Letting Go

Read It: 2 Kings 2:2-3 (NRSV)

2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. 3 The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.” 

Learn It:

Elijah had been a prophet for quite a while in the land of Israel and it was time for him to be taken up into heaven.  He had been training Elisha to take his place and it was time for Elijah to be taken up into heaven.  Elisha, knowing this, follows him everywhere to try to keep him in his sight so that God won't take him up into heaven just yet.  Elisha does this 3 times in fact...see verses 2 (above), 4, and 6.  Even a prophet as wonderful as Elisha had doubts and reservations about his calling and about letting someone who had been his mentor go.

Share It:

What kind of reservations do you have about things going on in your life right now?  Are you holding onto something from the past that you need to let go?  Talk with your family about something that you might be holding on to that you know you need to let go of but can't seem to do it.  Is there anything holding you back that prevents you from fully being yourself or keeps you from doing the things that you really want to be doing?  What are they and how can you help each other work with them?  Share these thoughts and others with your family as they come up during your time together.

Live It:

Take some time this week thinking about those things that you need to let go.  Maybe it's a grudge or maybe it's something you've been mad about or sad about.  Give a prayer up to God to ask for God to take those things from you and help you to move one and let go of the thing you need to let go.  I hope as you move forward in the week that that 'thing' no longer dwells on your heart or mind.

God's Ways

Read It: 2 Kings 5:9-14 (NRSV)

 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean. 

Learn It:

Oftentimes we think of God as doing mighty works and miracles and we sometimes even think that they do need to be hard or difficult for them to be real or genuine.  In this reading, however, we learn that God can work in simple and small ways.  What a wonderful thing to learn...God at work in the simple ways of life.  Sure God created the world and even destroyed it in the flood but God works in the small a simple ways of life.  Sometimes we are baffled by what God does or how God does it but we need to always remember that God's ways are not our ways.

Share It:

What are some ways that you have seen God at work in the world that were small and simple ways?  What ways have you seen God at work in mighty ways?  Would you prefer to have God ask you to do something simple or something difficult to be changed like Namaan?  Talk about these questions and other things as they come up during your share it time together.  

Live It:

Spend the week listening for God's voice and listen to how God wants you to do things.  You might be surprised at how God's ways might be simpler or easier than you think.  

Costume Change

Read It:  1 Corinthians 9:16-23

16 If I proclaim the gospel, this gives me no ground for boasting, for an obligation is laid on me, and woe to me if I do not proclaim the gospel! 17 For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a commission. 18 What then is my reward? Just this: that in my proclamation I may make the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my rights in the gospel. 19 For though I am free with respect to all, I have made myself a slave to all, so that I might win more of them. 20 To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though I myself am not under the law) so that I might win those under the law. 21 To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law) so that I might win those outside the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, so that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that I might by all means save some. 23 I do it all for the sake of the gospel, so that I may share in its blessings.

Learn It:

What an interesting conversation Paul is having here.  I always like to tell people to be true to themselves.  Don't change because God has called you just as you are to do the work with the gifts you already have.  Paul, however, seems to say that we (or maybe he's just speaking about himself and not necessarily to us) need to be all things to all people.  It would be as if we needed to act like a politician to be able to have politicians understand us. Or we need to act and think like a small business owner to get through to small business owners.  Now I'm not sure if Paul is saying this but it reminds me of Martin Luther's great saying that we need to 'sin boldly'.  The whole reason Luther said that was so that through our sinning the grace of God might work even harder in the world.  I think there might be some connection here but I think the whole point of Paul's talk here is to say that we need to go and interact with other people so that they too might be saved through the Gospel.  

Share It:

What are some ways that you might be able to do things differently so that you can fit in with people that you might not normally hang out with?  What are some creative ways that you can come up with as a family that could help you share the story of Jesus with other people?  What are some creative or new ways that you have experienced the Gospel shared with you or that you have seen?  Come up with some solid ideas and ways that could help you be 'all things to all people' so that you can share God's love.  

Live It:

This week simply try one of the plans you came up with to share the Gospel with someone that is different from you.  See how maybe thinking like them might help you share God's love with them.  

P.S. Sorry the weekly devotionals haven't been up.  We lost internet the other week and this being internet only it got put aside and forgotten about...but now it's back!

Bad food...Good servants

Read It:  1 Corinthians 8:7-13

Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol; and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 “Food will not bring us close to God.” We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? 11 So by your knowledge those weak believers for whom Christ died are destroyed. 12 But when you thus sin against members of your family, and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall. 

