United Methodist Bishops Nix Online Communion -- for Now

© 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

UPDATE NOTE: Since the publication of this lesson on Thursday, we have learned that the comment in our "In the News" section of the first lesson that Rev. Andy Langford "thinks the bishops' ruling is a mistake" is a misrepresentation of his position. We regret the error and offer our apologies to Rev. Langford. The comment has been removed from the article. We have also obtained Rev. Langford's position paper on the matter, and we are including two excepts from it in the "In the News" section below.

At their November 15 meeting, the bishops of the United Methodist Church declared a moratorium on performing any sacraments online, including Holy Communion (the Lord's Supper), until the matter has been studied to determine which, if any, sacraments would be acceptable when conducted over the Internet. The Council of Bishops made the ruling at the request of an unofficial but influential group of United Methodist theologians, bishops, church agency executives and pastors.
The trigger for that request was the plan from Central UMC in Concord, North Carolina, to launch a "virtual campus" that would offer webcam Bible study, counseling via live chat and worship services online. Concord has even employed a second pastor specifically to minister to the online community. While there is apparently no objection within the denomination to those plans, Concord's announcement that its online services would enable virtual users to receive Communion at home whenever it is offered in the services was not as well received by all. The church had been planning to offer online Communion for the first time on Christmas Eve.
Virtual participants in the Lord's Supper would use grape juice and bread or crackers they supplied themselves, but which would be blessed over the Internet by the officiant leading the service. Such an online arrangement is already practiced by some independent and evangelical churches, such as Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, California.
Central UMC's senior pastor, Rev. Andy Langford, thinks the bishops' ruling is a mistake. "The way we operate now, if you want to receive [Communion], you have to come to my church sometime between the hours of 9 and 12 on Sunday morning," he said. "I don't think there's any other institution in our country that can survive on that kind of business model."
Langford now plans to survey online participants in Central's virtual campus to see if they want Communion online.
Christians both within Methodism and from other denominations are split on the appropriateness of online Communion. Some see it as simply being pragmatic and making use of advances in technology, much as the early Protestants took advantage of the invention of the printing press to make the Bible widely available. Others see a virtual Lord's Supper as missing the point of being a sacred "meal" shared within a physically gathered community. Some consider virtual Communion a sacrilege.
The fact that different traditions of Christianity view Communion differently also affects what various Christians think of online Communion.
A few Christian groups, such as the Quakers and the Salvation Army, don't practice Communion at all. Some evangelical groups consider the elements (the bread and juice or wine) a representation of the body and blood of Christ. Some, such as the Methodists, consider the elements a representation, but also view Communion as a sacrament (something that conveys God's grace to us and makes present or effective the sacred and holy to participants). Lutheran groups typically consider that the body and blood of Christ are truly present in, with, and under the consecrated bread and wine, and Catholic theology says that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Christ. Some denominations, such as Baptists and Mennonites, call Communion an ordinance (an outward expression of faith that Jesus told us to observe with other Christians). Some Christians also differ on whether there has to be a member of the clergy present for Holy Communion to actually take place.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Church's Online Communion: Sacrament or Sacrilege? Wall Street Journal
Can Online Communion Be a Substitute for the Real Thing? RNS
Take Online Communion With Us. Saddleback Church
Why I'm Open to Online Communion. Ministry Matters
The Big Questions
1. What is your church's understanding of what happens when the Lord's Supper is shared? How would this understanding be affected, if at all, if the Communion were shared with people over the Internet?
2. To what degree is physical, human presence a critical component of Christianity? To what degree is it a critical component of the church? Why?
3. Apart from online Communion, what is your feeling about virtual churches in general? Might they be an important way to bring the gospel to people who are already used to having online friendships (such as on Facebook), dialog (such as on Twitter) and face-to-face interactions (such as on Skype)? Why or why not? To what degree is offering virtual church a concession to the reality today that many people do not want to actually attend church? Should we make such concessions?
4. How does the practice of taking Communion to shut-ins fit into your church's beliefs about the meaning of this sacred meal? How might that practice influence your opinion about online Communion?
5. To what degree might participating in online Communion help Christians feel more connected to the global church beyond the local expressions of the Body of Christ? Is that possibility more important than whatever objections church leaders might raise to online Communion? Explain your answer.
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Matthew 18:20
For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them. (For context, read 18:15-20.)
We've seen this verse cited as biblical support for the idea of online Communion, with supporters of the idea maintaining that the "gathering" doesn't have to be physical. Likewise, if two people are together in their family room gathered at their computer as online Communion is conducted from a church elsewhere, could not Jesus be among the two people in the family room?
However, it's important not to read this verse out of context. As one online commenter pointed out, "Matthew 18:15-20 is about church discipline and accountability, not simply being in a room next to one other person and saying 'See, we're doing church together.'"
Even so, the entirety of Matthew 18 is focused on "the kingdom of heaven" and on the "lost" becoming found.
Questions: How might matters of church discipline and accountability be conducted in a virtual church? Should virtual church be considered a stepping stone to get people to come to "real" church? Why or why not?
1 Corinthians 9:22, NIV
To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. (For context, read 9:19-23.)
In 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, Paul uses the Greek word kerdiano five times, translated as "win" or "gain" -- as in winning or gaining people for Christ. The principle Paul puts forward here is the importance of accommodating himself to people as and where he finds them, so as to bring them to Christ.
Questions: Paul is not talking about Communion in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, but about evangelism, and it's unlikely that he'd have thought of the Lord's Supper as a means of winning others to Christ. But based on his attitude as expressed in these verses, what do you think Paul's view about online Communion would be if the Internet had been available in his day?
To what degree are you willing to accommodate yourself to others to win them to Christ? Would you be willing to participate in online church with them to extend them Christian fellowship? Why or why not?
1 Corinthians 11:26
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. (For context, read 11:23-26.)
This is from the apostle Paul, on the institution of the Lord's Supper.
Questions: What do you feel you are proclaiming when you "eat this bread and drink the cup"? How would that proclamation be affected if the Communion you were participating in were over the Internet?
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (No context necessary.)
The writer of Hebrews told Christians to meet together "to provoke one another to love and good deeds" and to encourage one another in the faith.
Questions: Obviously, the Internet was not an option in the days of the early church, but if it were, do you think the Hebrews author would have seen it as an acceptable way "to provoke one another to love and good deeds" and to encourage one another in the faith? Why or why not? Can online Communion actually encourage people to "neglect meeting together" or is cyberspace simply another forum for such meeting?
Can online worship really be "meeting together" when it is so one-directional? That is, the viewer at the computer alone in a house can see the pastor or other worship leader and feel connected to him/her perhaps almost as much as when seated in a church, but the officiant cannot see and interact with each worshiper.
For Further Discussion
1. Comment on this, from a TWW team member: "I'm all in favor of sending out newsletters as PDF's, maintaining church websites and Facebook pages, sending out prayer concerns by computer, but we know Jesus by the breaking of the bread (see the Emmaus story in Luke 24), and even though we can't always be together, we ought to try. The Amish, for instance, don't forbid cars because they are anti-technology. It is because cars drive families farther apart and prevent them from getting together and being together."
2. Respond to this, from another TWW team member who is a young adult: "I like the online Communion discussion. I think this brings to life conversation about incarnation ministry and the power of presence. So much is virtual today, and as much of my generation is all virtual, it also brings with it a lack of real community. It seems to me like we have some very lonely generations today who connect easily over Facebook and text message but miss the in-person community. I am reminded why God came to earth and didn't just stay separated from humankind. God chose to be here with us and in remembering the story of Communion and partaking in the mystery of Communion, I feel it is very important for a presence to be associated."
3. Comment on this definition of "virtual reality," relating it to online Communion: "an artificial environment which is experienced through sensory stimuli (as sights and sounds) provided by a computer and in which one's actions partially determine what happens in the environment; also the technology used to create or access a virtual reality."
4. Consider also this from Wikipedia: "According to Chip Morningstar and F. Randall Farmer, cyberspace is defined more by the social interactions involved rather than its technical implementation. In their view, the computational medium in cyberspace is an augmentation of the communication channel between real people; the core characteristic of cyberspace is that it offers an environment that consists of many participants with the ability to affect and influence each other. They derive this concept from the observation that people seek richness, complexity, and depth within a virtual world."
5. Respond to this, from another TWW team member: "I once knew someone who described having a 'Communion service' at a kids' summer camp which used potato chips and coke instead of bread and wine -- something that seemed to me rather wrong, almost blasphemous."
6. We assume the online respondent named "Robert" was being sarcastic when he made the following comment about online Communion, but see what you think: "Awesome idea! I don't like people anyway. How great that I can be a Christian and get my preaching from the TV, communion from the Internet, worship from an iTunes download and serve the less fortunate by making a financial donation online. Who needs other people to be accountable to, or to learn from, or to serve alongside with. I sure hope heaven is this way, 'cause being in community with people is too troublesome and demanding. Who wants that?"
Responding to the News
This is a good time to review your church's understanding of Communion, and talk together about how it connects with your spiritual life.
Closing Prayer

