Finding Our Way October 14, 2018 This week s scripture readings are about things that seem impossible. In one story, Jesus talks about something that is physically impossible. He also asks a man to do something that the man feels would be impossible to do. In other passages, the people s suffering is such that they find it impossible that God would still be listening to their cries of despair. In all cases, God is ever-present, prompting people with new possibilities. God s Spirit accompanies us on the journey. Focus scripture: Mark 10:17 31 The idea of a camel moving through the tiny eye of a needle is ridiculous. In a literal sense, it is impossible. As a result, over the years, different explanations have emerged for Jesus statement about a camel passing through the eye of a needle. Perhaps the most popular is that there was a door in the wall of Jerusalem that a person could get through, but which was not big enough for a camel; it was called the needle s eye. Given that only the wealthy could afford a camel to carry their worldly possessions, the implication was that one could only enter the city through that gate if one were unencumbered. The only problem is that, if such a gate existed at all, it is not attested to until some 800 years after the time of Jesus. It is an intriguing story, but it is doubtful that Jesus meant it that way. It is possible that Jesus was trying to make a different point. The idea of a camel going through the eye of a needle is ludicrous, but so is the idea of a wealthy person getting into the realm of God. It s not that God would outlaw or prohibit such a thing, but rather a person caught up in the creation of more wealth may not readily notice how God s realm operates. In that sense, the rich person might be more focused on their possessions than on God s promises and possibilities. In this story, the rich man seems to recognize that, but fears change. This person knows the commandments and knows what is required of all people to be in favour with God. There is something missing, and so he asks Jesus for advice. But Jesus advice does not sit well: Go, sell all you have, give it to the poor, and come back and follow me. The rich person finds this impossible! The question that begins the conversation with Jesus is one that many would have wondered about in those days. It is not about an afterlife in heaven, but about living in the new reality that God was about to bring to bear on earth. For many years, the Jews had longed for a day they knew was coming a time when God s realm would be present on earth; they called this the age to come. It is precisely life in that age that the person wants to inherit, and they inquire as to how. In addition to giving a commandment, however, Jesus loved him. Some scholars have suggested this means Jesus offered a loving gesture, perhaps putting his arm around the other s shoulder. Jesus does not stand in judgment, but enters into the other one s space, implying perhaps that he perceives the world through their lens. Jesus suggests that selling all he has and giving the money to the poor will, in turn, give him an investment in God. It s as if Jesus had said, You want to invest in God? Invest in those who have need. It s not an uncommon theme in the gospels, but it can be a struggle to grasp. Just as this rich person wonders how to attain God s favour, in Job 23:1 9, 16 17 we read that Job also has those questions. Caught up in suffering, Job longs not so much for what is missing as simply for the presence of God in his life. Even in pain and grief, he knows God is loving. Yet, in the moment, he finds it impossible to connect with God. The writer of Psalm 22:1 15 echoes similar feelings. In Hebrews 4:12 16 we are reminded that even if we are naked and unadorned before God, God still accepts us. Jesus knows and understands all we have gone through, having experienced life with all its ups and downs, just like us. As he may have done with the rich one, Jesus reaches out in love and touches us. Even when life seems impossible, God prompts us with new ways of being and with new possibilities for life. This ever-present God invites us to lean into God s possibility of love. What possibilities do you think God might be imagining for you? How might you invest in God? What might you need to give up to follow God s ways more closely? Focus scripture Mark 10:17 31 Additional scriptures Job 23:1 9, 16 17 Psalm 22:1 15 Hebrews 4:12 16 Seasons of the Spirit is based on semicontinuous readings of the Revised Common Lectionary. God of life, you call us to give ourselves to you. Sometimes we cannot imagine your possibilities. Sometimes we value our possessions more than we value your love and promises. Sometimes we do not want to give up anything. Help us to live more faithfully as your followers. Challenge us to risk ourselves. Show us what we need to give up to be closer to you. Amen. If you have Internet access, visit www.seasonsonline.ca to access Spirit Sightings for connections between current events and the focus passage. 39
