October 31, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for October 31st: Ruth 1:1-18, Psalm 146:1-10, Hebrews 9:11-14, Mark 12:28-34 Theme: loyalty in our relationships Song: Pass it on UMH 572 Ruth: There are only 4 women mentioned in Jesus lineage by name. Ruth is one of those people. She is not even Hebrew, she is an inlaw – but she loved everything about her mother in law. Perhaps she had no real family, perhaps she comes from an abusive home. For whatever reason, when her husband died, she refused to go home. As a woman, she had no life on her own, she had to survive based on her relationships. Eventually she marries into Ruth’s family and becomes David’s great great grandmother. Her story teaches us a lot of lessons about loyalty and love. Her story demands that as people of faith we need to be sensitive to people in need. Even though they are women, it is a love story. Not only is Ruth healed from her love, but her mother in law also gets a new lease on life. Mark: Jesus is being constantly questioned by the authorities. Jesus does not give the standard answers, but they find that they can’t question his theology. In this scripture they are asking Jesus what the most important teaching is. Love the Lord your God with your all love your neighbor as you love yourself. They don’t have a problem with the first part, but what is the point of loving our neighbor. Eventually Jesus tells them that our neighbor is God in person. Loving our neighbor is unique to Christianity. Others are taught to love family, but not those who are not related to us. But it is the same love that Ruth had for her mother in law. In the eyes of God we are all one family. And when someone is in need, does it really matter if they are related to us in order for us to help them. Jesus takes it one step further, when we help then, we help Jesus – that is the greatest love of all. Questions: Who are the ones who show you love? Who are the ones that you love and take care of? Do you have a relationship with your neighbor? How can you get to know them better?

October 17, 2021 - Laity Sunday

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for October 17th: Lamentations 1:1-6, 3:19-26, Psalm 137, Psalm 37:1-9, 2 Timothy 1:3-7, Luke 17:5-10 theme: Laity Sunday Song: What a Friend we have in Jesus UMH 526 Luke: Jesus is explaining what it means to be a servant. He feels that is an important lesson for leaders. Usually when we have servants, we Lord it over them and tell them what to do and give them no apologies. Jesus turns the tables and says that if we want to lead, then we have to be willing to serve. When we help people in need, we do it not for glory, but because it is what we are called to do as people of faith – it is our duty. He starts out by saying that we do not have to have a lot of faith to be effective – the faith of a mustard see will open the door and call God’s presence into the situation. Laity Sunday helps us to understand that all of us have a job to do, all of us have talents to give. Psalm 137: This psalm speaks to the situation of the church in the midst of the pandemic. How can we sing praise songs when there are so many problems in the world? The Hebrews had been taken away from their land, their heritage and they were being held hostage in a strange land. Their praise of God was also a celebration of being on their land, fulfilling the promises of God. God tells them that this terrible time will too pass. One day it will all make sense. One day the same people that terrorized the Hebrews will be terrorized themselves. But the good news of it all will be that they will once again be the apple of God’s eye. God will bring them home and restore their faith. When this pandemic is over, may God do the same for us. Questions: When have you had an opportunity to be a servant for God? When have you had an opportunity to be a leader for God? How has the pandemic affected your faith in the church? What will restoral after this is over look like for you?

October 10, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for October 10th: Job 23:1-9, 16-17, Psalm 22:1-15, Hebrews 4:12-16, Mark 10:17-31 Theme: Jesus as our mediator; Song: God of Grace and God of Glory UMH 577 Hebrews: The Gospel of John says that in the beginning was the Word, the Word was God and was with God. Jesus was with God from the beginning of time. Jesus Christ is the word of God. Hebrews speaks of Jesus Christ being our mediator – the one who stands in between God and us. Sometimes we need to pray to Jesus in order for God to hear us. Sometimes Jesus needs to speak to God on our behalf to ask for mercy. Jesus is the mediator because he died on behalf of our sins. Our scripture says that the word of God is like a double edged sword. Sometimes it holds us accountable for our actions, and sometimes it inspires us to do good for others. Jesus lived our life, so he understands where we are coming from. His mission on earth – to tell us how earth can be more like heaven. Job: How do you cheer up a friend who is depressed? We realize that our words can never really be enough to make a difference. Job was depressed with his situation. His wife and 3 of his best friends tried to say things to cheer him up. But it only encouraged Job to be more determined to accept societies definition of the situation. The current wisdom was that if something happened it was your own fault and that God was too far away to make a difference. Job does not want to hear a word they are telling him. He also decides that if he can just talk with God, then perhaps he can feel better. But Job has no idea of where to find God, he too thinks that God is too far away and that God does not know him. He is afraid to talk to God directly. Eventually Job will get his chance to speak with God. God will not be angry, but God will also not give Job any solid answers. This is one issue he will have to contend with his own heart. Eventually he does find his way out of depression and blaming others. Questions: If Jesus mediates for us, what do you need him to say to God about your life? How has God’s word held you accountable? If you could speak to God what would you say? How has your faith helped you out of depressions?

