filthy rags. 3 Then suppose that you were to take special notice of the one wearing fine clothes, saying, Here s an excellent place. Sit here. But to the poor person
you say, Stand over there ; or, Here, sit at my feet. 4 Wouldn t you have shown favoritism among yourselves and become evil-minded judges? 5 My dear brothers and sisters, listen! Hasn t God chosen those who are poor by worldly standards to be rich in terms of faith? Hasn t God chosen the poor as heirs of the kingdom he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Don t the wealthy make life difficult for you? Aren t they the ones who drag you into court? 7 Aren t they the ones who insult the good name spoken over you at your baptism? 8 You do well when you really fulfill the royal law found in scripture, Love your neighbor as yourself. 9 But when you show favoritism, you are committing a sin, and by that same law you are exposed as a lawbreaker. 10 Anyone who tries to keep all of the Law but fails at one point is guilty of failing to keep all of it. 11 The one who said, Don t commit adultery, also said, Don t commit murder. So if you don t commit adultery but do commit murder, you are a lawbreaker. 12 In every way, then, speak and act as people who will be judged by the law of freedom. 13 There will be no mercy in judgment for anyone who hasn t shown mercy. Mercy overrules judgment. 14 My brothers and sisters, what good is it if people say they have faith but do nothing to show it? Claiming to have faith can t save anyone, can it? 15 Imagine a brother or sister who is naked and never has enough food to eat. 16 What if one of you said, Go in peace! Stay warm! Have a nice meal!? What good is it if you don t actually give them what their body needs? 17 In the same way, faith is dead when it doesn t result in faithful activity. This week s other readings Proverbs 22.1-23; Psalm 125; Mark 7.24-37
Questions for reflection and conversation 1. The beginning of our reading from James challenges us to show no partiality or favoritism of any kind. Is it possible for you to be impartial when it comes to the people you love most? 2. How can Christians and congregations who live in wealthier communities or parts of the world stand in solidarity and engage in ministry with those in economically disadvantaged places and circumstances? 3. What is one way, this week, that you can live out your faith through faithful activity (v. 17)? Praying for one another (Each person in the group should be invited to share specific ways that others can be praying for her/him in the upcoming week. These might include specific celebrations, concerns for self or others, or perceived next steps in growing as a disciple. After sharing, the group can pray silently for one another and the prayer focus below, or one person in the group might offer to pray out loud.) This week, please pray for Sunday school teachers and students. Sunday school classes for all ages children, youth, and adults will resume Sunday, September 9 at 10:00 am. You might include the following Blessing for Learners : Gracious God, we remember our role as learners and seekers of faith. We give thanks for all those who support the teaching and learning that takes place through our congregation. Be with all children, youth, and adults who will participate this year in our Sunday school and Christian formation. Bless our times of study, that we might grow in faith. Bless our times of fellowship, that we might truly live as sisters and brothers in Christ. Bless our times of worship, that we might come more alive in you. Amen.
Seeds for Sunday, September 16 17 th Sunday after Pentecost Opening prayer You create the world through your word, O God. Your word is powerful, and so are our words. They can heal, evoke a smile, declare love; but they can also hurt and destroy a sense of self-worth. Give us your wisdom, God of the word, that as a church and as individuals, we will use our words to build up and not to destroy. Amen. (Adapted and reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. Copyright 2015.) Sharing where we are and what God is doing (Each person in the group should answer briefly whichever of the following questions is easiest to answer in the moment. These questions are meant to give us common language for sharing where we are in our journey with God and how God is working in our lives.) 1. What are you grateful for? 2. What are you anxious about? 3. What are you learning? This week s focus scripture reading Mark 8.27-38 (CEB) 27 Jesus and his disciples went into the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, Who do people say that I am? 28 They told him, Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets.
29 He asked them, And what about you? Who do you say that I am? Peter answered, You are the Christ. 30 Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about him. 31 Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead. 32 He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. 33 Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God s thoughts but human thoughts. 34 After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. 35 All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them. 36 Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? 37 What will people give in exchange for their lives? 38 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father s glory with the holy angels. This week s other readings Proverbs 1.20-33; Psalm 19; James 3.1-12 Questions for reflection and conversation 1. In this week s Gospel lesson, Jesus invites the disciples to name him. Based on our relationship with Jesus on what we have come to know and experience of him through the biblical witness and our experience of the Christian community we might be drawn to one or more titles or descriptions of Jesus, e.g. Lord, Savior,
Friend, Teacher, Shepherd, Redeemer, Son of God, Son of Man, etc. What title for Jesus feels most comfortable for you? Why do think that title feels that way? 2. Jesus cuts through all the clutter and gets right to the core of his life s ministry in this reading. What s at the core of your life s ministry? What do you value most? What values are most important to you? How are you living in response to those values? Praying for one another (Each person in the group should be invited to share specific ways that others can be praying for her/him in the upcoming week. These might include specific celebrations, concerns for self or others, or perceived next steps in growing as a disciple. After sharing, the group can pray silently for one another and the prayer focus below, or one person in the group might offer to pray out loud.) During these weeks of September, our music ministry will be shifting into a season of including the NEWSingers choir, the chancel choir, and the handbell choir in some of our worship services. In your prayers this week, please pray for these choirs, their members and directors, and the ways they impact our worship experiences. Please give thanks also for all the musicians who are a part of our worship life, including organists and pianists, praise band members and participants, soloists, and others.
