Team Spirit Sunday!

This is it, the official week one of College Football is upon us. Already commentators and couch potatoes are speculating who will end up National Champ on January 13, 2020 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Believe it or not, our support of College football has many similarities to this passage from Luke where Jesus talks about being first. As we prepare for this weeks worship I invite you to take some time to watch the video, read the scripture and then spend a few minutes thinking through the questions for reflection. 

Don’t forget to support your favorite team this Sunday as we come to worship enjoying the presence of Christ and of each other. 

This is the perfect weekend to bring a friend to church!!!

Luke 14:1, 7-14

Luke 14:1    One Sabbath day Jesus went to eat dinner in the home of a leader of the Pharisees, and the people were watching him closely.

Luke 14:7    When Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table, he gave them this advice: ⁸ “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? ⁹ The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table!

Luke 14:10    “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests. ¹¹ For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Luke 14:12    Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. ¹³ Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. ¹⁴ Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Questions for reflection:

1. What did Jesus notice when they were preparing for dinner? (vs. 7)
2. Have you ever experienced or witnessed a similar situation to the one that Jesus describes in verses 8 and 9? What was the outcome of the situation?
3. What are some practical ways in which we can live out a life of humility in our 21st century world? 

Living into the Sabbath

Over the years I have found that many people have great confusion over the Sabbath and God’s call to his disciples to celebrate Sabbath day rest. I myself have struggled through different ideas of what it means for us to live into a Sabbath. This week we are going to examine a wonderful story of healing and redemptive love in this story of Jesus healing a woman on the Sabbath day. As you prepare to worship this week I invite you to read through the scripture below and take a few minutes to reflect on the questions at the end.

Luke 13:10    One Sabbath day as Jesus was teaching in a synagogue, ¹¹ he saw a woman who had been crippled by an evil spirit. She had been bent double for eighteen years and was unable to stand up straight. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said, “Dear woman, you are healed of your sickness!” ¹³ Then he touched her, and instantly she could stand straight. How she praised God!

Luke 13:14    But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.”

Luke 13:15    But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? ¹⁶ This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”

Reflection Questions:

1. How you have observed (or not observed) the Sabbath in your life? 
2. Why do you think Jesus healed the woman on the Sabbath? And, why do you believe the leader of the synagogue was so upset?
3. What questions do you have about the Sabbath? (if you email them to me by Saturday @ jdivine@ncumcfl.com I will try to address them)

Living a Life above Fear

Last Fall, I was at a retreat with our Bishop, where he described the time we are living in as a time of Divergence, a time when people, groups, political parties and tribes find themselves moving away from one another. All of history is a cyclical flow of  convergence and divergence. 

The problem that often comes in times of divergence is that the level of people’s stress rises. This is where we find ourselves today: a time of divergence where many of us feel like we are living through deep, often over-whelming, stress.  

This week God has given us, through the gospel of Luke, a path to take in divergent times––times of stress. I invite you to watch the video and read through our scripture for this Sunday (printed below) and pray for our worship services.

Also, don’t forget that this Sunday is Hawaiian shirt (or summer shirt) Sunday!!!  Don’t forget to celebrate the Dog Days of August with the joyful colors of Hawaii.  

THIS IS A GREAT SUNDAY TO INVITE A FRIEND!!!

Luke 12:32-40

Luke 12:32    “So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.

Luke 12:33    “Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. ³⁴ Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.

Luke 12:35    “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, ³⁶ as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. ³⁷ The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! ³⁸ He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn.^a But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.

Luke 12:39    “Understand this: If a homeowner knew exactly when a burglar was coming, he would not permit his house to be broken into. ⁴⁰ You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

Remembering Our Baptism

Greetings, Lake Deaton Family. I hope you are having a super, great week and that the Lord is blessing you in your activities, in your relationships and in your peace. I invite you to watch our video eBlast, and then to read the scripture and think through to the two questions below to prepare yourselves for worship this Sunday. Also, I would like to invite you to our Sack Lunch with the Pastors this coming Wednesday at 11:30, where we will dive deeper into the scripture for this week.

Blessings and see you Sunday!

Colossians 3:1-11 NLT

Col. 3:1    Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ² Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ³ For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Col. 3:5    So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶ Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.^{a 7} You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹ Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. ¹¹ In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.

