This week's lessons: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45
This
week's lessons: Ezekiel
37:1-14, Psalm
130, Romans
8:6-11, John
11:1-45
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. Lent is our time of preparation for Easter: a time to examine our souls and consciences; a time to reform our lives; a time to prepare for the greatest feast of the year, that commemorates the greatest event of all creation. Over the weeks of Lent, the Gospel readings will take us with Christ along the road to redemption.
Today, the Gospel reviews for us Christ's temptation in the wilderness.
Review of Last Week
What was the sermon on? - Columbia; the great good that can be done with just a little; Spiritual blindness and spiritual sight
What was the Gospel lesson? - Jesus heals a blind beggar
Did anyone have any insights about...
1.What are the hidden truths and realities, perhaps just under the surface, that you need to see, in your individual life and in the life our congregation?
2. Are there unrecognized leaders and spiritual guides within the life of your church who are busy, on the edges, with tending the sheep while the “important” matters are discussed by others?
3. What are the standards we use to judge what we see, whether it’s a person, a building, a mission or ministry, or whether it’s an event or experience, such as a healing or transformation, or even a disaster?
4.When – and how – does your church take time to encounter Jesus Christ and to hear the truth that transforms your life, to follow in a new path that you previously could not even see?
5.Does it ever happen in the life of our congregation that there are some who question even the most wonderful turn of events – the miracles – and press for more information, details, rather than praise God and give thanks?
Why do we suppose Jesus waited so long to come to Lazarus’ bedside – arriving after Lazarus had been dead 4 days?
Jesus healed many sick and disabled people but raised from death very few so why do we think he chose to raise Lazarus?
What is the disciples’ response to Lazarus’ illness, to Jesus’ choice to wait, and then Jesus’ decision to return to Judea?
Is there any signifigance to Martha's going out to meet Jesus?
Why did Martha speak to Mary privately?
How did the crowd respond in different ways to Jesus' raising Lazarus?
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 Prayers, we pray
During Hymns, we sing
During the Readings, we listen
Middle-school Students' Pew-work
Elementary-School Students' Pew-work