4th Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 4th Sunday of Lent are:

1. 1 Samuel 16: 1b, 6-7, 10-13a
2. Psalms 23: 1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
3. Ephesians 5: 8-14
4. John 9: 1-41

• You are chosen, like it or not
• You have to wonder what went through David's mind when he got word that he was required at a sacrifice with the noteworthy prophet Samuel.  David probably had no idea what that anointing would thrust him into, nor the demands that would be made on him by the kingship.
• In what part(s) of your life do you feel chosen, anointed, hand picked by God?
• What gives you that impression?  Is it because you are really good at what you do, or maybe because no one else wanted that job, or you just feel as though your whole life has led up to this?
• Would you ever want to leave that position?
• Why?

• You are not alone
• Have there been times when you felt as though no one was "in your corner" with you?
• Did you ever get to the point where you felt more supported?
• Were you lonely?
• What was your prayer during that time?
• Do you trust God more now than you did when you went through that troubled time?

• I thought that's what the tabloids are for
• The prophet helps God's people see things for what they really are, see them from God's perspective.
• Who are some of the prophets that we have today?
• How do you think that they got that job?
• Do you think that we can ever have too many prophets among us?
• Could you ever be called upon to be a prophet?
• Why or why not?

• I am
• In first century Palestine, begging was a perfectly acceptable way to make a living.  In fact, the general populace regarded supporting the poor among them as a sacred duty.
• The blind man in today's Gospel was there, minding his own business, when Jesus suddenly, without asking permission apparently, thrust him into the limelight.  Yet the man born blind shows profound courage in the face of all of this attention.
• How has God changed your life over the years?
• Were those changes always welcome?
• Did you feel at all ready for those changes?

• Preparation for Reconciliation

1. Where has God chosen me to be?
2. Is God's presence in my life enough for me?
3. What in my life needs a prophet?
4. Where is God calling me from my comfort zone today?

Shalom!