Scriptures and Reflection Questions for April 3

Scriptures and Reflection Questions
Fourth Sunday in Lent, Year A

April 3, 2011

Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary
Year A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collect
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be the
true bread which gives life to the world: Evermore give us this bread, that he may
live in us, and we in him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one
God, now and for ever. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to use this page:
Print this and read a different passage each day and think about it.  Some questions
are offered to help stimulate your reflection.  You'll find your experience of worship
on Sunday will be intensified.

For a method to read and pray with the scriptures you might try to use the ancient
practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading).  We've written some instructions on
how to use Lectio with the Sunday Scriptures at the following address:
http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id272.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 The Lessons

1 Samuel 16:1-13
Psalm 23
Ephesians 5:8-14
John 9:1-41

__________________________________________________

1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him
from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you
to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons."
Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me." And the Lord
said, "Take a heifer with you, and say, `I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'
Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall
anoint for me the one whom I name to you." Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and
came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said,
"Do you come peaceably?" He said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord;
sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse
and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now
before the Lord." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or
 on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not
see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the
heart." Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, "Neither
has the Lord chosen this one." Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither
has the Lord chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel,
and Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen any of these." Samuel said to
 Jesse, "Are all your sons here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest,
but he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him; for
 we will not sit down until he comes here." He sent and brought him in. Now he was
ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and anoint
 him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in
the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David
from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.

_____________

Think of some people who seem to have status because of their birth or their appearance.
Think of some people who who are gifted leaders but it seems surprising because
of their origins or appearance.
What can you learn from these things?

__________________________________________

Psalm 23

The Holy One is my shepherd; *
     I shall not be in want.

You make me lie down in green pastures *
     and lead me beside still waters.

You revive my soul *
     and guide me along right pathways for the sake of your Name.

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; *
     for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; *
     you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.

Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
     and I will dwell in the house of God for ever.

                               The Saint Helena Psalter
__________

Why do you think this psalm has become such a favorite?
______________________________________

Ephesians 5:8-14

Once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light--
for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true. Try
to find out what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of
darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what such
people do secretly; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything
that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

"Sleeper, awake!
Rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
___________

How might you take this passage to heart in your own life?
____________________________________


John 9:1-41

As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi,
who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither
this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be
revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night
is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of
the world." When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva
and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam"
(which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see. The neighbors
and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not the man
 who used to sit and beg?" Some were saying, "It is he." Others were saying, "No,
but it is someone like him." He kept saying, "I am the man." But they kept asking
him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He answered, "The man called Jesus made mud,
spread it on my eyes, and said to me, `Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and washed
and received my sight." They said to him, "Where is he?" He said, "I do not know."

They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a
sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also
 began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, "He put mud on
 my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is
not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others said, "How can a
man who is a sinner perform such signs?" And they were divided. So they said again
to the blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened." He said,
"He is a prophet."

The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until
 they called the parents of the man who had received his sight and asked them, "Is
this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?" His parents
answered, "We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but we do not
know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he
 is of age. He will speak for himself." His parents said this because they were
afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus
to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said,
 "He is of age; ask him."

So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to
him, "Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner." He answered, "I do
not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now
I see." They said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?" He
 answered them, "I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want
to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?" Then they reviled him,
saying, "You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. We know that God has
spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man
answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and
yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does
listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has
it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were
not from God, he could do nothing." They answered him, "You were born entirely in
sins, and are you trying to teach us?" And they drove him out.

Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you
believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I
 may believe in him." Jesus said to him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking
with you is he." He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshiped him. Jesus said, "I
came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those
who do see may become blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said
 to him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" Jesus said to them, "If you were blind,
you would not have sin. But now that you say, `We see,' your sin remains."

_______________

Have you ever seen acts of compassion or goodness that were discredited because
of some religious scruple?  How was that story similar or different from this one?
_______________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this email list,
go to http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id137.html

On most weekdays I send a Morning Reflection  to this same list, offering a thought
about the readings from the Daily Office.

Lowell

The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
  We aspire to...
     worship weekly
     pray daily
     learn constantly
     serve joyfully
     live generously.

