December 29, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 29th: Isaiah 63:7-9, Psalm 148, Hebrews 2:10-18, Matthew 2:13-23: Theme: The Twelve Days of Christmas Matthew: By this time, the hoopla of Christmas is well over. Wintertime has set in, and the waiting of advent is over – the baby is here. This story reminds us that there are some tuff times on the journey between fulfillment and a dream come true. This is the story of the slaughter of the innocents. Herod has ordered the killing of all boy children two and under. Joseph stays faithful to his role in protecting the Son of God. In a dream he is told to go to Egypt until the threat to his son is over. When they return, they return to the horror that all of the other children and mothers have suffered. But in the end, Jesus grows up to fulfill his mission to bring salvation to any who desire to be with God. Jesus is also killed, for standing up to the powers that be – We can celebrate though that this story transforms our world into a beautiful place. Isaiah: This is a continuation on the theme of the dark journey to a fulfilled dream. Israel is lamenting because of all of the turmoil in their homeland. All they seem to see if desolation everywhere? How can they see the good in any of this? All along for 63 chapters, Isaiah has been promising hope and peace. No one seems to see it. The days after Christmas can be a very dark time – it is cold, it is dark, people are still away on vacation, so the pews are empty – there is not a lot of money coming in. This is a time for lamentation for the church. We too are called to see the light in the midst of the darkness. We too are called to see hope in the midst of despair. We too must walk that lonesome journey between a prayer and an answer. Questions: what horrid conditions are the children of today facing? Is God calling us to do anything to help them? What challenges do we face as a church? What prayers need to be answered for our time?

December 22, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 22nd: Isaiah 7:10-16, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25; Theme: Fourth Sunday of Advent Matthew: We only hear of the story of Jesus birth in the book of Matthew. As we get closer to Christmas, we hear the telling of that story in each of our scriptures. Matthew focuses on the role of the father in this story. Joseph has a lot of thinking to do about his role. Mary has announced that she is pregnant, but they are not even married yet. By every right, Joseph has the right to divorce her and to move on. But just as an angel comes to Mary, an angel comes to Joseph in a dream and tells him what to do. Joseph understands that he is a critical part of the story – he takes care of Mary and the baby in the coming days. He understands that God has a plan, and it will come to pass with the birth of this baby. Isaiah: The people of Israel were looking for a change. They were looking for something to have hope in. Isaiah tells the story of the birth of a baby, as that child grows, change will become evident. This story has some striking differences from the Matthew story. First, the woman who gives birth is a young woman, but not necessarily a virgin. The child is not the messiah, but someone who serves God. Isaiah says the baby should be called Immanuel, Matthew says Emmanuel – both mean God with us. Both stories remind us that God is with us, and that God is always our salvation. Both are stories of hope and celebration for the signs in our lives that God cares about us, and always sends a person to make a difference. Questions: What signs are present in your life of God’s presence? What children are present in your lives that give you hope for the future? What role do father’s play in teaching children to have faith? Have angels ever spoke to you in a dream? Did you follow what the dream told you to do?

December 15, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 15th: Isaiah 35:1-10, Luke 1:47-55, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11; Theme: Third Sunday of Advent James: Advent is about learning to wait. It is about learning to get away from this instantaneous culture and realizing that the best things in life are worth waiting for. James encouraged the church to learn patience in an impatient world centuries ago. The book of James is a strong message against exploitation that is so prevalent in our culture. We are called as Christians to be different . Christmas can bring out the worst in us – it is so easy to get caught in so many bad habits. Advent is designed to bring out the best in us. It is intended for us to get in touch with the point of the season – to depend on God for all things as we prepare for the coming of his Son into our world and into our life! Matthew: We hear about the ministry of John from Jesus’ perspective. Unfortunately, John never got to see the fruition of Jesus ministry – he was executed very early on. But he was the for runner, who prepared the hearts of many to be prepared to receive the messiah. Jesus does speak of those people who did witness his ministry – the blind, the crippled, the sick. Jesus brings up John to prepare many others for the healing of the messiah including us: the modern generation. Jesus is grateful for all that John did for him, he was even baptized himself by John. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if Jesus appreciated all that we do in our ministry the way he appreciated John? Questions: How good are you at waiting? What are you preparing for this advent? How are you telling others about the messiah coming? Who are the people who could use a savior in this modern age?