October 3, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for October 3rd: Job 1:1;2:1-10, Psalm 26, Hebrews 1:1-4, 2:5-12, Mark 10:2-16 Theme: World Communion Sunday, Song: One Bread, One Body UMH 620 Job: Have you ever had that feeling that the devil is out to get the best of you? Well that is Job’s story. He was trying to live a life of faith, and everything imaginable happen to him. All of his friends told him this was a good time to forget about God, in the way God seems to have forgotten about him. The whole book of Job is about his suffering and his struggle with being faithful in the midst of some dire circumstances. The lectionary tells this story over the next four weeks. This will be the only time that we look at Job’s story. His wife tells him that there is no hope, so he may as well just curse God and die. Job remains faithful and regains everything that he lost and more. I wish all of our lives were like that. Mark: When I was a new Christian learning about the bible, I distinctly remember that it was the book of Matthew that was very scary to me. But as we are going through the lectionary looking at Mark, it seems to have its fair share of terror text. And then there are those scriptures like this one that really mess with our modern sensibilities. Jesus talks about a number of things in this passage. But first and foremost he talks about marriage. Marriage is between a male and a female and that there is no reason for divorce. None of those things are true in the world any more. Yet we have to consider Jesus’ words in our life decisions. I am glad that is not the scripture that I am preaching on. Jesus continues to stress that who we are as disciples is determined by how we treat the little children. Questions: When was a time when bad luck turned into good luck for you? Who encourages you when you have no hope? What are you beliefs about marriage and Christianity? How are we letting the little children come to Jesus?

September 19, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for September 19th: Proverbs 31:10-31, Psalm 1, James 3:13-4:3. 7-8; Mark 30:37: Theme: living in wisdom, Song: I Surrender All UMH 354 James: This will probably be the only week this year that we will look at the book of James. James continues our lesson on what it means to live in wisdom. Wisdom always comes from God. It is always in our best interest. When we live in wisdom it affects how we make decisions and how we treat other people. Wisdom is the beginning of harmony in the church. When we are in touch with the world’s wisdom, then we put ourselves and our own needs first. James says that causes us to be jealous of other people. And that causes friction. If we want to stop friction, then we should learn to be humble. Proverbs: The whole point of proverbs is for the prince to find the right wife. This story tells what a “virtuous woman” will do. She is not just a romantic partner, but she has the ability to run a household. In today’s world this is a very idealistic perspective. But it does make a very good point about planning your life. About thinking about how to sustain yourself in the future. And how important hard work is to success. Not many women aspire to be a housewife in this day and age. But a home that is happy and taken care of is important. The key to any happy home is a willingness to put God first in all things. Questions: What does it mean to be humble? How does this scripture help to deal with church conflict? How do you personally put God first? What does it mean to be a virtuous woman today?

September 26, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for September 26th: Esther 7:1-6, 9-10, 9:20-22; Psalm 124, James 5:13-20, Mark 9:38-50; Theme: Song: They will know we are Christians by our Love TFWS 2223 Mark: Mark is at it again – giving some very hard sayings of Jesus. Mark likes to get straight to the point. This chapter with the disciples asking about someone casting out demons. Jesus uses this as an opportunity to remind us that even though people don’t agree with everything we do or say – we are all still united when we represent Christ. Jesus reminds us that a part of our faith is tolerance and understanding. And in the next moment he is saying that we should be mindful of the children and not discourage them from faith. In all of this Jesus is reminding us of what it means to be a disciple. In life we will have tough choices, where it is easy to follow the world – but we should always take the time to do what Jesus would do. James: It is fitting after the gospel lesson, that we would also be looking at James this week. James can also have some very harsh words of wisdom for those who are disciples. Today James is saying that the answer for all of our problems is to pray. We live in a world of suffering. It seems that lately , more and more people are getting sick. James also tells us that it is important for the church to pray together. The body of Christ has the power to heal, to change situations, to make a difference. But our power lies in the ability to pray together and to trust one another and to more importantly trust Jesus Christ. The prayers of the righteous truly make a difference. Questions: how do we treat children who come to church seeking Christ? What are the disagreements that we have with other Christians? How has God answered your prayers lately? How Has God answered the prayers of the church?

