Scriptures and Reflection Questions for June 5

Scriptures and Reflection Questions
Seventh Sunday of Easter, Year A
June 5, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collect

O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your  only Son Jesus Christ with great
triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do  not leave us comfortless, but send us your
Holy Spirit to strengthen us,  and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ
has gone before; who  lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in
 glory  everlasting. 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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lessons

Acts 1:6-14
Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36
1 Peter 4:12-14, 5:6-11
John 17:1-11________________________________________________

Acts 1:6-14

When the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when
you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" He replied, "It is not for you to know
the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will
receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." When he had
said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of
their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly
two men in white robes stood by them. They said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand
looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven,
will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem,
a sabbath day's journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room
upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip
 and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer,
 together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his
 brothers.
_____________
What does it mean to receive power as Jesus speaks of it in this reading?
_____________


Psalm 68:1-10, 33-36
Arise, O God, and let your enemies be scattered; *
     let those who hate you flee before you.

Let them vanish like smoke when the wind drives it away; *
     as the wax melts at the fire, so let the wicked perish at your presence, O God.

But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before you; *
     let them also be merry and joyful.

We sing praises to your holy Name;
we exalt the One who rides upon the heavens; *
     yours is the Name in which we rejoice!

Guardian of orphans, defender of widows, *
     God, in your holy habitation!

You give the solitary a home and bring forth prisoners into freedom, *
     but the rebels shall live in dry places.

O God, when you went forth before your people, *
     when you marched through the wilderness,

The earth shook, and the skies poured down rain,
at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, *
     at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

You sent a gracious rain, O God, upon your inheritance; *
     you refreshed the land when it was weary.

Your people found their home in it; *
     in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.

Sing to God, O nations of the earth; *
     sing praises to our God,

Who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens, *
     who sends forth a voice, a mighty voice.

Ascribe power to God, *
     whose majesty is over Israel,
     whose strength is in the skies.

How wonderful are you in your holy places; *
     you give strength and power to your people;
     __blessed be God!

                                                                              St. Helena Psalter

________

For what aspects of God's nature does this Psalm give praise?

_______________________________________________


1 Peter 4:12-14; 5:6-11

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that is taking place among you
to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar
as you are sharing Christ's sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for
joy when his glory is revealed. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are
blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on
you.

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you
in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline
yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around,
looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know
 that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of
suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace,
 who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support,
strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen.
_________
Under what circumstances are you able to rejoice in suffering as this reading encourages?
______________________________________________


John 17:1-11
Jesus looked up to heaven and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son
 so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people,
to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that
they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified
you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify
me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world
existed.

"I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were
 yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that
everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have
given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you;
and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking
on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are
yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.
And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming
to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they
may be one, as we are one. "

________

Does it make a difference to know that in John's gospel, the word "glorify" usually
refers to the crucifixion?

What does it mean to be one, as Jesus prays here?
_______________________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

Scriptures and Reflection Questions for May 29

Scriptures and Reflection Questions
Sixth Sunday of Easter, Year A
May 29, 2011

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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collect

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our
understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in
all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that
 we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
 the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lessons

Acts 17:22-31
Psalm 66:7-18
1 Peter 3:13-22
John 14:15-21
________________________________________________

Acts 17:22-31

Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious
you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the
 objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, `To
an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth,
does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as
though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath
 and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth,
and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where
they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and
 find him-- though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For `In him we live
 and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said,

`For we too are his offspring.'

Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold,
 or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While
God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere
to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in
righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance
 to all by raising him from the dead."

______________

Paul speaks to a Greek audience in the Areopagus in Athens and make a connection
 between the "unknown" god and the God Christians proclaim as the one in whom "we
live and move and have our being."  How might you make connections with those who
may be agnostic, atheist, or devotees of another religious tradition.  Where can
 you, like Paul, find common ground as you witness to your own faith?

_______________________________________

Psalm 66:7-18

Bless our God, you peoples; *
   let the sound of praise be heard;

God holds our souls in life, *
   and will not allow our feet to slip.

For you, O God, have proved us; *
   you have tried us just as silver is tried.

You brought us into the snare *
   and laid heavy burdens upon our backs.

You let enemies ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, *
   but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.

I will enter your house with burnt-offerings and will pay you my vows, *
   which I promised with my lips and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble.

I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts with the smoke of rams; *
   I will give you oxen and goats.

Come and listen, all you who fear God, *
   and I will tell you what God has done for me.

I called out to God with my mouth, *
   and high praise was on my tongue.

If I had found evil in my heart, *
   God would not have heard me;

But in truth God has heard me *
   and has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, *
   whose love has not been withheld from me.

                                   The Saint Helena Psalter

__________

Have your had a time that you felt like was a testing from God?
What happened?
______________________________________

1 Peter 3:13-22

Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer
for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not
 be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to
make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that
 is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear,
 so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ
may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should
be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins
once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He
was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went
and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey,
when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in
which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which
this prefigured, now saves you -- not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as
 an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities,
and powers made subject to him.

__________

What grabs you attention in this rich passage?

______________________________________________________

John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And
 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees
him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

"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."

