12 Are you called? 11 St. Nicholas 10 Giving Thanks 9 Falling Walls 8 Sesame St. 7 Methodists & Other Brands 6 What's Heaven Like? 5 Home 4 Pets & Spirituality 3 Apology 2 Worry 1 School
Connecting the Bible's wisdom to our world—with your help ...
12 Are you called? 11 St. Nicholas 10 Giving Thanks 9 Falling Walls 8 Sesame St. 7 Methodists & Other Brands 6 What's Heaven Like? 5 Home 4 Pets & Spirituality 3 Apology 2 Worry 1 School
12/06/2009
Week 12: Are you listening? Are you called for such a time as this?
Have you ever heard a "call" to summon your courage—and your faith—and change the world?
Yes, you. Yes, we know you're young. And, we know you aren't famous or powerful. It's true you don't live in a city of great power (well, most of our readers don't live in world capitals).
But have you heard a "call" for such a time as this? Today, we want you to enjoy the story of Esther—a brave young woman who heard a daring "call."
Preparation is a common theme in the Bible. When Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt, they spend 40 years wandering in the wilderness as God prepares them to enter the promised land. God prepares the young Samuel to be his prophet and the shepherd boy, David, to be King. “Be Prepared” is more than just the Boy Scout motto.
At our home church—1st United Methodist Church of Ann Arbor, Michigan—we produce an annual play called "Bethlehem Inn." We've been producing it for years with a cast of ... well, a cast of dozens, if not thousands. Each year, the play is adapted to cast new young performers—and to capture the spirit of that year. That's especially true of a biblical "play with a play" in the heart of the production.
The "play within the play" in this year’s "Bethlehem Inn" is “Queen Esther Saves the Day.” The story of Queen Esther might seem improbable in a Christmas play, however, the stories hold common themes of preparation and salvation for God's people.
Through a series of unlikely events—Esther, a Jew, becomes Queen to a Persian king. Haman, the second in command, schemes to get the king’s signature on an edict to have all the Jews in the kingdom (from India to Ethopia) destroyed. Mordecai, Esther’s cousin and guardian, urges Esther to intervene on behalf of her people. His question to her is: “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
Esther knows that to appear before the king without his summons means to risk her life. She decides to break the Persian law, appear before the king, address the injustice and accept the consequences: “If I perish, I perish.”
That took enormous faith and courage. The story also suggests that preparation for receiving a "call" from God may take many, many years. So, what about you, here and now? Could God be preparing you for "such a time as this"?
Think About These Bible Passages:
Read Isaiah 40:1-11, which includes ...
"Comfort. Yes, comfort My people!" Says your God. "Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, That her warfare is ended, That her iniquity is pardoned; For she has received from the Lord's hand Double for all her sins."
The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken."
... He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young.
Read Matthew 3:1-3 ...
In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "
Read Esther 4:13-16 ...
Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another a place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my maidens will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law and if I perish, I perish.”
Consider These Thoughts:
Martin Luther King, Jr.: "We must use time creatively... and forever realize that the time is always ripe to do right."
Calvin and Hobbes: "They say the secret of success is being at the right place at the right time, but since you never know when the right time is going to be, I figure the trick is to find the right place and just hang around."
Ralph Waldo Emerson: "This time, like all times, is a good time, if we but know what to do with it."
Questions to Ponder and Pray About:
1.) How are you preparing for Christmas?
2.) How does the hidden nature of God in the story of Esther relate to your own experience of God working in your life?
3.) Have you experienced being in "the right place at the right time"? Describe your experience. Has there been a time when someone else was in the "right place at the right time" for you?
4. How have you considered that God is preparing you for ... Here and Now ... to make a difference in the world? How do you feel about that?
5. What injustices in the world today need an "Esther" speaking out for others on their behalf?
CLICK HERE to read Comments—and, please, add your own!
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-author these weekly reflections. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including "Ready-To-Go Retreats and Lock Ins: 16 Complete Plans for Fun and Soulful Events," available from Amazon. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland.
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )
11/29/2009
Week 11: Who are you waiting for? Santa? St. Nicholas? Jesus?
Families around the world are waiting for all three!
This week, please help us sort out these 3 world-famous figures associated with Christmas. You've probably got family stories about Santa Claus and Jesus—but you may not know much about St. Nicholas. This is a great year to find out more! St. Nicholas' traditional Christian "feast day" of December 6 falls on a Sunday, this year. So, millions of Christian families are attending Sunday school and worship services on his special day.
How do these 3 figures line up in your life?
Here's a memory from David's family: In my home, we never forgot that Christmas is first and foremost Jesus' birthday. We always decorated a beautiful Nativity Scene in our home. We opened Advent calendars, lit Advent wreaths and never missed a Christmas Eve service. But, my family also enjoyed lots of stories about Santa Claus—and all of the American Santa customs, too—right down to a plate of cookies near our Christmas stockings. I didn't even know there was a St. Nicholas with a "feast day" until I was in college.
