Devotion.al

Tag: community

  • Circumcised Relationship

    Genesis 17:1–14, Deuteronomy 10:14–22, Luke 1:59–80

    The ritual of circumcision existed before the people of Israel came into being (yes, Abraham was their forefather). This was a ritual the physically made the people of Israel different than those around them. It was (and is) the ceremony that “enters” a boy into the . In the modern ceremony (which, in all likelihood, had similarities to the ceremony John went through), the parents with, “As this child has entered into the covenant, so may he enter into Torah, the wedding canopy, and good deeds.” This is also the time when the boy officially receives his Hebrew .

    While we’re certain that John didn’t get married, he certainly learned (“entered”) the Torah and did “good” deeds. When we recognize the receiving of a name as part of this ceremony, we understand where the is a bit confused regarding the name that John receives, which isn’t Hebrew. John’s name in and of itself indicates that John is set apart at the tender age of 8 days (plus the whole angel visitation) to be different. The Brit Milah is a big family occasion. What a time to make waves!

    While obeying the (Jewish) Law is good, obeying the Law for the Law’s sake is not. As we talked about a few days ago, the Law was never the point. It was a relationship with God. The event of Brit Milah was both the entering into the covenant community and recognizing the One who created that community…God.

    Often we get sidetracked by the good things: , Bible reading, Groups, even . As we “check-off” the list, we neglect a relationship with the One around whom all these revolve. The tasks overtake the relationship. That being said, there are far too many people who say, “I can God better (here) than at (church/life groups).” They might be correct…for a time. However, when we worship God in isolation, we become the only one who holds us accountable. Except in rare cases, that means the worship (let alone the relationship) fades away.

    When Moses talked about circumcising the heart, it wasn’t supposed to be a task to be “checked-off”, it was a relationship to be had.

    1) When we look at the of circumcision, we can see the similarity with infant baptism. What are the similarities? What are the differences? Why do those differences matter?

    2) At the circumcision, there are 3 aspects of life that are addressed. What are they? How do they echo the Christian life?

    3) Age is no barrier to making waves; John’s parents were well advanced in years, and their son was 8 days old. What does this tell you about the age barriers in the Christian life? What does this tell you about making a difference for God’s kingdom?

  • Faith and Tradition

    Psalm 40:1–16, John 7:21–24, Acts 15:1–21

    To this very day, churches (and thus the ) struggle with what exactly their faith means and its implications. Certain things appear to have been settled, but others haven’t. Although, perhaps it is better to say that when push comes to shove people will finally get to the point where doctrine and orthodoxy are finally separated from tradition.

    In many denominations and churches, tradition has been so wrapped into doctrine and orthodoxy that not following tradition is viewed as dangerous and even non-. As the Church of the Nazarene is rooted in the Wesleyan tradition, we view tradition as a key component to understanding our faith. At the same time, we (as Wesley) are “descendants” of the Reformation, which has as a motto, “Semper Reformanda,” always reforming. In other words, while certain essentials of the faith must be predominately left alone, everything else should be of dispute and .

    If we re-read the passage from John and Acts in the of the above, we see tradition and Semper Reformanda at work. In the Book of John, Jesus heals on the Sabbath, violating tradition, yet reforming the practices to be more aligned with the heart of God.

    In the Book of Acts, traditionalists (honestly believing they are doing the right thing) try to get (non-Jews) to take on the Jewish rite of circumcision. They get into a discussion with Paul and Barnabas, and it gets sent to committee. However, unlike our committees, a decision was made and shared. The message didn’t denigrate tradition, but it reformed it.

    Local churches (i.e., Generations Church) often have traditions that had a time and place, but that may no longer be the case. The tradition may be 50 years, 20 years, 5 years, or even 5 months old. Regardless, it should always be viewed as whether it is still effective in sharing the and discipling believers.

    1) is the big of tradition. If we look at how Jesus lived, why should that concern us?

    2) Tradition is neither inherently good nor bad. How do you analyze the why of a tradition? If you don’t analyze a tradition, why not?

    3) Acts 15:2 shows that discussion (even if heated) is good and healthy when it comes to tradition and even theology. Where do you see that respect of discussion happening? Where do you think it needs to happen more?

  • Struggling in Unity

    John 17:20–23, Philippians 1:27–28

    E Pluribus Unum.

    If you look at US currency, most (if not all) will have this saying. In Latin, it means “Out of many, one.” While the US might be the gathering place of people of many nations, it is the church that should be living out this saying more than any entity in .

