FREELY RECEIVE; FREELY GIVE

GOSPEL READING: Matthew 9:35-10:23

35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.37Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' 8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. 9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; 10take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11"Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. 12As you enter the home, give it your greeting. 13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. 14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. 15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town. 16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17"Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. 18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, 20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21"Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 22All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

NOTES: At this point in Matthew's account, Jesus has preached a Kingdom message, and demonstrated Kingdom activity; now he sends his Apostles out to spread the Gospel, in Word and deed. He sends them out w/specific commandments and a new identity, as Kingdom workers in the field. Life will never be the same for them. There are a lot of broad commandments Matthew includes in this lengthy discourse, many of which are spread through Mark and Luke's accounts, in different places. But in Matthew, this commission of the Twelve follows immediately on the heals of a flurry of healing and miracles, and Jesus' commandment to pray for workers in the context of a shortage (9:37-38). There is urgency to develop the Apostles from being mere beneficiaries of his teaching and miracles, to producers of teaching and miracles themselves. In 10:8 we find a Jesus teaching peculiar to Matthew's account, which sums it up: "Freely you have received, freely give." This story tells us a lot, about moving from hearers to doers, about not waiting until we feel fully equipped and ready, about the eventual goal of our discipleship, and all the lessons in these broad commandments, about the nature of Kingdom work, both ups and downs. Much of Paul's Epistle material sheds autobiographical light on his own experience of becoming one of the "workers in the harvest field." Romans 5:3,4 especially speak to the dark times of following and being sent. To any person, Paul or otherwise, with a real sense of their own salvation, their own journey with Christ, this Matthean passage stands as a timeless reminder: "Freely you have received, freely give." It begs reflection on where we are, perhaps remaining in Matthew 9, perhaps being thrust into Matthew 10....

FOR YOUNG ONES: Given the dramatic "shove out of the nest" encountered in Matthew 10, this story is one of those narratives that invites reflection on the feelings of the Apostles. What did they think about Jesus' commissioning of them, immediately following his pronouncement about the shortage of harvest workers in a world ripe for harvest? What about his predictions, some of which are scary? We are often forced to take journeys, or enter situations, we feel less prepared for than we would like. How is following the Lord like that? Perhaps there are stories of such journeys, risks, or situations you can share and help the kids share. Perhaps an adult asked them to take on a responsibility or chore they did not feel equipped to handle, but realized they had been prepared for all along. Perhaps God does not even give us what we need for the journey until we trust him to go (reminds us of Abraham's story and Hebrews 11). What would it be like for Matthew 10:20 to come true? How is Jesus' pronouncement, "Freely you have received, freely give," a "life motto" or basis for our Kingdom identity?

GOD'S CURRENCY: MERCY, NOT SACRIFICE

GOSPEL READING: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

9As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector's booth. "Follow me," he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
10While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew's house, many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples. 11When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and 'sinners'?"
12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

18While he was saying this, a ruler came and knelt before him and said, "My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live." 19Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples.
20Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. 21She said to herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed."
22Jesus turned and saw her. "Take heart, daughter," he said, "your faith has healed you." And the woman was healed from that moment.
23When Jesus entered the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, 24he said, "Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep." But they laughed at him. 25After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. 26News of this spread through all that region.

NOTES: Jesus leads with deeds, and responds to empty religious criticism with deeply religious words. "Mercy, not sacrifice!" That's how Jesus quotes the prophet Hosea; a pithy summary of Jesus' teaching and reorientation toward God's Law in this "Jewish" Gospel of Matthew, written to show continuity and fulfillment of Moses - laws of love, not loveless laws. How are we tempted to hide behind policy, or put programs before people, in our life? "Mercy, not sacrifice" echoes from Hosea, from Jesus, to our ears and wrenches us back into life of faith/words based on God's currency, currency of the heart. This is Good News for those feeling bereft of "sacrifice" materials, or even smaller congregations bereft of big program resources: anyone, any church, can be rich in mercy, compassion, faith, and love.

