Friday, December 16, 2005

Good Morning! 

Remember that this Sunday is our the Christmas Musical.

Today's Scripture

For the lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd: he will lead them to springs of living water.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.

Revelations 7:17

Today's Overview

Three quick things for today.

On Sunday, we'll wrap up our discussion of the Narnia movie with discussion of what we thought of the movie, and what if we think that the movie tells a story that the church can use in a way to reach new believers, or to inspire and teach current believers.

Second, we had talked a little bit about other study possibilities, one of which is the Book of Revelation.  If you follow the link below, it will take to you a long Wikipedia entry about Revelation, which will give you a good overview of that book of the Bible, and possibly give you some direction as to whether you'd like to do a study on that book or not.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Revelation

Third, there was discussion what books of the Bible are in the Catholic bible but not the Protestant Bible.  Based on what I found, all of the "extra" books in the Catholic Bible are in the Old Testament.  These are:

Tobit

Judith

1 Maccabees

2 Maccabees

Wisdom

Sirach

Baruch

In addition, the Catholic Bible has some different versions of the books that are in the Protestant Bible -- for instance, the book of Esther in the Catholic Bible has 103 verses that do not appear in the Protestant Bible.

Today's prayer request:      Our troops in Iraq

The elections went well apparently in Iraq yesterday, so let's pray not only for the continued safety of our troops there, but also for events to move quickly in the right direction so that many of them can come home soon.

Today's class member prayer:  

Jay Waters

Have a great day.

Jay

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Good Morning! 

Couple of dates to remember -- this Sunday is the Christmas Musical, and tonight is a meeting of the Capital Stewardship Committee, if you are part of that group.

Today's Scripture

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10

Today's Overview

Just a quick thought today -- as we get closer to the New Year, as I'm sure I've mentioned before, I'm big on New Year's Resolutions, etc.  -- I like those opportunities to turn the page and start new.  Like everyone, some things I put on my list stick, some things don't, but I like to think that I'm doing better over the long haul.

We have been talking about what studies that we might start in January for the class, but I think that we individually should be thinking about taking the opportunity of the new year to make some steps towards "perfection" to use our favorite John Wesley word.  What can we do to better position ourselves to be open to God's grace and direction, and to better share the love of God with others?

The suggestion that all of the gurus out there is that if you want to make a more serious effort at making a change, or improvement through making a New Year's Resolution -- you need to right it down.  If you really want to do better than that, you can share it with someone else. 

So, we have about two weeks or so till the first of the year, so think about making your list for the new year.  That exercise might also help you decide what kind of study that we should do as a class.

Today's prayer request:      Jessie Newsome's family

This is the mother of Megan's friend who was on our prayer list Tuesday due to a massive stroke.  She passed away yesterday morning, so we need to remember that family in this time of loss.

Today's class member prayer:  

Andrew Peebles

Have a great day.

Jay

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Good Morning!  

 

Couple of dates to remember -- this Sunday is the Christmas Musical, and tomorrow night is a meeting of the Capital Stewardship Committee, if you are part of that group. 

Today's Scripture

Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord.

Romans 12:19

Today's Overview

Coming back to Narnia to our world and day and time . . .

The story of Tookie Williams is the reason I chose the scripture for today, and it is something that we should pause and think about, because nothing in our law today challenges our faith more than the death penalty.  The imposition of the death penalty is something that is wrapped up in political beliefs and social beliefs along with spirtual beliefs, and it is difficult to sort out in a way what to hold on to as your belief.

As information, here is what the UMC says in the discipline about the death penalty: 

The Death Penalty

We believe the death penalty denies the power of Christ to redeem, restore and transform all human beings. The United Methodist Church is deeply concerned about crime throughout the world and the value of any life taken by a murder or homicide. We believe all human life is sacred and created by God and therefore, we must see all human life as significant and valuable. When governments implement the death penalty (capital punishment), then the life of the convicted person is devalued and all possibility of change in that person's life ends. We believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ and that the possibility of reconciliation with Christ comes through repentance. This gift of reconciliation is offered to all individuals without exception and gives all life new dignity and sacredness. For this reason, we oppose the death penalty (capital punishment) and urge its elimination from all criminal codes. 

If you saw any of the coverage of Tookie Williams' execution in the news, you saw what a circus of protesters came to San Quentin prison -- it was a very California circus.  And many of those protesters came to protest the death penalty for reasons that had nothing to do with their faith -- they were there for reasons of race or politics or self-promotion.  Frankly, one of the drawbacks to saying you are against the death penalty is the opportunity to be lumped in all the others who showed up at San Quentin on Monday night.

But, in the spirit of the class, this is an issue that confronts us in our lives outside the church that should be shaped by what we learn and believe and practice in church.  So regardless of what you believe -- whether you are for capital punishment or against it -- I think that the main thing that you owe to yourself from a spiritual standpoint is to make the effort to reconcile what your opinion is on this issue with what your spiritual beliefs are.  Don't be swayed by the politics or the other issues that have gotten tied up in it, or even in the idea of guilt or innocence of a particular person such as Tookie Williams. 

