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?