JESUS GOES UP: WE GO OUT - ASCENSION SUNDAY

These Luke/Acts readings can be joined; same author, one follows the other
Perhaps your text from Godly Play is from Matthew 28; I'm not sure from the title on the blog, but it fits well with our Ascension Sunday texts, a week before Pentecost 

GOSPEL READING:  Luke 24:44-53

44He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms."
45Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48You are witnesses of these things. 49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."
50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them. 51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.
Acts 1:1-11
1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."
6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"
7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

NOTES: God's goal is Incarnation multiplied: to fulfill what Paul envisions and articulates in Ephesians 1:22, that the church become Christ on earth, multiplication and realization of the Spirit in Flesh to the ends of the earth. In these joint texts, two points of irony stand out: Luke 24:53, in contrast to verse 49, and Acts 1:6, in contrast to verse 8; it is hard for people to comprehend the power/mission God's given us. The first generation of disciples tended to default to religion as they'd understood it; we disciples today still have a hard time moving from ritual to incarnation. But this is why it says so often that Jesus needed to "open their minds" to the Scriptures; and God is not efficient, by our standards, for the process was messy, clumsy, for the disciples and early church to move from Jerusalem on out, including a wider range of people, relationships, etc., letting go of competing/conflicting "restore the Kingdom" visions (Acts 1:6). Where are we along that continuum? "Why do you stand here looking into the sky," asked the two men dressed in white. Are we waiting around? Isn't there a lot for us to do? Are some of us stuck in 24:53? What was the spiritual journey like from Ascension day, to Pentecost, to the point where Paul describes a community in which "...there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all" (Colossians 3:11)?

FOR YOUNG ONES: The idea that Jesus ascended, but is not gone, and that he ascended in order to empower his Kingdom, is something that takes concrete expression in many ways. How can we experientially communicate this? Are there other common relationships analogous to this? Parental perhaps, or teacher/mentor? When do we first get "pushed out of the nest"? When does a leader ask us to follow, but goes quite far ahead of us? Can we trust Jesus to help us move from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth? How have the "ends of the earth" come close to us in our day and age? Do our young ones recognize this Kingdom activity, missional activity, in our church? Why or why not?

WHICH WAY TO GOD? HERE: I AM THE WAY. John 14:1-14

GOSPEL READING: John 14:1-14
1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. 2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."
5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him."
8Philip said, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us."
9Jesus answered: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? 10Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. 11Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves. 12I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it."

NOTES: Jesus said "I am the gate"; now Jesus says "I am the sidewalk, road, path, etc....THE WAY" Another metaphor, another "I am..." statement from John's gospel. Often, Christians recite this particular pericope as foundational in the doctrine of the exclusivity of Christ; Jesus says he is God's single chosen agent of salvation; i.e. "I am THE Way..." Certainly this is one aspect of Jesus' promise you can't easily ignore. But there is more here than mere identification, especially when we examine the context of this promise, how it was spoken AS A WORD OF COMFORT, to stressed out disciples. This promise - that God's savior Son is the way, truth, life - is primarily a word of assurance, a promise of truth meant to encourage, strengthen, guide. When the comfort of this promise is left out, the promise is reduced to a mere "belief/knowledge ticket," a fact one must possess simply to make the right choice. It isn't necessarily good news, just news. But when Jesus responds to Thomas, 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him," then a few moments later to Philip with "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.... it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work," Jesus is offering liberation and relief: relieving God-seekers, liberating them, from the pressures of figuring out the confusing cosmology riddle, or the pressure of the moral conformist, the legalist, the religionist, mystic, etc. Jesus says to Thomas, Philip, and the others, "I am here with you right now; God is here with you right now; if you're with me, you're with God; the way to God has come to you! That is the truth, and it gives life!" This is good news; that being with God, life with God, is promised by this Jesus, who invites anyone and everyone, who demonstrates and commands forgiveness, who demonstrates that God is all these wonderful things, and commands us to live up to our created calling to live in God's image, not as a condition of acceptance, but to restore all things. To each of us, looking for God, reading the Bible and being dissatisfied with it's "answers," trying to live right and failing, unhappy with God's distance, worried about missing our destiny, impatient for God to do something great in our lives, praying and waiting for an audible answer, wondering whether God will fall in line with our expectations, Jesus asks the same thing he asks Philip: "Don't you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time?" The disciples, and we, overlook what is here in and among us: the presence of God, in Spirit, in the Word, in the Body; looking for the right "temple" or worship experience or program, Apostle Peter reminds us in our Epistle Reading of I Peter 2:2-10 that God is making us the temple where the presence of the God connects with our world. How do we live in this reality? What gets in the way of walking in THE WAY?

