Words 5.5

 Words Twice a Week          5.5

Ok – I suppose everyone has just about given up on ever seeing another “Words”, but I guess I’m starting up the Thursday(thoughts on the lessons) segment of it anyway.  Part of the problem was just the Easter weekend got busy, and then my computer was in the shop and it took a while to get it back to the way I had it.  So we’ll see…

Anyway - Happy Mother’s Day.  We’ll look for a prayer or a poem or something like that.  (And while we’re at it, Happy Star Wars Day – yesterday – “May the Force be with you!”; and Happy Cinco de Mayo today!)  

Now here are some thoughts about some of the lessons for this Sunday, Fourth of Easter.

Acts 9:36-43  

+ Luke is laying the ground work for the extension of the ministry to the Gentiles.  Already we have had the disciples proclaiming despite being hauled into court, Philip proclaiming in Samaria and beyond, and Saul’s conversion into Paul.  One writer suggests that the “church” has saturated Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, (vs 31) and now we are ready for the Gentiles!

+ And that while Paul will really be the apostle to the Gentiles, it will be Peter that gets it started.

+ note that in 32-35 Peter heals Aeneas, whose name suggests he could be a Gentile, or at least have a Gentile background.

+ Tabitha/Dorcas/Gazelle – if you were her, which name would you go by?

+ note there are only 2 times when an old testament prophet raised someone from the dead – Elijah raises the son of the widow of Zarepheth, and Elisha raised the son of the Shunammite woman.

+ Peter tells Gazelle to “arise” – it’s the same word as for Jesus’ resurrection.  His resurrection leads to Gazelle’s resurrection leads to ours.  How are they the same? Different?

Psalm 23  

+ do you know it by heart?  “The Lord is my shepherd…..”

+ it starts off with God as a shepherd providing care and protection even through threatening times and situations.

+ vs4 is the center of the psalm and it shifts from 3rd person to 2nd person.

+ and then it ends with God as a host, again providing care and protection in the face of enemies.  Who would the enemies be today?

+ “Goodness and mercy shall follow me…” or in another translation, “Goodness and steadfast love will pursue me…”  Which thought reflects your experience.

+ I always remember the notes from the “Worshiping with children” book about how for many kids today a shepherd is a big dog, a staff is the grown-ups at the daycare center, and “a cup running over” is not necessarily a good thing.

+ all in all a nice word.  Are there times when it has been especially meaningful in your life?

Revelation 7:9-17  

+ Who’s that yonder dressed in white?

+ Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing flood, are you washed in the blood of the lamb?

+ There is power, power, wonder working power in the blood of the lamb…

+ The blood will never lose it’s power…

+ Those are the ones I know anyway.  And yes they are a little “hokey?”, but still fun to sing.

+ “and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

+ they worship day and night.  Is that enticing or off-putting?  And how does it compare with one hour a week?  Is there a way we should be worshiping 24/7 – saying the “Jesus prayer” or something like that?

+ “from every nation, all tribes and peoples and tongues”.  From a great diversity comes a solid unity.

John 10:22-30

+ John 10 is kind of the shepherd/sheep chapter.  Vs1-6 is the “I am the gate” and the shepherd knows the sheep by name; vs7-18 is “I am the good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep”.  Then in 19-21 there is a division – some people think he has a demon, others say not.  And so in vs24 they ask him plainly “are you the Christ?”

+ so are these Jews curious or opponents?

+ it’s the feast of Dedication (Hanuka), it’s winter, Jesus is in the Temple, in the Portico of Solomon – is any of that significant?  How?

+ “the Jews” – we remember that in Jesus’ lifetime, they were all Jews.  This comes from a later  time when opposition had arisen between the two faiths.

+ “my sheep know and follow, but you are not my sheep”; “you do not believe because you do not belong” – it gets a bit confusing. How do you get to be one of Jesus’ sheep if you are not already?  Does predestination creep in here?  One writer says “the eyes of faith seem more in Jesus.”  Does that help or not?

+ “whatever we have or are is a result of God’s relating to us.”

+ the works testify to who Jesus is because they are the works of the Father, and thus the Father and Jesus are one in a functional unity.

+ Jesus is the giver of eternal life and the keeper/protector – echoes of Ps 23!

+ it’s like the Messianic secret in the synoptic gospels – Jesus was not want to be put into any pre-existing categories.

That’s what I got for now…..

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