O Lord, as we seek to share the gospel, help us to be innovative, wise and careful about seeking your direction. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Typhoon Causes Death and Destruction in the Philippines

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

On November 8, Typhoon Haiyan (called Typhoon Yolanda in the Philippines) roared across part of the chain of the Philippine Islands with 150-mph winds, knocking over houses and killing thousands. Cargo ships were washed ashore, trees uprooted and power lines knocked down. Residents have been left without food or clean water, and relief efforts have been hampered by the loss of electricity and mobile connections. Towns look like war zones, with flattened buildings and bodies in the streets.

Haiyan is among the strongest storms on record and threatens to become the deadliest disaster in Philippine history, surpassing Tropical Storm Thelma, which killed 5,000 people in 1991. The Philippine government estimates that 9.5 million people were affected by Haiyan, with 600,000 people displaced from their homes.

The typhoon cut through the center of this island nation, scoring a direct hit on 10 percent of the population. The winds of Haiyan generated waves as high as two-story buildings, creating the look of a tsunami. Hardest hit was the city of Tacloban, where early estimates suggest as many as 10,000 people may have died. Hospitals have been gutted and pharmacies destroyed, with looters stealing medical supplies. "Help. SOS. We need food," wrote a survivor in large letters on the city's port.

"Tacloban is totally destroyed," said schoolteacher Andrew Pomeda to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. "Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families. People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food. I'm afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger." The Philippine government has deployed soldiers to deter further looting.

"It is really a massive disaster," said Sandra Bulling of the humanitarian agency CARE. "Aid is slowly getting through, and the local authorities have started distributing. But what the municipalities are telling us is, they're running out of their stock, and now they're really relying on international support." More than 30 countries are pledging aid, including the United States. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has ordered the aircraft carrier USS George Washington and other Navy ships to head for the Philippines to assist the Philippine government and military in relief efforts.

A Filipino member of Fairfax Presbyterian Church in Virginia says, "The Philippines has had more natural disasters this year. Tacloban, specifically, was affected by the recent earthquake, and now the typhoon. I think they were caught unprepared because Haiyan was scheduled to hit Samar first. Usually, by the time a typhoon passes through Samar, then proceeds to Tacloban (Leyte Island), the winds have slowed somewhat. Unfortunately, this was not the case with Haiyan. People evacuated in Samar, but not so much in Tacloban." She and her husband are sending help through the Red Cross.

A member of the Wired Word editorial team writes: "Having lived through four hurricanes/typhoons, I am in shock about the magnitude of this storm and the scale of the devastation. Church agencies will be responding, both for rescue and recovery, and then for the rebuilding. Church World Service, Lutheran [Disaster Response], UMCOR, CARE, Red Cross, Salvation Army are all there or on the way. And they will coordinate with each other in a remarkable demonstration of the body of Christ. The most difficult thing for church agencies to promote to their members is long-term rebuilding. It is dull, mundane and plodding. And it is essential."

On November 11, one such response came from the United Church of Christ, which issued an appeal for $250,000. Plans are for the UCC to support early response and recovery efforts of interdenominational partners and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. Says the appeal: "Initial response activities will likely include material resource provision, emergency shelter items, drinking water and cash for work programs."

More on this story can be found at these links:

Philippines Fears Massive Death Toll as Typhoon Haiyan Wreaks Havoc. The Washington Post
Typhoon Victims in Philippines Plead for Aid. Associated Press
Where Was God in the Philippines? CNN Belief Blog

The Big Questions

1. Where is God present in a natural disasters such as a typhoon, if at all?

2. How do you explain the death and destruction of a storm in light of God's plans for the world?

3. Where do you see evil in this tragedy? Where is there evidence of good?

4. Why are people more generous in their support for rescue and recovery than they are for rebuilding?

5. What factors contributed to the tremendous loss of life in the Philippines? What factors contributed to the loss of life being smaller than it might have been under different circumstances or in a different locale?

6. How should Christians respond? Be specific.

Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

1 Kings 19:11-12
Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. (For context, read 19:1-18.)

Queen Jezebel threatens the life of the prophet Elijah, causing him to flee into the desert. He becomes despondent, but God sends him an angel and a gift of food and drink. Then he takes a long journey to Horeb, the mount of God, and spends the night in a cave. God tells him to go out and stand on the mountain, "for the LORD is about to pass by" (v. 11). Elijah witnesses a great wind, an earthquake and a fire -- none of which contains the presence of God. Then, following a sound of sheer silence, Elijah receives clear directions from God about the future of his mission.

Questions: Why is God not in the wind, earthquake or fire, despite the fact that they are spectacular displays of power? What is the significance of the sound of sheer silence? How does it prepare Elijah to hear the word of the Lord?

Psalm 18:11-16
[The LORD] made darkness his covering around him, his canopy thick clouds dark with water. Out of the brightness before him there broke through his clouds hailstones and coals of fire. The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered his voice. And he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; he flashed forth lightnings, and routed them. Then the channels of the sea were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of your nostrils. He reached down from on high, he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters. (For context, read 18:1-19.)

This psalm is a celebration of a time when David was delivered from the hand of his enemies. It assumes that the power of God is seen in the forces of nature -- thick clouds, hailstones, lightning. But at the same time, God's clear intent is to deliver his faithful people from danger, whether the "mighty waters" are literal or figurative.

Questions: Where do you see the power of God at work in nature? What is the danger of attributing a particular natural event -- good or bad -- to the hand of God? How have you observed God's desire to deliver people from danger, if at all?

Psalm 46:1-3
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (For context, read 46:1-7.)

The psalm celebrates God's defense of his people in a time of upheaval and turmoil. The promise is not freedom from trouble, but instead help in the middle of trouble. God's people do not need to fear changes around them because "the God of Jacob is [their] refuge" (v. 7).

Questions: How have you experienced God as a refuge and strength, a help in trouble? How does freedom from fear help people to deal with traumatic situations? Where do you see God at work in disaster zones such as the Philippines?

John 9:1-3
As [Jesus] 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." (For context, read 9:1-12.)

Over the course of human history, many people have assumed that bad things are supposed to happen to bad people, whether they suffer a physical disability such as blindness or a natural disaster such as a typhoon. Recall that some religious leaders saw Hurricane Katrina as God's judgment on America -- sometimes for contradictory reasons! -- using scriptures such as Psalm 107: "[The LORD] commanded and raised the stormy wind, ... [and turned] a fruitful land into a salty waste, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants" (vv. 25, 34). But Jesus takes another approach, suggesting that a man was born blind so that the work of God might be revealed in him. Then Jesus heals him of his blindness.

Questions: Why are people inclined to make a connection between hardship and sinfulness? When have you seen bad things happen to good people? How can the power of God be revealed in a traumatic situation?

James 1:27
Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. (For context, read 1:19-27.)

James urges his fellow Christians to "be doers of the word, and not merely hearers" (v. 22). To be doers of the word is to be quick to listen, slow to anger and able to control your tongue. It also involves avoiding worldly temptations and caring for people in need.