August 29, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for August 29th: Song of Solomon 2:8-13, Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9, James 1:17-27, Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23: Theme: What’s on the Inside? Song: Just As I am, without One Plea UMH 357 Mark: Jesus tells us where real evil comes from. Evil is not a disembodied bad behavior, it comes from real people in the world. Many of us think that evil originates in the hearts of people that we don’t understand, agree with or know. But Jesus tells us that evil comes from the hearts of all of us – even if we go to church every week. When we are not checking our emotions and intentions, we are all evil. Jesus seems to be well aware of the fact that not all Jews have the same belief or are on the same page. Usually when we are around people who don’t agree with us, conflict arises. We want everyone to be on the same page. That is never going to happen. This argument because some of Jesus disciples did not wash their hands before eating. It sounds like a petty thing to argue about – but how do we treat people who do not fall into line with our beliefs. Sometimes it causes us to judge people instead of looking at their hearts. Jesus reminds us that God know the true intentions of all of us. Song of Solomon: This is the only time in the three year lectionary cycle that we will read from the Song of Solomon. On the surface it is a love story between Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. But it is also the love story of God for the faithful, and Jesus for the church. The woman is telling everyone how much she is in love. She is so excited about her new love that she brags to anyone who will listen. Can you imagine Jesus doing the same thing in heaven. He Is telling the angels how excited he is about the church. Sometimes I think that we forget that we are Jesus beloved community. We forget how much Jesus loves us, and we totally forget to express our love for Jesus. This bible book reminds us how much fun it is to be in love and to be willing to express that love to anyone. Questions: Who are some people that you have strong opinions about? Have you ever taken the time to talk with someone in that group? How does Jesus expect us to deal with people that we do not agree with? How do you tell the world that you love Jesus? How would the church be different if we acted like Jesus’ beloved?

August 8, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for August 8. 2021: 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 31-33; Psalm 130, Ephesians 4:25-5:2, John 6:35- 41-51; Theme: New Beginnings of School, Song: Take my Life and let it be Consecrated UMH 399 Ephesians: Being Christian is not natural. It requires us to constantly rethink our responses to life. Being angry is normal. Being a part of the church does not protect us from situations that infringe upon our spirit. The writer of Ephesians gives us specific instructions on how to fight life a Christian. In other words, when people make us angry how to do we respond to them? We should respond to them the way Christ would respond. And when Christ was crucified, he responded, but he responded in live. We are constantly reminded of what it means to live with the mind of Christ. the writer says once you were a part of the world and you would have done….but today you are new creation on Christ, so this is what you do now. We pause, we pray, we consider the consequences, we respond in a way that builds up the body of Christ, not tear it down. Psalm 130: David never thought that he would have to protect himself from his own flesh and blood. But his son Absalom has gone to war with him. As David’s servants struggle to keep the King safe, David asks them not to hurt his son. In the end Absalom is killed and David cries and prays. Psalm 130 is that prayer, I cry out to you o Lord. This is a difficult situation to deal with. David prays for forgiveness of his sins as well as the pain of the situation. He gives the message to the faithful to trust God in all situations. To wait for God and to trust God in all times. When we are in pain, when we are desperate, that is hard to do. But that is the point of being trained in faith – to be able to handle those hard times. Questions: What do you do when you are angry? How do you include Christ in your response to people? Have you ever had to pray a conflicted prayer with mixed emotions? How have you had to trust the wisdom of God in a situation recently?