Here's a memory from Beth's family: By the age of 5, I could recite the entire Christmas story from the gospel of Luke. Christmas always included a birthday cake for Jesus. The importance of the birth of Jesus was central in our family celebrations but Santa Claus provided fun, mischievous secrecy and surprises. Following Christmas Eve services, my brother and I hung our stockings on the mantel, carefully placed cookies on a plate for Santa with carrots for his reindeer and hurried off in an attempt to sleep so Santa could do his magic. I was relieved we had a fireplace and worried how Santa obtained entry to homes without them. I was convinced one year that I heard sleigh bells in the middle of the night! The historical St. Nicholas wasn't consciously a part of our family traditions.
BUT did you know that both of our families actually were enjoying customs that grew from the real St. Nicholas (shown in the icon at right)—and the many centuries of legendary stories that sprouted from his life?
Many of our American Christmas customs sprang from stories and legends about Saint Nicolas, Bishop of Myra in the 3rd Century. Candy canes, hanging stockings, gift-giving in secret in the night—all stem from stories of the actual St. Nicholas. "Santa Claus" is the most popular name in America of this figure adapted from names like the German “Sankt Niklaus” or the Dutch “Sinterklaas.” Santa Claus evolved as the main character in America’s Christmas story in the early 1800’s. His image underwent "extreme make-overs," including the influence of Clement Moore’s popular poem "The Night Before Christmas."
If you care to learn more about St. Nicholas, we recommend that you explore a wonderful Web site, developed by Carol Myers over many years. Carol also is a Christian educator who has made teaching about St. Nicholas an almost full-time job! Here's her Web site: http://www.StNicholasCenter.org.
Early Christians would have regarded St. Nicholas as a shepherd caring for his people. His generosity to those in need and in particular his love for children and concern for sailors were remembered around the world. Early Christians shared stories about an exceptional man who faithfully lived his convictions and followed Jesus Christ. He came from a wealthy family and gave his entire inheritance to help the needy, the sick and the suffering.
Think About This Bible Passage:
From Luke 4:16-21
When Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour."
And Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
Do you remember the Bible passage we read from Mary, Jesus' mother, when she first got the news about what was going to unfold? Jump back to Week 9 for our story about "falling walls" and read Mary's amazing words. They might remind you of what you've just read from Jesus' visit to Nazareth.
Think About These Words as Well:
The following is an example of some of the cool stuff you can find on Carol Myers' St. Nicholas Center Web site. Here's how she compares Santa Claus and St. Nicholas ...
Santa Claus belongs to childhood;
St. Nicholas models for all of life.
Santa Claus, as we know him, developed to boost Christmas sales—the commercial Christmas message;
St. Nicholas told the story of Christ and peace, goodwill toward all—the hope-filled Christmas message.
Santa Claus encourages consumption;
St. Nicholas encourages compassion.
Santa Claus appears each year to be seen and heard for a short time;
St. Nicholas is part of the communion of saints, surrounding us always with prayer and example.
Santa Claus flies through the air—from the North Pole;
St. Nicholas walked the earth—caring for those in need.
Santa Claus, for some, replaces the Babe of Bethlehem;
St. Nicholas, for all, points to the Babe of Bethlehem.
Santa Claus isn't bad;
St. Nicholas is just better.
J. Rosenthal & C. Myers
QUESTIONS:
1.) In what ways are any of these 3 figures—Santa Claus, St. Nicholas and Jesus—a part of your Christmas customs at home?
2.) What's your favorite Christmas movie or TV special? Millions of families watch Christmas favorites on TV at this time of year! Tell us about one show you love to watch again and again—and what it says about one of these 3 figures.
3.) Do you think Carol Myers got it right in comparing Santa Claus and St. Nicholas in her list from the St. Nicholas Center Web site? Which ones sound right to you? Which ones do you question?
4.) How do you think Jesus' message is represented by Santa Claus—and by what you've heard about St. Nicholas?
5.) Do you see a connection between Jesus' famous message in Nazareth—and the song that Mary, his mother, sang when she got the news that she would have a child? (You can refresh your memory about Mary's song in our earlier Bible Here and Now story.)
CLICK HERE to read Comments—and, please, add your own!
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-author these weekly reflections. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including "Ready-To-Go Retreats and Lock Ins: 16 Complete Plans for Fun and Soulful Events," available from Amazon. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland.
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )
11/22/2009
Week 10: What are you thankful for? What are you waiting for?
What are you thankful for?
Come on! Add a "thankful" comment, today. It's that time of year for our American readers. Thanksgiving is Thursday and you've got all week to think about this! Maybe you're most thankful for a 4-day weekend away from school? Also this week in the U.S., millions of people will be running around shopping centers at odd hours of the early morning on "Black Friday," trying to pick up popular Christmas gifts at bargain prices.
This "Bible Here and Now" Web site has readers in many parts of the world, including Africa, Australia and Eastern Europe. If you live in those countries, that last paragraph may sound downright crazy! Why do Americans call the Friday after their big Thanksgiving celebration—"Black Friday"? Well, one reason is that it's the unofficial start of the main Christmas shopping season and it may be the date, each year, on which stores finally go from being "in the red" (losing money) to being "in the black" (making money because of the big holiday sales).
Wherever you live around the world, if you're following Christian traditions—well, that whole story does sound crazy, doesn't it? Americans follow a devout day of "thanks"—when they remember life's most important values like faith, family and friends—with a wild-and-crazy shopping spree that seems to slap a dollar value on those valued relationships.