Questions: Although you are far from the Philippines, how can you help care for the people of that country who are in distress? What can be done to help not only with rescue but with rebuilding? How would this be an expression of pure religion?

For Further Discussion

1. How would you respond to a person who claimed that Typhoon Haiyan was a sign of God's judgment on a sinful people?

2. CNN's Belief Blog reports that "more Americans blame hurricanes, earthquakes and other storms on global warming (58%) than on an angry and punishing deity (38%), according to a 2011 poll by the Public Religion Research Institute." Do you believe global warming was a factor in the severity of this storm? What about the fact that the U.S. has experienced a relatively mild hurricane season this year? Bearing in mind that people of faith hold widely varying beliefs about "climate change," is there anything in this arena that Christians in general can do to mitigate severe natural disasters in the future? What about Christians whose professional work and expertise are in meteorology, science and related fields?

3. In disasters such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and the typhoon in the Philippines, suffering is compounded by the fact that many residents are poor and living in unstable housing. What can be done to improve conditions and thus mitigate the effects of natural disasters in the future?

4. What role should the church play in rescue, recovery and rebuilding? How do you support this scripturally and theologically?

5. Where do you see vulnerability to natural disaster in your own church and community? How should you take action to be better prepared?

6. What can be done to strengthen connections between Christians in the United States and Christians in countries such as the Philippines? How will this help us to "bear one another's burdens [and] fulfill the law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2)?

Responding to the News

Investigate what your denomination is doing in response to Typhoon Haiyan, and think about how you can participate. Make a donation to you denominational effort or to the work of a relief organization such as the Red Cross. Pray for the people of the Philippines.

50th Anniversary of Death of C.S. Lewis Observed

© 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

Christian apologist Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was born in Belfast to an emotionally distant father, who sent him away to boarding school after his mother died of cancer in 1908. Before the age of five he had renamed himself "Jack," after his dog Jacksie was killed by a car. He and his older brother invented imaginary worlds populated by talking animals.

As a teen, Jack abandoned the church in which he had been raised, threw himself into the study of mythology and the occult and declared himself an atheist. He later wrote that he was "very angry with God for not existing." Wounded in World War I before he was 20, he suffered from grief and depression over the loss of fellow soldiers.

After resuming his studies, Lewis earned a "Triple First" (top rankings in three different areas akin to what today we would call "majors") and became what today we would call a professor at Oxford University. There, he and The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien were both members of the "Inklings" group of literary lights who met to discuss their craft and the big questions of life. Aided by the writings of George MacDonald and G.K. Chesterton, as well as by Tolkein, Hugo Dyson and others, Lewis began, if reluctantly, to reexamine Jesus Christ.

In his autobiography Surprised by Joy, Lewis wrote that he came out of atheism into faith like a prodigal, "kicking, struggling, resentful, and darting his eyes in every direction for a chance to escape," every night feeling "the steady, unrelenting approach of Him whom I so earnestly desired not to meet. That which I greatly feared had at last come upon me. In ... 1929 I gave in, and admitted that God was God, and knelt and prayed: perhaps, that night, the most dejected and reluctant convert in all England." Within two years he had fully embraced Christianity.

Lewis' return to faith from skepticism and his reasonable defense of Christianity earned him the nickname "The Apostle to the Skeptics." Those who identify Lewis as key in their own conversions and faith development include Dr. Francis Collins, Director of the Human Genome Project, who called Lewis "the 20th century's most articulate proponent of the rationality of Christian faith"; Thomas S. Monaghan, founder of Domino's Pizza; and too many leading professors and scientists to name here.

In 1956, Lewis married another convert from atheism to Christianity, Jewish-American writer Joy Davidman Gresham, who died four years later of cancer at the age of 45. Ironically, in an effort to comfort him, clueless friends suggested he read A Grief Observed, a book he himself had written using a pseudonym, describing his struggle with sorrow after his wife's death. His life and relationship with Gresham are depicted -- with much directorial license -- in the 1993 movie Shadowlands.

Later this month, on the 50th anniversary of his death, Lewis will be honored with a memorial in Poets' Corner, Westminster Abbey, in London.

More on this story can be found at these links:

Celebrating 50 Years of C.S. Lewis's Enduring Legacy (2:02 video). C.S. Lewis Foundation via YouTube
C.S. Lewis: Life Story With a Purpose (1:05:17 video). YouTube
Discipleship of Heart and Mind. C.S. Lewis Institute

The Big Questions

1. A TWW contributor who holds a PhD in physics states: "Lewis made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled believing Christian." Wilfred M. McClay states that Lewis shows how "a profound Christian faith and a profound commitment to learning can be combined ... and can fruitfully influence one another." How did Lewis embody the greatest commandment to love the Lord your God, including "with all your mind," by refusing to check his brain at the door of the church? How could your church encourage greater engagement of the intellect in discussions of spiritual importance?

2. Another TWW team member, who did some of his master’s degree work on C.S. Lewis, says Lewis enjoyed engaging in lively debate with non-believers, and would admit defeat on those rare occasions when he felt someone had undone one of his arguments. On what basis can discussions take place between those with radically different beliefs and worldviews?

3. Author Philip Yancey has said: "[Lewis] was deeply Christian, and yet he saw that that made him larger, not smaller, and it made him more engaged with the culture around him, not less engaged." How does your faith motivate you to engage with your culture?

4. Comment on this argument -- sometimes called "Lewis' Trilemma: Jesus as lunatic, liar or Lord" -- from Mere Christianity: "I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." Can you think of any other options other than the three Lewis proposes?

5. C.S. Lewis' story mirrors the "slow and laborious" journey people often take toward faith. Francis Collins characterizes Lewis' road to faith as "setting out to disprove God and converting himself by accident." His thinking was shaped largely by conversations with other Christians meeting together in small groups as a means of introspection and growth. Who has had the most impact on your faith journey? Share about a conversation you have had that was pivotal in your faith development.

6. How do you understand the relationship between science and faith? You may wish to consider this comment from Constance Kalbach Walker, Senior Research Scientist and Nuclear Physicist at Duke University: "I was attracted by Lewis's cogent logic couched in relaxed, everyday language. Apparently one could be a serious Christian without either shutting off one's brain or becoming a theologian! My understanding of how science relates to biblical faith has also grown. They are friends, not enemies. Science tells us about the physical world we inhabit and how it works, while Scripture tells us about its loving, holy, powerful Creator and the kind of relationship he desires with us, his creatures. Rich insights flow back and forth across their frontier. How could it be otherwise? Since God is the author of both the Bible and the material universe, they must be speaking in harmony."

Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:

John 8:25, 53-54, 56-58
They said to him, "Who are you? ... Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?" Jesus answered, "... Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad." Then the Jews said to him, "You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?" Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am." (For context, read 8:12-59.)

Based on texts such as this one, Lewis asserted that the claims Jesus made about himself are so audacious that one must either believe he is the Son of God and worship him, or reject him as a madman or as demon-possessed. The question of Jesus' true identity is key to understanding the testimony of the New Testament. In John 8, the Pharisees assume (incorrectly) that Jesus does not speak with God's authority, and therefore label him a Samaritan (a pejorative term), a liar and demon-possessed. They were ready to kill him for blasphemy when he stated that he existed before Abraham, whose body had lain in the grave for centuries. Lewis writes in The Magician's Nephew: "What you see and what you hear depends a great deal on where you are standing. It also depends on what sort of person you are."

Questions: What do you hear Jesus saying about himself? What is your understanding of who Jesus is? Has your view of Jesus and the way you hear his words changed over time depending on where you were "standing" in life? Has your understanding of his identity and the way you relate to Jesus changed as you have changed?

Mark 8:27-29
Jesus ... asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" And they answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." (For context, read 8:27-32.)

