Monday, June 6, 2005

Good Morning!

The new unit for this week is Unit 6, Good Stewards of Time

Focus Scripture for the Week: 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Keep alert, stand firm in the your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

Today's scripture: Matthew 26:36-46

-- Reading the Reflections section this week, and then the scripture for today, I'm not sure how the scripture for today fits into the theme for this week's unit. There are a couple of possibilities in my mind:

-- There is the thought that Christ, even prior to his betrayal, in the middle of the night, made time for prayer. It was a priority for him. And he used every last moment for prayer.

-- For the disciples, the thing you note most is that they keep falling asleep. After the first time, Jesus tells Peter "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is week." From this verse, I see too possible connections to our topic -- (1) is instruction from Jesus how we should spend out time -- "watch and pray", which is what John Wesley made time for everyday. (2) is the idea from "the spirit is willing, etc." portion of the scripture, with the connection being that we know that we should spend some time in prayer and devotion, but simply don't get it done, maybe by simply being too tired.

-- Otherwise, I'm somewhat stumped for the connection.

-- From the Reflections section, I think that one of the most powerful parts is the idea that we all have the same number of hours in a day, and the idea that time is one of the few things -- if not the only thing -- given to all of us in equal measure. We have the opportunity to use it wisely, and, in a way, this study is all about time -- not just the few minutes each day we are committing to this study, but how we stay in tune with God the entire day, both in doing his will and in noticing how he is working in our lives. Sometimes, like the disciples, we are asleep when he is near.

Today's prayer request: Natalee Holloway and her family.

Natalee is the girl who has gone missing in Aruba. Pray for her safe return, and for strength and hope for her family and friends.

Today's class member prayer:

Jodi Findlay

Have a great week.