Perhaps we should step back and prayerfully reconsider this week from a biblical perspective. Perhaps we should recall what our church calendar is whispering, rather than what our shopping calendar is screaming at us ...
One of the Psalms often associated with American Thanksgiving is Psalm 101.
Here it is in the Contemporary English Version translation ...
I will sing to you, LORD!
I will celebrate your kindness and your justice.
Please help me learn to do the right thing,
And I will be honest and fair in my own kingdom.
I refuse to be corrupt or to take part in anything crooked,
And I won't be dishonest or deceitful.
Anyone who spreads gossip will be silenced,
And no one who is conceited will be my friend.
I will find trustworthy people to serve as my advisors,
And only an honest person will serve as an official.
No one who cheats or lies will have a position in my royal court.
Each morning I will silence any lawbreakers I find
In the countryside or in the city of the Lord.
Usually, people only read the opening lines of Psalm 101 around Thanksgiving—but the entire Psalm makes a pretty strong point, doesn't it?
Today, we want to hear your answer to this question: What makes you "thankful"? But, before you answer that, here's something else to think about: AFTER Thanksgiving and Black Friday in the U.S. comes the 1st Sunday of ADVENT this year—a Christian season anticipating Christmas. Eastern Christian churches already have started their annual Advent fasting. In this coming week, Western Christian churches around the world will begin using "Christmas decorations" in a huge range of shapes, sizes and designs. One of those symbols, sometimes considered a "decoration," is the Advent wreath with candles lit week by week to help shape our prayers as we approach Christmas.
THIS WEEK, Megan Crumm—a seminary student preparing to become a pastor—has written a special back-and-forth prayer for the 1st Sunday of Advent. You are free to copy and use this prayer in your own congregation. (Megan is an occasional contributor to ReadTheSpirit and has traveled to both Kenya and Eastern Europe with our co-author Beth Miller on educational projects.)
Megan's Call to Worship for the 1st Sunday of Advent:
The days are getting darker as the nights grow colder.
We light small candles and keep watch.
We know God’s light is coming.
But we do not know when God will appear.
The prophets speak of a Messiah.
We wait in hope.
We hope for something fresh; we wait for liberation.
We hope for new beginnings; we wait for renewal.
We long for God’s prophecies to be fulfilled.
We long for Emmanuel: God’s Word with us.
We watch the winds change and the moon grows darker.
The Lord approaches. We wait in hope.
Questions:
1. What are are you thankful for this week? Give us your list!2. What values are lifted up in Psalm 101?
3. What are your Advent customs where you live?
4. What are you waiting for—and hoping for—this year? Give us your list!
5. What are the differences between your "thankful" list and your "hoping" list?
CLICK HERE to read Comments—and, please, add your own!
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-author these weekly reflections. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including "Ready-To-Go Retreats and Lock Ins: 16 Complete Plans for Fun and Soulful Events," available from Amazon. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland.
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )
11/15/2009
Week 9: The Wall is down! Where are the new Walls?
Faith was something people could not talk about freely. Meeting with other Christians, reading the Bible and praying was done in secret. Under Communism, religious leaders from all faiths were subject to arrest, many were imprisoned in labor camps—and in some cases they were simply killed.
Their stories of courage and faithfulness in Eastern Europe connected with our students from Michigan in a powerful way.
Have you been learning about the end of the Cold War in school? Did you know that one of the famous liberation posters during the revolution in Eastern Europe was the image above? Often, this history is recalled in political or military terms. The major role that religious groups played is forgotten. (Here's one story that tells more about the crucial role of religious leaders.)
The truth is that most of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union had become quite secular during Communism—a system that pretty much consumed the entire cultural life of millions. Among the few alternative groups strong enough to survive such an overwhelming system were religious groups. Their courage meant that—when Communism began to crumble and people felt new hope in the air—one of the few places they could turn to push down the old walls was: the church.
When the Cold War ended, American religious groups did rush into Eastern Europe to help these brave, fragile churches revive religious life. Unfortunately, that enthusiasm burned out quickly. Once again, congregations in Eastern Europe felt isolated and abandoned.
That whole region of the world now is a patchwork quilt of success—as well as dire need. Places like the Czech Republic and Slovakia, where the poster at the top today once helped to lead the peaceful revolution, now are doing pretty well. Many other places, like Serbia and Bulgaria, still are suffering. A recent report in the Economist magazine says that the difference between rich and poor is huge in this region of the world.
Discussing the needs of teenagers in Serbia, a woman named Lijiana told people at the conference that the biggest challenges for young people in her church were very basic, such as food and shelter.
The conference was Podcast and folks from around the world responded on Facebook. One session included a Skype conversation with a young pastor’s wife in Bulgaria.
Jiri, a young pastor from the Czech Republic, came to the conference with an elder patriarch, Jan. The older man had never seen YouTube. We directed him to this Web site: Bible Here and Now. We enthusiastically enjoyed the videos together.
The walls continued to come down between the East and the West as we watched Jan laugh and respond. This exchange became a part of the unfolding mystery of faith. Here was a "saint" of the church, who had endured so much, now sitting with us and laughing at YouTube!