FOR KIDS: it's a great surprise to discover how the things you really need are already with you. This is a biblical truth, part of Jesus' admonition not to worry or be anxious about the clothes we wear, or how we'll be taken care of, etc. This is also one of the lessons of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz, where the Lion who is cowardly, the Tin Man (machine) who thinks he's unfeeling, and the Scarecrow who thinks he's dumb, learn that they do have courage, heart, and brains; Dorothy discovers that her silver slippers, the ones she's had all along, are all she's needed to get home to Kansas. Whether or not Baum was inspired by Jesus and the disciples for his "you've-had-the-answer-all-along" kind of story, the wisdom is similar: Jesus has to spell it out for Thomas, Philip, and others: "The WAY to God is ME; being with me, in me, alongside me, is being WITH GOD." There's no special magic or religious ceremony that needs to take place. This is a comforting truth, a life-giving truth, that Jesus needs to impress upon his disciples, as they are about to have their whole world turned upside down. This is the comforting promise we need, too. To effectively tell this story to kids, it's important to draw out the types of emotions, stress, and confusions that Thomas, Philip and the others, may have experienced. Did they imagine the WAY to God being something like a yellow brick road? What did they expect Jesus to show them? A special, hidden tunnel beneath the Temple in Jerusalem? A sacred spot on a mountain, or a cave? Did they imagine they'd be lost and abandoned? Jesus promises to be with them, and promises that as they remember him, pray, keep his words fresh, love each other as he has loved them, etc., his Spirit, his Counselor, will remain in them and help them to remember what's most important. And Jesus' presence IS the presence of God their Father. 

GAME IDEA: A leader pretends to think that they're blind; with eyes closed, they complain, cry, grope around - but their companions, the other kids present, tell them "Open your eyes," which the leader finally does and exclaims astonishment about being able to see. This silly, but illustrative, exercise could be repeated with many variations:
"I can't walk! I'm stuck!" "Use your legs!"
"I can't pick anything up; my fists can't hold this object!" "Use your fingers!"
"I'm scared; I'm all alone!" "Look at us we're right here!"
This may get the younger kids laughing for a while and they might want to each act it out a few times. Don't know about the older kids.
ANOTHER RELATED EXERCISE: Peter's lesson from I Peter 2:2-10, our Epistle Reading, is that God is building a temple out of us people. What kind of church, cathedral, temple building would God like to inhabit? Where could we find it? How could we build it? Do we know this place? In the same way that Thomas and Philip asked "Where is the way?" and Jesus says "I am the way; the way is right here, it's me with you," we might ask "Where is God's house, where is the temple," and Peter says "You are the temple, you are God's house." This is a deep mystery for the kids to interpret in drawing. What kind of walls, rooms, roof, floors would the temple have? How beautiful would it be? How can people be like the aspects of a holy temple - strong, beautiful, supportive, sheltering, warm, tall, majestic, interesting, etc.?

I AM THE GATE - JOHN 10:1-10

GOSPEL READING: John 10:1-10
1"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice."6Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.
7Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

NOTES ON GOSPEL READING: Jesus says he is a piece of architecture (think of the capstone, the Temple), by identifying with the GATE. He invites listeners to discern between spiritual claims and competing authorities; Jesus claims unique, exclusive access to salvation, as the GATE, to spiritual safety, yet promises freedom, i.e., "come in and go out, and find pasture," whereas spiritual leaders/authorities who avoid Jesus, the GATE, and attempt to scramble into the fold some other way, try to lead, steal, harm, exploit sheep with malicious intent. What does it mean to enter "through" the gate? Jesus refers to those who "came before," imposters; who are the false shepherds, the thieves, of our time? Though we're likened to sheep, we are invited to choose a shepherd wisely - sheep with a conscience, free will; do we stray?