After performing miracles and teaching about the Kingdom of God, Jesus debriefs his disciples to see what they have learned about his identity. First they give their sense of Jesus' approval rating among the people. Then Jesus asks them where THEY stand. Peter "gets" that Jesus is more than one of the prophets and affirms that he must be the Messiah -- the One for whom they have waited all their lives. Even so, when Jesus follows this up by teaching them about the suffering, rejection, death and resurrection he will experience, Peter can't wrap his mind around that and tries to shut him up.

Questions: Jesus asked his disciples what others were saying about him. What do you hear people saying about Jesus? How do you respond to people who have a different understanding of who Jesus is? What does it mean to you that the disciples' understanding of Jesus' identity seemed to develop in fits and starts? When have you been surprised by a new revelation (for you) of who Jesus is?

John 1:45-46
Philip 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." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." (For context, read 1:45-51.)

At the start of Jesus' earthly ministry, Nathanael had his doubts about Jesus' true identity, especially when he heard that he hailed from the notorious town of Nazareth. His friend Philip bore witness toJesus and simply invited Nathanael to come see for himself. Because Jesus seemed to know his heart and his habits, even though they had never met, Nathanael accepted him as the Son of God and King of Israel.

Questions: Nathanael's prejudices were initially a barrier to faith in Christ. What barriers to faith have you faced in your own spiritual journey? What friend(s) helped you get past those barriers, and how did they aid you? How is Philip's invitation a model for conversations you might have with non-believers today?

John 20:25-28
So the other disciples told [Thomas], "We have seen the Lord." But he said to them, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe." Thomas answered him, "My Lord and my God!" (For context, read 20:24-29.)

After Jesus' resurrection, his disciples rejoiced to see him alive. But Thomas, who "was not with them when Jesus came" (v. 24), could not accept their testimony as fact until he saw Jesus for himself. He wanted to verify their story before committing his heart and life to it. Second-hand faith was not good enough for him. It has been said that God has no grandchildren, only children. In other words, we cannot develop deep, authentic faith by riding piggyback on the shoulders of someone else's faith. Yet, when Thomas does see Jesus, his confession of faith is one of the most astounding in all of Scripture: "My Lord and my God!"

Questions: How does Thomas' initial absence from the fellowship of believers when Jesus revealed himself to them, and his subsequent rejoining of the community of faith, relate to his struggles with doubt? What does Jesus' response to Thomas mean for doubters today? How can Thomas be an example for modern-day skeptics? How is his path of faith similar to that lived by C.S. Lewis? Does it bear any resemblance to your own faith journey?

Jude 3
Beloved, while eagerly preparing to write to you about the salvation we share, I find it necessary to write and appeal to you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. (For context, read Jude 1-4.)

Questions: What author have you read who has expanded your understanding of "the salvation we share"? Who challenges you "to contend for the faith"? How might you contend for the faith in your own circle of contacts?

For Further Discussion

As time permits, discuss Lewis quote(s) that interest you. A selection follows.

On God's indispensability:
"We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade, the presence of God. The world is crowded with him. He walks everywhere incognito." --Letters to Malcolm
"When you are arguing against God you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all. It is like cutting off the branch you are sitting on." --Mere Christianity

On earthly toys and eternal treasure:
"One road leads home, and a thousand roads lead into the wilderness." --The Pilgrim's Regress
"I sometimes wonder if all pleasures are not substitutes for joy. ... God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing. ... If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world. ... Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither." --Mere Christianity
"All these toys were never intended to possess my heart. My true good is in another world, and my only real treasure is Christ." --The Problem of Pain
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." --The Problem of Pain
"Christianity, if false, is of no importance and, if true, is of infinite importance. The one thing it cannot be is moderately important." --God in the Dock
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen -- not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." --"Is Theology Poetry?" (lecture presented to the Oxford Socratic Club)

Responding to the News

Now might be a good time to dive into Mere Christianity or another of C.S. Lewis' classics. You might also consider watching the movie Shadowlands with a view toward learning from Lewis' own brush with grief.

Scientists in your class might consider checking out an organization called The American Scientific Affiliation, self-described on their website as "A Network of Christians in the Sciences." Members must have at least a bachelor's degree in science. Their website is http://network.asa3.org/.

Closing Prayer

Son of Man, Messiah, our Lord and our God, when you reveal yourself to us, give us courage and grace to honor you as the great I AM who is worthy of our worship and service. Teach our tongues to contend for the faith and to winsomely persuade others to come and see for themselves who you really are, that they too may be "surprised by joy." Amen.