Seeds for Sunday, September 23 18 th Sunday after Pentecost Opening prayer God of the first and the last, give us strength of mind, that we might walk the path of discipleship without wasting time thinking about who is most important. Instead, guide our thoughts and emotions that we might be like children, knowing our dependence on you, welcoming all with hospitality and love. Amen. (Adapted and reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. Copyright 2015.) Sharing where we are and what God is doing (Each person in the group should answer briefly whichever of the following questions is easiest to answer in the moment. These questions are meant to give us common language for sharing where we are in our journey with God and how God is working in our lives.) 1. What are you grateful for? 2. What are you anxious about? 3. What are you learning? This week s focus scripture reading Mark 9.30-37 (CEB) 30 From there Jesus and his followers went through Galilee, but he didn t want anyone to know it. 31 This was because he was teaching his disciples, The Son of Man will be delivered into human hands. They will kill him. Three days after he is killed he will rise up. 32 But they didn t understand this kind of talk, and they were afraid to ask him.
33 They entered Capernaum. When they had come into a house, he asked them, What were you arguing about during the journey? 34 They didn t respond, since on the way they had been debating with each other about who was the greatest. 35 He sat down, called the Twelve, and said to them, Whoever wants to be first must be least of all and the servant of all. 36 Jesus reached for a little child, placed him among the Twelve, and embraced him. Then he said, 37 Whoever welcomes one of these children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me isn t actually welcoming me but rather the one who sent me. This week s other readings Proverbs 31.10-31; Psalm 1; James 3.13-4.3, 7-8a Questions for reflection and conversation 1. In many ways, children are viewed and valued differently in our culture than they were in Jesus time and place. In a culture in which children are cherished and valued, who are the ones we still try to keep from Jesus presence? How can we more fully welcome them? 2. The disciples lives are meant to mirror the life of the one whom they follow. In today s lesson, Jesus doesn t talk about glory and power, though, but instead about humility and servanthood. How have you been a servant this week? Who in your life right now might benefit from some tangible act of service, e.g. a kind gesture or word, a card, a phone call, etc.? Praying for one another (Each person in the group should be invited to share specific ways that others can be praying for her/him in the upcoming week. These might include specific celebrations, concerns for self or others, or perceived next steps in growing as a disciple.
After sharing, the group can pray silently for one another and the prayer focus below, or one person in the group might offer to pray out loud.) On Saturday, September 22, we will be hosting a community picnic for all the groups who use our building during the course of the year. We are hoping to get to know these folks better and to communicate our gladness that we are able to be in ministry together. Please pray for this event and for all those who walk in and out of our building during the course of the week. And please join us from 4 pm to 7 pm on September 22 for our picnic (talk to Pastor Carrie for more details or ways you can help).
Seeds for Sunday, September 30 19 th Sunday after Pentecost Opening prayer God of courage, you give us strength to speak out. Help us to believe you are still present and active in this world and that your grace remains an everlasting force. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. (Adapted and reprinted by permission of Westminster John Knox Press from Feasting on the Word Worship Companion. Copyright 2015.) Sharing where we are and what God is doing (Each person in the group should answer briefly whichever of the following questions is easiest to answer in the moment. These questions are meant to give us common language for sharing where we are in our journey with God and how God is working in our lives.) 1. What are you grateful for? 2. What are you anxious about? 3. What are you learning? This week s focus scripture reading Mark 9.38-50 (CEB) 38 John said to Jesus, Teacher, we saw someone throwing demons out in your name, and we tried to stop him because he wasn t following us. 39 Jesus replied, Don t stop him. No one who does powerful acts in my name can quickly turn around and curse me. 40 Whoever isn t against us is for us. 41 I assure you that whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ will certainly be rewarded.
42 As for whoever causes these little ones who believe in me to trip and fall into sin, it would be better for them to have a huge stone hung around their necks and to be thrown into the lake. 43 If your hand causes you to fall into sin, chop it off. It s better for you to enter into life crippled than to go away with two hands into the fire of hell, which can t be put out. 45 If your foot causes you to fall into sin, chop it off. It s better for you to enter life lame than to be thrown into hell with two feet. 47 If your eye causes you to fall into sin, tear it out. It s better for you to enter God s kingdom with one eye than to be thrown into hell with two. 48 That s a place where worms don t die and the fire never goes out. 49 Everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good; but if salt loses its saltiness, how will it become salty again? Maintain salt among yourselves and keep peace with each other. This week s other readings Esther 7.1-10; 9.20-22; Psalm 124; James 5.13-20 Questions for reflection and conversation 1. The Gospel lesson begins with the issue of doing something in [Jesus ] name (v. 38). Some argue that to act in Jesus name is simply to act in a manner that is consistent with his character. Others suggest that to act in Jesus name means to act on his behalf. Still others would say that the name Jesus itself is powerful, conveying grace in a sacramental way. What do you think is the significance or meaning of doing something in Jesus name? 2. This lesson from Mark raises some challenging questions about inclusion and exclusion. How far should a community go in relating to other people who are different, and how far should it go in excluding those who have different values or customs? How far must a
community go in isolating itself from outsiders in order to maintain its values? How does a community maintain its identity if it recognizes the validity of different ways and structures of other communities? How do people in a community fellowship with others without losing their own defining identity? Without seeking easy answers, take some time to think and talk about your responses to these questions about community. Praying for one another (Each person in the group should be invited to share specific ways that others can be praying for her/him in the upcoming week. These might include specific celebrations, concerns for self or others, or perceived next steps in growing as a disciple. After sharing, the group can pray silently for one another and the prayer focus below, or one person in the group might offer to pray out loud.) On Sunday, September 30, we will have only one worship service (in the Sanctuary at 10:30 am) as part of our 175 th anniversary celebration. We will invite back a former pastor, Bishop Greg Palmer, as our preacher. Please pray for Bishop Palmer and for our time in worship and fellowship together, and please give thanks to God for the rich history of our community of faith.