October 14, 2018 The Focus for Adults When I was a young child, I was watching television with my grandfather when an advertisement came on for child sponsorship. My grandfather instantly recognized the setting, which was in my ancestral country. He was angry. To my grandfather, these children were not poor and in need of charity, they were children playing outside. There is a real danger in texts like the one for this week to impose our own definitions of what is poor and what is rich based on our own privilege and social location. It is also easy to demonize the rich and romanticize the poor. Having acknowledged that, our Christian faith still calls us to let go of our attachment to things. Perhaps nowhere is this call greater than in today s gospel reading, where someone cannot quite put a finger on what they have to do to have eternal life. By eternal life they may not mean some kind of reward in heaven, but rather a sense of calmness, a sense of belonging to God. The individual in question has done everything right or so they think. Many in our churches might well relate to this individual. We live good lives. But the weight of things still controls us. God s economy is different from ours. You really want to feel closer to God? Jesus seems to be saying. Check your priorities. Then and only then will you be able to learn how to trust God. Selling all we have and giving it to the poor is not practical. But that does not let us off the hook. How might we lessen our dependence on stuff so that we might increase our trust in God? How can we encourage others in this area without offending them? Keep all group members in prayer as you prepare, that you may be strengthened for commitment to God s ways. Prepare Before the session q Read and prayerfully reflect on this week s scriptures, Job 23:1 9, 16 17; Psalm 22:1 15; Mark 10:17 31; Hebrews 4:12 16, and biblical background material (p. 39). q To access connections between current events and the focus passage, visit www.seasonsonline.ca and click on Spirit Sightings. Bring information that might inform this week s session. q Bring Bibles, matches, and basic supply kit (p. 2), and if possible, Seasons Songbook (Volume 7), Seasons Music CD (Volume 7), CD or MP3 player; downloadable sheet music and MP3 recordings are available at www.seasonsonline.ca. Gather q Set a worship space with green cloth, candle, and Bible. q Bring resource sheet Gathering Prayers (p. 81) and choose one of the prayers. q Bring, if possible, O God, You Search Me (pp. 28 29 in Seasons Songbook, Vol. 7; #3 on Seasons Music CD, Vol. 7). Engage q Divide a sheet of newsprint in half and add the headings Challenge on one side and Encouragement on the other. Respond Choose from the options provided. Prepare and bring the materials. q Dig deeper: copies of this week s resource sheet Travelling Lightly q Reflection: copies of this week s resource sheet What Must I Do? q Spiritual practice: Christ candle, Bible, bell/singing bowl Bless q Bring, if possible, Friend to Friend (p. 16 in Seasons Songbook, Vol. 7; #28 on Seasons Music CD, Vol. 7). q Bring copies of biblical background material for October 21 (p. 45). 40 Seasons of the Spirit Adult Season of Creation Pentecost 2 2018 Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2018
Finding Our Way October 14, 2018 Scripture Mark 10:17 31 FOCUS To explore living fully into the reign of God with all its joys and risks. Opening ritual Gather around the worship space and invite a volunteer to light the candle. Remind the group that we are in the Season after Pentecost. Pray Lead the group in one of the prayers on the resource sheet Gathering Prayers (p. 81). Sing or listen to, if possible, O God, You Search Me (pp. 28 29 in Seasons Songbook, Vol. 7; #3 on Seasons Music CD, Vol. 7). Moving into the theme Simplifying our lives is no easy task. Giving up all our possessions would not be a natural choice and keeping some of them would involve difficult prioritizing. Imagine you could only keep three things (not people!) in your possession. n What three things would you choose to keep, and why? n What thing(s) would be hardest to let go of? Setting the scene Recall last week s story of Jesus welcoming parents and their children to come close to him and receive a blessing. Explain that this week s reading from the gospel of Mark takes place right after that event. In response to a question about eternal life, Jesus begins with a discussion about the law. Keeping the Torah s commandments was a central tenet of Judaism in Jesus day, and remains so today. Jesus was an observant Jew and encouraged followers to keep the law s commandments faithfully. Exploring the texts Invite a volunteer to read Mark 10:17 31 with the rest of the group following along in their Bibles. n What in Jesus value system (vision) seems impossible. What, if anything, seems compelling? n How does it/might it shape