Topical Study: Ascension Day

For Sunday, May 17th, 2009

1) This year on May 21st we (the Church) celebrate Ascension Day.
* What is Ascension Day? [The Feast Day of the Church that remembers Jesus' ascension as recounted in the New Testament]
* How do you know what day it is on each year? [It's always 40 days after Easter]
* Do you recall the number 40 from the bible for other things? [Israelites wandered 40 years in the desert, Jesus was tempted for 40 days in the wilderness, 40 days of rains of the Flood]
* Why do you think 40 days after Easter? [Note: encourage ideas here, there's no one right answer]
* What is so important about Jesus' ascension?

2) Read: Acts 1:1-9

In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.

* Compare with His crucifixion, Jesus' ascension is a relatively small event, with few witnesses. Why do you think that might be?
* Describe what you think it would be like to witness Jesus' ascension first hand. [Note: Try to encourage describing emotions linked to it like: frightening, confusing or inspiring.]
* Bonus question: Has anyone else in the bible ever been taken up to heaven bodily? [2 people: Enoch in Gen 5:21-24, and Elijah in 2 Kin 2:9-11]

3) Read: Ephesians 4:1-16

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8This is why it says:
"When he ascended on high,
he led captives in his train
and gave gifts to men."
(What does "he ascended" mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

* Paul speaks of Jesus descending before he ascended. Why is that important?
* Jesus ascends body and all. What does that tell us about whether Jesus was human or divine?

4) Ascension day provides us an opportunity to reflect on Jesus' presence in our lives today. When he ascended, it became necessary for us to "see Him when He has been taken from us", as Elijah says to Elisha.
* Do you think it was hard for the disciples to "see" Jesus after he had been taken, and continue with the commission they had been given?
* What makes it hard for you to see Jesus in your life?
* How can we help and encourage each other to see Jesus' presence in our lives today?

Topical Study: Compassion

For Sunday, May 3rd, 2009

1) [Note: Feel free to use a dictionary during these questions.]
What is compassion?
What is pity?
What's the difference between the two?

2) Read: Mark 1:35-42

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"
Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, "If you are willing, you can make me clean."
Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.

* What did the leper do when meeting Jesus?
* Why did Jesus have compassion on him?

3) Read: 1 Samuel 24:1-17

After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.
He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, "This is the day the LORD spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.' " Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.
Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD." With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.
Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!" When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming you'? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD's anointed.' See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you.
"Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the LORD be our judge and decide between us. May he consider my cause and uphold it; may he vindicate me by delivering me from your hand."
When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. "You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly.

Saul has been pursuing David for some time, trying to kill him.
* Why does David not kill Saul?
* When confronted with David's "compassion" for him, how does Saul react?
* How is David's compassion for Saul different than Jesus' compassion for the leper?

4) Read: Matthew 5:43-48

"You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor[a] and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

* Why does Jesus instruct us to pray for our enemies?
* How does praying for enemies help us to be compassionate?

5) Compassion is about more than just feeling sorry for someone. It's about putting our own differences aside and taking action. Compassion can take many forms, but it always affects both the recipient and the giver.
* What happens to the person receiving our compassion?
* What happens to us when we have compassion on someone else?
* How is having compassion an act of faithfulness to Jesus?

Topical Study: Wishes and Desires

For Sunday, April 19th, 2009

1) As humans, we naturally want things. Sometimes they are physical items. Sometimes they are events. Sometimes they are emotions. Sometimes we even want an absence of things. It's natural to have desires and wishes.
* If you could have one wish right now (and it couldn't be for more wishes), what would you wish for?
* Why would you wish for that?
* What do you think that wish reveals about yourself?

2) Read: 1 Kings 3:4-14

The king went to Gibeon to offer sacrifices, for that was the most important high place, and Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.

"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this. So God said to him, "Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be. Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for—both riches and honor—so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings. And if you walk in my ways and obey my statutes and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life."

Solomon's father David has just died. Solomon is now the king of all Israel. God presents Solomon with one wish.
* What does Solomon wish for?
* Why do you think he wished for that?
* What other things do you think someone might wish for?
* What does it reveal about Solomon's character that he wished for wisdom?

3) Read: John 15:1-17

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other.

During the Last Supper, Jesus predicts his betrayal and death, and then comforts his disciples. This reading is from that comforting message.
* Although verse 7 indicates that Jesus might be "granting wishes", what is he really saying?
* When we wish, or pray, and God does not answer that request, why might that be?
* If we are really "remaining in Jesus", what sort of things would you probably not wish for (and why)?

