January 24, 2010

Breaking Open The Scriptures
Scriptures for January 31st – Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13; Luke 4:21-30 Songs: Lord I Lift Your Name on High TFWS 2088; Holy, Holy, Holy – TFWS 2007; Here I am Lord – UMH 593
Jeremiah
Jeremiah says that he felt that he was called by God to serve the people, even as a child. He notices that everything in his life, even in the womb was directed at this moment and this call. Many prophets felt that it was their job to serve the leaders of the nation. Jeremiah felt that his call was to work directly with the people. Jeremiah felt that he could not do what God was asking, because he did not know what to say. He did not know how to speak well. God took his fear and turned it into an asset. He had no idea how to live out this call, but he trusted that God would lead him. He led his people through the worst crisis they had ever saw – and them helped them to rebuild their lives in the midst of hopelessness. What insurmountable task has God given to us, for such a time as this?

1 Corinthians
If you have attended a wedding, you have heard this text. This is the love chapter of Paul’s letter. In reality, Paul is not talking about romantic love (even though the same principles do indeed apply). He is talking about the love of a congregation. It is important for us to keep in mind that it is the love of our baptism is what keeps us together and allows us to work together. We have all heard this scripture before, but how many of us actually take this to heart? What intentional practices do we have that show the love of God to one another? Paul too continues his conversation about what it means to live out our call to God – to not only love one another, but most importantly to respect one another.
Questions What is God calling you to do in your life? How are you fighting what God is telling you to do? What do you need to get beyond that block? If Jeremiah was called as a child, do we nurture our children and listen to them in a way that allows them to listen to what God is calling them to do with their lives? How do we show the one’s closest to us the love of God? What do you hope to understand better when you are face to face with God?