Right now, more than a billion Christians around the world are moving toward a season when, once again, "Gloria in Excelsis" will echo far and wide. One of the scriptures during this Advent season is the voice of a young girl, Mary, living under harsh imperial oppression 2,000 years ago.
Even if you know "The Christmas Story" by heart, you may not recall reading these words from Mary. If you want to read the entire brave declaration by Mary, open your Bible to Luke 1:46-55. But here's the most dramatic part:
God has shown a strong arm;
God has scattered the proud in the fantasies of their own hearts.
God has toppled the powerful from their thrones,
and lifted up the lowly;
God has filled the hungry with good things,
and sent the rich away empty.
Wow! Talk about walls falling! Talk about a vision of justice powerfully breaking through in the world! It's right there in the story of a courageous teen-ager living under seemingly hopeless oppression 2,000 years ago.
What about these words?
German Chancellor Angela Merkel: “Twenty years ago the door to freedom opened up and a seemingly invincible wall that divided a people and an entire continent suddenly became permeable. It was one of the happiest moments of my life… Together we brought down the Iron Curtain and I am convinced this can give us the strength for the 21st century.”
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “Now we have to turn our attention to the challenges for the 21st century. A wall, a physical wall, may have come down but there are other walls that exist that we have to overcome and we will be working together to accomplish that.”
Maya Angelou: “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan: “Today, no walls can separate humanitarian or human rights crises in one part of the world from national security crises in another. What begins with the failure to uphold the dignity of one life all too often ends with a calamity for entire nations.”
Hannah's Prayer in 1 Samuel 2, from Verse 8:
“God raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
God seats them with princes
and has them inherit a throne of honor.
For the foundations of the earth are God's;
on them, God has set the world.”
Questions:
1. What are the lessons from the fall of the Berlin Wall?2. What walls need to come down today?
3. How are walls kept in place and how are walls broken down?
4. What are the walls in your own life that you need to tear down?
5. As a faith community, what is our responsibility for breaking down walls?
CLICK HERE to read Comments—and, please, add your own!
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-author these weekly reflections. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including "Ready-To-Go Retreats and Lock Ins: 16 Complete Plans for Fun and Soulful Events," available from Amazon. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland.
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )
11/08/2009
Week 8: Can you tell me where you've gone from Sesame Street?
I questioned a van-load of teens traveling with me this week about life lessons learned from Sesame Street. Top on the list was diversity and understanding of other cultures. Sesame Street from its inception encouraged tolerance and acceptance. Global Grovers’ travels visiting children from around the world and Elmo’s phrase—"far and near"—expanded their understanding of the worldwide community.
The young people in my van got quite enthusiastic as they described their favorite characters and why they identified with them. Each character’s unique emotional qualities and characteristics helped them recognize and appropriately express their feelings. Oscar the Grouch offered comfort and reassurance for those "bad" days when it felt like everything was going wrong. Bert's and Ernie’s friendship and annoyance with each other modeled how to hang in there with friends and build relationships.
Teens don't watch Sesame Street themselves—unless they catch a peek while a younger sibling is viewing—but there is something comforting about returning to childhood memories. We all know the words to "Sunny Days…"! What’s a good van ride without singing?
In the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put away childish ways.” Similarly lessons from Sesame Street in childhood enlarge over time as we realize their greater importance.
Bible stories also become a larger part of our lives as our understanding of scripture grows. As we see more of life ourselves—we realize that the people in the Bible knew an awful lot about the challenges of life! We also begin to see how powerfully many of them were transformed by the spirit of our creator God.
A young woman recently declared on a mission trip that she could not be a Christian anymore because she did not believe in a literal 7-day, 24-hour Creation. I’m not sure who was more surprised when I told her that I know very few Christian adults who take the Creation story that literally. It seems her understanding of the story had not grown beyond her childhood interpretation.
A wise Sunday school teacher once told me “all stories are true when there is truth in the story.” So we talked about the truth in the Creation story. She went back to Genesis and was able to experience the story again, not through such a literal reading—but through the lens of faith. It was an "Ah haaa!" moment!
What were your favorite Bible stories as a child? Are you growing in faith as you study scripture and search for the truth in the story? Is there a particular scripture that you now think about differently than you did as a child? That early "Picture Bible" your parents once read to you needs to be replaced with regular reading from the full Bible. As you explore the Bible fully, you'll discover a huge range of stories and wisdom—not just the easy-to-understand heroic scenes.
May Bible study nurture your curiosity and hunger for meaning and lead you deeper into the mysteries—and the enduring truths—of faith.
What about these words?
Garrison Keillor: “Nothing you do for children is ever wasted. They seem to not notice us, hovering, averting our eyes and they seldom offer thanks, but what we do for them is never wasted.”
Erma Bombeck: “There is nothing sadder in this world than to wake up on Christmas morning and not be a child.”
Rabindranath Tagore: “Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.”
Grover: “Where there is life, there is hope.”
Questions:
2. What life lessons did you learn from Sesame Street?
3. How has your understanding of Bible stories changed from childhood?
4. What scripture confuses you?
CLICK HERE to read Comments—and, please, add your own!