Deep subject, but one that is bound to come in conversation this week, if it already hasn't

If you are interested in reading some commentary about this, here are two blog entries:

The first part of this from Slate:  www.slate.com/id/213313/

This blog here has a detailed timeline report from the prison:  www.ordinaryeverydaychristian.blogspot.com/2005/12/clemency-appeals-denied-for-stanley.html

Today's prayer request:      Alan Brooks

Alan Brooks, our music minister, is having some surgery today at 9A.  It shouldn't be anything too major, we just need to pray that it go well and he have a quick recovery.

Today's class member prayer:   

 Melissa Herring 

Have a great day.

Jay

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Good Morning!

Hope you are doing well.

Here's another thought from the movie. Edmund's betrayals of his family to the White Witch seemed to me to be motivated by one of two impulses -- his own selfishness (he wanted Turkish Delight, and was motivated by the idea of being King over his brothers and sisters) and his desire to please the Witch (to keep on her good side).

In particular, the two times he betrayed his group -- once with Mr. Tumnus in the prison, and secondly with the fox out in the woods, he gave in due to a lack of strength. Mr. Tumnus and the fox both were in danger, but they both were willing to lay down their lives in order to protect those that the Witch was searching for. However, in both cases, Edmund didn't have that strength, and as soon as felt any pressure at all, he gave up information to the Witch.

I think this angle on Edmund's story brings into focus our need to be strong in order to resist the call of the devil that are all around us, and how our own selfishness often is the key that is used to bring down our resistance to his call. Edmund was centered on himself - what he wanted, what he thought he needed -- while everyone else - Mr. Tumnus, the Beavers, Peter, Lucy, Aslan -- were centered and motivated about the needs of others. At the end of the movie, Edmund does something unselfish for the first time in the movie, and he almost dies from his wounds, but he is healed.

Holding over the scripture from yesterday to today, because I think that it really speaks to the issue about Edmund. For most of the movie, nothing that he did was done in love, other than love for himself. While the others around him lived this verse, Edmund did not, until the end of the movie. I think that the movie provides great example of people living out this verse, and adds some fuel to the discussion we had earlier this year -- what is the opposite of love? Selfishness?

Today's Scripture

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

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Today's prayer request: The mother of a friend of Megan's

From Megan: "A prayer request....Jessie Newsome..and her family....this is the mother of a friend of mine...she suffered a massive stroke on Friday and is not responding to anything.... "

Today's class member prayer:

Susanne Russell

Have a great day.

Jay

Monday, December 12, 2005

Good Morning! 

Eight of us were able to make it to the movie on Sunday, and a little larger group was at the 11A service to hear the Bishop speak.  Both had interesting messages.  

Looking ahead for the next two weeks, we have a couple of Sunday's before our next study should start.  This coming Sunday, the 18th, we'll have the Christmas musical, and on the 25th, which will be Christmas, I don't think we are going to have a class meeting.  So we really won't start a new study until January 1.

Until then, we'll have four topics to discuss:

-- any additional reflection/comments about the Narnia movie, and how its message is "playing" in the mainstream culture.

-- some end of the year reflection/comments on where we are and where we need to go as a class.

-- the direction of our next study

-- some scripture/discussion about the Christmas season.

On the movie, I have the following comments:

-- Due to our study, I probably knew more about the plot, etc. of this movie than any movie that I've been to, and I have to say it probably diminished the experience for me.  The movie was, to me, exactly faithful to the book and plot, so I really wasn't surprised.  I imagine that this a common feeling for people who are big fans of books that are made into movies -- such as the Harry Potter fans, or the upcoming Da Vinci Code movie.

-- One thing that I was struck with the idea of how evil is associated with ugliness.  Most of the Witch's army were hideous and deformed -- you especially saw it towards the end of the movie during the scene where Aslan is killed and in the battle scenes.  All of Aslan's army, while unusual in who they were -- fauns, etc; they were all attractive in their way.  In these types of fantasy movies, that seems to be the way that the directors help us tell the good guys from the bad guys -- much like the old westerns used the white hats and the black hats as a way to help us tell the good guys from the bad guys.  And it is an approach that we can understand -- we expect the bad guys to be ugly.

-- But then you have the Witch in this movie -- who is striking and beautiful in her way -- what do we make of that?  How can the most evil thing be so beautiful?  On the other hand, could she have seduced Edmund into betraying his brothers and sisters if she had been ugly?  Would he have even gotten into her sleigh?

-- I think that there are two sides of this to think about -- one is that Satan always makes his offer attractive -- otherwise, how successful could he be in seducing us?  The flip side of this is also true -- sometimes the path God asks us to take isn't the beautiful path, full of beautiful people and sunny skies.

Today's Scripture

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

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Today's prayer request:    An acquaintance of Monica's

Monica asked for prayer for someone she knows who is struggling mightily with a drug addiction.  They were given the ultimatum of Alethia House or prison, and right now they are at Alethia House trying to break free of the grip that their addiction has on them.  Need to pray for them to have the strength to overcome the hold that drugs have on their body and life. 

Today's class member prayer:   

Kyle Findlay 

Have a great day.

Jay