August 1, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for 2 Samuel 11:26 – 12:13, Psalm 51:1-12, Ephesians 4:1-16, John 6:24-35 Theme: The bread of Life Song: One Bread One Body UMH 620 John: This is the only time that we will study John 6 this year. Jesus is explaining what it means to be the bread of life. People are grappling to understand what that even means. When Jesus says that he is the bread of life, first they try to capture him and make him King – the provider who will take care of them and solve all of their problems. Jesus escapes, and they come after him. Jesus explains the leaders ability to provide comes from God, not from themselves. Jesus is not leading them to a better life in this world. A better life in this world leads them to God. Then they say that if Jesus is God, then he has to do miracles like in the bible. Some of the greatest miracles in life are the ones that we never notice. Jesus is the bread of life, those who believe will never be hungry in spirit. Ephesians: Paul seems to have a lot of advice on what it means for us to be the church and the work that we have to do on the earth. We are still reminded that even though we are different people, there is only one Lord, therefore there is only one mission. We have to strive to stay united on that one mission. Paul also talks about church growth. Today we tend to think of church growth at gaining recognition, as being popular, as being the fun church. Paul tells us that true growth is the church learning to come together beyond differences, learning to use our gifts, struggling to put Christ first in all things. “ The body (of Christ) makes itself grow in that it builds itself up with love as each one does their part.” Questions: What is it that you expect from Jesus? What type of bread does your spirit need right now? What do you need to do to achieve eternal life? What does church growth feel like to you? How is God at work in our church right now? How do we need to come together to achieve our mission?

July 25, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for July 25th: 2 Samuel 11:1-15, Psalm 14, Ephesians 3:14-21, John 6: 1-21 Theme: Working for God Song: My Hope is Built UMH 368 Ephesians: We all know that our world is heavily divided by race and culture. The message of the gospel is that those are superficial differences and that God cares about us all the same and that we all have a place at God’s table. The writer of Ephesians is working hard to help us to create a church culture that helps us to get beyond our differences. We are reminded that we will not rise above our life on our own. It takes prayer, obedience to the bible and trust in God. the scripture says God can do far more than we can do. He also says that if we have Jesus in our hearts – then we will have to key to make a difference in life. John: Jesus tells his disciples that “I am the bread of life”. He then encourages them to go out and to give that bread to those in need. They have no idea of how to feed 5000 people with no money – but all things are possible with God. The bread of life is not just about eating, it is about living a life of abundance. In Jesus’ ministry, he pays special attention to the needs of the poor and the suffering. He wants them to understand that God will supply their needs. After the disciples realize that they do have the power to make a difference in the lives of others, Jesus takes them out on the lake to be alone. It is dark and they are afraid of the dark and the water, but Jesus once again shows them that the messiah cares about their direct needs. This story shows us that God cares just as much about our needs. Questions: What divisions in the world do we need to overcome? Does our church help us with this task? What does it mean to have Jesus in your heart? Who are the people who need to be fed today? What resources does God give us to make it possible to help others?

July 18, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for July 18th: 2 Samuel 7:1-14, Psalm 89:20-37, Ephesians 2:11-22, Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 Theme: The Unity of the Church; Song: Just a Closer Walk with Thee TFWS 2158 Ephesians: What is it that makes a group of strangers a team, a team a community, and a community a church? Well according to the book of Ephesians – Jesus Christ. There have always been fundamental differences within the people of the book, the body of Christ. At the beginning the fundamental difference where the people who were from the same culture that Jesus was from, and everyone else – the Jews and the gentiles. They started out as different, it took Jesus to say that we should put aside our differences and to live in unity. The author of Ephesians says that we come upon that unity by learning to build a house. A house that only God can build. The writer (who is probably not Paul) says that the foundation of our house is reading the bible and the teachings of Jesus and the disciples. Christ is building the church into a place where God lives on earth. That is a huge responsibility on those of us who dare to even come into the building – the church. 2 Samuel: Speaking of building a house – this scripture is about David wanting to build a house for God. He has held onto the tabernacle and has now settled in Jerusalem. As he is establishing his rule, he also wants to make sure that everyone knows that God is the head of his life. But the prophet of God – Nathan tells him that he is not the person intended to build that house. Now is not the time for God to be couped in the 4 walls of a structure. He needs to be free to move with the people. He wants to remain in a temporary tent that can be moved as needed. And yet he tells David not to despair, only will his son build the permanent structure – but the house of God will be evident in his rulership. There will always be somebody on the throne of David. Christ inherits that position. Christ builds the church to be the permanent house of God. Questions: How do you achieve unity with people you do not agree with? How does Christ bring different people together? What is your favorite church building? Why? How do you build a church?