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-author these weekly reflections. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including "Ready-To-Go Retreats and Lock Ins: 16 Complete Plans for Fun and Soulful Events," available from Amazon. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland.
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )
Psst! One last cool thing, friends! Now, don't forget to leave a comment on the Bible Here and Now page, but ... here's a link to a Christian Science Monitor page that has gathered a bunch of wonderful Sesame Street video clips to enjoy. Before you click there, leave a comment here! But do enjoy ...
10/25/2009
Week 7: What do our American religious "brands" mean anymore? Example: What does it mean to be "Methodist"?
What does it mean to be Methodist?
Most of our readers are not Methodist, so you may wonder why we're asking this question. We're using this example because Methodism once was the religious group that most fully defined America (LIFE and other magazines said so in the 1950s). Also, a major biography of one of Methodism's organizers, Francis Asbury, is hitting bookstores this autumn.
Today, 200 years after the founders of Methodism died, their church is a shrinking minority in the U.S. In fact, many churches are removing their "brand" from street signs and promotional literature.
Today, we're inviting people from all religious groups to consider this example—and comment on what your "brand" means in America today.
Here's one answer from Wikipedia: "Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of organizations, claiming a total of 70 million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to the Rev. John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement in the Anglican Church."
PLEASE, watch our video today. The Divine Light Media crew interviewed middle-school, high-school, college students and adults at a United Methodist church, asking them to define their brand. The Divine Light interviewers asked: "What does it mean to be Methodist?" (If your Web browser has trouble showing the video screen, above, you also can click into YouTube and watch the video there.)
John Wesley and other Methodist leaders had a whole lot to say about those 4 guiding pillars. For example, "Experience" doesn't mean that you should be guided by your own individual experience—but that people of faith should allow their collective experience to guide them. A good example of Wesley's own learning from "Experience" is that he concluded more than 200 years ago, based on centuries of human experience, that slavery is evil. The Bible doesn't clearly condemn slavery, but adding human "Experience" in the mix of discernment, it became obvious to Wesley that slavery was evil.
Take a look at those four guiding pillars: Scripture. Tradition. Experience. Reason. How do they shape your own faith?
What about these words?
Obviously, there's a whole lot more substance to Methodism—and to all of our religious groups—than just guiding pillars. For example, most of us stress the need to love and help our neighbors, whatever our specific religious brand may be. This is what led religious people through the centuries to organize hospitals and schools.Here are two examples of how John Wesley used the Bible to preach this message ... (If you want to read some of Wesley's actual sermons, the texts are online here.)
John Wesley liked to preach from the 13th Chapter of 1 Corinthians, a passage often heard at weddings today: "If I speak in the tongues of mortals and of angels, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away all my possessions ... but do not have love, I gain nothing.
"Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
Once, when Wesley was dedicating a new building in England, he preached to a crowd from many Christian groups. Here's a quote from his welcoming message that day:
"Are you a witness of the religion of love? Are you a lover of God and all mankind? ... Do you 'love, not in word' only, 'but in deed and in truth?' Do you persevere in the 'work of faith, and the labour of Love?' Do you 'walk in love, as Christ also loved us, and gave himself for us?' Do you, as you have time, 'do good unto all men;' and in as high a degree as you are able? Whosoever thus 'does the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.' Whosoever you are, whose heart is in these ways like my heart—give me your hand!"
Questions:
1. How do you identify yourself when someone asks for your religious affiliation?2. If you are part of a religious group with a famous "brand"—like Methodist or Jewish, Baptist or Buddhist, Catholic or Muslim—what do you think that "brand" means to other people these days?
3. What pillars guide you? Do you share in something like these four: scripture, tradition, reason and experience?
4. Where do those guideposts take you? What does your faith want you to do with your life?
5. How open is your religious group to sharing with people from other churches—and other faiths?
CLICK HERE to read Comments—and, please, add your own!
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-author these weekly reflections. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including "Ready-To-Go Retreats and Lock Ins: 16 Complete Plans for Fun and Soulful Events," available from Amazon. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland.
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )10/18/2009
Week 6: What does Heaven look like?
As a child in Sunday School, I learned that the streets of heaven were paved with gold. I pictured heaven like a glorious Hollywood movie—an extravagant fanciful palace made out of rubies, diamonds and precious gems all set in gold. There were "many mansions" as Jesus promised.
I also recall a preacher telling us that the size of our heavenly mansion would depend on the building materials we sent ahead. The lesson worked—it motivated me to be good so my heavenly mansion would be admirable.
There's a funny short play by Buck Kohr based on "The Prodigal Son" story in the Bible. In this version, the fatted calf—the animal that winds up as the homecoming feast at the end of the story—actually comes on stage in a full-blown cow costume and narrates the whole story. In its opening lines, the fatted calf claims: "I’m not bitter; I want you to understand that. After all, I’m in heaven now. Bet you didn’t know they have a heaven for cattle, did you? Well they do. Acres and acres of pastureland, cool crystal streams, lots of shade in the afternoon, but the best part about cattle heaven is—there aren’t any butchers. Earth was always so full of butchers! I remember the particular butcher-family who raised me, a father and two sons. I never did like them much."
