“Words of Love: Keep Sabbath” Lesson 3 Exodus 20:8-11; Deuteronomy 5: 12-15; Mark 2:23-28 When I was a child and later a teenager, my family would attend conferences each year at the Montreat Conference Center. One summer Sunday afternoon, my brothers and I were playing Monopoly in the lobby of the place where we were staying. The woman in charge of the facility walked into the lobby, saw us and told us to put away the game because it was the Sabbath and, besides, it was gambling because the game involved dice. I was totally confused. My brothers and I were not fighting. We were keeping quiet, so we would not disturb other people. What she said made no sense to me. There used to be a version of Sabbath-keeping that basically eliminated all wholesome fun. It was to be a quiet day with Sunday school and worship in the morning; in some traditions, one attended worship in the evening as well. Not much else was allowed. This restrictive understanding reduced God to a grim-faced … [Read more...]
Words of Love: Don’t Trivialize My Name (Horizons 2)
Love Carved in Stone: A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments Lesson 2: “Words of Love: Don’t Trivialize My Name” Exodus 20:7; Matthew 7:21-23 As a child, I looked up the meaning of my name, and the name book said: “Like a beautiful rose; an ancient deep-sea monster”! “Rosalind” is Germanic in origin and combines words for horse, “(h)ros,” and “linti,” which means “soft, gentle, tender, weak.” Thus, the original meaning is a docile horse. Hmm, this doesn’t quite fit me. Knowing the ancient meaning of my name really doesn’t tell you much about me. You would have to get to know me — what I value, my eccentricities, humor, habits and moods. With any person that we know well, we link their name with their character. Some people’s names are associated with integrity and honesty, while other people’s names are associated with gossip and finding fault. To use God’s name correctly, we must know what God stands for and what God values. “You shall not use the Lord your God’s name as if … [Read more...]
Words of Love: I Am Your God; You Shall Have No Other — Horizons 1
Love Carved in Stone: A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments Lesson 1 EXODUS 20:1-6, MATTHEW 22:34-37 I am fascinated by the Avenger movies where gods and super-human heroes battle the forces of evil. They are wildly popular and three of these movies are among the 10 highest-grossing movies of all time. I began watching them to help me understand the culture of my grandsons. Power, resilience in the face of personal and physical struggle and defeating evil are the values demonstrated in these movies. Power can be an idol, as can be money, work, family, possessions, status, education, sports, points of view or entertainment. The 14-year-olds who participated in this year’s confirmation class were a lively bunch. Talk about sports, scouts, school and siblings quickly bubbled up. In a conversation about idols, I mentioned that idols weren’t usually objects for us. Rather, idols are those things that keep us from putting God first in our lives. In asking what their idols … [Read more...]
Horizons preview: “Love Carved in Stone: A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments” (2019-2020)
Presbyterian Women/Horizons Bible Study 2019-2020 During Sunday school, children were asked to name the Ten Commandments. Here are two of the responses: “The first commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple.” “The seventh commandment is you shall not admit adultery.” Like the children, we may not exactly remember or know the meaning of the Ten Commandments. Jewish and Christian teachers have debated for centuries what behavior the commandments cover and what attitudes foster the breaking and the keeping of the commandments. In teaching guides, called catechisms, we see how the meaning and application of the Ten Commandments expanded. We are challenged to think beyond the literal words. For example, the Westminster Larger Catechism startles us by understanding “honor your father and mother” as dealing with relationships with our superiors, inferiors and equals. In considering “You shall not covet,” positive virtues are listed that guard against breaking the … [Read more...]
God with us (Horizons 9)
“God’s Promise: I Am With You” Lesson 9: God with us Matthew 18:15-20; 28:16-20 Sometimes unhappiness and discouragement taint our actions. I’ve found that to be true for me. Years ago, I attended a board meeting of a nonprofit organization that assists homeless women and children. I was cranky, negative and probably obnoxious. The executive director of the organization came to see me after the meeting and we sat down together. Her first words were, “How are you doing?” It was a terrible time in my life and I told her some of what was going on. After a time, she gently said that I had offended other board members. I thought about my behavior and realized that it was true. Her coming to me was a tremendous gift because it gave me the opportunity to immediately apologize and amend my behavior. The director’s actions were exactly what Jesus taught us to do. She took the initiative to come and let me know of my offense. She did so with kindness, which made it much easier for me to … [Read more...]
God with us as the Holy Spirit (Horizons 8)
“God’s Promise: I Am With You” Lesson 8: John 14:1-31 “I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights and I live in the unshakeable kingdom of God.” James Bryant Smith said the above quote at a Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) conference on making disciples. I found it challenging to wrap my head around the phrase. What happens when you say to yourself, “I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights”? Are you startled, doubting, incredulous or pleased when you think about Christ delighting in you? For 60 seconds of silence, imagine Christ looking at you with pleasure. What happens when you reflect on Christ dwelling in you? Do you readily identify with the Holy Spirit having a home within you, or do you think that the Holy Spirit will only come once you have spiritually cleaned house? Do you feel like the Holy Spirit has packed up and left, or is the Spirit as close to you as breath or wind? Chapter 14 of the Gospel of John focuses on the Holy Spirit coming to lodge within the … [Read more...]
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