July 11, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for July 11th: John 6:26-28, 35, 51-58; 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19, Psalm 24, Ephesians 1:3-14, Mark 6:14-29: Theme: Helping those in need, Song: Blessed Assurance UMH 369 John: We are going off of the lectionary today so that I can tell a part of my personal journey in life. My experience as a homeless person was the entryway to going into ministry. I will always be truly grateful for all of the people who were willing to help during that time. But I felt that giving to the church was the best way to give back to God. John 6 is the scripture for much of the summer. Jesus feeds the 5000 – but he reminds us that giving people food goes much deeper them filling their bellies. It is feeding their spirits and emotions as well. Giving Jesus is about giving but it is also about caring for people and helping people to feel that they are worthy children of God. How do you respond to people in need? How do you feel about those people? How do we welcome them into the family of the church? 2 Samuel: Dynamic Awareness is a term that was used in explaining this scripture. I like that. David is just establishing himself as king. God is an important part of his life. So he literally brings the presence of God to dwell with him in his capital city Jerusalem. Carrying the presence of God is both dangerous and sacred. Once it is bought into the city, David calls all of the people to worship the presence of God. He does not build a special house for the presence, because God tells him that it is not time to settle down and that David’s son Solomon will be the one to build a permanent structure. David’s final act of worship is to feed the people, to give them all special cakes so that they know that God and the king care for them and for their needs. Jesus stands on a rich history of worshipping God and helping others as he tells us to continue to provide for those in need. Questions: What does it mean to be fed by Jesus? Have you ever had to feed someone who is hungry? Have you ever been fed by others? How do we extend hospitality as a church?

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?

May 30, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for May 30th: Acts 2:1-21, Psalm 104:24-35, Romans 8:22-27, John 15:26-27,16:4-15; theme: Pentecost, Song: O Spirit of the Living God UMH 539 John: We know that the red flame on the cross and flame stands for the Holy Spirit. But, beyond that many United Methodist do not have any idea of what the Holy Spirit does. Pentecost Sunday is a perfect time to think about the Holy Spirit. John promises that when Jesus is not with us, a companion will come to guide us. Much of the gospel in the last few weeks has been Jesus prayer for his disciples when he is no longer with them. He is concerned that the mission continues. Last week Jesus prayed directly to the Father. Today, He prays that the spirit of truth will take his lead and continue to guide the disciples in carrying out the mission of the church. Romans: Pentecost is both a beginning and an ending. During Pentecost a lot of things will fall into place and a lot of things will fall apart. Change is hard - it is not a time of peace, it is a time of uneasiness. Paul probably has an understanding of our time when he says that all of creation is groaning in labor pains. We are all wondering what the future will bring. As we look to the future, it is important to also look for the voice of the Holy Spirit. Paul says that as we are moving forward that we should look in our lives and in nature to see what the spirit is telling us. Jesus says that we should get our comfort in the spirit, not in the events that are going on around us. The spring will reveal itself and live in a beautiful summer. Questions: What does the Holy Spirit mean to you? Have you ever had a time in life where you knew that the spirit moved you? What do you think the future holds for the church? How do we know that the Spirit is leading us? are we willing to follow?

May 23, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for May 23rd: Acts 1:15-17, 21-26; Psalm 1, 1 John 5:9-13, John 17: 6-19 Theme: evangelism John: This is Jesus’ to God to watch over his followers and to give them what they need to be faithful. Jesus talks about the connection between him and God, he expands that connection to include us on earth. Jesus is concerned because life has gotten hard for those on earth – and he wants the faithful to know they are not alone. Jesus is the intecessor on our behalf. In John the world are the outsiders who persecute us. But we should also extend God’s love to the outside world as well as nature. Lastly, Jesus tells God that he has sanctified us – made us holy – so that we could continue his salvation work. Acts: This is the story of the dynamic church at work. Thousands have joined the church, they have defined what it means to be community. As they go forward, they realize that Jesus is not coming back to lead them. They have to commit to move forward. They have to realize what the resurrection means for each of them. They have to come up with how to trust the spirit in making the right decisions. This decision is who will replace Judas. Their means of discernment is to pray for guidance and to think about What Jesus would do. They were able to make a decision and to trust their judgement. Questions: Have you ever prayed on someone else’s behalf? Who is it that prays for you? How do we continue Jesus’ work today? Do you ever pray over a decision? What does discernment mean? How do you know if you are doing what Jesus wants in a situation?

