|
|
|
|
Questioning Scripture Text Content Preview Questioning Scripture Week: 1 Central Theme: How is the Bible true? Key Quote: "For it is written.... Again it is written...." (Matthew 4:6, 7) Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11 Theme Statement "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). With this baptismal identity, Jesus is led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The devil's questions in the wilderness can be summed up in a simple, profound question: Do you know the meaning of scripture, or just the words? Jesus and the devil engage in a battle over Jesus' ability to understand scripture deeply, and to resist using scripture for selfish ends. The devil's question: Can't you make bread from rocks? Jesus' answer: Jesus answers the tempter with scripture, citing the very words that God taught the people of Israel during the Exodus in the desert (Deut. 8:3). Jesus only performed miracles for the glory of God. We should never use our God-given gifts for selfish reasons. The devil's question: Won't God save you if you try something attention-grabbing? The devil even quotes scripture to back his dare. Jesus' answer: Such an act would attract attention but would not glorify God's kingdom. God wants us to take risks for the sake of the kingdom and not for our own sake. Jesus trumps the devil's scripture by quoting part of the Shema, Israel's confession of faith (Deut. 6:16). The devil's question: Wouldn't you like to have all authority over the kingdoms of the earth? This temptation comes at a great price: worship the devil. Jesus' answer: In response to the most intense of the devil's questions, Jesus answers with more of the Shema, scripture that tells us to worship and serve only God (Deut. 6:13). Both Jesus and the devil battle using the literal words of scripture, and scripture continues to be used to argue both sides of issues to this day. Rather than answering every question, scripture gives us a healthy, life-giving place to consider the questions of life among and with a community of believers. And as we study life's questions in the context of the word of God, we encounter Christ himself, the living Word, the one who has given himself as the answer to our deepest questions, the one who loves us as God has loved him.
Music "Lord, Let My Heart Be Good Soil", ELW 512, Augsburg Fortress "40 Days", Matt Maher, "East to West", Mark Hall/Bernie Herms, "Lord, Have Mercy", Steve Merkel, "Lord, You Have My Heart", Martin Smith, "May the Words of My Mouth", Rob Hill/Tim Hughes, "My Savior, My God", Dorothy Dora Greenwell/Aaron Shust, "Show Me Your Ways", Russell Fragar, "The Father's Song", Matt Redman, "The Heart of Worship", Matt Redman, "Thy Word", Amy Grant /Michael W. Smith, Meadowgreen Music Company/Word Music, Inc Richard Webb's Set List for "Questioning Scripture" (Lutheran Church of Hope, West Des Moines, IA) Gathering Music "Everyday", Joel Houston, "Everyday" is a great high-energy pre-service song for establishing the theme of the day. Because God is the one who has given us life and redeemed us, we can rely on God's word and through that word be a light to the world. Although the melody is somewhat complicated, congregations comfortable with the Hillsong style could also use "Everyday" as the first song of the opening worship set if they preferred something more energetic. Opening Worship Set Worship Together/Sixsteps Music "Blessed Be Your Name (key: B)", "Lord, You Have My Heart (key: E)", "By being fairly reflective in nature, this opening worship set catches the mood both of Lent and this particular series. Even so, it's not lacking in either energy or intensity. The set opens with "Holy Is the Lord," a song inviting us to worship the God of Isaiah's vision—a holy God who fills the earth with glory. Following that is Matt Redman's "Blessed Be Your Name" which foreshadows the day's theme by inviting us to trust and praise God whatever the circumstances. The final song, "Lord You Have My Heart," calls us to surrender to God, who has come down to us in love. The slower tempo of this final song helps focus the congregation and prepare it for the proclamation of God's Word. Offering Music "40 Days", Matt Maher, "This song is a great setup or (if your offering is after the message) follow-up to the story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. It speaks of how God often transforms us through wilderness experiences. Song of Response "Lord, Have Mercy", Steve Merkel, "Although a Kyrie is typically sung either in the opening part of the service or as part of an intercessory prayer litany, this Kyrie is well suited as a confessional response to a message that centers on how we understand, rely on, and trust God's Word. Communion Worship Set "Here I Am to Worship", Tim Hughes, "In Christ Alone", Keith Getty/Stuart Townend, The themes of this short worship set move worshipers from proclamation to surrender to personal declaration and commitment. "Here I Am to Worship" focuses the worship on the Eucharistic story of Jesus' life poured out as a sacrifice for our sake. "In Christ Alone" helps worshipers appropriate that story into the stories of their own lives. Closing Song "Show Me Your Ways", Russell Fragar, Written in an accessible gospel style, "Show Me Your Ways" is a great way to end the service with a prayer of commitment to trust and walk in God's way of life. Worship Texts Theme Prayer All-powerful God, your word arms us to resist the temptations of pride, greed, and self-glorification. Help us to become more familiar with Scripture. When we fall prey to the temptation to use our gifts and talents for selfish reasons, to focus on ourselves more than others, or to worship false gods to satisfy our desires, draw us to the life-affirming words of the Bible and redirect our path. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Prayers of Intercession With confidence that God hears our questions and prayers and answers them in truth and love, let us plead for the church, the world, our community, and our lives.