December 8, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 8th: Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72:1-7.18-19; Romans 15:4-13, Matthew 3:1-12; Theme: Second Sunday of Advent Romans: The gifts of the season are hope, joy, love and peace. As Paul speaks to the gentiles, he passes on those gifts and explains that they all from God. In this scripture Paul particularly speaks of the gift of hope. We learn hope through studying the scripture and living out our faith. We are also called to give our faith to others through hospitality. We are to welcome them into the same family that we have been welcomed into – God’s family. According to Paul, the gentiles hearing and accepting the gospel is proof of a loving God. If God love us then we can accomplish anything. That is the meaning of hope. Matthew: John the Baptist is a key figure during the season of advent. He is the precursor to Jesus. He tells everyone what to expect. John does not seem to have very good social skills. He does not even like the people that he is talking to. But he gets his point across even to us listening – that it is time for us to change our lives, to turn from evil and to embrace God. Whomever we are, we are being challenged to think differently. To look at our motives, and to make sure that they are in alignment with what Jesus was taught us to do. If John, who is a relative and determined to serve him, calls himself unworthy, than neither are we. But if we turn our life around, our gift this advent season will be grace. Questions: What gives you hope in your life? How do you pass hope onto to others who have none? What do you need to repent of? What needs to change in your life?

December 1, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for December 1st: Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 122, Romans 13:11-14, Matthew 24:36-44: Theme: First Sunday of Advent Isaiah: Throughout the advent season, we look at what the book of Isaiah says about the coming messiah. What will he do for the world, what difference will he make in our lives. In chapter 1 of Isaiah, he talks about the destruction and pain that the people are feeling in exile. So in chapter 2 he talks about peace. Not just peace for his family, not just for his country, but for the whole world. Everyone will come to his country to learn the ways of peace. But the word of comfort comes after experiencing the problems of war. At the beginning of this chapter, the prophet encourages people to see the word – to picture the sense of peace that the messiah will bring. Matthew: This is the first lesson of the new Christian year, where we start with the end of the gospel of Matthew. This is the Sunday where the world is turned upside down, and we wait for Jesus to make it right side up again. As we prepare for the first coming of Christ, we hear about the second coming of Christ. We are reminded that we don’t know when the second coming, but our task is to stay alert and prepared at all times. Before cell phones, (BC), when a relative would come to visit, they would call before the trip, but you had no idea of when they would actually reach your house. Jesus is old school – he has no plans to announce his coming, but we have already received the call to be prepared. Questions: What would peace look like in our world? How are we called by God to be peacemakers? Are you good at waiting for things? What are you doing to prepare for the coming of Christ in your life?

November 24, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for November 24th: Jeremiah 23:1-6, Luke 1:68-79, Colossians 1:11-20, Luke 23:33-43; theme: Christ the King Sunday Colossians : This is Christ the King Sunday. An opportunity for us to think about who Christ is and why Christ is important to us. It was important for Paul to explain who Christ was in a way that would speak to the heart of the listener. Paul was a master of explaining what Christ has done for us. Paul says that Christ opened the doors so that all could share in his inheritance. He is a light in the midst of darkness, he is the image of God here on earth. Most importantly, he is the head of the church. As we reflect on each of the things that Christ has done for us, how can we not come to the conclusion that Christ is King? Luke: This is the last Sunday that we will be learning from the book of Luke. So it would be fitting that we read the end of the story – the crucifixion of Jesus. This is the story of how Jesus to the outskirts of town, and hung on a cross. This is the story of the passion. This is the very reason that Christ is King. The last words today’s story says I assure you that you will be with me in paradise. In the experience of death, Christ is forgiving us and preparing a place for us in the presence of God. In the resurrection, he shows that he has fulfilled his promise. And now that the door has been opened, we are free to walk through and experience the light in this life and the next. Questions: What does it mean for Christ to be King of the church? Of your life? How is Christ the image of God on Earth? How does the passion of Christ affect you? What lesson do you remember most from the book of Luke? How would you have reacted if you witnessed the crucifixion yourself?

November 17, 2019

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for November 17th: Isaiah 65:17-25, Isaiah 12, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19 Theme: being faithful in service to God 2 Thessalonians : It is a well known fact that in any community that 20 percent of the people do 80 percent of the work. So what do we do with those who are freeloading? What do we do with those who genuinely are not able to help create community? Paul says that anyone who does not help should not eat. But he says that we all have a part to play in creating community no matter how minor that part is. But Paul goes on the encourage us to all do the right thing when it comes to faith. We should not stop doing right because others do nothing. We should follow the example of our leaders who are working to make a difference. Luke: Throughout the season of Pentecost, we have been following the journey of Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. He knows what is going to happen in Jerusalem, but he goes anyway. By this time he has started speaking out and making enemies. As Jesus prepares for his fate, he realizes that he must also prepare his followers. Things will not be easy for them either. So he tells them of all of the things that are going to happen in life and how they will be individually affected. But he tells them that their faith will sustain them through the hard times. And that if they are able to remain faithful no only will things get better, but they will get a reward. Questions: How do you feel about people who do not carry their weight? How does working with these people affect your performance? What faith tribulations are you going through right now? How does it feel to be persecuted because of your faith in Jesus?