Oprah Winfrey describes heaven this way: “My idea of heaven is a great big baked potato and someone to share it with.”
Andrew Jackson insisted, "Heaven will be no heaven to me if I do not meet my wife there."
Martin Luther said bluntly, “If I am not allowed to laugh in heaven, I don't want to go there.“
Billy Graham, the great evangelist, once said; "God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there."
Tina Turner put it beautifully, "This is what I want in heaven... words to become notes and conversations to be symphonies."
How do you visualize heaven? Each of us can speculate using our reason and imagination. I now interpret scripture’s description of "streets paved in gold" to mean that gold is so insignificant in heaven they use it to pave the roads, or to fill in the potholes. I realize the scriptural imagery of crowns and gold attempts to express what really is inexpressible. My motivation for being "good" is not for some future mansion in heaven but rather because God is good.
Heaven is a mystery, but I think we will see things with greater clarity. One of my favorite poets is Rabindranath Tagore who wrote, "Death is not extinguishing the light; it is putting out the lamp because the dawn has come…"
What about these words?
Here is a glimpse of heaven through the eyes of C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia series
"We do not want (in heaven) merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words—to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it…For if we take the imagery of Scripture seriously, if we believe that God will one day give us the Morning Star and cause us to put on the splendour of the sun, then we may surmise that both the ancient myths and the modern poetry, so false as history, may be very near the truth as prophecy. At present we are on the outside of the world, the wrong side of the door. We discern the freshness and purity of morning, but they do not make us fresh and pure. We cannot mingle with the splendours we see. But all the leaves of the New Testament are rustling with the rumour that it will not always be so. Someday, God willing, we shall get in."
In the 14th Chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus reassures us that "I go to prepare a place for you" (John 14:2) and "Because I live, you shall live also." (John 14:19).
Most Christian funerals include these three verses, John 14:1-3: "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."
Dr. Werner von Braun, well-known for his part in pioneering the U.S. space program, said that he had "essentially scientific" reasons for believing in life after death. He explained:
"Science has found that nothing can disappear without a trace. Nature does not know extinction. All it knows is transformation. If God applies the fundamental principle to the most minute and insignificant parts of the universe, doesn't it make sense to assume that He applies it to the masterpiece of His creation—the human soul? I think it does."
Desmond Tutu:
"We may be surprised at the people we find in heaven. God has a soft spot for sinners. His standards are quite low."
Questions:
1. What does heaven look like?2. What do you most hope for in heaven?
3. What has shaped your vision of heaven?
4. How does the concept of heaven shape your life on earth?
CLICK HERE to read Comments—and, please, add your own!
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-authored these weekly reflections. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including "Ready-To-Go Retreats and Lock Ins: 16 Complete Plans for Fun and Soulful Events," available from Amazon. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland.
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )10/12/2009
Week 5: Have you been part of a Homecoming this autumn? (Thinking about "home" may be linked to our faith.)
In America every fall thousands of high schools and universities celebrate the tradition of "Homecoming." Each school and town has it’s own rituals. Typically Friday night includes a football game often preceded by a parade featuring homemade class floats. A "homecoming court" is elected, the king and queen announced and crowned at half-time of the game. Tailgating, parades, pep rallies and dressing up for the homecoming dance are part of the celebration. Alumni often return for these annual events.
What is the significance of "Homecoming?"
Friends, food, activities, and special rituals are part of the appeal. Homecoming holds cherished memories, shared stories and renewed relationships. On a deeper level, it’s about identity and belonging—about having a "Home" to return to.
Home can be any place we have the feeling that we belong. I recall returning with a pilgrimage group to the small isle of Iona off the west coast of Scotland for the third time in my life. David was traveling in our group and asked what it felt like.
I immediately responded, “It feels like I’m coming home.” Later, I questioned what prompted me to say that. I had a profound sense of connection with the place, the craggy rocks, the ancient abbey and the wild wind. It was far from my childhood home in Pennsylvania yet on prior pilgrimages I had experienced a powerful community on Iona. Perhaps I was sensing what writer Fredrick Buechner said so well: "Home is a place where you feel you belong and which in some sense belongs to you."
Where is home for you?
If you’ve even been away from home for a significant period of time, you’ve experienced the anticipation of returning home. You carry memories and expectations. You look forward to simple things like sitting at the kitchen table sharing a favorite meal, sleeping in your own bed and hearing the voices of those you love. You find the dent in the front door from the time you ran your bike into it or run your fingers over the well-worn piano keys. You become aware that it "smells" like home.
The theme of coming home is as ancient as the Greek epic "The Odyssey." One of the best stories of homecoming is Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz." On the journey she meets traveling companions, overcomes challenges and develops her strengths. On returning home she finds both herself and her home transformed.
Frederick Buechner is a lifelong fan of "The Wizard of Oz" and wrote about how much we can learn about our own life's journey from the "Oz" story. He also wrote a book entitled "The Longing for Home" in which he says: “The word home summons up a place…which you have rich and complex feelings about, a place where you feel, or did feel once, uniquely at home, which is to say a place where you feel you belong and which in some sense belongs to you, a place where you feel that all is somehow ultimately well even if things aren’t going all that well at any given moment.” And the power of that memory, he says, is like a tide that draws us—through all the hardship and loss, battles and changes we must go through—until we reach the object of
our longing, which is to find a place that feels like home again.
