Pastor John Wright

Sunday evening we had a good time of pooling wisdom to keep our Bible Studies focused, on mission, and invigorated. As part of our works of devotion, we encourage participation in Bible Studies as a means of (1) Sanctification through exposure to the Word of God; (2) Support of each other in living our lives in Christ together with its daily grind; (3) Joint encouragement to engage in congregational life, particularly the works of mercy; and (4) a place for evangelism, both to bring persons who live outside a vital faith in Jesus Christ, and for those whose faith needs embedded and nurtured within the body of Christ.

We're picking up, then, the blog as a means to keep the lectionary readings for the next Sunday in front of us. Individual groups can also read books as they desire together, or engage in periodic other activities, but the Scriptures, as given in the Book of Common Prayer lectionary will provide a basis. I'm going to provide some "prompts" to help guide through the readings with some background contexts and common themes. Groups are also encouraged to visit textworks.com for other information.

May God's richest blessings through Christ be yours as we engage in this study continuously together!

1 Kings 19:15-16,19-21

A key to this passage is the wealth and the change of social status demanded from Elijah for Elisha. Land is wealth; cattle are wealth and status -- unavailable to most where farming would be done by hand. Meat obviously becomes distributed to the hungry, and Elisha leaves his family, his past to head into an unknown future from his familied past.

Galatians 5:1,13-25

The Galatians passage centers around the notion of freedom. Within Western liberal cultures like ours, freedom is confined the the ability to make a choice, particularly as a rational individual outside any authority. We see the state as giving us "freedom" for such things as "religion" -- the ability to chose our own beliefs in private. In the Scriptures, freedom is something very different. Freedom arises from placing oneself under a true authority -- that of God who has revealed God's call to us in Jesus Christ. Freedom is the ability to choose and live what is good, to not feel compelled to conform to the standards of the day, but to fulfill the Law -- to love God and in God, our neighbor as ourselves. It is thus the joyous turn from this evil age and its notion of "freedom" to living as part of the body of Christ in the Spirit that allows our passions to be formed away from fear to thankful, joyous life in the Spirit based on living, not just our own choices, but truly as we were created to live.

Luke 9:51-62

Choices and freedom, leaving "normal" pasts for an unknown future following Christ permeates this passage. Jesus refuses retaliation for the Samaritan rejection; he notes that he moves on unencumbered into the future -- a future that leads to a cross and resurrection; the call to his disciples to not look back, with its images of Elisha, are not different than what he is doing.

The OT passage therefore serves as a type for the Gospel. The Epistle speaks of the freedom found in the following, moving into the unknown future. Underneath both is a recognition that while the world has a "value system" that seeks to enslave us, following Christ brings us into a life that truly is life through the fruits of the Spirit. The theme of moving from a past defined by the world into an unknown future that culminates in the resurrection to find freedom seems to tie things together in a way that profoundly relates to our past formation and the future direction of our lives.