IDEAS FOR THE YOUNG: Jesus as the Gate seems kind of abstract for kids; but one actual, real life gate kids might relate to is a toll; imagine a game in which there is a toll collector, or a gatekeeper, and everyone else is trying to get through; the gatekeeper could make up all kinds of rules, tolls, taxes, fees, etc., which the travelers must pay; let the kids rotate through the roles, acting out the demanding toll keeper and the frustrating travelers. AFter the kids have fun getting into the gatekeeper and frustrated outsider roles, explain how Jesus is a special kind of "gate" or "gatekeeper," in terms of "opening the Way" for us to be close to God again, as God first intended for us to be; help the kids imagine what it would be like to come to worship one day and have scary greeters at the door who wouldn't let them in to worship; might we feel afraid of entering into God's presence, here or after this life, because we haven't been exactly God-like? This is the unique way Jesus is a gate, and the only gate: he has paid any fees, taxes, requirements, for us; all other "gates" or "gatekeepers" in life demand some other kind of tax, fee, price, etc. Do people always accept us into their fold, unconditionally, even after we've let them down, or are perceived to not be good enough? Ask the kids if they've ever been left out. Is God like that? Explain how the religious leaders of Jesus' day, and even in our own day in some places, try to use a different kind of gate, with different requirements, to keep people out of their "temples".

RETURN TO EMMAUS ROAD

Notes on Gospel Reading of Luke 24:13-35: The aspect of good news in this story is that Jesus is beside us, ministering to us, even when we do not see or acknowledge him, which for us finite beings who "see through a glass darkly", is a message of hope. Remember Luke's entire two-part account (this Gospel and Acts), is to set forth "evidence" - that is personal testimony - about Jesus Christ's identity/purpose; this story within Luke's post-resurrection accounts, bears signs of such intent: names and places are preserved (Emmaus, Cleopas), as well as details about what transpired (their conversation with Jesus, including summary of content; their inability to perceive him at first; the miraculous recognition at dinner; their emotions; the report to the Eleven). But the aspect of good news, that Jesus walks alongside us, even when we do not know it, and that Jesus ultimately reveals himself, is the ultimate message and purpose of Luke's writing. We take this message to heart personally, but it also must be takend missionally; that is, as Jesus is sent, so he sends us; as Jesus walks alongside us, so we walk alongside others. As the Road to Emmaus was a real journey and process of discovery and revelation, so are spiritual journeys and processes today. What does this look like, in our context?

Ideas For Kids: Q: Have you ever been disappointed with someone you love, like a parent, teacher, etc., who made decisions you did not understand, but later you realized those decisions or actions were in your best interest? Q: Have you ever been helped by an unseen, or unidentified helper? Ever have a "secret Santa"? How about the unseen help of family, financial or otherwise, that we don't understand until later? Q: Have you ever heard a story you did not understand at first? How did Cleopas and the other person feel when Jesus began to explain the meaning of the books of Moses and the Prophets in a new way? Q: Have you ever walked alongside someone and helped them? Who in your life might Jesus want you to walk alongside? Q: What if God only showed himself to the smartest people, or the people who "discovered" God all by themselves? What if Jesus would not walk alongside people, or show himself to sad people, as he did to Mary near the tomb, or all the blind people who's eyes he opened?
Game idea: Blind/Kind Game: basically, help kids experience blindness/kindness; take turns having to "go on journey" blindfolded, helped by an unseen kind person. Kids can alternate roles of being blind and being kind; could talk about feelings experienced; project into life situations....

DOUBTING THOMAS SUNDAY

John 20:19-31

NOTES: Doubt is often cast as the inevitable vacuum created by lack of proof. But it isn't always that way; doubt is often an emotional, psychological reaction, a choice of denial in a moment of shock, surprise. Perhaps this is more akin to Thomas's firm stance against the testimony of ten trusted companions, who themselves doubted, as the end of the Gospel of Mark reports. In John 20, Thomas stands out because he's the eleventh and final one to come around, but Peter and the others did no better earlier; they hadn't believed the two from Emmaus, nor Mary. After the Resurrection, there was a break in the testimonial chain of belief where Jesus intended continuity. At the end of Mark, Jesus chides all; in John 20, he chides Thomas, blesses future believers, and John concludes with an affirmation of the purpose and authenticity of this Gospel account.