The story in Psalms of the Jewish Exile of Judah for 65 years in Babylon presents a beautiful longing for home, for Zion:
“By the rivers of Babylon—there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion, our homeland.
"On the willows there we hung up our harps.
"For there our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, 'Sing us one of the songs of Zion!'
"How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?”
Jesus talked about home in the context of finding our ultimate home in God. He describes heaven by saying “in my father’s house are many mansions, if it were not so, would I tell you that I go to prepare a place for you?”
What about these words?
John 18-23: "I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you. In a little while the world will no longer see me, but you will see me; because I live, you also will live. On that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them."Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, "Lord, how is it that you will reveal yourself to us, and not to the world?"
Jesus answered him, "Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them."
Christian Morganstern: "Home is not where you live, but where they understand you."
John Ed Pearce: "Home is a place you grow up wanting to leave and grow old wanting to get back to."
Robert Frost: "Home is the place where when you have to go there, they have to take you in."
Maya Angelou: "I long, as does every human being, to be at home wherever I find myself."
Questions:
1.) Where is "home" for you?
2.) What does "home coming" mean to you?
3.) Why is it difficult to sing songs of home "in a foreign land"?
4.) What journeys take you home not physically—but spiritually?
CLICK HERE to read Comments—and, please, add your own!
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-authored this reflection. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including "Ready-To-Go Retreats and Lock Ins: 16 Complete Plans for Fun and Soulful Events," available from Amazon. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland. She has prepared an accompanying Power Point presentation that you can download.)
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )10/04/2009
Week 4: Is there a special pet in your spiritual journey through life? Did you know that animals are beloved of God ...
Jesus taught that God is aware of even the smallest bird flitting through the air. You've probably heard those verses about God's concern for the sparrows many times. And, of course, you know the Bible story of Noah, who made sure that all living creatures would be preserved in God's Creation, despite the disastrous flood.
But what about "pets"? Does God make room for the pets that so many of us love?
Did you know that some people draw very sharp spiritual lines between humans and animals? For instance, have you ever heard someone say that animals won't make it into Heaven? Yes, we know that there are lots of popular TV shows and movies that show pets going to Heaven—but there also are some Christians who argue that our pets can't get into Heaven with us.
Well, John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, wasn't one of them! In fact, Wesley was part of the first big movement of men and women in Great Britain campaigning for better treatment of animals. While Wesley was alive in Britain, people often said that you could spot a Methodist family in a town because of the kind way the family treated pets and domestic animals. (Cruel treatment of animals was very common back then.)
In fact, Wesley preached a very famous sermon insisting that Heaven won't be complete if God doesn't make room for animals—including our pets. No, Wesley didn't preach that animal souls were exactly the same as human souls. Wesley believed that humans are special creations in God's image and that animal souls were somehow different from human souls. But, Wesley's strong defense of the spiritual lives of animals was courageous, controversial and, now, people around the world recall that movement in Great Britain as a very important milestone in the human history of care for animals.
THIS WEEK, we want you to think about the animals in your life. If you don't have a pet, then think about animals you enjoy in the larger world.
Read this week's Bible passages—and other wise thoughts we're adding—and reflect prayerfully on your relationship with animals. There are some reflection-provoking questions at the end of today's story.
Here's some wisdom from the Bible, Isaiah 11:6-7 and Colossians 1:15-20:
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,
and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together.
And a little child shall lead them.
The cow and the bear shall graze;
their young shall lie down together;
and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
AND, FROM COLOSSIANS ...
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things
have been created through him and for him.
He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything.
For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to
himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
John Wesley in his famous "Sermon 60" about God's love of animals: "All the beasts of the field, and all the fowls of the air, were with Adam in Paradise. And there is no question but their state was ... perfectly happy. Undoubtedly, it bore a near resemblance to the state of man himself ... And they too were immortal."
Genesis 9:8-10: "Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, 'As for me, I am establishing my covenant with you and your descendants after you—and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the domestic animals, and every animal of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark."
United Methodist Book of Resolutions: "We have confused God's call for us to be faithful stewards of creation
with a license to use all of creation as we see fit. The first humans had to leave the garden of Eden when they decided they had permission to use all of creation despite warnings to the contrary. We have denied that God's covenant is with all living creatures (Genesis 9:9) ... We forget that the good news that we are called to proclaim includes the promise that Jesus Christ came to redeem all creation (Colossians 1:15-20)."
Eckhart Tolle in "Guardians of Being": "Just watching an animal closely can take you out of your mind and bring you into the present moment, which is where the animal lives all the time—surrendered to life. ... It's so wonderful to watch an animal, because an animal has no opinion about itself. It is.That's why the dog is so joyful and why the cat purrs."
Questions: 1.) If you've ever owned a pet, how did your pet make you feel? Why do people love their pets?
2.) Describe one of the best experiences you've ever had with a pet—or an animal you've encountered.
3.) What does it means that God promised Noah a covenant that also includes animals?
4.) John Wesley believed we'd be reunited with pets—somehow—up in Heaven. What do you envision?
