This week's lessons: Acts 7:55-60, Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16, 1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14

Emmanuel Community Church

Inter-generational Lectionary Study;

Sundays from 10:0 to 10:45 in the Board Room

Opening

Opening prayer by leader, or invite another participant to pray, or us:

Almighty God, who has caused all Holy Scripture to be written for our learning, open our ears and hearts today to learn from your word and from one another, we ask in Jesus' Name. Amen

Set the calendar-clock to the right date. Epiphany is our time of showing Christ forth into the world. Christ was “shown forth” in the miraculous signs that surrounded his birth, not only to his own people, but to the entire world, as evidenced by the visit of the Magi. The other great signs of Christ's life were also signs to the whole world. Over the weeks of Epiphany, the Gospel readings will review for us many of those signs that reveal who Christ is.

Today, the Gospel reviews for us Christ's baptism.



Review of Last Week

What was the sermon on? - Fishermen – the diversity of forms of fishing as evidence that God uses us in different ways. The Apostles as examples of people who were not strong or wise – but through whom God achieved much.

What was the Gospel lesson? - The Good Shepherd (Acts reading was “they held everything in common”)

Did anyone have any insights about...

  1. Do the many activities of our life as a congregation get added to our busy calendars as more and more stress, or are they qualitatively different?
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  2. How do you think visitors to your church perceive the activity of those who are there – do theyfind themselves wanting to learn more, to gather with the folks in your church, to break and share the bread, to pray not in solitude but in community?
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  3. How, in the reality of our 21st-century Canadian life, should we understand the example of 'having all things in common; ... and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need?“
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  4. How does this reading affect how we might consider issues of economic justice?
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  5. How might we imagine our lives re-shaped and re-directed, even significantly, so that we might experience "glad and generous hearts?"
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Bible Passage

Acts 7:55-60,
----- the stoning of Stephen -----


Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16,
----- In you, O LORD, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame -----


1 Peter 2:2-10,
----- The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of the corner -----


John 14:1-14
------ I am the way, and the truth, and the life ------



Pew-work Hand-outs

“Pew-work” is like Home-work, except that it is done in the pews, instead of being done at home. Because it is focussed on the readings (as the sermon, presumably, also is) it can be done during the sermon to help the listener concentrate. Or, it can be done while waiting for everyone else to finish their communion. It isn't done during prayers, or hymns, or the readings, because

During the Readings, we listen

Adult Student's Pew-work

Middle-school Students' Pew-work

Elementary-School Students' Pew-work

Pre-Schooler's Pew-work

Next week: Acts 17:22-31, Psalm 66:8-20, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21