Youth Sunday, May 20: What advice do you wish…?

Proverbs 4:20-27
My children, learn from my wisdom,
and concentrate on what words I say;
Don’t let them get out of your sight,
and keep them deep in your heart.
They’ll give you life if you live by them;
they’re good for your body and soul.
Most of all, watch over your heart,
because it’s the well-spring of life.
Keep abusive language from your mouth;
keep corruption far from your lips.
Keep your eyes focused in front of you,
and always look straight ahead.
Be confident of the road you take,
but stay clear of precarious pathways.
Turn neither right nor left,
and guard your feet from evil.
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It’s Youth Sunday—a celebration of our graduating seniors and the close of the church school program. A few members of the senior high class will be speaking.

What is some advice that you wish someone would have given you as you started your adult journey?

[Note: Scripture passage is from The Inclusive Bible]

Rev. Dr. Paula Northwood
Minister for Education

Radical Change: Scripture and questions for May 13

Acts 10:25-35
On Peter’s arrival Cornelius met him, and falling at his feet, worshiped him. But Peter made him get up, saying, “Stand up; I am only a mortal.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found that many had assembled; and he said to them, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?” Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock, I was praying in my house when suddenly a man in dazzling clothes stood before me. He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner, by the sea.’ Therefore I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. So now all of us are here in the presence of God to listen to all that the Lord has commanded you to say.”

Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.

Psalm 98:1-4
O sing to the Lord a new song,
  for he has done marvellous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
  have gained him victory.
The Lord has made known his victory;
  he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
  to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
  the victory of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
  break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
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Context and questions
One definition of the term “conversion” when used in a religious context (as opposed to converting rice or money!) is, “a radical change in one’s spiritual or religious orientation.” The scripture passage from Acts speaks to several conversions. Peter is converted from his legalistic religious orientation to one in which he discovers that “God shows no partiality.” Cornelius is converted in his socio-political orientation that Jews were persona non-grata to Romans to a new position and he is actually seeking out the wisdom of Peter and bowing down to him in homage. Many who witnessed these conversions were in turn converted to faith in one loving and radically all-embracing God. It is interesting that we don’t speak of conversions in Progressive Christianity; that is a term almost exclusively used by other religions and more conservative or doctrinal expressions of Christianity.

What conversions have you witnessed?

Is “conversion” a term we can use any more, or has it been completely co-opted by more conservative religious groups?

If one “converts” to Plymouth’s open and progressive faith, what does that mean for one’s daily life?

Jeffrey Sartain
Executive Minister

Confirmation Sunday: Scripture and questions

Proverbs 22 (selected verses)
A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches,
and favor is better than silver or gold.
The rich and the poor have this in common:
the Creator is the maker of them all.
The clever see danger and hide;
but the naive go on, and suffer for it.
The reward for humility and respect for the Creator
brings wealth and honor and life.

Train children in the right way,
and when they grow old, they will not stray.
Those who are generous are blessed,
for they share their bread with the poor.
Those who value loving hearts and nurturing words
will have powerful people as friends.
The eyes of the Almighty keeps watch over knowledge,
and overthrows the words of the faithless.

Pay attention to the words of the wise:
Incline your ear and hear my words,
and apply your mind to my teaching;
for it will be pleasant if you keep them within you,
if all of them are ready on your lips.
So that you will have complete trust in your Creator,
I have made them known to you today—yes, to you.
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This Sunday is Confirmation Sunday. We will be hearing some excerpts of the student’s Statement of Faith papers.

1. If you were asked to write a paper about your faith, what would you write?

2. In relation to the scripture text from Proverbs, what do you think are the teachings that should be passed on to future generations?

Paula Northwood
Minister for Education

Good Shepherd Sunday: scripture and questions

Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

John 10:11-16
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

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Questions:
1. The shepherd is an image pervasive throughout the Bible. It is an image of God, of prophets and kings, of Jesus and of those who are called to leadership within the church. Has this image of the shepherd being meaningful for your life? What are its limitations? When it is most comforting or inspiring?

2. One scholar has noted that in Christian art, the image of the shepherd virtually disappeared around the fourth century, at the time that Christianity shifted from being a  persecuted minority religion to being a religion of power and prestige. What about the image of the shepherd do you suppose might have made it disappear when Christian’s rose to power?

Jeffrey Sartain
Executive Minister

Earth Day: What We Need is Here

Sunday we celebrate Earth Day with singing. I’m inspired by the writer William Berry for my meditation, which will include brief thoughts on creation and our role as humanity within the context of nature. I welcome and invite others’ thoughts.

“The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope.

“Geese appear high over us,
pass, and the sky closes. Abandon,
as in love or sleep, holds
them to their way, clear
in the ancient faith: What we need
is here. And we pray, not
for a new earth or heaven, but to be
quiet in heart, and in eye,
clear. What we need is here.

“We have lived our lives by the assumption that what was good for us would be good for the world. We have been wrong. We must change our lives so that it will be possible to live by the contrary assumption, that what is good for the world will be good for us. And that requires that we make the effort to know the world and learn what is good for it.”

Jeffrey Sartain
Executive Minister

“Love Prevails”: Scripture and questions for April 15

John 20:19-30
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.”

After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.

Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.”

When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.

If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.

So the other disciples told him, “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!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book.
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Questions
1)      When have you been in the grip of fear and been graced by the presence of God?

2)      How have you been changed because of it?

3)      In what ways does Jesus’ response to Thomas disturb you?  Encourage you?

Catherine Crooks
Minister for Member Care

Explore this Easter Sunday scripture anew

John 20:1-18

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples returned to their homes.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
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Questions
1. What do you notice about the story just as it is written? Try to separate yourself from all you have been taught and see it as it stands.
2. What questions arise? What feelings do you have? What touches you?

Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Sartain
Executive Minister