Hear our prayers, gracious God, and sustain us with the truth that your word always accomplishes your purpose. Amen. Scrapbook Book Hemant Mehta describes himself as a friendly atheist, someone those who follow Christ should get to know. He auctioned himself on eBay to see what he could learn. The highest bidder could send him to a church of the bidder's choice. He ended up being a mystery "church shopper" across the country and has continued to have conversations with atheists and Christians alike. He engages with meaningful questions and is open to being questioned himself. His book I Sold My Soul on eBay (Colorado Springs, CO: Waterbrook Press, 2007) tells about his experiences. Web Site In Matthew 4:1-11 the devil tempts Jesus to use a miracle in order to answer the devil's question. We're reminded that miracles are for God's glory, not our own. Invite your congregation to put their talents to use or at least explore new ways to use their gifts. This would be a great time to use a gifts assessment test Check out the ELCA site or Ministry Tools Resource Center, or invite folks to find out how they can volunteer in their hometown by using VolunteerMatch. Quote "The important thing is not to stop questioning." Albert Einstein Visual Image; Artwork What does temptation look like? It may be helpful to set a modern day visual image alongside the mind's image of what temptation looks like. In this photograph by Carly Short from the Ohio Institute of Photography and Technology, temptation is not as clear-cut as we might expect it to be. Temptation might actually be closer than we think. This photograph could help to open up the conversation about how temptation is all around us, subtle, and more beautiful than ugly. Find this photograph at www.microsoft.com. Scroll down the page to find the one labeled "Temptation." Please note that the format of the site may change. Service Element; Experiential Idea; Children; Visual Image; Artwork The devil's questions to Jesus keep pointing to one main, underlying question: Who are you? Jesus has God's authority and belongs to God. How would we answer this question? Who do we think we are? If time and space permit, invite all worshipers to participate, or just the children as part of a children's message. Distribute newsprint and crayons, colored pencils, or pastels and ask worshipers to draw a picture of who they are. (If some get stuck, you might prompt them with other questions about what they do, who they live with, etc., but try not to limit their response by telling them who they are). When finished, invite them to write on their sheets "I worship and serve God. I belong to God." Gathering Space; Worship Space; Service Element Make your own FAQ (frequently asked questions) list. In the gathering or worship space, set up a large whiteboard with markers or a bulletin board with plenty of blank slips of paper, pens, and push pins. With the theme "FAQ: Things about the Bible I've always wanted to know but have never asked," invite people to post their Bible questions and their responses to others' questions. Chances are if one person has the question, several others do as well. Before the next time you gather for worship, ask one or two Bible study leaders to review the questions and compile them, with answers when possible, for a handout at worship. Or leave the whiteboard on display through the entire series and let folks continue to add their questions and answers. Book Most people in the United States claim to own a Bible but also say they don't know what's in it. The Bible for Dummies by Samuel J Schultz (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons, 2001) is accessible, summarizes each book of the Bible, identifies their authors, and gives helpful background information and history including people, places, and things. This book is useful as a small group study, a congregation-wide study, or for individual use. Book; Performance Idea; Other What about listening to the Bible? Some folks learn better through hearing things rather than seeing things. For an enthusiastic retelling of the Bible's stories, poems, and images, listen to the words. Based on the book called Word on the Street, this CD gives a glimpse of how the Bible might be retold today with psalms as songs and the epistles as emails. The Essential Word on the Street performed by Rob Lacey (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2004). Quote; Service Element; Other Perhaps we have trouble believing the Bible to be true because we live in a different world than its authors or Jesus did. Wendell Berry suggests we take the Bible outside because "passages that within walls seem improbable or incredible, outdoors seem merely natural. This is because outdoors we are confronted everywhere with wonders; we see that the miraculous is not extraordinary but the common mode of existence" (quoted in Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, New York: Touchstone/Simon and Schuster, 1996, p. 129). Take the Bible outside, before, after, or during worship. Encourage folks to hear, see, and feel what the passage is like outside rather than inside. If time permits talk about the experience afterwards. TV Show The TV show Reaper (CW network) features a teenager whose parents sold his soul to the devil. To fulfill the deal he must do the devil's work, sending souls back to hell. Show a portion of the premiere episode to showcase the character of the devil who is closer than the characters think. Copyright ©2008 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Reproduced by permission under license.
|