Where does that leave us? How connected are we to this "chain of belief"? Is this a poor design on the Lord's part? Or have we exalted doubt, feeling entitled to withhold belief until the last possible shadow of speculation is illuminated by scientific proof - or divine light of personal experience? Nobody wants to be a sucker; but there is more than one kind; it is possible to be a sucker for doubt. Was Thomas at that moment? Are we? Jesus intends disciples - us - to act in faith; does doubt stand in our way; do we reward doubt? In what ways is the Spirit saying "Stop doubting and believe" to you? To Emmaus Road?

For youth/children:
Q: who in their lives can be trusted, to pass on knowledge of Jesus (similar to last week's point); why wouldn't Thomas believe his friends?
Q: Do they have believable friends/family?
Q: Have the kids ever doubted something, someone, later to find out it was true? Have they ever taken a physical risk - like climbing a ladder, or walking a narrow ledge, or ascending a cliff on a rope - where they doubted they would be OK for fear of falling? Roller coaster rides can be like that (Asia's example of joy mixed with fear last week).


There's an episode in the great allegory Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan, ©1678), in which the main characters, Christian and Hopeful, deal with doubt. They've strayed from the path, the Way, the King’s Highway, because it became difficult. An easier side-path, smoother, less rocky, seems OK because it runs parallel to the main path; it's a tempting choice. Problem is, while the by-path begins in a parallel direction, it eventually veers off, a fact Christian and Hopeful do not realize until it's dark and stormy, and their route back to the Way is impassable due to flooding. Tired, they fall asleep in a shelter they find. They are awakened on by Giant Despair, the one on whose grounds they had trespassed by leaving the Way. Giant Despair hauls them off to a dark, stinking dungeon, in his Doubting Castle. Over the course of a few days and nights, the Giant beats them with a club, screams at them, and tells them they’d be better off if they killed themselves. He shows them the skulls and bones of other victims, and threatens he will kill them in ten days. He is lieing, though; these remains belong to those who gave in to Despair and ended their own lives. Giant Despair cannot kill them himself; when he tries, he is overcome by fits and cannot use his arms.
But as the beating and raging continue, Christian begins to wear out, and begins contemplating suicide. It is Christian's friend, Hopeful, who reminds Christian about his past experience, making it through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, overcoming the monster Appollyon. As Giant Despair complains to his wife that he cannot wear these pilgrims down, Christian and Hopeful begin to pray. Christian is reminded that he’s been given a key, called Promise, and realizes that they are not trapped in this dungeon at all. Thus, they unlock the iron gates, and though the Giant is awakened by the noise of their escape, he cannot reach or chase after them, and they return to the King’s Highway.

Q: How might forgetting the past lead to doubt?
Q: Did Thomas forget some of his own journey with Jesus? Is this why he doubted Jesus' prophecies concerning Resurrection, or why he doubted his friends' reports of seeing the living Jesus?
Q: Are we ever alone in Doubting Castle? Is the story of Jesus' appearance to his disciples, including Thomas, and the blessing he decrees near the end, Good News for believers who struggle with doubt? Why?

EASTER -LECTIONARY NOTES

OLD TESTAMENT READING: Acts 10:34-43 (alternative suggestion to Jeremiah)
34Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.36You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39"We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, 40but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. 41He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

GOSPEL READING: Matthew 28:1-10

NANCY:
1After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

MATT:
2There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.

ERIC:
4The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

MATT:
5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

NANCY:
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.

ERIC:
9Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said.

NANCY:
They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.

