SEPTEMBER 7-13, 2020
Below are our lectionary passages for this week in the Church calendar. For those unfamiliar, the lectionary is a resource that churches all over the world use to consistently and uniformly read through the scriptures every week as we gather for worship. The lectionary passages typically consist of a combination of Old Testament readings, a Psalm, a New Testament letter, and a Gospel reading.
We dwell on these passages throughout the week so that when we gather together on Sunday we may proclaim these truths together in worship. We encourage you to find some rhythm of reading and meditating on these passages throughout the course of the week, whether that’s reading through all of the passages daily or reading a single passage a day until you’ve read them all. We have included below some commentary and thought for guided prayer and reflection.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. - Psalm 119:105
EXODUS 14:19-31 (click here for passage)
Over the last several weeks our Old Testament lectionary readings have been following the narrative of the Israelites from their enslavement in Egypt and now to the outset of their exodus. We are now on the other side of the plagues and Pharaoh has commanded that Israel leave Egypt only to change his mind in murderous pursuit of the Israelites. This is where we find Israel in this week’s reading; between Egypt’s army and the Red Sea. In this iconic scene Moses, through the power of God, parts the Red Sea, thereby saving Israel from what should have been certain death at the hands of the Egyptians. This is quite possibly the most iconic story of God’s provision in the Bible; God making a way where there was previously no way. This was a landmark moment not only in the lives of the Israelites as they set out toward liberation from their oppressors but it was also a landmark moment in the relationship between Israel and God. It was a moment that would come to define the relationship between God and Israel.
What are the moments in our own lives that have defined our relationship with God?
What might those moments be personally and what might those moments be in the life of our church?
PSALM 114 (click here for passage)
We mentioned in the Exodus passage that God parting the Red Sea that Israel might flee Egypt was a defining moment in Israel’s relationship with God. We return to this notion in Psalm 114, God’s Wonders at the Exodus. Songs in the church are powerful for a multitude of reasons. Songs resonate with us emotionally, their lyrics teach us and remind us, and through song we put to melody what is often indescribable with words alone. The Psalms are essentially a book full of songs and prayers. And in this particular hymn the writer reminds the reader (or more accurately, the singers) of the power of God as displayed through his intervention of Israel. The Psalm recalls the parting of the Red Sea and God’s power over creation. In this Psalm we are called to remember. In the course of our daily lives it’s easy to forget the pieces of our own narratives that make us who we are. In a sense we become dis-membered. Occasionally the landmark moments that have come to define become fragmented and disjointed. It is in re-membering that we bring our stories into focus with God’s story and find unity in our lives.
Think of the songs that have been formative in your faith memory and begin to remember how God has been faithful in our lives.
ROMANS 14:1-12 (click here for passage)
The title of this passage in Romans is Do Not Judge Another. To better situate this passage in its context, it’s helpful to know that Paul is speaking to a tension that is building between two groups of Christians; the Jewish followers of Christ and the Gentile followers of Christ. Both come to Christ from very different contexts. The Jews come with a background of adherence to the Law, the commands that dictate the lifestyle of the Jew, including dietary restrictions. The gentiles are arriving at Christianity often from a pagan context that followed very different religious practices. Paul is trying to lay some groundwork for the two in order that all who are in pursuit of Christ may better function together. There is a centuries-old saying that has been handed down through the church that I am reminded of; “in essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all things charity.” Often the challenge is sorting out what is essential and what is non-essential but as Paul reminds us here, the most essential tenet is that “we do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” In our pursuit of Christ we are subject to the community of Christ’s body, the church.
Especially in a culture that forces us to polarities, how are we being called to charity (or grace) in all things?
MATTHEW 18:21-35 (click here for passage)
Coming out of the passage in Romans centered on not judging one another, our last reading is on Jesus’ teaching of forgiveness. Peter asks Jesus how often we are to forgive those in our community. Jesus responds, as he often does, in the form of a story (parable). Jesus tells Peter of one that was forgiven a great debt only for that man to turn around and deal harshly with one of his debtors of a much lesser debt. Despite having been forgiven so great a debt, the slave in this story is incapable of forgiving the small debts of those owed him. The master, upon hearing of the slaves great wickedness, reinstates his debt and tortures him until the debt is repaid! What’s more, Jesus says this is how the “heavenly Father will also do to every one of [us], if [we] do not forgive our brothers or sisters from our hearts. It would seem here that forgiveness is not an afterthought or extracurricular in the life of the Christian, but a primary function; a condition by which we enter into the Kingdom of God!
In what ways might we be experiencing the Spirit calling us to forgiveness?
In what ways are our relationship to others and relationship to God hindered by our unforgiveness?
REFLECTION
A question that I’ve been asking myself a lot recently is, “how am I to be?” In the midst of turbulence, uncertainty, and mass anxiety. How am I, as a follower of Christ, to respond to the times? I think that the lecture passages this week help to answer that question. In the Exodus passage we are called upon to trust in God’s provision, not our own. In Psalm 114 we are encouraged to re-member the faithfulness of God in our lives. Paul, in his address to the Romans reminds us that God is God and we are not. It is not our place to judge those outside of the community. We are held to the accountability of the Body of Christ. And lastly, Jesus commands us that we are not a people that harbors unforgiveness. As members of the Body of Christ we give the same charitable forgiveness that has been given to us by our Father. Maybe the question that we ought to be asking is how does the remembrance of our encounters with God, both personally and corporately, inform how we live and respond in these days?
As you dwell and meditate on these scriptures, would they also inform your prayer life. Might these scriptures of the revelation of the Triune God shape how you experience and interact with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
As a church we also support many local, domestic and international ministries that are serving as the hands and feet of Christ. Not only do we support these Faith Promise Partners financially, we have also committed to supporting them in prayer. This week would you be in prayer for Samaritan House of Lima, a homeless shelter for women and their children.
For more information on our Faith Promise partners, click here.