    Jesus prayed that we (all the church, in all the world, in all of time) would be one, just as he (Jesus) and the are one. This is one of those areas of mystery and freedom for the people who make up the church. Our theology and tradition teach us that God is One. Our theology and tradition also teach us that as One, God is still (at the same time) Father, , and Spirit. In purpose and intent, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are One. However, they are also separate (the great conundrum of the Trinity), which should be kind of like us.

    in intent and love, and at the same time. As we can see, it hasn’t worked so well in the United States. It certainly could be worse. It certainly could be better. Jesus doesn’t give us the excuse of, “it’s a republic.” We are to be united (a perfect single unit) so that the world knows that Jesus is the Messiah. This is not so the world knows we are Christians or good people, or we’re “saved”. Unity is the testimony that Jesus is who he says he is.
    Paul takes unity and puts it as a symbol of in the Gospel. In other words, Paul is saying, “you’re preaching it, but do you believe it?”

    The church in general and even Generations Church has a problem with unity. Unity is hard work. Unity is never about our-self, it is about all of us…together.

    Whether you struggle with being united with an “opposing” political party, a different skin color, a different language, a different nationality, a different sexuality (or lack thereof), we are called to be united. We have seen denominations start the long and painful road to separation. Church history is filled with splits. Even positives, like the Church of the Nazarene (which united different churches), are outweighed by splits.

    It may seem abrupt to tie this in, but evangelism as a practice is in decline. Evangelism, not sharing the . Yes, there is a huge difference. Evangelism is often a whip. Sharing the faith isn’t. Unity is the example the world needs. Unity shows the world who Jesus is. Unity shows the world we believe what we say.

    1) Have you ever left a church for a reason other than moving? If so, why?

    2) What are you doing in this church framily to build unity?

    3) One of the biggest struggles in unity is speaking in love. To whom do you need to speak truth?

    4) Often the biggest struggle in unity is hearing truth spoken in love. What truths have people shared that you did (and/or do) not listen to?

  • Finger-Pointing

    Deuteronomy 1:9–18, John 5:19–30, Romans 1:28–2:9

    We’ve all heard, “if you have one finger pointing out, you have three fingers pointing back.” There is great wisdom in that seeming childish saying. It might be better to say it is child-like. the child-like understanding recognizes the 3-to-1 ratio is important. The adult-like perspective, on the other hand, is more like self-justifying 3 fingers, while still pointing with the 1.

    How do we balance the right judgment as called out in Deuteronomy, yet keep ‘ words in mind? Are we called to judge, or not?

    Deuteronomy was about the outward act, with the intent of , , and the . The was toward a with God.

    Have you ever committed, aided, or abetted the following: unrighteousness, , greed, wickedness, envy, murder (remember, Jesus puts calling someone a “fool” in the same category), quarrelling, deceit, malice, gossip, slanderer, God-hater, arrogant, proud, boastful, inventor of evil, disobedience to parents, senseless, untrustworthy, unloving, or unmerciful?

    Now how often have we pointed fingers at others for their violation of these, but failed to recognize and for ours?

    Jesus wasn’t calling on us to disregard failures and sins, quite the contrary. He was calling us to life to them, to walk beside them, to aid them, to lift them up.

    1) Have you ever publically or privately shamed a person for committing the same or similar act you have done?

    2) When seeing someone do something you know violates God’s (not man’s) ways, how do you approach it? Accusative, encouraging, helping?

    3) There is a tendency to look at others when reading the list of Paul’s. However, we find our actions often on this list. How do you look at verse 1:28?

  • Restoring Broken Bones

    Deuteronomy 30:1–6, Matthew 18:15–20, Galatians 6:1–10

    In his commentary on this section of Galatians, Earle Wilson wrote, “The is a , not a civic or social club. As a family we are knit supernaturally by the in common fellowship of . It is in this context that admonished us to carry one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

    At Generations Community Church, we talk a lot about —friends who are like family. The question then becomes, is that who we are? Is this how we are really identified? Is this how we live out the to be framily? How do we as individuals and collectively truly begin to internalize and live it out fully?

    is an essential piece of as framily. However, for something to be restored, something has to be broken and acknowledged as broken. We are all broken in some way. We can be too confident in our learning, too confident in our family, too confident in our state, too confident in our country, and definite too confident in ourselves.

    Are we still keeping up appearances? Are we still putting on our “church” face? Are we working so hard that we are blind to where the Holy Spirit is actually working?