MATT:
10Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Notes on Gospel Reading: This passage bears witness to an event; in a way, this passage and the Acts passage are about "bearing witness", about being a storyteller
This Matthew account is full of drama; earthquake; lightning bright appearance of angel powerful enough to move a heavy stone; anxiety of Mary Magdalene and other Mary; fear and terror of guards; urgency in angel's instructions, fear mingled with joy as women respond; calm in Jesus' greeting. The "elephant in room" of course: Jesus' resurrection itself, returning to life from death - no wonder there's so much surrounding drama; it's appropriate. Do the responses of the individuals in this narrative reflect the genuine experience of resurrection? Seems so for the believer - one doesn't pretend it did not happen, even if one cannot explain it, even if one is afraid or overjoyed. For the skeptic, it is naturally different. SIGNIFICANTLY, the scripture narrative has both: fear/joy of those who encounter miracle of God in flesh, overpowering death/decay AND the disbelief, skepticism of those who have not encountered Him. A long drawn out proof process just isn't there. The narrative simply tells the story. It contains only stories, and storytellers - like Peter, and the remaining ten disciples; the women; two on the Road to Emmaus; others in the crowd mentioned by Paul; Paul himself - and us? Here is where the tension of telling the story lies: we can't prove it, only tell it, just as the Bible reveals it was first told. BUT it is the trustworthiness of the storyteller that leaves listeners open to encounter the living God. The Epistle Reading tells us to set our minds and hearts on things above; that is because once we've been convinced, we must live out the implications; we can no longer live as if it is not so. This "heaven-focused" life often leads believers away from the ground level evidence gathering and proof work, the very thing skeptics want. But that's not the way God operated then, or now; God continues to tell the story through trustworthy, undeniably changed storytellers - Peter, the women, Paul the persecutor-turned-believer. What kind of storyteller are you?

Notes/Ideas for youth, children's ministry:
From the Matthew text: what kinds of emotions happened in these people? Did they ever forget what happened, or doubt it? How did they feel, not being able to prove it? Have you ever heard a true story you didn't believe? A story you believed that wasn't true? Who do you trust? How about the Bible; is it in the "trustworthy" category and why? Who are the "bible" storytellers you trust; family, church, friends, etc.?Are you filled with joy or fear (the women felt both), about the Resurrection of Jesus; about your own Resurrection?

For the older kids: why was it important that the early Church preserved four gospels, named after four specific authors; why was it important to keep four separate and intact independent accounts (A: because multiple, corresponding witnesses are more authentic than one; specific names are given because the first two generations of believers still knew these men, or knew people who knew these men; there was an unbroken line of trust).

EPISTLE READING: Colossians 3:1-4
1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ,
set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

PALM SUNDAY: LECTIONARY NOTES FOR MARCH 16

Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:1-11 Amidst Loud Hosannas, King Jesus Enters Jerusalem Riding Donkey
TERI: 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away."
4This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:

ERIC: 5"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
'See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "

TERI: 6The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7They brought the donkey and the colt, placed their cloaks on them, and Jesus sat on them. 8A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,

ERIC: "Hosanna to the Son of David!"
"Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
"Hosanna in the highest!"

TERI: 10When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?"
11The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."

Notes: It's hard to see the bright vision of Christ's triumphal entrance - this temporary foreshadowing of eternal glory - without seeing the contrast with Christ's dark humiliation; the glory was deserved, as Matthew takes great pains to point out in his linkage to prophecy fulfillment, but the humiliation which followed - Jesus' betrayal and death - was necessary. It is also instructive for us: the Philippians 2 passage is more than a great articulation of the mystery of Jesus Christ's dual nature, his shared divinity and humanity; it is Paul's instruction to the Philippians - and to us - on how to be in relationship to one another. Christ's followers amassed around his potential glory; they scattered during the time of sacrifice; what about us? This is a personal matter for individual believers; it is also a communal and institutional matter for congregations and the greater Church, wherever she is called simultaneously to exalt Christ and bow down in Christ, assuming his posture of service and sacrifice. The good news: we have a Savior and Lord who did this for us; we have a God worth exalting; the challenge is for us to follow.

Children's Ministry:
In walking through this story with children (including, perhaps, the Philippians 2 passage in addition to the Gospel reading), it might be helpful to imagine times/places in life - school, sports, home - where we feel "exalted" and others where we feel humiliated. Questions: Why, and how, do we accept, or live through, both situations? How does the praise/celebration on Sunday mornings contrast with the lonely, difficult times during the week? If we are humble in our relationships with family, friends, even "enemies", will we be OK? Have you ever imagined being the star of a parade, as Jesus was that day? Was Jesus tricked by this "parade"? What was he thinking/feeling? What made Jesus popular, and how might Jesus have used that popularity differently (assuming the later part of the story, where Jesus is betrayed and abandoned)? What special powers did Jesus set aside? Are there situations where we might set aside our own strengths or rights, in order to help someone else be strong or healthy?
Text question: why was it important for Jesus to be riding on a donkey? Where was that picture seen before (Old Testament prophecy), and why would people care?