'Bling' Bishop's Lavish Mansion to Be Used to Serve the Needy

© 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

A week ago, Pope Francis suspended Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst, the Roman Catholic bishop of Limburg in Germany, from his duties after the 53-year-old church leader spent about $40 million of church money on renovations and new construction on his residence and diocesan offices, leading European media to dub Tebartz-van Elst the "bishop of bling." Now he faces the prospect of seeing his lavish mansion turned into a refuge center or soup kitchen to feed the homeless.
According to the blog "Whispers in the Loggia," big-ticket expenditures at the bishop's manor included "$475,000 spent on walk-in closets and a $20,000 bathtub."
The bishop's over-the-top spending on his own luxury sparked outrage among German Catholics. When the Vatican learned of what Tebartz-van Elst had done, he was summoned to Rome for a private audience with the pope, who is known for his modest lifestyle and advocacy for the poor. Two days later, a statement from the Vatican press office announced that the bishop had been placed on leave of absence while an investigation of his expenditures and deportment is underway.
"A situation has been created," read the statement, "in which Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst currently cannot exercise his episcopal ministry." ("Episcopal" here means "the work of a bishop.")
Informed observers say it is unusual for a Catholic church leader to be relieved of office before the results of the investigation are available. But that shows, says Mathew Schmalz, a religious studies professor at the College of the Holy Cross in Worchester, Massachusetts, that "Pope Francis says what he means and means what he says when he talks about Catholicism becoming a 'church of the poor.'"
After learning that the bishop's luxury home is likely to be repurposed to serve the needy, a spokesperson for the Caritas organization for the homeless said, "The residence is like an inherited sin which the bishop has left in his wake. People who seek sanctuary with us could be given food in the residence."
More on this story can be found at these links:
German 'Bishop of Bling's' Multi-Million Euro Mansion to Be Used to Serve Needy. The Independent
Pope Francis Authorizes Leave of Absence for 'Luxury' Bishop. National Catholic Reporter
'Bishop of Bling' Suspended by Pope Francis. NPR
The 'Bling Bishop' Exits... of Sorts. Whispers in the Loggia
The Big Questions
1. It's easy to criticize extravagant spending of church money on oneself when done by a church leader, but are there ways in which congregations in general do that? For example, is it easier to raise significant sums for remodeling the sanctuary than for supporting a migrant ministry? What are the reasons for or against your making a donation one way or the other? What do you conclude from these answers?
2. In terms of finances, should a pastor's lifestyle be about on par with the lifestyle of the average parishioner he or she serves? Should it be less or more than par? Why? How do you expect your pastor to appear in public? If you are a pastor, what is your standard for public appearance regarding the way you dress and the place you live?
3. Is there a point at which a Christian's affluence becomes sinful? If so, where is that point? Does how the money is earned factor into your answer? How does attitude relate?
4. Do churches have an obligation to help the poor? Why or why not? How do you react to the statements on the part of the pope that the Catholic Church is meant to be a church of the poor? Is yours a church of the poor? Should it be? How do you define poverty? Whom does your church serve? Who attends?
5. In terms of church architecture, some of what we spend is to make our houses of worship "beautiful for God." How much of that is appropriate? In terms of our ongoing spending on our church buildings, where is the line between expenditures for improvements that maintain a building's integrity, and those that satisfy our vanity, or what we imagine is appropriate reverence?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Luke 16:19-21
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man's table .... (For context, read 16:19-31.)
These are the opening lines of Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus. We note that the rich man is not condemned for being rich, but for neglecting the poor man at his gate. What made the rich man's wealth "obscene" was not the extremes between the earthly circumstances of the two men, but that he saw no need to use some of his wealth to help the poor man.
In applying this parable to the "bishop of bling" story, we don't know that the bishop was ignoring the poor; he may have been overseeing some good work for the needy. But what seems clear is that he was spending more of the church's money to lavishly improve his own circumstances than to improve the circumstances of the needy in his diocese.
Questions: How does Jesus' parable of the rich man and Lazarus make you feel? Why? Is there a great disparity between rich and poor in your community? What efforts are made to bridge the gap? Who in your community (include yourself if you choose) would be grateful to receive the "crumbs," however you define them? Who (include yourself if you choose) has more than enough to be shared?
Luke 8:14
As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. (For context, read 8:4-8, 11-15.)
Assuming the facts of the Bishop Tebartz-van Elst story are accurate as reported, this might be a good verse for him to meditate upon. He presumably chose to enter the ministry because the seed of God's word had fallen upon the soil of his heart. But possibly the fruit of that seed has not matured because it was choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life.
Questions: What good seed in your life is being choked by the cares or riches or pleasures of life? How is it being choked by having too little? How is it being choked by having too much? In what ways do you work to clear such chokers?
Luke 18:14
... for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted. (For context, read 18:9-14.)
This is the "moral of the story" line from Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. The hubris of the Pharisee is set in stark contrast to the humility and repentance of the tax collector.
It seems likely that anyone who thinks he needs a $20,000 bathtub -- assuming the report is correct and is not talking about the renovation of an entire bathroom -- paid for with money collected for the overall work of the church has some problems with humility.
Question: What is your definition of what it means to humble yourself? In what areas do you have to fight against a sense of entitlement in order to follow Jesus' urging to humble yourself?
1 Timothy 6:9-10
But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. (For context, read 6:6-10.)
In a sermon last month, Pope Francis said, "When a person is attached to money, he destroys himself, he destroys the family. Money destroys! It does, doesn't it? It binds you. Money serves to bring about many good things, so many works for human development, but when your heart is attached in this way, it destroys you."
Question: The first of the two verses above says that wanting to be rich can cause temptations that lead to being trapped by "senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction." When have you actually observed or experienced "ruin and destruction" as a result of possessions? Regardless of where you are on the economic continuum, what do you need to do to avoid such ruin and destruction?
1 Peter 2:5
... 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 context, read 2:1-10.)
God calls us to be "living stones" and to allow ourselves to "be built into a spiritual house."
There's a legend that as a deacon in Rome, Lawrence (A.D. 225-258) was charged with responsibility for the material goods of the church and the distribution of alms to the poor. As Wikipedia tells it, "St. Ambrose of Milan relates that when St. Lawrence was asked for the treasures of the church, he brought forward the poor, among whom he had divided the treasure as alms. 'Behold in these poor persons the treasures which I promised to show you; to which I will add pearls and precious stones, those widows and consecrated virgins, which are the church's crown.' The prefect [chief administrator of the city of Rome] was so angry that he had a great gridiron prepared, with coals beneath it, and had Lawrence's body placed on it (hence St. Lawrence's association with the gridiron). After the martyr had suffered the pain for a long time, the legend concludes, he made his famous cheerful remark, 'I'm well done. Turn me over!' From this derives his patronage of cooks and chefs."
Questions: In what ways should the actual house we live in reflect our being part of God's spiritual house? In what ways should the house (church building) we worship in reflect our being part of God's spiritual house?
For Further Discussion
1. Comment on this, from a TWW team member: "The church I served in Indiana was built on the model of the meetinghouse. It had some limitations, but it didn't prevent us from having programs that impacted the community, nor did it stop us from having joint services, Bible studies and vacation Bible schools with another church in town. Not only that, but it was in that simple meetinghouse that Dan West got up to propose the founding of Heifer Project, which initially was a Brethren program, but is now Heifer International, an ecumenical agency that sends live impregnated animals to people all around the globe and has had an immense influence on world hunger. So you don't need a fancy building to do God's work or reverently approach God."
2. Respond to this, from the same team member: "Clear glass rather than stained glass is what we have in meetinghouses. That can be a disadvantage, however. Like the Sunday when I noticed that people really weren't paying attention to my sermon, but kept stealing glances out the windows. I learned later that the farmer across the street had rented a bull, who was happily fulfilling his mission with several of the cows. Stained glass windows might have been a better option that morning, although not nearly as entertaining."
3. How might Jesus' parable of the rich fool in Luke 12:13-21 apply to today's lesson? Think especially about verses 18-20: "Then he said, 'I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?"
4. Discuss the architecture of your church. What are its advantages and disadvantages? How does it compare with other churches you've attended?
5. Respond to this, from another TWW team member: "Religion has the potential to fall victim to the arrogance that sees only a grander show for the clergy person, not for God. One expression I see is the massive crosses in front of many churches across the southern USA [the TWW member lives in the South]. Some churches seek to make their crosses taller than the others in the areas. When churches are within sight of each other, it can reach absurd proportions, trying to outdo one another. The same goes for the buildings."
Responding to the News
This is a good time to consider, prayerfully, you relationship with possessions, money and housing, and the lifestyle you lead. What does God say to you about your circumstances?
Closing Prayer

Day by day
Day by day
Oh, dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day
--Ascribed to St. Richard of Chichester (1197-1253) and G.R. Bullock-Webster (1913), as worded in the musical [ITALIC]Godspell (1971).

While Writing About Underdogs, Author Rediscovers Faith

© 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

Malcolm Gladwell is a staff writer for The New Yorker and the author of four books on The New York Times bestseller list, all dealing with unexpected implications of social science research. This month, his fifth book came out. Titled David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants, this one delves into psychology, history, science, business and politics. But unlike his previous volumes, this book also includes underlying faith-related themes. What's more, Gladwell acknowledges that in the process of writing the book, he rediscovered his own Christian faith after having drifted away.
The book comes at the idea of power from the side of those usually considered at a disadvantage. He suggests, for example, that in some situations, coming from a traumatic childhood or having a disability may actually give a person the upper hand. Among other stories, Gladwell tells of people facing great adversity who were able to do extraordinary things because, like David confronting Goliath, they were armed with faith.
Gladwell was raised in a Mennonite family in Canada, but admits that he had drifted from his Christian roots. Researching and writing this book, however, "brought me back into the fold," he said.
"I was so incredibly struck in writing these stories by the incredible power faith had in people's lives, it has made a profound impact on me in my belief. That's been the completely unexpected effect of writing this book," Gladwell said in an interview with Religion News Service (RNS). "I am in the process of rediscovering my own faith again."
When asked by the interviewer if he would now call himself a Christian, Gladwell answered, "I would." He has long had a disclosure statement on his website describing his perspective on life, and one of the declarations there is "I believe in God." But now, his theism is specifically tied to Christianity.
The RNS interviewer also asked Gladwell if he'd had "some kind of personal conversion experience." The author replied, "I realized what I had missed. It wasn't an 'I woke up one morning' kind of thing. It was a slow realization [of] something incredibly powerful and beautiful in the faith that I grew up with that I was missing. Here I was, writing about people of extraordinary circumstances, and it slowly dawned on me that I can have that too."