4) Read: Exodus 20:17

"You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

This last of the ten commandments is pretty clear. Do not desire your neighbors' things. In comparison to stealing, or killing, or dishonoring God, this might seem like a pretty unimportant commandment.
* Why do you think this is a commandment?
* How often do you think people in America break this?
* Do you find yourself desiring things that your neighbors or friends have?

4) We all want things. It's natural. It can take a lifetime to train our minds to not want things, and even then it's not always possible. How we act on those desires is where sin can sneak into our hearts.
* How can a desire turn into sin?
* What do you think God wants for you?

Mini Study: Stress

For Sunday, April 5th, 2009

1) Stress is a natural part of our lives. It comes from many sources. Stress is triggered by fear. Often we are afraid of failure, of meeting expectations, or of bad things happening to us.
* What are some things that stress you out? Why are they so stressful?
* Does the stress pressure come from yourself, or from other people?
* What sort of effects do you suffer from stress?
* Does your stress usually last a long time, or a short time?

2) In the following reading, Moses has just died, and all the Israelite people are now looking to Joshua to lead them out of the desert into the promised land. There are literally hundreds of thousands of them ready to follow Joshua into battle.
Read: Joshua 1:1-9

After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses' aide: "Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses. Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the great river, the Euphrates—all the Hittite country—to the Great Sea on the west. No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

"Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."

* What sorts of things do you think were on Joshua's mind that would be stressing him out?
* What does God tell Joshua to do?
* Do you think Joshua took comfort in what God tells him?

3) It's easy to give advice for dealing with stress. Some of the things we hear are "Just don't worry" or "Pray and God will help you" or even "Well you just need to deal with it". However these little catch phrases don't always help. If we don't find a way to deal with stress it can lead to anxiety, depression and other serious physical and mental problems.
* How does the reading about Joshua help or not help you to deal with stress?
* What sort of things do you do to de-stress? How do they help?

Studying the Bible (part 2)

For Sunday, March 21st, 2009

1) Last week we looked at a three interrelated passages where one story provides context for another. Those stories were historical in nature. In such a case, reading one story helps you understand the context of a later story. This week we're going to look at parables.
* What is a parable? [A brief story that illustrates a point]
* What's hard about reading a parable?
* What are some parables you can remember without looking in the bible?

2) Read: Luke 8:5-8 [Note: Don't let them read the explaination afterwards]

"A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."

[Note: It's likely that someone already knows the second part where Jesus explains what the parable means. In which case, jump on ahead to the second part.]
* What are the various symbolic elements of this parable?
* What do you think they represent?
* Do you think there is more than one way to interpret this parable? [Note: Yes is a valid answer to this question.]

3) Read: Luke 8:11-15

"This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

* Having read this portion, does it make it easier or harder to understand the parable?
* What type of ground are you and why?

4) Read: Luke 13:18-19

Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches."

* What are the elements of this story?
* What do you think they represent?
* If we assume the birds in this parable are the same birds as in the previous parable, what extra is this parable telling us?

5) Read: Luke 13:20-21

Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

This parable comes right after the previous one in the book of Luke. It also draws an analogy of the Kingdom of God.
* What are the elements of this story?
* What do you think this parable is trying to say?

6) Sometimes when we read the bible, it seems to make perfect sense. Other times it can seem completely incomprehensible. And sometimes, we can re-read something we had read before and find that it means something different than it did before.
[Read Proper 28 from the Book of Common Prayer]

Studying the Bible (part 1)

For Sunday, March 14th, 2009

1) Studying the Bible can be a daunting task. Often it can seem intimidating and cryptic.
* What do you like about studying the Bible?
* What is hard about studying the Bible?

For the next couple weeks, we are going to explore some key types of passages from the Bible and how to read them. You are encouraged to ask questions and form your own opinions. We won't always agree, and that's part of the mystery of the Bible: It sometimes says different things to different people!

3) Read: Matthew 12:1-8

At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath."
He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread—which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple desecrate the day and yet are innocent? I tell you that one greater than the temple is here. If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent. For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath."

* What is this story about?
* What parts of this story seem to reference other parts of the bible?
* On a scale of 1 (least) to 10 (most), how well do you feel you understand this passage?

4) Read: Exodus 34:21

"Six days you shall labor, but on the seventh day you shall rest; even during the plowing season and harvest you must rest.