Game/illustration suggestion (just an idea; don't pursue if it seems off the mark...or psychologically damaging): bring something sweet to eat, but hand it out to only one child; before they consume it, ask them how they feel as the "chosen" one - the star of the parade; ask the others how they feel, not being chosen. Ask the "chosen" one if they will share. If they will, great. If not, it's OK; don't force sharing. Reveal that you have enough to give each child. Presenting this scenario forces kids to think and feel things related to privilege, sharing, setting aside something valuable, etc.; also how when you set aside your "rights" in faith, the Lord ultimately provides; he shares with us; it may help kids experience feelings of how we share in Christ's sacrifice...

If you can think of a game/illustration which gives one of the kids "powers", but asks for them to set them aside, in order to do something with, or for, the other kids, that would probably hit the target more accurately than donuts/candy. But I can't think of anything at the moment...

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 50:4-9 (Stefanie Anderson)
4 The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.
5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears,
and I have not been rebellious;
I have not drawn back.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who is he that will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.

Notes: A declaration of confidence in the face of persecution; a statement of determination in faith; spoken from one in touch with "the word that sustains the weary", one whose ear is attentive to how the Spirit strengthens, encourages (v. 4, 5); a reading which bears testimony to how God sustains his prophets, leaders, workers; a reading which challenges us disciples to stand fast, but not out of our own strength - which would fail under pressure - but in close communion with the Lord; link to a prayer - perhaps as a response to supplication, or as an intro to confession (confessing spiritual distance from God, in contrast to the strength/faith of Isaiah)

Psalter Reading: Psalm 118:1-2, 19-29
ONE: 1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
2 Let Israel say:

MANY: "His love endures forever."

ONE: 19 Open for me the gates of righteousness;
I will enter and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD
through which the righteous may enter.
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;

MANY: 23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
ONE: 25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD.

MANY: From the house of the LORD we bless you.

ONE: 27 The LORD is God,
and he has made his light shine upon us.
With boughs in hand, join in the festal procession
up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give you thanks;
you are my God, and I will exalt you.

MANY: 29 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.

Notes: A great Call to Worship and Invocational reading; call and response; If children have boughs or palm fronds, it would be great for them to raise them up during an ensuing song, or raise them every time the congregation (MANY) is reading....


Epistle Reading: Philippians 2:5-11
5Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Notes: the contrast between Christ's glory and humiliation hits home when you put his triumphal entry next to his crucifixion; this reading could easily wrap into the sermon

Resurrection: Lectionary notes for March 9

Eric's thoughts on this Sunday's texts: The Old Testament, Gospel, and Epistle readings all nicely cooperate to proclaim "God resurrects his people!" And beyond a spiritualized sense of resurrection - that our souls come alive spiritually, or a people group like Israel will resume life in a Promised Land someday - the example of Lazarus and Paul's words in Romans 8:11 point to a time when our physical, "mortal", bodies will be full of life again. Martha was not expecting that yet (see John 11:24); she believed in resurrection ultimately, "at the last day", but Jesus surprised her, Mary, Lazarus, and everyone else, by raising Lazarus from the dead, bodily, and giving all a glimpse of the hope we have in God. God really, truly, has conquered death.

Questions for our youth and young ones:
How must Ezekiel have felt, taken to a Valley of Dry Bones in a vision? How must Mary and Martha have felt, losing brother Lazarus?
Why did Jesus weep? After all, didn't Jesus know that he would raise Lazarus from the dead? What does this teach about Jesus' emotions, about God's feelings concerning death and our "mortal sorrow"?
Have you lost a loved one to death?
Do you expect resurrection?
What is it like, to face death - our own or the death of someone close to us - with knowledge of resurrection?
How do we see glimpses of resurrection, new life, as the Spirit breathes new life into us? Do we see it in others, in our church, etc.?
Why didn't Jesus perform more miracles like this one, or Jesus' disciples, for that matter; i.e., why must our bodies still die (note Romans 8:10)?

Anyone with thoughts about possible games, arts & crafts, etc., reply away....