Check our website: www.stpaulsfay.org

Scriptures and Reflection Questions for March 27

Scriptures and Reflection Questions
Third Sunday in Lent, Year A
March 27, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collect

Almighty God, you know that we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves: Keep
us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls, that we may be defended
from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which
may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary
Year A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to use this page:

Print this and read a different passage each day and think about it.  Some questions
are offered to help stimulate your reflection.  You'll find your experience of worship
on Sunday will be intensified.

For a method to read and pray with the scriptures you might try to use the ancient
practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading).  We've written some instructions on
how to use Lectio with the Sunday Scriptures at the following link:
http://www.stpaulsfay.org/id272.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lessons

Exodus 17:1-7
Psalm 95
Romans 5:1-11
John 4:5-42

___________________________________________________

Exodus 17:1-7

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by
 stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water
for the people to drink. The people quarreled with Moses, and said, "Give us water
to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the
Lord?" But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against
Moses and said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children
and livestock with thirst?" So Moses cried out to the Lord, "What shall I do with
this people? They are almost ready to stone me." The Lord said to Moses, "Go on
ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your
hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there
in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of
it, so that the people may drink." Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel.
He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested
the Lord, saying, "Is the Lord among us or not?"

____________________

Water in the desert.  When have you been in a personal desert?
How did you survive?
__________________________________________

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing to the Holy One; *
     let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before God's presence with thanksgiving, *
     and raise a loud shout with psalms.

For you, O God, are a great God; *
     you are great above all gods.

In your hand are the caverns of the earth, *
     and the heights of the hills are yours also.

The sea is yours, for you made it, *
     and your hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee, *
     and kneel before God, our Maker,

For you are our God, and we are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your
 hand, *
     Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

Harden not your hearts, as your forebears did in the wilderness, *
     at Meribah, and on that day at Massah, when they tempted me;

They put me to the test, *
     though they had seen my works.

Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *
     "This people are wayward in their hearts; they do not know my ways."

So I swore in my wrath, *
     "They shall not enter into my rest."

                                  The Saint Helena Psalter

__________

How does profound praise of God help us enter God's rest?
______________________________________


Romans 5:1-11

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast
in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in
 our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces
character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because
 God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been
given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed,
rarely will anyone die for a righteous person-- though perhaps for a good person
 someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while
we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have
been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God.
 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his
Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But
 more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom
we have now received reconciliation.

___________

Study the progression that Paul offers beginning with "suffering produces endurance..."
How mighty you see that progression in your life?

What does it mean to you that "Christ died for the ungodly"?

____________________________________

John 4:5-42

Jesus came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob
 had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his
journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon.

A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."
(His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him,
"How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" (Jews do not
 share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift
of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked
him, and he would have given you living water." The woman said to him, "Sir, you
 have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you
greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his
 flocks drank from it?" Jesus said to her, "Everyone who drinks of this water will
be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never
be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing
up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I
may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."

Jesus said to her, "Go, call your husband, and come back." The woman answered him,
"I have no husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying, `I have no husband';
for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What
you have said is true!" The woman said to him, "Sir, I see that you are a prophet.
Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people
must worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe me, the hour is
coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from
 the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will
worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship
him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth."
 The woman said to him, "I know that Messiah is coming" (who is called Christ).
"When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us." Jesus said to her, "I am he,
 the one who is speaking to you."

Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman,
but no one said, "What do you want?" or, "Why are you speaking with her?" Then the
woman left her water jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, "Come
and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah,
 can he?" They left the city and were on their way to him.

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, "Rabbi, eat something." But he said to
them, "I have food to eat that you do not know about." So the disciples said to
one another, "Surely no one has brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them,
"My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not
say, `Four months more, then comes the harvest'? But I tell you, look around you,
and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving
wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice
together. For here the saying holds true, `One sows and another reaps.' I sent you
to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered
into their labor."

Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman's testimony,
 "He told me everything I have ever done." So when the Samaritans came to him, they
asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. And many more believed
because of his word. They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you
said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is
truly the Savior of the world."

