Sunday, May 21, 2017

The Ascension of the Lord

Our readings for Ascension Sunday are:
  1. Acts 1: 1-11
  2. Psalms 47: 2-3, 6-7, 8-9
  3. Ephesians 1: 17-23
  4. Matthew 28: 16-20
  • Moving on
    • Have you ever had a time in which you had to give up one thing for something else?
    • How did you discern that the time had come for that transition?
    • Did you mourn what you lost in the process?
    • What helped you through that process?
  • The joy of the Lord
    • How would you define true joy?
    • Where does it come from?
    • Does joy endure, or is it merely the product of present circumstances?
    • What brings you joy in your life?
  • Revelation
    • Is God revealing Himself to us continuously, or is all that done now?
    • If God is still engaged in ongoing revelation, who is He revealing Himself to these days?
    • How is that revelation coming to us, His people?
    • Is God revealing Himself to/through our hearts or our heads?
  • Or - Spirit of Wisdom
    • Enlightenment can be defined as seeing things in a new way, a truer way.
    • Who are some voices of enlightenment in our day?
    • Is this enlightenment a matter of returning to a truer view of God, the world, and our place in it, correction to erroneous beliefs that have crept in, or an ongoing unfolding of God's revelation?
    • If we are truly following Jesus with all our hearts, are we guaranteed to be free from error in our beliefs?
  • Without a doubt
    • What causes doubts of our faith?
    • Is that necessarily a bad thing?
    • Can doubt ultimately improve our relationship to Jesus?
    • Are questions necessarily a bad thing?
Preparation for Reconciliation:
  1. What am I clinging to that I need to let go of?
  2. Am I willing to take joy in the same things that bring God joy?
  3. When was the last time that I sat with Jesus, looking for His take on my day?
  4. Am I patient with the questions in my life?
Sent
My doubts are some of the best parts of me.

When I doubt that I really understand God's will in my life,
That's when His presence is most felt,
Encouraging, coaxing, showing mercy
As I take one tentative step after another.

When I doubt my own strength and courage,
He assures me that He stands ready to be the courage I need
That strength is more than the raw ability to move mountains,
But the ability to put feebleness to work when and where it's needed.

When I doubt my own intentions and purity of heart,
He helps me see myself for what I truly am,
My weaknesses, my insights, my failings, my occasional boldness,
And shows me how to offer it all up in His service, whole or not.

When I doubt that I can live the questions any longer,
He shows me that sometimes, a well asked question
Has more power than any full throated answer,
And that sometimes the greatest offering is utter honesty.

I doubt that I'll ever understand this God,
But He assures me that's not really necessary for discipleship.

Shalom!

No comments:

Post a Comment