and continue to shape our own thoughts and actions? In Jesus time wealthy people were able to keep the Law by paying others to do the daily tasks that prevented one from meeting the requirements for ritual purity. Therefore wealth was viewed as a sign of blessings given by God. n How does Jesus turn this concept upside down? Some commentaries suggest that the passage should not be taken literally, that Jesus does not really want us to give all our goods to the poor. n What do you think is the intent of the story? n What if in fact Jesus does want us to do that? n How do we know from this passage that Jesus does or does not want us all to do what he asks? How do we know? Some interpretations note that this biblical story is not necessarily an admonishment against rich people; rather, it is a recognition that all will have to make sacrifices to truly follow Jesus way. n What might God be calling you let go to more faithfully follow in Christ s way? Other readings Searching for eternal life and favour with God is a theme in the additional readings for this day. Form three groups and assign a reading to each one: Job 23:1 9, 16 17; Psalm 22:1 15; Hebrews 4:12 16. Have groups read the assigned passage and discuss the following questions, then share insights as a whole group: n How does each passage speak to God s absence or presence? n In what ways does each passage address what it means to rely on God? 41
October 14, 2018 n What is the good news in these texts? Making life connections This week provides opportunity to reflect on how wealth and possessions can get in the way of faithful living. We might also reflect as church community on our attachment to things like our buildings and familiar ways. n What would it mean for your community to give away what they have in order to respond more fully to Jesus invitation to follow his ways? What risk would it involve? Mark 10:17 31 talks specifically about wealth and poverty. However, the broader learning is not just about money and possessions. n Other than possessions, what attitudes, values, or beliefs would you want to give up to better follow in the way of Jesus? Choose one or more of the following options. q Dig deeper: Divestment Engagement with Jesus mission may call us to divest ourselves of things that stand in the way of reliance on God. Distribute copies of the resource sheet Travelling Lightly. Read and discuss the material, using the questions on the sheet. Consider making a list of things that group members as individuals and as members of a congregation might need to divest themselves of in order to follow Jesus Christ without reservation. q Reflection Reliance on God as we live in the reign of God may involve more trust than clear sight. There is risk and joy in such reliance. Distribute copies of the resource sheet What Must I Do? Play some meditative music as they write. Invite those who wish to share some of their insights, but assure the group that what they write will remain private if they don t wish to share. q Spiritual practice Silence It is part of our Christian tradition to seek the Spirit in silence. Creativity and courage is often born from this place. Set a table with only a simple Christ candle and a singing bowl or bell. To begin, sound the bowl/ bell and invite members to let their consciousness follow the sound into silence. Pause, and then read Hebrews 4:12 into the silence. Sit in silence for at least five to ten minutes so people can sink into stillness. At the end of the silent time, sound the bell/bowl again. Offer the following prayer or one of your own: O God, the breath within our breath, the silence in our stillness, the peace within our hearts, grant us the spirit, wisdom, and strength to live and move and have our being in you, now and always. Amen. Gather around the lit candle. Affirm that Jesus call to this individual in Mark was prefaced by Jesus love for him. Radical reliance is not sought by one who is indifferent to us. Read Hebrews 4:15 16 as an affirmation of the compassion of God that invites us to follow Jesus, and that makes transformation possible. Sing or listen to, if possible, the song Friend to Friend (p. 16 in Seasons Songbook, Vol. 7; #28 on Seasons Music CD, Vol. 7). Pray the prayer on the biblical background page (p. 39). Distribute the biblical background material for October 21 (p. 45). Blessing Send the group out with the following words: Go out trusting in God, remembering that with God all things are possible. What insights were offered into Jesus call to divestment, whether in terms of material goods or attitudes and beliefs? How might you hold one another in prayer as you continue to discern Jesus wisdom and how to live it in the church today? 42 Seasons of the Spirit Adult Season of Creation Pentecost 2 2018 Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2018