5.) What are important ways to improve conditions for animals? What should we set as top priorities?
PLEASE, click here to read Comments and add your own!
PLUS, watch this page for a Free Powerpoint presentation coming this week. (Scroll down to see previous lessons with Powerpoints.)
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-authored this reflection. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including the "Worship Feast" book at right. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland. She has prepared an accompanying Power Point presentation that you can download.)
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )09/27/2009
Week 3: How about those crazy people who had to apologize! But ... uhhhh, have you ever misbehaved like that?
One reporter called this “an epic week for bad behavior!” You’ve probably heard people talking about U.S. Representative Joe Wilson who let his emotions and his anger explode until—he actually stood up during President Obama’s speech and yelled: “You lie!” And, Serena Williams blew up angrily at the U.S. Open, saying some things she’ll regret for a long time.
The most over-the-top bad behavior? That’s likely Kanye West at the MTV Video Music Awards.
If you missed it, here’s how one news report described his out-of-control behavior: Taylor Swift seemed pretty surprised to have won the award for Best Female Music Video—but the real shock came when Kanye West suddenly burst onto the stage and rudely stole the microphone from the country crooner during her acceptance speech.
“Yo Taylor, I’m really happy for you. I’ll let you finish, but Beyoncé has one of the best videos of all time,” West said. “One of the best videos of all time!”
A clearly embarrassed Swift stood motionless, not knowing what to do as West continued his rant. Eventually, audience members rose to their feet and booed the rapper down as cameras captured a mortified Beyonce. West took his seat (to make matters worse, time was up and Swift didn’t even have a chance to fire back) and controversy continued to ensue as a multitude of celebs told him off, prompting security to circle the area.
Or, do you still carry some embarrassment from a really bad choice you made a while ago? Have you ever really blown it—so badly that the humiliation and regret lingers?
It’s going to take a long time for Kanye to live down his misbehavior—if he can ever get past this incident. People were really mad at him. The singer Pink said this about him: “Kanye West is the biggest (we’ll leave out Pink's swear words but you can imagine)." Pink felt so strongly in her own anger at Kanye that she told the reporter: "Quote me! My heart goes out to Taylor Swift! She is a sweet and talented girl and deserved her moment. She should know we love her. Beyonce is a classy lady. I feel for her too.”
Pink said it that way, because Beyonce—when she won an award that night—gave up her time to let Taylor Swift come up and finish her acceptance speech. Now, that was a gracious move!
So, where do you find yourself in a drama like this?
Have you ever been Kanye? Losing your cool and doing something you fear you might never live down?
Have you ever been Taylor? Do you know what it’s like to be victimized?
Have you ever been Beyonce? A healer?
Or, have you ever been Pink? On the sidelines and mad as (heck) at what you're seeing?
One more detail here: Did you know that, for years, Kanye has insisted he’s a devout Christian? He even sings about it.
What do you think about all of this? What does faith have to do with it? Are the standards of behavior different for those who call themselves believers?
And, what does one do to rectify such bad behavior?
Here's some wisdom from the Bible, Luke 6:37-49 ...
"Forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap; for the measure you give will be the measure you get back."
Jesus also told them a parable: "Can a blind person guide a blind person? Will not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.
"Why do you see the speck in your neighbor's eye, but do not notice the log in your own eye?
"Or how can you say to your neighbor, "Friend, let me take out the speck in your eye,' when you yourself do not see the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your neighbor's eye."
And, Jesus said, "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs are not gathered from thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.
"Why do you call me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I tell you?
"I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.
"But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house."
What about these words?
Drew Pinsky co-author of “The Mirror Effect: How Celebrity Narcissism is Seducing America”: “We’ve lost track of what an apology is. An apology shouldn't be, 'I'm sorry I did something that upset you.' People are not setting it right. We try to get around it."
P.M. Forni, co-founder of the Johns Hopkins Civility Project and author of "The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude": "No one can really look into his heart and say whether they are sincere. But in the long run, feelings may follow action if you do it enough."
Lewis Smedes: “To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.”
Ghandi: “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
Desmond Tutu: “Without forgiveness, there's no future”
Questions:
1.) Who are you in the story today?
2.) How do you learn and grow from your mistakes? Why is it so tough to set things right after you've really blown it?
3.) How do Jesus' words relate to these tough situations we all face?
4.) What makes a "good apology"? Have you ever had to make a big apology?
5.) What does it take to truly forgive someone? Have you ever had to forgive something really painful?
PLEASE, click here to read Comments and add your own!
Download this free Powerpoint presentation to accompany the material. (Scroll down to see previous lessons with Powerpoints.) We project these weekly Powerpoints as our youth groups gather, as a quick way to summarize the lesson for students.
(Beth Miller and David Crumm co-authored this reflection. David is editor of www.ReadTheSpirit.com. Beth is the author of plays and Christian educational materials for youth, including the "Worship Feast" book at right. She also is involved in interfaith work, spiritual formation for adults and pilgrimages to such diverse destinations as Kenya, Bulgaria and Scotland. She has prepared an accompanying Power Point presentation that you can download.)
(Originally published in http://www.BibleHereAndNow.com )