Sunday Scriptures and Reflection Questions for March 18, 2012

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

We use the Episcopal Revised Common Lectionary.

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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.

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Lessons

Numbers 21:4-9

Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22
Ephesians 2:1-10
John 3:14-21  

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Numbers 21:4-9  

From Mount Hor the Israelites set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. The people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food." Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. The people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us." So Moses prayed for the people. And the LORD said to Moses, "Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live." So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

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Have you ever had a prayer of intercession for healing answered?  If so, what happened?    

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Psalm 107:1-3, 17-22  

We give you thanks, O God, for you are good; *

     your mercy endures for ever.

Let all those whom you have redeemed proclaim *
     that you redeemed them from the hand of the foe.

You gathered them out of the lands; *
     from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

Some were fools and took to rebellious ways; *
     they were afflicted because of their sins.

They abhorred all manner of food *

     and drew near to death's door.

Then they cried to you in their trouble, *

     and you delivered them from their distress.

You sent forth your word and healed them *
     and saved them from the grave.

Let them give thanks to you for your mercy *
     and the wonders you do for your children.

Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving *
     and tell of your acts with shouts of joy.

                                                                             Saint Helena Psalter  

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When have you found yourself stuck or afflicted because of your own "rebellious ways" or sins?  What did you do about it?  
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Ephesians 2:1-10  

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ -- by grace you have been saved -- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-- not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

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What is the contrast that the writer wants to present?
How might you illustrate the two ways of living?

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John 3:14-21

Jesus said to Nicodemus, "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. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." 

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How would you describe the qualities of life that constitute living by the light that is following in the Way of Jesus?