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