More on this story can be found at these links:
Malcolm Gladwell on His Return to Faith While Writing 'David and Goliath.' RNS
Why Entrepreneurs Should Read Malcolm Gladwell's 'David and Goliath.' Forbes
Malcolm Gladwell website
The Big Questions

1. What has been your own experience of faith in God and Christ? Has it been a constant reality in your life, or have there been undulations -- ups and downs? If the latter, what does that mean?
2. Do you think Gladwell's research for his most recent book would have drawn him to become a Christian if he did not already have a Christian background? Why or why not?
3. To what degree is faith in God a decision of the will rather than an assurance of the heart? Is our faith any less effective if it is a matter of choice rather than a matter of inspiration? Can faith be both?
4. In what sense does faith give one power? Is it merely "faith," or does it have to be faith in Christ Jesus? Explain your answer. Discuss the following: Technically, faith always has an object; it is faith in someone or something .
5. In what ways is faith liberating? Does faith create a burden or relieve burdens? Does it sometimes do both? Explain your answer.
6. To what degree should faith be supported by reasonable grounds for belief? Should faith ever be belief against material evidence to the contrary?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Proverbs 22:6 (NIV)
Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it. (For context, read 22:5-6.)
This verse should not be read as an iron-clad guarantee -- most of us know of people brought up in the faith who departed permanently from it. But there is a truth that Christian faith taught early and modeled well by adults is not forgotten even if it is forsaken.
TWW team member Cliff Harrington comments, "Proverbs tells us to 'train a child in the way he should go ... and when he is old he won't depart from it.' It appears to me that the use of the world 'should' is remarkably strategic. The Scripture does not say '... in the way you've learned over the years,' or 'in the way that you deem is best,' or any other linguistic form that would allow us to ignore God's way. I take the word 'should,' in this case, to mean there is an unnegotiable way that should be planted in our hearts and minds as children. I'm intrigued that the language of that verse does not set a standard of perfection. It's as though the writer understands that we humans can know what we should do, and even acknowledge what we should do, and still opt to do that which we shouldn't do."
Harrington adds, "Yet, the writer also seems to understand that wisdom comes with maturity, and with maturity and wisdom comes a desire to do what we 'should' do. ... I think Malcolm Gladwell would be Exhibit A in an argument that his parents were good teachers of God's way. Somewhere in his being, there were some lessons about what he 'should' do, and he himself links that to his Mennonite upbringing."
Questions: Where did you learn about what you "should" do? Has maturity caused you to affirm what you learned, reject what you learned or adapt what you learned? Explain your answer.
Mark 9:24
I believe; help my unbelief! (For context, read 9:14-29.)
This statement is from a father whose son had dangerous seizures. He brought the boy to Jesus and asked if Jesus could help. Jesus responded that all things can be done for the one who believes. At that, the father replied, "I believe; help my unbelief!"
That divided-mind answer is probably characteristic of many followers of Jesus if truth be told. Many people lean strongly toward Jesus and work to follow him, while at the same time, they have competing thoughts of uncertainty. Some say that such a divided mind is a description of what it means to be human.
The point to note from the story, however, is that this certain-uncertain expression of faith was enough. Based on it, Jesus was able to heal the man's son.
Questions: In what areas of following Jesus do you experience the divided mind? How do you deal with the waxing and waning of faith? When you struggle with your faith, do you reach out to God (as did the man in this gospel story), or does the very fact that you are struggling make it difficult to reach out to a God you may doubt?
Was there a time when you drifted away from your faith? Assuming your participation in church now means you have come back, at least partially, to your faith, what event or interaction restored your faith? Do you continue to struggle with faith and "drift"?
Luke 24:21
But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. (For context, read 24:13-35.)
This comment was made by one of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, following the crucifixion of Jesus. The two were talking to another "man" whom they met on the road, who was, in fact, the resurrected Jesus, but they didn't recognize him. The comment above was an expression, at least, of deep disappointment, but probably also of faith lost. "But we had hoped that Jesus was the one to redeem Israel" (that is, the Messiah). What's unsaid is, "But now the one in whom we had believed -- and thus our hope -- is gone."
Jesus, still unrecognized, then accepted their invitation to dine with them, and as he blessed bread and gave it them, they suddenly knew who he was. Surely that was a faith-returning moment.
TWW team member Frank Ramirez says, "When I was in college and read this gospel story, I suddenly realized I could look back and find Jesus walking with me, even when I was unaware of his presence. This event took place 3,000 miles from home, reading the New Testament in a tent while traveling with other college students performing a play for various congregations and camps about the founding of our denomination. Since then I have tried to be aware I am walking on the road to Emmaus, and I should assume Jesus is walking with me."
Questions: If our sinking faith is not to be met with such dramatic new "sightings" of Jesus, what other things might awaken it again? How can we best make use of such faith-awakeners? Do you experience the presence of Jesus in the present? Is your hindsight closer to 20/20, as you realize where God's guidance made itself felt in your past?
John 14:1
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. (For context, read 14:1-7.)
When Jesus speaks of the "heart" in the verse above, we usually assume he is talking solely about feelings. However, in that day, the word heart, kardia (from which we get "cardiac"), was thought to be more the seat of rational thought than of feelings.
Questions: Do you think there should be a strong rational element to conversion? How important are feelings, especially in terms of a strong emotional response to an evangelistic invitation?
Colossians 2:6-7
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. (For context, read 2:6-15.)
These verses present a good definition of what it means to be a Christian -- having received Christ, continuing to live our lives in him, rooted and built up in him, established in the faith, as the result of teaching by the church and family.
Questions: What else needs to be added here to make this a complete definition of what it means to be a Christian, especially once we are beyond the excitement or uplift of our initial commitment to Christ? How do we put down roots into the faith in order to be strongly anchored during the storms of life?
For Further Discussion
1. What might it look like to be faithful to God during a period when our faith is at a low tide?
2. Comment on this, from TWW team member Frank Ramirez, who writes occasional meditations for The Upper Room devotional magazine: "Several years ago I wrote one I called 'The Siege' about a very difficult summer in my ministry when I struggled with real doubt about the faith. There seemed to be a dark voice that suggested that the world I saw was all there is, and that I was wasting my time. Then one evening, as I drove back home and saw the sun setting beautifully behind corn fields still a month away from harvest, I thought to myself, 'If this is all there is, then God is worth praising.' The siege was lifted, and I felt supported by God. I got several letters from folks who had drifted away from the faith and had returned, and were glad to find they were not alone. But the magazine also got some letters from folks who thought it was totally inappropriate for Christians to admit doubt, and especially for Christian magazines to print such things."
3. Early on, John and Charles Wesley, founders of Methodism, said that every Christian should experience assurance of their faith. Yet later John wrote, "When 50 years ago my brother Charles and I, in [the] simplicity of our hearts, told the good people of England that unless they knew their sins were forgiven, they were under the wrath and curse of God, I marvel ... that they did not stone us!" What do you think caused John to rethink assurance?
Responding to the News
It can be good for our spiritual health to recognize that the ebb and flow of faith is a common experience for Christians and should not be taken as a sign that there is no God or that if there is one, he is angry with us. In fact, many great saints of the past spoke of having a "dark night of the soul" when they felt separated from God but continued to serve him nonetheless. Some later were able to sense a reconnection.
Closing Prayer

Be with us, O Lord, through the ups and downs of our faith, that we may nonetheless walk in the way that we should go. In Jesus' name. Amen.