Questions:

1. What do you think it means to be raised to new life with Christ and how do you see that lived out in your life today?
2. In this passage of Scripture Paul is describing the “old” life and the “new” life. Can you see a difference between your old and new life? How is God continuing to grow you into your “new nature?”

It's not about the food!

As you prepare for this week's worship, I encourage you to read through the scripture passage, Luke 10:38-42, and then take time to consider the questions below:

Luke 10:38    As Jesus and the disciples continued on their way to Jerusalem, they came to a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.”

Luke 10:41    But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! ⁴² There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Questions for Reflection:

1. Consider the two characters of Mary and Martha. Who do you resonate more with – Mary the contemplative, or Martha the activist?
2. Martha arguably had the gift of hospitality (Luke 10:38). What is the significance of food and meals and hospitality in the life and ministry of Jesus – how can we develop hospitality and open homes/hearts in our lives?
3. What distracts you from spending time with Jesus?
4. Is there anyone whose relationship with Jesus you are jealous of?

What Does Mercy Look Like Today?

As you prepare for this week's worship, I encourage you to read through the scripture passage, Luke 10:25-37, and then take time to consider the questions below:

Luke 10:25    One day an expert in religious law stood up to test Jesus by asking him this question: “Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?”

Luke 10:26    Jesus replied, “What does the law of Moses say? How do you read it?”

Luke 10:27    The man answered, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Luke 10:28    “Right!” Jesus told him. “Do this and you will live!”

Luke 10:29    The man wanted to justify his actions, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

Luke 10:30    Jesus replied with a story: “A Jewish man was traveling from Jerusalem down to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road.

Luke 10:31    “By chance a priest came along. But when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by. ³² A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side.

Luke 10:33    “Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt compassion for him. ³⁴ Going over to him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with olive oil and wine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him. ³⁵ The next day he handed the innkeeper two silver coins, telling him, ‘Take care of this man. If his bill runs higher than this, I’ll pay you the next time I’m here.’

Luke 10:36    “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits?” Jesus asked.

Luke 10:37    The man replied, “The one who showed him mercy.” 

Then Jesus said, “Yes, now go and do the same.”

Questions for Reflection:

When I read this passage, I cannot separate the overall narrative of the encounter Jesus is having with the expert in religious law, and the parable that Jesus then tells. The expert was doing what religious scholars would do. He is questioning a Rabbi on the law and, I believe ultimately, he is wanting Jesus to support his view on the law. But Jesus does what he often does and turns the situation around to question the expert on his own journey of faith. When we read the subsequent story from this perspective, I think we will find that the first two individuals who encounter the man beaten on the side of the road, do the appropriate action for seeing someone who appears to be dead––they keep themselves ceremonially pure. They live into the regulations of the law. 

1. Why do you think Jesus uses a Samaritan as the one who does the right thing in the story?
2. When Jesus asks the expert, “Now which of these three would you say was a neighbor to the man who was attacked by bandits,” why do you think the man answers, “The one who showed him mercy?” Think about the word mercy. What does that mean for you in today's world?
3. Why do you think Jesus is pushing the expert to move beyond his current understanding of the law into an expanded understanding of mercy? How does the law conflict with the idea of mercy, as described within this story?

I hope you have fun studying this passage as we prepare to come together this Sunday for worship!

You want me to do what?

Happy Forth of July to you all. This has been an interesting week of celebration for us in the Divine family as I have traveled with our son Jon and our daughter Christina to help move her to Fort Collins, Colorado. Christina will be starting a three year residency in Equine Reproduction in a couple of weeks. 

I am so ready to be home for the rest of the summer, but have been blessed by our time in Cambridge, London and the time traveling across our beautiful nation.  

This week as you study our scripture passage from 2 Kings 5:1-14 I want to encourage you to do something you may have never done before. First, read through the passage to get an idea of the overall story. Then go back and read the story from the perspective of the King of Aram, then read it a third time from the perspective of Naaman and finally read the story from the perspective of Elisha.  

1. How does the story read differently from the perspective of each of these characters?
2. Why would the King of Aram go to such an expense to try to help Naaman? Have you ever gone out of your way to help a friend?
3. How did Naaman approach Elisha and Elisha’s plan for healing and what did this say about Naaman?
4. How can you serve people who have need that you encounter in your life?

Have fun studying this week and my prayer is that you will hear from God as you dive into this Scripture.