Learn It:

Paul is speaking with the people who lived in Corinth and the people there were a mixture of both former Jews and former pagans (gentiles).  Jews never ate anything sacrificed to idols but Gentiles did.  The issue Paul is addressing is an argument that Gentiles were still eating that food that was sacrificed and the Jews felt that they should stop doing that.  Paul addresses the issue by showing that since no other god exists but God alone then there really is no reason to be upset at the eating of this food.  At the same time, Paul also realizes that it will be harder for some people to accept this on both sides of the argument and encourages them to not point out this 'fault'.  Paul ends his talk on food by saying that he will never again eat meat if it means that by doing so people will continue to come closer to God in Christ Jesus.  Paul is willing to do what it takes to make sure that nothing stops people from following Jesus.  

Share It:

What are some things in your life that you see other people doing and it hinders your relationship with God?  It could be music, food, clothes, hair, tattoos, or anything else that maybe hinders you or even them from having a full and complete relationship with God.  What are some ways that you can encourage yourself or others to continue to have a strong faith and not allow those kinds of things to weaken it?  How could you help someone who does have something that is a stumbling block that you thought of above?  Talk about these topics and anything else that comes up during your conversation.

Live It:

Take this week and think about the things that might be hard for you or others and just pray about it.  Talk about it with your family and set goals to work toward having those things not bother or affect you as much as they do now.  Blessings!

What's with all the Commotion?

Read It: John 1:43-46 (NRSV)

⁴³The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.  He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.”  ⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.  ⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.”  ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”  Philip said to him, “Come and see.”  

Learn It:

Nathanael may seem like a skeptic when his friend Philip tells him about this man named Jesus from Nazareth but it's helpful to understand that LOTS of people would have almost no idea where or what Nazareth was and those people who had heard of it knew that it was a TINY town that didn't really have much of anything going for it.  So to be fair to Nathanael his question is a legitimate one...little did he know that the messiah is the one who came from Nazareth.  My favorite part of this text is Philip's invitation to "come and see".  What a wonderful invitation.  He doesn't try to convince or persuade his friend he simply invites him to come and find out for himself what he is so excited about.  

Share It:

What are the things in your life that get you excited?  Why do those particular things get you excited or happy?  You can use this time as a show and tell if you want (bring something to the table to share with everyone else).  Now...what are the things that get you excited about Jesus and about your faith?  If you can't think of something then what things might you be able to do to help you get excited about the things that God promises you (love, support, forgiveness, everlasting life, community)?  Talk about these and other things that come up during your share it time together.

Live It:

This week I encourage you to find a way to find excitement in your faith.  Find something about your faith that really brings you joy and then invite someone to share in that joy.  Be like Philip and invite someone to 'come and see' the goodness and wonder of God.  

╬

Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.  

An Every Day Baptism

Read It: Mark 1:9-11 (NRSV)

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” 

Learn It:

Baptism is very important as it connects us with the whole Christian family.  Baptism is also the time when we receive the Holy Spirit and we are forgiven of our sins.  Even Jesus was baptized which shows us just how important baptism is to being a part of this family of God.  Martin  Luther said that we should daily remember our baptism.  Baptism isn't a one time event that happened at some time past but it is a daily living out of our faith.  We should remember to daily live out our baptismal lives.  

Share It:

Talk with your family about the day everyone was baptized. Do this over dinner or during some family time.  Who was there?  Where was it?  Do you remember it?  If you have children talk about when they were baptized and what the whole experience was like.  What are your thoughts on why Jesus was baptized?  Share these ideas and anything else that comes up during your 'share it' time.  

Live It:

Remember Luther said we should daily remember our baptism?  One way he said to do that is that every time we take a bath or shower that we should say to ourselves, "I am a baptized child of God," and mark ourselves with the cross on our foreheads.  Try this out for a week and see how it might change your view of water or how baptism is really a daily living out our faith.  It is wonderful that at Faith we have our baptismal font on our way to receiving communion.  I want to encourage you next week when you are at church to use the baptismal font during communion to remind yourself of your baptism by signing your forehead with a cross.  It is a perfect way to not only remember your baptism but to also connect our two sacraments: baptism and communion.

╬

Please post comments with your experience with the share it or live it part of this weeks post.  Let others know if you and your family found this useful.  

Happy New Year