A Tattooed Jesus Provides Evangelical Message, but Offends Some

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

Several billboards around Lubbock, Texas, are currently displaying a shirtless Christ with arms outstretched, wearing a crown of thorns and covered with tattooed words including "outcast," "fear," "addicted," "useless," "faithless," "stressed out" and other negative terms. The accompanying caption reads, "Marked by our past. Transformed by love," and directs viewers to the website jesustattoo.org.
Glancing at the signs, a passing motorist might think the ads are promoting a tattoo parlor that specializes in inking Jesus-themed art, but in fact, the billboards are part of an effort to spread an evangelical message about salvation through Christ.
Those who go online to the site find a 6-minute video that shows a modern-day Jesus, starting a day tattoo-less. He dons a long-sleeve shirt and goes to his basement tattoo studio where all day long, people come in tattooed with one or another of the negative terms. In each case, "Jesus" re-inks them with a positive term; for example, a young man tattooed with "outcast" leaves marked "accepted," and a woman who arrives marked "self-righteous" leaves inked "humble."
At the end of the day, Jesus is obviously exhausted, and when he removes his shirt, he is emblazoned with all of the negative terms he removed from those who came to him that day. A voice-over then explains that "life leaves its etchings" on us but that we don't have to be defined by the marks of our past, and says, "One man proclaimed a revolutionary message of love and forgiveness ... for those labeled as outcasts and unlovable." The narrator goes on to tell of Jesus' suffering for the sins of others so that they might be saved and gives an invitation to accept Christ.
The "About Us" link on the website says that the campaign is the effort of "people amazed by the love of Jesus," but claims no affiliation with any religious group. The page further reads, "It really is as simple as it appears. We are a small group of people humbled by the love of Jesus. We are not a church. We are not selling anything. We encourage you to tell as many people as possible. That's it."
One older man interviewed by a local radio station labeled the signs as "derogatory" and another described them as "blasphemous," though it's not clear from such a small sampling that these two are representative of their generations. People from younger generations who responded were more positive, however. That variance in responses may reflect the difference in attitude toward tattoos in general along generational divides. A 2009 Pew Research Poll of Americans found that more than half of Americans 50 and older view the current popularity of tattooing in general as "a change for the worse." In contrast, a 2007 Pew study found that more than one-third of people ages 18-25 have a tattoo.
More on this story can be found at these links:
Jesus Tattoo Billboard: Blasphemous or a Blessing? Christian Science Monitor
Ad Campaign With Tattooed Jesus Gets Lots of Ink, Not All of It Positive. AdWeek
JesusTattoo.org
The Big Questions
1. How do you picture Jesus? How does how you picture Jesus impact your faith? How important is his physical appearance? Does it matter if your image of Jesus is not how other believers view him? Why? Does your Jesus share your presuppositions and cultural baggage? How is your Jesus different from you? Would your Jesus appeal to other people?
2.Had Jesus been born in today's world, what are some reasons he might or might not have a tattoo or tattoos? If he had a tattoo, what might it say? Is there anything about using a tattooed image that is sacrilegious? What other artistic depictions of Jesus have challenged you, offended you, delighted you and/or caused you to think?
3. The video demonstrates the metaphoric meaning behind the tattooed Jesus on the billboard (and one TWW team member declares the idea "ingenious"). What are some other ways Christians can portray Christ that make him more relatable to non-believers? Is that part of our responsibility, or are we to let the Gospel speak for itself in a traditional way? What are some "traditional ways"? Were they always traditional?
4. To what degree can our outward appearance -- including how we dress -- project our faith? Might someone wear a tattoo as a Christian testimony? Are tattoos and body piercings right or wrong in and of themselves, or does our motive for having or not having them determine their value?
5. In what ways, if any, might the message conveyed by the video be redemptive for people? In what ways, if any, might it harm the gospel message?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Leviticus 19:28
You shall not make any gashes in your flesh for the dead or tattoo any marks upon you: I am the LORD. (For context, read 19:26-31.)
The prohibition against gashing the flesh for the dead was based on the practices of other nations in which gashing the skin was a conduit for contacting the dead and a means of appeasing demons with the shed human blood of the living to keep them from tormenting the corpse. In the context verses, practicing witchcraft and turning to mediums and wizards -- all supposed means of contacting the dead -- were also forbidden.
The Hebrew word translated "tattoo," however, is not as clear as the translation indicates. The word is found nowhere else in the Bible -- nor in other Hebrew literature from that era -- and a literal partial-translation would be "make no written qa'aqa' on yourselves." The qa'aqa' may be either a brand (people, as well as cattle, were branded in those days) or a tattoo, and there is some evidence that it specifically refers to either a mark placed on a slave to indicate status (as a slave) or ownership. (The King James Version translates qa'aqa' as "marks.") Even so, the possibility remains that qa'aqa' may be a general word for what we call a "tattoo."
Questions: How would you advise a young person today who was considering getting a tattoo? Why? What purpose(s) do tattoos serve in our culture today? Are they sinful? Do you or others in your group have tattoos? Do you or other people you know regret having had a tattoo? What would this tattooed Jesus have to say to the folks you know who have tattoos?
Isaiah 53:4-5
Surely he has borne our infirmities and carried our diseases; yet we accounted him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed. (For context, read 52:13--53:12.)
2 Corinthians 5:21
For our sake [God] made [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (No context necessary.)
Isaiah 52:13--53:12 is one of four passages in Isaiah that Bible scholars refer to as "songs of the suffering" and which tell of a "suffering servant" forced to endure shame and suffering on behalf of others. Many people believe that at the time of the writing, the "servant" referred to the nation of Israel itself, suffering so that God could redeem all nations. From the first century on, however, the church has seen this passage as referring to Jesus, especially in light of the vicarious suffering he endured. John, for example, quotes Isaiah 53:1 in connection with signs Jesus performed (see John 12:38). Peter quotes Isaiah 53:9 in relationship to Jesus' suffering (see 1 Peter 2:22). And the deacon Philip explains Isaiah 53:7-8 to the Ethiopian official as applying to Jesus (see Acts 8:29-35).
Questions: In what ways does the tattooed-Jesus video visualize the theme of this Isaiah passage? How does 2 Corinthians 5:21  (above) connect with the Isaiah passage?
Matthew 16:13-15
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" (For context, read 16:13-20.)
"But who do you say that I am?" That was the question Jesus put to his disciples. It's also a question that the tattooed-Jesus video indirectly asks.
Questions: How do you answer Jesus' question? In what ways do you share your answer with others? Is it possible to answer Jesus' question in one sentence? Does that exhaust who Jesus is? Do you think your answer is helpful to people who may not know Jesus yet? What answer would speak to those who are searching?
Matthew 23:25-26
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean. (For context, read 23:23-28.)
Jesus here redefines what it means to be "clean" or "unclean." One TWW team member commented, "Jesus did not hesitate to be seen with sinners and to go where sinners could be found. And since he was not ashamed to be touched by women who anointed him, or speak with a Samaritan woman at the well, or touch sick people or dead people -- all of which were no-no's -- I could see Jesus redefining clean and unclean by wearing a tattoo and being seen with the people who wear tattoos. That might mean he would not be hanging around in the haunts I frequent, but he doesn't need to reach out to us church people. Hopefully, he's already got us (although, as we see in the gospels, some of us who ought to get it, don't get it). So actually, though I don't have a tattoo, and definitely don't want a tattoo, I have no problem visualizing a contemporary Jesus sporting a tattoo."
Questions: Why would Jesus be more concerned about what's etched on our heart (inside the cup) than what's inked on our skin (outside the cup)? How does the term "skin deep" apply to this Scripture text?
1 Corinthians 9:20-22
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. 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. 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. (For context, read 9:19-23.)
These comments from Paul are part of a larger section in which he refers to his "rights" as an apostle, one who had actually "seen" the Lord (in his Damascus road vision). But his point is that rather than assert his rights, he has chosen to make himself "a slave to all, so that I might win more of them" (v. 19). In other words, as the verses above suggest, he did what was necessary to enable people from various cultures and walks of life to hear and relate to his gospel message.
Questions: Do you think the tattooed-Jesus video is a [ITALIC] God-pleasing way to enable people who might not otherwise hear and relate to the gospel? Why or why not? In what way do you alter your outlook or cultural assumptions in order to be able to serve others in the name of Jesus?
For Further Discussion
1. Comment on this: Marianne Sawicki, the author of Seeing the Lord (Fortress Press, 1994), is convinced that human beings can copy a biblical text in one of two ways. First, we can copy a text onto paper or onto audiotape or even onto our skin. Or, we can copy a text into our own bodies, gestures and words. In this case, the writing is internal, and our bodies are modified to carry the pattern of the text.
2. Read to your class the lyrics of the Christmas song "Some Children See Him," and invite comments in light of how we "see" Jesus.
3. Respond to this, from a TWW team member: "One of my nephews is a tattoo artist who has started to emphasize biblical scenes more in his work as he has returned to the church of his grandparents. After my father died, my daughter had a tattoo added to her collection in his memory. I have no tattoos, but I observe the younger generation and have concluded that this particular form of advertising can be dangerous (gang symbols) or represent life-affirming associations. In my jail ministry, I often see prisoners whose lives are revealed in their tattoos; old girlfriends, drug addictions, poor choices and Christian symbols share space on the same arm or face."
4. One TWW team member put this spin on 1 Peter 1:18-19: "You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things [like skin paintings] ..., but with the [tattoo-like indelible] blood of Christ ...." What do you think?
Responding to the News
Whether or not you like the tattooed-Jesus video, this is a good time to consider in what ways your church can present the gospel to those beyond its walls that would be likely to hook people's interest and enable them to see their need for Christ.
Closing Prayer

O Lord, help us to see Jesus as clearly as we can, that we may receive him as Savior, follow him as example, learn from him as teacher and serve him as Master. In his name. Amen.

