July 4, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for July 4th: 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10; Psalm 48, 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13; Theme: Freedom in Christ; Song: UMH 697- My Country Tis of Thee Mark: is never a mention of an earthly father in Mark’s gospel. For Mark, Jesus came from an ordinary family. A family that all of the normal issues. A family that was an integral part of the community. So when Jesus comes back to town to preach, they know all about him. They know him so well that there is no need to really listen to him or to even take him seriously. By this time Jesus has been all over the country teaching everyone about Jesus. But his hometown is so focused on what they think that they know about him, they cannot move beyond their everyday reality to see the Spirit of God in Jesus words. That is why it is so important for Jesus to train his disciples to go even farther then he to tell others about Christ. They are dependent on households taking care of them and being family while they are away from home. Hospitality is the currency of the gospel. Jesus tells them that if they are treated the way his hometown treats him, then those people will not be welcome in heaven. How do we encourage our children? How do we extend hospitality to others? 2 Samuel: This scripture chronicles a big shift In the life of the Isrealite people. This is the beginning of the rule of David. God promises David that there would always be a king from his family on the throne. Of course Jesus fulfilled that promise. David is not only a new King, he is a new kind of King. Saul was anointed privately. He was very authoritative. He expected people to take care of him. David was the shepherd King. He was anointed in public. His job was to take care of the people. He was able to unite people together. He was the people’s King. Interestingly, there is no mention of David in the history books. Jerusalem was his city that became the capital of the nation. The people were ready for a change. They were looking for someone who would make conditions better for them to survive. We continue to look for that today – who will lead in a way to take care of us. Jesus provides that leadership not just for Isreal, not just for Christians, but for all of the world. Questions: How do we treat prophets who come to town? What does Jesus teach us about hospitality? How does Jesus make our lives better? What is shepherd leadership?

June 27, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for June 27th : 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27, Psalm 130, 2 Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43: Theme: loving one another : Song: There’s A Spirit in the Air – UMH 192 2 Corinthians: This scripture gets to the heart of the definition of stewardship. Paul is comparing the Philippian church with the people of the Macedonian Church. The Philipian church is rich, the Macedonian church is poor. Yet Paul uses the Macedonian Church as an example. They did not have much, so they were much more willing to share with others. Paul says that the reward for their willingness to help the mission of Paul is grace. God’s grace provides for all that they need. Paul is encouraging all of us to live in God’s grace and to trust that God will provide for us. That is called the economy of grace. Paul is urging the modern church to look at those in need and to be willing to help others no matter who they are and where they live in the world. Mark: Mark also gets to the heart of the matter in this text. Mark wants everyone to know that Jesus is indeed the messiah – a practical messiah who helps you at your point of need. This is a story of two people who come to Jesus because they have nowhere else to turn. A soldier is afraid that his daughter is about to die, and a woman has been struggling for years and no one can help her. Mark usually likes to sandwich two stories together to further drive his point. Jesus is travelling the countryside to save the Jews, neither of these people are Jewish, but Jesus listens to their pain and heals them anyway. He brings the little girl back to life in front of the authorities – and of course they are paying attention. Jesus knows what they will do in the end, but for now he tells both parties to say nothing about their healing, but to let their lives be a testament that the messiah lives. Questions: Are you rich or poor? Who is it important for you to help? What does healing look like for you? If a major problem of yours was solved- what would you do to thank Jesus for healing?

June 20, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for June 20th: 1 Samuel 17: 1-49, Psalm 9:9-20, 2 Corinthians 6:1-13, Mark 4:35-41 theme: Father’s Day; Song – this is my Father’s World UMH 144 Mark: All of us go through tough times in life. None of us want to hear someone tell us that we just need to be a stronger person and this would not be happening to us. The disciples were experiencing one of the worst storms in their lives, they had no answers and Jesus was no where to be seen. Suddenly Jesus appears and they cry out in fear. Jesus does not tell them the weather the storm – Jesus calms the storm and eases their fears. They realize that there is something different about this teacher, who is this who the storms obey and cares about them and responds to their prayers? The messiah has the ability to calm the storms of our lives, but he also helps us to realize that his answers are bigger than us. This story gives generations of people after the disciples the faith to believe that the messiah cares about us all. If he took care of the disciples on the Sea of Gailiee, he will also take care of us. 2 Corinthians: The second book of Corinthians is a stewardship message to help people to understand why they are giving to help others. This week and the next we will look at that message and think about what it means for us today. Paul starts out by telling us not to listen to this message in vain. It is intended for us to respond to this message. Paul starts to recount all of the elements of his mission. He has had some very productive times and he has had some very difficult times. Through it all, he never gave up on the message of Jesus’ salvation. He has stayed dedicated to the people he is talking to. He says that we should pay attention to what he is saying – Paul is telling us the story of a wonderful personable God who loves us so that we can love others. Questions: When have you been afraid in your life? How did Jesus calms the storm for you? Why is the gospel so important? How are we responding to learning about the love of Christ?