Resource Sheet October 14, 2018 Travelling Lightly In Mark 10:17 31, an individual s question what must I do? finds its answer in a shedding of baggage that would otherwise encumber (in this case) following Jesus. It is not the first time Jesus has connected letting go with following or being sent. Listen to the words offered by Jesus to disciples being sent out in mission: [Jesus] ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics (Mark 6:8-9). Apparently, there is a danger in being encumbered by unnecessary baggage on the journey of living as disciples. Some might say the danger is relying on what one owns, rather than on what God offers. This is not the last time we read in the New Testament about mission that invites and practices a shedding of what human beings typically rely upon, in order to accomplish the work and community God seeks: With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need (Acts 4:33-35). Such passages assert that Christian ministry practices and Christian community invite a radical reliance on God. The question becomes: are these New Testament teachings on financial divestment and the community of goods binding commandments upon every follower and every community? Mainstream Christian tradition has answered no. The scripture texts, particularly in Mark, point to the underlying need to excise whatever stands between an individual and reliance on God. What stands between will vary greatly. The Acts text urges community that is thoughtful of and gracious toward those in need, and yet few churches today argue that such community requires members to empty bank accounts, give up their pensions, and sell their homes. Still, we need to be careful to resist quick attempts to reduce this teaching to a purely spiritual matter, as if the possession of material wealth is a non-issue for modern disciples as they follow Jesus and engage in ministry. n Consider your congregation. How might its material assets be a means of engaging in mission and how might these assets stand in the way of radical reliance on God? n Ask the same question of your own life. How might the things you value most be assets to your following of Jesus and how might they stand as an obstacle to it? n In either case: how do you hear these texts speaking about what needs to be done so that disciples today might better exercise reliance on God in service of others? 43
Resource Sheet October 14, 2018 What Must I Do? Life is either a daring adventure or nothing. Helen Keller Read each of the scripture verses below and respond to the questions: a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what must I do n What is something that you or your culture wants desperately? Jesus said to him, You know the commandments n What does our faith say about what is important in life? n What does our culture say about what is important in life? He said to him, Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth. n What are the commandments that you have kept during your lifetime? Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, You lack one thing n What is one thing that you might lack in your life in order to live more faithfully? When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he n What blocks you from taking a risk to rely wholly on God? Jesus doesn t exclude rich people; he just lets them know their rebirth will cost them everything they have. The story is not so much about whether rich folks are welcome as it is about the nature of the kingdom of God, which has an ethic and economy diametrically opposed to those of the world. Rather than accumulating stuff for oneself, followers of Jesus abandon everything, trusting in God alone for providence. From The Irresistible Revolution: Living as an Ordinary Radical by Shane Claiborne. 2006 by the Zondervan Corporation. 44 Seasons of the Spirit Adult Season of Creation Pentecost 2 2018 Copyright Wood Lake Publishing Inc. 2018
Gathering Prayers Loving God, you receive us with grace. May we discern, in the scriptures and our conversations, the call to be an embodiment of your love. Amen. Creator God, Open our ears to the voice of wisdom that we hear in many ways. Open our lives to your creating, guiding, love. Amen. May we take heart, O God, in your presence that opens to us, in your power that brings wholeness, and in your grace that invites our own gracious response. Amen. We give thanks, O God, for your presence in our lives. We give thanks for people in our community who bear your presence to us. In our turning to you, O God, turn us toward one another. Amen. God of all time and place, May we be open to your Spirit, sustained with hope and faith in your presence, and strengthened to create places of sanctuary for all. Amen. One: From our busyness and pressure, we call to you. All: Be our quiet centre, O God (pause). One: From our lack of faith and blindness, we call to you. All: Be our vision, O God (pause). One: From our worries and fears, we call to you. All: Be our peace, O God (pause). One: From our good times and success, we call to you. All: Be our hope, O God (pause). All: Amen. 81