Linsanity Spotlights Jeremy Lin as NBA Star and as a Christian

 © 2013 The Wired Word

www.thewiredword.com

The movie Linsanity, which hits a limited number of movie screens across the nation this weekend, tells of the rise of 6-foot-6 Asian-American NBA player Jeremy Lin to basketball stardom. In narrating the story, the film shows Lin as a Christian believer. Even the movie's title, Linsanity, hints at what's coming, as the "t" is designed as a cross.
Because we're writing this before the movie is released, we can't speak definitively about what it contains, but according to Amy Nicholson, film critic for [LA Weekly, it tracks "the trials and tribulations [Lin] endured on his path to a three-year, $25-million contract with the Houston Rockets." Nicholson also says the movie "doesn't -- and shouldn't -- hide its star's religious beliefs."
Those "trials and tribulations" (Nicholson's term, not Lin's) include Lin's not being offered a college scholarship to play basketball, being passed over in the NBA draft out of Harvard University and then, after receiving a partially guaranteed contract deal in 2010 with his hometown Golden State Warriors, his mostly riding the bench and spending time in the Development League. The following preseason, he was waived by the Warriors and the Rockets before joining the New York Knicks early in the 2011-12 season. But there he seldom was sent on the court and spent time in the D-League. That all changed in February 2012, when he unexpectedly led a winning streak for the Knicks and was promoted to the starting lineup. This led to the worldwide following dubbed "Linsanity." In 2012, Lin signed the contract with the Rockets.
Lin is one of only a few Asian Americans in NBA history, and he's the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the league. Several observers believe that his ethnicity caused him to be under-recruited as a basketball player because Asians are more often stereotyped as math and science whizzes than as athletes.
In an interview with The Christian Post about the movie, the interviewer asked, "In the NBA, you've played for teams in San Francisco, New York, and now you are in Houston. How are you handling these transitions?"
Lin's response suggests he believes God to be leading him: "For me it's just where God calls me to be, and as long as I know that, I will have peace deep down inside even though I might not enjoy what's going on or not enjoy what just happened, or whatever; as long as I know I'm where God wants me to be, that's the most important thing. In my life, he has taken me to a lot of different places and a lot of unexpected turns, but at the end, he's been faithful through it all."
Nicholson's review also picks up that view. She quotes Lin, referring to the tough times before his breakout success with the Knicks, saying, "I know God orchestrated the whole thing. Nothing in my life will happen that's not according to God's plan.

More on this story can be found at these links:
NBA's Jeremy Lin Talks About Faith, Fame, and Racism. Religion News Service
Jeremy Lin on Embracing 'Linsanity' Spotlight, Where God Wants Him to Be. Christian Post
Linsanity Examines Jeremy Lin as an Asian-American NBA Star, and a Christian. LA Weekly
Linsanity: the Movie
The Big Questions
1. As a follower of Jesus, how do you interpret the ups and downs of your life? Are they part of God's plan for you? Does God actually have individual plans for us? Tell what you base your answer on.
2. Does God call some people to lucrative sports careers? If so, why might God do that?
3. Would you attribute the slow start of Lin's pro-basketball career to God's will? With so many young adults going through slow career starts, is there something God wants all of them to learn, or are such starts simply a reflection of the state of the economy and the job market, having nothing to do with faith? Can it be "both-and"? If so, how? Explain your answer.
4. One of the online commenters, responding to the LA Weekly review of the movie, took issue with Lin's statement "I know God orchestrated this whole thing" by saying, "So God, who ignores the Billion ills happening in the World at any given moment, decided [Lin] becoming a Millionaire Basketball Player was a huge priority? Religious people slay me." How would you reply to that person? Does Matthew 10:29-31 help answer the question?
5. When have you been convinced that some course of action was God's will for you? How did you know?
Confronting the News With Scripture and Hope
Here are some Bible verses to guide your discussion:
Amos 7:14-15
Then Amos answered Amaziah, "I am no prophet, nor a prophet's son; but I am a herdsman, and a dresser of sycamore trees, and the LORD took me from following the flock, and the LORD said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.'" (For context, read 7:14-17.)
After Amos the prophet spoke a hard prophecy against the people of Bethel in Israel, the chief priest of Bethel, Amaziah, told Amos to go home to Judah and tell them about their sins, but leave Israel alone. Amos responded with the words above.
To put Amos' reply into a contemporary setting, Amos was saying, "Look, I'm not preaching here because I've got a yen to be a minister. I'm a layperson, a farmer, but God has called me to speak to this situation, and I've got to obey him." He was saying that his life had taken an unexpected turn. He never imagined that he would ever do anything other than herd sheep and tend sycamore trees. Yet here he was, preaching for God in another country.
Questions: When we end up doing something we didn't expect or prepare for, how do we determine if the unexpected change was God's idea? How do we test what we think might be a call from God?
Matthew 12:50
For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother. (For context, read 12:46-50.)
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (For context, read 8:18-30.)
That God has a definite will in some things is clear from Scripture. Jesus spoke the words above on a day when he was out teaching some crowds. Someone interrupted to tell him that his mother and brothers were at the edge of the crowd, wanting to speak to him. We're not told whether Jesus eventually went to them or not, but his first response was to point to the crowd and say, "Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother" (vv. 49-50).
So Jesus plainly says that God has a will to which we should conform (See also the Lord's Prayer: "Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" --Matthew 6:10.) There's no question that God's will for all of us is that we should live righteously and love our neighbor.
Yet in Romans, Paul seems to imply that whether or not we follow God's specific guidance, God will work things out for the good -- note, not necessarily for the best. That may imply that God has less of a specific plan than a promise to be with us as we use our gifts, talents and decisions in life.
Question: Beyond God's general will for all of us, does God have a detailed plan, individually tailored, for each of us that includes what sort of job we should take, whether and who we should marry and how many children we should have, whether we would should pursue a basketball career and so on?
Acts 18:20-21
When they asked him to stay longer, he declined; but on taking leave of them, he said, "I will return to you, if God wills." Then he set sail from Ephesus. (For context, read 18:18-21.)
"... if God wills." Clearly the apostle Paul, the speaker in the verse above, believed God had an individual will for him regarding where he should go.
Question: In what ways do you try to determine what God wants you to do?
James 4:13-15
Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money." Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. ... Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that." (For context, read 4:13-17.)
Question: Do you think James was saying that God has a plan customized for each one of us, or is he simply saying that God's will trumps our own? Explain your answer.
Genesis 50:20
Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. (For context, read 50:15-21.)
When Joseph's brothers had betrayed him and sold him into slavery, they never imagined that their act would result in Joseph becoming highly placed in the government of Egypt. That was an unexpected consequence. But Joseph interprets their deed as a means for God's will to be accomplished.
Question: How does hindsight figure into our understanding of God's will?
For Further Discussion
1. Does God care about our minor decisions, such as what clothes you decided to wear to church today or what food you had for lunch yesterday? Are there any circumstances when such decisions might actually not be as minor as they seem? If so, does that change your answer about whether God cares about them? Explain.
2. Comment on this, seen on a large banner hanging in a church: On the banner is a large footprint, and across it are the words, "The sign of God is that we are led where we did not intend to go."
3. Tell what role you think God played in these decisions: what career or job you chose; whom, or whether, you married; how many children you have, if any; and your choice to attend your present church.
Responding to the News
You might arrange to take your youth group to see Linsanity, or make plans for your TWW group or another group of adults to attend together. If you do, be sure to arrange for a time following to discuss, from a biblical perspective, what they saw and heard. It may also be helpful to discuss where you think Lin still has room to mature spiritually.   Closing Prayer

O God, help us to live faithfully your general will for us all. And when you have a specific intention for us, help us to be attentive to it and respond in a positive way. In Jesus' name. Amen.