______________

It's all about love.  Jesus tell us to love him, and to keep the commandment to
love one another, and we will be loved by Jesus and by the Father.

What does this mean to you?

__________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


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.
 
www.stpaulsfay.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scriptures and Reflection Questions for May 29

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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collect

O God, you have prepared for those who love you such good things as surpass our
understanding: Pour into our hearts such love towards you, that we, loving you in
all things and above all things, may obtain your promises, which exceed all that
 we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
 the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Lessons

Acts 17:22-31
Psalm 66:7-18
1 Peter 3:13-22
John 14:15-21

________________________________________________

Acts 17:22-31

Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious
you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the
 objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, `To
an unknown god.' What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth,
does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is he served by human hands, as
though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mortals life and breath
 and all things. From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth,
and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where
they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and
 find him-- though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For `In him we live
 and move and have our being'; as even some of your own poets have said,

`For we too are his offspring.'

Since we are God's offspring, we ought not to think that the deity is like gold,
 or silver, or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of mortals. While
God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere
to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in
righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance
 to all by raising him from the dead."

______________

Paul speaks to a Greek audience in the Areopagus in Athens and make a connection
 between the "unknown" god and the God Christians proclaim as the one in whom "we
live and move and have our being."  How might you make connections with those who
may be agnostic, atheist, or devotees of another religious tradition.  Where can
 you, like Paul, find common ground as you witness to your own faith?

_______________________________________

Psalm 66:7-18

Bless our God, you peoples; *
      let the sound of praise be heard;

God holds our souls in life, *
     and will not allow our feet to slip.

For you, O God, have proved us; *
     you have tried us just as silver is tried.

You brought us into the snare *
      and laid heavy burdens upon our backs.

You let enemies ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, *
     but you brought us out into a place of refreshment.

I will enter your house with burnt-offerings and will pay you my vows, *
     which I promised with my lips and spoke with my mouth when I was in trouble.

I will offer you sacrifices of fat beasts with the smoke of rams; *
     I will give you oxen and goats.

Come and listen, all you who fear God, *
     and I will tell you what God has done for me.

I called out to God with my mouth, *
     and high praise was on my tongue.

If I had found evil in my heart, *
     God would not have heard me;

But in truth God has heard me *
     and has attended to the voice of my prayer.

Blessed be God, who has not rejected my prayer, *
     whose love has not been withheld from me.

                                The Saint Helena Psalter

__________

Have your had a time that you felt like was a testing from God?
What happened?

______________________________________

1 Peter 3:13-22

Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer
for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not
 be intimidated, but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to
make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that
 is in you; yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear,
 so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ
may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should
be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil. For Christ also suffered for sins
once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He
was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went
and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey,
when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in
which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water. And baptism, which
this prefigured, now saves you -- not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as
 an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities,
and powers made subject to him.

__________

What grabs you attention in this rich passage?

______________________________________________________

John 14:15-21

Jesus said to his disciples, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And
 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever.
This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees
him nor knows him. You know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you.

"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."

______________

It's all about love.  Jesus tell us to love him, and to keep the commandment to
love one another, and we will be loved by Jesus and by the Father.

What does this mean to you?

__________________________________
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To subscribe or unsubscribe to this email list,
go to www.stpaulsfay.org/id137.html
and follow the instructions.

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 our web site at www.stpaulsfay.org

Scriptures and Reflection Questions for May 22

Scriptures and Reflection Questions
Fifth Sunday of Easter, Year A
May 22, 2011
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Collect

Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life: Grant us so perfectly to know
your Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life, that we may steadfastly
follow his steps in the way that leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ your
Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of 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

Acts 7:55-60
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14
________________________________________________

Acts 7:55-60

Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. "Look," he said, "I see the heavens
 opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!" But they covered
their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged
him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at
the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed,
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice,
"Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he died.

______________

Stephen becomes the first Christian martyr.
What are you willing to die for?
Can you think of something religious that would deserve execution?
_______________________________________

Psalm 31:1-5,15-16
In you, O God, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; *
     deliver me in your righteousness.

Incline your ear to me; *
     make haste to deliver me.

Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold;*
     for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me.

Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me, *
     for you are my tower of strength.

Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
     for you have redeemed me, O God of truth.

My times are in your hand; *
     rescue me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

Make your face to shine upon your servant, *
     and in your loving-kindness, save me."

                                                                      The Saint Helena Psalter

__________

In what context might this psalm be powerful and important to you?

______________________________________

1 Peter 2:2-10

Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow
into salvation-- if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious
in God's sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual
 house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
 through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:

"See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."

To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,

"The stone that the builders rejected
has become the very head of the corner,"

and

"A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people,
in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness
into his marvelous light.

Once you were not a people,
but now you are God's people;
once you had not received mercy,
but now you have received mercy.

__________

What argument is the author making?
How might you elaborate on the stone metaphor?
______________________________________________________

John 14:1-14

Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in
 me. In my Father's house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would
I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am,
there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going." Thomas
said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the
Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now
 on you do know him and have seen him."

Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." Jesus
said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know
me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, `Show us the Father'?
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that
I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his
works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do
 not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the
one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater
works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in
my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me
for anything, I will do it."

______________

What do you find compelling about God as revealed in Jesus that helps connect you
to the divine?
__________________________________


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