_______________________________

List some of the cultural barriers that naturally divide Jesus and this woman. 
Where do you see cultural barriers in our time?

Jesus speaks of divine water and food.

How does God's spirit nurture you?

_______________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To subscribe or unsubscribe to this email list,
go to www.stpaulsfay.org/id137.html

On most weekdays I send a Morning Reflection  to this same list, offering a thought
about the readings from the Daily Office.

Lowell

The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.

Our Rule of Life:
  We aspire to...
     worship weekly
     pray daily
     learn constantly
     serve joyfully
     live generously.

Check our website: www.stpaulsfay.org

Scriptures and Reflection Questions for March 20

Scriptures and Reflection Questions
Second Sunday in Lent, Year A
March 20, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collect

O God, whose glory it is always to have mercy: Be gracious to all who have gone
astray from your ways, and bring them again with penitent hearts and steadfast faith
to embrace and hold fast the unchangeable truth of your Word, Jesus Christ your
Son; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary
Year A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How to use this page:

Print this and read a different passage each day and think about it.  Some questions
are offered to help stimulate your reflection.  You'll find your experience of worship
on Sunday will be intensified.

For a method to read and pray with the scriptures you might try to use the ancient
practice of Lectio Divina (Divine Reading).  We've written some instructions on
how to use Lectio with the Sunday Scriptures at the following link:
www.stpaulsfay.org/id272.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lessons

Genesis 12:1-4a
Psalm 121
Romans 4:1-5, 13-17
John 3:1-17

___________________________________________________

Genesis 12:1-4a

The Lord said to Abram, "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's
 house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and
I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will
bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all
the families of the earth shall be blessed."

So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him.

____________________

Would you have gone?  Why?
__________________________________________


Psalm 121

I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
   from where is my help to come?

My help comes from God, *
   the maker of heaven and earth.

God will not let your foot be moved; *
   the One who watches over you will not fall asleep.

Behold, the One who keeps watch over Israel *
   shall neither slumber nor sleep;

The Holy One watches over you *
   and is your shade at your right hand,

So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
   nor the moon by night.

God shall preserve you from all evil *
   and is the One who shall keep you safe.

God shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *
   from this time forth for evermore.

                        The Saint Helena Psalter

__________

How might you let this Psalm comfort and relax you?
______________________________________


Romans 4:1-5, 13-17

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh?
For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not
before God. For what does the scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned
to him as righteousness." Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift
 but as something due. But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the
 ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness.

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his
descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. If it is the
 adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is
void. For the law brings wrath; but where there is no law, neither is there violation.

For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace
 and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law
but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the father of all of
 us, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations") -- in the presence
of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence
the things that do not exist.

___________

It is important to Paul's argument to understand that the law, the Torah, was given
to Israel beginning with Moses, centuries after Abraham.  Yet Abraham is the father
of faith and was regarded by God as a righteous man.  What does Paul's argument
mean to you?
____________________________________


John 3:1-7
There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by
night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from
God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God."
Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without
being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having
grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus
answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being
born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of
the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born
 from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but
 you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who
is born of the Spirit." Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus
answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these
things?

"Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen;
yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and
you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No
one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of
Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son
of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes
in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

"Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order
that the world might be saved through him."

________________________________

Jesus speaks to Nicodemus in metaphor.  Nicodemus hears him literally.  Think of
 other situations where such confusion happens?

What does it mean to you when Jesus says "You must be born from above"?

How does Jesus describe the Spirit?  What does that mean to you?
_______________________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
To subscribe or unsubscribe to our email list,
go to  www.stpaulsfay.org/id137.html

On most weekdays I send a Morning Reflection to this same list, offering a thought
about the readings from the Daily Office.

Lowell

The Rev. Lowell Grisham
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
Fayetteville, AR

The Mission of St. Paul's Episcopal Church
is to explore and celebrate
God's infinite grace, acceptance, and love.
Our Rule of Life:  We aspire to...
     worship weekly
     pray daily
     learn constantly
     serve joyfully
     live generously.

Check our website: www.stpaulsfay.org