    We are each too scared at times to be truly transparent and vulnerable. Oversharing can be chaotic and emotionally draining, so we cannot take it too far. However, sometimes a broken bone needs to be re-broken so that it heals correctly. Are there bones in our framily that need this?

  • Goal of One

    Psalm 122, Isaiah 14:1–2, John 17:20–26, Acts 1:12–14

    Psalm 122 is a for the flourishing of a . for Jerusalem is symbolic of loving God’s bride, as Jerusalem is often tied to being the bride of God. Loving God’s bride is to be a of God’s people.

    Part of Isaiah’s is that love of Jerusalem is a shared love of both the Israelite and gentile. And what about the slaves? Note how they (those would be slaves) are those who escort Israel home. Yet, it is more appropriate to think of them as servants, as in the Hebrew they labor for the Israelites. From our , one might even bring in Jesus’ words about serving one another.

    Which brings us to Jesus’ words in John regarding being one. As we look at Scripture, being one is regardless of origin (neither Jew nor Gentile). The “oneness” is what matters. All are servants (and disciples) in the of the Master (Jesus). Being one is hard work. Being one starts with love. Being one involves prayer, for, let’s be honest, we need prayer to love and submit to one another.

    After Jesus’ ascension, the disciples regularly gathered. They prayed and were of one accord. The Greek ὁμοθυμαδόν—homothumadon [hom·oth·oo·mad·on]—is a compound meaning rushing together. Some linguists put it as praying for the same thing, and take it as if people were “singing/playing” different notes in the same song. Either way, it resolves into people praying toward the same goal, but not necessarily the same way or at the same time.

    1) Why should prayer be toward the same goal? What should the goal(s) be?

    2) In the midst of our political, cultural, national, denominational differences, how can the church be “one”? What can you do to “aim” to “oneness”?

    3) There is “the other” and there is “one”. How can we be the bridge between these two perspectives?

  • Ongoing Testing

    Ephesians 5:6–14, 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, 1 John 4:1–6

    is never easy and rarely is it fun. However, it is something that needs to be done.

    It is we who often need to test ourselves and be the testers of our friends and . We never really want to test ourselves, and we usually want to avoid testing those close to us, as it often hurts.

    Yet, we are called—even directed—to test. We are especially called to test people, practices, and perspectives against God’s and in the of believers.

    There is always something that we need to test. If we aren’t testing something, are we even listing for God?

    1) What practices do you have to test?

    2) Have you ever had someone tell you that God’s Word has changed? What do you do?

    3) When have you had to test family or friends? About what? How did that go?

  • The Other Side of Work

    Psalm 33, Numbers 12, Luke 6:37–42

    The Bible doesn’t say what event or interaction incited Aaron and Miriam to openly oppose Moses. Whether the Cushite woman was Zipporah—who Moses married prior to Israel’s exodus from Egypt—or another woman (Jewish and scholars are unclear) it didn’t really matter (to God, at least). Aaron and Miriam were looking for a cause to sow discord and take the mantle of leadership from Moses. Some scholars believe that by calling Moses humble leadership had been a long-simmering issue, and Moses had kept his mouth shut (publically, at least). The “sudden” interjection by God tells us that something had to happen. God saw that things were going awry.

    As only Miriam received the penalty, we could assume that she was the instigator. One could , though, that if Aaron was no longer clean, who would intercede for him. Moses? There is another lesson. Miriam was put outside the camp. The camp waited for her. After she was determined clean, she was brought back into the .

    Often people will use petty, visual or emotional things to tear another person down. We see it daily in . If, for example, the wife of Moses in question was Zipporah, God called Moses after he married her. That should have been an indicator. If there was some other question, then it should have been more specific. Cushites weren’t a banned people. A phrase that we would be familiar with is “a red herring” or “a straw man”.

    While the case against Aaron and Miriam would seem to be rather strong, why tie ‘ words regarding judging into this? Often we judge others based on less and more feeling. We are often told to our gut when avoiding things or situations. However, we are still bound to test ourselves to make sure we are not judging others. Judging is a hard that is often misused. Judging is specific regarding making critical analysis and condemning the person to the penalty (death or excommunication, predominately). Judging is not comparing behavior to scripture, yet one has to be careful in making assumptions regarding the , for that is God’s domain.

    1) Have you ever experienced a situation like Moses? What do you think were the motivators in that situation?

    2) In your own words, how would you define discernment and judgment?

    3) Why is understanding discernment and judgment essential to having a fully functional Very Good with others?