May 9, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for May 9th: Acts 10:44-48, Psalm 98, 1 John 5:1-6, John 15:9-17 theme: Mother’s Day Song: What a Friend we have in Jesus UMH 526 Psalm 98: Psalms 90-99 are called enthronement psalms – they celebrate the fact that God is on the throne of the world and of our lives. We are gathered together to celebrate God’s reign in our lives. We are grateful for all that God has done from creation to the events in our lives. We thank him by praising God with Songs and with rejoicing. Mother’s day is a time to celebrate people in our lives who care about us. It is a time to celebrate the goodness in our lives. To celebrate the rebirth of nature. What better way to do that then to sing a new song? John: The theme of this verse is love. Once again it is the love of Jesus Christ. We find that the love of mother is a part of Jesus love, not the other way around. Jesus proves that he loves us by sacrificing his life, so that we can have a better life. He goes on the talk about the love of God which is powerful and life changing. It is also not something that we can choose or will to happen. In life we often do not get the choose the way love will manifest itself in our lives. But love is present in even the hardest of lives. This is the day we celebrate that love in the form of a mother or mother figure. Questions: how do you celebrate the presence of God in your life? What is it that you celebrate about nature? How does it remind you of God? How can you show love to your mother today? What can you do nice for those around you?

May 16, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scriptures for May 16th: Acts 1:1-11, Psalm 47, Ephesians 1:15-23, Luke 24:44-53, Theme: Ascension – Jesus goes up to heaven Luke: Sometimes we don’t truly understand what someone is trying to tell us until they are no longer available to us. Perhaps this was God’s plan for sending Jesus into our lives all along. Jesus appeared to his disciples during the Easter season to help them to understand that the story was not over. But Jesus knew that as long as he was with them, they would look to him for answers. If they saw him ascend into heaven, they would remember all that he said, but they would also put their own faith into action. This is one more talk with the disciples before he goes. He tells them what to do, but he also tells the Holy Spirit what they will need to continue through. The words of Christ live on forever in the hearts of those who follow him. Acts: This is another version of the Ascension story – written by the same person, but for a very different reason. These are not words for the Holy Spirit, but words for the disciples. Luke once again tells how Jesus appeared after the resurrection. How Jesus brought them to the mountain with him, and then he went into heaven. Of course the disciples want to witness every moment of this event. Then ending is humorous, but helpful – two angels ask the disciples why they are looking up in the sky for nothing. Jesus is in the work here on earth that they are about to do, not in the cloud. So get you head out of the clouds. Good advice for us as well. Questions: Where do you look for Jesus today? Where do you find Jesus in today’s world? Who in your life, who has passed on, but you remember their words daily? How can we continue that work of the disciples?

May 2, 2021

Breaking Open the Scripture Scripture for May 2nd: Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:25-31, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8, Theme: the power of evangelism, Song: Joyful Joyful We Adore thee UMH 89 Acts: This book is intentionally written to be dramatic and over the top. And this story does not disappoint. A man is reading scripture, but he does not understand what he is written. The disciple, Philip is willing to break it down for him. When they both realize that the book of Isaiah is talking about the savior, they both get the holy spirit. Phillip disappears, and the man is so convicted that he goes throughout the countryside telling others what he heard. Have you ever got that excited reading the bible? Perhaps you should. But the lesson for us is to not be afraid to share our faith with others. And when we do, to look for the power of the Holy Spirit. It is the Spirit in us that brings understanding to the other person. We may not have the same results that Phillip did, but eventually we will make a difference in others. 1 John: We continue to learn about the power of love. God loves us so that we can show others love. Love is the foundation of our faith. We come to church in order to learn love. This book teaches us that we cannot love God and hate people. We cannot see God, but we can see the people in our lives. When we show love – that is when God is apparent, not in person but in our attitude. We have not been given a spirit of Fear. Love gives us the power to step out of our comfort zone. It gives us the power to put up with things from other people that we would not tolerate otherwise. Perfect love drives out fear. Questions: Have you ever been willing to share your faith with someone? When have you felt the power of God in your spirit? In your life? What are your afraid of? How can love help you overcome that fear?