This single verse comes in the midst of a set of laws that God gives to the Israelites.
* How does this passage help explain part of the previous passage from Matthew?
* Where does the balance of 6 days of work and 1 day or rest come from? [Note: Genesis 1, the creation story]
* What questions does this passage now raise for you?

5) Read: 1 Samuel 21:1-6

David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him, and asked, "Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?"
David answered Ahimelech the priest, "The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, 'No one is to know anything about your mission and your instructions.' As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find."
But the priest answered David, "I don't have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women."
David replied, "Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men's things are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!" So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the LORD and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.

This passage is part of the story of David, before he was king, and his travels while he hid from King Saul. David's men were tired and hungry.
* How does this passage help you understand the first passage from Matthew?
* What new questions does this passage raise for you?

6) Often times the Bible can leave us with more questions than answer, which might have happened with the above passages. This is natural! The above passages we read are an example of events that link together. This is sometimes referred to as a "narrative thread", or a chain of events that go together in the bigger story. Over the next couple weeks we will explore other types of passages we encounter in the Bible.
* What sort of questions do you have about studying the Bible that you would like answered over the next couple weeks?
[Note: Please collect the list of questions and send them to me.]

Topical Study: Perceptions

For Sunday, March 1st, 2009

1) Sometimes people misunderstand what we intended or misinterpret what we say. Maybe we mean something as a joke and people take it seriously, or we say something serious and they take i as a joke.
* Can you recall a recent time when you were misunderstood?
* Why do you think you were misunderstood?
* How about a time you misunderstood someone else? Why did that happen?
[Note: Plenty of time could be spent on these questions. Try to steer the conversation away from blame, and more towards recognizing that people are just different.]

2) Activity: What really happened?
[Note: This activity could be easily repeated with different material. It might be helpful to provide the volunteer with pen and paper.]
* One volunteer stay in the room.
* Everyone else leave the room, including the leader.
* The leader reads the following story to the group:

Mary Daley, a loyal fan of the Cooper City Little League, understood the value of calling a game (even a close one) on account of darkness. "No sense playing when it's too dark to see the ball," she always said. "The field will still be there tomorrow."

There was a game most every summer evening in Cooper City. Mary never missed one. Her big old Victorian overlooked Cooper City Memorial Field; her back yard, the perfect spot to park a lawn chair. She cheered for the boys and girls on both teams, even when the littlest ones ran to third base after whacking the ball off the tee.

She cheered for nearly forty-five years, until, as often happens to women of a certain age, she fell and broke her hip.

"No sense keeping the old Duster. You won't be driving with that hip," said son William, visiting between business tips.

"You'll love Golden Heights. It's much safer than being alone in that old house," said daughter Natalie, up from Boston for the weekend. "Aren't you tired of that racket from the ball field all summer? And those kids! Every time I call, you've got a bunch of them at the door looking for Popsicles and candy."

And so Mary sits in a stiff blue chair by the window of her darkened room in Golden Heights and watches the end of a sunset, while somewhere in Cooper City a crowd cheers the last play of a game that is about to be called on account of darkness.

[Note: Story comes from this site.]
* One by one, each person goes into the room, recounts what details they can recall from the story to the person in the room, and comes back out.
* After everyone has gone in and come back out, everyone goes back in.
* The volunteer now tries to reassemble the story and recount it.
* Read the original story to the volunteer now.
Questions for the volunteer:
* What pieces did you not hear from the original story?
* Was it hard to reassemble the story?
* Did you get contradictory information from different people?
* Did anyone appear to purposefully deceive you?

3) Read: Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me." Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'" Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

4) Read: Luke 4:1-13

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.'" The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7So if you worship me, it will all be yours." Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'" The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here. For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'" Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

5) We've read this story before, but here we are presented with two versions: one in Matthew, and one in Luke. Both versions are from the bible, but there are clearly differences.
* What are some of the differences between these stories?
* Why do you think they are different?
* Do you think one is "right" and one is "wrong"? Why or why not?

6) Activity: Describe your angle.
[Note: Any object will do for this exercise, provided that it has different details from different angles.]
* Everyone sit in roughly a circle.
* Put some sort of object in the middle of the group, like a soda can.
* Without moving, each person should describe details of the object.
* Occasionally, when someone describes a detail that someone else can't see, ask other people these questions: Can you see that? Do you believe it is there? Why or why not?